by Kim Faulks
Three elegant candelabras sat in the middle of the dusty wooden floor. They looked old, weeping thick waxy tears. Whispers reached out from the darkened edges of the room, and soft moans followed.
I turned my head. Black on black shifted where the glow never reached. Outlines moved. My breath caught with the sounds. The sob, blending into a groan of pleasure. My steps stuttered. I gulped as my heart raced. Sex and pain filled my head.
More sounds. More movement. As I focused on one, other outlines came alive. They surrounded me, lovers, passion, soft moans and louder cries. A harsh slap rang out. I jumped, rattling the ceramic dolls.
I just needed to hold out until Kol got here.
He’d kill them all. I knew he would.
I had to believe he’d save me.
A woman sighed, drawing my gaze to a dark chaise lounge in the middle of the floor. She squirmed underneath a red silk sheet and stretched her arms above her head. I followed the rise of her breast.
She coiled a leg around the edge of the sheet, revealing the line of her creamy thigh. The edges bunched, sliding between the grooves of her legs. There was a whisper of darkness. A glimpse of a dark thatch of hair in the valley of her thighs.
I’d never seen anything so seductive—and frightening. I couldn’t look away from her writhing, panting body. Her eyes were closed, lips parted. No hand touched her, but she slithered and teased as though a skillful lover lay between her legs.
She opened her eyes, lust in her gaze. One hand reached out, long fingers reached for me as she whispered, “Touch me.”
Close your eyes and lay back.
Kol’s voice came to life. His seductive tone deepened. Demanding—arousing.
Can you feel me?
A jolt of desire cleaved my body. I closed my eyes. Cold fingers met the heat of my flesh, trailing down my cheek. The memory was so real… almost…. It was almost… here. The tip of Kol’s finger trailed over my lips. I opened my mouth, listening to the rush of his breath in my ear and his deep voice as he commanded, spread your legs.
My muscles trembled, sending a quake between my thighs. I wanted to obey… I needed to obey. I wanted to cross the floor and lay with this woman. I wanted her touch. I wanted her lips on my skin, her breath on my neck.
I love watching you blush, love seeing you squirm against your seat. You want this, you crave the danger… the excitement.
My tongue snaked out, wetting my lips. My hands trembled, gripping the handle of my bag. Something pressed against my mind, some memory—a warning.
And suddenly, it was Devlin Holland all over again. Slate grey eyes focused on me. So cold. Goosebumps raced across my skin. Pressure built inside my head, tightening like a fist. I could feel his anger… his rage.
Open your mind, Nova. Obey me.
It was the same feeling… the same… assault.
Phantom fingers clawed my memories.
This place… these vampires. I tried to surface, tried to shake off the shackles. There was something wrong here. So wrong.
Kol’s voice came from nowhere: Get out. Run from this place. Fight, Nova. Fight!
Another, more powerful voice called upon me to obey. Do as I say and you won’t get hurt. You’re here with me now… your Kol is gone. He won’t save you.
“I take it you don’t approve?”
Isaiah’s gravelly voice slipped in like an assassin, carving away the memory with one slash of a knife. Isaiah Holland watched me from the other side of the room, his stare ravenous.
I curled my shoulders in and tried not shiver. A whimper came from the left. Blacked-out windows gave me little to go on, but an outline moved, then melted into the darkness. A chuckle slithered from the shadows. The sinister sound sent a chill along my spine.
“Adam, there you are.”
"So, this is Nova,” he crooned. “So very beautiful.”
Movement drew me back to my captor. He’d moved closer, now an arm’s reach away. Hot blue eyes searched mine. Rosy lips curved before he whispered. “Would you like me to call him over? I know he’s been dying to meet the woman who betrayed our brother?”
My throat tightened. I forced a sound. “I—I didn’t betray anyone.”
“Really? Because that’s not how I heard it.”
He was a viper, coiled to strike.
I shook my head. “He… I….”
“He… I… what? You had an arrangement, didn’t you?” He strode past me, and the echo of his steps died away.
“Were you forced, Nova?” Isaiah's words were slippery on my mind. “Did my brother force you to sign that agreement?”
I closed my eyes. Kol’s warning now a blinding light.
Lie, a voice whispered. Lie and hope it saves you.
Something pushed at the edges of my mind. The pressure skirted the boundaries, poking and prodding finding a way inside.
“Did he force you Nova? Did Devlin make you submit?”
Devlin Holland’s voice wormed its way to the surface of my mind. Why are you fighting me? Isn’t this what you want? To be owned? To be used?
The memory of that night was resurrected in a rush, blending reality with the horrors of my past.
Isaiah’s base-filled tone mingled with his dead brother’s. They were one and the same. “Did he make you bend to his will? Did he hurt you?”
I shuddered remembering his touch… those cold, dead fingers touching me… undressing me. That’s the way. You want to obey me, Nova. You want to do exactly as I say.
“Nova.” Adam whispered. “Tell us the truth and we’ll let you live.”
“Stop it.” I clenched my eyes tight. “Stop doing this to me. It wasn’t my fault. He gave me no choice.”
The soft padding of bare feet forced open my eyes. The shadows drew tight, clinging to the outline of a man like some unwanted skin. If Isaiah Holland’s blonde hair and sky blue eyes reminded me of the day, then this man was of the night.
His long raven hair shone like an oil slick against his pale skin. Soft black cotton pants skimmed the floor as he moved. “Nova. You’re as beautiful as I expected. My brother always had exquisite taste.”
His smile made something deep inside clench with fear. Obsidian eyes glinted with amusement. He dropped his gaze, taking in the bag in my hand. “I see you’ve already packed. Good—that will save us doing it later. I think you’ll enjoy it here. I know I’m going to enjoy getting to know you.”
I shook my head. “I’m not staying here—not with you.”
He cocked his head to the side. “Oh, I think you will, especially after we kill your pretty boyfriend. Why do you think you’re here? Why do you think you’re still alive? You think Kol is going to ride in on his white horse and save the day? How sweet—and naïve. We both know how this is going to play out, Nova—Kol in a pile of ashes at your feet. No one’s going to stop us. Not Kol, and not the team of fragile humans he has working for him. Not even the mighty Rurik who hides away in his stony castle, all-seeing, but not-knowing. Even he can’t save you.”
“You see, we’ve gone to great lengths, Nova,” murmured Isaiah
His hand brushed mine, icy fingers lingered a little too long. I flinched, releasing my hold on the bag and in the space of a heartbeat my belongings were gone.
“Great lengths,” Adam snickered.
“By now poor Kol is learning what it means to betray one of his own kind.”
The pressure built in my head, spreading out with taloned nails to scrape the inside of my skull. I shook the hold free, whispering the truth… he’s coming… Hold on just a little longer. Kol is coming.
“He won’t survive,” Isaiah growled. “And you’ll be left here for us to use. Humans like that. Is that what you want? To be owned? To be used?”
Movement, quick at my side as Adam moved. Dark eyes found me, searching, probing. The vampire pushed me backwards. Isaiah was a stony wall at my back, unforgiving and unrelenting. Adam Holland lifted his hand and covered my lips. “Say the words, Nova. He wo
n’t survive.”
I clenched my jaw. My body shook. His voice wormed its way inside my head twisting and turning.
I shook my head. He’s coming… he’s coming. Don’t listen to them when they say he’s not coming….
“He doesn’t care about you. You’re just a human, Nova. A plaything… a… chew toy. Why would he leave you alone like that? Why would he cast you aside?”
Cold fingers brushed the nape of my neck, then trailed down the hollow of my throat, following my vein. Sharp fangs mingled with the memory of Kol’s love. I could still feel the pressure against my skin, still feel my flesh surrender as he impaled my vein.
“You belong to us now. You signed an agreement with our brother, and that agreement is still binding.”
Cold. A shudder raced through my body. I was so cold and those words slipped inside my head.
“Your body… your blood, although tainted is still ours to take. And we will take them.”
”No,” I whispered. “I belong to Kol.”
A tremor ripped through my mind, tearing open a wound and I bled.
He dropped his head to murmur in my ear. “I will take you… again and again. You belong to us, Nova. You belong to us.”
Kol
“You.” My teeth scraped my tongue. “You’re not Manning.”
The young officer dropped his pen to the desk and pushed back in his chair. His gaze was searching, taking in my pale skin, my lips, lingering.
My fangs lengthened. The sudden intake of his breath was sharp. His voice was steady, but the false bravado was not needed. “I was the last time I checked. But the real question is, what would a vampire need with me?”
I shook my head, fear gripped my insides like a steel vise. “You’re not him… not the man I need.”
The thunder of heavy boots echoed along the hallway, then slowed the closer they came. I turned my head and stared at the floor. Heartbeats echoed, three or four robust males with blood pumping through their veins. Blood enough to sate my lust … but not enough to sate my thirst for revenge.
The young detective moved. His focus slipped behind me as shiny black boots came into view. The detective lifted a hand and motioned to the chair at my side. “Why don’t you take a seat, and tell me what the problem is? Maybe I can help.”
I shook my head. Anger and frustration boiled inside me. I considered the detective who was regarding me with bright, curious eyes. Why use his name?
In case someone became suspicious.
I sucked in air. Yes. He needed a real name. The real detective on the case so if anyone picked up the phone to check they’d be rewarded with a confirmation that Detective Manning, that this Detective Manning was indeed the officer on the case. “You know him… or he knows you.”
“And by him, you mean this man who is pretending to be me?”
I nodded. These were breadcrumbs, tiny specks of truth amongst a forest of lies. Still, it was a trail I had to follow.
“You’re gonna have to give me a little more to go on here. I mean, you’re the one who came to me, remember?”
Hurry. A voice whispered. I glanced to the ticking clock on his desk. She’d been gone hours. I reached the echo of my stony heart. She wasn’t dead… not yet. I knew this, just as I knew them.
They’d keep her alive… I’d keep her alive.
“He came to her apartment, called himself Detective Manning. He had a badge and he acted like a cop. I’m sure he’s one of you.”
He nodded. “Okay. But if you’re right, then why? Why take her?”
“To make me pay,” I hissed through clenched teeth. Those words reverberated inside my skull like an empty drum.
I flinched at how familiar these vampires were to me.
These unloved… broken things, who haunted the halls of this life—just as I once had.
Before I met Nova.
Darkness threatened to swallow me. The ghosts of my torment waited… all those I’d murdered… all those I’d hurt lingering with only one purpose. They could wait a little longer.
The young officer leaned across the desk. His fingers danced and trembled, skirting stacked folders before stilling and yanking one free near the bottom of the pile. His blond hair fell forward as he leaned in. I stared at the line of his neck and the pulse that throbbed just under the surface as he spoke.
“Here’s a list of all the officers attached to the Scott case. Have a look, see if any of these are your so-called detective.”
Echoes of the past were resurrected in his speech. The way he talked reminded me of something. Of a flicker of time I’d forgotten. I opened the folder and rifled through the pages.
“Well,” the real Detective Manning asked. “Is he there?”
I slammed the cover shut. “No.”
“Then maybe your detective was a fraud. Maybe he wasn’t a detective at all and just one more pawn in a vampire war.”
I cast the folder aside. I had nothing but a dead end. How could I find her now?
I turned from the young officer. “Thank you for your time, Detective. I’m sorry to disturb you.”
The chair squealed against the floor as the detective rose. “It was just paperwork. That’s all my job is, I’m afraid. Let me escort you out…”
I shook my head. “No need.”
“I wish I could help you.” His voice echoed behind me.
I slowed my steps, taking one agonizing step at a time as I descended. Images reached along the wall, blank faces staring back at me astride a name and a date. I lifted my head as I stepped… faces… they haunted me. Men, women, dressed in blue with silver pinned to their chest.
My foot stilled. A youthful face, round, dark eyes… familiar. The name Chandler Glass printed boldly under the image. The blow to my gut was instant. I raised my hand and touched it. “Him. That’s who took Nova.”
The detective went stick straight. He stared at the image. His mouth opened and then closed.
“No, that’s just not possible.” The detective pointed to a picture. “That’s my partner. Killed in the line of duty.”
I raised a brow. “How?”
He wouldn’t look at me. Instead he stared at the name under the photo.
My growl was cruel, insistent. “How?”
“A vampire attack. Freshly turned she was… and hungry. Took down three of our men. Chandler opened fire and took the brunt of the attack. There was nothing left of him… pieces. That’s all we had to show his widow… goddamn pieces.”
He was lying. I could hear his heart thundering. His breath was harsh, rushed. I lowered my gaze, pretending to believe him. “I’m sorry for your loss. That must’ve been difficult.”
Hate seeped into his words. “You have no idea.”
I gave a curt nod, then took the last steps in one smooth stride. Heads turned, eyes followed as I strode through the foyer and made for the front door.
The echo of my boots replaced the haunting sound in my chest.
Thud… thud… thud….
Hurry… hurry… hurry.
The glass doors yawned and spat me out. I dipped my fingers into my pocket and yanked my phone free. The screen glowed as I slid my thumb across the surface and lingered on Rurik’s number. He’d find the fallen officer… he’d find the truth amongst the lies.
A coldness came over me… an emptiness like the dull boom inside a hollow drum as the slow, warped ring of the phone reached my ears.
Ring… ring… ring.
I lifted my gaze as my steps slowed.
Ring… ring… ring.
Rurik lived alone. He knew no one and no one knew him. There was never a time he did not answer. There was never a time he ventured out of his stone hideaway.
The call ended.
A blow echoed through the halls of time, lifetimes… centuries.
Rurik?
Sire?
He’d never missed answering a call. Not once.
The phone slipped from my fingers to hit the pavement. Glass and plastic
crunched under my heel, ending the ghostly call.
I slipped inside my car. An icy voice whispered the truth.
I’d waited for this moment to come and now that it finally had, I hardly recognized it.
I lifted my gaze to the swarm of humans and felt ever more removed from their species.
I’d been a wretched thing as a human, hated by my mother, feared by my brothers.
I’d contracted the plague when I was just eight and against all odds I’d survived.
My heart turned weak and slow, pumping traces of warmth through my mortal veins. The thought of blood—the rush of blood became my singular thought—how much would sustain me, and stave away the end?
My legs were twisted and torn—my mind was just as wretched as my thinned blood left me to hallucinations. For years I’d lain in that bed while I wasted away, never reaching the sunshine—never bathing in a loving caress, or the warmth of a kind word—until that day.
I’d heard the screams outside my door. Their shock ripped through the air like the warning caw of a bird, and like that, the sound was gone. The hunger creaked as my bedroom door slowly opened, and in walked a monster.
Blood covered the stranger’s face and dripped from his mouth. I stared at his dark, unflinching eyes as he strode toward the bed. Sick and weak, I couldn’t fight even if I’d wanted to, and by then I was ready for the end.
He took one look at my crippled body and smiled. Bloody lips lowered to mine. His breath was fetid. My stomach rolled with the stench.
I tried to push myself up on the bed but he easily held me down. Cold lips brushed mine. Electricity hummed through my body at the contact.
Icy air tickled my ear as he whispered, “I’ve always wanted a son.”
The growl of an engine wrenched me out of the reverie. I lifted my gaze to an unmarked Crown Vic as it pulled out onto the street. Even from here I knew who it was. My lying detective.
I followed the Crown Vic into the traffic. I kept my distance, allowing him just enough tether to hang himself. Cars moved in between us, widening the gap. I took the same off ramp, slowing to a crawl as he slipped through rundown buildings and forgotten children’s swings.
