by Lucy Lyons
“I do like to change the plans as often as I can,” she said in her syrupy voice, and another in my head shrieked in agony.
Colette looked at me and I tried not to cry. I didn’t blame her for being her. I blamed myself for getting complacent and forgetting what she was capable of. I felt her terror and hatred of Glory, even as I felt her jealousy and pain that her master had chosen a witch over her abject loyalty. I closed my eyes and rested on the floor, too weak to fight anymore, as the rotted Nicholas creature filled my mind and I was struck mute by my own terror.
As I waited for the blow, I heard a thick crunch, and opened my stinging eyes, blinking past the gore I half-believed was dripping down my face from the nightmare implanted in my head.
Glory was gaping in shock. The dais was painted in blood and gore. Colette smiled at me and held a muscular organ in her hand.
“I bet you thought Glory didn’t have a heart,” she quipped. I watched David, pushing myself back on my hands and knees to put distance between us. “You couldn’t do it, but I could,” Colette said and I nodded weakly in agreement. Never again would I doubt that Colette was more than the face she showed the world. Crazy or not, she was mine forever, and I would never let anything happen to her, without killing the ones who hurt her.
David spluttered and moaned as blood foamed in his mouth and he struggled to breathe. I watched him suffer and it made me think of Nicholas. Seeing how easy it was to kill him by killing his master, I worried about Nick and how my fragility could harm him if I took that last step for him.
“Now, that’s for me to worry about, okay?” I glanced up and saw that Nicholas was standing over me. A terrifying image of him rotted and still moving made me vomit until all I could do was dry heave. Blessedly, as the monster scooped me up in his arms, I lost consciousness.
When I awoke, I was in a hotel room, surrounded by vampires and were-animals. I thought at first it was just rats, but I felt a hot wind and glanced up to see Henny and Clay. At the sight of Clay looking so normal, I broke down into tears, and threatened everyone for looking.
“All right, you’ve all seen her. She’s not dying or dead, you can go now. Give the woman some space,” Nicolas said. Everyone filed out through the door and soon it was just the two of us on the bed. My pulse sped uncomfortably, as the memory of rotted hands came to mind.
“I saw things I can’t ever forget,” I told him. “I don’t want a master, Nicholas.”
“I’m well aware of that, Caroline.” Nicholas was calm and sat without touching me. I shuddered at the thought of him closing the distance between them and shook my head. David could not win this battle, not now that he was finally dead, thanks to Colette.
“Kiss me, Nicholas. Either we can chase the worm out of my head, or it will be our goodbye.” He hesitated and I reached for him, barely breathing as I touched his cool skin. “I need to thank Colette. I’ve got to make sure Clay’s okay, and help Dominique solve her super-secret problems. I’ve got work to do, and I can’t do any of it without you.”
Nicholas leaned back and scrutinized me for a moment.
“Okay, close your eyes and think about your favorite moment.” I closed my eyes and remembered how it felt to fly. I didn’t picture anything else, just the sensation of creating a wind as I skimmed the clouds.
Suddenly, there were soft, full lips on mine, gently tasting me, and I parted my lips to let him in. His kisses deepened, and my whole body responded to his touch, until I opened my eyes. There, so close I could see the lighter specs in his emerald and obsidian eyes.
I pulled away and he went very still.
“No monsters here,” I whispered and he chuckled and laid down on me, pressing me into the bed and making my body warm to his touch.
“Good. I’ll keep the monsters away all night and tomorrow, we’ll go home. No master, no servant. Just a witch and the man who needs her.”
“How could you possibly need me, Nicholas?”
“You make us all human again, Caroline, haven’t you noticed? Rachel was the first. Colette believes you’re her personal savior and best friend. We belong to you, as much as you belong to me.” He kissed me again and I fought the urge to push for more.
My pain was almost too much to bear and we were in a strange place. But one day, I would let him make me his in truth, rather than just in dreams. I hadn’t lied when I told him I’d go with him. With Vladikk half-crazed and running the show, the compound was closed to me now. But there were people I loved still fighting to make the Venatores righteous again and I was going to help them in every way I could.
“Kiss me again, Nicholas, chase all the monsters away.” His lips brushed mine and I knew that no matter what came at us or where we went, I was finally where I belonged.
Chapter 13
My euphoria couldn’t last, but I was grateful for the moment of respite after the nightmare that threatened my finally confessed love. David had been clever, in his way. By implanting such a horrific reality in my head, he could’ve made it impossible for me to be with Nicholas. But he also proved that Nicholas and I were bonded. Only by exercising that bond could I escape the alternate ‘waking dream’ that was trying to consume me.
“If I died, he won. If I lived, then the hunters would know for sure that I was yours, and he won… sort of,” I mused as Nicholas held me in his arms, his body pinning the blanket to the bed and effectively trapping me.
“For someone who was completely and totally insane, he did have a plan,” he murmured.
“If he was insane, was he really the puppet master? I don’t know, Nicholas, that was so real, and so terrifying. I blew it up. A vampire that had been dead for centuries. How is that possible?”
“Necromancy is a vampire power. David couldn’t have had such a power without being fully oathed to his master.” I shoved at him and Nicholas rolled away from me with a groan.
“And that’s another thing,” I replied, struggling to sit up. “How in the hell, do you go from hating vampires and trying to exterminate them all, to being a vampire servant?” I sat cross-legged under the covers and rested my elbows on my knees and my face in my hands. “Glory was behind the murders in LA.
“That is a definite possibility, if David was already her servant, and I suspect he was.” I roared my frustration into my blanket and looked at Nicholas.
“I’ve done so much, so, so much to prove my loyalty to the Venatores and while I may not have told them everything, I was certainly honest when they asked about you. What do I get? A bunch of thug hunters who want to nail my ass to the wall.”
“David breaks, no, flouts the law, and he’s given multiple chances to redeem himself; betrays the entire society, lies, steals, oh yes, mind-rapes…” I ticked his offenses off on my fingers as I talked. “I’m glad I’m not welcome back. If I truly believed I might be able to make a difference, I know I’d just get sucked back in.” I laid back and looked up at him, feeling around for his hand and threading my fingers through his. “I might actually sleep now, full on, drooling, snoring, sleep, for the first time in I don’t know how long.”
“I appreciate the drool warning, I’ll be sure to leave before then.” I wrenched my hand away and slapped his arm, rolling my eyes.
I stared up at the ceiling with my hands on my stomach. My fingers automatically slid down to my side where Clay had almost gutted me with his claws. He would have, too, if I hadn’t been in Venatores gear. My shoulder was healed, but when I ran my fingers over my knuckles, I could feel scar tissue just below the thin skin between them.
“If I take the full blood oath to you, will I stop scarring when I heal, like a vampire after they’re turned?” I hated myself for sounding so small and scared, but visions of David still swam behind my eyes, his face contorted by insane hatred and rage.
“I don’t know. You will have more power and be able to draw on my powers as well. You will age much slower and won’t die for many centuries unless we are killed.
“I still age?
That’s not fair.”
“Vampires age, Caroline, they simply do it so slowly, no human lives long enough to see the process. The eldest among us no longer appear human in any way. They’re wizened and wretched to look at, so they wear elaborate masks and we all pretend that isn’t what we’re becoming.”
“What if I don’t finish the oath?”
“Then we continue as we are. I will never reach my full potential and my people will always be in more danger for it.” I closed my eyes and balled my hands into fists. “I will also know that you are with me because you want to be. Because you want me,” he added in a softer voice. “I’m strong, Caroline. Believe me when I tell you that is worth the extra struggle for position in the vampire power games.”
I kissed him soundly and snuggled into his chest, wanting to steal a few more minutes of alone time with him before we faced the world. Almost instantly, his phone rang, and he sighed and rolled off the bed to answer it. I grumbled, annoyed at the interruption.
“I asked them to call as soon as they knew if Rachel would pull through,” he told me, giving me a sidelong look. Chastened, I sat up and waited to hear the news. He listened to the speaker, thanked the caller, and hung up.
“I assumed Rachel was okay because we got her home to you. What happened?” His face, already pale, had a sicky cast to it as he turned to me, his eyes rimmed with crimson tears.
“You were Glory’s guest for what, two hours, maybe less? They had Rachel for three days. Days that I assumed she was on her retreat and didn’t search for her.” He shuddered and squared his shoulders. “Glory’s death was better than she deserved.”
“Agreed. But it saved my life, so I’m inclined to take the win.”
“Rachel’s suffering and no one can figure out how to stop it. Somehow, I don’t think I’m going to be able to kiss her better.” I slid off the bed and tugged my tac-gear over my tank top and briefs without looking in his direction. He’d seen me naked and never crossed the line with me before, but for some reason it was different now.
“Okay, I’m ready,” I announced. I turned around and found him studying the far corner of the room with his back to me. He turned and I flushed, almost disappointed that he hadn’t tried, even though I knew that it wasn’t the time or place for us to take that step.
The rats that Jeremy had assigned to us as guards split up and two left to get the car. The last, Candace, was not only a were-rat, she was a former Marine who owned a chain of Taekwondo dojos in Portland and was built like a WWE wrestler. It had surprised me to learn how much of the pack was military or police. Candace explained that they were less limited in their professions because they had control over their shape-shifting, unlike the legends.
She pressed a finger to her earbud and nodded at Nicholas. He took my arm and escorted me out of the apartment and down the stairs, while I glowered at him.
“You do remember that I’ve been trained to hunt and kill supernatural creatures, right? You can cut it out with the forced protection.” He growled at me, but Candace defended me.
“She’s not used to this kind of security, Nicholas. Imagine how you’d feel, if her people told you that you were an honored guest, then treated you like a prisoner.”
“That’s nonsense. She isn’t a prisoner, she’s the most valued member or our family aside from your king. Her safety is paramount,” he argued.
“Thanks, Candace, but don’t worry about it. I’ll suck it up and be a good team player for now,” I said. The muscular blonde flashed me a grin over her shoulder and I got another dirty look from Nicholas.
“Wow. I just felt a chill from back there. Everything all right with you two?” Candace glanced back and checked for danger behind us.
“We’re fine, Candace, just a little jealousy from the boss over us bonding.”
“Are you kidding?” she replied and I laughed. She motioned for us to stay put while she moved ahead to the glass doors and gave the ‘all clear’.
We climbed in the back of the car and I managed a quick “thank you” before she shut us in and hit the roof with her fist. As the car pulled away from the curb, I sat staring out the tinted windows, thinking about Rachel and Clayton. I had an idea of what we could do for Rachel, or rather, who we could turn to, but I was afraid to tell Nicholas, for fear that he’d refuse and we’d lose Rachel to a coffin forever, like Vittorio.
“You’re quiet.”
I laughed. “I was thinking about the earth witch, Henny. I get the impression she knows about a lot more than just werewolves. I want to go to her for training, like she offered.” I took his hand and smiled at him. “I mean, you have to stay here at least for a while. You’re the new Master of Seattle, aren’t you?”
He ran his thumb over my knuckles and regarded me intently.
“Why do you need her to train you? Why not just become fully oathed to me and let me train you?”
“Because I don’t want to end up like David and I think you guys haven’t had human servants in so long… I mean, what if Glory messed him up unintentionally?” Somewhere, his training had gone off the rails and I didn’t want to end up that way.
“So, this isn’t about Rachel or Clay?”
“Should it be?” I asked and withdrew my hand.
“You gave a powerful werewolf to someone you don’t know, instead of letting me help him.”
“Clay’s my friend. One who had been violated and turned into something deadly to himself and others. I gave him to the people who would help him, not use him.” I pushed back to the limit of my seatbelt and frowned at him. “If Clay comes to you, it will be of his own free will. Just like me. And if you don’t understand why that’s important, then I don’t know how I can ever belong to you.”
“Ah, there it is, the threat that you’ll leave me weak in front of my enemies.”
“When you only have one weapon, and it’s that good, a girl’s gotta get her mileage out of it.” He hissed and I smiled mirthlessly at him. “At least I will never withhold my love for being who you are.” His gaze dropped to his lap and he nodded without looking at me.
“So, you love me, but you want me to change.”
“No. I love you, but I don’t want a master. I want a partner. And yes, I want you to change. Show me that legendary vampire adaptability.” It was his turn to look away, but I was too lost in my thoughts to be concerned.
Colette and a rat I hadn’t met yet brought Rachel to meet us at Alki park. Rachel was dirty, her hair stiff and standing out from her head. Her lack of hygiene and fear-crazed eyes made my heart hurt.
“I’m taking her to Henny, if she can’t or won’t help, then fine, we keep looking. But, what happened to me is something I’ve never even read about and she’s the opposite of any witch I’ve ever met,” I declared and Nicholas scoffed.
“You trust her?” He asked, still staring out the window. “Trust her with your friends?”
“I trust the professor.” He hesitated, thinking, then nodded in agreement.
He strode over to the car where Rachel was belted into the backseat, her lips moving soundlessly. He gave the order for them to follow us, then headed out to forest park, where he’d taken Clay the night before.
When we pulled up, the first thing I noticed was all the power and animosity being directed at me. It was like I’d been dropped in a boiling sea and had been held under until it clogged my lungs and I couldn’t breathe.
I clutched at Nicholas, who grabbed my hand and held it tight. The skin-to-skin contact instantly strengthened our power bond and I pushed back against the power as hard as I could. Our combined power reverberated through the clearing like a percussive wind. Tents shuddered and behind me a car alarm went off. Werewolves surrounded us.
The wolves weren’t hiding now and I couldn’t believe I’d gone my whole life without feeling that burning energy before. It was like the pack was trying to conjure a small sun in the center of the clearing and I felt a part of me ache to touch that heat, even while I was anc
hored to Nicholas’ cool, flowing vampire power. A tall, dark-skinned woman with waist-length, garnet hair stepped forward with a scowl.
“You were told not to return. The wolf is no longer your concern.” I sighed and shot Nicholas a look.
“This goes under ‘things you should’ve shared with me’, Nicholas.” He shrugged almost imperceptibly. I let go of his hand and faced the woman, taking a step towards her with my hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I’m here to see Henny. Is this how you treat all your invited guests?” She flinched and snarled.
“The witch doesn’t speak for the pack.”
“Well then,” I smiled broadly, “it’s a good thing I’m not here to speak to the pack.” I let the smile fall away as her eyes widened and she called out loudly for Henny. I walked toward the Amazon in open challenge.
The woman stood her ground and we ended up toe-to-toe. It forced me to crane my neck to see into her face, but being the smallest person in the room was just not that big a deal to me anymore. She sneered down at me and I reached up and touched the back of her hand, flexing my power at the same time. She gasped and stepped back, and there was laughter from the wolves, who stood watching in a loose circle around us.
Red-faced, the woman spun on one heel and stormed off, as Henny and another werewolf came forward. This time it was a male, in full wolf form, with cinnamon fur and intelligent canine eyes. I automatically took a step forward, drawn to the wolf. I had an image of wrapping my arms around him and burying my hands in that thick copper coat. Henny laughed.
“Well, you two certainly have a connection, don’t you?” she chuckled. The wolf turned his big, shaggy head and looked up at her. “Go on, go to your mistress, you big idiot.” Tongue lolling, the werewolf took a few running steps and launched himself at me, knocking the wind out of me as he pushed me right to the ground.
He rolled to the side and showed me his belly. With tears that were equal parts relief and grief, I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his neck ruff. I forgot about the angry werewolves and Henny and even Rachel. My whole world narrowed down to Clayton and Nicholas, and I felt the bond between Clay and I reach out towards him, looking for a third, to close the circle of power.
