She couldn’t look at them anymore. Tearing her gaze away from the scene, she turned her attention to the room. The staff appeared to be vampires. They moved around with lightning speed, collecting destroyed furniture and assessing the damage. Tanya was giving out orders while she roamed the room, typing away on the glass screen of her tablet as if her fingers were on fire.
After they finished feeding, Alexander gave both girls a big smooch, and they were escorted out by one of the bouncers.
Helena finally found enough strength to stand up. There was a noticeable improvement in the way her body felt. She saw that Lucious had mostly healed on the surface. There wasn’t a single mark left on his face. She couldn’t help but wonder why his pain was affecting her. Michael mentioned they could communicate over a distance, but he said nothing about feeling each other’s physical pain.
Without a word of warning, she was hanging off Lucious’ shoulder and looking at his backside.
“Hey! Put me down!” she screamed in a hoarse voice.
Alexander burst into laughter. “I guess she came in handy after all.”
Lucious shook her, making her grumble. “We’ll take our leave if that’s alright with you.”
Helena repeatedly hit his back and, in turn, became dizzy. “Put me down, jerk.”
“Not staying for fireworks?” Alexander sounded almost disappointed when he tossed his friend his car keys.
“I think I will pass.” Lucious turned and carried her out through the back entrance.
To the loud boom of fireworks colouring the sky, he forced her into Alexander’s car without any explanation.
Lucious draped his jacket over her shoulders and dragged her through the lobby of the hotel. Not one person batted an eye at their entrance. Damn vampires and their money.
He forced her into the lift and pushed the button for the top floor.
“You can’t treat me like this!” Helena crossed her arms the moment he let her go.
“I can, and I will. You are mine to do with as I please or have you forgotten?”
Her lips morphed into a pout. Being told she belonged to someone like some piece of furniture made her see red. She wanted to kick him where it hurt and go home, but there was no home to return to. Her balled hands fell to her sides as the sharp ding announced their arrival on the correct floor and the metal cage opened. Barefoot, she stormed past him to her room and slammed the door shut behind her. Her body shook with fury at the way he treated her, especially when she hadn’t done anything wrong.
I should have let Andreaz kill him then and there, she thought, bursting into the bathroom. She brushed her teeth and washed the blood off her face since she looked like an extra in a horror movie. Doing such mundane tasks soothed the fire fuelling her rage. Vincent was coming tomorrow to pick her up. She hoped he wouldn’t treat her as a criminal and stash her away in some torture chamber.
Lucious entered her room. He threw his ruined jacket on the ground.
Great! I have another pissed off vampire to deal with tonight.
She glared at him as she closed the bathroom door. “It’s rude to enter a girl’s room without knocking. Didn’t your mother teach you that?”
He didn’t react to her words and closed the distance between them. His hands waved around in the air as if trying to accommodate his unspoken angry words. He stopped and sighed. “I don’t understand. What were you thinking? Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you agree to go with them? You could have returned to your way of living. Why did you sacrifice yourself for us?”
He stepped in front of her. His eyes flared and, determined to hold her ground, she glared back. Two can play that game.
“You saved my life and risked yourself, remember? I owed you one.”
“Are you an idiot? I did that because I thought I could use you. And now, you did something like this.”
Her heart ached as if his words were a dagger lodged in her chest. She should have known better. Humans were nothing to vampires. They were a disposable source of food.
“I guess you won’t be able to use me since I’ll be out of your reach.” She prodded his chest with her index finger. “And, you know what, if you didn’t save me back then, Andrew would be here—alive. I wouldn’t have to go through his death or any of this…this—” She waved her hands in the air as she searched for the right term.
He brushed her hands away and grabbed her by the shoulders. His iron grip hurt enough to bruise.
Helena tried creating some distance, but he held her in place.
“Damn it, Lucious, let me go! You’re not allowed to touch me whenever you feel like it,” she yelled.
“You are my human, mine to do with as I please,” he shouted back.
Her jaw dropped. Who does he think he is?
Her body shook with anger. Since he had captured her arms, she kicked him. Her knee collided with his crotch.
His hands fell away, and he dropped to the ground, hissing in pain.
She didn’t stick around to find out if he was alright and ran for the door.
With her back turned, something heavy collided with her, and she was thrown on the bed, face first into the dark silk.
Lucious flipped her over as she fought against him, kicking and punching until he pinned her arms with his and trapped her legs with the weight of his body.
“I don’t belong to anyone, especially to an egotistical vampire like you,” she filled each word with venom.
“Foolish woman, you make me want to throttle you every time you open your mouth. If you didn’t have a purpose, I would not waste so much of my time on you.”
“Your true colours finally show. Michael was right.”
His jaw clenched, and she heard his teeth grinding against one another. Helena shut her eyes, praying he was not going to do as he promised.
His lips collided with hers in a forceful kiss.
Dumbfounded, her eyes flew open to see if she was imagining it. What she saw was a blue glow, blinding her, so she closed them again. The string between them grew excited, tickling her gut and, an eternal second later, the same peace she felt on the dance floor soothed her anger, taking away her determination to fight.
His tongue brushed her lower lip, and she opened up for him. Without realising it, she returned the heated kiss. It felt so good, so right.
The energy between them grew with a low hum, forming a shell around their bodies that separated them from the outside world. Inside, nothing but her heartbeat could be heard, fluttering like an excited canary.
His grip relaxed around her arms, and he cupped her face. The coolness of his touch sent a pleasant shiver through her. She wanted more…
Her hands brushed through his silky hair, holding him there, in their kiss. Over the past few days, his scent and touch had become so familiar that she wanted to be his. Yet, tiny uncertainties nagged at her.
This isn’t right. He lied to me. He wanted to use me.
The build-up of energy shattered like a glass dome. The string stilled, leaving no trace of what they had a second ago.
Lucious propped himself up. Whatever he saw on her face, made him get up in an instant.
“This was a mistake.” His words were almost a blur as a gust of the wind sent a shiver through her when he disappeared.
She touched her face and found tears there. When did I start crying?
Helena rolled over to one side and let her frustration flow out.
The next day, Lucious was nowhere to be found, and it may have been for the best. Her fingers fiddled with the letter she had written to Andrew the night before. She breathed out. Gathering her courage, she knocked on Alexander’s half-opened office door.
“Come in,” came a muffled reply.
Helena peered inside, not knowing what to expect. There weren’t any naked women throwing themselves at him, and she let out a shaky laugh. She edged closer to his desk. “I want you to give something to Andrew for me.”
&nbs
p; He eyed the letter in her hand and took the offered item. “Fine, I’ll do it. I take it you are done packing?”
“Yes. Will you take care of the rest as promised?”
“I have already sent someone to influence your parents. They’ll think you’re studying hard for your midterms and will not try to search for you. As for your college, it may be a bit of a problem. It is not as easy as wiping someone’s memory. We also do not know if you will be returning from your trip.”
She shoved her hands in her pockets. “I understand.”
Alexander opened a drawer and placed the envelope in it. He rested his elbows on the desk, his smile fading. “Lucious told me of what you did yesterday for us. Although he couldn’t express it, I’m certain he is grateful for what you did, as am I.”
Helena said nothing. She turned on her heel and returned to her room. There was nothing she could do about what happened last night between them. She was angry with him and infuriated with herself for letting Lucious get so close to her.
13
Outbound
Darkness looked back at her as Helena focused on the ground through the tiny aeroplane window. She imagined people below sleeping in their comfortable beds, dreaming sweet dreams. They had nothing to do with vampire politics, strange nightmares from which they awoke covered in sweat, or magic. She was envious of that now.
Vincent sat across from her, reading a newspaper in one of the leather seats. She could no longer feel the overpowering energy around him. For that, she was thankful. Suffocating because of it would make a useless hostage out of her.
Helena had nothing to say to him and concentrated on the twinkling lights in the distance. Their shrunken size made her realise how insignificant she was in the vast world. No one would notice if she was gone.
The seat beneath her became uncomfortable, and she shifted her weight a few times, immediately giving up once Vincent’s frosty gaze settled on her.
She closed her eyes to think. Her mind locked onto the hum of the engines. She thought past them, imagining being in a safe place with her family. Even her imagination gave her no sanctuary as it pushed away the happy, idealistic thoughts and flooded her with the possibilities of what was to come next.
Unable to keep her eyes closed, she looked out the window again, seeing the abrupt change from the twinkling lights to the vast darkness of the Irish Sea.
They landed an hour later in a small airport somewhere in Scotland. Her jacket couldn’t keep away the breeze. Helena stretched the material tighter around her with her free hand. In the other, she carried her belongings—the few things Alexander had taken from her apartment after her failed attempt to run away.
Vincent seemed unaffected by the cold in his grey suit as he led the way towards an already waiting silver car.
A short, balding man climbed out of the driver’s seat and hurried over to them.
“Welcome back, Master Vincent,” the man said and bowed.
“It is good to be home,” Vincent admitted.
Helena studied the driver who stood proudly in his pristine suit and polished shoes. He appeared to be human, yet there was no fear in his eyes. He behaved as if he truly respected Vincent, which made her furrow her brow.
The driver opened the backseat doors for them and took her bag.
She ducked inside the car, followed by Vincent. Once she secured her seatbelt, the Councilman said, “You are quiet this evening.”
Helena glared at him. “I have nothing to say to you.”
He pushed his sleeve up, giving his wristwatch a brief glance. “It is late. I suggest you get some sleep.”
She couldn’t help but stare at him. Did he expect her to relax and sleep in the presence of a vampire who could control others with a single word? She jumped at the sound of the boot of the car being slammed shut. This wasn’t like her. She grew up thinking with logic in mind. Assessing her options and deciding on her actions. Being frightened wasn’t new to her, but she felt more on edge since Michael’s last disappearance. She could barely feel his presence around her anymore.
Has he given up on me?
The driver got in his seat and started the car while Helena clamped her arms around her middle in a poor attempt to ward away the haunting chill.
They drove through the unlit country roads. In the rural areas, she noticed some people had already put up their Halloween decorations. She couldn’t believe she got into this mess mere two weeks ago. It seemed like forever since she had visited the Angel Realm.
Helena had missed Michael’s constant presence. When he first showed up, she was seven. He drove the shadow-like monsters away that kept her up at night. But now, the monsters were real, and they weren’t hiding in the dark anymore.
Her eyelids grew heavy. She couldn’t sleep the night before because of her fight with Lucious. He hadn’t apologised for what he did, even though he asked for her trust—something she hadn’t given to those closest to her.
One moment she was looking out into the distance and the next she was forcing her eyes open to Vincent’s grumbling voice saying, “We have arrived.”
With her mind emerging from a haze, she remembered where she was. She sat up abruptly. The hasty movement blurred the world around her for a brief second. When she regained her sight, she took a peek out the window and her words fled from her because of a monstrosity before her.
What is it with vampires and huge buildings?
Forget about Alexander’s place, this was an actual castle. It reminded her of the times she had gone on tours with her school. Andrew would argue with the teachers to be in her group and would tell her jokes in which she always found logical flaws. Back then, she had paid little attention to the structure. Now, her eyes were drawn to the weathered stone walls of this fortress. The ivy had grown tall enough to reach the top of one of two towers, covering the windows with vines.
Vincent nudged her elbow. “Come. Sleeping in the car must be uncomfortable.”
Outside, she heard waves crashing against the cliffs with an almost silent hiss. The fresh air so close to the shoreline gave her a salty aftertaste. An entrance door illuminated with yellow light opened, and a dozen uniformed staff came out. They lined up into one thin line, smiling brightly as Vincent approached.
“Welcome back, Master Vincent. It is good to have you back,” the man who spoke first seemed to be eldest. Wrinkles were etched into his tired face, showing years of stress and hard work. His beady eyes scanned Helena. “Is this the guest who will be staying with us?”
At Vincent’s nod, the man waved for the rest of the staff to go back inside. They bowed and scurried back indoors, leaving a young girl behind in a maid’s uniform next to the old man.
“Thank you, Rupert. Have you prepared a room for her?” Vincent inquired once the last servant disappeared out of sight.
Rupert bowed his head. “We have. Perri should be able to guide the young Miss when she is ready.”
They talked about Helena as if she wasn’t there. This was no different to the way Alexander and Lucious behaved.
“Excellent. You may retire for the night,” Vincent added.
The butler bowed and joined the rest of the staff.
The maid gave Helena an infectious smile that made her smile back.
What is such a sweet-looking girl doing living with vampires? And, why weren’t these people cowering in fear when Vincent showed up?
Vincent led the way out of the cold towards his enormous home. They marched up two steps and were welcomed with blanketing warmth coming from within. She didn’t think a castle was easy to keep warm. Her hands prickled, and she rubbed them together. A place like this should have been placed on a historical tour. The interior had medieval tapestries and suits of armour along the corridor walls. The floor under her feet was well-scrubbed white granite. Based on the lack of dust, the servants didn’t slack off here. Perhaps they would die if they did. Helena pushed the vile thought away and folded her hands in her pockets to retain some of
the warmth she managed to gather.
“This is Perri. She will be your attending maid during your stay here,” Vincent said.
In the light, the girl looked like any normal teenager. Her frizzy, short, blonde hair fell past her small ears. Her large brown eyes glistened with excitement against her porcelain skin which was speckled with freckles.
“It would be my pleasure to attend to your needs,” Perri said.
Helena regarded Vincent, expecting him to put shackles or some kind of restraints on her so she wouldn’t run away.
He glanced at his watch. Again, she saw something like disappointment passing across his face. “I shall retire to my study for the night. Perri, show Miss Hawthorn to her room and try not to keep her awake for long.” He turned on his heel and ambled away at human speed.
Why was he pretending to be human at home?
“Please come with me,” Perri opened the oak doors behind her. She led Helena up a large winding staircase, bringing them up two floors.
“Why do you work here?” Helena asked with a deep-set frown.
Perri glanced over her shoulder. “What do you mean?”
“Why do you work for a vampire?” was what she wanted to ask. Instead, she went with something that wouldn’t make her sound like she had escaped from a loony bin. “I meant to say you seem a little young for this kind of work. Shouldn’t you be in school or with your family?”
Perri faced Helena with an empty stare. “Master Vincent is my family. He adopted me into his family as he had welcomed many others who work here. We will always be grateful for his generosity.”
“I’m sorry. I-I didn’t know.” Helena pursed her lips. Surely, an orphanage was a much safer place for this girl. Living with a vampire, who could tear her limb from limb in a blink of an eye, was not a place for people with such an irradiating smile.
“It’s fine. I am thankful Master Vincent is in my life.”
Russian Roulette (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 1) Page 19
