Embrace the Night

by Crystal Jordan

  “Since his life is on the line . . . it only seems fair. Be aware this room has been specifically designed by Normals and warded by Magickals to prevent unauthorized entry and exit. With the guests we have staying here, it’s proved necessary.” He motioned for the Fae woman to open Alex’s cage. The boy didn’t hesitate, bolting forward. A shield snapped around the Fae, and Alex ricocheted off of it. Smith smiled indulgently, and it sent a chill down Chloe’s spine. “Come, Peyton. Let’s leave them to it. Gregor, Sasha, watch them.”

  The two werewolves glided out, Peyton glancing back to send her a long look she couldn’t read. Gregor gave Chloe a smile that told her he would enjoy himself immensely if she tried anything stupid. Alex glared at him, moving to her side. She reached for his hand, her grasp tightening in reassurance. The Fae woman, Sasha, positioned herself by the door and stood at the ready with a deadly little pistol in her hand.

  “Okay, let’s do this.” Chloe ignored both terrorists, took a deep breath, and got to work. There weren’t many hours between now and sundown to get it right, and she could not mess this up.

  Lives depended on it.

  Pain echoed through Merek’s torso, a pounding drum that should have . . . hurt more. It was the lack of agony that brought him to full consciousness. He let his eyes crack open, careful not to move. The iron stench of blood filled his nose, but he lay on something soft. Where was he? More important, where were Chloe and Alex?

  “Ah, you’re awake, my friend. Good. I’d hoped those healing spells I used on you would work, but casting isn’t an expertise of my kind. I’m afraid my methods are rudimentary at best, so you’ll wear those scars for the rest of your life.” Luca’s voice sounded from his left, so Merek turned his head before he fully opened his eyes. “You’re lucky Dr. Standish managed to remove all the bullets before she was taken, and before the bronze got into your system, or there would have been little I could do in the state I was in. You don’t want to know how I managed the transfusion you needed.”

  Luca rose from the chair he was lounging in. “They cut the phone lines, and our cells were victims of the battle, so we’ve been isolated from any outside contact all day.”

  Merek had never seen a vampire so pale, cheeks sunken in, eyes ringed with dark circles. He rolled his tongue around in the parched desert of his mouth to generate some moisture. “You need to feed.”

  A faint grin curved the other man’s lips, the tip of one fang flashing in the lamplight. “Yes, well. I’ve had enough to keep me going, but I’m not about to suck your blood, now, am I? After all the effort I went to, to get more into you.”

  Blankets had been nailed over the windows, so there was no telling what time of day it was. No way of knowing how long it had been since Alex and Chloe were taken. Utter failure stabbed into Merek. He’d failed the people he cared for most. Again. Failed to protect them, failed to keep himself from getting shot, failed to stop them from being taken by terrorists. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Everything he’d promised them and Millie and himself, he’d failed at, and now his people—his family—were in the hands of Leonard Smith. Merek didn’t even know if they were still alive, and the thought alone made bile burn the back of his throat. He swallowed hard, shoved away the yawning sense of desolation, and got a hold of his emotions. If there was a chance, no matter how slim, that they could be saved, Merek and Luca had to act now. Lying around feeling sorry for himself would help no one.

  “What about Smith’s people?” Merek sat up slowly on the living room sofa, waiting to see if the world would spin. It stayed steady, though every muscle in his chest and back protested the movement. The bullet wounds had healed to tender scar tissue. Not pleasant, but manageable. “Any of those bastards still breathing?”

  “Funny you should ask.” Luca nudged a man sprawled across the floor, wet with blood and his own urine. Elf, by the points of his ears. He groaned, twitching away from Luca’s boot. The vampire crouched beside him, his fangs bared in what only a fool would call a smile. “You have blood and information. I need both.”

  “Fuck you, Cavalli,” the elf spat. When he turned his head, Merek could see that the flesh on half his face had been melted. The victim of some kind of flame spell? Had Chloe done it? He knew he hadn’t. The clawing need to get to Chloe, to know where she was, tore through him, but he gave the scene before him an impassive stare. He wouldn’t fail again by giving this terrorist even the slightest advantage.

  “Ah, good.” Luca’s purr could rival Ophelia’s at her best. Talons extended from his fingertips, and he used one to bring the elf’s head around to face him. “You know who I am. I’m not going to bother making threats because if you were someone who cowed to them you wouldn’t be working for Smith. The only thing I will say before I drain you dry is that you’ve taken my woman, and I cannot abide that. I want her back.”

  “Smith is probably going to toy with your bitch a bit before he kills her.” The elf winced when Luca’s deadly talon slid along his scorched flesh. “Too bad I’ll miss it. And don’t even think you can mesmerize me, bloodsucker. I’m stronger than that.”

  “I’m sure you are. For the moment.” The vampire sank his fingers into the melted clumps of the elf’s hair, pulling back the man’s head to expose his neck. “The more blood I take, the weaker you become, and the easier it is to mesmerize you. I wish I could say I’d try to make it painless for you, but we both know I won’t.”

  “Fuck y—” The elf’s voice whistled to a high-pitched scream as Luca drove his fangs deep into the other man’s throat.

  Long moments passed while the elf gurgled and struggled helplessly in the vampire’s grasp. His hands scrabbled and clawed at the carpet, his squeals growing fainter and fainter.

  “Much more, and there’ll be nothing left to mesmerize, Cavalli.” Merek kept his voice nonchalant as he looked around at the carnage strewn through the house. Or at least, the parts of the house he could see. Congealed blood sprayed across every wall and added to the reek of death. Broken bodies littered the floors, and it was obvious many of them had seen Luca’s fangs before they went. Merek flexed his arm and saw the distinct twin puncture marks on the inside of his elbow. Luca was right—he didn’t want to know how the transfusion had happened. He just wanted Chloe and Alex back, safe. He didn’t give a damn how many people Luca and he had to kill to make that happen. Ruthless desperation burned everything else away. If there was even a possibility of saving his people, he’d do whatever it took.

  Luca ripped his fangs away and threw his head back, blood pouring from his mouth to coat his chin and mat his soul patch. He gasped for breath, shaking his head like a dog until the crimson liquid went flying to add another layer of spatter to the walls. His eyes shone in the way only a predatory animal’s could.

  He used his hand fisted in the elf’s hair to jerk him up until their gazes were level. Luca’s voice dropped to a low, chilling hiss. “Tell me what I want to know. Where is Smith? Where has he taken the women and the boy?”

  A groan rattled from the elf’s chest. He stared blindly into the vampire’s eyes, his pupils expanding until they nearly eclipsed the blue irises. His fingers twitched against the floor, some last token of resistance. “Mercer Tower.”

  Merek leaned forward, his fists balling on his thighs. Impatience thrummed through him, but he shoved it aside. “Mercer Tower downtown?”

  But the man was dead, as drained as Luca had promised.

  The vampire dropped the lifeless body, swiping a hand down his face. “How’s your invisibility spell?”

  Merek blinked at the non sequitur, but answered anyway. Whatever the vampire had in mind, he was game. Anything. Anything to save them. Anything not to fail them again. “Not great. Normals can’t see through it, but any Magickal worth his salt can sense it, if not look right through it.”

  “Blocking Normals is good enough for me. It’s nightfall, and that will help us as well.” Ruddiness flushed Luca’s cheeks, and he looked healthier than Merek had
ever seen him. The big vampire rose to his full height, flexing his arms into curves the way a bodybuilder would. His eyes burned to red, his fangs and talons exploding to their full, terrifying lengths. Muscles corded in his neck and face, veins bulging as he strained. A sound similar to that of a werewolf’s Change rent the air, bones snapping, cloth tearing as massive wings exploded from the vampire’s back. They flexed out, black tissue stretched taut between each hinge of bone. “I think I can get us there faster than a boat or calling in a helicopter would.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Merek shook his head, climbing to his feet. His leg ached like a son of a bitch, but he ignored it. Pain didn’t matter. Exhaustion was nothing. Only getting to his family. “Remind me never to piss you off.”

  Luca flicked dismissive fingers, his talons clicking together. “You’re too intelligent for that anyway.”

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence . . . and the healing.”

  “I needed your skills.” The vampire shrugged as he made the cold-blooded statement, but gave him an intense look, his eyes narrowing. “You realize your superiors at the police department may not be willing to look the other way if they get wind of everything we do tonight.”

  Shrugging in return, Merek met the other man’s stare. What was a job compared to Chloe and Alex? Nothing. It was that simple.

  The considering expression didn’t change. “For whatever it’s worth, I’d look the other way . . . if I were your superior.”

  “Let’s just focus on everyone surviving.” Dredging up as much magic as he could, Merek threw a cloaking invisibility spell over them both.

  The vampire gave a hum of approval as they disappeared from sight. “Shall we go?”

  15

  She was out of time.

  Smith entered the room, and Chloe just stared at him, so mentally, physically, and emotionally drained, she couldn’t even think beyond the dread that had become a living force inside her.

  A smile graced his face, and she’d already learned to hate that look on his face. He left the door open behind him, and she got the feeling he did it just to taunt her. Probably to taunt the wolves he had trapped in here as well. They’d begun to writhe and snap as dusk drew closer, salivating at the scent of a Normal in the room. Tess had huddled in her cage since she’d regained consciousness, silent, eyes glassy and vacant. Chloe had wanted to comfort her friend, but she didn’t have the time or energy to spare, not for grief or kindness or even human decency.

  Alex had worked with her in desperate tandem, telepathically stuffing information he’d pulled off his father’s computer into her overloaded mind. The awesome speed with which the boy could process data overwhelmed her, left her staggering, but she’d pushed through because she had no other choice. Combined with her own theories, she’d refined Ivan’s version of the formula until she had something that might work. Might. Possibly.

  Helpless anger wrenched inside her. It should be tested and retested before it was ever administered to a human subject, but that obviously had no bearing on a terrorist’s agenda.

  Tremors shook her body as she drew a syringe of the potion from the large beaker she was working with. She set it on the table and stepped back while Smith prowled forward. Revulsion crawled over her skin when his arm brushed hers. His glance told her he knew how he affected her. She gritted her teeth, but said nothing.

  “I think the honor of giving the first dose should be yours, don’t you, Doctor? You should see the fruits of your labor.” Smith’s gesture went from the syringe to Alex.

  The boy shuddered, his struggle with Change obvious. The moon would rise soon, and she’d seen the self-loathing fill his green eyes every time he’d glanced at Tess’s cage, the smell of a Normal as tempting to him as it was to the other wolves.

  Smith’s smile widened, and it was even more horrifying than it had been before. His fangs bared, but that was the only sign that Change affected him at all. Only a very old wolf could have that level of control. “Let’s make this complete. Sasha, let the Normal out. We’ll see how young Nemov does.”

  A dazed Tess clambered out of her kennel, held upright by the Fae woman, who kept a weapon pointed at her, even though she just stood there and rocked in place. The wolves went wild, slamming against the doors to their cages, howling when they hit the silver bars. The din pounded on Chloe’s eardrums, and she wanted nothing more than to slap her hands over her ears and pretend this wasn’t happening.

  Alex stood at soldierly attention, his gaze glued to a blank wall, but his fangs protruded over his bottom lip. His telepathic voice was as calm as ever. Just do it, Chloe. There’s nothing else we can do now except play his game. He’ll just kill us outright if we don’t.

  He was going to kill them all anyway. They weren’t on his side, so they were just a liability that had exhausted its usefulness. It was bitterly ironic that for once Alex was the one with the most hope. Chloe couldn’t dredge up a shred of it. Not anymore. Swallowing down a huge lump in her throat, she picked up the syringe and approached her godson. “I’m sorry, Alex.”

  Those green eyes moved over her face, his internal voice rough with emotion he didn’t let show. Don’t be sorry. The last month has been the best of my life, and I know how pathetic that sounds, but it’s true. If it has to end this way, I’m glad I had the time. Living with you and Merek. A family. People who stuck it out with me. He tugged his shirtsleeve up, baring his arm for her. His telepathic tone became matter of fact. Smith’s going to have to shift for full moon, too, as well as any wolf he has working for him. I hacked the security system in this place, and you should have a twenty-minute window right when the moon goes up. Get out if you can. I wish I could have done more to help you. He didn’t blink, didn’t flinch when the needle pierced his skin, though the trace amounts of silver in the potion would burn like lava in a wolf’s veins. Chloe clenched her jaw and refused to give in to the sobs building in her chest. Picking you as my godmother was the best thing my parents ever did for me. Don’t ever blame yourself for this. I love you.

  “I love you, too,” she breathed and dropped the empty syringe to the table. Then she grabbed his hand, and waited for the inevitable with him, this boy who was neither her flesh nor her blood, but was still hers.

  His young body began to shake, and his grip tightened as he fell to his knees with a keen of animalistic pain. She went down beside him, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder. Trying to keep the panic out of her voice, she sucked in a breath. “Alex? Alex, tell me what’s going on. What do you feel? I can try some healing spells if you talk to me.”

  Never had she felt the inadequacy of her healing skills as sharply as she did now. Treating his bullet wound was nothing compared to this—a poison she’d administered herself. Her heart hammered in her chest, guilt and nausea roiling in her until she wanted to scream.

  “No. No!” A large form came hurtling through the open door, and gunfire rang hollowly in the wide lab. Peyton. Chloe’s heart stopped as the man moved with stunning speed.

  The Fae, Sasha, stumbled back as a bullet hit her. She screamed when she slammed into the wolf cages, and those who could reach her latched onto her limbs, her clothes, her hair. Spells shot out from her in wild sparks as she made noises worthy of the trapped and terrified animals who grabbed her.

  Gregor and Smith dove into action to try to tackle Peyton. Both wolves shifted midair, the crunch of bone barely audible over the clamor from Sasha. Blood sprayed from bullets and teeth, talons and claws. Peyton’s gaze met Chloe’s for a single instant, and his telepathic command pierced her mind. Run!

  Alex was already standing, jerking and twitching as if he were having a seizure, but on his feet. That was enough to spur Chloe into action. She leaped for the tottering Tess, drew back her hand, and slapped her friend as hard as she could. “Tess, get it together. Let’s go!”

  The redhead blinked as if waking up from a deep slumber, but Chloe wasn’t about to lose this opportunity. She grabbed her friend’s arm
and hauled her toward the door, shoving Alex along in front of her. He moved, not as fast as a werewolf should be able to, but they were out of the room without being hit by any stray bullets or spells.

  They reached a door to an outside hallway, and it wouldn’t open. “No. Damn it.” Chloe slammed her fist against it, already feeling the pulsating waves of shielding magic that would be difficult to dismantle, even if she knew how to magically disarm a door, which she didn’t.

  A gurgle came from Alex’s mouth, spittle falling from his lips. My hack . . . should have . . .

  The door clicked, the small, lighted panel beside it flashing from red to green. “Yes.”

  Hope she’d lost so recently came rocketing back, and Chloe prayed to whatever deity was paying attention that they made it out of here, that they could get help. Wrenching open the door, she gathered every scrap of magic she had and pushed against the shield spells around the labs. The spells became a visible blue force field, rippling every time Chloe rammed her power into it. Sweat coursed down her face, stuck her clothes to her skin. A shaky opening began to slice through the shield, and Alex shoved the smaller women through it.

  “No, you are coming with us, young man. That. Is. Final.” Chloe latched on to his hand, drew on his energy, and used it to widen the opening just enough to yank him over to her side. She lurched forward, almost face-planted into the floor, and made Alex stumble, both of them shaking. They’d have gone down, but Tess latched on to her other wrist, held her up, and steadied the wolf.

  “O-okay.” Tess’s voice was shaky, but her grip was firm as she held on to both of them. “How do we get out of here?”

  Swiping the sweat from her brow, Chloe cast a frantic look around. A cacophony of roaring came from the lab behind them, followed by the sound of someone crashing into something solid. Or through something solid, like a wall. The thought made ice run through her veins. Whatever they did, getting away from this spot was imperative. There was no telling how long Peyton could or would keep fighting, or how long they had before someone came to investigate the breach in the spell shield. She moved to Alex’s other side and grabbed the boy’s arm. He still swayed where he stood, shivering and panting through clenched fangs.