by Noree Cosper
My body went limp, and I fell into oblivion.
Chapter 34
Pain pulled me from the depths of unconsciousness. It came to me even before the light. My arm throbbed in a constant ebb and flow, eliciting a groan from my lips. I blinked at the grey steel ceiling that greeted me. That wasn’t right. I should have been dead. Instead, I lay in a barren prison with my right arm held to my chest in a sling.
I sat up, scanning my surroundings. A plain gray room surrounded me, and the walls were as bare as the metal slab I lay on. Chains jangled as I moved, and a cold weight shifted on my wrist, keeping me trapped within a few feet from the wall. The rough material of the white gown I’d been dressed in rubbed against my skin and looked more like a sack than and actual gown. My head and neck were bandaged. Whoever my captors were, they wanted me in good condition. My laugh bounced off the walls of my prison. Who was I kidding? I knew full well who had me.
As if on cue, the door slid open, and two large men in charcoal gray suits stepped in. They moved to each side of the door and pressed their backs to the wall. Raina’s heels clacked against the floor as she walked through the door. She stopped a few feet from me and crossed her arms, her gaze traveling over me with a cold inspection.
“You don’t look like much,” she said. “It’s hard to believe that you’re some bogeyman of demons.”
“It helps to look inconsequential.” My hoarse voice betrayed the confidence I was trying to convey. I glanced at the door. Maybe I could break my thumb, slip the cuffs, and make a run for it. No, it would never work.
She gave a sharp bark of a laugh. “Well, we’ll see about that. I have a few questions, and you are going to answer them.”
“Am I?”
She waved her hand, and her goon on the right moved forward. He drove his fist into my solar plexus. I crumpled on the metal bed with my good arm wrapping around my stomach. My shoulder screamed, but it was nothing compared the wave of sickness and woe that arose in my abdomen. I gasped, chocking on my own saliva. So, this how things were going to be.
“Now, how do you know Adrian Van Helsing?” Raina asked.
I coughed. “I don’t.”
The goon yanked me up into a sitting position by my shoulders and kept me in a vice like grip. Raina stepped in front of me. Her hand gripped my chin and she dragged my gaze to her. Her eyes were a pale green, like frost on leaves.
“I can make you beg for death,” she said.
I gave a hoarse laugh. “You’re too late for that threat.”
A cruel smiled formed on her lips. She dragged her nails across my cheek, leaving four wet gaps in my flesh. She turned from me. “Restrain her to the table and bring me my tools.”
The goon slammed me on the table hard enough that my head bounced, sending waves of dizziness. He pulled leather straps from the bottom of the slab and pulled them across my chest, waist, and legs. My arms were forced above my head, sending screaming agony through my broken bones. Beads of sweat formed on my forehead as I struggled against my bonds. Raina loomed over me and pressed me down against the table with one hand on my chest. Light from the ceiling reflected off something metal in her hand.
“So, once again, tell me of your relationship to Adrian Van Helsing.”
“What is your relationship with him?” I asked. “You seem a bit obsessed.”
A sharp sting began on my collarbone and traveled down my chest. My body became a conduit of pain. Tears pricked my eyes, and Raina blurred to an indistinct form above me. My throat went dry as the present meshed with the past. The lights dimmed to a soft yellow, and I could almost smell the mix of candle wax and piss. The figure above me spoke in harsh syllables, always with their questions. The church had claimed I’d killed my own husband and child.
“I’m not a heretic,” I whispered.
“No, no. I need you to focus.”
Cold water splashed on my face, and I gasped, fighting against my restraints. Raina held a jug in her hand as she scowled down at me I lay back with a cough and closed my eyes. I needed to send my mind someplace different. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t survive this.
“Where is Adrian?” she asked.
I breathed in, counting to ten, and breathed out. I conjured the sound of the sea in my ears. I could see the diamonds in the night sky as I stood with my feet buried in the sand. The waves crashed against the shore with a hiss, and the wind carried the salty mist against my face. I hummed a tune while I spun in circles and danced across the beach. I stumbled as my body was wracked with a heaving cough and blood sprayed across the white sand, only to be consumed by the ocean.
“What are you doing?” a man’s voice asked from somewhere in the distance.
“She is proving difficult.” Raina’s voice brought me back to the metal room and my pain.
I moaned and squinted at the figure in the doorway. Faust had his hands in his pockets with a frown on his face.
“Perhaps you should take a break,” he said.
“I haven’t gotten the information I need,” Raina said. “All this is doing is making me hungry.”
“I don’t see why you chose this. So much blood is bound to tempt you.”
“I enjoy it that way.” She brought the knife to her lips.
I turned my head as another fit of coughing grasped me. Liquid invaded my lungs, sending small bubbles up to burst against my lips. Every breath was a struggle, and the world slipped out of focus again.
“Damn, it looks like I may have cut too deep,” Raina’s voice echoed.
“Enough for today,” Faust said. “You can start again fresh tomorrow.”
The last notes of his voice drifted away and were replaced by a loud buzzing. Everything blended together as the few colors in the room faded to white.
Chapter 35
The waves rock the sail boat as I lay on the deck, soaking up the sun. The warm rays kiss my upraised face, and I smile. The skirt of my long dress flutters in the strong wind. A woman’s husky chuckle tickles at my ears. I blink in the brightness, trying to focus on the figure that has invaded my private world.
She leans against the bow of the boat with her golden skin glittering in the sunlight. This isn’t a metaphor. Her skin is actually golden. Her night black hair caresses her shoulders and hips, amplifying her naked glory. A small chain of small purple stones hangs about her waist. She smiled at me with the perfect pouty lips and my own mouth opens in a pant as a heat sweeps through me in places the sun can’t touch. I sit up, running a hand down my neck and collar bone.
She holds a hand out to me. “Come to me, my daughter. You have suffered long enough.”
I stand, take two steps toward her, and stop as a chill wind passes over me. I glance up at the sparkling stars. When did it become night? Sirius winks at me from her position in the cosmos. The female before me frowns, and heavy clouds roll in, covering the glittering jewels of the night. The boat rocks as the waves pick up.
“Careful,” she says. “There is a storm coming.”
Lightning illuminates the black clouds rolling overhead, and the boat heaves to and fro. I grab the side to catch my balance.
“How many more storms do you want to endure?” she asks. “Come to me. Mother will protect you.”
Her hand remains outstretched before me. It would be so easy just to agree. How warm her embrace must be. I could stay wrapped in her arms forever. Her purple eyes hold a promise of all I lost. I could have thousands of children to replace my Marco. Men would adore me, turning their eyes from all others.
And you would be just like Allegra.
The thought kills all the remaining heat in my body. No. I wouldn’t become what I hated most. I take another step back so that my legs press against the edges of the boat. She lowers her hand with a long sigh.
“Why must you be so stubborn, Daughter?” she asks.
I stare down at the churning depths of the sea before meeting her gaze. “I’m not your daughter.”
I leap over and let the icy wate
r drag me under.
I gasped awake and stared at the gray ceiling above me as I tried to catch to first few breaths of air. The coppery stink of blood filled the air. Naamah had visited me, which meant I must have died again. Though Allegra was the demon to curse me, Naamah was the one who constantly tempted me with her honeyed lies. With each death, it grew a little harder to resist her. Someday, I wouldn’t have the strength to do so. I swallowed hard and tried to focus, but my head kept swimming. I drifted into unconsciousness.
Someone was standing over me. I moved my arm to reach for my sword, but something impeded my movement. That’s right. I was trapped on this metal table. They must have come back with more questions. I blinked up at the figure and found Faust instead of Raina. He ran a finger down the side of my cheek, and I resisted the urge to shudder in revulsion.
“You still twitch in your sleep. I take it your dreams haven’t gotten any better,” he said softly.
“What the hell do you know about my dreams?” I glared at him. Who did this demon think he was?
He chuckled.
“I know more about you than you think.” He shook his head. “You have really caused a lot of trouble, dear girl. Destroying our warehouses, and our supply. To say Raina is livid is an understatement.”
I stared at him for several moments. “What? You’re expecting an apology or something, hellspawn?”
“Oh no. I’d never expect that. I should have been more cautious when I saw you at the conference.” He rubbed a lock of my hair between two fingers. “No matter. We’ll just make more, after we kill your friends.”
I stiffened. “I’d like to see you try.”
“Unfortunately, you won’t be here to do so. You see, I contacted Allegra. She’s just dazzled to know that you’re all wrapped up and ready to be delivered for Naamah.”
A chill ran through me. Oh, Dio. As much as I wanted to find Allegra, this was not the condition I wanted to be in. God only knew what she would have in store for me. Allegra would make Raina’s little interrogation seem like child’s play, and she would do it just for the pleasure of breaking me.
Faust patted me on the cheek. “I’m sure we’ll get to know each other even more intimately in the future.”
He walked to the door. “Get some rest. You’re going to need it.”
I strained against my bonds, but they held tight. The ache in my broken arm reared up, and I fell back against the table. It was no good. I was trapped. I breathed in and calmed my mind. Panic wasn’t going to do me any better than it had when they started the torture.
“Esais, I need you,” I called out mentally.
Nothing.
I swallowed at the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Had they already gotten to them? No, they wouldn’t have questioned me so hard. So, where was Esais? Maybe Raina had something that prevented telepathic communication. They had no way of knowing about Esais’s gift, though. I would just have to keep trying.
And if you can’t reach him? A small thought floated up. Allegra will come and not even death can save you.
My mouth went dry. It had been a good long run. Who did I think I was to actually try and win against an entire Throne? As much as I focused on Allegra, Naamah was the power that backed her. If only I’d been able to kill Allegra. She was the conduit for this curse keeping me here.
The door slid open. I stiffened, waiting to see who it was this time. My jaw dropped. It wasn’t Raina with more pain or Allegra with her own brand of torture. It was the sweetest face I’d ever seen.
Adrian’s.
Chapter 36
Adrian walked to the table and his lips pressed together in a thin line as his gaze ran over me. “You look like hell.”
I glared at him. “Less gawking and a little help please.”
He unbuckled me from the table. “Can you walk?”
I pushed myself into a sitting position with a groan. I could see why he asked. The entire front of the gown was now red. The blood had darkened and left a sticky congealed mess that caused the fabric to cling to my chest. His frown deepened as he stepped closer and placed a hand on my shoulder. Concern coming from Adrian? I had to look horrible.
“It looks worse than it is,” I said. “I’m glad I actually reached Esais. I thought something might have happened when I didn’t get a response.”
Adrian frowned. “Esais didn’t tell me you were here.”
“But how?”
“You’ve been gone for two days, ever since running out on Jonah’s meeting,” he said.
My hoarse laugh echoed off the walls. “I guess you can really lose track of time in here.”
“I accessed Acesco’s systems and found a reference to you.” He turned to the door, clasping his hands behind his back. “I came to free you.”
“Alone? Are you insane?” I stood, took a few steps, and the room spun a little. I leaned back on the table with a pant. “She knows about you.”
“I expected her to figure things out eventually. Besides, no one should be left to monsters. Please tell me you’re not going to need a shoulder to lean on.”
I locked a steely gaze with him and took a few steady steps. “I think in can manage. Just needed to adjust for a moment.”
“Good. We need to get out of here.”
“Wait. Both Raina and Faust are here. We can’t pass this chance up.”
Adrian raised the eyebrow above his good eye. “How are we going to do anything? We don’t even know if they are here.”
“If we leave now, we may never get a better chance. Once they find out what you did, Raina’s going to send whatever legions she has after you and your brothers.” Not to mention Faust and Allegra will be after me.
He sighed. “We are in their center of their compound. Just the two of us would be suicide. I don’t have enough nanites to bring this building down, and you are missing your favorite weapon.”
I narrowed my eyes, my voice dropping in temperature. “I’ve fought in worse conditions. Alone. Besides, Faust hasn’t used Brimstone. I can banish him.”
It wouldn’t solve my problem, but it could delay it enough I could prepare. “What do you have with you?”
“Two holy water grenades, ten of the garlic bombs, three stakes, and my guns,” he said.
“The one that can kill demons?”
“As well as one I’ve modified to shoot petrified wood bullets.”
I chuckled. “One of the old ones from World War II? I’d heard rumors about that.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. ”Something like that. That still leaves you without a weapon.”
“Give me some of the garlic bombs and the demon gun.”
“You’re not that good of a shot.”
I made a face. “I can hit occasionally.”
He stared at me, his debate not evident on his face. “Not happening. That is insane. First rule of hunting vampires: attack them when they’re weak.”
“Are you here at night?” I looked at the doorway, but only saw the opposite white wall, lit by electricity.
He snorted. “Of course not.”
He spread his arms and pointed to the navy blue jumpsuit underneath the jacket with the nametag of Stan. “Nobody questions the new maintenance guy.”
He kneeled beside a large metal toolbox I hadn’t seen before, opened it, and pulled out a rolled up piece of cloth. I grabbed it out of the air and it unfolded into another blue jumpsuit.
“You could have just handed it to me,” I said.
“Put it on. I swiped it from the janitor’s closet when I found out you were here.”
I slipped into it, turning my back to Adrian as I dressed. He held out a wet towel and a ball cap. Good point. I probably looked like a bloody mess. I wiped my face off as best I could and hid my hair under the hat.
“Where are we, and how far do we need to go?” I asked.
“Underground, he said. “We need to get to the first floor and out the back entrance.”
“You are giving
me some sort of weapon right? I’m not just going to hang in the back and hope no one notices me.”
He sighed and handed me one of the holy water canisters, a couple of the garlic bombs, and a stake. “Try to make it last.”
“That will depend on how many guards there are.”
“Look, it’s in the day. We’re going to have more trouble with the human authorities if we get caught. I don’t think Raina wants her little setup exposed.”
“If you say so.” I waved my hand to the door. “Lead the way.”
The hallway was narrow. I swallowed hard and kept my gaze on Adrian’s back. Fluorescent lights shone from the ceiling and reflected off the eggshell-white walls. We passed several unmarked doors before turning to the right. I clenched my fist and wiped the sweat from my brow. Just a little farther and we would be free. When I saw the figure standing at the elevator, my heart thudded and sank to my stomach. He took up most of the width of the hall. Adrian came to a stop, and his hand hovered over his gun. The hulking monster grinned down at both of us, flashing a fang. It was the same vampire from the alley.
“Interesting,” Adrian said. “Your size won’t save you.”
“He’s possessed,” I said.
“And that makes any difference?”
The demonic vampire gave a roar and charged us. He hit Adrian with the back of his hand and sent him flying into the wall. Adrian’s guns skittered across the floor as he landed on the ground. I tried to duck out of reach, but the demon’s hand tangled in my hair. My forehead met the wall and white pain burst behind my eyes. The room spun, and I pressed my hands against the wall to keep myself upright. The demon’s grating laugh rattled around in my ears. It changed to an angry roar of pain as the hall filled with white mist. Adrian must have thrown one of the grenades. The demon shoved past me in his haste to get out of the holy mist. I stumbled, tripped, and toppled onto Adrian. He gave an annoyed sigh, pushed me off of him, and stood.
