“You're wrong,” I growled, glaring up at him. “It can be filled by one thing.”
Rockley threw his head back, laughing. “Please do not say de word love.”
I pressed my lips together, my silence only confirming that he'd guessed what I'd been about to say. “You've obviously never felt it, or you'd know it was true,” I spat.
He held my jaw in a pincer grip, practically snarling as he brought his face down to mine. “Oh I know all about love. I package and sell it wid a shiny ribbon wrapped around it. Tis an illusion humans buy in to. Do Werewolves really buy into de same notion?”
“There must be someone in your life you care about?” I tried, desperate to find a weak link in Rockley. I needed something to buy time. Something to hold off the torture.
Rockley's eyes darkened like someone had snuffed out a candle in them. “Yes...meself,” he said smoothly, chuckling. “When a man embraces selfishness, all his desires can be fulfilled.”
“At what cost?” I wrinkled my nose.
Rockley surveyed me. “Morals are de lie you are sold by de media, by cultural norms. Don't you see? You only cringe at my selfishness because you have been taught dat it is bad. But dose who don't listen to society have everything they have ever wanted. Dey rule de whole world.” Rockley lifted the hose and my gut lurched.
I swallowed the pleads that were fighting their way to my lips. Instead, I said, “That hole lives in you, too, Rockley. And one day it's gonna swallow you up.”
He tilted his head, considering my words. “Perhaps...but not until I've tasted all de pleasures in de world.” He took the damp cloth from my neck, placing it over my nose and mouth then pressed his foot on a lever beneath the chair. My seat reclined further so my feet rose and my head lowered.
Water spurted from the hose and he held it above the cloth so it rained down in a never-ending torrent. I writhed madly, my nose burning as the water smothered me.
I screamed but the sound was muffled, my back arching, my hands curling into tight fists. My throat ached. Panic set in. I wriggled uselessly, trying to escape, but it was no good.
When I could go no longer bear the torture, my vision began to fade. I choked and gagged, jerking in the reclined seat.
Rockley removed the cloth, pressing his foot to a lever that swung the chair upright, allowing me to cough and breathe fully again.
My heart beat frantically in my chest. The word 'please' was hovering on my lips, but I didn't let it pass.
I will not beg.
“I hear you had a little excursion last night,” Rockley said, moving close, rubbing his hand over my back almost lovingly. “I do not take kindly to escapees. Though de guard who opened your door is de one to blame. But I have to admire her willingness to do harm. She wanted to hurt you. Do you see how humans react to people like you? Disgusting Immortals, trying to rise above their place in de world. I cannot blame her for her bloodlust. De punishment will only lie with you, I'm afraid.”
“What more can you do?” I hissed.
He laughed softly. “You know de answer to dat, I think.” He edged closer, grinning. “I am rather curious to how you feel about your boyfriend now dat he has no memory of you.”
I gazed up at him, practically snarling. There was no point in answering.
Rockley's smile widened. “Such a shame dat two lovers are doomed to be parted. Perhaps my torture does not sting you so much as dat, hm?”
I dropped my gaze, eyeing the puddle on the floor beneath me.
“Immortals are not meant for love, my dear.” He continued to rub my back and my spine tingled uncomfortably. I despised his hands on me. It was worse than the torture. “You shall learn dat when de time comes. When de world learns of your existence, men and women will line up to hurt you. And I will gladly let dem. For a price.” He chuckled again and my blood turned to ice.
I kept my lips sealed, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of a response.
“Perhaps it's time for something a little more...interesting.” He walked away, heading to the rack on the wall, taking his time to pick out a huge, curved blade.
My heart turned to stone.
A knock came at the door as Rockley approached me. Minor irritation flashed across his features. “I'm busy,” he snapped.
“I need a word,” Silas's voice called from beyond the door.
Rockley sighed, muttering something about business investments and walked across the room to open the door.
Silas came into view, his eyes immediately wheeling to me, his brows pulling together. He cleared his throat, looking to Rockley. “In private?”
Rockley cursed, clicking his fingers at someone out of sight. Jessie stepped into the room with another male guard at her side. Her mouth curled up in delight at the sight of me. “Take her to de red hall.” Rockley glanced back at me, a sneer on his face. “We'll play some more games dis afternoon.”
He walked away with Silas and the guards unshackled me, pulling me to my feet. They dragged me along, heading down the stone corridor toward a lift.
We ascended a couple of levels before we emerged in a vast casino, sprawling out before me. Everything was blood red, from the velvet chairs to the carpet and huge curtains hanging over the cavernous walls. At the heart of the casino was a pit, dropping down nearly two storeys, made entirely of black onyx. Jessie pushed me, trying to shove me into it, but I clung onto her arm, digging my heels in.
The other guard raised his gun to my head. “Get in or I'll shoot.”
“Your boss wouldn't be happy if you killed me,” I snarled.
The guard lowered his gun to aim at my knee. “A knee-cap wouldn't hurt, though.”
I sighed, crouching at the edge and lowering myself backwards before dropping to the bottom. I hit the cold floor, nearly losing my footing as a jolt of pain tore through my ankle. The walls were as smooth as ice.
Jessie smirked before walking away with the guard.
When I heard the lift doors shut, I leapt toward the wall, trying to find purchase. On the fifth go, I gave up. It was impossible. The pit was perfectly designed to keep me contained. I dropped down to the floor, resigning myself to the place.
Guess I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.
Silas
Rockley guided me to a grand office with a huge granite desk at the heart of it. Behind it was a screen encompassing the back wall, the video playing made it seem as though the room overlooked a huge lake, with the moon shimmering above it on the lapping waves.
The office was filled with trinkets that made my skin crawl. A Reaper's skull sat inside a large bell-jar on the desk and shelves filling one wall held everything from silver-coated Vampire fangs to a withered paw that looked like it belonged to a wolf.
Rockley sat in a large leather chair behind the desk and I dropped into the smaller one opposite.
“What is it, Silas? I have things I'd much rather be doing right now.”
My skin crawled.
Like butchering Cass.
I thought of the crow I'd sent last night, wondering if it had made any progress on finding Selena. It had been a bit of a struggle getting that bird above ground. But it had remained silent inside my jacket at the will of the Viden. And after I'd convinced a guard to give me a tour of the building site outside the mine, I'd managed to release it without being seen. Which had been tricky, considering he'd been aiming a gun at me for the duration of the not-so-fun tour.
I laced my fingers together, resting them on the desk, composing myself into the businessman I was. This is what I did best. I was the boss of a company that Rockley needed. I was an important asset to him. He wanted to work with me when the time came to reveal the Immortals to the world. And I had to play that to my advantage.
“I think it's time we started making plans toward the reveal,” I said.
“And you thought now was a good time to discuss it?” Rockley snarled.
“Well, I believe we are wasting time here. I have to go back to work. I
have a lot of preparations to make.”
“So you want to leave?” Rockley guessed, leaning back in his chair and thumbing one of the giant medallions around his throat.
“Yes,” I said simply. “I don't think my presence is necessary here. We can correspond by email.”
Rockley surveyed me a moment before saying, “No.”
“No?” I growled, my skin prickling.
“I don't trust you, Silas. Like I don't trust most people in dis world. I brought you here so we could have a chance at rebuilding our relationship. If we are going to do dis together, den we need to be on de same page.”
“What more can I do?” I asked, leaning forward. “I have supplied you with Immortals for your games, you have access to all of my treatments. After the shit you pulled at my African institute, I think it is you who should be working to regain my trust.”
Rockley fiddled with a pen on his desk that seemed to be made from ivory. “I made you an offer, Silas. And you refused it. You have caused dis situation. I had to obtain de redhead on my own. You should have handed her over when I asked initially.”
I slammed my hand down on the desk, my frustration boiling over. “You are not the only one who has an investment in the girl. She is of use to me. You want her here only to torture her. What's the point? You've had your fun, now let me take her back to the institute so I can get my project underway.”
Rockley sighed, shaking his head. “You are weak, Silas. Dis project you speak of concerns something outside of our business arrangement. It is even a distraction from your other more profitable projects. Why bring your daughter back? What is de point in it?”
“She's my daughter, that's all there is to it. You have a son, do you not? Surely you understand what being a parent means.” Bringing up Accolt Jones was a dangerous move. I didn't know what Rockley's real feelings were toward the boy. But I knew from experience that a parent's love wasn't something easily carved out.
Rockley's shoulders tensed at the mention of his son. “He is a burden to me, nothing else. If he died, I would not raise him from the depths of hell just to satisfy my own desires.”
“So you would desire it? You care for him in some way,” I pressed, knowing I was walking on thin ice.
Rockley's jaw hardened. “I suppose you could use dat word.”
Relief ebbed through me. My hunch had paid off. “Then you can surely understand why Cass is so important to me. Why her child is important to me. It is not a far step beyond that to then conclude that you are messing with my assets. And my own daughter's chance of rebirth.”
Rockley nodded slowly. “Alright. You will have de necessary equipment brought here to do your mumbo-jumbo on her.”
My gut constricted. “Here? This is hardly the place for such an experiment, Rockley.”
“I have plenty of rooms. I'll give you whatever you need to get it done. But the girl stays wid me, Silas. Dat is non-negotiable.”
I rubbed my eyes, knowing I had to give in. “Fine. I'll need to go to one of my institutes to retrieve everything I need.”
“No,” Rockley said simply. “Like I said, I would like us to have some time together. You can write down everything you need and I'll send my guards to get it for you.” He slid a notepad across the table with the ivory pen.
I picked up the pen, fiddling with it. “I need some time to think about what I'll need.”
Rockley waved a hand. “Take de pad. Give me de list when you're ready.”
I nodded, dropping it into my trouser pocket with the pen.
Rockley stood. “Come. Perhaps it is time we started dat bonding time right away.”
A lump lodged itself in my throat. “Now?”
“Yes, now.”
“I won't hurt Cass,” I said quickly.
“Of course, I would not expect you to. But Silas, I really would like to see you loosen up around here. Dis is a playground for kings. I'd like you to become one of dem.”
I nodded vaguely, following him from the room, feeling like I was not going to like whatever this 'bonding experience' was going to entail.
Rockley guided me down into the depths of the mine into a corridor filled with metal doors. My gut told me that this was where Cass was being kept. The tunnel arched overhead, the jagged stones poking out of the exposed walls. Guards stood at intervals along it with large machine guns strung across their bodies.
A chill ran over my neck as we walked.
Rockley paused by a door that was wider than the rest, taking out a key card and pressing it to the automatic lock on the door. The light turned green on the pad and Rockley stepped into the room, revealing a vast armoury. It held every weapon imaginable in racks and benches around the space. Rockley hummed as he walked up to a row of blades, taking one and passing it to me. I reluctantly took it and he kept another in his hand as we exited the room.
He led me to the door next to the armoury, pressing his key card to the door and leading me inside. A bony Vampire hissed from one corner, but didn't try to attack us. It was a male; he was thin and his ribs poked out from his bare torso. His trousers were the only item of clothing he had intact, just a simple pair of jogging bottoms. He pressed himself further into the corner, eyeing Rockley Jones.
My throat constricted as Rockely approached the Vampire, gripping his matted hair and yanking him to his feet. Without warning, he shoved the V forward and I stumbled back as Rockley commanded, “Drink.”
“Rockley, what the f-” I started but the Vampire dove at me, sinking his teeth into my arm. I kicked him off, yanking my wrist free before he dove at me again. He crashed into me, throwing me back against the nearest wall. I struggled to keep the Vampire back, my muscles straining as it gnashed its teeth together near my ear.
“Rockley!” I cried.
Rockley's laughter filled the air. “Fight back, Silas. Or you will be his lunch.”
I shoved the Vampire hard, but he was relentless, scratching my arms, tearing my shirt. I had no choice but to use the blade and jammed it awkwardly into his side. The Vampire fell back with a screech of rage, blackish blood leaking from the wound, the skin singed from the impact of the silver knife.
I raised the blade defensively, hoping I'd done enough damage to keep it at bay, but it came at me again in a blur of movement.
“Come on, Silas. I know you're holding back.” Rockley cackled a laugh.
Adrenaline surged through my veins as the Vampire sprang at me, digging its teeth into my shoulder. I slammed the blade into its side, over and over. It stumbled away, screaming, hitting the floor. I knew I couldn't stop. I fell forward, kneeling over it and burying the knife in its temple, panting heavily.
The Vampire fell still beneath me and I hung my head in relief and shame.
“Why would you do that?” I snarled at Rockley.
His hand slid onto my shoulder. “Listen to the beating of your heart. Feel the power of the kill.”
I shut my eyes, resenting his hand on me. I didn't feel powerful, I felt like a killer. Like my hand had been forced to commit this act. Even when Immortals had died in my care, I'd always regretted it. But at least their deaths had been in the name of science. This was murder.
I glanced up at Rockley, his eyes keen, hunting for my reaction.
I shook him off, getting to my feet, the pain in my neck searing. Rockley took a bottle of V blood from his pocket, holding it out to me. I drank it with only a hint of disgust, feeling the wounds on my body healing over in response. When I'd drunk half of it, I pocketed the bottle, planning on giving it to Dresden as soon as I could gain access to him again.
“Well?” Rockley pressed. “Tell me how you feel.”
“I feel like a monster,” I growled. “This is not something I will ever enjoy, Rockley. We aren't the same.”
“All men are de same,” he purred, stepping closer. “Some fight it harder.” He placed a hand on my chest, feeling my rampant heart beat beneath his palm. “But you'll get there.”
He marched
from the room and I cast a glance at the dead V, left on the floor like an animal carcass. I marched from the room, knowing I'd never shake the memory of what I'd just done.
“Come, a little wine will soothe your worries. I don't doubt you feel conflicted, but dere is more to my resort than dis. Perhaps killing is not your strong suit. But there are other pleasure Immortals can bring.”
I didn't like the sound of that, but figured I had no choice as he led me back upstairs. We soon arrived in a casino of blood-red walls. Rockley tapped out a text on his phone as he led me to a set of armchairs set up near a large pit. I couldn't see inside it from where we sat, and something told me I didn't want to.
A waiter soon appeared with a bottle of red wine, pouring a glass for each of us. The lights dimmed and soft music began to play. The red room had the feel of a boudoir, something both sultry and eerie about it.
A guard appeared, escorting a girl dressed in a slinky black dress, revealing her ample cleavage and long, dark legs. She wore a black, ebony mask over her face with nothing but eye-holes in it, revealing her chocolate eyes.
I downed the glass of wine, needing the boost of courage for what Rockley had in store for me next. I'd laid the bloody knife on the table and I wasn't planning on picking it up again.
Rockley took a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, putting them on.
“A shield,” he answered my probing stare. “One of your inventions, no?”
I knew what that meant...
The guard gestured for the girl to approach and she did so willingly, tugging the mask off. Her face was heavenly and I was struck with absolute clarity that I was in love with her. I was under her spell as she approached and I knew in the pit of my stomach that she was a Siren. I couldn't help but gaze at her and though I was aware of being under the power of her abilities, I was a slave to them too.
She dropped smoothly into my lap, running her fingers into my hair.
I dragged my eyes away from her, looking to Rockley. “Is she forced to be here?”
“No, I like using my powers,” the girl answered for him, taking hold of my chin and tugging so I had to look at her again. Urges rose in me that I tried to battle away.
Wolf Games: Severed Fates (The Vampire Games Book 6) Page 8
