The Vampire's Mark 2: Hell Storm (Reverse Harem Romance)

by Rachel Jonas

  But that wasn’t all I intended to take back to them.

  I’d been away for a while and could only guess things hadn’t gotten easier without me. Provisions were low before I left, which meant they’d likely depleted even further despite whatever efforts had been made. Being here in the palace, in the land of plenty, only made me want better for my team, for those we sheltered until transport. It was this burning desire to bring a bit of ease to our life of hiding, and secrecy, that made me even more determined to do my part. In short, I had no intention to return to camp empty handed.

  There were races every weekend. From dusk til’ dawn for those with a standing reservation like I had. A few quick wins tonight could mean food and med supplies for a month. I couldn’t afford not to make this detour. As badly as I just wanted to go home, I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

  And besides, perhaps showing that I was still useful to my family would make them less likely to turn me away when I got there.

  It seemed so farfetched when I first considered it, but then I thought of all that would be compromised. To start, others in our network could decide to cut us off because of my new connection to the monarchs. It wouldn’t go unnoticed that I was bound to two already, nor would it be forgotten that, in a matter of weeks, I’d become one of those we fought so hard to defeat.

  A vampire.

  What if they don’t want me back?

  What if they think of me as a traitor, now that I have the vampire’s mark on my shoulder?

  … Can I blame them if they do?

  A brief moment of doubt made me consider the unthinkable—staying put and not bothering with this escape tonight. I had to believe it wasn’t all for nothing. Even if they did turn me away, at least I could deliver the food and whatever money I’d net from the races.

  It wasn’t the bright side I hoped for, but it was a bright side nonetheless.

  I slipped into the dark clothing and grabbed a pair of soft-soled shoes from the floor of the closet. Once both hands of the clock pointed toward the ceiling, it was go-time.

  Following the same path I traveled the night before, I left my room for what I hoped would be the final time. I descended the broad staircase that reminded me of a waterfall spilling into the foyer. It seemed to take forever to finally reach the first floor, and the entire way down, my heart threatened to burst through my chest.

  The house was eerily quiet. Reaching the moonlit corridor, I honestly considered turning around as fear took me in its grasp. The same concerns flitted through my mind as before, and just like last time, I ignored them.

  My steps were painstakingly slow as I crossed, counting the seconds it took to reach the staff kitchen, praying like never before no one would be there once I made it.

  Like Levi.

  Hopefully, he had his fill of wine at dinner, and was in his room for the night.

  I didn’t hesitate at the stone archway like I had before. This time, I had a one track mind.

  Escaping.

  A quick skim of a few cabinets and the duffle bag was full. I topped it off with some fresh fruit I recalled sitting in a bowl on the center island. Liv, especially, would appreciate that.

  I tiptoed toward the far corner where I remembered spotting the door. Quietly, I turned the lock and disengaged it before pulling gently. The door crept open, and my pulse quickened yet again when I took in the sight of the inky-black abyss that awaited me. But what unnerved me most, was the thought that the darkness wasn’t the only thing that waited for me across that threshold.

  Were there hellhounds assigned to patrol the tunnels?

  Was there heavy security down there just in case?

  Suddenly, I wished I had thought about these things before, but had reached the point of no return. As insane as this plan was, my mind was made up already.

  Just go for it, Cori. Never seeing your family again is the worst thing that could happen. Not death.

  My palm pressed into the wall as I descended the short staircase. This was the beginning of a blind journey through Julian’s pitch-black tunnel system. A tunnel system I had never walked before, had never scouted.

  Fifteen minutes in, a heavy sense of regret took my breath away. I imagined myself getting lost down here, being discovered the next morning when a team was sent to find me. If that happened, it wouldn’t matter that Julian, Levi and I had formed some semblance of a bond. I’d likely be out of lifelines and would face harsh punishment like the Ianites seemed to think I deserved.

  The walls felt like they were closing in and I had to stop, at least for a moment. A loud thud echoed through the void when I set down the bag. It felt like I’d suffocate if I didn’t pause to catch my breath.

  Pull it together.

  You’ve been in tough spots before and you came out every time.

  This is no different.

  My breathing slowed and the sense of being stalked through the darkness subsided a bit. It struck me that, if I wanted this to be over quickly, I’d have to pick up the pace. Running with one hand bracing the wall to my right, and the other outstretched before me, I covered a lot more ground. The tunnel wound in different directions, but there were no hard turns, no decisions to turn right or left. I was grateful for that, seeing as how I hadn’t thought to nab candles or a flashlight. As I pressed forward, I was keenly aware of the moment the sound around me changed. My steps echoed a little less and the air, in general, felt denser. If I wasn’t mistaken, the ground was steadily sloping upward, which meant I was close to resurfacing.

  That was worth celebrating.

  A broad smile stretched across my face and I felt a small inkling of pride from having made it this far, one step closer to freedom. That broad smile nearly turned into laughter when a thin sliver of light seeped beneath a door in the distance.

  I was close.

  So, so close.

  A brisk jog turned into a full-on sprint then, and the bag I carried felt weightless with a sudden surge of adrenaline. More light framed the door as I got closer and I knew this had to be it. During my visit to Julian’s garage with Elle, she shared that the tunnel entrance there led to the staff kitchen. With no turns or subsequent tunnels to throw me off, I knew I’d gotten this right.

  A pang of guilt hit me when I thought of her—Elle. She’d been so kind, so trusting, she didn’t think twice about giving up what seemed like innocent palace secrets. In another life, in a world much kinder than ours, she and I would have been friends. I mean real friends. Not the kind where one had to consider the other as more of a resource than a confidant. As terrible as I felt using her kindness against her, it was the only way to come by the valuable information that made this escape possible.

  Knowing I’d likely never get the chance to explain why I betrayed her trust, I whispered a quick apology as I reached for the knob and crossed the threshold into the garage.

  The array of bikes excited me as much now as the first time I’d been here. They were all tempting, but I hadn’t forgotten the beauty I spotted yesterday—a solid black beast I could practically feel purring beneath me.

  If I was going to risk my life, it may as well be on a sexy bike like that.

  I spotted the one I earmarked the day before, and then rushed over to it. For the most part, it was constructed using the same basic tech I was used to, but I took note of a few obvious differences. Like how the seat had been upgraded from the one typically outfitted by the factory, to one more ergonomically correct. And how small sensors had been placed on either side to alert the rider when they drifted toward other vehicles. There were a few other details, but nothing that would keep me from riding.

  Helmet.

  The thought prompted my gaze to drift left, to where I’d seen the row of them when I came with Elle.

  Racing over, I reached for a sleek one with a fully blacked-out face shield. The more discreet I could be during my travels, the better. I tucked it beneath my arm, deciding that since I was already robbing Julian blind, I may as we
ll be thorough. A dark leather jacket hung on a nearby hook, and I grabbed that too.

  Rushing back toward the bike, I set the helmet on my duffle bag while I worked. Getting this thing going would cost me valuable seconds, but it wasn’t like there was a key lying around anywhere. So, instead of daydreaming about how convenient that would have been, I made quick work of locating the ignition cable, and removed the socket. While I was at it, I did myself a favor and disabled the GPS as well.

  A quick scan told me exactly what items I’d need to finish the job, and I didn’t waste time gathering them. I ‘borrowed’ a wire from the bike beside me, and managed to snip and fray the ends with cutters from a toolbox against the wall. After twisting the ends with my fingers, I prayed in silence, holding my breath while waiting for the roar of an engine.

  And when the beast growled with life, the corners of my eyes stung with fresh tears.

  One step closer.

  It was too soon to celebrate. Instead, I slipped my arms into the stylish leather jacket I’d stolen, and hiked the bag crosswise over my body before hopping on it. Double checking my cargo, I realized I’d forgotten something vitally important—my purse, which contained my bracelet, my com. Leaving it off all this time had been intentional. It was imperative that I reserve the battery for this very moment, when I could finally tell them I was coming home. However, I’d come too far to turn back now. It’d been too close a call as it was. I’d just have to do without it.

  Carefully, I weaved through the rows of bikes, and then through the narrow door separating this room from the one that housed Julian’s extensive car collection. I didn’t stop until I reached the large garage door that, once lifted, would expose me to whomever and whatever roamed the palace grounds at night.

  I slipped the dark helmet onto my head and left the bike for only a moment as I walked toward the large button on the wall. I’d waited for this opportunity since the first day I was captured, and now it was here.

  My plan was imperfect, my way unclear, but there was one thing I knew for certain.

  If there was any love powerful enough to make you risk your life running away from Ianites in the middle of the night, it was the love of family.

  And I was willing to lay it all on the line for mine.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Corina

  There wasn’t much chance I’d slip out of here unnoticed, so I shifted priorities. The time to be quiet and timid had passed, taking a backseat to fast and aggressive. If I stood a chance at making it off palace grounds alive, those were my only options. I had a death-grip on the handlebars while taking a final breath beneath the helmet.

  “Corina? What are you … what are you doing?”

  The frantic voice rang into my ears, surprising me, sending a wave of panic through my entire body.

  I hadn’t anticipated this—Elle’s consciousness having access to Julian’s helmet like she did his vehicles.

  “You can’t be out here,” she warned. “If the guards catch you, they won’t be lenient.”

  She wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know.

  “Elle, just … I can’t stay here. It’s important that I go.”

  No one was more aware of my shortening timeline than I was. Already, several days had passed since first being bitten, which meant I no longer had a full two months to help my team. There was still so much to do before then.

  It seemed to hit Elle suddenly that I wasn’t just going for a joyride. But as intuitive as she was, she must have sensed I wasn’t like most girls who were taken as Dolls. I couldn’t make myself forget my life from before and just … submit. That simply wasn’t in me.

  “You’re running,” she concluded in a surprisingly lucid tone. “They’ll be killed, Corina. All four princes. Do you realize that? Do you have any idea what they’ve risked to save you?” The genuine desperation in her tone made me forget she wasn’t human. With the emotion she conveyed through these panicked words, it was easy to do.

  Revving the engine, I pulled out of the garage with no clear plan for how to exit, but knowing I’d find a way.

  “They did those things to save Julian. Not to save me,” I corrected. “Therefore, me leaving isn’t a betrayal.”

  “Is that really what you think?” I was grateful I didn’t have to look into her eyes when she asked. “If that were the case, if it truly was all about Julian, don’t you think they would have just gotten rid of you? Had you punished like any other imposter would have been?”

  This couldn’t happen. I couldn’t have Elle in my ear when there were so many important decisions to be made. The noise I created had likely already gotten the attention of the guards, so I didn’t have time to waste.

  “They won’t be killed,” I assured her. “They can tell the magistrates the truth, that I ran away and they had nothing to do with it.”

  The silence coming through the helmet’s com conveyed Elle’s thoughts loud and clear.

  “Listen, I know this doesn’t make much sense to you,” I sighed, “but there’s nothing here for me.”

  “That’s not true,” she quickly rebutted. “You just have to give it a chance.”

  She didn’t understand, didn’t get how it felt knowing I was being pampered and cared for here, while my team suffered. I didn’t fault her for how ignorant it was to assume the glitz and glamor of the Capitol made for a better life.

  “You really think there’s so much more out there?” She wasn’t being condescending. Actually, I was certain she’d become solemn with the realization that I couldn’t be talked out of this.

  “Elle, what’s out there for me is love,” I answered vaguely, slipping between the garden’s wrought-iron gates.

  “You were … in love?” Her voice took on a thoughtful tone I hadn’t expected.

  “No, not quiet. There isn’t a guy,” I clarified. “I have family.”

  That answer rendered her speechless. For many reasons I imagined. To start, humans weren’t supposed to have familial connections. Our upbringing made certain of that. It seemed senseless to hide this fact from Elle now, so I didn’t regret sharing that with her.

  “You love Julian, don’t you?” I asked, peering over my shoulder when a snarling bark echoed from my right. I faced forward again and tried to stay focused.

  “I do,” she admitted, “but I don’t know what that has—”

  “Well, imagine he’s all you have, imagine so much of his survival depends on you,” I challenged. “Now, multiply that feeling by a hundred and tell me you wouldn’t do this exact same thing. Tell me you wouldn’t fight to return to him.”

  She was quiet and I picked up speed to outrun a second hellhound that, apparently, caught my human scent as I rode past. Things were heating up and I still had no idea how to get out of here alive.

  “There’s nothing I can say that would convince you to stay?”

  Her sweet tone tugged at my heartstrings in a way I never thought they would.

  “I’m sorry, Elle, but no. There isn’t.”

  There was another stint of silence before her voice rang through the helmet again.

  “Then, I suppose there’s only one thing left to do.”

  The many different actions she could have taken next drifted through my mind—wake Julian and the others, call the sentinels, hand me over to the Butcher. Only, she didn’t say any of those things.

  “I’m going to help you,” she declared as a final act of kindness.

  I didn’t know what to say to that. This one gesture confirmed something I already knew, but hadn’t quite been ready to admit. She considered me a friend.

  And the feeling was mutual.

  “Hang a quick left here,” she called out, shifting her emotions aside to help.

  After doing as she instructed, the bike tipped close to the cobblestone walkway with my weight.

  “What now?” I urged.

  “Just keep going and leave the rest to me.”

  Putting my safety solely in her h
ands made me anxious, but it wasn’t the first time I entrusted a friend with my life. Felix and Liv had talked me through plenty of tough spots. I believed Elle had my best interest at heart, just like they had.

  Behind me, the yelp of the two hounds commanded my attention. I looked back just as their steps halted, which was confusing.

  “I tapped into the security system to activate the electric fences,” she explained. “I can control them now, so the hounds shouldn’t give us much more trouble, but we’ll have to get creative dodging the Sentinels. There’s no shock collar for them.”

  Maybe not, but that would’ve definitely been a sweet invention.

  “Where to now?”

  “Several yards ahead, do you see a guard station?”

  Squinting through the darkened tint of the face shield, I peered ahead. “I do.”

  “Good. Is the door ajar?”

  “It is.”

  “Good,” she repeated. “Kill the engine and head closer on foot.”

  I hesitated. The idea of slowing down to do anything felt counterintuitive.

  “Trust me, Corina.”

  If this had been a couple weeks ago, I wouldn’t have even considered taking Elle’s advice. However, as I hopped off the bike, I admitted how much my outlook had changed.

  “The engine,” she reminded me as I put distance between myself and my only mode of transportation.

  “I have to keep it running. It’s hotwired and there won’t be time to restart it.”

  “Well, let’s hope you’re far enough away that you won’t spook them.”

  My eyes focused on the destination ahead. “How many guards are in there?” My heartrate spiked a bit waiting for an answer.

  “Only one.”

  I frowned, feeling a bit confused. “But you said them—meaning more than one.”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Elle confirmed, assuring me I hadn’t misheard. “But only one of the Ianites inside is a guard. The other is one of Empress Westower’s handmaids, and whenever the Empress is away on business, let’s just say she finds … other ways to keep busy.”