I find her trailer at the end of the row. Without pause, I yank the door open, busting the lock. Unlike vampire lore in fiction, we don’t need a formal invitation to enter a human’s home. At a first glance, I see nothing out of the ordinary inside. It looks kind of cozy. Definitely better than the depressing state out front.
“What are you hiding, Vivienne?” I mutter to myself.
In her bedroom, there are posters of bands on the walls and an old acoustic guitar tucked away in the corner. Among the posters, I also find a picture of Vivienne onstage, singing with her band. Karl is next to her, playing the guitar, and Cheryl is behind the drums. Another dude is in the picture, playing bass. Behind them, a cheap-looking sign says Nocturnal.
There’s a stack of CDs next to an old stereo. I quickly peruse through them, finding a homemade one with the name of the band written on the cover. This is not the type of information I was looking to find, but I can’t help sticking the CD in the stereo and listening to Vivienne’s singing.
The voice that pours out of the speakers takes my breath away. If her blood ignites a destructive hunger in me, her singing calms me down. I end up listening to the entire CD, and when the final song ends, I’m not sure how I feel anymore. How can I destroy something so beautiful?
Get a grip on yourself, Lucca. She might sing like an angel, but she’s a lying thief.
The inner dialogue doesn’t help. I’m still conflicted as hell, but I resume my search, opening every single cabinet and drawer that I come across. When that doesn’t yield anything important, I look under furniture, behind paintings, and any other places that could hide something worthwhile. The place is now completely ransacked, and I have nothing to show for it besides the CD that I tucked in my jacket pocket. I guess, now, I’m a thief too.
I’m staring at the mess I’ve made, pissed already for the wasted time, when my eyes land on a picture frame peeking from behind an ugly cat figurine. The frame is covered in dust, and the photo inside is yellowed out, but I recognize Vivienne right away. The photo is old, but Vivienne looks exactly the same. There’s also an older woman who looks like a dirty junkie along with a guy in his twenties. He and Vivienne resemble each other. Same hair color and high cheekbones. It wouldn’t be farfetched to assume they’re siblings.
I trace my finger over her smiling face without a clue as to why I felt compelled to do so. It clears the dust in that spot, leaving an obvious path. I end up wiping the entire frame off, and that’s when I notice the strange leather band she has on her wrist. Her brother also has the same band. Squinting, I look at the picture closer. There are small charms dangling from the band, and I can’t be sure, but it looks like they have ancient runes written on them.
I don’t know if this means anything or not, but I remove the picture from the frame and tuck it in my pocket. I bet Aurora would know what they mean.
In a hurry to head back to Bloodstone now, I burst out of Vivienne’s trailer. But I don’t expect to come face-to-face with an angry gray wolf growling at me. A ray of silvery moonlight catches the wolf’s eyes, revealing their crimson glow.
My lips turn upward. “Hello, Cheryl. It’s been a while.”
The wolf’s form begins to tremble and shimmer, and a moment later, Karl’s sister is standing in front of me, fully dressed.
I give her an overall glance. “That’s a neat trick.”
“I was tired of you lot ogling me every time I shifted back, so I found a solution. What are you doing here, Lucca?”
“Research.”
Cheryl glances at Vivienne’s wide-open door. “What do you want with Vivienne?”
“Oh, come on. Don’t play that game with me. We go way back, Cher.”
She narrows her eyes. “Yes, and not a day has gone by when I don’t regret ever meeting you and your besties.” There’s enough venom in her tone to kill an elephant.
Who knew wolf-shifters could hold grudges as long as vampires? But again, she’s more than just a wolf now.
“I’ll cut straight to the chase. Why is Vivienne Gale at Bloodstone, pretending to be a vampire?”
Cheryl’s eyebrows arch almost to her hairline. “Wait, Vivi is at Bloodstone?”
I pay attention to her breathing and heartbeat. There’s barely any change, which means she’s not lying.
“Yes. And she also came to Havoc the night before and poisoned me with vampire’s bane.”
Cheryl’s jaw drops. “No way, José. Vivi is terrified of vampires, like she will go into a full-blown panic attack if one even comes near her.”
“Maybe you don’t know your friend that well.”
She crosses her arms, and the glower intensifies. “Larsson has her brother.”
I didn’t expect that revelation to come out of Cheryl’s mouth. She’s been prickly with me ever since I refused to grant her a favor many centuries ago.
“The dragon-shifter kingpin?”
“Do you know any other dragon by that name living in Salem?”
“Why would Larsson take her brother hostage?”
“Because Rikkon is a piece of shit who always gets into trouble and hopes Vivi will bail him out.”
And I’m furious all over again, but this time, I can and will aim my aggression at someone deserving. There is nothing in the Accords that says I can’t fight a dragon.
“Where are you going?” Cheryl asks.
“Where do you think?” I say before taking off faster than she can run.
Ember Emporium, Larsson’s domain, is on the opposite side of town—as far away as possible from Bloodstone. Supernatural species learned to coexist a long time ago, but we all try to remain in our own turf. Invisible lines exist everywhere, even outside of Salem where humans are unaware of our existence.
I should remain in the shadows when I cross that border, but I’m too pissed to care. I don’t know if the source of my anger is discovering that Larsson sent Vivienne to steal from me or the fact that he’s blackmailing her to do so. And why does he want my mother’s necklace?
Several bikers are stationed in front of Larsson’s bar. All of them are dragon-shifters and the meanest-looking creatures I’ve ever seen. Throughout the centuries, they’ve always preferred to live on the wrong side of the tracks. Once a barbarian, always a barbarian.
I cross the street, determined to see Larsson even if I have to cut his soldiers into little pieces of lizard meat. But a shadow crosses my path, solidifying into the last person I’d expect to see here. My uncle.
“Lucca, where do you think you’re going?”
“To have a word with Larsson. What, is that forbidden too?”
“Cheryl called me.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you were best buddies now.”
“Go back to the institute, son. There’s nothing to be gained here by confronting the dragon.”
I flare my nostrils, feeling deep in my bones the compulsion to obey. I fight it with every fiber of my being, but fuck, I can already sense my resolution waning. Damn it.
“Give up, Lucca. It’s futile to resist.”
The voice in my head isn’t mine. It’s his. And he’s right. There’s only one other vampire in the world who can resist my uncle’s legendary compulsion powers—Tatiana—for reasons I don’t know.
“Another thing, Lucca,” he says. “Don’t fight the hunger. Surrender to it.”
What the hell does that mean?
25
Vivienne
I couldn’t get out of Aurora’s apartment fast enough. I didn’t want to give Saxon any chance to ask me what I was doing with the resident witch. But as I walk back to the main section of the institute, hoping to catch up with Cassie and Damon, I begin to wonder what the cocky vampire was doing there.
Aurora wasn’t happy with his impromptu visit; that’s for sure. Maybe I can ask her later. I did tell her a lot about me without much probing on her side.
Hell, why did I have to tell her about my immunity to the spell that protects the supernaturals’ secre
t? I’ve never told a soul, and I decided to blabber to the person who might have an issue with it. Her mother is probably responsible for the spell.
Damn it, Vivi. Sometimes, you do act like the color of your hair.
While I’m distracted by having a conversation with myself, a rough hand comes out of nowhere, clamping my mouth shut, and a steely arm traps me in a vise hold. The first thought that runs through my mind is that Boone has found me again, but when a distinct female perfume reaches my nose, I know it’s not him.
“Finally found you alone, bitch.”
Ah fuck. Therese.
She’s not alone. Two other Blueblood females make sure no one can see me struggling in between them. I try to scream over the hand keeping me silenced, but only muffled murmurs can be heard. There’s also the problem that I don’t think anyone is around.
My heartbeat rate has spiked to dangerous levels, and breathing is becoming increasingly difficult. Therese drags me down a corridor until we stop in front of a big iron door. One of her friends uses a skeleton key to unlock it. Once it’s open, Therese shoves me forward so hard that I fall on the ground after a couple of staggering steps. I’m now outside of the building, and the grass softened my fall.
I stand as fast as I can, not knowing when the vicious attack will commence. But Therese just watches me from the door, her eyes gleaming with delight.
“What do you want from me?” I ask through my ragged breathing.
“I want nothing from you. I just want you to disappear. Forever.” She glances up at the sky. “Which should happen in a few minutes. Sunrise is just around the corner. Buh-bye.” She waves her fingers and then shuts the door with a loud clank.
I stare at it for a few seconds, trying to comprehend what just happened. Then, the coin finally drops. You’re a vampire to them, Vivi, which means you’d die if caught out in the sun.
A bubble of laughter goes up my throat, but I clamp it shut, not knowing if Therese and her minions are watching me from inside. I won’t die with sunup, but if I don’t get back inside beforehand, they will know I’m not a real vampire. Crap on toast.
I look around, having no clue what side of the building I am on. The forest is behind me, but it’s not thick enough to provide cover from the sun. The only way to get out of this mess is to find another way in. I pick a random direction and run the perimeter of the building. There’s nothing but smooth stone walls on this side, and the windows are too high up for me to reach them.
“Damn it!” I glance at the sky, which is already pink. Not much longer now.
Without a choice, I keep on running until I hear someone call my name from the woods. I don’t recognize the voice, but I’m running out of time. Maybe if I hide under the thick foliage, I can bullshit Therese into believing that was protection enough.
As I break through the forest, I hear the voice calling my name again. Like an idiot, I follow it. It leads me to a small cemetery, which is creepy as fuck. The few tombstones are crooked or cracked, and vines cover most of them. It seems no one has been hired to take care of the place. A chilly wind comes from behind me, and as it travels past the old trees, it sounds like they’re moaning. Goose bumps form on my arms. I hug myself, trying to stop the shivering.
There’s only one mausoleum here, and that’s where my feet take me. I can hide inside. The wrought iron door is not padded with a lock. It creaks loudly as I open it.
My heart is thumping so hard in my chest that the sound echoes in the dark room. The smell of mildew and decay is strong here. This is beginning to feel like a horror movie. I should get out, but some strange force is keeping me from taking off. I’m surprised to see a set of stairs right in the middle of the small space, going underground. The eerie voice calls my name again, and as if I’m in a trance, I follow it even though all my instincts are telling me to run away.
I plunge into complete darkness, and there’s a solid chance I’ll die of a panic attack. My chest hurts. I’m getting dizzier with each step I take. I want to get out of here, to scream, but I’ve lost my free will. What’s happening to me?
Finally, I see a little illumination ahead. I walk faster—no, I’m actually running toward it. Maybe this tunnel leads to the catacombs. If so, I can find my way back to above ground. But when I walk around a corner, still propelled by the mysterious force, I find myself in front of the locked chamber again.
“Vivienne,” someone calls me from inside the spooky room.
A gasp escapes my lips as a specter emerges from one of the tombs and zaps toward me. I don’t have time for anything before it reaches over the metal bars and grabs me by the throat.
Lucca
My uncle’s compulsion wears off as soon as I cross the gates of Bloodstone Institute. It took me a while to get back here, and I’ve missed sunrise with only a few minutes to spare. Maybe my reluctance to obey accounted for my delay. I don’t know. My head always gets fuzzy when he uses his powers on me. He hasn’t resorted to that cheap trick a lot during my existence but enough for me to hate him for a few years after. But I don’t even have time to be upset about that when another aggravation looms on the horizon. Therese and two of her friends are walking in my direction.
She’s smiling smugly, which means she’s up to no good. Maybe I wasn’t clear enough before.
“Lucca, coming home so late? You almost didn’t make it,” she says.
“What did I say earlier? Stay away from me. Your presence is nauseating.”
Her amused expression morphs into pure hatred. How easily feelings can change.
“I only want to give you a heads-up. I saw your precious regular roaming outside a few minutes ago. I don’t think she’ll make it back in time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“We locked Vivienne out of the building.” Her friend snickers, earning a glare from Therese.
Ah shit. They think she’s a vampire. If that were true, Therese wouldn’t have her head attached to her body right now. It doesn’t matter. When Vivienne walks through those doors in one piece, everyone will suspect who she truly is.
That can’t happen. I’m not done playing with her yet.
I only have one choice—find her before sunup. Running faster than ever before, I burst out of the institute’s front door. A familiar tending to the bushes outside calls out to me, warning me that sunrise is only a few minutes away—like I don’t know that. It’s something we can sense, even when we’re inside a building without windows. It’s an ingrained survival instinct.
With ease, I find Vivienne’s scent. She headed for the abandoned cemetery in the woods. I remember then that a mausoleum is there. Good. She must have hidden inside. But when I enter the small space, she’s not there. Her scent continues down the stairs, going underground. I’m running as fast as I can now, and I don’t even know why. She’s not outside, and she was never in danger. I just risked my life over nothing. This can’t be only about playing games.
Her scent keeps getting stronger. I’m getting closer to her location, but it suddenly vanishes. I halt, taking deep breaths and catching nothing. That’s impossible. Someone’s scent doesn’t simply evaporate like that. I’m walking in circles now, going out of my mind, when I hear her scream.
“Vivienne!” I call out, trying to pinpoint where the scream came from.
She doesn’t scream again, and I don’t pick up any other sound either. What the hell?
“Vivienne!” I begin to search the walls.
Maybe she’s found the secret chamber that Solomon and Isadora were talking about.
I reach a dead end, and I’m about to turn around when she appears out of nowhere, as if she sprang straight from the wall, and collides with me.
She’s a mess, trembling and crying. I engulf her into a bear hug, almost crushing her against my chest, despite the hunger that rears its ugly head to torment me.
“What happened? Where were you?”
“It was horrible,” she mumbles.
I pull her
back, so I can see her face. But my eyes immediately zero in on the red mark around her neck. It looks like someone tried to choke her to death.
“Who did this to you?” I ask through clenched teeth.
She shakes her head while she stares at me with wide eyes. Terror is all I read in them.
“Don’t be afraid. Whoever did this to you is not stronger than me.”
“It-it was a ghost.”
“A ghost?”
She nods. “I heard it calling my name again when I was in the forest. It wanted me to come down here.”
“Again? When did it happen before?”
“Can we just get out of here? Please.”
Staring at her, so afraid and vulnerable, does something to me. I forget the hunger, the need for revenge. All I want to do is protect her and hunt down whatever hurt her.
I pick her up in my arms and run at breakneck speed, not stopping until we’re back in her apartment. Manu is home, but she’s retired. When I set Vivienne down in her bedroom, I know she’s not over the shock yet. She has stopped crying, but she’s still shaking nonstop as she sits on the edge of her bed.
It’s been a while since I had to console someone, and I don’t know what to do. All I want is to make her forget what happened.
I drop to my knees in front of her and grab her hands. “What can I do to help?”
“I’m not sure you can.” She drops her eyes to our joined hands.
“Try me.”
She lifts her gaze to mine, and in an instant, I’m trapped. She’s reeling me in, and I can’t stop it.
“Would you stay with me for a little while?”
“I can do that.”
She lies down, getting under the covers, and motions for me to lie next to her. I pull her closer—into a spooning position, to be exact—and try not to breathe at all. It’s not only her blood that’s calling me now; it’s also her entire being. This is madness.
She falls asleep right away. I can tell by the slowing down of her heartbeat and the evenness of her breathing. I barely dare to shift my position, afraid any sudden movement will snap my self-control.
Dark Prince: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 1) Page 13
