“And my blood is the key.” I snort in derision. “Great.”
“Yeah, it sucks to be you.”
“But what are those ghosts anyway?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. My mother and the headmaster are super enigmatic about that. I think I’ll only earn the right to that secret when my mother dies and I become the High Witch.”
“Oh my God. That’s awful.”
“Yep. My life is on hold until my only parent dies. It’s peachy to be me.”
It seems no one’s life is easy—at least, no one’s life that has been touched by the supernatural.
“Aren’t we a pair?” I laugh.
“Tell me about it.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“Why didn’t you rat me out when you discovered I was a human pretending to be a vampire?”
“You’ve met the headmaster. I knew there was no way he’d allow you to cross the gates of Bloodstone, pretending to be something you’re not, without a motive. So, I wasn’t about to blabber without more information.”
“Do you know why he wants me there?”
Aurora stops suddenly, placing a hand on my arm. “When you were with Manu or Lucca, did the subject of his curse ever come up?”
My eyebrows arch. “Curse? What curse?”
“I guess that’s a no.” She looks straight ahead with her brows furrowed. “All the pieces are starting to come together.”
“What pieces? You’re beginning to scare me.”
“Many centuries ago, Lucca killed a Nightingale priestess by drinking her dry. That was the most serious crime a vampire could commit.”
I gasp, not because I’m appalled by the story, but because it sounds familiar. But that’s impossible. Where would I have heard it?
“It wasn’t his fault,” I say with conviction, and I don’t know why.
Aurora narrows her eyes. “How do you know that?”
“A hunch?”
She shakes her head, dismissing my outburst. “Well, good one because it wasn’t really his fault. The history books say he was wounded terribly after a great battle, and he had lost a lot of blood. His mother, desperate to save her son, tricked the Nightingale priestess to feed Lucca. But because he was on the verge of dying, he entered bloodlust and couldn’t stop feeding until the poor female was dead.”
My heart begins to beat slow and hard. That’s what’s going to happen if he feeds from me. No wonder he acted the way he did last night.
“What’s the curse?”
“To die slowly and painfully. Lucca’s life force is waning. He needs to sleep longer than most vampires, and when he’s awake, his strength deteriorates fast. He seems powerful now, but it won’t be so in a year.”
I can’t imagine Lucca not being the godlike Blueblood that he is now.
“Is there a way to break the curse?”
“Yes. Lucca has to drink from a Nightingale again and not kill them. But here’s the caveat: Nightingale blood will always give him bloodlust. He’s fated to drink them dry. If that happens, he’ll condemn his soul to eternal damnation. In my opinion, that’s a worse fate than dying slowly.”
“What if he can control his bloodlust and not kill?”
“Then the curse will be broken.”
Now, everything is beginning to make sense. I’m the Nightingale who has the power to save him or destroy him completely, and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it.
“I’m sorry,” Aurora says.
“Yeah, I know. Me too.”
37
Vivienne
The band’s van is already parked at the side of the road when Aurora and I reach the meeting spot. Cheryl and Vaughn get out, one more awake than the other. Vaughn covers his mouth, trying to hide the yawn. It’s past eleven in the morning, but I’m betting he didn’t get to bed until the sun was up. Vaughn is a night owl. He’d make a perfect vampire.
Cheryl gets to me first, hugging me tight. “Damn it, Vivi. I can’t believe you’ve survived this long at that school of horrors.”
“It’s not that bad, and I’ve had help.”
She pulls back, studying my face with her intense green eyes. Now that I know she’s a shifter, I can see the wolfishness in them.
“Karl,” she guesses.
“Among others.”
“Who is your friend?” Vaughn glances over my shoulder.
“I’m Aurora, one of Vivi’s other friends.” She smirks at me.
“You’re the High Witch’s daughter,” Cheryl adds.
“Yep.” She shrugs.
Suddenly very much awake, Vaughn saunters toward her. “What happened to your arm?”
“Oh, it’s just a scratch.”
“We had an encounter with a very nasty ghost while we were trying to sneak out,” I say.
Vaughn’s eyes widen. “There are ghosts, too, in that place?”
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of them.” Aurora raises an eyebrow.
He tries to recover, but he can’t hide the sudden drain of blood from his face. “Me? Afraid? Of course not.”
Cheryl switches her attention to me again. “How did you manage to steal the necklace from Lucca?”
I don’t remember ever telling her the details of my deal with Larsson. “How did you know that was my task?”
Her lips become nothing but a slash on her face, and her eyes are hella guilty now. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
“What did you do?”
“I caught Lucca sneaking out of your trailer not too long ago. I told him that Larsson had your brother. When he went after the dragon-shifter, I made some calls and ended up learning about your deal.”
“So, it was you who blabbered to Lucca. I thought Karl was the culprit.”
“Lucca wanted to know why you were at Bloodstone. I thought if I told him you had a compelling reason, he wouldn’t hurt you.”
No, he didn’t hurt me. He did much worse. He’s conquered my heart.
“I guess you’ve also known him for a while, huh?” I say, trying to hide the nature of my thoughts.
Cheryl cuts a glance in Vaughn’s direction, but he’s busy chatting up Aurora. Oh shit. Vaughn doesn’t know Cheryl and Karl are wolf-shifters.
“We should get going,” I add.
Suddenly, I’m wary of heading to Ember Emporium. It’s not meeting Larsson again that’s giving me anxiety; it’s confronting my brother. I have so many questions pertaining to our heritage. What I want to know the most is why he tried to keep our lineage a secret.
During the ride, Vaughn monopolizes most of the conversation. He’s fascinated with Aurora, but that doesn’t surprise me. He has a soft spot for pretty girls. Aurora doesn’t seem to mind the attention though. She sounds like a different person, much friendlier and more approachable. Maybe everyone who attends Bloodstone must wear a mask to survive.
Fifteen minutes later, Cheryl parks the van right in front of Ember Emporium, next to all the bikes that weren’t there the last time I was here.
“The bar can’t possibly be open at this hour,” Cheryl says.
“Maybe they’re having a gang meeting.” Aurora looks out the window. “I’ve never been to a dragon hangout before.”
“Oh, goody,” Vaughn replies.
With my hand on the door handle, I say, “Let’s go. The sooner we go in, the sooner we can get the hell out of here.”
I’m totally faking my bravado. There’s a knot of worry sitting at the pit of my stomach, like a bad junk-food decision that won’t go away.
“Shouldn’t you call Larsson first to let him know you’re coming?” Vaughn asks. “I mean, so we don’t become dragon chow by accident.”
“Okay.”
I call Rikkon’s phone since I don’t have a direct line to the kingpin. It goes straight to voice mail. “The battery of Rikkon’s phone must have died.”
“There’s nothing for it then but to go in.” Cheryl is out of the car before anyone can
say anything.
I join her outside and wait for Vaughn and Aurora. We spend a moment staring at the building’s facade. Somewhere inside, Larsson is keeping my brother. I hope he’s over getting all the drugs out of his system. If not, that could be a problem.
“Ready or not, here we go.” I push the door open, bracing for what we’re going to find inside.
I don’t take more than a couple of steps forward before I stop, unsure of what to do. It seems Aurora was right. They must be having some kind of meeting because I’ve never seen so many bodybuilder types in one location.
Most are wearing biker clothing. Leather vests and chaps along with a mean-looking attitude. Obviously, they all turn to look at us.
“Does anyone feel like maybe we shouldn’t have barged in?” Vaughn asks, moving closer to me.
“What’s the matter, kids? Are you lost?” an older male with a bald head and long gray beard asks. He has a dragon tattoo taking up most of his right arm that almost looks like it’s alive.
I clear my throat, so I don’t sound like a small, fearful child. “I’m looking for Larsson.”
“Jesus.” The male turns around and addresses the room. “I didn’t know the boss was sniffing around in the kindergarten.”
Some of the shifters laugh; others simply grunt. I almost puke in my mouth.
“He’s in his office, kid. It’s in the back,” the bartender says as he polishes a glass behind the counter. He’s another competing for the title of Mr. Universe with his Alpine-like biceps and towering height.
“Oh, he’s cute,” Cheryl whispers near my ear.
She’s not wrong; he does have a Tudors Henry Cavill look to him, but this isn’t really the time to be ogling anyone, especially a dragon.
“Seriously?” Aurora retorts.
“What? I’m not blind.”
Ignoring both of them, I stride toward the back of the bar, purposely avoiding all the stares aimed my way. There’s a door that says Staff, and when no one comes to block my way, I open it and continue on down the corridor. The sound of an angry male’s voice leads me to what I can only assume is Larsson’s office. I stop right in front of it and then look over my shoulder.
“Hey, where’s Cheryl?”
“She got thirsty,” Aurora replies with a hint of reproach.
Shaking my head, I decide to not worry about Cheryl. She’s a wolf who has been around for a long time. She can take care of herself.
I let out a long breath to steady myself, and then I knock.
“Who is it?” Larsson asks.
“It’s Vivienne, Rikkon’s sister.”
Not a second later, the door opens wide, and the great dragon kingpin fills the frame. He’s not wearing a jacket today but a white button-down shirt that stretches to the max against his wide chest. I don’t want to be like Cheryl, ogling every piece of hot ass I come across, but it’s really hard not to notice the dragon’s physique.
I try not to flinch under his scrutinizing stare, but when he looks over my head, I let out the breath I definitely knew I was holding.
“You brought company,” he says.
“I got the necklace.” I get straight to the point before he decides to kick my companions out.
He squints for a second and then moves out of the way. “Come in.”
I have to hold my jaw shut as I take in Larsson’s office—if one could call the ginormous room spread before us that. It’s a two-floor space with an atrium in the middle—a mix of mall arcade and a sports bar. It has everything—games, several flat screens, pool table, foosball table, a few leather couches, and lots and lots of color.
“Wow!” Vaughn stares at it all with the awed expression of a kid in Candy Land.
“Damn. Talk about sensory overload.” Aurora rubs her forehead. “I’m getting a headache already.”
Larsson walks around a massive black desk, taking a seat on a comfortable-looking leather chair. He leans back, resting his linked hands on his flat stomach. “So, the necklace. Where is it?”
“I want to see my brother first.”
“Show me the necklace.” His expression remains neutral, but I don’t mistake the command in his voice.
Since I’m in no position to piss him off, I fish the necklace from my pocket and dangle it in front of me. Immediately, Larsson’s posture changes. He sits straighter in his chair, and his eyes are wide and alert.
Without a word, he raises his right hand and signals to someone who, until now, I didn’t even know was in the room. Then, I see that at least four of Larsson’s associates are here, all semi-hidden in the shadows.
Jeez, paranoid much? What does he think two humans and a witch can do against his kind?
A moment later, the associate who walked away returns, holding a scrawny figure by the arm.
“Rikkon!” I run to him, still clutching Lucca’s necklace in my hand.
He looks up, revealing a gaunt face with pale skin and dark circles under his eyes. “Vivi,” he murmurs.
I hug him even though Larsson’s associate is still holding Rikkon in his grasp.
His free arm sneaks around my back while he rests his cheek against my shoulder. “I knew you would come.”
As happy as I am that I was able to save Rikkon’s ass this time, I’m also mad that he once again put me in this situation.
A throat clearing brings my attention back to the here and now. I ease off the embrace and turn around.
“Here’s your payment.” I toss the necklace in Larsson’s direction.
It disappears in his large hand, and a pang pierces my chest. There goes the last link Lucca had to his mother.
“Do you know what the necklace means to its former owner?” I ask, not hiding the contempt in my tone.
Larsson pierces me with an intense glare, but I’ve had my share of similar threatening looks during my stay at Bloodstone. I’m immune to those now.
“I guarantee you, Vivienne, this necklace has more value to me than it does to Lucca Della Morte.”
“I doubt it.”
“All right,” Vaughn interrupts, “Rikkon is free, and the dragon has his payment. We should really get going.”
“Yes, please. Let’s go,” Rikkon says.
“A word of caution, punk,” Larsson speaks up. “If I catch you selling in my domain again, I won’t be as merciful as I was this time.”
Rikkon’s face becomes even paler. He swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “I’m done with that shit.”
“Yeah, right. Get out of here already. I’m sick of looking at your pathetic face.”
Aurora and Vaughn are already out the door when Larsson calls my name. I motion for Rikkon to keep walking while I face the dragon kingpin.
“What?” I ask.
“Tell Lucca his heirloom is in good hands.”
I stare at the dragon for a couple of beats, surprised to see something akin to sorrow in his gaze.
“Come on, Vivi. Let’s go,” Rikkon urges from the door.
I follow him out, but I’m still thinking about Larsson’s parting comment, even when we reach the main area of Ember Emporium. Aurora and Vaughn have stopped and seem to be searching for something. I turn to the bar, noticing there’s a different male tending to it.
“Where’s Cheryl?” I ask.
Damn it. She had to go and stay behind to flirt. I don’t think she was taken against her will, but she’s our driver.
I call her, and it rings and rings until finally she answers, “Hello?”
“Where the hell are you?”
“Oh, you’re done?” she asks, a little out of breath.
There’s a distinct grunting in the background and hard breathing. Oh my God.
I cover my mouth with my hand and whisper, “Are you screwing the bartender?”
Her reply is a loud moan. Cringing and with my face now in flames, I tell her to hurry up, and then I end the call.
Aurora, Vaughn, and Rikkon are all now staring at me.
“Let me guess,” Aurora says. “She asked the bartender to show her around?”
“Something like that,” I mumble.
A minute later, Cheryl comes back, sashaying her way to us while she finger-combs her hair. The bartender follows her, tucking his shirt in his pants.
Shit. Could they be more obvious?
“Were you waiting long?” she asks with an air of innocence.
Aurora shakes her head. “Shifters, ugh.”
“Let’s go. I don’t want to overstay our welcome.” I glance nervously at the rough crowd who is still eyeing us with suspicion.
“Oh, we’re fine.” Cheryl waves her hands in a dismissive way.
“Don’t trust anything that comes out of Cheryl’s post-O-town mouth,” Vaughn rebuffs.
“I’m beginning to think you can’t trust her ever,” Aurora replies.
The normal Cheryl would take offense to that. Post-coital-bliss Cheryl simply shrugs with a smile.
I grab the keys from her purse. “I think Vaughn should drive.”
We have to steer her to the exit because she seems to have lost her ability to walk on her own. She does wave like a silly girl at the bartender, making me wonder if the male is more than a dragon. An incubus comes to mind.
Once we’re all inside the van, Vaughn asks, “Where to?”
I want to say back to Bloodstone, but now that I have Rikkon back, there isn’t really a reason for me to return. Well, there’s the fact that Jacques wants my head, but he doesn’t know I’m not a vampire. But my heart doesn’t need a motive. I want to see Lucca again even if it’s to say good-bye.
“Home, of course,” Rikkon answers.
“Yeah, let’s go home,” I say, keeping my gaze down.
Cheryl is riding shotgun while Rikkon, Aurora, and I are in the back. A pregnant silence descends upon us, so thick that we could make sushi with it. I have so many questions for Rikkon, but I’m suddenly tongue-tied. During the ride, I sense Aurora burning a hole through my face with her intense stare.
It’s not until we’re out of dragon territory and closer to the trailer park—and by default, Bloodstone—that she decides to speak up. “We have time before nightfall. I think you should have a talk with your brother and then make a decision.”
Dark Prince: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 1) Page 20
