by Nicky Graves
Annoyance flared in his gaze. “We’re stuck together forever. The least you can do is be honest. I can sense you as if you are in the same room with me.”
“I’m sure that’s awkward for whatever girl you lured to your lair.”
With a curse, he backed out of the shower, yanked the towel from the bar and threw it at me. He then retreated from the room without another word.
I felt a little guilty for incensing him again, but he had created this mess we were in. And the fact that I felt the claim as he did only irritated me further. This wasn’t love. It was old magic.
Still . . .
I dried off and tugged on Wiltone’s approved clothes. Not that I had a choice. I wanted to save my cargo pants for times I’d need them. Plus, they needed to be washed.
When I walked out into the living room, I spotted Vance immediately. He was sitting on the couch. His glare met me and then deepened.
“I liked you better in your old clothes,” he said, letting his eyes drift down Wiltone’s ensemble of a deep V-neck shirt and shorts that were barely larger than my underwear.
“You once said you hated my old clothes.”
His gaze raked over me, and I felt the heat from it.
Ignoring him, I walked to the kitchen to see if Wiltone had stocked the kitchen. For being a passion stone who caused occasional problems, she could be a useful shopper. Sometimes.
“We need to talk,” he said, following me into the kitchen.
I sighed. “Fine. Talk.”
It was obvious he needed to get something off his chest and would stalk me until he finally had his say.
I opened the cupboard and pulled out rice cakes. “Seriously, Wiltone? I’ve been running my ass off and this is what I get?”
Vance grinned. His dark eyes shimmered with a hint of red, and my heart did a little flutter. I ignored the feeling. It was just the claim.
When Vance frowned, I realized my gaze was wandering along his body. It wasn’t my fault. He was cute with his dark hair that curled over his collar and a body that was divine in jeans.
It was too bad he was also an obnoxious vampire.
And I wasn’t about to get in the middle of warring brothers.
I abandoned the rice cakes and wandered back to the living room, but before I could sit on the couch, Vance put his arm out, stopping me. With more gentleness than I thought he possessed, he turned me to face him and then let go.
“I know we started off on the wrong foot,” he said.
“You mean when you tried to bite me?”
He shrugged it off. “You can’t ignore the claim. When you were gone, I tried to find a way to break it, something that didn’t involve either of our deaths. I knew it was a long shot, but I wanted to make sure.”
A spark of irritation flared in me when he admitted to wanting to break the bond, but then I smothered the emotion. It was probably just a reaction from the claim.
“And?” I asked.
“And, I didn’t come up with anything, but you have access to the library. We can work together to find a way to break it.”
“My priority is finding the life stones.”
He shook his head. “Our bond is growing stronger and will only get worse. I’ll be able to feel you and listen to your thoughts even if you’re a world away. Do you really want to listen to my thoughts?”
I shuddered. “No.”
“There was a moment a week ago when I thought I sensed you. You were running, and it felt as if I was running too. You were afraid, and I couldn’t do anything but wait it out. Help me find a way to break the claim, and I’ll help you find the stones or whatever you want.”
I searched Vance’s eyes. He was normally flippant and waspish, but he was being sincere.
The moment Vance had referred to when I was running, I really had been scared.
When I had first left to find the mortal blade, I had secretly hoped Lawson would show up. I mean, I know I left him in the lurch for his own good. But I had hoped he would somehow find me.
But if Vance was serious, and he would actually help me, I’d welcome it. Because even though I had Wiltone and Treble, I felt more alone than I had ever before.
And if Vance died in the process, I’d be released from the claim.
But the way he was looking at me now with a mix of concern and longing, I guess I’d rather find a cure than have him die.
Everything about him confused me.
“Fine,” I said. “We’ll work together. But you can’t be controlling and domineering like you tend to be. Really, for you and Lawson being brothers who don’t like each other, you’re very similar.”
His eyes narrowed. “We are nothing alike.”
I rolled my eyes.
“We aren’t,” he said with a growl.
“Fine. You aren’t. Let’s go to the library and see if there’s a way to break the claim. It’s not like I’m having any luck with the stones anyway. And Lucifer certainly didn’t help matters.”
“What did he do?”
“Led me on a wild goose chase.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I have no idea what he’s up to. Now he’s messing with my mind. He said to forge my own scythe, but I’m wondering if I should just try to find the other stones. It’s not like I can trust Lucifer. The scythe might just be another wild goose chase.”
Lawson appeared in the pod. His arms crossed as he narrowed his eyes at both of us. Vance returned the glare.
“No fighting in my place,” I said. “Take it outside if you have to.”
“I’m not here to fight,” Lawson said. His tense body and military stance said otherwise.
“Vance and I are heading to the library to figure out if there is a way to break the claim.”
“Good. I’ll come with you,” Lawson said.
“Don’t you have to do reaper things?” Vance asked.
“I’m off duty for a while.”
I wondered about that briefly. Was there a schedule I was supposed to be looking at?
Deciding I was starving and that a rice cake was better than nothing, I headed to the kitchen and stuffed one into my mouth.
I then headed out of the pod and to the library, with Lawson and Vance following.
The dead zone was confusing to navigate. Beyond the large spherical pods were portal doors that stood on their own. Nothing was labeled, nor were there addresses.
When we reached the library, Lawson and Vance continued to follow me as I walked through the columns of haphazardly stacked yellowing paper and books. I sat down at a chair stationed in the middle of the long, worn table. Lawson and Vance flanked me on the ends. At least they sat away from each other.
“Librarian, how do you break a vampire claim?” I asked.
“One must die,” the librarian’s voice answered.
“Are there any other ways?” Lawson asked. “Even if they haven’t been proven or even if it’s just a rumor. Anything.”
“No records found,” the librarian said.
I was afraid of that. The majority of the time, the librarian didn’t have the answer. But it was still good to check, just in case. Since the librarian was linked to several realms, there was a chance that someone could have updated records.
“Vance, do you have any vampire elders who would know?” I asked.
“We don’t have elders. We mainly stick to clans. But no one I’ve talked to knows.”
“There has to be someone who knows,” Lawson said. “You knew enough to make the stupid claim.”
“Why don’t you go ahead and ask the clans yourself,” Vance suggested with a devious spark in his eyes.
Lawson glared at him.
“Okay, if the librarian doesn’t know anything, and no one Vance has spoken to has any information, how do we proceed?” I asked.
We glanced at each other, no one knowing the answer.
“Who is the oldest vampire still alive . . . or undead?” I asked.
“Michaelo Venetta. No one knows
his exact age, but he’s at least four thousand years old. Probably much older.”
“Then we ask him,” I said. “Does he have a phone number or email address? Social media?”
Vance arched his brow. “No, he doesn’t. You have to request an audience with him. Most likely we will be denied.”
“Then make the request and make sure we don’t get denied,” I said. “Lie to him if you have to.”
“I’ll request it, but don’t get your hopes up.”
“While you’re doing that, Lawson and I will work on figuring out what my next step against Azrael will be.”
“No,” Vance stated.
“What do you mean, no?” I asked.
“I’m not leaving you alone with him,” Vance said. “I’m staying. I’ll request an audience later.”
“Vance, this is silly. You don’t give a damn about me. It’s just the claim making you territorial.”
“I don’t care. I’m staying. You’re mine, and I don’t trust him.”
I glanced at Lawson. “He’s your brother. I need your help on this.”
Lawson didn’t say anything at first, but then he finally grumbled a curse. “Vance, remember when you were seven? We made a pact. I stand by it for the next hour.”
Vance didn’t look like he was going to budge, but then he gave a nod and stood. “I’ll meet you both here within an hour.”
When Vance left, I looked at Lawson. “What pact?”
“He nearly drowned when he was seven. We made a pact then to always have each other’s back.”
“Is that why he married Elizabeth when you died?”
“Who told you about that?”
“Raven filled me in while you were fighting.”
She had filled in the blanks about the reason for Lawson’s and Vance’s animosity toward each other.
I still wasn’t sure if Raven and Lawson were dating. Raven seemed to think they were, and yet I couldn’t get confirmation of that from Lawson.
Lawson gave a dismissing grunt. “Everything had changed then.”
“I’m sorry. You must have loved Elizabeth a lot.” She had been pregnant at the time, and they had plans to marry.
He frowned. “I did. But I was also very young.”
“Not that young. You were older than I am now.”
He stared at me for a moment. “Yeah, I guess I was a couple of years older when I died. Back then, I had hopes for my life. Elizabeth fit that hope. But when I died and I found out Vance had married Elizabeth, I was hurt but also relieved. I don’t think I was truly in love with her. When it looked like Vance had the situation with Elizabeth and the baby under control, I stepped away to do what I had to do for the reapers. I didn’t have a choice either way. Vance had become husband and father. I was a ghost to them.”
“Did you see your child at all?”
A darkness hinted at his furrowed brow. I probably shouldn’t have prodded, but he was actually answering questions. Any other time I asked him anything about his past, he pushed me away. I wouldn’t let this opportunity slip away.
“Yes,” Lawson said. “I even talked to him once when he was playing by himself in the yard. He never knew I was his father. He was just a toddler, and I said I was passing through. I don’t think Vance ever knew about it.”
“Would Vance have been mad?”
Lawson shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. But after he stepped up to take care of my family, I didn’t want him to think I was trying to usurp him. It was a really odd time. And I could see Vance was having trouble adapting. His bitterness didn’t show at first, but I have a feeling Elizabeth wasn’t making it easy on him. I should have tried to help. I just didn’t know how.”
“And then the vampires came into town,” I said.
He nodded, and I could tell he was trying to suppress the emotions of his family’s death.
“I’m sorry about what happened. Do you blame Vance?”
“Wouldn’t you? His selfishness got my family killed.”
“He knows it.”
He sighed. “Their fate rests on my shoulders, too. I should have never left them in the hands of Vance. Vance had never been responsible. I should have found a way to come back to them.”
“That would have been impossible,” I said. “Your body was burned and buried in a mass grave. If you suddenly appeared, they would have thought you were a ghost or a warlock.”
He glanced at me. “Could you imagine if they found out what I really am? It was a simple time, for simple minds.” He took a breath. “Let’s forget this. We have work to do.”
“Okay. But are we good? I don’t want any tension between us.”
“Yeah, we’re good. Just remember I’m trying to help you. I’m on your side. I always have been.”
I smiled. “I know you’re on my side. I’m not trying to make this harder on you. If it wasn’t for you, I’d . . . well, I know I wouldn’t survive with Boomer.”
Lawson laughed. I smiled at the sound of his laughter. And it was nice to know that even though the situation was bleak, we could still poke fun at Boomer. I almost missed my trainer. I wondered what he was up to.
4
Lawson and I spent the next hour questioning the librarian as we waited for Vance to return. Once again, the librarian was only slightly useful. Mostly, we talked in circles.
The only helpful thing we found out was that there was a legend of a stone somewhere in Asia. There were no concrete details.
“It might be one of the life stones,” Lawson said. “Hard to know with the limited amount of information.”
“But how do we find it?” I asked. “Asia is huge.”
Lawson pulled his phone from his pocket and typed into it. “I’ll try a search for a stone in Asia known to cause sadness. Maybe something will come up.”
I thought it was a long shot. But we were dead in the water at this point.
“Found something,” he said a few moments later. “The website looks like it hasn’t been updated since the nineties. It’s probably useless information.”
He handed his phone to me so I could read. Our hands grazed, and I felt the passion Wiltone tended to cause. From the way he looked at me, he felt it too.
Pulling the phone to me, I glanced at it and attempted to control my feelings.
“Riley.”
I didn’t want to look at Lawson, but the way he said my name had me looking over.
“I know this is a hard situation,” Lawson said. “But—”
Whatever Lawson was going to say halted when Vance returned. Vance glanced at the both of us with suspicion in his eyes before sitting down at the end of the table.
“Well?” I asked. “Did you get an audience with him?”
Vance gave a nod. “Tonight. We’ll have to leave in a couple of hours.”
“We?” Lawson questioned.
“Riley and me,” Vance said.
“You’re not taking her to see a vampire clan leader.”
“She’s my claim.”
“I don’t trust your kind.”
Vance gave a shrug. “They want her to be there so they can assess the bond.”
“I’m going too,” Lawson said.
“You’re not invited,” Vance said.
“I’m inviting myself.”
Vance stared at Lawson for a moment before saying, “I can only protect Riley since she’s my claim. If you tag along, you’re on your own.”
“I’ll survive,” Lawson said.
Vance gave another shrug. “Okay, but this clan is a bit old school. They still use medieval torture devices. If you thought the ones five hundred years ago were bad, they have ones that are even older and sicker than that.”
Lawson didn’t say anything, but his jaw tensed. I remembered some of the examples from my history books. One section discussed torture, but it was glossed over and made kid-friendly. Still, it left a sour taste in my mouth. It looked like Lawson had that same sour reaction.
“While you we
re gone,” I said, wanting to switch the subject, “we found a lead on the purple stone.”
“Where is it?” Vance asked.
“Possibly in Asia. Somewhere,” I said. “There’s not too much information, but it’s a lead we can work on later.”
“Let me know when you find out. I’m going too,” Vance said.
“You aren’t going,” Lawson said.
“If you’re going to the clan, I’m going to find the stone,” Vance said. “Where Riley goes, I go.”
I was beginning to feel like a chew toy stuck in the middle of two territorial dogs. Between the claim and Wiltone’s effect on anyone who touched me, I was pretty sure I was doomed. For once, I wanted to go back to being the invisible high school girl who no one saw or remembered. I might not have been happy as the invisible girl, but I was at least comfortable and safe.
“Well, we’re going to go see the vampires first,” I said, standing. “Let’s figure out the stone later.”
Lawson gave a nod.
“Before we do anything,” Vance said, looking directly at me, “you need to change.”
I glanced down at my outfit. “Not vampire approved?”
“Not if you don’t want to be the main course,” Vance said, his eyes sizzling a path along my body.
Lawson hit him in the shoulder.
Vance smirked as he rubbed the spot where the hit landed.
“I hate to admit it, but Vance is right,” Lawson said. “Dress conservatively for the vamps. What else do you have to wear?”
“Not much,” I said. “The few things I brought from home are now rags. Everything else is from Wiltone. And she doesn’t do conservative.”
“Maybe borrow something from Raven,” Lawson said.
“I think your girlfriend has helped me enough,” I said, remembering how she drugged me and Vance, thereby creating the whole claim mess.
“Don’t be mad at her,” Lawson said. “She was just overzealous trying to help me. You should check with her. You are about the same size.”
Vance snorted. “Not quite. Raven has a bit more on top.”
I skewered him with a glare.
“What?” he asked. “I’m being honest. What are you, a B minus? Raven is like a D.”
“You’re not helping.” Lawson punched him in the arm again.
