“Oh, you haven’t disappointed me yet.” Leah stepped to the side so Commander Steel and two human soldiers wearing the queen’s uniform of black-and-grey could join her. “We’re just getting started.”
Chapter Sixteen
Leah
“Again.” Leah leaned against the inside of the cell, looking down at her nails. She brushed them on her black cloak as another wet punch echoed in the room.
Commander Steel and his two human soldiers handpicked for the occasion had been at the torture of Marcus Walker for a full half hour. To his credit, Marcus had not turned into the monster that lived inside of him. He was tougher than Leah had expected, but everyone had their breaking point.
The human soldiers Commander Steel had selected to undergo the transformation were both officers in the queen’s army, highly decorated and trustworthy without a shadow of doubt. One was male and the other female. The man was short with a hooked nose and an evil grin that spread over his lips every time he struck Marcus. The woman was tall and slender, serious, cold blue eyes that didn’t give any of her emotion away as she beat up her subject.
“I don’t think this is going to work.” Commander Steel raised a hand for his subordinates to stop the interrogation. “Why is he bleeding so much? The other one’s hide is as strong as steel.”
“He hasn’t undergone his first change yet.” Leah racked her mind for a way to coax the monster out of Marcus. He had to be feeling it already. Whether he admitted it or not, Marcus felt the animal inside. What had been different about the night Aareth Emerson changed? He had been outside when the initial transformation had taken place.
Could it be that simple? Some animalistic call to the outside world? Leah recalled a spell that would open a small window into a memory. One was not able to travel into the past, but viewing that someone’s past memory was possible if the caster was strong enough.
“Stand aside.” Leah waved Commander Steel and his soldiers away from Marcus.
Marcus was a bloody mess. Multiple cuts had been opened on his face. A broken tooth hung loose from the front of his mouth. His eyes were practically swollen shut.
Leah motioned with her hands, bringing to life purple lines into the air that floated with ethereal light. She ignored the others’ looks of wonder in the room and stayed focused on her work. It was a complicated spell that would take more energy than she would like. Still, it was worth a try.
A moment later, a circular image swam to life in front of the group. It was a window into the past, no more than three feet in diameter. Leah motioned with her hands to link the memory to Commander Steel. Besides Aareth and Sloan, he was the only one still living who’d been there that night.
“You may feel a bit of a headache.” Leah didn’t even bother to make eye contact with the commander. Her hands maneuvered through the air, turning the window this way, and thought to see what was unfolding in front of them. “Try to remember the events of the night Aareth transformed into the beast.”
Leah reached out and touched the commander’s psyche. Even for a sorceress as powerful as she was, the spell she held was draining her at an alarming rate. Leah watched along with the others as figures fought in an alleyway. The familiar forms of Charlotte Sloan and Commander Steel when he was still known as The Scar swam in front of their eyes.
The little man Commander Steel had brought in to interrogate Marcus gasped as their view rested on a creature out of a nightmare. The beast was covered in black hair, one part wolf, one part human. There was no sound from the past memory, only sights to take in.
Leah spun the view, looking around for anything that would mark what had triggered the transformation. Her view moved from the alley floor to the brick walls that covered each side, to the sky. A brilliant full moon exploded into view.
“Ahhhhhhhh!” Marcus didn’t scream; he roared into the room. The sounds reverberated off the stonewalls and penetrated into Leah’s very bones.
Leah held the view, looking over at Marcus who continued to rage in pain.
“I think we’ve found the key.” Commander Steel took a step closer to the struggling prisoner. “Are you sure your chains are going to hold him?”
“I can’t be sure of anything.” Leah’s hands began to shake as she still held on to the vision of the past. “You know the plan—be ready when he’s turned.”
Commander Steel nodded, unwilling to take his eyes off the beast in front of him.
Marcus’s roars had been animalistic yet still discernible as human when he had started. Now, his bellows sounded like a wolf snarling and howling his anger. At once, Marcus’ features began to change. A ripple of grey fur spread over his body. His muscles elongated and burst through his clothing. His face sprouted a muzzle, and his brown eyes disappeared to be replaced by yellow orbs.
Saliva fell from the razor-sharp teeth that lined his lower and upper jaws. The beast strained against the chains holding it to the ground. His roars were so loud in the room, Leah winced.
The transformation complete, Leah released her hold on the spell. The vision into the past collapsed in a wisp of purple smoke.
With a herculean effort, Marcus ripped his right arm free. The chain still clung to his wrist but the anchor that had been placed into the ground tore up from its hold.
“Here we go.” Commander Steel grinned at the two human soldiers next to him. “For queen and country.”
Without delay, he grabbed each of them around the collar and flung them at the monstrosity Marcus had become.
Marcus tore his legs free of the chains just in time to turn his anger on the two soldiers being sacrificed to him. Neither of them had a chance. Leah watched in fascination as Marcus tore through the first man with a single swipe of his left claw. Bloody ribbons of flesh flew through the room as the man’s life was snuffed out in a single instant.
The female soldier faired better. Marcus caught her in his jaws. Her torso disappeared in his maw as he shook her from side to side before throwing her against the wall.
“Okay, wolf-beast!” Commander Steel grinned through a mouth of pointed teeth of his own. “Let’s see what you got.”
Leah took the time to gather herself. If things went badly, she would need as much energy as possible to control Marcus. She watched, wide-eyed, as the vampire and beast clashed.
Marcus used blind rage, his size, and his teeth to do most of the work. Commander Steel, on the other hand, used his speed, claw-like hands, and teeth to counter. The two creatures of the paranormal tore into one another, each inflicting serious blows. Marcus’ hide deflected most of the strikes, while Commander Steel accepted the punishment, understanding that his body would heal moments later.
Leah sidestepped around the fight and hastened to the fallen soldiers. Her interest wasn’t in their well-being, but in the condition of their usefulness. She knelt beside the male soldier. His heart had not only stopped, but he had been useless from the start, having been killed by a swipe of Marcus’ claw and not a bite. The man couldn’t even die right.
Leah ignored the mutilation going on around her and next went to the woman. Luckily for her, the female soldier had been caught in Marcus’ mouth, guaranteeing a bite. Now she only had to remain alive to make the transition.
The woman’s uniform was soaked with her own blood. Leah leaned down, her ear only inches from the woman’s mouth. An ever so faint breath tickled Leah’s ear. The woman was alive. Barely, but she would make it. They had their beast.
Leah placed a hand on the woman’s wound, using her magic to heal her. She looked over at the two combatants as she did. The warriors had taken their fight into the corridor outside the cell. They circled one another like two heavyweight boxers. Both were bloodied, both unwilling to give in to the other.
More and more energy was being poured into the wounded soldier. As soon as Leah was content the woman was stabilized, she stood from her crouched position. A wave of fatigue blurred her vision. The spells Leah had conjured were ones that drained he
r more than she liked.
As the fight continued, vampire guards from various parts of the palace’s underbelly ran to see what the commotion was. Soon, Marcus was hedged in by ten vampire soldiers.
Marcus fell to all fours, snarling his hate.
They had him cornered, though; there was nowhere for him to flee. The beast was four times larger then even the biggest vampire soldier but he was greatly outnumbered. For a moment the monster and the soldiers found themselves at a stalemate.
A light bulb went off in Leah’s mind. Why were they trying so hard to reason with a human who was capable of turning into a raving beast, when the beast was all they needed? Why deal with the human side at all?
“Do not allow him to escape.” Leah slumped on the floor exhausted. “We need him alive!”
“Chains and mage lances!” Commander Steel yelled right after Leah gave her orders. “We’ll bring this monster down yet.”
Leah took a long, cleansing breath. Her new plan was going to work, without a shadow of a doubt. She had all she needed now: an army of vampire soldiers, a loyal apprentice who would kill her sister, and not one but two of the monsters. It was time for her to make her move.
Chapter Seventeen
Sloan
“She’s not human.” Edison rubbed at tired eyes. “Seriously, I slept here last night, so I know. She didn’t sleep a wink.”
Sloan and Aareth looked over at Croft, who was frowning over a notepad. She had traded in her normal black cloak and boots for a white lab coat and walking shoes. Her red hair remained at bay, pinned behind her head. Outside of her intense stare, she almost looked normal.
“Well, I’m not sleeping much these days, either.” Sloan shrugged. She scrunched her brow, cocking her head to the side. “What’s that noise?”
Everyone, even Croft, paused for a moment. The steady cadence of a tiny snore drifted into the room from somewhere close by.
Aareth looked around, sniffing the air. He made his way over to one of the many tables in the laboratory. A wooden box was upside down on one of the steel tables. Aareth lifted the box to reveal a slumbering Elwood. The tiny gnome had tailored a paper gown meant to fit a full-grown human, to fit his small frame.
Elwood’s button nose and full lips made him look more like a baby in that moment than a full-grown gnome. His snores were steady. He was smiling in his sleep, mumbling something incoherent.
“Ahhh, he’s so cute when he sleeps.” Edison leaned in to admire the tiny gnome. “I keep on telling him the paper gowns are for examinations, but he still insists they’re pajamas.”
“Yes, well, once we’re all done gawking, we can report our findings to each of you.” Croft pursed her lips. “We’ve found something that should be helpful.”
Aareth gently placed the box back over the gnome.
“Croft is being polite.” Edison shrugged. “She actually discovered this.”
“What is it?” Sloan raised an eyebrow, bracing herself for what the witch was about to say. “What have you found? A cure?”
“To be blunt and honest with you”—Croft placed the notepad down—“I don’t think a cure will ever be fashioned for either one of you. What I have found is that a bite from either one of you should be enough to turn a victim into a member of your species. That was how Aareth was initially turned, and I see no reason why the same wouldn’t be possible for you, Sloan. All the data points to that.”
Sloan’s heart dropped. She hadn’t even realized it, but she’d been hoping for a cure of some kind from all the testing. Her eyes gravitated to Edison. She had just met Croft and wasn’t ready to take everything the woman said on faith alone.
“She’s right.” Edison shook his head. “I’m sorry if you were hoping for something else. Of course, the only way to know for sure is to test the bite on a subject.”
“I won’t just bite anyone.” Sloan shook her own head. “They have to understand what they’re signing up for. They have to know about the curse this thing is. There’s more to it than healing quickly, being super strong and fast. There’s the side that yearns for blood and the fact that we’ll age so slowly.”
“How do you know for certain that you’ll age slower?” Croft asked with a tilt of her head. “That’s something that’s impossible to tell, since all of this is so new.”
“I can answer that.” Edison looked over at Sloan for permission to continue.
Sloan nodded.
“In the initial testing with the Vampire Project, Doctor Livingston and I found an extremely slow aging process was one of the side effects of administering the serum.” Edison shook his head. “We had no idea what we were doing back then.”
“Yes.” Croft didn’t seem disturbed by Sloan’s outburst. “Theo and I have already prescreened a list of names we think will be to your liking for volunteers willing to undergo the bite. These people understand the sacrifice it will entail. They are willing to do what it takes to protect their family and homes.”
There was Theo’s name again. Sloan had to figure out what it was she didn’t trust about the man. Thus far, it seemed he had done nothing but uphold his word and be honest with them. But looks could be deceiving.
“Where do I know you from?” Aareth squinted at Croft. “I swear you look like someone else I know.”
Croft exchanged quick looks with Sloan.
Sloan shrugged.
“She wouldn’t tell me when I asked.” Aareth sized up Croft again. “But I swear I know you from somewhere.”
“The cat’s out of the bag, and it wasn’t really a secret to begin with.” Croft was already heading to the door. “You think you’ve seen me before because you know my daughters, Abigail and Elizabeth Ahab. I’m going to get Theo now so we can have you interview this afternoon those volunteering to undergo the bite. The faster we’re able to create our own warriors, the faster we can go to open war with New Hope.”
“Wait a minute.” Edison stopped Croft in her tracks. “Not so fast. You can’t drop a bomb on us like that, then just walk away.”
“What do you want to know?” Croft stood in the doorway with a look of annoyance. “I had to leave my daughters to prepare for this event that I foresaw. I didn’t want them to get dragged into this, but it seems like they have already. My dead husband wasn’t the madman you encountered when I left him. I know it’s hard to believe, but he was once a good man.”
“Why didn’t you go back?” Aareth picked up the line of questioning. “You had to know your daughters needed you. You had to know your husband was turning into a raving lunatic.”
“Do not think my choice was easy!” Croft had practically screamed the words. “But I had a decision to make, a responsibility to the magic order to be ready when the darkness decided to flow from New Hope. I could stay with my daughters and fight it alone one day once it reached Burrow Den, or I could help a city prepare for the war. Maybe I chose wrong, but it was my choice to make.”
The room was quiet. Sloan, Aareth, and Edison were all asking themselves the same question. Would they, could they, leave everything they knew and loved in order to protect it?
Croft was apparently done with the conversation. She turned on a heel and was out the door.
“Great, even the person who’s supposed to be giving us answers is a broken mess of baggage.” Aareth huffed. “I guess we’re all damaged goods.”
“I feel fine.” Edison shrugged. “I mean I’m tired from working most of the night, but other than that, I feel pretty good about myself.”
“Edison.” Aareth leaned up against a table, folding his arms across his chest. “You helped create a super soldier serum that led to this whole mess.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t know what they were going to use it for at the time.” Edison ran a hand through his black hair. “I was just doing my job. Don’t you put that on me. My conscience is clean.”
“I’ll be right back, guys.” Sloan decided to take the opportunity to get some answers of her own. “I have to use the litt
le girl’s room.”
“Just say you have to pee. That sounds weird when you say it like that.” Aareth turned back to Edison to try to convince his friend he should feel guilty. “You really have no remorse over this?”
Sloan exited the same door Croft had taken. It was a long shot, but if Croft was going to talk to Theo alone, maybe she could pick up something from their conversation that would aid in her investigation.
Sloan caught sight of the sorceress’ back as she turned a corner and walked into the capitol building. Sloan speed walked to follow her, nodding to guards as she passed. As far as they knew, she was on her way to an appointment with Theo or some other official in the building.
Sloan stayed just far enough back from Croft so as not to be noticed if the woman turned around. She never did. The witch was intent on where she was going. Her thoughts were probably already on the conversation she was going to have with the city’s governor.
Sloan followed Croft into the capitol building and down a long hall. The witch made one more right turn, then chose a white door on her left. Sloan peeked over the corner to be sure she was alone. Croft had already disappeared into the room.
Sloan tiptoed to the closed door and gently pressed her right ear to the cool wood. Inside, she could hear Theo’s and Croft’s voices.
“There you are, governess,” Theo’s gruff voice drifted to Sloan’s ears. “How have the tests been faring?”
“Everything’s on track,” Croft said. “The real test will be if Sloan and Aareth approve of our volunteers. By the looks of it, Sloan doesn’t trust anyone. It wouldn’t surprise me if she denies them all. Aareth, on the other hand, will be easier to convince.”
“And what about your actual identity? Do they realize who you are?”
“I don’t think so. They seem to have accepted that you’re the governor of Azra.” There was a pause in the conversation for a moment, where Croft took a deep breath. “I don’t know how they would react if they found out that the queen and Leah were my sisters.”
The Complete Vampire Project Series: (Books 1 - 5) Page 59
