I looked questioningly into Nicholas’ face.
An encouraging smile pressed across his lips. “We’ll find your dad. Don’t worry.”
I reached up and cupped my palm under his chin. He kissed me sweetly and relief washed over me. We finally had a plan. “Just text me and give me updates, please.”
Nicholas arched a brow and looked to Phil.
I shook my head. “Okay, have Phil give me updates.”
“Sam already knows,” Phil said, urgency in his voice. “Be safe and don’t let that fool trick you into anything.”
I winked at Phil. “You’ve already schooled me well on how to handle that.”
Phil laughed, cleansing my soul.
“You’ll need this.” Nicholas dropped a tiny key in my hand. It thudded hard against my palm, the weight of it shocking me.
Nicholas smirked. “Must be made with venom, too.”
“I’d say.” I raised a brow, wondering why on earth the key needed to be infused. But before we could discuss it, Phil had latched one hand on Nicholas’ shoulder and they soared up into the dark night. I clutched the talisman for a moment and hoped I’d made a good decision.
When I returned inside alone, the three occupants quietly stared at one another.
“Interesting change of the guard,” the doctor said and folded his arms. “Where’d your boyfriends go?”
“I think there are other things you should be concerned with, like your accommodations.” I pointed to the large holes between the beams on the ceiling. Morning would come, along with the unforgiving sun. He didn’t need to know that I hadn’t planned on letting him die, at least not yet.
“So brave running this show all alone. We’ll know soon enough if the venom transfusion worked or not.” He ogled Sam as she shifted nervously in the shadows.
Luke had found a seat next to some netting, his eyes heavy-lidded. Sleep sounded incredibly appealing to me as well.
“What I don’t understand is why you would give out all those vials and weaken your power?” I asked.
“You know quite a lot, my dear, for a
human
. It’s fairly easy. If the vampire is unable to sire, then there isn’t a power shift, no matter how many I allow to be created. It’s as if they are all one being.” He looked dreamily into the sky, in awe of his discovery.
“Really?” I creased my brow. “But why so many?”
“Attention.” He smiled broadly, revealing his canines. “Sometimes, one must use fire to flush out big game.”
Cain. He’s trying to get Cain to come here.
I shook my head and clamped my lips shut. He wanted me to talk, to tell him what I knew. Instead, I leaned up against Luke’s shoulder and relaxed, the exhaustion catching up to me.
“You would make an excellent addition to my coven.”
I laughed. “Tempting, but I’ve already had other offers and their powers are much more impressive than your run-of-the-mill variety.”
“Oh.” He tsked and turned his head, appearing offended. But he still radiated confidence, like he was waiting for the perfect moment to reveal his secrets.
I couldn’t care less. We were going to be there a long time and the bars were infused with venom so he couldn’t pry them open. I snuggled up next to Luke who’d fallen asleep and closed my eyes. Maybe now he’d be quiet and I could rest. Sam would warn us if we had visitors.
“I thought you’d want to keep the venom in the family,” he said softly.
“What?” I sat up and stared into the cage. A shot of adrenaline pumped into my veins.
His eyes cut into me with a hard look, evil brewing deep inside. “Eye for an eye, Julia. My men will do whatever it takes to keep me safe.”
My heart dropped like a stone. Did keeping the venom in the family mean they’d change Dad into a vampire just so I’d spare the doctor’s life? How could they have known I’d captured the doctor?
I stood before the cage. “Do you have my father?”
He smiled, but remained quiet. I needed him to answer me so I could emphatically know for certain.
“Answer me!” I screamed and shook the bars.
“You will let me go,” he said calmly. “Or he will be executed.”
I felt something fuzzy try to cloud over my judgment and I backed away from the cage. “You’ll be executed if anything happens to him, I promise you that.”
I reached in my pocket to find my phone, when Sam groaned in the corner and doubled over. She began to cough up blood.
“Oh my gosh, Sam!” I ran to her and tried to hold her up.
“No.” She pushed me away, her bloodlust suddenly heightened. “I need to go outside.”
The doctor snickered from his cage. “That would be a good idea, Samantha. Never nice to bite your friends.”
“Shut-up!” I yelled. “This isn’t helping your predicament.”
“Isn’t it? Let me go. I know how to save your friend.”
Truth.
“Then do it!”
“Alas. I don’t have my tools. They’re at my home, probably the same place your father is right now.”
I couldn’t tell if he bluffed about whether or not he had my dad, all of his statements true but contradicting. Would it be too dangerous to incinerate him and be done with his snippy remarks? But then Sam might die, her DNA infused with half of his venom. I heard her retch again outside and felt her pain—like her insides were ripping apart. I wasn’t sure what was the right thing to do.
“I don’t trust you,” I finally said.
“Your plan is falling apart.”
“NO!” I pulled out my phone to text Nicholas when it sailed out of my hands between the bars right into the doctor’s. “What?” The pen followed shortly after.
Something began to vibrate against my hip like a tuning fork. I looked down and plunged my hand into my pocket, curling my fingers over the key. The metal burned to the touch, but I wouldn’t let go. Vessels bulged from the doctor’s neck as a grunt escaped from his lips. We stood off, his face contorted, his eyes staring directly at the key’s hiding place.
“It’s mine,” I said, my fist growing tired.
He finally gave up and glared at me. The key chilled and quieted in my palm.
“It doesn’t matter.” He smiled right before he dropped my phone and the pen on the ground and crushed them under his foot. “Now we are even. You don’t have your tools and neither do I.”
My legs wobbled underneath me and I closed my gapping mouth. My breath came out quick. I had to hide the key somehow. The answer came to me. I bent over and tucked it deep within my shoe so he couldn’t take it when I wasn’t paying attention.
My exterior crumbled as the broken useless plastic pieces of my phone lay dead on the cement. I had no way to contact the boys now. We were here, somewhat unprotected, and his men could show up at any moment.
And when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, the doctor’s face lit up in a huge grin and then I felt her. The lust for power and blood.
Alora was headed for the building.
“Why Myhail, how did you get yourself into this predicament?” Alora asked sweetly, surveying the surroundings.
I took a deep breath and positioned myself in front of Luke to protect him. I should have never left the laser suit at the clinic.
“Alora, darling. Will you please—?” the doctor motioned toward the lock in earnest. “It’s iron clad, as you know.”
When the doctor stood, his appearance morphed from that of an old decrepit man into a younger man in his 40’s, handsome and strong. I blinked hard to make sure my eyes didn’t trick me.
“Taking a hostage?” She turned to me and frowned. “You’re in way over your head, Julia.”
The doctor clucked in surprise. “You know one another?”
“Yes, unfortunately.” Alora sighed. “Give me the key, Julia.”
I shuddered, trapped. Either of them could hurt Luke whether I cooperated or not. Would they have pity if I didn’t put up a fight and gave up the key willingly?
“We can do this the hard way, or the easy way.” She combed her fingers forward, palm upward. “Let me get you out of this mess.”
Though totally annoyed, for once she wanted to help. There was something for her to gain by keeping us alive. Without much of a choice, I agreed unwillingly.
“It’s always the hard way with you,” I said, my tone biting.
She smiled in victory. “You, my dear, are of no consequence. There are other things of greater importance about to happen, isn’t that right, Myhail?”
“Yes,” he said with an extended hiss on the “s.” “But I’ve yet to find a queen to rule with me.” His admiration spiked.
“Yes, such a shame.” She smiled coyly.
“The invitation is still open, Alora.”
Alora winked at the doctor while my jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe this flirtatious banter was happening in front of me. They knew each other? And that closely? What about Preston? Bile rose in the back of my throat in dread of the punishment we’d receive after they finished flirting. Would he make an example of Luke? Would he attack me?
“Give me the key.” She stepped closer and pinned me with her glare. “Now,” she whispered.
With sweaty palms, I removed my shoe and took out what she wanted, praying for a miracle. Within seconds the doctor was freed.
“Thank you.” He took Alora’s hand and kissed it. “Maybe I should look into switching to combination locks.”
“It’s a testament to how brilliant you are with your—” she held up the key, “inventions.”
They chuckled and then grew silent, obviously exchanging information telepathically. My heart thumped wildly in my chest while I watched, wanting to run for it. He was the weapons dealer after all and knew about the strength of vampire venom. He must not have been able to snatch the key.
I held my breath during their quiet, joyful exchange. Luke didn’t move, frozen in fear alongside me. I could no longer feel Sam’s presence. We didn’t have a chance.
“It’s too bad you didn’t take up my offer earlier, Julia,” the doctor said with a sickening smile, hope glimmering out through his eyes. “Mankind is about to have a wake-up call. Vampires will no longer hide in the shadows. We’ll rightfully take our place and rule over all. You’ll serve or you’ll die.”
“I’ll die before I serve you,” I said in a rash statement, hoping he’d attack me only to get the zap of his life. Maybe then he’d avoid Luke, thinking he might have the same power.
“So be it.” He gave Alora a nod as if to signal something and disappeared out of the room with immortal speed.
I stood in shock at his abrupt exit. He wasn’t going to harm us?
Alora faced me, the ice queen once again. She pulled back her gossamer curtain of red hair and gracefully pushed it behind her ear with a smile. “Your brother still lives because of me. Give me the necklace and I’ll see you both home safely. Then after we take over, I’ll spare your family.”
Checkmate.
I shifted my weight; my legs felt heavier than usual. “After you take over?”
“Cain is coming to discipline Myhail and stop him from making anymore vampires. Their reunion will be all but pleasant. Myhail has a
surprise
for him, though. Not only will mankind suffer, but the vampire world will have a change in commander-in-chief as well.”
“How?” I gulped down the panic rising from my stomach. “If he kills Cain, he’ll be committing suicide.”
“He’s not going to kill him, you imp. It’ll be more like a permanent coma.”
I clutched at my throat. He had the power to incapacitate a vampire without bondage? Could that really be possible? We could put the bad vamps to sleep and the madness could stop without me having to hurt anyone.
Alora moved forward, butting in on my daydream. “But if Cain claims his necklace before that happens, things will not turn out so nicely. Nicholas has incurred the worst crimes against our kind, punishable by death.”
The talisman chilled on my neck like ice; so cold, I had to move it away from my skin.
Alora arched an eyebrow and eyed the stone with envy. “Already it’s not masking your scent or itself for that matter. Once it turns completely white, it will no longer belong to you. Cain will kill you for it and take your beloved Nicholas’ life. I can protect him and you if you give it to me.”
Lies.
Luke stirred behind me, filled with trepidation. “Just give it to her,” he whispered.
Sorrow glossed over me. She would spare us, yes, but she’d be indestructible with the talisman on. Her asking me to give it to her yet again revealed her true intentions. And what was to stop her once she tired of Myhail? Reigning as supreme ruler alone, as a day-walker and unable to be staked was more her style.
I could never give up the necklace, regardless the cost. It might be the only thing to save Nicholas’ life if he ever faced Cain. He needed it far more than me.
“I can’t,” I whispered, saddened I couldn’t tell him why.
Alora’s face hardened. “I see.”
Her gaze flickered to Luke, then back at me, her hateful decision made. Within fractions of a second, he was within her grasp, his neck bent to the side unnaturally by her long spindly fingers.
“Give it to me or he dies.”
Her words hung in the air, slicing through me like a Samurai sword, slitting my heart with one cold precise movement. I couldn’t breathe or think, all I saw was Luke’s giant blue pools staring at me, washed over me in terror. An explosion of rage ripped through me as my hands fumbled with the chain and refused to maneuver the delicate clasp. How dare she blackmail me. How dare she even think she’d won. Somehow, someway, I vowed, even with my dying breath, she’d pay for this. Though I’d have rather died, for Luke’s life, I succumbed and handed over the talisman.
Joy ricocheted off the walls, assaulting my psyche as she put the jewel on her neck. The stone illuminated a brilliant white, like a diamond.
“But you said…” I choked out, surprised at the color.
She laughed heinously. “It’s considering me to be as powerful as Cain. This shall be my greatest hour.”
She turned and headed for the door in haste.
“Wait,” I said. “You promised to get us home safely.”
She looked back; the corner of her lip turned up. “It’s always darkest before the dawn, Julia. Good luck.”
Her words sent chills up my spine as she vanished. I slumped to the floor, lost and beaten. She’d taken the key so we couldn’t even lock ourselves safely inside and wait until morning. We were free lunch to any vampire that happened upon us.