What he did want to do was panic the hell out, but he wasnt going to let himself. Someone needed to stay calm, and bottom line, he was the only option.
R-Riley?
Brutal honesty, no more lies. Its bad. Real bad.
Kn-knew it. D-dying?
No! he shouted, then more quietly added, No. I wont let you. He pressed his fingers into her carotid and counted the beats that jumped up to meet him. One hundred and sixty-eight a minute. God. The speed at which her heart hammered was a testament to how much blood she had lost. If she reached one hundred and eighty thumps a minute, thered be no saving her.
He had to act fast. Ive got to leave you here for a minute, okay? I have to get a few supplies so I can remove the arrow.
Thatd make her bleed even more, but he couldnt patch her up with it there.
Okay. Her eyelashes fluttered, as if she were trying to focus on him but couldnt quite manage it. He needed to go, now, now, now, but if he released her, she would fall on her face or on her back, and both options would do more damage to her already fragile body.
Moving like he was on a racetrack being timed, he propped pillows in front and behind her, holding her in that position all the while, and tucked the blanket around her legs to keep her warm. Then he washed the blood off himself and zipped out the door, stealing money from the front desk, then zooming to the convenience store across the street to gather up gauze, disinfectant and anything else he could find that he might need.
Yeah, his shorts got a few looks. When he had what he needed, he just sort of threw the money on the counter and left.
Mary Ann hadnt moved. Her eyes were closed, her entire body shaking violently. Not a good sign. He counted her pulse again. One hundred and seventy-three beats a minute.
He was trembling as he uncapped the half-gone vodka, held Mary Anns mouth open and poured the contents inside. He worked her throat with his free hand, ensuring she swallowed as much as possible.
She didnt choke, didnt protest, hell, didnt notice anything was being done to her. Good for her, since he was about to hurt her worse than shed ever been hurt, but a bad sign. A really bad sign.
You will not die on me, he told her. Understand? He splashed a bit of the alcohol over the wound. Then, still trembling, he gripped the front end, breathed in and out, trying to stop his trembling, and snapped the wood in two, removing the tip.
He threw the piece on the floor, lifted Mary Ann into the light of the lamp, and studied what remained. The shaft had gone all the way through, so the wood was peeking out both sides of her. Okay. Good. The damage had already been done. The danger now was leaving shards inside her when he pushed the rest of the arrow out. Which he had to do quickly, smoothly.
Like that was possible when he looked like he had advanced Parkinsons. Riley claimed the bottle of vodka and downed the rest in three gulps. The liquid burned a path along his throat, scalded his stomach, then blistered through his veins. Hed had to do this kind of triage before. To himself, to his brothers and to his friends. Why was he breaking down now?
He pressed his fingers into Mary Anns pulse. One hundred and seventy-five.
A string of curses left him, but at least the alcohol kept him from vomiting. He moved behind her. In the mirror across the way, he could see that her eyes were still closed, her expression still too smooth for what was happening. Another breath in, out. You can do this. Dont hesitate. Just act.
He raised his arm. Lowered his arm. Come on!
Raised. Lowered. He wanted to grab the end of the shaft and jerk, that would have been easier, or should have been, but the wood was slippery from her blood and hed never be able to maintain his grip long enough. So, he had to punch one end to shoot the other end out the other side. The thought of punching her, however
You would rather she die? You would rather puss out than do everything you can?
With a roar, Riley balled his fist and did it. He punched the broken end with all his might. He made contact with the wood, then Mary Anns flesh, pushing the arrow the rest of the way through her body, and out the wound in her front. She barely twitched.
Okay. Done, the worst was done. Time for the easy stuff.
So why did he feel faint? The shaking only got worse as he cleaned and bandaged her, and when he finished, he was the one covered in blood. Again. And this was fresh. Meaning, shed lost more than another spurt or two.
She needed a transfusion and fast. Only reason she was still alive was because shed fed from a witch on the way here. That wouldnt save her much longer, though. She was wheezing. The death rattle, some called it.
Riley scrubbed a hand down his face. What should he do? Carrying her to a hospital would kill her, no question. She wouldnt survive the jostling. Being picked up by an ambulance might actually save herif they got here at the speed of light.
What a nightmare. Now he panicked. He paced through the room, his gaze constantly straying to the phone. If he called 911, they would pick her up, but they would also hunt down her father. Dr. Gray would take her home, where any number of enemies could be waiting for her, ready to strike while she was too weak to defend herself.
Course, you had to be alive to defend yourself, and that beat the hell out of dead.
He was decided, then.
Riley called 911, told them about the emergencyinjured girl, blood loss, locationleaving out names, and then eased next to Mary Ann.
Dont tell them your name, he said, hoping, somehow, that she heard him. Whatever you do, dont tell them your name.
No response. Worse, she no longer had an aura. She was colorless.
She needed to feed again, or she wouldnt make it, no matter how quickly the first responders got here. There wasnt time to find her another witch, her preference, but there was a solution: she could feed off him.
Not allowing himself to think about his actions, or the consequences, Riley reached around her and flattened his hands on her chest, just over her now too-faint heartbeat. Hed never done anything like this, so he wasnt sure itd work, but he was giving it a go anyway. Maybe, as stressed as her body was, she would simply feed automatically.
Closing his eyes, he imagined the essence of his wolf-self. Deep inside, embedded in the marrow of his bones. Saw the tiny sparks of golden light that swirled there, pushed at the sparks, pushed, pushed, forcing them out of his body, through his pores and willing them inside of Mary Ann.
Her entire body jolted, and she gasped. A moment later, she sagged against the mattress, her breathing, dare he think it, evening out. Determination renewed, he continued to push, until he was sweating, panting, his own pulse rate rising. Until his muscles were knotted painfully, perhaps permanently. Until his chest felt like ground-up hamburger meat with tacks mixed in. He was raw, stinging.
How much time had passed, he wondered as he, too, sagged into the mattress. He didnt have the strength to look around at the nightstand clock. Nor did he have the strength to switch into his wolf form, something hed wanted to do before the emergency crew rushed inside the room.
Which they were currently doing.
The door had crashed open, but he hadnt heard it. Couldnt hear anything, he realized. Three human men were looming over the bed, two of them looking over Mary Ann, forcing her eyelids apart, shining bright lights into her corneas, attaching some kind of medical pads to her chest. The other human did the same to Riley. Was talking to him, maybe asking him questions, but Riley couldnt make out the words.
The world around him was hazing over, as if a morning fog had rolled in. Then he was being lifted, settled against something cold and semisoft. A gurney, maybe. He turned his head to ensure Mary Ann was being placed on a gurney, too, but the fog had thickened, and he saw only a stretch of endless white.
Something sharp in his arm, something warm in his vein. No, not warm, burning, whooshing through him. A moment later, his eyelids were too heavy to hold open. Darkness came. He fought it, needing to know Mary Ann was okay, that they werent being separated. Another sting, another burn. Still he fought.
The darkness intensified. Stronger and stronger, until Riley was completely consumed. Until he couldnt move, could barely breathe. Until he forgot why hed been fighting in the first place.
IN A STOLEN CAR, Tucker followed behind the ambulance. Both Mary Ann and the wolf were inside. Hed watched the paramedics wheel them in. Both had been hooked to IVs already, the humans working frantically to save them. Which meant theyd still been alive. Surprising. Hed heard the grim expectation in their voices, and knew they thought theyd lose both kids before they reached the hospital.
Maybe they would, maybe they wouldnt. Riley and Mary Ann had held on this long. Why not longer?
Either way, the pair had to die. Just like the witches.
The witches. Dont think about that, he shouted to himself. Hed just relive the screams, the sobs, the pleas and then the fading groans. The footsteps as a few escaped him. The ensuing chase. Failure. Vlads insistence that he let the escapees go and find the wolf and drainer instead. Apparently, offing the pair was more important than offing the witches, who would be desperate to avenge their fallen friends.
Something Tucker would be punished for later. Brutally.
All too soon he realized Riley and Mary Ann were headed to St. Marys, the hospital where Mary Ann had been born. The hospital where Aden had been born. The hospital where Mary Anns mother had died.
Upon arrival, Riley and Mary Ann were quickly wheeled inside. Theyd made it, survived the trek. Tucker exited his vehicle and stood outside, the bitter wind blowing around him. No one noticed him. Not even the cameras monitoring the area could pick up his image.
What do you want me to do? he asked Vlad, knowing the vampire would hear.
A guy in scrubs, who had been in the process of passing him, stopped and frowned, looking around. As Tucker was currently casting an illusion, the human saw only the emergency parking lot, the people walking through it and the cars ambling in and out of it.
Theyre weak. Now is the perfect time to strike, Vlad replied.
Muttering under his breath, Scrubs moved on.
You want me to Tucker gulped. He couldnt say the words. Even after everything hed done, he still couldnt say the words. Not Mary Ann, his human side screamed. Please not Mary Ann. Not again.
Kill them, yes. Both of them. And dont disappoint me this time, Tucker.
I wont, he said, thinking, one day Ill kill you.
Oh, and did I forget to tell you what your punishment will be if you fail me this time? No? A cruel, cruel laugh. Well, allow me to do so now. I will find your brother. I will drain your brother. After I play with him a bit. No. No! This was not happening. They werent doing this.
Are we clear?
His kid brother, one of the only people he truly loved. In danger. Because of him. No, he thought again, teeth grinding, but he said, Yes, were clear, and got to work.
NINETEEN
WAKE UP. ADEN, YOU have to wake up.
Aden latched onto the voice as if it were a lifeline. And it was. Hed been trapped in an ocean of nothing, no sound, no colors, no sensations, with no way out. He pulled himself up a mountain, found that the line dangled over a cliff, and let himself drop, ending up in a river of ice.
Aden. His entire body shook. Wake. Up.
His eyelids popped open. He saw that Victoria loomed over him, black hair falling over her shoulder and tickling his bare chest. Concern painted twin circles of pink on her cheeks, and a clammy sheen glazed her brow.
Whats wrong? he croaked. He sat up, his entire body instantly throwing out I-hate-you vibes. His muscles were tangled around bone, and his skin stretched too tight, a rubber band ready to snap. His mouth was dry as a desert, and his stomachhis stomach was the worst offender. Distorted, grumbling, shrunken and probably in the process of eating itself.
You worried me, she said, straightening. She stuffed one of her hands into her pocket and played with something that crinkled. A wrapper of some sort, he would guess. I was about to start pouring blood down your throat.
Hmmblood
He licked his lips, trying to recall his last waking moments. Hed stepped into the ballroom, a party in full swing around him. His gaze had swept the attendees, and hed somehow looked through a darkened glass wall and found Victoria. A new vampire ability, he supposed. How many more would he inherit?
Theyd left the ballroom together and come up here to talk. Hed sat on the edge of the bed, andhe didnt remember anything else. He must have fallen asleep.
What a wuss.
Hed meant to tell her about the dancing woman and the vision hed had. The one of little Victoria and her whipping. Of her mother, the cause of that whipping. Maybe his impromptu snooze fest was a blessing, though. The news would have distressed her, and right now she didnt appear capable of shouldering another burden. She appearedfragile, easily breakable.
What time is it? He inhaled andmistake! Every thought in his head derailed. His sinuses clung to that tantalizing whiff of her, shooting sparks of gotta-have-that through his entire body. Moisture finally flooded his mouth, destroying the desert as if it had never been. His gums ached, their favorite thing to do, it seemed.
Are you all right? she asked.
Fine, he croaked. Im fine.
As Riley says, Ill pretend I believe that. And to answer your question, its dawn.
He shook his head to clear the cobwebs, but they proved thick and stubborn. Still?
The next dawn.
Okay, then. That made more sense.
You entered a healing sleep, she explained.
Healing sleep. Hed never heard the term before, but just as hed known the names of his vampires, he knew the meaning. A comalike state of total sensory deprivation, where vampire and beast merged into a single being. Blood cell count rose to extraordinary levels, speeding the curative process.
Healing sleep or not, however, he felt like hed fought a few hundred bruisers and lost. Unfortunate, since he had stuff to do. He couldnt snuggle up and go for round two of the mattress blackouts.
He threw his legs over the side of the bed. He would have stood, but Victoria placed a chilled hand on his shoulder and pressed. A puny move, but effective all the same. And necessary. With that one little movement of his, hed set off a chain reaction of pain. And more pain.
If I went into a healing sleep, why do I feel like crap?
Because the new tissue is untried. Dont worry, though. Once you get up and stretch out, youll feel better.
No room for doubt with such a confident tone. How often have you had to endure this?
A shrug of her elegant shoulder. I lost count a long time ago.
He didnt like that. At all. Want to go into details?
Not particularly.
I can have anyone you like punished. Another mistake on his part. Hed meant the words as a joke, something to make her laugh, but she didnt laugh, and he realized hed told the truth. Anyone who hurt her, he wanted to hurt in turn.
Time to switch subjects before he started issuing demands and upsetting her.
Now would be the perfect opportunity to tell her what hed seen. Her mom, Edina, trying to run away with her, her dad catching her, blaming her, whipping her. Would she be embarrassed? Probably. She shouldnt be, but yeah, it would still kill her that he knew.
After all, he would have been embarrassed if the situation were reversed. He never wanted this girl to see him weak, at his worst. Like now. He could barely stand that she was seeing him bruised and swollen. And he had to be bruised and swollen, despite that healing sleep. Aches and pains were not exactly liars. But if he felt that way, she would, too. Vampires seemed to carry a thousand pounds more pride than their human counterparts. So. Okay. Yeah. Maybe this was one of those things he just needed to take to the grave. Knowing helped him understand her, and understanding caused him to toss a heap load of respect her way. No reason to ruin that bywhat?upsetting her.
Was that cowardly of him? His rationale to get him out of an uncomfortable situation? Maybe some would say so, but he honestly didnt think so. Sometimes full disclosure was cruel and silence kind.
He was running with that.
Have you had any visions of my past? he asked, counteracting his decision in a snap. Hed just opened the door for her to ask if he had. And if she asked, he couldnt lie.
No. Lets talk about that later, though. Okay? Yes? You need to see something.
See what?
This. She turned, some kind of black remote outstretched in her hand. After pressing a few buttons, the wood panel over her dresser parted, revealing a large television screen. Colors flickered together, then images formed. She scrolled through the channels quickly, stopping when she reached a news station. Listen.
A somber-faced reporter stared out at him, an umbrella overhead, a light drizzle of rain falling. been dubbed the Red Robe Massacre of Tulsa, she was saying. Ten women, all brutally slain. Police are working diligently to find clues as to who could have committed such a heinous crime.
Tragic, he said, but why did I need to know it?
Victoria hit Mute and fell onto the mattress beside him. Females wearing red robes. In Tulsa. Where Riley is. Where Mary Ann is. Theyre witches, Aden, and they must have been the ones chasing the pair. They were stabbed repeatedly, which means the fairies, vampires and wolves werent responsible.
He jumped on the topic with the finesse of a freight train. Are Riley and Mary Ann okay?
Her hands wrung together, and when that wasnt enough, she twisted the fabric of her robe, leaving wrinkles in her wake. I dont know. He hasnt contacted me in a while.
Elijah?
I dont know, the soul said.
Okay. So the soul hadnt seen anything bad. That beat the crap out of the alternative. How can you be sure the creatures you named arent responsible?
Fairies would not have caused bloodshed. Vampires would have, but they would have licked up every drop of that blood. And the wolves would have left claw marks, not knife slashes.
Hmm, blood
The moment the thought registered, he sank into a dark pit of humiliation. People had died. Violently, painfully, and he craved a snack?
Aden, Victoria prompted.
Right. He needed to comment. See Aden discuss murder as casually as the weather. Who does that leave?
Wait, wait, wait, Caleb suddenly said. Go back. I was just waking up and had to have misheard. Did she just say a coven of witches wasmurdered?
Victoria was talking, too, but Aden heard only Caleb, the souls upset giving him volume. Yes, he replied. Im so sorry.
No. Shes wrong, she has to be wrong.
Caleb
No! Elijah. Tell him shes wrong. Tell him!
Im sorry, too, Elijah said sadly.
No! A plaintive cry. A cry that must have opened a dam of heartache, because Caleb began sobbing.
The soul had liked the witches from day one, and had thought he was somehow connected to them, that hed known them in his other life. The one before Aden.
You have to go back in time, Aden. You have to save them from this.
His reply was instant. No. I cant.
You mean you wont.
Too many things could go wrong. You know that. It was the same answer hed given Victoria, when shed asked. The same answer he would give anyone, everyone, who asked. When you weighed the risks against the rewards, the risks always tipped the scale.
There was no reason good enough to tip the scale in the other direction.
Please, Aden! Please.
No. Im sorry.
While Elijah and Julian attempted to comfort their friend, Aden met Victorias curious gaze. The news has destroyed disturbed Caleb.
Im sorry.
Me, too. And he was, even though Aden had never liked the witches himself. How could he? Theyd cast the death spell over Riley, Mary Ann and Victoria, and nearly ruined the life hed built for himself. But he hated for one of his souls to suffer, and he would have spared the witches for that alone.
The best thing we can do for him is figure out what happened and make sure it doesnt happen again, he said.
I agree. You asked me who could be responsible. I dont think the goblins or zombies are smart enough, so that leaveshumans.
All the commotion woke Junior. The beast stretched inside his head, making little mewling noises. Aden tensed. Exactly what he needed. Another fight. Then he recalled what Elijah said, that Junior responded to emotion. If he remained calm, the beast wouldnt fight him.
Yeah, he could do that. Maybe.
How could a few humans defeat a coven of witches? he asked. Good. Right track. Weve seen the power of their spells firsthand. And humans, well, theyre uneducated when it comes to magic. Anyone who so much as approached the witches would have been defenseless.
I dont know.
Maybe one of the races you named wanted humans to be blamed and framed them.
Its possible. But why do so? To send a message?
A we-know-what-you-are-and-were-coming-after-your-kind sort of thing?
Yes. No. Maybe. I dont know. Nothing like this has ever happened before. We clean up our battles. All of us. We rarely leave evidence for humans to find. Thats how were trained from birth. Thats how we survive.
Times change.
Yes, she said flatly. They do.
What did that mean? Hed changed, and she no longer liked him?
Junior belted out a hungry roar.
With a sigh, Aden fell back on the mattress, winced and draped his arm over his forehead. Im not thinking straight. Lets talk about the murders after we eat, okay?
Her hesitant Okay gave him pause.
Did you already eat? For that matter, Where did you sleep last night? Hed taken her room, and she had not been here. And he could have kicked his own butt for simply falling asleep on her, making her feel as if she didnt belong in her own digs. He knew how important having personal space could be, having been denied his own for most of his life.
Before, Victoria would have felt comfortable enough to snuggle up to him. After the way hed treated her lately, she probably hadnt known if he would welcome her or reject her.
I stayed in Rileys room, she said, her hand going back in her pocket to play with the wrapper or whatever it was.
A growl rose up in his throat before he even realized he was having an emotional reaction to those words. Calm down.
He recalled the first time hed seen Victoria outside one of Elijahs visions. Shed been standing in a forest clearing just beyond the D and M ranch, Riley towering behind her, protecting her. Aden had wondered what they were to each otherand even when hed learned they were just friends, thrums of jealousy had refused to leave him.
Closeness was closeness, no matter how you sliced it.
You could have slept here, he told her.
Well, did you, the king of heaven and earth, mention that a single time since coming here?
No, she hadnt known. Im mentioning it now.
Crinkle, crinkle. She wasnt done. Thats great. Wonderful. Considering youve done nothing but push me away for days.
Annnnd there was the crux of the problem. Im sorry for that. I really am. But Im improving. Right? I mean, youve changed, too. Great. Now he was throwing blame, something she didnt deserve.
Meaning Im more human? Crinkle, crinkle.
What was that? Meaning, nothing bad, I swear. Butyes, you have been more human. And again, thats not a bad thing.
Yes, it is. Youre saying I wasnt good enough as I was.
No! Thats not what Im saying at all.
Still she wasnt done. The fact that youre improving is great. Wonderful.
He was going to hate what came next, he just knew it.
But Ive decided to hold a grudge, she finished.
Yep. Hated. Are you serious?
Am I known for my delightful sense of humor?
When she gave in to the new human side of her, she really gave in. Why are you holding a grudge?
Because I feel like it.
And how did you argue with that kind of logic? Fine.
Fine.
I still need to eat.
Flames lit up the blue in her eyes. Do you want me to fetch you a slave?
No. Yes. No. Only one name was etched into his menu of choice, and it was still hers. But hed had Sorins blood. And, hey, why wasnt he seeing the world through Sorins eyes? He asked Victoria.
The blood only works that way for a limited amount of time, and since youve spent an entire day dead to the world, your connection to Sorin, and his to you, has passed.
Now, she added. Why dont you want a slave?
Ill find someone to chomp on in a minute. He would force himself. I need to clean up first.
Crinkle, crinkle.
Whats in your pocket? he asked
Her checks flashed bright red. Nothing. Now go. Clean up.
O-kay. He lumbered from the bed and hobbled to the bathroom, certain he resembled an old man with a walker, and yes, he hated that Victoria was seeing him like this.
Oh, and Aden? Thank you for not killing my brother, she said just before he shut the door.
Youre welcome.
He brushed his teeth, showered quickly, noticed Victoria had already stacked fresh clothes in the corner, and dressed in the plain gray T-shirt, jeans and his own boots. Everything was pressed and a perfect fit.
As Juniors roars came more frequently and Calebs choking sobs finally faded, Aden studied himself in the mirror. It was still a jolt to see himself with blond hair. Hed been dying the mop for years. His eyes jolted him, too. Last time hed seen them, they were gold. Now, they were a kaleidoscope of colors.
What stunned him most was his lack of bruises, swelling and punctures. He looked one hundred percent racer ready. His insides clearly had some catching up to do. Even after that steamy shower, he hurt. Considering hed expected his lips to resemble something out of a horror flick and the fact that hed lost a toothwhich, three cheers, had regrown during his healing sleephe wasnt going to complain.
Could you please shut that beast up, Ad? Julian asked, pulling him from his thoughts. All that roaring on top of everything else is annoying, and Im not sure how much longer I can deal.
If we want to quiet Junior at least for a little while weve got to eat.
Pick a blood-slave, like Victoria suggested. Please.
The term blood-slave was really starting to bother him. Yeah, that could have been his fate, and could still be his fate since he was jonesing so badly for the princess and only the princess.
His ears twitched. Footsteps in Victorias room. Frowning, he threw open the bathroom door. Before he saw who had entered, he smelled who had entered. Rileys brothers. Maxwell and Nathan. They reeked of the outdoors and fear.
Nathan was pale from head to toe. Pale hair, pale blue eyes, pale skin. Maxwell was gold. Both were handsomehe guessedbut both were cursed by witches. (Who wasnt, nowadays?) Anyone the pair desired would see a mask of ugliness when looking at them. Anyone they did not desire would see their true faces, their beauty.
Aden, of course, saw their true faces.
Both were scowling and taut with their worry and trying to comfort a crying Victoria.
Whats going on? he demanded, stalking over, ready to grind them both into powder if theyd hurt her.
He was just about ready to throw a punch, anyway, when she held out a goblet to him. Here. Drink this.
He smelled the sweetness before he saw the blood. Junior went wild, his roars more of a yes, yes, yessssss. Or maybe give me was more accurate. Adens mouth watered uncontrollably, his gums doing a little dance of anticipation. He knew without asking exactly whose vein the blood had been tapped from. Victorias.
His arm was lifting, the cup at his mouth, his throat gulping back the contents a second later, and only when hed consumed every drop did he even realize hed moved.