by Melody Raven
“I can’t leave,” he repeated, his voice right next to her face as he reached around her and picked her up effortlessly. Her eyes opened in shock as he carried her down the street and to his car. “Because you’ve been poisoned.”
She barely had time to digest what he said as he tucked her against him carefully, pulled open the passenger door, and set her into the front seat.
She was still in shock as he walked around to the driver’s seat and peeled out of his parking spot, the tires squealing as he slammed on the gas. Lina winced as the sudden movement shot pain reverberating through her. Poison? That made a lot more sense. She’d seen her kind get shot before. Usually they just shrugged it off. But this agony was so much more than she could shrug off. And it wasn’t just where the bullets hit. It was all through her, from her fingertips to her toes. Hell, even her hair follicles stung like needles that were stabbing her at each little point. Maybe that was why she wasn’t scared of Aidan. If he had killed her, at least she’d be out of her misery.
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, they were in a different part of the city. Had she passed out? She didn’t even know. Didn’t care. She just wanted to pass out again. Anything to make the pain go away.
“You’re back,” said Aidan as he swerved the car back and forth between traffic.
The quick motions made her feel sick, but she closed her eyes, trying to hold herself together. She couldn’t imagine how much worse it would hurt if she vomited.
Breathe. Breathe in. Breathe out. Try to focus on breathing.
“You saved me,” said Aidan as he took a sharp left that caused her entire stomach to clench. “So in return I’m going to save you.”
Great. He was only doing this out of some stupid sense of loyalty. Not like he actually cared about her or anything.
That was a stupid thought. She didn’t want him to care about her. But she was doing her best to stay alive right now. She couldn’t control her stupid thoughts.
Aidan brought the car to a stop and she looked around. Had she passed out again? She didn’t even care anymore.
As Aidan got out of the car, she didn’t even try to stand up. She was very aware that walking was well beyond her capability right now. Aidan came around and opened the door. Just as effortlessly as before, he maneuvered her out of the car and shut the door with a kick of his foot.
She didn’t know where they were and couldn’t bring herself to ask. Aidan said he was trying to help her, and she couldn’t think of any reason to not believe him. If he was taking her to be tortured and interrogated, he could just say that. It wasn’t as though she could fight or try to get away in the state she was in.
He brought her to an office building, and the moment they approached, the doors were pushed open. Apparently they were expected. He strode right through the open doors and carried her to an elevator. Someone pressed a button. She couldn’t see who. Her vision seemed to be going in and out, darkness creeping in on the edges. Though the darkness didn’t seem all that bad. If she allowed it to take over, the pain would stop. And she really didn’t know how long she could take this.
Cold shot through her body and her eyes shot open. She was on some hard metal table while people stood around her and stared down at her in shock.
They were talking. She tried to cut through the fog to listen to what they were saying.
“... fix it,” snapped Aidan.
“We made the bullets to hurt,” said one of the men. His brow was furrowed in frustration.
“She can’t be one of them. She’s a vampire. There are no women Vopura.”
She felt as though she should be saying something. They were talking about her. She should be included in this conversation. But when she opened her mouth, the only thing that came out was a groan of pain.
But then something warm and strong touched her. She looked down to see Aidan holding her hand. And it wasn’t just his contact that gave her comfort. From where he touched her, a soothing calm seemed to radiate out. She looked down in confusion as she held him tighter.
For the first time since the bullets hit her, she felt as though she could breathe. As if she wasn’t about to disintegrate into dust. She sucked in deep breaths of air and Aidan started to pull away, but she gripped his hand tighter, not letting him go. “Don’t leave me,” she begged.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he breathed. “Just relax. I’m here. Go to sleep and we’ll get you fixed right up.”
Sleep? How was she supposed to sleep? But before she knew it, a tendril seemed to creep through her, sending exhaustion to every section of her being. And as much as she fought it, her eyes drifted closed and the darkness finally took over.
Lina’s eyes closed as her head lolled to the side, and Aidan felt his heart leap into his throat. “Lina!” he called.
His terrified gaze shot to Ian and Carter. “Fix her. You people created these poison bullets and you never created a cure?”
Ian’s eyes widened but Carter wasn’t having any of it. “We created the bullets to protect ourselves from people like you,” he snapped. “So no, creating a cure wasn’t high on the priority list.”
“People like me?”
Ian quickly tried to cut through the tension. “We called in someone to help. A scientist who works with the vampires. If anyone can help, it’s going to be her.”
“No. Your partner here thinks people like me need special bullets. What the hell do you mean by that?”
Carter scoffed. “Does it really need explaining? Witches, vampires, Vopura—you’re like a plague on this Earth. We need some kind of protection. You can’t get mad at us for trying to protect ourselves.”
“Enough about this,” said Ian. “We’re not fighting right now. There are more important things going on. For starters, when did you get your powers back, Aidan?”
Aidan blinked. “What are you talking about?”
“You just put Lina to sleep. You told her to relax and rest, and a second later, she passed out.”
“I didn’t....” Had he? He didn’t remember the feel of magic flowing through and out of him, but he’d had other things on his mind. At least he hadn’t meant to. Did he really have his powers back? He held out his hand and tried to call his power, but nothing happened.
That didn’t mean Ian was wrong. He’d been distracted enough to not notice at the time, but thinking about it, he had felt something leave him as he’d talked to Lina. How were his powers returning? Why couldn’t he feel anything now?
He let out a sigh and squeezed Lina’s hand tighter. “Get your scientist here,” he ordered. “I don’t want her to wake up in pain.”
Lina’s eyes slowly opened. She wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but she knew immediately that she wasn’t in her soft, comfortable bed at Mrs. Anders’s. The table beneath her was cold and uncomfortable. And even though there was a blanket on top of her, it did nothing to give warmth. And a stinging sensation emanated from her inner arm. She pushed up on her elbow and pulled the blanket back to reveal the IV sticking out of her arm, dark-red liquid shooting into her arm.
Blood. She was getting blood through an IV.
“Good morning,” said a voice from behind her.
Lina craned her neck back to see the woman standing at the entrance to the room. Except this wasn’t a stranger. She’d seen this woman before.
Her mouth immediately went dry. “You...” she breathed.
“Lina,” said Aidan. The sound of metal scraping against the ground sounded as he jumped up and came to her side.
She was still barely conscious, and she didn’t know how to reconcile the fact that this woman and Aidan were in the same room together.
He knew. He’d have to know. He saw her true face. But he was still there. That had to be a good sign, right? Unless he planned to kill her himself.
“Whoa, it’s okay.” The woman came closer. “Take deep breaths. You’re okay. You’re safe, and you’re in good hands.”
Lina’s ey
es bounced between Aidan and the woman, still trying to figure out what was happening as she broke through the fog of her sleep. She tried to sit up and tug at the IV in her arm, but the woman and Aidan each put a hand on her shoulders, pinning her down.
She was used to being stronger than everyone around her, but Aidan wasn’t exactly a weakling, and the woman had no problem pushing her down.
“I said relax,” said the woman more forcefully. “I drained most of the poisoned blood from your system, but you’re going to need a new supply before you can safely leave. So just tough this out until the transfusion is done. I know the silver needle isn’t comfortable, but it’s the only way to pierce the skin and keep it from healing over.”
Lina looked to her arm and frowned. Silver needle? She was being stabbed with silver? No wonder it hurt so much. And they were pumping blood into her? “Where did you get the blood?” she asked, her voice coming out groggier than she expected.
The woman held up her arm and smiled weakly. There was a bandage over the inner section of the elbow. “From one Vopura to another.”
“How are you feeling?” Aidan came to her side. He reached out to her but stopped and seemed to think better of it at the last second.
“I....” She felt terrible and cold and her head throbbed. “I’m fine. What is Mia doing here?”
Aidan looked up at Mia and narrowed his eyes. “You know her?”
“I recognize her,” said Mia quickly. “That’s hardly knowing someone.” Mia’s gaze met Lina’s. “I didn’t tell him anything.”
“Tell me anything about what?” he demanded.
Lina took a deep breath. She could really use a few hours in a soft bed. It was one thing for Aidan to know what she was, but another for him to actually have to hear her tell the story. And she’d need about three bottles of some strong alcohol before she’d feel comfortable enough to share that story. She had a feeling her good doctor here wasn’t about to grab her a bottle. “Mia and I met before. We were both held captive by a Vopura. A horrible one named Jackson.” Lina looked up and looked into Aidan’s icy-blue gaze. “I killed him.”
“She did,” said Mia quickly. “I don’t know much about this woman, but she’s on our side.”
“I’m not on your side,” snapped Lina. “I’m on my side. I’m just trying to stay out of trouble and live my life the best I can.”
Aidan shook his head and took a step back.
As soon as he was farther away, the cold seemed to seep into her bones, his loss like having a heater being taken away. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from calling him back.
“Lina,” he said carefully. “I want to help you. You saved my life last night and I know I owe you. But I can’t help you if I don’t know your story. Your whole story. Now, start from the beginning.”
The beginning? She let out a deep sigh. She thought she’d get to live out the rest of her life without ever having to relive those times. “I... I’m Vopura.”
“How? I didn’t think there were any women.” He looked up at Mia and then back to Lina. “At least not unturned ones.”
“Of course there are women. Just not a lot of us. And if a girl is lucky enough to be born, it’s rare they make it past their first year. We don’t know why—if it’s a curse placed upon us or some hidden microscopic danger. It just is. So the girls who make it past childhood are protected and prized. Coveted.” She said the last word bitterly, remembering the constant debates and discussion about which Vopura man would have the rights to her. “My parents negotiated a price for me. An honorable, strong Vopura male who would get to bond with me. It was supposed to happen when I was....” She had to think about Vora years compared to Earth years. “When I was around fifteen. But I begged my intended to give me more time. And he agreed. I was worried I’d get pregnant right away and die. So many of the women don’t make it through pregnancy. I wanted to have some semblance of a life. But then the gate was created and another Vopura, one who had almost been granted the rights to me, stole me away in the middle of the night and took me here. Because it was against the rules, he couldn’t tell anyone what he did. So he kept me hidden away. Chained up and weakened. He thought I’d eventually forget about my old life and agree to be the good Vopura wife he’s always wanted.”
Lina smiled bitterly. “But I have a long memory. And then one day he brought Mia in. And I was able to use that distraction as a way to break free. I killed Jackson and made a run for it. Except for Mia, no one else knew I was here. I didn’t want to cause any trouble. I just want to live my life. Without any stupid men controlling me. Without any obligation to die making babies. Living for myself. I’m no threat to you or your people. I promise.”
She looked hopefully at Aidan and his face was blank. Expressionless. She didn’t know whether she wanted pity or anger, but she knew her story had to elicit some sort of reaction. She was well aware how sad her life had been up until her freedom. He had to understand....
“You’re the Vopura I was hunting,” he said finally.
“What?”
“I was sent to Puncture to find the Vopura who has been attacking men and draining them. It’s you. That was your hunting ground.”
Her mouth fell open. “I didn’t kill anyone,” she offered weakly.
“You snuck up on men in the dark and attacked them. Is that really harmless to you?”
“What was I supposed to do?” she snapped. “I’m trying to survive the best I can!”
“You need to back off,” ordered Mia as she stood between Lina and Aidan. “This girl almost died for you today.”
“This girl has been lying to me from the moment I met her,” snapped Aidan. “We’re fighting a war here and she’s off in denial, trying to live out her Sex and the City dreams.”
“What?” Lina’s jaw was practically on the floor.
“Get out,” ordered Mia.
“I’m not going—”
Mia grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room. Lina could see that Aidan fought it, but Mia was a Vopura. He had nothing on her. Mia literally tossed him out of the room and slammed the door shut before leaning against it and letting out a deep breath. “Well,” she finally said. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this.”
Aidan should be grateful that he didn’t have his powers. Because if there was any spark of magic in him right now, he probably would’ve blown a hole in the wall.
Thrown out of the fucking room. By a fucking Vopura. He rubbed his arm where the doctor had grabbed him. It would probably bruise. Goddamn it. He should’ve hit her. It didn’t matter she was a girl. She was a supernatural being. She could handle a punch to the face.
“Everything okay?” asked Talon.
Even if Mia could handle being punched in the face, he had a feeling her mate, Talon, wouldn’t be too forgiving about it. And because Talon was a vampire, he was just as strong as Mia. Actually, stronger considering he was considerably older and probably knew a hell of a lot more about fighting than the twenty-six-year-old newly turned Vopura doctor.
Aidan pushed away from the wall and walked past Talon without saying anything. He pulled out his phone and called Talia’s direct number. It was a number that was only meant to be used in emergencies, but this would have to be good enough.
The phone rang at least ten times before it was answered. This wasn’t the type of line that had a voicemail. It was meant to be answered. “Aidan. I hope you’re calling with good news.”
Good news? Maybe he could phrase it in a good way. “I found the Vopura who’s been feeding at Puncture. I want my powers back.”
There was a pause. And then Talia’s calm voice said, “You found her?”
Mother— “You knew.”
“I know lots of things. Now bring her to me.”
“You want me to bring her to you? How did you know I wouldn’t just kill her?”
“I have faith in you.”
“The deal wasn’t that I bring her to you. The deal was that I stop
her. And I’ve stopped her. Now give me back my powers.”
“You seem to think you have the upper hand here. I regret to inform you that you’re sorely mistaken.”
He cursed under his breath. “Don’t talk to me like I’m one of your desperate lackeys! I’m your grandson. I’m your family. I’ve done everything you asked of me. Don’t change the terms on me now.”
“Do you think I do these things for fun? Do you think I enjoy censuring you? Your greed and ambition have been a blight on my name and my image. Don’t you forget that you earned your situation while my situation has changed. Tell me, did you regain your powers last night? For just a few moments?”
“I....” He thought he’d imagined it. That it had just been a coincidence. But maybe it was him who put Lina to sleep. He hadn’t been able to do anything since. “Yes. But it only lasted for a moment.”
“We were attacked last night. The shooters who went after you were just part of it. Every witch and warlock was utterly drained last night. For fifteen minutes, there was a magic blackout. It was the most devastating attack on magic in my entire existence. But because I bound your powers, it had the opposite effect on you. You were able to use magic while the rest of us had our hands tied behind our back.”
His anger at his grandmother finally subsided as it was replaced by something else. Something unfamiliar and wholly unwelcome. Fear. A total magic blackout? He’d never heard of such a thing. Vopura, as annoying as they were, didn’t scare him. They stood no chance against the magic of his people.
But what if they didn’t have magic? He’d just been bested by a woman who was half his size. If he didn’t have magic on his side, what did he have?
“You need to give me my powers back. You need to let me help with this.”
“Nothing makes sense, and at the same time, it’s all connected. Aidan, I’m working to unravel this mystery, but I can’t hold your hand while I do it.”
“I’m not asking you to hold my hand! I’m asking you to untie mine. Let me help you.”
“You’re an asset. I’d never deny that. But during the blackout, my binding spell fell away and you could access your powers. You might have to be our secret weapon.”