by Tricia Barr
That kickstarted Kol’s feet, and the two of them scrambled toward the doorway leaving the safety of the sunlight... and Myreen, behind.
One last glance at the now-dead vampire slumped behind the armoire, Kol could see some sort of panic button clutched between her ruined fingers.
And a wicked smile on her face.
Chapter 16: Juliet
Anxiety played Juliet like a bad song she couldn’t get out of her head.
She looked over her shoulder for the sixth time to make sure no one saw her leave her bedroom. It wasn't like she was going far. And yet, she stuck to the walls like glue as she made her way to the large supply closet by the avian common room. She only had to go a few feet, but it turned her stomach completely upside down. All it would take was one of the night patrol guards to catch her—or any of the other students—and she was done for.
Sneaking around the Dome had her nerves seriously out of whack. Maybe it was because if she was caught, the punishment would come from General Dracul and not her father. She could handle a lecture from Malachai. What she couldn't handle was whatever awaited her if she was found gathering students to form some sort of shifter council—a council intended to oust Eduard Dracul.
The moment Juliet’s hand touched the knob, she peeked over her shoulder again, then snuck in with her back still plastered to the wall. She gave herself a second to regulate her breathing before she let her gaze fall to the students huddled inside.
Nik and the four others visibly relaxed when they saw it was only Juliet. She smiled at the group. These were shifters they could trust.
Brett was there, of course, and Alessandra, the mer who used to torture Myreen. Juliet didn’t expect Alessandra to be there, but she wasn’t surprised by it, either. Her connection with Kendall and her more recent support of Myreen—and hatred of all things that messed up her hair—meant she was a powerful ally for their cause. When Nik suggested Leya, the loud harpy, Juliet had her reservations, but she trusted Nik’s judgement. The final student was Jesse, her ex. She was still in awe over Nik’s reaction when she suggested Jesse join them.
“I know Jesse didn't agree with the new rules in the defense room,” she’d said. “And I know we can trust him, we’ll just have to keep that temper of his down. Maybe he knows a few other people, too.” She didn't realize how nonchalant she was about her ex until she said it aloud. To her boyfriend. She hoped it didn't rub Nik the wrong way.
“Good idea. Ask him next time you see him. But remember to be as quiet as you can about this. I wouldn't even speak about it in front of any other students.” Nik didn’t even flinch. Juliet guessed there were more important things to worry about.
And Jesse was respectful of Juliet and Nik’s relationship, never trying to make a move on Juliet anymore. He treated her like a friend would, and she appreciated it. She could use some friends with everything going on.
“I think we’re all here,” Nik said, glancing at Juliet, who nodded.
They hadn’t asked anyone else. They weren’t sure who they could trust.
“Okay,” Nik continued. “Thank you for meeting with us.”
The four other students looked at Nik expectantly. Leya wore a slightly skeptical expression, but Juliet remembered her loud complaints about being forced to keep up with the training even after healing several other students of their sprains. The harpy could barely keep her eyes open that day, let alone run laps.
“I think we’re in agreement that what’s happened to our school since General Dracul took over isn’t ideal.”
“Ha!” Jesse burst out, his tone incredulous. “Ideal, Candida? This military regiment is torture, especially for the younger students. It’s hard on us too, but they’re just kids!”
“Exactly,” Nik agreed.
“So what do we do?” Leya asked.
Nik glanced at Juliet again. “Juliet and I thought that if a sort of shifter council was formed—of adults, obviously,” he added when the other’s eyes widened, “Maybe the General could be replaced with someone more... appropriate to lead the school.”
“And leave General Dracul to the military,” Alessandra said, crossing her arms.
“That’s the idea,” Juliet agreed. “And maybe even bring Oberon back.”
Everyone sat in silence a moment, letting that sink in.
“I’ll talk to my dad,” Jesse said. “I doubt he’d be on a council, but he has connections.”
“Good. This is good,” Nik bounced a bit in his excitement.
The conversation then turned to which adults in the shifter community they thought would be good for a council. Delphine’s name came up, obviously, but Alessandra also mentioned Queen Anali, Kendall’s grandmother. Kendall might be a traitor, but Queen Anali was definitely not. And she had plenty of influence. Besides, they still weren’t sure if Delphine was being manipulated by Lord Dracul or not.
“What about your dad, Juliet?” Nik asked.
“Why are you so concerned about my dad?” she said, her defenses rising. “That’s the only thing that I'm not seeing eye-to-eye with you on. He’s stubborn, Nik. It’ll take time to get through to him, if it doesn't take forever.” She wanted to be honest with him.
“I think he could be the key, though.”
“My dad?” Juliet scoffed. “You must be thinking of someone else. He wouldn't tarnish the Quinn name for something like this.” Juliet was sure of it.
“He would follow you wherever you went. You might not be able to see it, but I do. He really loves you, Jules. And I can tell that he’s really trying to mend what you two have. In due time, he’ll come over to our side. And in the meantime, we prepare. The better prepared we are, the more he’ll consider helping us.”
“I’m not bringing my dad into it.” Juliet folded her arms, soured by the idea, even as the other students looked hopefully between her and Nik. But something sparked in her mind, something that had been niggling at the edges of her thoughts. Something that sent chills down her back. If Dracul was using his abilities to influence Delphine, maybe he was using it on others, as well. Like her dad.
The conversation had moved on to other possibilities, and Juliet gladly tuned in, saving her fears about her dad for later. When they’d finished discussing the heavy stuff, and the topics turned to lighter ones, Juliet felt something she hadn’t felt since Oberon left and the general took over.
Hope.
It had a contagious effect, too. Suddenly the thought of Myreen being rescued and everything going back to the way it was didn’t seem so impossible.
A lull fell over the group for a brief moment.
“You know,” Jesse said, looking around the small space. “Since we’re practically banned from watching movies or playing video games in the common rooms, it might boost a bit of morale if we had a secret place to relax.”
Leya’s eyes widened. “I could smuggle my TV in! My parents gave me one for Christmas for my room, but I’d be happy to share it!”
“That sounds heavenly,” Juliet said, daydreaming about cuddling next to Nik and falling asleep while watching a rom-com.
The chatter turned into what everyone could donate, and also which other shifters they could invite into their club. Nik cautioned them about making sure they were students who could be trusted, even though it was a given. They’d all had encounters with the guards and General Dracul.
“Are you sure this is the best place to meet?” Leya said after some time, looking around the supply closet with that same skeptical look she’d worn earlier.
Nik grimaced. “It’s the best we can do for now. There are eyes and ears everywhere, and the further we have to travel, the more likely we are to run into someone who’ll report us.”
“Maybe Katya could point us to some kitsune invention that would help,” Brett suggested. When Nik raised an eyebrow at him, Brett shrugged, but even in the dim light he’d visibly colored. “She helped us before.” At Juliet’s look, he added, “When we took over the PA system so Kol...?”
Juliet remembered. It was kind of epic the way Kol had stood up for Myreen in front of the whole school—via video feed—but remembering just reminded her that both Kol and Myreen were in the hands of Draven. “Right. Just don’t tell her what it’s for,” Juliet said. It was the only thing she could think of to break up the awkwardness that had settled over their group.
Brett scoffed. “I can guarantee I’m better at sneaking around than your boyfriend, here,” he said, hooking a thumb at Nik.
There were a few chuckles, but then the awkwardness returned. What do we do now? Juliet wasn’t quite ready to leave the comfort and safety of this closet, and she got the sense that the others felt the same.
“Juliet,” Jesse said with a warm smile. “You should show these guys that fire-rope move you did the other day when you kicked some serious vampire ass in the sim.”
All eyes turned to Juliet, who squirmed under the sudden attention. “In here?” she asked, looking around the small room.
“There’s an extinguisher if things get messy,” Jesse said, and shrugged as he pointed to one of Mr. Suzuki’s special extinguishers sitting in the corner.
Juliet glanced at Nik, but he looked more curious than concerned. And so, with as fierce a look as she could muster, Juliet stood and placed herself at the far end of the closet. She closed her eyes, and with a little bit of reluctance, found her fire. It was ready to obey her, licking at her fingertips, almost bursting to get out.
But she was afraid.
After how her fire had reacted the last time, she wasn’t sure what would happen. And this time, she wasn’t alone. All eyes looked at her, one pair belonging to the guy she loved.
Juliet inhaled deeply and exhaled, bringing out the fire within. Relief flooded her when the bright red and orange colors danced along her palms. She combined her hands and focused on the rope of fire that she’d created. Her fire twisted and turned at her command, coming together to make one long piece of rope. For a second, an image from the night that they’d first been attacked flashed through her mind. It was enough to keep her fire power strong.
Like a whip, Juliet slung the rope forward, and appreciative oohs and stares from the other students followed her movements. The heat coming off the rope comforted her. Her fire was back! A smile on her face, she brought the rope back behind her for another whip forward.
But this time when it snapped straight, the entire rope transformed into a thick rod of ice. Juliet tried to let go of the frozen rope, hoping to extinguish it—or whatever—but the second her fingers left the ice, it shattered. Thousands of shards crashed loudly on the floor, and it seemed to take the breath right out the room.
“Juliet,” Nik said slowly, his skin pale. “What was that?”
“I... I... I don't know.” Juliet stared at her hands like they were foreign objects. They’d been with her her whole life, but now they seemed like strangers.
“Okay, guys. Let’s meet again in two nights.” Nik's deep voice echoed through the supply closet. “Remember to watch your back and don’t mention anything about what we’re doing here.” His gaze cut to Juliet, who still stared forlornly at her hands. “Or about what just happened. Understood?”
There was a general murmur of agreement before the students started leaving one by one—just in case there was a guard patrolling.
When the last person left, Nik grabbed two brooms from the corner. He tried to hand one to Juliet, but she didn't take it. She didn’t even move. He bent so he could look her in the eyes, pulling her chin up to meet his gaze.
“Juliet, I know you're freaking out right now. Let’s get this cleaned up, then you can get some sleep. That’s probably all that was—lack of sleep and overworking yourself. You can skip the next meeting if you need the rest.” Nik spoke fast, like he was nervous someone would cut him off. Someone like Juliet.
“No. I'm fine. You're probably right.” Numbly, Juliet grabbed a broom and tried to sweep up the ice before it melted completely. “But I’m not missing any meetings,” she added when Nik still sent her worried glances.
After they swept everything up, they slid on the floor with towels under their hands and knees. Not even that could bring a smile to her face. She just wanted to get everything done so she could fall apart in the comfort of her own bed.
“Jules, everything’s going to be alright.”
“I know. I’ll meet you for breakfast tomorrow.” In her haste to escape his concern, Juliet ran to the door without thinking and slammed it behind her. Her heart raced so fast that it was all she could hear in the silence of the night. When after several tense moments there was no sign of a guard, Juliet booked it to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. She didn’t even look back.
Pressing her back against the door, she slid to the floor and again stared at her hands. “What the heck is happening to me?” She buried her face in those traitorous hands and stayed there until her eyelids got heavy.
Her mind spinning and her body tired, Juliet threw herself into bed and hid under the sheets, her eyes squeezed shut. If she stayed that way long enough, maybe sleep would take her.
Nik is right; sleep is all I need, she told herself over and over, though doubt plagued even her dreams.
Chapter 17: Kol
Kol had no way to tell how much time had passed since being thrust into this cliché of a cell. It was dark and dreary and damp, just as one would expect. He wanted to laugh at how comically mundane it was. But they lined it with lead, so he couldn’t shift or use his powers. He couldn’t even stave off the stupidly typical cold, because the fire within just wouldn’t ignite.
So Kol couldn’t laugh. He was too weak and too miserable to laugh at their situation—thrown into the dungeon. And what was worse, was having Char huddled next to him, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.
It was a small blessing someone had put them in the same cell, otherwise one or both might’ve frozen to death. Their smart clothing was malfunctioning for some reason—probably another result of whatever also suppressed their powers—but dragons without their fire were more susceptible to cold than humans.
It’s probably why they were jailed together. To keep each other alive with only their body heat.
But Char shouldn’t have to suffer alongside him. She should’ve gotten out while she could. It should’ve been only Kol. Not her. Feeling her trembling frame pressed against him only made Kol more miserable.
He could barely keep his eyes open. Not because he was exhausted and wanted to fall into a restful sleep, but because the lead took so much out of him. It drained him. It was so effective that he had to be careful not to let even a tiny sliver of skin contact the walls or floor.
Which meant he couldn’t sleep, because he’d wake up with burns—on hands when they fell to the floor, or a cheek that rested against the wall. His palms and fingers on his good arm were already an angry red from gripping the bars when they were first thrown in.
He should’ve known.
He should’ve assumed.
He shouldn’t have let his damned emotions get in the way and he should’ve used his brain to avoid such a stupid injury.
At least the cold took away the biting pain in his broken arm—a different kind of stupid injury. There was the silver lining.
Loud footsteps warned them of someone approaching. Several someones. Char stiffened and sat up straighter, using Kol’s good arm instead of the floor to re-adjust herself. Kol didn’t bother to do the same. Whoever was coming—and it probably wasn’t Myreen or Kenzie—didn’t deserve such respect from them.
The lead bloodsucker himself came into their line of sight, marching toward Kol and Char’s cell. There was a bright light shining from behind him, making Draven a tall and dark silhouette. But whoever was holding the light angled it away, so it didn’t blind Kol and Char.
Kol didn’t move. He was certain the vampire leader could have him killed with the snap of his finger, but he also knew if Draven had wanted him dead, it would’
ve happened already.
“Get to your feet, Dracul prince,” Draven spat when he was only a few steps away from the cell. With the light turned away, Kol’s eyes slowly adjusted so he could see Draven a little clearer.
Kol only moved his eyes to look at his captor. “Lead weakens avians,” he said. “Dragons, phoenix’s, and harpies. But of course, you knew that because you once pumped me full of it with one of those fancy bombs.”
Draven looked impatient. “I’ve been around since before even your father was out of diapers. I’m quite aware of what weakens dragons and phoenixes and harpies.” He whirled his hand as he spoke, and his tone changed at the end.
Kol hoped that meant he’d annoyed Draven and resisted the urge to smile.
“Why do you think I’ve lined your cell with lead?” Draven asked.
Kol shrugged and pretended not to notice how tightly wound Char was. It terrified her, and she probably didn’t like the flippant way Kol was speaking to the vampire king. Kol ignored it, and she didn’t say a word, either.
“If you knew, then you would know just how difficult it would be to get to my feet,” Kol said. He knew he was pushing the limits, but couldn’t help but use a mocking tone when he repeated Draven’s words.
Draven merely glared, his eyes briefly flashing red. But without saying another word, he motioned for someone unseen to come closer. A tall, slender vampire—whose cheeks were sunken-in, making him look almost malnourished—swiftly walked forward with a small device in his hand aimed at the cell.
Char let out a tiny squeak, then gripped Kol’s arm tighter. Kol inclined his head to hers and whispered one word: video. She instantly relaxed her grip. Maybe she assumed it was a torture device. It hurt like hell, but using his broken arm, Kol gave her a reassuring tap on the hand that gripped him. It was a good thing Kol knew Charlotte so well. For being a sergeant in the shifter military, he might’ve expected more from her.
Maybe it was because he was with her, she didn’t feel the need to put on a brave façade.