by Tricia Barr
Kenzie pointed to the television. “You ever watch that thing?”
Myreen let out an amused huff. “I guess, if you can really call turning it on and ignoring the thing ‘watching television’.” She pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “Let’s focus. If we can get Kol and Char to the roof and healed, they can carry Leif and Ty and you back.”
“What about you?” Kenzie asked, pulling out the apple she’d grabbed from the kitchen and taking a bite. Her appetite had definitely ramped up since being assigned to Adam, though to be honest, she hadn’t noticed until Myreen said she was leaving.
“I’m a harpy, too, remember?”
“Oh, duh. Wait, didn’t I hear you’re a bear, too?”
“Ursa, and yes.”
“How’s that going for you?” Kenzie was thinking of Wes again, wondering how he was holding up. Had he gotten used to being a mao? Where had he gone? Had he found someone else to fall for? Kenzie dismissed the thought. Yeah, Myreen was right. She needed to focus.
Myreen ran her fingers along her neckline. “Actually, that’s been one of the good things that’s come out of all this. Draven gave me a turquoise necklace, and it’s really helped. I don’t feel so out of control anymore.”
Kenzie’s brows shot up. Turquoise. She’d have to remember that.
“So the question is, how do we get everyone on the roof? And when?” Myreen asked, flipping through her tablet for anything useful. There was nothing, of course. Kenzie had already looked. The vampire school info was focused more on their dominance over the shifters than anything else.
“Well, Leif and Ty are relatively easy, since they’re practically on the roof already,” Kenzie said.
“Maybe I should leave you with collecting them, then. I’ve got an idea for Kol and Char.”
“Does Ty know he’s coming?” Kenzie asked, leaning back in the plush red chair.
Myreen sighed. “Not yet. I was going to wait until the last minute and just use my siren voice on him if he resisted.”
“You don’t want to give him a choice?”
“Kenzie, I can’t leave him here.”
“But you said he really likes you, right? It should be easy.” Kenzie took another bite of her apple.
“It’s not that simple. He’s been told shifters killed his mom, though I’m not entirely certain that’s true. But he’s been groomed by Draven for a long time. And Draven is really good to Ty—at least, from what I’ve seen.”
“Doesn’t mean Ty wouldn’t want out.”
Myreen eyed the apple. Kenzie pulled another one out of her bag and offered it to Myreen, who shook her head.
“Ty might be okay with leaving, but I don’t want him telling Draven of our plans if he’s not.”
“Okay, so we wait until the last minute. But maybe give the kid a choice?”
“He’s ten, Kenzie.” Myreen’s head rolled back, and she ran her hands over her face.
“And a smart kid, if everything you say is right.”
“I don’t want to leave him here.”
“And maybe you won’t have to.” Kenzie spotted a trash bin by the dresser and tossed the apple core in like it was a basketball.
Myreen gave a noncommittal grunt. “What are we going to do about Leif? Is he going to be in any condition to travel?”
“I don’t know. I’m going to suggest he feeds off me. His vampire abilities should start working again once I get him free of those shackles.”
Myreen’s brows furrowed.
“What?”
“It’s just... how much blood have you given Adam?”
Kenzie shrugged. “Dunno. And Ms. Morton took some more from me today, though not much. But it’ll be okay. It’ll have to be.”
Myreen’s brows shot up. “Not cool. I don’t want you bleeding yourself dry for anyone.”
Kenzie shook her head. “Leif wouldn’t do that.”
“Have you seen him lately? Kenzie, he’s not himself.”
“I know,” Kenzie snapped. “I’m trying to fix that.”
Myreen sighed. “Give me your hand.”
Kenzie held out her hand. Myreen took it, her smooth skin reminding Kenzie that she didn’t have to try to be so tough in front of her best friend. Even after all Myreen had been through, her touch was still so delicate, so comforting.
A warm tingle started in the hand that Myreen still held, traveling up her arm and through her whole being. Strands of light pulled from the lit candle on the dresser and wrapped around Kenzie’s body in a brilliant dance. Kenzie’s mouth fell open, and when Myreen opened her eyes again, there was a smile on her lips.
Kenzie felt stronger, less drained, and when she brought her fingers to her neck, the scabs where Adam had bitten her were gone, leaving smooth skin. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so... awake? Alive? It felt as if Adam hadn’t been trying to suck her dry for a week. Kenzie gave Myreen a mystified smirk.
“Pretty cool, huh?”
“The best! Do it again?” Kenzie leaned forward, and Myreen laughed, the sound still so sweet and endearing.
“I think that’s enough for now. I’ll need my strength for recovering Kol and Char.” Myreen closed her eyes and ran her hands over her face again. Come to think of it, she did look awfully tired.
“Okay. So maybe I should go scout out the path for Leif and Ty. The best time to leave in order to avoid Ms. Morton will be during school. You might want to find out when Draven will be occupied.”
Myreen’s shoulders slumped, the light dying from her eyes. “You’re probably right.”
“Unless you want me to do that. I’m sure you’re probably tired of dealing with dear old daddy.”
Myreen shook her head. “No. It should be me. I can ask questions you can’t because I’m his daughter and I have what he wants.”
“And what’s that?”
“My blood.”
Kenzie wrinkled her nose, but didn’t feel like gagging. She kind of like not being so grossed out by the stuff, and wondered how long the effects would last. Too bad it wasn’t permanent.
Myreen wrinkled her nose, too. “Yeah, I know. It’s the last piece in his plan to become a hybrid.”
“Good thing you haven’t given him that yet.”
“Yeah. Weird, right? He said he wanted my permission and seemed pretty determined he’d earn it. But so far...” Myreen shrugged.
Kenzie breathed a sigh of relief. “At least you’ve been able to keep him from getting something he wants. I practically served him daywalking on a silver platter.”
“Kenzie—”
Kenzie shook her head. “No. I’ve been stupid. That’s on me.”
“You know, one of my teachers told me that living in the past is useless. We can feel guilty over it, but it won’t change anything. And it will probably keep you from doing what you’re meant to do to make things better. Or something like that.”
Kenzie nodded. “Sounds like good advice. I’m not sure I’m there yet, though.”
Myreen nodded. “I understand. Just try not to beat yourself up too much. I’d hate for you to do something stupid right as we’re about to get out of this place.”
Kenzie laughed. “Sounds like something I’d do. Okay. I’ll try.”
***
Kenzie stalked the halls of the upper towers, pulling her sweater tighter across her chest. On one level, she knew vampires didn’t need the heat, but it still seemed weird that any place occupied by a living being would be kept so cold. Although, vampires weren’t technically alive.
Still, she’d already performed her heat spell once, so she wasn’t too bad off, though the chill was trying to seep back in.
So she was surprised when she rounded a bend and ran into another student—another flesh-and-blood creature—roaming the Elite halls.
Kenzie flashed a panicked smile at the girl, who looked vaguely familiar. Large spectacles made her wide eyes look even wider, and her thin frame was trembling in the freezing cold of the tower.
>
“Are you okay?” Kenzie asked without thinking. She should be leaving, but something kept her rooted to the spot. Maybe it was that memory trying to push to the surface.
“F– f– fine,” the girl chattered. “Hey, ar– aren’t you that s– selkie girl?”
Kenzie stood for a moment with her mouth open, but decided it wasn’t worth hiding. Everyone at this place knew who she was, thanks to Draven. Probably in the shifter world, too.
“Cheás,” Kenzie said, pointing her palm at the girl.
“Oh!” The girl lifted her coat off her shoulders, looking at herself in amazement. The chattering had stopped, and she looked a little flushed.
“Sorry. Too warm?”
The girl laughed. “Never. I can’t stand the cold. Thanks, by the way.”
“Yeah, sure. I should probably be...” Kenzie hitched a thumb over her shoulder, then turned to leave.
“Wait!”
Kenzie stopped and pivoted back.
“I’m sorry, but you knew Leif before... well, before. Am I right?”
Kenzie gave a quick nod, then looked at her feet. She didn’t want to deny it, but she didn’t know this girl or what she wanted. Her first thought was that Ms. Morton had sent her to spy on Kenzie, for whatever reason. But then, why would anyone suspect she was up here in the first place?
“I just... I’m Piper. I was Leif’s Initiate until... well, you know.” She held out her hand, and Kenzie took it and they pumped in an awkward shake.
So this was the girl Kenzie had gotten so jealous over. She took another appraising look at Piper, and felt a small sense of satisfaction that she wasn’t some busty babe. “You look a bit thin to be donating.”
Piper laughed. “I’ve got just as much blood as any other girl, but Leif never drank from me.” There was a note of regret in her voice, but Kenzie detected something else, something she couldn’t quite identify.
“So you’re looking forward to becoming a vampire someday?”
Piper cast a nervous glance around the hall, but they were alone. “Not exactly. But don’t tell anyone I said that.”
“Our secret.” Kenzie smiled, but then she had an idea, one that made her itch with nerves, but she had to ask. And they were alone. She could always erase the girl’s memory if something went wrong. “Do you want to...? I mean, would you ever consider leaving without becoming a... you know?”
Piper bit her lip, but nodded. “But I don’t have a chance. It’s kind of like the mafia here—once in, you can never leave.”
“Oh. What if I told you we were executing a brilliant escape plan and you could come with?”
“Really?” Piper’s eyes widened, then narrowed at Kenzie. “Why would you do that? You have everything an Initiate could dream of.”
Kenzie leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. “I never wanted to be an Initiate in the first place. I came for Leif... and some others. You’re welcome to come, if you can keep from spilling the beans and come to the roof when I say.”
Piper nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes. Please! Do you need me to run any calculations? Or help you plot escape routes or anything?”
Kenzie smiled. “I think we’ve got it covered. Give me your info and I’ll message you when we know more. It’ll all be coded, though, to sound like school stuff.”
Piper laughed. “Piece of cake. Half the school would probably be able to decipher anything you could come up with. We’re all brilliant.”
“Brilliant idiots,” Kenzie said under her breath. But she smiled at Piper. “Sounds good.”
They exchanged info, and Kenzie sent Myreen a message, which earned her an unamused emoji in return. But she’d get Myreen on board. The girl was too much of a bleeding heart to leave someone like Piper behind.
“What are you doing up here, anyway?” Kenzie asked.
“I heard... Have you seen Leif lately?”
Kenzie nodded. “Yeah, but I wouldn’t recommend a visit. He’s in bad shape, and the stuff they’re injecting him with is messing with his mind.”
Piper nodded. “Copper. All the vampires are weak to the stuff.”
“Really? They’d inject one of their own with copper?”
“Apparently.”
Kenzie frowned. She didn’t know why she was so surprised, but it just seemed so cruel—too cruel even for Draven. But then she remembered the last spell she’d found, and an idea blossomed. “Okay. But I really should be going now.”
“Yeah. Me too, if I’m not going to visit Leif. Do you want to—?” Piper pointed down the hall toward the way out.
Kenzie nodded. “Sure.”
They nearly made it to the elevator when Kenzie remembered where she’d seen Piper before. “You were the one who sealed my wounds that first day I got here, weren’t you?”
Piper nodded. “I’m kind of surprised you remember that.”
“Thanks, by the way.”
“No thanks needed. When you’re around a bunch of vampires long enough, you come up with some precautions.”
Kenzie smiled to herself. She kind of liked this girl. And yeah, getting out another body might be a pain in the butt, but at least this one was healthy—and smart. They’d make it work. Besides Piper was so skinny, she and Ty combined probably still wouldn’t be the same weight as a regular adult.
Kenzie felt like their team was complete. Now she just needed to prep Leif for their great escape.
Chapter 33: Leif
Sitting on Leif’s lap, Rainbow purred his perfect middle C sound. Leif’s mind played with the sound, as if following the notes on sheet music. His fingers tapped along his knees, and he could almost hear himself playing Mozart’s Sonata in C. It was soothing, playing the happy melody, even through the minor transitions. They always returned to the happy major themes, anyway.
He was brought out of his momentary trance as he felt a tugging at his shackles. Rainbow was biting at the mechanism that dumped copper shavings directly into his wrists, hissing in the process. Leif wondered if the cat detected the copper and was attempting to help rid Leif of the poison.
Smiling lazily, he held his shaking arms up so the cat had easier access to the cuffs.
“If you can rid me of these bonds, I’ll make sure you are the happiest kitty in the world,” Leif mumbled. He hoped the encouragement would motivate Rainbow, although he wasn’t entirely sure the cat truly understood. But the fantastic feline had successfully torn away a heavy piece of metal covering from the window—the shackles binding Leif’s arms couldn’t be that much stronger.
But the cat’s attempt was in vain. Either the metal was resistant to his teeth and claws, or Rainbow was losing his touch.
Rainbow’s ears poked up, and he gazed at the doorway.
Leif was more coherent at the moment, which meant he was likely due for another injection of copper soon. “What is it?”
Rainbow looked at him with red eyes, then leapt down from his lap and bolted out the door. Leif knew a visitor was approaching, and sure enough, a few moments later, in walked Beatrice.
She wasn’t wearing her typical black hoodie and pants, but a sleeveless forest green dress that hugged her waist, then trailed down to her ankles. Beatrice stood taller than he was used to, wearing a pair of golden high heels. Her hair was styled, her makeup done in such a way that brightened her features. Leif couldn’t deny just how beautiful she looked.
Beatrice twirled, her green dress twisting from the movement. “What do you think?” she asked.
He found himself unable to look away. She looked angelic, as if she was no longer a vampire at all.
“You look...” the word slipped away from him. This wasn’t right. Beatrice in any form wasn’t right. Finally, he settled on saying, “Different.”
Her warm features clouded. “That’s not was I was hoping to hear.” She continued to move closer, and Leif kept his eyes on hers to avoid her swaying hips.
Get a grip, he told himself.
“It appears I haven’t taken you
down memory lane enough,” Beatrice said, and she held an arm toward him. At this point, he noticed she was holding a glass of dark red blood, its contents sloshing back and forth as she approached.
A moment of clarity allowed him to determine how Beatrice had manipulated him. Whatever was in the drinks she brought to him induced his visions of the past—visions Beatrice had meddled with. At least, he was pretty sure they weren’t real. They were always about Gemma. But the Gemma of those visions were unlike the Gemma he knew from memory. And he’d been through so many of them that things were beginning to blur. But the visions always came after he’d consumed Beatrice’s bloodmixes.
“I’m not thirsty,” he said, eyeing the cup with distrust. It was difficult to say. Blood was one of the few things that still brought him comfort. And he was getting thirsty.
“I’m afraid that doesn’t matter,” replied Beatrice. “I have you on a schedule, and today marks another feeding rotation. So drink up.”
He held out his shackled arms. “Let’s make a deal, then. Take these things off me and I’ll drink.”
She ran her free hand through her hair and laughed. The sound of it reminded him of how she used to laugh back at the boarding house. Carefree and happy, rather than the dark and sinister version that accompanied her vampire-ness.
Beatrice walked to him and sat on the couch, her shoulders brushing against his. She gently placed the glass on the end table next to her. “How about a counter-offer? I remove your bonds and you hold me in your embrace for the next few hours.”
Eliminate one kind of torture for another, he thought with a smirk. Still, it was a tempting offer. He was so tired of the coppery mist his mind was always in. If he could be free of that for a couple of hours...
Her thin fingers slipped into his weak hands, and she squeezed softly. “I try so hard, Leif Villers. I tried to move on after what happened at the boarding house. I rose to greatness among the vampires, and Draven saw it. Through him, I’ve achieved what every vampire dreams of. But you know what? I’d trade it all if it meant I could receive your love. I’ve loved you since I met you, walking up the dirt road carrying a knapsack with your meager belongings. Time has moved on, but my love for you hasn’t. And it never will.”