Cold Heart: A Paranormal Mystery Romance (Hearts and Minds Trilogy Book 2)

by Penny BroJacquie

  The flame of the candle flickered. I looked around for a light switch; it was beside the door. I approached the steeply-pointed ogive door and took a deep breath. It was time to get out of this room.

  The heavy door opened with a scratching creaking that made me jump. I looked through the open door but there was no one in the dark hallway. A wrought iron lantern over the entrance to a stairwell gave off the only light. Walking on my toes, I headed to the staircase and began descending timidly. The dim light from the starry sky passing through the skylight above the stairs lit the shiny balustrade. The end of the staircase led to a hallway. I continued climbing down the stairs until I ended up in another hallway with an arched stained-glass window between two ogive doors.

  After briefly thinking, I chose the door on the right. I opened it cautiously and entered a cold room with a few pieces of furniture, a burning fireplace to the left, and two stained glass windows on the right. Trying not to make any noise, I closed the door behind me. I had the feeling that the exit was close and that I only had to take the right path to find it. I turned the knob of the east door and pushed it timidly. A half-lit chamber was revealed behind the small opening. On the opposite wall, there was another door leading to a strong light source. Crossing along the elongated chamber, an arched bookcase full of old books got my attention.

  “Wow!” I let a small cry on enthusiasm to slip out of my throat.

  A second exclamation shout almost slipped from my mouth, when I felt a thick oriental rug under my feet. An old leather sofa was placed in the center of the room with the expensive luxurious furniture. Just like a firefly is attracted to the light on a dark night, I continued toward the door and the shining light.

  The robust male voice that came from the couch made my jump and may me raise both my arms in a defensive karate posture. I took a step back and looked over to the leather sofa. A man was sitting in the dim light.

  “Who are you?” I asked trying to maintain a strong voice.

  “The man you were waiting all your life to meet,” the man replied.

  “You’re nuts,” I yelled. “Don’t come close to me. Stay where you are,” I said still in a defensive posture.

  A heavy wooden chandelier with dozens of candles was hanging from the ceiling and a huge iron gate was visible in the distance. I had to get there as fast as I could. I had to get out of that damn building. I ran the hell out of me until I reached the front door. I grabbed the huge door handles into my hands and pulled them. The door didn’t open. I pulled again, with all my strength, but the door remained still. Numb with shock, I scanned the room around for another exit.

  “Don’t be afraid, I’m not going to hurt you,” the man said, as he took a few steps toward me. He was tall, with a toned body, green eyes, and his brown hair tied back in a man bun.

  “Who are you and why am I here?” I tried to give her voice a decisive tone although I was ready to faint from fear.

  “I’m your destiny,” replied the man kindly.

  “Are you nuts? How long have I been here?” I asked while clenching my fists.

  “Do not worry, I'll explain everything,” the man said moving forward, closer to me.

  “I don’t want you to explain anything, I just want you to open the door and let me leave,” I said and turned around to face again the huge door that led to my freedom. I was so confused. I couldn’t understand how I ended up in that weird place, locked in with that strange man who talked to me like we had known each other for years. One minute I was in my bed in Alexandre’s mansion in Belgravia and the other I was in this pop art gothic mansion God knows where.

  “Stella,” he said, “I’m no stranger to you. We know each other very well.” He whispered close to my ear and his icy breath caressed my shoulder. “Don’t be afraid, I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, taking a few steps back to create a safety zone between us. “Let’s talk over a cup of tea,” he said before he started walking toward the back of the chamber.

  A shiver ran through my body as I watched him disappear into the darkness of the vast hall. I was left alone in the huge room, however, I couldn’t escape. At least so I thought and at least for the moment. Partly because I didn’t have any other option, partly out of curiosity, I decided to follow him to wherever he had gone. I started walking toward the back of the chamber and the sound of my heels broke the disturbing silence of the space.

  “Turn right and open the door.” The stranger’s voice sounded in my mind.

  “Great, he’s a telepath, too,” I groaned, knowing exactly what that meant. I had to block him from reading my thoughts. And I couldn’t tell how easy that would be. Following his directions, I pushed the door and it opened. A gust of warm air hit my body as I entered an old-fashioned kitchen. A large lit hob warmed up the place nicely. Two stalls with kitchenware and a tawdry kitchen table with a few clay crockeries on it filled the place.

  “Are you feeling cold?” the man said and offered to roll a red velvet robe over my shoulders. I didn’t know why, but I let him do it with pleasure. I passed my hands through the sleeves and wrapped the heavy cloth around my body. As the adrenaline had started leaving my nervous system, I was beginning to realize how cold that place was.

  The man pulled out a wooden chair near the table and dusted it. He nodded for me to sit down and went back to the hob. When he returned, he had a porcelain teacup in his hands. The smell of steaming hot tea filled my nostrils as he placed the cup in front of me. Next to the bowl, he put a silver teaspoon and a clean napkin.

  “There is also cream and sugar; serve yourself,” he said, “that’s what you are, cream and sugar.” A timid smile was painted on his face.

  I looked at him, appalled. “You’re kidding, right?”.

  “About having tea with me?” He looked confused.

  “No, about that cream and sugar reference. Do you really think that cheesy flirting works with me?” I clenched my teeth.

  The dimples in his cheeks deepened as he smiled. He sat in a chair opposite me and crossed his ankles. Under different circumstances, I would have called him a handsome man.

  I reluctantly got the spoon in my hand and used it to stir the tea after I dropped a cube of sugar in it. I took a sip and wiped my mouth delicately with the napkin. I turned and looked at the man who was watching me with a polite smile on his face. Curiously, I now felt safe in his presence, as if he was not a stranger, as if I had not just met him. It was a feeling that I could not control, nor explain.

  “What was in the tea? I asked as I tried to scan his mind. “The potion of truth? Sedatives?”

  He laughed and it felt like he was genuinely entertained. Should I trust that guy? I didn’t know yet. In any case, I wouldn’t drink more of his tea. One sip was enough. And it didn’t kill me. Happy news!

  I wrapped the robe tightly around my body, clasped my hands in front of my chest, and sat cross-legged. “I am ready. Now we can talk,” I said engaging in a rather professional tone as if we were talking business. A part of me wished it was a business meeting, although deep inside I knew that wasn’t true.

  “I’m glad to hear that. I was looking forward to it,” he replied.

  His emerald eyes exuded sweetness but they also gave away that his life hadn’t been easy. More specifically he looked like he had lived many lives, although he looked young, in his early thirties. The sparse beard, the man bun, and his jeans added a rocker’s touch to his look.

  With serene movements, he stood up from his chair and moved close to me. “We have no time for dawdling. We have a lot to discuss. First of all, where did you get this?”

  I looked at him suspiciously. He was holding one of the vampire rings Alexandre had given to me, one of those the recent victims used to wear.

  “That’s my ring. Give it back to me!” I aimed to seize the ring in his hands, but with an agile movement, he transferred it to his other hand.

  “First, you need to tell me whose ring that used to be.”

  “First,
you need to explain what happened to me and how I got here,” I replied, raising my voice.

  “You were in great danger, but thanks to your good luck, I was passing by, I saved you and now you're safe.” A playful smile formed on his thin lips.

  A feeling of serenity flooded my heart as if I were in my mother’s arms. My muscles relaxed and my body sank deeper into the uncomfortable chair.

  “What is that you’re doing to me right now? Are you trying to hypnotize me?” I asked with a tone of sarcasm in my voice.

  His face became serious and I felt my body suddenly drained of the tranquility I had been dipped in.

  “I would never do that to any human being, let alone a guest of mine,” the man’s face darkened. A wave of cold air flooded the room and made me wrap the scarlet robe around my body tighter.

  The man turned his face toward the fireplace and the reflection of the flames glowed in his eyes. Out of the corner of my eye, I examined the room, only to confirm what I already knew. There was no way to escape.

  “I do not understand you,” I said. “Who are you? What are you?”

  With a sharp movement, he moved at a chair beside me. Sharp fangs were revealed beneath his thin lips. Drops of sweat rolled down my neck as he grabbed my wrist and his cold lips touched the soft bit of my flesh. As hypnotized, I didn’t try to resist him. An incomprehensible turmoil, more like pleasure than fear, conquered my soul. My heart pounded faster as he gently kissed my palm.

  “Alexandre,” I whispered, and I shuddered when I realized that it wasn’t Alexandre the person who had just kissed my hand. A small cry escaped my mouth as soon as I was pulled out of my lethargy. Cold fear seized my limbs as I watched his sharp fangs shrink back into his oral cavity. I tried to read his mind again but without success.

  Silence prevailed in the dim room. Suddenly, the man walked fast toward me and his abrupt movement made me curl up with fear.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  *

  I felt fury and rage coming from his heart. “Does he even have one?” I thought as I couldn’t hear any heartbeat coming from his heart. It felt like there was a black hole where his heart should have been.

  “Help!” I shouted instinctively but I stopped when he put his finger on my lips in a signal to keep silent. Did I obey out of fear of what the consequences could be if I didn’t? Or had he blocked me from uttering any word, from taking any action against him? If it was the latter, when exactly did that happen? Had he been blocking me from the beginning, from the moment I woke up and found myself in that bedroom with the large mirror with the wooden frame and the gothic window with the velvet curtains? Did he block me after we met? How powerful was that creature to be able to control my thoughts and actions without me realizing it? Me, a telepath of all people, the person who Alexandre had claimed to be the Hybrid; the powerful creature that will appear in our world and will bridge the differences between vampires and humans. It seemed that Alexandre was wrong. I wasn’t as powerful as he thought me to be. How disappointed he would be if he were there right now. All his hopes about the future of vampires would be shattered in little pieces. I was nothing special. I wasn’t the Hybrid. In was a failure.

  “Someone is downstairs,” he whispered. “Stay here and close the door. And don’t get out whatever happens outside.”

  With a loud slap, the man closed the door behind him. I stood there gasping in the empty chamber, flabbergasted by the turn of the events, frightened to death.

  Well, for a telepath I had suffered a major fail. I had seen none of this coming. I ought to allow myself to act, whatever that could mean.

  A loud noise made me jump. The entire building was shaken, and my heart raced like a crazy horse. The sound of dozens of glasses being broken echoed in an eerie crunching sound, followed by another loud “bang” accompanied by Alexandre’s cry of pain.

  “Alexandre!” I shouted out loud. “You’re here!” I yelled and opened wide open the door. A bright light flashed the space as Alexandre dragged his dagger out of his pocket to defend himself from a black-clad woman’s sword attacks.

  It was that woman! The woman I thought I’ve spotted twice the past 24 hours, and yet I wasn’t sure I had really seen her as she was disappeared twice in front of my eyes.

  Alexandre stayed still until the sword-wielding woman got closer to him, and then with a quick move, he ducked and grasped her by the knees and pulled her legs up. The woman landed on her back, revealing her well-shaped leg under her black dress. As if she had fallen on a trampoline, the woman rapidly bounced back and with a quick move, she wrapped her arm around Alexandre’s jaw. Trying to defend himself, Alexandre attempted a thrust at the woman’s chest, right at the moment she released him from her grip and moved back.

  With his dagger still flashing in his hand, Alexandre lost his balance and collapsed. The woman with the fancy black fascinator still on her head, jumped over him pointing him with her sword. Realizing that Alexandre was in danger, I instinctively raised my hand pointing to the Trenefor dagger and making it move and turn its edge towards the woman’s body. The creature got nailed on the dagger, and then magic happened. A glowing white light erupted from Alexandre’s ring, passed through my body, and ended to the edge of Trenefor. An enormous otherworldly power possessed my body. The cosmic vastness accommodated my tiny human body and little explosions of knowledge shook my soul. My long loud cry stopped when the creature evaporated, leaving its sword and its ring drop down in a haze of golden mist.

  However, I didn’t have the chance to celebrate my little victory as I felt a burning in my inside organs and a stream of blood started flowing from my belly. A man had suddenly appeared behind me and had penetrated my body with his sword. Shocked and in pain as I was, I hardly watched Alexandre ramming his dagger into the man’s neck. Once the stranger had given his last breath, his entire body was scorched down and disintegrated into a pile of black ashes.

  “Oh, my God,” I cried and fell down on smashed pieces of glass. “Who were those people?” The words came out of my mouth with a struggle.

  Alexandre knelt down and gently put my head on his lap. “Don’t be afraid,” he said softly.

  “I got stabbed with a Trenefor dagger. I’m afraid as shit,” I yelled.

  “It wasn’t a Trenefor, it was a commons sword,” he said as he brushed my silver-brown hair with his fingers.

  “Am I going to die?” I said trembling.

  “No, you aren’t going to die,” he said softly. “I promised to protect you, Stella Burke. I shall honor my promise to you.”

  “I’m feeling cold,” I said and my eyes watered.

  Alexandre bit the flesh on his wrist and dropped a few droplets of his blood in my half-opened mouth. “My blood will save your life and tie you to me forever,” he said in what sounded like a vow in a vampiric marriage ceremony.

  Although I almost instantly started feeling better, guilt took over my heart and my soul cried out loud.

  “I’m sorry, my love. I didn’t want to hurt you, but it was the only way to save your life,” he said surprised by my uncontrollable crying. “We’ll find a way to break this eternal bond that now is holding us together.”

  “That’s not the reason I’m crying,” I said sobbing. “It’s the fact that I felt attracted to the man that held me captive before you arrived. I wasn’t really attracted to him; it was more like someone was mentally forcing me to fall for him. I’m so sorry, my love. You share your blood with me in order to save my life, while I was flirting to another man only a few minutes earlier.”

  “Don’t be silly,” he said softly. “The only man in this mansion was the one who stabbed you and he had just arrived here.”

  “No, you’re wrong,” I said crying, “there also was a young man with a man bun who was trying to control my mind. What kind of telepath am I since I wasn’t able to stop him?”

  “The person that you’re talking about wasn’t a man at all,” he said, and a smile was painted on his face. “It was
the woman with the black dress and the black mini hat whom you exterminated.”

  “How can that be possible?” I asked, having abruptly stopped crying.

  “That woman was Erklishandre Bariah of the Bariah clan, a close relative to the Bariah we killed two years ago in Paris. She followed you to our home and the next morning, when you were on your way to the patisserie, she hypnotized you and convinced you to follow her. She removed the Malkvien ring from your finger and controlling your mind got easier for her. Erklishandre Bariah was the most powerful vampire in her clan and Yglishing Bariah, the man who stabbed you, was her brother. And we killed them. That means that we’re now at full war with the Bariah clan. We need to inform the rest of the Claitleeffs and Malkviens. Dark days are coming, and we need to prepare ourselves.”

  “But why did they come after me?” I asked.

  “News travels fast,” he explained. “In Paris, when you used the Trenefor to stab that Bariah’s body, you got connected to the power of three supreme ancient clans. You became the Hybrid. There is something deep in your soul, something that even you don’t know exists that draws me to you. It’s something in your past, Stella, something that waits to be discovered. Something that our rivals, my clan’s enemies, suspect or already know it exists.”

  “Keep this. It’ll help you protect yourself. No vampire has ever survived from the wounds made by the blade of a Trenefor. And I hope you’ll someday forgive me for not being entirely honest with you. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what I am. And I hope you’ll understand why I did that.”

  “Alexandre, what are we going to do?” I couldn’t hide the desperate tone in my voice.