“It won’t be. We’ll need help. And…we have an entire Academy to choose from.”
“Reece.”
“The upper level students have been thoroughly trained. They’re the best you’ll find.”
“I can’t ask the students to…and…is this why you wanted…you couldn’t. Reece?” My words, my thoughts, they’re all in shambles. I look up at Reece, confusion set deep in my eyes.
“This isn’t why I pushed for you to start the Academy,” he says in answer to a question I didn’t quite complete. “But I made sure that their training didn’t just help them to get real world jobs and fight real world bad guys. I made sure they were strong enough to fight the worst of the worst.”
I run everything he’s saying through my mind. Over and over. I don’t know how to feel about it.
“It’ll be their choice,” Reece adds. “And if we do manage to find your parents, you’d have managed to open doors for them that we never would have expected.”
Another deep breath. Still, I don’t know how to feel about all this.
Reece takes ahold of my hand again. “But first thing’s first. We’re going to have to break into the Vampire Council.”
“Reece,” I say, wanting to get one thing clear before this conversation comes to a close. “Gregor and the Tigerhearts.”
I don’t need to ask the question in order to earn an answer. “You were right about him.”
“How do you know?”
“I went to see him. He hasn’t a clue who Buillard really is or what his intentions are. He has no interest in fighting you anymore. I also took a look at the evidence he said was left at the scene. It didn’t match up. I showed him that, he understood it, said after talking to you he knew he’d made a mistake. The man’s an idiot, but he’s not fully stupid.”
I smile a little and take Reece’s hand in mine. “So, the Vampire Council, you say.”
Chapter Eighteen
The Vampire Council is to vampires what Capitol Hill is to humans. Power.
The sky-scraping building that seems to be made out of only dark glass and metal, stands in the very center of the city where it can be seen cutting into the sky no matter where you stand.
In all my years, I’ve never been this close to the Vampire Council. At night, it is transformed. The glass appears golden during the daytime, but becomes midnight black at night. Though I’m immortal, the sheer height of the buildings gives me an eerie feeling that if I were to ever fall from its summit, I would die.
“You remember the plan?” Reece says next to me. We’re dressed alike, in ‘normal’ clothes. Blue jeans and plain, black t-shirts.
“Pretty difficult not to remember such a simple plan,” I say to him. “You distract the guards while I race inside and get what we need.”
“You’re going to have to move smart and quick, Mariella. This is not your regular ol’ blood bank, it’s the Vampire Council.”
I’ve never set foot inside the Vampire Council. I’m very aware that this is worlds more difficult than breaking into a blood bank.
“You do it.”
He looks at me. “What?”
“It’s designed against vampires, isn’t it? Putting me in there with no knowledge of the place is madness. I should distract the guards. You go in and get what we need.”
“It won’t work. We’ll be able to play off a vampire wandering in there and asking questions, but I won’t ever be able to get that far.”
“Not unless I make one hell of a distraction.” I nudge him with my elbow. “Who was the one who taught me how to sneak into blood banks without leaving a trace?”
“You were a really good student.”
“You know what I’m saying makes sense.”
He hums thoughtfully. “Okay, let’s do it then.”
I grin victoriously. “Glad to have the old duo back together.”
He only smiles in response. In unison we begin walking toward the Vampire Council. As we approach the actual doors, he whispers, “Good luck.”
I nod.
Reece falls back and I get into action. I reach down to my boots and whip out the knife hidden in the side of my boot. I push it into my sleeve. It’s there just in case I need it and not because I’m keen on making myself seem like a threat. I’ve always prided myself on being discreet. But now, now’s the time to make a scene.
I step forward, closer to the guard. This place is very unlike anything I know. For one, I’ve never seen a vampire with such a large stick up his ass before, but my target seems to be one of a kind.
“You son of a bitch!”
His eyes go as large as the moon at the sight of me. “M-Me?”
“Yes, you!” I shout. Already heads are turning in our direction. “You think you could get away with it, didn’t you? You…you…cheating bastard.”
As impossible as it seems, he pales even further at the accusation. He chances a step forward, glancing around at the eyes we’re attracting. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know who you—”
“You think because you work at the stupid Vampire Council, that I wouldn’t find you?”
“Please, let’s talk about this in private. I don’t know what you mean but I’m sure we can work it out. Clearly this is nothing more than a misunderstanding…”
He leans forward, hoping to get me to calm my voice down; to dropping the disturbance at his workplace. I put on a show, pretending I’m thinking about it, that I’m reconsidering, and just when his fingers are inches away, I snap again. “How could you do this to me? How could you?” I moan, kicking up the level of crazy just a notch. If I may say so myself, I’m not a terrible actress.
The other guards leave their posts. They move fast, and so I move slow, giving them enough time to stop me as I pretend to make a threatening step toward the stranger I’m screaming at.
“What’s the problem here, ma’am?” the first guard asks. His hat is brought low, not allowing me to see whether he’s born or turned, but his fitted red uniform makes him somewhat of a sight for sore eyes. Not to mention the fact that, now that they aren’t watching anymore, Reece has a better chance of sneaking by.
I resist the urge to look over his shoulder to see if Reece got by safely, instead, stepping back and whipping the knife in his direction. “Don’t come near me.”
The other guards step forward, anticipating a fight but the first guard is the one who does all the speaking. “Ma’am, please calm down. I’m sure we can find a more peaceful solution to the problem you’re having.”
The guard comes forward again, holding out a hand. “Ma’am…” I tense as he pauses. He tilts his head, and I can finally see that he’s a turned vampire but that’s not what gives me pause. It’s the way he stares at me, as if he recognizes me from somewhere. “Do I know you?” he asks.
“No,” I say quickly, turning my attention back to the stranger. Another guard steps in front of him, hoping to subdue me. I grimace at that.
From a quick glance to the corner of my eye, I see that the guard looks unconvinced. I charge on, now and the guards tackle me to the ground. I allow them to disarm me, keeping my eyes on the stranger. I scream and snarl, satisfied by the gasps and whispers about my behavior I hear around me. I thrash hard enough so that more guards rush in to help pin me down.
I do that for a while, keeping an ear out for their tasers. Once I hear that, I’m done. But the sound never comes — all I hear is the continued curses of the guards around me as they struggle to keep me pinned. There are more of them, and they’re all definitely larger than me, but Reece has taught me some other valuable things in the past. I always keep one step ahead, never allowing them to get a decent hold of me, always positioning my body in such a way that if they do, I can easily worm my way out of their grasps.
“Alright, enough!” I shout after some time has passed. I’m sure Reece has gotten out by now. “I’m done. I’m done.”
I allow them to pin me down securely this time, everything coming to stop. The gua
rd who spoke to me before gets to his feet, panting.
“I’m done,” I repeat. “I won’t try anything else, I swear.”
He frowns at me, as if he’s trying to gauge if I’m telling the truth. Finally, he nods to the others and one by one, they get off me. I get to my feet, flexing my joints.
“You’re lucky they were here,” I murmur, loud enough that everyone hears but clearly enough to have them subduing me again.
I face the other guard, though I don’t look at him head on. “I’m sorry for the ruckus I caused. I saw him and … and I just got flustered and crazy. At the Vampire Council, of all places.” I huff a disbelieving laugh. “I can’t believe I did that. I’m so embarrassed.”
The guard is still staring at me with that odd expression. He opens his mouth to say something but someone else cuts in. “What’s going on here?”
I don’t know who I expect to see when I turn to the voice. I should have known it was someone who held weight around here from the way they snap to attention. But it doesn’t occur to me and when I look to my left, I stagger slightly at the sight of Boering Milliyard.
What are the odds…
In all my time sneaking into the monthly meetings, Boering Milliyard has blended into the background.
But one look at him now and I see the allure. He holds himself with a sort of grace that makes him shine, a slight smile on his lips, a deep glow in his eyes. He stands tall. His clothes are old-fashioned in model, but high in quality. Handsome isn’t the word I’d use to describe him, but another girl might. Boering looks as if he’d be perfectly fine drinking champagne with a queen and playfully scuffling with disadvantaged kids outside their orphanage. The deceit in his appearance angers me.
“Nothing, sir,” the head guard answers, his arms stiff at his side. “We were just breaking up an argument.”
“Sounds like more than an argument to me.”
“It’s settled now, sir.”
Boering nods, accepting it. His eyes fall on me and they fill with curiosity. I don’t know what he sees on my face, but he turns his entire body to me and I tense.
“I know you.”
I think about what I should say. I settle on being transparent. “I suppose you should.”
He inclines his head, still staring at me though I don’t know how to interpret it this time. “You guys should get back to your positions,” he says to the guards.
“Yes sir!” They all do a stiff half nod, half bow before scurrying off to their positions
Boering returns his attention to me. “I would like to speak with you,” he tells me. He says it likes it’s a suggestion, but I know it’s anything but. “Why don’t you come with me to my office?”
I contemplate the idea. I could easily tell him to fuck off. But curiosity takes a hold of me. So I incline my head for him to lead the way.
Boering smiles at that, turning and making his way to one of the elevators. I follow behind him, ignoring the eyes that are still watching me. He doesn’t say anything on the way up and we reach the 190th floor before the doors open up again. It leads out onto a wide floor that seems to be split in two. On the left side, the room is swathed in golden fixtures, white couches and potted plants. On the right is the lobby that leads to Boering’s office. We push through large double doors made of light colored wood. Boering steps aside for me to go through first. Inside is shrouded in dark purples and greys and dreary paintings.
I crook a brow, taking my first step inside.
“Where’s Hector’s office?” I ask, taking a look around the massive yet wholly bare office he occupies. He walks around me to his desk and sets his things down.
“It’s on the same floor as mine,” he responds. “You’ll have to exit the elevator through the back and not through the front.”
“I’m guessing it’s across from the second vice-president as well?”
“It’s genius architecture, don’t you think? No one is ever seen to be above the other.” He smiles at that, as if warmed by the thought.
I throw myself down into one of the couches and watch him as he makes his way over to the opposing one. I merely shrug at his comment.
“So,” he begins. “What are you doing here, Mariella?”
“Settling an issue with an old friend,” I say vaguely. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”
“I saw a bit of it at the end. Didn’t really strike me as the kind of situation founder of an Academy would find herself in.”
“Neither did I expect to find myself sitting in your office with my wrists unshackled, but here we are.”
“You’re into handcuffs,” he says, it’s almost a whisper and I cringe inwardly at the way his tongue darts out. “I can’t say I wouldn’t have guessed.”
Old rich bastard. Take out that middle word and he’s nothing more or less than the men who used to show up to the foster home. I’d never gutted one of them inside the home. The kids who still had a little of their innocence kept intact didn’t need to see all that. Outside, however, when they were free for just about anything in the world to claim, I had my way with them. The bastard who tried to force his cock into my mouth ended up suffocating on his own bleeding cock that night.
“Tell me you’re not the type,” Boering says and so lost was I in my thoughts that his voice takes me by alarm.
I try not to picture the way Boering would look with his own cock down his throat. Or up his ass. And then I force myself to blink away those thoughts too, just in case my imaginations get me a little too excited. Once a rogue, always a rogue, right?
“I prefer to be the one doing the handcuffing,” I answer.
“As a law-abiding citizen, I would hope that’s how it is.” Something switches in his expression and I can tell that he’s trying to bring at least a hint of decency back into the conversation.
Suddenly, he gets to his feet and makes his way over to the bar in the far, far corner. The further away he is from me, the more air it feels like there is in the room.
“Would you like some wine?” he asks.
“I’d have some blood if you have it,” I answer. “I’d love to have a taste of the blood people like you like to drink.”
“I’ll bring you my best then,” he laughs. I fake a smirk, letting it fall the moment he turns his back and picks up a decanter of dark blood. I take the moment to sort through my thoughts, to keep myself from lunging at him with everything in me. The rage is all-consuming, but I have to bide my time. I have to wait. I have to find my protectors. And in the meantime, he’ll be happy as a lark living the life he killed and deceived to get.
“Here you go.” He hands me the glass before returning to his seat. I don’t even have to taste it to know that this is better than anything I’ve ever had. The smell itself is divine. O Negative, most likely.
I down half the blood, trying not to look too hungry when I do it and set the rest of it on the table between us. “So, Boering, why am I here?”
“I’m intrigued by you, Mariella.”
“Glad I could brighten your day up a bit. Unfortunately, I have other business to take care of, so how about we get to the point?”
He laughs again, though I have a feeling it’s at a private joke I’m not privy to. “No problem, I’ll get to the point then. Between you and me, we are thinking of asking you to turn your Academy over to us. We have the resources to make it something great, something that you could really be proud of.”
My eyebrows peak at that, but it only takes me a second to calm my surprise. “I’m already pretty damn proud of the Academy,” I say. “And turning it over? I’m not so sure. Turned vampires aren’t really something you all are keen on and at the Rouge Academy, we don’t discriminate. Plus, I’m not sure you could convince the other coven leaders.”
“We’ll be meeting to vote on it, but I think the odds are in your favor.” He says that like he really thinks his offer impresses me. “I’ve been speaking to a few of the leaders in secret, hoping to win them over.
”
“Why?”
He shrugs, sipping his blood. “I like a good story, Mariella. And I’ve been watching your students for the past few years. It’s hard not to be impressed.”
“That’s sweet of you.”
“Does that sound like something you would be interested in?”
I take my time answering, taking another gulp of blood before setting it back down. “I think I’ll pass.”
“It’s a good offer.”
“I wasn’t looking for an offer.” I drain the glass and plunk it down on the table, coming to a rise. “Thanks for the chit-chat, Boering,” I say, standing, unsure whether or not he’ll allow me to just walk out of his office.
“You should think about it, Mariella.”
He says the words when I’m halfway to the door. Or rather, he whispers them. The tone underlying it is what gives me pause, what makes me look over my shoulder at him. Slowly, he looks up at me and shrugs one shoulder. “Or not. I’m sure you know what’s best for you.”
There’s no denying the threat in his words. I stay rigid, trying not to clench my fists too tightly. He doesn’t know that I know. He doesn’t know that I know.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I murmur back and I’m about to leave again.
“How is everything really going with your Academy, Mariella?” I frown at the sudden question, but he blinks innocently at me. “Off the record, of course. Pretend you aren’t speaking to me as me, but a random guy on the street.”
“I wouldn’t tell a random guy on the street anything about the Academy.”
“Understandable.”
I fold my arms, watching him closely. “
“Being an Academy and all,” he says with a smile, “I can only imagine the level of restraint you guys must have to employ when attacked.” I don’t respond. He nods, still with that eternal smile on his face. “Okay, enough of my questions. I’m just a nosy old coot and I’ve held up enough of your time.” Again, I choose not to respond. The odd air clears instantly, but that uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach doesn’t go away. “It was nice to finally meet you, Mariella.”
Rogue Academy: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Academy Romance (Rogue Vampire Academy Book 1) Page 12