Bloody Defiance

by Laura Hysell

  “What can I do to help you, my King?” I asked, putting my arms around Henri’s neck.

  Henri smiled, flashing his fangs at me. “You can distract me from my problems,” he said seductively.

  I laughed, but it was a struggle not to notice Mark’s scowl. “I meant, what can I do to help with your vampire problem? Perhaps I can look around, and see what I can see. They wouldn’t suspect anything from me. They underestimate me.”

  “That they most definitely do,” Henri replied. “It could be dangerous.”

  “That’s why I have my bodyguard, and why I’ve been learning to fight. I promise to be careful,” I added sweetly as I batted my eyes at him. “I am your Queen, after all. What sort of Queen would I be if I didn’t help my King?”

  “Hmm, perhaps this would work,” he mused as he ran his hands slowly down my body. “I’ll have Thomas accompany you. I’m sure I can come up with something. You must promise to be safe, though. I’m not ready for you to become a vampire.”

  “Of course, my King.”

  “Now, take my mind of my troubles,” he commanded, and his power pulsed against my mind. It pissed me off that he was once again using his power to coerce me, but I tried to stifle my anger.

  He kissed me and pulled me into his arms. I stiffened in his embrace, and he set me down on the floor, pushing me back. “Sorry, I’m a bit sore,” I commented, and I wasn’t lying. My body felt like it was covered in bruises. The look Henri gave me was frightening, but I used my best acting skills to put a sad look on my face. “And I can’t stop picturing Raoul and Paul. They were good instructors, and would have made excellent members of our army.”

  Henri held me at arm’s length and caressed my cheek, where a stray tear had managed to slip down my cheek. My sadness over Raoul and Paul wasn’t an act. “You will be pleased to hear that Raoul still lives. He has been given vampire blood and should survive. And the other one, Paul, will be back with us as well, if he survives the transformation,” he added.

  “If he survives?” I asked, frowning. “Transformation?”

  “He had plenty of vampire blood in him prior to death to turn, but sometimes the body doesn’t respond in time. It really depends. His neck was snapped, and that can be a difficult thing to heal from. I have known vampires who sustained horrible injuries at death, and they lived with the scars and deformities forever. Fire is truly the worst,” he added, shaking his head.

  “Will Raoul be human or vampire?”

  “Human,” Henri replied shortly. “He was still alive, although barely, and vampire blood was used to heal his wounds.”

  “Please, you’ll let me know if they both make it,” I pleaded, and Henri nodded. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a bath and ease these sore muscles.”

  The scowl on Henri’s face was immediate, but he quickly rearranged his face into a pleasant look. If I hadn’t been watching for it, I might not have noticed. “Of course, my Queen,” he said pleasantly. I smiled and made my way to the bathroom before he had a chance to change his mind.

  I took my time in the bath, hoping if I delayed long enough Henri would be gone. After my bath, I immediately put the knife back on first before checking on the vampire. A quick look around the apartment revealed no vampires. I sighed in relief as I hurried back to my room to check on Mark. He had gotten cleaned up while I was in the shower, and was waiting, arms crossed, just inside my bedroom door. His eyes looked at me, but there was no reaction behind the look. I sighed audibly and stomped around my bedroom. I couldn’t do this on my own. Each day I grew stronger, faster, better, but I couldn’t fix Mark. I couldn’t stop humans from dying. I couldn’t reach the werewolves. Or could I?

  I changed clothes quickly, not caring that Mark stood in the room blankly staring at me. His eyes followed me as he assumed his usual bodyguard position by the door. There was no form of technology around. No television, so I had no idea what was happening in the outside world. There were no phones, so I couldn’t contact anyone. I sat on my bed and pulled out the knife.

  I wouldn’t try it again, Aidan warned.

  Something happened. He heard me talking to you.

  Exactly why you shouldn’t try it again. The knife was made to link with one person. The magic fuses that person to the knife. Linking another person at the same time is not a good idea. I don’t even know if it’s possible to link with more than one person. Especially considering that person is a werewolf. They have their own magic.

  They do have their own magic, I mused. If I can wake Mark up enough to turn into a wolf, maybe he can communicate with the Pack.

  And say what? You managed to get him vaguely coherent for a few minutes, but he doesn’t know where he is. What could he possibly communicate? I suppose he could growl at his Pack.

  You’re awfully pessimistic for a knife.

  I’m not just a knife. And I’m not pessimistic.

  No, you’re the disembodied voice of a person who used to be attached to a magical knife. You’re dead, and all that remains is whatever magic linked you to this blade.

  Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

  Aidan was silent after that, but I didn’t need an extra voice in my head. I flipped the knife over and over in my hand, thinking. Mark stood bodyguard at the doorway and I could very easily just fall asleep, but I didn’t. I stood and walked toward Mark, staring up into his blank eyes. I pulled his face toward mine, willing him to look at me. The knife touched his cheek as I did so, and I felt the throbbing pull of magic pulsing beneath my palm.

  “Mark,” I said softly, breathing his name repeatedly. “Mark, find your wolf.”

  Mark’s eyes turned a soft golden color around the edges, the first sign that his wolf was surfacing. He growled quietly, and I grinned. I held his face, keeping the blade pressed against his skin. His eyes turned slowly golden, until he blinked and I knew he was back with me. I smiled at him, and he touched my cheek tenderly. We stood like that for several moments, staring at each other.

  “Mark, I want you to do something,” I said finally. He frowned at me, but I quickly continued. “You need to reach out to your Pack. Tell them where you are. See if you can speak to Jed.”

  “Jed?” Mark asked slowly.

  “Yes, Jed, your Alpha.”

  “I’m not supposed to speak to him yet.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Iz, it’s not time yet.”

  “Mark, I don’t understand. Time for what? Reach out to Jed. Maybe he can help you.”

  Mark leaned back suddenly and I let go of his face as his eyes turned blank once more. His eyes became their usual chocolate brown color, but there was no light behind them. I sheathed the knife and stared at him, wondering what had gone wrong. Nothing he said made sense. I thought for sure if he could just get his wolf close to the surface that he could communicate with Jed.

  The vampire has reestablished his link on the werewolf, Aidan said suddenly.

  When? How?

  Vampire blood courses anew through his veins, stronger than before.

  Damn it! I had him for a minute though.

  If you say so.

  Aidan, you’re not helping.

  I have advised you as best I can. Sleep. Let the magic and power you have gained course through you. Tomorrow you will be better.

  I laid my head back on the pillow and closed my eyes, relaxing into the cushioned softness of the bed. Warmth from the magical knife seeped into my skin, and I found myself relishing in the strange tingling sensation. Magic flowed into me, wrapping me in a protective shield of power. I drifted off, with the magic lulling me into a deep and dreamless sleep.

  Chapter 15

  The next day I awoke free of the bruises and injuries I had sustained the previous night. Mark was still at his post guarding me, but there was a vampire nearby. I could sense the vamp from the next room, and I somehow knew it wasn’t Henri. Mark seemed unconcerned, so I took my time dressing before seeing who it was. Today I selected all black once
again, feeling decidedly morose.

  I peeked into the hallway and didn’t see anyone before I made my way to the bathroom. After flicking on the light, I moved toward the sink and stared at myself in the mirror. My mouth was hanging open in surprise. Tentatively, I reached a hand toward my hair, pulling the long locks of blonde hair toward my face. Yesterday I had still sported dyed black hair that went just below my shoulders. Today my hair was back to its natural blonde shade, and it seemed to have grown several inches overnight.

  Had I lost time again? Damn, what had the vampire done to me this time? I cleaned up and stormed out into the next room, ready to berate whichever vampire was in the next room. Thomas leaned up against the wall, idly cleaning his fingernails. He looked up and raised his eyebrows.

  “New look?” he asked, before I could say a word.

  “What?”

  “You dyed your hair back to blonde?”

  I stared at him in confusion. “What? How long has it been since Wesley tried to turn me into a vampire?”

  “Did you hit your head?” he asked, pushing himself off the wall. He was dressed as he usually was, in his retro Al Capone gangster style, minus the Tommy gun.

  “Please, just answer the question,” I repeated.

  He walked toward me, the frown creasing his face. “That was yesterday, Isabella. Are you sure you’re alright?”

  “It was yesterday? But how?” I stopped, biting my tongue. “Of course it was yesterday. I just had a very strange dream. It must have confused me.” How the hell did my hair grow and change color overnight? Even vampire blood didn’t work that well, or that fast.

  You heal faster, Aidan said softly in my mind.

  I’ve been healing fast for a while now, thanks to all that vampire blood. I don’t recall my hair ever changing color overnight before.

  This isn’t vampire blood. This is you. This is me.

  This is because of the knife?

  “Henri mentioned us working together,” Thomas said slowly. “To find any other problem children.”

  “Oh, yes, of course. I think my combat training is on hold anyway, with my trainers being out of commission and all. Do you know anything about Raoul or Paul?”

  “Raoul is recouping just fine. I’m afraid Paul did not survive the transition though. He is truly dead. I am sorry,” Thomas added.

  I didn’t think he cared one way or the other, but I nodded in appreciation of the sentiment. “Paul wanted to become a vampire,” I said softly.

  “Everyone wants the fountain of youth,” Thomas replied. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

  “You don’t like being a vampire?” I asked, cocking my head to one side as I looked at him.

  He grinned and shook his head. “Some things I love. The power, the speed, the immortality are all amazing. Other things I hate.”

  “What things do you hate?”

  “You lose your family when you become a vampire. Either you go crazy and kill them yourself from the bloodlust, or you simply lose them to time and distance. There is no family as a vampire. We are not human, Isabella. Whatever made us human is gone. We have well and truly died. We are but shells of our former selves. I remember knowing what love is, but that emotion is lost on me now.”

  “Henri says he loves me,” I said.

  Thomas looked at me, a small smile on his face. “Vampires do not know what love is, Isabella. Do not forget that. We feel lust and a type of companionship, but it is not love. I have not felt true love since I died.”

  “Who was she?” I asked.

  The look on his face broke my heart. There was a sense of anguish there, but the vampire claimed he didn’t feel emotions. “She was my whole world, but I died. She buried me and moved on with her life.”

  “Have you not felt love because you still love her, or because you are incapable of love?” It was a cruel question to ask, but I felt compelled to push him for an answer.

  “I know I loved her, because I remember loving her and wanting nothing more than to spend every waking moment with her. Part of me yearns to feel that again, but I never have. We vampires find dalliances, but we don’t love. It is not the same.” He stopped and looked at me directly. “Would you ever kill Mark?”

  “What?” I asked, glancing back toward Mark still stationed against one wall.

  “I know you love him, no matter what game you play with Henri. Could you ever kill him? Could you rip out his heart and eat it? Because I could take Rebecca’s heart in my hand and crush it as easily as I could kiss her. I know I loved her, but I don’t feel love. I do not care. That is the difference between humans and vampires. Even the most cruel and evil human might second guess hurting someone he loves. Vampires simply do as they please, when it pleases them. Perhaps there are emotions attached to our actions, but they are not human emotions.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, then promptly shut it. “Point taken,” I said sharply.

  “Good. Now, do you have ideas in mind for searching for Henri’s betrayers?”

  “Remember that room with all the computers?” I asked, and he nodded. “I’m sure Henri has surveillance. If he records things, we could simply follow Wesley back to whoever he met beforehand. It would give us a target or two to start with.”

  “Excellent idea, but I’ll have to ask Henri to give us clearance.”

  “Sure, go ahead. I’m going to finish getting ready,” I said as I turned away. I went back to the bathroom and looked through the drawers. There was no hair dye to be found. How was I going to explain my suddenly blonde hair? I shook my head and pulled my hair up into a ponytail. After I quickly brushed on mascara and lip gloss, I stared at my reflection. My skin was pale even for me, but the blonde hair was a welcome sight. Henri might not think so, but I didn’t give a rat’s ass what he thought.

  When I returned to the living room, Henri and Thomas were speaking in the doorway and Mark was nowhere to be seen. Henri looked up at me, his eyes widening in surprise. Crap. I figured Thomas would have told him, but apparently not. I took a deep breath, smiled and walked toward him.

  “I’m hungry,” I said, hoping to alter the course of conversation.

  “Mark is bringing breakfast up to you. What happened to your hair?”

  I shrugged. “I thought you could tell me.”

  “You don’t know?” he asked, his eyebrows rising in surprise, or perhaps disbelief.

  “No clue. I woke up this morning and it was just like this,” I responded.

  Henri walked toward me and touched my hair, letting it fall between his fingers. “It has grown as well. Your injuries from yesterday are healed.” It was a statement not a question, but I still nodded my head. “Very curious.”

  “It’s just hair,” I replied, acting as though it was of no consequence. “Did Thomas tell you of our idea?”

  “Your idea? Not yet,” Henri replied, looking back at Thomas.

  “We were hoping you could give us clearance to the surveillance and restricted areas. We’re hoping to backtrack Wesley on the security cameras to hopefully find whoever is behind this, or at least a person of interest. We also need to be able to go anywhere Wesley had access,” Thomas added. We hadn’t spoken about that, but I wasn’t about to argue about it. Security access would be a bonus.

  “Wesley had high level clearance and could go most anywhere in the building. I trusted him. Come, I’ll take you up to the surveillance rooms and get you access.” Henri turned toward the door just as Mark opened it, carrying a tray of food. Behind him, stood Killian and Raoul.

  “Raoul, you’re healed!” I said in surprise, moving excitedly toward him. I hugged him briefly, conscious of the vampires behind me.

  “Nothing a little vampire blood couldn’t fix,” Raoul responded, casting a glance toward Henri. “Thank you again, King Henri.”

  “Anything to keep my Isabella happy,” Henri replied.

  “Thank you, my King,” I said, turning to Henri, who nodded his head briefly.

 
“Are we training?” Raoul asked.

  “Not today. You should rest,” I added, putting my hands on my hips as I looked at the man. “You almost died yesterday, and I won’t be able to train if I’m worried about my own trainer!”

  “These two can assist you,” Henri said suddenly, surprising me. “They have certainly proven their loyalty to you. If you trust them, then I shall as well.”

  I smiled and nodded, but I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. I did trust Killian and Raoul to an extent, but I wasn’t sure about bringing them into more vampire drama. Of course, Raoul had already been given Henri’s blood, so he was as screwed as I was in that. There wasn’t any room for discussion though as Henri led us out of the room and toward the elevator. I took the plate of food from Mark and ate while I walked.

  By the time we reached the 18th floor I had finished most of the food and left the plate in the elevator. Someone would take it out. We walked down the sterile hallway of metal. It didn’t contain any silver, because Mark was walking along without any visible problems, but I wasn’t sure what it was. It made me feel self-conscious, seeing myself reflected on every surface. I looked down at the floor, thankful I was wearing pants and not a skirt as I looked at my reflection below me.

  Henri led us past the large room of computers and fans to a door you couldn’t make out unless you knew it was there. He pressed his hand to the door and it swished open. The room was small and narrow, with rows of computers taking up most of the space. At the front of the room, a man sat at a computer with three screens. I stepped forward and glanced at the screens, seeing multiple camera views rotating across the monitors.

  The man was pale, but human, and looked up at Henri expectantly. “I need full security access for Queen Isabella,” Henri said, “and please get everyone here set up to view surveillance. They’ll also need a room.”