“For what?” I ask.
“Martinez made a play for Olivia. He set a trap, and he almost succeeded in getting her to walk right into it,” Reilly explains. “However, his failure gives us the advantage. We know what he wants most of all now.”
Stocke turns to me and I bite the inside of my cheek.
“You want to use me as bait?” I ask. He could have passed the plan by me before bringing it up in front of Stocke.
Reilly nods.
“How exactly do you suggest we do that? Should I just go outside and wave around a sign that says ‘come and get me’?” I ask.
Reilly shrugs. “I don’t think you need the sign, but yes, something similar to that. The plan doesn’t need to be complicated.”
“Why didn’t he take me this afternoon? I was out in broad daylight, alone. I drove all over the city,” I say, crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair.
“You weren’t actually alone. I’ve had someone following you when you aren’t with one of the agents,” Reilly says. “As a matter of protection, of course. The threat from the coven that attacked the clanhouse is still high.”
I dig my nails into my palm and grind my teeth together to keep from saying something because whatever might come out right now would be ugly.
“If the threat is so great that you needed to assign a protective detail to Olivia, I should have been informed of it,” Stocke says, leaning forward with both hands flat on the table.
“I did mention that I believed they were still searching for her,” Reilly says. “And having one bodyguard stay close is hardly a protective detail. He wouldn’t have been able to stop a kidnapping most likely, but if you were taken I would have been notified immediately.”
“Maybe you should have just installed a GPS tracker in me and then you wouldn’t have had to bother having me followed,” I bite out. “I can’t believe you did that without telling me.”
“Yet I did, and it most likely kept you from being kidnapped yesterday when you went out by yourself, despite repeated warnings about your safety. Despite the obvious threat that Martinez and the NWR pose,” Reilly snaps, losing the cool he has maintained up to this point. “Stocke is right that you are reckless.”
My cheeks burn and I want to slap Reilly across the face. Electricity sparks across my fingertips where they are still curled into the palm of my hand.
“I did what I had to and I won’t apologize for it,” I growl back.
“I’ve gathered that apologies aren’t really your thing,” he sneers.
“Enough,” Stocke says. “Whatever lover’s spat you’re having can wait until you’re alone.”
“We are not—” I begin.
“I do not care,” she reiterates, dismissing me with a wave of her hand. “Reilly, what exactly is your plan?”
“I think it’s time Olivia tried to run away,” he says, putting his hands behind his head and relaxing back into his chair. “Is your shoulder completely healed by the way?”
I cover it with my hand. It isn’t, but I wasn’t going to say anything because I didn’t want them trying to get me medical attention.
“No, but I can heal it later.”
Reilly grins. “Perhaps we can explore installing a GPS tracker in you first.”
* * *
My palms are sweating. I wipe them against my pants and glance over my shoulder, which still aches thanks to Reilly’s stupid plan. I’m less than a block from the car rental place, but I’ve been walking for over an hour.
It took thirty minutes to give Reilly’s tail the slip, and another fifteen to make sure he was actually gone. Both Reilly and Stocke had agreed it was necessary to make this seem real. I hadn’t disagreed, but it was still a pain in the ass.
The farther I get from the Strip, the fewer pedestrians there are which makes me breathe a little easier. I’d like to see Martinez coming if he does try to take me. I’m starting to doubt he will though. This whole thing might be a little too obvious of a trap.
I adjust my backpack again, it’s awkward and heavy with all my things stuffed in it. I wonder how far Reilly will let me get before he decides this whole thing just isn’t working.
I pause at the corner of the parking lot at the car rental place and scan the area. I don’t think anyone is following me, and the tail Reilly had put on me is definitely gone. I head inside, and luckily, the place is dead.
There is one employee at the counter. She has a piece of gum wrapped around the tip of her finger that she’s currently sucking back into her mouth. Her eyes are glued to her phone, she doesn’t even look up as the door rings to alert her to my entrance.
I walk up to the counter and drop my backpack on the floor next to my feet.
“Hey,” I say, but she still doesn’t budge. “I need to rent a car.”
She sighs and sucks the gum off her finger, finally looking up at me. “You have a reservation or anything?”
“No, and I’d like to pay cash.”
“No can do,” she says popping the gum. “We’ve gotta have a card in case you do something stupid. Like steal the car or wreck it or whatever.”
“Fine.” I pull out my personal credit card. Reilly’s stupid plan is going to make me broke.
She snatches the card, plops back on her stool and starts typing into the computer.
“What kinda car?” She asks.
I shrug. “Whatever is cheap.”
“Uh huh,” she says as she scans the screen. “We’ve got one compact car left. That’s the cheapest.”
“I’ll take it.”
“How many days?” She asks, popping her gum again.
“Um, three,” I say, tapping my fingers against the counter impatiently.
“Will you drop it off here or somewhere else?”
“Here.”
She clicks a few more things, then the printer next to her hums and prints off a couple of sheets of paperwork.
“Sign here,” she says pointing to the bottom of the first page. “There and there.”
I sign both pages, agreeing to return the car with a full tank of gas and accepting the insurance. She takes a set of keys off of the row of hooks behind her and hands them to me.
“It’s in row D,” she says pointing toward the parking lot. “Just use the clicker to find it or whatever.”
“Thanks,” I say, grabbing my backpack and hurrying back outside.
The parking lot is half empty, so it’s not hard to find the car. It’s tiny, but it’ll do. I toss my backpack in the passenger seat as I climb inside.
I start it up and whip out of the parking spot. Stocke had suggested I drive out of the city, rather than further into it, to prevent the chance of bystanders getting hurt. I have no idea where I’m going, but I know the highway near this place leads north and that’s good enough for now.
I turn on the radio and flip through several channels before I come across a classic rock station. I don’t recognize the song, but it’s catchy and has a fast beat. I turn it up and speed down the highway.
About ten minutes outside of the city I notice a van behind me. I’m not sure when exactly it showed up, and there are quite a few cars on this road, but I can’t help suspect it might be him. I shift uneasily in my seat, my eyes flicking to the rearview mirror every few seconds.
The van starts to slow, and turns down a side road. I sigh and rub my eyes. It wasn't them. They may not come at all. This could all be a huge waste of time.
I round a turn and see something glinting on the road. I take my foot off the accelerator, but there’s no time to slow down or swerve. All four of my tires blow out at once and the car jerks violently to the right. I yank the steering wheel to the left, but I overcorrect and the car fishtails wildly. I hit the edge of the road and the tires are jerked out onto the rough ground.
There is no shoulder, only a steep incline that I can’t keep the car from barreling toward. The car tips and rolls. My hands fly off the wheel. I don’t know how many times it flips, but whe
n it comes to a stop I’m hanging awkwardly with the airbag in my face and nothing but the seatbelt keeping me from falling into the front windshield. All I can think is that I’m glad I went ahead and paid for the extra insurance.
I slap at the airbag until it deflates then brace my knees on the steering wheel. Whatever I hit was put in the middle of the road intentionally. I don’t think I have much time to get out of here. I summon some vampire strength and rip the seatbelt out of the buckle.
I catch myself awkwardly, my foot breaking the windshield further. The door is jammed shut, but two solid shoves push it open. I tumble out and see the van first, then a man I don’t recognize standing a few yards away.
There’s a quick pinch of pain on my arm. I flinch and look down, a dart is sticking out of my arm. I yank it out and stumble forward, but on my third step, I find myself falling forward. This wasn’t part of the plan. My body is completely numb and I can feel consciousness leaving me as everything goes black. I see a glimpse of someone else I hadn’t noticed standing near the front of the car.
That was stupid, I should have looked. I should have—
23
Something is rocking. My head hurts and I don’t remember why I’m laying on the floor. I rub my cheek against the rough carpet to get the itch I can’t seem to move my hands to scratch. My hair keeps tickling it though. Someone brushes my hair back gently and I hum in contentment.
“They say the devil is beautiful. I always imagined the devil was a woman too,” a voice whispers. “So that she can look innocent when she comes to tempt you into giving your soul to her.”
I regret waking up intensely. I try to scoot away from the hand threading through my hair, but I’m backed up against something wooden. I drag my eyelids open, but it is a struggle. I think one of them might be swollen. I’m in the back of some kind of a van. There are weapons mounted on the walls and several cases of ammo that are strapped down so they don’t shift around. The back of the van must be separated from the front because it’s dark back here other than the light from single overhead light set into the roof of the van.
“Olivia,” he says. “Look at me.”
Martinez crouches down in front of me. I look up at him and bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep my face straight. He looks like something out of a nightmare. The left side of his face is red and twisted from the burns I gave him. His eye is milky white and the skin around it is stretched down like melted candle wax.
“I don’t tempt you at all, do I? Not looking like this,” he whispers. “You liked me before though. I saw the way you stared at me.”
I lift my head so I can see him more clearly. I let my eyes wander, I want him to have no doubt that I’m looking at the scars I left him with.
“Now the outside matches the inside,” I choke out. My throat is sore and dry.
He slaps me. The smack of his hand against my cheek stings, but it’s the way my face smashes back into the floor of the van that really hurts. I pull on my electric magic. I don’t need my hands to kill him.
My body tenses suddenly and violently and the metal around my wrists burns. I can’t breathe. I can’t even blink. Everything fades into gray and the taste of blood fills my mouth as my teeth cut into my tongue. I don’t understand what’s happening, or why. I didn’t think he would kill me this fast. I thought I would have more time.
The team has to be on their way, but Reilly had said it would be at least ten minutes from the moment I was taken. I don’t know how long I was unconscious. I don’t know if I’ll last ten minutes.
There is a painful shock on my arm and I scream, then gasp as I can suddenly breathe. I choke on the blood in my mouth and struggle to spit it out while panting. Martinez’s smug face swims into view. Only the right side of his mouth seems to be able to move, while the left side is stuck.
“Did you really think I would get this close to you if I didn’t have a way to stop you from flinging your magic at me?” He leans his head back and laughs loudly.
“What the fuck did you do to me?” I gasp out.
He tilts his head to the side, still grinning.
“It’s what your kind did to you,” he says, tapping on the shackles holding my hands behind my back. “These were made by a very talented enchanter. She made all sorts of interesting things that she wasn’t supposed to. All of them one of a kind, like shackles that turn a witch’s magic against them.”
He grins like it’s all a joke. I suppose it is to him.
“There was some resistance at first to using these things after we took them from her, but I made the others understand the beauty of it.” He pulls a necklace out of his shirt. A solid gold medallion hangs from the chain, and even from here I can feel the hungry, oily darkness that emanates from it. “You know what this does, don’t you?”
I don’t want to be anywhere near that thing.
“It was amazing to watch it take her. I had hoped it would be you, of course, but the look on your face was almost worth my trap failing.”
“You weren’t there. We looked,” I grind out.
“I was watching from the skies,” he says. “You think magic is the only way to do wondrous things. It’s so easy for paranormals to forget that there’s a reason humans have survived all this time, despite not having magic.”
He tucks the medallion back into his shirt and pats the side of my face.
“Perhaps I’ll show you the video later. I’m sure you’ll make the same face again, and it will be so much more interesting in person.”
I jerk away and spit at him, my saliva still tinged with blood. He glances at the stain on the sleeve of his shirt but doesn’t seem bothered.
“You’ll never win,” I snarl at him. “People can see that paranormals aren’t monsters.”
He grabs my jaw, his fingers biting into my skin.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he hisses. “They are violent, deviant monsters. Their true nature will be revealed soon enough. They can’t hide behind their masks forever.”
The van jerks to a stop and Martinez stands up, his back still hunched because of the height of the van, and raps twice on the doors. The doors are flung open and I blink against the sunlight. The sun is hovering just above the horizon.
Martinez steps out of the van and walks off with the other man who I haven’t gotten a good look at yet. We’re on some kind of wide, paved road that looks familiar in a way. I push up on my elbow awkwardly, leaning against the wall behind me, then thump my head back in irritation. I’m such an idiot. That’s an airstrip, not a road.
I crane my head around to get a look at the shackles that are keeping me from using my magic. They’re solid black and appear to have something engraved on them, but I can’t read it.
Martinez knows I’m a witch, and it seems like he knows I can steal magic, or at least that I can use offensive magic. I don’t think he knows that I’m half vampire. All that talk about redeeming myself seemed to be about me using magic as a witch.
I don’t want to die here or get taken away to be tortured by the NWR. The choice between a chance of suffocation and that is actually pretty easy. There’s a chance this might work too. The witch that made these wouldn’t have intended them to be used on a vampire or they’d be silver.
I slide back down onto my shoulder and pull on the vampire magic. There’s no time for the control I’ve been practicing. As soon as the magic spreads through me I brace myself for the pain and tension, but nothing happens.
One of them scoffs angrily and I focus my senses on their conversation.
“This is insanely risky,” the man says. “Peterson is not pleased you decided to do this last minute without proper approval.”
Martinez snorts. “The buyer has promised me eight-hundred thousand if I bring her to them alive. That is not an amount we can afford to pass up right now just because Peterson is afraid of a little risk.”
Buyer? I had assumed Martinez was planning on killing me, not selling me. An engine rumbles
to life, something much louder than a car.
I yank my wrists apart as hard as I can and pain shoots through my arms, but the shackles don’t even bend. At least I’m not having another magical seizure, but if I can’t get out of this van before they put me on the plane I’m still screwed.
The shackles are connected to the wall by a short chain runs through two loops that jut out of the middle of them. It looks like a normal chain instead of the same weird black metal that the shackles are made of. If it were any thicker I’d say there was no way I could break it, but I don’t have any other options. I have to try.
I roll forward, letting my arms stretch out behind me and begin pulling. The metal in the chain creaks and bends as the shackles are bite into my skin. I’m not strong enough. It’s so hard to use this magic during the day.
I grit my teeth and pull more deeply on the magic. The sunlight glaring in my face starts to burn and my eyes ache even squeezed shut. I can deal with pain if it means surviving though. Strength flows into my body slowly and I yank sharply on the chain. Once. Twice. Hot blood slips down between my fingers as the shackles break through my skin. I yank again with all of my strength and the chain snaps.
I roll onto my face with no way to stop myself. I’m dizzy, but I don’t wait to recover or see if Martinez heard. I struggle to my feet and launch myself from the van with all the speed and strength I have left. My feet hit the pavement and my legs almost crumple.
Martinez shouts something and I dart to the left. The only thing I can see in front of me is desert. To my left is a metal building attached to a long covered hangar that must be as big as three football fields with other small planes lined up inside of it. I sprint in that direction, zig-zagging to make myself less of an easy target and putting on a little burst of speed every few seconds to move vampire fast.
Gunfire cracks behind me, but nothing hits me. I hope the GPS buried in my shoulder is still working, but I know it’s been way longer than the ten minutes Reilly had promised me. I have no idea if anyone is coming to rescue me, and I can’t assume they will be.
Blood Magic: Witch’s Bite Series Book Three Page 17