My knees shake, and my eyes roll back into my head at his words. I feel it all. Everything he’s described times ten. When he’s near, my body comes alive. I’ve never felt this. I didn’t know it was possible to feel like this. And he feels it too. Happiness fills me.
He pulls me into him, my entire body sighing at his touch. Our eyes are locked together, his begging permission, but he doesn’t need it. He knows what I want. What I need. It’s him. The missing piece of my soul has always been him.
Without another thought, his lips crush against mine, and for the first time in twenty-one years, I feel alive.
I’m sitting in the library, leafing through an early copy of The Secret Garden, when I
hear voices. My eyes narrow and I lean toward the door to figure out where they’re coming from. I stand, walking toward the sound.
“Help me,” a woman cries out, begging for someone to come to her aid, and I stand rooted in my spot. It can’t be. He wouldn’t. A barrage of thoughts run through my head, all painting a very grim picture of Julian.
Who could possibly be screaming for help on these premises without his knowledge?
Stop, I berate my traitorous mind. Julian wouldn’t hold prisoners. He doesn’t participate in the donor auction. I follow the sounds, twisting around corners and descending stairs, until I come to a door, clearly leading to places I’ve been forbidden to go.
I should turn back. Something tells me that once I go forward, there is no unseeing. I’ve come to like Julian, perhaps even love him, and the thought of him keeping more secrets guts me on an unfathomable level. Voices in my head scream for me to give him the benefit of the doubt.
“Go back!” Maggie screams, but I push her away.
Tired of the warring emotions and needing to see for myself, I put on a brave face, straighten my shoulders, and open the door. Narrow steps tilt steeply down a dark and dank passageway. I take a deep breath and descend carefully. The farther down I go, the louder the voices become.
At the bottom, there’s a large metal door separating me from the people yelling for help. I’m about to go through when heavy footsteps sound behind me. Someone’s coming down the steps. I duck into a dark corner to the right of the door, slinking as far back as I can, out of sight. Moments later, Bash is standing at the large door.
He raps three times and the heavy door creaks open.
“What took you so long?” a deep voice says, questioning Bash.
“I had work to do,” he says gruffly. “With Julian in town, someone has to guard the entrance.”
The unknown man scoffs. “And that’s always gotta be you?” the man challenges.
“I’ve earned his trust,” Bash replies coldly. “Why is everyone yelling down here? They’ve got the staff on edge.”
“They’re hungry. They need to eat, Bash.”
“Katina is working on it. She’ll be down soon.”
They move farther into the room, so I come out from the dark corner and get as close to the entrance as possible, wanting to see what’s going on. Needing to see who they’re hiding.
I wait for a few long minutes until it appears the coast is clear and peek my head around the door.
The basement is lined with cells, much like the auction facility. The voices stopped as soon as Bash made his entrance. I can’t even be sure they’re still in this room.
“Psst. Come here,” a honeyed voice calls from a cell midway down. I crane my neck to try to see the woman, but Bash’s husky form plods my way, forcing me to hide behind the door once more.
“Whadya want?” he drawls.
“Come closer,” she prods. “I want to tell you a secret.”
Her lovely voice is hypnotic and calming. For someone trapped down here, she doesn’t sound distressed. She couldn’t have been the person screaming.
“There’s nothing you could say that I want to hear,” Bash replies, blowing the woman off.
A shrill scream echoes off the walls and damn near blasts my eardrums to shreds. My hands come up, covering my ears in protection from the horrible sound.
“Help,” the woman screams.
I stand corrected. She’s definitely the culprit from earlier. Chancing a glance, I look around the door and see her. Hands wrapped around the cell bars, she continues to screech at the top of her lungs, thrashing wildly. She looks possessed, animalistic.
“Stop that,” the other man commands in a booming voice.
The woman slinks back, dirty brown hair hanging in her face.
“Are you done?” he asks in a much softer tone.
A hiss sounds from the woman’s mouth and she bares a set of canines.
Vampire.
“I’m going to piss, and then I’m grabbing lunch. I’ll be back in an hour,” the other man says to Bash, who merely grunts.
I quickly hide back in my corner until he’s ascended the stairs. A few minutes later I return to my post, only to hear Bash snoring loudly. Seeing my only chance to research, I step inside.
“Come closer, girl. I can smell you,” the freaky vampire woman says shrilly.
I walk closer to the cell, working hard to keep my footsteps light and soundless.
“Who are you?”
She throws her head back, cackling. Bash jerks, but remains asleep.
“Who am I?” she jeers, spearing me with her inhumanly black eyes. “Who are you, is the better question.” Her nose crunches and her teeth grind together. She’s frightening.
“Why are you here?” My voice quakes, fear winding up my body, squeezing the life out of me.
“I’m trapped,” she grits through her teeth. “They’re keeping me here, forcing me to drink cow’s blood.” She hauls off and spits in Bash’s direction.
My nose wrinkles in disgust at her gross behavior, but I don’t question why she’s mad. Being caged is horrible. At this moment, though, I’m glad for it. This vampire is nothing like Julian and Katina. No. This one would rip out my throat and drain my body of its blood.
Why would Julian be keeping such a creature here?
“What are you doing down here?” Katina’s taut voice from behind catches me off guard.
“Gah,” I screech, whirling around in fright. “You scared the shit out of me.”
“You stupid, stupid girl,” she says, grabbing my arm and pulling me away from the cell and back through the door.
“Everything all right out there, K?”
“Fine,” she barks. “Close the damn door, Bash.”
She points a bony finger toward the stairs, directing me to move. I do as instructed, feeling thoroughly scolded. I was caught snooping around in an area I was warned never to be in. I stumbled upon a vampire prisoner. What will Julian say?
My quick steps have me well ahead of Katina, but she’s gaining ground.
“Stop right there, Marina.”
I pause, refusing to turn back to look at her. I’m embarrassed and a little shaky.
“What were you thinking going down there?”
I slowly turn to find Katina appearing concerned. It’s better than the rage I saw moments ago.
“She was screaming. I heard it from the library and followed the sound,” I say honestly.
“There are reasons you are not to go in certain areas, Marina. For your safety, you should’ve listened.”
“Maybe if someone had told me what was down there, I wouldn’t have felt inclined to snoop.” I glare back at Katina.
That’s not entirely true. I had been warned, but I won’t tell Katina that.
She sighs heavily, not looking fond of having this talk with me.
“There are some things you are best not knowing. Being in the dark is not always a bad thing, Marina.”
I myself have said those words in the past, but the truth is, those days are gone. The right to live my life in the dark was stripped from me. If I have to be aware that the things of nightmares roam the Earth, then everything else should pale in comparison.
“It sounded like huma
ns being held captive in the dungeon. They had me questioning Julian.”
She scoffs. “Julian would never do something like that. It’s the entire reason the Council is all over his back. If they had any idea that he had you running free around his father’s estate, they’d drag him out of here.
“But why are there vampires locked in cells? Have they broken some vampire law?”
“No, silly girl, they’ve broken no vampire laws.” She rolls her eyes like I’m the biggest idiot she’s ever met. “They are new bites. With the new bite comes thirst. Julian is trying to help them control it.”
Like he was doing in Seattle.
He’s trying to teach them to be like him. My heart swells at Julian’s heart. He’s not torturing them; he’s trying to help.
“Marcellus is trying to build an army of new bites. He wants to create more vampires so that they can eventually take over the world and live in the open.”
“Alongside humans?” I ask with wide eyes.
“No.” She shakes her head. “Creating more vampires with that newborn thirst is a recipe for disaster. We would have difficulty controlling them, and before too long vampires would begin to go rogue. It would be chaos. Eventually, they would deplete every source of food.”
My body shivers at the picture she’s painting. Anarchy, fear, and death for the human race.
“Does the Council agree?”
“Not with his method, per se. They believe in a controlled process. Think larger scale blood banks and auctions. Humans would be made to live as blood slaves.”
I jerk back.
“No. He can’t. They can’t.”
“They could. We are faster and stronger. Humans would be no match. Julian spends his evenings tracking them down and bringing them here, so he can help them through the process and teach them how to survive on animal blood.”
“Why is the Council against Julian’s method?”
“It goes against everything our kind has ever believed. In the Council’s eyes, we are superior and we should not have to hide from anyone.”
“Do you agree?” I ask, not believing she does, but needing to hear it from her.
She shakes her head. “I’m here with Julian because I believe in him. I think he could start a revolution for vampires. One that doesn’t include hysteria, people dying, and evil ruling. Because believe me, some of the Council members are pure evil.”
Her eyes darken, and something crosses over her face. Something happened to Katina. I don’t know what, but it involves members of the Council. Having pushed my luck with her enough today, I let it go for now.
“How do we stop the Council?”
She laughs. “You don’t do anything. Allow the immortals to fight this war, Marina. You’d never survive it.”
I don’t doubt what she’s saying, but I’m dead regardless. I’d rather do something and feel like I helped save mankind in some way.
“The fate of the world rests in Julian’s hands. As long as he’s the Crown, we’re all safe.”
“How do we keep him in power?”
She clicks her tongue and flips her eyes toward the ceiling, probably annoyed that I included myself in the equation again.
“The best way would be for him to fulfill his obligation and marry Ms. Dupré. That way, the two oldest and strongest families would be united. He’d have their allegiance and other Council members would follow.”
Fulfill his obligation. Marry.
“Adèle?” My voice cracks, stomach coils, and chest feels so tight it might explode. He is engaged to her? All this time, he’s been engaged, and he failed to tell me?
“Are you all right?” Katina asks, but I barely comprehend her words. My heart has been pulled out of my chest. He’s engaged. My traitorous mind keeps replaying the words, as if the first time didn’t break me enough.
“Katina, we have a problem,” Bash calls from somewhere, but I’m not focused on anything but my mounting grief.
“Marina.” Katina grabs my shoulders, trying to snap me out of my stupor, but it won’t work. Nothing will work. “You need to go to your room. Now,” she barks, turning me toward the stairs.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
On autopilot, my feet carry me down the hall toward my room, but I hardly register it. Memories of the night at the club replay before my eyes. The way she looked at him; the way he looked at her. I’m sick. How did I not see it? Why has he led me to believe he cares for me?
You’re a human; he’s a vampire. It never would’ve worked.
I wish I could tell my brain to shut up and take a seat, but instead, I allow all the
thoughts to consume me, until it’s too much. Tears are falling down my face like water flows over a dam. Mine has broken, leaving nothing there to stop the flood. The pang in my chest is near debilitating. Crouched down, back against the wall and knees pulled up to my chest, I let it all out.
Stacey’s door creaks open.
“Marina? Are you all right?” she says, voice thick.
“No.”
She bends down in front of me.
“What happened?”
“He’s going to have to marry someone else,” I say, voice brittle.
“Who?” she asks, confused.
“Julian.” I only manage his name.
“I got that part, but who is he marrying?”
My head falls back, smacking the wall behind me. I close my eyes as tears continue to stream.
“Marina. Talk to me,” Stacey insists, sounding more worried by the minute.
“A vampire. Someone like him.”
The one thing I’ve feared since the moment I admitted to myself that I cared for him was that it would never work because we come from different worlds. This just further proves there is no shot for us. It’s not just a matter of caring about him, not when the entire world is at stake. He’s made it clear that the Council wants him out, and if that happens there will be chaos.
Julian’s reign is as important for the safety of humanity as it is for the survival of vampires. If he marries Adèle, it would solidify an alliance between the two most powerful families. With her family backing him, maybe he can stop the auction. But I can’t explain all of that to Stacey. Not tonight. Not when I’m this emotional.
“Her family is the second oldest vampire family,” I continue, wanting to give her something. “Their marriage was decided long ago, but they’ve yet to follow through with it.”
“That’s good news, Marina. If they haven’t gotten married yet, there’s got to be a reason. Maybe he doesn’t love her.”
I huff, knowing with certainty that’s not the case. It was there in the way he smiled at her.
“I met her. She is exotic and cultured and gorgeous. She’s the complete opposite of me in every way.” I wipe a tear off my face. “She’s also been Julian’s best friend since they were young. I cannot compete with that.”
“You’re not trying to compete with that. You don’t have to. I saw how he looked at you, Marina.”
“Maybe he just wanted a plaything in the meantime. A last hurrah before he settles down.”
Stacey frowns at me. “Do you really believe that? Because I don’t,” she says roughly.
“The truth is, he could’ve had you whether you agreed to it or not. We’re prisoners and we’re human. He could’ve forced you into anything, but he didn’t. He’s been kind to you and to me.”
I let out a long, deep breath. “What am I gonna do?”
“Well, I’d suggest you go get some sleep, because you look terrible.”
I chuckle. “I am exhausted.”
“And then tomorrow, I think you should talk to him. Be honest for once and tell him how you feel. Tell him you love him, because you might not admit it to me, but it’s written all over your face. You love him and it’s time you fight for him.”
“I don’t love him.”
She cocks her head to the side, like I’m a horrible liar. And she’s right, I am. I’m a horrible liar,
and I am madly in love with Julian Bellamy.
“You’re right,” I admit, eliciting a huge smile from her. “I’m going to go sleep, and then tomorrow I’ll talk to him.”
“That’s my girl,” she says, helping me to my feet. She pulls me into a tight hug and places a kiss on my cheek. “I’m proud of you. I hope that someday I can meet someone who makes me feel like that.”
“You will.”
Stacey smiles. “Go get some sleep.”
I move toward my room, ready to fall into my warm sheets. I’m not feeling much better, but I have a plan. I know what I need to do.
When I open my bedroom door, I take off my jewelry and place it on the nightstand. After fiddling with the lamp on the side table, I finally flip it on.
“Hello, human.” A familiar voice makes my blood run cold.
Turning slowly, I come face to face with the vampire from the cell. My blood pressure drops and I feel like I could faint. The new bite. The one with uncontrollable thirst stands before me, canines bared, looking like she hasn’t eaten in years.
“You,” I say on a shaky breath. “How did you . . .”
She cuts me off, cackling. “Your friends aren’t very smart. Turning a hedge witch into a vampire,” she huffs. “I found that it strengthens my power.”
A hedge witch? I don’t even know what the hell that is. And what kind of powers does she possess?
“P-powers?” I can’t stop shaking. If I thought she was creepy closed off behind a cage, she’s so much worse now. Her oily hair hangs down the front of her face, making her look akin to the girl in the movie The Ring. Her clothes are tattered and filthy. But her sneer is by far the worst. It chills my bones.
“Strength, speed,” she says, walking toward me, calculated and unhurried. “You know, the typical vampire traits.” Her hands come up as if she’s weighing two items in the palms of her hands, shifting them up and down, all while her narrowed eyes are fixed on me. “Mix it in with a little witch’s blood, a few incantations, and poof, the lock popped.”
Blood That Binds: A Vampire Romance (Blood Legends Duet) Page 23