by Rye Brewer
The whole world had changed, but some things stayed the same. Mother always used to say a good night’s sleep made everything better, and it did. Until it didn’t anymore, after she turned me.
What would she say if she were here? I squeezed my eyes shut at the thought of her. I had been so hopeful for a second when I saw Father—if he was alive, could she be, too?
But no. I couldn’t be that lucky.
All I had was a father with more secrets than he’d reveal, one who acted like my very touch burned him.
What could’ve happened to change him so drastically? I’d heard stories in the past about vampires forced from their clans, who had to forget everything they ever knew for the sake of their safety and the safety of their loved ones. I had imagined more than once that my parents were going through a situation like that.
Nobody wanted to believe their parents would leave of their own free will. It was the fantasy of every abandoned child that their parents were out there, loving them, wishing they could all be together as a family. I wiped away a tear.
Was that what happened to him, after all? Or did he just find something he liked better?
My phone vibrated, and I reached into my pocket to see who it was.
An unknown number.
I frowned.
Normally, I wouldn’t bother picking up—then again, it could be Gage.
My heart leaped when I answered, my fingers crossed. “Hello?”
“Philippa?”
I knew the voice, but it wasn’t Gage.
“Vance?” I whispered, sitting up.
“Yeah. I have to see you.”
“Where?”
“Downstairs. The alley.” Outside the tunnel, he meant.
I remembered all the times we’d met there back in the day, before he broke my heart. How many times had I run out to the elevator and jammed my finger on the button, like it would get me to the basement faster if I did?
“I’ll be right down.”
I hoped Sara and Scott wouldn’t see me. I was more certain than ever that Sara was bad news—I had only disliked her before, but after that little show she treated me to, I would avoid her like a plague.
She didn’t need to know anything about what I was doing. I only hoped Scott didn’t get in too deep before I figured out what she was really all about.
I opened the door slowly, as quietly as I could. I didn’t hear either their voices in the main room.
Maybe they were still outside, or maybe they’d gone to his rooms on the other side of the hall. There was a light burning under the closed door. I assumed they were in there and hoped it was so as I tiptoed down the hall and out to the front door.
Once I was outside the penthouse, I dashed to the elevator and took it straight down to the basement.
Minutes after his call, I met Vance face-to-face outside the secret entrance.
He was pacing when I stepped out the almost-hidden door, but he stopped when he heard me. He wore all-black—turtleneck, jeans, work boots, and a long coat which swept the tops of the boots. It suited him. He looked even more handsome than ever.
I couldn’t believe how good it felt to see him—funny, since seeing him had only recently turned my stomach. All the conflict I felt over him dissolved in the face of what was on my mind, so much so that I went straight to him with my arms open.
He let out a little gasp of surprise. “Hey, hey. What’s the matter?” Still, his arms closed around me. He didn’t push me away.
That was just what I needed.
“I’m sorry. I’m so very confused and need a friend,” I murmured, my head against his chest.
“I guess things aren’t going any better than they were, then.”
“Good guess.” I straightened up and shook it off. “Par for the course lately.”
He looked me up and down. “If things are bad, it doesn’t show on you. You’re looking just as good as ever.”
“Thanks,” I folded my arms. “Do you ever switch gears?”
“When it comes to you? No.”
“Is this why you wanted to see me? To make thinly-veiled come-ons? You could’ve done that over the phone.”
“But you came running the second I called, didn’t you?”
When I didn’t smile, his smile faded.
“I was in the area and wanted to check on you. That’s the truth.”
“I guess that’s pretty nice,” I admitted. “Maybe. So how are things going for you?”
“Pretty well. It’s not easy work.”
“I can’t imagine.” I remembered him telling me about the top-secret nature of the work he’d be doing and knew he couldn’t tell me much. It was enough to see him safe. “Hey,” I said, as a lightbulb went off in my head. “You’ve met lots of different vampires, right? I mean you’ve traveled a lot because of your father’s work. Isn’t that true?”
“Why?”
“Have you ever met a vampire with elemental skills?”
His brow furrowed as he frowned. “What do you mean?”
“One who could work with the elements. You know what I mean. The way some witches and other creatures can.” I couldn’t shake the memory of Sara and the lightning bolts. It made me shiver a little.
“Yeah, but it just seems like a strange question, that’s all. No, I’ve never known any personally. I’m sure it’s possible.”
I could almost feel the electricity setting my hair on end. “Yeah. I’m sure it is.”
More like, I know it is. All I needed—something else to be concerned with. Just one more thing to add to the list.
I had to change the subject before he asked more questions. “You’re safe out there, right? You’re not taking any big chances?”
He looked more mature, somehow, even though it hadn’t been that long since the last time I saw him. He’d changed. It had to be the responsibility he’d taken on.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” he grinned. “Dare I believe you actually care about me?”
I cocked my head to the side. “If I did, you just ruined it.”
“Can I do anything to change that?”
“Probably not.”
“What if I tell you I’m on a big, important, secret mission?” He took a step toward me, and I backed away until I was against the wall.
“Oh, am I supposed to get worried about you and realize I’ve loved you all along? Maybe beg you to come back to me in one piece?”
It was tough, sounding hard and cynical when he was that close to me. He left me breathless, weak-kneed, even with the entire world crashing in on me the way it was.
“That all sounds pretty good,” he said with a little smirk—one that made him more hot than ever. There was no humor in his eyes, though.
“What is it? You’re not really in any danger, are you?”
“It’s Special Ops. There’s an element of danger to it no matter what.”
I wasn’t used to him not being playful or flirty or sarcastic. Yes, he had changed.
“Don’t take any unnecessary chances, okay? I’m being serious.”
He snorted. “Yeah, well, when you’re hunting for somebody like Fane, it’s not easy to play it safe.”
There was no way.
If he had told me that even an hour earlier, I wouldn’t have felt icy fear spread through my chest.
Life couldn’t be that unfair, could it?
“You’re hunting for Fane? I thought he was more myth than anything else.” I fought to keep my tone normal, nonchalant.
His face hardened. “He’s definitely real, and he’s committed crimes against the League.”
I gulped and fought to swallow around the lump that had appeared in my throat. “Like what?”
He frowned. “What’s with the sudden interest?”
“Why wouldn’t I be interested? It’s sort of a big deal.”
“You have no idea. I have to find him—and kill him.”
Kill.
Double-gulp. There went that icy feeling again.
I couldn’t breathe. “What’s he done, exactly? All I’ve ever heard are stories, you know? Legends.”
“They’re not just legends. They’re very real. He’s been feeding on humans for years.”
“You’re sure about that? That’s a pretty big accusation.”
I couldn’t be too obvious. He’d see right through me—he always could. But I couldn’t let him kill my father, either. No matter what he’d done, he was still my father.
“There have been several deaths,” he said. “Not to mention the fact that several missing persons have been noted. The entire agreement we have with the humans revolves around keeping up our end of the agreement. Without that, we might as well go back to the days when we were at odds with each other.”
“You think killing Fane will somehow strengthen the agreement?”
“It can’t hurt. Not if he’s unwilling to follow the rules.”
“How do you know for sure that he’s guilty?”
“Tips from reliable sources. He’s been spotted.”
How could I help my father? How could I keep him from dying? I tried standing up for him. “If he’s gone rogue, he doesn’t have a choice but to feed on humans, does he? When there aren’t any options but to either feed from humans or die, what can you expect him to do?”
He was quiet for a moment. His frown deepened. “Why does it sound like you’re defending him?”
“I’m not.” I totally was, but he was my father for heaven’s sake.
“It sounds like you are.”
What could I say? There was no excuse.
Vance would never believe I had suddenly developed a soft heart for others—that was never one of my strong points. He knew me too well to believe that.
I opened my mouth, unsure of what would come out.
My phone vibrated.
Saved by the text, I thought as I slid it from my pocket.
Sledge: There’s been word about Gage.
I looked at Vance. “I’ve gotta go. I’m sorry. It’s important.”
8
ANISSA
“I guess we’d better get going.” I couldn’t imagine Allonic scaling the side of a high-rise. How was I supposed to sneak him down to the sidewalk?
As it turned out, he had a better idea. “Here.” He slid his cloak from his shoulders and handed it to me.
“What’s this for?”
“Remember? To enable you to travel without using spiritwalkers. If you want to see your boyfriend, we’d better get moving.”
It took a second to understand. “You’re going to take me through a shade portal?”
He nodded.
“You just told me you couldn’t disclose that information. Won’t it get you into trouble?”
His smile was surprising. “I can handle a little trouble.”
My heart swelled with affection for him as I wrapped the cloak around me.
I felt him take me by the arm to lead me into the portal—the sensation of going from one dimension to another without being able to see was unnerving, but not as much as it had been at first.
“You can take it off now.”
I held my breath, wondering what I would see around me when I did. I couldn’t have imagined what greeted me once my head was free.
“What is this place?” The air was cold, damp, and still. A fog rolled across the ground, and I could just make out the tops of crumbling headstones in the extreme darkness. I shivered—it was downright creepy.
“A cemetery, obviously.”
“This doesn’t look like any cemetery I’ve ever seen.”
The sky was so dark, so inky black, it felt like we had left reality. Then again, maybe we had—or maybe this was reality, and what I thought was real was just another, smaller dimension.
“Don’t worry about it right now,” he murmured. “Follow me.” He walked toward a massive, marble mausoleum in front of us.
I hated the feeling of not knowing where I was stepping thanks to the fog, but following Allonic’s footsteps helped. Like walking through the path someone else carved through a deep snowfall.
We rounded the mausoleum, and when we did I just made out the sounds of voices. The sound was flat, strange, but I recognized one of the voices right away.
I reached out and touched Allonic’s arm in surprise. I hadn’t expected us to go straight to him.
He only nodded. “I told you,” he whispered.
Jonah sounded angry. I couldn’t tell what he was talking about, or who he was talking to.
I stepped out just a little, just enough to see him in front of the structure. He was with the same tall, muscular vampire I’d seen him with on the roof, plus a beautiful brunette who definitely wasn’t human. I couldn’t put my finger on who or what she was, but I could sense the preternatural air about her.
The older vampire turned his head when he noticed me, which made Jonah turn toward us.
His face was contorted in anger until he recognized me—then a smile broke over it, quickly followed by concern.
“What are you doing here?” he asked as he rushed over to me.
Then his arms were around me and everything was all right because he was there, with me, no matter where “there” was or what he was doing with the other two.
I closed my eyes and let myself sink into his hug for just a moment.
“How did you get here? How did you even know where I was?” His eyes were bright, sparkling even in the pitch blackness. The warmth and excitement in his voice were heartening.
I had half-worried that he’d be angry with me for unexpectedly appearing.
There was a noise behind me, and we both turned as Allonic stepped out from the shadows.
“Oh, that’s how,” Jonah said with a nod of his head. He didn’t sound unhappy.
What a relief.
The older vampire approached, nodded, too. “Allonic,” he said in a deep, sure voice.
Allonic nodded in return. “Fane.”
Fane!
I knew it!
How did they know each other? Fane was rogue—then again, there was much more to the hidden world than I had ever known. It seemed like creatures criss-crossed everywhere—my mother with the shades, beings that Jonah happened to know.
He also knew Fane, it would appear.
The world was much bigger and smaller than I could’ve guessed, all at the same time.
Fane and Allonic weren’t friends. That much was clear. But they weren’t enemies.
I heard respect in their voices and saw it in the way they held themselves when they spoke to each other—heads high, shoulders back, neutral expressions.
Interesting.
“Anissa,” Jonah said, leading me to the other vampire. “This is Fane.”
Why did I hear a challenge in his voice? There was no reason to challenge me to accept Fane’s presence—no, he wasn’t the optimal travel partner, but it wasn’t my place to tell Jonah who he was allowed to spend time with.
Was he challenging Fane, then? Why would he do that?
Fane looked at me for what felt like a very long time. Finally, he said, “It’s good to meet you.”
“Can I have a minute alone so we can talk privately?” Jonah said.
He didn’t wait for a reply before pulling me by the arm to a spot on the other side of the mausoleum, where we could be alone. The second we were, he took me in his arms.
I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered.
“I missed you, too.” He pulled back and I tilted my face up toward his for a kiss.
It was electric, and I felt it right down to my toes. I had been so thirsty for his kiss. His arms were so strong. I didn’t have anything to fear when he was with me.
He ran his fingers over my cheek. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“You didn’t have to leave me, you know. I could’ve been with you this entire time.”
It reminded me of how irritated I was
with him for dumping me in Avellane.
“It was too dangerous for you—I’m not sure it isn’t still too dangerous.” He stepped back. “What are you doing here, anyway? Why did you come after me? Did you trick Allonic or something?”
“I don’t have to trick my brother into helping me,” I retorted. I didn’t much like the insinuation that I had to use trickery to get what I wanted. “I just asked for his help and he was happy to give it to me.” I put my hands on my hips and glared at him. “While we’re at it, what are you doing here? What is this place? And why are you with Fane?”
“You don’t need to know. Did you ever think that I was keeping things from you to keep you safe?”
“Oh, I see. I’m just the little woman and I need you to protect me and keep me in the dark. Is that it? I didn’t think you were chauvinistic, but I guess I was wrong about that.”
“Don’t overreact. You’re putting words in my mouth,” he hissed. “And if it’s not too much trouble, keep your voice down. We don’t need everybody hearing this.”
“I don’t care if they do. I want them to know you don’t think I can take care of myself. I want them to know you think I don’t have anything to contribute.”
“I never said that! Stop blowing everything out of proportion!”
“Then stop treating me like I’m fragile!” I bared my fangs. “I was taking care of myself long before I met you. I don’t need you acting like I’m going to break.”
“If I could just trust you to follow a request every once in a while, maybe I wouldn’t be so afraid to include you in things!” His fangs were bared, too, and we faced each other down.
How had things turned so quickly?
“What request?”
“Let’s see. When I asked you to stay in one place, but you decided to go exploring and got picked up by those shades at Sanctuary. Remember? It wasn’t that long ago. And I went looking for you, which only put me in danger.”