by J. L. Weil
I sat straight up.
I’d been so consumed with my emotions I had forgotten what kind of opportunity being in Lilith’s den provided me. This might not be the worst thing to happen, but it was pretty close. I’d been plotting and investigating a way into Lilith’s lair. Now here I was, able to use this to my advantage and fulfill a promise that would also keep the Bay safe. A double win as far as I was concerned…if I succeeded. My odds were slim to none.
But there was no other choice.
I refused to be a puppet in Lilith’s master plan of power and corruption. The big kink in my plan was I couldn’t use magic. With my abilities neutralized, I had no way of getting out of here. No way to get to her. My fighting skills weren’t accomplished enough to take out the vampire queen with my bare hands. I was good, but not godly.
The sound of footsteps neared before the face appeared. I conjured a million possibilities, but not one of them had been seeing Zavier. Imagine my surprise. Dark strands of hair fell over his forehead as his piercing eyes roamed over me from head to toe, eyes darkening when he saw the bruises on my face.
Seeing him, the beginnings of a hope materialized in the form of my six-foot-two half-vampire mate. I jumped to my feet and ran to the metal bars. “You found me. How did you find me?” I winced. The bitter burn at my ankles was a reminder of what I needed to do. I wasn’t leaving without Lilith’s dead heart in my hands.
“How are you feeling?” he asked in a level voice I barely recognized. His face was emotionless.
I waited for the sweep of emotions to hit me—happiness, relief, love—but there was only emptiness. I was confused. “I’ve been better,” I said dryly. “Are you alone?” I expected there to be a storm of troops, chaos, but there was no noise, and only a very grim-looking Zavier. An uneasy feeling wormed into my belly.
“Yes,” he replied curtly.
I studied him, wondering what was wrong, and the realization slowly began to sink in. This wasn’t a rescue party. “I don’t understand. How are you here? Am I dreaming?”
He placed both hands on the bars, parallel to his face. “No. This isn’t a dream.”
“You’re not here to rescue me, are you?” I took a step back, away from this stranger who stood in front of me. Where was the man who had only hours ago held me gently in his arms, had made love to me, had made me his eternal mate? Told me he loved me.
This man had no warmth, was chilled to his core, hard and merciless like a vampire. He was everything I hated.
He gave a quick glance upward from the corner of his eyes before a calculated gleam seeped in. “Depends on your definition of rescue, minx.”
My mind couldn’t believe what I was seeing, what I was hearing. This had to be a trick. Zavier had sworn to protect me. He would never do anything that would hurt me or put me in harm’s way. I might have doubted who he was, but I never doubted his ability to keep me safe. So what was going on? “Zavier, help me,” I pleaded.
He closed his eyes for a moment, knuckles tightening on the bars as if to get himself under control. “Lilith has summoned you. They will be watching us. Starting now. You’re in her domain, and I can’t always be there to save you, not without raising suspicion. My return already has a few brows arched,” he murmured in a low voice.
Everything in my body froze, a thousand thoughts bombarding my mind. “I’m going to kill her, you know. If I don’t stop her, the Bay will fall, and she will have won. I can’t let that happen.”
His hand flashed through the bars, gripping my wrist. “And if it kills you? What then? What about those who love you and who you will leave behind?”
Like him?
Finally, some damn emotion. “It will be meaningless if the Bay is ruined. Without a future, what is the point of love? I’m not even sure what’s real anymore. Hours ago, you were telling me you loved me, and now, you’re in the vampire’s nest, helping them?”
Zavier’s brows snapped together. “Let’s get one thing clear. The only person I care about is you. I’m here because of you. I told myself I would never step foot in her domain again, yet here I am. I would go to the ends of hell to protect you.”
“Then free me.”
“I want nothing more than to take you out of here, but we wouldn’t make it five feet without being attacked. I’m trying to keep us alive, and to do that, we have to play by her rules.”
“I want to trust you, and my heart tells me you’re a good man, but the fact you’re allowed in the vampire’s home makes me wonder if I know you at all.”
He produced a key of sorts, and stuck it into the lock. “It doesn’t matter. Lilith is waiting.”
Lilith.
She wore a dress of fine silk, in a deep shade of red, jewels sparkling at her neck and fingers. While the rest of the Bay was wearing common clothes, the vampire queen draped herself in elegant fabrics and expensive stones.
She looked like a flame burning in the shadows. Seeing her, I wanted to rip the fangs from her mouth and cut off her pretty little head. Even then, it wouldn’t be enough, wouldn’t bring back the lives lost by her hand.
Eyes as dark as a summer’s night met mine. “I’m so glad you finally joined me.”
The shackles at my feet made something as easy as walking a challenge, and the rattling echoed with each step. “Like I had a choice.”
“Yes, sometimes we all need a little push.”
“You’re delusional. There is nothing you can do or say to me that would ever make me help you,” I spat, letting the words ring with my anger.
“I had sincerely hoped you would have changed your mind after seeing dear, sweet Abbey give her life for yours.”
My brain clicked off. Something primitive and violent took over. The hot blaze of magic filled my veins, but that was as far as it got, building like a geyser under the surface, ready to explode. If I had use of my powers, I would have obliterated her in this moment, not a care for my life or the vampires in the room. “You bitch,” I seethed. Unable to stop myself, I lifted my palm into the air and swung, but before I could slap the queen across the face, she had moved to the other side of me.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She tsked.
“Go screw yourself. I won’t help you reverse the Rift, and I sure as hell won’t bear a vampire child.”
“There is still time yet to change your mind. I’m in no hurry, and I’m feeling quite optimistic seeing as you’ve mated with one of my vampires.” Her eyes shifted to Zavier at my side. In her voice, there was something exotic, a rhythm of speech that hinted at black sand beaches and blooming vines of poisonous flowers.
Enchanting.
I recognized the dust of magic. Lilith had a witch weaving spells of persuasion and obedience. Took a witch to know one.
Zavier said nothing, only stayed rigid, and I about lost my shit. “It doesn’t matter what he is to me. I won’t let him touch me, just as I won’t allow your kind to kill anyone else. Enough blood has been shed.”
Lilith glanced over her shoulder with a gleam in her bold iridescent eyes as she circled around me. “I’m a creature of the night. It’s how we’re meant to live, the natural order of vampires. I only intend to put things back the way they should be. Did you know I have more than one son? You’d make a truly beautiful daughter-in-law. Imagine the power your child would have with my blood and your magic.”
I would rather not imagine such a thing. She was certifiably insane. How could Zavier stand there while she offered to let one of her bloodsucking sons knock me up? “It doesn’t matter what room you give me in this fortress you’ve built underground. Nothing could make me agree to sire a vampire of your blood.”
“You so sure about that? The funny thing about blood bonds is we often can’t control our desires. I’m thinking a cell isn’t the place for you here.” Her fingers gripped me by the chin, holding my face steady. “I’ve heard of your gift, the ability to read a person’s essence. It intrigues me, as do many powers bestowed upon witches.”<
br />
Before I knew what her intent was, she leaned forward, pressing her lips to mine. Bile rose in my throat, but then, my mind became misty and muddled. Through the wisp of magic, I got a taste of her essence. Apparently, not all of my powers had been neutralized.
Air punched out of my lungs and I gasped, jerking back. “You’re his mother,” I hissed through my teeth. Lilith was Zavier’s fucking mother. I refused to look at Zavier, for if I did, I knew I would attempt to kill the man who had betrayed me—lied to me. Again.
“Your warden’s? Yes, Zavier is my son.” Her cherry lips curved. “It’s been quite convenient having someone on the inside.”
“I just bet,” I snarled. I didn’t want to believe Zavier could have deceived me in the worse way possible. I had not only mated a vampire, but the son of the bitch who had killed my mother. Pain like I’d never felt since her death sliced through me in jagged slashes, ripping and tearing my insides apart.
I gasped, my lungs struggling for air. The room started to spin in dizzying circles as I sensed myself losing control of reality.
“Skylar,” Zavier murmured, his cool hand sliding under my elbow.
I refused to look at him. How could I? A swarm of regret hit me in a tidal wave, strong enough to almost bring me to my knees. Lifting my chin, I focused on the dazzling eyes of Lilith.
She loved the chaos she caused between Zavier and me. “It is my understanding you’ve grown close to my son.” Her sneer grew, that of a malevolent seductress. “Could it be you already carry his child?”
“Go to hell. I would die before I lift a finger to help you.” And then, I spit in her face.
I expected instant death, but the vampire queen only wiped my slimy DNA off, managing to look regal while doing so. “It might not be wise to defy me. I will be queen of all, both day and night. Any who defy me would perish, starting with your brother.”
Okay. No one threatened Colin and got away with it. I lunged, but two arms wrapped around my waist before I could even reach her.
Without waiting for an answer, she spun, leaving a trail of her scent behind as she walked down the hall, heels echoing over the stone.
Oh, I am going to kill her all right.
It was a mistake letting me live, one she would soon regret.
Chapter 21
I was shaking from head to toe in barely restrained rage. My head was swirling with every moment I’d ever spent with Zavier, wondering what part of it was real and what was part of a conspiracy against Division Fourteen. How could he have possibly fooled me? Did he even care about me at all? I had felt it—it had been so real. He had once told me he had abilities of his own. Did that include manipulating emotions? He had already proved he was able to know what I was feeling.
I wanted to cause him physical pain. His arms were still bound around me, keeping me from punching him, but as soon as he let me go…
“I know what is going through your head right now, and I am telling you to stop. You’re letting her get to you, which is exactly what she wants,” Zavier hissed into my ear. He grabbed my elbow, and spun me around to face him.
“You bastard.” I hurled myself at him, my fist catching the right side of his jaw. My follow-up hit was deflected, and I found myself pinned against him, wrists clasped in his firm grasp.
“Dammit, Skylar,” he growled. “If you would listen for a damn second.”
My eyes move directly to his.
“Fine,” he exhaled. “Have it your way.” Like the barbarian he was, Zavier hauled me over his shoulder and carried me down a network of tunnels.
Tight-lipped, I kept my eyes fixated on the ground, ignoring the traitor, ignoring the tingling of his touch.
There was an unusual bite in the air as he hauled me down the rocky corridor, but the chill didn’t bother me. I felt nothing, barely registering the tears streaming down my pale cheeks.
He made me feel empty.
And I hated him for it.
Hated he had deceived me. Hated he had made me fall in love with him. Hated he had given me hope, a promise of the future. How could I have been so naive, so stupid? He was the very thing I detested, yet my powers had failed me, failed to let me see him for what he truly was.
Lilith’s son!
Air left my lungs, as if I’d been sucker punched.
Alone and with Zavier against me, my chances of defeating the vampire queen seemed hopeless. I didn’t know how I would escape. How I would find the strength to get through what Lilith had in store for me.
A cold prickle brushed the back of my neck.
“You can hate me all you want, and trust me, I taste your hatred in the air,” Zavier muttered.
Good. I wanted him to feel the sting, but it wasn’t nearly enough punishment.
As Zavier led me back down the depressing hall, all I could think about was the deep cut of his betrayal. It was like an open wound to my heart, bleeding in an endless fountain of raw emotions.
The only good I could find in this situation was at least I knew who he was really loyal to. Sure, the bastard broke my heart, and I had probably been kidnapped because of Zavier, but my desire to kill the vampire queen hadn’t altered.
The feelings of unease and mistrust that had been there the first week resurfaced. How could I have been so blind? How could I have fallen for someone like him?
I had opened myself up, allowed myself to love him when I had kept my heart so closely guarded, and what had he done? He shattered my trust into a million fragmented pieces, and I refused to think what he had managed to do to my heart.
Had this whole thing been a ploy to get close to me? A plot to infiltrate the compound from the inside? To seduce me, make me care for him?
I was angry all right, but I was more furious with myself.
Pressure clamped down on my chest, and my hands clenched and unclenched at my sides. Given the opportunity, I wouldn’t hesitate to do what I had to do, even if going through Zavier was the only way.
I refused to let myself think about our bond, and how the only man I loved was a traitor.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Zavier was about to find out how deadly I could be.
This place had to be massive maze of turns and tunnels. Even if I managed to kill Lilith, how would I ever find my way out? It seemed as if there was no hope for escape.
As he walked, sounds from within the chambers slowly penetrated through my emotional haze and sent ice racing through my limbs. Voices, cries, and pleas echoed off the mildewed stone walls. This was a prison, humans and witches held against their will.
We turned a corner, and entered yet another corridor. At the end, there was a door. Zavier stepped through, and immediately a sense of recognition washed over me. He set me on my feet, locking the door behind us. I wrapped my arms around myself, forcing one foot in front of the other as I moved further into the room.
It was a place that looked as if it didn’t belong underground, much like Lilith’s personal chambers. The bed in the center was made of royal-blue silk. It smelled of male, one particular male I’d thought I had known. It brought an upsurge of fresh memories that suddenly felt like years ago, instead of only hours. The lack of windows and natural light gave the area a stuffy and cold vibe. Contained too long down here, I would grow restless, like a caged cat.
“Skylar.” Zavier spoke, breaking the silence.
The sound of his deep, smooth voice unleashed something inside me. I spun around, swinging at him a second time.
He was prepared. The half-breed caught my wrist, holding it in the air as his eyes held mine. He whipped me around, intending to box me in with his arms, but I kicked out. He narrowly avoided being kneed in the groin. “Stop this. I won’t fight you.” Anger churned in the glow of his eyes.
“How could you?” I launched again, claws out, ready to do severe damage to his face. To my frustration, he easily dodged my attack, and I ran into something hard, smacking my head. Two seconds later, I’d barely caught my breath before
Zavier grabbed me around the waist, slamming me into the bed. It became a tangle of arms and limbs as I went wild underneath him.
He let out a curse. Managed to secure my wrists over my head, he trapped me with his body. “You need to calm down before you get hurt.”
“You mean the knife you jabbed in my back wasn’t enough?”
He leaned down so our noses almost touched. “Stop fighting,” he growled. “I told you my family was complicated. I wasn’t joking. Lilith didn’t raise me here. She didn’t raise me at all. I was never part of her coven.”
“You expect me to believe you?” I hurled.
“So I left out a few tiny details, but can you blame me? If the vampire queen were your mother, would you go around announcing it to the world? Now listen, I am only going to speak of this once. Do you understand?”
I bit my lip, when I really wanted to scream in agony. “I won’t listen to anything you have to say.”
He sighed. “You will, minx, if you want your revenge and to stop the Bay from another catastrophic event. Together, we can make that happen.”
I tilted my chin. “You’re insane. I’ll never trust you.”
“You don’t have a choice,” Zavier gritted.
I bucked my hips, realizing immediately what a bad idea that was. My body reacted, tingles radiating. Damn him. Damn what he could make me feel. I hated him—wanted to detest him. Forcing my body to go limp, I dropped my head onto the bed. “I’ll never forgive you.”
“Maybe, but it was a chance I had to take. Your brother—”
“Colin knows,” I interrupted, my ears unable to believe what I was hearing. “Of course he does. My brother loves to keep his secrets.”
“When they are in the best interest of the city he is sworn to protect, he has little choice,” Zavier growled. “This decision wasn’t made lightly. He came to me and asked for my help, not only for your protection, but also for the Bay. Colin knew you would never let go of your desire for revenge. He also knew he needed to do something to prevent what the vampire queen has in store.”