Vampire's Crucible

by Yvette Bostic

  “To my apartment in London,” he replied. “We’ll get cleaned up and decide our next move. Unless you’d like to stay with me.” He winked, and that irritating chuckle filled the back seat.

  “I need someplace to think,” I said. “And sleep would be great.” Logan’s text meant something, but my brain wasn’t putting the pieces together. I needed a quiet place to talk to my elementals. Could I trust Braden to let me stay at his apartment for a few hours?

  Braden raised his eyebrows and glanced at his driver. Great. Did that mean he didn’t trust the driver? I thought he worked hard to flush out any traitors. Or maybe he just kept them all ignorant. Probably the latter. It’s easy to be loyal to someone when you don’t know just how evil they are. My brain seriously wasn’t functioning. All vampires were evil. Except Logan. I rubbed my temples.

  “Really?” I mouthed, not allowing the words to actually form.

  He shrugged.

  “Can I stay the night?” I asked, playing along, knowing he was manipulating me. Damn vampire.

  “Of course,” he replied. “The spare room should have everything you need.”

  I leaned my head against the cool glass and closed my eyes. Big mistake. The sleep button on my ass activated immediately.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~

  “Wake up, little mage,” Braden’s voice interrupted a very deep sleep.

  “No,” I mumbled, knowing it was ridiculous.

  “Yes, or I’ll I have the driver carry you upstairs.”

  I forced my eyes open and stretched. The car rolled to a stop, and Braden opened his door. Within seconds, my door opened too, and I nearly tumbled out.

  “Bastard,” I muttered, standing with effort. My whole body ached, and my head pounded. I grabbed my purse and left the car, following Braden across an underground garage to an elevator. The driver didn’t join us, which sort of surprised me.

  He pushed a keycard into a slot by the elevator doors. When they slid open, Braden motioned me inside. I went without argument. Just add one more stupid Braden-related decision to the pile.

  He inserted the keycard into another slot but didn’t push any of the little round buttons. The elevator started moving, and I glanced up at the smug smile I hated. When the doors finally opened, the vampire motioned me forward.

  I stepped into a small foyer and immediately felt like I violated the space. Its sparse simplicity was elegant, beautiful, and spotless, almost like the dust was afraid to settle on the highly polished table next to a solid wood door. My dirty shoes would definitely offend the shiny floors beneath my feet. A bouquet of freshly cut flowers scented the small space, chasing away my disgusting odor.

  Braden pushed open the door and held it for me. “The bedroom on the right side is for guests,” he said, following me in and closing the door. “You’ll find clothes in the closet and all the toiletries you need in the bathroom.”

  “Thank you for telling me I stink,” I grumbled, taking off my shoes and leaving them at the door. My feet weren’t much better.

  Braden didn’t wait for me, so I followed his path down the hall that opened into the most elegant room I’d ever seen. Almost everything was white: the walls, the large sectional sofa, the fluffy rug in the center of the living room. The not white parts were dark, contrasting colors of deep reds and greens so dark they were nearly black. It was stunning and spotless. And the bedroom I needed to get to was all the way across the room.

  “I can’t reach that room without ruining your carpet, which would be a horrible shame,” I said. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”

  Braden chuckled, then scooped me up and dropped me across the room at the bedroom door. I spun around panicked, knowing he left prints on his carpet and feeling stupid because I was wrong. Of course he didn’t.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, pushing open the door. “I’ll see you in two hours.”

  “Two hours?”

  “It’ll take that long to scrub off everything I had to endure today.” Which was a lie. I’d never be able to wash it off. I removed his jacket and handed it to him. “Thank you.”

  “I still have my part of the oath to fulfill,” he said. “So, don’t fall asleep.”

  “Two hours,” I insisted. I wanted time to talk to Niyol and sort my thoughts.

  “One and I’m coming in.”

  “Bastard.”

  “We’ve already had this discussion,” he called as he laughed and disappeared in a blur of speed.

  The door on the opposite side of the room opening and closing was my only indication of where he went. His bedroom, I assumed. Didn’t matter, I was locking myself in this one. Yeah right. I closed the door and cursed. No lock. Fricking vampire.

  I tugged at the zipper on the back of my dress, which was likely ruined, and looked around the room. A queen-sized bed centered the wall on the right, with a nightstand on each side. The white comforter covering it had to be goose down, and it called my name. I let my dress fall off my shoulders to the floor and looked to the left.

  “Oh shit!”

  A wall of windows greeted me along with a fit of vertigo. I could see the entire city from this height. I was immediately grateful I hadn’t turned on the lights or anyone interested in looking would’ve had full view of me in my bra and panties.

  The city below took my breath away. I’d seen Vegas at night many times, but this was so much better. I had to assume it was London, unless Braden had been lying to me earlier. He was going to point out everything as soon as we got past our other conversation. I frowned. Maybe before. I needed something positive first.

  I tiptoed across the hardwood floor, avoiding another soft, fluffy area rug. It called my name too, almost convincing me to bury my toes into its heavenly fibers. I resisted. I needed a shower.

  The bathroom was just as luxurious as everything else and, as promised, was stocked with shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. I shed the rest of my clothes and went to work scrubbing away the layers of dirt and guilt.

  A half hour later, I found a man’s long sleeve dress shirt in the closet next to the bathroom. It also had women’s clothing, but nothing fit except for the one-size-fits-all yoga pants and a lacy camisole. I pulled the shirt over my cami, buttoning all but the top button, then went to work rolling up the sleeves. The man’s shirt swallowed me. No surprise there, but at least it sort of hid my bra-less chest. I refused to wear anyone’s panties other than my own, so I scrubbed them in the sink and left them on the towel rack to dry with my bra that also received a severe scrubbing.

  I had half an hour to sort my thoughts, or let my elementals sort them for me. I sat on the oh-so-soft carpet with my legs folded in front of me. I thought about the bed but suspected I’d just fall asleep. The city’s lights stretched out in front of me in a myriad of colors, vaguely reminding me of home. Maybe my life as a shunned, deformed nobody was the better option.

  Niyol? Göksu?

  What have you gotten yourself into now? Niyol asked.

  I was hoping you knew.

  I cannot enter the vampire’s home, so don’t do anything stupid.

  That wasn’t what I wanted to hear but important to know.

  Göksu, do you know where Logan is?

  He is at Mr. Smith’s compound, he replied. And yes, Kellen is with him.

  What about the palace? Is the council okay? Have the European mages taken over our home? I tried to tamp down my panic but failed miserably. With Kellen and I both gone, who would be there to make sure the people were okay? Or worse, were they being lied to about what happened?

  Calm down, child. Kellen explained the prince’s attack. Your council is aware of his treachery, Göksu explained. But they’ve closed the portal, isolating themselves from everyone.

  I took a deep breath and opened my phone, re-reading Logan’s text. He didn’t want me to go to the palace, but he didn’t want Jonathan knowing my location either.

  It’s probably best for now, I said. They’re being targeted for some reason.

 
No, you’re being targeted, child. You are the unifying force.

  Yeah, whatever. I waved my hand in the air like they could see me. Logan thinks I should stay away from both the palace and Mr. Smith’s, but I don’t want to stay here. Braden and I will end up killing each other.

  You cannot go to Victor’s either, Niyol said, preempting my next question. You need to find a way to get to the other mage families and explain what happened to Prince Thomas. As much as I dislike the elder vampire, he’s right. William will need to blame someone, and he won’t want his son’s name tarnished.

  Shit.

  Can I not get Kellen, and then the two of us can make house calls together? He can tell his part of the story and I’ll tell mine. I don’t want to put my trust in Braden.

  When neither answered me, I started to worry they wouldn’t. I bit the inside of my cheek and twisted my fingers in the tail of my shirt to keep from asking again.

  I’ll stay with Logan and Kellen, Göksu finally said. Convince the elder to take you to one of the mage families. When you get there, I’ll find a way to let Kellen know.

  And he can find a way to get to me, I finished, rubbing at the tears pooling in my eyes. I could never do this without you two.

  You’ll never have to, Niyol said. And don’t feel guilty about cutting that vampire to pieces. Use his willingness to learn how to fight against him.

  I will give you the strength to heal yourself, if he should hurt you, Göksu added. Just don’t take any more of his blood.

  That reminded me of my bond with Logan and Braden’s effect on it.

  What happens to my bond with Logan if Braden’s blood is in me?

  I don’t know, child, Göksu answered. We aren’t privy to vampire secrets.

  I thought my bond to him belonged to Spirit, not the vampires?

  It’s both. Don’t take any more of his blood.

  A knock at my door interrupted the conversation.

  “It hasn’t been an hour yet!” I yelled.

  “We have to go.” He opened the door, the lights from the other room silhouetting his tall frame. “King William has acted sooner than expected.”

  I rose to my feet and grabbed my phone and tiny purse. “He’s accusing me of killing Thomas, isn’t he?”

  “Yes.”

  I pushed past him, my bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor. “My mages know differently,” I said. “They saw Kellen when he arrived and heard his story.” I stuffed my phone in my purse and took one last step to curl my toes in the soft carpet. “I assume William knows this place or we wouldn’t be leaving.”

  “You assume correctly.” He glanced at my attire and shook his head. “Did nothing in there fit you?”

  I held a leg out in front of me. “The yoga pants. Is every woman you know five foot seven and a hundred and forty pounds?”

  “Possibly. None of the shoes fit?”

  I rolled my eyes and made for the door. “I’m also without underclothes, but I do have a credit card. Let’s go.”

  So much for my tour of London’s skyline.

  Chapter 29

  Braden’s driver didn’t join us this time, and I didn’t want to think about why. I sat in the front passenger seat of his Mercedes, wrapped in a coat the vampire threw at me on the way out the door. It should’ve been the driver’s side, but it wasn’t. We were in England, so the driver sat on the right side, not the left. It felt weird, but I refused to complain. Rain pelted the windshield, and the wiper blades struggled to keep up with the torrential downpour. Between that and the darkness, it was nearly impossible to see the passing scenery.

  “We have a long drive ahead of us,” Braden said, not looking at me. “Do you want to sleep or talk?”

  “I’m not tired right now, so let’s talk,” I replied. “Let’s start with what your blood is doing to me.”

  “Interesting that you would choose my secrets first, rather than ask about yours,” he said, still not taking his eyes from the road.

  I hadn’t actually thought about it that way. I was more concerned about Logan than revealing vampire secrets, but I wasn’t telling him that.

  “Well, spill it.”

  He chuckled. “An elder’s blood is different than most vampire’s,” he said. “I should’ve been angry when you took mine the other night, but I was too consumed by… other desires.” He glanced at me. “No one dares to attack me. Yet this tiny mage did so without hesitation. You’ve awakened a part of me that I haven’t enjoyed in ages.”

  I squirmed, edging closer to the passenger door. “That doesn’t explain my inability to use our mage portal.”

  “No, I suppose it doesn’t,” he conceded. “My blood will linger in you. Its presence is strong enough for others to detect. Like the magic in your portal.”

  “So the portal thinks I’m a vampire?” I asked.

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but it certainly recognizes my blood in your veins.”

  I pulled my feet into the seat and hugged my knees. Logan’s blood hadn’t done that to me. I’d actually been able to protect him going through the portal. But after Braden’s blood, even Kellen’s large body wrapped around me wasn’t enough to fool the portal’s magic.

  “How long will it linger?” I asked. “Especially after our thing with the blood oath?”

  “I’m not sure,” Braden replied. “Weeks, possibly months.”

  “Fricking lovely,” I mumbled. Maybe having the portal to the palace closed was a good idea. No one would know why I wasn’t using it. “Are there long term affects? What if our blood mingles during my twenty-four hours of torture?”

  He glanced at me again, this time his smugness faded completely. “We should avoid swapping blood again,” he replied.

  I frowned. Göksu had said the same thing. “I’m not sure I can hurt you unless I’m provoked,” I said. “Don’t get me wrong, I despise you. But my dislike doesn’t automatically turn into violence.”

  “Your honesty is so refreshing,” he murmured.

  The highlights from a passing car highlighted his frown. There was no way I’d offended him, was there? Maybe my disrespect pissed him off. I should at least try to be nice.

  “Sorry,” I said. “I’ll try to get a tighter rein on the filter that should be over my mouth.”

  “No. I prefer your honesty,” he said. “It’s just difficult to hear. Most of the people I encounter on a daily basis say what they think I want to hear, even if the truth would benefit them more.”

  Was this another manipulation? I didn’t want to see him with normal insecurities. I needed to keep him in the ‘enemy of my enemy is my friend for a moment’ category. Hopefully, we wouldn’t be spending too much time together. He would take me to the nearest mage family and we’d be done. Sure, because all my plans worked out that way.

  “I’d like the same truth from you,” I said after the moment of silence.

  “Agreed.”

  That was too easy. I needed someone smarter than me in these conversations with him.

  “Okay, so next topic,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Your knowledge of my ‘clan.’” I air quoted clan, even though he didn’t look at me.

  “Still not your father?” he asked.

  “I’m not ready for that yet,” I replied, keeping to the honesty. Right. I really wasn’t ready.

  “Your mother killed Kellen’s parents because they discovered her connection to me,” he began, tapping his finger on the steering wheel. “I was surprised when I heard of your partnership with him and wondered how he felt about that. I never would’ve accepted the woman who was the mirror image of my parents’ murderer.” He glanced at me, then back to the road. “But he’s human. You do things I’ll never understand.”

  “You were human once, weren’t you?” I asked.

  “It’s irrelevant. Stop taking me off topic.”

  Another passing car highlighted his face, revealing the deep frown. I might have preferred his smugness over his current mood.

&nb
sp; “I thought I could use your mother to recruit mages into my ranks,” he said. “It worked for a while. I spent a great deal of time watching the training of new recruits. Their strength was impressive and gave me hope to stop Jack’s stupidity. But when Logan killed his sire and ran, there was no hiding it from Jack.” His lip curled. I wasn’t happy that he’d confirmed my suspicions. “I hated giving up my secret weapon, but I had no choice. Everything spiraled out of control after that, including your mother. Even after her transition, she was unstable.”

  The sound of the rain beating against the car filled the silence that followed. He’d been fighting against Jack’s plan for a long time. A new thought surfaced from my subconscious, something Thomas had said in the dungeons.

  “How are you keeping Jack’s loyalty?” I asked. “Does he really consider you his golden boy?”

  Braden laughed, a genuine belly laugh, and looked at me. “That is not part of our oath, little mage.”

  “Can’t blame me for trying,” I said, smiling.

  “I’d be disappointed if you hadn’t tried.” He turned his attention back to the road. “Are you ready for the last topic?”

  “No, that can’t be all your knowledge of my clan,” I replied. “You’re old. Surely you knew my grandparents.”

  “Thank you for that wonderful assessment of my age.” He laughed again, and I blushed. “And yes, I knew your grandfather but not your grandmother. He wouldn’t allow me near her.”

  “Smart man,” I said, grinning at him. “So, tell me what you know.” I pulled the long coat around my knees and leaned back against the door, giving him my full attention.

  “Your grandfather and I had a working relationship much like King William’s,” he said. “Only he was aware of my heritage, where the king is not.”

  “So just business?”

  “It’s always business,” he replied.

  “And you had nothing to do with his falling out with the mages?” I pressed.

  “I did not,” he said. “His downfall started with his marriage and ended with his daughter. His situation was not unique, though. Royalty is forced into rules that everyone else can ignore. Many rulers have endured his fate.”