Ronan and Lucca are holding Vaughn and Rikkon respectively by their ankles, using them for weightlifting.
“What the fuck,” I say.
“Oh, great. Now Saxon is here to witness my humiliation,” Vaughn whines.
My friends let go of their … weights, victims, whatever. Vaughn drops onto the tatami like a potato sack while Rikkon gets back onto his feet in a more graceful manner. He doesn’t seem as mad as Vaughn does.
“Hey, Saxon,” he says. “Everything well with you and Aurora?”
The guy seems genuinely interested to know. The little I’ve heard about Rikkon had painted a completely different image of him in my mind. He was a petty drug dealer and junkie who needed his little sister to bail him out. I’d expected him to be this shady guy, untrustworthy, not a friendly, innocent-looking candidate for the most beautiful man in the world award.
“I didn’t kill her fiancé if that’s what you want to know,” I grumble.
“We figured you didn’t. Bad news travels fast, but what’s with the sourpuss face?” Lucca asks.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Now, explain what the hell you were doing with Vaughn and Rikkon.”
Ronan hitches a thumb at the newbie vampire. “Smart mouth here lost a bet. That was his punishment.”
“And Rikkon?” I raise an eyebrow.
He shrugs, glancing at Lucca. “Future brother-in-law bonding?”
He smirks. “Yeah, let’s go with that. If Vivi thinks I’m manhandling you, she’ll have my balls.”
“I thought she already had your balls,” I reply.
Lucca’s easygoing expression vanishes as he squints at me. “What’s up, Sax? Are you looking to hurt?”
“Ha-ha. You’re fucking hilarious.” I crack my knuckles. “I bet domestic bliss has made you soft.”
Lucca curls his lips into a dark smile, showing hints of his fangs. His eyes flash red for a second. “Weapon of choice?”
“Katana, obviously.” I glance at Rikkon, who is standing closest to the table with weapons. “Can you toss me one?”
“I don’t think I should be tossing you anything.” He selects one in the middle of the assortment, holding the weapon almost reverently. “Wow, the pattern on this sheath is incredible.”
I walk over since it doesn’t seem like he’s going to let go of the sword anytime soon. “That’s not even one of the nic—”
“Ugh!” Rikkon bends over, dropping the weapon to the floor. He presses the heels of his hands into his eyes with a groan as his face twists into an expression of extreme agony.
“Dude, are you all right?”
“Fuck,” he answers, and then twists to the side to throw up.
I glance at Lucca. “Maybe holding him upside down wasn’t the greatest of ideas.”
He comes over, stopping next to Rikkon, who is still stooped over, clutching his stomach. “What’s the matter? Did you get vertigo or something?”
“No.” He stands straighter, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “I…” He runs his fingers through his hair. “I think Manu is in trouble.”
Huh? Of all the things we expected him to say, that wasn’t it.
“What do you mean you think she’s in trouble?” Ronan butts in, displaying more aggression than worry.
Rikkon’s face is pale now. His blue eyes are round with fear. “I get … visions. Premonitions. My head feels like it’s going to split in two when it happens. It used to get really bad and the only thing that kept them away was the drugs.”
“Is that a Nightingale thing?” I ask.
“I don’t know.”
Lucca grabs his arm, turning him around. “You have powers? I thought your mother took everything from you and Vivi when she banished you.”
“That’s what everyone keeps saying, but I don’t remember anything about my life before the memory spell wiped my brain clean.”
“You think Manu is in trouble,” Ronan interrupts. “What did you see?”
“It was just a flash. She was surrounded by several males wearing dark clothes; I couldn’t tell what they were. There was blood on her face.”
“Fuck. It must be Jacques and his followers,” Lucca growls.
I wanted Jacques to finally show his hand, but not at Manu’s expense. I was already filled with pent-up aggression. Now I’m on the verge of exploding. There’s no need for words. Lucca, Ronan, and I grab as many weapons as we can carry and head for the door.
“Should I come too?” Vaughn asks.
“No. You’re not ready,” Ronan replies. “Take Rikkon back to our apartment and stay put.”
Lucca has his cell phone glued to his ear. After a moment, he lets out a string of curses. “She’s not picking up.”
“I’ll try Derek. She was going to Havoc,” I say.
I call the club’s owner, hoping he will answer the phone. I can’t say we are buddies, but I’d like to believe I hold a special place in his cold heart considering I’m one of his best patrons. After an eternity, his baritone voice comes through.
“Saxon, what do you want?”
“Have you seen Manu tonight?”
“Yeah, she came in about an hour ago. Why?”
“Is she still there?”
“Fuck. How am I supposed to know? The house is packed. What is this all about? You’ve never called looking for her before.”
We walk out of the institute building through a side exit, getting blasted immediately with the chilly autumn air. I’m only wearing a muscle shirt and the cold seeps into my bones. Running as fast as we can helps a little.
“I have reason to believe Jacques is going to try something tonight,” I say in a low tone, not wanting to chance being overheard.
“I haven’t seen any of Tatiana’s sympathizers here tonight, but I’ll try to find Manu.”
“Okay. We’re on our way.”
Ronan is already behind the steering wheel of his black SUV and Lucca is riding shotgun. I slide into the backseat, ending the call.
“Is she at the club?” Lucca asks.
“Derek doesn’t know. But she was there earlier.”
That’s a good enough answer for Ronan. He presses the pedal to the metal, burning rubber as he speeds off down the lane.
“Easy there, Speedy. There’s a fucking gate ahead.” I brace against the supple leather seat.
Ronan presses on the brakes, sending me flying forward. I hit my face against the back of his seat, which sends white-hot pain up my nose. “Motherfucker!”
“Buckle up, idiot,” Lucca growls.
“Did he give me the chance?”
As soon as the gate opens, Ronan takes off, pushing the engine to the limit. Going at this insane speed should bring us to Havoc in less than five minutes. We ride in silence, but it’s impossible to miss the tension in the car. I can only guess my friends’ brains are whirling as fast as mine. My thoughts are scattered everywhere, but mainly, I’m worried about Manu. Despite her being a badass fighter, she can’t survive an ambush. Fuck. We shouldn’t have let her go alone anywhere.
Maybe she isn’t alone. I text Karl, hoping the familiar is with her. Instead of texting me back, he calls.
“What do you know?” he asks without preamble.
Fuck. It’s true, then. Manu is in danger. Karl would be able to sense it. “Not much. I was hoping you would have more intel.”
“I don’t even know where she is. I’ve been dealing with other issues all week.”
“We’re headed to Havoc. It’s the last place she was seen.”
“I’m on my way.” He ends the call before I can get another word in.
Lucca turns on his seat. “Was that Karl?”
“Yeah. He sensed something was wrong with Manu.”
Ronan curses under his breath. “Why wasn’t he with her?”
“Have you met my sister?” Lucca grumbles. “Damn it, Manu. Why do you have to be so fucking difficult?”
“Uh, maybe because the apple doesn’t fall far from
the tree?” I snort.
“Are you still looking for an ass-whooping, Saxon?” Lucca snarls.
“For fuck’s sake!” Ronan hits the steering wheel hard. “Shut your piehole. Both of you.”
I swallow my angry retort. Ronan is justified in getting pissed off. It seems I can’t help but say stupid shit. Lucca remains quiet too, looking out the window. In another minute, Ronan parks right in front of Havoc, and I say a silent prayer. I’m jonesing for action.
Derek is waiting for us in front of the club. One close look at the male and I know he has bad news.
Lucca reaches him first. “She’s not in there, is she?”
“No. I looked at the security camera footage. She left about half an hour ago accompanied by a human.”
“Do you know the human’s name?” Ronan asks.
“He didn’t buy anything with a credit card, so no.”
“Maybe we should have brought Rikkon with us. Another vision would be helpful.”
I’m blasted immediately by Lucca’s and Ronan’s glares, which alerts me to my error. Derek is watching me with interest now. Fuck me and my big stupid mouth.
Ronan’s spine becomes taut as his gaze travels past my shoulder. I turn around, but I already know who caught his attention. Karl, and his sister Cheryl. Well, I was looking for a distraction from my problems, and it seems I got more than I wished for. Cheryl and Ronan together, looking for Manu. It’s shaping up to be an explosive night.
29
Aurora
I’ve been staring at nothing for the past half an hour while my brain keeps replaying my conversation with Saxon. Regret is a jagged little pill. I should have followed my instincts and kept my mouth shut. But it’s not only my stupidity occupying my mind. It’s his story and the possibility there are more first-generation Bluebloods suffering from insanity that the king doesn’t even know about. At least Saxon’s father is dead. But what about the Boucher family? Solomon said she’s a specter, not a ghost. I’d always used the term interchangeably.
I know I shouldn’t return to the catacombs, but maybe I can trick Madeleine into telling me what the hell happened to her. She wants freedom, and I’m not above lying to a murderous specter to get what I want.
I open the small book about her family that Solomon gave me. The gruesome images still make me cringe, but I try to focus on the text only. The English is archaic, and it doesn’t flow well. Sometimes I have to google a word I’m not familiar with. The story is nonetheless fascinating in a morbid way.
They were aristocrats, but they didn’t frequent King Raphael’s court. They preferred to mingle with Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, who I’m guessing weren’t aware the Bouchers were vampires. The Bouchers only started acting strangely after the French Revolution. By then, they had already immigrated to England’s countryside, where they committed most of their atrocities.
I’m about one-third into the book when my phone pings loudly, announcing a text message. My heart leapfrogs to my throat, dropping immediately back to its place like a rock sinking into a lake. “Fucking hell.” I press my hand against my chest.
When I glance at my phone, the notification has already vanished from my screen, so I have to slide my finger across to unlock it. The text is from Vivienne, asking me to meet her in the old gym on the east wing. She wrote emergency in capital letters. Shit. What now?
I hastily shove the book I was reading in my bag, then collect a few river stones and crystals I energized earlier. She didn’t specify what type of emergency, but my guess is it requires witchcraft to fix it. I curse that it’s still night and there are people milling about campus. If I run, it will draw too much attention. These damn bloodsuckers live for gossip. Certainly, I’d be followed.
When I get to the old gym, I find Rikkon on his back, and Vivienne and Vaughn crouching on each side of him.
“What the hell happened?” I run the rest of the way.
“Rikkon got sick after getting a vision about Manu being in danger. Lucca, Ronan, and Saxon went after her and told me to take Rikkon back to the apartment. But then he started to spasm and puke again. I didn’t know what to do,” Vaughn replies.
“Why didn’t you take him to Solomon?” I drop next to the guy, who has his eyes closed and is moaning deliriously. A sheen of sweat covers his forehead. Placing my hand against his skin confirms that he has a fever.
“I-I called Vivienne,” Vaughn replies.
“Can you help him?” she asks.
“I’ll try. Do you think he’s going through withdrawals?” I begin pulling items from my bag until I find the vial I was looking for.
“I don’t think so. Unless he relapsed without me knowing.” She gasps. “Oh shit. Maybe that’s what happened.”
“I don’t think so, Vivi. I’d know if Rikkon had been high,” Vaughn chimes in.
I force Rikkon’s mouth open and pour the concoction down his throat. He begins to cough immediately.
“What was that?” Vivienne asks.
“The equivalent of ten shots of espresso. Don’t worry. It’s harmless.”
Her brother opens his eyes, and at first, he doesn’t seem to know where he is.
Vivienne touches his face. “How are you feeling?”
“Vivi, what happened?”
“I don’t know. Vaughn said you got sick after having a vision?”
He closes his eyes, frowning. “Shit. It’s happening again.”
“What is?” I ask.
He grunts as he sits up, resting his arms on his knees. “The visions. I’ve been having them as long as I can remember.”
“How is that possible? You never had that ability before,” Vivienne says.
“I don’t know. I can’t tell you if they started before the memory spell or only after.” He turns to her, his eyes glistening with anguish. “They’re brutal, Vivi. You think I turned into a junkie because I couldn’t cope with being cut from Ellnesari. But the truth is, the drugs were the only thing that kept them at bay.”
“Oh, Rikkon. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I didn’t want you to think I was crazy. Come on. Visions? What kind of human has them?”
“But you’re not human,” Vaughn pipes up.
“No shit, Sherlock. I wasn’t aware of that until Vivi recovered her memories,” he retorts angrily.
“Can you stand? We need to get you back to your apartment, and then you can tell me more about your visions,” I say.
“I think I can, but I need help.”
Vaughn and Vivienne assist Rikkon, and then he throws his arm around his sister’s shoulder for support. I have a bunch of questions, but we shouldn’t be talking about any of it in public. Vampires have super hearing, and anyone could be eavesdropping from a distance.
Unfortunately, in order to get back to the dorm section we have to go through the main building. I step closer to Rikkon and whisper, “Try to look alive.”
Because the evening couldn’t turn any worse, Therese, Lucca’s former lover and now Vivienne’s nemesis, approaches with her posse.
“What’s wrong with your brother?” Therese asks, twisting her nose. “He reeks.”
“None of your business,” Vivienne hisses, earning Therese’s death glare in return.
The atmosphere becomes saturated with animosity, and unfortunately, the only person able to keep Therese at bay is me, which doesn’t bode well, not with the way my nerves are already fried.
“Nothing to see here. Run along.” I motion them away with my hand.
“You’re not the boss of me. This isn’t your territory, witch.”
Don’t let them get to you, Aurora.
I take a deep breath before replying. “Seriously. I’m doing you a favor. You do not want to test my patience tonight.”
Therese’s friend, whose name I can’t remember for the life of me, tugs the vamp queen bee’s sleeve. “Maybe we should go.”
Therese pulls her arm free with a jerky movement. “I’m not afraid of h
er. Besides, she can’t harm us. She’s a guest here.”
Vaughn steps forward. “Ladies. There’s no need for all this hostility. Why can’t we all be civil?”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?”
“Uh, I’m Vaughn. I’m in a band.” He stuffs his chest out like what he just said is a big deal.
Poor idiot. He has no idea that being in a band is not something those bitches care about. They’re Bluebloods, and for appearances’ sake, he’s a regular without pedigree. If they knew he had just been made, I’m not sure how they’d react. As a matter of fact, why is Vaughn telling them he’s in a band? Fuck, doesn’t anyone have common sense anymore?
Now the stupid bitch is staring at him with renewed interest. Way to go, Vaughn.
“What band?” she asks.
“An underground band from the hellhole town he comes from,” I say before he can dig his grave deeper. I’m not sure how anyone has not recognized him yet. Salem is not a big city.
“And where is that?” Therese insists.
“I need to lie down. I think I’m going to be sick again,” Rikkon interrupts.
“You do look positively dreadful. You don’t even feel like a vampire.” Therese steps closer, flaring her nostrils as she takes a whiff.
Hell. Is Rikkon’s concealment spell weakening already?
“He was pranked like I was. Forced to eat human food,” Vivienne grits out. “Now get out of my way before I kick your ass.”
I know her threats are not empty. She’s acting like the Nightingale princess she is. But Vivienne has only recovered her memories, not her Nightingale powers. In a fight, Therese would win.
“You little piece of shit. Just—”
“Aurora, darling. I didn’t expect to see you again tonight.” Calvin approaches, smiling from ear to ear.
I never thought I’d be glad to see the guy, but I can’t complain about his timely intrusion. Therese and her friends visibly tense at the addition of another magic user.
“You’re a mage. What are you doing at Bloodstone?” Therese narrows her eyes.
Wild Thing: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 2) Page 18