Triquetra

by Marguerite Labbe

  “Maybe,” one purred next to my ear. “But not in time to save you or your friend.”

  “You fucking leave him out of it,” I roared, a surge of adrenaline allowing me to push forward a fraction of an inch before I was shoved back, my head bouncing off the chain links.

  “Too late,” another one replied. “He was tasty.”

  Oh god, Steve, no. The picture of him sprawled out on the floor after Kristair’s attack hit me and I couldn’t think past the horror of it happening to him again. More hands held down my arms and legs, and others were in my hair, wrenching my head back. Fangs scored my throat, wrists, stomach, all over my body. My skin crawled.

  I screamed, tears springing to my eyes as they bit me in a dozen places at once. White-hot pain rolled through my veins and I felt them feed off my agony and terror as well as my blood.

  “Kristair.”

  My struggles weakened as the evening sky deepened from dark purple to black. He would be awake soon, but not nearly soon enough and a new terrible thought struck me. What would happen to Kristair if I died while still carrying his heart?

  Tears streamed down my cheeks and I cried out his name again in my mind in despair. I had royally fucked up this time. Blackness crept along my vision as they continued to feed off of me and I slumped against the fence. If it hadn’t been for the hands holding me I would’ve fallen. It looked as if Steve’s prediction about seeing my face in the newspaper was going to turn out to be right.

  “Enough,” one said. Abruptly, the worst of the pain was gone, leaving behind the deep ache of the bites themselves. I sagged, my muscles and bones turned to water. “We can’t kill him yet.”

  They caught me up in their hands, lifting me up. The ground fell away with a terrible lurch as we flew up into the sky. If I had the energy, I would’ve sobbed. Kristair was gonna come looking for me as soon as he woke up. Who knew what trap I was going to lead him into?

  Chapter 33

  I AWOKE abruptly with an immediate sensation of impending danger. The muscles in my body tensed as I listened intently to the environment surrounding me, only to find it still and empty. That, in and of itself, was unusual. Ever since I had started sleeping here Jacob was never far away when I awoke. Yet, for some reason, he wasn’t nearby now. He wasn’t in the bedroom, the bathroom, nor could I hear him out in the main suite either. Otherwise, nothing seemed to be amiss to have woken me in such an alarming manner.

  The clock light glowed in the near absolute blackness of the room. It was almost eight. I hated the fact my internal clock had failed me again, and it worried me I had slept so late. How long would my slumbers have lasted if my instincts hadn’t disturbed me?

  “Jacob?” I called out, reaching for the robe on the chair and slipping it on.

  There was no response. I padded over to the door on bare feet, reassured when I heard the sound of movement on the other side. Kayla glanced up from the table as I emerged, a relief passing over her countenance, briefly banishing the furrow between her brows. “I thought I heard you.” She marked her place in the journal and set it aside.

  “Where is he?” I asked, realizing there was no sign of his presence. “Did he go get something to eat?” That was unlikely. I doubted Jacob would have left if I had still been sleeping this late. It would have taken something quite serious.

  “Mo chroí?” I reached out for his mind. Our connection was dangerously weak and at first I couldn’t grasp the fading wisps of Jacob’s thoughts, fear spiking them. “Jacob, what’s wrong? Where are you?”

  “Kristair?” Relief flowed through our bond and his thoughts strengthened some. “Oh god, I thought something had happened to you.”

  “Where the hell are you?” I snarled, waving off Kayla’s attempt to talk, and stalked back to the bedroom to get dressed. Jacob’s mental strength had never been this diminished before. Not even after the time I had fed from him after my injuries. My thoughts and emotions seethed as I jerked on my clothes. “Jacob… Jacob, answer me. What happened?”

  “The Syndicate… they knew where we were….” Jacob tried to gather his strength to rally. “They’re gonna lay some kind of a trap for you. I don’t know what yet. I can’t hear them. There’s a whole fucking gang of them too.”

  I jammed my feet into my shoes, trying to control my frantic emotions. Now was not the time to lose my composure. Tears stung my eyes and the thought of those bastards’ hands on Jacob made me ill. “Did they hurt you?”

  That was a stupid question. I could tell from Jacob’s tone they had done something, maybe even drugged him. That would be the best way of ensuring his behavior, though, given how quickly he healed, no drug would last long in his system.

  “Kristair, they….” His words broke off in a wave of disgust and sharp fear that was so strong I recoiled from it, crying out.

  The door to our bedroom crashed open. Kayla looked around wildly. Then I sensed the drain on Jacob’s body and mind, and screamed in rage, red washing over my vision.

  They were feeding off of him. NO! He was mine!

  My hands extended into vengeful claws, my fangs descended. If there was some way for me to jump through the intervening space between me and Jacob to attack those responsible for despoiling him in that manner I would’ve done so, right then and there, without a thought.

  The room wavered out of focus. “Kris!” Kayla leaped toward me and the room solidified around me again.

  I screamed again as Jacob slipped into unconsciousness, his thoughts slithering away from mine. Instinctively, I turned to the window, unheeding Kayla’s sharp cry behind me, and then burst through the thin barrier, not even bothering to change my form so I could pass through it without consequence.

  I heard Kayla screaming my name and the tinkling sound of falling glass as I flew toward Jacob’s direction. I harbored no other thought than to get to him as soon as possible. I was going to destroy the Syndicate once and for all. This time they had gone too far. They wanted me in Rome. So be it. This time they were going to have me. All of me, until every last one of their number was destroyed.

  The air undulated around me as my other tormentors returned. The horror of their arrival jerked me out of my wrath enough to think rationally once again. “NO!” I screamed, the violence of the sound scraping my vocal chords raw. The whisperers paused at my vehemence, and then struck. Their combined strength overwhelmed my own and I realized I was tumbling through the air unchecked, hurtling toward the ground at an ever-increasing pace.

  “Let me go!” My frenzy returned as none of my powers worked and I had the fleeting, terrifying thought I was human again, and that, when I hit the ground, it was going to be all over with. What would happen to Jacob if I never arrived to help him?

  “Give yourself over, child, and you will be saved.” One of the whisperer’s voices became distinct from the others, the sound feminine and familiar. “It’s time to stop fighting. Let go.”

  The order was compelling. I could feel the lure of it, but unlike the last time, it failed to cloud my mind. If I gave into them, Jacob was lost. I clung to that thought, let it anchor me. My plummet started to slow, and then ceased altogether, leaving me to hover in the air. I shuddered. The hard concrete was only a few feet below me. I probed my consciousness, but sensed no indication of the voices.

  I breathed a sigh of relief and set myself down, sinking down onto my haunches. Another shudder of delayed fear and relief raked my body. That had been closer than I wanted to think about. It would’ve taken me a long time to heal from the injuries if I had landed. Time Jacob did not have.

  My head jerked up at a scrabble of sound and I saw a kid in his early teens watching me with wide eyes, scrambling back toward a row of houses. I looked around, realizing I was in one of the residential areas of the city. Well, I suppose it was somewhat better than falling onto the middle of Forbes Avenue.

  “Go home,” I ordered roughly, pushing myself back to my feet. I needed to get to Jacob and I needed to do it in a rational
manner. I started to walk away as the boy ran off in another direction.

  I didn’t dare do anything that would trigger another attack. I didn’t know if I could hold off the whisperers one more time. My strength was waning. Time had finally run out on me, but first things first. I would free Jacob, make sure the Syndicate was destroyed, then go the final round with the bastards that wanted to take me out of this world.

  Looking around at my surroundings, I got my bearings then targeted a darkened house. I should’ve let Kayla get me one of those cell phones. She even had a family plan all picked out. Finding a phone right now was an inconvenience I didn’t need, but I didn’t dare move faster than normal means, nor did I want to take too long to get to Jacob. The Syndicate had to be out in the city trying to contact me to tell me of Jacob’s capture. Then a new fear struck me when I realized I had left Kayla behind, alone. I started cursing, using some of Jacob’s more colorful phrases.

  The rear of the house was as dark as the rest and the high hedges afforded me a little privacy. I broke a back window, pausing to listen for any alarms, and then reached in to unlock the door. Within seconds, I was inside, and five minutes later I was out again, more secure with the knowledge that Ussier was on his way and someone was going to take my daughter in hand.

  As I started back down the sidewalk, a minivan turned into the driveway of the house I had just vacated. I quickened my step. Soon they would discover my intrusion. I regretted that it was going to cause them undue anxiety, but it had been necessary. I pushed the worry from my mind, searching instead for whomever Ussier was sending to rendezvous with me.

  “Kristair?”

  Jacob’s mental voice was very weak, but I was immeasurably relieved to hear him again. I grasped his thoughts, holding on tight. “I’m right here, mo chroí. I’m on my way.”

  He chuckled, a dark, wicked delight in the sound. “They’re frothing at the mouth because they can’t find you.”

  “They’ll get to see me soon enough. I doubt they’ll find my company to be very pleasurable.” I pressed a mental kiss to his lips. “Don’t let them know you’re awake. Feign unconsciousness as long as you can.”

  I know Jacob fought them, but if possible, I didn’t want them knowing the extent of his ability to regenerate, nor did I want them touching him again if it could be prevented.

  Jacob agreed without argument, which told me more than any other sign just how bad of an ordeal he was going through. Quickly, he told me what had happened to him at the hotel and gave me what details he could of the number of people with him and how they were placed around the warehouse room.

  A limousine turned into the quiet street and a slow predatory smile crossed my lips. The hunt was on again. “Soon, Jacob. I’ll be with you soon. Try to pretend you’re still unconscious until I get to you.”

  I didn’t want them feeding from Jacob again, possessive instincts aside. He was still human and, despite his ability to bounce back, his reserves could only take so much. I was afraid they would push it too far out of their curiosity and desire to hurt me.

  A brief flare of physical pain colored Jacob’s psyche. “I think it’s a bit late for that.”

  As the limousine pulled up, I closed my eyes, delving deeper into Jacob’s consciousness. He was being pulled to his feet, cradling sore ribs. “They’re askin’ questions.” Jacob said, a deep weariness in his tone.

  “Go ahead and tell them whatever they want to know, mo chroí. There isn’t anything you can tell them that will make a difference. They already know my weaknesses.”

  “You’ve gotta be kidding.” Jacob sounded offended I had even suggested it. “I’m not telling them a god damned thing.”

  The limousine stopped in front of me. A tall, well-dressed man emerged from the driver’s seat and bowed his head to me. “Sir,” he greeted me as he went over and opened the door. “My Mistress is expecting you.”

  “Do not give them reason to cause you further harm,” I said firmly. “Your main goal is to stay healthy until I can get to you.”

  He didn’t answer, which meant he was either being stubborn or they had started questioning him. Worry gnawed as I stepped into the limousine and sat down. There was nothing more I could do now. I nodded politely to the petite woman sitting opposite me. “Ms. Dupree, you look well this evening.”

  “Monsieur Kristair, I am sorry to hear of your recent troubles.” Alette Dupree’s voice was low, her accent musical, no hint in her features of the madness lurking beneath the surface of her mind. She made me distinctly uneasy, though Ghedi Ussier trusted her implicitly. She was beautiful, her features were perfect, and she carried herself with a grace reminiscent of a sea snake and was just as dangerous. She used it as a weapon, alluring and seductive, but it was a terrifying, chilling beauty that did more to repel than to attract.

  “Thank you, Madam,” I said stiffly, glancing out the window as the limousine rolled off. “Though none of us will have to worry about the Syndicate after tonight.”

  She gave me a strange smile that did not quite meet her eyes. “Mon ami, I can guarantee they will not be bothering you anymore. Ussier takes offense to those who injure his friends.” Alette leaned forward and opened the barrier window between the driver and his companion, and us. “Give Lawrence the directions. Then we can cleanse this infection once and for all.”

  The limousine slid out of the neighborhood and started its crawl through the bowels of the city toward the location I gave them. Tense anticipation gripped my stomach. Normally, I was calm before a battle, but this time rage and worry still simmered in my mind. Implacably, I started walling up those emotions one by one. Tonight the Syndicate would try to provoke me and I refused to allow them under my skin more than they already were.

  Chapter 34

  IT WASN’T really ignoring Kristair’s wishes. He was right; there was nothing I could tell these bastards that they either didn’t already know about Kristair or that they’d be able to defend against even if they did know. As far as I knew, every Syndicate jackass who’d crossed Kristair was dead. But it didn’t stop them from coming. I was beginning to wonder if anything would make them stop. Yeah, I should give in and tell them something. But if I were to suddenly roll over and start running my mouth after all the shit I’d given them they’d become suspicious.

  I wanted to keep the connection with Kristair a secret if I could, which meant keeping my damn temper before I let something slip. I should have more sense in a situation like this, but I was really itching to taunt them, knowing they were about to have their asses handed to them on the proverbial platter. And I really needed to try to keep them from biting me again. I hated the way it felt, someone else feeding off of me. And I was afraid of Kristair’s reaction if they did. I had not missed his explosion of animal rage before I passed out.

  So if it was going to be a fine line I had to walk until Kristair caught up with me, I needed to keep from pissing them off so much that they retaliated. And I sure as hell didn’t want to know what they were capable of if they knew help was already on the way.

  One of them glared and kicked me again in my ribs. I cried out, doubling over despite trying to hold it in. I was covered in bruises. As fast as I healed, they were even quicker about inflicting new ones. I tried to mask the pain from Kristair, but I was pretty sure he knew. His mind was furiously, terrifyingly cold.

  “Is that all ya got?” I gasped, trying to collect my breath.

  Two bloodsuckers grabbed my arms, hauling me up to my knees. I tried to keep my body hunched over to protect myself, though who was I kidding? It hurt to straighten. Another man stepped in front of me. I caught a glimpse of dark hair and hard eyes before I doubled over again, agony screaming through me, my lungs clawing to draw in air. I hadn’t even seen his fist coming. As soon as I could think past the blinding pain, I realized I was leaning against the newcomer, my cheek pressed to his shirt as I gasped and whimpered. Oh fuck, that hurt. That really fucking hurt.

  “We can keep thi
s up long past your body’s ability to heal the damage,” he said, his strong fingers grasping my jaw and forcing my head up.

  I couldn’t help shivering when I met his eyes. There was power there, a determination that cut through my bravado. This had to be the guy in charge, the one who’d been hunting us all along. I knew then he would be willing to do absolutely anything to get what he wanted.

  “Though I get the impression, Jacob, you aren’t too worried about yourself, are you?”

  I gritted my teeth and scowled. If he had to drag every answer from me, it would take time, time for Kristair to get here with his plan and get me out of this fucked-up situation. If my mouth wasn’t so damned dry, I would’ve spit at him too. God, I hated them. I hated them all.

  His fingers tightened. I cried out as white-hot lightning shot through my entire face. I had the sudden terrifying thought he was going to not stop squeezing until my jaw shattered. My eyes bulged and I rose up on my tiptoes to try to relieve the pressure. Tears stung my eyes, and he squeezed harder, his sharp eyes shards of bottle-green glass as he glared back at me.

  When he released me, I swore my bones creaked. I bit another sound of pain, gingerly working my jaw. Damn it hurt, and the pain radiated out, making my temples start throbbing in sympathy.

  “Now, I believe I was waiting for a response from you,” he said, his tone acid.

  My mind raced. I had honestly forgotten what the question was. His hand moved toward me and I jerked my head back. “No, wait. Jesus fucking Christ.” I glared at him. “No, I’m not worried, motherfucker.” I snarled, starting to get really pissed, though I was still scared outta my mind.

  Now the pain was beginning to creep down my neck. I think the bastard fractured my jaw. I had been sure I could handle the situation until I had met this man. He wasn’t like anybody else I’d ever met before and I sure as hell didn’t want Kristair tangling with him.