“I hope so. It’s worth a shot at least.” A warning sensation trickled up my spine, raising the hair on my neck, but when I glanced around, I saw nothing. It was a gray day, clouds scudding low and dark. Even with the lack of sunshine, there was no way vamps were out today. Still, some instinct warned caution. “I have to go, but I need to tell you something real quick. I doubt Tony had the time last night.” I ran through the conversation with Ussier and of the blood spell Lisabeth laid on us to keep Tony in line.
Steve let out a string of violent curses, so I waited until he’d vented some of his frustration. “Is there anything you can do to reverse it?”
I started to say no then paused. Was there? Maybe Kristair would know. He had some of the hoodoo knowledge. There were so many of his memories filed away in my head. I didn’t even try peeking into most of them. I had too much to deal with as it was, without opening that Pandora’s box. “I don’t know. I’m not quite sure how magic works, but maybe. It’s an idea to think about.”
“You do that and maybe we can all get together tonight and put our heads together. My place, though, ’cause Kayla’s is too small. Makes me feel like an idiot.”
“And too pink and lacy,” I added. “I’m afraid to move in there. One of these days I’m gonna break something. Then she’ll kill me.”
“There’s that. You think Tony will come?”
“I can guarantee it.” I glanced at my watch. Damn, I was going to be late if I didn’t get moving. “You get Kayla there and I’ll get Tony. What about your roommates?”
“They’re not going to be there. Some frat thing going on, so we’ll have the place to ourselves.”
“Awesome. Grab some beers too.” Despite the situation, I was kind of in the mood to celebrate a bit. This would be the first time we were together, really together, since the night Tony came home from his short disappearance. If only he’d confided in us about what had happened to him then that whole night in the warehouse could’ve been avoided. He didn’t know though, I reminded myself. He didn’t know Kristair wasn’t hurting me. And none of us could’ve guessed what it would lead to. “Steve, I’m going to tell him about what Kristair left in my head. He doesn’t know anything about it, thinks I’m completely normal.”
“You sure about that, man?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. He needs to know.” The funny thing about trust was sometimes you had to take that leap first before someone could trust you in return, and I was going to make that leap. Ussier would probably cuss me out, but I didn’t care.
I hung up the phone and darted across the street just before the light changed. Since that was taken care of, the nerves regarding my doctor’s appointment hit again. This had to go well.
“Okay, Kristair. I don’t know if you can hear me or not, but let’s make a deal here. No crazy shit, for the next hour. Just let me get through my appointment and then you can make your heart do flips if you want to. I’m just asking for this one hour,” I said under my breath and hoped no one on the street thought I was talking to myself.
There was no answer, but his heart remained silent in my chest as well so I took it as a confirmation. Otherwise, I’d drive myself crazy worrying and probably drive my blood pressure up so bad the doctor would commit me to the hospital.
Once again, that prickle of awareness hit me. I was being followed or watched, I just knew it. Only this time there was no way I was gonna lead them down an alley to take care of it. I fingered the gun in my pocket, hating its presence there. Whoever it was could wait to bug me later on, hopefully when I had backup.
I glanced around the street once again, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, just a whole shitload of people going by on their own business. And any one of them could be crazy. Didn’t matter, though; they could stare at this building all afternoon. I reached my hand out to enter the building holding the medical offices and another mind grabbed a hold of my own, shoving my presence into a corner, and took over my body.
Just like what Kristair had done to me, only this wasn’t my lover. My heart kicked into high gear.
Stunned, I watched myself turn away, heading toward a sedan with tinted windows that pulled up in front of the building. I could sense eyes boring through me from the other side of that dark glass. Snarling, I fought, tearing at the bonds in my head, trying to dig my heels in so hard that I stumbled as if drunk. People averted their eyes and quickened their pace as they walked by me.
“Fucking A! Motherfucker no! Get outta my fuckin’ head or I’ll blow your fuckin’ brains out!”
I struggled to pull the gun out of my pocket and Kristair spoke up. “Trying to shoot in this state is not wise.”
“THEN TELL ME WHAT TO DO!”
“You know what to do. It’s all in your head,” Kristair whispered. “The eyes, Jacob. The eyes are the window to the soul.”
The doors to the car flew open and two men got out, taking me by the arms and leading me to the back door. I fought harder, snarling in rage in my head, and panting as if I were running a goddamned marathon.
“Hurry! He’s too strong,” a young girl’s voice cried out on the edge of some extreme emotion.
They shoved me inside next to the girl, whose face was pale, lines of stress around her eyes, her mouth pinched in pain, and sweat dotting her brow. Her gaze punched right through me, a living creature. HER! I lurched toward the girl, felt a part of my psyche pierce through her eyes into her, and then a presence in my mind ripping. A presence that didn’t belong there. She screamed, a high piercing shriek that made the bones in my ears rattle. Then something sharp pierced my leg, a needle, and a gray fog rolled in.
“MO CHROÍ, you have to burn the medicine out of your system. Hurry. You have to wake up. It’ll be dark in a few hours.”
“Wha…. Kristair? What’s happening?” I couldn’t hear him clearly, though I knew it was him. I concentrated on pushing back the fog that seemed to have me snared within its tendrils. As it began to clear, my other senses woke up. I was sitting on a hard chair with my hands cuffed behind my back.
Both hearts began to pound in my chest. Fuck! What was I gonna do now? I kept my head down, my eyes closed, somehow managing to keep my breathing even. “Kristair?” I held my breath and prayed, straining for an answer. I couldn’t have imagined his voice, but, once again, I was met with only silence.
I was on my own.
I could do this. I didn’t need anyone. Suddenly my world lurched and tilted, spinning me over onto my side. My eyes flew open with a gasp and I lifted my head. What the fuck? I was still in my chair and the room was empty. I was losing my mind; that was the only answer. I had gone over the fucking edge. My own heart was still beating a rapid cadence in my chest, but Kristair’s had calmed down, settling into an even, almost sleeping, pattern.
Taking several deep breaths, I willed my own to do the same and studied the room. The floor was unfinished concrete and the windows were high and small. It must be some kind of basement. There was a chill in the air and the light outside was rapidly fading. The room was lit with a naked bulb and it reminded me of a b-movie setting. One I was not anxious to star in. There didn’t seem to be any cameras set up to watch me, but I wasn’t taking any damn chances. I needed to get out of there before they realized I was awake.
I tugged on the cuffs, but they were threaded through the chair back. I might be able to break the slats, but that would mean I’d have to use Kristair’s abilities.
Fuck. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it was a goddamned conspiracy to make me use them. Well, if I did, I did. Now wasn’t the time to get squeamish.
I tugged on the cuffs then pulled until they cut into my wrist. Where the hell was that stupid strength and speed Kristair had given me now that I really needed it? Using it on instinct was one thing; trying to work myself up to it deliberately was something else entirely. What if I was wrong? What if I couldn’t really use it? I could hurt myself trying and end up alerting the bastards who took me to the fact that I was aw
ake. Even worse, if I used it on purpose, could I shut it off again? Or would that door remain open forever?
Voices approached the door, so I immediately dropped my head, pretending to be asleep. There had to be at least four of them, but I seemed to remember the girl screaming like she was hurting or something before I had blacked out. When the door opened, I had to force myself not to tense up.
Those fuckers made me miss my damned appointment. The urge to lash out at them and make them pay was strong.
“Is he still asleep?”
“He’s out cold.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m fucking sure. He hasn’t moved since you tranked him. Maybe you gave him too much.”
“Didn’t you see what he did to Angie? I’m not taking any chances.” The voices came closer and, through slitted eyes, I saw a pair of sneakers stop in front of me. My fingers ached to tense into claws, but I held them still. I’d probably have one chance to break out of here and I wasn’t about to blow it. If they drugged me again, I wouldn’t wake up until after dark, and then my chances would go from fucked up to I might as well bend myself over and beg for the dry corn-holing I was gonna get.
I started to think of all the reasons why I was pissed. Maybe I couldn’t try on purpose to break the handcuffs, but if I worked myself up to a really good mad, I could use that. Kinda like the Hulk. After all, these were the same assholes who took over my mind and that really made my blood simmer. And they were the fuckers who’d made me miss my doctor’s appointment, and there was no way my coach was gonna believe this story. My gun was gone, and if something happened to me, Tony was going to pay the price. Then I realized that my throat felt oddly light.
Those trifling motherfuckers had stolen my torc! Choking rage boiled up inside. I swear to god, if I didn’t find it, I’d kill every last one of them.
“Get the syringe. I’m going to give him another half-dose just in case.”
“But Ted said he had an idea to keep him in line if he woke up.” My blood turned to ice even as the other figure came all the way into the room, though he seemed reluctant. Smart guy, because when I got my hands on him I was gonna hurt them both. “What if it sends him into shock or something?”
“It won’t. He’s a jock. They’re used to being juiced up on something. The man will be here at dusk to get him. I’m not taking any chances until then. Will you hurry up?”
When the man in front of me half-turned to face the other, I exploded out of my chair. There was a momentary pain at my wrists as the links between the cuffs broke, but that disappeared as both men shouted. Fuck, please don’t let there be more than the four in the car. Two here, maybe one taking care of that psychic freak, but all I could do was concentrate on the two here and hope to take them out before reinforcements arrived.
I leapt over the chair as the guy in front of me took a swing, and charged the guy with the syringe. He lifted it as if he was going to stab me and I caught his wrist, twisting it around, and injected him with his own shit. “Take that, asshole,” I snarled.
He staggered as I let him go, but I was already turning to meet the other guy who was rushing at me. “Russell, get your ass in here,” he shouted.
Fuck. More of them, but at least it was only the one. I ducked under his blow then rushed him, jamming my shoulder into his chest and stomach until we collided against the wall. “Fucking bitch!” I snarled, backing off, and began pummeling him with my fists. He got in a few good blows himself, but I barely felt their sting as fury took over.
I wanted to kill them, could almost taste their blood on my tongue. I needed to hurt them, to see them suffer. I pulled myself back from those dark thoughts before I could give in to them. I was human, not some monster.
Some instinct had me ducking and rolling out of the way, and the guy I’d hit with the syringe cold-cocked his friend with the chair I’d been sitting in. As his unintended victim crumpled to the floor, I met his dazed look and grinned. “Thanks.”
He took a stumbling step back, but before I could deck him to finish the job, he slid to the floor as well. “Well, that was no fun,” I muttered, nudging him over with my toe.
“Why don’t you try me?” a voice rumbled.
I glanced over at the door and groaned. The guy was huge, at least twice my size if not more. Hell, I would’ve recruited him for our team if he wasn’t so butt ugly. “Well, aren’t you a big Samoan-looking motherfucker. The buffet is around the corner; sorry.”
“Bring it, pipsqueak.”
“Why don’t you come get me?” This couldn’t have been one of the guys who nabbed me. I would’ve remembered somebody this big. Probably couldn’t fit in the car so they’d left him behind. “Or can’t ya fit through the door?”
I angled my body and half-crouched as his face darkened and he came through the door at me in a rush. Fuck he was quick, much quicker than I would’ve given him credit for. He was halfway across the damn room before I had a chance to process it. I dealt with guys just like this every day on the field. I could handle him too.
Cursing, I tried to dodge out of the way, but he caught my arm and whipped me into the wall. The breath left my lungs at the impact, leaving me gasping for air. He caught me before I recovered, wrestling me toward where they kept the drugs.
Get home. I had to get home. The stray thought flitted through my brain.
Screw this bullshit. I wasn’t playing their games anymore. If they wanted me they were gonna get all of me. Pushing the possible consequences out of my mind, I tapped into my inner reserve and shoved. It was even easier now to unlock those abilities inside me. The guy flew across the room and I pounced on him again as he landed. The blood in my veins was a furious fire. Snarling, I picked him up and he screamed. Everything in me cried out for his blood. Kill him. Bite him. Tear him to shreds.
Shuddering, I pulled back. “What are you? Jesus, what the fuck are you?” the guy stammered, his eyes huge.
I landed a good one on his jaw and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. I let him slump to the floor as the second guy who’d gotten knocked out by his friend started to stir. I went over and put him back to sleep too. That animal instinct inside of me told me to finish them off—they knew too much—but I yanked myself back from the edge.
I wasn’t that far gone. At least not yet.
GET HOME. Get home. Get home. I don’t know where the urgency came from. It was there in every beat rushing through my veins, propelling me onward. It was so strong I found my steps turning toward campus before I realized my direction or where I was in relation to home.
Dusk was falling swiftly, bringing with it a bitter chill and the hint of coming snow. As the first flakes began falling, I couldn’t help but be charmed, despite my situation. Snow was nonexistent in Louisiana, and even though it seemed to snow all the time in Pittsburgh and was balls cold, it never got old.
Before I left, I had tied the three idiots together and somehow managed to wrench the cuffs off of my wrists. Now I tossed the remnants into a garbage container in the alley. There had been no sign of Angie, or the other guy who’d driven the car. At least I’d managed to find my torc, which now lay safe again around my throat. Russell had been packing so I took his gun and managed to recover mine as well. I almost tossed it with the cuffs, but something told me it might come in handy later on.
Now I had this sudden overwhelming desire to be back at the dorm.
Glancing at the sky, I began to walk faster. I might have waited too long. It was getting darker every second, and who knew how long it would take for the vamps to get active? Gloaming. That’s what Kristair would call this time of evening when the senses began to stir and the day stood at a crossroads. It worried me that I hadn’t heard one little peep from him since I’d woken up handcuffed to that chair. Not one comment or piece of advice, not one sigh or mutter.
Not wanting to ponder the implications of his silence, I pushed my thoughts back to the scene I’d left. If Kristair were awake in my head h
e would’ve had things to say about me leaving them, especially the big dude, knowing what they knew. Ussier would probably kick my sorry ass. I didn’t plan on telling him.
The Syndicate would soon know something had gone wrong. I just hoped they didn’t realize I wasn’t exactly human anymore. I don’t know how I could hide it anymore, not after what I’d thought I’d done to Angie. There was nothing I could do to change that and I didn’t intend on adding cold-blooded killings to my conscience. It was heavy enough.
Still, there were other ways to delay them and maybe add a final “fuck you” to the whole screwed-up situation. Not to mention if I could get some corroboration for what happened this afternoon, Coach might be inclined to believe why I’d missed my doctor’s appointment. I pulled out my cell phone and called a number I’d gotten way too familiar with in the past year.
“Detective Aderson,” the cop’s smooth voice answered. I handled him better than his partner, who always seemed to be disgusted to deal with me.
“Detective, it’s Jake Corvin.”
“Mr. Corvin, what brings you to call me? I would’ve thought you’d be sick of talking to us by now.”
I was, but these guys somehow knew all about this whole other world I was a part of no matter how hard I tried to stay free of it. They had some kind of truce with Ussier. As long as bodies didn’t pile up or too many people didn’t go missing, they didn’t try to make war on the vamps and the vamps left them alone with the things they knew. For all I knew they probably helped each other out.
“Yeah, maybe, but I thought you might want to take a ride to check something out.” I rattled off the address where I’d been held. “I was out running errands and they yanked me into their car, drugged me up with something. I managed to wake up before they expected and knocked them out. I left three of them tied up back there.”
“You do manage to get into no end of trouble. How is it you’re always in the thick of things?”
“Tell me about it. It’s a skill.”
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