The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series)

by Christine Asher

  "Shit, Lucien!" Amelia whispered franticly. "Go hide in the bathroom! If William sees you, he'll sense your change." And then, in literally the blink of an eye, Lucien had secured himself safely out of view. Jesus, he moved fast now! A blur! Is that what I looked like when I...

  "Princess, I'm coming in," William boomed, hardly an instant ahead of pushing my door open and stomping into the room.

  Immediately straightening my posture, I attempted to project strength. "Amelia tells me you've been bugging her about meeting with me. As I'm sure she's already informed you, I'm not taking visitors." I sighed audibly, hoping to portray annoyance instead of my increasing sluggishness. "Since you apparently can't comprehend English, what is it? What's so damn important?"

  He bowed in subservience. "I'm sorry, princess. I merely wanted to see for myself that you were well. Forgive me for not taking the word of a slave."

  "Of course I'm not feeling well," I sneered, unable to hide my penetrating hatred for him. "I killed a guy several days ago for god's sake."

  Squinting at me coldly, he replied in an arrogant monotone. "We've all killed humans. It's of no consequence. In truth, many of us find it quite enjoyable." He paused to defiantly lick his lips. "It's only in recent years that killing humans during feeding has become passé."

  My blood boiled. He was the worst of the worst. A liar, a murderer, a total sleaze bucket. And, in spite of the knowledge that I shouldn't waste precious energy, I simply had to do something. So, I imagined myself plunging a fist deep into his chest and tearing out his heart. After which, I pictured my bare hands ripping off his head and throwing it to the floor. I wrapped the vision in my anger and tied my hate around it into a perfect white bow. Then I called upon my will to shove the pretty little package into his mind. If this worked, it'd redefine the very meaning of psychological warfare.

  And the result, well, it was priceless! Absolutely priceless! William's face went ashen, his eyes bulged to the size of golf balls, and his mouth set into an angry line. He didn't speak; he just stood there dumb struck and stupid. Yay! Score one for me!

  Astonishingly, I kept my composure and refused to allow my triumphant buzz to manifest. "Now, if that's all," I grumped. "I'd like you to leave."

  Once again, he bowed irritatingly. "Before I go, princess, I must pass on a message from the king. He extends an invitation to a dinner in your honor tomorrow evening. He'll stop by to escort you himself at 11pm."

  I truly loved William's ability to put Tsedaka's demands into such nice words. He extends an invitation, yeah right. How 'bout he orders me there. The controlling bastard. "So, um, if that's it, you should be on your way. And don't bother me again."

  "Yes, princess," he grunted, simultaneously turning to exit the room and inadvertently giving me a glimpse at the uneasiness still lingering in his eyes.

  Accordingly, I burst into laughter the second the door shut behind him. I couldn't help it. I got his ass! Freaking awesome! Nonetheless, Amelia was a ball of nerves. The poor girl cringed at the foot of the bed, dodging eye contact like the plague. And Lucien, who'd obviously heard my commotion, entered the room to gape at me questioningly. When I only replied with more laughter, he tentatively slumped over to his spot at my side.

  "What's so funny?" he finally asked, cheeks reddening.

  And, seeing that I simply shook my head and kept on giggling, Amelia was forced to step in. "Luna, um, she did something to William."

  "Oh god!" I huffed, rolling my eyes. "You act as though it's the end of the world. All I did was send him a bit of payback. He deserved it, believe me."

  "Quit clowning around," Lucien ordered, his features exuding urgency. "Tell me everything, exactly as it happened."

  Rapidly sobering, I sucked in an unsteady breath, hurriedly squelching my fun. "I sent William a vision of me killing him, uh, mind to mind. I'm not sure what to call it. Um, a telepathy bomb, maybe? Anyway, not a big deal. And yeah, I know, I shouldn't have used my energy." Then, right as the words left my mouth, I recognized just how much playing with him had really weakened me. I felt shaky, dizzy, and I desperately needed more sleep.

  In response, anxiety covered my sidekicks' faces which led to a few moments of uncomfortable silence before Lucien ultimately regained the nerve to speak. "Well, girlie, either he'll take it as a personal challenge or he'll fear you. I hope it's the latter considering we aren't ready to deal with repercussions from former."

  "Oh, he's not gonna retaliate! Tsedaka won't let him," I hissed, my stamina swiftly declining. "Listen, I might've let anger get the better of me, but what's done is done. I'm more worried about making it through that dinner tomorrow night. Chatting with the who's who of vampire central won't be possible. Look at me. I can barely sit up."

  "You'd be surprised what a vamp can endure, even in your condition," Lucien replied in earnest.

  "If I go, they'll be able to eavesdrop on my thoughts and discover our escape plans," I added, silently wishing I knew how to block the freaks from my mind. "Plus, some other vamp might try to have me killed."

  "I agree, departing prior to the dinner would be optimal. Sadly, I doubt you'll possess the strength. It'll take significantly more energy to elude the guards than to attend the party. Essentially, it all hinges on how you feel tomorrow."

  I scanned the room as my psyche drifted into a state of deep contemplation, offhandedly noticing that the blood stain on the wall and floor were cleaned to a spotless perfection. Must've been Amelia's doing. Beyond that, a digital alarm clock sat on a tiny table next to the armoire, displaying a florescent 6:38pm. Also, most likely Amelia's doing.

  "Well, we've got a little over twenty-four hours to devise a strategy," I muttered, readjusting my pillows so I could snuggle up. "I need a tad more downtime. You guys are gonna have to figure it out," I yawned, closing my eyes. At that point, my body desired rest above all else.

  "Do you think you'll be able to feed her again tomorrow?" Lucien whispered, clearly attempting to avoid interrupting my descent into sleep.

  "Possibly, although, it'll render me virtually powerless. You'll have to carry me..." I didn't hear the rest of their conversation because I nodded off into, what would hopefully end up being, a very healing catnap.

  Chapter 14

  Before opening my eyes, I stretched and yawned for a moment to help me wake to a minute sense of normalcy. And, of course, the feeling didn't last long. I found myself alone in bed, the clock reading 6:18pm which was dusk this time of year. I listened for the sound of people in my living quarters and heard nothing. Wondering where everyone went, I subsequently guessed that they could be any number of places. Seriously, I'd slept solidly for nearly twenty-four hours. What did I expect? Amelia and Lucien to sit in my room, twiddle their thumbs, and wait on me? Yeah, sure.

  Briefly surveying my body, I was presented with a funky smell and hastily comprehended that a shower would make all the difference in the world. It'd been about five days since my last one. Despite being on the road to recovery, I still wriggled gingerly from underneath the covers and staggered haphazardly to the bathroom. I could stand now at least, a good sign. Who needs balance anyway, right? Sigh.

  Opening the shower door, I turned on the hot water and stripped off my ridiculous pink pajamas, pausing to inspect my surroundings vacantly. Being alone felt strange. I'd grown accustomed to Lucien's company and his absence troubled me. I hoped he was alright. I mean, he was supposed to be hiding from the guards to ensure they wouldn't discover his transformation.

  "I'm perfectly fine, no worries," Lucien soothed, dropping in on my thoughts without warning. "Amelia and I will be back soon. And, so you know, I stumbled upon a method of disguising my change."

  "Cool, how'd you manage that?" I asked, directing my question into his mind.

  "Well, to make a long story short, Petrus surprised me while I was gathering a midnight snack. In response, I projected the affectation of a human. I thought human, I felt human, I believed I was human. And he didn't detect th
e vampire within me. At any rate, we lack the time for a more in-depth explanation. There've been new developments; get ready, we're leaving tonight."

  "Wouldn't it be easier to go tomorrow during the day? We could hide our bodies from the sun under blankets and there might be fewer guards outside."

  "Blankets won't be sufficient protection and the king has plenty of born vamps to guard the sunlight hours."

  "Huh. Well, I guess I'm up for it, provided I don't have to run in a straight line." Wavering between laughing and crying at the state of my health, I propped my arm against the wall of the shower to steady myself while I let warm water flow over my face. "So, where are you guys?"

  "We snuck into the security room. I'm writing a virus that'll disrupt many of the systems throughout the facility. Hopefully, it'll supply us with a distraction. At minimum, it'll stop the cameras from working properly."

  My heart raced. "Isn't that risky? What if one of Tsedaka's goons finds you there?" The idea of him being caught, then taken away from me or punished by some other means was terrifying.

  "That's why Amelia's playing lookout," he assured, filling my head with emotions of peacefulness. "Quit spazzing, girlie, we'll rejoin you in less than ten minutes."

  Rapidly realizing that I couldn't do a thing to help them, I centered my awareness on the silky water and embraced its calmness. Clearly, we'd be putting ourselves in much more danger during our departure, so I'd better start getting used to them risking their lives for me. Acquiescing, I ultimately sent him a surge of love and a, "Please be careful."

  "We will. Now I must go. Communicating mind to mind is using strength you'll need later. Also, it's a little distracting; I'm trying to write code at the same time."

  And with that, our conversation ended. I hurried through my shower, dressing in a pair of black jeans, a long-sleeved black t-shirt, cotton bikini panties, and set of thick white socks that'd been folded nicely for me on the bathroom counter. Probably Amelia, bless her sweet soul.

  In a flash, I'd pulled my hair into a ponytail and was strolling across the living room to scratch up some nourishment from the bar. And, surprise, surprise, I spotted Petrus, stationed as my inside guard. Greeting him with a smile, I automatically willed myself to concentrate on the fridge and my gurgling stomach instead of our impending escape.

  I'd just popped open a can of Dew when the lock to the main door disengaged, allowing Lucien and Amelia entry. They pushed in a cart with a large flat screen TV, a Blue Ray player, and a stack of DVDs. "We retrieved what you wanted, Luna!" a humanesque Lucien announced boisterously. "We can have that movie marathon!"

  "Yep, we got all the vamp films in the kings collection! We can begin with Dracula!" Amelia gushed, executing her part flawlessly as they rolled their spoils into my bedroom. "There's no finer way to learn how to be a vampire!" She paused, several high pitched giggles escaping her lips. "Okay, well, maybe not. But, it'll surely be lots of laughs!"

  "Awesome! I've so been missing my TV fix!" I fibbed jovially, stopping momentarily to glance at Petrus before closing the door behind us. He was staring ahead impassively, clueless to our plans. Perfect.

  Neither of my cohorts spoke a word as they set up the entertainment system. Amelia put in a movie and proceeded to crank the volume to the point that it almost hurt my ears, making it virtually impossible for Petrus to listen in. Shortly thereafter, we all situated ourselves in a circle on the bed.

  "I figured it'd be a good idea to act as though we're stickin' around for a bit," Lucien grinned, apparently pleased with himself.

  "Besides," Amelia added. "The storage room for electronics is next door to the main security office. An excellent reason for us to be in the area."

  "When I saw that no guards were manning the computer terminal, I had to act quickly. You never know if a chance like that'll present itself again." Lucien hesitated, looking me up and down intently. "I perceived your condition improving as you slept. Nonetheless, I'm unaccustomed to our connection. And, honestly, in spite of my education regarding the change, my abilities are still mind-blowing. Sight, strength, telepathy. So, I guess what I'm saying is, uh, I'd feel better hearing it from you."

  "I can totally relate and, yeah, I'm recuperating," I affirmed, immediately sympathizing with his adjustment to vamp life. "I'm not a hundred percent but I'll be able to run. And it sounds as if we've been gifted with a golden opportunity, one we shouldn't pass on."

  "Definitely," he agreed with a vigorous nod of his head. "The trojan will take about an hour to fully integrate within their computer systems. Until then, we must finish preparing."

  "So, what's our plan?" I asked, baffled by the amount they'd already accomplished.

  "Nothing too fancy," Amelia replied playfully. "Basically, we'll type in the codes and run like mad."

  There's no way it'd be that easy. "How are we gonna get past Petrus and whoever else is posted on the outside of my rooms?"

  "Well, that's where the virus comes in," she explained in a more candid tone. "It'll wreak havoc around here which means that the majority of the guards will be summoned to other areas of the facility."

  Lucien sat up straighter, bursting with anticipation. "Initially, the guards will be alerted to a fire in the king's quarters. And sorry to say it, but your father trumps you, girlie," he teased, winking at me. "Currently, William's our outside guard. And, since he and Petrus lead the king's security force, it'll be necessary for both of them to fight the blaze. All things considered, my ruse will rapidly be discovered as a system malfunction. Still, it should provide us with a small time window."

  "It's pretty cool that you can trigger fire alarms with a computer virus," I admitted, impressed by his deviousness. "Yet, what happens if the security disruptions clue them in to our escape?"

  "No worries. They won't suspect you of accomplishing anything this complex," Lucien beamed proudly. "It's gonna take them weeks to sort out the mess I've created. The fire alarms are only a prelude to the rolling blackouts." He started chuckling, eventually composing himself after a couple controlled breaths. "This is the most fun I've ever had!"

  "This is the most stress I've ever had," Amelia interjected with a touch of light sarcasm. "Here Luna, take my wrist. You must drink from me before we go."

  Warily, I gaped at her scabby bite marks. "I don't wanna hurt you. Are you certain your body can handle it? You haven't healed from our past several feedings."

  "Would it please you more to use my neck instead? It's not riddled with any old bites." She lifted the collar of her shirt aside, giving me a good view of the large vein throbbing right below her skin.

  "Um, not really," I stammered awkwardly. For some reason, chomping on one of my favorite erogenous zones seemed a tad too personal, especially for girl on girl. I don't swing that way. "Seriously, I'll stick with your wrist; I'm simply concerned with your well-being. What will feeding me again this soon do to you?"

  She glanced down bashfully. "It'll weaken me. I'll need to be carried during our escape..."

  "I intend on carrying you anyhow," Lucien cut in, glaring at her in reproach. "You can't run as fast as us, even in perfect condition. Ensuring that Luna's strong will help us greatly; she might have to fight at my side."

  "How will you fight, if you're carrying Amelia?" I asked him, deflecting my own inner restlessness. For real, if Lucien believed I could confront a bunch of vampire guards twice my size and win, he wasn't in touch with reality. True, I did accidentally kill a guy a few days ago. Regardless, my attacker was a defenseless human, not a trained warrior with herculean strength.

  "When the battle's upon us, I'll place her on the ground of course," he replied nonchalantly. "And don't be nervous. If the situation calls for it, I've got faith that you'll rise to the occasion."

  Battle? Oh god. Would our exit really be that bad? "Well, I'm glad somebody has faith in me," I quipped. Because I sure didn't. I concealed my apprehension, though, by grabbing Amelia's wrist and beginning to feed. All the while, I desper
ately longed for my internal dialogue to remain as it should be, private. The last thing I needed was for Lucien to get cold feet too. Sigh.

  A dozen large gulps later, I felt Amelia's energy on the decline and promptly stopped drinking. A limp noodle, she toppled over and forced me to delicately reposition her head so that it rested safely in my lap. For a minute, I simply stared at her as she regained consciousness, wishing life wasn't so damn hard. Poor girl. I hated what I'd become. A parasite. A disgusting, bloodsucking leech.

  Mentally shaking myself, I shifted my eyes to meet Lucien's. "Have you fed? You must need blood."

  "No, not yet," he soothed, patting my hand gently. "You've required all of Amelia's and approaching possible donors at court is far too risky. Nevertheless, I feel the hunger growing within me. That's why we should leave now, while I'm strong, rather than wait a couple more days."

  "We've got to start getting ready, Lucien," Amelia whispered, gazing up at us slack-faced. "And, Luna, remember to put on a jacket. It's a cold November night out there."

  Thoroughly amazed by her selfless mothering, I did as she asked. I found a black pea coat and a pair of tennis shoes in my armoire, while they changed into black attire similar to mine. All bundled up, we looked like a motley crew preparing for a midwinter jewelry heist or some other crazy adventure. And then we waited. And waited. With Van Helsing hunting Dracula loudly in the background.

  My nerves were shot when, after an hour or so, we finally heard a man yelling in the hall. I couldn't tell what he said, only that he sounded frantic. Something was happening. We didn't move, though. Instead, we pretended to be absorbed in our movie, oblivious to the commotion.

  Several jaw-clenching moments went by before the main door to my living room opened and a muffled discussion between William and Petrus ensued. Abruptly, we muted the volume in hopes of eavesdropping. Nonetheless, their conversation ended quickly, culminating with the metallic thud that signaled the door's closing.

  "This is it!" Lucien announced. "Let's pray it worked!"