“Now that she’s out of the way you can begin to see your full potential,” Sylred said still standing in the middle of the room.
I sobbed, ignoring his ignorant comments. It would only fuel his fire now and I had nothing left to give.
“At least your friend will hold me over for a while, nothing like young blood,” he continued, wiping his face with a handkerchief he had buried in his suit somewhere.
Heat rose in my face, as did anger for Sam, anger for his ignorance, and anger at myself for being unable to protect her when she needed me most. I carefully gathered my feet under me, bracing them as I crouched facing him, still hunched over with the chains in the wall. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked, the anguish in my voice betraying me as I yelled at him.
“Well, well, you do still have a little bit left in you. Don’t worry, I will break you, and you will give me that amulet.” He brushed the front of his shirt as if my friend’s blood didn’t cover him and turned, preparing to leave. There was no way I would let him get away with this, no way I could let her death go unpunished.
The heat pulsed at my neck, the pull from the amulet stronger and more intense than anything I had felt before. I yanked my arms against the chain, this time knowing they would come free from the wall. Concrete shattered around me as I pulled the chains from their base, their lengths rattling around my feet as I turned to fully face him.
Sylred’s eyes flew open in surprise, the men around the room were terrified as I straightened, standing again for the first time in what seemed like forever.
“Well little vampire, you are full of surprises aren’t you?” he asked.
“You are a fucking monster and will pay for her.” My voice no longer sounded like my own, I no longer felt like I was in control as two of his men tried to rush forward to grab me. Everything happened in slow motion as I flung my arms out to the side, heat and electricity sparked along my arms. I could feel the energy build against my wrists, pulsing and pounding there as my emotions raged all over the place. Finally, the heavy cuffs disintegrated into ash as the energy broke free and flowed through me. Directing my arms toward the men, I let the power take over as it hit its intended targets and threw them against the walls.
The power of the amulet grew within me, fueled by my grief and anger. Its energy so intense it pushed outward as I cried for my friend. Sylred looked at me hungrily, wanting whatever was coming from inside me. My body trembled as it tried to burst forth. He licked his lips and something inside me snapped. Those lips had been so cruel and emotionless as they killed Sam, yet he stood there, already dismissing her as a nuisance.
Sylred took a step toward me as I let the fury overtake me, that blinding white light blasted from my body toward his. The power was so intense it made his hair ripple around as if blowing in a wind. It flew from me, radiating through the room with a fervor fueled by anguish and rage. I let the light pulse from me as the necklace hummed its reassurance against my chest.
I watched him as he stood there, the power surrounding him, and he laughed. The fucker actually laughed gleefully at what he was witnessing. My anger soared to a level that even I hadn’t known existed. The once white light turned a deep red and blasted forward toward Sylred and his men who were now struggling to get back to their feet.
Through the light, I watched as Sylred and his men crumpled to the ground, their bodies motionless as they lay there. The room returned back to normal just as I collapsed in a heap with them.
Chapter Sixteen
Adrien
I tried not to pace back and forth waiting for Damien to return. I just wanted to know Selena had made it home safely and I had no clue what was taking so long. Sure, I could always ask him through our bond, but I didn’t want to admit that I cared enough to actually ask. Damn, they would never let up then.
I was supposed to be downstairs entertaining tonight, but I had too much on my mind and couldn’t bring myself to do it. Someone else had willingly filled in for me, understanding that I needed a break. There was no way I could stare at the same spot where Selena had just ridden me like some kind of sex goddess only hours before and live to tell about it.
We had all been with many women in our time, it was part of who we were, part of what we needed to do to survive. None, though, had affected us the way that Lena had in the short time we had known her. She even had Damien laughing again, something I’d never thought we would see. Lena got under his skin in the very best of ways. I knew I was going to enjoy watching it play out.
She had even gotten to Aldrich, however as far as I could tell, they had not spent much time together. I caught him watching her when no one was looking, or making jokes with her just to rile her up a bit. Seeing the normally stoic and serious man let loose a little was really amusing.
I wasn’t immune to her charm either, that was for certain. From the day I had walked into her tattoo shop I had been attracted to her and drawn to her in a way I didn’t understand. Earlier that evening she had been so sexy as she sat on the couch, laughing with icing on the corner of her mouth, and I had to have another taste. She had been incredibly cute denying me because she had just finished kissing Damien. If she only knew the number of times we had shared a woman.
We both very much enjoyed sharing a woman, giving her as much pleasure as we possibly could. She would blush if she realized how much it turned me on to watch her eyes cloud in pleasure as Damien pinned her to that column. The fact that she even thought of it upsetting me had only endeared her to me more. So when I kissed her again I had wanted all of her and didn’t want to stop.
She had surprised me with her brazenness taking me in the open like that. I felt her arousal when she noticed Damien watching from the other side of the club, he had entered my mind long enough to ask if I wanted him to leave. With her body tightening and riding faster, evidence of how hot it made her, I very much did not want him to leave. How much, I wondered, would it take to convince her to let us pleasure her together?
Damien pulled me from my thoughts as he walked in, making me stop my pacing. Aldrich and I both looked at him expectantly.
“She made it home safely and her friend is staying the night with her,” Damien informed us.
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Now that I knew she had made it home I felt better. But why couldn’t I shake this feeling that something was wrong? Damien had seen her home and safe with his own eyes. There was nothing to worry about.
“She was clearly on guard, and nervous, but I guess that’s to be expected with everything she had to deal with tonight. The little shit was going to protect herself with a pair of kitchen tongs,” Damien said then laughed.
“What the fuck was she going to do with those things?” Aldrich asked from next to me.
“I don’t have the slightest clue, but she looked determined. At least we know she hasn’t given up,” reasoned Damien.
We all nodded our agreement. “I can’t help but feel like something is still off. I’m not sure exactly what though,” I told them.
“I think we’re all worried about her, Adrien,” Aldrich commented. “It was a lot of information to take in, a lot to process. Selena is strong though, stronger than I think any of us were prepared for. Most women would have taken off for the hills after seeing and learning the things she has today. She stood her ground though and only asked for time to think about everything. We need to give her some space.”
I nodded, agreeing with him. We needed to give her the space she had asked for, it was the right thing to do. “I need some air, I’m going for a walk.” Without waiting for their response I strode from the room. I was restless and I couldn’t explain it, I knew I couldn’t stand in that room any longer and not do something.
Leaving through the side entrance of the club, I avoided the crowds of people and pushed into the night as I tried to find solace in the shadows. I headed down the street with no destination, knowing only that I had to get out of there and walk off thi
s agitation.
They had both been right tonight, Selena was very strong and determined. Those were things that I think attracted all of us to her. She had a fierceness to her that was so captivating, it just made you feel compelled to be around her. I found it odd Selena was under the impression people generally didn’t want to interact with her, because that was the only thing on my mind.
I slowed my pace, realizing where my wandering in the night had brought me. I stood near Selena’s apartment building. I stayed, thinking for a moment what may have guided me here. It certainly wasn’t out of distrust for Damien, I knew he had checked on her and she was safe. Why then was I now standing outside of her building?
I looked up and studied the complex to see if I could see lights from the unit that I knew was hers. There were no lights spilling through the window, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t watch for a few minutes to ensure she remained safe. Walking to a nearby tree, I noticed movement from another window, making me stop and take a look closer. Part of the curtain drifted outward from the opening, blowing gently in the night. It was clearly broken and snagging the fabric in the breeze.
My stomach sank as I realized what this could mean. I called to Damien and Aldrich through our connection. Get to Lena’s now, I think something has happened.
I didn’t give a fuck what they thought about me being here, I just needed to make sure she was safe. Rushing up the stairs I blew by an old man in the hall, his robes breezing to the sides as I passed him. As I approached Selena’s door I could tell something was definitely wrong, since it stood open a few inches.
Damien had said she seemed nervous tonight, so she never would have left her door open. Surely her friend wouldn’t have let her either? Forgoing the niceties I walked into her apartment calling for her. There was no answer so I made my way to her room, although I already knew I wouldn’t find her. “Lena!” I called out. There was still no answer from inside her tiny apartment.
You two need to hurry the fuck up. She’s been taken, I told them.
What the fuck do you mean, taken? Damien asked sounding pissed.
There’s a broken window, her door is wide open, and she’s gone, I answered simply.
We are only a minute out, Aldrich replied, the strain clear in his tone.
In the meantime I tried to look around for clues as to who may have taken her. There was almost no doubt in my mind who it was, but it wouldn’t be smart to move unless we knew for sure. The putrid scent that hung in the air was a dead giveaway. Even more sickening was the soft, sweet scent that was Lena hiding underneath their foul odor, taunting me and reminding me that I hadn’t kept her safe.
The two suddenly rushed into the room behind me, looking around frantically as I’m sure I had done. Both of them even tried to call for her as if I had made some kind of mistake. “She’s not here guys,” I reminded them.
“We know who fucking took her,” Damien spat out. “They aren’t going to get away with their shit this time.” He started to leave the room but I grabbed his hand, stopping him.
“Damien, we have to be smart about this,” I reasoned. “Think about it, if we go barging in somewhere she isn’t, she could be dead. If we go barging in somewhere she is, she could be dead. We need to think this through, as much as it sucks.”
“He’s right, Damien,” Aldrich chimed in. “We need to go in knowing what we’re facing and with clear heads. We all have our emotions in this and I know we can’t put that to the side, but we have to think logically here.”
“What is there to think about? She could be hurt right now and you want to stand around and think logically?” he growled.
“Damien, they need her. They aren’t going to hurt her. Obviously they want her for something, we just don’t know what yet, and we are going to get there before they get a chance for whatever. We just need to make sure we don’t fuck it up.” I needed him to understand this. He had always been the hot head of our group, but that had been in battles or arguments. Never had I seen him so willing to rush into a situation unplanned.
“He’s right and you know it Damien, they need her. We’ll get her, don’t worry.” Aldrich patted Damien reassuringly on the back. “First, we need to locate where they have her. It’s not going to be too hard to follow that scent of theirs. I know it might take more time to follow it, but we need to make sure we go where she is, not just take a shot in the dark.”
When we nodded our agreement, Aldrich continued, “When we figure out where she’s being held, we can move forward from there.”
We were all quiet, concentrating on following the scent of rot that followed the other clan around. It was one of the nasty side effects that came with feeding from corpses frequently, or from feeding to the death for pleasure. I know we all expected the trail to take us to the funeral home, so when it turned in the opposite direction about a block away, I wasn’t the only one surprised.
Where do you think they took her? Aldrich asked the two of us through our connection, not wanting to make any more noise than necessary.
I honestly thought it was there, Damien replied, looking more worried. If they brought her somewhere else it can’t be a good sign.
Falling into silence again, we each contemplated what we would face when we reached our destination. Damien knew better than anyone what it meant if they didn’t bring someone to the funeral home to take care of business. He had been their go-to guy for centuries to torture and drain people, demons and vampires alike. They used him because he was good at what he did. He did it because he thought he had no choice. In the end it had left him cold and closed off to the world. We needed to get Selena back, not only for her, but because I would hate to see what would happen if we lost her and how it would ruin Damien.
When we reached tall iron gates we knew we were in the right location. The putrid rot was everywhere, making it hard to breathe. Underlying it all was Selena’s unmistakable perfume, beckoning with its sweet siren call, taunting us again because we still couldn’t reach her.
We each ducked to the sides of the gates, peering around the edges to see what we would be facing. The massive entrance was surrounded by tall brick walls, the gates being the centerpiece and keeping intruders out. Beyond the entrance sat a huge three-story brick mansion, light flooded through the windows, promising us we wouldn’t be alone.
Have you been here before Damien? Aldrich asked.
This must be a newer location. I’ve never seen this place, he replied worriedly. If he didn’t know what we were up against inside, then that wasn’t exactly good news.
Okay, it’s not the end of the world. We still know how they operate for the most part even given a new location. Damien, where would they normally keep someone they just captured? I asked.
Everywhere always had extra rooms hidden in the basement for that kind of thing. So I would assume the same would be true for here. You know they aren’t big on changing things up, Damien mused, thinking through how they would have handled it before.
Then based on the past, we go in and search for a cellar room. I say if we find anything else that looks promising though we split up, so we can cover more ground. That’s a big fucking house. Laying out our plan, Aldrich looked to us for agreement. We all nodded our consent and he motioned for us to move around the corner of the brick wall, deeper into the shadows.
Completely obscured by the darkness of the night, we easily vaulted over the brick wall, moving silently through the expansive front yard to the side of the house. Knowing better than to just announce our entry through the front door, we searched for some sort of service entrance, a place this big was guaranteed to have one. As we rounded the back of the house we found what we were looking for, but we were also met with a man who stood guard.
Silent and efficient, Damien slipped behind the guard and broke his neck. It wouldn’t be enough to permanently kill him, but it would keep him out of commission long enough for us to accomplish what we needed to. Aldrich helped drag him behind a bush, and ma
king sure he was not visible to passersby, we entered through the service door.
The hall was just a simple entryway intended for servants, but was clear of people so we passed through without incident. It opened into a large state of the art kitchen and we knew we shouldn’t have a problem here either. They were known more for their affinity to blood than for actual food, so having someone in the kitchen was not a priority.
Several doors led off the kitchen and we separated, each seeing where they led. Damien found a large walk-in pantry and Aldrich found stairs that seemed to lead to some sort of basement. I was facing a large foyer with winding stairs that made their way to the upper levels of the house. We needed to decide which direction to go.
I think we need to just split like we discussed, Aldrich suggested, seeing the look on my face.
I agree, we’ll cover more ground that way, Damien added.
Agreed. I’ll take the upstairs, you two take the cellar, I said.
Don’t get yourself into a bind, pretty boy, Aldrich teased, making Damien chuckle.
I never get into binds, old man, I countered with a silent laugh.
Shaking my head at the two of them, I left them to their descent and worked my way through the huge foyer. The place was extravagantly decorated with large, museum quality pieces decorating the walls and the parlor as I passed. It was an impressive entrance with its double staircase and limestone floors. The railings were an intricate work of iron, in stark contrast to the white floors.
Glancing above to the upper level, I saw a large decorative skylight rising out of the ceiling with the night silent beyond. Hearing someone coming, I quickly ducked behind a chair that was sitting to the side in a small seating arrangement. After they passed, I moved toward the stairway to the right and quickly ascended, not wanting to be seen.
Tattoos and Cupcakes (Amulet of Queens Book 1) Page 15