Tattoos and Cupcakes (Amulet of Queens Book 1)

by Everly Taylor

  I had no clue which way to go so I decided to start with the hall on my right, so far letting my instincts guide me hadn’t led me astray. Halfway down the hall someone came out from a door and barreled right into me.

  “Hey!” he exclaimed.

  “Shit,” I muttered as I turned and grabbed his arm, but he was quick, swinging his free arm and punching me in my gut, making me drop him.

  Fangs descending he rushed back at me, and slammed me against the wall. Gripping his shoulders I kneed him in the stomach, forcing him to let me go as he tried to catch his breath. I swiped my leg around, hooking his ankle and yanking his feet out from under him. He landed with a thud on the cold floor. As he pushed up from the floor I struck out with another punch, and this time I made contact with his jaw, sending him crashing into a table against the wall.

  I needed to end this quickly, I’m sure the noise we were making would be heard by someone soon and we had to find Selena. The man got up and rushed at me again, furious I had landed a blow.

  “Stop!” commanded a voice from down the hall. My opponent stopped in his tracks and stood straight. “What do we have here?” he asked as he sauntered toward us.

  Cristian stepped between my fighting partner and I, glaring at both of us. “Well?” he insisted.

  “I don’t have to tell you shit,” I spat out.

  “Leave us,” Cristian commanded the man who was watching me closely. The man turned and left without another glance or word in our direction.

  After he was no longer present, Cristian reached out quicker than I was expecting and grabbed my arm, dragging me into a room off to the side. He turned and locked the door behind us, a furious look on his face.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” he demanded.

  “Good to see you too brother,” I grinned.

  “That’s not what I meant and you fucking know it. You’re not even supposed to know this place exists Adrien. How the fuck did you find it?” Cristian asked.

  “Your men took a girl, we followed her here.”

  “We? You brought the others? Adrien, what the fuck? You know what will happen to them if he finds them here.” Cristian pressed on, “Why would you bother risking yourself for a girl?”

  “Not just any girl Cris, the girl. And she has the amulet you guys have been after.”

  “What are you talking about?” he questioned, looking confused.

  “The girl your men tried to take from the tattoo shop, ring a bell?” There was no way that he had no clue what I was talking about.

  “Adrien that wasn’t me, I know Father wants the amulet for his own purposes, but he’s excluded me in any of the plans. I think he’s suspected for a while now that I’m not completely loyal to him.”

  “Shit.” Running a hand through my hair I tried to think clearly. If Cristian didn’t know anything about it, then we really needed to be careful. “Where do you think I would be able to find her?”

  “He doesn’t leave his room often anymore, he hasn’t been doing so well, either physically or mentally. It’s almost like the search for the amulet and more power has driven him mad. Not that he wasn’t already crazy before, but this is worse somehow. I don’t know much of his plans, but I can tell you they’re not good. He’s building up the clan, turning more people than we ever have in the past, and I don’t know the reason.”

  I let out a frustrated breath. This was looking worse than we could have imagined, and we would all have to do whatever it took to protect Lena and the amulet. Already, with the little information I had, I knew that no matter the cost we couldn’t let Sylred get his hands on either of them.

  “Where can I find his room?” I asked, knowing I needed more information, but I had to get to Lena first.

  “Keep going down the hall, it’s the last door on the left,” he instructed as I started to leave the room. “And Adrien?” I turned again to see him standing in the middle of the room. “I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful.”

  “I get it Cris, I know what you risked giving me what information you did. Thank you.” Nodding at him I left the room and headed in the direction he had indicated.

  Cristian tried to help when he could, it was just difficult for him. He had been forced to take some sort of blood oath with Sylred and I didn’t know the details of it. He had taken it right before Damien and I had escaped and was unable to leave with us. All I knew is that he did what he could to make sure their clan didn’t cause too much damage. The others didn’t exactly trust him, but I understood why.

  It was common knowledge that Sylred was the “Lord” of this clan, but all matters were deterred through Cristian. As far as anyone was concerned Cristian was the actual figurehead, even though it remained unsaid. Sylred was beyond his prime yet still harnessed a great amount of power, so he remained as the leader and had the final say on any matters of great importance.

  For the most part Cristian had been able to turn most of Sylred’s decisions in his favor, as long as he didn’t press too hard. Currently though, it appeared that Sylred was so far out of control that even Cristian was having a hard time reining him in.

  I reached the last door and listening beyond, I didn’t hear anyone so I entered. It was a massive master bedroom, with a four-poster bed sitting in the middle of the room on a raised platform. Two small sitting areas were off to the sides, all richly decorated in heavy fabrics with deep hues of red and black. Sylred was always one for theatrics and it didn’t look like his room was any different.

  There were several doors off to the sides, probably leading to bathrooms and closets. I just needed to find where he was keeping Lena. Would he be smart enough to have a secret room tucked away next to his master bedroom? Knowing how untouchable he thought he was, he probably wouldn’t make it a secret, it would just be another door like all the others.

  Opening the first door I wasn’t surprised when I found a large walk-in closet, as I had expected. However I knew better than to dismiss it and I searched the room for Lena or another door leading away. When I came up empty-handed I returned to the main space to continue my search.

  A door across the room caught my attention when a white glow shone from underneath. There was only one place I had ever seen that glow come from before. I sped across the room and opened the door just as the light deepened to red, and I watched as Selena crumpled to the floor.

  Guys get the fuck up here, second floor, right hall, last room on the left. I found her, I told Damien and Aldrich as I rushed to her side, cradling her in my arms right after she hit the floor.

  Looking around at the other motionless bodies in the room, I was shocked she had somehow managed to take down so many at once. The person who surprised me most of all was laying right in front of me. Sylred, one of the most powerful vampires of our time, had been taken down by a mere girl who had no clue exactly what she was, or what she was capable of. He would not be fucking happy when he woke up.

  Picking Selena up, I carried her out of the small room to meet Damien and Aldrich as they arrived.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Aldrich

  Damien and I sped through the mansion, desperate to get to Adrien if he needed help to get Selena out. Our only thoughts were to make sure she was safe, and then finding a way out of here.

  Rushing into the room he had informed us of, we saw him walking from a side door carrying an unconscious Lena in his arms.

  “Let’s get her out of here before someone discovers us,” I insisted.

  “I don’t think that’s going to be an issue for a little while,” Adrien replied, tilting his head back in the direction of the room he had just exited from.

  Walking past him, Damien and I peeked our heads around the corner to see bodies crumpled on the floor around the room.

  “How the fuck did you manage to take them all on by yourself Adrien? Sylred too?” Damien asked in shock.

  We both turned from the small room and faced him. “I didn’t, she had already done that when I found her,�
�� he informed us, sounding just as much as in awe as I was. She was small but she certainly packed power.

  “We need to get out of here before they wake up. There’s no telling what she did or how long it will keep them down for,” I told them, looking back into the hall to make sure our exit was clear.

  “Wait, we can’t leave yet,” Damien stated. “Her friend was staying with her and she’s missing too. We need to find her and get her out of here as well. If we don’t, Selena is just going to come back here on her own to rescue her. You all saw how stubbornly protective she was of that one.”

  Damien was right, we had all seen firsthand how fiercely protective she had been with her at the club. Now knowing the real dangers that could be facing her friend, Lena would never leave her here, or forgive us for leaving her behind just to protect her.

  “Alright, let’s search for her. Adrien, take Selena outside and wait at the gates, at least she will be beyond these walls. Damien and I will search for her friend and meet you out there. Protect her no matter what,” I stated, knowing he would anyways, but it made me feel better saying it outloud.

  We separated and searched the remaining doors in the master room, and came up empty, so we made our way to the hall and started opening doors. It was a double-edged sword as we opened door after door to find the rooms empty, which meant no trouble waiting beyond for us, but it also meant more time looking for her friend.

  Reaching the opposite end of the other wing I pushed my way into the last room on this floor. A large bed sat against one wall, the thick white comforter covered in blood, pooling around the young lady we were looking for. I hurried in to retrieve her, noticing at the last minute Cristian sitting against the opposite wall with his elbows on his knees and his head buried in his hands.

  “What the fuck Cristian?” I demanded.

  He looked up at me, looking more frazzled than I had ever seen him before. Cristian was normally very calm and collected, even in moments of anger he handled it with control. To see him like this was a bit shocking.

  “What the fuck happened to her Cristian?” I asked again, wanting answers.

  “I had no choice, I’m sorry.” He shook his head before putting it back into his hands.

  I reached her lifeless body on the bed, the blood pooled around her was drying near the edges. Picking her up carefully I moved across the room. “The only reason I don’t end you right now is because for some reason Adrien trusts you. I don’t know why, and honestly I don’t fucking care, but remember this, you hurt what belongs to ours and you will pay for it,” I threatened before exiting the room.

  I have the girl, I informed the others. Meet at the gate.

  Joining Damien on the stairs we both descended quickly, hoping to be out of here before anything was noticed. The fallout from finding Sylred unconscious would be more than the three of us could handle while protecting the girls.

  We rushed through the front door and into the night just as we heard shouting start behind us. They must have discovered Sylred unconscious and Lena missing, coming to the conclusion they had visitors. We need to hurry, I urged them. Adrien, don’t wait for us, get Lena back to the club.

  Knowing he would do what he needed to get to safety, Damien and I sped through the courtyard, not bothering to be cautious to remain unseen. Time was more important here. I shifted the girl in my arms and easily vaulted the brick wall, as Damien did the same next to me. We had made it out of the house, now we just needed to get them back to where we could fully protect them.

  We ran through the streets, much faster than we would have normally allowed ourselves in the presence of humans, but the streets were thankfully clear in the late hour and we needed to get them to safety. It didn’t really matter though, as humans were the least of our concern at the moment.

  I glanced down at the girl, I think her name was Sam, but I couldn’t be sure. Lena was going to be devastated finding out that she had died by Sylred and Cristian’s hands, but at least we hadn’t left her there with them. I looked at her again as we made our way closer to the club, there was something off about her though, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I know I had thought she was dead, but there was something other there.

  Damien and I entered the club through a side door. Even though it was late there were still people out partying, and we really didn’t need that interruption. I deposited Sam upstairs on one of the beds in a spare room, while Damien went to find Adrien and Lena.

  I studied her closely as she lay on the bed. This girl was not dead, that was for sure, even though she had been very much dead when I first picked her up in that room. Shaking my head I tried to remember if she had really been dead, or if I just assumed she was because that much blood loss from a human would definitely have killed her. She was pale and motionless, no breath rose from her chest, but in my world that didn’t mean anything.

  My eyes widened at the thought, there was no fucking way. What the hell would they gain from that? What would they want with changing a mere human girl to join their masses? It just didn’t make any sense. I poked my head out in the hall and seeing one of the men passing by, called out, “Jordan!”

  “Yeah?” He turned, walking over to me. “What’s up?”

  “I need your help in here.” Opening the door farther I let him in, and his gaze flicked between me and the bed.

  “Aldrich, what the fuck did you do man? We don’t hurt them!” he exclaimed, shocked.

  “Calm down! I didn’t fucking hurt her. We just rescued her from Sylred’s and I think they changed her. I need to go find Adrien and Damien, and figure out what the hell to do. In the meantime I need you to sit with her, let one of us know if she wakes, and for fuck’s sake don’t let her hurt herself or escape.”

  He nodded hesitantly as he took in the information. “Alright.” he agreed. I knew that he could handle it. He wasn’t one of our strongest but he was quick, and with a new vampire that was really all it took. They tended to be slow and sluggish the first few days as their bodies accustomed themselves to the new metabolism and hunger for blood. We needed to make sure that Sam didn’t take it too far or hurt anyone in the meantime.

  “Thanks.” I left to find the other two and to check on Lena. Once I knew she was okay we could discuss what to do about this whole situation.

  I found them in a room next to Valentina’s. My guess was so we could keep an eye on both of them easily. I sat with Adrien and Damien next to her bed, the worried expressions on their face saying more than they would ever admit. They both cared for her a lot, something unexpected in such a short amount of time considering how determined they had been in the past to distance themselves from anyone.

  Their feelings weren’t unfounded though, Lena seemed to be the kind of person who elicited those feelings whether she liked it or not. Maybe we were all drawn to her because it appeared she had isolated herself much like we had, with very few people close to her. It could have been her determination, because even in the worst of circumstances she was a fierce and strong friend, and that called to all of us.

  “What are we going to do?” Adrien questioned “You saw what she did to them in there. They will be after her for sure now, not only for revenge, but for her power.”

  “All we can do for now is wait until she wakes and find out what happened. She might know more about what he wanted with the amulet than we do. Hopefully she will be able to tell us more,” I said, hoping it was true. We needed answers and fast if we were going to be able to protect her.

  “I’m not understanding why they killed her friend though. Doesn’t it seem more likely they would want to play nice with Lena to get her to give them what they wanted?” Damien reasoned, trying to figure out what Sylred’s end goal was.

  “About that,” I hesitated a bit, not knowing how they were going to take the information, “I don’t think she’s dead.”

  Their heads whipped up to me. “What do you mean she’s not dead? I saw you carry her body from the house. She
was definitely dead, Aldrich.” Damien stared at me.

  “Well, she might be dead, but not dead-dead. They turned her, but I have no idea why.” I still wasn’t sure what to make of it, so I hoped they had better answers than I did.

  “You’re sure?” Damien asked.

  “Yeah, she’s definitely turned, I just don’t know exactly what they would want with her. She was just a human and had no powers that we knew of. From what we can tell Sylred only turns people that will benefit him in some way. And she was pretty unremarkable in that department.”

  “Cristian told me Sylred was turning more people than normal, so maybe it’s just a quantity over quality thing now. Maybe he’s turning whoever he gets a chance to and hoping for the best?” Adrien mused.

  “I found Cristian with her Adrien,” I told him, waiting for a reaction. “I know you trust him but there’s something more going on, and you have to admit to yourself that he might be involved.” I hated to be so blunt about it, but he needed to face the facts. It just wasn’t looking good for Cristian. The two were actually brothers, born as humans into the same family before they had been turned by Sylred centuries ago. Adrien had to understand that once you were turned things changed, people didn’t always keep the big heart that he had. A lot of them changed for the worse.

  “I trust him. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but I know there has to be a reason behind it. I know there’s an explanation why you found Cristian with her.” Adrien stood up for his brother just as I had expected he would.

  “I have no reason not to trust him Adrien, but like Aldrich said, we need to keep an open mind here and consider that somehow he might be involved,” Damien said, giving his input. “We just need to remain vigilant to protect Selena and the amulet is all,” he added, seeing Adrien start to get defensive.

  “No you’re right, Selena comes first. Even if that means learning something about my brother that I wouldn’t necessarily think he would do.” Adrien watched Selena closely, lost in his own thoughts and willing her to wake up. We all were on edge right now, and knowing she was okay would go a long way toward helping that.