by Maya Daniels
Something crashes behind me, Marcus cursing in any language he can think of, throwing things around. I can feel Andrei, his fear and pain at the thought of April not surviving this almost bringing him to his knees. I block him as well, unwilling to lose hope.
“Drink, damn you!” Snarling at her, my fingers tighten around her neck.
Her body arches off the sofa, her eyes snapping open. Glowing yellow orbs lock on me, and her arms shoot out, grabbing my wrist. Not losing contact with me she sinks her fangs at my wrist and starts sucking. Gulp after gulp, her eyes glow brighter. Each pull of her mouth feels connected to my groin. My own hunger slams me, not just for blood but for her as well.
Bright spots start dancing at the corners of my eyes, wariness making my body sag next to the sofa where I’m kneeling next to April. Someone, I think Andrei, grabs my shoulders, holding me up when I would’ve toppled over. April doesn’t stop. I watch Marcus jerking my wrist from her mouth, April snarling and lunging at him as she sinks her fangs in his neck, and everything fades. Darkness covers everything around me, and I sleep.
April
“She should wake up any moment now.” I can hear Andrei mumble somewhere in the space I’m in, sounding drunk.
Last time I checked, immortality meant you can’t taste the alcohol. Well, they can’t taste it, I can. So how is he drunk? And what is he doing here in my room? Better yet, why am I in bed instead of being curled up in the closet?
I forget all about that when memories of my dreams come rushing in. So many places, so many countries, they flick behind my closed eyelids like someone is placing slides in my head. Memories of families, all mine yet all of them so different. Lives where I’ve been happy and loved, and others where I’ve been miserable and counted the days until I’m dead. Everything comes one after another, speeding up slowly until I’m sure that I’m about to faint from the onslaught of information. And in each of those memories, I see my face.
“Maybe she needs more blood.” Marcus sounds just as drunk, and his voice pulls me from the spinning in my head.
“Unless one of us is volunteering to die, I don’t think we can feed her, yet.” Sebastian doesn’t sound drunk, just tired, and a soft moan follows his words.
A woman’s moan.
My eyes snap open, and I jolt upright in bed, zeroing in on him. Sebastian is sprawled, very much unlike himself, on a chair next to the bed. His shirt is half unbuttoned, exposing his well-defined chest and the first couple of rows of a six-pack. With his legs spread open, one bent at the knee, he looks so seductive that tingles start at my lower belly when I look him up and down. There is no one around him, and he smirks at me knowingly, pointing his chin on the other side of the large bed.
Turning my head, I see Marcus and Andrei both in similar positions, looking bone wary with dark circles under their eyes. Marcus smiles tiredly at me, while Andrei is staring at me unblinking, his fangs buried in a woman’s neck. She is straddling him, her hips undulating as she grinds herself against him. My face burns in embarrassment, and I avert my eyes, gripping the sheets around my legs.
“How do you feel, my redemption?” Sebastian pulls my attention back to him. To my surprise, it doesn’t irk me that he uses the nickname he gave me.
“How should I feel?” Assessing myself internally, I must say I actually feel better than I have for a very long time. “Why am I here?” Realizing I’m not even in my room, I glance around the guest bedroom that Sebastian has been using. “What happened?”
As soon as I ask the question, the sewer, and the two idiots, plays in my head like a movie. Sebastian opens his mouth to say something, but he stops, watching me expectantly. My mind flicks from one thing to another, trying to figure out what got him staring at me so intently. And then I remember the pain. After the whiny idiot went limp in my arms when I sucked him dry, my whole body felt on fire. I was burning from the inside out, the pain so strong that I lost consciousness.
“How is that possible?” Frowning, I watch Sebastian intently, expecting him to have all the answers. He is a trickster, and a know it all, after all.
“Tell me what happened.” At his question, I glance at the other two.
Marcus stands up, swaying slightly on his feet. Grabbing the woman by the arm, he drags her off Andrei and out of the room. Andrei grins at me, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and I roll my eyes at him.
“Dumbass.” He chuckles at my mumbling.
“Well,” I start after Marcus returns and plops down on the chair like his legs can’t hold his weight. “Nothing was wrong with me.” Grimacing at that lie since there is a lot that’s wrong with me, I wave a hand like I’m chasing a fly. “I mean, I was just my usual, crazy self until I started drinking the blood of that idiot.” Glancing at Marcus to confirm my words, he nods once.
“What happened then?” Sebastian prompts me.
“His blood was wrong.” Chewing on the inside of my mouth, I try to think of the best way to explain it. “I didn’t feel it at first. Actually, I did, I just didn’t think anything of it.” Locking my gaze with Marcus’s, I expect him to confirm my next words. “His blood tasted bitter. Not coppery, not sweet, just bitter to the point my mouth got parched.”
Marcus darts his gaze between Sebastian and me, shaking his head slowly with a confused look on his face. “They tasted normal. After she dropped on the ground, I actually tasted the one she killed just to see if that was the problem. I still don’t feel any different, although there was not much left in him to be sure.” His eyebrows pull low over his eyes.
“I’m sure there was something wrong with that one. I’ve tasted all your blood, and it’s never bitter.” It kills me to admit it, but I better get all the facts straight since I almost kicked the bucket. “It didn’t make me want to barf like human blood does. It was just very, very bitter there at the end. Maybe he was sick or something.” An uneasiness creeps up in my belly.
“That doesn’t say much.” My head snaps in Sebastian’s direction. “You’ve only fed from the three of us. Marcus and Andrei have my blood in them. We can’t be sure that you can feed on the others.”
“What does that mean Sebastian? I can’t read minds, so you’ll have to explain it to me.” A calculating look enters his eyes, one that doesn’t sit well with me. Did he find a way to bend me to his will?
“You seem very calm.” He cocks his head, lifting up and straightening in his chair. Leaning forward, he drapes his forearms over his knees, the opened shirt gaping, giving me a clear view of his body.
My thighs clench and tingles intensify in my lower belly. Swallowing the whimper that wants to push its way through my lips, I narrow my eyes on him. The jerk is trying to have me off-kilter for whatever plan his twisted mind is brewing, I just know it.
“I do feel more grounded if I’m honest. I don’t feel like two people trying to fit under one skin right now.” Deciding to ignore the pull he has on me, I concentrate on the crucial things.
“Interesting.” Looking from Marcus to Andrei, I can see the gears turning in his head. “Why didn’t I think of this before?”
“Think of what?” Andrei leans forward eagerly, voicing the question that was on the tip of my tongue.
“I made her, and even when she doesn’t remember what she is doing, she only comes to the three of us to feed.” Looking too satisfied with himself, a small smile plays at the corners of his lips. “She has killed but not fed…”
“I have what?” Screeching, I almost jump off the bed.
“That’s not what’s important right now.” Dismissing me, Sebastian opens his mouth to continue preaching his theories.
“Like hell it’s not important, asshole. What do you mean I have killed? Who have I killed?” Spitting questions one after another, I can’t stop talking. Oh my god, I really am a monster. Horrified tears prickle my eyes.
I thought I was just scaring them and maybe slapping them around a little when the sun went down. I didn’t dare believe I was a kille
r on the loose, roaming the hotel and terrorizing everyone. What else have I done that I don’t remember? Have I killed humans, too?
“Now that is something I’m going to explore.” Sebastian’s shrewd words snap me out of my panic. “You didn’t kill anyone you came across. Only some. After this revelation, I think it deserves investigating.”
“What are you saying? Speak clearly so I understand you,” I tell him dryly, crossing my arms over my chest. “I don’t speak riddles.”
“The one that had bitter blood was one of Kali’s, you said?” Sebastian looks at Marcus, and he nods in confirmation, with a look of concentration on his face. “And April here, every night, goes on a hunt through the hotel, killing one or two max. Every time, new arrivals that join us.” Pursing his lips, he stands up. “Including the humans you find loitering around the perimeter. I think there is a connection there. Especially when she never drank from any of them, until now.”
“I really think this is stupid,” I tell Marcus from the corner of my mouth.
He snorts but stays quiet. We’ve been parading around the hotel, nodding at everyone we came across like some generals checking up on their army. Which is not far from the truth in our case, but that’s beside the point. Everyone we meet watches me warily, rushing away as soon as my back is turned. After everything I was told, I don’t find it amusing anymore. I would be running too if I were them.
I can feel Sebastian’s eyes on me from wherever he is lurking, like a gun jammed between my shoulder blades. He sent me with my buddy Marcus, since according to him I tolerate the giant man better than any of them, to see if anyone I come across triggers a reaction in me. Since I’m coherent and not a crazy monster in the middle of the night, I’m curious too as to why that is. Was I supposed to almost die to be myself? Or did that infected blood knock the monster in me out for the time being?
I don’t feel weird, nor do I think I'm murderous like I’ve apparently been every night. That’s a good thing, right? As long as I know what’s happening and I have control over my actions, I’ll take it and roll with it. This is what you wanted, isn’t it? the voice in my head reminds me.
“Nothing yet?” Marcus says softly, for my ears only, not even moving his lips.
“Nope!” Ending the word with a pop, I scan our surroundings.
The hotel is huge, like a city all on its own. Bars, restaurants, large venue halls, meeting rooms. You name it, it’s there. My legs would’ve been killing me if I were human. Lost in the painted walls with scenes from a city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, I wonder if things will ever change so that I can see it in person. The thought makes my feet falter, and I stop walking, staring at the painted wall.
“What’s wrong?” Marcus stops next to me, his head swiveling as he looks for threats.
“This painting.” Reaching with my hand, my fingers trail over the shore and the white homes surrounding it. “I feel like I’ve been here. It calls to me like nothing I’ve ever felt before.”
“That’s Italy. It is normal for you to feel drawn to it. It’s your home.”
“I was born here in America.” Frowning at him, I can taste the lie on my tongue.
Biting the words I want to say, ignoring the uneasiness my statement stirs up in me, I turn sharply away and exit the restaurant. Marcus sighs but says nothing, following obediently at my back. Anger slams into me out of nowhere, so overwhelming that I gasp and clutch at my chest. What the hell is happening to me? Will I lose my mind again and end up not remembering anything? Panic shakes me to my core. I didn’t allow myself to admit how much it bothered me that I knew nothing of my actions until now.
“April?” Marcus is at my side before the word is out of his mouth, gripping my elbow to keep me standing when I would’ve bent over.
“I think I’m going to go insane again.” Turning my panicked gaze on him, I plead with my eyes. “Take me to my room. I don’t want to kill anyone else, please!”
Just as I’m done talking, a man rounds the corner at the end of the hallway where we are standing. Dressed in the uniform of the Guardians, he looks shorter than Marcus, with blond hair and a thin body like a swimmer. He walks purposely until he spots us staring at him. A look of trepidation crosses his features before he smooths it out, slowing his walk.
My entire focus and anger center on him. Watching him, ready to pounce, I notice how he clenches his fists, his shoulders and arms bunching up in preparation of a fight. None of the others we passed made me react this way. Or you were already angry, and this guy just happens to show up now, my mind supplies, but I ignore it. With Sebastian’s words swirling through my head, I just know there is something wrong with this one.
He takes a few more steps in our direction before entirely stopping. We stand, all three of us facing each other in some awkward standoff for a few long moments. Unable to control my facial expression any longer, my upper lip lifts over my growing fangs. The blond Guardian’s eyes widen, and without waiting, he turns and bolts away from us.
“Oh, no you don’t!”
Lunging after him, I feel Marcus follow shoulder to shoulder with me. The colors of the rugs and painted walls blur as we run like the wind after the man. Twisting through the hallways, we almost lose him a couple of times, but a glimpse of his leg or arm leads us right on his heels. Just when I think he will get away, a familiar hallway stretches in front of me, the fountain with the water pouring out of the lion's mouth bringing memories with it. I grin at Marcus, and he chuckles at my joy. This hallway is a dead end. The only way the blond man can go is at the closed-off indoor pool.
I stop running, smiling even wider when I catch a glimpse of him entering the indoor pool room. There is no escape for him there. Giddiness makes me almost vibrate in anticipation. What is it about him that turns me into a raging mess? Was it him that caused this? There is only one way to find out. As we near the door where the blond man disappeared, I can feel Sebastian’s presence at my back. My whole body is attuned to him like I am the moth, and he is the flame. His body heat radiates at my back when his hand brushes mine. I clench my fist, unwilling to be distracted. This guy that decided to run has answers, and I have a lot of questions for him.
Let the fun begin.
Sebastian
Protectiveness rises inside me when the back of my hand grazes April’s. She’s had so much of my blood in the last few hours I can feel her emotions like they are my own. Rage so strong I’ve never felt the likes of it in all my centuries. Is this what she’s been dealing with since her transformation? How is she even sane enough to talk? Receiving the impressions of it through our strengthened bond is enough to make my tight control teeter on the line.
I can see from the corner of my eye that Marcus is not fairing any better. His fangs are on display, shoulders hunched, and he keeps snarling with each step like a rogue that is possessed by bloodlust. That has not happened in the last two decades. Glancing at April, I watch for any signs that she is bothered by it. She walks purposely, not taking her focus off the door where the Guardian entered. Andrei joins us at guarding our back, and my tension drains a little. That’s until I hear his soft growls, too.
Pressing a thumb and forefinger at the bridge of my nose, I pray for patience and strength. If they go feral in here, we will be no closer to finding answers than we are now. A distraction is needed, but what? Others must’ve noticed the tension in the air. I can feel their presence all around us. They wouldn’t dare to show themselves with me here, but I can feel them close, their aura saturating the air with adrenaline and eagerness for hunting pray.
It’s April, I realize. Her blood is calling to them to heed her need for blood. For revenge. Now, why on earth will I be thinking of revenge? It just adds to my assumptions that this whole thing is connected. I must slow things down so we can get the upper hand and understand why April is suffering so much. Ignoring the onslaught of rage and hunger, I grab her hand, jerking her to a stop. Rounding on me, she snarls, that golden glow spark
ling in her eyes. Not giving her time to unleash her anger on me, I yank her to my chest and kiss her stupid.
She clings to my shoulders, claws digging in my skin, waking up the beast in me that has wanted to ravish her from the moment I saw her. “Minchia!” I cuss under my breath when I pull away from her lips and devour her mouth hungrily a moment later. Pushing away the lust that has me as hard as a rock, I inspect her emotions. Gradually, the rage and bloodlust ebb and a different type of hunger roars through our bond. I can feel Marcus and Andrei panting around us, so I reluctantly drag myself away from her. She chases my lips and snaps her teeth angrily in my face when I hold her at a distance.
“We need to be rational so we get our answers, my redemption.” Pressing my forehead to hers, I sigh, breathing her arousal in. It wreacks havoc inside me. “Allow me to question him first. You can have your fun later.”
“You will have me look at my killer and not rip his throat out?” Her voice is changed, huskier and accented when she is not herself. That’s one way we know who we are dealing with this last week. “You will have me listen to their petty lies like a fool?” Shoving me away, her eyes burn like two suns. “I will bathe in their blood and they’ll remember me even when their souls writhe in the pits of hell for eternity.“Farò il bagno nel loro sangue e loro si ricorderanno di me anche quando le loro anime respireranno nelle fosse dell’inferno per l’eternità” in perfect Italian she says “I will bathe in their blood, and they’ll remember me even when their souls writhe in the pits of hell for eternity.” Shivers pass through my soul at her words. Cocking her head, a wicked smile plays on her lips. “Ti andrebbe di unirti a loro, tesoro?” “Would you care to join them, lover?”
“Non è un consiglio, cuore del mio cuore. Forse la tua rabbia ti fa veder un nemico in tutti. Non permetterò a nessuno di ferirti nuovamente,”I answer her in kind automatically, and my words say, “He is not one of the Council, heart of my heart. Perhaps your anger makes you see an enemy in everyone. I will not let anyone hurt you again,” Her smile grows at my change of language.