by Maya Daniels
“I have a theory. And we are just about to test it.”
He stops walking, and I see we are halfway through the hotel. The destroyed part is at our back. In front of us is the still standing end of the building. Large pieces of the broken walls have been dragged and propped up to cover the open part like a fence around a house. Cracks between them are left open, wide enough for one person to walk through. After Sebastian’s statement about having a theory, anxiety gnaws in my stomach, and I want to jump out of his arms and bolt back the way I came from.
“This theory of yours…” I keep staring at the gap between the propped walls like I’m expecting something to jump at me. “Is it me turning into a monster as soon as we enter the standing part of the hotel?”
“No.” I release the breath that I was holding way too soon. “It’s anger turning you irrational when the blood of the others is within sniffing distance.”
‘I’m not a dog!” Snapping at him, my eyes widen. “Dog! Where is my dog? Mutt!” A scream is ripped from my chest, scenarios of the poor dog being crushed under the rubble playing in my head and going from bad to worse.
“He is alive, April.” Marcus hurries to reassure me. “I went to fetch him while Andrei helped Sebastian search for you. He wasn’t in the room I left him in, or under and rubble in that area. My guess is he somehow snuck out and will return at any moment.”
“Unless he is crushed under something.” My chest feels too tight.
I can’t feel him around the building, my redemption.” Sebastian gets my attention, and I watch him, praying he is right. “That creature is too smart for his own good. I don’t doubt he sensed something isn’t right and broke free to investigate. He’s done it before, once or twice during the nights.” His mouth twists unhappily.
“You better be right. I’m going to destroy everything if something happens to my mutt.” If they thought I was a bloodthirsty monster before, they don’t know what’s coming if I don’t find Mutt.
“He will come.” Kissing the top of my head, he peers at me through his thick lashes. “Ready?”
“As ready, as I’ll ever be.” Blowing an anxious breath out, and with thoughts of Mutt being hurt somewhere under the destruction, I brace myself when he crosses the hole between the propped walls.
Nothing.
Ready to jump out of my skin from worry, here I am, stiff as a board in Sebastian’s arms, but no switch is being flipped in my head. After long moments, ignoring his penetrating stare with great effort, I release my breath.
“You were wrong.” If I sound too happy to tell him he is wrong, it’s because I am.
He lost the know-it-all title, and I have every intention of reminding him of that. Since I’m immortal now, I think I’ll get over it in a century or two. Or, maybe not. Smiling at him sweetly, I bat my eyelashes, his scowl not deterring me one little bit.
“Maybe it takes time.” Marcus chirps hopefully, and I pale at the comment.
“Cazzo!” Andrei snaps at him.
“You can call me a dick all you want.” Marcus snarls. “She was breathing dust and eating rubble for hours. All I’m saying is, it might take time.”
“An excellent point, amico.” Sebastian, the asshole, smiles at that. Walking further into what’s left of the hotel with a bounce in his step, he irks the shit out of me.
I stay quiet while watching the hallways, as if expecting a mage to jump at us from the walls. The further he takes me inside, the antsier I feel. We pass doors to meeting rooms in silence, all of us lost in thought. All of us except Sebastian, that is. I honestly believe I can hear the gears turning in that head of his. It’s frustrating as hell.
The thought jars me out of riling myself up. Marcus might have a point since I do feel angrier by the second, and each step he takes amps it up even more. With a herculean effort, I push all feelings of anger and frustration out of my head. I will prove him wrong.
“If you were a crazy ass mage planning to kill a ton of people, where would you hide?” Deciding to keep my mind busy with anything else but how I feel, I look expectantly at Sebastian’s profile.
“I wouldn’t hide.” His lips twitch. “I’m also not a mage.”
“You don’t say.” Sarcasm drips from my words. “Andrei, where would you hide?” Ignoring Marcus because he was kissing ass to his Sire, I twist in Sebastian’s arms to look at the other man.
Shrugging a shoulder, he smiles a boyish smile at me. “Close enough so that I can pick them out one by one. But I’m trained in stealthy killings.” He shrugs again, “It’s what I do.”
“What? Like an assassin?” A shiver runs up and down my spine.
He is so easy going, it’s hard to wrap my mind around the idea that he can slit my throat with a smile on his face. I can totally see it happening, too. If anyone would be good at that, it’d be Andrei. You’d never expect it or see it coming.
“An assassin,” Sebastian emphasizes the word. “There is no ‘like’ in that statement.”
“And you?” I finally turn to Marcus. “What are you when you’re not kissing Sebastian’s ass?”
“I train the Guardians.” He looks hurt at my jab but fuck him. He made me anxious as hell with his helpful ideas.
I sink into silence, thinking how silly I am to never have asked these questions. It never dawned on me that they’d have jobs or positions that they do daily. In my head, I stupidly thought they were monsters that wait crouched in the shadows to pounce on unsuspecting humans and drink their blood. Even after I became one of them, I never gave it a second thought. Does that mean I’ll have a position too? What on earth will I be doing? Scaring the Guardians around the hotel? Here comes April, the scarecrow.
We reach closed double doors while I’m lost imagining myself running behind screaming Guardians while waving my hands in the air. Sebastian might not be far from the truth when he thinks I’m crazy. No sane person does what I do. But I don’t know any mentally healthy people, so how would I know? To my relief, before I go down that rabbit hole, Marcus pushes the doors open.
All eyes are on us when we enter the vast reception hall that I haven’t explored before now. The tables are all pushed to the sides, leaving everything clear for vampires and humans to sprawl around on the marble tiles. To my horror, most of them are in a different state of dress, some of them even writhing and grinding, not bothered by the presence of others. Vampires are feeding and fucking, and no one bats an eye. No one but me. I’m batting my eyes a lot, I’ll say that much.
“What the hell.” My breathless words get stuck when I hear an excited whine, and a blur of fur hurls itself at Sebastian’s legs. “Mutt!” With a shout, I jump out of his arms and fall on top of my dog.
Mutt keeps whining and panting, his tail doing double time on the helicopter thing while his raspy tongue bathes my face, cleaning out all the grime and dirt smudged on it. I laugh loudly, forgetting all about the rest of the occupants in the room clinging to him like a lifeline. Tears stream down my cheeks, but Mutt is not bothered. He just keeps panting and wiggling as if he missed me as much as I missed him.
“I missed you so much, you furry little shit!” Hitting the tiles with my butt when he bumps his chest on me, I roll around with him. “You are alive!” Finally the fear for him drains out of me, leaving me limp on the floor.
Useless or not, fear was eating me alive that I’d never see him again. I didn’t even dare hope, in case the bitch decided to kick me in the guts. So I pushed it in the darkest corners of my mind until it broke like a dam when I saw him.
“I found him sniffing around the ruins,” a familiar voice speaks nearby, and I stiffen, tightening my arms around Mutt.
“Thank you, Sara.” Sebastian inclines his head politely while I glare at him.
He looks at me pointedly.
Pressing my lips tighter, I keep my glower, not even turning to the traitor. Bringing Mutt back is not enough for me to look at her. He would’ve come back on his own, I tell myself sternly when guil
t pings in my chest. After staring at me for so long I almost think he fell asleep with opened eyes, Sebastian blinks, disappointment evident on his face, and he flicks his hand, dismissing the traitor. I can hear the soft footfalls moving away. I don’t care.
“Sire, there is a movement outside the walls.” A Guardian I’ve never seen before comes to stand next to Sebastian.
With a meaningful look aimed at Marcus and Andrei, he throws one more glance at me where I’m still laying on the floor with the dog pressed to my chest, turns around, and walks away. I still can’t find it in me to care. My nose twitches when loose hairs from Mutt tickle me and a loud sneeze echoes around me. It’s followed by another, and another, until I end up a hot, snotty, sneezing mess.
“April, are you okay?” Andrei is crouched next to me, concern pinching his face.
Nodding frantically, I can’t even answer him from my sneezing fit. He rubs his large hand on my back, not moving away while Mutt folds his front paws down and leans his head on them, watching me with his big brown eyes like he knows something I don’t. When I finally catch a break, a tissue is shoved under my nose, and I snatch it gratefully. Keeping my eyes on the marble tiles, I blow in it, embarrassment burning my cheeks when the sound bounces in the silent hall.
Mutt whines pitifully at me, and I smile. My nose clears, and not looking like a snotty mess, I lift my head up and take a deep breath. Two floppy ears snap up, pointing at the ceiling a second before everything around me is covered in a red haze.
I guess Marcus the ass kisser had a good point after all.
Sebastian
The sound of my shoes clicking on the floor is the only thing breaking the pregnant quiet that blankets the hotel.
“Minchia!” Cussing, not knowing what my snapped ”fuck” is aimed at, I rub a hand over my face.
The male jumps slightly at my outburst. He knows better than to say anything or even to turn my way. With rigid shoulders, he keeps walking purposely at the ruined, patched up part of our nest. What a disaster this whole thing turned out to be.
For April’s sake, I waste my time, waiting on some miracle that will awaken the matron that she was born, and reborn, to be. And for what? To have vermin destroy what I have claimed to protect.
Unacceptable!
In hindsight, I realize I allowed my heart to rule my actions. And that can get us all killed, or trapped somewhere underground while the Council gloats and torments us for centuries. Like a lovesick fool, I follow at the heels of a wisp of a woman, instead of standing my ground and sticking to the original plan. Thinking with my dick, I’ll let hundreds of people down while they trusted me with their very lives and the lives of those they protect.
“Minchia!” snapping even louder, I glare at everything around me.
“It was here we saw the movement, Sire.” The male speaks, his posture stiff as if ready to bolt at any moment.
While stewing in anger, we have reached the far end of what’s left of our nest. Following his outstretched arm, I inch closer to the opening between the broken walls peering into the darkness. They have destroyed all the street lights and possibly killed the power to the entire block. A dark silver hue covers everything while I scan as far as my eyes can see. A body moves between stacked up vehicles on my left, and I lean forward, concentrating on that area. Another movement, someone slinking closer, makes me grip the wall, cracking it under my fingers.
I need to kill something. To remove at least a little from the guilt that’s slamming and rattling my chest, I’ll need to take it out on a vermin. Even if it’s not a Council member. Leaning further out between the walls and preparing to attack whoever it is hiding in the shadows, I don’t notice the trap before it’s too late.
My head snaps in the direction of the male that led me here when he starts murmuring a chant in the ancient language we heard from the mole. My fangs drop down, and my claws snap out, but I feel the magic like a snake coiling around my chest. Staggering, I reach sluggishly to get hold of the scum, but my arm is too heavy, and it flops to my side.
“Betrayer!” Slurring the words, I watch him grin at me menacingly.
He better pray I don’t survive whatever this is. Because if I do, he and everything he holds dear and everything he values will be mine for the taking. And I will take. Oh, how I will take and relish the screams and the tears. My chest feels like it will explode at any moment, dark spots dancing at the corners of my eyes when I drop to my knees.
April. Her name floats through my hazy mind. Even if I brought this on my head, I still can’t find it in me to regret it. In my final moments, I understand clearly that she is worth to me more than my honor, my pride, or my thirst for revenge. She is worth everything, and I will not be able to protect her. Panic surges through my veins, but the darkness pulls me deeper into its cursed embrace no matter how I struggle to stay here for her. I’m sorry, my redemption, I tell her if only in my mind. And I truly am sorry for everything I have put her through.
Slapping my hands on the dirty floors, I stay there on all fours, my head hanging limply between my shoulders. My ears are ringing, the pressure creating a cacophony of sounds in my head. And then it all stops. Sucking in a deep breath, I topple over, dropping on my back, shaking and staring at the half-broken ceiling.
“I figured you could use a hand, tesoro.” April’s husky accented voice lifts my head up so I can look at her. “Don’t worry, you still look good enough to eat.” Grinning at me, she snaps the neck of the betrayer.
She didn’t kill him. She only incapacitated him, saving him for later when I can stand on my feet and do what I have promised him in my mind.
“How?” I cough when the words hurt my raw throat.
“I guess Marcus was right.” Shrugging, she drops the limp body at her feet. “I had a sneezing fit, had to blow my nose that apparently cleared all that was blocking my sense of smell, and here I am. In all my glory.” She spreads her arms wide, winking at me.
Chuckling, I shake my head, dropping down on my back. I can feel my strength returning with each passing second. Soon I’ll be up on my feet, just not yet. April comes closer, standing protectively over me, her head moving while she studies our surroundings.
“How is it that this jerk used magic?”
All the humor is gone from her beautiful face when she looks down at me. Her hair falls over her shoulders like a curtain. My fingers twitch with the need to wrap it in my hand. But she makes a valid point. What exactly is the Council doing? Breeding hybrids of a vampire and mage? Because the betrayer was a vampire, there is no doubt about that.
“Was he a mage?” April frowns, giving the heap on the ground a quick glance.
“No.” Pushing myself up, I take her offered hand to stand up. “That’s what I was thinking too. It seems the Council has more secrets than I originally thought.”
“What? That vampires use magic?” She laughs without humor. “I could’ve told you that if you asked. What have you been learning before you decided to bring me back and take on the Council?”
“You knew?” Looking at her sharply, I feel like kicking myself.
“It’s not a secret, Tesoro.” Dismissing me with a wave of her tiny hand, she turns towards the gap at the entrance. “But we can chat about it later, no? Let’s go have some fun first. I feel like snapping a few more necks before I wake them up for a meeting.” Without waiting for an answer, she disappears in the night like the wind.
I keep underestimating her and treating her like fragile glass while doing more damage than actually helping her. She is fragile, yes. But not like glass. She is fragile like a ticking bomb. And I’m the one holding the button.
With a wicked smile, I follow her in the darkness.
April
I’m not sure if I prefer to be aware of myself when the monster inside me takes over my body and mind. Something definitely changes, so here I am, a passenger going for a ride on a killing spree. Oh, the joy!
Being free outside in the night has
the same feeling I get when the sun comes out, and I know I’ll be in my right mind again. It makes it evident that she loves the darkness as much as I love the light. Two sides of a coin.
Pushing myself off a large piece of a tear out wall, I sail through the air, tuck and roll, landing in a crouch next to some pulverized metal that used to be a car. Sebastian follows, his muscular arms pumping, slapping his palms on a large pile of the broken building, propelling himself in the air to end right next to me. His smile is addicting, so I grin at him in return.
Cocking his head with an unfocused gaze, he is unnaturally still. Adrenalin is pumping through my veins, the call of the hunt making me quake in my shoes. Lifting my face to the silvery moon above us, I sniff the air. The spicy scent pulls me in two directions, forcing me to shake my head like that will clear it out.
Sebastian wraps his fingers around my forearm, and my eyes snap open, focusing on his face. With a small smile, he cups my face, his thumb rasping gently over my cheekbone. He blinks from behind his hooded gaze and tilts his chin, pointing towards the opposite side from where we are crouched between the debris. The message is clear. He has heard or sensed one of them, and he’ll be heading for the mage. Since he is still searching my face expectantly, I guess I better relay my plan too.
Jamming a thumb over my shoulder, I point at my own target. It’s much closer, almost on top of us, leaving me surprised that he didn’t zero in on it first. The shock is evident with his raised eyebrow and the fast glance he sends in the direction I point. Shrugging sheepishly, I pull my arm away from his grasp. I don’t get far when he draws my face closer and gives me a soft kiss, just a brush of his lips over mine, before he pulls away. I can tell he wants to say something because the air around us gets thick with tension and something I’m not willing to name. Luckily for me, we don’t have time to waste on the spiciness all around us.
Pivoting on my toes, still crouching at the smashed car, I turn my back on him. My claws are extended, and soundlessly I creep up the pile of broken metal like a spider hunting a fly. A smile tugs at my lips at that analogy. Sebastian’s gaze follows me to the top where I stay curled up, clinging to the shattered windows of what used to be a pickup truck.