A Cold Day in Hell (The Hellcat Series)

by Hannaford, Sharon

  The black nothingness receded far quicker than normal, consciousness returned with a snap. And with confusion and pain and fear. Not his.

  "Gabrielle," Julius shouted, out of the bed and upright before he realised someone else was in the room.

  Kyle stepped back, a small glass in his hand, vestiges of Gabi's blood smearing the sides of it.

  "What's going on?" he demanded, barely registering that he was naked in front of Gabi's best friend. He didn't know what time it was or how something could be wrong with Gabi.

  Kyle bent and threw a pair of pants at him. "We need your help. Gabi's been poisoned." Kyle's voice was curt and angry, anxiety poured off him. His wolf was very near the surface.

  The bedroom spun slightly. Julius was accustomed to dealing with all manner of emergencies the moment he awoke, but this was too much. What had happened while he slept? He rushed from the bedroom, pulling on the pants as he went. Gabi was on a sofa, curled in a ball, rocking, as Athena held a white towel against her wrist. Razor was pacing the back of the couch fretfully. Athena only just made it out of his way in time.

  "How did this happen? When did this happen? What's the time?" He flung questions at the other two as he quickly pulled the towel from Gabi's wrist and licked the wound to heal it.

  Athena and Kyle told him what they knew as he wiped Gabi's sweat-soaked hair back from her face, assessing her condition, gauging her pain. Jonathon was still on the phone, and Athena handed it to him. His old friend explained that Xavier was on his way to get the antidote, but the concern in the doctor's voice left an ice-cold dread sitting in his chest.

  As he leaned over her, he could actually smell the poison in her system; it was that potent. Her breathing was laboured, and her heartbeat weak and irregular. This, Jonathon explained, was what would kill her. The poison could shut down her respiratory system or stop her heart.

  "Lea," he said softly, prying the protective arm from her face, "we need to exchange blood, my love." The endearment slipped out before he could stop it. "Do you understand me? I need you to drink from me."

  She opened her eyes finally, though he could feel her comprehension through their mental link. She was aware enough to hear him. She didn't dare move her head to nod; she was afraid her skull would split. The image she sent him almost made him smile. Her heart stuttered a warning, and he knew he couldn't delay any further.

  He sliced a fang across his wrist, and as the blood welled, he pressed it to her mouth. Her tongue lapped at the wound weakly. She swallowed once and then, without warning, her body stiffened, back arching, her mouth coming away from his wrist. Her entire body convulsed, jerking uncontrollably, cries wrenched from her throat. Holy mother of…he rarely felt the need to curse, but this was too much. Seeing what she was going through, not being able to immediately ease her pain was killing him. He'd never known mental agony like it.

  Kyle, who'd been pacing a hole in the floor behind the sofa, rushed to help as Julius tried to ease her onto her side, preventing her from choking. Between them they carefully supported her body until the convulsion eased. Her skin was hot and dry; a vicious flush covered her exposed skin.

  Once again Julius sliced his wrist and pressed it to her mouth. This time she managed several swallows before sagging, unable to continue.

  "You got her?" he asked Kyle.

  The younger man nodded and bent over her, prepared to hold her still if necessary; then Julius took her wrist and bit down. The blood flowing into his mouth tasted sickeningly sweet, like overripe fruit. He knew it wouldn't affect him negatively, but the taste was repulsive, his natural instincts telling him it was bad. He carefully monitored how much he was taking as well as her heartbeat. He prayed they wouldn't have to resort to CPR before Xavier got back with the antidote.

  Two pints, he decided, that was about as much as he usually took from a feeder, that was more than a human gave at a blood bank, but it wasn't enough to be dangerous to their health. If he only took two pints, she shouldn't be in danger of being Turned. But that was only a theory. With her body about to shut down, who knew what could happen when she ingested more of his blood.

  "How long until the antidote gets here," he asked after he'd pulled back from her wrist, closing the puncture wounds with his tongue.

  Athena glanced at her watch. "If he's right about his timing, about twenty minutes," she answered. She'd taken a seat in one of the dining chairs. Her face was pale, and her knuckles showed white as she clenched a string of semi-precious stones.

  Athena watched the Master Vampire's gaze flit back to Gabi, saw the fear in his expression. And the desperate helplessness. The beads were warm in her hands, but they weren't helping to warm the cold knot of turmoil in the pit of her stomach. As she watched Kyle and Julius work over Gabi, she tried to hold back the incongruous feeling of envy seeing how the two men cared for the other woman. Kyle as a brother would: indignant, protective, concerned. Julius as a lover: rage tightly controlled as he touched Gabi with infinite tenderness. Athena had never experienced that kind of love and affection. Never been worried over and fussed about. It was true she didn't end up in the same kinds of situations that Gabi did, but even if she had, would anyone care for her like those two did for Gabi? And she knew that, if the others were awake, Alexander and Fergus would be just as concerned for her. Even the bloody cat was beside himself with worry.

  It wasn't that she wanted to begrudge the other woman the care and attention, but why was it that she didn't attract the same kind of regard? She knew she was strong minded, strong willed, even arrogant, but did those traits make her unlovable? Wasn't she just proving her unworthiness by wondering these things while another woman lay suffering, possibly dying in front of her?

  She'd grown up with two loving parents but no siblings. Her parents had known from the day she turned five that she was tremendously gifted as a Magus. From that day onward their sole mission in life had been to see to it that she achieved her full potential. Her entire life up to that point had been one of striving to be the best, the most powerful, the most highly regarded young Magus in modern history. And the tiny gesture that Alexander had made on the day that she freed Gabi from the spell in Dantè's dungeon, when he caught her from falling and gently helped her stay upright, had seemed to negate everything she'd striven for.

  She’d known in that moment that it wasn't her position on the Magi High Council, or her job as liaison between the Magi Council and the SMV Council that was going to make her feel fulfilled. She wanted someone to care about her, love her and accept her love in return. She needed to make some changes, and she needed to make them before it was too late.

  The secret door slid open, and they all looked up. But instead of Xavier coming through the doorway, it was a young man Athena hadn't seen before. Kyle was immediately on the offensive, but Julius stood and put a hand on his shoulder, calming him.

  The young man, who didn't look to be older than his late teens, inclined his head to Julius, and it was a strange gesture from the boy. He was dressed in tattered denims, a T-shirt with some death metal band on it, and heavy-soled black boots. From Julius's attitude, this man was a peer if not superior to him. There was a new tension to his stance as he greeted the teenager.

  "Benedict," he said in a formal tone. "To what do we owe the honour of your company?" He'd moved to block the other man's view of Gabi, and Kyle subtly did the same.

  Athena stilled as she felt the pressure of a shielding spell ballooning into existence. It wasn’t her doing, which could mean only one thing. While the others had thought her asleep on the flight, she'd been awake and listening for the most part. She knew of Benedict, but it was still a shock to meet the Vampire-Magus in the flesh.

  "Don't worry," he said lightly, tucking one hand into a back pocket of his jeans. "I come to offer my assistance." He drew the sunglasses from his eyes and hung them from the collar of his T-shirt. "I was awake when I felt someone unravelling a complicated spell." He looked in Athena's direction, his ga
ze intense as his eyes raked her from head to toe. "A very skilled Magus at work," he noted. "You are not the only one with ears in the walls, Julius," he said, turning back to him. "My ear says your consort has been poisoned and that the poison was magically enhanced. I thought I may be able to help."

  "How do we know it wasn't you who did this in the first place? That you don't want to just come and make sure you finish the job?" Athena demanded.

  He cocked an indolent eyebrow at her; he had the arrogant teenager act fine-tuned. "I'm sure even you can tell that this is the work of a Dark Magus," he said, condescension dripping from his voice. "I am not a Dark Magus." He enunciated each word slowly and carefully.

  Athena's gaze met his across the room. "Gemini," she said in an angry tone.

  "No," Benedict said, firm, unwavering. "This was not Gemini either. I know the taste of their Magic. This isn't them. If I didn't know better, I'd say this was your pet Maleficus."

  "She's supposed to be under lock and key and protected by powerful wards," Athena pointed out.

  "Yes, she is," Benedict agreed. "But I don't know of any other Dark Magi in the area."

  Athena opened her mouth to continue the argument, but Gabi began convulsing again, hoarse screams tearing from her throat.

  "There is no time to debate the origins of the Magic," Kyle growled. "Julius, do you trust him to help and not kill Gabi?"

  Julius studied the other Vampire for a moment and then nodded. "I have no reason to doubt him. And what other choice do we have?" He moved from his protective stance in front of the sofa. "What do you need?" he said savagely to Benedict.

  "The assistance of your defender," he said, looking at Athena.

  "Fine," she bit out, "but don't try anything funny."

  An amused smile quirked one corner of his mouth as he held out his hand to her. She reluctantly put hers in his and allowed him to draw her to her feet and closer to Gabi. Julius made way for them, and Kyle resumed wearing a rut in the floor behind the sofa. Even Athena could see that he was struggling to control his wolf. The cat growled low in his throat, glaring at them warningly, but didn't make any move to attack.

  "I need you to concentrate on one molecule of the poison. Trace just one and start to unravel the magic within it," Benedict said, no hint of amusement in his tone now.

  "What?" Athena demanded. "We’re going to do this one molecule at a time? We'll be here until—"

  "Trust me," he interrupted her. "You do your part, and I'll do mine."

  She narrowed her eyes at him. "What is your part?"

  "I'm an enhancer," he said mildly.

  The shock hit her like a punch to the solar plexus, and for a second all she could do was stare at him with her mouth hanging open.

  "En-enhancers don't exist." She frowned; he must be confused. Maybe the term meant something different to him than it did to her. Everyone knew the ability existed on paper only. No one had ever actually been born with the ability.

  "Just one of my many gifts." The arrogant teenager was back, mocking her. Then he sighed at her annoyed expression. "Just try it. You'll feel what I'm doing."

  She pursed her lips, but did as he asked. She touched Gabi's chest, near her heart, working to keep her hand there as Gabi's body spasmed under her touch. She lowered her head and closed her eyes as she concentrated on tracking one of the dark specks in Gabi's bloodstream.

  The sickly, sweet rot pulled at her senses. It wasn't hard to lock onto one of the grains of evil. She held the molecule captive and began working to unknot the Magic within it. As she started to work, she felt another presence begin working alongside her. The presence was pure, clean and strong, like a waterfall, a beautiful, unstoppable force. The Magic wrapped around hers, drawing it from her and multiplying it, then redirecting it. She could feel tendrils shoot away from the first molecule of foul Magic, seeking. The tendrils had a target; they had an objective. Search and destroy, unravel every bit of Dark Magic they came across. Athena heard her own breathing quicken as she fought to keep her unravelling spell steady.

  Athena didn't know how long they worked over Gabi, but when she opened her eyes and allowed the world back into her consciousness, Xavier was back. She blinked a few times as the floor swayed a little under her feet. A cool hand under one arm steadied her. The loss of Benedict's Magic, withdrawing from its cocoon around hers, left her feeling cold and alone for a moment.

  "Her body is beginning to fight the poison," said Benedict's voice next to her.

  Athena glanced down. Gabi already looked a healthier colour, and her breathing sounded less laboured. The hand at her elbow pulled her away and directed her to a chair. Benedict cocked a cheeky eyebrow at her when she finally raised her gaze to his.

  "Do you believe me now?" he inquired.

  She could only shake her head. Not in denial, but in disbelief. She'd been a witness to his power, and she still found it hard to believe.

  Julius was kneeling on the floor next to the sofa. "Lea, we have the antidote. Can you hear me?"

  The endless sea of pain, fear and horrific visions had begun to ebb. She wasn't sure how long her world had consisted of wildly cavorting demonic faces, an elephant sitting on her chest, snakes eating her alive, ants crawling inside her veins, lying in the unrelenting sun of a desert, drowning in a lake of blood. Only one thing had kept her mind from abject terror: Julius's voice. His calm directions, reassurances, demands. She knew he was scared too; he couldn't keep that from her. At least she was in good company. Then slowly a tingling—a pleasant sensation under the circumstances—started in her chest and radiated through her body, down her limbs, into her skull. She knew the visions had been hallucinations, but the memories were so vivid, so real, she knew they would feature in her nightmares for months to come. She felt the needle slide into her arm as she opened her eyes to find Razor's furry face close to hers.

  She was weak, exhausted, sore and shivering, but she fought Julius taking her back to their bed. She needed to know what was happening, who had tried to kill her. After several tense moments he relented and instead brought blankets from the bed to tuck around her on the sofa, while Kyle built up the fire. Julius shifted her to make room for him on the sofa and then lowered her head to rest on his thigh while Razor curled up over her feet, purring. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift while listening to the conversation that flowed around her in terse voices.

  "How could Mariska have accomplished this?" Kyle asked.

  "Not without help," Xavier said in heavily accented English. "She is in a heavily warded room."

  "Who would've been able to release her?" Julius demanded in a tight voice.

  "Myself, Gemini, possibly one other who resides here, but isn't in residence right now," Benedict put in without hesitation. She didn't have the energy to question his presence, but she sensed her miraculous recovery had something to do with him.

  "Why would Gemini want to kill Gabi?" Kyle sounded confused.

  "We don't know it was them, but if it was, they can be bought. Someone with something they really wanted could convince them to do it for a price," Benedict replied.

  A grunt of agreement came from Xavier’s general direction.

  "What would Gemini want enough to do another's bidding?" Julius asked.

  "What all Dark Magi crave." Benedict made it sound as if the answer was obvious.

  "Power," Athena said, strong, sure.

  "What gives Dark Magi more power?" Kyle wondered.

  "Blood sacrifice." The distaste was heavy in Athena’s voice.

  "Vampire blood." Benedict contradicted her.

  "What?" Athena's shocked voice was almost enough to make Gabi open her eyes. "No, Vampire blood is toxic to Magi."

  "You believe many fairytales, Defender," Benedict said in a tone that was both condescending and mocking.

  "You two can discuss this another time," Julius interjected sharply, annoyance plain in his tone. "Who would pay Gemini, possibly in Vampire blood, to release Mariska?"


  "Not only release, but recapture her and replace the wards once she was done," Benedict clarified. "My ear confirms she is still in situ."

  "Why not just employ Gemini to enhance the effect of the poison? Why go to the trouble of releasing Mariska to do it? It doesn't make sense," Kyle muttered, and Gabi found herself nodding in agreement.

  "Even Gemini have standards. It’s possible they don't know why she was released," Benedict theorised.

  "They are also very recognisable," Athena said thoughtfully. "They wouldn't have been able to get into the kitchens unnoticed. Gabi and I saw how the humans and Werewolves avoid them. To slip the poison onto Gabi's plate and cast the additional spell, the Magus would have to have been in the kitchen when Gabi's food was prepared. We met the woman in charge of the kitchen. I don't see her allowing them back there. And besides, we saw Gemini walk into the dining hall after we'd requested breakfast."

  "Do you think the woman in charge of the kitchen was in on it?" Kyle asked.

  "No." Athena and Gabi spoke up together, Gabi without opening her eyes.

  Athena continued. "There was something about her; I honestly don't think she would've helped to harm any of us."

  "Mariska is good at slipping into places unnoticed," Julius put in. The back of his fingers brushed lightly down Gabi's cheek, as though reassuring himself she was still all right. She allowed a little smile to escape but didn't open her eyes.

  "Okay, let's say it was Gemini who released her, and it was Mariska who slipped unnoticed into the kitchen and added the extra-strength poison and the spell to the plate," Kyle said, using his reasoning voice. "Who arranged it? Who paid Gemini?"

  "That is the real question," Benedict agreed. "Someone powerful and manipulative, underhanded. I would look at the Princeps first."

  "You included?" Athena asked archly.