I just had to hope that Selene cutting all of her ties meant she'd cut those to the Night World as well. But I couldn't help but wonder why she would kidnap Jez if it wasn't to turn her
over. There were too many pieces of the puzzle missing, but I'd have to make do with what we had and hope we weren't too late.
With a flick of her wrist, Blaise caused a sheet of paper to flutter across the room and land in her lap. Grabbing a pen she scrawled down an address, handing me the paper when
she was done.
I read the address written in an elegant script, forming a map in my mind and working out where it was. 4540 COPPER SAGE, Las Vegas 8V 89115 (Clark Country) it read. I could
just make out in my head where it was.
"Thanks," I told Blaise, tucking the address neatly in my pocket. Pushing myself off the couch I eagerly made my way to the door, ready to get this show on the road. Morgead
should be back any minute; the half an hour he'd given me almost being up.
Before I could get out the door, Blaise shot to her feet, running over to grab me by the elbow. "Wait," she cried, spinning me around to face her. I stared in surprise at her outburst,
taken off guard. She took a sheepish step back as I raised my eyebrows in questioning.
She seemed to have lost some of her earlier confidence, returning to the moping girl I'd seen when we'd first arrived. "How's Thea?" She asked quickly, as if afraid she would lose
the courage to ask if she didn't get it out fast.
I looked at her in sympathy as she lowered her gaze, seeing only a girl who'd lost her family. I didn't really know how to respond. I didn't want to risk upsetting her by telling her
that Thea was happy, but I also didn't want to lie and tell her Thea was miserable. Instead I settled for the truth. "She misses you," I said simply.
I thought I saw tears glistening in Blaise's eyes but she turned away before I could be certain. "Will you tell her I was asking after her?" She asked me, a slight quiver to her voice.
I nodded my head compassionately. Thea and Blaise had been joined at the hip for as long as I could remember, it was weird them being apart. "Sure," I said, turning back to the
door hesitantly. I knew I had to go find Jez, but I was reluctant to leave Blaise by herself.
"Are you going to be okay?" I asked, unable to make myself leave while she was clearly upset. "Sure, of course I will be," she returned with forced lightness, waving me away with
her hand. I didn't believe her for a second.
Before I could even register what I was saying, the words had already left my mouth. "Why don't you come with us?" I asked hovering where I stood. "Become a damned
Daybreaker. We're not as bad as we look you know," I chuckled.
A small smile toyed at the corners of her lips, and as she looked up at me through her eyelashes. I thought she might actually take me up on my offer. "Nah," she said, sweeping
her long black locks over her shoulder. I could see the uncertainty in her eyes, the indecision.
"We'd be glad to have you. Thea would be ecstatic," I said, dipping my head so that I could look the witch in the eyes. "I bet she would," Blaise replied, her face twisting into an
amused expression. "But," she took a deep breath, and I knew what decision she'd made by the sadness in her eyes. "I can't."
I began to argue back, to tell her that she could. If I could turn my life around and join so could she, but the look on her face was set. There was nothing I could do to change her mind.
"I don't give a damn about the apocalypse, or the wild powers, or saving people. I don't really think Circle Daybreak is for me," she said, and although she said it jokingly, I could
hear the truth to her words. Blaise didn't have anyone to fight for; she didn't have a soul mate to protect. The only thing in the whole world she really cared about was Thea. If we
couldn't stop the apocalypse none of us in Circle Daybreak who weren't human would be affected. Our soul mates would, but we wouldn't. People like me, and Morgead, and Jez and
Thea would survive either way. Blaise had no reason to help us win this war as long as Thea was safe.
I nodded sadly, but perhaps this life really was what was best for Blaise. I still made a mental note to visit whenever I was in the area.
"Anyway," she continued, taking a step back, a real smile splitting her face. "If I left, who would keep Dex in line?" I laughed at that, knowing full well that Dex was completely
infatuated with Blaise. If she joined Circle Daybreak, he'd probably follow her. He wasn't the first guy to worship Blaise; he wasn't even the first who would probably lay down his
life for her. But judging from the twinkle in her eyes, maybe, just maybe, he was the first she'd ever liked back. I was glad. Dex was a decent guy, he'd be good for her, and I
hoped she didn't eat him alive before she realised it.
"Alright then," I said, turning around and walking down the hall towards the front door. Blaise didn't follow me, but just before I slammed the door shut I heard her call, "Don't
forget to bring me my blood."
"How could I?" I muttered, rolling my eyes as I walked down the stairs back into the tattoo shop.
Dex had finished his butt tattoo and was wiping down his table with disinfectant. He looked up as I came down, curiosity written across his features. "Why don't you go up and see
her?" I asked, thinking back to how lonely she looked when I'd left. "She could use the company."
Dex nodded, throwing down the cloth he was using and followed my instructions without question. I watched as he disappeared up the steps that I'd just descended, hoping that he
really was what Blaise needed.
"You get anything useful?" Morgead asked as he walked into the tattoo parlour, looking revived and full of energy. He'd clearly just finished a hunt. I couldn't help but admire his
impeccable timing.
In reply to his question I held up the paper with address on, already making my way to the door. Morgead nodded, following hot on my heels. "Lets go then," he said.
We made it to the warehouse in little less than twenty minutes on foot, or more precisely on rooftop. As far as I could see, the place was empty, my eyes penetrating every shadow
just to make sure. The place, although looking a little spooky, was nothing unusual, just your average industrial warehouse: big, plain and perfect for keeping a prisoner.
"What's the plan?" Morgead asked, crouching down next to me on the rooftop. From our vantage point we had the perfect view of the front entrance. Not that I planned to use the
front doors anyway, but we could see anyone who came and went. Nobody did.
"We just go in and get her, I guess," I replied, not really having thought that far yet. Never in a million years when I'd woken up this morning had I imagined I'd be staking out a
warehouse with Morgead.
He gave me a disbelieving look. "We just go in and get her?" He asked, his voice becoming an octave higher. "What?" I snapped back at him, noting that he hadn't offered a better
plan. "I forgot to bring the rope that I usually use to lower myself into warehouses. I left it in my room along with my cowboy hat and whip," I said sarcastically, causing him grit
his teeth in annoyance. "Hold on a second so I can call Thierry and get him to go and fetch it."
Morgead huffed, refusing to look at me. "Okay," he said, taking a calming breath. "So we just go in and get her. Doesn't that sound a little predictable to you? We could be walking
into a trap."
"Have you got a better idea?" I returned harshly. When he didn't answer I guessed that he didn't, so decided to go ahead with my own plan. I spied a back entrance around the side
of the building, and I couldn't see any security lights or CCTV near it, although I could only hope that were no other alarm systems in place. I pointed the door out to Morgead, and
he nodded, scanning the area with his eyes.
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"Once we're inside we split up, okay? But be on high alert, we have no idea what the hell is inside this place," I said, retrieving the stake out of my pocket. It may be meant for
vampires, but it would work just as well through the heart of a pesky witch. That is of course assuming that I could get close enough.
"In horror movies whenever someone suggests splitting up, everyone normally ends up dead," Morgead said absently, retrieving a wicked looking knife from his boot. I made a mental note to get myself one of them. Apart from being a deadly weapon, keeping a knife in your boot was just plain cool.
I snickered at his comment, flicking a tuft of blonde hair out of my eyes. "I didn't peg you as the type who watches horror movies, Blackthorn. You strike me more as the Disney
type," I said, nudging him jokingly in the shoulder. He scowled at me, batting me away. "Jez watches them," he replied, but made no further comment.
"Well, lets do this then," I said, jumping off of the rooftop towards the concrete below. For the split second I was in the air, the wind rushing against me, I felt like I could fly. I
landed gracefully on the floor without a sound, Morgead doing the same beside me.
We both sped to the door that we'd marked as our point of entrance, weapons poised and ready to use. Neither of us spoke, but we moved with an almost unnatural synchronicity.
We both paused for a second once we'd made it safely to the building, waiting anxiously for alarms to sound, or dogs to start barking. Still there was not a soul in sight, a whisper
to be heard. Everything was eerily quiet, abnormally quiet. I shook it off as paranoia, wasting no time in trying the door.
I was unsurprised to find it locked, but with a sharp twist the metal snapped, the sound echoing painfully loud through the night air. I almost cringed as it gave away our position to
anyone watching.
Before I had a chance to linger on it, Morgead was shoving past me and into the warehouse.
Even in the dark I could tell that this place was huge and mostly empty. Boxes and crates were stacked for as far as I could see, metal shelves stretched from floor to ceiling
creating a maze. If Jez really were in here, she wouldn't be easy to find. If the person who had her wanted to keep her hidden, she could be imprisoned in any one of these crates.
"You go that way," Morgead said, indicating the direction the left of the warehouse. "I'll go this way," he finished, already setting off on his search. I didn't bother replying, just did
as he said and set off in my allocated area.
Every single one of my senses was on their highest alert, picking up everything every sound, sight and smell. At every crate or container that was large enough to hold a person, I
banged on the side, knowing that if she was inside, Jez would answer back. But with every empty container my heartbeat kicked up a notch. If Jez wasn't here, we had no other
lead. But I was almost finished my section and I'd found nothing.
I could only assume that Morgead wasn't having better luck as his cries of frustration echoed off of the walls. It seemed with all of the noise we were making, we'd thrown caution
to the wind. Surely if anyone was watching, they would have attacked by now. But as I noted multiple times, the place was empty. It was stupid to think that Jez would be left here
unguarded, who would make finding her that easy?
It was becoming clear that Jez wasn't here, and that we'd either got the wrong witch or the wrong location. I checked the address again, but we hadn't made any mistakes. This was
the place. Maybe Selene Verrette was innocent after all. Maybe she wasn't the witch who'd gone to the club. Or maybe Jez was already dead. I'd like to think that as her soul mate, Morgead would have felt something if that was the case, but maybe that didn't happen. Maybe when your soul mate died, you felt nothing, maybe the link didn't tell you if your soul mate was dead. I mean if their soul were still alive, would you be able to tell?
The sound of Morgead shouting from across the warehouse dragged me out of my thoughts quite abruptly. I didn't even think as I moved towards his voice in a sprint, weaving
through the maze of shelves, stake ready. But I didn't find Morgead being attacked like I expected.
I lowered my stake as I stared in shock at the sight before me.
Jez lay slumped on the ground in the middle of white circle drawn in chalk, complicated symbols and runes decorating the outside. I stood on the outside of the circle, wary of
crossing over into the centre. I vaguely recognised the nature of the symbols, which were similar in shape and style to those that had been burned onto MaryLynnette's arm. Dark magic Thea had said.
Morgead didn't have the same hangups I did about crossing into the circle, smudging the chalk as he rushed over to Jez, checking her over for injuries and calling her name.
Although she didn't reply to his callings, I could tell she was alive, for which I was relieved. More than relieved, it felt like a physical weight being lifted. I didn't realise how worried
I'd been of that outcome until this moment.
Still, I couldn't allow myself to celebrate. Whether it was the dark magic at my feet or the creepy setting, there was just an overwhelming sense of wrongness in the atmosphere.
The same thing played over and over in my head, the traitorous voice relentless in its whisperings. Too easy, too easy, too easy, it chanted. I looked around warily, expecting flood
lights to turn on, illuminating all three of us. But nothing happened; no one appeared. Surely someone should be here guarding Jez.
Why go to all the trouble of kidnapping her, keeping her here using complicated magic, if it was this easy to take her back again. It was strange.
Jez moaned, causing my attention to snap back to my cousin, writhing on the hard floor. "Jez?" Morgead asked worriedly, cradling her head in his lap and stroking a lock of red hair
back from her face. I'd done the same thing when MaryLynnette had been attacked.
For the first time I noticed that Jez had what looked like a cast on her arm. The kind you got if you broke a bone, but this one was covered in the same symbols that were drawn on
the floor. "Ow," she muttered rubbing the back of her head.
I stared at her in concern, hoping that she was okay. "What happened?" I asked, crouching down so that I could see Jez more clearly, but careful not to cross the circle. "Are you
okay?" Morgead asked, still running his eyes over her, checking for injury. "I'm fine," she grumbled sitting up, much to Morgead's dismay. "And I don't know what happened."
"Do you remember anything? Who took you? Why they took you?" I pressed further, needing to know the answers because the pieces still weren't fitting together. Morgead glared at me, clearly not appreciating my interrogation. Before he could say anything, Jez replied. "I don't know," she said, rubbing circles into her temples. "She knocked me out, and I've
only woken up once since before she put some scented stick beneath my nose making pass out again."
It seemed that Selene wasn't so innocent after all. "Did she say anything?" I prompted, leaning forward to look in Jez's eyes. Purple bags hung from them, her skin was paler than
usual, even for a vampire. "Uh," she said, trying to think back, sorting through no doubt blurry memories.
It didn't look like she'd come up with anything, at least for now, and I was just about to suggest we get going when her eyes lit up. "Yeah, I remember," she said, looking frantically
around on the floor beneath her. "Remember what?" I asked urgently, following her movements carefully. "She gave me something to give to you, or to whoever found me. An
envelope or something." An envelope? This situation was getting weirder by the second.
I looked around inside the circle, but the concrete floor was empty, with no envelope in sight. "Where did she put it?" Jez growled in frustration looking about ready to pull her own
hair out. "Hey," Morgead
said soothingly, trying to calm her down and grabbing her hands.
I ignored them, giving them a few moments of privacy whilst I looked for this alleged envelope. I turned in a slow circle, my eyes scanning high and low. Where could it be? What
was inside it? Similar questions passed through my head as I searched, driving me crazy with their persistence.
It was only when I'd almost completed my 360 that I noticed a white paper corner peeping out from behind a box. The pearly white surface gleamed in the darkness, made to stand
out. I snatched it up, examining the blank front. Apparently it wasn't addressed to anyone specific, and whatever was inside could be no thicker than a piece of paper.
Looking over my shoulder at Morgead and Jez, I was ready to tell them that I'd found it, but saw that they were tangled up in a tender embrace. I smirked, turning back to the
envelope, unwilling to disturb their intimate moment.
It opened easily, not needing me to tear it open like I usually did with mail. I reached inside and fished out the contents. Like I'd observed earlier, what was inside was thin, a small
piece of notepaper and a photograph.
What I saw made my heart stop, both figuratively and literally. I heard myself gasp as it felt as if all of the air in the world had been sucked away, leaving me to suffocate. My
eyes roamed over the photo willing it to change, for the image to disappear. I blinked, hoping that I'd seen wrong, and that the person on the picture had changed. They hadn't
MaryLynnette's smiling face stared up at me from the photo in my hand, looking every bit as beautiful as she always was. Her dark hair tumbled down her shoulders, tanned skin
glowed and her smile was as breath taking as always. The only thing that marred her perfection in the photograph was the fact that someone had scratched out where her deep blue
eyes should have been.
One girl showed up more than anything else, her smile sickly sweet, hiding the malicious nature that lurked within. The laughing belonged to her, I could tell. Perhaps it was just the
fact that I was caught up in the dream, overwhelmed by the bombardment on my senses, but just her face sent bursts of fear through my veins.
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