With nothing left that I could do but use my gift, I tried to think of the right spell to use. This thing didn’t feel pain, so whatever I did would have to kill it or dismember it enough to where it couldn’t get me. There wasn’t enough time to think. The beast was pulling itself free from the door, leaving long, bloodless holes down its sides. Taking a step back I cast out a lance of power. It was something Marcus had shown me recently. It took almost all of my power to do it, but a concentrated blast could rip through almost anything.
Somehow I missed the creature in front of me almost completely. When I told this story to Britta, I was going to have to leave this part out. The bolt of power sheared through the side of the freezer door, taking part of the beast’s back leg with it. The bad news was I had also freed it from its confinement. The huge monster stood on its back legs and let out another of the horrible gurgle growls before crashing back to all fours and charging straight at me.
This was the moment they had been telling us about in training at the academy. The moment when it came down to you versus whatever you were fighting, with death on the line. This was your chance to react and maybe one day be the quality fighter the Ascendancy needed, or die. I didn’t want to die. I cast another bolt of power—this time my aim was true. The creature lunged at me. My bolt slammed into its head, blowing it apart. The momentum had sent the now lifeless body crashing into me, its claws tearing a gash down my chest. I rolled away and hit it with every ounce of power I had. The body burst into a bright white light, and then there was nothing but ash.
The inspector was behind me, and it seemed as if he had things well in hand. His opponent circled him, trying to keep him off center, but must have forgotten about me. I cast a spell out that sent him crashing to his knees. The inspector leaped forward to finish him but was thrown back once again. He gave me a look, and I thought I knew what he wanted. The man in front of us slowly rose to his feet. I could feel him gathering his magic for one final burst. I cast my magic out and shattered what he had been gathering, leaving him defenseless. In a move I hadn’t expected, the inspector pulled out a gun and fired at the man three times. The man’s body shook with each impact, and he fell forward.
I watched the smoke flow from the barrel of the inspector’s gun. He gave me a wink and blew on the tip as if he was in an old Western movie. “I knew that we had firearms training, but I’ve never seen one of the gifted use a gun before.”
“Well, they don’t do a lot of good against other gifted; our personal shields will deflect most bullets. But when you shattered his magic, I thought why not end it with something he wouldn’t be expecting.”
“What does it matter? Dead is dead. Wouldn’t it be better just to make sure he died instead of trying to look amazing while doing it?”
“Dead? Oh, he isn’t dead, just in a lot of pain.”
I looked back over at the man on the ground, the puddle of blood quickly pooling around him. “Inspector, are you sure?”
“Yeah, it takes a lot more than a few bullet holes to bring one of us down. Our natural healing kicks in, so as long as he was to receive proper medical care before being killed outright, he will be ok.”
“I’m not sure I want him to be ok. Did you see that thing he was controlling?”
“You mean the huge undead werewolf? It was kind of hard to miss.”
“So why risk keeping him alive?”
“Well, we need answers, and unfortunately I don’t know how to get them out of dead bodies.”
“Do some people know how to do that?”
“I think that is a good question for you to ask Adam next time you see him.”
I’d been around enough people in power now to know when I wasn’t going to get a straight answer or any answer at all if I kept prying. The inspector knelt down and slung the body over his shoulder. He stepped to a door built into the side of the room I hadn’t noticed before. I felt the pull of his magic, and when the door opened, it was looking into the same tunnel under the arena that we had left not more than two hours ago. He walked through the door, and I followed, closing it behind me. It felt good to be home, to be safe. It felt even better knowing I left that death and destruction a thousand miles away in a single step.
Looking up at the inspector for guidance, he waved me away. “Go get cleaned up, and if that wound needs any care, stop by medical. If Adam has any questions, I’m sure he will call you to his office when he is ready.”
“Thanks, Inspector.”
He made a little grunt. I couldn’t tell if it was from shifting the body around on his shoulder or if it was in acknowledgement of what I said. Either way, he started walking back to administration, leaving me standing in the tunnel alone. Running footsteps from behind me sent me spinning in that direction, my gift burning at the edge of my fingers, lighting the dark tunnel.
Marcus came skidding to a stop in front of me. “Whoa, Jackson. Relax, it’s just me.”
“Damn it! After what I just saw, you’re lucky I didn’t send you flying.”
“As if you could hit me.”
“Whatever, dude, I got you at least three times last week.”
“Three out of a thousand isn’t that great, bro.”
I gave him a look that plainly said fuck off before responding. “So, what’s up?”
“I have to tell you something important, but first let’s get you back to your room. That wound looks nasty. I can probably heal it closed, and then you can change.”
“Why don’t you fill me in on the way back?”
“Sure thing, bro.” He fell in step beside me, and we started heading back to my dorm room.
“So, what’s going on?”
“I’m not sure I should tell you before you get cleaned up. You’re apt to just run off and do something stupid.”
I stopped walking and grabbed his arms, my eyes searching his. “What is it?”
“Britta and April went out on an assignment and no one has heard from them yet.”
“What were they doing going out on an assignment, anyway? What in the hell, Marcus?”
“I know you have blinders on when it comes to Britta, man, but she is a damn good fighter, and we both know what April can do. The fact is the Ascendancy is spread thin, and they thought this was something they could handle.”
“Well, apparently they were wrong. I have to talk to Adam.”
This time it was Marcus who grabbed my arm. “Let me seal those cuts, and let’s get you in some clean clothes, and I’ll go to Adam with you.”
“There is no time for that. I have to go after them now. They could be in danger.”
“Well, if you think Adam will let you go out in public looking like you do, then you are out of your mind. If you look the part, maybe you can convince him to let you go.”
“Look the part? Just where in the hell did he send them?”
“Club Grotto.”
“Never heard of it.”
“I’m not surprised. It’s a club for the Fallen.”
“The Fallen?”
“Dude, you really need to read some of the books I gave you.”
“Damn you, Marcus!” I said with a snarl.
“Vampires.”
“He sent them to a fucking vampire club all alone.”
“Yeah, so let’s hurry up and see if we can go get them.”
I started to sprint down the hallway, Marcus trailing closely at my heels. This was bad, really bad. I had to get there and save them. There was no way I was leaving my friends in the hands of some goddamn bloodsucker. They were mine, and I would have them back.
4
April
I hated to admit it, but for a top heavy, overly flirty, but still complete knockout, Britta packed quite a punch. She moved slower than I did, and because of the size of her upper body, she was limited in her range of motion. Maybe if she wore something tighter to keep those things in check, she would be able to defend a little better. Granted, the last thing I wanted was for more men’s eyes t
o pop out of their sockets when she walked by. If our lives didn’t depend on fighting, I would have been jealous, but those big bouncy breasts that turned men’s heads were just a hindrance here.
Her punches were well aimed but easy enough for me to block. Still, the force behind them surprised me, though I guess it shouldn’t since we were all here training to do the same thing. I also noted that the last thing I wanted to do was get in close to her. If we ended up on the mat, she may actually have the strength to hold me down even with her half-assed technique. Blocking her next punch, I pushed her past me, landing a blow to her back before dodging under the kick she aimed at me. Coming up from ducking the kick, I landed a left hand to her stomach and a quick right to her ribs before spinning just out of reach. I had to give her credit; she was willing to take a few hits to try and keep me close.
She was starting to close in again when Sarge called a halt to our match. “Nice work today, ladies. Britta, when we get the chance, I would like to work on your speed. Your power and movement look pretty good. April, I’d like to get a look at what happens if she does take you to the ground, so next time we will work on that as well.”
“Thanks, Sarge,” Britta chimed. She seemed to bubble over at the compliment.
“Why don’t we start working on that stuff now?” I asked.
“Well, that brings me to why I interrupted you in the first place. Adam wants to see you in his office.”
“Which one of us?” I asked.
“Actually, both of you.”
I gave Britta a quick glance to find she was already looking at me. She mouthed, What the hell? I shook my head, letting her know I had no idea.
“He asked that you grab a towel and head there right away.”
“Gross. Sarge, can’t we clean up first?” Britta asked, placing a hand on her hip. She used the other hand to wipe away a few strands of hair that had come loose from her ponytail. I hated to admit it, but even covered in sweat, she still looked like a supermodel.
“He wants you in his office now, so get moving!”
I started to chuckle.
Britta let out an exasperated, “Sarge.”
“Get a move on.”
We slid out of the ring, both of us grabbing our lightweight jackets and tossing our extra gear in our bags. I still wasn’t sure if I should have laughed when Sarge made that comment. On one hand, I liked seeing Britta brought down a peg. On the other hand, I wondered if I should care more about how I looked all the time. I mean, she made it look effortless, but I knew the girl had to be putting some serious time into everything she wore. It really wasn’t fair for me to judge her too harshly. In fact, it was kinda catty, but she just seemed to have that effect on me. For the most part, she actually tried to downplay her appearance, probably tired of every knuckle-dragging jerk that ogled at her boobs as she walked by. I hated to admit it, but the more time we spent together, the more I actually liked her.
“What do you think Adam wants?” Britta asked as we walked out of the gym.
“I’m not sure, but he sent for Jackson earlier and I haven’t seen him come back yet.”
“I hope he is ok?” I could just hear an edge of panic in her voice.
“I’m sure he’s fine. Adam would never knowingly place any of us in danger. At least, I don’t think he would.”
Britta gave a weak smile. At least, she tried to smile, I think. I had been hoping to ease her fears, but I didn’t do a very good job of it. I had never been great at relieving the tension that other people felt. Maybe it was in my delivery. If I had to, I could probably find a way to get better at it. Placing a hand on her back, I said, “I’m sure everything is fine. Who knows? Maybe this is our chance to get out in the field and do some real work.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I hope so. I’m tired of being stuck here.”
“Me too.”
We shared a quick look and a little laugh and picked up our pace as we headed to Adam’s office. When we got there, the door was open, and with no one else in sight, I stuck my head inside.
Adam was behind his desk, and when he saw me, his eyes shone with a faint sparkle. “Please come in, April.”
I walked into the office, Britta trailing right behind me. Both of us found seats facing Adam and waited.
“It’s good to see both of you again, and this time under less dire circumstances.”
Britta and I shared a look and then looked back at Adam. Neither of us said a word.
“I called you to my office because I have a task I’d like to send you on. It’s a little dangerous for students in training, but I think the two of you would be perfect for it. We have a contact at the Grotto who wants to pass us some information. He requested a meeting, and right now, there isn’t anyone else I can spare.”
“The Grotto?” I asked.
“You’re sending us into a club run by the Fallen?” Britta asked.
“Well, yes, but only to pick up the information our contact wants to pass along. I expect there will be little to no trouble for you. Both of you will blend in, grab the info, and leave. Think you are up to it?”
Britta looked over at me. She was biting her bottom lip. I could tell she was nervous, but the damn look just made her seem cute. I shot her a look back that I hoped said this is what we have been waiting for. She nodded once to confirm she was in.
“When do we need to go?”
“As soon as you are ready. Hopefully within the hour.” He gave both of us a look that said he thought it would take longer. “I’ll have one of our team open a portal for you. There will be a car waiting to drive you back.”
“We can do that,” Britta said.
“Isn’t it a little early for a club to be open?” I asked.
“The Grotto never closes. It’s an interesting place,” said Adam.
“Interesting is one word for it,” Britta said with a smile.
“So you have been there already. That’s perfect. April, by interesting I mean it’s basically your average human club upstairs. Each level going down becomes a little less human and a little more like a lair. The bottom three levels of the club can only be accessed via secured channels, and that is where you will be going.”
“So they use this place as what, some kind of hunting ground?” I asked.
“They are more like willing donors, for the most part. It’s that goth-meets-I wanna-be-with-Edward type crowd. There have been rumors of a few disappearances, but nothing we can substantiate.”
I looked over at Britta. She had a little smile on her face. She was excited not only about going clubbing but about the mission. That was good because I was excited too. “Isn’t this the kind of thing we should be shutting down? I mean, we can’t just let the Fallen snack on people, can we?”
“As deplorable as it is, that’s exactly what we must do. Like I said, most of them are willing, or at least were at one point. You are going to probably see a few things that make you sick or uncomfortable. It’s a dark place. Prepare yourselves as best you can.”
“So if we see something that is out of place or against the accords, we just let it pass.”
“That is exactly what I expect you to do. You go in, meet the contact, and get out. That’s it.”
“We can do that. Come on, April, let’s go get ready,” Britta said, almost squealing with excitement.
When Britta stood, I moved to follow her. “Adam, what is the name of our contact?”
“You are going to love this one. He goes by the name Vampire Lestat.”
“You have to be kidding me. Like the fucking movie.”
“Just like the movie. Do not be fooled by his choice of names. He is older and faster than most of his kind. If he does engage you in combat, take him out as quickly as you can.”
Britta and I walked out of the office. As soon as we were far enough away that I was sure Adam couldn’t hear us, I looked at Britta and said, “Did you see that look he gave when he said he wanted us ready in an hour?�
�
“Yeah, as if.”
“I know, right.” We separated to go to our quarters, and I was hoping we were on the same page. I was pretty sure her “as if” meant that she would be ready and that Adam was a jerk. At least, I hoped that was what it meant. The last thing I wanted to do was wait around for Princess Britta to show up.
I had no idea what to wear to a trendy goth vampire club. It seemed like I just needed to stick with normal nightclub wear, but in darker colors. Britta was going to look hot, so I had to step outside of my comfort zone on this one. I selected what I thought would work and asked someone from the administration to pick me up a few things as quickly as they could.
When I got out of the shower, the items I had requested were on my bed. I tied my hair up in a topknot style ponytail. It was a little sporty looking, but it kept my cheeks and neck exposed. I used some light makeup to make my cheeks look a little more severe and some pale pink lipstick to make me look slightly drained. With my naturally pale complexion, I thought the look really worked for what we were going for.
Black bra and panties, covered with a super tight black shirt. It was kind of conservative as far as clubbing went because it kept me covered, but the material was tight and sheen enough that it accentuated my small curves in all the right places. The long sleeves opened with some thumb holes, making the shirt almost a pair of gloves at the same time. The best part about it was the back; it basically had a reverse plunging neckline, so most of my back was exposed. To keep the look going, I added some light lacy fingerless black gloves and a black miniskirt. I finished off the whole look with a silver belt that hung lower on one side than the other and a silver necklace.
Did I forget to mention I was rocking some black fishnets and some leather steel-toed boots? I was a goth vampire overlord, every nerd’s wet dream. I couldn’t help but think that I hoped it was enough to make me not fade into the background next to Britta. I never really showed off, so I may as well do it when it’s part of a mission. Most of my time was spent fighting and working out, and as much as I was sure the boys loved my tight leggings, it felt good to try something different. The outfit was hot and it made me feel good, not to mention it was all loose enough or short enough that I could fight in it if I had to.
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