Chaos Theory

by Susan Harris

  “My mother sent you, didn’t she?”

  I said nothing, but he read the truth in my reluctance to rat out the queen.

  “For the love of Eve, Ry, how long have you been stalking me?”

  Ry… He hadn’t called me Ry in so long. My heart constricted.

  “Since day one.”

  Nickolai swore, and I giggled, clasping a hand over my mouth as I did.

  “I’m going to call my mother and have you sent back. I don’t need a babysitter, especially not one who isn’t even a member of my guard yet. Pack whatever bags you have because you are leaving right now.”

  Rage filled my stomach, spreading like fire into my veins as I jerked back from him. “Sure, send me back,” I hissed, “and take away the last thing I have in my life. Take away any free will I have and force me to… force me to…”

  I couldn’t get the words out. Rage had stolen the last of my composure as I lifted my gaze to clash with eyes of cerulean blue.

  “Go on, send me fucking back. I’ll be married before the sun rises.”

  6

  “Who?”

  There’s a growl in his voice that sends shivers down my spine, the authority in his tone making me want to comply.

  “Your father said so far, Idris is the highest bidder. I’d rather be dead than forced to marry someone I don’t love.”

  A crowd had begun to gather to watch our heated display, the tension between us so palpable even those standing in close proximity could feel it. I dared to lift my gaze again to meet Nickolai’s eyes and found myself swallowing hard. Those cerulean eyes watched me with an intensity that made me crave things from the prince I shouldn’t be considering.

  “Hey Nico, you gonna introduce us to your gorgeous friend or not?”

  Nickolai peered over his shoulder and gave the gaggle of guys a sly smile. “Not tonight, fellas. I’ll see you all for class tomorrow.”

  The guys whooped and guffawed as Nickolai grabbed my arm and all but dragged me along the corridor and out into the night air. A chill had set in while we were inside, and even though vampires didn’t really feel the cold as much as humans did, I shivered against the frigid breeze blowing strands of my hair into my face.

  As soon as we were a suitable distance away from anyone, Nickolai dropped the hand on my arm, and I was ashamed to say I immediately missed the warmth. I hadn’t realized I was so touch-starved, though I supposed it made sense. The only physical contact I was used to was when my fists connected with someone else’s face… or, of course, if theirs connected with mine.

  Standing in the middle of the courtyard, Nickolai whirled on me once more, and I dug my heels into the ground, ready to bear the brunt of his anger toward his mother. He studied me for an age as the wind gathered, whistling through the empty courtyard, an eerie sound that reminded me of my attic at home.

  Finally, Nickolai let loose a sigh and ran his fingers through his now-windswept hair. A smile tugged on my lips as the longer strands in the front fell back over his eyes. As children, Nickolai had bucked against tradition to cut his blond locks, and because he would one day be king, not a single vampire would disagree with the princeling.

  I had teased him relentlessly for it, my own hair a bone of contention between my own parents. Imogen wanted it cut short so as not to impede me in battle. However, Tristan, as he braided my hair, simply said it would be a shame to hack off such beautiful hair, and if a few extra strands of hair could impede me in battle then I shouldn’t be there in the first place.

  “What are you thinking?”

  Nickolai’s voice dragged me back to the present, and even though I wasn’t willing to share memories of my parents with him, I could share my initial musings.

  “Zack Morris called—he’d like his hairstyle back.” My hand lifted of its own accord, and I stopped myself just short of tugging on the strands like I’d done when we were children. Snatching my hand back, I managed a small smile as Nickolai continue to stare at me.

  “All right, weirdo. Stop staring and tell me whether I need to do a runner. Because I have no intention of marrying Zayn and being a meek little housewife for him to use as a punching bag.”

  Nickolai chuckled, his laughter low and husky as I folded my arms over my chest.

  “I’m glad my future suffering amuses you.”

  “I’m laughing at the thought of anyone thinking you are meek. Fools, the lot of them.”

  As I opened my mouth to say something in retort, a scream rent the air, the sound a cry of terror and pain. I exchanged a brief glance with Nickolai before taking off, the prince needing no instruction to keep pace with me. We ducked down a narrow alleyway leading to a sports field, one Nickolai and the rest of his gang often used to kick around a soccer ball.

  The floodlights illuminated the field, but I ground to a halt just shy of where the lights began and hissed. A gym bag and sports equipment lay strewn across the tarmac, giving the impression the kid had been surprised with an attack from behind. A young man was lying face-down in a pool of his own blood, the coppery scent rousing my hunger. My fangs sprang from my gums as a growl rumbled in my throat, and I cursed myself for not having fed long ago.

  Closing my eyes, I worked to control my breathing and center my mind, trying to convince myself that snacking on a dead guy would be in bad taste—no pun intended. Cracking my peepers open again, I found Nickolai frowning at me. With a shrug, I turned my gaze down to the dead man before us.

  I knew he was dead because I could hear no heartbeat, sense no blood coursing through his veins. I strode around to the front of the victim and sucked in a breath as the light revealed his face. Sullivan, the smartass kid from Nickolai’s class, stared at me with glassy terror in his lifeless eyes. Nickolai snarled as he came to stand beside me, his hands clenching into fists at his side. We stood silently for a few heartbeats to calm our inner monsters before I set about to see where the blood had come from.

  For there to be such a large pool of blood already, a major artery or vein must have been involved, but apart from the still-spreading pool beneath his upper body, he looked completely unharmed. I didn’t know what made me consider it, but I crouched down by his head, grabbed a stick, and used it to push his blood-soaked hair from his neck.

  Swearing, I glanced up at Nickolai. His own eyes were focused on the two very visible, very messy puncture wounds on the side of the boy’s neck. I leaned in and inhaled, trying to see if I could pick up the scent of the vampire who’d stolen life from this young man.

  “Did you tell any of your new friends you’re a vampire?” The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it, even though Nickolai hadn’t been far from my sight or hearing over the last six weeks.

  The prince did not answer my question directly, but his snarl and glare were enough of one for me.

  I let Sullivan’s hair fall back over the wounds and stepped away from the body. Was there a rogue on campus? Surely if an unaligned vampire was wandering around campus, I’d have sensed him… or her?

  “Ryan, we need to go. We can’t be seen near the body. There are only so many people who’ll believe I have an allergy to sunlight. You won’t be afforded the same if we have to answer questions to human police.”

  I slowly stood up straight, turning my attention to the prince when the hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention. On reflex, I all but shoved Nickolai backward, the prince landing on his ass but now far enough away to keep him out of the fray as a figure charged at me, brandishing what looked to be a meat cleaver.

  Taking the hit as the attacker’s shoulder hit mine, I grabbed the attacker by the arms as I fell and used the flat of my feet, once we hit the ground, to shove him off me. He—and it was definitely a he—landed in a crouch as I rolled to my feet and yanked my sai free of the custom strap at my back. Twirling the weapons in my hands, the siren call of the fight sang in my veins as I took a step forward.

  Our attacker was covered head to toe in black, his eyes barely visib
le in the darkness. As I inched closer, I let a sadistic smile spread across my features. When the vampire saw my face he stepped back, and I knew I had won this little battle of wits.

  The sound of voices snapped the attacker’s attention, and he darted off—but not before flinging a rusty blade the rogue had plucked from somewhere in Nickolai’s direction. I leapt in front of the blade, my sole purpose being to protect Nickolai, although somewhere inside I was torn between my desire to chase after the vampire and my duty to the prince.

  Sirens wailed in the distance as I jogged forward, sliding my sai back into the sheath at my back as I neared Nickolai. The prince had gotten to his feet while I was fighting, and his expression was murderous.

  “How dare you shove me out of the way! What possessed you to face off against a rogue like that and cast me—”

  Stopping midsentence, Nickolai blinked, his eyes fixed on my shoulder. I craned my neck to see what he was staring at, discovering what had happened to the assailant’s rusty knife—it was lodged solidly in my flesh, right by my collarbone. Adrenaline must have stopped me from feeling the impact, but the moment I knew it was there, I hissed in pain and made to yank it out.

  Nickolai put his hand over mine, preventing me from doing so. “Are you mad?” he exclaimed. “You can’t just pull the blade out.”

  “Wouldn’t be the first time,” I retorted with a shrug, my skin stinging at the movement.

  The prince rolled his eyes and slid his arms out of his varsity jacket, draping the coat over my shoulders. The front panel blocked the knife from view should we happen by anyone.

  Nickolai nudged me forward, pausing for a second to look at his friend one last time before we strode in the opposite direction. I heard footsteps behind us, and my body flinched as screams carried with the wind as we walked. Neither of us uttered a sound, the burn in my shoulder intensifying with every step I took.

  Using another alleyway, we made our way to the front of the college, crossing the bridge to the exclusive apartment complex where Nickolai had the penthouse all to himself. Nickolai nodded in greeting to the doorman, who ran his eyes over me and grinned at Nickolai, even as I rolled my eyes.

  Nickolai placed a hand on the small of my back to guide me inside, and the heat of his skin on mine burned more than the knife. I repeated to myself over and over it was only because I was touch starved. The only people I’d allowed to touch me in a familiar way in over a decade were Jack and a drunken kiss with a vampire I couldn’t remember at a Halloween party a couple of years ago.

  Nickolai called the elevator, and the moment we stepped inside and the doors clanged shut, I leaned against the cold glass and closed my eyes.

  “I can’t believe you’ve been here all this time and I never knew.”

  With my eyes closed I couldn’t see his face, and his voice was so calm, so even toned, I couldn’t discern his emotions from it. I decided staying quiet might be my saving grace.

  “Then again, you were always good at playing hide and seek. I could never find you. I only knew where you’d hidden when you leapt out and frightened me half to death.”

  I said nothing, trying to ignore the lump in my throat as Nickolai reminded me of the carefree, mischievous little girl I had been. But that was before. Before the blood and death and rage I was now wholly made up of.

  Just then, the elevator stopped and the doors opened, giving me a reprieve from having to respond. I pushed away from the wall and strode into the glorious luxury of Nickolai’s penthouse apartment, leaving the prince to follow after me.

  Lush burgundy carpet against a backdrop of cream, the open-plan kitchen and living room were every bit as spectacular as the view from the wall-to-wall glass windows suggested. I made my way over to stand in front of the windows and gaze out. They’d been treated with a special tint that allowed Nickolai to leave them uncovered even when the sun was at its brightest. It was the closest any vampire could get to the sun, and I was more than a little jealous.

  Flickering lights like fireflies cut though the darkened night, the sky a darker shade of blue as Nickolai’s eyes. The city seemed to span out for an eternity, and I lifted my fingers to touch the cold glass as if I could touch the humanity below.

  “Hey, come on, let’s get the knife out of you and get you cleaned up.”

  I peered over my shoulder, ignoring the splinter of pain as I narrowed my gaze. “Thanks, but I have my own stuff where I’ve been sleeping. I can do it myself.”

  “And just where have you been sleeping?” Nickolai asked in a tone that demanded I answer him.

  But my lips remained sealed… for now.

  “And if I said it was an order?” His voice held no such order, but I still bristled.

  “Whatever My Liege asks of me, I shall do.”

  A muscle ticked in Nickolai’s jaw, and I smiled on the inside as I shrugged off his jacket and tossed it onto the armchair. I slipped off my own jacket as well before walking into the bathroom in just my leggings and a tank top.

  The bathroom was just as glorious as the rest of the apartment, bigger than the cramped vent I’d called home the last few weeks. Marble countertops that housed various grooming products faced a bath so big three people could fit in it, a seating area circling the tub. A standing shower stood in the center of the bathroom, a toilet off to the side.

  Sitting in the immaculate bathroom, I felt instantly grubby. I’d stolen a quick wash in one of the campus locker rooms every few days while Nickolai was safely in class, but that hardly felt like enough when surrounded by such pristine accommodations.

  Hoisting myself onto the marble countertop, I settled my fingers over the hilt of the knife and made to yank it out as Nickolai came in and sighed.

  “Didn’t we just have this argument?”

  “Yes, My Liege, we did.”

  There was that muscle ticking in his jaw again. I suppressed a grin as I dropped my hand, taking in the first-aid box and bottle of blood dangling from Nickolai’s other hand. My stomach rumbled at the sight of it, causing him to grin.

  “Be a good girl and I might share with you.”

  I flipped him off—a gesture I shouldn’t have used against my future king, but I liked living dangerously. Nickolai simply smiled even deeper, showing off his dimples. I rested my palms on my thighs as Nickolai set down the blood and the kit, taking out disinfectant and bandages. We vampires had long life spans, but we could still get sick; and while infected wounds weren’t often lethal, they still hurt like hell.

  Fingers grasping the handle of the knife, his free hand braced against my shoulder as he said, “Ready?”

  “Just get it over with and stop bloody dancing ‘round it, for fu—”

  The air left my lungs as Nickolai did as I’d asked, my vision blurring as bile threatened to spill from my lips. I swallowed hard and sucked in a breath, then grimaced at the sting of disinfectant. Once I felt the press of the bandage against my skin, my eyes sprang open and I caught the prince watching me with curious eyes.

  He was standing awfully close to me; I felt my blood heat and my body start to react. Suddenly uncomfortable in my own skin, I slid across the counter and pushed slowly off it, my legs needing a minute before I could walk away with any dignity.

  Reaching around Nickolai as I bypassed him, I snatched the bottle of blood, making my way to the armchair and dropping into it with a sigh. I uncorked the bottle, and the delicious scent coupled with the wound sent my hunger into overdrive. Resting my feet on the antique oak coffee table before me, I lifted the bottle to my lips and tipped the chilled blood into my mouth.

  I didn’t even try to suppress the groan in my throat as I drained the bottle, the synthetic beverage doing little to sate my hunger. I set the bottle down on the table in front of me and leaned back in the chair.

  Nickolai came out of the bathroom and, following my earlier actions, sank down in the armchair opposite me, so he faced me. He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees and wearing a
rather impressive princely frown.

  “When was the last time you fed?”

  I didn’t bother using words to answer him, I simply waved my hand in the direction of the bottle and smirked.

  His frown deepened and his lips curled into a snarl. “Answer the goddamn question, Ryan.”

  Again with the fucking orders.

  Sitting up straight, I met his gaze. “Apologies, My Liege, I forgot myself. I haven’t fed from a vein since the night before you left to come here.”

  “Stop with the liege bit, Ryan.”

  “In what way should I address my future king?” I asked solemnly. I knew I was being an asshole, but hey, so what?

  Nickolai ignored my question and countered with one of his own. “Why would you be so careless? The last thing we need when trying to convince humans we’re harmless is for you to be overwhelmed with bloodlust.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” I began, my tone as sharp as any katana. “If it pleases My Liege to consider me careless for using the one night he was protected in the last six weeks to get some sleep instead of feeding, then by all means, Sire, call me careless. You’re probably right; I should have abandoned my mission, wandered off to a bar, and picked up some random dude for some fun. It’s not like my life, my future, depends on making sure you succeed.”

  I got to my feet, and Nickolai did the same.

  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, dawn is approaching and I need to get back to work. That is, if you haven’t decided to put an end to my mission and are happy to be a guest at my wedding?”

  7

  An expression that could only be described as bewilderment fell over his features as Nickolai swallowed hard. “Why haven’t you been sleeping?”

  Folding my arms across my chest, I shrugged. “It wasn’t in the job description.”

  “Cut the snark, Ryan. Just answer my question.”

  I curtsied low, holding it longer than necessary before I rose and said, “Again, forgive me, My Liege. It has been some time since I’ve been in such company. My queen was quite clear in my objectives: watch the prince and ensure his safety at all costs. Never take my eyes off him. And sleeping meant I would have to do just that, so I haven’t slept.”