by Lisa Olsen
“We need to make a plan, and we need someone on our side who cares about her as much as I do. I just hope he’s still here.”
Not only was Mason still in town, he promised to be at the house in less than five minutes after I called and told him what was going on. The party mood pretty much killed, I went down to change into something more practical in case we ended up caught in the middle of an all out war between the Ellri.
Rob came down with me, arming up with a pair of pistols, despite the fact that we both knew they’d hardly stop Lodinn. He joined me in my bedroom as I was lacing up my favorite pair of ass-kicking boots, as Bridget liked to call them.
“Why couldn’t he compel me to go out to him, by the way?” I asked, pulling the bow tight.
“The house protects you from compulsion as well, as long as you stay inside. Once you step out, all bets are off.”
Good to know, but it wouldn’t protect me for long. “I need to see Jakob.”
Rob instantly bristled, the furrow on his brow deepening. “There’s no need of that. I can carry the message to him just fine.”
“No, I want to talk to him.”
“Call him on the phone then. Stepping out there might be giving him what he wants.”
“She’s my sister, and I’m going to do anything I have to in order to get her back. How would you feel if he had Leila and I ordered you to stay in the house?”
He dropped his gaze. “I wouldn’t listen.”
“Exactly.” I reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “So stay by my side and keep me safe like you always do.”
“Mason’s here!” Maggie called out from above.
“Come on,” I said, tugging at his hand. “Let’s go get my sister back.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
Rob wanted to form a convoy to Jakob’s house, taking every last guy we had on the payroll in order to keep me safe. I argued that he could’ve killed me at any time over the past few weeks whenever I’d been in public. For whatever reason, that wasn’t his current plan. In the end we compromised with stealth over strength in case he was watching the house.
Gunnar, Marcus and my red shirts set out in an ever widening circle of the property to keep the area clear. Mason and I snuck out the back door to a car Rob had waiting a couple of blocks over, while Jenessa stayed behind with Maggie to keep her safe. We took a circuitous route to Jakob’s place, with both Rob and Mason keeping an eye out for anyone tailing us.
The security guys at Jakob’s building waved us right through, and I remembered they were expecting me. I’d completely forgotten about Jakob’s birthday invitation. He hadn’t though, greeting me with a smile that dimmed when both Rob and Mason followed me into his apartment.
“Can I take it from your early arrival you’re eager to see me?” He held his arms open for me, but I wasn’t in the hugging mood.
“Who is Lodinn?” I asked, deciding not to bother with any forced pleasantries.
Jakob’s face went ashen and he staggered back a step as if I’d slapped him in the face. “What do you know of Lodinn?”
“Only that he’s insinuated himself into my sister’s life and he’s holding her hostage at the moment. I was sort of hoping you could fill in some of the details as to why he’d do a thing like that.”
“I see,” he said, going to the window to stare out at the city below.
“That’s nice that you see, Jakob. Would you mind clueing the rest of us in as well? Who is this Lodinn guy?”
“This Lodinn guy, is the reason why I never intended to openly claim you,” he replied without looking back at me.
“That makes no sense. Why would he care if you claimed me or not? I’ve never met him before tonight.”
“Because if I marked you as mine it would surely make you a target for his wrath. It was he who killed Carys.”
“I thought she killed herself.” He wasn’t making sense. Wouldn’t people have heard about it if this Lodinn was his lifelong enemy?
Jakob snorted. “Carys would never end her own life, no matter how tired and jaded she’d become. I arrived too late, but Lodinn made sure to taunt me over her last moments.”
“But Aubrey saw…”
“Whatever Lodinn wanted him to. Do you see now why I kept to the shadows after I turned you?”
“And you didn’t know anything about this?” I turned to Rob, who looked as stunned as I was.
Jakob waved my accusation away. “This all happened hundreds of years ago, there are few still living who know the tale. After Carys died I left society as it were, making my way in secret.”
Hiding. For whatever reason this guy scared the snot out of Jakob. Wasn’t he just as tough? “I don’t get it. Why not stand up to him and make him pay for what he’s done? And why does he hate you so much in the first place?”
“Because I killed his wife.”
“That’d do it,” Mason muttered, helping himself to a drink. I almost felt like joining him. If Jakob was afraid of Lodinn, how could we possibly hope to defeat him?
“It wasn’t deliberately done,” Jakob said, coming away from the window for the first time. “As I’ve told you, the Ellri are descended of the Gods, but we were not always as you see me now. Lodinn was the first to discover what we would become at the taste of human blood. It was he who first shared this discovery with my brother.”
“Innovative guy,” I commented and Mason shot me a grin.
“Who does that? Who says ‘gee, I think I’ll have some human blood today and see what happens?’ Then again, whoever came up with the process for coffee is just as bizarro.”
Jakob didn’t appreciate Mason’s levity, his face grave, continuing as though he hadn’t spoken. “His cruelties spawned the first cleansing, pitting brother against brother as we chose sides over what we wanted to become. We couldn’t defeat him when we were many, his cunning and skill knew no match. One by one my brethren fell, and those who survived resolved to leave him be. I pursued him until the price became too great.”
“Why, what happened?”
“Though Lodinn was my target, his wife was accidentally killed in the line of fire, so to speak. He’s devoted his life to destroying anything I care about for the past five hundred years.” He reached up to touch my cheek. “There is little I fear in this world, älskling. He is at the forefront of them.”
I shied away from his touch, too disturbed by his words to appreciate the gesture. “And he has my sister. Why her? Why not come after me directly?”
“I suspect it’s more fun for him this way,” Jakob shrugged. “Only this time he’s tipped his hand. Now that I know he’s here, I’ll take care of it.”
“But Hanna…”
“Should live a while yet, he enjoys playing games,” he said. Mason stiffened beside me at that, but Jakob either didn’t notice or didn’t care, looking to Rob. “Take her home, keep her safe. You, beloved, must remain in your home for the time being. You see now my reason for concern over your protection. Do not make me compel you again, I will have no argument in this.”
“I understand,” I nodded, dodging the actual promise to do so. “He said he was at the Hotel Vitale.”
“See, it becomes easier still,” Jakob smiled. “Don’t worry, I will return your sister safely to you.”
“I’ll see her home right enough,” Rob pledged, reaching for my elbow as if he couldn’t wait to get me out of there, but Mason hung back, standing his ground.
“I’m going with you.”
Jakob didn’t pause to consider it. “You will be more of a hindrance than a help. Do not think to go against me in this, your recklessness will get her killed.”
“I can’t do nothing.” Mason’s face crumpled in frustration and Jakob clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“You won’t. You’ll be keeping my Anja out of harm’s way.”
“Come on, Mason, let’s go. Jakob’s right, he’s the best one to handle it. Come on,” I urged him again, trying to get him to the door. “Ca
ll me when you know what’s going on, okay?” I said to Jakob.
“Wait, Anja…” Jakob reached out to me and I paused. I couldn’t think of the last time he’d actually called me by name. “It is customary for a lady to give her champion a token before going into battle.” Gone was the demanding arrogance, replaced by a wistful smile I found almost endearing.
“Alright,” I agreed. I didn’t want Jakob in my life, but I wanted a psychotic Ellri bent on revenge even less. I could give him this one thing if it bolstered his courage. Tearing a strip of cloth from the bottom of my camisole, I wound it around his hand, pressing his fingers closed when I was done. “Good luck, Jakob,” I said gravely, leaning up on my toes to deliver a chaste kiss to his lips. “Grind his bones into dust.”
“You do please me, petal,” he chuckled, pulling me closer for a more thorough kiss. I felt awkward in front of Rob, but I kissed Jakob back, needing him to be focused on the task ahead, not with our personal problems. “Now all of you go, I must prepare myself.”
I practically dragged Mason out of there, and he sulked all the way down to the car. “Are we really going home? he asked, sliding into the driver’s seat as Rob and I climbed into the back.
“Not a chance. I figure we have a good shot of stealing Hanna away while they’re duking it out. Then they can kill each other for all I care.”
“That’s not the agreement,” Rob scowled.
“I never said I was going home to sit things out, I said I understood why he asked me to.”
“Fine, then Mason and I will double back there once you’re safely delivered home again, but you’re not coming with.”
I should have known he’d object, but I wasn’t about to be talked out of it. “Of course I am. I’m stronger than Mason is, how come he gets to go and I don’t?”
“Because I don’t care if Mason gets his head torn off. You’re the one I’m protecting.”
“Hey,” Mason objected, his brows drawing together in the rearview mirror as he watched us. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather keep my head on for this one.”
There was a sudden flash of headlights before a jarring impact, illuminating the inside of the car with intense clarity. I barely had time to register the danger, my lungs filling for a scream that never materialized as another vehicle rammed into the driver’s side and everything went dark.
Chapter Thirty-Five
I don’t think I was unconscious for all that long, and the first thing I thought when I came to was it didn’t hurt as bad as I thought it would. Unless I was dead, which was a distinct possibility from the sticky pool of blood I lay in. The stench of burning rubber and plastic caught my attention before the flicker of the flames. The car was on fire, but I wasn’t in it and I tried to work out how I’d been thrown clear. I’d been wearing my seatbelt, I was sure of it. Had some good Samaritan pulled us to safety?
Rob lay in a crumpled heap beside me, the slow but steady rise and fall of his chest telling me he was still alive, thank God. Mason still slumped over the dash on the passenger’s side, the driver’s side almost completely obliterated by the big fat truck stuck in the middle of it. I’d seen what fire could do to our kind up close and personal, it wasn’t a pretty sight. I had to get him out of there.
Only I couldn’t move my legs. I couldn’t move anything below my rib cage no matter how hard I tried. A flush of panic raced along the top of my skin as I realized I was paralyzed. “Rob? Rob, can you hear me?” I wheezed, my lungs feeling funny. Why weren’t there people around? It was late, sure, but a crash of that severity should have brought emergency crews to the scene.
Rob didn’t move a muscle and real fear set in. What if he was badly hurt? I was fairly sure I’d recover with enough time and blood, but what if he died? “Hello? Can any one hear me? We need help!”
“Oh yeah, you might as well give up on that, nobody’s coming, I made sure of that.” Lodinn strolled into my field of vision, watching the car burn with interest, his thumbs hooked into the belt loops on his jeans. “I went ahead and broke your spine. I wanted to be sure I had your undivided attention. Have I got it?”
I tamped down the terror that threatened to claw its way out of my throat with a scream, taking a precious second to steady my voice before I spoke. “What do you want? I delivered your stupid message, whatever fight you have with Jakob has nothing to do with me.”
“If you really think so, you’re a lot blonder than I thought,” he smirked, continuing to watch the car burn. “So that’s Mason, huh? I wonder how long it’ll be before the fire hits the fuel intake.” He rubbed his hands together, holding them up to the smoldering blaze. “Jesus, I should’ve brought marshmallows. Ah well, maybe next time.” Turning away, he focused on me. “Thanks for helping flush out Jakob, by the way. I never could’ve done it without you.”
“It’s not like it’s that big of a secret. Every vamp in town knows where he lives.”
“Yeah, now they do, thanks to your little dungeon act in Vetis. Volkov really came through for me with his A game on that one.”
The guy was way too pleased with himself, and I wished he’d either shut up or move a couple of feet closer so I could bite his ankles. “Ugh, if you’re going to kill me, just kill me. I could do without the cheesy gloating,” I grumbled, which seemed to tickle his funnybone.
“I like you, you’re different than the last one,” he grinned. “No crocodile tears or seduction attempts. Not that you’re in the best position for that at the moment. Too bad we couldn’t have met under different circumstances. Time to say goodbye to your friend.”
“Please!” I cried out. “Get Mason out of there before it’s too late. If you want to take me hostage, do it. I volunteer. I’m the one Jakob cares about the most anyway. He won’t care if you kill Mason.”
“Oh, no, Mason’s just a bonus. I meant this guy.” Lodinn hauled Rob up to his feet with one hand, holding him easily by the neck. Rob’s head lolled forward, barely on the edge of consciousness. “He smells great, is that Old Spice?”
“Let him go!” I yelled, dragging myself up by my arms to see more of Lodinn than his fancy kicks.
Lodinn took a deeper sniff at Rob’s neck, his eyes closing as though savoring the finest bouquet. “This one’s special to you, I can smell you on him. That makes him special to me.” With a growl, he sank his teeth into Rob’s neck, drinking deeply. The pain brought Rob around, but none of his tactical holds did a lick of good against the Ellri’s strength. All Rob could do was grunt in pain, his limbs going slack as the vigor drained out of him.
“Stop it… stop it!” I screamed, convinced someone would hear me and come running, but Lodinn drank and drank, the whole while maintaining eye contact with me until I thought my eyeballs might explode in my head. “Please… don’t kill him. I’ll do anything! Just stop!” I sobbed, the words running together as I lay there, betrayed by my useless limbs.
Lodinn dropped Rob like an empty sack, wiping the back of his hand against his lips with a smear of blood. “I can see why you liked him, he was pretty tasty. But that was just an appetizer.”
I didn’t care anymore.
Rolling back to look up at the sky, I waited for the end to come. “Just kill me… kill me now.” My words held no strength, it had all drained out of me with Rob’s life.
He squatted beside me and I thought that was finally it. My number was up, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to keep going after seeing Rob’s life taken right in front of me. But the attack never came. Instead, Lodinn grabbed my chin, tilting my head to catch his gaze.
“No, I’m not going to kill you today. That would be too easy. Come and find me when you want to see your sister. I’ll keep her company until you regain the use of your legs again.” He left my head turned to the side where I could see Rob’s body, and then stooped over to turn Rob’s head to face mine.
He wasn’t dead, not quite yet, but his eyes were unfocused and overly bright.
“I’ll leave the two of you
alone for his final moments,” Lodinn said with a sigh, straightening and walking off into the night whistling Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.
Rob wasn’t dead, but he didn’t have long. Scrabbling against the blacktop, I clawed my way to his side, dragging my useless legs behind me. “Rob?” I croaked, my throat raw with tears. “Rob, can you hear me?”
He was so pale and cold, nothing like normal. There wasn’t much time and I tore into my wrist savagely, needing enough blood to flow into his mouth to do him any good. His throat worked to swallow, but he didn’t have the strength to draw the blood from me, and I had to keep biting into my arm again and again. All the while I listened to his heart, which beat much too slowly, much too irregularly.
He wasn’t getting any better.
He needed the blood faster, and that meant a bigger artery or vein. Grabbing a piece of twisted metal from the street, I jammed it into my neck, deep enough to coat my hand with slippery blood before I could pull it away. It was messier that way, harder to get his mouth to the right place without his help, but I felt my way through it, until that wound closed up as well.
I was dizzy now, but I thought his heart beat a little stronger, a little faster. Too much blood had been wasted at trying to feed him that way and I went back to my wrist. His eyes fluttered open at the new rush of blood and I took that as a sign of encouragement. “Come on, Rob, I need you to drink. I need you to do this for me. Drink,” I commanded him as surely as Jakob had compelled me.
Weakly, he tried to push my arm away but I was stronger. “Drink,” I said, eyes closing in relief when I felt the pull of his mouth.
There was no physical pleasure, I’d lost too much blood for that already, but there was a rush of relief in knowing he was strong enough to take my blood. That had to mean there was a decent shot at him surviving this.
There were shouts around us, in the distance but drawing nearer. I tried to turn my head, but a wave of dizziness threatened to swallow me whole and I squinched my eyes tight, waiting for it to pass. Only it never did. The world dipped and swayed, but I didn’t care until I felt the steady pull at my wrist start to weaken. Rob’s heartbeat wavered, skipping a beat, then two… slowing, faltering. I was losing him.