The cold set in and I felt sick as the panic started knocking me over the head like a rabid caveman. I needed to get out of here. I needed air. I needed to know the truth. But what was the truth …?
“I’m a big boy, Nikita,” I heard a voice grumble from the other side of the door in front of me. I thought my head was playing tricks. I recognized that voice. But it couldn’t be … I couldn’t say anything. Or move. Everything ceased to function as my emotions tried to process something that wasn’t the result of a crazy person believing the worst.
“I understand,” a woman’s voice replied, “but you’re not out of the woods yet. You’ll need a little more healing before you can do this on your own.”
The door opened and, with that, in walked Kaleb with his arm around a pretty woman wearing all white.
“What the hell!” I shouted before I could stop myself. Kaleb stopped in his tracks, his face a mask of confusion, as if he wasn’t sure whether he’d done something wrong or not.
“Nice to see you too, Terra,” he said with a grin before he allowed the healer to help him hobble to the bed. He looked a lot better than yesterday. The gashes were almost gone, and he didn’t look so pale. He flinched slightly as he lay down, and the healer helped him to lift up his legs.
“Kaleb Cipher,” I said loudly, unable to hold onto any form of rational thought at the moment. He was alive. He was going to be okay. Everything was all right.
“See the abuse I have to put up with?” He jerked a thumb in my direction and the healer he’d called Nikita smiled warmly at us both.
“Put up with?” I spluttered. “No one told me. No one told me you were okay!”
Kaleb stared at me as if he couldn’t quite understand my behavior, and the healer came rushing forward. “I’m so sorry, miss. Kaleb told us he didn’t want to inform you of his recovery until he was fully healed. I’m afraid we have to abide by the client’s wishes.”
“Of course he did,” I said through gritted teeth; my evil stare all for Kaleb. I turned back to the healer. “Please, will you leave a message for Enforcer Chief Cipher that his brother is awake. But also tell him that he might not be for long because I’m going to kill him!”
Turning back to Kaleb, my hands on my waist, I scowled. The healer replied with humor in her voice. “I will do that right away,” she said, and then she left the room.
“We’ve been worried sick about you!” I shouted at him as I stomped closer to the bed. “Yet it’s up to you to decide when to tell us you’re awake! Awake!” I threw up my hands. “I thought you were dead when I saw the tank gone and the bed empty, you complete dick. Do you know how that made me feel?”
His lips twitched and I could tell he was trying really hard not to smile. More rage edged its way into my voice. “You’re a selfless and stupid, idiotic prick of a shifter. Not only do you go out on your own and get attacked. But now you’re lying in luxury while people who care about you are left to worry sick until you deem it necessary to tell them you’re okay! Ugh!” I couldn’t help it. I punched him on the arm. A small part of me did have the grace to hold back a little though.
“Ow!” he said with both hurt and humor. “Why the hell are you hitting me when I’m on my death bed?”
“You’re not on your death bed!” I shouted, all the worry and fear spiraling into an anger that would have me breathing fire if I had the capability. I was suddenly very jealous of all dragon shifters.
“You worried over me?” he asked with a large grin. His puppy dog eyes focused on mine.
I wanted to yell some more. My chest was heaving with my pain, my anger. I wanted to tell him that he was an asshole: a selfish and evil son of a bitch. But those eyes stopped me in my tracks. He was okay. Kaleb. My Kaleb. My partner was okay. He wasn’t lying there looking like the living dead anymore. He was awake. He was here.
Tears filled my eyes as I flopped down on his chest, my arms grasping around his neck. He jolted at my sudden attack, but then his large arms came around me and held me close. “I’m so glad you’re okay,” I said through my tears as they dropped onto his neck. He stroked the back of my hair.
“I’m fine, Terra,” he whispered before dropping a kiss on the top of my head. “I’m fine.”
“I thought you were going to die,” I sobbed. “I thought I would have to stand by your damn grave and cry like a little girl.”
“Like you’re doing now?”
I glared up at him as the tears flowed down my face. “You don’t deserve tears,” I told him as I went to pull away but he pulled me back into his arms.
“Shut up,” he said with affection, and he patted the bed. “Kick your boots off and come lie by me for a little while.”
“No,” I pouted, but I wouldn’t let him go. Even with my stubbornness in the driving seat, I still didn’t want to stop feeling his very warm flesh beneath my hands. The very warm flesh that told me he was going to be okay.
“Just do it,” Kaleb urged. “The healers won’t mind, and you can catch me up on what’s gone on.”
“How about you tell me what happened when you were attacked instead?”
“Ah,” he said with wariness, and I studied him with curiosity.
“Did you try and track the prisoners behind The Mutuari?”
“Climb up, Terra,” was all he said, and his eyes held mine stubbornly.
“Fine,” I surrendered, and in my grumpy state I removed my boots to climb up on the bed next to him. He slowly shuffled over to give me some room, putting his arm around me as I snuggled in. Once I was comfortable, I looked up at him to prompt his response to my question.
“Did you?” I prodded again.
With a frown cast upon his face, he said, “I had to try. I only went to look around at first but then I caught a scent of something … I don’t know. Reptilian maybe? It felt off, so I followed it into the trees.”
“What happened then?”
“I don’t know. Something struck me from behind I think. The rest is just a blur.”
“You were in a bad way, you know.” My breath hitched in my chest. “Mayra had to work on you. They attacked you with both magic and claws by the looks of it.”
He gently pulled me closer for a second and gave me a brief squeeze. “I know. Mayra was here when I woke up earlier. She said that whatever had latched on inside of me had gone, and now everything else will heal as it should. I’m on bed rest now for a day or so, but then I’ll be as right as rain.”
“We think they’re after the portal,” I told him, sitting forward to remove my jacket. I threw it down onto the floor next to my boots before snuggling back down beside him.
“Who is?” he asked as he folded his arm around me.
“I’m thinking the escaped prisoners.” I quickly went over what we’d found on the security footage and how it all linked to Dill Hemingway.
“So the maze is around the portal?” he asked me once I’d finished.
“I think so. Cole is bringing the other agents in to try and scent a trail, although he’s not telling them everything, just enough so they know they’re trying to apprehend a suspect. He won’t let me go with them.”
Kaleb picked up on the sulkiness in my voice and chuckled. “Poor Cole. I bet he didn’t know what he was getting himself into going out with you today. I would give anything to see the look on his face when you outwitted the knocker.”
“He reprimanded me. As always. But then he made me coffee, would you believe it?”
“No, he didn’t,” he said in mock surprise. “I don’t believe it.”
“He did, and it was horrible. Like mud.”
Kaleb’s chest moved up and down beneath my hand as he laughed. “No wonder my brother ordered you away. He’ll need a month to get over a few hours working with you.”
“Hey,” I said, leaning up to face him once more. “I’m not that bad.”
“You kind of are. But don’t worry about it. I can handle you.”
Shaking my head in surrender, I t
hen told him about what had happened in Darkwood. He agreed with me that something suspect was going on and that maybe we both needed to prod Bernard a bit more to find out what he had wanted to tell me the night before.
“Hopefully the request order will come through soon,” I continued, suppressing a yawn. But Kaleb noticed. He shuffled down the bed a little so I had no choice but to follow, pulling the upper blanket over me.
“Why don’t you lie here with me a little while longer? Get some sleep.”
“I need to go back home soon. Grab a bite to eat and start doing some more digging.” Another yawn came, and I couldn’t stifle it.
“You can afford yourself a couple of hours,” he whispered, stroking my arm. I felt safe. Secure. And I was too tired to give a damn about what all that meant.
“Just a couple of hours,” I told him sleepily, knowing that everything was still going to shit. The prisoners were still on the loose and I’d put Vienna in potential danger. Bernard had lied to his friends and my heart was still in turmoil over Cole. But right now, all I could think about was that my partner was okay. And for now, as sleep pulled me under, that was all that mattered.
CHAPTER THIRTY
AFTER WAKING A few hours later, Kaleb emotionally blackmailed me into eating lunch with him. The healers let me go out to get his favorite sub now he was gaining his strength back, but he refused to eat anything until I did. I ended up stuffing my face with the extra potato salad and hot muffins I’d brought back.
Once I was done, we chatted for a while. Then I left him with the remaining muffins and a promise that I’d update him on anything important I discovered in the meantime. He also made me seek out his watch comms from his stuff and leave it with him before I could finally escape unscathed. Finally, I headed home.
The apartment was empty when I arrived. Rosie was still at work. It was early evening at that time, but she would most likely be there until late anyway. I headed into the apartment and shut the door.
Looking down when I heard something crunch beneath my foot, I saw a cream envelope staring back at me. I leaned down to pick it up.
Turning it over, I saw my name scrawled in fancy letters. When I opened it, the same fancy writing stared back at me on an invitation of some sort that read:
Bernard & Terra Vostreux
Lillith Arosa and the members of the House of Strigoi would like to cordially invite you to
The Sights of the Underworld ball at Final Cycle this evening.
Gentlemen, we would love to see you dressed all in black.
Ladies, please show us your beauty in red.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Why the hell had they sent this to me here when Bernard was still at Darkwood? Turning the invitation over, I could see someone had written a message on the back. I didn’t recognize the handwriting:
Terra,
I’ve asked to have this message and invitation sent to you because I need to speak with you this evening. Please join me at the ball if you can.
I know you’ve been called off to work, but if you could come for a few hours, I have some important news to share with you. I will send a car for you at 8pm to the city border. Please come.
Yours, Bernard.
Well. I hadn’t been expecting that. But if Bernard had discovered something important then he may not be in a position to leave in order to update me on it. I was also aware he could be maintaining the ruse of our marriage while he was still there investigating.
The vampires wouldn’t be happy when they discovered he'd lied to them, so he would need to keep up the pretense while he was still serving a purpose there. But what did he have to tell me? And why the cloak and dagger request?
I groaned out loud at the thought of going back to Darkwood with everything else happening. And the idea of having to get dressed up again was not on the top of my to do list right now. Still, it was better than sitting here doing nothing while Cole and the other agents went out to try and track down the bad guys.
Throwing the invitation down on the couch, I headed off into Rosie’s room to check out her closet. I didn’t have anything fancy enough to wear to another ball. And I certainly didn’t have anything red that would suit.
Hopefully, Rosie, who was a lot more elegant in her dress sense, would have something, somewhere, I could borrow.
Not quite a dress, but I did manage to find a red pantsuit that was pretty snazzy, hanging up, covered in plastic, and all ready to wear. Quickly calling to see if it was okay to borrow it, I couldn’t get through to Rosie. I tried a few times after that, but still nothing. Oh well. Rosie wouldn’t mind, I was certain. And I would only be in it for a short while anyway. As soon as I got an update from Bernard, I could cry off and come home. I could also get the pantsuit dry-cleaned and back in Rosie’s wardrobe without her even knowing.
With a solution found, I lay the pantsuit out on the bed then jumped in the shower. It didn’t take me long to get ready this time. The purple ends of my hair clashed with the red I was wearing, but there was little I could do about that. I left my strands down, not having the patience to deal with all those clips and bits again. Then I packed my bag, ready to leave.
I hesitated over putting my watch comms on, but I didn’t want to go in without it. Cole might try and contact me should they find anything, and Kaleb could reach me in an emergency if I took it. Using the clever function of extendable straps, I wrapped it just beneath my knee joint, beneath the pantsuit, instead of on my wrist. No one would see it there, and I set it to silent before turning on the ‘Enable Voice Command’ function. It would save me having to reach under my pant leg to answer any calls should they come through.
Once I was ready to go, I hesitated by the door for a second. I felt unsettled, distant, even, as if I’d been pulled apart and not put back together properly. I hesitated for a brief minute, trying to think of an excuse to get out of it. But Bernard was waiting for me. He may have useful information that could give us the headway we needed. And I knew he wouldn't have contacted me in this way over something minor. I needed to go see what he was up to.
Taking a deep breath, I reassured myself that I was just feeling the after effects of the shock and worry of the past two days; that was all. Now Kaleb was okay, I could afford to fall apart a little—as long as I held it together on the outside. It would probably take a few days for me to set to rights anyway. Being around so many vampires over the past few days wouldn’t have helped. Even though I’d been wrong in my judgments of many of them, the House of Strix in particular had strummed at my psychic shields like the strings of a guitar. Ridiculous, I know. But with the song that had played at the house, and the poisonous dance with Parris on our first night, it had left me feeling tainted somehow.
Being on my own, in my comfortable sanctuary, after what I'd experienced at Darkwood made everything that had happened feel that much more real. I felt alone. Isolated. And I knew I would need to meditate to cleanse and rid myself of this negativity. Maybe I would feel a lot better after that.
I didn't have time to do it now though. It would take me a few hours to meditate and then I would be exhausted afterward. It was time for me to head off to the border, to the car that would be waiting to pick me up and deliver me to Darkwood.
I looked back at my apartment; a sense of foreboding prodding at the corner of my mind, but I shook it off.
All I needed to do was go to Darkwood, play nice, then come home.
I shut the door on that thought and hurried off to catch The Rail.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
ONCE I GOT off The Rail, I hobbled toward the border in a pair of Rosie’s matching heels. Now those I would get a grilling for borrowing. But I didn’t have much of a choice. My own pair of heels and the new ones Lavani had sent me were still in Darkwood, and I didn’t think the pretty pantsuit would have matched well with one of the many pairs of chunky boots I owned.
Feeling the chill of the air, I wished I’d brought a jacket. But
it wouldn’t be long until I was at the border and in the warm comfort of a vampire solar car.
A sleek, black vehicle came into view once I reached my destination. It was adorned with its usual white Darkwood logo on the side but it was a much fancier car this time around. It's sharpened edges made it look more like a space ship, with circular vents where the wheels should be. They resembled the back of a blowdryer, only with blue lights shining out of the tiny holes.
The material of all Portiside-made cars was made up of the similar silicon solar panels used on Earth, creating a super conductor for the sun. A sun that was manufactured to shine daily outside of Darkwood, even in the winter, to energize the use of solar power. The blessings of Fey-produced weather, I suppose.
No one got out of the car to open the door for me as I approached, but the door did automatically pop open as I advanced.
I climbed in.
Shifting in the seat to make myself more comfortable, I jolted when a voice spoke to me from inside the car.
“It’s so lovely to see you again, Terra,” Parris Avar said from a darkened recess of the vehicle. My head snapped up to see him seated opposite me, the dark tones of ‘O Fortuna’ flowing through the speakers. Suddenly, the doors locked noisily around us. Panic surged through me and adrenaline rushed through my veins as I sensed the danger I was in. I yanked at the handle with all I had, but nothing budged.
“It’s a customized mechanism,” Parris said and he sat forward so I could see him beneath the small light that had flickered on above us. “But feel free to try all you like.”
The volume of music increased enough to light a fire beneath my panic, but I wasn’t about to give the bastard the satisfaction of seeing my distress. Sitting back in my seat, I pushed every scrap of fear aside and acted as if I was bored.
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