She stifled a sob with a palm of her hand and slid to the ground, hugging her knees closer to her chest. Although she was relieved to see Andrew, it had been too long without a single word shared between them. When she looked at him now, guilt invaded her strangled heart for putting him through the torment of becoming one of the undead. At the same time, she was relieved. He was alive and well. But, the fact he seemed to get along with Alexander baffled her.
Her thoughts returned to the reason her chest was stuffy since she had returned to Dublin. She had promised to give Lucious a second chance, but he ruined it by keeping her and Andrew apart. How can I place the same trust in him?
The sensation of his touch, his lips, and their passionate embrace in Vienna broke her mist of doubts and fears. An illusion, that’s all it was. She wouldn’t let it rule her. He hadn’t contacted her once when she drained some of his energy to find out what happened. Maybe being by his sire’s side was more important to him.
She sighed and buried her face in her knees. Why did he have to be the one I gave myself to?
“Helena, are you in there?” Ben’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door.
She climbed to her full height and wiped her tear-streaked face. With a steadying breath and a false reassurance that she was alright, she unlocked the door.
“I ha—” Ben paused long enough for his eyes to study her face in-depth. “Is this a bad time?”
Helena shook her head and waved for him to come in, but Ben didn’t move an inch. “I’m not here to exchange pleasantries. I have to get some medical supplies for Maya, and I want you to keep an eye on her while I’m gone.”
Her lips curved at the strong concern showing on his face. “Is she rebelling against staying in bed?”
Ben snorted. “I swear she has more energy when she’s sick than when she’s not. If she didn’t move around so much, she wouldn’t repeatedly open her stitches.”
“Alright. I’ll make sure she stays in bed while you’re gone.”
Ben scanned her face for something.
“What?”
“I hope one day you’ll come to see vampires for what they are and not for what they want you to see.”
Helena’s brows drew together as Ben strode out of sight by turning the corner. She wanted to ask what he meant but fought the urge to do so.
She yawned and looked at the window. The weak rays of the rising sun crept into the room, fighting the strength of the fluorescent bedroom lights. Helena flicked the switch on her way out and ambled to the other end of the corridor. Alexander was adamant the hunters stayed as far away from his office as possible. So, he managed to put them seven doors down. She found his logic to be strange since Maya and Ben—if they wanted to—would invade his privacy regardless of the distance. Nonetheless, she stopped in front of the hunters’ room and knocked.
Maya invited her in, and Helena pushed the door open. The hunter stood by the window with the sun bathing her neon-red hair, making it seem like it was on fire.
“Don’t say anything about this to Ben,” Maya pleaded. “All he tells me to do is rest.” She let out a groan. “I swear when I’m hurt he turns into a mother hen.”
Helena closed the door behind her and leant on it. “Is that a bad thing?”
Without looking, Maya touched her bandaged side under her sports bra and shook her head. “I’m worried about the training he’ll put me through once I recover. Technically speaking, if I move around now, it won’t feel so bad later.”
“Solid logic right there,” Helena pushed away from the door and sat on the edge of the bed. “You should lie down, anyway.”
Maya studied her with a raised brow. “Oh, not you too! I swear, any more fussing about me and I’ll turn into a princess. I might start wearing dresses and begin to like shopping.”
“You didn’t look half-bad in a dress in Vienna.”
Maya rolled her eyes and lay on the bed, clutching her side. The colour seemed to be returning to her pale complexion. “Do you know how hard it was to fight two vampires in a dress? Never again will I be that unprepared!”
Helena’s smile faded when she remembered Reaver’s ‘present’. She was glad everyone managed to make it out alive along with the weapon to kill the demon. At the same time, the way Reaver let her go confused her. Whatever happened in the time she wasn’t conscious, scared her.
“What’s wrong?”
Helena shook her head, breaking away from the endless worries. “Nothing. I was contemplating some things.”
“Do you want to share? Not like you have a vast choice in human friends from what I can see,” Maya said, and Helena diverted her gaze to her interlocked fingers in her lap.
“I don’t know why Reaver released me.”
“What do you mean? Did the siren let you go without any explanation with one of the rarest weapons on the planet?” Maya asked, chuckling.
“Yeah, pretty much.”
Maya grasped her shoulders. “Hang on. Have you sold your soul to the demon already or something?”
She looked at Maya’s concerned face. “I don’t know. They did something—a ritual of some sort—and, when I woke up, Reaver was more than happy to let me go, no questions asked and no explanations given.”
Maya’s hands fell away, and she cursed. “What about the vampires? Do they know about this?”
Helena hugged her sides. She couldn’t tell Lucious when they were together. He was suffering alone, and her adding more to his plate didn’t appeal to her in the slightest. “No, they don’t.”
“Good. Don’t tell them. Never know what they’ll do to you.”
A nervous laugh broke past Helena’s lips. “Vampires and hunters have more in common than you think, Maya. I swear each side keeps telling me the same thing.”
“Are you keeping things from me?” Maya paused and smacked herself on the forehead. “Of course, you are. It would be weird if you didn’t.” She wrapped her hands around Helena’s chilled fingers. “How about we get some rest?”
Helena followed Maya’s lead and climbed on the bed with her. They lay there, side by side, their shoulders brushing. For some reason, it wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable.
As Helena stared above, she asked, “Any plans for when this nightmare ends?”
Maya intertwined their fingers and squeezed Helena’s hand. “Lots. I want to get to know you better before we return to Berlin. It may take some ass kissing and punishments from the clan, but I hope they’ll let us back in. Then—” She stopped to refill her lungs. “I’ll tell Ben how I feel.”
Helena’s head snapped to one side to find Maya’s bright red face. “Really?”
“We’ve been near death too many times, and it’s not uncommon for partners to get into a relationship. I may be rejected. I don’t know. But, I would have tried. I mean, he saved me when I was in trouble and taught me how to fight and survive in this world. I don’t know if I can ask for more.”
Helena rolled onto her side. “What’s your favourite ice cream flavour?”
“Chocolate mint…”
“If it doesn’t work out, I’ll be waiting with a few tubs of that.”
The hunter’s lips tugged into a full-blown grin. “It’s a win-win for me, I guess. I either get to spend time with a great sister or get a hunky boyfriend.”
“Exactly. So, don’t be discouraged. I’m always here for you if you need me.”
Maya’s green eyes watered, and she wiped the stray tear away. “Thanks. Now, let’s get some sleep.” She rolled away from Helena and added, “Your vampire, Lucious, he’s not all bad. He’s a terrifying man when he tortures people, though he did give me blood at Staatsoper. In his own demented way, I guess he cares about you more than I originally thought was possible.”
Helena’s lips parted, but no words came out. The possibility of Lucious caring about her made her heart leap and soar above the clouds. Her mind squashed the brief sensation of joy. If only he was forthright with her, then her heart w
ouldn’t be so confused.
She spooned Maya’s small back and closed her eyes. Only time will reveal what the future holds.
Helena was jolted out of sleep because of a sudden jerk of the mattress. She forced her eyes open to find Maya pointing her gun at Andrew who had his hands up in surrender.
“I am here to talk to Helena,” he said with a weak smile.
Helena grabbed Maya’s arm, tugging it down. “Don’t. He’s a friend.”
“But he’s undead,” Maya grumbled over her shoulder.
“He tried to save me and ended up getting hurt. I begged Lucious to turn him.”
Maya’s lips parted, and she tucked her weapon under the pillow. Reclining, she said, “By all means, enjoy your interaction with the undead.”
Helena scooted off the bed and propelled Andrew out of the room. “What were you thinking? She could have shot you.”
He stopped in his tracks. “Alexander told me more about these hunters. They’re not a good company to keep either. They kill my kind.”
“What else did Alexander tell you?”
“Enough to know you’re in over your head,” Andrew said, his expression turning cold.
Helena scanned the corridor they were in. It wasn’t the best place to talk about such matters. So, she grasped his hand and led him into the grand living room. She briskly walked to the bar Alexander had at the far end of the room.
She let go of his hand. “Is there a coffee machine here?”
“Try checking under the counter,” he replied, taking a seat on a barstool.
She opened the cupboards and found what she was looking for. From the bottom shelf, she lifted the coffee maker onto the lacquered mahogany counter and resumed her quest for ingredients.
“You’ve changed.”
Her hand froze on the bag of instant coffee. “No, I haven’t.”
Andrew rested his chin on his palm and watched her without another word.
She made them both coffee and sat on the neighbouring barstool, clamping her hands around the warming mug.
“Have I really changed?” she asked, uncertain this time.
Andrew took a sip of his drink. “You’ve made friends and you’re more assertive. What hasn’t changed is the fact you still spend more time in that big head of yours than in reality.”
Helena stared at the dark liquid in her mug. Externally, Andrew was the same, yet there was no hint of the youthful playfulness he always talked with. As the six months apart had changed her, he, too, underwent his troubles and fought his demons.
“Have you talked to your family?” she inquired, eager to change the subject.
“No. They think I’m studying abroad. I don’t know what to say to them. Once they notice I haven’t aged in five, ten years, what’ll I say? Not like I can tell them what I am and expect them to accept it.”
“You could try.”
“No. I can’t,” he said in a strained voice. “You may not treat me like I am a monster, but they’re devout Catholics. I doubt they’ll see past the fact that I’m dead and drink blood to survive.”
“But your dad loves you so much.”
Andrew hid his face in his hands. “I know he does,” he mumbled. “I’ve missed my family, my friends. It has been hell trying to get a hold of the thirst that’s always there, pushing me to the limits of sanity.”
Helena hugged him. Whatever had happened to her best friend who relentlessly teased her and cracked more jokes than there were hours in the day? Was this what it meant to be involved with the supernatural? Happiness had drained away from their lives, and they could do nothing to stop it. And now, it was too late to fix what was already broken.
He pulled her close and buried his face in her shoulder.
“Andrew, you should see your parents, even if it’s for a short while.”
He drew away, giving her another half-smile. “I’ll try.”
“Good. I also need you to find out if Laura is alright.”
“Why? Is she hurt?”
She shook her head. “She’s fine, as far as I know, but her parents are gone. They were in our apartment, and Alexander and Ben took them out. They thought the Quinns were a threat.”
Andrew shot out of his seat and grasped her shoulders. “Why would they harm them? They’re not involved in this!”
“They were hunters.”
Andrew’s hands slowly slid away. “That can’t be right. Laura and her family seemed so normal. There’s no way they would go out and kill anyone.”
Someone cleared their throat, and they both diverted their attention to a small brunette in a charcoal pencil skirt and a navy blouse.
“You have an appointment in the boardroom in an hour, Mr Keane,” the young woman said with a bleached smile.
Helena raised a brow as she looked at her best friend. “Mr Keane?”
Andrew smirked. “She’s my secretary, Orlaith. Alexander helped me hire her to keep my schedule in order. She knows what we are.”
Helena grasped her mug with her hands. The warmth of it didn’t take away the gnawing concerns that Andrew was becoming a complete stranger or a more worrying being—Alexander.
“Look, I’ll deal with this and, afterwards, we have to talk about everything,” Andrew added and followed his secretary out of the room.
Helena noticed the small skip in the woman’s step when he was next to her. Beyond the sorrow and death around them, people somehow found the time to have a crush on someone. She finished her coffee and searched the cupboards of the bar, coming upon a mini-fridge stocked with fresh fruit. She took two bananas with her and returned to her seat at the bar.
“Are you destroying my fruit supply for the cocktails?” Alexander’s voice came from behind her.
She didn’t bother turning. Instead, she peeled the banana and took her first bite out of it.
Alexander walked around the bar. He skilfully extracted a crystal glass from the counter, added a few cubes of ice, and poured some whisky on the frozen rocks. Once he finished making his drink, he stopped in front of her with a smirk on his face. “I take it the reunion with Andrew went well?”
Helena swallowed her food. “Why do you care about how it went?”
“It is high time for you to move on and accept his affection for you.”
She set her banana on the table and crossed her arms. “Why are you so keen on separating me and Lucious? Is Zafira’s vision the only thing driving you or is it something else?”
Alexander’s smirk wilted and his expression morphed into a schooled poker face. For what seemed like forever, he didn’t answer. He raised his glass to his lips and took a tentative sip. The simple action made the ice inside clink.
“I will answer your question if you tell me how you escaped from Reaver,” he said, looming over her as he leant on the counter. “Lucious wouldn’t tell me, and I doubt it is because he is withholding information. He, too, doesn’t seem to know the precise details of your miraculous getaway.”
Helena tried leaving her seat, but Alexander grasped her forearm, forcing her back down.
“Running away will not help any of us when the demon comes knocking on our mental shields. I felt its energy consuming Lucious, and I do not want to repeat the process.”
She shot out of her seat, forgetting Alexander’s fingers that dug into her skin and muscle. She was too shocked to notice the pain building in her arm. “Lazarus got to Lucious?”
Alexander’s hand retreated. He finished his drink while her heart hammered away in her chest. If the demon reached Lucious, they had little time left to deal with the monster.
The vampire’s tired grey eyes focused on her, and he searched her face for something. What? She didn’t know.
His words pierced her like the sharpest blade. “You are nothing more than a child who meddles with powers unknown. The more I look at you, the more I see you as an obstacle. Yet, your luck with men amazes me. Two men I respect seem fond of you. Why?”
“Do you want the lo
ng or the short answer?”
“Please, do enlighten me with either explanation for their delusion.”
She rolled her eyes. This was not the time to commence an argument. Every fibre in her being wished for her hands to lock around his extended neck and to squeeze the life out of him. She stomped down her budding anger, and her eyes focused on her bracelets. They were almost black, and her chest hurt with worry. She had to purify them before Lazarus could get to her.
“I am awaiting an answer.”
“What do you expect me to say? That I put a spell on them or that I’m some kind of monster who attracts people to me? To be honest, I would trade places with a normal person if given the chance,” she snapped. “I want a normal life, normal friends. I want to go to college like normal people, Alexander. This—” She waved to emphasise the luxurious décor. “I don’t want this.”
Instead of waiting for a response, she hurried to the lift. She had to find Laura and see if she was alright. Being alone at a time like this was the worst possible situation for her friend. If her parents were dead, she would want comfort, too.
“Where are you going?” Alexander called from the bar.
“Out!” Helena entered the lift and mashed the ground floor button.
Their eyes locked in a silent battle, and she mentally dared him to try stopping her. After everything she went through, he had no right to trap her in his home.
Thankfully, he remained in place as the doors closed.
That night, Helena gripped the key card to the apartment in her hand, standing at the front door. With a single swipe, she could find out if the bodies were taken. Her heart hurt too much as she recalled the dead faces of Laura’s parents. They were kind, good people, and they should have never gotten involved in this mess.
Her hand fell away from the lock. The key card slipped out of her hand, and she pressed her back to the door. In truth, she was weak. The bravery she managed to put on display before others was a mask she learned to keep on when surrounded by the undead. I can’t even check to see if my friend’s parents are there or not.
Demon Gates (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 2) Page 25