by H. M. Ward
Kahli blinked up at him. Looking down at her, he wished they had more time. There were things to say and he might not get another chance, but if they didn’t leave now, they’d die.
“The chip?” he asked, wondering what she wanted to do with it. That chip tracked pulse and location, linking back to an archaic GPS system from before the flood. It was an effective way to keep tabs on humans who were a flight risk.
Kahli’s lips pulled into a grin. “The chip will be taking a ride on the wolf express, away from us.”
Will couldn’t help but smile. Kahli was soft and tough, kind and brutal, cunning and crazy—but those qualities, as conflicted as they seemed, only made him like her more.
CHAPTER 6
Reginald never caught a break. Ever since he was a child, he was always second to his sister. Sophia was the epitome of the perfect child, even though she was a girl. It angered him to even consider it. He fared nothing but disappointment after disappointment. Bitterness coated his tongue so frequently that it never shocked him. Not anymore.
He was lucky to make it out of the palace before Sophia turned on him. Even with that little bit of blood, she was more powerful than he’d seen her in very long time. Everything came down to blood, blood is power, and Reginald wanted power. He was sick of his life, of trading exotics to maintain his meager status.
The truck he was riding in rumbled on. The driver speed away from the Queen faster than was reasonable in the ice and snow, but Reginald offered him a stipend of blood if the vamp managed to get them away from Sophia alive. That was all the driver needed. The trucked bounced over the poorly constructed roads, until there was no road to follow. The setting sun blinded them, casting a dazzling array of white light in their faces, as they drove westward.
Reginald slumped back into his seat once they were off of Sophia’s property, sighing with relief. “Good man,” he said to Thomas, the vampire driving the truck. Thomas didn’t take his eyes off the road. He just grunted like a pig. Reginald lamented the passing of high society when vampires didn’t digress to making livestock noises while driving a truck. Civilized conversation was something only attainable at court. Thomas was a portly vampire with onion colored skin that was far too sheer. The lack of blood did that, made them sickly and weak. Thomas would do just about anything for an extra ration. If Reginald wasn’t a Regent, he didn’t know what he’d do. That was about the only bit of luck he had from being Sophia’s sibling.
“Drive carefully, but quickly. If we get back to the house before the storm sets in, I’ll add another drop to your ration.”
Thomas’ lips twitched, like he was happy, but the man was never happy. No one was. “Thank you, sir.”
“Yes, well, you’re far too ghastly to look at anymore.” Reginald waved his hand while he spoke, “If you don’t increase your blood intake, you’ll wilt away into nothing.”
Thomas didn’t reply. There was nothing to say. Human blood was scarce and each vampire only had so much. Many vamps perished from lack of sustenance. Things were not like the old days, although Thomas was too young to remember those days. Perhaps, that was why the man was not bitter, Reginald thought to himself as he studied Thomas’ profile.
Reginald settled back into the seat and sifted through the things he’d learned while visiting Sophia. The human’s blood was potent enough to cause an issue with consumption. That alone was worth the visit. If Reggie had done as he planned, it would have gone poorly, no doubt. Vampire metabolisms took blood and utilized it swiftly. In the old days, as soon as it touched his lips, Reggie could feel the power from the blood flowing through him. However, Sophia’s warning, the reason why she only drank a drop at a time rang in his ears. She was trying to build a tolerance, he was sure of it. Which meant swallowing the wild human’s blood was most likely fatal.
He drew in a deep breath and looked at the storm clouds that were finally visible as the sun sank below the horizon. “Better speed things up, Thomas.”
“I don’t like the look of them clouds. It’s like they’re too thin, too wide.” Thomas leaned forward, pressing his face to the windshield as he spoke. The truck hit a bump and the vamp slammed his head into the glass. He groaned and returned to his proper position.
Reginald ignored the display of incompetence. As long as the lunatic didn’t topple the truck, Reginald didn’t care about Thomas’ intelligence. He was a servant and nothing more. “They’re storm clouds with too much wind, from the look of them.” He laughed, picturing himself as a meteorologist a couple hundred years ago, when people got their news from an attractive man on a glowing TV screen. Those were good times.
“What’s so funny?” Thomas asked, his face turning paler, if that was possible.
“Just drive,” Reginald said slouching back into the seat.
But it didn’t matter how fast Thomas drove, it was inevitable. They were headed directly into that storm. When the wind blasted the truck, it nearly blew them off the road, or what was left of it. The ice was slick and Reginald felt the truck slip across the smooth surface. He reached for the door, holding on as they slid. Thomas regained control and slowed.
The few animals that fared well in the wild were scattering, running in the opposite direction of the truck. Thomas’ gaze watched wolf, rabbit, and fox trying to escape what they were driving into. “Sir, perhaps we should turn around?” Thomas was never so brazen, but he couldn’t keep his thoughts to himself. If they spun off the road and died, Reginald would kill him.
“Keep driving,” Reginald said, ignoring the man.
Thomas protested, “Them animals are running, sir. Running. That’s not like them. Their natural instinct is to hide. The only thing that flushes ‘em out anymore is bad. I gotta say—”
“You’ve said enough,” Reginald snapped. “I realize you think that death may lie ahead of us, but I know with utter certainty that it lies behind us, waiting with a fang and scythe.” Pressing his fingers to his throat, Reggie thought of the head that rolled across the throne room floor, eyes still wide in shock. “We will not turn back. Sophia will kill the King and anyone who is in her path. I do not intend to be there when it happens. Drive on.”
CHAPTER 7
When they emerged from the cave, Will had the supplies he stripped from the frame of his bike. Although the vehicle he’d taken went down, it was still able to be ridden. But, first things first. They had to find a wolf.
Kahli tucked her bright hair under the white body suit. Will said it didn’t need a coat, but she felt exposed. The bodysuit fit her like a second skin, clinging to her frame and revealing every curve. When she finally was dry enough to pull it on, she shimmied the neckline up to her throat where she fastened a plastic clip to hold in her body heat, and turned to Will. She felt his heart jump before she had a chance to look at him. Maybe this bond thing isn’t so bad? she thought. At least it gave her a tiny clue as to how he felt about her. He thought she was something to look at, that much she knew for certain.
Will didn’t look too bad in his white bodysuit, either. It clung to his slender body, moving with his toned chest and strong arms. Kahli looked away before she had more time to think about what it meant—about the attraction that was there—and the fact that she wanted more. There was something majorly wrong with her brain. Maybe she’d been alone too long, or maybe Will was everything she needed, and it didn’t matter what kind of blood ran in his veins.
But he’s a vampire, a voice hissed in the back of her mind as she studied the sweeping muscles that defined his broad shoulders. Blood matters. Blood is what separates us from them—it’s what makes us human—it’s what makes them monsters.
Will felt her gaze, but said nothing. He masked his thoughts so well that it was difficult to tell what he thought about anything. Kahli studied him while they were in the cave and aside from what he revealed, she didn’t learn much. The main thing she felt over and over was his eyes sliding over her form, followed by an increase in his pulse. The steady sound beat in her ea
rs, but his attention could have been for any number of reasons. It didn’t mean he had feelings for her. He saved her, because the King would kill him if he didn’t drag her back. Kahli wasn’t a fool. She knew he couldn’t tell her everything, and that there was much more to tell.
It didn’t matter. Not now. First, they needed to buy more time. Chipping a wolf would lead the vamps in the wrong direction and give them the head start that they had lost. Even though they’d only stopped for a short time, time was everything now and they had none.
Kahli turned to look at Will over her shoulder. The freshly fallen snow was like dust, blowing through the air in a blinding array. The tiny particles whipped into her face, each one feeling like a splinter of glass caught in the wind. There were no tracks to follow. That was good and bad. It made them harder to track, but it made finding the stray wolves harder, too. She wasn’t sure where they’d be in this weather. In the past, the pack jumped on her as soon as she emerged, but today there wasn’t a single beast.
Kahli’s heart sank, as she looked around frantically.
Will stopped beside her, leaning close enough to be heard above the howl of the wind. “Now what?”
“What else does this thing monitor?”
“Body temperature, pulse, and location. That’s it. He must have stabbed you with it before you got away.”
Kahli nodded, scanning the snow banks, looking for any signs of life. After a moment her lips pulled back into a smile. “Bingo.”
Will followed her gaze, shielding his eyes from the wind and sun. “Are you serious?”
“You got a better idea?” she asked, looking up at him.
“Honestly? No.” Will looked at the white rodent perched on the top of the bank. It seemed to be sniffing the air. “So, is your plan to compel it or...” before he could finish asking, Kahli was gone. Will turned to look for her, but she’d already ducked low to the ground. He shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. The animal was watching him. “Or we can do this your way,” he laughed.
In a flash, Kahli snuck up behind the small animal. She kept her body downwind, so it couldn’t sense her approaching quietly from the side. The chip was already in the insertion device. It was round and long and fit snuggly in the palm of her hand. It worked like a knife. All she had to do was grab the animal and press the trigger on the top of the cylinder, as she stabbed. That was what the King had to done her.
In a flash, Kahli leapt, grabbing the creature by the throat with one hand, while the other hand punched the trigger. The chip was shot into the animal’s hind leg as it shrieked, terrified. Kahli cooed to it and placed it back on the snow bank. It didn’t wait. As soon as its furry white feet hit the snow, it took off.
Will walked up behind her with a grin on his lips, “Nice work, wild girl.”
“And you wanted to compel it,” she laughed, looking at him as she stood up. They both watched the animal scurry away.
“I was joking,” Will said. “I would have bribed it, but your way of attacking it like a wild dog worked fine. That rabbit will never go within a hundred feet of a human again.”
“Or a vampire,” Kahli grinned looking up at him.
They turned to backtrack toward the bike. Will was shaking his head. “The guards are going to be all sorts of pissed when they realize they’ve been tracking a bunny rabbit.”
CHAPTER 8
The King surveyed his chamber, his gaze falling on the blood that stained the room, marring its previously perfect appearance. There was no way he’d survive this if he didn’t act fast. Still bleeding, he left his rooms. Stepping over the dead guard, the King walked toward the maiden’s room with singular purpose. He wanted that girl—the one Kahli protected from the Purging—the one that was rightfully his.
Cassie.
The King pushed into the chambers, dismissing the guards as he went. When he found her room, he saw the three empty beds, and the one with the girl fast asleep. The King towered over Cassie, his slender form casting a shadow across her sleeping body.
When Cassie awoke, she gasped. Pulse pounding, she inched back in the bed until her back pressed against the headboard. Her frantic heartbeat rang in his ears. The King grabbed Cassie by the throat and yanked her from her bed. “You are coming with me.”
The girl dangled, her hands frantically clutching at her neck trying to rip free from his grip. When the King realized he was strangling the girl, he dropped her to the floor. Cassie sucked in air and tried to scream for Will, for Kahli, for anyone, but she was totally alone. Kahli had not come back from dinner. Will wasn’t around this night, and her horrible roommates hadn’t come to bed.
Cassie cowered. The blood that covered the King scared her, and although her mind didn’t piece it together yet, her body did. He was dangerous, more so than last time. Last time there was no blood. Last time he only wanted flesh. This time was different. Blood and burn marks marred his skin. Cassie knew that this wasn’t a weak, anemic vampire. The blood covering him wasn’t only his. She didn’t know how she knew, but Cassie could tell. She could smell it, and instead of the sickening black tar that normally flowed in the vampire’s veins, the King’s blood was scarlet.
“What’d you do with her?” Cassie hissed, but the King didn’t answer. He grabbed her nightshirt and pulled her to her feet.
“I’ve had a rather unpleasant night,” he said as if he were addressing a member of the Regent. He wiped the back of his hand across his bloodstained lips, “So, if you don’t mind, I’ll ask the questions, and you will answer.”
Cassie managed to get to her feet. The King dragged her through the halls and into the main corridors. They passed the maidens’ quarters and headed towards the King’s side of the palace. Before disappearing into his usual place, he stopped. This was important and required tact and diplomacy that he failed to plan for. The King pressed his fingers to his temples and dropped Cassie on the floor.
Breathing hard he snapped his fingers at her like she was a dog. “Up. Walk in front.”
Cassie swallowed the lump in her throat and walked in front of the King. Her bare feet were cold against the marble floor. When they finally stopped in front of a door, she didn’t know whether to be happy or scream. Just before Cassie stepped into the room, she looked up. Cole was standing in the shadows of the archway across from them. His eyes were filled with fear, as the King pushed Cassie through the door and closed it behind them.
The room had floor to ceiling bookcases filled with artifacts, but hardly any books. A fire was raging in the hearth, warming the small space. The King’s tone changed from threatening to patient. Cassie’s body shook, even though she tried to stop. Gripping her hands in her lap, she sat where the King indicated, in front of the fire.
This is important, the King thought to himself. He didn’t know how far he should go. One or two missing girls were easy to hide—an accident or a sudden illness made it less than suspect. However, tonight there were already three missing girls, and Will. To make matters worse, each and every one of them was technically the Queen’s property. This shivering girl made five.
“Cassandra,” the King spoke her full name in a soothing tone, “please don’t be afraid.” Before Cassie could think, something thick and warm—like hot syrup—poured over her emotions and stilled her. The fear that was coursing through her body melted. She stared at the fire, unable to think. Cassie watched the flames dance, slack-jawed as the King paced. His compulsion worked well, and the King was pleased to see Cassie succumb to it so readily.
“Very good, my dear. Now, I have a question for you.” The King walked toward her, lifting his hands as he explained, “It’s rather simple really. Answer and you can return to your bed and forget this night.” Cassie nodded, her eyes unblinking and staring straight ahead.
“Very good.” The King walked behind Cassie and stood. Hooking his fingers on the back of her chair, he said, “I want you to think before you respond. Try to search every memory before you answer. It is importan
t that you tell me the truth, Cassandra.”
The warm feeling that had slipped over her was changing. Instead of feeling like a warm blanket it constricted slightly before releasing her. The display of power wasn’t lost on her. Cassie’s body was still in fight or flight mode. Her feet twitched, urging her to flee, but her mind was the King’s. She stared into the fire waiting for the question, wanting to answer it with every fiber of her being. The willingness shocked her. Her heart raced faster.
“Did Kahli have any kind of friendship with Will Tatum?” the question was simple, direct. That worked best with fragile minded humans. The King had enough blood to compel her for weeks, but even as he asked, he could feel the power draining from him. The King knew he would need that power to find the wild girl—Kahli. She’d killed two guards and taken off on a snow mobile with a vampire in tow and Will chasing after her. Or accompanying her. He needed to know which one.
For the longest time, he was certain of the boy, but when he saw the expression in his eyes, when Will took off, running after the wild girl, he wasn’t so sure. Fear flashed in the young Will’s eyes, but fear of what? That was what he needed to know. His gut told him that Will saw the drained bodies behind him—that he saw the blood spilled on the floor. The boy knew of his power, of his ways for a long time, but he’d never reacted like that before. Every year the King had his way with a few of the girl’s in the Queen’s court. He did as he pleased, unknown to the Queen, and he drank directly from them. It made him stronger and stronger until it was difficult to hide his power. The King’s lust for blood grew as his power increased. More bodies were required to sate his thirst, but when he tasted Kahli that changed.