Vampire Apocalypse #2 Cataylst

by H. M. Ward

  Kahli was no longer alone.

  Will expected her to do something drastic, like bite off his head, verbally or literally—it was hard to tell with her—but Kahli seemed to deflate. The longer she stood there thinking, the more the tension flowed out of her body. Eventually her eyes met his again, the anger gone.

  When she didn’t speak, he said, “I’m sorry I did that to you. I shouldn’t have used your name.”

  “Compelling me not to die seemed like it was a good plan, especially since I wouldn’t listen.” Kahli’s arms folded over her chest, her anger fading. “It made sense then, but it doesn’t anymore. Tell me what I need to know. Don’t expect me to blindly follow you, because I can’t. And, now, if you say my name again for any reason, whatever relationship we have is over.”

  Instead of asking the obvious, Will caught on the thread Kahli never wanted to acknowledge. “What is our relationship, exactly?”

  A chill sprang from her stomach. Kahli stepped back, as Will tilted his head and looked up at her. “I’m seriously asking you. Based on everything you said, and everything that’s happened, I have no clue where we stand. You have no reason to believe anything I say, and yet—you’re still here.”

  He was right. Her actions made no sense. “Our relationship doesn’t matter,” Kahli finally said. Kahli watched him, his blue eyes locked with hers.

  His voice brushed against her mind, whispering to her. It matters to me. Kahli wondered if he knew that she heard him. She pressed her lips together and looked away.

  “I mean,” she offered, correcting herself, “what we call it doesn’t matter.”

  “How many rules are you willing to break?” The pitch of his voice, the intensity of his gaze made her heart lurch. Kahli could feel her body being pulled to his like a magnet. She took a step back, but Will took a step closer.

  “As many as it takes to win.” She stepped back again. The room was large and sparsely furnished. Will advanced every time he spoke and Kahli retreated in response.

  “You’re all about winning,” he grinned, stepping toward her.

  “I’m all about surviving,” she corrected, stepping away.

  “What about living?” he asked, advancing again. “When does that matter?”

  “Surviving is living,” she said, and stepped back.

  Will stepped toward her, “No, it’s not. It means running, hiding. It means no friends, no home, no hope. Tomorrow’s a promise you don’t have.”

  “Oh, and you do?”

  Will nodded. When Kahli’s back hit the wall, Will reached for her. “As long as you’re here, I do.”

  Kahli’s heart felt like it was going explode. She knew Will could feel her panic mingling with the lust swimming through her veins. There was something about him, something that called to her and she couldn’t ignore it—the way his eyes drank her in, the way his lips curved into a perfect grin when he saw her. If he was human, she would have wanted him. The again, if Will was human they wouldn’t be in this mess. If Will was human, they’d both be dead.

  Kahli took a steadying breath. “What do you want from me?” He was so close, Will’s body nearly brushing against hers. They were a breath apart.

  “There’s a rule you need to be willing to break for our plan to work.”

  She couldn’t breathe, “Which rule?” Will couldn’t mean what she thought. Her mind protested his proximity, but as Kahli breathed him in, her arms refused to push him away. She pressed her palms to the wall at her sides to keep from touching him. Everything she’d ever learned was eradicated and blasted away. Every lesson her mother drilled into her head, every prejudice she held against the vampires, against their kind vanished. For a moment, he was just Will and she was just Kahli.

  His dark gaze pinned her in place. “You know which rule.”

  CHAPTER 10

  The following sunrise, things at the palace went crazy. The new dusting of snow covered the events from the day before, but Cassie knew too much. She remembered the King entering her room and dragging her from her bed the night before. It had taken forever for her to drift off to sleep. Kahli hadn’t returned and neither had her other roommates. Every single one of them went to the King’s chambers and didn’t come back.

  Cole found his sister as early as possible, and beckoned her into the main sitting area. The white couches were empty. The drapes covering the windows were pulled back, revealing the early morning sunlight. It poured into the room giving the illusion that it wasn’t freezing cold outside. At one time the world was a beautiful place. At one time there were seasons and trees and life. Now everything was a glittering tomb.

  Her brother was dressed neatly, as usual. Cassie barely had time to pull on a pair of jeans and a sweater. She was always cold, always shivering. As they sat, she wrung her fingers, twisting them in her hands trying to get warm. Cole watched her, and when she didn’t stop, he pulled out a pair of thin gloves from his pocket. He handed them to her. Cassie gratefully accepted them and slid the fabric over her hands. They were instantly warmer.

  “Thank you,” she said. “You always know what to do.”

  “I’m not so sure, this time, Cass.” In hushed tones, Cole and Cassie whispered. Cole filled in the pieces of information that were missing from Cassie’s mind. Eventually he said, “The Queen will want to speak to you, you know. She’ll find out that the King went to your chamber, and she won’t overlook the fact that every single one of the girls was one of your roommates. She’ll think you know something.”

  Cassie nodded, fearing as much. Her curls bobbed forward, swinging into her face. She tucked them back and looked up at her brother. “I know. I’m the last one who saw anything.”

  He nodded, “And, you’re the only proof that the King was consuming blood last night. I seriously doubt that he left a blood trail for them to follow. He’s too smart to get caught. If I hadn’t seen you—”

  Cassie stared blankly ahead at the dark blue walls, only half listening. She blurted out the question lurking in the back of her mind, the one she was too afraid to ask, “Do you think they’re dead?” Her voice caught on the word making her heart constrict.

  Cole looked at his sister. Death was a part of life. Their kind dealt with it frequently. A simple paper cut could end their fragile existence. But, no one expected anything like this. Palace humans didn’t get brutalized by the royalty. “I don’t know.”

  Alice entered the room and passed in front of them. She wandered through the halls like she was lost. Cassie felt bad for the girl and called to her, “What’s the matter, Alice?”

  Alice stopped, surprised to hear her name and turned back. She walked over to them and stood in front of Cassie and Cole. Her normally pale skin was sullen and sickly looking. It reminded Cassie of a bleached sock. Alice usually had a little color in her cheeks, but it was gone. The girl looked like she was in shock. “They pushed up my Pairing.” Alice’s voice was barely there and devoid of emotion.

  Cassie’s jaw dropped. She leaned forward and took the girl’s hand. “Alice, when is it?”

  “Tonight.” Before Cassie could ask her more about it, Alice turned and wandered off. The lost expression in her eyes was shock. Alice had been chosen to be bred for offspring.

  Cassie and Cole looked at each other. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Then, Cassie finally asked, “Who’d they pair her with?”

  “I don’t know,” Cole replied. “I left before breakfast to come and find you. This is the first I’ve heard of it.” Cole didn’t like this. Something changed last night, something big enough to force up a premature Pairing.

  “She’s not ready for that. It’ll kill her,” Cassie said, leaning closer to Cole to make sure Alice couldn’t hear. Alice was staggering down the hallway letting shock steer her feet. They could still see her from where they sat on the couch.

  Cole nodded, “We need to find out what’s going on. The Queen’s entourage moved through the palace last night, so it was hard to sneak around. I was luck
y to find you after the King questioned you, but I didn’t really find anything else. Just that several vamps died, and that those moving around were looking for the missing girls. They were in our chambers, looking for Kahli and the other two, as if they were hiding.”

  Cassie stared blankly. She wished that was it, but her gut told her something very different. She gazed after Alice. “Do you think they bumped up other the Pairings? Do you think they would really risk one generation to breed the next?” Cassie’s voice was small and frightened.

  Cole knew he couldn’t save her from the Pairing. It was something they all had to do eventually, but it was worse for the girls. Many of them didn’t survive childbirth, despite the vast quantities of blood given to help alleviate the hemorrhaging that followed. The blood disorder was too far gone.

  “I don’t know,” he finally said. “Whatever happened here last night has everyone on edge. It feels like a power shift is coming.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Cole stared blankly. He didn’t want to say it, but Cassie needed to know that they were in danger. “Remember when we were younger? Remember Deliverance Day?”

  Cassie’s face paled. She’d never forget that. It seemed like nothing at first—some people running around trying to figure out what happened, while she and Cole played quietly. The night ended in more spilled blood than she’d ever seen in her life. The Deliverance Day Cole was referring to was a massacre. She nodded once, her throat too tight to talk. Cole saved her that night. “Do you think that’ll happen here?”

  “I’m not sure,” Cole replied, “but based on the way things feel—yes. It’s possible.” The tension in the air was palpable. They both sensed it.

  Cassie’s gaze lifted to see the end of the hallway was empty. Alice was gone. Cassie didn’t want to be Paired. She didn’t want to die. Not yet. She leaned forward and pressed her hands to her face. Strange thoughts started to drift through her mind, foreign thoughts of living on their own of surviving without the vampires. Was that even possible anymore?

  “Cassie,” a new voice called her name, snapping her out of her thoughts. A slender servant walked toward her before finishing, “The Queen has requested you.”

  “For a feeding?” Cassie asked, hoping that it had nothing to do with Kahli.

  “I’m not obligated to say, however since I’m not your Handler, I would think not.”

  Cassie’s throat tightened and her pulse jumped. She nodded slowly. Before she could stand, Cole took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Cassie gave him a weak smile. “I’ll see you tonight.”

  He nodded once, watching his sister walk off to be questioned by the most powerful vampire in the world.

  CHAPTER 11

  Sophia was agitated. Nothing was going the way she planned. When she tried to drink Kahli’s blood, she could barely manage a drop, however her husband managed to swallow it fine with his throat still intact. That made Sophia ask for more, but the same thing happened. Every time she tried to drink Kahli’s blood, it scorched her throat and caused a series of very uncomfortable sensations. It was like drinking toxins and her body couldn’t tolerate it. The King had said to give it time, but he managed his share without issue. Sophia continued to request tastings without her husband, trying to build up her tolerance to the blood, but it was for nothing. And, now the girl was missing, and the King’s rooms were filled with freshly spilled blood.

  Sophia looked around his room. The scent of the wild girl’s blood filled her nose like rich perfume. It made her feel lightheaded. Sophia smoothed her blue silk gown and stood, waiting. When Kahli could not be located, Sophia requested her roommates.

  When the servant returned with only one girl, the Queen’s expression was frigid. Her gaze narrowed on Cassie, on her pale face and tiny hands. “Where are the others?”

  “Gone, your Majesty. We could not find them.” The servant bowed low to the ground, her face nearly touching the blood-stained carpet.

  “And my husband?” Sophia asked, before indicating the servant could rise.

  “We have not found him, yet. There are multiple guards missing as well and a dead vampire in the garage.” The servant’s voice shook as she spoke.

  “In addition to the King’s guard?” Sophia inquired.

  “Yes, your Majesty.”

  Sophia pinched the bridge of her nose with her delicate fingers. Cassie’s frightened heartbeat was distracting her. She could hear it pounding inside the girl like a terrified mouse. If her roommates hadn’t just been slaughtered, the Queen would have drained her then and there, but there were too many humans missing. They made up nearly a quarter of her blood supply.

  “Sit,” Sophia commanded, directing her attention back to Cassie.

  Cassie had been brought to the King’s chambers. It was a mess. Cassie scanned the room looking for a chair that wasn’t stained with blood or broken. Promptly, she sat on the floor at the Queen’s feet since there was no place else to sit.

  Sophia sighed and snapped her fingers at one of her guards. “Get her a chair.” The vamp disappeared and came back quickly with a small bench in his hands. He set it down next to Cassie.

  Cassie repositioned herself on the bench and tried to look anywhere but at the Queen. Her attempt was pointless. They knew her real name. The vamps named her, so of course they knew it. That made compulsion easy for even the weakest vampire, and the Queen was not weak. Compulsion had been used on Cassie many times over the years, and she hated it more and more each time. It felt like her mind was stripped away and nothing was safe. It was like sitting outside in the snow and ice, naked, and hoping not to freeze to death. Harm came to people who were compelled too much. Their minds snapped like brittle twigs frozen in the ice for too many lifetimes. But, there was no way out of this.

  Cassie folded her hands in her lap and tried to remain calm. The amount of blood in the room, the smears of dark red across the tile at the back of the room, made her feel sick. Was that Kahli’s blood? Was her friend dead?

  The Queen snapped her fingers next to Cassie’s ear. The sound startled her, bringing her back to the present. The Queen repeated herself, “Where are your roommates?”

  “I don’t know, Your Majesty. They didn’t return last night. The King beckoned each of them. They were dressed and left.”

  Sophia arched a dark brow. After a moment, she asked, “Kahli included?”

  “Yes, she was the last to leave.”

  Sophia’s delicate fingers tapped her chin as she thought. She turned her back on Cassie and paced the room, her gaze taking in the broken items, as well as the stains. The Queen’s blue gown billowed around her ankles as she walked, fluttering out slightly when she turned, showing off perfect shoes on her tiny feet. Without facing Cassie, Sophia asked. “Did you see the King last night?”

  Cassie hesitated. Sophia rounded on her swiftly, pressing her nose to Cassie’s. “Yes,” Cassie’s voice quivered. She couldn’t remember what they’d spoken about, but Cole had filled her in. Cassie wanted to protect Cole, so she didn’t mention he was there. As long as Sophia didn’t ask, she wouldn’t know.

  “Tell me what happened. Leave out one detail and I’ll cleave you in half.”

  Cassie blanched. The Queen’s breath came out in a rush, as Cassie started to retell what happened according to Cole. Sophia listened, pacing in circles with her hand under her chin, her gaze on the floor.

  When she finished, Sophia asked, “And what do you think? Is your friend dead? Look around this room and tell me what your gut is telling you. Did she survive whatever happened here?”

  Cassie glanced around, her eyes unable to rest in a single spot. There was a fight, that much she was sure of. The smears in the back of the room looked like someone was dragged, but the broken table and the way the bloodstains were littered across the carpet did give her an impression. “She fought back, and I would think she got away too, because of the dead guard at the door. Kahli wouldn’t have killed him on the way into the room.”
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  “And what of William? Did you see him last night? Do you think he aided her?”

  Cassie shook her head, her blonde curls swaying as she did it. “No. Will doesn’t fight like this. If this was his mess, no one would have found it.” The Queen’s dark brow lifted. “It would have been cleaned up before sunrise.”

  “So he did something else, and then fled along with Kahli?”

  “I didn’t say that,” Cassie blanched. “You think Will attacked the King and kidnapped Kahli? That doesn’t sound like him at all. He’s served you forever. He defends you when people speak poorly of you. He risked his life the night your brother gifted Kahli to you. She stabbed him and he didn’t even fight back. Will could have punched Kahli in the face and knocked her out. He didn’t. Other Handlers would have. He knew what she was and how much she meant to you. Will’s no traitor.”