She scowled and led the way inside. The interior of the mansion was devoid of natural light; specialised shutters covered every window. She could already sense Julius. He was downstairs, probably in the entertainment room, his anxiety at a much more normal level; Alexander must be okay.
“Lea,” he breathed as she found him, at first relieved to see her, and then, as he took in her state of health, annoyance flashed through him.
Gabi wondered if it was directed at her or the situation in general. An instant later she was in his arms, held close, his arms a protective cage around her as he mentally assessed the damage. The independent part of her psyche snarled, rejecting his cosseting attitude, but a more reasonable part overpowered the first instinct, the part that understood Julius had just watched her put herself directly in harm’s way. Again. That part knew he was perfectly justified in showing his concern, reassuring himself she was still alive and kicking. Another, much tinier, generally ignored part of her soul actually rejoiced in the feeling of his strength bolstering hers, of his worry for her and his obvious protectiveness. It would never be the dominant part of her personality, but she was trying to nurture the little spark, encouraging it to grow into a tiny, heartwarming flame. Allowing herself to take comfort and solace from Julius made both of them a little more content.
“Hellcat, I’m so sorry.” Alexander was suddenly near them, Gabi hadn’t seen his approach at all, and concern was etched across his features. His skin was still red, with a dark, painful-looking sunburn, and his head was almost bald, just a faint shadow of new hair coming through. Dark black crescents marked the skin beneath his eyes. He was alive, but it had been a very near thing. Seeing him reminded Gabi that there was a good chance Mariska, and whatever new friends she’d recently acquired, were creating some kind of mischief somewhere in the City right now.
“I think we’re even for grey hairs, Lex Boy, but I owe you some pain,” she commented wryly, pulling away from Julius slightly. “There’s someone else to see you,” she told him, nodding back towards the doorway where Athena was hovering uncertainly.
In less than a blink Alexander was in front of her, taking her hands in his and pulling her towards him. Gabi squeezed her eyes shut. She must be more tired than she thought; she truly hadn’t seen Alexander move. He disappeared from one spot and appeared in the next. He pressed a kiss to each of Athena’s hands in turn, no words passed, but the Magus blushed a pretty, rose pink.
“Wolf,” Julius said to Kyle, who was behind the bar and rummaging in the fridge. “There’s food on the way; it shouldn’t be long. Gabrielle and I will be back with you shortly.”
Kyle nodded, coming away from the fridge with a soda in his hand.
Julius took her up to his bedroom and sat her carefully on the bed. His emotions were a mixture of frustration, concern and lust. If Gabi didn’t feel like she’d just gone ten rounds with a Werewolf, she would’ve played on the lust. As it was, all she felt like doing was curling into the blankets and pillows and sleeping for about a week. Julius finally smiled, sensing her desire to snuggle up and sleep.
“Not just yet, Lea,” he told her, sitting down beside her and threading a hand into her tangled curls, tugging so her face lifted to his.
“Alex still doesn’t look very well,” she murmured, uncomfortable under his searching gaze.
“He needs more blood,” Julius said. “The Feeders are still recovering after the needs of those who helped in the demon fight. And no, you aren’t giving him any more,” he put in as he saw the thought cross her face. “He’ll be fine until we can bring in an extra Feeder; someone will find him one tonight.” He still hadn’t stopped scrutinising her face, and it was making her uneasy.
“What?” she finally demanded, unable to bear the tension any longer.
He leaned down and with exquisite tenderness kissed the side of her mouth. “There were those who doubted my choice of Consort,” he said, admitting something she’d already known to be true, but which he’d never voiced. “But after what you did today, every one of them will be silenced. No one else in the entire Clan could’ve saved Alexander today, only you. The whole Clan is in your debt.”
Now Gabi felt really uncomfortable. She pulled away from him a little.
“It wasn’t anything spectacular,” she said, shaking her head and then hissing as the movement made her headache worse. “I would’ve done the same for anyone in that predicament. Well, almost anyone,” she amended.
Julius smiled, amused at her discomfort. “We’ll discuss it later,” he said. “First this.” He slid his cool hand behind her head, careful to avoid the lump, and pulled her in for a deep, passionate kiss, his tongue already seeping blood from two small wounds. The taste of his mouth and his blood chased away everything else, and for a few short moments Gabi forgot every niggling worry in her head.
When she came back to earth a couple of minutes later, the pain in her arm and head had her fighting back a moan. Julius held her against his chest, his arms tense, as his blood began the painful healing process. It would be a few minutes before the pain became more manageable, and then the recovery would begin. In the meantime Gabi had no options but to grit her teeth and bear it. She was now doubly glad he’d taken her upstairs rather than allow the others to see her so vulnerable. They’d all seen her in pain before, all of them had been in Dantè’s dungeon when she’d been found tortured and bleeding out, but Alexander didn’t need to see the pain of her recovery, and Gabi hated Athena to see her in any state other than calm and collected.
When the pain finally lessened, she consciously calmed her ragged breathing and uncurled herself from Julius’s embrace. He helped her unwind the bloody bandages from her arm. The scent of her blood had turned his eyes golden, but he showed no other signs of his hunger. His control was remarkable, she thought for the thousandth time. The bite marks were still raw and not completely healed, but the bleeding had stopped, and Gabi knew that by nightfall her arm would be functioning normally. Her headache was gone, and the tennis ball on her scalp was more the size of a bad mosquito bite. The myriad of other smaller nicks and bruises were all but gone, and her energy levels were back to normal. She didn’t even feel tired anymore. As Julius carried her to the shower, somehow already shirtless, she was mentally tallying how much time they had before their absence would seem suspicious.
As Gabi pulled the McLaren to a halt near the small but tidy motel room Mac was staying at, she was still getting over the shock of what she and Julius had walked in on when they returned to the entertainment room. The last thing she’d expected to see was Alexander taking blood from Athena. With Athena’s blessing, apparently. Athena’s embarrassment had been immediate and intense, pulling away with a gasp and turning scarlet when Alexander pulled her back so that he could lick the small wounds on her neck to hurry the healing process. Gabi gave her ten points for holding her head high despite her discomposure as the two of them parted for the second time. Julius seemed as shocked and incredulous as Gabi felt, but Alexander, a smug little grin on his face, looked far better than he had when Gabi and Julius had left half an hour earlier. Luckily Kyle had arrived moments later with several boxes of pizza and his usual air of nonchalance, and once the attention shifted to the food, they were all able to pretend nothing untoward had happened.
As the door of her car lifted to allow her out, Mac was already locking up the door to his room, so she stayed with the car. While this wasn’t exactly a bad area of the City, she was still a little apprehensive about leaving the McLaren unattended. It was already drawing unwanted attention.
“Nice wheels,” Mac drawled as he sauntered over. He had a small backpack slung over one shoulder and was dressed back in his faded denims and scuffed boots but had put on a fresh black T-shirt. It showed off a build contradictory to his age; it was obvious that he put effort into keeping in shape. He gave the car an appreciative inspection as he approached. “I’ve never seen one of these up close and personal. Angeli Morte has expensive
taste.”
Gabi smiled. “Actually she has a Consort with expensive taste and the income to back it up,” she countered with a tilt of her eyebrow. “Get in, and I’ll show you what she can do.”
Mac had to share the passenger seat with Razor, as the sports car only had two seats. She hadn’t had time to go home yet, so Razor was still along for the ride. Mac didn’t seem to mind, but Gabi was sure his legs had to be numb by the time they arrived at SMV HQ.
Their first stop was Byron’s office. Gabi had explained to Mac on the drive over that Byron’s involvement with the SMV was kept on a need-to-know basis, but Gabi already knew that Mac was adept at keeping secrets. Byron’s secretary waved them straight through; Gabi had called earlier, and the older man was expecting them. He rose as they entered and gave Gabi a customary hug and peck on the cheek.
“Byron, this is Joshua Maclary,” she told him, taking in his appearance critically as she stepped back to introduce Mac. Byron wasn’t looking overly tired, but the worry on his face was clear. “Mac, this is my very close friend Byron, also co-founder of the SMV.”
The two men shook hands politely, no posturing or pissing contest, just the cordial meeting of two strangers.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mr Maclary. I’m sorry it’s under such strained circumstances,” Byron said, indicating to Gabi and Mac to take seats while he returned to his chair behind the large, paper-strewn desk.
“Please call me Mac,” the other man said predictably. “It’s an honour to meet you. I’ve followed the development of your organisation with great interest over the years. You may not know this, but your model is being replicated in several other cities around the globe. Not the size and scope of yours, of course, but the same principle and modus operandi.”
Byron looked startled, and Gabi’s interest was piqued. She’d always assumed other cities had found similar ways of dealing with their supernatural population, but hadn’t thought of the group her father and Byron founded as one that others might base themselves on.
“I would be fascinated to hear more,” Byron told him, “but I believe there is some haste to our current situation, and right now that must sadly take precedence. I’ve arranged to take you straight down to the morgue.” He turned to Gabi then. “Another body was brought in this morning. I think it may well be the missing person Mr—Mac is looking for.”
Byron led the way, the scent of death and antiseptic chemicals mixing in the air as he pushed a door open and waited for Gabi and Mac to precede him inside. Gabi couldn’t help the slight wrinkling of her nose; she doubted she’d ever get used to the scent of death. There was no one else in the pair of adjoining rooms. An office desk and credenza, with several chairs in one room, were walled off by a large pane of glass from the larger second room. Double steel doors separated the dead from the living, and kept the bodies cool until they could be disposed of safely and secretly. Byron quickly checked something on a board in a Perspex holder next to the steel doors before pushing through them. Inside, he checked the clipboards on a row of gurneys positioned side by side against one wall; each held a sheet-covered body. Finding the one he was looking for, he pulled the gurney out of the row and rolled it into the bright light of the medical examination area. Déjà vu, Gabi thought darkly.
Mac had pulled the backpack off his shoulder. Rummaging in the bag, he withdrew a file and flipped it open to reveal a photo atop a stack of paperwork. The picture was one of a girl looking over her shoulder at whoever was taking the photo. She had a carefree smile that hinted at mischief. She couldn’t have been much older than twenty. Joining them to look at the picture, Byron nodded sadly and then went to peel back the crisp, white sheet from the face of the body on the gurney. It was the same girl, now lifeless, staring, never to smile again. The waste of this girl’s life stabbed at Gabi, made her angry, and a cold fire jumped to life in her chest.
“This has got to end,” she vowed, her voice almost a snarl. “We will put a stop to this.”
********************
It was less than an hour before dawn when Caspian used the secret tunnel to re-enter the castle. Most other Vampires would be heading back to their quarters, and the night staff would be preparing to hand over duties to the day shift, so it was the perfect time to slip inside unnoticed. He knew now that he wasn’t the only one with knowledge of the secret tunnel system of the castle. He’d never bothered to fully explore the pathways but, once he’d accidentally stumbled across one of them, had explored just enough to find two different exits from the castle in case he needed them one day. That day had come sooner than expected, but he was grateful he’d had the good fortune and presence of mind to utilise them.
He was hoping that the furore over Julius’s trial and Helene’s betrayal, and her death before execution, had now had enough time to die down. He’d stayed away as long as he could, but he desperately wanted to find out if anyone suspected her death wasn’t what it appeared to be, or if anyone knew of the conspiracy between the two of them. Everyone at Court believed Helene had betrayed the Princeps, but she’d betrayed him worst of all, gone against their agreement and tried to kill the Dhampir instead of Julius.
Gabrielle. His Dhampir. He’d created her. Rage filled him again, as it had so many times in the past few months. Every time he thought of Julius and the power he now wielded. While hiding in one of the secret passages and looking through a peephole cleverly disguised by a painting, he’d seen Julius control and turn back an entire regiment of Vampire soldiers. None of the Vampire soldiers had been able to speak about Julius’s group escaping after lockdown had occurred. Caspian had stayed just long enough to find out the reason for the lockdown. Once he heard of Santiago’s demise, he knew that Julius and Gabrielle had something to do with it. He hadn’t waited around to see what was made of Helene’s accelerated meeting with her maker; he could only hope they’d think she found a way to take her own life.
He’d planned to stay away for an extended period of time. Give everyone a chance to forget about him. He’d planned to bide his time, for years if necessary, before coming back to claim what was rightfully his. But he simply couldn’t stay away from her. The pull to be near her, make her submit to his will, to taste her blood was far too strong for him to ignore. It ate at him night after night; he was like a man slowly starving to death. There was only one cure for his hunger. He had to be near her again.
There was just the small problem of his treason against his new ‘Sire’. Even in his mind he spat the word. Rage flared anew at Helene for putting him in the position of being beholden to the one man he hated most in the world. He’d hated Julius first because Simone had been in lust with him, hated him because, right up until Julius killed her, she had still lusted after him and would’ve forsaken all other lovers for Julius. Then Julius had been made a Master, the youngest ever, because he’d gained the power over Vampires from Simone. Even the Princeps themselves were scared of Julius. There was no single Vampire who could stand against him, no other Master who could take him without a vast army at his back. And then fate dealt Caspian the most vicious of blows. Gabrielle in Julius’s clutches, in lust with him too. He wouldn’t allow it to happen again. He wouldn’t be usurped by Julius again. He would find a way to even the score.
But first he needed to know if it was safe to be seen at Court.
********************
Julius ended the call, hoping Gabi would do as he’d suggested. She’d been livid, truly furious. He could hear it in her voice. Whoever was responsible for killing supernaturals in the City and attacking Alexander wasn’t going to escape her wrath for long. But even over the phone, he could tell she was tired; in fact, their telepathic bond had grown so strong that he could feel her weariness even though she was physically on the other side of the City. She needed rest, but telling her to rest would’ve just been counterproductive. He was learning more about her every day, but one of the things he’d learnt early on was that she hated doing what she was told. So instead
he’d pointed out that Razor hadn’t been home for a decent meal in over twenty-four hours.
“Good ploy,” Alexander noted, looking up from his computer tablet. “Do you think it’ll work?” His second in command was looking much like himself again. His skin was back to its usual pale pearlescence; his hair was cropped a little shorter than normal, but long enough that no one would know he’d been bald just a few hours ago.
Julius shrugged. “If no one disturbs her. If she allows herself to relax for just a few minutes, the exhaustion will win. I’m trusting the pets to do their part.”
“As long as she doesn’t decide to take the dog for a run instead of curling up on the couch,” Alexander muttered, standing and inspecting his hands once again. He’d done it a hundred times already.
Julius could understand why. He’d seen Alexander’s condition when Gabi climbed down into that accursed hole. He’d never seen a Vampire recover from that level of sun exposure. He’d been convinced that Alexander was already dead. And if Gabi hadn’t been there, his oldest, closest friend would’ve died the true death today. Nothing Julius could’ve done would’ve saved him. They both knew that.
Alexander drew an unnecessary breath and shook his head. “It’s incredible, isn’t it?”
Julius knew his friend wasn’t just speaking of the healing powers of her blood. Alexander was experiencing what he’d experienced the first time he’d taken blood from her.
He’d told Gabi that Alexander was fine and resting. In truth, Alexander was hyped, unable to sit still for more than a few seconds at a time.
“You told me it was like nothing you’d ever known or heard of, but this…” Alexander continued. “This is indescribable. No wonder others would kill for this. If any of them knew the true extent…” He drifted off. Alexander had been quietly protective of Gabi before, after they found out what she was, but he was going to be obsessive after this. He might act the devil-may-care male chauvinist, but he harboured a secret protective streak a mile wide. Gabi wasn’t going to understand; it was probably going to piss her off. She felt she had more than enough men in her life trying to keep her from harm, though Kyle at least had other things to worry about, and his Wolf was more interested in keeping Trish safe than Gabi, but Julius more than made up for that lack.
To Hell and Back (Hellcat Series Book 4) Page 13