Orpheus.
My heart flinched in my chest. “Anaïs, you didn’t?”
Her betrayal snatched my breath.
“I didn’t know he’d be here, I promise,” she whispered.
“They found the library,” the white-haired man announced to them.
Orpheus rose and in a split-second he stood close, dangerously so. His black velvet waistcoat and tie and his tailored double-breasted jacket matched his fine trousers, making him look all business. Easily intimidating. His jaw tensed, the small muscles twitching.
His hazel glare held mine then fixed on Anaïs. “What have you done?”
“We need to speak with Dominion,” she said shakily.
“Do you have any idea what this means?” He pointed. “To bring her?”
“Beatrice is in danger,” I said. “I believe I can help—”
“Please,” Anaïs snapped. “It’s taking too long to find her.”
“Silence, both of you.” Orpheus faced the others. “This breech is unacceptable.”
“I’ll take care of them?” The palest female stepped closer.
“Anaïs is mine to punish,” Orpheus said. “I’ll handle her.”
“The mortal?” the pale female said. “Shall I—”
“Not yet,” Orpheus said. “Anaïs, go home.”
“I won’t leave Ingrid,” she said.
Orpheus folded his arms across his chest, and from the way Anaïs reacted I knew they were still talking but privately, silently, using the mind gift to communicate. Her face was flushed with anguish and I tried to read her. Her confidence fell away and she appeared to crumble, her hands out in front, pleading.
“Anaïs?” I moved closer to her.
“Ingrid, I’m sorry…” She lowered her head.
“Go,” I said. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” Though something told me that might not be the case, but I wanted her out of here. I needed her safe.
“I won’t go,” she said.
Orpheus closed his eyes and Anaïs yelped in pain.
“Point made, I believe?” he said.
“Stop it,” I said. “Don’t you hurt her.”
Anaïs flew out of room, and I felt relief she’d gotten the chance to put distance between herself and this place. I balled my hands into fists, readying for whatever came next as my throat tightened.
One of the council members closed the gap between me and him. His grey locks contradicted his twenty-something years. I side-stepped away but his hand found my back, his icy touch reaching through the material of my dress. He nudged me closer to Orpheus. He was a vampire, they all were, their fluorescent irises caught in the sparkling lights of the votives.
“I need to speak with Dominion,” I said shakily. “Beatrice could be in danger.”
“I’m more worried about you right now,” Orpheus said. “If I wipe your mind again it will probably kill you.” He caressed his chin as though thinking it through.
“We have no choice,” the pale female said.
She held an air of superiority. Arrogance born from having faced off with mortality and won. For them, death’s sting had been just that—an annoyance long forgotten. I’d been close to vampires before, spent endless nights alongside the undead, but these nightwalkers were different, their air of authority so intense and their preternatural natures so glaring that they emanated an uncommon vitality. A deadly threat.
Regret for coming here seeped into my bones, or poured out of my pores. It was hard to tell my thoughts were so addled. Orpheus remained still and it felt like he was using this silence to torture me.
“Did Anaïs deliver me into your trap?” I said, still unsure.
“No.” His stare swept over my dress—
Lingering on where the material plunged between my breasts, showing more flesh than was wise considering Orpheus’ sexual appetite. He drew back his lips, baring white fangs, and I could swear he’d focused on my throat. Somewhere, at some time, though I couldn’t recall where, I’d heard that when a vampire bared his fangs it meant either two things: sex or feeding. My legs felt unsteady. Orpheus’ eyelids lowered. He was hypnotizing.
He continued to undress me merely with his stare. “Laws are there for a reason.” His voice was low, calm, precise. “You of all people know that.”
“This place—”
“Doesn’t exist.”
I went to speak, but something in his demeanor changed and I closed my mouth, fearing my words might set him off. His fury was legendary. His ability to follow an impulse without regret was infamous.
“We have to punish you,” he said. “For coming here.”
My focus locked onto the door Anaïs had minutes before fled through. I wouldn’t get far, though my heart was racing so fast it was telling me I should at least try. Yet my feet remained rigid, failing my chance to flee. Orpheus turned away and he ran his fingers through his dark locks, his stare searching the room.
His glare found me again. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
“I’m not here for me.”
“She’s seen too much,” one of the others said.
There came a stirring in the room, as though each and every one of them had picked up on something at the same time and they all shifted nervously. Whispers carried, hushed words spoken in foreign languages. A doorway burst open and there came a breeze, a whirling as a burst of cold swept the room. Several of the candles went out.
A jolt of exhilaration shot up my spine.
Jadeon stood a few feet away.
His expression was taut. His stare focused on me with a startling intensity. Relief swept over me, and for the first time since arriving I felt safe. The others bowed their heads in respect. Even Orpheus offered a gesture of greeting. Though the way in which Orpheus regarded Jadeon with admiration caused my uneasiness to return. Something was wrong. Orpheus and Jadeon were mortal enemies, yet from this interaction between them there was no sign of it.
Jadeon’s back stiffened as his eyes wandered over my face and body then rested on the bracelet covering my circled brand. I’d never seen him dressed so dashing. Of course he’d always looked stylish, but this was extraordinarily masculine. So commanding. His long black coat hung over his broad shoulders. Wisps of dark hair fell over his eyes. Jadeon was heart-stopping handsome, his height equaling Orpheus’, but the way he held himself made him look taller. His brown iridescent irises were easy to disappear into, like I’d done so many times before. His chiseled jawline was only slightly more striking than those full lips. A mouth that had kissed mine so many times before and spoken promises of love.
Yet now he regarded me critically, chastely.
“Dominion.” The pale female slashed through the silence. “Forgive our failure.”
I needed air, needed to be out of here and away from all this intensity.
Jadeon regarded me sternly just as Orpheus had done. An ill-timed arousal lingered low in my belly. Was this intentional on his part? Was he wooing me into submission?
“Hi,” I said breathlessly.
Jadeon closed his mouth and hid his fangs.
I stepped forward. “I can explain.”
“Shut up,” said Orpheus.
Jadeon’s gaze slid over to him. “What is this?”
“I’m as surprised as you,” Orpheus said.
“Anaïs brought her,” said the pale female.
Jadeon threw her a sideways glance. “I see.”
“We’ve decided her fate,” she told him.
Jadeon nodded, as though considering her comment. “Who let them in?”
“Please,” I said. “I’m here to talk to you about Beatrice.”
Jadeon motioned to the pale female. “Ensure this never happens again.”
She vanished so quickly that several papers whirled from the table and fanned out onto the floor around us. One of them landed near my feet, yet my usual curiosity to try and read what was on it was lost.
My heart wrenched from Jadeon’s indifference
and I sucked in a sob, pained that this wasn’t the romantic reunion I’d envisioned. He made me feel like a stranger.
“Orpheus,” Jadeon said through clenched teeth. “Get her out of here and wipe her mind.”
“You understand the risk?” Orpheus said. “Having had her mind wiped before?”
Jadeon looked thoughtful. “Then turn her.” He headed back the way he’d come and soon reached the doorway.
“That’s it?” I called after him. “After all I’ve done for you? This is how I’m treated?”
Jadeon spun round to look at me. “You were warned.” His stare shot to Orpheus.
“Consider it done,” Orpheus told him.
Jadeon gave a quick nod of approval and was gone. The door slammed behind him.
CHAPTER 10
Orpheus’ ironclad grip dragged me back up the winding stone stairwell. Despite the discomfort of being forcibly removed from the Athenaeum, there was relief. Though my heart broke into a thousand pieces as the memory of Jadeon’s icy stare haunted my every thought. He’d acted as though nothing had ever been shared between us. This wasn’t the man I remembered.
Oh, but he wasn’t a man.
Had he really just ordered Orpheus to turn me?
Orpheus pulled me into an unfamiliar room, making me doubt we were heading outside. He was going to turn me right here. I resisted his pull and tried to wriggle free from his grip. My flesh was clammy and my throat disallowed a scream. But a cry for help would be futile.
“We’re not going through the front door,” he said tightening his hold.
The endless trek through the hallway was too much. It felt like a lifetime before we stepped out into the night. I took a deep, cleansing breath of cold air.
I was going to bolt.
“Now that would be annoying,” he said.
“Please let me go. I won’t tell anyone about this place. I promise.”
Orpheus looked harried, and it was a look I wasn’t used to seeing on him. His expression lifted only slightly when he saw a Rolls Royce turn the corner.
“Did Anaïs get out okay?” I said.
“She’s safe now.”
The Rolls pulled up and Orpheus opened the rear passenger door and nudged me inside. I slid across the leather seat. It was disconcerting to see my handbag waiting for me, especially as I’d slid it under the Lamborghini’s passenger seat. Still, my keys were in it, along with my phone. Pushing that thought away, not wanting Orpheus to pick up on it, I hid it beside me.
As Orpheus slid in next to me, a gentle waft of his cologne reached my nose. A heady, crisp combination of something familiar with a hint of incense. If midnight had a scent, this would be it.
I went for the door handle, pulling on it frantically and getting nowhere.
Orpheus frowned his disapproval. “Quite finished?”
Turning sharply away, I tried to calm my racing heart and get my mind to a place where I could think straight. Despite needing to shut down my thoughts, the truth was glaring. Orpheus heard every single idea.
The chauffeur eased away from the curb and took a sharp turn onto Kensington Street. The speed forced my head back. Orpheus leaned over so damn close, his chest against mine, his hand stretching across me.
I braced for his bite.
I held my breath...
He pulled the seatbelt over my body and clipped me in before sliding effortlessly back to the other side. He returned his attention to the window and beyond, focusing on the passing scenery.
My hands trembled and I choked back tears but they came nevertheless, soaking my cheeks. He handed me a crisp, white handkerchief. Dabbing my face with the soft linen, I willed my tears to stop.
His dark stare settled on me. “It’s over now.”
“Is it?” I begged him with my eyes to tell me it really was.
Jadeon hates me.
Orpheus’ expression hadn’t changed from when I’d first laid eyes on him. He was annoyed. Harrowed. Pissed off.
“Stop the car,” I snapped.
“I’m taking you home.”
“No, you’re not. I want to walk.”
A blue flash reflected in the rearview mirror. I spun round to see the police car trailing behind us, its light flashing.
Oh no.
“We have to pull over,” I said.
“Henry, can we have some music, please?” Orpheus said.
I leaned forward and shouted to the driver, “Sir, you need to pull over.”
Orpheus glared at me and it felt like he’d reached inside my chest and scolded me with merely a look. I slumped back in my seat, stunned by his fierceness.
When I saw another police car in front, lights flashing, I let out a moan.
“They’re escorting us,” Orpheus said. “So calm down.”
My head snapped round to peer out of the back window. Then out the front window again to comprehend what he was telling me. The front police car was indeed picking up a good pace and clearing the road ahead for us. Our journey was not going to be derailed apparently, and I had no choice but to let the vista distract me. Orpheus evidently had friends in high places and it irked me he had this kind of power.
Mozart burst through the sound system, the notes falling and rising and doing nothing to calm me.
“Please stop staring,” Orpheus said.
“I’m trying to work you out.”
He threw an amused glance. “Good luck with that.”
“What was that place?”
“Will we be making idle conversation the entire way there?”
My anger welled and I spun round to face him.
“I could always turn you in here.” He glanced at his watch. “Should be done by the time we get you home.”
I flinched and slid farther into the corner.
Orpheus held all the power. Beneath the surface, he was breaking me down. Though I tried to hide it from him that it was working. Couldn’t let him see he’d gotten to me. That I was weakening. This day had spiraled out of controlled.
I am out of control.
Glancing over to see if he’d calmed, I braved to say, “Promise me you won’t hurt Anaïs.”
“Henry,” Orpheus said. “Can we have some air.”
“You need my help to find Beatrice,” I said.
He scolded me with a look.
“At least tell me what you have so far?”
“Henry, something else,” Orpheus said. “Opera. Puccini.”
The sound system went quiet and within a few moments there came the elegant vocals of a tenor lyrically interwoven with that of a soprano.
We drove the rest of the way in silence, the police escort making easy work of the route through the traffic. Within half an hour we were met with the usual hustle and bustle of Chelsea. I had mixed feelings when I saw my flat. A mixture of fear that Orpheus knew where I lived and relief I was home.
Outside the car, I was glad to see the police had driven off. I hoped to God they didn’t know it was me in the Rolls. From their number plates, those boys worked at Scotland Yard. The blackout windows had provided some advantage.
How many times had I warned women never to go with their abductor? Don’t get in their car and whatever you do don’t ever go into a building with them.
Yet here I stood beside Orpheus at my front door. There came a flurry of activity to my right. It was Debra, my next door neighbor. Her jaw gaped when she saw Orpheus and she raised a subtle brow to let me know she approved. This split-second offered a chance to cry out for help. I returned a polite smile to Debra. Refusing to put her in jeopardy, my fingers fumbled for my keys.
Orpheus and I left the coldness behind and stepped into the living room.
Would we talk before he turned me? Would there be a chance for a last meal? A drink perhaps? Something strong, something numbing, like that bottle of wine from earlier that I’d sipped on while chatting with Anaïs.
That seemed like a million light years away now.
I wanted to open the
window. Needed more air. Maybe it was worth the risk of diving out. Despite the fall, I’d stand a better chance of surviving it then staying in here with him.
It was impossible to outrun him. Impossible to fight him off. Futile to believe that this vampire could be manipulated into letting me live.
Lips trembling, throat tightening, I conveyed with all my will I didn’t want this. “Please, I want to live.”
Orpheus frowned. “What did I say to you back at the Bainard Building?”
“I can’t remember.”
“I asked you to trust me.”
“Then do something to inspire my trust.”
He held me with his calculating eyes. “How does this work for you?”
I spun round—
It was Jadeon.
He leaned casually back against the wall with both his hands in his pockets. “After thinking it through,” he said calmly, “turning you is my privilege.”
I snapped my head back round to look at Orpheus, but he’d gone. Though something told me the danger wasn’t over.
“What you did tonight was worse than reckless,” Jadeon said, pulling my attention back to him. “Had Orpheus not been there you’d be dead.”
“The way you spoke to me—”
“Was deserved.”
The pain of that moment found its way back to me. Jadeon’s denial that he even knew me. The way he’d acted with such disregard.
“Are you still mad at me?” I asked nervously.
“All indicators point to yes.”
“Why the hell are you encouraging Orpheus to be anywhere near me?”
“Because other than me no one else can protect you as well.”
“Then why not you?” I said. “Why can’t you be with me?”
“There are things I have to do—”
“I don’t want Orpheus anywhere near me. Understand?”
“Then you shouldn’t have visited the Athenaeum.”
“I didn’t expect him to be there. I went there looking for you.”
His face remained serene. “Take a shower. It’ll help you relax.”
“What? Before you turn me?” The words tumbled out with my fear.
“Ingrid.” He came closer and grasped my shoulders. “Shower. Now.”
He took my hand and led me through my flat. No, his flat. The one I’d stayed in believing I was safe, yet all I’d done was delay the inevitable. I couldn’t believe this was happening. Not now. Not after I’d survived so much for so long.
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