Chase, Jonas and I shared knowing glances while O’Shea stared at us expectantly. I went first, explaining to O’Shea, but also to the other guys, exactly what I had said and done on stage in lieu of the show we were supposed to put on last night. I pulled my phone out and played the video I had taken while I was on stage of the crowd chanting O’Shea’s name. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched.
“You’re good,” he said, nodding. “I have to hand it to you.” Then he looked at Chase and Jonas and said, “And you two.... Did you really bust us out?”
“We found you unconscious and chained to a pipe with holes in your throat,” Chase said.
“Tytus hulked out on the fang twins,” Jonas added. “He threw the biggest one across the room. They were in a pretty big hurry to get out of there after that.”
O’Shea didn’t flinch at the explanation. “And Kacie?” he asked. “She tells me that she’s okay, but I don’t know what happened after I....” His voice trailed off, and he turned to look at her as she slept soundly next to him. “The thought of those vamps touching her....”
“She told me what you did,” I said, stepping in. “When you told the vamps to drink from you and leave her alone, they listened. You bought her enough time for the guys to find you.”
“She was freaked out,” Jonas added. “I think that was mostly because she’d been abducted by vampires, and because she was worried about you.”
“They had basically sucked you dry,” Chase said solemnly. “Doc fang said another minute of that vampire draining you, and we’d have lost you.”
O’Shea winced, but only I knew it was because he was painting a picture in his head of Kacie handcuffed to a chair across the room from him, worrying that he was dead as he hung motionless from the pipes. It was a vivid image of the scene that took place in that storage room in the basement of the venue, and it made me want to tear someone into pieces. I shook my head, forcing the disturbing images from my mind.
“We called the doc when we found you,” Jonas explained. “He’d been helping Aurora alter memories. Between Neon, Crosstalk, and the crew, there was quite a long list. He came as soon as we called and swiped some medical stuff from the ambulance in the parking garage before meeting us at Trey’s bus.” In recalling the events, Jonas’s mind filled up with flashes of memory that I couldn’t help but gleam as he spoke. I saw Chase slinging O’Shea over his shoulder to carry him, despite Tytus’s offer to do it. Chase couldn’t stand to let anyone else carry O’Shea just then, not in the fragile state O’Shea was clearly in. Tytus had carried Kacie instead, who it appeared had only agreed because she couldn’t bring herself to argue with the giant vampire. I swallowed the ball of emotion that was trying to lodge itself in my throat and blinked the scene out of my mind so I could follow the rest of the conversation.
“Then what?” O’Shea asked. “Aurora healed me?”
I shook my head. “At first we tried to find a way to get you some blood for a transfusion. You’d just lost so much.... But word was already spreading about how I had foiled Stanislav onstage. None of our vampire contacts were willing to get involved by helping us. We were running out of options, and Aurora was wishing she could do something to help you. Then your heart stopped.”
O’Shea’s head snapped up in surprise, and his heartbeat jumped accordingly. That was when I realized just how little he actually knew about what had happened to him. Chase, on the other hand, was remembering it all vividly. The drummer’s train of thought just then made me smile and shake my head.
I guess that means you didn’t get the verbal beating I gave you when your heart started up again, he thought as he watched O’Shea.
I couldn’t help myself and lightly slugged Chase’s shoulder to remind him that I was privy to his internal sarcastic dialogue, and that I appreciated his comedic timing. Chase made a grunting noise and shook his head.
“Your mom’s insistence that we all take first aid training every summer finally paid off.” I said to O’Shea. “Let’s just say between the CPR and the shocks it took to bring you back, you took quite a beating. I’m pretty sure I even broke your sternum.”
O’Shea unconsciously lifted a hand to his chest, rubbing the spot.
“I’m sure Aurora’s kick-ass skills took care that, too,” Chase assured him.
“How did she do it?” O’Shea asked, glancing briefly in the direction that Aurora and Mark had gone. “I mean, that’s not normal, is it? Even for you guys?”
I shook my head. “Nothing about her is what you would call normal. We took a big risk asking her to attempt it in the first place, but we weren’t convinced you wouldn’t die on us again if we waited.”
Jonas raised his hand like a school kid, and then said -somewhat sheepishly, “I may, or may not have recorded Aurora healing you on my phone.”
We all looked up at him in surprise. He pulled his phone out, holding it up for O’Shea to take. O’Shea watched the video, an array of emotions playing across his face as he witnessed exactly what Aurora had done to save him.
“I’m actually really impressed,” I told Jonas.
He shrugged. “After watching her do it to you, I knew what was coming, and I couldn’t resist.”
“Wait,” O’Shea interjected. “What do you mean she did it to Trey?” He didn’t wait for an answer before he met my eyes and said, “What happened to you?”
“Trey forced Aurora to suck him dry and practice healing him first,” Chase stated matter-of-factly.
“I didn’t force-” I started to say, but Jonas interrupted me.
“I’m pretty sure the fact that we were going to rob a blood bank next didn’t leave her much of a choice,” he said. “You gave her an ultimatum. Plain and simple.”
I shrugged again. He had a point.
O’Shea let out a humorless laugh, rubbing his face. “Did you say rob a blood bank?”
I met his gaze without hesitation. “Yeah. We weren’t having any luck getting you blood the nice way, and I wasn’t about to stand by and watch you die.”
“You’re all idiots,” O’Shea said, getting to his feet. “So this is what happens when you don’t have me to reign you all in? You decide to commit armed robbery? Whatever happened to us not winding up on Behind The Music?”
“I’m not sure being in possession of a giant vampire and a fanged rock star is the same thing as packing heat,” Jonas said. Then he raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to one side. “But, then again-”
“And you,” O’Shea cut in passionately, sticking his finger in my chest. “You made Aurora-” He stopped mid-sentence and swore under his breath. “What were you thinking? You could have died.”
“Right,” I said, standing to look him in the eye. “And I would do it again in a heartbeat. Don’t pretend you wouldn’t do it for me.”
O’Shea blinked, and I saw that he was fighting back tears. It scared him to learn of everything we’d been through while he was on the brink of death. He gripped the back of my neck with his hand, and I saw a world of emotions in his eyes. Without a word, he straightened and turned, walking a few steps away. He took a second to collect himself and then turned back toward us. “So,” he said. “This Stanislav guy has to go down. What are we going to do about it?”
Chapter 61
Aurora
“YOU’RE NOT GOING TO have any fingernails left if you don’t take it easy,” I told Kacie, bumping her with my elbow. She rolled her eyes at me and sighed, but shoved her hands in her jeans pockets. She was a nervous wreck, and who could blame her? She and O’Shea had been to hell and back. We’d made it to the next town, and the two of us were watching the guys go through their soundcheck from the side of the stage. “He’s okay,” I assured her, watching O’Shea slam on his guitar and signal to the engineer to adjust the feed in his in-ear monitor.
Kacie furrowed her brow, studying him closely. “Do you really think so?”
“Would I lie to you?” I said, grinning at her. She raised an eyebrow
at my failed attempt to be funny and blew a puff of air from her cheeks in frustration. “Seriously, though,” I added. “He’s fine. We’re keeping an eye on him ... and by we I mean those of us who can hear his heart beating from across the room.” With Tytus and Mark, that made four of us who were casually doing just that. None of us wanted O’Shea to go on stage tonight if he wasn’t up to it, but so far everything I’d done to heal him early this morning wasn’t wearing off. I really had no reason to believe it would, but we were breaking new ground, and I didn’t want to make any assumptions.
Kacie shifted her weight and glanced up at me. “Okay.” Then she leaned her head on my shoulder and let out a humorless laugh. “I’m becoming that girl. That’s just perfect. I’m losing my mind.”
“It’s a lot to take in,” I told her. “Speaking of ... you know ... we haven’t really talked about it yet.”
“Where to begin....”
“I could start by apologizing to you for all the lies,” I offered.
I didn’t expect the sympathy in her eyes when she gazed up at me just then. “I know why you did it,” she said matter-of-factly.
“You do?”
“Sure. I can see why you’d do everything in your power to keep all of this from ... well, everybody. You were just trying to protect me. I know O’Shea was, too.”
“Wow. You’re making this a little too easy,” I said.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she added. “Now that I’m in on all of it, I expect you to be straight with me, but the fact that you saved my boyfriend from the brink of death almost completely makes up for the fact that you nearly got us both killed.” I had no words as I stared at her. “Almost,” she repeated, a smile playing on her face.
I grinned at her in relief and said, “I can live with that.” My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see Beck’s name on the screen. “I’m going to take this,” I told Kacie. She nodded without bothering to tear her eyes away from O’Shea, and I waved at Tytus and made my way down the hall toward the lounge. I answered and said, “Hey Beck. What’s going on?”
“I’m in the parking lot,” he stated.
“You’re – wait – what?”
“I’m in the parking lot,” he repeated. “The one with the buses.”
“No, I heard you the first time. You’re – hold on. I’ll be right there.”
I found Beck standing just on the other side of the locked doors.
“Hey,” he said, smiling when he saw me.
I hugged him and held him by the shoulders so I could look at him. “What are you doing here?”
“If Stanislav is really to blame for my becoming a vampire and losing everything and everyone I love, then I’m going to be here to help you bring him down. I jumped on the first flight here.”
I couldn’t argue with a declaration like that, so I squeezed his shoulder and said, “Welcome to the tour.”
He sighed in relief, like he’d actually expected me to turn him away. “Thanks,” he said.
“Come on,” I said. “You might as well catch the last few minutes of soundcheck now that you’re here.”
Trey looked more than just a little surprised to see me walk back over to my place by Kacie with Beck in tow. He was singing the chorus of ‘Untold You,’ but waved at Beck between strums on his guitar.
Beck smiled and waved back. “They sound amazing,” he said as he watched in adoration while the guys finished out the song. Trey took a moment to speak to the engineer about his microphone, and then he handed his guitar off to a member of the stage crew and made his way over to us.
“When did you get here?” he asked Beck, doing that handshake/man-hug combination guys do.
“Just now,” Beck said just as O’Shea joined us.
“It’s Beck, right?” O’Shea said, offering his hand in greeting.
Beck nodded enthusiastically. “Sounding good,” he offered.
“Thanks,” O’Shea said. “You here to catch the show tonight?”
“I have a feeling he’s here to catch a Synod Elder,” Trey said, looking to Beck for confirmation. Beck’s eyes grew wide. He looked from Trey to O’Shea and back, not sure how to respond.
“Really?” O’Shea asked before Beck could answer. “You’re on the liquid diet, too?”
Beck hesitated. “Maybe?”
Trey and O’Shea chuckled in unison, and Trey put a hand on Beck’s shoulder and said, “The secret’s out. Being abducted by a vampire will do that.”
Beck nodded. “Right.” Then he gave O’Shea the once over. “You doing okay? I mean, you seem-”
“I’m great,” O’Shea said, smiling and putting his arm around Kacie.
Trey was looking over my shoulder, and I turned to see why just as Crosstalk came around the corner to have their turn at soundcheck.
“What do you say we move this conversation to the lounge?” Trey suggested, just as Mark and Tytus caught up to us.
“I’m sorry for just showing up like this,” Beck said once we were all settled in the lounge.
“Hey, I get it,” Trey said. “If anyone has a dog in this fight, you do.”
Beck was visibly relieved. “I’m glad you feel that way. Maybe you could put in a good word with my boss about my taking some time off.”
Trey laughed out loud and nodded. “I’m sure I can manage that.”
I’d briefly told Antonio what I knew about Stanislav changing the fledglings, and he’d passed that information on to Beck. Beck only knew enough to understand that Stanislav was responsible for his immortality and that O’Shea and Kacie had been abducted and rescued. He wanted the full story, and we spent most of the time before the show catching him up and filling him in on the details. Beck was like a sponge, taking in every word as Trey and I explained how Tytus had come to join us, and how vampires had been showing up randomly at Catalyst shows, right down to our eventual run-in with Stanislav, which led to Kacie and O’Shea’s abduction.
I was more than a little surprised when the group was trying to explain the way I’d miraculously healed O’Shea and Jonas produced a video of the entire ordeal on his phone. Watching myself as I relived the event was a little overwhelming. It was like watching a stranger with sparks dancing on her hands. I wasn’t sure why I felt distanced from it all now, especially considering that it had happened just over twelve hours ago. Although it seemed no less incredible to witness a second time, I still had so many questions about what I had done, and how I had managed to do it. It was confusing, and my mind swirled with a mixture of relief, awe, gratitude and insecurity all at once. Trey wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me to let me know he understood.
Chapter 62
Aurora
THE TEXT FROM MALENA had come through just after the Catalyst show started.
You have questions. I have answers.
That was all it had said. I’d debated in my head for several moments before I text her back. Name the time and place.
Malena had answered instantly with an address and a time that meant I would have to leave right after doing the zombie makeup for the guys.
I’ll be there, I replied.
It wasn’t hard keeping my plan from Trey, although I felt bad about doing it. I knew he’d never agree with it, and I needed answers. If that meant facing Malena again, then so be it. I’d told him I had to run an errand just before he’d ran out of the lounge to take the stage again for the encore. He’d been completely fine with that answer and called out that he’d see me at the hotel later.
I’d taken a taxi across town to the address in Malena’s text, which turned out to be a 24/7 Starbucks, and found her waiting for me inside. She was nursing something from a coffee cup for appearances sake, but she gave me a creepy smile when she looked up and saw me approaching. She looked different. Her hair was shorter, and she had this look in her eye that led me to believe she had come a little unhinged. I slid into the booth across from her and stared at her expectantly.
“All righ
t. I’m here,” I said. “Now talk.”
“Not so fast,” she said. “I want you to release Tytus to me, and then I talk.”
“Release?” I said. “I don’t have him under my spell.”
“I need him,” she said, unable to hide the desperation that colored her words.
“I got that. He told me you met with him. What of it?”
“I have a job I need his help with,” she began, but I cut her off.
“You’re looking for some girl, I know.”
Malena laughed then, and it was an unnerving sound that put me on edge. “My boss is a very powerful vampire, and I can’t afford to have him angry with me.” Then she looked at me like she was just waiting for me to figure it out.
“You’re working with Stanislav Vidic,” I said slowly. How had I not seen it before? Damir had rejected her, and it was just like Malena to move right up the line to the next Vidic, who just so happened to be a Synod Elder.
“A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do,” she added.
“So, a girl’s got to run to the nearest powerful man to survive?” I said. “If that’s really what you believe-”
“You have no idea what’s it’s like to be ... normal,” she added.
“We’re vampires, Malena. Normal is relative.”
“Not when it comes to you,” she argued. “Don’t pretend you don’t know that it’s about you.” She rolled her eyes and said, “I mean, it’s about your boy toy, too, but it’s really about you. It’s always about you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You’re really going to make me say it, aren’t you?” She took a big gulp of the blood-laced wine, savoring the taste a moment before swallowing. “You’re just so damn special. Every vampire who’s anyone knows it. Even me. I was just in denial. I hated you for it.... Still kinda do, but that doesn’t make it less true.”
“I’m not that-”
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