“You look like you’re about to throw up,” she said.
“That’s because…listen. There are two suitcases. When you give them to Essie or her lapdog Shar-Shar, tell her that’s all I found in his room. That I scoured it, and that’s all that was there.”
Delia regarded me. “What aren’t you telling me?”
I shook my head. “All you need to know for now is that I made certain everything Thornton left at my house is in those bags. And if they ask, all we know is that Thornton is dead, that he died in the crash, and that’s it. Get it?”
“In other words, the last we saw of him was on the morgue table before Essie came to claim the body.”
“Exactly. There are things that I need to talk to Aegis about, but I can’t till after tomorrow when I get the hex-breaker and can release him from being stuck in his bat form. After that, I’ll tell you what’s going on and we’ll talk about what we can do about it. I’ve already talked to Auntie Tautau.” I paused, shrugging. “I’ve done what she suggested. I hope it’s enough.”
She froze. “Whatever it is, was important enough to talk to Auntie Tautau? Are you sure that you’re all right, Maddy?”
“Yes…no. I don’t know. That all depends on what happens over the next twenty-four hours. If the hex-breaker works, then I can figure out what to do next. If not, then I’ll have to start looking into another avenue to handle matters.” I gave her a mirthless smile. “I’m glad we voted you in. At least I feel secure in the fact that you are running the show in Bedlam. I’m going home, Delia. I have a headache and I think I just want to crawl into bed.”
“All right. Text me when you get home, all right? I just have…I just want to make certain you get there all right.”
I promised her and headed out to my car.
THE NIGHT WAS cool, the scent of rain heavy on the incoming clouds. I let out a slow breath as I walked across the parking lot. A number of cars were there still—not only had the town council had its meeting tonight, but as I had passed by the library, I saw that there was some sort of talk or presentation going on there.
I approached my car slowly, not wanting to hurry. I was tired, and the thought of the lonely house with just Aegis in bat form waiting for me wasn’t at all beckoning. Franny was fine to talk to for a while, but I missed my sweetie’s voice and touch. But then, I kicked myself for the thought. He had it worse, stuck in that form, unable to communicate. He also needed to drink, so I would have to let him out because in bat form, he needed fresh blood and would have to visit one of the nearby farms and drink off a cow or something.
A black van was parked next to my CR-V on the driver’s side, and on the other, a large sedan. I would have to squeeze through in order to open my door unless I crawled in through the back. As I stared at the space between the van and my SUV, a sudden noise from behind startled me. I turned to see who was there, and the next thing I knew, my arm stung and I realized that somebody had jabbed a needle into me.
Crap! What the hell is going on?
I thought about yelling, but everything suddenly began to swim. As I opened my mouth, only a few scattered words came slurring out. Apparently, my tongue had forgotten how to form complete sentences, and I couldn’t muster enough breath to try to shout.
I staggered forward, trying to open my SUV, thinking if I could just get in and lock it, I could call for help. My purse strap slid off my shoulder and I distantly felt it fall to the ground. The next moment, whoever had stabbed me with the needle was trying to support me.
“He…hel…yo…need…” I realized I sounded drunk. I knew what I wanted to say, but the words wouldn’t come out. Everything was becoming blurry, and I squinted as the van next to me started pulling out. Maybe they could help me?
But as the van eased out of the parking spot, the side door opened and I was stumbling toward it, pushed along by whoever had hold of me. I tried to resist, my legs noodling under me. I started to sink toward the ground when another pair of arms swept me up. I found myself staring at a broad chest, clad in a dark shirt and denim jacket. I tried to look up, to see the face of whoever was holding me, but he was wearing sunglasses and some sort of a hat. Hazily, I wanted to tell him that it was nighttime, he didn’t need the glasses, but that seemed like it wasn’t the right thing to say.
Confused, I rested my head against his chest. He smelled like cigarettes and brandy, and I winced, the stench of smoke making me gag. As he lifted me into the van, I saw three others there, though I couldn’t make out any of their features. And then, I was resting on a blanket on the floor, and as I drifted off, I felt someone tying my hands and feet. The last thing I remembered thinking was who was going to tell Aegis where I went, and that it was a damned good thing Bubba was staying the night with Mr. Peabody.
Chapter 16
HOW LONG IT was before I woke up, I don’t know. All I knew was that I began to come to, and my arms and legs felt like lead weights, unable to move. I was sitting up in the chair, and my neck ached from my head drooping. I moaned as I lifted my head, longing to stretch. I tried to open my eyes, but they seemed to be stuck shut by goo. My lashes were welded together. I blinked rapidly, trying to pry them open. After a few attempts, my left eye opened, feeling gritty and sore, and then my right one followed suit.
“She’s coming around.” A woman’s voice echoed somewhere behind me.
“I’ll tell Essie.” Another voice nearby, then the sound of footsteps on what sounded like a stone floor.
Essie. Oh, lovely. Well, at least I knew who had decided to kidnap me. I cracked open my lips, tentatively. “Water?”
I didn’t like that the first thing I asked was for a drink instead of demanding to know where I was or that they let me go. Then again, I already knew who had hold of me, and I knew full well they wouldn’t just merrily trip along to my side, untie me and say, “Sure, go ahead! Sorry for the kidnapping gig.” Asking for water seemed a safe bet.
“Here. Drink slow at first or you’ll throw up.” The woman who was standing in front of me was wearing a pair of jeans and a turtleneck. She also looked remarkably pale and by the color of her eyes, I knew she was a vampire.
She held a cup to my lips, slowly dribbling the water in. I knew enough to accept that what she was telling me was good advice. So many of the drugs that could knock out a witch were harsh on the system, especially the stomach, and my gut was gnarled in knots. I took a slow sip, let it trickle down my throat, and then another. A third and fourth helped clear the tickle from my throat, and a fifth was just enough to ease the dryness that had formed in my mouth. I knew better than to take a sixth—my stomach wasn’t thrilled with the first five.
“So…Essie…?”
“You’re at Essie’s house, yes. She has some questions for you.”
“She has a lousy way of getting my attention.”
The vampire gave me a wry look. “Just so you know, Essie has a definite style when it comes to finding out what she needs to know. She told us not to hurt you, though.”
The fact that she warned them not to hurt me was either a very good thing—or a very bad thing. She either was concerned enough that she didn’t want to piss me off too badly, or she wanted to save the joy of inflicting pain on me for herself.
“What’s your name?” I figured I might as well find out what I could, in case I got out of this scrape. I knew what Essie wanted to know, and I wasn’t sure just how I was going to convince her that I didn’t know. Auntie Tautau had made it so I couldn’t be forced to tell, but how far could Essie push me before I gave up the info? And yet, was it really willing when torture was involved?
“Ruby. Why?”
“No reason,” I said. “Can I have some more water, Ruby?”
Ruby held the cup to my lips again and I took a few more sips. Finally, I leaned back to look around the room. We were in a small space, but the walls were painted a lovely shade of dull charcoal gray, matching the atmosphere. The wainscoting was an off-
white. At least it wasn’t all blood red and black, but somehow, the muted tones seemed more striking than if it had been a garish-goth. A table and chairs sat to one side, and next to me was a sofa. To my right was a grand arch, leading out of the room. If I leaned forward, I could probably just see what was beyond it.
I was in one of the chairs from the table, from what I could tell, and my arms were tied straight down to my sides, and my ankles were bound. The rope was irritating against my legs—given I was wearing a skirt, and it was chilly enough that I was rapidly starting to shiver. There weren’t any windows in the room, which led me to think it was either an inner room or in the basement. Without any art on the walls and with no real decor, the room felt stark and more like a concrete cell rather than a tastefully done parlor.
“So…Ruby…how long have I been here? How long was I unconscious?”
“You’ve been here about two hours, and you were unconscious for about twenty minutes before that.”
Then I was right—I was in Essie’s house. Or someplace close to it. Unless the vamps had developed the power of flight, I was still on the island.
“What did you give me? That stuff’s rough on the system.”
My chatty nature seemed to have run its course with Ruby. She frowned, shaking her head.
“Rutillite. Now, how about you just be quiet till Essie gets here? Want any more water?”
Rutillite. That was one hell of a powerful drug. Like Novocain, it left the system in a wave. Unlike Novocain, when it suddenly drained out after several hours, the result was a crash and burn that beat any hangover or migraine.
I shook my head. By now, Aegis would be worried—I had left the time on the note when I should be home. But Bubba wasn’t there, and how Aegis could contact Sandy or Delia was beyond me.
We waited another ten minutes before I heard the sound of heels on wood. By straining forward, I could see that, beyond the grand arch, was a set of stairs leading up. The footsteps were coming from there. I quickly pulled back. I didn’t want to appear too eager, or too concerned. It was probably a stupid ego thing, but I wanted Essie to respect me. Thornton might have been her boy toy but I certainly wasn’t going to suck up to her, in restraints or out of them.
Another moment and Essie Vanderbilt entered the room. Essie might not have decked out her hidden parlor with much pomp, but she made up for it. She entered the room in a long dress that swept the floor. It reminded me of a Victorian ball gown, in a shiny champagne satin with black lace overlay that ran up the front. The dress cinched in at the waist, then flowed out over what looked to be a huge hoop skirt. The neck was square-cut, with black lace lining the collar and top of the bodice, and the sleeves were bound at the elbows with the same lace, as well as a poof of lace flowing from the bottom of the sleeves.
Essie’s burgundy hair was coiffed into an elaborate chignon, with the sides braided back over loose tendrils that curled down by the sides of her face. The bun was held in place by a cloisonné comb, and her hair seemed frozen so that when she moved, even the dangling curls remained still.
“Maddy, welcome to my house,” she said, but there was no welcome in her voice. Her eyes were a neutral brown, ringed with crimson, and she whispered effortlessly between crimson-stained lips. “So nice of you to be able to come.”
I stared at her, struck by the absurdity of the words. “You’ll pardon me if I dispense with the chitchat, but I don’t think being drugged and kidnapped constitutes accepting an invitation.”
“Ah, well, a simple matter of semantics.”
Trying to suppress a snort, I couldn’t help but blurt out, “No, I don’t think so. If that were the case, every date-rape suspect in the world would be at your door begging you to defend them.” I stopped, realizing that I was arguing about the wrong thing. “Essie, why did you have me brought here?”
She leaned down, resting her hands on the arms of my chair, her face inches away from mine. “Oh, darling, I have my reasons.”
“Such as?”
Essie arched her eyebrows. She paused, then looked over at Ruby. “Give us a moment.”
Ruby nodded, vanishing out the door. Essie waited until she was gone and knelt beside me, her skirts billowing out the sides. Her voice a bare whisper, she said, “Maudlin, listen to me. You must play along for both our sakes. Play the part and follow my lead and perhaps, we both shall manage to stay alive. Cross me, and I’ll throw you to the wolves.”
I STARED AT her, silent, as I let what she said settle into my thoughts.
Obviously, I was in a lot of trouble, but it seemed to be catching. What the hell was Essie afraid of and what did I have to do with it? It also struck me that nobody knew where I was, so it was going to be up to me to get myself out of this. I quickly ran through my resources. I couldn’t text anybody—my phone was somewhere on the ground near my car, along with my purse. That much I remembered.
I couldn’t fight Essie while I was tied to a chair. And if I killed her, I’d be facing the rest of her brood. My best bet was to somehow get loose and sneak out. The steps to how I was going to accomplish this were still up in the air. The stairs led up, which meant they were potentially the only portal to freedom, unless there was an underground entrance to this level. Given Aegis had a secret underground entrance, I wasn’t discounting the possibility, but frankly, I didn’t have the time to find out.
Essie had walked over to the table and she was sorting through a sheath of papers. She glanced at me every now and then, but her attention seemed to be elsewhere. Obviously someone was listening in, considering she had whispered her warning to me, and I didn’t have a clue what was going on, so decided the best plan was to keep my mouth shut.
Another moment and she motioned to Ruby, who started untying my ropes. She was carrying a pair of handcuffs and the moment she freed my hands and feet, she wrenched me out of the chair. I thought about trying to fight and run, but I had been sitting so long that my joints and muscles had stiffened to the point of where I could barely move. Before I could stretch, she had my hands behind my back and the handcuffs on.
I shrieked as my sprained thumb took the brunt of her force. “Be careful, you fucking idiot. My thumb’s sprained.” I caught myself, hoping that wouldn’t be enough to set them off.
But all Essie said was, “Maudlin, I expect you to behave, or we’ll have to taste some of that delightful nectar that runs through your veins.” And with that, she swept out of the room.
Ruby was about my height, and she stared into my face as though she knew what I was thinking. With a faint grin that showed the tips of her fangs, she shook her head as she touched my lips with one finger.
“Remember, no chants, no invocations. Nothing to make me decide that you could use a good spanking.” She sounded like she’d very much enjoy it if I did.
I cleared my throat. “Fine. I’ll behave.”
“Good girl.” She grabbed me by the elbow. “Come on, buttercup, let’s move.”
My legs protested—they had been tied up so long that my left foot had gone to sleep. I let out a groan as I stumbled. Ruby gave me a disgusted look, then with an air of exasperation, she swept me up in her arms. I blinked, but said nothing. Vampires had superhuman strength regardless of their gender. Ruby could knock down a linebacker with her little finger.
I squirmed but she pinched my thigh. The pain was quick and sharp, and I settled down. At first I thought we were headed toward the staircase and my heart jumped. Get me up those stairs and I’d figure out something. But then, I saw that opposite to the stairs going up was a staircase leading down. We turned to the left and I realized that we were indeed heading deeper into the bowels of the house.
By the time we reached the bottom, my mood was sinking as fast as our descent. We were now crossing through what appeared to be a cellblock built of concrete, with a dirt wall at the end. There were cells on either side of the walkway, and some of them had bars that looked to be silver plated. That told me
right there, Essie definitely punished her own kind.
We stopped in front of one of the cells and Ruby set me down. I stumbled, but she steadied me until I caught my balance.
“You able to stand now?”
“Yeah.”
“You see this cell?”
I nodded.
“That’s where Thornton spent the last six months, before he escaped. Essie wasn’t very happy with him, you see. He wanted to run off and start a new life, after he had pledged his life to her. He had begged her to turn him and she bit him, then let him drink from her three times. But even the promise of life eternal wasn’t enough to make him behave.”
I snorted. “Some people are just never grateful, are they?”
“I know you’re being sarcastic, but it’s truth enough.” She shrugged. “Thornton wanted to be king. He wanted Essie’s job, as well as Essie herself. In fact, most of us felt that he just wanted her crown. He was a sweet talker, though, polite and so talented, and so eager to help. So she gave him the first part of what he wanted. That’s when she found out that he was messing with some of her bloodwhores. One of them showed up pregnant.”
Bingo. Thornton had really fucked up. Essie was Queen Bee and she wasn’t about to put up with her favorite boinking anybody else, especially when he got the woman pregnant.
“Really, now? That certainly answers a few questions.” I tried to spur on Ruby to tell me more—the more I knew the better.
She seemed to be warming up to the fact that I wasn’t trying to run off. I also had the feeling she was bored and dying to talk to somebody. She pointed to the fourth cell on the left. I counted ten on each side, which meant Essie was either running a much bigger show than we had figured, or she had bought the house from a pervert.
Maudlin's Mayhem (Bewitching Bedlam Book 2) Page 18