Her new vampiric transformation didn’t surprise me, but the fact I couldn’t feel her presence did. Then I remembered she’d somehow gotten her hands on a talisman.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I hissed.
Ignoring me, she lifted her chin to Nicholas. “Let’s talk inside.”
Oh, hell no, I thought and pounced to grab Harry.
Nicholas’ arms cinched around my waist before I could get to Harry.
“What’s the cop’s name?” he asked, breathless.
I looked between him and his mother, confused.
Alora tittered. “So much to learn.”
I lifted my foot and kicked. “Let me go!”
“Stop struggling and answer me,” he said in my ear. “Is that Harry?”
I gritted my teeth. That information would be the last thing I’d ever tell him, considering their past.
“Oh really?” Alora chuckled darkly. “That’s him? I expected something more… substantial.”
“We can talk about that later, Mom. You need to let him go.”
“Take her inside. I’ll deal with the cop.”
“No!” Lifting Nicholas off the ground, I flew over to stand in her way.
“Your little plans about saving Harry won’t work,” she sneered.
I huffed in surprise. She knew his name? “He’s no one. Let him go.”
“You still haven’t figured it out, have you?” Alora eyed me evilly. “There’s nothing secret going on in your mind. All your fears. All your desires. We hear every uncensored word of it.”
I gulped. She’d read my mind?
“I didn’t have to read your mind. You’re broadcasting every shiny thought you think loud and clear,” Alora hissed. “That is why you cannot possibly take your rightful place as Queen. You must learn control.” Her brow lifted. “And this silly human isn’t going to teach you, not after I’m done with him.”
She waved her hand over him, mumbling something.
“No,” I said breathless.
“Mom, please,” Nicholas begged.
Harry’s body convulsed, then went limp. In the distance, sirens could be heard.
“Inside. Everyone.” She ticked her head as more vampires surrounded us. Someone shackled cuffs on my ankles instantly zapping my power. Attached was a long chain.
My skin burned where they’d cuffed me, and I stretched my feet apart, unable to break them. Then I flew up into the air. The handler on the ground yanked on the chain and pulled me down as if I were a kite.
“Let me go,” I screeched through my teeth.
Katie landed next to Harry and nudged him with the toe of her boot. “Cops always taste better, tender and seasoned with just the right amount of adrenaline.”
I flew at her. She jumped just out of my reach.
“He’s special, isn’t he?” She inspected his neck for bite marks finding none. “Was he your lover?”
“Katie. Watch yourself,” Nicholas warned.
“She may be a fledgling, but she’s still your Queen,” Alora finished. “We owe her our respect.”
Katie lifted her hands. “I’m just teasing.”
Something flashed from Katie’s neck. Something red. Was it a talisman? She smiled wickedly at me while nodding her head.
“That reminds me.” Alora turned to Nicholas and slid her arm into his. “Come inside. I have so much to share with you.” She walked him toward the house, but not before she glanced over her shoulder. “Bring her.”
Nicholas walked off with her, mesmerized. I held my quivering chin in place, casting all my hate at her. How could Nicholas not see? How could he allow me to be chained like this?
Unable to fight, I willingly stumbled down the walkway, too stunned to fight the vamps holding the chain. Katie now had a talisman just like Alora, making her impervious to the sun, to stakes and to fire. There was no natural way for her to die, unless her sire lost their life. The problem was, that was Nicholas. Both Katie and Alora were sired by him.
I chuckled. Once again Scarlett was right. She’d predicted in our past life, Nicholas’ life was the only way to stop the madness, and once again, the same was true.
Would that always be the only way this nightmare would truly end?
CHAPTER NINE
Once inside, Alora’s goons directed me to the study. Someone had cleaned up the place since I’d been there last. The damaged floor, walls and ceiling had yet to be repaired.
One by one, the vamps filed in and lined the walls with their hands clasped over their wrists.
“Have a seat,” Alora said to me. “And, Slide, please remove those.” She pointed to my shackles.
Slide entered the room, and I gasped. “But…”
With his black hair slicked back, he no longer had his orange Mohawk or his egotistical swagger.
“Ma’am. May I?”
I held out my feet and he carefully removed the shackles.
Alora smiled. “Thank you, sweetie.”
He bowed.
“But I saw him die,” I spluttered out.
Slide looked back at me, apologetic.
“He made a mistake not wearing his armor, and I’m not about to train a fledging to replace him.”
“You brought him back? But how?”
Alora took a seat across from me and crossed her legs, clasping her hands in her lap. “All in good time.”
Nicholas sat in the chair to my left.
“What about Harry?” I asked.
“He’s fine, for now. I don’t think we’ll have any more problems with him.” Alora then turned to Nicholas. “Did you calm things while retrieving Julia?”
“Harry came here for Katie,” I interrupted.
“Oh, that,” Alora sighed. “Katie. Call your mother. She thinks you’re dead.”
Katie sneered and rolled her eyes, stomping out of the room. Within seconds, I heard her dial the phone.
“There were two deaths,” Nicholas followed. “And an accidental sire. They’ve all been dealt with.”
“Where are my parents?” I asked.
Alora’s lips thinned in disapproval. “You need to wait your turn, Julia. Business first.”
“If I’m your Queen, then I take precedent.” I ground my teeth, making an audible screech.
Alora turned to the row of curious vamps watching on. “Please wait outside.”
They all filed out and Slide closed the door.
Alora leaned in. “You, missy, need to keep your mouth shut in front of your underlings, do you hear? This is my last warning—”
“Come on, Mom,” Nicholas said quickly.
“No,” Alora barked and pressed her eyes shut. “I don’t have time to deal with amateurs.”
“You’re lucky I’m letting you live,” I said.
Alora laughed. “You may hate me and think that this is a competition for my son’s affections, but that will never happen. There are bigger problems we’re undertaking. Things I’m sure you don’t care about. So like it or not, you need me. I suggest you sit there and be quiet.”
“No!” I stood. “You’ve done nothing but use me, and I won’t be held hostage anymore—”
Before I could blink, Alora flipped me on my back and held a wooden dagger, cutting into my throat. “What were you saying?”
Pain. All I could think about was ending the pain.
“Mom!” Nicholas pulled her off of me. “Knock it off!”
The pressure released. I rolled over, choking.
“I know you love her, and that’s fine. But if she stands in my way—”
“She won’t, not after she understands. She just needs time to develop her powers,” he explained. “Let me handle it.”
“Fine.” Alora smoothed her hands down her dress and took a seat.
Nicholas offered me his hand. I shirked him away, standing on my own. “I’ve got it.”
“Jules.” He directed me to the chair. “Just have a seat and listen.”
I folded my arms and slunk
into the chair, shooting daggers at both of them. How dare she threaten my life. “Fine. I’m listening.”
Alora blew out an annoyed breath.
“We’re not the bad guys,” he started.
I chuckled sarcastically. “Yeah, right, says the guy who allowed those idiots to chain me up!”
He clenched his jaw. “That was necessary, considering. But I’m serious. We finally have a chance to do something great. Look at the world we live in. It’s absolutely crazy. Crime is rampant. Sex slavery is at an all-time high. Greed runs and ruins our country. People are sick and dying. It’s got to end,” he said.
Anger pulsed through me. He had some nerve trying to play the innocent one.
“Let me guess. You, a vampire, want to play God.” I chuckled under my breath. “Wow, that’ll be interesting.”
“Why is that so funny to you?”
“’Cause it’s like the fox guarding the hen house.”
“For you, maybe,” he started. “But for the rest of us who’ve been around and are controlled, it’s the perfect solution. Who else can be cop, judge, and jury like we can with our powers? We have the perfect opportunity to rid the earth of evil.”
I leaned forward. “We were born from evil and are built to murder.”
“We have rules just like any functioning society does,” Alora chimed in. “We aren’t uncivil.”
“Really?” I turned to Nicholas. “You wanted me to murder Harry earlier, to take his soul. How is that ruling without a conscience?”
Nicholas pushed his hands through his hair and groaned. “Okay, so maybe that wasn’t a good idea, but we know right from wrong.”
“You mean we justify our sins. I’ve killed someone—an innocent life!”
Nicholas let out a long breath. “That was my fault.”
“Phil said—”
“I don’t want to hear what Phil has to say,” Nicholas said through his teeth. “He came here tonight to end us.”
Pinching my eyes shut, I shook my head. I’d deserved death after what I’d tried to do to them. Phil no longer had any faith in me. Maybe this was a way to redeem myself. “So, say I agree with your vigilante system. Then what?”
“We start with reading the minds of those in prison. If they’re truly guilty, they die,” Alora stated plainly. “The rest can go free.”
“And the government will allow that?” I scoffed.
“We’ll take over the government next.” Alora picked a white piece of lint off her skirt. “Anyone who objects will become a blood slave. Murder, rape, drug dealing, sexual assault, and the like will result in an immediate death.”
“How do we keep our people from taking the law into their own hands, or siring new vampires?”
“Vampires aren’t above the rules. They can’t kill arbitrarily in the field. I’ll try them all and sentence them as needed.”
“Sounds like a lot of power for one person.”
Nicholas smiled. “It’ll be the three of us working with the vamps we’ve handpicked.”
“So we’ll live side by side with humans?”
Nicholas nodded. “And anyone sired in the future will be sterilized.”
My eyes narrowed. “You can do that?”
“We can do lots of things,” Alora said with a huge smile. “But first, you need training young lady.”
I rolled my eyes. “And who’s going to do that.”
Nicholas stood and offered his hand. “Me, of course.”
Taking his hand, I imagined what a world ruled by Alora would look like. Everyone prim and proper, minding their P’s and Q’s.
“I heard that,” Alora said.
“Geez, is nothing sacred?”
“You’ll learn soon enough,” Nicholas whispered.
“And teach her to mind herself. We live here and the expenses from her explosive temper are racking up.” She glided over to the door and opened it. “Slide, Let them in.”
One by one, the vampires returned to the room.
“Now that business is handled,” she said. “Let’s get to introductions and job assignments.”
I watched the faces of familiar vamps file in. Katie sauntered in last, a huge smirk on her face. She lifted her chin.
Don’t look at me like that. I’m here to stay, so deal, I heard her say in my mind.
I smiled sweetly, trying to act unfazed. She might be invincible, but she didn’t know who she was dealing with. Just because I couldn’t kill her didn’t mean I couldn’t make her life miserable.
“Touché’,” she added.
I glared at her. There was no way she’d be my mentor. First thing I’d learn is to keep my thoughts to myself, then how to keep clothes on my body.
Good luck. Katie snickered in my mind, and it took everything in my power not to punch her.
CHAPTER TEN
“Ouch!” I yelled, once again on my back. “Stop flipping me over like that.”
Nicholas kissed my lips, then pulled me to my feet. “Focus, Julia. Don’t let me in.”
“I can’t. We’ve been at this for hours and I’m starving!”
“We’ll take a break once you get this move.” He crouched down, and shot me a devilish smile. “Ready?”
“Yes—Ooof!” My head smacked the ground—again. I growled, trying to claw at him. He laughed, pinning my hands down. “I can’t do this anymore!”
Nicholas sighed and let go of me. His gentle hand pushed the hair out of my face. “You can do it. I know you can.”
“I don’t see how fighting you is part of my training.”
Nicholas sighed. “You never know what could happen—a revolt, or whatever.”
“They can’t kill me, or they’ll go poof, remember?”
A knowing smile darkened his face. “Yes, but… they can capture you and torture you.”
I bit my lip. “Not if I had a talisman.”
Nicholas’ eyes slipped shut. He shook his head.
“What? Katie gets one and I don’t?”
His brow pressed together. “Katie doesn’t have a talisman.”
“Then what was that on her neck?”
“It wasn’t a talisman, but don’t worry. You’ll get one when you’re ready.” The lie soured the air.
I popped up onto my feet and slammed my hands into his shoulders, pushing him onto his back. “I know you’re lying.”
“I’m not… “
My brow lifted to defy him. “Are we going to play this game?”
“No.” He let out a breath and wove his hands around my waist, pulling me against his chest. “We need to make more first.”
I tilted my head in confusion. “Then why don’t you?”
“We’re missing an ingredient.” He looked everywhere, but in my eyes.
“And?” This was like pulling teeth.
Nicholas huffed. “Someone drank it.”
“Drank what?”
“Phil’s blood.”
My eyes narrowed. Why was that important? “So?”
“After Dr. V. died, we found a crystal in his veins. We almost missed it, but after testing it, it acted like my old talisman did.”
I tried to wiggle from his grip and stand. “Really?”
Nicholas’ hands tightened on my waist and his hungry lips met mine. Passion lit my body as images of what it would be like when we finally went for it, rocked through me.
“You’re driving me crazy,” he moaned, before sinking his teeth into my neck.
My toes curled at the euphoria. “Oh, good lord, yes!”
I grabbed at his shirt, ripping it away. Then I sunk my teeth into his shoulder and drank. He groaned and flipped me on my back. Fabric became shreds around us, and I laughed. A girl could get used to this kind of training.
There was a quick knock before the door flew open.
“Get a room!” Katie barked.
We both stopped and looked up.
Beyond her, a group of vampire guys tried to peek inside the room, all with silly grins on their
faces. “This isn’t a peep show!”
She slammed the door.
“Do you mind?” I grabbed the largest square of cloth that used to be my shirt.
“Yes, I do mind. I suggest you take a cold shower before the entire place knows your deepest fantasies.”
My mouth opened and shut as my cheeks heated. I slipped what was left of my shirt on. Had I projected my dirty thoughts to everyone?
“You know the rules, Nicholas,” she said with a sneer.
“Yay, yay. You done?” he asked.
She leaned over while pointing her red condescending fingernail at us. “It’s hard enough being in tight quarters and having to listen in on people’s hookups, but to get first hand details. That’s where I draw the line.”
I rolled my eyes. “Geez.”
“I’m here to tell you your practice room is ready, once you simmer down.”
Go to hell, I thought.
“I heard that.” She left, slamming the door behind her.
I sheepishly looked over at Nicholas. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
He gave me that look and shook his head. “You were way too eager. I couldn’t stop myself.”
My stomach flipped. I did need a cold shower.
“How long are we supposed to stay locked up?” I walked over to him and batted my eyelashes.
“Until you pass your tests, and man will that be too long.” He marched the rest of the way over and gave me another deep, passionate kiss.
Someone hit the door with three loud pounds. “That’s enough already!”
I chuckled. “I think I might need another shirt.”
He nodded and left to fetch me one.
~|~
“Okay, you ready?” Nicholas gestured to the practice room.
Nodding, I swallowed and smoothed my hands down my stretch pants. I already knew what was on the other side of the door, and she was in for a world of hurt.
“Focus.” His fingers clicked the knob, opening the door. “You can do it.”
Inside, in the middle of the room, a terrified girl sat chained to the floor, surrounded by beams of light. Blood dripped and pooled on the floor from fresh cuts on her arms.
My insides roared at the sight, putting all my senses on high alert. Nicholas had coached me on how to act, but instead of compassion or sympathy for her plight, I only wanted to crush her neck under my teeth. Without thinking, I pounced toward her, ready to drown my hunger with her blood. She shrieked. Then intense heat and pain filled me. I pulled back. Smoke wafted from my arms.
Blood Wars: Book 4 (The Talisman Series) Page 20