by Jaye Wells
“Still awake, huh? Jeez, you’re stubborn. Don’t worry. You’ll be out before you know it.”
Syd tried to speak, but only managed a small croak. She slowly licked her lips. “Why?” she finally managed to whisper.
“It’s nothing personal. I just need you to help me gain immortality,” Geraldine said. “Now we gotta get out of here, so pass out already.”
Geraldine closed the door and raced around to the driver’s side. Another rag was shoved in Syd’s face. She gagged and struggled to fight the dense fog taking over her brain. But her adrenaline and her strength ran out. The world went black.
Chapter Sixteen
Logan paced in the foyer as he waited for Syd. He glanced at his watch for the seventh time in as many minutes—ten after five. His fingers itched to call her, but he convinced himself that she probably got caught in traffic on the Beltline. He’d give her five more minutes, and then he’d check in.
He paced for two more minutes before giving in and dialing her cell. He cursed when the phone went straight to voice mail.
Trying to remain calm, he hoped she got caught up at work after she phoned. He quickly dialed her office number.
“Sydney Worth’s office, Jorge speaking.”
“Jorge, it’s Logan Murdoch. Is Sydney around?”
“Well, helloooo, Logan. No, Syd left about an hour ago. I thought she was on her way to your house,” Jorge said.
“So did I,” Logan said, dread pooling in his stomach. “Did she mention needing to make any other stops on her way here?”
“No, she seemed to be in a hurry to get back to your house. But you never know. She could have stopped by her apartment. Why don’t you give her a shout there?” Jorge suggested.
“Good idea. Thanks, Jorge,” Logan said.
“No problemo. Listen; while I have you on the phone, I feel it is my duty as Sydney’s friend to warn you: If you break her heart, I will personally make your life a living hell.”
“Take a number,” Logan said and hung up.
He shook his head as he dialed Syd’s home number. If he didn’t find Syd soon, Jorge’s warning would be the least of his worries.
“Dammit,” he exclaimed as her home phone switched to voice mail too. He left another message and hung up.
Sydney would know he’d be worried. She wouldn’t have run some frivolous errand without calling him. As much as he fought it, he knew he had to face the possibility Raven had gotten to Sydney. He struggled with his rising panic and decided to rally the troops. Even if Raven didn’t have Sydney, he might need help trying to track her down.
Then a thought occurred to him, and he dialed the museum again.
“Jorge, it’s Logan again. I need a favor. Can you go down to the parking lot and see if there’s a black Porsche there?”
“Um, sure. Can I ask why?”
“I can’t really get into it now. Can you just call me back after you’ve checked?”
“Yes, but if this involves Sydney, I expect an explanation when I call back.”
“Fine. Please hurry,” Logan said and hung up.
He prayed the car wasn’t there, but his gut told him the museum was the obvious place for Raven’s people to get at Syd. While he waited for Jorge to call back, he called Callum.
“Syd’s missing,” Logan said without preamble after his brother picked up.
“What? How?” Callum asked, his voice concerned.
“She went to the museum a few hours ago to do some work and never came back. I expected her half an hour ago, and I can’t reach her at any of her numbers.”
“Raven?”
“That’s what my gut tells me. Have you located her hideout yet?”
“Not yet,” Callum said, sounding regretful. “She’s hidden herself well this time. Have you called the others?”
“Not yet. You get on the phone and call in every favor until you find that Italian psycho. I’ll call Mom and Alaric. Get here as soon as you can, okay?”
“Got it. Logan, don’t worry. She probably just needed to run an errand,” Callum said.
Logan said good-bye and hung up. He didn’t believe the reassurances anymore than Callum did, but he appreciated the effort.
His phone rang.
“Logan, the car you described is still in the parking lot. I also found Syd’s purse lying next to it,” Jorge said, sounding frantic. “What the hell is going on?”
Logan’s stomach fell at the confirmation of his worst fears. Jorge deserved to know at least part of the truth. “I believe she has been kidnapped by the group that stole the painting.”
Jorge’s horrified gasp came across the line. “We have to call the police!”
“No! We can’t have the police involved,” Logan said sharply.
“Bullshit. I am going to call them right now,” Jorge said. Logan cursed and wished his mind control powers worked over phone lines.
“This group is unpredictable. The police will only get in the way,” Logan said. His mind scrambled for a way to get Jorge to listen to him. “Why don’t you come over here? My family is on their way over as we speak. Maybe you can help us think of a way to rescue her.”
“You’re sure you can get her back?” Jorge asked, sounding unsure.
“Jorge, I promise you if going to the police would get her back, I would be on the phone already. I can get her back faster without them. Will you help us?” Logan said.
“I’ll be right over,” he said and hung up.
Logan heaved a sigh of relief that one catastrophe had been averted. He wasn’t worried about Jorge finding out more than he should because the mortal didn’t stand a chance against four vampires. They’d simply implant a cover story in Jorge’s head and make him take a nap while they rescued her.
Assuming they could find her. He shook off that thought and called his mother and Alaric. Now all he could do was wait.
“Wake up!” a female voice commanded, breaking through the haze surrounding Syd’s brain. She tried to open her eyes, but they felt gritty, and she had trouble focusing. Her mouth felt wrapped in gauze, and she had a splitting headache. When she attempted to lift her hands to run over her eyes, she discovered she was bound to a ladder-back chair. She pulled at the bindings but only managed to abrade the soft skin of her wrists.
A contemptuous laugh echoed in the room.
“Don’t even try it. You’ll only wear yourself out.”
Syd blinked rapidly, trying to regain focus. After several attempts, her vision cleared. But she blinked again at her first glimpse of the creature before her.
Striking a pose not two feet from her stood a woman who appeared to have raided Elvira’s closet.
“Raven?”
“Ah, I see my reputation precedes me,” Raven said with a smirk, her blackberry lipstick accentuating the dazzling white of her smile. The silky length of her ebony hair cast her skin with a milky glow. The cat-like green eyes were even more exotic with a thick border of kohl. She wore a skintight black sheath with a plunging V-neck and slit up to her thigh that left little to the imagination.
Down to the black velvet cape and the slight Italian accent, Raven appeared to be the embodiment of the undead femme fatale. Except for the battered combat boots.
“Hey, these boots are comfortable. And I resent the Elvira dig,” Raven said, sounding offended.
Syd flinched at the reminder that Raven could read her mind. She shut down her thoughts, not wanting to give the woman ammunition against her.
“Don’t bother,” Raven said with a casual wave of her hand. “I already know all I need. Besides, you’re such a typical mortal. All of your thoughts are clearly written on your face.”
“Why am I here?” Syd demanded.
“Well, duh. You’re a pawn in my bid for ultimate power,” she said with an evil laugh.
Syd eyed Raven nervously. The woman obviously had a few screws loose.
“Just kidding. Don’t look so nervous. I won’t bite,” Raven said with a laugh.
“Well, you are a vampire, so the thought crossed my mind,” Syd replied.
Raven sighed. “Sydney, Sydney, Sydney. I don’t bite normal mortals. I only feed off of criminals. Besides, I already ate tonight. I adhere to a strict no-snacking-between-meals rule. Have to watch my girlish figure,” she said, patting her flat stomach.
Syd had absolutely no idea what to say to that, so she remained silent.
“ I am not going to hurt you. I just need you for a little spell I want to cast to stop Logan,” Raven said.
“I won’t help you hurt Logan,” Syd said, not knowing how she could stop Raven, but needing to put up a brave front.
“I’m not going to hurt him, silly. I am just going to control his mind for a bit so he won’t release Lifeblood onto the market.”
“But why?” Syd asked.
“I know you’ve been hanging out with the Murdochs. I am sure they filled your mind with all sorts of nonsense about how they want vampires to assimilate into mortal culture. But I say why should we? We’re the superior race. We’re faster, stronger, and we’re immortal. Your kind should be worshipping us,” Raven said, her voice rising with the passion of a zealot.
“You want to take over the mortal race?”
“No. Your kind calls us evil because we feed off of you. But we only do that for survival. I say mortals are more evil. Look at the atrocities you have perpetuated against each other. You use religion or politics or money as justification to commit genocide. Not even counting those cases, look at the corruption rampant in your society. We should aspire to that? Ridiculous. No, mortals should worship us, not the other way around, as the Boredom Council would have it.”
Syd didn’t want to get into a debate with Raven about the moral decay of society. She focused instead on figuring out Raven’s motives. “Then why aren’t you going after the Brethren Council instead of Logan?”
“I have been protesting the Brethren’s dictates for decades, ever since they outlawed feeding off humans in favor of bagged blood. I mean I understood their reasoning to an extent, but it’s a slippery slope. Then they said to take supplements to let you live in the daylight. Now Lifeblood. And there have been a dozen other smaller developments along the way. They are trying to take away our identities, to make us ashamed of the very things that make us different from mortals,” she said as she paced.
“But from what Logan said, you are just another species of human,” Syd countered.
“Logan is a scientist. He wants to believe there is a scientific explanation for our existence. But many of us don’t buy his genetic mutation bunk. I for one believe we were blessed by the goddess Diana, who in her wisdom gave us the need to drink blood and the inability to go in the light as tests.”
“Tests?” Syd asked.
“It’s not so different from the debate your own race has about evolution versus creationism. I just don’t want to lose the magic of our existence in favor of sterilizing it through science.”
Syd blinked.
“What, you didn’t think I knew big words?”
Syd shook her head.
“Whew, okay. I’ll get off my soapbox. Now, I am sure you’re wondering how you fit into this plan of mine,” Raven said.
Syd nodded. The woman was obviously crazy. She didn’t want to say anything that might make her go off again.
“Tsk, tsk,” Raven said. “If you’re going to insult me, at least have to guts to say it out loud.”
Syd blushed. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay. I know you’re brainwashed by your lust for Logan. I don’t expect to make you a convert. I just need some of your blood,” Raven said.
“What?”
“Oh, please, I know you’re Logan’s soul mate. Even if Geraldine hadn’t heard Logan admit he couldn’t read your mind, your pathetic lovey-dovey thoughts for him are clear to me,” Raven said. “And don’t worry about the blood part. I just need a little bit.”
Syd stared at Raven in open-mouthed shock. Her mind felt like it was going to explode.
“Wh-what did you say?” she whispered.
“I just need a little blood, just a small prick on your finger should do,” Raven said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“No, the s-soul mate part,” Syd said.
“Oh, that. Everyone knows vampires can’t read the minds of their soul mates. They say it has something to do with the chemical reaction to each other being so strong it blocks the receptors. Or something. Anyway, as I said, even if I wasn’t privy to that little tidbit, I knew the minute I saw into your mind that you’re crazy for the guy. It would be kind of sweet if it didn’t make me want to puke,” Raven said, the soul of sensitivity.
Syd could only stare at the lunatic while her mind struggled with the information. Logan had admitted he couldn’t read her mind, but he said he didn’t know why. Did he lie about it because he didn’t want her to know about the soul mate issue? She shook her head. It didn’t matter. They didn’t love each other.
“Wait, you didn’t know you loved him? Mortals,” Raven said with a sigh. “You’re so wrapped up in your neurosis you don’t even know your own minds.”
“I do not love him. I mean I care about him, but there’s no way he’s my soul mate,” Syd said, finally getting her facilities back in order.
“Why not?”
“He’s a vampire. My soul mate can’t be a vampire,” Syd said, her voice rising an octave.
“You can’t choose your soul mate. According to my beliefs, everyone’s mate was chosen for them before birth. It’s easier for vampires to recognize their soul mates because of the mind reading thing, but for mortals it’s harder to see sometimes. Regardless, though, you can’t mess with the goddess’s plan,” Raven countered.
Syd still felt like her world had shifted on its axis. Could Raven have been telling the truth about Logan being Sydney’s soul mate? She hesitated to believe anything the crazy woman said, but why would she lie about it?
Syd had never given the concept of soul mates much credence. But after everything she had seen and heard over the last week, she decided she couldn’t dismiss the concept outright. Whether or not Logan was her soul mate was another issue. And even if he was, what did that mean? Was she supposed to give up her career and become a vampire? The mere thought made her shudder. It was hard enough thinking about Logan as her boyfriend, much less the idea of spending eternity with him. Once she got out of this predicament with Raven, she needed to take a long, hard look at what she wanted. Because right now, she had no idea.
Syd tried to release the tension in her shoulders but it didn’t work. She imagined Logan’s face in her mind. How had this happened? A little over a week ago, she was an unappreciated curator, and now a crazed vampire wanted to use her blood to hurt Logan, who may or may not be her soul mate.
“Are you done with your internal monologue now?” Raven asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Soul mate or not, I am not going to help you hurt Logan in any way,” Syd said.
“Aw, that’s sweet—but silly. You can’t stop me. Now I just have to wait a few hours because the spell will only work at midnight,” Raven said.
Just then, the door to the storeroom opened, and Geraldine walked in.
“Mistress,” she said respectfully and bowed before Raven. When she looked up again, she met Sydney’s gaze.
“You,” Sydney said, putting all of her hatred into that one word. Geraldine quickly looked away but not before Syd saw the guilt written clearly on her face.
“C’mon Syd, don’t blame Geraldine. She was just following orders. Although the homemade chloroform was her own idea. Genius,” Raven said, patting the older woman on the arm. “Now, what is it you need, minion?”
“Mistress, I wanted to discuss my performance with you before the ceremony. I was hoping . . . well, I was hoping you might turn me tonight,” Geraldine said with downcast eyes.
“Why on earth would I do that?” Raven asked, her tone filled with venom.<
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Geraldine looked up quickly.
“Well, I, uh—that is, you promised you would turn me once I proved myself,” she said. She suddenly seemed to gain some confidence. “After all, I am the one who told you about the painting. I brought Sydney to you when no one else could. I spent an entire night in the cold, spying on Murdoch’s home. I even did your laundry. Surely I have done enough to prove myself.”
Raven laughed so hard she doubled over and slapped her knee.
“That’s great,” she said, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
Geraldine frowned. “I am quite serious. During my orientation, you promised you would turn me.”
Raven sobered instantly at Geraldine’s defiant tone. “Enough, minion! You will never be worthy. To think I would turn you, a pathetic mortal, into a goddess just because you did some laundry and snitched on your coworker is preposterous.”
Geraldine’s shoulders slumped at Raven’s cold words. “But you promised,” she tried again, sounding like a whining child.
“Well, I lied. Now be gone from my sight. I can’t stand your sniveling any longer.”
Raven turned her back on Geraldine. The woman stood rooted to the spot, stunned. She slowly looked up to meet Sydney’s eyes. Despite Geraldine’s treachery, Sydney felt a measure of sympathy for her. Knowing Geraldine’s vanity stemmed from her insecurity about aging, she assumed the woman saw becoming a vampire as the only way to retain what was left of her youthful appearance.
Syd tamped down her pity and mouthed, “Help me!”
“She can’t help you, Sydney. She’s just pathetic old hag,” Raven’s steely voice cut through the silence. Tears glistened in Geraldine’s eyes just before she hardened her jaw and stormed out.
Syd tried to remain calm as her only means of escape abandoned her. Her only hope now was that Logan could find her before Raven completed the spell.
As Sydney struggled with her fear, Raven sighed and plopped down on a crate. “It’s so hard to find good minions these days.”
Geraldine barely noticed the chill as she stalked into the night with hot tears streaking her face. She knew her eye makeup was ruined but was too pissed off to care. What was the use, anyway? That heartless she-devil had shattered her dreams.