by Janice Jones
“You guys follow the bags to the airport,” Alex said to the twins, Erin, and Amy. “I need to talk with Xavier and Sebastian.”
They did as they were told, but she could feel their collective suspicion. A strong vibe of fear came from Amy. After Alex had explained to her that part of her training would be done with the Warrens, she was understandably afraid.
“Did I do something wrong?” Amy sighed. “I can train harder. I mean, Sebastian has been working with me on my fighting stuff.”
Alex stepped up to her, place her hand on her narrow shoulders. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that we may need your magic, so I just thought that maybe you’d like to learn from the best.”
Amy’s eyes lit up at that. If she was any kind of practitioner of magic, then she knew about Esmeralda and Morgan Warren. And everyone wanted to learn from the best, right?
“I do,” she gushed. “I’m just sorta nervous. I’ve never been away from the team before.”
“You’ll be safe, I promise. Besides, you have a real gift. You have to learn to control it so you can use it whenever you need it. Esmeralda can teach you that.”
She reluctantly agreed, but the entire team was afraid to let her go on her own. Alex remembered how it felt to be separated from her team too. But that had been different, hadn’t it? She wasn’t going away to learn some new skill, she was in a hospital suffering from a mental collapse and no one from her team had come to visit her there.
Once the others were on their way, Alex placed the silver case on the low coffee table and sat down on the floor. Xavier and Sebastian sat on the couch in front of her and the case. Slowly, her pulse obeyed her command to ease its rapid pace. She opened the case, took out a vial filled with a ruby red substance and a pure silver dagger. As soon as Sebastian saw the weapon, smelled the silver, he recoiled slightly. Instinctually, just the smell warned almost every vampire to beware. Although it would not kill them, silver and anything containing even trace amounts of it, could weaken a vampire. Alex knew silver poisoning would feel like a severe bout of flu. Nausea, vomiting, joint pain, headaches of migraine levels. She wouldn’t wish that on anyone really, so when he pushed back from the table with a shiver, she understood completely.
“Relax,” Alex said as she placed the dagger on the floor next to her. She closed the case and placed it on the other side of her. “I may have a way to find out what happened to Matt, maybe who attacked the compound. I’m not sure what will happen really, but . . .”
Xavier sat forward, narrowed his eyes as he stared at the glass vial with the black rubber cap. “Is that blood?”
“Yes,” she replied. “Matt’s blood.”
_______________
Sebastian matched Xavier’s posture and took a deep breath. Werewolf blood didn’t exactly have a pleasing scent. That’s how vampires could tell the difference between humans and Weres in a crowd. The sharpness of its scent was matched only by the pungent taste. A Werewolf diet consisted mostly of meat, and lots of it. So the smell had a strong animal odor and Sebastian found he didn’t like it at all. Again, he pulled back and frowned.
“What are you going to do with it?” he asked.
Alex had stood and crossed to the bar. She came back with a bottle of Jack and three shot glasses. “I’m going to drink it,” she announced.
“Whoa,” Xavier squealed. “You can’t drink blood straight like that Alex. It could kill you.”
As she poured the whiskey, she grinned. “It goes in the whiskey.”
It was Sebastian who picked up the vial, opened it and growled. Suddenly, the memory of the other night came back. Alex had been the cause of his collapse, not bad blood. His fangs dropped immediately at the thought. He placed the cap back on the tube and stared at her.
“You did that to me,” he glared.
“Did what?” Xavier asked as he grabbed Sebastian’s arm to keep him from jumping over the table at Alex. “What’s going on?”
“What are you?” Sebastian growled. “Tell the truth or I’ll do my best to rip you to shreds!”
She was calm when she took the shot of whiskey then poured herself another. Her hand came out and both Sebastian and Xavier jumped when the vial was pulled out of his fingers and floated to Alex.
_______________
Alex wrapped her fingers around the vial. If she couldn’t trust them, who could she trust? They were the strongest of them all, natural leaders. And there really was only one way to find out if they were with her or against her—truth.
“I’m showing you this because I want you to trust me,” she said in a low voice. After she twisted the cap off, she poured a small bit into the whiskey. Then the liquid began to move on its own. The alcohol turned a deep brown color as it mixed with the blood.
“What are you?” Xavier whispered fixed on the swirling liquid.
“Dhampire,” Sebastian hissed before Alex could answer. His teeth retracted as he sat back against the cushions. Alex could see the relief wash over him as he did. “I thought those were just dumb stories—the offspring of a vampire and a human—fairy tales.”
“Well,” she grinned at him. “We used to think the same thing about vampires and stuff, but . . .”
“How?” Xavier continued to whisper. “Who . . . where . . . I . . .”
Alex waved his gaping mouth closed. “I’ll explain it all later, but right now, I need to do this. I just need you guys to sit and watch. It might get a little messy, but don’t let me leave this room and don’t let me hurt you.”
“Wait,” Sebastian gasped before the glass reached her lips. “What’s gonna happen? I mean are you going to turn into a Were or something? You’re stronger than the both of us. What are we supposed to do if that happens?”
“Oh yeah,” she grinned. She stood and disappeared inside the bedroom again. Returning with a gun, she handed it to Sebastian. “It’s a tranquilizer gun. Just don’t miss.”
“So you are gonna turn,” Xavier said, eyes wide with fear and amazement.
“No, but I’m going to experience whatever he did, so I might try to bolt.”
“Oh,” they said in unison.
“Alright boys, “Alex smiled as she raised the glass again. “Let’s light this candle shall we?” She laughed, downed the shot, and then placed the glass on the table again.
_______________
At first she just sat there, staring at them and then the ceiling. To Sebastian she looked like she needed to pee or something. Then she shrugged. Just as she began to reach for the bottle again, a thin stream of blood eased from her nose. The drops hit her white t-shirt and Sebastian could smell her blood mixed with whiskey and werewolf blood.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Her mouth opened then closed as her face contorted and she doubled over with a weak moan. Both Sebastian and Xavier jumped to their feet. Her hand shot up, and they stopped in their tracks. Her eyes were solid black—no white at all. “Don’t touch me,” she said, her voice gravelly and not really hers anymore.
Sebastian wanted to help her, but he had no idea what to do. Maybe some vampires could do this, glean past events from a taste of a victim’s blood, but she wasn’t a vampire. Correction, she wasn’t completely vampire. So maybe she could. He knew from the stories that if she had these abilities, psychokinesis, the ability to move objects with her mind and blood connection, her vampire parent could do the same.
Music suddenly filled the room. Sebastian and Xavier were startled as all the electronics in the entire suite came to life. Alex screamed as she slammed her foot down on the coffee table so hard it split into two even pieces. Then she spoke again.
“They came to the compound in combat gear,” she croaked. “Masked and fully prepared.”
Xavier cautiously knelt beside her, Sebastian stood behind her, ready to grab her if she made a move for him. “What else?
Can you see Matt?”
“Yes,” she whimpered like a dog. “He’s fighting them, but there’s too many!”
She fell on her back and screamed again. The music grew louder and Sebastian hoped no one would call the front desk. When the balcony doors blew open, a fierce wind filled the room. Papers and magazines scattered everywhere as Alex writhed in pain. Sebastian eased down on his knees near her head. As he reached for her, her eyes opened wide, still black as coal, and she shook her head at him with an expression that froze his blood. Then as if being lifted by invisible strings, her body rose from the floor. Xavier and Sebastian watched from their knees as she hovered in mid-air above them. Arms stretched away from her body, scratches appeared on her forearms, bright red with blood.
“Alex,” Sebastian whispered. “Can you hear me?”
She was suspended in mid-air as the mysterious wind whipped her hair around her head.
“Alex! Can you hear me?” he screamed this time.
“So much pain,” she moaned. “So much pain! They just kept hitting and hitting until he passed out. They killed everyone. Then they killed him!”
“Who? Who killed him,” Xavier prodded. “Tell us who killed Matt!”
“I can’t see,” she whined as her body slowly descended again. When she was on the floor, the noise stopped abruptly, she rolled to her side and began to cry. “I couldn’t see. The blood’s too old now.”
Sebastian helped her to her knees. Her head bowed, they waited for the tears to stop before they asked if she needed anything.
“Hand me that trash can over there, please,” she whispered.
Xavier slid it to her hand. For a few minutes, she just sat there, head bowed, face hidden by her tangled hair. Then her entire face covered the trash can. Sebastian held her hair as the whiskey and blood exited her body.
Chapter 44
It’s true what they say about Vegas. What happened here over the last few days would stay here. No one talked much on the ride to the airport. Erin and David were glued to their laptops, scanning evidence. Kai went over a composite diagram of the device from the box. If he could find something unique, maybe they could track down the architect. Amy had a special assignment. She was to learn two spells before she arrived at the Warren School in Salem later tonight.
Alex stared out the window, watching the traffic whiz by in silence. From the back of the SUV, the outside world looked tame. But she had always known that it wasn’t. There was always something that waited in the dark and she thought she could feel it, even now.
Sebastian tapped her foot with his, “You okay?”
Alex gave him a nod, but she was far from okay. She wanted to believe both Ben and Coop were still alive, but probably not. If she appeared to worry, the team would worry and no one would be focused on the assignment. And if Jason died on this trip, so would they.
Sebastian put his magazine down between them. He stretched his arm over the back of her seat and leaned in close, “Talk to me.”
“I’m just tired,” she replied. “I’ve got a lot of work to do before Romania.”
He exhaled long and hard, “But you have us now. And we are here every step of the way.”
Xavier looked at her through the rearview, “Yeah. Where you go, we follow.”
“We’re a team. Your team,” David added from the passenger seat.
Kai followed, “And we’re the best there is!”
She leaned forward, “If we have any hope of getting through this in one piece, we have to stay focused. Amy will get her magic under control with the Warrens. When she’s ready, they’ll send her back. When the twins are done on the campaign stop with their Mother, we’ll start our own planning. I have to teach you things you may not be ready to learn. I have to teach you to kill. That’s not easy. I have to teach you to make people believe you will kill without hesitation, and that’s even harder. You have to be ready to follow through when you have no other choice.”
Erin cleared her throat, “What about Ben. Are we forgetting about him?”
“No,” Alex replied. “But all of this is connected, I know it. We just have to figure out how. We do that, then we’ll find Ben and Coop.”
Just outside the departure gate, a group from TSA waited for them. Security was pretty accommodating for the world’s most famous bodyguards. Alex appreciated not being stuck in line just to get through to their gates. They were immediately escorted to a private lounge, owned by Jason of course. Their bags were checked in front of them, then they were led to the lounge by a woman wearing the uniform of Jason’s casino, along with two others in TSA uniforms.
Their escort made the walk to the lounge feel like an Epcot tour.
“To your right, FAO Schwarz. To your left are restrooms and courtesy phones. But the lounge has both and they’re much nicer,” she whispered that last part, then giggled.
They came upon a large space under renovation. The signs in both empty display windows read “Coming Soon.” They could hear construction noise through the heavy plastic that hung in place of doors. Alex thought it was strange for this time of night, but then again, it was Vegas.
“This space is own by Mr. Wynn,” their tour guide continued. “We’ve got a pool going as to what it might be.”
Finally, the private lounge. The woman waved a key card over the electronic pad. A bright green light popped on and the pad buzzed. She pushed the door and allowed them to enter. Before saying her good-byes, she handed the card to Alex. It was the only card and if someone needed to leave the safety of this place, Jason thought it would be better to let Alex make the call. She waved again and left the lounge.
Inside the private space, Alex let out a long exhale. The entire room had a slightly musky smell. Oversized furnishings covered in warm, rich earth tones gave it a homey feel. Sebastian bumped her as he passed by on his way to a fluffy armchair in the far corner. “Not bad, huh?”
“Perfect,” Alex said, mostly to herself.
Erin and David settled at the round table, close to the outlets and the mini bar. Kai dropped his duffle next to one of the two large sofas, stretched out and asked not to be disturbed unless the airport caught fire or his flight was called, whichever came first. With Beats in place, he stuffed one of the pillows under his head, yawned and closed his eyes. Xavier and Amy settled on the floor in front of Sebastian. The three of them chatted quietly.
Alex settled on the small loveseat by the exit. If anyone wanted to leave, they’d have to go through her. Same with anyone who tried to gain entrance without a key card. Her laptop poised on her knees, right where it should be, and she got right to work. Her plan? To find a way to protect a vampire with celebrity status and find out what the hell was going on before anyone else died.
An hour later, their escort appeared again. This time to make sure Erin boarded her plane safely. She was headed to Atlanta for an early Thanksgiving with her parents. With the assignment so close to the holiday, they couldn’t be sure they’d be home in time, so Erin asked if she could go home. Holidays were a big deal for her family and she didn’t want to miss it.
“You sure this is okay, Alex?” she asked last night. “I can tell my parents I’ll have to miss it this year.”
The look on her face told Alex she really didn’t want to do that. And she saw no reason why she couldn’t go home for a few days. She and Amy didn’t really need to train like the guys did. They would be more in the background, as Alex discovered they always had been. No hand to hand and almost no weapons training for either of them. From the background information, both Erin and Amy participated in missions as tactical support. Which meant they didn’t usually go into any dangerous situations at all.
Erin’s biography stated that she was a genius, IQ almost 200. After graduating from high school at thirteen, she entered Yale on a full scholarship, though her commercial architect father and Fortune 500 CEO mother
could afford any college in the world.
Computers were her forte. When Strategic went completely high tech, she was recruited to make sure all its information stayed safe and classified. Alex wasn’t sure what all the techno babble about building firewalls and encryptions that were practically unbreakable actually meant, but if she knew her father, this girl was valuable, which made her important to him. He liked valuable things. Alex was valuable once.
As for Amy, she came from fairly comfortable surroundings as well. Her father was a doctor, pediatrics. Her mother, a housewife. She was not a genius, she graduated high school but no college. What she brought to Strategic was magic. Literal magic. How she got started or discovered was sketchy. Alex’s father had brought her in less than a year ago. There was no mention of why he wanted her in the program so badly, but she was here.
Their faces and biographies had sat on Alex’s screen for so long, she got lost in their faces. Young, attractive, smart, strong—the team ran the gambit. When her father added a vampire into the mix of humans, he’d been criticized at first. It took two years for the DOD to agree to let him in. Probationary was stamped across the cover page of Sebastian’s bio. He’d been probationary for a year and she wondered why.
It surprised her that the twins were brought into the program at all. Their mother was a U.S. Senator for God’s sake. Why would she allow her children to be a part of something like this anyway? Then she read the part of the report where Senator Yun sat on the oversight committee that had held the purse strings in the beginning. When they were bought out to save a few million dollars a year on defense, the twins stayed with the program against her wishes.
Then there was Xavier. Xavier was on the fast track in the LAPD believe it or not. He was injured in the line of duty his first collar on the streets. Torn ACL would keep him out of SWAT and that was all he had ever wanted, according to an interview included in his biography. So it was pretty easy to see why he joined the program. That ACL thing was gone once the supplements kicked in. No surgery, no drugs, other than the supplement, and no pain, ever again.