by S. L. Eaves
“Give me something to work with here. Help me understand. Maybe we can work this out and you won't have to see the sun rise.”
His eyes harden. He seems to consider a response, ultimately opts for silence.
I sigh. My chest burns from his betrayal and I resist the urge to rub the wound.
“You think you're going to get me to talk?” Malik grunts after a long silence. “You the new Marcus now?”
He's trying to push my buttons. Striden said I'd been crossed by one of my own. And I'm starring at him.
Which makes him more Marcus than I'll ever be.
“Frankly I don't know what you think you're gaining by not talking. You don't want to tell me why you tried to take me out? Fine. But maybe shed some light on your recent actions leading up to tonight...Why go rogue and start turning people? Why defy the Purebloods?”
“I didn't miss your heart. You survived because you drank pureblood. You're working for them now. Which is what I suspected. You don't attack them in their own temple and walk out a free man – or woman – I know that from experience. But they don't own me anymore. You're their vessel now. I knew once you found me, they'd come for me. They used you to find me. Using vampires is what they do best. They created us and they control us. Now they're using their influence to get you and your clan to destroy everything I've put into motion. You've seen what they're capable of, but you’re too compromised to stop them. My fate will be much worse than the sun if they get to me first.”
“Are you still in touch with Vega? Is that how you knew about the temple?”
“I can sense their presence. They're with you now. I saw what happened in Europe, but I didn't need to see. I don't want to see any of it.”
The visions are driving him insane. They are driving him to do drastic things.
He's seen a different ending than the one he faces now.
I try another tactic.
“I can't help what I've become. But I can still change our fates. You know I don't want the Purebloods to come for us anymore than you do. I'm hoping I can help us all survive this. Even you if you'll let me.”
He scoffs.
“Tell me, does your brand new life in L.A. help you sleep at night? Or day, rather?”
Sitting back I regard him quizzically, not sure how to respond.
“I hung around when things got hairy with Trion because you were in over your head and Adrian asked me to keep an eye on you. Adrian said you'd be the spark that ignited change. He had high hopes for you. You and Catch.”
“Don't say his name,” That comes out angrier than intended.
He continues unflustered. “What I'm doing now, it's what he envisioned for you. The impetuous rebel who'd defy the Purebloods. Bring about a new order. But you opted to leave the life. You didn't embrace it like he expected. Then they got to you before you could fulfill your destiny.”
“So what? You took up the cause? You're inciting a genocide in Adrian's name? Killing and turning humans? Adrian didn't want this. We ended up on opposite sides because I still see the value in keeping our worlds separate. Vampirism is a parasite I don't want spread. Neither did he. “
“And the Purebloods are using that to manipulate you into doing their bidding. It's what they do.”
“This world isn't yours to share with the humans. You invite them in but how soon before they turn on us the same way you're turning on your maker?”
A flash hits me. I'm growing used to it, but it still takes a great deal of effort to absorb without a visible reaction.
Like taking a punch to the face without flinching.
Malik doesn't seem to notice; his quiet rage becomes louder with every word.
“The world is changing. There's nothing you or your Pureblood allies can do at this point. We will turn and feed as we see fit. They can't control us, not anymore. They are ancient and growing weaker by the day while we prosper. All they can do is watch as our numbers flourish while the world is turned upside down.”
I lean forward, bringing my nose to his. “You're lying. If that was the case you wouldn't have tried to eliminate me.”
Malik spits at my feet.
There's a silver chain around his neck. I wrap my fingers around it and lift a round black onyx pendant from beneath his shirt. Adrian gifted me a similar one with a different stone. We share his bloodline. There's so much I want to ask him about Adrian. Though if what he's told me so far is any indication, I'm better off not knowing. I snap the chain from his neck, pressing the stone into my palm.
“Before when you asked me if I was going to resort to Marcus' interrogation techniques - I'm not Marcus. Not because I don't want to be, but because I don't need to be.”
I blink, breaking eye contact as I slide off the seat. Standing, glaring down, processing what I've seen. He's a statue. His posture daring me to try to break him.
Then something in his eyes changes. He can see what I see. It's a two way street with us.
He realizes I know about Striden.
“What you did – sending him to my apartment - was more a Marcus move than anything I've ever done.”
He doesn't respond, but I see the slightest hint of a smile form at the corners of his mouth.
I want to scream, to grab him, to make him tell me why it's come to this. As if he knows. I can see now he doesn't. He pulled the thread, but the blanket is unraveling on its own momentum now. And he just wants it to end. He's resigned to his fate.
Playing the good cop in this scenario has gotten old. I'm done pretending I can help him, pretending he can redeem himself, pretending he can get off this damn cross he's on and join us.
It's over for him. I drop the pendant and fling the chair into the wall out of blind frustration.
“I want you to know that I was going to come for you. Before the events of tonight. You sent a werewolf to my apartment. That alone was justification enough for the recourse I had planned. But you struck first. You saved me the trouble of killing you. I hope the sun takes you slowly.”
Turning, I head to the door. When my hand reaches the knob I hear him move for the first time.
“You want to restore order. You want a world to come back to when this is over. That world doesn't exist anymore. You're fighting for something you already lost.”
The conviction in his voice tells me he believes this wholeheartedly.
In spite of what he's seen or perhaps because of it.
My shoulders fall, I lean my forehead against the door.
“I don't know any other way to end this. But I promise you if I can strip even the slightest bit of power from the Purebloods in the process I will. Just not at the cost of anymore lives. If there is a way, this isn't it.”
“You're going to get all of them killed. My rebels, your clan, every last vampire. Destroying us damns you all,” he delivers the warning through clenched teeth.
I look over my shoulder.
“I wish it didn't come to this.”
“I wish I'd taken you out years ago.”
Turning my back to him once more, “On nights like this I wish you had.”
***
When the door closes behind me I fall into it, resting my back against its cool surface as I slump to the floor in quiet agony. Quinn and Rex had been waiting for me outside. Dade, back from dropping off the girl, has joined them. They stand on either side of me, eyes searching me for answers. One look at my demeanor and they collapse against the wall by my side.
“Did he give you anything?”
I turn my head and meet Quinn’s gaze.
“He wasn't working undercover and this wasn't an accident. He orchestrated everything, he put these attacks in motion. He knew exactly what he was doing.”
“He needed to take you out so you wouldn't stop him?” Dade questions, baffled by what transpired in his absence.
“He views me as compromised because of my new connection to the Purebloods. I led them to him. Once he knew we'd found him he wasn't going to run, he was go
ing to step into the sun whether we did it or not. Taking me out would have been a bonus.”
“We have him now, we could hand him over to them as a sign of good faith.” Rex surprises us all with this suggestion.
I'm not sure how to respond to that. If the Purebloods can talk to me or control me, they're not stepping in. Which I take as a good sign. Or they're not playing that hand until they have to.
“No,” says Crina, “We give him what he wants.”
I look up as she and Xan approach.
“You guys caught all that then?” Popping the comm out of my ear, I hand it to Xan as he helps me to my feet. They’d been in the conference room recording our conversation.
“Yeah, we heard everything. He sees himself as some sort of revolutionary. What was that bit about him sending a werewolf after you?”
“Not now, I'll explain later.” Crina, anticipating the question, doesn't miss a beat.
“Well he expected us all to be either killed or captured by the Purebloods. It's not a coincidence he left the mansion just before we were attacked,” Xan mutters.
“And with us out of the mix this plan of his would be a lot easier to execute,” Quinn adds, addressing the group. “You saw how he reacted to finding us at the bunker last night. He was nothing short of surprised to see us there.”
“I want to talk to Malik. To try once more before sunrise,” Rex grumbles.
“Be my guest.” I step aside and he practically punches open the door in frustration.
Quinn watches him go in. “Malik was a good friend to us at one point. This isn’t easy, but I think Rex and I should be the ones to lead him into the light.”
“That’s fine.” I start down the hall.
Crina falls in stride with me. “Can we talk about what happened in there?”
She points at a room to her right. Reluctantly I follow.
“We need your head in this if we stand a chance,” she starts as soon as the door shuts, “You’re acting defeated when we haven’t even begun to fight.”
“Because every single angle is lose-lose. I don’t see a way out of this for us. We can take out the rogues like the Purebloods want, but Malik is sure they'll kill us once they're done using us and he's probably right. I’m tired of being a pawn. I’m tired of everyone trying to kill me. Surviving is exhausting.”
“You want to step in the sun alongside Malik go ahead, I won’t stop you. You choose to stay, you work with us to find a way out of this. You make your survival count for something.”
I dig a pack of crushed cigarettes out of my back pocket, find one that’s salvageable, and light it. Crina sighs and paces the length of the little empty office space we’re standing in. My bandages are damp with blood. A pep talk isn't really going to cut it right now.
“He sent Striden after you?”
I nod slowly. Crina seems to read the pain in my face.
“What a coward. Sun is too good for him.”
“We need to tell the others about Striden. The timing sucks, but if he and Malik were working together it could mean he's more deeply involved than we thought.”
“Soon. But not tonight, it's just too much right now. Get some rest. I realize Malik’s attack was quite a blow. When you're feeling better we need to talk about what wasn't said in that room.”
She's alluding to my vision. There'd been a few. I'd never experienced a telepathic exchange on that level before.
I start to say something, she’s quick to cut me off. “Take the day to recover, we need you at a hundred percent. Physically and mentally. Consider what Catch and Adrian would do in this scenario.”
That’s exactly what I’ve been asking myself.
“I need to change my bandages.” As I open the door to leave, she places a hand on my shoulder.
“You're right, you know. The Adrian I knew would never condone Malik's actions. He never wanted any of that for you, for Catch, not for any of us,” she tries to sound convincing as she follows me out into the hall.
The door at the end opens. Rex and Quinn lead Malik out. His arms are bound, but he’s not resisting, he seems to be leading them.
They’ll tie him up outside. Someplace where Xan can affix a camera should any of us wish to watch it play out. I doubt any of us will.
“Vega once told me that Adrian still fed off the living and that he had been exiled by the Purebloods. I don't know what or who to believe anymore. Malik could be right, he may have wanted this.”
Malik meets my eyes one last time before he disappears down the adjacent hall. His contempt cuts through the haze of smoke from my cigarette.
Chapter 24
My duffle bag is buzzing. It's resting next to the cot and the incessant vibrating stirs me awake. Eyes half open, I run my hand along the bag until I find the source of the buzzing and fish my phone out.
It's Hailey.
“Hello? Hailey?” I slur sleepily into the phone.
“There you are. You’re tough to get ahold of. You know who isn’t as tough? I'll give you one guess.”
Striden's voice cuts like glass. I shoot upright.
Hailey’s voice shrieks through in the background. “Let go!”
Thumping sounds can be heard, something breaks. I hear a muffled “Bitch” from Striden.
“Excuse me I dropped the phone there for a second.” He’s laughing when he returns to the phone. “I’m going to text you an address. You show or your lab rat of a friend here dies. Then I come for you. Don’t make me hunt you down a second time. I promise you more will die if I have to.”
I stand, yelling into the phone as if it'll make a difference. As if there's anything I can say that will help.
“This is between us, Striden. Let her go. She’s just a human. She has a daughter.”
“I know. And she’ll make a nice pup don’t you think?”
The line goes dead.
Crina sticks her head in the door. “What's with the yelling?”
I immediately go for my bag. “Striden just called me from Hailey's phone. He has her and her kid.”
“Shit. How?”
“He made a joke about her being a lab rat. He knows who she is. I knew something seemed off when he spotted her at the bar.”
Crina grabs my arm as I throw the bag over my shoulder.
“Whoa...first off, it's the middle of the day. Secondly, we need to form a plan. This is obviously a trap. Don’t be this stupid. You’re barely walking.”
“Yeah he waited till sunrise to make his move. Fucking coward,” I growl through gritted teeth. “I can’t let him do this Crina, you know I can’t.”
“I want to take him out more than anyone, but not like this. Not over a slayer and not when he’s the one calling the shots. You said you’re tired of being manipulated. What do you think this is?”
“I led him to Hailey. He may have found her without my help, but I certainly made things a lot easier…Zach! He's in danger too, I have to warn him.” Ignoring her as I scroll through the few numbers I have on my phone and realize I don't have any way of contacting him. I don't even know his last name.
“Damnit.” I move like I'm going to hurl the phone and catch myself. He's texting me an address.
Crina places her hand on my arm.
“Relax, he's not going to kill them, he needs them for leverage. We'll get them. Let me bring the others into this and we'll form a plan.”
She waits patiently, her eyes imploring me to calm down. After a moment, I shrug the bag off my shoulder.
“Yeah...yeah...alright. Like you said, it's daylight out, right? Can't go anywhere yet. Gather the others. I'll pull myself together.”
She nods, offering a reassuring smile. I head into the bathroom to splash water on my face and put on a clean set of bandages. The wound has nearly healed so at least one thing is working in my favor. I'm going to need to be at full strength for what I'm about to do.
***
“I can't believe you two knew Striden was alive this whole time an
d didn't say a damn thing.” Xan shakes his head in disbelief as they enter Lori's room.
“Lori, I brought them up to speed. Let's talk—” Finding her room empty, Crina's voice trails off, “strategy.”
“Bathroom?” Xan suggests.
She heads down the hall. The office space they're using has communal bathrooms and she opens the swing door and checks the stalls.
“She not in here?” Rex asks from the doorway.
“Bloody rags in the trash cans, but no sign of her.”
“Maybe she went to find us,” Rex offers. “I think Dade and Quinn are asleep, but I can check to see if she's with them.”
Xan steps out of her room and meets them in the hall.
“Her bag's gone.”
Crina pulls out her phone.
“Bag's missing, she's not answering her phone...It's daylight where could she be?”
“Oh shit, the daylight suit!” Xan hurries down the hall.
“I'll check the camera feeds.” Rex takes off after him with Crina on his heels.
Xan enters the conference room where Rex is scrolling through camera footage.
“Daylight suit's gone. I suspect you're going to find a recording of her leaving in it,” Xan confirms as he joins them.
“Son of a bitch,” Crina watches over Rex's shoulder as the footage shows Lori pulling away on her bike.
She turns to Xan, “Tell me we have other suits.”
He shakes his head, “Just the one. It's the Trion prototype. Remember the others we tried needed adjustments? Haven't been able to replicate it a hundred percent.”
“Damn. Does it have a comm?”
“No, not built in. But it does have a tracking device.”
Xan crosses to a laptop and begins typing. “I'll bring it online. We can pinpoint her location and join her after sunset.”
Crina shakes her head. “I'm not waiting till sunset. I'm going to layer up and go after her. You got anything I can use as an eye piece?”
Rex looks up. “We've got some goggle-style scopes that should do the trick.”