First and Only: Ember Lane (Book #1)

by Kelly Goode

  Carter took an extra second to obey the command and now his eyes showed a wealth of emotion. I realised not all of his anger was directed at me and it appeared that he was pissed off with his chief too.

  Carter flicked the safety switch on his gun and slid it into his belt. I released the breath I didn’t even realise I’d been holding and even Harvey seemed to relax though he tried his best to mask it behind a scowl.

  ‘Well done, recruits,’ Chief Andrews said. ‘You demonstrated the exact skills I was hoping for and in doing so, have affirmed why you were selected for this mission. We move to phase two tomorrow.’

  ‘Phase two?’ I repeated, wondering if I’d missed something. Maybe the blood-loss was messing with my hearing. ‘Are you telling me this was a test?’

  Chief Andrews nodded.

  ‘Yes, one I’m pleased to say you all passed.’

  Mari chose that moment to poke her furry head out of the bottom of my t-shirt.

  ‘The rat, included,’ he said with a predatory smile which caused Mari to run and hide again. ‘You all played your parts as I needed you to….’

  ‘Played our parts?’ I interrupted, and Harvey squeezed my arm harder than was necessary. I think he was trying to warn me to calm down but I was too angry to listen.

  ‘It will make more sense tomorrow…’

  ‘It’s going to make sense now,’ I interrupted. ‘You owe us an explanation. We could have been killed.’

  Chief Andrew’s eyes narrowed.

  ‘I don’t owe you anything, Ms Lane. Do you want to go back to the detainment unit?’

  I felt my legs tremble. Partly because the thought of going back to a cell filled me with fear and partly because I was so irate, it was all I could do not to release the fireball that was tickling the palm of my hand.

  ‘I didn’t think so. Now everyone needs to go back to their room for a debriefing. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. A very big day.’

  26

  ‘You can let go of my arm now.’

  Ember’s soft voice brought Harvey back to the moment, and away from the dark thoughts he’d been having about ripping people’s hearts out of their chests. The object of his anger, Liam Carter, was surveying him coolly, and as their eyes met, an unspoken challenge passed between them.

  They were going to be enemies.

  Harvey smiled. He could deal with that. He preferred knowing someone was out for him from the start, rather than being stabbed in the back further down the line.

  ‘Do you want me to come with you to get this sorted?’ Harvey asked, releasing his hold on Ember’s arm. He positioned her hand over the wound while he pulled his t-shirt up and over his head.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she asked, her pupils dilating as Harvey wrapped the cotton t-shirt tightly around her arm.

  ‘Furnishing you with a bandage,’ he replied, leaning across to whisper in her ear. ‘Plus, I like the way you react when I take my clothes off.’

  Her face turned as red as her hair. A trait he never grew tired of seeing.

  ‘Let’s go and find a first aid room or something,’ he said, but before Ember could answer, Carter stepped forward.

  ‘Your handler needs to debrief you before you go anywhere, Harvey. Besides, it’s my duty to ensure my charge receives medical attention, not yours.’

  Harvey felt his animosity for the man before him swell in the pit of his stomach. If he weren’t so worried about earning his freedom, he would gut the self-righteous agent where he stood.

  ‘How gallant of you,’ he said, the sarcasm easily flowing from his lips. ‘What a shame you didn’t arrive a few minutes earlier, then there wouldn’t have been any injuries to attend to. What were you doing? Lurking outside the locked door? How macho.’

  Even though Ember looked exhausted from Gerrard’s attack, Harvey saw a glint of anger return to her green eyes as she stared at Carter.

  ‘It’s obvious you knew what was going to happen today,’ she said, ‘so how did Gerrard get the knife?’

  Carter’s face remained impassive, but Harvey could tell from the clench of his jaw that he was not as calm on the inside as he was presenting on the outside.

  ‘It was part of the operation….’

  The sound of Ember’s hand connecting with Carter’s cheek made Harvey wince. The agent, to his credit, barely flinched, which made him think that the man was accustomed to being slapped by beautiful women.

  ‘Stay the fuck away from me,’ Ember hissed, as she pushed past Carter, towards the door.

  ‘Wait,’ he called.

  ‘I’d leave her alone if I was you.’

  Carter turned towards Harvey and the fury he saw in the man’s blue eyes, almost had him backing away.

  Almost, but not quite.

  ‘Well you’re not me, Harvey, and you’ll never be me. No matter what freedom you think is going to be handed back to you at the end of this mission, you’re a criminal, a murderer, an insignificant blot on this earth.’

  Harvey inclined his head.

  ‘Anyone would think you didn’t like me, Agent Carter.’

  ‘I don’t like you.’

  ‘Well as this is turning into a therapy session, I don’t like you either. You think you scare me? Think again. I’ve been through the gates of hell, and you’re the blot compared to what I’ve faced. I am a criminal, and I am a murderer, but I’m not insignificant. Ask Red. Ask her who had her back today, because it sure as hell wasn’t you. The man supposedly charged with her care.’

  Harvey nodded at Ember, who was doing her best to pretend she wasn’t listening as she rattled the door handle, which presumably had automatically locked again. She held her palm against the panel, but it kept bleeping in protest.

  Carter opened his mouth but immediately shut it again, obviously changing his mind about what he was going to say.

  ‘You almost had me riled up there, Harvey,’ he said, rubbing his chin with an overly fake smile on his face, ‘but your little speech is lacking one vital thing.’

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘Someone who actually gives a shit. Recruits come and go. Do you know how many charges I’ve had since joining this team?’

  Harvey shook his head.

  ‘Too many to even recall their names, so don’t think for one second that any of you here are special. You’re just the next batch of trainees. I don’t care about any of you, only the mission. Remember that.’

  Harvey narrowed his eyes.

  ‘Oh, I’ll remember that,’ he said.

  And so would Red, judging by the indignant expression on her face.

  27

  My stomach twisted at hearing Carter voice his derogatory feelings concerning the team and me in particular. However, it did inject a much-needed dose of reality into the situation. This handsome yet callous man wasn’t my friend. We’d spent the last few days together, but I didn’t know him and whatever information he’d gathered about me came from my S.P.T.F. prison file, which didn’t exactly paint me in the best light.

  We were strangers.

  My eyes connected briefly with Harvey’s, another stranger I knew nothing about, before focusing on his bare chest. I was thankful for his act of kindness. The sight of his taut abs might have piqued my hormones, but it was the purple jagged scar across his heart that fascinated me more.

  Harvey was not my friend either, and even though I’d vowed not to, I’d become oddly attached to him. I put it down to not having anyone else to ally with and left it at that.

  Carter chose that moment to stalk towards me. His fury was etched across his face, as too was the outline of my bloodied handprint from where I’d slapped him.

  That had been an automatic reaction, and I wasn’t proud of myself for resorting to violence. I’d hoped to flounce out of the room before he had time to stop me, but the damn door had been locked, halting my escape.

  Carter leaned across me and pressed his palm against a panel beside the door. He twisted the handle, which now opened with e
ase and gestured for me to go ahead of him.

  I hesitated.

  Did I really want to go with Carter?

  Alone?

  I looked over my shoulder to see if Harvey seemed concerned about me leaving, but he was too busy exchanging heated words with his handler.

  Sasha was still on the floor, but she too had one of the team kneeling beside her. Gerrard was under some sort of sedation with an armed guard, which just left Mari.

  ‘Wait,’ I said, having forgotten the rat nestled inside my top.

  ‘What?’ Carter snapped.

  I reached inside my t-shirt and pulled Mari out from where she’d hidden again in the waistband of my trousers. She wriggled frantically in my hand as I tried my best to calm her down.

  ‘What should I do with Mari? She seems distressed.’

  Carter sighed, and there was an almost-smile on his lips when he said, ‘So would I be if you took me out of there.’

  He took the rat from me and whistled to one of the team.

  ‘Hey, Sommors, are you missing something?’

  ‘Yeah, I can’t find that damn rat anywhere.’

  ‘Over here. Make sure you give her some privacy to change back to her human form. Oh, and don’t forget her clothes.’

  After Carter had handed Mari over, he took hold of my elbow and guided me towards another door, away from the direction of our sleeping quarters. The layout reminded me of the detainment unit with too many corridors and access points.

  Carter’s palm print allowed him through every door, and I wondered if mine would grant the same admittance.

  Probably not.

  The last door led into a treatment room, where an older man was sitting at a desk, reading. He looked up as we entered.

  ‘Hey, Doc,’ Carter said. ‘Got a knife wound here that needs treating.’

  The man immediately closed his book and stood up. I guessed he was in his mid-forties with a mop of curly black hair that was going silvery at his temples.

  ‘Puncture or slice?’

  ‘Slice.’

  ‘Any signs of infection?’

  Carter shook his head.

  ‘I don’t think so,’ he said, nudging me towards a small bed, where I dutifully sat down.

  ‘How old is she?’

  ‘Twenty-seven.’

  The doctor crossed the room and washed his hands at a sink before putting on a pair of protective gloves.

  ‘Any history of HIV, Hep B or Hep C?’

  ‘No,’ Carter answered before I even had a chance, which really grated on me.

  ‘You know there’s nothing wrong with my tongue, Carter. I am quite capable of talking for myself,’ I said brusquely.

  Carter frowned, and the doctor came towards me with an amused look on his face.

  ‘Yes, of course you are,’ he said. ‘Sorry, old habits die hard. I was an army medic in a previous life and I’m used to dealing with patients that are closer to death than a simple cut.’

  Being sliced with a knife didn’t feel simple to me, but I held back that retort. The doctor pulled his chair across to the edge of the bed and sat down so he was level with my arm. He removed Harvey’s t-shirt and examined the cut. The bleeding had slowed leaving dark gunky globs, which itched like crazy.

  ‘I need to clean your skin to check there’s nothing trapped inside the wound. What’s your name?’

  ‘It’s Ember,’ I said, grateful he’d asked me and not Carter. ‘Ember Lane.’

  ‘Hello, Ember. I’m Doctor Death.’

  28

  I must have inhaled louder than I realised because the doctor started laughing. I looked up at Carter, who had folded his arms across his wide chest. He too was struggling to maintain a straight face, and I realised the joke was on me.

  ‘That’s not your real name,’ I stated.

  ‘No, but it’s what the guys here call me sometimes.’

  ‘Why?’

  He smiled, and now that we were in closer proximity, I could see his sharper than average fangs.

  ‘Are you a…?’

  My voice trailed off, and I tried to indicate that I’d noticed his teeth. I hadn’t dealt with many vampires during the years I’d been part of the coven. Most witches abhorred them, but I knew not all vampires were mindless dangerous killers. I just couldn’t think of a worse profession for one to take up.

  ‘Yes, I’m a vampire,’ he confirmed, ‘but don’t worry. My name is John Alvis, and I’ve been with this unit for many, many years. I’ve never harmed a human put under my care.’

  I tried to pull my arm away. No matter what he claimed, I didn’t like the way he was studying the cut on my arm. Was the sight of my blood affecting him? Did he want to taste it?

  Bite my neck?

  Do something worse?

  ‘Don’t worry, Ember. I’m a vegetarian.’

  Again, he laughed but it didn’t dispel the fear churning in the pit of my stomach.

  ‘You’re in safe hands,’ Carter said. ‘I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t think the doctor could keep his fangs to himself.’

  ‘He’s right. I’m here to help you, not hurt you.’

  I looked into the doctor’s blue eyes and felt a tingling sensation in my spine that seemed to calm me immediately. I shivered and put it down to the shock, but wondered if he’d used some vampire magic on me.

  ‘Ok,’ I said shakily.

  Doctor Alvis took out a small white sterile cloth from an unopened packet and used saline solution to clean my arm. I tried not to let it show how much it hurt and quickly blinked away the tears that sprung to the corners of my eyes.

  ‘Fortunately the cut is not deep and as it’s on your forearm, no arteries or veins were damaged. There’s no infection, so usually I’d glue the skin together but the cut is too long. I’m going to have to suture the wound.’

  My eyes must have widened in alarm as he smiled kindly.

  ‘Don’t worry, Ember. I’ll numb the area first, and the stitches will be dissolvable so you won’t have to come back to have them taken out. I can’t promise you won’t have a scar, but you may be lucky.’

  I thought about Harvey’s scar on his chest.

  ‘Scars don’t bother me,’ I said. ‘I just don’t like needles very much.’

  ‘You don’t have to watch,’ he said. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

  The doctor stood up and collected what he needed from a cupboard. I kept my eyes fixed in the opposite direction and only flinched when I felt a cold spray hit my arm.

  ‘The anaesthetic will kick in soon. Can you feel this?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said as he prodded my arm with his finger.

  Carter came to stand beside me, and I was surprised when he took my free hand in his. He’d said he didn’t care but his action betrayed his words.

  His touch was enough to cause sparks, and I’m talking real sparks, which danced up and down my arms.

  ‘Whoa, Carter, you never said anything about her being able to shoot fire.’

  The doctor took a couple of steps away from me, looking genuinely worried. I battled to regulate my emotions so the flames would disappear. It had taken a long time for me to understand how to keep my powers under control and being under stressful circumstances didn’t help.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘I didn’t do that on purpose.’

  ‘I know, Ember. Vampires aren’t scared of many things, but fire is kinda like our kryptonite.’

  Carter had also moved away from me, and I hoped I hadn’t burnt him again.

  ‘We’ll have to sedate her,’ I heard the doctor say, and I shook my head at Carter.

  ‘No, I promise. It won’t happen again.’

  ‘Sorry, I can’t take the chance that you’ll reduce our only medic to a pile of ash,’ he replied.

  I was about to protest further but after a sharp sting on my upper arm; I knew it was too late. The doctor had already administered the drugs.

  ‘You sneaky bastard,’ I slurred. ‘You fucking
…’

  29

  Carter barely had time to blink before Ember’s wound was neatly stitched and properly dressed with a clean bandage. That was the benefit of having a vampire as a medic. The doc’s super-speed had saved many lives under pressure, his own included.

  ‘Sorry about the fire thing,’ Carter said, as soon as the vampire slowed down enough for him to no longer resemble a blur. ‘I wasn’t thinking straight.’

  ‘That’s ok. I should have guessed really. With hair like that she was hardly going to be a water imp.’

  The two men shared a knowing glance over Ember’s sleeping form.

  ‘Truth be told; I never thought I’d be asked to treat a woman again. Not after what happened last time.’

  Carter didn’t want to think about the last woman he’d brought to this very room. He could still hear her screams and feel her blood seeping onto his hands. He shook his head to chase away those memories.

  ‘Chief Andrews needs them,’ he said.

  ‘Them?’

  The doc raised his dark eyebrows in surprise. It was hard to shock a vampire, which demonstrated how unusual it was to recruit women to the First and Only team.

  ‘Yep, one is a rat shape-shifter, not your type. The other is blonde and bouncy,’ Carter said begrudgingly, not able to deny Sasha’s beauty or her magnetism, but he couldn’t forget the image of her in his dream as a hag…

  ‘Blonde and bouncy,’ the doc repeated with a sharp smile. ‘Maybe I’ll venture out of my crypt to see how the team vitals are holding up. It’s been a while since I mingled.’

  Carter gently lifted Ember from the bed, cradling her in his arms. She gave no resistance in her unconscious form and weighed less than he bench-pressed at the gym.

  ‘I should warn you that the blonde is a succubus. She’s already haunting my dreams and would have no qualms eating you for breakfast.’

  ‘That’s what I was hoping for, son,’ he replied lewdly, causing them both to laugh. ‘A dead man tells no tales after all.’

  Carter glanced down at Ember as she made a small whimpering noise. Her eyelids flickered as she slept and he wondered what monsters haunted her dreams.