Kaden was furious. He wanted to strangle this enchanting, sexy warrior and then kiss her senseless. What! Kaden was horrified by his own thoughts. He reminded himself how much Reysa was annoying him at the moment. He concentrated on his anger and pushed his wanton desire aside. “You give yourself way too much credit. What a hero complex you have. I don’t need rescuing from a woman who runs a Las Vegas whorehouse. Thanks for your help, but why don’t you be a good madam and get back to your girls?” Kaden hated being so harsh, but he needed Reysa to be safe and if making her hate him was the only option, then he would take it.
Reysa recoiled as if Kaden had slapped her. His words stung, but they inflamed her more than upset her. She slowly walked over to him, betraying no emotion in her face. She wrapped her fingers tightly around his neck and squeezed, sapping all the breath in Kaden’s lungs. “You want to call me a whore? Fine, but don’t you dare insult my girls. Now, I’ll be back in a jiffy with my charmer. She and I will rescue your pathetic alpha male wannabe ass. Once again, the mighty vampire Kaden will be saved by the whore. I wonder if there will be anything left of your pride after this is all over?” Reysa vanished a second later leaving Kaden with Olivia.
“How could you speak so cruelly to her after she helped you?” Olivia questioned. “You’re lucky she is still willing to help you. Most women would have let you rot.”
Before Kaden could respond, Reysa reappeared with a stunning child that looked to be about five years old. “I thought it would be more amusing to have a child rescue your sorry ass.”
“Tatiana, my love, can you release those bonds?” Reysa spoke the words as she used her hands to explain. Kaden watched as the young girl followed the motion of Reysa’s hands. He realized the little girl was deaf.
The child nodded and walked over to Kaden. She smiled up at him with silver eyes that were filled with kindness and innocence. Those eyes were the same color as her hair, which was braided down her back. The child possessed a unique beauty.
Tatiana touched Kaden’s wrist where the shackles bound him to the wall. She closed her eyes and Kaden’s right hand was released. The child repeated the motion and released the shackles on Kaden’s left hand and his ankles. Within minutes, he was free.
Kaden, with an open hand, touched his fingers to his lips and then extended his hand outward, signing “thank you.” The little girl’s face beamed momentarily, melting Kaden’s heart. She signed “you’re welcome” and ran back to Reysa. Reysa narrowed her eyes, looking at Kaden incredulously. Before Kaden could gloat over Resya’s shock, she and the child disappeared.
Reysa returned a few minutes later. “I think it’s time we get you out of here, unless you really want to stay.”
Olivia knew Kaden was too stubborn to thank Reysa, so she did it on his behalf. “Thank you, Reysa. We appreciate all your help with this.”
Reysa touched Olivia’s shoulder and then Kaden’s, and the three of them disappeared.
Chapter 9
Lorenzo knocked on the door and then strolled into Lucian’s office before he could respond. The office was pitch black except for a small desk that barely illuminated the space the papers lying in disarray. Lucian was not sitting at the desk. Lorenzo used his senses to locate Lucian in the corner. His vibrant blue eyes were the only light to penetrate the shadows of this tiny space.
“Hiding in the dark won’t change anything, my friend.” Lorenzo flipped the light switch. Lucian growled, but did not stop him. “We have important business matters to discuss, but if you need to talk to me as a friend about Olivia, we can start there.”
Lucian never spoke of Olivia to Lorenzo or anyone else. For years he refused to utter her name and even now, the thought of discussing her felt forbidden, yet he wanted nothing more than to unburden himself. He could trust no one more than Lorenzo: his best friend, who stopped him from destroying his life when he lost Olivia all those years ago. It was Lorenzo who found him in an alley in Madrid -- starving, crazed, and lashing out at everyone who approached him. Lucian could not even remember how he ended up in Spain, never mind that deserted alley, but he remembered Lorenzo towering over him. His father had sent Lorenzo to find him.
Lucian’s first instinct was to attack, but he was in no condition to take on the illusive Lycan. Lorenzo easily tossed him around like a rag doll until he finally stayed down. Lorenzo, in his annoyingly calm manner, lifted him up and carried him to an apartment. When he awoke, he was back in Sorrento, cleaned and dressed with a pitcher of blood waiting for him. Lucian downed the blood immediately, satiating that painful hunger which had nearly driven him to madness.
As he fed, his strength returned. He tried to escape, but there was no window to open or door to run through. He was trapped. He punched, scratched, and tore at everything around him, but there was no escape from this prison. Despite the amenities, he felt like a jailed beast. Vampires hated to feel confined. A coffin was the last place one would find a vampire. That was just another myth passed on by ignorant humans.
It was believed that the first vampire was a gifted human with psychic ability who was buried alive. He had spent weeks underground before he was able to free himself. This torment led to madness and when he finally escaped, he became a starving mindless beast. He went on a killing spree, leaving countless bodies behind. He drank the blood of his victims and increased his strength to something inhuman. He also terrorized many women, passing along his bloodthirsty gene from generation to generation.
Lucian did not quite believe the story, but he could certainly understand the fear of confinement. He could not help but think of Olivia’s words as she confronted him about Kaden’s imprisonment. He had imprisoned many throughout his career with the Council, but he learned to desensitize himself from the dread that such confinement caused. Besides, most arrested were guilty and deserved this punishment and more. The innocent did not deserve this torture, yet this was the Council way and he pledged to abide by it. Some days he really hated his job, but the Council, in many ways, saved his life. It gave him a focus, purpose, a means to move beyond his pain and do something to help all immortals.
A few days with Olivia and he was lost and confused again. His perfectly constructed orderly world was crumbling. Could he survive losing her again?
“Lucian!”
Lorenzo’s firm tone helped Lucian regain his focus. “Sorry. I was thinking about that time when you found me in Madrid and locked me away in that prison.”
“It was only for a few weeks until you started acting logically again. You were in bad shape when I found you and frankly, you’re not looking great now. You should have sent someone else to deal with this case. This is too personal for you.”
“You know I had to see her again in order to be free of her.”
“But you’re not free, my friend. You have to accept that you may never be. That might not be such a bad thing. Olivia may be worth your freedom. From what I can see, any man would be lucky to have her.”
“She’s not for you!” Lucian barked. He tried to control that instant jealousy. He should not react in such a way, but he could not help it. The thought of anyone else showing any interest in Olivia incensed him. He knew he was overreacting to Lorenzo’s words. Lorenzo clearly liked Corinne, which was something Lucian could not fathom, but he knew there was no threat from Lorenzo. Yet his emotions were out of control.
“Of course not, but maybe someone else -- and if you don’t fight for her soon, you could lose her for good.”
“I can’t go back there again with her. I can’t trust her. I can’t forgive her. She betrayed me.”
“Do you know that for sure? I find that so few things are that black and white. Maybe she betrayed you, maybe not. Regardless, it was a long time ago and you’re both different people now. Can’t you start over? You still love her and I can see how much she loves you. That has to be worth something, Lucian.”
Love? Did he still love Olivia? A week ago, Lucian would not have considered the possibility, but
this little time with her had reignited feelings he thought were long dead. He would not allow those feelings to be love. There could be no love when there was no trust.
“I can’t love her and I can’t be with her. This isn’t just about her and me anymore. There are other issues to consider as you well know. There’s no going back. I have to move forward and she needs to as well, for her sake. The sooner this case is over, the quicker we can focus on the rest of our lives, our separate lives.” Lucian tried to ignore the feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. “Enough of this. Let’s focus on more crucial matters right now. Is there any new information about the drug?”
“The mescah problem is getting worse.”
“Mescah?”
“That’s what Amalia’s named it and I wasn’t going to challenge her about it. You know Amalia.”
“Where’s my chief alchemist?” Lucian asked.
“At the compound. We created a lab for her here. She’s not pleased with it, but she understands we need her close by at all times. She locks herself in the lab all day and night. She never leaves that place. She won’t give up until she finds a cure for mescah. I hope she can find it before we lose too many others.”
Lucian paced the floor of the room trying to ease the stress caused by this new, lethal problem that could potentially destroy all vampires. The Council discovered mescah late last year. It had likely hit the black market years earlier, but it had remained an underground drug that slowly killed vampires. The drug’s potency had apparently increased lately, as vampires were dying more frequently and the symptoms were intensified. This was a priority issue for the Council and all were working on finding the source of the drug while the scientists searched for a cure. Fortunately, mescah was not widely known and seemed limited to a case or two a month in the Mediterranean. The goal was to stop this drug before it became an uncontrollable problem.
“Please ask Amalia to join us.” Lorenzo hesitated briefly, and then grabbed the phone on Lucian’s desk to place the call. Lucian tried to hide his amusement as Lorenzo pleaded with Amalia to leave her lab. He used his charm effectively and after several minutes, he finally hung up the phone.
“She will be here shortly, and you’re an ass for making me do that.”
Lucian burst into laughter. “At least she responds to you. That would have been an hour phone call if I had asked. I don’t have your charm.”
“Very true,” Lorenzo winked. “Vamps do not possess the Lycae charm.”
“Save your charm for the ladies. Let’s deal with mescah. What have you heard lately? Any news about Subject 0?”
“Amalia will have more details, but from I can tell the problem is getting much worse. The drug is like vampire crack. It’s incredibly addictive. The more you consume, the more you need and the worse the effects. Subject 0 had been addicted for about five months, according to his family. He would be in this unconscious state for hours and no one could reach him. When he was awake, he was jittery, angry, and super aggressive. He suffered severe headaches that increased his aggressiveness. That often led to violent outbursts. He nearly strangled his mother when she confronted him about his behavior. We brought him into custody and tried to counteract the effects of the drug, but nothing worked. His withdrawal was too intense and he was not strong enough to overcome it. Yesterday, a week after we took him into custody, he staked himself. He tore off a piece of metal from the bed and stabbed himself repeatedly until he hit his heart and turned to ash.”
Subject 0 was the first vampire they caught hooked on the drug. They wanted to observe him detox to understand the effect of the drug. He was their hope for a cure. The other vampires they found were already in a deep coma that continued until their brains eventually ceased activity. It was incomprehensible to see a vampire die in such a human-like way, but it was happening more and more and would continue until mescah was stopped.
“Jesus. Did he tell us anything useful before he died?”
“Nothing. He just begged for more of that damn drug, but it was like he wasn’t really communicating with us. He was constantly talking, but not to us. It was like someone else was in the room with him. We asked him about who he was talking to, but he would not answer us and eventually he just became completely silent. Amalia tried to induce a coma to keep him calm, but that lasted no more than an hour. It’s like his body would respond only to mescah. This stuff is powerful and unlike anything we have ever seen.”
“And it’s spreading.” Both Lucian and Lorenzo turned to see Amalia standing in the doorway. Her mahogany hair was braided in a tight bun and her black-rimmed glasses were resting on her nose. She barely looked twenty, but she was at least a three-century-old sage specializing in alchemy.
Sages were a race of herbalist who knew drugs like no other and often would create special potions for sale. They were neither true immortals nor eternals as their youth, their lives, depended on the drugs they created and consumed to defy the aging process. Not all sages had the ability to discover the fountain of youth, but Amalia was special, which was why Lucian hired her. She was also a complicated, idiosyncratic, somewhat annoying migraine but she knew her job like no other and would devote every ounce of her ability to resolving a medical mystery. At times she seemed to lack human emotions. As if her scientific mind left her devoid of feelings, but Lucian suspected there was more to the mysterious Amalia and that she worked hard to keep it hidden. Her loyalty was unquestioned, and for that reason alone, he would keep her in his employ forever.
“Spreading? More vampires are impacted?” Lucian queried.
“Yes, but not just vampires. I have consulted with others of my kind who work with different immortals. Many have reported similar symptoms of mescah in patients they have treated. For instance, Kasha treated a Lycan who had been deprived of the drug for so long that he clawed himself to death. He tore at his flesh, ripped out his own eyes. He kept begging for his medicine -- which was the mescah, of course.”
“No one stopped him?” The usually calm Lorenzo looked ready to erupt. The Lycae clan was close. The loss of one brother affected all.
“Of course not. Kasha needed to understand the addiction and how far he would go. She observed, took notes, and shared them with the rest of us.”
“How can you be so uncaring about this? You really are some schizoid.”
Amalia’s eyes betrayed a moment of what looked like hurt, but she instantly dismissed the foreign emotion. “My job is not to care. My job is to find a cure for mescah before others die. You can cry over this lost Lycae if you like, but I need to focus.”
Lucian stepped in to temper this situation before it worsened. Amalia might appear somewhat meek, but he did not doubt that if Lorenzo annoyed her too much, she might concoct something leaving the poor Lycan neutered. “Are there any other immortals affected?”
“We believe so. We have a shifter who could not control his shifting. His body convulsed to such a degree that he eventually died mid-shift. We are testing his blood to confirm the presence of mescah, but all evidence indicates he succumbed to the drug. That’s all we know so far about other immortals, but there is no reason to believe mescah could not reach all creatures. It doesn’t seem to distinguish, but the reactions may be slightly different. It also seems to impact alphas more severely. Their heightened power may fuel the impact of the drug, but that is just my hypothesis.”
“Who has the ability to create such a drug?”
“Someone like me, perhaps. A sage with skill in alchemy who also has the aid of a witch to cast a spell could do it. You see, the drug is a fusion of leaves known in many of the illegal drugs humans consume that generally have minimal to no impact on immortals. For instance, the blood test shows traces of coca leaf, opium poppy, khat, and mescaline. Typically, these drugs would not complement each other, but in the case of mescah, they mesh together to form the perfect potent drug cocktail, the effects of which are strong enough to destroy immortals and inhibit our ability to heal ourselves. I hav
e to believe that a powerful witch is helping to bind these drugs by spell.”
Lucian hated dealing with witches. Their powers were unpredictable and unstable. They refused to be ruled by one leader unless it was the one they believed to be the destined ruler. Anyone who assumed the role and could not pass their tests would quickly be erased. The witches believed that the destined ruler would one day emerge and bring unity to the chaos that currently plagued the coven. Lucian was looking forward to that day as well. For now, witches would continue to offer their services like mercenaries. Anyone could buy them. They seemed to have very little conscience and would create any spell requested regardless of the harm it caused, as long as the price was right. They had no qualms about destroying their own kind for the right fee. Lucian despised that kind of disloyalty.
“Amalia, do you know of any witches powerful enough to do this?”
“I’m sure there are quite a few. I will work with the other sages to develop a list of names. Now, if there is nothing further, I would like to return to my lab. Kasha has another test subject we would like to monitor. We will try to gather more information about mescah before this subject dies.”
“Or maybe try to cure him?” Lorenzo questioned, trying to control his frustration with the detached sage.
“Not probable. I doubt we will find a cure quick enough.” Amalia walked out of the room leaving Lorenzo and Lucian frustrated with the lack of progress. This drug was like a disease. If continued, it could destroy all immortals.
“She’s so irritating,” Lorenzo growled.
“Yes, but she’s the best and we need her on our side. If anyone can stop this, she can. I just wish I knew who was behind this. Immortals have lived together in relative peace for millennia. I can’t imagine that one of us would create a drug that could destroy all of us. Unless the object of this was not destruction, but control.”
Lover's Betrayal: Misfits of the Lore Series Page 17