Retrieving the car with no new appearances of the enemy, Nick drove back to Club Neon to pick up the others.
Chapter 25- Into the Lion’s Den
The vampires of the Lair were unusually quiet as Nick and Nicola stood before them in their home. Mike yawned. Dawn had just come and the vampires were ready to sleep for the day.
Marek looked grumpy, interrupting the vampire’s schedule tended to affect his mood. “Tell me there’s a good reason for keeping us up, Nicholas.”
With a bit of a smirk, Nick replied, “Would there be any other reason for keeping you from your beauty rest, my friend?”
The others chuckled, though he knew he was on borrowed time with this crew. Nick resumed by saying, “We had a run in with a couple vampire recruiters. I trailed those two to a compound filled with them. It’s pretty safe to say that these are the ones that have been sending scouts into your territory and most likely attacked the werewolves a few days before our attempted rescue.”
The attitudes of all the vampires changed with his words. Suddenly alert, Marek stood as he addressed Nick again, “You tracked them? That’s incredible luck. We can hit them hard anytime we want then.”
“I guess we’ll have to ready our weapons. Time to sharpen those swords for a fight,” Marcus said.
The others were all getting excited by the idea of getting rid of the new intruders into their territory. Marek and the others weren’t always typical vampires, but in the defense of their territory they were as basic as any others.
Nick shook his head and he was forced to quiet them with a shout, “Now that I have your attention again, let me say that attacking them there would be exactly what they want. They’re not afraid of you.”
“They should be!” Edgar cried slapping his palm onto the table with a crack.
“But they won’t be,” Nick stated pointing at the man. His strength of presence caused the man to sit down again as he continued, “They have you outnumbered at least three to one. If you think walking in swords drawn will frighten them into giving up, you’re dead wrong.
“They have weapons as well from what we already know. It even looks like this leader of theirs, Cyrus, is looking for more than just a fight. He wants war. He’s gathering new vampires from soldiers as well as other places. They may not know swords like we do, but there will be numbers and training enough to be very dangerous.”
The others didn’t look particularly frightened by his words, but they knew Nick wouldn’t tell them to be cautious without reason. Jake asked the question most were thinking, “So what do you think we should do? We can keep defending against a few intruders and try to whittle away at his numbers, but it sounds like they will just replace the ones we kill.”
“The thing that bothers me is how loyal they seem to this Cyrus,” Marek said where he sat contemplating the information. “The ones we’ve run into have talked of this guy as their master. It wasn’t just lip service to a leader. It seemed more like a certain amount of their will was his to control.” “Like mind control,” Marcus nodded. “I noticed that from the ones we fought also. Try and question them and they just laughed in your face as if their own deaths didn’t scare them anymore. You might see that in one or two vampires every so often, but it’s like every single one of them with that same smirk.”
The others nodded. Nearly a dozen of this Cyrus’ clan had been met so far, and everyone seemed to think the same way. Even the girls at the bar were nearly fearless. The injury from Logan’s crushing grip was the only thing to snap the girl out of it, if for only a moment.
“It’s hard to say exactly how he runs his clan, but we know that they follow him no matter how they were converted. If it is some form of telepathic power or the like, then I would assume that he’s a very old vampire,” Nick mused. “Most vampires, at least the younger ones, rarely have powers beyond strength, speed and the ability to hypnotize their prey.”
Marek shrugged, “Worrying over that part gets us nothing. We need to come up with a plan to take them on and soon. This Cyrus cares very little about the balance between us and the humans apparently. I don’t want to have to raise numbers the same way and it would start to alert the police with all the disappearances besides.”
“It already has,” Nick stated interrupting his friend, “Detective Sinclair already said something to me tonight about it. He’s worried over it. I can tell.”
With a wave of his hand and nod to Nick, Marek said, “Well, there you have it. I doubt he would mention it without having others in the local law enforcement sending queries through his office. We need to find a way to wipe these pests out quickly.”
Taking a deep breath, Nick revealed his plan, “I think we’re going to have to talk with Eric and his werewolves.”
Nearly every voice raised in protest. Werewolves were their mortal enemies instinctively. If the two groups were going to survive in the face of Cyrus and his army, Nick knew that they would have to get over what they felt from instinct and from what he had helped build with the rescue attempt. They needed numbers and competent fighters. Their eleven just weren’t enough and, like Marek, he didn’t want to see them out recruiting people just to have cannon fodder in numbers.
After a little more discussion, the vampires gave in to the wisdom of Nick’s plan. He would talk with Eric. They had already been able to cooperate to cover up Lena’s kidnapping, now Nick just hoped he could convince the pack leader that he was right.
For Lena, the return to her room in the north commons dorm room seemed almost alien to her now. From the entry to her room on the third floor, friends were greeting her with exclamations and hugs. It was a great way to return from vacation, but being a celebrity for disappearing in a kidnapping was a completely different thing. By the time she reached her room in the cluster of six, Lena thought she was going to have to scream if one more person asked her what happened.
`How can you tell people a half truth over and over again without losing it?’ she wondered to herself. If she had been forced to completely lie, the girl probably would have turned and ran for home.
Looking around her room, her things rifled through from people looking for clues to her absence, Lena sat and wondered how she could go back to her life. She had a secret that no one could understand and the girl knew that she could never talk about it with any of her classmates or even family.
“Lena!” the familiar voice cried out as the door was thrown open. A blur of blond hair threw itself at her as Geni hugged her friend in a rush. “Nick said he would have you back before the weekend was over! Oh my god, I am so glad he found you.”
Hugging the blond girl back, Lena smiled, if only half heartedly. “Yup, he found me.”
Noting the tone in her voice, Geni backed off putting her friend at arm’s distance. “I’m sorry. I guess I should have asked if you’re alright first,” she laughed uncomfortably.
Shaking her head slowly, the brunette answered the girl, “Kind of refreshing that you didn’t actually. I got enough of that coming up to my room.”
“I assume everyone was asking what happened to you also. Nick told me that he knew you were kidnapped. I’m surprised that I never heard of a ransom demand or anything, but I guess that doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re back safe and sound.”
Lena yawned.
Geni covered her mouth in an overdramatic gasp. “Oh, you must be exhausted. Were you at the police station all night?”
Nodding, the young woman answered, “Yeah, from about eight last night until they gave me a ride here. My parents will probably be here later today. They weren’t allowed at the station while I was being interviewed.”
“Are you hungry? Did they at least feed you?”
Again she nodded, just before another yawn slipped out. “Yeah, I’m just a bit tired now. Maybe after I take a nap we can pick this up again?”
“Of course, then let me get out of your hair so you can sleep. Do you want me to lock the door? You might get more visitors o
therwise.”
“Yes, please.”
After Geni had closed the door, Lena lay back on her pillow. She didn’t even bother to throw on the covers. It was back into the thirties outside, despite being the end of March. Winter and spring would probably vie for dominance through April knowing Chicago, she thought.
The girl should have been cold, but Lena hadn’t really noticed the cold as much since Cairvall. Maybe it was the voran blood in her.
With a groan, the girl realized that she couldn’t just fall asleep. Despite being tired and the yawns, Lena lay on her bed unable to close her eyes for more than a second. Rather than trying to count sheep, she decided to open up her sixth sense. The girl could read the whole building from her room.
People moved about and she decided to track Geni, who hadn’t gone far. The other girl’s room was in the shared six as well and apparently she didn’t have anywhere to be. Lena wondered if she was studying or just hanging around waiting for the nap to be over.
With the dots of people surrounding her in the darkness of her closed eyes, Lena finally dozed off to sleep.
A knock on the door a couple hours later should have surprised the girl, especially with the little amount of sleep, but Lena was already sitting up before they reached a place to rap on the wood. She could feel her parents through the door. Her senses must have felt them strong enough to alert her to wake up.
A quick triple rap on the door was followed by her mother’s voice, “Lena? Honey, are you awake?”
Pulling the door open, the girl was nearly toppled over as her mother swept her up in a big hug. Shorter and squarer than her daughter, Maria Vega had surprising strength as Lena found herself left gasping for air.
“Oh my baby, where have you been? I was so worried about you?” the elder Vega cried.
“Ma!” the girl gasped, “I can’t breathe.”
Letting go of the bear hug, the mother found that she couldn’t stop petting Lena’s hair and caressing her cheeks. “Did they hurt you? Why did they kidnap you? We have no real money, but they didn’t even try. Did they do things to you? You know… things?”
“Ma, I am fine. They didn’t hurt me or do things to me. I’m still not sure what they wanted me for. Maybe they wanted me for a cult or a kidney for a transplant? Who really knows? Nothing happened before I escaped and that’s all that’s important right?” Lena said trying to calm her mother down.
Looking up slightly, Lena saw her father’s face. He was always such a strong, quiet man that she was surprised to see tears in his eyes. “Daddy?”
Taking two strides, the older man, grey in his hair and mustache, hugged his daughter almost as hard as her mother before her. “I am so glad to see you safe, little one,” he said and his voice cracked.
“Thanks, Dad,” her voice came muffled from his shoulder.
As their emotions evened out, the three sat to talk. “Where’s Teresa?”
“She went to class. She should be here in an hour,” her mother answered.
Her older sister was a senior at DePaul. Lena wasn’t completely surprised that she hadn’t been able to come. Just because her life had come to a halt during the kidnapping, the rest of the world still had to go on. There were times when a person realized just how small she was compared to the whole world.
“Have you been in touch with any of your teachers about catching up in class?” her father asked noticeably avoiding more critical subjects.
Shaking her head, Lena replied, “No, I had to rest when I came back from the police station. There hasn’t been time yet.” She sighed, “It doesn’t seem quite as important after everything that’s happened though.”
Her parents exchanged looks. They were trying to handle her with kid gloves despite her mother’s initial run of questions. She was safe physically and now they were seeing if she was still alright mentally as well.
“Well, school’s very important, Lena,” her mother began. “I know you were through an awful thing, but the world moves on with or without us. Doing some homework might actually help you get back into the flow of things again.”
Her father, Carlos, nodded. “I don’t expect you to jump in quite so soon, little one, but your mother is correct. Don’t take too long to at least check in with your teachers. They’ll be more lenient given the reason, but show that you’re still here.
“First, I think we need to take you out to dinner. It’ll give us some time to talk things out. Once Teresa’s here, we’ll go find some nice place to eat.”
“Then I am going to need to get changed into some other clothes and maybe take a shower. I can get cleaned up while we wait for her,” Lena said getting up from her seat on the bed. While her parents continued basic chit chat, the girl found some clothes and gathered her bathroom necessities.
The solitary break from her parents was a needed breather. She had always been close to her family, though her sister could get on her nerves as sisters tended to do. It was just the need to get her head into her old life after the two weeks of chaos. Taking her time in the shower, Lena even took the extra time to shave her legs as well as soaking an extra long time under the hot water.
By the time she stepped out of the shower, the mirror was thoroughly fogged. Wiping at the glass with her towel, Lena looked at herself and sighed. So little looked different in that mirror, but so much had changed on the inside. It had only been a few hours back in the real world, but the girl already felt like this was alien to her.
Sighing again, she combed and brushed at her hair not feeling ready to don her clothes to go back to her parents. She loved them, but they couldn’t possibly understand what had really happened to her. They wouldn’t comprehend what their daughter had become.
After dinner, Lena knew that she had to talk to Nick again. He and the werewolves and vampires were the only ones who could possibly understand how she felt now. Forcing a smile that almost looked believable to her, Lena tried to psych herself up for an afternoon of reintegrating into her family.
With her short cotton skirt of light blue and a pink blouse, Lena threw on a necklace and her favorite turquoise ring and finished the outfit with her calf high boots. The girl figured if she couldn’t exactly feel good, she could at least look good. By the time Lena came out of the bathroom, her sister was there. Another hug and rush of questions came from Teresa, but it wasn’t long before the four of them started out. Geni was spotted and invited along. The blond had been her close friend since freshman year, but like her family, Lena felt that invisible wall that kept her from opening up to her friend.
By the time the afternoon was over, Lena was glad when everyone had gone. It was tiring being with other people.
“Are you really ok?” Geni asked of her friend as they prepared to go to their own rooms.
“I’ll be alright,” the girl replied a bit tiredly. After a pause, she asked, “Did you clean Nick’s apartment today?”
The blond shook her head, her green eyes were questioning as she replied, “No, I thought I would go tomorrow. Why?”
“Would you mind if I tagged along?”
Smiling back at her warmly, Geni nodded, “Sure.”
After a few more parting words, Lena went into her room to change. It didn’t take her long to fall asleep this time.
Chapter 26- Laying Ground Work
“Nick?” Geni called out as she let herself in using the key he had given her last fall. Lena was right behind her as the two girls moved into the apartment.
The two girls bumped into each other as Geni checked up suddenly. Lena looked past her and saw Logan walking into the room.
“Hey, Logan, is Nick around?” the girl asked over her friend’s shoulder.
“Who?” the blond asked as she was prodded through the doorway.
“One of the guys that helped find me with Nick,” the brunette said loud enough for the werewolf to hear. The man nodded.
“Yes, and my sister’s here also. Nick should be getting dressed at the moment,” the tall
man answered as he pulled a glass from the cupboard. It was still early and apparently he hadn’t had breakfast yet.
Geni looked at the clutter in the first room and asked, “Are you guys staying here too now? I thought that blond girl, Nicola, was staying here. Is Nick dating your sister now?”
The man chuckled at her confusion. “As far as I know, he and Nicola are still dating. He is just doing us a favor by letting us stay for now.”
Charlotte came from the hallway almost immediately wearing a simple pair of shorts partially covered by a sweatshirt. Barefoot and legged, but pulling her shirt sleeves far enough to be gripping them with her fingers, the pretty brunette was a contradiction of temperature. Her pretty smile as she spied Lena was definitely warm, however.
“Hi, Lena, who’s your friend?”
“The janitor,” the girl laughed until Geni poked her with an elbow in her stomach.
“I’m Geni. I’ve been cleaning Nick’s apartment while going to school. Who are you?”
“Charlotte,” she said releasing her right sleeve and holding a hand to her chest. “I’m a friend of Nick.”
Sighing, Geni decided, “Well, looks like I have even more to clean up now.”
“Better ask for a raise,” a male voice stated from the hallway. Nick wore pants, but no shirt as he finished toweling his hair.
“Nick?” Geni asked with a little surprise.
“I may need to have you come in an extra day while my friends are here, Geni. I’ll pay you for the extra work, of course.”
“Um, thanks,” the girl’s face was still a bit stunned. She had never seen Nick have so many people over at once. In fact, until Nicola had stayed over, she hadn’t ever seen anyone stay over. “I guess I should get to work then. Should I clean the guest room also?”
Vorans and Vampires (Book 1): Voran the Night Guardian Page 21