Chapter Twenty-Eight
“He won’t kill Rainey.” Lennon bit her lip like she had a hard time believing it herself. “She’s too important.”
“We can’t take any chances.” I hadn’t gotten out of bed that fast in at least a week. My bones healed, but everything else was so weak. “He talks in riddles and I’m not sure he’s sane. And we don’t know what Rachel’s done.”
“Holly, you can’t help anyone if you’re hysterical.” Lennon wasn’t sure I was sane. “We need to get you healthy before you do anything.”
“It’s part of his plan,” I muttered as I landed on the bed hard and crossed my arms. “He took me out of commission so he could regroup after Rachel’s attack. And we don’t even know if she’s trying to replace Rainey. Or even worse, Gabriel.”
“Did we ever?” Lennon slid the book to the middle of the bed and sat beside me. “Gabriel shows us what he wants us to see. If you want to believe there’s chaos, that’s what you get.”
“I don’t want to believe there’s chaos. I’m worried about Rainey.” And I didn’t give a fuck about Gabriel.
“I am, too.” She picked up the book and flipped to the beginning. “Where are the healing spells?”
“Probably close to the beginning.” Knowing Rainey, she’d concentrate on wellness and love before she got down and dirty. “Why do you need it?”
She smirked. “Wanna be my guinea pig for my first spell?”
“Sure.” I felt better already. “But only if you help me kick some fallen angel ass and get my girl.”
“Damn straight I will.” Lennon had already gone to work, considering each page carefully before turning to the next spell. “This is hard to read.”
“The script? Yeah. It’s Rainey’s handwriting. It’s so old it was done with a feather dipped in ink.” I wasn’t sure I should’ve told her that, but she didn’t bat a fake eyelash. “I can usually decipher it.”
“It’s not that, it’s the wording. Six words when she could’ve used one. I don’t remember much about my past life, just flashes, but I don’t remember talking like this.”
Interesting, since Rainey’s spells were probably like what Lana would’ve used to heal Cash and the rest of her patients at the mental hospital. “I can usually figure that out, too.”
“I think I’ve got it.” She kept her finger on the page and grinned. “Lay down, doll. Trust me.”
I did, even enough to close my eyes as she settled on the mattress above my head. Her fingers were warm and wet against my temples. I took a deep breath, shivering when I inhaled the musky, floral scent of calendula oil. It didn’t surprise me she gravitated toward it; she used it to heal Cash a lifetime ago. But I didn’t picture Cash. All I could see was Rainey. Convinced I’d see her above me if I opened my eyes, I squeezed them shut. I didn’t want the dream to end.
The chant started slowly at first, the words sounding clunky and foreign as she tried them on for the first time. Or maybe just the first time in a long time. She grew more confident, and the rhythm increased. In my head, I was saying salute diligitis praesidium right along with her. Health, love, protection.
The fog lifted as she ran her fingers along my eyebrows and down the bridge of my nose. The motion stopped, but she didn’t let go of me. She ran her fingers lightly over my lips and my eyes fluttered open. It was still Lennon, no Rainey, but she held a chunk of amethyst in her hands. “How do you feel?” she asked.
Rainey had never broken a spell by talking, but everyone practiced in their own way. So far, the spell was working. “Better.”
“Good. I’m going to hold this over the places you were injured. Let me know if you feel the energy.”
Rainey had never performed this spell on me before, as far as I knew. Supernatural creatures were resilient to things like colds and broken bones. After the fall, I should’ve healed already. Stop thinking about what you can’t do, Holly. Concentrate on what you can.
Lennon held the stone over my face, pausing at my forehead. I was filled with warmth, and most of all, peace. It was an unfamiliar sensation. She hovered over my neck, which luckily hadn’t been part of the broken bone count, but had been stiff ever since the fall. The feeling faded, and I moved my head back and forth, testing the theory. Slowly moving the stone down my body, Lennon didn’t miss a spot. The crystal pulled the pain away from my muscles and bones, and once there was nothing more to take, she moved on.
My ankles took the longest, but by the time she pulled the stone away from my body, I was ready to put on my stilettos. I had something else I hadn’t had since the fall—energy. “That was amazing,” I said.
Her face brightened. “Really?”
“Yeah.” I sat up, which usually put a swirling star pattern between me and whatever I looked at, but not this time. I stretched my arms over my head and took a deep breath. Pain free. “I’m ready to start training.”
“Take it easy.” Lennon dropped the stone back in its velvet bag.
“Okay. I’m ready to leave this hotel room and get some work done.” And start training, but it wasn’t worth arguing over. We needed to bring the show back immediately, and spread the good energy far and wide. If the guys in my band were fit to play. “Do you think that would work with the guys? Fix whatever happened after they fed Blade? I mean, that’s what threw me off, and you fixed me.”
Lennon shrugged. “It’s possible. This is my first time healing anyone.”
In this lifetime. “Do any of them live at the Alta Vista?” Ryder had a house outside the city, but I didn’t know where the other guys lived.
“No. Just Tristan and Callie live at the hotel. I’m not sure where the rest of them live.”
“Someone has to know where they are. We need to find them and make them your guinea pigs, too.” If Rachel was missing, it didn’t bode well for Josiah. Everyone had their hands full right now with the crisis playing out in front of them, but it was time to regroup if we were going to survive.
LENNON AND I STUDIED Rainey’s grimoire all night. It wouldn’t be as simple as freeing a captive from her commander. We had to neutralize evil, restore health and well-being, and strive for the ever-elusive balance. And get The Afterlife back on stage.
“Tomorrow night we can go back to my apartment and get the supplies. We should pick up a couple other books, too. I don’t know what’s in any of them, but I’ll know Rainey’s favorites when I see them. Can you find out where Josiah, Tommy, and Adam live? It’s a good idea to pay them a visit.” Even though the last thing I wanted to do was surprise Rachel.
“Yeah. Hopefully I can catch Callie before Hurricane Tristan hits for the night.” She sighed.
“But he’s got to wake up sober, right?” How much was he drinking?
Lennon wrinkled her nose and shuddered. “He’s a snarly bastard when he gets out of bed. That’s why he drinks. He can’t even stand himself.”
I ripped a piece of hotel stationery off the pad and wrote him a note. Cheer up. I’m ready to get back on stage and kick some ass. You better be, too. I was about to sign it, but that was boring. I reached into my purse and pulled out a red lipstick, applied it, and kissed the paper. “Give him this. See if it helps.”
She laughed. “I certainly hope so. Staying positive is exhausting.”
“But you do it. That’s the important thing.” I feared she could slip through my fingers, too. Go to the place where the band had disappeared. I assumed they were still in this Realm. Vampires wouldn’t fare well without protection in the endless sunshine.
She always kissed my cheek before she left. “Night, doll.”
It was like she knew how much I’d longed to hear those words as a little girl. I couldn’t wait to get Rainey back. We were almost a complete family. Not the least bit traditional, but complete. We’d only been doing this for a week or so, but we had a routine. Every morning, Blade came back to the room and Lennon knew it was time to go.
But Blade hadn’t come back this morning.
&nb
sp; I peeled the black-out curtain back and gasped when I was greeted by the washed-out blues and oranges that stretched across the valley when the sun came up over the mountains. It was light enough that I could see the snow on the mountain peaks. He wasn’t coming.
I checked my phone, hoping to see a message from him. We weren’t really in that kind of relationship. There was no way to define absolutely addicted to each other but still seeing other people. Under the circumstances, the courtesy of a text would have been nice.
Clutching the curtain and wishing I could turn back time—not just travel—I considered going after him. It was entirely possibly he’d gotten so caught up in blood sucking at Embrace he lost track of time. I couldn’t give him what he needed right now and none of us could risk going without.
I picked the phone up again. Just let me know you’re okay.
And I waited. Nothing.
I wouldn’t have worried so much if every vampire outside this building hadn’t already gone missing.
NOT USED TO BEING LEFT to my own devices, I got restless. Blade hadn’t returned by the time I woke up. I peeked behind the black-out curtains that I’d pulled tightly closed just in case he came back, and saw the same watered-down light I witnessed in the early hours of the morning. I hadn’t been asleep that long, and my phone said it was midafternoon. But I couldn’t believe anything I didn’t see with my own eyes, and even that was suspect, so I decided to investigate.
The energy from Lennon’s spell was short-lived. Exhausted from doing my hair and makeup, I pulled a little dress out of my suitcase and shimmied into it, ignoring how loose it was. All I had to lose was muscle, and I couldn’t spare a pound. My bandmates’ energy relied on my strength. That is, if we could find my bandmates.
Lennon wouldn’t be up for hours, so I ventured down to the lobby. I clutched the wall when the elevator lurched, my stomach jumping into my throat. The tourists that shared the car with me smiled weakly, like they were concerned I’d puke on their luggage. Whatever. They knew what they got themselves into when they booked a stay at the Alta Vista. The entire resort was usually overrun with overzealous fans and bloodlust-drunk groupies. One of them was bound to toss their cookies.
The Alta Vista was a maze of vampire-themed stores and restaurants. The main event was Sin City Vampire Club, its front doors opening right onto the casino floor. Everything was purple and gray, including the few tourists that milled around. The resort catered to a night time crowd, but the vibe felt...dead. The excitement had been drained from the building like a donor at Embrace.
Any mention of The Afterlife had been swept under the rug. Last time I was on the casino floor, the graphic of Tristan and I wallpapered every surface. The casino had been about to debut a Holly Octane slot machine, which erupted into fake flames if the gambler hit the jackpot, but they were nowhere to be found, either.
A sensation drew me away from the entrance to the theater and into the hallways near the shops. It led me to a woman standing in the shadows, beneath a sign for Venomtinis and merchandise from The Afterlife. But she wasn’t shopping. She was waiting for me.
It wasn’t the same sensation that Rainey used to draw me into her Realm. This left me with a metallic taste in my mouth and a craving for blood. I had the strangest sense of déjà vu when I approached the woman dressed in black leather who twirled her ponytail as she waited for me.
“How are you out in daylight?” I asked. Vampires had no problem with artificial light, but Rachel didn’t live at the Alta Vista. Unless she’d infected every facet of the building with her presence.
She waved me off. I was tempted to poke her and see if she was real or a figment of my imagination, but she’d probably bite my finger off. Instead, I crossed my arms against my chest and steeled myself in place. She’d have to blink first. I wasn’t going anywhere until I got some answers.
Rachel shifted like her leather pants were uncomfortable. Or she was annoyed by my existence as always. “It took me a couple tries, but I got into the other Realm. They’re tightening up security over there, no one out and definitely no one in.” She punctuated that with a smirk as she mirrored my stance. She didn’t have to add what that meant for me to get the jab in. “Gabriel gave me a new power.”
I didn’t share her grin because this wasn’t good news. It gave Rachel ultimate power over both Realms. “You mean you stole it.”
She shrugged. “Believe what you want.”
“Congratulations, I guess.” The only reason I asked her to neutralize Gabriel’s powers was so he’d be out of the picture when I liberated Rainey. While I always knew Rachel had her own agenda for wanting to help me, I didn’t understand what it was. “So what’s the first order of business?”
“Basically, this Realm is a dumpster fire, pardon the pun—”
I wouldn’t. “Which you created.”
“The imbalance of power could’ve gone either way. But the people as well as the vampires chose evil. They could’ve come to your show and left high on feel-good vibes after getting to see your sparkly little titties, but instead they lined up to be donors at Embrace. There’s a waiting list, Holly. As long as I live I wouldn’t make it through them all. You’re talented and everything, and you’ve got a decent rack.” She glanced down at my chest. “But you’re no match for the thrill of actually having your blood sucked by a vampire. And if they’re lucky, getting fucked by one. Some girls can get to the band, but not enough to keep the positive energy at the level you need it to sustain the Realm.”
“Then maybe Tristan and Callie should stage a breakup.” The resort would be wall-to-wall women waiting their turn to fuck him. Tristan would be in his glory. “Or you could do the same with Josiah.”
“Or you could to the same with Blade. No one believes you’re saving yourself for Rainey to come back.” She scoffed. “We have plans in place.”
This bitch made my head hurt. “And what are those?”
“Vampires have no chance of survival in Gabriel’s Realm unless they can survive daylight. But if they stay here they’re as good as dead. If I’m going to live forever, I’m bringing my friends to the party. Right now, they’re in the middle of their transformation. I expect them to be able to cross into the other Realm with no difficulty when the transformation is complete.”
“Tristan’s been to the other Realm.” I would blow any holes in her theory I could. Her new power was insanity.
She laughed. “Tristan hasn’t spent a day sober since he was turned into a vampire. Probably long before that. You can’t trust him for any important details.”
But she didn’t say that he couldn’t be trusted.
“You really think Gabriel will let you barge into his world with a bunch of bloodsuckers after you stole his powers?” It was my turn to laugh. “That’s really cute.”
“I didn’t steal shit. You don’t listen. He gave me this power, Holly. That’s what happens when you do what he wants.”
Gabriel wanted to destroy this Realm, and Rachel had earned gold stars across the board. The metallic taste intensified, and my mouth watered in a way that made me dizzy. “What happens when you don’t?”
“You mean what’s happening to Rainey?”
I could barely nod.
“Don’t mind me, but I listened in on your conversation with Lennon. I can read her mind. She’s vapid as hell, so I usually don’t bother, but she likes you a lot, so I was interested. Anyway, it’s as you suspected. Rainey is The Dominia. The angel of justice. She decides who lives and who perishes.” Rachel swept her arm in the direction of the casino. “She’s sentenced all these people to die.”
I backed away. Puking on her wouldn’t help matters. “No. My Rainey wouldn’t do that.”
“She wouldn’t have to, if she got it right the first time.” Rachel shook her head.
She kept talking, about how Rainey was naïve and a bunch of other shit that I’d throttle her for if I were actually still listening. I didn’t have time for her bullshit.
“Holly,” she called after me. I could’ve ignored her, but I was better off knowing what the bitch had to say. “Going somewhere?”
“Yeah. Back to my room.” But I knew that wasn’t what she meant.
Her heels clicked on the marble floor as she approached me. “Remember when you asked me if I neutralized Gabriel’s powers? I didn’t, but I might have had Callie take your power to travel the night of your accident. You’ll perish here with the rest of the damned.”
That bitch. She backstabbed her friend and sentenced us both to die. “I’ll see you in Hell, Rachel.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Fighting pure evil like Rachel face-to-face was futile. She used shadows as weapons and hit me the hardest with what I couldn’t see coming. She didn’t play by rules and she had no problem delivering a blow to the back. I had to beat her at her own game. Steal her powers and restore balance to both Realms.
Rachel and Rainey both had power to transport people between Realms. Rachel liberated and Rainey damned. I wasn’t sure which one of them was more powerful, but I knew which one had to be stopped.
The Mistress needed to fire her entire security team. They sucked. All it took was a couple bats of my eyelashes and running my fingers along the strap of my dress to get past them. If they were aware that every vampire in the clan was under siege, they didn’t give a shit.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Callie rushed at me when I stepped off the elevator. The guards didn’t even warn her company was coming—mutiny rippled close to the surface. The Mistress was smaller than me, so trying to block me didn’t work. And those fangs were decoration more than anything else. It was about time she realized that. “You can’t be here.”
“What are you trying to hide from me? If you know what’s happening to the vampires and aren’t doing anything to stop it, it’s treason. Did you let it happen?” I asked. She couldn’t be trusted to lead. She didn’t have the best interests of her clan in mind. Or the more chilling reality was that she was no longer in control.
Queen of the Night Time World Page 18