Russian Roulette (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 1)

by May Freighter

  Helena clenched her jaw. To save Andrew, she would have to forfeit something. Lucious didn’t come to her rescue out of the goodwill of his heart.

  “What do you want from me?”

  He placed his palm against her cheek, and she felt her skin tingle from his cold touch. “You, my dear. I want you.”

  The answer took her by surprise. Why would a vampire want her? Helena looked at her best friend. His eyes were closed. His sun-kissed complexion was reduced to a shade of pasty grey. She clutched Andrew’s hand and drew it into her lap.

  “He will die if you do not make your decision soon,” Alexander urged.

  Andrew will live. He came here to help her and it was her turn to reciprocate his bravery. She straightened up, drawing on her remaining strength to answer him. “Fine, whatever you want as long as he lives.”

  “Good,” Lucious said.

  Not waiting anymore, Lucious bit into his wrist, making it bleed more than before. He opened Andrew’s mouth and let the scarlet liquid drip inside. Meanwhile, he measured her reaction, his irises aglow with a blue light.

  Helena didn’t care. She wanted Andrew to be alive and well. Even if he came to hate her for this, she wasn’t willing to let him die.

  Lucious’ wrist healed four times during the process. He lifted Andrew’s head and snapped his neck with a loud crack.

  “Why did you do that?” Helena screamed. Her hands shook as she reached for Andrew.

  “It had to be done. After feeding him blood, I needed to take his life to give him a new one.” Lucious tried standing. His body rocked, and he crashed to his knees.

  Alexander moved to help him, but Lucious stopped him.

  “Are you alright?” Alexander asked.

  “I’ll live.” Lucious attempted the feat again and wasn’t able to raise his head.

  “You don’t seem okay,” Helena said.

  “No shit,” Alexander snapped. “He has lost too much blood.”

  Helena knew that if anyone was going to get them out of this place, it was Lucious. She didn’t trust Alexander to help with Andrew. With Lucious being in such a horrible state, the odds were against them leaving anytime soon. She outstretched her wrist in front of his mouth. “Drink.”

  Lucious’ fingers wrapped around her exposed flesh. They were colder and sent a shiver through her.

  “In this state, I won’t be able to take the pain away…”

  At the thought of being bitten, images of Rick’s switch-blade came to her. She stuffed her fear back into its box. “I don’t care.”

  His lips parted and his fangs pierced her skin.

  She winced. The sharp pain didn’t stop there. It travelled up her arm. Her body told her something was wrong and that she needed to get away from him. Her heart beat faster, restless to be away from this creature. The sensation was nothing less than being bitten by a large dog, except this one was drinking her life away. With her mind screaming its protests, she forced herself to remain in place, trying to imagine Andrew’s smile or Laura’s myriad of questions.

  Time went by at a sluggish pace. Numbness settled where the pain was before. She grew more lightheaded the longer he sucked her blood. She tried to yank her hand out of his grasp. It didn’t work.

  “Lucious, let go,” she begged.

  He glanced up with two glowing neon-blue orbs but didn’t release her.

  Alexander nudged his shoulder. “We must go. The sun will be rising soon.”

  Suddenly, Lucious let her go, catching her in an embrace. She couldn’t stop shivering. It was as if she had been submerged in ice water.

  He mumbled something to Alexander who shrugged out of his jacket and handed it over. Lucious wrapped it around her shoulders, giving her some warmth.

  “Get some sleep, Helena,” Lucious ordered.

  She looked into the depths of his eyes. The glow in them departed, returning his eye colour to normal. It was the first time he had called her by her name and, for some reason, she smiled.

  She wrapped the jacket tighter around her, yet her shivering body disagreed with her efforts to do anything. Her eyelids grew heavier the more she struggled to keep them open. The last thing she recalled was being lifted and pressed against something that radiated soothing power and strength.

  6

  Nightmares

  The sky was angry and grey. A storm would soon be upon them. People around her scattered in different directions, fear glistened in their eyes. Some left their belongings behind in an attempt to reach the nearest dwelling.

  Helena’s gut became laden with worry. The muddy path ahead was nearly empty when a woman in ragged clothing brushed past her without stopping to apologise. She scurried off in the direction of the nearest wooden house, slamming the door shut behind her.

  Like the others, she needed to get away from what was coming.

  What is coming? The answer didn’t come to her. Her body and thoughts were not her own as there was another person controlling her.

  Am I dreaming? Without any warning, her body jerked into motion. She gained speed. The words “I must find her!” were chanted in Russian on repeat in her head like a mantra. Having spent her childhood in Russia, she knew the meaning of those words, but they didn’t help her find the answer she was seeking.

  She paused at the nearest building in the village. It was a small home with an intricately carved wooden door that represented different flowers in the forest nearby. She shouldn’t have known that. She had never seen this place before.

  Helena listened for movement, anyone who could help her. With one glance, she saw some windows had been barricaded with furniture, others were nailed shut.

  “The glass must have been smashed from the previous raid,” the voice in her mind said.

  Her fists banged against the hard wood, and she begged for someone to open the door.

  Low whispers from the other side informed her of the presence of others—people who chose to ignore her pleas for help.

  A hand appeared and grabbed her by the shoulder, startling her.

  “You must hide, Eva! They’re coming,” someone warned.

  She turned around. On the empty street, a short woman stood with her braided blonde hair pulled to one side. She knew her. She could trust her.

  No, Helena didn’t know her, Eva did. Who is Eva?

  Helena chose to let it play out. Whoever was in control, it wasn’t her. The whole thing was like watching a strange movie through someone’s eyes. No matter how hard she fought to take back control, nothing happened.

  Her hands trembled when she grabbed hold of the woman’s shoulders. “We must find her, Marina, we must!” Eva’s fingers dug into Marina’s frail body. “I do not know where she is. Dominika is small and could not have gone far. Help me! I-I do not know what to do!”

  Tears fought their way out, but Eva stomped on her fear and dread which claimed more of her with each hastened breath. She had to keep it together, for her daughter.

  Marina tugged at her hands, peeling them off. “We can look for her later. Right now, we must hurry and hide.”

  Eva signed. She was deeply affected by the disappearance of her daughter. Where could she have gone? If they get their hands on her, she is as good as dead.

  Eva sensed a dark presence in the air, hovering near her shields. It fed on her fear. In that instant, she knew who it was. He was back—a creature who wanted nothing more than to pitch that outrageous bargain. She wouldn’t risk it. The coven depended on her choices, and this was not one she was willing to make. Not yet.

  She closed her eyes and took in a steadying breath. It didn’t relieve the heaviness inside her. She pressed on. Her lips moved as she cast a protection spell. Once done, a barrier was fashioned around them, and the darkness retreated. This was a small victory, but he would be back.

  Helena’s vision grew cloudy, and the dream faded altogether, allowing her to regain consciousness. She peeled open her heavy eyelids to find a pair of blue-brown eyes studying her.
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  “Bad dream?” Lucious asked.

  Helena screamed. She was always proud of being in control of her emotions. But, with him around, logic and control went for a prolonged walk somewhere on the other side of the planet.

  He covered her mouth with his hand, muffling her voice. “I would rather you did not deafen me, my dear.”

  When his hand retreated, she tugged her bedsheets to her chin in a poor attempt to cover herself even when she knew he had already seen what he wanted to. She peered under the sheets, taking note that she was wearing her interview clothes. Thank God he didn’t take them off.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  Lucious sat on the edge of her bed, oblivious or choosing to ignore her discomfort with his presence in her room. “Alexander looked up your address and thought this would be the best place where we could spend the day. Taking you both to his club would raise questions.”

  Helena waited for him to finish. She expected him to leave when she didn’t offer anything to their conversation and nearly jumped out of bed when his words finished processing in her head. She was at home. “Laura!”

  “Your friend was untouched by us, do not fret. She was informed that both you and Andrew were too ill to return alone and we, as your friends, helped bring you here.”

  “You mean you brainwashed her to think that.”

  Lucious shrugged. “Call it whatever you will. It is in your interest to keep her out of our business.”

  Helena studied his blank expression. “What business? I want you to leave.”

  Lucious bent down, causing her to retreat until her back was touching the headboard. He reached for her, his gaze unwavering with a hidden challenge. A challenge she met head-on by staring back at him, defiant.

  His hand fell away short of her skin. “There is no need to look so unhappy. You are going to fulfil your end of the deal. You are mine after all.” Lucious rose and inclined his head. “You should take a shower. Last night’s events continue to be quite visible on you.”

  Helena’s face heated. She opened her mouth to call him names, but he chose this time to stroll out of her room as if he owned the place. With jerky movements, she grasped the pillow and threw the inanimate object at the closing door.

  “Stuck up prick!” She climbed out of bed, kicking away the quilt. Her hands roamed her body, seeking flaws. Even the bite on her wrist was gone.

  Helena stripped to her underwear and studied the rest of her body. The gash was gone, too. A few brown flecks of dried blood remained on her skin. She wasn’t certain whether it belonged to her or Lucious.

  She marched to her wardrobe, opened it, and cringed. The mirror confirmed what he said and more. Lucious was understating her appearance. Large dark half-moons emphasised her bulging hazel eyes against her pasty skin. Her bedhead wasn’t what kept her hair from looking normal. Dark brown patches kept parts of it glued together. It had to be from the head injury she got while she was kidnapped.

  “How do you feel?” Michael’s voice came from behind her.

  Helena jumped. “Jeez, Michael, don’t pop in like that!”

  “I will keep that in mind. For now, how are you doing?”

  “I feel better than I look.” She rummaged through her wardrobe.

  “You should leave here as soon as possible.”

  Helena tossed a black and white t-shirt on the bed along with a pair of faded blue jeans. “You know I can’t do that. I gave my word.”

  She couldn’t understand where her calm was coming from. Anyone in her position would be running for the door or reaching for the first weapon. Too bad she wasn’t a fan of Dungeons and Dragons and didn’t keep a spare sword in her closet. She frowned at her calmness. Maybe she was in shock. Either that or she was crazy. Yes, a crazy woman who had two vampires residing in her home. Oh, happy days.

  Michael’s sombre expression made her pause what she was doing.

  “I can’t leave Andrew. Where is he, anyway?”

  “His body is in his room,” Michael said with distaste.

  Helena shot him a withering look. “Don’t say it like that. He tried to save me.”

  “Your saviour will awaken as one of them—a horrid creature—or remain dead. We will know soon enough.”

  His words stung and, her knees grew weak. The reality was closer to home—a reality she didn’t want to face.

  She ran a shaky hand through her knotted hair, hissing as her fingers pulled on the tangled mess. “He’ll wake up, right? I don’t think I can take it if his death is on me.” She didn’t want to lose him. He had to be there for her, alive, well, and most of all, happy. Any other outcome was out of the question.

  Michael gave her a sympathetic look. “Those creatures are not to be trusted, Helena, you must understand that by now.”

  “But they did help me and saved Andrew.”

  “They did not save him. It was their choice that caused the death of your friend.”

  She bit her lip, hard. Michael was right. She had seen first-hand what these vampires were capable of. Lucious killed members of his kind without a second thought, and it made her skin crawl at the sordid image engraved in her memory.

  “For the time being, I must go. Take care of yourself.” Michael vanished.

  Helena collected her spare clothes and left her room. She shuffled into the bathroom where her fingers found the small switch protruding from the wall, and she flicked it on. The bright fluorescent light made her blink a few times to adjust to its intensity.

  She avoided the mirror as there was no need for her to be reminded of how awful she looked.

  A shower will help, she assured herself and slid inside the cubicle.

  Cold running water numbed her heart. Seconds later, heat joined the cold, warming her body while the steam clouded around her. Red water ran the length of her legs, and she watched it until the water grew too hot for her skin. She changed the setting and scrubbed hard at the places where the kidnapper had touched her. The joy Rick took in her torment haunted her even after the blood on her body was rinsed away along with the suds.

  She dried off and changed into her clothes. Outside the bathroom, the truth hit her like an emotional tsunami. Andrew was dead. Lucious fed him his blood and snapped his neck like a twig. She suspected Lucious had come to her rescue because he believed she was a saint. Not only did she have no idea what that was, she also had to pretend she was one while she sought a way out.

  Helena steeled herself for the inevitable meeting with the vampires. She left the bathroom, planting one foot in front of the other, causing her movements to be robotic at first. Without realising it, she came to a halt at Andrew’s door. A single wooden barrier felt like a million miles to her. She reached for the handle and stopped, putting her hand on her aching chest instead. Going in would make it real. Could she handle seeing his body without a single hint of life in it?

  On her way downstairs, Helena heard voices in her living room. She strained her ears to make out what they were saying. Her foot slid off the metal step, and she caught herself on the railing in an awkward half-balanced position.

  The talking came to an end, and she found both Lucious and Alexander eyeing her from the sofas. Somehow, Lucious fit in her apartment with his relaxed demeanour. She hadn’t noticed it before, but he was wearing a white linen shirt. That was the first time she had seen him wearing anything other than black.

  “Changed your favourite colour?” she asked him, trying for a casual tone.

  Lucious shrugged. “These were borrowed from your friend.”

  She descended the rest of the way. Her hand clung to the metal railing, so she wouldn’t repeat her embarrassing balancing act. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the fridge. Her stomach growled—a sound she hoped to cover up with her hands. Hiding her red face behind her wet hair, she hurried to the kitchen counter.

  “I’ll be upstairs,” Alexander blurted out.

  He didn’t use the vampire speed to leave like she had an
ticipated. Instead, Alexander climbed the stairs, two at a time, until he was out of sight.

  Helena prayed he would not spend his free time rummaging through her things and took an unconscious step towards the stairs.

  “I am leaving for a while—a few days to be precise,” Lucious said.

  She brushed away the damp strands of her hair and tucked them behind her ear. Lucious hadn’t moved from the sofa. He was like a perfect predator, lying in wait. She avoided meeting his eyes. The time Rick had forced answers out of her using his strange mind-controlling powers kept her from diminishing their distance.

  She hid her newfound relief by draining her face of emotion. They were leaving her alone. Her life could go back to normal. Well, almost normal. She shrugged, feigning disinterest, and reached for the fridge handle.

  “You will stay here with Alexander until I return.”

  Helena whirled on the spot, forgetting her hunger and her attempt to be civil. “Hold on a second, I won’t let him stay here with Laura and me. I want you guys to leave.”

  Lucious’ perfect smile was framed by a set of full lips. For some reason, even after his cunning machinations, she continued to find him to be unbearably handsome.

  “Is that including your dead boyfriend?”

  She mentally shook herself. Michael was right. Trusting these vampires was her first mistake. Helena swallowed a long list of obscene words she wanted to voice.

  “Fine, he can stay,” she grumbled under her breath.

  Lucious straightened his shirt and, in a blink of an eye, towered over her.

  She grasped her chest. Her heart jolted into action at the sudden closeness. He reached out to touch her face, but she slapped his hand away.

  “Don’t touch me!”

  His eyes twinkled with amusement. “You are back to being lively. Good to know.”

  She glared at him. To her surprise, Lucious smiled and was gone with a loud bang of the front door. The energy she got from her sleep had dissipated without warning, leaving her clinging to the kitchen counter for support. What the hell was that?