Russian Roulette (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 1)

by May Freighter

  Alexander dropped the body on the ground, and a scream escaped her. He glared in her direction, silencing her in an instant.

  “Looks like we had an uninvited guest.” He waved the dead man’s head at her. “Lucious was right about keeping an eye on you.”

  She grabbed hold of the railing and lowered herself onto the step. “Why are vampires after me?”

  “They took more interest in you once Lucious risked his life for you. The Council must think you’re important to him.”

  Helena’s eyes narrowed. “Why did he save me?”

  Alexander shrugged. “Ask him yourself.”

  “And why do I taste blood?”

  Alexander sighed. He flipped over one of the sofas and collapsed into the least torn seat. “I fed you some of my blood. I didn’t want Lucious getting upset with me for not attempting to keep you alive.”

  The vein on her forehead popped out. Who knew what else he had done to her while she was asleep. She furrowed her brow. She didn’t remember falling asleep. The last thing she recalled was…

  Alexander drew her out of her reverie by saying, “Because this is your house, I suggest you tidy the mess or the blood will soak through the flooring.”

  Her fingers gripped the metal railing until they felt numb. Cursing under her breath, she stomped her way to the kitchen.

  Helena spent the next two hours cleaning. Alexander managed to smash the balcony window or maybe the vampire burst through it. Not like he bothered to fill her in on the details. To avoid having a further confrontation with him, she returned to her bedroom. There were over twenty missed calls from different numbers when she picked up her phone. Helena didn’t think of calling anyone. Who would believe me? Her parents would be in danger if she contacted them, and she couldn’t rule out Alexander having friends in the police force.

  She scrolled through her call history, noting the number that had contacted her most was Andrew’s father. He had called on the hour, every hour that day.

  Boulders nestled in her stomach. What can I say to him? I got his son killed and turned into a vampire. She hugged the phone to her chest. His father will be worried. I have to say something.

  Helena glanced at the clock. It was nearly midnight, but she knew Mr Keane was a worrywart. He wouldn’t sleep unless he knew where his son was. After taking a deep breath, Helena pressed the ‘redial’ button.

  He answered immediately.

  Stuck for words, she listened to Andrew’s father ranting on the other end. “Helena, dear, are you alright? Where’s Andrew? He hasn’t come here or attended his classes. I’m getting worried.”

  Gathering some courage, which she had little left of, she went with the lie the vampires created. “Mr Keane, I was meaning to call you sooner. Andrew got the flu. We are taking care of him. Don’t worry,” she said, surprised at how calm she sounded. Nonetheless, she felt a twinge in her heart.

  He let out a prolonged sigh. “Ah, I was worried for nothing then. That’s a relief.”

  She forced a smile on her face, hoping it would make her sound cheerful. “Yeah, nothing to worry about. He’ll be up and running in no time.”

  “Tell him he can rest until he gets better. Try not to miss your classes because of this, dear.”

  “I won’t, Mr Keane. Thanks.”

  “No need to thank me. I should be thanking you for taking such good care of him.”

  Helena struggled not to burst into tears. If he knew the truth, he would never say something as nice as that to her. She threw the phone on the bed. Talking to anyone else would not make her feel any better.

  Three days had passed since Lucious left. Alexander occupied her bedroom with his women who had arrived without her knowledge or permission. The vampire treated her place as if it was a brothel, but she held her tongue. Laura’s whereabouts bothered her more. He told her Laura was going to stay at her parents’ house. Somehow, it made her feel better knowing at least one of her friends was out of danger.

  She hugged the cup of hot cocoa to her chest and grumbled, “He must be some kind of vampire celebrity to be this popular.”

  The smell of chocolate soothed her. It was hard clinging to reality when her norm became infested with the undead. Being stuck in her apartment for five days with one proved it was real. Whether she liked it or not, she had no choice but to accept it.

  Helena finished her cooling drink, rinsed out the cup in the sink, and left it to dry. Clapping her hands, she thought of what to do next. The TV was broken, and Alexander had taken her laptop and phone after she called Andrew’s dad. The only board games she owned were in her bedroom where something close to an orgy was happening, and she had no idea where Michael was. She grinned. Andrew had a big collection of comics in his room.

  A pang of guilt zipped through her. Yes, the room she had avoided as if plague victims were locked in on the other side of it. She steeled herself. What if Lucious lied and Andrew wasn’t there? They could have left him in that bar or buried him somewhere she wouldn’t know.

  Helena crept up the stairs, careful not to make any noise. She didn’t have to try hard since the hallway was flooded with moans of pleasure coming from her bedroom. A shudder ran through her at the thought of sleeping in it again.

  Once she stood next to Andrew’s room, she chanted that she had to do it. It was her fault this had happened to him and it was up to her to make sure they weren’t lying to her.

  She grasped the door handle with a shaking hand. The cold metal sent a shiver through her. Pushing her doubts aside, she pressed on the handle.

  The door glided open, and her eyes focused on something that made her heart freeze mid-beat. Andrew’s body lay there illuminated by the moonlight seeping in through the window. He was a pale and lifeless representation of what used to be the friend she once knew. Threading forwards, her eyes focused solely on him.

  From up close, she saw dried blood on his head. His silky hair was a glued mess, plastered to his emotionless face.

  She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. Nothing seemed worse than seeing someone important to her lying still like that. Hot tears blurred the sight of him. She didn’t care. No matter how she looked right now, Andrew couldn’t see her.

  She reached out to him. Perhaps this was some kind of vampire deception created to keep her in this apartment. Yet, her body remained stagnant.

  A pair of hands locked around her shoulders. Her eyes travelled up to a naked chest, and she faced the man in question.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” Alexander warned with his grey eyes aglow.

  “Nor should you!”

  “I’m the one who’s keeping an eye on him.”

  Helena yanked her hands out of his loosening grip to wrap her arms around her waist.

  He dipped his head towards the door. “Leave.”

  Arguing with him was pointless. She knew that, so she staggered out of the room. Moments later, she sat on the sofa with a blank stare as she looked on at the broken TV. Andrew remained dead. What was she going to do if he wasn’t coming back?

  Bright rays of sunshine shone through the thin veil that covered the window, prompting Helena to blink. It was already morning, and she hadn’t moved a muscle since she settled on the sofa last night. She couldn’t sleep. Her head was a complete blank.

  A loud knock on the front door brought her out of her immobile state. She glanced up at the staircase, wondering if Alexander was going to do something about it. She waited until another set of knocks sounded.

  Helena sluggishly moved off the sofa, and her muscles screamed. Ignoring the pins and needles in her legs, she peered through the peephole to find Laura standing on the other side of the door, dressed in jeans and a baby blue linen jacket. Helena couldn’t fathom how she wasn’t cold. Unlike her best friend, she hadn’t looked in the mirror since yesterday or was it the day before that? She couldn’t remember. She couldn’t even begin imagining her current appearance.

  Laura banged on the door harder. “Helena, open
up. I know you’re at home.”

  “What is she doing back here?” Alexander’s grumble startled her.

  She clung to the handle, uncertain whether to open the door or not.

  “Come on, Helena, I forgot my key. Open the damn door,” Laura begged.

  Alexander rolled his eyes. “Let her in before she attracts unwanted attention.”

  Helena waited for him to return upstairs and unlocked the door. “Hey.”

  Laura gaped with her unhinged mouth.

  Brushing her hand through her hair, Helena pushed it away from her face. “Laura, are you alright?”

  Laura gave a slow nod. She blinked rapidly and scowled. “You look like someone took you, stuffed you into a washing machine, and then forgot to hang you up to dry. What kind of cold do you have? Have you lost weight?” Laura’s fingers prodded Helena’s sides.

  “I’ll be fine after some rest.”

  Her friend scoffed. “You need a hospital, not sleep. Have you seen yourself in the mirror?” She waved the comment away. “Probably not,” she nattered on without letting Helena add anything to her defence as she entered the apartment.

  Helena didn’t mind. It was good to have a conversation with someone.

  There was a hint of laughter in Laura’s eyes as she spoke, “Just how contagious are you?”

  For the first time in the past few days, Helena smiled. “I don’t think I am.”

  Laura grinned. Clutching her bag, she hurried into the living room. Helena watched her friend scan the apartment with a pair of hawk-like eyes. Laura’s smile faded, and she sat on one of the stools around the kitchen island. Her attention remained on the smashed television.

  “How did you manage to break the TV and the coffee table and is that your mum’s orchid in the bin?”

  Helena reached for the cupboard with tea and coffee. “I was cleaning and managed to knock it over. The TV… Well, it’s a long story. I’ll buy a new one once I get a job.”

  “It looks more like someone’s head went through the screen,” Laura commented.

  Facing away from Laura, she prepared the drinks. “I was drowsy for a while, so…” She avoided looking at her friend. Keeping Laura out of the vampire business was in her best interest, even if that meant telling a few lies.

  Helena fished out some coffee from the cupboard and grabbed a pair of white cups from another. She shuffled around the kitchen, desperate to keep up her ‘nothing’s wrong’ appearance.

  “Helena, what truly happened?”

  “I told you already, I was drowsy.”

  “I am not talking about the TV. I meant with you. You seem drained. You’ve lost weight. Why won’t you tell me anything?”

  “It’s fine!” Helena shouted.

  Laura sat back, stunned.

  “I didn’t mean to—”

  Laura waved her apology away. “Don’t worry about it.”

  She finished making their coffee and served Laura hers with one spoon of sugar and cream—just as she liked it—then sat on the stool across from her.

  “I’ll be right back. I want to use the loo,” Laura said.

  “I’ll be here.”

  Laura slid off her seat. She tucked away her loose strands of hair and glided towards the staircase.

  Once Laura was out of her view, she sighed. She didn’t expect having a conversation with Laura would be this difficult. While she waited, she glanced at the clock on the wall. It was eight in the morning. Monday was an early start for them at college. Laura wouldn’t be able to stay any longer than an hour. This took away some of the tension in her shoulders.

  From upstairs, a high-pitched scream sounded. The fine hairs on her body rose.

  Laura!

  The coffee cup slid out of her hands. Hot liquid spilt on the counter. A second later, the cup rolled off the smooth surface and crashed to the ground. Helena was on her feet in no time, running up the staircase. She disregarded the burning she felt on her thighs from the sudden change in position.

  The main bathroom door was open, but no one was in there. That was when Helena noticed Andrew’s bedroom door was wide open.

  “Laura!” she screamed, praying that nothing had happened to her.

  She burst inside, her eyes trying to make sense of what was happening.

  Alexander held onto Laura’s shoulders.

  Helena approached both of them. Her eyes darted between Andrew, who lay on the bed, and Laura.

  “You should keep an eye on your friends,” Alexander spoke in a low, gruff voice. His words filled with prickling energy while his eyes were fixed on Laura who stood there with a blank expression.

  Helena didn’t need to look at him to know that his eyes were glowing with an angry grey colour.

  She glared at him. “What are you doing to her?”

  “She’s under my influence. It’s best we get rid of her memory of ever coming here.”

  Helena grabbed his wrist. “You’re going to mess with her mind again? Isn’t that dangerous?”

  “Would you prefer if I keep her for lunch?”

  She let go of his wrist as if he burned her. Laura’s life was more important right now. This method was unfair to her. She knew it. Yet, there was no other option.

  “Instead of removing a memory can’t you modify it?”

  Alexander chuckled. “Now who is advocating messing with someone’s head?”

  “Well?”

  He gave a nod. “Certainly, what should I tell your little friend?”

  “Tell her she came here and saw I was still sick. Say that Andrew is recovering, and she agreed not to come here for a while because we are contagious.”

  Alexander smiled. He spoke in a slow yet melodic manner. “Laura, listen to me.”

  Laura remained silent. The slight dip of her friend’s head told Helena she was conscious.

  “You came here to see your friend. She was worried you will catch her flu, so she told you that you should stay with your parents a while longer. You saw Andrew drinking coffee past her shoulder. He seemed to be getting better, too.” Alexander released her shoulders. “Now then, be on your way, kitten.”

  Laura’s expression hadn’t changed even when Alexander broke their eye contact. He led her downstairs with his hand firmly planted on her lower back.

  Helena was conflicted as she debated whether to speak up or not. She chose against it in case it would affect the unnatural hold he had on Laura and watched her friend leave.

  “Come, we need to talk.” Alexander strolled into the kitchen.

  She joined him. The coffee spill from the counter dripped down, forming a brown puddle with ceramic clusters next to her feet.

  Alexander picked up the kitchen roll and handed it to her.

  She eyed him with suspicion.

  “What? Can’t I be nice once in a while?” he asked with a tilt of his head.

  This was the first time she saw him so tousled. His shirt was half-buttoned. His platinum hair was a wavy mess atop of his head, compared to its usual well-styled appearance.

  “It’s weird. You don’t seem like the type to do anything nice.”

  A faint smile curved his lips. He tore a few sheets from the roll in her hands and knelt next to the mess.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked him, confused.

  He glanced up at her. “Are you going to help or not?”

  Helena narrowed her eyes, annoyed that he had ignored her question. She joined him and started soaking up the coffee stain on the counter. Together they got the cleaning done in no time.

  Alexander stretched and eyed her. “Let us have a proper conversation over a cup of coffee. I’ll prepare it, you go and sit down.”

  Helena scurried off to sit on the sofa, choosing a seat where she could oversee what he was doing as Alexander moved around her kitchen.

  He brought two steaming cups of coffee over. When she accepted one, he flashed a brilliant smile and collapsed into the seat across from her. “So tell me, Ms Hawthorn, what do you k
now about magic?”

  Helena inhaled sharply. “Why do you ask?”

  He sipped his coffee and those grey eyes focused on her as if trying to figure out a puzzle. “It’s not nice to answer a question with a question. Alright then, tell me about the link you created with Lucious. How did you do it?”

  Helena didn’t know where he was going with this conversation and the intensity he watched her with made her uncomfortable in her own skin. “I don’t want to discuss it.”

  He placed his cup on the floor and rested his elbow on the armrest. “Since we’re stuck together, we may as well get to know one another, no?”

  The coffee cup conducted warmth where it touched her thighs. Lucious must have disclosed everything about the link. Somehow, she had believed that he had the decency to keep the bond matter solely between them.

  Her eyes narrowed. “Get to the point.”

  “If you are a saint and can neutralise a vampire with a flick of your wrist, why haven’t you done so?”

  She swallowed. He was onto her. “I promised Lucious not to harm you.”

  “You’re lying to me. Why would that be?”

  She put her cup on the ground and rose. “There’s no reason why I should explain myself to you.”

  Alexander also stood. He was half a head taller than her, but it felt like he was a mountain with the energy swirling around him. She grew lightheaded but did her best to pretend she was unaffected.

  He grasped her by the throat, his fingers digging into her skin until she winced. “I hope that you will come in handy, saint, for if you do not, I will tear your heart out without a second thought.”

  He let go of her, and she clasped her hands around her throat, massaging the sore flesh with her fingers. She was in a lot more trouble than she initially thought.

  She flinched when Alexander reached out to pat her on the head. “I hope we understood one another.”

  “Perfectly,” she croaked.