Helena glanced at Lucious. His expression told her nothing as he led her in the direction Alexander mentioned. They proceeded through another set of doors which led to a long plum coloured hallway filled with what appeared to be an endless amount of doors.
“To make things easier, Alexander suggested you stay in this room.” Lucious waved to the first door from the wall. “The room next to yours is his office. If he’s not at work, you’ll find him in there.”
She withdrew her hand from his loose hold. “And where will you be staying?”
“I haven’t decided yet. But, do not fret. If I sleep in your room, I won’t touch you. Your childish body is not to my taste.”
Helena huffed and crossed her arms. “You are not staying in the same room as me, full stop.”
A deep chuckle escaped him, and he opened a door for her.
She didn’t move. To her, the previous conversation was being pushed to the back of her mind. She felt that going in would change her life forever.
Lucious nudged her backside. “There are some things we need to discuss later. Until then, you should try settling in.”
Helena swallowed the lump in her throat. She set her foot inside, planting it firmly into the soft maroon carpet. The colour scheme of this room was gloomy. Even with the lights on, it felt dark and uninviting. This was not a place where she felt even remotely at home.
Sitting on the bed, she brushed her fingers against the smooth, silky material and let out a laboured sigh. What am I doing here?
She called out to Michael again, needing to know what to do or how to function. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t respond to her calls. Left with nothing else to do in her new prison, she stood and headed for the door.
Helena found Lucious sitting alone on one of the white couches in the living room, drinking an amber-coloured drink with ice. He seemed relaxed and quite at home—a skill he seemed to possess no matter where he was.
“Where’s Alexander?”
Lucious placed his drink on the end table. “He was called away by the staff. He should be back shortly. How are you finding your new lodgings?”
Helena shrugged. “The room is amazing. It must be a few times larger than my old room, but…”
“But?”
“It doesn’t feel like home to me.”
“And what does feel like home to you?”
She felt his eyes on her. His stare made her uneasy as she stood in the centre of the room, fragile and exposed. Her body itched to move, so she drew closer to an armchair across from where he sat.
“Somewhere where there are people I love and care about, I guess,” she replied, sinking into the seat.
“I don’t believe Alexander would be interested in hitting it off with you.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
He smiled. “I was joking. I myself have not found a home in a long time.”
That piqued Helena’s interest. She scooted closer, hoping for him to continue.
Lucious’ lips tugged into a sad smile and, with a distant look, he proceeded to stare out the window.
Helena didn’t want to press for information. He was not the type of person who talked about himself a lot. Now that she was trapped in a different place, there were things she needed to know like how was Andrew coping? Since he couldn’t go outside, how would he eat? A chill from earlier resurfaced. Images of her neighbours drained of blood flashed in front of her eyes. Not that she had the time to meet any of them.
“What are you going to do about Andrew? Where will he be staying?”
“Alexander sent him to another place for the time being. He’ll be taken care of, don’t worry.” His reassurances didn’t make her feel any better. In the end, she had to take his word for it.
Loud, hurried footsteps made her turn her head to see who was approaching.
As if his Armani suit was on fire, Alexander burst into the room, muttering curses in Russian. He waved a piece of paper in his hand. “You’ve got mail.”
Lucious immediately was on his feet. His wary eyes fixated on the small piece of paper in Alexander’s hand.
“For me I take it?” Lucious outstretched a hand to accept the letter that was offered to him.
“It is for both of you,” Alexander corrected him.
Puzzled by this development, Helena rose from her seat. She didn’t tell anyone where she was going.
Lucious’ deft fingers dug inside an already opened envelope which held a faded piece of grey paper. She took note of a strange circular emblem of a cloaked man holding a sword, facing the sharp end of it downwards.
“What the hound told me was the truth,” Lucious said after he finished reading. He handed her the piece of paper. “It would seem you are also invited.”
Helena read the contents of the letter aloud, “By the order of the Council,
You, Lucious Ellwood, and the human female are invited to attend a summoning two dawns from this day at your host’s local business establishment. The Councilmen shall arrive no later than the witching hour. Failure to appear will be seen as a rebellion against the elders and, therefore, imminent action will be taken to remove the threat.” She frowned. “Remove the threat?”
“Means we are as good as dead,” Lucious explained.
She handed the letter back to him with a shaking hand. “Why do they want me to come with you?”
“Who knows? Maybe they figured out what you are, or they wish to know why Lucious went out of his way to rescue a human,” Alexander said.
All of this was impossible for her to handle. Not only did she belong to a vampire, she had to face vampires that her captors seemed to be afraid of. “What will happen at the meeting?”
Lucious signalled for her to sit back down, and she complied. Being seated seemed like a good idea, especially since her legs were close to jelly in consistency after reading that letter.
He sat on the edge of the sofa, and Alexander paced with his hands gripping his elbows. “I’m glad they chose the neutral grounds for the meet, but the fact they are coming here in person is just—”
“Unsettling,” Lucious finished for him.
Alexander stopped pacing and faced Lucious. “Are you certain you haven’t done anything to warrant such treatment?”
He shook his head. “No matter how hard I think, nothing comes to mind.”
Alexander sank into a seat next to him. Both vampires seemed paler than before, which made Helena’s stomach knot with dread.
“Is there anything we can do to get out of the meeting?” she asked.
“Not if you want to stay alive to see the year’s end,” Lucious said.
Alexander rested his elbows on his knees. “I will try to keep the peace during the meeting, but even I have my limits.”
Lucious tapped Alexander’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. You have already put your neck on the line for me. I do not wish to lose you in a meaningless fight.”
“Are they that strong?” she asked.
Alexander eyed her. “Would vampires all across Europe listen to anyone who’s incapable of making them kneel with a single command? We do not have democracy in our world. We are kept in order by the strongest, most powerful elders who rule different territories. Those vampires preserve the few laws dictated by the first Council.”
Ants crawled along her skin. “And we are going to meet them in two days?”
Alexander clapped in intermittent succession. “Now the human grasps the situation!” He gave Lucious a quick glance. “I best get back to work. I have a lot to attend to.”
Their stiff movements had the bad feeling in her chest growing exponentially. The restless nights filled with strange dreams and the stress from her predicament had made it hard for her to think straight. Exhausted as she was, she figured if Alexander and Lucious feared the Council, she should, too.
10
Soul-Bound
In Alexander’s office, Lucious rested his back against the ashen wallpaper. His fingers toyed with
a pound coin he had found in his pocket.
Behind his large desk, Alexander flicked through a pile of paperwork held in his hands with disinterest. He always said work relaxed him. The current circumstances had made it so that nothing could take away the lines of stress etched into his youthful face.
Lucious gave up waiting for his friend to finish whatever he was doing. “Alexander, you have nothing to do with this. You should inform the Council you were misled by me to save your reputation.”
Alexander groaned, tossed the papers onto the desk, and folded his arms across his broad chest. “And then what? Abandon a friend who saved my life? Out of the question!” He brought his piercing grey eyes to level with Lucious’ in an open challenge. “I am more concerned about the saint we’re keeping around.”
“What about her?”
“The Council is interested in her. This may bite us in the ass later.”
Lucious shook his head. “They cannot find out what she is.”
Alexander stood, slamming his flattened palms against the table which caused the wood to creak under the sudden influx of pressure. “I doubt even she knows what she is!”
Lucious was thankful that Alexander’s office was soundproof. Scaring the saint any more could drive her further away, and he did not have enough patience to chase her around the city again.
“Calm down, Alexander. You said so yourself, she holds powers we do not know of yet. We have to get her to trust us.”
Alexander’s eyes lit with mischief. “Then make her fall in love with you.”
The coin slid between two of Lucious’ fingers and fell onto the white carpet between his booted feet. He was stunned by his friend’s suggestion. Love was not something he considered or had the time for.
“You look distraught. I am trying to say that the most loyal woman is the one in love. Right now, it is the perfect time for you to intervene.” Alexander made his way around the desk and sat on its edge. “She has lost a friend she cared about, so console her. Make her think you will be there for her.”
Lucious saw merit in Alexander’s solution, but there was little appeal in it. “Alexander, that’s—”
“Something you should consider if you wish to manipulate her.”
Lucious fixated on the small pound coin in thought. As much as it displeased him to admit it, Alexander was right. There wasn’t a better time to gain her trust. His lips twitched into a smile. “Alright, you win. I’ll take care of the human.” He picked up the coin. “There is a different matter I wanted to discuss with you.”
“Ah, this must be about Anna.”
The name Lucious used to love hearing had become a haunting memory that ravaged his mind for over a century. He could have sworn his dead heart had squeezed at the mention of it, and his lips pursed like he’d been chewing on a lemon rind. “I have to return to England. The name Phil gave me could be my final clue.”
“All these years you’ve spent looking for her killers. The leads Phil and I found got you nowhere. Don’t you think it is time to let her rest in peace?”
“Would you let Max’s death go unanswered?”
Alexander cringed. “You have a point.” He paused and added, “I have thought of another possibility.”
Lucious kneaded the coin in his hand. “What’s that?”
“I have mentioned this before and stand by it. The whole incident was too clean. It points to professionals doing it. But, the more I thought about it, the more I questioned that fact. I mean, they waited for you to leave the country to attack her. And to kill Anna would not have been an easy feat. With the job done, they vanished without a trace, leaving ashes of your sire for you to find.”
Lucious had thought it to be strange, too, yet no matter what he couldn’t seem to find any evidence that would point him in the right direction. “What are you suggesting?”
Alexander spread his arms out. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find Eliza involved in her death.”
He closed his eyes. The hold on his shields was slipping, and he struggled to maintain his cool. The elders had connections greater than any vampire or a bounty hunter group. As much as he didn’t want to believe it, having spent so many years looking into Anna’s death, he had dismissed their involvement as an improbability. If he were to look closely at the suspicious development in his standing with the Council, he could overlook it no further.
“Lucious, it’s just a thought. Right now, I suggest you try controlling your saint if that’s what she is.”
“Are you implying she’s not?”
“I don’t know what she is. I can’t figure out if she didn’t kill me because it suited her plans or if she was incapable of harming me.” Alexander reached for his tie and tugged it down, loosening the knot. “I don’t question the fact that you saw something. We simply should consider the idea that it may be something other than a guardian angel.”
“If she could create something that believable without casting a spell aloud, she will have her use, Alexander.”
“I’m sorry. I tend to overthink things.” Alexander rounded his desk and parked himself in his office chair. “I believe it is time for you to try your hand at courting a woman.”
Lucious rolled his eyes from lack of enthusiasm. He never had to court a woman. They came to him of their own volition. Both parties got what they wanted out of their short relationship without emotional involvement. To make a young woman fall in love with him was not something he ever thought he’d have to do with the Council’s due date creeping up on him.
Helena lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She was exhausted yet unable to sleep with her unsettled mind. Even counting sheep and the fences they hopped over didn’t help. After a thousand, she gave up and let the thoughts flow as she rolled over to one side. In two days, she was due to meet this dreaded Council. Perhaps, when she explained to them that she had nothing to do with Lucious or Alexander, they would let her go. To her, that sounded more like a prayer than a possibility.
She heard a soft knock on her door, so she scrambled off the bed and opened it. One of the people she didn’t want anything to do with smiled at her.
“May I come in?” Lucious requested.
“No.”
She didn’t get a chance to slam the door shut. He pushed it open with what seemed to be little effort and rested his hand on the frame. “Then I’m coming in.”
“I told you, no.”
His playfulness disappeared. “I have something I need to talk to you about.”
Knowing she didn’t have a choice but to listen, she let him pass. For him to come to her, at such an ungodly hour, meant it was important. Her stomach churned. Did something bad happen to Andrew or Laura? “What’s wrong?”
Lucious closed the door behind him.
To mimic him, she took a few steps back, creating some distance between them. The way he watched her was different like she was some kind of animal to be tamed.
He closed the gap in one long stride.
Her heart beat faster. This closeness reminded her of how gentle he was when he held her the night before. She turned to keep him from seeing her reddening face. “Well, don’t stay silent. What is it?”
“I want you to recreate the link between us.”
She couldn’t help her reaction. She whirled on the spot and stared at him, dumbfounded. “You were the one who wanted to cut the link, why would you want to recreate it?”
He shrugged. “That was then. Our circumstances have changed.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Michael materialise. She glanced in his direction. He wore a worried expression on his face. At the same time, he appeared to be worn out. The glow surrounding him had dulled. What was happening to him to keep him away from her?
“Don’t listen to him. He is trying to use you,” Michael said, interrupting her thoughts.
Helena wanted to take another step back, but Lucious grasped her arms to keep her in place. His cool touch against her bare skin sent an involuntary
shiver down her spine.
Gathering her courage, she found the words she sought. “I can’t.”
Lucious didn’t release her. Instead, he watched her with those strange blue-brown eyes as if trying to decipher whether she was speaking the truth. “Why not?”
“It was because Michael brought me to a certain place last time.”
“Helena, if you’re lying to me…”
She balled her hands into fists. “And if I am?”
Lucious’ expression turned grim. He traced his index finger along her cheek and lifted her chin, drawing her face close enough that if either one of them moved their lips would collide.
When she didn’t give him a reaction, he gave her a brilliant smile. “Consider my words, my dear.”
“There is nothing to consider,” Michael said in her mind.
As Lucious moved to leave, she grabbed his arm. The words that had been on her mind for days came out. “Why did you save me?”
She felt him tense under her hold and couldn’t see him as he spoke. “It was my fault you got involved.”
Is that the truth? She couldn’t tell. She wanted to see his face but didn’t dare ask him to confirm his statement.
Lucious shrugged her hand off. “Get some rest. We can continue this conversation another time.” He softly closed the door behind him.
Her immediate attention was needed elsewhere. She shot Michael a piercing glare. “Where were you?”
“I was busy.”
She marched over to where he stood and hissed, “Busy doing what?”
“That matter doesn’t concern you, Helena.”
He never spoke to her in such short and irritated manner or left her side for longer than an hour or two. So, why wouldn’t he tell her where he went? There couldn’t be that many things he was hiding from her.
“Michael, please…”
“I don’t have time to repeat myself.” He softened his speech. “I am using a lot of energy to stay visible to you right now. Is there anything you wanted to ask? I must leave soon.”
“You’re leaving again?” she asked in a high-pitched voice.
Russian Roulette (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 1) Page 14