“I can’t. It’s for you.”
“I won’t tell if you won’t. Plus, I’m going to eat first.” Helena waved a fork in the air.
The girl grinned and took the cup. “Thank you.”
Helena prodded her omelette with the cutlery. “So, do you like it here?”
“Of course, I do. This place has been my home since I was five.”
Helena recalled that Vincent was taking in orphans. Could it be because he has a kind heart? She snorted inwardly. No, a vampire wouldn’t do something so selfless. People without a family had no strings attached. If anything happened, no one would know or care. Helena’s mood turned sour since her situation was almost the same.
She scooped up a few forkfuls of egg into her mouth. When she finished chewing, she glanced at Perri who was blowing on her coffee. “Don’t you find it strange that Vincent hadn’t aged?”
Perri seemed to think about it. “Master Vincent must have hit the age when you look the same until one day you unexpectedly prune up, much like George Clooney.”
Helena observed her with care. There wasn’t even a hint of doubt that Vincent was a normal human. Maybe she didn’t want to see the truth right in front of her. “Yeah, or he is a vampire who drinks other people’s blood.”
Perri giggled. “Yes, but vampires don’t exist.”
She forced a smile.
The maid set down her cup on the tray. “I am sure it is rude of me to ask, but how did you end up knowing him? Master Vincent didn’t tell us much about you.”
Helena bit her lip. Telling the truth would make this girl think she was crazy.
“I met him a short while ago.” How short, Helena didn’t want to elaborate. “He said he could give me more information about the myths in Scotland that I need for my college report, so he invited me to come back with him for a short stay. That’s about it.”
Perri cocked her head to one side. “What about your family and friends? Won’t they miss you?”
Helena stopped chewing. How was she going to reply to this question when she didn’t want to think about the answer?
The silence between them stretched. Perri took a loud gulp of her drink and scratched her head. “Sorry, I bet they are missing you and you must miss them, too. I didn’t think the question through.”
Putting her fork down, Helena shook her head. It took a lot out of her to push back the tears that banged against the floodgates. “You’re right. I do miss them.”
Perri wrapped her hands around the half-empty cup of coffee. She stared at the swirling liquid. “Do you have someone you love?”
Helena was glad she stopped eating. The question was as unexpected as this girl’s oblivious survival in this place. She mulled over her response. If she had never met Lucious and Alexander, she would be dating Andrew. They parted in a terrible way, and she had only herself to blame for it. Even now, she wasn’t certain what she felt for him.
“Helena?” Perri asked, drawing her out of her reverie.
She cleared her throat. “No. I don’t have anyone. Why do you ask?”
Perri’s cheeks grew pink. “Well, there is this guy who comes over with Vincent. He sometimes stays here like you. He tutored me in literature once. And, you see…I sort of have a crush on him.” She got up and paced around the bed. “I mean, I don’t know what to do. Should I tell him? Shouldn’t I? Does he even like blonde hair?”
Helena raised her hands, stopping her tirade. “Whoa, calm down. First of all, you should find out if he’s single or not.”
Perri gave a long blink as if it was too hard to digest that statement. “I can’t talk to him. I freeze up. But, when he greets me, I melt in here.” She pointed at her heart. “His accent is so beautiful.” Perri sighed with a dreamy expression. “Not like the rough bark everyone here has.”
The maid seemed to be in her own little world. When Perri realised Helena was still in the room, she blushed tomato-red. “I’m so sorry. You must think I’m weird.”
Helena pushed the tray aside. “No. Nothing like that. Every girl has to go through that stage at some point, right?”
Perri grasped her shoulders. “Then you must help me. I want to learn how to, you know, charm him.”
Helena cringed. Someone like Laura would have been a better choice to provide her with a plan of action for romance. Yet, the hopeful look in Perri’s big brown puppy-dog eyes made her cave in. “I’ll see what I can do, but no promises.”
The maid let go of her. She glowed with excitement. At the back of her mind, Helena couldn’t shake the fact that this guy was someone Vincent knew. What were the chances he could be a vampire when Vincent seemed more than happy to be among humans?
A week went by quickly. Perri continued working on summoning up her courage to talk to this mysterious Hans. According to Rupert, he left with Vincent for London, and both of them were due to return tomorrow.
Helena stared at the door of her room as she sat in the armchair. She couldn’t sleep again—wouldn’t sleep. The images from that nightmare haunted her. At night, she would wake up dripping with sweat and unable to break away from the nightmare until it was over.
Tonight, she could tell something was different. When she concentrated on her shields, she sensed they were weakened. The darkness pressured her from all directions. With a loud screech of metal, she saw a long crack had appeared and trailed along the metal surface above her head. The mental shields could no longer withstand the pressure that was building around her.
Helena clamped her arms around herself. She had to do something before the darkness could reach her.
The heartbeat thumped in her head, reminding her of how frightened she was. So, she aimed to reinforce her shields with another layer, but a sudden headache made her lose the concentration she had managed to gather.
“Michael, help me!”
He never showed at any other time she had called him in the past week. This left her with Lucious. She didn’t want to talk to him after their fight, but she sent him a message over the link, anyway.
A biting chill ran through her, and she knew who it was. Her shields dissolved under the force of its power, allowing the dark energy to engulf her.
“There you are, my sweet little soul,” a deep growl echoed in her head.
Before her brain could react and produce a scream, she was swallowed up by the dreaded darkness.
14
His Childe
Lucious’ hands shot up as he paced around Alexander’s office. “Why did I do that?”
He couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened with Helena. Yes, he began calling her by her name in his mind. This piece of information troubled him, stating how much closer he had allowed her to get to his dead heart. Whatever magic she had cast on him, he had to fight it.
Lucious raked his fingers through his hair. “I kissed her, Alexander. I let myself lose control. I never lose control!”
Alexander reclined in his office chair. “Don’t think too much about it. You were driven by adrenaline. Hell, even I had a few girls to keep me company after the elders left.”
Lucious collapsed into the seat opposite Alexander.
“Think of it as I do,” Alexander began. “My women are beautiful, accessible, short-term rides. Why not grab one of my girls and enjoy yourself for a night or two? The stress with the elders has messed with your mind.”
Alexander was right, as always. Helena meant nothing to him. She was an asset. Someone they could use. “You are correct. I have been thinking too much about this. As for the offer, I must refuse. There are certain matters that need to be taken care of.”
Alexander’s expression grew serious. “I’ve been looking into your case, Lucious. So far, I have found nothing. My contacts in London are either unable to talk about the matter or went missing. Whoever brought you to Eliza’s attention must be protected by the Council.”
Lucious’ eyes narrowed. “Do you think someone on the Council is after me?”
“Unless
you had any personal run-ins with them beforehand, I doubt it.” He shrugged. “Although, it is something we can’t rule out.” He stood and made his way to the window. The lights from the sign outside coloured his platinum hair a fiery red as he looked into the distance. “Everyone has adversaries, Lucious. The quicker we figure out who yours is, the faster we can get over this hiccup.”
Over the years, Lucious had angered many people. The families of humans he had slaughtered in his rage when he was informed of Anna’s death, the hunters he had tracked down and tortured for information. There were too many to count. It bothered him that, in the end, they chose to go after him through the Council and not directly. But, what kept his mind busy were the supposed proof they had against him and the pointless claim that he wanted to disrupt the Council. “I have thought of this a lot. Somehow, I doubt they would listen to a human claim or that of a hunter. A vampire must be behind this mess.”
Facing him, Alexander rested his back against the windowsill. He crossed his arms, which stretched the material of his shirt. “I’m constantly entertaining the thought that it’s someone trying to get back at me. Too many people know that you are my closest friend. If they can’t touch me, you are the next best thing.”
Lucious picked up the half-filled glass of whisky from Alexander’s desk and downed the contents in one mouthful. He wished alcohol affected him in the same way it did when he was human. Instead of giving him a much-needed escape from reality after a few glasses, he needed to consume two bottles of strong liquor to get a similar effect. He set the glass on the table and stood up. “We don’t have time to cover all bases. In four weeks, I will be standing before Eliza without anything I can use to defend myself.”
Alexander pushed away from the window and strolled over to Lucious. “I’ll keep looking. I may need to ask Max for his help on this one. He has more contacts than me. As for you, get some rest and stay away from her until she leaves tomorrow.”
Lucious trusted his friend with his life. His levelheadedness was what he needed most in that moment. Since he met Helena, the control he had practised throughout his new existence persisted on slipping away, and he hated it.
“Yes, I believe I will do that,” Lucious agreed.
“Don’t forget to check up on your protégé.”
Lucious groaned. He was uncertain as to what to do with the newborn. This was his first childe—a mistake he didn’t have time to babysit. “I am not good at dealing with newborns.”
“Andrew is not a bad kid. He seems to have a good head for business when he’s not frenzied by the thirst. If you don’t want him, I wouldn’t mind taking him under my wing.”
“He would be better off with you. Too bad the law dictates that as a sire I am responsible for him.”
“I’m amazed you still care about our laws,” Alexander mused.
“The fewer laws I break now, the less I have to be proven innocent for later.” Lucious stood and checked the time on his phone. It was already 3 a.m. “I best get going.”
Before he could get through the door, Alexander’s hand landed on Lucious’ shoulder. “What do I tell the human tomorrow if she asks for you?”
“Anything you like.”
Alexander let him go. “As you wish.”
Lucious arrived in the quiet part of the city, cramped with empty, abandoned warehouses. There wasn’t a single heartbeat for miles, which made this a perfect place for him to relax and think things through. He stalked through the unlit street until he found the building that matched the address Alexander sent him.
A small converted warehouse with boarded-up windows stood before him. The place seemed ageless and dull. His vision allowed him to see the moss growing in the clefts of the grey stone. Around the corner, he found an entrance where one of Alexander’s employees guarded the door.
The vampire eyed him with suspicion. “Lucious, I presume?”
Lucious gave a curt nod. “Yes. I take it Alexander has informed you of my arrival.”
“You have brought a lot of trouble to my boss. You better not get him killed.” With that, the vampire opened a large metal door for him.
Lucious already knew he was endangering his friend. He also knew that without Alexander’s connections, he was as good as dead.
He marched inside. The warehouse design allowed him to see all three floors. The common room occupied the whole of the ground floor. Rust clung to metal pipes high above his head as he made his way further in. This place was better than the apartment he stayed at in London before his search went downhill.
All the stress and healing made him feel like he could sleep for a week. Such pleasure was not something he could afford. The air prickled with familiar energy. His sired vampire was nearby. As he approached one of the faux leather sofas, the energy grew more potent.
Lucious glanced down at the newborn lying there, staring up at him with inquisitive green eyes.
Andrew jumped to his feet. “How is she? What happened?”
“Your human is fine,” Lucious said, trying to sound indifferent.
His childe ignored the obvious dismissal. “No, she’s not. Tell me what happened!”
Lucious cursed under his breath. He would have to punch whoever had a big enough mouth to tell this kid she was involved in their meeting with the Council. He tried walking past him, but Andrew stood his ground, moving when he did.
“There is nothing to worry about. Now, let me pass,” Lucious said, hoping the kid was going to let this conversation go.
“But your clothes…” Andrew smelt the air. His expression darkened. “You smell like her and there’s blood. So much blood…” An emerald glow rimmed his pupils, and his hands jerked upwards. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Lucious’ skin prickled with Andrew’s energy. For a new vampire who had awakened less than a week ago, he was unusually strong. And, after the fight with Andreaz, Lucious didn’t want to get into another one when he was not at his best. That and he was certain if he told this kid the truth, the fool would run out of there and try protecting her as he had attempted to do in the past.
“I may have taken some damage, but she remains unharmed,” Lucious reassured him.
Andrew eyed him with scepticism.
In return, Lucious gave him nothing other than his schooled blank expression. He had learned long ago that hiding his emotions was the best way to survive in their world.
“We can discuss this another time. Move,” Lucious ordered, sending his energy into the final word.
Andrew cringed and stepped aside.
Disregarding the young man, Lucious brushed past him. This proved he wasn’t cut out to be a sire. Anna never used her will on him. She did her best to keep Lucious out of trouble and taught him how to be a vampire with patience and support. He would do anything to have her back, even learn to get along with his halfwit childe.
He climbed the metal stairs and stumbled into the first room with a bed.
“Finally, some peace and quiet,” he muttered, collapsing on top of the sheets.
It had been days since he got proper rest. With so much feeding in the recent weeks, it was becoming harder to reign in his thirst. Feeding was as strong as a drug to vampires. The more he drank that rich, crimson water of life, the harder it was to refrain from draining the human dry.
He rolled over on his side and closed his eyes. Even now, he felt her through the link. The sound of Helena’s heartbeat that pumped her warm blood through her veins replayed in his mind. Her tears had destroyed any fantasy of drinking her sweet blood until she lay without a pulse in his arms.
He shut his mental barriers. She was not his problem anymore.
Evening came and his throat ached from the early signs of the thirst. A faint scent of blood caused his throat to burn. With much effort, he sat up. The sweet aroma was coming from his clothes. His ruined tuxedo from yesterday was covered in blood.
He shrugged the jacket off his shoulders and tore the remnants of the black shirt off.
Tossing them on the ground, he scanned the room for any spare clothes. The only material in this empty space was the bed sheets he had ruined with his filthy attire.
Lucious sighed and searched his pockets for a phone. He dialled the first number that popped into his head, and when Alexander didn’t pick up, he went with the second best option.
Tanya’s bored voice purred down the line. “Russian Roulette main desk, how may I help you?”
“Tanya, it’s me. Can you put me through to Alexander?”
He heard her inhale sharply. “Oh, darling, I missed you last night. As for Alexander, he’s not in right now. I believe he went back to the hotel to sort something out.”
Lucious recalled the trade was on tonight. “Thank you.”
“Anything else, my love?”
“Actually, could you send me some spare clothes to Alexander’s warehouse?”
“As much as I would love to have you remain naked, I will get someone on it.”
Before she could add anything else, he ended the call. He had to find out about the vampire who was behind this farce. The sooner he started, the quicker things would get done.
A distasteful bar came into Lucious’ view. The last time he was here, he had to sneak in to get Helena out. Today, he was visiting ‘The Rift’ during the opening hours.
The stench of trash and the filthy river nearby besieged the place, confusing his vampiric senses. Thick, smoky-grey walls contained most of the noise and the black painted windows kept the prying eyes out of their business.
He entered the bar, eyeing the dancers and sparing a glance to the entrances. Not too long ago, he had slaughtered a bounty hunter in here. Marcus won’t be too ecstatic to see him return for another visit so soon.
The air prickled with energy, and the hair on the back of Lucious’ neck rose. He searched the area for any threats, discovering a group of young vampires trying to show off their power levels.
What a waste. He pushed his way through the thick crowd of dancing patrons.
Russian Roulette (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 1) Page 21