Love Me to Death (Underveil)

by Marissa Clarke

  Vlad leaned back in his chair, arms folded across his chest. “No. There is too much at stake this time.” Then he smiled, fangs barely visible. “Besides, Fydor made a very stupid mistake where the elves are involved.” His smile broadened into a grin, exposing his sharp, deadly fangs, and Elena shuddered. “He kidnapped and imprisoned Dalra the Warrior’s only daughter. The light elves’ days of being passive, uninvolved observers are over. Taking Fee was declaring war. Had he destroyed her, the Slayers would have been obliterated.”

  Nik, wearing something that looked like a monk’s tunic, burst into the room. “Let me out of here, Dalca.” His gaze flitted to Elena and stopped on the two vampires to Vlad’s left. Immediately, his shoulders dropped to a more relaxed stance as he reigned in his emotion. “Please.”

  “Join us, Nikolai. We were discussing strategy for tonight. The factions are converging on the Slayer fortress at this moment and plan to launch an attack sometime after dark.”

  “I plan to launch an attack right now,” he said, not moving. “How do I teleport out?”

  Squawking and racket from the other door cut off Vlad’s response. The bird lady from the barn trotted into the room and stopped short, out of breath. “The avian flock is joining the battle on the resistance’s behalf. So are the light elves,” she said. “And Fee the Alchemist requests a key to teleport.”

  Pose still relaxed, Vlad arched an eyebrow. “For what purpose?”

  The woman’s jerky, nonhuman movements made it hard for Elena to take her seriously. “She has business with the Uniter.” Now that she could take seriously. Maybe this crazy plan would work after all.

  Vlad plucked a hair from his head and gestured her over. “Deliver this to Fee and thank your flock leader. Tell him King Nikolai is honored by her decision.”

  The woman left immediately without words of parting.

  “I am not the king,” Nik said.

  “Yes, you are. Fydor usurped the throne by committing a crime, and we all know it.”

  “I abdicated. He obtained it rightfully because of my mistakes.”

  “Yes, Nikolai. You made errors, but only because your father was brutally murdered along with his best friend. My dear friend. His claim to the throne was illegitimate. It’s time for you to make things right.”

  “Which is exactly what I plan to do. Let me out of here.”

  The cloaked vampires shifted in their chairs, clearly uncomfortable. Vlad clasped one on the shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze. “You are not in the mindset to do this at this time, Nikolai Itzov.”

  “Fydor plans a human massacre. A large-scale one. I fear it will be initiated today.”

  “Doubtful, if he plans to execute the queen tonight.”

  Nik’s brow furrowed. “How did you know that?”

  “He can read my mind,” Elena answered, rising to go to him. Which also meant Vlad knew what she planned to do to stop Fydor. So far, he was keeping that to himself, which was good.

  She met Vlad’s amused gaze. Sneaky devil.

  “Just so,” he said, with a wink.

  He pulled away from her. “This can’t wait. A surgical strike on Fydor and the rescue of the queen is critical. I can do this and prevent the human massacre and a full-scale attack on the Slayer fortress by our resistance.” He stood very still, tension practically rolling off him in waves from his dark hair to his bare feet. His attempt to hold his emotions in check had him close to cracking.

  “Take the Uniter with you,” Vlad said.

  He answered without even considering it. “No. Absolutely not. If you can read her mind, then you know exactly why. There is too much risk for her.”

  “You underestimate her.”

  “You underestimate me,” Nik answered.

  “How about letting me weigh in on this?” Talking about her like she wasn’t in the room was infuriating.

  “No,” Nik snapped.

  Hands on hips, she collected herself for several reasons. Not only did she not want to set off the two empath vamps, she didn’t want to set Nik off, either. He’d just been through a horrible ordeal, and he was being asked to give up control and concede he needed help, neither of which were easy for him.

  “She doesn’t need your approval. She has her own powers and can go without you,” Vlad observed.

  “I won’t allow it.”

  Enough. Elena gripped the edge of the table. “Is Chauvinism 101 a required course for all Slayers, or is it reserved for royalty?”

  Both of his dark eyebrows shot up. Other than that, he remained still.

  “I can teleport out of here any time I want, Nik, but you can’t. I’ll give you half an hour to make up your mind whether or not you want me to take you when I teleport to the fortress.” With that, she marched out the door to go get her sword from her bedroom.

  Her vision blurred through the tears she refused to shed. She was trying, she really was, but he needed to meet her halfway. When he was ready to treat her as an equal and stop acting like a royal ass, she’d be more than happy to talk to him. As soon as she got what she needed from the elf, she was out of here, with or without him.

  Nikolai knew he was being a prick, and possibly giving Elena cause to hate him, but couldn’t risk losing her or his baby. Just thinking about her carrying his child made his heart beat faster . No. She would stay here with Vladimir Dalca where they both were safe.

  “I would like some more suitable battle clothes if available.”

  The three vampires didn’t respond, not that he expected the two empaths to do anything. Freakish creatures, but invaluable in battle. They fed off the opponents’ fear or fury and were unstoppable. Sadly, that carried over into everyday life, so they had to be contained to this mountain where their interaction with other species, especially humans, was limited.

  Dalca reached for a goblet on the table in front of him. “You spoke of mistakes you’d made. You are about to make the biggest one of your existence.”

  “I can’t allow her to put herself and our baby in harm’s way.”

  “Which is exactly what would happen if she remains here. We will all be in harm’s way. She’s the key to ending the war.”

  Part of him knew he was right, but the other part wasn’t willing to take the risk. “I couldn’t bear to lose her.”

  “Based on her thoughts, you very well might have lost her already.” He took a sip from the goblet and put it back on the table. “Your markings do not say that the Uniter will rise from the ashes of death by a warrior’s hand, only to be locked away for her own good, thereby denied the ability to dethrone tyrants and anoint kings.”

  “This is bullshit.”

  “Yes, it is.” He closed his eyes and then stood. “Evidently, there is some unusual activity in the forest on the south side. You two are needed to see your units secure the castle. Go now.”

  Both vampires stood and wordlessly left the room.

  With a crook of a finger, Dalca signaled to the woman in the corner. Without hesitation, she crossed the room to stand before him. His eyes darkened, and she smiled as he loosened her hair and ran his fingers through it.

  “It’s a funny thing about fated mates. I’ve never had one, so I can only relate what I’ve heard from those who have been more fortunate than I.” He unbuttoned the woman’s blouse and slipped his hands inside, but his gaze was on Nikolai. “One’s weakness is the other’s strength.” The woman moaned, and he whispered something in her ear that caused her to moan again. “Your strengths, Nikolai Itzov, are bravery, honesty, and fighting skill.” He sat in a chair, pulling the woman into his lap. “Elena Arcos’s strengths are compassion, intelligence, and an uncanny ability to think analytically.”

  The woman reached for the button on his pants, and he stayed her hands. “Together, you and Elena are a formidable team, making up for each other’s deficits. Her brains, your brawn. Think about it.” He released the woman’s hands and brushed her hair over her shoulder as she worked his zipper open with a zing. �
�But please think about it somewhere else, Nikolai Itzov. I think my castle is about to be under attack, and I have something to do first.”

  When Nikolai was a few yards from the door of the bedroom he’d been sharing with Elena, female voices brought him to an abrupt halt.

  One was Elena; the other he didn’t recognize. “Thanks for putting it together so quickly,” Elena said.

  “I owe you my life. This was my honor.”

  Nikolai peeked in to find Elena with a female light elf. The elf handed her a vial of purple liquid that looked to be the elixir his uncle was addicted to. No. He wouldn’t allow Elena to even sample that shit.

  He consciously unclenched his fists. “Hello, ladies.”

  They turned to face him, but didn’t act the least bit startled. In fact, Elena held the vial up to the light as if it were a jewel. “Fee just gave me a gift.”

  He shot the elf what he hoped was a warning glare, but based on her lack of reaction, clearly it was ineffective. “How…nice.”

  “Prenatal vitamins,” Elena said.

  From down the hall in the great room, Vlad cut loose with a burst of laughter.

  Vitamins. He looked from the elf to Elena’s smiling faces. What an ass he was. An overbearing, shortsighted, completely head-over-heels-in-love ass. “Thank you…”

  “Oh. This is Fee the Alchemist,” Elena said.

  “I’ve heard of you often. I’m sorry about your brother.”

  “Thank you. I am certain we will be bringing him home soon. My father thinks we are close to locating him.”

  “I hope so.”

  “I must go,” she said. “Be careful. I’m not sure how quickly the vitamins will take effect, but I am confident they will have the desired result.” She wrapped her slender arms around Elena, and they held one another like sisters. Clearly, lots had happened while he was chained to the wall in Fydor’s “rec room.”

  The elf disappeared, leaving no trace except the floral scent common to all light elves.

  Elena slid the vial into her pocket and pulled her hair back, tying it up with a leather cord she gathered from the bathroom counter. “I’ll see you later, Nik.”

  “Wait!”

  She lifted a perfectly formed eyebrow, which made him feel more chastised than any words ever could.

  “Look, I…” Fuck. This shouldn’t be so hard. He loved this woman. Needed her. Still, asking someone for help was hard, but going against every instinct he had to protect his mate was almost incapacitating. And he was about to ask her to risk her life—probably a Slayer first. “I’m sorry I was such a prick. You’re right. I need you to go. Not only are you a better planner and strategist, you are the Uniter, which means this is your show. I’m just there to wield a sword and keep you…” He was pleased when she let him approach and run a hand over her belly. “Keep both of you safe. Allow me that.” He brushed his lips against her jaw. “Please.”

  A knock sounded on the door, and then it was thrown open by Dalca. “I brought some clothes for Nikolai, along with this, since he arrived without a weapon.”

  Nik stared at the all too familiar sword in the vampire’s hand. “That was my father’s.”

  “It was. I took it from Ivan’s body before Fydor arrived. I couldn’t bear the thought of that worm even touching it.” He passed it to Nikolai and handed a stack of clothes to Elena.

  Nik’s vision blurred as tears stung his eyes. He blinked them away. Slayers never cried. “Thank you. I’d thought it was lost forever.”

  “No. Just in safekeeping until you were ready to receive it.” He patted him on the shoulder. “You’re ready now.” He took the pile of clothes from Elena and passed them to Nik.

  “And as for you, Elena Arcos. I wish Gregor were alive for more than one reason, but right now, I wish it so that he could see you. You are magnificent and he would be proud of his daughter.”

  He opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace. “I wish you luck,” he whispered into her hair. “Make wise choices.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Sword drawn and with “Happy Birthday” running in her head to mask her thoughts, Elena pushed the window open to find Aleksi’s room empty. Nik followed her in silently and closed the window behind them.

  “My mother’s apartment is just down the hall,” he said.

  Dammit. Where was Aleksandra? None of this would work if she couldn’t get the elixir to her. “I need to talk to your sister.”

  “It will have to wait.”

  No. It couldn’t wait. Nothing was more important than this. Not even his mother. “Go on. I’ll stay here in case she shows up.” Which she hoped to hell happened soon. Everything hinged on this. “I will only get in the way.” She pointed to her head. “I’m the mastermind. You are the trained swordsman.” Yeah, some mastermind. Happy birthday, dear whomeveeeeeerrrrrr. Happy birthday to yoooooooou.

  He ran his hand over her bare back. “When this is over, I’m buying you a dozen of these halters. I love seeing your markings…among other things.” He ran his fingers down her cleavage, and she trembled. Lips replaced fingers, and she had to concentrate to keep singing as his warm breath fanned over the exposed swells of her breasts. Behind the leather, her nipples hardened. Happy birthday, dear…

  He moved his lips up her neck and whispered in her ear. “I want you close. Come with me. Leaving you here alone feels wrong.”

  It sure did. But she needed to see Aleksi. “I…”

  The door burst open, and Aleksi stormed in, then slammed the door behind her. “Asshole! You’ve got it wrong, Mihai. I’ve never been anything but loyal to Fydor.”

  “You were not supposed to leave your room until the danger had passed,” a deep voice said from outside the door. “You promised to defend this entrance to the castle in case the Uniter tries to gain access this way again.”

  She jumped but made no sound when she discovered Nik and Elena in her room. “Okay, fine.”

  “Aleksandra, you know how I feel about you. I would never—”

  “Fuck off, Mihai. Just go.”

  After many long minutes of silence, she took a long breath. “Ballsy move coming back here, Niki baby. Fydor has been in a rage since you were “stolen” from him.”

  Nik sheathed his father’s sword and pulled his sister into his arms. “Did he hurt you?”

  She shook her head. “He’s been too high to do much of anything since Borya left.”

  “Borya was here?”

  “Yeah. He locked Fydor in the rec room with him for a while. Fydor has been fucked up since. Said something about a vision Borya had about Mom proclaiming you king or something. Really shook him up. Well, that and the quality one-on-one time with Borya.”

  “Are there any other mind readers here?” Elena asked, still singing in her head.

  “No. There are no vampires or sorcerers. They are the only ones with that power. And not all vamps at that.”

  Thank goodness for small favors. She stopped humming and reveled in the silence in her head.

  “I’m here for Mom,” Nik said. “Elena saw her burning at the stake. Where is she?”

  “Her apartment, I guess. She never leaves anymore.”

  Pulling Elena close, he leaned down, his familiar minty smell folded around her like a warm blanket. “Say it,” he whispered. “I need to hear it.”

  “I love you, Nikolai Itzov.”

  “Aw, shit. Don’t make me barf,” Aleksi teased.

  Nik’s lips met hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, sword still in her hand. He ran his warm palm down her back and pulled her against him, then gave her butt cheek a squeeze, which made her whole body flush hot. She’d never get enough of this man. Good thing they’d live forever… Well, if they made it past tonight. “Wait for me. I’ll be right back,” he said against her lips.

  He stopped just inside the door. “I can’t wait to introduce you to my mother.” And with a gorgeous grin, he slipped out the door and out of sight.

  F
ocus. She shook off her lusty haze and pulled the vial out of her pocket. “Here’s the plan. You need to get it into Fydor’s stash somehow and make sure he takes it sometime before midnight tonight.”

  “He takes that shit all the time. Mom got him hooked on it by calling it medicine. He thinks it makes his thinking clearer. Getting him high won’t work.”

  “This ‘medicine’ won’t make him high. It will kill him.”

  For a moment, her eyes lit up, and then she slumped down onto the bed. “Impossible. He won’t let me anywhere near. He’s on a bender and says he knows I’m in with you somehow. It will never work.”

  “Who is he letting close?”

  “No one. He just broods alone in his room. The entire place and everyone in it is on lockdown. Including me.” She buried her face in her hands.

  There had to be a way. She turned the tiny bottle in her fingers. Always another answer. She’d spent her time in graduate school troubleshooting potentially hopeless problems. She just needed to step back and think about it logically and analytically: goal, obstacle, solution.

  First, define the goal. Well, that was easy. Get Fydor to drink the replacement elixir, which meant getting it into his possession in such a way he would ingest it today.

  Define biggest obstacle. Easy as well. Lack of proximity and access.

  Discover solution. Not as simple. She had to get someone close enough to sub that vial into his supply, but he had closed himself away.

  There’s always an answer. Always a way… She paced the room and stopped short dead center. Adrenaline surged through her in a prickly wave. The solution was obvious as well. Her stomach sank. Nik was not going to like this. Not at all. “What is the one thing your uncle wants to get his hands on more than anything else in the world right now?”

  Aleksi raised her head from her hands. “You.”

  Nikolai peeked around the corner to find only one bear shifter standing guard outside his mother’s apartment. Wrapping his hand around his father’s sword handle, he slid it from the sheath on his back and took a deep breath. The sword felt warm and alive in his hands, and for a moment, he could almost feel his father’s presence. For you, Dad. I’ll free her for you.