Helena bent forwards, studying the disapproving heads. “I am officially done with my crush.”
“Then perhaps the alcohol can be put aside,” Perri suggested and grabbed the bottle.
Clutching the glass neck as if it was her lifeline, Helena struggled to keep her grip on it when Perri manoeuvred the half-empty bottle out of her hands.
Helena glared at her. “I need that back!”
“You can have a glass of water instead, and my offer for a cup of tea still stands.” Perri left the room with the bottle in hand.
“Well, that sucks,” Helena hissed at the closing door. She fell backwards onto the bed with her arms spread out. Tears wet her eyes. She slid off the soft sheets and landed next to her travelling bag.
In search of some tissues, she stuck her hands in the bag and found the box Cullodena gave her. Helena opened it and unravelled the mysterious crystal ball. If I threw it at the wall, would it shatter like my heart?
The ball grew darker, and she thought she was seeing things. Perhaps Perri had the right idea. She needed some water to dilute the alcohol in her system. A moment later, the image of Lucious appeared inside, and she sniffled. He looked well, chatting with a strange buff guy next to him without a care in the world. The conversation she could not hear stopped, and he looked directly at her.
In her drunken stupor, she panicked, dropping the crystal ball. It rolled under the chair as the image faded. Her string trembled—a sensation she had not felt in so long, she thought it had been malfunctioning.
“Helena?” Lucious’ voice filled her mind.
She broke down into more tears. The uncertainty in that one word caused her heart to swell with emotions she didn’t know she could feel.
Closing her eyes, she focused on her mental shields. Once she stood inside the white space, on top of the checkered floor, she opened the metal walls, enough for him to enter.
His blue-brown eyes searched hers and concern replaced his blank expression.
“Why were you crying?” he asked, shrinking the distance between them.
She swiped at her eyes and was about to use the hem of her t-shirt to blow her nose when he grasped her shoulders. Static electricity coursed through her, pushing back the drunken haze she saw the world through. The fog around her mind cleared. He was truly there, in front of her. He came back.
“You bastard!” she snapped.
Lucious winced. “I was prepared for that…”
“You left me and didn’t tell me you were okay,” she continued, trying to slap his hands away.
He tilted his head to one side in confusion. “You’re not mad about the death of your friend but because I couldn’t bring myself to face you?”
“Maya’s not dead, you…I don’t even have a word for what you are.”
Lucious slammed her body against his and wrapped her in the protective shell of his arms. She wanted to melt into him, but her temper wouldn’t let her.
“Call me anything under the sun. I thought you hated me for breaking my promise.”
“Don’t touch me! I’m pissed that you’ve abandoned me,” Helena mumbled into his leather jacket. She inhaled his musky scent, letting it soothe some of her rage. Her hands tensed around his waist. “I can’t do this alone, Lucious. Vincent says Eliza is plotting something. She might bring the demons into our realm. I’m worried.”
“I won’t let it get that far. I promise.”
She peered at him. An urge to close the last few inches and kiss him occupied her mind. She squashed it. “What exactly are we?”
“You smell like bourbon. Have you been drinking?” he deflected.
“It doesn’t matter. Answer me.” She measured him with her levelled gaze.
A scowl etched itself onto his face. “You should not drink in large quantities. What if someone takes advantage of you?”
“Other than you, I doubt there’s anyone else,” she said bitterly and pushed him away. “Tell me the truth, Lucious. What am I to you? Are we dating or are we like…sex friends? Is that a term?”
He ran his hand through his short hair. “Must we do this now? It may be best for this conversation to wait until you are no longer intoxicated.”
“Oh, screw you!” She didn’t know what she expected him to say. The one who had any feelings involved was her. To keep the crushing urge to cry at bay, she dug her nails into her palms. “Go. It was a mistake calling out to you.”
“…you,” he mumbled something incoherent.
Helena took an unconscious step closer. “What?”
“I said, I love you, Helena. Does that satisfy you?” His eyes burned bright blue.
“Well, I love you, too!”
“I’m glad we agree on something.”
Helena slapped her forehead. “I didn’t think this was how we were going to share our feelings with one another.”
“Neither did I. I was inclined to take you to dinner and have you hear my confession after a pleasant evening. I see now that I’ve wanted too much.”
“I can always blame it on the alcohol and say I don’t remember any of this.”
Lucious chuckled and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “That may be for the best.”
The warmth of his breath surprised her and her eyes widened. She planted her palm on his chest and there it was. His heart beat at a steady pace, almost as fast as that of a human. She took his hand and placed it against her heart. A moment later, his eyes shone with interest.
“What does it mean? They beat in unison,” she said.
“It is because you have finished rebalancing. Your bodies and souls are in sync,” Michael’s voice came from the side with a pinch of salt.
4
A Field Of Poppies
“In sync?” Helena asked, separating from Lucious.
He was reluctant to let go, yet refrained from pulling her back and enjoying the feel of her body in his arms. This was only a spiritual interaction. He craved the feel of her real body as much as he wished to taste her blood.
Folding his arms, Lucious eyed the angel with annoyance—much of which was directed at his inability to control himself. “Do tell us more.”
The guardian glowered at him. “Be silent, vampire. It is exactly as I have said. Your bodies found a balance, at last. Where Helena’s body temperature and heart rate decreased, your dead body drew closer to humanity.”
“Does that make me mortal?” Lucious asked, not feeling any difference in his strength or energy. Then again, he had not had the chance to test his full abilities since he awoke that morning.
“No. You remain an abomination and Helena a human.”
“Then, there’s nothing wrong,” Helena said, blowing out a breath.
“Plenty is wrong here. This particular union has never existed. It is hard to tell what may happen to you two next,” Michael corrected her.
Lucious’ eyes narrowed. “Particular union? There were others who had been soul-bound?”
“It is not my place to speak about such matters,” the guardian deflected immediately.
Helena rolled her eyes, and Lucious struggled not to do the same. Whatever the true objective this angel had, it had nothing to do with guarding Helena. With the amount of danger she had to cope with alone, Lucious was certain of that. His hatred for vampires, too, seemed odd. Maybe Lucious’ presence in Helena’s life was spoiling his greater plan for her.
“Is there anything else you would like to add?” Lucious asked as he cocked his brow.
Michael’s eyes shifted to Helena and something passed across his face. A brief emotion Lucious recognised as worry. Surely, he wasn’t here to warn her about Lucious’ presence for the billionth time.
“I will be around.” Michael faded away.
An unsettling feeling knotted Lucious’ stomach. He didn’t like Michael any more than the angel liked him. Too many secrets were unspoken by that man. Things Lucious was certain both of them needed to know. The fact he withheld valuable information made him even m
ore suspicious of the guardian.
“What’s wrong?” Helena asked.
His lips stretched into a thin smile, and he tucked an escaped lock of hair behind her ear. “I wish I could see you and take you away from this mess.”
She returned his smile. Her eyes welled with emotions that made the soul-strings shake lightly. “Trouble has a way of finding us. It feels less and less like a coincidence each time something bad happens.”
Thinking of her guardian angel, Lucious’ expression hardened. “Perhaps it isn’t. There is much we do not know.” He wiped away the stray tear that escaped her eye, enjoying the feel of her soft skin under the pad of his thumb. “I am in London right now. The matter with the hunters is getting out of control and, to get information, I was asked to track a few of them down. So, Helena, I want you to promise me that you will not endanger yourself further. Leave Vincent’s home and return to Ireland where Alexander can protect you while I deal with the problems here.”
It tore his heart to shreds to see the hurt on her face. Her glistening hazel eyes reflected the pain his words caused her, but there was no way he would retract them. If she was safe, he could focus on the questioning. He could be the remorseless beast everyone needed him to be. Even the slightest possibility that she could witness him in such a state brought forth paralysing fear that urged him to come for her and put her on the first ferry to cross the Irish Sea.
“I can’t leave. Vincent asked for my help and Andrew is with me. I’ll be fine.”
“My childe is not enough to protect you from Eliza’s grasp.”
Helena took a step back; her posture, full of determination, told him she would not give up, even if he begged. “No. If the tomes in Vincent’s library hold a secret to turning Maya back into a human, then I will stay.”
“You do not owe those hunters anything, Helena. They betrayed us!”
She looked at her hands that were playing with the hem of her t-shirt. “Maya didn’t plan it. Ben was behind the attack. I’m sure of it.”
“Do you believe that knowing someone for a month is enough to discover their true nature? Hunters are bread to deceive and lie. How do you think they managed to kill so many of us?” He flung his hands up in the air. “Heaven forbid you would listen to reason, my dear, and return to Ireland. No, you will do everything to defy good advice.”
“Oh, when you’re telling me what to do, it’s ‘good advice’, is it?” She crossed her arms. “And I know less about you than I do about Maya. Should I sit you down and hold an interview?”
“I keep nothing from you,” he lied.
Helena’s expression betrayed her lack of belief.
He sighed. “Please, listen to me.”
“You know what, we should put that dinner on hold till you stop trying to control my life.”
Grinding his teeth, he struggled to maintain his cool. Her stubbornness was infuriating. Sometimes, he wished his mind-control worked on her.
“Are you angry over this?”
He caught her by the waist and slammed her back against the wall of her mental shields. Helena gasped for air, and he captured her mouth with his. His tongue entered her willing mouth. She tasted of expensive bourbon as their hands buried in each other’s hair. By God, he wanted to have her in his bed again…
He broke the fever-inducing, frustrated kiss. “I wish you weren’t an apparition.”
Panting, she looked at him with hooded eyes filled with passion. “Don’t be mistaken. I haven’t forgiven you, even if you’re a great kisser.”
He smirked and kissed the tip of her nose. “Should I try again?”
Her body started fading, and he scowled. She was breaking the connection between them and shutting him out.
“I have to go. I’m being awakened,” she whispered.
Lucious punched the wall and withdrew. Their short time came to an end sooner than he expected. Maybe there was a way he could convince Byron and Phil to give him some time to come and see her. He knew better than that as he concentrated on his shields and opened his eyes to find Byron staring at him.
“Were you watching me the whole time?” Lucious asked, irritation dripping from his words.
“Nah, only most of it.”
Lucious pushed away from the tree he sat under and adjusted his jacket. “Did you see something interesting?”
“I was curious about why you took a nap in the middle of our conversation. Was I boring you with the details of our plan?”
Debating whether he should share the news about Helena, Lucious decided against it. “I am weakened from the lack of blood. I need to see my sire.”
Byron did a double take. “Isn’t she dead?”
“I guess Alexander didn’t tell you everything. Anna is alive.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Byron muttered.
Lucious started for the road. They were a few miles west, away from the Council building. Although Byron would not be welcome inside, Lucious had to see Anna. The truth remained blatant as day. He needed to feed if he was going to get any hunting done that night.
Every vampire in the Council building seemed to be on high alert. Their eyes scanned Lucious as he walked in. He lost his gun somewhere in the Demon Realm, so when Tony looked at him expectantly, Lucious shrugged. “I’m not carrying any weapons on me tonight.”
“An odd time to not have any weapons, Lucious,” Tony said sceptically.
“You may search me, but you and everyone in this room already know I am telling the truth.”
The ghoul eyed Lucious’ chest with interest. “A heartbeat… Is that yours?”
A redheaded hound by the entrance turned his head, obviously interested in their conversation.
“I am not here to answer your questions. I need to see Anna,” Lucious retorted.
Tony jerked his head towards the lifts. “You may enter then.”
Relieved he did not need to give the ghoul the rundown of why he had a heartbeat, Lucious strode across the lobby and glided into the lift. He pressed the button for the Council’s quarters and stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror above the panel. His eyes recovered their normal colour. The taint of the descent was nowhere to be found. However it worked on him, he had to keep his emotions in check to prevent his anger from surfacing. Every time he lost it, he knew his eyes would betray him to anyone here, which would undoubtedly cost him his head.
The lift doors opened, and he marched the length of a long winding hallway, taking a few right turns. In front of Anna’s room, he knocked and waited for her to open. When he heard no movement on the other side, he entered, scanning for any changes. The bedsheets on the king-sized bed had been recently changed to crimson—a colour that made him realise how parched he was.
Taking his time, he wandered to the easel and the new canvas she had prepared. On the floor next to it was the finished painting of his blood-brother and sisters. Their faces reflected the happiness he never shared with them, and never will.
When he tore his gaze from the first painting, the new artwork caught his attention. The sanguine marking on the brick wall he remembered well. He had seen them mere two weeks ago. Dread settled in the pit of his stomach, making him nauseated as he faced Anna who entered the room.
“You’re here,” she said as if expecting him.
“Why did you paint the Demon Gate, sire?” Lucious asked, measuring her every movement and assessing it.
Anna did not smile, didn’t even blink. She waded further into the room and settled on the edge of her bed. “Were you not here for something else, my son?”
“Anna, tell me the truth.”
Her dark eyes met his and a chill crawled along his spine. “I am bound by an oath, Lucious. Even if I wanted to tell you the details, I cannot. Now then, what did you come into my chambers for?”
Eliza had to be behind this madness. Otherwise, his sire would never paint anything related to the dark realm. He paused, discarding his deduction. His spoken words rang in his mind like hyp
ocrisy. Only an hour ago, he was telling Helena to not trust those she met a short time ago and now he was questioning his sire and her reasoning. He knew Anna for two years of his new life before she left him to seek refuge in isolation. The time they spent apart may have changed her in every way. Is this all for pretence?
“I need to feed,” he managed to say after a long pause. “I cannot catch a stray vampire without killing them and drawing attention to my feeding habits.”
With the faintest of smiles, she lifted her arm, offering her bare wrist. “Then drink, my son.”
Lucious took a cautious step towards her. He spared the painting one last glance then knelt at her side. Drawing her wrist to his mouth, he watched her for any change in expression, but there was nothing. Anna appeared like a blank canvas she loved to paint on.
His fangs extended against his will, and he licked his lips. A second later, his mouth latched onto her wrist and he sucked in her blood as if it was the only water in the dessert. The cool liquid, charged with energy, wet his parched throat and his body readily felt alive. Never in his life did he come across so much power, not even when Helena forced Andreaz’s energy onto him.
“That should be enough,” Anna murmured.
Struggling to reign in his thirst, Lucious dug his fingers into his thighs. The pain helped retract his fangs. His body screamed for more, but he fought the rush that coursed his veins like adrenaline.
Anna’s wound healed instantly. She licked the remaining blood off her skin. “What happened to your human? Is she well?”
Finding it hard to speak, he gave her a curt nod and backed away to create some distance between them.
“And your heart, is that something we should be worried about?” she added, gazing at his chest.
“No.” Lucious pushed back the hunger clawing at his stomach by thinking of mundane tasks.
Her soft footsteps drew close. He looked at his sire’s young features. She appeared no older than an average teenager. The white t-shirt and hip-hugging jeans only reinforced the image of a young girl.
Crumbling Control (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 3) Page 5