by K. A. Tucker
“Sounds like it,” Caden whispered. “I didn’t have the pleasure of seeing the beginning. Amelie and I lived on a ranch in the middle of the country. By the time the chaos reached us, it was already out of control.” He sighed. “I’m so sorry. If we hadn’t come here, then—”
“It would’ve happened eventually,” I interrupted his attempts to lay blame on himself, though I knew the guilt sat heavily on his shoulders. It also sat heavily on mine. “You heard Sofie and Veronique. The witches had been planning this for months. We’d be no better off, had you not come.” That wasn’t entirely true. Veronique would still be in her marble tomb, there’d be no fledglings running around, ravishing the city. Viggo would not be on a rampage. I didn’t need to highlight any of that.
Curling into his comfort, I added, “And I’d just be alone. Or dead.” Selfish, yes, but after all I’d been through, I needed to be selfish, even for just a little while. That meant blocking out worries of my impending blood-crazed state and the end of world, because apparently the Fates had already decided how that would play out. That meant focusing on the here and now.
“Do you regret coming? Having to go through all this again? Everything you were looking forward to is going to be gone. You’ll be back in ratty clothes and living in a cave soon enough.”
Caden smirked. “I never cared about any of that. I would’ve stayed in that hellhole for eternity as long as it meant you were staying with me.”
“I guess you’re going to get your wish because this will be a hellhole soon enough.”
Caden lifted my chin, meeting my eyes, and whispered, “Can we not talk about that for now?”
I nodded. Leaning in, I let my lips settle slightly parted against his jawline, inhaling the scent of his skin, a thousand times more intoxicating than any scents or thrill of pursuits. If anything could make me lose control, it was the guy sitting next to me.
His muscles shifted beneath my mouth. “Is my shirt going to survive this?” The laughter in his tone was unmistakable as he stretched the front of his black shirt to highlight the eight long gashes, courtesy of my razor-sharp fingernails and overzealous urge in the moments after waking. “See? I’m already in ratty clothes,” he joked.
“That was an accident,” I murmured, adding a quiet, “Shut up.” The teasing should’ve turned me scarlet—it always had—but I felt no heat in my cheeks. I grinned. “Hey! I won’t blush anymore!”
Caden pushed me back into the snow, fluffy snowflakes landing and melting on my new thick, long eyelashes. I sensed the dampness and chill beneath me, as well as the instability of the wall itself, but none of it challenged my comfort. His bottom lip brushed against one eye and then the other to catch the flakes before pressing his forehead against mine, his arms settling on either side of my head.
“I’m going to miss that,” he admitted with a hint of sadness, grazing my cheek with the backs of his fingers. “I’m going to miss all of your little human tendencies.”
The smile slid off my face as that reality settled in. Caden had fallen in love with the human version of Evangeline Watts, with her naiveté, her insecurity, her honesty. I wasn’t human anymore. Would that change his feelings for me? Would he decide that I’d changed too much?
He must’ve sensed my worry because he quickly settled his mouth over mine in a slow, deep kiss. “But I’ve got so many other things to look forward to.” He rolled against me, settling into the space between my thighs. I wanted to be closer, though. As close as we were back in France. He shifted into me as my legs coiled around his hips. The sound of rocks tumbling to the ground below barely registered, my focus riveted solely on this creature hovering over me as he pulled my shirt up and over my head.
*
“How was the hunt?” Sofie’s Parisian lilt carried through the forest as she approached the kiln. I shouldn’t be able to see her in the darkness but I could, as if it were daylight, her deceptively delicate frame cloaked in a long, black coat, her red hair a flame against the white backdrop. Max peered up at us, his three hundred pounds of black canine muscle enough to terrify any sane person.
That’s right. Hunting. That’s what we were supposed to be doing for the last few hours. Caden and I shared a look. What would Sofie say when she found out that I hadn’t so much as batted an eye at the black bear, or the two deer that followed? I could blame Caden for distracting me. That would only work for so long, though. As soon as the delivery from the blood bank run arrived, my irregularity would be obvious to anyone watching.
Or maybe my natural urges would suddenly kick in and all this worrying was for nothing. I had to count on that.
“Fine,” Caden lied for me. “How are plans coming along?”
I sensed the atmosphere around us shift in a way I never could as a human, the prickles spiking along my neck as if a presence had invaded the short peace we’d found. “That’s why I came out. Things are escalating faster than we’d anticipated. It’s time to come back inside.”
Her last words hadn’t escaped her lips when Caden’s arm suddenly roped around my waist, surprising me. We flew off the top of the kiln and sailed through the air, landing softly in front of Sofie and Max. Despite the somber mood, I smiled at the grace in which my kind could do that.
Sofie spun on her heels and started back toward the mine.
“When are we heading back to New York?” I asked.
She looked over her shoulder, holding me with her pale mint-green eyes for a long moment, before shifting to Caden. “Tonight.”
Caden tightened his grip on my hand as we pushed through the snow.
So … Why’d you lie to Sofie about the hunting? Max’s deep voice rumbled within my head, interrupting my ability to follow along with external conversation.
“I didn’t,” I answered warily. How did he know?
Now you’re going to lie to me?
“Who says I am?” It was the one-sided conversation of a crazy woman to anyone on the outside, and I was thankful for it. I was so happy that I’d retained ranks of “master” over Max, that I hadn’t lost my ability to communicate with the werebeast. His friendship had preserved my sanity. It would’ve been devastating to lose our special telepathic connection. And, right now, this wasn’t a conversation I wanted Sofie to hear.
Remington. He was out hunting. He said you two didn’t leave the top of that kiln for hours.
“It was quiet.”
Except for the giant bear and two deer.
Of course. One of Max’s brothers was always on a hunt. Those four beasts were chronically hungry and ready to kill.
“I was saving them for you,” I retorted, checking to see that Sofie and Caden were still deep in their own conversation.
You scared them all away, with all that noise you two were making.
Oh my God. This was another moment I’d be as purple as a beet, if capable. “Why would I do that? You’re dreadfully grouchy when you’re hungry.”
He harrumphed but said nothing else as we passed over the ridge, the entrance to the mines within sight.
*
A flurry of harsh words and threatening tones swirled from the tunnel as we trailed Sofie back into the mine, the entrance a forty-five degree slant with a low overhang. There were no lights, no fires—nothing to illuminate the cavernous space—and yet with this new eyesight, I could easily distinguish every form, every face, every scowl.
As usual, Mortimer’s was the most ominous. “We need to stop this now!” His demand ricocheted off the chiseled stone walls.
“She’s overreacting,” Galen said with a sideways glare toward Mage.
“Overreacting?” Several quick steps brought Mortimer and Galen facing off with a mere foot of space between, their stances confrontational. Except for their looming size, they couldn’t look any more different—Mortimer, dark-haired and dressed in a tailored suit, Galen with a blond brush-cut and military fatigues. Mortimer’s arm shot out, his finger pointing at me. Past me, in the direction of the mine openi
ng. “If this continues, the city will be lost within days.”
“Not likely,” Galen argued. “Jonah is the only one with enough control to breed and how many new fledglings can he create in a day? So … a few thousand are killed.” Galen shrugged but he didn’t back down. “We go in, we rid the city of him and his little army. It’s hardly cause for talk of hydrogen bombs.”
My eyes widened. They’re considering nuclear warfare already? Not even forty-eight hours had passed since the slaughter at Viggo and Mortimer’s Fifth Avenue building!
Galen continued, “Besides, fledglings aren’t causing this mess. They’re not nearly controlled enough. That psychopathic friend of yours is. If we should be hunting anyone, it’s him.”
“We have never been friends,” Mortimer spat back, but then paused to dip his head, tempering his manner in the act. “But I agree. He must be stopped.” I could only guess that they were talking about Viggo.
“What has he done now?” Caden called out.
Several heads turned to regard us. “You mean besides rampant murder and pillaging?” Galen answered.
I already knew about that. Unfortunately. Apparently, Viggo hadn’t wasted any time. Soon after he learned of Veronique’s release from the statue and that she had chosen Mortimer, he left a trail of bodies throughout Manhattan, terrorizing the city. News reports talked of a Christmas serial killer.
“Two hours ago, he walked into a press conference with national coverage and murdered the city’s mayor on live television,” Sofie explained.
Oh.
Caden pulled me against him as voices rose again, clamoring to be heard. Lilly’s rancorous council member, Kait, screamed something about being trigger happy; Mortimer bellowed about being naïve fools. Even little Lilly, who normally remained composed, counted issues on her fingers. Only Mage and Sofie stood silent, watching the fury unfold.
“I thought they had a plan in place,” I whispered to Caden.
He offered me a guarded smile. “I guess they’re ironing out a few details.”
And yet we already seem to be at war, Max grumbled from his place beside me.
“Where is everyone else?” My eyes roamed the mine. It reminded me much of the caves of Ratheus. Only these were manmade and not as picturesque. Also, I assumed there was no oasis to swim in.
“Bishop and Fiona are on their way back from a blood bank,” Sofie said quietly, her eyes never leaving the commotion ahead of us, the displeasure over the entire scene visible on her striking face. “The wolves are forming a perimeter. Isaac and the others are scouting in New York.” I knew of Lilly’s other advisors besides Galen and Kait—three vampires who looked like they belonged in the military—but aside from a handful of moments, I hadn’t seen much of them. “Amelie is with Veronique and Julian in the haulage tunnel, feeding. You should take her there, Caden.”
Mage remained calm and unreadable, her slight form so still, she appeared frozen. That is, until her black, almond-shaped eyes shifted to Sofie. I saw fire in them. A silent exchange passed between the two women—the strangest of friends.
And then Mage exploded.
“Enough!” The trill of her voice caused a sharp pain in my eardrum. Silence fell as everyone turned to her, the most lethal being in the room. More lethal than Sofie armed with all of her magic, perhaps.
“Allow me to explain, seeing as you’ve never watched the demise of a human world before.” Mage stepped forward, though her normally smooth cadence was now laced with sharpness. She smoothed her long, poker-straight, jet-black tresses. Such a feminine thing to do and such a contradiction to the discussion at hand. “Jonah started building his little army weeks ago, the second he escaped. I’m sure he was stupid enough to think he could control it. Regardless of whether he continues creating more—and I would hope that he doesn’t, given he knows what the risk is—I would bet my existence that there are at least a hundred of our kind running through the streets already.”
“A hundred against a population of over eight million. Yes, I see the need to obliterate the entire city,” Galen interjected. How Lilly kept him around as her advisor—and, truly, like family—I had yet to figure out. I certainly hadn’t found a single redeeming quality in him, aside from his devotion to Lilly.
“With an endless supply of humans,” Mage continued, ignoring Galen’s doubt, “they will feed and kill with crazed abandon. Though we haven’t seen more than a few fledgling attacks to date, it will certainly come. And it will come quickly. The mere chaos will feed into their frenzy.”
“So we go and kill them. They’re fledglings! Ripe for the plucking!” Kait exclaimed, her arms raised in exasperation.
I felt the air in the room shift as a muscle in Mage’s jaw twitched, her patience wearing thin. Though I had yet to witness it, Caden had explained the speed and ruthlessness in which Mage was known to dispatch those in her way. If we didn’t need Galen and Kait, their hearts would likely have been torn from their chests by now.
“The army, infiltrated with People’s Sentinel, will be called in to take aggressive defensive measures shortly.” Mage’s severe brow arched as she took in the circle. “They will fight with guns that shoot explosive bullets because, thanks to the Sentinel, they are already well educated that they can kill us with fire. That’s when the fledglings will sense the true threat.” A delicate hand raised, two fingers held up. “And that’s when two things will happen: the fledglings will flee. Like vermin, they will scurry to safety. And, then … they will begin to evolve. Much more quickly than anything you’ve ever seen.” Mage’s every step was followed as she began to pace. “They will stop solely feeding and they will begin to breed.”
“Seven hundred years has skewed your reality,” Galen cut in. “Fledglings don’t evolve that rapidly. Go and take a look at those two back there to remind yourself.” He jutted a thumb deeper into the mine, piquing my interest. Was he talking about Julian and Veronique?
Mage moved so fast that, even with my new reflexes, I missed her close the distance. The next thing I saw was Galen on his knees, a gurgled cry escaping his gaping, bloody mouth as Mage tossed what appeared to be his tongue onto the ground.
I involuntarily curled my tongue, stealing a look Lilly’s way to see her watching with wide eyes. The entire ordeal lasted no more than three seconds, and then Galen was back on his feet, wiping the blood off his chin with his sleeve, his tongue having reformed itself in his mouth.
His vicious glares didn’t stop Mage from continuing. “It’s a natural reaction for our kind when faced with a real threat to strengthen in numbers, to preserve the species. It’s instinctual. Even you, who are impotent, must understand.” Only the slightest of smiles divulged Mage’s pleasure with the barb against those in the room incapable of transforming humans.
Galen sniffed with disdain but said nothing. I assumed he’d learned his lesson.
Her comment sparked another question—I had so many questions, it was hard to focus on what was being said here—was I impotent? Or was my venom intact? Did I even have venom? I slid my tongue along my incisors, imagining myself sinking my teeth into someone. I winced. No, that didn’t appeal to me at all.
Mage turned her back to us, her eyes now on the night beyond the entrance to the mine. “For every five humans killed, one new vampire will be born. It will quickly be two to one. The world is already watching New York. There are already countless reports of vicious animal-like attacks. Pictures and videos of Viggo and Bishop slaughtering the Sentinel are already floating around the Internet.” If only the witches hadn’t taken down the illusionary wall, then such obvious proof wouldn’t exist! “Today, people don’t believe what they’re seeing and hearing. They think it’s a hoax. Doctored images. By tomorrow, people will begin to panic, asking themselves if this is a virus turning people into savages, wondering when it will spread to their cities, to their homes. In mere days, worldwide pandemonium will erupt, just as our kind establishes itself for a countrywide sweep. Once that happens, i
t cannot be contained.
“If we wait, we will not be able to stop this. If we do not take drastic measures, we will not be able to stop this. I have seen it. I have lived it, firsthand. I know. And, as much as I wish I would be wrong in this, I have not been so far.” She paused. “It’s the city or the entire world. There will be no in-between.”
No one uttered a single word.
I leaned in to Caden for comfort. This all sounded both drastic and impossible. But if these last few months had proven anything to me, it was that nothing was impossible.
Turning to Sofie, Mage pushed, “It is your call. Do we act now or wait?”
Sofie’s pale eyes locked on a spot on the wall, her face its natural stony mask as she pondered the grim options. Like soldiers waiting for direction, no one said a word, the entire group waiting on Sofie to give the order.
Did she like being the leader in all this? Back when she was more focused on the urgent need of freeing her sister, she’d demanded everyone’s allegiance—binding promises of loyalty. Only a week ago, everyone here was at odds with everyone else, ready to attack and kill at the slightest provocation. Would those allegiances hold tight, with what was to come?
That allegiance certainly hadn’t kept one vampire from betraying Sofie. The vampire who, in his seething hatred for me after discovering I’d hidden Veronique’s dire situation at the hands of the witches, had killed me. If not for Sofie’s deal with the Fates, I would not have come back.
“What will we do about Viggo?” I said, pulling every eye to me, that same mix of curiosity and wariness in them that I’d seen since waking up.
“Good question,” Mortimer said. “We know that he is out there and he will not go quietly.”
“He thinks Evangeline’s dead. Let’s keep it that way,” Sofie spat.
But Mortimer argued anyway. “You think his need for revenge has stopped at her? You know him as well as I do. He will hunt each and every one of us, one by one.”
“So let him come,” Galen retorted. “I’ll be ready.” From what Lilly had told me, Galen was their tactical expert. While other immortals, Viggo and Mortimer included, had enjoyed lavish homes and private jets, Galen prided himself in infiltrating various high-level military groups to learn what he could about weapons systems and classified capabilities. He had the knowledge and means to get us into almost any human defense system.