by G. K. DeRosa
“We’re going up there?”
“Yup.”
A vampire club was the absolute last place I expected Ash to take me. My old best friend wouldn’t have been caught dead in one. I almost laughed out loud at my own joke.
Before the world went to hell, I’d tried to convince him to take a train with me into the city for a big night out. He’d come back with a resounding no.
“Come on.” He tugged on my hand, and we walked up the crumbling steps to the glass doors.
The foyer was dark, but a red arrow pointed down a corridor to the emergency stairs. Asher held the door open as I walked into the pitch-black stairwell and tilted my head up. “We’re walking?” The roof had to be at least fifty floors up.
“No. We’re vamp-speeding.” He scooped me up again and before I could blink we were racing up the steps, the floor numbers zooming by in a blur.
We reached the roof and Ash let me down, the thundering beats vibrating under my feet as soon as I hit the floor. The space was huge, an entire level dedicated to the luxurious nightclub. Half of it was enclosed under a glass ceiling, but mostly everyone was outside.
Asher led the way through the packed bodies out into the brisk night air. Beyond the inner circle of dancing, grinding vampires, lounge chairs and tables lined the outer ring. Nothing but a four-foot wall stood between the edge of the building and a fifty-floor plummet to your death. I guessed that wasn’t an issue for vampires.
More than a handful of them sprawled across the barrier, sipping on beverages, smoking and generally looking pretty normal. It was like I’d stepped into a parallel universe. These creatures were nothing like the ones I’d seen viciously attack humans and battle angels during the war. They seemed like regular human teenagers out on a Friday night.
Asher found a vacant lounge chair and motioned for me to sit. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the immense buildings surrounding us. The view was incredible—to the south the immense spires of the Freedom Tower soared high into the dark sky and to the north I could just make out the dark greens of Central Park. Closing my eyes, I tried to imagine what it would’ve looked like all lit up.
“You know, the view is nicer when you actually open your eyes.”
I opened them and tossed him a good eye roll. “I wish I could see it with the lights on, like it used to be.”
He grunted. “That’s not likely to happen any time soon.”
I lowered my voice. “What do you think will be left if the vampires and angels go at it again? They’d obliterate anything still standing. You’d have to fight too…”
He furrowed his brows and cracked his knuckles. “I don’t want to talk about that right now. I brought you out to have fun tonight. Let’s just enjoy this one night, okay?”
Something familiar flashed in his emerald irises, and my heart fluttered. He’d echoed the exact words I’d said to him before we kissed for the first time. “Okay,” I finally said, trying to keep my voice from wavering. We’d never even talked about that kiss. A nephilim had captured him the very next day putting an end to things before they’d even had a chance to begin.
He shot up to his feet with a big grin. “Stay right here. I’m going to grab us some drinks.”
I sat back in the cushioned chair and tried to relax. I hadn’t done anything even remotely fun or carefree in over a year. So what if I was surrounded by vampires? I vowed to enjoy myself for once.
My eyes wandered to the pack of figures on the dance floor. It seemed like every single vampire in residence at the hotel was in attendance. Sweaty, writhing bodies grinded against each other gyrating to the throbbing rhythms. The DJ booth was just across the way, and I briefly wondered where they got the power to fuel the lights and sound system since the elevator obviously wasn’t working.
A moment later, Asher was back with a drink in each hand. He handed me a red plastic cup and folded into the seat beside me. He fixed his eyes on mine and raised the glass. “To a new and better life.”
I gave him the best smile I could muster and clinked my cup against his. The initially cool liquid slid down my throat leaving a trail of fire in its wake. I coughed and spluttered doing my best not to spew it all back up. “What the heck was that stuff?”
He shrugged. “Some homemade brew one of the guys makes. Careful, it’s pretty strong, especially for a human.”
I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Now you tell me.” I took a smaller second sip and set it down on the table. “So you’re like friends with vampires now?”
“Mostly stryx—there’s a big difference. They’re not all so bad. I knew a couple of the guys from the angel tower before we were turned.” He pointed at the mass on the dance floor. “That’s Emmett. He’s the one that makes this stuff. He calls it the “Screw You Brew”. Vamps have a much higher tolerance than humans so he created the stuff as an alternative. The blonde guy next to him is Jayden and that’s his girlfriend, Regan.”
“Vampires have girlfriends?” I nearly choked on my drink.
His pleasant expression darkened. “Don’t nephilim?”
The implication was clear. I pretended it went right over my head. There was no way I was explaining my relationship with Declan. Not right now and hopefully not ever.
“I guess I never thought about it,” I answered lamely.
A heavy moment of silence ensued, and we both stuck our noses in our drinks. Ash tipped back the cup and gulped down the remainder of the nasty liquid. Standing, he offered me his hand. “Want to dance?”
I nearly died of shock. “You? Dance?”
“You can thank the brew for that.”
Before I could answer he yanked me to my feet and steered me toward the dance floor. A rainbow of lights swirled around me, the pounding bass thrumming through my body. Ash squeezed us between Emmett and Jayden and his arms came around my waist.
This was completely new territory for Ash and me. A mix of panic and excitement stirred in my core. His chilly fingers grazed the skin below the hem of my shirt, igniting sensations I never thought he’d provoke in me again. My mind spun, the brew coating my brain in a foggy haze. Warmth flowed from my cheeks down to my fingers and toes. As Emmett’s exuberant dance moves pushed me closer to Ash, my mind once again flashed to our one and only kiss.
I’d buried those feelings far down after he’d died, and now they were bubbling up to the surface. Along with guilt.
My hands wrapped around his neck, my fingers brushing the soft short hair at his nape. His eyes locked onto mine, sucking me into the intense green. Ash pulled me closer until our chests touched and only inches separated our lips.
My heart pounded against my ribcage, and I was sure he could feel it against his firm pecs. My hands moved down to rest on his chest, and I froze.
I pressed my palm against his left side to confirm the terrible suspicion.
Nothing. No heart beat.
Chapter 18
My lungs constricted, and I suddenly couldn’t force breaths in fast enough.
Asher gazed down at me, his lips twisting into a scowl. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing. I just… I-I have to use the ladies’ room.” I spun out of his hold and pushed my way through the crowd. My head whirled, and I cursed myself for drinking so much of that vampire concoction.
When I reached the inside of the club, I hazarded a glance back. I wasn’t sure what would be worse, finding Ash had followed me or that he hadn’t noticed I was upset enough to do so. The old Ash never would’ve let me run off like that. Seeing no one, I released a breath and searched for the bathroom.
This part of the club was deserted. I made my way through a quiet corridor lined with towers of unused chairs. I followed the restroom sign until I found the door with the familiar women’s symbol stamped across the front. I snuck into the stall and locked it, leaning up against the door to catch my breath.
Asher had no heart beat. Did that mean he couldn’t feel? Couldn’t love?
A million awful th
oughts churned through my brain. What if Declan had been right and Asher really wasn’t the same?
Declan still had a heartbeat. I’d felt its steady thumping under my palm a dozen times. Why were they different?
A little voice in the back of my head answered for me. Asher no longer has a soul.
The sharp creak of the bathroom door opening yanked me back to the present. I peered in between the crack in the stall. A girl around my age stood at the mirror looking at her reflection. She had creamy mocha-colored skin and intricate braids piled into an elaborate up do. More importantly, she was human.
I whipped the door open and she jumped, her dark eyes widening.
“Sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you.” It was only then I noticed the smeared makeup and splotchy redness around her eyes. “Are you okay?”
She quickly swept her fingers across her cheeks. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
I held out my hand like a big dork. “I’m Liv.” I was so excited to see another human I couldn’t help myself.
“Trinity,” she said, tucking her hands under her armpits. Her dark gaze traveled from my outstretched hand up to my neck. Her ebony brows dipped. “You’re not one of us?”
“Huh?”
She removed the yellow scarf from her neck, revealing deep purple and blue bruising. Dozens of pinpricks covered her mocha skin.
I clapped my hand over my mouth, stifling a gasp. “Who did that to you?”
“More like who didn’t?” she spat out, her lip curling into a sneer. “I saw you with Asher. If you’re not his blood slave, then what are you doing here with him?”
“I’m his friend.” I tried to keep the tremble out of my voice, but even I could hear my tone falter.
She snorted on a laugh. “You must be new.”
Was it that obvious?
A misty white cloud came over her irises and completely eclipsed the dark chocolate. Her hand shot out, grabbing the countertop right before her expression went slack.
“Trinity? Are you okay?”
A tremor wracked her slim body, the knuckles on her hand holding the vanity turning white. I grabbed onto her other arm to keep her from collapsing as panic unfurled in my gut. Should I call for Asher? A twisted feeling in my core kept me from opening my mouth.
A long minute later, Trinity stopped shaking and her eyes came to focus, returning to their normal deep brown. She looked up at me through a curtain of dark lashes.
“Are you okay?”
She stared at me, her eyes as big as saucers. “You?”
“Yup, it’s still me.”
She shook her head as if trying to clear out the haziness. “No. I mean I saw you.”
“Saw me where?” This girl must be suffering from major blood loss.
Trinity lowered her voice and pinned me with those dark eyes. “I get visions sometimes. Promise me you won’t tell anyone though. If Zeke or Razer knew, I’d be dead.”
Okay, she is definitely crazy. “Visions?”
She nodded, chewing on her lower lip. “You have to be careful. You’re important, and no one can know why.”
Sammarah’s words echoed in my mind, and a shiver skirted down my spine. She’d said something similar the first time we’d met.
“What did you see?” Even if she turned out to be certifiable, I had to know.
The bathroom door slammed open, crashing against the back wall. A massive bald guy in black leather barreled in. The decent sized bathroom suddenly shrank, dwarfed by his looming figure. He raised a meaty paw and clamped down on Trinity’s shoulder. “There you are,” he hissed.
I recoiled and hit the back of one of the stalls as the guy’s fangs slid out.
Before the scary biker vamp dragged her out of the bathroom, Trinity mouthed, “Find me on the first floor.”
The door slammed shut behind them, and I sunk to the ground, leaning on the cold metal door. Everything Parker had said about the blood slaves was true. How many others were there? Were they all within the hotel walls I’d been obliviously sleeping in?
A light knock came from the door. I froze, terrified of who might be on the other side.
“Liv, are you in there?”
I exhaled, my shoulders relaxing at the deep voice. “Be right out, Ash.” I pushed myself off the floor and glanced at my reflection. Adjusting a few wild locks, I took a deep breath and headed out.
“Everything okay?” Asher eyed me as we walked back outside.
“Yeah. That drink hit me harder and faster than I thought it would.”
A grin curled his lip. “It’ll do that to you.”
As we moved through the crowd, my eyes scanned the partygoers. I hadn’t noticed it when we first arrived. I’d assumed all the attendees were vampires, but I was wrong. Within every group of vampires was at least one human. They were all dressed to the nines—hair, makeup and clothes all perfect. It wasn’t at all what I’d imagined blood slaves to look like.
When we finally reached the lounge area, Asher’s friends crowded around our table. I suppressed a groan and plastered a smile on my face. A fourth figure occupied the table—a human girl with a pink bandanna around her neck.
Asher pointed at each of his friends and introduced us like we were normal kids at a party. Emmett and Jayden both gave me polite nods. Regan shot me a toothy grin just before chomping down on the girl’s neck sitting beside her.
A sharp gasp exploded from my mouth. I couldn’t help it. Dark crimson blood dripped down the human girl’s shoulder as Regan sucked greedily. The sickening slurping made my stomach roil.
“Regan,” Asher hissed.
She released the girl, wiping the blood from her chin with the back of her hand, as if it were no big deal. Like it was just a little grease from a cheeseburger. The girl slumped back in the chair, her skin a pallid yellow.
“I think it’s time for me to go.” I turned to Asher, hoping my skin color didn’t match the girl splayed out on the couch.
He frowned, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s still early. The night’s just getting started.”
“I can get home by myself.” I crossed my arms against my chest and attempted to look tough. “Stay with your friends.”
He shook his head, placing his hand on the small of my back. “No. I’ll take you to the hotel and come back.”
Really? I swallowed down the urge to punch him in the gut and run away. I wouldn’t survive a block out there by myself—even with Sammarah’s dagger I had tucked into my jeans. It had become my permanent accessory since moving into vampire Marriott.
Ash’s friends waved an aloof goodbye, Regan’s smile looking more predatory than friendly. I never wanted to run into her in a dark corner.
Asher led me back through the packed dance floor before picking me up once we reached the stairs. He zipped us back to the hotel in minutes, the city blocks whizzing by in a blur. The return trip was nothing like the first one. A massive boulder had formed in my stomach. I tried to swallow down the dread, but it seemed to have made a permanent home in my gut.
What was I doing with these vampires? I could never be one of them.
There was only one thing I knew for certain. I had to find Trinity.
Chapter 19
Tiptoeing out of the room, I quickly glanced back to confirm Asher was still asleep. Snoring like a baby. For a vampire, he wasn’t very stealthy. He’d stumbled in before sunrise reeking like the bottom of a tequila bottle.
I tucked the dagger under my shirt and gently turned the handle. Creeping out into the hallway, I prayed all the other vamps and stryx were still sleeping off the big night out.
Reaching the elevator, I jabbed my finger at the call button. Come on. Come on. The doors finally glided open and I hurried in, pressing level one. I rocked back and forth on my heels as the lift made the slow descent.
I crossed my fingers finding Trinity would be quick. Who knew how many humans were kept down there?
The elevator doors opened, and the stench of decaying b
odies and human waste smacked me in the face. I gagged and slapped my hand over my mouth. Dozens of humans littered the hallways; pale frail forms slouched against the walls. A sharp pang sliced through my heart that stole my breath away.
I’d heard about the blood slave camps in the north, but a part of me held onto the naïve hope they were only rumors.
Bloodshot, weary eyes stared up at me as I crept through the dark corridor. “I’m sorry,” I mouthed as I broke into a jog. I had no idea where I was going, but I had to get out of there. The scent of misery and despair was suffocating.
I rushed past the sickly bodies with my hand clasped over my mouth and tears stinging my eyes. How could humans live like this? I’d thought the conditions at the human camp at Arx were bad, but those people lived in luxury compared to this.
I rounded the corner and smacked into a hard body. I tilted my head back, and a slick red mohawk loomed over me. Dammit.
Razer.
“What are you doing down here?” he snarled.
“Um… I was looking for the cafeteria. I guess I got turned around somewhere.” My voice was a couple octaves higher than it should’ve been. I clasped my hands together to keep them from trembling.
He wrapped his thick fingers around my arm and jerked me back toward the elevator. “Get back upstairs before you end up down here permanently.”
He marched me forward, his hold on my arm so tight that my feet barely touched the ground. We made it about half way there when a wispy blonde moved in front of Razer. Twirling a strand of golden hair, she leaned her head to the side offering a milky white neck.
Razer’s fangs popped out, and a low growl built up in his throat. He released me, his eyes fixed on the light blue vein under her pale skin.
I darted away from him making the most of the opportunity. “I can find my way back on my own, thanks.” I hurried down the corridor, avoiding the grisly bodies stretched across the floor. I was too much of a coward to check if any were still alive.