A man must sometimes forgo adventure for the sake of honour.
Deepest regards,
Father.
My head snapped up. Barbados.
It took me less than an hour to reassemble my crew, half of them were drunk when I found them, the other half on top of women. I had no shame about rounding them up in whatever state they were in. Despite how furious they all were at me for it.
But we didn't have much time.
The only one I didn't take with me, was Pud. I spied him on the docks as The Meadowlark embarked, screaming out to me. I set my eye on the horizon where the ocean drank the sky.
Goodbye, my friend.
My heart ached at leaving him behind. I knew what I was doing was right, but he would never forgive me for it. I had to do right by his father. I wouldn't sail him into the jaws of Vampires. And though I was a hypocrite for sailing the rest of my crew toward death, I had a soft, fleshy part of my heart reserved especially for Pud. Besides, my crew were hungry for revenge for the loss of their true captain. And they had supported every maddening decision I'd made in our search for him. They would support this one as well.
Man, I hate Hunters.
I tasted dry dirt. My face was plastered to the floor. I lifted my head with a groan, finding myself in a dark, filthy cell. Probably underground from the dank smell of the place. It was ancient, built from stone walls with an iron door. I'd been in a cell like this before. Back in eighteenth century England. Caught for taking a woman's pearls. I'd grabbed them from her neck just minutes after I'd slept with her daughter. And half a second after I'd slapped her husband. Oh and just before I'd tucked their Jack Russel under my arm and jumped out a window.
I groaned again, rolling onto my back and a loud clunk sounded as something metal shifted around my neck. I reached up, my fingers grazing a metal collar. A collar I knew all too well from the V Games, designed to keep me subdued.
Whatever I'd been injected with made me feel like throwing up. Oh Jesus, why didn't people just say hello anymore? Did I have the kind of face that said 'hey I'm gonna kill you so you'd better shoot me, before I shoot you'. Oh, who was I kidding? I totally had that kind of face.
I sat up – too quickly – and immediately flopped back down. Goddammit.
I settled on making my way to the door, roly-poly style. I pressed my face to the bars, gazing into the dark corridor, lit by burning torches. Maybe my Werewolf life had been a dream? Maybe Varick and I had never become Immortals and we were currently locked up in the Tower of London and I'd gone mad from syphilis.
“Hello?” Nadine's voice carried to me.
Okay, maybe not.
“Dina?” I hissed. “You good?”
“Yeah, I feel like crap though,” she whispered.
“Ditto, baby.” Baby? Was I seriously gonna hit on the girl now, considering our current situation? Guess that was kinda like me...
“Can you stand up?” I asked.
“I think so.” I heard a shuffle then she said, “I'm up, though I think I might be-” Heaving followed. Then some serious vomming. I grimaced as the smell of sick crawled into my nose.
“Better?” I asked.
“Better,” she said in a hoarse voice.
“Okay.” I gripped the bars, yanking myself upright. Sickness rolled through me but all that materialised was a loud burp. I was quietly thankful for having fed my last meal to that crow.
“Right.” I gripped the bars, yanking hard. Seriously hard. Hard-hard. Harder. Nothing. Guess it was too much to hope for that the collar wasn't switched on? I made a small effort to shift into a wolf but my body wasn't responding.
“Have you got a collar on, Dina?”
“Yeah,” she groaned on the back of another heave.
My heart went out to her. I figured Ulvic and Mercy weren't in these cells or they would have spoken up by now. Plus, despite the delightful vomit scent caressing my senses, I couldn't smell either of them in the vicinity.
I hoped Mercy had gotten some help for that leg. That shit was gonna turn nasty fast. And I didn't like to think what that meant for her if she hadn't.
“The nausea stops after a while,” a deep voice carried to me from another cell. I knew that voice.
“Mekiah?” I gasped, pressing my face to the bars and trying to get a good look down the dingy corridor.
I just caught sight of a flash of white-blonde hair and tan skin. Reason dropped to a crouch, gazing at me from behind bars with wide, cerulean eyes. She clung to her cell door, giving me a hopeful smile.
Mekiah was in the cell next to hers, his broad frame taking up the space beyond the iron door, his usual buzz-cut had grown out and a thick beard filled his jaw. He was a beast of a man and had the personality to match – to people he didn't know anyway. “I knew you'd come for us, Alpha.”
I gave him a grim smile. “Well, I might be here. But you're still in a world of shit. So I wouldn't thank me yet.”
“I'm saving my thanks for when you get us out of here,” Mekiah growled on a deep laugh. “I do hope you have a plan.”
“Umm...” I scratched an itch behind my ear.
“We did have a plan,” Nadine answered for me.
I elaborated, “We were going to try and trade Ulvic and Mercy for you, but they caught us before we could. And now we have no leverage.”
Reason chewed her lower lip, looking anxious.
“Maybe Ulvic will still convince his father he wants to make amends?” Nadine suggested. “Then he'll let us go.”
“Yeah...maybe,” I murmured, but I didn't like the idea of putting our lives in Ulvic's hands again. So whatever happened now, we had to be ready.
Mercy
Beyond the blinding pain in my leg, I could barely gather where I was. I'd passed out more than once, but every time I woke to the same reality. I was in an old attic that was lined with dust. There were a few small holes in the ceiling, letting in the rain that was hammering against the roof. It was so loud, it engulfed all other noises in the house. The bed I was lying on smelt musty and disused. But I didn't care about anything but the pain from the wound on my leg. Someone had cut away one leg of my jeans and bound the injury. But blood was already seeping through the white bandages, staining them red. I needed help. But most of all, I needed V blood.
I let out a pained cry as I angled my head toward the door. “Help!” I called out. I was way beyond caring who might answer that call. I was surely going to die if I didn't get healed soon.
I took several slow breaths, trying to battle away the pain. Hunter blood or not, I was damned to hell if I got an infection from that wound. I wasn't above needing antibiotics. Why hadn't we brought V blood with us? It was a damn commodity back at The Sanctuary. Just because the Werewolves didn't need it, didn't mean Ulvic and I weren't vulnerable.
The door opened and a tall, broad-shouldered man entered. He wore a black bandanna over his mouth and nose with a skull on it which made him look half skeleton. He strode toward me, his footsteps rattling the room and shifting sediment from the ceiling. I sensed from his smooth bronze skin and ebony hair, he was young, perhaps around my age.
I did my best not to shrink away, but the guy was enormous. He dropped onto the edge of the bed and took hold of my arm. He held a syringe to the crook of my elbow and I wriggled against his hold, sending a spasm of pain through my leg.
I gasped, throwing my head back against the thin pillow. I was beyond being frightened. I simply needed help.
“Please...help me,” I panted.
“This'll ease the pain,” he said in a deep growl. He waved the needle before my face, before returning it to my skin. This time, I didn't fight. If this man wanted to kill me, I'd already be dead. The sting of the needle was like a soft kiss in comparison to the agony I was in. When he'd finished injecting the liquid into my arm, he stood. I grabbed hold of his sleeve, my heart beat picking up.
“V blood,” I begged. “I need V blood.”
“Lord Alfric wants to m
ake sure you don't run off.” He tried to pull out of my grip, but I dug my nails into his arm, keeping him there.
“I'm Mercy Helsing. Lord Alfric knows my family. Please, if I could just speak with him-”
He shook me off, getting to his feet and towering over me. “He knows who you are.” The bandanna blew out from his mouth a little as he spoke his next words. “And he knows what you did.”
A weight pressed down on my chest as the man marched from the room, shutting the door sharply.
I shut my eyes, willing away the pain. What did he mean? Does Alfric know I betrayed my parents? If he does, I am in serious trouble.
Miraculously, the agony started to ease. My heartbeat began to slow and the pain in my leg was replaced by a tingling numbness. The drug made me sleepy and I soon felt dragged down into an inescapable slumber, leaving my fears far behind. All I cared about, was that there was no more pain waiting for me in my dreams.
Cass
I was still splattered with Silas's blood. My heart raced out of tune. I was in the base of an old swimming pool, the faded blue walls reaching up around me. Mildew-ridden diving boards were suspended overhead and the glass ceiling high above was full of jagged holes.
Kodiak was in chains, slumped in a damp corner of the pool. My hands were bound, but nothing else, so I could pace all I liked. Which I did continually.
“I'm sorry,” Kodiak said for the hundredth time. “I lost control.”
“I don't care that you killed him, I care that we're going to die.”
Kodiak knocked his head back against the wall and a few tiles cracked. “I can't stop this rage, this hunger. It's worse than being a god-damn V.” He rolled his head against the blue tiles. I could see the torture in his gaze and moved to his side, dropping down to a crouch.
“It's okay.” But it wasn't okay. And as much as I wanted to forgive Kodiak for what he'd done, for being unable to help himself, I was quietly fuming. I was not going to be executed after all I'd been through. It simply wasn't an option. “We'll have to fight,” I whispered.
“That won't be necessary.”
My head snapped up at the voice.
Silas. Looking as perfectly put together as he had the last time I'd seen him. Although, unless I wasn't mistaken, it seemed his ears were flatter to his head than before.
“What the-” My eyes widened as I soaked him in. Impossible.
“What did I say about death?” he growled.
I tried to recall, but my mind was doing cartwheels.
“Dead isn't dead anymore,” Kodiak answered, glaring up at him, eyes aflame.
“Mhm.” Silas fiddled with an iPhone in his hand. He tapped something on it, ignoring us for several seconds as if we were simply another menial task on his schedule.
“Silas,” I called to get his attention. “It won't happen again.”
He dragged his eyes from the iPhone screen, dropping his arm. “No. It won't.” His eyes wheeled to Kodiak. “You just cost me eighty five grand, bud.”
Kodiak snarled something incoherent.
Silas pinched his own cheek. “This body isn't cheap.”
I had no clue what he meant. Had they sewn him back together? I didn't see how it was possible. Especially after the mess Kodiak had left him in.
Silas's eyes swivelled to me, softening. “You don't need to be in there.” He kicked something at his feet and a rope ladder fell down the side of the pool.
Silas curled a finger, beckoning me to climb up. I glanced over my shoulder at Kodiak and shook my head. “No.” I planted my feet. I wasn't an idiot. The second I stepped out of this tank, Silas was going to have him killed. This was a perfect place to kill someone with minimal mess.
One of his men stepped forward, aiming a rifle down at me. “Do as he says.”
“No,” I snarled. “I'm not going to let you hurt him.”
“Don't be a fool,” Kodiak growled from behind me. “Get out. We don't both need to die today.”
Silas knocked the barrel of his man's gun so it wasn't aimed at me. “We don't point guns at pregnant women,” he muttered before turning his attention back to me. “Up, Firefly.”
I panicked. Kodiak didn't bother moving. His elbows were rested on his knees, his back hunched. He was going to stubbornly sit there and die. But I was not going to have it.
“I said no,” I snapped and Silas tilted his head with an expression that reminded me of Jameson. I hated him for that.
Silas folded his arms, staring down at me. “Even if I could...overlook this incident, my father wouldn't allow him to live. There's nothing I can do. Rules are rules.”
“You kill him and I'll kill you,” I said as calmly as I could manage. “Any chance I get. Eighty five grand a time? That could rack up pretty quickly.” I blew a loose lock of hair out of my eyes, giving him an even stare. I just prayed I was as valuable to him as I suspected.
Silas considered my words, checking his phone again before sighing. “Fine. Get him out of there. Get some rope, or a bloody crane if you have to,” Silas ordered men who I couldn't see. He turned his gaze to me, beckoning me again. “Up.”
“How do I know you'll keep your word?” I asked suspiciously.
“Like you said, eight five grand a pop is not worth the hassle.” He gave me a sideways grin. “And I'd rather not have to keep my distance from you, Firefly.”
Despite my gut churning from the comment, I passed Kodiak, giving him a twitch of a smile and awkwardly started to climb the ladder with my bound hands. I made it halfway before someone snared my shoulders and dragged me up with inhuman strength. I was surprised to find Silas had been the one who'd helped, not one of his men. His fine suit trousers were getting damp as he knelt in a patch of mildew at the edge of the pool.
He checked me over, helping me to my feet before ordering a guard to unlock the chains around my wrists.
His hand brushed my spine as he encouraged me forward. “Come. You've had a shitty afternoon. I don't want your stress levels getting too high.”
I arched my back to get his hand off of me, glancing over my shoulder to make sure Kodiak was being helped out of the pool. He was tangled in a makeshift sort of winch, looking disgruntled as he was heaved out of the pool.
“Thank you,” I breathed as we walked away. “For sparing him.”
“I wouldn't thank me yet. He's going to be begging for a bullet when he catches sight of himself in a mirror.”
I scowled at Silas as he laughed at his own joke. “Beauty is skin deep. You're an obvious example of that.”
“And what's that supposed to mean?” he asked, his brows drawing sharply together.
I didn't answer, figuring I didn't want to anger Silas further after he'd just excused Kodiak from a death sentence.
Silas nudged me with his shoulder and I glanced up, finding his golden eyes swimming with mirth. I continued to scowl until he stopped smiling, but his eyes remained on me much too long for comfort.
“So...are you going to tell me how you're still alive?” I questioned as we walked side by side down the faded corridor, leaving the pool house behind. This part of the ship had been gutted, the carpet removed, exposing wooden boards beneath. “Your body was torn apart...I saw it.” I shook my head, dumbfounded.
Silas hooked his arm through mine as we moved and I fought my gut reaction to lurch away. “IDAHO bottles Immortal abilities for the benefit of humans. Our work is only available to our investors currently. It's all still kept under wraps. I try to live by my father's philosophies as best I can. He doesn't want our work to be brought to the world until a true cure is made. But sometimes I grow impatient...”
“A cure?” I questioned.
Silas's eyes glittered. “A cure to humanity, Firefly. Immortality. True immortality. No curses, no downsides. And truly, no death. A V can still be killed, with the right tools. The same as any Immortal can. They are more impervious to death, yes, but it can still find them. Me, on the other hand...”
“Yes, you
,” I pressed, halting in the corridor, too curious to keep moving. “So you've found the cure? You were dead and now you aren't...”
Silas rubbed the corner of his mouth with his thumb, hiding a smug smile. “I have a temporary solution. An extremely expensive solution at that. And not one I'm willing to share with the likes of you.” He tapped my nose and I winced away. “Not yet anyway.” He kept moving and I followed, my mind running in circles. And for the first time since I'd become Immortal, I realised what a terrible, terrible thing immortality would be in the wrong hands. A world where the cruel and unjust could live for all eternity. Of course, there were dark souls amongst the Vs, the Hunters. But drive a stake into their chests hard enough, and they'd bloody well die. At least the world stood a chance against an evil like that. But an unkillable evil? I did not want to find out what that world looked like.
*★*
I was studied for the rest of the afternoon, reunited with Nurse Rakefield, who barely spoke two words to me through my examinations. I kind of felt bad. But also, not really.
By the time I was escorted back to Silas's room, I was exhausted. I'd been sprinting on a treadmill for the past four hours, waiting to run out of energy. Eventually, I had. And I was tired as hell.
I was hit with a feeling of absolute delight. Sleep had been one of my favourite things about being human. I hadn't even thought about it since becoming a 'Hybrid', but holy crap, I was actually going to dream again.
I kicked off my shoes, wriggled out of my butt-ugly clothes and stole one of Silas's shirts to sleep in. I didn't like that it smelt of him. And I especially didn't like that it smelt good. Like sea air and elderflowers. But it was better than staying in my ugly flares. So the shirt it was.
The second I climbed under the fresh sheets, I sighed dramatically. Oh god, when was the last time I'd slept well? Back in prison probably. Hell, that seemed like a lifetime ago. And if I was counting lifetimes as morphing into other beings, I was now on my third.
I let my mind drift as exhaustion took hold of me. My aching muscles squashed into the cosy mattress, the knots in my body unravelling like twine.
Wolf Games (The Vampire Games Book 4) Page 11