by Meg Xuemei X
“No one will catch me!”
“Godspeed then,” Lucienne said. “Now off you go.”
Violet stormed away, before stopping and turning to face Lucienne. “I have a message for you, too.” She bit her lip. “Leave Ash alone. I won’t let you bewitch him.”
“Bewitch him?”
“You’ve been trying to make him like you!”
“Ashburn likes me?” Lucienne batted her eyes. “Really?”
“You can’t have him!” Violet exploded. “He’s my whole world. I’ll not let anyone steal him from me.” Then she left.
A sweep of sympathy for Violet washed over Lucienne, until her own self-pity churned inside. Unlike Violet or any other girl, she would never be able to have any boy. Lucienne looked at the distant town bathed in splendid light and sighed.
Ashburn never called her. Neither did he answer any of her calls.
Ziyi rang from Sphinxes instead. “Not going to the Fury’s tonight?”
“Every time I do,” Lucienne said in frustration, “that despicable prince winds up sitting at the opposite end of the table. And the boy is never there.”
“We searched everywhere for him after the lights went out,” Ziyi said. “Dragonfly can’t locate him.”
“He can block the satellite. Put himself in an impenetrable zone.”
“That’s wicked!” Ziyi said.
“I know,” said Lucienne. “He has to be somewhere. I’m going to sweep him out.”
All the men wanted to join her on the house-to-house search. Lucienne picked Cam, for she didn’t have the heart to see the wounded look on the giant’s face. She had denied him several times, telling him that he was great on the battlefield, and that this was spy business.
Lucienne sped along on her bicycle with the giant running a few steps behind her. They passed empty streets and vacant post-modern houses, until Lucienne spotted a shining metal structure. An image she once picked from Violet’s mind flashed before her. This must be the infamous Ghost House the natives believe is haunted.
Lucienne rode straight toward it. The arena-like compound was shaped like a half hexagon hatching on top of a vast bird’s nest. Its massive metal door reflected the crescent moon, giving it an ethereal, eerie ambience.
Why hadn’t she noticed this complex before? Did Ashburn disregard the town’s taboo and venture inside? Drawing near the door, Lucienne got off her bike and gave it to the giant. She stopped before a triangular keypad embedded in the door. Twelve symbols adorned the keypad—all celestial bodies, except for the symbol of an eye with double irises. Lucienne pressed a three-sun symbol, then a planet with wings. A slight electric shock shot up her arm. Lucienne jumped back.
“Cam,” she called. “Press the eye.”
Cam pushed the eye on the keypad. A force immediately sent him flying backward. The bicycle flew over his head, and the giant collapsed to the ground with a loud thud seven yards away. Cam struggled up, embarrassed. “What the devil?” he cursed, red-faced.
“Interesting.” Lucienne regarded the giant. “I was shocked, too, but it didn’t shock me as much as it did you.” She pressed the eye symbol again.
The giant tensed, ready to leap to Lucienne’s rescue.
Again, only feeble current surged through her. Was her Siren’s mark protecting her? Lucienne massaged her shocked hand, then pulled out her encrypted Eidolon, dialing. It instantly connected.
“Ziyi,” she said, “I need you to crack the code on the keypad. Let me know when you’re done.” She clicked off the phone and went to the back of the Ghost House.
The giant trailed behind, darting his eyes here and there, searching for threats, as inconspicuously as possible. This was spy business.
An outdoor glass elevator gleamed, descending. Cam drew his handgun and leveled it toward the door of the elevator.
“Relax, Cam,” Lucienne said. “It’s Ashburn.”
The elevator stopped. Ashburn stepped out, throwing the hood off his head, his eyes flashing with anger and anxiety. “You can’t be here, Lucienne!”
“Queen Lucienne,” Cam corrected. “Or Your Majesty!”
“Shush,” Lucienne quieted the giant, eyes staying on Ashburn. Under the pale moonlight, his features looked ethereally beautiful. He gave her an once-over, too. Lucienne was dressed like an unmasked ninja.
“Look who’s talking,” Lucienne said. “Your law forbids you to go into the Ghost House. So, what are you doing here?”
Ashburn reached for her arm and dragged her away from the area. “It’s not safe for you to come here.”
“Get your hands off Queen Lucienne!” The giant lunged.
“Let me take care of this!” Lucienne snapped at the giant before he grabbed Ashburn. She shoved off the boy, but found him surprisingly strong. As she struggled, he wrapped one arm around her waist to pull her forward. It was ravishing to be in his arms, to be touched by him, even though he was forcing her to leave. She wondered if the pleasant feeling was the reason she didn’t use her martial arts on him or simply stomp on his toes.
“Ashburn, stop this nonsense!” she warned.
“You must leave now!”
“Why can’t I be here, but you can?”
“There’s a reason this place is called Ghost House.” Ashburn put more force into dragging her away. “It’s my playground, but not for anyone else. You don’t know what lurks inside.”
“Then why don’t we all go inside and take a look?” Lucienne resisted moving forward, so the two were at an impasse—Ashburn was incredibly strong, but Lucienne had the training. From the giant’s point of view, it looked like Ashburn was bear hugging her from behind.
“Not if you want to live,” Ashburn said in a chilly tone, instantly ending Lucienne’s delightful experience.
“Oh, yeah?” Arching her eyebrow in ridicule, she used her training to shove Ashburn back. Then, to her surprise, Ashburn moved his fingers along her waist and tickled her. No one, other than her old nanny Aida, knew that she was horribly ticklish.
Lucienne dropped all her defenses and giggled. Ashburn tickled her harder until she rolled on the ground, laughing and begging. “Stop. Stop it! Please, Ashburn!”
“Are you leaving? Promise you’re leaving.” Somehow, Ashburn had taken off one of Lucienne’s boots, and he tickled the sole of her foot. Her Eidolon vibrated in her belt, but Lucienne couldn’t get to it while laughing so hard and feeling as weak as a jellyfish.
Cam wheeled around them like a frantic referee in a boxing ring. It’d be humiliating for Lucienne to command the giant to help her stop Ashburn since she had forbidden him to interfere earlier. If Kian and Vladimir had been here, they would have thrown this insolent boy off her without a word. “Fine.” She rolled into a ball, giggling like hell, yet very irritated. “This is ridiculous, Ashburn!” she called between her giggles.
Ashburn let her go. “You’ve promised,” and began to put her boot on for her.
Sitting up, Lucienne snatched her boot and put it on herself. Her eyes stayed on alert; her cheeks flamed with exasperation.
He still crouched beside her, his eyes intent.
If he tried that again, Lucienne decided, she’d kick him really hard. “I gave you my word, and I’m leaving as promised, but I’ll come back. So, if you don’t want me to return, tell me what’s inside the building.”
“Something that can and will kill you, and nothing and no one can stop it.”
Lucienne peered into Ashburn’s eyes and chill sank into her veins. “What is that thing?”
“I can’t define it.”
“Why does it want to kill me?”
“Because you’re the Siren.”
“Many people have tried to erase me because of my title.”
“Then because of me.”
“You? Why you?”
“Because you’re a fatal threat to me.”
“I thought it was the opposite,” Lucienne said. “You got the powers, remember?”
Ashburn sighe
d. “We’re each other’s death trap.”
Lucienne admitted there was an unnatural magnetism between them, but it was far-fetched to regard it as a fatal attraction. She tilted her head in amusement and held Ashburn’s gaze, her warm chocolate eyes glinting under the white moonlight.
“The world comes alive in them,” he murmured, his pupils dilating. The rings around them lit like fire, which made Lucienne’s pulse quicken.
She had never seen him look at Violet this way. Ashburn leaned closer, his hand reaching for her face. Lucienne’s heart slammed against her rib cage. She lifted her chin, like a cat expecting a delicious pat. Then a clang blasted from the Ghost House.
Ashburn jerked back his hand as if burned. The silver light in his eyes darkened. “Stay away from here and away from me, and I’ll do the same, for both our sakes.” On alert, he looked over his shoulder, as if a formidable foe was approaching.
Lucienne followed his sight along the ground and spotted a shadow from the rooftop. She looked up, but didn’t see anything strange. When she looked back down, the shadow was gone.
“I don’t scare easily,” she said with a cold smile. “And I’m not one who gives up. Whoever wants to do me harm, let him come.”
Just then, the giant’s radio droned. He pushed the button, and Vladimir’s voice boomed from the radio. “I’m sorry to spoil your fun, Lucienne.” His voice was as bland as water.
Lucienne felt her heart stop. Crap! Vladimir had been watching the whole scene between her and Ashburn. Why did Ziyi even turn the lens on them? Lucienne stole a glance at her Eidolon. While she was giggling, she missed all three of Vladimir’s calls.
Lucienne cursed Ashburn in her head for not blocking the satellite. Did he intend for Vladimir to see them tangled together?
“I’m not having fun,” she answered. “And, Vlad, it isn’t what you thought—”
“It doesn’t matter what I think, but you need to come back to Sphinxes. Now!” Vladimir cut her off. “Aida was poisoned.”
The blood drained from Lucienne’s face. Who would want to poison her nanny? Her fists clenched. “Is she—” her voice choked. “Save her! Where’s Dr. Wren? Get the poison out of her system!”
“She’s in the castle’s emergency room. Her last meal was at the Red Mansion. She collapsed in the jet we sent for her. We believe the Sealers meant to send a message through her.”
Her enemies would hurt anyone she cared about to get to her. Tears streamed down Lucienne’s face. “I’m leaving for Sphinxes this minute,” she said. “What about her bodyguard?”
“Dead,” Vladimir said.
Lucienne turned to the giant. “Page McQuillen!”
“He already knows. Don’t take the helicopter to Sphinxes,” Vladimir said. “There’s a possible breach. I’m sending BL7 to pick you up.” He switched off his end of the radio, and he was gone from the other end.
“Lucienne.” Ashburn looked at her with concern.
Hot tears burning in her eyes, Lucienne looked away.
The air turned thick and oppressive, like her mood, like Ashburn’s. Dark clouds draped the moon, leaving only sparse starlight on Nirvana.
A few raindrops fell on Lucienne’s face. She wondered if this sudden rainstorm came from Ashburn’s mental power, but she wouldn’t turn her eyes to him when veiled by tears. Then she heard the deep bass purr of an approaching helicopter. Kian had sent it to take her back to Hell Gate.
The rain poured down in Nirvana and on Lucienne’s face as the helicopter landed in front of her.
CHAPTER 17
Aida’s condition stabilized. Lucienne asked Nurse Mary to check on her nanny every half hour before walking out of the special-care patient room in Sphinxes’ medical facility.
She went to look for Vladimir. She hadn’t seen him for over a week, ever since she left for Nirvana. Standing on the east tower of the castle, Lucienne looked over her island. The sunny sky was an electric blue; the beach endless ivory; the sea a quiescent gem. She walked down the broad stone stairs. The trees around the castle were lavish, their green foliage swaying in the breeze. It would be a nice picnic day, but Vladimir wasn’t available. He’d been avoiding her.
“Ziyi,” Lucienne called into her Eidolon phone, “where’s Vladimir?”
“Tracking him now,” Ziyi said. “Huh, he’s in the fencing room this time. He’s been using the recruits as punching bags in the training room. I don’t even want to be in the same building with him. The man’s been like a foul beast all week. He isn’t fun anymore.”
“Thanks for the updates,” Lucienne said, ready to hang up.
“Wait, Lucia,” Ziyi said. “I need to talk to you about some boy issues.”
“Boy issues will need to wait. Tell me at breakfast tomorrow.” Lucienne hung up, heading toward the gym in the west wing. Her finger punched Kian’s number, and Kian picked up on the first ring.
“Who poisoned Aida?” Lucienne asked.
“We believe Hauk is behind it.”
“So my half-brother finally crawled out of his hole.”
“We expected sooner or later he’d reconnect with his old ties in the Red Mansion,” Kian said. “We already knew Rick Lam was a traitor.”
“Take him out.”
“But we decided to leave your cousin for now.”
“We have men inside the Sealers’ cult,” Lucienne said. She had planted one of her loyal cousins in the enemy’s lair before she had been crowned Siren. “We must send our message, and I want whoever hurt my nanny dead.” Her eyes grew hard. “I’ll join you in hunting down Hauk Lam once I take care of the Ashburn business. It won’t be long.”
“I’m leaving for Chicago tomorrow to handle Rick personally,” Kian said.
Lucienne sighed. She would have to go back to the Red Mansion for another war, if she wanted to secure her and her people’s future. When Jed passed away, she had shown mercy to her enemies, most of them her uncles and cousins. And now they had regrouped.
“I’ll triple the security when you come,” Kian added.
“You’ll triple the security now! You know they want you as much as they want me.”
“They can’t get me. Worry no more.”
“Promise me you’ll keep the best men around you. Take Orlando, Duncan, and the others with you. I have Vladimir here.”
“I already have the best men with me,” Kian said. Lucienne heard in the background his men approaching him and briefing him, and Kian answering with grunts. Then he said into the phone, “I’ll talk to you later, kid,” and hung up.
Lucienne arrived at the training area. She changed to a silver saber jacket and gloves and entered the pine-floored fencing room.
Tac ta. Tac ta. Sabers clashed and then separated. Vladimir, in a black saber jacket and mask, launched an attack at lightning speed. Duncan, one of the best swordsmen, was forced to step a few feet back.
“Leave us, Duncan,” Lucienne said. “And report to Kian McQuillen.”
Duncan bowed slightly and took off his mask. “Yes, Lucia.” He threw a sympathetic look at Vladimir and hurried off.
Vladimir removed his mask and stared at Lucienne. She stared back without a word. A lock of his wheat-colored hair dangled on the corner of his eyes. In them, she saw concealed joy at the sight of her, until hurt surfaced. Following the wounded look was a spark of anger. It didn’t take long for his anger to darken the amber fire in his eyes.
Lucienne wanted to brush the stray hair from his eyes and nestle against his hard chest, but he would just push her away. So, calculating and coolly, Lucienne drank him in. He hadn’t had a haircut since she’d last seen him; neither had he shaved.
Trying not to let Vladimir’s wild beauty deviate her from her purpose, Lucienne evened her breath as she went to select a saber amid the fifty varieties that lined the wall. And she took her time.
Holding the hilt of a saber, she walked back to him, stopping five feet before him. Vladimir stood like a hard statue, his jaw set like cold stone, stub
bornly holding onto his anger—his righteous weapon against her.
Lucienne flashed her saber in his face. The best way to get his fury out was to provoke him. “Do your worst, you arrogant buffalo!” She had called him names when they first met at Desert Cymbidium. Of course, he had taunted her first.
A spark flashed in Vladimir’s dark golden eyes, quelling the fire of anger in them. “Only your best, delicate pumpkin butt, and see how long you last!”
“How dare you call me that again!” Lucienne suddenly lunged. A sharp thrust went directly toward Vladimir’s throat. Vladimir stumbled back as he parried.
“You insult me, and then you attack me by surprise?” he said.
“I warned you. I said, ‘Do your worst, you arrogant buffalo.’ Didn’t I?”
“You offended me twice now!” Vladimir struck back, his saber rising and falling with remarkable speed. And then it went for Lucienne’s heart.
Lucienne parried, and then counterattacked, the pair matched in every way. They lunged and withdrew. Both executed moves with grace, control, and precision. The two sabers crashed again and again in perfect arcs.
“We know each other’s weaknesses and strengths too well,” Vladimir sighed. “We can go on like this forever until one lies down.”
“Then you’ll be the one who lies down, pretty boy,” Lucienne purred with a husky voice, gazing at Vladimir through her thick lashes. Her rich, brown eyes became expressive, turning all honey and wine, and only for him.
Vladimir opened his mouth, his eyes melting into a soft fire of gold. Lucienne could feel his heartbeat picking up as his breath hitched. The heat was in the air. She felt it. Seizing the advantage, she struck mercilessly. The tip of her saber found an opening in Vladimir’s heart and went for it.
Before Lucienne could claim victory, Vladimir moved with incredible speed. The opening was a feint. In the next heartbeat, he disarmed her, holding her saber in his hand. “The Lam lioness always knows how to take advantage of her opponent’s weakness,” he said. “I fell once, but never twice.”