“I don't doubt it. I was angry about what he did. But perhaps it was wrong of me. He helped me for a time, became interested in the cure. But I suppose I can't hold onto you all forever.” He gazed at me, sorrow in his eyes. “I know you'll leave me too one day.”
I considered his words. Silas was not a good person in a lot of ways. But he'd pulled through for me too, righted some of his wrongs. “I don't know about that.”
“You think we can be friends?” he asked a little vulnerably.
“I think if you get me and Jameson out of here, I'll be your best friend,” I said, laughing softly.
A key turned in the lock and Silas slammed the shackle closed on my right wrist.
I rested my head back against the bed, fixing a broken expression on my face.
Rockley stepped into the room, gazing between us. “How are we getting on?”
“It's done,” Silas said and I let out a sob, holding my belly as if something terrible had happened to me.
“It's not done er- internally?” Rockley asked, eyeing my jogging bottoms which were still in place.
“No.” Silas cleared his throat. “It's a simple procedure.”
“So there's no blood?” Rockley gazed around, looking mildly disappointed.
Silas shook his head.
Rockley glanced at me then shrugged. “Alright. Can she go back to her cell?”
“She needs somewhere comfortable to rest,” Silas said, surprising me. “Perhaps if she stayed in my room for a day or two? I could monitor her better that way.”
My heart beat faster as Rockley considered it.
“Alright, I'll have the arrangements made to prepare your room.”
Rockley eyed me and I forced out a couple of tears, dropping my gaze.
“Never mind my dear, it would only have been another monster anyway.” He headed from the room and I glared at the door as it closed.
“Ignore him,” Silas muttered as he unshackled me.
“I'll smash that man's face in one day.”
We waited for someone to call us and it wasn't long before Jessie hammered her fist on the door. “Let's go!”
Silas helped me to my feet. “Hunch over, pretend you're in pain.”
I did as he said, holding my belly as he guided me forward.
Silas opened the door and Jessie strode forward, gesturing for us to follow, guiding us upstairs into a long corridor with exposed stone walls and white carpet. We soon arrived at Silas's hotel room and Jessie left us to it as we headed inside.
A second bed had been moved into the room, opposite the king-size.
Silas planted his doctor's bag down on the larger bed. “Get some rest,” he said. “You're going to need your strength tonight.”
“Why?” I frowned. “What happens tonight?”
Silas grinned. “We're going to bring Jameson's memories back.”
Selena
As we took a boat toward England, I wondered if my friends and I were ever going to be safe. There were so many people after our blood, it felt like we were trapped on a never-ending road with death hiding around every corner.
I distracted myself with the view of the churning sea, sitting in the cabin behind Varick as he steered the motorised yacht. My father had stayed back at the castle with everyone else, intending to test out the Vampire cure on Twyla and the others. He'd taken more of my blood and a good measure of Varick's too. If he could do it, we'd have a small army at our backs when we went after Rockley. For now, Varick and I were going to London to seek out the cure to Werewolf obedience. Brendan had found a couple of old mobile phones stashed amongst the Helsings' things. Varick and I had one and he had the other. So as soon as we had the cure in our hands, I'd contact him.
I read over Silas Madigan's note again and again, trying to find any information we'd missed. The more I read it, the more worried I became that it was a trap. But Varick had insisted the instructions seemed too convoluted for such a thing. Why send us to the institute first if Rockley wanted us? It didn't make sense. So I had to accept this Silas guy was telling the truth. Which hadn't been helped by the fact that Brendan had been a prisoner to him for years. But even he'd admitted the note seemed genuine.
We were already a day and a half into the journey. We'd dock at Immingham on the east coast of England then use the credit card my father had given me to get a train to London. Neither Varick or I had a driver's license to rent a car.
“I hate how long this is going to take,” I said and Varick glanced back at me with a frown. “It could be days before we can head to Wales. And God knows what'll happen to Cass and Jameson in that time.”
“It's the best we can do,” Varick said softly. “They'll be alright. They're tough. I'm sure they're looking after each other.”
I bit my lip. Who knew if they were even together? What if they were being tortured? Or worse? Thrown into Rockley's games.
My stomach churned. I'd barely eaten since we'd left Raskdød. I couldn't bear to eat, knowing my friends' fates were currently in Rockley Jones' hands.
“It's going to be okay, Selena,” Varick assured me. His eye was set on the horizon. He was the perfect companion for this situation. Hardy, determined and as tough as an ox. I didn't feel quite the same about myself. Even though Brendan had told me my strength was equal to that of a V now. But it was hard to accept that that was true, despite the fact I'd seen it with my own eyes. Brendan had had me lift heavier and heavier things to prove it. I could carry near to a tonne on my back without losing my breath. It was Varick's gift to me somehow, through his blood. Or the combination of both our blood, I wasn't really sure. And how long had I been this way? Surely not long. I hadn't felt the strength during our fight against the Helsings.
Admittedly, it was a blessing. And the timing couldn't have been better now that we might have a battle on our hands in the not-so-distant future.
Varick stepped away from the helm, flipping on the auto-pilot. He sat at my side, taking my hand.
“I don't need comfort,” I said, my frustration rising out of control. “I need you to teach me to fight.” I'd been tossing the idea around in my head all day. If I was strong, I could fight. And I wanted to be ready to do so for the sake of our friends.
Varick raised his brows, a smile pulling at his mouth. “Alright.”
“What? No lecture?” I teased.
“Not from me. I'd rather you were able to defend yourself, sweetheart.”
I pushed him lightly.
“You'll have to try harder than that,” he growled, getting to his feet. “We've got a while before I'll need to steer again. So let's begin.”
“Here?”
He shook his head. “On the deck.”
“It's freezing out there,” I protested.
His grin grew. “Well I'd better get you warmed up then.” He leant in as if to kiss me, then pulled my leg so I fell onto my butt on the floor.
“Oh, you fight dirty,” I accused, taking hold of his ankle and yanking.
Surprisingly, he slid forward, but caught himself at the last second. “You're strong. But not as strong as me.” He stood, scooping me up into his arms and I laughed in surprise, grabbing his neck for support.
Outside, he planted me down on the deck and cold air whipped around us. A chill fled up my arms and I wrapped them across myself. Beyond the boat, the waves were choppy and deepest blue, but the yacht cut through them with ease.
Varick stood before me and raised his palms. “Try out some punches. Plant your feet side-on. You want to keep your body at an angle to make yourself a smaller target.”
I nodded, doing as he said.
“When you throw a punch, push through from your back leg, that's where the force comes from.”
I nodded, raising my hands and curling them into fists.
“Go ahead.” Varick grinned.
I threw a right punch into his palm and a slap sounded as it hit.
“Good,” he said. “Again.”
We cont
inued on whilst Varick corrected my stance and tactics. By the time we were done, I wasn't feeling that cold anymore.
“Turn around,” he ordered and I did so, gazing out at the morning sun rising from the horizon.
He wrapped his arms around me, his mouth dropping to my ear. “Do you remember this one?”
“Yes,” I breathed, recalling the time he'd taught me a few tricks to kill a Vampire back in the V Games.
His grip around me tightened. “Then show me,” he growled and electricity surged through my veins.
I lifted my arm, dropping it behind him, gripping the back of his neck. “I had a stake last time.”
“And this time you'll have a knife,” he said. He released me, spinning me around. “In all honesty, our main problem is going to be guns, but if anyone does get this close to you, I'd prefer if you were ready.”
I nodded, folding my arms. “So what's next?”
“I think we need to test out that new agility of yours.” Mischief sparkled in his eyes.
He stepped back into the cabin and returned with a little blue sock from my luggage. He tucked it halfway into his waistband and I raised a brow.
“Come here.” He beckoned me.
I stepped forward.
“All you have to do is get the sock.” His smile grew as he took a fighting stance.
Adrenaline surged through my veins at the challenge. I set my eye on it, shifting closer and he moved back. I threw a punch at his chest and he batted my arm away. But that had been my plan. I ducked under it, reaching for the sock, but he caught my waist. “You'll have to try harder than that. You can't hurt me, Selena.” He laughed, before shoving me forward, making me stumble.
I turned, biting my lip as I gazed at the sock.
“Oh can't I?” I teased, then lunged forward and slammed my boot on top of his. As he moved to push me off, shifting his weight from his other leg, I kicked out the back of it.
He stumbled and I pressed my advantage, grabbing hold of his leg and pulling. He almost fell and I leapt onto him, forcing him to the floor.
I reached for the sock as I straddled him and he snatched my wrists. He was impossibly strong. I struggled and he rolled, pinning me down so his weight pressed me into the hard deck.
“I win.” He smirked and I sighed, pretending to be defeated. I tangled my hands in his hair, lifting my chin and releasing a small sigh.
His lips met mine and I wrapped my legs around his waist. I pushed one hand between us, travelling down his stomach and his kiss deepened.
Sliding my palm to the left, I snatched the sock and laughed in his face.
“No, I win,” I said triumphantly.
His lips pressed together. “Cheat. You can't use that tactic in a real fight.”
“Why not? None of Rockley's men have any morals. It could be a winner.”
His gaze darkened and he dropped his mouth to mine, pausing millimetres from my lips. “Well if it saves your life, I approve. But I think you need to show me that move again.”
A smile tugged at my lips. “You're a very hands-on teacher.”
“I try my best.” His hand slid up the back of my top and my spine arched in surprise at his cool fingers. His other hand snaked around my wrist and his hips pressed down to hold me in place. His kisses trailed from my mouth to my jaw, running down my neck until I couldn't feel the cold at all anymore. I shut my eyes as a sigh parted from my lips.
His hand slid up my wrist and in a flash, he snatched the sock and got to his feet.
My eyes flew open and I pouted.
“Up. You still have a lot to learn, sweetheart.” He held out a hand and I took it, a smile igniting on my lips.
*★*
We arrived in London after an arduous four hour train journey from Immingham. It was late afternoon, but we had no time to spare, taking the tube towards King William's Street. We soon arrived on the busy road which was bustling with people, the grand old buildings rising up around us toward the coal-grey sky. Couples were sitting outside cafes sipping coffees. It looked so...normal. I suddenly felt like an alien amongst them. Despite the fact we'd been travelling around the Mediterranean for over a month, we hadn't spent much time amongst the locals. This was like stepping back into my past. A life that didn't seem to fit me anymore.
Varick took my hand and we headed up the street with our backpacks on our shoulders. I'd felt overly self-conscious on the train, knowing I was carrying around an arsenal of weapons. If a policeman had pulled us aside, we'd have been arrested.
I spotted Regis House across the road, just a tower block of offices, standing sentinel between two similar postmodern buildings.
We walked confidently into the foyer, meeting no resistance as we entered a wide lobby of tiles. A curved desk stood ahead of us with a receptionist behind it. He was young with bright eyes that ran smoothly up and down us.
“Can I help you?” he asked.
“Um, yes.” I approached. “We're looking for...Ever-Earth?”
His brows raised and he shot a glance toward the stairwell. “Of course,” he said, his tone lower. “Follow me.”
He moved around the desk, moving at a brisk pace as he led us to a bolted door across the room. Unlocking it, he pointed. “Head down to the basement. There's a shaft under a hatch that will let you into an old train station.”
“Thank you,” Varick muttered as we headed through the door and the receptionist shut it behind us.
A steep stairwell with iron railings led us into a dark space, lit by a couple of exposed bulbs hanging from the ceiling. A red manhole cover sat in the centre of the dank space with a crowbar beside it. The place was cool, sending a little shiver down my spine.
Varick picked up the crowbar, jamming it into a ridge in the cover and heaved it up whilst I helped push it aside.
Bright fluorescent lights illuminated a white stairwell leading further beneath the building's foundations. Varick took the lead and I headed after him. We emerged in an ancient tunnel, curving overhead, the stone walls holding old posters from war-times. We hurried along, meeting a security access door and Varick pounded his fist on it. A hatch snapped open in the centre and two dark eyes appeared. “Password?”
“Ever-Earth,” Varick said.
Locks clicked and whirred within the door and it swung open, revealing a guard in a white shirt with a pistol at his hip. I glanced past him curiously.
“Welcome to Site G. Can I help you with something?”
I took Silas's note from my pocket, handing it to him. His eyes scanned over the words and he nodded stiffly. “Right this way.” He shut the door as we stepped through and led us along the rounded tunnel.
We emerged in an ancient train station, the tracks stretching into a dark tunnel on either side of us. Large machines sat on the tracks, hissing and humming as they did God-knows-what.
The guard led us out of the station through another door and we emerged in a vast room that had been converted into a laboratory. Workers sat at long work counters filled with equipment, all dressed in lab coats with their hair in nets.
The guard went ahead of us, speaking with a dark-haired woman who was standing before a microscope. He showed her the note before glancing back at us and the woman nodded. He gestured for us to approach and handed me the note before heading away again.
“I'm Jennifer, nice to meet you. So Mr Madigan needs your help?” she asked. Something in her warm gaze made me trust her.
I nodded.
“We were expecting his arrival a few days ago, but he never showed,” Jennifer said, chewing on a ring in her lip. “The cure to Werewolf obedience is still in its prototype form. We haven't had enough wolves under the curse to test it on.”
“We'll need to take it anyway,” Varick urged.
She nodded, heading across the room to a large cabinet. Rifling through it, she produced a small plastic container with a handful of pills inside. She returned to us with a frown. “It's not protocol to hand out untested drugs to the pub
lic...” She glanced over at a man in a suit across the room. “I should probably check with my supervisor.”
“Silas is in trouble,” I pressed, my pulse rising. “And so are our friends.”
“We weren't expecting you. We have a client picking up equipment on Mr Madgian's behalf this afternoon. We usually get advanced warning. Perhaps if we could make a call...”
“Can you do that?” I asked uncertainly.
“Perhaps...but we haven't been able to contact him since he went AWOL. If he's in trouble then today's visitors are going to be a problem.”
“Who are the visitors?” Varick asked.
“Rockley Jones is sending some men to collect equipment on Silas's behalf. We have authorisation to give Mr Jones what he needs. But you...” She shook her head, glancing at her supervisor again who was looking our way.
A bang sounded out in the station and I jerked around to face the door, my heart rate rocketing.
“What was that?” the supervisor demanded, marching in that direction.
More bangs sounded, confirming it was gunshots and I backed up instinctively. Varick caught me in his gaze, his eyes fearful.
Jennifer tucked the bottle of pills into her pocket.
The door flew open and several men poured in dressed in black. Machine guns were in their hands, pointing at the scientists. I sucked in a breath, panic darting through me.
The supervisor approached them, raising his palms. “Please, we don't want any trouble.”
“Shut up!” the ringleader barked. He had a thick beard and eyes too far apart. He plucked at a lanyard around the supervisor's neck, reading it. “No one else gets shot if you cooperate, Hank. You got the memo from Rockley, yes?”
“Yes, you're Elias?” Hank asked and the man nodded. “Rockley has given you authorisation, there's no need for force. The equipment is already packed up for you.”
“Then get it,” Elias snarled.
My heart beat out of rhythm.
Varick took a protective stance beside me.
Wolf Games: Severed Fates (The Vampire Games Book 6) Page 12