“Gabriel,” Inola warned.
My eyes widened as consuming panic set in. “Y-You wouldn’t! Please, Gabriel! Don’t ever do that to me!” My emotions controlling my actions, I slipped on the step I stood on and stumbled into Gabriel, who was now standing on flat ground. I grabbed his shirt, my skin white over the knuckles. “Please! Anything but that!”
I’d clearly taken him by surprise. He stared down at me, his mouth parting as the strength of my response sank in. Finally, his hands moved to cover mine, gently disengaging my fingers from his black shirt.
“Calm yourself,” he murmured. “I have no desire to change you.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Until he turned away and one simple word shattered that relief. And in that moment, I knew there really were worse things than dying.
“Yet.”
Chapter 8 Jasmina
For the first time, I was inside a room that resembled a vampire’s haven. It still had the old-fashioned, sophisticated decor I’d grown accustomed to seeing, but there was no life inside the room. Still and cold, it felt absent of the air itself.
It reminded me of finally walking into my parents’ bedroom, something that had taken me months to work up the courage to do. Their bed had been unmade. My mother’s jewelry box had been open, some of the contents spilling out onto the dresser, her indecisiveness on what to take on the trip clear. One of my father’s ties on the floor, forgotten as he’d packed. The faint scent of my mother’s perfume.
And that was when I’d really realized they were truly gone. As I’d dropped to the floor, sobs racking my entire body, every shred of hope the stubborn child in me had clung to vanished.
Gone was the little girl who had sat on her father’s knee. Gone was the older girl who had argued with her mother about staying out late with Lila and Miles. And even gone was the girl who had stayed with Grandma when she’d been too sick to go to school, drinking homemade hot chocolate and watching bad soap operas, which Grandma had known the girl secretly loved even as she’d made fun of them.
Before Grandma had gotten really sick. Before the weight of the world had crushed me. Before the supernatural had come alive, capturing me and whisking me away into a bloody nightmare that a small part of me still questioned. Before going into my parents’ room, I’d retained false hope that everything had just been a bad dream. That part of me had not been snuffed out like I’d thought—here it was again, making me wonder if this was all just inside my head.
Eyes on my back pulled me from my thoughts. I hesitantly looked over my shoulder to see dozens of vampires silently descending the stairs and filing into the room. I didn’t want to know how many there were, but my guess was fifty or sixty. And even with Inola and Thomas at my back and Gabriel at my front, I still felt exposed.
Standing out due to the pure malice on her face, Emma’s eyes scorched me. I shrank back from her hateful gaze only to see Elias. He stood apart from everyone in the room, causally leaning against the wall next to a gold-framed painting of a winged man falling from a dusky sky. He seemed utterly at ease, like whatever was about to occur had nothing at all to do with him. The glances the other vampires gave him were mostly distasteful; Elias was obviously not a popular person here.
Silver eyes flicked to me. My stomach tightened painfully as Elias smiled at me, his fangs darting out and back into his gums so quickly I couldn’t be sure they had appeared at all.
I turned away from Elias to see Gabriel watching him. I couldn’t gauge what his thoughts might be, but I’d never seen Gabriel look so serious. When I looked back at Elias, his eyes were no longer trained on me. He and Gabriel were locked in a silent feud, the emotions swirling in their eyes depicting an ageless conflict.
When Gabriel put his arm around my waist and pushed me forward, I didn’t protest.
Although I didn’t know either of them well, if I had to choose which one to be alone with, it would be Gabriel, no contest. At least with him, instinct told me I had a higher chance of survival. Gabriel and I had actually slept in the same room together. There had been ample opportunity to end me, but I was still alive.
Trying to forget there were dozens of vampires behind me, I looked to where Gabriel was leading me. Against the far wall was a four-poster bed, its occupant hidden behind a canopy of dark pink silk. Candles flickered all around the bed.
I stopped walking, unwilling to go any farther. I remembered the bones in my fingers snapping and Elias’s mouth on my neck. Him threatening to kill me. Yes, I wanted him to die, but I was afraid to see their leader.
Gabriel went to my ear, his soft words a caress, but I still jumped at his voice. “Our Lady is in the coma sleep. Once woken, she will be very thirsty. It is important you stay close to me. Do you understand? I will not let harm befall you.”
My wide eyes found the green gems that gleamed in the candlelight. “Gabriel, I don’t want—”
“I need you to trust me to keep you safe.”
Although I didn’t want to, I meticulously considered his words. Despite the fact it was his fault I was here and that I had nearly died from blood loss, he had caught me when I’d jumped from the balcony. He had saved me from Elias twice. He had given me his blood to heal me. He had kept me from harm when all the other vampires would have no doubt drained me alive.
My fingers went to my neck. I felt the puncture wounds Elias had forced on me. Then I felt the scars, the ones Gabriel had also forced on me. The difference was significant, but my hatred overpowered the truth I knew he spoke.
“No,” I whispered. “I cannot ever trust you.”
Something akin to defeat flashed in his eyes before he turned away. He walked to the bed and drew back the canopy to reveal the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.
She was completely still, not even breathing from what I could tell. Her skin was somehow even paler than Gabriel’s. Her hair was a brilliant shade of red, so colorful and bright against the candlelight it made my own red-gold hair look dull and washed out in comparison. She wore a green dress that was surprisingly plain, her slim hands resting across her stomach.
I watched in fascinated horror as Gabriel brought his wrist to his mouth. His fangs snapped out, and he bit deeply until a steady stream dripped from the wounds. He pressed his wrist to the woman’s mouth, pried it open, and tilted her head back.
I looked away, suddenly confused. More confused than I’d ever felt in my entire life. Gabriel letting someone else drink his blood, someone else besides me, felt . . . wrong. Like he was betraying me somehow.
I dug my bitten fingernails into my palms. What the heck was wrong with me? Hell would freeze over before I got jealous over something sick like that! I hated Gabriel. Loathed him! He could give his blood to anyone he wanted—I didn’t care!
Yet I couldn’t bring my eyes to the two until I heard the barely audible intake of air. The woman’s eyes opened, and I gasped. I’d never seen violet eyes before.
Her hands went to her throat as she sat up. “Gabriel,” she croaked softly.
He nodded. “Lady Jasmina, I am sorry to wake you.”
Immediately, every vampire in the room bowed, their movements graceful and swift. Elias’s bow was mocking, his eyes dancing with amusement.
My heartbeat sped up, and Jasmina’s eyes went to me.
“Bring her to me,” the woman commanded.
Gabriel was suddenly in front of me. “She is not to be harmed.” There was no mistaking the tone of his voice. Even I could hear that Gabriel would fight her if she tried to approach me.
Jasmina turned away, as if she couldn’t bear to look at me. “Then somebody . . .”
Another vampire approached her quickly, offering a silver goblet. Jasmina yanked the cup from his hands, downing the liquid in frenzied gulps. When the goblet left her mouth, her lips were stained cherry red. “I need more,” she rasped desperately.
Goblet after goblet was given to the woman, and the more she drank, the sicker I felt. How many humans had died for
their blood just for her?
Just when I thought her thirst would never be satisfied, she threw the last goblet aside, her eyes wide with pain as they focused on Gabriel.
“Please, make it quick. I cannot bear . . .” To my surprise, tears fell from her eyes in streams. One hand clutched her throat, and the other hand rested over her heart. She was obviously suffering from more than just the pain of thirst.
“Of course. I apologize again. You see, it concerns Elias,” Gabriel said, his mouth twisting when he said the man’s name.
Jasmina sighed. “How am I not surprised?” She wiped away her tears, yet still they fell, and she did not seem to be ashamed of them in the least.
Gabriel’s hand hovered almost protectively over my arm. “This is Kara Alyne Deuel. I have claimed her, and Elias has ignored this claim.” His hand was so gentle when tucking my curls behind my ear that I didn’t even feel his touch, only the air that caressed my bare neck. “This is the proof.”
Jasmina looked at the puncture holes and opened her mouth to talk, but Elias pushed himself away from the wall and came forward.
“I can speak for myself, Gabriel.” He derisively bowed once again to the vampire leader. “Good evening, Your Ladyship. You look as ravishing and beautiful as always.”
Jasmina’s tears stopped, and her fangs bared themselves briefly. “Careful with your words, Elias. Your flattery is poison and lies. I have let you remain here out of pity, for I understand your pain, as I carry the same burden in my heart. But at least the loss of my Jaren has not twisted me as the loss of Lucy has twisted you.”
The room seemed to grow colder. Gabriel became stiff at my side, not even breathing. Fathomless sadness filled his eyes, and his gaze drifted to the floor.
I understood that look. The same look I’d seen so many times in the mirror.
But Elias’s reaction was different. His hands became fists, and his pupils dilated, swallowing the silver until they became onyx depths of hatred. His fangs burst from his gums as he snarled, taking a step forward.
Immediately, half a dozen vampires ghosted to the bed, their stances protective around Jasmina, who I had a feeling could handle herself even if Elias were stupid enough to try anything.
“Do not say that name again in my presence,” Elias growled.
Jasmina’s violet eyes sparked. “How dare you speak to me so after all I have allowed when it comes to you? Even though I allow torture to an extent, you are known to play cat-and-mouse with the majority of your victims, and you take it too far. There is a difference between reveling in the hunt and the kill, and making people suffer because of sadism. I have been lenient with you, as you have broken our laws before. You have taken the lives of human children and caused fights without cause within our coven. Then there are the rumors of you raping human women while you drink their blood.”
I cringed, closing my eyes and looking away. I didn’t want to listen any longer. Thomas put his hand on my shoulder, and desperate for comfort, I took it and squeezed it.
I could feel Elias’s radiating anger. “I deny none of those things, but I do deny what Gabriel has stated. I was not anywhere in the vicinity when he claimed the girl.”
Jasmina looked to Gabriel. “Is that true?”
“It was made clear to him that I wanted her blood for myself.”
Jasmina’s hand gestured for another goblet. She sipped the blood, eyeing me. “I have no choice but to drink from you again. Your blood woke me, Gabriel, but I did not have enough to know this answer. I will know the truth once I do this.”
Before I could protest, and also to state that I had clearly told Elias about Gabriel’s claim before he had sunk his teeth into my neck, Elias waved a hand. “There is no need. I voluntarily leave the coven.”
An uneasy rustling caressed the room. Gabriel looked at Elias strangely, his eyes full of distrust.
Jasmina raised her eyebrows. “You do understand the severity of that statement, Elias?”
His response was a smirk, as if he knew something she did not.
Jasmina sat up straighter. “I will not allow you to return. And should you decide to join another coven, it is unlikely you will be taken in, as your reputation precedes you. Leaving us means that if you have enemies who wish to take your life, we will not offer you our protection. Even though I allow vampires who are not a part of our coven to hunt inside our territory, your disrespect to this family is an insult, and you will no longer be welcome on any land claimed by me. Also, you may very well be a wanderer for the rest of your long life.”
Elias shrugged. “Covens are a dying breed. More and more vampires are choosing to not belong to them. I believe I will survive.” Then he smiled, his eyes going to me. “And let’s stop beating around the bush. It’s undoubtedly transparent I joined the same coven as Gabriel for a reason.”
I shivered, the cool air inside the room seeping beneath my clothes and into my skin. Gabriel’s eyes were as hard as glass.
Elias’s gaze remained piercing, the silver eyes of a beautiful demon. “I believe I have remained here long enough. What happens next is entirely dependent upon fate.”
I understood the meaning behind his words, and as Gabriel moved closer to me, I knew he did as well. The memory of Elias’s threat echoed in my mind.
“Because the moment you come to care for her, I swear to you, Gabriel, I will kill her.”
My blood was ice. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Emma studying Elias thoughtfully.
“I will kill him for you, Gabriel,” Inola murmured. Her challenge made Elias grin wickedly.
Gabriel shook his head once. “As you have offered many times before, my answer stays the same. Your life remains too precious to me to risk, as does the life of Thomas.”
Jasmina stood up, her face stone. One hand remained over her heart. “Then leave, Elias. No one will harm you on your way out.” Her eyes flicked to me. “But after that, indeed fate will play its course.”
The crowd behind us shifted, making way for Elias to depart. With one last smile at me, he blurred and disappeared, faster than I could count to three.
Gabriel glared at Jasmina. “He was to die, and you let him leave.”
“If hating Elias allows you to actually feel something, that is more than enough reason to keep him alive,” Jasmina mused.
Gabriel tensed. “This is not a joke, My Lady.”
She nodded. “Indeed it is not. I let him live, Gabriel, because his pain blinds him to the point that I think he is not even aware of his actions. Yes, it is a poor excuse, and yes, my pity for him is personal. Rest assured, I would have ordered his death had he killed the girl. But it is only a matter of time, I believe, until he brings about his own destruction. Now everyone leave. That is, all except you.”
As the vampires left the room, it took me a moment to realize she was pointing at me. I shook my head automatically, gripping Thomas’s hand tighter. Gabriel moved even closer to me; he was close enough now that I could feel his slow heartbeat through his shirt.
“With all due respect, My Lady, I do not wish to leave her here alone with you,” Gabriel said, his words clipped and reluctant at the same time.
Jasmina walked over to us, every movement graceful and almost alien. “My thirst took over my mind when I first awoke. I am in control now. I will not harm her.” She looked at me. “My apologies if I frightened you.”
I didn’t respond to her. All I could see were her lips, stained crimson with the life of another.
Gabriel shook his head. “I cannot—”
“Gabriel, I understand your unwillingness to leave Kara with me, but the last thing I would do is break my own laws and hurt the one who is awakening you. Now leave. I wish to speak with her alone.”
Still he hesitated. I marveled at his actions; they proved his earlier words true. How could someone who had kidnapped me seem to so very profusely care for my well-being? Was my blood that valuable, that sweet?
Jasmina leaned forward, her eyes al
most playful. “Ok, then. Stand outside the door if it makes you feel better. I have a feeling the girl will not be able to truly concentrate on my words with you standing over her.”
Gabriel made no move to leave until Inola put her arm around his shoulders.
“Come, Gabriel,” she murmured soothingly.
I watched them intently, understanding Thomas’s earlier words. Their bond was almost tangible, identical to mother and child.
Green fire bore into my eyes. “I will be right outside the door,” Gabriel said to me.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, that’ll make me feel real safe.”
Jasmina studied me with great interest while the trio made ready to leave. My stomach dropped when Thomas’s hand slipped from mine, and I snorted as I realized I’d been comforted by a vampire.
When we were alone, I shifted uneasily, too afraid to look her in the face. Time ticked by. After about ten minutes, my frustration finally took over.
“Are we going to talk, or are you going to just keep staring at me?” I asked in a voice that sounded much braver than I felt.
Jasmina’s head tilted to the side, eyeing me as if she’d never seen a human before. “Your words are courageous, but your heart betrays your fear. Still, I commend your bravery.”
I tried to crack my knuckles, but to no avail—I’d been abusing them too much lately. “It’s a medical condition. My heart would beat this fast even if I weren’t here. Of course, this is probably making it worse.”
“Are you dying?” she asked bluntly.
Taken aback, my next words were soft. “No. It’s just stress. My parents . . . never mind. But if Gabriel or Elias have their way, then yes, I’m pretty positive death is in my immediate future. Emma also looks like she wants me to kill over.”
Jasmina sat down on a stone step, her dress flowing around her like green water. “From what I’ve seen and felt as I drank Gabriel’s blood, he would never consciously cause you to come to harm again. And that is why your life is in danger from Elias and even Emma. Although with Emma, I pity her not, for she knew from the beginning that giving her heart to Gabriel was a mistake. I never thought the day would come when Gabriel would care about anyone except for Inola and Thomas, but come it has.”
Rapid Pulse (Violet Memory Book 1) Page 7