I hoped Bravi, Sike, and Dorian would find something. Disquiet ran through my body. Once, it had disturbed me that the vampires fed on dark humans. Now, I counted on their feeding to prevent more deaths on our mission at the Bureau. I was sacrificing people just like Alan in order to save him. My morals wouldn’t bear scrutiny.
Bravi checked her redbill over. “We’ll try to get food for you humans, if we can,” she promised.
My empty stomach groaned in delight at the thought of a bite to eat. “Anything would be good at this point.”
Footsteps crunched behind me on the stony beach. Bryce walked up, holding out my backpack. “Ready to go?”
I nodded. “Just let me say goodbye to Dorian before the vampires leave.”
Bryce nodded and moved toward Laini, who was preparing a few redbills to take her, Bryce, and me to visit Fenton.
We would have to move soon, but I had enough time to say goodbye. My insides twisted with worry. When would I see Dorian again? I wasn’t quite ready to let him out of my sight again after nearly losing him earlier.
I approached Bravi’s group. Sike mounted his redbill, anticipation evident on his face. I looked around for Dorian but didn’t see him. Where had he run off to?
“Bravi,” I said.
She was still on the ground next to her redbill, but she looked up when I said her name.
“Where’s Dorian? I thought he was supposed to go along to feed.” He desperately needed dark energy and had for a while.
Bravi gave me a frustrated look. “Dorian has declined to go with us,” she said tightly.
Was he insane? “But—but he’s already so weak,” I said. “It took everything he had left to keep himself from falling off that cliff.”
Bravi folded her arms over her chest, her mouth twitching irritably. “Oh, I know. He's a fool,” she snapped. “I tried to convince him, but he wouldn’t hear it. And he wouldn’t tell me why.”
We stared at each other in mutual exasperation. How could he refuse in his state? Vonn’s triumph over him earlier today only proved he needed to feed. We needed him at his best.
“You could change his mind. I’m sure he’d listen to you,” Bravi said with a note of melancholy.
I froze, ready to question her about it but also wanting to talk some sense into Dorian before the other vampires left. As if sensing my hesitation, Bravi waved me off. She was right, Dorian’s health took priority. I would talk to Bravi later.
Fortunately, the island was tiny. The vampires busied themselves with the redbills, who appeared thoroughly delighted with the sudden attention. Laini and Bryce patiently waited on the other side. Gina and Zach talked quietly together. It was decided they could stay behind to rest up before the mission. I suspected they might need a moment alone before our task tomorrow. I darted behind a small collection of shrubs and came to the rocky shore.
Dorian sat near the lapping water, gazing out at the city aglow in the night. I marched over, unwilling to waste another second.
“Why aren’t you going to feed?” I demanded. This was the gas station trip all over again. I knew he’d been purposefully spacing out his feedings, but he claimed otherwise. He couldn’t run around doing that for my sake.
He’d heard me walk up but only turned now. He shrugged. “You know why.”
Oh, now you’ve done it. My cheeks flamed with heat as anger burned through me. “If you’re holding off on feeding for my sake, now is not the time.” I shook my head, feeling a pang of annoyance.
Dorian had the nerve to crack a smile. “Where are your fancy morals now?” he teased, apparently trying to defuse the situation.
My fancy morals are taking a vacation before a high-risk mission.
“Excuse me?” I asked, my temper rising faster than I could control it. “This isn’t funny. I need you to be at full strength. Aren’t you worried about the upcoming fight? You could be overwhelmed by your hunger and take out one of the board members. Are you seriously planning to go into this fight so unprepared? You know the dangers we’re already facing. How can you be so flippant about putting our team and our mission at risk by making stupid decisions like this?”
Dorian stiffened, but his face remained collected. “I am still perfectly capable of playing my part in this mission.”
He had to be joking. This display of hardheaded behavior was ridiculous. Our chances were already slim, and I needed him to be ready.
“And what about the dark energy weapons?” I asked furiously. “Do you remember how well that went for you? You were trying to tear everyone apart for hours, and your own clan had to feed off you to heal you.”
“I thought of that,” he said, “and I’m convinced that if I’m starving and get hit, I won’t get overwhelmed like last time. It’ll take me back to full strength, just like you want, but I will have been able to sneak into the building without worrying that you’re going to pass out.”
I scoffed. “That is a theory at best and delusion at worst. I can’t weave your precious hypothesis into the battle plan.”
“You and the rest of the team are more than competent enough,” Dorian countered sharply. “You don’t need me to pull all the weight.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but for the first time, your confidence in my ability is actually ticking me off.” I pressed a hand to my forehead, feeling frustrated. “We’re already low on manpower. Statistically speaking, we have a higher chance of winning if you’ve recently fed,” I managed through gritted teeth. “Even if we had an army, I’d need you to give everything you’ve got tomorrow. We all need you, Dorian. I don’t want to worry about you in the middle of a battle.”
Dorian’s eyes softened. He stood and closed the distance between us. He brushed unruly strands of hair from my face and cupped my cheeks with his hands.
His handsome face usually inspired thoughts of kissing, but my anger dampened my enjoyment. I could happily bite his fingers.
“I can handle it no matter what, Lyra,” he murmured. “As long as I get to be close to you knowing you’re not at risk.”
He was, quite obviously, trying to distract me through seduction. I angrily shook off his hand but didn’t push him away. “How can you say this is all for me but ignore the fact that this doesn’t make me happy at all? In fact, it makes me feel quite the opposite.” Hurt swelled in my chest. The pain wasn’t from being close to Dorian. It was heartache.
“I’d rather go into battle debilitated than know that whenever I worry about you or feel anything toward you, you might be vulnerable to attack,” Dorian said gruffly.
Not on my watch. I could admit Dorian was the superior fighter based on his natural abilities and experience. He was more valuable to the mission than my discomfort.
“I can handle pain,” I retorted, torn by my frustration and affection. “Wasn’t that the whole point of the nice little speech you just gave me about my abilities? I’m a soldier, not a flower.”
“I know you care more about the mission than yourself, but I refuse to go along with that,” Dorian fired back. “I never called you a flower. You’re a finely tuned gun if we’re choosing metaphors. I’ve always known your power, but it’s more important for you to have all your strength to preserve your survival. If our mission succeeds because I feed, but you fall in the line of duty because you’re weakened by the pain I will cause you? I would never forgive myself.”
We stood like that, staring one another down. Neither of us was willing to relent.
A twig snapped under someone’s foot. Our teammates had certainly heard our dispute due to the size of the island. I pulled away from Dorian, frustration still clogging my throat.
As if on cue, Bryce cleared his throat awkwardly behind me.
“I hate to break in here,” he said dryly. “But Lyra, we need to go and see how the other half lives in America.”
Fenton. The mission. The Bureau. I bit my tongue in irritation. This might be the last time I saw Dorian for a while. Our future was unknown. I
pushed down my stubborn pride.
“Goodbye, Dorian,” I said, aiming for sweet but unable to keep a tart note out of my voice. I stalked over toward Laini with Bryce.
Laini helped me settle atop the redbill behind her, her face strained with worry. Bryce took his own redbill.
“I’m flying solo,” he announced with a surge of goofy excitement.
I wished I could enjoy Bryce’s merriment, but my stormy thoughts pushed everything else away. Zach raised a hand in farewell, then the redbills took off into the sky, slipping through the night as if they were a natural part of it.
I only checked back once to see if Dorian was still standing on the coast. He was. The image of his dark silhouette left a melancholy taste in my mouth.
* * *
Ten or so minutes into the flight, Laini glanced back at me with concern. My cheeks heated again. Everyone must have heard our argument.
“You know, Dorian reminds me a lot of his brother sometimes,” she said softly.
My anger stalled momentarily. I felt my shoulders relax. She must miss Lanzon every day.
Sadness rolled over Laini. “Right down to the frustrating parts. Lanzon was just that stubborn. He and Dorian used to get into fights like this too when they disagreed. It was something to see…” She trailed off, taken by the memory. A pained sigh escaped her throat.
My heart softened. I could never imagine Laini’s pain. She had gone through so much and known Dorian for much longer.
“Do you have any advice for dealing with Dorian?” I asked, then paused. I didn’t want to press Laini too far, and I’d never talked to her about Lanzon before. I didn’t know where the boundaries were.
“Unfortunately, I don’t,” Laini said with a sad laugh. “I didn’t have time to learn any tricks.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmured, unable to keep the words in anymore. “I’m sorry for what you went through, Laini. I never got the chance to tell you that before.”
She paused, and for a moment, I was worried I’d caused some offense. But then she turned to smile at me over her shoulder, the orange city light glinting off her tear tracks.
“Thank you, Lyra. It means a lot.”
Our mutual silence stretched for a few moments. My anger simmered down, leaving behind a mass of worry, tension, and loss. It all hardened into a determination to fix all this somehow. There had to be a way for Dorian and me to exist together, for all vampires and humans to exist alongside each other.
But first, we had to deal with our business with the Bureau on our mission tomorrow.
The flight to Fenton’s specially designed home was thankfully short. The redbills touched down on a massive manicured lawn that held a gorgeous mansion sprawling across at least an acre of land. The redbills settled behind a grove of cherry, apple, and pear trees swollen with fruit that Bryce and I immediately raided, the sweet, succulent offerings sending a rush of energy to my head.
The lawn sloped up to the mansion, soft and green. I marveled at the giant, well-lit home built of stone and its columned back porch. Colored lights flickered on and off inside. Music floated out into the night from one side of the house. People crossed in front of windows, clearly enjoying themselves a little too much.
Bryce and I shared a skeptical look. Were we supposed to crash a party and grab Fenton? This might be harder than we thought. Our current fashion choices didn’t exactly blend in with the dress code.
“At least we know he’s home,” Bryce muttered dryly.
The redbills burbled and shifted as if they didn’t enjoy the thumping bass of the music. I thought it was decent enough, though it had been a long time since I’d had an opportunity to go for a proper dance.
“How do we avoid getting spotted?” I wondered aloud, glancing at the windows. This was the last thing we needed.
Bryce surveyed the layout of the house and gardens. “Maybe we just march up there and knock on the door. Secrecy be damned. Fenton was always on our side.”
I gave Bryce a look, surprised at his recklessness. There was no way to tell who was at this party. Fenton could be hosting ex-colleagues from the Bureau or law enforcement for all we knew. He might not even be hosting this event. It could be one of his mother’s fundraisers using his house.
My former captain raised a brow in response. “Subtlety has never been one of my greatest personal strengths, Sloane,” he growled, reminding me that just because he no longer carried the official title, he was still my captain in some capacity. “I have been forced to exercise that weaker skill of mine more than I would like in recent weeks. It’s tempting to go crashing in and make things happen after being made to run and hide like a rat for far too long.”
I nodded in understanding. “I know what you mean,” I muttered, “but if your training on how to operate a mission in public has taught me anything, it’s that although crashing the party is fun, it’s often better that they never know you were even at the party.”
He grunted in response. “Glad to know one of the Sloane siblings has absorbed some of my wisdom. Your brother is only just working his way out of the phase where shooting things with a grenade launcher is fun.”
Laini shook her head. “I’ll be right back,” she promised quietly.
Before we could say a word or do anything to stop her, she melted into the shadows with her inhuman stealth and speed. I blinked, and she was gone.
Five minutes passed in tense silence. I ate another two apples and a pear. “Does Laini even remember Fenton?” I asked. “What if she brings us the wrong guy?”
“Calm down. She’ll be able to pick him out from all the other fellows in monkey suits, I’m sure.” Bryce comforted one of the redbills, who were still upset.
To my surprise, the bird allowed him to stroke its neck. He was good with them. It was hard to imagine that he used to lead missions to kill them. It was hard to remember that I used to be part of those missions.
Suddenly, two figures emerged from the back porch. I grabbed Bryce by the arm. We tensed as we watched the figures walk down the lawn. Their faces were hidden in shadow.
“That’s got to be Fenton,” Bryce muttered. “I recognize his posture. Strong military poise.”
As the figures got closer, I could make out Fenton in a high-end suit with a stylish shirt and a velvet bowtie hanging loose around his neck. Laini matched his stride. Fenton clutched a full glass of champagne, every bit the image of a millionaire playboy. As they got closer, his face came into view.
He looked entirely sober and serious, his jaw set in a firm line. Deep shadows gathered under the rich man’s eyes.
“I’ve brought the ex-board member,” Laini said simply when they arrived. “He wasn’t hard to find.”
Hell of a delivery service, these vampires.
“You could’ve kidnapped me easily,” Fenton said, slightly shaken. “I had no idea you were in the room. I suppose I made myself an easy target, hanging out in my study… my fiancée’s party was too much for me tonight.” His gaze swung to Bryce and me, and his eyes grew wide with recognition. He rushed forward to seize Bryce’s hand in both of his.
“Captain Bryce! I’m so glad to see you both,” Fenton said, his grip desperate. At that, he raised his eyebrows upon really seeing the state of us in the moonlight and stray illumination from his home. Fenton’s mouth twitched, and Bryce scowled at him.
“You are?” I asked, unable to help myself. It seemed odd that he would remember me. I could understand Bryce.
“Of course,” Fenton said. “I’m glad you’re still alive and fighting, Lieutenant Sloane.”
Lieutenant Sloane. It had been a while since anyone had called me that. I felt a pang of bittersweet nostalgia at Fenton’s address. It was hard to believe that identity was lost to me for the moment.
He pressed a hand to his chest, embarrassed as he looked at Laini. “I’m sorry, I know we were introduced at the trial facility, but I can’t remember your name.”
Laini had been in the process of sliding
back into the shadows. She stopped when Fenton addressed her, nervous for a moment. “My name is Laini.”
Fenton nodded, then dragged a hand down his tired face. “Sorry. I haven’t been able to sleep or relax since I got fired. The Bureau dismissed me and many other fantastic coworkers after we objected to the torture of subordinates, as you would expect any decent person to do, but that was apparently not the case.” He shivered, likely remembering something he’d uncovered at the Bureau. “I had no idea about the plan to gas the vampires.”
Did I believe him? His face seemed earnest, his reactions genuine. I glanced at Laini. She didn’t seem to be having any strong reactions to him.
“So they hid it from you?” Bryce asked, curiously. “I thought the board was tight-knit?”
“Absolutely,” Fenton muttered in a bitter tone. “A select group of the board evidently formed some time ago. They hid the plans from me and other members who weren’t in their precious inner circle. It wasn’t until your team broke off that I began investigating the longest-standing board members’ experiments and plans. It didn’t make sense to me that loyal Bureau employees would suddenly go rogue. Especially when I heard Captain Bryce and the Sloane siblings were among their ranks.”
“What did you find?” I asked.
“Only a few glimpses of things,” he said with a frown. “Enough to be alarmed. I saw evidence of unethical experiments. Not only on vampires but humans too. Some information I still don’t understand. Unfortunately, I was foolish enough to think my like-minded colleagues and I could stand up to the inner circle.” He shook his head sadly. “They simply ousted us, making sure to drag our reputations through the mud for good measure.”
“Humans?” I echoed. It was no secret the military had done sketchy medical trials on military personnel before. You could find that in history books. But what kind of experiments was the Bureau doing on humans?
Fenton set his mouth into a firm line and gave me a look, making it clear I didn’t want to know the details.
“Any specific names we should worry about?” Bryce asked, his eyes flickering to watch my face.
Darklight 2: Darkthirst Page 43