High Stakes and Vampires (Pandora's Pride Book 2)

by Annabel Chase

  “What book?” Evadne asked.

  “He won’t answer you,” I said. “The Empress only works for me.”

  A high-pitched shriek erupted from the exhibit hall that sent shivers down my spine.

  “Evadne,” I said.

  “I’m on it.” She sprinted to the next exhibit hall, leaving me alone with Cyrus.

  “What book?” I asked.

  “Tefnut’s Book of the Dead.”

  “Why is that important?” I asked.

  “It has the location of the tomb.” He turned to the side and coughed, spewing droplets of black liquid. “It can only be read when the Achet is in the scepter.”

  “The stone in the scepter acts as a decoder. Got it. What else?” The Tengu’s expression grew slack. I had to hurry or I was going to lose him. “When does Dasim intend to retrieve it?”

  “He doesn’t.”

  A crash in the exhibit hall drew my attention and I glanced over my shoulder to see whether anyone was coming. When I turned my focus back to the injured Tengu, his eyes and beak were open.

  “No! Cyrus, come back.” I shook his shoulders and one of his tiny wings drifted to the floor.

  He was gone.

  More shouting and more shattered glass emanated from the exhibit hall. I left the fallen goblin and rushed next door to find glass all over the floor. It seemed that every display case had been broken.

  “Over here!” Evadne yelled.

  I was so intent on following the sound of her voice that I nearly tripped over Liam. The werevamp seemed to have gotten stuck mid-transformation. His bottom half was wolf and his top half could only be described as furry vampire. He whimpered something unintelligible.

  “He’ll be fine in a few minutes,” Evadne said. “I need your help over here.”

  Guilty feet leaped over Liam and I hurried to where Saxon was slumped against the wall and Evadne was hunched over a bleeding and unconscious Tate, trying to heal her.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “What does it look like?” she said. “We lost.”

  Surveying the leveled hall, I could see that she was right. The rest of the Tengu were nowhere in sight.

  Even worse, Dasim was gone and so was the scepter.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Well, it wasn’t the outcome we hoped for,” Emil said.

  We were assembled in the conference room at Pride headquarters with the exception of Tate, who was recovering in her room.

  “We weren’t ready,” Saxon said.

  Evadne folded her arms in a huff. “Yes, we were. You had your shot and you blew it. If you can’t handle celestial fire, we should find a real angel who can. Even an old fart like Doran would’ve performed better.”

  Saxon spread his wings and flew across the table, his mismatched eyes ablaze.

  “Imperium.” Abra flicked a finger and stopped Saxon mid-air. She dragged her finger backward through the air and I watched, open-mouthed, as Saxon slid backward through the air and was dumped unceremoniously back in his seat. The older witch never ceased to surprise me.

  “You all came back alive and that’s the most important thing,” Doran said.

  Purvis bowed his head and I knew he was thinking about Leto because I was too.

  “That’s not the most important thing.” Saxon’s tone was more heated than I expected. “We hurt each other and we didn’t even get the Ab.”

  “We kicked our own asses,” Liam groused.

  “Dasim is a Plague demon,” Abra said. “You seem to have forgotten that he isn’t a mere nuisance demon.”

  Liam’s jaw tightened. “I didn’t forget at all, but he mindf…” He shook his head. “It would’ve been nice to know he could cause internal conflict too.”

  “I nearly killed Tate,” Saxon said. “I nearly killed your own granddaughter.”

  “You knew there was a good chance you’d end up fighting each other,” Natasha said. “Discord. It’s right there in the name.”

  Saxon raked a hand through his dark blond hair. “No, you don’t understand. When I hurt Tate, it was because…It was some kind of illusion. I didn’t realize it was her.” His expression looked pained. “She looked like Jade.”

  I felt a pang of guilt and wondered whether our conversation outside the museum had triggered his vision.

  “We didn’t know the extent of Dasim’s capabilities,” Abra said, unapologetic. “We can’t know everything.”

  “It makes sense though,” Natasha said. “He creates conflict by messing with everyone’s heads, so it stands to reason he can trigger extreme internal conflict.

  “Or a malfunction,” Liam said sullenly.

  Doran passed the werevamp a cup of tea on a saucer. “Malfunctions are part of being a hybrid. You know that.”

  Liam pushed the saucer back toward the angel. “But they shouldn’t be. We’re not robots. We shouldn’t glitch, especially not during a critical moment.”

  “Humans malfunction too,” Emil said. “They have faulty knees or hearts or kidneys. All living things have their weaknesses. If they didn’t, it would be much harder for us to kill Plague demons.”

  “Pretty hard as it is,” Evadne grumbled.

  “I’m supposed to have fewer weaknesses than humans,” Liam said. “What’s the point of being a combo of the two most dangerous supernaturals on the planet if I can’t hold my own against a disco demon?”

  “I’m happy to give you a thorough exam. It’s probably been almost a year since your last physical anyway,” Emil said.

  “This isn’t new,” Liam said. “This is a lifetime of cock-ups thanks to moving parts that don’t move when they’re supposed to or move when I don’t want them to.” He wrapped his hands around the back of his head. “Forget it. I’m doomed.”

  “It isn’t just you, Liam,” Saxon said. “We all suffer from some form of that. It just depends on our traits.”

  I thought about my recent issues. Could the fangs and the dreams be mage malfunctions due to the fact that I was half human? There was no way to ask without revealing more than I wanted to.

  Doran took a sip from the cup of tea. “Next time you’ll be ready.”

  “If there is a next time,” Liam said.

  “Tefnut’s Book of the Dead guarantees a next time,” Emil shot back.

  “Except we don’t have it and we don’t know where it is,” Saxon argued. “We didn’t even know it existed until the Tengu told Callie.”

  “And why did Tefnut go to so much trouble to hide her tomb if she wanted to be revived someday?” Liam asked. “She’s got the invincible monster croc guarding it. Isn’t that enough security?”

  Nita came rushing into the room, her cheeks pink from exertion. “Can I answer?”

  “Wow, some supers go to great lengths to be a know-it-all,” Evadne said.

  Nita’s brown eyes lit with excitement. “Tefnut had enemies. She knew she’d be a target for those who didn’t want to see her rise back to power.”

  “So she did all this to protect her body so that she could be safely reunited with her soul?” I asked.

  “She was a paranoid goddess,” Nita said. “Lots of them were. They certainly didn’t trust each other.”

  “I guess that explains why the book didn’t turn up in any of the information,” I said.

  Nita pulled out an empty chair and dropped into it. “The Book of the Dead was found in Egypt a century ago, along with some of her belongings. No one ever associated it with her resuscitation plan.”

  “So I guess that rules out a handy map to her tomb with an X marks the spot,” Liam said.

  Nita tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “Scholars have long been stumped by the book. They thought it had been written in an undiscovered language.”

  “From what the Tengu said, it’s not a language,” I said. “It’s actual gibberish that can only be interpreted by the Achet in the scepter.”

  “That’s right. The Achet was sometimes referred to as the Illumination
Stone,” Nita said. “It was believed that was because whoever had possession of the stone could call upon the powers of Ra, but it’s probably because it can illuminate the text in the book.”

  “Tefnut sure went to a lot of trouble to make sure she gets her life back,” Evadne said.

  “Wouldn’t you if you had access to all that sweet, sweet moisture?” Liam asked.

  “I think she’ll take one look at the state of the world and decide to crawl back into her tomb.” Evadne leaned against the back of her chair. “I know I would.”

  “How do we find the book before Dasim does?” Saxon asked.

  When does Dasim intend to retrieve it?

  He doesn’t.

  “I think he already has the book,” I said.

  Nita’s brow furrowed as she reviewed her phone screen. “Callie’s right. The book was stolen days ago from a museum in New York City. Two museum security guards are in the hospital after shooting each other.”

  “I guess we can safely say that our buddy Dasim made an appearance there,” Liam said.

  “How is he getting around with all his goblin buddies?” Saxon asked. “He can’t create portals.”

  “I bet he rides on the Tengu,” Liam said. “That’s why they fly so close together. It’s like having one big pegasus.”

  “He wouldn’t go very fast with those little bee wings,” I said.

  “All right. It’s late and you’re all clearly in need of restorative sleep,” Abra said. “We’ll meet tomorrow to discuss next steps.”

  I pushed back my chair. As much as I wanted to curl up in the fetal position, there was one more thing I wanted to do before I headed back to Salt. “Is it okay if I see Tate?”

  The other elders looked at Abra for an answer.

  “She’s awake,” Emil said, his gaze on the older witch.

  Abra gave a nod of approval. “You may have fifteen minutes and I’ll be timing you. Tate needs rest more than anyone. Room 601.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “And bring her a snack, if you don’t mind. She’s probably hungry. She’s partial to salted popcorn.” It was the most grandmotherly thing I’d ever heard Abra say.

  I left the room and stopped by the snack bar for a bag of popcorn and a banana muffin for me. I was starving. I took the elevator to the sixth floor and hunted for Tate’s room. It seemed strange that I hadn’t been in the residential area of headquarters yet. I spent so much time here and yet I was always in the common areas. I wondered which room would’ve been mine if I’d opted to live here. Would it have been close to Saxon’s? The thought made my cheeks grow warm.

  I knocked on the door of 601 and called Tate’s name before nudging open the door. I held up the bag of popcorn. “I come bearing gifts.” Although her bruised appearance threw me off balance, I quickly recovered. I didn’t want to make her feel worse than she probably already did.

  “I’m hideous, aren’t I?”

  So much for my poker face. “What? No. I just wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m just glad to see you awake.” I set my muffin on the desk and grabbed a chair from the small desk, turning it to face the bed. I dropped into the seat and handed her the bag. “Do you need me to feed you one at a time like grapes to a Roman emperor?”

  She managed a small smile. “I don’t need to be waited on, but thanks.”

  I tore open the bag and handed it to her. I tried not to focus on the bruises and contusions on her face. “I’m sorry you got wrecked.”

  “Me too.” She tried to pull herself to a seated position, but she winced and turned on her side facing me instead. “Saxon’s beating himself up, no matter how many times I tell him it’s not his fault.” She reached inside the bag and grabbed a handful of popcorn.

  “Just gives him one more excuse to brood.”

  “Would you mind getting me a glass of water?”

  I stood and crossed the room to the kitchenette. “It’s nice that you have a kitchen area. Maybe I should ask Ingemar to upgrade my room.”

  “If you plan to stay there for any length of time, you should.”

  I returned to the bed and set the glass of water on her bedside table.

  Tate chewed her popcorn thoughtfully. “Why don’t you want to move in here? Don’t you like us enough?”

  “I’m used to having space.” I picked up my muffin and took another bite. I’d stuffed half of it into my mouth on the elevator ride up.

  “And you think staying in a crowded casino gives you more space than here?” Her laugh quickly morphed into a whimper of pain.

  “Can I get you meds or anything? You want me to call Emil?”

  She waved me off. “He’s coming back in about an hour for another healing session. I should be better in a couple days. He can’t do too much at once or my body might go into shock.”

  I sat on the chair and pressed the bottom of my feet against the bed. “I’m sorry we let you down.”

  Tate looked at me. “Callie, there’s no need to apologize. We got beat, pure and simple. It happens. I’m only glad I lived to complain about it.”

  “I feel like I should’ve…”

  She silenced me with a look. “If you expect to do this job, you can’t indulge what-ifs.”

  I gobbled down the last of my muffin. “What can you tell me about Jade?”

  Her hand stilled in the bag of popcorn. “Where did you hear that name?”

  “Doran mentioned it. You were there…”

  She cringed with each movement, but this time, she managed to pull herself to a seated position. “We don’t talk about that.”

  “Why not? What happened?”

  “Doran never should have said her name.”

  The more she resisted, the more I wanted to know. “Saxon said he thought you were her in the museum, which suggests there’s an internal conflict in connection with her.”

  Tate reached for the glass of water and I intercepted it for her so she didn’t have to strain herself. It seemed that every muscle in her body was hurting. It was painful to watch her.

  “I don’t want to talk about Jade. If that’s the real reason you’re here, then you can go now.”

  “No, it isn’t. I came to check on you, I swear. I only thought of Jade now.”

  “If I were you, I would never mention that name again unless you want to find yourself back in the Rocky Mountains.”

  I drew my knees to my chest. “You think they’d boot me for asking questions?”

  “Maybe you haven’t noticed, Callie, but this isn’t really the kind of place for probing questions. We do as we’re told.”

  “You said something at the briefing before we left for the museum, about not always having a choice.”

  Her face hardened and I realized she knew exactly what I meant. “I don’t want to talk about that either.”

  I knew better than to push. “Fine. I’m sorry I raised such unpleasant memories.”

  “Do yourself a favor, Callie. Don’t ask questions about Jade again, especially not to Saxon.”

  “Why not to Saxon?”

  She gave me a pointed look. “Please stop.”

  I tossed a piece of popcorn into the air and caught it in my mouth. “My dad tried to stamp out my curious nature.”

  “Didn’t seem to work.”

  “Nope.” I scanned the room for glimpses of Tate when she wasn’t running headlong into danger. “How long have you lived here?”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You’re doing it again.”

  “Asking personal questions about you? I thought that was okay.”

  “I feel like you’re after information. Like this is an interrogation.” She gestured to her battered body. “Obviously I’m in a weakened state, but my brain works perfectly fine.”

  “I only want to get to know you. I keep learning things that I feel like I should know and it’s kind of embarrassing. I feel…” I trailed off as my gaze settled on a stuffed monkey on the windowsill. “Mr. Cuddles.”

  She turned to look
at the monkey. “No, Mr. Cuddles belongs to Liam. That’s Salty.”

  I laughed. “You named a monkey Salty?”

  “I was young with a limited vocabulary.”

  “And a deep love of salt.” I motioned to the popcorn.

  “Actually, I think I named him after the casino where you live.” She smiled. “How about that?”

  “When did you come to live here?” The thought of supernatural children running around Pandora’s Pride headquarters filled me with sadness. Kids didn’t belong in a place like this, no matter how beautiful the chandelier in the lobby was.

  She pressed her lips together. “Is this friends getting to know each other or Callie taking notes?”

  “Hard to separate the two.”

  Tate gripped the top of the sheet. “I get it. Really I do. It must be hard to hang out with us, knowing we have a long history with each other.”

  “Makes it hard to fit in.”

  “You do fit in, Callie. Honestly.”

  I broke eye contact as I felt a swell of emotions rising. “I wasn’t looking for a place to belong. I only came here because of my father.”

  “I know, and now that you’re here, you want to be a part of this. Of us.”

  I hugged my knees. “You seem like a tight-knit family and I feel like the stray cat that wandered in off the street.”

  “For what it’s worth, I love cats.”

  “Says the witch.”

  “Hey, it’s a stereotype for a reason.”

  “Why don’t you have a cat then?”

  “Abra does. Her name is Matilda. She fights with Lilith, so Abra tends to keep her in her room.”

  “Who’s Lilith?”

  “Natasha’s cat. She was a gift from Kingsley when they were still together. If you see the cats together, separate them before the claws come out.”

  “Somehow that seems appropriate.” I thought of the head of the Opulentia family. “Why did Natasha and Kingsley break up?”

  “Now that’s the kind of gossipy question I can get on board with.” Tate shifted to try and get comfortable. “No one really knows for sure, but it seems that Kingsley had trouble being faithful.”

  “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”