Anomaly

by K. A. Tucker

  Max’s nose jabbed into my shoulder. Try something for me. Go tell Veronique to stop feeding.

  I felt my face scrunch up as I looked over at the petite French woman, now sitting back against the wall with her eyes closed, a bag hanging from her mouth.

  Just do it.

  With the commotion, I forgot that I’d been able to talk to him telepathically before. I was desperate to do it again. Why? I asked inside my head, hoping my conscious effort to converse with him was enough to relay the words. I didn’t seem to be tied to all of his thoughts and I hoped he wasn’t privy to all of mine.

  I have a theory.

  With a smile—we could finally communicate telepathically!—I closed the distance. Veronique’s hideous red eyes narrowed suspiciously as she assessed me.

  “Veronique,” I fought the urge to look away. “You need to stop feeding. You’ve had enough. Your needs are satisfied for now.”

  I expected her to cackle wickedly. I expected her to snarl, perhaps spit. But she regarded me for a moment, and then her hand dropped, taking the bag with it. Slowly, her eyes returned to their normal beautiful olive green.

  What the … “Max?” I asked slowly, unable to peel my eyes from her face. Though I didn’t know Veronique well, the strange connection we’d lived through for a time, thanks to the pendant and the curse, had bonded us.

  He sauntered over to stand beside me. I think you just compelled a vampire.

  “But … but …” That was impossible. Vampires could not be compelled by anyone but the original vampire. Mage could compel vampires. But I was not the original vampire. “Evangeline?” Veronique’s delicate French accent was such a contradiction to the ravenous side we’d just seen. “Where is Mortimer?”

  “In New York City. He’ll be back soon.”

  She nodded. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

  “I’m just … I …” I leaned back on my heels, stumped. “How do you feel?”

  Her mouth puckered. “Satisfied?”

  Max’s loud snort filled the cave and I couldn’t help but giggle.

  I could compel vampires. How on earth had this happened?

  I was still giggling to myself when Caden stormed in.

  “Evangeline!” I didn’t have a beating heart anymore and yet something skipped inside me with the sound of his voice. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

  “Nothing’s wrong!” I threw my arms around his neck, inhaling his delicious scent. It was slightly off. Pulling back, I quickly saw why. “Except you’re covered in blood.”

  He grimaced. “Yeah, I know. What happened here? Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. How bad is it out there?”

  Though I’d been too excited to notice it immediately, I could sense his worry. “Not sure yet. I saw that you called. Five times.” He took in the room, his eyes skimming over Cecile and Brian, lingering on Veronique and Julian for a long moment, before settling on the turned-over fridge. “What happened?” he pressed.

  “They were going through the supply really fast and we were going to run out so Max and I went out to—”

  “You went out?” Jade eyes sparked with anger. “You promised me you’d stay here!”

  “Well, I had no other choice!” I snapped, indignation suddenly flaring. “Besides, I’m fine around humans. I didn’t lose control,” I assured him. Not in the way we he had feared, anyway.

  “And what if you’d gotten hurt?”

  My head fell back with my groan. I was used to Caden worrying about my safety when I was a human. But I wasn’t human anymore and he needed to stop treating me like a piece of glass. “Would you just listen?” I didn’t want this to turn into a fight. “We had to get blood so we went to a hospital about thirty miles west of here. I stole an entire truck of it. It’s about two miles back that way. I drove it off a cliff.” Caden’s brow arched but I rushed on before he could interrupt. “We got back just in time because they were already fighting over the last bags like barbarians. They’d either still be bashing each other’s heads in or we’d be chasing them through the town by now. I’m fine, Max is fine, and there’s more supply that we need to bring in.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my shattered phone. “This was a casualty.”

  Caden exhaled, tossing his black knapsack into the corner. “Maybe you do have things under control.”

  “Maybe,” I teased, earning a grin as he reached out and pulled me to him.

  Turning to Julian, he said, “Good to see you civil again.” Julian closed the distance, clasping hands with Caden. There was a time when Caden wanted to kill Julian. Once he understood that Julian and I had never been anything more than just friends, he’d become much more amiable.

  “Where’s your sister?” Chocolate-brown eyes wandered past Caden to the tunnel. “Did she come with you?”

  Caden paused and, though his expression never changed, I felt the tension rippling through his body. “No, she didn’t. She’s still back in New York.” His forehead wrinkled. “You seem to have a handle on things. Quick too. We were expecting you to be more like …,” Caden jutted his head in Brian’s direction, “for the next couple of days.”

  “Yeah,” Julian scratched the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face. “I don’t know how I managed but thank God I’m over that.”

  “I think I know.” Four sets of eyes turned to me. Was Caden going to think this was absolutely insane? Probably. I opened my mouth to explain when Max cut me off.

  Don’t say anything. Not within earshot of Julian and Veronique.

  I frowned at my protector. Why not?

  Because, what if you’re like Mage? You won’t be able to compel Julian anymore.

  Huh. He had a point. Mage had told us that her powers to compel were negated once the vampire knew what she could do. If I was the same as Mage, then I didn’t want to blow this neat trick of mine by announcing it to everyone.

  “What’s going on, Evie?” Caden’s gaze passed between Max and me. I couldn’t lie. Not anymore. I’d spent weeks lying to him about Julian—about my relationship with him, about Julian being a Sentinel spy—and I promised myself I would never do it again.

  Still, Max was right. I leaned in, reveling in the strength of his body pressed against mine as I whispered, “Later, okay?” Pulling away, I followed that more loudly with, “I can talk to Max inside my head now.”

  Caden dipped his head covertly and then smirked. “Finally.” He turned to the big beast. “You must be thrilled, Max.”

  That remains to be seen, Max muttered, earning my eye roll.

  The sound of approaching footsteps turned our attention to the end of the tunnel. Kiril’s men stormed in, arms laden with cartons from the truck.

  “Is there more?”

  A grunt answered him. The wolves had never been much for talking to any of us. From what Sofie had told me, they hated vampires. It was only thanks to a favor owed to her that they continued to help us.

  “Great. We’ll grab it.” Caden swiftly led me out of the mine by the hand. “Which direction?”

  “I’m coming,” Julian called out, echoed by Veronique seconds later.

  “No,” I threw out quickly, turning to meet their gazes. “I need to talk to Caden alone.”

  We stepped out into the fresh, cool night. “The truck’s that way.” I pointed north.

  Caden took off, glancing over his shoulder once with a teasing smile. I took the bait, running after him, never able to catch up but thrilled to see his strong, lean frame move swiftly through the thicket, dodging trees and branches, practically gliding over the deep snow banks.

  I managed to only take one small tree down.

  By the time I made it to the truck, he was in the driver’s side, inspecting the smear of blood on the now-deflated air bags.

  “See? Perfect again.” I wriggled my nose for effect.

  A glimmer of movement, and then he was standing in front of me, head bowed to lay a soft peck on my nose. When I was human, Caden alw
ays surprised me, sending shivers through my body when he would suddenly appear, his movements too quick for my mortal eyes. It would be so much more difficult for him to catch me off guard, but it wasn’t any less thrilling.

  “Yes, it is.” He pulled me against his body as his mouth found mine.

  “Won’t it be nice when we don’t have to run anymore? We can just do this for hours,” I whispered between kisses.

  “Days,” he corrected as his tongue slid against my bottom lip.

  “Years.” I deepened the kiss, my fingers winding through his thick hair.

  And that’s when his phone rang. Caden broke off with a groan and, sliding the phone out of his pocket, he answered. It was Lilly’s voice on the other end, but her words were clipped and low.

  “Where are you?” Caden asked. A moment later, “Have you found her?” His frown told me that whoever “she” was, was still missing, a prospect that instantly wrenched my nerves. “I’m on my way. I’ll meet you at the rendezvous point. I’m going to leave my phone here, for Evie. Hers is gone. Keep trying, Lilly.”

  “Who’s missing?” I asked as Caden tucked his phone into my coat pocket.

  His arms around me, his mouth pressed against my forehead, he whispered, “Amelie.”

  Alarm sparked. I pulled away to look at him. “What do you mean! Where is she?”

  “I don’t know. She went after some fledglings one minute and the next … gone. Probably got caught up in the chase. I’m hoping that’s all it is.” He bowed his head, his eyes squeezing shut for a long moment. Caden and Amelie were closer than any siblings I’d ever met, each willing to sacrifice everything for the other.

  “And …” Serious eyes opened to settle on me. “Galen’s dead.”

  My mouth hung open. “Dead? But … how? The fledglings?”

  Caden nodded.

  “But I thought they were easy to kill. Sitting ducks! Baby chicks!” I threw out the analogies I’d heard in the past. If the fledglings could kill someone as battle-hardened as Galen, then …

  A lump formed in my throat. “Let me come with you. I can help find her.”

  Caden’s head was shaking before I even finished. “No. I can’t be worrying about you out there. You’re safe here, with Julian and the others.”

  My hands flew to my mouth with a gasp. “Oh my God, Julian!” What would happen when he found out?

  “Do not tell him.” Caden’s hands cupped my cheeks as he leveled me with a stern stare. “I mean it, Evie. Don’t say a word. He will go nuts.”

  “Okay.” I hoped Julian didn’t bring her up again. I was a terrible liar. Leo, Viggo’s old butler, used to say I was allergic to holding a secret. I guess I didn’t have a choice. Caden was right. “But you’re going to find her, right?” Another thought hit me. “What about Lilly and the missiles? What if—”

  “We’ll find her before sunrise. We will.” His jaw tightened.

  “We have to,” I urged.

  Caden closed his eyes and nodded. “Don’t worry.”

  That’s all I was going to do between now and sunrise, though. Worry.

  Leaning against the side of the truck, Caden crossed his arms over his chest. His very stance had heat coursing through my body. “What’s this big thing you couldn’t tell me earlier?”

  I paused. No secrets between us. That was the deal. What was he going to say about this? Would it bother him? Would he not trust me? I hoped not but our kind was such an untrusting bunch. “I can compel vampires.” Caden’s lips remained pressed together as I told him about Max’s suspicions.

  “That’s impossible, Eve. Max is just screwing with you.”

  “I don’t think so, Caden. It was really strange. They went from raging maniacs one second to calm and composed in the next. You saw Veronique and Julian back there. They weren’t like that ten minutes before you arrived. Is it normal for a fledgling to just switch off like that?”

  He began to pace, his hands resting on top of his head, his shirt inching up to reveal that ridge above his belt line that I loved so much. It reminded me of the waterfalls in Ratheus, of the rundown shack in the woods behind the Chateau, and of our short time earlier today. We’d spent so much of our time running scared. I was desperate to stop running. To stop being scared. To just enjoy being with Caden.

  “Believe me, I know it sounds crazy. But you’ve already said that I’m different. What if I can do things that are different?”

  “If this is true … You’re completely in control of yourself. It’s like you haven’t transformed. Only you have! We all witnessed it. And now you think you can compel our kind into thinking they don’t want to feed?” He drew one side of his cheek in as he bit the inside of it. Caden had always been the practical if not slightly pessimistic one. I couldn’t blame him, after all he’d been through. “If this is true, then I don’t know what the hell the Fates are up to. It sounds like they’re helping us. And they have never truly helped us.” He yanked a case of blood from the truck. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me back toward the mine. “I need to see this to believe it.”

  *

  “Hungry?” Caden nudged the container by Celine’s feet, earning a snarl. With a smile—I think that was the response he was looking for—Caden sent it sprawling across the uneven ground. Bags scattered everywhere.

  Celine lunged, her long fingernails raking four gouges in his cheek. Without thought, I ran for her, intent on sending her body into the wall.

  “Evie!” Strong arms grabbed me and Caden’s soft chuckle tickled my ear. “I’m fine.” A look his way confirmed that his face was back to its perfect state. Letting go, he nodded toward Celine, his eyes widening with expectation. I approached the fledgling as she scrambled to collect the bags. She eyed me suspiciously, her lip furled. I truly hoped this would work. If I could compel her to be less feral, I think everyone would be happy. “Celine, you’ve had enough for today. Go put it all back in the refrigerator.”

  Her hands stilled, her fingers twitching slightly as if she wasn’t sure what exactly she should do. I waited.

  And then she stood and very quietly carried the cooler to the upturned refrigerator. Caden and I watched as she yanked open the door and slid the box in. When she faced us again, her eyes were back to their pretty cornflower blue. “Who are you?” she asked in a soft voice, her southern twang lulling.

  I smiled. It had worked. “I’m Evangeline,” I said. “That’s Caden. Over there is Julian and Veronique.” I didn’t introduce Brian, though Celine turned to eye him. I caught the recognition, followed by repulsion, and then embarrassment flicker across her face. She had likely picked through the haze in her head to her own memories of snarling at Caden only moments ago.

  There was a pause, and then, “Where’s Galen?”

  My mouth opened but nothing came out.

  How could that question have caught me off guard? Of course she’d want to know. Julian had asked right away; Veronique as well. Aside from the irrepressible craving, a loved one would be the first thing on the mind of a vampire. Always. I shouldn’t be surprised. Caden was the first thing on my mind when I came around. “He had to go deal with issues in New York City, but he insisted that you stay here, where it’s safe,” Caden lied, warning me with a severe glare, though he didn’t need to. I wasn’t in a rush to crush her soul.

  I plastered a smile on my face, though it couldn’t possibly look sincere. Try as I might, I couldn’t keep my eyes from grazing Julian’s. I hoped he couldn’t read the anxious look in them. What would Julian do if he found out about Amelie? What if they couldn’t find her?

  Nodding slowly, Cecile continued her assessment of the tunnel. She finally smiled, her face brightening until it appeared almost angelic. “It worked,” she stated. “It really worked!”

  A sick feeling stirred in my belly, knowing that her smile would soon vanish forever. She’d likely throw herself into a fire.

  A hand slid along the small of my back. “It certainly did,” Caden said with an awestruck g
aze. Leaning in, his lips tickled my earlobe as he whispered, “Amazing. You going to do the other one too?”

  “He seems adequately entertained for now. Less trouble.” Brian hadn’t moved from his corner, though he didn’t seem to be in such a frenzy anymore, the pile of empty plastic next to him growing at a slower rate.

  Caden’s soft chuckle warmed my heart but it faded too fast. “I need to go.” My fingers latched on to his biceps, the muscles beneath tensing in response. “And you need to stay.” He kissed me briefly and then pulled away. “You’re not just a babysitter, Evangeline. Believe me. Stay with them. Keep them safe.” He pointed to the knapsack lying on the ground. “And stay the hell way from that.”

  “Why? What is—”

  “Merth.”

  I glared at the bag with a new level of disgust. It had proven useful to me time and time again as a human, but I was now on the other side of the fence with the silvery plant and I would feel its wrath like a thousand razor blades cutting into my skin.

  “Exactly. We won’t need it for the time being anyway.”

  I pulled Caden into me, desperate for another second of contact, dread gnawing at me. “How long will you be gone?”

  His sculpted jaw tightened. “We’ll be back by sunrise.”

  Still hours away. “Call me with updates,” I demanded. “Every hour.” With one last kiss, Caden vanished.

  I stared after him for a long moment, my mood crashing as I gripped the phone he’d left me. It was my only lifeline to him now. “I’m going to lose my mind waiting for them.”

  Approaching footsteps and an arm wrapping around my shoulders reminded me that I wasn’t alone. “The mountains of Siberia didn’t seem so bad next to this, did they?” I turned to catch Julian’s feeble attempt at a smile.

  *

  “Amelie brought me here earlier today.” Julian’s rich brown eyes looked out over the blanket of stars, their brilliant twinkle like diamonds in the sky.

  “Of course she did,” I snorted, my feet balanced precariously atop the rocky precipice, thinking how very much “Amelie” this treacherous mountain peak was. Lose my balance and I could be sailing off a two hundred foot cliff in seconds.