“I’m not sure exactly what you mean by that,” she finally said, turning to look at Jareth. He seemed the more open of the two.
He narrowed his eyes and then turned to face Draven. He didn’t say anything, but she had the feeling they were talking anyway. Draven made a disgusted sound, but he stalked away, leaving only the two of them.
“I apologize, but my brother does not have much patience when there is something that he wants,” he said.
“Oh.” She couldn’t think what else to say.
“I understand your reservations, but I think it has more to do with misconceptions than anything. I would prefer you choose this life with us, rather than being forced into it. I would take the time to ease your concerns.”
She felt a chill run up her spine. There it was. They planned on changing her either way. Jareth just wanted a willing victim.
“My brother and I are like you. One of our parents would have been a pack member in the Dragasani village. The other was human. We don’t even know if our parents are still alive. We were taken to an orphanage in Romania when we were infants. Our memories begin at that place, and they are not pleasant.
“Thankfully, an Ishak priest found us and he brought us here to live.” He moved his arms in a sweeping motion to indicate the castle.
“We were shown that they could shift to various animals, and they told us we would become the Shroud, as soon as they could figure out how to keep us alive beyond the changing. Draven was drawn in by the potential of becoming immortal and the powers that go with that. I merely remained with my brother.” He gave a shrug as though the end results were inconsequential.
Somehow, Jaisey found that to be even more disconcerting. Wanting power, she could understand, but going along with this way of life simply because his sibling chose it, was hard to comprehend. She’d thought Jareth might be the one to see reason, but clearly, that wouldn’t be the case. He had a clear loyalty to his brother that transcended right or wrong.
“The priest who found us thought he’d finally figured out the blood lore. He changed us in our sleep without our consent not long ago, using the last of the Shroud venom they had preserved over the years. He was wrong in his assumption, and we were dying.”
Jaisey didn’t miss the fact that he said they were dying.
He nodded at her and smiled. “The blood taken from your friend Seff was given to us the moment the Ishaks returned. It has served its purpose. We are fully within our power now. The blood from the valley was necessary for our survival.”
Jaisey’s mind was reeling. She watched Jareth with his hopeful smile and almost laughed. Did they really think she would choose this life with them? They were seriously unhinged, and that made them even more dangerous and put her in an even more precarious position.
She decided to shift tactics. “Are you able to go out in the sunlight? I mean, I know what the movies and books all say about vampires, but I’m curious how much of that’s real. I mean, you were eating a normal dinner before.”
He chuckled. “Yes, we can eat. In fact, we have the normal needs of men. Our needs just go beyond that with our need for blood. Our own blood is constantly dying, which is why we must replenish it, but we’re not the undead. As for the sun… yes, we can go out in it, but it does hurt. Our skin and eyes are ultra-sensitive to the sunlight. It wouldn’t kill us, however.”
She nodded. That was at least a little bit helpful. She might have a chance at escape when the sun rose. She eyed him speculatively, trying not to give anything away in her expressions.
“What about the other myths… garlic, no reflections, sleeping in coffins?” she asked.
Again, he chuckled. “All myths, my dear. We’re men Jaisey. Granted, we have some unusual powers, and we’re near immortals now, but we’re still men.”
“What kind of powers?” she asked, leaning forward a bit. She figured he might as well think she was really interested.
“We have speed and strength beyond normal human abilities. We can control the humans around us. We are able to read the thoughts of most humans and even the shifters. Though, for some reason, we are unable to read yours…” he trailed off.
“But I heard you in my mind,” she said. Jaisey felt a rush of relief that they weren’t able to read her thoughts. Of course, that made sense, because had they been able to, they would no doubt have dispensed with all the pleasantries and would have just gotten down to business.
“Placing thoughts in your mind is not the same thing. It’s the same thing your shifter was able to do. We could hear his thoughts, but nothing from you. We assume your power is just not strong enough to project more than emotions at this point. However, we were able to shield you from receiving thoughts from him so he couldn’t track you,” he replied. There was a hint of irritation in his voice.
“Oh. Will I be able to do those other things too?” she asked.
“Each individual is different, but mostly yes. You will be powerful and fast and will be able to speak with us telepathically. And you’ll be able to control the humans around you.”
“You kill when you take blood,” she said. She’d meant to pose it a question, but it came out an accusation.
“Jaisey… we have no choice but to drink blood to replace what is dying within us.”
“But you have to have pack blood too, right?” she asked.
“Once every few months we’ll need a true feeding from their blood, yes. We don’t require a large amount for a true feeding, so they could even donate it as your friend Seff did,” he explained.
She didn’t argue the fact that Seff hadn’t donated willingly.
“Why can’t you just do that with humans? Go to a blood bank or something,” she suggested.
“The amount of blood we need to ingest between true feedings is far more than a blood bank could keep up with. And beyond that, there’s a need in us to take the blood from a living being. It is…” he practically purred, “satisfying.”
She shuddered at the images that sprang to mind. The movies might not have gotten much right, but the killing was accurate and beyond disturbing, and clearly why they were so completely evil. He was sitting there talking so calmly about killing as if it were nothing.
“And I would have to drink blood as well,” she said, unable to keep the distaste from her voice.
“But you’ll never be required to kill if that’s what worries you. Draven and I will consume all that is needed to provide for you. We’ll tend to your needs easily enough. You’d be in our care.”
She shuddered. It didn’t matter who did the killing, people would die. “Will you give me time to consider?” she asked.
“She thinks to stall us brother,” Draven said from behind them. His tone was clear enough, he was ready to change her now.
Jaisey whipped her head around to face him. He was definitely upset with her request. She tried to think of something to appease him, but Jareth beat her to it.
“Jaisey, would you mind giving us a moment?” he asked. He rose and motioned to the balcony. She nearly smiled at him, grateful for the chance to see how far their balcony was from the ground.
She walked out the door, straight to the balcony railing, trying not to seem overly anxious to get there. She knew they were talking behind her, but couldn’t hear their voices, so she assumed they were communicating silently again.
The lamps burning around the balcony made it hard to see into the shadows of the night. But, as she glanced out over the edge, she could see she was still too high to jump. There were other balconies and overhangs that could be used to get to the ground level – if only she were some sort of a parkour expert. Frustration was wearing on her. She let her eyes travel around the canyon, trying to adjust to the darkness of the night. Storm clouds were covering the moon, lending an even more eerie feeling to the night, and making it harder to see beyond the confines of the building.
Was Quinn out there searching for her? Had he given up and gone back to the village? She had r
esolved that she was going to have to save herself, she just didn’t know how.
She did get a feel for where she was in the castle though, which unfortunately wasn’t going to help her once she was back in the twisting hallways. When she heard movement behind her, she turned quickly. Draven was walking toward her with a slight smile, the first emotion he’d shown. It scared her more than the disinterested or angry versions of the man.
“I apologize for being so abrupt with you Jaisey. I do want you to come to us willingly. It will make your transition that much easier,” he said.
She watched him close in on her. He seemed accepting now, but that didn’t make her feel less worried.
“Come, let’s continue our conversation,” he said, gesturing to the study.
She moved away from the railing and he led her in, placing his hand at the small of her back. A shiver of revulsion ran through her. His touch brought back the feeling of evil that had become like background noise. It was still there… the oppressing malice and evil. There was nothing good in these men, civilized or not. There was no way she could spend an eternity letting either of these men touch her. Again, the hum started trying to deafen her, and she fought back yet another blur to her vision.
She lowered herself back onto the couch, and again Jareth sat next to her, smiling reassuringly at her.
“We do not wish to bring you over unwillingly,” he said simply. “So, we’ll give you until sunrise to make your choice.”
They weren’t stupid. They must have figured she’d make a break for it as soon as they let her out of their sight. Well, now she didn’t have much time to figure something out. She leaned back into the couch, closing her eyes, wondering what to do next.
She wasn’t sure how long she stayed that way, but she could tell they were growing more and more impatient. With a sigh, she returned her gaze to Jareth. He was watching her closely.
“Why do you hesitate when you were born to become as we are?” He seemed genuinely confused at her reluctance.
She knew it was going to upset her hosts, but she was done being civil for the sake of prolonging what seemed to be inevitable. “I haven’t had a lot of time to figure things out, but what I do know is that I would never be able to condone murder.”
“You are aware that we cannot help our nature. We didn’t choose this life, but we will do what’s necessary for our own survival,” Jareth defended.
“There will always be predator and prey in nature. We are merely a stronger predator than most,” Draven said evenly, voice once again devoid of true emotion.
Jaisey met his eyes squarely. She wanted to point out that she’d never felt actual evil from any other predator she’d come across, but the look on his face made her reconsider. He was right that they were predators and she felt like their prey.
She turned her gaze to the fire burning in the fireplace before he could see the fear in her expression. Panic hit hard. She didn’t want to be changed into a Shroud or whatever they wanted to call it. She didn’t want to drink blood. She just wanted to be back in the safety of Quinn’s arms, surrounded by her new family in the village.
Jareth leaned closer to her and said, “You should know that Draven has exceptional focus. When there’s something he wants, he does not stop until it’s his. And you, my dear, are now at the top of his list. When he crossed paths with you in the forest, he realized the one thing missing from this whole life. We need mates. No amount of success in becoming Shroud will matter if we don’t have someone to share it with. And from what we have gathered, you are unique in this world and perfect for us. And finding that you have a twin of your own... well, it seems to be a perfect pairing, does it not? You for me, and Jasmyn for Draven?”
At that, Jaisey suddenly felt as though something had focused in on her. Some other force. Her breath quickened and she realized it wasn’t either of the brothers. There was another presence in the castle. This one wasn’t full of menace or evil... it was just heavy – powerful. When she saw Jareth’s eyes widen, she looked to Draven. Across the room, he was near shaking with fear.
What was...
Before she could finish the thought, a new voice spoke.
Neither of you will ever be worthy.
She could tell the brothers had heard the same voice, though it was only in her head. And then she had the strongest impression the new presence had claimed Jasmyn. But then, the room suddenly felt lighter; as though the presence had just dissipated.
Two heartbeats later, Draven yelled, “NO! They come, brother. I don’t know how they managed, but they’re within our walls. She must be changed. Now!”
That was it. She ran for the door. Draven was there before she’d taken a handful of steps. She froze, then started pacing backward. The overwhelming feeling of menace was back and stronger than before. She couldn’t breathe. Her backward pace was halted when she ran into Jareth’s chest. Before she could pull away, both of his arms had encircled her chest like an iron vice, with one hand reaching up to lightly wrap around her throat.
Draven began stalking toward them slowly, his eyes locked on hers. She couldn’t look away from the dark gaze. Her heart was pounding so loudly, she was sure her heart would burst from her chest at any moment.
“You. Are. Mine,” Jareth said in her ear. His voice had gone as cold as Draven’s.
Her vision began to blur, and a black cloud seemed to be enveloping her. The humming was back again and louder than before.
Behind Draven, the door flew open, wood splintering as it was ripped from its hinges. He barely had time to turn and face his attacker, even with his speed. Quinn had him on the ground in seconds.
“You dare try to take what is mine?” Quinn roared at the man beneath him. Draven moved in a blur and Quinn was thrown from him.
The two men circled around the other, each trying to find a point of weakness. In another blur of motion, Jaisey watched as the couch was flung across the room, shattering against the stone wall.
When she was able to focus on them again, she noticed a red gash on Quinn’s cheek. A heart-wrenching fear settled on her. She wouldn’t be able to bear it if the Shroud managed to kill Quinn. She couldn’t breathe. She could feel Jareth slowly backing them toward the balcony.
She watched as the men collided again, and she could hear their grunts and even growling as they fought. And then once again, Quinn managed to get Draven down onto the floor on his back. Draven’s hands were reaching up in defense, but Quinn was faster. He reached down and snapped Draven’s neck. The hand around Jaisey’s throat tightened, causing her to choke.
“You’ll pay for that, shifter.” Jareth was seething. She could feel the anger and tension in his body.
Quinn whipped his head around to see Jaisey in the arms of the Shroud, the fury apparent in his eyes.
Several others came barreling into the room then and stopped, seeing Jaisey restrained by the Shroud.
Jaisey’s heart began to pound even more fiercely. Jareth would try to hurt Quinn one way or another. Pulling her along, he resumed easing back toward the balcony.
The hum in her ears was smothering the snarling coming from the men in the room. Her vision blurred and streaks of gold appeared, pulsating in front of her. Then the memory caught up with her. Quinn had told her the valley power was like a hum in the background. Was that what she was hearing? Was she seeing auras? She hadn’t shifted yet, so shouldn’t be feeling the power of the valley, but what else could it be?
Behind her, Jareth spoke again, “You have taken something precious from me shifter. I can do no other than return the same.”
She watched as the men facing her moved toward her, seemingly in slow motion. She felt Jareth’s lips press to her neck and his teeth grazed her skin. He was going to bite her. The incessant hum became louder and acting purely on instinct, she focused on the hum and reached for it. A flash of white light blinded her for a moment and her world tilted, making her feel as though she were falling, though her feet were solid beneath
her.
She watched as Quinn’s eyes widened and he rushed forward, passing her. It was then that she realized what had happened.
She had shifted.
She whirled around to see Quinn racing onto the balcony, reaching to catch Jareth as he jumped over the railing, but he was too fast. Jareth was gone.
Before she could process what had happened, her senses overloaded. There were smells, colors, sounds, and even vibrations in the air she couldn’t decipher. It threatened to overwhelm her, but then Quinn turned, and his eyes locked on hers. Everything cleared in that moment. The shield in her mind that had blocked Quinn was gone, she could feel Quinn there.
Jaisey. His voice flooded her senses in an intimate caress.
Quinn. She responded, praying he’d hear her this time.
His expression of relief clearly showed that he had heard her. She’d only needed to shift for him to be able to read her thoughts.
“Jaisey,” Quinn said, smiling, working his way toward her. “Shift back. Just find the power again and think about being back on two legs.”
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to help her concentrate and was nearly knocked from her feet. The scent rolling off of Quinn was the most unbelievable thing she’d ever experienced. Her heart began to pound fiercely, and she lost her train of thought.
The feelings of love she’d previously had for Quinn were completely overshadowed by the feeling she had for him now. She felt him everywhere; her heart, her mind, her soul. He belonged to her.
Forever.
Closing her eyes, she took another deep breath, clearing her mind and she focused on the hum. She imagined herself on her feet, and that fast, she was.
“Quinn,” she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion.
He grabbed her and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her, before she could say anything else. A rush of emotion flowed through her and tears began to flow as she realized the danger had passed. He tightened his embrace and held her as she sobbed into his chest. She couldn’t let him go.
Shift (Castlerock Shifters Book 1) Page 29