Hearts At Stake

chapter 3

Solange

“You’re . . . m-mortal,” I finally stammered. I knew Lucy liked to think all vampires had this suave quality, but I so didn’t, and not just because I wasn’t technically a vampire yet. She was the one with the beaded velvet scarves, and I was the one with the pottery clay dried on my pants. Plus, I was totally gaping at him. He was a hunter, and he worked for an organization devoted to wiping us out. The sun tattoo was proof enough of that, underscored by his expression: righteous anger.

Great.

“I don’t get it,” Lucy whispered to me. “Who is he?”

“Not one of us,” I whispered back, my gaze never leaving his. I didn’t know what I was reading there, but it was complicated, whatever it was. I’d heard of the cologne some hunters wore; it mimicked vampire pheromones, to take a potential enemy off guard. We’d believed it completely out in the garden, until he’d had to fight my mother, who would have killed him if my dad hadn’t been so adamant about having someone to question.

Nicholas half stepped in front of us, annoyingly overprotective as always. He didn’t like surprises and unanswered questions and we’d just had our fill of both. I’d been trained just like they had, but none of my brothers could get it in their thick heads that I wasn’t delicate or defenseless.

The Helios-Ra agent was wearing black nose plugs, which just proved he knew more about us than we knew about him. I reached over and yanked them out.

“What are you doing here?” I could tell he was trying to hold his breath. I could’ve told him that strategy never worked for long. He glared at me mutinously.

“Tracking,” he finally answered on a sharp exhale.

“Let me guess,” I said, disgusted. “Because I’m just so beautiful and you don’t know why but you just have to be with me?” I was really starting to hate this whole pheromone thing.

He blinked, nearly smiled. “Not exactly.”

I blinked back. “Oh.” Damn it, he was even more attractive when he didn’t seem particularly affected by my questionable charms. “Well, who are you then?”

“Helios-Ra,” he answered, his tone clipped.

“Yeah, we got that.”

“Your name?” Dad scowled.

“Kieran Black.”

“Since when has Helios-Ra been on our trail? Last time I checked, we had a treaty. We don’t eat humans, so you don’t bother us and we don’t bother you.”

My mom snorted. She hated the treaty. She preferred fighting, being much more skilled with weapons than tact, but my dad was all about practicality and the long view. He’d made the treaty before my oldest brother was born, determined to give his children a chance. He didn’t want us being harassed and followed about by the league just because we’re vampires. After all, vampires aren’t all good or all bad, any more than humans are. But try telling that to the Helios-Ra. They only recently admitted that being a vampire wasn’t a good enough reason to be killed on sight. Still, old traditions die hard with them, almost as hard as with us.

But our family, at least, has a good reputation. We mostly drink animal blood, only resorting to human blood if it’s consensual or if we’re ill and can’t heal without it. If that fails, a quick break- in at the blood bank works well enough. We’ve never gone feral; the disease has been in our bloodline too many centuries for that, and every generation is born stronger than the last. It’s not easy dying, even if you know you’re going to wake up afterward. And it’s even harder controlling the blood thirst. Still, hardly any of us go mad anymore during the turning. I had to remind myself of that little fact every time I looked at the calendar to see my birthday edging closer and closer. Lucy nudged me.

“You’re looking morose,” she said under her breath. “You’re thinking about it again.”

I turned my attention back to the matter at hand. I couldn’t afford to get sidetracked with self-pity—or by the fact that this particular Helios-Ra agent was really good-looking, with his dark eyes and strong cheekbones.

“Things change,” he said. “You should know. You broke the treaty.”

Mom’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

“I beg your pardon?” she said, soft as a mouse near a sleeping cat.

Uh-oh. Mom was big on that whole honor thing.

“Big mistake,” Lucy said pleasantly. She was a lot more bloodthirsty than I was, ironically enough. She would have made a better vampire than me. I shot her a look.

“What?” she asked innocently. “He was after you, he deserves it.”

Nicholas barely turned his head. “Do you two mind?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she muttered.

Mom stepped up close enough that Kieran was sweating a little and breathing as shallowly as he could. Our pheromones when we were distracting mortals to drink was nothing compared with the pheromones when we were angry. His entire body was probably flooding with adrenaline, trying to decide between fight or flight. I couldn’t sense it yet, but soon enough I’d be able to taste it on my tongue like champagne bubbles. It wasn’t a particularly comforting thought.

“Are you accusing us of breaking an oath?” Mom’s voice was like broken glass—glittery and dangerous. Beside her, Sebastian bared his teeth. His fangs were retracted, but still, there was something too sharp about his teeth. He barely spoke, even to us, and his silence was terrifying to those who didn’t know him.

“It’s common knowledge.”

“Is it?”

“Drakes,” he spat. “I know better than to trust any of you.”

Byron, one of the dogs, growled. Quinn smiled.

“Let me talk to him,” he suggested. There was always something slightly violent about his smiles. Dad held up his hand. Quinn subsided, but barely.

“We haven’t broken the treaty,” Dad said quietly.

“Helios-Ra says you have.”

“Then Helios-Ra is misinformed. And I won’t have your organization endangering my daughter.”

He glanced at me, glanced away.

“If you keep me here, you really will be breaking the treaty.” He was breathing through his mouth, as if that would help.

“Actually, since you broke the treaty by coming here in the first place”—Dad’s voice was silky—“we really needn’t concern ourselves with those rules.” Mom actually smirked.

“I . . .”

“How old are you?” Dad asked.

“Eighteen.”

Dad shook his head, dismayed. “They’re training them younger and younger.”

“They need to be able to infiltrate the high schools and colleges to spy on us,” Connor pointed out.

“I’m only doing my job. Keeping people safe from monsters like you.”

“People like you are the reason my aunt Ruby won’t leave her house anymore,” I snapped. She’d lost her husband and three sons to hunters and had never really recovered from the loss.

His face went hard. “Monsters like you are the reason my father’s dead.”

“Oh and we’ve never lost family members to hunters or Helios?” I shot back even though I felt bad that he’d lost his father.

“And they’re not monsters, you bigot,” Lucy broke in, incensed. She leaped to her feet. “It’s a disease, you ignorant prig. Are people with diabetes or arthritis monsters too?” If secrecy wasn’t so important, she would have used her theory in her personal crusade to make the world accept us.

“It’s not the same.”

“It is so.”

“My dad’s throat was ripped out.”

There was silence. Then Dad frowned. “Only the Hel-Blar rip out throats, son.”

“A vampire’s a vampire,” Kieran insisted stubbornly. Lucy went red in the face.

“Why are you really here?” Dad pressed before she could explode.

“Because of the bounty,” he answered tightly.

Mom went unnaturally still. Her eyes caught the light and reflected it. “What bounty?”

“The bounty on the Drake family.”

Someone snarled. The air was so charged I was vaguely surprised it didn’t spark and catch fire. Dad stalked toward the phone on the desk. He barked orders into the receiver, not even bothering with a greeting. “Double the patrols. Get word to everyone. Yes, even her. And the council.” He switched to the cell phone in his pocket, dialing grimly. His voice muted to a soft murmur I couldn’t entirely make out. My hearing wasn’t sharp enough. Yet.

“What the hell’s the bounty for?” Sebastian demanded.

“I don’t know.”

Quinn sauntered over, leaned in close. “You’ll tell us.”

Kieran paled slightly, trying to break eye contact. Quinn’s hand closed over his throat. Kieran seemed a little dazed when he finally answered.

“It was posted tonight.” He shuddered. Sweat beaded on his upper lip.

“Is this about Solange?”

“I don’t know.” He choked, tried to swallow. “I don’t know,” he repeated. “I heard there was a bounty, and I wanted in.” Something in his voice made me think it was less about the bounty and more about the chance to stick it to our family specifically.

Quinn eased back, letting his hand drop to his side. “Some agency, attacking a fifteen-year- old girl.” He spat. “Cowards.”

Kieran took several deep ragged breaths. “We protect the innocent.”

“This isn’t a comic book, idiot,” Lucy muttered crossly.

“If you’re going to kill me too, get it over with.”

“We don’t drink from people like you,” Nicholas sneered, making it sound as insulting as he could.

“Do you drink from her?” Kieran nodded at Lucy. “Have you made her your slave?”

“Who, Lucy?” Nicholas snickered.

“Hey!” Lucy snapped. “Shut up.”

I wasn’t entirely sure which one she was talking to.

“This isn’t getting us anywhere,” Duncan said quietly. Like Sebastian, he rarely lost his temper or his focus. “Let’s not get sidetracked.” He tied a black bandana over Kieran’s mouth, knotting it securely. Dad nodded approvingly before pointing toward the kitchen.

“Kitchen. Now.”

Our kitchen looked like any farm kitchen: a huge wooden table, ladderback chairs, painted cupboards, and a kettle on the stove. There was a basket on the counter full of red apples and pomegranates and even food in the fridge, mostly for me and for Lucy when she stayed over. In fact, she was already pouring herself a glass of cranberry juice. The blood was kept in an old wine cellar, hidden in the wall and locked with three deadbolts and an alarm system. That was a fairly new precaution, ever since one of Logan’s ex-girlfriend’s brothers had barged in after Logan had broken up with his sister. The guards hadn’t stopped him; it would have seemed suspicious to have them swarm out just because someone came to the front door uninvited. The dogs had stopped him though, even before Mom had. He hadn’t made it past the front hall. It was only luck that he hadn’t seen into the kitchen, with the jug of blood on the counter. Needless to say, we were strongly encouraged not to date humans after that.

Now Quinn paced beside that same counter; Nicholas leaned against the wall, arms crossed. The rest of my brothers sat, though their muscles were tensed for sudden movement. I watched the dark fields on the other side of the glass with suspicion. Dad’s phone rang again. Mom glanced at Lucy.

“We should call your parents.”

“Can’t.” She set her glass down. “They’re at the ashram for two weeks, remember?” The sun was edging up over the horizon. “And they always leave early to watch the sun rise over the lake.”

She sighed. “Of course. You’ll stay here then.”

“I will? But no one’s after me.”

“You’re part of this family, young lady, and your mother would never forgive me if I left you unprotected, especially now,” Mom told Lucy sternly.

“Yes, ma’am.” My mother was the only person on the planet who was able to get that meek tone out of Lucy. No one else would have even known it existed. I dropped into the chair next to her and stole a sip of her juice. I tried not to imagine what it would be like to drink blood instead. My stomach tilted.

“This is unacceptable,” Aunt Hyacinth fumed. “The Drake family has a good and honorable name. They’ve no right to do this. We’re on the council.”

“Let’s go straight to the Helios-Ra headquarters,” Quinn added, his expression hard. “I can clear this up.”

“As if your temper has ever helped us.” Logan snorted.

“Careful, little brother.”

They were all talking over each other until my mother cleared her throat.

“Boys.”

Silence fell, reluctantly but quickly. Dad switched off his phone. There were lines around his mouth I’d never seen before. “The boy was right. Bounty’s been set.”

Mom cursed. “Why?” she asked.

“That may take a while to figure out. There’ve been a few disappearances, rumors that don’t make sense. I’ve got people on it.” He leaned down on the counter, his fists clenched. “I’ve put a call in to Hart and to Lady Natasha.”

“Natasha?” Aunt Hyacinth frowned. “Is that wise? She exiled us all.”

“I know.” Hart was the head of the Helios-Ra and not a fan of Lady Natasha. “Until we know more, no one leaves this property alone. Solange, you don’t leave at all.”

“Why am I the only one under house arrest? That’s so unfair.”

“Solange, you know why.”

“I know how to take care of myself.” I gritted my teeth.

“Yes, you do. But you know as well as I do that you’re not at your full strength.”

“But I feel fine.” I was so tired of saying it over and over again. I already felt trapped, smothered. I’d chew off my own foot like an animal caught in a leg trap if they didn’t give me some space.

“Sol,” Nicholas said softly. “Please.”

I hissed out a frustrated breath. When I looked at my mom, I made sure my chin was up, my gaze steady. “I still get to go to my shed.” If they tried to keep me from the kiln and my pottery wheel, I’d be insane by my birthday. Mom must have seen my desperation.

“Agreed.”

I let out another breath. “Okay.”

Dad’s phone rang again. He listened quietly before motioning to Sebastian and Connor. “Your uncle Geoffrey is on his way. And your aunt Ruby’s arriving; go on and help her inside.” The fact that Ruby had been persuaded to leave her house for ours spoke volumes as to the seriousness of the situation. Dad touched Mom’s hand, his mouth tight. “We’ll figure this out,” he promised before sending us all up to our respective bedrooms.

“Are you okay?” Lucy asked me as we got ready for bed. She started by taking off the pounds of silver jewelry she always wore—proving that it’s only a myth that vampires can’t tolerate silver.

“I’m fine, it’s everyone else who’s losing it,” I muttered.

She snorted. “Big surprise. You’re the baby sister and you know how your brothers get.”

I rolled my eyes. “What’s it like being an only child?”

“How would I know? Your brothers harass me just as much as they harass you.”

“True.”

Lucy waited until we’d changed into our pajamas before speaking again. She wore a long black cotton nightgown that looked like a sundress, and I wore my favorite flannel pj bottoms and a T-shirt. Out of the two of us, she always looked like the one who should be turning into a vampire. I sighed.

“Sol,” she said. “I never saw Nicholas’s bloodchange, or Logan’s. I was banned from the house, remember?”

“I remember,” I said softly. I hadn’t been kicked out of the house, but I certainly hadn’t been welcomed on the third floor, where all my brothers slept. I’d heard the unnatural silence and seen my parents’ pale, worried faces as they took shifts sitting with Logan and then Nicholas the next year. With my other brothers I’d been too young to really know what was happening, and my parents had sent me off for slumber parties at Lucy’s. Her mother had fussed over me and fed me chocolate, which made Lucy cranky since she only ever got to eat carob. I hadn’t really understood it then.

I understood it now.

“So . . . what really happens?” Lucy pressed. “I know you get sick, but is it as bad as all that?”

It really was.

“No, it’s fine,” I lied as we climbed into our respective beds. “I mean, it’s not fun or anything, but you know the Drakes. We love a good overprotective melodrama.”

Yup, totally lying.

And I could tell Lucy wasn’t really buying it. She opened her mouth to ask me another question. A soft knock at the door interrupted her. She shot me a glare like I’d orchestrated it.

“Sol, it’s me,” Nicholas murmured from the other side of the door. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” I said as Lucy sat up suddenly and smoothed her hair. I blinked at her. Since when did she care what she looked like for any of my brothers? The door didn’t make a sound on its hinges as Nicholas slipped inside. He was wearing his black pants but no shirt, like he’d been interrupted changing. Clearly something was up. Just as clearly, Lucy was trying not to stare at his chest. He flicked her a glance, frowned.

“What?”

She jerked her eyes away. “Nothing.” She looked like she might be blushing. I was definitely going to bug her about that later. For now, it would have to wait.

“What’s up?” I asked him.

“Someone’s downstairs,” he said quietly. “He scratched at the window and Dad let him in after Mom threatened to eat his face.”

“Ew,” Lucy said.

“Vampire.”

“Lurking at the windows?” I slid out from under my blanket. “That’s not good.”

“They’re in the library.”

We looked at each other, then nodded and hurried out to the hall without another word. The library was one of the only rooms in the house where we could properly eavesdrop. We’d discovered, thanks to a tip from Quinn, that if you lie on the floor in the spare guest room next to mine and pressed your ear to the vent, you could pretty much hear everything that was going on.

We stretched out on the hardwood and wriggled into position. Nicholas was between us, hogging the best listening spot. His face was turned toward Lucy.

“I can’t hear—” He pressed his finger to her lips to stop her from saying anything else. My parents would hear us if we whispered right over the vent. There were definite disadvantages to having vampire parents: sneaking around was nearly impossible. At least, come my birthday, I wouldn’t be the only one clomping around the house deaf to all the intrigue. I’d hear as well as them.

“Is there a single reason why we shouldn’t stake you where you stand?” my mom asked pleasantly.

“I’m not here for the bounty,” a male voice assured her. It was low and rumbly, as if it came from a really big chest. I couldn’t help but imagine a wrestler down in the library. “I would hardly announce my presence, would I?”

“You didn’t exactly knock at the front door,” Dad said drily.

“There are humans in this house,” he said as if that was explanation enough. “I smell at least two, but not here in this room.” If we were really lucky, he wouldn’t smell Lucy and me over his head before we heard what else he had to say.

“I’ve come to offer my allegiance to your daughter.”

On second thought, I could have done without hearing that.

“Have you?” Mom didn’t sound convinced. Dad was probably overjoyed at the thought of negotiating another alliance. I kind of just wanted to go back to bed.

“You’re sworn to Lady Natasha,” Dad said softly. “You wear the mark of her house.”

“I’m sworn to the royal court, yes.” It was an important distinction. “But there are those of us who would rather oath to the House of Drake, and I am here representing them.”

Crap. That prophecy thing again. Why didn’t anyone believe me when I said I didn’t want to be a princess or a queen or whatever? I didn’t want to be the excuse for a civil war within the tribes. I shuddered.

“We’ll keep that in mind. We’d need proof of your loyalty, of course.”

“Of course. When the time comes, you’ll get your proof.” He sounded like he was bowing. “Until then.”

I heard the window shut and Mom and Dad moved out of the library. I sighed and closed my eyes. I’d felt fine all day but now I was exhausted, almost like I had the flu.

“I’m sorry I almost left you behind,” Nicholas whispered tightly to Lucy. “I really thought they’d follow us and you’d be safer at the party.

“What?” he asked when she didn’t immediately respond.

“You’ve never apologized to me before.”

“I said I was sorry the time I used your doll for target practice with the pellet gun.”

“Because your mom had you by the ear.”

“Well, whatever. Sorry.”

“Thanks,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome,” he whispered back.

I suddenly felt like a third wheel. Weird.

Nicholas scrambled to his feet. “We should go.”

“She’s asleep,” Lucy said. I wasn’t, but I didn’t have the energy to tell her that.

“I’ve got her,” Nicholas said grimly, picking me up and carrying me to my room.