Tainted Night, Tainted Blood

30



A handful of terrified Cultists were standing just inside the door to the Den. They jumped as I came in, eyes wide, and for a moment, I thought they were afraid of me. When they instead crowded around me, I knew something bad had happened.

Thomas.

I bolted for the off ice. One of the Cultists tried to reach out and clutch at me, but I shook him off. Whatever had happened, it had to be bad if the Purebloods were looking to me for comfort.

The office was empty. The hidden doorway was hanging open, which couldn’t be good. I could hear raised voices from down below, though I couldn’t quite make out who was talking. At least there wasn’t screaming. Yet.

I hit the stairs at a run. Even with my enhanced reflexes, I nearly tripped going down them. My legs just couldn’t keep up with the speed my brain wanted. I needed to get down there before something happened.

But what made me so sure it already hadn’t? Could Thomas have broken free? Could Nathan have killed him while Jonathan was distracted? Or was it something else? I had to know.

I leaped from the last stair and skidded to a stop when I saw the three men. Nathan and Jonathan both looked angry, though Jonathan seemed relieved I had arrived. They were both standing in front of Thomas’s cage, my brother thrashing against the bars, but they weren’t trying to keep him in.

They were trying to keep someone out.

“You kept this from me,” Adrian said, turning to face me. Normally, his face was always blank, his voice controlled, yet now he was near bubbling with rage. His teeth were exposed, sharp and pointed. His eyes were a feral yellow. He was on the verge of shifting.

I had my gun out and had it trained on Adrian’s forehead the moment I saw him. “Back the f*ck away,” I said. I glanced past him to make sure Thomas was okay. He was bleeding from his scalp, as well as his hands where he pounded them up against the wall. Otherwise, he looked unharmed.

“We were supposed to work together,” Adrian said. “You betrayed me.”

“We couldn’t trust you.” I made sure to include Jonathan and the Cult in my statement. I didn’t want him thinking I did this on my own or forced their hand. I kind of hoped this would be the moment where Jonathan finally told me to kill the bastard.

Adrian took a deep, shuddering breath. He glanced over his shoulder at the two wolves at his back, then turned back to me as if they were no longer a threat. “Your bullet won’t stop me,” he said.

“It will if I hit you in just the right spot.”

A smile curved his lips. “You could try.”

I almost did it right then and there, but Jonathan stepped forward, hand outstretched.

“No,” he said. “Not here. I will have no more bloodshed within my Den.”

Nathan’s fists clenched. It was obvious he wanted to kill Adrian as much as I did, if not more so.

From the far corner, a harsh, tortured laugh filled the room. Davin watched us, blood dribbling down his chin. He held an empty cup that had recently held blood. I ignored him.

“Adrian,” I said. “I won’t tell you again. Get away from him.”

“Your brother?” he said, his face going to his more normal neutral. “He reminds me of you in many ways. There are so many similarities, even with him afflicted as such. I should have known.”

I stepped forward, my aim never wavering. “Now.”

He bowed his head slightly and stepped to the side. His eyes were still blazing, but he was in much more control of himself. It was like I was a calming influence on him. I didn’t like that thought at all.

“Keep going.” I stepped around him, making sure not to get too close. I didn’t need him reaching out and grabbing my gun and using it on me. And I knew he could do it. You didn’t live as long as Adrian had if you were slow.

He kept walking until we were standing opposite each other again. This time, I was standing in front of the cell with Adrian close to the stairs.

“Go,” I said, “or I’ll kill you.” I was worried my bullet wouldn’t affect him at all, even if I hit him in the head. He was resistant to silver, something I had seen with my own two eyes. What made me so sure he hadn’t done something to make his skull hard enough to stop a bullet? Stranger things have happened.

Adrian glanced around the room, at the two wolves standing behind me. Some of his anger returned as he looked at them, but he did his best to hide it.

“I knew you couldn’t be trusted,” he said, looking squarely at Jonathan. “There are things I could say that would make you a target, things you thought buried.” His eyes traveled to Nathan and he smirked. “And you ...” He shrugged as if he didn’t need to say more.

Finally, his eyes landed on me again. “Even after this betrayal, I still have a spot for you,” he said. “Your willingness to stand up to me proves you are strong enough to stand by my side.” His gaze flickered to the other wolves. “Think about it.”

With that, he turned and walked away. I really wanted to pull the trigger and rid myself of Adrian once and for all, but Jonathan’s whispered “No” kept me from doing it.

Adrian vanished up the stairs. I expected him to slam the door as he left, or maybe kill a few Cultists on his way out, but all remained silent upstairs.

“I’m sorry about that,” Jonathan said.

I turned to face him, anger taking over. My gun was aimed at him now. “You let him down here?”

He shook his head, eyes on my gun. “He came in while I was checking on your brother. Nathan tried to stop him, but when Adrian wants to do something, he does it.”

Nathan growled low in his throat. It was then I noticed the tear in his shirt. I was surprised the two hadn’t killed one another.

I sighed and holstered my gun. My hands were trembling and I did my best to hide it. If I hadn’t shown up when I did, Adrian might have torn through the two wolves to kill Thomas. Jonathan seemed so unwilling to fight sometimes, it wouldn’t have surprised me if he had stepped aside and let Adrian do it.

“I’m taking him,” I said, moving to the cell. “Tonight.”

Jonathan’s brow crinkled. “Tonight? Where are you going to take him? It isn’t safe.”

I looked into the cell, watched Thomas thrash against the bars, against the wall. He looked terrifying, but I pitied him. I should have been the one to suffer his fate. He was so much better at this than I was.

“Home,” I said, glancing at Jonathan. “I have a plan.”

He looked at me skeptically a moment, then joined me to look at Thomas. “How are you going to get him home like this? He hasn’t stopped fighting since the moment he was able to move.”

I pulled a knife from my belt and held it up. “Silver,” I said. “It’s the only way.”

“Can you do it?”

I hesitated. Could I? Even with the knowledge that it was the only way to get Thomas to my house so Beligral could do his work, I wasn’t so sure. Thomas was suffering enough as it was. Could I really cause him more pain?

Jonathan seemed to notice my indecision. “Go get a car ready,” he said to Nathan. “Clear the way. I don’t want anyone to see him leaving. Make sure Adrian is really gone.”

Nathan nodded and left without a word.

As soon as he was gone, Jonathan faced me again, eyes worried. “I’m still not sure Gregory was the only one reporting to Adrian. I don’t want him following you or finding out you took him.”

“Thanks,” I said. “But I can handle Adrian if he gets in my way. You should have let me shoot him.”

Jonathan smiled. “Probably.”

Thomas stopped beating himself against the walls. He was panting, staring at us, saliva dripping from his maw. His eyes were still wild. Blood ran from his forehead and dripped into his mouth.

“You need to invest in padded rooms if you plan on keeping any more like this,” I said. I wasn’t even sure if I was trying to tell a joke or if I was serious.

Jonathan gave me a faint smile, but it faded quickly. “How are we going to do this?” he asked. “It will be hard to get close to him.”

“I know.”

I looked at Thomas and searched for some hint of my brother behind his eyes. I wanted more than anything for him to just suddenly come out of it, to say my name and reach out for me. If he would do that, then all of the misery, all the pain, would be worth it.

But he just stood there, blood covering most of his body. His fur was caked with it. His chest was clear of hair, well-muscled, and I knew that every muscle in his body would react the moment I stepped within reach. He wouldn’t hesitate to kill me if I gave him a chance.

I started forward, my knife clutched in my hand. I stopped and clenched my teeth. I knew it needed to be done, and yet I couldn’t do it. I’d killed hundreds of vamps and wolves, but I couldn’t harm my brother. It should have been easy. I was trying to help him.

Jonathan reached for the knife and took it from my hand. I let him, hating myself for my weakness. This was my problem and I should have to deal with it. I was taking the easy way out by letting him be the one to stab Thomas. Again.

I stepped back and lowered my eyes. Jonathan approached the cell. As expected, Thomas leaped forward, reaching out for the Denmaster. Jonathan moved lightning quick, jabbing his hand through the bars and embedding the knife in Thomas’s side.

Thomas cried out, his clawed hand landing heavily on Jonathan’s shoulder, but he didn’t break the skin. He slid to the ground, the silver going to work.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, even though I hadn’t been the one to do it. It had been my idea. It was my responsibility.

Jonathan opened the cell door and stepped back, allowing me room to enter. I went to my brother and removed the knife. After the last time, I refused to let it stay in him any longer than it had to. The silver would keep him down for a few hours. It was more than enough time to get him home and get this over with.

I wiped Thomas’s blood onto my pants and then sheathed the knife. I tried to lift him by myself, but my back nearly gave out. I cursed and before I could say anything more, Jonathan was there, helping me lift Thomas to his feet.

I hated the stitches, hated the pain. I was weaker than I’d been for a long time and I hated every moment of it.

But what could I do? If I wanted to get Thomas home, I had to accept Jonathan’s help. I couldn’t do it on my own, not if I wanted this done tonight.

We carried Thomas out of the Den, through the mostly abandoned campus. We saw no one until we entered the garage. Nathan was waiting, a car already running near the exit.

“Take the car,” he said. “Nathan can drive you.”

“No,” I said. “I can do it myself.”

“But what if—”

“I said no!”

Jonathan reluctantly agreed to let me go alone, although he did insist I take the car. It would be hard to get Thomas back home on my Honda, if not impossible. I wasn’t about to tie him to me.

“I’ll drop off your motorcycle later,” Jonathan said as we slid Thomas into the back seat. “I have a truck I can use to transport it.”

I didn’t like the idea of Jonathan coming to my house again but didn’t argue. I just wanted to get out of there and get back home. I needed to end the torture—for Thomas and me both.

“Be careful,” Jonathan said as I slid into the driver’s seat and slammed the door closed.

I just looked at him, giving nothing away. Inside, I was a mess of emotions. I was thankful I had Jonathan there to help me, to worry about me, but it kind of aggravated me as well. I didn’t need his worry. I could handle things myself just fine.

I checked the car, relieved to find it to be an automatic. I glanced into the rearview mirror and adjusted it so I could keep an eye on Thomas. I knew he would be incapacitated for quite a while, but I didn’t want to take the chance of missing a jerk of an arm or the twitch of a leg that would warn me he was coming out of it.

I glanced at Jonathan and Nathan once more, gave them each a quick nod of thanks, and then put them behind me. I could still feel their eyes on me long after they were out of sight. Part of me wished Jonathan had come with me. I had a feeling I was going to need the support.