Vampires Dead Ahead

THIRTY-FIVE



Nothing was left at the brownstone but a sense of evil that made me shudder down to my bones.

I rubbed both arms with my hands as my gaze drifted over Volod’s cleared-off desk and the empty bookshelves in his study. How had everything been cleaned out so fast? I had searched the study for something that might give us an idea of where they’d gone. Nothing. Not a damn thing.

Colin had used his version of a transference to take us in and out of my apartment, during the day, in case any of Volod’s people were staking it out at night. It felt good to have on my leather tracking clothing again.

But my daggers, Kahr 9mm, XPhone—my whole weapons belt was gone. I wondered if I’d find it with Volod. And I would track the bastard down and deal with him.

For now I wore one of my old weapons belts with a sword sheathed at one side instead of my Dragon-clawed daggers.

I had started to grab some of the garlic-and-holy-water defenses but had put them down when I’d started to feel a little sick. Not a lot, but enough that I’d rather stay away from the stuff.

“They’re definitely gone.” Angel came up beside me. “We’ve gone through every part of the brownstone.” She looked around her. “This place stinks of Vampire.” She glanced at me. “Save for present company.”

“That’s one thing I’d never thought I’d smell like.” I shook my head. “Vampire.”

“Well, so far so good.” Angel patted me on the shoulder. “You still smell like a half-Drow, half-human, uh, individual.”

“Thanks,” I said. “I think.”

Olivia snorted as she walked into the study. “Whoever heard of a purple Vampire?” She cackled in a very Olivia-like manner. “A plum with fangs. At least the points in the fangs match the ears now.”

“Ha.” I pointed at her. “Well at least I’ve never been ball-gagged while chained to a bed and abandoned by my boyfriend, likely after being flogged. Your ass did look kinda red.”

“You didn’t see my ass,” Olivia said with a smirk. “It was covered.”

“Ball-gagged?” Angel’s eyebrows lifted and she looked from me to Olivia. “Flogged?”

“You should try it sometime,” Olivia said to me. She nodded to Colin as he walked across the room. “I’m sure Smokey would be glad to oblige.”

“Oblige what?” Colin rested his hand on one of my hips.

“Olivia was just talking about how much fun she has being on the receiving end of a whip.” I turned to Angel. “Your specialty is the whip. Why don’t you let me borrow it?” I narrowed my eyes at Olivia again. “I think I could make good use of it in the office.”

Olivia waved me off. “You don’t do anything for me, honey.” She held out her hand to Angel. “But you can loan me the whip. I’m supposed to meet Scott in an hour.”

“This whip isn’t touching your ass.” Angel grinned and put her hand over the whip looped on her belt. “Find your own. Besides, you never know when I might need it for my fun. It comes in handy.”

“Oh great.” I rolled my eyes. “It’s not just Olivia. We have a room full of kink here.”

Olivia cocked her head to the side. “I wish I could do that thing with the vine ropes that some of you paranorms spin out of nothing. Immobilizing someone that way would be useful in sooo many ways.”

I managed to hold back a smile. “Guess you’ll have to resort to manual labor.”

“The Sorcerer would like you to come to the conference room,” Dave said as he walked through the door. I flinched at the thought of what had happened in that room. “He said it was really important.”

“All right.” I took a deep breath and looked at Colin.

He rested one of his hands on my shoulders. “I’m right here.”

We went down the stairs toward the room where Rodán had died. Had really and truly died.

My throat ached. I could feel tears waiting at the backs of my eyes as I thought of how my beautiful Rodán had saved my life and lost his own.

When we headed into the conference room, my chest ached. Armand and Desmond were talking near the doorway as we walked in. Olivia, Dave, and Angel followed Colin and me into the room. Max was guarding the front entrance, Nakano the back.

“No more holograms,” I said to Desmond. “I can’t take another.”

“I wasn’t going to.” Desmond pushed his unruly hair away from his face. “I just need the energy you all carry to enhance my own powers.”

“Okay … ,” I said, but still didn’t fully trust what he might do.

At Desmond’s direction, those of us in the room held hands. I was between Colin and Desmond, and I felt a wild sort of energy coming from the Sorcerer.

“Close your eyes.” Desmond’s voice rang stronger than normal as he gave the order. “Concentrate on feeding me your energy.”

I closed my eyes and tried to think about currents of energy traveling from my body, through my hand, to Desmond. But my mind was stuck on images of Rodán as he used to be.

“I need more,” Desmond said and he squeezed my hand. “Concentrate.”

I nodded, took a deep breath, and focused harder on my body being a beacon of magic. I used my power over my elements to strengthen me, to give me more of what I needed to help Desmond.

Energy rolled through me from the other Trackers as it traveled through each of us and then was passed on to the Sorcerer through our joined hands.

The room felt alive, brimming with tension and the crackle of magic.

Desmond started humming. A weird sound that reminded me of something electrical vibrating with power.

“I see trees.” Desmond spoke slowly, his voice deeper and somehow magnified. “Many. A forest full of them.”

I pictured the Vampire pyramid, but I knew that couldn’t be it.

“It’s dark,” he continued. “Cool outside.” Desmond paused. “Walking … tree after tree.”

My heart pounded as Desmond spoke, as if I was on the mental journey with him and discovering what he was seeing for myself.

“A large structure surrounded by a spiked fence,” Desmond said. “A fortress.” He gripped my fingers tighter. “The structure has many rooms. It is more like a mansion. I see no beings there … but I sense them.”

Where is it? I asked in my mind.

I felt as if wind was being sucked out of the room—as if we were traveling backward through time.

Desmond was quiet before he said, “It is a long journey to reach this fortress.”

He released my hand. The spell he’d cast faded away, breaking up into sparkles in my mind.

I opened my eyes and found my focus wasn’t clear. I blinked until my vision returned to normal. I turned to Desmond. “Is that it?”

“Yes.” Desmond met my gaze and gave a slow nod. “And I know how to get there.”