14. Yellow Eyes and Blue Prints—Evangeline
From the outside, all appeared tranquil at Viggo’s palace. No indication that the front gates were in shambles, blown up by witches’ fire; no hint that the scenic atrium was now a rotting battlefield; no signs that a young woman, guilty only for her choice in lovers, was being tortured mercilessly. But I knew better. I knew because I had seen it firsthand.
The second we made the decision to come to New York, Ivan called Lilly on her cell. She suggested we take Kait’s jet. Vampires and their private jets … Kait’s jet was smaller and simpler than Viggo’s, but it had wings and it got us over the ocean fast—I hoped fast enough that we arrived before Bishop. That’s all that I cared about.
Kait didn’t have a flight crew on twenty-four-hour call. Amelie quickly remedied that issue by compelling two nearby pilots to abandon their own planes and fly ours. We were in the air in less than an hour and landing in seven—the entire time shared between drifting off to sleep and fighting with Caden, Amelie, and Max over Julian and I stepping foot inside that place. Shouting turned to pleading turned to whining. Caden even tried persuading Wraith on the perils of me entering those gates. It didn’t work, thankfully. I was noticing that Wraith didn’t forbid me anything; he simply ensured he was one step ahead of me to destroy any potential threat.
There were twenty of us stationed on the tenth floor of a condominium complex across the street from Viggo’s. It was a nice, modest space with functional living room furniture and a large table covered with blueprints. Lilly had purchased the condo forty years ago, she explained, as nothing more than an observation spot. To watch her mother’s killer. She claimed Viggo knew nothing about it. I highly doubted that. I’m sure Viggo knew the place down to the paint hues and the abstract print on the curtains. I’m sure he didn’t care. I’m sure he took great twisted pleasure in it all.
“The streets are so quiet,” I said, observing Manhattan from my perch on the windowsill. It was about four-thirty in the afternoon and dusk was settling in. Traffic was lighter than I had seen in the past. The few passersby huddled within burly winter jackets as they rushed down the sidewalk.
“It’s Christmas and it’s cold. Humans don’t like the cold.” I turned to find Lilly’s sharp blue eyes studying my face. She gave me a wary smile and I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude. Sofie was gone. Mage was gone. Lilly felt like an appropriate substitute.
“And most are at home, enjoying a Christmas dinner. They’re not staking out a witch sanctuary.”
“This morning’s church attack certainly can’t help,” Galen said from his outstretched position on the couch.
“What attack?” Caden and I asked in unison. I felt him move in behind me, his hand sliding across my waist. Conflict churned inside me. I shouldn’t let him touch me anymore, that voice told me. Stop testing the Fates! I was lucky enough for that one thrilling hour back in France. Every second that I toyed with inevitability after that, I was guaranteeing doom …
Eventually … I would kill him.
But right now, I needed him. My willpower dissolved into a puddle at my feet as I leaned back to rest against him. In answer to Caden’s question, Galen grabbed the remote to the flat screen television. A mannish blond female reporter filled the camera screen, her backdrop a dwindling blaze in the night.
“Police are saying this morning’s Christmas massacre was gang-related, though experts believe the brutality inflicted on the bodies was more that of a vicious animalistic attack. Most of the evidence was burned in the fire. However, the scant remains pulled from the catastrophe are being sent to forensics for further examination. Police believe as many as two hundred people perished in the church when the doors were barred and the building set on fire, in what is being called one of the most brutal Christmas attacks in United States history …”
Blood rushed to my head and drowned out the reporter’s words. Two hundred innocent people, dead. Two hundred men, women … children. My knees folded. Caden’s grip held me up. Two hundred people expecting nothing more than a few prayers followed by a day of celebration with their families. Sickness tossed and turned and rose inside me. It was beginning. “How …”
“Like baby chicks in a pen. Lazy hunting. The sign of a newly turned vampire,” Kait scorned, her bright orange mouth twisted with distaste.
Newly turned vampires. Jonah’s army. I groped for Caden’s hand, entangling my fingers with his, grasping for support. This was a disaster.
“Should we call Viggo and Mortimer? Let them know?” I asked absently.
Kait’s responding snort filled the silent room. “You think they don’t know? Who do you think barred the doors and set fire to the building?”
I was already shaking my head. “No … not Mortimer …” Mortimer wouldn’t have done anything like that.
A wicked laugh mocked me. “You silly girl.”
“Kait,” Lilly warned, her calmness laced with a razor-sharp edge, like her tongue could lash out and cut the flesh off bones. The arrogant smile slipped from Kait’s face, replaced with what one might deem a contrite expression. “Mortimer would be first with the chains if it meant eliminating witnesses,” Lilly explained softly.
I nodded numbly. “No witnesses means no living proof that vampires exist …”
Lilly nodded. “That’s right. As long as Mortimer and Viggo keep their faculties in check, we’ll be fine. I spoke to Mortimer already. They’ve killed a couple of Jonah’s troops. We can only hope they kill the rest before they do something that can’t be hidden.”
“No witnesses.” Caden’s grasp of me tightened until I could feel the ripples of his chest against my back. “Just bodies. Lots of bodies.” I turned my head slightly to nuzzle my nose against the base of his neck.
Lilly nodded, her throat clearing as she stepped away. It had to be so strange for her. I couldn’t imagine living in a child’s body for twelve hundred years. She had the beginnings of a woman’s figure but it would never mature. She would never appreciate what I felt at that moment with Caden. My heart poured with sympathy for the girl. She would never have this love. Her life, though long, would never be complete. For all her wisdom, she could never comprehend what she was missing.
“I wonder how many buildings they can burn before it’s impossible to hide this,” Amelie said, the laugh lines in her face disappearing as sadness took over. An empty, distant look glazed over her eyes. Reminiscing over her own world’s doomsday, no doubt. My heart went out to her. She’d already suffered through this once.
Julian responded with an arm around Amelie’s shoulder, pulling her to his chest in a loving embrace ... We needed to do this. Now. You and me, together again, Julian. This plan would probably get us both killed.
“How do we get in there, Lilly?” I asked, no interest in wasting any more time dreading possibilities. Caden’s arms instantly tensed. I ignored the reaction.
“Well … my informants say a dozen Sentinel come in and out daily. The witches have barricaded themselves in,” Lilly explained, taking a seat next to Galen. “I don’t know that they could even get out if they wanted to.”
My attention drifted back to the window to survey the surrounding buildings and Central Park. Lilly had spies, Viggo had spies, Mortimer had spies. Spies everywhere and none of them knew what was going on inside. “I know vampires can’t get in. We’ve already tested some of the windows. The entire place is set with Merth.”
“Well … why don’t we go in the same way we did the night we chased Jonah?” Amelie asked Caden. “We just need something that will pass our weight through the window. I’m sure there’s something.” She paused. “Or maybe Wraith can carry us in.”
Lilly was shaking her head already. “We thought of that. We sent a couple of humans in through a broken window on the fourth floor but the witches have a secondary spell layered on.” Lilly’s face turned sour. “It set them on fire. Who knows how many more tripwires they’ve set.”
Amelie’s shoulders sagged. “They’ve thought of everything, haven’t they?”
“Well … no,” I said, smiling. “They didn’t think of a human who could walk through their spell and break it.” The Tribal magic was going to serve a purpose. It was going to help! It could work!
“And what exactly do you plan on doing—launching yourself through a fourth-story window to break the spell?” Caden answered in a biting tone. “What if you get hurt? What if they’re waiting for you? What if breaking the spell warns them and they get hold of you before I can get in there?” He released his loving grip of me to whip me around, intensity in his eyes. “No, Evangeline. There’re too many things that could go wrong with this harebrained idea!”
I opened my mouth to argue but Lilly spoke. “Caden’s right, Evangeline. We need stealth, not kamikaze barbarism. If the witches get so much as a hint that we’ve made it inside, they could do a number of things, including kill you and Veronique.”
“So … what’s the best way for Julian, Wraith, and me to go in?” Dead silence filled the room.
“Well, I was thinking,” Julian started, pulling all eyes to him. “You said they’re letting the Sentinel in through the doors, right?” Lilly nodded, her eyebrow perked curiously. “Well,” he licked his lips nervously. “I have a Sentinel tattoo, so why don’t I go in …”
I choked on my tongue as Julian blurted out the one admission that would get him killed in an instant, before he could explain. Oh my God, Julian … why now?
“Caden … help him!” I cried out. There was no need for the plea, though. Caden and Amelie formed an instant barrier around Julian, teeth bared, their stance fixed in a fighting position.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Max stalk toward Julian, his hackles raised, his three brothers following suit. “Max! No! Don’t you dare!” I shouted. My words meant nothing. He didn’t flinch, didn’t slow, his lips curled back in a snarl, teeth glistening. I doubt he even heard me, focused on the smell of newly discovered Sentinel flesh. Flesh that would kill him if he bit into it, given the Tribe magic coursing through Julian’s veins.
No, no, no! This was spiraling straight to hell. “Max!” I shrieked. “Please! You’ll die if you bite him!” His front paw wavered. But he didn’t stop, stalking in more slowly now, like a lion stalking a gazelle. Five more bodies suddenly appeared around Julian—Ivan and four of his wolves. Forming a solid guard. I let out the tiniest sigh of relief. That might keep Max at bay. But what about the six vampires in the room, all shocked, and all, by the venomous blaze in their eyes, one step behind Max in attacking?
“Is this true, Evangeline?” Kait hissed, observing Julian hungrily. I quivered, picturing her standing over Julian in a dark windowless room with an array of chains and other sadistic tools lined up on a table. I’m sure she had her own special pleasure in killing Sentinel. I wasn’t going to let her satisfy that here. All in all, it was a lethal room for Julian to be in. I needed to make them understand.
“Wraith,” I called out calmly, ignoring Kait’s question. Wraith stepped forward, awaiting my command. “Please go stand with the group over there. Protect Julian. Don’t kill anyone,” I added quickly, my next words slow and clear, “but put them to the ground if they approach.”
Like an obedient soldier, Wraith followed orders without delay. As he approached Julian, all those around him, including Julian, cowered a little. “Okay, now that that cat is out of the bag, so to speak, let me enlighten you.” I stepped closer so I was firmly in between the two groups. I spent the following ten minutes, with Julian’s help, explaining how he ended up a Sentinel, how he didn’t believe in their cause, and how this had turned into a good thing for us. By the end of it, most of the tension seemed to have deflated. Max was still visibly agitated but he and his brothers were at least resting on their haunches versus ready to spring.
“So you’d be willing to go in there on your own?” Lilly asked, her mistrust evident. “To what end?”
Julian shrugged in that casual way of his, sliding his hands into his jeans pockets. “To get more information, to see if Veronique is okay. To get her out if I can. I don’t know. All I know is I want to help and I’d rather go in there on my own than have Evie come in as well. She’s bound to do something goofy and get hurt.” His wry smile was meant to erase my guilt over this. It wasn’t working.
“But …,” I began.
“Good idea.” Caden cut me off. My mouth gaped open and I looked up to see newfound respect radiating from Caden’s eyes, directed at Julian. Finally … it only took Julian risking his life for me. Again.
“I agree,” Lilly seconded with a curt nod. “You get in there and find out what you can. Come back and tell us everything. Then we can form a proper plan of attack.”
“Well, I don’t agree!” Amelie wailed, glaring at her brother like he’d just killed her puppy. “What if he doesn’t come out? What if they recognize him? What if they use their magic on him and discover he’s unique? They might kill him instantly, for that alone!” All the possibilities spewed out of her in rapid fire. “Why are we doing this? Can’t we just wait for Bishop to show up so we can grab him?” She finished by giving Julian the best set of doe eyes I’d ever seen. “This is too dangerous, Julian!”
“Mage called me,” Lilly explained. “Bishop eluded her in England, grabbing a plane headed for Labrador. She’s on another one and should be landing in Montreal soon. Intercepting him from there is going to be tough …”
“Fantastic,” Caden’s fingers pressed against the bridge of his nose. The sarcasm only thinly veiled his worry. If we couldn’t stop Bishop, if we couldn’t get Veronique out of there …
“We need to get Veronique out. They’re torturing her, Amelie.” I emphasized the word torture, hoping she could remember what it was like to be human.
“I know … you’re right,” Amelie said, her hand reaching up to outline Julian’s jaw. “But don’t forget … Julian may not be turning like you, but he can’t be fixed.”
“I know,” I whispered, observing him with refreshed worry.
“Please, rethink this. There has to be another way.” Amelie’s hand slid down to rub across Julian’s chest.
Julian shook his head abruptly, scowling, reminding me of those first days back in the mountains, before I knew him. He had a permascowl in those days. “No, Amelie, I’m doing this. I need to do this.” And that was that.
Fifteen minutes later, Julian stepped out of a room dressed in dark blue jeans and a long winter coat. Amelie, her face painted with anxiety, slipped his knife into the inside coat pocket, planting a kiss on his cheek as she did so.
“I’ll be fine, Amelie,” he said, inhaling deeply. “In and out, right?” He nodded toward me as he walked past. “See you guys soon.”
Caden surprised everyone by reaching out to clasp hands. “If you don’t come out in a reasonable amount of time, we’re coming in after you,” he assured him in a gruff voice. How he expected to do that, exactly, I wasn’t sure, but now wasn’t the time to question it.
Julian nodded curtly.
“And don’t get yourself killed, okay?” Caden added. “If you do, I’ll have to deal with my sister for another seven hundred years …”
Julian chuckled. “Payback for yesterday?”
Caden grimaced. “Sorry about—”
Julian cut off Caden’s apology with a wave of his hand. “You had every right …”
“Yeah, but … still. Not cool,” Caden pressed. They paused to regard each other. Maybe they’d be friends after all. Julian just had to survive first.
“Keep that one out of trouble, will you?” Julian jerked his head my way. “She’s a walking disaster.”
“Yeah, because I’m the one stepping into a grizzly’s den with a long stick and a steak around my neck,” I muttered, rolling my eyes as Caden cloaked me under a protective arm.
“Don’t talk about poking grizzlies. You’ll get Amelie excited,” Julian joked, with a wink toward his scowling girlfriend. Her tight pout loosened, the corners of her mouth curving up despite how hard she fought it. Finally the giggle escaped, lighting up her entire face.
“It’s time. I’ll walk you to the main lobby,” Galen announced coolly and I thought I caught hint of admiration in his gaze as he regarded Julian. He led Julian toward the door, Julian following stiffly. I swallowed a painful knot in my throat. He was so good at putting on a brave face, I realized. Underneath that, terror had a firm hold. And this might be the last time I saw him alive.
“Julian!” I broke free of Caden’s grasp and ran to my dear friend—my twin in all of this disaster—and threw my arms around his neck, battling the hovering tears. “Don’t get yourself killed.”
He flashed a white-toothed grin. “Don’t you worry. When I drop my pants to show those witches my tattoo, the last thing they’ll be thinking of is me tricking them.”
Amelie growled in mock disapproval. With one last chuckle, Julian followed Galen out the door.
Despite my best efforts, a tear escaped, trickling down the side of my nose ... Then another … and another. I rubbed them away furiously.
“He’ll be okay,” Caden whispered into my ear, his mouth skimming my lobe. “He’ll be back before you know it. This is the right way to do this. It’s safer this way. Less risky.”
Less risky for me … I leaned back against Caden’s body, letting his broad chest form a protective barrier for my body, wishing I could erase all the pain, fear, and anxiety for just a little while and lose myself with Caden again.
“So how long do we wait before we go in after Julian, brother?” Amelie demanded in a cold, curt tone, hands on her hips. “And how the hell do we get in?”
“Well, I was thinking,” Caden’s hand folded with mine, tugging me along as he moved to the blueprints. “We can go through here,” his long finger pointed toward a mess of illegible lines zigzagging through each other. “Through the underground garage. I highly doubt anyone will be hanging out down there.”
I realized we were looking at blueprints of every square inch of city surrounding and under Viggo’s place. “Where did you get these?” I was surprised that Viggo wouldn’t have hunted down and burned every city record available.
“You can find anything you need if you’re persuasive enough,” Kait answered, a wicked sneer curving her lips. I shuddered, avoiding any more questions while Lilly and her group surrounded the table and discussed the numerous manhole covers, tunnels, and grates that they needed to navigate through. Even Wraith lingered over to assess Caden’s proposed plan, his reflective eyes watching intently.
After the fifth or sixth tunnel, I was more than confused so I decided to huddle by the window. I was more interested in seeing Julian’s entrance, anyway. I tuned out the low chatter behind me, my forehead pressed up against the cold glass.
“I’m so scared,” a voice hummed. I turned to find Amelie standing next to me, a finger winding through one of her springy curls, unbridled fear in her eyes. I gave her my best reassuring smile. This had to be pure torture for her.
The silent minutes hung over us like an oppressive heat as we waited silently. “There!” Amelie shouted, slamming her palm against the glass. I quickly spotted Julian lumbering down the sidewalk. We watched him stride up to the large iron garage gates. It was bizarre—looking at those things completely mended, knowing it was all an illusion, that there was a gaping hole.
Julian’s hand lifted. He froze. Only for a few seconds but it was enough to make me inhale sharply. With a vague glance back in the direction of our window, he continued on toward the metal door beside the car gate, reaching up to push the buzzer. Within moments, the door opened. An arm appeared. Julian vanished.
“God, Evie. What were we thinking?” Amelie hissed, her hand locking on to mine. “If I lose Julian …”
I squeezed her hand. “You won’t. We won’t let it happen.” I had no right to promise that and yet I did so without pause, without a shred of guilt. It was what she needed to hear. It was what I needed to say. “Everyone will help get Julian out alive. Even Max … right, Max?” I looked over at the sulking werebeast, lying in a corner, his chin resting on his paws, surrounded by his three brothers.
Max is not speaking to the traitor master right now. Please leave a message and perhaps he will one day forgive her for her profound treachery. Beep!
“Oh, Max,” I sighed, shaking my head at his spurts of eccentricity. But I let it go, moving my attention back to Amelie.
“Evangeline … do you think—” she began, turning to face me. Her words faltered. She shook her head and blinked several times, then frowned deeply, gazing at something intently.
Sirens went off in my head. “What’s wrong?”
Her plump lips struggled to get her words out. “Evie … your eyes. They’re …”
My blood turned to ice. I abandoned her hand and bolted for the bathroom, fumbling for the light switch, my fingers trembling. I finally managed to flick it on, illuminating my reflection in the mirror.
And my yellow eyes.
***
Four hours had passed since Julian had gone inside. Still, no sign of him. No sign of anyone, for that matter.
“How long before we go in?” Amelie demanded. I didn’t answer. I didn’t shrug. I simply stared out the window in a daze, waiting. Waiting for Julian to emerge. Waiting for the final stage of my curse. It was almost here. I had the hideous yellow eyes of the Tribe. There was only one thing left. One thing that would show up at any given time. And then I was as good as dead.
“Hours. A day, tops,” Lilly responded, perched on the back of a wing chair like a cat ready to pounce. She turned to regard me. “You should eat and get some rest. You look like hell.”
I responded with a snort. That’s because I have sickly, jaundiced eyes, Lilly. And I’m giving serious consideration to what it will feel like when I step off the roof of your building after I kill Caden. You’d look like hell too …
“Well, go sleep at least,” Caden answered softly, reaching for my arm. I recoiled like a snake, earning a pained look. I didn’t care. It was better than a dead look. “I’m not tired.” That was a lie. I was exhausted. Mentally, emotionally, physically … exhausted.
Caden sighed. “Maybe if you slept, you’d see Veronique and learn something about Julian.”
Wait a minute … That thought hadn’t crossed my mind. I had dozed off several times on the plane coming here but I never connected with her. Maybe if I could fall asleep, I could make sure Julian was safe. Maybe this sleep thing was a good idea. Without an answer, I turned and dragged myself toward the stairs.
Wraith was up and shadowing immediately. For once, it didn’t bother me. He was the only one I couldn’t kill once I succumbed to this magic. Heck, we’d be best buddies soon enough. Caden appeared ahead of me without prompting to lead me upstairs, down a long hall, and into a simplistic bedroom with white walls, white curtains, and a simple teak bed. It reminded me of a page from an Ikea catalogue. For what reason Lilly needed a bed, I had no idea. To keep up appearances, perhaps. Whatever. It didn’t matter.
Wraith took to inspecting the closet and walls for secret entrances. After my bathroom disappearing act, he was hypervigilant in ensuring I had no escape routes. It made for a few awkward moments in the plane’s cramped bathroom, but I didn’t bother fighting him anymore. The escape had been worth it a million times over.
Finally satisfied that there was no way for me to sneak off and no way for anyone to sneak in, Wraith stationed himself in a chair near the window.
I crawled under the welcoming white duvet and let my head drop to the pillow, ready to be left alone. Like an animal about to die. That wasn’t going to happen, though. The bed sank as Caden reclined beside me. I immediately scooted away until I was hugging the edge of the bed, near falling off.
I heard his heavy sigh. “Please don’t be like this.”
“Like what? About to kill you, Caden?” I spat back.
“You’re not …”
“Look at my eyes!” I yelled, enunciating each word. Sitting up, I glared at him, my eyes intentionally overextended. “It’s only a matter of time! Everything that’s supposed to happen is happening. Now, I’m … this!” My hands flew out in front of my face. “There’s no way around this, Caden! I’m going to be one of them!”
“You’re still able to touch me, Eve,” he whispered.
“Not for long! Did you know—twice now I’ve done something strange to Amelie to hurt her. Soon, it’ll be permanent!”
Caden pulled himself up to meet my face, his lips and nose only inches away. “Sofie will figure it out,” he growled. “Don’t give up on her.”
I flopped back down on the bed, throwing my arm over my forehead. “I can’t help it.”
“You have to help it. This isn’t you. You don’t give up, Evangeline. Ever! You’re the most resilient person I’ve ever known! To a fault sometimes.”
I sighed. “Maybe I was. I’m not anymore. I can’t do this anymore …”
He paused, moving in to hover over me. His voice turned gentle. “Please don’t give up. For me.” My body tensed as his hand moved to rest on my thigh. I shouldn’t let this happen … I need to push him away … I need to. My willpower went toe to toe with my desire and failed miserably. Caden’s hand slowly slipped up along my thigh, over my hip, to my waist. Up and up it slid until his index finger was running along my bottom lip.
“You’re toying with fire, Caden,” I warned breathlessly. I’m pathetic. I’m weak.
“And I will happily do so if it means being able to do this,” he whispered, leaning forward to touch his lips to mine, stopping my heart altogether. I reveled in the feel for a few moments but eventually couldn’t ignore the eyes tickling the back of my neck.
“I’m not desperate enough for exhibitionism … yet,” I said, jerking my head in Wraith’s direction.
Caden’s light chuckle turned into a groan as his face rested into the curve of my neck. “I can’t wait until he goes away …”
That earned a sniff from me. Wraith was never going away. Not until I died. I bit my tongue, choosing to lay next to Caden in silence instead of reminding him of that.
Someone knocked lightly on the door. “Yeah?” Caden called out.
A timid Lilly poked her head in, a tall glass in her hand. “Warm milk always helped me sleep when I was human,” she murmured with a sheepish smile, reminding me that she was, above all else, still an abused child trapped in a lethal vampire body. I took the glass with a smile of gratitude.
“Mage has Bishop,” she announced, catching my mouth midair before I took my first gulp.
“Seriously? When? How?”
Lilly grinned with pleasure. “She caught him in Labrador, Canada. Not without a battle and, um, a bit of a scene. She’s covered it up, though. They’re on their way here.” The grin disappeared. “I don’t think she’s very happy about us being here. I had to tell her about Veronique, Evangeline. I hope you’re okay with that. And she has demanded that, under no circumstances, are any of us supposed to go into Viggo’s place.”
“Did you tell her about Julian?” A head shake confirmed that she hadn’t. “Well, this’ll be awkward,” I muttered wryly, wondering if the blood-sucking Mary Poppins would keep her cool when she found out.
“Not if we get in and out of there before she arrives.” Lilly disappeared but not without me catching her excited little smile.
Caden rolled onto his side, his head propped up on his elbow, quietly toying with my hair while I guzzled the milk. Once I finished, he set the glass on the nightstand and pulled me down with more force than usual, pressing himself against me, setting my head against his chest. His fingers stroked my hair soothingly.
“Oh, and you’re not going in there, by the way,” he said.
My snort echoed through the empty room. “Oh, and yes, I am, by the way. You need me to get through that secret passageway and break the Merth binding so you can get through.”
“We’ll have you go through and then the wolves will bring you back here,” he fired back.
I felt my face screw up. “No, you won’t! And besides, you don’t know what Veronique looks like.”
“We’ll look for the tortured woman,” he answered calmly, his fingers coiling into mine, still relaxed, sure of his plans.
“She won’t go with you,” I countered.
With a loud chortle, he reminded me, “She’ll go with anyone offering to get her out of there.”
I opened my mouth to argue but then stopped. He was right. And I was getting nowhere with this. “You are not going in there without me. I’m not sitting around like some inept human while you go fix my mess!” I finished my angry decree with a stifled yawn.
“How is this your mess, Evangeline?” Caden asked, shifting me so he could see my face, his own a picture of bewilderment.
“Because if I hadn’t agreed to get up on that platform, Veronique would still be in her tomb, safe and sound. That’s how!”
“Yeah, and you’d be dead,” Caden’s voice turned cold and sharp suddenly. “And then Sofie and I would have gone ballistic. There’s no way Sofie would ever let Veronique out then, just to spite Viggo. She’ll get over the abuse, Evangeline. When they turn her, she’ll—”
“She can’t be turned, Caden! She’s like me! And what happens when Viggo and Mortimer find out about that?”
Caden’s lips pursed. “Sofie will figure it out. She always figures it out.”
“Yeah! At what cost?”
He shrugged. “She’ll figure it out!”
I threw my hands up in the air. “Well, look at you. Mr. Has An Answer For Everything! Except for one small problem—Sofie doesn’t know about Veronique so how can she figure it out?”
Caden wavered, an instant answer not coming to him this time. I had cornered him with reality. His brow furrowed deeply as he thought. “I don’t know how, but she will.”
“I’m going in there with you,” I said defiantly.
With a grin, Caden’s hands curled around my shoulders, pulling me back down to rest next to him, chuckling as he planted a kiss on my forehead.
“What’s so funny?” I muttered.
“You. Stubborn. You’re sweet, remember?”
I rolled my eyes and shook him off, turning onto my side, my back to him, to sulk. “I’m not sweet. I have a wraith and ancient vampiress sworn to me and I’m poisonous to you. I’m deadly.”
Caden burst out laughing. I rolled back over and took aim at his chest, punching him hard. Only I had no gusto to it, my arms suddenly feeling like water. That earned another laugh. Pushing a few strands of hair off my forehead, he leaned in to whisper in my ear, his lips grazing my lobe, “Like I said—sweet.”
I gazed up at his face—so perfect, so real … so blurry? My eyelids suddenly felt like magnets, pulling together despite every effort to keep them apart. I felt my body sink deeper into the mattress, seeping into the springs and stuffing. Tingles rippled through me.
“Why am I so …?” I began to ask but my words dropped off. The milk … “Damn it, Caden …” I cursed in garbled speech as I drifted off into a drug-induced sleep.
That familiar prickle, now instantly recognizable, coursed through my body. It was coupled with fogginess this time. I blinked and narrowed my eyes, straining to carve through it. Would Veronique know something about Julian? The haze finally dissipated to reveal a dimly lit chandelier, the light dancing off crystals. I knew that light. It was my old room at Viggo’s. Not the first room—the princess suite designed to buy my adoration—but the blood-red room meant to remind me that I was a prisoner.
“Veronique?” I forced her lips to move so she would know I was there.
“Oui? Evangeline?” came the sickly response.
A shock of unease rippled through my chest. “What’s happened? You sound worse than before.”
Of its own accord, by Veronique’s control, my arm lifted up to within my vision. I gasped as I saw the fresh batch of black and blue bruising and angry burns. “They’ve started again?”
“Yes, but it’s nothing compared to what we’re going to do to your friend here,” a wicked voice sang out. With difficulty, I rolled my head to the side, toward the voice. Bile instantly shot into my throat. There, slumped over in a chair next to Imogen, was a bloody, battered, gagged, barely conscious Julian.
Panic detonated inside me. They had Julian.
Imogen stalked forward. “You will come here at once—with Sofie, with those other leeches. Bring all of them or both of your friends die. Do you understand?”
I froze, unable to speak, unable to move, unable to breathe. My face flew to the side as she slapped it. “Answer me!” she shrieked.
The stinging pain in my already injured jaw lasted long after I found myself back in the condo room. Night lurked outside. City lights streamed in through the window, allowing me to discern shapes and shadows. Wraith still sat in his chair. Caden was gone.
And they had Julian.
Scrambling out of bed, I stumbled a few steps, feeling a rush slam into my head. What was wrong with me? Oh, yeah. They drugged me, I thought bitterly as I headed toward the door, reminding myself never to take a drink from any of these vampires again. Still, I needed to warn them. We needed to get in there, to rescue Julian … My hand faltered on the doorknob. Wait a minute. I was doing exactly what the witches wanted me to do. Imogen asked me to lead all the vampires there. If I stormed out there and told them what I’d learned, I’d escort them right into Imogen’s trap. To their deaths. Stupid Evangeline. Think!
I slumped against the nearest wall and sank until I was curled up on the floor, my forehead in my hands. What the hell was I supposed to do now? What choice did I make? Did I say nothing and let Imogen torture Julian and Veronique to death? Or did I run out there and sign everyone else up for their own deaths? Knots upon knots constricted until my insides were a grotesque mass of anxiety.
Maybe … There was one other option. The logical choice. The least risky for everyone.
If I could just get out of here without being noticed … I quietly got to my feet, now intent on making less noise than the dead. Luckily, this wasn’t the average closet condo and my room was far from the main living area.
“Wraith?” I hissed.
“Yes?” came the monotone reply.
“Did you see any way out of this place other than the front door? Somewhere we could sneak out without everyone noticing?” Wraith had scoured the entire condo upon entry, taking inventory of all potential exits. I couldn’t be more thankful for his standard protocol than at this particular moment.
“Yes. There is a service entrance off the end of this hall.”
Perfect. “And were you paying attention to Caden when he explained how to get to the underground garage? All those tunnels we needed to take?” I silently berated myself for tuning him out.
“I have entered it into memory.”
I released the lungs full of air. I had my own personal Terminator. Finally. A bit of luck my way. Silently slipping on my winter coat, I crept to the door on my tiptoes. “Come on, Wraith,” I mouthed, cracking open the door. “And don’t make a sound.”
He was on his feet immediately. “Where will we be going?”
My finger flew to my mouth, to silence him. He looked at me blankly. “Be quiet! We’re going to get Julian and Veronique. And we’re doing it alone.”