Trouble.
The same scent he’d caught on the boat, right before the freaking gargoyle had taken Rose away. His head turned, following that scent. A man stood there, right on the side of the building, using it for cover. The man’s eyes were locked on Julian.
Julian bared his teeth.
The battle was on.
***
Rose woke to find herself strapped to a table. The straps were heavy and hard, cutting into her. She tried to break free, using her vamp strength but—
“You aren’t going to get out,” a woman’s voice whispered. “None of us are.”
Rose’s head swung to the left. She could move her head, but her arms and legs and her torso were secured too tightly. She saw a cell—and a woman inside that cell. A woman with long red hair and tear-filled eyes.
“You’re the last one,” the woman said, her lips curving downward. “Now he’s going to kill us all.” She shuffled forward and her hands rose to curve around the bars. When she moved, Rose saw the big, black wings that sprang from her back.
“You’re the angel.” Her voice came out like a croak. Her body felt weak, her head foggy—stupid drug. “I know…someone who’s been looking for you.”
A mocking laugh came from the right.
Rose’s head jerked toward that sound.
A blonde stepped forward. Her eyes were so dark they appeared nearly black. “No one’s going to find us. He makes sure of that. Anyone lucky enough to get close…Simon just says they die, and they do. The dead are thrown to the gators. The bodies picked clean. No one saves us. No one frees us.”
“I’m…here to save us.”
The blonde laughed again. “Sweetie, you’re about to lose your heart. Those bands around you are made of metal that is a hundred times stronger than steel. And a drugged vamp? You’re not going to break them. He’s just going to break you. He’ll break us all. Put the pieces together and then have what he wants most as he makes his own monster.”
Her gaze darted around the room. There were two others cells there, but she couldn’t see the people in them. It looked as if she was in some kind of lab. There was a surgical tray nearby. And lots of machines.
“Why is he collecting us?” Rose whispered.
“He’s not collecting us. He’s Frankenstein, and he just needs our parts.” The blonde’s voice was husky. Tired. How long had she been there? “He’s ready to build now.”
The door to that hellish place opened with a swish of sound. Simon strode inside. When he saw that she was awake, he hesitated for just a moment. “I’d hoped the drugs would keep you out longer.”
She tried to fight back the weakness of her body. “Your…mistake.”
“It is…but…I was trying to be kind. If you were out cold, you wouldn’t feel the pain.” He shrugged. “Oh, well. Guess this is really going to hurt you.”
“You don’t have to do this!” It was another woman’s voice calling out. “There are other ways.”
Rose glanced toward the cell near the blonde. A woman stepped forward, her skin a warm cream, her brown eyes filled with a terrible combination of sadness and terror. “Death isn’t the answer.”
“No, witch, you’re right. It isn’t the answer. Life is. And that’s what you’re all going to do. You’re going to give me back the life that was taken away.” He smiled. “Taken away by fucking monsters. You’re going to give me back what I need, and she’ll be stronger than ever. She’ll never know weakness. She’ll never know pain. She’ll live forever.”
Rose strained against the metal bands.
Simon picked up a knife. “I have everything I need. I just have to put the pieces all together…then my work will be done.”
“Your…work?” she managed to croak.
He lifted the knife over her chest and then he sliced down, cutting right through her shirt. Right through the bra. He didn’t cut her skin, though, not yet.
“The pieces I needed,” he murmured. “The wings of an angel…”
“You’re the devil!” The angel choked out.
He smiled. The tip of the knife pressed to Rose’s chest, drawing blood. “The eyes of a muse…”
“You think I’m just going to let you cut out my eyes?” The blonde yelled. “You are such a freak! The power isn’t even in my eyes—that’s a legend! That’s bullshit!”
The knife cut deeper. Rose didn’t make a sound.
“The lips of a witch…”
“I say the spells, dumbass!” The yell seemed to echo around them. “It’s not like my mouth is magic!”
The knife sank—hilt deep—into Rose’s chest. “And the heart of the undead.”
“You’re…crazy,” she gasped out. And she realized why she hadn’t seen anyone in the last cell—that cell was for her. “This is just…nonsense. You aren’t making…”
“I know magic.” He smiled once more. She hated his smile. “I’ve made it my point to know ever since she was taken from me. Killed by a fucking beast. Her beautiful face slashed, her body torn.”
He had a knife in her chest and he was talking about someone else being a beast?