Chapter Six
Katie ate gingerly, her head aching from both her hangover and her mental breakdown. She’d cried herself senseless before falling into a sleep too heavy to bring her any real rest. Five cups of coffee later and a full Irish breakfast settling in her stomach, she still couldn’t shake the throb. The breakfast room had cleared out an hour before, but the patient matriarch kept her coffee cup full.
“Blood puddin’?"
Katie almost lost her stomach at the innocent question from the middle-aged matriarch of the bed and breakfast.
"No, thanks," she managed. "More coffee, please."
“Aye, I see that.”
Because she looked like shit. She knew it. She wore a jumper that reeked of her own body odor. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, her hair in a half-assed braid.
"I need to get some clothes," she said, turning to where the woman had moved to sit and read her paper. "You know a cheap place around here?"
"Consignment store down the road."
"Thanks. I’ll bring this back."
She carried the mug with her down the street to a store that smelled like an attic. The sun was too bright, the people around her too friendly. She sorted through the clothing, finding a pair of jeans, another pair of cargo pants, a scarf, and a few shirts. She paid the cashier with the remainder of her Euros and returned for a hot shower.
New clothes had never felt so nice, even if they were used! She wrapped the scarf around her neck and almost felt normal. The room was straightened and the fish removed, though the scent of them lingered.
The owner had left a bottle of painkiller and a snack on the nightstand, and Katie smiled at the first piece of thoughtfulness she’d received in what felt like a year. The whiskey she’d asked for. She downed her painkillers with a swig of alcohol. Before she could take another drink, Rhyn appeared out of nowhere and snatched the bottle from her.
"What is it with immortals and alcohol?"
He ignored her question and tossed it out the opened window.
"My sister is expecting me to call and then to actually show up in DC in the next week."
"I don’t give a fuck." He looked her over and then strode to her again. She took a step back, but he only snatched the scarf and flung it, too, out the window.
"I don’t need the reminder every time I look in the mirror!"
"Not for you. They’ll leave you alone when they see it," he replied.
"Just like the goons last night?"
He gave her a warning look. "You look like shit."
"I feel like shit, no thanks to you," she said, sitting on the bed. "My head hurts, my body hurts, and I was nearly sliced open before you decided to show up last night."
"You learned what you needed to."
"I already knew you could tear people’s heads off."
She refused to admit he was right. She had learned her lesson. He’d find her no matter what, and he wasn’t going to be swayed by her neck next time. And, he’d slaughter anyone near his property.
"I’m not chattel," she muttered.
"You are what I say you are."
"No, I’m not,” she countered. “If you want an obedient nymph, then go get one. You’re stuck with me otherwise."
She thought she heard him grind his teeth and frowned.
"If you really don’t want me around, why did you go through that effort to claim me?" she asked, crossing her arms and taking a step toward him. "Why not go get a stupid nymph, whatever those are?"
In daylight, he was almost approachable. Almost. He fidgeted with a couple of pens and doodled geometric shapes similar to those around her neck onto stationery bearing the seal of the bed and breakfast.
"You freed me. I repaid you by not killing you," he replied.
"That doesn’t explain why you keep me around."
"I don’t have to," he said, voice lowering into a growl.
"Those idiots last night said Ancients always pick the best blood monkeys."
"You were the only one around."
"So, this was an opportunity too good to pass up and isn’t about getting back at Kris?" she asked.
One of the pens in his hands snapped, and she took a step back. The tension eased from his frame, and he said with effort, "No."
"The idiots also said that anyone--I assume monster--can sense me ’cause you did claim me."
"Wouldn’t go out walking alone after dark if I was you, little girl."
"Then they said I was your mate, because I bear your mark. I don’t know what--"
Snap. The other pen and pad of paper went flying out the window. This time the tension didn’t leave his frame. He rose from his kneeling position and faced her. Wordlessly, he pointed to a spot on the floor before him.
"You just ate a little while ago!" she argued.
His eyes flashed, and she hurried to stand before him with her neck craned back to meet his gaze, toe-to-toe with the beast. He took her throat in one large hand, his thumb stroking the sensitive skin of her neck. They locked gazes, his intense silver eyes boring through her. Last night, after he’d beheaded the four, she’d innately known he wouldn’t hurt her. Even when he spoke of replacing her with a nymph. Whatever claim he had on her, she was more than just a blood monkey, especially when he had his choice of blood monkeys outside of Hell.
What did he want from her, if more than her blood?
She closed her eyes and offered her neck, surprised to find her pulse quickening in excitement.
"You spit fire one moment and submit the next," he said, his voice thick with need.
"We are both complex creatures." She gasped as his fangs pierced her throat. The pain subsided, replaced by familiar warmth. He didn’t drink long and sealed the wound after.
"No more whiskey," he snarled, turning away.
When she opened her eyes, he was gone, and she was just as confused as ever. She caught her reflection in the mirror, and the sight of the tattoo around her neck infuriated her. She strode from the room through the house to the alley to retrieve what belongings she had.
She was on her way back to her room with the scarf securely wrapped around her neck and the whiskey that had fallen mercifully into an outside trash bin without busting when she felt the change in temperature. Not as severe as traveling through the shadow world, but close. She pushed the door to her room open slowly, surprised to see who awaited her.
"Gabriel?"
He lifted his chin in greeting from his spot at the table.
"You here to kill me?" she asked.
"Nope."
She closed the door. His dark eyes dropped to the whiskey.
"What is it with whiskey?" she demanded. "You’re immortal--can’t kill you."
"Mortals need the power of reason to deal with us. It’s Immortal Code. You have free will." He took the bottle and tossed it out the window. This time, she heard it smash.
"A choice?" she echoed. "I haven’t had a choice yet with you people."
"But if you did, you’d need to be sober."
Was he amused? She couldn’t tell.
"Well, what do you want?"
He offered a hand. She took a step back.
"That’s not a good idea," she said.
"Kris’s orders."
"Why doesn’t he come get me then?"
"I’m not allowed to tell him where you are," he said.
"Why not?"
He took her hand. "We aren’t to interfere in mortal happenings."
"Bullshit."
Her curse was lost as she was sucked into the shadow world. She wobbled. Gabriel steadied her. She turned around, but saw no doorway behind her. Forced to follow, she couldn't help wondering where the other portals went as he disappeared through one. She stepped from the shadow world back into her world and waited for nausea or pain. This time, there was none.
She looked around. They were in a burnt-out room…with the Arc de Triomphe a short distance away.
She had no good memories of Paris and crossed her arms. Kris ro
se from his squat nearby, flanked by Ileana and Jade. He looked her over intently while she stared speechlessly at Jade.
Jade withdrew his knife with a warning look.
"You look awful," she said to Kris. She wondered what it took for an immortal to look as if he’d been through Hell and back.
"So do you."
"I went to Hell."
He snorted, then looked back at her when she didn’t break a smile. His gaze went to Gabriel.
"Hell?" he asked.
Gabriel shrugged.
"And you escaped?"
"Long story. Not about to relive it," Katie said, crossing her arms. "You dragged me into this shitty world."
Kris rubbed his face and glanced at Jade, whose frown was more pronounced than Ileana’s.
"We’ll talk about it later," Kris said. "I asked Gabriel to find you days ago. Didn’t realize why it took him so long. Andre’s dead."
"Oh." She softened. "I’m sorry, Kris."
His gaze lingered on her, as if he smelled her perfume and was trying hard to identify it.
"You summoned me here. Do you want something or were you curious if I’d survived the bombing after you all ditched me?" she asked at the uneasy silence.
"There isn’t a creature in this realm that talks to me like you do," Kris muttered. "How the fuck did you survive Hell?"
"Made some friends. Met the devil himself and decided I’d had enough of this shit. Used my newfound power to steal a key from some robed freak."
"You met Sasha?" Ileana asked, interested for the first time.
"Intimately acquainted," she replied, cold gaze on Kris. "Not a fan of yours, either."
"No one has to like me. My job is to protect the fate of humanity, and I do it well," he snapped. "You can’t possibly have somewhere else to be. My brother, Andre, was the mediator on the Council That Was Seven on which my brothers sat. World War Three is about to break out and the Council will dissolve if I don’t introduce the human who’s immune to us."
"You want me to meet the Council?"
"You will meet the Council this evening."
Rhyn’ll be so pissed. Yet the thought of the alleged good guys losing the ultimate war because she didn’t attend a stupid meeting didn’t sit well with her. Her gaze again went to Jade, who looked ready to pounce. Whatever happened, she couldn't be alone with him.
"I need some coffee," she said.
Kris relaxed, as if expecting a refusal. He motioned toward a hole in the wall, and he and Jade and Ileana trailed her out of the destroyed building.
"I really am sorry about Andre," Katie said. "I liked him."
"He kept the Council focused on defending humanity and not killing each other," Kris replied. "I’ll miss my dear brother."
"There are…were seven of you, right?" she asked.
"Who told you this?"
At his sharp tone, she quickly changed the subject, saying, "After the meeting, I have to go."
"No. You’re staying where my brothers can’t get to you, which is with me."
"No can do,” she replied. “Gabriel knows where I’m staying. You can send him when you want."
"It’s too dangerous for you alone," he said firmly.
"I’m not alone, and I’m leaving."
They squared off, glaring at one another. His gaze dropped to the thin, stubborn line that was her mouth and then to her scarf. Understanding crossed his features, and he unwound it, ignoring her attempts to slap him away. His stunned look was accompanied by Jade’s alarmed exclamation.
"That son of a bitch claimed you? I thought he was dead-dead!"
"Betrayer of humanity," Ileana whispered. "Almost succeeded in destroying the world."
Ileana's reaction scared her. Jade's look turned to one of horror. Katie knew Rhyn was a monster, but of this magnitude…
"Thank god Gabriel got you away from him. There’s no telling what he’d do to you," Kris said. "He’s been in Hell for hundreds of thousands of years. He and Sasha betrayed the Council and humanity long ago."
She gazed at him, confused. Rhyn had been a prisoner like her.
"There goes that plan," Ileana said with a sigh. "Kris had planned to claim you. Ully found out Kris can use your power to make him immune from the other Ancients."
Jade glanced sharply at Ileana, then at Kris. Kris met his gaze, and the intensity of the exchange left Katie no doubt as to their relationship. A red flush rose in the normally unflappable Council leader's face.
A chill went through her. Was this why Jade sold her out? And did Rhyn know of her gift? Was that the plan of the betrayer of humanity, to use her to destroy the world?
But he’d treated her so differently than Sasha. Sasha she could see raping and bleeding her nightly to mask him from the Ancients. Rhyn had been…nice. Almost.
"Kris, what time is the damned…"
The voice was unfamiliar. She turned to see a tall, lean man with olive features that more closely resembled Rhyn's.
"Tamer, this is our Katie. Katie, my brother Tamer, who's in charge of Africa," Kris grated. "The meeting’s at seven."
"So you weren’t lying, brother," Tamer purred. His gaze fell to her neck. He frowned. "Kris, you have enough immortals to destroy Rhyn again? He can’t be allowed to betray us again."
…destroy Rhyn again…betray us.
"I'll keep an eye on her," Jade offered.
How did she tell Kris his closest advisor had betrayed him? She was panicking, recalling the horrors of the hours at Sasha’s hands. She met Jade's gaze, unable to look away. Her throat felt raw again, and the scent of her blood returned. If she looked, she’d be covered in it…
She had to get out of there before Jade found a way to alert Sasha.
"You look sick, Katie. I’ll get you some whiskey," Ileana said. "And a bottle for me as well."
Katie nodded stiffly, unable to speak. She sensed Rhyn's presence before any of the others and braced herself, almost hyperventilating.
"Fuck," Kris whispered, rigid.
He stared past her. She feared looking at Rhyn, feared knowing what shape he’d taken. Instead, she tried to keep her trembling body upright and her vision from growing tunneled.
"You have something that’s mine, brother," came the familiar, low growl.
"You should be in Hell with your fuck-buddy Sasha," Kris snapped.
"You couldn’t defeat me and Hell couldn’t hold me."
By the look on Ileana’s face, Katie knew Rhyn spoke the truth. Katie faced him and saw that he was dressed like Gabriel, all in black. His chiseled features were sinister in the fractured light, his eyes glowing with quiet fury. He was as tense as she’d seen him, ready to morph and attack.
Without looking at her, Rhyn pointed to the spot beside him.
"No, Katie," Kris said quickly, starting forward. He stopped at the growl that came from deep within Rhyn’s chest. "Stay with us. He’ll destroy you and then the rest of humanity."
"Stay with us, Katie," Ileana seconded.
She hesitated, her gaze turning to Tamer.
"Stay with us," Jade echoed.
"Now." Rhyn’s tone made her jump.
She went to him, shaking with the thought of being vulnerable to a creature like Sasha again. Kris didn’t know what Jade had done. He couldn’t protect her. Rhyn could protect her from anything. Her head was spinning, her vision narrowing, and she paused close enough to Rhyn to lean against him.
"Take us away, take us away," she whispered.
He steadied her with one hand, and a second later the cool dampness of the shadow world swallowed her. He guided her through the fog, and they emerged in a dark room with the light of streetlamps filtering through two windows across what looked another hotel room. She rested fully against him, shaking too hard to stay on her feet. He pushed her head to the side. She didn’t object when his fangs bit into her, instead sighing as the comforting warmth consumed her.
When he’d drunk his fill, his arms remained around her. She rested her head
on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. Her shaking subsided. While she feared him, she feared the rest of the monsters more. At least this monster had indicated he was interested in keeping her around.
"Not so tough anymore, are you, little girl," he murmured.
"You’re not exactly the greatest protector!"
"You’re still alive."
"Is that your standard? Me surviving?" she asked incredulously.
"If they turn that beautiful face ugly, I still get blood.”
She opened her mouth to retort but stopped. In his own twisted way, he’d just called her beautiful. He smelled of rain and night, a masculine musk she found as soothing as his bite. He seemed at once disgusted by the fact she was a difficult mortal blood monkey and yet primitively protective, holding her as she quaked after her run-in with a man who wanted to kill her.
"Why on earth did you choose me over a nymph?" she demanded.
He released her, the peaceful moment over. It was dark wherever he’d brought her, and she looked around in wary curiosity. He didn’t answer but crossed to a window and flipped on a light.
"No more warnings," he growled. "You go nowhere without my permission."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Nowhere," he emphasized. "I don’t care if Death herself comes for you."
"It’s not like I have a chance to call you when you disappear," she pointed out. "You want me to tell Death to wait till you get back?"
His silver gaze swept over her. "No more scarves. Or alcohol."
She rolled her eyes. There was one bed--a California king--in what she now realized was a plain hotel room. She flung herself onto her back and stared at the ceiling. He sat at the window overlooking the street two dozen stories below.
"You need only say my name, and I’ll come to you," he grated at last, as if the words cost him a hefty bet. "Like you did when those immortal sons of bitches attacked you in Ireland."
"Some sort of monster psychic connection between us?"
He gave her a scathing look.
"Thanks for rescuing me again,” she said and sighed, exhausted. “You can teach me how to defend myself against monsters if you get tired of bailing me out."
"It’s my duty," he said, eyes returning to the street.
"Thank you anyway."
He bristled. She assumed he was angry with her again for some reason. When she felt the cool touch of the shadow world, she sat up straight.
"Gabriel!" she exclaimed, her gaze going to Rhyn.
To her surprise, the monster didn’t leap up and attack him. If anything, he ignored the death dealer.
"Sorry, Rhyn. I should've asked first," Gabriel said with a glance toward the window.
Rhyn shrugged.
"Gabriel, you have to tell Kris that Jade is working with Sasha!" she exclaimed. "He can’t know."
"He doesn’t," Gabriel confirmed, and sat in an armchair near Rhyn.
"Do you know?"
"Of course."
"Why the hell…is this that damn I-don’t-interfere-in-other-people's-business thing?" she demanded.
"Something like that," Gabriel said with mild amusement.
"Can you tell him I told you to tell him?"
"No."
"Can you take him a note?" she pushed.
"Why do you give a fuck, girl?" Rhyn snapped.
"He’s your brother, Shapeshifter," Gabriel chided.
"Brother?" she repeated. She stared at Rhyn. "You’re one of the seven Ancients."
"Who spent the last million years in Hell, thanks to Kris."
At the warning note in Rhyn’s icy tone, she fell quiet. He wasn’t a patient creature, whatever he was. She crossed to the small desk and rustled around for the complimentary paper and pen.
"Marriott, St. Louis?" she said with a frown. "Never wanted to go to St. Louis."
Neither spoke. She glanced up. Gabriel’s head was tilted to the side, as if listening, and Rhyn’s form had relaxed.
They were communicating silently. She wrote Kris a short message and folded the paper, presenting it to Gabriel. Rhyn snatched it and read it before tearing off the strip at the bottom with the hotel’s address.
He gave her a dirty look. She rolled her eyes at him.
"I’ll let Kris know not to worry about Katie," Gabriel said.
"He only need concern himself with his head," Rhyn responded. "The girl is mine. Nothing anyone can do about it."
"Unless someone kills you permanently," she said. "Right?"
Both looked at her, fleeting amusement on Gabriel’s face but Rhyn’s gaze flaring.
"Try it, and you’ll spend eternity with Sasha," Rhyn snapped.
"How much do you charge for assassinations, Gabriel?" she asked, ignoring Rhyn.
"A life for a life."
"Defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?"
"Not if you’re already dead or immortal."
"Out, Gabriel," Rhyn growled.
The death dealer disappeared. Rhyn gave Katie a long, withering look that she bore with crossed arms. Looking ready to explode, he rose, snatching his trench coat.
"What does it mean that I’m your mate?" she asked.
"It means I can’t kill you, as much as I’d like to!"
He breezed by her and wrenched the door open, slamming it closed. Frustrated when he was around, she couldn’t help but feel unusually alone when he was gone.