Monsters were basically what I did. She was another in a long line.
I followed her along the blinking hallway until we ended up in a room where the lights were solid. Fluorescent, yes, but at least they were steady.
I took a better look at her. Brynna’s long, dark hair fell past her waist in waves. Her face was long. She had a small cleft in her chin and high cheekbones. Her eyes were pixie like, and her nose Grecian. She was lovely. When Deacon had described her, he hadn’t said she was so pretty. But then again, my best friend really only had eyes for his wife.
The woman in front of me was of medium build. Her height or weight wouldn’t have mattered when she was a Vampire. They were deadly in all sizes. The child Vampires, which were the worst to see, had taken down full grown men.
She put her hands on her hips. “Are you done?”
“I’ve never seen a former Vampire before. You’ll have to excuse me, I wanted a good look.” I smirked at her. “And you’re actually pretty to view. Might have taken my time.”
The woman snorted. “Does that work for you? Your handsome face and your quick tongue? Do women fall to the floor and beg Micah Lyons, one of the unofficial crown princes of Genesis, to please take their pants off them?”
I laughed. It was a hard sound, the need for the burst of amusement surprising me the second it happened. “None have actually said, ‘Take my pants off me, Micah.’ ”
“You get the point.” She spun in a circle. “I look like a human.”
She did, indeed. “How did you know my name?”
“I know lots of things.”
Well, if that was going to be the only answer I got, then I supposed it would do. She hadn’t inquired as to why I knew who she was, which wasn’t surprising. If she knew me, then she was also aware we’d learned of her existence. Deacon really needed to be more forthcoming when it came to his interactions with others and what was said.
“I suppose this saves us the trouble of having to introduce ourselves.”
She tilted her head to the side. “I suppose. What are you doing down here? Time after time by yourself? Are you trying to get killed? To get turned?”
“Hard to turn a Warrior.”
Brynna nodded. “Hard but not impossible. I turned one or two in my time. I’ll ask again, Warrior, what are you doing down here alone?”
“None of your business, Vamp Girl.”
Her dark brown eyes flared hot for a second, and then she masked her face again. “It is my business. I can’t be expected to keep an eye on the scientists and watch out for you.”
“If I needed to be watched, I suppose that would be true, but seeing as I neither want nor need your help, you can go back to whatever it is you think you’re doing down here.”
She held up three fingers on her right hand. “That’s how many times I have stopped you from dying and you had no idea. I’m getting a little tired of doing it.”
Saved me? Bullshit. “When?”
“You didn’t even know. You make my point for me. When you went after those humans in the cage, who I was in the process of getting out, there was a horde of Vampires headed straight for you. I waylaid them, and they didn’t get to you in time. Another time, there were Werewolves, and the last time, you almost walked into a trap and I got rid of the trap first.”
I had seen relatively few Vampires lately, no Werewolves, and I really had no idea about any traps. “Thank you. You can stop now. I don’t need or want your help.”
I really didn’t. I was supposed to be doing this alone, and it turned out I’d had someone cleaning up for me? Her fixing things negated the whole point. If I was overwhelmed and killed down here, then so be it.
“Micah.” She raised her voice. “You have a life up there. You’re a Lyons.” I was fully aware, and hearing her say it did not endear her to me, at all. “Go back to it. I’m clearing out these places. I’ll get the humans free. I don’t have time for spoiled, entitled, so-called Warriors coming down here and mucking things up.”
I’d been called many things in my life. Spoiled and entitled had never been one of them. I couldn’t let those accusations stand. I walked toward her, slowly. We really didn’t know anything about this woman—creature—whatever she was. All we knew was she’d been cured of her Vampirism. She was clearly not entirely human. If she were, we wouldn’t be overwhelmed with memories every time she came near.
She was something different, that was for sure. I’d learned, night after night, hour after hour, that in the end, monsters always wanted us dead. She claimed to have saved me. Well, how nice of her. I still wasn’t going to take her shit.
When I was close enough to tell she smelled like soap and fresh air, I stopped. “I don’t hurt women. Not ever. Human ones, anyway. And to be clear, most women I know could probably kick my ass if they wanted. But I don’t know what you are, and I don’t take insults from monsters.” She winced, and I immediately regretted the statement. Didn’t stop me from continuing. In for a penny, in for a pound. “I’m not any of the things you say I am. I’m down here to search the place, rescue people, and report back. If I die doing it, then at least it was doing something to save the people of Genesis. If you want the Genesis life so much, the one you accused me of leaving, go grab it for yourself. Oh wait… you can’t, right? Because you’re a Vampire. Cured or not. You killed however many people you did. And now you’re stuck here in the dark. Forever.”
I’d never seen anyone move as fast as Brynna did. One second she was in front of me, and the next she was gone.
I breathed in through my nose. Okay, she’d triggered me, and I was a huge asshole. I’d own it. Spoiled and entitled? No.
Dick? Yes.
Chapter 2
As the day went on, my treatment of the beautiful Vampire girl continued to bother me. That was quite the oxymoron. Beautiful. Vampire. The two terms shouldn’t go together. And yet, they did. Brynna was gorgeous and for most of the last who-knew-how-many years had been a bloodsucker. How were both possible?
I already knew I was stupid, but I couldn’t seem to reconcile the two together. I sighed. She’d struck at my ego, and I’d hit back. At some point, I had to stop being such an asshat and quit responding before I had the chance to think about what I was going to say. Not every attack by me—verbal or physical—had to be fatal.
I rounded the corner and stopped. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Something was wrong. I grabbed the stake out of my hoodie pocket and was ready to fight if need be. We’d been taught to trust our gut in fights. My body felt cold. That was a Vampire sign. Werewolves were pain.
When I’d been messed with during cryogenic sleep, those warnings were implanted inside of me so I could always tell when a Vampire was near. Funny, I’d not felt anything like the signal when Brynna was near. Just memories of Mom and Dad discussing what a bitter disappointment I’d been. Not a Vampire signal the entire time.
I stepped forward, and a hand reached out from the darkness to cover my mouth.
“Don’t bite me,” Brynna spoke in a low whisper. “And don’t make a frickin’ sound.”
I nodded. Biting the Vampire would be quite a role reversal. I didn’t intend to give it a go. I remained still, and she eventually released my mouth.
I listened to the sounds around me and tried to ignore the fact that Brynna smelled good and was pressed against me. I wasn’t a sex addict, at least I didn’t think I was, and this was clearly not the moment to be thinking about anything other than what was happening. I’d gone through years of training, and it was like I’d lost all of it in the hours I’d been down here.
I blamed Brynna.
Voices traveled toward us, and she tugged on my arm, drawing me farther into the dark. The little woman put her body in front of mine in the shadows. What in the hell was she doing? I grabbed her. I didn’t need her to stand in front of me, but she kicked my shin and as I digested that she could actually wield a lot of pain with her small foot, a noise nearby forced me into
silence. The cold Vampire feeling shot through my body.
Out of the doorway I’d been about to enter, two scientists strode forward. They spoke to each other and didn’t look up to see us. One was a tall, older woman with salt and pepper hair, and the other was a man about the same age. He was totally bald.
“I mean look at the amino acids. What we really need is Icahn. I think it’s time to bring him back.”
I jolted, and Brynna’s fingers dug into my arm. Okay, I’d stay silent. Behind the scientists, two Vampires seemed to float, rather than walk, after them. The Vampires didn’t attack the scientists. They were addicted to a substance the scientists kept in their human food supply. I guessed it didn’t make sense to bite the hand feeding them…
Then again, maybe they had stronger cognition than that. The woman in front of me was perfectly able to speak. Had she gotten the ability back or had she never lost it?
The taller of the two Vampires turned slightly in our direction. I gripped the stake in my hand. Okay, if it was go time, then it was go time. I’d…
His gaze fell to Brynna and, for a second time, seemed to slow down. Images blew through my consciousness. Scenes from my life I never thought about. The time my father had taken Chad and me to see the Yankees play. We’d had nosebleed tickets. They’d lost, but it had been fun. Chad and I had thrown popcorn at each other, and my Dad had actually laughed for a change.
The memory faded fast, the Vampires looking away from us as they continued following the scientists. Brynna let out the breath she must have been holding. The room finally cleared.
“What the fuck?” I still kept my voice low.
Brynna turned to look at me. “Two scientists and the Vampires they keep in tow.”
“No, that I got.” I rolled my eyes. “The memory. Why does it keep happening around you?”
She sucked in a breath. “You felt that? A memory? When Ivan looked at us.”
“I…” I swallowed through the dryness in my throat. “The Vampire has a name?”
Brynna left me and headed toward the now vacant room. “Of course he had a name. We all have names. I believe we’ve already done introductions, you and I.”
I sighed and hastened to follow. Our second meeting was not going better than our first. “Yes, I know you have a name. Did you have one when you were…”
“A monster?” she interrupted.
The room we entered was large. I’d seen ones like it before. It seemed every time I came down into these hellholes, I found more and more spots I’d missed. Was it ever going to be possible to map all of it? I couldn’t waste time doing this. I’d just been given an incredible piece of information. They were going to re-clone Isaac Icahn. His return would be a nightmare I couldn’t allow.
Yet still, I followed Brynna further into the testing room. That’s how I thought of these places anyway. Like the others I’d explored, the place was thrown around as though it had been vacated quickly. Beakers, vials, and pieces of microscopes were all over the floor. I bent over and picked one up.
I still had yet to answer Brynna. She’d used the M word in an obvious reference to the fact that earlier I’d used it to describe her. I could continue this fight—maybe die on this hill, as the expression went—or actually not be a jackass.
“I’m sorry I called you a monster.” I couldn’t help the smirk on my mouth as I continued. “You’re a reformed monster. Big difference. A recovering monster.”
She groaned. “I keep saving your life, and you keep being…” She motioned toward me with her hand. “This person.”
“Why do you keep doing it then?” I squatted down, rummaging through the broken glass to see if there was anything there worth saving. Or maybe it was simply to find something to do with my hands.
“Hasn’t there been enough death?” She looked away from me. “To answer your earlier question, Ivan recognized me as I did him. The memories… they’re a result of whatever they did to cure me of my Vampire disease. Vampires live in each other’s memories all the time. It’s what we do. You’re being pulled into it with me for the brief seconds you’re in my presence.”
I got to my feet. All of this was different from anything I understood about the bloodsuckers. “What?”
“Which part didn’t you understand?” She kicked a table. “It’s not here. I was sure it would be since they kept it hidden so long. I bet it’s on Dr. Marco. I don’t want to kill her. Go home, Micah. I think you heard some information you’re going to want to get to your father. Stay out of my Vampire maze. Today’s the last time I’ll ever be saving your life.”
I didn’t know what I would have said to her. Between the understandable jab and her ordering me out of the Vampire lairs, I stood there with my mouth open while she ran away, disappearing too fast for me to follow her. Again.
I sighed. Today was not going how it was supposed to. Not even a little bit. What made it worse was she was correct. I did have to go back and tell them about Icahn. My need to keep exploring was going to have to wait another day. Again. Maybe I was fooling myself. Maybe I would never get out of Genesis. Maybe I should quit trying.
Only, giving up had never been in my nature. I wasn’t done yet. And if the fascinating woman—monster—whatever—thought she could order me around, she had another think coming.
Finding my father wasn’t a problem. Patrick Lyons ran Genesis with a sometimes soft, sometimes iron, fist. Sometimes he was gentle, and sometimes he was so hard he could smash through rock. I always got the iron part of him. Dad spent most of his time these days sitting behind a table, giving orders to anyone foolish enough to be in his vicinity when he felt like dishing them out. Or worked for him. Whatever the case happened to be.
I rushed into the room to see a line of people waiting to speak to him. Family relations aside, I would normally stand patiently for an audience with the old man. It wasn’t like we enjoyed speaking to each other.
But this had to take precedence.
“Hey,” I shouted, waving my hands in the air. “Dad, I need your attention. Now.”
He raised his eyes to meet my gaze and then nodded. It was probably the now that got his attention. He had to know how little I wanted his immediate attention on anything I did. Or didn’t do.
When the room cleared, my father got to his feet. “What’s going on? I thought you had gone again. Didn’t even stop by to see your mother.”
Guilt pressed against my temple like the nasty bitch that emotion always proved to be, and I shoved it away. I didn’t have time for emotional battering. “I was gone. I came back because I learned something, and you need to hear it, too.”
“Go on.” My dad put both his hands on the table in front of him, leaning forward. “It’s bad.”
Maybe it was my tone that tipped him off. “Two scientists running around down there talked about re-cloning Icahn. They need him for something. They’re going to bring him back.”
I expected dad to burst into action. Immediate response was his way. He’d charge to the door and start barking orders. Only, he didn’t. Instead, my father sank in his chair. He was forty-seven years old. Fit, healthy, and larger than life was how I’d always thought of him. Suddenly, worry for his health had me charge to the table.
“Are you okay?”
He waved his hand at me. “I’m not having a heart attack.”
Okay, well that was that. My father rubbed his eyes. “This is what we feared. How to get all the cloning machines. It’s impossible. Tiffani and I talked about this many times. The idea he could be back.”
I hadn’t known. I supposed I should have considered it. But once Icahn was dead, thrown over the edge of a balcony by the now deceased Werewolf, Andon Kenwood, I’d been relieved. We’d destroyed his cloning machines. Rachel had gone missing, and her absence had caught all of our attention. Chad had melted down, not publicly crying but losing all emotion altogether. He’d faded right in front of our eyes.
Those moments were when I’d finally understood how
deeply my brother loved his woman. And I hadn’t the slightest idea what to do for him.
Icahn was dead. I’d never looked further into it. I’d had to take care of Chad.
But then Rachel was returned to us, thanks to Deacon—a fact no one in my family was ever going to forget—and I should have thought about it then.
I hadn’t.
Not once.
“What now?” What else was there really to ask?
My father got to his feet. “We call in the Warriors. We make a plan.”
“Right.” I nodded. “Dad, there’s one thing more.”
Outside, a dong sounded, our nightly call to dinner. The mess halls would start to serve. Some of our people had families, and in their tent homes would sit down to eat together. Those without anyone would gather in the halls, acting like the community everyone wanted Genesis to be.
Even if it was sometimes the coldest, unfeeling group of humanity ever assembled in one spot.
“What is it?” He looked tired. How much longer could he do this? Chad had to take over soon, let Dad go back to fighting as a Warrior, teaching, or something else. “Micah? Get it out.”
There it was. Those last words. I wasn’t going to concern myself with what he did and didn’t do. I’d get to it. Fine. “I wasn’t alone down there. Brynna, the former Vampire, she was with me.”
“Is that so?” He shook his head. “Not telling me would have been a huge detail to leave out.”
“Well, that’s why I didn’t.” This was what we were like all the time. Back and forth. Push and pull. Poking at each other. It was never going to be different.
“Fine.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Great. Then she can help us.”
“Ah.” I backed away from the table, practically stumbling over a chair in back peddling away from my father. “I didn’t get the impression helping us was part of her plans. She saved my life a couple of times. I think mostly because she doesn’t like death. But… she doesn’t come across as the kind of person who’s simply going to take up a cause. I get the impression she has her own agenda.”