Every single resident of The Hollow was allowed to be part of the celebrations. And they really were celebrating the Binding now that I’d been totally accepted. Just like the masqueraders, they all practically danced their way along the streets, going from stall to stall, and tanking themselves up on food and rum flavoured NSTs.
With our bodies meshed together, swaying sensually to the rhythm of the music currently playing, Jared and I watched the parade in total awe. Taking the hand that I’d had curled around his neck, he held it in front of him, turning it this way and that way, admiring the speckles of energy that dripped from my fingers like fairy dust.
“I think it’s because of how hectic the night is,” I told him. “So much positive energy around us.” I shaped it into a silvery-blue energy ball, surprised by how substantial it looked. Curious, I told Jared, “Hold out your hand.”
His brows arched in surprise, but he did as I’d asked. Carefully, I rolled the ball onto the palm of his hand. Rather than immediately disintegrating as it should have done since Jared wasn’t a Feeder, it remained in shape.
Jared jerked his head back. “Wow. Does the energy always buzz against your skin like that?”
I smiled. “Yep. Feels odd, but nice, doesn’t it?”
He smiled in agreement, watching with me as the ball stayed as it was for a good ten seconds before visibly weakening, until it sort of winked out.
“My whip’s stronger as well.”
“Which means it will hurt more. That would be a good thing if you didn’t use it on me.”
“Let me have my way in all things and I’ll never have to.”
His snort told me that that would never happen. But then, things would be boring if it did.
I smelt the High Master Vampire before he tapped my shoulder. Swerving around, I felt my eyebrows fly up as Ricardo and his consort bowed their heads respectfully. I repeat, respectfully. “Are you taking the piss?”
Ignoring my question, Ricardo spoke in a courteous tone. “I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge last night. That was an impressive display of power. I have to say, it was quite ruthless of you to toy with Magda and allow her to believe she was winning the duel for a while. I admire that.”
“So you’re staying for the ceremony?”
He cocked his head. “In all honesty, I think that I would have stayed regardless. You may be, by far, the least polite person I have ever met, but I strangely find myself liking you.”
Oddly enough, I was quite happy about that. Although Ricardo hadn’t exactly been friendly at any point, I didn’t dislike him. He had been looking out for his bloodline, and that wasn’t something I could fault him for. In fact, it was a shame that all vampires weren’t like that. I’d certainly have appreciated it if Victor had been like that. “You know something? I like you too, Rick.”
His smile shrunk slightly. “It is Ricardo.”
“Right, that’s what I said.”
It was at that moment that Bran, Connelly, Kaiser, Rowan, and Marcia approached. Oh joy.
Connelly smiled affectionately at us. “I do not wish to anger you,” he said to Jared, “but it is impossible not to comment on how beautiful the mercury glow is.”
Well of course my irises were glowing – Jared had been grinding against me for the past half hour as we swayed, whispering sensual promises into my ear, so it was hardly surprising that I was horny. I wasn’t impressed by the fact that my arousal would be so easily evident to others. I could now relate to the plight of blokes and how they were unable to hide their arousal.
Jared laughed at Connelly’s comment. “I can’t blame you for that.”
“Yes, it is very unique,” said Bran. “I have to wonder if it was wise of Antonio to bestow power onto someone who was already extremely strong.”
Kaiser grunted his agreement. “Does it feel uncomfortable to have such an immense quantity of power inside you? Does it make you feel bloated?”
I shook my head. “It feels kind of…uplifting.”
Rowan spoke then. “I admit to feeling placated now that I have seen just what you can do.”
I snorted. “Forgive me if I’m not bowled over by the comment, considering you’ve been a bit of an arse.”
His mouth twitched into a smile. Not an ugly smile, but still self-satisfied and slightly mischievous. “But − as it turned out − it wasn’t anything you couldn’t handle, was it?”
Seeing that Marcia’s smile matched his, I realised something. “You two had been baiting me, hadn’t you? You’d wanted me to lose control, to show you my gifts?”
Marcia jiggled her head. “That was partly the motive. But it was also important for us to see if you would easily turn on your own kind. In the past, leaders have ruled by instilling fear − punishing anyone who disagreed with their decisions or dared to question them. We want to feel comfortable voicing our thoughts, want that assurance that we will be heard and not punished.”
That I could understand. Antonio ruled in such a way, and it had always worked. Everyone respected him for it.
“You gave as good as you got,” continued Marcia, “but you did not physically harm any of us. That spoke volumes about what kind of leader you would be.”
Huh. “I still think you’re a bit of a snob.”
Marcia laughed, sounding delighted. “Not something I haven’t heard before. Much like you, I do not believe in changing who I am to suit other people.”
That was something I could respect. Having exchanged nods with both Jared and me, the five vampires walked away.
“Since I arrived at The Hollow, I’ve been constantly tested one way or another,” I griped to Jared.
He smiled. “You think it was any different for me? Although I’d passed the try-outs and earned a spot in the legion, I hadn’t been promoted to commander straight away. That came later, and it hadn’t been easy. I wasn’t appointed as Heir until after I’d intercepted a direct attack on Antonio − twice. I hadn’t expected him to give me that position in a million years. There are lots of vampires in the legion who are older than me and have served him a hell of a lot longer than I have. Everyone was curious as to why he would select me. They knew I was powerful, but that hadn’t been enough for them to be comfortable with me.”
“So they tested you?”
“Yep, just like they tested you. They were rude, they were patronising, and they repeatedly goaded me. One of them even challenged me. Not like Magda challenged you. No, they challenged me for my position. That was something I wasn’t prepared to lose.”
“Who?” I’d kill the twat.
“You haven’t met him, because he’s dead.”
Oh, good.
“He was a very old, very powerful, very well-known vampire, but I won. And I ensured that I made a spectacle of this bastard who had been a huge problem for Antonio over the years − no swift, clean death. I fought fairly, but I didn’t make it quick and painless. And no one forgot that. They didn’t want a leader who was dishonourable, but nor did they want one who gave mercy to those who didn’t deserve it. You did that very same thing to Magda, and no one will ever forget that either.”
Hearing my name being called, I turned my head. My eyes widened when I noticed two very familiar faces dancing on one of the floats passing us, waving like crazy. “Oh dear God.”
Jared’s gaze followed my line of vision and he laughed. Who wouldn’t? The feathery, sequin-covered eye-masks that they had clearly made themselves should have made Fletcher and Norm look completely daft, but they somehow suited them. It was their idea of dancing that was so amusing. It looked more like they were hyperventilating.
Having jumped down from the float that they had clearly hitched a ride on, they both dashed over to us. As usual, Fletcher gave me a tight hug. “Isn’t this party bloody brilliant?”
“I know, it’s amazing. I love it.”
Norm, too, gave me a hug. Pulling back, he studied my eyes and smiled knowingly. “The mercury’s glowing.”
I tense
d. “Tell me the truth. Does it look bad?”
Jared groaned in frustration, tugging me to him and enfolding me in his arms again. “I’ve told you, it looks anything but bad.”
I huffed. “You would say that – you like sex.”
Laughing, Fletcher agreed with Jared, “It doesn’t look bad at all. It looks quite sexy actually.”
“Sexy,” repeated Norm, though he was looking directly at an unsuspecting Jared − it wasn’t an uncommon thing.
Unlike Jared, Fletcher hadn’t missed that and he shot his boyfriend a scowl that swore repercussions.
Norm snickered. “Oh you can look, but I can’t?”
“I’m pleased we’ve sorted that out,” replied Fletcher with a cheeky smile that made Norm gape in outrage. Turning back to me, Fletcher said, “Widow Twankey’s nowhere to be seen. Does that mean she’s gone?” When I shook my head, he gave me a castigating look. “You must have a screw loose to keep her around. Well, at least she’s not here at the party.”
Right at that moment, I couldn’t have cared less where she was. With Jared wrapped around me and the fabulous atmosphere, the woman didn’t seem important. We continued to dance and eat and dance and eat…right up until sunrise when the street party finally ended, culminating in an amazing firework display.
Even if the street party hadn’t been so incredible, we would still have enjoyed the night. We had a list of reasons to be happy. I had been totally accepted by all so there was no longer any worry that Jared may have to step down from his position. Magda and Brook were very wisely keeping a low profile. There had been no more bouts of excruciating pain or attacks of bloodlust. And my gifts were now under total control − not to mention stronger.
But our contentedness only lasted until dusk when we received a message from Antonio, summoning us to meet with him. Ryder had got the information we needed.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
(Sam)
I was glad to be meeting with Antonio in this particular room of his mansion. In the centre of the huge space was a large glass aviary. Inside, with the many trees and plants, there were canaries, rabbits, guinea pigs, and lots of different types of birds. Making it even nicer, a tiny stream bordered the entire aviary.
This room was where Antonio came whenever he felt overwhelmed by things; he’d once said that the peaceful space relaxed him. So, as always, he and Luther were wearing beaming smiles as they watched the animals scurrying around. At my entrance, the dogs immediately came to sniff and nuzzle my hands. Jared received merely a fleeting, dismissive look from them, which made him snort.
“So what did Ryder find out?” Jared gruffly asked Antonio. He never bothered with pleasantries when he was in this kind of mood. And why was he in a bad mood? He’d been hoping that Ryder wouldn’t retrieve the relevant information until after our ceremony. Yeah, I could understand that. But I’d rather have the whole thing over with before then, as it would mean I could totally relax and have nothing on my mind other than the ceremony. Hopefully this peaceful place would work its wonders on Jared.
Antonio’s mouth twitched in amusement at Jared’s abruptness. “I believe there is plenty that you should be able to use to shut down this operation once and for all.”
“Good.” Somehow, that managed to sound like a growl.
I elbowed Jared hard. “Snap out of it. You said sex would cheer you up. Clearly that was a load of bleeding shite.”
He released a long-suffering sigh. “Fine. Tell us what Ryder found out,” he said more calmly.
Antonio nodded. “The Deliverer, Wendy, did not know much at all. She was merely given the position by the Medics, and was told not to ask questions. She didn’t. The Medics, on the other hand – Sandra and Mitch, I believe their names are – proved very useful.”
The powerful Keja settled himself on one of the benches before continuing. “None of them had known each other prior to becoming Medics. Erik had been struck off the medical register for misconduct. Mitch had been in an accident that left him with a tremor in his hand, which meant he could no longer be a surgeon and so he lost his job. Sandra was in medical school but struggling to pay for it herself.
“One thing that applied to all of them was that they were financially struggling. Erik and Mitch had lost big jobs, but still had big mortgages and families to support. Sandra worked part-time as a waitress, but some of her wages were going to her mother, who was an alcoholic and mostly drinking it away.”
A part of me could sympathise with that, but I didn’t feel that it could possibly excuse anything that they had done.
“Each was recruited separately. They were teased by a stranger with the idea of a job that would be the answer to all of their problems. They were then given a card and asked to call if they wished to talk about it more. Each of them did. Separately, they were collected and taken to a detached house. There, they were informed exactly what they would be required to do and asked if they had problems with this. These people are known as the Handlers.”
“I take it the Medics didn’t have any issues.”
“Sandra had had her doubts, but apparently because of her own childhood, her belief was that children would be better off with financially comfortable families. She was assuming that the babies were going to such people. Mitch had simply needed the money desperately as he was extremely close to losing everything. Erik had been scared and intimidated into saying yes after, without their knowledge, watching one of the vampires feeding on a human.”
No wonder he had been so petrified of us.
“After accepting the position, all of them had their memories altered so that they remembered only what they needed to remember. Erik had, at one point, seen fangs after meeting with one of the Handlers, and it had sparked the other memories to resurface. He therefore knew exactly where the babies were going, and exactly who they would be going to.”
“Yet he didn’t stop?” Jared’s expression morphed into one of disgust.
“It wasn’t sitting well with him. Many times he had considered going to the police, but he was in too deep and he had a wife and twin daughters. Apparently, though, the vampires had noticed the guilt, so they had frightened him by telling him that if he talked, they would drink his wife dry and sell his children before then killing him.”
My eyebrows rose. “I suppose that explains why he was prepared to slit his own throat rather than tell us anything.”
“Was Ryder able to get us any names?” Jared asked Antonio.
“Yes. The name of the person who did most of the talking was ‘Zeke’. The one with the gift of meddling with memories was ‘Blake’.” Antonio smiled slightly as he added, “Ryder did sketches of them, but he’s no artist, so don’t expect too much.”
“This house that Erik, Sandra, and Mitch were taken to,” I began. “Did Ryder manage to get an address?” I wasn’t optimistic about that.
Antonio’s smile was smug. “Fortunately, as Sandra was familiar with that particular area, she was able to recognise the avenue.” Oh, fab.
Jared nodded approvingly. “Were there any other names? Anything that could be linked to the vampire who’s running the operation?”
Sighing disappointedly, Antonio replied, “They merely referred to him as ‘the boss’. They talked to each other about ‘Lynne’ and ‘Moira’, both of who I suspect take care of the babies.”
“Then Lynne and Moira die too,” I said simply, to which Jared nodded.
Antonio rose from the bench. “I suggest you leave promptly. Regrettably you’ll be missing tonight’s entertainment, but I will not have you miss or delay the ceremony − it will happen in two evenings’ time. Tomorrow evening must be a time that you can relax and prepare for it. As such, if all is not resolved tonight, I will hand over the assignment to another squad.” He held up a hand when both Jared and I went to speak. “I appreciate that this is a sore spot for every squad, but I will not let your work interfere with your Binding.”
We gave Antonio ‘fair enough’ nods. H
e was right; we couldn’t place an assignment before our Binding, no matter how delicate this particular assignment was. That simply made me more determined to end it tonight.
Okay, so the plan had been simple enough. Using the same technique we used at the secluded bungalow, we get inside, kill the occupants, and rescue anyone that needed rescuing, if applicable.
Of course, at first we needed to find out just how many people were inside, where exactly they were, and what it was they were doing. That was where Stuart would come in. From the roof of the late night café on the corner of the avenue, we had been able to tell that the gated house had plenty of security cameras. That wouldn’t be an issue as nobody monitoring the footage would notice Stuart travelling around as molecules. His role was to get inside, investigate, and report back with whatever information he found.
There turned out to be a huge problem with that.
“What do you mean you can’t get near the house?” I asked him. Jared and the squad all huddled closer on the roof.
Stuart looked at me helplessly. “The building’s surrounded by some kind of psychic alarm. I might not have noticed it, but a guy in the legion has the same gift and he’s placed one around his apartment so that if anyone even gets close to his door, the activity will trigger the alarm. You can’t see the alarm, but it makes a really low buzzing sound. I probably would have ignored the noise if it hadn’t been so familiar.”
Harvey flapped his arms. “So now what?”
“There’s something you guys should know,” began Stuart. “I heard two voices talking. One of the windows had been slightly open. Anyone passing wouldn’t have heard it…if they hadn’t been a vampire. They were talking about picking up a ‘package’ shortly to take to ‘Moira’, and that ‘the boss’ was impatient. They were also frustrated that some of the other ‘Docs’ hadn’t contacted them with a ‘package’ yet.”
“He obviously means Erik, Sandra, and Mitch, then,” said Jude, her eyes gleaming. The woman knew justice was close, and it was making her both anxious and restless.