Chapter 33

**Nova**


I hear the sound of voices through the darkness. The hallway I'm being led down is nearly pitch black. What sort of creatures live here that they have to keep it so dark? There isn't any I know of, but I don't know a lot of things.

As we get closer to the voices I can make a few things out.

"We should kill her." One person says.

"That did nothing. She died but returned." Another person says.

"What sort of being could escape death?"

"She is a vampire. They are immortal."

Duh.

"Yes, but medically speaking she had been dead. So they can die, just not her."

"Her altered DNA must have kept her alive."

Wow, my existence is a conundrum. Well, they can join the club because I'm just as confused.

"We can't kill her. She was a success. We need to study her." A booming voice says.

The sound makes the hair on my neck stand on end.

"Your experiments have yet to produce success. How do you know this can be repeated?"

"I told you from the beginning that this was experimental and success wasn't guaranteed. You continued pressuring my people for results and now you have them."

"One success! That is not enough."

"We have tried replicating the process but those too were unsuccessful. She is unique."

We reach the double doors leading into the room where the voices are coming from. My guard pushes the door open and the room falls silent. There is more light inside the room but it's a low light provided by candles along the walls of what looks like a circular view. It sets a tone for this being used as a den for monsters which is what these people are.

"Bring her forward." Someone says in a firm authoritative voice.

It's a woman's voice and when I move closer and the faces of the people surrounding me are not hidden in shadows I see her face. She's the same woman who had come to grab me from Aziel.

She's sitting on a dark large backed chair and next to her are smaller versions of the same chair. In fact, the table is lined with these chairs and several different people fill them. They are all staring at me as I'm escorted to the center of the room and my chains are connected to a hook on the floor. They really don't want to take any chances that I'll get away.

They shouldn't bother since it would be easy for me to get out of these chains, but I won't. This is a chance for me to understand what's going on. Once I get that information I'll break out escape.

"Nova. That is your name correct?" The woman asks.

"As you know otherwise you wouldn't have been able to tell your bounty hunter who to look for." I might be cooperating but I don't have to play nice to do it.

Besides I'm in no mood to sweet talk my captures.

"This is for the education of my companions." She says holding her arms out to point at the people sitting with her at the weird half-circle table.

"Right. Yes, my name is Nova. I am a vampire who was held captive after I was kidnapped as a child. I was experimented on and killed before being buried in the middle of nowhere. I came back and had to dig myself out of a grave. What else would you like to know?"

The woman narrows her eyes at me but if she's trying to intimidate me it won't work.

"We don't want to know anything about you. You're here to determine who will take custody of you. Inside you are the answers to a problem we have been dealing with for years now. You're the key."

I nod along but I don't care about any of this. Right now I'm putting all the faces I see into memory.

“I need her to continue my work.” A man at the end of the table says sounding desperate.

“You have failed too many times. It’s time for someone else to attempt the change.” Another man says. “We have been patient too long.”

"We were promised a-"

"You have not fulfilled your end of the contract so anything you feel is owed to you does not exist!"

"Why you-"

The man jumps from his seat and I notice the fur of his wolf slowly rise but before he can shift he is thrown back by an invisible energy. His body hits the nearest wall hard before it slumps to the ground.

"Enough!"

The woman says in a low authoritative voice that sounds so loud that I feel the warmth of blood trickling out of my ears. Others present cry out and cover their ears and curl into themselves.

"This is accomplishing nothing." She says in a much less intense way. "You will join forces to find a way to extract what you need from her. The stronghold in the north can not hold for much longer. We need a solution now."

She looks my way and gives me a wicked smile. "Don't count on Charles finding you little bloodsucker. I always knew he was weak but to mate with such a pathetic creature is something I didn't expect. There must be siren DNA in you if you were able to seduce him."

I chuckle. "Do I hear bitterness in your voice? Did he reject you? It must really tear you up knowing he mated himself to an abomination like me. But don't worry I don't expect him to come for me. I know he will and so will my other mates. You have no idea who you're up against."

She doesn't seem fazed by my insults since she keeps on giving me this annoyingly smug smile.

"Oh, dear. I never wanted him. He thought himself so powerful and untouchable, but he didn't sense a viper in his midst. None of them did, but they'll know when it is their turn to die. Get her out of here!"

The guard who brought me in shuffles over and starts to unchain me. Everyone's eyes are on me as he escorts me to the door. It was only then I see the crowd that stood behind me. I have to stop myself from reacting to some of the creatures I see. Creatures that look a lot like demons from a nightmare.

Who the heck are these guys?

My guard shoves me hard enough to make me stumble but I catch myself by reaching out for the door. He seems a lot more agitated than when he brought me here.

"Everything okay?" I hazard to ask.

"No."

"Okay, and why is that?" Hey, I'm breaking out of here, might as well ask questions.

"My people were slaughtered and used in those experiments. The experiments that made you."

I see.

"Look, I'm sorry. My family was killed too. I didn't want any of this."

"It doesn't matter. You are still part of the reason they are dead."

He isn't wrong even if this was all against my will.

"If I could make it up to you I would, but I'm a prisoner. There isn't much I can do here."

I don't think he would ever offer to help me escape but I need to try. There is a lot I can do, but I don't know this place. I need directions and maybe this guy can provide them if I can convince him I'm not the enemy.

"There is nothing you can do! It's already done!" He yells before grabbing my arm so hard that with a flick of his wrist, he could break it.

"I know, but don't you think the people who caused this mess should be punished?"

He doesn't say anything but I feel his hand relax slightly.

"How?' Got him.

"I'm trying to find all the people involved and the place where they kept me. I want to help anyone affected by this, but there is still so much I don't know. I need help wherever I can find it. If you know something that can help then I'll be that much closer."

"The people you saw were the ones involved." He says but he sounds unsure.

I shake my head. "I didn't recognize any of them except the woman because she was there when I was taken. Whoever that man was that claimed he created me...I've never seen him before. Either he's too far up in ranks or he was lying."

A mystery I am very interested in. If that man is in charge of all the experiments then I need to get my hands on him. Figuring out how is the issue, but I need help. I need to get back to my mates so we can make a plan. I can't do this alone.

"You will try to get revenge?" He asks.

"Is that what you want?" I ask carefully.

"Yes."

"Then I will. Can you help me?"

"I will, and I will go with you."

Wait, what?

Aw crap. Not another stowaway.