Chapter 460: Vampire
Poke. Wake up.
Grumble, mumble.
Poke, poke. You must wake.
Sigh. Breath.
Gasp.
I sat up and shot to my feet in the same motion, staggering as I fought for balance. But my physical body didn't matter.
Didn't.
Not when I couldn't feel my magic.
Correction. Not all of it. Demon? Missing. Shaylee? Nowhere to be felt. Vampire?
Yes, she sent. I'm here with you.
Relief and panic and fear and burning rage heating to eruption warred inside me as I looked up and around the small stone room with the low slung bed and a black wool blanket. I saw the tall, thin window, old rippled glass looking out over what looked like mountains, a fat and heavy moon shining in on me.
Mountains?
A door squatted in the middle of the far wall. Thick and wooden, wider than I was used to, a round knob in the center of rough black iron begged to be turned. I stormed my way forward. Started to. Tripped over the rough rock under my feet, caught on the edge of the woven mat beside the bed. I just managed to catch myself from falling over.
Someone was going to pay with their life.
The knob felt icy in my hand, and resisted my attempts to turn it. Locked, huh? We'd see about that. I reached for my demon to shatter it into a million pieces.
Had to clench my fists around the jab of absolute terror I felt when she didn't answer me.
She can't. The vampire sighed. They've been neutralized, both of them. Demon and Sidhe, and your family magic with them. But you have me.
Yes. Yes. Gratitude returned in a rush. I reached out for Gram, for Mom. Anyone.
I can't feel them, the vampire sent. But there are those I do know.
Sebastian. I felt him faintly, somewhere out there beyond the doorway. Shielded against me, had to be. And Sunny, the momentary touch of her love. Uncle Frank.
I wasn't alone.
Knowing that went a long way toward helping me calm down. The initial rush of adrenaline burned off, I drew a deep breath, resting my head against the thickly grained wood of the oak door, forcing myself to calm, calm.
Calm.
Better, she sent, the vampire's tone soothing. Much better.
What's happening? Coherent. Good for me.
I don't know for certain, she answered.
The white powder. I knew the stuff. Had been under its influence before when Demetrius Strong used it to cut off my power before the cherubic leader of the Chosen of the Light tied me to a stake and tried to burn me alive.
Horror fluttered around my heart with the wings of a desperate bird, driving my calm away again.
My vampire went on, tone sharper. Pull yourself together. We're not in Wilding Springs anymore.
I choked on a half-hysterical laugh. Does that make my demon the lion, Shaylee the scarecrow and you the tin man looking for a heart?
She didn't say anything for a long time, though her confusion was so clear I couldn't hold in the giggle taking over.
I don't know what that means, she finally sent. This isn't funny.
I know. I stepped back from the door and hugged myself. I'm sorry. Nerves. We have to get out of here. My claustrophobia ramped up as I faced the unyielding exit. Not that the room was tiny or anything, not at all. But the feeling of being trapped would still have clung to me even if it was three times its size.
Agreed, she sent. The door is locked.
Oh. My. Swearword. The giggles again.
Really, she snapped. This is no time for hysterics.
Cut me a little slack, I sent back. I take it you have an idea about the lock? Some secret vampire magic that can cut through the door?
Of course not, she sent. Why bother when we can teleport out of here?
Okay then.
Right, I sent. Just teleport. Gotcha. How do I do that again?
She sighed heavily. You're not normally this dense, she sent.
It's been a rough night. Sarcasm back in place? Check. Just show me what to do already.
It was surprisingly easy. Just a shift in body mass, spirit magic sliding between atoms, my body turning to a kind of floating mist. I hovered there, the world around me black-edged and cold while my vampire observed.
Excellent, she sent. Now, think of where you want to go.
Home? That would be awesome.
No, she sent. The wards on this castle prevent you leaving using vampire magic.
I reached out with my demon... sigh.
Okay, I sent. I'll believe you.
Oh, thank you, she sent. Thank you, thank you.
When did she become so snarky? And why did I think it was my influence?
We're in this together, I shot back.
I know. She shuddered inside me. I'm sorry. We're both on edge. Close your eyes and see.
I did. Cool. There was still a door, but it was transparent, the wall, too. A pair of glowing white shapes stood on the other side, black holes up high which had to be windows. And a hallway.
Shall we? She prodded me gently as I focused on being there and went.
Flickering out of shadow and into the light on the other side of the door.
Wicked.
I spun to face the two vampire guards who stared at me in shock.
"Hiya," I waved a little. "Air's a little stuffy in there."
My vampire hissed softly. At her urging, I turned around to see a familiar form half-running toward me, his face creased in his own brand of shock.
"Piotr," I said, anger rising again at last. "You asshole."
My vampire reacted with me, driving me forward even though I didn't need the encouragement, slamming into him and driving him backward. The vampire tried to shudder out of my grip, but the essence inside me held him as I grasped the front of his elaborate jacket in my hands and jerked his face down to my level.
"You have a lot of explaining to do," I snarled. Paused. "And dying. After the explaining."
Piotr shook his head. "You shouldn't have access to power."
Underestimated me, did he? "You have no idea who you're dealing with, clearly." I let my vampire out, feeling my teeth lengthen, the cold of her chilling me to the bone, the heat of my anger now a slowly sharpening blade of ice. "This is the last time you screw with a Hayle."
Sydlynn! Sebastian's mind touched mine. Don't harm him.
Oh, hell no. Says who? The need to tear Piotr apart for his arrogance almost won.
There is more to this than you know. Sadness, concern. Please. You must listen.
Fine. I let Piotr go with a savage smile, shoving him from me with a certain amount of power behind my gesture. He stepped back a pace, the usual vampire grace returning the moment he was out of my grip.
"I'm under orders," he said, like that made one tiny little miniscule bit of difference.
Sebastian's mind hovered in mine as I thought it over. "Whoever gave you those orders is about to be damned sorry." I shoved past him, making it about three steps before I turned back to find him staring at me with sullen rage. "Well, errand boy? Are you coming or sulking?"
Oh snap.
I allowed him to lead me, needing the time to let my mind absorb what I'd learned. A) I was out of my element and country, quite likely. B) My friends were here, but only the vampire ones, from what I could tell. And C) I only had access to vampire magic.
Bit of a change from the last time I was conscious.
Sebastian. I didn't mean to snap at him, but if he didn't forgive me for being short under the circumstances, he could bite me. Why am I even here? Why was I kidnapped? What the hell is going on?
Ah, hell.
You're safe, he sent back, though his whole tone tipped me off he wasn't being a hundred per cent honest. For now.
Nice. At least I wasn't under the control of the bad vampires. Or the ones I considered bad. Nicholas's clan, Sebastian's dead brother, had a terrible reputation he'd earned fair and square as far as I was concerned. And considering Piotr, a clan mate of Nicholas, had been part of Ameline's plan to use normals in some kind of ritual to increase her power, I tended to agree with my first assessment.
If Sebastian and clan were present, I had to have a fighting chance against whatever was going on. Surely they'd back me.
Wouldn't they?
And I needed said backing why?
Too many questions. But Sunny wasn't reachable, Uncle Frank either, lost behind some spirit wall my vampire couldn't break and Sebastian had gone suddenly quiet.
I was about to prod Piotr for information when two giant wooden doors swung open in front of me and vampires surrounded me.
Talk about walking into the dragon's den.
***
