CHAPTER 58

The room where the Vampire was being kept was not at all what I expected. It was deep in the basement, but it wasn't dark, and it wasn't dank. In fact, it was very well lit, with bright white lights lining the walls along the ceiling and reflecting off the stark white walls. The room was completely barren except for one thing; One wall was set up with a contraption, it looked a little like a rack that might have been used for torture in medieval times. Only this one was made of gleaming metal and upright against the wall.

We entered though a set of doors we both had to bleed for and immediately the Vampires head whipped our direction, it's eyes, slightly bloodshot, focused on me. He was a handsome man, in the way that runway models are attractive. Everything in proportion and everything in the right place. He was naked, but his body was lean and lithe, with deep chocolate curls that sat so that they accented his cheekbones. I didn't recognize him from the group that had chased me in Boston.

"Careful," Aiden warned, his tone careless. "One wrong move and you will find yourself lighter by a head."

The vampire sneered, showing us the extent of a fang.

"Murderer!" he accused. The strength of his voice, filled with vitriol was unmistakable, but he didn't move an inch. It was surprising, because according to Aiden's people he hadn't uttered a word, even under threat of death.

"Who's the murderer? You're the one that chased me half the way across New York." I stepped closer.

Aiden had explained his contraption to me. The Vampires he had found before were impossibly strong and fast, but they could be killed, specifically by beheading. So they'd designed a device to hold them. Their strength would normally be used to easily break free, even from the new metal alloy that Aiden's people had invented, but putting any pressure against the cuffs or choker band, or forehead band would send a blade of finely sharpened volcanic glass immediately through the neck. The blade was in there now, resting against skin, waiting. Vampires were fast, but not fast enough for this. A fact that this particular man seemed to understand, given how still he was holding.

"We track you for vengeance, a life for a life," he spat.

"And if I told you I didn't kill one of your kind?" I didn't step any closer, but to the side where I could get a better look at his face. It was screwed up into a snarl, lips curled unnaturally, his eyes had taken on a red sheen that, to be honest, was rather intimidating.

"Liar. I can sense it on you, the signature of one we lost. We felt her death, it echoes through our blood, and we will never be satiated until yours pools beneath us, our fangs draining..."

"Okay, but I wasn't the one who actually took her life. She bit me when we battled, when *she* attacked *me*, by the way, but I wasn't the one who ended it."

"An attack to gain freedom from an oppressor, you should have never taken her to begin with. Should not have taken any of them, and we will make you beg to let you tell us where the rest are before we sink our fangs deep into your veins, we will drain..."

"Yeah, yeah," I feigned bravery, because when this guy threatened to drain your blood there was a deep resonate part of you that knew he would do everything in his power to complete the threat. His speech stuttered to a halt and even Aiden looked at me from the side of his eye. He'd followed me into the room, but he didn't seem much more inclined than I was to get any closer. "*You vant to suck my blud*. I get it. Go back to the part about the rest of them? Rest of who?"

The vampire's eyes narrowed.

"You cannot play me for a fool."

"Well someone has, because I didn't even know vampires existed until...recently." I had been about to say until Aiden brought the head of one, but that seemed suddenly very unwise. "You've been chasing the wrong person, I didn't take your friend, in fact she seemed to be working with the people I'm after, or at least people that are associated with the people I'm after, with much enthusiasm, maybe she ran away from home."

"Lies!" the vampire cried again, but there was less conviction in his voice this time.

"Think about it. Look at what we've had to create, just to contain you. We've had to have complete control over your movement or risk being overwhelmed, yes?"

"And when I break free..."

I held up a hand, surprised when he stopped again.

"But your friend fought me, marked me, as you've said. She could not have done so restrained, as you are, she would have to have been loose. And if she was loose would she not have fled? Or tried to save these others? Why linger long enough to get herself killed? It's not like we can match your speed. What would you do if you were suddenly free?"

The vampire's expression was entirely human, and it said he didn't like what I was saying.

"Was there any reason for her to be unhappy where she was? Something that would drive her to look for something new? A new opportunity?"

His eyes shuttered.

"You speak poison and lies, trying to get information to farther decimate our people. I will not give you the satisfaction."

He jerked his head forward.

Before I could blink the volcanic glass blade had passed through his throat like butter.

"No!" Aiden snarled, but it was already too late.

The head didn't do anything as dramatic as rolling to the ground, it sat on top of the circular blade, pained scream dead on its lips, light fading from its eyes.

Aiden's people swarmed the room, but there was nothing else to do. I walked back through the doors, my thoughts racing. They thought I took her. The woman who had attacked me. Thought I took her and then killed her. He'd spoken about others.

Just what the hell was happening?

Aiden joined me a moment later, glaring back at the room with frustrated fury.

"You're a little more attached than I imagined," I told him. "I know things didn't go well but..."

He sliced a hand through the air.

"They went to fuck. We got just enough to confirm there's more going on than we know and then nothing!"

I didn't think I'd ever seen Aiden angry. Every interaction I'd had with the man he'd always been in control, calm, capable. Now he was seething, pacing in the secure hallway outside the room where people were bustling about like ants on a disturbed hill. He stopped and ran a hand through his hair.

"I was so fucking stupid. I should have never brought you down here. So confident in my protection, so determined to show you...this is all my own fucking fault. We've just lost the opportunity of a lifetime."

What the hell was he talking about now?

I didn't get a chance because he looked up at me then, holding my gaze.

"The only thing we have left to count on is your inside spy. That's the last tie we have to all of this. I hope you're ready."