A Vampire's Soul (20 page)

Laycee suddenly fell to her knees and began screaming. From the way she was beating at the hand holding her wrist, Katja must have been squeezing hard enough to break bones, if she hadn't already.

“Katja, please! I'll do whatever you want, but leave Laycee out of this. She doesn't need to be involved. She's already done what you wanted, and you know she can't hurt you.”

Trying to strike a bargain with someone who's a hundred percent whack job is a really bad idea. Actually it's more than a bad idea, it's lunacy. Didn't stop me from trying, though, even if I knew deep down it was a lost cause.

I felt myself being impaled by dark violet eyes while Katja considered my proposal. She took her time, keeping hold of Laycee's wrist as she did so, and I saw the subtle movement of her fingers. In my head I could hear small bones grinding against each other. Beads of perspiration broke out across Laycee's forehead, and her face tuned a sickly shade of gray. I could only imagine the pain she was in, but she refused to let Katja see. She bowed her head so her hair hid her face. Launching myself at Katja would only guarantee Laycee more than a broken wrist. I needed to keep a clear head and find a way out of this nightmare. Broken bones could always be mended.

Coming to a decision, Katja opened her hand, and Laycee crumpled to the ground like a rag doll, her hand cradled against her chest.

“You know Gabriel will not come to save you,” Katja cooed triumphantly.

It was nauseating knowing the trip to Canada had been nothing more than a ploy orchestrated by Katja's twisted mind. But Gabriel wasn't the only vampire I knew.

“Don't count on Aleksei to rescue you either,” Katja added, reading my mind. “He has other concerns to deal with.”

Despair couldn't describe the feeling that welled up inside me. Misery, hopelessness, dismay.

“What have you done to Aleksei?” It was foolishness to ask, but I was fond of the big guy and needed to know if he had been put in harm's way.

“He's at the hospital at his girlfriend's bedside, no doubt wringing his hands.” Hunching her shoulders, she pantomimed the action.

“What's wrong with Anasztaizia?”

I fought hard not to let my panic show. It never crossed my mind that Anasztaizia might also be in danger. Katja curled her crimson lips as she approached me. The smile was one, I felt certain, that had been seen by many. No doubt right before she completely ruined their lives.

“A restaurant can be such a dangerous place, and who knew hot grease could do so much damage. Especially to such a pretty face.” Katja tilted her head to one side. “Of course, Aleksei will get the very best doctor and, who knows, maybe he can save her sight, but”—she shrugged her shoulders before adding maliciously—“her face will never look the same. Too bad she is not vampire, yes?”

My fingers itched to grab a fistful of long black hair and yank it out by the roots before slapping the smug look off Katja's porcelain face. Anything to make her hurt the way I knew Aleksei was hurting right now. The big guy wouldn't care about Anasztaizia's face. His concern would be to make certain she survived Katja's vicious attack. But the beautiful Magyar would care. I knew Anasztaizia well enough to know that she enjoyed the admiring glances she received. If her situation turned as awful as Katja was suggesting, then Aleksei was going to have his work cut out for him. Anasztaizia would not want him to stay with her out of a sense of guilt or pity. Convincing her he felt otherwise would be quite a task.

Beyond Katja's shoulder I watched Laycee trying to get up from the ground. Bracing herself with her good arm, she struggled first to her knees and then to her feet. It took some effort, and by the time she was standing, her face was horribly pale. Her forehead shone with perspiration, and her upper lip glistened. She winced when she accidentally jostled her bad hand. It didn't silence her tongue, however.

“You do know . . . ,” She paused, catching her breath and waiting for Katja to look at her, “you're one fucked-up bitch, right?”

Goading Katja with sarcasm was not the smartest move to make, and Laycee knew it. But she wasn't going to allow herself to be bullied either. Not even by a raven-haired vampire wearing a dress better suited to a hooker. Wearing expensive shoes with red soles just made her a high-priced hooker. I was so proud of my friend, I felt a lump in my throat.

“And you are like cockroach,” Katja said in a voice that was like ice.

“Oh, you mean when the dust has cleared and you're all toast, I'll still be standing?”

“No,” Katja snarled, “you are like something I can crush under my foot.”

Moving fast, Katja grabbed a fistful of Jake's sweatshirt and swung Laycee up off the ground, holding her a few feet in the air at arm's length.

“Katja, stop!” I yelled, panic spilling into my voice. “Your fight is with me, not her.” I punched her in the upper arm and damn near broke my hand. Her arm felt like a piece of iron pipe. “I'll do whatever you want,” I repeated, “but only if you let Laycee go.”

Opening her fist, Katja dropped Laycee to the ground. She landed awkwardly, stifling a whimper of pain as she protected her damaged hand. The sound brought a smile to Katja's face. I needed to end this, and now. Miss Psycho might be smiling, but it wasn't reaching her eyes. Whatever string was winding her up was close to snapping, which meant if I was going to save Laycee, it had to happen fast.

I took a deep breath, and forced myself to be calm. “Katja, what do you want?”

“I want you to give yourself to Oscar,” she said, laughing maliciously.

L
aycee struggled to her knees again. “This is a joke, right?” she asked Katja.

Getting nothing but a cold stare in return, Laycee looked to me for confirmation. I wanted to agree with her, but I was busy processing the implications of Katja's demand.

“If you're thinking about blackmail, I gotta tell you that ain't gonna work,” Laycee said. “Anyone who knows Rowan will tell you she's not the cheating kind, but if she was, you'd have to be out of your mind to think she'd fool around on Eye Candy. I mean, have you
seen
him?” She glanced at Oscar, and shuddered. “And you think she'd prefer that? Just not gonna happen,” she added with a slow shake of her head.

“Oh, it's going to happen, I can assure you of that,” Katja told her with chilling conviction.

“Lady, you're not just crazy, you're completely certifiable!”

“If you don't want your other wrist broken, I suggest you hold your tongue.”

The menace in Katja's tone brought me wheeling back into their conversation, and I gave Laycee a warning look. Provoking Katja wasn't going to help anything, and, as grateful as I was for the defense of my honor, I had no way to explain to Laycee that in this particular instance
giving
didn't mean what she thought it did. Satisfied that Laycee wasn't going to let her tongue run away with her, at least not for the next few minutes, I turned my attention to the pathetic creature that had once been a handsome, vibrant vampire. Oscar's gait seemed to be worsening. He stumbled around the parked BMW, bouncing off the side a couple of times and almost losing his balance. It was difficult to know if he was losing muscle control in his legs or his eyesight was failing. Either was a possibility. He must have sensed me watching him because he stopped moving and turned around to stare back at me. Knowing his present condition was not his own doing didn't stop revulsion from rising in me. His off-focus gaze and the long, glistening strands of saliva falling from his slack jaw brought to mind an incident from my childhood. One involving a rabid dog.

I was young, no more than six or seven, when the dog slunk into our yard through a loose fence slat. I didn't see it at first because it stood in the middle of my dad's prize hydrangeas, shaking from head to tail. When I did notice it, I told it to shoo and called it a bad doggie, knowing how cross my dad would be if it started digging. The dog didn't dig, but neither did it go away. It didn't have the look of an animal that was used to fending for itself. This had, until recently, been someone's family pet. Now it had gotten itself caught at the wrong end of a bite, and it was suffering. I watched, wide-eyed, as it began to stagger about, snapping and growling at the big pink blossoms. White foam slathered its muzzle and fell in long viscous strands. It became a moment filled with firsts for me. My first rabid dog, my first awareness of firearms, and my first experience with death.

I never realized my dad was there until he moved past me carrying the rifle. As young as I was, I knew what he was going to do, and so did the dog. It didn't try to run, it didn't move at all. It just stood there, as still as its trembling limbs would allow, whimpering softly and waiting for my dad to put an end to its misery. And for a moment, no more than a heartbeat or two, the madness brought about by the awful disease disappeared. A look of sorrow mixed with gratitude filled its big brown eyes as my dad squeezed the trigger.

A similar look now filled Oscar's eyes. Just like the rabid dog, he had no control over the impulses that were driving his behavior, impulses I was certain would only get worse as his downward spiral progressed. What functioning reason still remained would soon be stripped away, leaving only primal instinct driving his will to survive. Unfortunately, I didn't have a handy machete in my back pocket to take his head off with, and I'm not sure I could have done it even if I had.

“Don't you mean you want me to feed Oscar?” I asked Katja.

She shrugged her shoulders. “If you prefer.”

“Ro?” I could hear fear threading itself back through Laycee's voice. “What's she talking about?”

“Your super best friend is going to give him her blood,” Katja said, turning to Laycee with a malicious grin.

I think, on some level, I'd known this was what Katja had in mind ever since I'd seen Oscar's pitiful condition. Still, hearing her actually admit it sent an icy chill through me. My brain began scrambling through everything both Anasztaizia and Aleksei had told me about vampire feeding. Oscar was in such a bad way, it was a good bet he wouldn't be able to stop until I was dead or pretty close to it. Which, for Katja, was the whole point.

“You know Gabriel will never forgive you for this,” I told her coldly.

“Too bad he's not here to stop me then, isn't it?” She closed the distance between us and put a hand beneath my chin. “Since we last saw each other I've been busy, Little One, learning about what you are. Did you know the first time a Promise gives their blood, it can only be to the vampire they are intended for? It's physically impossible for any other to feed from them before this has happened. Do you know why?” Without waiting for my response, she leaned in closer and put her lips next to my ear. “To make sure the wrong vampire doesn't accidentally drain them. Now tell me, Little One, why would that be so important? What makes you so special that only a Fallen can have you the first time?”

She leaned back, and her nails scraped lightly along either side of my jaw. I wasn't sure if I believed her, although it made sense in a weird way. Maybe it was more than dumb luck that had prevented me from crossing paths with any vampires before I met Gabriel. Then again, maybe I had and just didn't know it.

“Of course, once you have allowed a feeding to happen, your protection is gone. You are just like cow waiting to become steak on plate . . .” She trailed off, her fingers scraping lightly down my throat before stopping at the juncture of my neck and shoulder. “What is this hold that you have over him, hmmm?”

“We like the same movies,” I said dryly.

Katja's information, whatever the source, had not gone far enough. If she had any idea that I possessed Gabriel's soul, she wouldn't have been able to resist flaunting the extent of her knowledge. She said nothing because she didn't know. She had only scratched the surface of what a Promise was.

Dropping her hand from my shoulder, she made a half-turn away from me, snapped back, and bitch-slapped me across the face. Her strength was incredible. I think I actually went a little bit airborne before falling back against the side of the POS. I banged my head on the driver's-side door hard enough to almost make me black out. Everything went blurry for a few moments, spots of light dancing behind my eyelids. I think it was a full minute before I could focus again.

“Stop fucking with me,” Katja snarled, glaring at me. The rage in her eyes was now simmering over into a full, roiling boil. I thought for a moment that she might just end it here and now. I wouldn't put it beyond her capability to yank my heart out through my chest if she wanted to. But that would leave Laycee vulnerable, and I still had to find a way to get her to the safety of my house.

The sound of retching coming from behind the beemer pulled Katja's attention away from me. She hurried back toward the vehicle, presumably to tend to Oscar. He had been leaning against the car but now seemed to have either slid or fallen to the ground. Taking advantage of this momentary respite, Laycee hustled to my side. Bewildered, angry, and scared to death, she did her best to hide those feelings. Things were happening that she couldn't explain, and I knew her well enough to know that part of her anger was directed at me. It was obvious I knew more than I was letting on, and I understood exactly where she was coming from. I'd felt the same way only a short while ago when I'd learned the truth about Gabriel. Sadly, I couldn't change anything, couldn't turn the clock back and make everything the way it was before. I reached for her hand and squeezed it, grateful that she didn't pull away.

“What's going on, Rowan? Who
are
these people?”

Katja had disappeared behind the BMW and was now out of sight. I might not be able to see her, but the cold night air carried her voice clearly enough. She was murmuring something to Oscar in a low, soothing tone. The words were foreign, but the melodic cadence sounded almost like it belonged in a baby's nursery—an idea that repulsed me more than the prospect of having Oscar slobber all over me.

“Laycee, do you trust me?” I kept my own voice as low as possible. The sound of more retching cut off Katja's voice, followed by a moan of pain. It sounded as if Oscar had just vomited up something vital, and Laycee wrinkled her nose in distaste. I squeezed her fingers until she turned and looked at me.

“Do you trust me?” I repeated.

A worried frown appeared. “Of course I trust you—why, what are you going to do?” In an instant she looked more confused than worried. “What the fuck's going on, Rowan?”

“Later. I promise I'll tell you everything later, but right now I have to get you to a safe place.” I gave what I hoped was a reassuring smile. “You need to get inside the house. You'll be safe there. Neither of them can cross the threshold and you mustn't invite them in, even if they say they can compel you to.”

I was desperately counting on Laycee to call for help. I was certain all three of the sheriff's office vehicles descending on my property with sirens wailing and lights flashing would be too many witnesses for any vampire to deal with.

“Can't cross a threshold?” Laycee's eyes had become huge blue saucers. “Are you saying they're . . . they're—oh my god!
You mean her teeth are for real?
”

“Hush!” Her voice was rising, and I couldn't afford to underestimate Katja's audible range.

“You can't be serious!” she hissed at me.

“It doesn't matter what you believe, but you've got to trust me when I say the shit's about to hit the fan. And it's going to make everything so much worse if you don't get inside the house.” I jerked on her good hand to make sure I had her full attention. “Do you understand what I'm saying?”

She nodded. “Yeah, sure . . . get inside the house . . . don't invite them in.” A single tear unexpectedly rolled down the side of her nose. “Why do I need to be in the house again?”

I took a breath. Despite her question, Laycee really was handling this so much better than I could have hoped. “You'll be safe there,” I told her.

“But . . . what about you?”

“I know how to deal with them.” That was stretching the truth, but I wasn't about to tell her anything different. “Katja is going to try to use us against each other, and we can't let that happen.”

“What do you want me to do?” she asked, blinking furiously in an effort to hide her tears.

“When I give the signal, I want you to run as fast as you can.” I couldn't risk Laycee's making a dash for it now because I needed to be close enough to Katja to be a problem she would be forced to deal with. I might be able to buy Laycee only a few extra seconds, but sometimes that's all you need. “Do not, under any circumstances, stop or look back until you are through the front door. Understand?” She nodded. “I'm really sorry I didn't tell you about, well, things that were going on. I promise when this is all over, we're going to have a very long conversation.”

She started to say something, hesitated, and then decided to ask it anyway. “Is Eye Candy . . . ?”

There was no way I could lie to her now, not after what she'd seen. “Yeah, he is.”

“Really? Oh wow, guess that explains why the sex is so good!”

The only thing that stopped me from bursting into tears was the sudden silence from behind the BMW. Katja's murmuring voice no longer reached us.

Moving away from the POS, I looked for the weakened vampire but didn't see him and took this as a sign he was no longer able to stand. A definite check mark in my favor.

“What's wrong with Oscar?” I asked Katja, taking a casual step toward her. Behind me, Laycee took her own step—in the opposite direction. “He sounds pretty bad.”

“Nothing that you can't make right,” the psycho vampire sneered at me.

“Yeah, about that”—I took another couple of steps and casually moved to my left, hopefully blocking Katja's line of sight. Her arrogance in assuming Laycee was paralyzed with fear would, I prayed, be my ace in the hole. With a hand on her hip, Katja pivoted and followed my lead. “I don't think Gabriel's going to stand for me feeding another vampire, what with him being so possessive and all.”

Her amethyst eyes narrowed as she considered what I'd said. I knew she wouldn't be surprised by my refusal, and agreeing right away would have sent up red warning flags of suspicion. I took a few more baby steps in her direction, hopping from foot to foot as if I was trying to stop my toes from cramping. Still having my slippers on helped with the illusion. Katja was now about an arm's length away. I had no idea how close to the house Laycee was, and I couldn't risk looking over my shoulder, but I could sense she was closer to the porch steps than she was to me.

Blowing out an impatient breath, Katja took her own step toward me, but one of her stiletto heels got caught in the gap between the driveway paving stones, throwing her off-balance. I couldn't have planned it any better. It was the only chance I would get and I took it. “LAYCEEEEE—RUUUUUUUNNNN!”

I launched myself at the Goth Queen, head-butting her in the midsection and wrapping my arms around her in a bear hug. Watching all those football games on TV had finally come in useful. I'd sacked the quarterback, popping her off her expensive high heels and putting her on the ground. There was a gratifying
whuff
of breath as I landed on top of her. She definitely had not expected me to attack her.