Catch Me When I Fall (33 page)

crossed through the kitchen and headed in the direction Richard had gone. Entering the hallway leading to the study, I jumped when one of his followers joined me from the bedroom on the left. He stopped and looked around with his hands open at his sides. He could feel me closing in on him.

Knowing I needed to be quick, I sprinted around him and went corporeal when I was at his back, digging my blade into the side of his neck. Blood squirted onto the wall, and he fell to the ground with a shout. I went invisible before anyone else could see me. And just in time. Richard ran into the hall from his study.

His nostrils flared as he took in the sight of his now-dead follower on the floor. I paused to see what his next move would be, gripping my blades tight. On the balls of my feet, I kept my gaze on his hands, prepared to jump out of the way if he tried to strike. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobile.

He pressed a button. My body turned cold as Kayla’s voice filled the hall.

“Please. I’m sorry. No more,” she said.

“I will send the Nightmares away if you give me a name. Who let you out of that room?” Richard asked.

There was a long pause. Then Kayla screamed.

My vision clouded, picturing her writhing around in a dark room while Nightmares filled her mind with images from her tortuous past. I squeezed my eyes closed as my heart raced and my ears roared. He was playing my weakness—and it was working.

“I’ll make you a deal, Daniel,” Richard said. “Come with me, and I will never again give her to the Nightmares. And just to prove you can trust my word, I will let your friends go. Do we have a deal?”

My hands were so clammy; I thought I was going to drop the daggers. Here was a chance to save my team and protect Kayla. And for my capture? That was it? Seemed too good to be true. But what choice did I have? If I tried to attack him, he’d call it off, and then not only would I leave my friends open to attack, but he would definitely ensure Kayla spent another night as Nightmare fodder.

“Better make a choice soon, Daniel, or my offer will be off the table. You have ten seconds. Show yourself.”

“Daniel, no,” Samantha said from behind me. I hadn’t heard her arrive.

I looked at her. She knew I had to. “Find someone to hack that hard drive, Sam. You’re in charge now.”

“Daniel, no!”

I went corporeal.

Richard smirked. “Knew you couldn’t resist, mate. Put your blades down.”

As he asked, I set them on the ground in front of me, never taking my eyes off him.

Richard snapped his fingers. “The seal is broken. Your friends may leave.”

I turned to Samantha and whispered, “Run.”

She shook her head.

“Now.” I spoke the word more forcefully. With tears in her eyes, she obeyed. I waited until her blonde hair was out of sight then turned back to Richard. “I’ve surrendered. Now what?”

The sinister look in his hazel eyes sent chills down my body. “Now I reunite you with my daughter.”

Sharp pain stabbed my head, like lightning struck inside my brain. The room spun, and I gripped the sides of my skull with my hands, falling to my knees. A hard blow to the back of my head was the last thing I remembered.

Ice-cold water poured over me, jerking me awake. I shook my head to get the water out of my eyes and shivered. This room was freaking cold. A boy not much older than Tabbi stepped away with a bucket in his hands. The wicked grin on his face sent another chill down my spine. He stepped into the hall.

I leaned forward in my chair and tried to struggle out of the bonds around my wrists. Going invisible—or evaporating—would be pointless. The chair and binds would go with me. Not to mention, I was positive Richard put up spells to keep me here. He was way too intelligent to make a rookie move. He’d kept us from escaping his house in a matter of seconds, after all.

Again, I tried to struggle out of the rope, but the binds were too tight. Whoever bound me knew what they were doing. I clenched and unclenched my hands, keeping the circulation flowing in my fingers.

Glancing around the room, I tried to get a feel for where I was. To my surprise, I wasn’t in a dungeon-like cell as I’d expected. Instead, I was in some sort of large hospital-room-slash-science-lab. A window on the far side told me I was above ground. Metal tables stood sporadically throughout the area, and in a far corner was some sort of machine that reminded me of an electric chair. Cabinets lined the other side of the room from where I sat, and on them were chemistry-like sets, gizmos that I decided looked like prodding devices from an alien spaceship, and some sort of machine that reminded me of a lie detector.

Why would a warlock need all of this?

As if on cue, Richard strode into the room. Again, I fought against the ropes around my wrists when I saw who followed him. Giovanni. Baring my teeth, I swore at the both of them.

“Now, now, Daniel. Don’t go injuring yourself,” Richard said.

I avoided him and spoke directly to Giovanni. “Why’d you do it? Betraying us all—your own kind—the Protectors who swore allegiance to you. You’re going to Hell for this.”

Giovanni’s stare was intense, fevered even. I’d never seen such hatred pouring out of him. “No. When I die, I will spend eternity in a black void, just like the rest of you.
This
world
is Hell. Constantly slaving over pathetic humans who think they’re so much better than the rest of the world’s creatures. Never to be able to roam free, have a family, free will… never to be a member of society. I would’ve thought you’d understand, Daniel.”

Oh, but I did understand. It’s what I still wanted—to be able to live a normal life. But starting a war, killing people? “There has to be another way.”

Richard jumped in. “There is no other way. What do you think humans would do if they found out a warlock or a vampire lived next door? They’d shun us, hunt us down and treat us like a plague. No, we need to take a stand against them and take this world for our own.”

“And what? You’ll destroy them all? How does that make you any better?”

“Because they destroyed my kind first!” He yelled at the top of his lungs then cleared his throat and smoothed his shirt. “Did you ever hear the real story of Tamesis?”

I rolled my eyes.
What did that bloke have to do with this?
“He was a warlock who used Nightmares to attack innocent people.”

“Wrong. Those
humans
,” he spat the word like it was coated with venom, “were far from innocent. He destroyed the people responsible for raping his mother, repeatedly, and burning her at the stake for what she was—a witch who had only used her powers to save her infant son from death. Now tell me, what would you have done if the woman was
your
mother?”

I pursed my lips and clenched my fists. Telling myself I would not have sought revenge would’ve been a lie. Still, there was no way I would ever compare myself to Tamesis. I wouldn’t murder women and children in their sleep.

“So what—you’re carrying out his revenge?” I asked. “You do know he died hundreds of years ago. The same people responsible for his mother’s death are long gone, mate.”

Richard’s smirk sent a shiver down my spine. “Oh, but you’re wrong. Those people responsible for her death had children, and those children had children. The families of those bastards lived on. The Lancasters, the Fletchers… the Grahams.”

Richard’s gaze cut through me like a knife. The hairs rose on my arm.

“So, you’re going to make me pay for something my ancestors did, and for some warlock who’s been dead for god knows how long? You’re insane.”

“No, my boy. I am far from insane.
I’m Tamesis
. And I’m going to make you pay for what your kind did to my mother.”

After Giovanni had dealt a hard blow to the back of my head, I’d awoken to find myself strapped to a metal table, shirtless, and unable to break free of my bonds. Twice, Richard had cut into my chest, stomach, arms, legs… and twice he had healed me so he could start all over again.

Now, his knife cut into my stomach for the third time. I fought against the metal cuffs around my wrists and ankles, unable to stop the screams from escaping my mouth. A trickle of blood ran down my side. My chest heaved up and down from the rapid breaths entering my lungs.

“Ah, Daniel. This is so what I’ve been waiting for,” Richard said. “As soon as I knew it was you my daughter loved, I waited for my chance to carve you into pieces. Not only am I getting some revenge, but I’m learning just how you Protectors work. Wouldn’t it be amazing if I figured out a more permanent way to live forever?”

I lifted my hand as high as I could and flipped him off. Giovanni, standing by my head, stabbed his knife into my hand, and I screamed.

Richard leered at me then smiled at Giovanni. “I love when you fight for me.”

“Anything for you,
amore
.”

Even in the midst of my pain, I picked up on the emotion behind their words.
No way.
I laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding me. You two? Wow.”

Richard stabbed me right above my belly button. My body jerked, and I shouted as blood poured from my body. Then he removed the knife and held his hand over my wounds, healing me before I could die. I groaned and spat in his face. He punched me, splitting my cheek open.

“Isn’t it time you let him die, Tamesis? You conducted all your research. He’s of no further use to you,” Giovanni said.

“Oh, no. I’m not done with him yet. I’m just taking my time before I use him to his full potential.”

Again, I struggled against the binds that held me to the table.

“Oh? And what will you do with him?”

Richard turned and faced the door. “Gents!” he yelled. The door opened and footsteps entered the room. Then he spoke again, “Take Daniel to Kayla’s room. And make sure you leave him bloodied and bruised. Maybe seeing him die before her eyes will be enough to get her to follow me.”

Four warlocks appeared next to me. When Giovanni and Richard opened the metal cuffs from around my wrists and ankles, I took my shot. Jumping off the table, I grabbed a knife off the counter. But as my fingers wrapped around the handle, a body hit me from behind. My ribs smashed against the edge of the countertop. I cried out as something popped in my side.