Cursed (The Brookehaven Vampires #4) (73 page)

As she drew closer, the witch lady’s eerie eyes went straight for Laney. Laney glared at the heavyset woman dressed in some crazy gypsy getup.

“I’ve been trying for a member of your line for ages,” the witch said to Laney, and then she smiled wide and creepy. She stopped in front of us, but just out of our reach.

She bent over so she could
level her eyes with Laney. “I know someone who will be delighted to make your acquaintance.” She straightened her heavy frame, the massive crystal hanging from her neck getting stuck between her fat, wrinkled cleavage as it swung back to her chest. The crystal caught the lights overhead and about blinded me.

I turned away for a quick second until she and her evil crystal moved away.

I assumed the stupid hag was speaking of Laney’s grandfather’s line when she said she’d been trying to get someone from her line. He was some sort of powerful lunatic. She probably wanted to harness his powers.

Bitch was about to prove me wrong.

Calling over her shoulder, Gypsy-witch said, “Helos, I have someone for you to meet.” She turned back to us and smiled wickedly.

Chills covered my
entire body as fear gripped me.

Laney and I looked at each other, her eyes wide as she searched
mine for an answer. Helos was her biological grandfather. Felix and Ambrose had informed us his name just before we left them at the college.
Helos.

Oliver
was asking Laney questions—asking her what was going on, and why the name meant anything to us. She was shaking her head, trying to get him to be quiet. He was confused, concerned, frightened. Laney was terrified, and her terror was beginning to mix with a feeling of desperation. Not good.

Oscar, well Oscar was just fucking crazy. He got my attention as my mind reeled with hopeless plans of escape. He had something in his mouth. It looked like a metal toothpick. He showed it to me, sticking it out between his teeth. With his free hand, he slyly took it from his mouth, and then, looking to make sure no one would notice, he passed it to me.

It was wet.
Gross!

He nodded for me to take Laney while he crouched, stretching so he could release
Oliver with a second metal pick that he’d just pulled from his mouth.

But, before either of us could get to work on releasing the cuffs, the crowd opened, revealing Avery and her dad. The gypsy-witch welcomed them to the “show.”

“Is he coming?” Gypsy-witch asked.

Ashton’s dad,
who I still couldn’t believe was Laney’s mom’s freakin’ angel, nodded. “On his way,” he said, his eyes staying on mine for some reason.

I glared at his stupid ass.

Oscar, directing his words to Laney, said, “Can you do it again? Can you keep them back?”

“I don’t think so,” Laney answered.

Do what?
What the hell had I missed? Why was Oscar helping us? Why were he and Laney talking like they were on the same side? He’d almost killed her! Did she forget that?

Suddenly, every one of those dirt bag, mindless, followers began dropping to one knee.

Oscar rose to his full height. I followed his lead, keeping my eyes forward as he did.

A large man, not as large as Felix, but he was a big guy, much like Mr. Weslin, but taller, possibly broader, came toward us, fast. It was hard not to press my back against the wall attempting to get away. There was something very alarming about this man. But I knew who he was, and that alone was terrifying.

His expression dripped with revulsion as he eyed Laney. His head lowered as he headed straight for her.

I didn’t know what to do. I knew he thought he had rights to her
—that he’d probably kill her. But I didn’t believe any of it. If he wanted her dead, why go through so much trouble?

I took a breath and puffed out
my chest. I stepped closer to Laney, as did Oscar.

Helos ignored us
and crouched before Laney.

Sitting there on the floor, she
kept his gaze with her head held high. I was proud of her because the strength she showed was not how she felt.

Like me, she was terrified.

My Evil Grandfather

I was chained to the wall by my wrist. All four of us were. My biological grandfather was crouched before me, his forearms resting over his thighs as he searched my face. I had never been more terrified in my life, but I would not give this man the satisfaction of knowing I feared him.

“Granddaughter,” he said.

I heard Oliver let out an exasperated huff. There hadn’t been time to tell him.

I kept my eyes on the man before me. His eyes resembled my mother’s, but only the color, nothing more. His were cold and seemed to pierce through you. This was not reassuring. Neither was the fact this encounter was not our first.

I had seen him before. He’d been there, at the gas station. He was the man who had been coming our way while I pumped gas, claiming he only wanted to know if I needed assistance. He’d also been outside the diner the night we’d returned to “Treeville.” I’d even seen him in the distance when I was at the mall with Kiera and Zoey. I just hadn’t thought anything of it. Well, I had, just not to this extent…to the extent that this man had created my mother and now wanted to kill me.

Still crouched in front of me, he turned his head, his body twisting
slightly with it, tattoos evident pretty much everywhere. They were across his knuckles, on his neck, up his bare forearms, and on what was showing of his very muscular biceps. Too muscular for my image of a grandfather. But this man was nothing of the sort. He was a monster.

“Angel,” he said, addressing Mr. Weslin.

Tobin Weslin stepped forward from the front of the quiet, observing crowd. He gave his daughter a protective nudge, silently telling her to scoot back and out of sight. He too was afraid of this man. It was obvious on his face.

“Yes, sir?”
Tobin said, very official-like.

My grandfather turned back to me, the eyes that resembled my mother’s meeting my own. “I want to express my gratitude for bringing me my heir,
Angel,” my grandfather said, his piercing gaze staying on me. “What is it I can do for you in return?”

“That one is mine,” Tobin said, pointing to Oliver’s body standing beside me, his wrist chained to the wall at a higher level. My eyes shot to Ashton’s dad. “That was our deal,” he said, addressing my grandfather,
Helos. “I got you the girl, you release the vampire to me. I have some friends who would like a go at him.” A cruel smile spread across his face.

“It is done,” Helos said.

I returned my attention to him from Mr. Weslin. Desperate thoughts were sprinting through my mind.

Helos’ eyes
were still on mine. “You, my dear, will accompany me back home,” he said.

“No!” Carter (as Oliver) protested, struggling against his chains for emphasis. “You won’t take her! I won’t let you!”

I closed my eyes. This was exactly what he wanted, someone to fight him—a reason to show his power. When I opened my eyes, his were still regarding me, the hint of a smile on his lips.

“So it is true,” Helos quietly said to me. “You, granddaughter of the glorious and rightful king from the Otherside, have mated with one of this realm, just as your mother
did.”

Not that I needed any more confirmation as to who or what my parents were
, it was always good to know that I was the only freaking person on the planet who this information had been kept from.

Helos’ eyes were still on mine
, like he was challenging me to look away first.

He lifted a hand and ran his tattooed fingers over my cheek.
He won, because I turned away. My heart pounded even harder.

“I too went slumming, once. It is how your mother came to be,” he said.

Anger instantly pulsed through me. I turned back to him and glared, trying to will him away from me, away from us. I tried using my “magical power,” but nothing happened. Considering I had no clue how it worked, this didn’t surprise me.

His hand dropped from my face. “You are meant to be my undoing,” he confessed.

“And I will be,” I seethed.

My vision blurred when he struck
my cheek.

Chains rattled as the guys attempted to protect and defend me. They shouted and threat
ened as several of Helos’—not Tobin’s as it would turn out—followers, including Tobin himself, lunged forward to prevent Carter, Oliver, and even Oscar from going after this evil man that was my grandfather.

Even chained to a wall, they would try to keep me safe. But I feared there was no hope for any of us. I was sure this evil man would soon take all that I cared about. I was surprised that he
hadn’t done so already.

“I should kill you for such words,” Helos said. He did not sound any angrier than when he had first crouched before me.

When I refused to look at him, he grabbed my face and turned it toward him. The guys continued to struggle against their chains and the minions who were attempting to restrain them. Even pinned facedown to the floor, the “Carter” beside me seemed sure that he would kill the man who had just hit me. “Carter” voiced several creative ways he would end Helos’ life. Helos ignored him. Thankfully.

“However, I think I will keep you alive,” Helos said as he released his grip on my face and stood. He looked down at me where I
was sitting on the cold concrete floor. “There is a darkness in you, granddaughter. I can feel it.”

I glared at him. I refused to believe there was any sort of dark evilness in me. He was insane.

“You will rule at my side,” he said, as if I had no other choice. “If you prove yourself worthy, you might even take my place, when the time comes.”

“No thanks,” I said. There was no way I was going anywhere with him. No way.

He smirked. “I have methods to change your mind.”

I watched him as he turned toward his followers
and began telling them of his plans to return to his realm and take me with him.

Tobin and the other idiot followers released the guys and moved back into the crowd. All but Tobin took a knee like the rest of the idiots. The kneeling minions all stared up at Helos as he spoke. They hung on his every word. Habitha and Tobin were the only ones not on their knees. Habitha was standing behind the mass of vamps, witches, and Weres, and whatever else was there. There were more of those idiots. When Helos had appeared, more minions had followed him from wherever
he’d come from.

I felt desperate. What if he killed Oliver and Carter, or even Oscar, just to make me agree to go with him? Would I go just to save them? I glanced over at Oliver as he pushed himself up from where
he’d been pinned to the floor. I knew my answer. I knew I would do anything I could to keep him safe.

That’s why
I’m here.

Tears were working their way to the surface.
Oliver was fussing over me, asking if I was okay. Unable to speak, I nodded. I had no idea how much time we had before Helos dragged me off to the Otherside. I knew I should be relieved that he didn’t plan to kill me. At least this way I might be able to find my way back to Oliver. I might be able to find my way back home…

There was no way for me to prevent Oliver from coming after me once I was gone. I feared what might happen to him in the process of trying to find me. What would happen to both of them. I was certain Oliver, even if he ever returned to his own body, would have Carter as a sidekick in his mission, whether he wanted him or not.

I couldn’t help but worry about what was to come, especially to the two of them…

No, I
wouldn’t allow any of us to be taken from one another.

I had a sudden burst of determination. I was going nowhere, and we would all live, including Oscar. Although, if I had to sacrifice one of us, he was the first to go.

I searched the room, attempting to devise a plan. We weren’t that far from the stairs… But getting to them unnoticed was the first obstacle. Plus, once we were outside…

Where the hell
was Felix? He was supposed to show just after “Oliver.”

I was suddenly worried something had happened to him and that we were definitely on our own.

Oscar crouched next to Oliver, causing my attention to shift. He whispered some sort of halfcocked plan. It was stupid, but better than anything I had.

Carter dropped down beside me, crouching next to me. I looked at
him, and he looked as desperate as I felt.

“You shouldn’t have said anything,” I whispered to him. I knew “Oliver’s” life would be the first one Helos would take to make me go with him, especially if he continued to mouth off.

He glanced past me to his actual body. “If I hadn’t, he would have. They can’t know, Laney. I don’t really get why, but they can’t know that whatever they did worked,” he whispered back.

I nodded, knowing he was right. Though, I was pretty sure I knew why. If Helos knew his spell or whatever it was had worked, he would realize his power was stronger in our world than he had thought. Who knew what he would do if he knew
this. Therefore, he could not know Oliver and Carter were not themselves.