Protected (Book 1 in the Ariya Adams trilogy) (29 page)

James had been serious about not leaving me alone, which was fine because he was exactly where I wanted him to be. We were getting ready to head off to Emma to try and get some information from her. I was beyond worried.

“What if she sees through what you tell her and tries to hurt you? She’ll be angry if she
knows you are lying.” The fear was coming through loud and clear in my voice.

“Hey,
I’m older and stronger than her. Have a little faith in me. She’s also trapped and surrounded until she can be proven innocent. Which she won’t be. It’s going to be fine.” He tried to reassure me, stroking my leg as I sat on the couch next to him.

We had spent the day with Caroline and Nick
, waiting for the time to pass until we went to Emma. Caroline was obviously ecstatic that James had finally let his guard down. She kept winking at me. We all had that feeling, I think. It was like we had all experienced some kind of joy that had come from making it through something horrible and coming out on the other side, stronger.

James was much more the guy I had met towards the beginning of the semester
, now that he wasn’t holding anything back. He had been smiling for a whole day and not even his side smile, a real smile. It felt good to feel like he was happy, and that it was me that made him feel that way.

Caroline piped in now, “For goodness sake
, Ariya, he’s ancient and Emma is crazy about him. He’s got the advantage.” None of them were the least bit concerned.

I nodded. The plan was going to move forward
, whether I agreed to it or not. If I really thought about it, I still felt like it was a good idea. I just wanted everyone safe. That would ultimately happen if we could figure out who was behind Emma’s and Devon’s master plan since, based on Emma’s rant, she had received her instructions from someone else.

James kissed my forehead and we started heading to
where they were keeping Emma. I was going along to listen in and see if I could tie anything together that I heard Emma say. I thought I had relayed everything to them, so I didn’t know how much help I would be, but they wanted me there. James had told me I had to stay quiet. I had an earpiece, so I’d be able to hear what was being said, and a notepad in case I caught anything to bring up later. James didn’t want to risk Emma hearing me if I spoke, so I could only listen, not speak, to James.

“Is she tied up?”

“No, Ariya, she’s just in a room that is guarded. Don’t worry about anything. We’ll get what we need and be done.” He laced his fingers through mine as we walked.

His motions were so human. Did he have to work hard to perfect them and blend in
, or was it natural that vampires retained human character traits when they turned?

“Wha
t will happen to her?” I asked.

“I don’t know. She’s a threat
, but she has information. We’ll just have to wait and see.” His face went hard then, and I had no doubt James would do whatever it took to keep her from attacking me again.

Would Jam
es really be able to kill her? She had been one of the members of the bloodline that he himself had protected. I shuddered for a minute. He stopped walking and took me by the shoulders.

“Whatever happens
, this will pass and everything will be okay. You do trust me don’t you?”

I nodded. I couldn’t help being afraid
, but I had to be strong like before and positive that this would all work out.

We arrived at an old house on the outskirts of town. I had thought this was one of the fraternity houses
, but maybe it had cleared out for break. Or, maybe the vampire Protectors had cleared it out.

We walked into the house
, and James brought his finger up to his lips to remind me to be quiet. Once inside, I was handed an earpiece, and James attached a microphone inside his shirt. I couldn’t even tell it was there. It was like watching a crime detective show. We had to trap the criminal, the bad guy.

James touched my arm briefly and gave me a smile to reassure me. Before walking into the room
where Emma was, he pointed to where he wanted me to be during this. I obeyed and sat down, ready to listen at what would unravel.

James stood at the door
, looking down for a moment. He had messed up his hair and wrinkled his clothes before we had left the house to make himself look more believably disheveled. The door opened and closed and I heard him say Emma’s name.

“James!” she e
xclaimed. “James, I’m so sorry.”

There
was a muffling against the microphone and I guessed she had pulled him in to hug him.

“I heard the guards talking about it. I don’t understand.” James wasn’t saying anything. “Please look a
t me,” Emma said softly to him.

Even in a moment of sadness
, she still sounded fake as ever. Compassion really wasn’t one of her strong traits. I wasn’t sure it existed in her at all.

“It’s my fault
, Emma.” He really sounded upset.

He was good at this acting thing, better than Emma had been
, in my opinion, with just one sentence. I’d better make sure he wasn’t acting about his feelings for me. I’d give him a hard time for fun. I smiled to myself at that.

“No, James
, it’s not. You called for help; you rushed to the spot we found her. There was no way to know what that monster was doing. Do you want to talk about what happened?” There was a hint of something in her voice that I couldn’t put my finger on. Did she want to confirm my death or hear the gory details?

“I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight, at the theater, at Thanksgiving. Emma
, this was my responsibility. How do I come back from this?”

He slammed something and it sounded like whatever it was cracked.
Geez, James this was an old house. Don’t bring it toppling down around you!
He was trying to win her over and confiding in her, just as she wanted.

“
James, we can get through this. I can help you. We’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t need help
. I need revenge. Emma, what else did you see? Was anyone there besides Devon? I know he stabbed you in the theater, but what else can you remember?”

“Nothing
, James. I don’t remember anything. I was sneaking around the house trying to find information. I heard Devon saying something, and then I heard someone grunt like they were being hit. I assumed it was Ariya and ran back.”

“You didn
’t think to attack?”

“What? No, I mean how
would I know if Devon was alone or if others were just standing by while he spoke.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” I couldn’t see what was go
ing on in there and I was glad.

I could listen
, but I didn’t want to see James with Emma right now. It would make me want to kill her myself for what she had done to me, and the threats she made to everyone in my life here.

“It’s okay, I know you’re hurt
, but we can move past this. Revenge won’t solve anything, James.” I heard her take a deep breath. “James, why am I still being kept here?”

“I don’t know
, Emma. I have to talk to my father. Clearly, you helped us find Ariya. Thank you for finding her, by the way. I just wish I hadn’t been too late.”

“I know. We can leave though. We can go far
away – you don’t have to be a Protector anymore. There isn’t anything left here.”

“You might be
right,” he sighed. “Going away would be better. I just … I need revenge, Emma. My whole life I’ve been doing this and now it’s over. I won’t leave here until I have answers. Then we can go.”

Emma wasn’t saying anything. In fact, it was silent for a couple moments. I heard a chair slam into the wall and gasped
, bringing my hands to my mouth. I shouldn’t have done that. James specifically said to not make a noise, and there I go, reacting to things.

“You must really think I’m an idiot
, James. You wouldn’t come away with me so quickly after Ariya died. I thought maybe after some time of grieving, I would come back to find you healing and then you’d come. It has been one day since she died! I know you. And, if that hadn’t enough of a reason for me to not believe this little act you’re putting on – my suspicions have been confirmed by that gasp I just heard when I threw the chair.”

There was a rustling noise and I heard Emma say, “Hello
, Ariya.”

I stood up from where I was sitting and a
group of Protectors rushed past me into the room. I peeked around the corner and saw the chair that had been thrown was broken, but another one had been carried in apparently because the teams of Protectors were strapping Emma down to it. She was struggling, but even she was not stronger than the vampires as a collective unit.

They finished and stepped back. I looked over at James to see him leaning against the wall with his arms casually folded across his chest. He seemed amused at Emma’s fight.  Her eyes met mine and she growled. I didn’t back
away, instead, I narrowed my eyes at her. I wouldn’t be fearful of her. She couldn’t get to me any more. I came around the corner and stood by the door, watching her.

“I guess Devon couldn’t finish the job. You ruined everything
, and when I get out of here, I will personally turn you, and then drive a stake through your heart just to watch you die.”

James was in front of her quickly and slammed her chair from its position in the mi
ddle of the room, back against the wall.

“If you threaten her again
, it will be the last sound to ever come out of you, Emma. Do you understand?” I could see his fangs.

I had only seen them once before and it had been when I thought I was imagining things in the cage
, back with Devon. He looked positively dangerous. His eyes had darkened and his fangs were out. His voice was gruff and unforgiving. I noticed her eyes were darkening and as she scowled at him, her fangs grew, too.

As much as they had told me about vampires
, they hadn’t ever gotten like this in front of me. I could see how all of the folklore had described them as monsters. They looked insanely scary, and I wouldn’t want to run into one of them by myself in the night. Emma shrugged James off and he stood back. She took a deep breath and her fangs began receding.

“I guess you want to know why? And who I’m working with and information like that?” She batted her eyes at him
, but he ignored her sarcastic attitude.

“So
, go on,” he said.

“Why would I tell you
anything that would help her?”

“Because I said so.
You aren’t going to be released unless you cooperate, and you sure as hell won’t escape. So, I suggest you do as I say.” James was serious. He made a pretty good bad cop.

“What do I get if I tell you?
A kiss?” She was eyeing him, but when she said that, she looked at me.

“In your dreams
, Emma. Now, start talking. My patience is running thin.” James was stalking around her chair just as Emma had done to me before when she had me prisoner.

I shook my head at the memory
, not wanting to think about that night. I was going to have enough nightmares as it was. I didn’t need to think about it during the day, too. James stood staring at me with a frown on his face. I tried to smile to reassure him that I wasn’t going crazy, and that I was okay. He needed to focus, so I started backing up like I was going to leave the room. I stood towards the door.

“Emma?” he
pushed again. She just smiled.

“You don’t scare me
, James. Even if you do hate me, I’m part of the bloodline you have protected. Your sense of duty would never allow you to actually hurt me.”

James reached behind his jacket he had been wearing and brought out a wooden stake. My eyes got big. Emma just smiled again.

James started grinning wide. “Ariya, would you give us a moment?”

“James?” I asked.

“Ariya, please leave.” There was no emotion in his voice, just an order.

I obeyed. I had no idea what he was going to do. I closed the door and heard a scream. It seemed louder than it should have when I realized that my earpiece was still in. James
still had the microphone on. I ripped it out of my ear and threw it to the ground. I could still hear them speaking through the door.

“I love it when you’re rough.” Whatever James had done to her
, it hadn’t been to kill her. She was still egging him on.

“Emma
, I have been through a tough forty-eight hours, and the last thing that I want to do with my time is spend it with you. Now start talking or instead of your stomach, it will be your heart. Who is behind this? Who wants Ariya?”

“I don’t thi
nk so.” I heard rustling again.

“Oh
, James, if only you did know the great plans that they have for Ariya. She is going to be so useful before they kill her. I can’t wait to see the look on your face when you do find out what’s going on. You might lose your mind, but it would be wonderful for you to know who was really behind this. Sadly, I want to live, and giving that person up would ensure my death. There will come a time when you’ll turn back to me. When your precious Ariya is dead. Trust me, I’ll make sure it’s quite painful.” Almost as soon as the last word was out of her mouth, she gasped loudly.