The Turning-Blood Ties 1 (34 page)

“I asked her to let you stay, as a personal favor,” Nathan whispered, never tearing his rapt gaze from her willowy body.

“Try to keep your tongue in your mouth,” I snapped quietly. Ms. Gorgeous paced back and forth in front of us, and I tried hard not to hate her. She had legs that seemed to go to her neck, and a fashion sense I could never hope to cultivate. With a sad smile, she began to speak. “Thanks for coming tonight, guys. I know a lot of you have planes and buses to catch, so I’ll keep this as brief as possible. As you know, we lost two members in our fight with the Soul Eater.”

I looked around at all the grave faces.

The speaker continued. “And Nathan Grant lost someone very special.”

She smiled tenderly at him, and I realized I was glaring at her. Behind me I heard quiet chuckling, and I turned to see a blond man with a friendly—not to mention adorable—face

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wink at me. I doubted it was Nathan’s tragedy the man found amusing. Nathan had heard the laughing as well. “Max, do you have something to share?”

Max sobered instantly. “No, man. We’re cool. Sorry about the kid.”

With a grumpy nod, Nathan turned in his seat.

“If we can all get back to the meeting,” the alpha female said, frowning so sternly at Max I almost reminded her that Nathan had been talking, too. God, petty jealousy was turning me into a deranged tattletale. I wondered if it was a trait I’d inherited from Cyrus, or one that I’d had all along but never had a chance to use.

“While our raid on Cyrus’s mansion was successful in that we eliminated a fair number of vampires, some of you were a bit kill-happy. Three Lupins and a half-demon were mistakenly killed. I don’t think any of us wishes to increase the tension between the Movement and the Lupin council.” She waited as if to let her remark sink in. “And we didn’t achieve either of our goals.”

“What does that mean?” I whispered to Nathan.

“It means we didn’t kill Cyrus. Or the Soul Eater.”

The blond vampire behind me leaned forward, his cold breath tickling my neck. “But some of us got damned close.”

Nathan twisted around in his chair. “Cyrus is her sire. You really know how to put your foot in it, don’t you?”

I almost snapped that I didn’t care, that jerk could say anything he wanted. It certainly would have earned me some points with this crowd. But beneath my current tangle of confused emotions was a lingering ache from being separated from my sire. The pain I’d felt through the blood tie would be nothing compared to the emptiness I’d feel if he actually were killed.

I finally knew what my mother meant when she’d said, just because you love a person doesn’t mean you have to like them.

Miss Thin Dark and Annoying stopped directly in front of us. Nathan was certainly appreciative of the view.

“Since our first mission failed and the council still wishes to see Cyrus exterminated, we’ve been ordered back in.”

Angry shouts and groans of disbelief erupted around the room. Some people grumbled about nonrefundable plane tickets and jobs they needed to get back to. Max actually stood up, like a character in a town meeting from an old movie. “Now that Cyrus knows we’re in town, he’s going to hightail it out of here. Not to mention the fact the Soul Eater is going to up his guards.”

I couldn’t tell if the outraged voices agreed with him or not. The leader waved her hands to silence everyone. “Cyrus isn’t going anywhere. The Movement has pulled passenger lists for upcoming domestic and international flights. None of his known aliases are traveling, passenger or cargo. As for the Soul Eater, he successfully shipped himself to…” She pulled out a Palm Pilot and punched a few keys.

“Washington, D.C. The council wants one volunteer to follow him—”

“Yo,” Max said as he raised his hand.

She narrowed her eyes and keyed something in. “Fine. We also need a small group to infiltrate Cyrus’s mansion and assassinate him.”

Nathan tore his gaze away from the woman, finally, and turned to me. His eyes were so

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intense I thought he’d shoot lasers from them as he stared at me. I knew he was making a decision from the way he furrowed his brows.

A decision that obviously concerned me.

Not that he would consult me on it. “I’ll go.”

The woman smiled. “Thank you, Nathan.”

“Then I’m going, too!” I claimed as I raised my hand, despite Nathan’s persistent attempts to block it. We ended up looking like we’d engaged in a very sissy slap fight.

“Absolutely not!” He didn’t bother to lower his voice. “He’s your sire. You’re too much of a liability.”

Anger burned hot on my face. I’d had just about enough of people telling me what I could and couldn’t do. I wasn’t going to let Nathan face Cyrus alone, partly because I feared for his safety and partly because I needed to see Cyrus die with my own eyes. “Pardon me, but I do believe she said volunteer. I’m volunteering, and I don’t think it’s any of your business!”

The speaker cleared her delicate throat. “It doesn’t matter. She’s not Movement, so she’s not eligible to take the assignment.”

“Excuse me, I’m right here,” I nearly growled at her.

“Ladies, ladies. Let’s not have a catfight,” Max urged, standing again. “Unless there’s going to be torn clothing involved. If Cyrus is her sire, I say she’s got the right to take him out herself.”

“How do we know she won’t fall to the blood tie and stab us in the back?” That bitch was becoming more irritating with every second.

“Hello!” I shrieked, rising to my feet. “I’m still right here. How do you manage to keep from going all feral and tearing people up? I haven’t done it yet, and I’m pretty sure I can avoid doing it in the near future!”

“I don’t want you going in there again!” Nathan shouted, grabbing me by the arm and tugging me back into my seat.

I wrenched out of his grasp. “You don’t have the authority to boss me around, so drop the dad act!”

His face went ashen.

“Oh, God, Nathan, I’m—”

“You know what? Go ahead and come along. If you get killed, it’s your fault, not mine. I don’t give a damn anymore.” He stood and stalked off, slamming the door behind him.

“Forget that D.C. thing. I want to go with them,” Max said, waving his hand furiously in the air.

The woman scowled at both of us and ran after Nathan. Max shrugged and addressed the group. “I guess that means meeting adjourned.”

Tears stung my eyelids as the discordant bells above the door chimed. I don’t know what bothered me more, that I’d hurt Nathan’s feelings or that she was out there comforting him.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, he’s not really interested in her.” Max’s voice was so close to my ear, I jumped.

I turned to see he’d slid into the vacant seat beside me. “I don’t care.”

Max’s smile was boyish and held just a hint of naughtiness, as though my obvious attraction to Nathan didn’t remove me from his prospective bedding pool. “I know you

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don’t. I just feel like talking about it. If you don’t care, it shouldn’t bother you.”

I couldn’t help my smile. “Fine.”

“Rachel’s a good girl. But Nathan’s not her type, if you catch my drift.”

I didn’t, so I just stared at him blankly.

Max frowned. “Okay, let me put it this way. If Nathan were to actively pursue her, he’d have to get a major operation. In Switzerland.”

“Now I get it.”

“Good, I could tell you were a smart one. I’m Max Harrison.” His handshake was firm, as if he’d been practicing for a job interview. I was surprised when he slipped his hand out of mine and tried to bump fists with me.

I laughed. “I’m sorry, I’m not that hip.”

“Don’t sweat it.” He covered his soft laugh with a cough. “Rachel just looks out for her kids. They’re the vamps she took under her wing when they were new to the Movement.”

“You’re not one of her kids?” I raised an eyebrow.

He sniffed and leaned back in his seat. “No. But enough about me. I want to know about the cutie in the Goth ballerina costume.”

I blushed from the roots of my hair to the tips of my toes. “You saw me?”

“It was kinda hard to miss you.” There was nothing boyish about his expression now. He was almost predatory, the way he looked me up and down. The bells above the door jingled again, and I was grateful for the excuse to change the subject. “Sounds like they’re back.”

Nathan and Rachel entered the shop. I could tell he was still upset, but he managed to put on an amicable face. Rachel pasted on a fake smile and walked toward me with Nathan.

“Well, Doctor, I’ve heard a lot about you,” she said, leaning casually against the counter.

“Do you think you can live up to the hype?”

I smiled back sweetly, but narrowed my eyes at her challenge. “I’m sure I can, and then some.”

“I hope so.” She turned to Nathan. “I need to speak to you. Alone.”

The last word was added like a bullet aimed at both Max and me. I folded my arms, some evil little urge to antagonize her compelling me to stay. Max threw his arm around my shoulder. “Fine. We know when we’re not wanted. Well, Miss—”

“Doctor,” Nathan snapped.

I put on my best flirty smile, making sure he saw and understood why I’d done it before I turned to Max. “Call me Carrie.”

He gave me a nod, as if to say “good play.” “Well, Miss Doctor-Call-Me-Carrie, I have a fantastic room over at the Hampton Inn on Twenty-eighth Street, complete with a minibar. What do you say we get slightly buzzed on very small bottles of schnapps and paint Mallsville red?”

Despite his ridiculous come-on, it was hard not to like Max. I laughed and shook my head.

“Actually, I’m kind of tired, after last night. I think I’ll go upstairs to bed.”

I said a brief, polite goodbye to Rachel and Max and headed up the stairs. The night air was cool, but the day must have been warm. The snow had nearly melted. For once in the last few hectic days, I didn’t feel as if I had to rush anywhere, or dread anything. In fact, I was actually looking forward to tying up the bathroom with a nice long

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bubble bath.

When I got to the door, I realized I didn’t have any keys to get into the apartment. That’s when the hair stood up on my neck, and I desperately wanted to get inside. I didn’t know what had spooked me, but every instinct in my body screamed run. I wasn’t going to argue. I’d nearly gained the top of the stairs when something caught my hair and tugged me backward. I opened my mouth to scream, and a hand stifled the sound. A cold, clawed hand.

A startlingly familiar hand.

My sire’s hand.

Twenty

Transfusion

H e wrenched my head back, hard. “What a nest of vipers you’ve fallen into.”

I shuddered. “All I have to do is scream, and—”

“But you won’t.” His fingers slid across my shoulders, dipping into the neck of my shirt.

“Because you don’t want to fight me.”

“You’re right. I don’t want to fight you.” I clenched my teeth. “I want them to come up here and tear you to pieces.”

The unmistakable chill of metal pressed against my throat.

“I don’t think I’m the one who’s going to go to pieces here.” He drew the blade across my neck, and though I barely felt the sting of the cut, a warm cascade of blood wet the front of my shirt. Blood gurgled from my mouth.

“That should take care of your annoying talking problem.”

I heard the door open at the bottom of the stairs, but my vision swam. I couldn’t see who it was.

When I heard her call a farewell over her shoulder, I recognized Rachel’s voice. If I could have called out, I would have. But Cyrus quickly backed into the narrow alley beside the building, dragging me with him.

“Imagine that. They’re all leaving.” He lowered his head and lapped at the blood flowing from my neck. “And you don’t have much time.”

He raised the knife again, and I was too weak to dodge it. The blade split my sternum, and for a terrifying moment I thought he’d struck my heart.

“I wouldn’t do that to you, Carrie,” he whispered against my ear as he sawed the blade upward. “If I punctured your heart, you’d be nothing but a pile of dust. No fun for Nathan to find you that way.”

As he wedged his fingers between my separated rib cage, his memories flashed through my mind.

The Soul Eater’s sadistic face filled my vision. “Hold still, boy. Your brother didn’t carry on so!”

My bones and cartilage cracked as Cyrus yanked my chest open. When I screamed in agony, I gagged on my blood.

The pictures in my head scrambled and jumped. I saw the face of the dead woman I’d seen before, the same one I’d seen beside Cyrus at the dinner party. She laughed and trailed her finger down the scar on Cyrus’s chest. “And why would I let him do that?” she asked. Her mocking wounded him. “So we can be together forever.”

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My vision cleared, and I saw Cyrus looming above me, his hands and clothes drenched in my blood. “And you’ll be with me forever.”

Those evil bells jingled again. I had no idea how long I’d been lying there. I couldn’t see Cyrus, but I heard his voice from somewhere in the alley. “If you live through the night.”

The blood on my shirt wasn’t warm anymore. It was nearly frozen to my skin. In the gap between the buildings, I saw no stars in the cold, clear sky. Dawn would come soon.

I closed my eyes, unable to worry or care what would happen to me when the rising sun touched my flesh. It seemed simpler than being rescued. If someone found me, how would they fix me? I’d been damaged beyond repair, gutted like a fish. I thought about what Nathan would think when he went upstairs and found the apartment empty. Maybe he’d think that I’d turned my back on his friendship again. Or that I’d been so angry with him that I’d returned to the man who’d killed his son. Would he spend the rest of his life hating me?