02 Blood Roses - Blackthorn (23 page)

‘She’s trying to kill me!’ Alisha had proclaimed.

Leila had crouched down and rubbed the liquid off Alisha’s face to try and work out what it was.

‘It’s just ketchup,’ Sophie had declared. ‘She’s a vampire.’

‘I am not a vampire!’

‘Yes you are, and you’ve just bitten someone.’

‘No!’ Alisha had protested more viscously now that she had her big sister for protection.

Leila had stared at the stick. ‘What are you doing with that?’

‘I’m going to stake her,’ Sophie had declared, arms still folded as she shrugged. ‘It’s what vampire hunters do.’ She had smirked at Alisha. ‘After I’ve fed her garlic.’ Her eyes had flashed wide as she’d opened her hand and held it out towards her little sister tauntingly.

‘No!’ Alisha had protested again. She had stared up dewy eyed at Leila. ‘She tried to make me eat it!’

‘For goodness sake, Sophie.’ Leila had reached forward and snatched the stake out of her hand. ‘You know she hates those games.’

‘She said she wanted to play then she got all whiney.’

‘You said I could be a vampire princess!’

‘Yeah, well even vampire princesses have got to be staked!’ She had switched on her light. ‘Or burned with sunlight.’

‘I’m not playing anymore! I’m never going to play with you ever again!’

‘Then I’ll get you when you’re asleep.’

‘No!’ Alisha had squeezed Leila’s leg tighter.

‘Enough!’ Leila had snapped. ‘If she wets the bed again tonight, you’re changing it. Do you understand?’

‘What have I done? I’m only playing.’

‘She’s six years old. And you know how she feels about them.’

‘She’ll get over it.’

‘You shouldn’t even be joking about it,’ Leila had said, her voice low in warning as she half-covered Alisha’s ears. ‘You know how Grandfather feels about you making light of it.’

‘He also says all vampires have to die,’ Sophie had exclaimed. ‘And that’s what I’m doing. One by one,’ she had added, smirking at Alisha.

Alisha had yelped, gripped Leila’s leg tighter, burying her face in her jeans.

‘Enough! The game’s over. Clear all this up before Grandfather gets home. Haven’t you got homework to do?’

‘Done it,’ Sophie had declared with a sneer as she’d sauntered back into the living room.

Leila had crouched down in front of Alisha, pushing her fair hair back from her ketchup-smeared face, wiping away some of the tears. ‘Let’s get this muck off your face, shall we?’

‘She wasn’t really going to stake me, was she?’

‘No, she wasn’t. It was just a game, Alisha.’

‘She told me she’s killed a real one,’ Alisha had whispered back.

Leila had held Alisha’s gaze for a moment before standing up. Placing the stick on the worktop, she’d run some kitchen towels under the warm water tap. ‘She’s telling you fibs, Alisha. It was part of the game.’

‘Can you really kill a vampire with a piece of wood?’

‘Killing vampires is against the law, Alisha. Sophie would be in a lot of trouble if she had killed one.’

‘Not if they tried to kill her first. Sophie told me. Sophie told me it’s okay to kill vampires if you’re a shellfish fence.’

Leila had managed a smile as she lowered back down in front of Alisha, wiped the ketchup from her delicate pale skin. ‘I think you mean self-defence.’

Alisha had gazed at her sister, her brown eyes wide. ‘Have you ever killed a vampire?’

Leila’s hand had frozen against her sister’s face for a moment, before she hurriedly wiped the remains off. She stood and marched back over to the bin. ‘I think we’ve had enough vampire talk for one night.’ Facing her again, she’d crouched back down in front of her little sister, catching hold of her hands. ‘Where do we live, Alisha?’

‘19, High Grove Avenue, Summerton.’

‘Good girl. Where do the vampires live?’

‘Blackthorn. The nasty place.’

‘That’s right. And we’ve got two whole districts between us and lots of very strong people who guard all the people who come in and out of Summerton. So we don’t have to be afraid, do we, Alisha?’

‘What if some move here? What if some move next door?’

‘A vampire isn’t going to move next door.’

‘But if one did, you’d look after me, right?’

‘I will always keep you safe,’ Leila had said, rubbing the last of the gunk off her face. She had looked her in the eyes. ‘I promise.’

And it was a promise she swore she’d keep. For her parents, for her grandfather, for herself, she would always keep her sisters safe.

In the shadows of the room, Leila frowned at the candles. She looked at the sconce to its left and then the sconce to its right before looking out at the ones on the table.

And, like the flames that burned, a plan ignited.

Chapter Twenty-two

C
aleb stepped into the library and stared down at the unbroken circle of wax.

‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ he said as he closed the door behind him, his eyes flashing partly in amusement and partly in irritation.

Leila took a step back so she was exactly in the middle of the ten-foot-diameter circle she’d created – an instinctive reaction despite the impenetrable barrier between them.

‘Very clever,’ he said, as he approached the circle and strolled around its periphery, his eyes locking in resentment on hers. ‘Very resourceful.’

Leila remained silent as she watched him warily.

‘I admire your ingenuity,’ he said, lifting his hand to touch the protective wall, flinching as the spark shot up his arm. ‘And this one is very nicely done. But like I keep saying – you’re a powerful girl.’ He kept walking, his gaze locked on Leila’s as she turned on the spot, refusing to break eye contact with him.

‘The advantage of pure beeswax candles,’ Leila explained. ‘As opposed to the synthetic concoctions.’

‘What can I say?’ Caleb said, his eyes betraying his annoyance. ‘I’m a traditionalist.’ He ran his hand an inch away from the invisible barrier, a flash of light igniting his fingertips. ‘Does this mean we’re breaking up?’

‘Don’t mock me, Caleb,’ she warned, her eyes narrowed. ‘I’ll stay in here until I die of starvation if that’s what it takes.’

‘What, you in there and your sister out here with me? I don’t think so.’

‘Alisha leaves now or I’m not stepping out of here.’

‘Which you’ll do the moment I let my leverage go? Sorry, but there’s something very flawed in that deal somewhere.’

‘It’s the only deal I’m making,’ she said. ‘You need me. And you’re not having me unless she’s gone. Unless I know she got home safe.’

Caleb stepped up to the line, his eyes solemnly on hers. ‘You know I’ll get you out of there, don’t you, Leila? You’re not that naïve.’

Something clenched in the pit of her stomach. ‘You touch her and I promise you will suffer. Both you and Jake.’

‘Come on, fledgling. You don’t really want me to let her go – out there into the darkness of Blackthorn all by herself.’

‘She’s in less danger out there than she is in here. At least out there she’s got a fighting chance.’

‘And let her go straight to the authorities?’ Caleb glanced down at the sconce in the circle then narrowed his eyes on Leila. ‘What have you got in your hand?’

She clenched her perspiring hand tighter.

He stepped up to the edge of the circle. ‘What have you got?’

Leila pulled her hand from behind her back and opened her palm to reveal the three nails.

‘Clever girl,’ he said softly to her, his attention unwavering.

She could have sworn she saw a glimmer of concern in his eyes. A glimmer of panic.

‘And don’t think I won’t do it,’ she said. ‘You let my sister go or I will do this and there is nothing you can do to stop me. I swear I will shed every last millilitre of this precious blood you need all over this floor.’

‘You don’t mean that.’

‘Do you want to try me?’ she asked, glaring at him. ‘You need me alive. The only thing I need is my sister and if I can’t save her, what’s the point? For all I know, you’re going to kill her anyway. Why should you get your prophecy fulfilled as well? You let her go and I’ll throw these out to you. You refuse me and I promise you, I will end this now.’

‘And what’s to stop you doing it anyway?’

‘I will give you the nails once I know Alisha is free and okay. No more bartering.’

Irritation clouded his eyes as he strolled around the circle again. ‘You drive a hard bargain, fledgling.’

‘You leave me with no choice.’

Caleb surveyed the height of the barrier. ‘Just how far do these things go up?’

‘There’s no way in.’

He smiled. ‘There’s always a way in.’

‘Don’t underestimate me, Caleb.’

‘I haven’t. From the minute you walked into this place.’ Caleb stopped and folded his arms. ‘I knew you were going to be trouble as soon as I laid eyes on you.’

‘Then you should have let me go sooner and none of this would have had to have happened.’

‘But then we never would have discovered your little secret.’ He paused, stepping as close to the line as he could. ‘I came down here to talk to you.’ He scanned the barrier again. ‘It’s a shame about all of this.’

‘I think we’ve done enough talking, Caleb. Unless, that is, you were coming down here to tell me you’d decided to do the right thing. Only that would mean choosing to do that over Feinith, over the entire freedom of your kind, wouldn’t it?’

‘And what would you do if you were me? If you had the chance to redeem your kind from oppression – to change the course of their destiny? And all for the sake of draining the life out of some serryn who has so much hatred for your kind that she stands for everything you long to overcome.’

‘And what would you do if you were me, on the cusp of losing everything you have left to care about? And all because of the decision a deceitful, double-crossing, paranoid vampire made.’

He placed both hands on the barrier, it sparking fiercely at him, his green eyes square on hers. ‘Don’t make this harder on yourself than it needs to be, Leila’

‘Take your own advice, Caleb. Get Alisha out of here.’

He retracted. ‘Maybe I should bring Alisha here. Maybe she can watch you give up on her.’

‘I’m not giving up on anything.’

‘Do you think she’ll see it that way? Will it be so easy to slice through your veins with her watching?’

She narrowed her gaze on him. ‘I don’t make false threats, Caleb.’

‘But I’ve got a lot riding on this one. As well you know. Be honest, Leila – you’re not going to take your own life.’ He paused. ‘Unless you’d like to tell me it’s just a myth that if a serryn takes her own life, her curse passes on to one of her siblings – punishment for serryns looking for the easy way out.’

Leila felt as though she’d been punched in the stomach. Her throat constricted, her chest tightened.

His green eyes were unflinching on hers, sharp, perceptive, attentive to her every reaction.

The triumph behind them, the coaxing of his smile, sent a cold perspiration sweeping over her. ‘You die and we’re going to need a backup,’ he said. ‘Sophie or Alisha make very suitable replacements. Especially with them already being in the district. It’s all very convenient.’

Leila narrowed her eyes. ‘You touch either one of them…’

‘And what?’ He stepped as close as he could, a couple of sparks flying. ‘What are you going to do from in there? How are you going to protect your sisters from your little cage?’

Leila’s heart threatened to break free of her ribcage as she glared at him. ‘You leave them alone.’

‘Then step out of the circle, Leila. You know the only one I really want is you. Stay in there and bleed to death or stay in there and let yourself starve, it’s the same outcome – it’s still suicide.’ The taunt of threat and promise in his tone, the intent in his eyes, made her chest clench. ‘Either you let your sisters take your place, or you drop those nails, get yourself out here and face what you are for the first time in your life.’

‘Even if I do step out, I have no guarantee you’ll leave them be.’

‘Fine,’ he said, turning away. ‘Do it your way.’

‘Wait!’ She propelled herself to the edge of the circle.

He slowly turned to face her. Lifted his eyebrows slightly, expectantly.

She held her breath, wiped her damp palms on her dress.

She had lost. She had called his bluff and lost. And stalling would only make it worse. She had no choice but to attempt the only other option she had left. And she had to get it right first time. She couldn’t mess up.

He raked her swiftly with his gaze before turning his back on her again, disappearing across the threshold out into the hallway.

She squeezed her eyes shut, her jaw tense. Opening her eyes again, she let the nails clink to the floor before stepping over the line. ‘I said wait!’

She reached the threshold, recoiled as Caleb stood just outside the door waiting for her, his hand on the wall, his sullen gaze locked on hers.

She backed up across the threshold again with every step he made towards her, her gaze warily unflinching from his.

‘Smart choice,’ he said.

‘You didn’t
give
me any choice,’ she replied, backing into the circle again. ‘You never do.’

‘That’s not strictly true, Leila. I’m just selective about the options.’ He stepped into the circle with her, the spell having been diminished with her exit. ‘But I admire you for being so calculated under pressure. It couldn’t have been easy trying to stay that one step ahead. Resourceful, calculated and a harsh negotiator. You’d make any serryn out there proud.’

‘Maybe that should be my aim from hereon in. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I should finally let the serryn out. That is what you want, right?’

‘Are you finally drawing the battle lines, Leila?’

‘Maybe I’m just stepping up to them,’ she said, taking another wary step back. ‘It’s about time I did, isn’t it?’

He smiled, took another step forward, and hit a wall. An invisible wall. His gaze fell instantly to the line his foot was less than a centimetre away from. Then he glared right back at her.

Chapter Twenty-three

H
is slow-beating heart jolted. Panic and anger hit him like an overpowering wave.

Leila folded her arms and cocked her hip to the side slightly in an evocative way so uncharacteristic of her, her glare intentionally and defiantly locked on his.

He felt his temper soar, the indignation of her tricking him exacerbating his knee-jerk reaction to any threat. ‘What the fuck have you done?’ he hissed quietly.

Leila crossed to the door, but instead of leaving, she took the key out of the lock on the far side. She closed the door, still in the room, and locked it. ‘I’m guessing you don’t want your brother walking in on this.’

Jake – the thought of him alone beyond the door just as much a catalyst for his fury.

‘I asked you a question,’ he said, watching her stroll back towards him.

‘You’re fine to cross the line as long as I’m in the circle with you,’ she declared.

‘You set me up?’

She shrugged and folded her arms again as she stood directly in front of him. ‘That is the sort of thing my kind does, isn’t it? Or so you keep telling me. So why so surprised, Caleb?’

His green eyes narrowed. ‘You devious little bitch.’

Despite the alarm in her eyes at the venom in his tone, she didn’t flinch. But he could hear her telling breaths – the shallow breaths of panic she refused to show in any other way. She was learning to curb her fear. She was learning to manage it.

In less than two days, she had progressed – growing into the serryn she was destined to be. And he had started that snowball. A part of him, even amidst his anger, felt a pang that he had made her that way. He’d wanted to see the serryn, now he was staring at her – that calculated determination and refusal to be beaten by a vampire at any cost. And it was viciously biting him in the arse.

‘It seems the fledgling is ready to fly,’ he said.

‘And you’ve got exactly what you wanted,’ she said, her eyes brimming with accusation. ‘Well done, Caleb.’

But his brother in the penthouse was not what he wanted. Not without any ability to do anything about it. The uncomfortable sting of helplessness pierced his self-control – unravelling the fragile stitches that kept those suppressed feelings contained. He bit back his temper. ‘So what now?’

‘What do you think? The code out of this penthouse and the one to Alisha’s room are no good if I don’t know where she is.’

He exhaled tersely, smiled. ‘This whole place is on lock-down until dusk. Even if I tell you, you’re not going anywhere.’

‘You let me worry about that.’

He stepped up to the edge of the circle, as close to her as he could get – inches away through the invisible barrier. ‘This is a really bad move, Leila.’

‘Maybe from where you’re standing. From here, the move feels like checkmate. Especially with your brother just beyond these walls. Remind me again how resilient to temptation he is?’

The cold heat of fury washed through his body. If it hadn’t been for her spell he would have already had her pinned to the wall. Or floor. Right then he didn’t care which. ‘You touch him and I’ll kill you.’

‘From the way I see it, you’re going to kill me anyway. If you manage to get out of your new cage, that is. Oh, and just so you know – that can only happen while I’m still breathing.’

He’d only ever felt that clench in his chest three times – finding Seth, holding Jake in his arms only two nights before and then that first time he’d stared into the eyes of a serryn unleashed.

And unleashed she had been. Ropes and manacles around his wrists and ankles transforming instantly from sexual play to restrictors. The cruelty in her lifeless eyes as she’d tortured, taunted and subjugated him in the days that followed – used him as nothing more than a plaything to sate her sadism as much as her desires.

Never would he be that out of control again. Never would he be helpless at the hands of another serryn.

And he was
not
losing another brother to one of them.

This was not the time to let his fury rage. Not yet. Leila wouldn’t be getting out of the building. That was a fact.

This was about saving Jake first and foremost.

Her punishment would follow.

‘So?’ she asked. ‘Are you ready to make the right decision?’

He forced himself to smile. ‘I like this side of you. It makes my plans for you so much easier.’

‘Shame you’ll be putting them on hold then. Where is she, Caleb? Or I go and ask Jake. And I won’t be held accountable for his actions.’

He exhaled curtly through gritted teeth. ‘Three floors down. Only door on the left.’

‘Wasn’t hard, was it?’ she said. ‘And you’d better be telling me the truth.’

‘There’s only one way you’ll find out.’

She raked him slowly with her gaze before turning on her heels. She unlocked the door, but instead of stepping straight out, she looked over her shoulder at him. Her gaze lingered longer than she should have been comfortable with, something behind her eyes he couldn’t quite work out. But despite him thinking for a moment that she was going to speak, she turned her back on him and stepped out of the room, leaving him with the painful thud of his slow beating heart.

❄ ❄ ❄

Hands trembling, Leila locked the library door. She didn’t have time to think – she had to get out of there and get out of there fast. She looked down the dim corridor towards the lounge. Silence rebounded towards her.

Caleb had said Jake was in the penthouse, but there was no guarantee he was.

Slipping off her heels, she crept stealthily down into the darkness and scanned the empty lounge, the whole place emanating on an eerie, translucent shade of dark grey. The balcony doors were shut, the blackened glass blocking out most of what lay beyond other than an orb in the sky that could have just as easily been mistaken for the moon had Leila not been so sure it was daytime. She glanced at the door out of the penthouse, and then straight ahead towards Jake’s room.

She needed her book. Wanted her book. Let alone her Kit Box. But she had no time to risk looking for either. Getting Alisha out of there, herself out of there, was all that mattered.

Or at least be able to warn her. To tell her what she needed to do to save herself – to stop Caleb from using her should the worst happen.

Stepping up to the door, she keyed in the code, the pessimistic part of her not expecting it to open. She heaved a sign of relief as it did, the click reverberating around the silence like a cough mid-prayer in church.

Leila stepped out into the hallway and quietly closed the door behind her. She ran down the hallway as fast as her weak legs would carry her and stepped into the open elevator. As the doors closed, she gripped the handrail, willing the elevator to descend faster.

The doors slid open three floors down to reveal a less plush but still well-maintained hallway. She peered out and checked left and right. Seeing it was clear, she took a left and headed down to the only door.

She keyed in the previous code in reverse and, as the door unlocked, her heart jolted. She warily pushed the door all the way open, and welled up the minute her eyes met her sister’s across the room.

Alisha stood immediately from the sofa, her eyes wide with confusion as Leila closed the door behind her.

‘Lei?’ She looked over her sister’s shoulder to check for company and frowned when she saw she was alone. ‘What are you doing down here? Is everything okay? What’s going on?’

She met Alisha halfway across the room, grabbed her and hugged her tight. ‘Are you all right?’ Leila asked as she pulled back a few inches so she could gaze into her eyes. She brushed back her hair as she’d used to when Alisha was small, the feel of her close to her again forcing her to fight back the tears accumulating at the back of her throat.

‘I’m fine,’ Alisha said, her brown eyes bewildered. ‘What’s happening? I’ve been worried sick. No you. No Jake. He said you and Caleb spent the night together. I mean properly. What’s he talking about?’

‘Things have got a little complicated, but we’re leaving now. I’ll explain on the way,’ she said, catching Alisha’s arm, tugging her towards the door.

‘What do you mean “complicated”? Where’s Jake? Who’s escorting us?’

‘It’s still daylight out there.’

‘It’s still Blackthorn.’ Alisha yanked her arm free and took a step back. ‘What’s the hurry? Does Caleb know you’re down here?’

‘Yes.’

She frowned again. ‘Why don’t I believe you?’

‘How else would I have got in here?’

‘So where is he? Or Jake? What have you done? Where are they?’

‘Walk and I’ll talk,’ she said, grabbing her arm again.

Alisha took a step back. ‘You’ve done something.’ Her eyes flared in panic. ‘You haven’t hurt Jake, have you?’

‘I haven’t seen Jake.’ She caught hold of her sister’s arm again and tugged her out into the hallway.

‘Caleb?’

‘He’s trapped in a wax circle in the penthouse. But the barrier only lasts when I’m a certain distance from it. A hundred feet or so.’ Leila pulled her into the open elevator. ‘So we have to get out of here before Caleb realises that.’

Alisha pulled her arm from her sister’s grasp again. ‘He’s what?’

Leila pressed the button for the door to close. ‘I had no choice.’

‘So we
are
running. I knew it. Trapping Caleb? He’s going to be furious! What were you thinking?’

She stared at the buttons. ‘What I’ve been thinking of ever since I stepped into this godforsaken place – getting out.’ She pressed for the lowest floor. She guessed it didn’t go to ground level, only to the stone staircase, but at least she knew the way from there.

‘But I thought you and Caleb were getting along. With all the stuff Jake said…’

‘Seriously?’ Leila snapped.

‘But Lei, the whole building is on lock down during the day. No one comes in and no one goes out – not without Caleb or Jake’s say-so. This place is like a fortress until dusk.’

Her heart thudded, her pulse rate kicking into an uncomfortable pace. ‘You must know the codes.’

She shrugged. ‘They change every night. I watched Jake earlier in case I needed to come and see you so I know the corridor ones, but that’s all.’

‘Then we’ll work with that. We need to get as far as the fire-exit doors. No one’s stupid enough to put those on a code.’

‘Lei, you do know Blackthorn’s more dangerous by day, don’t you? That’s when all the cons are out.’

‘No more dangerous out there than it is in here.’

Leila stepped out of the elevator, pulled Alisha with her and took the sharp right through the door to the stone stairwell.

Alisha yanked her to a standstill half-way down the steps. ‘Leila, stop. Take a breath. You’re scaring me. Please. Tell me what’s happened.’

‘Sophie’s here in Blackthorn,’ Leila declared, continuing down the steps. ‘You want to find her, right?’

Alisha followed behind her with less speed. ‘But we already knew she was here.’

‘But not what she’s involved in. We were right in suspecting she came here to get vengeance for what happened to Mum. She got in with some vigilante group that’s killing off key vampire players. It seems like what happened to Jake was no accident.’

Alisha came to a standstill midway down the next flight of steps. ‘What are you saying?’

Leila turned to face her. ‘The group were on a suicide mission, Alisha.’

‘You’re telling me whoever Jake was feeding on wanted him to kill her?’

‘That’s what Caleb believes. Enough to go after her, anyway. Now do you understand?’

Alisha frowned. ‘Does Jake know about any of this?’

‘If Caleb knows, Jake knows.’

‘He hasn’t said anything to me.’

‘Big surprise there,’ Leila said, taking the next few steps down to the next stairwell. ‘Now will you keep moving?’

‘No, this is about more than Sophie. What are you not telling me, Lei?’

Leila reached the bottom of the stairwell and turned to face her sister rooted half-way up the stairs. ‘We’ll talk when we’re out of here.’

‘No.’ Alisha stepped back, her voice echoing against the stone chasm. ‘You’re scaring the shit out of me. I’ve never seen you like this. You tell me now or I’m not going any further. What the hell has happened?’

❄ ❄ ❄

Caleb paced the circle that bound him, his hands clenching into fists before flexing again. She’d closed and locked the door behind her, blocking out any chance of his yells making it down to Jake. Or hearing Jake’s rebounding back to him.

If she’d gone after him, he’d kill her slowly and painfully. He knew that then and there with every sinew of his body that was burning in rage.

He’d lost one brother to a serryn and there was no way he’d lose another. Not even to the beautiful, hazel-eyed serryn he’d created. And his anger sickened him. It was an emotion he used to thrive on; now it felt painfully unfamiliar – like revisiting a house with bad memories.

He slammed his hand against the invisible barrier in fury. It sparked, but weakly. He frowned. He placed his hand up to it again. Pins and needles shot up his arm but its strength seemed to be dwindling.

He didn’t know if it was his rage that muted the sensation.

Or if the spell was on a time limit. Or a distance limit.

Leila was moving further away and with it, seemingly, was the strength that bound him there.

❄ ❄ ❄

‘Please, Alisha. We don’t have time for this.’

‘And that’s what’s scaring me. Something
has
happened. What has he done to you?’

She exhaled with impatience. ‘Nothing.’

‘Don’t give me that. Has he hurt you?’

Leila’s gaze lingered on her sister’s, Alisha’s brown eyes wide and troubled. ‘Not yet.’

‘What do you mean “not yet”?’

She knew she had no choice. She had to do something to make her move. And she had to tell her in order to explain why she had to do what she needed her to do if they didn’t get out of there.

‘I’m not what you think I am, Alisha. I’m not just an ordinary interpreter – I’m a serryn.’

Alisha’s eyes widened, confusion igniting them.

Leila took a couple of steps back up towards her. ‘Caleb used to hunt serryns. He hates them. A serryn killed his brother.’