Blaze (21 page)

“Yeah, he’s totally out of the picture,”
Kira returned the squeeze. Two could play at that game. She may
have technically done the breaking up, and she may have technically
done the one thing Tristan had asked her not to, but that didn’t
mean she was okay with biting remarks. They had twenty-four hours
more of the charade, and it was way too soon for bickering
innuendos.

Aldrich stepped inside, looking over his
shoulder at Kira. “And how are you, Kira?”

She thought about the next day, the battle
that was about to begin. “I’m ready,” she said and meant it. Kira
was ready for answers, ready for the fight, and ready to take
Aldrich down.

“As am I,” Aldrich responded. Flashes of icy
blue pierced his nearly black eyes, giving away his excitement. “As
am I,” he repeated, this time with a note of finality, just a hint
of victory. He blinked and the expression was gone, almost as
though it never happened.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to wait a day
though,” Aldrich continued speaking. Tristan and Kira were hoping
for this. Aldrich had overheard them and was pretending that he
wanted to delay things. As Kira assumed, Aldrich was being very
accommodating. He didn’t want to scare her off.

“Why’s that?” Tristan asked, pulling Kira up
against his body, trying to let Aldrich see he didn’t necessarily
want to wait.

“My dear wife,” it took everything Kira had
not to flinch at that word, “has gone to bed. Her excitement got
the better of her.”

More likely, Aldrich threw a fit when he
first realized Kira wanted to wait to perform the ceremony
tomorrow. Judging by the intimate scene Kira had witnessed before,
Aldrich would have had no problems taking his frustrations out on
the other vampire. But better that than the prisoners.

“Well, I guess we’ll just be going to bed
too then,” Kira said casually, probably overly so.

“Actually,” Aldrich said as Kira felt an
invisible tug on her shirt, holding her back from the step she had
begun, “I was hoping I could speak with you for a moment.”

“Of course,” Kira said smoothly, “we’re
about to become family after all.” She turned to Tristan, wrapping
her hand around his arm and leaning in for a quick kiss. “I’ll see
you up there,” she said, ignoring how tense his muscles were.
Tristan slipped free of her hold and stepped slowly up the stairs.
He wouldn’t meet her gaze, but just kept on walking. Kira listened
all the way until the quiet thud of his steps disappeared to her
human ears.

Aldrich led Kira into the living room down
the hall and she sat down on the sofa across from him.

“Things seem tense with Tristan,” Aldrich
said. It was a statement, not a question, which meant Kira wasn’t
playing her role well enough.

“Just because of Luke.” She sighed. “He
didn’t take it well,” Kira continued, hoping Aldrich believed she
was talking about Luke, when really the image of Tristan retreating
around the bend and leaving her was playing on repeat in her mind.
“He felt so hurt and abandoned.”

“I hope that hasn’t swayed you at all.”

“No,” Kira said sternly, catching the
menacing tone in Aldrich’s seemingly kind words. His hand on her
knee tightened involuntarily. A minute movement for a vampire, but
Kira felt an ounce of pain in the threat.

“Good, because even a sliver of doubt might
stop the turning tomorrow,” he leaned towards her, eyes narrowing
as he searched her face for any sign of hesitancy, “and turning
into a vampire is not a pleasant process.”

Kira didn’t back down. The icicles in his
eyes were probably mirrored by the fire in Kira’s as she responded,
“I’m not afraid.” Of you, Kira added silently to herself.

He leaned back, satisfied. “No, I did not
think you would be. Unsure maybe, doubtful even, but not
afraid.”

“I think Tristan is more nervous than I am,”
Kira said, hoping Aldrich would take the bait.

“Ah yes, worried about your safety no doubt.
I’ll speak with him tomorrow.” Hook, line and sinker—Kira thought
and kept the grin off of her face. The plan was progressing
perfectly.

“I should probably go talk to him a little
bit now,” Kira said and stood up. She could only handle Aldrich in
small bursts before his superior attitude made him completely
unbearable.

“Have a good last night, Kira.” His wink
curled her insides.

Kira nodded, keeping her face controlled,
and turned away from him, but not before a slow smile spread across
his lips. He folded his hands, palms together, and brought both
pointer fingers to his lips. His eyes glazed over, lightening with
every second, and Kira decided to go as quickly as possible.

When Kira reached the bedroom she shared
with Tristan, the curtains were open and a sliver of moonlight
dipped between them, creating a perfect pathway to the bed. Tristan
lay there, facing away from Kira. She wondered if he was actually
asleep or if his eyes were staring out the open window, wide and
watery.

Quietly, Kira inched around the room and
changed into her pajamas. She stepped closer to her side of the
large bed, wondering why the space there had never seemed as large
as it did in that moment.

Trying not to disturb Tristan, Kira pulled
the covers back and slipped underneath. At first, she rolled to her
side, looking at the silvery lines of the moon glistening against
his dark hair.

“Tristan?” Kira whispered, aching to reach
across the bed and turn him towards her. His wide shoulders cast a
shadow across the mattress that barely touched her outstretched
arm, but it might be the only touch she would get from him that
night.

“Tristan?” Kira whispered again. Maybe he
really was asleep. His body lifted and fell with heavy breaths.

A dull throb started deep in her chest,
pressing down on her heart until it felt like a weight was actually
resting atop her body. The more Kira stared a foot across from her
at the back of Tristan’s head, the wider the distance became. He
stretched further away from her, shrinking back from the hand
reaching out to touch him. A centimeter from the taut muscles in
his back, Kira paused.

If he needed peace, a reprieve from the ache
in his own heart, it was the least she could give him.

Reluctantly, Kira flipped over to her other
side and fluffed her pillow. It wasn’t nearly as comfortable as the
crook of Tristan’s arm, but for the night she could make do. What
was really odd, Kira thought as she hugged the blanket closer, was
how cold she was without Tristan’s body close to her. Despite the
frost of his skin, Kira missed it. That chill was welcome, it
cooled down the heat of her own body. But the chill she felt this
night was bone deep, and Kira didn’t even think her fire would get
rid of it.

But just as Kira felt a shiver reverberate
up her spine, the swish of skin on cotton warmed her heart. A cool
arm encircled her waist, pulling her a foot across the bed and into
the hard body that had always felt so soft to her. A tiny kiss,
almost from a ghost, landed on her shoulder.

Kira fought the urge to turn around and
break the spell. One last night in each other’s arms wasn’t too
much to ask, and the time for words had passed.

Chapter Thirteen

When Kira woke up the next morning, Tristan
was already gone. She brought a hand to her shoulder, trying to
trap the feel of the soft kiss she had fallen asleep to. But like
everything else in her life it was too late, and with a sigh she
rolled off the bed, landing silently on her feet.

Dressing quickly, Kira made her way
downstairs to the dining room where all three of the vampires
awaited her. In her rush, she missed the timing and there were
still three goblets of nearly emptied of blood on the table. Kira
couldn’t help but notice the red tint to Tristan’s lips, the slight
flush on his cheeks. Controlling her reaction, she sat down next to
him, kissed his cheek and brought his hand into her lap.

“Good morning, everyone,” Kira said after a
moment.

“Did you sleep well?” The woman asked.

“It was the perfect last night,” Kira said,
squeezing Tristan’s hand while she spoke and hoping he caught the
real meaning of her words.

“And morning,” Aldrich droned, “it’s past
noon already.”

“Really?” Kira asked, and her stomach
rumbled loudly. She laughed under her breath. Finally, some perfect
timing. “Seeing as I’m still human, I need some grub.”

“I thought you might like to make it
yourself,” Tristan told her. The idea sounded sweet, but the
gesture was pre-planned—she needed a reason to be digging around
the kitchen.

Kira turned to Aldrich, raising her eyebrows
as if asking for permission.

“My house is your house,” Aldrich said,
“besides, Tristan and I have things to discuss. Lana, my dear, why
don’t you start preparing for the ceremony in the meantime.”

The woman nodded, and Kira caught the
worshiping look in her eyes. She was a slave and didn’t even
realize it. The idea made Kira’s toes curl in her socks.

But then Kira’s stomach growled loudly
again, breaking the silence.

“I’ll take that as my cue to go,” Kira
jumped up from her seat. She kissed Tristan on the cheek, trying
her best to maintain their soul mate status and ignore his rigid
posture, before disappearing around the bend.

Now the work really begins, Kira thought.
She walked into the kitchen and used her phone to turn some music
on. Then she lit the fire on the stovetop, ran some water and
started pretending to ruffle the shelves, looking for ingredients.
In the refrigerator, Kira found a secret stash of medical blood and
stole two pints. Perfect for bribing Pavia.

She quickly fried some eggs, put potatoes in
the oven and started a pot of fresh oatmeal. Just in case any
vampires were listening, it would sound like Kira was really in
there cooking one heck of a last breakfast.

In reality, she was taking one last deep
breath and standing in front of the free-standing freezer. Steeling
her nerves for whatever Pavia had to show her, Kira pressed the
small button on the side of the handle and the door to the tunnels
cracked silently open.

Tristan said he could guarantee her an hour
of alone time, and fifteen minutes of that had already passed. When
Kira found herself completely shrouded in darkness, she lit a flame
and hit the tunnels at a run. Along the way she spotted the female
vampire in her room, laying out a deep red dress. But there was no
sign of Tristan or Aldrich, and Kira just hoped they were in a
soundproof room, oblivious to what she was doing.

Five minutes later, Kira found herself
panting at the entrance of the dungeon with five curious pairs of
eyes pointed in her direction.

“Didn’t think we’d see you back here again,
after that oh-so-dramatic exit yesterday,” the female vampire,
Pavia, drawled in a voice laced with sarcasm.

Still breathing heavy, Kira panted, “I came
to,” she stopped to breathe again, taking this as a reminder to
exercise more often. “You’re all going to be free in a couple hours
time.” Why not just get to the chase? Kira thought.

“I’m starting to enjoy these little visits,”
Pavia said with a smirk, while the male Punisher sat up and asked,
“How can this be?”

Kira chose to ignore Pavia and she faced the
other prisoners instead. “Conduits are coming to save you all.
They’ll be here in a few hours. I won’t be with them, but I promise
that you can trust everyone and that they’ll keep you safe.”

One of the Protector females started to
speak, but Kira reached her hand out to stop her.

“I’m sorry, I can’t explain anything else. I
don’t have time.” She said, rushing her words and not caring that
they lacked finesse. Then Kira turned to Pavia. “Yesterday, you
said something about showing me some memories you knew I’d want to
see. You know who my mother was, don’t you? You know something
about Aldrich’s plan?”

Pavia shrugged. Her face was inscrutable.
“Did you bring anything with you?” She sniffed the air, letting a
smirk lighten her features. No use hiding it, Kira thought and
retrieved two bags of blood from the grocery bag she brought with
her.

“I’ll give you one now, and you’ll get the
other one if you give me information that I can use.”

“Deal,” Pavia agreed and then moved
languidly towards the opening of her cell. Kira dropped the bag to
the ground. Lightning fast it was cracked open and at Pavia’s
mouth. Before Kira could blink, the blood vanished and the bag was
drip dry. Pavia smacked her lips, satisfied, before turning to Kira
with an open expression. “What do you want to see?”

“Let’s start with your memories. You have
met her, haven’t you?” Kira asked, trying not to let her voice
sound too hopeful. Pavia nodded and stretched her hand out of her
cell, waiting for Kira’s touch. For a second, Kira met her blue
eyes and they almost seemed friendly, maybe even concerned or
sorry.

But then their fingers were touching and
Kira was falling, her vision was receding, her senses disappearing,
her mind swirling into mush…

Kira opened her eyes, struggling against the cavity
of pain in her stomach. She was hungry, so hungry. Her hands
stretched forward, touching glass. She couldn’t get out. But then
voices were echoing down the hall, getting closer. A sweet smell
startled her—sugar and wine and strawberries—floating closer and
closer. Only one thing could smell so sweet, so delectable, and
then a blonde woman—bleeding, hurt, barely conscious but oh so
lovely—was thrown into the room.

“
I want to know everything in her tiny little
head,” a voice snapped. Kira’s attention was pulled from the woman
and she focused on the hard black eyes of Aldrich. An instant
hatred rose in her chest, a challenge. He rolled his eyes. “You are
so predictable, Pavia. Must it be a fight every time?”