Bloodline (26 page)

It hurt Ethan beyond measure to speak the words, but they had to be said. His throat convulsed painfully, and he could barely force air through it. But as hard as it was to speak those truths, it was harder yet to know them beyond any possibility of doubt.

“I didn't betray you,” James insisted. “I betrayed
her,
but dammit, Ethan, that's my job. It's what I've been trained—”

“Programmed, you mean.”

“Fine. It's what I've been programmed to do.”

“Lilith was right about you all along,” Ethan said as he strode closer to his lying excuse for a brother.

“They wanted you, too, Ethan. They tortured me. But I didn't tell them where to find you. I
didn't
betray you.
The only person I betrayed was a woman who means nothing to me.”

Ethan gripped the front of his brother's shirt and jerked him against his chains. “She means something to
me.
”

James couldn't meet Ethan's stare. “I didn't have a choice,” he said. “I tried to talk myself out of handing her over for your sake, Ethan. Again and again I tried to convince myself that I didn't have to go through with it. But in the end, I knew I had to.” Lifting his gaze at last, he looked Ethan in the eye, and there was regret in his own gaze. “I was afraid of what they would do to me for disobeying orders again.”

“I don't blame you—when
this
is what they do to you for
obeying.
” Ethan shook his head. “Where is she?”

“Set me free and I'll take you to her.”

Ethan couldn't believe his brother thought he would leave him imprisoned, whether he promised to take him to Lilith or not. But he said nothing, just pried the manacles away, using both hands and all the strength he could muster.

“The only guards are out front. And they're most likely distracted.”

“If they're not,” Ethan said, “I can assure you that they will be.” He led his brother to the exit of the otherwise empty building, gripped the knob and opened the door just slightly.

As James had predicted, two keepers stood outside the door, cradling their automatic weapons.

Closing his eyes, Ethan listened for the thoughts of his young cohort and heard,
Two-ninety-nine, one thousand, three hundred. Now!

As the explosion rocked the grounds, James drew
back, instinctively ducking and raising his forearms, as if to shield himself from falling debris. Ethan gripped his wrist. “The guards are running off, just as planned. Come on.”

“That—that was
you?
”

“It was a friend.” They trotted down the steps, and Ethan asked, “Which way?”

“A vampire friend?” James demanded.

“I'm not going to tell you who it is, James. But if you don't guide me to Lilith, I'm going to blow
you
up next. So where the hell is she?”

“That way. Parade grounds.”

Ethan felt his stomach twist at the words. “Why?”

“Hurry, Ethan. It's too close to daylight as it is. Just go.” And with that, James pulled free of him and ran in the opposite direction.

Ethan's eyes were powerful enough to follow the blur that was his brother as James darted behind the building in which he'd been held and leapt the perimeter fence. Then he ran straight at the larger electrified fence that surrounded the compound and leapt that.

And then he was gone.

Ethan was surprised, even after all he'd learned about his brother, that James had abandoned him. He'd half expected his brother to offer his help—to try to redeem himself by finally doing the right thing. But he hadn't.

The disloyal, addlebrained bastard.

Squaring his shoulders, Ethan shook off the bitter disappointment he felt in the brother who'd been his lifelong hero. Instead, he focused dead ahead and continued striding toward the parade grounds, alongside the guards
and keepers who continued spilling out of buildings and racing toward the explosion.

No one even noticed him as he moved with the flow of bodies, and when he veered off to the right and cut around to the parade grounds, he kept under cover by moving between buildings until he neared the edge of the open expanse.

And then Jeremy was beside him, running to keep up. “Was she in there? Did you find her? I couldn't see when you came out, but—Ethan? Ethan, where are we going?”

The buildings ended abruptly, and the well-worn dirt track they'd been following curved away, looping to form a complete circle around a large grassy area about an acre in size. On the far side of that circle stood a bare flagpole, its cords snapping in the night wind. At sunrise, Ethan knew, an American flag would be hoisted as the captives stood at attention and the national anthem played over the loudspeakers. It was the way they began each and every day here.

But tonight the view included a different, heavier pole, erected in the center of the circle, with a woman chained to it. Her arms were stretched over her head, her ankles bound, as well. Her hair, coppery curls tumbling free, fell around her shoulders, strands flying with every touch of the breeze.

“Oh hell,” Jeremy whispered.

As Ethan stood there in the last of the cover provided by the alley between two buildings, staring at Lilith, aching for her with everything in him, she lifted her head and met his longing gaze. Her lips trembled into a small smile, and a tear spilled onto her cheek.

You came for me.

He only nodded, then stepped toward the open ground, eager to get closer to her. Jeremy reached for him. “Wait, Ethan!”

You really came for me.

“Take her back to the holding cell!” someone shouted, and Ethan automatically drew back, still unseen, as men in uniform surged forward around Lilith.

“Double the guard,” the ranking officer commanded. “Anything goes wrong, it's on your heads.”

“Yes, sir.”

As Ethan watched, two of the uniformed men moved closer and began fumbling with Lilith's bonds. Others took up sentry positions, bearing rifles and watching in all directions as the first two released Lilith's bound wrists and ankles. A few of the guns were pointed at her, others aimed outward, as the leader gripped Lilith's upper arm and jerked her roughly across the open grounds toward the buildings.

Keeping to the shadows, Ethan followed, with Jeremy sticking close to his side.

“The explosion bought her some time,” the kid said in a harsh whisper.

Ethan nodded. “Let's just hope it's enough.”

I
was returned to a room much like the one I'd been in only a short while before. This one, though, was empty. No sign of James, and I wondered briefly whether he had escaped. It seemed likely. Ethan wouldn't leave his brother in captivity, even though he knew about James's duplicity and betrayal by now. I had no illusions about his feelings. If he was here trying to save me, then he must already have rescued his black-hearted brother. I knew where Ethan's priorities lay.

I strained to feel Ethan's presence anywhere near me, but I felt no hint of it. Had I only imagined seeing him moments ago? Or had he given up, left me here to suffer my fate alone, now that his brother was safe?

A blade twisted in my chest at the thought, even though the logical part of my brain told me it was unlikely. Ethan would try to save me. Even though I was here because of my own stubborn insistence on returning to this place. Even though I had brought every bit of my suffering on myself. And even though he might very well die in the effort, he would try to save me. He was too decent a man not to.

That, I told myself, was true. And even if Ethan had
freed his miserable brother before he'd come after me, and even if his brother came first with him and always would, that didn't mean Ethan had changed sides. It didn't mean he'd abandoned me.

I bit my lip, willing that belief to overwhelm the doubts that tried to squelch it, and worked to keep my emotions well hidden as the keepers chained me to the wall. Their movements were short and quick, their nervous energy zapping from them like electric sparks. They feared me. They weren't used to working with vampires, only the harmless Chosen Ones, far less able to defend themselves.

I was weak from drugs and hunger, from the pain they'd inflicted, from the fear of my impending death and worry for Ethan. I was weak. But I was also wise. Trying to fight them just then would have been a waste of my limited energy. I would wait and bide my time. Ethan was here—somewhere. He would help me, and I would need every bit of strength that remained in me to fight by his side when the time came. Because he wouldn't just leave me here. He wouldn't save himself and leave me behind. He wouldn't run away for his brother's sake and abandon me to the brutality of the keepers.

Not again.

Finally the nervous mortals exited the building, leaving me alone. I leaned my weary head back against the wall, closed my eyes against the hot tears that burned in them and realized that I could still hear the humans. They were talking softly outside my door. They really were unused to working with the Undead, I thought, to speak—even softly—so close to someone with preternaturally enhanced
hearing. My head came up, my attention focused to glean whatever information I could from their words.

“What's happening, sir?” one of the younger ones asked. “What was that explosion?”

The leader replied slowly, and with great care. “We believe someone has breeched the perimeter of the compound.”

“Someone got out?” the same voice asked, sounding alarmed.

“Someone got
in,
Jeffries. We believe they're attempting to rescue certain residents. James—the vampire assassin we had chained inside—is gone. So are the two rebels we had in the punitive programming barracks, and I've heard a handful of others have vanished. Though if they're still inside, we'll find them, and I'd bet my right arm they
are
still inside. And it's probably this one they're after, her they came for to begin with.”

“Is it Ethan?” Jeffries asked.

“Seems a likely bet.”

“Then wouldn't it be better to execute her at dawn, as planned, and get it over with?”

“It's not our job to question orders, just to carry them out. Besides, by keeping her alive another day they can use her as bait to get their hands on Ethan and James, and on those they've already rescued.”

“I think they should kill her now,” Jeffries said. “The sooner the better. Take away Ethan's reason to hang around before some of us end up hurt.”

“We're not going to end up hurt, kid.”

“Ethan's a
vampire,
” the kid said. “So is James. And so is the one we just chained up. That makes three of them, and I've heard what they can do.”

The other man was silent for a moment. When he did reply, he said nothing to reassure his younger comrade-in-arms, only, “I'm putting you in charge of security for this prisoner. It's your only job tonight. I want two men guarding each side of this building. I want all of you awake and alert. Keep your radios on, and report anything even remotely unusual. Don't hesitate to use the tranquilizer guns you've been issued. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.”

I heard footsteps as the two men dispersed, the elder moving beyond the range of my hearing, while the younger moved only a short distance and spoke to a number of other men. When he returned, there were other sets of feet stomping the earth along with his own. I heard them clearly, splitting into pairs and moving around the small building that housed me to take up their assigned positions. I felt surrounded, closed in.

And mostly hopeless. I had no reason to be hopeful, after all. Those men outside were more certain Ethan would come for me than I was. And now that I was so well-guarded, I wondered if he would be able to get to me even if he tried.

I hung my head, trying to remove my focus from the chafing and pressure in my wrists and ankles, bound too tightly and too long within the metal jaws of my shackles.

But my head came upright when I heard a very soft sound above me. Tipping my chin up, I stared at the ceiling, and the soft sound came again. Someone was moving around—on the roof.

I closed my eyes, opened my senses.

Are you all right, Lilith?

A sigh of utter relief was wrenched from my chest, and I struggled to blink back a rush of scalding tears.
Ethan.

Are you hurt?

Drugged. Weak. Starving. But unharmed.
I wanted to say more but bit it back. This was not the time.

I'm coming in.

Ethan, don't! There are at least eight guards surrounding this building. You'll be captured if you try.

I'm coming in.
He repeated the thought with a firmness that brooked no argument, and then I heard the sounds of nails ripping free of the rafters and metal bending. It wasn't loud. It wasn't likely to even be heard by the mortal guards outside my building. But
I
could hear it.

And it wasn't long before I felt Ethan moving closer as he landed somewhere amid the rafters in the ceiling above me, and a moment later he was on his feet on the floor.

He turned until he faced me and then just looked at me. His face showed a thousand emotions, none of which was clear to me, so fast did they move from one to the next. And then he was rushing toward me, clasping my face in his palms and kissing the dampness from my cheeks.

“Lilith. God, Lilith, I was so afraid I'd be too late.”

I tipped my face up to his, hungry for his touch, his kisses, despite my lingering doubts. I wanted this. I wanted to believe. I wanted
him.

He covered my mouth with his, giving me what I craved more than blood, or life, or even freedom in that moment. And when he lifted his head again, I held his gaze and whispered, “I didn't think you would come.”

“I don't believe that. You had to know I would come for you.”

I lowered my eyes. “I hoped you would,” I admitted. “But then, when you freed your detestable brother first…”

“I came for you, not him. I freed him, yes, but only in hopes he could help us.”

“He'll never help us.”

Ethan cupped my chin and turned my face to his. “He proved that when he ran off and left me on my own the second he was free. He did tell me where to find you first, though.”

“Then let's forgive him for putting me here.” If my tone was sarcastic, good. I intended it to be.

“It's you I came for, Lilith.”

“And the others I heard you've rescued?”

He slid his hands along my left arm, giving me chills all the way, until he reached the manacle at my wrist and snapped it open. “I found them in the first building where I was searching for you. A pair of teens, Bloodliners, the Chosen. I found them in the torture rooms, and I—well, I couldn't leave them behind.”

I raised my eyebrows, then bit my lip as he slid his talented hands along my other arm, freeing my right wrist as he had the left. “I wonder what crimes they committed.”

“They've started a movement, Lilith. Inspired by your constant rebellion and eventual escape, they've begun some kind of resistance movement. They insisted on helping us. The girl is gathering her group together. We're supposed to meet them at the compound fence. I sent the boy on ahead to wait for us there.”

“Despite my guards?”

“Despite anything.” As he spoke, he bent his head to
my neck and pressed his mouth to my skin, and I shivered and clasped his head in my newly freed hands.

“Ethan,” I whispered.

“I'm here, Lilith. I'm not leaving without you.”

“You really did come for me?”

“Only for you. The others were happenstance. I only came for you.”

“I want you, Ethan.”

“There's no time,” he whispered. And yet he kissed a path over my throat and down my breastbone, to my belly, to my thighs. Kneeling, he dropped his hands to my ankles and snapped the shackles free.

I fell quickly to my knees, as well, twisting my arms around his neck. “I
need you,
Ethan. We might not survive this. This could be our last chance to be together.”

“I know, but, Lilith—”

“I need you
now.
”

Ignoring my words, he pressed my face to his neck.

“Drink,” he whispered. “You're weak. You need blood. Drink from me.”

I couldn't stop myself. My lips tasted his skin. My tongue lapped a slow path over it, and I felt the blood rushing in his jugular, felt it pulsing hard against my mouth. Grimacing in torment, I denied my raging hunger. “No. Not until you're inside me.” I nipped at his neck. “I'll
die
without it, Ethan, I will. I need it more than I need blood. Please.”

With a low growl, he shoved my jeans down to my ankles and, still kneeling, loosened his own. I sank down onto him and felt such relief that I very nearly cried out. I bit his shoulder to keep myself from moaning in
pleasure, and I know I bit hard enough to hurt him, yet he didn't flinch away.

Instead he pulled me down, arching into me, holding my hips captive in his large, powerful hands as he drove himself deeper. I took all of him and loved it.

And as we moved together and I neared climax, I sank my teeth into his neck and drank him into me. When I came, he did, too, and I suckled and swallowed and tried to be silent as his magnificent body drove mine into spasms of shivering ecstasy. I felt him shudder and clutch me tighter, drive into me harder, and as he held himself there, pulsing into me, it was sheer bliss.

Finally, slowly, our bodies still entwined, our muscles relaxed.

Lifting my head from his sweat-slick shoulder, I licked my lips and smiled into his eyes. “So good,” I whispered.

“So
very
good,” he replied. “Now, if you're feeling stronger…?”

“I'm feeling invincible.”

“Then let's get you the hell out of here.”

I nodded hard, quickly pulling my clothes back into place and getting to my feet. He led me to the hole in the ceiling and took me by the hand. With a single push, we both leapt up into the rafters, and in a moment, we were emerging onto the building's roof, the stars twinkling in the fading purple night above.

“We have to leap and clear the guards below without a sound, and land on the far side of the next building,” he said, pointing. “Ready?”

I nodded, and we crouched low—only to go utterly still when a voice from the ground below shouted up at
us, “Don't try it. You're completely surrounded, and every gun in this place is aimed right at your heads.”

I blinked and peered down at the keepers and guards below, dozens of them. And every one pointing a weapon at us. We were outnumbered, and, I thought, we had no chance.

* * *

“That's what I was afraid of,” Jeremy said.

He had gone to the farthest end of the compound to meet Ellie and the other members of the unofficial resistance.

And now he and Ellie and the other sixteen Chosen were lurking behind one of the nearby buildings, fully aware the entire compound was being searched for them, but also aware that most of the keepers in the immediate vicinity were focused solely on the two vampires trapped on the rooftop.