Chains of Darkness (6 page)

She stared at the beige carpeting beneath her bare feet, working at taking in long deep breaths and trying to ease the constriction of her throat.

Lucian paced now, while Rumy sat like a schoolboy in trouble staring up at his teacher.

Claire spoke up. “I want to know everything.”

Lucian turned to her and nodded. He stopped next to his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, then turned to glare at Rumy. “Give her the statistics. All of them.”

“Fine.” Rumy met her gaze, but he’d never looked sadder. “The sex trafficking of humans in our world is brutal beyond description. I don’t allow anything like that in the clubs in my complex. There are organizations, like Starlin, that have built empires around trafficking, but everyone knows I disapprove of slavers of any kind. Everyone who works for me earns a decent wage.”

“I believe you, but I think you’re tiptoeing around the subject. What stats was Lucian talking about?”

Rumy drew a deep breath, his shoulders rising and falling. “In the initial stage of captivity, a small percentage of humans, about fifteen percent, will not live beyond the two-week mark even if they’re treated well.”

Claire’s throat hurt. “And after two weeks?”

“A second transition occurs at six months, but the survival rate at that point drops to fifty percent.”

Claire tried to process what he was saying, but she kept stumbling over the 50 percent figure.

Half.

Half died at six months.

Had Zoey even made it to the six-month mark?

She stared at Rumy, her eyes narrowing all on their own; maybe if she squinted it would help her brain figure this out. “We’re talking about a diminishing chance of survival. So what happens after six months?”

Rumy grew very still. His tongue once more made a nervous appearance between the fang-tips then disappeared.

She looked at Lucian. He stared at her from beneath his heavy scowl and thick straight brows.

She felt it again, that weight in him, the heaviness he carried around in his soul that had more to do with the responsibility he felt toward his world than anything else.

He didn’t take his eyes off her as he said. “Tell her the rest, Rumy.”

She shifted to stare at Rumy once more.

He continued, “By the two-year mark, there’s only an eight percent chance she’s still alive.”

“Eight percent?”

“In a decent situation, eight.”

“And Daniel bought her.”

“Yes.”

Eight.

And Daniel was the one who’d killed his own son, Marius, in front of Lucian.

Once more, her stomach seized. She wasn’t even sure her heart beat any longer. It was one thing to not know; another to suspect the worst. But hearing a figure like “eight percent” shifted Claire’s perceptions of the situation. These were the hard facts, and given the solemnity that vibrated against her neck, the reflection of Lucian’s emotions in this moment, she knew Rumy was telling her the truth.

Lucian drew close to her and took her hand. “He should have told you, Claire.”

She stared up at Lucian, her heart heavy. He’d lost Marius today and maybe she’d lost Zoey, though she couldn’t be sure. Maybe she should be angry that Rumy hadn’t told her everything, but she wasn’t. She’d done a good thing, perhaps even a critical one in bringing Lucian safely to The Erotic Passage. If anyone had a chance of ending Daniel’s reign, Lucian did.

Rumy’s phone rang, and he stepped into the hall to answer it.

“I’m so sorry, Claire. This isn’t good news, and again I wish like hell that Rumy hadn’t used you the way he did.”

When Lucian let her hand go, she rose to her feet. “You know what? I’m fine with it. Because you’re safe and after what I saw Daniel do, Rumy’s right, your world needs you here right now.”

“I think that’s really generous of you.”

Rumy reentered the room, a slight frown on his brow.

Lucian glanced at him. “Anything we should know?”

Rumy still held his phone in hand. “I’ve got several calls to return, which is a good thing—one of them might actually be a lead that will pan out. As soon as I heard that Daniel was offering a reward, I alerted my network, asking for any information that might surface about the extinction weapon. Let me see what’s going on.”

He seemed to consider the situation, then addressed Claire. “I’m sorry for what I did.”

“It’s okay. I understand your reasoning, and I actually agree with you. Lucian is needed here. You did the right thing.”

Rumy held her gaze for a long moment, finally nodding several times in a row. “All right then.” He shifted to Lucian. “Listen, let me follow up on the leads. In the meantime, why don’t you show Claire the main part of the club.” He then slapped his pant pocket, dipping inside. He drew out two crimson tickets. “And Eve sent these along.”

Lucian glanced at them, scowling. “I’m not taking Claire to a sex show.”

Rumy shrugged. “You know Eve. She thinks everyone will love her stuff. But it might be a good thing to expose Claire to other parts of the Erotic Passage because who knows what will happen down the line. At least take her to see the band. Well, keep your phone handy.”

With that, he took off.

Claire stared at the tickets, then picked them up. They shimmered. “The Ruby Cave.” She glanced at Lucian. “Am I to understand that Rumy just suggested we go clubbing, then hit a sex show?” She didn’t know whether she was more appalled or amused. She decided it was the latter and laughed.

“You know, Rumy might be right, maybe not about Eve’s show, but let me ask you something. What’s it been like since Rumy brought you here?”

“Like being thrown into a giant washing machine during the agitation cycle.”

“That’s what I thought. So why don’t we do exactly what he said? Or at least the first part. The club does have a great band.”

“You’re serious. But what about the extinction weapon? We should be looking for Zoey.” She felt panicky, afraid that if she changed her focus for even a second, she’d miss a critical opportunity.

Lucian put his hand on her shoulder and gave a squeeze. “There’s nothing either of us can do right now. Rumy’s put out his feelers and he’ll get a hit back—you’ll see. Then we’ll move forward. In the meantime, he is right. We’ll both function better if we pace ourselves. This is going to be a tough process that will not resolve itself overnight.”

Claire allowed herself to relax into the moment. Her experience as a social worker, which involved managing frequent crises among her clients, kicked in. “You’re right. I need to let events unfold and I would like to see more of Rumy’s club.” She glanced down, looking at her pants. “Are jeans acceptable?”

Lucian smiled. “No. This isn’t exactly a casual atmosphere, but no worries.” He gestured to the rack near the dresser. “Rumy provided a wide array of attire.”

Claire moved to the rack and flipped through several of the dresses, her brows lifting. “Some of these are not fit to be worn anywhere, except maybe The Ruby Cave.” She drew out a short black dress with simple lines. “But here’s one that might do.” She held it to her chest. “Though I have to ask one more time: Are you sure we should be doing this?”

He nodded, and the soft vibration at her neck confirmed what she saw in his face. “This is a good thing. Did you and Zoey go clubbing often?”

“We did. We’d meet up with a lot of our friends, dance, occasionally drink just a little too much.” For just a moment she got lost in the memories, but she gave herself a shake. “All right, then, I guess we’re heading to Rumy’s club.”

She gathered up all that she would need and headed into the bathroom. When the chain at her neck gave a tug, Lucian moved closer to the dresser as well, helping with their ongoing proximity issue. “Take your time.”

Those words, spoken in just that way, gave her pause as she glanced back at him over her shoulder. He had a wonderful voice, deep and resonant. But he was also very considerate, something she hadn’t expected from his kind. “Thanks.” She moved into the bathroom, closing the door. This almost felt like a date.

*   *   *

Lucian stared at the back of the door, not quite certain what to think. Was he really taking Claire to the club? It would have felt like a date if their situation weren’t so dire.

When Rumy had made the suggestion, his first reaction had been just like Claire’s: They had more important things to do than to dress up and listen to a band. But the part of him that had served as a warrior for centuries also knew the need for downtime so he’d put himself in her place.

Claire, though barely knowing anything about his world, had already been abducted when she was thrust into the Dark Cave system to rescue a blood-maddened vampire. And he’d spoken the truth when he said that they’d be wise to pace themselves. The shared chains added a difficult layer to an impossible situation, so yes, he thought this a smart move.

He changed into some clubbing clothes, brushed his short hair, and put on his handcrafted Italian shoes. He then sat on the bed and waited.

But after another ten minutes passed, he felt antsy with a need to be going, to be doing, to be out there battling and taking care of business.

“You okay?” Claire sounded worried.

“Yes, why?”

“It’s the chains. You feel, I don’t know, distressed.”

He sighed. “Pay no attention. I’m trying to take my own advice. It’s not easy to let go, not with the extinction weapon hanging over our heads like an ax ready to fall.”

The door opened. “I feel exactly the same way.”

He shifted in her direction, then stood up.

This wasn’t the same woman.

She was Claire but more.

He’d forgotten how beautiful she was, her skin like cream, her lips full. And she was smiling. Despite her situation, Claire smiled, and he really liked this quality in her. She not only made the best of things, she tended to brighten the space around her as well.

She’d added a little makeup that seemed to enhance her unusual light-brown eyes. The dress fit her like a glove, revealing a beautiful line of cleavage, a narrow waist, and a soft curve of hips. She’d chosen a pair of four-inch stilettos so that if he took her in his arms, she’d hit him just right. He was a big man and by human standards, Claire was tall for her species—somewhere near five-eleven.

He opened his mouth thinking words would follow, but nothing came out.

*   *   *

Claire left the bathroom but didn’t get very far. Lucian looked at her with his mouth slightly agape, but that wasn’t what stopped her. He wore a blue silk, long-sleeved shirt, tailored slacks, and looked like a million bucks. She blinked a few times, trying to gain her bearings. It was one thing to have brought a wounded vampire out of the Dark Cave system, and quite another to be staring into the smoky-gray eyes of one of the handsomest men she’d ever known.

Her heart raced. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. When Lucian had said that they should pace themselves, he’d made a lot of sense. But she hadn’t counted on this sudden, overwhelming attraction she experienced.

Essentially, she now saw him in an entirely new light, as a potential boyfriend, which of course was ridiculous. The man wasn’t just a man, he was a vampire, living in a different culture, one that could never mesh with her deep need and desire to return to her life in Santa Fe.

Regardless, she’d agreed to go with him to see Rumy’s band.

Reorienting herself yet again, she held her hands wide. “So, how do we do this? Would it be possible to walk to the club from here?”

Lucian shook his head. “Not exactly.” He glanced down at her feet. “And definitely not in those shoes. Our room is at least a mile from the club. We’ll have to fly.”

She put a hand to her stomach. “Oh, no.”

But he smiled. “It won’t be bad at all. I’ll take it really slow for you. I promise, you’ll be fine. You won’t feel a twinge.”

“I suppose I’ll have to take your word for it.” She then glanced across the room at the shimmery red tickets. “Does it make me a bad person to say I’m just a little curious?”

He laughed. “No, not at all, and I don’t blame you.”

“Have you seen the show before?”

“A couple of times. Not sure if it would be the wisest move, but we could step in at the back for a moment so you can have a look.”

She shook her head, heat climbing her cheeks. “I’ve never done anything like that before, but Rumy has mentioned Eve several times.”

“She’s a wonderful person, just very different from what you’re probably used to.”

At that, she sighed. “Like everything else I’ve experienced over the past three days.”

He crossed the room and slipped the tickets into his pant pocket. “We can decide later.” Moving back to her, he held his arm wide. “Ready?”

“I am.” When she balanced her brand-new shoes on top of his expensive footwear, and he pulled her tight against his side, there was nothing for it but to slide her arm around his neck and hold on.

But for just a moment, as his gaze caught and held, she felt a powerful sensation of really being in trouble with this man. She didn’t know what it was, but something about Lucian just got to her, as though on a deep level his soul spoke to hers and she was listening.