Descended by Blood (17 page)

Mirko grunted his disgust.

“And I snapped, I guess.”

Her eyes remained on me, and held no judgment in them, so I continued. “I imagined him in great pain because he wouldn’t let me go, and I found a way to reach his mind. It was open to me, and I connected to what seemed like pathways, or networks within the maze, and I set them on fire.” I paused to see her reaction, but there wasn’t one.

“It didn’t seem like it was enough.” I adjusted on the couch, ashamed at myself for what I did. “I snapped, and I wanted more. So, I found a pathway that I knew controlled his breathing, and I blocked it. That’s when Mirko stopped me.” I turned to Mirko for him to add anything.

They both sat silent for a moment that felt much too long.

When Mirko spoke, he sounded jolted. “Can Jelena really bring back the old ways?”

She smiled, but it was grim. “I think she can.” She set her eyes on me. “And she’ll use you to do it.”

“What do you mean?” I asked. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

Lijepa frowned. “It was only over three hundred years ago, when Pijawikas controlled the humans and even the Zao Duhs. Slavery is what it was.”

“That’s so terrible.” I glanced at Mirko. He slouched over, his arms resting on his knees, his head hung low. He’d lived through it. “Well, how did it change? How did they get free?”

“Lots of fighting and dying,” Lijepa said. “But it really didn’t take effect until the old ruler of the commission—that’s the governing body of all the Pijawikas in the world—died, and Zladislov took over.”

Right. Mirko said something about that guy freeing everyone.

Lijepa continued. “He made the treaty and regained peace around the world. A lot of people were mad at him for it, and many still are. Jelena would have to have allies to achieve this.”

“But how is she going to use me to do it?” This wasn’t good at all. A lot worse than I could’ve imagined.

Lijepa peered at Mirko. Did he know?

“You’re a melez, which is already bad.” She looked to me, and I nodded. “It’s forbidden for humans and Pijawikas to pro-create. So, not only does this put your life at risk but also your mother’s and your father’s.”

“Yeah, but that still doesn’t explain how she’s going to use me to enslave everyone.”

Lijepa’s eyes softened. “Zladislov is your father.”

19

The Fight of Your Life

I struggled to speak. “You mean the same Zladislov who freed everyone? The ruler guy?”

“Yes,” Lijepa said. That single word carried a weight so heavy, it smashed against my lungs, and I couldn’t breathe.

When I could finally speak, I asked, “So, I’m like the president’s, or the big, world Mafia boss’s daughter?”

“From what I was able to gather, yes,” Lijepa said.

“Wow.” I huffed and fell back against the couch. “And because he made me with my mom, because she’s a human, Jelena can use me as proof to discredit my father, have him killed, whatever, so she can step up?”

“Right,” Mirko said. “And once he’s out of her way, she’s free to rile the masses and push her agenda.”

I turned to him, my eyebrows drawn together. “Did you know about this?”

He sat up straighter. “I had no idea what Jelena wanted from you. I knew it had to be bad, though. And I thought it was possible Zladislov could be your father because your mother fed him, but it could have been someone else, too. Garwin never spoke of who your father was. I just didn’t think Zladislov would have been so careless.”

“Well, is he going to want to kill me now? I mean, if he could be brought down by me simply existing, would he want me dead? And there has to be many others who would want me dead, too, if they found out, right?”

“Yes, not everyone wants war again, so they would,” Mirko said, then glanced at Lijepa. “How readily available was this information? About who her father is?”

“Extremely difficult to come by,” Lijepa answered. I didn’t know if I should feel relieved by this or nervous because it was still out there.

I glanced back and forth between Mirko and Lijepa. “So, what do we do?”

Mirko answered. “We train you for the fight of your life.”

This was way past worst-case scenario. It exhausted me thinking about dealing with it.

“Well, let me show you to your rooms,” Lijepa said. “I’ll give you the rest of the day and night to let everything soak in.” She led us through a hallway and then down some stairs.

We followed her down a corridor, and she opened a large, heavy door to reveal more than a simple basement below her cottage. It opened up to a lair. A hallway spanned in front of me further than Lijepa’s cottage reached. The underground hallway opened into a large den on the right and doors dotting the hallway that continued on the left. Maybe Utah really did have some cool vampire hideouts.

Lijepa showed us to Mirko’s room first and then took us to mine. It was beautiful. An elegant canopy bed rested against the far wall. A chandelier hung from the center of the ceiling, reflecting rainbowed streams of light that shimmered over the woven silk, draped around the bed’s frame.

This was way better than my room at The Base. I wished Kaitlynn was here with me.

“Thank you,” I said to Lijepa.

“You’re welcome.” She smiled at me, and then stepped further into the room. “I know you’re frightened, dear, but you’re strong and very powerful. I can feel it.”

I offered her a dismal smile. I didn’t think my chances looked too great at the moment.

“I’ll let you two be, then.” She strolled out of the room, closing the door behind her.

“Are you wishing you would have never gotten involved with me?” I asked Mirko.

“No. I’ve lived through worse.” The shadows in his eyes let me know he spoke the truth.

“I’ll wake you in the morning to start training,” he said, and then reached for the door.

“Mirko,” he turned over his shoulder. “I won’t let her.”

He faced me, questions in his eyes.

“Jelena. I won’t let her use me to take over.” I meant it, too.

He flashed me a proud smile, the same one he gave me when I remembered the word “melez”. It made the weight on my shoulders a little easier to bear.

He turned around and stepped out of the room, pulling the door shut when he left. I stared at the door for a while after that.

When I didn’t find any solutions to my problems in the wood’s grain, I moved over to the bed and lay down. I was beat, but my mind raced.

I didn’t know how I’d do it, but I knew I needed to keep my promise to Mirko.

Eventually, I drifted off to sleep and fangs, blood, chains, and fire met me in my nightmares.

* * *

When Mirko woke me from my nightmares the next morning, it was before the sun had risen. I didn’t complain because I now understood why Jelena wanted me, and I had to do whatever I could to avoid it.

When I met Mirko in the gym—yes, Lijepa even had a gym in her lair—he told me that I would train with him from seven thirty in the morning until twelve thirty. Then I could take an hour lunch, but I only got an hour, and then the rest of the time would be spent training my powers with Lijepa until she released me for the day.

“No, bend the tips in more like this,” Mirko said, showing me how to hold my hands properly in the clawlike position I’d seen used by the vampires I’d fought. “And move your pinky out more.”

I spread my pinky away from my other fingers.

“Good,” Mirko praised. “See how your little fingers bend in like that? It’s an adaptation Pijawikas have to protect their pinkies from breaking in a fight.”

I looked at them now. I could see how that little defect could be useful when I applied force to them while in this position. “I always thought it was a glitch.”

He chuckled. “No, a much-intended evolutionary enhancement.”

“Hmmm.” I did a practice swipe at him.

“The face is a good place to make contact with, but stay away from the mouth. If your attacker bites you, they’ll take your finger clean off.”

I pounced at him and he danced back. He swept to my side and caught me in an arm bar. “Do it again, but this time sweep out with your foot.”

I repeated my attack, he moved back, and then came at me from the side again. I dropped low and stretched my leg out. He jumped over it, but I came up with an uppercut, grazing him against his jaw.

He beamed. “You’re learning. And you’ve gotten so much faster, too.”

“Well, you ticked me off. I thought I was supposed to sweep your feet out from under you. I was looking forward to dropping you on your butt.”

He laughed deep from within his throat. “So, that’s the trick? I just need to piss you off, and you’ll give me what I want.”

I huffed air out my nostrils and flew at him with a roundhouse kick, snapping my foot out at the last second. He blocked me, slid his arm around my shin, lifting me from my foot, and flung me on my back, coming down on top of me.

“You’re cute when you’re mad.”

He still had a hold on my leg so I flung it around his body, pushing him to the floor, and used my momentum to wrap my other leg around him, while grasping one of his arms and pulling it behind him.

I laughed. I didn’t know how he thought he’d get out of this one.

He lurched his free arm up and clasped his hand around my windpipe. I relaxed my legs.

He didn’t squeeze, but he kept his hand there for emphasis. “You need to be aware of where
all
my limbs are at all times.”

“Yeah,” I panted. He released me, and we stood up.

“I know it’s a lot to think about, but that’s why we practice. Soon, it will all feel natural.”

I bowed my head, and waited for him to advance at me this time. He did, and when I weaved away from him, his hand swung out and grazed along my hip.

It sent my heart fluttering. I turned to Mirko, my lips parted. I stared at him, fighting with myself from stepping forward and kissing him.

His pupils dilated as he stared back at me.

“Lunch is ready,” Lijepa said, stepping into the gym and then leaving.

I dropped my eyes. “Wow, twelve thirty already? That was quick.” I inhaled deep, trying to slow my heart rate.

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” Mirko said, grinning at me with a knowing glint in his eye. “Let’s stretch, then you can eat.”

I followed Mirko’s movements, but I kept my eyes away from his. I was confused. I knew I still loved Jaren, but Mirko had succeeded in drawing me in to him. And what made it worse was sometimes I was furious at Mirko, and then other times I was enticed by him.

* * *

“Wow, Lijepa. You didn’t have to do all this,” I said. She had made BLTs that smelled delicious.

She smiled, and I was stunned by her beauty. “It was no trouble, dear. I like to cook. I don’t do it very often anymore, so it’s a pleasure to have company here to share it with.”

I sat down at the table and noticed she had three plates set out. She placed a BLT on each plate and then sat down after Mirko did.

“So, you guys can eat? Food, I mean.”

Mirko chuckled. “Of course we can eat. What’d you think? We sat around all day wishing we could bite your neck?”

My cheeks burned. “I didn’t know. When you think ‘vampire,’ you just don’t think they can eat.”

Lijepa finished chewing the bite she took. “Yes, we can still eat food. It doesn’t provide the nutrition or strength like it does for humans. Our bodies process it much too quickly and our metabolism burns at a much higher rate. Thus, the need for blood. We do, however, continue to eat it for the pleasure and taste.”

Ew. Thinking about drinking blood made me wish I could push my sandwich away. But my stomach growled. I’d been fighting with Mirko for the past five hours, and my appetite wouldn’t be squelched. I bit into my sandwich. It was divine. “Wow.” I wiped mayo off my lip. “This is so good.”

“Well, when you’ve lived as long as I have, you get a knack for some things. How’s your training coming along?”

“Okay. I think.” I glanced over at Mirko sitting in the chair next to me.

He finished chewing and then swallowed. “She’s coming along great. Much stronger and faster than we’d have ever predicted she could be. Which surprises me. She’s stronger than some full-blooded Pijawikas I’ve trained with.”

Lijepa regarded me for a moment before she spoke, and when she did, she sounded proud. “She’s born of one of the strongest Pijawikan lines in our history. Having the mother she does doesn’t diminish this fact. It only offers her a humanity that would have been hard to obtain otherwise.”

I sat stunned for a moment, not because of what she said about my vampire side, but because of what she said about my humanity. “So, Pijawikas are inherently evil?” I had presumed as much.

“Oh, no, dear, I wouldn’t go that far,” she said, giving me a delicate smile. “Most of it comes from their life experiences, and most of them have been raised to believe they can take what they want. It runs in the culture, and it takes something introduced to the person to change those beliefs.”

Mirko took another bite into his sandwich.

“And your father,” she said with a smile that lit up her face, “he’s the exception. Don’t be mistaken. He can be swift and steadfast in dealing justice, but he’s a fair man. Very bright, too.” He must be where her fondness for me stemmed from. “But enough of that. You need to eat up if you intend to finish before your break is over.”

I wanted to call Kaitlynn on my lunch, so I ate as fast as I could without causing my stomach to cramp.

Mirko gave me his sat phone again and had Ace put Kaitlynn on for me. I didn’t know if I should tell her about all the new details I had learned, but lying had never worked for us before now, so I told her everything.

“Wow,” Kaitlynn said on an overwhelmed breath. “So, what does this mean for you? Once you take care of this Jelena lady and we go home?”

I slumped my shoulders. “I dunno. I haven’t really thought that far ahead. But you’re right. Once my father finds out about me, will he want to get to know me, forget I was born, or want to kill me?”

“Well, that lady, Lijepa, seems to think highly of him, right? Maybe she could say something to him or make sure he doesn’t hurt you.”