Make Me A Match (The Matchmaker) (21 page)

“Come in here and find out,” I snapped, annoyed with myself
for being so afraid.

“Now, now,” someone else called out, the dark shadow moving
down the hall. This man was taller, with broad shoulders. I couldn’t quite see
him; I needed to see him. “I wouldn’t taunt him. Tipper isn’t exactly…right in
the head, as you humans say.”

Tipper cackled again, as if they were speaking of someone
else instead of him. Yep, definitely not right in the head. But the man who
swept into the light from the window, headed directly toward me, wasn’t
anything like the other dirty, nasty vamps I’d met. He wore a dark suit with a
long black coat that swirled around polished boots. His pale face was
ridiculously gorgeous and his dark hair short and stylish. I felt like I’d just
stepped into one of Lizzie’s romance novels. But he was still a blood-sucking
vampire, I had to remind myself.

“Just as with humans,” he explained, those pale blue eyes
piercing me. “We have some vampires who have more of a conscience than others.
Unfortunately, Tipper isn’t one of them.”

Tipper cackled, rubbing his knobby hands together. I
resisted the urge to grimace. Psycho, serial killers…both thoughts came to mind
when I looked into his dark, soulless eyes. They wanted me, they needed me, so
why was I sweating?

“But I admit,” he said, pausing near my cage. “He is right.”
He grinned. “Truly, I don’t mean to frighten you, but Matchmaker blood is
rather sweet.”

I didn’t respond. He was trying to scare me. It was working,
but I sure as heck wouldn’t let him know. “What the hell do you want?”

He bowed low. “Good morning.”

“Is it?” I said. “I wouldn’t know as I’ve been locked in a
windowless cage.”

He smiled. “You’ve been treated terribly. I do apologize.”
He paced in front of the bars. He must not have been too sorry because he
didn’t bother to release me. “You see, Emma, we don’t want you to think of us
as your enemy. On the contrary, if you work for us you’ll be handsomely
rewarded.”

“Oh, silly me.” I laughed, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I didn’t realize I was an honored guest. The moldy mat on the floor, the lack
of water and food…your finest? How could I not have noticed?”

Tipper lifted his lips and hissed, apparently not finding my
sarcasm amusing.

But the other man merely smiled, that grin so charming I
almost fell for it. “As I said, it was a terrible mistake. One I shall rectify
immediately.”

He reached for the lock and with a twist, broke it from the
bars. My heart leapt into my throat. I had to resist the urge to stumble back.
I would not show fear; I refused to give them that pleasure.

“I’m Bay. Now, shall we?” He swung the door wide. Tipper
hovered in the shadows, watching, waiting for his chance. Crap, I actually felt
safer in that cage. Slowly, I stepped from my barred box and into the hall.

“Tipper, my boy, do run to the kitchens. I’m sure Cook has
something lovely for you.”

In a flash, he was gone, so fast he was a mere blur. But one
thing struck me hard…Tipper wasn’t running upstairs for a hamburger and fries.
No, because vampires drank blood…blood from humans. I swallowed hard, forcing
the bile back down. I would survive this; I would not die this way.

He held out his arm, ever the gentleman. I paused, wondering
if I should decline, but realized I needed to make friends with this guy,
whoever he was. Frankly, I didn’t have any other choice at the moment. And so I
slid my arm around his. The smile upon his lips deepened. He knew he’d won…for
now.

“If you decide to stay with us, my dear.” We walked side by
side up a narrow flight of stone steps and out of the dank and depressing
dungeon. “You will find your stay to be quite luxurious.”

Why did I doubt that? He pushed open a door and we moved
into a hall, the floors marble and walls a rich burgundy. I could hear people
chatting in nearby rooms, laughter, the tinkle of silverware and china from
somewhere down the hall, but couldn’t make out their words. The realization
that I was in a house full of vampires sent a cold chill down my spine. But I
wouldn’t let them know…never let them know you were afraid.

“Hold tight, my dear.”

I stiffened, confused. “What?”

He didn’t answer; he simply wrapped his arms around my waist
and lifted me.

I shoved my hands against his stone-like chest but he didn’t
budge. “Put me down!”

The entire world suddenly flew past me, so fast that I
noticed only a blur of colors and objects, and wind so strong it whipped at my
hair. Just as suddenly as the tornado started, it stopped, and the wind
disappeared. Stunned and confused, I glanced around me. Gone was the marble
flooring and in its place were polished wooden floorboards. Everything
sparkled, from the floor to the golden sconces that hung on the walls.

“As a vampire, we are gifted with speed.”

Yeah, you could say they were fast in more than one way. “Where
are we?”

He settled me down, only to cup my elbow when I started to
sway. Our race through space had been too much for my body and mind. “I merely
brought you upstairs. It’s to your liking?”

I looked at him, truly looked at him. His ridiculous speed
was only a reminder of his supernatural ability, his strength. “Yeah, sure.”

A maid in a short black uniform, complete with white apron,
scurried down the hall. “My lord.” She bowed before rushing away.

Lord?
Was Bay the
leader of the vampires?

“I want you to enjoy your time here.” He led me down the
hall.

Although I wanted to jerk away, my legs were still too weak
from our roller coaster ride upstairs. Large windows looked down over fields of
blood-red poppies that swayed in the breeze. Where the hell were we? How far
from the Consulate?

I took in a deep breath and tried to relax, remembering what
Owen had told me about keeping my heart rate normal. I could not let him know
how nervous he made me. “But if I live here, I’ll have no freedom. Surely you
can understand why I might be a bit nervous about being locked inside with
blood-sucking vampires?”

We paused outside a door and he took both of my hands in
his, pressing them to his hard, cold chest. “And if I can promise no one here
will harm you?”

Ha! Right. “How do I know I can trust you?”

“When I give my word, I mean it.”

As if I was going to believe him. Before I could respond, he
turned and pushed open the door behind us. It was a large bedchamber with a
massive four-poster bed against one wall. A marble fireplace glowed warmly from
across the room, the logs already lit as if they’d been expecting me. The warm
scent of roasted chicken wafted through the area, drawing my gaze to the side
table where a tray rested, covered with a silver dome. My stomach clenched.
Heck, I would have agreed to anything at that moment just to get something to
eat.

I moved slowly into the room, feigning interest when in
reality I wanted to make a mad dash for the door. All in good time. And if I
couldn’t find a way to escape, surely the Consulate would be here soon,
wouldn’t they?

His hands clasped behind his back, the vampire strolled
toward me. “This, my dear, can be yours if you agree to stay and help us.”

I paused by the window, wondering if I could jump and make
it out alive. But the second story was high, and the ground below rocky. I
turned toward him. “And if I don’t agree?”

He frowned, his brows drawing together as if he were truly
perplexed. “You seem to think we are out to harm you. Emma, when we brought you
here merely to protect you.”

I resisted the urge to laugh. He was playing me, but that
was fine. I’d participate in his game; I had no other choice. “Protect me from
what, exactly? Because you’re the only people I know who actually feed on
humans.”

“I gave you my word, no one will touch you.” He moved toward
the side table that held my lunch. “Now it’s your choice, I suppose. You can
work for us, or for them.”

He was giving me a choice? Why didn’t I believe him? “And
why would I choose you over the Consulate?”

He lifted the dome off the tray and picked up a chunk of
cheese. “Because, my dear, we haven’t been the ones trying to kill you.” He
took a bite, chewing slowly while watching me.

“What do you mean?”

Hands clasped behind his back once more, he started toward
me. “We have never intended to harm you. That dubious honor belongs to your
friends…the Consulate.”

Owen

The lead in the walls prevented escape by any means, as if
they needed to protect themselves from me. They were covered with painted
stucco, and I had a small, clean bed and even a side table with a lamp, but
there was no doubt it was a prison in the bowels of the castle. I flattened my
hands to the white walls. If they had been your typical stucco, I would have
been long gone. If only I had suspected Pet from the beginning, but what sane
person would abduct another merely because she was jealous? That had been my
problem from the beginning…believing Pet was sane.

I shoved away from the wall and paced the small box. The
Consulate obviously wanted me contained. But why? Did they fear I would bring
to light their many mistakes? My suspicions? Or did Falconer truly believe I
was the traitor Pet portrayed me to be?

I’d been a damn idiot for trusting anyone here. Bloody hell,
Emma was out there, only the gods knew where, while I was trapped here because
of my stupidity. I settled on the small bed. She was lost, unprotected,
thinking I had abandoned her.

“Emma,” I whispered, knowing she couldn’t hear me. Couldn’t
even bloody sense me.

I’d been so damn excited when I’d first arrived to the
Consulate. Hell, I’d been happy to have the basics. But the basics weren’t
enough. A person needed freedom, the ability to make their own choices and be
respected for it…and lately I hadn’t exactly felt free here.

Why hadn’t I demanded the truth when I had the chance? Why
hadn’t I listened to my instincts and fled with Emma when we could? “Damn it!”

I surged to my feet and slammed my fist into the wall, the
pain immediate and throbbing. But I needed to feel something, anything other
than the bitterly cold fear I felt for Emma.

“Well, that wasn’t very smart,” Seb said dryly from behind
me.

Shocked, I spun around. Seb stood on the other side of the
lead door, peering through the small window. I’d never been so happy to see
him. “How’d you get down here?”

He shrugged, grinning. “I have my ways.”

I started toward the door, vaguely aware of the blood
seeping from my abraded knuckles. “The guard was a female?”

“Of course. So easy to manipulate.” His grin deepened, and
for once I ignored his sexist remark. “What the hell have you gotten yourself
into? I mean, really, I’m gone only a day and you get arrested?”

“No,” I muttered. “They made it quite clear that I haven’t
been arrested, I’m merely being kept in seclusion to protect me from myself.”

“You don’t say.” Seb gripped the bars and pulled, but the
door didn’t budge. “How kind of them.”

Even if I couldn’t escape, there was still hope. Maybe, just
maybe, Seb could find Emma before it was too late. “The walls are lead. I can’t
use my powers to transport.”

Seb lifted his hand, a set of keys dangling from his
fingertips. “That’s why I’ve got the keys.”

My hope leapt. I could hear the scrape of metal against
metal as he unlocked the cell.

“The handy human way.”

When the door squeaked open, I raced past it to the outside.
“Did they find her?”

“No.”

I’d known even before I had asked, but the hope was still
there. “Bloody hell. Your weapons?”

“In my chamber.”

I disappeared. Emma had been gone a good twelve hours. The
frantic need to find her overwhelmed me. Time was running out. I reappeared
inside Seb’s bedroom chamber, Seb appearing next to me. I wasted no time and
went to his wardrobe, grabbing a T-shirt and military-style dark green jacket.

“You should know that there’s talk you murdered Emma.”

I didn’t bother to defend myself from that ridiculous
comment. Instead, I quickly dressed. “The vampires took her.”

Seb went to the nearest trunk and lifted the lid. “Most
likely. Of course, the Consulate is trying to pin the blame on you.”

I pulled a dagger from the trunk, and lifted the leg of my
jeans, strapping the knife to my ankle, and doing the same with another dagger
to my left leg. I told myself that Emma still lived. She was smart, and they
wanted her alive. But as the minutes ticked by, my worry escalated. They could
take her anywhere, hide her within any country.

“And why would they do that?” Seb asked. “Try to pin it on
you?”

I pressed my finger to the tip of the sword hanging on Seb’s
wall, which was crisscrossed with its sheath for decoration. “Because one of
them is guilty, obviously.”

Seb stood there watching me warily. I knew what he was
thinking even before he said the words. “You don’t have to do this. She’s not
your Matchmaker anymore. She’s their issue.”

He only meant to help, but his words still rankled. I pulled
the sheath from the wall first and slipped the strap across my chest, letting
it fall against my back. “I know.”

Seb took down the sword and handed it to me. “In fact, the
Consulate will be rather angry with you. They might even charge you with her
disappearance.”

I slid the sword into the sheath strapped between my
shoulder blades. I barely paid attention to Seb, was only vaguely aware of what
he said. I knew what I had to do. My mind was set; I was determined. This time
they would not stop me.

“They’ll kick you out, Owen. You’ll no longer be accepted,
and I know as well as you that this is your home. I also know what love can do
to a person…destroy you. You belong within these hallowed walls more than
anyone.”

“Not anymore.” I lifted a crossbow from the trunk. It was as
much as I could carry without being weighed down. A sword, two daggers, and a
crossbow…it would have to do.

“
Merde
, Owen.” Seb
stepped in front of me, blocking my path to the door. He looked angry, and any
other day I might have found it amusing to see something other than arrogance
upon his face. “Infiltrate the vampire headquarters and you’ll be surrounded,
you’ll be walking into a death trap. No one is going to come after you. You’ll
get no help from the Consulate.”

I spun around to face him, annoyed now. He didn’t get it; he
didn’t understand. Which was strange because I thought that he, above anyone,
would. “I can’t leave her.”

He raked his hair back from his face, his movements
frustrated. “They want to use her, not kill her. She’ll be fine. She will live,
and maybe eventually we can figure out a way to get her back.”

I moved around him, my anger flaring. He didn’t get it,
maybe he never would, or maybe the death of his Matchmaker had killed whatever
heart he had left. “They will keep her alive until they don’t need her any
longer, or until she can’t match them.”

Seb reached out, latching on to my arm, desperation in his
tight grip. “Learn from my mistake, Owen. Don’t become too attached. It will
destroy your soul, or worse, kill you. You can get another Matchmaker.”

“I don’t want another.” I shrugged him off. If there was a
chance, no matter how small, that I could save her, I would do whatever it
took. “Promise me you’ll look after her sister.”

He gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with anger. “You’re
right. I don’t know if Emma will survive, but I do know one thing for sure…step
foot on vampire property and they will kill you.”

“So be it.” Without another word, I turned and strolled
through the door.

********

Emma

The raucous roar of laughter vibrated the large stone dining
room, annoying my frayed nerves. Vampires sure loved to party. Fortunately,
they hadn’t laid out any humans on their buffet table…yet. Even though I was
free, dressed in some sort of long white velvet gown and seated at the head
table with Bay as if I were an honored guest, I didn’t feel any better. Then
again, I supposed being the only human in a room of about fifty vampires during
feeding time would make any human uneasy.

“Can’t we at least try her?” someone called out, to which
everyone cheered and laughed.

The joke was lost on me. I refused to shiver, reminding
myself they wanted me; they had to have me to take control of the Otherworld.
But with their glowing eyes watching me from the dim shadows, it was a bit hard
to believe. I lifted my goblet of water, ignoring the glass of white wine Bay
had poured for me. I was shaking so badly, I could barely drink.

“Now, now,” Bay said as he grabbed a goblet of what I hoped
was red wine. “I’ve told Ms. Watts that we are her friends. Don’t frighten the
poor girl.”

There were a few more chuckles at my expense, making me
flush. I was tired of being the butt of some nightmarish joke. Bay claimed he
wanted me at dinner so that he might be able to introduce me as their savior.
Bull. He was out to scare me.

“We need Ms. Watts, as you all know, if we are going to beat
the Otherworld in their own game. So, who will be first?”

“What if we don’t want to be paired?” someone growled from
the far corner of the room. “I like being able to screw anyone I want!”

I resisted the urge to sigh. Lovely. Just freaking lovely. A
variety of male and female vampires cheered. Great, at the castle I’d had to
deal with the overzealous who wanted me to match until I fainted. Here, no one
wanted me. Which was worse, I wasn’t sure.

“But do you want power?” Bay asked, surging to his feet. “Or
would you rather the Otherworld take over? Claim our lands, our people for
their own?”

If they decided they didn’t want to be matched, what would
they need with me? I glanced hopefully toward the doors. I fully expected the
Consulate to be here at any moment. But then I’d expected them all last night
while I’d lain awake in my huge four-poster bed, too terrified to sleep. I
mean…I was valuable. Right? Surely they would come, white horses and all.
Wouldn’t they?

Yet, as the moments ticked by and the conversation rose,
people beginning to argue in earnest, I started to worry. Half the vampires had
actually stood and managed to move closer, arguing heatedly with Bay. Apparently
they appreciated true love about as much as I did. The other half were too
drunk to care.

“I like me freedom,” one man growled, climbing onto the
platform that held our table.

“Back!” The guards surrounding our table hissed, shoving at
the man and sending him sprawling to the ground. He drew back his lips,
hissing, those glowing eyes a brilliant red. And as he hissed, the others in
the room also lifted their lips, hissing in return.

“Great, a hissing contest,” I whispered.

“Enough!” Bay roared, surging to his feet.

I had a horrible feeling that Bay didn’t actually have as
much power over these bloodsuckers as he had let on. They hunched low, as if
preparing to launch forward. Seething beasts…animals with glowing red eyes. I
swallowed hard. Of the fifty or so vamps at least half were focused on me, just
waiting to spring. I clutched the edges of my chair. Every fiber of my body
screamed at me to run. But I knew better. Running would only make them react,
like animals after prey.

“You will match, that’s the end of it.” Bay latched on to my
arm a little too tightly, although I didn’t dare cry out, it would only feed
their sick need for terror. He pulled me to my feet, the charming man I’d known
gone. “She will match us and our powers will grow. If we don’t, it could be the
end of our kind.”

As Bay dragged me around the table and toward the front of
the platform, my nerves grew taut. “Umm, you realize it’s not a guaranteed
thing, right?”

He jerked his glowing gaze to me. Yep, should have kept my
mouth shut.

In a voice so low, no one could have heard it, he said, “You
will match us and you’ll do it now.”

I gave a quick nod. “Yeah, sure.”

Hey, if I could lie to the Otherworld, why not to the
Underworld?

“Crenilin, you shall go first.” Bay grabbed a stool and
placed it in the center of the platform. One of the guards stumbled toward us,
looking scared to death. Apparently the way to terrify a vampire was to mention
true love. I sank onto the stool, waiting as Bay placed another chair next to
mine.

My first match. Great.

The guard settled on the chair across from me. With almost
fifty vampires watching, I took hold of his hands. They were cold, smooth. It
was hard to believe he could kill me so easily with those fingers. I closed my
eyes and drew in a deep, shaky breath. It took a long moment for me to block
out the laughter and yelling of the other vampires. As my mind settled and my
body grew blessedly numb I realized my instincts had been right.

Nothing. Not an inkling. Not even the slightest idea that
there might be more. Only coldness. I had a horrible, terrible feeling that it
would be the same with every single vampire here.

“Well?” Bay demanded.

The entire room grew quiet.

Slowly I opened my eyes and with the steely voice of someone
who had to lie, or end up dead, I said, “Paris. A flower shop called De Blume.”

The room went into an uproar, but Bay grinned. I’d pleased
him. They’d know soon enough that I lied, and then what? They’d kill me if I
couldn’t match them; I had no doubt. The question was how long did I have
before they uncovered the truth? I could only pray there wasn’t really some
flower shop called De Blume in Paris. If so, that shop owner was in for a
shock.

“Crenilin, leave,” Bay shouted with glee. “You have a match
to find!”

The guard sighed before moving so fast, he was a mere blur
as he left the building. I surged to my feet. Crap. Crap, crap. At their speed,
I’d apparently have very, very little time before my lies were discovered.

“Who is next?” Bay asked.

As I glanced at the door for yet the hundredth time, I had
the dreadful feeling that the Consulate wasn’t coming. Just like always, I was
going to have to save myself. So be it. What did I know about vampires?
Nothing. Okay, stakes. Yeah, I could break the chairs, use the legs as stakes,
and then I could fly away in a UFO and live happily ever after! I wasn’t
freaking Buffy; I couldn’t take on fifty vampires and come out the winner.
Correction, forty-nine now that Crenilin had left.