Memory of an Immortal Heart (Immortal Hearts) (45 page)

“Torture
room,” Kieran supplied coolly, and Brand growled, his body a warm comfort at
her back. Kieran flicked a glance between them, then turned the map around,
sketching another level. “Although she always called it her experimentation
room. This is the first level. Eva knows how to find the door to the stairs.
After I cut the generators, Eva can run her retrieval.” He glanced up. “Rohe’s
guards installed cameras at the north and west corners of the entrance, but I
will take care of them.”

“Eva’s
not going in.” Brand growled, a fiercely protective note in his voice. Kieran
and Eva both turned to look at him. “It’s not safe for you there, Eva.”

She
narrowed her eyes. “It’s not safe for anyone. And you need me to find Rainey.”

“We
have
him
,” Brand tilted his head at Kieran.

“I
won’t be with you. I will be hunting Rohe.” Kieran’s voice was flat. “That is
the condition of my help.”

Brand
flashed his teeth at Kieran. “You’re thin, you’re unsteady and don’t think I
haven’t noticed you flinch every time we turn a light on. You need blood. When
was the last time you fed, Winterbourne?” Eva blinked, startled, and turned to
look at Kieran. To
really
look at him. Brand was right – he didn’t
look good.

The
Sakai’s expression stilled, his eyes turning to chunks of bitter gray ice.
“That is not relevant.”

“It is
if you can’t fight.”

Kieran
gave Brand to a deadly smile. “Hunger hardly affects my ability to kill,
Kaspian. Worry about your task, and I’ll worry about mine. Unless you are
offering?” It was a darkly amused taunt, but Eva didn’t miss the surprise on
the Sakai’s face when Brand nodded.

“I will
if it ensures everything goes smoothly. If it will keep my people safe and
guarantee that everyone makes it out unharmed. Then yes, I will offer you my
blood.” Brand’s hand closed around Eva’s shoulder, and the memory of that night
at Stronghold – that night in the kitchen when she had watched him slit
his arm to feed Ashtoreth – flashed through Eva’s mind. She bit her lip.

Kieran
stared at Brand, something dark and tormented surfacing in his gaze. Then he
turned to stare blankly at the map. “No. Your offer is appreciated, but no. And
don’t worry about your people. I am no danger to them.”

After a
pause during which Brand frowned at Kieran, Joshua moved to turn the map in his
direction. “You said Rohe lodges her guards on the second floor. She stays
there too?”

“Yes.”
Kieran’s eyes burned a hole through the drawing. “Second floor is for Rohe’s
people, first floor for humans. The basement is for prisoners.”

“I’ll
go with you.”

“No.”

Joshua
arched his brows, amused. “If you want to get past Rohe’s guards you will need
me. I can take us through the shadows and,” his lips quirked, “don’t worry.
Rohe is yours to hunt.”

Kieran
gave him a flat look. “What is your real reason for coming with me?”

“You’re
weak. If you fail, the bitch is mine.” Joshua’s expression turned feral.

The
Sakai’s face was devoid of emotion as he studied Joshua.
Dead
, Eva
thought, suddenly unsettled.
He looks like my mother did, before she died.
“I won’t fail.”

Joshua
smirked. “Prove it.”

Brand
blocked her path as they exited into the corridor outside the motel room. “Eva,
we need to talk.”

“No.”
Her voice emerged tight, strained, as she moved around him. The less she said,
the better it would be. “I’m going with you. If you leave me, I’ll find a way
to follow. You might have Kieran to help now, but I still need to go. You might
not need me, but Rainey
does
.”

Brand’s
lips tightened. “I never said I didn’t need you, Eva. And that wasn’t what I
was referring to.”

Eva
tripped on the dull carpet, catching herself before Brand could take her arm.
Of
course
. Their conversation from earlier. He wanted to finish the
conversation Kevin had interrupted.

I’m so
not ready for that.

“No, Brand,”
Eva shook her head, fear rising in her to push against that horrible sense of
hope, of longing and desire, and watched his expression turn grave, “Maybe you
Marqued me, but I can’t…it’s too much right now. I…I only know
how
to do
temporary. We both know that. I told you from the beginning. I’m sorry, but I
can’t do this. Not now. Not…
forever
.” 

“You
can,” Brand’s dark blue gaze was almost gentle. He reached to stroke his thumb
across her jaw. They had stopped walking; Eva didn’t know when they stopped
walking. “You’re brave, Eva. No matter the ‘forever,’” he gave a rather sad
smile, “this isn’t something we should miss out on.”

“Joshua
said you didn’t think you deserved me. Earlier,” Eva whispered, and Brand’s
hand stilled.

“I
don’t.”

“Then
why are you being so insistent?” It was hard, but Eva turned her back on Brand
and began walking the other direction. The hall lights flickered as a cold wind
rattled along the outside windows.

“Because
I love you,” Brand said softly behind her. “And sometimes life is short, Eva.
Even if it’s not forever, I’ll take what I can get. But I won’t give up asking
you for more.”

Eva
froze. A warm shiver coursed down her spine, lodging beneath the Marque on her
breast, to spread through her arms and legs. Tears fought to escape as a
frightening need whipped through her body. Then Eva grit her teeth, ducked her
head, and as Kieran and Joshua came out of the room and walked toward them, she
left.

She
couldn’t deal with this now.

She
felt Brand’s gaze on her all the way down the hall.

Eva
shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket and crouched between Brand
and Kevin as they waited for Kieran’s promised “distraction.” The dark long
bulk of the Asylum rose before them, lights shining out through the gabled
windows of the second floor. The first floor was dimly lit; the kitchen
entrance through which Joshua and Kieran had gone was entirely dark.

Brand’s
breath was warm on Eva’s neck, his body strong beside hers. Eva raised her
fingers, touched the Marque on her breast, then dropped her hand before Brand
noticed. Earlier, the night had looked like it was going to be clear, but now
thick snowflakes were coming down, filtering through the air. The cold wind
blurred any trace of them, but even crouched within the trees, Brand’s scent
seemed to embrace her.

Eva
shivered from more than cold, and focused on the Asylum. She did her best not
to think of what might be happening to Rainey as they waited.

The
Asylum’s lights abruptly doused, covering the building in darkness. Eva gasped,
but Brand’s hand found her shoulder. “Kieran must have cut the generator,” he
murmured. He nodded his head at Kevin, and the two men silently coursed through
the trees toward the Asylum’s outer guards. There was the sound of blade on
flesh and a muffled snarl, a soft groan, and Eva cautiously approached.

A hand
jerked her down. “Stay low, Eva,” Brand murmured, blue eyes intense as he
focused on the building before them. Eva studied his dark figure from the
corner of her eye, smelled the thick blood in the air. Her eyes dropped to the
knife in his as he cleaned it on the dry winter grass.

She
knew the guards were dead.

Eva had
seen Brand kill in blood tiger form, but never human form. It shouldn’t have
unsettled her.

“You’re
not armed,” Brand said softly, sounding as if that surprised him. Eva looked up
and realized he must have seen her studying the blade. She shrugged. “Take
this,” Brand folded the dagger into her fingers; it was still warm from his
hand. “Don’t hesitate to use it.”

“You
need it,” Eva whispered back. There was a strange, smooth texture to the
dark-colored blade that made her reluctant to touch it.

“I’ll
grow claws,” Brand muttered, refocusing on the Asylum. “Head down, Eva. Those
guards were carrying guns.”

Then
they ran across the open ground to the Asylum.

It
seems
, Eva thought as they paused beside the door and Brand motioned her to
wait with Kevin,
I only ever see this place in darkness
.

She
waited until Kevin tapped her shoulder. Then slowly, taking a deep breath, Eva
stepped across the too-quiet threshold. She inhaled the cold still air,
gripping the knife as she tried to fight back her fear.

Rainey
is in here
.

Eva
looked around. Someone had fixed the door handle that Kieran broke in their
escape, adding more locks. But the first floor lobby – it was different.
There were no tall plants, no tables and chairs – no patients. The room
was eerily stark, and Eva shivered. Brand touched her shoulder and pointed
forward. Eva nodded, indicating the doors at far end led to the staircase.

The
stairwell was pitch black as it had been on the night of Eva’s escape. The
three of them paused as they entered the depths, listening – but heard no
one. Eva rested her right hand on the strength of Brand’s back as she glanced
upward, thinking of Kieran and Joshua and their search for Rohe, then gripped
the knife in her other hand as they ghosted down to the basement level.

Eva
fought her claustrophobia as they exited on the landing. Her heart leapt to her
throat as she glanced right, down the dark silent hall to the room Rohe had
always taken her. The room with the examination table. The room with the
knives. Then Brand – who had opened the other door, the door they wanted
– took Eva’s arm and pulled her through.

Everything
was eerily quiet.

Like
last time, the hall’s fluorescent bulbs held a greenish afterglow. Eva inhaled,
trying to make out Rainey’s scent in the icy cement darkness, but couldn’t. She
turned to Kevin; she had given him one of Rainey’s socks, hoping he could track
it, but he shook his head. The flickering light made his still-gawky form look
sinister, imposing.

Brand
took a crowbar from his belt. Earlier, Eva hadn’t understood why he brought it,
but now she did: he and Kevin began working their way down the corridor,
testing the doors with a small, watch-like gadget that had a backlit face,
before prying them open with the bar.

“What’s
that?” Eva whispered, standing out of Brand’s way as they set to work on the
third door; the first cell had been vacant, the second terrifyingly bloodstained,
but empty.

“Electronic
key. Deactivates the locks,” Kevin murmured beside her. “Seth overnighted it to
the motel.”

“The
locks aren’t…”

“Someone
set up a secure power feed to the cells since you escaped. We thought that
might happen, planned for it.” Brand grunted, levering the third door open.
This cell, too, was stark. Vacant. Brand and Kevin moved on to the next cell.

Despair
spiraled through Eva.

They
didn’t have much time. Not until Rohe’s guards came. They needed to find Rainey
and leave. Soon.
Now
. Eva brushed fingers over her Marque as a horrible
fear bit through her. They might get caught. Taken. Hurt.
Brand
could
get hurt.

Her
heart ached, and Eva desperately sucked the stale air into her lungs, seeking
her sister’s scent. It was there – but vaguely. The scent was cold and
chill and broken. “Try again, Kevin,” Eva whispered.

He
shook his head. “I’ve been trying, Eva. It’s everywhere, but I can’t get a
fix.”

Anxiety
shivered through her. “Brand, I need the flashlight. I’m going to check the
other cells. Maybe I’ll hear someone inside.” Brand glanced up and nodded
before he passed her the flashlight from his left pocket.

“Stay
close,” he murmured, before going back to work on another cell door.

Eva
flicked the light on, working her way down the short corridor as she pressed
her ear up against each cell. Some of them gave off a faint static tingle, as
hers had. Those, Eva knocked on.

On the
fifth door down, when Eva knocked, something smashed against the door from the
other side.

Eva
leapt back, dropping the flashlight; it spun across the cement floor. Then
Brand was there, pulling Eva aside as he and Kevin examined the door. The door
smashed again, resounding with the impact so Eva’s heart skyrocketed.

“Someone’s
in there,” she whispered.

“Rainey?”
Kevin murmured doubtfully. Whatever it was sounded big – angry.

“We
have no idea who, or
what
, Rohe has been keeping down here,” Brand
muttered. “It could be a Kaspian. Or for all we know, it could be a fresh-made
Bloodborn.”

Kevin
shuddered.

“Bloodborn?”

“A
human made Sakai,” Brand muttered, checking the lock with the electronic key.
“Bloodborn: means born-of-blood, not naturally, like most.”

Horror
lodged in Eva’s throat. “
Made
a Sakai?”

Brand
flicked her a glance. “The Winterbournes can do it. That is where they get
their servants. At least,” he muttered, picking up the crowbar and handing it
to Kevin, “that is how they used to do it in Europe.” Brand stood back from the
door, hands spread wide. “Go stand at the far end of the corridor, Eva. Now.”