Power (Soul Savers) (32 page)

“Don’t you think I
know
that? But look at him, Vanessa,” I said. “I have to do
something
.”

She stared at Tristan for a moment longer then moved her
eyes onto me, leveling me with her steady glare. “Get the stone.”

“Why didn’t I think of that?” I said, hitting my head with
my palm. “Oh, yeah. Because it’s a trap. Remember pointing that out?”

“You would do it for him.” It wasn’t a question. And she was
right. I would sacrifice myself to give Tristan and the rest of the Amadis a
chance.

“Maybe I would if I knew how and where. All I know is that
Kali has it, but not
where
it is.

“Well, I do.”

I jumped to my feet. “You do? And you’ll tell me?”

She studied my face. “On one condition.”

“Vanessa …”

She held up her hand. “One condition only. I go with you.”

I threw my hands in the air. “
Seriously?
That’s your condition? Or, should I say, your
ultimatum
?”

She shrugged. “Call it what you want. If you want to get the
pendant—”

“Dammit, Vanessa,” I snarled. I flipped my hand toward
Tristan. “Look at him! Are you getting off seeing him like this? Or are you so
cold-hearted that you’d rather play games with me than help?”

She took a step toward me. But only one. “I’m doing you a
favor. Do you really think you can get in and out with that pendant in your
hand?
Alive?
I told you. They’re
waiting for you. They’re
planning
for
you. I can get us in
and
get you out.
I’m
your only hope.”

Crap
. She had a
point. I knew nothing about what I’d be walking into, but she knew everything.
Even better than Tristan would.

“No,” Tristan croaked from the wall, as if he heard my
thoughts. “
It’s a trap,
ma lykita.
She’s setting you up.
”

I nodded. I didn’t know if he knew this from his connection
with Kali or if he was simply suspicious, but I was thankful that he still had
enough control over himself to warn me. I knew he was right.

My eyes became slits as I peered at Vanessa. “You have the
nerve to blame me for Owen leaving when he only left because you told him where
Kali is. That’s what just happened, isn’t it? You guys heard Tristan, and you
told Owen. It’s your fault he left!”

The vampire didn’t answer me, but she didn’t need to. I saw
the truth in her eyes. At least this much of the truth.

“Why do you think I want to go?” she finally said. I cocked
my head. Going after Owen motivated her to help me? A tap into her thoughts
confirmed this. And where would that leave me once she found him?

“Forget it. I can’t trust you as far as—” I almost
used the old cliché, but I could actually throw the vamp farther than I could
trust her. I shook my head. “You’re not ready. Not on any level.”

She guffawed. “Scared?”

“Don’t waste your breath taunting me. I’m not falling for
it. Drop the ultimatum and just tell me where the pendant is.”

“And you call
me
cold-hearted? You’re going to
lose
him. You have no idea what will happen when they sever the connection, but I’ve
seen what it’s like when emotions are cut. He’ll be a zombie, Alexis. Or worse,
he’ll go rogue. Is that what you want? You’ll let that happen because you’re
afraid you can’t
trust
me?
That’s
cold-hearted. He’s your man,
though. Do what you want.”

She turned and left, leaving me to stare after her. I
blinked, then pushed my hands through my hair, clasped them behind my head and
studied the floor as if it would reveal the answers I sought.
What do I do?
After several long
moments, I lifted my eyes and considered my husband. His arms were spread out,
his wrists locked in the shackles at the height of his shoulders. His naked
chest barely lifted as he breathed shallowly. His bare legs were pulled out, as
well, also chained. Bree had cut away his jeans days ago, leaving only scraps
around the shackles so they wouldn’t chaff his skin. She gave him a sponge-bath
at least once a day. Something I couldn’t do.

Even now, as I stood and stepped closer to him, his head
jerked up, and he growled at me. His muscles went taut as he strained against
the chains.

“Don’t tempt me,” he snarled. I reached out anyway,
needing
to touch him, missing him so
much even when he was right here, yearning for even the simplest caress over
his cheek. His jaw snapped at my hand, his teeth narrowly missing the tips of
my fingers as I jumped back. He growled in anger—at himself or me or the
Daemoni, I didn’t know. He dropped his head again. “So … sorry,” he managed to
say.

I swallowed and nodded. “I know,” I murmured. “I still love
you.”

“You … shouldn’t. I’m broken … now, Lex. We’re … done.”

“No. Don’t say that. We have options.”

His head jerked up, and he glared at me. “And none of them
are good! Don’t do it, Lex. Don’t … do …”

He didn’t finish. Had Kali regained control? Did she somehow
know he warned me? I couldn’t even fish through his thoughts. His mind was …
black. Nothing. As if a dense curtain veiled his thoughts. His head fell to his
shoulder, then rolled down, so his chin pressed against his chest once more.

“He’ll probably be out for a while,” Bree said. “He’s been
doing this a lot lately. I assume it’s when whoever has the stone sleeps or
leaves it behind. Tristan’s more like himself, but when he realizes he doesn’t
have to fight, he collapses in exhaustion. That’s what I’ve noticed, anyway.”

She moved again toward the door.

“Don’t call my mom yet,” I said.

“I won’t.” She gave me a weak smile that came nowhere near
her golden eyes. “I wish I could tell you what to do, but it’s not my place. I
don’t have what you do with him. This is something you have to figure out on
your own. But whatever you decide, I’ll support you, and do what you need me to
do.” She glanced at her son with longing, then looked back at me. “You’ll be
okay here while I take a break?”

I nodded, glad to be left alone with him.

Tristan?
I tugged
at his mind once I heard Bree stride off toward the kitchen. No response. I
stepped toward him again, holding my breath, but still he didn’t move. With a
shaking hand, I traced my fingers over his cheek. Electricity pulsed through me
with the touch. I sighed. I wanted so much more. But I couldn’t chance it.

What do I do?
I
asked myself once again. I had no one to turn to. Mom and Rina would never
agree to Vanessa’s ultimatum. Owen was gone. Again.
The bastard
. I immediately felt guilty for that thought,
remembering Vanessa’s warning. I might never see my protector again.
Hmm …

Trying not to disturb Tristan, I stepped silently out of the
room and over to Vanessa’s. She sat on her bed, arms crossed, looking as though
she’d been waiting on me. As if she knew I’d eventually bow to her ultimatum.

“You think we can stop Owen and get him back, too?” I asked.

“That’s my hope.”

“And you’re not setting me up? Luring me right into the
lion’s den?”

She peered at me for a long moment. “Think, Alexis, about
every confrontation we’ve ever had. How many times everyone else warned me
about Lucas wanting you alive and how many times I said I didn’t care. Because
I
didn’t
care, Alexis. I didn’t care
what they wanted. In fact, giving them what they wanted was the
worst
thing for me.”

I had no idea what she meant, but I could hear the jealousy
in her voice. They wanted me, and she hated that anyone wanted me, even if for
horrible reasons such as my murder.

“But if you gave me to them now, I’d be out of the picture.
You’d be Amadis and have Tristan and Owen and whatever else you want.”

She laughed. It almost sounded like a snort. “I really don’t
know how you can be so smart yet so stupid. Seriously. If I deliver you to the
Daemoni, I’m
no
one. The Amadis would
have nothing to do with me, and I’ve already severed myself from the Daemoni. I
may as well be dead. In fact, I probably would be sentenced to death by both
sides. Besides …” She looked away and stared at the curtained window, as though
she could see through it. Her voice came out in a near whisper. “I owe you my
life, or at least the chance to have a real one. I
do
want this way of life, whether you believe me or not, and I
wouldn’t have it without you.”

I didn’t know what to say, but I could feel the truth in her
words. Vanessa’s gaze returned to me, watching as I paced her room, thinking
over our options. They were so limited, and the longer I waited to make a
decision, the more likely Kali would figure out how to use the stone. And then
she would achieve the Daemoni’s goal since the beginning of the Amadis. Tristan
would single-handedly destroy us, their very intent for creating him.

But the Angels wouldn’t allow that, would they? They had as
much of a role in his creation as the Demons did. They brought him to the
Amadis to serve
them
, not the Demons.
So they surely had a plan for all of this. A way for us to win, to get the
pendant back, to free Tristan and also to bring us another daughter. I could
have retrieved my dagger and seen if Cassandra would tell me the plan, but I
already knew it.

I
was the plan.

I had to go in myself to get the pendant, and, if I was
really lucky, capture Kali’s soul, as well. And the plan included Vanessa, too,
even if she was setting me up.

So what else? Who else? I couldn’t go in there by myself
with only Vanessa by my side, especially since I couldn’t trust her. But who
could be on my team? I had no one besides Vanessa. Sheree needed to stay for
Sonya, who was definitely not ready to take on the Daemoni. Bree needed to stay
with Tristan, being the only one who could get near him and also the only one
who could hold him back. I could take Blossom, and I knew she’d jump at the
chance, but even if Dorian and Sasha stayed at the safe house with Bree and
Sheree to protect him, no way could I bring Blossom into such a dangerous
situation. She wasn’t a warlock. She wasn’t a fighter. Besides, I needed a mage
here, at the safe house.

Because there was one other way this could be a set-up. The
Daemoni would expect Tristan and Owen to accompany me, not knowing the
situation with either of them. Which meant they’d expect Dorian to be as
vulnerable as ever. No, I needed Blossom, as well as every other mage in the
colony, here at the safe house with as strong of a shield as they could
possibly muster.

“Well? Do you have a plan?” Vanessa asked when I turned one
last time, stopped and stared at her.

I pressed my lips together, pushed a hand through my hair,
massaged my temple with my fingers, and then finally said, “Nope. Sure don’t.”

“But you don’t have a choice. You
know
that.”

“I do know that. But what are we going to do? Just the two
of us saunter in there by ourselves, pick up the stone and leave?
You
know it won’t be so easy. But
there’s no one else to help us.”

Vanessa shrugged. “We can do it. The two of us … ugh, I
can’t believe I’m saying this … but the two of us would make a kick-ass team.”

I chuckled. “I don’t know what I’m doing and you’re barely
converted. In fact, who knows what will happen when you’re drowning in all that
Daemoni power? I don’t even know what will happen to me, and if I can’t boost
your Amadis power, we’re both dead.” I shook my head. “You’re too weak.”

I expected her to make a smartass retort or to even flare up
with anger at that comment. But instead she looked at me with a gleam in her
light-blue eyes.

“You can make me stronger than I’ve ever been
and
give me a powerful dose of Amadis
energy at the same time.” She cocked her head as if to show she’d wait for me
to understand, but she didn’t give me a chance, too excited about her own idea.
“With your blood pumping through me, princess, we’ll be unbeatable.”

My eyes bugged. She had to be kidding. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

Why not? Because that was the last thing I needed—the
person about to betray me hyped up on my extremely potent blood. If she truly
didn’t want the Daemoni to have me, she could easily kill me using my own
powers, and make it look as though the Daemoni had done it. I could beat her
now, and even before her conversion, but not easily. With my blood in her
system, she’d be too even of a match, and with the Daemoni power surrounding
her, it would be too easy for her to freak out and flip a switch. I wasn’t
about to take that chance.

“It’s too risky,” I said and gave her only that last reason.
“We don’t know how stable you are. Besides, you’ve only been drinking animal
blood for how long now? I’m no expert, but I’d think going from that to my
blood would be about as smart as a kid exchanging milk for a bottle of
whiskey.”

“I can handle it,” she said with a shrug, but she didn’t
push further. “If not yours, then mage blood.”

Yes, I’d already thought of that, too, but how? All of our
stocked blood was animal. Sonya definitely wasn’t ready for anything more, and
Sheree didn’t want to take the chance with Vanessa until someone more
experienced—Char or my mom—could assess her. We had no mage blood
on hand, and I didn’t know the protocol for asking for it. If I asked Blossom
or any of the other local mages, would they freak or did they believe it part of
their Amadis responsibility? Of course, if they knew
who
would be getting it, they’d never volunteer to donate anyway.
Vanessa remained a secret from the Amadis, although … that may not last much
longer.

“
Alexis!
”
Tristan’s voice bellowed in my head. I rushed out of the room and into his.
Madness filled his eyes as he looked at me. “
I felt shock … a surprise … a good one. I feel … glee … hope? No …
pride.
”