Vampire Girl 3: Silver Flame (4 page)

I reach for his hand and hold it against my face. "I'm not so easy to get rid of."

He leans in and his lips find mine. It is a moment I have dreamt of every night. The feel of him. The taste of him. I don't want it to end. I want to lose myself in his embrace. But we are nearly out of time. We could still be caught. We could still be killed.

We pull away from each other with great reluctance and grab our swords. It's time.

It doesn't take us long to make our way out of the castle. Fen knows even more secret passages than I; this has been his home for longer than I can even imagine.

I show him the note, and he nods and leads us to the barge. I can see the questions in his eyes, but we both know this isn't the time. First, we must escape and get somewhere safe.

I have no idea where that somewhere is, but I know it's not here.

The moons are high in the sky by the time we make it to our meeting place: the docks, which I have only visited a handful of times. Usually, they're bustling with people unloading delivered goods or freshly caught fish. There is laughter and the smell of wine and the river. Now, it is quiet, dark, but for a few torches in the distance. Black waters shimmer under the pale light, and a small boat sways on the waves. From a distance I see a man cloaked in black, standing on shore with his back to us. It isn't until we get closer that I realize who it is.

Fen grabs my hand and stops me. We both hold our ground, drawing our blades. Baron leaps in front of us growling, as the man turns to face us.

He grins and holds out his hand. "Brother, you don't look nearly happy enough to see me."

Fen growls. "What are you doing here, Dean?"

"I
know where you're going. And I know why. But consider this, before you act rashly. Your people have fallen. They need their prince. What will you choose, Prince of War?  Who will you save?"

—Ace

We are both
dumbfounded. Why is Dean here? I was expecting Asher. Maybe Ace, though the way he was behaving during the confrontation with Levi makes me question his loyalty now.

Fen strides up to him. "What's going on, Dean?"

The Prince of Lust smirks. "Good to see you too, brother. You know, we should probably table the questions until we find a place where you're not in danger of being hanged, don't you think?"

Fen turns to me, and I walk toward the boat. "He's right," I say. "We have to go. We can sort it out later." I place a hand on Fen’s shoulder and whisper in his ear. "There’s no reason for a trap. I was already under Levi’s power."

Fen mumbles something about "Levi’s power" and "other dangers."

As I'm about to step onto the boat, something flies through the air.

And impales my shoulder.

I look down in shock, the pain not yet reaching my mind. A feathered arrow sticks out of my body.

There is a moment of pause, as if time has stopped, and I hear nothing. Then it all comes rushing back: noise, screaming, a frenzy. I reach for my sword but my shoulder spasms in pain, and I cannot grasp the hilt with my right hand.

I grow lightheaded and fall to the ground, my knees hitting the rocky earth with a thud. 

Movies make getting shot by guns and arrows seem so easy. Guy gets shot, guy looks down, shrugs, keeps going.

What a crock.

This hurts like hell.

My vision grows dim. Fen and Dean fight soldiers dressed in black. No colors to identify their realm, but it doesn't take much to figure out. I know he’s coming. He walks out of the mist and into the light of the moons.

Levi.

His red cape and white hair flick about in the cold wind. He doesn't join in the battle. Instead, he targets me with a hateful smile. And before I can blink, he is at my side, lifting me easily off the ground and pulling me away from Fen and Dean.

"You should have taken me up on my offer when you had the chance, Princess."

"I would never choose you," I say, spitting in his face. "You are selfish, childish, petty and cruel. You're not fit to rule your realm, let alone an entire kingdom. I'm better off dead than by your side."

His face contorts in rage. He honestly was not expecting me to reject him. And like so many entitled men who think women owe them something they don't, his rage turns outward, toward me. He grabs me and pulls me closer to him, squeezing my chest so tight I can barely breathe as the arrow digs deeper into my flesh. "You bitch. You think you can treat me like that and get away with it?"

My heart pounds so hard in my chest I feel like I'm going to vomit, but I don't back off. I have nothing left to lose, and maybe if I'm clever enough I can buy some time. "What are you going to do, Levi? Kill me? And deny everyone the pleasure of seeing me hanged? How will your brothers feel if you take justice into your own hands at the last hour? You think they will forgive that so easily?"

His teeth elongate and he leans in toward my neck. I brace myself. I can feel his breath on my skin, smell the sweat seeping from his body. He's nervous, worried, aroused. I have never hated someone so much as I do right now.

And as his teeth sink into me, I seethe with rage. It hurts, more than it did with Ace. Levi wants it to hurt.

He feeds on me, and it is a kind of rape, a kind of violation. I have pushed him too far. Whatever way out Fen and Dean might have accomplished will be undone by my stupidity.

I feel myself fading. He is drinking too much of my blood. Draining me too thoroughly. And gaining more power in the process.

But then something shifts. Voices. Footsteps. Heavy boots. Men arguing. Levi releases me and I slump to the ground, as a wolf howls and men scream.

***

I'm plagued by nightmares of fire and death. Of Daison dying in my arms. Of Oren torturing me. Of Fen cut down in battle. Of being paraded naked as people I tried to help abuse me in the most vile of ways. I startle out of sleep drenched in sweat and shaking.

Strong arms wrap around me. "You are safe. Calm yourself, love."

I cling to Fen, still shaking. Still plagued by images of his nearly dead body lying on the scorched battlefield. "Where are we? What's happened?" I remember trying to escape. Him. Dean. Then Levi. Then nothing. I look around to situate myself. I'm in a cave, laying on thick furs with a fire burning near me. Outside, a storm rages in the night sky, throwing snow into our shelter. We are alone save Baron, who is curled at my feet, his large head resting on my legs as he stares at me with worry—if a wolf can look worried.

"We're in hiding," he says gruffly. "You lost a lot of blood and passed out. We had to wait for you to awaken before we could leave."

I touch my neck, where Levi took a chunk out of me during his feeding. It's healing quickly, but still painful. I examine my shoulder with my left hand. There are bandages where the arrow once was. "How long have we been here?"

"A few hours. You should rest more, but we can't afford to stay on this world longer than necessary. How do you feel?"

"Tired. Sore. But well enough to walk." I'm not totally sure that's the truth, though. My legs feel like jelly. But I can sense the urgency in Fen, and I know he's right. Everyone will be looking for us. Hunting us. We've escaped execution, but for how long?

"What happened?" I ask. I don't remember anything after Levi fed on me.

"Baron saved you by taking a chunk out of Levi. While the bastard fled, Dean and I took down his soldiers. We got away just in time. If he'd had more of your blood… "

Fen lets the thought trail off, and I shudder. I came close to dying. Again. 

Dean joins us through the cave's opening, a wobble to his step, carrying a flask that he's clearly been imbibing generously from. "It's good to see you awake, Princess."

"Why did you send me the key?" I ask without preamble.

He shakes his head, his dark blond hair shifting gracefully with the movement. He truly is a beautiful man, at least on the outside. "What? No thank you to the man who saved your life? I thought surely that would win me some points. Save the damsel in distress, win her hand?"

"My hand isn't for winning," I say. "And you didn't answer my question."

"Why did I save you?" he repeats, sitting down across from me. "It seemed my only chance of getting my month with you, since my brothers keep stealing my turn." He shoots a look at Fen, then returns his attention to me. "I'm convinced that with a little one-on-one time, you'll finally see how charming and irresistible I truly am."

I roll my eyes at that. "Not likely. But thanks, I guess. Now what do we do? Where do we go?"

Dean's smile grows bigger, if that's even possible. Does this man take nothing seriously? "There's only one place I can think of off the top of my head that would offer us protection."

Fen groans. "There has to be somewhere else. That's no place for Arianna."

I flash Fen a look. "Excuse me? What's that supposed to mean? I'm not a child in need of shielding. If we'll be safe there, we must go. Where is this place?"

Dean chuckles. "You'll see shortly. Let's be off then, shall we?" He takes a swig of his flask and offers it to both Fen and me. Fen refuses, but as I try to walk, pain shoots through me and I reluctantly accept.

The drink burns my throat going down, but then a pleasant tingling alleviates some of the pain, and walking isn't as hard. I hand it back to him. "Thank you, that helped."

We follow Dean through the cave. He turns to make sure we're keeping up. "It's the perfect place," he tells Fen. "We can relax, indulge in some fun, maybe even get some help with what to do next."

"This isn't a holiday," Fen says. "We'll get Ari a healer and then return to reclaim Stonehill. Besides, I will not be indebted to that demon ever again."

Dean laughs but doesn't argue.

"Where are we going?" I ask to break the awkward silence that has developed. And because I'd really like to know.

"We must meet with Sly," Dean says. "There's a place called The Black Lotus. Sly Devil runs it. It's a no-kill zone for beings from all realms and worlds. A safe space, more or less. Sly knows everything that happens everywhere, and everyone who's doing it. If anyone can help us, it's him."

"For a steep price," Fen mutters.

Dean laughs. "Ignore him. He's just still pissed about his last favor being called in. It involved a mermaid and a hit man. I'll tell you the whole story sometime when Fen isn't around to ruin it."

"Where is this place located?" I ask.

"Portland," Fen says. "So that part of your contract will be fulfilled."

"And my mom will be safe… "

He nods and I squeeze his hand and smile.

"So, The Black Lotus is conveniently in Portland?" I raise an eyebrow at that.

"More like you were conveniently in Portland," Fen says. "Our mansion is there because it's a useful location for our work with other beings in addition to the humans. It's likely what drew your mother to that area. Portland has a pull for those embroiled in the otherworldly, which your mother certainly was, even if she was only human."

"I'm going to pretend, for the sake of our relationship, that you didn't just say
only human
in relation to my mother. Them's fighting words, mister. Prince of hell or not." I'm still so tired, and so weak, and in so much pain, and things are still so bleak for us all, but I do my best to bring some levity into our situation. To laugh. To tease. To find some semblance of normality in all this.

Fen's face is tight, and strained by worry and anger and tension, but he sees what I'm trying to do and relaxes, if only marginally. He bows graciously and uses the same light tone I employed, though there is still a seriousness in his eyes when they lock with mine. "Please accept my apologies, Princess. I have only the utmost respect for humans."

I smile at his attempt. "Apology accepted. But don't let it happen again, or my royal punishment will be swift and merciless."

Fen laughs.

Dean clears his throat. "Do you two want a room? And some company?" He winks at both of us. "Could be fun."

"Ugh, you're gross," I say.

"You won't be saying that when our month is through, Princess," Dean says seductively, his teasing transforming into something serious. I can feel his pull, the hormones or pheromones or whatever magic makes him irresistible, but it doesn't make me lose my way. Dean is not the one I want.

The cavern we are in fills with the sound of running water. And it glows with crystals infused with some kind of magic. They hang from above us and jut out from the walls in all manner of shapes and sizes. A waterfall flows over them and into a small pool. It's a magical sight.

"The Mirror is behind the waterfall," Dean says, as he strips off his shirt and steps into the pool of water.

"Really?" I ask, eyeing his torso. "You know the shirt's going to get wet whether you wear it or hold it."

He grins like a mischievous boy. "But it's more comfortable off than on. And how could I deprive you of this view?" He flexes his muscles for me and I can't help but laugh. Fen just grunts.

"I thought there were no mirrors in the seven realms?" I say.

Dean laughs. "Not officially, but we are demons. By our very nature we don't follow rules. So each Prince keeps a secret mirror in his realm. For emergencies."

Fen smirks. "And I still wish you never knew about mine. You seem to have a difficult time with the word… emergencies."

"Hey? When have I ever dropped by without good reason? Except for that one time. And that other time. And the time with the drinking doesn’t count. Drinking’s important."

Their playful banter puts me more at ease, and I step into the pond. The water is warmer than I thought it would be. Almost hot. And it eases the cold aches in my bones and washes off the stink of the dungeon. I stand under the waterfall for a moment longer than necessary, letting it soak through my hair and cleanse me as much as it can. I can feel the grime and dirt peeling off my skin, and I sigh in temporary happiness. Now I just need some soap and proper toothpaste. When I remember we are returning to my world, my happiness soars at the prospect of plumbing and modern conveniences, assuming The Black Lotus has such things.

Fen pulls me past the water until we face a mirror built into the rock. It looks like it's made of some kind of reflective crystal. My image is distorted, looking as if from a surrealist dream, and of course Fen and Dean don't appear in the reflection at all.

Dean grabs my hand and squeezes. "Ready, Princess?"

I nod, and the three of us walk through, with a wolf at our heels.