Vampire in Chaos (10 page)

Serus eyed the weapon. “I thought we’d left all those at the Council.”

David gave him a savage grin. “I was never asked to hand mine over.” He pocketed his spike while Serus watched, his own in his hand.

“Just be careful with that thing,” he growled, already studying the mouse of a man who appeared to have lost his wits after seeing the Ghost.

He quaked in front of them. At least he hadn’t bolted. Then again, the Ghost was out there somewhere.

“So,” Serus said, walking around the smaller male. “Where the hell were these guys trying to take us?”

David interjected, “And why?”

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed nervously. “Anyone who comes down here is taken prisoner.”

“And why is that?” Serus asked in a pleasant voice. “And when was the last one taken?”

“Oh, not for decades. It’s really unusual for anyone to come down here. And then you lot show up today. Well, they couldn’t let that alone, now could they? Not you guys.” As if that made perfect sense, the man fell silent while Serus was still trying to figure out just what he’d said.

“You’re watching us?” David asked, astonished. “How would you know who we are?”

“The video cameras.”

Shit. Serus hadn’t seen any cameras on the way down or anywhere in this mausoleum. From the look on David’s face, he hadn’t either.

“A video would show our faces, but not identify us,” David said slowly, eyeing the man who’d started to quake again. “Why would anyone know who we are?”

The man looked nervously from one to the other. “’Cause you’re on the wanted list, of course.”

Serus’s eyebrows shot up. He’d only ever heard of a wanted list in terms of humans and crimes. Never for vamps. “Wanted for what?”

The man swallowed, then swallowed again. “For your DNA.” He said it in a harsh whisper, as if the words would choke him on the way out. “The bosses want your DNA.”

*

Wendy dozed off
and woke up with a start, realized the room was dark and silent except for Rhia’s heavy breathing, and dozed off again.

When she woke the next time, it was to find she was alone. Crap. So much for babysitting Rhia. It looked like she woke up and left Wendy to nap. Straightening up, Wendy groaned at the sore muscles and the kink in her neck. Stretching gently, she made her way to the door, wondering if she should text Sian and let her know Rhia was gone. When she opened the door to the hallway, she realized there was no point. Rhia and Sian were having a heated discussion in the hallway.

Rhia caught sight of her first. She broke off in mid–sentence. “Wendy? How are you feeling?”

Typical. Rhia always thought about everyone else first.

“I’m fine. My head is better,” Wendy was quick to add as Rhia reached up to lift her hair back and expose the damage from the car accident. She did feel fine. The sleep had helped a lot.

She smiled reassuringly at Rhia then turned her attention to Sian. “Any news? Anyone back yet?”

Sian shook her head, concern whispering across before being replaced by a bright smile. “Not yet. I’m sure someone will check in soon.”

“Not likely,” Rhia snapped with enough force. Wendy realized this was the conversation she’d interrupted. “You know what it’s like, Sian. They are in battle, hunting. They aren’t going to take the time to let us know if they found someone or had reached the roof and found no one.” She threw up her hands. “They are going to keep fighting, keep hunting, and keep searching until they have found everyone.”

Wendy had to admit, Rhia was right. Checking in with the others in a timely manner was ideal but hardly feasible.

“And that’s why I’m going up there,” Rhia announced.

“What?” Wendy stared at her in alarm then switched her gaze to Sian. Only Sian was rubbing the side of her face as if she’d run out of arguments.

“You can’t,” Wendy said bluntly.

Rhia rounded on her. “And why not?”

Subtle wasn’t going to work. Maybe it was because she was still punchy from her nap, but Wendy snapped back, “Because you were drugged again, and you are more of a danger to them than a help.”

Rhia’s gaze widened to huge orbs and she blinked once…twice.

“Look, what you did to Tessa means you can’t be trusted right now. Maybe the drugs have worked their way through your system, and maybe they haven’t,” Sian said quietly.

At the mention of her daughter, Rhia’s face cracked and tears started to run down her face. “Why do you think I have to go help? She was trying to get away from me.”

“No,” Wendy stepped forward and clasped Rhia’s hands in her own. “I’m sure Tessa understands. But it happened so fast. Like Jewel and Ian in the mine. Everyone is going to look at you sideways and wonder if you are going to go off again. They won’t be able to focus on what they need to do because they’ll be worrying about you.” She didn’t add that they’d be concerned about her attacking them from behind, too. Rhia could figure that out herself.

Sian stepped in, “Rhia, you need to help your son Seth.”

Slowly, Rhia lifted her head, confusion on her face. “Help him how?”

“You said when you were under the influence of their drugs that you shipped him out of the country.”

Pain rippled across her beautiful features, her shoulders slumping in defeat. “Did I really? Where to? Why? I remember something, but I’d thought that was all part of the nightmare.”

“So figure out where you shipped him so we can get him back,” Wendy suggested. “It would also help us to see what other countries are involved with the blood farm.”

Rhia’s eyes filled with more tears. “I can’t believe I did that. I must find out where.” She brushed the tears back. “But if I do that, who is going to find out what’s happening with the others?”

Wendy and Sian exchanged glances. Sian looked at Rhia, “Can’t you talk to Serus, ask him for an update?”

Rhia looked at her blankly. “Who is Serus?”

*

Jared kept his
eyes closed, his breathing stable, as the intruder studied him from the doorway. He desperately wanted to open his eyes and see who it was, but he didn’t want anyone to know he was awake. He deliberately shifted in bed and in the process managed to peer through his lashes. But his intruder was already closing the door.

Damn.

Should he call out? He had to do something. He slipped out of bed, crossed the room, and opened his door just a crack. He peered around the corner to see the manager standing outside the next room. He turned to stare at Jared.

“Something wrong, Jared?”

Jared managed a fake yawn and shook his head. “I thought I heard something, but I guess not.” He rubbed his eyes as if still half asleep and withdrew into his room, closing his door solidly behind him. And waited.

Had it been the manager who’d opened his door? It wouldn’t have been out of the realm of possibility. After all, checking to make sure Jared was in his room was within his responsibilities. Considering all the shit that had happened in Jared’s life, that was almost a requirement.

And if they’d thought Jared might have been uneasy over this evening’s conversation, maybe he’d figured Jared would bolt.

Struggling to still the unease in his gut, Jared climbed back into bed. He hated this. Hated the uneasiness. Surely there was somewhere else he could stay? He tried to text Tessa again. He didn’t know what to do about food at Tessa’s house, but he’d feel safe there. And didn’t that beat all?

Then another name popped into his head. Someone respectable. Responsible. Position of authority. And human. Dr. Taz.

He grabbed his cell phone and realized he didn’t have the contact number, but Tessa would. He texted her, asking for it. Surely she wouldn’t mind. Just in case, he sent another long text explaining why he needed the number.

Maybe that would do it.

He didn’t know where she was or what she was doing, but he hoped she was getting the rest she deserved.

T
essa stared at
the faded, aged–beyond–belief vampire. She stepped closer. The ghost immediately stepped between the two women in warning.

“Hortran, it’s fine.”

Hortran bowed and retreated.

Tessa watched his smooth movements that made him seem to slide and glide more than walk.

“How does he do that?” she murmured, studying him as he stilled in place.

“How does anyone do anything they are good at?” the old woman answered. “It’s natural for him. It’s who he is.”

“A ghost?” Tessa said, switching her gaze to the woman. “Someone said he was a ghost.”

“Not a ghost…a Ghost.” A dry cackle filled the air followed by a painful fit of coughing. “A big difference. Although soon, I’m afraid they might be one and the same.”

“He’s dying?” Tessa asked hesitantly, wondering what was going on.

“Aren’t we all? Even you, my dear, are dying. Some of us are closer to the end than others.”

“At least you aren’t completely at the end of that road,” Tessa said politely. She heard a half snicker from Cody beside her.

“Yes, I am. Maybe not today or tomorrow or even this year, but it will be this century.”

She stared at Tessa, then motioned with her hand. “Come closer.”

Tessa stepped forward two steps. When the woman repeated her hand motion impatiently, she walked right up to her.

And stopped. The woman’s skin was almost scaly from age, her eyes deeply set into her head, but there were indications that she’d been a beauty at one time. Likely a thousand centuries ago.

“Who are you?” Tessa whispered.

“Ah, I wondered if you knew me.” She shrugged, a slight movement that still made Tessa wince as she heard bones creak and skin scrape across each other.

“Your father knows me. So too does your dear mother.”

At the mention of her parents, Tessa reared back slightly. She studied the old woman as if the face would shake something loose in her mind that had stayed hidden for the last twenty minutes. “Really?”

She turned to see Cody still standing back where he always was. “Cody, do you know her?” She motioned to the Ghost. “Or him?”

Cody frowned and approached slowly. “I have never seen Hortran before, nor yourself, but from old conversations between my father and Councilman Serus that I vaguely remember, you must be Deanna.”

Deanna?
Tessa turned to see the old woman beam at Cody. “Indeed I am.”

And all the memories of one of the oldest vampires still alive today surfaced. “You’re on the Council but don’t attend the meetings any longer. In fact, you’re never seen in public anymore either.”

“Bah, Council. Those mealy–mouthed useless imbeciles. The ‘we must keep up tradition and do things the way we’ve always done them garbage.’”

She shook her head. Her hair, long but in a single braid, flung around her shoulders. “As if that logic holds true through centuries where everything else changes except for the Councilmen’s attitude.”

Tessa grinned. She liked the woman already. “Is that why you don’t show up anymore?”

“That’s one of the reasons. The other is much simpler.” She glanced over at the Ghost and smiled. “I can’t. I am a prisoner here.”

“What?” Tessa glanced around. “How is that possible? We came here, so surely you could leave.”