Vampish: Blood Bonds, page 8
Mine. My wolf’s voice echoed through my head, and goose bumps puckered my skin. I hadn’t heard him so clearly since before…
“Of course not,” I snarled, my body moving closer to Red’s. I’d do anything to protect her, even going so far as allowing the Scooby gang target practice.
Once the huddle disbanded, I stood in the center of the room. “Now, first a few ground rules.” I lifted a hand and began enumerating the restrictions. “No weapons near my heart, obviously. I draw the line at vervain bombs—too messy. No hits below the belt because well, that just wouldn’t be fair to R—”
Red’s hand clapped over my mouth, cutting me off. “I think they get the idea. Just don’t kill him, okay, guys?”
Sparky muttered something I’d make sure he regretted later, then he lunged. I sidestepped his attack with ease, and the stake he’d had hidden in his fist clattered to the floor.
“Nice try.” I shot him a grin, but the smile quickly faltered as the Nephilim moved in next. His angel sword arced over my head, but it went wide, even for a practice shot. From the corner of my eye, I could make out Red watching each move intently.
Each member of the team got a turn, sometimes they attacked two at a time and though they were very skilled, no one got close to a kill shot. The truth was that no matter how many sicari the queen trained, they’d never surpass the speed, strength or agility of a Royal vampire. Lucky for them, most of the time they only had to deal with serviles, but with Ronin sitting on the throne, would alliances change?
The disturbing thought nearly cost me my arm. I darted out of reach of the Nephilim’s blade at the very last second.
“Okay, enough,” Red called out.
Cal and Sparky backed off, but the dragon’s reptilian eyes remained locked on mine. I had to be careful with that one. A part of me was certain he’d kill me if given the chance.
Red moved beside me as she faced the rest of her team. “So how’d they do?”
“Eh.”
“Oh, shut up, fanger,” Sparky growled.
“He’s not wrong.” Red leveled the dragon with a fiery look that had the front of my pants tightening. Gods, she was so hot when she was angry. “I’ve seen Ransom fight, and he was taking it easy on you guys.”
“No way,” said Archer.
“Yes way.”
I couldn’t help the satisfaction from splitting my lips into a ridiculously wide smile.
“But he’s sired by Carmen Rosa.” Seline huffed out a breath, fixing her ponytail.
“And a lot of Ronin’s generals are from her bloodline. Don’t forget the king is a direct descendant, only one line down, and so are most of his men.” Her steely gaze razed over every member of her team. “We won’t just be dealing with serviles anymore. Now that Ronin’s secured the castle, he won’t give it up easily. After we meet with the queen today, we need to start training every day again. We’re getting weak and sloppy, and that’s my fault. I’m your team leader, and I haven’t exactly been leading.”
“In your defense, you were held captive for a month,” I interjected.
Red’s hand shot up, silencing me. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve been slacking in my duties and that stops now. And if Ransom’s willing, I’d like for him to help with exercises like today’s.”
I grumbled but nodded, nonetheless. Damn girl had me by the vampy balls.
“Is everyone good with that?”
Muttered yeses filled the echoing space.
“Good.” She ticked her head at the door. “Now, everyone get ready. We leave for the queen’s new hideout as soon as Vera gets word.”
Chapter
Eleven
Phoenix
* * *
My boots slapped the alabaster marble with an echoing crash as the portal spat me out in a bright white room. Ransom appeared beside me a second later, then the rest of my team tumbled out behind him.
I scanned the obscenely white space flooded in light from the huge picture windows. Sunlight? My brows knitted. I glanced over at the vampire beside me who thankfully hadn’t burst into flames. It must have been some sort of illusion. My gaze swept across the room, enjoying the warm sunlight before landing on a round table in the far corner. The queen rose and Lucíano moved with her, as fluidly as if the pair were physically attached. I recognized the queen’s warlock, Nestor, who’d portaled us in, skulking in the shadows. Then from the table, another figure rose, and my heart constricted. Demetra.
My old instructor from the Isle of Mordis’s eyes locked on mine. I had to restrain myself to keep from running to her. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed her until this very moment. At some point during my three years training on the island, she’d become a sort of motherly figure.
But a woman like Demetra didn’t hug and given the recent issues I’d had with the queen, I wasn’t sure where we stood. Had she known Carmen Rosa wanted to keep me locked up or worse?
The tense moment stretched to an uncomfortable level until the queen finally spoke. “Team One, I am relieved beyond measure to find you all alive and well.” Her eyes drifted to mine for only a moment before they settled on the rest of my team.
Demetra’s demeanor was calm and collected, but her eyes—something dark stirred beneath the deep crimson.
“Again, what am I, my queen?” Ransom dipped into an exaggerated bow.
“Oh, Ransom, so needy…”
He balked, his lips curling into a grimace. “Expulsion doesn’t suit you, my queen.”
“I have not been expulsed or dethroned or any of the multitude of synonyms I’ve heard in the past few days. We have merely moved to a more suitable location for the time being.”
Ransom pressed his lips together, and I knew he was choking down a snarky comment. I was surprised and relieved that he kept his thoughts to himself for once. Despite my anger with the queen for trying to imprison me, we had to work together for now.
“Of course.” Ransom pursed his lips and stood by my side. “And where are we exactly?”
“A secret location for now,” Lucíano interrupted.
Demetra still stood by the table, but her eyes never deviated from mine. I wished I could talk to her in private. My gaze drifted from her to the other vampires seated at the round table. It only took me a second to recognize the Royal symbol engraved into the chair backs and the queen’s motto Carpe Cruentum Noctem, seize the bloody night. It was particularly appropriate now. As I scanned the chairs, I noticed two sat empty, not including the ones Lucíano and Demetra loomed in front of.
Had the other two members of the queen’s inner circle not arrived or had they defected to the other side? The thought made my stomach roil. The last thing we needed were more Royal vampires joining the ranks of Ronin’s Children.
“So why have you brought us here today, my queen?” Ransom’s question drew my thoughts back to the matter at hand.
The queen’s dark gaze pivoted to me. “The rest of the sicari should be joining us shortly, but I wanted to take this opportunity to speak to Phoenix and her team alone.”
I nodded, firming up my mental barriers to ensure the queen couldn’t sneak in. Vera had whipped up a compulsion blocking potion for each of us for extra protection. Ransom had insisted on it. He still didn’t trust her and neither did I.
“So talk,” said Spark, flanking my opposite side.
Carmen Rosa exhaled a dainty breath. “I deeply regret my behavior last time we met. I was hasty and worried for my people which caused me to behave in a rash manner.” She sauntered closer, and a growl vibrated Ransom’s chest. The queen’s eyes darted to his, and her perfectly plucked brow shot up. Anxiety rippled through my insides as I waited for her to say something. But she never did. Instead, she continued walking forward until she stood about a yard in front of us.
Ransom inched closer. His anxiety surged through the bond, overpowering my own.
“I want to apologize,” she finally said. “And assure you that I will never do anything so irrational again. As queen, the pressure I have to protect my people has occasionally driven me to make hasty decisions. I realize now that I went too far in my efforts to keep you away from my enemy. Instead, we should’ve been working together.”
I released the breath I’d been holding and slowly dipped my head.
“Besides, Demetra threatened to abandon me if I ever tried anything so foolish again.”
My chest tightened as I caught my old mentor’s gaze over the queen’s shoulder. Her lips parted into a tight smile.
“So I ask your forgiveness and hope to continue our relationship in a more equitable manner.”
“I’d like that,” I finally answered, hoping it came off more convincing than it felt.
“Wonderful, so glad we’re all friends again.” Ransom tossed Carmen Rosa a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Now, what’s the plan?” He eyed the round table adjacent to the queen. “And where are Helga and Dmitri by the way?”
The queen’s saccharine smile faltered for an instant. “Helga, Dmitri and I have decided to part ways.”
“You mean they decided to join Ronin?”
Her crimson lips pressed into a tight line as those piercing eyes leveled Ransom with a glare. “Yes,” she hissed through clenched teeth.
“You see, Red, this is the problem.” He bent down so his eyes were level to mine. “Vampires are tired of being forced to live in the darkness, forced to drink Blud. I assure you Helga and Dmitri are only the first to desert the queen’s cause.”
A rumble broke out among the remaining vampires of the inner circle. “I will always stand with my queen,” said Lucíano. A few of the others murmured their assent.
“Well, I know you will,” Ransom muttered. “Your lips are permanently tattooed to her—”
I elbowed my vampire blood buddy in the gut. There was no reason to insult the guy who was on our side.
Ransom shrugged. “Either way, my queen, your precious inner circle is down from twelve to a mere nine. It’s only a matter of time…”
“What would you have me do, Ransom?” she gritted out.
“Talk to the Etrian Assembly! Use your power to make some changes for the better. Do something for your people. If we no longer are relegated to the darkness, if we’re allowed to consume real blood, Ronin’s offer wouldn’t seem quite so attractive, now would it?”
What Ransom was saying wasn’t something that could happen overnight, but even I had to agree, he wasn’t totally wrong in his thinking.
“It’s madness, my son. They’d never agree to any of that.”
“Why not?” I asked. “What if we could get some of the other members of the assembly on board?” Hunter would back us up for sure. Then my gaze flitted to Spark. Could we convince his father to vote with the queen? Or Azara. The dark lord of the Underworld sat on the assembly as well.
“It’ll never happen, Phoenix. Ronin’s right. For centuries the vampires were feared by the other houses of Azar. They’d never allow us to gain power now.”
“Then they need to help us fight Ronin and his Children.” I planted my hands on my hips.
“The assembly does not step into civil matters within the houses. They will only take a stand if a major threat arises.”
I huffed out an exasperated breath. We were just talking in circles now.
“Okay, then,” said Ransom. “I’ll ask again: what is the plan?”
Lucíano stepped forward, and all eyes trained on the queen’s right-hand man. “River is on his way, along with all the remaining sicari he could find. We’ll spend the next day or two scouring Royal lands until we find every last one. Demetra will graduate her class of sicari recruits a few months early and we will all train as a team, immortals and mortals alike. The queen has already put out the call for her citizens to join the battle. Then, when the time is right, we will take back the castle.”
Okay, this could work. A twinge of optimism lit up the dark depths. With vamps on our side, we could take Ronin down. “What about Thanatos?” The question burst from my lips before I could stop it.
The queen’s warlock, Nestor, stepped forward, his brilliant orange hair alight in the bright room. “I’m currently researching the exact manner in which one would return a god to corporeal form. I’ve been working on it since Thanatos’s appearance, but as of yet, I’ve found nothing. I am awaiting news from the head of the Coven Council, the warlock Garrix. If anyone is capable of summoning a god, it would be him.”
“Great, so for now we just wait,” Ransom mumbled.
“No,” said the queen. “We prepare for battle.”
Chapter
Twelve
Phoenix
* * *
I hated returning to the penthouse without Ransom, and more than that, I hated that I hated it. I was becoming way too dependent on my vampire wolfy mate. The closer we got, the more blood we shared, the more my body ached at his absence. The queen had asked for him to stay, and I was itching to find out why.
“Pacing isn’t going to make him get here any faster.” Vera shot me a knowing smile as she grabbed a nasty looking green juice from the fridge.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She giggled and took my hand, dragging me to the kitchen island to sit beside her. “You can deny it all you want, but you’re acting like a bloodwhore jonesing for a fix.”
My jaw dropped, eyes popping out. “Geez, thanks a lot.”
She laughed again then squeezed my shoulder with a reassuring smile. “I don’t know much about the wolf mate bond, but you know who does?”
I shot her an eyeroll because I knew exactly where my friend was going with this. Things weren’t bad between Seline and me, but our relationship had been a little tense since my return from captivity. I kept telling myself it had nothing to do with Spark, but obviously I was a liar.
“Go talk to Seline,” said Vera when I didn’t answer. “She’s a wolf, just like you, and though she hasn’t found her mate she probably knows a lot more about it than you do.”
“Ugh,” I grumbled. “We’re on the brink of a vampire war, Vera. This is the last thing I should be focusing on.”
She shrugged and took a sip of the dark green concoction. My stomach roiled at the sight. “What you should be doing doesn’t always line up with what you have to do. Ransom’s arrival in your life has been a big change for you. I think if things were more settled in that department, the rest would fall into place.”
I cocked a skeptical brow. “So you’re saying the fate of all Azar is tied to my relationship with my wolfy-vampire fated mate?”
“Maaaybe.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “You just want me to make up with Seline, don’t you?”
“It would be nice. Plus, it’s messing with the team’s mojo.”
“Fine, I’ll talk to her.” Later. From across the great room, I caught sight of a grumpy Nephilim stalking closer. “Ooh, Cal.” I waved him over. With Ransom out of the way, it was the perfect time to question him about the vampire with a soul issue.
“What’s up, Nix?”
“Did you get a chance to talk to the higher ups of the Sons of Heaven about the soul thing?”
He leaned on the island, wrapping an arm around Vera. “I did confirm it is possible for an archangel to see a soul, but I haven’t heard back from Cillian on the specifics. A message has been sent, and I’m sure he’ll get back to me soon. He’s kind of a busy guy.”
“Right.” I chewed on my lower lip. I was torn between wanting Ransom to be the one and not. It would put him at risk, painting a target on his back just like my own, but on the other hand, if he still had a soul… My chest tightened, and a faint whine echoed through my ribcage.
“Maybe you and Seline could go for a run,” said Vera. She was relentless. “It would probably do your wolf some good to get out.”
I shook my head at my friend. “I got it, Mom. Seline and Nix time coming right up.” As annoying as Vera could be, she wasn’t wrong. My wolf was clawing at my insides. Maybe a run was exactly what I needed.
“I’m glad we’re doing this,” I forced out when the silence became unbearable. Seline had been quick to agree to the run, but now that we were walking toward the edge of the forest, I was starting to regret the whole thing. In wolf form we wouldn’t have to talk, which was likely what she’d been counting on.
As much as I hated the awkwardness, Vera was right. We needed to clear the air between us before it affected the team. Plus, if I was being honest, I’d take just about any info on the burgeoning mate bond between Ransom and me. Especially how to control it from becoming so all-consuming.
“Yup, me too,” she finally answered as the crumbling asphalt gave way to a dirt road that led out of the decaying remains of the city.
More silence.
Just spit it out, Nix! Steeling my nerves, I forced all the words out in one big jumble. “So I’ve been meaning to ask you about the wolf mate bond.”
Seline turned to me, her dark eyes wide. “That’s what you brought me out here for?”
“Um, yah, kind of. That and I really wanted to run.”
She snorted on a laugh and released a breath. “I thought you wanted to talk about Spark. I—I thought you wanted him back or something.”
I suppressed my own laugh and shook my head. “Did you really think I would ask you to give him up?”
She shrugged. “I’m not stupid, Nix. I know he’s still in love with you. It would just take one word, and he’d go running back.”
A spiral of pain and regret swirled through my insides. I’d been pretty crappy to Spark, and still he never stopped caring. “I’m sure that’s not true,” I finally said.
“Oh, it is. He pretty much told me as much when you first came back.”
I sucked in a breath. Ouch.
“But then Ransom showed up and now that you told us about the mate thing, it all makes sense.”
