The Victorious Redemption Complete Series Boxed Set, page 106
Night had fallen by the time Qadir arrived at the Nest. True to her promise, Jasmine was ready for him and arose from her chair the moment she saw him. Rhonda and Tommy were asleep, and only Eddy kept her company while Ivan cleared up from the night’s work.
They didn’t utter a word as they climbed into the car, and it was only when the engine was switched on that Qadir muttered his first instruction. “Head toward Salem Country Park. I’ll direct you from there.”
Jasmine knew the park well. For a short period of her life, her journalistic work had taken her prying into the affairs of an immoral philanthropist with ties to a trafficking ring. She had spent days camped out around the park, keeping an eye out for the well-suited man, only to find out that he had since moved and taken up residence off the Cayman Islands.
The man was never brought to justice.
Jasmine followed the map in her mind, making good time toward the park. As buildings and storefronts zipped by them, she wondered if now would be the time to bring up her meeting with the Queen. She knew that no matter when she brought up the subject, it would be a problem, and even though she had spent the last few days ignoring reality, it wouldn’t be a good enough excuse for Qadir.
They were both silent, the only sound around them the gentle hum of the SUV zipping along the city streets.
She took a deep breath, keeping her eyes fixed on the road ahead. “Qadir…?”
“Mmm?” he replied, looking out his own window.
“I’ve got something that I need to tell you,” Jasmine stated, “it’s something big that I’m hoping will aid us on our mission.”
Qadir turned to face Jasmine, his interest caught. “What is it? Have you found additional allies?”
Jasmine cocked her head. “I have.”
“That’s good news,” Qadir commented, little pleasure in his words. “And they are aware of our plight, loyal to our cause?”
Jasmine thought back to the Queen’s initial hesitation in their meeting, brought over only by their mutual hatred for Jasmine’s father. “They are.”
“Who is it?” Qadir asked.
Jasmine tensed up. She had known the question was coming, but she didn’t know the best way to soften the blow. “It’s the Queen.”
Qadir blinked at her.
“Now, before you say anything…” Jasmine protested.
Qadir’s eyes narrowed, his voice dropping dangerously low. “Please tell me you’re joking, Jasmine. This is a joke of yours, right?”
Jasmine met his gaze, slowing down a touch on the road. “This isn’t a joke. I found her, Qadir. I met with her a few days ago and…”
“A few days ago!” Qadir interjected, throwing up his arms. “Jasmine, you can’t be running off on your own adventures and doing this type of shit. We’ve got to be working as a team, keeping each other in the knowledge of what is going on.”
“And I am…but…” Jasmine fought.
Qadir wouldn’t let her finish. “Are you trying to jeopardize our position, Jasmine? Not only are you galivanting off to one of our greatest enemies—arguably one of the only creatures with the strength to break you—but you are doing it alone, without the knowledge of anyone on our side. Do the pack know?”
Jasmine sighed.
Qadir shook his head in disbelief. “You haven’t even told your kin.”
Jasmine grew angry. “Enough of your judgment, Qadir, okay? Yes, it was a risk to go in there and try what I tried, but what choice did I have? Would you have said this was a good idea?”
“Of course not,” Qadir replied. “And you know that. Otherwise, you would have said something.”
“And so the pack would have agreed with you,” Jasmine returned. “Look, I took a hell of a risk. I know that. It was stupid. It was dumb. It was all of the things you want to say and that I can read in your eyes, but you know what? It worked. She’s on our side. I’ve gained the allegiance of my father’s enemy, a creature who can add infantry to our team that packs a punch. With the aid of her parasites, we can…”
“And you trust her?” Qadir spat back. “You actually trust this bitch? After all she did to you? After she killed not one, but two of your brothers and sisters?”
Jasmine’s breath caught. She stopped talking, flinching in her seat.
Qadir glared at Jasmine, pressing his advantage. “She killed two of your people, Jasmine. In cold blood. She can’t be trusted. She’s a monster. A demon. There’s no way you think that this can work.”
Memory swam in Jasmine’s eyes, the road blurring in front of her. She watched it all in slow motion, the destruction of her two Were kin. It was painful to relive, to see the parasites wreaking their havoc. She could almost smell the wet basement laboratory. Each click of insect legs rattled in her head. Somewhere far away, she was aware of Qadir’s voice, but the words were fuzzy, coated, and damp.
“Jasmine!” Qadir declared, snapping Jasmine from her reverie.
Blinding headlights shone in Jasmine’s direction. She squinted against the semitruck’s lights as she jerked the steering wheel to bring her SUV to the correct lane. Despite the late hour, the semi blared its horn in frustration. Jasmine only caught a fleeting glimpse of an angry middle-aged man giving her the bird before he drove off.
Jasmine pulled over to the curb to catch her breath. Her face had turned even paler, and Qadir fixed his terrified gaze on the road ahead.
They sat a long time in the dark in silence.
Qadir broke the quiet at last. “Of course, none of that matters if we’re both dead, does it, Jasmine?”
Jasmine pinched her brow and composed herself. “I’m sorry about that.”
“Good.”
She waited for Qadir to continue, but he didn’t. She offered, “Look, I know that this is a tense situation. You don’t think it wasn’t hard for me to go there and face her again? You said it yourself: we need allies. I found one. I trust her—at least, for now. Luckily, she hates my father more than she hates me. That buys her allegiance for now.”
“And when he’s dealt with?” Qadir asked. “What then?”
Jasmine considered this. “We cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Qadir scoffed.
“Enough,” Jasmine reprimanded. “What’s done is done. We have her now, and that’s that. I know you disapprove of what I’ve done. I know the pack will hate me for it. But we’re not in typical times. We need to take risks. We need to amp up our team. Why else are we driving off in the middle of the night to meet a coven of decrepit vamps?”
“A brood,” Qadir corrected.
“What?” Jasmine asked.
Qadir rolled his eyes. “Covens are more famously used for witches. Vampires don’t particularly like that. They prefer ‘brood.’”
Jasmine gave a derisive laugh. “Fine.”
She stared out the window and up at the only light on in a towering apartment building beside her. A light flashed and flickered, suggesting to Jasmine that the residents inside were watching TV. She smiled, wondering if she’d ever know a life so simple.
When she’d gathered herself again, she took off back onto the road. She directed them toward Salem Park, then followed Qadir’s directions as he guided them further into the outer city limits. They kept their talk limited, focused only on the way ahead, and soon Qadir told Jasmine to draw up alongside a hard shoulder along an old dirt road.
Jasmine exited the vehicle, looking around the old and shoddy farm. While once it might have been a proud feature, much of its old charm had faded over time. White paint peeled and flecked off rotting wooden fence posts. The grass was overgrown and yellow from the previous few days of relentless sun. Wheelbarrows and horse-led harvesters were leaning into the ground, half melded with the dirt. They walked toward a barn that looked as though its best years were behind it, and she spotted a pond to their right. At first, she thought it was a stray piece of grass that had been untouched, but then she noticed the reeds and the algae built up along its surface. Occasionally, bubbles drifted to the surface, and Jasmine wondered if there was any marine life still inside.
“It’s charming…” she mused.
Qadir walked a step in front of her, making a straight line for the barn. “Mmhmm.” He didn’t turn back.
Jasmine rolled her eyes. She grabbed Qadir’s shoulder and pulled him to a stop, turning him to face her. “You’re still pissed?”
Qadir steeled himself. “Of course I’m still pissed.”
“Well, we need to figure this out before we go inside there,” Jasmine declared, pointing to the barn. “We can’t go in there distrusting each other, pledging to recruit these guys. They’re ancient people. They’ll see straight through it. We need to be strong.”
Qadir clicked his tongue. “So, what do you suggest?”
“What do you need?” Jasmine asked.
“Proof that she’s going to actually help us,” Qadir burst out, aware that his voice was rising. He quieted. “I need to know that the bitch isn’t going to suddenly round on us and destroy us with her creatures. I don’t know about you, Jasmine, but I don’t fancy playing host to those things. I need my wits about me. And if one of those things does take the driving seat in my head, she’ll be wielding a weapon more powerful than a thirteen-year-old boy.”
Jasmine studied his face. “You’re right. Which is why I spoke to her about that. If it helps, she seemed dubious herself, but I managed to convince her to trust us.”
“And how was that?” Qadir replied, making it clear that whatever Jasmine had to say wouldn’t be worth listening to.
“By saving her creatures,” Jasmine returned. “I showed her my seriousness by putting my life before her creatures and rescuing her from Mr. Hughes and his people.”
Qadir’s face fell.
Jasmine smirked. “Yeah. Once again, I knocked that asshole back on his ass. They came for the attack, and that gave me the opportunity to earn her trust. Why would I save her creatures if I didn’t mean what I had to say?”
Qadir blinked blankly.
“What?” Jasmine asked.
Qadir didn’t answer.
She screwed her hands into fists. “Qadir, just talk to me, please.”
When Qadir spoke, it was with thunder in his words. His voice was a low rumble coming through clenched teeth. He looked at Jasmine as though she was the stupidest woman alive, and that infuriated her. Still, she awaited his response.
“Mr. Hughes was there…?” He growled. “Mr. Hughes saw you two working together?”
“Yeah,” Jasmine replied, confused why this was the part Qadir was holding onto.
Qadir pinched his brow. “And you don’t see a problem with that?”
Jasmine thought about this for a long moment, realization dawning on her face. “Oh, shit.”
Qadir turned on the spot, not sure which direction to face as he processed this revelation. “Jasmine, you’ve let your father onto your plan. You think that Mr. Hughes isn’t going to report back to him and let him know what you’ve done?” He threw his hands down. “Fuck. This is bad. This is really, really bad.”
“Shit…” Jasmine muttered.
“Shit, indeed,” Qadir returned, meeting her gaze. “I don’t doubt that your meeting was well-intentioned, if not utterly fucking stupid, but now you’ve turned up the heat. You’ve accelerated our timeline and put your father on to your plan. He’s likely already setting things in motion to combat what you’ve done, knowing what a heinous dirtbag that bitch is.”
“Qadir, I’m—” Jasmine started.
“Don’t apologize,” Qadir returned. “What’s done is done. You just better hope that these guys are feeling charitable and we can swing them to our cause, because we’re going to need all hands on fucking deck real fucking soon.”
Jasmine scratched her neck, looking for some words of comfort, but could find none. Qadir was right. Jasmine had been so tied up in her success with the Queen that she hadn’t thought about the implications of Mr. Hughes finding her there. It wouldn’t have taken long for the revenant monster to run back to her daddy and tell him all he had seen. She could picture her father’s face creasing with concern and panic as he picked up the pace and set his machines of war turning faster.
Qadir walked on ahead, clearly having had enough discussion with Jasmine. She followed in his wake, doing her best to compose herself before they reached the dilapidated barn.
The night was still as the door creaked open. Qadir barely needed to touch the ancient wooden thing for it to allow them access. Inside, the barn was cool. Forgotten hay bales were stacked around the edges, and the fencing for old paddocks where horses or cows may once have been kept was left standing at strange angles.
Jasmine waited a moment for her eyes to adjust to the gloom. Qadir stopped a few feet ahead of her and waited. Jasmine drew up beside him.
The barn was still.
She kept her ears peeled, waiting for any movements. At first, she could see or hear nothing. Then, from the darkness ahead, a figure approached.
She focused on the man, trying to get a gauge of what she was looking at. A stray ray of moonlight shone through a hole in the ceiling, illuminating him briefly as he passed.
Jasmine drew in a breath. She thought back to the vampire she had witnessed bleeding out on a gurney and found that she couldn’t compare the two. While the one she had seen beneath the car lot had the look of a human, excepting the sharp fangs and pale skin, this creature was more monster than man.
He hardly made a sound, seeming to float toward them. His back was hunched, and his skin was sickly pale. When he stopped only a few feet in front of them, his features came into focus. His chin was sharp, his cheeks gaunt. His eyes were large and wide, yellow irises and dilated pupils staring at her hungrily. His ears were pointed, and his mouth was twisted into a strange angle, each one of his teeth filed to a sharp point. He looked as though some monster had done his best to create an impression of what a human should look like, but his own limitations had stopped him. Jasmine knew she was staring at something from the ancient world.
“You’ve come,” the vampire hissed, his voice ancient and husky from disuse.
“As promised,” Qadir replied. “This is my associate, Jasmine Vironsis. She can validate the threat which we face.”
The vampire’s gaze snapped to Jasmine, head cocking to one side as he eyed her hungrily. “Yes, indeed…There she is.” He licked his lips. “Quite the feast for the eyes.” He studied her body.
“Hey, loverboy,” Jasmine stated, clicking her fingers. “Eyes up here.”
Qadir’s jaw clenched.
The vampire chuckled, and it sounded like gravel shaken in a jar. “A tongue as sharp as her wit…” His eyes narrowed. “And a smell of death to accompany her, too. Yet, something…” He inhaled deeply through slitted nostrils, “…something sweet…Hmmm…”
The vampire stepped toward Jasmine, and Qadir took a step forward as well.
The air grew pregnant with tension.
The vampire’s eyes took in Jasmine. The intention was plain in his eyes. Whatever Qadir had agreed with these guys, it seemed that primal instinct took over sense.
“What are you?” the vampire asked, expecting no reply. “You excite and disgust the senses. A creature of impossibility, unseen in as many years as I have wandered this earth…”
His eyes strayed once more.
Jasmine snapped her fingers again, much to Qadir’s chagrin. “Hey. We came here to parlay, not to watch you drool all over my nice clothes. So, how about it? Are you going to talk or stand there trying to hide your erection for meat?”
The vampire grinned.
Qadir tensed.
The vampire cocked his head to the other side. “Well…as long as you’re offering…”
His movements were lightning quick, the vampire darting at Jasmine before Qadir could step between them. She felt the weight of the creature on her, though it did not push her back. He was lighter than he should have been, almost papery in his density. His teeth chomped into her neck, and Jasmine grabbed the back of his head and pulled him away with a sour look on her face.
Keeping a fistful of his thinning hair, she held him at arm’s length. His limbs flailed, yellow eyes flashing, teeth gnashing, wanting more than the one taste he’d had. Jasmine curled her fingers and buried her fist into his face. His eyes rolled back in his head, a strange grunt coming from his mouth. She punched again, this time letting him go so that he flew several feet before landing with a thud on the dirt.
Movement came from either side of the barn. Within seconds, two more of the damned creatures lunged at Jasmine. They ignored Qadir, leaving him unsure of how to handle the situation now that diplomacy appeared to have failed. His hesitation told Jasmine to fear what was to come, but her immediate focus turned to survival.
As she grabbed the neck of one and buried her fist in the stomach of another, each creature as vile and despicable as the one now rising to its feet with fury on its face, Jasmine wondered if any meeting with a supernatural force would ever be simple.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Vrolocks were fast and tenacious.
Jasmine found it easy dealing with one, but now there were three, and they flurried like a whirlwind around her.
She wasn’t sure where Qadir was. At one point, she heard him grunt in pain, but she saw no magic coming her way. She didn’t blame him. Perhaps he still had a shred of hope left over for a diplomatic end to this, though Jasmine was losing hope.
Their teeth were sharp. She imagined a carcass being gnawed at by piranhas with each bite they took from her. She healed readily enough, offering them an all-you-can-eat buffet on her body. She would send one away, only for the other two to strike her.
They smelled of rotten onions, and their tongues, she discovered with some disgust, were black. After a few bouts of punching and whirling, she caught one of the creatures in the chin, and for a blissful moment, she believed she had knocked him out.
