Angel Reborn, page 3
“You all right?” Nick squeezed my hand. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“I’m just thinking how stupid I was to leave the party with that guy. I willingly followed him right into a trap and didn’t see it coming. I never thought I’d be such easy prey.”
Nick’s jaw tightened, deepening his frown. “You can’t think that way. How could you have known his intentions?”
“That’s the point, babe. I didn’t know his intentions, and therefore, I shouldn’t have gone with him so readily. When he said you wanted me to see the moon, I was all in. You and I have always kind of had a thing for the moon, so I didn’t even question it.”
“Tell me exactly what he said to you,” Nick said, his scowl dark.
“He said that you were waiting for me on the rooftop terrace. That you didn’t want me to miss the view of the full moon shining over the city, and that you’d asked him to escort me to you. It never crossed my mind that I might be in danger until we reached the roof and you weren’t there.”
Nick made a sound deep in his throat that sounded like a growl. “Do you remember what he looked like?”
“He was tall. Not as tall as you, but definitely at least six feet. He was slender. Dark blond hair. Blue eyes. White tuxedo jacket and black pants, like every other server working the party. I’d say mid-thirties, but if he wasn’t human, who the hell knows?” I shrugged and let out a heavy sigh of frustration. “It’s not like I have any way of knowing who’s who and what’s what. He didn’t give off any creepy vibes, but I guess my instincts in that regard are clearly not as strong as I thought.”
“You can’t blame yourself.” He reached to put his arm around me, pulling me to his side as we walked. “It was a reasonable assumption to think you’d be safe with someone in my family’s employ.”
I frowned as I recalled the server’s smile and his easygoing nature. “He was so polite. He didn’t seem nervous at all. But he had to know, right? Is it possible someone gave him bad information? Like, maybe someone legitimately told him you wanted me to come to the roof? I hate to think that he rode all the way up in the elevator making small talk with me, knowing the whole time I was meant to die at the end of the ride.”
“It doesn’t matter what he was told. He never should have left you there alone. If he thought you were to meet me, he should have waited with you until I arrived.”
We were approaching a ledge. A building I assumed to be the East Tower loomed ahead, soaring several stories above the rooftop we were on. But between us and it was a lower building. They were all joined, but the drop to get onto the lower building was at least twenty feet.
“How do we get down?” I asked, looking left and right for a ladder or stairs.
“We’re gonna jump.”
He bent to pick me up, and I backed away from him, my mouth falling open in disbelief. “Are you insane? We can’t jump from here.”
“Sure, we can. Do you trust me?”
“In theory, yes, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to plummet over the side of a building with you. I’ve already been shot in the chest tonight. I don’t need a broken leg too. I may not have enough of your miracle mojo left in my system to heal me again.”
“You don’t have to jump. You just need to hold on. I’ll jump.”
“No. This is crazy.” I shook my head, looking again for an alternate route. “There has to be another way.”
“If we walk all the way across to the front of the building, there’s a metal ladder, but it’s old, and it’s a straight, vertical climb. You’d have a better chance of breaking something going down those rickety rungs in your strappy heels than you do if I jump while holding you. And my way is much quicker.”
I started to protest again, but a gust of wind whipped across the rooftop, pulling more strands of my hair from the pins holding them in place. I glanced up, fearing the wind had been stirred by the flapping of human-size wings above me, and though the sky was clear, I was reminded there were things more frightening than the jump.
“All right, whatever. Let’s get it over with.”
“Why don’t you toss the shovel down first?”
I moved forward and leaned to look over the edge, immediately wishing I hadn’t. “Oh, God. I can’t believe you’re making me do this. What if you drop me?”
The corner of Nick’s mouth lifted ever so slightly. “I won’t.”
“But what if you do?”
“I won’t.”
“What if you fall when we land? Your leg is injured.”
“My leg is fine. I’m sure I’ll feel the impact more than I usually would, but it’ll be okay. I won’t fall, and I won’t drop you. I promise.”
With a stream of muttered curses, I tossed the shovel over the edge and stepped closer to Nick, who had pulled the arrow out of his waistband to hold it for the jump.
“You better not drop me,” I said as he bent to scoop me up into his arms. “And you better not break your leg or anything. I want to go on record as saying I think this is a bad idea.”
“Duly noted. Now, hold on.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck as he stepped to the ledge and leapt.
Air whooshed up around us as we dropped, and my stomach seemed to hover near my throat, but then with a jarring jolt, Nick landed, cradling me against his chest.
“See?” he said against my temple. “I told you I wouldn’t drop you.”
“That was insane,” I whispered, a bit breathless. “It was also a bit of a rush, to be honest, but you still shouldn’t have done it. Are you okay? How’s your leg?”
“I’m good. I thought I told you not to worry about me.” He bent his head to brush his lips against mine, and then his gaze traveled over me. “You sure you’re all right?”
“I think so.”
With one more quick kiss, he set me gently on my feet and bent to retrieve my shovel. “Your weapon, milady.”
“Thanks,” I said, suddenly feeling foolish for having grabbed it. We’d seen no more assailants, and I wasn’t sure what I would be able to do against a supernatural being even if we did. I still felt better with it than without it, though, so I continued to carry it as we walked on.
“It’s not too much farther,” Nick said with a glance upward as he tucked the arrow back into his waistband. “The entrance is just on the other side of that cooling tower."
“Why would a Vardiyati want to kill us? And why would they attack your family? Is there some kind of beef between them?”
“Everyone has a beef with my family in one way or another.”
“Why?”
“Many reasons,” he said, shrugging his uninjured shoulder. “Over the years, my parents amassed a great deal of wealth and power, and they made enemies along the way. There's always someone who feels scorned or cheated. Some who want a piece of what we have, and others who feel we have no right to have it.”
“Why would you have no right to have it if your parents worked for it?”
“The Turpisi curse. We’re supposed to suffer, remember? My father’s work made life easier for our kind. Some say he circumvented the punishment and defied the curse.”
“That’s ridiculous. You shouldn’t be punished because of something your ancestor did thousands of years ago.”
“That is the point of a curse placed on one’s descendants, my love.”
“You’re telling me it doesn’t matter how you live your life? It doesn’t matter that your dad helped people and did good things despite what was done to him? That’s screwed up. And for other people to think that gives them the right to attack you is even more screwed up.”
“It’s not that they have the right to attack. Some just do.”
“Does this sort of thing happen often?”
“Yes and no. In the modern era, attacks usually come in the form of power grabs and political maneuvers. They go after our financial bottom line or attempt to curtail our research. It’s been a long time since anyone resorted to something this direct. This…personal.”
“Do you think whoever did this tonight could be the same people responsible for your father’s death?”
He shrugged again, but with both shoulders this time. “It’s possible.”
“This is unreal. Would they seriously kill him just for improving the quality of life for his family and others like you?”
“We don’t know why he was murdered, and we don’t know why we were targeted tonight. Like I said before, our family has enemies for many reasons, and when it comes to Papa, his work was controversial in more ways than one.”
“What do you mean?”
“Papa’s main focus has always been the Turpisi, but he studied all the bloodlines and what makes each unique. That’s how he discovered what made our biology different from the rest and came up with the idea for the custom cocktails. He altered the chemical make-up of the blood to minimize our less than desirable traits.” Nick rubbed his knuckles across his chin. “He knew more about the biology of the bloodlines than anyone. It stands to reason that if he could find a way to change how Turpisi react to stimuli and how our bodies function, he’d be able to do the same with the other bloodlines. In theory, he could diminish their abilities the same way he diminished our detriments.”
“So, they saw him as a threat?”
“There were those who did, yes, but they were wrong about him. My father was very aware of the grave responsibility that came with the knowledge he’d gained. He went to great lengths to protect that knowledge, because in the wrong hands, that could be disastrous. Obviously.”
“Is that why they wanted to break into the lab? To steal his secrets?”
“Could be.”
“And now that he’s gone, you’re the keeper of that knowledge.” The realization felt like a punch in the gut as I considered what that meant. “Is that why they targeted us? Is that why they want us dead?”
“I honestly don’t know. Very few people know of my decision to return. It’s impossible to know why this happened or who’s behind it until we get more information, so let’s not get ourselves worked up jumping to conclusions, okay?”
But my mind had already jumped from one terrifying conclusion to another. “Oh my God, Nick! What if they went after Sage?”
His eyes narrowed as he considered it, and then he gave a quick shake of his head. “This was an attack on the Gilde. Or on VCBI. There’s no reason to believe Sage would be involved.”
“No reason? How can you say that? What makes you think they wouldn’t go after your daughter if they tried to kill your wife? We have to get in touch with Angie. We have to warn her. What if we’re too late?”
“The Code prohibits any unprovoked attacks on humans. The Council may be lax on enforcement with many issues, but on that, it never compromises. It does still happen on occasion, of course; there are always those who are willing to disregard the law. But to go after a human child in such a high-profile manner would incur the Council’s wrath in its most severe form. Whoever is responsible for tonight’s madness would know that.”
Despite his assurances that we didn’t need to worry, his jaw had tightened, and his grip on my hand had become almost painful. He had also picked up our pace, and I had to practically jog to keep up with him, which was no easy feat in stilettos.
When we reached the cooling tower, he stopped to peek around the edge, and then we continued around the corner to enter a long, narrow passage between rows of equipment. At the end of the passage was a set of double doors held open by two hulking men in black suits.
Graeco stepped forward between them, flanked by two more equally mammoth men.
They presented quite the formidable welcoming party, but their size wasn’t what stopped me in my tracks.
Four
Aria
In all the chaos since I’d awakened from the dark oblivion, I’d forgotten about the red mist around Nick. As I turned to him, I realized it was still there if I looked for it, but it was nowhere near as bright as the red cloud swirling around Graeco and his men.
“What’s wrong?” Nick asked as he stopped beside me.
Looking back toward the waiting vampires, I stared at the shimmering vapor with a mixture of horror and curiosity. “Do you see what I’m seeing?”
“What? That’s just Graeco and his security detail. They’re here to help us. C’mon.”
I stood rooted to the ground as I squinted and then closed my eyes and reopened them, but the mysterious red cloud remained.
“Aria?” Nick squeezed my hand. “Babe? What’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
A ghost, no. But another sign that something was very off with me, yes.
Perhaps it was some after-effect of being shot and losing so much blood, or maybe I’d hit my head when I’d fallen backwards from the force of the arrow.
Either way, something wasn’t right, and I had the strangest instinct to keep it to myself. Almost like a voice inside my head—not my own voice, weirdly—was warning me not to reveal what I was seeing.
I didn’t get the feeling that I was in danger, and there was no vibe that the men meant me harm, but somewhere deep inside me, I knew it was best to limit what we told others about the changes I was experiencing.
“Aria, what’s wrong?” Nick repeated as he rested his hands gently on my shoulders and bent so we were eye-to-eye. “What’s going on?”
Aware the vampires watching me possessed exceptional hearing, I stepped in closer to Nick, wrapping one arm around his neck to pull him to me so I could place my mouth next to his ear.
“I don’t want everyone to know about me,” I whispered soft and low.
“What do you mean?”
“You know, healing so quickly and, um, coming back from being dead, or whatever that was. I think we should keep all this to ourselves until we know more about what’s happening to me.”
Nick pulled back, confusion clouding his eyes, but when he spoke, he kept his voice low. “I already told Graeco you were injured, and we’re both covered in your blood, which I guarantee they can already scent. They’ll be able to tell you’re no longer bleeding. They can see the scar and how much it’s healed.”
“Then I’ll cover it up.” I pulled his jacket more snugly around me and overlapped the lapels to hide my chest. “We can say the arrow grazed me. It grazed my breast. Undoubtedly, they won’t expect me to put that on public display.”
“We need answers, though. You need to see a healer. You need to be examined.”
“Fine, but it needs to be a healer you know personally. Someone you trust to be discreet. And for now, we tell no one else.”
“I don’t know, Angel.” He rubbed his hand over his hair, shaking his head. “To get to the bottom of what happened here tonight, we have to tell the truth.”
I groaned in frustration and struggled to keep my voice low. “Look, I can’t explain why, but my gut is telling me to keep quiet. I have to trust that, and I know it doesn’t make sense, but I’m asking you to trust it too. Please.”
He stared at me so intently it seemed as though he was trying to see inside my mind. His jaw was still tight, and the deep lines etched across his face belied the internal conflict warring inside him.
But then with a quick and subtle nod, he pulled me into his arms and whispered against my hair. “Okay. We’ll play it your way. We’ll say as little as possible.”
“Thank you.”
“Nicolaas? Aria?” Graeco called out. “Everything all right?”
I moved to pull away, but Nick tightened his embrace. He cupped my cheek in his hand, bringing his lips to mine in a gentle kiss that sent shivers racing down my spine despite the less than ideal circumstances.
Releasing me, he called out, “We’re good.”
With his eyes locked on mine, he took my hand and turned to continue toward the doors.
As we approached the group, Graeco lifted his chin in an acknowledgment to Nick. His eyes fell to the torn and bloodstained fabric on Nick’s shoulder and the larger stain covering the front of his shirt. Then the older vampire’s piercing gaze shifted to examine me from head to toe. “Nick said the two of you were attacked. Are you all right? How badly were you injured?”
“I’m good, thanks. Just a graze. Nothing too serious, thankfully.” I clutched the jacket lapels tighter under the scrutiny of his stare, which lingered uncomfortably long on my exposed neck. Perhaps it was a bad idea to seek shelter amid a group of vampires while covered in my own blood. “I need to call my daughter, and Nick’s phone is dead. May I use yours?”
Graeco frowned, his tone apologetic as he said, “Normally, I would say yes, of course, but given the current crisis, I need to keep my line open to communicate with Madame and Francesca. There’s a phone inside you can use though.”
With a lifted brow, he looked down at the shovel I carried, and an embarrassed heat rushed to my cheeks.
“Um, I, uh, I grabbed this from the gardener’s shed, so I’d, um, have a weapon. You know, in case, well, in case they came back.”
His stony expression was hard to read, but when he spoke, I thought I detected both humor and respect in his voice. “I see. I don’t think you’ll need that any longer. We’ll ensure you’re well protected.”
Nick stepped closer to me, moving his hand to rest on my lower back. “She can hold onto it if she prefers.”
“Of course,” Graeco said with a nod.
“No, I don’t need it,” I said. “If they can get through the six of you, nothing I’m gonna do with a shovel would stop them.”
“You sure?” Nick asked. “You can keep it if you want.”
“I’m good. I just want to get to a phone.”
Nick took the shovel from me and handed it to one of Graeco’s men, then he pointed toward the building we’d come from. “There should be a crossbow lying about ten feet from the end of the ductwork on the north side of the West Tower. Our assailant was wearing gloves, so I doubt we’ll find any prints, but have the bow tested just in case. Get any other info you can from it. I want to know who bought it, where, when, how—every detail. Test it for any toxins as well.”
