Vampire's Shade Discounted Box Set

Chapter 18

Chapter 18After I got some painkillers into mysystem, I started to feel like I wasn’t on the brink of deathanymore. My right eye was still swollen almost shut and the lopsidedvision annoyed me, but my head wasn’t throbbing as much and thepool of despair I’d been set on drowning myself in had somehow beendrained.

It still hurt to move. Somethinghorrible ached in my ribs, almost like they were broken, but I knewfrom experience that the truth was much worse.

When Sensei was done with me, heoffered me coffee.

I hadn’t had something as simple ascoffee in a while, and when he handed me the cup the warmth traveledinto my hands and up my arms. It was nice. When had I last focused onsomething that was just nice?

“What do I do now?” I asked.

I wanted to go get Aspen. I could tellshe was still alive. That half of me didn’t feel like it had diedyet, and if I focused very hard I could still find her pulse,although my headache made it harder.

Now that my spell of self-pity was overand I felt like I could carry on again, a terrible anger bubbled upinside of me – the kind of anger that could roll over into rage ifI wasn’t careful. The kind of anger that had me attack my fatherafter he had hurt my sister.

“Now you decide if it really wasworth it, being a one-woman show all this time,” Sensei said.

I closed my eyes and took a deepbreath. Asking for help wasn’t my strong suit. In fact, it made mefeel weak to rely on someone else. Besides that, I wasn’t good attrusting anyone else, so this was really a tough one.

“Everyone who’s gotten involved sofar has gotten killed, and that was without me asking them.”

Stubbornly, I could still place some ofthe blame on them for getting involved, because it was what they hadwanted. Ruben had taken on a job that was too much for him. My faultbecause I’d messed around. His fault because he’d been stupid.Joel had known what hacking could do; he’d gotten the warnings. Myfault because he would do anything for me without asking. His faultbecause he knew what his line of work could bring down on his head.

Zelda’s death, on the other hand, hadbeen all my fault. She’d protected Aspen when I couldn’t. Whatwas happening to Aspen was my fault because I’d taken a job I wasarrogant enough to think was easy.

I was starting to realize that thearrogance and pride I’d been building for a while were ridiculous.I’d been playing in a kiddie pool when there was a whole ocean outthere. And I’d crowned myself queen of the world, thinking I waswinning.

The truth was, I hadn’t been winningat all. I’d been losing – and the only person I’d fooled wasmyself. Ruben had been using me as an assassin for lower-classproblems that no one tried to sort out any differently. I was amurderer, hiding in the dark, nothing more.

I was starting to realize I couldn’tbeat Celia, not because she was that good, but because I’d neverreally been good enough.

Now I wanted to take on master vampiresbecause of the mess I’d created in my ignorance. And I had no ideahow all of us who were left would make it out of this alive.

“What if we all die?” I asked.

Sensei shrugged. “None of us will bearound to remember it, in that case.”

I chuckled without much emotion. Heknew how to hand me the truth. Then I took another deep breath.“Sensei, will you help me?”

He looked at me and smiled. “Sure,”he said, like I’d asked if I could borrow a book.

“You may die,” I pointed out,suddenly feeling like I’d made a mistake. He looked way too happyto be involved in this. Maybe he didn’t understand.

He shrugged again.

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea,” Isaid. He was a great guy, a good teacher, and the only ray of hope inthis horrible mess. I didn’t want to be the reason for his death.

“I’ll help,” he said. “Youasked. It’s all I’ve been waiting for.”

I sighed, and he rubbed his handstogether like he was eager to get going.

“Call me Phil,” he said.

“Phil…” I said, trying it on forsize. It seemed strange to call him by his first name. It made usseem… equal.

“Right. Now. Who else can you call?”

I thought for a moment, then pulled outmy phone. Carl answered on the second ring.

“Can you meet me?” I asked. I gavehim the address and he promised he would be here shortly. I wonderedif the man ever slept. I never seemed to catch him during hisdowntime.

He arrived at the Martial Arts Academyin less than twenty minutes. When he walked in, he and Sensei –Phil, I should say – sized each other up like boxers in a ring.

“Carl,” he said tightly.

“Phil.”

The atmosphere was tense as they lookedeach other over. But then it eased, and they shook hands. Whateverhad been happening had been smoothed over between them without anywords. Somehow, they had decided they liked each other.

“So, what’s up?” Carl asked me.

“You said you wanted in on theaction.”

He nodded.

“My sister and my IT guy have beentaken by master vampires who are a hell of a lot stronger than theones we’ve been pretending to be boss over. They also have a deadlycat woman as a pet, and she won’t stand down. I want to go getthem.”

“Do you know where they are?” heasked.

“No idea.”

He nodded, looking thoughtful. “Doyou know how to defeat master vampires and this… cat lady?”

I shook my head.

Carl looked like he was still thinking,and to be honest I expected him to say no. I wanted him to sayno. I wanted him to go home where he could be the asshole I didn’tlike, because I preferred asshole Carl to dead Carl.

But he shrugged in much the same wayPhil had responded, like it was no big deal. “Sure,” he said.

These two men in front of me werewilling to sacrifice their lives to help me. And here I’d beenthinking I was crazy.

“So, what’s the plan?” Carlasked.

I hesitated. I hadn’t really thoughtthat far ahead.

He barked a laugh. “Two humans and ahalf-breed? I don’t know. You’re good, Adele, but I think we needsomething else.”

He was right. As offensive as he was,he was telling the truth. If we wanted anything good to happen, weneeded something else on our side.

Someone else.

“I have to go,” I said. “I’llmeet you guys back here in an hour.”

“Are you going to get someone?”Carl asked.

“I don’t know. I’m… gonna try.”

Then I turned to leave, but not beforeI noticed the look Phil and Carl were giving each other. It wasn’tvery friendly, but I didn’t have the time or the energy to worryabout them.

A minute later, I got on my bike andpulled out. Just maneuvering a machine that was technically too bigfor me took more effort than I would have liked. How was I going tofight if I had this many injuries? Hopefully my vampire blood wouldwork its magic and heal me up quickly.

I was daylight, and I didn’t expectI’d have much success. But I had to try, one last time. There wasonly one person who knew the masters well enough to help me. Jenniferknew them, but she was just a human, and it took a vampire to know avampire.

The house was quiet and shuttered whenI pulled into the driveway. I’d left the engine on so he’d know Iwas coming, but maybe he wasn’t even at home. I was feeling toofrail to hope for anything more than walking out again with mydignity intact.

I walked up to the front door. Orrather, I limped up to the front door. My legs were fine, but I keptfeeling like I wanted to double over, like that would ease the painthe bruising had caused. I paused before I rang the bell. I tried totake a deep breath, but the expansion of my chest hurt ten times morethan when I’d simply been walking.

I rang the bell and swallowed hard. Inever even blinked when I was staking a vampire. I was a boss with mygun and my leathers. But the idea of ringing a doorbell and talkingto a man sent me into a cold sweat. Maybe Joel had been right. I wasbuilt backwards.

“You’re going to have to open ityourself and let yourself in,” said a muffled voice from the otherside. “The sunlight is a problem for me.”

Of course. It was heading on towardslate afternoon. I was getting sloppy, forgetting even simple facts. Ihad to pull my act together.

“Can I come in?” I called, certainthat when he heard that it was me he would say no.

Well, then, I’d bang open the doorand demand that he see me.

Yeah, right. Me and what army?

When he said “Yes,” it threw me offguard, almost to the point that I didn’t know what to do next. I’dexpected a struggle, and apparently there wasn’t going to be one.

I opened the door. Inside, the housewas dark and warm, almost humid. I wondered if he’d had the heateron. Then I wondered why. I closed the door behind me, and the onlybit of light that had bled into the blackness disappeared.

I stood still for a couple of counts,just getting used to the darkness. “What do you want?”

Connor’s voice flowed around me, deepand caressing, like when I’d heard it the first time. It was amelody that I wanted never to stop listening to. My eyes were gettingused to the dark, but I still couldn’t see him.

But I could smell him. It was the samescent I’d smelled in the alley that morning, when I’d dragged himout of the pending dawn. The smell that had surrounded me the firsttime I’d come here to take him out. The smell that had made mesurrender myself to him when I had nothing left but the raw side ofme.

“I asked why you’re here,” hesaid again, because I hadn’t answered him.

“I need your help,” I said. “Andwhy should I help you?” he asked.

His voice was harsh, and I flinched.“There’s no reason why you should,” I admitted.

“I don’t understand you,” hesaid. “One minute you’re kissing me, and the next you’re tryingto kill me, and you didn’t seem very sorry about it.”

“I was,” I said quickly. “Aboutthe killing, I mean. I regret it.”

I regretted the kissing, too, but notfor the same reason. I regretted shooting him because I’d beenpushed into something I hadn’t wanted to do at that point. I’dbeen scared. Scratch that – I’d been terrified. I’d learnedthat love could kill.

I regretted kissing him because I’dlet myself get emotionally involved with a mark. I’d been weak. I’ddared to love someone again, and I was scared that with thatweakness, I’d never be able to save Aspen.

“I don’t think I want to play thisgame anymore,” Connor said, and his voice was cold enough to drainall the warmth from the room. “Please…” I started, but I didn’tknow what to say. Besides, I was begging. And I hated begging.

“Dammit, Adele—” Connor started,then he flipped a light switch.

Light flooded the room and I winced. Ithurt my eyes, my concussed head. But Connor didn’t wince or coverhis eyes like he had before.

He simply stared at my face, and allhostility drained out of his eyes.

“Oh my god,” he whispered, lettinghis gaze roam over my bruises and the way I was trying to hold myselfup. “Who did this to you?”

“Please help me get Aspen back,” Iasked again. “I can’t do this alone. You know them well enough totell me what to expect.”

Connor took a step closer to me, and Ifelt my knees wobble. I didn’t have the strength to stay uprightfor long if he was going to come closer to me. He already had me weakin the knees. I couldn’t handle his pity on top of everything else.

He kept moving until he was right infront of me. I straightened up and took a deep breath, trying toignore my ribs. Connor lifted his hand to my face like he was goingto touch my eye, but he didn’t.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

I shook my head and wished I hadn’t.“I’m the one who should be sorry,” I said.

Connor put his hands on my shoulders,lightly and tentatively, like I might break. Gently he pulled mecloser to him, and for the first time I let him do it without afight. There were no guns involved, no knives, no battle of wills. Itwas just Connor, the man I loved, and me, leaning against him.

“I’ll help you,” he said finally,and my body sagged with relief. He held on to me, his arms wrappingaround me, and I let him hold me up for a second before I took my ownweight again.

“We just need information,” I saidas I pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. They were deepblue, like the ocean, and I wanted to drown in them. But there was notime. “Can we meet here?”

“Who’s ‘we’?”

“My martial arts instructor and acolleague. We’re going to get my sister back, but I don’t knowwhere to start.”

“You’re taking on the masters withtwo humans?” he asked, looking at me like I was crazy.

I shrugged. I felt like cursing,because I kept forgetting I couldn’t do the body language I usuallyused. Every inch of me damn well hurt.

“I don’t really think you should goin there alone,” Connor said, and I didn’t appreciate howknow-it-all he sounded. But then his face softened. “Not if theydid this to you. They’ll eat you alive.”

He didn’t mean it figuratively. Ishivered.

“You can’t come, though,” I toldhim. “They want you dead. What better time to kill you?”

Connor chuckled. “Don’t tell meyou’re trying to look out for me now. You’re a walking conflict.”

“I don’t have anyone else to ask.My people are all missing. Or dead.”

The last words were so heavy, I feltlike I might crumble under their weight. Connor must have seensomething in my expression, because his eyes changed, got lighter anddeeper. They were ringed with a dark green, although I could swearthey had been midnight blue a moment ago.

“I don’t want you to go alone,”he said. “Get them to come here, and we’ll talk. And tonightafter dark, we’ll head out.”

“I won’t let you come with us,” Isaid.

“And I won’t let you go withoutme.”

I was too tired to argue. If we alldied – well, then we were all dead. There was nothing more I couldsay about that.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket anddialed Carl’s number. I gave him the address, and he promised to bethere in half an hour. He would bring Sensei.

Phil. I was going to have to get usedto calling him that.

I let them in when they arrived whileConnor hid somewhere so the sunlight spilling in couldn’t fry him.When the door was shut and everything was drenched in artificiallight, he came out.

Carl looked like he was irritated. Iwasn’t the only one who had had issues with being on friendly termswith vampires. But if I could come around, he could too.

“Behave,” I said. “He’s one ofus.”

“Don’t you mean you’re one ofthem?” he asked, and even though his mouth was smiling at me likehe’d intended for that to be a joke, his eyes didn’t laugh along.He’d been serious. And I supposed he was right.

Phil looked at Connor with wide eyes.When Connor spoke and Phil caught a glimpse of his fangs, he turned ashade paler. It was one thing to know every trick in the book aboutfighting when it came down to humans, I figured. Getting to know thenight world, even if you were just skirting the edges of it like Philwas doing now, was a whole other ball game. I wondered if he wasrevising his fighting technique in his mind.

Connor seemed calm, even though wecould both smell Phil’s nervousness.

“He doesn’t bite,” I said, andCarl snickered at my poor choice of words. “Well,” I added. “Hewon’t bite you, anyway.”

Connor smiled and Carl chuckled, butPhil didn’t look like he thought it was funny. I guessed that untilnow, he’d really just been thinking this was all a fairy tale.Vampires were damn scary when you came down to it. I was just used tothem.

“Okay, so, what’s the plan?” Carlasked.