Alpha Guardians Books 1-6

Chapter 12

12

The first sensation that Cassie felt was, strangely enough, numbness. She drifted in a hazy fog of it, her mind slowly unfurling from the perfectly blank state of unconsciousness.

Then came the pain.

Cassie sucked in a breath and surfaced to find herself bound tight from shoulder to foot, arms crossed over her chest like a pharaoh awaiting burial. Thin corded rope bit into her wrists, hips, and ankles. The ropes cut at her sensitive skin in some places and deprived her fingers and toes of blood, which explained the numbness and pain.

She was standing upright, her back pressed against cool, rough stone. Her feet were bare, and she wore nothing but the thin silk robe she’d worn at the Manor… and a blindfold. That much was new. How had she come to be wearing a blindfold?

It took a moment, but Cassie got it. The abduction came back to her, or at least a small snippet. She remembered accepting a tray of hot green tea from Daisy, the Manor’s new maid. She remembered wincing when the tea made her mouth and throat go numb. She remembered seeing a man in a dark suit, her brain slowing and slowing as she struggled to get away, to understand why the man was picking her up and taking her away…

Just the thought of the bitter herbs that had been slipped into her tea made her stomach turn. She retched dryly, unable to move. Once the moment of nausea passed, her first thought was the baby. Would the herbs hurt the baby?

Her abductors had better hope not, or there would be a world of pain in store for them. Death, actually. Cassie had never killed a human or Kith creature before, only demons, but exceptions would be made. She could actually imagine the taste of their blood on her tongue, which made her stomach growl. Which, in turn, disgusted her and led to another useless round of retching.

Cassie waited it out, then focused on her surroundings. She wiggled her feet, quickly realizing that she stood in grass. She writhed against her restraints, trying to get free, and was rewarded with a low chuckle.

Icy gooseflesh spread over her entire body. She knew that voice, knew it all too well.

“Pere Mal,” Cassie groaned.

The blindfold was yanked off her head, and she blinked into the bright moonlit night. All around her were towering crypts and statues guarding graves. Cassie shivered, a shudder of pure fright invading her veins.

“I was wondering when you’d wake, Oracle.” Pere Mal regarded her with a chilling smile, and Cassie stared back at him in confusion.

“Where am I?” she asked. “Jesus, is this a friggin’ cemetery? Why are we in a cemetery at night? Oh god, am I tied to someone’s grave marker?”

She tested her bonds again, though she knew her chance of escape was nil. Sure enough, she was tied to a massive stone cross.

“Cassandra, Cassandra. You disappoint me,” Pere Mal tsked. “Do you not recognize the Gates of Guinee when you see them? We are in St. Louis Cemetery, at the Third Gate. You should know, as often as we discussed the Gates.” He paused for another long moment while Cassie tried to piece together his words, then went on, “You were one of my favorite assets, you know. I kept you in much better style than most.”

Cassie’s upper lip curled with disgust.

“I’m a person, not a possession, you sick jerk. You can’t just keep a human being in captivity. It’s wrong.”

Pere Mal’s eyebrows raised in what seemed like earnest surprise.

“My dear, we made an agreement. You wanted to leave the blood brothel. I wanted you to give me visions. A bargain was struck!”

“I was a child when I said yes, and I was facing death. How many years did you expect me to serve you without complaint?” Cassie asked, fury boiling in her veins.

“I expected you to fulfill the terms of our agreement as we negotiated it. You signed a contract, Cassandra. If everyone were to put aside their own contracts so easily, the world would be a hard place.” Before Cassie could reply, Pere Mal went on, “It matters not. You have proven to me that your word is worthless. Therefore, I am revoking my end of the bargain, as you have yours.”

“You’re what?” Cassie asked.

“Returning you to the brothel,” Pere Mal said. Stepping closer, he ran a finger along her bare arm, tracing her scars. “Usually I would just take what I want and leave you to your pathetic little life, but you’ve been dishonorable. You’ve grown so pretty since they last drank from you, Cassandra. I think the Vampires will welcome you back with open arms, don’t you?”

To her shame, Cassie began to wretch again. Her stomach had never been so sensitive before, and now it was betraying all her fear to her worst enemy.

“Morning sickness?” Pere Mal asked, patting her arm.

Cassie stilled, her eyes slowly dragging up to meet his.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“It’s funny that they call it morning sickness, isn’t it? I’ve heard it can happen at any time of the day or night. Near midnight, for instance,” Pere Mal said, pointing up at the full moon.

“I— I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Cassie sputtered.

“Liar. And a poor one, at that.” Pere Mal checked his elegant platinum wrist watch and tsked again. “We’re running out of time. I was so hoping that your Guardian would appear in time to see the show, but I think he’s too slow. Pity.”

Pere Mal put two fingers to his lips and gave a shrill whistle, summoning several dark-robed figures forward from the shadows.

“What are you doing?” Cassie asked, tucking her wrists against the stone cross and trying to rub the rope against it, hoping to wear it away and free herself. It was useless, of course; she didn’t have nearly that kind of time.

“I can’t just give the Oracle to the Vampires,” Pere Mal said, clicking his tongue. “I’ll need to remove her and place her in a… more willing vessel.”

He clapped his hands and another pair of dark-robed men appeared, carrying an unconscious woman. She was slight and pale, her raven locks spilling down over the thin white dress she wore.

“Alice!” Cassie cried, tears springing to her eyes when she saw her friend lying limp and seemingly lifeless.

Pere Mal’s eyes widened for a moment, then he bared his teeth at Cassie.

“Of course you two know each other somehow,” Pere Mal hissed. “Troublemakers, the pair of you. Well no more. After tonight, I will remove two problems from my life. Permanently.”

Cassie tried to be calm, reminding herself that the Oracle would rise to protect her the moment it sensed a threat to her life. She made herself be still and quiet as Pere Mal’s men laid Alice out on the ground, her body looking more frail than ever as they cleansed and anointed her.

“What are you going to do to her?” Cassie blurted out after a few minutes, unable to contain herself.

“To her?” Pere Mal asked. “Nothing she doesn’t deserve. She will be unharmed, physically. You, on the other hand…”

Pere Mal brandished a long, wicked-looking dagger.

“I’m going to take everything from you, little Cassandra. By the time I throw you to the Vampires, you’ll long for death,” Pere Mal informed her.

Pere Mal reached out and ran the dagger’s tip along her jaw and throat, but he didn’t break the skin. Cassie closed her eyes and tried to summon the Oracle, but Pere Mal broke her concentration.

“The Oracle can’t protect you now, Cassandra. You’re not the one she’s guarding anymore.”

Cassie stared at him, uncomprehending.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Your child, Cassandra. Honestly, I thought you were smart enough to know that the Oracle will pass on to your daughter.”

Daughter.

The word hit Cassie like a punch to the gut, and she burst into tears. What the hell was Pere Mal talking about? Worse, what was he going to do with her baby?

“Crying won’t help,” Pere Mal said, checking his watch again. “In less than a quarter of an hour, the ceremony begins. The Gates will open, the spirits will come to my aid, and then I will have what I want.”

“And what’s that?” Cassie asked through her tears.

“You gave the Oracle new life,” Pere Mal said, c*****g his head as he considered Cassie’s prone body. “In doing so, you gave her a soul, a spirit. Now I will simply separate spirit from flesh,” he said, pointing his dagger at Cassie’s stomach.

“No,” she breathed, a sick comprehension flooding her brain. “No, you can’t!”

“Yes. And then my ancestral spirits will guide the Oracle to her new Vessel,” he said, pointing at Alice’s still form.

“You’d kill my child?” Cassie asked, then began to beg. “You want the Oracle that badly? Take me instead. Take me, use my child as insurance. I won’t ever run from you again.”

Pere Mal gave another low chuckle, and Cassie’s heart lurched.

“We’ve already established that your word means nothing to me, Cassandra. Just as empty my lovely Alice’s promises,” he said, turning to gaze at Alice.

Something about the way he said her name triggered a thought in the far back of Cassie’s mind, but she couldn’t put it together just now.

“Pere Mal, please,” she cried. “I’ll do anything, anything!”

He merely sighed.

“All you can do is wait,” he said, turning and walking over to confer in low tones with one of the robed men.

Cassie swallowed back a sob, tears slicking her face and neck now. Gabriel and the other Guardians were nowhere to be seen, and it seemed that no help was forthcoming.

She’d had her mate for less than three months, her child for a fraction of that. How could she possibly lose them both now, when she’d only just found them?

Closing her eyes, Cassie did the only thing she could think of: she prayed.