I looked at him. “Unless you were planning to piggyback a vampire with a gaping chest wound up that rope ladder . . .”
“That might be a bit tricky.”
“Exactly.”
He crossed his arms, his brow lowering. “We could leave him here tonight. Get Sara and your nieces. Get the fuck out of here before sunrise and come back later.”
I only had to think about it briefly. “I can’t leave him here like this. And it has nothing to do with him claiming me or whatever you think our special soul-mate bond is now. I wouldn’t let anyone suffer like that any longer than they had to. He doesn’t deserve this.”
“That’s debatable.”
“Declan,” I said sharply. “Are you with me on this or not?”
He was quiet for a moment. “Fine. I’m with you. We need to find his heart as soon as possible. Pray that Kristoff didn’t burn it.”
I grimaced. “Pray for a vampire’s heart. I can do that.”
“I figure the only reason he’s still conscious is because of his bond with you. He’s drawing on your energy right now to maintain his.”
Our bond. I felt a little weaker than I had before, now that he mentioned it, but I’d figured it was because it had been a long, stressful day. My weariness wasn’t much, but it was enough to notice. I remembered that metaphysical rope that tied me and Matthias together that I’d used to find him down here. It was entirely possible he could use that rope to access my life force.
Shit. This was seriously messed up. But if it was true then it meant that the more injured Matthias was, the weaker I’d become. I hadn’t signed up for this, but I needed to deal with it. And I needed to find his heart so he could heal himself again.
The thought that Kristoff could have burned the heart filled me with a fresh wash of panic. Perhaps that was the only way to destroy an immortal vampire—fire. But if so, then that wouldn’t make them truly immortal. They had to be invulnerable. But we were still working with the laws of nature on some level. Vampires were a living entity—although very different from humans. Their hearts barely beat, but they still needed them, as evidenced by Matthias’s inability to function without his. Their body temperatures were lower, but, as I’ve learned, fledglings didn’t become cooler to the touch immediately. Days. Months. Years. I didn’t know how long it would take before Declan’s temperature lowered to what Matthias’s was.
All I knew was if we couldn’t find the heart, Matthias would be in this state for a very long time—possibly forever. That would be hell. I didn’t think his sanity would last very long trapped in a coffin with an empty chest.
I tried to climb the rope ladder quickly, but it was unstable and my hands were shaking. The faster I tried to be, the slower I actually went. My hands and feet, plus just about every other muscle in my body hurt by the time I reached the top. A glance behind me confirmed that Declan wasn’t even breaking a sweat. I couldn’t express how happy and relieved I was that he was helping me. I couldn’t do this without him.
I got to the top first and pulled myself up.
Five vampires including Kristoff waited for us there. I stopped breathing, eyes widening with shock at the sight of them. Then despair crashed over me.
Shit.
Declan pulled himself through the trapdoor and slowly got to his feet. His muscles were tense as he scanned the faces of the vampires standing there.
I expected him to immediately leap forward, slashing his silver blade though their hearts. Or use his new gun with the silver bullets to take them out one by one. There were too many of them, though. He couldn’t possibly take them on without getting hurt or killed in the process.
“Please, Declan,” I whispered. “Don’t fight them.”
He stayed in one place, his hands at his sides. Kristoff drew closer to him.
“Well?” he asked.
“You were right,” Declan said evenly. “Matthias isn’t going anywhere in his current condition.”
I stared at him. “Declan . . .”
Kristoff crossed his arms. “So you’re able to control yourself around her.”
Declan nodded. “Yeah. I’ll admit it’s a struggle, but I’m glad I asked for the opportunity to test myself. Now I know for sure.”
“Were you tempted?”
“Of course I was. Her blood is an incredibly powerful weapon against vampires, more than I even realized.”
Kristoff looked pleased. “Well done. Dhampyrs make the strongest vampires—always have. It’s one of the reasons I created the law preventing their siring and destroyed those already made before my rule. But I’m glad I made an exception for you, my son. You will be a great asset to me now.”
“Alex was against you, just as you thought. Jill told me he asked her to help Matthias to defeat you.”
I felt the color draining from my face with every word he spoke, and disappointment cut into my chest as sharply as a stake.
Declan finally glanced at me and I saw nothing on his face to indicate what the hell was going on. Then again, I didn’t really think I needed a program to know the players in this particular game.
The son of the vampire king had been tested. And he’d passed with flying colors.
20
I NOW KNEW HOW MATTHIAS FELT. MY HEART HAD been ripped out of my chest, too.
I’d believed. Maybe a little too quickly. Declan sired from dhampyr to vampire and, other than a bit of initial surliness, he was exactly the same as before. Better even. His dhampyr rage was gone. He was able to resist my blood. He no longer had the side effects of the serum that dampened his emotions and desire.
It had been the best of both worlds. Or so I’d foolishly thought.
When Kristoff’s men grabbed me, I used what little energy I had left to fight against them, but it was in vain. They subdued me easily. My blood was the only dangerous thing about me.
I’d trusted him completely. I hadn’t even questioned whether or not I should.
My mistake.
I’d been used. And I’d gone along for the ride one hundred percent, all too willing to believe he couldn’t be changed or coerced just because he’d grown a set of fangs.
“See you later, Jill,” Declan said as the vampires began to drag me out of the basement.
“Eat me, you bastard,” I snapped, feeling the anger rise up past my initial stunned reaction.
“Been there, done that. You can go down on me next time to keep things fair.” He smiled, and it chilled me to see how cold it was.
“In your dreams.”
His smile held. “Or yours.”
The vampires dragging me away laughed at this fantastic hilarity as we moved up the two sets of stairs leading back to the bedroom I’d been in before with the ashes on the floor. Declan had taken those two vampires out, sacrificing them so I’d believe he was trying to help me escape. I was shoved inside and the door locked behind me.
As I stood there in the darkness, my bottom lip quivered but I refused to cry. My heart was broken, but it was still beating. I was still alive. Which meant only one thing—they still needed me. I’d proven that I could kill a VIP vampire. My usefulness outweighed me being a liability to them.
Declan . . .
No, I couldn’t dwell on him. He’d always said he hated vampires. I guess that changed the moment he became one. I still couldn’t believe he’d accept Kristoff so readily after everything Matthias had told us about him. Kristoff was dangerous to humanity—a vampire with a deadly widespread agenda.
And Declan was okay with that? Would stand by his father’s side?
Carson had been a horrible father, but his morals were in the right place, generally speaking. The man saw things as strictly black or white, but he knew the difference between good and evil and he’d ingrained that in his adopted son. He’d taught Declan that vampires were evil right across the board.
I’d wanted to see the good in Noah. In Matthias. In . . . Declan. But maybe there wasn’t any good to see. Maybe I was trying to fill in the blanks when they should remain blank.
Matthias hadn’t claimed me because he was madly in love with me and wanted me to stay alive despite the Nightshade in my blood. No, he’d wanted to use me in a failed attempt to defeat his newly awakened brother. Noah was confused right now, trying to get a grasp on what it means to be a vampire. But would he stop himself when it came to killing someone when his new thirst overwhelmed him? I wanted to believe he could, but I wasn’t sure.
And Declan. He hadn’t been given any choice in the matter. I’d decided for him and that decision had turned him into the monster I’d just met downstairs. Cool, calculated, willing to lie to get what he wanted. So different from the rage he’d had to deal with as a dhampyr—the exact opposite, actually.
It had felt so real between us earlier. I’d even told him I loved him.
But he hadn’t said it in return.
I was on my own. Again. And I had to get the hell out of here before it was too late. I figured I had two choices: become Kristoff’s assassin or try to escape.
Escaping sounded good to me. But I also had to think about my nieces and Sara. I hadn’t signed up to be Mother Goose, but my instincts kicked in. The children were my main concern. I had to get them safely out of here.
I paced back and forth for what felt like forever, but no good plan came to me. I had no idea what time it was but it was late. Or, possibly, early. We’d returned from the vampire club after midnight and that already felt like hours ago. Sunrise couldn’t be that far off.
A plan came to me, but it was far from being a good one. Unfortunately I didn’t have enough time to think too much about it; I had to act now while there was still a chance to get out of here. I looked around the dim room until I saw something that might be able to help me. A lamp.
I unscrewed the lightbulb, then smashed it against the ground. I stared at the broken glass for several minutes, willing myself to find the courage to do this.
My sister’s face came to mind. I wondered if she was sleeping right now or if the mental influence had worn off and she was beside herself with worry about Meg and Julie. She’d never understand what was happening. Kristoff said he’d release them, but I didn’t believe him. Putting that much power in his hands—the lives of my nieces—without question was not something I wanted to do. Ever.
Using this thought as my strength, I sliced the edge of the broken lightbulb over my wrist. The act made me flash back to another time when I’d done something similar. In my bathroom, staring at my red-eyed reflection in the mirror. Things had seemed pretty damn bleak that evening. Had I really wanted to die when I pressed that razor blade to my wrist and watched the bright red blood spill into the sink?
Maybe for a moment. But, thankfully, that moment passed.
It was just the opposite tonight. I was slitting my wrist because I wanted to live.
The dark red blood felt hot on my skin as I watched it well up from the wound I’d made.
I waited another moment before I dropped the broken glass and went to the door. I pounded my fist against it.
“Please help me,” I shouted. “I’m hurt.”
There was somebody waiting on the other side of the door. Guarding me. Watching for any trouble.
They’d come to the right place.
A minute later the door creaked open and a pastyfaced guard peered inside.
“What?” he snapped.
I held my wrist out to him. “I’m bleeding.”
His nostrils flared and I could practically see the drool as the scent of my blood hit him like a two-by-four. I wasn’t sure if he already knew who I was and what my blood could do. Maybe Kristoff hadn’t shared my secret with everyone yet. Actually, I was counting on it.
The guard’s eyes narrowed. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that it’s not healthy to offer your blood to a vampire?”
“I cut myself on a piece of glass.”
“I see that.” His eyes were black and hunger branched across his face.
Blood dripped from my wrist to the floor as I held it aloft and tried to ignore the stinging pain. “Will you please help me?”
It was as close as I could get to tearing my clothes off and begging him to take me. Desire snaked over his expression. I had no idea who he was, where he came from, if he was a nice guy once, or if anyone might miss him if he died.
He’d been the one to open the door. Game on. I tried desperately to look like a sexy, bleeding victim in waiting.
“They warned me about you,” he whispered as he drew closer, his gaze locked on my wrist.
That was worrying. “What did they say about little ol’ me?”
“That you’re dangerous.”
“Me?” I tried to look innocent. “Dangerous? That’s crazy talk. I’m just a weak little human trapped in a house full of thirsty vampires. Are you thirsty right now?”
It was too dark in the room for him to notice my blood was an unusual shade of red. Or maybe he was color-blind.