Fangs And Fame (37 page)

We all looked up at him in surprise. He pulled his phone out, holding it up for O
’Shea to take. O’Shea watched the video, an array of emotions playing across his face as he witnessed exactly what Aurora had done to save him.

“
I’m actually really impressed,” I told Jonas.

He shrugged.
“After watching her do it to you, I knew what was coming, and I couldn’t resist.”

“
Wait,” O’Shea interjected. “What do you mean she did it to Trey?” He didn’t wait for an answer before he met my eyes and said, “What happened to you?”

“
Trey forced Aurora to suck him dry and practice healing him first,” Chase stated matter-of-factly.

“
I didn’t force-” I started to say, but Jonas interrupted me.

“
I’m pretty sure the fact that we were going to rob a blood bank next didn’t leave her much of a choice,” he said. “You gave her an ultimatum. Plain and simple.”

I shrugged again. He had a point.

O’Shea let out a humorless laugh, rubbing his face. “Did you say rob a blood bank?”

I met his gaze without hesitation.
“Yeah. We weren’t having any luck getting you blood the nice way, and I wasn’t about to stand by and watch you die.”

“
You’re all idiots,” O’Shea said, getting to his feet. “So this is what happens when you don’t have me to reign you all in? You decide to commit armed robbery? Whatever happened to us not winding up on
Behind The Music
?”

“
I’m not sure being in possession of a giant vampire and a fanged rock star is the same thing as packing heat,” Jonas said. Then he raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to one side. “But, then again-”

“
And you,” O’Shea cut in passionately, sticking his finger in my chest. “You made Aurora-” He stopped mid-sentence and swore under his breath. “What were you thinking? You could have died.”

“
Right,” I said, standing to look him in the eye. “And I would do it again in a heartbeat. Don’t pretend you wouldn’t do it for me.”

O
’Shea blinked, and I saw that he was fighting back tears. It scared him to learn of everything we’d been through while he was on the brink of death. He gripped the back of my neck with his hand, and I saw a world of emotions in his eyes. Without a word, he straightened and turned, walking a few steps away. He took a second to collect himself and then turned back toward us. “So,” he said. “This Stanislav guy has to go down. What are we going to do about it?”

Aurora

“YOU’RE NOT GOING TO have any fingernails left if you don’t take it easy,” I told Kacie, bumping her with my elbow. She rolled her eyes at me and sighed, but shoved her hands in her jeans pockets. She was a nervous wreck, and who could blame her? She and O’Shea had been to hell and back. We’d made it to the next town, and the two of us were watching the guys go through their soundcheck from the side of the stage. “He’s okay,” I assured her, watching O’Shea slam on his guitar and signal to the engineer to adjust the feed in his in-ear monitor.

Kacie furrowed her brow, studying him closely.
“Do you really think so?”

“
Would I lie to you?” I said, grinning at her. She raised an eyebrow at my failed attempt to be funny and blew a puff of air from her cheeks in frustration. “Seriously, though,” I added. “He’s fine. We’re keeping an eye on him ... and by
we
I mean those of us who can hear his heart beating from across the room.” With Tytus and Mark, that made four of us who were casually doing just that. None of us wanted O’Shea to go on stage tonight if he wasn’t up to it, but so far everything I’d done to heal him early this morning wasn’t wearing off. I really had no reason to believe it would, but we were breaking new ground, and I didn’t want to make any assumptions.

Kacie shifted her weight and glanced up at me.
“Okay.” Then she leaned her head on my shoulder and let out a humorless laugh. “I’m becoming
that
girl. That’s just perfect. I’m losing my mind.”

“
It’s a lot to take in,” I told her. “Speaking of ... you know ... we haven’t really talked about it yet.”

“
Where to begin....”

“
I could start by apologizing to you for all the lies,” I offered.

I didn
’t expect the sympathy in her eyes when she gazed up at me just then. “I know why you did it,” she said matter-of-factly.

“
You do?”

“
Sure. I can see why you’d do everything in your power to keep all of this from ... well, everybody. You were just trying to protect me. I know O’Shea was, too.”

“
Wow. You’re making this a little too easy,” I said.

“
Don’t get me wrong,” she added. “Now that I’m in on all of it, I expect you to be straight with me, but the fact that you saved my boyfriend from the brink of death almost completely makes up for the fact that you nearly got us both killed.” I had no words as I stared at her. “
Almost
,” she repeated, a smile playing on her face.

I grinned at her in relief and said,
“I can live with that.” My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out to see Beck’s name on the screen. “I’m going to take this,” I told Kacie. She nodded without bothering to tear her eyes away from O’Shea, and I waved at Tytus and made my way down the hall toward the lounge. I answered and said, “Hey Beck. What’s going on?”

“
I’m in the parking lot,” he stated.

“
You’re – wait – what?”

“
I’m in the parking lot,” he repeated. “The one with the buses.”

“
No, I heard you the first time. You’re – hold on. I’ll be right there.”

I found Beck standing just on the other side of the locked doors.

“
Hey,” he said, smiling when he saw me.

I hugged him and held him by the shoulders so I could look at him.
“What are you doing here?”

“
If Stanislav is really to blame for my becoming a vampire and losing everything and everyone I love, then I’m going to be here to help you bring him down. I jumped on the first flight here.”

I couldn
’t argue with a declaration like that, so I squeezed his shoulder and said, “Welcome to the tour.”

He sighed in relief, like he
’d actually expected me to turn him away. “Thanks,” he said.

“
Come on,” I said. “You might as well catch the last few minutes of soundcheck now that you’re here.”

Trey looked more than just a little surprised to see me walk back over to my place by Kacie with Beck in tow. He was singing the chorus of
‘Untold You,’ but waved at Beck between strums on his guitar.

Beck smiled and waved back.
“They sound amazing,” he said as he watched in adoration while the guys finished out the song. Trey took a moment to speak to the engineer about his microphone, and then he handed his guitar off to a member of the stage crew and made his way over to us.

“
When did you get here?” he asked Beck, doing that handshake/man-hug combination guys do.

“
Just now,” Beck said just as O’Shea joined us.

“
It’s Beck, right?” O’Shea said, offering his hand in greeting.

Beck nodded enthusiastically.
“Sounding good,” he offered.

“
Thanks,” O’Shea said. “You here to catch the show tonight?”

“
I have a feeling he’s here to catch a Synod Elder,” Trey said, looking to Beck for confirmation. Beck’s eyes grew wide. He looked from Trey to O’Shea and back, not sure how to respond.

“
Really?” O’Shea asked before Beck could answer. “You’re on the liquid diet, too?”

Beck hesitated.
“Maybe?”

Trey and O
’Shea chuckled in unison, and Trey put a hand on Beck’s shoulder and said, “The secret’s out. Being abducted by a vampire will do that.”

Beck nodded.
“Right.” Then he gave O’Shea the once over. “You doing okay? I mean, you seem-”

“
I’m great,” O’Shea said, smiling and putting his arm around Kacie.

Trey was looking over my shoulder, and I turned to see why just as Crosstalk came around the corner to have their turn at soundcheck.

“What do you say we move this conversation to the lounge?” Trey suggested, just as Mark and Tytus caught up to us.

“
I’m sorry for just showing up like this,” Beck said once we were all settled in the lounge.

“
Hey, I get it,” Trey said. “If anyone has a dog in this fight, you do.”

Beck was visibly relieved.
“I’m glad you feel that way. Maybe you could put in a good word with my boss about my taking some time off.”

Trey laughed out loud and nodded.
“I’m sure I can manage that.”

I
’d briefly told Antonio what I knew about Stanislav changing the fledglings, and he’d passed that information on to Beck. Beck only knew enough to understand that Stanislav was responsible for his immortality and that O’Shea and Kacie had been abducted and rescued. He wanted the full story, and we spent most of the time before the show catching him up and filling him in on the details. Beck was like a sponge, taking in every word as Trey and I explained how Tytus had come to join us, and how vampires had been showing up randomly at Catalyst shows, right down to our eventual run-in with Stanislav, which led to Kacie and O’Shea’s abduction.

I was more than a little surprised when the group was trying to explain the way I
’d miraculously healed O’Shea and Jonas produced a video of the entire ordeal on his phone. Watching myself as I relived the event was a little overwhelming. It was like watching a stranger with sparks dancing on her hands. I wasn’t sure why I felt distanced from it all now, especially considering that it had happened just over twelve hours ago. Although it seemed no less incredible to witness a second time, I still had so many questions about what I had done, and how I had managed to do it. It was confusing, and my mind swirled with a mixture of relief, awe, gratitude and insecurity all at once. Trey wrapped his arm around my shoulders and hugged me to let me know he understood.
 

Aurora

THE TEXT FROM MALENA had come through just after the Catalyst show started.

You have questions. I have answers.

That was all it had said. I’d debated in my head for several moments before I text her back.
Name the time and place.

Malena had answered instantly with an address and a time that meant I would have to leave right after doing the zombie makeup for the guys.

I’ll be there,
I replied.

It wasn
’t hard keeping my plan from Trey, although I felt bad about doing it. I knew he’d never agree with it, and I needed answers. If that meant facing Malena again, then so be it. I’d told him I had to run an errand just before he’d ran out of the lounge to take the stage again for the encore. He’d been completely fine with that answer and called out that he’d see me at the hotel later.

I
’d taken a taxi across town to the address in Malena’s text, which turned out to be a 24/7 Starbucks, and found her waiting for me inside. She was nursing something from a coffee cup for appearances sake, but she gave me a creepy smile when she looked up and saw me approaching. She looked different. Her hair was shorter, and she had this look in her eye that led me to believe she had come a little unhinged. I slid into the booth across from her and stared at her expectantly.

“
All right. I’m here,” I said. “Now talk.”

“
Not so fast,” she said. “I want you to release Tytus to me, and then I talk.”

“
Release?” I said. “I don’t have him under my spell.”

“
I need him,” she said, unable to hide the desperation that colored her words.

“
I got that. He told me you met with him. What of it?”

“
I have a job I need his help with,” she began, but I cut her off.

“
You’re looking for some girl, I know.”

Malena laughed then, and it was an unnerving sound that put me on edge.
“My boss is a very powerful vampire, and I can’t afford to have him angry with me.” Then she looked at me like she was just waiting for me to figure it out.

“
You’re working with Stanislav Vidic,” I said slowly. How had I not seen it before? Damir had rejected her, and it was just like Malena to move right up the line to the next Vidic, who just so happened to be a Synod Elder.

“
A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do,” she added.

“
So, a girl’s got to run to the nearest powerful man to survive?” I said. “If that’s really what you believe-”

“
You have no idea what’s it’s like to be ...
normal
,” she added.

“
We’re vampires, Malena. Normal is relative.”

“
Not when it comes to you,” she argued. “Don’t pretend you don’t know that it’s about you.” She rolled her eyes and said, “I mean, it’s about your boy toy, too, but it’s really about you. It’s
always
about you.”

“
What are you talking about?”

“
You’re really going to make me say it, aren’t you?” She took a big gulp of the blood-laced wine, savoring the taste a moment before swallowing. “You’re just so damn special. Every vampire who’s anyone knows it. Even me. I was just in denial. I hated you for it.... Still kinda do, but that doesn’t make it less true.”

“
I’m not that-”

“
Special? Sure you are. You don’t get to be in denial about it. That would just be stupid. You’re many things, Aurora, but stupid doesn’t make the list.” I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I just waited for her to continue. She looked at me long and hard, but I was patient. “What have you noticed so far?” she asked. “Anything strange? Maybe a few new abilities popping up?” I blinked at her. This was really getting weird. “
Think
.” She couldn’t read my mind, my mental fortress would have prevented it if she tried, but I was pretty sure she was tracking for this full-moon cycle. Still, something in my eyes must have given her answer enough. “Ah,” she said, sneering in satisfaction. “So you have.... Of course you have. You’re the only one good things happen to. Even beating you in that fight at Club Sanguine backfired on me. How was I supposed to know your precious rock star would have the nerve to take you to a Synod Elder to keep you from dying? Now, on top of being
special
, you have the blood of a Synod Elder coursing through your pretty little veins. No wonder you’re developing new talents.”

I wanted to smack the smug look off her face, but my desire to see where this was going took precedence.

“He senses it in you,” she said, which wasn’t really an explanation at all.

“
Senses?” I demanded.

“
I wasn’t really paying attention,” she admitted. “Something about him being able to sense you ever since he gave you his blood. Blah, blah, blah. He suspects you’re developing unusual talents. Blah, blah, blah. I try not to listen when he goes on and on about you. You can’t really blame me. Anyway, the point is that he’s been trying to duplicate it, but nothing has worked so far.”

So many questions were vying for attention in my mind that I didn
’t know where to start. “He’s been giving other vampires his blood?”

“
Not openly,” she said. “He’s been putting it in special batches of wine and giving it to his fledglings.”

“
Why bother with the wine?” I asked. “If he made all those fledglings, they’d already have his blood.”

“
He didn’t make them,” she corrected. “At least not directly. He had other vampires randomly making fledglings. I guess he was hoping that if he left them to fend for themselves they’d create enough chaos to bring vampires into the open. That didn’t go so well,” she added. “That’s when Stanislav decided to secretly give them his blood in the wine and see if they’d start doing whatever it is that you’re doing.”

“
Is it working?” I asked.

“
He wouldn’t have much use for you if it was.”

That was a relief. I wasn
’t sure what my ability to pull from more than one power at a time – and during daylight hours – meant, but I was pretty sure it wouldn’t be good if there were unsupervised fledglings running around in Florida who could do the same.

“
Let me have Tytus,” she said, dropping any pretense of niceties.

“
I don’t own Tytus,” I stated. “He’s free to do what he wants although he’s made it pretty clear he wants nothing more to do with you.”

“
You have everything,” Malena said, and I saw a hint of the maniacal desperation I’d seen in her at our last encounter at Club Sanguine. “Let me have this one thing.”

“
Who is this Angelica you’re looking for?” I asked, my curiosity getting the best of me. “What’s so important about her that you have to enlist Tytus?”

“
The only way I can ever hope to salvage what’s left of my reputation back home is for Stanislav Vidic to endorse me. He’s promised that to me, but only if I can locate her. He’s obsessed with having an heir to his legacy.”

“
There is no heir. Damir told me himself that the bloodline ends with him, and since he clearly can’t have children.”

“
Damir doesn’t know what Stanislav knows.” She gave me a wicked smile. “Damir’s brother had a child. A daughter.”

“
But he died so young....”

She shrugged.
“I’m just relaying what I’ve heard. I’m not even sure the brother knew about her, but she’s out there. She’s been floating around in foster care her entire life. Stanislav has done his homework, and it’s my job to track her down.”

Stanislav had a
human
heir? No wonder he was searching so hard. All of Stanislav’s hopes of building a legacy had ended with the death of Damir’s son, but if that weren’t true – if this girl really existed – Stanislav Vidic would still have family
.
And that meant that Damir did, too.

“
Give me tonight,” I told her. “Don’t leave town. We may be able to help each other after all.”

She laughed, although I didn
’t find anything funny about the situation. “You know how to find me,” she said, and with that she walked away.

I texted Tytus and asked him to meet me at the room Trey and I were sharing, and I found the two of them waiting for me when I unlocked the door with my key card and walked inside.

“
I got your message,” Tytus said when he saw me.

“
Thanks for meeting here,” I told him. “Where are Mark and Beck?”

“
They’re doing a little night sightseeing,” Tytus answered.

“
What’s going on?” Trey asked casually as I dropped my purse on a table. “Trouble restocking the stash?”

I
’d only told him that I was running an errand, and he’d assumed I was going out to get us more blood. The truth wouldn’t make him quite so happy. “I didn’t go out for blood,” I stated. “I went to see Malena.”

Trey
’s reaction was immediately evident in the way his heartbeat shifted gears. He practically jumped to his feet and was standing right in front of me, giving me the once-over. “
Alone
?” he asked. “Are you okay?”

“
I’m fine,” I told him, giving him a second to work through everything that was running through his mind.

Malena
’s dangerous,
he was thinking.
She almost killed you. Why would you do that?
Then I saw flashes in his memory of me flying through the banister at Club Sanguine, of him forcing his way through the vampires on the floor below to find me impaled by a piece of wood. I’d avoided looking into his memories of that night for more than one reason. Seeing it all in waves like this was overwhelming.

“
I’m fine,” I repeated, taking his hand in mine so he would focus and look at me. The flashbacks stopped when his blue eyes met mine. “We just talked,” I assured him. “Really.”

“
I would have gone with you,” he said. “Both of us would have.” He included Tytus with a jerk of his head.

“
He’s right,” Tytus said.

“
I know,” I told them both. “This was just something I had to do. I had questions, and Malena had answers. We can spend all night talking about how what I did was stupid, or you can let me tell you what I just learned.” Trey’s shoulders dropped, and the look on his face softened. He squeezed my hand and led me over to the sofa, sitting down and patting the spot next to him. I sat down and said, “Malena is working with Stanislav.” Trey and Tytus were silent, staring at me. “It’s really not that far-fetched when you think about it.”

“
She couldn’t have Damir-” Tytus said slowly.

“
Exactly,” I stated. “She’s moved on, and up, which also means that she knows things.”

“
What kind of things?” Trey asked.

“
She confirmed what Stanislav said about him changing the fledglings in Florida to create chaos, but there’s something Stanislav didn’t tell us. He didn’t make those vampires himself, but he’s been giving them his blood through special batches of wine at the vineyard. He has enough vampires on his payroll that it wouldn’t even be hard for him.”

“
Why would he want them to have his blood?” Trey asked. “He made it very clear to me when I showed up asking for help that it’s no light matter for a vampire in his position to give his blood. This just doesn’t make any sense.”

“
Malena claims that Stanislav can sense whatever is happening with me. That means he knows I’m getting stronger and that my abilities are evolving.

“
He thinks it’s because he gave you his blood,” Trey said slowly.

“
It makes perfect sense when you think about it,” I agreed. “Of course he would want to duplicate that with vampires who follow orders better than I do.”