Immortal Craving (Dark Dynasties) (30 page)

Anura. The other person Bay needed to corner tonight. “I don’t think she’s dragging her feet,” Bay said. “I just don’t think it’s as easy to get together as she was hoping. She doesn’t want to screw it up.”

“Admirable,” Damien said, but his brow creased faintly. “How are you holding up, truly, Bay? Teasing aside, you’ve sort of had the rug pulled out from under you this week. We got in just awhile ago, and I expected to hear you were safely tucked away back in Tipton, not turned into a vamp and engaged in an impossible relationship.
You always seemed so… stable.” His lips curved. “That’s not an insult, by the way.”

“It isn’t impossible,” Bay replied, though she knew that was what everyone thought. “It’s just… complicated.”

Damien surprised her with genuine sympathy. “Trust me, darling, I know the feeling.” He turned, as though he’d sensed a change in the air, and Bay looked over his shoulder to see a stunning, platinum-haired vampiress walking toward them, Grimm trotting happily at her side. The dog’s eyes lit on Bay, and he bounded toward her, greeting her as though he hadn’t seen her in at least a year.

Ariane’s violet eyes, set in a face of angelic perfection, were lit with a happy glow as she located her mate. Bay watched her approach, again surprised by how much her perception had shifted. Where before the ethereal Grigori had seemed intimidating, an untouchable warrior goddess, now Bay could see the natural sweetness that had endeared Ariane to Lily and Ty almost immediately.

“Bay!” she said as she joined them, leaning into Damien as he slipped an arm around her waist. “So nice to see you again. How are you?”

Bay smiled back as she scrubbed at Grimm’s head and tried to deter him from jumping up on her. Despite the often somber mood in the mansion this week, he’d been in his element, in the midst of all kinds of people to make friends with. Lily had mentioned more than once she was glad for the presence of the dog. He was a roaming bright spot in otherwise difficult times.

The only lasting sign of what he’d been through the night of Bay’s attack was a tendency, once he’d found her, to lock on and stay at her heels, unable to be lured away even with the tastiest treat. Not for long anyway.

“I’m fine. It’s so nice to see familiar faces. I thought Lily said you were in… Turkey, was it?”

“We were,” Ariane said, her smile fading. “Drake called us back. We’ve been expecting something to give, really. I just didn’t think it would be so soon.”

Bay saw the barely perceptible tightening of Damien’s hand on her waist, the quick, intimate glance he and Ariane shared, and felt an unexpected burst of jealousy. The bond between Damien and Ariane was as intense as Damien himself, and it was obvious in the way the two vampires were together. And then there was the way Lily and Ty leaned on one another—they were one another’s support systems through whatever came their way. And Jaden and Lyra, who were one of the most playful couples Bay knew.

And here she stood, alone. Since the other night, Tasmin had opened up in some ways, giving her everything he had in the bedroom. She couldn’t complain about that—he held nothing back from her physically. But there were still barriers between them, lines he refused to cross. It made it impossible for her to think of them as a real couple, and she was sure that was by design. He was still trying, in his own misguided way, not to hurt her.

It was hurting her more to be with him in this kind of half relationship. Especially when everything they could be was staring her in the face. He was her sire. Her lover. The only other Rakshasa alive. It was a connection she would never be able to share with the Lilim—a connection she didn’t really
want
to share with anyone but him. For all that she was coming to terms with being a vampire, she couldn’t shake the sense that in some ways, she was still on the outside looking in. The Rakshasa had
been considered strange by the rest. It was probably fitting that
that
was what she’d become.

It would have bothered her far less if she’d felt like she had a true partner. He wanted to help her feel more comfortable, and in that, he was succeeding. But Bay wanted more than comfortable. She’d had plenty of comfortable before, and she’d spent years grappling with her own restlessness.

This time, in this new life, she wanted to be happy. Truly happy. But the one man she knew she could find it with was hanging onto his heart with both hands and refused to let go. And as with so many things vampire related, she had no idea how to fix it. With an inward sigh, she turned her attention back to Damien and Ariane.

“Has anything been decided on yet?” Bay asked.

“We think she’s at her country house in Maryland,” Damien replied. “It’s basically an open invitation to attack—which is worrisome, since it means she feels she’s ready for us. All that open land down there… Arsinöe is looking for an epic battle to rival the ones her people engaged in back in its earliest days. Something to celebrate in art and song once she’s consolidated her empire.”

“People have scouted out the area, then?” Bay asked.

“A handful of Shades,” Ariane said. “We actually lost two very talented scouts. Drake has been miserable over it. Arsinöe owns acres of land down there, and there are over a thousand vampires camped on it. Not all are hers. She’s got some allies here from overseas, and it looks as though she’s found a couple of wolf packs to patrol during the day. Lyra’s livid about it.”

Bay nodded. Lyra’s pack, the Thorn, had narrowly
avoided being enslaved by the Ptolemy. The she-wolf would naturally consider any wolves helping the Ptolemy queen willingly disgusting.

“In short, this battle is going to be big, bloody, and, well, traditional. One for the history books.” Damien looked away, and in that instant Bay could see his uncertainty. He would be risking everything right alongside his friends, she knew. As would Ariane.

As would all of them.

Though the thought of battle turned her stomach, Bay hoped that no one tried to tell her she had to stay behind this time. She wanted to help in any way she could, fledgling or not. She’d been waiting all week, as the various leaders met behind closed doors, to hear what the final plan would be. With the new arrivals tonight, and from the sound of things, they were moving toward an agreement.

It made finding Tasmin feel that much more urgent.

“I should go,” Bay said. “It really is good to see you two.” Ariane looked as pleased as she was surprised, and Bay found herself wishing she hadn’t wasted quite so much time at Lily’s being nervous over the past year. The vampires Lily had chosen to become close to all had something in common, she realized. They’d each found a way to make the world of night suit them, each in rather unique ways, rather than changing themselves.

Finally seeing the truth of it was soothing in a way she was immensely grateful for. It gave her hope.

“It’s good to see you too. Both of us wish you luck. Oh, if you’re looking for your… Tasmin? Dark skin, gold eyes, very pretty?” Ariane asked. Bay nodded.

“He’s been shut away with Sam for a while now. I
caught a glimpse of him just a bit ago.” Ariane’s smile was sympathetic. “No one in there looked very happy. Not that there’s much reason to be.”

“Thanks,” Bay said, startled at the news that Tasmin was locked away with anyone. The two of them had been left to their own devices this week, set apart from the war preparations so that Tasmin could concentrate on helping Bay adjust to her new existence. It made sense: Neither of them had command of anyone or anything. They would simply do what was needed when the time came.

So why would they suddenly want him?

Though she didn’t know why, dread formed a hard knot and settled into the pit of her stomach as she walked away, Grimm lumbering along at her heels, leaving Damien and Ariane to watch her go.

“Come on, kitten,” Damien murmured, turning his attention to Ariane. “Dark times ahead. Let’s go have a bit of fun while we still can.”

After asking a couple of questions, and settling Grimm with a huge bone in the corner of the library, Bay found what she was looking for.

She rapped softly on the heavy wood door set into the library wall, hearing the murmur of voices on the other side. After a moment, the door opened.

“Yes?”

It took her several seconds to formulate a coherent response.

The white-haired giant looked impassively down at her, seemingly unruffled by her interruption. He was one of the Grigori ancients Lily had talked about. There was no way he could be anything else. Shining white hair was
pulled back at the nape of his neck with a simple leather thong, a striking contrast to a starkly handsome, surprisingly youthful face. Fathomless violet eyes watched her steadily, waiting for her to get herself together.

This was the sort of vampire she wasn’t sure she would ever get completely comfortable with. She’d hardly be alone in that, though.

“I was looking for Tasmin?”

“Ah. You’re the other little lion. We expected you would come.”

He pulled the door open farther and stepped aside, and Bay walked past with only a sidelong glance.
Little
lion? Though she guessed most things would look little to a seven-foot-tall giant who had, according to Lily, wings.

There was no sign of wings on him or the other Grigori male in the room, but she knew every other face here—and as Ariane had mentioned, the atmosphere was tense. Lily and Ty stood together beside a chair, Lily pressed against Ty’s side, murmuring urgently in his ear. Jaden and Lyra were there, a surprise—but then, it shouldn’t have been, Bay decided. The pack of the Thorn would be standing with the Lilim on this. Vlad Dracul was rubbing the back of his neck, looking like a tired and rather harried prince of darkness. The Grigori who had opened the door moved to join his blood brother, another white-haired Adonis who looked like he didn’t know how to smile.

Tasmin rose from where he’d been sitting. Bay felt an instant of relief so intense it made her knees weak at the sight of him. He was still with her. They still had time.

But his golden eyes were troubled when they locked with hers.

Bay didn’t even glance at the others as she went to him. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“Anura has gone missing,” he said.

She sucked in a breath, and now she did look at the others. Every face was grim.

“No. How?”

“The likeliest thing is that one of her Empusae sisters betrayed her,” the other Grigori said. Somehow, this one was even more imposing than the first one she’d seen, and Bay realized that this must be Ariane’s Sam, otherwise known as Sammael, leader of the Grigori.

Somehow, she thought he might not take kindly to anyone but Ariane calling him Sam.

“You’re sure she’s gone?” Bay asked, her heart sinking. For all her brash assertions that she was going to keep Tasmin safe, nothing she’d come up with to accomplish that had made much sense. Nothing but staying by his side and watching him like a hawk, which was impractical, even if she’d been trying. She was still pinning a lot of hope on Anura.

That hope died a hard death.

Sammael nodded. “One of her men called here not long ago. She didn’t arrive to open Mabon, which she always does. When he went to check on her, the apartment was empty, the floor covered in her blood.”

“Oh God,” Bay said, wrapping her arms around herself. “If it was the Ptolemy, they’ll kill her.”

“They will,” Sammael agreed, neither his face nor his voice revealing anything of his feelings about it, if he had them. “But not until she’s ceased to be useful. We should have been watching her more closely.”

“She wouldn’t have put up with it,” Lily interjected, so
furious she seemed to vibrate. “She’s one of the strongest vampires I know. And they’ve taken her. Arsinöe is just taunting us now. She must have known Anura would help Tasmin. And of course, there’s the added benefit of giving me the middle finger by snatching her from here. To all of us.”

“We need to get down there and crawl up her ass, now,” Lyra snarled, her arms crossed over her chest. Bay found herself relieved that the female alpha wolf was here. She had a clever mind and the sort of restless energy that inspired her followers. She also didn’t take any crap from anyone.

Jaden stood at his mate’s side, slim and dark, his startling blue eyes alight with anger.

“Lyra’s right. We know where she is. We know she’s waiting for us. Let’s go give her what she thinks she wants and have Lily put a few lightning bolts through her head. Enough with the planning. The only plan is to get everyone down there and storm the place.”

Tasmin stayed silent, his eyes fixed on Sammael. He had an odd look on his face, one Bay found unnerving. She’d only ever seen him look that way once, and that time, it hadn’t been him.

Sammael seemed to sense he was being watched. Bay put her hand on Tasmin’s arm, finding him tense and rigid.

“Tasmin,” she murmured while Lyra began arguing with Vlad about battle strategy. “Stop.”

But his eyes were fixed as Sammael turned, considered Tasmin with his inscrutable eyes, and walked over. The rest of the room fell silent at the sudden change in the
air, though Lyra bickered a moment more. Then she too turned, compelled to watch.

“There you are,” Sammael said, his voice a low and commanding thrum. “Have you an opinion, demon? Or are you simply entertaining yourself?”

The voice that emerged from Tasmin’s throat had Bay’s stomach churning. She hadn’t heard it since the night he’d saved her from the Ptolemy scouts. It slid from his throat, oily and dark, with an edge of black glee that was just this side of madness.

“An opinion on whether to kill the Ptolemy bitch? Of course. She should die. And she will… in time. But her death is not for you.”

Bay started to back away from him, but his hand shot out to grab her wrist, viselike. He turned to smirk at her, and the gold of his eyes looked like it had fogged over.

“No, no, pretty. Stay.”

“Arsinöe wants you, and you want her dead,” Sammael said, turning the demon’s attention back to him. He didn’t let go of Bay, though, keeping his grip tight enough to hold her without hurting her. Much. “Why is that?”