Vampire Apocalypse #2 Cataylst (15 page)

Reggie left his fingers in his ears, and
pressed his eyes closed, “Silence, beast.” When Kahli didn’t stop
talking, Reggie grabbed a remote off the side table next to the
couch. He pressed a yellow button and a jolt of electricity shot
through the cage, zapping Kahli. She gasped, rendered momentarily
silent. When Reggie released the button, he said, “That’s better.
Remember, no matter what your puny mind might be telling you,
you’re trapped, little girl. Unless you chew through those bars,
you belong to me.”

Kahli’s hair smoked lightly. The ends had
that singed hair smell. It filled her nostrils as she pushed
herself off the cage floor. Laying down and getting zapped was way
worse than standing up and getting zapped. It was the second time
he did that to her. “We’re wasting time, you arrogant bastard.” Her
voice came out in a breath, completely lacking its normal
venom.

Reggie folded his arms after he put the
remote down. Scolding her, he said, “Then, shut up, Miss Kahli
Wildgirl and let me think.” His head hung between his shoulders
like the world was crushing him flat.

Kahli rubbed her eyes with the back of her
hand, trying to push away the effect of the shock. “There’s nothing
to think about. You want your sister dead. So do I. So does Will.
So does the King. Pick a side, you coward, and go run her through
with a pitchfork. Now’d be a good time.”

Reggie turned and tilted his head at her.
“You understand nothing. Sophia expects to be attacked and out of
all people, she suspects me. How am I supposed to waltz right in
there and walk out with my head? Come on, chimp-girl. If you’re so
smart, tell me how.” Reggie walked next to her cage and snapped his
fingers at her like she was a misbehaving animal.

Taking a ragged breath, she looked up at him.
Kahli’s eyes were livid, green as emeralds, and just as hard. “If
you snap at me again, I’m going to chew through these bars and bite
off your fingers, one by one.” She held his gaze for a moment,
before continuing, “You are so dense. Return what’s been stolen
from her. Show up with me in hand, and she’ll let you in. You can
walk straight into the ballroom.”

“And then, what? You saw what she did to me
before.”

“You didn’t have me before. You didn’t have
my blood inside of you before. This time Sophia won’t suspect a
thing. She’s had more of my blood, but it didn’t metabolize as
quickly as it did with you. You can probably manage another drop or
two before we got there.”

“How’d you know the Queen had trouble with
your blood?”

Kahli looked at him like Reggie was retarded,
“The King. Hello? He tried to rip my neck out. Remember? Come on!
Pull it together. We have to get out of here, and you’re wasting
time asking for a rehash. The King is the one you have to watch out
for, not her, and he’s not there right now.”

Reggie paced in front of her, his slender
arms folded over his chest. “How do I know I can trust you?”

She laughed, “You can’t. But for the moment,
we share a common problem.”

“For the moment,” he agreed.

CHAPTER 23

Kahli stared at Reggie. Will was still alive.
She felt it deep within her core, but she didn’t know where he was
or how badly he was hurt. The sound of his voice screaming her name
rang through her ears long after she awoke. When Reggie yanked her
out of the safe house, Kahli didn’t even get a chance to turn
around and see if Will was all right. It was killing her, lying in
the cage and acting like everything was fine when it wasn’t.

Reggie finally seemed to get some gumption.
Kahli used the moment to light a flame under his butt, and hurl his
hatred directly at the Queen. Maybe it wasn’t Will’s plan, but it
was better than waiting around to die. At the rate she was going,
Reggie would cut her tongue out before dinner.

Maybe she’d been shocked by the cage too many
times, but helping Reggie seemed like a good idea. “There’s only
one thing I want first,” Kahli said sternly.

Reggie flopped his head to the side and
sighed. Turning to the cage, he moaned, “Of course you do. Let me
guess? Will. You want us to go drag his lifeless body from that
caved-in mess.” Reggie looked at her in a way that made her feel
stupid.

Her jaw tensed, but she tried not to show it.
After a moment, she replied, “I’m not asking you for freedom.”

“Only because you intend to steal it.”

“I’ll keep my word,” Kahli protested.

“Sure you will. Just like your mother,
right?”

Kahli’s jaw dropped. A surge of energy
flooded her system. It was impossible to let the words roll off.
“What do you know about my mother? Where is she?” Kahli grabbed the
bars after she rushed forward, slamming her body into the side of
the cage. “If you know something—!”

“Psh,” Reggie waved her off. “I don’t know
anything. I just wanted to see what you would do.” He glanced over
at her, smirking.

Bastard. Kahli wanted to beat him until he
cried. She was pretty sure if she swore, while she punched him in
the face, Reggie would break down in tears. Pressing her lips
together, she worked the muscle in her jaw until she didn’t want to
chomp his head off with her teeth. “Stop messing with me, Reggie.
We’re in this together or we’re not. If you don’t help me save
Will, then I won’t help you. It’ll be a lot harder to keep your
head on your shoulders when the Queen finds out that I’m in your
possession with a huge-ass scar on my neck. You know what she’s
going to think, right? That you did it.”

Reggie turned toward her, his arms falling to
his sides, “She’ll believe whatever I tell her.” He watched Kahli,
waiting for her to say something, but when she didn’t, he asked,
“You think she won’t?”

“If the King is out of the picture, it just
looks damning. Maybe he had nothing to do with this,” she gestured
to herself, pointing at her neck with a curved wrist. “Or, maybe it
was your fault. Maybe my memory isn’t so good anymore, and I woke
up here after you killed Will. Will was hers, too, you know.
Showing up with both of us would clear up a lot of questions and
put you in her favor. When heads are rolling around like snowballs,
I’d think that was a good spot to be.”

Reggie’s eyes were black orbs. They fixated
on Kahli as she spoke. His pale fingers tapped gently on his
shirtsleeve. When she finished speaking, Reggie said nothing. He
had a distant look in his eye, like he was trying to remember
something. When he blinked again, the vacant look faded, and he
slipped his hands into his pockets. “Perhaps, you’re right. A
trade, then. Will for your cooperation?”

“Yes,” she snapped, banging the bars with the
back of her hand for emphasis. “I already agreed. Drop the
formality and let’s get on with it.”

Reggie grinned crookedly, “Not so fast, I
still need you to supply me with more blood—a vial.”

Kahli cringed at the idea, but agreed. She
could smash the vial later. “Done. Now let me out of here.” Reggie
strode toward the cage and pressed his finger to the metal lock.
The keypad warmed under his touch and clicked. There was a scrape
and Reggie swung the door open.

“Please, sit.” Reggie said, extending his
long fingers toward the ugly couch.

“We need to get Will. He’ll die out there if
we don’t go soon.”

Reggie shook his head. Turning, he grabbed a
black leather satchel from his desk and turned to her. Walking to
the sofa he said, “All in good time; the vial first, William
second.” Kahli’s lips pressed into a thin line, like she’d say no,
so he added, “He’s not in any danger. The runes would be blaring
like an alarm, if he were.”

Kahli watched Reggie pull out a syringe and
vial from the black bag. He ripped open a needle from a sealed
plastic bag and assembled the thing. Holding out his hand, he
waited for Kahli to offer her arm.

“Fine,” she bit the word and thrust her arm
toward him. “Do it fast.”

“Of course,” Reggie said. Taking her by the
elbow, Reggie tied off her upper arm with a piece of plastic from
the kit. Kahli grit her teeth, but didn’t move. His delicate
fingers pushed around on her arm before he lifted the needle and
pushed it into her vein. Grinning, he watched the thick red blood
spill into the vial, utterly delighted.

For a moment, Kahli thought this was the
stupidest thing she’d ever done—but it was Reggie. He was
completely lacking in the motivation department. Odds were that
he’d keep the blood for himself and have a drop now and then. She
could always find it later. This wasn’t a problem right now.
One
thing at a time, Kahli
, she told herself as she watched the
vial fill up. When it was full, he removed the needle, slipping it
from her skin. A drop of blood pooled on her arm where the needle
had been.

“May I?” he asked.

Kahli’s eyes narrowed. She pulled her arm to
her mouth and licked away the drop of blood. “No. One vial. That’s
it. Use that from now on. I don’t want to get vamp herpes or
whatever else you’re carrying.”

Reggie looked aghast. He shrunk away from
Kahli swiftly and pocketed the vial. “As you wish, you vulgar
creature.”

Reggie felt the telltale burn of the rune two
seconds before it happened. He had just enough time to turn his
face toward the front of the house. A loud crash came from the
front room. It sounded like three dozen wine glasses all shattered
at once. Reggie pinched the bridge of his nose. “He wasn’t this
barbaric before you came along,” Reggie said, and walked out of the
room.

Kahli followed Reggie down a dark hall that
opened up into the front sitting room. Will lay on his side amongst
shattered glass from the large front window. The thick drapes
billowed as the wind blew through the opening. Will’s leg was
covered in blood, and tiny red lines scratched his cheeks. Will
pushed himself upright and raised his hand. Pointing his finger at
Reggie, he said, “She’s coming with me.”

Reggie rolled his eyes, “You could have used
the door, William. That wild girl is rubbing off on you and it’s
not becoming.” Reggie stepped past Will, allowing him to see
Kahli.

Kahli stood there, lips parted, watching
Will. She rushed toward him, heart pounding much harder than it
should have been, and held him in her arms for a second. Will
remained rigid, and made a small noise when she squeezed him.
Blushing slightly, Kahli remembered they weren’t alone and stepped
back. Her eyes darted to Reggie who was examining his picture
window, which was now in a million glittering pieces.

When Kahli looked back at Will, she asked,
“Are you all right? Please, tell me you are. When the safe house
collapsed, I thought—”

He spoke soothingly, rubbing his hands over
her arms, “I’m fine, Kahli. I’m just glad the King didn’t find you
first.” Will stared at her like he thought he’d never see her
again. The look said so much, but having him that close, and that
emotionally charged, made her feel what he felt. Too many fears,
hopes, and dreams flittered through her stomach when Will looked at
her. After a moment, Will asked, “Did
he
do anything?” Will
tipped his head toward Reggie.

Before Kahli could answer, Reggie snapped,
“Of course I did.” The sunlight poured through the busted window,
but the wind was too frigid to feel its warmth. Reggie narrowed his
eyes and spoke directly to Will, ignoring Kahli like she wasn’t
there, “She’s an ill-mannered twit. I shocked her a few times, and
dislocated her arm, amongst other things that will infuriate you,
no doubt.”

As Reggie spoke, Will noticed the crook of
Kahli’s arm. He pulled it straight and examined the tiny pinprick
with a smear of dark red across her pale skin. Will’s gaze drifted
up to Kahli’s face. “He took blood from you?” She nodded. “And you
let him?” The pitch of his voice rose as his dark brows creased his
forehead.

Kahli smiled at him and nodded, “It’s part of
the deal.”

“What deal?”

Reggie grabbed his long black coat from the
front closet, and ushered the two of them toward the door. “Hope
you don’t mind if we use the door this time,” Reggie grumbled
something about centuries old glass imported from the Old World
that was reduced to rubble. Speaking more clearly, he continued,
“Get into my truck, and she can tell you all about it along the
way.”

CHAPTER 24

Cole didn’t know what to say. Cassie begged
him to leave without her. She actually thought that life here was
better! The thought made him sick. Walking the halls aimlessly,
Cole finally stopped on a bench near the front of the palace.
Guards moved quickly, pouring in and out through the picture
perfect front doors in waves. Their microfiber suits clung to the
vampire’s gangly forms, and made their skin look more yellow than
usual. Cole lowered himself, and sat on the bench. For a moment he
did nothing, his thoughts about Cassie derailed. There was
something about the way the vamps moved that caught his eye, but
Cole couldn’t put a finger on what was wrong. They were preparing
for an invasion, no doubt, but that wasn’t it. There was something
else. These guards were lethargic, their limbs moving awkwardly as
they attempted a steady jog out the front of the palace. Cole
watched until the Captain saw him.

The female vampire was ghastly thin,
practically all bones. Dark hair was pinned on her head, pulled
back tightly from her narrow face. Black eyes skewered him in
place, “What are you doing here?” Before Cole could answer, she
gripped his arm digging her nails into his flesh, “Better get back
to your own kind before something unexpected happens to you.”
Wrenched upright, the Captain lifted Cole with ease. She was
stronger than most vamps.

Sneering at her, Cole ripped his arm away,
“What are you implying, Captain?”

“I’m not implying a damn thing. I’m overtly
telling you to get out or I’ll feed you to my men.” Her eyes
slipped over Cole while she spoke, as if she were assessing how
many vampires he could nourish.