Reckoning (Book II, The Arotas Trilogy) Page 2
William releases his hold of her slender waist and backs away. Revulsion contorts his face as he gazes at the blood lining his arms, stained from the tattered remains of her dress. “Is this from Gabriel?”
“Some of it,” she nods, absently.
Her befuddled mind works hard to piece together memories from before she awoke: a lifetime of happiness squeezed into a few short months while living in Chicago. Vladimir’s punishment when she returned to Romania. Fane’s daring rescue to save her life. Sadie’s healing blood that rejuvenated her. Gabriel’s last moments of human life. Her failure to save him from capture.
Anger rips through her, burning through some of the poison still lingering in her veins. She shifts her fingers, testing their flexibility, pleased with the improvement.
“And the rest of the blood?” William presses, snatching Roseline away from her thoughts. His gaze refuses to settle on any one place, certainly not on her.
She cannot blame him for fearing her. If their roles were reversed, she would already be planted at the town square trying to thumb a ride back to America. “Mine.”
His head whips around. Buried under a splattering of dried blood, William spies two small marks along her artery that have begun to heal over. “Whoa,” he cries, thrusting back from her. “Gabriel bit you?”
Roseline shrugs off his disgust, wincing at the pain in her shoulders. She will need to heal before she leaves, but that will take precious time that she does not have. Gabriel’s trail is probably already going cold. “He had to feed.”
Blood drains from William’s face. A sickly green settles into his cheeks. “Oh, that is so gross.”
“He would have died without it,” she replies, undisturbed by the churning sounds in his stomach. “I just hope he got enough.”
William swallows hard. His nose wrinkles with disgust.
“That is a fact of life for Gabriel now.” A voice from behind them calls.
Together, Roseline and William jerk upright as Nicolae materializes from the shadows. His brilliant green eyes narrow, surveying Roseline’s surprise. “You should have heard me long before I entered the dungeon.”
He should never have been able to get within the boundaries of the tunnel without her knowing it. Her enemy has snuck up on her again.
“Dude, you just gave me a heart attack,” William gasps, clutching his chest.
“You turned Gabriel?” Nicolae questions, ignoring William’s theatrics.
“Yes,” she nods. “The transformation has begun.” He studies her face. A tick at the corner of her eye is the only hint she betrays of her anger. “They took Gabriel.”
Just saying the words makes it all real. A weight settles in her chest and a sour taste defiles her mouth. Grief envelopes her voice while anger sharpens it like a double-edged sword.
Nicolae nods, visibly sweeping the room with a critical gaze. Although there has been an effort to conceal a struggle, some trace evidence remains. “Do you know who kidnapped him?”
“Hang on a second,” William interrupts, struggling to keep up with the conversation. “Are you saying someone attacked you? Is that why you’re all…” he struggles to find the words as his hands flap toward her like a drunken flying bat.
Roseline’s lip curls with anger. “They drugged me.”
“Is that even possible?” William questions.
“Apparently.” She grips the wall, pulling herself upright. Without its support, she would surely tumble right back over. “I have to find him.”
Nicolae ducks beside the far wall, tracing a line against the floor. His fingers come up smudged with filth and blood. A single hair sticks to his finger. He pauses to examine the strand. “Do you recognize this scent?”
Offering his hand, Roseline eyes Nicolae cautiously. Only a short time ago, he was her enemy, a status only amended due to her fight with Vladimir. Can she really trust him now?
Dipping her head low to his hand, Roseline inhales the scent. She recoils, nose crinkling with disgust. “Yes. I know it.”
William stretches up onto his tiptoes to look over Nicolae’s shoulder. “Is that a human hair?”
Roseline nods at William. “It belongs to one of the men I killed.”
He backs up against the opposite wall and sinks to the floor, rubbing his hands down his pants leg, as if he were the one with the man’s blood on his hands. Calling her attention back, Nicolae stares fixedly at Roseline. “There’s something else.” He draws the hair up to his nose. “Wet goat?”
“Yes,” she nods, pressing back against the wall. Her fists clench at the memory. “They were dressed like monks.”
“I don’t get it,” William says.
Roseline casts as glance over at him. “Monks make their robes from goat hair. Scratchy, nasty stuff.”
“Aren’t monks supposed to be passive?” William interjects again.
“Not always,” Nicolae fans away from Roseline to speak directly to William. “You’re thinking of Buddhist monks. They believe in peace. These monks must be different, if they are even monks at all. We have no way of knowing.”
He glances over at Roseline, noting her struggle to remain upright. White fingers claw into the wall, wedging her in place. “These men are obviously highly trained, and they know quite a lot about your kind. That means they are a danger to you…and Gabriel.”
Roseline hunches her shoulders, unwilling to allow her worry to consume her. With Gabriel’s transformation left incomplete, he is fragile. Death might still swoop in to claim him. If she let it, her grasp on reality could easily slip. She cannot risk that. Gabriel needs her. If he were to die…
“They know far more about me than they should.” Roseline exhales deeply, lifting her face to meet Nicolae’s gaze. “Whoever they are, I’m going to find them.”
Chapter 3
Roseline struggles to concentrate as she relays the details of Gabriel’s capture to William and Nicolae. Her pupils dilate and her fingers retract into claws. Her thirst for human blood is growing by the minute as the sedatives continue to poison her blood, making rejuvenation imperative.
She swallows, wincing at the burning along her esophagus. Her hands unconsciously flinch in time with William’s pulse.
She rides the barrier between sanity and bloodlust as thoughts of Gabriel keep her teetering on the edge. She needs to find him, to save him, but not at the cost of human life…or her soul.
Nicolae stares hard at Roseline. Her chin dips to avoid his gaze, guilt burrowing into her stomach. He knows.
“Hey Will, why don’t you head topside and let Sadie know everything is ok. I’m sure she’s worried sick by now,” Nicolae suggests.
William blinks, startled by his interruption. Roseline falls silent, absently rubbing her temples. His gaze flits back and forth between them, shrugging. “Works for me.”
The tender flesh around Roseline’s eyes pinches as William brushes past. He has barely made it to the entrance of the tunnel before Roseline doubles over, clutching her head in her hands. Her lower lip trembles as she squeezes her eyes tightly shut, sealing out the light.
Bubbles of pain rupture behind Roseline’s temples. Spirals of color fill her mind’s eye. Her body crumples in on itself as she sinks to the floor.
Her thoughts spin out of control as she fights to remember why she resists the blood’s call. Nicolae’s heartbeat, strong and healthy, pounds in her ears. Her control is slipping, breaking apart into fragments of resolve.
“You need blood.” Nicolae’s voice reverberates through her body. She bites down on her tongue to stifle the moan that builds within her. He is right. She desperately needs blood…but she cannot bring herself to bite him or anyone.
The thought of his blood spilling into her mouth makes her ravenous, her stomach growls with need, but Roseline knows the consequences of bloodlust. Too much too soon and she might not be able to return from it.
“I’m not a monster,” she rasps. Her jaw sets into a hard, distinctive line.
Her chest tightens. Roseline ignores his attempt to pacify her. “You hunters are all alike. You think you have everything figured out.”
Nicolae places his hands in his pocket and leans back against the wall. A vein throbs down the center of Roseline’s forehead as his indifference makes her teeth grind. She is not a threat now, and he knows it.
There is a long pause before he answers, “I know far more than you would like, Roseline.”
“My name is Rose.”
Nicolae pushes off the wall, adopting a challenging tone. “To Sadie? Sure. William? Yeah, he might still buy into that crap, but we both know abbreviating your name doesn’t change who you are.”
Roseline’s nostrils flare. She rises and her feet plant wide as she bares her teeth. His words dredge up age-old fears of becoming the thing Vladimir created her to be. A killer, vicious and unmerciful. “I am not a monster.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Nicolae watches Roseline sway slightly back and forth. “Would Sadie agree with that?”
The memory of her friend’s hollowed out cheeks makes Roseline’s throat tighten. She came close, so close, to losing her friend. Nicolae tilts his head to the side as he steps closer. “She would be dead right now, if not for Fane’s intervention.”
Muscles along her neck strain against her delicate skin. Her face flushes and hands quake as a rumble builds in her chest. Why is he doing this to her? Does he really think she meant to kill Sadie? Does he only see evil in her eyes?
Knowing he is right only infuriates her more. A sheen of sweat drenches her forehead. Her stance balances out as her temperature rises, burning through a small portion of the tranquilizer that pollutes her blood.
Nicolae’s eyes narrow as he observes the changes. He chooses his words carefully, egging her on. “You might not have killed Sadie this time, but you will someday. It is in your nature.” His voice drops low as he leans in. “You are a killer.”
Violent, uncontrollable anger sweeps through her. She launches at Nicolae, a guttural roar spilling from her mouth. Her fingers dig into his chest, ripping through his shirt to the flesh beyond. Nicolae clamps his teeth down onto his lip, repressing the pain.
Roseline writhes on top of him, snarling like a wild animal, too far gone to realize he does not fight back. “I never meant to hurt her!”
Her long nails claw into the tender flesh of his chest. A grunt of pain leaks from Nicolae as he presses back into the floor and then the struggle ends.
Roseline pants heavily, her head sways with dizziness. The whites of her eyes appear as she collapses to the floor. Her limbs twitch uncontrollably and darkness glides over her vision as she stares up at the ceiling. Her rage fades, like a receding tide.
“Oh crap,” Nicolae grunts, shoving her legs off so he can kneel beside her. His fingers press against her neck, searching for a pulse. Roseline’s heart batters her ribcage. Her chest pumps rapidly as she gasps for air and her vision blurs, staring blankly up at him.
“Hang on.” With trembling fingers, Nicolae hastily attempts to roll up his sleeves. He growls in frustration, impaired by a button. Gripping the fabric, he yanks the sleeve free.
His hand fumbles in his back pocket. A glint of steel vanishes into supple flesh and Nicolae hisses as blood drips from his arm. “Drink, Roseline”.
She feels her body pulled into his lap, her head gently eased under his arm. Droplets of his blood splatter against her face. Her eyes lock onto his arm as he lowers it to her mouth.
Color drains from Nicolae’s face as her lips curl around his wound. He grunts as the vein gives way, dispensing his healing blood down Roseline’s throat. She clings to him, moaning as the pain begins to recede.
Desperately weakened, Nicolae collapses to the floor. “Roseline, stop,” he pleads.
She barely hears his faint whisper over her greedy sucking. His hand flutters over her head, attempting to fight her off. Anchoring her nails into his forearm, she refuses to let go. “Please,” he calls, his head lolling against the floor, “remember Sadie.”
Roseline’s teeth retract from his flesh. Her gaze sweeps his unconscious form. “Nicolae!”
***
Roseline paces next to the couch in Nicolae’s sitting room, chewing her nails down to the quick. He has not moved. His pulse is slow but his breathing is beginning to taper into normal rhythms. Roseline prays that he will live.
“He will be fine,” Sadie soothes, reaching up to pat Roseline’s arm as she passes by.
Sadie looks unnatural in a rumpled green tank top and oversized camouflage pants. Her flattened hair lacks its usual spiky quality, her eyes vacant of black eyeliner. Minus her paperclip jewelry and knee-high biker boots, Sadie’s boisterous personality feels greatly diminished.
“Stupid fool,” Roseline grunts, pulling out of her friend’s grasp. A flicker of remorse jabs at her as Sadie’s face crumbles, crestfallen. “Sorry,” she mutters, dropping into a nearby chair. Her legs bounce rapidly. “I just don’t know what possessed him to do that.”
Sadie reaches out to brush stray hairs back from Nicolae’s forehead. The smile plastered on her face fails to reach her eyes. Her pride in Nicolae’s bravery is not diminished by her anxiety. “I told you he turned out to be a good guy.”
William snorts. His posture is closed, hostile. Forgiveness is vacant from his face. Roseline leans back in the chair, gazing steadily at him. “Go on. Say it. I know you’re dying to.”
“Fine.” He pushes up from his seat and stomps forward. “Want to know what I think? I think you’re an idiot.”
Sadie gasps but Roseline waves her off. She simply stares back at him, mouth pressed into a white line. William jabs his finger toward Nicolae. “How many people have to risk their lives for you? Sadie? Gabriel? And now Nicolae? Should I wait around in case you need me as a blood donor, too?”
Sadie’s hand snakes out as she leaps to her feet. The crack echoes about the room. Dazed, William’s fingers stroke his cheek. “You hit me.”
“Of course I did, you big oaf,” she snaps. “How dare you speak to our friend like that?”
William rounds on her. “Friend? How can you even call her that, Sadie? Look at what she has done.”
He growls, kicking at an end table. It totters before falling over, spilling an antique lamp onto the carpet. He turns to glare at Roseline. “I was actually worried about you down in that dungeon, relieved that you were safe, but I was a fool.” His lip curls. “You didn’t need my help. You needed blood and it sure as heck looks like you took it.”
Roseline’s teeth snap together and her nails claw into the arms of the chair. William shuffles back a step. Her anger brews just under the surface, volatile and deadly. She rises slowly, controlling her movements. “You are right.”
Sadie does a double take. “You’re actually agreeing with this half-wit?”
She nods, turning to look at Sadie. “I do. If you stick around and do your hero-antics like earlier, you are going to end up hurt, or worse. I can’t let that happen.” Roseline sucks in a breath, dreading her next words. “You both need to go back to Chicago where you belong.”
Sadie explodes in a string of expletives. Roseline ignores her, meeting William’s gaze head on. “This is what you want, right? Well, I am giving it to you. Take Sadie home. Keep her safe. Never let her come back here.”
William’s eyes narrow, wary of her intentions. After a long moment he nods and his confrontational stance eases slightly. “Agreed.”
“Un-freaking-believable. Do you not see me standing here? I have a voice too you know, and I refuse to leave.” Sadie crosses her arms over her chest.
Roseline sighs. She knew this was not going to go over well. “I’m not asking, Sadie. Either you leave of your own free will, or I make you.”
Sadie gasps, shocked by Roseline’s icy glare. A crack forms in he
r anger. “You…you really want me to leave?”
“Yes,” Roseline replies with a slight waver in her voice. She takes a steadying breath. “Now that you know about my past, you will always be in danger. I can’t risk losing you.” She turns her back on Sadie as she almost adds too.
The wounds left by the gruesome murder of her baby sister have only barely begun to heal after three centuries. How many more would it take to rid her of her guilt if Sadie were killed because of their friendship? Roseline shakes her head, firming her resolve. “You have to leave.”
“But Will is just overreacting,” Sadie cries. Roseline can hear the tremor in her voice. She refuses to turn around, to show what this decision has cost her.