WALERON TRACED ME TO XAMIEN’S courtyard, but he didn’t stay. Actually, he didn’t even say anything before he was gone again.
Xamien’s house, which was more like a medieval castle, sat on a hill overlooking a river. The massive stone structure had four towers and a courtyard straight out of a fairy tale book. Wildflowers scattered across the yard lining a pebbled path that led around to the side of the house. Steps led up to the entrance that had arched double doors made of solid wood with lit sconces on either side.
Xamien Traced beside me. “He left?”
I nodded.
He was silent for several seconds. “We’ve been friends a long time. That will never change. So don’t shut me out. Even if we aren’t fucking anymore.”
I half smiled and rested my hand on his. “You’ve always been there for me, Xamien. When I needed you… you understood. I won’t forget that.”
Xamien nodded, then dug into his pocket and took out his phone when it vibrated. He pressed a few times on the screen then grunted before handing it to me.
It was a text message from Waleron:
I trust you can protect her. But fuck her and you initiate war.
“Sir! Sir!” Glunk, Xamien’s so-called butler, ran down the stone steps, shouting. He was husky, short, and always wore a suit with a pair of checkered yellow, blue, and red running shoes.
Xamien stiffened, taking his phone back and striding toward him. “What’s wrong?”
Glunk rushed a bow in greeting to me then turned to Xamien. “Sir, it’s Abby. Max went to give her the usual meal and Abby attacked her.” Xamien was already running toward the house and Glunk ran after him. I followed. “Sir, Jasper is trying to subdue her. I told him he couldn’t kill her. He wasn’t pleased, sir.”
“Jasper is here?” Xamien asked.
“Yes, sir, just arrived an hour ago.”
“And you let him in there?” Xamien shouted as we barged into the massive stone foyer. The chandelier hanging two stories above swayed at the sudden impact of the front doors meeting the stone walls.
“Sir, he insisted, and you know how he is.”
“Yes. I do.”
We ran down a hallway, through the kitchen, and then up a set of spiral stairs that led to Abby’s room.
Xamien inserted a key into the old iron lock, then yanked open the door and went inside.
I went to follow but Glunk snagged my arm. “No, Miss. It’s not a good idea. Miss Abby is in a state I’ve never seen before.”
I hesitated, then nodded. Glunk had been caring for Abby since she’d arrived and knew her better than anyone.
There was a big-screen TV on the back wall and a black leather couch with lime-green and white throw pillows in the middle of the room. I’d sat on the couch last time I was there and watched a movie with Abby.
The witch vamp had hardly spoken, but she’d been calm and never tried to hurt me.
One wall was completely floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows. There were no bars, but Xamien had told me they were protected by a spell so Abby was unable to break them.
In the middle of the room was a white carpet marred with a blotch of red, and on it lay the girl, Max, that Xamien had rescued from a vampire. She wasn’t moving, and there was blood on her neck.
“Abby, Christ!” Xamien stood several feet away from her and Abby blocked his path to Max. “What are you doing? It’s Max.”
A scarier-than-hell guy stood on the opposite side of the room with fresh fingernail scratches down the side of his face. He had tribal tattoos running the length of his arms and, emphasizing his hard-ass biker look, he wore ripped jeans and a black T-shirt with skulls on it. Both fit snugly, which showed off his lean-muscled body.
“Vampire in the house, Xamien? Not cool. Heard this bitch was executed.”
“As you can see, she wasn’t,” Xamien responded.
“Another fuckin’ pet.”
“Pet?” I asked. “Never mind, I don’t want to know. Who is he?”
“Jasper. Mercenary. Assassin. Friend. Rogue Scar. I asked him to come stay here and help protect you.”
Jasper gestured to Max with a jerk of his chin. “That the chick raised by vampires?”
Xamien nodded.
“Finally, I get to meet her, if she lives. Babe disappears every time I visit.”
“You’ve been here three times, Jasper. And she doesn’t like people,” Xamien said.
Abby snarled at Jasper, her pointed fangs flashing. There was still blood on her lips from biting Max. God, poor Abby. She’d lost control of who she was.
Abby guarded her prey like a wild animal, circling Max, watching the men for any movement. I sidled to the right against the wall, then dropped down on my hands and knees.
“Miss Delara,” Glunk warned.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Xamien asked, keeping his eyes on Abby.
“Helping Max, while you guys distract her,” Delara replied. “Jasper, can you get Abby to turn toward you?”
“No fuckin’ heroics, Jasper. We don’t need anyone getting hurt,” Xamien said. “Kitten, be careful. I’m uncertain what’s happening with Abby. This isn’t like her.”
“Hey, witch vamp, you remember Damien?” The moment Jasper mentioned Damien, Abby whirled around to face him. “Well, that worked rather nicely.”
Xamien rolled his eyes heavenward and I swore beneath my breath.
“Damien thinks she’s dead? Yeah?” Jasper asked.
“I said distraction, not a memory that might send her into a wild frenzy!” Xamien barked.
“Wild frenzy sounds good to me.”
Xamien grunted. “Sadist.”
Jasper shrugged.
I crawled across the floor, the scent of blood overpowering as I drew closer to Max. I didn’t know the girl very well—like Jasper said, Max kept to herself when anyone came to the house.
From what Xamien had told me, Max was raised in a horde of vampires who abused her for years. Max was also a Scar, although there was no indication as to what kind.
Xamien took a few steps closer. “Keep talking to her, Jasper.”
“Give me a second, Xamien. I’m speaking with Danni.”
Danni was one of the few who could speak telepathically from a great distance. She’d been given the gift when she was changed into a Scar at the Stream of Hell in Zugarramurdi a couple years ago.
“Shit. Danni doesn’t know Abby is alive.” I stopped my approach when Abby sniffed the air then hissed.
Xamien scowled. “Jasper, what the fuck are you doing?”
Jasper’s jade eyes squinted, as if in concentration. “Asking Danni a couple questions. Not liking her answers.” He peered at Xamien, shaking his head. “Damn, man, he is going to kill you when he finds out.”
“What’s he talking about, Xamien?” I asked.
Red dots blazed in the center of Abby’s eyes and her stance was that of a cat ready to pounce. I froze.
“I heard Damien was locked away, Abby,” Jasper said.
“Christ. Never ask Jasper to be a negotiator,” I muttered.
“He never negotiates, kitten. They’re dead before it gets to that. This is a new thing for him.” Xamien moved forward when Abby’s attention turned to Jasper. Her head tilted to the side, as if she were trying to remember something.
Jasper continued. “Babe, Damien’s coming to see you.”
The moment the words were out of his mouth, I reached Max and pulled her up against my chest, then dragged her unconscious body toward the door.
“Jesus. Did you have to lie to her?” I said. “Wow, Xamien, your friend’s an ass.”
“I never lie, babe. Danni is telling Damien that this witch vamp is here. Done deal.”
“What?” Both Xamien and I shouted.
“Why the hell would you do that?” I asked.
Xamien sighed. “Because Jasper doesn’t believe in prisoners. That’s why I never told him Abby was here.”
“Not true. I’m good with a willing female prisoner.”
I snorted, not liking Jasper one bit.
Xamien made his way to me, but Abby was interested in what Jasper had to say so she wasn’t paying attention to us. Xamien lifted Max up into his arms and we backed away.
“Can you make it out without harming her?” Xamien asked Jasper.
Xamien passed Max to Glunk and he disappeared down the stairs. “Max is safe, Jasper. Get out.”
When Abby turned to look for Max on the floor, she went wild. Her eyes dilated, her nose scrunched up in anger, and she screamed. Jasper used his telekinesis to send a lounge chair into the back of her legs, and Abby crashed to the floor.
“This chick deserves to be killed or set free,” Jasper said as he walked out the door while Abby struggled to disentangle herself from the chair.
The door slammed and Xamien turned the key just as her body banged against it. Abby hissed while her fists pounded on the door.
“What the fuck?” Jasper said. “This is wrong. You get me, Xamien? Fuckin’ wrong.”
Xamien sighed. “It’s been months since she’s done anything. I was even considering taking the lock off the door. I can’t understand why she’d attack Max.”
“She’s a fuckin’ prisoner. The attitude comes with the territory.”
I touched Xamien’s forearm. “We have bigger problems, thanks to your friend here.”
Jasper’s dark brows rose. “Suspect this was Waleron’s doing. He should’ve executed her. Guy needs to learn how to not let his emotions get in the way of what needs to be done.”
I snorted.
Jasper didn’t stop giving his opinions. “Guessing Damien will be causing a scene right about now. And he’ll be here in… oh, I’d say nine, ten hours if he can get a flight that quick.” Jasper shook his head at the door as Abby’s fists continued to pound. “Fuck, man, just kill her.”
I already didn’t like the guy. “Wrong or not, Waleron will have your ass. And it wasn’t only him, you know—Abby never wanted Damien to see her this way.”
Jasper shrugged, then went downstairs.
“I’ll try to reach Waleron,” Xamien said. “But first I need to check on Max.”
As we walked down the stairs, the haunting sounds of Abby’s cries vibrated the very foundation and I wondered if maybe Jasper was right.
“Damien.”
Danni’s voice infiltrated my shields as I grabbed my weapons to hunt Tarek.
“What the fuck do you want?” The only woman I’d ever tolerated was Abby. The little witch had been sassy, sweet, and sexy as hell. She was also fuckin’ dead.
“She’s alive. Abby’s alive. Waleron took her to Spain. To Xamien’s.”
I stopped, my knife slipping from my grip to clatter onto the hardwood floor. No. I was hearing voices again. Fuck, I really was going insane. Hearing shit in my head that I wanted to be true.
“Damien. Please, say something. Balen is on his way to the Talde house. Don’t do anything. Wait for him, okay?”
I swayed, reaching for the wall, and used it to keep myself upright. Jesus, I couldn’t breathe. Short gasps of air, chest rising and falling as I bowed my head and tried to grasp what she was telling me.
Sweet, tortured words. Impossible words.
A spike drove through the top of my head to the floor, keeping me in place.
The venom of betrayal mocked. And at the same time, the sweet fuckin’ hope.
Abby had died. Executed.
How was it possible? She’d walked away from me with her executioner, Waleron. She was a half vampire now. Dangerous.
Fuck, why wouldn’t she contact me if she was alive?
Palms flat against the wall, I banged my head into it so hard drywall crumbled to the floor.
“Fuck. Abby,” I growled as the conflicting emotions drilled into me. The relief and sudden, unexpected joy clashed with the betrayal and agony of knowing she’d been alive and never come to me.
Spain. She was in Spain. Xamien. Goddamn Xamien.
“Nooooo!” I plowed my fist through the wall as a scream bellowed from my throat.
I detonated into a million fragments of a tortured man. My fingers raked at the holes as I ripped the wall apart with my bare hands.
Uncontrollable desperation to see her mixed with the urge to kill everyone who had deceived me.
“Damien? What the hell, man?” Jedrik said as he ran into the living room with Ryker close behind.
“Stay back.” Ryker grabbed Jedrik’s arm.
The front door burst open and Balen charged into the room, skidding to a stop. “Damien, fuck, we didn’t know.”
The room spun and I grabbed my head with my hands. “Shut the fuck up.” Lies. Fuckin’ lies. They’d kept me locked up for months, afraid of what I’d do, but really it had been to make certain Abby was hidden from me.
She lived. The little witch who’d flirted with me in the grocery store. The girl I’d fucked until the wee hours of the morning then couldn’t forget when I left for Florida. The woman I’d spent months with, trying to stop her from transitioning into a vampire. The woman who’d carried my child in her womb.
The fuckin’ beautiful woman I loved. The woman my goddamn Ink loved.
She was alive. She was fuckin’ alive.
“Why?” My voice was haggard and unrecognizable.
Fuck this. I wasn’t waiting to hear more lies. I picked up the leather chair in my way and threw it across the room, straight at the bay window.
Glass shattered and crashed to the floor as the chair went flying through it.
A shattered roar escaped my lungs as I stood blazing with unadulterated fury.
Balen approached me. “Damien, the jet is in England to pick up Hack, but I booked you on the first commercial flight,” he said. “If you leave now, you can make it.”
Keir entered the room, his expression a mask of coldness, mouth firm, temples throbbing as he looked from me to the broken window. “Waleron will pay for that. This is his fault, keeping shit from us,” Keir said. He turned to Jedrik. “Get him to the airport. He can’t fuckin’ drive like that.”
I shot Keir a glare, but the fucker was right and that pissed me off more. I shoved Jedrik out of the way and walked past him out the front door.