Varick
The moment Selena jumped, everything changed.
The auditorium was a raucous of cheering and all the while I stood, silently watching, praying she'd make it. I'd hoped that Kite would make it too, that she would reach the finish line before Selena. Because what awaited her now as the winner of the game, didn't bear thinking about.
Mercy had tried to corner me more than once, but if she was planning on giving me up to her father, she didn't yet show it. Which meant I had a little more time. And I was going to use it wisely.
When Selena was brought inside, forced into a coma and taken for medical attention, I knew I had to face Mercy at last.
Returning from the helipad, I found her in the auditorium, plucked her from a group of men and led her into the corridor.
She delivered me a dark scowl.
“You promised me you'd kill her,” she hissed.
“Yeah, about that-” I slammed my hand against her throat, thrusting her back against the wall.
She gasped, clawing at my arm to try and escape.
“You tell your father that I helped her, and I'll tell him you have a thing for Vampires.” I released my grip on her throat so she could answer and she spluttered, “He'll never believe you.”
I smashed her back against the wall. “Want a bet?” I snarled, willing to gamble my life on this. “I'll Charm every man I can, force them into thinking they saw us together. I'll plant my memories in their heads. Show them you had your hands all over me. Which isn't untrue, is it Mercy?”
She gasped, shaking her head. “You wouldn't.”
I released her throat and she sagged forward, coughing.
I waited for her to recompose herself and she stood up straighter, her brow furrowing. “Fine, I won't tell,” she sighed.
I nodded, turning from her but she caught my wrist. I glanced back and her expression became vulnerable. “So you never liked me?”
I shook her off, grimacing. “You repulse me.” I marched away, hoping she'd keep her word. I didn't much care at that moment, forcing Mercy to the back of my mind as I headed in the direction of Selena.
I descended to the dungeons which the Helsings had converted into a high-tech prison, capable of holding Vampires. A low blue light illuminated the long corridors, each filled with rows of cells. Silver bars kept the Vs in individual pens, above which were sunlamps, capable of roasting a V alive if they stepped a toe out of line. A memory crawled over me as I recalled being held here myself.
Personnel were rushing around as Vs were rounded up from the island, ushered into their cages. I grimaced as I paced past them, keeping my attention on Selena.
As I approached the final cells, I spotted Ignus there with Ulvic, prodding something in a cage. The black wolf from the island became visible behind the iron bars. Ulvic pressed a needle into its neck before two men heaved it into one of the V chambers. Exiting the cell, they released the hatch on its cage with a long pole.
The wolf launched at the bars, the silver doing nothing to it as it snapped its jaws around it, saliva flying everywhere.
“Why isn't it working?” Ignus demanded, rounding on Ulvic.
“Give it a minute,” he insisted, folding his arms.
I moved past them, going unnoticed as I slipped toward the science labs. Ignus conducted all manner of horrors in these laboratories. It wasn't a place I liked to spend time, but Selena had been taken here for medical attention. And nothing would stop me from seeing her now.
I knocked on the door of the room she was being held in, hearing the comforting sound of her heartbeat in my ears. A nurse was with her and I backed up as the woman marched from the room.
“She's not awake yet,” she told me, adjusting the collar on her white overcoat.
“How much longer?” I demanded.
“I'm just about to remove the capsule from her neck, then I'll wake her up.” She rounded on me, her eyes flicking up and down. No one in the dungeons feared me. They dealt with Vs on a daily basis; this woman had probably done unspeakable things to them.
“As you're here, you might as well donate some blood for the healing process.”
I ripped back my sleeve as she produced a vial. She moved toward me with a needle – silver tipped so it could penetrate my skin – but instead of letting the repellent woman touch me, I ripped open my wrist with my teeth. The blood dripped into the vial and she left me to it, returning to the room.
My skin healed over before the vial was filled and I had to slit it open twice more to finish the job.
The nurse – if you could call her that – returned for the blood and I tried to follow her into the room, but she slammed the door in my face.
I snarled, my patience wearing thin. I started pacing outside the room, grinding my jaw, growing desperate to see her.
I was filled with purpose for the first time in hundreds of years. My life had meaning again. And Selena was at the root of it all. Why the girl affected me so much, I had no clue. But I was fixated, in awe of her and all that she'd done. Did she have any idea how implausible it was that she was still here? Having passed more trials than any person should in their life.
The fact that I'd kissed her continued to play on my mind. I hadn't felt desire for a girl since I'd been changed. I didn't know it was possible. But even if I were blind, I couldn't miss the light of her. She shone with the power of a thousand suns, brightening the shadowy corners of my black heart, perhaps even enough to return to me the ability to love.
The door opened and my heart stopped.
“You can go in now,” the nurse said, stepping aside.
Suddenly I was rooted to the spot. Would Selena even want to see me? After everything that had happened to her, what if she blamed me now? And why wouldn't she? I'd had a hand in all of the pain she'd been through. I'd been there every step of the way, giving her directions, weapons, maps.
My heart seemed to freeze over.
“Varick?” the nurse prompted and I crept toward the doorway.
I decided then, even if she despised me, I had to see her.
One last time.