Court of the Vampire Queen: Part 2 – Chapter 27

“We’ll talk about it later—about all of it later. Right now we need to move.” Rylan plucks me off Malachi’s lap, gives my bloody front an exasperated look and fixes my dress again.

I consider objecting that I’m not a doll to be moved around, but I also don’t want to have the demon deal conversation right now. If we need to move, then we need to move. Talking now just means we’ll be arguing for hours.

Rylan also shrugs out of his jacket and wraps it around me. “I’ll carry you.”

“Actually—”

“Wolf, I know you’re not planning on arguing with me after you just went behind both our backs with this demon. Shut your fucking mouth.”

For once, Wolf shuts his fucking mouth. He hauls Malachi up, and the bigger vampire looks much steadier on his feet. Not happy, but steadier.

Rylan shoves a hand through his hair. “Colorado. The house in the mountains.”

Wolf jolts. “That’s a long run.”

“We don’t have a choice. It’s the easiest to secure, and we need time to plan. Jumping states should give us a little more time.”

He doesn’t seem convinced. “They’ve found us at each place. It doesn’t matter how many layers of subterfuge the properties are hidden beneath; they’re able to link it back to us every time.”

“They won’t find this one. Not with who owns it.”

I frown. “Why?”

“This house is owned by a friend,” Rylan says. He scoops me into his arms. “We won’t travel the whole way on foot.” Without another word, he makes for the door. Apparently he’s of the same mind as I am; we need to move now and argue later.

He breaks into a run the second we leave the house. As tempting as it is to ask about what they learned from my father’s people, I force myself to be patient. It’s better to get it all out at once. Maybe when we reach the car…

But no one seems interested in talking once we reach the nondescript black truck waiting behind a gas station. Since Wolf and I are the smallest of the four, we climb into the backseat, and Rylan takes the wheel. Despite my best efforts, the events of the last couple days catch up with me. I lean my head against the cool glass and close my eyes, letting the icy silence roll over me. Sleep follows on its heels and drags me under.

Dawn is creeping over the sky when I open my eyes again. I’m laying down across the seat, my head in Wolf’s lap. He’s got his eyes closed, though I can’t tell if he’s actually sleeping. Vampires do need sleep, albeit significantly less than humans or dhampirs. Bloodline vampires even less so. That said, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen any of them catch more than an hour or two. Surely we’re all reaching our limits.

Maybe that’s why we’re headed up the mountain to this place that belongs to a friend of Rylan’s.

Wolf shifts his hand to my hair without opening his eyes. “We’re almost there.”

As tempting as it is to stay in this position and enjoy being casually touched by Wolf, curiosity is more powerful. I sit up and look out the window.

It’s like another world.

We’re on a narrow road, winding our way ever upward. On either side of us, the banks veer sharply down into canyons. Really, there’s barely room for our truck. If we see an oncoming vehicle, I’m not sure how we’ll navigate it without someone sliding off the road.

“This is the only road in and out,” Rylan says quietly. “The land is difficult terrain, even for vampires. You sensed your father’s people before anyone else did.”

My skin heats in something akin to embarrassment. “I don’t know how I did it. I’m half-sure I imagined it.”

“You didn’t.” This from Malachi. “We would have escaped safely, but your awareness gave us extra time.”

“I don’t know if I can replicate it.” If they’re putting their faith in me… As much as I crave being an equal part of this foursome, the reality is that for all my supposed power, I’m still doing the equivalent of learning how to walk. Some things I seem to be able to do on instinct, but that will only get me so far. “I don’t want to risk all our lives on the assumption that I can recreate something I don’t know how I did in the first place.”

“It will be fine.” Malachi sounds so damn sure, I kind of want to smack him. How dare he put so much unearned faith in me? If something happens to one of them because of it, I’ll never forgive myself.

I don’t get a chance to continue arguing because we round a bend and the house comes into view. House. The very term is laughable. It looks like a bunker built into the side of the mountain.

I squint. There are a handful of windows shining in the early morning sunlight, but even so it’s difficult to tell where the house ends and the mountain begins. “What is this place?”

“It’s safe. That’s the bottom line.”

Rylan’s answer isn’t much of an answer, but I suppose the relative safety is all that matters. I wonder if it protects against demons. The thought almost makes me laugh.

Rylan guides the truck to a cleverly hidden garage door that slides open to allow us in. When we drive through, the entire car is encased in darkness as the door shuts again. Rylan mutters something and then a low light flickers to life around the perimeter of the floor. It slowly gets brighter until I can see clearly. I pick out half a dozen vehicles, ranging from luxury cars that must be horrifically expensive to something that might get mistaken for a military tank. “Interesting friend you have.”

“You could say that.”

We pile out of the truck and Rylan leads the way to the thick metal door. He keys in a code and the light flashes green. “We’ll go over security when we get settled.”

Inside, I expect something that feels military and spartan, but the door opens into a charming hallway with fountains running the length of it that give the impression of gentle waterfalls. The next door opens into a small room with several more doors. The thick rug swallows my footsteps and the furniture is all high end, but even I can see the advantage of the layout. Anyone coming in through the garage will be funneled into this room, which is a death trap. There’s no room to spread out, no room for tactical advantage for the advancing enemy. Rylan ignores the two doors on the right and leads us left.

Another long hall, another small room with a series of doors.

We do this three more times before we end up in a cozy living room with a giant fireplace and comfortably sturdy furniture. He motions around us. “This is the east wing. While I realize it’s not ideal to be in the one without windows, it’s safer than the west wing.”

“How deep are we?” I look at the ceiling, but it looks like any other ceiling in a nice, if expensive, home. There’s no sensation to suggest the press of earth, the weight of a mountain over the top of us.

“Deep enough that we don’t have to worry about someone trying to burrow here. It’s pure rock around us, so short of dynamite, it’s impenetrable. And we’ll hear dynamite before they ever get close enough to be a danger.”

It really is a bunker.

“The bedrooms and kitchen are through there.” He waves at the doors on the other side of the room. “We need to get cleaned up and feed Mina and then we’ll talk.”

Wolf stretches, his spine cracking loud enough to set my teeth on edge. “Slow down there, Alpha. There’s only one leader I accept in this merry little trio, and it’s not you.”

Trio?

Does that mean I’m outside the hierarchy? I don’t know how to feel about that. Then again, I don’t know how to feel about a lot that’s happened since awakening my power. Why should this be any different?

Malachi shakes his head. “He’s right. We’re covered in blood and Mina hasn’t eaten in…” He glances at me. “When?”

Damn, I was hoping he wouldn’t ask me. “I don’t remember.”

“Thought so.” He hooks an arm around my waist and half carries me to the center door. It leads into a room just as luxuriously appointed as the rest of this place. The bed is low to the ground and massive enough to fit several vampires Malachi’s size. An open doorway leads into the bathroom. There’s another of those clever waterfall walls and a shower with more shower heads than I can begin to know what to do with.

I brace myself for an argument. He’s clearly not happy with me; he hasn’t been happy with me since they identified the scent of brimstone and realized what Wolf and I have done. But Malachi just turns on the water and faces me. “Are you okay?”

“Yes.” It’s even the truth. I’m exhausted despite my nap in the car and my stomach is attempting to chew its way through my spine, but I’m as well as can be expected at this point. “Are you?”

He shrugs. “Things were a little more complicated than we expected, but we got the job done.” He pulls me beneath the water and sets about washing me with the minty soap available. I almost argue that I’m more than capable of washing myself, but there’s a fine tremor to Malachi’s touch. I don’t know if it’s rage, or lingering fear for my safety, or simply a faltering control, but I keep silent all the same. Especially since each pass of his hands over my skin seems to calm him. No doubt it’s more side effects by the bond.

When we’re both clean, Malachi leans down and presses his forehead to mine. “Don’t do that again.”

“Malachi—”

He keeps going before I can figure out what I’m trying to say. “Don’t endanger yourself. Not on our behalf.”

“Who says it was on your behalf? Maybe I did it so I could rid myself of the bond.”

“Mina. Little dhampir.” He leans back enough that he can hold my gaze. “It will happen again. Even if you manage to break it this time, the bond is part of being a seraph. I’m not leaving you. I’ll just end up bonded to you again.”

“No.” I try to jerk back, but he tightens his grasp just enough to keep me in place.

“You can’t run from this.”

“Then I just won’t fuck vampires. Simple solution.” It’s not simple and it’s not feasible, though. Not if I want to be heir and dispose of my father. Playing vampire politics will be challenging enough with a strong partner at my side. Alone? It’s just adding another layer of complications to the mix because they’ll vie for a place in my bed and resent me when I don’t give it to anyone.

Another trap.

Another choice, taken away.

I drag in a breath. “Please stop pushing me. I’m doing the best I can.”

“I know.” He wraps his arms around me and hugs me close. “I don’t say this to hurt you, little dhampir. You have to know the boundaries of the fight before you can set foot into the arena.”

From the moment we met, Malachi has expected so much of me. Again and again, he’s challenged me to find new ways to fight, to utilize every weapon at my disposal. “I’m tired.”

“I know.”

I allow myself to lean on him for five slow breaths. When I straighten, he releases me easily. I don’t feel more centered, but with each path that’s removed from my options, my intent becomes clearer. There really is no other way.

Back in the bedroom, I’m not even surprised to find the closet filled with a wide variety of clothing. A quick check confirms that it’s in both mine and Malachi’s size. I suspect the other rooms have the same for Rylan and Wolf. “I still don’t understand how you were able to outfit so many places on such short notice. Isn’t is a concern that doing so will draw my father’s notice since he’s hunting us?”

“We used an intermediary. He’s someone who isn’t a known ally to any of us.” Malachi motions at the room we currently occupy. “Though we didn’t use him for this one.”

Curiosity sinks its barbs into me. It’s such a welcome distraction from the constant cycle of desire and fear and anger that it leaves me breathless for a moment. After a brief internal debate, I pull on a pair of leggings, thick socks, and a knit sweater. “Will you tell me about the person who owns this house?”

“It’s not my story to tell.” He dresses as quickly as I did. I’m mildly amused to discover that his clothing options are more of the same—fitted pants and a loose white shirt. Malachi really is as eclectic as Wolf when it comes to his clothing, even if his style is more understated. Slightly. He turns toward the door. “But if you ask Rylan, he might tell you.”

“I will.” I follow Malachi back into the living room. One of the other men has got the fire going, and the cozy impression of this room only gets stronger with flames sending light dancing across the ceiling and walls.

Wolf is once again dressed in his customary trousers, suspenders, and graphic T-shirt. Rylan surprises me, though. I half-expected him to have a suit on, but he’s got lounge pants and a knitted sweater. His feet are bare. I stare at them for a long moment, my chest feeling strange. It’s such a small thing. Bare feet. People go barefoot all the time. I don’t know why the sight of Rylan’s bare feet has my heart beating oddly against my ribs.

I drag my gaze to the fire. A much safer subject.

Wolf claps his hands and rubs them together in something like glee. “Now. Let’s get down to it.”