Rylee Adamson: Blind Salvage Part 17

"Yes, he's on this side of the veil, close too. f.u.c.k, that is the last thing we need," she muttered as she loosened up a sword from her back.

Liam stepped back and shifted the crossbow so that it was angled and ready to be used. He would only make a full shift to wolf if he had to.

Focusing on his sense of smell, he did his best to block the other scents and zeroed in on Faris. The vampire was nowhere close, and he hadn't been this way. All Liam could pick up was Pamela and Berget's scents.

"You know who took her," he said softly, not wanting to hurt Rylee, but knowing that they had to discuss tactics. That was the only way they were going to get in and get out with them all in one piece.

Rylee's back stiffened, but she didn't turn around. "Yes."

"Then we have to talk about this. She will use Pamela as a bargaining chip to get you to do what she wants."

She exploded, spinning on her heel to face him, eyes bright with anger. "What the f.u.c.k, you think I don't know that? There is nothing I can do about it right now. I will do what I have to do to get Pamela back."

His body chilled, his blood running cold.

That was what he was afraid of.

The castle seemed endless and it didn't take me long to wish we'd brought something to mark the stone with. Alex followed Pamela's scent for close to half an hour before he froze at the head of an intersection. His whole body stiffened and a long low snarl rippled out of him; even the hair along his spine bristled up.

I yanked my second sword out. Whatever it was that Alex was picking up on was about to have a very bad day.

Liam moved up to my side, crossbow lifted and ready to shoot.

"Alex, what is it?" I kept my voice as low as possible.

Both of the boys answered at the same time.

"Faris."

The vampire stepped out from around the corner of the intersection, as if he were waiting to be announced, his hands lifted to the air. "It seems that you did not get my message, since the messenger has been s.n.a.t.c.hed." His bright blue eyes were hooded, lazy, and I could feel him try to bespell me. Something he'd not done for some time.

I stared at the hollow of his throat and lifted my swords so they lined up with his neck. "I don't have time for your games. So get the f.u.c.k out of my way."

He gave us a mocking bow, sweeping his arm forward. "Be my guest, take on your precious little sister on your own. See how far it gets you. Wait, you've done that once already, haven't you? Remind me again how that went?"

I clenched my swords and lifted my eyes to his, fury keeping me safe from the lure of his eyes. Now they were just eyes, nothing special.

Liam took a step, placing himself in front of me. "What was the message for Rylee?"

Faris laughed, a chuckle really, but he seemed truly amused. "Simple. I want to make a deal with her. I want her to Track for me. I do believe we've already agreed that Berget taking control of the vampire nation would be a very bad idea."

"I'm not helping you," I snapped, moving so that Liam was to the side of me. Alex moved with me, and though he was no longer snarling, his teeth were bared and the fur along his spine hadn't lowered.

"f.u.c.kity f.u.c.ker," the werewolf grumbled, snapping his teeth once for emphasis.

Faris looked from Alex to me, blinking several times. "And she shall teach the submissive to stand. I wasn't sure it was going to be you, Rylee. I truly wasn't."

This was not the time to get into prophecies. Pamela needed us. I put my back to the wall and slid along it. "Alex, which way did Pam go?"

He took a couple long drags from the floor and then he started forward.

"Liam, let's go."

Liam backed toward me, never taking his eyes off Faris. "You don't want to kill him?"

"I do, I just don't have the time right now."

Faris clapped three times, condescension in his every movement. "You will regret this."

I flipped him off. "Regret not killing you? You've got that right, you monkey-sucking taint jockey."

His blue eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't hang around ogres, it will be bad for their health."

We slid around the corner and he was out of sight, though most definitely not out of mind.

"Jack warned you they would fight over you, that's what he said, isn't it?" Liam and I continued to walk backward, our eyes trained on where Faris would come from if he were to attack us.

"Yes, he said that's why he got sick, because he wouldn't work for them." Jack had no one in his life to use as leverage, so they'd used his health against him. At least, that's what he'd told me. This was what I got for caring about other people, and this was why I hated the soft emotions. They caused nothing but grief.

We walked like that for another thirty feet before I b.u.mped into Alex.

"Pamie through there," he said, a whine escaping him, whatever tough guy exterior he'd had slipping back behind his submissive nature.

I turned to see a thin door, maybe a foot across at the most, with a large, ornate doork.n.o.b in the shape of a skull. I looked closer. The skull had a perfect set of miniature fangs. Nice touch.

Without waiting, I opened the door and Tracked Pamela. The faintest whisper of her threads responded to me. "This is it."

Liam put a hand out, blocking me. "I'll go first, you next."

Alex pointed at himself. "Then Alex?"

Liam gave him a nod. "Yes, you come through last, guard the rear."

There was no point in waiting, we stepped through the doorway, the veil twisting and wrapping around us before spitting us out on the other side. We stepped across the threshold into a beautiful room, done all in white, creams and gold. There was a bigger than king-sized bed, covered with pillows and pale pink rose petals.

Alex grabbed my legs and whimpered. "Bad, bad, bad."

I looked to Liam as his face drained of color. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what the h.e.l.l they were picking up on. I stared around the room, tried using my second sight, but there was nothing to see, nothing hidden from me.

Pamela was close, really close, maybe a few hundred feet down and to the right. I turned slowly, pinpointing her with ease. But before I could take a step in her direction, Liam barred my way with his arm.

"This is worse than bad, Rylee." He shook his head as if to clear it. For Alex to be spooked was something of an every day occurrence. But for Liam to be so spooked? That did not bode well.

"What is it?"

He swallowed hard and looked around the room. "It shouldn't be this clean, not for what I'm smelling."

s.h.i.t on a stick, where the h.e.l.l had we ended up? I walked to the bed, though Liam sounded as if he were choking with each step I took. I trailed my hand on the cream blanket, picked up a rose petal. Soft and squishy ... I lifted it higher, my gorge rising into my throat.

They weren't rose petals, they were pieces of skin peeled and shaped to resemble rose petals. I threw it down onto the bed. It didn't matter where we were, or what had gone on, we needed to get Pamela and get the h.e.l.l out of there.

I strode toward the oversized double doors that led out of the room, twisted the handle and stepped into the hallway.

While I couldn't be sure, if I was a betting kind of gal, I'd say we were back in Venice, below the city.

Back in the nest of vampires. d.a.m.n it all to h.e.l.l and back, this was the worst kind of deja vu.

A scream, high-pitched and violent, echoed down the hallway and Alex bolted past me. "Pamie!"

I leapt after him, Liam right behind me. There was no thought as to what we were running into, there couldn't be, not with her screams echoing in our ears. Alex galloped down the carpeted hallway, putting distance between us.

"Keep up with him!" I shouted at Liam, as a vampire's servant stepped in front of us. How did I know it was a servant and not a vampire? The b.a.s.t.a.r.d was missing an arm. I'd fought him once before and obviously needed to finish him off. I brought my sword up in an arc that removed his other arm. He fell to his knees and sucked in a lungful of air to shout or scream. It didn't matter.

On the back swing, I took his head.

I didn't stop to wipe my blades, just ran. Alex was gone from sight, but we were close now. Curving around a corner, we ran down a single flight of stairs, skidding to a stop as we hit the ballroom that we'd escaped only weeks ago.

Motherf.u.c.king pus buckets, I did not want to be here. In a matter of heartbeats, I took the scene in.

Like an arena, there were vampires in a semi-circle around the main event, their faces intent on the spectacle before them. In the center, Pamela stood with her legs apart, hands stretched out in front of her, and a snarl on her lips as she poured out her magic. She was cut and bruised, her hair was a mess, but she was at least alive and still standing. And Berget, she stood there, c.o.c.ky and sure of herself, one hand on her hip, a golden gown clinging to her curves while she almost nonchalantly batted Pamela's magic away.

My sister acted as if she was truly just at a gala event and not in a fight. Alex stood between them, his back to Pamela, his face a wicked visage of teeth and fury that for once, didn't seem out of place on him.

Before I could do anything though, a crossbow bolt flew from behind me, catching Berget in the middle of her chest. Blood blossomed over the shimmering golden material, but Berget barely flinched. Liam cursed under his breath.

I yanked the three firebombs out and threw them toward the onlookers. The fire burst open, clinging to anything and everything. Screams erupted out of the melee, and most of Berget's shadows fled.

Berget turned her face toward us as she flicked her hand toward Pamela. The young witch dropped to her knees, panting for air, her head lowered.

"Sister." Berget took a few steps toward me, a smile on her lips that I didn't trust for one second. "I'm so glad you could come. I need to speak to you about a deal." She flicked her fingers and Pamela went flying toward her, caught by Berget with a single hand. My sister clutched Pamela to her chest, so that Pamela faced us. Son of a b.i.t.c.h, how the h.e.l.l was I going to get Pamela away from her?

Berget, Child Empress, drew them both back closer to the throne. Her smile, tight with anger, only made her look less like the Berget I'd seen in my unconscious state. She looked like she was about to throw a temper tantrum.

I glared at her, steeling myself for what I was going to have to do. With a slow, precise movement, I lifted my swords, my intent clear. I might not be able to say it, but I would do it. I had to.

She's not Berget; just remember that.

Easier said than done. Berget's blue eyes widened and she put a hand to Pamela's throat, squeezing just enough to get Pamela to react.

Berget tipped her head again to the side. "You would kill me?"

"Let her go," I said, walking toward them.

She tipped her head from side to side, not shaking it, but touching it to her shoulders, back and forth. Her eyes clouded and the blue faded to a shimmering green. The color of the late Empress' eyes. Doran hadn't been kidding about where Berget's powers had come from. When she spoke, her voice had a lilting accent to it, one that was most definitely not her own.

"I will kill her one day, but not today if you agree to help me. You are a Tracker, and the prophecies state that you must help me find the last of the Blood."

Of course, maybe if things had been just between me and Berget, maybe I could have convinced her. Or at least I would have had a better chance than with what happened next.

Faris strolled into the ballroom, taking us full circle. h.e.l.l, the only difference was this time Alex was with us. I glanced down at him. He'd moved back to stand with me and Liam, but he hadn't gone back to being submissive; he still had his teeth bared and he continually grumbled under his breath.

"Bad, bad, yuppy doody, bad."

Berget's hold on Pamela tightened. "Well, isn't this lovely, we're all back together again."

Faris held up one hand, as if he was going to beseech her. "I wouldn't say that. You have not a single vampire here with you. Only servants. That is a rather large change."

Her eyes narrowed and her hand tightened on Pamela's throat. d.a.m.n it all, what was he trying to do, get Pamela killed?

But his words made me take a quick look around. h.e.l.l fire, he was right. None of those who stood with her were vampires, but servants. The differences were subtle, darker skin, their movements were slower, and their eyes had zero hypnotic effect. Things I'd learned after my last encounter with them.

Servants. Only mildly easier to kill than a true vampire. That explained the effectiveness of the firebombs.

"Berget." I lifted my sword, pointing it at her head. "Let her go. You asked me to save you, but I can't save you if you keep putting those I love at death's door."

With a laugh, she pushed Pamela to her knees. "I never asked you to save me. And what would you save me from? A life of power? A life where I ruled the world of the supernatural and the humans?"

I stepped closer, my sword tip never wavering. "Yes. I would save you from those things." G.o.ds be d.a.m.ned, I would fight for those I loved time and again, no matter how much they hurt me.

A flaw that would likely get me killed, but for the first time, I truly embraced it. She was my sister, and I would fight for her until I could fight no more.

Where there is life, there is hope. I hated cliches. Even when they were true.

Her hand tightened on Pamela until her face went bright red. "I will kill her if you take a step closer."

Pamela lashed out, yanking the bowie knife from her back and slashing Berget across the face. An arc of blood spurted out across Pamela's shirt, splattering her in a brilliant red splash. But Berget didn't flinch, just reached out and s.n.a.t.c.hed the knife from Pamela, acting as if it hadn't happened. As her face healed up, I realized that for her, in a way, it hadn't happened. It was an inconsequential moment in her life.

We were so screwed.

Tense, I stared my little sister down. "I will kill you if you end her life. No matter what is between us, Sister."

Another truth, the dark side of the same coin; I would kill her if she killed Pamela.

"Then we are at a standoff. One where no one wins, everyone dies, and the world goes on as it was." Berget tossed her hair. "Completely unacceptable."

"I agree."

We all turned to the newcomer who stepped into the room to the far left of us.

Milly, dressed all in black with a long dark green cloak that brushed the ground.

What. The. f.u.c.k.

She lifted her hands and a bolt of lightning slammed between Pamela and Berget, sending Pamela skidding across the floor to Milly's feet. Milly bent and pulled the girl upright.

"Rylee, I see you're up to your neck again," she said, never looking my way.

I managed to get my shock under control. "Same old, same old."