Blood Shadows (51 page)

Removing her rucksack and clutching it to her chest, she’d gazed out of the back-seat window as she’d been driven even further from all she’d ever known.

Blackthorn was everything she’d imagined it to be and worse. Driven through the dark dismal streets, her beloved vibrant-green spaces and sporadically spaced houses had been replaced with a sprawling mass of compacted, characterless buildings. Noise boomed out from neon lit basements and shop fronts. Pollution merged with the stagnant smell of street-sold food. The over-filled streets were chaotic with people milling and partying, queues stretching back along the streets. People laughed, tussled and argued as noise poured from every open window, alley and recess.

She’d tried not to stare at the people lingering in doorways and on corners, something she never witnessed in Summerton. People back there had pleasant homes to go to, purposes. Now the sanctuary of home felt a million miles away and the phone call from Alisha like a dissipating nightmare.

The minute the Mercedes had slowed outside a nightclub, the crowds having parted to reveal an alleyway, fear had consumed her.

As she’d stepped out, Hade at least having the manners to open the door for her, her legs had nearly given way. Pulling her rucksack back on, she’d taken a deep steadying breath, a cold spray of rain hitting her upturned face as she’d told herself for the fiftieth time that she could do this.

Now, still clenching the straps of her rucksack, her attention switched from the dreary stories above back to Hade.

He cocked his head towards the open fire-exit doors and she followed him inside.

They stepped into a dimly lit corridor, the bulks behind keeping so close that she was virtually frogmarched along the concrete tunnel.

She followed Hade down one corridor then another, through double doors after double doors, Hade only stopping to key in security codes. Keeping a firm grip on her rucksack straps, the weight of the book and her Kit Box starting to tug, her five-foot-six-inch strides were no match for the swift and purposeful march of the six-footers escorting her.

The music gradually evaporated into the distance, the density of the corridors making her ears thrum. As Hade led her into a stone stairwell, they finally hit a wall of silence. He nodded to the bulks, both of who promptly turned back the way they came, leaving Leila and him alone.

She glanced anxiously into the darkness above before following Hade up the steps, the low square heels of her boots scuffing against stone as they climbed three floors.

Passing through a final door and stepping out into another dim corridor, Hade stopped outside the lone elevator and keyed in a code.

Entering first, Leila backed up and clutched the handrail behind her. Despite taking slow, steady breaths as they ascended, her breathing involuntarily became shallow again as the doors slid open.

‘Is this it?’ she asked, still clutching the handrail as Hade stepped out into a broad hallway.

‘Sure is.’

‘And my sister’s here?’

He gave her a single nod.

‘I’ll want to see her before I do anything,’ she said.

‘That’s up to Caleb.’

‘Is that who I’m meeting – Caleb? Is he the one who has my sister?’

‘He’s also the one who doesn’t like to be kept waiting. And tonight less than ever, so I suggest you move.’

Reluctantly, she uncoiled her damp palms and stepped out.

The hallway was surprisingly luxurious. The richness of the dark cream walls was deepened by the soft glow of the elegant, cast-iron wall lights. The dark floorboards were highly polished, the blue and gold runners plump and soft under foot.

Hade stopped at the ornate, mahogany double doors at the end and keyed in another code. As the doors clicked open, her tension surged as she followed him inside.

The extensive open-plan room was immaculate. Four broad oak steps led down to three black leather sofas positioned in a horseshoe central to the expanse. A low glass coffee table segregated the sofas, a large flat-screen television marking the opening. Mid-way on each wall to her left and right were hallways that mirrored each other – seemingly wings to opposite sides of the building. Dominating the top right-hand corner of the room was a highly polished mahogany bar. Straight ahead, glass doors opened out onto a generous stone terrace, the late night breeze inciting the voile to momentarily mask the otherwise unspoiled view across the district.

Hade led the way down the steps into the dimly lit surroundings. ‘Wait here,’ he said before taking the hallway to the left, marching down to the door at the end.

Leila wrapped her cardigan and jacket tight around herself. Folding her arms, she took a couple of steps forward. She glanced down the silent corridor where Hade had disappeared, peered out onto the terrace before turning to the hallway to her right as she searched for any sign of her sister.

She felt him before she saw him, the physical presence behind striking her sixth sense. The sudden chill was encapsulating, the tension excruciating. She had to turn around – like a tiny mammal knowing the bird of prey was looming above, Leila had to look.

From the way her hackles had risen, she would have pitched him at over seven-foot tall with the physique of a heavyweight wrestler, but the male that stood behind her was maybe just short of six foot. Absent of bulk, his lithe body was nonetheless clearly honed and powerful beneath his fitted, short-sleeved grey shirt.

Her attention was immediately drawn to his perfectly toned forearms and biceps by the black tattoo scrolling out from beneath his left sleeve, another coiling up around the right side of his neck. His handsome face was framed by dark hair cut close around his neck and ears. Loose bangs scraped his low straight eyebrows and emphasised his intoxicating dark-framed eyes. If he was human she would have guessed him to be in his mid-thirties.

Leila caught her breath, a warm flush engulfing her as his vibrant green eyes fixed pointedly on hers – eyes encased by thick, dark lashes that only exacerbated their intensity – eyes that were sharp, intelligent, astute and merciless.

The eyes of a vampire.

She could feel it as clearly as if she were holding a white-hot coal.

As those vampire eyes assessed her slowly and purposefully from toes up to eyes, she instinctively took a step back and clutched the straps of her rucksack again.

His sullen gaze pinned her to the spot as their eyes met again, the flush of trepidation and excitement flooding her. Amidst the dim surroundings, the breeze from the open doors stirring his hair, he looked utterly preternatural to the point of being hypnotic. He was every inch the vampire and every inch the last thing that should be considering remotely appealing.

Leila forcibly snapped herself from her daze, berating herself as she reminded herself of where she was and why she was there. More to the point, of what he was and that it was him who was clearly holding Alisha for ransom. ‘Where’s my sister?’

‘Show me the book,’ Caleb said, a sexy rasp exacerbating his surly tone.

‘Tell me she’s all right.’

‘Alisha’s fine.’

‘Prove it.’

‘The book first.’

Leila tightened her grip on her shoulder straps. ‘If you want it, you let me see her.’

The tension in the room nearly squeezed the life-breath out of her as Caleb narrowed his eyes. She took another wary step back, dropping her hands from her rucksack ready to defend herself.

He held his penetrating gaze on her for an uncomfortable second longer than was necessary before he looked across at Hade and cocked his head towards the hallway behind.

Hade nodded then disappeared from sight, reappearing seconds later with a small figure.

She looked tired, worn and tearful, with no characteristic mischievous bounce in her brown eyes. Alisha stayed perfectly still a few feet away, her gaze on Leila hesitant.

Leila heaved with relief but as she stepped forward to greet her, Caleb caught her by the upper arm with a grip that was powerful, commanding. Electricity pulsated through her, the impact of his touch startling her to stillness.

‘Do what you came here to do,’ he said. ‘Reunion later.’

Leila’s gaze snapped to his as she instinctively tried to pull her arm from his steady grip. ‘And then what?’

Alisha broke the silence. ‘Just do as he says, Leila. Please.’

Leila glanced across to her.

‘Please,’ Alisha pleaded more quietly, her wide eyes reddened from crying.

Leila wavered for only a moment longer before pulling away from Caleb. She slipped her rucksack from her shoulders and unzipped the main compartment. She slid out the book and tentatively, grudgingly, held it out for him.

Caleb flicked through the pages then looked back at her. ‘You can read this, right?’

She didn’t dare tell him she was a little out of practice nor that she had never, technically, carried out any of the spells at all. But she nodded. ‘Yes.’

Handing the book to Hade, he stepped up to her.

Leila instinctively backed up against the sofa, her heel catching the base as she grasped the soft leather. Warily holding his gaze, she knew she’d strike back if she had to, but she wasn’t stupid enough to instigate it. And she wasn’t stupid enough to jeopardise Alisha. A little bit of humility had to be the order of the day, the rest she’d work out from there.

‘And you can perform the spell?’ he asked.

‘Yes.’

He grabbed her wrist, holding up her protest rings – one gracing her thumb, the other her little finger – engraved silver bands that danced in the artificial light. Bands that were the ultimate sign of defiance against the social acceptance of his kind.

He barely looked at them as his eyes narrowed on hers. ‘Your sister assures me you’re smart, but you coming here with these makes me think otherwise.’

Leila tried to pull her wrist away but he held it fast, his closeness exacerbating the subtle scent of alcohol and smoke that mingled intoxicatingly with the musky woody undertones of his aftershave. ‘I’m not going to hide how I feel just because I’m here.’

There was a hint of an amusement in his eyes, but it never reached his lips. ‘I hear you’re not our biggest fan.’

Her unease escalated as he searched her eyes. A light perspiration swept over her. He couldn’t know what she was – not just by looking.

She held her breath, her heart throbbing painfully. The flutter of excitement she felt in her chest disturbed her. But she forced herself with every iota of willpower not to look away from those intimidating green eyes. Worse still, behind the aesthetics there was something more than the emptiness she expected – something beyond soulless, heartless windows. Within those eyes that should have looked dead, there was something deep, poignant and entrancing.

Heat rushed between her legs She swallowed harder than she would have liked, hating the way her body responded immediately to his. She knew it was wrong – deeply and horribly wrong on too many levels. But she still found her gaze wandering down to the top two unfastened buttons of his shirt, a gap that revealed a tantalizing glimpse of smooth, honed chest. She lingered on his masculine bow lips, his strong jaw, before sliding back up over his perfectly formed nose to his eyes. Beautiful eyes that lingered coaxingly on hers for another uncomfortable couple of seconds before he finally pulled away.

‘Let’s do this,’ he said, retrieving the book from Hade before leading the way back down the hallway.

• CHAPTER ONE
  
• CHAPTER TWO
  
• CHAPTER THREE
  
• CHAPTER FOUR
  
• CHAPTER FIVE
  
• CHAPTER SIX
  
• CHAPTER SEVEN
  
• CHAPTER EIGHT
  
• CHAPTER NINE
  
• CHAPTER TEN
  
• CHAPTER ELEVEN
  
• CHAPTER TWELVE
  
• CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  
• CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  
• CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  
• CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  
• CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  
• CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  
• CHAPTER NINETEEN
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  
• CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  
• CHAPTER THIRTY
  
• CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  
• LETTER FROM LINDSAY J. PRYOR
  
• BLOOD ROSES
  
• CHAPTER ONE