CLUB NUMBER FIVE (Immortal Blood) (13 page)

“Do you mean Amber?” Her eyes laughed. I nodded, as it sounded close enough.

“Sure, I'll go get her.” She gave me a friendly smile and disappeared.

I slumped onto the floor and started to cry.

“Hey,” said a low, husky voice above me.

I lifted my eyes and saw the same woman who had opened the backdoor to the
C
lub for me
. She was fully clothed this time and her make-up wasn't so heavy, but the look in her eyes hadn't changed. She eyed me suspiciously, as if she knew I was trouble and hoped to see me gone. That was more than I could take. My lower lip started to tremble and I couldn't help the deep, long sobs coming out.

“Hey, it's okay,” the woman said and smiled carefully. “I didn't introduce myself last time. I'm Amber, and you are?”

“Sam,” I cried quietly.

“Okay, Sam.” Amber knelt before me and lifted my chin. “I think I don't have to repeat myself, but you're not allowed here.” My eyes widened. Was she going to kick me out? I opened my mouth to protest loudly, but she put her finger on my lips. “However, you're already in and clearly you have a good reason to be here, right?”

“Right,” I whispered.

She
got up and looked thoughtful. I held my breath. My fate was in her hands and I knew she knew that, too. I glanced at the other girl, who was standing behind Amber,
and she lifted
he
r thumb at me. I tried to smile
but couldn't. Amber was still quiet and I was too horrified to smile.

“Jo,” Amber finally said, “take our guest to my office and lock the door behind you.”

The girl called Jo nodded and came closer. She offered her hand to me and I took it. My legs shook as I got up and I was still crying, but at least I was still in. Jo hooked her arm into mine and started to walk towards the stairs.

“And, Jo,” Amber said
in warning
. Jo
look
ed at her. “Be sure no one sees her.”

Jo gave her a little nod an
d almost dragged me to the long
spiral stair
case
that led up
t
o the huge, trendy office. She shut the door and locked it. Then she took me by the hand and pushed me inside a toilet. I was going to protest, but the look she gave me was non-negotiable, so I decided to stand there and wait for her orders.

She put her hand on the wall and a hidden door opened. She glanced at me
in warning
and disappeared through the door. After a while she came back with a pile of clothes, a soft white towel, and a small toilet bag.

“Do you have any idea how bad you
smell?” She wrinkled her nose. “
Or how awful you look?”

I smiled wickedly and Jo returned it. “I had a date with a dead fish.” I giggled nervously and she backed away.

“Ew! Don't tell me any more!”

I took a step forward and she practically flew away. “What?” I shrugged, laughing. “I was just going to shut the door.”

After a long
hot shower I felt alive again. I stepped into the office, drying my hair with the towel, and collapsed onto the couch. Jo had left, but I didn't mind. The office looked more like a small living room and it was definitely a step up from my previous shelter. Someone had put some drinks on the table and I reached for the nearest one. It smelled divine. I took a small sip and moaned. It was blood all right, but it was mixed with something I didn't recognize. I got up slowly, put the goblet back on the table and changed it for another. Each one of the goblets was full of blood and each one smelled different. I felt like I was in a restaurant with all my favorite food in front of me. At first, I sipped carefully from each of the goblets, but then I went haywire and drank it all.
             

With my stomach full, I stepped closer to the wall, which was made of glass. I touched it. It felt cold. I could see my own image in it, but when I looked closer I realized it was a window that allowed me to see what was going on inside the club. And if I was right, I could watch as much as I liked without being seen. I stared at the busy people and hoped I could stay
t
here when they opened the
C
lub, but I didn't count on it. I had no illusions anymore and I knew instinctively that everyone who worked at the
C
lub, including Jo, was a vampire. I wasn't sure if I'd become wiser or if it was part of being a vampire, but I could easily identify my kind. One look and I knew. I rubbed my temples. I was grateful to Amber for the shelter, but I still didn't get why I couldn't go freely into the
C
lub. Why had she hidden me
t
here and didn't want anyone to see me? Sure, I understood it was a secret club, but so what? I was a vampire, too, so I deserved to be a member, right?

I swayed and fell back onto the couch. I was still exhausted and a bit scared. I was sure Dane would find me here eventually, and it didn't help that right now I could breathe freely. I knew it was only temporary. Jo had locked the door, so no matter how luxurious this room was, it was still a cage and all it took was for Dane to find the key. I was sure I would be safer among the people in the
C
lub, but Amber had made it absolutely clear I wasn't invited. Shoot! I knew I should trust her, but I couldn't. I'd met her once, so excuse me if I didn't trust the womanly ties between us. And I was sure everyone could be bought.

I lay
down and felt the soft leather under my cheek. I closed my eyes and the picture of soft golden hair and dark eyes flashed in my mind. I unwillingly sighed Dane's name and felt a dash of lust inside of me but, to my surprise, I managed to push it aside. Interesting. I wondered if I could do it when Dane was actually around me as well. Probably not. I sighed again and my eyes started to feel heavy. I didn't need as much sleep as before, but I enjoyed the feeling of lying down and resting my mind. Screw the other vampires if they thought I was a freak. I would sleep if I wanted. End of discussion.

I woke up hours later. Someone had put a blanket on me and lit a small fire in the fireplace. I also noticed the glassy decanter on the table and smelled the heavenly aroma of fresh blood.

Stretching my body voluptuously, I ordered myself to get up. I glanced at the window and, to my surprise, saw that the
C
lub was full of people. I put my hands on the glass and stared down.

Most of the people were dressed stylishly and looked filthy rich. The waiters, all dressed in black pants and tops, moved like ghosts among the guests, filling their glasses or listening to their quietly whispered wishes. I heard quiet music through the window and puckered my lips approvingly. Imogen Heap; how nice. At least someone here had good taste. I slid my gaze to the bar and sighed. Some good-looking guys were hanging out there, obviously trying to pick up company. They were leaning on the counter, which was made of dark wood and looked mostly just like any other bar. Behind the counter was a shelf full of bottles. Whiskey, liqueur, rum, you name
it, and if I didn't know better
I could have been fooled by the normalcy of the place. One of the boys waved at the bartender and whispered something to her. She laughed and picked a bottle from the shelf. Pouring what looked like vodka into the small glass, she conjured up another bottle
from
under the counter and mixed something in the boy's drink. I gasped. I didn't need to be closer to know she had just given him a blood cocktail. The boy raised his glass and emptied it with one gulp. Okay, maybe, just maybe, it was for my own good that the door was locked.

I followed some of the dancers with my eyes and froze. In the left corner sat a girl, not much older than me, and knelt in front of her was a man. To any human it would've looked like he was kissing the girl's arm, but I knew better. He was feeding from her. I pressed my nose to the window and took another look around the
C
lub. It was happening everywhere. A showgirl was sitting on a gentleman's lap with her arms around his neck and her wrist up to his mouth. A boy that looked like a cover model was dancing with a woman way older than himself, her lips on his neck. And in the arms of a shadow I saw a pool table and a man lying on it. He was wearing only black jeans and at least five vampir
es were feeding from him. Gross,
I cried silently and closed my eyes. At that moment I really hated myself, as I wanted nothing more than to go down there and sink my fangs into the snacks.

“Sam?” Jo's voice awakened me.

“Jo,” I cried and threw myself in her arms.

She didn't push me away. One look from the window and she understood completely how I felt.

“Come now.” She calmed me down. “It looks worse than it is.”

I stared at her. How could it be anything else than what I'd witnessed with my own eyes? How could she belittle it? The
C
lub was full of vampires who feasted on humans. She gave me a glass and I drank it in one gulp. She filled it again and I sniffed.

“Is that what I've become?” I whispered quietly. “A bloodthirsty monster who hunts people and gluts herself on their blood?”

“Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit?” Jo asked dryly. I knew I'd offended her, but I couldn't make myself take my words back.

She led me to the couch and sat next to me. Then she poured a glass of blood for herself and sighed. “Look, nobody's going to force you to do anything. You decide what you want to do and what you want to be. No one else. You.”

“Really? Well, I for sure will never want to be like them,” I blurted
out
.

Jo rolled her eyes. “Stop being so goody-goody, for Christ's sake! It's not so bad, and if it bothers you, why did you come here?” I shrugged and she shook her head tiredly. “Well, you know Amber, so have a little faith and believe me when I say that you got it all wrong. This is a respectable club, one of the finest, actually, and Amber would never allow anything illegal to happen here.”

I stayed quiet. For what could I say? I couldn't confess that I didn't know Amber and I was here only because she felt sorry for me. I couldn't lay it on the table that I was being hunted by a bunch of vampires and that I was a refugee who refused to be locked down for a couple of days just because some guys told me so. She wouldn't understand. No one would. And I knew if I told her she would think I was childish. And maybe I was, but at least I was my own boss. Not Dane, not Jonathan, but me, and if the hunters found me before them, so be it. I sniffed and Jo put her hand on my thigh.

“Are you all right?”

I nodded and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. I glanced at the window but turned my eyes quickly away. Jo laughed quietly as if to say it was okay to look. I wanted to fight
it
but I couldn't. My eyes kept leering at the window and no matter how badly I wanted to hate the vampires down there, I couldn't. I mean, how could I? I knew what it was to be hungry. I'd been there and I'd ended up feeding on Kate. So maybe Jo was right. Maybe this was nothing worse than what I'd done.

Jo moved her hand onto my arm and I noticed the same kind of tattoo on her wrist that I'd seen on Jonathan. I grabbed her wrist and turned it.

“What's this?”

“A tattoo. Why?” She looked suspiciously at me.

“Because I've seen it before.” I narrowed my eyes at her.

Jo looked away and pulled her hand free. I grabbed it again and followed the beautiful lines of it. Behind all the tattooed dragonflies and stars there was a word, and I could swear that if I had Jonathan's hand here, the word behind his tattooed figures would be the same as Jo's: quinque.

“Quinque,” I whispered, and Jo snorted.

I slid my fingers carefully over her tattoo and she shivered unwillingly. “What is this?” I asked, almost mesmerized.

“Nothing,” Jo snapped and tried to pull herself free.

“Liar,” I whispered and leaned closer.

The word ‘quinque’ was written in old calligraphy and on the edge of it were at least half a dozen small tattooed dragonflies and butterflies. I stared at it curiously. “Tell me,” I whispered softly as my eyes met hers.

“No.” Jo shook her head and struggled against my grip. “It's way too dangerous.”

And there we were again. I hated when people said something was dangerous without giving any details. I was in danger; I got it now. The
C
lub was too dangerous for me; that I didn't get. And now this. How could a tattoo be dangerous? It was just an inked picture, right?

“Jo,” I persuaded.

“No!”
s
he hissed and pulled her hand away roughly. She went to the door, leaving me stupefied on the couch and full of questions. I glanced at her quickly and she gave me a wry smile before walking out. I heard the lock click, but my mind was elsewhere and I couldn't care less if she locked me in here or not. I tasted the word ‘quinque’. Why did it seem so familiar and what did it mean? I rewound my memory and remembered a game my grandma used to play with me. She had taken my hand in hers and counted my fingers with a poem. Uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque. Go round once, go twice, go three times and you will find the surprise. Then she would open my hand and I would always find a candy in it. I tasted the word ‘cinque’ and it
sounded the same as ‘quinque’,
and I was sure it meant the same as well. Number five.