Dark Heirloom (An Ema Marx Novel Book 1) (19 page)

Jalmari

My brother barged into my office and slammed the door shut. Emerald flames burned in his eyes. I had the phone to my ear with Naamah on the other end.

“What the hell was that?” Jesu yelled.

“I’m on the phone.”

He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, signaling that he was not about to leave, and I had better make my phone call quick.

“Naamah, I have to go. My brother wishes to speak with me. I’ll call you back soon.” I hung up without waiting for a reply.

“I repeat, what the
hell
was that?”

I calmly folded my hands on top of my new desk and waited for my master to tell me what to do. When he spoke, I
spoke. “I do not know what you are talking about, dear brother. I was only trying to be polite to the girl. She is our guest, is she not?”

“Do not fuck with me, Jalmari. I stepped down so you could help teach her, but that is it. That is all you get.”

I cocked my head as the voice contemplated. “I have no intention of hurting her. I thought that was your only concern, but now I am not so sure. Are you… fond of her, Jesu?”

“Are
you
? How can you do that to Leena?” Jesu shook his head.

This time
I
spoke. “Jesu, it pains me, but there are things you don’t understand—”

The voice cut in and spoke the rest. “You are young and naïve. You do not understand the ways of the heart. I no longer love Leena.”

I screamed internally.
No, that’s not true! I do love her. Jesu, please help me! You must be able to see what’s going on, please.

Jesu stared in disbelief.

Yes. See the truth, my brother. Help me!

“Silence, fool,”
the voice silently growled. Out loud, he said, “There is something you must know, my brother. I love the girl. I plan to make her my bride.”

Jesu roared and leaped into the air, landing within a fraction of a centimeter of my face. His nose nearly touched mine as he grabbed the collar of my shirt with one fist. A ball of fire blazed in his other hand. “Her name is Ema, and you do not love her! You are lying.”

I trembled with self-worthlessness. I knew my brother would not strike me, but I wished he would. I deserved it. The voice sneered.

“Ah, so you
are
sweet on her.” My head nodded. “But, you would not strike your own brother, would you?”

“Want to bet on it?” He raised the swelling ball of fire high over my head. “Stay away from her, Jalmari.” His tone was firm, but I caught the slight hesitation in his eyes.

“Little brother,” started the voice. “You are a prince, as am I. Whether I love the girl… Ema… whether I love her or not, I cannot fail to recognize her potential.” The voice paused for effect. “She has a big heart. She is good, pure, kind. She would make a very proud leader.” I gazed into Jesu’s softening expression. “As much as I love Leena, she can never be our queen. It is my duty, and yours, to do what is best for our people. Would it be fair, to the clan, to deny them a proper royal family?”

What bullshit. Don’t believe it, Jesu.
Yet my heart sank as the fire in Jesu’s hand shrank down to a tiny flame and then disappeared into nothing. He let go of me.

You bastard,
I scolded the voice, but he didn’t care. Why would he? Things were going his way.

“My poor Jesu.” The voice made me hug him. “I do not enjoy doing this. I will tell you what; you can still be her protector. You can still keep the promise you made all those years ago. What do you say?”

Jesu pushed me away. “I need to be alone.”

He left the office. My lips curled into a sinister smile. “
Good
,” murmured the voice. “
Now I just have to take care of the girl.”

Chapter 20

I lounged on my bed with a history journal propped on the pillow, and read one man’s—or rather, one
vampire’s
—account of the Spanish Inquisition. Who would have thought the church’s conviction of vampirism held any truth? The fact that my entire human education was a total waste wasn’t getting any easier to accept.

A soft rap on the door startled me. I stood to answer it. My skin boiled when I saw Jalmari standing on the other side.

“What do you want?” He looked better, more himself. A fresh pair of starched clothes dressed his body, his hair perfectly combed. Yet bags still puffed out from under his swollen, bloodshot eyes. Something else about his gaze seemed… off, but I couldn’t figure out what.

“I would like to speak with you, please.” He bowed his head.

“So, speak.”

He glanced at the ceiling and bit his lip. I realized then that not only were the whites of his eyes bloodshot, but flecks of crimson-red also spotted his green irises.

“Not here,” he was saying. “I’d like to take you some place more… suitable.”

I couldn’t tear away from his uncomfortable gaze. The way the red color bled through brought images of demons to mind. I didn’t trust him for a second. “What’s wrong with speaking here?”

Jalmari hesitated. “It was going to be a surprise. I want to take you to Club Korento, in the city.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to apologize.” He shrugged. “I promised you would be treated like a guest during your stay, and thus far I have been a dreadful host. Please, allow me to make it up to you by taking you out.”

Part of me wanted to go so badly. The
insane
part. The part that wanted to hunt, and kill, and rampage like a wild beast.

“I can’t go, I’ll probably try to kill someone. Sorry, but no.” I closed the door. Jalmari walked through it, into my room, and became whole again right in front of me.

“I tried to be nice, but the truth is I’m not giving you a choice. We are going out. Here.” He tossed a piece of black satin on the bed. “I got you something to wear. You have five minutes to change.”

I growled. “Did you hear me? I’ll probably
kill
someone. I guess no one told you, but I’m extremely unruly around blood. Jesu thinks I might be part Upioran.”

A sly grin curled his pallid lips. “Then this shall be fun. Now, get dressed.” He used the door to exit the room, slamming it behind him.

Fuming, I paced around, not knowing what to do. The Nephilim inside bounced with excitement, wanting to be free from the limits of the island. The human part of me, whatever small trace remained, knew what a horrible idea this was. I didn’t want to screw up and hurt someone.

Yet Jalmari would probably drag me out, kicking and screaming, no matter what. I sighed.
Might as well cooperate and get it over with.
As I picked up the satin sheet of fabric and held it out, I realized it was a dress. A tiny little number on thin straps. My jaw fell open at the lack of length. I was a petite woman, but there was no way I could fit into
this
.

The tag read
Gucci €1,530.00
. I gasped and sank against the edge of the bed. I’ve never worn anything so unnecessarily expensive before. My body ached to feel the silky threads against it, but my skin was still too numb.

I stripped and then gently pulled the delicate material over my head. I tugged the zipper up and was shocked to see that it fit me perfectly, so long as I didn’t sit down. The satin hugged my slight curves and showed off my lean upper back. My heart melted between the luscious fabrics.

I might never take it off.

I phased and flew into the bathroom, reappearing before the mirror. I pulled the rubber band out of my pony tail, and combed my hair with my fingers until my shoulder-length black locks fell in loose waves. The darkness of my hair and the dress contrasted against my pale vampyre skin. From my backpack, I pulled out eyeliner and mascara, and outlined my eyes to create a smoky cat’s-eyed look. My reflection stunned me.

My feet were the only problem. The only shoes I owned were a pair of scuffed moccasins. I felt silly, but saw no other choice than to go out barefoot.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped into the living room. Jalmari and Jesu sat opposite each other. As I entered, both men glanced up. Jesu’s jaw went slack. Jalmari grinned as though he approved. He stood and dangled a pair of black high-heels on the tip of his finger.

I looked at my feet, feeling sheepish and uncomfortable. I tried to tug the hem of the dress down an inch, but then the top lowered, showing enough cleavage to make everyone in the room blush.

“This dress is too small,” I whispered while avoiding Jalmari’s gaze.

“Nonsense.” His grin widened. “You look spectacular.”

Jesu swallowed hard and stood, his eyes wide and lingering.

“Are you coming with us?” I asked him. He shook his head. I breathed a sigh of disappointment, not wanting to be alone with Jalmari. I almost begged him to come.

“Your shoes.” Jalmari held them out impatiently.

I winced. “I can’t. I’m afraid to bend over.”

Jalmari snickered while bending on one knee. “Not to worry, my lady.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks as he gently wrapped a hand around my ankle and lifted my bare leg to place the shoe over my foot. I glanced at Jesu, whose jaw and fists were clenched tight. He pulled one fist back, slowly, as though he was thinking about punching something.

“Why don’t you invite Leena?” I asked in a last-ditch effort. “We could make it a double date.”

“No,” Jalmari snapped as he fastened the second shoe over my foot. He glowered, warning me not to argue.

“It was just a suggestion.” Well, I tried. I wasn’t getting out of this one. Maybe, with any luck, I could get Jalmari drunk enough to answer my questions. “How will we get there?”

He grinned. “We’ll fly, of course. It’s the fastest way to get to Helsinki. Are you ready?”

I glanced at Jesu one last time, pleading with my eyes.
Please save me.
Jalmari was the last person I wanted to go to a nightclub with.

Jesu hesitated. He placed a hand on his brother’s arm. “Jalmari, I swear, if you—”

“Not to worry, brother, I’ll have her home and safe before sunrise.”

Jesu backed away. The corners of his mouth fell, and he didn’t say anything else.

“Shall we?” Jalmari held out his arm. Sighing, I took it. Before I knew what happened, we phased and flew at top speed. Reflexively, I tried to gasp, but breathing was impossible as a phantom. I reminded myself not to panic. We were just flying very, very fast. I relaxed and concentrated on propelling myself forward.

Something wasn’t right. Some invisible force gripped tightly to my molecules and pulled me through space at the speed of light. Jalmari’s energy suffocated me in overwhelming heat. I realized it was him holding on to me while we phased.

Jalmari suddenly let go of my molecules, became solid, and landed on his feet. I did the same, faltering a bit from the dizzying speed. I leaned against a brick wall to steady myself. Two buildings stretched several stories tall stood on either side of us, creating a narrow alley blanketed in dark shadows.

I snickered. “Isn’t this where we met?”

Jalmari frowned and turned away. He motioned for me to follow.

The alley opened into a narrow one-lane street with no sidewalk. Tall brick buildings with arched windows and iron doorways grew straight out of the pavement. A couple of compact cars sat along the curb. I couldn’t read the foreign street signs or window displays.

Not a single soul stood in my line of sight, which was probably for the best. However, as Jalmari and I made our way down the street, I heard voices. Laughter, chit-chat, and blaring disco music pulsed in the distance. I stopped cold.

Jalmari noticed my unease and held out a hand. “Come.”

I didn’t dare move. I hadn’t meant to zero-in on all the heartbeats; my instincts did it automatically. They thumped quickly, and my own pulse adjusted to match the tempo. My arm twitched. The salty aroma of human perspiration and flesh assaulted my nasal cavity, and I drooled. My brain calculated how long. Ten, maybe twenty seconds at the most. Twenty seconds, and they’d all be dead.

I cocked my head in thought. Something else mingled in the salad bar of humans. Woven around the air of delectable human blood was the uncanny stench of deadly predators. I realized, without a doubt, that other vampyres were nearby. A lot of them. I wasn’t sure which to fear more, the humans I might kill, or the vampyres that might kill me.

“I can’t do this,” I whispered.

Jalmari gently took my hand and hooked it around his arm. “Yes, you can. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I thought there was a chance you’d expose us.”

I swallowed hard. “But there is a chance.” I thought about the reindeer in Nellim. That was nothing compared to this. “Oh God, I want to rip them apart.”

“I won’t let you. I’m stronger and faster. I can stop you before you even get the chance. You’ll be fine, just trust me.” Jalmari continued down the road, towing me along.

But I didn’t trust him at all, not for one second. The nausea in my stomach confirmed that this was definitely a bad idea. If Jalmari knew anything about me, he’d have known to leave me alone, not drag me to some discotheque with a hundred humans waiting for me to lose control and sink my fangs into them.

We turned the corner, and I saw our destination at the end of the block. A tall stucco building glowed violet in the night. The stench of human flesh and demonic energy gripped my lungs tighter as we neared the black windowless construction.

A young couple flung open the ebony door and sauntered around back to the adjacent parking lot. I froze and yanked my arm free from Jalmari’s grasp.

He cocked his head. “Come, you’ll be fine.”

I shook my head and pressed my fingers against my temples. “No, I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.”

“Then just… just give me a minute.” I shut my eyes tight. A pounding, aching pulse thumped against my temples as my throat dried. Breathing became laborious. Lava swelled inside my lungs and ran into my veins. An unquenchable thirst stirred deep within my gut.

Jalmari’s cool voice whispered against my ear. “Phase your hand.”

My eyes snapped open as hysteria wracked my brain. “Wh-what?”

“Just do it.” He took my right hand into his and phased it for me. Thick, warm, syrupy waves of blissful human energy pulsed all around me, vibrating harder than the techno beat. It clung to the molecules of my hand like bees on honey.

A tingly sensation ebbed along my arm and filled my chest with a serene calmness. The lava in my lungs cooled, and my breathing returned to normal. The thirst still beckoned me, but the urge was weak, and became tolerable. Present, but not overwhelming.

I unphased my hand and glanced at Jalmari with wide eyes. “How did you…?”

He only smiled and hooked my arm in his. I took a deep breath as he led me to the door of the nightclub. The bouncer stopped us, but the tall scrawny man dressed in black leather seemed to know Jalmari, and the two chatted in Finnish.

Violet neon lights hung on the large metal door, twisted into the shape of a winged serpent. The bouncer opened the door and ushered us inside.

Darkness engulfed us as we entered. Euro-house music shook the foundation. The only light came from a few flickering imitation candles placed near the ceiling in small candelabras. I realized the lighting was specifically done to cater to the vampyre guests. If the candles had been placed any lower, the building would appear clear as day to us, instead of just dimly lit. The humans here would have a difficult time seeing. For them, it was too dark.

Jalmari pulled me past a crowd of swaying bodies. Vampyres. They swung their hips to the beat and waved their hands overhead. Their bodies vibrated with sensual energy. They noticed me. Some of them gave a slight nod, acknowledging what I was. Some chose to ignore me and continued dancing.

There were just as many humans present. Most of them stood or danced in clusters of their own kind, but a few flirted with death. Girls in short skirts rubbed against men with dripping fangs. This place was a horror fest waiting to happen. My own thirst rumbled, demanding a taste. I swallowed hard and licked my lips.

Jalmari pulled me to the left, where we ascended a set of spiral stairs. Leather booths and polished tables lined the second floor, overlooking the first. The walls dripped with dark red paint. Dragons and Nordic emblems protruded from the corners and hung from the ceiling.

Jalmari let go of my arm and sat in a booth blocked off on three sides by heavy velvet curtains. I sat as close to the entrance as possible so I could watch the people below. Several female vampyres stared back. Their lips moved as they eyed Jalmari and giggled. Some of them narrowed their gaze at me, probably wondering who the heck I was, and what the heck I was doing with their prince.