Guild of Truth 01 - Silent as the Grave (26 page)

His anger shouldn’t be controlling him like this. His keys bit into the palm of his hand. The back of his neck began to prickle.

His animosity gave way to a sudden jolt of terror.

He tightened his hold on his keys even more, unwilling to move any part of his body even an inch for fear of his powers Erasing something.

He hadn’t lost control like this in years.

He stared into Niella’s hazel eyes. They were hard as granite but turned puzzled when she noticed his shallow breathing.

Joel and Sydney were talking in hushed voices behind them.

“What’s wrong?” Niella whispered.

Felix swallowed. “I’m not safe to be around,” he said through tight lips.

Niella regarded him for a few moments. “Then go take a lap around the block to cool down,” she ordered and wiggled her open palm. “Leave the keys.”

“I need you to take them from my hand.”

Niella finally seemed to understand the severity of the situation. She carefully reached into his hand and pried his fingers apart.

Careful not to move his hands, Felix made his way out the door to clear his head. The fresh air and warm sun helped ease the tension in his neck. The tingling faded as he gained a little more control over his emotions. His face, on the other hand, was starting to pound and throb as the hits from Joel started to swell.

Good. He deserved it.

He felt like such an ass for what he’d said. It wasn’t Joel’s fault he hadn’t gained complete access to the Kratos database yet. He’d only been trying to help. The only person he was entitled to be pissed at was himself or Vander. A part of his anger stemmed from the unknown of what Vander was doing with Cali.

They hadn’t figured out why he wanted her. Would he brainwash her into working for them? Like he had Collette all those years ago?

Collette …

Felix stood a little taller as the wheels in his mind started to work. She’d have to know where Vander lived. She’d know where Cali was being kept. All he had to do was find her.

He jogged the rest of the way back home.

While he no longer knew Collette’s home address, he knew the next best thing.

• • •

Cali was in hell. The hours — or was it days? — passed in a hazy blur. She had no concept of time. She remembered the first time she woke up after Vander had done whatever the hell he’d done to her. She’d been too weak to even feed herself. She’d had to swallow the humiliation of being fed by Vander. Naturally, he’d practically jumped at any opportunity to help her. Of course that help fell short when it came to letting her go.

She’d tried escaping on her own. Twice. The repercussions were to be drained by Vander until she nearly threw up or blacked out.

When she factored in all those instances, she guesstimated her capture time to roughly four days, if not five.

She was unfortunately well acquainted with her new living quarters. The bedroom was filled with wood and historical artifacts. Old tapestries made of dark fabric hung on the walls. They depicted black, swirling demons, raining chaos and ruin among the living while they seemed to suck the very souls from the fleeing bodies.

African masks caught in screams of agony rested on the right, each one crying out in desperation, forever searching for someone to help them. And straight ahead of her stood terracotta statues of gargoyles and mutated half demons, sneering like angry sentinels.

Cali had wanted to scream bloody murder the first time she awoke to her surroundings, but she resisted.

By eavesdropping with her powers she found she was being held at Vander’s home. When she’d first found out she was being kept at a home address, hope had flared white-hot in her chest. But it had been days since then and Felix still hadn’t found her.

Had something terrible happened to them?

She’d gone over the question again and again as she bided her time pretending to recover from her latest draining session. When others thought her to be weak she was left unattended.

She fell into a light sleep as she debated what to do for her next attempted escape. She was jostled from her nap by the door opening. She didn’t know if her fortune had gotten better or worse as Collette strode in like she owned the place.

Rage flooded her whole body.

At least it’s not Vander.

She stayed as still as possible as Collette drew closer. She looked down on Cali with pity. Genuine pity.

Cali didn’t want her sympathy. “What?” she growled.

Collette jumped as Cali opened her eyes completely. Any trace of sympathy was wiped clean as Collette smiled down at her. “Comfortable?” she asked sweetly.

“What are you doing here?” She wanted to sit up, but was afraid if she showed any sign of improved strength she’d be drained again.

Collette slammed a hand on either side of Cali’s head, shaking the entire bed. She leaned so close to Cali that Cali could smell salad dressing on her breath. “I want to know what you’re playing at,” Collette seethed.

“It’d help if you could be a little more specific with your accusation.” Cali reveled in pissing Collette off even more.

Collette drew back with a sneer. “There’s no way in hell you’re Vander’s soul mate. I saw the way Felix looked at you. How he protected you.” She sounded disgusted but Cali didn’t care.

Holy shit.

Collette knew she was Felix’s Mirror Mate!

“Did you bond yet? Did your soul call out to his when you slept together?”

Cali frowned. The bonding was supposed to happen when they had sex?

No. She shook herself mentally. Collette had to be wrong.

But she’s the only one who has bonded with her Mirror Mate.

What did that mean, then?

Was Felix truly not her … soul mate?

Her throat closed up and her eyes burned with unshed tears. She held them back. There was no fucking way she was going to cry in front of Collette.

Collette had been silently watching Cali, taking in every facial expression. “You haven’t bonded yet, have you?” she said thoughtfully. “Could it be you weren’t meant for him after all?” A malicious smile curled her lips.

Cali forced calm disinterest into her voice. “You’ll never know. But what I do know is that Vander is not mine and never will be. I’m sure if you were the one to tell him, he’d reward you. Otherwise all this — ” She motioned around the room. “ — is nothing but a waste of his time.”

“Is that right?” Collette hadn’t bought her act one bit. Cali should have known better. Hadn’t Felix told her that Collette had been a theater major? “You want to know what I think?” She was back to leaning in close to Cali’s face again. “I think that, for whatever reason, Vander believes you to be his soul mate. And considering the idea came from my dear unconscious Kevin, there is no reason for me to correct that little misconception. In fact, I rather like the idea of Vander trying his best to get your soul to call out for his. I think I might have a few suggestions to make.”

Cali’s body went cold at the implication.

Collette must have sensed her dread because she chuckled and said, “Oh, yes, Cali. I’m going to tell him anything and everything to make your soul cry out, so that by the time he’s done with you, your soul will weep.”

Cali didn’t think. She lunged for Collette’s throat.

The Illusionist screamed as Cali’s fingers wrapped tight around her windpipe. Her cry for help cut off as Cali squeezed.

Footsteps came thundering up the stairs. The door to the bedroom burst open.

Collette’s eyes were bloodshot and glazed by the time hands wrapped around Cali’s bare arms. Vander hauled her off Collette, and that was only because there was such a vicious pull on her energy that it momentarily had Cali blacking out. She’d barely even felt the pain through her blood rage.

“What is the meaning of this?” Vander bellowed. He tucked Cali against his side protectively. She could hardly stand on her own two feet — otherwise she would have shoved away from him.

Collette was too busy rubbing at her neck to speak.

“Get out of my sight,” Vander ordered her.

Collette didn’t wait to be asked twice. She shot one more scathing look at Cali before she disappeared, leaving Cali to her fate.

Collette might have been her only chance to convince Vander she wasn’t who he thought she was, and now she had completely annihilated that possibility.

Vander led Cali over to the hated canopy bed. He helped ease her down to the mattress despite her trying to push him away. He sat next to her, one of his hands brushing her hair out of her face. She jerked away. Vander never let her tie her hair back, which meant it was a wild mess.

“What happened?” He trailed his finger down her arm. Cali’s stomach twisted. She was dressed in a white lace tank top Vander had picked out for her, along with black Bermuda shorts. She hated that he dressed her like a doll. She hated that he’d been in the bathroom with her when she’d showered and dressed. She hated him. Period.

She cleared her throat. “I’m not your soul mate,” she croaked. She needed water and food.

Vander ran his hand through her hair. She gritted her teeth. “Is that what Collette told you?”

“Yes,” Cali lied, wanting Collette to hurt by any means possible. “But it’s true. I knew before Collette told me.”

“You’ve been misled,” Vander soothed. He leaned in closer and Cali’s whole body froze in terror. He cupped her face and pulled it toward his. She resisted for as long as she could, but Vander didn’t take kindly to her reluctance. A small pain slid from her body to his hands as he slowly took her energy until he could pull her face to his and kiss her.

Her stomach revolted.

His tongue pushed into her mouth, and she squeezed her eyes shut tight.

“Surrender to me, Cali,” he breathed against her lips.

She imagined that was what the devil sounded like before he took someone’s soul back to hell.

He pushed her back into the mattress, his body atop hers. Terror made her heart beat wildly, but when she pushed against his shoulders nothing happened.

He was so close she could see the darkness lurking in the depths of his eyes. It swirled there, not quite the madness that overtook Collette’s, but a different kind of desperation.

“Just think, Cali. Once you and I are together, you will never want for anything in your entire life. I’ll take care of you. I’ve had a long time to wait but now I’ve found you.”

She stared up at his face. A face that, if possible, looked younger than when she’d first met him all those months ago. His words echoed in her brain.

“How old are you?”

He couldn’t have looked more pleased that she was engaging a conversation with him. Hell, at this point she’d do anything to keep his lips away from hers. “I was born November 16, 1894, in London.”

“No fucking way,” Cali blurted.

Vander rolled off her and propped his head up on one of his hands. He smiled. “Yes fucking way. Would you like to hear about all the wars I’ve fought in? About how I was nicknamed ‘The Plague’ because I’d be sent in to scout out enemy camps, but when my troop arrived there were no more enemies?”

Vander told her the tales of his past. He told her the story of a young man who grew up to value power over everything else. He was a man that fancied himself friends with Death and despite the horrific stories Vander spoke of, after a while Cali could hardly keep her eyes open. His accent got stronger the longer he talked of his home, and Cali fell asleep to dream of battle trenches and famine.

She woke to the sensation of fingertips tracing the contours of her face. She smelled hot soup and warm bread.

“I thought you might be hungry,” Vander said right next to her ear.

The nap had helped rejuvenate her but she was still famished. Vander helped her sit up, and she allowed him so he wouldn’t be able to guess how much stronger she felt.

There was a tray next to the bed. It had hot soup, fresh buttered bread, a tall glass of water and milk, a fruit bowl, and some kind of deli wrap cut into bite-sizes.

It was a feast in Cali’s opinion, and she inhaled every bit she could.

“Feel better?”

She carefully wiped her mouth on the napkin he provided for her. She took her time to carefully consider how she was going to answer. She felt better than she had in days. Stronger. But was it strong enough?

“Much better, thank you.”

He tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear. “You’re very welcome.” He leaned in to kiss her and this time she didn’t pull away. She could feel his surprise at her behavior. He kissed her harder. Deeper. She still didn’t resist.

Let him think he has me cowed.

Desire burned bright in his eyes when he pulled away. He got up from the bed to gather all the dishes on the tray, his back to her.

It was her only chance.

She raced for the door. She wasn’t as fast as she wished, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Vander was faster. He cleared the bed like a hurdle. He loomed in front of her, face purple with rage. “You think to trick me?” he roared. She tried to backpedal but it was too late. His hands reached for her face. She knew what was coming.

She screamed.

She thrashed beneath his force as the pain enveloped her body. The fight didn’t last long. She gave out much faster now that her body could never fully recharge. Everything went black within seconds.

The hospital room was cold and smelled of antibacterial soap. Felix hadn’t been by in years, though it always nagged at his conscience.

The room was well kept; large for only one patient, but when Felix factored in just who had to be funding the care it didn’t really surprise him Kevin would have the most luxurious living space. Not that he counted Kevin’s current state as living.

Felix rubbed at his hollow chest. Was what he was experiencing being separated from Cali like what Collette felt every day? Was this why Collette acted like she did? Did the restlessness, the on-edge feeling eventually lead to madness? It was as if no matter how much sleep Felix got he was never rested. He was irritable. All the time.

He stared down at the Dreamer’s face. He looked peaceful. His limp brown hair had grown out a bit, and his eyes were closed. But behind those lids, Felix knew, was a pair of sad, blue eyes.