Love Me to Death (Underveil) (31 page)

So much for pacifism. “What is your name?”

“Lilian. Rinse, please.”

Elena slipped under the water and ran her hands through her hair, removing the shampoo and resurfacing. “I need to get out of here.”

“I am truly sorry, but I cannot help you.”

Elena stood, washed her body, then sat back in the warm water. “Have you ever been in love, Lilian?”

A faraway look crossed her face, her brown eyes going unfocused for a moment. “Yes.”

“I’m in love. And the man I love is in danger. I must go to him.”

“Only at my Master’s wish will it be so.”

“Are you afraid he’ll kill you if you help me?”

She held out a towel. “It is my composition to be fearful. The instincts of my animal form carry over. It is why I remain in my animal form most of the time. My fear in human form disrupts the comfort of the students. Most of the shifters here are bovine. They are much calmer.”

So, the vamps in the hoods were empaths, which probably meant they read emotions, while Vlad and Ricardo were telepathic, which meant they could read minds.
Damn.
There needed to be a guidebook for all this craziness. And Big, Bad Vlad kept a herd of human cattle.
Aw, crap.
“Why are there bovine shifters here?”

“In the Underveil, each species assume the jobs for which they are most suited. Slayers are law enforcers. Elves create. Shifters use their unique attributes to their advantage. I move fast. Bovine shifters… Well, they are calm, and the Master…” Her voice dropped off.

The hackles stood up on the back of Elena’s neck. Bossy
and
bigoted. She thought back on all the shifters she’d met. Yep. Bears were guards. Dogs were stable boys. Mice were servants, and cows were…
food?”
Nuh-uh. No way. Elena grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her body with shaking hands. Rage billowed inside her like flames as she thought about the poor boy in the barn, his life taken so young. “No!”

Lilian scampered back a few steps. Elena hadn’t meant to scare her, but damn, she was mad. That bastard had locked her up and taken off like nothing mattered but himself. “That’s it!” She grabbed her clothes from the floor and ripped her pants on. “He’s not keeping me here.” This level of anger was not normal for her, but somehow, it felt empowering and liberating. She’d saved his ass. After fastening the halter on, she leaned against the side of the tub and pulled on her boots. “Unlock the door, Lilian.”

Shaking her head rapidly, hands wringing, she backed up. “I’m sorry, miss. I can’t. I won’t.” She froze and closed her eyes. “Kill me now if you must.”

Holy shit. Elena couldn’t kill someone. Well, unless her life was in danger…or her baby’s…or Nik’s. Did she look like a killer? A glance in the mirror confirmed she did. All in black leather with crazy wild markings on her skin and her newly acquired lean muscle and red-tinged eyes, she looked like a killing machine. Horrified, she slumped into a stool in the corner.

A howling sound came from outside the door. The girl immediately morphed into a mouse, leaving a horrifying pile of human skin behind, and scampered under the armoire. More howls. Then screams.

She had to get out of this place. Rescue Nik, displace Fydor, end this war or whatever was brewing, and try to break free of this untenable existence. She couldn’t live like this. No one could. Human cattle, dead boys, oppressed women. Just, no. She gripped the door handle right as another howl sounded, and she froze. It was a human sound, but animal also.

She felt more than heard a change behind her. He was back. She didn’t even have to turn to know. “What is out there?” she asked, leaning her forehead against the door.

“Your rage.”

Now, she did turn. The vampire stood in the middle of the room, covered in blood from his chin to his waist. She shuddered.

He pointed to the bed. “Sit.”

Like the dog shifters in the barn at Aleksi’s command, she obeyed.

“This is not your fault. It is mine. I should have explained. So much in our world is taken for granted, and I failed to see the implications from a human perspective—a downfall from living too long as an immortal. We forget what it’s like above the Veil. How short sighted and prejudiced you can be.”

“Short sighted and prejudiced?” She leapt to her feet, and he held up a palm.

“If you lose your control again, I will have to kill more of them, so please refrain. I’ve grown fond of them, despite their shortcomings.”

What an ass.

“Not really. When you lose your temper, the vampires housed here feed off your emotion and react accordingly. They have been isolated from inciting forces until their training is complete and they can either be released or destroyed. All here were slated for destruction.”

She gestured to the blood on his chest and face. “What happened to you?”

His smile was bittersweet. “The better question is what happened to them.”

No. No, no, no.
He did not just kill the vampires she saw in the big room when they arrived.

“Indeed, I did. Not all of them, though. Some passed the test, which was unexpected.”

“Are you telling me my anger got them killed?” Her insides roiled and she covered her mouth.

“No. Their lack of self-control got them killed. You simply helped me along. I was in that dungeon so they had not been tested a second time yet. It should have happened long ago.” He took a deep breath. “Do not let it trouble you. I will explain it after I clean up. Please, I beg of you, remain calm until I return.” He disappeared without a trace or sound.

Oh yeah. Stay calm. He just slaughtered people in his own home because of her. No biggy. Welcome to the Underveil, the freaking gateway to hell.

Chapter Thirty

N
ik stretched his back and wiggled his fingers to bring them back to life. Fydor and Commander Mihai had been conferencing for what felt like hours, right outside his cell door. The bear shifter guard growled when he flexed his fingers again, and he growled back. The first thing he planned to do when he was free from these bindings was kill that fucker.

“If we’re lucky, Borya is wrong and the vampire will kill her. If not, we know she’ll come for me in order to fulfill the prophecy.” Strain was evident in his uncle’s voice.

“She can only get in via three places. Lady Aleksandra’s window, which is how she got in before, the back door, where she escaped with the hostages to the barn, and the front door itself. We have guards stationed all over the perimeter of the building,” Mihai said.

Nikolai had never really liked him. A little too self-serving for his taste, but that was probably because he was trying to stay alive in the regime of King Fydor, who should never have been given power in the first place. Chalk up another point in the guilt column. Oh, wait. He was out of room for even one more point. He swallowed against the bile taste in his mouth. He’d been chained to this wall for so long that his focus was slipping a bit. He had to get free soon.

“I would like to personally stand guard in Lady Aleksandra’s room,” Mihai said. It was no secret he’d always had a thing for her.

“Wouldn’t you just?” Fydor snapped. “No. She says she wants to take the Arcos bitch down herself. Aleksi has great pride and needs to avenge wrongs herself.” Nikolai could hear the smile in his uncle’s voice. “It’s one of the things I like most about her. Her need for revenge. You will stand guard at the front door.”

He could only hope his sister got her revenge against the bastard who had really hurt her: Fydor. And he would be only too happy to help.

“Yes, sir.”

“Stay alert. She’s coming. Borya has seen it. He’s also seen her burning at the stake. We just hope she shows up sooner rather than later.”

No shit,
Nikolai agreed. And as for that burning at the stake bit. No fucking way was that going to happen. Fate was a bitch, but even
she
wouldn’t deal the world that bad a hand. She had to leave someone standing to screw over.

T
he vampire looked like a completely different person when he unlocked Elena’s door and gestured for her to follow him. Dressed all in black, he could have been a model or movie star playing the part of a special ops soldier, complete with weapons strapped to his chest, waist, and legs. His state of combat readiness should have been frightening, but it was anything but.

“Hum, Elena Arcos,” he warned as she followed him down the hallway. “Your thoughts, though flattering, are not helpful to anyone.”

“Finding you attractive doesn’t mean I want you.” She loved Nik, pure and simple. No one would ever appeal to her the way he did. “Looking and doing are two different activities.”

“Thank you for your insight.”

Jackass.

“Much better.”

She was seated at a long table to his right, and gobs of fantastic food were placed in front of them. An empty plate sat across from her. “Where’s Claude?” She hoped he hadn’t been hurt when the vamps went nuts.

“He will be here shortly.” He took a bite of fish from his plate and closed his eyes, savoring it.

“I thought vampires didn’t eat.”

“You thought wrong. We don’t have to eat. We like it, though.”

She placed her napkin in her lap. “Sun allergy?”

“Partially true. The younger the vampire, the more sun sensitive. We never fully overcome it, though, and can be in direct sunlight only for very brief periods. Our skin burns off easily. It won’t kill us, but it hurts like hell and takes a long time to grow back. Bright light also hurts our eyes.”

She looked around the room, and there were only two people. A man and a woman, and both appeared nervous.

“They are. It was a bad day here. I lost all but three pupils. Fortunately, none of the shifters had been killed when I arrived to put an end to it. I released all but these two and the cook for some time off.”

All because she had defied his orders and had lost her cool. Her stomach dropped to her feet. If only she could go back in time like Stefan and fix it.

“Your remorse is unwarranted. You know Stefan Darvaak?”

“Yes.”

His only reaction was to stare at her face for a moment, and then he went back to eating. “Friends in high places. Just like your father. That’s a good instinct.”

Yeah, only it hadn’t been her instinct. Nik had introduced them. Her whole body ached just thinking about what he was going through. She had to get him out of that cell.

“I know.”

She fiddled with the napkin in her lap. “I really hate that you can read my mind.”

“Then keep me out.”

She hummed an indistinct tune in her head, and he nodded. “You are still angry over what you perceive to be injustices distinct to our world under the Veil.”

“Real, not perceived.” She picked up her fork.

“Human reality.”

“My reality.”

“Fair enough. Were we at liberty to spend time exploring this, I would act as the Ghost of Christmas Past in that Dickens story and show you how wrong you are.”

She rolled her eyes, still humming, which was good because she was calling him names inside her head she wasn’t even aware she knew.

“I could hear your tirade from the forest. You are upset at the death of the shifter pup.” He cut off another bite of fish, his manners impeccable. “The killing of children is not unique to the Underveil. Human children are killed in wars all over the world and in gang battles in your own city.”

He was right there. Teens were caught in gang crossfire and the victims of horrible murders. She’d seen it on television way too often.

He took a sip of wine, never taking his eyes off her. “The loss of young life is tragic, despite species. Which is the real issue here:
species.
Humans have only one. We have many. Do you think your world would deal with this kind of diversity better? Is everyone in your society slated to be CEO, president, commander, or king, or do they need a skill set, education, connections, or a birthright, just as we do?”

Again. He had a point. She turned her attention to her food.

“We have shifters in our leadership and all jobs in the Underveil, though most pursue careers that best suit their skills or animal nature, sticking with their flock, pack, or herd by choice. They are not oppressed or excluded, unlike in your world where females of your species were not even allowed to vote until the current century. Recall how hard it is, even in your own country in modern times, for different races to accept one another. And that is only skin color or mild differences in features within a single species. Imagine how hard it is to integrate different species. We’ve done well.” He set his wineglass down. “Adjust your thinking, Elena Arcos.”

The delicious fish turned to tasteless mush in her mouth.

“As for the brutality that occurred here today. Empath vampires are dangerous, not only to the Underveil, but to humans in particular. They react off emotions rather than logic. This castle functions like a prison psychiatric unit in the human world. They are kept away from civilization and receive treatment in the hopes they can go out in the world and live normal, productive lives. Those who can’t are destroyed in order to save the innocent. You did not cause their destruction, Elena. They met the end they were destined for. It just wasn’t on today’s schedule, and it put the shifters at unnecessary risk. It turned out fine. Lesson learned.”

Elena set her fork down. His words made sense, but her heart still ached to think she’d been culpable in any way.

“We are not barbaric or any more bigoted than the human race. Sadly, as you saw today, we are more violent, as necessitated by nature itself. We deal with long, sometimes
overly
long lifespans, which alters our outlook as well.”

Yeah. Stefan had said almost the same thing.

“The Time Folder is wise. And far more neutral than most. He will keep you safe.”

“What about you?” Elena recalled how he looked all covered in blood and feared he was a representative of the darker, more violent side of the Underveil.

The door at the far end of the hall burst open, and Elena jumped to her feet. Claude stumbled in, looking around frantically. “Where are they?”

He was in his slayer uniform still, but clean-shaven with his hair slicked back from his face, making his gold eyes even more prominent.

The vampire nodded to the man standing near the door at the other end of the room, and he exited. “Please sit down and join us, Claude.”

He remained just inside the room. “No…no. I was told they were here. I…”

“Daddy!” a little boy shrieked as he sprinted through the door where the man had disappeared. He jumped up into his father’s tight embrace, no fear whatsoever of not being caught. “Come see Mommy and Sasha. We have a
huuuuuuge
room with the biggest bed I’ve ever seen. Mommy says we can all stay there together.”

Claude approached the head of the table. “I don’t even know what to say. I never thought I’d see any of them again. Thank you.”

“Go be with your family. Thanks aren’t necessary. Just be ready to fight for Nikolai Itzov when the time comes.”

He set his son down. “Absolutely.” The little boy tugged him by the hand furiously toward the door. “How? How did you know where to find them? You can’t read Slayer’s minds.”

“I was captive at that fortress for quite a while. You have several friends among the shifter guards. They worry about your family. You must be a good man to warrant such concern. Go.”

Claude, eyes bright with unshed tears, allowed his son to lead him from the room.

Completely surprised, Elena returned to her seat. “Your important task was to get his family?”

“An elite force had already been dispatched to execute them all. ‘Big, Bad Vlad’ couldn’t let that happen.”

She smiled at the name she’d called him in her rant. “What is your name, really?”

“Oddly, my real name is Vladimir Dalca. Please call me Vlad.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“No, if I ever did such a thing as shitting someone, that is not what I’m doing right now.”

It was hard to believe such an act of kindness after the horrors she’d seen. He hadn’t even told Claude what he was doing. Maybe he was right and she needed to judge this world differently. But now that he’d returned, it was time to get back to business. “I need to go get Nik.”

“I know.”

“I don’t have a plan. I don’t think I’m strong or smart enough to do it without help.”

“You are highly intelligent, Elena Arcos. You simply are not familiar enough with our world to navigate it successfully yet.” He sat back in his chair considering her. “You have mentioned that you see visions of the future. What is the catalyst? Sex or blood?”

“Blood.”

“Well, that’s a relief in more ways than one.”

That made no sense at all.

He took her hand. Surprisingly, his was not cold like a corpse, just cooler than she was. He chuckled. “I
do
metabolize. My heart beats and pumps blood, albeit much more slowly than a human’s. The movies are all fictional.” He patted her hand.

“Now what?”

“Well, now you need a vision. I’m relieved it’s blood induced because although you are highly appealing, you are bound to another, and he’d kill me if he survives were we to have…an encounter, regardless of my intentions.”

“Yeah, besides, you’re old enough to be my great-great-grandfather.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “No. Nikolai is old enough to be your great-great-grandfather. I’m off the chart. And you are lucky to have a blood catalyst. Nothing kills the mood better than a doomsday vision.”

Now it was her turn to laugh. “So who do I bite? Let’s get this done.”

He nodded to the woman at the end of the table, and she approached. Elena looked into her warm, calm, brown eyes. No fear at all. “So, I got power from Nik, Ricardo, and Fee. What will I get now?”

“Only enough energy to teleport and hopefully a vision of what to do when you arrive.”

She stood, and the woman smiled, tipping her neck. It should have felt awkward or wrong, but it didn’t. She just detached herself emotionally and bit down. The woman was silent. Her blood almost tasteless. When Elena pulled away, there was no wild buzz of power like she’d had before, only a warm hum. She closed her eyes and waited for the vision. Nothing at first, then only two brief images: She was biting Vlad. And then she was studying a picture of the area where Nik was being held. Her eyes shot open and met his.

“I was afraid of this. Uzana as much as warned me—something about sharing Kool-Aid and not making you wacko.”

Clearly, he’d read her mind as she saw the visions. “You know Aunt Uza?”

“Everyone knows Uza.”

“What did she mean?”

He placed his napkin on the table. “With all power comes great risk. In my case, you might pick up some of my gifts—or curses. In order to pick up any of my talents, you already have to have them present to some degree. I hear other’s thoughts. That won’t transfer because you do not hold that power at all. What I’m afraid will transfer is my ability to see the past.”