Revelation of Blood (28 page)

“You don’t belong with them, Skye,” he said
gently. “Can’t you see that? You belong here…with me. You carry the
Dark mark; you share a soul with our creator. How long before the
Day Walkers turn on you? How long before you are locked away
somewhere like Amun? Every moment you stay with them, you risk your
life. You are my daughter and I love you. I don’t want to see you
hurt. Come home, Skye…come home to us. We are more your family than
they will ever be.”

Hanging my head, I wrapped my free arm around
my stomach and hugged myself. The pain in his voice was unbearable;
his suffering and worry apparent. “Lucian…Dad…I-I can’t. I’m sorry.
I need to be here. My best friend is missing right now and no one
knows what happened to her, mom is angry at me and I have to
somehow make things right, and I have a job and a house that I
can’t just up and leave.”

“All those things are easily taken care of,”
Lucian said quickly, hope in his voice.

I sighed and told him the biggest reason why
I couldn’t leave Austin. “Dad, I’m in love with Archer Rhys. He’s a
Day Walker. Do you honestly think he would give me the time of day
if I turned my back on everything he’s given me? I don’t want to
lose him.”

“There are much more suitable men out there
for you, Skye,” my dad said in a growl. My brow furrowed at the
unfamiliar sound coming from him. It seemed he had something
against Archer. I couldn’t imagine why though; it’s not like they
really knew each other. “I heard from a reliable source that Corvus
Frost is very taken with you. He’s a powerful man and would make an
excellent mate for you.”

“No one will ever suit me as well as Archer,”
I explained gently. “He’s…everything to me. He saved my life.”

“He polluted you with his blood,” he argued.
“You would have awoken as something truly unique if he hadn’t
interfered with the process. Now, you are a half-being; a hybrid.
You should be angry with him!”

“He. Saved. Me,” I said clearly. “I never
asked for any of this, Lucian, but I’ll tell you one thing. If I
had to choose between being like Archer or being like Amun, I’d
choose Archer all day long. Amun is sick; he’s a monster. I’d
rather die than be just like him.” Sighing, I tried to calm myself
as my anger started taking hold. When I resumed talking, I did so
gently. “You’ve never had to come face to face with him. If you
did, you’d understand.”

My phone beeped, signaling I had another
call, and I pulled it away from my ear to see that it was Archer.
“Dad, I have another call,” I said quickly, interrupting him. “And
I’m really late for work. I have to go. We’ll talk more soon,
okay?”

He sighed, obviously unhappy, but ultimately
agreed. “I love you, Skye. Always remember that.”

“I’ll…I’ll call you soon,” I said gently. I
couldn’t return the sentiment and it was an uncomfortable goodbye
for me. My father and I were practically strangers. How he could
say he loved me was baffling. He didn’t really know me.

Pressing the switch call button, I
transferred over to Archer. “Hey, baby,” I answered, running my
fingers through my hair as I stood from Dan’s chair. “I’m leaving
Dan’s now so I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“No,” he growled, his voice unusually harsh.
“Stay inside until Jameson gets there. Do not leave with anyone
except him, understand?”

“Honey, what’s wrong?” I asked quickly,
worried.

“We’ve got a bit of a situation here at the
club,” he bit out. “He’ll be there in less than two minutes. Just
wait for him. He’ll bring you back to the club.”

With that, Archer ended the call and left me
reeling.
What the hell is going on
? I stared dumbfoundedly
down at my cell phone as different wild scenarios ran through my
head. Archer’s tone told me that something was very, very
wrong.

I heard the employee exit door open and a
second later, Jameson was standing in front of me. The look on his
face scared me more than Archer had.

“What’s happening?” I asked fearfully, my
voice barely above a whisper as I clutched my phone to my
chest.

“I’ll tell you in the car,” he said, grabbing
my hand. “Come on.”

He flitted out of Dan’s office at vampire
speed and dragged me with him to the Porsche. “Key’s, love.”

“Where’s your car?” I asked, confused.

“I ran,” he answered. “It was faster.”

Digging around in my seemingly bottomless
bag, I finally found the car keys and tossed them across the roof
of the car. Once he unlocked the doors, I slid in quickly.

“Tell me something,” I begged as he turned
out of the employee lot toward The Mausoleum. “Please. What’s
happened?”

“We’re going to take care of this, Skye”
Jameson said, glancing over at me. “I promise you.”

“Dammit, Jameson, talk to me! Take care of
what?” I cried, fully turning to face him in the seat. I was
properly freaked out at this point.

He sighed heavily and glanced at me again
with unsure eyes. “Nikki and Lyric came into the club tonight.”

“What?” I gasped in shock, and then smiled.
“Really? She’s okay? God, I’m going to chew her ass out when I see
her. Scaring Dan and me for nothing! She’d better have a good
excu-”

“Skye,” he interrupted gently. My brow
furrowed as I watched him swallow thickly. “She didn’t come alone.
She was brought in…by a group of Dark Ones.”

“What?” I whispered, not understanding.

“They’re demanding to talk to you.”

Fear gripped me tightly and held me mute as
Jameson drove the remaining two blocks over to the club. My brain
couldn’t immediately process what the Dark Ones having Nikki meant,
and I chewed my bottom lip nervously.

When we arrived in the employee lot, Jameson
threw his arm around me and supported me as he led me inside and
through the club. I noticed the change right away as soon as we
stepped onto the floor. Dark Ones were in mass and what few humans
were here were keeping their distance from them.
This is not
good
…

Eyes followed me as Jameson led me to the
stairs. Quinn was strangely silent as he stepped aside and allowed
Jameson and me to pass. I gazed into his worried eyes as I passed
him and he briefly squeezed my shoulder for support.

As I climbed the last step, my eyes were
drawn across the vast VIP crowd to a table in the back. Nikki was
sitting in a booth with Lyric and a few Dark Ones I’d never seen
before. One face was familiar though, and I growled when I saw
him.

“Maintain your composure,
cion
,”
Archer said softly, suddenly beside me, as he thrust a tall glass
of amber liquor in my hand. “No matter what you see and hear,
remain calm. They will try to bait you, so do not allow it to
happen.”

“I’ll kill them if they’ve hurt her,” I
growled lowly as Archer pulled me into a hug.

“Not in the club,” he whispered into my ear
as he pulled my head against him.

“You need to get the humans out of here,” I
seethed as I pulled back from him and looked up into his eyes.
“It’s not safe.”

Archer sighed and brushed the hair back from
my face. “Pádraig and Trey are working on that now, but it’s not as
easy as it looks.”

“Miss Morrison,” a man purred behind me and I
turned to face him. “If you will follow me, Mr. Ley would like a
word with you.”

Hagan and Hunter approached as I stared at
the Dark One. “I think I’d like a word with him as well,” I growled
menacingly as Archer, Hunter, and Hagan followed me to the
table.

Weston smiled widely when I approached and
held his hand out in front of him. “Please have a seat, Skye
Morrison. We have much to discuss.”

I slowly took a seat across from him, Nikki,
and Lyric as I studied Nikki closely. She looked pale and
frightened in a revealing dress I knew she didn’t own. She was
covered in bite marks and she refused to meet my eyes as she stared
down at her hands.

“Nikki?” I said gently. “Are you okay,
honey?”

Nikki didn’t answer me and flinched when
Weston put his hand on hers. “Go ahead, answer her.”

I watched as she swallowed thickly, still
refusing to look at me, and answered. “I’m fine.”

“Answer her truthfully, child,” Weston
chuckled, as he stroked her hair.

She slowly slid her eyes up to me and I saw
heavy tears behind them. Her eyes were glassy and she appeared to
be under the influence of something. “It hurts,” she whispered.

“What hurts?” I asked as I reached across the
table to touch her hand. “Talk to me, Nik. What hurts?”

“No touching,” Weston barked, the sound
startling me, and I slid murderous eyes to his.

“Everything hurts,” Nikki’s voice trembled,
drawing my attention back to her.

“What have you done to her?” I growled
angrily as I found Weston’s eyes again.

“I’ve done only what is necessary to insure
your cooperation, Miss Morrison,” he said simply.

“Cooperation with what?” I asked as Archer
and Hagan visibly stiffened beside me.

Weston smiled slyly and sat back in his seat
as his eyes drank me in. “I’ve heard some very interesting things
about you, Miss Morrison.”

I sighed heavily and crossed my arms under my
chest as I pursed my lips at him. “I’m sure you have.”

“A mutual acquaintance of ours wants you very
badly,” he said, his smile widening, showing a bit of fang. “I’m
here to deliver you to him.”

Archer, Hagan, and Hunter growled fiercely as
they stood beside me and I raised a hand to calm them. “If your
friend wants me, he can come and get me himself. I’m not going
anywhere with you.”

Weston laughed, as if he found what I said to
be the most amusing thing in the world. “We thought you might say
that, that’s why we took your friend. See, I’ve heard from Lyric
here just how close you two are…practically sisters. He says that
you’d do anything for this girl.” He leaned forward as the smile
slid from his face. “Is that true? Would you do anything to save
your friend, Skye?”

My eyes flashed to Lyric’s for the first time
and they narrowed at him in anger. “What have you done, you
sonofabitch?” He simply shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t care
that I was currently devising in my head six different ways I could
kill him with a single finger.

“Lyric is only doing what his master bids of
him,” Weston said beside me and I slowly peeled my eyes away from
Lyric to look at him.

“He’s not a vampire,” I frowned, not
understanding. “He has no master.”

Weston smiled widely as his hand reached out
to stroke Nikki’s neck. I growled a warning, but he ignored it as
he spoke. “Lyric has been feeding Jonas for over two years now.
Imagine my delight when I was at Jonas’ den last week and mentioned
your name. Young Lyric here perked up and shared that he happened
to be dating your best friend. He practically offered her up on a
silver platter. Very conveniently, I might add. I’d been wondering
how we were going to get you to cooperate with us. Is what Lyric
says true? Will you do anything to save her life?”

My breathing increased as my anger took hold.
I felt my eyes flicker black as I slid them to find Lyric. “How
could you? Nikki cared about you and trusted you; we all trusted
you. I’m going to kill you, you slimy piece of shit!” My hand
flashed out and wrapped around Lyric’s neck tightly. His eyes
bulged with fear as I squeezed, his fingernails clawing desperately
into my arm.

“Release the human,” a Dark One growled
suddenly as he flashed to stand beside him. “If you kill him, I
will personally rape and dismember the girl…piece by pretty little
piece.”

Archer put a steady hand on my shoulder and
spoke loudly in my head. “
Let him go, cion. His death will only
make things worse. We’ll make him pay, baby…I promise. Now is not
the time, though. There are too many of them here
.”

Reluctantly, I let go as I shoved him away
from me. “You majorly fucked up, Lyric.” I ran my fingers
frustratedly through my hair and glared at him. “I thought you were
a practicing Jain…do no harm and all that. You’re letting them hurt
your girlfriend.”

Lyric shrugged again as he massaged his
throat. “Hey, I left food for your dog, didn’t I? I don’t care what
happens to Nikki now. She was going to break up with me anyway,” he
replied, indifferently. “Besides, I want to be a vampire like my
brother. Pleasing Jonas is my only concern now.”

A man stepped up to the table and I
recognized him instantly. He was the Dark One who had put his hands
on Lola the other day in the club. “Hello, sister,” he smiled
sinisterly. “Good to see you again. I’m Jonas, Lyric’s older
brother.”

“Biological brother?” I asked, surprised,
glancing back and forth between them. They had the same hair color,
but other than that, they didn’t look much alike.

“Half-brother,” he clarified, “on our
father’s side. I was awakened almost a decade ago, now. Lyric was
still a teenager at the time. He’s hoping to join us soon and his
willingness to help the cause almost guarantees that will become
reality.”

“Enough,” Weston growled with a flick of his
hand, effectively silencing Jonas.

“What do you want from me?” I asked as I slid
my murderous black eyes to Weston.

“I want your help with something,” he smiled
with satisfaction. “Our mutual friend and I have the same ultimate
goal. To achieve it, we need you.”

“That’s not telling me very much,” I growled
tightly as I tried to control my temper.

“That’s telling you enough for now,” he
flicked his wrist dismissively then turned his eyes to Archer.
“When I am finished with her, if she obeys us and does what we ask,
she can return to you if she chooses.” Archer growled unhappily and
Hagan and Hunter joined him.

“And how long will that take?” Archer growled
lowly.

“That entirely depends on Skye,” Weston
answered. “It could be one month, or it could be one year.”