The Way of Escape (10 page)

“What does the prophecy say you have to do?”

“Become a vampire.”

“You don’t
honestly
believe that, do you,” he asked incredulously. “He’s just manipulating you so you can take Emmanuel’s deal and become one of them.”

“I really don’t think he is.”

“Why not?”

“Augustus and I have talked a lot and—”

“You and this leech sure do sound chummy.”

“Connor, I need you to trust me. Forget about Augustus. I wouldn’t have agreed to this if I wasn’t absolutely certain that it was the right decision.”

“Let’s say this prophecy is true and you actually manage to free everyone,” Connor said. “What are you going to do as a vampire? Are you going to run off with your bloodsucking buddies or come back to Dallas and terrorize people there?”

“Neither. I’m going to learn how to manage my new appetite so I can live a quiet, peaceful life. I don’t know if I’m going to go back to Dallas, but I’m not going to hang out with vampires like the ones here no matter where I end up.”

“Is that even possible? Attacking people and drinking their blood is going to be part of your nature.”

“Just like sin is part of my nature now … and yours too for that matter,” I reminded him. “God gives us a way out of every temptation we face, and I trust that he will do the same for me even after this. Sin is sin whether it’s biting necks or watching porn, so I’m going to resist temptation when I can and confess and repent when I stumble just like I did before all of this.”

“But that kind of stumbling can kill people.”

“I’d rather starve than take someone’s life, and God is bigger than any craving. I may not be strong enough to handle this, but he is.”

“This is so messed up. I feel like I’m having a nightmare, but I can’t wake myself up.”

“Me too,” I sighed. “If everything goes as planned, you’ll be out of here in no time.”

“For your sake, I hope you’re right. What I’m going through royally sucks, but I can deal with it. If you become a vampire and find out that leech was lying, you’re going to regret letting him turn you for the rest of your life … and that’s going to be a
really
long time for you.”

“Clara.”

I jumped slightly and turned around to face Augustus, who had somehow moved from the staircase to my side without making a sound.

“Yeah?”

“We need to go.”

I nodded and faced Connor, who was glowering up at Augustus from his place on the floor.

“I’ll come back tomorrow,” I promised with a hug.

Connor responded with a nearly inaudible grumble, so I gave him what I hoped came off as a kind smile and walked back into the hallway, closing the door behind me as I handed Augustus the keys.

“How was your reunion?”

“He thinks that you’re manipulating me. You probably knew that already thanks to your
awesome
hearing.”

“Do you agree with him?”

“No, but he has good reasons for being suspicious considering what he’s had to deal with the past two nights.”

“Yes, he does. However, you have my word that everything I’ve told you is true.”

“I know,” I said. “Let’s get out of here.”

Augustus and I went back upstairs. Thankfully, we didn’t run into anyone as we emerged from the grimy modern-day dungeon, but I stopped him a few steps away from the staircase that led to the second floor.

“I’m not ready to go back to my room yet,” I said. “I want to talk to one of the slaves.”

“Alright. Anyone specific?”

“Maybe one of the cooks,” I suggested.

“That should be doable. Just remember that you can’t be as loose-lipped with the others as you were with your friend.”

“I know. I’ll be discreet.”

As Augustus led me through the house, I decided to spark up a quick conversation before we reached our destination.

“Were you there when Emmanuel auctioned off Connor?”

“Yes, I was.”

“Did you know what happened to him after Marie bought him?”

“No, I haven’t seen her since the auction, but I knew enough about the coven’s practices that I could make an educated guess about what she would do to him.”

“What about my friend, Leah? Do you know who bought her?”

“Grayson purchased her.”

“Why would Connor be back downstairs and not her?”

“Probably because she was more compliant,” Augustus answered as we reached the kitchen, “but we should discuss this after you speak with the cooks.”

As much as I wanted to find out what happened to Leah, he was right. Besides, the cooks might have seen or heard something about her since they would have been putting together trays of food for her just like they’d done for Connor and me. Keeping that in mind, I stepped into the kitchen, where two women were chopping, sautéing, and mixing furiously.

An onion mincing Latina, who appeared to be in her late thirties, noticed me first. The cook had pulled her long ebony locks away from her round face in a loose bun, which made it easy for me to see the way she briefly furrowed her sweat-slicked brow in confusion at the sight of me.

“Hi,” I greeted awkwardly, also distracting the more mature blonde woman who was pouring soup into individual ramekins.

“Can we help you with something, mistress,” the first woman asked.

“Possibly.”

I extended my hand toward her and my heart ached when she squinted and recoiled at my gesture. The woman clearly thought that I meant to hurt her, which partially answered one of my questions. Rather than stretching out the uncomfortable moment, I pulled my hand back and shoved it in my pocket with a sheepish smile.

“I’m Clara Robinson. What are your names?”

“Blanca Gonzalez,” she answered.

“And I’m Amy Bearden,” the blonde piped up. “What can we help you with?”

“I’d like to ask you a few questions about your lives here on the island,” I said. “How long have you lived here?”

“Fifteen years,” Amy said.

“Five for me,” Blanca added.

“How do the vampires treat you?”

“Well, they—”

“Why are you asking these questions,” Amy interrupted. “Did your master or Emmanuel send you down here?”

“No, of course not.”

“The last time someone in my kitchen spoke out of turn against the vampires, I found myself in need of a new sous chef,” she continued as Blanca resumed chopping and bowed out of our conversation. “I’m not going to put my life in danger or let Blanca risk hers by talking about things we can’t change.”

“I’m not here to get you in trouble with the vampires.”

“Then why
are
you here?”

As I stared into Amy’s light brown eyes, I realized that I couldn’t tell her the truth. She was so frightened that she would probably clam up at the mere mention of the coup Augustus and I were planning. A vampire had murdered someone she’d closely worked with for voicing her disapproval, and the punishment would surely be much more severe if she collaborated with us. Realizing the bind she was in and seeing the fear driving her, I gave her only half of the story.

“I need to know more because I’ve been given the opportunity to choose between becoming a vampire and living as a human. I’ve gotten a chance to see how the vampires live, but I haven’t spoken to a single slave since I arrived.”

“Why would Emmanuel let you choose your fate?”

“Because I’m a dhampir. I didn’t even know I was one until Emmanuel told me my first night here.”

Blanca looked up from her cutting board briefly, but went right back to her task as her more vocal counterpart continued.

“I have nothing more to say to you. Please leave my kitchen so we can work in peace,” she ordered in a cold, even tone.

“Before I leave, can you
please
answer one question for me,” I pleaded. “Do you know if my friend Leah is alive? Grayson purchased her the night we were kidnapped, but I haven’t seen her since I arrived.”

“Yes, she is. Blanca prepared breakfast for her earlier.”

I heaved a sigh as Amy too returned to her previous task. Instead of pressing the conversation further, I walked out of the kitchen feeling both relieved and disturbed. My friend was alive, but Amy’s refusal to answer my questions and the cautionary tale about her sous chef confirmed my initial assumption that the vampires kept all of their slaves in line with deadly displays of power and cruelty. The fair-haired chef had been so scared of punishment that she refused to share how they were treated. I couldn’t even blame her.

That brief encounter strengthened my resolve about moving forward, but it raised more questions about how Augustus and I would pull off our plan. If the other slaves were as paralyzed by fear and reluctant to trust us as Amy was, how could we get them to believe that we were truly trying to free them and not simply tricking them into being disobedient to satiate our own sadistic desires?

“That was fast,” Augustus commented.

“Yeah, it was. Let’s go back upstairs. We need to talk.”

With a nod of approval, Augustus and I went back to our Jack and Jill suite. Once we were in the soundproof solitude of my room, I unloaded my concerns on him.

“I don’t know if our plan is going to work,” I began. “When I tried to talk to the cooks, they were too frightened of the vampires to tell me anything meaningful about their lives. After I told Amy that I’m a dhampir, she didn’t even want to talk to me. How are we going to get them to go along with any of this if they don’t trust us?”

“If the slaves don’t see the good in what we’re trying to do, I’ll just have to influence them.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can place a compulsion in their minds to do exactly what we need the day of the eclipse and not to remember the command until the time comes to follow through with it.”

“I’m not comfortable with that.”

“The eclipse is in three days, Clara. We cannot afford to wait for these jaded humans to come to their senses.
They
can’t afford to wait,” Augustus reminded me. “Either we move forward by forcing their participation or I return home and send The Vampire League to clean house. Emmanuel’s reign is coming to an end no matter what you decide, but you have the opportunity to keep the blood of your human brothers and sisters off their hands.”

I shoved my hands into my pockets and tapped my foot for a moment as I mulled over Augustus’ line of reasoning. Even though, his argument made perfect sense, I still had the nagging conviction that manipulating everyone on the island wasn’t the right decision. If God let us have free will, who were we to take it away even if we had the best intentions? If our plan would only work with the help of Augustus’ mind games, it wasn’t a plan worth doing.

“I can’t let you do that. We just need to gain their trust,” I decided. “When I tell Emmanuel that I’ve decided to become a vampire, I’m going to ask him to free some of the slaves before you turn me.”

“What will be your reason for asking?”

“I’ll say that a few humans being freed will ease my conscience and make me more comfortable with joining the coven. If at least one slave is liberated, maybe the news will spread and the slaves might be more likely to put their faith in us.”

“Alright, but if he doesn’t agree and your efforts are in vain, we will move forward with my idea.”

“If he doesn’t agree, we will find another way. I’m not going to let you force them to do something against their will. They’ve probably experienced enough of that to last a lifetime.”

“If you insist,” Augustus said, taking a step closer and placing his hands on my arms. “I know the matter of the slaves will be heavy on your mind tonight, but remember that we have a performance to give. Are you ready to put on a little show?”

“I think so.”

When Augustus smiled, my mind went back to the last time he’d stood that close. Fortunately, I slammed on the brakes before my mind could start to wander.

“I’ve had to feign romances and affairs more times than I can count, but you’re the most intriguing partner in crime I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” he confessed. “Your unwavering resolve makes you a very unique person, Clara.”

“I think you need to raise your standards.”

“My standards are perfectly fine. I’ve spent centuries surrounded by mediocre, practical, and rancorous humans and vampires. It’s rare to find someone who genuinely strives and desires to be good with no perceived benefit.”

“I may try, but I still fail … a lot.”

This morning, for example,
I silently added.

“Most people I encounter barely even try. Those who do certainly aren’t as forthcoming about their mistakes as you’ve been.”

Augustus caressed my cheek exactly as he had before our kiss.

“Your integrity is as admirable as it is uncommon.”

I didn’t know whether Augustus was being genuine, trying to get me in the right mindset before dinner, or attempting to seduce me for his own gratification, but I didn’t need his flattery. I had enough going on in my head after our kiss without him extolling my failed efforts at being virtuous. Those kinds of comments had always softened my heart more than compliments about my looks. I didn’t need my defenses any lower than they already were around him.