Vampire in Crisis (5 page)

“She’s very special,” Sian agreed. “Hopefully they can get her out of there and bring her here to rest up.”

Rhia let out a tiny snort. “I wish, but I doubt she’d come. She’s not the same girl I knew a few weeks ago.”

“No,” Wendy said, “she’s better. She’s more confident. She knows who she is more and she’s gained many friends and followers. She’s always been ‘different’ – only now that difference is a good thing.” She grinned. “Actually, it’s more a case of everyone wants to be her.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Rhia said quietly. “She didn’t have it easy growing up.”

“She’ll not find it easy now either,” Sian said. “Only the challenges will be different.” She stood up and stretched. “I suggest we set the computers up to do some cross checking and then go lie down.”

“I’ll stay here and keep track of the results.”

Wendy was torn. She was tired, and the thought of lying down and closing her eyes for an hour was irresistible. But she wasn’t sure she could trust Rhia. From Sian’s sudden stillness, she knew she was considering the same issue. Sian walked over to the computer and clicked on a few buttons. Wendy tried to see what she was doing without being too obvious but couldn’t see what programs she’d brought up.

Rhia stood at Wendy’s side, watching, waiting.

Finally, Sian stood up and said, “Naptime.”

She smiled at Rhia as she walked toward the door. “They should be good to go, but there might be some questions on the filters.”

“No problem,” Rhia said, watching them. “I’ll keep an eye on it.”

Wendy opened the door and waited for Sian to walk into the hallway. She deliberately left the door open and never said a word until they were well out of earshot, then whispered, “Do you trust her?”

“With the drugs she’s been given and the brainwashing…­absolutely not.”

*

Jewel woke up
with her body twisting in pain, the weight of the covers too much for her beleaguered system to bear. She kicked off the light cotton, almost crying out with the effort required.

She whimpered as the cool air brushed over her bare skin. She knew she wore something for clothing because she could feel the material binding her as she moved. The breeze, oh, it felt so good. She tugged at the confining material, wanting it off her heated skin.

“Easy, Jewel.” A calm female voice spoke from beside her. Firm hands pulled her own up to lay them along her side.

“It’s the drugs affecting you. Just rest. Sleep so your body can deal with the withdrawal from them.”

“Can’t,” she cried out brokenly, hating the weakness coursing through her veins, making her want to weep and cry out to be held. To have someone who loved her at her side and tell her she’d be okay. That this would be over soon.

This nameless voice wasn’t one she knew. She was too terrified to open her eyes or ask questions in case her greatest fears had come to pass.

Was she at the blood farm? Still in the hospital, a stage before the blood farm, or was she safe?

“It’s all right. You’re safe now.” The words she’d so wanted to hear rolled over her on a sea of doubt. Was she safe? Or was the woman just saying that?

“David,” Jewel whispered. “I want to see David.”

“Well, I don’t know anyone by that name, but I’ll check and see. You just take it easy now.”

Jewel whimpered. Her mind refused to listen to anyone. Where was David? Why was David not here?

If he wasn’t with her – where was he?

*

David raced down
the stairs toward Goran, his father at his heels. The cry of help from someone who rarely called for any was terrifying. They’d barely held Tessa and Cody back from racing down here with them. But Tessa wasn’t up to it, and Cody needed to stay and look after her whether either of them liked that or not. Besides, there were a dozen young vamps behind them looking for a good dustup.

For once, Cody and Tessa needed to stay back and let others take care of them. Since taking Jewel back to the Council Hall and returning as fast as he could, David had been looking for a chance to get a little revenge himself.

No one should get away with what these assholes were doing.

Jewel was exhausted and terrified. Who knew what they’d done to her? Anything was too much.

He burst through the door to the floor and came to a staggering stop. In front of him, a dozen vamps surrounded Goran. One particularly mega-size model stood behind him, his hand on the back of Goran’s neck. In his other hand he held a small weird weapon. Shit. Cody had mentioned something about those. UV lights or something. And he was in its direct line of sight.

Just then, the big man lifted his hand and pointed the gun right at David.

He dove to the left in front of his father and they both tumbled into the group behind them.

The big man laughed as the group struggled to right themselves.

David caught a glimpse of Goran’s eye roll.

Not the best entrance he’d ever made. David hopped to his feet, facing the giant. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Serus slipping off to the side. What was he up to?

“You guys are the rescue party? What a joke. No wonder they wanted us to take your place at the front of the line. Useless, the whole lot of you.”

“Take our place?” David asked. “What do you mean?”

“The clan leaders. We’re taking them over. All of them.”

Goran snorted. “Like hell.”

The big vamp clenched his arm tighter across Goran’s throat, his bicep bulging. Goran choked and gasped for air. The vamp released him slightly. “Yes, we are. And obviously we’re needed. You’re all useless. Old. Used up. We are bigger, better, smarter.”

David shook his head. “You’re enhanced. You’ve been given drugs and DNA that wasn’t yours to try and improve on our ancient bloodlines.”

“And?” the vamp challenged. “What’s wrong with that? It’s not as if you are doing a good job running this place. Look at it. The damn livestock are running all over the place acting like they own the world. Like they have the right to live here free.” He snickered. “As if.”

“So that’s what this is all about? The blood farms?”

The big man shrugged. “Not only that. But obviously that is the way to feed the growing number of vamps. Of course weeding out the old, the weak, and the useless helps too.”

David took several casual steps forward, noticing that no one seemed to care. As if he wasn’t enough of a threat for them to be bothered about. Hell, he’d show them.

He took another step. Several vamps straightened. He deliberately slipped and fell down, and as they chortled with laughter he twisted, landed on his feet, and flipped over, lashing out and kicking the UV weapon out of the asshole’s hand.

He straightened, spun, and went to kick only to find Goran had already attacked.

Chaos broke out.

David jumped on the back of the big vamp as he fought off Goran. Goran might have been surrounded and allowed himself to have been taken before, but no longer. He wanted a little payback of his own. While David kept the big vamp from being able to move easily, Goran jumped and kicked the big man in the chest then spun, lashing out a powerful fist and hitting the big man in the jaw. He barely swayed.

Goran landed on his feet and bent over slightly, his chest heaving.

“Crap,” he said, “Why are you guys always so damn big?”

“Because we’re kickass,” the big man boasted.

Goran snorted, reached into his pocket, and slashed.

David caught sight of the silver and jumped free as the big man blew up into a nasty pile of sour-smelling ash in his face.

“Oh, gross.”

Serus came up along the side and smacked Goran on the shoulder. “Glad to see you’re up to your old tricks.”

“Always. Where the hell did you sneak off to? It’s not like you to leave a good fight.”

Serus grinned. “I found something. Come see.”

S
tanding on her
feet for the first time, and to the sound of resounding cheers, Tessa took one step. With a small grin, she took an equally shaky second one. The room swayed as if too big to comprehend. The absolute size and mass of the energy swarming around her, even though pale and not intrusive, was still startling. She could see the energy of the walls. The energy of the beds. Waves of color floated up from the floor, making her unsure of where to place her foot.

She understood the human lesson in physics. One of their famous scientists, Einstein, supposedly said,
Energy cannot be created or destroyed
,
it can
only be changed from one form to another
. Now there was no doubt about it; she could see everything. A fact that was both disturbing and fantastic.

But confusing for her to sort through. She could see people as ghostly images behind the colors whereas she’d rather see the colors as ghostly images. Instantly, her vision shifted and morphed to her seeing it the way she wanted to.

“Oh Lord,” she whispered.

Cody, ever at her side, asked, “What’s the matter?”

She shook her head, not sure how to even begin. She’d seen so much before that she hadn’t understood; what could she say about this now?

“I’m fine,” she said in a low voice. “Things just look… different.”

He shot her a long careful glance. “Good different or bad different?” he asked cautiously.

She smiled. “Good, as soon as I figure out how to make sense of it all. I saw a lot before, but now I can see a whole lot more.”

“More?” He shook his head. “I can’t imagine.”

“I couldn’t have before either.” She stopped to study the group of males standing alert in front of her. They completely surrounded her. She had no idea why. “What’s with the bodyguards?”

“You were injured,” he said, laughter flooding through his voice, adding, “They are all trying to keep you safe.” His voice was understandably humorous.

“From what?” And what did they think they could do for her that she couldn’t do herself?

“Remember you were unconscious for a long time.”

True. She had been. And apparently some people had been worried about her. Wait. She twisted ever so slowly and took a look back at the group that was leaning and standing around her, still on guard but relaxed, knowing there was no immediate danger.

Or was there?

She looked from one to the other and studied their energy. Only there was no need to study anything. Two of the men stood out so clear and so dark that there was no missing the blackness of their energy, and in this case she highly suspected for their soul. Had they infiltrated the group here at the hospital or had they been given the drugs unwillingly while captive? Or was it something else altogether?

She lowered her gaze and called out to Cody.
The two young men on the left, their systems are chock full of black.

What? Are you sure?

Yes,
she said softly,
but I’m not sure how or why. I haven’t seen anything like this before.

Maybe and maybe not. You were tired and had a lot going on. You could have missed it. Or not recognized what you were seeing.

True. Or the drugs were in their system and we unhooked them too late to stop it from taking them over.
She pondered the issue.
Do you think it could be something else? We were so sure these men were all on our side.