Page 11 of Resurrection
I must be sleeping and stuck in one of the nightmares I usually have. This is so not happening to me in real life. Two monsters making jokes while I’m standing in front of them where they can kill me and be free of the poison in my veins can’t be reality. As soon as that thought floats through my head, a jolt of excitement shoots through me. I’m poison for these creatures. If I get them to bite me, I’ll be out of here sooner than I can blink, keeping in mind they don’t rip my throat out. Steeling my spine, very slowly, I lift my hand up. They watch me attentively, as if expecting me to do tricks like a monkey in a circus. I know precisely how the mutt feels when I do the same to him. Poor dog. I hope Sara takes care of him if I don’t get out of here alive.
Their expressionless faces cloud in confusion when I pull the nest of my hair out of the way, offering my neck to them. It takes them a moment, but when they realize what I’m doing, both their eyes widen in disbelief. Andrei snaps his head up, staring at Marcus. Uncertainty makes me drop my hand down and plaster my back against the doorframe. They know what type of blood Ihave. There is no mistaking the look that passes between them. Vampires hate the runners, but they think those like me are all dead. I just gave them the confirmation they needed to kill me. In a last-ditch effort to save my life, I surge towards the front doors of the hotel. I don’t get far, my boots slipping on the blood covering the marble tiles. Pitching forward, head-first towards the ground, my fall is stopped a hairsbreadth away from faceplanting, the tip of my nose grazing the blood-covered floor. Thick arms wrap around me, one around my chest, the other around my waist.
“Careful, little one. You will hurt yourself, and we don’t want that,” Marcus murmurs in my ear before lifting me up and placing me on my feet. His hands linger, making sure I’m stable before he pulls them away. His voice is a little nasally, no doubt from holding his breath while hugging me to him.
“We can’t stay here with her.” Andrei walks towards us, and when I turn to look at him, I notice that I made it all of three feet before tripping over my own feet. “We need to get her out of the way before Irina decides to leave and finds us here.”
“I’m wondering if it’s smart to take the little one upstairs,” Marcus muses, rubbing his chin. “I’ll stay down here with her while you go let Sebastian know he is needed elsewhere.”
“Irina will not be pleased if her plans are tweaked, and she’s been eyeing Sebastian ever since we stepped foot on their soil.” Andrei grins at Marcus. “I love pissing her off. I’ll be back before you know it.”
“I’ll be at the pool. No one will come there at this hour. Come find me when you get him.” Marcus waves a hand and Andrei disappears, leaving a gust of air in his wake.
My mind is reeling with everything they are saying, trying to make sense of it all. It all sounds like gibberish. Why aren’t they killing me yet? Do they plan on toying with me first? Asshole sounded pretty sure when he gloated that the vampirespreferred their food terrified. Something about the fear making the blood taste better. But that can’t be true about me, can it? I’m poison to them, and these two know that. Unless they want to trick this Sebastian I keep hearing about so they can kill him.
A shiver wracks my bones.
“Come, little one.” Gently wrapping his large hand around my arm, Marcus leads me further into the hotel. “Let us get out of the open. There are eyes everywhere, and we don’t want that.”
I follow willingly, my mind spinning. Something is not right here, but I can’t put my finger on it. Since running obviously is not working for me, I go along to wherever this angel of death is taking me. We pass beautiful walls decorated with indoor fountains, heads of lions with water pouring out of their open jaws. My mind creates all sorts of crazy scenarios, turning the glittering crystal water into rivers of blood while the eyes of the stone statues are glowing menacingly wherever we pass. The shiver from earlier strengthens, my body starting to visibly shake. Each step I take further inside the hallways is harder and harder to manage.
“Little one?” Marcus slows down, turning me towards him. Worry is evident on his face, while, with great effort, I do my best to keep my focus on him. “What’s wrong?”
Apart from Sara, no one has ever asked me that question. What weird timing for me to notice this. If I ignore the fact that this is one of the monsters, I think I may feel warmth at the concern I can clearly see on him. But that is not the case. This is a monster, and I am about to die. Teeth chattering and body convulsing, I try my best to keep my gaze locked on his.
I refuse to speak to them. They don’t deserve to be spoken to like human beings, but I implore him with my eyes.Please kill me fast. I don’t want to suffer anymore. I’ve suffered enough.
His own eyes widen as if he understood me before mine roll in the back of my head, and I disappear into the blessed darkness.
Chapter Eleven
SEBASTIAN
After Irina made the humans bring out one of the sofas for her, she settles on it, making sure her pale skin is exposed as much as possible to my eyes. It doesn’t escape my notice that she wears nothing under the red silk. If her parted thighs are not enough, the hardened nipples staring at me through the silk tell me more than I want to know. Keeping all my focus on her face, I smirk internally at the displeasure she shows for my lack of interest. She is a beautiful and powerful woman. After so many centuries, beauty and power are not enough.
Not when what they hide beneath is rotten to the core.
“I see you have settled here.” Attempting small talk, she twirls one manicured finger, indicating the mess I made earlier.
“The council has nothing to worry about.” Dismissing her comment, I wave my hand nonchalantly. “It will be fixed, and it’ll look better than it did before the sun goes down tomorrow.”
“I can also see that your opinion about your elders has not improved.” Anger glitters in her dark gaze. “You are lucky it is me hearing your words.” Licking her red lips suggestively, a smile curls up her lips. “I’ve always had a soft spot for you, ever since you were a nestling.”
Unflinchingly I watch her face, knowing too well she is doing everything she can to push my buttons. A very long time ago, she would’ve succeeded. Not today. I have worked very hard to get where I am. She will learn that soon enough. The slight line forming between her perfectly shaped eyebrows tell me my control is much better than hers. Purposely, I allow one corner of my mouth to tilt up. The stiffening of her shoulders being noticeable is the reward I didn’t expect so soon after coming to America. The Council, in their arrogance, has become weak. Tonight is all the confirmation that I need.
Opening my mouth to unnerve her more, until I have her quivering in anger, is all I manage before emotions slam me from Marcus and Andrei. The two idiots are much better at keeping themselves under control than what they’ve been doing today. The excitement is the strongest, accompanied by curiosity that they are barely containing. What the fuck has them blasting emotions through our connections so soon after leaving the penthouse? Have they found the girl that fast? There is no way they have, unless she has walked straight through the hotel doors looking for us. Covering my misstep while Irina seems intrigued by my hesitation, I glance at the humans.
“I’m rather hungry this morning. We can chat later after we’ve had our fill?” Ignoring the powerful vampire sitting across from me, I curl a finger at the closest human. “Come closer, human. I don’t bite…hard.”
“You must’ve not fed recently if you can’t indulge me with a conversation first,” Irina remarks, tracking the human woman that is ambling towards me. “If you are that hungry, maybe I would be a better choice?” She says it nonchalantly, like she didn’t just offer me her blood.
One thing we are all cautious about is who we give our blood to. The more powerful the vampire, the stronger the connection that will form. For Irina, one of the eight sitting on a throne,to offer her blood in passing is as laughable as the girl coming to find us on her own. Unless I’ve missed something, and I’ve been very thorough in my research with spies planted years ago everywhere, I would think she wants me tied to her. They have no idea what I’m planning, of that I’m sure. So, what will make them show their weakness by offering an unbreakable bond to a troublemaker like me?
“Trouble in paradise, Irina?” Lifting one eyebrow, I halt the woman trying to crawl on my lap. “You need protection? I can’t think of another reason you would want to bond with me.”
“Don’t be absurd!” She spits the words out and shifts restlessly on the sofa—another show of emotion I wasn’t expecting. “You are powerful in your own right, but I’m older. My blood will help you achieve so much more. Why wouldn’t you want that?”
“And tie myself to you?” Tilting my head, I let her see my condescending smirk. “Why on Earth would I want that?” Her face reddens in rage, so I give her a boon. “Why would I tie myself to anyone after being free of that connection for a century.”
