Deadly Alliances (Dark Shifter Academy #5)

Chapter 2 Arya

Despair.

I had never felt greater despair than when I allowed Hadrian to pull me to the surface of Lake Michigan. The battle was lost. All hope was lost. And there seemed to be no chance of any of it being found again.

Getting smaller and smaller down below me was everyone in the world I had left to care about. I took the slightest bit of comfort in knowing my sacrifice had bought my fellow shifters some time. I couldn’t even feel angry at Shea and Caesar for being somewhere else together. I was almost grateful that they had each other and that they were both far away from this nightmare.

But I had no idea what awaited me in Hadrian’s custody, and I dreaded finding out.

The closer we got to the surface, the faster my heart galloped, as if it could race out of my body and escape.

At last, we emerged, the frigid Chicago winter air biting my wet cheeks and nose like a vampire—like it, too, wanted a piece of me. And I was running out of pieces to spare.

The world above was dark, and I could hardly make out the white faces that hovered above the water, looking down on me and my captor. Hadrian tugged me closer until my wandering hands ran into the outer shell of a boat, and white arms reached down to pull us both out of the water.

Someone wrapped a large towel around me, and another offered me a dry pair of jeans. Even though I couldn’t see a thing in this darkness, I was certain these creatures of the night could see every inch of me—and my exposed nether region—with crystal clarity. But I couldn’t find it in myself to care. I slipped into the jeans and pretended that a dozen or more vampire eyes weren’t watching.

At the same time, Hadrian pulled off his diving mask and disrobed his wetsuit with the aid of at least three of his loyal followers. Once I was again fully clothed, he sat beside me on the bench in the boat.

“Let’s go home, shall we?” he said, voice smooth as dark chocolate. His tone assumed far too much familiarity, as did his closeness. As if he really was my loving father.

What did he want from me? He’d supposedly spent my whole life looking for me. What was he going to do now that he had me? I’d heard stories of what he did to shifters, and right now, those stories flashed horrible scenarios inside my mind—images of me on a stretcher, bound and gagged as he experimented on me—tortured me. Who knew what else?

And yet…I didn’t get the sense that he wanted to hurt me. That scared me the most.

For a moment, I considered bolting. With my tail and meager handle on water manipulation, there was a slight chance I could outswim them. Or I could let out my wings and fly away from them. But then I’d be driving the nail into the coffins of everyone I just abandoned to save. My cooperation was the only bargaining tool I had for their safety. And even if I could escape, where would I go?

The boat engine turned on, and wind whipped at my hair and face as we sped across the lake. No one said a thing. Or made any movements at all. The vampires were all so still and silent, I felt like I was the only person on the lake for miles—like the others in the boat were nothing but mannequins.

I imagined that analogy wasn’t far from the truth. These creatures were hollow beings without souls. I caught the eye of one who sat across from me, and his eyes glistened in the shadows like glass. Yup, hollow.

The boat rounded a bend, and suddenly there was light shining at us from the front of a helicopter several yards from the rapidly approaching shore. The boat docked unceremoniously, and more white arms helped me out, guiding me toward the copter. Its spinning blades threw the cold night air back at me.

I allowed them to hoist me up into my seat, and Hadrian entered right behind me, never allowing more than a foot of distance to spread between him and his new prize. My mind whispered not to let him get too close, but my body wouldn’t register the threat. I was just too numb, like an emotional switch had been flipped off.

Besides, I was surrounded by vampires, creatures who thrived on the blood of humans and killed shifters for sport. The cab of the helicopter was a cramped space, and I had no choice but to be shoulder-to-shoulder with at least one of them. There was no sense in fearing one of them more than the others—or at least my internal alarm system didn’t think so.

The helicopter rocked as it left the ground but soon stabilized. I hugged my arms around myself in a futile attempt to keep them from making contact with anyone else.

Hadrian leaned closer, making sure to meet and hold my gaze. “I know this will be hard for you to believe, but I’ve been looking forward to this day for a very long time, Arya.”

His voice sent a chill up my spine, but I didn’t respond in any other way. I picked a diamond shape in the plating on the floor and stared at it with strict determination.

“That’s alright. You don’t have to talk to me. But it’s a long flight to Washington.” Hadrian folded his arms and leaned back, making himself comfortable.

Washington? Where is he taking me?

But I didn’t say a word. I kept staring at that little metal diamond, clenching my jaw firmly shut the whole way.

Hours passed in this fashion. No one said anything else to me, but Hadrian made idle conversation with his followers. Words were only spoken when Hadrian talked first. I got the impression that his followers weren’t allowed to talk to or around him unless directly invited to. What manner of leader was he?

I didn’t know how long we’d been flying, only that I was getting very tired. But I didn’t dare shut my eyes for longer than a blink.

“And there she is,” Hadrian announced, leaning forward to wave his hand toward the windshield. “Your new home. Heritage Prep.”

I broke my gaze away from my diamond to look out the window. A towering black castle rose against the lightening pre-dawn sky. Tall, pointed towers stretched upward, giving me the impression of upside-down vampire fangs taking a bite out of the sky—a fitting dwelling for the vampire leader. The building was dark and beautiful, just like he was, and I was sure it held just as much evil behind its facade.

The helicopter landed on the widest, flattest part of the roof surrounded by towers. An attendant outside pulled open the door, and everyone in the cabin squeezed against the walls to allow Hadrian to exit first. Hadrian waited outside the door for me, but I didn’t budge, and for a moment, no one else did, either. After a pause, one of the vampires decided to move toward the door.

Hadrian back-handed him across the face, slamming him into the cabin wall and denting the metal.

“Didn’t your mother ever teach you that ladies always go first?” Hadrian said with a deadly calm. Somehow, that made him even more terrifying than if he’d yelled it.

I jumped at the sudden assault. Hadrian just hurt his own lacky. And for something as innocent as not wanting to wait for a stubborn girl to get out of a vehicle!

The vampire doubled over in obvious pain. I didn’t know him, but I didn’t want more people getting hurt on my behalf. There’d been enough of that tonight.

Reluctantly, I hopped to my feet and climbed out of the copter. Hadrian took my hand and helped me step down onto the rooftop. Though my hands were chilled by the winter air, Hadrian’s were infinitely colder, intensifying their repugnance.

“I’m sorry about that,” Hadrian said, keeping hold of my hand and tucking it under his other arm, as if to act as my escort. “Good help is so hard to find. Come, let me show you to your room.”

Touching him made me cringe, but try as I might, I couldn’t pull my hand out of his iron grip. He didn’t even seem to notice I was trying.

He led me toward what appeared to be the only door on the roof, which another attendant opened as we approached. We went inside, and were it not for the sconces casting their orange glow on the black walls, I would have thought I’d entered night itself. Everything was black—the walls, the floor, the ceiling. It was hugely unsettling. And the white of the skin of those around me was such a striking contrast that they almost seemed to shine like the moon.

We went down a narrow staircase and came out into a wide area. Several staircases were nestled in black cylinders, which at first appeared to be oversized pillars. He led me past an elevator and down another flight of steps.

As Hadrian tugged me through the halls, vampires stopped and stood with their backs against the walls until he passed, few of them daring to cast their eyes above waist level. You know someone is bad when even his followers are terrified of him...

Black banners hung along the walls, bearing some sort of logo—a large red drop symbol in the middle of the words HERITAGE PREP. What kind of place is this?

Finally, he paraded me back up a set of stairs, through the large room again—or at least one that looked similar, I couldn’t be sure—and up one of the winding staircases. He stopped when we reached a landing with a door and released my hand, which I greedily jerked away.

Hadrian held out a black card with the same red drop on it as the banners. “This will be your new room. If you need anything, knock on the door, and your attendants will get you whatever you want. They’ll be standing outside your door at all times.” He gestured to the two bulky, white-faced men on either side of the door.

The thought crossed my mind to refuse the keycard, but the heaviness of my eyelids made a private space too tempting to resist. I took the card with a snap and glared at him straight in the eyes. I refused to show him the same fear everyone else around here did. I wasn’t going to give him that kind of power over me.

“So I’m to be your prisoner then?” I asked behind gritted teeth.

Hadrian smirked, a twinkle in his blue eyes. “You haven’t seen your room yet. I’d hardly call your accommodations a prison. Besides, the dungeons are in the basement.”

“Accommodations I’m not allowed to leave,” I hissed, narrowing my eyes further.

“On the contrary,” he replied with a shrug. “You’re allowed to go anywhere within the walls of this school, granted you’re accompanied by a chaperone.”

School? This place is a school? I snorted, even though this answer surprised me.

“Get some rest. We’ll talk first thing at dusk.” With that, Hadrian turned on his heel and was suddenly out of sight.

His preternatural speed was only one of the many disturbing things I’d seen tonight, so rather than dwell on it, I ran the keycard through the scanner and escaped into my new confines, pressing my back tightly against the door as it closed—as if my meager weight could keep a vampire out.

After a deep, cleansing breath, I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings. Hadrian wasn’t lying about the room; it was the most lavishly-furnished birdcage I’d ever seen. There was a huge canopy bed across from the door, elegantly carved in black wood and adorned with dark red sheets, curtains, and more pillows than I could ever want or need. To the left of the bed was a closet that I could see was fully-stocked with colorful clothing, some that appealed to me even from where I stood.

There were several matching black dressers, and a bookshelf filled with books. Most of the wall catty-corner to the bed was a giant TV screen, at least five times bigger than any TV I’d ever seen in person. The carpet was plush and the color of fresh blood, and though I wasn’t a fan of red, I appreciated the deviation from black.

Slowly, I peeled my back off the door and made my way across the lake of blood that my carpet resembled to the bed that beckoned my aching body. I sat on the side of it, savoring the cush beneath me. The sheets were velvet and begged to be nuzzled. I didn’t trust sleeping in this place, but I was so tired, and if Hadrian was planning on hurting me, he would have done it already.

Finally, I gave in to my only desire and slipped under the covers, sleep consuming me as soon as I closed my eyes.

* * *

Bang, bang, bang.

I snapped to consciousness with a fright, hands instantly roaming for anything I could use as a weapon. My eyes adjusted to the rude awakening and found nothing was amiss in my empty room. I climbed out of bed and crept forward, scanning the shadows in the corners.

“Just let me see her,” I heard a voice outside the door say. It sounded familiar, but in my slightly disoriented state, I couldn’t place it. After all, how could anyone I knew be here?

“Lord Hadrian said she is not to be disturbed,” responded another voice I assumed belonged to one of the guards.

“Lord Hadrian has given me special privileges. Or have you forgotten?”

Silence for a moment. I didn’t realize that I was on my tiptoes until another set of bangs caused me to trip forward.

“Arya, please open the door,” that same familiar voice insisted.

My soul knew that voice, but my mind said it wasn’t possible. It had to be some trick. Hadrian playing a sick game. And yet, I found myself edging closer.

I hovered in front of the door, my hand resting on the knob. I told myself not to open it, but my curiosity got the better of me. And I reminded myself that if a vampire really wanted to get in, it wouldn’t matter if I opened it or not.

I turned the knob and cracked the door enough to peek outside.

The handsome, sandy-blond-haired, beach-blue-eyed merman stood on the other side. I gasped, frozen in disbelief as Kendall pushed inside and wrapped his arms around me.

This was no vampire trick. His skin was caramel colored and warm, something I didn’t expect to find in this place. But then again, I didn’t expect to find him here, either.

The initial shock of his appearance wore off as the memory of his betrayal surfaced. I shoved him away and took several steps back, hugging myself protectively.

“You really did it,” I accused. “You really came here ? To Hadrian? What, so you could sell your knowledge of me for protection?”

Kendall pursed his lips bracingly. But as he hesitated, the truth dawned on me.

“You’re the reason he attacked the school!” I gasped. “You told him where it is. Dozens of mer died because of you! And hundreds of shifters may still die if the glass gives!” I shoved him again, all my anger and sorrow flooding into the assault as I thrust him against the door.

“Ow,” he winced. “Arya, I’m sorry, but I had no choice.” He took a step closer.

“No choice?” I yelled back. “You had a choice, and you chose wrong! Do you have any idea what you’ve done? How many lives you’ve doomed?”

“They were doomed anyway,” he insisted sincerely. “Hadrian was going to find the Dome one way or another. I’ve foreseen it, remember? And if he attacked the school with you inside and didn’t know, you could have died. Don’t you see that I’m trying to save you?”

“Oh, don’t give me that shit,” I snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him. “You saved yourself and sacrificed everyone else. I can’t believe that you actually came here. I had no idea what happened to you after you left. You could’ve died coming here. Even after what you did, I still...”

I bit my tongue, hating that some part of me still cared about him, after all this time, even now. The anger boiling up roused the ursa within, and I didn’t know if I could contain it.

But then, why would I want to? “And to find you here, safe and sound and bossing vampires around… So, what, you’re Hadrian’s pet or something?”

“I’m one of his advisors,” Kendall replied with an air of pride. The way he said it made me want to slap him, but I feared I’d scratch his face clean off if I did. “A seer is too valuable a prize to kill.”

“That’s too bad,” I hissed, injecting anger into every word.

He closed his eyes, visibly stung.

“I know you think you hate me for my actions,” he said, brows creasing in a way that made him look disgustingly cute. “But I did what I did for you. For us .”

My insides curdled with disgusted fury. “Bullshit. You saved yourself and sold everyone else for that safety.”

“And what would you rather I have done? Wait around in that fishbowl to die with everyone else? When the vampires attacked, you got out. You saved yourself, too.”

My anger was at a tipping point, and I could feel the fur bristling underneath the goosebumps on my arms. “I didn’t save myself! I left to save everyone else! You think I give a flying fuck what happens to me? I’d give everything to save the people I love.”

“And that’s exactly what I did,” Kendall declared, stomping his foot as he neared me. “I gave up everything and everyone to ensure that you’d be safe. You may not care what happens to you, but I do.”

Red tinged the periphery of my vision, my muscles itching with the prickle of an imminent transformation. “Get out,” I warned in a deep, animalistic growl.

Kendall startled and tripped backward. He squinted at me in confusion and fear, but swiftly recovered and stood tall.

“I’ll give you some time,” he said, backing toward the door. “But I’m not giving up on you. One day, I hope you know just how much you mean to me.” His blue eyes lingered on me with a desperate intensity for a moment before he turned and scrambled out the door.

That look reached something inside me, something that soothed the beast within enough for me to regain control of my breathing, as Mr. Sharp had shown me. I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, feeling the prickle and the anger subside.

Calm now, I sat on the bed and stared down at the red carpet.

Maybe I should’ve let the ursa out. See how much damage I could inflict before the vamps could take me out.