Chapter 22 – Vara
I’m fucking pissed.
Kidnapped!
Unbelievable.
One moment I’m standing behind Thorne as Layla shakes hands with the motherly looking senator woman, and the next, I’m lifted off the ground and something is injected into my neck.
I passed out seconds later.
Honestly, though. Kidnapped?
How original. Millie’s blond human—now vampire—mate was kidnapped by a feral vampire. Evangeline was kidnapped by Xander’s psychotic brother.
Do villains not have any other way to deliver their message?
“You can scowl all you want, but it won’t save your life.”
I woke up about five minutes ago in a nondescript room, no windows, tied to a chair with a human man sitting across from me. His cheeks flare red, his hair thinning on top of his head, and he’s got a little bit of a belly hanging over his belt.
I’ll call him Frank because he looks like a Frank.
Next to Frank is Erebos in his human form.
Fucking traitor.
How did no one see him take me? Guards were everywhere!
Despite my supernatural strength, the ropes are too tight, and I can’t escape. It’s also possible they’re infused with a spell that’s preventing me from tearing the material. Or whatever I was injected with is suppressing my abilities.
“I thought sphinx were supposed to be strong?” Frank asks. “No... you’re supposed to be smart, right? Give me a riddle. I want to see if I can solve it.”
The human has an accent. Russian possibly. He chuckles at his abysmal attempt at humor.
I scoff.
Sure, sphinxes were known to use riddles to protect tombs and treasures. Anyone who failed to solve it was killed. Anyone who solved the riddle got to kill the sphinx and access the riches—which never happened.
I always hated coming up with riddles. I would have rather battled with my body than my mind. Though as I got older, I realized I was meant for leadership roles not ones meant for a warrior.
My parents and siblings loved coming up with riddles. They were so smart and creative. I suppose that’s why I was only ever given one assignment.
“When I get out of these ropes, I will rip your heart out of your asshole and stuff it down your throat just so I can tear it out of your anus for a second time,” I seethe.
“Well, that’s a shitty riddle,” Frank mumbles.
“It’s called a threat, you imbecile.” I turn to Erebos. “Why? What’s in it for you?”
He shrugs. “Money.”
I roll my eyes.
Griffins are known to spend money, either on extravagant vacations, gambling, or buying useless items. Anything to give them a burst of happy endorphins. I know the salary WOVE provided for Layla’s security team was more than enough.
I turn back to Frank. “This will not end well for you.”
He has a knife, and I can do nothing but watch as he lifts it up and brings it down on my thigh.
He fucking ripped my dress.
Yep. I will murder him.
I loved this dress.
Blood pours from the wound when he removes the knife, and I wait for my supernatural healing to kick into action… but it doesn’t.
Fuck.
This human is using spells, which means a witch is definitely helping him.
“I can’t wait to pluck those pretty little feathers of yours,” Frank says. “Do you have any idea how much you’re worth? The first known sphinx in hundreds of years!”
“Oh really? I hadn’t noticed,” I snarl.
He stabs me in the stomach.
Goddamn it.
I hope my mates hurry. I know they’re on the way. I sense them. Can they feel my pain?
I feel their fear.
My head swims, my vision starting to fuzz around the edges from the blood loss. It’s a strange experience as I’ve never had to worry about not healing.
But it’s fine. My mates will save me.
Is this it? Is this why destiny brought them to me now? To save my life and kill this clan of hunters, essentially saving the lives of all their future victims?
Another human enters the room and whispers in my kidnapper’s ear. His face scrunches in anger.
“I thought you said no one saw you steal the bird.”
I scoff.
Rude.
I’m more lioness than bird.
“I had a cloaking spell,” Erebos explains. “I made sure to send other guards away.”
Frank shakes his head and turns toward the door.
“Watch her. We have company.”
He leaves and Erebos leans against the wall across from me, arms crossed. In his human form, he appears as a svelte man, tall, with buzzed brown hair. The fucker smirks, letting me know he thinks he’s won. He has no idea death awaits him.
I want to ask him more about why he needs the money. Why he turned on supernaturals to help human hunters. Griffins and sphinxes are so alike, basically cousins. Erebos turned on his family.
But then I realize I don’t care. I don’t need his explanation, and I don’t want him to have a voice.
So, we stare at each other, me scowling and him smirking. We stay that way for at least five minutes before fighting erupts above us.
I must be in a basement.
It’s fine. They’ll still find me down here.
It’s like my body is calling out to them with a pulse of energy. My heart aches as if being tugged towards them.
Gunshots ring out. Screaming echoes all the way down to our room. A small explosion shakes the floor.
“Are you getting scared yet?” I ask the griffin. He’s put on a cool mask, but his heartbeat gives him away. His beady eyes keep jerking back and forth between me and the door.
It’s the only way out. He can’t escape.
He swallows hard and takes hold of his knife. His hand shakes as he holds the weapon up, ready to attack the first being that comes through the door.
He’s got a knife.
I send the thought to Thorne who’s just outside in the hallway. The griffin hears movement beyond the wall and leans close enough to put his ear against it.
Dumbass.
A gun goes off, sending chunks of the griffin’s head my way. Thankfully, I’m back far enough that none gets on me.
You got him, I reassure Thorne and seconds later, a huge body barrels through the locked door, tearing it off its hinges.
Thorne rushes in with Layla right behind him. She runs to me as Thorne double checks that Erebos is dead.
“Seriously?” he growls, spotting the griffin. His human mask has dropped now that he’s dead.
“He was greedy. The hunters paid him to help capture me,” I say as Layla works to free me.
“If I had known, I would have kept him alive to torture him.”
Layla finally gets the rope loose and it falls to the floor. I stand, then waver on my feet, needing to lean on Layla to avoid collapsing.
“The human stabbed me twice. I haven’t healed.”
“He must have suppressor salve on the blade,” Thorne says, coming to my other side and wrapping his arm around my waist. “We should get you to a supernatural medic. They’ll know what to do.”
I mumble a response before my vision fades to black.
Iwake up in Layla’s king-sized bed with her sitting beside me, holding my hand.
“V,” she whispers, her bottom lip quivering and tears streaming down her cheeks.
“How long was I out?”
“Two days. We were worried. You lost a lot of blood.”
“What about the conference?”
“Postponed for at least two months.”
I cover her hand with my paw.
“You saved me. You and Thorne. This was the reason.”
I don’t need to explain. She nods, knowing the reason these two were brought into my life now instead of decades or centuries ago was to save me in my weakest moment. It was only a matter of time before the hunters caught up to me.
“Did Erebos not realize that you two would have been able to find me?” I ask.
“I’m guessing he believed the spells placed on the room would have prevented the bond tracker from working,” Thorne says, appearing in the doorway.
He leans against the frame, arms crossed, looking so handsome in his black shirt and pants.
“Normally, I can picture both of your locations in my head, but I couldn’t see you this time.
Whatever spell was placed on the room made it harder to picture you but it’s as if our bodies knew where to go…
as if following an invisible trail. It got stronger the closer we got to the abandoned building where they were keeping you. ”
“An abandoned building? How cliché. Where was this abandoned building?”
“Near JFK Airport in Queens.”
Thorne walks into the room and joins us at the side of the bed. He palms my cheek.
“I heard your thoughts warning me about the knife. They were weak, but I heard them. You saved my life as well.”
“Did you capture him? The human who caught me?” I ask.
Thorne winces. “He got away. There were at least a dozen humans in this hunter clan. We killed half of them.”
“What I can’t understand,” I say, shaking my head, “is why they used wooden bullets in that first attack if they weren’t targeting Layla.”
“We managed to capture one human and get a little info from him before he broke the kill pill in his mouth. They wanted to kill Layla and incapacitate me so they could kidnap us both. Two for one deal. A gargoyle’s horns and a sphinx’s feathers.
As for the second attack, Erebos planted the bomb in the SUV.
The plan was to put Layla inside and pull you and me aside for whatever reason.
Then the bomb was supposed to explode, killing Layla and causing a distraction and allowing the hunters to grab us.
But when I stopped us just outside the door, sensing something was wrong, the hunters panicked, and they set off the bomb prematurely. ”
“Idiots,” I grumble. “Is that all you found out?”
“Rory said they were also planning a bigger attack at the conference.”
“Rory?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Thorne chuckles, shaking his head. “Turns out I was right—he can read human minds. Some supernatural minds too, but they’re not as easy.”
I scoff. Rory is still creepy as fuck.
“Okay, if they were planning a bigger attack, then why the letter warning us to cancel it?”
“That’s the confusing part.” My mate shakes his head, clearly exhausted from dealing with this over the last few days.
“My only explanation is that whoever put it there went rogue. There was never supposed to be a letter. Which is why we believe a witch is being forced to help the hunters. There are certain jewels that can be used to control witches, and whoever they have in their custody might have been trying to warn us.”
Layla gasps. “I’ve heard about those jewels. That's absolutely horrible.”
“It is.” Thorne sighs. “I hate that I couldn’t prevent this. I should have caught warning signs while vetting Erebos. He came highly recommended.”
“Everyone has secrets,” I say. “Even me.”
“Oh yeah?” Layla laughs. “Do you plan on sharing them with us?”
I shrug and the vampire rolls her eyes.
Thorne places a gentle kiss on my lips, then turns to Layla.
“We should let her rest.”
“I’m not tired,” I say and yawn.
Dammit.
“You can barely keep your eyes open,” Layla says, amused.
“Fine, but when I wake up, we’re going to have so much sex.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Thorne says, giving me a wink, “I have an idea for that when you wake up.”