Chapter 10
Valiente’s lip curls with pure satisfaction.
“You’ve made the right decision, Alvin,” he purrs. “As I’m sure the Avatar told you, it really was the only way for you to come out ahead.”
He uncurls his fingers and extends his palm, coolly waiting for me to give him Collin to torture so he can bring an evil god of death back into our world.
I pivot to Collin. His sweet face is framed with golden curls, angelic and beautiful, and he smiles back in that gentle, trusting way of his.
His features seem sharper now, clearer somehow, and they burn into my memory.
Like my mind is taking a picture. Like it might be the last time I ever see him.
“You’ll save me,” he says. “I know you will.”
I force myself to nod, even though there’s no reason to believe it’s true. Then I grip his shoulders and press my forehead desperately against his.
“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I say through gritted teeth. “I should have said this earlier, but… I really like you.”
There’s a rock in my stomach, and I’m not ready to use any other L-words, even if I’m tempted to right now. But I can’t shake the sense that he’s sacrificing himself for me, again, and I need him to know how I feel before it’s too late.
He responds with happy warmth, like the perfect boyfriend he is. “Same.”
I want to keep stalling, but I know there’s no point. Valiente was already at “three” with Emma. This is the only play.
I make myself step away from Collin and turn toward the Vampire King.
Valiente swims in my vision as I blink back tears.
I numbly drag my legs forward, each one feeling like a wet sack of useless weight.
It’s insane to show even more weakness in front of him, but I’m barely keeping it together.
After climbing the steps to the stage, I glance down at Rafa, still kneeling on the platform.
He seems just as at peace with my decision as Collin, only more resigned, maybe.
Hopefully, once we’re out of here together, he can help me come up with some kind of plan to get the watch back.
That is, if he’s not too jealous or whatever after what he heard me just say.
It would be totally like me to have screwed that up, too.
Once I’m facing Valiente, I say, “I give you this watch and anyone in this room who wants to leave can go, and you won’t come after them ever again. You will honor that?”
This close to him, the cloud of ozone magic from his amulet fills my mouth with a bitter metallic tang. He’s not as tall as Rafa, but I still have to crane my neck. I feel more like a little kid than ever.
“To the letter. You have my word.”
“Okay,” I say.
There’s a shiver in the air. The magic of the covenant locking in, I assume.
I remove the artifact from my jacket pocket without looking at Collin. I can’t bring myself to see him disappear. But I sense his absence immediately, and it leaves me truly alone.
I then place the watch into Valiente’s palm.
With visible relief, he immediately slips it into an inside pocket of his expensive suit jacket before looking to his right at the loving, wonderful guy I can no longer see. “It’s good to have you back, boy. We have so much work to do.”
My gut twists at his smarm. I can only imagine Collin’s horror at being in this man’s power again. But I can’t do anything about it. Valiente is the owner of the watch now.
The Vampire King shifts his attention to me, his smile friendly. “Now, it’s my turn.” He glances down. “Mijo, please stand.”
Rafa struggles to rise, and I quickly bend my knee to lift him up by the elbow. I’m at least somewhat confident that Valiente won’t sneak-attack me, since he said anyone who wanted to go could do so, and I definitely want to be anywhere but here right now.
The Hunter looks at me, grateful, as I support him. “Thank you, Alvin.”
I don’t have it in me to say anything back, but for what it’s worth, I guess it’s good that he doesn’t seem to be mad at me. When we are both fully on our feet, I realize that Valiente has removed a large knife from a belt he’s wearing under the jacket.
My eyes widen, but the vampire holds up the blade one-handed, flat against his palm, tip pointed to the side, like a peace offering. “This is just to cut his ropes, my young friend. He is no longer my prisoner.”
And true to his word, he cuts the black nylon 550 cord restraining Rafa’s arms behind his back.
Rafa massages his wrists absentmindedly, while keeping his eyes on his father.
It suddenly occurs to me that the Hunter has been strangely quiet throughout this whole thing.
I figured that it was because he was beaten and exhausted, but that certainly didn’t stop him before, when he was giving Prince Eirian lip while recovering from smoke inhalation.
Valiente returns the knife to his belt and grins. “Well then, let’s find out who wants to go with you! We’ll start with my son. Rafa, would you like to leave with young Alvin here?”
“No, father,” Rafa immediately replies. All the emotion that had been playing on his face before I made the deal has suddenly dulled. If anything, he seems in a daze.
Valiente glances over at me, eyebrows raised, ostentatiously feigning surprise, then he looks back at Rafa. “Are you sure? I need you to tell me if you want to leave.”
“No, father,” he replies, almost like a robot. “I want my reward.”
I didn’t think I could get a worse feeling about this deal. But my gut starts to sink. This doesn’t sound like Rafa being brave and sticking around to help me. It sounds scripted.
“Rafa, what are you doing?” I ask.
Valiente then sweeps the room with his eyes, patting down the air with extended fingers.
“Friends, friends, please lower your weapons. We certainly don’t want any of these youngsters to feel like they are being coerced.
” The vampiric Hunters slowly uncock the hammers of their Berettas and lower them to their sides.
The Vampire King flashes his fangs, pleased. “Now, is there anyone in this room who would like to leave? Don’t be shy! I promise you will be free to go with no repercussions.”
The children all step forward at once, a single coordinated unit, their eyes locked on Valiente.
“No, Master,” they say in unison. “We want our reward.”
They sound like the freaking Children of the Corn.
Valiente turns to me and shrugs with exaggerated apology. “Well, then. It seems that everyone wants to stay. I’m sorry, Alvin, but it looks like you came all this way for nothing.”
“What did you do to them?” My voice comes out as a whisper. My eyes rake over the kids, and I open my senses as wide as I can.
He smirks. “Well, I hope you’ll allow that I made a very convincing argument—”
The ozone magic! I assumed it was just around the vampires, but it’s not. Each of the humans in this room is directly in front of a vampire, even Rafa, and the stinking clouds of power are diffuse. The energy easily extends far enough to cover all of them. Could that be affecting their minds?
“This is spellcraft,” I say, heat rising in my gut. “You’re manipulating them. This isn’t what we agreed to!”
Whatever crazy, evangelistic look that was in his eye before evaporates—and in its place forms a knowing sneer. “Oh, this is exactly what we agreed to. Perhaps they might have answered differently not too long ago, but I promise that they do not want to leave with you now.”
Up to this point, I’d felt lost, and any anger churning inside was directed solely at myself. But I am still full of power—and this is bullshit.
I step up to him, fists tight, inhuman strength flooding the muscles of my arms. “You might think you’ve played me here. But I gave you the watch, and I am not leaving this room without those kids!”
His expression lights up like he just won the lottery. “I expected as much. Rafa told me you were quite the hero, so I completely believe that you don’t want to leave.” He reveals his fangs and locks eyes with me. “Which, of course, means you don’t get safe passage out, either.”
Ozone magic explodes right into my face, hitting me like a freight train—with magical compulsion.
When Mom used her power on me, it felt like my own emotions, my own desires. The fae’s compulsion was fueled by hot guilt and obligation. This is different. This is cold and cruel. It’s raw, heartless, irresistible domination. It grips my mind and soul with a single, deafening command:
Submit!
It feels like a granite slab slamming down onto my upper back, trying to force me to my knees.
From everything Stryker has told me, becoming a vampire’s thrall is not an actual thing. Bloodsuckers shouldn’t have any mind-control powers. So not only does that drop of Ah Puch’s blood let Valiente think like a movie vampire, apparently he gets some other Hollywood tricks, too.
But this is one trick I’m more than wise to.
Apparently, Mom was practically a god herself, and I learned to resist her.
And with the elf’s Obligation, I’ve recently had a ton of practice sharpening that skillset.
Valiente with his amulet is hella strong, but I’m stronger.
I can practically feel the monster inside me giving the monster in front of me the middle finger.
I slam against his magic with a flash of rage, and Valiente gets hit with a granite slab of my own raw emotion, causing him to stagger back.
“What?!” he says, eyes wide and confused.
Ozone magic sputters from the necklace under his shirt, and his power snaps off me like a broken rubber band.
I literally have him on his back foot, so I need to act now.
I could try to grab the amulet off him. He’s totally within range of that.
Unfortunately, it’s currently tucked away, and even if it wasn’t, Collin made it clear that breaking his control over the other vampires wouldn’t end well for the kids.
Crap, even punching Valiente’s lights out could lead to the same outcome.