Chapter 17 Kayla
Kayla
Lost in the music, I was literally singing with my eyes closed, but there was a muffled noise in the crowd, and my eyes sprang open just as unfamiliar sounds rang out.
No, not unfamiliar. I knew what gunshots sounded like. But these were definitely out of place.
I stopped almost mid-note as fear cut off my voice, and I clutched my throat as I dropped my microphone and dove off the stage.
Every nerve in me was stretched taut and vibrated on a frequency I hadn’t experienced since Francois had last given me orders.
I hit the floor with a thump and winced before I crawled away.
I needed to get out of there, needed to move, but everything was moving in staccato jerks in front of me, people blurring in and out of my view as I heaved deep breaths to try to loosen my tight chest.
Grabbing a table leg, I used it to help pull myself under the table. I couldn’t see much besides feet from down here, and hopefully I was also out of sight.
If I knew anything about Sebastian and his men, they’d already sprung into action to find whoever had started shooting a gun in their club.
They wouldn’t stand for that kind of behavior—the sort that threatened Nic Dupont’s reign.
They couldn’t afford to look weak or to be weak, and this was a direct threat and act of violence too close to him.
They needed to defend against it.
The pull to help was fierce, but my magic wasn’t battle magic. I was as likely to hinder their efforts as I was to be any help at all. I added that to the list for future learning. My magic was already pretty dark. Actual battle magic wouldn’t worsen that.
But for now, the best bet for me and for them, was for me to stay out of sight and safe so no one had to worry about me while they solved the bigger problem.
I spotted another table, farther away, the corner darker. That would be an even more suitable hiding spot. I began to inch my way slowly across the floor, the grit that wasn’t usually obvious when I was walking scraping against my palms.
More shots rang out and a bullet whizzed past me, grazing my arm. Pain bloomed down to my fingers and through my chest, and I cried out.
Warm blood trickled over my skin, and when I clamped my hand over the wound, it seeped between my fingers.
Fuck. I was like a walking entrée now. I was hiding in a vampire club and bleeding. They’d circle me like sharks if they were hungry. The extra fear propelled me to the new hiding place, and I gritted my teeth as I crawled beneath the second table.
I just had to wait it out. I could do that. I grabbed a discarded linen napkin and clamped it to my arm, hoping to stem the bleeding and hopefully mute the scent of the blood as well. The back of my new hiding place was shadowed and dusty. No one would find me here.
I tried to steady my breathing, but it rasped in and out of my chest, where my heart already beat wildly.
Blood continued to trickle down my arm from under the napkin, but it slowed as I tightened my grip over the wound.
I didn’t want to look—not that I’d see much in the dark, but if I tried, I’d imagine.
As I allowed my eyes to close and my head to rest against the wall behind me, strong fingers grasped my ankles and I was yanked into the open. The grip was too cruel, the movement too violent to be anyone who had friendly feelings toward me, and my eyes flew open.
A vampire I’d never met before stood over me, his hair disheveled, his eyes wild. There was something manic about him, something I’d seen in Francois too many times before. Those were the days I’d taken extra care to avoid my boss, but there was no avoiding this guy now.
Fear started to close my throat.
Then there was a blur of motion I almost didn’t see, and Sebastian leapt between the guy and me, his gaze catching on mine briefly before he gave all of his attention the vampire standing above me.
A growl ripped from Sebastian’s throat, and his features started to change, his cheekbones becoming more angular, his fangs descending, his eyes reddening. I huddled in on myself, looping my good arm around my knees to make myself as small as possible.
The vampire squared off against Sebastian, but it was no good. He was no match for the man who called himself my mate, the man I wanted to be my mate.
My breath caught as Sebastian slashed forward, his nails now claws as he launched himself at the vampire, burying his fangs in his neck and applying enough pressure that the crack of bones echoed through the club, so loud that the screaming stopped for just a moment as people’s fear hung like someone had pressed the pause button.
The wild vampire dropped to the floor, his body now a useless dead weight, his head resting at an awkward angle.
I didn’t make a sound. I couldn’t. But Sebastian was watching me, and I gazed at him as his features rearranged themselves to the handsome man I was used to. There really were monsters hiding in these men.
“You need to come with me.” Sebastian’s voice was gruff.
I didn’t argue. Instead, I nodded and started to hold out my hand then winced as the movement hurt my upper arm.
“Fuck.” Sebastian reached for me, gathering me against him.
“You’re bleeding.” It was like he’d only just noticed as he turned his face away, like he didn’t want to see or smell me.
“It’s not safe for you down here. There are too many vampires.
You’re too tempting as you are now. I need to get you to my office so I can lock you in. I’ll come back for you when it’s safe.”
I nodded again, not trusting myself to speak. But I trusted Sebastian. I trusted him to keep me safe.
“Talk to me, Kayla.” His gaze searched me even as he hustled through the crowd.
I gripped him tighter as he raced up the stairs, my good arm wrapped around his neck, my injured arm pressed between us. He opened the door to his office and carried me inside before lowering me to a small couch.
“I need you to wait here.” He sounded more urgent than I’d ever heard him, but I only nodded. I had no plans to go anywhere.
“Don’t try to help or get involved.” He sounded like he had experience with well-meaning people getting in his way, and I nodded again.
“I’ll stay here.” It hurt to talk. My voice was croaky and thin. “My magic isn’t battle magic. I won’t be able to help you, I know that.”
He narrowed his eyes like he was testing the truth of my words before whirling away and speeding to the door. “I’ll be back as soon it’s safe. This door is reenforced and I’m locking it for your protection.” He patted it briefly like I wouldn’t know which one he meant.
I nodded again, even though he couldn’t see me.
Then the door closed almost silently behind him before the snap of the lock echoed through the room.
I wrapped my arms around myself in a pseudo hug, needing to surrender to being held, before my senses returned and I thought my situation through.
I wasn’t a damsel in distress. I never had been.
I’d been alone a long time now, even with Lettie guiding me.
And I was a kick-ass witch with skills sought after by vampires.
I couldn’t afford to sit in the office and do literally nothing while I waited to be rescued.
Oh, I wouldn’t leave the office—I wasn’t that dumb—but I could help myself, for sure.
My arm was still bleeding slowly through the napkin, and I could definitely do something about that. First, I ripped the hem of my dress and wrapped the makeshift bandage over myself while I prepared to cast an incantation that would speed my healing.
As I focused my energies and intention, a soft snick behind me distracted me. An icy breeze traveled over the back of my neck, and goosebumps rose on my skin. Sudden fear clutched my chest, and I didn’t want to turn around.
“Hello, Kayla.”
I turned then. A tall, thin vampire had emerged from the closet at the back of Sebastian’s office.
His hair was so fair it was almost white, his eyes a cold, crystal blue, and his skin bordered on translucent.
He looked hella old. Old like I hadn’t even seen a fucking vampire old since… crap. émile Ricard.
He didn’t say anything else. Only studied me like I was a science experiment or a puzzle he needed to figure out, and I steeled myself against a shudder. It was like I was the wild animal rather than him. If Sebastian could transform into a monster, I didn’t want to see this guy mad.
I sat frozen before him as he took predatorial steps forward, gliding toward me rather than walking. His movements looked oddly effortless, every one of my muscles tensed at his approach.
He blinked and that released me from his gaze.
I stood quickly and took a step away from him, then another, and it was like we were dancing.
Every step he took toward me, I took one away, until I was backed right up against Sebastian’s desk, the edge of the almost-black wood digging into my ass.
I pressed my palm down, shifting my weight onto my good arm as I leaned away.
The vampire’s voice was like the sound of wind rustling through leaves as he spoke to me again. “We have a message for the king.”
I inhaled a quick breath. Oh, shit. I was embroiled in something political. I opened my mouth to protest that I was just the singer here, nothing important, but he cut me a glare and I faltered.
“Nicolas Dupont and his regent will never take New Orleans. They will never own this city nor its vampires. No matter how many wolves they put on leashes. We are the authority here, and we have always been the authority. No one will be taking a knee but the pretenders to the vampire thrones.” He laughed, and I shuddered at the dry, scratchy sound.
I lifted my chin, though. I didn’t have to do a thing this guy wanted. I was a fucking dark witch.
He tilted his head. His gaze suddenly quizzical. “You don’t look like you understand, Kayla. How can I make you understand? I need to send a message…” He tapped his chin as if in thought.
Before I could reply, he moved, slamming into me before I could even register that he’d closed the gap between us. I let out a strangled shriek.
“I’ve figured out how to send my message,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear. He smelled of blood and decay. Like something was rotting inside him.
I shuddered and shrieked again, the sound leaving me like I had no control over it. But damn, it made me sound weak, and I hated it.
“Aww, Kayla… Shh… Shh…” He made weird soothing noises, and I tried to move but he was too strong, deceptively so while his grip seemed to remain so soft.
“It’s not personal. It’s just a message for the man claiming to be king.
It’s an honor to be chosen as king, and he has not been chosen.
” He smoothed one of his bony hands over my hair.
Then in direct contrast to his strange gesture of affection, something cold and sharp pressed against my throat.
He leaned closer, pressing against me until the knife sliced slickly at my skin, and I gasped at the sharp pain. He bared his fangs at me in a gruesome parody of a grin, and I tried to shrink away, but he gripped the back of my head, pushing me harder onto his knife.
He dipped his head lower and moaned. “The scent of your blood, my dear. How have you remained untainted by vampire venom?” For a moment, the press of the knife relaxed, and warm liquid seeped toward my collarbone.
His fangs scraped against my skin, and I whimpered. I didn’t want this vampire to bite me. If I wanted to give myself to anyone, it would be Sebastian. Only him.
I needed Sebastian now.
The vampire’s tongue flicked out and he licked over the delicate skin at my pulse. I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I even stopped breathing.
“Just one bite…” he murmured. Then he pulled back. “No. The message. Must deliver the message. It needs to be clear.” His breath fanned over my face again and I gagged.
When I swallowed, the movement pushed my neck against his knife once more, and he smiled. Up close, the dried blood around the tops of his fangs was on full display, and I closed my eyes against the sight of it.
The knife was so sharp, it slipped into my skin again with little more than a sting, but blood began to gush down my neck and my vision blurred as I blinked to try to regain my focus. The vampire drew the knife across my neck, and I tried to lift my hands to hold myself together.
Dammit, I wasn’t bleeding out onto the floor of Sebastian’s office, where he’d left me to keep me safe. I wasn’t coloring my clothes bright red as my vision faded in and out again. I wasn’t reliving all of my fucking worst moments on some sort of movie reel in my head.
In reality, though, I hadn’t been safe since I met Sebastian. Not even since I’d signed my first contract with the Ricards. I was twenty-two and I’d been living on borrowed time far longer than I’d really been aware of it.
The vampire stepped away from me, and I landed hard on the floor. I only knew I’d landed hard because I bounced. I didn’t feel the impact at all. As I looked up, the vampire licked along the blade of the knife and his lips parted in a grin.
“Such a shame to waste such a rare vintage, but I need your blood to turn this carpet red. Then the self-crowned king might get the message.” He turned and strode to the door before simply wrenching the handle hard enough to break the lock and leaving.
I let my head sink into the plush pile of Sebastian’s carpet, the same one I was supposed to be turning red. My hands were at my throat, trying to hold my flesh closed, but the wound was deep and my skin was slippery and warm. I wouldn’t survive this.
No human could—not even a witch.
My last hope was rescue, but what could anyone do? I was growing colder, and I started to shiver. It wouldn’t be long now.
I closed my eyes and thought of Sebastian.
The man who said he was my mate. I’d pretended I didn’t really know, that I didn’t feel the same.
But I had.
I still did.
And I’d wasted it.