Chapter 23 Francois #2
“Did we lose him?” Jason stopped running, the transition abrupt. “Fuck. That wasn’t the plan. He was supposed to stay on us. Should we go back? See if we can pick him up again?”
I started to nod. We had to try. But before I could agree, Aleron landed in front of me, having jumped from the roof above.
He grinned. “Stupid baby vampires. Found you. What game shall we play next? Wait, was this tag or hide and go seek?” He thought for a moment. “I know, how about we try some bondage?” As he spoke, Jason began to rise in the air.
Jason fought, struggling against the same invisible bonds the Ancients had secured me with when they’d abducted me from the apartment I’d shared with Jason.
Aleron grinned, then looked at me, lifting his hand and pointing like I should lift off the ground, too. When I didn’t, his eyes widened and lips parted. Oh, he wasn’t so cocky now, not so sure of his magic now that he couldn’t control both of us.
“What’s the matter, mon ami?” I pouted as I spoke, like I was genuinely confused. “Why do you look so sad?” But inside I celebrated.
If he couldn’t control me at the same time as Jason, they surely hadn’t done anything to me at all. They couldn’t have. My worry about being easily controlled by the Ancients, and being used by them against the Duponts faded away.
I darted forward, knocking Aleron off balance and his hold on Jason wavered but didn’t release entirely. I aimed a punch at the side of his head, but Aleron dodged and laughed, even as a fine film of sweat broke out on his forehead.
They weren’t as strong when they were alone. That was interesting. I aimed another punch his way, and he dodged again, but less quickly this time. If I could just weaken him further, we’d have what we needed.
Hopefully, the others were being as successful with Nisha. There were more to overpower her in the bar, anyway, and there was no way she could control Sebastian and Kyle. Kyle was a force to be reckoned with all on his own.
I aimed a punch again.
“For fuck’s sake, Francois. Stop playing with him and end this.” At Jason’s call, I darted forward again, and yanked Aleron against my body.
I hovered my fangs over his neck only briefly. This was sweet, sweet justice for all the times they’d fed me crap blood. And what a way for a vampire to die.
I pressed my fangs into his skin but before I could draw my first blood, he was gone, and Jason hit the ground with a loud thump as Aleron took off down the street so fast that none of the tourists probably were aware of anything but a breeze as he passed by them.
“Damn it.” I reached to help Jason up. “I nearly had him.” I hadn’t even taken a mouthful of blood let alone weakened him.
“We need to get back to the club.”
I licked my lips as I nodded my agreement, and the sweet, coppery taste of blood burst across my tastebuds.
Apparently I’d pricked Aleron if nothing else, and his blood…
The lights around me brightened then settled, and I could make out all sorts of shapes and figures in the shadows and milling through the crowds.
The ghosts of New Orleans were all revealed to me before they faded and were gone again. I shook my head and snapped back to reality.
If only my ghost were here with me now. Perhaps she’d know what was happening.
The clarity in my head continued. It was as if someone had connected me directly to a power supply, and it could have only been a couple of drops. I could only imagine how Father had felt with that blood constantly in his veins.
“Francois!” Impatience tainted Jason’s tone now. “We need to get back to the bar and check on the others. What if his only role was diverting us rather than it being the other way around?”
Shit. I hadn’t thought of that. I ran after Jason and we wove our way around the constant stream of people walking toward us. They moved like they were one, oblivious to our hurry.
“We’ll go around the back,” Jason called over his shoulder as he darted along the side of a wall. “Nic should still be there if nothing has gone wrong.”
Premature dread gnawed at my stomach at his words. If nothing had gone wrong. I’d only just found her. Nothing could go wrong now.
At the back of the bar, the women were standing beside Nic beside Temple’s van.
“Well?” Jason looked at all of them as he reached for Ciara, and I pulled Maeve into my arms, so grateful that she was safe.
She winced as I rubbed my fingers over her arm, and I glanced downward. Two red pinpricks marred her soft skin, and instant rage filled me.
I lunged for the van—that was where they must have Nisha—and I beat my fists against the flimsy metal between us. She wasn’t remotely safe in there now that I’d seen what she’d done.
“Francois, stop.” Jason grabbed me, but his voice in my ear was a mere annoyance.
I threw him backward, not caring that my friend hit the ground with a crunch. My thoughts were a blaze of red in my head as Ciara ran to Jason.
No one mattered but Maeve.
No one.
And none of them could stop me from getting the Ancients now. I’d destroy all of them. I’d bring down the whole world to keep Maeve safe.
“Francois!” Nic used a more commanding tone, more hypnotic, and I knew what he was doing. “Sam, get over here. You said your coercion extends to vampires sometimes, right? Can you hold him? I have things to do.”
As Sam stepped in front of me, talking about something I wasn’t even listening to, my muscles began to relax. My anger started to drain away, and I stepped away from the van.
But I didn’t forget the reason for my anger.
“Who the hell bit my mate?”