Chapter 18
Kara
The moon hangs low over the ocean, casting silver ripples across the dark water. I lean against the railing, breathing in the salt air as the ship cuts through the waves. Behind me, the massive cruise liner stretches endlessly, but up here on the private deck, it’s just us three sisters.
“This is ridiculous,” I mutter, watching phosphorescent creatures flash beneath the surface. “We should be out there doing something, not trapped on this floating prison.”
What’s even more ridiculous is that I just wasted precious hours having sexcapades with a vampire.
Mia settles next to me, her auburn hair catching the moonlight. “At least the view’s nice.”
“The view won’t help Gran,” I snap, then immediately regret my tone. “Sorry. I just… I hate feeling useless.”
Rowan joins us, completing our little circle. “We’re not useless. We’re regrouping.”
My fingers drum against the railing. Marcus’s face flashes through my mind – that stubborn set to his jaw when he insisted we stay put. The way his eyes blazed with…something I don’t want to examine too closely. I push the thought away, irritated with myself for even going there.
“Kara?” Mia’s voice pulls me back. “You okay?”
“Fine.” I straighten up, forcing myself to focus. “Just thinking about strategy.”
Liar, my mind whispers. I was thinking about the way Marcus looked at me in that steamy bathroom, how his touch—
No. Stop it.
Gran is missing, Lucien’s taken control of the bloodsuckers, and I’m mooning over a vampire like some teenager. Again.
The ship rocks gently, a constant reminder of our isolation. Stars wheel overhead, distant and cold. Out here, surrounded by nothing but water, we might as well be on another planet.
“We need to work out our next move,” I say firmly, more to myself than my sisters. “Whatever that overprotective jerk thinks, we can’t just sit here and wait.”
Mia and Rowan exchange pointed glances.
“What?” I ask sharply. “Got something to say?”
“I just think that—” Rowan begins.
“You’re right,” Mia cuts her off. “We need to figure out what to do now.”
I push away from the railing and start pacing. “There has to be a way off this boat. What about shadow travel?”
“Middle of the ocean,” Rowan reminds me. “No shadows to connect to except the ones on the ship itself.”
“Astral projection?” I suggest, already knowing the answer.
Mia shakes her head. “Too far to maintain a connection. And even if we could project that far, we couldn’t actually do anything in astral form.”
“Swimming’s out,” I mutter. “Unless anyone’s developed mermaid powers recently?” When neither responds, I huff a breath. “So, how did they get us here, then?”
“Darick said they have a portal. Only the vampires can use it,” says Rowan.
“And not us?” I look from one to the other. “Maybe we can find it. Maybe we can—”
“Kara.” Mia’s voice is gentle. “Maybe we should focus on what we can do rather than how to escape.”
I stop pacing and lean against the rail again. She’s right, but I hate admitting it. “Fine. What do we know about Lucien’s movements?”
“Soren and I think Lucien’s been gathering dark artifacts,” she says. “It’s what he used when he tapped my power. A vessel of some sort. That’s probably how he managed to capture Gran and Poppy despite her powers. How he’s managed to restrain them.”
“I wonder where he’s got them now? He would have moved them after he found out we’d learned of his plans, I’m sure.”
“Darick mentioned something about properties in the mountains,” Rowan adds. “Old mining tunnels converted into holding cells.”
The mention of cells makes my stomach churn. I remember my vision in the mirror and think about Gran trapped underground somewhere. “The mountains would make sense. Harder to track magic through all that rock.”
“Plus,” Mia says, “the ley lines are stronger there. If he’s planning something big…”
“He’d need that kind of power,” I finish. Frustration burns in my chest. “We know where to look, we know what he’s planning, and we’re stuck out here on this floating fortress while our family is in danger.”
“At least we’re together,” Rowan offers. “And safe.”
“Safe?” My voice rises. “What good is being safe when Gran’s in trouble? When Lucien’s probably torturing her for information right now?”
“Why would he do that, Kara?” Mia cocks her head. “He’s already made himself the vampire Grand Elder. He has our High Priestess, too. From here, he knows we’ll try to rescue her, so he’ll be waiting for us. There’s nothing Gran could tell him that he doesn’t already know.”
“Why does he want her, then?” I ask.
“No idea,” she shrugs. “Leverage, probably. And he doesn’t need to harm her for that.”
I think of how he slapped her, my anger spiking. “Unless he wants to antagonize us,” I mutter. “But you’re right,” I acknowledge. “Hurting her would serve no purpose. She looked fine when I saw her. Aside from being dirty and exhausted – which would probably hurt Gran’s pride more than anything.”
“You saw Gran?” Rowan blinks at me.
“I…” Shit. I hadn’t meant to raise it. “I saw her in a vision last night. I think Lucien reached out and tried to scare me.”
“For God’s sake, Kara! Why didn’t you say anything?” Mia’s eyes flash in the moonlight.
“I… I didn’t think it would help in any way.” Not to mention that I’ve been more distracted by what happened after. “He was just trying to intimidate me. And I refuse to give him the satisfaction of thinking that it worked.”
Mia rubs her forehead, pushing a wave of hair from it. “Yeah.” She heaves a sigh. “You’re probably right. But the vision… I didn’t know you had the power of second sight.”
That gives me pause. “Um…” I gnaw on my lip. “I don’t?”
“Clearly, you do,” says Rowan.
“Maybe it’s something Lucien did.” I turn to her.
“Or something Marcus did?” Mia winks at me.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter, turning to the railing and looking out across the ocean. “I wonder if we’ll see whales out here.”
“Ah. Deflecting much?” Rowan steps up beside me.
Mia takes up a spot on the other side. “You planning to keep this up forever?” she asks.
“Keep what up?” I keep my eyes on the horizon where the moon has lit a path over the water.
“Don’t act like we’re idiots. It’s impossible to miss the chemistry between you. Not to mention that we’ve literally walked in on the pair of you making out. More than once.”
Rowan giggles.
“Shut up! I’m a grown woman. I do not ‘make out.’”
“Do so,” says Rowan.
“Do not!” I snap back, then think better of it. “For Pete’s sake. Now you’ve got me bickering like a schoolgirl.”
Mia playfully smacks my shoulder. “Oh, come on, Kara, lighten up. The guy’s smoking hot.”
“Sure. If you go for tall, dark, and arrogant assholes.”
“There’s a certain appeal to that, I believe. Soren wasn’t always the charmer he is now.” She winks at me.
“Tell me about it. He had you locked in a cage for a year.”
“So we didn’t have a traditional start to our romance—”
I cough. “Ya think?”
“But it’s still our love story. And I’m stronger for it. For what we went through.” She shrugs as if it was no big deal when it was a huge deal. It’s a miracle either of them survived.
I shift uncomfortably. “About that…have either of you noticed anything different about your magic since…you know…”
“Since bonding with Darick?” Rowan asks.
“You already know that’s changed. I’m…stronger.
” She pulls a face. I know she doesn’t like to talk about how she gathered enough power to incinerate her lover.
“But yes, things are different in other ways. It’s like everything got amplified.
Spells that used to backfire now just…work. ”
“He doesn’t still drink from you, though, surely?” My brows beetle.
Rowan shakes her head. “No.” Her face falls for a moment, regret registering. “But the bond is still the same. The feeling of needing him.”
“I guess my situation is different,” Mia admits. “I got myself into trouble using the wrong kind of magic.” She looks down at her hands. “But if it hadn’t been for Soren, I never would have controlled it.”
I think about the surge of power I felt during the fight at Marcus’s penthouse, how our energies seemed to sync without effort. “But doesn’t that bother you? Having your power tied to a vampire?”
“It’s not like that,” Rowan protests. “The bond enhances what’s already there. It doesn’t control it.”
“Really?” I arch an eyebrow. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re becoming dependent on them. First, the blood-drinking, then the mind connection, now your magic? What’s next?”
“You’re oversimplifying it,” Mia says, her voice taking on that patient tone that drives me crazy. “A blood match is about balance, not dependency.”
“Says the hybrid,” I snap, immediately regretting it when hurt flashes across her face.
“That’s exactly why you should listen to me,” she counters. “I understand both sides better than anyone.”
“Or maybe being half-vampire makes you biased.” The words tumble out before I can stop them.
“Kara!” Rowan looks up at me sharply. “That’s not fair.”
“None of this is fair!” I throw my hands up, spinning away from the railing. “We’re supposed to be witches, not vampire groupies. Our power should come from us, not some mystical bond with the very creatures who’ve been our enemies for centuries.”
The hurt on my sisters’ faces makes my stomach twist, but I can’t take the words back. I don’t want to. Someone needs to question this whole blood match business, and if I’m the only one willing to do it, so be it.
“What bothers you so much about this, Kara?” Mia puts her hand on my shoulder.
I glance over at her. “Nothing,” I say, almost beneath my breath. “I’m just worried…about you. That’s all.”
“Or maybe about you?” Her eyes are sharp on me. “Is there something you want to tell us, sis?”
I shake my head. “Nothing to tell.”
“Really?” It’s Rowan now, and I’m feeling tag-teamed.
“Really, dammit! Now, will you just drop it?”