Chapter 24 – Cody
CODY
The prison cell door opens with a terrible creaking, and I flinch. My body is covered in cuts and bruises. The piercing of vampire teeth line my throat, no matter how I tried to fight them off.
A vampire with dark hair leers down at me, and I see the shadows of two others behind him. “Lord Drac wishes to see you, gargoyle.”
My heart races. Will I finally see Elliot? Or is this something else? More pain and torture?
They drag me out and more fists pummel the sides of my body. I wheeze in a breath, already knowing my ribs are broken, and my vision spins as they haul me up flight after flight of stairs with their immortal strength and speed.
I hear music and see flickering lights through my eye that isn’t swollen shut. Are they taking me to some kind of party? For some reason, the idea makes my stomach turn. This can’t be good. Not at all.
When they drag me through a room filled with dancing vampires, they stop what they’re doing to point and laugh at me. I don’t struggle. What’s the point? More pain? I’ve had enough of that.
They chain me onto the floor before a dais with two thrones on it. Lord Drac himself reclines in the chair, grinning down at me. His dark hair is slicked back, and he wears a red suit over his narrow frame.
“Well, well, well,” he says, his voice carrying as the music dies down. “It seems I’ve been brought a little gift.”
There’s more laughter.
I lift my head and scan the crowd. There’s no signs of Elliot and no signs of the shade. A troubling thought occurs to me. What if the shade was tricking us? What if Elliot has been dead for days?
Realizing that I’m gasping and my vision is going blurry, I try to calm myself. I can’t think that now. I can’t start to panic when I can barely breathe already.
Suddenly the shade appears beside Lord Drac. Her dress is covered in blood, and she looks like some frightening mix of a stunning woman and a monster.
Her gaze is focused on Lord Drac, and there’s a coldness to her expression that I haven’t seen before. “It’s done.”
He beams at her and takes her hand. “I knew I could count on you.”
Then his eyes focus on me once more. “And look what my hunters caught.”
She turns, and when she sees me, some of the coldness on her face is replaced by shock for the briefest moment before she covers it up. “What is it?”
Lord Drac grins. “Another gargoyle!”
“Another gift?” she asks.
Lord Drac shakes his head. “Not this time. We already have one that hasn’t expired nearly as quickly as I wanted.”
“So…what do you plan to do with him?”
Lord Drac’s smile widens. “Guards, unchain him.”
The shade looks nearly as surprised as I am.
My chains are removed and I struggle to my feet, staring at the three or four dozen vampires who watch me with far too much interest. Especially interest in the cuts that cover my body. I want to feel relieved that I’m unchained, but something about this situation makes me feel even more uneasy.
“Who among you wishes to challenge a gargoyle?” Lord Drac asks, his tone almost lazy. “Who among you feels that you can feed upon a gargoyle?”
Shouts rise from the crowd, and I look between Lord Drac and the crowd, heart racing.
This definitely isn’t good. Not good at all.
In my gargoyle form, I could kill them all.
In my human form, in the condition I’m in, this wouldn’t be a fight between me and a vampire.
It’d be like leading a lamb to slaughter.
“Surround the gargoyle, those that feel they’re worthy.”
At least two dozen of the vampires move to stand in a circle around me. I shift over and over again, trying not to hiss in pain, but also trying to keep them in my sights.
“Who’s ready for a feast?” he asks.
More laughter follows his words.
The shade frowns beside him. “You’re going to unleash all these strong vampires against one injured gargoyle? Where’s the honor in that?”
Lord Drac lifts a brow, and I don’t like the way he looks at the shade. “This is an enemy, my dear. His death doesn’t need to be an honorable one, just a painful one.”
Her frown deepens. “It’ll just be a massacre.”
Some of the crowd begins to listen, and Lord Drac lowers his voice, but I still pick out his words. “Surely a creature who kills violently and drags souls to the Underworld isn’t afraid of a little blood and death?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t kill innocents. I kill those that deserve justice.”
Anger flares to life in Lord Drac’s eyes. “These gargoyles have tried to infiltrate my home, kill my people, and steal what’s mine. Surely taking their lives is justice.”
“And what about the boy you made kill his own parents?” There’s a steely quality to the shade’s voice that silences the entire room.
“That boy told me no. He refused me. And I had to show all the humans and creatures who are aware of us that nobody tells me no.”
“And what about the others you sent me to kill, did they offend you in some way too?”
He flicks his wrist, as if flicking her words away. “I didn’t care about who they hurt, until they decided they didn’t need to listen to me anymore.”
“All of these actions seem like those of a man afraid to lose control.”
Now I know Lord Drac is angry. “Careful, Shade. My fondness for you has its limits.” And then he turns to me. “Vampires, kill him. I want to see him torn to shreds. I want his blood and organs to decorate this hall.”
I barely have time to feel the cold rush of fear when the vampires launch at me.
And then I’m gone.
Stumbling to my knees, I see that I’m in a room, and the shade stands above me.
“Cody?” Elliot cries my name.
Elliot tries to reach me, but he’s tied down to the floor with thick chains.
“He’s been hurt,” she says. “None of us are safe here any longer. Cody, try to free Elliot. I’m going to destroy the shield.”
She races to her door and locks it. “That won’t give you long, but it will give you some time. Don’t waste it.” Her gaze connects with mine. “And I free you of your word not to hurt the vampires. If you want to kill them, let their blood flow.”
And then she’s gone, leaving me to do the impossible, to free Elliot from the ground or risk leaving him here behind.
I’d rather die.