Chapter 32
Lola
Outside the camp, the acid rain and wind were merciless. The barrier protecting us inside must be incredibly powerful for us to only feel a slight drizzle and barely a breeze.
I rode fast, enjoying the feeling of getting my bike back after weeks and finally stepping outside that draining barrier and having full access to my powers.
Casting a few quick glances over my shoulders to ensure Marcus and the girls were still following, I headed in the direction of the large path we memorized on the map I brought back from the cabin I visited during my first week here.
Said map that Dimitri had scribbled on and detailed after he came back from that first scouting mission.
Map that Marcus had taped on his dashboard to make sure we weren’t getting lost.
“No one’s following,” he said through the com in my helmet. “Unless we’re spotted in the next two minutes, we’ll have the cover of the stone forest.”
“Let’s hurry, then.”
He sighed, the sound loud in my ear. “We have time, let’s not be reckless.”
“We do not have that much time,” I countered. “We agreed we were taking the long way around to reach the canyon from the other side. We need to get there before sunrise so we can find a small cave to rest for the day.”
There was some mumbling and shifting on his side before he grumbled.
“Sorry, the girls took out blood bags from their pack and it grossed me out.”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “You realize that tomorrow night might get bloody, right?”
“I don’t have anything against blood. It’s just the act of—drinking it.”
“Suck it up, you have Vampire roommates. And a Vampire mate—”
“Okay, I’m hanging up now.”
“You’re gonna have to talk about—”
“Bye.”
The line went silent and I turned my head to look at the car over my shoulder with a smile. After all, if anyone could understand being a reluctant mate, that was me.
I sighted the perfect spot and rode faster. The sun was starting to rise on the horizon and even though the windows of the car protected the girls, I’d rather not test them now. The quicker we’d get there, the quicker we’d all get some rest and time to form an actual plan.
Because we needed a plan, right? Heading inside headfirst and killing every hostile person on sight was only plan B. Maybe even C if Marcus was to be listened to.
What a killjoy.
Priority was freeing everyone and finding out what happened to Arc. Enemy casualties didn’t matter.
I stopped the bike at the entrance of the cave and pushed it inside.
While waiting for Marcus to catch up, I removed my helmet and stretched my sore limbs, enjoying the wind picking up more than I thought I would.
We’d been on the road for nearly four hours now, and I had obviously pushed my body a lot these past few days.
I might be a Succubus, but I was also over fifteen hundred years old. That girl was old and tired.
The car slowed down at the entrance and Marcus drove slowly inside, parking next to my bike, before stepping out and going back to the entrance, checking the perimeter with a focused gaze.
“The sun will be fully up in less than an hour,” he remarked. “The acid rain and clouds should cover most of it but let’s set up the camp at the far end of the cave, where the light shouldn’t reach.”
The girls quickly grabbed heavy packs from the trunk and went deeper in the small space.
“Let’s unpack,” he continued, turning to me. “I grabbed a bag of food, so we should eat something before we get some rest.”
It was going to be a long day. And waiting made me restless.
“So, what happened?” I asked the girls, stirring the instant coffee in my metal cup while Marcus rummaged through the bag in search of some junk food. “I’ve never met Vampire twins before.”
Savi placed her blood-filled cup on the dusty ground next to her before she signed, “It’s not a pretty story.”
“I’m sure I’ve heard worse.”
They exchanged a glance and shrugged. “We were adopted as babies in India. The family who took us in were Vampires.”
“Bad ones,” Francesca added.
“They adopted a lot of children and started feeding on them from a young age,” Savi continued.
“Some eventually were turned, some died before they reached adulthood. One of their first ‘children’—or at least one of the first they turned—decided that both Francesca and I were too pretty to die as blood bags. When we turned eighteen, he forced himself on both of us and sliced our throats—our vocal chords—to ensure we kept quiet before he made us into Vampires, thinking that we could be his silent wives.”
My jaw dropped and Francesca’s eyes fell to the floor. Marcus had stopped hoping for any of his tasteful treats and settled on dried meat, watching Savi’s hands moving with a dark look. Something told me he understood more than he let on.
“The rest of the family approved. After all, it had happened before with some of the others. But by turning us, he made us strong. And we weren’t going to comply or submit to him.
“On our wedding night, he planned to take us both to his bed at the same time. Francesca stole a copper knife during our last night market trip. We started by slicing his throat the same way he did ours so he couldn’t scream for help.
Then, we sliced other parts to leave for our adoptive family to find… ”
Savi stopped, grabbing her cup for a sip.
“Starting with his cock,” Francesca continued while her sister drank. “We stashed that particular part in their blood fridge.”
A sound between a gasp and a snort escaped me and they both grinned.
“Once we were done hiding his body parts everywhere in the house, we escaped. Jumped on a boat and ended up in Australia where we stayed until the war started. Then, we flew to the states…and now here we are.”
It didn’t surprise me that their story was tragic. After all, whether we were human or Immortal, women were often treated the same…
“Marcus’ story isn’t much happier,” Francesca added.
I turned my face to him and he grunted, pushing the sand and dust on the floor around with the sole of his shoes.
“So you do understand,” I remarked.
“Only when I really focus on it.”
“Why are you always playing dumb, then?”
He scoffed. “I’m not playing dumb.”
“Yes, he is,” Savi signed and he glared at her.
“See? I saw that! You totally understood.”
“Fine,” he gritted out. “I’m tired of losing friends, so I'm trying not to make any.”
I opened my mouth to retort but no sound came out. Because I knew that feeling. It was the exact reason why I pushed my mates away: fear.
“And because you barreled into my life like a wrecking ball, now I’m making friends again. And I don’t dislike it. And I’m kind of mad at you because of it.”
I pushed my unbraided hair over my shoulder with a huff. “Must be my undeniable charm.”
“More like the stubborn way you have to slither under people’s skin.”
A gasp tore free from my throat. “How dare you? You’re the one who keeps pestering me with questions.”
“Yes, now. Because you made me invested. And look at where it led me—on a suicide mission. Now I’m not only terrified of never finding my—friends, I’m also scared of somehow losing you in there.”
I leaned just enough to kick his foot with mine and he lifted his annoyed gaze to mine. “But you won’t. Because we’re going to nail this mission. We’ll find your lovers, free Arc and all the others.”
He rolled his eyes but didn’t argue.
It made so much sense now. Why he’s been cold and distant at first. Why Aymeric still told me he meant well and looked at him so fondly.
Because in the end, he was just like me.
Like the rest of us. He had lost too much and was scared to get more in case he’d lose that too.
Scared to be left alone, walking in the ashes of the ones that once mattered.
“You mentioned your last tie group once,” I said, changing the subject. “What happened?”
“More friends that I’ve lost,” he muttered.
I kicked his foot again and he sighed. “We weren’t that close yet, actually.
I had been in that tie for like…a week or so?
The Arch was a douche, but the rest of the tie was alright.
There was one Succubus, one Warlock, and six demons like me. Oh, and a couple of Hellhounds.”
He paused, fumbling with the zipper of his jacket, eyes lost on the ground in front of him.
“It was Vegas, so business was great. I was on bodyguard duty for the Succubus because, you know…It can quickly get messy.”
I did know. But humans were never as messy as other Immortals when it came to feeling entitled to sex.
“The Arch asked me to bring her to his office for some sort of tie meeting, so I did. She was alright so we made small talk. It was after the war, Succubi were already rare. For some reason, she had been spared during the purge.
“But once we got into the office, something felt wrong. Everyone had that terrified look on their face, and there was this guy—this hunter in there. He took one look at her and slaughtered everyone. I guess my soldier’s training allowed me to escape, but barely.”
A hunter. It could only be a coincidence, right? That a hunter decided to murder an entire tie group after taking a look at their Succubus.
“Did you happen to catch his name?” I asked innocently.
He shrugged. “Yeah. Not hard when there are only ten of them roaming the world looking to exterminate us.”
I paused, waiting for him to answer. But he didn’t.
“And?” I insisted.
“Massimo. Why?”
Massimo. Fuck. So he’s been searching for me after our deal.
“Remember that hunter I mentioned that time you told me about your tie group? That it was because of one of them that I—” I looked at the girls, listening intently and my throat bobbed. No more secrets. “That I had to leave my other mate behind? Pretend that I was dead?”
His eyes widened. “No shit. Was it him too?”
I gave him a tight nod. “Yeah. And I think he was looking for me when he murdered your entire tie.”
“You have another mate?” Francesca signed, confused. “How many men do you need?”
None, I thought as I chuckled. “Trust me, five mates is way too much. I’m not saying that I’m not grateful,” I corrected myself. “I just mean that—well a girl needs her fucking space, you know?”
Both girls chuckled, lifting their cup in a silent cheer.
I decided to continue, placing my cards on the table. They were my friends, risking their freedom and their lives to help me on my reckless quest. They deserved the truth.
“The issue is not that I have five mates,” I explained.
“It’s that, when I sold my soul and became a Succubus, the demon I made a deal with took advantage and actually stole my damn soul.
So now, even if I find all my mates, I can’t bind my soul with theirs.
Which is why Dimitri fell to his madness.
Why I didn’t want Carter or Arc to get mixed up in this.
Because, without my soul, it’ll only leave them disappointed. ”
“Isn’t there a way to get your soul back?” Francesca asked.
I shrugged. “I haven’t had the time to really think about it, but Carrie thinks we can try and find a way.”
I turned my face to Marcus who listened without interrupting.
“Oh, and I’m the first Succubus.” I pushed my hair behind my ear to show them the tipped shape.
Most of the camp must have learned about it by now, so it was time I actually told them myself.
“And before I became one, I was an Astral. A Phoenix. And it’s probably because I sold my soul that Astrals are basically extinct now. ”
Marcus gaped but I wasn’t done.
“Last thing,” I said, wincing at the shock on his face. “Vladimir? His real name is Aghen. And he’s my twin brother.”
“Wh—Wait what?”
This was going to be a long talk. No more secrets.