“Time to wake up, my darling.”
Sara?
I pushed upward from the dark void toward the sound of a female voice. A hand stroked my forehead, but the touch felt wrong. Something was off.
“That’s it. Open your eyes.”
The voice was familiar in a distant way, as if I hadn’t heard it in a long time. But it was also one I knew well. I struggled to focus on it, and slowly, from the mists of my memory, a face appeared. Heart-shaped with mischievous blue eyes. Long blonde hair.
“Elena?” I mumbled, finding it hard to concentrate.
It had been a while since I’d thought about Tristan’s little sister. For years, I’d carried the guilt over her death with me. In recent years, I’d thought of her less, and hardly at all since I met Sara. Maybe protecting Tristan’s granddaughter and keeping her safe had absolved me of the guilt of not saving his beloved sister.
But you didn’t protect Sara, taunted a voice in my head. You failed her.
“You do remember me,” Elena crooned, her fingers caressing my jaw. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much.”
Can’t be Elena. Elena is dead.
“Sara?”
The fingers stopped moving.
“Nikolas, open your eyes,” commanded a hard voice that was not Sara’s. “Look at me.”
I forced my lids to rise. The light hurt my eyes, and I closed them again. What the hell was wrong with me?
“Here, my love.” A lamp clicked. “Try now.”
My eyes opened again. The light was less harsh, and above me a face swam into view. I blinked a few times to clear my vision. The face grew sharper, the features coming into focus.
I stared at the face of the young girl who had died over one hundred and fifty years ago. Tristan’s sister looked as she had the last time I saw her, except there was a hardness in her face, a malice in her eyes that hadn’t been there before.
“Hello, Nikolas.” She picked up my hand and held it between both of hers. I could feel her touch, but my arm was lifeless when I tried to move it.
“Elena? You’re not real.”
Her smile was as sweet as I remembered. “Oh, I’m very real.”
“How?” My mind was still fuzzy, and I couldn’t make sense of what I saw. “You died. I…helped bury you.”
“No, my love.” She stood and twirled beside the bed I lay on. “See? I’m as alive as you are. And now we can finally be together.”
“Together?” Something faint brushed against my mind. Like a curtain lifting, the fog in my brain dissipated.
Sara. The cabin. The prick of a dart. Her screaming my name.
Oh God, Sara. The vampires had found us and knocked me out. Where had they taken us? Where was Sara? I concentrated on our bond and felt her nearby, not in the next room but close enough to know she was still alive.
Sara? I called to her. Sara, can you hear me?
Nothing.
Was she hurt? Afraid? What had they done to her?
“Nikolas, are you even listening to me?”
I stared at Elena who had come to sit on the bed again. The sinking feeling in my gut turned into horror as I put the pieces together.
Vampires had captured us.
Elena was a vampire.
“It’s not possible. You can’t be… A Mohiri can’t become a vampire.”
She smiled, and this time, two dainty fangs appeared at the corners of her mouth. “Oh, but you can. It’s rather painful, of course, but entirely possible if the right vampire does it.”
“Jesus, Elena.” My chest ached for Tristan and the memory of the girl I used to know. All this time, we’d believed she was dead. The vampires must have put her clothes on a human girl and burned the body so we wouldn’t recognize it. They knew we’d come for her if we thought she was still alive.
“I’m so sorry.” She was alive, but becoming a vampire was a fate worse than death.
Her smile faded. “You should be. I suffered a lot more than you will. You’re fortunate you are mine, and that I’m a better Master than my old one.”
“Master?” It took a moment for her words to register. Shock tore through me, leaving a solid lump of ice in my stomach. “It’s you?”
“Yes.”
“But how?” Masters were very old and powerful. How could she have become one so fast?
She patted my arm. “That’s a story I’m saving for when my dear niece joins us.”
Fear threatened to suffocate me. “What have you done with Sara?”
The gleam in her eyes was pure evil. “She’s well – for now. She’s enjoying my special guest accommodations, which I’m afraid are not as nice as yours. I must say, she’s an intriguing little thing. I quite enjoyed talking to her, although she had no idea who I was.”
She laughed gleefully. “Do you know she actually tried to comfort me, thinking I was a scared little human girl in the cell next to hers? She even told me we were all getting out of here. Endlessly entertaining, my niece.”
I swallowed dryly. “Why her?”
“That is something else I’m saving for our little reunion.” She glanced at a clock on the wall. “Oh dear, look at the time. We have to get ready for the party I’ve planned in your honor.”
I tried to rise, but whatever drug they had used on me left my body as weak as a newborn’s.
Elena leaned over me, and I realized I was shirtless. “Don’t worry, my love. You’ll be strong again very soon.” She kissed my jaw, and a shudder went through me. Pushing my head to one side, she ran her tongue down my throat.
I gasped when her fangs pierced my skin. She latched on to me, drinking my blood in long pulls, and I was helpless to stop her.
In my entire life, I’d never been bitten by a vampire, until now. Revulsion twisted my stomach as she made little moaning sounds and slowly drained me.
I was close to passing out when she released me and lifted her head. She closed her eyes and licked her lips like she had just sampled a fine wine.
“I’ve waited so long to taste you, and you are better than I dreamed. We’re going to have so much fun together. But first, we have other business to take care of.”
She stood and went to the door. “Ava.”
A red-haired female vampire and a dark-haired male appeared in the doorway.
“Take Nikolas to the drawing room, and then bring my niece up. I’ll be along shortly.”
“Yes, Master,” the female said.
The male vampire hoisted me over his shoulder and followed the female down a flight of stairs to the first floor of the house. Between the drugs in my system and the blood loss, I had trouble holding on to consciousness. I fought the darkness threatening to swallow me. I couldn’t leave Sara to face this horror alone.
God, Elena. My mind had trouble coming to terms with Tristan’s sister being a vampire. Not just a vampire, but the Master. The person responsible for so much pain and death, the person who had killed Sara’s father and tried to destroy her life was someone I’d once loved as a sister.
We passed through a set of French doors, and the vampire dumped me on a rug in the center of the room. Around me, I heard the murmur of many voices. Vampires.
I heard the clank of metal, and then I found myself on my knees, shackled and chained. I struggled to stay upright when my body tried to slump. Closing my eyes, I saw a picture of Sara smiling at me as we left the cabin. I focused on her face and drew strength from it to keep my body upright.
Sara? I called to her. I had to tell her about Elena, had to tell her to find a way to escape before…
I’m here, Nikolas. I’m coming to you.
Coming to me? No! Elena…Elena was going to hurt her. She couldn’t come here.
No, you have to run. The Master…
I slumped as a wave of dizziness hit me. In my mind, I thought I heard Sara calling my name, but I was too disoriented to respond. It was all I could do to stay awake.
“Nikolas!”
A gentle hand lifted my head, and her presence surrounded me like a warm blanket. I tried to tell her to run, but the words wouldn’t come.
“I’m here.” Her lips brushed mine, and she wrapped her arms around me protectively. I love you, Nikolas. Stay with me.
“Sara,” I rasped. She was the most precious thing in my life, and I’d failed her. She deserved a long life full of love and happiness, but she was going to die here surrounded by evil.
She pulled back to look at me. What have they done to you?
“How very touching,” said a male vampire sitting in front of us.
Sara released me and stood to face the vampire. I reached for her, but the chains held me back.
“Sebastian, how many times have I asked you not to sit in my chair?” said a sweet voice laced with malevolence.
The room grew quiet.
Sara took a step back and turned to look at Elena. I managed to grab hold of her hand.
“We meet at last, Sara Grey,” Elena said with barely concealed excitement. “Or maybe I should say, niece.”
“Elena, please,” I croaked.
Sara gripped my hand in both of hers, and I cursed my weak body. More than any other time, she needed me to stand beside her, and I could barely hold my head up. If I had any strength in me, I would give it all to her. I’d do anything to save her from what was going to happen.
“Please what, Nikolas?” Elena asked with cold glee as she walked around us to sit in a large chair in front of me. “I’ve waited a long time to hear you beg, so make it good.”
I raised my eyes to her glittering blue ones. “This is between you and me. Let her go and I’ll do whatever you want.”
Sara clung to my hand. “No!”
“She’s such a loyal little thing, isn’t she?” Elena jeered. “How loyal do you think she’ll be when she hears how you abandoned me and left me in the hands of a monster?”
“He didn’t abandon you,” Sara said. “He and Tristan looked everywhere for you. They thought you died.”
“They didn’t look hard enough!” Elena glared at me, her face contorted with rage. “For weeks I prayed you would come for me, Nikolas, but you never did. Week after week, month after month, the Master used me, tortured me, and drank from me until I was almost dry. He was a sadistic animal, and for two years he kept me chained in his chambers, two years of living hell while my loving brother and friend lived their happy little lives.”
For one moment, instead of the vampire, I saw the agonized face of the young girl who used to be vibrant and happy and alive. I couldn’t bear to think of her suffering like that at the hands of a vampire. If I’d known, if I’d had a single clue she might be alive, I never would have stopped looking for her. Tristan and I would have devoted our lives to finding her and bringing her home.
“One day the Master got bored and decided I’d be a more fun plaything if I was a vampire. Only I already had a demon inside of me.”
Elena leaned forward, her clawed hands gripping the chair so hard it threatened to break. “Do you know what it feels like to have two demons fighting to the death inside your body? Do you know how agonizing it is when your Mori dies, Nikolas?”
I couldn’t imagine the horror she’d been through. “Elena…”
I choked as powerful hands wrapped around my throat and lifted me as far as the chains would allow. Elena snarled, her face inches from mine. “You talk when I say you can talk.”
“Stop!” Sara screamed. “You’re killing him.”
Elena struck her so hard Sara fell to the floor. I tried to yell out, but I could get no air into my lungs.
She released me, and I fell backward, no longer able to support my weight on my knees.
Sara let out a sob and crawled to me. She pulled my head into her lap and stroked my face as my lungs filled with air again.
Elena circled us and continued her story as if she hadn’t almost killed me.
“The Master was so pleased with himself because he was able to change a Mohiri into a vampire. I was his favorite pet and his prized possession, and he showed me off every chance he got. He liked to dress me up in pretty clothes and pamper me. I was a life-sized doll he could take out and play with whenever he wanted. He loved how small and weak I was, and he told me every day that I belonged to him forever.”
She crouched in front of us, her eyes gleaming with insanity. “But he was wrong. I was a lot stronger than I let him see, and I was biding my time, waiting years for the perfect moment. That arrogant bastard was so sure of his superiority that he got complacent. One night he didn’t bother to lock me up after he’d finished playing with me, and that was the opportunity I’d been waiting for. I killed him while he slept and drank him dry.”
She smiled as if she was having a fond memory. “Did you know that is the only way to become a Master? His children, his wealth, and power all became mine. After years of being a slave I was free and powerful, and it felt incredible. My old family had deserted me, so I began to create a new one.”
My blood turned to ice when she began toying with Sara’s hair. Elena wasn’t just powerful; she was demented and volatile, and she could kill Sara without blinking.
“I spent months searching for the perfect human to become my firstborn. Eli was special,” she said with eerie softness. She leaned close to Sara. “You will pay for his death a thousand times over.”
Sara shuddered and hugged me tighter. Her fear flowed to me across our bond.
I covered her hand with mine. Be brave, moy malen’kiy voin.
She’s insane, Nikolas. I’m scared.
No matter what happens, I’m here with you, I vowed.
I sent my love through the bond and her body relaxed slightly as it filled her.
She looked at Elena. “Why did you send Eli to kill my father? He was nothing to you.”
Elena laughed. “Your father was nothing to me, but he meant something to my dear niece, Madeline.”
“You killed him to get to Madeline?” Sara asked as Elena went back to her chair. Her voice was laced with pain and fury.
Elena arranged her skirt around her. “I killed him, not because she loved him, but because of the child she could have with him. It wasn’t until ten years later that I learned I had been too late and a child already existed.”
A child? Elena had disappeared long before Madeline was born. Why would she want Madeline’s daughter? Did she hate Tristan so much she wanted to destroy his family?
“But why? Why did you care so much if they had a child?” Sara pressed.
Elena hesitated before answering. “I was having a party and Madeline was my guest of honor. You should have seen her face when she realized who I was. Priceless. Of course, I compelled her to forget me before I let her go.” She giggled. “I even made her think I was a male.”
“You let her go?” Sara asked.
“Nothing like a little hunt to spice up a party.” She pursed her lips unhappily. “Madeline proved to be more evasive than I gave her credit for. One of my guests was a warlock named Azar who was known for his gift of sight. Azar stupidly waited until after Madeline had gone to tell me he’d had a vision when he saw her. He told me that Madeline’s half-blood daughter would destroy me.”
I didn’t put much faith in prophecies because I’d never seen one come to pass. But Elena was insane, and she obviously believed the warlock. If she thought Sara was her biggest threat, she wouldn’t let her niece live long. I had to get Sara out of here.
Elena lifted a shoulder. “Needless to say, I was quite upset Azar hadn’t shared that piece of information before I released Madeline. I discovered aged warlock is a very fine drink.”
She laughed at her own joke. “We managed to pick up Madeline’s trail, and followed her to Portland, which is how we found her human husband. Oddly, Eli saw no sign of a child even though he went to the house you lived in. It wasn’t until Eli found you in Portland last fall that we learned what you really were. I had no idea someone like you could even exist. But here you are.”
She stood and looked at the red-haired vampire. “I am bored with this chatter. I think it’s time we get the festivities underway. Ava?”
The female came over.
“Has everything been prepared as I asked?” Elena asked her.
“Yes, Master.”
“Wonderful.” Elena smiled at us. “Today is a very special day for me, and it wouldn’t be possible without the two of you.”
Dread filled me, but I hid it from Sara, not wanting her to sense it through our bond. I could already feel her mounting fear.
Nikolas.
Be strong.
I sat up with Sara’s help. “What are you planning, Elena?” It was better to know what was coming, to prepare ourselves.
She came over and stroked my face as a lover would, not the person about to kill me. “Why, today is my wedding day. All I needed was my groom.”
“What?” Sara’s fear immediately turned to rage, and I had to hold her back when she tried to jump at Elena.
Elena ran her fingers through my hair, and I hid my revulsion, not wanting to set her off.
“I have been waiting for you for a long time, Nikolas. For months, my children have tried to bring you to me. I had to find Sara because of Azar’s pesky prediction. But you are my real prize.”
Sara grew rigid in my arms as the meaning of Elena’s words hit us. I sent her reassurance through the bond, but a bonded female could be as crazy as a male if her mate was threatened.
Elena continued as if she hadn’t noticed anything. “You are a magnificent warrior, and you will make an even more magnificent vampire and a fitting mate for me.”
“No!”
Sara leapt out of my arms and would have reached Elena if two vampires hadn’t grabbed her first. She twisted in their hold, her eyes blazing despite my attempts to calm her.
“You can’t have him,” she shouted.
Elena smiled indulgently. “Sara, what you don’t understand is that Nikolas and I were always destined to be together. He loved me, and we would have been mated if I hadn’t been taken from him. Isn’t that right, my love?”
I didn’t want to anger her, but I could never profess that kind of love for her. If something happened to Sara or me, my last words would not be a lie.
“I loved you, Elena, but as a sister. I grieved your death as a brother grieves his sibling.”
She shook her head. “That’s not true. We were perfect together. If we’d had more time together, the bond would have grown.”
I didn’t know what to say so I said nothing.
Her smile returned. “That’s all in the past. Today we’ll start over and create a new bond.”
Sara tried to lunge at her again. “Nikolas will never bond with you. He’s mine.”
Elena sneered at Sara. “Just because he is your protector, does not mean he belongs to you, you silly child.”
“He’s not my protector,” Sara growled. “He’s my mate.”
“No!” Elena stomped her foot. “You’re mine, Nikolas, not this half breed’s. When you become a vampire your Mori will die and the bond with her will be severed. Then we will be together forever.”
I shook my head in horror. Sever the bond with Sara? I’d rather die than lose her that way.
Elena stood over me. “My wedding gift to you will be her. You will be very thirsty after the change. Her blood will be our wedding drink.”
My stomach lurched. If she managed to do what she said, the vamhir demon would take over my body. I’d be trapped as it killed Sara, and the last thing she’d see was my face as it drained her. I’d spend the rest of my life in hell.
Sara, you need to get out of here. Use your power, I pleaded. I could get through what was to come if she was safe.
I can’t. They drugged me again.
“Take her out of my sight until the ceremony,” Elena ordered. “Everyone leave us. I wish to be alone with my groom.”
The two vampires dragged Sara away. She struggled against them and called my name.
Fight, Sara. Try to use your power. You’re stronger than they are.
Her screams rang in my ears after she was gone. I closed my eyes and prayed.
God, please give her the strength to survive this.
