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The first floor.
“Maybe because we’ve known each—”
“We are abominations to them,” he snapped with coldness. “I have seen the Wiccan hunt and kill their own children to prevent them from becoming as we are, Druella. Her coven must know, and if not, she knows, so why has she not struck at you yet? You are alone, with no knowledge of our kind, or even your full strength, they could kill you with ease.”
I didn’t have an answer, nor did I have time to think about it.
“Main floor.” The automatic voice spoke as the doors opened.
“I do not know the answer to these questions yet; nevertheless, should they try to hurt you again, I will kill them all without mercy.” His voice was like ice, and his grip on me tightened more. “Stay close behind me.”
He stepped out first. But the whole floor was empty. Like pieces of art ourselves, we stood still, neither breathing or blinking, checking every corner. The art started to blur together as I quickly checked left t
o right.
“I know you are there,” Theseus spoke aloud.
“Are you leaving already, Mr. de Apollo?” Simone’s raspy voice arose from the left of me, and I turned to see her standing in front of a Paul Delaroche painting, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, within the deep ruby painted halls of the new exhibit for the weekend. Simone’s brown hair rose off her shoulders as if the wind had caught it, and the tips of her brown fingers sparked blue lighting like an electrical line had been snapped, and raw power came from forth.
“Hello, Witch.” The vampire who had refused to release my wrist sneered at her.
“You mean witches,” she countered, showing her perfect white teeth as one by one, witches of all different races, shapes, and sizes stepped into the ruby hall behind her. Some stood with wooden stakes in their hands, the bases were dipped in sliver for them to use like daggers.
Theseus chuckled, and the sound sent a chill down my spine and not at all like they had before. It was dark and heavy with a warning. “And here I thought I had something to be concerned with; the witches I killed in the forest were much more intimidating. Stakes? Honestly?”
“That was you?” A red-headed woman with freckles that spread across her face, wearing rip jeans and green blouse that matched her green eyes, screamed out, coming forward.
Theseus nodded. “Yes, were they friends of yours?”
The woman’s eyes were filled with tears. “You goddamn son of a bitch!”
“You…” Simone snapped her eyes on me. “I knew we should have gotten rid of you the moment you turned into…this. Do you know how sickening it was to have to talk to you? You should hate being like this, Dru.”
“Do not speak to her so,” Theseus growled at Simone. “If you wish to blame anyone for the deaths of your companions, then blame them. I warned them to be on their way, but they chose to pick a fight and lost as you all are foolishly doing as well. I am not of the breed you all are used to. I do not wish to harm—”
“Come to our city and kill our loved ones, and now you don’t want to fight?” A black man with a painful-looking scar in the shape of an X running from the top of his right eye down to his cheek questioned, tilting his head to the side, his grip on the stake shaking. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“You really do not want to know.” I knew the voice, but when turned to look at Mrs. Ming, she wasn’t the Mrs. Ming I knew.
I had to breathe, so I could smell the familiar scent of cherry blossoms and saltwater to make sure I wasn’t just seeing it.
Old Mrs. Ming was no longer old, though. Her once white hair was now jet black. The old-Hollywood style was the same, but her skin was smooth and flawless, not even the slightest wrinkle anymore. Her body was that of a twenty-year-old and petite. Her eyes looked at me, and she nodded, acknowledging that she saw me. I was so focused on her that I didn’t notice others that walked inside, and at the sound of a whistle, I glanced up to see vampires on the upper floors, grinning down on the witches.
An Asian man, dressed in a three-piece, pin-striped suit, with shoulder-length hair that he kept half up and down spoke as he stepped inside, and it didn’t escape me that everyone stepped out of his way. He walked up beside Mrs. Ming and offered her a slight smile and nodded. She glanced up briefly and took a step behind him.
“Ms. Ward, are you sure you want to cause your circle to be the reason behind the destruction of every coven on this coast tonight?”
“Taelon Swine, I mean Swan.” Simone gritted her teeth. “It seems you all have forgotten that you do not rule America, only the vampires within it. We are not vampires. These two killed members of our coven. We demand justice per the treaty.”
“You didn’t know he killed your coven when you got here and sent your damn snakes,” I muttered back, which they all heard perfectly, proving that for some unknown reason, I couldn’t help myself self when it came to her. Why did she annoy me so much?
“You attacked them?” Taelon snapped. His calmness was gone as he looked at Theseus, looking him over and his eyes landing on his now black arm. “Please tell me you were not stupid enough to attack a Noble blood vampire without figuring out who he was? Did Axel approve this?”
“Enough of the squabbling.” Theseus glared at Taelon and then back at Simone. “The Swan family had nothing to do with my actions. If you wish for retribution, you will you have to take that up with the Thorbørn family, and I pray for your circle and your coven that you aren’t that foolish.”
At the mention of his surname, it was as if someone stuck a rod up everyone’s butt. They all stood straighter, and for the first time since we came up the damn elevator, Simone dropped her sparking hands. Fear flashed through the eyes of not only the witches but all the vampires.
Simone shook her head. “You said your name was Christian de Apollo?”
