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The waitress finally returns with three tall glasses of ice water. "I should have ordered a quart of blood for myself since the Descallia Red is off limits when you’re with the next reigning queen,” Embry says dramatically, swirling her eyes at both me and Lucianna.
Little mischievous troublemaker. Some things will never change. “Don’t mind her, Lucianna. Embry’s just trying to get a rise out of me. You think maybe I should be repulsed by all your blood talk, oh simple minded one!” I ask her.
Her lips twists in a quirky smile. “Well, most humans are, even though most of the vampires don't drink pure blood inpublic. They tend to keep their selections to Descallia Red, a compromise of sorts that seems to be palatable, at least to the humans I know.”
“Well, Calabrea has had pureblood in front of me, and it didn’t bother me a bit.” I raise my water glass to the two of them. “Here’s to trying to get into the vampire community. I really feel much better about the whole relationship thing after talking it through with the two of you.”
“Good,” Lucianna says. She lowers her voice and leans in after the waitress leaves. “Descallia just sent me a text. He and Lucas are getting ready to head over to Calabrea’s estate to share what they’ve learned today and see how plans for the night went. I told you, no sleeping in for the wicked when my mate is on the hunt for Isala. We should head over there shortly,” she says.
I take a drink of my water. “Agreed.”
Lucianna rummages around in her purse and pulls out a lip balm, soothing it across her lips. “Descallia will probably fill him in on what we learned about the shifters and who tried to trap you at the old, abandoned estate. Silver and I went out to take a look and see if we could feel anything or see anything of any significance.”
My eyebrows lift with curiosity, and she doesn’t miss the question.
Lucianna shrugs. “She’s my sister. As evil as she has been to me and to the vampire community of late, she wasn’t always this way. There was a time when she and I couldn’t be separated. I can’t help wondering why she turned on us. I know what she’s told everyone, what everyone speculates. Hell, I’ve heard all the rumors about her wanting to take my place in Descallia’s bed, but I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something deeper.”
“I can understand that. I don’t mean to be forward, but they say that you were killed by the rogues centuries ago and cameback to Overmaster Descallia centuries later. Is that what you mean by destiny in your world?”
Her eyes soften, and the crystalline green color begins to glow. “Exactly what I mean, Tansia. The vampires know we are not the ones who decide our fate. Our story was written long before any of us walked upon this earth, and we believe that with all of our hearts. We don’t question these things.”
“And some of these things are spelled out in the Vade Mecum, like me entering your lives at the very same time the rogues are dividing the factions,” I say.
“Exactly. It’s not that I didn’t trust what you and Calabrea saw and reported back; it’s just that this power that I have allows me to see what was, what could be happening there in the future, and going to a place where I can feel her presence could help us find her.”
“Any luck?” Embry asks.
Lucianna’s eyes are still glowing bright. “It’s no secret. Descallia will tell all of us together when we get back to the estate. The shifters were there, even as recently as an hour before Silver and I got there, but so was Isala. I could feel her as though she were there watching me the entire time. We thought it was another trap at first. I don't think any one attack is the plan; maybe pieces of the plan, but Isala is complex.
“Calabrea himself has said that he didn’t think whatever she has planned for us is going to be as simple as we think. Her mind is complex. She’s a strategist at heart which is why Descallia placed her in the Consigliere position for the vampires. Well, that and he trusted her fully because of her relationship with me.”
“So much for trust,” Embry says.
Lucianna nods. “I know, the betrayal still hurts more than it should. My sister doesn't do anything small or half thought out. She wanted us to escape the times that we did, wanted us tokeep searching, going from place to place, but there has to be an underlying reason she selected those areas. A value, or meaning, that we're simply overlooking in all of this.
The club has become crowded, and the heat needs to be turned down. All the body warmth is generating heat of its own in the lounge that has now become packed to the gills.
“I'm going to go freshen up a little," I tell them, heading into the ladies’ room, pulling the t-shirt like material from my skin just to let a little air in to cool down. The restroom is empty. I splash cool water onto my face, patting it dry with a paper towel, and letting it bring my temperature down. The door behind me opens, and I don’t pay it any mind, until I hear the clicking sound of a lock.
I turn to find Sierra watching me. Her blood red lips frame a perfect pair of fangs that recently I never thought I would ever covet. "What do you want? Didn't you say everything you had to say already?” I ask as she watches me with those bright red eyes.
She laughs, a deep throaty laugh that sends a chill down the length of my spine. "Not hardly. You will never fit into our world because we won't let you. The vampires are allowing too many humans like you into our midst. It’s time for that to stop."
“And it's only a problem because I'm with the Master who doesn't want you?" I know it's a mistake as soon as the words leave my mouth. Her eyes smolder like fire around the edges. She hovers right into my face, almost flying me into the bathroom wall.
My shoulder slams into hard plaster, but my right leg comes up hard, kneeing her in the groin. She may not have a sack down there, but I'd put good money on a bet that she's not going to be screwing anyone anytime soon.
She shrieks. "Stupid bitch!" Suddenly there's a dagger in her hand. The minute it raises into the air, I seize the opportunity to dive into my opponent’s middle, my right hand grasping the armand keeping her dagger filled hand from cutting me, ramming her hard, and driving her back into the door.
Sierra lets out a fierce growl that sends terror racing through my blood. She grabs my hair in an effort to pull my body to the side and gain control. But instead, I spin, curling into her-my back to her front, to get both hands wrapped around the forearm. The minute I do, I bring it down hard, and when the bone breaks in half, the blade drops onto the floor with a clank, but I’ve exposed the very thing she’s after.
The tearing of my flesh sends searing pain in my throat, leaving me speechless and gasping for air. My hand goes protectively to my throat, but her hold is too tight, and it’s far too late. I'm losing way too much blood.
Sierra drops me on the floor in a puddle of my own blood and transports out of the room, leaving me gasping and choking through the shock of it all.
The banging on the door is like someone hammering in the distance, but soon it becomes muffled and even the sound of voices seems blurred and undecipherable as the blood oozes from my body and onto the floor. A loud crash as the door hits the back of the wall momentarily causes me to focus for a brief second, but all I can see is a blur of commotion and a voice fading in the distance.
My mind swirls with the drowning feeling. In one blink of an eye, I've lost everything that ever meant anything to me. I should have stayed and told him the truth, told him that I love him and would fight for him, to be with him in his world. Instead, I let everything in my past cloud my judgment, and now it's too late to make it right.
