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“So, what was this then? Did you come down here to find her and give her to them like the little lackey you are now? Are you charmed? Is that it?” I taunted, still testing out the bars to find a weak one. It wasn’t unheard of for Sirens to escape these, though it rarely happened. I just needed to find a loose leg. Could a rusted-out spot be kicked in?
She cackled, licking her red cherry lips. “You think I was charmed? Oh no, I did this of my own free will. Honestly, I was lucky you happened to be here when I arrived. I was sent to tell Edward about Azrael’s plan for the humans since the last vampire he sent didn’t report back. He’s been reachingout to all the hives now. And frankly, if calling me a lackey is what you want to call me, then so what? I am a survivor. I survive. It’s what I do best.”
“So you don’t even care that they tortured you? That they killed countless vampires? All of that makes you want to workforthem?”
“Better to be on the winning side of history than dead.” She shrugged.
“You’ve always been a coward.” I hissed through the bars. “You couldn’t even accept that I didn’t want you. Never really have.”
“At least I know when to give up. Something you should have done before you got Sasha killed! Maybe if you had given him the girl that day, Sasha would still be alive.”
Hearing her say Sasha’s name made me almost feral. My teeth jarred, my chest pumped. I found myself clawing at her through the bars. “Don’t you dare say her name again! I will shred your thoughts to pieces if you do. Don’t test me.”
“Please, because you loved hersomuch? You were just as bad as all you other high-born Succubi. She knew you looked down on her. She told me that much.” Fiona hissed. Her words seemed to sting me in my back, filling me with guilt. “Half-breed succubi are looked down on just as much as uscockroachesyou love comparing us to.”
Had I made Sasha feel that way? Was that true?
My eyes sunk toward Oliver, who was still silent in the cage to my right. He seemed defeated, slumped in his cage, unamused by our conversation. Tina looked somewhat distant like she didn’t care for this conversation either.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. Don’t act like you know anything about me or my family.” I added, but mywords could have been more sharp. My response wasn’t as feral and sounded rather depressed.
“I know enough.” Fiona’s voice was staggered as she looked toward the back door as if someone had walked in out of view. “Jimmy, is that you?” Her head weaved until his shining gold tooth came into view.
“You joined the ancient, too, huh?” I growled down at him.
“I’m just a clean-up crew.” He laughed, probably loving the idea of being in a better position than me. Butgod,did he look rough. Half of his face was burnt, like someone had shoved his head into a fire pit. His hair was even frayed on the side of the burn, charred almost. “I see you’re admiring my new look.” He gestured down his face. “Courtesy of being in proximity to you at the club that day. I guess they thought I might know more about you than they realized.”
“Can’t say I’m envious.” I teased.
“Make all the comments you want, but this will be the last time I clean up an Ellisario mess.” He groaned as he turned to Fiona. “I was told you’d be killing them. It’s why I was sent to New Orleans.”
“About that.” Fiona flicked her nail at his throat, slicing it open as he fell to his knees. His hands desperately clawed at his neck, and blood pooled out onto the floor until he jerked momentarily as his reflexes fought the urge to die.
“Did not seethatcoming,” I said, looking at her with my head tilted.
“I don’t want to kill you, Dustin. I’m torn. I know that I should, but if you tell me right now that you want to be with me, I can forgive you for everything. For choosingher. For leaving us to die in New York. I can forgive itall! We can start over. Run away together.” She was desperately infatuated;maybe I could use this to my advantage.
But before I could even pretend to play the part, the back door slammed once more as if someone else was coming in.
Fiona’s heels clicked as she quickened her steps, and as a loud clashing sound vibrated the chains dangling our cages, a ray of sunlight flickered into the room from outside.
The few vampires hissed and thrashed, tossing themselves to the sides of the room where darkness cascaded them. Fiona dashed to a table and hurled herself under it. And out of the sunlight, a figure appeared.
It grew larger, the clicking of its boots ticking to each step. And I knew instantly who it was.
I stood inside the cage, urging Tina and Oliver to prepare themselves. My fingers gripped the bars as the ancient that killed Sasha strolled into view calmly.
He looked different, more regenerated, as if he had been feasting on flesh for days. His skin was smooth. That terrifying grin from ear to ear had disappeared. In its place was a quaint smile forming at the corner of his lips once he saw me dangling above him.
“Well, that seems rather unfortunate. I was really hoping you’d be dead as promised.” His eyes blackened, searching the room for something or someone.
The door in the back was still wide open, flicking light in the club as the vampires continued to hide. Soft hissing sounds filled the silence as his eyes prodded the room, looking under tables, sifting through corners.
“She’s not here.” I took a long exhale, loving that even if I might not survive this, at least I could taunt him. At least give him something to grow angry over. Maybe get him stirred enough to stupidly let me down. Hopefully, Daemon’s advicewas right, and deathwalkers truly were hotheads incapable of thinking clearly in an eruption of anger.
“Thenwhereis she?” His throat bobbed, still unconvinced, as he kicked up tables and chairs. His eyes darted to Jimmy’s body, pooling blood beneath his lifeless lump of mass.
“Please, don’t stop on our account. You could burn this place to the ground for all I care. You won’t find her here. Thanks toher.” My finger stretched through the bars and pointed at Fiona, who whimpered under the table she was hiding under like a sad dog.
