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Chapter Twenty-Two
Skylar
I was surprised Elias didn’t try to hold me back as I took a tentative step forward.
“Wait,” Elias whispered.
There it is.I turned to him.
He held up his phone, a text message on the screen. I read the words, expecting something awful.
I’m calling in backup and I’ll go around back. Yell if you need me and I’ll be there.
I nodded once and managed a smile before turning away from him. I heard the sound of his footsteps as he walked over the fallen door, then I heard nothing.
Holding my hands out in front of me, I moved slowly toward the back of the house. “I just want my friend out of harm’s way.”
“If I see so much as the hint of a weapon, I’m slitting her throat,” he hissed.
“That would be a shame,” I said. “Waste all that delicious human blood.”
“Not helping,” Heidi said through gritted teeth.
“I told you to keep quiet,” her captor said.
I heard her whine but I couldn’t yet see her. Though my blood felt like it was on fire at the thought of this asshole hurting my friend. I wasn’t going to let him get away with this. He’d already gotten away with too much already.
I stepped around the corner and into the dim light of a single lamp. Way to make it look more cliche than needed. I could see Heidi now, tied to a chair, wrists bound, a look of panic in her expression.
“It’s going to be okay,” I told her. “I’m going to get you out of this.”
Her eyes were filled with tears but she nodded at me, her expression hardening. She looked determined, focused. It was as if the fear had dissolved into anger. That was a good thing. I could use that.
I looked from my friend to her captor, then quickly surveyed what I could see of the rest of the room. At first glance, he was alone, but I could feel the presence of other supernaturals nearby.
Vampires. All of them.
They were out there, lurking in the shadows. Waiting for their signal to attack. For now, I couldn’t do anything about them. I was here for Heidi. And the little gold locket that glinted from her neck.
They didn’t have the stone.
I returned my attention to the vampire holding my friend. He had a small switchblade against her neck, but he wasn’t pressing it to her flesh. Either he had no intention of killing her or he was afraid he’d press too hard. Or he was serious about preferring to drain her.
The thought made my stomach lurch. As much time as I spent around supernaturals, the thought of drinking blood still made me nauseous. Hopefully, nobody would ever turn me because what kind of a vampire threw up at the thought of eating?
“That’s close enough,” he said.
“Lower your weapon,” I said. “I’m here in good faith. You’re in control. Take the knife away from her before you slip.”
To my surprise, he lowered the blade. He grinned at me, showing his extended fangs. His pupils were already dilated, a sign that he was ready to feed. Heidi’s blood was probably too much for him. Soon, he’d give in to the craving.
That meant that once again, I was looking at a younger vampire. He didn’t have full control yet of his bloodlust. Which meant, he probably wasn’t here by choice.
Someone hired him. Probably with promises to increase his status within the vampire community. Since they were immortal, it could take hundreds of years to get in with thecool kids.
“You’re right about one thing, darlin’, I’m in control here,” he said with a drawl.
I winced at the pet name. He didn’t know me. Why did these assholes always think it was okay to call me cute names? It was demeaning. “Well, tell me what you’re after, Peach Blossom.”
