“Oh, hey…” he gave me a little wave that indicated I was completely irrelevant to whatever he was fretting over. Dear God, that frown was to die for… “…Nadia.”
“Nadine,” I corrected, but without reproach, knowing Mercedes’ disappearance must be very hard for him as well. Normally, I hated slip-ups like that. They were such an ego-bruiser, especially if they came from ones of the hottest guys I’ve ever seen in my life. “Catherine and I were just at Women’s Aid. We were helping with the search effort.”
I inwardly sighed with relief when those dark, dreamy eyes of his came to life a little. “Really? Any luck?”
I shook my head, feeling a wave of despair. “None. But we’ll find her.”
“Damn right we will,” Taylor said in a voice so low and menacing I shivered. After a moment, his gaze grew appraising. “Were you one of the ones who saw the face of her kidnapper?”
“Yeah, I’ll tell you all about him. You need to know. Um…Catherine?” I turned to her a bit guiltily. “Would you mind getting me a decaf and a club sandwich?” I all but shoved my credit card in her hand. “Here, get whatever you want, too. It’s on me.”
“Oh…sure…” She took the card almost fearfully before standing in line. When she was out of earshot, I eagerly began telling my tale.
“I didn’t see him face to face like Sam did, but I got a good description from Mercedes.” I gave him a brief, but thorough outline of everything Mercedes had told me. “Let’s hope that the police’s composite drawing is enough to identify him.”
“I saw it myself. It was quite inaccurate. No human with half a brain could ever hope to identify him based on that drawing even he if were sitting right across from them.”
The voice was melodious, but very deep. It seemed to freeze my blood and make it rush at the same time. I slowly turned in the direction of it and lost my ability to breathe.
He couldn’t be human. No human could ever look that way, not unless their image had been painstakingly altered by the best digital artists on the planet. Hair blacker than the night sky, features chiseled like sculpted marble…oh, beautiful couldn’t even begin to describe him.
Nor dangerous. This man moved with a grace and precision that only belonged to the most lethal of predators. Sinewy muscles rippled under his dark clothing, betraying his phenomenal strength. I got the feeling that if this man wanted me dead, I would be before I could blink.
Without waiting for an invitation, he sat down beside us both.
“Nadine Sanchez and Taylor Berenson,” he stated. “Friends of Mercedes Strand.”
At Mercedes’ name, Taylor at least managed to shake off his awe. “Mercedes? You know her?”
“I do,” he confirmed. “She is dear to me. More dear than I can say. And right now she is missing.”
Black eyes smoldered, revealing emotions of destructive power: grief, rage, fear, and an awesome thirst for vengeance.
Suddenly, I knew who exactly this man was.
“Are you her boyfriend?” I blurted without thinking.
He looked me distastefully, and my heart nearly gave out. “That is a very childish way of putting it. I much prefer the term lover.”
“You’re her lover?” Taylor stood up, not looking happy in the slightest. “How can you be her lover? How old are you? Whatever it is, it’s way too old. If you’re her lover then you’re a pervert!”
The dark man stood up, and the menace radiating from him rendered Taylor’s impressive height and build as insignificant as a flea’s.
“Make no mistake, little boy,” he whispered and Taylor, star football player of Morgana High, who ruthlessly trained his body and mind to be the best of the best against the most brutal of opponents, actually flinched. “Mercedes is my life, my heart. And she is a young woman who is perfectly capable of making rational choices that could put many so-called adults to shame. Is your opinion of her so low that you fear she is incapable of protecting herself from men with dishonorable intentions?”
“Mercedes is the strongest person I know.” Taylor straightened up, still scared, but determined not to back down. I had to smile. “But anyone can be taken advantage of, no matter how strong they are.”
“Be that as it may, our relationship is none of your business or concern. If she decides to share details of it with you, then that will be her decision and hers alone.”
They both sat down. Mercedes’ boyfriend (actually now that I thought about it, lover would be a far more appropriate word for a man like this), still looked like he was seriously considering ripping Taylor’s head off, but at the same time there was a glint of respect in his eyes. For Taylor’s sake, I hope that respect was enough so that he wouldn’t do a disappearing act in some dark alley.
“Now, then, Mercedes is missing, and the one responsible is the one she described to you,” the dark man stated.
“Were you a witness?” I nearly jumped out of my seat. “Did you see him take her?”
“I did.”
“Then you need to go to the police and tell them!” I exclaimed, furious. Being the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen in my life did not excuse him from withholding information that could lead to the safe return of my best friend. “Where the hell have you been!?”
“I have been conducting my own investigation,” the dark man said. His eyes seemed to keep my very soul in place. “And the results I have gained far surpass your pathetic police.”
“Are you some kind of misanthrope?” Taylor said disapprovingly.
“Believe me, child, if I were a misanthrope, I would never have fallen in love with Mercedes in the first place.”
“Child!? You want to say that again you--!”
“Guys, can we please stick to the issue at hand?” I demanded. “Mercedes is missing. This is about her, not any of us!”
The dark man smiled and that glimmer of respect he had bestowed on Taylor was now all mine. “Thank you for bringing sense into this conversation. You are correct. The issue is Mercedes, not any one of us.”
It took me a moment to get over the feeling that I was on top of the world. Oh my God, he praised me, he praised me, he praised me…!
No. No. Bad Nadine. This guy was Mercedes’ man and it was apparent he was absolutely nuts for her.
“There is just one thing that I need to know from you,” the dark man continued. “Are you withholding information from the police, Nadine?”
“No,” I said.
“The man who took Mercedes is very dangerous. It is natural that you would be afraid for yourself. It is also natural that you would believe withholding information would mean that Mercedes’ kidnapper would never harm you in vengeance or to protect himself. You do not need to be ashamed. Self-preservation is what humanity strives for above all else.”
Taylor’s mouth fell open. But his anger was nowhere close to mine.
“All right, listen up, you son of a bitch,” I snarled. “Mercedes is my best friend, though I’ll be the first to say I don’t deserve to have someone like her as my friend. There’s so much good in her I don’t even know if she really is human. She would give her life for a stranger in an instant, much less a friend. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for her. I would die for her without a second thought. So, don’t you tell me that it’s natural for me to want to protect myself. You hear me? I would die for Mercedes Strand.”
He stared at me. Then he smiled.
“It appears Mercedes chose her friends well.”
“Damn right she did,” Taylor muttered.
He smiled again. “You have feelings for Mercedes.”
“What if I do? You gonna kill me?”
“I do not kill innocents, especially innocents who possess such loyalty and respect to the one I love.” He gracefully stood up, dominating the entire café. “You may retain your attraction. It cannot be helped, though it will gain you nothing. Continue to be loyal to Mercedes and you will never need to fear me. That is all.”
Just as he turned away from
us, a crowd of five people entered. He moved behind them and seemed to disappear behind the door.
“Damn,” I whispered.
“If you mean ‘damn what a psycho,’ then I agree with you wholeheartedly,” Taylor muttered.
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I said. “But I feel more confident than ever that Mercedes will come home safe, and now I can’t help but feel a teeny bit sorry for her kidnapper. His days are numbered.”
“You really think that one guy can bring her home?”
I looked out at the window. Lethal eyes darker than the sky seemed to be shining at me.
“Yes,” I whispered. “I do.”
Catherine returned a minute later. The café had been so crowded she couldn’t have seen our interaction with Mercedes’ mystery man. And for that I was grateful. The dark man would have made her faint with one look.
The dark man. It was a very fitting title. But what was his name? Why did he talk about people as if he hated them? How could he be so impossibly gorgeous? How could believe so strongly that he could find Mercedes all on his own?
Mercedes…
…who have you fallen in love with?
***
Shadow
Shadow, the sun will rise soon. We must go back.
I ignored Blackhole and continued to comb the area where Mercedes’ two human friends claimed they had seen her meet with the creature called Thomas. Blackhole yipped and stubbornly nudged my leg.
You’re no good to her as a little pile of burning ash!
“Shut up,” I snapped. I continued to probe the air with my Chaos wand. Apart from creating portals, it also had the ability to sense them as well as the remains of one. Brandon and Morgan had spent the past few days scanning the area where Mercedes had been taken. But even after being joined by royal soldiers, none of them had been able to pick up a portal signature. Efforts were now being made to increase sensor power in the latest model of the Chaos wand. If we could discover a portal signature, the Chaos wand would be able to record its frequency. And if the frequency could be replicated with enough power, we could create a portal to wherever Mercedes had been taken.
I was determined to locate the portal signature first. I had to prove my worth to the royal family or they could forbid me against joining the search party for her. I dearly wanted to say to myself that there was not a force on heaven or earth that could prevent me from saving my love, but my newfound sense was doing an adequate job at containing such arrogance. The royal family did not forgive disobedience, and I needed them as an ally, not an enemy.
Of course, that did not make this any less frustrating.
My skin was growing warm. I bared my fangs at the sky, which was paling at a rapid rate. Blackhole pawed at my leg again.
Shadow, please!
I looked down at my Evanescence companion, then I tore off into the woods.
Once I was back at my apartment, I hurled my Chaos wand across the living room. Blackhole approached me cautiously.
We’ll find her, my friend. Remember, she’s a player of destiny. The gods won’t allow her to die.
I frowned at him. “You serve the gods?”
Yes.
“Is that what you have been hiding from me?”
Yes.
My suspicion deepened. “If you are servants of the Brothers of Duality, then how could my people have enslaved you?”
Our relationship is…complex. We are servants, but we are not the most favored of servants. I can’t say any more than that for now.
I nodded. “I would never ask you to defy the gods themselves. There are no words for the punishment they would bestow on you for such a crime.” I sat down on the sofa. “But if you truly do serve them, would you be able to assist me in my attempts to contact Mercedes?”
He inched toward me, yipping an affirmative. I put my hand on his head and focused.
Lord Chaos. Lord Order. Oh, holy brothers, your unworthy servant seeks guidance. Help me find the one I love. Of thee I beseech.
Mercedes. My love. Hear me.
Hear me.
Hear me.
***
Mercedes
Just as I had managed to fall asleep, I knew I was not alone. At first I thought Blackhole had come back, but no. This presence was different. I got out of bed and went over to the window that overlooked the siren city.
“Who’s there?” I whispered.
In answer, the mark on my neck began to feel slightly warm. With a gasp, I raced to the washroom and looked at myself in the mirror. The mark was visible. It was incredibly faint, but at least I could make out the outline.
Shadow. He was trying to contact me.
It took all my strength to push down the tidal wave of happiness and relief that swept over me. I desperately tried to calm my racing heart as I closed my eyes and focused.
Shadow. I’m here. My love, can you hear me? I’m here. I’m all right.
I called him over and over again. I even spoke his name out loud several times. Constantly, I told him I was all right, I was safe, he didn’t have to be afraid. Didn’t I tell him that everything was going to be all right?
Hours may have passed. I didn’t know. Eventually my neck started to grow cooler, but I didn’t despair. I only prayed he heard me, that he knew I was all right. I returned to bed, though I knew I would not sleep. I kept touching my neck in the hopes that I would feel warmth again. Shadow was looking for me. I knew he would find me.
But my elation at the thought died a quick death when I remembered. In my happiness, I had forgotten several horrifying details.
I was a captive of the dragon king. The dragon king who had already sent out agents to collect information on the vampires. The dragon king who wanted to commit unspeakable genocide against the vampires. Who wanted to murder the people of my love.
And I didn’t tell him.
I nearly broke down in tears of guilt and self-loathing, but I forced them to the back of my mind. All the crying in the world would never undo my mistake, but I would never make it again. My hand touched my neck. The warmth that was now gone had been so faint, there was a strong possibility I never would have felt it if I had been asleep. Meaning I could not afford to sleep if I wanted to get the message to Shadow. That shouldn’t be a problem. I was so worried and so filled with anger and despair that Blackhole couldn’t help me that I doubt I wouldn’t be able to sleep until all of this was over and everyone was safe.
Blackhole.
My thoughts strayed to the Evanescence. I contemplated what he had told me and compared his words to his actions. He couldn’t help me escape and he couldn’t tell Shadow about the dragon’s plans to kill the vampires. On the other hand, he had come to visit me to offer me the comfort of his presence. I knew it was his way of showing that he was not my enemy, that he would help me if he could.
I have to obey my father, he’d said.
Blackhole was trapped by someone. His father? What did that mean? Who was this father?
The next morning, I forced myself to eat all of my breakfast. In any other circumstances, I would have savored such a meal, but food was only sustenance right now. I had to eat since I knew I wouldn’t be sleeping for a while. It was the only way to keep up my strength. After consuming the last bite, my door opened and in walked Tarasque, tall, blonde, and handsome with his equally perfect copies.
“You don’t look very well,” he remarked. “Did you sleep?”
I shook my head.
His eyes narrowed. “I intend to keep you healthy. If you refuse to sleep, either Eulathrin or myself will put you in an enchanted sleep and you will remain in it until your health returns.”
Horror swept over me. He couldn’t do that! It would mean there was little to no chance I would feel Shadow’s next attempt to contact me!
“I’ll do my best,” I said at last. Maybe I could at least pretend to sleep. If I kept my eyes closed and allowed myself to relax somewhat, maybe I wouldn’t retain the physical tell-t
ale signs of insomnia.
But sleep problems aside, I still had my mission.
“Your Majesty, can you tell me more about this god that’s blackmailing you?”
He looked surprised at the question. “Why do you want to know about him?”
I paused for a moment. I knew where this conversation was going to go, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to have it. Maybe it was presumptuous to assume that Tarasque possessed a fondness for me, or trusted me. He could accuse me of trying to trick him and have me thrown in a dungeon. But the thought of losing one of my best chances to save the vampires frightened me far more than that.
There was no choice. I had to tell me now.
“Because if I have more information, maybe I’ll be able to help you.”
As expected, the suspicion on his face was instantaneous. “What is this? Why would you offer to help me? You have made your hatred for me and what I am doing clear.”
“I don’t hate you, Your Highness, I…” I sighed and stood up. “I do hate what you’re doing, but it would be very unfair for me to blame you. You never would have planned for war against the vampires if this god hadn’t blackmailed you. You’re not an evil person. You’re just trying to protect what’s precious to you. I could never hate you for that.”
For a long while, he just stared at me. Then he took my chin in one of his hands and peered into my eyes. I let those brilliant, emerald orbs scan my intentions, my soul. When he was satisfied, he pulled his face away, but didn’t let go of my chin. He let his hand linger on my cheek in an almost tender caress.
“And because you believe I am not evil, you wish to help me?”
“I know you aren’t evil,” I insisted.
“Really? Then I would have you know that I would have taken you even if Necoc Yaotl had never blackmailed me.”
I sighed again. “All right, taking someone against their will is evil, but one evil act doesn’t make a person evil. Evil is a state of mind.” I reached up to take his hand. His skin felt unusually warm. “If you saw me as just an object to be taken and treated however you pleased, then I would call you evil. Yes, you have held me prisoner, but you’ve treated me with consideration and respect. Or am I wrong?” I let him see the challenge in my eyes. “Do you see me as an object?”
“No,” he said and looked as if admitting that, knowing that, scared him a little. “You are a part of my treasure, but you are not an object. You think, you talk, you fight, you smile…No, Mercedes, you are no thing.”