“Meg, what has become of your arms and legs?” I asked, trying to control my voice, lest it belie my shock at her appearance.
“Fire,” she answered slowly through her thoughts, and her voice sounded strained. “And foraging animals.”
My thoughts immediately recalled the image of the dog retreating into the alley, carrying the barbecued rib in its mouth … “Can you heal yourself?” I asked in thought, and my gaze traveled up to her rib cage. I noticed her spine was quite prominent because her ribs were mostly gone or broken off. She was also missing all of her vital organs—her liver, kidneys, intestine, heart—which led me to believe they were not especially vital to vampires.
“No, I am … too far gone.”
Given the deplorable condition of her current state, I could understand why I did not say anything for a few seconds as I studied her, feeling conflicted as to what I should have felt for her. I had every right to be furious and vengeful, consumed by the hatred towards her for what she did to me; and yet, I could not feel anything of the sort. All I sensed within myself was complete confusion.
“You are free now,” her voice sounded in my head again.
“Free?” I repeated out loud, shaking my head to say I did not understand her.
“I am your maker. Upon my death, you become responsible for yourself. Alone. You become your own master.”
“But you are not dead,” I argued out loud.
“No, not yet. I ask you now to deliver me to my death.”
“And how do you propose I do that?” I asked as I shook my head. From all accounts, she should have already been long dead. She no longer possessed a heart, so I could not drive a stake through it, and there was no more blood running through her veins. Meg was nothing more than charred remains and ashes. Charcoal. How she was even still communicating with me, I had no clue.
“You will find a vial beside me,” she thought.
I searched the immediate perimeter surrounding her. “What is it?” I asked as soon as I spied the object in question. I reached out and picked it up, studying the contents. The lime green liquid glowed from inside the glass vial.
“Dragon’s blood,” she answered, her tone deliberate and fading. “I managed to retrieve it before the fire ultimately consumed me. Luckily, dragon’s blood is impervious to fire.”
“Ah, the same thing with which you attempted to kill me,” I said out loud, with no endeavor to conceal my anger as I faced her and my jaw tightened with determination.
“Yes, the very same,” she answered and then she briefly paused. “But apparently, you are much more resourceful than I,” she finished with no amount of apology. I was not surprised.
“What do I do with it?”
“Empty the contents into my mouth. It will perform its job very quickly.”
I was quiet for a few seconds as I pondered her request. When next I spoke, my voice was cold, almost devoid of feeling. “I have every reason to refuse to comply with your wishes,” I said out loud as I stood up and glared at her. “You did not show me any mercy! For betraying me such as you did, I should leave you here, as you are presently, to live out eternity, reduced to nothing but the scorched ashes of your former self.”
“Yes,” she thought back. “But we both knew all along that you possess a former kindness, whereas I never did,” she said before pausing again. “I’m asking you for a small pinch of that kindness now, Bram. Please.”
My eyes fell onto the vial of dragon’s blood in my hand. I studied it for a few seconds as my mind raced, debating whether or not I should walk away and leave her to her fate. I found it difficult to reconcile my warring emotions. Another two or three seconds passed as my mind battled futilely with my emotions for an answer.
The unfortunate, crisply burnt creature at my feet peered up at me, her lidless eyes pleading to put an end to what I could only imagine was pain and suffering on a monumental level. I stared back at her coldly.
“No,” I answered before abruptly dropping the vial on the floor and watching it shatter against the hard ground.
“Nooo!” the corpse thought at me, her anger and agony reverberating through her voice. “You have no idea what you have done!!”
“Yes, actually I do. You betrayed me,” I seethed back at the skull now staring up at me without expression. “After everything we have been through. You were the only one I ever trusted, and the only one I followed blindly. I did whatever you asked of me, despite how hideous or evil the acts. But I did them in obedience to you, merely to pacify you, and ensure that we would always be together. I loved you as best I could, as best you would allow me. And, yet, you never returned an ounce of that love. You did nothing but treat me as if I were your puppet, even to the bitter end. I was never anything more than a device, an object to you.”
“Bram, do not let your present anger consume you,” the remains of the person I thought I knew responded. “You can still make this right.”
I looked down at the creature I once called master. One last time. “No,” I answered as I firmly shook my head. “My anger shall not consume me. It dies here and now. With you.”
Overwhelmed by a flood of emotions I did not want to feel, I turned on my toes and started for the deepest recesses of the alley.
I never looked back.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Dulcie
I could taste blood. Lots of it.
I spat out a salty mouthful as I heard Jax chuckling. He was carrying me down the hallway, presumably to wherever Bram was being kept. With one of my eyes swollen tightly shut, I had to rely on the other one. From my vantage point, which was slung underneath Jax’s arm, I couldn’t see too much, just Jax’s feet and the intermittent knots of the hardwood floor.
As far as Bram was concerned, I didn’t know what to expect. Part of me worried that he might already be dead, and forcing me to see his corpse was just a sick joke on Jax’s part. I desperately hoped that would not be the case. So what if it were Bram’s fault that I was currently in this predicament? Learning how deep his involvement in the illegal potions trade turned out to be definitely came as a surprise, but he was still my friend. Stupid on my part, maybe, but that was the truth. Bram might have made unsavory life choices but, at the end of the day, I was sure he would have done everything in his power to protect me. Unfortunately for me, however, “everything in his power” didn’t amount to much at the present moment.
Jax stopped walking as soon as we reached a door. I shuddered as bubbles of concern and worry churned my stomach. Turning the doorknob, Jax pushed the door to the side and walked in. I was fully expecting the worst, although I didn’t know how bad Bram’s situation might be. If I used myself as an example and the treatment I’d received thus far, I was more than sure that Bram wasn’t faring well; especially since it didn’t seem like Jax needed to keep Bram alive. Being relegated to collateral, thankfully, meant my life was basically guaranteed—at this moment in time, anyway. But Bram wasn’t collateral—Bram was a liability. He was a very powerful vampire who, if he managed to free himself, could paint this house with Jax’s blood in return for the offense and inconvenience Jax had inflicted on him.
Without any warning, Jax simply dropped me onto the floor. I landed on my stomach with a grunt. Although I tried to brace myself for the fall, I only ended up smashing my already broken fingers into the hard surface of the ground. I winced as the jolts of pain radiated through me, instantly bringing tears to my eyes. But my suffering only served to fortify my resistance. There was no way in this hell that I would allow such a mean bastard as Jax to see me cry. I blinked the tears back from my good eye and realized I couldn’t breathe. Landing on my stomach ejected the wind right out of my lungs. For a short time, it was a struggle just for me to inhale a shallow breath. I tried to, but the burning sensation deep inside my chest prevented me, making it nearly impossible.
“And how are we doing at this hour, my fanged friend?” Jax asked cheerfully. Leaving me in the corner of the room, he wa
lked over to the farthest side.
Once I finally regulated my breathing, I pushed my palms against the cold floor. I had to be extra careful not to put any weight or pressure on my broken fingers. They’d already swollen up to twice their normal size, and a purple and magenta hue now colored them as well. But I wasn’t too concerned with my fingers at the moment. I had lots bigger things to worry about. Pushing myself up into a seated position, I hoped I could better take stock of my surroundings. Of course, I was fully aware that I was still completely naked, but that fact no longer bothered me. There was no room for embarrassment when you’re scared of losing your life.
As soon as I could focus with my one good eye, I spotted Bram. He was lying prostrate on the floor with his arms extended on either side of him. Facing the ceiling, he seemed to be strapped to some sort of … machine. It was huge and grey as it beeped periodically. I noticed it was also plugged into the wall. I found it quite hard to see exactly what was going on since I had to rely on only one of my eyes. Naturally, my depth perception was adversely affected. From what I managed to make out, though, there were red tubes attached to either side of Bram’s neck and also on his wrists—tubes that led straight into the machine. The machine had a low, humming sound, and I guessed that whatever it was must have been in operating mode. I looked closer at Bram’s wrists, and that’s when I realized the tubes I saw weren’t actually red in color but clear—it was Bram’s blood that gave them the red tint.
“You’re draining him?” I asked incredulously as my mouth dropped open in shock and the gravity of my words appalled me. I was so surprised to witness such monstrous sadism that I could barely register how much it hurt when I spoke.
“You’re very observant,” Jax replied with another smile for me. He was standing beside Bram, who seemed to have succumbed to death itself—his skin was so grey and lackluster.
“But why?” I demanded.
“Two reasons,” Jax answered as he looked down at Bram and then at me. “First, because I want to keep him in a weakened, fragile state. Vampires, as you know, are very powerful; and I don’t have the means, much less the interest, to constantly be bothered or contending with him.”
“And … the other … reason?”
Jax shrugged, and his casual demeanor suddenly infuriated me. I couldn’t understand how he managed to be so nonchalant about physically torturing Bram and me; but the fact remained that he was. And his obvious pleasure in hurting us so severely only added insult to injury.
If I live through this, I will kill him, I promised myself. I will wipe that fucking grin off his face permanently.
“The other reason? Come now, sweet cheeks, that should be obvious to someone like you from the ANC!” he said as he shook his head like I was slow. “The blood from a master vampire will fetch me a huge profit on the black market,” he finished. As he looked down at Bram, dropping to his haunches, he patted Bram’s chest. “You, my toothy friend, are going to make Jax piles and piles of money.”
“Don’t … you fucking touch … him,” I seethed, finding it nearly impossible to enunciate each word. The pain in my chest refused to be ignored.
“I have to admit how surprised I am,” Jax said as he eyed me with a smile and stood up. “Your loyalty to this creature floors me. Even after you must have realized this … former man,” he started as he glanced at Bram’s still form before facing me again, “is the reason that you’re stuck in this mess! Yet you still remain as loyal and true to him as a faithful dog.”
“No, Jax, you’re the reason … I’m stuck in this mess,” I argued, as I shook my head. I brought my hand to my chest when I found it more difficult to breathe.
Jax sidled up next to me. “I fear you invested all of your loyalty in the wrong person,” he started. He kicked my foot with his boot, somewhat gentler than before, and I scooted backwards to get away from him. “Maybe if I persist in beating you within an inch of your life, all of that misplaced loyalty will be transferred to me.”
“Never, you sick fuck!” I squeaked out, as even the smallest movement incapacitated me. My state of continued weakness surprised and even scared me. I was sure that I needed medical attention or, failing that, having my magic restored to me. But obviously, Jax refused to allow either possibility. I was still struggling to catch my breath, and my heart was racing with the unsuccessful effort of trying to inhale any air. Every time I sucked in the slightest bit, it felt like someone was stabbing me with a machete in the chest. A crackling noise seemed to be coming from inside my lungs that also gave me reason to worry. I suspected Jax had probably broken one of my ribs when he’d kicked me, and my broken rib, in turn, must have pierced through one of my lungs. The longer I considered that possibility, the more convinced I became that such was the case.
At the thought, my heart began to increase its painful thumping, and I had to try even harder to force myself to calm down again. There was no use in panicking—all that did was put an unnecessary strain on my respiratory system. If my lung were truly punctured, I couldn’t even manage to take in enough air anyway. Freaking out would only result in me passing out.
“And I don’t appreciate being referred to as a ‘sick fuck,’” Jax said as he shook his head and walked back toward Bram. When he reached the other side of the room, he grinned at me, but his boyish smile contrasted too much with the revolting mind behind it. “I am merely following my orders, sweet cheeks. So don’t paint me out to be something I’m not.”
“Orders … from whom?” I again demanded.
“Never you mind,” Jax answered. “It’s on a strict, need-to-know basis, and you, my naked friend, do not need to know,” he finished. Staring at me up and down, I knew he was obviously attempting to humiliate me again. It didn’t work. Only because I wouldn’t allow it to. Apparently losing interest in me, Jax returned his attention to Bram.
“My, my! But aren’t you looking pale these days!” he said. I knew he was only pretending to sound concerned as he addressed Bram; and he even shook his head, like Bram’s near-death condition was not even his fault. Like it was all a big catastrophe that couldn’t have been changed or helped. “Well … you look a bit paler than usual, I guess.”
“Is he dead?” I asked despite my difficulty in breathing, let alone speaking.
“I sincerely don’t know,” Jax answered. He narrowed his eyes on Bram and appeared to study him for a few seconds. “Let’s find out, shall we?” Then he reached forward and yanked the tubes out of Bram’s neck and his wrists. Bram didn’t respond. “Hmm,” Jax purred as he walked around Bram’s still body and approached me. Grabbing me by my hair, he forced me into a standing position. I struggled to get onto my feet and was eventually successful, even though the attempt nearly drained all of my strength. I suddenly felt light-headed and still couldn’t take a decent breath. Stars were already spinning in my vision.
I was only slightly aware of Jax securing my arms behind my back; and then I felt the heavy weight of the Netherworldly iron handcuffs as he locked them in place. My shoulders immediately began to ache again. Jax gripped me by my elbow and impelled me forward, toward Bram. Then he glanced down at me and shook his head.
“You look like something the cat dragged in,” he remarked as he reached forward and swiped his index finger over my mouth. When he pulled his hand away, his finger was covered in my blood.
“Fuck you,” I managed to peep, although my lungs burned with the effort.
His only response was to yank me forward as he approached Bram. Still grasping onto my elbow, he leaned over the vampire and held his index finger, the one with my blood on it, underneath Bram’s nose. There was no response. Jax gripped Bram’s cheeks and squeezed them until it looked like Bram was making a fish face. Then he shoved his bloody finger inside Bram’s mouth. As soon as Bram tasted my blood, his eyes immediately snapped open, and the whites were fully visible because they suddenly grew so wide. His fangs instantly began to descend before Jax snatched his finger away with a snicker. r />
“Still alive!” Jax exclaimed in a victorious tone. “And I’m nothing less than astounded! I took one look at you and figured you had to be dead, but apparently, it takes a lot to kill you bloodsuckers!”
Jax glanced back at me with another quick smile before he started jerking me forward. I nearly tripped over his feet as he pushed me down on top of Bram. I couldn’t stifle my scream as soon as my chest and Bram’s made contact. The burning sensation inside my lungs erupted like a volcano. I can only compare it to a dull blade being driven right through me. Still struggling with every breath, I knew the danger of passing out was very real. If I lost consciousness now, I wouldn’t be able to talk Bram down from draining me of all my blood.
As soon as I thought of Bram, I could feel his hands wrapping around my upper arms. He sat up, forcing me to move upward with him, and then he stared down at me. His face was completely colorless, as well as expressionless. Even his eyes were lifeless. As long as I’d known Bram, he’d never resembled a corpse. His incredibly handsome good looks and his easy charm always masked the fact that he was the undead. Now, however, he looked the part and then some.
“Bram?” I began. I had to talk to him, to reason with him before he was completely enslaved by his own bloodlust; meanwhile, I was currently playing the role of blood donor. “Bram? It’s me,” I said as the stabbing agony in my chest and lungs became an all-out conflagration.
But I sensed no recognition in Bram’s eyes. There was nothing there anymore. Except for the glassy stare of bloodlust. It was obvious he was starving and very nearly dead, and that meant he was in total and complete survival mode. All at once, without any warning, Bram thrust me forward. In a split second, he sank his fangs deep into my neck. A loud scream echoed through me, but the actual sound came out as feeble and breathy. I tried to pull away from him, but all my efforts were futile. I was so weak now, not to mention my hands which were tightly cuffed behind my back and, as such, useless.