But water can’t speak, I corrected myself, feeling suddenly confused as to where the voice could be coming from.
I pondered the enigma for what felt like eons, finally accepting the conclusion that someone had to be in the sea with me. And whoever it was tried to speak to me before being thrust beneath the tremendous waves.
“Wake the fuck up!” the voice yelled. Only this time, it sounded much closer.
Open your eyes, I heard my own voice saying inside my head. Do not allow the turbulent sea to spirit you away!
Consumed by darkness, I was no longer confined to a world of delirium. But when I attempted to raise my eyelids, I worried that my eyelashes might have been stitched to the tops of my cheeks.
“Bram!”
I heard the voice again. The cadence was familiar, and I recognized it, although I could not identify to whom it belonged.
“Open your eyes, dickhead!”
Oh, were that as easily done as said!
I fought to free my lashes, and uproot them if necessary. It seemed to take a Herculean effort, but I finally managed to pry open my heavy lids, and I stared upward at a ceiling. I had no time to ascertain my location because a face suddenly appeared right above me. Unfortunately, it was not a face that seemed pleased to see me, not in the least. In fact, the furrowed eyebrows and the nasty scowl on the face suggested it was extremely dismayed. I would even venture a guess that whoever the face belonged to was probably no friend to Bram.
“I should leave you for dead, you son of a bitch,” the unfriendly man muttered. Leaning down on his haunches beside me, he rolled up one of his shirt sleeves to his elbow. Then, after reaching behind himself, he produced a small, metal gadget. When he depressed a switch of some sort upon the gadget, a sharp blade shot forth. The man glanced at me again, frowning just as before, while holding the blade to his wrist and gradually pulling it toward him.
“Try and drain me and this blade will be plunged into your heart before you can say jack shit,” the man announced. Holding his wrist above my face, he allowed a gentle shower of liquid to leak down and touch my lips. In response, I opened my mouth just as the drops landed upon my tongue.
Suddenly, a cloying sweetness exploded inside my mouth and my eyes began to glaze over, imbuing my surroundings with a rosy hue. I felt myself lurching forward as I gripped the man’s hand, trying to pull it closer.
“Don’t fucking do it! Control yourself, you greedy asshole!”
I heard the voice, but it sounded so distant, and as such, I considered it unimportant. Right now, all that mattered to me was lapping up the liquid sustenance that was being poured so generously into my mouth. It streamed down my throat like warm gravy, nurturing my body with all the nutrients it so desperately craved. I could not seem to suck the precious vitality down fast enough; and when I tried to sink my fangs into my gracious donor even deeper, I instantly met with resistance. My donor’s sudden forbearance did not make sense to me. I knew my strength was unparalleled and unsurpassed by most creatures; yet, I could not gain any purchase on my victim, which I desperately needed.
“That’s enough,” the voice said, but I failed to register the meaning of his words. All that existed in my mind right then was my urgent need to fill up the vacancy that resided inside me.
“That’s enough!” the voice railed at me again, only this time, it was bellowing. Yanking my teeth out and pulling me away from the source of my nourishment a few seconds later, I became quite perturbed when my head was pushed backwards rather violently. It took me a moment or two to right myself. When I did, however, I began blinking and stirring with a feeling of pure elation. All the previous numbness in my fingers and my toes was absent. My body was finally released from its insensate condition, and the warmth continued to spread throughout me, bringing with it more understanding and clarity.
Glancing to my left and then to my right, my eyes settled on a grey machine in front of me. And that was when I remembered what happened. The very last thing I could recall was being drained, and virtually murdered! I instantly inspected my arms, relieved to find them free of the plastic tubes that were formerly inserted into my veins. The biggest surprise I discovered was that my hands and feet were no longer restrained.
“Where is she?”
The voice was now coming from behind me. I turned around and faced a man I recognized, although I could not recall how or why. Despite how swiftly the lucidity in my thinking was steadily improving, it was not fully restored.
“Where is Dulcie, Bram?” the man repeated.
At the mention of that name, it seemed as if someone flipped on the memory switch in my head. All at once, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place. Stumbling backwards as I rose to my feet, all of my former strength was beginning to amass inside me. As I regarded the man standing before me, the shock I felt registered all the way down to my toes. He was the last person in the world that I ever expected to see.
“Knightley Vander,” I whispered as I faced him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Bram
The expression on Vander’s face told me he was certainly not pleased to see me. Yet he was undoubtedly acting as an angel of mercy upon finding me nearly dead. Now that I reclaimed the more healthy, vibrant form of myself, I had to admit that I was not entirely pleased to see him either. Knightley Vander and I were cut from two very different cloths. Mine was akin to fine silk and cashmere, the most elegant, natural sources of fashion, and Vander’s fabric was more along the lines of a rough burlap. I never could understand why Dulcie preferred burlap to silk.
All of a sudden, Vander’s hand wrapped around my throat so tightly that his fingernails dug into my neck. An expression of rage that bordered on outright lunacy shone in his eyes. It was probably more accurate to say he was displeased to see me.
“Where is she, Bram?” he repeated in a louder tone, his eyes growing so wide, they were mostly white. “Where the fuck is Dulcie?”
I tried in vain to clear my throat, a difficult task at present, considering he was choking me. Had I all of my previous power, I would have cast him off me as if he were nothing more than a pesky fly. “If you would be so kind as to unhand me, perhaps we could discuss this matter like civilized gentlemen instead of acting like brutish apes,” I replied. Using my most polished smile, I cleared my throat again in an attempt to illustrate my point, which was that his fist had not released my throat.
Vander sneered at me, but at the same moment, he thankfully released his viselike grip around my neck. He also gave me a healthy shove backwards, as if to remind me that my strength was not yet fully restored. Walking like a newborn foal, I clumsily tripped over my own feet and careened into the wall behind me. Instantly, I felt light-headed and had to bend over. I placed my hands on my thighs and held perfectly still, striving to keep the dizziness from overtaking me.
“Start talking, Bram, and make it fast. I am currently trying to resist the urge to run a stake right through your heart,” Vander announced.
I rubbed the stabbing in my neck, and the stars began to fade from my vision. Since I was able still to feel pain, I had to remember that my healing powers were not fully restored yet. All I needed now was a pint or two of fresh blood and a decent sleep. However, I had a creeping premonition that I would receive neither.
“What would be the point in that, Mr. Vander?” I asked. Shaking my head, I clucked my tongue at him and pushed myself away from the wall. My feet seemed to have wings of their own and felt as light as feathers, yet I managed to maintain my balance. “Why would you deign to bleed yourself in order to bring me back from the brink of death just to turn around and send me back there again?”
“Where is Dulcie, Bram?” Vander persisted. Crossing his gargantuan arms over his chest, he eyed me warily. Vander was a Loki, those who are created in Hades’ own image specifically to guard the Netherworld, and consequently, he was enormous both in stature as well as physique. Although it is true that many women seemed to find him
exceedingly attractive, I have always failed to understand why. There is nothing cultured or sophisticated about Vander. I can only imagine that the same women who would find Vander appealing would also consider a caveman attractive.
I briefly considered the caveman’s question as I pictured the lovely fairy in my mind’s eye. Instantly, a heavy weight settled uncomfortably upon my shoulders. I again used the wall to lean on as I worried that my knees were about to collapse. “I do not know,” I truthfully stated.
Vander took two steps closer as his eyes narrowed with suspicion. “I haven’t heard a single word from Dulcie for over a week! I’m long past the point of losing it. So, in case you failed to get the point earlier, I am not a patient man,” he seethed, glaring at me while the tips of his ears turned red. I could hear the racing of his heartbeat as well as the rush of his blood which suddenly conspired to make me ravenously hungry. However, Vander was not the type of person I could consider a snack. That would be as unfeasible as sending the tiger into the lion’s den to attack him.
“You certainly do not impress me as an impatient man,” I mocked him as I ventured a step forward, trying to test my balance.
“You need to tell me where Dulcie is! And you need to tell me now.”
“I am afraid I cannot do that,” I started, holding up my hand to silence him when it appeared he intended to interrupt me. “In case you failed to notice, when you heroically entered this room, I was merely seconds away from expiring and leaving this good earth forever,” I said. Then, something occurred to me and I faced him curiously. “Say, Vander, what became of that ruffian who was assigned the task of supervising me? I hesitate to believe you were under the false supposition that I was in here alone?”
Vander shook his head. “If you’re talking about the goblin, when I found him coming out of the restroom, I eliminated him.”
I nodded with relief, so glad to know that Drajow was no longer an issue. I could not repress my smile as I reasoned that he really should have taken me up on my offer. At least that way, he would still be alive. Ah, well—I had little pity for him. “At least the poor sot managed to protract a special moment for himself before he was summarily launched into the forever and beyond,” I said with a heartfelt sigh.
“Where is Dulcie, Bram?” Vander kept repeating. “I need to know if she’s okay. And if she’s not, then tell me now,” he finished, and his voice trailed off. Only then could I observe the burden his sadness had become, which also appeared in his gaze.
“Rochefort took Dulcie.”
“Jax?” Knight inquired angrily. “The same Jax Rochefort who works for you?”
“The same Jax Rochefort who used to work for me,” I corrected him. “Now, however, he no longer acts under my command and, thus, we both need to deem him public enemy number one.”
“First, you’ll have to convince me that you’re not public enemy number one.”
“I must confess in all honesty that I am not. The enemies you have to encounter now are on a much grander scale.”
“So, for the sake of argument, if Jax has Dulcie, where did he take her?” Vander demanded.
“I cannot answer that question, and to understand the reasons why, I must explain all the events that have occurred in your absence,” I replied as I started for the doorway with Vander at my heels. When I reached the door, I again needed to brace myself by hanging on to the doorjamb as a plethora of stars began to dance before my eyes.
“Where are you going now?” he asked in a wary tone, sidling up behind me in mere seconds. “If you think you can escape, let me remind you of something: all I have to do is blow on you hard enough and you’ll topple over like a sack of potatoes.”
“I have no desire to escape from you,” I spat back at him. “The brute who was watching me carried a cell phone with him,” I explained as I pushed past the doorway. Cautiously taking the few steps that separated me from the banister overlooking the hallway below, I added, “Rochefort will be texting or calling him soon to give him instructions. The brute was ordered to watch over me until my death, at which time, he was to return immediately to Rochefort. It is imperative now that we do not allow that contact to go unanswered. It would only incite Rochefort’s suspicion and anger.”
“Do you mean this phone?” Vander asked as he produced a black cell phone from inside his pocket and waved it at me. At seeing my expression of surprise, he explained: “I searched the thug’s pockets and took whatever I thought I could use.”
“Diligent and resourceful,” I commented as I headed for the stairs. I was finding it more than difficult to walk because my feet felt so heavy, almost as though I were trudging through puddles of tar. I needed more blood …
“Was he the only one here with you?” Vander asked as he followed behind me.
“Yes, as far as I am aware.”
“So now that we’ve established that I already recovered the bastard’s phone, where the hell are you headed?” Vander demanded, clearly suspicious as ever of my slightest move.
“I propose to search for an answer to your question regarding Dulcie’s whereabouts,” I replied while clinging to the railing. Taking each step singly, I sincerely feared the chance that I might black out and fall over the banister.
“And how do you intend to do that?”
“I have recently fed from her, which means I can track her,” I answered. Keeping stone-faced, I knew my reply would only inflame his ire again.
“What the hell does that mean? You fed from her?” he shouted as he jumped in front of me. Slapping his palm flat on my chest, he prevented my progress down the stairs.
“If you would allow me to finish my story, you would learn that detail as well as many others,” I started, after sighing with obvious frustration. “Suffice to say that you and I are on the same side, Vander. I am not your enemy.”
Vander shook his head. “I seriously doubt that. As far as I can tell, you were the reason that Dulcie’s been missing all this time, since you were the last one to see her.”
“Rochefort was the last one to see her.”
He took a deep breath as his eyes narrowed. “And for all I know, this whole thing could be a setup by you, Bram. Jax was one of your minions, and under your command. You now expect me to believe that one of your underlings could manage to overthrow a centuries-old vampire? And not just a vampire! But a master vampire that can see any and everything coming his way well in advance?” He took another long breath. “Let’s face it, Bram, you’ve never been caught with your pants down. You always have some vamp trick up your sleeve.”
“While I am most grateful for your vote of confidence in my skills,” I started while frowning and spearing him with an expression that said I did not in the least bit enjoy relaying the ensuing information. “In this instance, I am loath to admit that I did not see any of it coming. In all honesty, I was quite literally taken by surprise.”
“I’m still not convinced,” Vander replied as he shook his head vigorously. “This whole situation could be no more than an elaborate hoax. You could be playing a role, the wounded, tragic hero who was left for dead; when all the while, you’re actually leading me by the nose into a trap.”
“How can you actually say that you would believe that?” I asked, piercing him with my angry expression. “And just how do you propose to explain that I would have even the slightest inkling that you were coming here in the first place? When I last inventoried my powers and skills, I did not possess a Loki-seeking device.” I refused to allow him any time to interject. “Speaking of which, how did you end up here?”
Vander’s lips were compressed into a tight line. “I felt Dulcie.”
“You felt her?” I repeated in astonishment. I did not comprehend his meaning.
“Dulcie and I have a special connection,” he began to explain. As he spoke, I experienced a strange, sinking feeling that arose deep from inside my gut. It made very little sense to me as I had not experienced it before.
“A connection
?”
“Yes, a soul connection, if you will,” he continued and appeared uncomfortable. “This connection is something that unites us no matter the distance. When and if she’s in mortal danger, I can sense her instantly.”
“But you cannot sense her now?”
Vander shook his head. “No. I believe our connection only warns me as a last resort. I sense her whereabouts only when she is at risk of losing her life,” he finished. Averting his eyes and shaking his head, he appeared to be a man who was in the midst of losing everything that was dear or valuable to him. It was clearly evident to me how much Dulcie must have meant to him. I would have even dared to wager that she comprised his entire world, were I a betting man.
“Then, logically speaking, if we rely on that fact, and you have not received any warning from her since then, shall we be so bold as to infer she is safe?” I asked, hoping to lighten his depressed mood.
“Or,” he started, but then shook his head. Perhaps he simply could not bring himself to finish his own sentence. “Either way, none of this removes my suspicions. Why should I trust you? How can you convince me that this entire fiasco isn’t some elaborate hoax on your part?” The anger in his voice returned anew.
“Ah, so we are back to our game of quid pro quo,” I replied with a bored sigh. “I hope I have I at least adequately established that I did not foresee your visit?” Vander did not respond so I continued. “Second, does it not strike you as odd that I should only employ Drajow, the incompetent? And how can you resolve my pathetic form, when you found me nearly drained? Do you honestly believe that I would endanger my own existence to that level merely to persuade you that I am on your side?”
Vander shrugged. “It’s not completely beyond the realm of possibility.”
“Then you, my dear sir, have a difficult decision to make. You may either trust me and risk yourself; or do not trust me and risk yourself. Either way, the risk on your part still remains.”
Vander was silent for perhaps a second. “Where are we going?”