Enemy Within (Vampire Born Trilogy, #2) (16 page)

“Do you want me to take you home?” There’s nothing as comforting when you’re sick as your own bed.

She nods weakly.

I put on some shoes and go downstairs to tell my mom.

I turn on lights as I make my way to my mom’s room. “Hey, Mom,” I say, waking her. “Kaitlynn’s sick, so I’m gonna drive her home.”

She lifts her hand over her head, shading her eyes from the bright light. “All right,” she says, groggily, “but take Mirko or someone with you.”

“’Kay.” I flip her light off and shut the door.

I pass Rorik in the hall on my way back upstairs. “Hey.” I stop him. “You’re up already. Would you mind riding with me to take Kaitlynn home?”

He shrugs. “Sure. Can’t sleep anyway.”

“Thanks. We’ll be down in a sec,” I say and take the stairs two at a time.

Kaitlynn’s still in the bathroom, resting against the toilet, rubbing her temple.

Upset stomach and a headache. Yikes.

I gather her things and step into the bathroom. “You ready?”

“Yeah, but can you turn off the light? It hurts.”

Rorik’s waiting for us in the foyer. “Not feeling too hot, huh?”

Kaitlynn drops her hand from her head to put her coat on. “Uh-un.”

“Hold on.” Rorik steps toward Kaitlynn. He grabs her by her chin and tilts her head to the side, looking close at her neck.

“What the …?” He steps away and turns on the light directly above us.

Kaitlynn winces.

Rorik comes back to look at her neck again. He flips his hand, putting the back of it against her forehead the same way my mom does when testing for a fever. “Were you puking?”

“Yeah,” I say, wondering what he’s getting at.

“We’re not taking her home. We’re taking her to the hospital. She has meningitis.”

“Meningitis?”

“Yes, and it’s deadly.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Mirko

Brooke calls from the hospital at four in the morning when Kaitlynn’s admitted. “They have her hooked up to IVs, and wires are taped all over her body. We got her here just in time for them to give her antibiotics, but they said if she doesn’t respond to them, she could die from this. And it could be within hours. People have died in as little as thirteen hours!”

“Do they know where she got it?” It kills me to not be able to hold her, to comfort her.

“They said one in four people actually carry the bacteria but never get sick. She could’ve gotten it from any swapping saliva, sharing drinks with me or anyone at school, kissing David, lots of places.”

“Can they test you? To make sure you won’t get it?” Pijawikas don’t get sick like humans do, but everything with Brooke being a melez is new and untested. I can’t say how her body would respond.

“They gave me and Kaitlynn’s mom and dad antibiotics, and as soon as David gets here, they’ll want to give him some too. But there’s a vaccine for it that I’m gonna get. I wish we would’ve known. If Kaitlynn had gotten the vaccine …” Brooke’s voice cracks.

I comfort her as much as I can over the phone before we hang up. I can’t go because the only way I can stop myself from holding her right now is to put distance between us.

I bet Jaren’s there comforting Brooke as I wrestle with myself not to go.

Son of a bitch!

I brush my hands over my buzzed head. I can’t pace the halls and talk myself out of going to the hospital much longer. I’m really worried about Kaitlynn too. And Brooke is terrified.

God, what will it do to her if Kaitlynn doesn’t pull through?

It’ll destroy her.

The importance of keeping my relationship with Brooke a secret wanes. If I had a legitimate excuse for going, I would jump into the Land Rover and get to Brooke, to hold her in the way only a man can hold his woman when she’s in pain.

But I don’t. And Emerik and Zladislov haven’t been able to figure out the real reason behind the Commission calling Brooke to testify. They’ve also been unable to find out who among Zladislov’s people attacked Brooke in Utah.

So, Emerik’s arranged a meeting with his dad, Orell, a member of the Commission, to try to get some information before Zladislov has to give his testimony tomorrow.

Brooke wants to go to the meeting, but with Kaitlynn sick, there’s no way she can leave her to go on a four-hour road trip there and back. I didn’t bother telling her there is also no way they’ll allow her to go because she’s a melez, and Emerik’s dad is pretty adamant in his feelings about melezes.

He’s also adamant about his views on Zao Duhs, but I can withstand his intolerance to gain information. Brooke, though, has enough to worry about. More bigotry directed at her isn’t ideal.

I told her I’d talk to Zladislov to see about going for her. I wasn’t sure they’d allow me to go, but Zladislov agreed to it.

I don’t know what to expect during the meeting with Orell, but I steel myself on the way. Whatever is about to go down, it isn’t going to be like visiting an old friend.

Orell is a cranky old bastard, set in his ways, and has served on the Commission longer than Zladislov has been its Head. Whatever the Commission plans, Orell should have a good amount of sway in it.

Orell’s house is gaudy and constructed to look like a castle. We’re greeted at the front door by one of his servants—a Pijawika, no less. Once you reach Orell’s status, even the nobler of society are willing to take on lesser jobs for you. The Pijawika leads us to the back of the house into a great room. The furniture is large and medieval in design. The archways curve to a point, like they did in the Middle Ages, and the chandelier, dark woods, and rugs complement the medieval theme.

Orell sits in an oversized armchair with a massive dog at his feet. The dog bares his teeth when we step into the room. “Lew,” Orell says, “settle.” The dog relaxes, but his ears and eyes remain at attention.

Orell stands and waits for Emerik to approach. Emerik kisses him on the cheek. “My son,” Orell says in Croatian.

“Father,” Emerik replies with reverence.

When Emerik steps back, Orell and Zladislov offer each other a slight head bow in greeting. “Please, have a seat.” Orell puts his hand out to the couch adjacent to his chair, and we sit facing double doors that lead out to a pool and a manicured lawn edged with designer gravel.

“I’m surprised you brought a Zao Duh with you,” Orell says to Zladislov, his eyebrow raised. “You know how I feel about them.”

I clench my jaw to hold back my retort. I could take on any one of his men in a fight and come out the winner, if they didn’t use Pijawikan powers. I’m worthy, but that doesn’t matter to him.

“Yes,” Zladislov replies, “but we have a situation, and he has proven himself useful.”

Damn right, I have, and spoken from the Head of the Commission’s mouth.

“No, you have a situation.” Orell points to Zladislov. “How could you be so careless and dimwitted? Not only is what you did terrible and disgusting—it goes against everything we believe in—but you have now risked a delicate balance we managed to stabilize for the past three hundred years. All for a woman, a human woman.” He shakes his head, his mouth curving down with repugnance. “What of my son?” Orell puts his ring-adorned hand out to Emerik. “Did you consider his safety before you were tempted by that woman? If you are disgraced, Emerik is along with you. You’re leaving him open to your enemies, and it’s clear you have both collected many of those over the years.”

Emerik’s eyes tighten. Does he agree with everything Orell’s saying?

Or does he simply not like how everything affects him as well?

Zladislov appears unfazed, which surprises me. I never thought the Head of the Commission would allow someone to take that tone with him—not even a fellow Commissioner. But that’s what makes Zladislov a great leader; he puts the means to an end before his ego. He demands respect, but he won’t risk something as important as this for it.

“I understand your position,” Zladislov says, “and that is why we’re here. As you know, I’ve been called to testify tomorrow before the Commission, to give you all my official position on the matter. Which I already have. And also as you know, my daughter has been called. The formal calling stated she is to testify about her role in Jelena’s death. I’m aware Dikan filed a complaint, but what is the real motivation for calling Brooke when I asked for no retaliation? And why was I left out of the decision?”

Orell smirks. “Some of the Commissioners have the foresight to capitalize on Dikan’s complaint in an effort to remove you from your position as Head.”

Shit. It doesn’t get worse than this. I knew Dikan was up to something nefarious, and he’s devious enough to get what he wants by acting as a pawn in whatever others want. I should’ve sacrificed a few more years of my life to take him out of this world. The dark place I was in back then would’ve been worth living in a bit longer to protect Brooke now.

“Which ones? Abdul-Hakeem, Chen, and Sandor? Anyone else?” Zladislov asks. Those are the three who were at the hotel with Jelena, and in on the coup that used Brooke to overthrow her father. The current situation is worse, though, because it’s a ceremonious meeting before the Commissioners, which will end in a recognized vote.

Fighting and squabbling for power is one thing—an official vote is entirely something different.

“Yes, they’ve never liked you much, have they? Chen is still bitter about you appropriating the Head position from him.”

“Nothing is guaranteed during a change of power. I still don’t believe Chen was ‘next’ in line to anything,” Emerik adds.

“No matter.” Orell rolls his wrist. “I like him less than I do you,” he says to Zladislov.

“And what of the other Commissioners?” Emerik asks.

Emerik and Zladislov play off Orel
l’s dislike of Zladislov as if it is nothing. Old news. It probably is. Emerik has been Zladislov’s stražar since before he was Head of the Commission. If I recall correctly, Emerik has been Zladislov’s only stražar. And I think they’ve even been friends since before Zladislov reached znaked status.

Orell rubs his jaw in thought. “The others weren’t clear on their positions, but we were open to hearing Dikan’s complaint.”

“What if Brooke doesn’t show up to the meeting? What if we ship her off somewhere?” Emerik suggests.

I narrow my eyes at him. I don’t like the way he says “ship her off,” like she’s done something wrong and deserves to be punished.

But the idea of running away with her so she doesn’t have to stand before the Commission is actually a good idea. If Zladislov will agree to it, I’ll talk Brooke into leaving within the next twelve hours. With his support, we should be able to get away.

If I can pull her from a sick Kaitlynn, that is. That poses a challenge.

Will Brooke choose Kaitlynn over her father and the balance of the Pijawikan world? I can’t be certain. Brooke is loyal to a fault, but she also understands duty when it involves saving her loved ones. And Zladislov removed as the Head of the Commission will surely affect us all.

“That would never work,” Orell says. “If the Commissioners knew Zladislov disregarded our call for Brooke, it would be an automatic vote against him.”

“And what about you?” Zladislov asks. “If it comes to a vote, will you vote for me to remain Head, to keep the balance you spoke of?” He’s a practiced politician.

Orell eyes Zladislov for a moment. “I can’t vote for you. I think you’ve already disrupted that balance, and I can never condone your abomination.” His attention turns to Emerik. “However, my son’s well-being must be considered as well, and as such, I cannot vote against you.”

Silence hangs in the air.

I rub the back of my neck, trying to loosen some of the mounting tension. Whichever way Orell chooses to vote, the repercussions will be large and widespread.