Intangible (35 page)

Marc had done it? Luke stared. That might be their ticket out of there.

Lilith called a vampire over. He got in the cage with Marc, who was unconscious, and kicked him once. Lilith laughed.

“LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Luke looked around frantically. Nothing. There was nothing he could do. Then his head snapped up, and he glared at her. “I know why you want me. I know about the Prophecy. He has nothing to do with that, so leave him alone. Let him go.”

“You know nothing, Seer.”

“I know that you’re afraid of us.”

Lilith narrowed her eyes at him and disappeared.

In an instant she was hissing in his left ear. “
I’m not afraid of anything.
”

Luke stumbled to the right in surprise. He caught himself, winced as he stepped on his bad ankle, and squared his shoulders. His heart was beating so fast he had to concentrate to take deep breaths. To appear calm, confident. It wasn’t easy when standing this close to her. She was monstrous.

Then it hit him. Why she looked different when he’d first seen her—so beautiful and alluring. She was using some trick to appear beautiful. He grinned. She probably wouldn’t like that he could see through it.

“I can see you,” he said in a quiet voice. “The real you.”

She paused, taking him in. “What do you see, Seer?”

“You looked beautiful when I first saw you. Not so much now.”

One eyebrow raised, she said, “What do you see?”

He looked at her, disgust flitting over his features. “Old, sunken, gaunt, sharp.”

She froze. “That’s not possible.”

Lilith circled him then, looking him over but not touching him. An idea struck him, and he reached a hand out toward her. She deftly avoided it, stepping far out of reach, but fluidly, as if she’d planned to go that direction anyway. Her eyes flew to his, and he smiled.

“Who’s not afraid of me?” Luke said, and he lifted his chin, raised his eyebrows. “Are you worried that perhaps I possess some of my sister’s talents?” She glared at him hard, and for a moment he was sure that glare was going to turn him into stone. He looked down at his body. Still flesh and blood. Excellent. He held out his hand to her. “Wanna see?”

She nodded at his guards and they each swung at him. One hit him on the back of the head while the other pummeled his ribs. Luke doubled over in pain, his vision blurring. The thugs grabbed both of his arms and held them back. Someone grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head.

Lilith was there, right in front of him. He hoped his face did not betray the fear he felt.

“The only reason I do not kill you now,” she said slowly, “is because you make better bait alive than you do dead.” She stood up and turned away. “But,” she added over her shoulder, “I may change my mind about that.”

And she disappeared. He waited for her to reappear somewhere in the room, but she didn’t. She was gone.

For the moment.

Luke let out the breath he’d been holding as his guards dropped him onto the charred stone floor. He sat up with care, his body hurting in too many places, and looked over at Marc in the cage.

They were trapped. And he had no idea how they were going to get out of there. He never saw his own future, but he wished fervently to have another vision now just to be sure that he actually still had one.

T
he clock seemed to tick louder the longer she sat there. Sera grabbed her hair and pulled. She would go insane. She would. If she didn’t distract herself somehow.

She glanced at the clock on the wall, then looked at Jonas standing across the room. He kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other and fiddling with his hands. She hadn’t seen anyone look so uncomfortable since her father’s funeral when no one knew what to say to her and Luke.

She almost felt bad for him.

Almost. Because she knew Fey had left him here to keep an eye on her. She blew her frustration out in one loud breath. She probably shouldn’t take it out on him. She’d have words with Fey when she got back.

“You could sit down, you know.” Sera waved her arm at the living room full of furniture.

Jonas strode over to an orange overstuffed chair and sat. He still fidgeted with his hands. But he met her eyes. And really looked at her, as he always did.

She totally forgot to feel impatient or angry at Fey. For a moment there was only Jonas.

And he was a vampire.

“Do you hate humans?”

Jonas furrowed his brow. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, you don’t want me transforming anyone. You made it very clear that you didn’t want to be changed back. Are we that despicable to you?”

“No.” He was silent for a moment. “But being human was not a joy for me.”

“How long have you been a vampire?”

“Over two hundred years.”

“Wow.”

Jonas shrugged.

“Who were you before?” she said.

He looked away. “A slave.”

Sera’s jaw dropped and she didn’t know what to say. “I’m sorry,” she finally said, and it felt monumentally inadequate.

Jonas’s smile was tight, brief, and unhappy. “It was my life. It is no longer.”

“Were you—”

“Lilith saved me. I do not agree with her on many things—especially this one with you and Luke—but she saved me. I can never forget that.”

“Why are you helping us? If this puts you at risk with Lilith—”

“No. Nothing puts me at risk. She will never harm me.”

“Why not?”

“I do not know.” Jonas didn’t say any more.

Sera was suddenly keenly aware of the color of her skin and wondered if Jonas hated her for it. He’d have a right to, she thought. He ran so hot and cold it was impossible to figure him out.

She needed Luke for that. He had a knack for seeing people clearly, understanding them.

Luke.

Goose bumps spread all over her body. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to hurt Luke.

“Why is she doing this? Lilith. What did we do to her?” She didn’t get it, how this all had happened. Was happening.

“It’s not what you have done, but what you could do,” Jonas said. “There is an ancient prophecy that predicted Gifteds would be born with incredible powers. They would change our worlds—the Realm and this one, the Real. You have a particularly dangerous power to those of the Realm with your ability to change us. Since you could be a threat, many just assume you are.”

“I’m not.”

“I know.”

This whole situation was unbelievable. Sera needed Luke. She needed someone sane, normal. Well, somewhat normal. She looked at the clock and wondered for the thousandth time where Fey was.

Okay, she knew Fey had said she’d be back in an hour and it had been only seventeen minutes and twenty-three seconds. But still. She just couldn’t sit here doing
nothing
while her brother was in danger. Her brother. Her other half. Her soul. And Marc. He didn’t deserve this—whatever was happening with them. Sure, he’d been a jerk earlier, but it had been so out of character for him that she was sure there had to be a good reason for it. And if there wasn’t, well then she at least wanted him back so she could tell him what a jerk he was.

The question was: what
was
happening to them? Kidnapped by vampires. She couldn’t stop imagining their lifeless bodies completely drained of blood.

She stood up suddenly, which made Jonas jump up too. Her babysitter. She couldn’t believe Fey had left someone to watch her. She was seventeen years old, not seven. It’s not like she was going to do anything stupid.

“You okay?” Jonas said.

“No.” She looked at him hard, then walked around him to leave the room. “I’m going after them.” Okay, maybe she was going to do something stupid. But she had to do
something
. She hadn’t been there to save her dad. She was never going to be able to forgive herself for that. But she also hadn’t known he was in danger. She knew Luke and Marc were in danger and she
was
going to be there to save them.

“You?”

“Yes.”

“By yourself?”

“No, Jonas.” Sera turned around and planted her hands on her hips. “I thought I’d call the police and ask them to come along.” She mimed holding a phone to her ear. “‘Hi, my brother and boyfriend have been kidnapped by vampires and taken into the Realm. Can you help me save them?’ Oh, but I should probably tell them to beware of the goblins and faeries they may encounter on the way.”

Jonas’s jaw dropped. “You’ve seen goblins and faeries?
Together
?”

“No, of course I haven’t. There’s no such thing as goblins and faeries. That’s not the poin—” Sera stopped at the look on Jonas’s face. “You have got to be kidding me.” Was every mythological creature actually
real
? She ran both hands through her hair. This was all too much for her to process at once.

“How do you intend to get to the Realm?”

“I don’t even know what the Realm is,” she said, flopping down onto the padded footstool behind her. “I have no idea, but I figure if I go outside and make enough noise, some vampires will come get me and take me there.”

“That’s your plan?”

Sera nodded. “That’s my plan.” She pressed her lips together.

“Are you trying to get yourself killed or save your brother?”

Sera rolled her eyes at him. “You have a better plan, I suppose.”

“Well, just about anything would be a better plan, but, yes, since you asked, I do have a better plan.”

“And what, please enlighten me, is that?”

“You could ask someone to help you.”

Sera looked at him, incredulous, and waved her arm around at the empty house. “And who, exactly, is going to help me? Fey isn’t back yet,” she said.

“I am.”

“And, besides, why hasn’t Fey told me anything about this before? She’s a vampire, right? But she’s also my best friend. She should have told me.” Sera threw her arms up and out to the side as she ranted. Then stopped suddenly, looked at Jonas. “Did you just say you’d help me?” Jonas nodded. “Really?”

He was going to help her. She couldn’t quite believe it. Sure, he’d said he had pleaded their case to that Lilith person, but who knew what he’d really done. He wasn’t exactly a knight in shining armor.

And yet, he was. Maybe she’d been wrong about him.

Of course, he might be helping her simply because he felt obligated to. She had healed him and not transformed him, much to his amazement. So it’s possible that he just felt indebted to her. She shook her head, it didn’t matter
why
he was doing it. It really only mattered to her that he
was
doing it.

She reached a hand out and placed it on his arm. He looked right into her eyes in that frank way of his. “Thank you.”

He nodded but stepped away from her touch.

“Should I change?” She looked down at what she was wearing: jeans, a grey long sleeve shirt, and a black hooded sweater.

Jonas raised one eyebrow. “Why?”

“To blend in. Should I wear all black like you? I assume it’ll be best if I’m not noticed.”

Jonas’s mouth twitched. Sera could feel her cheeks grow warm and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“What, exactly, is so funny?” she said.

“There is no way for you to ‘blend in’ in the Realm, Sera. You will stick sorely out, I’m afraid, no matter how you dress. Anyone we encounter will immediately know you are human and not from that world.” He laughed, then stopped. “I’m sorry. I’ve upset you. Forgive me.” He dipped his head, but was obviously still stifling a laugh.

“So, then, what do we need to fight vampires? To save Luke and Marc.”

“Do you have any holy water?” Jonas said, then smiled wide at the expression on her face as she tried to figure out where the closest church was. “I’m kidding. Holy water doesn’t actually work on us. It’s just a myth.”

“Could you answer seriously, please? My brother’s life. Marc’s life. I get it that I don’t know what I’m getting into, but I’m trying to get prepared regardless. So then, stakes? garlic? silver? crucifix? Anything
not
a myth?”

Jonas shook his head. “All myths. Most of the stuff you read is made up for stories.”

She cocked her head to one side, unsure. “But you said some things were true for the Old Ones, but not for younger vampires like you.”

His eyebrows shot up as if he was impressed she remembered. She felt a flash of irritation. Why wouldn’t she remember? Did she look like an idiot to him?

“That is true. Some things, like being in sunlight, are different for the Old Ones.” He nodded. “But not everything you read is true.”

“So, what do we need to fight vampires?”

“Me.” He pulled out his purple-lens sunglasses and put them on as he headed for the door. He opened it, then said, “Shall we?”

Sera walked over, but as she was about to pass by him she stopped, her brow furrowed. “Shouldn’t I at least have a weapon or something?”

Jonas studied her for a brief moment, then reached inside his coat and pulled out a short, ornate silver blade. She met his eyes. “Younger vampires die as easily as humans. If you are in danger, cut the vampire’s throat.” He mimed the motion in the air and held the blade out for her to take.

Sera’s eyes got very big as she reached a hesitant hand to receive it. “I hope I don’t have to.” She stared at the knife for a moment, then slid it into her back pocket. She looked up at him again. “What is Fey’s part in all this? Why is she protecting us? Why isn’t she trying to kill us like all the other vampires?”