Intangible (36 page)

“That’s for Feyth to tell.”

Sera sighed, rolled her eyes, and walked out the door with Jonas following close behind. He looked around to be sure no one was looking and took a firm hold of her arm.

She looked up at him. “Do you know where they are?”

“Lilith has them.”

“And who is Lilith? Another vampire?”

“The Mother of all vampires.”

“Oh.” It was soft, quiet. “That can’t be good.”

“No,” Jonas said. “It’s really not.”

Jonas took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Then Sera felt a strange buzzing sensation all around them. She looked around to find what was causing it.

And everything disappeared.

THIRTY-TWO

M
arc’s head hurt. For once it wasn’t caused by a migraine, though he didn’t think this was much of an improvement. Ever since he’d knocked out almost all of the vampires in the room by screaming in his mind—about time he had a great party trick—Lilith had posted a guard inside his cell to knock him back out every time he came to. And the brute seemed to take a little too much pleasure carrying out his assignment.

So that was why he hadn’t opened his eyes or moved a muscle yet. That, and the fact that he knew moving was going to hurt. It already hurt when he wasn’t moving. It was going to be so much worse when he did. For the moment he was good with staying still.

Besides it gave him time to think about Sera and how much he hoped he’d get a chance to apologize before they killed him. He’d seen the look in Lilith’s eyes when he’d done his little trick. He knew he was not long for this world. In fact, he was surprised he wasn’t dead already.

Man, his head hurt. He reached up to touch his face, which was all swollen and crusted with blood. He did it without thinking, without realizing his mistake before it was too late.

“Are we waking up again, Princess?” the guard said.

Marc never saw the boot coming at his head.

L
uke’s eyes darted around the room. Lilith was back, but for the moment she was leaving him and Marc alone. He didn’t expect that to last long.

Though he didn’t really know what to expect at all. He felt as if he’d been there for days already, but he was pretty sure it’d only been hours. It was hard to tell. There were no windows to the room, no way to gauge the passing of time. He never wore a watch and his cell phone must have fallen out of his pocket. He had no clue how long they’d been there.

It was exhausting, this constant vigilance. But he couldn’t relax. Not if he was going to stay alive, keep Marc alive. If only he could wander around the room, then at least he could scope the place out. Not that he thought it would truly help, but at least he’d feel better. He’d feel as if he were doing something.

He eyed the two very large vampires standing a few feet away on either side of him. They had been guarding him since he’d woken up there. Not looking at him or speaking to him. Just large, silent beasts.

His eyes flicked around the room again. Lilith was staring open-mouthed at a doorway. Luke looked in the same direction but couldn’t see anything from where he stood. He looked back at Lilith. She was furious. More angry than he’d seen her so far.

His two guards had seen it, too.

“What’s going on over there?” Luke said. Neither one answered. They didn’t even grunt like they’d heard him.

Sudden movement caught his eye and he looked up to see several vampires flying through the air as if they’d been catapulted, and about thirty tall, light-haired warriors stormed into the room. Their long, strong limbs were covered in what looked like leather armor. They had thin, serious-looking faces with intelligent eyes that scanned the room.

And settled on Luke.

One pointed in his direction and shouted to someone, but Luke couldn’t make out his words. Luke’s eyes got wide as he realized that someone was trying to kidnap him from his vampire kidnappers. He just hoped there wasn’t someone worse than Lilith who wanted the privilege of killing him and Sera.

He really didn’t want to find out if there was.

One of his guards said in a voice laced with disgust, “Elves,” and moved in front of Luke.

Luke looked at him in shock. “Elves?” he said. “Those are elves?” Elves were real?

“Those,” the big brute said with venom, “are Fae Fighters. They’re Elves. You better hope they don’t get you. They’re worse than vampires.” He grinned at Luke, his long sharp teeth wet and dripping. Luke shuddered.

Lilith was yelling, and a fight had broken out across the room. Luke couldn’t see for the two guards standing in front of him. They both lurched forward as several Fae Fighters charged at them, long glass-like knives in hand.

Luke glanced across to Marc. His guard had just left the cage and Marc hauled himself upright. He looked like crap, his face bloody and bruised. Marc stood as far back in the cage as he could. He was mesmerized by whatever was going on over with Lilith that Luke couldn’t see. If there were some way to release Marc from the cage, then perhaps they could slip out while the rest of these creatures battled it out.

The guard in front of him screamed as one Fighter jumped up onto his back, lifted his strange clear knife, and effortlessly sliced the guard’s throat. The Fighter leaped gracefully to the ground as the thug collapsed to his knees and burst into nothingness.

Luke bolted. He ran faster than he’d ever run before, ignoring the searing pain in his ankle, and threw himself against the door to Marc’s cage. The bars burned his hands where he gripped them, and he yelped and let go.

Marc was on the other side within reach as Luke ripped off his jacket and used the sleeves to protect his hands. He rattled the door. Locked.

“How did that vampire open this?” Luke said.

“He didn’t,” Marc said. “He popped out.”

There was no obvious lock or place to insert a key, but there was a door. Luke could see the hinges.

A vampire smashed into the cage on Luke’s left, then burst into dust. More shouts went up behind Luke.

“Maybe I can lift it off its hinges,” Luke said, grasping the bars low and leaning into the door. It creaked and Luke groaned. It was a lot heavier than it looked.

Marc’s eyes widened as he watched the fighting behind Luke. He closed his eyes, scrunched up his face. All around the room behind him, Luke heard the sounds of people falling. With a final surge of energy, he lifted the door higher and it was off.

Luke pushed the door in, and Marc squeezed out without touching the bars.

Marc grabbed Luke’s outstretched hand as he emerged. “Thanks.”

“What friends are for, right?”

“For sure.” Marc stared behind Luke, and Luke turned around. They were surrounded by eight Fae Fighters. The fighting had come to a standstill. The Elves were looking around in surprise at all the vampires out cold on the ground. “Who are these people?”

“Elves,” Luke said. “Apparently.”

“No way.”

“Think we can take them?”

Marc looked at Luke. “Uh, no. Didn’t you see them fight?”

Luke shook his head. “Too busy saving you.” He hunkered down and glared at them. He was damned if he was going down without a fight.

“You okay?” one of them said.

Luke straightened up a bit. “What?” If they were trying to lull him into a false sense of safety and then capture him it wasn’t going to work. He was smarter than that.

“I said are you okay?” At Luke’s silence and glare, the Fighter turned and called back over his shoulder. “Are you sure this is the one, Feyth?”

Luke stood all the way up at her name and watched as the Fighters parted to let her through. His mouth hung open slack, and he wasn’t sure whether it was more from surprise or lust—they were both equally surging through his system.

Unbelievable. Incredible. Magnificent. She seemed taller, somehow, as she made her way through the other Fighters. She sparkled, Luke thought. Her hair was like spun gold, her eyes the richest emerald. She was beautiful in the Real world, there was no mistaking that. The most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. But here, in the Realm, she was beyond.

“Of course, I’m sure,” Fey said as she strode up to Luke. She opened her arms and he clasped her in a tight hug. “I’ve never been so glad to see you.”

Luke felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him. “I was about to say the same thing,” he said, holding her tight.

“I told you to stay put. You never listen.”

“Maybe next time I will.”

“No, you won’t.” She shook her head and smiled.

“No, probably not,” Luke said. “But how did you find me?” He looked around at the Fae Fighters. “How do you know these people?”

Fey leaned back to see his face. “There is much to explain, and I promise I will. But for now, I am here with the help of my people to get you back to safety.”

“Your people? You’re an elf?”

“Yes, I’m of the Light Elves.”

“Last night you told us you were a vampire.”

“No, you assumed I was. I just didn’t correct you.”

Luke stared at her for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. He was about to tell her that letting them believe an untruth was akin to lying, when Lilith appeared beside them.

“This is not over,” she said.

Fey stepped in front of Luke. “I’m taking him, Lilith. He is protected by my people. You do not want to start a war.”

“He’s not yours to take, little elf. He’s mine.” Lilith leaned in close to Fey’s face, but she calmly held her ground.

Fey reached behind her to grasp Luke’s left hand, then brought it in front of her body. She pushed his sleeve up to reveal his Mark. Lilith gasped, then her eyes and face hardened. Diamond hard.

“This doesn’t change any—” Lilith started.

“It changes everything, and you know it. He is one of my own now. He has been claimed.” Fey was matter of fact, calm. “Like I said, I’m taking him with me, and you will leave him and his sister alone. Unless you want to face the wrath of my people, of my
father
.” She paused. “I don’t think you do.”

Lilith’s mouth was a hard, thin line as she glared at Fey. She was beaten, Luke could tell. She nodded at Fey, her face tight. “Take him.” Then she was gone.

Fey turned to Luke. “Let’s go. Now.” And she headed back down the way she came, her Fighters filing out after them.

Luke grinned at Marc. It was over. They both started after Fey.

Suddenly Lilith was there blocking their path, her hand held out to stop them.

“Oh, no. I don’t think so,
mon cher
,” she said. “I agreed that
you
could go.” She pointed at Luke. “Not your friend.” She looked past Luke to Fey, who had turned around and was coming up behind him. “This one’s not protected by your people. Correct?” Fey’s eyes were icy as she reluctantly shook her head. “Then you’re not taking him with you.”

“H
OW COULD YOU LEAVE HIM THERE?”

Luke was yelling. At Fey. Who’d just saved his life. He realized how wrong it was, how ungrateful he appeared, but he couldn’t help himself. “How could you make me leave him? He’s our friend.”

“My job is to keep you alive, Luke. Not Marc.”

Luke stammered, trying to get something intelligible out. And failed.