Night's Cold Kiss (29 page)

Lucian didn’t return the next day, or the day after that. Neither did Lisbet. On the third night in the cell, Antoinette lay looking at the white tiled ceiling. At least she thought it was the third night, she’d lost count of the hours.

Oberon had grown more and more agitated over the past few hours, pacing constantly in his cage. Christian seemed preoccupied with his own thoughts, sitting in a corner with eyes closed. Antoinette wondered if their hunger grew more persistent with each passing minute, as hers did. Thirst consumed every thought—the blood, how it tasted, the sensation of it sliding down her throat and the feeling of power it gave her. A tiny groan passed her lips.

“Don’t think about it,” Christian said.

She jumped. “What?”

He’d been silent for hours. “The hunger—I feel it growing in you.” He opened his eyes and met her gaze. “Don’t think about it—you’ll only make it worse.”

“I can’t help it. I try not to and it only makes me think of it more.” It’d replaced everything, even the worry over her father, much to her disgust. She could think of nothing else but the growling hunger-beast stalking her mind. And the memory of Christian so near to the Dark Sleep haunted her.

“You must learn to control it, or it’ll control you. Most dreniacs turn shortly after being embraced because they can’t control the bloodlust.” Christian leaned forward. “Meditation can be the best way to achieve this. Sit in the middle of the floor facing me and close your eyes.”

This was madness, how could he possibly help from way over there?

“Trust me,” he said, his voice low.

She did as he said, feeling a little stupid.

“You have to reach inside yourself and feel the beast that is hunger.”

A beast?
Her eyes flew open. She’d felt it stalking her for some time now.
How did he know?

“It lives in us all,” Christian said as if reading her thoughts. “Now—give it form, give it life—make it real.” His voice flowed over her, relaxing the tension from her shoulders.

A darkness crept into her mind, moving with stealth just beyond her conscious thought. Antoinette stiffened and sucked back her breath. Afraid.

“Can you feel it?” Christian’s soft and gentle tone strengthened her. “The beast wants to consume you but you mustn’t let it.”

She nodded, keeping herself focused on the snarling beast hiding in the shadows of her mind.

“You must stroke it, croon to it or beat it into submission—do anything you can to control it.” His voice whispered as if directly into her ear—she could almost feel his breath upon her neck.

She didn’t want to confront it. It would be best kept hidden. She felt her hunger-beast crouch in the darkness as it prepared to pounce. She drew back, fear knotting her throat, making it difficult to swallow. She wanted to run, but the beast would cut her down from behind and consume her. She swallowed her fear and turned to meet the beast.

How to soothe a savage beast?
With music, of course.
Instinctively she began to hum a French lullaby her mother
used to sing to her when she’d had a bad dream. The beast stilled and purred, but she still couldn’t bring herself to look upon it.

“Is it working? Is your beast growing quiet?” Christian asked.

Again she nodded, not daring to speak, and continued to hum.

“When you’re ready, you must approach the beast, acknowledge it—only then will you truly be able to control it.”

“No…” Her eyes flew open. “I can never acknowledge it. I can never accept it.” She clenched her fists so hard her nails bit into her palms.

Christian’s eyes dulled. “If you can’t embrace the beast it will eventually consume you.”

Oberon had stopped pacing and stood with his own eyes closed. When they opened again, some of the wildness had left them and he seemed a little calmer. When he saw them looking at him, he shrugged sheepishly. “Just getting in touch with my inner beast—or inner bear in my case. Neat trick, Laroque.”

“It’s something my father taught me and it helps in times like this.” Christian leaned back and closed his eyes. “There are times when you must unleash the beast, but you must always maintain control.”

Her heart sank. Every day would be a battle against this new nature. Every day she must fight it, lest it consume her.
If only Christian hadn’t
—She stopped. It was no good thinking of
if only.

The door to the lab opened and Antoinette tensed, but it was Lisbet, her eyes darting around hesitantly. Finally, she crossed the floor and touched the stone on the pedestal.

“The others cannot hear us,” she said to Antoinette when she got closer. “The talisman has powerful magic, that’s why we are safe from those little black box things he calls CCT.”

“You mean cameras.”

The girl shrugged. “He has them in the house upstairs—
little black boxes he uses to keep watch over things. But the talisman prevents anything from seeing or hearing what goes on in the complex. No one can find this place by magic or technology.”

“Why did you shut them out?” She pointed her chin toward Christian and Oberon.

The two men stood as close to the bars as they dared, their faces creased with worry.

“Because I wanted to talk to you alone, as family.” Lisbet squared back her shoulders. “We share the same blood, yes? I need to know if everything they said is true. Would the world accept me as I am now?”

The image of Katerina and Sergei taking her in with her brother when they were little flashed into Antoinette’s mind. Katerina had held her close, hugging her to her enormous motherly bosom, crooning comforting sounds. The Petrescu family would always protect one of their own. Katerina loved children, especially little girls—she had three of her own. Even though Lisbet was only a child in appearance, she was sure Katerina would adore her.

Antoinette got down on her knees at eye level with the girl. “I’ll take you home to our family and they will accept you.” But could she be sure of that? Yes—she could. Why had she wasted all this time when she should’ve gone to them first?

“My brother tells me he’s trying to find a cure. But I’m not sure I believe him. He says those vaccines he creates are to help people.”

“What vaccines?” Antoinette asked.

“He has another laboratory like this one in the other part of the complex where he develops serums and tests them on the prisoners. But I have heard them screaming and I have heard them die.” Lisbet’s leaned forward and whispered. “If I help you to escape, you will take me with you?”

“Yes,” Antoinette said.

Lisbet let out a breath, looking relieved. “Then be ready when Hector and I come for you.”

“Why not now?” Antoinette asked.

The little girl tilted her head. “Because Lucian is still here and if he catches us, he’ll kill you. We have to wait for him to leave the house.”

“We need to contact the authorities, can you do that?”

“Maybe Hector could.”

The girl gave her one last confident smile and reset the talisman spell before running from the room.

“She’s going to help us escape,” Antoinette told the other two.

“Can we trust her?” Christian asked.

“Yes,” Antoinette said. “I think we can.”

The hours dragged on, with no sign of Lisbet or Hector. Antoinette paced her cell.

“I think she was playing with us,” Oberon grumbled as he prowled his eight-by-eight cell.

Antoinette sighed and sat down on the makeshift bed, the taste of bitter disappointment burning the back of her throat. Maybe he was right. Her eyes grew heavy and she let herself drift off into sleep.

“Wake up, it’s time,” Lisbet’s soft lilt blew across Antoinette’s ear.

She’d slept for hours and felt stronger, though hunger still gnawed on her insides. Hector stood vigil by her opened cell door and Lisbet waited beside him, her eyes shining with excitement.

Antoinette ran to the talisman. “So, how does this thing work?” she asked, her hand hovering over the mystic symbols carved into the stone.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A cold voice silenced her hurried whispers.

She glanced over her shoulder, confirming it wasn’t just her imagination. Dread stilled her heart. Lucian and two of his men all aimed pistols at her.

Hector pulled Lisbet behind him and seemed just as surprised as she was.

“Do you really think I’m that stupid?” Lucian said. “I’ve
known about Hector and my sister for some time now. I also saw the ribbon on the floor and it was all the proof I needed. But I wanted to see how far this would go, see if my sister could indeed betray me.” Lucian held out his hand to Lisbet. “Come here.”

She didn’t move and Hector spread himself to cover her.

“Don’t be afraid, Lisbet. I’m your brother, I wouldn’t hurt you. But I won’t hesitate in putting a bullet right between that big dummy’s eyes.”

The girl’s uncertain glance flicked to Antoinette before she stepped around her protector. Hector shook his head and grabbed her arm.

“It’ll be all right.” Lisbet smiled up at him and tenderly stroked his large hand.

The brave little woman-child walked toward her brother. As she reached him, Lucian backhanded her across the face, sending her sideways into a nearby wall where she fell to the floor, a smear of crimson marking her descent to the floor. Then he turned the pistol on Hector and fired. The back of Hector’s head exploded in a rain of bone, blood, and brains all over the stainless steel surgical table behind him. His body just seemed to crumple onto the floor. Lisbet screamed his name and scrabbled to his fallen form.

“You bastard,” Christian hissed. “They’d done what you wanted.”

“Not fast enough,” Lucian murmured.

Antoinette moved forward and stopped as Lucian pointed his pistol at her. Could she get to him before he fired? Doubtful. The talisman still suppressed her speed and strength. The scent of blood stirred something in her—something hungry. The beast circled, growling and predatory. She closed her eyes to greet it. As it moved closer, she got cold feet and shied away but the beast circled once more.

Lisbet’s tear-soaked face looked up at her and gave an imperceptible nod.

“Do it,” Christian whispered from his cell.

“Come to me,” she whispered. And the beast did. Racing
out of the corner of the darkness in her mind, and took her mental image midleap.

Lisbet moved behind, distracting the attention of the others and kicked over the pedestal. The stone talisman shattered into a dozen pieces skittering along the floor like the broken segments of Antoinette’s life.

In that second everything came together.

Antoinette’s eyes flung open, although they no longer felt like hers alone. She dropped into a crouch as the growl built low from deep within her soul. Everything sharpened, everything slowed. The two men with Lucian raised their guns higher. She could smell their fear and the beast within roared with triumph—and so did she.

Shots fired, but she kept her focus on Lucian, taking him at full run, knocking him on his back and pinning him beneath her.

His eyes widened and the scent of his terror flooded her enhanced senses…she inhaled it, tasted it, loved it. The beast demanded blood and she needed to slake her thirst.

Antoinette bent over her prey and sniffed. The blood pumping beneath his skin called to her with primeval song. Her fangs extended their full length and her hands ripped away at his clothing to expose the jugular below. She sank her head and bit, her fangs piercing his soft fragile skin.

The sharp crimson nectar spurted into her mouth, hot and hard. The taste she’d had from the bottled blood didn’t begin to compare to the power of this rush. She drank it down as it rushed into her mouth and she threw back her head, howling for the sheer joy of it as his blood continued to spurt over the tiled floor.

She went back for more—sucking deep, taking his essence in an act much more intimate than sex could ever be. She wanted him—this man beneath her—she wanted him all inside her.

“Antoinette—STOP.”

Hands pulled at her. Her frustrated scream echoing in
her ears as she kicked out at the one who dared disturb her feeding.

“Antoinette, control it—take control of the beast.” Hands shook her and held her back. She roared with exasperation until something hot and sharp pierced her shoulder from behind, shocking her into letting go.

“Fight it,” Christian growled into her ear, his breath hot on her skin…his words filled with the smell of her own blood penetrated her insanity.

Concentrating hard, she fought back the beast, pushing it, beating it, crooning to it until it shrank into the shadows of her psyche. When she opened her eyes, Christian held her and Lucian lay at her feet, his breath coming in short, sharp terrified pants.

“What have you done to me?” she sobbed, turning her face away to swipe the sticky wet mess coating her chin. Her hands came away covered in blood.

Christian turned her to him and pulled her head against his shoulder, wrapping her in his arms and holding her close. “It gets easier, I promise.”

She relaxed against him for a moment then pushed him away. She couldn’t do this. Not now. Everything intensified. The room seemed brighter, the noises louder, even her skin seemed to glow.

Oberon stood over one of the men who’d come with Lucian. Antoinette didn’t recognize him, but she did know the other one who lay in a crumpled heap a few feet from Christian’s cell, his throat torn open and blood pooled around him on the floor. The scar on his pale face marked him as Lucian’s crack shot, and Viktor’s killer. Christian glanced down at the body too, his face cold and unreadable.

“How did you get out?” she asked him.

“Lisbet,” he said, his hooded eyes rose to meet her. No more needed to be said about the dead man.

The little girl moaned with Hector’s head in her lap, his blood staining her pretty pink dress.

Antoinette bent down to check her head wound. It had closed over, only a smear of blood remained.
Thank God.

Lucian sat on the floor, tearing off a piece of shirt and holding it against his throat. Oberon yanked him to his feet and ripped Lucian’s hands away. Antoinette peeked around Oberon for a look at the damage. The bite marks had begun to heal, thanks to Lucian’s use of Lisbet’s blood.