The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series) (19 page)

             
"I know you're angry," she shrilled, holding up her hands as if to ward off a blow.  "Just please, please give me a moment to explain.  It was the most efficient way of learning the code to the second door."  She hesitated, glancing nervously between us, before discharging a shaky breath.  "You see, I helped them carry out their belongings.  The king banished Lord Adrian and all his people from sector one until further notice.  They were in a rush to depart and gladly accepted my assistance."

             
I really wasn't too keen on the fact that she'd schmoozed with the scumbag who obviously wanted me dead.  Regardless, I did see her point. 
And perhaps it was the best approach. 
"It's okay, I'm not mad.  You got the numbers though, right?"

             
She returned my scrutiny with glossy eyes.  "Oh yes.  I also have a message from Lord Adrian.  He said he'll be there whenever you require his help and that you'll remember how to contact him."

             
"Like that's ever gonna happen," I scoffed, briefly wondering why Tsedaka didn't punish Adrian worse. 
Seriously, the creep had hired an assassin to kill me.  Was my safety of that little value?  Probably...

             
"Being in possession of both codes greatly improves our chances," Lucien noted, shifting the discussion back to our escape.  "We should be able to make it past the security cameras if we choose the correct time and run fast enough."

             
Knock, knock!   Knock, knock, knock!

             
"Shit, Lucien!" Amelia whispered franticly.  "Go hide in the bathroom!  If William sees you, he'll sense your change."  And then, in literally the blink of an eye, Lucien had secured himself safely out of view. 
Jesus, he moved fast now!  A blur!  Is that what I looked like when I...

             
"Princess, I'm coming in," William boomed, hardly an instant ahead of pushing my door open and stomping into the room.

             
Immediately straightening my posture, I attempted to project strength.  "Amelia tells me you've been bugging her about meeting with me.  As I'm sure she's already informed you, I'm not taking visitors."  I sighed audibly, hoping to portray annoyance instead of my increasing sluggishness.  "Since you
apparently
can't comprehend English, what is it?  What's so damn important?"

             
He bowed in subservience.  "I'm sorry, princess.  I merely wanted to see for myself that you were well. 
Forgive me
for not taking the word of a
slave
."

             
"Of course I'm not
feeling well
," I sneered, unable to hide my penetrating hatred for him.  "I killed a guy several days ago for god's sake."

             
Squinting at me coldly, he replied in an arrogant monotone.  "We've all killed humans.  It's of no consequence.  In truth, many of us find it quite enjoyable."  He paused to defiantly lick his lips.  "It's only in recent years that killing humans during feeding has become passé."

             
My blood boiled. 
He was the worst of the worst.
 
A liar, a murderer, a total sleaze bucket.
  And, in spite of the
knowledge that I shouldn't waste precious energy, I simply had to do something.  So, I imagined myself plunging a fist deep into his chest and tearing out his heart.  After which, I pictured my bare hands ripping off his head and throwing it to the floor.  I wrapped the vision in my anger and tied my hate around it into a perfect white bow.  Then I called upon my will to shove the
pretty little package
into his mind. 
If this worked, it'd redefine the very meaning of psychological warfare.

             
And the result, well, it was priceless! 
Absolutely priceless!
  William's face went ashen, his eyes bulged to the size of golf balls, and his mouth set into an angry line.  He didn't speak; he just stood there dumb struck and stupid. 
Yay!  Score one for me!

             
Astonishingly, I kept my composure and refused to allow my triumphant buzz to manifest.  "Now, if that's all," I grumped.  "I'd like you to leave."

             
Once again, he bowed irritatingly.  "Before I go, princess, I must pass on a message from the king.  He extends an invitation to a dinner in your honor tomorrow evening.  He'll stop by to escort you himself at 11pm."

             
I
truly
loved William's ability to put Tsedaka's demands into such nice words. 
He extends an invitation, yeah right.  How 'bout he orders me there.  The controlling bastard. 
"So, um, if that's it, you should be on your way.  And don't bother me again."

             
"Yes, princess," he grunted, simultaneously turning to exit the room and inadvertently giving me a glimpse at the uneasiness still lingering in his eyes.

             
Accordingly, I burst into laughter the second the door shut behind him.  I couldn't help it. 
I got his ass!
 
Freaking awesome!
Nonetheless, Amelia was a ball of nerves.  The poor girl cringed at the foot of the bed, dodging eye contact like the plague.  And Lucien, who'd obviously heard my
commotion, entered the room to gape at me questioningly.  When I only replied with more laughter, he tentatively slumped over to his spot at my side.

             
"What's so funny?" he finally asked, cheeks reddening.

             
And, seeing that I simply shook my head and kept on giggling, Amelia was forced to step in.  "Luna, um, she did something to William."

             
"Oh god!" I huffed, rolling my eyes.  "You act as though it's the end of the world.  All I did was send him a bit of payback.  He deserved it, believe me."

             
"Quit clowning around," Lucien ordered, his features exuding urgency.  "Tell me everything, exactly as it happened."

             
Rapidly sobering, I sucked in an unsteady breath, hurriedly squelching my fun.  "I sent William a vision of me killing him, uh, mind to mind.  I'm not sure what to call it.  Um, a telepathy bomb, maybe?  Anyway, not a big deal.  And yeah, I know, I shouldn't have used my energy."  Then, right as the words left my mouth, I recognized just how much playing with him had really weakened me.  I felt shaky, dizzy, and I desperately needed more sleep.

             
In response, anxiety covered my sidekicks' faces which led to a few moments of uncomfortable silence before Lucien ultimately regained the nerve to speak.  "Well, girlie, either he'll take it as a personal challenge or he'll fear you.  I hope it's the latter considering we aren't ready to deal with repercussions from former."

             
"Oh, he's not gonna retaliate!  Tsedaka won't let him," I hissed, my stamina swiftly declining.  "Listen, I might've let anger get the better of me, but what's done is done.  I'm more worried about making it through that dinner tomorrow night. 
Chatting with the
who's who
of vampire central won't be possible.  Look at me.  I can barely sit up."

             
"You'd be surprised what a vamp can endure, even in your condition," Lucien replied in earnest. 

             
"If I go, they'll be able to eavesdrop on my thoughts and discover our escape plans," I added, silently wishing I knew how to block the freaks from my mind.  "Plus, some other vamp might try to have me killed."

             
"I agree, departing prior to the dinner would be optimal.  Sadly, I doubt you'll possess the strength.  It'll take significantly more energy to elude the guards than to attend the party.  Essentially, it all hinges on how you feel tomorrow."

             
I scanned the room as my psyche drifted into a state of deep contemplation, offhandedly noticing that the blood stain on the wall and floor were cleaned to a spotless perfection. 
Must've been Amelia's doing.
  Beyond that, a digital alarm clock sat on a tiny table next to the armoire, displaying a florescent 6:38pm. 
Also, most likely Amelia's doing.

             
"Well, we've got a little over twenty-four hours to devise a strategy," I muttered, readjusting my pillows so I could snuggle up.  "I need a tad more downtime.  You guys are gonna have to figure it out," I yawned, closing my eyes. 
At that point, my body desired rest above all else.

             
"Do you think you'll be able to feed her again tomorrow?" Lucien whispered, clearly attempting to avoid interrupting my descent into sleep.

             
"Possibly, although, it'll render me virtually powerless.  You'll have to carry me..."  I didn't hear the rest of their conversation because I nodded off into, what would hopefully end up being, a very healing catnap.

Chapter
14

             
Before opening my eyes, I stretched and yawned for a moment to help me wake to a minute sense of normalcy. 
And, of course, the feeling didn't last long.
  I found myself alone in bed, the clock reading 6:18pm which was dusk this time of year.  I listened for the sound of people in my living quarters and heard nothing.  Wondering where everyone went, I subsequently guessed that they could be any number of places
.  Seriously, I'd slept solidly for nearly twenty-four hours.  What did I expect?  Amelia and Lucien to sit in my room, twiddle their thumbs, and wait on me?
 
Yeah, sure.

             
Briefly surveying my body, I was presented with a funky smell and hastily comprehended that a shower would make all the difference in the world
.  It'd been about five days since my last one.
  Despite being on the road to recovery, I still wriggled gingerly from underneath the covers and staggered haphazardly to the bathroom. 
I could stand now at least, a good sign.  Who needs balance anyway, right?  Sigh.

             
Opening the shower door, I turned on the hot water and stripped off my ridiculous pink pajamas, pausing to inspect my surroundings vacantly.  Being alone felt strange.  I'd grown accustomed to Lucien's company and his absence troubled me.
  I hoped he was alright.  I mean, he was supposed to be hiding from the guards to ensure they wouldn't discover his transformation.

             
"I'm perfectly fine, no worries,"
Lucien soothed, dropping in on my thoughts without warning.
  "Amelia and I will be back soon.  And, so you know, I stumbled upon a method of disguising my change."

             
"Cool, how'd you manage that?"
I asked, directing my question into his mind.

             
"Well, to make a long story short, Petrus surprised me while I was gathering a midnight snack.  In response, I projected the affectation of a human.  I thought human, I felt human, I believed I was human.  And he didn't detect the vampire within me.  At any rate, we lack the time for a more in-depth explanation.  There've been new developments; get ready, we're leaving tonight." 

             
"Wouldn't it be easier to go tomorrow during the day?  We could hide our bodies from the sun under blankets and there might be fewer guards outside."

             
"Blankets won't be sufficient protection and the king has plenty of born vamps to guard the sunlight hours."

             
"Huh.  Well, I guess I'm up for it, provided I don't have to run in a straight line."
Wavering between laughing and crying at the state of my health, I propped my arm against the wall of the shower to steady myself while I let warm water flow over my face.
  "So, where are you guys?"

             
"We snuck into the security room.  I'm writing a virus that'll disrupt many of the systems throughout the facility.  Hopefully, it'll supply us with a distraction.  At minimum, it'll stop the cameras from working properly."

             
My heart raced.
  "Isn't that risky?  What if one of Tsedaka's goons finds you there?" 
The idea of him being caught, then taken away from me or punished by some other means was terrifying.

             
"That's why Amelia's playing lookout,"
he assured, filling my head with emotions of peacefulness.
  "Quit spazzing, girlie, we'll rejoin you in less than ten minutes."

             
Rapidly realizing that I couldn't do a thing to help them, I centered my awareness on the silky water and embraced its calmness.  Clearly, we'd be putting ourselves in much more danger during our departure, so I'd better start getting used to them risking their lives for me.  Acquiescing, I ultimately sent him a surge of love and a,
"Please be careful."