The Chalice (Luna Vampire Series) (30 page)

             
"I'm worried, therefore I check-in on nearly every occasion I'm offered the chance.  If you'd come stay with me, I'd leave you alone.  You can have your own rooms and I won't disturb you."

             
"No thanks, buddy, I'm doing just fine where I am."

             
"It doesn't seem that way.  Last night was quite a fiasco, if you ask me.  Every vampire I've spoken with across the states noticed your presence.  Extreme shows of power like that make many of our kind nervous.  Seriously, what the hell happened?"

             
The million dollar question.
  "Okay, an abbreviated version is that I took an ecstasy pill.  Stuff went crazy in my brain, all the vampires' feelings, memories, yadda, yadda, yadda.  You were talking to me at the same time as Lucien.  And, after awhile, I couldn't handle it anymore.  I passed out and Lucien got me home safely.  The end.  Nothing more to be concerned about."

             
"Truthfully?  You saw into all of our memories synchronously?"

             
"Yep, except there was too much information for me to process.  Good thing you were the only one who started talking to me.  I wonder, though, why could you communicate with me when the rest couldn't."

             
"As I've told you before, I'm one of the strongest telepaths in the world, if not the absolute strongest.  Well, until you came along..." 

             
"That's not true.  The ecstasy amplified my abilities.  On an average day it's nowhere close to that.  Normally, Lucien hears every word that pops into my head whether I'm specifically thinking in his direction or not.  And you hear me in response to your name, unfortunately.  On the other hand, I only sense you guys after you purposefully send thoughts to me.  So, it doesn't sound like I'm very powerful to me."

             
"Some of us believe it comes with age whereas others believe it comes with practice.  Either way, as you gain more experience and grow less centered upon yourself, you'll begin perceiving everyone else, similar to last night.  Incidentally, the eavesdropping aspect of the gift is rather common.  Although, for most of us, it's only possible within a certain proximity."

             
Considering Lucien's energy typically centered on me, this explained why he maintained a virtually constant link with my psyche.  Furthermore, it clarified how Tsedaka listened in while we were in the same room, yet couldn't snoop at further distances.  He'd also never spoken mind to mind with me, meaning that his power of telepathy wasn't very strong. 
Hmm, good to know.
 

             
"So, um, basically I'm being too self-centered,"
I concluded, swiftly boomeranging the words back to Adrian.

             
"It's to be expected given your current situation.  Nevertheless, in the future, it'll be to your advantage to step outside yourself and put your people's needs above your own.  It'll give you the ability to merge our minds into a collective.  We're told stories of the original ones accomplishing such a task.  Still, nobody's wielded the power since the first-generation.  However, your display showed me that it might be possible for you someday."

             
"A collective?"

             
"What you did last night can't be completely defined as a collective.  That said, with practice it could be.  You see, a collective gives the leader, which would be you, a power boost.  You'd possess the ability to communicate with all those melded to you while, simultaneously, having their combined strength at your disposal."

             
"No wonder my ecstasy trip pissed Tsedaka off so much, the envious bastard.  Regardless, dear old daddy's the one who forced me into this godforsaken existence, so it's kinda his karma.  God, I fucking hate the whack job!  And Tsedaka the Righteous, my ass!  It should be Tsedaka the Vicious after the horrid carnage I..."

             
"Though your power surprised all of us,"
Adrian interjected.
  "I agree that it was a special slap in the face for the king.  I don't have to speak with him to know he's seething.  Naturally, he'll need to punish your disobedience publicly, otherwise he'll look weak.  That's why it's important for you to accept my help.  I possess the resources to keep you safe."

             
"Thanks and all, but I'm not too enthused about being anybody's prisoner again."

             
"You won't be.  I swear that if you're not happy here, you may leave."

             
"As I said before, no thanks.  How 'bout this, if I require your help, I'll call out for you.  Blatantly and obviously.  Until then, try to leave me alone, 'kay?"

             
"You must realize how strongly I disagree.  Nonetheless, I won't force the issue.  I'm here if you need me."
  And with that our connection ended, taking the flood of mixed emotions that'd permeated my psyche throughout our interchange with it.

             
"Girlie, hey, are you paying attention?" Lucien barked, waving his hands furiously in front of me.  "We've been talking to you.  Hello!  You in there?"

             
"Huh?" I mumbled, slightly dazed.  "Sorry, I, uh, I went off into my own world for a bit.  I had to deal with another Adrian situation.  So, um, what were you saying?"
             

             
"And you joined with him last night as well?" Lucien asked inquisitively, the foreshadowing of a smile beginning to grace his lips. 

             
"Yep, that's who I was
screaming at
in the alley."

             
"Ah, now it's making more sense."  He nodded, transitioning into a more serious tone.  "Anyway, earlier I was attempting to explain that, if you felt all the vampires, they probably felt you as well.  You might've unintentionally revealed our location."

             
"Frankly, if the guards knew where we were, they'd already be here," Amelia cut in, frowning at Lucien from her usual place at the foot of the bed.  "And, besides, reality check!  She was on a drug.  The whole experience could've been a hallucination.  There's no proof that she actually merged with every vampire.  No offense, Luna."  She glanced at me apologetically.  "It's just a little farfetched, seeing that I've never even heard of such an oddity.  Intermingling with a couple maybe, but everyone?  Nah."

             
"It's all impossible.  Vampires, telepathy, bank robberies.  I mean, come on!"  I discharged an aggravated sigh, shaking my head in exasperation.  "Look, all I know is that it sure seemed real."

             
"I believe you, girlie," Lucien soothed, patting my hand before squinting at Amelia testily.  "We have to consider the possibility that it happened and react..."

             
Knock-knock!  Knock-knock-knock!

             
"Oh, good, it's our room service," Amelia declared matter-of-factly.  "I phoned in the order while you guys were asleep.  Hamburgers and chocolate cake, all around.  And, don't worry, I didn't forget the mountain dew."

             
Groaning, I buried my face in a pillow as she jumped up to answer the door.  Since I'd already taken my fill of blood, the idea of more food caused a sour taste to assault my taste buds.  Likewise, my stomach lurched when she rolled in the cart, the smell of cooked meat permeating my nostrils.  In turn, I swiftly hurled myself off the bed with my new inhuman speed, barely reaching the bathroom in time to properly commune with the great white porcelain goddess. 
So, vampires can get hangovers too, huh.  Interesting.  Well, maybe not.  Sigh.

             
Having dry heaved until my ribs ached, I finally dragged my sorry butt back to bed.  And, despite the concern covering my cohort's faces, they didn't stop eating.  Admittedly, the food did look a tad more appetizing on an empty stomach which resulted in me digging into a piece of cake and chasing it down with my favorite pop.  Consequently, the more human food I ate, the better I felt. 
Ahh, the life.
 
A little puking, some chocolate, and loads of caffeine.  A hangover's three best friends. 

             
I'd just finished wiping my mouth with one of the plush fabric napkins provided by the hotel when a faint scratching sound came from the front door.  It was immediately followed by a dull repetitive thud. 
Bad news, really bad news.
  With my heartbeat exploding from my chest, my mind flashed to all those severed heads. 
Would that be my fate?

             
"Remain here, it's not safe.  I'll go see who it is," Lucien ordered, hastily retrieving his pocketknife from where he'd left it on the bedside table, then marching toward the door. 

             
Warily, Amelia and I searched each other's faces while my ears strained to listen in.  I held my breath, praying it wouldn't be my last, until I detected a vaguely familiar woman's voice.  "Master, your hunger called for me.  I needed to be with you." 
Whew!  It wasn't Tsedaka or any of his lackeys.  Thank you jesus!

             
And, of course, the identity of our mystery guest was Dawn, our sweet young victim from the club.  Apparently, she'd bonded with Lucien.
  I'd averted the crisis, at least.  Still, master?  The idea of her referring to Lucien in that manner totally sceeved to me out. 
"C'mon," I hollered, raising my voice to ensure it'd carry.  "Go ahead and bring her in."

             
Several moments later, Lucien rejoined us with a jonesing Dawn hot on his heels.  She looked like a heroin junkie.  Her hair was in disarray, no longer in its perfect white and blue spikes.  Beyond that, mascara streaked her stark white cheeks and her eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath them.

             
"I figured I might've bonded with her last night," Lucien muttered, shrugging his shoulders while stealthily avoiding my gaze.  "Regardless, I assumed she'd go home and, um, I don't know, move past it somehow.  I had no idea she'd be able to track me here.  I'm so sorry, girlie."

             
"Quit apologizing.  For real, we knew this could happen.  Just look at her," I urged, motioning to our newest addition.  "She's a mess and it's our responsibility to..."

             
"She's experiencing withdrawals," Amelia clarified.  "Those of us who are bonded need to be around our vampires.  It's an energy exchange thing.  I'd end up much the same if I got separated from you, Luna."

             
"You'd be that destitute in a mere twenty-four hours?" I asked, appalled at the gravity of what this meant.

             
Amelia smiled at me reassuringly.  "Everyone's system reacts differently to the bond, especially at first.  She'll be alright, don't worry."

             
"I th- th-thought your name was Lucy," Dawn stuttered, her glassy blue eyes pleading at me for answers from where she crouched at Lucien's feet.  She must've heard Amelia refer to me as Luna. 
Damn, how was I supposed to respond to her?  With a simple, yep, you caught us.  We blood raped you, turned you into a Lucien-fiend, and to top it all off we lied to you about my name.  Yeah, sure.  A great way to make a friend.

             
Abruptly, Lucien glared down at the cowering girl.  "You're mistaken, Dawn.  Her name's Luna."  Then he shifted his attention onto me.  "Listen, girlie, I'm gonna go situate her in the other room.  I must feed; it's all that will ease her discomfort."

             
"Sounds like a plan." 
Honestly, what else could I say?
  She clearly needed to be near Lucien.  I only wished she hadn't
bonded
with either of us. 

Chapter
21

             
"Okay, I've had enough.  I'm sick of sitting here and being bored out of my mind," I announced from the doorway to Lucien's, Amelia's, and
now
Dawn's section of the suite. 

             
Amelia'd been catnapping and lightly snoring for the past several hours.  I refused to disturb her, since she needed to recuperate from our last feeding.  Lucien and Dawn, on the other hand, had been having a ball. 
Cuddling, giggling, yucking it up. 
And I couldn't stomach it for a moment longer.

             
I knew I had no right to be jealous.  I mean, I was the one who'd chosen the girl.  And it was our responsibility to take her in, seeing that she'd bonded with Lucien.  Still, the green-eyed monster snuck past my resolve.  I'd grown accustomed to it always being
me
with Lucien giggling and cuddling.