Jocelynn Drake - Wait for Dusk

“What about Danaus?” I demanded, pushing the words past a lump in my throat.

“Shot him.”

Pushing off the wall, I was across the room in a blur, grabbing the naturi by the collar of his shirt and slamming him against the opposite wall. “What do you mean ‘shot him’? Is he dead? Did they kill him? Was he coming after me?”

The smile on Rowe’s face grew as he saw me twisting at his mercy. I was trapped. The walls of the cell felt as if they were closing in on me and the floor was crumbling beneath my feet. I had to get out of there and find Danaus. Pulling Rowe off the wall a little, I slammed his back into it again with more force, causing his smile to slip slightly. “Tell me what you know.”

“Or what? You’ll kill me? Won’t get any information that way,” he mocked.

I narrowed my eyes at him and leaned in so the tip of my nose was nearly touching his. “I can torture you slowly. I’ve gotten very good at it over the long centuries. Trust me, you’ll be screaming answers before I am done.”

Rowe stared at me for a long time, his teeth clenched. “He never got into the hotel. They shot him as they were carrying you out. He may not even know they have you. Don’t know if he’s still alive.”

I released Rowe and walked back over to the other side of the cell. He took the opportunity to put his foot against my butt and shove me away from him. I stumbled into the far wall, catching myself before my face smashed into it. Twisting around, I growled at the naturi, fighting the urge to lunge at him.

“Don’t touch me again!” he snarled.

I chuckled at him as I straightened into a standing position. “I thought you’d like it. You’re the one that kissed me all those years ago.”

The anger slipped from his features and he smiled as well. When I was kidnapped by the naturi centuries ago, Rowe had tried to get me to betray my kind by convincing me he was a poor human about to be executed by the naturi. He kissed me as a last ditch effort to break me. It nearly worked. Even now my lips burned with the ugly memory.

“That was a special circumstance,” he said in a low, amused voice.

Leaning my shoulders against the opposite corner, I took a deep breath and slowly released it. “We need to figure a way out of here.”

“Brilliant grasp of the obvious you have,” Rowe said snidely.

I ignored his comment. If I didn’t, I would be forced to smash his smug face in. “Any suggestions?”

“He was told he would be released unharmed if he would simply kill you for us,” announced a sweet voice from the other side of the door. I crossed the tiny cell and peered through the window in the door to find Sofia standing on the other side in a gauzy pink dress that floated around her like a thin wisp of smoke.

“Get me out of here, Sofia,” I commanded, wrapping my fists around the bars in the window.

“I don’t think so,” she said with a little shake of her head. “You’re too dangerous to be left running around. You’ve already slaughtered the werewolf pack. Who’s on your hit list next?”

“You are if you don’t get the key and get me the hell out of here,” I snarled, rattling the door a little in its frame. The metal groaned and squeaked, but otherwise didn’t budge.

“No, Veyron and the others certainly wouldn’t like that.”

“Set me free and I’ll protect you. I’ll return you to Danaus. I can help you,” I offered.

Peels of laughter fell from her like the tinkling of bells. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and took a step backward to regain her balance as she laughed at me. “Free me? Who do you think led Veyron’s people to you?”

My hands loosened from where they gripped the bars and slid back down to my sides as my mouth fell open. “You tricked us. Convinced Danaus you were some helpless human desperate for his help. You knew he would come after you,” I murmured.

“And you’re an old nightwalker stuck in your old ways. You don’t meddle in the affairs of other nightwalkers, particularly when it comes to their human pets.”

“You tried to separate Danaus and me,” I said, still stunned by their plan.

“Of course.” Sofia took a step closer to the door. “We figured if we couldn’t kill you, the hunter easily could since he was able to get so close to you. When he failed, we thought maybe the naturi could. Unfortunately, he’s proving to be useless. I guess we’ll have to figure something else.”

“Bitch,” I snarled through gritted teeth. Focusing on her, I sent my powers out from my body and wrapped her in flames. I wanted to see her writhing in pain as the fire ate away at every inch of her flesh. She had deceived Danaus, separated us, and now she was trying to kill me.

But the flames never touched her. Sofia spoke a single, inaudible word and the flames swirled around her like a liquid shawl of fire. The flames danced and crackled with energy, but they never touched her. She looked up at me with glowing eyes. Damn it, she was a witch. It had all been an act, an elaborate hoax.

“Sorry, Fire Starter. You can’t kill me, but don’t worry, I’ll be sure that Danaus knows the truth the moment before he dies,” she said, then sauntered back down the dark hallway, leaving me alone with Rowe.

“Get back here, Sofia!” I screamed, pressing my face against the bars. “Get back here so I can kill you!”

“Oh, yeah. That’s going to win her over,” Rowe said sarcastically beside me.

“Shut it, pirate!” I snapped, pushing away from the door to pace the cell. Unfortunately, it was only a few feet wide. “I need to concentrate. We need to make a plan.”

“A plan for getting out of here?”

“And killing all those that put us in here.”

“I would be game for that,” Rowe said, surprising me.

I looked up at him, my brows furrowed over my nose. “A temporary truce?”

“Extremely temporary. Just until we get out of his house.”

I nodded, and returned to my corner in the cell. I lowered my eyelids so I could still partially see Rowe but was able to concentrate on what was going on outside the cell. I could sense Sofia and a scattering of other humans, but she appeared to be the only magic user in the house. I couldn’t sense Clarion. Ferko was also in the house, but there were no nightwalkers about. The hour was still relatively early. I could only guess that they were all out hunting, not expecting me to actually survive the day locked up with Rowe. And in truth, I couldn’t blame them. The only reason I could guess that I was still alive was because Rowe thought he had more use for me as a living entity to barter with.

I took another calming breath and reached out nervously with my powers. Rowe had said Danaus had been shot, and Sofia seemed to think that he was still alive, but I was afraid to find out for sure. My powers crept slowly across Budapest, fanning out in all directions. I could have reached out directly but was afraid he wouldn’t be there.

Mira! Danaus’s voice rang true and clear in my head.

I stifled a half sob at the touch of his powers. He was alive and he felt strong to me. Danaus! You’re alive. Rowe said you were shot.

I was. Where are you? Is Rowe with you?

Ferko and some others grabbed me. I think I’m at Veyron’s. They grabbed Rowe, too. Are you all right?

Fine. Rowe’s there? He’s with you? he demanded.

Yes, we’re both locked together in what looks to be the basement. We’re going to try to break out. Where are you?

Near the hotel. I’m going to grab a taxi and get to Veyron’s. Wait and let me get there first before you strike.

No, stay where you are. I’ll get Stefan to come get you. We’re going to need the help. I paused and took a deep breath. Sofia is a witch.