Emily McKay: The Lair

Now, looking back on my life, it was obvious what I was. Not just what I was, but what my father before me had been. What we both were. Abducturae . Liars. Controllers. Manipulators.

I’d been willfully ignoring my true nature for years.

Because, hell, who would want this god-awful skill? This curse that allowed you to twist the will of others? I don’t know if my father had wanted it, but he’d certainly used it to his own advantage. Jonathan had obviously wanted it. As for me, why would I want this? Why would I want to be in the company of these two losers?

Except I looked around behind and saw that Jonathan was gone. At some point in the last few minutes, he’d skittered away like the cockroach he was. The bastard.

So it was just me and Roberto. And Sebastian, if he was out there. I felt a burning wave of hatred wash over that icy disbelief. Sebastian had known what I was all along. He’d found me and nurtured my powers and used me, all without revealing what I was.

All my life, I had hated the kind of man my father was. The kind of man who used other people, who manipulated them to get what he wanted. I had despised him for as long as I could remember. And here I was, just like him.

Because in the end, I would use this supposed power of mine to get what I wanted. I would free Mel, I would get the cure for Lily, and I would get us the hell out of here.

Sebastian had always said that it took training for an abductura to be able to channel his powers and use them. It took focus and determination. I didn’t have training. All I could draw on was the memory of the few times I knew for sure that I’d used my powers.

I remembered the fear for Mel. The sheer determination not to let her die. The need to prove myself to Lily.

I drew on all of that now and said to Roberto, “Forget Sebastian. Forget all of this crap. Let Mel go, give us the cure for Lily, and we’ll just walk away. You’ll never hear from us again. Or, hell, we’ll stay and help you fight, for that matter. If you’re pissed off that Sebastian has risked your compound, we’ll stay and fight off the Ticks. I’ll lead your men against them myself. But first you have to get the cure for Lily and let Mel go.”

Roberto tipped his head to the side. “The cure?”

“Yes, the cure for the Tick virus. I know you have it.”

Roberto gave another one of his slow, creepy smiles before dissolving into laughter. Not the crazed, maniacal laugh, but a cynical chuckle. “No, I don’t. I’m not behind Genexome Corporation. I’ve never had anything to do with it.”

“No—” I protested automatically.

“For hundreds of years, I’ve invested in energy, cattle, and kine,” Roberto said. “Biotechnology has never interested me. I’m not the vampire with the vendetta against all our kind. I’m not the one who wants to destroy all of the vampires and wipe the slate clean. Think about it. I don’t own Genexome Corporation. Sebastian does.”

Shock slammed into me and I staggered back a step.

But Roberto’s verbal assault kept on coming.

“When you think about it, you’ll see I’m right. I’m not the villain here. He is.” Then Roberto chuckled. “Well, I am a villain, just not the one you’re after. And that does sting, doesn’t it? Knowing that he’s had the cure all this time. All this time, he could have saved humanity and he waited. He has the cure that will save your girlfriend, but instead of giving it to you, he sent you here to distract me.”

“Why?” I gasped out, not meaning to, but shock had robbed me of caution.

Roberto whirled around and gazed at a point in the shadows between the buildings. “Isn’t that right, Sebastian?”

A Tick howled, and the sound seemed to reverberate in the air. The Ticks were nearer now. But before I could pinpoint a location, Sebastian stepped out of the shadows. He had his dagger in one hand and a longer, curved sword in the other.

“Sorry it took me so long.” He winked at Mel. “Hiking in from the drop site and avoiding all those Ticks was a pain in the ass. Nasty business.”

“Did you really think that would work? Sending in your little baby vampire as a decoy? Did you really think that I would be so distracted by her stench that I wouldn’t notice you trying to sneak up on me?” Roberto flipped the stake and caught it neatly in his palm so he could use the sharper end in a stabbing motion. “Did you honestly think that would work?”

“No. I never believed that at all.” Sebastian stopped a few feet away from Roberto, a mad grin stretching his mouth taut. “She was never a decoy. All these distractions, they were never for you. They were to get your people out of the way. All your guards and acolytes. I wanted them distracted. I wanted them gone. I don’t need to sneak up on you to kill you. I just need to face you one on one.”

Roberto nodded toward the weapons Sebastian clutched in his hands. “If you’re so eager to face me on equal terms, then why do you have two swords and I have none?”

“Which do you want? I’ll gladly hand one over.”

“The katana, of course.”

A second later, Sebastian tossed the longer of the two swords through the air. It turned end over end before plunging into the ground at Roberto’s feet, swaying there for a second. Then, Roberto thrust Mel away from him and grabbed the sword. An instant later, Sebastian lunged for Roberto. The fight that followed was a flurry of movements too fast to even see. The clang of their swords was one constant clatter of metal on metal so loud I couldn’t even hear the baying of the Ticks over it.

So this was what it had come to. Everything that had happened in the past year of my life had been about this one battle to the death between Sebastian and Roberto. This was never about me at all. This trip here wasn’t about getting Lily the cure. It was just about revenge for Sebastian. I always knew that morality was a wavy and mysterious line for him. I always knew he couldn’t be wholly trusted. Still, I didn’t see this coming. I could never have imagined that he would betray us like this.

I could imagine him failing us. Out of laziness or lack of compassion or even simple hunger. But I hadn’t imagined he had it in him to plan and execute a betrayal this elaborate. This well thought out.

I could accept Jonathon’s role in this mess because he seemed to genuinely believe the world needed a fresh start, one guided by his twisted vision for humanity. And I could accept Roberto’s role in this, because he was yet another crazed megalomaniac. No wonder the two of them got along so well. But I couldn’t understand Sebastian’s motivations. I couldn’t imagine any thirst for revenge that would justify the murder of millions.

I watched the furious fight for a moment, but knew I couldn’t stay to see the ending. That was okay. No matter how this ended, I was going to hunt down Sebastian someday. If Roberto didn’t kill him, then I would.

I lunged forward and grabbed Mel, pulling her away from the fight. I found my pocketknife in my boot and sawed through the zip ties. She gave her hands a shake, cringing. Roberto had put the zip tie on tight enough that her hands were bitterly cold and already turning blue.

I grabbed her by the arm. I had to shout to be heard over the clang of the swords. “We’ve got to go!” I yelled. “The Ticks will be here any minute. We’ve got to get Lily and get out of here.”

But she shook her head. “You get Lily and find some wheels. I’m not leaving Sebastian.”

“Are you kidding me?” I glanced back at the fight. She was crazy if she thought she could break into that and end up anything other than dead. Besides, I couldn’t believe she wasn’t as pissed off as I was. “That’s his shit to handle.”