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THERE WAS A MEDICAL lab somewhere on the premises, as well as a science wing, classrooms, a gym, and guest housing in the subterranean complex. It was a maze of corridors and sterile cleanliness. We were all too tired and dirty to worry about exploring any further.
As we followed Caesar to our rooms, I listened to Corinth grill him. “So, Caesar, do you know who that tall guy is? Dave?” Corinth asked. “Or where I can find him?”
Caesar was wearing a frown, his forehead creased in apology. “Again, we must respect our guest’s privacy. I am merely here to attend to your needs.”
Corinth rubbed a hand over his mouth. “Well, Caesar, I need to know who this guy is… so technically, if you don’t answer, you’re in direct violation of your orders.”
Caesar clasped his hands together, clearly alarmed by this contradiction. After a minute longer, he finally nodded, inching closer to us. “Your logic is sound.” He searched the empty corridor before he said, “I can see you have a way with words, Mr. Taylor. All I can tell you is that he is part of a group called the Watchers.”
The Watchers? I was pretty sure I had never heard of them before. Maybe we’d get some answers about what this guy wanted from Corinth. He’d been oddly quiet since we’d entered this place, but now his interest seemed peaked by this new bit of information. I shot Alastair a look, wondering if he had heard of them before, but he seemed just as puzzled as we did.
Corinth said, “Are the Watchers a vampire clan?”
Caesar held up a finger. “That’s all I know, sir,” he said. “And all I will share. If you would like to know more, I suggest you speak with Dave personally.”
We wound our way down another long corridor, according to Caesar, the last one.
A custodian almost blended perfectly into the background, wearing all white, so when she bustled around the corner, Corinth ran right smack into her. She stumbled back in apparent surprise and fright, dropping the mop she’d been clutching. The handle fell forward, and Corinth grabbed it at the last second before it could hit the ground.
The startled woman’s dark, close-set eyes honed in on Corinth. As soon as she saw the blade at his thigh, she turned on her heels and ran in the opposite direction in a blur of motion—vampire. In her hasty exit, she left her mop still in Corinth’s outstretched hand.
These people had to have been terrified after his performance. I didn’t know if it was a good thing or a bad thing, everyone being afraid of him.
“I can’t even manage to scare this many people on Halloween in full costume,” Corinth muttered.
Caesar’s apologetic grimace was back. “People fear what they do not understand.” He cleared his throat and turned away, pulling out a keycard form his pocket. He seemed more subdued as he stopped in front of a seemingly smooth, blank wall space.
I glanced around, looking for a door or a sign indicating room numbers, and that’s when I noticed the small plaque on the wall that read “C2.”
He swiped the keycard through a gap in the wall where the plaque was located. It melded seamlessly within the design. If you weren’t looking for it, you might miss it. I could barely tell there was even a door there.
A glowing green light lit up the outside of the door, outlining the almost-hidden entrance. It flashed once and slid open onto a darkened room. Once we filed inside, soft lights flickered on by motion sensor. Caesar pointed out the adjoining rooms on either side of the one we’d just entered. They were all connected, which meant we could get to each other in a hurry if need be.
A white down comforter was tucked into a floating bed frame, lit by pale green light, having also been triggered by motion sensors. The floor was polished white tile, and a gray fluffy rug covered half the room, giving it a modern but homey feel. There was a reading lounge in the corner and an end table beside the bed.
I turned to Corinth. “Take this room—it’s in the middle.”
Corinth snorted. “Just where I like to be… right in between you two.” But he gave me a quick nod, surprisingly not arguing any further as he tossed himself onto the bed, kicking his feet up. He looked downright exhausted, having already closed his eyes.
Caesar reached down to hand the keycard to Corinth, who sensed movement. He cracked an eye open, and stretching out a hand, accepted it with a grateful nod. “Thank you, Caesar.”
Caesar showed us his card. “It has your room number on it.” Pulling aside a thin tab on the back of the card, he revealed a small circular thumb-print pattern. Caesar pressed his thumb against the symbol, and the card flashed red. “Once you program it to your fingerprint, you no longer need the key to open your door. You need only to press your thumb against any part of the doorway, plaque, or wall, and it will open. It is a security measure for your safety so you don’t have to carry a card with you. If you would all please do this now, I will be on my way and let you rest.”
“That’s handy,” Corinth said, clearly impressed as he sat up again.
We all did as he asked, each of our cards pulsating red with acknowledgment of our new homes for the foreseeable future.
Caesar smiled once he knew we were all set, and then gave us a formal bow. “Should you have any questions—” he swept an arm over to the nightstand next to Corinth’s head “—you can push that button. The round knob is an intercom. Whatever you need, we will supply with just a push of that button. We can clean rooms upon request, for privacy concerns and security.”
“Thank you for everything, Caesar.” Alastair ushered him out with a final wave and shut the door behind him, blowing out a deep breath. Blue eyes shined bright in the low-lit room. When he turned back, a look of relief washed over his features. “Well we made it this far.” He swiped a hand across his brow. “Looks like you’ve made a friend, Corinth.”
“I think I’ll be in short supply of those around here.” Corinth mashed his lips together and then added, “First order of business, though, find that guy Dave and learn about these so-called Watchers. He has answers. I know it. What if he can teach me how to control my powers? Or give me information about the blade?”
I ran a hand over my neck, only to realize it was the same spot Gabriel had chosen to drain me dry, and also, unnervingly, the spot where Corinth had cut me with his blade. I dropped my hand, swallowing past the newly formed lump in my throat. Alastair watched me with a frown on his face.
Corinth swung his long legs back over the side of the bed. “Al, did you know Gabe was going to be here?”
“No,” he snapped angrily. I think he was more annoyed at himself than anyone else. He blew out a long sigh, adding, “I didn’t give away any information. If something was leaked, it had to have been on Sozo’s end—from someone here on the inside.”
“Who knew we were coming?” I asked slowly.
Alastair bit his bottom lip. “Only the higher-ups in this clan, but I don’t even know everyone—they’re a very secretive bunch—as you can imagine.”
“What if no one leaked the information?” I said quietly. Both Corinth and Alastair’s heads whipped around to me. “It doesn’t take a genius to figure out we needed support. What if Gabriel had already anticipated us coming here?”
“It’s possible,” Alastair murmured in thought.
I said, “Corinth, I know you want to find Dave, but we need to find Gabriel first. I’ve got until tomorrow—I bought us twenty-four hours before I meet with him. If we start digging now, we’ll be able to turn the tide—”
Corinth twisted around to face me, looking offended. “What is it with you two? Are you trying to get us killed? Have you both lost it?” he said, frustrated. “First Larna agrees to meet a madman alone, and then Al decides to volunteer me to kill Gabe. ’Cause… you know… I’m a killing machine.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I’m trying to control this and not make it worse.”
Alastair’s frown deepened and he gave a grunt of indignation. “I would have thought differently considering the light show you put on earlier, going after Stanton the way you did.” He rubbed a hand absently across his chest as if remembering the pain it had caused.
“I don’t want him prancing around, plotting evil—don’t get me wrong—but these people are terrified of me as it is,” Corinth said. “And, yes, I lost it when I saw that smug, smiling jerk again. But right now, while I have my wits about me, I’m not going to perpetuate that fear. Have you thought maybe he wants us to go after him?”
“You started it,” Alastair said irritably. “Look, this might be our only chance at taking him out. You’ve seen what he’s capable of—what if he’s got something in the works that’s end-of-the-world bad? Wouldn’t you want to take him out if you had the chance?”
Corinth shot to his feet, hands on his hips as he started pacing. “Not like this—not until I have something more concrete to go on. I literally have no control over anything anymore. That’s what I keep trying to tell you guys.”
Alastair’s eyes flashed. “You didn’t see the way Gabriel was looking at Larna? You’re telling me you wouldn’t take him out to protect her?”
As if he’d said the one thing Corinth was worried about most, he sank back down to the bed with a hand over his eyes.
I spoke up, interrupting their argument. “When y’all are done arguing about who gets to kill Gabriel, keep in mind I’m the one who is meeting with him in private. You’re going to have to trust me—let me shoulder some of the weight.” I gestured to Corinth. “Why does he get to be the only one who takes him out? I have the perfect opportunity tomorrow.” With a flick of my wrists, the thin blades inside the vambraces shot out, as quick and deadly as when my father had used them.
Alastair said, “I’m playing a game, one that Larna’s father”—he glanced at me—“and I started a long time ago. Those people were gathered in that hall for a reason. They were witnesses. You want people to fear you, especially since we can’t trust anyone here. You can bet Gabriel has his moles planted here too.”
“Calm down, Jon Snow,” Corinth muttered.
I moved to one of the connecting doors and it slid open. “Corinth, don’t wander off without me. Alastair—we need to talk, now.”
Corinth gave me a sarcastic salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
***
My room was exactly the same as Corinth’s: crisp white linens were tucked into the corners of a queen-sized bed sitting atop a sleek silver accented bed frame. It looked like it was floating. I knew it wasn’t, but the effect was still impressive nonetheless. It was elegant, modern, and clean.
“You need to start filling me in on your plans,” I snarled, turning around to face him.
Alastair paced the small room like a caged tiger. “I had no idea Gabriel was going to be here.” His eyes burned bright as a branding iron, almost blinding me, but when he glanced down and then back up at me, his eyes had softened considerably. “I’m trying to stay ahead of Gabriel. As much as I hate to admit it—I think his being here might be to our advantage.”
That was what had been bothering me the most, and now that he’d cleared it up, the tension started to finally drain out of me. “I was thinking the same thing—it levels the playing field.”
He was nodding, and my face flushed at how intensely he was looking at me, like he was more than impressed.
I dropped down onto the soft comforter, my head in between my hands until he joined me, his shoulder brushing against mine. My eyes snapped up to meet his. They were unblinkingly fixed on me—but unlike Gabriel’s unwanted attention, this was totally wanted. He had this look filled with worry, frustration, and confusion—all conflicting emotions warring for his attention at the same time.
He ran a finger lightly over mine; my skin tingled and my heart swelled at the meaning behind his touch. It was intimate.
“No more surprises, okay?” I said, my voice suddenly hoarse.
He pulled his pocket watch out and laid a hand on top of it. “I promise, no more surprises, at least from my end. But you can’t see Gabriel alone,” he pleaded. “Promise me, Larna?”
My eyes flitted down to the watch—a symbol of how strongly he felt about me not going to see Gabriel. There was a sudden twist of nerves rising up in my stomach at the seriousness with which he’d addressed me. Even with those incredibly Robin’s egg blue eyes staring at me like that, I still found I couldn’t make him that promise. I had made up my mind. It was my turn to do the protecting. Sometimes you had to make a tough choice for your team. Alastair was trying to do the same. I just needed to get him on the same page in order to believe in me.
I cupped a hand over his pocket watch that still rested in his palm. “I need you to trust me—just like I trusted you when you left… I—I can’t make that promise.”
“You can’t go see Gabriel alone,” he insisted, and this time, there was a frosty firmness in his voice. “I trust you, but I don’t trust him—he compelled me, and I’m older and stronger than you are. You can’t underestimate him, Larna. Not ever.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “I know that—don’t you think I know that?” I couldn’t hide the hurt in my voice. “My dad paid the price, but I won’t lie to you, Alastair; if I get the chance to wipe Gabriel off this planet, I’m going to take it.”
Alastair pressed his lips together in a thin line, clearly unsatisfied with my answer. “I guess I better keep a close watch on you, then.” He dropped his gaze to the timepiece in his palm. When he looked back up, his eyes were roiling like the gray-blue ocean before a storm. He was so beautiful. I could see how truly concerned he was for me. No one had ever looked at me like that—not even Corinth. As if he’d wade through forty thousand miles of molten lava to make sure I was okay. I loved him. For the first time, I realized this was true love. It was a fierce desire to protect and comfort your partner.
My stomach flipped as I played that word over and over again in my head: love. I liked the feelings that word evoked.
Suddenly there was nothing in this world that I wanted more than to confess my love for him—let it roll off my tongue, experiment with the feel of it on my lips—but before I could spill my guts, he was pulling me to my feet and wrapping his arms around my waist. His warm breath hit the side of my face and neck. He smelled earthy: of salt, smoke, and trees and dirt. After a second, he pulled back, as if something else weighed on his mind.
I wrinkled my forehead, curious and concerned. “What is it?”
His cheeks flushed with a soft pink tinge that made me want to kiss them in turn. I’d never seen him look so full of hope and longing and happiness before.
He leaned in toward me, his face inches from mine, and barely above a whisper, said, “There’s something I want—”
But he cut himself off abruptly, tilting his head to the side—and then he was jumping up and moving to the connecting door to Corinth’s room in order to crack it open. Something was wrong. I felt it as soon as he did. We flew into Corinth’s room and then into the bathroom, where the shower was still running with no one inside.
Alastair shut the water off, shaking his head as if his luck had just run out and this was exactly what he’d expected to happen. “Corinth’s gone.”