Tainted Read online

  I took a deep breath. “Why are you here?”

  “To see you. Don’t worry. I’m not here to hurt anyone. I just want to talk. It’s time, isn’t it? For us to finally meet. I’m going to take the girl, you see. You… you are different. I see what they meant now. But she’s young, easily swayed. I’ve been watching her for a while, waiting to see if she was worth my time.”

  “You can’t have her,” I said. “I won’t let you take her.”

  “Take her?” He laughed. “She’ll come to me. You’ll see that soon enough. If you came with us, you could watch over her, protect her from the kinds of beings who like to follow me.”

  “What do you want with her, with us? What the hell is it that you want, vampire?”

  He smiled even more broadly, exposing wickedly sharp teeth. “I want balance. I want to repay my father’s family for the wrongs they did. I want to know what it is about two female babies that made archangels protect them from me. I’m very interested in both of you for that.” He shrugged. “A thirst for knowledge is my biggest fault, they tell me.”

  “Who tells you? Who are you working with?”

  He sniffed the air. “It’s true. You really did visit Hell. And you managed to get out of there without the right person realising you were just under his nose. I’m impressed, and I wonder how much farther you could have made it if you hadn’t stopped at the slave market.”

  “I’m going to kill you,” I said. “You’re not going to expect it. You’re going to think it isn’t possible, but I’m going to kill you and every one of those beasts you created with your blood.”

  “Ah, the formula.” He wore a pleasant expression, as if I hadn’t just threatened his life. “It’s a tad crude, but it’s a good way to gain power quickly. Don’t you think? Of course, I’m the only one who can actually control those ‘beasts,’ as you call them. Have you ever seen a beast under my control?” He shook his head. “Of course, you haven’t. You wouldn’t be standing there if you had.”

  “No, but I’ve seen werewolves destroy a beast in seconds,” I spat. “I’d like to see that one again.”

  “Werewolves.” His upper lip curled into a sneer. “Despicable creatures. Somebody should put them out of their misery. Perhaps it will be me. Unless you’re by my side to stop me, of course.”

  “By your side to do what? You’re talking and talking, but you still haven’t gotten to the point.”

  He flexed his fingers. “I have many reasons and ways to use you. My question is this: if you can open one gate to hell, can you open them all?” His smile reappeared. “And does that mean you can open one to Heaven, too?”

  “Heaven?”

  “What kind of damage could a being like you do to the angels hiding away? Especially with a certain dagger you’re rumoured to possess.”

  My head spun. Nobody had told me the dagger wasn’t just for vampires.

  “On the other hand,” he said, “would we even need to open a gateway? After all, if you can transport beings from one realm to the next, why couldn’t you do the same for Lucifer? In theory, you could free him from Hell and lead him straight into Heaven. Now that’s something I’d like to see. But our first step is to release him from his binds. He’s trapped in the innermost circle of Hell. I believe we could find a way to not only reach him, but release him, too.”

  “Yeah, that’s right on my to-do list. Along with kicking a puppy and stealing candy from a baby.” I snorted. “You have some balls to come here and expect me to release the fucking devil. That’s one magnificent ego you’ve got there.”

  He frowned, and his blue eyes sparked with red, a little like Jess’s. I took a step back, expecting him to attack.

  Somebody called my name.

  I looked back to see Val walking toward us. I felt a little flicker of something, then Seth was gone, and the sky seemed a lot darker. The rain beat down heavily, as if it had been holding back in the presence of one of Lucifer’s children. I suddenly felt a little sick. If Seth thought of me as a daughter, that meant he thought of Lucifer as my grandfather, and there was no way I was going there.

  “What was that?” Val asked. “It was faster than I would have believed possible. Leah woke me, but she couldn’t tell me much.”

  “That was Seth.” I peered into the darkness to see if I could spot him. “He came to tell me he wants me to free his devil-daddy from Hell’s jail. Nice of him, eh?”

  She made a growling sound. “He came here, walked right inside?”

  “Not inside. Just… there.” I pointed at where he had stood. “Right outside. He didn’t come to harm anyone. He just wanted to talk.” I groaned. “Shit, I have to call Phoenix.”

  “Why?”

  “Seth kind of threatened the werewolves. And he said he’s the only one who can control the beasts. We’ve seen them wild and crazy, but he can make them do what he wants. We really don’t need that to happen.”

  “We need to prepare ourselves,” she said. “Why does everyone want to let dark beings into this world?”

  I shrugged. “He’s been watching Jess, he said. So he really has been following them. I was starting to think that Adam was some sort of psycho.”

  “You and everyone else who has met the man,” Val said. “I’ll wake Lucia and see if she knows anything that will help us.”

  “Leave her. She gets scared to look when nothing happens.”

  “She has to get over it. Particularly for this.”

  “She’s not doing great, Val.”

  Her eyebrows knitted together. “I know that. All I can do is not let her lie down and give up. You don’t understand her.” She walked away, leaving me wondering if she knew Lucia much either.

  I went over and to Carl’s place. It took him a couple of minutes to answer my knock.

  “Wake up Adam,” I said as soon as he opened the door. “I’ll be back with Jess.”

  “What’s wrong?” he asked sleepily.

  “Got a visit from Seth!” I waved and ran back to my house.

  “Fuck.”

  I called Jess’s name as soon as I made it through my door. When she didn’t respond, I grabbed my phone and ran up to her room. She wasn’t there. My heart stopped for an instant until I heard a sound from the bathroom.

  “Christ, Jess!” I pressed my palm over my heart in a bid to stop it from popping right out of my chest. I walked over to the bathroom door and spoke through it. “Something happened. I’m going to ring Phoenix. Run over to Carl’s house, but do not, under any circumstances, leave the cul-de-sac.”

  She mumbled something that sounded like an acknowledgement, and I ran outside again, dialling Phoenix’s number. He answered as if he had been wide awake. I wasn’t sure if he ever slept.

  “Hey, it’s me. Ava, I mean. Seth was here and made a vague kind of threat about the werewolves. Can you check on them?”

  “I’ll be right over,” he said hurriedly.

  “No, go to Icarus. Let them know there’s a threat. Keep the sanctuary ready for them in case that’s an option. Seth claimed to be able to control the beasts, and I’m worried that… well, I’m just worried. I’ll explain everything later. Right now, I need to quiz Adam on everything he knows.”

  “Good luck,” Phoenix said. “Are my children safe?”

  “As far as I know. But if you want to persuade them to stay with you, then go for it.”

  By the time I made it back to Carl’s, pretty much the entire cul-de-sac had congregated in his kitchen and living room.

  “Okay, everyone relax,” I called out as I was bombarded with questions. “Seth showed up, but he just wanted to talk. He couldn’t come inside.”

  “What did he want?” Carl asked.

  I looked at Jessica and Adam and blew out a breath. “Me and Jess. Mostly Jess.” I shook my head. “I don’t know what happened. I was asleep, then I felt like I had to go outside, and there he was. But he looked more like an angel than a vampire, so I was confused and—”

  “What did
he say?” Adam asked.

  “He said Jess is going to go with him willingly and that he wants me to free Lucifer from Hell, maybe even direct a path for him to get into Heaven.”

  “You can do that?” Adam sounded horrified.

  “It’s not like I’ve ever tried,” I snapped.

  Carl laid his hand on my arm. “Easy.”

  I tried to calm down but couldn’t. “I’ve no idea whether it’s possible or if he was just fucking with me. But let me tell you this: when it comes to the big-ego ancients, he’s king of them all. He thinks he knows exactly what’s going to happen because it’s what he wants to happen. And you were right, Jess, I’m pretty sure he’s been watching you for a while now. He admitted the beasts are here because of him, and he reckons he’s the one they obey. So make of that what you will.”

  “Are we in danger?” Margie asked. Her hair was still in rollers.

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “If he was going to attack us, then surely he wouldn’t have given me fair warning, but I’m more concerned with the fact that I did what he wanted me to do. That’s what bothers me the most. That and the fact he’s threatened the werewolves.”

  “Is—” Lorcan started.

  “Yes,” I told him. “Your dad is checking on them. Adam, can Seth come out in the day? What are his weaknesses? And is it true my dagger can kill angels? Because that’s news to me.”

  “The dagger was created for holy war,” Adam said sullenly. “It kills who it has to kill, whatever your hand decrees. Whoever gave it to you took a mighty gamble.”

  “But the dagger doesn’t do much to a beast,” Carl said.

  “They weren’t created when this dagger was,” Adam said. “I don’t know about Seth’s weaknesses, if he even has any. Why do you think I’m so afraid of him? We hear he can do things that others can’t, but I’m sure he’s happy for unfounded rumours to make their way around the world. He’s never had to fight his own battles. He’s always had the protection of the vampires, and now even the beasts, if what he says is true. If he takes Jess, I’ll…” He shook his head. “Why can’t he leave her alone?”

  Peter shook his head. “Maybe it’s time to use the sanctuary again.”

  “I mentioned that to Phoenix,” I said. “We could hide the young werewolves there for a time.”

  “We need to hunt down Seth,” Val said fiercely. “I don’t like the way he works. He should have attacked us when he had the chance.”

  “He’d rather take us,” I said. “And I can’t hunt him. I have to wait for him to come to us, which he probably realises.” I groaned. Everything always backfired, even the bloody good stuff.

  “What are you on about?” Peter said. “We hunt him. We find him. We kill him. Then it’s over, and we can all go back to whatever we were doing before.”

  “I can’t!” I cried.

  “Why the hell not?” he shouted. “I’m sick of you keeping secrets from us. What the hell is so important that you can’t help us find the threat that’s creating these bloody beasts and dropping them on the unsuspecting public?”

  The way the others stared at me made it clear that they had all been wondering the same thing.

  “Listen,” I said. “I tell you what you need to know. Mrs. Yaga’s will was clear. This place is protected because it’s neutral. If I go wiping out entire species, then we’ll lose our protection. I can protect, but I can’t attack. Not anymore.”

  “That’s bullshit, Ava,” Peter said. “You choose what you do. And if you’re not hunting down this fucker, there’s something wrong. There’s something you’re not telling us.” He frowned. “Or is he controlling you now?”

  “Oh, get a grip,” I snapped. “You’re being ridiculous.”

  “But he’s right,” Lorcan said. “Why would you not want to go after him?”

  I glared at him. “I just explained that. I have to wait for him to make a move so this place stays safe. Discussion over.” I stood and stormed out of the house.

  Carl followed me. “Take a moment to cool down,” he said once we were on the porch. “I know you must be scared.”

  “Scared? Scared? I just faced the man who killed my parents. And I stood there… I stood there, looking at his stupid perfect face and being totally unable to do a thing about it without compromising the safety of everyone who lives in Mrs. Yaga’s houses.”

  “They’re your houses now,” he said. “Maybe we don’t need to be protected all of the time.”

  “Are you kidding me? We get rid of one threat, and then look what pops up—the first freaking vampire of all time. Except he isn’t rotting away, and he isn’t out of control, like I expected. He’s actually quite polite, and he can rouse me from my sleep and lure me outside to have a nice chat with him. What if he can do more?”

  “If he could, surely he would have,” Carl said in a gentle voice. “You won’t lose yourself.”

  “You lost yourself to me, and I didn’t even know what I was doing,” I said, shaking inside. “He’s had lifetimes of practice. More than that. He knows what he’s doing, and he acts like he doesn’t even have to force me. He acts like me and Jess will just give up everything and go with him willingly. Why would he believe that? What if he knows something we don’t?”

  “Ava, I know you,” Carl said firmly. “He doesn’t. I know what you’re capable of. You would never give up and go with him.”

  “Even if it meant…” I shook my head. “He’s not gone. He’s said his piece and given me lots to think about. That’s what he came for, to make me wonder, to make me think. What if…”

  “There’s always a ‘what if.’” He looked behind him. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  I didn’t have to turn around to know that Peter had joined us. Carl went inside, and Peter came over and stood next to me.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. I’m just worried.”

  “Emmett’s safe. There’s no need to think that—”

  “I’m worried about you, Ava.” He stepped in front of me and gripped my shoulders. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t want some vampire to come and take you away from us. I’m afraid you’ll sacrifice yourself to save everyone you know, but that would just fuck up everything else.”

  “I don’t see what else I can do. Jess is my first… I have to help her. She’s like me. I can’t just let her… oh, I don’t even know anymore.”

  “We’re all here with you,” he stated firmly. “We’ll figure out who Seth has working for him here. We’ll work out what move to make next. All of us.”

  He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. His lips brushed my cheek, and I pressed my face against his shoulder. He was willing for more, but I wasn’t ready to confuse already muddy waters. So I hugged him and breathed deeply, trying to calm the rattling in my brain that said I was way out of my league. Again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  My friends worried all night, and Adam grew more panicked by the hour. The only thing stopping him from leaving was the fear that Seth was waiting right outside. By morning, Phoenix had organised a meeting with the Senate. They wanted me to attend and discuss everything I had learned. Not that it was much. When it came down to it, Seth had just made a lot of vague hints and threats.

  When Shay stopped by to pick me up that evening, I considered taking Jess with me.

  “I mean, this involves her, too,” I told him. “She’s a big part of this.”

  “So why are you hesitating?” he asked.

  I threw on my jacket. “No offence, but I kind of don’t want the Senate to see her. Aside from the fact that I don’t want her to walk into Seth’s arms as soon as we leave, I don’t want the Senate to make her a target. You don’t understand, Shay. When the old Council first heard of me, they threw me in their cells and voted on whether they should terminate or imprison me. I was lucky they needed my help. I don’t want Jess to go through any of that.”

  “Do you really think t
hat I would let anyone do that to a teenage girl?”

  “You might not have a choice. Phoenix told me about the paragon.”

  His expression brightened. “The paragon hasn’t done anything to make us think he wants us to harm our own.”

  “Remember what we’re dealing with here. When it comes to power, there are no guarantees. I’m not sure if I trust your new government yet, Shay. I mean, I really like this idea you had of joining supernatural and humans together in those police partnerships or whatever, but don’t ever think that you’re safe. Look at how the last governments fell. It could easily happen again.”

  He smiled. “While I appreciate your concern, I’m not worried about what could happen when there’s a threat right on our doorstep. Seth is powerful, so what happens if he decides to use that power here?”

  “Life would suck,” I said. “But more importantly, the beasts could invade again, and I’m afraid for the werewolves this time. Seth wasn’t actively involved before, or the beasts would probably have been harder to get rid of. We can’t let it get that far again.”

  “Come on.” He walked to the door. “Let’s go. We’ve a long night ahead of us.”

  I followed him out to the car, looking all around in case an angel-like vampire was lurking in the shadows. But as Shay drove away from the cul-de-sac, I relaxed. “Any idea who’s going to show up tonight?”

  He shrugged. “Daimhín and the shifter alpha, for sure. Me, Phoenix, you.”

  I made a face. “Get on with it, Shay.”

  He laughed softly. “Okay, a succubus could show up. A siren. A representative for the, uh, little people.”

  “What the hell does that mean? And I’m ignoring the succubus.”

  “Apparently, those who have been exiled mostly stick together, and they thought it would be funny to call themselves the little people, particularly as one of them is half-giant.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “I can’t tell if you’re winding me up or not, Shay.”

  “I’m not. I swear. You’ll see what I mean soon enough. Anyway, not all of the representatives can turn up tonight. Some are in London at a conference. Elathan is… wherever the wind takes him. Not everyone can make it to meetings called on such short notice. You’ll meet them all eventually.”