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  “Where’s the human? The one who committed suicide.”

  The tall blond man glanced to the side before his lips parted. “The soldier?”

  “That’s right,” I said, walking closer. “Where’s his body?”

  Confusion masked his features before he glanced to the far left at the furnace. “Sir, we burn them. The human was here, but I only saw him once. I assume he’s already gone.”

  Gone. The word kept crawling under my skin, enraging me past the point of sanity.

  “How often are the bodies burned? Once a day? A week?”

  I could have easily pried into his memories … his knowledge. If I wasn’t feeling so weak, perhaps I would have. Even through death hung heavily in the air, I could smell the collector’s blood, teasing the vampire in me.

  “Usually every other day. Sometimes three can go by before the collector on duty gets around to disposing of the bodies.”

  I nodded, reaching up, tempted to pull at my hair. Nothing was going as I wanted. If I could have seen Hunter, maybe a part of me might have been able to move forward. Now all I felt was more frustrated than ever. And I’d never move past this. At least not anytime soon.

  “Thank you.” I turned to leave, catching something glistening from the opposite side of the room. My steps faltered and I switched my route, heading toward the small reflection on the floor. The closer I got, the sicker I felt. The pure aura warned me back, but I couldn’t stop. I knew what I was looking at. I knew who it belonged to.

  Sitting by the exit of the room lay Hunter’s rosary. Everything in me wanted to lower to pick it up, but I knew better. Normally, I could have touched it, but in my state, the relic would have burned right through my skin like acid. And probably at a faster rate. I turned, waving the collector over who was still staring at me.

  “What is this doing here?” Even as I asked, I took in the barrier that blocked off the tunnel. It had a door in the middle. Anyone could come through or leave from it. Not that I thought Hunter would have been doing much walking. Not in his condition. No human could withstand a gunshot wound to the head. Not even if Tessa’s blood would have still been within him. She hadn’t been that strong. It would have taken… My head shook. It wasn’t worth thinking about. Or perhaps my mind was grasping at straws for some form of closure or revenge. Hunter was dead. Even if by some off the wall chance he’d taken blood from someone more powerful … like Sayer … he wouldn’t have survived. He couldn’t have.

  “Never seen it before,” the collector said, picking it up.

  “I have. It was the human’s. Why would it be all the way over here?”

  The man shrugged. “Must have fallen out when we were transferring the body.”

  “We? You mean to tell me you were one of the men to take him from my room?” Fury was seeping back in. Seeping back, because I couldn’t remember. My attention had been on Tessa as I soaked in her last moments.

  “Yes, Master. I was one of the men.”

  Before I could stop myself, I was lunging toward him. A hiss left my mouth, muffling as my fangs sunk into his neck. Memories and more information of who he was all barreled into me. The bright colors of days flashed and I sped through his life before the underground at astronomical speed. I could feel myself soak in who he was like a sponge, feeding me strength that normally wouldn’t have done anything for me. Yet, in the moment, they were a shot of speed to my weak self. My adrenaline raced, making my pulse slam hard into my chest.

  I felt the moment the human received the internal call on that horrible day. It wasn’t from me, but Marie. The man instinctually grasped the connection and raced toward my room with every ounce of devotion he held for this dark, fucked up place. Footsteps pounded behind him—another collector. The moment he came through my door, I could see the scene through his eyes.

  Resting on the floor not feet away, I held Tessa while Margo and Marie looked on. The collector’s heart grew tight in grief. The emotion was so real in the moment that I almost pulled back and sobbed. It was Marie’s words that kept me hanging on.

  “But he lives.”

  Margo looked down at Hunter with disgust, then back to me and Tessa. Ultimately, she returned her gaze to Marie. “His heart may still beat, but not for long. He will not survive. Let him die outside of this room, alone. He should never have been among us to begin with.”

  The collector I was living through stepped forward at Margo’s gesture. The attraction I felt for her was immediate. Her dark skin and even darker eyes called to me, promising of nightmares I’d bask in. I knew what I was feeling wasn’t me, but the collector’s. The headdress she wore draped gold braided stands over her forehead and he kept looking, curious about her status. I pushed through his thoughts faster, jolting to awareness as he and the other man came up and began to lift Hunter. A gasp escaped the soldier, tugging at my temper as I continued to watch a steady repeat of breaths.

  “He smells of Sayer,” Marie whispered. “He is here, isn’t he? I haven’t seen him.”

  “He was,” Margo said just as lowly. “I feel he’s dead now. His blood … it …. rest on the human. Such a waste. This whole situation. Aetas will not be happy.” She grew quiet, waving us collectors to hurry. I felt the impatience through the man as he struggled with the mass of Hunter’s weight.

  The door opened as Reggie came in with cleaning materials. Although I knew of him, I wasn’t aware of his name until the collector thought of it. The tall, thin Native American held the large wooden door as we rushed away. Warmth was beginning to run onto my forearm. I didn’t feel my stomach turn at the fact that it was blood. Quite the opposite.

  “This bastard weighs a ton.” The bald man on the other side of Hunter groaned as he shifted. I could feel myself nod, but otherwise I stayed quiet. My mind was on the dark skinned woman whose blood made me want to bow and serve. I’d become immune to the fearful sensations the vampires put off. Now all I focused on was my addiction.

  Heads in the heart of the city turned toward us as we shifted through at a relatively fast pace. Whispering ensued, a hum of shocked tones, but the large crowd stayed back. Darkness once again engulfed us and my arm flexed against Hunter’s back. What sounded like a groan echoed around us.

  “Te-ssa?”

  A growl roared through the vision, escaping through my thoughts and into the collector’s. How could he speak? How could he dare to call her name after what he did? None of it made sense except that I was seeing the last moments of a dying man. One who was suffering through his end in great pain, or so I hoped.

  “He’s still alive?” The bald man faltered in his steps, but managed to make it inside the waste room. The door shut behind us and we lowered him to the ground next to the other pile of dead bodies.

  “I’m out of here,” I said, stepping back, wiping the blood on my shirt. “My shift’s over. See you tomorrow.” The concern over the human was outweighed by my hope that I could catch a glimpse of the Axis woman again. All I could think about was how rich her blood must have been.

  “Wait… What am I supposed to do about him?”

  I glanced down at the soldier whose reputation had made its rounds in our city. My head shook in disappointment. There was such talk about whether or not he’d last in our world. The majority hadn’t thought so. Guess they’d been right.

  “You heard the Axis woman. Let him die. Nothing you can do anyway, guy blew his fucking brains out. He doesn’t want to be alive no more, anyway.”

  “Shouldn’t we, I don’t know, put him out of his misery?”

  My loyalty pushed through, filling my chest with love for the kind who took me in. Who gave me what I needed. “Nah … let him suffer. Bastard deserves it. He hurt our Master.”

  I pulled back, breaking from the collector’s memories and neck, gasping for air. The man crumbled in my arms. I’d taken too much blood.

  “Thank you,” I said, breathing heavily. “Your loyalty has earned you a reward.” A smile tugged at the man’s lips, even
though he could barely open his eyes. “I will send Demetrius. He will take care of you.”

  Although the old me would have dropped the man to the ground without regard for his safety, I wasn’t him anymore. I was Austin’s Ruler. That changed things. Changed me.

  I lowered the collector to the ground, taking care to lay him down without letting his head drop to the cement. As I headed back to leave, I gave one last look to where they cremated the bodies. Hunter was dead. And he’d gone out as painfully as he could. That was enough for me.

  Chapter 3

  “What do we have?”

  As I looked around the table at the other eight members before me, I could see their nervousness. Although another week had gone by, I hadn’t gotten much better in the stability department. I wasn’t sick anymore. I did more than my fair share of killing and feeding, but there was a wildness that had imbedded itself inside me. A recklessness that was beginning to spiral out of control. I’d always been one to love a fight. Now, the battle was within myself. It left my power projecting itself like a poisonous curtain, blanketing everyone within a twenty foot radius.

  “Marie has sent a message.” Bufar’s hand was slightly shaking as he held out the fancy sealed envelope. I took it, clenching my jaw as I let my claw extend and rip through the expensive material.

  Dear Master Marko Delacroix,

  I am sad to inform you that I won’t be returning to Austin for quite some time. Although I have held court with Master Aetas, there are still things he wishes to know. I’m not sure when I will be allowed to leave.

  My deepest condolences.

  Mistress Marie Bardot

  P.S. My heart is broken for you. Please take strength in knowing Tessa loved you until the end.

  I crumbled the paper, clenching it in my fist as pain squeezed my chest, making its way through every inch of my body. Bufar and Anastasia, the closest members to me, shifted uneasily. The need to scream or break down was there, but I couldn’t let them see me like that. Somehow I managed to get myself under control.

  “What else?” Irritation was in my tone. Anastasia took a deep breath before she placed her interlaced hands on the table.

  “The riots are spreading throughout the states. The humans are starting to rebel worse than ever. There’s talk of martial law going into effect.”

  “Martial law?” My eyebrow rose in surprise. “Is this decision from our people within?”

  She nodded.

  “Do they not know the action will start an uprising worse than the fights or attacks going on already?”

  “I assume they’ve taken it into account.”

  My breath came out in a large exhale. Did they not see the power behind these mere humans? They were willing to fight for what they believed in. Their government might have thought they had a handle on things, but I’d seen what passion for a cause could do to a person. It would be a war within an already building one. Earth would be a mess. Why not allow us to continue to let things play out? Some of us would die, but more of them would. Surely they could see that?

  “I will write and inquire more information on their plan.” A few nods followed and I sat up straighter in my chair. “I want to talk about something else I recently discovered. Something that I’m not happy with.”

  Hard stares were cast my way, but I could see their underlying fear.

  “Someone is bringing humans underground and killing them here. I came across four bodies. From what I learned, the bodies are burned every two to three days. That means those humans were brought down here on a regular feeding basis. Does someone want to tell me anything? I know it wasn’t a commoner. They wouldn’t dare disobey the rules. It had to have been someone with power. Someone who has forgotten their place. One of you.”

  Stares were cast around at each other.

  “You know I’m going to find out. If I have to go to each of you to do so, it’s only going to make the consequences worse. Out with it.”

  Silence stretched while I waited. Still they looked around. I could feel their walls come up. No one wanted me to see their secrets.

  “Well?” Beatrice snapped. “Who was it?”

  Still no one answered. My lids began to lower with each minute that passed by. The disrespect and lack of honesty was something I couldn’t have.

  “Let’s start at the end. Zachariah, come forward.” I didn’t bother standing. I felt no threat from any of the members here. They were powerful, but they didn’t hold a candle to what I was capable of.

  The blond vampire stood. Long hair was tied back, barely reaching past his shoulders. Light green eyes stayed on mine as he approached. The moment he got next to my chair, he kneeled, keeping the contact. Visions gave way as I pushed into his mind. The vampire jumped, clutching to the table as I rushed through his memories—hard. Aside from some rapes here and there, nothing.

  “John.”

  The dark skinned man shook his head, stiffly. My eyes widened in surprise. I felt myself slowly rise. I was ready for a fight. Ready to tear someone to pieces and his response was triggering my need. “Are you disobeying a direct order from your leader?”

  “John,” Demetrius hissed. “Go to him.”

  Again the man refused.

  “Aright.” My voice was calm as I eased the chair back enough to make it around the table. The man rose and tried to sidestep away, but I held him locked with my gaze. I was already pushing through, already seeing the beginning of his life unfold before me. By the time I made it to him, he was vampire. The time fast-forwarded even faster, until it was but a blur before me. Regardless, I knew everything I was barely seeing. The information was pouring into my mind, registering with extreme clarity.

  “Master, you scared me. I didn’t see you there.”

  One of the collectors skirted away, ducking around the far side of equipment as John tossed a human body to the pile. It wasn’t one of the ones I’d seen before. Internally, I shook my head. When John began to turn away, my stomach dropped at his vision settling on Hunter. Amongst the pile, Hunter rested on the far side. He was in a different location from where I’d seen him before. Further away, at the very back.

  Closer, John moved, cocking his head as the essence of Sayer wafted through. It turned my stomach the moment it had become clear to the vampire I held hypnotized.

  “Holy … shit.” He said, pausing in his advance.

  Hunter groaned and his head turned the opposite way. Something told me it was the following day after the attack …. and Hunter wasn’t dead. No, he looked … better. Healing.

  John turned, taking big steps back toward the furnace area where the collector had went to hide.

  “You! Come out.”

  There was dread in the way the man shuffled forward.

  “The human in the back, the one who killed the princess, were you aware he was still alive?”

  “No, Master, I just got here.”

  John glanced back at Hunter, only to return to the collector. “Well, he is. Take care of him first thing. I don’t want this getting out.” With one last look, the vampire headed for the door.

  I broke away, shaking him with everything I had as he came back from the fugue.

  “You kept information from me?” I roared. “You knew he lived and you didn’t kill him? You left it up to a collector?” So many questions were pouring from me as heat blistered my insides. I had to find this man who was given the order. I had to see Hunter thrown into the flames myself. Sayer’s blood within him was obviously enough to prevent him from dying completely. With time…

  Hands gripped tightly to my clutched grip and I nearly latched onto his throat. The need to choke him until his windpipe gave way under my hands was almost unstoppable. My mind screamed the word, no.

  “You better hope the human was killed, or so help me.” I drew John closer. “Lockdown will pale in comparison to the hell I’ll put you through.”

  I let go, spinning for the door. “Meeting is over. Bufar, Anastasia, please escort Mas
ter John to his cell.”

  I didn’t turn to look behind me. I rushed through the door and kept my composure all the way to the waste room. Talking ceased as I broke through and four men straightened at my arrival. I scanned over their faces, pointing to the one I saw John talking to you.

  “You. Come here.”

  Hesitancy had his steps starting out slow, but he picked them up, not meeting my gaze. When he finally came to rest before me I snapped my fingers. His stare cut up and I didn’t say anything as I pushed into his memories, wading through them as though they were nothing. Time passed and I slowed as he watched John begin to leave the room. The roll of his eyes as the door shut had my stomach turning. The man shook his head and headed further into the back. Resting next to some pipes lay a bottle of liquor. He took the bottle, unscrewing the lid, and gulped down the fiery alcohol. It burned my insides and I quickly realized he wasn’t going to obey John. I sped up time, going through hours of him sitting there, drinking his sobriety away. Finally, he stood, walking back to the front. Voices rang out with laughter following. He walked toward it, coming to an abrupt stop as he went to glance toward Hunter and realized he was gone. Panic flared and he rushed to the bodies, pulling them to the sides as he searched.

  “Where’s the soldier?” he asked, throwing the other two collectors a glance.

  “The soldier?”

  “Yes,” he exploded. “The soldier. Did you put him in the furnace?”

  The two gave each other confused glances and shook their heads. “You’re the one on duty, why would we do that?”

  “Oh, God.” He raced for the exit, his adrenaline crashing as the door came open in his hand. It was unlocked. Something I knew from his thoughts wasn’t normal. Wasn’t allowed.

  The barrier came flying open and he grabbed a flashlight from the shelf along the wall, sprinting through the darkness. The tunnel didn’t go far. The ending appeared and he looked up, coming face to face with the removed grate.

  I broke from his thoughts, roaring as I brought my claws down over the side of his face. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. Blood …. murder, it ruled me. Skin shredded beneath my blows and I grabbed to his neck, holding to his hair with my other had as I tore his head from his shoulders.