He was the exact opposite of Valdov in every way: young, blond, and built like a Mack truck. I had no idea vampires could have that many muscles. He must’ve been changed in his absolute prime as a bodybuilder. It was weird to see, because most vamps were lean with sinewy muscle.
His incisors snapped down as he took a step toward me.
“No need to touch me,” I told Conan the Vampire Barbarian, blocking Rourke with my back. If given a chance, my mate would go for his throat if this vamp mistreated me in any way, especially with a buildup of adrenaline bouncing around his system. “I will go with you willingly, as agreed. I won’t put up a fight. Just let me say goodbye to them.”
“You will not dictate what I can and can’t do,” he sneered as he reached a beefy arm toward me.
One second before Rourke took a step forward to snap him in half, I snarled, “If you touch me, I will kill you. How about that instead?” To accentuate my point, I lashed my power outward. This vamp was a baby, and even though he tried to keep up his macho façade, he shrank back against my power. “Like I said, I will follow you. Your Queen left you in charge because she knew I would not resist. I gave her my word and I will honor it. If you don’t fight me on this, nobody has to get hurt.”
I turned back to Rourke without waiting for Conan’s approval and wrapped my arms around his neck.
He leaned down and brushed his lips against mine, whispering, “I will find you.”
15
The underground maze Conan led me through was easily twice as big as the mansion above it. There were no windows and the walls were made of thick, porous limestone. Lit torches hung every ten feet, giving it an ominous feel, perfectly fit for a dank dungeon.
“The Queen couldn’t spring for electricity down here? This is a little on the Addams Family side if you ask me. If anyone were watching us now, we’d be in black and white and you’d look exactly like Lurch.”
“This place is off the grid and we keep it that way on purpose,” Conan grumped. “And keep your mouth shut, or I’ll shut it for you.”
“I’d like to see that,” I snickered under my breath. I could easily incapacitate him and make a break for it, but it would lead to immediate complications I didn’t need. This was probably a test anyway. Send me with a baby guard and see what I’d do. She probably had fifty guards waiting around the corner. If I pushed too hard from the beginning, she would be justified in torturing me next, which I’m sure she was hoping for.
We’d passed a few closed doors, but I hadn’t heard any heartbeats or movement behind them. I hadn’t scented anything familiar either. I was fairly certain Naomi and Ray weren’t down here, but that wasn’t an absolute. Things were likely spelled.
The real question was: How was I going to break my way out of limestone and dirt?
Once I sprang myself from the cell, I would find Naomi first. She would know her way around this place. Then we could free Ray and meet up with the boys, hopefully before the demons arrived. There was no question they were coming. I just hoped my father would turn up before then. I gave a little silent prayer to Maggie. I hope you’re right, little one.
The muscled vamp stopped in front of a huge iron door with a tiny barred window. He took his brawny arm and unlocked it with a key from his belt. He strained as he tugged it open, so I knew it was ridiculously heavy. Once it was open, he gestured for me to enter.
I walked into the cell.
And stopped. “You have got to be kidding me. I’m not staying in here with them.”
Two vamps occupied the cramped quarters.
I turned to sucker punch Conan in the throat, but he was already slamming the door shut. Much more quickly than he’d opened it. Creep. I knew the door was spelled, but I put my fist against it just to be sure. A strong current pulsed beneath my skin. The spell had a strange signature. I’d felt something similar to it on the walk down here. It didn’t feel like witch magic. Witch magic was organic; this felt concrete.
“Put the chains around your wrists,” Conan ordered through the tiny window. “The ones hanging on the far wall.” A single, thick finger came through the bars to point me in the right direction. I growled. I wanted to tear the digit off his hand.
“I’m not staying in here with … them, so go tell your Queen the deal is off,” I snarled, bringing my face close to the window as he hastily withdrew his finger.
“If you don’t do what I say, I will kill the male vamp who they say is yours,” Conan sneered. The guy had one look. “I hope you refuse, because I need to feed and he looks like he’d put up quite a nice fight.”
Ray could likely hold his own, but if Conan drank my blood, it would be disastrous.
I turned and glanced around the dirty cell.
The two emaciated vamps hissed at me from their respective corners. It seemed they hadn’t fed in … years.
I was fresh meat.
The only light in the cell came from one lone torch hanging precariously from the seeping stone wall. It appeared in jeopardy of going out. “I didn’t realize your Queen was so sadistic. This is hard-core imprisonment. How long have they been in here?”
“That’s no concern of yours. Now put on the chains. The cuffs are spelled so you won’t be able to get free.”
We’d see about that.
I walked over to the chains dangling from the far wall.
The good thing was they weren’t silver, so they wouldn’t burn my skin. The bad thing was they were several inches thick and likely made from reinforced wolfram, one of the strongest rare metals on earth and extremely hard for a supe to break out of, hence the name.
Anything with pure natural qualities was tough for us to defeat.
I picked up a single shackle and glanced behind me at the two vamps. Defeating them and freeing myself at the same time was going to take some skill. I tried not to be too regretful of my decision to acquiesce to the Queen’s wishes. We have to be on our best game here, I told my wolf. We break the chains as soon as possible and keep the vamps from drinking us at all costs. She growled her agreement. She was laser focused on the two bloodsuckers. They were so gaunt their faces appeared permanently skeletal.
“I said put on the chains,” Conan snarled from the kiddy window. “But then again, I am getting pretty thirsty.”
“I’m going, I’m going,” I said. “And you better stay away from Naomi and Ray if you know what’s good for you. If I find out you’ve hurt them, or partake in a single drop of their blood, I’m coming after you.”