Across the Stars and Ashes (Guardians of the Night Book 3) Read online

  “What are you doing here?” The voice that Zarah had now figured out to be Lucas asked Zeke. Perkins didn’t speak enough. And he certainly wouldn’t have been ordering around the Warriors.

  “I was told to bring her, Sir.”

  “Well, you’ve brought her. Dismissed.”

  Zarah felt Zeke’s tension, his caution to stay. He hesitated. His hand wavered on her arm. Slowly, he helped her sit on a nearby chair before she heard him make his quiet exit. Lucas said nothing about it, but she was afraid to look directly at the Fallen anyway.

  “Would you like to know why I hate vampires so much, dear?”

  “Because one sucked on your mother’s neck and she enjoyed it?”

  Zarah should’ve known better than to make the remark, but it slipped out anyway. Lucas’ hand connected with her cheek with a loud crack and her back arched against the chair in pain. She bit down on her lip to refrain from crying out before turning back to face him—his face hard with fury.

  “A smart mouth gets you nowhere, Zarah.” His words laced with danger. She stared at him through her hair and was still shocked at the resemblance he bore between the two brothers, Draven and Seth. He had a slightly older appearance, more distinguished, with longer hair pulled back into a ponytail and a shade mixed between a dark auburn—close to the same shade as hers—as if it had been a mix between Seth’s strawberry blonde and Draven’s dark chestnut brown. His eyes were a dark honey-gold with hints of navy and cold as they stared down at her from his towering height.

  “It’s not like I can go anywhere.” She shifted, turning her gaze away from him to see President Perkins sitting at the desk across the room. He was watching silently, curiosity in his expression. Worry seemed to pass over his features briefly as their gazes met, but it passed before she blinked again. He was a stout man, short and elderly, and easily pushed over. She wondered what it took for Lucas to win him over.

  “Vampires are leeches. Parasites. My kind once hunted you down, you know. Every one of you. Until some ridiculous peace treaty prevented any more of that. Then it was made worse when your kind started trying to breed with ours to create abominations like you.”

  “We don’t have to breed now to create.” Zarah smiled.

  She watched Lucas approach her and flinched.

  “I know this now,” he replied slowly through narrow eyes. “Only because of you and your little army you’ve built. Draven being one of them, too.”

  A long silence passed between them as they stared at each other. He turned away and started toward the desk where Perkins sat.

  “I should’ve killed your mother while I had the chance the first time. Oh well. I got her the second time.”

  Zarah growled. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she rushed from the chair, surging forward with the silver chains, preparing for a fight no matter her disadvantage. Lucas looked back with an amused smirk before raising a hand. It emitted a simple white light, shooting a line of power before she reached him. She flew back with a wild hiss, the chains cutting deeper into her neck and torso. The pain burned into her, causing her vision to swim.

  When a shadow passed over, she looked up, panting, to see Lucas standing overhead with a hard expression.

  “You are nothing special at all.”

  “I will kill you. Maybe not today, but I will see the feathers from your back fall. I will see the light leave your eyes. And I will enjoy every drop of your blood.”

  “Oh such empty words from a vampire lying on the floor in silver chains,” he barked a laugh before reaching down to haul her back to her feet. Zarah winced as he clutched her against him. “Kathleen tried killing me, too. Saving Seth and your father. Obviously that worked so well. It only bought her time to hide for some years before I found her again.”

  “There’s a difference between me and my mother,” she began. She watched his expression become quizzical and his grip loosened enough through the confusion that she knew she had her opportunity. “I’m not my mother.”

  With that, she brought her knee up and connected it with his groin, causing him to double over in surprise. Another quick hit to the back of his head with her cuffed hands sent him spiraling to the floor with a groan as she continued to send a swift kick to his ribs. Zarah may not have been able to channel any of her elemental power through the haze of drugs and silver still in her system, but she could still force herself into combat from the years of Guardian training. The adrenaline coursing through her begged her to fight for her life while she had the chance. Perkins stood by, looking lost and unsure of what to do. When she gave enough hard hits to Lucas, hoping he would stay down for just a few minutes longer, she began scrambling backward toward the door, looking for a way to escape.

  “If you try to run, there’ll be no use. I’ll send the guards. They’re everywhere.”

  Perkins’ voice stopped her. She turned slowly and narrowed her eyes at the human. She briefly flicked her gaze to Lucas on the ground, who was still unconscious and smiled. Good. Even the Fallen Master could be knocked out through a couple rounds at least without any power. How long it would last? She wasn’t sure. Probably not long at all before his body healed and woke up. Then he’d really be angry.

  “President Perkins, I’d be careful if I were you. I haven’t had any blood in five days. And I’m quite thirsty. Would you like to test me?”

  She watched the man swallow nervously and his hands started to shake. Rolling her eyes, she turned back to the door when he spoke and interrupted her again.

  “Why did you want a meeting with me? To kill me so that vampires can rule over humans in this country? Are you their ruler? There are some countries bombed to hell, and others ruled by vampires right now because they conceded to them.”

  Zarah growled. He was either stalling or genuinely curious. It was costing her time either way. As she turned back to face Perkins, she saw that he was serious and sighed in defeat.

  “I am not their ruler,” she hissed and continued backing toward the door. She could answer the questions and make her exit at the same time. “I wanted the meeting to make peace. We never wanted war. We’re not out to enslave humans or be a threat to your kind. The real evil is the man on that floor. He wants to control all of us. Humans and vampires. Not really any motive. Just crazy with power and hates us.”

  Then, Zarah waggled her fingers as she slipped around the corner of the doorframe and into the hallway. The sudden departure must’ve shocked the listening Perkins because while she continued limping through the halls, the chains and cuffs still intact, she could hear him screaming for the guards that there was an escaped prisoner. Seconds later, her limp became a struggling run when the booming voice of Lucas joined in.

  Chapter Three

  Draven

  Five days. That’s how long she’d been gone.

  After she left, the Hunters that’d raided them kept to their word and departed as well, leaving the Compound quietly without any more fuss. They didn’t know the Warriors had been a part of it until afterward—thinking it had only been the government-established human Hunters. It still had ended with a sour taste in most of everyone’s mouth, causing them all to search for a new residence—especially with building tensions outside. Draven carefully packed Zarah’s things when they moved, and organized it for her in the new place, another underground enclosure they felt more secure at.

  The Exiled Fallen still stayed with them, along with the two Hiders they’d rescued a couple weeks ago from the human hunters, Cherise and Ray. They’d all become a much tighter ring of friends in the last few weeks due to the growing world events. Draven even found himself laughing at a few of Seth’s jokes recently. Despite his jealousy toward the Fallen soldier that had kissed Zarah—his Bond Mate, partner, and now missing.

  “Zarah said I should give this to you.”

  Draven looked up from some notes he’d been making to see Thomas standing in the doorway with a USB in his hand. He sat at his desk for hours lately making notes, pl
ans to try and make some kind of rescue to get Zarah back soon. They all did.

  “Where did you find that?”

  Draven reached out and took the memory stick as Thomas stepped forward with a tentative smile.

  “Right after she left I went into her room and picked it up from her desk. She said it was important we see it. I wanted to make sure it didn’t get lost during the move.”

  “Thanks.” Draven nodded and stared at the black piece of plastic in silence before setting it on the desk and turning back to his notes.

  “You should watch it. Soon.” Thomas persisted causing him to let out a frustrated sigh. Zarah’s brother could be pushy sometimes. Even more since he’d been cured.

  “I will,” he muttered back and waved a hand over his shoulder. Thomas left, letting his aggravation be clear in the stomping of his feet on the way out before slamming the door behind him. After silence descended, it was several long minutes before Draven pulled himself from his thoughts and faced the memory stick, the clock on the wall loudly ticking away overhead while he debated watching whatever was on it right then.

  Zarah had told him it was important. Maybe it was. It couldn’t take more than a few minutes of his time to put it into the computer. She’d been trying to tell him something before the Hunters burst through the Compound, unable to let him know what it was. He’d been too distraught and angry over the discovery of what had happened between her and Seth like some ridiculous teenager instead of paying attention.

  “I love you.”

  He kept going back to those words before she left, before she ran forward and allowed herself to be cuffed by the silver. His eyes clenched shut and the little breath he owned hitched. Draven balled his fists, angry at himself for not telling her. It would’ve only taken a second to reply but the shock had struck him, leaving him speechless. And then she was gone. When he started to rush forward through the crowd she yelled at him to stop, seeing weapons were raised and prepared for a fight and they’d been too outnumbered.

  Draven knew she was alive somewhere. The Bond told him that. She was in pain and starved, and he needed to find her soon. His own exhaustion was because of her connection to him. He was drinking more than usual to keep up his energy. Luckily, during the move, they’d found an abandoned hospital with a decent supply of blood to restock what they already had. The vampires could last another several weeks at best before having to go out again. With their new systems as well from the Fallen bloodline, they didn’t feel the need to feed as often either.

  He looked over at the memory stick again with a resigned sigh and picked it up. If she said it was important, then he’d take the necessary time he needed and watch whatever was on there. Even if it meant cutting out more time planning for her. Placing it in the computer, he waited for the video to load while drumming his fingers on the desk impatiently.

  “Is this thing on?” A familiar voice sounded through the speakers causing Draven to freeze and stare at the screen. It was Nathanial. As the video came into focus, his mouth opened in surprise.

  “Yes, sir,” another distant voice, unrecognizable replied.

  “Okay, good. Now get out.”

  The camera was placed on a stand, panning the picture out to show the room. It was some kind of hospital was all Draven could tell, though not entirely comforting with a metal table for a bed. But the unconscious body on the table was what shook him, causing him to jump back in horror. Nathanial walked around in silence readying equipment—pulling out bags of blood, knives, and needles.

  “The subject’s name is Draven Kinsley…”

  “What the fuck?” Draven shouted out loud and inched so close to the computer screen that his nose almost touched.

  No, his eyes weren’t deceiving him. Those were definitely wings Nathanial started tearing off his back in the video.

  Chapter Four

  Zarah

  “Not very bright, are you?” Zeke asked as he leaned over Zarah. She cringed when a cold and damp rag touched her now swollen lip. That was Lucas’ handiwork once a few of the guards caught her. Of course she’d known she wasn’t going to be able to run from the building, not with all the Warriors and human Hunters roaming the grounds. Not without any help at least.

  She’d been easily caught, held until Lucas joined them, and given a bit of the same treatment that she’d left him back in the office before being tossed back into her locked room.

  Zarah didn’t know how much time had passed before Zeke came in to visit. At least this time, they’d taken away the chains, only leaving one hand cuffed to a steel rail above a dingy mattress that’d been moved in there while she’d had her meeting earlier. The lighting was still crappy. It was still cold. So it wasn’t much better. She shivered as the rag passed over her face again.

  “On the contrary, Warrior, I was quite bright. I got exactly what I wanted out of it.” She smiled, and it turned into a cough.

  “What? An ass kicking?”

  “Hey. I kicked his ass first. I’m just not healing like I should because I’m starved,” she snapped. “But no. It got the president’s attention. Now I have the man thinking. Finally.” She saw Zeke frown before he turned to a nearby bag.

  “It’s not much, but it’s all I could find. Maybe it could help some at least,” he started, clearing his throat as he changed the subject and began digging through the brown duffel. She looked on curiously. When he pulled out a blood bag, she gasped and refrained from lunging forward as the thirst attacked.

  Zarah watched him push a straw through the plastic and licked her bruised lips. Her stomach cramped. Their gazes met and he smiled tentatively at her from his safe distance, knowing she couldn’t reach. She narrowed her eyes at his hesitation.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Do you think you could answer a few questions?”

  “I see. This is a bribe. You son of a—”

  “No! No. I swear. Here,” he interrupted, flushing and jumping forward with the blood. She flinched when he took a seat beside her on the mattress, not bothered at all by her condition and began to help her by holding the bag with the straw up to her lips to encourage her to drink. She’d had a free hand and probably could’ve been capable to hold it herself, but the exhaustion and pain had her slumped against the concrete wall. She didn’t object to him helping her and instead savored the copper-flavored liquid in fast, breathy gulps.

  “Do you know about Draven? About his history?”

  Zarah finished drinking down the last of the blood with very little satisfaction. It would have to be enough for now. Her insides screamed in protest as the empty bag was pulled away from her and she looked over at Zeke. He stared at her expectantly.

  Exhausted, she shook her head. “Not much. I know he was Fallen once. I know that Nathanial turned him… that Seth is his brother…”

  “So it was Nathanial that ruined him? That I didn’t know.” Zeke cut in. She watched his eyes flash angrily.

  “Ruined?” she spat harshly, starting to lunge forward. The cuff jerked against the steel bar to stop her from moving further, and he scampered back off the mattress to a safer distance away. “Do you know exactly what happened that night then? The night my mother was killed? When Draven was found outside my house? Either way, I saw the video. He was out cold. Injured bad from something. I don’t praise Nathanial for what he did, and it was torturous watching it, but it’s possible he may have even saved Draven’s life by turning him.”

  He was silent for some time while she fumed. She’d scared him with her erratic behavior. Good.

  “Yes. I was there.” His voice shook when he finally spoke. Slowly he inched back forward to sit near her again, on the floor this time. She frowned and waited for him to continue. “He wasn’t supposed to be. When I saw him, I caught up to and told him to leave before Lucas caught him. We’d all been hiding in various places in the forest. He looked distracted, but since he was Unclaimed, he didn’t have access to plans and shouldn’t have known what was going o
n. I assumed he wasn’t suspicious.”

  Zarah narrowed her eyes at the Warrior.

  “You were a part of the group to kill my mother?”

  She watched him swallow nervously. Another scoot backwards to keep his distance.

  “I can’t say I’m not guilty, Zarah. But I did not take part in her death. I guarded the area. I watched. I’m sorry. That’s all I can offer.” He cast his eyes down in shame. She felt the remorse he cast her way and fought the tears.

  “How do you do that?” Her lips trembled.

  “What?”

  “Your emotions. I feel them.” Zarah flattened herself against the wall. Now she was the one trying to get away from him. Realization dawned in his features and he threw up his hands in defense, surprised. As quick as it’d started, it stopped and she felt the emotional pressure become light again causing her to sigh in relief. With her free hand, she wiped away the few tears that’d fallen onto her cheeks.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. Sometimes it just happens.” She searched his face. It was innocent and sincere. He was being honest. Sharply nodding, she relaxed more.

  “So that’s your gift?”

  “Yes.”

  “You could make someone go insane.” It wasn’t a question. She had an idea of what he could be capable of if he unleashed the full extent of his power.

  He stared at her for a silent, tense minute. “Yes.”

  Zeke opened and handed her a bottle of water. She took it graciously, despite the need for more blood. It would have to do.

  “Like Seth can read the minds and emotions of others, my gift is to manipulate a person’s emotions or thoughts. I can produce hallucinations. I can make someone feel such intense fear, anger, sorrow, or whatever I choose that they’re controlled by those emotions.”

  “A walking trip to a padded cell, then,” Zarah quipped. This caused a light chuckle to escape from him and he shook his head.

  With the mood a little more relaxed, she eased her head back. “Speaking of Seth…what can you tell me about him? I have a feeling Draven knows some of the details now because of the video I had.”