Chapter 33 Julian

I sat in the chair I'd held onto from the Skye Boarding house, the old, familiar wood of its arms surfacing memories of a happier Christmas over one hundred years before. I stared down at the phone vibrating in my hand. Caesar was calling.

I knew I needed to talk to him about Shea, but I wasn't prepared for that conversation right now. Especially considering that my Initiate was glued to my hip at the moment.

"This has to be the worst Christmas I've ever had," Piper said, pulling me away from my memory indulgence. She sat cross-legged on her mattress in front of the fireplace, her fingers outstretched to gather warmth from the licking flames, her back to me. "No tree, no presents, not even music !"

"I could play you a tune on the piano, if you'd like," I offered.

She turned and regarded me hopefully. "That would actually be wonderful."

I stood and walked to my baby grand piano. Its typical black sheen was muted by a layer of dust; I'd fallen behind on the upkeep I usually had plenty of time for in the past. Ever since rejoining the vampires at Heritage Prep, my apartment had fallen into disarray .

The accumulation of not one but two cats hadn't helped with the cleanliness of the place, either. From the closet near the door came their melodious meowing, and I wondered if they were trying to harmonize.

Shrugging it off and stretching my fingers as I sat, I said, "Name your favorite Christmas song."

"Okay, but don't laugh," Piper replied.

I chuckled as my fingers began to play Christmastime is Here , skating across the keys like ice skaters on a frozen pond.

"I like that one," Piper said, getting to her feet and moving next to me, leaning against the piano. "My favorites are the jazzy ones, though. You know, like Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree ."

I nodded as I continued to play. "Those are great ones."

I finished playing the first verse of my song, then moved into Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree.

Piper began to sway her hips and bob her head back and forth as she closed her eyes. I couldn't help but smile.

"Yes," she said. "This is more like it. Now, if only we had a Christmas tree to rock around."

"Can't help you there." I had no desire to put one up, especially on Christmas Eve.

She paused for a moment and held up a finger as I continued playing. "Do you hear that?"

I played a little softer and listened for what she had heard. From the closet where my vampire cats were stowed away, I could still hear the mewing—but not just any mewing. The two cats were harmonizing perfectly to the song I played.

I stopped playing and laughed .

"Julian, you can't tell me that's normal behavior for cats," Piper said.

"You're right," I agreed as I stood and walked toward the closet. "Rainbow and Goldie are far from normal, but they're one of a kind."

" Two of a kind, you mean," she corrected.

I ignored her as I reached for the door handle. "I used to hate cats, but these two... Well, I can't help but feel like I'm a part of them."

"They're crazy," she commented. "I don't know why you've taken a liking to them. Did you know their eyes have turned completely red? I think it's from the amount of blood they've been drinking. But they don't glow like the eyes of hungry vampires do."

The cats had been consuming a fair portion of my blood bag stash, but that was normal for newer vampires.

"How does a cat even become a vampire in the first place?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at me.

I ignored her question. I hadn't taken the time to explain to my Initiate that—using my own life force and with the help of a witch—Rainbow had been brought back from the dead. Opening that particular door would lead to a conversation about Alice, and I wasn't ready to talk to Piper about my deceased soulmate—or the witch I was growing more and more obsessed with.

When I opened the closet door, the gray-and-white shorthair and the tabby sprang out and rubbed the lengths of their bodies against my legs. Rainbow purred at his typical middle-C pitch, and Goldie harmonized a fifth up.

Crouching low, I petted my furry friends, one with each hand. It sounded like they were ready to burst into song. Seriously, what wasn't there to love about these cats? They were far better than the typical feline.

Indeed, their eyes looked blood-red, but I didn't feel as if that made them appear demonic. They were different in an endearing way.

"They give me the creeps," Piper muttered as she folded her arms.

To this, the ears of both cats pointed backward, and they hissed at the Initiate. I kept a hand on each of their backs, noticing their fur rising.

"How about we don't insult the kitties?" I suggested softly.

Before I could react, Goldie bolted like a lion sprinting to an antelope. Except an antelope would have at least tried to get away. Piper stood frozen in place by the piano, her eyes and mouth widening in perfect synchronicity.

I watched in horror as Goldie pounced at Piper. I never considered that the vampire cats might have inherited enhanced strength, but that was confirmed as the impact of the cat sent Piper crashing against the baby grand. One of Piper's elbows slammed into several keys as she fell.

Goldie had latched her paws into the thick sweatshirt Piper wore, and she went tumbling along with the shrieking young woman.

Piper sprawled on her back as she landed on the floor, then screamed in pain as Goldie lunged for her neck.

"It's biting me!" she cried, trying to tear Goldie away. "Get it off!"

I sped to Piper's side and slung an arm under the attacking cat, feeling Goldie's tightly coiled muscles. I pulled gently at first, but the cat had sunk its claws deeper into Piper—past her clothing. And the cat didn't budge. I threw Rainbow a look just to make sure he didn't jump into the fray, and found him sitting on his hind end, watching us with amused interest.

I pulled harder, but Goldie still didn't yield, and the attempt only increased Piper's screaming. It also increased the cat's wildness.

Piper squirmed and cried, begging the cat to stop. Blood soaked through her sweatshirt. The smell was fresh and warm, and it called to me—tempted me. I gritted my teeth, ignoring it just as I'd forced myself to do so many times in the past. And yet, it didn't seem so difficult this time. In the end, all blood paled in comparison to Shea's.

At last, I resigned myself. Goldie wasn't about to stop.

"Don't watch this, if you can help it," I yelled above the screams, not knowing if Piper had the capacity to even try to hear me at this point.

Reaching a hand up, I grabbed Goldie by the neck. I closed my own eyes and set my jaw, then twisted and pulled with all my vampire strength. Ignoring the sickening sounds that followed, I felt Goldie's body go limp, her claws retracting in the process.

Piper jumped to her feet, holding a hand to her neck. She teetered for a few moments, and I dropped the two parts of Goldie to help stabilize my Initiate. I noticed that her glasses had fallen off, and there were several cuts along her face and chin.

Through painful sobs, she said, "I told you those cats aren't normal. That monster was drinking my blood!"

The mere mention of blood caused me to lick my lips subconsciously, but I caught myself. I hated this curse—was disgusted by my need for blood .

"Let's get you cleaned up," I said, helping her to the bathroom. Rainbow ran by us and began whining as he approached the lifeless body of Goldie.

"They're vampire cats," she wailed in a crazed tone. "Nobody has ever told me about vampire animals. None of my classes at Heritage Prep—"

"I...think they're a new thing," I interrupted quickly, not wanting to explain further.

Thankfully, a knock sounded at the door.

"I'd better go get that," I said. "I'll just close the bathroom door and let you take care of yourself. I'm afraid I don't have any bandages, but there are towels under the sink." I knew it would have been the courteous thing to lick her wound closed, but I was honestly a little sore about having to kill my cat for her.

I heard Piper curse under her breath as I shut the door, just in time to hear my doorbell ring.

An anxiety I hadn't had time to think about crawled up my spine. Who had come knocking? Nobody ever came to my door, especially not on Christmas Eve. In fact, this was the first Christmas season in a long time I'd had any company. What if the hunter who'd attacked us four days prior had managed to track us back to my apartment?

I bent over to look through the peephole in the door, and relief washed over me. It was the concierge...holding a present?

Hesitantly, I opened the door and poked my head out.

"Hello there," I said, eyeing the man. "Can I help you?"

The concierge bowed, then handed me the holiday bag that was decked out in silver and gold with white snowflakes all around .

"Merry Christmas, sir. A young woman stopped in this morning and asked that I bring you this gift."

Shea . There was only one young woman who'd have the audacity to give me a gift—like a certain sweater with a kitten on it that had somehow managed to make its way into my closet.

I accepted the bag and tipped my head forward. "Thank you, and Merry Christmas."

The concierge smiled and nodded, then turned away. I quickly shut the door.

Sure enough, there was a tag attached to the handle, and on it was written a single letter—an S with curly ends where each curl ended .

"Who was at the door?" Piper asked from the bathroom.

I rifled through the bag quickly and discovered a piano solo book entitled Pop Your Socks Off , complete with arrangements of the top Pop hits from the past ten years.

I shook my head and mumbled, "Shea."

"Who?" Piper asked. "I couldn't hear you."

I cleared my throat. "That was just the concierge dropping off some...sheet music I ordered."

"On Christmas Eve?" Piper asked, opening the bathroom door.

I quickly turned away in embarrassment. She'd removed her shirt to take care of the cuts underneath and was wearing a white sports bra.

"Hey, that's not a package. That's a present!"

I fumbled with the bag, spilling the rest of the contents onto the hardwood floor. I was mortified at the two items that had fallen out. Their colorful packaging bolded the brand Cat Capes with a real selling one-liner on it: Add sophistication to your feline friend!

Rubbing at my forehead, I chanced a look at Piper.

"Cat Capes?" she read. "Julian... Who else knows about your cats?"

Struggling to force down a swallow, I jumped as another knock sounded at the door.

"Back into the bathroom," I said, rushing to her side. The cuts along her skin had somehow shut, and then I noticed a small container of superglue on my counter. It seemed like a smart move, and suddenly, gluey-blood sounded absolutely repulsive.

"Are you expecting someone else?" Piper asked, entering the bathroom with a little push from me on the back.

I shook my head. "This might come as a surprise, but no, I don't really come to expect anyone. Anytime."

A deafening boom sounded at the entrance, and the metal hinges holding the wooden door in three places popped. The door teetered inward, then came crashing down.

Piper screamed from the bathroom, watching in terror.

In the doorway stood a vampire I hadn't seen since the destruction of the shifter school on Framboise Island fifteen years ago.

"Solomon?" I said softly.

Solomon's eyes were red, revealing his thirst. His short, dark hair was messy, as if he'd just been through a scuffle of sorts.

"You're in trouble, mate," the Australian vampire said, stepping inside on top of the door he'd just knocked down .

I straightened my back and side-glanced at Piper. Solomon followed my gaze and saw the Initiate with her fresh wounds.

He snickered. "Looks like you've been having a bit of fun on Christmas Eve, Julian."

Piper grabbed the crimson towel she'd been using to staunch her bleeding from the wounds Goldie had inflicted, and quickly wrapped it around herself, covering up her skin. I knew the bloodied towel would only attract the thirsty vampire that much more.

"What are you doing here, Solomon?" I moved protectively toward Piper. I didn't trust the other vampire around her, not with his eyes glowing red.

Solomon's face formed into a wicked snarl. "Cleaning up a small mess for Hadrian."

I stood my ground, putting on the show I'd gotten quite used to displaying since Caesar had asked me to get involved with the vampires again.

"What mess?" I asked.

Solomon took a few more steps forward. "You think we're a bunch of drongos? You go crying to Hadrian on the telephone, saying hunters are trying to kill you at the subway station. That sounds mighty convenient, considering your mission, mate. How'd the hunters find you? And what about the witch you've been visiting? Meeting up in a motel with her, right? She must make for some fun play. But she didn't play so nicely with me."

I froze. Terror forced ice through my undead veins, crystalizing them and keeping the rising hatred and anger from spreading.

Solomon had gotten to Shea. What had he done to her? Was she okay? My mind raced as I pictured her lying on the street somewhere, dead eyes staring into the sky, body drained of blood. Those images caused my blood to boil, my fury thawing the ice and mixing with my panic and dread to the point I couldn't follow either.

"What's he talking about, Julian?" Piper asked, her voice quaking.

I ignored her, taking a defensive stance as Solomon continued approaching. "What did you do to her?"

"Just took a little taste before some fucking bird chased me off." He passed his tongue over his bared fangs. "And she was fucking delicious, mate. I get why you are so taken with her."

Relief briefly flashed through me at the knowledge that she was still alive, and I assumed the "bird" had been Caesar. But my thirst for vengeance rapidly overshadowed all else.

"I'm going to fucking kill you," I hissed in promise.

He cackled, a smug expression forming on his villainous face. "My rank and status at Heritage Prep is about to skyrocket. Oh, the rewards I'll receive for bringing Hadrian the pitiful head of the infamous Julian Asher, traitor to his own kind."

The threat bounced off me like Vancouver raindrops off an umbrella.

"I think I'll keep my head, mate ," I snarled. "And take yours instead."

Faster than a hunter's gunshot, Solomon reached with both arms for my neck, attempting a death strike. But I'd been taught by one of the greatest combat specialists: Beatrice Morton. With ease, I smacked the underparts of Solomon's wrists with my own arms, then counter-attacked with a fist to the other vampire's chest.

Such a punch would have shattered the ribcage of a human, but all it did was push Solomon back a few steps.

"Still as quick as ever, old man," Solomon mocked .

He jabbed a far-reaching kick that I blocked with my wrist.

"If you manage to land one blow before you run away, I'll consider this a loss," I growled.

Solomon growled and threw a flurry of punches my way, which I easily evaded. His thirst was making him sloppy.

"Nobody will be running away today," Solomon barked. "And after I'm done with you, I'll have my way with your Initiate, too. She's as guilty as you are."

"Then let's get to that part where you're done with me, shall we?" I held out my hand and curled my fingers, daring him to come at me.

"With pleasure," he said, grinning wickedly.

He feigned a right-handed punch, and I took the bait. In the same motion, he spun and stretched his leg forward, striking me in the shins and throwing me off balance. But I knew this attack method from my own training, and as soon as I hit the floor, I rolled to my left. Solomon's foot landed right where my neck would have been, snapping the floorboards like they were twigs.

Lashing out with my own foot, I kicked him in the face with such force that terrible popping sounds came from the vampire's neck as it whipped backward. A second later, the same sickly sounds popped again as his body repaired itself.

Solomon set his sights on me with such fiery fury I knew he was on the verge of losing complete control. At that point, he'd be vulnerable. Keeping things together in a fight was crucial, especially when a vampire was fighting another vampire. Unbridled attacks were rarely timely or efficient.

"You must be pretty low in status these days," I said, keeping my fists in the air. "Banking on such a high-end target as me? Sounds like desperation. "

And that did it.

Solomon yelled with rage as he charged me. Before he could smash his shoulder into me, I sidestepped, smacking Solomon in the back of the head as he went by. But what I hadn't expected was Solomon grabbing me by the legs as he sprawled, causing me to lose my balance, too. He was on top of me in an instant, pummeling my face over and over again.

I brought my hands up to protect my face and try to gain some sort of advantage on the other vampire, but the strikes were coming in too fast and too hard. I found it was getting harder and harder to think of ways to get away.

Solomon took advantage of my confusion and wrapped his firm hands around my neck, sending stars through my vision. All I could think about was the day of continuous drowning in Hadrian's madness chamber.

Suffocation.

But this time, I didn't have the coolness of water to soothe my aching lungs. The suffocation would bring on unconsciousness, and then Solomon would tear my head from my shoulders.

So this was how it was going to end. Not at the hands of Hadrian, but one of his lackeys.

Shea, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Alice, I'll be with you again soon.

And then the strangling stopped, and a sickening gurgle came from Solomon's mouth. My blurred vision slowly came into focus, and I saw something sharp protruding from my attacker's chest above me. Behind Solomon was a trembling Piper, holding the attacker steady.

Solomon stared down at the tip of the copper knife that had stabbed him through his heart, then brought his harrowed gaze back to me. He rolled onto his back, only shoving the knife deeper through his ribcage. The gurgling stopped, and Solomon's eyes went distant.

Coughing, I felt my body rejuvenate, healing from the damage Solomon had done. Quickly, I pushed the vampire to the side before the coppery point jutting from Solomon could touch me, too.

"Piper!" I said in surprise, finding her staring at the dead vampire on the floor of my apartment.

She looked at me with tearful eyes, then slowly melted to the floor and wept.

"You saved me," I said, running to her side and throwing an arm around her.

"I had to," she wailed. "You saved me a few days ago."

I looked at her in confusion. Why was she crying? Had killing a vampire who'd threatened to do terrible things to her been too much for Piper?

"Hey, it's going to be okay," I comforted.

She shook her head slowly, sobbing heavily. "They'll never let me become a vampire now."

And that was it. By killing Solomon, she'd thrown out her opportunity. But that was only if Hadrian found out what happened.

"But you didn't kill Solomon," I said, and she gave me a questioning look. "Hunters have increased their scouting in Chicago, remember? They were the ones who killed him."

"I'm a terrible liar," she said, sniffling.

"But I'm not," I replied, rubbing her towel-covered shoulder. "Where'd you get that knife from, anyway? "

Piper looked at her hands. "I'm a human living among vampires. After I saw the danger on the streets with the hunter, I realized I should take my mortality a little more seriously. So I stashed a knife...just in case."

I nodded. It made sense, although it was a little disturbing that she'd chosen a copper knife, of all things.

She snorted.

"What?" I asked.

She looked at me. "You know what the funniest part about this is?"

"What's that?" I said with a jut of my chin.

She cast her troubled gaze down to the floor. "After having gone through what I've been through the past two weeks, I don't know if I want to become a vampire anymore."

Music to my ears. But with Hadrian around, she'd never be free. If Arya could fulfill the prophecy, then maybe she'd have a shot.

"You've been through a lot," I said. "And I know this Christmas has only gotten worse for you. But after saving me, you've made my Christmas pretty fantastic."

She chuckled, and so did I.

Stomping feet sounded in the hallway through my doorless threshold, and I whipped my head in that direction, dreading what fresh hell this might be.

But nothing could've prepared me for what I saw.

"Julian, I've been calling—whoa, what the fuck happened here?"

Caesar stood in my doorway, a pale and unconscious Shea in his arms .

My world narrowed to her beautiful, gaunt face, and suddenly nothing else mattered. I no longer cared what Piper might overhear or what happened between me and Caesar. I didn't care that there was a dead vampire on my floor and a dead cat in my kitchen.

The only thing I knew, lived and breathed, was pure, unbridled desperation to save my precious little witch.