Chapter 41

ANDREI

"Of course,it"s fucking raining the first time I walk outside for days," I grumble and yank up my black jacket hood.

Maeve walks beside me, arm looped through mine, and she laughs. "Hardly rain. Good old English drizzle."

"You have left the London house," says Tobias. "We"ve scouted together around the area."

My lips press together. "I mean, walk outside in the daytime."

I ventured out with Tobias several evenings since we arrived in London, finding myself in the middle of something I didn"t want—a lot of humans and their blood. Although, for the first time, the number of people close by didn"t stir the hemia.

I last encountered this many humans during the fateful Halloween party at Maeve"s old school, and I really struggled that night. Dozens more than the party wandered the busy London suburb, some passing near to me, others walking from shops and cafes, perspiration intensifying their scents. I didn"t react. How much of that hemia remains beneath whatever I am?

Later, I accused Tobias of testing my resolve against human blood and told him to check my mind for the answer, then I smirked to myself at his hesitance. Tobias will never invade my head again after I gave him the shock of his life.

What shocked me? There's no block. Tobias claims the Confederacy placed one in his mind to hold back his urges once they recruited him, but I saw nothing but Tobias"s own mental barriers against his past. Is Tobias lying or does he genuinely believe the Confederacy altered his mind?

And I also witnessed that past. The fact this guy lost his shit with me for tracking humans back in the day makes him the biggest fucking hypocrite. What I did before Maeve isn"t even close to Tobias"s old idea of fun. The images blinded me with fury as my mental attack blinded him. If those memories lie that near to the surface, how long before he tries crap like that on Maeve?

Yet I know that"s illogical. Tobias couldn"t and wouldn"t hurt Maeve; if there"s no Confederacy block, he"s controlling himself. But the echo of Maeve"s name seized me, violently pushing away any rationality.

Nobody touches Maeve, and if he ever does anything close to that to Maeve, he'll be fucking sorry. Even the thought surges the desire to act, and I take a deep breath. I managed to hold back from seriously injuring Tobias that day, barely dipping my fingers into the well of power now deep in my body. How deep is that well?

I"m frustrated that I haven"t found the chance to push and test the power against an enemy—to get some practice before I get a hold of Mother Dearest. Will I be able to hold back if anybody"s attacked today? Because I"m about to walk into a situation filled with threats.

The richer earthy scents created by rain on the dry ground are only a part of the intense senses I"m growing accustomed to. How much of the brighter colours and heightened sounds comes from new exposure to daylight, and how much from the new blood within me?

Blood. Humans" blood didn"t faze me, but Maeve"s blood continues to fill my thoughts obsessively. By avoiding Maeve, am I making that worse instead of better? I"ve made excuses to leave rooms when we"re alone in close proximity because the pressure builds painfully inside, mentally and physically. I"m pissed off that the First"s words about desires gnaw at me as much as the desires themselves, because she buried doubt into my mind that"s contributing.

In my alone time, I do the opposite to what I told Tobias that day—I fill my mind with images and memories of Maeve from the past and concentrate on those. Every single one, from the first not-so-tentative kiss to our nights together at the academy, and I"d focus on evoking the scent of her shampoo and perfume that once hid her blood scent enough to keep me calm.

The days when we were Maeve and her Andrei.

As I sit in those moments, I fight the tug towards the new hunger for Maeve, how everything about her shouts out to me when she"s close by. I block out her heartbeat with music, and I"ve returned to constantly chewing gum. Deadening my senses and obscuring her scent with mint works when we"re at a distance, but close-up? Not any longer.

The night Maeve came to my room, the witch blood overpowered everything, and the worst thoughts washed her from my mind. Something flowing in my veins alongside my blood craved the witch and the guaranteed high, obsessed with wanting to fuck and feed on the girl pressed against me.

I had to claw myself back to the truth that"s harder to cling on to since the First changed me. She"s not "a witch" or "a girl", but Maeve, who I love more than I want. I don"t know the extent of my power, or the selfish, dangerous desires that my new self begs me to yield to. One or the other could harm Maeve, and that fucking terrifies me.

I refuse to turn Maeve, as I always did, and every time the act comes to mind I"m left with a heavy sickness in my stomach. In my current state, where I doubt my self-control, I might accidentally bring Maeve to the brink of death. What if there"s nothing inside the Winterfall that could fight and win against the First"s power inside me if I lost my mind?

The First must know that"s a possibility. Before we left, the day the creature took me and Tobias to that terrifying place with the half-dead vamps, the First hinted at Maeve"s fragility against my lust.

Yeah, that extra mind fuck won"t leave my thoughts either—my ancestors as vampire zombies. What do we do about the four when we destroy the First? I guess I won"t know since I"ll end up in the same bodily state or place as the First if we manage to trap the creature using shadows.

Maeve voiced the crazy idea that she could ask the shadows to "take" the First from me, and then they could take the First from our world. But we"ve no understanding of how people defeated the creature in the past, or what magic can draw the First out of a human form.

Or what the shadows are and why they would have any interest in helping me.

A tiny voice on repeat in my mind whispers that the First lied about what might happen to me. But then images of the bizarre tableau of the vampire kings and queen appear to remind me of the evil capabilities the creature possesses. The First chose to submit the hemia to that state as punishment rather than kill them, and as I looked at the four, listened to their sluggish heartbeats, and stared into their dead eyes, I pictured myself beside them.

How long have the four vamps existed in this form and are they aware? The vampires could be mentally present, experiencing every moment of incarceration, locked in immobile bodies.

Pure torture.

The First won"t kill any of us. The creature isn"t interested in killing those it despises or who"re a threat. I can almost hear the First"s reasoning: where"s the fun in that?.

"Andrei?" Maeve nudges me, and I blink at her, away from the dark places.

"What"s wrong?" I ask.

Sunlight adds silvery highlights to Maeve"s hair, something I never saw under artificial light, her skin brighter and eyes the colour of the skies I only ever saw in movies. She is so fucking beautiful in the daylight; a girl made for the day who could never leave that behind for the night I once lived in. Even though a life without Maeve once tortured me, I vowed I would never ask her or agree if she asked me.

Now, an immortality that matches mine would be worse for Maeve than a life in the dark.

"Are you listening?" says Tobias, irritation edging his voice.

"I"m overwhelmed by the great outdoors," I reply and give him an Andrei smirk as I kick at water on the ground.

"Our plans must be crystal clear to everybody," he says firmly. Including what we do if we"re overcome by their numbers.

I scoff and gesture between us all. "Nobody"s gonna overcome me. Any of us."

"Complacency can cause deaths," retorts Tobias.

I try not to, but I glance at Jamie who"s watching his feet as he dodges puddles. I"m with Maeve—she didn"t see him die, only me asking an odd question. I could"ve referred to anything. Any him.

"Are you positive you got all the info out of Natalie?" asks Ash.

"Yes. I"ve seen where the recruits group in the daytime, and who currently oversees them," says Tobias firmly. "I have a name—Art—directions to the room, and I"ve also a presence that puts me above most supernaturals. If I walk in there with confidence as an envoy, Art will believe me."

"And dragons definitely go into the place?" pushes Ash.

"Occasionally. Natalie saw one once."

"Doing what?" asks Ash.

"Ensure nobody touches their shit," I put in. "That"s your angle for walking in with Tobias, Ash."

Ash"s presence will draw more attention than the rest of us, so he"d better stride in with superiority and confidence to match Tobias"s. He"s memorised the info stolen from Callum in case the guy in charge asks dragon-specific questions, and Ash intends to imitate Callum"s attitude.

"And you believe you can pass off as Dominion, Tobias?" asks Jamie.

"Uh. Tobias was Dominion. Won"t be hard." Ash throws me a look. "What?"

"With magic if needed, yes," Tobias replies, not looking at me. "The kids" minds are weak."

"And the general or whatever he is?" asks Jamie.

Tobias smiles. "That"s who we"re targeting."

Maeve and Jamie can present themselves as newly joined witch recruits but a hemia recruit wouldn"t arrive in the daytime—Tobias needs to convince Art that I"m a fellow envoy from Gabriella.

And Ash? A dragon envoy "checking in".

"If we"re new recruits, what do we do? What happens to us?" asks Jamie. "You"re vague about that."

"Because I don"t have precise details." Tobias places a hand on Jamie"s shoulder. "Locate witches as soon as you can and speak to them. We all walk into that room primed for anything."

I smirk and rub my hands together. "Oh, yeah."

"Andrei." Tobias pauses and looks at me. "If Gabriella isn"t in the catacombs, I"m happy to send her a message that we"ve found her troops, but not to slaughter everybody in there."

"A couple of bodies as a message?" I suggest.

"If we"re attacked," says Ash.

"Hmm." Maeve. Anybody fucking touches Maeve and I"ll more than attack them.

Maeve slants her head. "Let me deal with anybody who confronts me, Andrei."

Mind reading? Or am I that obvious? "Is that why you want me to stick by your side, Tobias? Because I might overreact to something?"

"That and the fact you appear and feel different to everybody else in this world apart from one other being." His eyes hold mine. "I can"t work mental magic on every person in the place if you draw too much attention. There"ll be dozens. Stay close to me."

"And if things go badly?" asks Jamie.

"Deal with what you need and head back to the catacomb"s entrance. If the majority are hemia, they can"t follow you out." Tobias smiles. "Between you, you have enough magic to handle anyone who comes your way."

"The shadows?" he responds.

As silence descends. "If I need," says Maeve firmly. "But only if; I can"t control them well yet."

"Then both you and Andrei need to focus on self-control. Correct?"

I roll my eyes at him, unable to resist my next words. "Yes, Professor Whitlock."

* * *

We reachthe catacombs and I pull an unimpressed face. "Catacombs" sounded cool, but I"m greeted with stone-strewn ground and patches of grass leading into an old brick structure. Some humans loiter around, sheltering from the rain nearby, who nod in greeting. I ignore them.

Inside isn"t any more impressive—bricks from broken walls mixed with refuse covers the damp ground. As we move further into the dank labyrinth, the modern-day human waste disappears, and the catacombs grow darker. Water drips down the walls, running over old metal pipes and the air turns cooler.

"I thought catacombs had skulls in the walls?" I grumble. "I"d hoped to add to them."

Tobias sighs, and Jamie pulls a disparaging face. "Not these particular catacombs. And maybe don"t walk into the situation with that idea in your mind."

"I feel like I should leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find my way out again," jokes Maeve.

"Huh?" I ask.

Ash chuckles. "Fairy tales, Andrei."

But Jamie doesn"t smile, barely speaking as he takes in every inch of the mildewed surroundings.

"Can Maeve walk with us, Tobias?" I ask.

Jamie gives me a sharp look. "No. Maeve stays with the person who empowers her magic."

I shrug but can"t shake the fear that grips me whenever Maeve isn"t close enough to touch. Another intensified emotion I"m hiding as best I can—full on panic if I can"t sense Maeve nearby.

"There"s plenty of warehouse-style space hidden among the tunnels," Tobias comments. "For keeping contraband and hiding supes."

"I hope we find answers," says Maeve.

"I hope we don"t find an empty room," I say.

"I highly doubt Dominion would clear out their base overnight. We"re exploring in the daytime, so they"ve only had a few hours since I visited," says Tobias.

"If anybody saw you, they"ve had "a few hours" to tell Gabriella," says Ash.

"Nah. Dominion would"ve waited for us outside, or in the tunnels before we got far," I reply.

The further I walk into this dank, disgusting place, the less convinced I am that Gabriella is here. Unless Gabriella really worried for her life, she"d never lower herself to skulking somewhere like this.

"Whoever leads the recruits will report back to Gabriella after today, though." My grin grows.

"What are you planning, Andrei?" asks Jamie suspiciously. "Tobias—tell him again to keep a cool head."

I nudge Jamie with an elbow. "I"ll be on my best behaviour."

"That"s what worries me," says Jamie.

* * *

I walk beside Tobias,but unusual sounds draw my attention. Creaks. Bangs. The sound of water hitting metal.

"Will you quit pausing all the time?" asks Tobias, as I stop again.

"I hear things and want to be sure nobody"s nearby." I resume walking, kicking bricks out of the way. "The Dominion is smart to bury themselves beneath London where nobody can sense anything from above ground. Not even us until we head into the depths."

I"m reassured by Maeve and the other"s soft footsteps behind us, but I"m increasingly confused by the labyrinth. Tobias strides purposefully, following a map he created in his head after the conversation with Natalie.

Natalie. The Dominion kid he refused to kill. What if Tobias"s soft-hearted side takes hold today? Because a lot in the catacombs must be kids like Natalie. I"m all for blasting the whole lot of them with magic and ending Gabriella"s army, but nobody else shares that opinion. In fact, the four think I"m joking. I"m not because, unlike Tobias, I don"t give a shit who dies if they"re a danger to us.

Fine. We"re here to gather intelligence. Clues. But what would a body or two matter?

The supernatural presence in the catacombs grows as we pass beneath another archway, and a few steps later voices travel along the arched tunnel. Tobias pauses and looks at his feet. "Barrier. Runes?"

"Of course there is." I sigh and glance over my shoulder where Maeve approaches and touches several places on the ground.

"Here." She runs a finger across an invisible shape, tracing until circles glow faintly. "A locking rune."

"That helps," comments Tobias. "If we walk past security measures, we"ve more credibility that we"re Dominion."

"And we do all this surreptitiously," presses Jamie. "Right, Andrei?"

I pat his cheek. "I don"t know what that word means, so no can do."

"Andrei," warns Maeve. "You know exactly what Jamie means."

"Yeah, and like Tobias said, Andrei has to be extra careful. Any supe will sense there"s something different about him," says Jamie. "His hoodie can hide some of Andrei"s physical appearance, but not the energy."

"We spoke about this," says Tobias. "His difference helps explain that Andrei"s with me and important."

"Without mentioning my VIP name, naturally." I grin at Jamie.

Jamie voiced concerns earlier, not only because the place holds a similarity to Maeve"s vision and the mysterious events that might suggest his death, but also the number of Dominion we might face.

And he"s scared that somebody might know exactly who we are, especially me. Andrei Tepes.

Maeve, Jamie, and Ash hang back again as we step over the rune and I nudge Tobias. "Your Professor Whitlock persona will come in handy in a room full of kids."

"Very funny, Andrei."