Chapter 16

One of the human hunters had told her once about being hungover, and this had to be what it felt like. There was a tiny gun range inside her head with microscopic bullets pinging rhythmically off the inside of her skull.

Blinking her sandpaper-dry eyes, she found herself in familiar surroundings. This wasn't her room, but one of the guest rooms upstairs. The smell of the witch and her apprentices hung thick in the air, laced with the powerful scent of Carrigan Shea and the faint hint of Kova's presence.

Panic swept over her. She lurched to her feet and headed for the door, then stumbled as cold metal on her wrist yanked her back.Staring in disbelief, she found an engraved metal shackle around her wrist, with a lengthy chain bolted into the floor. "That bitch," she marveled. Her voice was strained, and she shuddered at the memory of Carrigan Shea choking the life out of her, that vicious stare in his eyes. He'd wanted to kill her, and came damned close.

Being home should have been a relief, but this world felt like she'd stepped through the looking glass and into an upside-down world. She planted her feet on either side of the bolt and yanked on the chain. It sizzled against her skin, and she felt a strange sensation in her mind.

Just relax. The mistress wants you to be calm.

Horror dawned on her, and she let out a bellow of frustration. Perhaps Lux hadn't just been experimenting with controlling vampires, but anyone she got her nasty hands on. She reflexively reached for her neck, but found no jagged stake.

She was still wearing the clothes she'd had on earlier, though her weapons were gone. With a burst of excitement, she shoved her free hand into her jacket, finding the distinct hard shape of the tracker there.

Who would have ever thought she'd be relieved at the thought of vampires coming to get her? Hell, who'd have ever thought she'd run away from Tante Mina and into the arms of her worst enemy?

Voices murmured downstairs, barely audible through the floor. Then feet on the stairs, coming closer and closer until the door swung open.She shrank back at the sight of her aunt. Close behind her was Stella, carrying a tray with her gaze downcast.

"My sweet girl," Tante Mina said. The warm tone that would have been so comforting just weeks ago scraped at her nerves. She gestured toward the bed. "Please sit. You need to let the drugs wear off. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

"Maybe you shouldn't have sent your apprentice to drug me then," she snapped.

Mina's dark eyes flew open. "Scarlett!"

"Don't you mean Brigitte?"

Her aunt smiled, but it was a brittle mask that didn't quite hide the emotions swirling behind it. "I don't know what lies those vampires shoved into that clever mind, but it's over now. Have a seat so I can look at your face."

"No," Scarlett said.

Her nostrils flared, and her eyes glinted as she commanded, "Sit."

The shackle on her wrist ignited with faint blue light, and while she felt no pain, there was a distinct tug at her spine, a command she couldn't resist. Scarlett plopped onto the bed and glared at the witch.

Stella lingered in the doorway while Mina sat on the edge of the bed. Taking a cloth from her pocket, she gently dabbed at Scarlett's face. "He was far too rough with you. I'll punish him for it," she said.

Her brown eyes were warm again, so familiar. When she was young and training with Kova, Mina would tend to her scrapes and cuts. There was no cooing poor baby then, just a quiet reassurance that she would heal and be stronger next time.

Even after all Julian and the others had told her, it was hard to retain that suspicion when she was here in her aunt's presence, amid everything that was familiar. This woman had raised her. Armina Voss was the closest to a mother she'd ever had.

The older woman reached out, gently combing through her tangled hair and laying it gently against her shoulders. "Why did you leave?" Mina asked quietly. She gestured quickly, and Stella scurried forward to set the tray on the nightstand. Slowly, Mina poured two cups of tea, then slid one to Scarlett.

"I thought I would kill Julian," Scarlett said.

"But I told you that you weren't ready. I was very clear," Mina said.

"Why do you get to decide?" Scarlett said.

Her brows arched. "Because I know you, my love. I know the business of vampire hunting, and most importantly, I know Julian Alcott. You cannot just take off without my guidance, and?—"

"I met him," she said. "And he didn't want to kill me. He just wanted to talk to me."

He was nothing like what you said. You lied to me, she thought vehemently.

The witch shook her head. "And what lies did he spin? Don't tell me you let a four-hundred-year-old vampire sway you from your path. You know better than that."

"He told me that he killed someone you loved, and that he understood why you were in pain. And that you had taken out your rage on someone he loved," she said. "And he said?—"

He said that he loved me. That I was alive a long time ago and we were lovers.

Even in the quiet of her mind, it sounded utterly crazy. But it wasn't a fear of sounding silly that held her tongue. She couldn't bring herself to tell Mina that she'd wanted to kiss him, that she had kissed him and when her lips were on his, she believed every word he said. Somehow, itfelt like she had to protect that sweet kiss and the vampire himself.

"He said that he wished it hadn't happened that way, but they were at war. He said he was protecting his people just like the Shieldsmen were doing," she said instead.

Mina's breath hitched, her hand trembling as she set down her cup. "Well, I suppose even vampire bastards can tell the truth occasionally. He did not just kill my Tobias. He let his men torture him to death." Her eyes held Scarlett's. Her voice was shaking, and the room grew colder by the second. "Tobias was a good man. He killed many vampires, but he was always merciful, no matter how much blood they had spilled. When the men under his leadership were killed, he made sure that their widows were provided for. He was trying to make the world safer, and his reward was an agonizing death at the hands of three bastards who should have burned for what they did."

"And so you killed the woman he loved?"

"I did no such thing. Fate works in mysterious ways, my child," Mina said with a faint smile, as if she was remembering some subtle joke.

Her throat tightened. "I am not your child. And I think you lied to me about my mother, for that matter."

Anger flashed in the witch's eyes, but her voice was measured. "You think you understand the world, but you are still a foolish child."

"So what he told me was all lies?"

"Most likely," Mina said. "Clearly he told you some truths. Like sugar and medicine to make the lies go down smoother."

"Fine. Then let me talk to Kova without you holding his tongue," she said. "I want to know what he's trying to tell me that you won't let him say."

Her aunt blinked slowly. "No," she finally said.

"Why? What don't you want me to hear?"

"I think you should rest. Clearly, all the excitement has gotten to your head," Mina said, rising suddenly.

Scarlett grabbed her wrist and pulled her in close. Her petite, frail aunt stumbled into her, eyes wide with fear as Scarlett spat, "And what happens when my birthday comes? What happens when I turn twenty-nine, Tante Mina?"

Her aunt pulled back, eyes wide and fearful. "Let go," she said firmly, though Scarlett held her fast. Was that guilt in her eyes, or the fear that Scarlett would really hurt her? "You are my family, and you have clearly been through an ordeal these last few days, so I will overlook this outrageous behavior."

"Tante Mina?—"

"Listen to me. Do you trust me? Your family? The person who raised you and loved you for your whole life? Or do you trust the vampire who killed my husband, murdered both your parents, and left you an orphan?" Mina said. Her gaze lowered to her arm and lifted again. Her eyes were wide and sad. Her aunt looked older than she remembered, and so very tired.

Scarlett released her arm suddenly, feeling ashamed. Her grip had left white indentations in the other woman's thin arm. "I'm sorry," she murmured.

At that, Mina nodded. "I understand. We'll talk later."

She started to back away, but Scarlett surged to her feet again and said, "If you want me to trust you, then unchain me."

"Not until you've calmed down. I don't know what influence those vampires had on you," she said, turning to storm out of the room.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you're not going to hurt me," Scarlett said.

Tante Mina froze in the doorway, her shoulders still held high. She turned and met Scarlett's gaze. As she stared at the woman she had known her whole life—and yet didn't know at all, it seemed—she did not know what she wanted to see. Did she want to see the evidence that she was lying? Or did she want to see that all of this had been a bad dream, a masterful manipulation by a handsome vampire?

"I will not lay a hand on you, sweet girl. And it pains me that you think I would hurt you, let alone kill you." She dabbed at her eyes, though not a single tear had fallen. "I'll send something for you to eat."

The witch closed the door behind her. Light steps trudged down the hallway, though her dark scent lingered in the room. And somehow, after all that, Scarlett felt guilty.

What if she had been manipulated? Who the hell was she supposed to trust?

Voices murmured downstairs, but they spoke in German. She cursed to herself, lamenting that she hadn't learned except the handful of words to make the bound vampires stand down.

A few minutes later, Stella walked in with a plate of food; it was a respectable-looking baked chicken with vegetables, the healthy fare she'd always eaten. Her stomach rumbled, but she wasn't going to risk another dose of drugs to keep her docile.

The dark-haired woman eyed her suspiciously as she set it on the edge of the bed, then backed away quickly.Stella pursed her lips and said, "Do you need anything else?"

"Some clean clothes, please," she said meekly.

The witch nodded and left her alone. Scarlett sat on the bed, already formulating her next plan. She had to get to Kova and get him out. But first, she had to get this damned shackle off her wrist.

Stella returned a few minutes later with a stack of clothes that smelled familiar. She set them on the bed neatly, then paused in the door. "You should be grateful that Armina takes care of you. She's one of the greatest witches who's ever lived."

She wanted to snap back at the young woman. What the hell did she know about anything? But she needed peace and quiet to keep working on an escape. So she nodded and said, "I know. I'm just confused."

Stella smiled faintly. "I'm sure you'll figure it out." Then she reached into her pocket and held out a little plastic tube. "It'll take the sting from the cuts."

Slowly learning forward, Scarlett took the tube of ointment. "Thanks," she said flatly, though she couldn't have cared less about Stella's offer. Knowing Armina and her tricks, it was probably poisoned.

Stella smiled faintly and said, "You're welcome. Do you want some aspirin or anything?"

"I'm fine," Scarlett said brusquely.

When she was gone, Scarlett waited for a few minutes, which stretched on into eternity. There were still quiet voices downstairs talking about eating dinner, along with orders for one of the apprentices to go shopping for supplies. A car door thumped, then an engine revved up.

Then it was quiet.

Scarlett slid down to the floor to inspect the hardware bolting the chain. Perhaps the metal was enchanted, but it was still connected to the floor by a perfectly mundane set of bolts. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed one of the hexagonal bolts and tried to twist it. It slipped through her hands again and again, even when she squeezed so hard that her fingers turned purple.

With a grunt of frustration, she looked around the room. Her eyes lit on the tray from dinner, with its fork and spoon. No knife, but she could manage. She took both the utensils and eyeballed the bolts, then started bending the fork's tines into a small, angled shape. After investigating the bolt again, she slid her mangled fork around the hardware like a wrench.

Her first attempt had the thin tines bending away before they loosened the bolt, so she pinched them close together and held the tines while she used her makeshift wrench. "Come on," she muttered. The handle bent, and she braced her thumb against the curved base of the fork. All she needed was?—

It loosened.

She let out a crowing laugh of victory. One more push, and it was loose enough for her to undo it manually.

Three to go, and then she was free.

The door handle rattled, and she scrambled to her feet and plopped back onto the bed, tucking the bent fork under the pillow just as Marlee Montgomery walked into her room. The other woman regarded her curiously, then perched on the easy chair in the corner.

"What's going on with you?" Marlee asked. "Did the Auberon get in your head like they did Kristina's?"

"Let me out of here," Scarlett said.

The other woman shifted. The small motion moved her sleeves, and Scarlett realized with dim horror that her wrists were marked with the same intricate markings that adorned Kova and Carrigan Shea. "Come on, Scarlett, you?—"

"What's on your wrist?" she interrupted. "What is that?'

"Ms. Voss has been working on some spells to make us stronger. We had another day or so of work, but we had to stop to come and find you," Marlee said irritably.

"You can't trust her," Scarlett said, shaking her head. "Those are the marks that she uses to control the vampires. They're not safe."

Marlee frowned, though she spared a glance at her wrist before turning her look of disappointment on Scarlett. "Seriously, what is going on with you? You've been rock steady reliable as long as I've known you. Mr. Eslinger thinks very highly of you. Tell me that this is just some fluke so I don't have to tell him you're turning, too."

"I don't care what you have to tell him," Scarlett said. "Who put you in charge of reporting to him? Trying to take Jonas Wynn's position?"

At that, the other woman flashed a coy smile. "Someone has to. And it's been a boys' club for too long."

"What happened to Rhys?"

"Who?"

"The vampire Jordan shot outside Infinity," Scarlett said.

Marlee shrugged. "What Jordan does in his free time is Jordan's business. As long as he's not compromising the mission."

"You had orders not to kill any of them," she said. "Did you hit the blonde one near the hotel?"

Marlee smirked. "If I wanted him dead, he'd be dead. Just knocked those fangs down his throat. Couldn't get to him in time to bring him back, though."

"Why?" Scarlett asked.

"Because we have orders, and unlike you, I follow them! And why do you care? How many vampires have you killed?" Marlee spluttered, shaking her head. "I came here to see if maybe you just cracked under the pressure of going after Julian Alcott. But there's something seriously wrong with you. I guess I have to tell Mr. Eslinger that you're not fit for the mission."

"Tell him that, and tell him that Armina Voss is planning to kill me and that she's enslaving vampires to use as attack dogs," Scarlett spat. "See what he thinks of that."

Marlee recoiled, but she rose and brushed off her knees. Holding Scarlett's gaze, she adjusted her long sleeves. As she walked out, Scarlett could see another spiked black mark on the back of her neck.

Just like Kova.

"I hope you come to your senses," Marlee said. "I would hate to have to take you out."

"Big talk considering Jonas and Kristina are both alive and well," Scarlett said. "You can come for me any time. I remember training camp in Seattle."

The other woman let out a soft laugh and said, "Sorry things turned out this way, Scarlett. You were a good hunter."

She bit back the retort and waited to hear the door snick closed. She made herself wait a few minutes that felt like days. Finally, she fished out her makeshift fork-wrench and dropped to the floor to keep working.

Her doubts about Armina were no longer the vague and ominous uncertainty they'd been two days ago. Seeing those marks on Marlee's arms just confirmed that Armina was up to no good.

You don't know the first thing about magic, she reminded herself. Wasn't it possible that Armina really was putting a spell on the hunters to make them stronger?

So why hadn't she started with Scarlett, who'd been living under her roof for years? Especially with mere days before she was supposed to go after Julian, after months of telling her she wasn't ready?

No, she was done giving her aunt—no, that woman—the benefit of the doubt. Gritting her teeth, she secured the bent tines around another bolt and pulled as hard as she could.

Three more bolts till freedom, until she broke free into whatever unrecognizable world lay beyond that door.