Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

SANCHITA

" Y ou stick out like a sore thumb. I thought you were supposed to be good at undercover operations." I walked beside Jester as we moved through the lobby of the Night Spawn headquarters and right past the front desk.

Normally the lobby was full of vampires just before the sun came up. They would sit in the modern plush furniture and socialize. They'd laugh and joke like teenagers at a sleepover. Though things seemed to be normal, I could feel an edge in the air. The normal buzz of activity was muted. There were even less vampires moving about than usual. The front desk was usually as busy as the fanciest hotels in London, but as we passed the two women behind the desk, they just continued to play games on their computers and never looked up at us.

"I don't think anyone is paying attention to what I'm wearing." Jester's voice was deep and smooth as he spoke to me.

Prisha looked him up and down. "You would be wrong."

"Trust me, you are noticeable." I gave him the side-eye. He looked so military-like in his crew neck long-sleeved black shirt and blue jeans. Even his boots were army grade. There was something about the way he walked that screamed hunter . Nothing about Jester said Night Spawn and everything said cop. This needed to be dealt with delicately or the other vampires would think I was taking sides.

"Or perhaps you're the only one noticing me." He smirked and gave me a wink as we walked down a long hallway full of shops.

"Or perhaps you've got a big head." Prisha looked at me with a This guy? Really? look in her eyes, and I couldn't agree more.

He waved his hand, letting us walk in front of him down the hallway. "Do you both always share the same opinions?"

"Always," we replied at the same time.

"Ah, so if I convince the sister to like me . . ." He let his words trail off.

"No, absolutely not."

He gave a dramatic sigh. "Shame."

I wasn't used to seeing the doors all closed up. Usually I was playing dodge the door. They opened and closed so many times it was difficult not to get smacked by one. The bar was always full of activity and loud music. Yet today it only played slower music, and a few regular vampires sat on the stools keeping to themselves. Next to the bar was a salon, and not a single chair was occupied. Nothing about this seemed right. Were all the vampires hiding after hearing about the attack on the castle? Perhaps, like me, they thought they would be in jeopardy for retaliation.

"Are you flirting with me at a time like this?" I asked. I'd never gone undercover before, and my nerves were frying me from the inside out. I didn't know if I was making the quiet out to be something more than it was or if my paranoia was justified.

"Merely pointing out that you like me," he replied.

Why did he have to be so damn calm? It was irritating at a time like this.

"You put me in prison." I looked away from him. "It was terrifying."

"You were where you shouldn't have been." He said it so simply, like that warranted his actions. "Any other vampire would've been treated the same."

"He does have a point," Prisha added, and I shot her a look that told her to shut her mouth. She pressed her lips together.

"Yes, because small women with no shoes hiding in the dark screams treason." I pursed my lips and tried not to roll my eyes at him.

"You never really can be sure."

I didn't want to respond to him. I needed to focus on the task at hand. I hooked my hand into the crook of Prisha's arm, and when we got to the open floor where the apartments started, we turned to the right. There was a wide space between each apartment and the hallway was more like a hangout space with plush seating areas every few feet. As we walked, vampires paused their conversations to look at Jester.

"See? I told you."

He gave a dark chuckle and shook his head. "Think again, sweetie."

When two vampires approached us, I held my breath. They were a couple I'd known for some time. They were what I would describe as a cute goth couple. Mark was tall and thin with tight black pants and a ripped white V-neck shirt. His vest hung off his shoulders, making him look thinner.

His girlfriend was a mirror of him, only slightly shorter. She wore black skinny jeans and a loose-fitting white shirt. I plastered a smile on my face as they stopped in a small semi-circle in front of us. "Mark, Jessica, how are you?"

Mark eyed me closely. "Never mind how we are, how are you?"

"After your ordeal, it's all anyone can talk about." Jessica leaned in closer. "I mean, you were in the dungeon of the castle. You only hear rumors of how awful it is."

I wanted to kick Jester because I practically felt him gloating next to me. They weren't paying attention to him, and I was what got their interest. I kept my smile in place. "Oh, yeah. It was a total misunderstanding."

Jessica lowered her voice. "Yeah, but you were innocent. I can't imagine what they're going to do to the rest of us if they took you."

"It really wasn't like that." I swallowed. It was much worse. "Once they knew I was innocent, they let me go right away."

Not so right away. They held me for longer than I wanted, threatened me, and generally freaked me out. But the King had been kind, generous, and seemed to genuinely want what was best for his people, which was what brought me back here. Because I wanted to help.

Jessica's eyes widened. "Oh, I heard it was much longer."

"So, what's the dungeon like? Is it as scary as they make it out to be?" Mark shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth.

I sucked in a deep breath and held it in my chest. "I'll be honest, it wasn't great, but they didn't hurt me, and after an attack like that, I feel like they had to be overly cautious. The King was very kind though. I found him to be comforting."

Mark's jaw dropped. "You met King Titus?"

Just as I nodded, a group of vampires walked by, then another. Prisha followed them with her eyes. "Is there a party somewhere?"

Jessica stepped in closer to us. "It's a speak-on."

"What is that?" Jester softened his voice and made it sound innocently curious.

"It's a gathering of vampires to talk about what's going on in the kingdom." She bit her bottom lip. "It's kind of interesting."

"You mean things get heated," Mark interjected. "It's all about what's next. Who do we trust? Was Marius even right about The House of Shade?"

Jessica nodded in the direction the others walked in. "You should come. You might have something to offer after being held there. You know, because you were innocent and all."

Prisha nodded. "I think it's a good idea. Let's see what it's all about."

She motioned for them to lead the way, and they turned to walk down the hallway. We filled in behind them. Jester gave me a sideways look, and I felt his narrow-eyed gaze mirror my suspicious feeling. We hopped on the underground train, and I was surprised to see how packed it was. There was barely standing room. The train descended in a circular motion like a corkscrew going deeper underground. When I first came here, the train shocked me with how fast it moved. If I were human, I'd likely be on the floor with sickness, but as a vampire, the speed and pull never bothered me.

When it finally stopped, I was in a part of the headquarters I didn't recognize. We were so deep in the Earth that it was cooler here. The smell of the streets above didn't touch us. The walls were rough like they'd been dug out by hand, and tunnels shot off in every direction. Yet there was a crowd of vampires all moving in the same direction. It was like going to a concert where the crowd moved like cattle. We turned into a larger room that was about the size of a school gym. The walls were still rough like the hallways, but near the front there was a large boulder with a single vampire standing on it. She was tiny with dark skin and a shaved head. She wore bright, silvery make-up over her eyes like a mask that fanned out from her eyes all the way back to her temples. Her lips were coated in shining red lip gloss.

She placed her finger in front of her mouth. "Shhhhh."

Her voice boomed around the room like she had a microphone, yet I saw none.

Jester's chest rumbled with a low growl. "I have a bad feeling about this."

"Me too." I stared at the woman, recognizing her as one of the vampires who used to work as a bartender in the pub. "She's a Night Spawn."

"Quiet." Her voice boomed and echoed off the walls, but there were no speakers or microphone.

"How is it possible for her to have a power like that?" I lowered my voice.

"This way." Prisha waved toward us, and we followed behind her to a small space at the back of the room.

I pressed my back to the rough wall and Jester moved to my side and leaned there crossing his arms over his chest. The crowd quieted down to a low hum. The woman raised her hand, and the room went silent. She smirked and her eyes darted from one side of the room to the other. "I give you . . . Marius."

The room erupted into cheers and whistles. Jester stiffened at my side like he was going to leap forward and attack.

I placed my hand on his bicep and gave it a squeeze. "Not here, not now."He relaxed a fraction, but his body still thrummed, and when Marius ran out and leapt onto the boulder, a light hiss escaped his lips. The vampires around us gave him sideways glances and started to take steps away from us. I gave his arm another squeeze. "Bring it down a notch. You're drawing attention to us."

Marius threw his arms out and gave a hearty, fake laugh. "Stop, no. Really. Come on."

His false modesty made my stomach turn. This man had just killed people, attacked the innocent for no reason, and now seemed to have a growing fanbase for his treasonous ways. The thought of this was scary. How could anyone agree with what he'd done? And yet the applause was loud and unending. When I looked at their faces, it was as if they were looking at their savior. Marius raised his fist high above his head and gave a fist-pumping motion while pressing his lips together.

"Thank you!" He gave a small bow. "It has been a challenging few days."

The crowd quieted to hear what he had to say, and I took a step closer to Jester. He glanced down at me. "I won't let anything happen to you or your sister."

"Being outnumbered doesn't make me feel better." And we were outnumbered by a lot.

Prisha swayed from side to side the way she always did when she was nervous. I brushed my fingers against her arm and she stilled. "Sorry."

"No worries."

"Smile and wave, ladies. Smile and wave." Jester spoke, smooth and calm.

I forced myself to look as excited as the others around us. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If they think you're with them, then no one will suspect you." He glanced at me, then turned his full attention toward Marius. When the crowd erupted into applause, Jester joined in. I followed suit.

"We will make the Night Spawn a place for all to live and prosper! Why should we dwell in the shadows just because we are relegated to the night? They have the power to change that!" Everyone looked at each other in confusion."I've seen it! The Blood Borns are hiding their relationship with the most powerful witches to ever walk this Earth. You think they can't find some way to give us immunity to the sun? No! They could help us. They just choose not to."When the crowd seemed to hesitate in surprise and their brows furrowed in confusion, Marius lowered his voice. "I will prove it . . . when I too walk in the sunlight."

Silence.

Marius chuckled. "Don't believe me? And what if I told you those witches had the power to do it and so much more? It's just another thing the crown has kept for themselves. Why not spread the wealth? Why keep us locked underground?"

"Because we'd burn to death otherwise?" I muttered under my breath. Jester and Prisha both gave light chuckles.

"They want us hidden away, trapped under the boot of superiority. They made us yet they refuse to offer us the same resources they've been privileged enough to have for centuries before any of us existed. Wealth is but a construct made to keep us down!"

The crowd broke out into yells of agreement. Jester leaned in closer to me. "He's not bad."

"He's a bit too good. To be honest." This wasn't what the Night Spawn needed. They didn't need their heads filled with dreams of walking during the day or lifestyles of the rich. The truth was that the Night Spawn made up a huge percentage of vampires, and no amount of shared wealth would save us all. Yet Marius made it sound like they had an infinite amount at their disposal.

"I know many of you have seen the new underground city. And the truth is, it is lovely. They have worked hard on it." He paused for dramatic effect. "But too little too late!"He hunched over with a loud cackle that the audience mirrored. He swiped his hand under his eyes at fake tears. "But really, though, we can do better. We deserve better."

Vampires cheered his words and whistled their approval. It was like one of those political rallies I saw on TV. I didn't know how much more of this I could stomach. The very air I breathed felt toxic. Grayson and Titus worked so hard to build that city, much of it coming from their own funds to help Night Spawn vampires live a better life. Marius made it sound like they kept us in hovels, when in truth even the older Night Spawn headquarters had every available luxury. It was just dark and dated. Yet they'd taken the time to build a new one. It wasn't right, and it wasn't fair. Marius was making zealots of normal vampires based on these lies and promises of a better future he could not keep.

"I've seen enough of this." Disgust rolled through my body.

I turned for the door and Prisha was by my side in an instant. "This does not bode well."

"Not in the least," Jester agreed as he stepped around us to take the lead.

When we exited the room, we walked down the hall and turned toward the train to leave.From the corner of my eye, I spotted the woman who'd introduced Marius to the crowd. She stood with two other of Marius' loyal followers. One was a huge vampire with muscles bulging from his body like he was a bodybuilder. The longer I looked at him, the surer I was that he was the one who'd picked me up and dragged me along the tunnels after the attack on the castle. The other one was a skinny, sleazy-looking vampire with greasy brown hair and dark-brown eyes. Though I couldn't make out their words, the woman seemed to be snapping at the other two. She gave them sharp gestures and cross looks while the two of them stood there taking it with their heads hung.

I grabbed Jester and Prisha, then pulled them around a corner and against the wall with me. Jester lowered his voice. "What?"

"Look." I motioned around the corner, pointing toward that little meeting of the minds.

Jester leaned around the corner and watched the group. A moment later he waved his hand, motioning for us to follow him. He pressed his body to the wall and we followed suit as we moved down the hall.

"Where are we going?" I whispered.

He pressed a finger to lips and shook his head. We continued creeping down the hall, and slowly it became darker and more cave-like. The three minions all continued walking until they hit a line of doors. They were lined up one after the other. Windows were on one side of them like in a precinct.

They flung the door open and marched into the room like they were about to attack something or someone. A moment later, I heard the woman's booming voice. "Who are you?" There was a faint murmur I couldn't make out and her voice boomed again. "Take him."

She marched out of the room with the huge vampire right behind her. He had a smaller vampire draped limply over his shoulder with his arms dangling over his head. Sweat soaked his clothing and dripped from his hair. The huge vampire turned toward the woman. "Now what?"

"We'll add this one to our ranks." She gave a harsh look at the two doors at the end of the hallway and her lip sneered. "I don't think the other two are going to make it. We'll clean that up later."

Not going to make it? How could they be so callous? I watched as they walked away farther into the darkness and out of sight. Once they were gone, I hurried to one of the doors and placed my hand on the knob.

Jester put his hand over mine, stopping me. "Maybe you want me to call in backup to handle this?"

"Why?"

"Because what you're going to find behind that door is not going to be pretty. And there are certain things you can't unsee."

"She said not going to make it ." I narrowed my eyes at him. "That means whoever or whatever is behind this door is alive . . . barely. We have to help."

Prisha licked her lips and looked through the window beside the door. "Oh god, get in there now."

Jester let my hand go and I yanked the door wide open. My adrenaline rushed through my veins as I walked into the dark room. There, on the floor, was a tiny vampire. She was slight, with dark, shaggy black hair and pale skin. She wore a thin grey sweater that seemed too big for her and baggy black jeans. Her body quivered in a pool of her own blood and sweat. Her eyes were closed up tight and her head lulled back and forth as she muttered incoherently to herself.

I dropped to my knees beside her and placed my hand on her head. "She's burning up."

"We need to get her out of here. Now." Jester placed his hands under her legs and around her back. In one fast move he was on his feet with this tiny vampire in his arms.

Prisha popped her head in the door. "I think there's more."

"More?" My voice went up an octave. "What the hell is he doing to these vampires?"

Jester started for the door. "I don't know exactly, but I have an idea."

Prisha looked down at the girl. "She looks like she's caught the sickness."

"What if it's not just the sickness? What if he's doing something to them to make them sick?" I didn't want to think this possible or that anyone would do this to anyone on purpose, but all arrows pointed toward Marius, especially because his people knew where these vampires were and were taking them somewhere.

"No, it can't be." Her lips turned down into a scowl. "On second thought . . ."

"I wouldn't put it past Marius." Jester hiked the tiny vampire up in his arms.

I nodded toward the girl. "Do you recognize her?"

Prisha shook her head. "No."

I leaned over her and held her cheek in my hand. "What's your name?"

"I'm no one," she murmured back.

"We have to go." Jester headed for the door, and I followed quickly behind him with Prisha beside me.

All the while, the tiny vampire repeated, "I'm no one. I'm no one."