Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

PIPER

" C ome along, Piper. Come. Along." Theon wrapped his hand around my wrist and tugged me down the hall away from his room and the mirror Grayson leapt through.

I pulled back on his grip, yanking free. "I have to get to him."

He whirled around to face me. His eyes were wide with panic, and he motioned wildly to the portal as he spoke. "In case you haven't noticed, your boyfriend has lost his bloody mind. He's gone mad. There isn't a thing you can do about it on your own. You need help. The kind of help the King can provide. Grayson will be too strong for you."

When he looked at me with those deep, serious sage eyes, I wanted to give in and listen to what he said. He'd been a vampire far longer than me. He would know better. But my instincts screamed at me to go after Gray to help him. Standing here arguing with Theon was going to do nothing but waste my time and any chance I had of catching up with him. The urgency was so deep in the pit of my stomach that I was so tempted to knock Theon out and take off running.

Deep down I knew Grayson needed me, and I'd held my own against him before. He had the element of surprise the first time. Now he wouldn't surprise me. I would keep holding my own until we fixed whatever the hell this was.

"And I am just as strong," I said.

His face fell and he hung his head. "Piper, not for this. I saw him. The Grayson you know no longer exists."

The thought of the Grayson I knew not existing in the same world as me sent a searing pain through my chest. When I pressed my hand over my heart, Theon's eyes lingered on the soulmate mark winding around my wrist. He shifted from one foot to the other and ran his hand through his hair, tugging at the strands. His mouth opened and closed a few times like he didn't know what to say to me.

"Oh, Piper." His voice trailed off with a hint of sadness.

"Don't look at me like that." I squared my shoulders and glared at him. I'd gotten that look all my life with each new foster home I moved into—the pitying looks like they all thought I was something or someone to feel bad for. I didn't see myself that way, and I wouldn't have Theon seeing me that way either.

"I'm not looking at you like anything." He shook his head and strands of that dirty-blond hair fell over his forehead into his eyes.

"Yes, you are." I took a step back from him. "We are going to figure this out. Whatever happened to Grayson, I can help, and I can figure it out."

"Piper . . ." He groaned and his words trailed off. His eyes widened as he looked past me.

I spun around to see Night Spawn vampires flooding out of the mirrors. They didn't look like they'd been at a ball, but rather through a battle. Their clothing was ripped. Blood spatters covered the material and their exposed skin. But there was a look of shock on their faces, like they were shell-shocked, and it looked as if they were a panicked stampede running from something. Prisha limped toward us with Martin by her side. She leaned into him as he held most of her weight against him.

My jaw dropped. "What happened to you?"

"You look bloody awful." Theon took a step back from them as he looked them up and down.

Prisha's eyes flooded with unshed tears. Her emerald ball gown was shredded into strips around her legs. Her skin was scraped up as though she'd fallen or been dragged across the ground.

She narrowed her eyes at Theon. "As if you don't know!"

Confusion riddled his features and his brow furrowed. He wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "How the devil would I know?"

"Marius and his supporters attacked the ball this evening." Martin's lip pulled up into a sneer, and he too glared at Theon. "A lot of vampires were hurt and killed tonight."

I froze and my stomach dropped. "He did WHAT?"

"I lost Sanchita in the fray. I don't know what happened to her." Tears spilled over Prisha's cheeks and fell onto her dress, making the emerald color even darker in spots. "And now we have no idea what will happen to any of us."

I knew the relationship between the Night Spawn and Blood Born vampires was strained at best. Would this be the tipping point for war? It would be exactly what Marius wanted. This was nothing more than a power grab, plain and simple. No one wanted war between the factions. No one but him. He was using the majority to cater to his own whims.

"That greedy bastard."

"There must be some mistake," Theon muttered and scrubbed a hand over his face. He shook his head and met Martin's eye. "He can't have."

"Don't play daft with me. You're his progeny. You've been a devout right-hand man for decades. Can you think us so blind as to not see how you'd fit in with this plan? Perhaps a double agent?" I'd never seen Martin so angry. His normally perfectly styled blond hair was completely disheveled. His pressed suit was torn and wrinkled . . . and one of his shoes was missing.

Theon put his hands on his hips and sucked in a deep breath, then let it out in a long huff. His eyes widened as he shifted from one foot to the other. "This can't be true."

"Oh, you think me a liar, like you?" Martin looked like he was about to pounce on Theon.

"We have to get to the castle," Theon insisted as he wrapped his hand around my wrist and started to try to pull me along with him. He turned toward Prisha. "We'll find Sanchita, I promise."

"Don't fall for it, Piper." Martin got in Theon's face. "She's not going anywhere with you. And we will find her ourselves. We don't want your help, traitor."

I knew the vampires needed Grayson for this. He was the bridge between the vampire factions. If anyone could stop a war from coming, it would be him. More vampires came through the mirrors crowding the hall, all shoving into each other all to get away from whatever had happened at the castle. They shoved into us and his grip broke from my wrist. I stumbled back, but in that moment, I took my chance. I darted toward the mirror Gray had disappeared into. I didn't have time to pray that my power would work to get me through it.

I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see Martin tackle Theon to the ground as he tried to stop me. They wrestled on the floor as I pressed my hand to the mirror and leapt through. My thoughts were only of where Grayson could possibly be. The liquid was cool and slimy against my skin as I moved through it and fell into what looked like a tunnel. There was a pinpoint of light at the end of it, and I ran toward it with my vampire speed, thinking only of one thing . . . Grayson.

The mirror turned liquid and peeled across my skin on the other side and fell away. I landed on my feet on top of loose gravel. I glanced around trying to acclimate to my surroundings. I was in some kind of tunnel. It was smooth and round and so very dark. My toe hit something metal, and before I could glance down, a bright light hurtled toward me at a racing speed. The ground vibrated and I realized the metal things at my feet were rails. The screeching sound of a train filled the air, and I leapt back against the wall. It sped past me only inches from my body. Wind whipped down the tunnel and my hair flew around my face. The sound was deafening and everything vibrated around me. I sucked in a deep breath and held it. I pressed myself to the wall and closed my eyes, waiting for it to pass.

I was a vampire, with all the benefits that came with that, but I had no idea if I would survive being made roadkill or not. Something about the force that it sped down the tunnel made me think being exploded by a train wasn't something a vampire would survive. Once the subway passed, I turned and sprinted toward the platform. I didn't know if Grayson would be here, but I had to try to find him. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. If I could have but a moment with him, I could fix this. Whatever this was. I had to believe I could. There was no other option.

I leapt up onto the platform and spun around searching for him. I didn't know if searching for him this way would work or if I was just standing in the tubes looking like a crazy person. I had to have looked mad with my hair in tangles and dried blood across my skin. My silky white dress was in tatters around me, and I had more skin exposed than not. My scratches had all but healed. The bruises were nearly faded. Grayson's blood was more than just my drug of choice, it was magical the way it healed me.

The platform wasn't crowded this early in the morning. It had to be nearly four. The air was cool against my skin. The smell of snow drifted from the street above. Cool air whipped down the stairs toward me as I tiptoed my way down the platform. Signs for where I was hung above my head: Still in London . Two men ran past me looking over their shoulders with fear fresh on their faces. My instincts screamed that it was Grayson who terrified these men.

I moved in the direction they ran from and found a shadow lingering in a darkened corner behind the stairs. A man's arms flailed helplessly, and a low growl drifted on the air. Grayson had his arm wrapped around the guy, holding him like a boa constrictor. His fangs were deep in his neck, and the sound of his sucking filled the air. I wrinkled my nose at the violence of it, how dark and dirty this was. The rules for feeding had changed long ago. Vampires didn't hunt their prey in the shadows of the night anymore, yet here Grayson was with a victim of his own.

The sound of the man's heartbeat slowed, and I knew death was nearly at his door. I stepped into the light, letting Grayson see me. "Grayson, stop!"

His eyes snapped up to mine, and I could tell he wasn't in there. Those lines forked out over the whites of his eyes. He growled at me and sank his fangs deeper into the man's skin. Any moment now he would kill him from the sheer amount of blood loss. Blood rushed through my veins as my panic took over.

I held my hand up and that fine red mist drifted from my skin. I tried to control it to tap into something deep within myself that made me want to stop this. I wanted it with all of my being. If he killed someone now, there was no turning back. He would forever be marked as a murderer, and it was not something even a cherished prince could survive. There would be consequences. I just wanted to keep him safe. With everything I was, I wanted to keep him safe. But if he did this now, all would be lost.

"Grayson, you have to stop now!"

He growled and jerked, trying to resist my power, but I forced more mist to seep from deep within. That red mist shot from me and wrapped around him like a cape. He opened his mouth and shoved the man away, letting him fall to the ground in a heap at his feet. He hissed in my direction but made no move to attack. Energy sizzled between us, and I didn't know what to do to stop whatever this was. But I knew if I got him home, they might be able to do something. "Come with me, Gray. We can help you."

He leapt at me and slammed into my body so hard the breath left my lungs. But I was ready this time and kept my feet. We skidded across the cement floor, leaving deep scratches in our wake. Our bodies twisted around and slammed into the walls, creating dents and crumbling the walls to the ground. He spun so quickly I lost my footing. My body went airborne as he threw me across the tracks onto the other side. I landed on the platform and then slid across the ground, my skin scraping at the rough surface. But I wasn't going to stop now. I sprang to my feet, leapt back to his side, and hit him like a lineman playing football. I wrapped my arms around him and threw him up toward the ceiling. He crashed there and the tunnel shook. The lights flickered above our heads. They popped and shattered, raining down on us like sparklers.

He crashed to the ground at my feet, and I stood over him. "Come on, Gray, I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to."

His arm shot out and he grabbed my ankle and jerked me down. He sprang forward and pounced on top of me. I held my arm up to block him, and he opened his mouth, baring his fangs. His teeth sank into my forearm, piercing my skin. My instincts took over and I shoved my body forward into his and struck hard and fast, biting him back. I pierced his skin, and his delicious flavor flooded my mouth. His grip on me loosened and I felt his fangs leave my arm, but I wasn't about to let go of him.

He groaned deep in his throat, and my name escaped his lips like a whispered prayer. "Piper?"

I withdrew my fangs and scooted off him. I knelt before him and caught his eye. "Gray, you have to tell me what's going on! What's wrong with you?"

He cupped my face in his hands, and when those warm mahogany eyes met mine, all I saw was devastation. We were only inches apart and I wanted to press even closer. I lowered my voice to a whisper, hoping he could hear how much I just needed him. "Let me help you."

"No one can help me now." He ground his teeth together and sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. "But do one thing for me?"

"Anything. Just come with me, please." I wrapped my arms around his wrists and pulled him closer. This whole thing scared me. Grayson was in deep shit, and I felt helpless to do anything.

"Tell Atlas to keep his word to me." He pressed his lips to mine and fire shot through my veins. It was dark and desperate, like a dead man walking kind of kiss, like he believed it would be the last kiss we'd ever share. The world could have burnt to the ground around me and all I'd want was him.

The train came to a halt behind him, and I held onto him for dear life. He pulled away from me all too soon and stepped back into the train. The doors slid closed between us and his face fell. He threw his head back and bellowed to the ceiling. He dropped to his knees and fisted his hair. I'd never seen him so tortured, like there was no hope left in the world. The train shot into motion, and he was gone in seconds, leaving me there kneeling on the ground as he left me again.