Darklove

Part Seven SOULLESS

The second we walk into the Crachan, I can tell Noah is still asleep.

I don’t know what it is, or how I can sense it. It’s just one of those qualities I’ve acquired that have no rhyme or reason in my human brain. Which is really a joke, considering. As if anything in my world makes sense.

“I’m going to wake him,” I tell Rhine. “Be right down.”

“Aye,” Rhine answers, and disappears through the hall.

I hit the stairs and take them two at a time. One plus for long legs, I guess. I take the corridor at a jog and ease into Noah’s room.

I’m not prepared for what—or who—I see sitting in the chair against the wall, opposite Noah’s bed.

My little baby brother.

“Seth!” I choke out. I hurry to him, and at the same time he rises and launches at me, full weight. I catch him, and we embrace.

I’m shocked we’re no longer eye to eye. Rather, I have to look up at him. And I’m wearing spike-heeled boots.

“Ri!” he says into my neck. “I’ve missed you!”

For a moment, I forget all the craziness that’s become my world, forget vampires, blood, silver blades, and saving humans. I just inhale the familiar scent and feel of my little brother. I squeeze him tightly, and it takes me back to . . . before. That in-between time when I ran Inksomnia with my best friend, Nyx, and I tattooed for a living, and ordered Chinese food and had low-country boils with my Gullah family. I let it engulf me, for just a minute.

Then I pull back and scowl up at my brother.

My eyes widen. “Holy crap, Seth.” I finger his chin. “You’ve got freaking whiskers!”

Seth Poe grins, and the fact that he’s now almost seventeen blows me away. His dark hair is close-cut, like Eli’s brother Phin. Nicely arched dark eyebrows frame green eyes, just like mine, with long lashes most girls envy. But there’s a hardness about him now that wasn’t there before. In a way, I’m glad. He’s strong, and he’s grown.

And in another way, it saddens me. Innocence gone.

“I’ve been growing whiskers for a year now,” Seth says.

“Four single whiskers do not count, bro,” I remind him, and he grins. “What are you doing here anyway?” I stare at my brother, amazed at his physique. Although his are not nearly as severe as mine, he, too has tendencies. Strigoi tendencies. It’s what started all of this hell. Seth, on a dare by his pain-in-the-ass buddies, accidentally set free the entombed and deadly Arcos brothers. Seth was then drawn into Valerian’s Lost Boys’ cult in Savannah, and . . . Jesus Christ, I almost lost him.

Thanks to Eli and his family, he was saved.

And we realized Victorian Arcos wasn’t nearly as lethal as his brother, Valerian.

It’s been quite a hellish ride ever since.

“Your inspection of me, Ri, is kinda creepin’ me out,” Seth says with a grin. “Anyway . . .” He takes both my shoulders in his hands. “I kept having this bad feeling about you here,” he admits. “Preacher did, too. So he and Eli’s dad sent me.”

Eli. God Almighty, just hearing his name hurts. And saying what I have to say will hurt even more. “I have to tell you something.”

“Whoa, why are there so many Poes in my room?” Noah says, awakened. He’s sitting up now, still in bed. Dreads all over the place. He leaps from beneath the covers and, thank God, he’s wearing a pair of black workout pants. He’s barefoot, and in two steps he and Seth meet in the middle of the room. Noah pulls my brother into a fierce bear hug.

“What in Sam Hill are you doing here, boy?” Noah asks Seth. Noah’s Charleston drawl is appealing, and a little sensual. Especially when he’s serious. It gets, I don’t know . . . stronger. Almost like the old Noah, prevampirism, Revolutionary War Noah, is there, in his voice. Appealing.

Seth shrugs. “I got a bad feeling.” He looks at me. “About her.”

“She tends to stir that feeling in almost everyone she meets,” Noah says. He’s looking at me hard now, and I can tell he knows something’s up.

“How did you know to come here?” I finally ask.

Seth looks at me. “Jake Andorra told me you were in Inverness. Once I got here . . .” He shrugs. “I first went to the guesthouse you were supposed to be staying in. When you weren’t there, I just walked around until I . . . sensed you. I guess we look enough alike that the guys who were here let me in.” His eyes are questioning now. “What is it you have to tell me?”

“It’s Eli,” I say, and my throat constricts. I’m keeping focused, not dwelling on the fact that the very soul I love with all my might is the same one who’s turned dark, killing innocents, and doing so has made it almost seem surreal. To explain it? Say it out loud?

Pain. Deep, throbbing pain that starts in my gut and twists up my spine, to my throat and grabs on so fiercely I find it hard to even breathe normally.

But I do.

“What about Eli?” Seth asks.

“He’s turned, Seth,” Noah answers for me. “For the very worst.”

I look at Noah first, and I know he sees the appreciation in my eyes. Seth sits down in the chair he’d been in when I first walked in, and I finish telling him everything about Inverness. About how I’d gone into the alternative realm, dragged both Victorian and Eli out, and saved them. How Victorian had ended up back in Romania. And how Eli had grown fond of human blood, and Carrine. The killings. The Ness boys, and Rhine. Everything. My little brother sits in stunned silence the whole time I speak.

Then I have to tell both Noah and Seth the latest.

About Valerian Arcos.

Now I have two pair of stormy eyes staring at me. One green. The other pure liquid silver.

Both mad as hell.

Noah speaks first. “What the hell, Riley?” he says. “You knew it was him and you went anyway?”

I shoot a glance at Seth. He’s waiting on an answer, too.

“I took Rhine with me,” I answer.

“No, Rhine insisted on going because I made him swear he would watch out for you while I slept,” Noah corrected.

“Nah, that’s no’ exactly right, either,” Rhine says from the doorway. “I’d have gone, no matter what.” He eyes Seth for a moment.

“Rhine MacLeod, my little brother, Seth Poe,” I introduce. Rhine walks over and shakes Seth’s hand.

The two look each other over, and Seth nods. “You’ve got tendencies.”

Rhine nods in return. “Some.” He glances at Noah. “She kissed me.”

Noah’s brow lifts. “Is that so?”

I shake my head, glare at Rhine, and sigh. “Clarification. I had to make Valerian think he had one over on me so he would leave. He instructed me to do it.” I slide a sideways glance at Rhine. “So I did.”

“And what did he want?” Seth asks. “Does his father know he’s here?”

I nod. “I slipped Victorian the message, but Valerian doesn’t know that. Anyway, when I threatened to tell his dad, he didn’t seem overly concerned. He basically told me that Eli was far gone—too far for help. And that I needed to kill him before he killed me.”

“Did he mention the female?” Noah asks.

Again, I nod. “Said she’s just some female latched on to Eli. But I think he knows a lot more than what he’s letting on. Carrine told me at Eastgate that her savior had freed her of her prison. That she was basically under his command. Could be Valerian.”

“But we know she’s a witchpire,” Rhine adds. He looks at Seth. “Witch. Vampire. Old as bloody hell.”

“I think Valerian wanted his presence known,” I say. “He claims he’s killed only one innocent here in Inverness.” I look at Seth. “So far there’ve been five. And that’s not including the newbloods.”

“So what are you doing?” Seth asks. “To keep the city safe?”

I glance at Rhine and Noah, then at my brother. “Same thing we were doing in Savannah. Run the streets.”

“Only the lot of us, we’re human,” Rhine says. “I’m the only one wi’ any tendencies, and they’re mild compared to your sister’s abilities.”

Noah’s pacing now, and pulling on a white T-shirt over his head. “I don’t like it.” He ties his dreads back with a leather band. “There’s more to Arcos’s appearance than to simply tell you how much he doesn’t want you to die. He’s full of shit. He knows something.”

“Och, that’s no’ all he said,” Rhine offers. “He fancies Riley here.” He looks at me. “A lot.”

Noah makes a sound, almost a swear, in his throat. “I can only imagine. Still,” he says, “there’s something else going on.”

“He left,” I tell him. “I can sense his absence. He’s gone from Inverness.”

“Well, unfortunately, Eli is still here,” Noah says. “And Carrine. And they have to be stopped.”

“Why don’t we just capture Eli and bind him?” Seth asks. “Take him back to Savannah so Preacher can take him to Da Island for detox.” He looks at me. “Like we did with Ri?”

“What if it’s not Eli?” I offer. I walk to the window and pull the drapes. The city is ablaze with streetlights. The castle is illuminated on the hill. “What if the killings continue, even without Eli as a factor?”

“We’ll kill Carrine, too,” Noah offers. “I’ll make a call to Andorra.”

“Meanwhile,” says Rhine, “we’ll be hittin’ the streets tonight.” He looks at Seth. “You hungry?”

“Starved,” Seth admits.

“Well, let’s go get some grub.” Rhine inclines his head to the door. “Riley?”

“I’ll be down in a sec,” I say, and look at my brother.

He reads my mind because he comes straight to me, pulls me into another embrace.

“It’ll be okay, sis,” he says into my hair. “Whatever it takes, we’ll get Eli home and Preacher will make all of this right.”

“I hope so, bro,” I say. I squeeze him around his middle, locking my hands together. “God, I hope so.” I pull back. “Go. Eat. I’ll be down in just a bit.”

“Okay,” Seth says, and leaves with Rhine.

“I have to admit, Riley,” Noah says. He’s kicked off his black workout pants and is pulling on a pair of dark jeans. “Something doesn’t sit right with me about Arcos.” He buttons his fly, his stare remaining on mine. “There’s just more to it than him slipping into your dreams, then telling you to kill Eli. That’s just . . . too simple.”

“I don’t know,” I answer. “What motive would he have? Why doesn’t he just kill Eli himself? Why go through all this?”

Noah’s standing in front of me now, and he taps me on the nose with a forefinger. “Because, darlin’,” he says. His mercury eyes all but are illuminated. “That would be a big fucking no-no, now, wouldn’t it?” A smile lifts his mouth. “He can’t touch Eli Dupré. The Gullah, not to mention Eli’s entire family, would storm Romania and the House of Arcos would become a bloody vampire battleground. Senior Arcos knows it. And so does Valerian.”

I laugh. It’s almost too stupid to say out loud. “So Valerian seriously thinks he can simply put the Arcos whammy on me and make me kill my own fiancé?”

Noah shrugs and pulls on his boots. “Maybe.”

Maybe, indeed.

“Well,” I say, grabbing Noah’s leather jacket off the foot of the bed. I watch as he sheathes a few silver blades in the holster he’s now strapping on over his shoulders. “Whether Carrine is commanding the rogues, Eli, or Valerian . . .” I shake my head. “Either way, they have to be stopped. Maybe Eli doesn’t have to die.

“Why the rogues? What’s the—I don’t know—rationale? If Valerian in fact set free, resurrected, whatever—Carrine, why?” I ask.

Noah strokes his chin. “Maybe Valerian doesn’t have as much control as he thinks. Or,” he says, meeting my gaze, “maybe he does, and he’s just a sick bastard who gets off on the chase. The killing of innocents. And it’s no secret he loathes Eli.”

“Maybe he set Carrine free in order to use her for her witch powers?” I muse. “Valerian mentioned that could be how Vic disappeared and made it back to Romania.”

“Could be,” Noah answers.

I move to stand directly in front of Noah. I look up. “If there’s even a slight chance of capturing Eli and getting him back to Da Island, we gotta make it happen.”

“It’s going to take more than just us to subdue him,” Noah says. “He’s . . . full-on rabid, Riley. You were bad enough as a human with tendencies.” Noah takes the jacket from my hands and eases into it. His eyes never leave mine. “When we took you to Romania? God Almighty Damn, girl.” He chuckles. “You nearly tore the plane’s wiring out of the walls. You were some kind of out of control. Can you imagine what a full-blooded, blood-lusted two-hundred-plus-year-old vampire would be like?”

“I can imagine.”

“He’s strong, Riley. Damn strong,” he says.

I head to the door and stop, and Noah’s right behind me. I look up. “You scared?”

He smiles. “Hell yeah, I’m scared.” He shoves his hands into his jacket pocket and spreads it out like a cape, exposing the leather holster, sheaths, and blade hilts. “Just as I’m scared as hell that I’m gonna poke myself with one of these goddamn silver blades and turn to dust.”

“You’re not going to turn to dust, Noah,” I answer, and we both step out of the room. He closes the door and locks it, and we start up the corridor. Suddenly, I stop.

“Hey, I’ll meet you downstairs,” I say, and turn back to my room. “I need to change.”

“Why?” Noah asks, and starts up the hall. He throws a grin over his shoulder. “Can’t you run in them things?”

I take a look at the high-leather heeled boots I’m wearing, and shrug. “I can. For a while.”

Noah waves and hits the staircase. I turn and hurry into my room. I shut the door behind me and walk toward the bedside table. The moment my fingers graze the knob, I freeze. It’s dark, with only a small haze of streetlight shining in through the cracked drapes. The window is open, and cold November Highland air rushes in.

I’m not alone.

A sensation washes over me, and slowly, I scan the shadows. I search the other side of the room, and I turn back.

I gasp.

Eli is standing in front of me. A foot—twelve inches—is all the space that’s between us. His body is tense—so much I can feel the power rolling off him—and every muscle is rigid, hard. His eyes are red—not the beautiful cerulean I’m used to. But he’s not morphed into his vampirism. Only his eyes are different.

My vocal cords are frozen. My body is paralyzed. I stare hard at him, wishing him to recognize me. Why is he here? How the hell did he get in here?

His head cocks to the side, and he’s studying me so hard I feel adrenaline surge through me and realize it’s fear. I want to scan the room. Is Carrine here? Commanding him to kill me? Or to torture me, as Athios had warned? I want to run. I want to call out to him, scream his name, make him see me.

I want to touch him. So badly it hurts. Maybe if I do, he’ll remember me. He’ll remember us.

I concentrate. Focus. Holding his bloodred gaze, I breathe in. Out. Slowly, I lift my arm, reach my hand out to him. I’m grabbing blindly, gently when I feel his hand beneath mine.

For a split second, confusion flashes over Eli’s features. So quick I almost miss it. He could kill me so fast. I’ve seen how swift he turns. It’s little more than a blur, and his jaw extends, jagged teeth drop sharp and white, and he’ll go for my throat. He could snap my head right off like a dandelion. Right now he’s hesitating. And he’s alone. Is his resistance to Carrine’s control strengthening? Is he remembering me?

I swallow, pushing past my fear. My heart throbs inside my ribs, and I have to concentrate to keep my breathing under control. Staring, willing him to recognize me, I hold my hand against his.

“Eligius Dupré,” I whisper. “Eli, please, come back to me.”

Eli’s nostrils flare. His head cocks farther to the side, and his eyebrows pull together into a frown. He’s considering. Studying.

Or remembering?

“Riley, what’s the holdup?”

Noah’s voice startles me, and on instinct, I drop my hand and glance toward the door just as he enters. His face hardens, just that fast.

I turn my head back to Eli.

He has disappeared. My eyes move to the window, and the drapes are still fluttering. Hurrying over, I peer out into the night, my eyes searching the shadows, the street, the walk.

Eli’s gone.

At the window, I sag against it.

Noah’s beside me, his hand on my shoulder. “He could have killed you, Riley.” He squeezes me, his fingers digging into my bones. “I wouldn’t have been able to stop him, darlin’.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “I know that.” I look up at him. “He hesitated, though. Looked as if he was trying to figure something out.” I shrug. “Or figure me out. Do you think he remembered?”

“Hard to say.” He grasps my jaw gently and turns my face up to his. “If anyone’s capable of reaching a vampire through a bloodlust phase, it’s you.” He kisses me, a fast brush across the lips. “You’re kinda unforgettable, you know. And I’d like to keep you around for as long as possible, so if Eli approaches you again, call me.” He taps my temple. “In here.” He drops his hand and shakes his head. “Swear to God, for a human with so much power, you don’t utilize a third of it.”

“I guess I wasn’t thinking,” I admit. “Except to try and make him see me.”

Noah chucks me under the chin. “I know.” He inclines his head. “Let’s go.”

I finish changing, Noah helps me gear up, even though I don’t need the help, and we head out. Downstairs, Seth and Rhine stand together, talking.

Riley, please. I can barely stand this—being here, and not there. How are you holding up?

Vic, it’s okay. We’ve got a little unexpected help from a group of hunters here in Inverness. They’re apt. Kick-ass apt. We’re doing fine. I promise.

I don’t know what’s happening, Riley. I don’t like it. I have a horrible feeling about everything. I should come.

No. You stay put. At least until we get things figured out here. Eli is here, Vic. And he’s not himself. He’s being controlled by a witchpire, of all things.

Damn me. Haven’t heard that term in quite some time. Please. Don’t be overzealous with your abilities. Keep Miles with you at all times. I beg you.

I don’t think I have a choice anymore. He’s on me like glue.

Good. And a warning: The moment I feel you’ve upset the balance of safety there, I’m on the first plane to Inverness. I swear it.

I’ll keep you posted, Vic.

You’d better.

I finish my mind convo with Victorian Arcos and hit the living area. My eyes scan the room. My brother. He’s here. And I haven’t seen him in . . . weeks. Since before Edinburgh. I walk up to him, and he drapes a lean arm around my shoulders and pulls me close. I look up at him. “We run together tonight, bro,” I say.

“Lads, you know where tae go,” Rhine says to the twenty or so Ness boys gathered in the hall. A few faces are ones I haven’t seen yet. “Rob, Tate, Jep—you’ll run wi’ us.”

The Ness boys break down into groups and start filing out of the door. Noah walks over to us and places a hand on mine and Seth’s shoulders. He squeezes us both.

“You two Poes don’t stir up any extra unwanted trouble,” he warns. “And don’t approach Eli or Carrine alone. If you cross paths, call me.”

I nod. “We will.”

“And if Arcos—either one—tries to get to you, don’t entertain that, either.”

I throw Noah a grin. “Yes, Mother.” Noah probably never will trust Victorian Arcos, but I do. He’s on our side, and I don’t think he ever was as evil as everyone claims. I feel lighter now. More hopeful. The possibility that Eli is trying to resist Carrine lifts my spirits. I want to save him. So bad.

Noah waves and disappears out the door. We’re right behind him.

Outside, the air is cold and the wind brisk; a fine mist falls, and I pull my hair into a ponytail. Scanning the front of the Crachan’s lot, I notice Noah’s already disappeared with his group. With Rhine in the lead, we head off.

We run the city for four hours before I notice anything. Seth and I have scaled a row of buildings, and we leap the rooftops as Rhine, Tate, Rob, and Jep jog the sidewalk below. It’s just after ten p.m. I stop, listening.

Seth stops, too. The thigh-length leather coat he’s wearing conceals as many silver blades as I have on me. A skully keeps his hair plastered down. “What is it?” he asks.

I lift my chin, smell the air, zone all city noises out. Streetlights illuminate side streets, and I cast a glance over the cityscape. Coned turrets and spires from the city center jab the air, and the castle sits light up on the hill, holding sentry over the city.

But something’s not right.

“What is it?” Seth asks again. He, too, scans the skyline.

I shake my head, stare at the rooftop under my feet. I close my eyes.

Then I hear it. Not a faint word, but a voice, in my head.

Ah, ma chère. There you are. Bon. I want you to remember something very important, oui?

My eyes flutter open, then shut again; I’m desperate not to lose what was happening.

“Riley, what’s going on?” Seth says at my side. He grabs my chin and forces me to look at him. I do, but I smile, press two fingers to his lips to silence him, and close my eyes.

Yes, ma chère, there you go. I need your complete concentration to speak with you as such.

“Mr. Dupré,”I say in my head. “You could’ve just called me on my cell.”

Eli’s father chuckles. “Now, what good is having such fine, combined inhuman tendencies if not to use them thusly? My dear girl, I won’t keep you long, but I want you to know only this. My son loves you deeply—more than his own existence. Never has he given his heart away to another, since our human life. Only to you. And other than my love for my beloved wife, I’ve never seen another vampire love so completely. If anyone can dredge him from the hell he is in and save him, it is you, my darling. Remember the blood coursing through you is filled with more than simply Arcos’s Strigoi. You have Dupré in you as well. You always will. Bring my son home, ma chère.”

“I will, Mr. Dupré. I swear it,” I answer. “I . . . ache inside without him. All the time.”

“Ah, well, that’s because he’s the other half of your soul, chère. You, us, and what we are? It was meant to be. From the very start. Take care now, and stay close to that Miles boy. He’ll keep you safe.”

Strong hands are shaking my shoulders with violent force.

“Riley!” Rhine growls.

I ignore him for a moment more.

“Thanks, Mr. Dupré. Could you please send your other sons to help? Time we start wrapping things up here. I’m so ready to come home. With my fiancé.”

“Ah, ma chère, how often must I remind you to call me Gilles? And Eligius’s brothers are already on their way. They’ll be in Inverness by morn.”

“Thanks, Gilles. I promise, I will bring him back safely.”

“I’ve never doubted that you will.”

I open my eyes to find Rhine and Seth glaring at me. I smile. “I’m okay, fellas. Just having a little head convo with my future father-in-law.” Jake Andorra must have spoken with Eli’s father. I pray I can keep my word. I incline my head to the street, where Rhine has been staring holes at me for the last few minutes. “Let’s go.”

Seth follows me down to the street, finally leaping to the ground. Rhine stares hard at me. “What’s up?” he asks.

“We’ve got a little help coming in the morning,” I offer. “For now, take us to the darkest dregs of Inverness.”

A knowing gleam shines in Rhine’s eyes. “This way,” he offers, and turns and heads into the shadows.

With a nod, Seth and I follow Rhine and the other Ness boys into the darkness.

I’m tired of all this bullshit.

I want my fiancé back.

I want that witchpire bitch to turn to dust.

And I want to get the fuck out of here.