The Sharpest Kiss by Elizabeth Myles (the false prince .txt) 📕

brought her some stuff. Clothes to change into and a volunteer, some vampire groupie to drink from because she was bound to be hungry after all that time, but…I guess it wasn’t enough. She drained him in two seconds and then came after the rest of us. We all scattered, all ran, but she was fast. Tom and I are the only ones who escaped.”

Kiefer and Nathan exchanged a glance.

“How did you get her out of the ground?” Kiefer asked Theo. “Tools? Dynamite?”

“We had a spell to cut through any wards and break up the concrete. From the boss.”

“The boss? Who’s that?”

Theo attempted a shrug, but it was difficult with his arms bent behind him and strapped to the back of the chair. “Calls himself Dorian, but rumor has it that’s not his real name. I don’t know who he really is.”

“You’ve never met him?”

“Nope. He texts or emails us, calls us if it’s important. Pays by electronic transfer. It’s a lot of money.”

“He sent you to get Celia?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? What’s this Dorian want with her?”

“Don’t know.”

“Where is she now? Does he have her?”

Theo shook his head. “No, she’s gone.”

“Gone?”

“We were supposed to bring her to him, but she got away. Disappeared. We can’t find her now.”

Kiefer’s hand balled into a fist at his side. “Why did you and Tom come here earlier, Theo? How did you know about me and where to find me?”

“Celia,” Theo said. “When she bit us, she showed you to us. In our minds, you know. You and the vampire who’d put her into the ground. She was real angry about it. Hates the both of you with a passion. We found this place by following the traces left behind by your using magic here all the time. And we were able to break into your office ’cause your wards had gotten sloppy.”

Again, Kiefer made a fist.

“Celia bit you?” Nathan finally spoke up, addressing Theo. “I thought you said you and Tom had escaped from her.”

“We did. After she bit us. She didn’t drain us all the way, obviously. Didn’t try to kill us or turn us. Probably full already by the time she got to us, I don’t know. Anyway, Tom and I woke up later and got away. Called Dorian, told him what’d happened. He was real interested in learning a vampire had been responsible for trapping Celia. Said he’d send another group of guys to come down and look for her, but that me and Tom ought to come and find you,” Theo looked at Kiefer, but still in an unfocused way, “and the vampire who’d helped you. He wants him, too. Wants Nathan.” He looked at Nathan, who said nothing.

“What’s he want him for?”

“Couldn’t tell you.”

Kiefer paced back and forth for a second, and then stopped in front of Theo again. “When you were in my office earlier, you got a phone call. Right after you quit whaling on me. That was why you stopped rifling through all my stuff and took off. Was it Dorian calling you?”

Theo nodded. “Yep. He said he’d had reports Celia had attacked some other people around town. He wanted us to go join the other guys he’d sent to look for her, forget about you for now and just help them find Celia before she went completely berserk and blew the whole operation.”

“Is that where you’ve been since then? Looking for Celia?”

“Yeah, but we can’t find her,” he reiterated.

Kiefer and Nathan looked at one another again. Some silent signal passed between them, and Kiefer said, “Alright, Theo, you’ve been helpful. Get some sleep now.” He touched the captive’s forehead, and Theo’s head lolled forward on his neck, his chin resting on his chest. Jessica heard him snore.

“Wow, that was crazy,” she breathed, bringing her hand to her mouth. Everyone else, looking stunned, ignored her.

Kiefer rubbed his face and exhaled, widening his eyes at Nathan. “What the what, man? Who is this Dorian guy, and what does he want with Celia? With you?”

“I cannot begin to imagine, but this is bad. Very bad.”

“Understatement of the century,” Kiefer muttered, but in his good-natured way. “Okay, so, let’s work this out. The last incident I saw reported happened a few days ago. I’d wondered why Celia had stopped attacking after only biting a few people, and why she hadn’t killed anybody. Now I know she was probably ‘full,’ like Theo said, and just going around biting for the fun of it—and to turn a few folks.” He glanced at Aaron and Jason. “I’m guessing now she’s probably found someplace to sleep off her food coma. Somewhere underground, maybe, which is why they couldn’t find her—”

He was cut off by the sound of Aaron suddenly letting out a low, painful groan. Everyone’s attention went to him, and Jessica saw him doubling over, his hands pressed to his temples.

“Aaron!” Lucy put her arm around his shoulders.

Nathan went over and helped Aaron into a chair. “Lucy, get him some water, please,” he directed. While Lucy scampered off to do as he’d said, Nathan tilted back Aaron’s head and looked into his eyes. “Aaron, what is the matter? Can you hear me? Are you seeing something?”

It did look like Aaron was looking at something, Jessica thought. Something none of the rest of them could see. His gaze was fixed beyond Nathan’s shoulder, and his breathing was coming in shallow gasps, as though whatever held his attention was upsetting him. Lucy came back and handed Nathan an open bottle of water. He joggled Aaron by the shoulder, repeating his name until he seemed to snap out of it, his eyelids fluttering as he shook his head. “Are you alright?” When Aaron nodded, Nathan passed him the bottle. “Here, drink some.”

Jessica watched Aaron down almost half the water before bursting out with, “What just happened, Aaron? Did you have a vision or something?” She knew she sounded demanding, but she couldn’t help it. She’d never been very good at waiting for things.

“Jessica,” Lucy glared at