hitting his intended target, he staked her in the shoulder. With her waning strength, she gripped the wooden stake and pulled it out, falling back from the pain. “Never again,” she said crushing it into pieces.
Cristian clutched his chest as the pain subsided. John, stiff as a board, stared at the coven as they began to recover from their convulsive state. “She’s still alive,” Samuel panted. “Yes,” Lisa gasped. Billy breathed a sigh of relief. “She’s a fighter,” Anna said wiping her brow. “But we know she can’t hold out for long, and we have to find her.” She got up and took the blindfold from Randi’s face. “We know you know Pearson, so there’s no use lying about it.” So you’re going to tell us where he is and you’re going to tell us now,” she glared. Randi swallowed hard, staring at the Lisa, Cody, and Billy and the other vampires staring at her with fury in their eyes.
“Where is Rafael?” John said. “I knew you were lying,” Randi said.He shrugged. “Where’s Rafael and where did he take Queen Sage?” he asked. “I don’t know where he is,” she said innocently. “You’re lying,” Anna said. “I can smell it.” She grabbed Randi by the throat dragging her claws dangerously across her jugular. “He hurts our queen, you will die,” she said firmly. “Now, where is he?” “Answer the question,” Cristian said, appearing in the room still clutching his chest. “Cristian West,” Randi thought. “Rafael didn’t tell me he was a vampire.”
“Where did he take her and my parents?” he asked. “I received a phone call from my mother begging me for help,” he said. “You know where they are,” he said, stepping closer to Randi and peering into her eyes. “Tell me.” “He told me that they were in a building,” she said.
“He didn’t say where. I swear.” “She’s lying,” Lisa said. “I’m telling the truth,” she stammered. “I don’t know where he took them, honest.” “You’re covering for him because you’re in love with him,” Anna said. Randi felt her face flush as her mouth dropped in astonishment. “I can always tell when someone’s in love,” she said. “I hear it in their quickened heartbeat and the catch in their voice, and see it in the dreamy look in their eyes.” “It’s always the same.” Daniel stared at her curiously. “Since you won’t tell us the truth, I have no choice but to…,”
“Wait,” Cristian said. “Don’t kill her,” he said staring in her eyes. “Thank you,” she said softly. “The only thing he said was that he’d take her to a place that no one would ever suspect,” she said. “Now you’re telling the truth,” Anna said. “Sorry I’m unable to be of more help,” Randi offered. “Save it for someone who cares,” Anna said. “Get her out of here,” she said to Billy. “I’ll take her,” Cristian said. He escorted her out of the room as everyone began to discuss locations where Rafael could’ve taken Sage. “A warehouse maybe,” Lisa said. “An abandoned building,” Anna said. “We’ll need to search every abandoned building in the city.” “What about a church?” John asked. “Highly unlikely,” Anna replied. “Vampires can’t step foot inside a church, let alone even open the door.” “Why?” he asked. “Because churches represent light and things sacred, whereas vampires are of darkness and things unholy,” she said plainly.
“If you truly know where Sage is, this is your chance to speak up,” Cristian said at the door. “She’s very important to me.” Randi glanced down at the floor unable to stare into his eyes, feeling a tinge of guilt. “My parents said they were being held at a building,” he said. “Do you have any idea where Rafael could’ve taken them?” “He mentioned once about an abandoned building in New Jersey,” she said. “But I don’t know if he took them there.”
Pedro opened the door staring at Randi and at Cristian before he vanished in the dark hallway.
“Where do you live?” he asked as they walked out the door. She tried to look back toward the darkened hallway, but he closed the door. She gave him her address. “Why?” she asked. “Just keep your eyes on me,” he said. Before she could speak, they were outside her apartment building. “Wow,” she said, impressed. Cristian gave her his phone number. “Call me when you think of anything helpful,” he said. “Okay,” she said. She turned around to say something, but he had vanished.
“I felt a sudden pain in my chest,” Pedro said, staring at everyone. “That’s what you felt when I was staked.” “Yes,” Lisa said. “Part of the downside of being so closely knit,” Billy said.
“We can feel when one of the members is staked or harmed.” “Why is that?” John asked.
“Because we’re all connected by blood,” Anna replied. “Meaning you’ve shared each other’s blood?” he asked. “Yes,” Billy answered. John’s face went pale at the thought. “That woman knows where Sage is, and she’s hiding something,” Anna said. “We need to follow her.” “Maybe that’s what she wants,” Samuel said. “Maybe she wants us to follow her to lead us into a trap.”
“Why does everything have to be a conspiracy with you?” Cristian said, standing at the doorway. “Everything isn’t a conspiracy,” Samuel said irritated. “I just know that sometimes things aren’t how they appear.” “Oh, like your friendship with Sage,” Cristian retorted. Pedro stared at the both of them, confused. “I’m not going to argue with you,” Samuel said. “Instead of arguing over whose is bigger, can we focus on Queen V for once?” Daniel said exasperated.
“The constant bickering is nerve-wracking.” “I’m going out for some air,” Samuel said. Anna approached Cristian who snickered as Samuel walked past him briskly. “You keep pushing him, and he will push back,” she warned.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped.
“Ever since Sage turned you, you’ve been walking around here putting on airs because you’re her mate.”
“Sage never wanted you to be a vampire, did you know that?”
“Yes,” he snapped. “I know.”
“And what makes you think you’re her equal?” Anna said. “You’re not the king.” “She made me a king,” he snapped. “I have the same powers she has.”
“Not so,” Pedro interrupted. “You don’t have the same powers as Queen V.” Daniel and Billy sat down on the antique chair along with Lisa, Cody, and John waiting for the impending explosion.
“What do you mean?” Cristian said angrily. “Queen V has the ability to change her form into mist, vapor, an animal, and even an insect.”
“I haven’t seen you do this yet.” “Well, I hate to state the obvious,” Cristian replied, “But you were just dust after I staked you.” Pedro winced. “How would you know what I’m capable of doing?”
“And Sage has never been arrogant about her power or belittled anyone in her family,” Anna said angrily. “Queen V has the power of suggestion, and she can command the elements,” Pedro said. “Have you done this?” Cristian didn’t respond. “I didn’t think so,” Pedro snapped.
“He has power of illusion,” Anna said, “None of the others.”
“Sage didn’t teach him.”
“Because she saw the same thing I’m seeing.” “You have become cocky, and this is what she feared.”
“You’re nothing more than an average vampire with superhuman strength.” Pedro sneered. “You’re not Queen V’s equal.”
“You think I’m going to believe the word of someone so obsessed with Sage that you tried to kill me!” Cristian said. He stared at Anna, “Or the word from her control-freak best friend!”
“Sage made me her mate because she loves me, and I don’t have to justify our love to any of you,” he said. “Lastly, what happens between Sage and me is just that.” ‘It’s our business and none of yours.” He stomped out the room and down the hallway.
“He’s bloody unbearable at times,” Anna said. “I’ll be glad when Sage is back, because she and I need to have a talk about him.”
John got up shaking his head.
“We don’t normally have fighting like this,” Lisa said. “When tensions are high people, lose their tempers quickly,” Cody said. “I’ll be glad when things are tranquil again,” she said. John started for the door. “John, there’s something we need to ask you,” Lisa said. “It’s about what’s on your laptop.” He stopped in his tracks as if he hit an invisible boundary. “You read my writing?” he stated angrily. “I didn’t do it on purpose,” Lisa said. “But to answer your question, yes, and why are you writing about vampires?”
Cristian walked into Sage’s bedroom. “I don’t have the same powers as you,” he huffed.
“The nerve.” He sat down on their bed and lay down on the silken sheets. “You wouldn’t have made me your mate and told me about the coronation if you didn’t want me to have the same powers as you,” he thought.
He began to think of instances when he saw Sage and Samuel talking and of how at ease they were with each other. “Now I’m becoming jealous like Pedro,” he said. “I need to give you the benefit of the doubt,” he thought, remembering his own indiscretion at the nightclub. “I just don’t like the thought of him touching you. When you return, we’ll need to talk about our future and where the coven fits into it. I think it’s best if we all went our separate ways.”