Alpha's Legacy (Black Moon Saga Book 3)

28. Something Rotten This Way Comes

“What is that smell?” I can’t resist the urge to ask Bria, whispering it to her quietly enough that I hope the other vampires down here can’t hear me.

It really, really stinks now that we’re only a step or two away from being on the same level as the others. I don’t want them to be offended, but I’m incredibly curious about what they could possibly be doing down here that smells so awful. I’ve been under the impression that even the fledglings they take in are fed with blood rations, which are practically odorless because of their sterile packaging. And yet, in this basement, I’m overwhelmed by the stench of death, as if there is a dead and rotting animal carcass in the vicinity.

“Scott has recently discovered the first of his vampiric talents, and it smells like he’s been practicing that,” she explains. “Though I’m surprised you’re not used to that scent by now. It should smell pretty much the same as when Tian uses his abilities. I mean, didn’t he teleport you here?”

“Yeah, and that’s not the scent I mean. I smell vampires, and I smell their abilities, but there’s something else.” I lower my voice and lean in to whisper, “It smells like a dead animal.”

She pauses to sniff the air for a moment, holding out a protective hand to keep me back. It’s worrisome how she’s suddenly tensed up and seems to be searching for some hidden threat now.

“You have an aunt who practices dark magic, right?” she asks, whispering even more softly than I did. “Have you been around her since you’ve had your magic? Does this smell a bit like her spells?”

It’s been years since I’ve seen Aunt Lizaine, but now that she mentions it, the odor is kind of like that. Except her spells were only faintly stinky, and whatever this is smells so strong that I fear it might choke me if we get any closer to the source. I would ask her how I’m the only one of us who even smells it, but I already know the answer to that. I’m a caster, and she’s not.

“Yeah, I suppose so, but this is way worse,” I answer her after thinking it over.

She stiffens, taking in a sharp breath as though my words hit her like a slap in the face, and begins to inch forward so that she can peek around the upcoming doorway that appears to lead into a room or hallway to the left, just beyond the stairs.

“Get back upstairs, and go straight to your room and lock the door,” she commands, turning back to me for only a brief moment to give me a stern look that reminds me of how Tian would look at me in this situation.

I know better than to argue, understanding that I’m not an experienced enough caster to be of much use against a dark caster of some sort, so I only nod and turn to do as she says.

Regretfully, I should add. Vampires are resistant to magic, but their powers are not as effective against them as my spells would be if I only knew how to use them. My father taught me how to use basic utility spells such as teleport, but up against a dark caster is not the time to be experimenting with how far my natural abilities might extend.

I don’t get very far before realizing that the smell is growing stronger the closer I get to the top of the stairs, which means I’m heading right for it now. Just as I turn back to tell her that, I feel something wrap around me, pinning my arms in place at my sides and holding me in that spot. The same magical barrier that activated on its own the night that Lee surprised me with a midnight visit makes its return, or at least it tries to, bursting out of me without me giving it any thought or command to do so.

That captures Bria’s attention, and she stops in her tracks to try to see what’s going on with me, just as a man’s voice cries out in pain from right behind me. I hear him chanting and feel a prickling, stinging sensation creeping up all over my body, and then my barrier goes away.

Whatever the man is doing, he’s doing it in a way that I can’t even see him despite being able to sense him in pretty much every other way. I think it’s his arm that’s wrapped around me, and the scent of his foul magic is everywhere now. I can hear him right next to my ear, and I also see that Bria is charging up the stairs after me.

But knowing that I might actually have a better chance to fight back than she does since I know where he is, I start trying to imagine what I want to do to him. It’s easier said than done, though, considering that I’m also freaking out, and I don’t even know what he looks like. I also don’t know what my options are, but I’m going for pushing him away. It feels like the most important thing is to separate myself from him, and then I can teleport to my room or something.

“Use your wolf senses, Anna Jade, and tell me where you think the caster might be,” Bria instructs me, her voice calm and soothing though her face looks as worried as I feel.

I’m just about to tell her that he’s right behind me when I start to feel my body tingling and realize that my vision is blurring in a familiar way. We’re teleporting, I just know it. I only wish I knew how to stop it. I do try, though, picturing in my mind how I’d like to stay right where I am.

“I don’t know how you’re doing that, but it would be in your best interest to stop it,” the man threatens right in my ear, and I can’t help whimpering a little in response.

My eyes were closed again to aid in using my imagination, so it’s not until I open them that I realize we’re in a new location now. It’s one I haven’t seen before, though I do recognize the vampire making his way over to me. It’s Shy, one of Bria’s crew that she said would be waiting for us in the basement. That must be where we are now.

I'm shaking, and it takes everything in me to resist the urge to burst into tears when I realize that the man has somehow prevented me from even opening my mouth to speak. I can also sense that he’s using more of his magic, though Goddess only knows for what.

“Where’s the witch?” Shy asks me, probably not realizing that I’m just standing here not moving because the caster he’s looking for is currently right behind me.

I don’t know how to tell him that, either, considering that I can’t move my mouth or even my arms to show him. I try to show him with my eyes, though I think all I succeed in doing is confusing him.

“She must be holding her,” Bria announces, bursting into the room. “She disappeared right in front of me and reappeared here, so the witch must be in contact with her.”

“I’m insulted that you assume I’m a witch,” the man’s voice says, and though I can’t seem to move my head to look, he must also reveal himself to them judging by their reactions. “I would have figured you’d heard of me by now, with all the time you’ve been spending in my territory lately.”

That’s about when I realize that Shy and Bria aren’t the only vampires in this room. There’s another man, and I know Caz was supposed to be down here too, but it isn’t him. I assume it’s the Scott guy that Bria was telling me about, and the woman with him must be Deborah.

They’re not what I expected, though. Scott’s eyes have gone completely black, and he seems to be in some sort of rage state now, charging over to where we are and getting frustrated when he crashes into an invisible barrier before backing up and doing it again. The barrier must be the containment cell that Bria told me about. Deborah seems to be better off than he is, though she looks agitated as well. She’s on her feet now and inching her way over to us, though she’s also taking deep gulps of air and clenching her fists, trying to control herself.

The man behind me seems to find them amusing, even going so far as to laugh when he sees Scott crash into the barrier.

“Grayson Donovan,” Bria declares, seeming to ignore the fledglings while she’s singularly focused on the man behind me.

Shy, on the other hand, curses when he realizes that Scott and Deborah are getting riled up, and then he holds a finger up to the communication device on his ear so he can whisper into it, hopefully to call for some backup.

“So, you have heard of me,” the man behind me says, sounding appreciative of that fact. “I’ve heard all about you too, though now I’m wondering how it is that you know who I am but don’t seem to care a lick about how I run things. You should know better than to come into my territory without so much as acknowledging me first.”

“You must be mistaken,” Bria responds dryly. “Yes, I know of you, and sure, I’ve heard some nasty things about you, but we haven’t been in your territory, wherever that is. We were hired by Alpha Miles Dawson of Riptide, and it’s his territory that we’ve been working in.”

“No, it’s you who is mistaken,” Grayson retorts venomously. “I allow that blockheaded oaf to prance around the surface and pretend like he’s in charge of things, but down below, it’s me who runs the show. The underground is my territory, and you and your clan have invaded it without my authorization.”

And then it hits me. Riptide is a pack name I’ve heard before, back when Rowan and Tian were telling me about what a dangerous and complicated place Las Vegas can be. I guess they weren’t kidding. Vegas suddenly doesn’t seem as fun and tempting anymore. In fact, I think I would love it if I never have to go there. I’m sure Tian will be thrilled to hear that.

“Alright, fair enough,” Bria concedes, glancing at me as she realizes that angering this Grayson guy is probably not the best course of action. “I’m always the first to admit that one of our biggest problems with working in your city is our lack of intel. We didn’t know that you had claim over the tunnels beneath Riptide, but now we do. We’ll fix it, I promise." She nods at me, pursing her lips as she adds, "But she has nothing to do with any of it.”

Grayson chuckles again, and somehow, something that sounds so light and happy coming from anyone else comes out sounding dark and unsettling when it’s him doing it.

“I’m sure she doesn’t, but I can sense even after what little time I’ve spent here that she’s somehow important to you. I think I’ll keep her as collateral,” he declares, sending a cold shiver of fear up my spine.

“Collateral for what?” Bria grits out, failing to hold back her anger and agitation now.

Someone is trying and failing to open the door that we came through to get to the basement, and I realize that I no longer see Shy, and Caz hasn’t even shown himself yet. With my wolf still dormant, I can’t do what Bria suggested and use her senses to zero in on what’s going on in the room around me, but I certainly hope that it’s an ambush they have planned, even if their backup can’t get down here. It would make more sense why Bria has just been standing there chatting with this guy instead of trying to get me away from him. She’s the distraction.

“Well, for a job well done, of course,” Grayson answers her.

Then he raises the arm that is not currently holding me and angrily shouts to cast another spell. Bria’s gaze flicks to whatever is going on behind me, and she curses to herself. He probably just thwarted her attempt at ambushing him.

“And to prevent anymore of that nonsense,” he adds sharply. “If you’ve heard of me, then you’ve probably heard that I’m not your average warlock. You thought I was a witch because I can cast like one. I’m more powerful than most witches, in fact, and that means that your little tricks and talents aren’t going to work on me. My spells will work on you, though, I assure you of that, so unless you’d like to join your friends behind me, I suggest you knock it off. We’re having a conversation, you and me, but that can very quickly turn into me making you my slave and getting what it is that I want without giving you squat in return.”

Bria sighs, seeming to resign herself to the truth of what he’s saying, and asks flatly, “What is it that you want, Grayson?”

I can’t believe that she’s giving up that easily. She must have a plan B tucked up her sleeve, right? I’m really trying not to panic, but it’s almost impossible not to. This guy just threatened to take me from her, and she doesn’t seem to have any idea of how to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“You and your team. Same job as before, except you work for me now. And none of this nonsense.”

He waves his free arm around, gesturing at Scott and Deborah stuck behind the containment cells. They’re both raging now, and I would assume it’s his scent that has them all worked up like that.

“It’s shoot to kill from here on out, and you will clear them all out, no exceptions,” he demands, his voice dripping with disdain. “And if you do your part, I can get you all the intel you could ever want or need. I’ve got a hand in pretty much everyone’s business, and I have contacts and influence beyond your wildest dreams. Together, we can end my city’s vampire problem once and for all and do it in a way that ensures that no new ones will have an ill-fated urge to move in and fill the vacancies.”

Bria thinks that over for a bit, though even I can tell how tempting she finds his promise of information and influence. She was just complaining about that before we came down here, and I remember how upset she seemed about how ineffective she feels her crew is against that particular vampire infestation.

I suspect that if it weren’t for me being involved, she would have jumped at his offer already. I know it wouldn’t be the first time that she and her crew have worked with someone kind of sketchy for the greater good.

“I just find it interesting that someone who is as powerful as you and obviously has no issues with using his magic against vampires would even need us in the first place,” she comments thoughtfully, though it’s obviously meant as a taunting jab at him. I’m shocked she would dare to risk antagonizing him like that.

“Interesting,” he scoffs. “I’ve come to you, and I’m asking nicely, not because I actually need you, but because I don’t prefer to waste my time and energy on chasing these vermin around the city. They’re annoying, they do nothing but cause problems, and I’m sick of them, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to spend all my time squashing them. I have better things to do – businesses to run, palms to grease, important relationships to nurture. Extermination is your job, or so I’ve heard. I figured I’d give you the benefit of the doubt before taking action against you for your transgressions against me, which is why I’m here and we’re having a friendly chat, but if you’d prefer to do this the hard way, then that can be arranged.”

She scoffs and crosses her arms over her chest, though she seems to be out of snarky comments for him. That’s probably for the best. He doesn’t strike me as the sort of person who is used to or appreciates receiving attitude from someone like her, who he quite obviously views as beneath him.

“I normally wouldn’t even entertain your demand for us to ‘shoot to kill,’ but I’ll agree to it in this case if you return the girl to me. Right here, right now, and then you’re the boss,” she finally responds to his offer.

I admire her attempt to present a reasonable counter-offer and sway him from taking me, but I can already tell that he’s going to turn her down. His arm tightens around me, and he starts laughing again.

“You’re in no position to bargain with me,” he reminds her. “I’m keeping the girl, though I promise to return her to you in the same condition as when I borrowed her. I suspect that you’ll need some extra motivation to get your job done thoroughly and quickly, and without wasting time trying to find some way to double-cross me. She’s my insurance.”

I don’t like the sound of that, and all my efforts to hold it together suddenly fall apart. When attempting to resist his hold on me fails, I close my eyes and start trying to imagine my way out of here again. I don’t even care if it means I have to bring him with me.

And with that in mind, I know just the place to take us – my mom’s office back at the Black Moon packhouse. If my father isn’t already there, it will only take him a few seconds to get there, and I know he can handle this Grayson guy. Grayson may be powerful, but no caster’s power can match that of Eramund Brentwood.

“I warned you, girl,” Grayson growls threateningly in my ear.

This weird sense of both sinking and floating simultaneously comes over me not even a second later, followed by a sharp pain in my head. After that, nothing. Just darkness and silence.