Page 30 of Wicked Thirst
I was sick of this. Grayson needed people behind him that would support him and get his ass home as soon as possible, not someone who was just going to try and hunt him down like he was some kind of deer in the wild. I stepped back from him. The gauze pads stayed in place, but the blood started to flow freely again without the pressure I’d been applying. Atlas snapped his hands over the wounds.
“Yes, let me rush to give my eternal thanks to you for getting me impaled by two rusty pieces of metal,” Atlas growled. He looked down at himself, distracted long enough for me to find something in this room to use against him.
I pretended to pace the room while I looked for something to keep him at bay for just a little while until I could get some help. The second the doctor got him fixed up, he would return to the hunt and nothing would stop him this time. He’d be expecting my interference now, so there was no surprising him. I found a pair of stray vampire cuffs sitting on the counter. I grabbed them quickly and held them behind my back. I knew that there was a remote for them somewhere around here. Grayson had used it to free me only days ago.
“Let me also extend my gratitude for turning my only friend into a monster, the likes of which one does not return from,” he continued. “You’ve yet to realize this, though I have. In my centuries of experience, I know this to be true. It is the daft who do not learn from the wise.” He let his head fall back and his eyes closed.
Did he just call me stupid and himself wise? I wasn’t even going to dignify that with an answer.
“Mhmm.” There, only a few feet away, was the remote, lying on the counter among the containers of supplies. Usually everything was so organized, but after a night like tonight, I was surprised we even had clean bandages left. I grabbed the remote and walked closer to him.
He turned and narrowed his eyes at me. “What the devil are you doing?”
I lifted my hand and called on that inner well of power I knew lingered in the pit of my stomach just waiting to be used. Red mist flowed from my body and Atlas’ body tensed like he was about to spring at me. My power surrounded him in a fine red mist that I felt settle over his body. I could feel his every move. It was like the magic was mapping him out for me and making it so easy to choose how best to use him. This power in the wrong hands would be detrimental to anyone.
I held my hand out. “Stop,” I commanded.
He froze. His muscles strained against my hold but still he couldn’t move. Anger flooded his eyes, and his face turned a dark shade of red. I could almost feel the hate rolling off him. I never wanted to take anyone’s free will away, but in this case . . . Atlas had it coming.
“Lie back.” I wasn’t sure if I was using it the right way. There was no one here to teach me, but my power was almost like controlling an extension of my own body, like my mind and this mist were slowly becoming one in the same.
Atlas flopped back on the table. His eyes were wide with rage. His face had nearly turned purple. “I know it’s hard for you to shut up and listen to me, being that I’m sooooo much younger than you and you’re, well, old as dirt. But I know I’m right about this.”
I proceeded to place the cuffs around his wrists. When I held the remote in my hand, it looked more like the key-fob for a car, with the lock and unlock features. I pressed the lock button and they tightened around his wrist and clicked into place as the magnet activated and smacked into the table with a slam. I slid the remote into the side of my boot. If I had it, it’d take that much longer for them to release Atlas.
I turned toward the door and called out. “Doctor! We need some help in here!”
Within seconds the doctor was back in the room. His eyes darted between the two of us. “What’s going on in here?”
Atlas flailed against the restraints as my power over him faded. “She’s out of her senses!”
“I am not!” I was really going to have to work on how long my little magic trick would work. It’d be a lot more helpful through this whole thing if he would just shut the hell up.
The doctor took a step toward me, and I held my hand up, letting my blood magic seep around my fingers. “I wouldn’t.” He stopped mid-step. “You know what I’m capable of?” I twirled my fingers, and it danced above my hand like a flame.
He gave me a nod. “I have a fair sense.”
“Then you know I won’t hesitate if you get in my way.” I liked the doctor, he was a good vampire and he’d helped me more than I could say, but he wouldn’t get in my way, nor would anyone else.
“I do believe that. Yes.” His voice was calm as he spoke to me.
“The lot of you are daft.” Atlas struggled against the restraints but to no avail. They were made to hold me, and I was beginning to realize I was a hell of a lot stronger than they all knew. He glared at the doctor. “Let me out now.”
“Not happening.” I turned to the doctor. “I bet you could use some quiet while you work on him. Couldn’t you?”
He hesitated. “I . . . suppose.”
I smirked. “Good, then you can tell me where the drugs are that are strong enough to knock a vampire out.”
“WHAT?” Atlas raised his voice. He jerked in his restraints. The table groaned yet still held. Blood covered his torso and dripped from the table onto the floor.
“Better hurry up, doc. He’s bleeding an awful lot.” I probably could’ve used my powers on the good doctor, but I didn’t know if there would be side effects and wasn’t sure if I could run out of them or if they would always be there. There was just so much I didn’t understand but had to find out.
One thing at a time, Piper. One thing at a time.
The doctor gave a heavy sigh. “Second drawer on the left. There should be some syringes and medicine in there.”
“I’ll kill you. I’ll bloody kill you both for this.” Spit flew from Atlas’ mouth as he thrashed and threatened us both.
