Page 49 of Fangs and Family
Sapieha fell silent, the moment stretching out until his finger slid to a freshly repaired crack in the lid of the sarcophagus.
‘Look at what those filthy pigs did. They broke in and opened Maria’s tomb, defiling her resting place as they ripped away her jewellery and scattered her bones. My wife, the mother of my child, was treated like a pile of bones. I can’t let it go. You will find the last one for me, Adam.’
His voice echoed with pain and anger, but the worst part was feeling his emotions radiating through our bond. I understood his actions. Now, the gruesome deaths of the grave robbers made sense, but the man he wanted next wasn’t some nameless idiot. He might be scum, but I’d promised to protect him.
‘I don’t know where he is,’ I said, happy I’d dragged my heels in my search for Pawel.
‘Not yet, but I know you started searching. Use his sister if you must, but you have to find him. I don’t care if you bring him to me dead or alive, but you must find the locket he stole from the coffin.’ Sapieha said, and my fingers curled into fists, sharp claws piercing the skin of my palm.
The pain helped a little, and I tried to call back my wings, but my injured body refused to cooperate. It was time to reevaluate my situation. Sapieha had control over me, but he was volatile and stuck in the past. If I could manipulate him into thinking I was going to cooperate, he might even let me go, and I would be able to get a message to Leszek.
‘You know I won’t let you hurt Nina. It’s too late for me, but if you promise to stay away from her, I will help with the rest. Why the locket? Does it have any real value, or is it simply a sentimental attachment? Do you really need Pawel after killing the other members of the Lost Ark?’ I asked, and he turned around. I felt the Master Vampire take my measure as he stared before his lips tightened into a thin line.
‘Pawel will die. He dared to touch my wife, so I refuse to let him live. If you behave, I will let you quench your thirst first. I know the Leshy holds you all on a tight leash. As for the locket, it is priceless.’
‘So you agree? You will give me your word that if I cooperate, Nina will be safe?’ I asked, and Sapieha laughed.
‘I don’t have to give you anything, Adam. You will do as you are told because you are mine. Let’s go. I want to rest in my own home before we return to Tricity. After all, what’s yours is mine now. Old Gdansk sounds like a perfect place to settle, and you will make sure the Leshy welcomes us with open arms.’
He was delusional if he thought Leszek would let him take over Gdansk, but Sapieha didn’t need to know that. He also didn’t need to know I was stronger than most of his Seethe. I was his accidental creation, not born of his blood but by the magic of Old Gdansk, free to think for myself for a very long time. He’d caught me by surprise, but I could feel the blood enthrallment already starting to wear off.
Chapter 17
That damned vampire promised he’d be home after one day, but here I was, prowling around Adam’s apartment like a caged animal at breaking point. I’d been annoyed when he was late coming back, so it was no surprise I was ready to strangle the unreliable idiot after an entire week.
So many potential scenarios ran through my head. I had pictured him broken and bloody in some dark alley or trapped somewhere. I bit my lip, trying to banish the image. I wanted him safe. I would have preferred it if he were hip-deep in some woman’s thighs, happy and carefree. It would break my heart, but at least he would be all right. Still, after the earlier breakthrough in our relationship, I just couldn’t imagine that being true.
I’d tried calling him so many times I half expected to be told I was being a crazed stalker and blocked, but the calls kept ringing through to his answering service.
I was keeping my promise, knowing the last thing he needed was a woman with a target on her back wandering around town, but it was increasingly difficult to stay put. I didn’t want to drag Sara into this again, but my resolve broke on the third day, and I called my friend, asking her to use her talent to see the future. Sara promised to try, but minutes later, she called back, saying she couldn’t see anything.
I knew Leszek was trying to find Adam, deploying teams of shifters to the town where he was last seen, but my vampire had disappeared completely. However, they promised to keep investigating, asking me to stay safe in Adam’s apartment, or, as Leszek bluntly told me, “It’d be easier to find Adam if his female would behave and stop bothering me.” There’d been the sound of breaking crockery in the background at that statement, but I’d taken the hint and hung up.
Unfortunately, I was now going stir-crazy, jumping every time Lorelai tried to start cleaning the apartment.
There were so many things I wanted to say to Adam, to ask him about, but no, the damned bloodsucker had to choose this moment to disappear just when I’d opened up to the possibility that there could be an “Us.”Now, I missed him so much that I slept in his bed, cuddling the pillow that held his scent.
On the fourth day, I recruited the kikimora and broke into Adam’s office, not caring whether it was wrong or that it might land me in trouble with Leszek and his Syndicate.
I’d had a brief look inside before, but the amount of tech had been dizzying, and I’d zoned out, not paying attention. Now, without the vampire to distract me, I entered Adam’s inner sanctum. The space looked terrifyingly futuristic, with machines that would look at home on the set of some sci-fi movie and screens everywhere looking at me like dark, reproachful eyes.
It took several deep breaths to gather my courage, but I knew I had to search for clues, for anything that might help me find Adam.
I sat on the chair and started the main computer. A quiet hum filled the air, and the lights on several servers blinked and started pulsing, awakened by my touch, but the screen remained black. I frowned, wondering what to do next, tapping on the keyboard when something stabbed my finger, making me hiss.
I jerked my hand off the desk and sucked my finger, licking the blood that appeared on my skin.
What the heck was that? Should I be worried?I wondered, gasping, when the main screen came to life, displaying a security message and asking for a password.
‘Lori… Lori… for fuck’s sake, Lorelai, come here.’ I shouted into thin air, and just as I was about to call again, the kikimora appeared next to the chair, startling me with her presence.
‘I have work to do,’ she answered petulantly, her cheerful attitude strangely absent. We had been clashing continuously for the last few days. It was clear she was worried about Adam in her own way, as she hadn’t stopped cleaning even for a moment, driving me mad with a never-ending whirlwind of activity.
‘I’m sure it’s not as important as finding your Master,’ I said, unable to keep myself from snapping back. ‘What’s Adam’s password?’
The kikimora looked at me for a long moment, her eyebrows rising when she noticed me sucking my finger. I thought she was going to object before she flashed me a half-smile.
‘Your blood was the password. Now, you only have to type Master’s favourite word, and you will have access to everything.’
