I lift my chin. “Completely.”
That smirk pulls on her mouth again. “Good.” She steps closer. “Now, we have to figure out how to save Ares from himself.”
My stomach knots as it all comes rushing back to me. Ares’ odd behavior. His losing periods of time. And the revelation that he’s been killing New York City’s vampires without even realizing what he’s doing.
Fuck.
That is the man I love. The man I love killed Felix. Beth. Mike. Tom. And Giovanni’s son—the man who has lost himself to some monster within his own mind.
I let out a slow breath.
My mind is clearer than it’s ever been. My body is a weapon now, far beyond what it’s ever been capable of. And if Ares needs saving…
I will tear the world apart to bring him back.
Chapter 2
From my pocket, my phone buzzes. It’s so normal, so mundane, it feels impossible or ridiculous considering all that’s happened. I pull it out, checking the notification.
It’s the camera at the house. My heart jumps into my throat as I click on it.
He’s a bit of a blur, but that’s definitely Ares walking into the penthouse.
“Ares is at home,” I say, immediately stepping toward the elevator. “Do you have anything that can maybe knock him out? If we can put him out, we can contain him until we can fix him.”
My step stalls for just a moment. I realize thatIdo, in fact, have something that can knock a vampire out. The dart that Elle gave me when I went to visit her in Boston. It’s tucked away in our penthouse.
“A heavy enough dose, and I think most sedatives can take even a vampire down,” Florence says as she turns in the lab, pulling a fridge open. She pulls out a syringe. “Even if it’s short term, it’s better than nothing.”
Problem there is that you have to get close enough to a vampire to stick them.
Elle was smart, making her version into a dart. I might not have a blowgun to fire it, but I can throw it well enough.
“Come on,” I say as I press the button for the elevator. “We’ve got to get there before he can leave again.”
“Lana, are you sure you feel okay?” Clementine asks warily. She’s staring at me with doubtful eyes. “I was totally out of control for three solid weeks after I was Bitten and transformed. Every Born I’ve ever met was at least a week until they had a handle on themselves. It’s been twenty minutes, Lana.”
I stare into the eyes of the most compassionate and calm woman I’ve ever met. I see fear there. Alarm. Concern.
I take a moment and search within me. Do I feel out of control? Do I feel like I’ll be a danger to anyone outside?
The honest answer is no.
“I don’t know what it feels like to wake up as a Bitten,” I confess, holding her gaze. “I don’t know what it’s like to be a Born. But Clementine, I promise you, if I was doubtful about how I felt, I’d beg you to lock me up. I just feel like a damn superhero version of me. I feel amazing.”
Florence steps beside Clementine, sliding her hand into her wife’s. Clementine still looks incredibly worried as she looks into Florence’s eyes. But at the steady expression on Florence’s face, Clementine lets out a little breath.
The elevator dings, and the doors slide open. We step inside, and Florence swipes her badge for it to take us to the ground level.
Just then, my phone dings again. I’ve missed a call. I hold my phone to my ear to listen to the voicemail.
It’s Lazlo, our doorman, letting me know that Ares has just walked in. The man’s a saint. I didn’t give him any details about why, but I’d begged him to call me if he saw Ares, and he has.
I slip my phone back into my pocket and anxiously, eagerly wait as the elevator ascends. It feels like it takes three hours, butreally, the journey takes about fifteen seconds. Finally, the doors slide open, and the three of us step out into an empty lobby. Considering the twilight lighting outside and the fact that the lobby is empty, everyone has gone home for the night. Florence heads straight for the door, and we all step out. Of course, there is a slick white SUV waiting at the curb. I haven’t met Florence’s driver yet, but of course, she, too, has one.
“Lana, this is Kat, Kat, this is my sister-in-law, Lana,” Florence gives a quick introduction as we slide into our seats and buckle up. Considering how indestructible I feel, though, a seatbelt seems laughable.
“Lana,” Kat says with a nod just before she merges into the light traffic.
