When his hands came up to remove the dress, Cassie whispered in his ear, "Allow me." Brent's body was so tense. If he didn't let her, she knew she was screwed.
"Damn, Cassie. Do it. Strip." Brent's voice was husky, and he grinned at her as he said it. He had no clue.
Cassie moved her leg, as if she was going to climb on top of Brent, but her hand reached down her bodice, and gripped her improvised weapon. Cassie used the fashion tape to secure the tiny pair of scissors Miriam had in her sewing kit. It was the only place the guards didn't check. The metal was cold and sharp as knives. One flick with these and Brent would bleed out. Cassie slowly slid one leg over Brent and leaned in close to him. She pressed the cold metal under his chin, knowing her long dark hair blocked the shears from the windows. No one could see what she was doing to him. No one would interfere.
Brent sucked in a startled gasp, "What the - ?"
"Shhh," Cassie leaned down and whispered in his ear, "We're doing things my way. If you don't I'll shove these scissors into your guts and you'll bleed out before they realize what's happened." Cassie's eyes lifted to the windows when she said it. The vamps could only watch what they could see, and despite their precautions, Cassie got a weapon into the room. No one suspected her. Poor weak Cassie. She played to that assumption. Weak didn't mean stupid.
"What do you want me to do?"
As Cassie opened her mouth to tell him, the ceiling above them shattered. Brent screamed and covered his face with his hands. Shards of glass fell like rain. Cassie rolled off of Brent and onto the floor, yanking the blanket at the foot of the bed over her bare skin. The scissors went flying. Before she could peek out, a strong hand was on her, wrapped around her arm, pulling her to her feet.
"Are you all right? Cassie, talk to me!" Cole said urgently, shaking her.
Cassie's eyes were wide. "Are you insane?"
Cole shook his head, "Not today." The way he said it made her heart clench. He was being serious. Cole looked at Brent, ready to do something vicious.
"Cole! Stop!" Cassie grabbed his arm as Cole spun towards Brent.
When Cole dropped from the ceiling, Brent sat there, too afraid to move - to speak. "I didn't touch her," he said lifting his hands.
"You would have,"
"She wanted it," Brent said, certain that Cassie did want him.
Cole's fist flew, but before it could connect with Brent's face, Cassie grabbed Cole's arm. Yanking it back by the elbow wasn't enough. Cole was too strong, so she dropped to her knees and used her body weight to pull Cole backward. He looked down at her like she was crazy.
"Stop," she scolded, hanging from his arm like a rag doll. "I had this under control. I was going to make it look like we did something, but he didn't touch me. Whatever you're doing kind of screwed that up. So clue me in or get out." Cassie held her hands on her h*ps as she scolded him. Cole's eyes didn't drift off her face.
"What I'm doing?" Cole said, shaking her off. Cassie stumbled, but managed to get to her feet. "I'm saving you!"
"No! You messed up my plan!" Cassie yelled and pointed to the windows above, "They're gonna notice that, if they haven't already. They wouldn't have noticed what I was doing at all. Damn it, Cole! Why couldn't you just listen to me for once?"
Cole grumbled, "They didn't notice anything." Glancing at the shattered panes above, he smiled and looked back at Cassie, "There's a staffing issue in this wing tonight."
Cassie's face fell. She looked over Cole's white microfiber suit, but there was no trace of what he'd done. "Cole, you didn't?"
His face pinched together, offended, "You act like it's a bad thing."
"It is! You can't kill them all!"
Brent blanched, and his eyes widened. "Whoa, wait a second. You killed everyone in the control booth?"
Cole nodded once, his gaze still hostile. "And their backup, so let's get out of here before someone notices."
Cassie closed her eyes and pressed the heel of her hand against them hard, "I told you that I'm not coming." She spoke calmly, but fury was building inside of her, ready to erupt.
"It's not an option." Cole threw a white suit at her. It hit the back of her hands, before it fell to the floor. She didn't pick it up. "Get dressed. We're leaving. Now."
Brent managed to get to his feet. He was still wearing sleep cloths, silky red pajamas. "What about me?"
"What about you?" Cole snapped, not bothering to look at him.
Brent recoiled, and backed away. "Come on, Cole. You're not going to leave me here, are you?" Cole's eyes said everything. He planned on leaving Brent behind.
Cassie suddenly asked, "Where are the others?"
Cole averted his gaze for a moment. Cassie had her back to them and was slipping the suit under that flimsy gown. He didn't turn until he saw her back covered in the white fabric. By then, she'd pulled the suit on and was trying to get her hair out of the neck. She didn't look like herself. Her curls were tamed into silky smooth waves, and her face was... he didn't want to think about it. Cole answered, "Secure. You know we can't talk here. Let's go."
"We can't leave him," Cassie protested looking at Brent.
"He's not coming."
"Cole."
"Cassie," Cole retorted sounding cold and firm.
Cassie knew fighting for Brent was a lost cause. Guilt gnawed at her. She tried one more time, "Please. Cole, we can't leave him behind. They'll kill him."
Cole's eyes were hard. He stared down at Cassie, unblinking. Without warning, he turned and grabbed Brent by the neck, dragging the guy to his face he said, "She saved your life twice tonight."
"Twice?" Brent choked out.
"Twice, you ass. If she wasn't blocking your heart when I came through the ceiling, I would have killed you. That was my original plan. She saved your worthless life and if you do a single thing that pisses me off, I'll break my promise to Cassie. Am I clear?"
"Crystal," Brent choked and Cole dropped him to the floor.
Chapter 28
Celticad ordered the rest of the King's entourage to hang back. His plan was simple. Find the underground tunnels that led into the palace and assassinate the Queen. They plotted as they drove closer to the palace. When they were near the edge of the Queen's grounds, Celticad stopped the car.
"We go on foot from here."
"What makes you think the tunnel is still there? It's been centuries since it was buried by snow." The King emerged from the car dressed in white. Out of curiosity, he focused on his fingers, his gaze narrowing as he directed heat to them. His gloved hand shimmered and disappeared. The King grinned widely. His body didn't convert Kahli's blood quickly, but when it did, he realized he was more and more like his old self.
Celticad watched as the King's hand reappeared. The giant vampire smiled savagely, certain he chose the right side. "It stands to reason that the passages are still accessible. The Queen kept the terrain surrounding the palace very similar to the way it was before the flood. The permafrost is thinner here. She didn't allow the snow and ice to build up, so the entrance should still be useable."
The King nodded, noticing Celticad's smile. As they walked onto the Queen's property, the King said over his shoulder, "Kill anyone that gets in your way. I don't care who it is. By sunrise, there will be a new monarch."
"Yes, my King." Celticad's voice was tense with a hint of excitement. He towered over the King, following a few steps behind, watching the blinding terrain as they walked to the South side of the palace. The wind howled like a caged beast, whipping flakes of snow into the air. The King continued on like he wasn't blinded by the white flecks. When they were nearly to the garden, Celticad pushed in front of the King. Neither of them spoke. Celticad lifted a large white hand, indicating that the King should wait, but the King had no such intention.
When they reached the top of the snow bank at the South wall, there were two guards. One was on the tower constructed for the Purging. "How predictable," the King muttered, disappointed. The vamp on the wall had a good vantage point, but the wind made it difficult to see. Before Celticad could do anything, the King was gone. Glancing around frantically, Celticad finally saw the monarch at the top of the tower. The other vampire was in his hands with a river of black blood dripping from his neck. Celticad's throat tightened. He watched the King rip out the vampire's throat with his fangs. In one swift movement, the guard was dead. The King held onto the vamp's lifeless body, watching the blackened blood soak into the snow. A smile snaked across the King's lips and he tossed the guard aside. Signaling to Celticad, the King intended to march forward, but Celticad shook his head and pointed to the garden wall. There was movement. He couldn't tell how many vampires lay in wait on the other side of the wall, but there was no way they failed to see their comrade on the ice castle slaughtered.
The King sighed as he saw Celticad signal back to him. There were more guards. What a nuisance, he thought. Careful not to use too much of his strength, the King ran from the tower to the garden wall. The wind stung his face as he sprinted, the ice crystals digging into his skin as they fell from the sky. Celticad tried to get him to wear a mask, but the King wanted the others to see him coming. He wanted the Queen to see his power. They should fear him.
Celticad was fit for a vampire in the post-flood world, but he had none of the old powers. He chugged, exerting his huge body at full speed across the snow. It took him a few minutes to meet the King, and he was huffing furiously when he got there. The King sneered at his ally, "Really, Celticad. We'll have to do something about that once the throne is mine. I can't have my commanding officer bouncing around like a walrus."
"Sir?" Celticad's face pinched in confusion. Ice crystals clung to his eyebrows making them look white.
The King considered giving Celticad some of Kahli's blood once he found her, but only enough to enhance his power. Celticad would be stronger than the other vampires, but still weaker than the King. While the King could move swiftly, his body practically flying through the air at top speed, his second in command ran like an injured beast. That needed to be fixed.
The King's lips curled into a smile, "Blood, my friend. I'll see to it that you have more power than the others, more blood. Some of the old ways will be yours."
If this pleased Celticad, he didn't show it. He simply nodded curtly, "As you wish, my King."
The King glanced at the top of the wall. There was no entrance on this side of the garden. They'd have to go over the top. From where they stood, the wall of ice stretched into the sky, towering high above them. The South wall was always the most vulnerable point at the palace. Sophia had to know he was coming in this way, but where were her guards?
"How many?" the King asked.
"The visual confirmed two, but the Queen had to place more here. This wall blinds them to the world beyond."
The King stroked his chin as he looked into the inky darkness behind them. "She may not have put proper guards here. I took most of her better men last night. She's weak, unprotected." The King glanced at the top of the wall again. The wind whipped his dark hair wildly around his face. "Wait here," he commanded. Grinning, the King bent his knees like he was going to jump across a puddle. When he sprang, his slender body launched into the air like a rocket. The King landed on the icy turret at the top of the wall. Before jumping down, he looked back at Celticad with delight in his golden eyes.