Gena Showalter - Intertwined 02 (37 page)

“I don't care.”

“Sometimes the donor died, as well.”

“I know that, too! Just do it! There's no other way, and I have to try. I have to try,” she repeated on a sob.

No
, Aden wanted to shout.
Don't risk your life, Victoria
. Anything but that.

Another sigh left the stranger. “Very well. He's all yours. But know this. When your people discover his weakened condition—and they will, we can't keep this a secret for long—there will be a struggle for the crown. No matter how worthy a king Aden has proved himself to be, there will always be those who hunger for power. Contenders will want to strike him while they can.”

“They'll have to find him first. And when he returns,
and he will,
I'm sure anyone who dared issue a challenge will be punished. Severely.”

A knock sounded, several hard thumps. Footsteps. A gasp.

“Riley?” Victoria said.

“What happened to him? What the hell happened?”

“Stay back! Don't touch him. I'm turning him. Just stay here and keep everyone calm. I'm taking him away.”

“Turning him? Away? Victoria, you can't do that.”

“I can and I will. Stay back!”

A pause. “Okay, okay. I'll stay back. But there's something I have to tell you. Several somethings, actually. And I can't stay here for long. Mary Ann ran away, and I followed her to make sure she made it someplace safely, and I only came back to talk to you. I have to return to her before she decides to head somewhere else and I lose her trail. So listen up. You've been challenged by Draven for rights to Aden. Your father is alive and—”

“A challenge? No! Not yet! Is Mary Ann okay? And…and what you do mean my father is alive? Riley, he can't be alive. He can't be alive. He'll hurt Aden, he'll…
No!
I won't let him!”

Silence, then. Floating. Darkness. Then, Aden felt as if his neck was being ripped open, and this time, he did make his mouth move. He screamed.

He thrashed, he fought, he stilled. Nothing, he had nothing left.

The shroud, that blessed shroud. It covered him, protected him. Slipping away…

…cold, so cold…

Stupid shroud…he tugged it back in place.

…hot, so hot…

He pushed it away… Better, but not for long. Slipping again…

—COLD, SO COLD—

He tugged.

—HOT, SO HOT—

He pushed, as hard as he could. He kicked. No shroud. No more shroud.

…pain, so much pain…

—PAIN, SO MUCH PAIN—

Time was an endless ocean of change. He drifted on the waves, was pulled under, struggled, was jerked back up, drifted some more…cold, so cold…and wondered…hot, so hot…if he'd ever find his way home. Home, where was home? The answer eluded him. Too much chatter, incoherent, bothersome. The pain had returned. But not the shroud. Thank you, God, not the shroud.

The ocean vanished in a sudden blink. He saw a cave, he hated caves now, saw himself, how sick and pale he looked, writhing, sweat pouring from him, washing away the blood that coated him, and he saw Victoria, how sick and pale she looked, lying beside him, thrashing, moaning, and he heard her thoughts, all her thoughts from all her life, so loud he couldn't deal with them, couldn't listen to them, there were too many memories inside his head, her memories, his own, her pain, his own, more than could possibly fit, and if something didn't give soon, he would break, break into a thousand pieces and never fit back together.

He wanted the shroud back.

Then there was silence. Calm. They came, but they
didn't last. In the distance, he heard a roar. No, not in the distance. Louder…louder…closer…so close.
Inside
him. The roar was inside him, filling him up, nearly ripping from his pores. At least the chatter stopped. Hot…he was hotter than before. Burning, blistering, smoldering to ash. Reforming, weaving back together, harder, heavier, still hotter.

“Aden.”

Where was the cold? He wanted the cold to return.

“Aden, please.” The voice blended with the roar. “Open your eyes.”

His mouth was as dry as cotton, his gums and tongue swollen, his lips bruised. His muscles and bones felt like they'd gotten up close and personal with a baseball bat.

“Aden!”

His lids popped open of their own volition. He was panting, still sweating. A wan Victoria loomed over him, her dark hair falling like a curtain around his face. There were circles under her eyes, eyes that were glazed with pain, and she was clutching at her ears, cringing.

Was this a dream? Or had he died and gone to heaven? No, he couldn't have gone to heaven. He still heard that godawful roar, still felt as if he were on fire, battered and bruised.

“Aden,” she moaned.

He jolted upright. Dizziness hit, then subsided.
Pain hit, and remained. “What's wrong?” The words were slurred, pushed through teeth he didn't recognize. Through…fangs? He flicked his incisors with his tongue—no, no fangs. He wasn't sure what that meant. Wasn't sure what was wrong with him or what had happened.

Oh, he knew Victoria had given him some of her blood. Knew she'd tried to turn him from human to vampire in order to save his life. He hadn't forgotten the conversation he'd heard. But he didn't know any more than that. How was he alive if the change hadn't succeeded?

He wanted to ask.

“The souls,” she said before he could. “I have the souls. Inside me. Talking. Why won't they stop? And you…you, I think you have my beast.” As if she'd managed to maintain her strength only long enough to issue her confession, she collapsed, falling into his arms.

Unable to process what he'd heard, Aden gathered her close, held her tight. His brain hadn't sparked back to life yet, his thoughts fragmenting quickly, fatigue beating through him. He eased to his back, taking Victoria with him.

They were alive. That thought was clear. Whatever had happened to them, they were alive. The rest could be figured out later. And whatever changes they'd experienced, whatever they would next need to do, they would
triumph; he had no doubt. They'd defeated the witches and the death curse. They could get through this, too. They had each other, and that was all that mattered.

“Don't let go,” Victoria said against his chest.

He was surprised she had roused, surprised but glad. “I won't. I'll never you let go.”

Yes, they had each other, would always have each other. They could handle what came next.

He hoped.

Blood-slaves
humans addicted to a vampire's bite

Bloody Mary
queen of a vampire faction that's rival to Vlad's

Brian
resident of the D and M

Brianna Buchannan
friend of Mary Ann's, sister of Brittany

Brittany Buchannan
friend of Mary Ann's, sister of Brianna

Caleb
a soul trapped inside Aden's head. Can possess other bodies

D and M Ranch
a halfway house for wayward teens

Dan Reeves
owner of the D and M Ranch

Dmitri
deceased betrothed of Victoria

Dr. Hennessy
Aden's new therapist

Dr. Morris Gray
Mary Ann's father

Drainer
a human who feeds from and ultimately destroys those with supernatural abilities

Draven
vampire female, chosen to date Aden

Elijah
soul trapped inside Aden's head. Can predict the future

Eve
a soul formerly trapped inside Aden's head. A time-traveler

Fairies
protectors of mankind, enemies to vampires

Goblins
small, flesh-hungry creatures

Haden Stone
known as Aden. A human who attracts the supernatural and has three humans souls trapped in his head

je la nune
a poisonous liquid that can be fatal to vampires

Jennifer
a witch

Julian
soul trapped inside Aden's head. Can raise the dead

Lauren
vampire princess, Victoria's older sister

Marie
a witch

Mary Ann Gray
human. Repels the supernatural

Maxwell
werewolf shape-shifter, Riley's cursed brother

Meg Reeves
Dan's wife

Ms. Brendal
fairy princess, sister to Mr. Thomas

Mr. Hayward
Crossroads High Anatomy teacher

Mr. Klien
Crossroads High Chemistry teacher

Mr. Thomas
fairy prince, ghost

Nathan
werewolf shape-shifter, Riley's cursed brother

Ozzie
deceased former resident of the D and M

Penny Parks
Mary Ann's best friend

Riley
werewolf shape-shifter, guardian of Victoria

RJ
resident of the D and M

Ryder
resident of the D and M

Seth
resident of the D and M

Shane Weston
human teenager, friend of Tucker

Shannon Ross
Aden's roommate

Stephanie
vampire princess, Victoria's older sister

Terry
resident of the D and M

Tucker Harbor
Mary Ann's ex-boyfriend, part-demon illusionist

Vampires
those who live off human blood, and have a beast trapped inside them

Victoria
vampire princess

Vlad the Impaler
former king of Romanian vampire faction

Witches
spell-weavers, magic producers