T raining days seemed to be a permanent fixture in my life. Each one got tougher as the clock ticked by. Minutes turned to hours, days turned to weeks, and before I knew it, the trials were impossibly close. Reed’s anxiety bled into mine as his sword arced through the air toward me.
Clash!
The metal of my sword halted him from what would have been a fatal blow if I were human.
But I am not.
I felt less human with each passing day. My humanity leached away by the brooding force of the man before me. He readied for another fast strike with his long sword. With each crushing blow, I felt the weight of my captivity. How long will my sword be able to stop his strikes? R
The salvation of freedom seemed so close only days ago. Or was it weeks? I was starting to lose all sense of time. Through my investigation of Vincent and the club, I closed in on my suspect. When the cruel hand of fate turned the dial, the woman who promised me freedom became my enemy. Cassandra nearly killed me when she’d taken me from my date with Vincent. She believed the ruse we set up to catch the person after him. Not knowing the entire time, the woman who hired me was behind the murders in my city. Too bad I couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Accusing a council member was certain death for a fledgling like me.
Cassandra had given me what I wanted, after all. She handed me my chance at freedom. I received the swiftest entrance into the Raven trials in history. Or so Reed, Shaun, and Laura told me. Cassandra kept her word. Too bad she was going to make damn sure I never saw a day of the freedom I desired. Not unless you counted death as a sort of freedom in itself. At this moment in my life, I didn’t. I hadn’t gotten a true taste of immortality. But maybe someday, if I was lucky. I would see it that way.
“Again,” Reed shouted as I stood with my back to him.
“I need a break,” I called back, resting my hand against the wall, willing myself to find the strength to continue. I would not let this man beat me. Not even in training.
“There is no time for breaks. You must be ready.” His voice came from directly behind me. “Again,” he growled.
I whirled on him, sword in hand, and lunged. He parried. Metal clashed against metal as I swung my arm to attack. I was sick of this room, sick of training, sick of Reed pushing me beyond my limits. Most of all, I was sick of how much I knew I needed it. The trials were only a few weeks away. Cassandra moved up my acceptance. Being a Raven was something I thought I wanted. It was my chance at freedom. Now I wasn’t so sure. To get my acceptance, I had to find who was murdering people in my city. I was a detective. Finding murderers was what I lived for, but I wasn’t expecting the murderer to be the damn leader of the council in Minneapolis. The very woman who hired me. The woman who wanted me dead.
Reed sliced across my arm. “Ah!” I cried out.
“You’re distracted. You cannot be distracted during the trials. It will mean your death.” He lunged again, stabbing the sword into the wall, nicking my side in the process.
“Are you fucking serious? Are you actually trying to hurt me?” I spat, looking down at the blade protruding from the wall. It was sticking out from one of the vertical lines in the weirdly soft material. The walls were made of something special Reed ordered that reformed after any protrusion. He was proud of his state-of-the-art room. My body wouldn’t reform as easily as the wall. I would heal. Vampires always healed from any wound. It required blood and time, and it still fucking hurt.
“No, I’m trying to keep you from being killed.” The low rasp of his voice reverberated through my body.
“It feels like you enjoy hurting me, pushing me.” I closed the distance between us. My face inches from his. I wanted to hurt him back. I wanted him to feel all the anger, hurt, and rage warring inside me every time he was around me. “Do you enjoy it?” I asked through gritted teeth.
Before I knew what was happening, he gripped my face in his hands, his mouth crashing into mine. My body hit the wall with a thud, but I’d barely noticed. Reed’s mouth on mine was demanding. He was taking every bit of the anger and rage I felt and delivering a searing hot kiss with his own. His hand hadn't moved from my jaw, but his other hand traveled around, pulling me impossibly close to him. He bit my bottom lip, tugging it toward him before sensually licking away the hurt. Whiplash, that was what it was like being around Reed. One minute his sword clashed against mine, taking every bit of his rage out on me. The next he was telling me he cared about me. My head spun from it. Or maybe it was the all-consuming way he was moving his lips against mine.
It took me a minute to get my head back from my raging hormones. When I did, I pushed him away. I hated Reed. He was the only person in this world that I truly hated. Not only had he taken my human life, but he was the reason I wasn’t free. I wanted my life back. I didn’t want to be Reed’s fledgling. I needed to be my own woman living in my apartment, not subject to anyone else’s rules. Even if that meant fighting in the trials and facing possible death. There was no way in hell I was spending more time with my captor than I had to. Reed may have said he cared about me, but his actions had proven otherwise.. Words didn’t mean shit after you’d stolen someone's life. Actions said everything about a person. Reed’s had been clear from the moment I met him. His offer to help had ended in my kidnapping and death. Nothing about my life had been the same since.
“What the fuck was that?” I asked, breathless.
“Nothing.” He turned away from me, his head downcast.
“It certainly didn’t feel like nothing.” I crossed my arms over my chest. Our swords were lying on the floor a few feet from where we stood. The training room seemed impossibly small despite it taking up half of the basement.
“You need a break. You should take one.” Without another word, he stormed up the steps. Again, whiplash. I wanted to follow him and demand answers. I knew without a doubt I wasn’t going to get any. I also really needed that break. Reed had been drilling on me for hours without reprieve. I felt exhausted even though I physically wasn’t. Some part of me still held on to my human side.. It was why Reed said so many vampires wait at least five years before even attempting to join the Ravens. Apparently, you’re stronger when you let go of your human side. I wasn’t entirely sure that was true. I wanted to hold on to the part of me that cared about others, that fought for those whose lives had been taken from them. I didn’t ever want to lose that part of myself.
I picked up the two swords and placed them back in their scabbards. It was time for a break, a real one, before I put my life on the line for my freedom. I pulled out my phone and dialed Laura.
“Hey, you want to go to Medusa tonight?” I asked as soon as she picked up.
“Um, I don’t know.” The hesitation felt like a blow, but I had to keep reminding myself it wasn’t about me. At least, I didn’t think it was about me.
“I know your last experience wasn’t great, but I promise this time will be different. I will not, under any circumstances, leave you to go home with any hotties tonight.” I put my hand to my chest, realizing a little late that she couldn’t see me. “I swear.”
“Is it that bad?” she asked.
“Yeah, I could really use a break from my overbearing captor.” I sighed. I’d gone back to work as a detective but on a part-time basis. Being able to charm people into agreeing with whatever you wanted came in handy. It was certainly one of the perks.
“Fine, as long as we stick together, all night.” I could hear the fierceness behind her words. Laura was a force to be reckoned with, that was for sure.
“I promise.” I smiled, knowing Laura would give in to me. We’d been friends for as long as I’d been a detective. There was a weird kinship between us after bonding over so many dead bodies. We both enjoyed our jobs. Laura had a belief that everybody had a story to tell. I, similarly, believed that every one of those bodies deserved justice for what had been done to them. We made a great team. I loved her so freaking much. It killed me to know that I’d hurt her because I was being stupid. She was my friend, and there absolutely was a girl code. I thought she’d be fine. She wasn’t. You never leave your girl alone at a bar or club, period.
“Okay, meet you at eight?” Her voice rose at the end.
“See you then.” I hung up. Now I just needed Mr. Grouchy to let me go. I was sure it wouldn’t be too hard after that scorching kiss. His reluctance to look me in the eye afterward was telling. He always seemed so ashamed after any sort of affection. It made me wonder about his past. Who had hurt him so badly that he felt shame anytime he showed any affection toward anyone else? It wasn’t the first time we’d kissed. The first time I’d initiated it. The thoughts from Reed turning me had filled my head. I responded to his kiss. Sometimes my libido took over my rational sense. I’d backed away, but not soon enough to make an impression. To say we had a complicated relationship was an understatement.
I collected my towel, wiped the sweat from my face, and hurried up the stairs. I needed to shower before I went anywhere. Reed was gone when I reached the kitchen and living room. He was probably sulking somewhere. I went to my room and closed the door. An hour later, I was standing in front of my mirror, a tight black dress hugging my curves. I adjusted the off the shoulder straps slightly, so they were aligned. I clasped a thin silver necklace that was custom made for me around my neck. The unbreakable silver could turn into a deadly weapon should I need it. Meeting a witch or two had been quite the learning experience. I still hadn’t been able to tap into my magic, but part of my training had been with Melanie, the witch who’d saved my life. Finishing the look with my signature black pumps, I admired myself in the mirror. I left the slight wave in my hair and added a bit of gel so it would stay all night.
Impressing others wasn’t my plan for tonight. Although, I looked forward to seeing Vincent. I hadn’t seen him since our date. I was half expecting a tongue lashing for not reaching out. I wasn’t sure how to tell him about Cassandra. I’d wondered about their relationship since her explanation for why she’d taken me. Was he really a bad guy? Why would Cassandra go to all the trouble of trying to have him killed if he wasn’t? She certainly must have had a reason to hate him. I wanted to know what that reason was. Getting close to him was the only way to get answers. I needed to know more about the Redcoats. More about why he was here in the first place. After our night out, I wasn’t sure who to believe. Vincent knew something was wrong. He’d asked me to leave with him. It was my fault I hadn’t listened. I was too damn determined to see my sting operation through. It almost killed me. I owed him a long-overdue visit. Shaun and Reed had explained I was injured and would come to him as soon as I could. Admitting I had been a coward wasn’t my favorite thing. I owed him more than a half-explanation from them.
“Where are you going?” Reed stepped out from the shadows. He must have been waiting for me in the dark living room.
“I’m going to Medusa with Laura. I believe I owe Vincent an explanation about what happened. He should know that someone is trying to set him up.” I folded my arms over my chest and glared at Reed.
“Like hell you are,” he growled.
I dropped my hands into clenched fists. “What? Are you going to lock me up again? Throw away the key this time.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m not your property to order around as you see fit. I am a person. I had a life before you. I intend on living that life.”
“You could be in danger.”
“Isn’t that what you’ve been training me for?” He’d been putting me through strenuous training since I almost died. “I’m just going to the club with Laura. It’s Vincent’s club. I doubt Cassandra will go after me again. The trials are only weeks away. She’ll have her shot then.”
“I don’t like it.” Reed’s pec flexed under his tight shirt.
“You don’t like anything.” I scoffed. “Would it be better if I called Alejandra? You seemed to be okay with her joining me last time.” The corner of my mouth curved up.
His eyes stayed steady on mine. “Fine, go. We need to talk when you get back. I will not be letting up on your training tomorrow, so don’t expect it. I’ll see you downstairs at four sharp.” He narrowed his eyes slightly before storming out of the room.
Small concessions, I guess. It looked like I wasn’t sleeping. It was good I didn’t need sleep, although it was nice to be able to shut my mind off for a few hours. Another vampire perk. My mind had an off switch. It wasn’t quite the same as when I was human, but it was nice. I knew Reed wasn’t going to let up on the training. God forbid, I got some time off before the damn trials. It was all he’d talked about since coming home after my wounds healed. He hadn’t explained all that much other than they were life or death. Cassandra wanted me dead. Apparently, she’d found the perfect opportunity to make it happen. If I died in the trials, no one would think much of it. They were a brutal test to see if you had what it took to be a Raven, but once you were in, you were a part of them for life. Any Raven would come to your aid should you need it. It reminded me a little of my sorority in college. We’d been a sisterhood, although there was far more backstabbing among the group. It was funny how you pledged sisterhood one moment then were metaphorically cutting their throat the next. I imagined the Raven’s may be somewhat similar. I certainly hope not.
I honestly hadn’t felt like I belonged in the sorority, even among the girls who made me feel normal. Being able to focus solely on parties, fashion, and school had been a nice reprieve from thinking about my past. I hadn’t told a single person about my parents until Reed brought it up. I had tried so hard to forget, so I didn’t feel empty. I loved my adopted parents, but I always felt like some part of myself was missing. Maybe Reed would finally fill in the missing pieces. I rolled my eyes. I doubted it. If there was one thing Reed was good at, it was doling out as little information as possible. Which meant I needed to find answers on my own. I was hoping Vincent would help me in that regard. He’d been forthcoming with information before. I only hoped he would be again.
I stopped, looking back down the dark hallway where Reed retreated. It was odd how dark he preferred to keep the house. I loved the windows in my apartment. I hung long ivy plants that drank in the beautiful sunlight. Living here felt more like a dungeon. I guess it made sense, considering I was more a captor here than a tenant. I could only imagine what he wanted to talk about tomorrow.