“You’re with Stravinsky?” I asked. “You’ve come to retrieve us?”
“We’ve come for you, but we are no friends of Stravinsky.” She stepped out of the darkness as if appearing out of thin air, and a group of six people trailed behind her. She was gorgeous with long, flowing dark hair and pale skin that reflected the light of the full moon. She wore tight black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt that dipped low enough in the front to leave little to the imagination about the size of her breasts.
The group behind her was similarly dressed—three women and three men—although there was absolutely no doubt of who was in charge.
The leader turned her head toward Antonio. “Cazador, I’ve been looking forward to this day.”
A low snarl released from his throat as his grip tightened on his blade, his gun now in his other hand.
She gave him the sort of smile a mother gives a demanding toddler—a look of forced patience and false humor. “Is that any way to greet your queen?”
“You are not my queen, Elena.” He spat, sending a glob of spittle down in front of her feet.
She bared her teeth and hissed, the sound sending shivers down my spine.
The little girl clung to my leg again, releasing tiny whimpers.
Get your ass up, Lea.
Her lack of a response sent a new wave of panic through me.
Elena swung her gaze to me so sharply, I expected her to have whiplash. “It is true.”
I froze, then forced myself to say, “That Stravinsky is creating monsters? Yes. The evidence is behind us.”
“Yes. They are being dealt with.” She flicked her wrist and gunshots filled the night, accompanied by screams and the cry of the bird creatures.
“You’re killing them?” I asked in dismay.
She looked bored with my question, but she took several steps toward me. “Do you not destroy canines with rabies?” She flicked a glance toward Ivan and grinned. “Do you have rabies, dog?”
“Rot in hell,” he snarled.
Her smile widened as she turned her attention back to me. “You are a curious creature. You show no fear toward me.”
“Should I be afraid of you?”
Her brow lifted into a smirk. “Oh, Lea. You have chosen well with this one.”
I snuck a glance at Lea, more worried than before. She wasn’t speaking in my head.
“She’s dying,” Elena said.
“We gave her the antidote.”
“It’s not working.” Elena gave me a pretend pout, then moved behind me, circling to stand behind Lea. “It’s for humans. Not vampires.”
I sucked in a breath, overwhelmed with panic. I snuck a glance to Ivan, who looked like he wanted to rip someone else’s head off.
“Who are you?” I asked. Both Antonio and Ivan seemed to recognize her, and she had called herself queen.
“Yes, my dear. I am Queen Elena. I have ruled the vampires for two hundred years, and you and I have a common enemy.”
“Stravinsky?” I asked. “Why would I believe that? The werewolves you sicced on us were his creation, weren’t they?”
Her gaze held mine. “We held similar goals once,” she said, her voice soft and alluring. I could feel myself wanting to please her.
“Don’t look her in the eye, Rachel,” Antonio shouted.
I cast my eyes down, feeling like an idiot. That was Vampire 101. “Can you save her?”
She laughed. “There is protocol to follow here. I am royalty.”
“Fuck your protocol. Can you save her?”
“Yes,” she said in a satisfied tone. “I can save her.”
I shook my head. “What is the price?” I cast a glance at her, then quickly looked away. “Because I know how the world works, and there’s always a price.”
She moved next to me, trailing the backs of her fingertips down my cheek and my neck, sending a shiver all the way to the base of my spine.
The little girl started to cry.
“You will not feed from her!” Antonio shouted. A scuffle broke out, and it sounded like Ivan was holding him back.
Elena looked amused. “I will do as I please,” she said. “But she will give me her permission.”
“Will you kill me?” I asked, trying not to show my fear. “Or turn me?” I’d drank from Lea recently, which made me wonder if it was a possibility.
She leaned in to sniff my skin, running her nose up my neck until it reached my ear. “No,” she whispered. “I will let Lea have that honor.”
“And if she’s dead?” I whispered back.
“We shall see if she dies.”
“So you’ll save her if I let you take my blood? How do I know you even can?”