Page 74 of Fire in My Blood
“I’ll tell you later,” I snarl into the phone. “Right now I need to find her.”
“I… Fuck. I don’t know anything more than that. Gawen focused on his mate, and then his powers suddenly unlocked, and he just knew. He knew exactly where she was. But he’s special. I’ve never met anyone like him. His lineage is—”
“I know, I know. I’ve heard all that, and we can talk about it more later. Thank you, Aidan.” I end the call, my gaze locked on Markus.
“Helpful?” He lifts an eyebrow at me.
I let out a frustrated sigh and rake my hand through my hair for about the hundredth time. “Not really. I guess I just have to try.”
I drop down on the couch and close my eyes, trying to focus on the emotions I’m getting from Erica. She’s scared but not terrified. Taking a deep breath, I try to home in on her fear, concentrate on it, taste it.
At first all I can feel is fear, but after a while, it expands into a palette of emotions, ranging from fear of losing someone to performance anxiety.
Blinking my eyes open, I shake my head in confusion. What the hell does that mean? Are they making her perform some kind of task in order to save her brother? And if so, what kind of task? The possibilities that run through my head have me shooting to my feet in agitation.
“What did you see?” Lyn’s voice is soft. Her hostility was so prominent that it was almost like a physical presence whenshe and Markus first approached me outside Erica’s apartment building. But after realizing how much I care about my mate, she has shown me nothing but compassion and support.
I meet her gaze. “No images, but I picked up more nuances. I don’t know what it means, though. She’s both afraid of losing someone and scared of not performing. Both most likely to do with her brother. But what, and how? I don’t know. Fuck!”
“How scared was she? Terrified?” Lyn follows me with her eyes when I start pacing.
I shake my head. “No, not terrified, just anxious, afraid, her heart rate a little elevated.”
Lyn’s eyes widen in surprise. “You felt her heart rate?”
I stop and stare at her, as my own heart rate picks up. “Not directly. I just kind of sensed it was a little higher than normal. I don’t know how to explain it.”
Her mouth curves in a smile. “I think you should try again and see if you can sense anything else about her or her surroundings.”
“I think so too.” Markus studies my face with an unreadable expression on his face.
Instead of answering, I sit back down on the couch and close my eyes.
Taking a slow, deep breath, I sink back into Erica’s emotions. They’re easier to sense this time. The mix of fear she’s feeling is the same as before, so I try to delve deeper to get an impression of where she is.
Sweat breaks out all over my body as I try to reach through to Erica’s senses. I can feel her heart rate like a low vibration in my body, and I can sense her steady breathing. But I get no images or sounds.
The smell of earth and rock suddenly surrounds me, and I can feel the pressure of a thick layer of dirt above me. Not like I’m buried, though. There’s air around me like I’m in a room beneath the earth. And there’s someone else close by.
I keep pushing for a better sense of the room Erica is in, and suddenly I know where she is. Not specifically, but I know she’s somewhere to the east of us.
Chapter 45
Erica
I stare at myself in the floor-to-ceiling mirror in the archaic bathroom. The dress I’m wearing looks like a wedding dress except it’s blood red. And somehow the color makes this whole event seem more sinister than it already is. But I still don’t know a lot about what to expect.
Apparently Gerard doesn’t know much either. He admitted that he has never attended one of these ceremonies before. Only vampires who have already gone through the binding process are allowed to attend. Except for the vampire he refers to as the master.
My hands are shaking as I try to gather my hair into a high ponytail. Looking presentable is one of the requirements, but there’s only so much I can do without a hairbrush and makeup. But then it’s not like this is my wedding day or anything.
I snort wryly at my own stupid thought. No, a simple marriage ceremony would be much preferable to this. There is no getting out of a blood bond. Except if I die, of course. Apparently that’s a possibility, but the asshole who brought me here seems confident I’m strong enough to survive the binding.
Letting out a deep sigh, I smooth down the skirt of the long dress. Death seems like a fantastic option right about now, but I don’t know what would happen to David and his family if I die. For all I know, Gerard might take his anger out on them, even though it’s not their fault. So I have to do what I can to stay alive.
Gerard is waiting for me when I step out into the corridor. His eyes rove over me, and I have to bite the inside of my cheekto stop myself from shuddering at the blatant lust in them. At least he doesn’t have time to rape me before the ceremony. I guess that’s something.
Except I’m not sure I care anymore. Even the threat of being raped repeatedly by this asshole isn’t as scary as knowing that I’m losing Lucas forever. The pain in my chest has been constant since he left me, and I’m not sure it will ever fade.