Once Upon a Vampire by Mari Mancusi
And now…
I looked around the room, amazed, suddenly at where I was. What I was doing. She was right; I never went anywhere. At least not without a major anxiety attack. And now, here I was posing as a caterer in a huge golf club run by vampires, trying to stage a dramatic rescue. The thought was both terrifying and thrilling.
“So, can I be a character?”
I turned back to Malory, cocking my head. “What?”
She grinned wickedly. “In your book, of course! Can I be the one who leads you to the vampire’s secret lair?”
“Oh!” I said, taken aback. “Um, yeah? Of course! That would be…great!”
“Hm.” She tapped her chin with her finger. “Now if I were a vampire, where would I hide?”
“How about a basement?” I asked, my pulse kicking up in excitement. She was a member here. Maybe she’d have some information that would be useful. “Do you know any basement entrances here?”
“There is a doorway at the back end of the club,” she mused. “It’s always guarded. At least every time I’ve ever been here. I figured it was just, like, the club’s president’s office or something. But…” Her eyes flashed with excitement. “From now on I’m going to assume it’s the entrance to a secret vampire lair.”
“I love it!” I cried, playing along, even as my insides started dancing with joy. A room in the back with guards? That had to be what we were looking for!
I needed to go find Rayne. Now.
“Well, thank you for your help,” I told Malory. “You will make a great character in the book.”
She laughed, looking pleased. “Thanks Hannah. And…it’s really good to see you out,” she added again, placing a warm hand on my arm. “I hope we’ll see more of you soon.”
I nodded. “You know what? I think I can make that happen.”
And with that, I left the library, hurrying down the corridors. I needed to find that door. To find Rayne. To find Logan. And there was no time to waste.
24
I couldn’t find Rayne anywhere. But I did eventually find the door. It was just as Malory had described it and armed with two burly guards with firearms strapped to their sides. Oh yes, this had to be it.
But my victory dance was short lived. After all, it wasn’t as if these guards were just going to let me just waltz past them to rescue my kidnapped friend. Especially not without making a scene. And the door in question wasn’t too far from the main dining room of the golf club where a ton of golfers were milling around, eating breakfast before heading out to the links. The last thing I needed was for one of them to play citizen hero. Or call the police for that matter.
And so I hovered, just around the corner, texting Rayne for the millionth time. But I wasn’t sure any of those messages were going through as there was only one bar of cell service on my phone. If only I had asked Malory for the Wi-Fi password…
But it was too late now. Which meant I had to improvise. And if Rayne wasn’t around, that meant I had to do it myself. I pursed my lips, thinking hard. Trying to plot this scenario as if it were one of my novels. What would Maisie do in a situation like this? If Jonathan were down there, in desperate need of her help? What could I say to convince the two guards to let me, some random human, into the evil vampire lair they’d been paid to protect? After all, even at the good guy’s place—the Blood Coven—I’d had to pretend I was betrothed to Logan to enter past the main doors. And the only other human I’d seen breech the perimeter was…
Oh.
The idea struck me fast and hard. With the force of a ten-ton truck. I thought back to the beautiful black-haired girl who had come knocking on our door. At the time I’d been so jealous of her smug smile and enviable body I hadn’t given much thought as to how she got down there. How she was allowed to walk around, unescorted.
But now…
Yes. I could do this. I could totally do this.
Sucking a breath, I turned the corner, swinging my hips as I waltzed up to the two men as if I owned the place.
“Hey guys!” I said, as breezily as I could. As if this was something I did all the time. Just a typical bloody taco Tuesday for a donor chick like me. “How’s it hanging?”
The two of them looked down at me, their eyes filled with suspicion. “Who are you?” the first one asked.
“What do you want?” the second one added for good measure.
I giggled. “What do I want?” I repeated. I tapped my chin with my index finger. “Hm. How about a beach house in Cabo? Annual passes to Disney World? Ooh and a bottle of Cristal. I’m a sucker for their rosé.”
I paused, then leveled my eyes on them. “But what I need?” I purred. “Is for you to step aside and let me get to work.”
The guards frowned. “Sorry,” the first one said. “No one’s allowed behind these doors. Corporate policy.”
I allowed a smile to stretch across my face. “Oh trust me, I’m part of the corporation.”
Strutting up to the men, I thrust out my arm and pulled up my sleeve. Sure enough, their eyes widened as they gazed down at the still-fresh bite mark I’d gotten, courtesy of the vampire at the club. The new bite stood out amongst a map of crisscrossed, white scars that could have easily been old vampire bites It was funny; all these years I’d been trying to hide the marks on my arms. Now, they might very well serve to save Logan’s life.
“Oh,” the second guard sniffed. “You’re one of those.”
“Hey! No need to be all judgey, dude,” I shot back, starting to enjoy my new role as sexy blood door. “I mean, not all of us can hope to make a living standing in front of a door all day,” I added, giving them a pointed look. “Also, with this I can make my own hours, too. Which is important for a single mom like me.”
The guard rolled his eyes. “Sure. Whatever,” he said. “It’s your life.”
“Indeed,” I agreed. “So can I go down?” I bit my lower lip, waiting in anticipation. Please say yes. Please say yes.
“No.”
“No? What do you mean no? They’re expecting me!”
“Not for another six hours. It’s morning. They’re all asleep.”
Crap, I hadn’t thought about that. Could I suggest one of the vampires had insomnia? That I was like twenty-four-hour room service? But no. They could check that. They might even ask for a name. And then I’d be screwed.
I put a hand to my mouth, leaning toward the men. As if I was ready to spill a secret. “Don’t tell anyone,” I said in a low voice. “But I like coming early. They have all the cable stations down there. And I am so behind on The Walking Dead.”
The first guard’s face lit up. “Oh my God. Then you have no idea they killed off--”
I put my hands over my ears. “No spoilers!” I scolded. Then I removed them. “See? This is why I have to catch up. I’ve barely been able to get online without accidentally seeing something about last week’s episode.”
“Oh my God, it was so good! I can’t even…” The guard practically bounced with excitement.
I gave him a suspicious look. “Dude, if they killed off Daryl, I am so rioting.”
To my delight, the guard stepped away from the door. Then he made a sweeping bow. “Go, watch,” he said. “And when you come back up here later, you’ve got to let me know what you think.”
I grinned. “Absolutely.”
I was almost through the door when the guard spoke again. “Wait!”
I turned, trying not to look annoyed. Or, you know, scared to death. “What?” I asked.
He reached into his pocket and tossed me a set of keys. “Here,” he said. “You’ll need these to get into the media room. They keep it locked up during the day.”
“Oh. Right. Thank you!” I wrapped my fingers around the keys and shoved them in my pocket. “I’ll bring them back up when I’m done.”
And with that, I walked right up to the door. They even opened it for me, the perfect gentlemen. A moment later, I was down at the bottom of a set of stairs, inside the vamp
I couldn’t have planned it better myself.
Pulling out my phone, I sent another text to Rayne, praying she’d get it this time. And that she’d understand why I had to make my move when I could. After all, no way were they going to buy that both of us were donors showing up early to binge watch cable TV, especially with Rayne being a vampire herself. If she wanted to get down here, she’d have to come up with her own charade.
But my smile soon faded as I took in my new surroundings. It was so dark I had to use my phone’s flashlight to look around. The place was massive, likely the entire footprint of the golf club above it and even more opulent. These evil vampires sure knew how to live it up.
But somehow I didn’t think Logan would be hanging out in such luxury.
Which meant I had to find him. Now.
25
I crept around the underground lair for the better part of an hour, trying desperately to find Logan. Unlike the Blood Coven, with its cozy bedrooms with soft, comfy beds, this place was more like a prison—with small cells, each containing individual closed coffins. Rayne had said they wanted to go back to the old ways. Guess this was one thing they were bringing back.
Well, that, and sucking people like me dry, that was.
I tiptoed down the dark hallways, trying not to make a sound. I didn’t know if vampires in real life were good sleepers, like they always seemed to be in the movies. Or if one of them might be suffering from insomnia and would rise from his coffin at the slightest sound. What would they do if they caught me here? I wondered. Would they kill me instantly? Or keep me around as a captive blood donor for real?
If I was lucky, I would never have to find out. I’d find Logan, rescue him, and get the hell out of here. Never to return.
But where was Logan? I was beginning to get desperate. I’d looked in so many rooms. Tried so many passageways. I’d thought having the keys would help, but every door I unlocked led to a room that was decidedly not a prison. I did wonder, at one point, if maybe they’d stashed Logan in one of the coffins, too. But I wasn’t about to start lifting the lids to find out.
Finally, I found a corner I hadn’t yet explored. With an imposing door at the end of the hallway, unlike any other in the underground lair. This door had bars on the windows and a not-so-subtle sign that said, “Keep Out. Authorized Vampires Only.”
I drew in a breath. This had to be it.
With trembling hands, I reached for my set of keys. Slipped the first one into the lock.
It didn’t fit.
I tried the next key. Then the next. And then another and another. But none of them fit. My heart started pounding in my chest, a nagging voice whispering in my ear.
Authorized vampires only. Which meant they wouldn’t have given a key to the human guard upstairs.
I leaned against the door, letting out a frustrated groan. I was close. So freaking close. And yet, completely helpless. Was this whole thing just a waste of time from the start? Should we have just waited for Jareth and his diplomatic dealings instead of breaking in?
I turned to the door, kicking it angrily. Logan was in there. I just knew it. And I was completely unable to reach him. Some book heroine I turned out be.
“Move aside, human!”
I startled and almost screamed at the sudden voice. Until I realized it was only Rayne, come up behind me, a big grin on her face.
“There you are!” she cried. “How did you get past the guards?”
I opened my mouth to explain, but she waved me off. “Never mind,” she said. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is we get to Logan. Before any of these creepy monster vamps wake up.”
“I think he’s behind this door,” I said. “But it’s locked. And none of the keys work.”
“You have keys, too? Damn. You’re good.” Rayne gave me an appreciative look. Then she laughed. “But not as good as me.”
I watched excitedly as she pulled out her lock picking kit again. The one she had used back at Slayer, Inc.
“Keep watch,” she instructed. “I just need a moment.”
I glanced down the dark hallway. “Aren’t all the vampires asleep?” I asked.
“Yeah, but the guards upstairs aren’t. And If I don’t do this quick and get back up there, they might start getting suspicious.”
“How did you get them to let you pass in the first place?”
“I told them I worked for Vamp Supplies dot com. And I had to make a delivery.” She shrugged. “I still had my Slayer, Inc. fake ID. Works like a charm every time.”
I nodded, impressed. “Nice.”
“Okay. I think I have it. Just need to… Yes!” Rayne crowed as the door creaked open with a loud groan. “Haven’t lost my touch!”
I stared down into the darkness. More steps. But unlike the ones we’d already gone down, these ones were made of crumbling concrete. And they looked like they could collapse at any moment.
I turned back to Rayne. “You ready?” I asked.
“No. But you are,” she replied.
“What? But I can’t--”
“You have to,” she corrected. “I have to get back up, remember? Or they’ll come down here to find me. And if they see this door open…” She trailed off, but I caught her meaning.
I sucked in a breath, trying to squash the fear rising inside of me. “Okay,” I said. “I’ll go down there and get him out.”
“Oh. I’m not sure you’ll be able to get him out,” Rayne corrected, surprising me.
“What?” I cocked my head. “But isn’t that the whole reason we’re here?”
“We’re here to prove they’ve got him locked up,” she explained. “That they’re breaking the law. This way the Consortium will have no choice but to order a strike. Then we’ll have an entire vampire army at our backs.”
“Oh. Right. Okay,” I stammered, knowing that this should have been reassuring. A way better plan, actually, than us breaking him out ourselves. But at the same time, it was also disappointing. I wanted to rescue Logan, I realized. Get him out of here now. Not wait for backup.
But that, of course, was completely unrealistic. And at the end of the day I didn’t need the glory. I just needed to get Logan out. So I nodded at Rayne.
“Okay,” I said. “I’m going down.” Then I realized something. “My texts weren’t working before. What if they don’t work down there either?” After all, the subbasement of a secret evil vampire lair was bound to have even less cell service than the golf club above.
She grabbed my phone. Pressed at the screen. “Wi-Fi password,” she said. “I got it off the guard before I came down.”
I whistled. “You’re good.”
“The best,” she agreed, flashing me a grin. Then she slapped me on the back. “Good luck,” she said before turning to walk back to the stairs, leaving me alone.
I watched her go, adrenaline surging through me all over again.
Good luck indeed. I was going to need it.
26
The good news?
It didn’t take me long, once I’d gone down to the subbasement, to find Logan.
The bad?
I barely recognized him when I did.
He was lying on the floor of a prison cell. His once tall, proud body looking crumpled and broken. Hearing my approach, he lifted his head, turning it in my direction. His face, which had always been “vampire pale” was now stark white. His skin, almost translucent. His beautiful blue eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with red. And his whole body was shaking, as if it was an effort for him to move at all.
“Oh Logan,” I breathed, stopping in my tracks, trying not to recoil in horror.
At first, he just stared at me. Blankly. As if he couldn’t focus his eyes on me to recognize my face. His bewildered expression tore at my heart and it was all I could do not to throw up on the spot as I looked at him, agony tearing through me. I thought back to my tall, proud vampire. The way he moved, the way he commanded
I dropped to my knees, forcing the sobs back down my throat. Trying desperately to be brave. To be strong. So he wouldn’t have to be. The last thing he needed was to see me fall apart now. I needed to give him hope. A light at the end of the long, dark tunnel he’d evidently been crawling through ever since we parted ways.
“Logan, it’s me,” I whispered. “It’s Hannah.”
“Hannah,” he rasped. I could see his hard swallow. Caught the flicker of recognition in his eyes. Thank God. “What are you doing here? Did they get you, too?”
I shook my head. “I’m here to rescue you.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, as if my words had physically caused him pain. Then he sighed deeply. “You shouldn’t have come,” he said, so softly I could barely hear him. “You need to leave. Now.”
“No way. Not without you.”
As I said the words, I realized I meant them. Screw this whole texting a photo and letting vampires save the day plan—though I would do that as well, as backup. But I was not leaving here. Not exiting this room. Not without Logan by my side.
But he didn’t seem to appreciate that sentiment. “I’m not leaving,” he said in a blank voice. “I made a deal. I came here of my own free will. And I will live up to my word.”
“But you’ll die down here.”
“Then I’ll die.”
“Please.” I scoffed, anger coursing through me now, rejuvenating my resolve. “That’s something Jonathan would try to pull. Playing the martyr. The hero. Always trying to sacrifice himself to save the day.” I screwed up my face. “Which is all fine and good in my vampire romances. But,” I added, meeting his gaze with my own, “Like you said yourself, I don’t write real vampires. And you, Logan Valcourt, are a real vampire. Which means you don’t get to make grand sacrifices. You get to survive.”