Twisted

Twirling, twirling, mesmerizing.

There was something familiar about her, something that lit Aden up inside, even as it dragged him down. Whoever she was, she raised the same emotions Mary Ann did. An urge to hug, followed by a need to run.

“Maxwell, Nathan,” he said.

They quieted as they looked over their furry shoulders.

Using minions wasn’t a bad idea, really. “Bring Victoria to me,” he said absently.

We should stay with you. Nathan’s voice echoed inside his head. There’s danger here, my king.

Wolves could speak into the minds of those around them. Something Riley had done to him before, so he wasn’t startled. And neither was Julian, who probably couldn’t hear the new voice. “From this woman? No. Now go get Victoria and bring her to me.”

They shared a confused look before nodding and clomping off.

He sat down, right there, in front of the circle, watching the woman. She didn’t seem to notice him. Her graceful, twirling steps never faltered. Twirling, twirling, a ballerina on ice, her arms outstretched, one leg lifted behind her and bent. Twirling and twirling.

Who was she?

A cough inside his head. Hello, Aden, Elijah finally said, then yawned. How are you feeling?

“Fine.” Kind of.

So are we here to stay or what? Julian demanded, practically jumping up and down.

I…don’t know, the psychic replied.

O-kay. That was a first.

Explain yourself, please, Julian huffed. Elijah sighed. I just woke up. Do we have to do the heavy stuff—

Explain, explain, explain!

You are such a child. But fine. Aden’s path has been altered so much lately, I can no longer see a clear future for him. He was supposed to die, and that was supposed to be the end of us all. But he didn’t, we didn’t, and now I can’t see what lies ahead.

Perhaps that was a good thing.

That better not mean we’re going to die soon. Really die, I mean, Julian replied, and if he’d had a body he would have been pacing. Or that we’re gonna wake up back inside the vamp. I like her and everything, when she’s not going for our jugular, but come on. A guy needs to be a guy.

Nothing wrong with the vamp, Caleb said, piping up for the first time. Like Elijah, he yawned. No offense, Aden, but she’s hotter than you.

A milk jug is hotter than our Ad, Julian said with a snicker.

Caleb snorted. Buuurn.

“Good. The gang’s all here.”

Why don’t you sound happy? Julian asked, pouting now. More important question—why didn’t you laugh at my amazing joke?

And why are you so…cold inside? Caleb asked. Seriously, it’s like a meat locker in here.

Meat locker? When his skin felt molten? “I’m fine. And I don’t know.”

I might. What do you remember about your last hour inside that cave with Victoria? Elijah asked. Think for a minute, okay, then you can go back to doing whatever it is you’re doing.

“Why do you want to know?”

Please. Just do what I told you.

Not an answer, but fine. Whatever. “All right.” Arguing required too much energy. So he thought about it, replaying the events through his head. He’d just bitten Victoria. Just drank from her. She’d just bitten and drunk from him. That hadn’t been enough for either of them. They’d fought, tossing each other around like rag dolls, both lost to a hunger that never seemed to be satisfied.

The dancing woman laughed, and Aden wanted to look at her, to see her face softened by humor, but forced himself to concentrate, thinking back…back. The cave. Victoria. The fighting had stopped, and they’d faced off. She’d…glowed. Yes, he remembered now. A glorious golden glow had seeped from her pores, so bright he hadn’t been able to look at her. Seeing it, Chompers had gone crazy inside his head, wanting out, desperate to protect him, sensing a predator far stronger than himself was about to be unleashed.

Then, Chompers had gotten his wish. He’d emerged from Aden’s body, solidified into dragon form and attacked. Aden had shouted, racing forward, afraid for his girl, willing to throw himself in front of Victoria to save her from being clamped between those too-strong jaws. Only, Victoria had stretched out her hands. The glow had lanced away from her body and into Chompers, knocking him backward, pinning him to the cave wall.

Victoria had turned her attention to Aden. Again the glow had lanced from her, then slammed into him. He, too, had been thrown backward, pinned on the opposite side, as far away from Chompers as possible. She had closed the distance between them.

Her eyes, usually blue, had then been filled with lavender ice chips and devoid of any emotion. She’d looked him over from head to toe, taking his measure.

A pause. Aden had tried to breathe, couldn’t breathe. The energy, or whatever she’d thrown at him, had been tightening its hold on him, shoving his ribs into his lungs, piercing the membrane. Pain had shot through him.

“Victoria,” Aden had gasped out.

She’d blinked at him, as if she’d heard him but hadn’t quite understood him. “Victoria.”

She’d opened her mouth to speak. Had spoken. He’d heard the words. Or should have. The sounds she’d made, they’d been—

Enough! Elijah shouted inside Aden’s head, drowning out everything else.

Aden sucked in a breath, suddenly back in the present, the past fading, gone.

That’s enough, Elijah said again, calm this time.

“You wanted me to think back,” Aden said, confused. “I did. You should have let the scene play until the end.” He wanted to know what Victoria had said—and who had been speaking through her. Because that had not been her voice. Too raw, too guttural. Too animalistic.

What are you talking about? What scene? I didn’t see anything, Julian groused.

Me, either, Caleb said. What happened?

Nothing, Elijah lied. Leave it alone, Aden. You saw all that you needed to see. Frankly, I didn’t expect you to remember that much.

Another lie? Elijah never lied. What was going on? “Then why did you have me think back?”

I just wanted you to know that Victoria didn’t hurt you on purpose.

Was that why he’d been wondering if he even liked her? Because of something she’d done in the cave? Something he couldn’t remember? Or hadn’t yet remembered.

He pursed his lips. His past was there, all of it, every memory accessible, but those memories weren’t the main focus of his mind. He had to actively consider something—like what had happened in the cave—before the event crystallized.

After all the blood exchanges, Victoria left pieces of herself inside you. Her past, her thoughts and desires. Or rather, former thoughts and desires. They seem like yours now.

“That can’t be right. Earlier I wondered if I even liked her.”

And once upon a time, she didn’t like herself.

“I want to kill her father. She loved her father.”

She’s wanted to harm him many times over the past few decades. He wasn’t always nice to her, you know. But Aden? You’re still here, too. The desire to harm him could very well spring from deep inside you.