Taste of Torment (24 page)

For the first time, I understood just how Jared had felt when he was placed in a position where he had to choose between my safety and that of his brother. It was different when the decision was placed in your own hands, when the risk was to someone you cared about and not to you. I truly adored Antonio, but Jared’s safety came first to me and it always would.

Covington held the blade tighter against Antonio’s throat. “
Now.
”

Jared reflexively made a move toward them, but I grabbed his arm and held him back.
Don’t let him trick you into moving out of the shield. And tell Antonio I’m sorry
. Glaring at Covington, I shook my head. “Not happening.”

He gazed at me curiously. “You would risk the Grand High Master’s life?”

“I won’t leave my mate vulnerable.”

He was silent for a moment, and I realised that he truly hadn’t been expecting that response. But he eventually shrugged. “No matter. Dana can deal with you.”

The Pagori female beside Eloise smirked at me. “I think I’m going to enjoy this.” Wow, her voice was surprisingly and painfully squeaky. She raised her arms, palms out, in a move that was very familiar. Then I felt the pull on the energy around me, causing my shield to wink out for a second. Startled, I quickly reinforced the shield.

What the fuck is she doing?
demanded Jared.

Bollocks, the bitch is a Feeder.
A Feeder who didn’t like that her efforts weren’t working as well as she’d like. But she was still a threat, because the one guaranteed way of weakening a Feeder was using another – fighting Feeder with Feeder.

“I want the shield gone,” Covington snapped at her.

She was practically pouting. “I’m trying.” And she really was. There was no denying that she was extremely powerful, which was a real worry. I couldn’t suck in more energy without dropping the shield, and that wasn’t something I was able to do. That meant I’d have to rely on the supply of hybrid energy that filled me to defend myself. But it was only really a matter of time before she’d absorbed it all and my shield fell. It wouldn’t leave me physically weak, but it would mean my gift was worth shit…kind of like running on an empty tank. Still, I’d fight her efforts for as long as I could.

“Try harder,” he gritted out, impatient.

“You’ve got what you wanted,” Imani said to Covington, licking her lips nervously. “You’ve got me. Let them go.”

It hit me then. “It was never really Paige that anyone wanted, was it?”

It was Langley who answered me. He glared at Paige as he spoke. “I sent her to retrieve Imani for me. She never returned. She completely disappeared, and I knew that she had taken Imani with her. Finding Paige would lead me to Imani.”

“And now you have me,” said Imani. “You don’t need the others.”

Covington gave her an indulgent smile. “Yes, we do have you. But it’s not just about you anymore.” He looked at Jared. “Eloise told me all about the conversation that you had with your brother in the infirmary. She had been lingering outside the room.” He briefly glanced at the High Masters. “Samantha Parker…is a hybrid.”

Shit, shit, shit.

In response to the shock and disbelief on their faces, Covington laughed. “Oh I didn’t believe it myself at first. That can’t be possible, right? But let’s look at the facts. Here she stands with Pagori strength and Keja hypnotic beauty. And you’ve all seen the mercury glow to her irises that are currently glowing with anger. Who else do you know who has that? No one, no matter how powerful they are. And I’ll tell you why: it’s a marker – a marker that signifies that she’s a hybrid.” He zeroed in on me. “It’s true, isn’t it? Tell them.”

I thought about calling him a liar, but what was the point? Seeing the fear in his eyes, it was more than obvious what he intended to do – kill me. Whether I denied it or not, he’d still do it, he’d still kill me out of blind fear. “It’s true.”

“Antonio lied for you.”

“To protect me from people like you who are scared of what they don’t understand.” There was an extra hard tug on the energy constructing my shield, and Dana gasped – the hybrid energy was filling her, invigorating her. My shield was still in place, thanks to my reserves, but I knew it was weakening.

“Scared?” he scoffed. “I’m not scared, sweetheart.” Oh yes he was. “I’m smart. Smart enough to know that a hybrid is a dangerous thing – many saw you duel with the vampire who Turned your mate. They know what you can do. They know exactly what any vampires you create will be able to do. They know you can’t be allowed to live.”

Jared made another move toward him and I again pulled him back. “You won’t fucking touch her,” he ground out, his irises glowing so red they were like lasers.

Covington turned suitably nervous. “Maybe you both plan to create an army. The ultimate legion.” It was clear that he was planting the seed of suspicion in the minds of the High Masters, but what wasn’t clear was if it was working. It couldn’t be a good sign that they were still and quiet, could it?

“So you’ve come to kill me? You’re doing this big song and dance just to destroy me? I don’t think so.” When he went to speak, I raised my hand. “I don’t doubt that you want me dead. But what you most want is The Hollow, the position of Grand High Master. You’re posing as the saviour of vampirekind to try to excuse your actions. But anyone with half a brain can see right through you.” Or, at least, I hoped they could.

He snarled, “You need to die.”

“And maybe I wil
l
”

“No you fucking won’t,” Jared vehemently snapped.

“
but if you think there won’t be repercussions, you truly haven’t thought this through.”

Covington didn’t appear concerned. “The Hollow was considered impossible to infiltrate, and yet I am now in total control of it. Come see for yourself.” Very slowly, still holding Antonio hostage, he edged toward the balcony and gestured at one of his vampires to open the doors. The sound of utter chaos filled the room. “Take a look.”

When Covington’s vampires moved slightly to let us pass, Jared and I cautiously moved to the balcony with my shield still encompassing us. My stomach plummeted as I glimpsed the vision below us. Buildings were on fire, people were bleeding and screaming, the bodies of dead humans dotted the ground, and the man-made beach was littered with ashes – the remains of so many dead vampires.

“Right now,
all hell is breaking lose in The Hollow because of
me
,” claimed Covington. “I’ve got your big, bad leader!” he declared to all the vampires below, making everyone freeze. “Not even the Heir or his mate can help him or you. So stand down unless you want them dead!”

Oh he had to be fucking kidding.

“Stand down, and you will not be harmed! Continue to fight, and you will all die! And so will your precious leader!”

There was the briefest hesitation, and then all The Hollow’s vampires surrendered. Of course they did. They would never risk Antonio being hurt because they all adored and respected him. I noticed that the squad, Evan, Alora, Ava, Cristiano, and Jude were among them. Their expressions were filled with fury, apprehension, and anguish. At least they were alive.

All those who had surrendered were instantly rounded up like sheep by Covington’s men, who then surrounded them. The snickering assholes actually had guns. Vampires relied on their strength, speed, and gifts, not human weapons. This was cowardly and insulting. But it also indicated that they
knew
they were no match for the legion without the weapons.

Covington laughed. “See how they obeyed me?
I
am in control here. Anyone who would want to go against me would have to be very stupid.” That comment was for the High Masters.

Jared snarled at him. “And anyone who would be prepared to follow you would have to be even more stupid. You didn’t challenge Antonio for this position. You tried to
take
it. He welcomed you into his home, and you abused his trust. Not only that, you turned on your own High Master. I can’t think of any vampire who’ll follow someone who can so easily betray others.”

That had Covington tensing, and I could almost see the wheels turning in his head. My shield flickered as the suction suddenly intensified, and I quickly reinforced it again. Dana was smirking, pleased with herself. Had I not been a hybrid, she would have disintegrated the shield by now. It was at moments like this when I was actually glad to be a hybrid.

“Maybe you’ll kill us and keep The Hollow,” said Jared. “But you’re forgetting one very important thing.”

“And what is that?”

“The Hollow is merely a gated community.” Jared shrugged. “It isn’t anything that signifies that the person residing here is a ruler. It’s just something that Antonio built because he wanted to. All you’ve done tonight is break into someone’s home. That makes you an intruder, nothing more. In other words, living here won’t make you the Grand High Master vampire. It won’t mean that people have to follow you. It just means that you have a new home.”

Jared was absolutely right. And it was clear that now Covington knew it too.

“I’m done chatting.” Covington looked at me then. “Time to make a choice, Sam.”

Shit. Here it was. That all-important choice that Luther had warned me about. My anxiety and apprehension intensified.

“You see, I’m a fair person. I don’t see any reason why these people here have to die purely because you need to be destroyed. In fact, I can just put them in containment cells and have someone teleport those cells out of here. I’ll release Antonio and everyone here, and they can live – I give my word on that in front of all the High Masters, can show just how trustworthy I can be. But it will be
your
life in exchange for theirs.”

“No, Sam!” Antonio immediately shouted while Jared growled, “Not a fucking chance.”

“Do not give him what he wants,” insisted Sebastian.

“We’ve lived very long lives,” Luther told me. “It is you and Jared that are important now.” Sebastian nodded his agreement, totally earnest.

Covington chuckled. “Sam might be a freak, but she’s not stupid. She knows it’s in everyone’s best interests to agree to my deal. Every single person in The Hollow is depending on her to make the right choice in order to live.”

My voice was hard, loaded with anger, as I spoke. “If I agree to your little deal, it would be killing my mate. I don’t have any intention of doing that. And any vampire out there – including the High Masters that are watching intently – would understand that putting their mate first is what a vampire does.”

The ugly, all-knowing smile that surfaced on his face had me tensing. “Then it’s a good thing that I can solve that little matter. Or, more accurately, Imani can solve it.”

I frowned, sliding my gaze briefly to a silently crying Imani.

“She didn’t tell you what she can do? She didn’t tell you why we want her, why Paige has been hiding her?”

Imani looked at me and confessed sadly, “My gift…I can sever blood-bonds.”

Well fuck a duck. It made perfect sense for Paige to hide her. A vampire with such a gift could be a weapon – they would have the ability to detach people from their makers and separate Bound couples. Paige hadn’t wanted the female to become a pawn in dangerous games like the one being played now.

“If you agree to my deal, Imani will first sever your bond with Jared. This will allow him to live after you die.”

“No dice,” Jared immediately spat.

Covington arched a reprimanding brow at him. “I think your mate is quite capable of making this decision all by herself. According to Eloise, she is full of opinions.”

“
You
made the complaints to the Prelature, didn’t you?” snickered Jared.

Covington was smug once more. “With Eloise’s help, yes. I needed you all distracted, needed your morale low, needed your time to be consumed enough that you couldn’t find any possible avenue of help for the tainted – that your only option would be to locate Paige. Why do you think I recommended her to you? I knew that you had the means to track her.”

“There’s one thing I don’t understand,” I said. “How did you find out all that private information about our training methods to make the complaints?”

“Quite easily, really, thanks to a human here that did a little spying for me – all I had to do was promise to Turn someone for her once I became Grand High Master. Apparently Antonio had refused to do it because the human kid she wanted Turning was only twelve. Of course your little traitor is very much dead now since she served her purpose. As I said, I’d just needed you all to be a little distracted – it was originally only Imani that I wanted. But then Eloise told me about you, Sam. I knew what I had to do for the good of all vampirekind.”

I snorted. “Like people will buy that. If anything, they’ll find it insulting that you expect them to believe it.” Yes, that was a little reverse psychology for the High Masters, but I wasn’t sure it would work.

He ignored that. “Make your choice, Sam. And choose wisely.”

Luther hadn’t been kidding when he said that it was a choice that would affect us all. Unless I gave my life for the lives of the people in The Hollow, they would all die and Covington would most likely rule purely because of the fear his success would induce. If others decided to battle him for the position, there would be many lives lost…and all because I wanted to save myself. Was there really a choice when so many could die? When there was no guarantee that I would come out of this alive in any case?