Bloodbound Nocturne (The Sophia Kelly Chronicles Book 1) Read online

  I keep my eyes focused on my glass of wine because I don't want to make eye contact with Jamie and remind him that he's supposed to bring me up to sing. But Jamie doesn't need a reminder. He calls me up a few minutes later as if on cue.

  I glance down at Colin as I mentally prepare for my first number. He's looking up at me, only breaking his gaze every now and then to give Sarah a reassuring look. Myra and Ruby seem oblivious to my performance as they continue to whisper back and forth.

  I mindlessly scan audiences when I sing. I've always done that. It helps keep me calm and grounded for some reason, and when I see a fully engaged audience, their eyes all directed toward the stage, I feel empowered. There are people of all types in the audience, and I make notes about them, creating characters in my head. There's the hipster guy and his date, whose face is illuminated by the light from the phone she's scrolling through. There's the ethereal beauty in her flowy clothing who gazes up at the stage, head cocked to one side, a dreamy smile on her face as she fiddles with the tail of the scarf that's wound around her hair like a headband. Probably a friend of Sarah's. And then there's… Dr. D.

  My voice lurches slightly at the sight of him, but not enough for anyone to notice, except for probably Dr. D, who notices everything. He sits near the back of the room with a gorgeous dark-haired woman. Her perfect porcelain skin and ruby-red lips send a twinge of jealousy surging through me. She's turned slightly, saying something to him, her long, dark ponytail swinging gently from side to side as she talks, but he's not paying her any attention. His gaze is fixated on me so intensely that I feel like I may as well be standing up here completely naked.

  My thoughts are going a hundred different directions, and I'm trying to keep from working myself into a panic. Why do you always have to be where I am? Why do you torture me? My mind asks the questions my mouth would never dare.

  "Pure coincidence, I assure you, Miss Kelly."

  His voice rumbles through my head from out of nowhere, as if reading my very thoughts. My voice, the band, the music — everything goes on autopilot, and I can't help but succumb to whatever this power is that Dr. D seems to have over me.

  "How are you doing this?"

  "How are you hearing me?" he fires back.

  He smirks at me from across the room. I have to be imagining this. This has to be where my mind goes when it doesn't want to focus on the music. When it wants to push away the stage fright and self-doubt that creep their way into my head during a performance. The woman is still chattering to Dr. D about something, twirling the ends of her ponytail through her fingers. But Dr. D seems only interested in me.

  "You cannot do this to me right now. I'm on the damned stage. I haven't sung in months."

  "Well, you certainly fooled me. You have me under your little spell.”

  Now I know I must be imagining this. Dr. D compliments no one.

  "Those are the words to the song. For God's sake. You're distracting me. Will you just leave me alone?"

  The song ends, but I hardly notice. The audience's cheering is nothing more than muffled noise in my head.

  "Miss Kelly, after watching you sing that, it's going to take everything in my power just to stay away from you."

  My throat tightens as I break my gaze from his and take a low, sweeping bow, trying to bring myself back into the moment. All I can think about is that smoldering stare he's fixed me with. It's literally the worst.

  Jamie says a few words I don't hear, and I stare blankly out into the crowd, grinning like an idiot.

  "Now that I have your attention and know that you can hear me," Dr. D continues, "I need you to calmly leave the stage. Don't look at me again. Just do as I say. We have a bit of a situation here."

  A shiver creeps up my spine at the ominous tone in his voice, and an even bigger shiver follows that one, because I can hear the ominous tone of his voice without him actually speaking a word. My eyes slowly scan the crowd as I take another modest bow, and I swear I see an inky-black figure duck into a darkened corner. There is a strange buzzing in my head. Strategically positioned in the back of the room, directly in front of me and to my right, are four men that I recognize as some of Colin's friends from the tea shop. Druids. Every cell in my body seems to come alive and for a moment I feel weightless, as if I'm hovering slightly above the floor rather than walking shakily across it.

  "What is going on? Is it Unseelie?"

  I step calmly from the stage and return to my seat, thinking about ways to subtly remove my dagger from my purse. Colin watches me as I sit back down, his brows knitting slowly together. He too seems on edge about whatever is happening.

  "I need you to go to my car in the back. I have alerted my driver, Sebastian, and he is waiting for you. I will explain everything later. Pretend like you're getting up to go to the restroom. Look to your right and you'll see the back exit. Go now," says Dr. D.

  Jamie is babbling into the microphone, telling the audience about the next song they will be playing, completely unaware of whatever is about to unfold. I try to keep a relaxed composure as I stand.

  "I'm going to the restroom," I say to Colin.

  He nods in response, his body tense and alert. He knows something strange is going on. My legs tremble as I thread myself between the small tables. The air in the room is heavy. People seem oblivious to it, though, whispering compliments and offering smiles as I pass, but I can only provide uneasy smiles in return. I am terrified as I make my way toward the bathroom, the back exit in full view.

  Someone moves in the shadows, and out of nowhere something reaches out and grabs me, jerking me into the darkness. It is at that moment I see Colin, Myra, and Ruby leap to action, with Dr. D and the dark-haired woman already two steps ahead of them. In the blink of an eye, Dr. D is at my side, and has effortlessly wrestled the figure to the ground. I look away right as I hear the choked, gurgled cries of a man who sounds like he's just had his throat ripped out, but I'm not looking to verify that.

  At this point it is easy to spot the bad guys in the room, because they are attacking the crowd before anyone even realizes what's happening. They move with a nimble swiftness that is not possible in humans. Because these are not humans we're dealing with.

  I toss aside Dr. D's instructions for a moment when I see Jamie and the rest of the band onstage. They’re just coming to the realization that we are all under attack by things they can't even begin to explain. That makes four of us, I suppose. Jamie’s eyes are wide with terror as what can only be described as an Unseelie with vampire-like fangs leaps effortlessly over a table and sinks its teeth into the cute blonde who had been sitting with her friend at the table next to ours.

  I scream, despite the strange sense of calm that flows through me and keeps me grounded while everything around me falls apart. I feel hope. I feel like the yin to the yang that surrounds me right now. There is a light inside of me. A light I can use. That I want to use. Except I have no idea how to use my light in this kind of darkness. Something is happening to me, but if I'm going to make it out of here alive, I must push it aside. I will take the time to process it later. Now I need to focus on protecting my friends.

  "Jamie. Guys, out the back door. Now."

  I make a quick motion with my hands toward what I hope is the back of the club. "No, it's this way. This is where we came in," says Jamie, hot on my heels.

  Screams of panic and terror ring in my ears as I throw open the heavy door and stumble down the staircase.

  A stocky, intimidating man wearing a dark suit and an earpiece waits beside a sleek black Mercedes sedan, leaping to action when he sees me.

  "You must be Sebastian," I say, panting from exertion as he helps me into the backseat of the car. He starts to close the door, but I put a hand out to stop him. "Wait! My friends. You can't leave them."

  "I am following orders—"

  "Screw your orders. Dr…. uh, Christoph would want my friends to be safe." I look over at Jamie, who stands at the foot of the stairs, pale and shiv
ering with the rest of his band. He seems so small compared to Sebastian.

  "Guys, get in the car," I bark. "Thank God there's only three of you. Wait, where's Emily?" I look around, panic taking root in the pit of my stomach as I look for the band's drummer. "Where the hell is—"

  "I'm here," says a weak voice from the top of the stairs.

  "Oh God," I whisper, feeling myself grow pale and clammy.

  Emily is clutching a wound in her neck, blood seeping between her pale fingers as she staggers toward the railing.

  "Hold on," I say, starting for the stairs. Despite what I can only describe as a swirling ball of very powerful energy inside of me, I have no idea what I can possibly do. Sebastian beats me to Emily, though, and before I can even comprehend what is happening, he's got her down beside the car and is quickly and efficiently tending to the wound in her neck. With his own blood. That’s seeping from a self-made puncture wound in his arm.

  Vampire. Dr. D's driver is a vampire, too. They're all vampires.

  "Get in the car," Sebastian barks, cradling Emily in his arms as if she were a small child. "She will be fine. My blood will heal her."

  They move mindlessly, in apparent shock, with Sebastian's and my help, and once we are all loaded into the car he speeds away, tires squealing against the pavement.

  "What the hell happened in there?" Jamie asks in a small voice. "Emily? What the hell? What is going on, Sophe?"

  I pound Sebastian's seat in front of me with my hand, frustrated, and he arches an eyebrow at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes glowing an eerie red.

  My mother was right. She was right about everything.

  "Damn her," I say through clenched teeth.

  Damn my mother for not better preparing me for this. For giving me nothing but the vague superstitious ramblings of a junkie that no one could possibly take seriously. And damn her for thinking for a second that I could hide from the supernatural when something supernatural is literally about to burst out of my body.

  Tears fill my eyes and I am filled with overwhelming grief when I think of all the people in there who probably lost their lives tonight.

  "Yes, sir. She is safe. I have her friends, too. Your house? Yes, right away, sir," says Sebastian in the same heavy German accent as Dr. D.

  "Are you talking to him right now? Dr. D?" My voice comes out strained and choked. "Are they okay? Is everyone okay? Is he okay?"

  Sebastian gives me a strange look in the rearview mirror. "Yes, they will be returning shortly."

  "Was it terrorists?" Emily asks, interrupting me. "Was it a terrorist attack?"

  I nod slowly.

  "Yep. That's what it was."

  Supernatural terrorists.

  The trio stares at me, mouths slack and eyes wide with fright. They are scared now, but I suspect once Sebastian is finished with them, they won't remember anything about this night except what he tells them.

  I sit at the edge of my seat at Dr. D's dining table, my head in my hands, waiting. Per Dr. D's instruction, Sebastian had successfully tended to Emily's wounds until she was as good as new. Then, as quickly as blinking his eyes, he'd sent her and the rest of the band on their way. That was hours ago. Or at least it felt like hours ago. I'm still trying to process the fact that Sebastian is a vampire. And that leads me to an even more terrifying question. If Dr. D's driver is a vampire, does that mean he is one, too? After all, he did just telepathically communicate with me, and Colin did make a comment alluding to it the day of the Lauren-Fae attack, and during our fencing match.

  The writing is not only on the wall, it's scrawled on the wall in human blood. Of course he is a vampire.

  I would love to be with the rest of the band right about now. To have just finished an amazing gig. To be headed to an even more amazing after-party. To be utterly clueless about what really happened tonight with no knowledge of the dark, supernatural world that runs right alongside our own. But I've seen it now. And my world is likely forever changed because of it. So much for being normal.

  "Where are they?" I groan as I let my hands fall to the table with a frustrated thud.

  Sebastian only stands beside me, unmoving, yet poised and ready to spring into action if needed. It makes me slightly uncomfortable. But he insists on standing. He feels more alert when he's standing. Prepared. That's what he'd said, anyway. He's a man of few words and is focused on the job at hand, and right now his job is to keep me safe.

  "There's been no word, Miss Kelly."

  "Well, can you do your little mind tricks on me? I want to forget this night, too."

  He gives only the smallest shake of his head. "I am afraid not, Miss Kelly. My orders were to keep your mind intact."

  Jeez. How powerful is he? ‘Mind intact?’

  I look up at him. He doesn't seem the least bit concerned. He just stands there, eyes forward, his enormous and powerful hands clasped in front of him.

  "But they're okay, right? It feels like it's been hours. They have to be okay. This probably isn't their first faerie rodeo." I pause and tug at my lower lip with my fingers. "But it is my first faerie rodeo."

  No answer.

  With another growl of annoyance, I leap from my seat and begin to pace the length of the room. Why can't Dr D, or Colin, or someone at least send word that they're okay? Unless they're not okay. I stand behind the couch, resting my hands on the cool leather surface. Sebastian had prepared a beautiful fire in Dr. D's fireplace when we arrived at the house, and until now I'd ignored it. I pause for a moment before moving toward the fire, letting the heat warm my face and body, which is chilled by not only the crisp bite in the air, but the icy nervousness that has settled in my bones.

  All I can think about are those awful screams inside the club. The terror and panic that fell upon the otherwise happy crowd. The same crowd that had cheered me on and supported me as I nervously stepped onto the stage, scared out of my wits to sing again. And I'd abandoned them. Turned my back and left them there to die when I could've fought alongside Colin and Dr. D to save them. I may not have been able to do much, but I guarantee I was probably the only one there toting a small iron dagger in my purse.

  The back door opens with a loud bang and Dr. D comes blazing in, his face and clothes streaked with dirt, blood, and God knows what else. Thunder rumbles from somewhere in the distance as I skitter across the room, practically throwing myself at him.

  "Thank God," I say, lifting my arms as if to hug Dr. D. But I stop suddenly, realizing I am about to hug Dr. D. I take a step back and clench my fists at my sides instead. His eyes soften slightly, but his gaze is otherwise impenetrable. "Are you all right?" I ask, taking note of the blood and who knows what else that's smeared across his face and caked in his hair. "Where's Colin?”

  "Colin and the others are tending to the last of them." I'm not sure who he's referring to as "them." I'm afraid to ask. Dr. D's eyes dart around the room. "Where is the rest of the band?" he barks.

  "I've compelled them and sent them on their way, sir," Sebastian says calmly.

  The look on his face suggests that this is not the first angry outburst from Dr. D that Sebastian has dealt with.

  "I gave you orders," Dr. D says to me, his voice a lethal rumble as he begins to close the gap between us. "Those orders did not include your friends in the band."

  My mouth falls open, and I'm shocked at Dr. D's complete disregard for my friends.

  "They could've been killed," I say, matching Dr. D's low voice with my own.

  "You wasted time on them. Precious time when you could've been in the car and on your way like I told you—"

  "I'm fine," I interrupt, as heat rises up my neck. "We're all fine, okay? My deviation from your orders didn't hurt anyone. In fact, it saved—"

  "You were reckless and stupid," Dr. D barks, taking a step closer to me and then stopping, as if afraid to move any closer.

  "If I may interject." Sebastian takes a step forward. "Sophia acted bravely and most efficiently tonight." His eyes fli
ck to mine for a moment. "One of the band members had been attacked. I was able to save her because of Sophia's quick thinking and fearlessness."

  I like Sebastian.

  In a softer and maybe even gentler tone, Dr. D continues. "Had they gotten their hands on you, Sophia…" I open my mouth to protest but stop, realizing he's just called me by my first name. He's never done that before. "It's an honorable thing to want to save your friends, but until you are the one giving the orders, you need to do what I say. I've been at this a lot longer than you have."

  "And just what is that, exactly?" I ask, feeling the nervous chill inside me slowly giving way to a furious heat. How dare he keep me in the dark about all of this? "Fighting supernatural baddies? Keeping secrets about who you are? What you are?" I glare at Dr. D.

  "You were never left in the dark," shouts Dr. D, his eyes blazing. "Your mother has been trying to tell you for years. But you didn't want to listen."

  "Would you listen to a bunch of slurred, half-conscious ramblings from a crazy person?" I shout back.

  He takes a step toward me, and for a moment I think he is going to take me by the shoulders and shake me like a disobedient child. I take a step back. How does he know so much about my mother?

  "Well, I hope you're listening now. Because the threat is real. The Fae want you, Sophia. And the attack in my office? What you've witnessed tonight? That is only the beginning of what they'll do."

  This is real.

  "How… H-how do you know…" I stammer. "How do you know about my mother? How do you know so much about my life?"

  The room around me starts to spin, slowly at first, and then faster. And faster still. I do my best to maintain my composure and try to look as normal as I want to feel. But it's all catching up with me and I feel as if my life is unraveling and spinning out of control.

  My mother was right. All this time. She was right.

  But when I open my mouth to say these very words, I feel everything around me fade to black as I slump to the floor.