A Blood Seduction (Vamp City #1)(69)

A Jeep.

Was Arturo looking for her? If Grant was right, he knew Zack had been moved to the gladiator camp. Would he try to catch her there?

You think of me, cara, but your emotions do not cry out for help. You are safe. Or you believe yourself so. For now.

The sound of Arturo's voice in her head was becoming almost familiar. And not altogether unwelcome. As long as he stayed in her head and didn't show up in the flesh.

She glanced at Marcus, breaking the no-talking rule. "Have you ever heard of a vampire speaking in someone's head?"

"You mean telepathically?"

"I guess. But it only seems to go one way."

"You've got one talking to you, now?"

Quinn nodded.

"He's drunk your blood."

"A couple of times."

"I've heard of weird connections forming when that happens, but it's not common."

She sighed. "The story of my life."

As long as you remain in Vamp City, I will search for you, tessoro, you must know that. I will find you. There is no escape, Quinn. Come back before you fall into hands that will harm you.

As if she ever would, knowing he'd only deliver her back to Cristoff. No, she was getting Zack out of V.C., that was all there was to it. Or die trying.

Zack tried to parry the blow with his wooden training sword, but his arm was like rubber, his opponent too fast, too strong. Paul slammed his sword against Zack's ribs, then against his calf, knocking Zack's leg out from under him. Zack hit the ground hard, the collision rattling everything inside him that hadn't already come loose, shooting pain up his spine and into every cut and bruise he'd suffered since his arrival in the gladiator camp yesterday.

Was it only yesterday? This has to be the longest f**king day in my sorry, f**king life. And it isn't over yet.

Paul thrust the point of his training sword against Zack's throat, forcing him onto his back. "Dead. Again." With calm satisfaction, the shorter man turned away, heading toward the water station. In the movies, this was the point when the downed hero would jump up and take the ass**le from behind. Right. He was certainly no hero. And if he had that much energy left, he wouldn't have been knocked down in the first place.

Instead, he lay back in the dirt with a grimace, his ribs aching, his muscles on fire, his lip split in three different places, one eye swollen nearly shut from a blow he'd taken last night during his very first sparring match.

He'd fought as hard as he could every f**king time, but he just didn't have it. He closed his eyes against the burn of humiliating tears, pressing the heels of his hands against the lids until he got control. Fuck. He didn't stand a chance.

The Games, they called them. A fun time for the vampires, maybe, as they threw humans into the ring like slaves in the Roman arenas, ordering them to fight to the death.

The thought of it had his stomach churning, and had ever since he first learned what the Games were, since he first realized they were sending him in there like some joke. Useless, the vampire had called him. I'm not f**king useless!

Though, yeah. He was. He couldn't even save himself, let alone his sister and his best friend. Useless didn't begin to describe the worthless piece of shit he'd turned out to be.

If there was any good news, it was that his death would almost certainly be quick. In the arena, they used real swords. Every blow he'd taken today would slice right through him. When the time came for the real fight, he'd die fast.

And there was no doubt in his mind. In two days, he was going to die.

Chapter Fifteen

Quinn tipped her head against the dusty window frame, peering out at the empty street and that strip of crime-scene tape that marked one of the hot spots, as Jeff called it. One of the places where the sunbeams occasionally broke through, blending the two worlds in such a way that apparently she alone could travel between them. She and whoever was holding on to her as she walked through.

At least that's how they thought it worked.

And the six slaves in this deserted house with her were all counting on that being true. They were counting on her to free them of this place once and for all.

She was hungry - they'd eaten the last of the little bit of food they'd brought in the packs a couple of hours ago - and crazed with the need to head for the gladiator camp. If a sunbeam didn't break through soon, they might just lose their ticket home. It was all she could do to stay here waiting when she knew where Zack was. But she'd promised to help the six slaves with their escape back into the real world, and this deserted place was the perfect spot to send them through. If the earth would only rumble.

Jeff appeared on the stairs, followed by the three slaves who'd been watching through the upstairs windows.

"Looks like we're calling it quits," Marcus said quietly.

Finally. She pushed away from the window and went to meet Jeff as he reached the foyer. "It's time to free Zack, then we'll all go through together."

Jeff shook his head. "It's going to be dark in an hour."

Quinn scoffed. "How can you possibly know that?"

Marcus came up beside her. "He's right. You learn to read the light, and it's nearly sunset in the real world."

Dammit. To. Hell. "So now what?"

"We're not far from that safe house. We'll get dinner there and spend the night, then set out again in the morning."