A Wind of Change (A Shade of Vampire #17)(21)

Michael shot a look at Marilyn.

“I’ll tell her when I tell her,” he snapped.

Marilyn crossed her arms over her chest and scowled at Michael.

I continued to attack my captor’s back—and any other part of his body I could reach—but he didn’t seem to feel a thing. My attempts to break free only made his freezing hands close more tightly around my legs.

“Please,” I gasped. “Please. Let me down!”

Both of them ignored me as the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. Marilyn took a left turn and headed in the opposite direction from Michael and me. I strained my neck to see where he was taking me as he sped up along a wide veranda. We passed closed door after closed door, his footsteps echoing off the sleek floors. Finally Michael stopped in front of one of the doors and rapped his knuckles against it.

I held my breath as there was a loud click and the door swung open. Michael’s hands ran up my thighs and gripped my waist. He lowered me to the floor. I tried to dart away from him, back out of the door, but he held me firmly in place—my back against his chest, forcing me to face forward.

My eyes fell on the man standing before me in the hallway of a luxurious apartment. He was tall, even taller than Michael. He had a robe draped around his broad shoulders, partially revealing a chiseled torso. He had dark shoulder-length hair and harsh blue eyes that roamed me curiously.

“Who’s this?” he asked, his voice low and deep.

“Jeramiah, she walked right up to us. I couldn’t resist…”

I flinched as the blue-eyed man stepped forward and placed a hand beneath my chin, tilting my head upward. Then he let go and lowered his face to my neck before breathing in.

“Hmm,” Jeramiah murmured. “Take her down to the basement.”

I felt the blood drain from my face.

I was still holding out hope that this was all just a dream. I must’ve fallen asleep in the car on the way to the tanks. The trauma of losing my sister had brought about this crazy nightmare I couldn’t escape from…

Jeramiah took a step backward and a beautiful ebony-skinned girl appeared by his side. Dressed in a short nightdress, she wrapped her arms around his waist and settled her gaze on me.

“The basement?” she asked, her voice silvery. “Really, Jeramiah? She’s a beauty.”

Jeramiah heaved a sigh and studied me again.

“She is a beauty,” he said thoughtfully, after a pause.

“I was going to suggest that I keep her,” Michael said.

Keep me?

“Please!” I stammered. “Where’s my sister?”

Jeramiah raised a dark brow, then spoke as if he hadn’t heard me. “After the kidnappings this week, we’ve already selected enough humans to half-turn. Keeping her in the upper levels would upset the ratio,” he said.

Half-turn?

Ratio?

What is he talking about?

There was a pause. “I could… restore it,” Michael said.

“You know I don’t like waste, Michael,” Jeramiah replied, his eyes stern.

“Don’t worry. I’ll pick one of the servants who’s been slacking recently… I already have one in mind. Leave it to me.”

Jeramiah still looked doubtful. “When will you do it?”

“By the end of the week,” Michael replied.

“No later than that.”

“Agreed,” Michael said.

“But Michael,” the beauty standing next to Jeramiah said, “I was thinking this newcomer could be good for our new member, Joseph. What about you and Alexandria?”

Michael breathed out impatiently and gripped my arms tighter. “Alexandria and I are tired of each other. And as much as I appreciate your opinion, Lucretia, it isn’t required. Joseph isn’t interested in a companion anyway, according to Jeramiah… So this girl has arrived just in time. We were planning to do it this evening, right?”

Jeramiah’s eyes were still fixed on me, but he nodded. “Yes, this evening.”

“What is this evening?” I asked, hysteria shaking my voice.

Again, nobody bothered to answer me.

“Have you been to see Joseph?” Michael asked.

“No. I’m going to do that now,” Jeramiah replied.

“Are we sure that he’s ready for it?” Michael asked. “He seemed… unsteady.”

“I think he’s ready. We’ll have him see people one by one, so it won’t be so overwhelming. I’ll stay with him in case there is any trouble.”

“He’d better be ready,” Michael muttered. “He won’t be newly-turned for much longer…”

Michael moved back down the hallway toward the door, dragging me after him.

“I’ll bring Joseph to your quarters, yes?” Jeramiah said, already pulling on a shirt that his girlfriend was handing him.

“Yes,” Michael said. “We’re headed there now.”

“We might as well bring him to see this girl first then,” Jeramiah said.

“I agree,” Michael replied.

“Who’s Joseph?” I shouted.

Michael threw me over his shoulder again and left the apartment. He ran along the veranda outside so fast I could hardly breathe. My surroundings were a blur. I could barely even open my eyes until he stopped outside another door.