Page 21 of Rescued By the Vampire Assassin

Keri felt torn, understanding his loyalty but unable to ignore the plight of Anatol's captives. She wanted to argue further, but she knew he had a point. "All right," she conceded. "We'll do it your way."

"We'll free them," Joshua assured her. "But we have to be strategic about it. Come on, let’s start with the harem and see if they can lead us to Anatol."

They slipped out of the sitting room and into the mansion proper. Keri's enhanced senses picked up the faint scent of blood and fear underlying the expensive perfumes and polished wood.

They moved silently, ducking into alcoves and behind heavy curtains whenever footsteps approached. In one heart-stopping moment, they pressed themselves into a narrow space between a bookcase and the wall as a pair of vampires passed by, discussing guard rotations. Keri held her breath, acutely aware of Joshua's body against hers, his superfluous breath tickling her ear.

Each time, Joshua would ambush the guards and silently kill them. He was a vicious assassin who killed quickly and without mercy. Why wasn’t she terrified of him? Why did she want to join him in snapping necks and ripping out hearts? She’d probably barf.

But as they navigated the mansion, fragmented memories began to surface in Keri's mind – disjointed flashes that left her dizzy and disoriented. She saw herself walking these same halls with a strange vampire’s hand possessively on her lower back. In another flash, she was in a laboratory, watching impassively as a human writhed in agony on an examination table.

The most disturbing vision came as they climbed a sweeping staircase. For a moment, Keri saw herself standing over Joshua's unconscious form, a triumphant smile on her face as Anatol praised her for luring the assassin into their trap. The image was gone as quickly as it appeared, leaving Keri shaken and nauseous.

"What is it?" Joshua asked, his hand on her arm steadying her.

Keri swallowed hard. "I think I might have helped Anatol capture you," she whispered, unable to meet his eyes. "I saw... God, what if I'm the reason you were trapped here?"

Joshua was silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, to Keri's surprise, he squeezed her arm gently. "Whatever you did, it wasn't you. Anatol was controlling you."

"But —"

"No," Joshua cut her off firmly. "We can't change the past. All that matters now is stopping Anatol. Understood?"

Keri nodded, grateful for his understanding even as guilt gnawed at her. They pressed on.

Finally, they reached a set of ornate double doors. Even from outside, Keri could hear the soft murmur of voices and the shuffling of many bodies. Her heart raced as Joshua carefully eased one door open, revealing the harem beyond.

The room was vast, easily the size of a ballroom. Plush divans and silk cushions were scattered throughout, occupied by glassy-eyed humans and vampires in various stages of undress. The air was thick with the cloying scent of incense and something darker, more chemical.

Keri's gaze darted from face to face, searching for Chrissy. She spotted her friend near the back of the room, slumped against a marble column. Chrissy's usually vibrant features were slack, and her eyes were unfocused.

"Chrissy," Keri breathed, taking a step forward.

Joshua's hand shot out, grabbing her wrist. "Wait," he hissed. "Guards approaching."

Sure enough, Keri's enhanced hearing picked up the sound of heavy footsteps heading their way. Joshua ducked behind a large potted plant as two burly vampires entered the harem.

"Time for another dose," one guard announced, pulling out a case filled with syringes.

No one reacted when Joshua killed the guards in front of them. While he bent down to examine the case, she ran over to Chrissy and gently shook her shoulder.

"Chrissy, can you hear me?"

Chrissy's eyes fluttered, a faint spark of recognition lighting up her face. "Keri?" she mumbled. "Is it... are the devices set?"

Keri frowned, confused. "What devices? What are you talking about?"

"The trackers," Chrissy slurred. "And the... the listening things. Did you plant them like Anatol said?"

Before Keri could respond, the doors burst open. A group of guards flooded in, fangs bared and eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

"There you are. Now you’ll die, Nicolau.”

Keri sprang to her feet, falling into a defensive stance without conscious thought. Joshua was already in motion, a blur of deadly grace as he engaged the first wave of attackers.

To Keri's shock, her body seemed to move of its own accord. She ducked under a guard's wild swing, retaliating with a precise strike to his solar plexus that left him gasping. As another vampire lunged for her, Keri executed a complex maneuver that sent him flying into his comrades.

The fight was a chaotic dance of violence, Keri and Joshua moving in perfect synchronization. She found herself anticipating his moves, covering his blind spots as if they'd trained together for years. It was exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure.

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