Page 56 of Prey

Cautiously, I headed into the living room, trying my best to keep my balance with how different everything appeared. My sunglasses rested on the counter and I put them on, grabbing my purse. There was no way I could let Father Moretti see me like this. He’d think me evil. Shit, I was evil. I was beyond help, whether I lived or died.

The sweater I wore was big and I hugged it around me, trying to keep warm through the shaking. Especially now, walking out into the cool air, I could feel the trembling getting worse. My jaw was going crazy, but it didn’t compare to my vision. I could barely keep my eyes open from the sensitivity to the sun. Tears escaped as I squinted. Cold and blind. Fuck, I didn’t like this.

“I’ll warm you up. I’ll make you burn for me.”

Dammit, I was breaking concentration. My brain was beginning to lose focus with my lack of sleep. I hadn’t dared get in bed last night for fear Marko would slip in. Now, I was feeling it and badly. I was exhausted from being on guard the whole time.

“Keep talking, mon chaton. Fuck, your voice does it for me. I’ve missed it so much. I can’t wait to hear your screams against my fangs. You’re going to scream so loudly.”

Back and forth, he went. Good and negative. I couldn’t stand it. I forced myself to block him out even more. I felt him fade, but not entirely.

“Mon chaton, don’t stop now. Mon chaton! You better say something.” A growl began to take over the ending and I ignored him as best as I could as I approached the church. My vision began to warp and I felt my feet slow. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get closer to the grounds. It was physically impossible while I was so taken over.

“I’m going to bleed you dry for not answering me! Fuck!”

My eyes scanned the area, not seeing Father Moretti. I knew I was early, but I was hoping he would have been waiting. I wanted to be back within walls. Back in the security of my home.

“Tessa!” The demonic voice didn’t even sound like Marko. It sent chills up my spine and made more tears cloud my eyes. They slid free from the burning and I lifted the glasses, trying to wipe away the wetness. A sob was right there, but I held it in. Shit, what had happened after I left? I had been so sure Marko would come for me. Since he hadn’t, was it because his leader told him not to? Marko had called him Julius. And the vampire wanted me to come back to take Marko’s place. I knew that meant he’d want to change me into one of them, and I didn’t want that. Hell, at this point, I didn’t ever want to go back underground. Especially after how I’d seen Marie. I had trusted her, even just a little, and at the first scent of my blood, she’d snapped.

The hope I held that vampires could be good if helped the right way seemed pointless. One cut on my arm and the underground city had turned into complete and utter chaos. There was no way vampires and humans coexisting could work.

And hadn’t I heard Hunter mention at one point that vampires worked in hospitals and other places at nighttime? How was that possible? It didn’t seem real to me. It couldn’t have been that way if they were so quick to attack.

“You’re so smart. Keep talking. Let me hear your suspicions. Think about anything. Just don’t stop.”

My head shook as I realized I’d slipped back into letting him in. “Marko, what’s wrong with you?”

“Oh, God, yes. Talk to me.”

“I am, and I asked you a question. What’s wrong with you? Answer or I start ignoring you again.”

He paused. “Lockdown with your bloody dress. God, it smells like you’re here with me now. Talk to me more.”

The tone of his voice was changing again. Growing unrecognizable. Something told me to stop. That I was going to make it worse. This was nothing more than a tease to the animal that wanted to kill me, but for the life of me, I couldn’t refrain from the questions that flooded through.

“Lockdown? Like…in a prison?”

“Sort of.”

“How long will you be there?”

He laughed, moaning again. “Not much longer. Will you sing for me like you did with the vermin? I want to hear you sing before I kill you.”

He saw that? Or did he hear about it? “Fuck you. I’m finished. I’m sick of listening to your threats.”

Any questions I had vanished with his words. It was pointless to try to carry on a conversation with him with the way he was.

“No. Don’t you dare stop talking to me. Tessa. Tessa!” The force of his yell echoed inside my head and I reached up, pushing my palm against my temple as he seemed to go crazy again. Father Moretti pushed through the doors of the church and my hand shot up at him. I reached deep within and tried to close off my thoughts completely. If it was ever important for me to guard myself, now was the time.

“Tessa.” He rushed up, wiping the sweat from his brow. There was a tint to his skin, as if he were blushing, but I knew it had nothing to do with that. He had been putting everything he could into blessing my secret weapon and I couldn’t have been more thankful. I was going to need every bit of holiness I could get to fight the demon that resided within Marko.

A black box rested in his hand and he slowly brought it out before him. Before he could open his mouth, my hand flew up and I pressed my finger against my lips. “Thank you so much,” I whispered. “I…” the urge to throw myself into his arms was there, but the pure aura that radiated out prevented me from it. I held out my purse and he placed the box inside.

“If I’m able, I’ll see you soon.” For no reason other than my own comfort, I kept my voice low. It didn’t stop him from nodding or seeming to somehow understand.

“I’ll look out for you,” he said, matching my volume. “Come back soon. Tonight, if you’re able.”

All I could do was nod as I took steps backward. My heart was racing and I could feel the presence of the dagger, even boxed up. I didn’t like it. It made me feel even more scared, but for an entirely different reason. I wasn’t sure what I feared more, it or the vampire determined to put an end to my existence.

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