A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1)

mate. Could he
have meant me? It sounded so animalistic, and yet so right. Fact was, if I didn’t
give in to Dallas’s stupid plan and steal the gemstones, Aidan wouldn’t be
trapped somewhere in a dungeon, fighting the chains that couldn’t kill a
vampire but destroy his will to battle a fate worse than death.
    Wait, how did I know that? I sat up with a
jolt as pictures flooded my mind: Aidan chained to a wall, blood oozing from
deep cuts across his torso and legs as cowered shapes clad in flowing dresses
prodded his wounds. The room smelled of something pungent that made my stomach
churn. The moment he raised his head with a glint of recognition in his eyes, I
knew he could sense my presence.
    I stretched my arm to help him, but no
matter how far I stretched I couldn’t reach him. The illusion disappeared. Sudden
weariness gripped me, and I let go in the knowledge that I’d find a way to save
him from those things, even if it meant sacrificing my own life. It was all my
fault, and I wouldn’t let him die.
    The sun stood high on the horizon when I
jumped out of bed exhausted, my head reeling. I’d survived the night with a
bunch of vampires in the house. Another night or two, and I might put them on
my friends’ list.
    After taking a shower and changing my
clothes, I shrugged into my coat and left the house through the backdoor. Clare
had said something about waiting up for Cass. Could a vampire do that? I had no
idea and no intention to find out. I sprinted for the gate and stopped right in
front of it, peering beyond the empty street and into the surrounding thickets
and trees. Were the Shadows still hiding here? I hoped so because I knew no
other way to contact them.
    “Hey, guys. I’m here to talk.” I kept my
voice steady, hiding my trembling hands behind my back. With the tall trees around
me, I felt as insignificant as greenery, but I knew I wasn’t. I was carrying the
prize that everyone wanted, and now I’d trade.
    The street remained quiet. If the Shadows
were around, they were probably waiting for me to leave Aidan’s property. Or
they gave up after the kidnapping failed. “Come on, you can’t blame me for
making a run for it. You could at least listen to my proposition. It might just
blow you away.” Smirking, I peered down the winding street. Nothing stirred. “Fine,
then. I’ll give it to someone else.”
    I sat down on the cold ground, the freezing
midday wind creeping into my bones. A cold wouldn’t benefit my rescue plan.
With the Shadows not showing up, there’d be no plan, I reminded myself.
    Standing again, I jumped up and down to soothe
the freezing sensation in my numb toes. “Come on, guys,” I muttered. One last
look at the closed gate and I returned to the house, hesitant to give up on my
quest. I entered the hall and flicked open a leather-bound address book. Even
though Aidan didn’t like the Shadows, he might’ve jotted down their phone
numbers. It was something people did, or so I figured. I didn’t like my mother’s
aunt, yet I still sent a Christmas card every year. Not that the old lady ever
bothered with a reply.
    Apart from Greta and Harry’s number, there
were the usual emergency hotlines, which came printed on the diary. Nothing
else. I frowned and flicked the book across the table. How did these people
communicate with one another? Via carrier pigeons? I strained to listen for any
cawing sounds, feeling stupid for even considering that option.
    A car pulled up on the gravel in the
driveway. Before I had time to peer out, the door burst open and Cass walked in,
dressed in her trademark oversized jeans, what looked like an orange dress reaching
down to her knees on top of the jeans, and a military style jacket that wouldn’t
be too bad were it not scorched in several places. I gaped in awe. Cass’s outfit
was so ghastly it could easily pass as art.
    Cass grinned. “You think? Thanks, mate.” For
a minute I didn’t register Cass was reading my mind. How could I forget that
tiny detail? “So, what’s cooking?” Cass strode to the living room and dropped
on the sofa, making herself comfortable. “Rumor tells me your boyfriend’s gone.”
    I sat in a leather chair, facing her. “He
went to some sort of court and never came back. Clare should be here. She said she’d
wait up.”
    Cass straightened and tilted her head to
the side as if to listen. “Nah, she’s snoozing like a stone.” She slumped down
again. “Are you sure he isn’t just