Total pages in book: 55
Estimated words: 50954 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50954 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 255(@200wpm)___ 204(@250wpm)___ 170(@300wpm)
“You did the right thing,” Maddox reassured him. “For the moment, we are all prisoners of the bloodline.”
“The way the two of you speak as if I am not here could be construed as being disrespectful,” Gideon observed.
“You can hear us wherever we are, and whatever we say. Would you prefer we pretend you are not a domineering monster?”
“Lorien, quiet,” Maddox said. He was starting to become deeply concerned that everybody he knew would soon fall prey to Gideon. The maker’s patience had to be waning. He was being thwarted at every turn, and Will’s ongoing survival was a real thorn in his side. The Maker would not be patient for long.
“Sassy little baby vamp,” Gideon smirked. “I know what should be done to you. You should be returned to your maker for a good, long lesson in respect.”
“Good luck with that,” Lorien laughed.
A second later, he hit the wall. Hard. He had been thrown by a swipe of Gideon’s clawed hand. Having reached the immoveable object of the wall, he slid down it gently, momentarily stunned.
“What is it with the attitude? Do none of you know how to behave? I have met precisely one modern vampire who has any notion of how to conduct himself, and he was abandoned after conception.”
Lorien moaned, stunned, and perhaps a little broken, but not in a way that he wouldn’t heal from in a few hours.
Maddox merely sighed. The time to make his move had not yet arrived, so he had to tolerate the ongoing casual brutality of his maker and hope that Lorien stopped trying to assuage his guilt at having given Henry and Will away by getting himself beaten.
Chauvelin was the new house favorite. He knew how to play up to Gideon and Ray’s need for adoration, by genuinely being the most sycophantic little wretch who had ever walked the earth. Raymond loved that, of course. He adored being adored, and anybody who could worship him effectively earned his affections.
“I have an idea,” Lorien hiss-whispered to him later that evening. “It’s kind of out there, but it might work.”
Lorien was just as keen on this ending as Maddox was. He missed Henry, and he did not like it when Gideon put hands on him. Henry was the only one who was supposed to be able to touch him, but of course, Gideon did not recognize the authority of a wolf.
Maddox hated to admit it, but he was also becoming increasingly desperate.
“I’ve got one word for you,” Lorien confided. “Orbit.”
Maddox lifted a brow. “Orbit?”
“Orbit,” Lorien grinned.
17
Maddox was missing. Lorien was missing. All the naughty little fledglings had flown Gideon’s nest, and he was not well pleased. He had expected rebellion, of course, but not this. One of the advantages a maker had was always knowing where his progeny was. But Gideon could not feel Maddox at the moment. It was like he had been completely erased from the planet.
Gideon was not so much concerned as he was confused. This was not technically possible, and yet it was happening. Lorien had distanced himself too.
“We do have Lorien’s phone number,” Raymond suggested. “We could call him.”
They called the number. Gideon took the phone and waited for the surprisingly arrogant fledgling to speak. He had assumed the spanking he gave Lorien would cause him to choose to obey. Apparently not. Apparently, Lorien was cut from the same disobedient, disingenuous cloth as Maddox. The influence of his rogue fledgling was sadly intense.
“Hello?” Lorien said.
“Where is Maddox?”
There was a pause. Lorien seemed to be deciding whether or not to answer. There was something like a snort. Perhaps even a snicker. “Can’t you always tell where your creations are?”
“I can. I can’t feel Maddox. Where is he?”
“That’s your problem.”
“Someone has slain him. That is the only explanation.”
“Or he chose to slay himself rather than have you hunt the man he loved to the very ends of the earth, torturing him all the while. You’re a bad maker. A bad, bad maker. Worse than Chauvelin’s or mine. At least ours have the decency to be absent.”
Lorien was very glad he was on the telephone, for there could surely be nobody who could survive Gideon’s resulting rage.
“You do realize, fledgling, that most all vampires currently living are of my line. That means I can find you too.”
“Oh,” Lorien swallowed. “I did not know that.”
“When I do,” Gideon said. “I am going to teach you the kind of lesson you will never, ever forget. I do not believe for a second Maddox has chosen eternity over life. So. However you have hidden him, whatever little games you are playing, you will all be punished for them.”
“Alright,” Lorien said as their final gambit fell apart. “I’m going to hang up on you now, if that’s okay.”
Gideon was kind enough to provide one final piece of advice. “Run, little fledgling. Run as far and as fast as you can.”