High Society (The High Stakes Saga #3)

A camera was trained on her as she stepped up to the door. It slid open on whisper-quiet tracks and quickly closed behind her. Surrounded by vamps, she backed up until her back bumped against the door, then she turned around and began banging her fists on it. The vampires smiled, closing in on her. She lifted her head and smiled at me through the glass door, removed two stakes from her holster, and struck so fast, none of them saw her coming. In less than a minute, she’d slayed ten vampires single-handedly.

Victor gave her a satisfied nod as he stood, and then clapped in appreciation. “Well done!”

She gave him a bow and walked to the exit where she handed me her stakes. “I did it!” she exclaimed. “I knew I had to strike fast because there were so many, but that was intense.”

“Clever – making them think you were scared.”

“I was scared,” she admitted, adrenaline still pulsing through her as she bounced on her toes.

“So was I,” I responded, glaring at the space Victor had just occupied.

The video feed ended and I looked at Yarrow. “I don’t remember any of this. Why didn’t I go in with her? Normally, I would’ve gone into the arena with her.”

“What if he ordered you not to?”

I gritted my teeth. Victor was my commander, and if I wanted to remain Eve’s trainer, I had to play by his rules and follow his every order.

“The next video is… weird.” Yarrow pointed to the screen where a camera panned in on Abram’s face. His pupils were like pinpoints.

“What’s the matter with him?” I whispered, but Yarrow shook her head.

Victor came in from the left of the video and stood in front of Abram. “Is he ready?” he asked, looking over Abram’s shoulder.

Kael answered, “He is.”

Two soldiers led Abram into the arena. Victor followed them inside. “Do you know what you’re fighting?”

“Vampires,” Abram answered in a malicious tone.

“Yes, but one vampire in particular. She’s dangerous, she’s fast, and she’s strong, but if you don’t stake her, she will stake you. Only one of you will make it out of this arena alive. Do you understand?”

Abram nodded mechanically. “I do.”

“Good,” Victor said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Wait here.” The guards escorted Victor from the arena and sealed the door behind him. Once Victor was safely ensconced in his personal viewing booth, a set of soldiers motioned for someone to approach. Eve and I came into view, walking into the other side of the room that led to the arena.

“Ah, there you are. This will be a sparring match in the arena, to practice with one another before you are tested on actual vampires,” Victor announced, walking over to shake my hand and then Eve’s.

“He’s holding a stake,” I noted with an edge in my voice.

“Yes, for practice. The end is blunted.”

As Victor handed Eve a blunt stake, she glanced at Abram through the Plexiglas. “He looks… off. What’s wrong with his eyes?”

“I’m sure it’s just nerves. Anticipation before a fight, that’s all. Now, onto the floor you go.”

As soon as Eve stepped through the door and it slid closed behind her, Abram thundered toward her with his pointed stake raised. I darted to the door and tried to open it, but it was sealed tight. “His stake is sharp!” I yelled to her through the glass. Eve disappeared in a blink, and I prayed moved out of his way.

“What is this?” I wheeled around to ask Victor.

“She has to get stronger, Maru. This training will ensure that if she has to fight her way out, she’ll be more motivated,” he answered.

My eyes snapped back to Yarrow as my body vibrated with rage. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, isn’t it? I thought I was training her! It terrifies me that I can’t remember what actually happened…what I let happen to her. I was responsible for her.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Yarrow pleaded, taking my hand. “Maru, you’re the kindest man I know. You wouldn’t have allowed it. I know that. I’ve seen the footage of them using neuro gas on you.”

What she was telling me didn’t help the boulder-sized ball of guilt in my gut. I was so sick from what I’d seen, acrid bile stung the back of my throat.

“I got the tech, Maru,” Yarrow revealed. “I can implant it in you, make you untraceable, and send you back for her.”