“Fiona?” Violet asks, at the same time I ask, “Why?”
Damien’s eyes level mine. “The bitch is awake already. And there’s a damn good chance she’s watching us now.”
My stomach drops, and I fight a dizzying sensation. He said that as though it’s not a much bigger fucking deal than it is. If that bitch is awake—
“I’ll…be right back,” Violet says like she’s not quite as hammered by that news.
The second she’s inside, I run a hand over my face.
“How? Fucking when—”
“It’s going to be a long plane ride. We’ll sort the details on the way,” Damien tells me quietly.
Leiza comes running out, and I eye the large suitcase of mine in her hands, even as she struggles with it.
“I took the liberty of packing yours and Violet’s things together, Alpha. Just this morning,” she tells me with a bright smile. “I had a feeling you’d need it soon enough. Guess I was right.”
Damien snorts, casting me a wry look, before going back to the driver’s seat. Violet comes out with another small duffel thrown over her shoulder, along with a backpack.
“Luckily, I’d already found my passport,” she says, causing Damien’s smile to grow again.
I quickly toss the massive suitcase into the back, and reach around for Violet’s things. However, she’s busy putting her stuff in the front, where she’s climbing in beside Damien.
“This is the worst fucking day,” I mutter as I slam the back hatch shut.
CHAPTER 13
VIOLET
Emit is out of the car and opening my door for me when I step out, feeling like we’re fancy people or something. There’s a large jet on a very nice, private runway strip somewhere on Vance’s massive compound, apparently.
I spent two days in his basement, never once noticing he had a hangar, a jet, and a mini-airport of sorts. I’m not sure where I show my passport. I’ve never been on a plane or to any sort of airport, especially not a private one.
I didn’t know there were private airports.
Men armed with a lot of silver weapons, crossbows, and actual guns are surrounding the brightly lit area.
Swallowing against the knot in my throat, I allow myself to feel the tiniest bit naïve.
He’s the head of the Van Helsing family; obviously that means he’s special, so I have no idea why this is surprising.
Wordlessly, I step out of the vehicle, waiting on Damien to lead the way, as I nervously adjust my backpack on my shoulder.
“Got the bags, wolf?” Damien calls out, grinning as his arm drops around my shoulders.
He starts guiding me toward the sleek, very intimidating jet.
Emit is muttering something I miss, but it causes Damien’s grin to grow again. I follow Damien onto the sleek jet, hearing Vance talking, just as a man I don’t know emerges in tactical gear.
The older man gives me a quick nod, completely ignores Damien, and steps off like he’s in a hurry.
My eyes quickly land on Vance, and I feel my grin spreading before I can stop myself, taking in the navy slacks and tie that contrast sharply with the crisp, white shirt.
“You’re going to fly the plane?” I ask incredulously, eyes dipping to the set of wings clipped to him.
Arion comes out of the cockpit, just as Vance smirks.
“I take it back. I want to fly one of these before I learn to drive,” Arion notes. “I’ll settle for riding co-pilot today,” he adds.
I get queasy.
“He won’t be flying anything,” Vance assures me, and then glances to Arion, who is already poking and prodding at a panel beside us, his free arm brushing mine. “And Violet’s going to ride up front with me,” he adds.
Arion’s mouth opens like he’s about to argue, but I pat the side of his arm, while shaking my head at Vance.
“Arion’s been underground for a century—”
“The bloody century where all the fun things get created,” Arion unhelpfully adds in an antagonistic tone, gesturing around at the plane.
“I’m sure he’ll probably appreciate the shotgun seat more than I will,” I tell Vance, drawing a grin from Arion, as the vampire leans over and kisses the top of my head.
Vance rolls his eyes. “Fine,” he relents as Arion strolls toward the cockpit.
No one seems overly concerned with Idun’s early rising, so I try to keep my cool as well, not overthinking it.
Yet.
They didn’t ever really react to Arion rising early either. Not in comparison to all the dread that always accompanied the mention of his name before he was back.
I blow out a breath of relief that I don’t have to ride up front, and I quickly grab an empty seat and buckle myself in. Then I shut the window thingy and tighten the seatbelt.
Damien gives me a knowing look as he lowers himself to the seat next to me. Vance has already disappeared back into the front, as Emit boards and comes to sit in the seat facing us.
“First time flying?” Damien asks.
“Tell Vance, and I will stop speaking to you,” I caution, only making his smile grow.
Vance’s voice comes over the intercom as the plane gets louder and louder, but I can’t understand a damn thing he’s saying.
“What? What’d he—” My words end on a slight squeal when the plane starts moving.
“He said we’re preparing for takeoff,” Damien says with a wry grin as I clutch his hand very hard.
Emit makes some noise, looking frustrated as he shuts his window, saving me from seeing the ground moving.
“You okay?” I ask him, happy for the distraction when I feel the plane start ascending in a mostly smooth motion.
Do things always move along this quickly? Can’t help but feel like people complain an awful lot about all the waiting around where flying is concerned. I wouldn’t have minded waiting around. I could have had more time to mentally prepare myself.
“Yeah, Emit,” Damien drawls. “Can’t help but notice you’re still shirtless and growly.”
I wish Damien hadn’t called to attention Emit’s body. Especially not while I’m desperate for any distraction to keep my mind off the fact we’re getting higher and higher…and we’re probably going fast.
Really fast.
There’s a reason it’s called flying when a person drives too fast.
Damien lifts the hand I’m using to squeeze his, and he gently brushes a kiss over my knuckles.
My eyes lift to find his, as my heartbeat steadies.
“As much as it pains me to compliment him, Vance happens to be a flawless pilot,” Damien assures me, and considering how he rarely ever pays Vance a compliment, I believe him. “I keep up with the accomplishments, even when I’m ignoring the fuck out of the assholes,” he adds.
The seatbelt light goes off quickly, but I don’t undo my seatbelt. Obviously.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your future captain speaking,” Arion’s voice says smoothly over the intercom, causing Emit to roll his eyes and Damien to release a small groan. “It’s apparently a lot quicker to cross the Atlantic in this era, so the trip time will be considerably shorter than it was the last time I personally made it.”
“Get off the fucking coms,” I hear Vance say in the background.
“Just drive the plane and—”
The speaker cuts off, and I shake my head.
“Men to boys,” I mutter under my breath.
CHAPTER 14
EMIT
Violet’s head is on Damien’s shoulder, and he smirks like he’s winning at life. I hate him more than usual in this moment.
Those creepy triplets have popped up on the plane twice, and even Violet ignored them. They never spoke—just lingered and watched Violet.
“So your ghosts are haunting you more since the…whatever it was…quit killing them, right?” I decide to ask, since I’ve been left out of the conversation for hours now.
Violet lazily meets my gaze, as Damien continues tracing soothing lines over her hand.
“They’re involving themselves in monster politics,” Damien says with an amused expression. “They want her to hurry up and fuck Arion so it’ll break the bond between him and Idun.”
I’m the one to groan, and Violet nods like she agrees with my sentiment.
“How did you know?” Violet asks as she looks up.
“I got bored and watched Arion’s surveillance of Vance’s house when we couldn’t reach Emit right away,” Damien says like it’s no big deal he continues to be a complete creep. “There really is an app for everything these days.”
“This is your future captain speaking,” Arion says over the speaker once more. “I think the ghosts might be worth listening to after all. Let’s discuss that some more.”
Violet’s eyes widen marginally.
“He can hear us?” she hisses.
“Of course I can, love,” the speaker says again.
“Unbelievable,” Violet mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose, as a peculiar blush rises up her neck and spreads to her cheeks. “How much farther?”
“We’re not too far out,” Vance answers, a smile in his voice. “Want to visit your captain before descent?”
I hate Vance as well when Violet grins and slowly undoes her seatbelt for the first time, trusting him far more than she does any of us.
Even Damien narrows his eyes as she makes her way toward the front, sliding her hand across any surface close enough, just in case she needs to catch her balance.
I lean out to the side, watching as she opens the door, and Vance reaches back a hand for her.
“I really should have stayed more current. I could have been a pilot,” Damien grumbles.
I glimpse Violet sliding down to Vance’s lap, stars in her bloody eyes, as she loops her arms around his neck.
“He’s not even flying right now. It’s on autopilot or some shit,” I point out.
Vance ‘scratches’ the back of his head with his bird finger, and that’s the last I see before the cockpit door slips shut.
“When you walk into a room where I’m sitting, I’d like to be straddled like that,” I can hear Arion saying. “How do I get from here to there?”
“Why are you posing shirtless and chopping wood?” Damien asks me, as I crack my knuckles.
Fortunately, his register is below that of a whisper.
“Because this girl makes us all act like fucking idiots on break from the clown rings,” I state absently, hearing a small, subtle giggle over the rumble of distant thunder. “The man presses his trousers to be pristine, before hanging them up in a color coordinated pattern. How is he more masculine than I am?” I ask, trying my damnedest to ignore the sounds from up front, as I tune out the small bit of praise Violet is singing for our fearless, stupid pilot.
Damien snorts, as a closer rumble of thunder hits.