Soulbound

38. Dani

Am I still dreaming?

This is the thought that swirls through my mind on a loop as I stare at the vampire sitting across from us with a murderous glint in her chocolate brown eyes. That alone would've been unnerving enough, but it was the shiny pistol grasped firmly in her hand, winking under the florescent lights with a murderous glint of its own, that held my attention now.

“You gonna shoot them, Catalina?” Marco scoffs next to me, shattering the awkward silence that had descended over the room ever since she ushered us downstairs. “That seems a little insensitive, even for you.”

“We both know I don't need a gun to hurt them.” Catalina smirks and aims the small barrel at the bear. “These silver bullets are meant for you, should you get any bright ideas. Wouldn't want you shifting in the middle of the living room, now would we?”

Silver bullets? Would that really kill him? Ashe had said that there was a grain of truth to the myths that have been told and that silver in its purest form was some kind of kryptonite for most supernatural creatures. If such bullets could harm a werebear, would a silver stake through her cold heart be enough to kill Catalina?

For all her talk of immortality, it was a small comfort to think that she wasn't completely invincible.

“It'll take more than those little pellets to kill me.”

“Oh promises, promises.” Catalina shrugs away his threats as if they meant nothing. “But I've no intention of killing you, darling, only stopping the change should you feel inclined to let out your inner beast. Still, accidents have been known to happen and I have an itchy trigger finger.”

A low growl rattles in his chest as Marco bares his teeth. “Then let's see how good your aim is—”

“No one needs to shoot anyone!” My voice cracks as I place a hand on Marco's arm in an attempt to placate the tension that hummed in the air. But I don't dare take my eyes off of the devil with a gun. Her bullets may not be enough to kill Marco but they sure as hell would do some serious damage to Rose and I should she decide to turn her gun on us. “Just, tell us what you want. What the hell is going on?”

Where the hell is Ashe? I knew that thoughts alone weren't enough to summon her through a backdoor, but surely the steady panic that was clawing its way up my chest was! Wasn't her ring supposed to sense that? Wasn't it supposed to summon her whenever I felt threatened?

Catalina purses her lips and leans back in her chair. “Relax, sweetling. I've no intention of hurting you, either. I have questions for you.” Her eyes flick to the blonde seated on the other side of me, brow furrowing as she matches Rose's icy glare with equal intensity. “For both of you.”

Her tone curdles my blood and my heart rate spikes. “I don't think we should talk without Ashe here. Where is she? Why isn't the ring summoning her?” Why does it decide not to work when I actually need her!

The devil clucks her tongue. “What an interesting choice of words,” she murmurs as footsteps echo in the hallway.

“You have not fully mastered how to summon her at will, it seems,” Nadia remarks as she enters the room with a calmness that I could only wish for. “And the ring does not call out to her because you are in no danger here. Or because she is incapacitated and cannot answer its call.”

What did that mean? Was Ashe in some sort of trouble? Was she injured again somewhere?

“As for her whereabouts,” Catalina continues, her tone eerily light and her gaze unwavering. “We were hoping you could tell us.”

“I don't know.” I swallow the lump that had formed in my throat as I will myself to stay calm. If these two women were predators, then surely they could smell fear and I didn't want to find out firsthand how a demon feeds. “I haven't seen her since last night.”