Blood Cure: A Paranormal Vampire Romance (Vampire Huntress Chronicles Book 3)

by Jessica Wayne

  She chuckles. “You, child, have not changed at all.”

  “That’s not fair to say. I like to believe I’m a bit more than wasted space now.”

  My words might as well have fallen on deaf ears for the way she reacts.

  “I did what was necessary to protect you.”

  “By treating me like shit? Making me feel unwanted?”

  “I wanted you gone, but not because I didn’t love you. It was quite the opposite, actually.”

  I scoff. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

  “Believe what you will,” she says as she moves further into the room, taking a seat on one of the leather-backed chairs beside the couch. “You were who Heather wanted. I had to keep you away from Salem—away from the box. And making you believe I didn’t care for you was the best possible way to maintain your safety.”

  “Which obviously worked out,” I retort, each word laced with sarcasm. “You know, given that the bitch slaughtered my friends, killed dozens of witches, all while wearing me like a fucking Halloween costume.”

  Agatha glances up at the crow on her shoulder. “Leaving the box was an unfortunate mistake that your sister regrets deeply.”

  I stiffen, remembering what Elijah said about Delaney being in a bird. Spinning on him, I meet ice-blue eyes watching me carefully. “Is she—”

  He nods. “That is Delaney. I wouldn’t have believed it at first either.”

  I turn back to the bird, whose feathers shimmer with a deep purple beneath the lights of Tarnley’s study. “Delaney?”

  “It’s her,” Jack interjects. “Apparently, your grandmother stole the souls from the witch who tried to steal them. She put them into birds, and well—here they are.”

  “Their? As in—”

  “Your parents.” Jane gestures to the two birds perched on the desk.

  I gape at him before turning to the other birds. “No, it’s not possib—” I turn back to my grandmother or, more accurately, to the crow perched on her shoulder. “I—Delaney?” Her name is little more than a whisper that quickly turns into a sob when Delaney’s crow drops her head in a slight nod.

  I glance over at the other two. “Mom? Dad?”

  They both drop their heads in nods.

  “Oh my God.” I cover my mouth with shaking hands as I continue to stare at her, processing everything I’m being told.

  Jane is alive.

  My grandmother is alive—which I’m not afraid to admit is currently my least favorite of the revelations. And not only is she still amongst the living, but she managed to bring back the souls of Delaney and my parents.

  I turn to face the two birds on Tarnley’s desk once more. They stand beside each other, so close their feathers are brushing as they stare at me. Then, after a moment, I turn to Elijah as it all hits me.

  I didn’t lose it all.

  Despite Heather’s best efforts to strip me of everyone I love, she didn’t win.

  I may have been broken.

  Beaten.

  Bruised.

  Defeated.

  But I will rise.

  And I have a witch to kill.

  18

  Rainey

  “It all feels surreal,” I whisper in the early light of dawn.

  Beside me, Elijah nods. The porch swing we’re sitting on moves smoothly on the back porch as we watch the sun rise. We’ve been up all night talking, and Elijah’s filled me in on everything I missed while I did the same.

  Granted, really, the only thing he missed was the whole materializing in Ireland and meeting with a fae who proclaims himself the king of his kind.

  “And Jack went to a Monster Ball where he met a lycan shifter, who he is now in love with?”

  “That one was quite a surprise to me as well. Given his past of specifically targeting her kind.”

  “I’m glad he’s happy,” I say honestly. After falling in love with and losing my sister—the hunter deserves some joy. Even if I threatened to remove his head not too long ago. And, shit, doesn’t it feel like a lifetime has passed since then.

  We fall into a peaceful silence again, enjoying this quiet moment while everyone is off on their own. I have a sickening feeling in my gut that moments like these will be nearly impossible to come by from here on out. At least until we find a way to stop Heather.

  “This war she wants to start, it will get ugly if we don’t find a way to put her down before she makes her move.”

  “Then, we stop her before it gets to that point.” Elijah’s quiet confidence should have boosted mine, but at this point, the original witch has outsmarted me at every turn. Elijah kisses the top of my head. “We have the book, and we know exactly where her bones are. Since she’s not as powerful as she was hoping to be, having those in our camp gives us leverage over her.”

  “I’m concerned about what will happen when she grows impatient,” I admit. “There’s no telling how things will go if she decides she’s tired of waiting for us to come to her.”

  “We take everything one step at a time and handle the problems as they come to us.”

  “And the main one is figuring out how the hell we’re supposed to kill a fae.”

  “Good thing we know one we can ask.”

  I snort. “I don’t exactly see Fearghas handing over that information willingly.”

  Elijah chuckles. “We can use him for practice.”

  Shaking my head, I lift my left hand and interlink my fingers with Elijah’s where his arm rests over my shoulder.

  “How’s Tarnley been handling everyone coming in and out? I know I don’t know him that well, but he doesn’t seem like the overly social type.”

  Elijah snorts. “He’s been at the blood bar more often than not lately.”

  Chuckling, I nod. “I imagine being in a house with people going in and out during the day is probably not the safest place for a vampire who will explode if he gets even the slightest tan.”

  “You do realize you’re not invincible anymore, right? Hunters are resilient, but not like vampires. And you had the ability to make yourself invisible, I’m guessing that’s gone too?”

  “It is,” he confirms. “But I’m not helpless, Rainey. I’ve trained with weapons my entire life—I’m quite adept at using them.”

  “You’re also used to running headfirst into situations without having to fully process the consequences.” I spit the reply out so fast that I suck in a breath as soon as I utter the last word. The fear at the thought of him being anywhere near Heather—it’s paralyzing.

  “It’s a lot,” he says, “But we will succeed.” He says it with such confidence that the words almost instill the same in me.

  Almost.

  “Elijah, you have to promise me that you’ll be careful. I can’t lose you.”

  “You won’t.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “But if you take off to do it alone again, I will chain you to the bed and never let you leave.”

  Smiling, I nod. “Noted. Though you may want to come up with a better punishment.”

  Elijah’s chest rumbles with a deep growl, and I swallow hard, wondering if he’s remembering a time with me—or the last time when Heather had taken over.

  We still haven’t talked about that fun turn of events, and honestly, I’d be just fine if we never did. He didn’t know it wasn’t me in control, and I’d much rather not relive it again since it was another favorite of Heather’s memories to visit over the time I was out of touch with everyone.

  I watched Jane, Ramirez, and Kamie die. And took a third-party view to Elijah and Heather fucking. Over and over again it went, a sick ride I wanted to dive headfirst off of.

  “Rainey, the last time—” Elijah trails off, and I pull away, getting to my feet.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Eyes full of guilt, he watches me as if he’s awaiting a nuclear meltdown. “I didn’t know it wasn’t you.”

  “I know you didn’t.”

  “Are you angry with me? I thought
maybe that’s why you didn’t come back.”

  “No. I’m not mad,” I reply quickly. “I get it, and the reason I didn’t come back right away had nothing to do with that and everything to do with the fact that I love you more than anyone. I can’t lose you.”

  Elijah grins at me and pushes to his feet as I realize it’s the first time I’ve uttered those words out loud directly to him. I told Eira, sure, but this is different.

  He grips my waist and pulls me toward him, knocking the breath from my lungs. “I love you too, Rainey. Even if you are a stubborn hunter with a death wish.” His grin fades. “You must know that had I realized—even for a second—I never would have taken it that far.”

  “I know.”

  “And the club—”

  “What club?”

  “Eira’s place. She called me when Heather was there, and I showed up. I only kissed her to get her to follow me into the alley.”

  “That’s a new one,” I admit. “Apparently, it didn’t warrant a trip on Heather’s mental carousel of hell.”

  “I’m so sorry, Rainey, for all of it.”

  Reaching up, I brush some of his dark hair behind his ear. He leans into my touch, a soft, gentle caress that I’m hoping will ease the guilt I sense weighing on him. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I understand. All of it.”

  “I don’t deserve you.”

  “Yes, you do. We were made for each other, Elijah. Nature’s twisted fucking sense of humor, putting two enemies together. We’re like Romeo and Juliet,” I remind him.

  “I hate that you equate us to two teenagers who were doomed from the start.”

  “At least, now we can change the ending.”

  Without another word, he yanks me toward him and slams his mouth to mine in a bruising kiss that fills my veins with lava.

  It scorches, burning me from the inside out as he slips his tongue inside and groans against my mouth.

  Reaching up, I wrap both arms around his neck, pinning him to me and taking everything he has to offer as his kiss eases my pain and gives me renewed hope. Hands slip down my body, gripping my ass and lifting me so I can wrap both legs around his waist.

  Elijah carries me through the open sliding glass door and down the hall, into a bedroom. All the while, his lips remain on mine.

  I bury both hands in his long hair, feeling the silky strands as they glide through my fingers. Fuck, I missed him.

  Missed this.

  Like an addict, I crave his body, his mind, his very fucking soul. The fact that I ever thought I could do any of this without him is proof enough of the damage Heather did to my mind. But each moment with him, I feel pieces of myself slipping back into place.

  He sets me on my feet just inside the adjoining bathroom before reaching into the open shower and turning on the spray. Water jets out, clashing against the tile walls and slipping to the ground.

  “Is this your way of telling me I stink?” I ask, half-joking as he kneels at my feet and stares up at me, eyes heavy with passion.

  “This is my way of showing you that I will worship every inch of your body like a man desperate for grace. You are mine, Rainey. My everything.” He turns his attention to my boots, slowly undoing each lace and tossing them to the floor beside me.

  My blood hammers as his hands glide up my legs, reaching the buttons of my dark jeans. He pops the button and begins to slip them down my hips, taking my underwear with them. Slowly, torturously, he draws them down, fingertips turning every inch of my skin into ash.

  With careful precision, he lifts each foot and pulls my jeans off, tossing them beside the boots and standing up, his hands never leaving my body as he moves up to the hem of my shirt. I stare up at him, and he takes my mouth again, lips on lips, heat against heat, pulling away long enough to rip it over my head.

  I shove both hands beneath his shirt, desperate for his skin to be against mine. As I run my palms up the ridged muscle of his abdomen, he steps back from me and pulls his shirt up. My mouth goes dry as if I’m seeing him for the first time.

  Elijah’s tattooed skin stretched over taut muscle is a sight for sore eyes, and I drink him in as he finishes undressing and stands before me—completely naked and fucking gorgeous.

  He sucks in a breath and closes the distance, taking my mouth and lifting me at the same time. Warm spray hits my back a moment before cool tile presses against me as Elijah pins me to the wall, mouth on mine.

  The throbbing between my legs is nearly painful, and I moan against his mouth. “Now, Elijah, please.” I need this, need to feel him inside me as desperately as my heart needs its next beat.

  He shifts me in his arms and, in one swift thrust, drives into me. I cry out, head falling back against the tile as he fucks me mercilessly, filling me completely. Hot breath hits my throat as Elijah leans down, pressing his lips to my collarbone. The orgasm rips through me, and I shatter around him, my fingers digging into the flesh of his shoulders as I cry out his name.

  “Fuck, Rainey,” he growls against my skin as he comes apart right along with me.

  “Can’t we just lie here forever?” I ask him later that afternoon as I lie on my side, pressed against his chest.

  “We can run,” he replies, lips pressing against my shoulder blade. “Leave Billings behind and never look back.”

  The thought is a wonderful one, and even if I know I could never do that to the people here, entertaining it for even a moment doesn’t seem like it could cause too much harm. “Where would we go?”

  “There’s a place in Ireland, Dún na Rí Forest. It’s about an hour outside of Dublin. Back when I was a child, it was my favorite place to roam. Rumor has it Kelpies can be spotted if one is quiet enough to not spook them.”

  “Kelpies?”

  “Aye, lovely creatures from afar, but they have been known to drown evil souls though their dark counterparts have earned a negative reputation for them all.”

  “Are they only in Ireland?”

  He kisses my neck, trailing his lips over my skin. “They were first spotted in Scotland, but it is believed they lurk near all bodies of fresh water if it is left undisturbed long enough.”

  I sigh, relaxing against him as he trails lazy kisses over my skin. “So we can go to Ireland and watch the Kelpies.”

  “We can,” he confirms. “There’s also a secret cove hidden deep in the Cliffs of Moher, very few know of it, and no humans have ever discovered it as the water keeps the main entrance hidden. We could go there, make love in the sand, and I can show you all the places I used to roam as a child.”

  I roll over, and Elijah’s right hand trails up and down my side as he leans over and presses a kiss to my jaw.

  “That sounds like a wonderful plan,” I whisper.

  “We can leave tonight, Rainey. Be gone and never look back.” He swallows hard.

  “We can’t,” I say sadly. “We are the only ones who stand a chance at stopping her.”

  “Why? Why does it have to be us?”

  “Because as much as I want to deny it, we’re the heroes in this twisted tale.”

  He sighs and leans down to press a gentle kiss to my lips. “Promise me that one day, we’ll leave. Even if it’s only for a short time.”

  “I promise.”

  Elijah rolls onto his back, so I turn to my side to face him. He props his arm beneath his head and drapes the other over his stomach. Reaching up, I run my fingertip over the lines on his inked skin. Tracing each one over and over, hypnotized by the beauty.

  I realize then that I haven’t even bothered to ask him how he’s doing. Elijah has been powerful for his entire life, and now, for all intents and purposes—at least compared to what he was—he’s normal. “How are you?”

  Icey blue eyes meet mine. “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve been this feared vampire-witch combo for your entire life. Now, you’re just a hunter. How are you handling that change?”

  Biting down on his bottom lip, he considers my question. “I
always wondered how it would feel—to be cured. Of course, back then I hadn’t even given thought to it actually killing me.”

  “And now?”

  He turns his head, and his eyes meet mine. “I’m happy to be alive. And it doesn’t matter what I am as long as I have you.”

  The reply dies in my throat, and all I can do is lean forward and press my lips to his. His arms come around me, wrapping me in his strong embrace and making me feel as though the two of us are the last ones in the entire world.

  A soft knock breaks the moment, and I pull away, breathless. “Yes?”

  “It’s Jane. Agatha and I might have found something.”

  “We’ll be right there,” I answer without tearing my eyes from Elijah. Leaning down, I press my lips to his again and whisper, “To be continued.”

  In the five minutes it takes us to get dressed, I nearly change my mind at least a dozen times. It already feels like Elijah and I lost so much time. And although logically I know it was just a week, it felt like lifetimes while I was trapped in that void.

  Even thinking about it now, my chest tightens as my heart rate increases. As though he senses that I need to be grounded, Elijah reaches down and grabs my hand, his fingers threading with mine as we walk down the hall and into the study.

  It’s packed full of people.

  Some I recognize; some I don’t. Fearghas is in the far corner of the room, standing near a glass case holding a various array of ancient relics. He offers me a nod and a grin as I step into the room.

  “Rainey,” Cole—the shifter who was with me when I found the bones of Delaney and my parents—greets me first. A hat is pulled on top of his flaxen hair, his tattooed arms on full display beneath the black T-shirt stretched across his broad chest.

  “Cole. I thought you were in Salem?”

  “Your fae brought me back for this. Apparently what Agatha has to say is important enough to warrant my attendance. Listen, about Delaney—”

  “Don’t, it wasn’t your fault. I know you tried to refuse and Stella forced your hand.”

  He swallows hard and nods. “I still feel like I failed her.”