“Vixen,” he hissed. “I had a feeling you were going to be a challenge.” Using his speed, he changed our positions and my exposed shoulder blades dug into the rough surface, but I didn’t let the bite of stone deter me.
“There’s nothing interesting about life when it’s not challenging, don’t you agree?” I asked before letting him press his lips to my neck while I sank my fingers into his russet hair and released my wings. My rough hold had him growling against my skin, and the pheromones of pulsing desire he was releasing were almost enough to distract me.
Almost, but not quite.
He finally noticed my wings and paused. “You like the risk of being out here where anyone could find us, don’t you? It turns you on almost as much as I do.” He took another inhale. “Your arousal is the most sensual thing I’ve tasted in the air tonight.”
Well, enough with that.
The vampire was more powerful than I’d given him credit for, and I couldn’t deny he was affecting me. I needed to remember why I was there before I broke my commitment to Beatrix and let the vampire have his way with me. Something I was certain to regret in the morning.
“How about we move this along? Less words, more action,” I suggested while hardening my wings and preparing to end my façade.
Only, someone else had entered the alley, and if they came any closer, they would find out what happened when they screwed with my agenda.
Chapter 3
Thankfully, the newcomer didn’t step any closer, remaining in the shadows, and his presence didn’t distract me enough to get in the way of the task at hand. Though, it was close. Whoever lurked behind the wooden crates was fae and likely from Fae Islands. Very few of us left our so-called perfect realm permanently, and I’d need to figure out his motives. Though, before I could, I focused back on the vampire who currently had his tongue running along my neck.
“Watch the fangs,” I murmured, then positioned myself to the side before deciding my first move.
Not for another second could I underestimate Dante. There was a reason Beatrix asked me to take care of this particular problem for her, and I wouldn’t soon forget that, even if I wasn’t aware of the exact purpose.
“Ahh, but my fangs are the second-best part of me,” he cooed. I ignored him, along with the desires he’d managed to induce within me.
The fae stranger inched closer, so before I had two opponents to deal with, I had to make my move on Dante.
My fingers gripped the bloodsucker’s hair. He merely thought I was being rough again until I yanked his head back and slammed it into the bricks behind us.
“What the hell?” His fangs extended fully, and his previously mysterious eyes bled through with crimson.
Ignoring his outburst, I pooled magic in my palm and flung it toward his chest while he was still against the wall. Just a little something to keep him immobile until Beatrix showed up to claim her vampire, as long as she made it soon. Though, a part of me preferred she didn’t. Toying with him for a while didn’t sound like the worst idea.
But Dante was faster than I’d given him credit for. My magic hadn’t reached him before he whirled around me in the blink of an eye. Before I could turn around, his foot slammed into my back, right between my wings, causing them to buckle and wrap around me, throwing my weight off balance.
I fell forward and caught myself against the brick wall. I tried to suck in a deep breath, but he was already on me again. The darker part inside of me flared to life and my wings spread, glowing with a hue of teal magic.
His elongated nails dug into my wing and jerked my body around before pinning me to the wall. This time, there wasn’t an ounce of sexual need, and his spell over me was broken.
“I’m going to rip your throat out,” he sneered, and I was suddenly pissed the hell off that I was supposed to keep him alive. It would have been so much easier to just cut his head off with my wingtips.
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” I replied right before I used my left elbow to slam into his jaw and my right to blast him with paralyzing magic once again, this time not missing my mark.
My powers seeped into the vampire’s chest and caused him to stagger, but he recovered quicker than expected. His lips lifted as he snarled in my face and wrapped his hands around my neck.
I’d finally had enough and brought my wings forward, holding them right at his throat, ready to slice it open regardless of what Beatrix wanted. “Let go of me and I won’t remove your head.” My eyes narrowed and glowed as my power rose closer to the surface.
He flinched but didn’t back down. One hand pushed my wing just far enough to the side that his head had enough room to slam into mine. Dante seemed uncaring that my wingtips had nearly taken his fingers off.
His impact made my nose crack, causing me to let out several choice words before my fae healing began to kick in, and Dante didn’t give me a moment to recover. He went for my legs next, and my body crashed into the dirty concrete ground.
Damn, that hurt, but I was done playing around. It was time to show him who he was messing with.
“Now this is where you belong. Right on your back.” Dante’s fangs aimed for my neck as he moved in.
My wings were flat against the concrete, but I brought them forward before his mouth could reach my skin and the hardened tops sliced clean through his left ear. He froze in place before I could continue to his neck.
Trying to keep Beatrix in mind since Neva had made a deal, I didn’t immediately kill him. “Let’s have some real fun,” I said before driving my fist into his nose, breaking it like his marble skin did mine.
He might have been strong and given me a challenge, but he couldn’t beat me, and based on the flicker of rage in his eyes, he realized it, too.
“Screw you.” He spat blood and was lucky he missed my face.
“Awe, you’re not going to be that fortunate tonight, vampy.” Wasting no more time, I put my final moves into motion.
My wings pulled back—still attempting to keep him mostly in one piece for Beatrix—and I hooked my left leg around his while I pushed on his chest with both hands, slamming power into his core.
My magic had a visible effect this time, and the darker voice within me sung like a church choir. That was what I’d needed. This sex-on-a-stick deserved to have his ass handed to him, and I was glad to be the one to do it.
A wave of new magic entered the alleyway, so I wasted no time getting one last hit in, this time adding a bit of something special that would keep the vampire down for at least an hour. Enough time for the witch to get him wherever she needed.
“Neva,” I called out just once, and she appeared immediately. “Is that Beatrix I sense?”
The elf nodded at the same time the witch walked out of the shadows, a trail of fog behind her. I was interested in why she hid herself, but not enough to ask. Instead, I was ready to be done with Dante before I accidentally killed him and enraged an entire coven.
“I’d heard you were good, but I must say, I’m a little disappointed.” Beatrix tsked, and I instantly wanted to slice her in two. “You made that look too easy,” she added a second later, saving me the trouble of killing her and the vamp.
“Well, it is what you hired me for,” I replied with bite in my voice, still kneeling over Dante. Even if she hadn’t meant to insult me, she’d still struck a nerve and needed to know. Though, I wasn’t sure if my short temper had more to do with her or the fae that still lingered where he didn’t belong.
“Do you need me to transport him to your coven?” I asked, curious to see what she had behind the walls of the compound she kept so guarded.
She stared down at me and flicked her silver braid behind her shoulder, emerald eyes sparking with plenty of life even though the wrinkles around her face made her seem elderly. “Not a chance in hell, but I do owe you. Would you like payment now or later?”
I considered the fae behind me while Dante still struggled against my spell underneath me. There was a chance I�
��d need to ditch the newcomer, depending on what he wanted. I couldn’t risk killing a fae and bringing more problems to my doorstep, in case he was someone important to the fae realm. Asking for something so simple wasn’t usually my kind of payment, though it would do this time.
“How about a spell?” I requested.
She raised a brow. “That’s it? What kind?”
Instead of answering her, I sat up to pull my phone from my back pocket and groaned at the cracked screen. I’d need Neva to fix it. Her repair skills far surpassed mine, but regardless of the damage, the apps still worked as I pulled up my notes and typed in my request.
She squinted as I held it up. “You expect me to read that? What’s wrong with talking?”
“Just indulge me, will you?” I sighed, clearly over tonight after dealing first with the annoying werewolf, then a vampire who’d made me sexually frustrated.
I passed her the phone again and waited not-so-patiently until she glanced back at me. “That’s simple enough. Do you want it now or shall I make it to go?”
“To go would be preferable. I have some more business to handle before I go home.” I said the last part a little louder than necessary, so the fae would know I was aware of his presence. When he still didn’t leave, I knew there was no avoiding dealing with him before I could get some sleep.
“Very well.” Beatrix dug into the deep pockets of the loose overcoat she wore and pulled out a vial with clear liquid. Her palms covered the glass, and she murmured into them, causing sparks to flicker around her fingertips.
While she was busy with that, I leaned forward and pulsed an extra dose of magic into Dante just for fun. “Look at you being a good little vampire and staying still.”
His eyes were pure crimson now, and I enjoyed the inner turmoil showcasing in his face. Something told me he’d never been bested by a woman. I stood, leaving my wings on display, and brushed myself off as well as possible while Beatrix finished the spell.
When she was done inspecting her work, I held my hand out until she dropped the vial into my palm. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you,” she said.
Before I bothered to respond, Beatrix knelt down and placed a hand on Dante whose skin had begun to smoke as he attempted to fight against my power with his own, but it was pointless. He was only going to get himself killed by doing so, and I had no doubt the witches were going to have their fun with the vamp.
We should be enjoying the catch. Not them, my inner voice snarled.
Apparently, our little fight had only scratched the surface of my needs.
Beatrix waved goodbye and disappeared with her prize, making me glad the bloodsucker was no longer my problem. Maybe the loitering fae could help satisfy the inner darkness that was storming inside me.
Neva stepped closer to me, but I put a hand up. “How about you go get Black Widow?”
Her jaw dropped. “You want me to drive Black Widow?”
“If you wouldn’t mind. I just need to check on one last thing before we can go home.” Or possibly kill one last thing if I didn’t have a choice, but that was a detail she didn’t need to know.
Her eyes scanned the area, and even though Neva was resourceful and good at assisting, she wasn’t created to be a predator like I was. She wouldn’t sense the fae. Not unless he wanted her to.
“Okay, so I’ll pull the car back here after I get the keys, then?” she asked for confirmation, and I nodded.
Hopefully, I could handle whatever the fae wanted quickly and then be done with him. I hadn’t had an interaction with another of my kind in years. I preferred it that way, too. Ever since the king turned on me—for saving his life, no less—I’d chosen my own path.
When I’d worked for the king, I was a guard and went on missions whenever told. Sure, I’d punished people then, but it was different. I was young and naïve. I’d considered anything the king said to be truth and bowed before him without question.
Now? Now, I knew better. I still got the bad guys for others too lazy to do it themselves, like Beatrix, but it was more for my benefit than anyone else’s. I needed the release like I needed the air to breathe. I needed the redemption for the person the king had turned me into. The tasks I did on Earth were the only things that kept me from completely losing my shit and storming Fae Islands to demand vengeance.
There had been days, though… some dark fucking days when I plotted King Zephyr’s death over and over again like a true psychopath.
Once Neva was gone from the alleyway, I shook the dark thoughts away, and the fae stepped from the shadows enough that I could see his silhouette under the flickering light. Though, not enough to make out the details of his face.
My wings stretched further, and their hardened tips glinted under the dim light. I wanted him to know exactly who he was dealing with before he even got the chance to speak.
“What do you want?” I asked, hands ready for a fight at my sides. This one I didn’t have to leave alive, but I’d try, merely to avoid any drama his death could cause.
“I need a favor.” His voice was husky and strained, as if asking for help was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do.
“Why would I help you?” I countered, curious about his stiff composure.
He inched forward. “You wouldn’t. It’s not me I’m here for. It’s my sister. I’ve heard it’s what you do. That you’re the best at freeing people from adverse situations.”
Instead of responding, I took a moment to appraise him, trying to read between the lines and figure out what he wasn’t saying.
He was tall, likely close to seven feet, given the height he had on my nearly six-foot frame. His muscles stood out beneath the tight white shirt that clung to his skin, and I was surprised he didn’t have his wings out.
Maybe his were the gossamer kind and he was embarrassed. I smirked as I visualized him looking more like a fairy than the fae warrior his muscles hinted at, muscles that made my tongue dart out to wet my lips.
His silver eyes flashed with unfiltered rage. “What’s funny?”
“Just my imagination. Now, what is it that you think I can help your sister with?”
“She needs to have a spell removed from her,” he replied through gritted teeth.
My head cocked to the side. There was something about this fae that was causing the inner turmoil in me to hit new heights. Without meaning to, I inched closer to him and had a strong desire to reach out and run my fingers through his dark blonde hair. Instead, I internally gave myself a hard smack, putting all parts of me in place, and focused back on the conversation.
“It's really aggravating you to be here, isn't it? Why me?” I asked, avoiding his request, because even if I wanted to, I couldn’t actually help. I might be powerful, but I didn’t mess with spells. That wasn’t my specialty, and there was a difference between witch and fae magic. But before I told him that, I needed to know why he’d sought me out and who had told him how to find me.
His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know who you are. I know what you do. I've seen you in action before. I just need you to stop the king from killing my sister.”
His words gave me pause. The king? As in King Zephyr? No way in hell. I'd been done with Fae Islands for a long time, and I refused to go back. I didn’t care if it was my only weakness. I’d moved on from my past... or so I told myself frequently.
“I'm sorry, but I can't help you. You need a witch for undoing a spell. Good luck.” Uncaring about needing answers any longer, I turned to walk away before I did something stupid, like try to fight him until we ended up at my apartment to really take some aggressions out. Instead of letting me walk away, he grabbed on to my left arm, forcing me back to him.
Our bodies collided, and I sucked in a breath at the feel of his hard lines pressing against me. My skin shivered as my heartbeat sped up, a reaction I certainly wasn’t prepared for. Gods, I really needed to let off some steam, but even I knew doing so with a fae wasn’t the best idea.
I arched a brow at him, telling myself that I needed to kick his ass and move on, but I couldn’t force my actions to match my thoughts for some reason. “Remove your hand or I’ll show you why I was kicked out of Fae Islands in the first place.”
He didn’t move. In fact, his head inched closer, and beneath the ire he was emitting, I relished in the fact he was battling something within as well.
“I'm not leaving without your agreement to help.” His voice was still strained.
“Why is this so hard for you?” I asked—again, ignoring his pleading—and focused on the tension set in his wide shoulders and the creases around his eyes.
“Because you are everything I hate about our world, but I'm desperate and hoping you're not the monster you used to be. So, here I am, at your mercy, begging for help, because I'm not enough to free my sister from the mess she's gotten herself into. Now, will you come with me to Fae Islands, or are you still the heartless punisher I remember?”
Chapter 4
Fae Islands. The one place I had sworn I’d never return to. A harsh rejection sat at the edge of my tongue, but this unknown fae was piquing my curiosity for some reason. I wasn’t ready to dismiss him just yet.
Get away from him. If you won’t kill him, then move on before he ruins you.
My inner being was taking on too many opinions. Maybe I was more off than I was even aware of. Clearly, none of my earlier pondering had done me any good.
“What’s your name?” I asked while taking a step back. I needed my wits about me to concentrate if his problem concerned my old home. I wouldn’t be weak enough to allow sexual tension or whatever was going on inside me to be a distraction.
“Finn Barlow, from North Island.”
Ahh, his contempt for me made more sense. I recalled one particular time when I’d drawn quite the crowd on North Island. It was shortly after King Zephyr had destroyed my doll and I’d needed to show him I was worthy of his love, or so he’d said.
Dark Fae Cursed (Broken Court Book 1) Page 3
