The Sharpest Kiss

by Elizabeth Myles

  “Nathan, no!” Jessica cried.

  Celia’s attention zoomed to her. A wicked smile curled the corners of the master vampire’s lips. “Very well. You will stay, Nathan, and everyone else will go. Everyone but this one, who I can see possesses certain special feelings for you. And I suspect it may be mutual? I think perhaps she should stay and play with us awhile.” The master lifted her arm and made a fist, magically lifting Jessica above the layer of detritus blanketing the floor. Jessica let out a strangled cry. She wheeled her arms and legs uselessly as Celia dragged her through the air, across the room, and locked her arm around her throat. Baring her fangs, the master vampire hissed against Jessica’s neck.

  Nathan’s face blanched. “No,” he said, and Lucy heard herself screaming her friend’s name. Everyone was screaming now, yelling at the vampire to let Jessica go.

  Celia, ignoring them all, raised her other fist, and Lucy felt the wooden stakes ripping out of her back pocket. She saw her weapons—along with everyone else’s—go shooting across the room and land in a clattering pile beside the master. Celia zeroed in on Kiefer and snarled, staring at him with pure loathing, “I will deal with you later, sorcerer.” She glared at Jason and Aaron in turn. “And you two, as well. Before the night is through, you shall learn what it truly means to belong to a master.” She flung out her free arm again, this time sending everyone but Nathan and Jessica hurtling across the bookstore.

  Lucy gasped as she felt her feet leave the floor. She watched the two vampires and her best friend getting smaller and smaller as she was propelled out the broken window, and then she cried out as she landed painfully in the courtyard. Dara, Jason, Aaron, and Kiefer all dropped down around her, cursing and exclaiming as they hit the cobblestones and rolled across them. Feeling dazed, Lucy lifted her head just in time to see a wall of bookcases slamming in front of Book of Love’s doors and its broken window, sealing them both shut.

  They’d just been locked out of the bookstore, she realized with a nauseous feeling. With Jessica still trapped inside.

  With a vicious, bloodthirsty monster slavering at her throat.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Lucy was the first to stagger to her feet. Battling tears, she hobbled as quickly as she could to the front of the bookstore and scrambled up into the display window. Grunting with the effort, she tried shoving the bookcases out of the way, but it was impossible. They seemed anchored in place, weighing a million pounds each.

  Kiefer stumbled over and climbed up beside her. “Celia’s probably using her mental powers to hold those bookcases there,” he said.

  “Well then help me move them! We have to get back in there!”

  “And do what?”

  “Help Jessica! Celia’s going to kill her!” Just saying the words tied Lucy’s heart into a knot. A few tears escaped her eyes, racing down the sides of her terrified face.

  “No, she isn’t,” Kiefer said. “You heard Celia. She wants to ‘play’ with Nathan, to pay him back him for what he and I did to her. My guess is, she’ll keep your friend alive for a while, so that she can punish Nathan by—” He bit off the end of whatever he’d been about to say.

  “By what?” Lucy gaped at him in horror. “By torturing Jessica in front of him?”

  He grimaced apologetically, clearly regretting his words.

  Lucy snapped her attention back to the bookcases, shoving and beating at them and ignoring how much it hurt.

  Kiefer caught her elbow and looked at her steadily. “Lucy, c’mon, stop it. You honestly think you can protect your friend any better than Nathan can? Give him a chance. We’re about to have our hands full out here with those trucks of vampires, anyway. He and Jessica are going to need our help fending them off while they deal with Celia.”

  Lucy kept her eyes fixed on the bookcases, gnawing her lower lip in indecision. Her instinct was to keep arguing, to tear away from Kiefer and continue flailing at the barricade, but she knew in her heart the sorcerer was right. Jessica had been right about Nathan. He might be a vampire, but he was still a good man, too. And he cared a lot about Jessica. Lucy had become convinced of that just from watching him with her over the past few hours. If there was any way for him to save her, he would.

  At least, Lucy really, really hoped he would. She had been the one to rope Jessica into all this craziness along with her. She’d already seen her store demolished because of it. If anything happened to Jessica personally, on top of that, Lucy would never forgive herself.

  Kiefer jumped down from the window and held up his arms, offering to help Lucy down, too. When she still hesitated, twisting her fingers together, he said, “You can trust Nathan, sweetie, I promise. Your friend’s in good hands in there.”

  Realizing she didn’t have much choice, Lucy dashed at her tears and tried her best to push aside the stomach-churning image of Celia threatening her best friend’s life. She allowed Kiefer to encircle her waist with his strong hands and lift her down beside him. “Alright,” she said. “What do we do, then?”

  Kiefer’s gaze cut to his pickup truck, parked at the end of the courtyard. Lucy could see the silhouette of Theo propped up in the passenger’s seat. “First things first,” he said, and jogged over to his vehicle. He wrested Theo from the cab and marched him back to where the others were now all clustered together on the sidewalk. “Seems there’re some trucks headed this way, Theo,” he said. “Did Dorian track you somehow? Are they coming to pick you up?”

  Theo blinked slowly. “Are you kidding? I’m nothing to Dorian. This is about Celia. I told you he’d sent a bunch more guys down here to come and find her. They must have figured out she was here. They’re coming for her.”

  “Alright, then. Why are there so many vampires in the trucks? Where’d they all come from?”

  Theo looked momentarily startled, as if he hadn’t known about the vampires, either. “No idea,” he said. A tiny spark lit in his eyes. “Although, when his guys couldn’t figure out where Celia had gone, I know Dorian had them round up as many of the people she’d bitten as they could find, thinking some of them might’ve been turned. Who knows how many more there were in addition to you two?” He looked at Aaron and Jason.

  Skepticism narrowed Kiefer’s eyes. “I doubt Celia could’ve turned that many people in just the past few days. I’d have known about it from the police reports.”

  “Are you a hundred percent sure about that?” Aaron asked him, looking dubious.

  “No,” Kiefer admitted.

  “Well, if the vampires are Celia’s,” Dara said, “will they necessarily be hostile? Nathan told us their state of mind might depend on who their ancestors were. Since Jason and Aaron are alright, couldn’t that mean any other vampires Celia made might be reasonable, too?”

  Kiefer’s mouth jerked to one side. “Maybe. Jason and Aaron’s coherence could also just owe to their relationships with you and Lucy. They had you ladies to help ground them when they woke up, and both of them had a strong desire to stay human. And then there’s the elixir I gave them. That stuff isn’t just some herbal remedy to lessen the symptoms of the bite; it has magical properties that influence a newborn vampire’s state of mind, too. In simple terms, the juice makes you more human for a little while, in order to ease the transition from living to undead. So, it’ll keep the hunger at bay and keep the guys rational, as well as temporarily protect them from a few things that would normally harm a vampire, like crosses and holy water.” He paused. “But I seriously doubt all the vampires Dorian is sending here were made by Celia. From what Nathan and the guys described, there’re just too many of them for that to be the case.”

  “And it doesn’t really matter who made them, does it?” Lucy asked. “Dorian must be expecting a fight, or he wouldn’t send vampires here at all. And why would he send these guys if they weren’t crazy? For all we know, no matter who turned them, he’s used magic to make them feral, so they can attack whoever they find here.”

  Dara looked at her in surprise.

/>   “It’s what Professor Nosferus would probably do,” Lucy shrugged.

  “Oh,” Dara said, with clearly no idea what Lucy was talking about.

  Kiefer seemed on board with her, though. “Good point, Lucy,” he conceded. He turned back to Theo. “There’s something other than just vampires in those trucks. What are they?”

  “Minions, I’d bet. Humans compelled to carry out Dorian’s orders.”

  “Compelled? You mean they’re enchanted? Doped with magic?”

  “Yep.”

  Jason looked at Kiefer. “So basically, we’re looking at having to fend off a bunch of innocent people who’ve been bitten by Celia—or some other master—and/or turned into attack dogs by Dorian, as well as some drugged-up human thugs.”

  “Which means we can’t kill any of them,” Dara stated the obvious.

  Kiefer’s jaw set grimly. “No, we can’t. If nothing else, Nathan would have a fit. You heard what he said about not killing humans. He’s got a no-kill policy when it comes to plain vampires, too—not that we’ve ever run into any before. But his thinking is that we should turn any bloodsucker we come across back into a human. Or that we should at least try to, by offering to find and kill their master.” He grimaced to illustrate what he thought of Nathan’s strategy, but then turned back to Theo and asked, “What sort of offense are we looking at here? Will Dorian’s goons have guns?”

  “Definitely,” Theo responded.

  “Guns?” Aaron said. “We don’t have guns! Not that it matters, since you just told us we wouldn’t be allowed to shoot back at these people even if we did.”

  “It’s okay,” Kiefer said. “I’ll take care of it. I assume they’ll also have blades and other weapons on them, but I’ll do my best to relieve them of those, too, as soon as they get here.”

  “‘Relieve them of those?’” Lucy asked. “How? Are you telekinetic, like Celia?”

  “Nah.” Kiefer seemed disappointed. “I can use a spell to move inanimate objects around, but I won’t be able to hold off a bunch of people juiced on magic and determined to get to us.” He looked at the guys again. “Like I said, I’ll take away their stuff, but, after that, you two are going to need to help me beat these suckers back. The old-fashioned way.”

  “With pleasure.” Jason held up a fist. “I can punch pretty hard now, so…can’t I just knock all these guys out and be done with it?”

  “Depends on how doped up they are,” Kiefer said. “They’ll probably be protected by Dorian’s magic. Regardless, you should definitely try. I know I will. Whatever the case, we’ll need to keep beating them up and holding them back until Nathan can kill Celia. If the vampires are her get, they’ll turn normal when she gets cut down. If they aren’t hers, well…Nathan and I will just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  “How are we going to keep them back?” Lucy asked, wary of the answer.

  “I’ve got some spell books in the truck. You and Dara will recite from them and create a magical shield around the store, to keep out the bad guys. Like any shield, though, it won’t be completely invulnerable. If it takes enough hits, it won’t hold. Which is why me, Aaron, and Jason will do our best to keep everyone from getting too close to it for too long.”

  “Um,” Dara held up her hand. “Not that I’m not willing to try this, but…how can Lucy and I work magic? What makes you think we have the power to do something like that?”

  “You might not,” Kiefer admitted. “But that’s why I’m going to let you borrow a little of mine. I’ll give you each an amulet I’ve charged up with some of my ability. As long as you’re wearing the necklaces, you’ll be able to draw from my magic in order to power the spell. We have to hope Nathan can work fast, though, because the amulets won’t last forever. Maybe an hour or so.”

  Lucy watched in amazement as he once again jogged back to his truck, and this time yanked a duffel bag out of the bed. He ran back and distributed the amulets to her and Dara. He handed them each a small notebook, pointing out which incantations he wanted them to perform.

  “I can’t read this,” Lucy protested, gaping at the scribbling on the open page. “I don’t even know what language this is!”

  “I’ve transcribed it all phonetically,” Kiefer pointed out.

  “Yeah, but I don’t understand it.”

  “You don’t need to understand it. You just need to read it. And it doesn’t hurt if you believe it’s going to work, too. You know, have a little faith?” He winked at her and then beckoned Aaron and Jason closer, offering them each a rosary and a small plastic bottle. “This is holy water,” he explained. “You fling it at vampires. There’ll be more in the bag if you run out. Now put on the crosses.”

  “Are you sure this won’t mess us up?” Aaron eyed the religious implements with suspicion.

  “Cross my heart. The elixir I gave you acts as a protectant, at least for the next few days or so.”

  Jason also looked skeptical, but for different reasons. “I’m not afraid it’ll hurt me,” he said, slipping the necklace on over his head. “I’m more surprised you think it’ll hurt them. Are you sure this stuff works?”

  “Oh, it works,” Kiefer smiled without humor. “Vampires are all tainted by evil, so holy water and consecrated crosses will both burn them. At least for a few seconds, until they start to heal again, but sometimes, in a fight, a few seconds are all that matter.” He handed crosses to Dara and Lucy as well.

  “Where’s yours?” Lucy wondered.

  In response, Kiefer peeled off his t-shirt and pitched it into the duffel bag. Along with a leanly muscled torso, he’d revealed a huge, ornate cross tattooed across his chest and stomach. “Had the ink blessed by a priest buddy of mine before they put it on,” he explained, flashing his dimple, “so I’m all good. But thanks for your concern, sweetheart.” Lucy felt the blood rush to her cheeks and averted her eyes.

  “So, we’re really just going to sprinkle the monsters with holy water?” Aaron asked, staring at the bottle in his hand in befuddlement.

  “And try to lay them out,” Jason reminded him. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

  “Says the guy with super-strength and super-speed.” But Aaron seemed prepared to follow Jason and Kiefer into the courtyard.

  “Wait.” It was Theo talking, and Lucy could see it was costing him to speak out of turn again. His face was knotted, and sweat glistened on his brow.

  “Now what do you want?” Kiefer barked at him.

  “I can help you. Let me go, and I can help you fight these guys.”

  “Why should we trust you?” The challenge came from Aaron, but Lucy could see everyone else was entertaining the same question.

  “I’m tired of this crap,” Theo replied, his dark eyes shining. “This isn’t what I signed up for.”

  Kiefer squinted. “Yeah? But I thought you said Dorian paid you oh so well for licking his boots. Why the sudden change of heart?”

  “I’ve had my doubts ever since he sent me and my guys to Celia’s grave, and she attacked all of us. Dorian claims he’s this amazing, high-powered magician, and usually he is, but…the protective charms he gave us for that mission didn’t work? None of them worked? I’m supposed to believe that?”

  “You’re saying you think he sabotaged the charms?” Lucy asked him. “That he fed you to Celia?”

  “I think he tried to, yeah, and he got almost everyone else on my team killed.”

  “Why would he do that?” Dara wondered.

  “To make sure Celia was at full power when he came for her himself? I don’t know. Could just be he’s a dick. I’ve heard a lot of stuff about him, you know. Things he’s supposedly done. A lot of it’s pretty heinous, and if it’s true, well…” He shook his head, as if to say enough was enough. “Look, after all this, Dorian can get bent as far as I’m concerned. I don’t want to work for him anymore, okay? Isn’t that good enough for you guys?”

  Kiefer studied him for a second, considering. He shook his head, too, and said, �
��Sorry, chief.”

  “But—”

  “Maybe we can discuss your loyalties again later, but for now you’re just going to have to sit this one out.” The sorcerer grabbed Theo’s arm and spun him around, marching him toward the building. He sat him down with his back against the wall. Theo’s eyes still held a stubborn shine, but what little fight he’d mustered seemed to have petered out. He didn’t argue anymore.

  “Alright, let’s go,” Kiefer said, gesturing. “Ladies, get to chanting. Guys, you’re with me.”

  Dara put her hand on Jason’s arm. “Be careful.”

  He tucked the holy water into a pocket and gathered his wife against his chest. “You, too. Read good, Baby,” he nodded at the spell book in her grasp. He leaned down and kissed her as though he might never see her again, one hand threaded in her hair and the other kneading her backside as his tongue plundered her mouth.

  Lucy turned away, her face feeling warm. She caught Aaron looking at her, which only made her blush worse.

  Her boss held her gaze for a long moment, his eyes looking dark green in the moonlight. He came over and trailed his fingers down her arm, curling his hand around her wrist.

  Before Lucy could register his intent, he’d tugged her against him. Still clutching the spell book in one hand, she felt her arms circle instinctively around his back, and found her cheek pressed against his chest. Her glasses went off-kilter, one side of the frame digging into her eyebrow, but she didn’t care. She was too busy enjoying the smell of his fabric softener, his deodorant, and that other, subtle, masculine scent that was just pure Aaron. The enticing aroma, mingled with his unexpected touch, sent a zing of excitement shooting through her veins. She felt her knees tremble.

  “Do I feel weird?” he asked, pulling her in tight. “Am I freezing?”

  “You’re, um…you’re cool,” she said, and felt him laugh. The truth was, cold or not, he didn’t feel weird to her at all. Lucy knew it might be all in her head, but she thought he felt pretty perfect lined up against her, their bodies fitting together like two matched pieces of a puzzle. And it didn’t matter that his skin was chilly, because she was suddenly warm enough for both of them. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply of his scent and curling the fingers of her free hand into his shoulder blade.