Fatal Allure Collection

by Woods, Martha

  A knock comes at the door, and I begin to slip my boots back on. Mabel comes in with a smile on her face, a fresh bite wound on her neck. I guess Olivia does not plan on partaking in drunken human blood.

  “It’s party time,” she says, opening the door wider for me. I step as gracefully as I can towards the door. Mabel frowns when she sees me slide the knife into my boot.

  “It helps me focus,” I say, not elaborating that it could potentially keep me alive for a little while as well.

  “You’ll be serving drinks,” Mabel tells me as we begin to walk down towards the kitchen. I see the humans who have partaken in the wine are now strapped to chairs with a tube in each arm drawing their blood into wine glasses.

  * * *

  One for red, one for white.

  * * *

  They have their eyes closed as if they have passed out. I hope they are unconscious. Voric sits in front of them, making sure that not a drop spills before putting the drinks on trays. His fangs are out, making him look a little too scary to get close to.

  “My job is to welcome the guests,” Mabel says. “Enjoy.”

  She walks out of the room. I hear laughter coming from the dining room, where I suspect the other three humans are.

  “So, I’m a waitress?” I ask Voric, keeping my distance from him since he looks hungry.

  “Olivia wants you to be able to get in close. If you distract them with drinks, they won’t want your blood as much. At least that is the plan,” Voric says as he puts another glass on the tray.

  “You won’t be in there?” I ask. There goes my idea of staying near a well-trained bodyguard.

  “My looks are not seen as appropriate in these events. Vampires want their kind to shine like faeries,” he says, and I can feel the hurt in his voice.

  Despite his teeth being out, I move close to him and press a kiss to his cheek. He looks up at me with wide eyes and forces his fangs back in, I guess not wanting to scare this human girl off.

  “I think you look like you’re supposed to look. It is a shame they can’t see the beauty in a Viking warrior who has won so many battles,” I say.

  “Thank you, m’lady. I wish you the best out there,” he says, turning towards me and touching my cheek with his large hand. I nuzzle my head into it despite it being so cold. I like the Viking. Nothing further than that. I would never let him bite me, but I could see how lonely he is, being shunned and laughed at by the others.

  “I understand why Vincent likes you so much. I would kill for you,” he says before letting his hand drop.

  Hopefully, he really would kill for me if it came to that. I am hoping not to invoke that. Vampires killing other vampires is a no-no. I don’t know how Olivia plans to deal with the one who is going to overthrow her.

  * * *

  And I don’t want to know.

  In college, I was a waitress for a short time in a fancy hotel. I pick up the large serving plate and balance it carefully on my shoulder. A deep breath and I walk into the room with the vampires.

  The three humans are laid out on the table with little ties around their wrists and feet that go through the table to keep them there. They are nude, with their bodies dusted in some type of gold powder that makes them shine under the old-fashioned chandelier that burns bright above them. Beside each of them is a neatly folded card that says what they have been infused with. There are chairs against the wall, and a beautiful black couch, with Olivia lounging on it looking every bit a queen. Her hair is up in a crown around her head with little white flowers placed between the braids. She wears a gown that is tight in the bust area, exposing her cleavage, while the rest of the dress trails down in a sort of mermaid tail look. Her makeup is flawless. Somehow, she has made herself appear both delicate and vicious at the same time.

  Charlie stands in a corner with his hands in his pockets. I nod at him and he exposes his fangs at me. I have a feeling Charlie and I cannot survive together on this planet; one of us needs to die, and I’m looking straight at him. A vampire I’ve never met sits beside the couch, admiring Olivia’s body. His black hair is gelled to the side; he wears a tuxedo with a dark red bow tie. His jacket even has the little flaps at the bottom as if he came here right after a high-class musical performance. I make my way towards the two with my heavy tray I must not spill.

  “Doesn’t she just look delicious?” Olivia says as she carefully takes a wine glass from the tray.

  “Quite,” the man says as he lets his brown eyes trail from the bottom of my feet all the way to the top of my head. He takes a delicate sip of the blood while watching me.

  “Humans make excellent servants,” Olivia continues.

  “She’s not on the menu tonight?” the stranger asks.

  “Oh no, not this evening. I like her too much, and someone has already claimed her.” Olivia smiles at me. “At least while he lives, no one can touch her.”

  Not wanting to hear more of the conversation, I go to offer a drink to Charlie. He grabs one, nearly making me spill the tray. I glare at him, and he chuckles as he tilts his head back and lets the wine drip down his throat. Before I can blink the glass is empty, and he takes another one.

  “I can’t wait to taste the vodka,” he tells me. God, I don’t want to talk to him.

  “Well, you enjoy, just try to leave some for the rest,” I retort.

  “You’re okay with these humans dying?” Charlie asks, raising a brow at me.

  “I am not okay with any of this, but my opinion and feelings matter little here,” I snap.

  Charlie laughs some more, and I see Olivia beckon me over to her and the strange vampire. Neither one has finished their drinks. Why would they want me?

  “You left without introductions,” Olivia says, her eyes not so friendly.

  “I-I apologize, mistress.” That title makes me want to vomit, but I guess I need to play the part.

  “Damien, this is Amy. If you need anything tonight, please let her know,” Olivia says more sweetly.

  “I will.” He looks into my eyes, and I can feel him trying to compel me, I shake my head and glare back at him. “You keep strange humans,” Damien says as he leans back into his chair.

  “It’s interesting to see who would try to claim what is already taken,” Olivia says, sitting up slowly like a viper.

  “I meant no harm, Olivia, I was just trying to see who left their mark on her. I see no bite marks,” Damien says.

  “Allow it to be the mystery of the night,” I snap. “Stay out of my head.”

  I see Damien try to move, but Olivia’s hand presses him back. The tray is getting heavy on my shoulder. I hear the front door open and Mabel asking more guests to come inside.

  “She’s got a mouth, but you do not want her spilling the wine. Amy, watch your tongue, it can be removed.” Olivia says it in a purr. She looks at me and I know she wouldn’t mind ripping it out. I could still write down who is trying to destroy her. Alright, tongue in check.

  Three vampires enter the dining room and compliment the display before them. I walk up to them to offer a drink. They each take one, looking me up and down. There are two females who look like they’ve stepped out of a fairy tale. One has long blonde hair in a thick braid that goes all the way down to the floor; she could have been Rapunzel. She has green eyes that remind me of the color of spring. She wears one of those dresses that looks like it comes from Greece; it flows around her as she moves, an off-white color. Her female companion has short dark hair and wears a similar dress but in black. If one embodies purity and light, the other represents a sexy darkness. Her eyes are a dark brown, nearly black, and she looks to be from some Asian country. The male who stands between them has brown hair that cascades around him in lush curls. He’s wearing a blue suit and tie that barely keeps in the bulk of him. Out of the three, he is the least interested in me, simply taking his glass of blood and ushering me to move on.

  I know I won’t be able to do any mind meddling until I feel they are drunk enough. Righ
t now, they all have a steel latch around their minds I do not feel like probing at. I do not want to give myself away yet. I go into the kitchen, where Voric kept the drinks coming.

  “Do they have to die?” I ask softly as I get the new drinks on the tray.

  “If it bothers m’lady to have them die, I will give them some of my blood so they may live,” Voric says.

  “Won’t that create a blood bond?” I ask.

  “No, I must drink from them as well. I have a human who will feed me later,” he explains.

  I don’t want to ask if that one would die as well. Voric is trying to make me as comfortable as he can in this situation.

  “Do you know the three who just entered?” I ask.

  “The blonde is Ivanka, the black-haired woman is Mika, the man is their sire, Joseph,” Voric says.

  “How many more are coming?”

  “Two more, I believe. Olivia only invited the most powerful,” Voric says.

  “Then what the hell is Charlie doing here?”

  Voric laughs, and it is a loud, booming noise I’m sure they can hear in the dining hall. His entire face lights up, but I would not describe it as pretty. Voric is one of those people who is only nice on the inside.

  “Charlie asked for sanctuary. He is allowed at the party to keep you in place,” Voric says.

  “He asked for sanctuary from me. I feel like I should be getting under his skin,” I mutter.

  “You speak like a warrior. I like this,” Voric says, giving me what I suspect is to be a friendly push, but it makes me fall to the ground. Luckily, I’m not holding the tray of glasses. He is there in an instant to help me to my feet but sees the hilt of my dagger sticking out of my boots.

  “You play a dangerous game going in there armed,” he whispers like he is thinking of taking the knife from me.

  “If I lose this, I lose concentration. It has to stay near me,” I say.

  “Does the queen know?” he asks.

  “I didn’t ask her permission.”

  “Be careful, witch,” he says, and the word comes out as a compliment.

  Glasses filled again, I go back into the dining room area. Two more vampires have come in. They are twins. The only way I can tell them apart is that one wears fake glasses on his chiseled face. They are both tall, lanky, model material with short brown hair. They both look at me the moment I walk in the room, and I go over to them to offer a glass of the blood wine.

  “Who do you belong to?” the one with the glasses asks me.

  “She’s on loan to me,” I hear Olivia pipe in from her seat on the couch.

  I look to see that Charlie is indulging himself on the vodka, drinking from her thigh. She moans and thrust her hips up as much as the bands will let her. I feel a blush coming across my face.

  “She is not under anyone’s spell if she is blushing,” the other twin remarks.

  That ceases all conversation, and all eyes turn to focus on me. Charlie even stops his feeding to look with a bloody grin on his face. Yuck.

  Joseph is suddenly in front of me. He grabs my face and forces me to look him in the eyes. I can feel him hammering on my brain, but I keep my shields up. Beside him come Ivanka and Mika.

  “What a delicious little witch you have here, Olivia. Who does she belong too?”

  At that moment, a roar shakes the house. I fall to my knees as Vincent begins to overwhelm my thoughts with his thirst. He can smell the blood up here. The nails in his hands burn into his palms and burn into mine. Someone is there to grab the tray from me, but I’m not sure who as Vincent’s bloodlust fills me up. Everything is turning red.

  Chapter 11

  “He’s still alive?” I hear Joseph’s voice and realize that I have fainted and his arms are there to hold me up.

  “Why yes, you know me, Joseph, I like to let the pain linger for a long time,” Olivia says. She is to the right of me. I try to struggle out of Joseph’s grip, but he holds me in place. I can’t reach my dagger, and I’ve suddenly become the center of attention at the vampire party. Fuck.

  “That makes you weak. You should have given him the actual death and killed her. Or turned her. She is a danger to you if you cannot control her,” Joseph says. “Witches are powerful, more so when they are completely under your control. Isn’t that right, Mika?”

  “Yes, sire,” she says, turning her dark eyes on me. I can feel her trying to bring down my barriers so she can get into my head, and I begin to struggle.

  “Now, now, girl,” she murmurs as she comes next to me on the other side. “You will be of no use if all you can think about is Vincent. Let me in.”

  I can’t stop it. Mika is there in my brain. I do not feel her laying any webs, it is more that she goes to the bond that keeps Vincent and me together. With invisible scissors, she begins to snip. His pain disappears from my mind; his thirst is no longer there. I start to panic because I can no longer feel him living.

  “Wha-what did you do?” I ask.

  “I destroyed your bond. Now you are not owned,” Mika says as she stands up. “Now his actual death will not kill you.”

  Joseph helps me to my feet. Everything feels fuzzy, but my mind is much clearer. I’m not sure how to feel about that. Vincent isn’t there, and I feel something cold in place of him. I want him to be there. I don’t want him to die, I want him to be in my life. That is all my own thinking. The damn vampire actually means something more to me than just a little blood bond.

  Also, it would have been really nice of Olivia to tell me there would be other witches present. I don’t dare try to get into Mika’s head – she can just as easily slip into mine.

  “You have no right to tell me how to rule my territory,” Olivia snaps, standing. I can feel the old power flowing over her, I can almost see it like a black and blue aura surrounding her. Little tentacles of authority ready to lash out at anyone who disagrees with her.

  “You are correct,” Joseph says. “But if no one is to claim the witch, I wish to.” He runs his fingers gently through my hair.

  “No, I don’t want to work for any vampire,” I say, and take a step away from Joseph.

  “But you would be welcome into my coven,” Joseph says as Ivanka and Mika take their positions beside him. “We could teach you. You would not be harmed.”

  All three of them are former witches; I can see that now. They take hands and the power that bursts from them causes me to stumble back. No, I have a job here. Sadly, the only vampire who is drunk is Charlie. I guess all the high and powerful ones knew to be on guard.

  “What game are you playing here, Olivia?” asks one of the twins.

  “I was keeping her in check with Vincent, but I have another one she also cares for. Amy is to accomplish a task tonight. If she fails, everyone dies. She’s responsible for the Sister’s death, so as you all can see, I’ve set her on a task to die.”

  The mention of the Sisters gets a hiss from the vampire who is present. I am keeping an eye on Charlie. He’s laughing. I blast my way into his mind to see what he finds so funny. There is death. He imagines me splattered across the walls. He thinks all these elder fools will rip me apart and then they wouldn’t know. They wouldn’t know what is coming to them.

  “What do you mean?” I say suddenly. The vampires go unnaturally still and look at me. “What is coming to them?”

  “You bitch, I said stay out of my head,” Charlie says, and he moves towards me, knocking me onto the floor. Joseph is there and grabs Charlie by the head and yanks him up.

  “You can read the mind of a vampire,” Joseph says simply, watching me. Mika is beside me, helping me sit up. Ivanka moves to stand in front of Charlie. Olivia is there as well, with fury burning in her eyes. I note the twins beginning to move away from the group.

  “Charlie’s mind says something is coming,” I say. “I don’t know what, I couldn’t go deep enough.”

  “Take my hand,” Mika says and grabs mine before I can protest. “Go deeper, child.”

  I can
feel her strange power pulsing into me, and I blast into Charlie’s mind. The manor is surrounded by vampires – I count at least twenty of them. They’re waiting for the signal to attack. What’s the signal? I dive in deeper. My blood being spilled. That’s the cue.

  Olivia snatches me up from Mika, and her fangs sink into my neck through the sheer fabric that is there. It hurts, it burns, but I manage to scream out.

  “It’s me, Olivia, I’m the signal,” I cry out, then my mind feels nothing but pain. I look into Olivia’s eyes and see the fear she feels of others just as powerful as her coming into her kingdom. How she wants them all to just disappear. How grateful she actually is towards me for eradicating the Sisters so she would not have to dirty her hands. And then I understand. All those vampires loyal to her are waiting outside to kill the ones here, who she is hoping would be intoxicated before the word got out. Or busy drinking my blood.

  She did send me on an impossible task. As the blood begins to drain from me I feel all hope is lost.

  Chapter 12

  Olivia is ripped from my neck, and I fall to the floor, weak from the blood loss. Ivanka has scooped me up and has sought shelter in a deep corner as all hell breaks loose in the dining room. I can’t see what is happening, only feel blood splashing across my face. Other vampires have shown up in the chamber. I feel the warm blood being pressed against my lips and look up at Ivanka.

  “You may have saved us. We are in your debt. Now drink, sister,” she says.

  I take her wrist and swallow the sweet blood that pours down my throat. My senses begin to become sharper; I can see the figures battling in the room. The table has been flipped over, with the humans still attached to it.

  The twins have split up and are taking on a group of five vampires with weapons – silver blades and wooden stakes. The twins attack in unison, taking one out, but fast enough to avoid any permanent damage. I see slashes through their suits, but it does not slow them down.