by Kasi Blake
Cowboy ripped the stake out.
Trick’s body spasmed, and he went down. His head struck the marble floor. Blood poured from the hole in his back and pooled around him, soaking through his shirt. His mouth opened wide. Scarlet’s scream blended with his in a twisted symphony. He choked on blood. A violent coughing fit shook his bones and rattled his teeth.
Life returned to normal speed, and his ears unclogged.
“What are you doing?” Scarlet shouted. “You’re killing him!”
Trick winced. Too loud. Everything was too loud now.
Ignoring her, Cowboy grabbed Trick by the front of his torn shirt and lifted him high enough to force a bleeding wrist against his mouth. Cowboy wanted him to feed.
Trick protested.
He tried to push Cowboy’s arm away.
Cowboy’s other hand went to the back of Trick’s head. The vampire held him immobile as he made him drink the nasty stuff. Since turning into one of them Trick hadn’t needed to feed. Somehow the same rules didn’t apply to him, probably due to the faerie part of his heritage.
A tingle began in his throat. Energy surged. His strength grew, and a new hunger was born. He latched onto Cowboy’s arm with both hands and fed. Power coursed through his veins. Greedy, he wanted more. The act restored his strength in seconds.
“You can stop now,” Cowboy said as he tried to remove his arm from Trick’s tight grip. “Stop!”
Trick held on, desperate for more. The feeling of power was incredible, and he didn’t want it to end. He ignored them. He blocked out Cowboy’s loud demands, Scarlet’s pleas, and his own annoying inner voice. All that mattered was the infinite energy flowing into his body and his soul.
With a growl, Cowboy wrestled his arm free.
Trick fell flat on the floor and struck his head again. Pain rocked his skull. Intensified by a hundred-fold like everything else in his body, he felt pain more deeply than humans. So far it was the one drawback of being a vampire.
“You okay?” Scarlet asked in a hopeful, shaky voice.
“Better than ever.” He leaped to his feet and pinned his vampire friend with a probing stare. “You?”
Cowboy’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Next time remind me to get you a glass.”
Scarlet suggested, “Maybe you should lie down for a while.”
“Are you kidding me?” Trick blinked at her, wondering why she didn’t get it. He grinned from ear to ear. “I feel awesome!”
He popped home and returned to the mansion in a clean shirt before his friends had time to question his absence. Way too wired to sleep, he needed activity, something fun. An idea came to mind. Thanks to his power of teleportation it was definitely doable. Without asking for permission he placed a hand on Scarlet’s shoulder. They disappeared together.
He heard Cowboy’s parting shot. “You’re welcome.”
♫
CHAPTER TWO
Dancing in the Dark
Scarlet’s eyes widened when she realized Trick had plunked them down in the middle of a busy night club. New York? Chicago? LA? She had no idea. It didn’t matter to her. She was happy just to be alone with him. Although they were surrounded by writhing, sweating bodies, none of them were Dani Foster, and that made her want to dance all night.
Loud rock music made the floor tremble beneath her feet, and the vibration traveled up her legs. Her stomach felt weird and tingly inside. She wasn’t sure if it was the music, Trick’s proximity, or a mixture of both. The drums played with her internal organs. She felt every beat deep inside. It was both terrible and wonderful.
Colorful beams of light passed over the dancers. Blue, green, red, and yellow weaved, criss-crossed, and spun in tune with the music. The contrast of darkness and traveling lights set her free from her usual insecurities.
Trick’s hands went to her hips as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and he pulled her a little too close. She tried not to take it personally. Killing vampires got Trick excited to the point of imploding. He needed a way to work it out of his system. Then there was his obsessive need for music. He liked to listen to hard rock through earplugs while he fought monsters. Raves and clubs gave him the opportunity to hear a loud variety after a fight.
Her cheeks flushed hot, and she lowered her eyes to avoid his. What was he thinking? She tried to remember if he’d danced this close with her before she realized she was in love with him. Had he changed, or was it her?
His fingers slid beneath the belt loops on her faded blue jeans.
She would bet every cent to her name—admittedly that didn’t add up to much—that Dani Foster wouldn’t let him teleport her to a dance club. That girl would probably cry or hyperventilate until he took her home.
What was he doing with someone like that?
What did he see in Dani Foster? The girl wasn’t a terrible person. She just wasn’t right for him. Scarlet wished her a long, happy life... somewhere far, far away from Trick.
The beat quickened.
Laughing, Trick jumped up and down while banging his head against an invisible wall. He had the most beautiful smile. It could light up the world. She hadn’t seen that smile in a long time, not since he’d started dating the ballerina. Dani was high heels, ballet, and a strict diet. Scarlet was sneakers, a ball game, and pizza for breakfast. She was the perfect match for him. Why couldn’t he see it?
And she loved him more than Dani did.
No. She shoved the thought from her mind. It was a silly crush, not love. She’d get over it.
She’d get over it... or she’d die trying.
She jumped around with him until the song changed.
A slow tune began to play, and Trick started to leave the dance floor. He hated what he called ‘soft’ music. Several couples blocked their way. That kept him from taking off without her. Scarlet placed a hand on his back and went around him. Her arms stretched up to encircle his neck. She pressed against him as she swayed with the music. Her actions didn’t leave him with much choice. Either he danced with her or rejected her outright.
Reluctant, he stared into her eyes as if searching for something.
His hands went to her waist.
She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes, content to be in his arms. Even if he had a girlfriend, it was nice to be able to play the What if game. For the span of one dance, she could experience what it would be like to be his. Maybe someday he would see her as more than a friend. Maybe someday he would return her feelings.
Crush, nothing.
She loved this boy with her whole messed up heart.
♫
“What’s wrong?” Scarlet asked, shouting to be heard over the music.
Trick blinked at her, back in his own mind and body now. After a couple months of unexpected trips into the memories of others, he still wasn’t used to it. Somehow he needed to learn to control the power. For a few minutes, her feelings had been his feelings. Part of him wanted to comfort her, take away the pain somehow. Another part wanted to demand she stop obsessing over him. It wasn’t right.
His fault. He shouldn’t have brought her to the club, shouldn’t have touched her, and he damn well shouldn’t have let her believe she had a chance with him. His heart belonged to Dani.
Scarlet blamed his lack of smiles on his new girlfriend, but the fact was it had more to do with his fangs than anything else. He needed time to adjust to being a vampire. What she saw as mild depression was him trying to adapt. So far it seemed like he had gotten all the perks and none of the disadvantages. But nobody was that lucky. Right?
“Hey.” Scarlet dragged him to a less crowded area of the dance floor. She plugged an ear against the noise and yelled, “You okay?”
Far from it. He was in deep, deep trouble. He had hoped she would move on once he got together with Dani. If anything, Scarlet’s little crush had grown. She thought she was in love with him, and part of him believed it as much as she did. He had seen himself through her eyes. The pain she experie
nced every time she saw him with Dani... well, he didn’t know how the girl was standing. He couldn’t imagine feeling like that 24/7.
He had to find a way to help her get over him. Shouldn’t be too hard. No one could make a girl mad faster than him. Somehow he needed to make her fall out of love. But how?
“Are you okay?” she repeated, demanding an answer.
Half-nod, he turned away. He had another problem besides what to do with Scarlet. All of a sudden, he could smell the blood rushing through the veins of those around him. Cowboy had warned him about blood lust. It hit some vampires worse than others. He wasn’t sure if the growing scent was due to a hundred people on the dance floor or if it was because he’d been staked less than two hours ago. It might even have something to do with drinking Cowboy’s blood to renew his strength.
“I think you need some rest,” Scarlet said. “Home?”
“I need to see Dani,” he said without thinking.
Hurt registered in her eyes, and her mouth tightened. “Of course you do. I’m amazed you were able to stay away this long. You must be suffering from withdrawal already.”
She started to walk away.
Trick’s fingers wrapped around her wrist to keep her from leaving. Seemed like he spent more time trying to hold their friendship together than he did battling vampires. Problem was, he couldn’t tell Scarlet that he knew she was in love with him without spilling his own secret. He wasn’t ready for her to know he could travel into her mind. She was more private than him. If she found out he’d spied on her inner-most feelings, their friendship might end.
He grinned. “Hey, remember that time you laughed so hard you peed your pants, and you had to borrow my jacket to keep the others from noticing? We were at a party, weren’t we? Was it at Jordan’s house? Or was it Trevor’s?”
Scarlet cringed. “It was Jeff Webster’s party, and it was your fault. You tickled me until I peed my pants, you jerk.”
“Oh yeah.” He snickered at the memory.
In a silly ritual born from years of friendship, he looped an arm around her neck, brought her head down, and rubbed her scalp until she screamed at him to let her go. She kicked at his shins. Treating her like one of the boys was the quickest way to remind her they were friends and nothing more.
As soon as she pried herself free from what he called his ‘death lock’ she punched him in the arm. Hard. “Jerk! I told you not to do that anymore. We aren’t kids.”
“Sorry.” He shrugged. “Guess I forgot.”
“Sure you did.”
The dirty look she gave him was another nostalgic glimpse into their shared past. In the blink of an eye, she was his annoying buddy again. Mission accomplished.
“Your house or the mansion?” he asked. “You pick. I’ll drop you off before I go see Dani.”
Her lips tightened. “Mansion.”
♫
CHAPTER THREE
Enter Sandman
He teleported them to almost the exact spot as before. The congealing blood on the floor turned his stomach. Seeing the mess reminded him that he still had weaknesses. Vampires were considered immortal, but no one lived forever. As far as he knew there were only three things that could kill him: decapitation, werewolf, or a stake through the heart.
He and Scarlet stared at the blood in silence.
When she spoke, her voice sounded distant. “I am so sorry I staked you.”
He shrugged. “Could’ve happened to anyone.”
“But it happened to me.” Her misty blue gaze lifted. Filled with pain, it gave her thoughts away. Once again her love for him shone in her eyes, and he cringed. She added, “I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself if I had killed you.”
She reached for his hand.
Cowboy cleared his throat as he stood beneath the archway leading to the living room. “Then you should thank me for saving his life.”
Her hand dropped to her side.
Cowboy approached with his usual arrogant swagger.
Scarlet’s jaw tightened.
He added, “You owe me.”
Trick shook his head and stepped between them before an actual fight could break out. He wasn’t sure who would win at this point. Cowboy was a vampire with decades of experience; Scarlet was a hunter in training with a natural-born instinct to kill that rivaled Trick’s. Part of him kind of wanted to let them battle. Curiosity piqued, he wondered who would win.
But he didn’t want to lose either of them.
“She doesn’t owe you anything,” Trick said. “I do.”
Cowboy grinned. “Fine by me.”
“I am beat,” Scarlet said. Her shoulders sagged as if under an enormous weight, and her eyelids drooped. The fact that she hadn’t nailed Cowboy with a sarcastic zing spoke volumes. She had to be exhausted to walk away. “See you tomorrow,” she said to Trick.
He watched her go up the curving staircase and disappear from sight. Her footsteps continued down the hallway. A few seconds later her bedroom door closed. Because he didn’t want to talk to her about her secret crush, a sense of relief relaxed his muscles. Another day. Another conversation.
Cowboy sighed with heavy emphasis. “At the risk of repeating myself, we need to skip town while we still can. Let’s pack our bags and go before Oberon attacks.”
“This again?” Trick didn’t understand how someone who had lived as long as Cowboy could be afraid of a faerie. “I told you I can handle it. I’ll fight him alone if you’re scared.”
“Now that’s what worries me.” Cowboy shook his head, a look of disgust on his face. “Your lack of concern tells me you have no idea what’s happening here. The king of the freaking faeries wants to kill us. We should teleport from place to place, moving to a new location every single day, and we should never stop.”
Trick rolled his eyes. All his life he had heard stories about vampires, stories that led him to believe they were fearless and daring, wild animals with an insatiable need to feed. He was a bit disappointed. Why did they want to retreat from what could be the most exciting fight of their lives?
He and Cowboy drifted down the corridor to the kitchen. Trick wasn’t sure who was the leader and who was the follower. He was too deep in his own head to care. The idea of facing the king of faeries thrilled him beyond measure. The guy had to be more powerful than the Shadow Faerie, considering he had created the thing.
Trick grabbed an apple from a bowl on the kitchen table while Cowboy went in dizzying circles around the island. The apple was red and shiny just the way Trick liked them. He admired it before taking a big bite. He savored the sweetness. He just couldn’t get over how much better everything tasted now that he was a vampire.
And not just any vampire. He had faerie blood in his veins. That meant he was a powerful entity himself. Perhaps the king of faeries should fear him.
Killing the Shadow Faerie had boosted Trick’s confidence to a whole new level. Why worry about the faerie king? Sure, the guy was tough, but no one had thought Trick could win a fight against the Shadow Faerie either. He’d proved them wrong. Not only did he have faerie power, he also possessed vampire power now, and he had a Sugar Bomb hidden in his bedroom.
Trick felt invincible.
“Did you ever think maybe he’s afraid of me?” Trick asked.
Cowboy choked. “The guy is immortal, and he creates beings out of nothing. Can you do that?” Placing his hands on the island, Cowboy leaned halfway across it. As usual, he delivered his point with a loud and forceful tone. “You were born with a touch of faerie power, sure, but he made faerie power. Not to mention he can suck the energy and magic right out of you. Then you’ll be useless.”
Trick scoffed. “I’d like to see him try.”
Cowboy sighed again, more weary than heavy this time. “You are hopeless. Between you thinking you’re all that and Summer acting stupid over a mortal boy, I am going to get killed. I know it. I want you to put I-told- you-so on my tombstone. At least I can gloat from the grave.”
>
Trick ignored the mocking tone. “What’s with Summer?”
“Your idiot brother has made her whole new buckets of crazy.” Cowboy’s voice took on a higher pitch and did an unflattering impression of her. “I’m in love, and the birds are singing, and everything is perfect. Isn’t life grand?” His voice returned to normal as he added, “The girl won’t listen to a thing I say. She seems to think love will keep her safe.”
Trick flinched. He hated the idea of his brother dating a vampire. Matt was supposed to have gotten over his little crush by now, but it seemed stronger than ever. He walked around the house with a dopey grin on his face. Trick even caught him dancing to no music. Zero. Now that was unsettling.
Cowboy suggested, “We should at least find out what we can about Oberon. Or do you think you can destroy him without doing the research first?”
Trick had meant to do the work, but he was having too much fun. Senior year meant parties, secret make-out sessions with his secret girlfriend, and dusting vampires. Plus, he and some friends were planning a senior prank. The principal and teachers had warned them the entire senior class not to try anything. But it was tradition. Trick and Scarlet had been looking forward to it since their freshmen year.
“I’ll ask Scarlet to help,” Trick said. “She loves research.”
“Maybe I’ll ask an old friend about Oberon.”
Cowboy was talking about his ex-girlfriend Isobel. Trick didn’t need to read minds to know that. She’d dumped Cowboy to become a werewolf and work for Oberon. If she knew anything, she wasn’t going to share it with them. Trick was positive on that score, but he kept his feelings to himself. Guys didn’t want to hear bad things about the girls they were into even if the girls weren’t into them anymore.
Guys didn’t stick their noses into other guy’s relationships; only girls did that.
“I might know someone I can ask,” Trick said.
His father’s friend Bash probably knew something about the king of faeries. He just needed to find the guy and convince him to stand still for a few minutes. Then they could have a nice long talk. The threat of Oberon gave him an excuse to seek the hunter out.
