The Inari Council
By
Katherine Rhodes
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Turned
All rights reserved.
Copyright 2016 © Katherine Rhodes
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.
Waking up dead sucks.
Cracking her eyes open as one of the undead for the first time in the cellars of Castle Pietra, Sara immediately meets her guardian—well, werewolf. She witnesses him halt her summary execution and then save her life with his blood.
His sweet, delicious, magical-laced blood.
Slowly, through his tutelage and the kindness of his family, she starts to get used to being a vampire. It’s not the best un-life, but at least she can make sure her little brother Keelan is safe and cared for.
But all it took was one winter night. A night she was enjoying with her date, Marius, and trying to live just a little bit of the life she lost when everything changed. She, Marius and Michael are pulled into a world that was darker, more cruel, and bigger than they ever suspected.
And Keelan was their captive.
Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
One
Alia strode by the cell where Michael stood in front of the door. She didn’t even slow.
Michael was astonished. “Mom, stop.”
“What?” she asked, impatiently but not unkindly.
“What about her?”
Alia turned and looked at the young girl in the cell. She was shaking and sweating, and her blonde hair was plastered to her head. Her clothes were now rags, and she was filthy. “What about her? She’ll die in a few days with no blood to take.”
“Exactly.”
“She’s a vampire, Michael.” Alia’s answer was her reasoning.
Michael was still astonished. “For a week! Just a week... She didn’t know what she was doing. How could she have known he was putting his blood in the cup and watering it with wine? She didn’t mean to get into the accident and turn.”
His mother’s words were cold. “It’s better she die now.”
“Mom! Are you crazy?”
“She’s a vampire. Just let her die.”
“Then while you’re at it, run dad through with a silver knife.” His words were calm and cruel.
“What?!”
“You’re making the same assumptions the Hunters made. All wolves are damned beasts.” He mocked the now-defunct motto of their former enemies. “Give me a break, we’re more evolved than that. She’s just a girl, and you’re letting her die.”
Alia stared at the shaking, shivering wraith of a girl in the corner of the cell. The Princess Witch’s thoughts were almost a PowerPoint show of hate and betrayal and loss at the hands of vampires. “She lives off the blood of others.”
“She doesn’t know how to do that. She was fed blood, she can’t hunt, she hasn’t killed. She doesn’t know anything about being a vampire. Let her live and show her how to respect life at the same time? Werewolves have done it, why not a vampire?”
“I don’t want to die,” came a hoarse, parched voice from the cell.
“You’re already dead!” Alia snapped.
“Stop it!” Michael said. “She’s scared. She’s alone. I’d bet Ian was the first guy who genuinely seemed to care about her. We know it was bullshit because we know who Ian was, but Sara didn’t. Don’t let her die just because she made a mistake and trusted the wrong person.”
Suddenly, the stubborn mother he remembered from a dozen years ago reemerged as she folded her arms and cocked her head. “Just how the hell do you plan to help her? You know it must be live blood.”
“I’ll teach her to hunt.”
“With what? A bow and arrow?”
He slammed his hand on the metal bars, rattling the door threateningly. “I’m a fucking witchwolf! I’ll show her how to Hunt, mom. Do you think I don’t know how to? What do you think I do every time I go out with dad on a Run Hunt? Twiddle my thumbs and polish the gun barrels? We Hunt.” He swallowed. “You always seem to forget that I’m half werewolf. All of us are. Do you think dad never taught us anything?”
Michael could see he’d shocked her, as she stopped and looked at him. “I do forget that sometimes, Michael, I’m sorry. You’re so very much a physicist and witch in my head, the fact you’re also a werewolf slips away.” Turning to the cell, Alia looked at the girl again. Her blue eyes were weak and watery, and she was thin—nearly emaciated. Her face was sunken, and skin pulled taut. She was tucked against the wall, shaking violently.
And then—the realization of how young she was. Michael wouldn’t guess her to be even his age. The pain of a tough life was written on her, cigarette burns, cuts, scars… even faded track marks on her arm. She was young and foolish, and she had trusted Ian. Ian who was now dead and decapitated and left to rot in the sun when it rose in two hours.
Alia watched him watching her. “It means that much to you?”
“She’s so young, mom. This wasn’t her fault. Why let her die?”
“I don’t want to die.” Sara was barely able to get the words out over her chattering teeth. “I was trying so hard… my little brother…”
“Child, you’re already dead,” Alia said quietly through the bars. There was a pregnant pause, then a sigh. “Alright. I agree to this. But the instant she inflicts any harm on anyone, we’re putting her in the sun. She needs a lot of blood right now.”
“Not nearly as much if it’s human.”
She looked at him, emotionless. “Just this once, if you must. Teach her to hunt quickly before she gets a taste for you.”
Michael nodded and waved a hand over the lock. The door swung open, and Alia shook her head, walking on. She didn’t like the idea of her son giving some vampire his blood. But she trusted him, and if they could get some vampires on their side, it would benefit them greatly in taking down those who truly preyed on the innocent.
Michael entered the cell and sat next to the girl on the bed. Sara looked at him, her eyes dull and dying. Through clenched teeth, and violent shivering, she managed to ask, “What did she mean, I’m dead?”
Michael didn’t dance around the problem. “You died in the car accident. Ian had fed you so much of his blood in your wine that you Turned.”
“In my wine? His blood was in the wine? Turned me into what?
“Yes, he put his blood in your wine. Because he was a vampire. He’s done this before, and you’re just another victim of his. The last one. When you died in the car, you had enough of his blood into you make you a vampire.”
If it was possible for someone who was dead to go even more pale, she did. Holding her very weak hand up, she studied it. “Why am I dying again?”
“You haven’t fed. Not once since you Turned.”
She studied him. “I’m hungry but…”
“Sara.” He took the weak hand in his own. “Ian was a vampire. He was a cruel vampire who was tricking you into drinking his blood. Maybe wanted to bring you over, or maybe he just wanted to play with you. But because you had
so much of him in you, when the truck hit you, you were killed, and his blood Turned you.”
“A vampire? I’m a vampire? There’s no such thing…”
“There is,” he said. “Along with witches, werewolves, daemons, even fae though we rarely cross paths. You have to learn how to hunt and take blood to live.”
“Hunt?” she said. “I can’t even lift my head. There’s no way I’m hunting.”
He took a deep breath. “Just this once, I will give you mine. You won’t need nearly as much of mine as you would of a rabbit or a fox. I have a question for you, though.” She looked at him, unable to nod, but clearly telling him to ask. “Why do you want to live?”
Studying him, shook her head. “Who are you? Why would you even care?”
“My name is Michael Morchause. I am the oldest son of the Princess Witch Alia Morchause and Councilor Vincent Morchause of the Council of Arma. I brought you here after the accident had killed you. We had been hunting Ian, and I had this great misfortune of finding you in the twisted wreck, undead. Ian was summarily charged and left to the sun. You were a mystery to everyone. So please, tell me. Why do you want to live?”
A huge sob broke through her. “My little brother needs me.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “He’s got no one. Neither of us do. My parents were killed three years ago, and I’ve been taking care of him.” Michael turned her hand over and pointed to the track marks. It was clear she would have laughed if she could. “Heroin. I was bad into it. But when they dropped Keelan in my lap, I used part of my inheritance to go through rehab. Ian promised me he would take away the craving forever so I could help Keelan.”
“Where’s Keelan now?”
“Chicago. Well, probably in the foster system. It’s been a week… and well, I’m dead, right?” There was no missing the doubt and sarcasm in her tone.
“We’ll see what we can do about that.” Michael held out his wrist to her. “Just this once, Sara, you can take my blood. Because I’m half witch and half werewolf, I have very, very potent blood. The kind you desperately need right now. But, this act is either extremely violent or extremely sexual depending on who is involved and the situation. I don’t want it to be violent. My mother will have your head and leave you to the sun.”
He watched what he said churn through her mind, and she stared at his wrist for a moment. “I don’t know what to do. I’m not even sure I believe...”
Michael pulled back the sleeve of his shirt and bent his wrist back so she could see the vein there. He held it where she could easily see it. Her eyes widened, and she licked her lips. She could see the pulse there, and in the next instant, she yelped in surprise and shock. She opened her mouth and fluttered her hand in front of her teeth. Michael pulled her hand away, and he could see that her fangs had descended.
“That happens when you’re ready to feed.” It did feel strange to be explaining this to someone. He’d always known the process, but the Hunters had always used it against a vampire, not for them. He saw tears spring into her eyes.
“I don’t want to.” Her tears spilled over.
He wiped the tears from her cheeks. “It’s okay. This isn’t your fault. You didn’t know.” He offered his wrist again. “We can talk about all of this once you’re stronger. Drink.”
“How?”
“When my wrist is near your mouth, you’ll smell the blood. Your teeth can pierce the skin easily, and I want you to aim for this spot.” He lined his finger on the spot where his radial artery pulsed below his thumb. “It will only hurt just a moment for me, just like getting a shot.” Or, that was what he had been told when the strike was done right and carefully. Every other encounter with vampire Michael had ever had was violent.
She weakly took his big wrist with her hand, and with tears spilling down her face, brought it to her nose. Her eyes suddenly lit with bloodlust while they were still clouded with her tears. She put her lips on his wrist, and he felt her lick gently. Her eyes went wide in surprise, and she hesitated. But the need for blood was undeniable, and a moment later she used her fangs to break the skin over his vein. It was a short, sharp pain—as promised—and he had to remember not pull away.
The first pull of her mouth sent an electric thrill through his whole body. He had expected the sexual thrill, but not at this level. This was gentle, almost sweet. Sara’s eyes went wide again. He had never seen a woman with such expressive eyes. She swallowed, and let out a soft moan. She pulled again.
Michael couldn’t resist her. His whole body was responding to the sexual thrill her sucks were sending through him. He could feel her body responding the same way as his did, and it made it even harder to ignore. She writhed against him, against the mattress. She not only needed the blood, but the sexual release or they were both going to explode.
Michael had no idea how to ask if a woman needed him to get her off. He didn’t want to sound forward, but she was starting to really squirm. “Sara, do you want me to help you?”
She flicked her eyes to his, and in the next moment, capture his other hand and pressed it against her. Michael moved them closer together and angled them, so no one walking down the hall got a show. He slipped her tattered skirt up and slipped her panties to the side.
To his surprise she reciprocated, her hand slinking into his pants and finding him easily. He found her as well and she shuddered.
This was wanton, and probably wrong. But the lust and desire this new vampire was stirring in him was undeniable. It was, to the analytical part of his non-magical brain, shocking how horny this act made him. And how intimate it could be.
Where was this coming from? He didn't think like this, act like this… But it felt right. Maybe he didn't know Sara at all except as a victim of Ian, and his mother's overarching hate of vampires, but there was a damn good chance she was feeling the same wanton connection he was.
She whimpered as she drank. But he could feel himself getting a bit woozy from her feeding. They needed to finish.
The waves of lust swept over them, pulling them in tight, cresting, and then releasing both of them. They slumped against each other in the next instant, sated and exhausted. It took Michael a moment to realize she was still suckling at his wrist.
“Sara. Sara, stop,” Michael breathed. “You have to stop…”
Her mouth softly disengaged from his wrist and, by a new instinct, she licked the wounds to seal them. Her head slumped against his shoulder, lolling to the side. Michael took a moment to recollect himself, then looked down at the mess they’d made. He magicked it away, readjusting and fastening himself back up.
Sara snapped her eyes open. He saw the change in her already. Her eyes had gone from dull to a bright, stormy sky blue. Her cheeks were flushed, her pallor had lifted, and she wasn’t shaking anymore. She was, despite the rags she was wearing, a very pretty young woman. “Oh, my God. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. That was—”
Michael held up his finger. “It was necessary. Nice, and necessary. We won’t talk about it. Good deal?” Sara paused then nodded. “Now, you’re not strong enough to hunt yet, but I can help you get your strength up. The first thing we have to do is get you some proper clothing.” He readjusted the tattered skirt for her and magicked away the washcloth. He looked at his watch. “You should probably get some real rest.”
“Keelan?” It appeared that she didn’t have the strength to lift her head yet, as it stayed on his shoulder.
“I’ll have my sister stateside find him and pull him from the system.”
“Stateside?” she asked.
“We’re north of Inari, Finland in Castle Pietra,” Michael said. “This is the stronghold of the witches and werewolves. You are, currently, in the dungeon where we keep our most horrid criminals. Ian was brought down here. He was a brash vampire with a terrible record of wreckage behind him.”
“You keep saying ‘was,'” Sara said. “Why?”
“Ian is dead now. You are not the first woman he has cajoled. He would have used y
ou for your blood for a year or so and then left you.” Michael paused. “Or killed you. He had killed his last few unwilling donors. Which is why he had to be… eliminated.”
“You killed him?” she gasped.
“He had a choice. He could say in the cells down here, or he could walk into the sun.” Michael rubbed a hand on his head. “They always have a choice. The dungeon here is full of those who choose to stay. Some reform. Some do not. There are a lot of them down here that we have just stripped of power, witch and wolf alike. Vampires…” he paused. “You’re the first my mother has consented to release.”
“How generous of her,” Sara said.
“She’s a good person,” Michael said. “She’s just got a lot to deal with.”
Sara sighed. “You were right, Ian was the only person who had ever given a damn about me since my parents died. Maybe even before that. And I don’t really care if she’s got a lot on her plate.”
“You’re feisty when you’re fed,” Michael said. “Come on, let’s go find you some proper clothes and a bed to have a nap in. I’ll take you out on the preserve once the sun goes down and we’ll do a little hunting.”
She looked at him stubbornly and folded her arms. “You’re not going to take me outside and kill me too, are you?”
Michael sighed. “Will it help if I let you read his file? To see what he had done to so many girls before you?”
“I don’t know if it’ll help, but I’d like to see it.”
“Then come on,” he said. “Warm bed and clean clothes and a shower if you want it.”
“Can vampires shower?”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Well, water and…”
Michael smiled. “You’re thinking of witches. And I haven’t melted yet.”
~*~*~
Michael knocked on the door at four.
He had explained the night before that the sun would be down in just a few minutes, and he didn’t want to waste any time. Sara would be healing and gaining strength for a while, and she needed to hunt. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed what had happened when he Shared, but he couldn’t let that happen again. They didn’t know each other, and he wouldn’t be there all the time for her.
Turned: The Inari Council Page 1
