E.V.I.E.: 13 Slayers, 13 Missions

by Lexi C. Foss

  Emerald looked stunned and shook her head emphatically. “I swear, Ro. I broke the spells on it before I sold it to the jewelry store. I did exactly what you told me to do.”

  Setting my mug on the little table beside me, I sighed and fidgeted with the leather cuffs on my wrists. “None of this is your fault, Em. Think about how much we’ve learned about our amulets in the last century. Honestly, when I gave you those instructions, I was going by what I knew of the amulets growing up. You and I both know I made some alterations when I created it. It’s possible that there was more to destroying it than I thought. It could have been more to do with my blood than yours anyway. I probably should have come to you and done it myself.” I was piqued at myself for not coming to this conclusion earlier.

  “How did this guy even know that it was an enchanted amulet?” Emerald threw up her empty hand, the jerky movement almost spilling her coffee in the process. “They don’t even have them in this realm.” She gulped down the last bit of her drink and took her mug to the sink.

  “That’s what we assumed, but if all of them have that ability, it’s possible there are others here now. We don’t know if the witches and slayers from our past have figured it out yet. Plus…” I trailed off and winced, dreading the next part of the story.

  I waited for her to be seated again before confessing the rest. “Um, Cassius got here somehow.”

  Emerald jumped to her feet and yelled, “WHAT THE FUCK?”

  “Yeah, that was about my reaction when Vi told me.”

  “How did that spineless motherfucking douchebag get here? Is he after Violet?”

  “I don’t know the whole story,” I answered, just as frustrated as she was at my lack of knowledge. “Vi didn’t know much when she called to tell me about her conversation with Jude. By the time I was done freaking out about Cassius, she had to go. I tried to call her about the trigger word for opening the portal to the other reality, but she didn’t answer.”

  Speaking of phone calls. “Let’s return to why you shut off your phone, Emerald,” I suggested in a not-really-asking kind of way.

  Emerald threw me an irritated glance and opened her mouth—probably to say something snarky and call me a creative version of a bitch. I loved her twisted mind.

  Sadly, we didn’t have time for her to entertain me with her attitude. “I know, I know. I’m a shit-kitten, but I have a feeling your story is relevant to mine, so out with it.”

  She stomped and plopped down, still scowling except for the curve of her lips as she snickered. “Shit-kitten. Haven’t heard that one before.” After running her hands through her deep green hair, she leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “A few weeks ago, someone tried to break into my house. They didn’t get in, but the locks had clearly been tampered with and from the looks of it, they had gone through my trash.”

  “Your trash?”

  “I didn’t understand it either until my slayer instincts seemed to kick in.”

  I raised an eyebrow but continued listening in silence.

  “I’d been staying with a friend that night and hadn’t returned until after the sun was up. I didn’t sense a lingering presence. I looked over the mess and noticed something missing.” Emerald held out her hand, palm up, showing me a fading scar that had obviously been caused by a knife. “I cut my hand the morning before while I was slicing some fruit. It was deep, not enough for stitches, but enough that there was blood everywhere. The rag I’d used to staunch the bleeding, as well as the paper towels I’d mopped it all up with, were gone.”

  My jaw tensed, and my hand drifted to my amulet. “They wanted your blood?”

  “It was the only conclusion I could come to. They obviously hadn’t been able to get through your protective spells, so they must have smelled the blood in the trash.”

  “Dorian.” An image of him holding Emerald’s stone flashed in my mind. My magic pulsed angrily. Neither of us liked where this was heading.

  “I think so.”

  Frustratingly, not all the puzzle pieces were falling into place and I stood up, feeling the need to move. “Setting aside how he even knew about the amulet and got his hands on it, how did he know it belonged to you?” I asked as I paced around the small living room area.

  Emerald’s expression mirrored my frustration and she ran an agitated hand through her hair again. “The guy who runs the shop would never give out private information. I think the vamp broke in and got my name and address.”

  “Why would he be killing random witches?” I wondered absently. Then it hit me and I snapped my fingers. “He doesn’t know what you look like.” I twisted the end of my hair around my fingers as I tried to sort everything out in my mind.

  “That still doesn’t answer what he wants with me and my blood.”

  “I don’t know. I have someone looking into some things for me. I didn’t want to contact the witch’s council and chance leading them back to us in case they are in league with Dimitri.”

  Emerald’s brows drew down in a determined expression and a sharp nod conveyed her complete agreement with my choice.

  “I’m certain Dorian is from this realm. He’s vulnerable to sunlight, holy water, crosses, garlic, all of the traditional vamp kryptonite. Which means someone must have told him about the amulets.”

  “He’s already immortal,” Emerald added. “Other than traveling through portals, the amulet is useless to him, right?”

  My mind was racing through everything I knew and organizing it so that I could pick it apart. “So, whoever told him about them, didn’t know much, but enough for him to be aware that the magic can only be fully accessed by the owner. Since he hasn’t come after me, I’d say he’s not aware of my connection to the amulets. But he clearly thinks he needs your blood to make it do whatever he’s hoping for. If he’s still hunting you, it must not have worked, and he thinks he needs more.”

  “Wait.” The tone of Emerald’s voice had me pausing and giving her my full attention. “He knew how to attempt to disarm your protection spells? And you said you figured out how to open the portal to another realm, right?”

  My head bobbed up and down.

  “Gorska Maika?”

  “I was talking to the Gorska Maika every time,” I confirmed, my hand once again caressing my amulet, taking comfort in the familiar gesture.

  “How would one just stumble across that term unless…” She swept her hand out, letting me fill in the blank.

  My magic started going crazy, acting like the smart kid in class who waves their hand and says, “I know! I know! Pick me!”

  But I didn’t need my magic to tell me the answer. It had been there, staring me in the face all along.

  “Bozhye moi. He’s a fucking warlock.”

  18

  Jax

  My first impression of Rowan’s building had been spot on, I thought as I jogged up the stairs to her apartment. It was old, had no security beyond the flimsy lock on the front door, and the disgusting smells I picked up with my enhanced senses told me there was a lot of shady shit happening. I didn’t like it and the low growl emitting from my wolf indicated his displeasure as well.

  It was time to meet my pretty little mate and get her out of this ridiculous place. After living here, I was sure she was going to love my house and all the land. I arrived at the top and stepped onto the platform, but before I could move any farther, I hit a force of some kind. It wasn’t a solid barrier, but it slowed me down, making every movement difficult. I imagined it was akin to dragging my limbs through molasses. I didn’t let it stop me from advancing, but I hadn’t gotten far when the door was flung open by a tiny little she-devil who glared at me with the force of an entire army.

  She had a stake in one hand and a knife in the other. I didn’t know what it said about me that I went instantly hard because she looked sexy as sin. My wolf was most definitely enjoying the view as well.

  Her eyes were wild as they swept over me, her body tense and alert, ready for a fight. When
her gaze returned to my face, her body relaxed a minute amount. From the force of her entrance and the weapons she was holding, I surmised that she’d been expecting a vampire. After all that I’d observed over the last twenty or so hours, I’d come to the conclusion that Rowan was some sort of professional vampire slayer. I found this interesting considering where I was from, slayers were born into it by blood. Not that others couldn’t train and aid in the cause, but they would never acquire the special abilities and talents that came with the genes. I wasn’t sure if the same held true in this realm.

  “You’re not a vampire,” she stated as she sheathed her stake and knife, then dropped her hands.

  “Very good, baby,” I drawled and winked.

  Rowan raised an eyebrow—probably at being called baby, which had just slipped out. Then she backed up and began to close the door.

  Fortunately, I made it there in time to place my hand on it and hold it open. Rowan froze for a beat before slowly pivoting around. Her lavender eyes were wide, and she looked stunned, but an emotionless mask fell into place almost immediately.

  No matter what her expression hid, the sexual tension between us crackled like a live wire, and I knew she’d felt it. I smelled her arousal and my wolf was practically panting. I wasn’t surprised at her body’s reaction, given that the mating instincts had already kicked in for me. I didn’t know how much Rowan knew about shifters though, and she wouldn’t suffer quite as much as I would without her wolf driving her. And damn, was he pushing hard. It was making it hard to focus on anything except how soft her pale skin looked, how her breasts rose and fell so enticingly with each breath, and the slight shine on her lips when her tongue darted out to wet them. Rein it in. I was telling myself as much as my wolf. It was unlikely that this was going to be easy, so I needed to prepare for the toll it was going to take to keep my desire for her at bay.

  Her lips turned down and her eyes narrowed as they quickly swept over me. “You’re a shifter. A wolf.”

  Again, very good,” I said with an easy smile. “It’s rare for a human to be able to detect the breed of a shifter.”

  Rowan continued to stare at me, her face deadpan. “Who are you?” she asked, her voice betraying a little breathlessness that made my smile widen.

  “My name is Jaxon Grady, or Jax is fine too. Can I come in? We need to talk.” When she didn’t move or respond, my expression grew serious. “It’s very important, Rowan. Don’t make me force my way inside.”

  A snort of derision came from behind her and I glanced over her shoulder to see a woman with striking green hair and matching eyes that were dancing with amusement.

  “I’d like to see you try. And how do you know her name?”

  It was clear that Rowan was a powerful witch, but she was also pocket-sized, and I towered over her. I wouldn’t want to risk hurting her when barging inside, so I tried another tactic. “Nathan told me.”

  Rowan’s brows shot up to her hairline and her jaw dropped a hair. “Nathan? You’re from…”I indicated with a motion of my head that she was making the right assumption.

  “Did he send you here with news?”

  I gazed down at her as I shook my head and our eyes locked. We stayed connected for a bit, then she broke the stare and took a few steps back to make room for me to enter. I was about to follow when she suddenly held up her hand and snapped, “Wait.”

  Her voice was completely devoid of any emotion and I didn’t have to know her to guess that it was a deceptive tactic to put her enemy at ease before striking. I wasn’t very happy to have it directed at me and my wolf became wary and restless.

  “How did you get here?”

  For a split-second, there was a crack in her composure, and I saw a flash of terror and pain.

  “How did you get an amulet? I know you weren’t lying when you said Nathan told you about me. Still…” She met my eyes with an unwavering stare, the sharp lavender orbs probing inside my brain. “Was it Cassius?”

  I frowned, wondering how she knew the name of Dimitri’s cousin. Not that it really mattered at the moment. There was a thick tension in the room that I didn’t understand. Both women were alert and I instinctively knew that my answer would dictate my future. “No.”

  She bobbed her chin up and down immediately, clearly believing my answer. “How did you get an amulet?”

  “I don’t have one. I…” I hesitated, wondering how angry she would be if she found out I’d been tailing her all this time.

  “I wouldn’t lie to her,” her friend advised, her tone also deceptively mild.

  “I was following you and managed to jump through the portals before they closed.”

  The tension in the room ebbed and Rowan cocked her head to the side. “Seems nuttier than a fruitcake, but if Nathan sent you, I don’t really care about your weird habits.”

  Intrigued by our interaction, I backed up the conversation. “You can tell when someone is lying?” I asked.

  “Yup,” Rowan replied, her lips smacking on the p. “Well, most of the time. Anyway, it’s a blessing and a curse,” she explained with a.

  I filed that information away. It would make it tricky to use any questionable and maybe even slightly underhanded tactics to get Rowan to Silver Lake so I could convince her to stay. I didn’t want my silence to make her suspicious, so I returned to her earlier inquiry.

  “Nathan told me who you were,” I corrected her assumption. “I’m here about something else.”

  She watched me for a second, but curiosity seemed to win out because she retreated again, allowing me to enter.

  When I crossed the threshold, her scent assaulted me, and I forgot about everything except my beautiful mate. Now that she was so close, it was strong, and I could break down her delicious smell. Lavender and vanilla, along with some musky spices that were probably from the herbs and things that she used for spells. It was a tantalizing package and I took a deep breath in an effort to stain my lungs with her essence so that it would always be with me.

  Eventually, I managed to drag myself out of the stupor her fragrance induced and let the door swing shut behind me. I looked around and immediately felt like a giant. Rowan's apartment was smaller than my workshop. Typical for New York, but it still made me feel like I took up all the space.

  “It wasn’t really made for three people at a time,” she explained with a wave of her hand. “Especially, when one of them is as big as you, Grandmother.”

  A wicked grin slipped across my face and I chuckled. “Are you calling me The Big Bad Wolf, baby?”

  “I’m not your baby,” Rowan stated firmly. Her voice wasn’t as convincing as her emotionless expression.

  “Would you rather I called you mate?” I asked casually.

  Her friend burst out laughing and, for once, Rowan couldn’t hide behind her mask. Her eyes grew to saucers and her mouth formed an O as she gawked at me.

  “Have you lost your fucking mind, Wolfgang?” She glanced at her friend who just shrugged as she continued to chortle. “Emerald!” she snapped. “You want to help me out here?”

  Emerald—interesting that her parents would name her something so on the nose—waved her hand and bent over to catch her breath. “You got this, Ro.”

  Rowan glared daggers at her before swinging her deadly gaze back to me. She was mad as hell and her display of fire was turning me on like nothing ever had. My mate was fucking gorgeous when she was all riled up. Submitting to me wasn’t going to be easy for her and my wolf practically vibrated with excitement at knowing we’d have to fight to earn it.

  “I am not your mate,” she growled. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

  I braced my feet apart and crossed my arms over my chest in an effort not to prove it by grabbing her and kissing the fuck out of her. I firmly believed that her body would contradict her words, but I was trying to tread lightly with her. This was all new to her and, since the vampires here were of a different breed, I wasn’t sure what the shifters in this reality were like. “I
’m going to have to disagree with you, baby. And I think if you stop and really consider it, you’ll know it’s true.”

  “Witches don’t have fated mates.”

  “Perhaps not,” I agreed since I wasn’t aware of any bitten shifters who’d mated with one. Her expression turned a little smug until I added, “I was born, not bitten.”

  She looked slightly confused so I elucidated. “My breed of shifters doesn't have fated mates, but we do have true mates.”

  “Doesn’t sound like there’s any difference to me,” Emerald piped up.

  I threw her a glare, warning her to stay out of this. Normally, the person on the receiving end went running, but she just laughed again.

  “Ignore her,” Rowan huffed. “For some inexplicable reason, you have me curious. I’m giving you five minutes to explain and then I’m kicking you out of here.”

  My gaze swung over to her friend again and she rolled her eyes.

  “I’ll be in the bedroom if you need me, Ro.” Emerald smirked at me when she remarked, “Though, considering how deadly you are, you don’t need anyone’s help slaying a dragon.”

  “Wolf,” I clarified, sarcasm oozing from my tone.

  She shrugged and pushed away from the counter she’d been leaning against before sauntering into the next room.

  Rowan was in the same spot near the door, her hands on her hips, and her foot tapping impatiently. It was cute as hell, but I kept it to myself assuming she wouldn’t appreciate the sentiment.

  “Can we at least sit?” I gestured to the small couch and briefly wondered if it would even hold my weight. Her response was to march over to the back wall and begin pacing in front of the only window in the room. I was about to suggest sitting again, but my wolf didn’t seem happy with my intention. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and gingerly lowered myself onto the flimsy piece of furniture, not relaxing until I was sure it wouldn’t break.

  “Four minutes.”

  I hid a smile at how adorable the snappy tone was coming from my pint-sized mate. “Fated mates have no choice but to be together if they are to survive in the world. Whether they are emotionally attached or not, being apart for too long will take a huge toll on their bond and they will eventually die from the stress of it on their body. They cannot be intimate with anyone other than their mate, cannot reproduce, and it is impossible to break the bond.”