What I’ve been up to in here. He spoke as if I was the one in the wrong, not him, the vampire with no mortal soul.
“I was thirsty,” I said. “Trust me. If I’d known there was a shit ton of blood bags in there, I never would have gone within a hundred feet of it.”
“It’s polite to ask before rifling through someone else’s things.” His arms rippled as he fisted his hands. Those fists were melon-sized, and they did not look like the kind of thing I wanted to get in the way of. And now that he knew I’d discovered his true identity, there was no need to stall anymore.
It was time to run.
Chapter 15
“Listen.” One step toward the door. Then, another. “I’m sorry I went through your stuff. Let’s not do anything hasty.”
“Anything hasty?” He narrowed his eyes, and his thick neck rippled when he clenched his jaw. I didn’t know how I hadn’t noticed it before, but Dorian was larger than life. His muscles were thick and chiseled, and he exuded the kind of strength that would make any sane man run. “You mean like having a little taste of your blood? That’s what you mean. Isn’t it, Zoe?”
“Yes.” Another step back. At this point, I could probably sprint fast enough to get out the door before he reached me. Probably. “You have plenty of blood bags. No need for anything else.”
“Oh? Haven’t you heard?” He curled his lips into a dark smile. “Fresh blood is so much tastier than blood bags. Straight from the neck. Why do you think Daywalkers keep their little slaves around?”
Swallowing hard, I shrugged. “I’ve never really wanted to understand the inner workings of a bloodsucker’s mind, but thanks for the information.”
“Of course you wouldn’t want to know. You’re above them, aren’t you?” He took a step closer to me, somehow erasing all the distance between us with his powerful stride. His body brushed against me as he leaned forward, hovering his lips only inches from my neck. My skin crawled, though not with fear. It was electric, the sensation passing through me, almost as if I wanted him to bite me.
A sigh slipped through my lips as my eyelids fluttered closed. I could feel his hot breath dancing along my skin, tickling my collarbone where my witch’s mark had been imprinted onto me.
“Why,” Dorian murmured, his mouth against my neck, “is your mark so faint?”
I blinked, snapping out of my daze. What the hell was I doing? I’d just found out Dorian was a vampire, probably the worst kind there possibly was, and I was standing around letting him breathe on me? Stumbling back, I shook my head. He must have done something to me. Some kind of vampire lure that made me forget what he was. That was the only logical explanation. Because there was no way in hell I could ever want something so insane, so terrible, so deliciously dangerous…
“None of your fucking business,” I said, reaching to grab the dagger from its sheath. His hand shot out, trapping my wrist in his fingers. Growling, I tried to pull away, but it was like being trapped inside a rock. There was no give, no softness there. I made a move to kick his leg, but he sidestepped me as if it was nothing.
“Let me go,” I said, yanking my arm as hard as I could. “Get your vampire hands off me.”
“No. You need to stay here, Zoe,” he said through gritted teeth. “It isn’t safe out there. I know you can’t bring yourself to believe me, but I’m just trying to help you.”
“If you’re trying to help me, then why are you crushing my fucking wrist?”
“Because I have no desire to get stabbed.” He let go of my wrist and took a step back, raising his hands to his side as if in peace. “If you don’t go for your dagger, then I won’t touch you.”
I narrowed my eyes. “And you’ll let me go?”
“You can’t go. Have you considered that I’m trying to stop you from getting killed?” He gestured toward the window facing the street. “You’re safe here, Zoe. You won’t be safe out there. It’s nighttime, and the Daywalkers are pissed. They know who you are. For the rest of the night you need to lay low.”
“And how do I know that you aren’t just keeping me here for the Daywalkers? You’re obviously working for them somehow, and I bet that phone call was to tell them where we are. I mean, you’re a vampire for fuck’s sake. Not a warlock.”
“I’m not working with them.” He sighed and closed his eyes. “And I happen to be both.”
“Now you’re just making shit up.” In all the years I’d been a witch, I’d never heard of a vampire-warlock hybrid. For one, Daywalkers can only breed with other Daywalkers. Nosferatu have been known to impregnate human women before, creating Dhampir, but I couldn’t imagine a witch going along with something like that, knowing exactly what kind of creatures they were. Besides, a Dhampir wouldn’t have a vampire’s weaknesses, and Dorian clearly did.
“You’ve heard of the Unbound, haven’t you?” Dorian asked. “Well, that’s what I am. A warlock cursed with vampirism until the day I die. Which will likely be a very long time from now.”
My heart thundered in my ears. There were very few cases of Unbounds, especially not since the 1800s. Most witches and warlocks didn’t believe in casting such a curse anymore. For the Bone Coven, it was considered to be a curse of torture, which meant it was against the law. The only mages who still allowed it were members of the Shadow Coven. And if there were any Shadows in Boston, I would have known about it.
“You can’t be Unbound.” I shook my head, backing up a little closer to the door. He was trying to say and do whatever he could to stop me from leaving, but I wouldn’t let myself fall for any of it. He’d been lying to me—and the rest of the council—all this time. Why should I believe him now? “There are none. Not anymore. That kind of curse was banned.”
“Banned here.” He took a step closer. “By the Bone Coven. But the Shadows in Europe have no hesitations about cursing a warlock they want to destroy.”
“You have an American accent,” I said.
“Because I’ve lived here for the past hundred years.” He scowled. “I’ll admit, it wasn’t by choice, but they ran me out. I heard there was a group of bone mages in Boston, so I came here.”
A hundred years?
“Okay, but…” My eyes followed his every move. The way his body tensed, the way his hands clenched by his sides, the way his eyes swirled with pain. His reaction seemed genuine, hurt and remorse flickering across his features. But did I dare let my guard down and believe it? And what’s more, if it was true, how could it be the entire story? “Warlocks are only cursed with vampirism for doing awful things. There’s a reason it’s called a curse. It’s meant to be a punishment for a crime. So…” I took a deep breath, not sure I wanted to know the answer to my question. “What did you do?”
His face clouded over. “That’s none of your business, Zoe.”
“Isn’t it?” I lifted an eyebrow and took another step toward the door. “If you expect me to stay here with you, shouldn’t I know who you are?”
“Yes, you should. I agree with that.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m Dorian Kostas. I’m an Enforcer for the Bone Coven, and I’ve worked for them the last five years of my life. I’m single with no kids, and my hobbies include training in the gym. There. That’s who I am.”
Irritation boiled in my gut. He was making light of the situation, which annoyed the hell out of me. Was this some kind of joke to him? Did he think kidnapping and draining someone’s blood was funny?
“I’m not staying here,” I finally said. “I’m leaving. Now.”
“The fuck you are.” His arm snapped out, and he gripped my wrists tight again, pulling my arms over my head and forcing me to meet his eyes. I gritted my teeth and scowled. This guy was pissing me off, even though I knew I should be scared as hell.
Lifting my chin, I met his intensity with my own. We were close now. Almost too close. Every time he shifted, I could feel the hardness of his chest rippling against mine. My hands and face felt white hot, and I yanked once again, grunting when the resis
tance was too much to break through.
“If you don’t let go of me,” I said with as much ferocity as possible, “I will scream bloody murder. You want to keep your little vampire hideaway a secret? You better let go. Right now. There are people passing by on the sidewalk. They’ll hear me. And then I’ll tell them what you are.”
“You wouldn’t.” He narrowed his eyes and hissed, reminding me of the vampires we fought at the coven headquarters. I couldn’t believe I’d been so blind.
“If you think I’m joking, then why don’t you call that bluff?” I smiled. “I’ll give you three more seconds. After that? I’m screaming.”
He stood motionless before me, clenching and unclenching his jaw. His grip on my arms never loosened, and I knew without a doubt, he wouldn’t let go unless I followed through.
“One.” I tapped my foot. “Two. And three.”
I dropped open my mouth to scream, and one hand clamped down on my lips. Grunting, I kicked his shin and jumped back when he dropped my other wrist. Before he could grab me again, I danced back to the doorframe, throwing open the door as fast as I could. Without another look behind me, I rushed into the hallway and threw my feet up the stairs, sucking in sharp breaths as my lungs began to sting and beg for air.
“Zoe!” His voice rang out harsh and angry behind me. “Get back here! It’s fucking dangerous out on the streets.”
My feet didn’t slow, not even when I reached the top of the stairs. As long as I could get outside, where pedestrians would see me, I didn’t think he would follow. Or, if he did, he wouldn’t come close. As fierce as he was, Dorian didn’t want his vampire nature discovered any more than I wanted my own true nature found out.
It was his one weakness.
From my left, I heard the unmistakable sound of rushing footsteps. Had he followed me after all? But when I turned, it wasn’t Dorian who I saw. Two vampires were pacing the street, but they hadn't noticed me yet.
I took a deep breath and ran.
Chapter 16
When I reached my block, I slid into the shadows of a doorway directly across from my building. Despite getting away from Dorian unscathed, I knew I wasn’t out of danger yet. Vampires might be lurking nearby. In fact, Dorian might have called them himself. Even though he’d denied it, he could be working with them in some capacity. Maybe as a mole, feeding back information about the coven’s strategies.
Which meant the Daywalkers might soon find out where the remaining council members were holed up in their safe house.
I shouldn’t care. I’d done what I’d been ordered to do, and now it was up to them to keep the rest of the coven safe. But if they didn’t know about Dorian, and they kept updating him on their whereabouts, there would be no council left to keep the rest of the witches and warlocks safe.
A war had come to the Bone Coven. Again. And while I owed them nothing, I couldn’t bear the thought of more innocents falling prey to the vampires’ blood lust.
With an uneasy resolution tightening in my gut, I frowned up at the quiet, dark building before me. Once I confirmed my grandmother was safe, I knew what I had to do. Dorian had told me where the safe house was. I had to go warn the council. If I didn’t, and they died, I’d never be able to live with myself.
Several long moments passed in eerie silence. The night had deepened, and the chill in the air kept the sidewalks clear. Ever now and then, someone would pass me by, but they didn’t spot me hovering in the shadows. All of them were human, all of them were busy minding their own business. There was no sign of sharp fangs glinting under the moonlight, and no sign of the hooded figure who had been stalking my building the previous nights. It was quiet, still, and safe.
To be honest, it almost felt too still.
But I chalked that feeling up to my nerves, which were shot dead after the intense and dangerous day.
With one last glance in either direction, I strode out of the doorway with my dagger fisted tightly by my side. As terrifying as it was, I was ready for an attack. If a vampire so much as poked a head around a building, I’d point that dagger right at his heart.
When I made it safely inside the building and up the stairs, I almost let out an exhale of relief. But something felt off in the space outside of my apartment door. It was a sensation that was difficult to pinpoint. A slight waver in the balance of atoms, a slight tweak in the whisper of air. I closed my eyes and breathed in deep, letting my mind wrap around that sensation. And that’s when I knew. The wards had been tampered with.
Unshed tears burned my eyes as my heartbeat quickened. Grams had to be okay. She just had to be. She was the only family I had in the entire world, and she’d been there for me as long as I could remember. If I failed her now when she needed me the most, the pieces of my broken heart would never mend.
I pressed a hand against the door. The ward hummed underneath my fingertips, and I dropped my head against the door in relief. Someone had tried to get in. That much was certain. But the wards had held strong. I whispered a silent prayer of thanks to the goddess. I’d never been particularly religious—the Bone Coven didn’t acknowledge that part of our history, though every other coven did. But right now, I felt overwhelmed by gratitude that I’d been born with these powers, ones that were strong enough to keep my grandmother safe. If the goddess was out there, I hoped she heard me.
“Zoe?” Grams called out when I finally settled my nerves enough to step inside the apartment. I didn’t want to scare her, though it might already be too late for that. “Please tell me that’s you, sweetheart.”
“It’s me, Grams.” I rushed into the living room and dropped to my knees by her side, taking her soft, withered hands in mine. My eyes searched her face, for fear or for pain, I didn’t know. But I didn’t find either there. Instead, I saw the sharp old eyes from her earlier years. She was alert and wide awake. Frankly, she looked like she was ready to take someone down, even if only in words.
“A storm is coming,” she said in an intense whisper. “And you’re right in the eye of it, aren’t you?”
As much as I wanted to shield Grams from what was going on, I couldn’t anymore. Not from this. Because she was right. The supernatural world was on the brink of a major shake-up, if not a full-out war, and I’d landed right smack dab in the middle of it. It had followed me back to my apartment, back to Grams, back to the only place in the world I considered safe. In order to protect her, I had to tell her everything, even though I wanted nothing more than to keep her from feeling the same terror I did.
“It’s a long story, Grams.” With a deep breath, I filled her in on everything that had happened so far. She looked pretty outraged through most of it, though I wasn’t sure if it was directed toward me for keeping her in the dark or directed toward the people who had been trying to trap me in an impossible mess. When I got to the part where Dorian and I escaped from the attacking vampires, her whole face went stark white. It had been a very long time since the Daywalkers had launched such an offensive, even toward humans they wanted for blood.
“Oh, Zoe.” She shook her head, her hands trembling in mine. “You shouldn’t be mixed up in all of this. You need to stay far, far away from the coven and these vampires.”
“I think it’s too late for that, Grams.” I gave her a sad smile. “Now, I’m on their radar, and the council needs my help. Plus, the vampires did choose me as their fall girl, for whatever reason. They had me picked out before this even started.”
Grams pressed her lips together, glancing away. “Because they probably didn’t realize you faked your mark.”
My vision tipped sideways, and all the air in my lungs disappeared. There was no way Grams could know. No one did, not even Laura. It was a secret I hid inside me so deep that I didn’t even dare think it to myself, much less voice it aloud.
“Grams,” I whispered, shaking my head. A tear dropped down my cheek. “No.”
“You’re Shadow Coven, Zoe.” Her voice was too loud, too harsh against my ears. “You’ve d
one a good job of hiding it, but it was going to come to light sooner or later. The Daywalkers were able to sniff it out of you, and I guarantee that they don’t plan to use that information for anything other than their own gain. They probably had no idea you had a fake bone mark on you or they might have left well enough alone. Or just picked some other poor witch to frame.”
“Stop.” With tears in my eyes, I jumped from the floor and paced back several steps while shaking my head. We couldn’t talk about this. I couldn’t even entertain the idea of believing it was real. Yes, I knew deep down inside of me that this is what I was: Shadow. But for the past year, I’d been telling both myself and the rest of the world that I was much better than that. I wasn’t full of dark magic, of twisted things that rot the soul. I was Bone Coven.
Even if my magic wasn’t totally the same as every other bone mage alive, it was who I was inside. So what if I had trouble casting the spells, so what if I had to fake my mark. I couldn’t be a Shadow.
“Oh, Zoe. I know it’s a hard truth to face.” Frowning, Grams turned toward the window, her eagle eyes latching onto the streets down below. “But you can talk to me about it, you know. I might be able to give you some tips and some advice on how to handle being different. Because different isn’t so bad unless you let it get to your head.”
“So, you don’t care?” I couldn’t help but ask. As much as I didn’t want to talk about my mark, I was surprised that Grams was so understanding about it. For any witch or warlock I’d ever met, members of the Shadow Coven were looked upon like lepers. Dangerous supernatural entities who didn’t even deserve to be called witches. They were almost as terrible as the Daywalkers, and sometimes even more so. Because shadow witches came with strong power that could rival vampires in almost every way.
“You are you, Zoe Bennett. My wonderful granddaughter.” Her eyes were glistening when she turned to look up at me. “Nothing will ever change that, whether you’re Bone, Blood, Rising Sun, or Shadow. That doesn’t change who you are deep down inside. It merely enhances it.”
Witch's Curse (The Bone Coven Chronicles Book 1) Page 12
