by R. L. Perez
I slumped forward onto the table, slapping my palm against the surface as I giggled uncontrollably. “Lilith, it’s a wonder I haven’t lured the Count under my control by now! With my charms, I’m unstoppable. He would escort me to his secret lair immediately.”
Riker’s face was now as red as his hair. He hunched over, his shoulders shaking as his chuckles turned into high-pitched wheezes. Tears streamed down his face as he croaked, “Now I’m picturing . . . the Count . . . with a lovesick look in his eyes . . . while you’re snorting and grunting like a warthog!”
Envisioning the stern Count with his rules and propriety watching anyone with lovesick eyes was too much for me, let alone imagining him smitten by someone as awkward and unladylike as me. My eyes filled with tears, too, and my stomach ached from laughter. For several minutes, we succumbed to the endless chuckles and grins, our breaths becoming weaker and our voices hoarser. My face hurt from smiling, and when the laughter finally faded, I felt suddenly tired.
The library was quiet when we settled into silence. The sky darkened outside, casting shadows on the bookshelves. I glanced upward out of habit only to realize there weren’t any lights—someone would have to light candles.
My stomach growled, no doubt spurred on by our laughter. I sighed and rubbed my eyes. “We should probably call it quits.”
Riker nodded, rising to his feet and stretching. My eyes were drawn to the pull of his biceps before I realized I was staring and dropped my gaze.
Riker approached me and offered his hand. “My lady,” he said with a smirk.
I rolled my eyes but returned his smile, taking his hand and allowing him to help me to my feet. He looped my arm through his, and for once, I didn’t mind at all.
Together, we strode from the library just as several servants entered. I glanced over my shoulder and found them lighting candles around the room.
I guess we could’ve stayed a bit longer, I thought wistfully, wondering what else Riker and I might have talked about. But the groaning of my stomach said otherwise.
“You never told me what happened,” I said. “When you all raided the demon coven.”
Riker shrugged. “Not much. It was a trap. They intentionally fed us information about their spell to break out of the time loop so we’d come to them. We arrived in their caves and found the place empty. We only got back just in time.”
I suppressed a shudder at the thought of Leo having even more time to drink my blood.
Riker noticed the unease in my expression, and his eyes darkened. “I won’t let him hurt you again.”
I scoffed. “It’s not your job to protect me. I can protect myself.”
Riker raised his eyebrows. “I’d argue with you, but if you held your own against Leo Serrano, then you’re probably right.”
We walked through the halls in silence for a few minutes, passing by the occasional servant or two.
“I’ll do it,” Riker said suddenly.
I looked up at him, frowning. “Do what?”
He met my gaze, his blue eyes solemn. “I’ll help you get into the Count’s forbidden chambers.”
My mouth fell open. “You . . . you will? What changed your mind?”
Riker’s jaw tightened. “If Leo Serrano’s coven found a way out of the time loop, it means they can be stopped. They can be killed. It means we can put an end to these attacks once and for all.” His eyes blazed, and my stomach churned in response. “If we can find information the Count has kept locked away, then I want to be a part of it.”
My mouth felt dry. I swallowed. “Okay. Then let’s do this.”
RIKER AND I JOINED the others in the dining hall. The Count stood at our arrival, his lips tightening with displeasure. I realized we were the last ones to arrive and quickened my pace to sit at the table next to Riker. Izzy nudged me with her elbow, her lips twitching.
“Now that all our guests have arrived,” the Count said, his nostrils flaring, “we may say Grace.” He closed his eyes and spoke the same prayer he’d said before. Then, he crossed himself and began eating.
Riker and I hungrily tore into the turkey and sliced bread, barely saying a word.
Izzy burst out laughing when she looked at us. “So, did you two find anything interesting?”
Riker met my gaze and then looked away.
I shrugged, keeping my eyes fixed on my plate. “Not really.”
I felt Izzy’s stare but pretended to be intently focused on my meal. Riker looked at me again, a question in his eyes. I shook my head slightly.
“How are you?” I asked Izzy, changing the subject. “Did the mages fix your wind problem?”
Izzy sighed and nodded. “Yeah. A temporary enchantment to keep things under wraps. It’ll probably wear off tomorrow.” She glowered at no one in particular, so I didn’t press the subject.
We ate in relative silence, but I felt Riker’s gaze still on me. I gritted my teeth and kicked him under the table. He choked on his drink and spit all over the table.
I snorted and covered my mouth. Izzy chuckled, and a few others joined in.
“Sorry,” Riker muttered, shooting a glare at me. I nudged his foot again, gently this time, and he laughed.
Izzy raised her eyebrows at us, her eyes glinting. When Riker wasn’t looking, she winked at me. I rolled my eyes.
It didn’t take me long to fill my stomach. I took one last bite and sat back in my chair, grateful I wasn’t wearing the dreaded corset anymore. My eyes fell on the Count, who was muttering something in Spanish with Juan at his left.
I grew still and watched them. Their expressions were both solemn, but neither of them looked my way. Perhaps they were talking about the demon situation. I wasn’t close enough to distinguish what they were saying.
It was probably nothing.
I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling exhausted. Slowly, I rose from the table. The other boys surrounding me stood politely, though the Four Douchebags looked a bit peeved at having to rise.
“I’m finished too,” Riker said, jumping to his feet as well. “I’ll walk you up.”
My face was hot as I felt Izzy’s eyes drilling holes into me. Forcing a smile, I nodded, trying to ignore my sweaty palms. Riker offered me his arm, and I took it as we left the dining hall together. I felt several pairs of eyes on us as we exited.
“You know, they’re probably talking about us,” I muttered to him when we reached the hallway. “Entering and leaving together is practically a scandal in this time.”
Riker laughed. “Let them talk.”
I couldn’t help how my stomach contracted at those words.
Riker steered me off to the side in an alcove filled with paintings of waterfalls and mountains. My heart raced as he ducked his head to meet my gaze.
“Should we include Izzy in this?” he whispered.
Momentary confusion flickered in my mind. Then, I understood. My heart plummeted, and I swallowed down my disappointment. Of course he wants to get me alone to talk about our plan. “I’d prefer not to.”
Riker frowned. “Why?”
“Her powers are uncontrollable. What if she hurts someone? Or hurts herself? Besides, I wouldn’t want to implicate her in this. The fewer people involved, the fewer people might get caught.”
Riker nodded. “Yes, you’re right. Besides, that would put a damper on our story of how I seduced you to perform my bidding.”
I chuckled and slapped his arm. “Oh, stop.”
Riker’s eyes glittered with mischief. He leaned closer. “Well, if you change your mind, I’d be happy to revert to my original suggestion: claiming I was powerless against your charms.”
My breath caught in my throat. His face was much too close to mine.
“It wouldn’t be hard, you know,” he went on, capturing a lock of my hair and tucking it behind my ear. “You do have the most captivating smile. And the most alluring brown eyes.”
Lilith, I can’t breathe. I really can’t breathe. My face was an explosion of heat, and I
couldn’t move my tongue to speak at all. I realized my mouth was open, and I clamped it shut. Even if I could talk, I had no idea what to say.
Riker smiled as if he could sense my awkward speechlessness. He took my hand in his, bent his head, and pressed his lips to my fingers. A shiver of pleasure raced up my spine, and I sucked in a breath.
“Until tomorrow, Miss Gerrick.” Riker winked at me, and then he was gone.
I lingered in the alcove for an extra moment or two to clear my head of the all-consuming fog of Riker’s presence. I was such an idiot. A hopeless idiot.
I clenched and unclenched my fingers into fists and took several deep breaths. My eyes closed as I conjured images of fighting demons, spilling blood, and diving into the adrenaline-filled battle I craved. Slowly, my body returned to normal and my head cleared. My heart still raced, but it was from something different—something familiar that I felt when fighting. An excited energy, but one I could control.
Satisfied, I ducked out of the alcove and ran straight into one of the Four Douchebags. He staggered backward with an “oof” and then straightened to glare at me.
I stared at him and backed up a step. “Uh, sorry. Didn’t mean to bump you.”
It was the pale-faced boy with sandy brown hair. I couldn’t remember his name, though. He straightened his waistcoat, his gaze raking up and down my figure with unnecessary slowness.
“That’s quite all right,” he said, his lips spreading into a smile that looked more like a leer. “Miss . . . Gerrick, is it?”
“Yeah. Sorry, what’s your name again?”
“Samson Schubert at your service.” He bowed low and popped back up to smirk at me.
“Right. Well, I should be—” I tried to move past him, but he blocked my path. He towered over me by at least a foot, and the size of his biceps told me I couldn’t exactly shove past him.
“Why are you running off? We’ve barely gotten to know each other.”
I glared at him. “You and your friends haven’t shown any interest in getting to know me.”
“Well, it wouldn’t be much fun like that, would it? Then, I’d have to share you with them.” Samson grinned widely at me, leaning closer.
I sucked in a breath, suddenly realizing what was happening. His arm pressed into the wall behind me to corner me into the alcove.
I dropped to the ground, ducking under his arm, and raced toward the staircase. Samson snatched my arm, his fingers gripping me like a vise as he tugged me back toward him.
“You’re a slippery little thing, aren’t you?” He smiled as if my escape attempt were endearing to him. “Do you know how long I’ve had to go without decent female company?” He yanked me closer and pressed his face against my hair, inhaling deeply.
Nausea and anger swirled in my chest. I jerked my head up, smashing into his face with a sickening crack. Samson yelped and stumbled backward, releasing my arm. I ducked low, using my small size to my advantage, and slammed my fist into his kneecap. He howled and swung his arms toward me, but I dodged and aimed a kick straight into his gut. He collapsed onto the floor in a heap, moaning and clutching at his stomach.
I stepped closer to him and nudged him with my foot until he rolled onto his back, glaring at me.
“I don’t care what kind of company you keep, asshole,” I hissed. “Stay the hell away from me.”
Fury burned in his eyes. “You’re dead, bitch.”
I spat in his face and turned on my heel, leaving him lying there like a baby. A slither of satisfaction crept through my chest. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed beating someone in a fight.
14
Brielle
DARKNESS PLAGUED MY dreams that night. Smoke and ash engulfed me. Flames burned against my skin, charring my flesh. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t see through the haze of smoke. Screams surrounded me, begging for mercy. Blood and death pressed in on me, suffocating me. My ears throbbed from the cries of the wounded. My eyes burned from the ash in the air. A familiar scent stung my nose along with a sharp, vinegar smell.
Everywhere around me was pain. Destruction. Tragedy.
When I awoke, I was covered in sweat, my heart racing a mile a minute.
Panting, I peeled my sweaty hair off my face and rolled over, squinting at the purple rays of dawn peeking through my window.
I’d had nightmares before, but never like this. Something crackled within me like a living thing had awoken inside me, clawing to the surface of my mind.
I sat up, crossing my arms to keep my hands from trembling. My shoulders shook. I bent over, sucking in deep breaths to calm my nerves.
In the dream, I had smelled demons as sharply as if they were breathing down my neck. I still smelled them now even though I was awake.
My eyes burned and my throat tightened. All I wanted was to see Angel. Whenever we had nightmares, we often crawled into each other’s bed for comfort. I didn’t do it as much anymore, but when she had a particularly nasty vision in her dreams, she would still come to my room.
I needed her now.
I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against my knees. Just a dream, I told myself again and again. It wasn’t real.
I lifted my head, my hands itching to do something. But my room was already frustratingly tidy.
Sliding on a robe, I eased open my door and crept downstairs. The hallway was eerily quiet. Small candles cast a faint glow to illuminate my path down the staircase. The decorative vases along the hallway left ghostly shadows against the wall. I shivered, wishing I had a jacket with me.
My bare feet whispered against the floor as I made my way to the library. I peered inside hesitantly. Several candlesticks were lit, and a fire burned in the hearth, but the room was empty.
Exhaling, I sat in front of the fireplace for a moment to warm myself, my eyes captured by the movement of the flames. Then, I rose to my feet and approached the nearest shelf, whipping out book after book and creating stacks of different colors and sizes. After a while, the numbness of my mind took over, and I lost focus. My body moved in a familiar rhythm as I reorganized the shelf. Dust tickled my fingertips and hovered in the air in front of me. Some texts were worn and frayed, and others were fresh as if they’d never been opened.
At long last, I finished a satisfying rainbow shelf of books and stood back to admire my work. In my heart, I felt at peace. None of the horrors from my nightmare could touch me now.
I nodded once, then turned and let out a yelp.
A dark figure stood opposite me, facing a bookshelf. He turned at my shout, his face hooded.
Fear climbed up my throat. I patted my waist but I had no weapons.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
The figure chuckled and crept forward, lowering his hood.
I gasped. It was Leo Serrano. His hair was down, falling just past his chin in thick curls. His silver-rimmed eyes speared right through me.
“Forgive me,” he said, bowing low. “I was expecting His Excellency. Not you.” He smirked, his eyes roving over my body. Though I wore my shift and a robe, I suddenly felt naked under his scrutiny.
“What do you want with the Count?” I asked, edging back toward the fireplace. I arranged a frightened look on my face. Better to make him think I was afraid of him instead of trying to grab a weapon in the form of a fire poker.
Leo took a step toward me. “That’s none of your concern.”
“It is if you’re about to attack me for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Leo lifted his hands, his eyebrows raising. “Who said anything about attacking you?”
I scowled. “So what, you’ll just let me go? I find that hard to believe.”
Leo grinned widely. “Well, if you assured me you would let my intrusion here go unnoticed, then I’m certain we could come to an arrangement.”
I glared at him, and he laughed.
“I figured as much.” He drew closer. I bumped into the bookshelf next to the fireplace, my hand groping blindly
for the tongs. “You don’t want to fight me,” I growled.
“I bested you before.”
“You did not,” I snapped before I could help myself.
Leo chuckled again, his eyes alight with amusement. “It bothers you, doesn’t it? That I triumphed against you.” He cocked his head at me, his eyes moving up and down my body—much more slowly this time.
I resisted the urge to cross my arms. My nostrils flared. I wish people would stop doing that.
“For a small thing like you, that’s surprising,” he murmured thoughtfully. “Do you fight many demons, mi amor?”
“Don’t call me that,” I said.
“Then, what should I call you?”
My fingers clasped something cool and metal, and I offered Leo a half smile. “Your worst nightmare.” With a shout, I lunged, swiping the poker at him. It sliced into his cheek, and he stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock. A trickle of blood trailed from the cut on his cheek. He pressed a hand to it in disbelief and then laughed.
He actually laughed.
Anger roiled within me, and I advanced, swiping again and again. But he was ready for the fight now. Black magic pooled from his hands like shadows, engulfing him until he shifted. When the magic faded, he was gone.
I blinked and stepped backward. He hadn’t just vanished; he was a shifter.
So, what had he shifted to?
Thinking quickly, I recited a spell I’d written,
“Surrounding magic, guide my eyes,
Reveal this enemy’s deceptive disguise.”
My hands glowed blue. A jet of magic speared from my fingertips, hovering momentarily in the air until it shot forward, colliding with something invisible.
No, wait. Not invisible. Miniscule. He must have shifted to an insect.
Leo shifted back to his human form and grunted as the force of my spell slammed him against the bookshelf. He was out of breath but still grinning.
“Reveal this enemy’s deceptive disguise?” Panting, he straightened his sleeves. “That’s clever. I’ve never heard of that one before.”
