Devils Among Us

by Mandy M. Roth

  Janco exhaled deeply, thankful his brother had enough control over himself to whisk them away. He’d only gone to Keane to talk some sense into him. Never had he expected a human would ensnare him as well. At the rate they were going, there would be no brothers left to save them from themselves.

  Chapter Five

  Hannah shuddered and forced her gaze from the tiny building. Whatever had been there was now gone. Preyca rubbed her arms, shivering as well. Another line of Spanish curses fell from her lips and she moved in closer to Hannah. “We should go in for the night.”

  “Yeah,” Hannah whispered, putting her arm around her friend’s shoulders.

  They made it about ten paces before the hairs on the back of Hannah’s neck stood on end and her inner alarms went off. Whatever had been keeping her from her job was gone, and that meant evil was back with a vengeance.

  Preyca gasped and righted herself, taking a fighting stance and staring wildly around the darkened park. “I’ll take the right.”

  Hannah smiled. “And I’ll take the left.”

  “You sound excited.” Preyca shook her head and mumbled something about the crazy girl who wants to beat up demons.

  Commenting wasn’t necessary, especially since Hannah knew Preyca wanted to kick some demon ass too. They were close slayer friends and the bond of their destiny only added to that.

  Watching, Hannah waited, sensing the evil coming nearer. She exhaled slowly, careful to avoid drawing in another breath just yet. She needed absolute silence. As her lungs began to scream for air, she was rewarded for her patience. The rustle of a leaf caught her attention and she spun about fast, just missing taking a swooping demon to the head. It flapped its wings, the sound loud and accompanied by shrieks. They were painful to her ears, but Hannah blocked them as best she could, dropping and rolling out of its path.

  It landed on its back haunches and shifted into the form of a man. A very naked man. A very naked, hideous-looking man. Spittle dripped down his chin as he approached, his eyes still wild and that of a demon. Hannah knew the man was some sort of vampire half-breed. What else he was made up of she did not know or care. Her only concern was if he was alone. As three more shadows dropped from the sky and surrounded Preyca and her, she got her answer.

  Each of the new arrivals now had the body of a man but the wings of a bat. Huge bats. They stared at the women as if they were lunch, and Hannah had little doubt that was exactly what they would be if they didn’t figure out a way to kill the newest threat and fast.

  Never had she seen anything the likes of them and knew Preyca hadn’t either. One with long, white-blond hair tipped his head and stared out from blackened eyes. “You smell of power,” he said, his accent foreign to her. Spit dripped freely from his jawline, causing her to shudder.

  Hannah wasn’t sure if the comment was directed at her or Preyca. She didn’t care. She stood tall. “And you smell of evil.”

  The man smiled magnanimously. It was a ruse, and at that moment Hannah realized these creatures before her truly thought their powers of glamour worked on her. They didn’t, but she’d hold that secret at least for the time being. She saw them for what they truly were—evil, winged creatures.

  Monsters.

  Preyca cast a sideways glance at her and took a step back.

  Hannah stared at the blond man. “Who are you?”

  “We—” He motioned to his companions. “—are who will be fucking you very soon, human.”

  Preyca snorted. “Like hell, demon scum!”

  Great, give away the fact we aren’t afraid of them.

  Rolling her eyes, Hannah ran forward to meet the coming attack head-on. One of the men slammed into her, knocking her backwards. Dazed, she staggered but managed to stay upright.

  Kudos to me.

  She kicked hard and fast, catching a second one in the gut. He went forward but not before swiping out with his clawed hand. It hit her upper arm first, ripping it open, and then came at her throat. Pain raced throughout her and Hannah blinked, expecting the end to come about. Instead, white mist swirled around her, temporarily blinding her. Her attacker was thrust away and a gurgled, choked noise followed. There was a thud and then the sick sound of bones cracking. She knew without being able to actually see that her attacker was no more. She also knew her mysterious protector was back.

  Hannah’s lids grew heavy and her body refused to respond to her commands. She swayed and took a half step before falling forward. “W-what?”

  “Shhh,” a deep voice whispered. “They were volatilisos. Their claws and fangs produce a chemical toxic to humans.”

  Hannah tried to concentrate on the man’s words but found she could scarcely keep her eyes open. She clung to him, noting how powerful and broad his upper body was. “Toxic to humans?” she echoed, her thoughts running behind on actual events.

  “All will be well, my light.”

  Chapter Six

  Keane held the petite human in his arms and stared over at his brother, finding Janco in a similar situation. The smell of blood filtered up to Keane and he held the human tighter to him, suddenly fearful for her well-being. That alone should have made him drop her and flee the scene, but he didn’t.

  He let his supernatural powers rise, utilizing them to check on her vital signs. She had lost a good deal of blood. More than her tiny body could handle. His gaze flickered to Janco. He wondered if his brother would make an attempt to stop him from saving the woman’s life. Much to his surprise, Janco was in the process of trying to heal the other woman.

  He and his brother had been far away from the women, needing space, when the attack had occurred. The second Keane sensed the distress of the human who haunted his every waking moment, he told Janco they were in trouble. His brother wasted no time following him.

  Keane eased the woman—Hannah, he remembered her friend calling her—to the ground and smoothed her hair back from her face. The toxins from the volatilisos caused the slightest amount of frothing to form at the edges of her mouth. He wiped it away. Her body began to seize.

  Keane bit his inner wrist and thrust it to Hannah’s lips. Droplets of crimson fell onto her chin, her neck and the ground, everywhere but where they needed to be—in her mouth.

  “Drink, my light,” he prompted, hoping she would respond. The need to save her drove him beyond the point of reason. He tapped deeper into his gifts, calling upon his power and forcing it through her body. It was met with resistance, which he assumed was from the toxins in her bloodstream, but upon closer examination he wondered if there wasn’t something more to her than met the eye.

  Could she truly be a witch?

  Witches and vampires had been at odds for centuries. Not at each other’s throats like vampires and slayers, but close all the same.

  She jerked, her petite body seizing, and it ripped at Keane’s heart to know she was in pain. He tried again to get her to drink from his wrist, this time with slightly more success. Her entire body convulsed and he awaited signs of the transfer. She would forever hate him for turning her into a creature of the night, but at least she would be alive.

  The wound on her shoulder began to pull together and the convulsions ceased. She was motionless and fear crept into Keane. He bent, lifting her upper lip to see if fangs had formed. It was common for sired vampires to have holes appear instantly after the conversion. Fangs would eject from the tiny holes, acting as a second layer of teeth during a feeding.

  No marks showed in Hannah’s mouth.

  As the reality of the conversion being unsuccessful set in, defeat shrouded Keane. A sob lodged in his throat and he brought Hannah’s upper body off the ground, cradling her head to his chest. He had lost her before he ever really had her. It shouldn’t have pained him but it did. More than he could have ever known it would.

  *

  Hannah blinked, slowly coming to. She was groggy and felt like a truck had run her over. As her vision focused, she found herself staring up at the face of a strikingly handsome m
an. His features were strong, pronounced and aristocratic. His raven hair hung to his chin and had the slightest of waves to it. His cleft chin drew her attention and, without thought, she reached up and touched it lightly before sliding her fingers over his full, rosy lips. There was something unearthly about him.

  His eyes shot open. They were dark as night.

  Hannah knew she could get lost in his eyes for hours if she allowed herself to. She also knew something else—this man was the one who had been following her, her protector. He let off the same vibe as her mysterious guardian.

  The man who left the coins.

  She ran the tips of her fingers over his clean-shaven cheek and continued to stare up at him, a mix of intrigue and surprise on her face. For some reason she’d assumed she’d never actually meet him, that he’d forever remain in the shadows.

  “You are alive,” he said, sounding shocked. He had an accent she couldn’t quite place. European, but that was as specific as she could get. His voice was deep and sexy, suiting him well.

  Her mind raced with thoughts of the demons that had swept down from the sky. She gasped and tried to sit up, only to find her head swimming. “Whoa. Head rush.”

  The man holding her stared blankly down at her.

  “The things that were here.” Hannah glanced to the side, looking for any signs of them. “Where are they?”

  “They are no longer a threat,” he said evenly.

  “You stopped them?” She knew he had but wanted to hear him say as much.

  A nod was his only response.

  “Thank you.”

  He tugged lightly at her upper lip, lifting it and inspecting her mouth, taking an odd fascination with her teeth. Confused, Hannah arched a brow and tried to talk, but it came out funny because he still had hold of her lip. She put her hand over his, freeing her mouth to speak. “What are you doing?”

  “How is it you have no fangs?”

  Fangs?

  She choked on thin air and stared wide-eyed at him. “Why would I? Those things didn’t bite me or exchange blood with me.” A sickening thought came over her. She sat up fast, nearly knocking heads with him. “Ohmygods, tell me they didn’t.” She glanced over her shoulder, fearful she’d find bat-like wings sprouting forth from her body. She blew out a long, shaky breath when she found none.

  The man eyed her closely.

  She offered a soft, reassuring smile. “I swear to you I won’t morph into what those things were and try to take your head off. You can relax.”

  “What would volatilisos demons want with you?”

  It didn’t surprise her he knew what type of demons they’d been. He was a supernatural, she knew as much already. She turned slightly to better face him and her leg brushed against his. “It’s a really long story. Are you hurt?” She reached for him. “They didn’t get you too, did they?”

  Catching her hand in his, he held her gaze. “I am fine and you did not answer my question.”

  Bossy, huh?

  Hannah allowed him to continue to hold her hand and shrugged. “I really don’t know, though I do tend to attract creepy things.”

  “Creepy things?” he asked, his lips quirking.

  “Very creepy.”

  He leaned towards her, coming just short of kissing her. “And why do creepy things tend to be attracted to you?”

  For a split second Hannah forgot how to think. She simply leaned up and pressed her lips to his. Her entire body lit with desire and she tipped her head, opening her mouth to increase the heat level of their kiss. He was reluctant at first, but the moment his tongue met hers, she saw fireworks.

  He eased his body over hers, making her nipples harden and her breath catch. She ate at his mouth, swirling her tongue around his. Hannah had never been this out of control before. She could think of nothing beyond touching him, becoming one with him.

  He apparently had the same ideas in his head because he pushed a knee between her legs, spreading them so he could settle between them. Hannah wrapped her legs around his waist, upset they had clothes on. She needed to feel him. All of him.

  Sucking on his tongue as she would his cock, Hannah made him moan and smiled slightly, careful not to break their kiss. He took hold of her wrists and lifted her hands above her head. He skimmed his free hand down her side and increased the speed of the kiss, seeming as hungry for her as she was for him.

  Cream flooded her panties and she arched her back, rubbing her mound against the bulge in his pants. It was his turn to smile against her mouth. Never before had she wanted a man to tear her clothes from her body and fuck her where anyone could see. The thought was sobering.

  She pushed on his chest lightly and he rolled to his side, taking her with him. They continued to kiss as Hannah sat up slowly. He sat up as well, his tongue artfully inching around hers.

  Hannah eased off his mouth, unable to believe anyone could kiss that good. The man should be outlawed. He was too much. His obsidian eyes seemed to see straight through to her soul as he tipped his head slightly, watching her intensely.

  Smiling, she pushed a portion of his hair behind his ear. “It’s...umm, nice to finally meet you. The whole following-me-around thing was kind of on the creepy side.”

  His lips twitched. “You did say creepy things are attracted to you.”

  “Ah, and he’s funny too.”

  The man’s face drew in. “Not normally.”

  Somehow, she believed him. Maybe it had something to do with his attire. It wasn’t anything that had been in fashion in her lifetime. Hell, even in the last century. “Were you coming from a costume ball or something?”

  He glanced down at himself and then back at her. “Or something.”

  Reaching up, she touched her swollen bottom lip. It still tingled from the kiss they’d shared.

  “Are you going to tell me what it is volatilisos demons would want with you and your friend?”

  My friend?

  Preyca!

  Hannah gasped and pushed up and off the ground. She swayed and the man was suddenly there, helping her remain upright. “Preyca?”

  She spotted a man looking to be around the same height and build as the one with her. The man was leaning over Preyca’s body as she convulsed. “Keane,” the man said, looking desperate. “I know not what to do.”

  Hannah rushed towards the man. “What happened to her? Oh God, Preyca.” She fell to her knees next to her friend and tipped Preyca’s head back, holding her as steady as she could as the seizures stopped. Taking her thin outer shirt off, revealing her leather corset, Hannah used the shirt to wipe Preyca’s mouth. The more she wiped, the more she realized Preyca wasn’t bleeding, yet had a mouthful of blood.

  Hannah stared at the man near her, noting the striking resemblance he had to Keane. “What happened? Did one of those things bite her? Did one of them...”

  “Hannah,” Preyca said, her voice weak but there. “You worry too much. The offer still stands for me to call my Tia Rosa. That’s some storm cloud you have there.”

  A cry tore free of her as she grabbed Preyca and hugged her tight. “If you dare die on me, I’ll kill you.”

  Preyca laughed softly. “That makes perfect sense.”

  She helped Preyca sit up and found both men watching them closely. Keane’s gaze was locked on her chest, and oddly enough so was the other man’s. “How is it she is alive?”

  Preyca snorted. “I’m hardy stock. It takes more than a piece of scum-sucking—”

  Hannah covered her friend’s mouth. Preyca’s eyes widened and she nodded, indicating she sensed it as well. “It’s fine. They helped us.”

  Preyca eyed them suspiciously.

  Hannah’s gut told her Preyca wasn’t totally out of harm’s way with the men but she couldn’t figure out why. She just knew it to be true. She touched her friend’s face. “You should go. I’ve got this section covered.”

  “I’m not leaving you with these two,” Preyca said.

  Hannah snorted, knowing a l
ie was in order. Her gut told her Preyca had to go and fast. “One of us needs to let others know about what happened here. And as for Keane, he is harmless. I’ve known him for years.”

  Preyca tipped her head to the side, seeming to think it over. Her brows lifted. “Oh, it’s like that, is it?”

  Hannah glanced to Keane, wondering if he’d back her story.

  Keane eased closer, his hand going to her waist. “It is like that, yes.”

  Preyca pursed her lips and then winked. “Got it. What about the other?”

  The man who looked very similar to Keane lifted Preyca’s hand and kissed the back of it. “I am here to assure my brother behaves himself.”

  “Brothers?” Preyca questioned. “Nice job, Hannah.”

  Before Hannah could say a word, Preyca waved and started off in the other direction. Keane nodded to his brother, and when Preyca was out of earshot he spoke, “See to it she is safe, Janco.”

  “Of course,” Janco said, his gaze moving to Hannah and remaining for what felt like forever.

  Janco moved with a speed humans didn’t possess, and Hannah’s breath caught. It all made sense. The powers her protector seemed to have. His knowledge of what had attacked her. The blood.

  She met his dark gaze. “Vampire?”

  He blinked, long and slow, making the act sexy somehow. “And if I say yes, will you scream?”

  She shook her head. She thought harder about the blood in her mouth. “You tried to turn me?”

  He nodded, seeming unfazed with her surprise and anger.

  “And Preyca?”

  “The other woman?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  He shrugged. “Yes. It did not work, like it did not work on you.” He eased closer to her. “I thought not. Tell me what the demons wanted with you.”

  He didn’t know what she was? How could that be? All vampires seemed to sense the slayer blood in her. And Keane seemed pretty damn powerful. It was difficult to look anywhere but into his dark eyes. There was a pull to them. One she was normally immune to from other vampires.

  What was different about him?