by J. N. Colon
Link’s hands lowered on my hips, guiding me into him. Warmth bled over my skin as electricity sparked in my bottom half. This demon definitely knew how to move.
The Unseelie prince’s presence suddenly materialized nearby. How could I still smell him over the cloying perfumes, sweat, and alcohol?
A hand wrapped around my arm, attempting to draw me away from Link. “What the hell are you doing?” His rough voice sent shivers down my spine.
I yanked out of Caleb’s grasp. “Go away.”
The demon blocked the prince’s arm as he tried to grab me again. Fire flashed in Caleb’s eyes, and a wave of power swirled around him so thick I could have choked on it.
“Whoa. My bad.” Link stepped away and lifted his hands in surrender, the glittering lily stamp flashing. “I didn’t know she was taken.”
I scoffed. “We just work together. Don’t mind him.” I pressed my back against Link’s chest and continued dancing, shooting Caleb a cutting smirk.
His scowl intensified as two red spots developed high on his cheeks. The demon’s hands slipped over my ribs and down my sides while I rolled my hips. As a fae, Caleb could sense the kind of energy flowing between us.
And he didn’t appear to like it one bit, but he remained glued to the spot like some voyeuristic creep.
I wrapped my arm around Link’s neck, my fingers slipping into his soft hair. A burst of energy whipped through me, and my death raker powers surged forward, latching onto the demon.
Panic clawed at my center. Shit. I was going to kill him and right here in front of a bunch of humans. Too much wickedness clogged my brain and dulled my senses. I wouldn’t be able to break the connection before his life wasted to nothing.
A vision of Link whispering naughty things in a girl’s ear to convince her to cheat on her boyfriend flashed through my mind. Images of other girls he sweet-talked tumbled together like pictures falling out of a shoebox. That was his gig, turning good girls bad.
Clearly, I was already bad.
Then, an ancient dagger appeared in Link’s memories as he tested its weight, sharp foreign symbols slashing the twisted blade. His thumb brushed over the polished onyx stone inlaid in the hilt. He shivered.
So did I.
The hair rose on my nape at the sight of the thing even in my mind.
An arm yanked me away from Link, breaking the connection. I stumbled into a solid form that smelled of oranges and fragrant beaches.
Caleb.
I gripped his shirt, pressing my face into his firm center, knowing my death powers wouldn’t hurt him with the Arx amulet.
“What the hell was that?” Link choked out. “I felt—death,” he wheezed. “Are you some kind of necromancer?”
If only.
“Get out of here,” Caleb growled to the demon, keeping a tight grip on me. “Unless you want to die.”
I squeezed my lids shut, taking several deep breaths, all full of the prince. A battle raged inside, one between light and darkness. I tried to find my way out of the fog before claws dragged me under.
“Thorn, what the hell is going on?” Caleb’s hands slid up my back. “You’re shaking.”
A lump rose in my throat as tears sprang to the surface.
Weakness. Don’t let this weakness destroy you.
I pushed the prince away, glaring at him. “Let me go. I don’t want to be anywhere near you, you conceited prick.”
His head snapped back at the venom in my tone. But it wasn’t enough to make him flee. Not the fae prince.
“We’re going upstairs now.” He tugged me forward, iron arms wrapping around my waist. “Don’t make a scene in front of all these humans,” he snarled when I began to struggle.
“I’ll make a scene if I want.” I elbowed him in the gut, doing absolutely nothing to the rock-hard abs.
Caleb towed me toward the hidden door between tree branches and vines I’d escaped through my first night at Shade. “We need to talk about your powers, and you’re going to tell me who you’re running from.”
“Oh, you want to talk, Tinkerbell?” I managed to angle myself to face him, our bodies crushing together as we continued to push through the crowd. “Where’s your mother?”
He stopped walking, and every muscle in his body turned to stone. “The subject of my mother is none of your concern.” The coldness in his voice sent shards of ice through my bloodstream.
But a little ice was nothing. He’d have to do better than that to deter me. I found a weakness and fully intended to exploit it.
“Did she leave you and go back to Faerieland?” I asked through gritted teeth, watching a storm of rage brewing in his glowing eyes. “Did she have other children, ones that weren’t such assholes?”
Steel fingers bit into my arm hard enough to leave bruises. Caleb yanked me around and shoved me onto a couch in an empty VIP section. “Enough!” He leaned over me, his chest heaving as he gripped my chin. “Not one more word about my mother. I fucking mean it.”
My breath came in quick, ragged pants, but it wasn’t fear speeding through my veins. Why did the sight of the prince drowning in fury have my insides catching fire? A savage ache suddenly enfolded me, and I clenched my fists by my sides to keep from grabbing hold of his shirt and drawing him forward.
What was wrong with me?
Sensing the change in my emotions, Caleb’s head tilted to the side. His gaze ran over my flushed skin, and he sucked on the hoop piercing his lip as if considering his options. His mouth opened just as a rich, velvety voice echoed.
“Whenever you two are done with your twisted game of foreplay, I’ll be taking the witch for punishment.”
Caleb whipped around, revealing the urbane figure looming behind him, and a burning pair of crimson irises glued me to the spot.
“Hugo.” The name tumbled from my mouth like a deadly curse.
For me, it might as well have been.
All the embers the Unseelie prince had stoked into existence extinguished, and ash filled my mouth. The vampire king had discovered the carnage at Varcolac Funeral Home.
He thirsted for revenge.
And to him, that meant draining every ounce of blood from my lifeless body.
Chapter 16
Across the empty nightworlder bar, the vampire king’s hungry scarlet stare remained locked on my jugular as Lachlan bargained for my life.
But Hugo wanted me punished.
The healing bite on my throat violently throbbed. Soon, a matching puncture wound could mar the other side.
Or maybe the vampire king would just snap my neck.
I grabbed another bottle and poured a glittering blue liquid into a shot glass from my spot behind the counter. My no-faerie-wine rule had been obliterated the moment Lachlan dragged Caleb and me into Shade of Nightworld with the vampire king and cleared out the other patrons.
Being sober for this showdown was not on the agenda.
“I wouldn’t drink that,” Jasper whispered, his thick bicep brushing my shoulder while he graced me with a dimpled smile. “Frosthuckle wine is no joke.”
I studied the small bottle, unable to decipher the strange fae language spilling across the label. Did I really want to be drunk off my ass right now?
Hugo’s raised voice bounded from where he rigidly stood near a section of swanky couches. Lachlan lifted his palm and spoke slowly to soothe the vampire king’s temper as he demanded an explanation for the slaying of his people.
Did I want to be drunk?
Absolutely.
I tipped the glass to my lips just as someone snatched it out of my hand.
“Do not drink that.” Caleb tossed the Frosthuckle shot into the sink and slammed the glass on the counter below the bar.
When did Tinkerbell jump behind here? “Mind your own business.” My fingers wrapped around the bottle. “Besides, I’m taking your advice and relaxing.”
He pried the Frosthuckle wine out of my hand, hiding it behind his back. “Jasper, help me.”
&nb
sp; “I’m afraid this one’s all on you, Cal.” He grabbed a bottle of crimson liquid from the shelf and began mixing a drink.
A blood cocktail.
“I’ll just take this one then.” I plucked a luminous pink wine from the shelf.
Caleb took it after I downed a healthy sip. “I know you’re pissed at me, but could you please save it for later? We have more pressing matters to deal with.” He shook his head and mumbled a few curses under his breath. “When did I become the rational one?”
“They’ve broken the treaty and killed several vampires—including one of my officers—in vampire territory!” A vein pulsated in Hugo’s alabaster neck. “This is unacceptable.”
“Calm down, Hugo.” Lachlan gestured for him to have a seat on one of the oversized couches. “Let’s discuss this like civilized creatures.”
Lachlan’s tranquil, controlled demeanor only masked the dangerous villain underneath. At least the vampire king showed some real emotion. He’d let you know he was about to kill you while Lachlan would keep smiling and reassuring you even after he snapped your neck.
Jasper trailed from behind the bar and offered Hugo a tall glass of blood and alcohol garnished with an orange wedge. “Enjoy, sir.”
Hugo’s hand shook as he snagged the glass, but instead of drinking it, he loudly set it on the glass table. “I want to know why your son and that witch thought they could stroll into my land and kill my subjects.”
Lachlan folded onto the couch across from Hugo, smoothing his ebony jacket as if a wrinkle dare mar the fine material. “At the summit, did I not warn all of you that I would be investigating these deaths occurring in my region?” He flicked his hand toward his personal team of mercenaries—Caleb and me. “This is me investigating.”
“This is you thinking you can do whatever you want, as usual,” Hugo hissed. “I deserve retribution, and since your son is off-limits, I want the witch. Her death is the price for the many vampire fatalities tonight.”
“No one is killing Thorn.” Caleb rested his arm on the bar to put another barrier between the vampire king and me.
How chivalrous.
I snatched a bottle of bourbon from the shelf, pouring a shot into a tumbler. “I wouldn’t have killed anyone if Mila hadn’t ordered them to kill me first.” I quickly choked back the haunting memories of draining her life.
Jasper grabbed the Frosthuckle wine and poured a shot into a crystal tumbler, taking it to Lachlan.
“She’s right.” The looping vine tattoos on Caleb’s arm shifted as his muscles strained.
Besides those on his arms, what other parts of his body had ink?
I shook the stray thought off and took a sip of bourbon, wincing from the burn gliding down my throat.
“We were defending ourselves.” Caleb removed the bottle of bourbon from the counter next to me and returned it to the mirrored shelf. “I offered them a chance to surrender first. They refused.”
A barking laugh escaped Hugo. “Surrender under what grounds?”
“Your vampires had human captives, ones they were instructed not to feed from.” Lachlan took a small sip of the Frosthuckle wine before placing it on the spotless glass table between him and Hugo, letting the silence thicken. “They could have been the very next victims of this mysterious East Side Slasher, wouldn’t you say, Hugo?”
The vampire king’s head tilted back, tossing those lustrous chocolate curls around as his shoulders shook with laughter. “That’s preposterous, Lachlan, even for you. A complete reach.”
“They’re definitely guilty of something,” I muttered, earning a sharp glare from the vampire king that sent frost through my veins.
Caleb took the glass from me and poured the remaining sip of bourbon down the sink. “Stop calling attention to yourself,” he hissed, his breath hot in my ear. “It’ll only remind him of how much he wants to kill you.”
I elbowed his ribs. “Stop crowding me.” I couldn’t breathe when he was so close.
Unfortunately, the prince didn’t move even an inch. He stood still, burning a line of fire across my back. I need another drink.
My fingers curled around the bottle of vodka Jasper left on the counter after making Hugo’s blood cocktail, and I yanked the pour spout off, tossing it over my shoulder before downing a gulp. A growl vibrated through Caleb.
“Thorn is correct, though.” King Lachlan folded his hands in his lap. “I can’t prove you had anything to do with the human bodies being dumped in my area, but I can prove you abducted at least two underaged humans for blood consumption or something else nefarious, a direct violation of our laws.”
Hugo’s lips thinned as a faint blush flooded his cheeks, something rarely seen in such an ancient vampire. “How many violations did your son and this witch take part in tonight?” He leaned forward and snatched the bloody cocktail off the table.
My stomach roiled just watching him drink the thick, burgundy liquid.
“And why exactly do you, of all people, have a witch on your payroll?” He took another sip of his drink as he glanced toward the prince. “And Caleb, I’m surprised you’re so quick to defend a witch after what happened.”
Caleb transformed into a blistering granite stone, emanating a ripple of power so strong my arms wanted to fall by my sides. “You must have a death wish, Hugo.”
“Caleb,” Lachlan snapped. “Don’t make threats you have no intention of carrying through.”
The prince’s hot, ragged breath blew on my nape. “Who says I don’t,” he muttered.
What exactly happened involving witches and Caleb? Was it the reason he loathed my kind so much?
“As I was saying, Hugo, you’re in direct violation of our laws. Caleb and Thorn can prove self-defense even in your territory because they were attempting to rescue these underaged humans.” He sipped his drink, the edges of his lips fighting to remain in a straight line. “While the vampires have no reason at all for abducting the young humans.”
The tendons in Hugo’s jaw flexed as his irises burned a terrifying crimson—like the color of fresh blood sprayed against white marble. His fangs began to protrude, bulging within his mouth. He wanted to rip the fae king to pieces and then eat us for dessert.
Tension permeated the empty bar, but instead of striking out, Hugo rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. He gently placed the half-empty glass on the table as he blinked the bloodlust from his eyes. “What do you want?”
Lachlan couldn’t hide the ghost of a smile this time. “Thorn has a special gift, and I’d like her to read you to determine your involvement—if any—with the killer lurking around my land.”
My fingers pressed into the edge of the stainless steel sink so hard my knuckles turned white. Lachlan wanted me to read the vampire king? What if I killed him? “That’s not a good idea,” I ground out.
Lachlan tsked. “It’ll be perfectly fine. If you ask a specific question and the person gives you their mind freely, it should only take seconds.”
He was right in normal circumstances, but I’d already killed two creatures tonight—one of them very old—and I was drunk. Bad didn’t even begin to describe how this situation could turn out.
Hugo’s eyes, now a dark, velvety brown, studied me so intensely I shuddered. “Well, I understand why she’s working for you now.” He leaned back and crossed his arms against his chest, crinkling the elegant charcoal shirt that perfectly hugged his sinewy body. “A death raker witch is quite a commodity to possess. I’m impressed, Lachlan.”
Hot fury lashed at my core, and I pushed away from the bar, plowing into Caleb, who still loomed behind me. “I’m not a thing to be owned.” Purple sparks traveled over my palms. “Got that?”
A silky smile tipped Hugo’s pale-pink lips. “I misspoke. My apologies, Thorn.”
All I was to anyone was a damn piece of property.
Caleb’s hand rested on my shoulder, squeezing to get my attention. “Let’s just get this over with.”
I shrugged out of his
grasp and stomped from behind the bar, nearly running into the edge as my head spun. I should not be doing this drunk.
The vampire king calmly sat forward, looking way too relaxed for someone about to have his energy and life drained out while his mind was being breached. “Do I have any kind of insurance that she won’t kill me?”
Nope.
Lachlan ticked his head toward the prince, who stood at my back. “Caleb will pull her off if she doesn’t break free. He’s wearing an Arx amulet.”
Hugo’s lips pursed in thought as he slowly nodded. “Very well. Proceed.”
I leaned forward, my hand outstretched toward the vampire’s cheek. Did anyone else notice the faint tremble coursing through my muscles?
My fingertips lightly touched his smooth, flawless skin. “Do you have any involvement in the human bodies being found in fae territory?” My palm pressed firmly into his cool flesh while a flood of images bombarded my mind.
A hard lump of dread tumbled into the pit of my gut when I saw nothing that associated Hugo with the East Side Slasher. Maybe Mila was working without his knowledge, but the vision that unfolded next dashed those hopes to pieces.
“Bring the humans to the factory,” he told Mila as she stood before him in a large study filled with towering bookshelves and opulent silk, leather, and gold décor. “Their blood will make a nice addition to the mix.”
They couldn’t have been involved in the murders—at least not with these captives—because none of the victims were depleted of blood, and it was clear Hugo had every intention of draining them.
The vampires were up to something, though. Hugo began to resist as I pushed further into his mind.
A thick iron wall crashed down, blocking my search. I could certainly break through. The death raker rumbled inside, begging to be sated.
Before my dark side could take the reins, fingers wrapped around my wrist, pulling my hand off of Hugo’s face and severing the connection.
I blinked and stumbled back, slamming into a hard form.
“Nice try, witch, but my other memories are off-limits.” Hugo’s cheeks appeared hollow and pallid while shadows bruised beneath his eyes. He leaned forward and grabbed the blood cocktail. “I’m going to need another one of these. That was unpleasant, to say the least.”
