My concentration broke and I almost crashed to the ground. My feet hit hard and I leaned over as pain bolted through me.
“Lil?” The voice was stronger now. More desperate.
I whirled and came face-to-face with Nina.
“You scared the crap out of me.”
She looked at me as if I’d grown two heads.
“Er, that is, you would have scared the crap out of me if I weren’t such a badass vampire who doesn’t scare, period. What are you doing here?”
“I had to talk to someone.” A sob punctuated her sentence. “I did it.”
“Did what?”
I expected her to say she’d sucked Elmer dry or eaten the tomato facial or something equally awful. We’re talking sobbing.
“I called Rob to tell him that I love him.”
“That’s great.”
“He didn’t answer his phone.” Her red-rimmed eyes met mine. “Laura Tanner did.”
Oh, no.
“It was the worst moment of my afterlife.”
I pulled her into a fierce hug and damned my brother a thousand times as sobs racked her body.
“I love him and he’s off screwing the Tanner triplets. He’s probably biting them, too.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t do that.” But the truth was, I wasn’t so sure. Rob had fangs and a penis and he’d been drunk. The trio made for some stupid decisions. “He loves you. I know he does.” At least that much was true. Rob did love Nina. He just didn’t realize it.
And I wasn’t so sure he ever would.
“Come on, let’s get out of here. We’ll go back to the motel and talk.”
She pulled away to stare at me. “But you have to look for Esther.”
“Trust me, I’m not having much luck.”
“Sure you are,” the deep voice rumbled through my head. “I just wouldn’t classify it as good luck.”
I whirled to find Mordred standing directly behind me.
I swear, everyone was getting the jump on me these days.
He wore the same khakis and blue shirt, only they were streaked with something dark and red. My nostrils flared and hunger gripped me.
“One person’s bad luck is another person’s good luck. That’s what they say, isn’t it?”
“Actually, it’s one person’s trash is another person’s treasure, but I guess the concept is the same.”
“What’s going on?” Nina’s tears dried up and she took on a wary stance.
“Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?”
“This is Mordred.”
“The sonofabitch who stole Esther.” She tried to launch into Super Vamp mode, but I caught her hand, my gaze fixed on the gun in Mordred’s hand.
It wasn’t a normal-looking gun. Rather, it had a large green canister attached to the top. A greenish liquid sloshed in the canister and the familiar scent of garlic prickled my nostrils.
“Don’t,” I murmured.
“Wise advice.” He winked at me. “Unfortunately, you’re not half as good at taking advice as you are at dishing it out. You should have listened to Merlin.” The surprise must have shown in my eyes because he added, “Yes, I know about your little run-in. In fact, I witnessed the entire thing. While I have to admit we didn’t plan it, it still worked out nicely.”
“He’s in on this with you, isn’t he?”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to.
His eyes danced with a dark, dangerous light. “I still can’t believe you bought all that nonsense about fulfilling the ritual. Merlin could stop me right now if he wanted to.”
“But he doesn’t want to.”
He smiled. “I have something he wants.” He tapped his head. “I know the secret. The key to a successful ritual. He needs me.” When I didn’t seem clued in, he added, “Merlin’s a powerful sorcerer. The most powerful of our kind, but while he’s immortal, he hasn’t been able to stop the aging process. The white hair. The wrinkles. He’s spent years trying to reverse the process with plain magic, but other than casting a very convincing allusion spell, he can’t do anything real. Anything permanent. But I can.”
“You’re sacrificing Esther for him.”
“Hardly.” He chuckled, a frightening sound that stalled my heart in my chest. “I went to a lot of trouble to find Esther. I’ve spent a lot of time working with her, making sure I starve her just enough, making sure she feels just the right amount of pain to fulfill the ritual requirements. I’m not giving her up that easy. She’s mine.” His gaze narrowed and he aimed the gun. “You’re Merlin’s sacrifice.” He pulled the trigger.
The liquid hit me, dripping into my eyes, my mouth. The scent rushed into my nose and clogged my lungs. I tried to keep ahold of Nina, but she pulled free to cover her face with her hands as he turned the blast on her.
But it was too late.
She stiffened and stumbled backward while my own muscles clenched and jerked. I fell to my knees, my body jerking, fighting before the paralysis gripped me. I hit the dirt face-first. My heart slowed. My eyes closed.
And then I tumbled into a big black pit of nothing.
Never, ever drink wine in a box.
That was my first thought when I blinked. My head throbbed and my eyes felt gritty and heavy. I was surely nursing one hellacious hangover thanks to the two glasses I’d downed at the nail salon—
The thoughts skidded to a halt as I became acutely aware of the cold dirt floor beneath me and the ropes binding my hands and feet. The confrontation with Mordred came rushing back in an instant and I glanced at Nina, who lay a few feet away. She was trussed up, too, but she hadn’t yet opened her eyes. Which meant the soft crying wasn’t coming from her.
My gaze shifted to the right and the vampire that lay stretched out on a bloodstained table, her hands and feet tied at each of the four corners. Esther was naked, her skin raw and bleeding, and my heart hitched. Several strips of flesh had been cut from her legs in various patterns and draped over a long rack that hung on a nearby wall. She trembled, but no sound escaped her dried and cracked lips.
I sniffled and caught my bottom lip. The noise instantly stopped.
What?
I gathered my control and tried to slow my pounding heart. I needed to think. To get a grip and get the hell out of here.
Here looked like the inside of a massive cave and I guessed we were somewhere behind the stone wall that had once been the backdrop for the waterfall. A sliver of light snaked its way around a corner, illuminating a tunnel (the only visible way in or out), and I knew night had faded into day. Judging by the weariness gripping my limbs, I was guessing somewhere around midday.
Ritual day.
The realization struck just as I heard soft footsteps. Mordred appeared, an ancient-looking knife in his hands. He walked over to Esther and lifted one of her eyelids. She flinched and he seemed satisfied that she was conscious enough for what he had in mind.
He went to her right arm and started to cut. A scream ripped through the air and bounced off the walls.
I tugged against the ropes, but it was useless. “Leave her alone,” I croaked.
“Jealous, are we?” He finished slicing the skin off her right arm and moved to her left. Once he’d cut a matching piece, he walked over to the rack and draped them both next to the half dozen already on display.
“Don’t worry,” he said as he turned and headed for me. “You’ll get your turn, too.” He leaned over me and I braced myself for the pain. Instead, he grabbed a nearby rag and held it over my face.
I bucked once, twice, and then I was out again.
The next time I opened my eyes, the light in the tunnel had faded and the opening yawned pitch black. My throat felt tight and my eyes were watery. Instead of being tied together, my arms were above my head, my hands tied at each corner.
Uh-oh.
I lifted my head and glanced down. Sure enough, I was stretched out on my own table. My clothes were history, but I still had all my skin.
“We didn’t want to start the party without you.” It was Merlin who spoke this time. “The pain is part of the ritual, so you have to be conscious.”
I turned and spotted him as he neared the table. I flashed some fang and growled. “Untie me or I’ll rip your head off.”
“You and what army?” He chuckled. “Speaking of army, knock, knock.”
When I didn’t say anything, he lifted the dreaded finger and pinched at the air. My arm tightened painfully, and I gave a loud cry and growled, “Who’s there?”
“Tank.”
Another pinch and pain ripped through my other arm. “T-tank who?”
“You’re welcome.” He started laughing then, the sound bouncing off the walls and pounding into my head.
I tugged at my wrist, desperate to get loose and yank his stupid Santa beard.
“You can stop fighting. This was meant to be, Miss Marchette. I knew it the moment I visited your office. You’re determined. Per sis tent. Vibrant.” He smiled. “I could feel your life force and I knew then that it was fate. I didn’t even have to kidnap you. You followed me willingly. You even gave me the perfect alibi to explain your death.”
“The videotape.”
He smiled. “I’ll tell them that you tried to interfere and I had no choice but to destroy you. With the taped evidence to back up my story, the BV Council won’t be able to challenge my actions.”
“What about Nina?” I struggled to catch a glimpse of my friend. She still lay in a heap in the corner, oblivious to everything.
“I’ll say she got in the way. It won’t be nearly as convincing as your death, but I’ll have two eyewitnesses to vouch for me.”
“Your men aren’t here.”
“They don’t have to be. One spell and they’ll say anything I want them to say. They’ll believe it. She got in the way. I had no choice.”
“Esther’s ready.” Mordred’s voice drew my attention to the right. He wore a cloak made up of the various strips of Esther’s skin. Blood from the fresher pieces drip-dropped down his cheeks. The dagger gleamed in his hand. “One down, one to go.”
I was going to die. Really die.
The truth hit me hard and fast as the dagger descended.
No seeing my mother or my father or my brothers.
No Evie. No Killer.
No Ty.
I’d let him go. How stupid was that? I’d let him walk away. Worse, I’d pushed him away.
The only vampire I’d ever loved.
The only vampire who’d ever loved me.
He did. Even if he hadn’t ever said it. I knew it deep down inside, underneath all my insecurities and my crazy romantic notions. I’d fantasized for so long about the perfect vampire that I’d refused to give up my ideal. But vampires aren’t perfect.
Fine, so physically they are. But emotionally they’re just as messed up as everyone else, me included. Ty had been right. I was every bit the commitment-phobe. That’s why I’d put off introducing him to my mother.
Because I wouldn’t just be admitting to her that I was giving up a future filled with baby vamps, I’d be admitting it to myself.
That’s what I’d really been afraid of.
Committing to Ty and giving up my dream.
But it wasn’t the dream that kept me company as the knife sank into my skin. It was Ty. His image in my head. His memory warming my body and blocking out the pain.
“Sonofabitch,” I ground out through clenched teeth.
Okay, most of the pain.
Hot blood slithered down my calf, drip-dropped onto the floor. Fire swept up my leg as Mordred peeled back the skin.
I clamped my eyes shut and focused on Ty. His handsome face. His toned body. His deep voice.
“Lame, dude. Really lame.”
Then again, maybe his voice wasn’t that deep.
My eyes popped open and I stared through a fog of pain at the woman who stood behind Mordred.
“Tabitha?”
“Hey, Lil.” She gave a finger wave, all party girl bubbly until she turned her attention to Mordred. Her bright blue eyes hardened into hard chips and her smile faded. “It wasn’t nice ditching me like that. I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Her vivid description of her dream man clicked and I realized she hadn’t been looking for a date at all. She’d been looking for Mordred.
And she’d finally hit pay dirt.
“We had a deal,” Tabitha reminded Mordred.
While I never would have pegged her for the intimidating sort, she rose to the occasion as she stepped toward the sorcerer.
He backed up.
I had no clue who Tabitha really was, but I knew then that she was one bad bitch.
Merlin lifted his hand to give her the finger, but she nailed him with a stare. “Stay out of this, old man.”
His arm fell to his side and stayed there as if some invisible force held him immobile.
“We had a deal, Mordred. I make sure the gods reward you for your sacrifice and you hand over the souls to me. That’s the way it’s always been between us. Always. But you had to get greedy, didn’t you? You wanted to cut me out, make one last sacrifice and gain immortality all by yourself. But it doesn’t work that way. The deal calls for a human. A soul. Vampires don’t have souls.”
Hey.
“You renig,” she went on. “I renig.”
“I …” The words faded into a choked gurgle.
“What’s the matter?” She eyed him. “Cat got your tongue?” The moment she said it, his mouth opened. Blood gushed out, followed by something that landed with a splat on the floor. “Oh, it’s not the cat. It’s just me.” She leaned over and picked up the bleeding slab. “I’ve got your tongue.” She waved it at him. “And all the rest of you. Ditto for your soul.” Her eyes brightened and the walls seemed to vibrate. “Time to go.”
Mordred stumbled backward, but it was too late. His fingers started to fall, plopping into the dirt one by one. Then his hands. His arms. He screamed, the sound blending with the rush of wind that seemed to dismember him piece by piece. The ground started to shake then, sucking at the pieces, gobbling them up until all that remained was the sickening skin cloak that lay in a heap on the ground.
“Don’t do this,” Merlin said when she turned toward him. “The Council won’t take my death lightly.”
“Oh, I’m not going to kill you. I’m going to warn you. There is no bending the rules. One human sacrifice every one hundred years. You give me the soul and I give you another hundred years looking exactly the way you do now.” Her gaze swept him from head to toe. “Doesn’t sound so hot, now, does it?” Silence ticked by as she stepped closer to him, until they were nose to nose. “If I were you, I’d turn and run right now.”
She blew him a little kiss and he flew backward, slamming into the wall. He scrambled to his feet and ran for his life. “Party on,” she called after him.
“Lil.” She clucked her tongue as she walked over to me. “You’re a mess, girl.”
“Who are you?”
“Ixtab,” said a deep, familiar voice. Ty’s image materialized. He took one look at me and the relief in his eyes turned to something much darker and much more dangerous. “Fuck,” he growled as he stared at the raw patch where my skin had been. “Fuck.” His gaze collided with mine. “I’m sorry.”
And I knew he wasn’t just talking about my flayed flesh. Warmth seeped through me, chasing away the cold.
I grinned. “You’re late.”
My reply eased his frown lines and he grinned. His gaze swept the length of me again and his gaze darkened. “You’re naked.”
“I’d love to stick around for this heartfelt reunion, but I’ve got a date.” Ixtab winked at me. “Evie set me up with a plumber from Brooklyn. We’re going salsa dancing.”
“Party on,” I called after her. “Start talking,” I said to Ty.
“Her name is Ixtab.”
“And?”
“You know, the ancient Mayan goddess of
death. She gathers the souls of victims of suicide, childbirth and sacrifice and takes them to paradise. At least that’s what the legend says, but I’ve got it on good authority that they don’t make it past Vegas.”
Hey, it made sense.
“Anyhow, she’s been keeping Mordred young in return for the souls of his sacrifices. He tried to cheat her this time and she wasn’t too happy about it.”
I remembered the flying body parts. “Obviously not.” I shook my head. Could this night get any stranger?
Right about the time I asked myself that question, I heard the squeal of tires and the slam of several car doors.
Ty heard it, too. “We’d better get you untied.” He grabbed the discarded dagger and went to work on the ropes at my feet. Since they were infused with silver and soaked in garlic, he fumbled a few times, but in a matter of seconds, my right foot was free. “It seems Rob called Nina back when he found out that she called him.” The bonds on my left foot eased. “When she didn’t answer, he got worried and called me.” Ty moved around my head and reached for the ropes on my left wrist. “I didn’t answer, so he called his brothers, who called your dad, who called Evie, who called Ash.” My hand broke free and he moved to the next one. “They were on their way, the last I heard.”
“Which ones?”
“All except for Evie. She’s holding down the fort back home.” The voices grew louder, more discern-able, and he cut through the last of the restraints. “They got into town about an hour ago, talked to Elmer, and here they are.”
I rubbed at my wrists. “When did you get into town?”
His gaze met and held mine. “Baby, I never left.”
I’d like to say that Ty swooped me into his arms at that very second and carried me off into the sunset à la some romantic Taylor Swift song, but hey, we’re vampires. No sunsets allowed.
On top of that, I was in so much pain that there was no swooping allowed either.
Instead, he peeled off the dark blue T-shirt he was wearing and helped me into it. I winced and cringed and yelped a few times. Finally the soft cotton slithered over me just as Ash and his brothers barreled through the opening of the tunnel.
Sucker For Love Page 21
