There was only a single bed, and while the sheets looked clean enough, the rest of the room did not. Cobwebs hung from the corners of the room. A damp, browning stain darkened the ceiling near where the door led to a small, bare bones bathroom with a tiny shower.
“We’ll only be staying here for the rest of tonight,” said Jack. “And some of tomorrow, I guess.”
“Hmph.” Katie tossed down both her and Jack’s suitcases a little harder than she needed to. “I don’t enjoy being treated like your fucking servant, you know.”
“Maybe you should have considered that before drugging Ryoko and taking her place,” said Jack. He sighed, feeling his concern toward Ryoko return in full force. He briefly considered what time it would be back on Lestaron Island before deciding that it didn’t matter and pulling out his phone to call her anyway.
“She’s not answering,” Jack muttered, after hearing the mansion’s phone and then Ryoko’s cell phone both go to voicemail.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” asked Katie. “She’s fine, Jack. I promise I didn’t secretly murder her or anything.”
“Tell me again why you thought any of this was a good idea?” he asked.
“What else is there for me to say?” asked Katie. “I already told you. It’s for my own sake. My future is on the line here too, after what I did to help you as a vampire.”
“That almost makes sense,” said Jack. “Except Ryoko is far better suited for the role of playing my thrall. If you were really worried about your future, you’d have tried to help in some other way.”
Katie scowled at him, but before she could say anything else, someone knocked on the motel room door. Jack hesitated, glancing over at the door and considering who it could be.
“Mira wouldn’t be back so soon,” he said. “Be ready. Just in case.”
Katie nodded. The annoyance in her expression had been replaced by a determined resolve. Jack had to admit that there was at least one advantage of having her there over Ryoko. If it did come to a fight, she would be able to take care of herself.
Jack opened the door and found Pierce standing on the other side of it. He’d changed out of the relaxed clothing he’d had on at the party and into an all-black outfit with various equipment pockets. He carried a long wand in one hand and scanned the room with it as soon as Jack stepped aside to allow him in.
“How long will your broodmother be gone for?” asked Pierce.
“Not that long,” said Jack. “Maybe ten minutes? Maybe longer, but she’ll be back within the hour, for sure.”
“Then we’ll have to make this quick,” said Pierce. “I’m here to explain the rest of the plan to you, so listen carefully. I’ll explain both what’s a part of it, and what’s not.”
Pierce pointed his wand directly at Katie as he spoke the last part, and she made an offended noise in response. Jack let out a small chuckle, feeling a little surprised that Pierce agreed with him on something.
“Hey!” snapped Katie. “I’m useful, and I can help here. You of all people should know that, Pierce.”
“I know what you’re capable of,” said Pierce. “Katherine, you’re smart, and you’re resourceful. But I’m not sure that you’re suited for this kind of job. If we execute our plan properly, it won’t come to a fight.”
“I need more detail about what, exactly, you’re expecting,” said Jack.
“Nothing heroic,” said Pierce. “There’s an acronym for it. LOW. Listening, observing, waiting. Listening involves you trawling for information, but discreetly. Talk to the vampires. Don’t ask about Zedekiah’s Scepter directly, but get a few of them warmed up to you enough for them to speak their minds freely.”
“I can do that,” said Jack.
“Observing means watching for anything we can use,” said Pierce. “This includes getting a feel for the layout of wherever the vampires are holed up and figuring out what their guard patrol routes and schedules are. It’s more about patience and finding excuses to explore than doing anything special.”
Jack nodded.
“And waiting, of course, is exactly what it sounds like,” said Pierce. “Once you’ve figured out where Zedekiah’s Scepter is, and you have an idea about when the best time to get to it would be, get in contact with me and don’t do anything else. My role will be to make a distraction before meeting back up with you so we’ll have one more thing working in our advantage.”
“Listen, observe, wait,” said Katie, in an annoyed voice. “What part of that do you have doubts about me being able to do?”
Pierce cleared his throat and scratched at the back of his head, looking a little uncomfortable.
“Katherine, it’s very likely that Jack will need to feed off you at some point during this mission,” said Pierce. “In fact, it’s almost certain. A vampire’s bite, while generally painless, has certain unwanted effects associated with it. It can provoke responses from your body that you might not be entirely comfortable indulging in.”
“I know that,” said Katie, glancing downward. “He’s… bitten me before.”
Pierce’s jaw fell open in surprise, and he blinked several times.
“He has?” asked Pierce.
“You left that part out, Katie?” asked Jack. “I thought you told him everything? You said you’d explained the situation.”
“It wasn’t relevant!” stammered Katie. “I mean, not really. And it’s not like it’s a big deal. I always take an anti-enthrallment potion to block the negative effects.”
“Katherine,” said Pierce. “If you’d learned alchemy through the proper channels, you would know that those potions are not a long-term solution. How many times has he bitten you? More than ten times? More than twenty?”
Jack shrugged. Katie blushed and refused to look at anyone or attempt to answer the question.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?” asked Pierce.
“It’s not a big deal,” Katie muttered again.
Pierce exhaled through his nose and held a hand up.
“Never mind,” he said. “There’s no time. Remember what I explained about what I’m expecting from you both. I’ll send a text to one of your phones about where we’ll meet next, but it won’t be until after you’ve made contact with the Jade Circle.”
“Got it,” said Jack.
“Be careful,” Pierce said, looking at Katie. He turned to face Jack with his jaw set and held his gaze. “That goes for you too, Jack. You be careful. Especially when you’re feeding.”
“I always am.” Jack smirked at Pierce, making no attempt to keep from seeming smug. He couldn’t help but enjoy the way it deepened Pierce’s scowl.
Pierce slipped out of the motel room, closing the door softly behind him. The silence left in his wake was tense, and more than a little awkward.
CHAPTER 11
“I guess… we should get this over with,” said Katie. “You’ll have to feed eventually.”
“Katie, if this is a problem for you, you should have thought about that before—”
“I know!” snapped Katie. “It’s fine. I’m an adult, Jack. I can handle the consequences of my own actions.”
She sighed and sat down on the bed, letting her hands rest on top of her thighs. She didn’t look nervous, but Jack could sense the emotional storm raging inside of her.
She was still Katie, the little girl he’d known so long ago. Jack felt more than a little guilty for how much he’d put her through over the past few weeks. None of it had been his choice, other than returning to the island in the first place. But Katie had been there with him for almost all of it, suffering the consequences alongside him, even if only reluctantly.
“Have you taken the potion already?” asked Jack.
“Obviously,” said Katie. “And I brought the handcuffs with me. Just in case you get rowdy.”
“Of course you did,” said Jack.
He smiled as he watched her rifling through her suitcase to find them.
“Don’t be snark
y about it,” said Katie. “It makes sense.”
“I wasn’t being snarky,” said Jack. “It’s just…”
He stretched out on the bed, setting his wrists against the headboard so Katie could loop the handcuffs through one of the bars.
“It’s just what?” snapped Katie.
“You and Ryoko are so different when it comes to this,” said Jack.
“What is that supposed to mean?” asked Katie. “Wait, let me guess. You think her blood tastes better than mine, or something?”
“Do you have to be like this?” asked Jack. “Just as a reminder, you put yourself in this situation.”
Katie scowled at him, but when she spoke again, her tone was more controlled and less annoyed.
“I want to know,” she said. “What did you mean by that?”
She spread out on the bed next to him, pulling in closer, but still not turning her head to give Jack access to her neck.
“Ryoko leans into the experience,” said Jack. “She lets herself enjoy it. She’s not afraid.”
“You think this scares me?” asked Katie.
In response, Jack let his cuffs rattle against the wood of the headboard. Katie glared at him and slapped one of her hands against his bound wrist.
“I’m not afraid of you, Jack,” she said. “I wouldn’t be here if I was.”
“I know that,” said Jack. “And that’s not what I meant. I think you’re afraid… of this.”
He leaned in closer, allowing his lips to briefly brush against the nape of Katie’s flawless neck. She shuddered and jerked slightly, orienting her body toward him, but also pulling away.
“I’m not,” said Katie.
“Okay,” said Jack. “Move your neck in closer, then.”
Katie hesitated for a breath before wiggling toward him on the bed. She was facing away from him, and Jack felt her butt briefly mashing against his crotch. Katie pulled her ponytail out of the way, and Jack could see the movement in her throat as she swallowed nervously.
He kissed the spot he was going to bite, first. Katie’s body shivered just from that, and a flush came to her cheeks. Jack took his time, a part of him enjoying her reactions. He let his warm breath tickle her neck and dragged his lips across her sensitive skin.
“Jack,” whispered Katie. “You’re being mean.”
“Am I?”
“Just… hurry up,” said Katie.
“I thought it would be easier for you if I went slow,” he said.
“Jack!” snapped Katie.
“Fine.”
He opened his mouth wide and let his fangs press into Katie’s neck. Her reaction was almost instantaneous. She grabbed onto his waist with one hand and pressed herself back into him. Tiny, pleasured noises escaped her lips as Jack began to drink. She tasted so sweet, like fresh-squeezed lemonade, and he felt instant relief from the headache that had been building over the past few hours.
He’d missed Katie, and as horrible as it was for him to admit, he’d missed feeding off her. He had to be careful not to take too much, for her sake. It wasn’t like feeding off Ryoko at night, when he knew that she’d be able to sleep and recover her energy without risk.
He pulled back after just a sip, but Katie continued moving against him. She rolled over and wrapped her arms around him, grinding her hips into him. Her eyes were closed, but she still found his lips for a kiss.
He’d missed this, too. Katie kissed him in a way that was more than just a kiss. Her body moved with her lips and tongue, undulating against Jack in a manner that made him curse the fact that his wrists were still secured.
She stopped, but only for long enough to run her hands down the length of his chest. Jack saw Katie’s expression shift as she came to a decision, and then he felt her fingers on his jeans, unbuttoning them and pulling the zipper down.
She hesitated, meeting his eye. Jack resisted the urge to smirk at her. She kissed him again, and Jack let his lips trace across her neck as it ended, eliciting a shuddering, uncontrolled moan from her.
“Jack…” she whispered. “I… I…”
“Katie,” he replied.
Against his better judgment, he let his fangs drag against her skin again. Katie let out a wispy, involuntary squeal. Jack let his fangs sink in again, even though he knew that it was a bad idea. Her blood tasted so good, and it had been a while since he’d experienced the flavor.
This time, when he pulled back, Katie’s movements weren’t hesitant. She wiggled out of her yoga pants as though the starting gun had been fired in a race to take them off. His jeans were already down, and he blinked in surprise as he felt Katie freeing his shaft from his boxers.
She pulled her panties to the side and mounted him. They both let out gasps in unison as the tip of his shaft slid in. Katie was shuddering more than she would have if she’d been naked in the middle of winter, and she had to lean her hands on Jack’s chest to hold herself where she was. It almost seemed like she was afraid of what the pleasure would do to her if she took too much of his length in, too fast.
“Fuck,” whispered Katie.
Jack strained against his cuffs, again wishing that his hands were free. Katie slowly rocked forward and back, and side to side. Each of her movements were tiny and small, as though it was all she could handle without overdosing on pleasure. Each of her movements only served to tease Jack, emphasizing just how tight she really was.
She took a shuddering breath, leaning her head forward and letting her ponytail fall across her face. Jack lifted his hips upward, spearing into her. The movement clearly caught her by surprise, as Katie let out a tiny, squeaking sound as he pushed his shaft deep.
She bit her lower lip, set both hands on his chest, and slowly began to ride. She rode him as though he was her first, and watching and listening to her reactions brought Jack an untoward amount of satisfaction.
“That’s it,” said Jack. “Just like that.”
Katie sped up a little. She didn’t make eye contact with him, but it was hard to tell whether it was out of embarrassment or overwhelming pleasure. There was only so much Jack could do to be involved, with his hands out of the equation, but he watched and savored each of Katie’s movements. She started breathing more heavily and let herself get into the rhythm.
It wasn’t the first time that he and Katie had crossed the line into intimacy. Jack had dreamed of having her so often in his time away from Lestaron Island, but never like this. As pleasurable as it was, it didn’t match up with the way they’d made love in his dreams. It felt illicit and dirty, as though the tension of their circumstances had boiled over, rather than an encounter born from mutual, intimate choice.
That didn’t stop him from kissing Katie’s breasts through her blouse as she leaned forward. It didn’t stop him from hooking one of his legs around hers to give himself a little more leverage to participate with. And it didn’t stop either of them from bucking and grinding into each other with as much intensity as they could as they reached a simultaneous eruption of pleasure.
“Oh god!” cried Katie.
Jack let out a low grunt as he released inside of her. He really hoped she was on the pill.
***
It took a minute or two for both of them to come back to their senses. Katie blinked her eyes open and seemed surprised by the fact that she was still on top of Jack, with one of her hands laced through his hair. She cleared her throat and rolled herself off him, cleaning herself up in the bathroom before pulling her panties back on as quickly as she could.
“Well,” she said. “I’m glad that we got that out of the way.”
“Did we?” asked Jack. He winked at her, and couldn’t help but smile when Katie let out a nervous sigh.
She unlocked the handcuffs and put them away in her bag. She walked around the motel room with her arms folded, glancing back at Jack every few seconds.
“That’s the first time I haven’t felt bad about it,” she said. “I guess there’s at least one upside to the break that Bruce a
nd I have been on.”
Her words instantly made Jack remember Ryoko, and he felt a little disgusted with himself. He’d gone way too far with Katie, and Mira as well, earlier. Even though he and Ryoko had never talked about whether or not their relationship was officially exclusive, it still made his skin crawl a little to think about how he’d been fooling around with other women behind her back.
“Damn it,” he muttered. “Katie, can you give me a second? Alone?”
Katie frowned. She started to say something, and then seemed to realize what was on Jack’s mind.
“Right,” she said. “I think she’ll understand, Jack. Can you tell her that I’m sorry? For drugging her?”
“I will, but you’re going to eventually need to apologize yourself,” said Jack.
Katie rolled her eyes. She slipped out of the motel room, giving Jack the privacy he’d asked for.
He tried calling again, to no avail. Despite Katie’s reassurances of Ryoko being okay, he couldn’t help but start to worry.
He was left with no other option than to use his Blood Sight. He stretched out on the bed, taking slow breaths and allowing himself to enter the relaxed, trance-like state. By focusing his blood essence, he could observe anyone who had a recent blood connection to him, Ryoko included.
He’d gotten enough practice through using it to reach out to Mira, that it only took a moment. Jack felt the motel room fade away, revealing the familiar walls of one of the mansion’s servant’s rooms behind it. He let out a sigh of relief, glancing down at Ryoko curled up in the sheets of her bed. He sat down next to her and gently stroked her cheek with one hand.
“Sir?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m not actually here,” he said. “I’m using one of my spells. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay.”
Ryoko smiled and set her hand on top of his. She kissed one of his fingers and nodded.
Emerald Keep Page 6
