by Crymsyn Hart
His proposition for forever had sounded like a wonderful idea. She could go to night school and get any degree she wanted because she had forever. She would be with others of her own kind, those he had rescued from the street. Prostitutes, junkies, other strippers who were going nowhere, but Balthus had seen potential in her. Maybe it was the succubus part of her he had seen. Was that what made her special? Was it because she was slightly different than the other vampires and could not ride the shadows or that her hunger was something she could resist? She had been asking herself these questions over and over again, but no answer came to her mind. Instead she slumped down onto the cot. Daniella thought back to her dream and pulled all of the fragments together with Tris. She smiled at how good he had tasted and wondered what it would be like to experience him in the flesh.
Chapter Four
Tris ran his finger over the blade one last time and made sure it came away with a thin line of crimson. For the past three days and nights, he had checked in on his guest in the basement. She had not demanded anything of him except something to read and a radio, which they had in the equipment room, so she was not too bad to deal with. However, Tris still did not trust her, no matter if she had been staying out of his dreams. She was soft spoken, and sometimes he almost forgot that she was a vampire. Right now he wondered how she was doing. He tried to push that thought from his mind, but he flashed back to his dream. The bliss of her touch raced through him. He tried to shake it off, but ever since that dream, it had awakened long-buried feelings and memories. Besides that, Daniella was feisty and a looker. She had a great rack, a spitfire wrapped up in a tight, little package of darkness. The enigma that had him stumped was what was so special about her.
“How goes it with the vampire? Haven’t killed her yet, have you?”
He glanced up when he heard Lori’s voice. “No, but it was close that first day. Where the hell have you been?”
Lori pulled a drink from the refrigerator and sat across from him. Tris noticed his clothes were dirty. A dark smudge ran across his forehead. His hands and nails were caked with even more muck that could have been dried blood. Rarely had he seen his friend so unkempt. He took a sip of the water he had pulled out and put his feet up on the chair across from him. “Can’t tell you. Sorry, Tris.”
“Why the hell not? We’re partners.” He slammed his dagger into the table.
“Hey! Careful with the furniture, Tris. That’s mahogany!” Horatio said to him as the other angel strolled into the kitchen swathed in nothing but a towel.
Tris rolled his eyes. “It’s only a table, Horatio. Don’t get too wound up about it.”
Horatio yanked the knife from the table and handed it back to Tris, handle first. Tris took it and slipped the weapon back into its sheath. He eyed the other angel. “What are you doing down here in a towel?”
The other man smiled, and his face turned red. “I was going to shower in the equipment room. The one upstairs is backed up. Hesphital and Hemeil brought this woman home last night, and, well.... Anyway, we have to call the plumber. I’ll do that tomorrow. Oh, have you seen a red piece of paper anywhere around here?”
Tris stared at the other angel. “No. Why?” He thought back to the pamphlet he had picked up in Hemeil’s room. What did Horatio need with it?
“It’s a place Hemeil and I have to go check out. Possible vampire nest.”
Vampire nest. Maybe. Tris could see it. The club was a notorious breeding ground for evil. He had been there a few times to blow off steam and did see a vampire or two among the throng. But it was not his call; if Joe was telling the H’s to investigate, then that was the word from on high, just as it was for him to watch out for that creature below their feet. He watched Horatio unlock the basement door. Tris focused back on Lori as Horatio went down the stairs. Lori shook his head, and Tris knew he was holding back his laughter.
“How did we end up getting stuck with the H’s?” Tris asked his partner.
“They are fun to party with. I can’t believe that all three of them...well, never mind. We could have worse partners.”
Tris agreed. The H’s relished the freedom they had not being in Heaven. When it came to work, they focused on what they were doing, and nothing could break that concentration. “So what can you tell me about what you’ve been doing?”
Lori shrugged. “Nothing. Sorry. I’m only here to rest and recharge. After that, I’m out again. All I can tell you is that you need to keep her safe and away from Balthus. He’s looking for her. He’s gone to his Grigori master for assistance.”
“How do you know that?” Tris asked.
“We have a man on the inside. He’s leaked what information he can.” Lori stood up and shrugged off his coat.
Underneath it, Tris saw the holes in his shirt and the small butterfly tattoos that started on his wrist and eventually went up his arm. He thought about the two he had and wondered if he would ever get more. They were signs of power and loyalty or rank in the Fallen. He shivered when he thought about it and was going to ask him who the undercover man was inside of the Grigoris’ household but heard Horatio pounding back up the stairs. When he came back up, he was paler than the towel he wore around his waist.
“Tris. Lori. Come quick.”
Tris rose from the chair and bolted down the stairs with Lori right behind him. Horatio ran before him, so he followed around the treadmills and to the cot in the corner where Daniella had been sleeping. Instead of her lively self, her skin was ashen. Tris sat on the edge of the cot and touched her face. She moaned something and half opened her eyes.
“Was she like this earlier?” Horatio asked.
Tris shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t checked on her since last night. She seemed fine then. Maybe a little quiet.” The books she had been reading were in a neat pile by one end of the cot. Daniella wore a black pair of jeans that hugged her curves and a black T-shirt that was too big for her. She rested on a blanket that he knew was Horatio’s. “Have you been down here talking to her?”
Horatio glared at him. “Yes. She needs to know someone cares about her when you certainly aren’t showing her any hospitality. Daniella is quite intelligent and pleasing if you were to get to know her. Besides, she’s an irresistible little thing. Too bad you don’t see it. Are you going to help her or not?”
Lori knelt down next to her. He touched her face and glanced at Tris. “Have you fed her?”
Tris scoffed. “Why would I feed her? She hasn’t asked me for blood. I’m not going to sacrifice some innocent human to feed that cre....” He bit his lip when he caught Lori’s disparaging look. “She never told me that she was in dire need. How was I supposed to know?”
Lori stood up. “We hunt vampires. That’s what our little squad does. We know everything there is to know about them. You should have seen the signs in her.”
He chuckled. “That might be true about other vampires, but isn’t she special? That’s what you keep telling me and that I don’t see it. Right?”
Horatio glanced at Lori. “That isn’t relevant right now. You need to get her fed. And maybe you don’t see it because you’re so hell-bent on hating her. I’d assume by now you would’ve figured she’s not a normal vampire.”
“Normal or not, what do you want me to do? I’m not going to sacrifice a human for her, and we don’t have any rats in the house to feed her.”
“Then you feed her yourself. Joe put you in charge of her to make sure she was safe. Do you want me to go back to him and tell him that she died because you were being an ass? Come on, Horatio. Tris needs his privacy to get over his bias for Daniella. Don’t make me go back to Joe.”
Lori and Horatio walked back up the stairs, leaving him alone with Daniella. He swore under his breath and stared at the woman before him. He felt her skin once more. It was cold and dry, as though she was turning into a mummy. Young vampires did not do that if they were starving. Their bodies shut down. When they died, they began to resemble the true age of what they
were. But she was not an ordinary vampire. Tris watched her motionless form and noticed the curve of her lips and the swells of her breasts. Daniella’s dark curls framed her round face, and her mouth was enticing. He remembered back to his dream, how her mouth had encompassed his cock. Tris closed his eyes and saw Caillech lying there instead with a stake in her heart. It was that moment he had been given the choice to join her in death or become a hunter. He had not wanted to die, and he had been cast out of Heaven. He could have stayed on earth to descend lower into Hell. That was not something he wanted either. Joe had taken pity on him and given him a second chance. Maybe he was supposed to do that with Daniella. Give her a second chance. After Caillech was killed, he fueled his grief and it hardened into anger because he realized that he had been fooled into love. He had used that to slaughter all the vampires they had been set upon. Tris trailed his finger along her cheek. She stirred a moment and opened her eyes. Her irises were crimson from hunger. She even managed a half smile.
“Guess you won’t have to deal with me after all.” Her face crinkled in pain.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were hungry? I would’ve gotten something for you.”
“No, you wouldn’t have. You’d have cursed at me and told me to go fuck off or something. Let me be.”
“Can’t do that. I told Joe I’d take care of you. I guess that means I have to feed you.”
Her eyes widened, but she was too weak to fight him. Tris pulled out his silver dagger and dragged it across his wrist. The blood welled up, and he held it over her lips. A few drops plopped into her mouth, and she swallowed them. He never thought he would be doing this. Feeding a vampire to keep it alive when I should be taking her head. He lowered his wrist to her mouth and had a flash of her lips locked around his cock. The memory of desire firmed him once more, and he had to fight through his body’s reactions. Her lips worked over his flesh, and she seemed to be getting stronger. Daniella weakly pushed his hand away after a couple more swallows. Tris saw she was still hungry because the crimson had not retreated from her eyes.
“That’s enough. I don’t want your generosity to be overextended.” Daniella tried to sit up, but she slumped back down.
Tris was surprised that she was able to stop. Most vampires would have kept on feeding until there was no more blood left in a body, at least the young ones or those with no discipline. That was the best time to kill them. But she had been able to pull away. Tris studied her. Her skin remained ashen. Her eyes were crimson. She was still too weak, and a stab of guilt pierced his heart. He had been entrusted to her care, and it was clear he had been neglecting it.
“Come on. You need to feed, or I won’t hear the end of it.” Tris offered her his wrist once more.
The need for blood lingered in her eyes, but she fought the hunger. “No. I’ll be okay.”
Tris knelt before the bed to make it easier for her. Daniella did not make a move to take his wrist again, but her whole body shook with desire for the blood. “I’m not leaving until you’ve regained your strength.”
It took her a moment, but she finally took his wrist once more. This time he felt the sharp sting of her fangs slice into his flesh. The pain of the puncture raced up his arm, and it instantly made him hard. He remembered what it felt like when Caillech had fed from him. Tris stared at her. Daniella’s eyes were closed, and her dark curls brushed his arm. He could not resist and reached out to touch one of them. It was softer than he had imagined it would be. Daniella froze and stared at him. The crimson had faded from her eyes. She flicked her tongue over his wounds and slowly sat up on the cot. She was still wobbly, but she placed a hand on his chest. He froze, but did not pull away. Her mocha-colored skin had regained some color, but it was still pale against her black shirt.
She laid another hand on his cheek and peered into his eyes. “Who was it that hurt you?”
“Who said I was hurt? Was Horatio feeding you some bull?” Tris tried to get up, but Daniella removed her hand from his heart and gripped his arm. The pressure of her fingers was not enough to hold him in place, but he remained because he wanted to feel her touch. His resistance to her was fading, no matter how much he fought against it.
“No one said anything to me. I can see it in your soul and how you treat me. You were hurt deeply by someone you cared about. That’s why you hate vampires so much and resent me.”
“Are you a mind reader now along with being part succubus?” “No. Sometimes, I know things when I touch people. I can’t explain it. It’s probably the one thing about me in my life I can count on to get me on the right path. Up until now, you really haven’t let me touch you, and your walls have been up so I haven’t been able to get a good read. I’m sorry if I overstepped.” She pulled her hand away.
Instantly, Tris regretted not having her touch him. He got up and propelled himself across the room. He had to think. What is it about her that has me so flustered? Why does she stir these buried longings? Should I tell her about my darkened past? He ran his fingers through his loose hair. Hatred and longing wound through him. Tris glanced at her and wanted to tell her about his past and also take her head. The conflicting emotions raced through him and when he thought just about her, he needed to know more about her. When he thought about other vampires, he still wanted to take their heads. His fingers brushed over the wounds on his wrist. They twinged, but they had already scabbed over. He gritted his teeth and stared at Daniella. She was anxiously waiting for him to say something. When he looked at her, he saw a beautiful woman and not a vampire that he wanted to kill. Maybe it was something she had done to him, but all his instincts said that was not true.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, focusing on what his angelic senses said. They said not to trust her, but he had been ordered to watch over her. Something about her was different, and that intrigued him. It might not be what the others saw, but there was something. And there was his attraction to her. Tris took another breath, opened his eyes, and looked at her again. Those innocent eyes and all her curves only made him want to know her more and explore her flesh. The frustration of everything rolled through his mind. He was tired of keeping it all buried. He was tired of fighting. He was just so tired.
“You remember when Joe told you that he was an angel?”
“Yeah.”
“What he didn’t tell you is that all of us here in the house are angels too.”
Daniella snorted. “You’re an angel? I can’t see that.”
He figured that she would not believe him, so he willed his wings into view so that she could see them. The light was eclipsed by the shadow of his wings. He did not bother to look at them. All his feathers except for a very few were black. He was ashamed to look upon them. Seeing them brought it all back. “Believe me now?”
Daniella stood up and touched one of them. Her soft caress, along the ridge of his wing, made him shiver with anticipation. “Yes. I believe you. Why are your wings black?”
“You said that I was hurt by someone. You were right. Her name was Caillech. She was a beautiful red-haired siren who I was enamored with. I observed her from Heaven. All I wanted to do was be with her, no matter what the cost. I gave up Heaven and fell to Earth to become her lover. She fed from me, did things to me that I never assumed were possible, and awoke my passion for the flesh. The longer I was with her, the more I used my abilities for darkness. I coerced people, helped her feed and murder. The longer I was with her, the more my heart was twisted. My wings turned black, with only a few feathers remaining white. Caillech was working for the Grigori, sent out to lure angels and transform them into being Lucifer’s henchmen. The one thing I needed to do was kill a person; taking a life would’ve been the ultimate evil. I saw the error of my ways and staked her through the heart. Joe found me on the precipice of truly falling. He said I could never go back to Heaven because of the things I had done, but I could still do some good. I could rid the world of vampires. I could take out my guilt and hatred on them. I’d become a F
allen angel, an angel not able to stay in Heaven, but one who still had its powers. It was that, or he would’ve killed me. I took the better offer. Soon my guilt turned into hatred. My regret and love turned to horror at what I had done. For these past six hundred years, I’ve been slaughtering vampires. Lori became my partner, and three hundred years ago we were paired with the H’s. So we became a squad.”
Daniella stood up on tiptoe and took his face in her hands. Her skin was cool, and the crimson was creeping back into her eyes. “I’m sorry you were hurt so. No one deserves to go through that. I understand why you don’t trust me. Nonetheless, I appreciate that you’ve told me your story.”
“Tell me how come you’re able to withstand the hunger of the vampires? You’re still hungry, but you’re not pouncing on me.”
She sighed. “I don’t know. It’s been that way ever since I was turned. I think it’s one of the reasons why I can’t ride the shadows. I feel them creep over me, but nothing happens. I can go longer without drinking than the others can. Balthus thought it was a great asset, but the others in the nest hated it and ridiculed me for it.”
“You need to finish feeding and then I can leave you for the night.”
She bit her lip and railed her finger over his lips. He sucked in a breath and felt his cock firm. “Are you sure about that? There’s one other thing I feel when I touch you.”
“What is that?” Tris was already taken by her charms. She was right. His walls had come down.
She pulled his face down to hers until their lips were only millimeters from meeting. “Desire.”
