The Serpent's Kiss

by Claire Marta

  She had only seen them on the Isle of Avalon when she had visited some weeks ago. As far as she knew, there were not many elves roaming around. They liked to live in colonies in remote places. Humans had never been kind to them whenever they were discovered. The peace loving race had melted into myth and legend, preferring like many supernaturals to have their existence remain secret.

  Kane appeared to be in a deep discussion with the elf. He did not look happy. In fact, he had a vein popping out in his neck. Maybe she was the vamps girlfriend? They certainly seemed like they could be a couple.

  Phone vibrating in her jeans pocket, it momentarily distracted Jasmine. Fishing it out, she glanced back up to find the vampire and his female companion gone. Gaze searching around, she could find no sign of them. Ok, so that had been strange. Pausing, she checked her message.

  Asier: Bella, come by the club tonight.

  The neatly typed words made Jasmine growl. She still didn’t know how the Vampire Master had gotten her number. The day after she had gone to him for his bite he had started to randomly text her. This had been going on for four days now. It was getting annoying. He asked her if she was feeling better. He told her to eat. The text messages sounded commanding every bloody time. It nettled Jasmine. She hated being told what to do, and she wasn’t about to let him boss her around.

  Somehow he also knew her new address. Couriers would arrive with food the evenings she was home. How Asier knew she was there was another mystery. When she had quizzed Twitch about it he had shrugged with denial. Jasmine wasn’t sure she believed him. He had been very distracted lately. The search for her birth parents did not seem to be going well from what she could gather.

  Twitch’s house was also guarded by protection spells and magic. It took the postman at least three attempts to deliver the mail in the mornings. So how were these deliveries getting through? She had no clue. The first time food had arrived she had phoned Asier. Jasmine still remembered how cool and dispassionate he had sounded as he had answered, “Asier”.

  The moment she had spoken though, his voice had changed to a seductive husk. Asier had listened patiently to her torrent of angry words. That she didn’t want the food, or him taking over her life even in some small way. He had of course denied all knowledge of the deliveries. Then he had reasoned that she may as well enjoy them. That they would only go to waste if they were left untouched. The vamp had played on her guilt. Somehow, he had known there was no way that she would let the food go discarded.

  Twitch wouldn’t touch them either. Whenever she offered he turned his nose up with a little sniff. It was also not your normal take-way. The logos on the paper bags were from expensive restaurants. Jasmine was sure these places did not usually deliver. Asier had obviously used his power and influence to make her the exception.

  All the food smelled amazing once freed from the packaging. It all tempted her, and Jasmine’s appetite had improved. Although she still didn’t eat much during the day, she couldn’t seem to resist the meals that were sent at night. They seduced her senses with their smell, taste and look. She had started to experience a sense of anticipation when she was home.

  Jasmine stared back down at the message on the screen of her phone for a moment. The Italian vampire was no doubt waiting for a reply. Ignoring it was not an option. Not with Asier. Absent-mindedly, she nibbled on her lower lip. She hadn’t been back to the club in four days and they both knew she had agreed to spend time there. Fuck.

  Jasmine text back: I’m working.

  Lifting her head she shot a glance at her nearest friend. Fergus was talking to a group of youths. Their eyes were glazed and they looked like they might be high. At least he was having better luck at sniffing out one of the dealers. So far she had seen nothing suspicious. Her phone vibrated once again.

  Asier: Come to me when you finish. I will be waiting for you.

  After a moment her phone sounded again.

  Asier: Please.

  Jasmine had the impression he was not a male who used that word often. No doubt he was used to getting whatever he wanted. She sighed. There was no way to escape this.

  Quickly she typed in a reply. Fine.

  She didn’t have time to argue with Asier. Mark would verbally chew off her arse if he caught her texting. Slipping her phone back into the front pocket of her jeans, her attention lingered over the hoard of dancers looking for her teammates. White hair caught her eye and she noted the woman who had been talking to Kane. She was talking to a group of grungy looking teens. The vampire though, was nowhere in sight.

  “Twitch, do we know who we are supposed to be looking for yet?” Jasmine mumbled, knowing he could hear her over the deafening music.

  “No.” He purred back, his tone distracted as he worked. “None of the regular dealers are handling this drug. We now know it’s called ‘The Serpent’s Kiss’. It’s someone new dishing it out, but no one can give us a description. It’s like they can never remember who it was that gave them the shit.” The mage gave a hum. “We are also having a hard time breaking down the compounds that it contains. I’m seeing some really bizarre stuff in the analysis, but I don’t want to say anything until I confirm it.”

  Another mystery they needed to solve. Jasmine bounced out of the way of two tattooed leather clad men. They were getting more than a little rowdy. Crooning along with the singer on the stage, they threw their arms wide. Several others swore at them shoving them back as their arms connected. Then a tussle started which Jasmine decided to avoid. Creeping past, she made it the few steps clear before fists started to fly. Glancing back, she could see the men brawling. Security would probably intervene any minute. Jasmine knew it was not her problem.

  “Jazzy you ok?” Twitch’s concerned voice asked in her ear.

  “Yes. Nothing I can’t handle.” She replied, as several people gave her a strange look. Jasmine knew it looked odd. No doubt they thought she was a weirdo who talked to herself. Not that she cared.

  Two males at the corner of the hall were huddle close together. One was short, with beady eyes and dirty grey hair. The other looked like he was barely in his twenties. He was cute with cropped brown locks and dressed in a biker jacket with jeans. At first Jasmine thought they were a couple until she saw something pass between them. It looked way too shifty. Had to be a drug deal going down.

  Pushing through the crowd, she made her way closer. She couldn’t hear what they were talking about over the noise, but she could see the younger man nod a few times. Neither of them were supernatural. At least that’s what her sixth sense was telling her, although she knew it could still be wrong. There were certain types of creatures that could disguise what they were, even from her.

  A moment later they broke apart. The one in the jacket moved into the dancing throng. He seemed to be joining some friends. Jasmine’s attention followed the shorter man. Glancing over his shoulder, his devious gaze checked behind him before he headed through a door. Her instincts were telling her to shadow him. Not giving it a second thought, she began to follow.

  “Twitch, I think I’ve seen something a little off. I’m going to check it out.”

  “Wait for Fergus.” Twitch told her with a squeak. “You shouldn’t go off on your own.”

  Jasmine clenched her teeth. “No. I will be fine.” She told him trying to keep the annoyance from her tone. If she waited for the wolf she could lose her suspect. She couldn’t let that happen.

  “Ok, but be careful.” The mage responded with a hint of worry. “The whole place has cameras so I should be able to keep track of you. If not, I can track you with the spell I have on your watch. Just don’t go fucking disappearing on me.”

  Pushing open the door, Jasmine ventured cautiously through. She was not quite sure what to expect. Blinking in surprise she found herself outside. The breeze was cool against her skin with a sharp edge to it that made her shiver. Jasmine took a second; she enjoyed being away from the heat of the packed hall.

  The courtyard was
compact, and looked like it led into another part of the building. Water tinkled from a fountain of a naked stone statue which was surrounded by early spring flower beds filled with pansies and daffodils. They gave needed colour to the little haven. It was peaceful. A complete contrast to the chaos of the concert going on back inside. The muffled thud of the heavy metal music could still be heard, but here it was more bearable.

  There was no sign of the man she had been tailing. Frowning, Jasmine quickly scanned the area. Only one other door was accessible as far as she could see. He had to have gone through there. Jasmine quickly made her way across the stone paved ground. Her footsteps echoed off the walls. Hand curling around the cold metal handle she gave it a pull. The door was unlocked. Widening the gap, she peered inside. A brightly lit hallway awaited her. It was bare of any decoration or paintings. Quietly as she could, she slipped inside.

  The murmur of voices was floating up from a room further down the hallway. Jasmine sidled closer. Snatches of words were catching her attention. She knew though she had to be careful.

  “Johnny says he doesn’t know either.”

  “This isn’t good enough Tom! I have that fucking vamp on my back and you know what he’s like when someone fails him. My life won’t be worth living.”

  The second voice sent chills down Jasmine’s spine. Something about it put her senses on high alert. Yet her sixth sense remained passive.

  “I’m sure Asier will understand…”

  Jasmine froze as the door behind her clicked opened. Swivelling around, she discovered two men blocking her escape. Both were big and stocky, muscles bulging beneath their t-shirts. They looked just as surprised as she felt.

  “Can we help you pretty lady?” One asked, his voice gruff.

  Trying not to panic, Jasmine said the first thing that came into her head. “I was just looking for the ladies room.”

  “What’s going on out there?” Called the voice which made her feel uneasy.

  Before Jasmine knew what was happening, both males had her by the arms. Fighting wildly, she tried to break free, but it did her little good. Forcibly, they dragged her along.

  “Look what we found hanging about in the hallway.”

  Jasmine found herself thrust into the middle of the room. It was an office. Four men were standing beside a neat desk. A fifth one was sitting behind it in a large luxurious leather chair. Jasmine did a quick mental inventory. However, there was nothing she could see in line of sight that could be used as a make shift weapon.

  “Is she with you Tom?” The man who was seated asked. He was the owner of the voice Jasmine did not like. Wiry more than slim, a deadly kind of confidence was radiating off him. His short, brown, wavy hair was styled with thick layers of gel. It was so firm and stiff, that not even a strand was out of place. Lean in the face, he reminded Jasmine of a weasel.

  “No Mace, never seen her before in my life.” The short man responded, his face tense with fear. He seemed jumpy. Obviously her appearance had interrupted something important.

  “Sorry, I got lost looking for the bathroom.” Jasmine tried again, hoping the excuse would stick.

  Mace stared at her shrewdly. His dark expression told her clearly he did not believe her. With a sinking feeling in the pity of her stomach, she tried not to let any of her anxiety show. Fuck. What the hell had she walked into? Jasmine did not like the way Mace’s gaze sparked with sexual interest as he continued to bore a hole through her with his silent intensity. The smile that abruptly stretched his lips made every muscle in Jasmine’s body tense up. It lacked any form of friendliness. In fact it was downright scary.

  “Come and join us sweetheart. I’m sure we can entertain you for a while.”

  “That’s really kind of you,” Jasmine babbled, starting to walk backwards bumping into her captors. “But my friends will be getting worried.”

  A shove on her back pushed her forward again. Jasmine slid her hand into her sweatshirt pocket. Her fingers curled reassuringly around the hard little box. It was something Twitch had given her. Small and compact, the taser had enough juice to bring down a bull elephant. Handy when you were dealing with shifters. Jasmine wasn’t sure what would happen to a human. The mage also designed it with his magic so she would not get any of the whiplash from the electricity when she used it.

  Mace rose from his seat with menacing purpose. In three strides he was in front of her. “It wasn’t a request bitch!” Roughly, he cupped the side of her face in one calloused hand and squeezed her jaw painfully. “You’ll do better than a hooker tonight. So you better start getting undressed without another word or you’re going to feel my fist in your face, understand?”

  His touch sent revulsion crawling through her. “I’m not a prostitute.” Jasmine hissed through clenched teeth, feeling anger leap up.

  Mace’s lips curled in a cruel sneer. “I don’t fucking care. Now take your clothes off or I will have my men strip you.” His fingers were becoming bruising in his punishing hold.

  Jasmine bought her arm up swiftly and knocked his hand away. “No!”

  The next thing she knew, a gun hovered close to her forehead. Acting on instinct, Jasmine ripped the little black box out of her pocket and shoved it between Mace’s legs. The metal prongs flicked out the moment they made contact with his groin. Everyone in the room froze. Jasmine pressed the taser closer. She felt a small burst of satisfaction when she felt Mace flinch.

  “If you don’t get that out of my face you’re going to have crispy fried balls.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw his friends wince. Several even cupped themselves. Mace’s frozen expression of surprise almost made her laugh.

  “You really think you’re faster than a bullet?” He spoke low, without any emotion.

  “I don’t know. Do you want to give it a try?” She asked rudely, a gleam of defiance in her look. “After all, it’s your crown jewels at stake. I’ll be dead but you’ll have to go through life very frustrated. I wonder if you’d ever be able to get your dick up again.” Jasmine kept her gaze fixed on his. Something calm settled over her. She wasn’t going to back down. The moment she did this piece of pond scum would either shoot or rape her.

  Jasmine was not about to let either happen.

  “Jazzy Fergus is on his way. As much I want to see you fry this guy’s scrotum, I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Twitch’s voice warned her through the earpiece. “You’re just lucky Mark isn’t with me at the moment because we both know he would freak at this crazy arse stunt. I seriously do not know what the fuck has gotten into you lately!”

  Jasmine suddenly had the perverse urge to flip the switch. Part of her was curious to see what would happen. Something of her thoughts must have shown in her face as the Mace paled.

  “Fuck you’re a crazy bitch.” He muttered, the gun beginning to lower.

  Jasmine grinned back manically. “Oh, you have no idea.”

  Out of nowhere, she felt her sixth sense ping. Vampire.

  “Yo, Mace, are you hassling my girl?” An almost musical voice asked from right behind her. Jasmine had no time to turn. A large, muscular arm slid itself around her waist. Gasping, Jasmine found herself pressed back into an immensely hard packed body. Tilting her head, she met a pair of blue eyes. Kane.

  The vampire was leering down at her with a playful look. She could feel the leashed power in his huge body and knew if he wanted he could break her in two.

  Jasmine reluctantly lowered the taser.

  “Shit man, I didn’t know this piece of arse was taken. She’s loco.” Mace said with a sigh of relief, now that his balls were no longer in danger of being electrocuted.

  Kane’s deep melodic laugh vibrated through every inch of Jasmine. “That just makes it all the more fun. I only just picked this slut up myself so you can understand why I’m a little possessive. The bitch likes to play hide and seek. I’ve been looking for her everywhere.”

  A hand snaked up to cup Jasmine’s left boob and kneaded it roughly. He was in no w
ay gentle. In fact, he seemed to enjoy the cry of pain she made.

  Jasmine fought down the urge to fight free. Kane was here for a reason. Maybe it was just to help her out, but he seemed way too chummy with Mace and his goons.

  Mace was watching the fondling with a look of jealousy. “Yeah, sure. It’s always that way with the new ones huh? Maybe you’ll be generous enough to drop her my way when you’re done with her?”

  “Any problems this evening?” Kane asked, ignoring his question. Releasing Jasmine’s breast, he curled his arm around her waist to hold her still. His fingers dug cruelly into her hip. Jasmine sensed it was a warning to keep her mouth shut.

  “No. We haven’t seen any of...” Mace mumbled, startled at the change of subject.

  “Good.” Kane cut off his words with a growl. “If anything turns up you are to tell me immediately.”

  “Of course.” Mace assured him. All the lethal confidence Jasmine had seen in him had drained away at the sight of Kane. Mace was more than nervous. She could see he was terrified of the vampire.

  “Now, if you will excuse me, I have this whore to fuck.” Whirling her around, Kane grabbed her arm in a bruising grip and dragged her from the room.

  “I had everything under control.” Jasmine told him the moment they were safely in the courtyard. “And I really don’t need to be manhandled. What are you doing here?”

  Kane’s lips thinned in annoyance as he released her arm. “Asier wouldn’t be too happy if you got yourself killed. Besides, it’s probably best if you keep that pretty nose of yours out of other people’s business.”

  Jasmine stared up into the vampire’s hard ruthless gaze. Fear prickled down her neck. Was he warning her off? Did he have something to do with the drug? If he did, was Asier involved?

  “What the fuck are you doing vamp?” Fergus snapped, appearing in the doorway leading back into the hall. “I will rip you a fucking new arsehole if you’ve touched her.”

  “I’m fine Fergus.” Jasmine told him as she rubbed her aching bicep where the vampire had held her. She was pretty sure he had left bruises. “Kane got me out of a sticky situation.”