by Janelle Peel
Giggling, she playfully slapped his chest.
The man looked around slyly as he gauged their distance from other passersby.
Jackson pulled us to an abrupt stop.
My mouth opened and closed in confusion. They were right there. We could do this.
Grasping my waist, he kissed me.
As his tongue met mine, I sucked in a sharp breath. Normally, he tasted spicy and masculine, this time was far different. My pulse skyrocketed as the sour tang of his sickness slid down my throat.
Pulling back, he growled softly, “They’re moving. Let’s go.”
Before I could say a word, he moved us from the path.
“Activate your pheromones, Viv.”
Mind racing, I followed his lead. He needed blood, badly.
Leaning against a broad tree, the man was fully engrossed in his task. Pawing ineloquently at her blouse, he nuzzled her cheek.
Her hands were busy unbuckling his belt.
My oceanic scent coated the air as we neared their position.
They both froze.
Guiding me closer, Jackson pulled the pair apart, “Very good. Your chemical secretions have begun the process. I’ll take the female, you take the male. Don’t forget to seal the wound. After, I’ll show you how to make sure they do not remember.”
Nodding woodenly, I took the man by the shoulders. His brown eyes were glazed over as if he’d had too much to drink. Swaying inside the circle of my arms, he inhaled with a moan.
Nervously, I looked to my Mate.
He had the woman in a similar stance. Faster than I could track, his fangs punched down, and he locked on to her neck.
Worry overrode any jealousy I’d previously had. Mirroring him, I penetrated my prey’s jugular. The sweet copper notes of his blood filled my mouth with a pleasant warmth.
Groaning, the man clenched my hips and tugged me closer.
Taking a few swallows, I tracked Jackson’s progress.
The female hung limply inside his grasp. Shallowly, her chest rose and fell.
Breaking the suction, I lathered the stranger’s wounds. Meeting his drunken gaze, I hoped for the best and whispered, “Sleep.”
His lids slid shut as I lowered him to the ground.
Moving to Jackson’s side, I tapped his bicep, “Hey, that’s enough.”
Gripping her thin frame tighter, he growled a warning.
This was so not good. I tried again, “Babe?”
The woman’s head lolled.
Gritting my teeth, I said a quick prayer to the Goddess. Flexing my fingers into a fist, I cocked my arm back and decked him.
Instantly, he dropped her slack body to the ground in an ungainly heap.
Jackson hissed as he rounded on me.
Fear fluttered through my gut. Snapping down a canine, I quickly pierced my wrist.
His black gaze zeroed in on to the ruby line trickling down my palm.
Keeping him in my peripheral vision, I offered him my vein as I lowered to a squat.
An appreciative rumble emitted from his chest as he latched on to my skin.
Without a moment to lose, I pulled his prey up by her shirt. Leaning down, I sealed the punctures lining her throat. Her heart beat was slow, but steady. A tear trickled down my cheek at the near miss, “Sleep, remember nothing.”
Completely unaware as to what he’d almost done, Jackson continued to suckle.
Using my free hand, I shakily pulled my phone from my cleavage. Locating Blaze’s number, I connected the call.
His deep bass vibrated through the speaker, “Yes?”
I hiccuped, “Something’s happened. I need you to come to the courtyard. Only you. Okay?”
Tension colored his response, “I’m on my way.”
Before I could put the device back, Blaze zipped into view.
Understanding lit in his cobalt gaze as he took in the scene. Commandingly, he barked, “Jackson, close the wound and release Viv.”
Instantly, he did as he was told.
Wiping my face, I looked at the slumbering pair, “What do we do?”
Blaze’s face was glacial, “Take him back to the room. I’ll clean this up.”
Numbly, I nodded.
I found Blaze on the terrace with Bex after settling Jackson in bed.
Perching on the edge of a high backed chair, my voice took on a hysterical pitch, “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what happened.”
He shook his head, “It’s not your fault, Viv. I’ve taken care of everything. The couple is sleeping it off as we speak. I should have paid closer attention to my Brother when I arrived.”
I blubbered, “He was supposed to show me how to feed from a stranger. I thought it was a good idea, but things spiraled out of control. If I hadn’t been paying attention, he would have drained that woman dry.”
Bex took my hand, “Shh. It’s okay.” Tipping her chin toward my room, her wet ponytail slapped against her shoulder, “Does he seem any better? He looked thinner when I arrived.”
“No, he looks worse.” My eyes squeezed closed as I recalled the taste of his kiss, “I think he’s sick.”
Bracing both elbows on his knees, Blaze passed me a bottle of vodka, “He is. The only thing I can come up with is the attack. Whatever it was, we need to get back there and find out.”
Bex’s eyes rounded, “What’s wrong with him?”
As I chugged the clear liquid, Blaze whispered, “I think he’s dying.”
Kai
The Captain’s brow furrowed, “I’m sorry, Sir. Could you repeat that?”
Plucking a map from his back pocket, Kai held it in front of his face, “This is where I want to go. Change our destination.”
His expression turned to shock, “I’m sorry, Sir. I can’t change airports in the middle of a flight. I doubt we even have enough fuel.”
Looking to the vast number of gauges inside the cockpit of the private jet, he quickly located the one in question. Mentally calculating the distance, he decided it was possible. Funneling heat to one finger, he tapped the glass surface. The needle jumped. Satisfied, he tipped his head, “Are you sure? Look again, Captain.”
Leaning forward, his eyes widened, “Huh. I swear it was lower. It doesn’t matter, though. I still can’t change our flight plan.”
Perplexed, Kai moved to the back of the small plane. Grabbing his messenger bag, he thumbed out a stack of hundred dollar bills. Hoping it would be enough, he made his way back to the Pilot’s side, “Here.”
Releasing the joystick, he snatched the money and began to count. A greedy smile lit his face as he stopped at five thousand, “Yes, Sir. I will notify the aviation authority of our flight change to Colima.”
Satisfied, he sat in the copilot’s chair as the man made the call.
It seemed money did make the world go ‘round.
Lillin
Groggily, Mel asked, “What happened?”
Tipping my chin to Geryon’s still body, I mumbled, “He’s dead.”
Scrambling back, he sputtered, “Wh-aat? H-how? Where are your bruises?”
Heaving an irritated sigh, I stood, “You’re welcome. I drained him. If I hadn’t, you’d be inside his stomach. As to your other question, I’m a succubus.”
Flabbergasted, his eyes widened, “What the fuck is that?”
Gathering his leash, I jerked my head further down the hall, “We can talk after we get to the spring. Unless you want to go back to my room?”
Rising from the floor, his face shuttered, “No, we keep going.”
“Good. Remember, keep your-”
Grouchily, he muttered, “Yes, I know. Head down, mouth shut.” Touching his lips, he mimed a key turning.
Nodding, I took the lead.
Arriving at our destination, Mel gawked, “This is where you bathe?”
I tried to picture the underground cavern for the first time.
Torches lit the bubbling pool from roughly notched holes gouged into the slate walls. The ceilin
g was too tall to see, and made way for the largest of our kind. Wall to wall, I guessed the length of the surface to be at least a human mile wide. I’d never tested the depth. Glancing back at him, I dropped his chain, “Yes. No one really comes here.”
Untying the knot at my shoulder, I dropped the grey material covering my body. Smoothing my palms over my torso, no pain met my fingertips. Satisfied, I strode down the steps to the warm spring.
Splashing sounded as he joined me. Dipping his head beneath the water, he surfaced, “Tell me what you did.”
Deftly, I began scrubbing the dried blood from my skin, “I took Geryon’s essence. His life energy.”
Nostrils flaring, he pressed, “What does that mean?”
Biting my lip, I began rinsing my hair, “I feed off others. As a half breed, just the slightest touch can begin the process. It’s why I’ve survived for so long.”
He paled, “Good to know. No touching.” Treading water, he looked back toward the entrance, “Where is everyone?”
Kicking my legs, I flipped onto my back to float, “Most lessers reside in the cities. You are in the castle.”
“Hell has cities? Goddess, what a fucking nightmare. Wait, why are you helping me?”
“Princesss!” A voice hissed, startling us both.
Striding toward us on four legs, the reptilian lesser grinned, “The King isss looking for you.”
Terror skittered down my spine. Goosebumps rose in its wake. Squashing the emotion, I put on my best poker face, “Pytho. Have you met my pet?”
Flicking his glossy tongue like a snake, he jerked his snout, “No need. He isss coming with usss. Lucccian hasss heard of Geryon.”
Swallowing the bile threatening to spew from my mouth, I smiled, “Of course.”
Pytho’s slitted eyes tracked us as we swam toward the edge. His scaled tail lashed the air in annoyance.
Tossing my clothing on, I gathered Mel’s leash, “Come. My Father would like an audience.”
Acting suitably submissive, Mel slung the grey material around his waist.
Pretending nonchalance, I watched his thick muscles flex with the movement.
Mel
Lillin’s confident swagger bolstered his confidence as they moved through the rock corridors.
The feeling was foreign. His Wolf always emboldened his actions.
Slithering to a stop, Pytho nosed open one broad door.
Well over eighty feet high, it swiveled without a sound.
Polished to a high sheen, the floor beyond glistened with a mirror like finish.
Lillin tugged his leash gently and pulled him into step behind her.
The wide cavern was completely empty, save for the horned Demon dwarfing the chamber upon a gilded throne. His dark hide seemed to suck the torchlight from the room. The broad expanse of his chest shimmered with red veins as he jerked his head toward them. Easily tipping the scales at over a ton, the floor shook as he rose, “Lillin, tell me why Geryon is dead.”
Strolling toward the hulking Demon, Lillin came to a stop. Tugging his tether with a snap, her azure gaze met his, “Bow before our King.”
Shaken from all of the events and unwilling to see another display of her strange power, he dropped to the floor in supplication.
Lucian’s laugh rent the air. It boomed across the chamber before cutting off abruptly, “Daughter, I see you’ve done well since you left my bed.”
Shock lit through him followed quickly by disgust. She’d said her father was responsible, but he hadn’t fully understood. Mentally, he recalled the blood dripping down the inside of her thighs. Stomach rolling, he forcefully shoved the image away.
Interrupting his thoughts, the soft notes of Lillin’s chuckle sounded, “Of course, Father.” Dropping his leash, her tone sobered, “Geryon tried to eat your newest acquisition. I merely stopped him.”
Quick as lightning, the King impaled Lillin through the gut. Jerking his head, he tossed her from the tip of one horn. Her body tumbled across the floor before hitting the wall with a crack.
His eyes widened in disbelief as she slid down its surface.
The claws lining Lucian’s massive feet left deep grooves in their wake as he stalked toward her.
Clenching her belly, Lillin’s irises darkened to black in defiance before she promptly passed out.
The King rumbled, “You’ve been warned, Lillin. The death of our Guardian will be felt for centuries to come. I have no time for this.” Sparks brightened the area as he turned on his heel, “Wolf.”
He lifted his chin.
Between one blink and the next, the Ruler of Hell changed. His ebony skin took on a tanned complexion as he shrank to the size of a man. Fully clothed in a pin striped suit, his expression mocked Mel’s astonishment. Slicked black hair glistened where his horns previously resided. The tap of his dress shoes clicked on the slate rock as he drew closer. Lowering his lids to slits, his ruby colored irises pulsed with an unholy light, “Pytho will guide you back to my Daughter’s room. Remind her of the repercussions of her actions.”
Bobbing his head like a rag doll, he waited for Lucian to leave.
Wrapping his leash over one shoulder, he knelt beside her crumpled form. Crimson liquid stained the ground around her; littering the air with the sweetness of her room.
The punishment she sustained was his fault... She’d save his life.
Grabbing the material of her dress, he wrapped it about her exposed skin. Lifting her from the ground, he met Pytho’s gaze.
Without a word, the Demon retreated through the open door and scrabbled down the hall.
Chapter 6
Bex
Jackson couldn’t die. It was impossible. Right?
Blaze insisted we check his status before retiring to call Sora.
Hovering in the doorway, I barely caught the startled scream before it escaped my lips.
Soaked in pink tinted sweat and shivering, Jackson looked far worse than he had when I arrived. His paper thin skin had taken on a stark white pallor. Though he didn’t need to breathe, every exhale sounded like a death rattle.
Viv curled up beside him. Her face held so much loss my heart broke in sympathy. She murmured softly, but he didn’t seem to be aware of her presence.
Blaze placed a large hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
The scent of death coated my nose as I backed away. This couldn’t be happening!
Rushing to my room, I closed the door with one heel.
I had to do something. Pacing a line from the open terrace and back, a plan began to take shape.
Shaking out the contents of my pack, I quickly located my leathers. Pulling out the matching vest, I tucked the soft pants inside. Adding a sports bra, I snapped the buttons closed.
I’d need to shift to get to the rim, and I had yet to figure out how to do so while keeping my clothes.
Where did I put my boots?
Snorting to myself, I did a mental facepalm. I’d left them by the door adjoining the common area that separated our rooms.
How would I get them without being noticed?
Cooper
After his arrival back in Seattle, they’d quickly hit the Archives.
The massive underground chamber held a vast amount of knowledge, but locating anything worthwhile was akin to searching for a needle in a haystack.
Daisy had been busy organizing it with a team of trustworthy Mages, but the task was slow going. Hidden rooms were constantly unearthed with no rhyme or reason as to why they’d been secluded in the first place.
The sounds of desperate sighs rang through the racks as every person available sifted through each book. A team of second tier Mages was put in charge of shelving each tome according to religion, species, and type of magic.
The species part threw him. He’d never entertained the idea; but had quickly learned any of his previous assumptions of the world were folly. Multiple religions existed among them, and each one had their own deity.
They’d
even stumbled upon an entire alcove dedicated to Heaven; complete with the feather of an Angel.
The golden plume shimmered similar to a ray of sunshine. Encased inside a glass tube, he marveled at its existence for nearly thirty minutes before Daisy pulled him back on track.
Data on everything imaginable, but they’d found only one book regarding Demons.
The circled upside down star sparked an irrational fear deep inside his psyche on a base level. Touching the cover with his palm, goosebumps of revulsion skittered down his spine.
Skin. It was made from human skin.
What he originally thought was a string cord, turned out to be finely woven hair. His gut revolted; threatening to spew his late night coffee in a violent wave.
Daisy’s leather clad hand plucked the tome from his fingers as he gulped in large breaths of air. Why hadn’t he worn gloves?
Tossing him a smirk, she flipped it open on the table.
The pages were filled with small symbols that had been burned into the aged vellum.
Her shoulders slumped in defeat. Pitching her voice, she shouted, “Can anyone read Demonic?”
Silence answered her.
Heavily, she dropped into a plastic chair. Dirt marked her upturned nose, and her auburn hair stuck out in multiple directions from its loose ponytail. Lines crinkled at the corners of her green eyes, “What do we do, Cooper?”
Gathering his resolve, he palmed her cheek, “We keep looking. There has to be a key somewhere.”
“Cooper!” Someone screamed excitedly.
Daisy startled at his side. Lifting her head from the table where she’d fallen asleep, her brow furrowed, “What the hell was that?”
Stomps sounded as a slow clap broke out along the stacks.
The voice came again, “I’ve found it!”
Skidding around the corner, a young Mage came forward. Her blue robe denoted her status as an apprentice. One of the lowest tiers of magic, but with the steady hand of a teacher, she might achieve the next rank.
Clearing her throat, her brown eyes sparkled, “I found it!” Brandishing the thin book like a shield, she clarified, “It’s a Latin translation of Demonic! Since everyone else was busy, I figured someone should check the linguistic stack!”
