He lurched forward as if she’d pulled him, then crawled until he knelt before her, his pupils dilating until they almost eclipsed the brown of his iris.
She stroked his cheek. ‘Kiss me.’ Her tone lost its stridency, mesma giving it promise.
Darius clasped her head in his palms, then mashed his mouth to hers.
Rio looked like she was trying to eat him back.
She’s occupied, I tried to shout. I want to go now.
Rio reared back, her chest rising with harsh gasps, a rosy bloom in her cheeks. She ran her tongue around her fangs, then laughed, the sound of her pleasure echoing around the room. Darius slumped, a thick trickle of blood running between his lips.
‘More,’ she purred, pressing her mouth back against his. Her hands reached blindly for his shirt, ripped it open. She scored long blue nails over his pecs, down his abdominals, and thick lines of blood welled up. Moving her palms in ever-widening circles, she spread the blood like jam over his weeping skin.
Okay. I tried to close my eyes, found I couldn’t. This is not good.
Rio snatched her mouth away and Darius swayed, eyes tightly closed. Her tongue snaked out to lick a smear of blood from his jaw. He moaned, the sound unhappy. She looked down and her gaze turned eager as she tried to lower her head. He stopped her, fingers clamping like limpets to her scalp. A fine trembling started in his body. ‘Please ...’ The word was an anguished whisper.
She grinned, fangs glinting sharp in the overhead light. ‘I know you can beg better than that, my lovely, frightened pet.’ Flattening her hand in the wet slickness on his chest, she shoved him onto his back.
Darius lay awkwardly, his legs bent under him, fingers clutching the small blue curls he’d ripped from her hair.
A ripple shivered through the cold that encased me.
Be calm. Malik’s mouth breathed ice along my neck.
And the ripple smoothed away.
Rio wiped her bloody hand over the burn mark on her chest, then took a slim mobile phone from her back pocket. Sliding the top up, she thumbed a button and held it to her ear.
‘It’s me,’ she said into the phone. ‘There’s a problem. It’s not going to work.’
She flicked Darius, grinned as he flinched.
‘Yes,’ Rio said, ‘she’s been and gone.’
She dug her nails into the tight skin of Darius’s stomach, drawing more bright red blood.
He jerked and cried out, but she silenced him with a look.
‘Yes, I did, just as you wanted,’ she said, her tone placating. ‘Only it didn’t go as we’d expected. Still, we should’ve known it wouldn’t after that little stunt in the police station.’
Malik’s arm tensed around my waist. My ears had already perked up. Now if I could just listen, and not watch ...
Phone still pressed to her ear, Rio dipped a finger in Darius’s blood, painting streaks over his quivering flesh. ‘Interesting.’ She tilted her head to admire her efforts.
Darius’s wide-eyed stare gave new meaning to rabbits and headlights.
‘You really think that’s going to make such a difference?’ Licking her fingers clean, she listened, then squealed with excitement. ‘Oh, that will be so delicious!’
Behind me, another part of Malik stiffened.
Shit. Rio wasn’t the only sucker getting worked up. Agitation swept through the calm peace inside my bubble.
‘So she could still be useful then.’ Rio smiled at the trembling Darius. ‘Yes, later. I’ve got something I want to finish first.’
Be ready, Genevieve.
Rio grinned and said, ‘Me too.’ She tapped the phone shut, sliding it onto the desk. ‘And now, my pet, you can scream all you want.’ She bowed as though praying, and sank her fangs deep into his chest and sucked. The noise was loud and painful in the quiet room.
A tear rolled down Darius’s face and dripped into the dark brown carpet beneath him.
The office disappeared.
I stood in the round stone room of my memory, the candles guttering low. The room stank of lust and terror and my legs were cold and wet from my own piss.
Sally’s blue-white hair was matted, blackened with her own blood. Her blue skin was pale and lifeless. Her eyes were staring up at me, begging.
And I watched as my prince—
Then the office returned as Darius screamed, the sound shattering the ice that held me frozen. Angry heat rolled inside me. My heart beat once. Pain spasmed through me, splintering every nerve I had.
You must not fight me, it will hurt too much. Malik’s voice was urgent in my mind.
A river of molten lava burnt its way through my body: my arms, my legs and my fingers cracked with the heat. My eyes fused shut. Then the itching started, unbearable, tormenting, and I needed to scratch my skin off, but my hands were held frozen in the ice.
‘Genevieve, can you hear me?’ Blessed cool wrapped itself round my body for an instant. I tried to hold it to me, but the pinpricks needling my body wouldn’t let me.
‘Genevieve, listen, it will stop soon; it is just your circulation returning. Nothing more.’
Somewhere I laughed. Nothing more? Who did the voice think it was kidding?
‘Drink this, it will help.’ Liquid splashed over my lips.
I opened my mouth; let it pour down my throat.
‘That is enough, else you will be sick.’
The itching was back, insects crawling all over my body, nipping me with their tiny sharp teeth.
‘What’s the matter with her, man?’ Another voice, this one heavy, rough. It didn’t feel good, not like the cool one. ‘She done a bad trip on sumfink?’ the rough voice asked.
‘Hold her wrists,’ the cool voice said. ‘Don’t let her injure herself.’
‘Sure thing, man,’ Thick, meaty fingers settled round my arms. ‘You gonna pour some more water over her?’
Firm hands cupped my cheeks. ‘Genevieve. Listen to my voice.’ The voice wrapped itself round me. It felt like slipping into a still, dark lake.
‘Open your eyes.’
The insects gave me a few last bites.
And I looked into the red glow of Malik’s eyes. ‘What the fuck did you do to me?’
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Tiny flares lit in Malik’s pupils, then winked out, leaving his expression enigmatic. ‘Good,’ he said, ‘you are well.’
‘Well?’ I shouted in disbelief. ‘It’s your fault I felt crap in the first place!’ I tried to lift my arms, but found I couldn’t. A thickset man with a lined, saggy face was gripping my wrists like his life depended on it.
I glared at him. ‘Let the fuck go of me.’
The creases in his face rearranged themselves into a lopsided grin. ‘Sure thing.’ He dropped my arms. ‘My Rocky was always mad when she came down.’ His grin disappeared. ‘She’s bin dead near three years now, ’course.’
Malik inclined his head to the man. ‘Thank you for your assistance. You may leave us.’
The man turned and ambled off.
I stifled an urge to slug Malik and looked around instead. I took a deep breath, then wished I hadn’t. Ammonia and the throat-gagging stench of pine disinfectant assaulted my nose. Even if I couldn’t see the row of stainless steel urinals, thankfully unoccupied, I’d have still known we were in a public toilet. I grimaced in disgust. The night just kept getting better and better.
Malik followed my gaze. ‘We would have been too conspicuous in the Ladies’ facilities,’ he said.
I snorted. ‘And we’re not in the Gents?’
He gave an elegant shrug.
Oh, just great—and then I remembered the office, and Darius. A queasy feeling settled in my stomach.
‘Listen, pal: next time you want to show me something, send me a DVD.’ I shoved him out the way. ‘Better yet, don’t bother.’ I headed for the exit. ‘If I wanted to watch sucker porn, I’m sure I can find something better than that nasty little effort.’
Malik fell into step next t
o me. ‘Where are you going, Genevieve?’
‘None of your business,’ I snapped.
‘But we will work together.’ He grasped my wrist and pulled me round to face him. ‘We agreed this, you and I,’ and then he smiled. And never mind he was male, he was beautiful, and my heart flip-flopped in my chest and lust pooled hot inside me and my magic almost leapt into life. One smile, and I was ready to jump his bones. Shit. I didn’t have enough fingers and toes to count the ways that being attracted to him was such a bad idea. And I couldn’t even blame my reaction on mesma. He wasn’t using any.
I shook him off. ‘No. You made that decision. I had nothing to say about it.’ I checked my watch. ‘Well, I really can’t say it was nice meeting you, and we certainly didn’t have fun. So please feel free to never call me.’
One side of his mouth lifted. ‘As you have not yet given me your number, that is a rather empty request.’
I flipped him the finger and stalked towards the exit, my heels slapping against the tiled floor.
‘Genevieve,’ he called after me, amusement in his voice, ‘you might wish to adjust your clothing before you go any further.’
I looked down. My ripped top was hanging round my waist like an apron and my jacket was flapping open, flashing my tits at anyone interested. Gritting my teeth, I buttoned the jacket—it still left a deep V of cleavage—but at least I wouldn’t get arrested for indecent exposure. I untied what was left of the top and shoved it into a nearby waste bin, throwing a toxic glare at a couple of leering teenagers. Threading through the crowds in Leicester Square, I made for the queue of taxis.
I yanked open the taxi door and said, ‘Hungerford Bridge, Victoria Embankment Side, please,’ and slumped onto the back seat.
The cabby grinned. ‘Right ho, luv.’
The door locks clicked shut, the lights glowing like tiny red eyes in the dim interior.
I shivered and reached for my phone to check for any messages. It wasn’t there. Damn I chewed my lip in annoyance. It must’ve dropped out, probably in all that rolling around with Rio. I sighed, letting my head fall back, and contemplated the roof of the taxi. Well, no way was I going back to look for it now. And what was Rio up to? It sounded like she was plotting some sort of palace coup, but what did that have to do with Melissa’s death? My gut made me think it was connected, but there were so many bloody dots appearing on the page that I was having trouble joining them up.
Then I realised the taxi hadn’t moved.
I tapped on the glass behind him. ‘I’m in sort of a hurry here.’
His head bobbed again. ‘Just waiting for your friend, luv.’
‘What the—?’ Damn vampires! I flung myself back in the seat and a moment later, Malik opened the cab door and gave me another heart-flopping smile.
‘Genevieve.’ Settling himself on the seat, he stretched out his long legs. His meaning was so obvious even an animated mud-troll would have got it. If I wanted to get out, I’d have to get past him.
The cab rumbled off, diesel engine drowning out my huff of frustration. No way did I want Malik tagging along to my meeting with Alan Hinkley, not with Alan’s text about his finding a nervous fae informer who would only talk to me. So I needed to get rid of the pretty vampire—only short of stabbing him again, I didn’t see how I was going to make that happen.
I frowned at him. Something was different—he seemed tougher, less sophisticated—then I realised he’d swapped the fancy suit for more of a street-goth look. In the Armani, he’d looked slim, almost slender, but now his black jeans with studded belt and black short-sleeved T-shirt moulded over a body that was hard with muscle. Whatever he’d been when he’d accepted the Gift, he hadn’t been a couch potato. A platinum ring set with a black gem similar to the one in his ear banded his thumb. I looked, but he had no spells about him. An errant part of my mind wondered what he would look like without the clothes and mentally I rolled my eyes. My mind could imagine all it wanted, but that so wasn’t going to happen. Vampires, even hot-fanged eye-candy like Malik, were too dangerous to even think about flirting with, never mind anything else.
So instead I tried to sort through all the nuggets of information I’d unearthed at the Blue Heart, work out which were golden and which were just dross. But in the quiet and dark of the cab, all I could think of was the tear running down Darius’s cheek, I crossed my arms and hugged myself and gazed blindly out of the window as we inched slowly through the traffic-clogged streets of London.
As if he knew what I was thinking, Malik said softly, ‘If you are concerned about the human, he had already witnessed Rio’s particular style of feeding before he chose to become part of her household.’
I sighed. Did that mean Darius had enjoyed being abused like that? It hadn’t looked like it—but who was I to know?
‘He can always petition for another Master, should he wish,’ Malik continued in the same soft tone.
I scowled out at the cars passing in the other direction. ‘Like Rio’s ever going to let that happen.’
‘It would not be up to her. The decision rests with the High Table.’ His voice hardened. ‘We are a tiny minority compared to humans. It is our capacity to uphold our own customs and traditions that allows us to continue to govern ourselves in these matters.’
‘Save the propaganda for someone who cares.’ I turned to face him. ‘Rio wasn’t the only one getting off in there.’
He stared at me, black eyes cool. ‘I am vampire. There was blood. What did you expect?’
I gave him a level look back. ‘Nothing, absolutely nothing.’
He reached out, traced a finger under my left eye. ‘You are no stranger to violence.’ He pressed his thumb into the tender spot on my cheekbone.
I tensed at the small hurt, trying not to flinch.
‘Or pain,’ he murmured.
Something twisted inside me. I knocked his hand away.
‘But you would condemn me for that which you yourself desire.’
‘This,’ I pointed at the bruise, ‘was caused by a client, not from some sort of sadistic game-playing.’
‘Blood, sex, violence.’ His elegant fingers pushed back a fall of black hair. ‘You view these with a somewhat human perspective, which is odd in one of your race. You are much like a newly gifted vampire having a crisis of conscience. They feel horror and disgust at their need to feed off their erstwhile companions, but then they discover their almost absolute command over humans, a god-like power of life and death.’ He looked at me. ‘The knowledge that they can do whatever they desire, and their victim will not stop them. That they can even decide on their victims’ emotions: fear, pain, hopeless-ness, comfort, delight, lust.’ He gave no inflection to the words as he spoke. ‘These are realisations that most new vampires travel through. It is interesting, do you not agree?’
I narrowed my eyes. ‘You’re being very chatty all of a sudden.’
‘This is true.’ He turned the ring on his thumb. ‘It has been a long time since I have been able to speak as I wish, to use words without having to weigh and judge each for its impact, if it might give those around me some advantage. It is’—he shot me a glance from beneath his lashes—‘pleasant.’
‘Lonely, more like,’ I said, my voice flat.
He looked down, considered his feet in silence.
I shifted in my seat, looked out of the window. No way was I going to feel sorry for him. In front of us, I could see the huge Catherine wheel of the London Eye towering above the Thames, lights bright against the night sky. We were nearly at our destination. Going by the amount of Saturday night traffic, walking the rest of the way would be quicker, but I didn’t have that choice.
‘You are correct, Genevieve.’ His voice slid over my skin like the cool touch of silk. ‘I am lonely.’ Elegant fingers circled my wrist. ‘I have been for longer than I care to contemplate, but it is not an emotion that I would deny, despite it displeasing me.’
The street lights washed his face from shadow to light
and back to shadow. Something the cocktail girl had told me about Melissa wormed its way into my head. I narrowed my eyes. ‘Is that why you were having a fling with Melissa? Because you were lonely?’
He ignored my question. ‘Unlike you,’ he said, pulling me round to face him and catching hold of my other wrist, ‘I do not choose to lie, even to myself.’
Fear slicked up my spine. With all the chat, I had felt sorry for him. I’d half-forgotten what he was, what he might want.
I tried to jerk away and his grip tightened. ‘Or was it because Melissa was a faeling?’ I spat out. ‘Did that make her more of a challenge, more exciting, that you hurt her and didn’t have to hold back? Did it make the pain more real for you?’
Bright pinpricks of anger glimmered deep in his pupils.
My pulse pounded under his fingers. ‘She saw something, didn’t she?’ I yelled over the blood racing through my veins. ‘When she was with you.’ My skin flushed with heat, with need. I gasped, clenching my fists trying to ignore the feelings.
Damn vampire tricks.
‘Even now, you lie to yourself.’ He turned my wrists, holding my palms upwards. ‘You tell yourself that you do not want what I can give, but your body betrays you.’
My fingers relaxed and opened with no conscious thought from me.
‘See, Genevieve, this is what happens when you deny the truth. You make yourself weak. How else would I find it so easy to bypass your defences, to bend your body to my wishes, if not by using your own desires against you?’ He pulled me towards him, eyes flaring with rage. ‘Much as you did with Rio.’
I blinked. Why was he angry? Then I realised what his words meant and my own anger made me lean into him. ‘You were watching, weren’t you,’ I made it a statement, ‘in the Théâtre—but that’s what you do, isn’t it?’ I curled my lip. ‘You spy on others.’
‘It was not wise to tease Rio like that.’
‘What, you think yanking her chain was wrong? You heard her, she’s ambitious, she already had plans for me, and I’m betting they had nothing to do with my wellbeing. The fact that she’s changed them isn’t going to make any difference in that respect.’
The Sweet Scent of Blood s-1 Page 22
