by Leia Shaw
James choked on a laugh.
“So, part of this whole mission thing is about revenge?”
He shrugged. “If you’re asking if I’d like to kill Cadmael myself, the answer is yes. But I’d go after him even if he didn’t turn me. Just for all the trouble he’s caused my people for the last five hundred years.”
“So, do you, like, thirst for my blood?” She cringed. Blood didn’t make her lightheaded like it did Erin, but the thought of someone drinking it made her stomach churn.
James cast her a dirty look. “Of course not. I wouldn’t let myself near you if I didn’t have enough self-control.”
He gazed into the fire. Slumped shoulders and a distant look in his eyes made him look lonely. Then it hit her. His secret shame. James hated that he was a vampire.
“But you do drink blood?” she asked.
He nodded. “I have to. But never from a living person. I brown bag it.” His dark joke made him chuckle.
“And what about the sun?”
“The coffee I drink is an elixir a sorceress created for me. Vampires are allergic to the sun. She made a sort of…magical antihistamine, I guess you would call it. The sun doesn’t affect me like it does others of my kind. That’s not to say that I can spend the day at the beach though. And I need to keep drinking the elixir for it to work.”
“How does someone kill a vampire? Holy water? Stake to the heart? Silver? Any of it true?”
“Silver can be deadly if there’s enough in our body. Otherwise our head would need to be severed.”
She cringed.
“It’s hard to do considering our strength and speed. You would need a very strong weapon. Or else poison us with silver first to weaken –” He stopped and studied her face. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to kill you, James. Well, not unless you throw me into a batting cage again. Maybe I should kill you for that. I think I promised to.”
“Now I’ll be on the look-out.”
A thought popped in her head. An evil one, but she couldn’t ignore it. She had promised payback after all. And wasn’t one of James’ precious sorcery lessons about the importance of keeping promises? “So you’re immortal?”
“Yes.”
“And you heal quickly?” Discreetly, she reached into her boot, eyeing his hand resting on the dirt floor.
“Very.”
“So…does this hurt?” She thrust her switchblade into the middle of his hand, pressing all the way through until she felt the hard floor underneath its tip.
He roared, pulling the knife out of his hand with a sickening sound. “Yes, it hurts! What the hell was that?”
“That’s for the batting cage,” she told him, lighting her palms in case there was retribution.
His glare was cutting. “Do that again and you won’t like the consequence.”
A free pass? She couldn’t hold back a smirk as he clutched his hand tenderly. But it took only minutes to heal.
“Are you dead?” she asked once the fury left James’ eyes.
He laughed out loud, a strange contrast to the growling only moments before. “No. I breathe, I bleed, I feel pain. I’m just…altered. My body composition is different from a human.”
Maybe there was a biology class on vampires. Now that would be a science course she’d sign up for.
He arched a brow. “Now, are we done with the twenty questions?”
“Not hardly.” She shifted on the uncomfortable cave floor. At least the fire kept her warm. “Who else knows?”
“Not many. And you can’t say a word about this to any –”
“Who would I tell, James?” God, she was pathetic – a juicy secret and not a soul to tell it to. She could tell Erin, but she’d been vague with her sister about the past couple of weeks. It was uncomfortable to keep secrets from her, but she had to be sure this wouldn’t put Erin in any danger. The two of them had always fiercely protected each other.
“You’re right. Sorry. It’s just…” he took a deep breath, “the only people who know are Maddox and Ruby. If anyone from Caerwyn ever found out, my life would be over.”
A twinge of sympathy made her yearn to reach out and touch him. She refrained. Comfort and encouragement didn’t come naturally to her. But to hate such a big part of oneself…how sad. It didn’t make any difference to her that James was a vampire, as long as he kept his fangs to himself. But what about his family? Would they disown him if they found out?
She decided to change the topic, for now. “What about werewolves? Tell me about them.”
“There are three forms of werewolf. In human form, they are larger, stronger, and faster than regular humans. But their most deadly form is called crinos. It’s a sort of half wolf, half human shape. They can walk on two legs or run on four. Their teeth get longer and sharper, their vision and hearing more defined. It’s…horrifying. But silver weakens them too.”
“And what’s the third form?”
“Lupus. Full wolf.”
“Full wolf? You mean like…an actual wolf? The animal?”
“Yes.”
She pondered that then asked, “And how do you turn into one? Biting?”
“No, werewolves aren’t like vampires. They’re born that way.”
“You sniffing the air at the bottom of the mountain, weren’t you? At least, that’s what it looked like.”
“Yes. I could smell others. Not far away. Werewolves, mostly, but they’re just as dangerous.”
“Why are they here?”
He shrugged. “Could just be chance.”
Sage narrowed her eyes. Liar. “But it’s not, is it?”
James stared into the fire for a long moment. “It’s late,” he finally said. “You need to sleep.”
She sighed. “When am I ever going to get a straight answer from you?”
“When you start doing what I tell you.” He smiled then gestured to the equipment. “Get some rest. We’ll talk about it in the morning.”
Telling herself she was tired anyway, she obeyed. After unrolling a sleeping bag, she kicked off her boots and climbed in.
James didn’t move from his spot against the cave wall.
“Aren’t you going to sleep too?”
“In a little while. I don’t need as much as you, human.” He smiled.
She chuckled. “That’s sorceress to you, vampire.”
Chapter 10
When Sage opened her eyes, she expected to see the striped wallpaper from the spare bedroom at James’ house. Memories from the night before plunged into her consciousness with a dreamlike quality. But the chilly morning air was very real.
She pulled the sleeping bag to her chin and rubbed her cold feet together. Still horizontal, she watched James scavenge through the backpacks. He took out a navy blue t-shirt and pulled the old one up over his head. She couldn’t tear her gaze from his sculpted back. Maybe being slung over his shoulder twice in one night put things in perspective because she’d never noticed how fit he was.
When he turned back around, he must have caught her gazing at him because he grinned. Cocky bastard.
“Good morning,” he said. “Did you sleep all right?”
She sat up and rubbed her arms, trying to warm up. “Of course not. I’m on a dirt floor in a cold, damp cave with no pillow.” Her neck cracked as she moved it side to side and she groaned. “Did you happen to pack coffee in your crazed frenzy last night?”
He nodded and reached for a travel mug on the cave floor, already steaming with something liquid. After taking it from his hand, she sniffed it suspiciously. Smelled like coffee. Good coffee too, not instant. “How?”
“Ran to a coffee shop before the sun came up.”
Impressive. “You’re quite handy to have around.”
He chuckled. “Cream and a dozen sugars. That’s how you like it, right?”
“Very good. Keep this up and I’ll be putty in your hands.” Her lips curved into a flirty half-smile
. Her good mood surprised her, especially considering the awful sleep that night.
“That easy? I’ll have to remember that.” He winked.
James, flirting? Impossible.
“But for now, we’ve got a lot of work to do.”
She shook her head. “Uh-uh. Not until I get some answers.”
He sighed then took a seat on the dirty floor. “Stubborn girl. Let me make my elixir then we’ll talk.”
While he poured various liquids into a second travel mug, she took a moment to investigate her surroundings. Everything looked so different in the light. The cave was smaller than she’d imagined, which suited her just fine. The bigger the cave, the bigger the animal living in it.
She almost laughed out loud. James was a vampire. What, in the animal population, could be more deadly than that?
Their makeshift campsite wasn’t situated at the top of the peaked mountain they had climbed – well, the mountain James had climbed with her draped over his back – but it was high enough to see a good distance around them. The opening of their secluded cave faced the sunrise. Below them, a valley of trees painted in reds and oranges mimicked the colors of the sunrise on the ground. The long, curvy road they’d traveled last night was visible in the distance, cutting through the natural contours of the land.
“It’s beautiful,” she said, sucking in a deep breath of fresh air. “But still, I hope we’re not staying long.”
“We’ll stay until I come up with another plan,” he said gruffly. “Or until we’re found. Whichever comes first.”
She had a feeling she wasn’t going to get the answers she wanted today. “I need to get changed.”
The scrape on her knee had left dried blood on her jeans, making them stiff and uncomfortable. After placing her coffee on the ground, she rustled through her pack and pulled out her favorite pair of black yoga pants and a purple long-sleeve, fitted shirt.
James hadn’t moved from the spot across from her. She gave him a questioning glare but he only leaned back on his hands with an assuming smile.
“Turn around,” she demanded.
His brows darted up. “I saved your life last night. Don’t I get anything in return?” Too easily he dodged the large rock she threw at his head. His throaty chuckle echoed in the cave. “All right, kitten. No need to get violent.”
He turned around and she quickly changed clothes, keeping a watchful eye on him. On the trust scale, he still hadn’t moved past a two.
“Done,” she told him and he turned back around. “So who’s hunting us?”
“Not us. You. The Dark King is hunting you.”
She took a swig of her coffee. “Mm…right. That makes so much sense now. He must’ve heard about my reputation for being a pain in the ass. He couldn’t resist having me in his royal court.”
“It isn’t funny. I don’t think you recognize the danger you’re in. He’s sent a fleet of Underworld creatures out to look for you. He knows you’re here in Mass.”
“A fleet? Are you sure that’s right? I always thought a group of vampires was a flock.” She paused, tapping her chin. “Or maybe it’s a gaggle. No, that’s geese. Now werewolves would be a pack, of course…”
“Smartass,” he mumbled.
“I’m just trying to make a point. I’m not scared of this douche bag and his army of freakazoids.” She gave him a once over. “No offense. And you shouldn’t be scared either. Let’s just go after this guy together. We can kick his ass.”
“Actually, that was my original plan. But now…” He trailed with a defeated sigh.
“But now, what?”
“I don’t know what my plan is.”
“Okay,” she said slowly. “But we’re forgetting about something important here. Me! Why don’t I get a say in any of these plans?”
“Because you fail to see the bigger picture. If I didn’t hold you back, you’d go running off and jump head first into…you don’t even know what. It’s irresponsible.” He paused to look her in the eye. “And you’re too important to lose.”
“Important?”
“I mean as a sorceress. We’ve already established you’re more powerful than what’s typical. It would be a waste if you went and got yourself killed.”
Wasn’t that just like James. Everything for the good of his people. She couldn’t deny it stung a bit. He didn’t want to protect her because he cared about her – only because she was an asset.
“Why does this guy want me anyway?” she asked. “How does he even know I exist?”
“He thinks you’re somehow connected to his heir.”
She gasped, but with a mouthful of coffee she launched into a coughing fit that had James slamming his palm against her back. “His heir?” she yelled when she recovered. “Like his son? The one you want to kill?”
He nodded.
“Well? Am I?”
“No.”
“Good.” She stood up and dusted herself off. “Can we please get a hotel room now?”
He chugged the last bit of his elixir. “No hotels. The Counsel is looking for you too. Maddox texted me last night that they came to the house. They know you’re with me. They’ll just track my credit card info.”
With animalistic grace, he rose to his feet. “Come on. We still have training to do.”
Chapter 11
James led Sage through the thick forest, where she was accosted by any number of pricket bushes, pointy twigs, and roots that seemed to jut up out of the ground just as she tried to step over them. As if that weren’t bad enough, the hike was up steep terrain. She’d been mumbling colorful profanities for thirty minutes straight.
“Can’t you do that over-the-shoulder running thing again?” she asked after tripping over a root, again. “Spare me this stumbling around. It would not be ideal if the most powerful sorceress in the world twisted her ankle while a pack of Underworld-ish creatures were hunting her down.”
James didn’t stop his vigorous pace. “And miss all this creative cursing?”
She swore again.
“Here we are.”
They reached the top of the mountain. The view was incredible – a sea of rainbow leaves among rolling hills. Pretty but not worth the aggravation of getting to. She was so not an outdoorsy girl.
She looked at James. He was sniffing again. Weirdo.
A crisp wind tickled her neck. The air felt clean and refreshing in her lungs. Wasn’t her witch side supposed to like Mother Nature? Maybe she should make an effort to commune with it more often. Talk to bugs or something.
The top of the mountain provided plenty of space for training. It was mostly free of brambles and trees, except for a few stocky bushes and large boulders. James led her to a flat spot.
“We’ll start with the Underworld-ish creatures,” he began with a smirk. “Magic is your best ally. Whatever you can throw at them, do it, and to the best of your ability. Don’t hold back. Always take the kill shot because they will.”
She nodded.
“It’s best if you can keep your distance because once they get in arms reach, they can overpower you easily. But if you do find yourself in a werewolf or vampire’s grasp, pull as much of your power into your fists and hope you can get a good enough swing to hold them off until I can get to you.”
“So I should just wait for you to save me?” She scoffed. “That doesn’t seem like very good advice.”
“Shall I show you why?”
She shrugged.
“Go on then. Give me your best shot.” He stood perfectly still, an open target.
James didn’t know it, but she’d been the best fighter in both group homes she’d lived in.
Her tongue darted out and she slowly licked her lips. When his gaze was riveted to her mouth, she faked a left hook and threw an uppercut to his chin instead. But before she could connect to her target, he caught her hand in his fist then spun her and pulled her back up against his chest.
Something sharp glided across the skin between her neck and shou
lder. Fangs? Goosebumps rose on her arms and she shuddered. The eroticism mixed with the slightest bit of pain sent tingles to her core. A wet slide of a tongue followed the line where he’d grazed her. Her knees wobbled. If he hadn’t been holding her up with an arm wrapped around her chest, she would have melted onto the ground.
So abruptly she almost took a nosedive onto the grass, he released her and stepped back. “You’re already a scrappy little fighter, aren’t you?”
Scrappy?
“That’s good.” He nodded curtly. Apparently, his little nip and kiss on her neck hadn’t effected him nearly as much as it did her.
Damn him. Her knees were still quaking.
He held up a finger. “Rule number one. Always fight dirty.”
She grinned. That, she could do.
“This is about survival. There’s no such thing as an honorable duel. Assume your enemy will fight dirty and beat him to it.”
With a smirk she said, “Someone is sounding an awful lot like a vampire. Tell me, would Caerwyn warriors agree with that?”
He scowled. It’d been a joke but it seemed to have hit a sore spot. Was he still holding tightly to the idealistic version of himself as an honorable sorcerer?
She didn’t know whether she wanted to hug him in sympathy or to slap him in the head and welcome him to reality.
“Second rule,” he said, raising two fingers. “Use the element of surprise. Strike first and strike fast. Anything you can do to throw your enemy off guard might give you enough time to save yourself.”
She rolled her eyes. Old news.
“Go for the sensitive areas. Groin, eyes, throat, knees.”
Obviously, James didn’t understand how much of this one learns living on the streets among drug dealers and criminals. And worse, sharing a room with three teenage girls.
***
Hours later, James was pleasantly surprised. Sage naturally fought dirty, which he should have expected. She was fast and strong for a female, and that was without magic. Although she would be no match for a werewolf or vampire, she might hold her own against a sorcerer.
When he’d first met Sage, he hadn’t been able to see past the dishonest, anger, and sarcasm. Now he admired her courage, her strength. She’d confronted her first vampire last night and had come out swinging. All she needed was to learn a little trust, then she wouldn’t feel the need to scratch and bite her way through the world.
