Sweet Last Drop

by Melody Johnson

  “It’s lovely to meet you, DiRocco. My apologies that our paths couldn’t cross under more favorable circumstances.”

  I couldn’t imagine a favorable circumstance in which we could have met, but I kept my lips sealed and simply nodded, not trusting my smart mouth to remain polite.

  We stopped in front of an overgrown cave imbedded on a hillside. Vines spread over the embankment and grew along the edges of the cave’s mouth, blurring exactly where the ground ended and the cave began. Rene set me on my feet, but between the thick, impenetrable darkness of the deep woods and my fear of the coming confrontation with Bex, I could already feel the confines of the cave’s walls closing in around me. I leaned fractionally over its edge, peeking into the abyss. Even as my eyes adjusted, they couldn’t penetrate through to the cave’s bottom. Assuming the cave had a bottom.

  Rene pulled me back. “We’re waiting here. Many of our newest coven members still haven’t fed.”

  “Is this the entrance to your coven?” I asked, surprised.

  Rene nodded. “I don’t want the first human they lay eyes on after waking from their day rest to be a night blood. They wouldn’t be able to resist drinking from you, and once they started, they might not stop. Your blood is like—”

  “Like cinnamon and spice and everything nice,” I said, drolly. “Or so I’m told.”

  He smirked. “Yes, it is.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but if you didn’t want me in harm’s way, why bring me to a coven full of unfed vampires?”

  “It’s not you I’m worried about. You would survive, but they wouldn’t.”

  I frowned. “I would survive, and they wouldn’t?”

  “Bex would never tolerate another vampire in her coven draining a night blood.”

  I stared at Rene, incredulous. “Bex would kill a vampire for attacking me?”

  “Of course. Night bloods are potential vampires, and the only vampire who can transform a night blood is Bex. An attack against a night blood is considered an attack against Bex herself.”

  I nodded. His logic made a strange sort of sense, more sense than how Dominic ruled his coven, and I wondered at the difference. Maybe Bex was more powerful and therefore better able to control her vampires. Maybe Dominic only seemed less powerful because his Leveling was approaching in two weeks. Or maybe Dominic was not as effective a Master—all possibilities worth considering, but I knew better than to utter them aloud, especially the last. Even 300 miles away, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dominic overheard me. I’d regret it, but I wouldn’t be surprised.

  “What have you brought home, Rene? I thought I taught you better than to play with your food?”

  Bex materialized in front of us. It must have been a trick of the darkness and her own speed and stealth because actually materializing from nothing was impossible, even for a vampire. Then again, so much lately that should be impossible was real; I couldn’t really question what may or may not be possible. I only questioned what occurred: I was alone with Rene one moment, and the next, Bex was in front of us, her reflective, yellow-green irises refracting the moonlight.

  I tried to breathe normally, knowing their senses could detect every minute internal change in my body, but I couldn’t help it. My body started to tremble.

  “Master.” Rene bowed his head. “I present a new night blood in our territory. She calls herself DiRocco.”

  I took a calming breath, but the tremble in my chest worsened. The vial of Dominic’s blood was a hot weight around my neck. I caught myself reaching to touch it and forced my hand to remain at my side.

  “DiRocco, I present—”

  I waved my hand at Rene dismissively, annoyed at his formality while Bex was frying a laser through my chest with her unwavering, alien eyes. “Yes, I know, you present Bex, the Master Vampire of Erin, New York, from Chemung to Wayne County and everywhere in between.”

  Bex grinned. “Walker taught you well.”

  “Walker doesn’t speak of you in that way.”

  Rene looked between the two of us, weary regret heavy in his expression. “You’ve already met?”

  Bex lost the grin. “Why would Lysander concern himself with my expanding territory?”

  “Dominic makes everything his concern.”

  “That I most certainly believe. What I’m not quite certain I believe is why you were brought here.” Bex shifted her gaze from me to Rene with a flick of her golden-green eyes, and I almost felt bad for Rene. Almost.

  Rene cocked his head, not looking particularly worried about being on the business end of that look. “She’s a new night blood in our territory. I wasn’t aware of her presence, and I definitely didn’t know that you were previously acquainted. Upon discovery, why wouldn’t I bring her to you?” Rene narrowed his eyes, and despite his obvious loyalty, returned Bex’s laser look with heat of his own.

  Bex lifted her chin defensively. “She might be new to us, but she’s not new to our territory. She’s Lysander’s night blood, and by bringing her to me you risk—”

  “When has territory ever stopped you from claiming what’s yours?” Rene interrupted. His chest vibrated in a low, rattling growl, and his lips thinned across his sharpened teeth. “DiRocco is in your territory, and anything in your territory is rightfully yours to take. Lysander knew that when he allowed her to leave his territory. You shouldn’t need me to explain this to you.”

  I pursed my lips and wondered if what Rene was saying was accurate. He seemed to be a font of vampire etiquette, and if Bex’s expression was any indication, Dominic had thrown me to the wolves, almost literally. Except wolves might have been preferable.

  “She doesn’t want me as her night blood,” I interjected, hoping to turn the heat under someone else. Walker was certainly a subject of contention between them, so I’d play on that. “Or at least, she doesn’t want me enough to risk war with Dominic. The only night blood she’d risk anything for is Walker.”

  “By pursuing Walker, she risks everything,” Rene growled.

  “Enough,” Bex growled back.

  “Other night bloods exist beyond Walker.” Rene continued. “They might not be the night bloods you want, but they’re the night bloods your coven needs. Your love of Walker has blinded you from the destination we’ve worked so hard to reach, and if you continue leading us astray, someone will come along to right our path.”

  Bex’s chest rattled. “Is that a threat, Rene?”

  “Never, Master. I serve only you, but as your loyal servant, I fear for the stability of our coven.”

  “I’ve lived many lives with many covens, and I’ve transformed many night bloods. In all that time, I’ve gained something that I didn’t possess in my former life as a night blood, nor after I was transformed, for many, many years: patience. Walker is my night blood, and when he’s ready, I’ll be there. Looking back years from now at the time it took for him to accept his destiny, you’ll see that the extra time we waited was a mere blink in our existence. Y’all haven’t realized this because you’ve only lived one human life, but when you’ve lived five, ten, one hundred human lifetimes, you’ll understand this inevitability.”

  “I understand, Master,” Rene growled through clenched teeth, his tone anything but understanding. “But in the meantime, while you’re exercising patience with Walker, other night bloods are ripe for the transformation.”

  “Night bloods must be chosen carefully. If they’re unwilling—”

  “Walker is unwilling!” Rene snapped.

  “DiRocco isn’t worth the trouble that changing her would stir with Lysander,” Bex finally admitted, and as the words tumbled from her lips, she realized her mistake.

  “You fear Lysander and his growing power, despite his approaching Leveling,” Rene accused.

  Bex lifted her chin higher, refusing to bend. “I fear nothing.”

  “Then if you don’t want the night blood, and you don’t fear Lysander’s wrath, may I drink from her?�
�� Rene asked darkly.

  I looked back and forth between Bex and Rene in the sudden, quelling silence. The exchange had escalated so rapidly that I wasn’t sure how their attention had once again shifted to me, but I held my breath as I became the focus of both their honed, targeted gazes.

  Bex froze for a moment, her expression like chiseled stone. She’d trapped herself between pride and fear, and my heart sank. In her place, I knew which I’d choose. Quickly, nearly imperceptibly, she nodded.

  I didn’t wait to see if Rene would make good on his request. I didn’t care if he just wanted a taste or if he was only proving a point, he wasn’t drinking a single drop from me.

  “Rene Roland,” I said, and like butter, my mind melted around his, seeping into the cracks and crevices of his thoughts.

  I felt shock and fear sting his heart like bees.

  “Rene?” Bex asked sharply.

  “Stand in front of me, Rene Roland, and shield me from Bex with your body,” I commanded.

  Rene flew in front of me, shielding me from Bex. He didn’t even attempt to reflect my command.

  Bex gaped at me. “It’s true.”

  I would have smiled at her expression if I hadn’t been so terrified. Bex’s astonishment was my only upper hand. Before she could recover, I hooked my fingers around the vial of Dominic’s blood, snapped the necklace from my neck, and whipped the silver chain around Rene’s throat in a makeshift garrote. The moment the silver touched Rene’s skin, a noxious steam hissed from his burning flesh.

  Rene tensed, but because of my command to shield me from Bex with his own body, he couldn’t move.

  “You are full of surprises, little night blood,” Rene whispered.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Rene bared his teeth in a semblance of a smile. “Never apologize for surviving.”

  Bex recovered from her shock and released a growling roar. It blasted through us. I felt the compelling urge to bend to her power. Rene trembled to cede to her, but he remained firmly planted in front of me, as per my command. No matter her control over Rene as a member of her coven, I wasn’t hers to control. My grip on his mind was deeply rooted where Bex couldn’t reach, and until I chose to release him, my grip was unbreakable.

  I could taste the strength of my bond in the flavors of Rene’s kaleidoscope of emotions. His rage burned through my stomach. His fear spiked through my heart. And a swell of grudging respect filled him painfully, like a Thanksgiving feast. He thought I could be the wedge between Bex and her destructive pursuit of Walker. He hoped I could be his coven’s salvation.

  He’d have to get in line.

  Bex stepped closer.

  “Don’t.” I tightened the necklace around Rene’s throat. His skin gave easier than I would have expected; like a hot spoon through ice cream, I could have scooped the silver straight through to his spine. He hissed, but the sound was gargling and wet. I eased my grip before I decapitated him by mistake.

  “You will release Rene,” Bex growled.

  “You will step back,” I said. I tugged on the necklace for emphasis and it imbedded a little deeper into Rene’s charred flesh.

  Rene trembled. “Master, please.”

  Bex didn’t take another step closer, but she didn’t move back either. “You can’t cross into my territory and threaten my vampires without retribution. I thought Lysander wanted to prevent war, not start it.”

  “I’m not here to threaten you or your vampires. I’m protecting myself!” I could feel my hands trembling on the cold stillness of Rene’s neck. If I were really Dominic’s night blood in heart and not name alone, I thought, what would I do? I took a long, deep breath and spoke again. “Dominic is the only vampire who may drink from me. You are his ally, but he is my Master. My only Master.”

  Something flashed in Bex’s eyes, a bright, burning mix of longing and frustration and jealousy that I knew all too well. I’d looked at other couples that way after my breakup with Adam and felt that impossible, bitter longing for the love they had while simultaneously condemning their love to fail because mine had failed. In that moment, I knew that Dominic had been right about Bex.

  She wanted from Walker what she thought Dominic had achieved with me. She wanted a willing and loyal night blood. My relationship with Dominic was mostly illusion—I certainly wasn’t willing and I was only loyal enough to uphold my end of our deal for Nathan’s sake—but I’d delivered the impression Dominic had wanted, and Bex believed it.

  Bex crossed her arms. “What do you want?”

  “I want your word that my status as Dominic’s night blood will be respected. That means no drinking,” I said, and I directed that last part to Rene by tightening the necklace around his neck.

  Rene stiffened. “Got it.”

  “I’m here on Dominic’s behalf to mend bridges,” I continued, meeting Bex’s gaze. “I’m here to express Dominic’s sincere regret that Walker suffered in his care, and as a show of good faith, he sent me. As Walker returned to you whole and otherwise not permanently damaged from Dominic’s coven, Dominic is expecting the same courtesy for me.”

  Bex pursed her lips. “I’m listening.”

  “I accept your dinner invitation for tomorrow night, but only if you ensure my safety. If you’re at all interested in rebuilding a truce with Dominic, you should keep in mind that I report directly to him.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “The report of my visit thus far won’t speak well of your hospitality.”

  Bex narrowed her eyes. “Is that a threat?”

  “I’m only reminding you of the reality of our situation and my position, so you can make a choice. If you allow vampires, like our comedian here,” I said, indicating Rene, “to drink from me, Dominic’s attempt to mend fences will stop before it’s even really begun.”

  “I don’t need your advice to rule my coven, bless your heart. I’ve survived my enemies, and my vampires have flourished under my rule for longer than you’ve been alive. You think you can cross into my territory and threaten my vampires? You think that you can threaten me?” Bex growled. “You don’t want me as your enemy.”

  “No, I don’t. You have a choice to make, a choice that will affect you and your coven as well as mine, and I’m here to make sure you choose correctly.”

  Bex’s nostrils pointed, the first slip I’d ever witnessed in her control. “You don’t know shit about choices, little girl.”

  “You think on it. I’ll see you tomorrow night for dinner.”

  Bex snarled and stepped forward.

  “Pick me up and fly me back to the crime scene,” I whispered to Rene. “You will leave me there, fly back here, and not return for me. Now!”

  Rene didn’t hesitate. We flew through the air faster than my eyes could track the surrounding woods, so fast that the trees and foliage and blanketing darkness blurred on either side of us. His arms cradled my body. His embrace was strong and secure and without even a twitch to indicate the inner struggle he was surely battling. I remembered my struggles to fight Dominic’s mind games. I’d screamed and fought against him on the inside while physically following his every command on the outside, but I’d never followed them blindly. My struggle was apparent in the nuance of my responses and my trembling hesitation as I battled for control of my body.

  Rene wasn’t strong enough to display his struggle, but I could feel it. On the threads of my mind that plucked at his, I could hear him screaming.

  My feet abruptly touched the ground. The blur of the surrounding forest shifted into focus, and I lost my purchase on the forest floor before I even knew I’d found it. The world tipped sideways. I fell hard on my side, and pain flared through my hip. Gritting through it, I turned to block Rene’s attack.

  But as per my direct command, he was already gone.

  Chapter 4

  “Had you stayed in the police cruiser with Alba, this wouldn’t have happened,” Walker chided. His tone was deliberately calm
and measured, but I could tell by the clench of his jaw that he wanted to shout.

  “Officer Montgomery shooed me away from Alba because I’m a big, bad reporter from the big, bad city,” I said. I was trying to be reassuring, but I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice, even for Walker.

  “You’re not that easily shooed,” Walker grumbled. “On a scale from one to ten, how badly does your hip—”

  “A pain rating? Seriously?” I shook my head. “I’m fine. What happened with the Dunbars? What did Berry and Sheriff Pitston say about the case?”

  “Had you stayed with Alba, you could have interviewed them yourself.”

  “Had I stayed with Alba, someone else would have been abducted.”

  Walker crossed his arms stubbornly. “Exactly. Someone else might have been abducted, but not you.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose and prayed for more patience. I was sorely running low, and although I struggled with the existence of a graceful, omniscient deity, it would take a miracle to get through this conversation without losing my temper. Walker and I had argued over who was to blame for my abduction from the moment he caught me limping back from the woods, while he helped me to his truck, and as he drove us back to his house. From the stubborn clench of his jaw, the argument wasn’t ending anytime soon.

  Despite his temper, Walker insisted on replacing the icy-hot patches on my hip when we reached his house, and since I couldn’t step without wincing, I wasn’t in much of a position to resist when he led me back to the bathroom.

  Without much room to maneuver, he had me sit on the toilet seat to reapply the icy-hot. I tried to find a position that I could sit comfortably without shards of my hip digging into nerve endings. I had the feeling that my efforts to convince Walker and sit comfortably were a lost cause, but until he included me on the details of this case, I wasn’t letting it go.

  I took a deep, calming breath. “We’re lucky I was the one adbucted. Had it been anyone else, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.”