by Cynthia Fox
“And so is resting in peace, which this person clearly won’t be doing as part of an exhibit.”
“Don’t you think the soul is gone?”
“I do, but this whole idea smacks of extreme disrespect.”
“Disrespect? Humans disrespect themselves all the time while they’re living. Why should death be any different?”
“Here we go.” She tried to keep her cool, walking circles around the sarcophagus. “And what about misleading people into thinking these are vampire remains? How do you justify that?”
“It’s not really misleading if something can’t be proven or disproven.”
“I’ve had enough of this.” She threw her hands up in frustration. “Let’s lift the lid. I’ll be able to offer the proof.”
Professor Wallace grabbed the top two corners of the marble lid, squatting slightly and lifting the stone just enough to slide it partially open. Alejandro started to join them but stopped when he saw footprints in the dust that followed the drag marks. They led to the exact spot where the sarcophagus was placed.
“How many guys did it take to carry that down here?” Alejandro asked. “It must weigh a ton.”
“Four or five.” Professor Wallace shrugged and said, “I wasn’t really paying attention.”
Candace peered into the marble opening and smiled when she brought her head back up. “It’s empty!” She laughed and breathed a sigh of relief.
Professor Wallace removed his glasses, wiping them clean on his shirt. “That’s because it’s for you.”
“Excuse me?”
Alejandro’s mind started racing. “There’s only one set of footprints. Run, Candace!”
He rushed forward, but Professor Wallace raised his hand, causing a row of silver bars to drop to the floor, leaving Shane and Alejandro on the other side. She screamed, running until she slammed against the bars. Her skin sizzled on impact, sending her recoiling into a corner.
“What the fuck is going on?” Alejandro faced the professor. His fists were clenched so tightly, blood dripped from his palms.
Professor Wallace laughed. “It took you long enough to realize it was me. You’re slipping.” He laughed louder and louder until the sound became a growl, growing deeper as a funnel of wind started in the enclosed space. The funnel turned dark and smoky as it swept up the professor, absorbing him into its power as tiny particles of energy. The smoke crept through the bars until it formed another shadowy being on the other side. It continued laughing, revealing the internal flames providing its power.
“Tenebro,” Alejandro seethed.
“I knew you’d come back for this one,” Tenebro said, turning his vaporous head to Candace who was now hiding behind the sarcophagus. Shane tried to lift the silver bars to release Candace, but a zap from Tenebro sent him flying against the opposite wall, opening a gash on his forehead. “Humans are like annoying flies.”
“It’s me you want,” Alejandro growled. “Let them go.”
“Nope.”
“You will never have her.”
“Have her?” His murky energy howled with laughter again. “I don’t want her. She was just the bait.” He turned his attention to Shane, stinging his eyes with the vapor rising from a simple move of his arm. “I like your new car. Sorry about the old one, but I wanted to speed things along. This guy was soooo easy to manipulate,” he said, patting the top of his head. “A few old pictures and he was obsessed with getting inside that vampire pussy.”
“You killed Professor Wallace.” Shane returned to his feet, crouching in a fighting stance.
Tenebro picked him up by the backpack still attached to his shoulders and shook him hard. “You silly ninny. He’s not real. I could have easily taken on your face, but I have no interest in fucking the dead. You probably don’t either. I just needed someone to make Alejandro jealous.” Tenebro brought Shane closer to his face, staring into him with fiery eyes. “You’ve served your purpose. I got into your head, made you fall for her. I release you.” He threw Shane towards the top of the steps, sending him rolling back down a few of them before he braced and stopped his fall.
Alejandro roared, causing his energy to swirl and smoke, growing into a figure nearly as large as Tenebro. “Why must you do this?”
“The warlock within has made you soft. That whore mother of yours contaminated our lineage. I would prefer to kill you, but since I’m forbidden from killing one of my kind, I will banish you repeatedly until you embrace your demon nature. I will hunt you in every realm for eternity.”
Alejandro rushed forward and slammed against Tenebro, causing a ball of smoke and fire to fill the room. Every crack and crevice turned black with a grimy soot that reeked of sulfur. It was hard to tell who was winning. Candace got as close to the bars as she could without injury while trying to follow the fighting swirl of energy.
Tenebro gained the upper hand, throwing Alejandro down hard enough to crack the cement. He pointed towards Candace, sending a ribbon of smoldering soot through the silver bars. It came closer to her, swirling around her head and settling in a circle around her feet. Tenebro snapped his finger and the circle burst into flames. She screamed and tried to fly higher, but the flames rose with her, forming a cage of fire.
“Let’s see if you’re still a slow learner,” he said, lifting Alejandro to his feet. “Her life or banishment?”
“Take me,” Alejandro said, widening his stance.
“No hesitation? No, no, no. You haven’t learned a fucking thing. I want you to think about this. Remember banishment and that feeling of nothingness? Not knowing how much time has passed? This time I’ll send you for a hundred years.”
“Take me.”
“I’m giving you a chance! Be a real fuckin demon for once! You owe her nothing!”
“I love her.” Alejandro dropped to his knees. “I’m not going to fight. You will have to take me.”
“You are a fool,” Tenebro sighed and shook his head. “It’s your eternity. Suit yourself.” He waved his hand at Candace, instantly extinguishing the flames.
“You don’t have to do this, Alejandro.” She reached for him, burning her skin against the silver once more.
He swiveled on his knees and looked at her. “I’ll find you again. Please don’t watch this. Look away.”
“I’m not leaving. You’re not alone.” She continued reaching towards him, ignoring the pain and steam rising from her arm.
“How fucking sweet. Let’s get this over with.” Tenebro spread his arms wider. He spoke in tongues, paying tribute to his darker power. A ball of flame grew in his hand as he continued reciting his spell. He lifted the ball overhead, staring at Alejandro. “See you in a hundred years, cousin.” He was about to release the ball when a flash of white cut through the dark cloud.
Tenebro froze and began screeching. Candace felt the air being sucked past her and into his open mouth. The darkness of his body split open like a burning log, glowing brightly and then crumbling to pieces. The vapors swirled around themselves, shrinking with every turn until it all vanished. When the air was clear, Shane’s body became visible.
“Shane! Let me out, Alejandro.” He sent a blast to the bars, creating a safe hole for her to climb through.
Shane was badly burned. Thin layers of his flesh peeled off as they tried to hold him. “It worked,” he mumbled.
“What worked?”
“The salt and iron. We won.”
“We did.” Alejandro bent down and whispered in his ear. “You hang in there.”
Shane had been carrying around salt infused with iron shavings for months in case the rumors about their demon fighting properties were true. Tonight he’d added two full containers to his backpack when he loaded up the cash. With Tenebro focusing his attention on Alejandro, it gave him time to rip large holes on top of the containers and leap from the top step with the granules spraying everywhere.
Candace held his hand and he whispered for her to come closer. “Not true what he said. Not true. Never in my head. I c
hose you.”
“I know you did. And I chose you. We chose you.”
Alejandro ran his hands above Shane’s body, trying to heal his wounds. “I can’t undo another demon’s work. We’re going to lose him.” He scooped his arms under Shane to pick him up. “We need to get him to the hospital.”
She placed her hand on his arm to stop him. “There’s another way.” Candace cradled Shane’s head, gingerly stroking a small patch of skin on his cheek that wasn’t injured. “Would you like to try my blood?”
“Do it,” Alejandro said. “Quickly.”
“No. It has to be his choice.” She turned back towards Shane. “It will heal you, but it might also turn you. I have no idea how your body will respond.”
Shane hesitated. His labored breathing was the only sound in the room. He looked at both of them and nodded. Candace extended her fangs and bit into her wrist. The blood came fast, dripping across Shane’s chest and face as she brought it to his mouth. He tried to suck on the wound, but he was weak. “It’s okay, just swallow it.” He choked, spraying the blood on her face. “Easy, easy. Just keep trying.”
They remained until the worst of his wounds showed signs of healing. Alejandro carried him outside before handing him to Candace for a quicker flight to Decadence. He drove the car back, not wanting to leave any evidence they were ever there.
What the fuck just happened? Am I free? He had no idea what that even felt like, having looked over his shoulder for so long. Alejandro knew a warlock or demon couldn’t kill another demon, but he wondered if a human could. He knew one thing for certain, Shane had saved his life and he would do anything to return the favor.
Candace was waiting for him when he returned.
“How is he?”
“He’s resting now, getting stronger. Is Tenebro gone for good?”
“I have no idea. I didn’t even think the salt and iron would work.”
“You saved this place from the kitchen fire, didn’t you? Thirty years ago. The last time he banished you.” Alejandro nodded. “I wasted so much time being mad at you. That anger fueled me.”
“That’s exactly what he wanted. Tenebro was pulling more strings than we ever knew. I don’t want to waste another minute thinking about him. We just have to look after Shane.”
“We are a hot mess, aren’t we?”
“A beautiful fucked up mess of a chosen family. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Candace and Alejandro cradled Shane in the bed of the shared chamber. It wasn’t immediately clear who was holding who with the jumble of arms and legs. The only thing they could be sure of was facing what the next nightfall would bring together, as an army of three.
Epilogue
Shane was fully turned vampire and bore no scars from his tussle with Tenebro. His beverage company quadrupled its profit with the creation of Decadent Bloody Mary Mix and an exclusive deal with Costco. The three of them were now spending most of their time in Shane’s renovated home, choosing to ditch the separate chambers in favor of one large, shared space. After the night they spent together healing Shane, it was difficult for them to fall asleep if one was missing from the blend.
Alejandro was busy bringing armies of mind-controlled tourists into casinos to count cards and split the profit with him. The gig was up when a swarm of Daughter’s of the American Revolution took the MGM for close to a million one weekend. He is now banned from every casino in Nevada.
Candace gave Landry more responsibility at the club. He and Tiffany finally became an item. With his help, she left show business and opened a cat café for strays. Now his is the only sword she swallows.
And on a beach in another realm, Tenebro sat in his flame printed shorts enjoying a fruity cocktail. He had absorbed the banishment spell meant for Alejandro but was not sent to a realm of nothingness. His failure to get Alejandro to rise to his evil demon side was overshadowed by Shane’s victory. Even those in the underworld cheer the discovery of a better angel. With their twisted logic that humans can’t achieve unless pushed by the fear demons cause, Shane’s sacrifice gave him bragging rights. And a spot on this beach with unlimited drinks. Tenebro dug his toes in the sand, uncovering a clock he’d programmed to count down from one hundred years. He hoped Alejandro would be ready.
About Cynthia Fox
Thank you for reading “Gentlemen Prefer Sass.” If you enjoyed the story and have time, I would appreciate if you left a review on Amazon and Goodreads. It would help other people find and enjoy my stories. Thank you so much for your help. -- Cynthia
You may also enjoy reading about the characters I’ve created for my series set in Mistletoe Hollow. Begin the adventure with Grizzly Bell Rock.
– When the feisty O’Reilly sisters, Gracie and Catherine, travel over the river and through the woods straight into Mistletoe Hollow and its population of Shifters, two hunky shopkeepers show them the best Christmas presents come with four legs and fur.
Paranormal Romance Titles
Grizzly Bell Rock
Mr. Davenport Never Left
Billionaire Alpha Seeks Curves
The Werewolf Always Rings Twice
Something Weasel This Way Comes
Panther in a Pear Tree
Contemporary Romance Titles
Special Delivery
The Accidental Nudist and the Biker
Speeding Into Christmas
Don't Worry ... We Warned Them You Big Boned – Co-Author
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The Cynthia Fox Amazon Author Page
Cynthia Fox is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in the middle of California with her boyfriend and a couple of rotten cats. She enjoys writing about humorous characters and happy endings in both the paranormal and contemporary genres. Curvy heroines and laughter rule!
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