Talon

by Alice Wade

  The next vampire leapt and Talon fired another spell, stopping him as if he collided with an invisible wall before he slammed to the ground. The sickening wet thwap of impact was enough to tell Talon the man was dead.

  The third vampire skidded to a stop. He witnessed his comrade as he splattered to the pavement below and looked in angered resentment at Talon who was ready, waiting for him to make a move. “You think you’ve won, don’t you Talon? You think you can out smart Kaen and the Dûr Falas?” He sneered and his black eyes glittered with silver flakes that caught the light. “Think again. This is only the beginning, old friend. You’ll see.”

  Pulling his cross bow from his back, the vampire notched the arrow in the same fluid motion and shot the suspended vampire who was dying a very painfully slow death. The arrow penetrated his skull from the side, piercing his brain, going clean through, and killing him instantly.

  Talon watched abject horror as the bolt killed the vampire. That should not have happened. He then felt it. Magic. It was forged into the arrow and it was only slightly different from his own. That meant only one thing: they were now on equal footing; he and Lainey were sitting targets.

  Understanding illuminated the vampire and he lowered his crossbow. However, he only had one bolt left. He knew his chance of hitting Talon was remote. The elf was prepared and watched with calculating, cold eyes. He knew his arrow would be incinerated before it crossed the gap. “We’ll get the girl, so watch your back elf. Watch your back.”

  At that, the third vampire spun around, black cloak spraying out, and was gone. He realized he was marginally out matched at the moment with the magic Talon could muster, and chose to retreat rather than suffer the same fate as his comrades.

  Talon rushed to Lainey’s side in an instant and pulled her to his chest. He felt her terror, knowing she was on the verge of shock. He could not speak for many moments when finally his adrenaline abated.

  “Lainey, I’m so sorry I brought you there. That was mistake. I should have known Kaen and his coven would be hunting, but I thought it would be easy for you to hunt.” He pulled back to see her tear-streaked face. “Will you forgive me?”

  She wept powerful sobs and threw her arms around his neck holding him tight. It was the only thing she could do.

  He wrapped his arms around her in return and stood while she cried, pulling her into a position to allow them to walk unhindered. He was taking her home. Without feeding. Kailani would need to offer her blood in addition to himself, but first he needed to just get her home.

  * * * *

  Kaen was furious! His face bled profusely. Blood soaked his cheeks and neck; his shirt was crimson with it. He transported to his room the moment he entered the castle grounds, not caring if anyone witnessed it. Deandra waited for him, sitting demurely on his bed in a seductive outfit more suited for a bar wench than a princess.

  When he materialized before her eyes, she screamed.

  “Oh, do still your noise!” he hollered. “Get me a servant. I need this closed immediately!” He was at the basin of water and quickly found a cloth, which he dipped in the water and began to carefully wash the blood away from the cut. Damn Talon. Damn him! Wounds from that elven blade could not be healed with his normal vampire genetics. He needed a human healer and that pissed him off to no end. Not to mention Lainey. Damn Talon! He roared in his head. The scoundrel stole her away again! Wryly he thought, at least I’ll have matching scars now.

  Deandra returned with a nervous female servant, carrying towels and another basin of clean water. “Kaen, lie down. The servant will clean the wound while I go find you some clothes.”

  The female flinched as the princess calmly issued orders in a steady stream, demanding to his care and his treatment. “If you cause him pain, you’ll be flayed alive. Is that understood?”

  The servant nodded once, too terrified to verbally reply. She attended to Kaen with kindness, shaking while she cleaned and stitched his face. Deandra watched. She never left his side all through the surgery.

  Deandra stood back, watching with a hawk’s eye to make sure he uttered not one growl of pain. She remained that way until the servant was through, and smiled shrewdly that he was being treated like a king. “Well done. You may go.”

  When they were alone, she approached the bed and sat on the mattress next to him. “Now, tell me what happened.”

  “Not now,” he snapped violently, his patience gone.

  “Oh, you will tell me.” The wicked sheen in her soft eyes told him he should not tread lightly at the moment. Full disclosure was a requirement and she wasn’t about to accept anything otherwise.

  “I encountered Lainey in the square,” He finally replied. “I had her in my arms, damn it!”

  Her body tensed with an initial wave of jealously, causing her to quiet. It was a dangerous quiet too. “And what happened?” She touched his cheek and watched as the muscle twitched from the contact. “What caused this? A tiny woman?”

  Kaen’s eyes flashed a dangerous shade of yellow, “No, not Lainey. Talon. He stole her away again.”

  Now wasn’t the time to act as a love struck fool, and Deandra knew it. The smile she gave him masked her resentment. “Well, didn’t you have your men give chase? I’m sure they’ll be found.” Her hand moved from caressing his face to seductively caressing his bare chest and traced the outline of the drake talon with her fingers.

  He snarled through his clenched teeth, “They got away.”

  “That’s a shame. I’m sure you’ll find her again soon, dear. Now rest.” Deandra rejoiced for their escape because she wasn’t ready to share Kaen just yet. Later maybe, but not until they were bound by marriage. He was hers for the time being. Leaning forward she gently kissed his lips possessively. “Sleep, dearest.”

  He was tempted to rip her throat out with his teeth, but he needed her. Damn if he didn’t need her.

  “Leave me,” he said instead.

  “Of course. Rest, Kaen. I’m sure you’ll feel better in the morning,” Deandra said nonchalantly as she exited through the door, leaving it open a crack.

  Kaen flopped his head onto the pillows once he was alone. “Damn you Talon. You will pay for this; you will. I swear.”

  Chapter Nine

  Talon deftly ran across the roof with a determined purpose. He danced, dodged and avoided loose tiles, constantly searching for any Dûr Falas in the vicinity. Every so often he would check on Lainey to make sure she was still awake. He felt her drifting in and out of a stake of shock, raising the urgency to get home.

  Talon found the rooftops to be a series of roads for his use, because he could travel anywhere in a city by traversing the skyline. Today was no exception. He slowed down briefly to check his bearings, recognizing the tall steeple of the castle abbey off to his left. The intersection he needed was up on his left. That would take him to the small jump between two buildings and then straight to the inn.

  He found the intersection he was looking for just as Lainey moaned. He carefully crossed over without having to put her down, but knew he’d jarred her in the process. He jogged the length of two more buildings to the section that would put them at ground level once more. This was the same location he and Lainey had used on their return hunting outing the day before.

  Home. They were finally here, and his body relaxed with relief as the fear of being discovered while out and Lainey in this state unnerved the usually composed vampire.

  Lainey’s mind brushed against his, “Talon, my thirst.”

  He sighed in defeat. “I know. You will have to feed from us today. I can’t risk hunting now that Kaen knows you are about. His men will be keeping watch. I would prefer the cloak of darkness to venture out again.”

  He felt her body tremble in his arms.

  “But…what about…what about Dace?” Her mental voice shook.


  He didn’t mistake the panic she did her best to control. He felt pride that she wasn’t succumbing to the shock after that little scene, but her fear for Dace was valid. It gnawed at him through the entire trip home. She would be in a craze once her thirst consumed her and there wasn’t much he could do if she attacked Dace in her madness. That was something he desperately wanted to avoid. If she were responsible for Dace’s death, it would turn her rabid and he’d have to kill her.

  “I don’t know. We’ll deal with that when we’re there. Right now, let’s just get home.”

  Talon felt her lithe form tighten in his arms as he hugged her tighter to his chest. Together, they would figure it out.

  * * * *

  Kailani knew they were coming because Talon ordered her to have Dace sent to Lainey’s room before they even stepped foot into the inn. Dace had argued passionately until she finally resorted to coercions to get him to comply. Now she stood ready when the door opened. Talon was able to set a shivering Lainey down on the couch. Kailani immediately wrapped her in a blanket and then stoked the fire.

  The adrenaline crash was evident and Kailani read the physical signs that she was on the verge of shock, if not already there. With a worried glance, she caught Talon’s gaze. “I’m assuming you’ll tell me what happened?” Her concern grew the more withdrawn Lainey became. It was like she sank inward, never wanting to come out.

  “She needs to feed.” Talon undid the top buttons on his shirt and approached the couch. He kneeled down so his height would not force her to shift in any way, then delicately took her hand and placed it on his neck trying to entice her to respond. “Lainey; drink.” His larger hand covered hers and pinned it in place.

  Dace listened through the door. His ire rose when he heard Talon offer his blood. Without thinking, Dace stormed into the room and between Talon and Lainey. His body shoved the larger vampire to the side as he positioned himself between the vampire and his betrothed.

  “No. You will not.” He tore his glare away from Talon and looked at Lainey for the first time. He involuntarily sucked in a tortured breath when he saw her tear-streaked face, shocked expression, and lack of response. He witnessed her incisors lengthen in response to his proximity, and watched the small clear drops of fluid form on the deadly points.

  Caution aside, Dace ignored the hissed warnings from the two vampires and kneeled down before the woman, He cupped her face, feeling the cold grip of panic in his gut. “Lainey? Sweetie? What happened?”

  One of her eyes twitched at the sound of his voice, but she didn’t respond.

  “Lainey? Oh no, please. Honey, look at me. I’m right here.” He threw a threatening glance at Talon then looked back to her. Ever so slowly, she blinked and met his worried face. Finally seeing him through her haze, fresh tears spilled out the side of her eyes. She knew she teetered on the edge of control.

  “Dace?”

  He responded by increasing the pressure in his grip on her face and nodded. She read the worry that clearly shaped his handsome face, and this affected her greatly. Lainey felt the weight of all her terror lifted just by his presence alone. Her forehead creased, pleading with him to comfort her. She knew having him here was dangerous, but couldn’t resist him.

  “Dace!” she moaned before throwing her arms around his neck sobbing as she embraced the warmth and love he had to offer. “I’m safe. I’m all right.” She continued to hold him.

  Dace wrapped her more tightly, rubbing her back and willing her to calm down.

  “You shouldn’t be here,” she whispered, throwing a worried glance over his shoulder at Talon. What she saw chilled her. He stood, watching the couple with an intensity which defined the severity of the situation. It made her want to push Dace away.

  “Did you feed?” He resisted against her attempt to pull away.

  “No.” It was a tortured sound, barely articulated.

  In a flash of apprehension Dace instinctually felt the danger. Without much more thought for his well-being, he made up his mind. She needed to feed. “Feed from me. I trust you. Please, sweetie.”

  Twin exclamations erupted from the vampires. “Absolutely not!” Talon moved to intervene when Dace snarled a territorial warning.

  “She will feed from me. I offer it to her freely, and I trust her. You can oversee it, right? You can watch her if she goes too far?” His hopeful question was answered with a nod from Kailani.

  Her light touch on Talon’s arm startled him. “Let him do it. I’ll watch.” She said before turning back to Dace. “Move to the bedroom though. It will be more comfortable for both of you.”

  Afraid that if he delayed Talon would intervene, he plucked Lainey off the couch and rushed to their room. He cradled her in his arms until he was able to settle on the bed with her snuggled next to him. This was it. This was the moment he’d found revolting, yet here he was, willingly offering it to her. Looking down into her tormented face, he chased away the fleeting fears that he could either die or be converted. It all became irrelevant when he heard her labored breathing and knew she struggled with her hunger. When her pinched eyes traced their way down his face to his neck, her breathing became a shallow pant. He knew he couldn’t turn back. This was the first of many moments that he’d prove to her he’d not lied when he said he’d be there for her. Always.

  “Dace, are you sure?” It took her a few tries to moisten her mouth. Her throat was bone dry, and the burn was becoming unmanageable.

  Without answering her, Dace loosened his shirt and tilted his head to expose his neck to her in the traditional gesture. Lainey growled.

  “Yes, I’m sure love.” Glancing at her, he shivered, having a moment of doubt with what he had just agreed to do. “I trust you.”

  A lone tear snaked down her already streaked face before she set her coercion to ease his discomfort. The last person she wanted to hurt was Dace, and she could unconsciously kill him by doing this. If she did, she wanted his mind far, far away.

  Lainey snuggled up against his side, waiting while he sat propped up against the headboard. Her arm draped over his waist in a very predatory pose, looking intimately into his face and waiting for the moment when his eyes glazed over. Still, after seeing that happen, she couldn’t bring herself to do this. He was painfully vulnerable lying there, his perfect neck exposed and his jugular pulsating with the beat of his heart. She felt it strongly being this close to him; like a tug, it called her.

  Using one hand, she reached out and placed it on his heart, feeling the healthy beat thumping under her palm. She caressed his warm skin higher with the flat of her hand. She ran it over his muscular chest, feeling a moment of hesitation. She was afraid. She was terrified she’d fail his trust and do irrevocable damage to the man she loved.

  The thirst was too much, though. Her hand moved against her will, caressing higher, crossing his collarbone and then his exposed neck, where his blood ran in a strong current. There she paused, counting in time to his pulse while she reveled in the feel of him, longing to be naked and wrapped in his warmth.

  Lainey whined. “I’m too afraid to do this, Kailani.”

  A warmth embraced Lainey’s mind with Kailani mental encouragement. “I know. Honor the trust that he has in you. You can do this.”

  Lainey paused a moment longer before adding, “Please keep watch. I want him very much alive.”

  “I’m right here.” Kailani strengthened her mental connection, confirming to Lainey that she wasn’t alone.

  Lainey leaned forward and placed her mouth gently against his skin, kissing his neck. She lingered, taking a moment to enjoy the feel of his skin under her lips and his taste on her tongue before she sank her teeth deep, purring immediately. As his blood flowed into her mouth and passed over her tongue, Lainey’s senses exploded into a kaleidoscope of flavor and emotions. She nearly passed out from the intensity.


  Frantically, she pulled him closer in the grip she had around his neck as her greedy lips opened to let more blood flow into her mouth. At the same time, she pressed her body flush up against his as if she tried to fuse into his body while she fed. Lainey was on the brink of losing control, but the steady beat of his heartbeat and his familiar smell kept her from falling into a dangerous situation. They were the only things holding her control in check.

  He didn’t taste anything like her hunt yesterday. She wasn’t sure why, but he was the most decadent thing she had ever experienced. He was enticingly salty, yet she detected some underlying flavor that went unidentified. It appealed to her tastes in a way that drove her again to the brink of crazed madness. The combination of those two things set a fire raging through her veins in addition to copious amounts of fluid soaking her already drenched core.

  Purring, Lainey experienced the enhanced euphoria that came with feeding from Dace. She felt the first flutters of an orgasm brewing within and didn’t want to stop. His blood was the most intense aphrodisiac, causing her to release a passionate moan intermixed with her purr that sent vibrations through the room.

  Kailani’s voice whispered urgently in her mind, “Careful.”

  Lainey tried to remember who she was feeding from and inhaled his masculine scent, then took two huge gulps before she pulled away and licked the wounds closed. She paused long enough to give the entry point a loving suckle intimately before she rested her head in the crook of his neck in relief. This was enough to curb the thirst for the moment.

  Sighing, she embraced the profound relief. She had the strength to stop and leave him unharmed. When she closed her eyes, she felt his incredible blood flowing beneath her cheek and desperately wanted more, because his offering was Nirvana. The warmth of it spread through her veins and eased the dry parched thirst that moments before pushed her to a wild state of mind.