by Cara Carnes
She wet her lips with her tongue and whispered his name again. “Dmitri.”
He groaned and assailed her clit with his tongue. He licked and sucked. A torrential fire swept across her. She dragged the coolness from the air conditioning into her lungs and surrendered to the ravenous pleasure.
The mind-numbing release left her saturated in a fine mist. Steam had risen in the room. She blinked, forcing her vision to return. Through one eye she noted the lop-sided lamps and scattered knick-knacks strewn about the room. Had a cyclone entered?
Macy groaned. Crap. The earth witches down the hall. Had she channeled their powers somewhere amidst the unbelievable orgasm? Earthquakes tended to agitate Imperial Station. Those darn political air witches were so touchy about their precious air getting tainted with other elements. Don’t make smoke, don’t make dust. Blah, blah, blah.
Dmitri collapsed on the bed beside her, his gaze ablaze with humor.
“I had no idea a little dragon witch could contain so many interesting powers.” He stroked her cheek.
She sighed in contentment and curled her toes. Being released so she could snuggle against his hard body would be nice. A shower would be divine. But both required a certain level of auditory abilities she couldn’t muster.
Several people had tried to warn her what the release of her powers would be like the first time. She’d somehow managed to forget most of it. In the light of the earth-shattering climaxes, though, most of it trickled back into the forefront of her memory—the unheeded warnings.
Ensure no other ancient witch is within your reach.
Okay, she’d forgotten that little tidbit—thus the earthquake from hell.
Remove all sources of your primary elemental power.
Yeah, okay. So she’d forgotten the candles and sort of singed the paint. The room was due for a few new coats anyway. Something blue perhaps. No, sage. Yeah, sage would be nice.
Macy suspected the next time would be far worse. She’d been too overwhelmed by Dmitri to truly channel her powers, and he’d been so intent on her pleasure he hadn’t syphoned any of her powers like she’d expected him to. They’d have to discuss the how-to-do-this-the-right-way rulebook before next time.
Vampires helped cursed witches by temporarily inhaling their powers and spitting them out—essentially sucking them out much like they did blood.
The silk ties collapsed under Dmitri’s tug. She snuggled against him.
“You were incredible.”
She sighed. Yeah, he’d been pretty incredible, too. Tomorrow she’d tell him.
A soft chuckle cocooned her in warmth. “Rest up. We’ll play again soon.”
****
Dmitri settled Macy within the sheets and admired her vibrant aura. Gods, she’d blown him away. Almost literally.
Something had gone horribly wrong. Raw power hummed within him, what he’d managed to syphon of it, anyway. Most had inadvertently crashed into the room. Next time he’d have to be more prepared. No one had warned him ripping—or in this case fucking—the curse from a dragon witch would be quite so dangerous.
Most cursed witches were cured simply enough—a temporary conduit with a vampire. The discharged power disseminated on its own, safely lost somewhere in the abyss. But the little dragon witch owned and dominated that abyss with vengeance, shoveling power wherever she wanted, unaware the power remained—locked away.
Sweet saints, she’d been hotter than hell. Literally. He wanted to fuck her so bad his entire body ached like it hadn’t in centuries. His cock twitched in a painful reminder. The night wouldn’t end how he’d intended, but he’d done the right thing for once. The dragon witch hadn’t been ready for a full sexual encounter.
Apparently, neither had he. If he’d done what most vampires would have and fucked her immediately, he would have been destroyed. Likely, she would have as well. Somehow their connection had created a merging of ultimate power between the two species. And she’d been the key, the vehicle, the freaking battering ram to make it happen.
He’d simply been a very willing, horny passenger with the gasoline can and a match.
His fangs itched with a need to taste the sweet nectar streaming within the vein beneath his finger. Gods, it was so sweet and vibrant it practically sang a song.
Regret kept him in bed longer than he could afford. No matter his weak attempt at containment, the power surge had more than likely drawn Alonzo back. There was no way his second would’ve left him alone with a dragon witch for too long. The man had barely agreed to the plan.
The king’s ideas were never ignored, no matter how daring or, in this case, stupid they were. Dear old Dad had underestimated the witches yet again.
Dmitri drew himself away from the sleeping bundle making his cock rage with an unquenched need and padded into the other room. The vampiric senses gifted to him centuries ago upon his royal ceremony throbbed in agitation.
Macy had constructed enough shields around this place to keep it impenetrable from a garrison of his kind. For some reason the fact she’d had the foresight to do so while supposedly in the throes of passion chafed his male pride, not to mention his inner predator’s need to be her protector.
“I see you fell into your role quite nicely, Prince.”
Dmitri glowered at the intruder and collapsed on the couch, tossing a throw blanket over his naked lap. “How did you get past the shields?”
Alonzo shrugged. “There’s a very nice apartment next door that now has a wonderful gateway into here. I’m thinking about renting it.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“She is dangerous.” Alonzo’s gaze darkened as he sat down across from Dmitri. “Half the block is in power failure. The building shook.”
“It is as much my fault as hers. I wasn’t prepared for the backlash.”
“Bullshit.” Alonzo shook his head and motioned toward the bedroom. “That witch is packing one hell of a punch, one we were never told her kind could even have.”
“I know.”
“Why do you think the king failed to mention this? Has he not had any interactions with her kind before?” Alonzo questioned, the reason clear though the words were not spoken.
“That is doubtful since he enslaved one several centuries ago.” Dmitri flexed his fists. “Perhaps dear Dad has decided to remove any possible threats to his power.”
There. He’d said what they’d both thought.
“Perhaps.” Alonzo smirked. “All the more reason for me to hang around and watch your back while you…charm the witch.”
“See what you can learn from the other seconds. If my brother is in danger I’d rather be the one to warn him. He has father’s temper.” To say the least.
“And his mother’s powers.” Alonzo shuddered. “That’s one scary assed vampire witch hybrid I don’t like to get around.”
“No one does.” Shame and guilt weighted Dmitri’s shoulders. He leaned back. “Which is why he has secluded himself.”
“Do you intend to mention this recent education you’ve received to the king?” Alonzo asked.
“No.” Certain things weren’t any of his father’s concerns. Dmitri wasn’t about to place Macy in danger. “Tell no one.”
“Of course.”
“This entire situation is beyond fucked.” Dmitri expended a frustrated breath. “This only compounded it.”
“We have vampires enslaved by witches and now, witches we could drain and syphon unprecedented powers from.”
Dmitri narrowed a hostile gaze at his friend. “And how the hell would you know about the syphoning ability?”
Alonzo grinned. “I was standing too close to the charge zone, I guess.”
For centuries his kind had been used to syphon a witch’s excess powers when they were cursed. Tonight had been a cataclysmic moment he could barely comprehend. The dragon witch’s powers remained where they were cast.
His body still thrummed with raw, untapped power. His friend’s aura had undergone a smaller metamorphosis, but it was
still apparent.
“Do something about that aura before you go out.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” Alonzo’s voice fell. “She okay?”
“I hope to hell so, because I have no idea what the shit we’ve gotten into.”
“I sense it is evil.” Alonzo crossed his arms. “I will learn what I can. Perhaps her powers are too unique for your father to not have understood. If he did understand you could have been destroyed, we’ll have to act fast.”
“I’m not challenging him for the throne.”
“Someone will need to.”
“We speak as if we know my father intended me to die tonight, as if he knew what Macy was capable of.” Dmitri wasn’t willing to make that leap. Not yet.
“Don’t underestimate the king.”
“Don’t underestimate me.”
Chapter Four
Macy couldn’t shake the feeling Dmitri was hiding something important. She’d woken alone in her bedroom and thankful for a few contemplative moments. Breakfast had been a smorgasbord of foods from neighborhood eateries her budget usually kept her away from. Guilt chomped the taste from the delicacies. An indentured vampire was supposed to have everything provided—a blood host, all expenses paid, a safe environment to reside when not in use.
Macy swallowed. She hadn’t even bothered to offer her vein before falling asleep last night. What a miserable hostess she was. He’d gone to bed with a raging erection and probably hungrier than hell.
And he’d risen, still hungry, and brought in a feast fit for a queen. Damn vampire manners. She’d make it up to him, somehow. Once he bothered to return, that is.
With the ham and cheese croissant digested along with a double shot of espresso, cinnamon bun, and two cream pastries with questionable interior contents, her stomach lugged the massive sugar and carb overload around from one side of her belly to another. It would all land somewhere on her ass or hips, no doubt.
She’d prefer to think it was the food rattling her stomach and not nerves. Last night had been amazing. Her body still hummed with power, ripping it from the atmosphere around. She’d been surprised to discover so much energy still hanging around, but that was probably because she’d had shields up. Still, something foreign mingled with the powers, an unknown strand she’d never touched.
Shields were the most important element for a witch—they protected the spinner. Not even the worst witch around would mess with another’s shield. Yet the evidence hung there, tiny strands of foreign power.
The door drifted open and Dmitri and Alonzo floated in. Their feet tromped on the carpeting, but their stealth, predatory prowl was more a float than a trudge or walk. She sipped on her second dose of caffeine with curiosity panging her voice to activate.
“How did you get outside?”
“The door?” Dmitri grinned.
She had to get stuck with a smart-ass vampire in the mornings. She so wasn’t a morning person. Tossing a chunk of bagel at him, she waited.
Dmitri might be a smart ass but he wasn’t stupid. Tension thickened the silence between them. He knew what he’d done.
“We bent your shields enough to squirm out.”
Uh huh. Well, all righty then. That was a load of crap on a pop tart. If she was a mere air witch, perhaps ancient vampires could bend her shielding. But she was a dragon witch—one more powerful than anyone knew. No one bent her shields. Anger coursed within her. He’d violated the trust she’d freely offered him while she’d been asleep—defenseless and weakened by what she’d assumed was mutual pleasure.
Sarah would come in pretty darn handy right about now. The water witch could call bullshit better than anyone and had the temper to do it.
Unfortunately for them she didn’t call bullshit directly—she’d make them shovel their way out of it, which in this case meant making them prove they could bend her freaking shields. Okay, she was a smidge crabby when insufficiently caffeinated. Maybe she was a little too touchy about the shields. But they asked for it.
Macy remained silent, letting the thickening tension choke the truth out of one of them. She doubted Dmitri would crack first. He was too at ease, too ninja strong. Alonzo seemed a bit green around the fangs, though.
She licked the dregs from the side of her cup. A third dose of caffeine would be so good right about now. It usually took about five to get her functional. Civilized.
Dmitri prowled from the kitchen, a piping mug of steamy nirvana in his hands. She snaked it from him and smiled her gratitude, careful to keep the air thick and as shit-deep as their answer had been. One cup of coffee didn’t merit leniency in his punishment.
Dragos always said pissing a dragon witch off was bad business. They were about to find out.
The two men fell more than sat in their chairs, which made her wonder whether all this expenditure of power was for nothing. Did vampires even truly need to breathe, or was it merely a habit? She mentally scrawled the question on her list of things to ask when she wasn’t playing pissed and sipped.
Crud. Another freaking list was definitely in the works now.
Alonzo muttered something under his breath that sounded remarkably like “stubborn little bitch.” But surely it had been witch. Not that that was much better.
There was probably a hex she could conjure after she finished this cup to show him exactly what a bitch was—from personal experience. Hell, she’d even toss in a pretty pink collar to match his reddening face. He’d make a good bulldog or dachshund.
She sighed, comfortable in her serene, nicely airy bubble and inhaled deeply just cause she could. Alonzo growled.
“Macy,” Dmitri snarled.
“Hey, you said you could bend my shields. This, gentlemen is what the outer shield was, times three. So, bend away, vampire boys.” She sipped and set her cup down, dabbing at her mouth. “Don’t mind me.”
“You’ve made your point,” Dmitri stated with a deep breath. “Let’s discuss this.”
“Fine, go right ahead.” She rifled through the last untouched bag. Oh, pigs in a blanket. She eyed the two vampires and considered the hex potential. No, Alonzo would make a better dog. She’d save the pig hex for another day.
“Oh, for crap’s sake.” Dmitri wove his hand and the tension she’d diligently cast burst into a fine mist.
Well crud on a granola bar. He’d inhaled her powers.
“So, it was a little more than bending,” she commented. “That, my friendly vampires, isn’t supposed to be possible. Do you mind telling me how you have my power?”
Dmitri’s sexier than hell eyes smoldered, more amber in their anger than the smoky grey she’d fantasized about. Dark brows furrowed. “You gave it to me last night, remember? Do you want the intimate details?”
“She needs a firm spanking.” Alonzo inhaled a deep breath and paced angrily behind Dmitri, his aura a rush of malevolent red. “I’d happily take care of that as your second.”
“I’m sure you would,” Dmitri commented dryly. “Sit down before you piss her off again.”
“Me?” Alonzo gasped. “I wasn’t the one who claimed we bent her freaking shield. Saying that to any witch, especially a female dragon witch, is like telling them they look fat in their dress or that you’d like to fuck their sister.”
Crude, but true.
The power hadn’t dissipated immediately. Why? She contemplated the meaning, the potential reasons. None of the conclusions she derived were acceptable. There was too much to deal with already and she was, quite frankly, running low on time and patience. She exhaled sharply, charging the air with excess power, daring one of them to grab it like hungry rodents on speed.
“We didn’t take it intentionally, little dragon. We wouldn’t ever steal from you,” Dmitri whispered. “I’ve been around enough witches to know you all are touchy about your powers and shields. I apologize for messing with yours.”
She calmed a bit and glanced at him. “I thought we’d gotten to trust one another and were, you know, going to work t
ogether. Then you went and pierced my freaking shields like I’m a diapered babe.” Her voice was edged with accusation. “You even reinforced them yourself afterward, to hide what you’d done.”
Dmitri took a deep breath.
Alonzo chuckled. “Busted. Told you not to put them back up.”
“I’d wondered what the extra strand of power was in the air. It’s vampiric, isn’t it?”
“Probably so,” Dmitri responded.
“So you maintained the power I fed to you last night?” If that was the case she was seriously screwed. It meant she couldn’t purge the power like a normal witch. “Why the hell did that happen? Are you like a freak vampire or something?”
“I’d happily take his place so you could test your theory.”
Yeah, right. “Careful, vamp. You’re getting closer and closer to living out a few decades as a dachshund.”
Alonzo growled.
“So let me get all this straight. In addition to my curse, which has to be purged in two weeks, we’ve got potential vampire slave traders in Imperial and now we have a turbo charged ancient vampire running amuck. Anything I haven’t picked up on yet?”
“His father’s probably trying to kill him,” Alonzo offered.
“Alonzo,” Dmitri snarled.
The man threw his hands up. “Hey, she asked and you said we were all working together. One big happy freaking family, right?”
“Vampires have fathers?”
The two shocked, how-dare-you-ask stares made her cringe. Okay, not a good question to ask a vampire apparently. She mentally crossed off all familial questions from her mental ask list and carried on. “Just wondering what one has to do with the other.”
Dmitri cast a don’t-you-fucking-think-about-it look toward Alonzo, one which knotted the air between the two men like a thick rope of turmoil. Something else was definitely going on and it had to do with whatever mission Dmitri had been sent on. It was the only thing that made sense. Wait. He’d been sent by the king.
Oh, freaking crud.
“You’re a prince?” Her belly did the lambada, surging intestines first into a limbo with her lungs. “Your father is the freaking king of vampires?”
