by Frost Kay
Onyx Elixir
Mixologists and Pirates Book Five
Frost Kay
Contents
Also by Frost Kay
Onyx Elixir
1. Scaly Man Fish
2. Dying is not sexy
3. Come at me bro
4. Snakes… Eve should’ve known better
5. Back biters and back stabbers
6. The clumsy femme fatale
7. Never make a deal with the devil
8. Creepers be creepin
9. Elvish Cosplay
10. Give me sleep or give me death
11. Big beds are better
About the Author
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Onyx Elixir
Copyright © 2019 Renegade Publishing
First Edition
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
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Also by Frost Kay
THE AERMIAN FEUDS
Rebel’s Blade
Crown’s Shield
Siren’s Lure
Enemy’s Queen
King’s Warrior
* * *
DOMINION OF ASH
The Strain
The Tainted
* * *
MIXOLOGISTS & PIRATES
Amber Vial
Emerald Bane
Scarlet Venom
Cyan Toxin
Onyx Elixir
Onyx Elixir
Fact 752 – Karma is a vindictive wench, and Luck is no lady.
Allie never believed in karma, but after the week she’d had, she was prone to believe that if such an entity existed, it had to be a woman. Only a woman could hold such an ugly, nasty grudge, and make Allie’s life so darn miserable. If spying for the enemy and a broken heart wasn’t enough, someone had even stolen her favorite heels.
Fact 689 – Southern girls were supposed to be graceful losers.
Spying for Sloven had never been the plan, but each attempt she made to escape his clutches only entrenched her deeper into a war she never wanted to be part of. Good thing her mama taught her how to fight dirty. Allie would play his game and do the one thing he didn’t think possible. She’d win.
Fact 521 – Never play a player, or in this case, a Southern belle.
It was just one compromise…
1
Scaly Man Fish
Allie pressed her forehead against the bathroom wall, hot water rushing down her back. She spun and leaned against the slick tile. Her breath hissed from between her teeth as the cold stone bit at her skin. Her legs wobbled, and she slowly slid down to the shower floor, putting her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. How had it all gone so wrong?
In the blink of an eye, her life had changed. There was no going back. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Part of her wanted to curl up on the bottom of the shower and just go to sleep. Maybe when she woke, the nightmare of her life would be over.
She wasn’t that lucky.
Fatigue weighed down on her heavily as she tipped her head back, embracing the warm water on her face. Muted voices reached her ears, causing her to wince. She didn’t even want to think about what nonsense awaited her. She leaned forward into the spray and focused on the little splatters of the shower. Water caught on her lashes, but she didn’t care. If she concentrated enough, the world went fuzzy. That’s what Allie needed. Oblivion.
A soft hiss filtered through her consciousness, angry male voices echoing in the bathroom. Her spine snapped upright. Oh, no, they didn’t. Couldn’t they give her a few moments of peace?
“Don’t even think about coming in here,” she snapped, her voice gruff. Her fingers touched her throat. She was lucky to have much voice at all after all the screaming she’d done. Coal had called her a screeching banshee. Her lips tipped up in a faint smile. He wasn’t far from the truth.
The door hissed shut again, cutting off the yelling and cussing. Allie relaxed against the tile again but paused, her brows furrowed together. Just because the door was closed didn’t mean there wasn’t an alien spying on her.
She rolled her head to the side to peek out of the shower, pulling the curtain back just a bit. Her red-haired friend leaned against the door. Jer sighed heavily before sliding down the door to the floor, her long legs folding gracefully underneath her.
“You’ve been here for a while,” Jer said, her eyes closing.
“It hasn’t been that long.”
Jer’s brows rose. “I was sure you’d turned into a mermaid.”
“I’m tired,” she said defensively. “And I had to be able to wash off…” Her raw skin throbbed at the thought. She’d practically scrubbed off her skin attempting to rid herself of Sloven’s filthy touch. It hadn’t worked. Even now, her skin itched. Somehow, she had the feeling that his hand print’s had sunk into her and no amount of scrubbing would ever remove the disgust.
Her gaze dropped down to her chest, to his mark. The cyan lines spread out in an insidious web over her irritated skin. It wasn’t that far from the truth. He had managed to get something inside her that she couldn’t get rid of.
Allie jerked and blinked water from her eyes as Jer’s distorted voice filtered through her dark musings.
“Huh?” Super articulate.
“You have to get out of there sometime.”
“I know.”
“The sooner you get out, the sooner it will all be over.”
She doubted that. It was about to get a lot uglier.
“It’s like a Band-Aid. Just rip it off quick.”
Allie snorted and peeked out of the shower. Jer cracked an eye open and smiled sloppily.
“I’m sure you’re sparkly clean now as long as you don’t have scales. There’s nothing I could do about that.”
“A scaly man-fish,” Allie muttered.
Jer started and chuckled under her breath. “You say the weirdest things.”
“And you love it,” she retorted.
“You’re alright.”
“Back at ya.”
Allie opened the shower curtain a little more and stared at Jer. Dark smudges marred the skin underneath her friend’s eyes. Even the small spattering of freckles across Jer’s face stood out against her pale complexion. Guilt churned in Allie’s belly. She’d been so out of it that she hadn’t really noticed something was going on with her roommate. What a poor friend she was.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Jer stared down at her hands like they held all the answers to life, then glanced back at Allie, giving her a weak smile. “As good as anybody can be.” A shrug. “As good as I can be knowing my best friend is sick.”
Allie swallowed hard. Sick. Not sick. Poisoned. Contagious. Her heart squeezed. Everyone she came in contact with could be sick.
“You’re not looking so hot yourself.”
Her frie
nd rolled her eyes. “I believe that’s like the pot calling the kettle black, missy.”
“Touché.”
“But that’s what real friends are for, right? To commiserate?”
She quirked a smile at Jer. “That, and to watch trashy movies while eating ice cream from the carton.”
Jer smiled, but it faded from her face, worry replacing it.
Allie’s heart sank. She wished she knew what was going on with Jer. Granted, their life hadn’t been easy since they’d arrived on Sars, but this was something different. Something was bothering Jer. But she knew her friend. If she pried, she would lock down tighter than a nun’s britches. So she asked an easy question.
“What are you doing disturbing my shower?”
Jer’s shoulders dropped, and a goofy grin curled her lips. “There’s only so much a girl can take. Our apartment is small and there are waaaay too many males out there. I can’t stand being out there with so much testosterone. One more growl and I was going to snap!”
Jer growled.
“You just growled,” Allie pointed out. “I’m sure you could hold your own.”
“Oh, can it, Ms. Sai. One more snarky comment out of you and I’ll make you get your own clothes.”
“You wouldn’t…” she breathed.
“No, I wouldn’t,” Jer said, standing. “You’re lucky I’m so nice. Now, get out.” Jer tossed a towel at her.
The white towel smacked her in the face and plopped to the floor. “Get out. I’m naked.”
“Goodness me,” Jer said in a singsong voice. “Naked skin. How shocking.”
“My naked skin.”
“It’s not like I haven’t seen it before.”
“Excuse me? When have you seen me naked?”
Jer waved a hand at her, leaning a hip against the vanity. “You’re not exactly careful when you’re changing. I figured you were super comfortable with me.”
Allie blushed a little bit and shrugged her shoulders back. “I grew up with sisters, so it’s not that big a deal.”
“And yet, here you are, whining.”
She scowled at her roommate. “Whatever.”
“Prude,” Jer sniggered.
There was nothing worse than being called a prude. She hated it. “Listen here…” She trailed off upon seeing the devilish look on her friend’s face. “You’re trying to get a rise out of me.”
A shrug.
“Why, you little pot-stirrer.” Her gaze darted to the door and back to Jer. “I think you’re scared to go out there.”
Jer rolled her eyes. “I’m scared of nothing.”
“And yet, you’re hiding out in the bathroom while it’s my turn to shower.”
“Technically, I think you’ve had at least five turns by now, so it should be my turn.”
“Get out of here, you imp,” Allie retorted as she let the shower curtain fall back in place and forced herself to stand on wobbly legs.
“Fine, fine,” Jer grumbled. “Shower hog.”
“Love you, too,” Allie shouted as she spun in the shower to soak up the last vestiges of the heated water.
“Ditto, and I left you some clean clothes on the vanity.”
“Thank you,” Allie said softly.
The door hissed open and then shut. She couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever. It was just like what Jer said. Like ripping off a Band-Aid.
She pulled a face.
Who was she kidding? Doing that always hurt like the dickens.
2
Dying is not sexy
A shiver worked up Allie as she shifted, the frigid metal table kissing the bare skin on the back of her thighs. She glanced longingly toward her bag. Her comfy pajama pants were so close and yet so far.
“Please sit up and face me,” Eve said, her glasses sliding down the bridge of her pointy nose. The lady doctor held out her hand and helped Allie sit up and swing her legs over the side of the medical table.
She rubbed her arms as goosebumps broke out across them, ignoring the cyan lines that had begun creeping across her biceps like insidious vines. “You should invest in some better tables,” she complained. “They’re hard as rocks.”
Eve smiled and shook her head. “I’ll take that under advisement, but you’ll have to let my boss know.”
Allie glanced in Lev’s direction. The Av Lock leader looked tense as he spoke with the rest of the team. But, what drew her eye was the other dark and dangerous Av, who looked like he was about to explode. Each harsh line of his face stood out in sharp contrast. Blade.
Almost as if her inner thought had called to him, his black eyes darted to hers and held. She hated that she couldn’t tell what he was thinking. If she hadn’t seen how wound up he was, if she went by his expression, she would have believed he was completely calm.
Cool, gentle fingers touched her chin, breaking their moment. Allie turned to Eve and let the Av scientist examine her throat.
“The lines are spreading,” Eve murmured.
Allie swallowed hard. “I know.” Even now, she wanted to tear at her skin and hunt for the source of the lines marring her skin. What had that bastard given her?
Eve pressed on her lymph nodes. “Any tenderness?”
“Not really.”
The scientist’s lips pursed, and she bustled back to her discarded tablet and typed something into it. Zune sat across from Eve, staring intently into a microscope. A microscope examining Allie’s blood.
Queasiness rolled through her. Something tainted her blood. But what was it? Could it really be a virus? She glanced around the room at all the people. Virgil, Eve, Zune, Kale, Lev, Coal, Bastian, Elijah, Sid, Jer, and Blade … they could all be sick because of her. They could die. The air in her lungs seemed to disappear.
“I still think y’all should be wearing a mask.”
Zune lifted his head from the microscope and squinted at her. “If it was a disease, we would have discovered it already. And even if it was, we’re all very different from each other. It would be virtually impossible to spread it from species to species. We’re not in any danger.”
And that was where Zune was wrong. Sloven was dangerous. He might be locked up in a prison, but she had a feeling he wanted to be there.
A blanket settled over her shoulders and Allie turned to Jer, who’d moved to her side, a wrinkle between her red brows.
“Thank you,” Allie said, snuggling into the blanket. She wasn’t shivering from the cold, per se, but from her terrifying thoughts. She appreciated the blanket, nonetheless. There was something comforting about being swathed in yards of fuzzy fabric.
“No problem.”
Jer hopped up on the table and laced her fingers through Allie’s. Her friend didn’t say a word, but her presence was enough.
Lev pushed through the male group and leaned against the wall across from Allie. He scanned her face, his lips pinched together. She knew he had questions.
“Out with it. We might as well talk about something other than my impending death.” A snarl exploded from Blade’s corner, but Allie ignored him as Lev hesitated. “Come on, oh collector of secrets. Don’t be losing your nerve now.”
Lev chuckled under his breath and quirked a smile at her. “You always surprise me.”
“That’s my specialty.”
“You ready to talk about what happened with the king?”
“Well, I was ready to yell about how no one invited me,” Jer grouched.
“It wasn’t a bloody party,” Elijah muttered, eyeing the redhead.
Jer sniffed. “Still, I should have been there.” She turned to Allie. “You should have told me.”
“There wasn’t time, and honestly … I didn’t even think about it. My mind was whirling with thoughts of facing that monster.”
“I have a few more choice words for him,” Jer growled.
“As do we all, but more importantly…” Lev frowned at Jer, his attention then moving to Allie. “I want to speak to you of the threats.”
She b
linked. “The threats?” All his threats were permanently ingrained in her mind. Slaughter. Torture. Death. “I’m sure I can remember them all by myself.”
Lev stepped forward and grasped her other trembling hand, surprising her. “He can’t reach you.” His face twisted into rage for a moment before smoothing back into something more pleasant. “Our unit will protect you. You have my word on that.”
The words were nice, but they didn’t take away the feeling of being prey, of feeling trapped. Men like Sloven didn’t get where they were in life by being sloppy or going back on their promises.
She glanced around the concerned faces. The team would do their best, but she had a feeling this would end with death and destruction. “I appreciate that. Now, what do you want to know?” She gestured to the corner Blade was still darkening. “I was bugged. You heard everything he said to me in both interactions I’ve had with him. And yet, y’all were clearly discussing something.”
“He wants you,” Virgil said, while snagging an extra stool.
She shivered. “Obviously.”
“Maybe not in the way he implied,” Blade said, his tone biting.
That was part of her worry, too. She still didn’t understand what his endgame was. What did a crime lord want with the likes of her? A weak Human? “He wants me to spy for him.”
“That will never happen,” Jer barked, her gaze locked on Lev.
The Av held Jer’s gaze and nodded. “I agree with Jer on this. It’s too dangerous.”
Allie laughed, the sound a little maniacal. “Like the other situations haven’t been?”
“The other situations were controlled, and still bad things happened,” Coal pointed out.
