Her Secret

by Tara Fox Hall

  Dev gave him a proud look, then turned serious. “We need to talk. Come into the living room.”

  Lash and Titus followed us in, the latter producing an extra chair for himself from thin air. It groaned under his weight as he sat down. Devlin and I sat at one end of the couch, Lash at the other nearest Titus.

  I deduced Lash enjoyed the heat Titus radiated. It was winter, and he was dressed very warmly. Maybe he had cold blood? Most snakes hibernated in winter...

  “Excuse me,” I said, getting up. I went into the other room and built up the fire so it was roaring. It wouldn’t make a huge difference in the living room, but it would make some.

  When I went back, the three of them were deep in discussion.

  “It’s doable, Dev,” Lash said. “But I’m going to have to leave tonight with Titus to make it on time. Even with the two of us, we might not be able to do what needs doing.”

  “I know you, Lash. If anyone could do it, you can,” Devlin said confidently.

  Lash looked at me insolently. “If I’m risking my life, I want to taste her, Dev.”

  Devlin gave him a dark look.

  “You’ve gone on and on for months now about how she tastes of summer. Years, actually. I want to know what summer tastes like. I want some of her blood, right from her vein.”

  With effort, I forced myself to remain where I was.

  “She may not taste like summer to you,” Devlin replied.

  “I don’t care, I want to know what she tastes like,” Lash hissed audaciously. “I’ll do what you’re asking and never ask again for either her blood or to touch her, but that is non-negotiable.”

  “I feel the same,” Titus agreed. “We may not come back from this. Besides, I am curious myself. I have never read in any of my tomes about blood tasting of summer.”

  Devlin looked at me hopefully. “Sar, will you agree?” he said, “I need to mark you anyway. This can be part of the process.”

  I nodded. “Danial was going to; we were just trying to find a way around the pain—”

  “I can take away your pain, Sarelle,” Titus said quickly, giving what I thought was supposed to be a reassuring look. “The easiest way is for Devlin to bite you as deeply as he did that first time, and then use a slow acting magical spell.”

  It was impossible for me to consider a mouth with that many teeth reassuring. “You can heal?” I replied, surprised.

  Devlin ignored me, speaking to Titus, “What can we do to make the new mark I’ll give her appear as old as the other scar she has from me?”

  Titus came to my side, and turned my head to one side to examine the older scar, then to the other where Devlin’s fresh fang marks were only partially scabbed over. “The new bite is far shallower, Dev,” he said. “I can make it appear older, but they won’t match. When the new one heals, there will only be a faint scar.”

  Devlin let out a breath that sounded like a growl. “These creatures will be looking for a chink in Sar’s armor, any excuse that they can get to share her amongst themselves. We need to make the marks look identical, both in depth and in age. There needs to be no doubt that Sar is Oathed and has been for some time.”

  “It will be done,” Titus said, then focused on me. “As to your question, Sarelle, it wasn’t easy for me to learn healing, being what I am. Alerian taught me what she knew, all of it. It’s a process. Every year, I learn a tiny bit more.”

  “I’m sorry for my part in what happened,” I said, touching his hand.

  Titus looked uncomfortable, and withdrew his hand from mine quickly. “She attacked Terian. He defended himself, and you defended him. I loved her, but I can’t blame anyone but her for what happened.” He got to his feet. “I’ll get what I need from the Hummer,” he said. “Prepare her.” He left me alone with Devlin and Lash.

  I looked uncertainly at Devlin. “There was talk of faking Danial and I being Oathed—”

  “Who thought that shit up, Wondercat?” Lash hissed sarcastically.

  “Danial should have known better than to try and fake it,” Devlin said, irritated. “Any vampire in that room Saturday guesses that you don’t truly belong to Danial, you’re up for grabs.”

  Irritated at Lash’s comment, I retorted “We weren’t going to fake the marks. Danial and I decided to do it. As I said before, I was worried about—”

  “Be that as it may, Danial isn’t here and I am,” Devlin replied. “And you’re going to give me an Oath of sorts, too.”

  I blinked my eyes. Had I imagined that last sentence?

  “Now, will you share your blood with them?” Devlin asked.

  “Will it hurt to?” I said hesitantly. “Do I have enough, I mean, after what you took?”

  “They are not going to drink your blood as I do; they just want a taste. You should be fine.”

  Lash gave me a hungry look. “Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.”

  My flesh crawled at the sexual implication he’d wanted me to hear. I looked away from him.

  “Lash,” Devlin warned.

  Devlin hadn’t risked all he had in the last few days to let his friend and his demon drain me now. “Yes, it’s fine, Dev. But no biting, unless it’s you.”

  Lash looked amused, and let out a snort.

  “It will only be me,” Dev assured. “I’ll be right here, Love. Now lay back onto me.”

  I reclined back against him and he put his arms around me loosely. Carefully, he sank his fangs into my scabbed bite. I moved involuntarily, even though I tried to keep myself still, arching my back in his arms as they tightened around me. Just feeling him penetrate me gave me something akin to a small orgasm. My sigh of pleasure was loud in my ears, loud enough for me to flush slightly.

  Blood rose up in the wounds. Devlin withdrew his fangs and motioned to Lash. “Now.”

  Lash went to his knees on the floor beside the couch and leaned over me, bringing his lips to my throat as his hand gripped my neck. I shivered, my heart hammering.

  Devlin kissed the other side of my neck. “I’m here, Love. Everything will be fine. Lash won’t hurt you. Just hold still.”

  Lash’s mouth slid over the wounds left by Devlin’s fangs. I felt slender fangs penetrate me, but just barely. Making a tight seal over my wound with his mouth, he began sucking gently at my neck and swallowing. Other than that, he made no other noise at all. His hand was not slimy, clammy, or scaly, it felt normal, smooth and warm, just a touch colder than a human’s would have been.

  Dev kissed me again. “Everything is fine, Sar. I have you.”

  Abruptly, it was over. Lash carefully withdrew his fangs and mouth, then sat back from me on his haunches. He licked his lips, his forked tongue vibrating slightly. His eyes were thoughtful. “She doesn’t taste like summer to me.”

  “What do I taste like to you?” I said grumpily.

  “You taste warm and good and alive, but otherwise normal.”

  I snorted. “That’s the first time in a while I’ve been called normal.”

  Lash looked surprised, then smiled a little. “That’s because of your friends.” He got to his feet, then sat back on the end of the couch, still licking his lips with his forked tongue.

  Titus came back in and kneeled beside Devlin. “Remain calm. I’m not going to bite you,” he said seriously. “I will taste your blood when I heal you, after Devlin bites you.”

  That meant I’d likely come in front of them when Dev bit into me. I shut my eyes, embarrassed just at the thought. “How long will it take?”

  “Devlin has only to sink his fangs in, and then take them out. It will be painful for a half second, until he withdraws. Then I’ll begin healing the bite and taking the pain away.”

  I opened my eyes and took a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready. Do it.”

  Titus got a bunch of powders from a leather satchel, and stirred them together with his finger. The mixture took on an ice blue color. He held his wrist to Devlin. Devlin took it, opening a shallow cut with one fang and a shake of his head. T
itus added one drop of blood to the mixture. It began to glow, the color changing until it was a smoky gray color, pulsating faintly.

  “Devlin,” Titus intoned.

  Devlin took tight hold of me, baring his fangs and positioning himself, then tilting my neck to the side. He looked to Titus.

  Titus nodded to him. “Now.”

  Devlin sank his fangs all the way in, biting me as deeply as he could. The rush of pleasure hit me like a freight train and I began to climax, drawing in a deep shaking breath to cry out my joy. Intense pain suddenly hit me. I screamed, my muscles tensing involuntarily as I jerked back, trying to get away. A second later, Dev withdrew and Titus began smoothing some of the glowing mixture over the bite. The pain eased immediately. I relaxed limply back into Devlin’s arms.

  “It will take some time for this to heal,” Titus said, applying a little more mixture. “Hold still now.” He dipped his head, his hot lips sliding over my skin as he licked my spilled blood.

  “What does she taste like to you?” Devlin asked curiously. “Lash said he couldn’t taste the sweetness I can.”

  Titus sat back on his knees, studying me. “She tastes of me,” he said, incredulous.

  “What?” Devlin and I both said together.

  Titus ran his tongue across his lips. “She tastes of demon.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Sar is part demon?” Devlin said, shocked. “That can’t be. I know the taste of demon blood. There is no taint to her.”

  “There has to be,” Titus said, still savoring the taste of my blood. “I can taste it in her.”

  “I cannot, which I find odd. It must be only a slight taint,” Devlin mused. “How and when did it happen?”

  “When Terian and Danial fought years ago, Danial cut Terian,” I supplied. “After Danial was safe, and Terian had gone, I went to get the knife. I tried to clean it off, but the blood seemed to stick to my hands. I had to rub really hard to get it off.”

  “You rubbed it into your skin,” Titus said, glancing at Devlin.

  “That’s what Terian said when I told him,” I continued. “He said that my skin absorbed some of his blood, altering me.”

  “You were resistant to the vampire virus before, and this made you more resistant,” Titus explained. “It strengthened your natural immunity. This is probably why you were able to carry the dhamphir to term. It’s also likely why you survived your miscarriage.”

  Devlin kissed my neck again. “Perhaps that is why you taste of summer,” he whispered into my ear. “I never had your blood before you were exposed. If I had, I’d guess the taste would have been lighter and less heady, closer to spring.”

  Closer to Anna’s, you mean. “Maybe.”

  Titus checked my bite, then wiped it clear of luminous material. Taking a small mirror from my wall, he held it up so I could see Dev’s bite. It was a twin now for the mark on the other side of my neck. Logical; it had been made by the same pair of fangs.

  “Will this one stay?” I asked him. “Danial marked me two years ago like this. The scars healed over the years.”

  “I can’t say,” Titus said. “Devlin?’

  Devlin shrugged. “I can’t say either. I marked Anna before she was as you are now. Her scars never faded, as your older one from me won’t. But the new one might with time.” He gave me a grin. “Don’t worry, Love. I’ll be around enough to sink myself into you anytime you need me to.” He turned my head up and back towards him, then kissed me passionately.

  Maddened with sudden desire, I ran my hand back through his hair to hold his lips on mine.

  “We’d better get moving,” Titus rumbled uncomfortably, rising from his knees to stand beside the couch. “There is a lot to do and not much time.”

  “You are going to have to kick Lash,” Devlin said, breaking the kiss. “Or go it alone. The warmth of you and Sar’s fire put him to sleep.”

  Lash lay unmoving in the corner of the couch, his head on his arms, facing the wall.

  “You kick him,” Titus grumbled. “You know how he gets in winter, especially when he gets this comfortable.”

  “He must be exhausted,” I said sympathetically. “Why not just nudge him or put your hand on his shoulder and shake him?”

  Dev nibbled my shoulder gently. “He’ll bite,” he stated. “It’s instinct.”

  Jesus. I moved back from Lash, crowding close to Dev.

  “He hates winter and cold,” Devlin elaborated. “Right now, he’s warm and content, probably wishing we were back in Rio. He’s not going to like being woken up, especially to have to go back out in the cold.”

  “Can’t you say his name to wake him, then?”

  “He’ll strike then possibly, too,” Titus rumbled. “Either with his knife or his whip.”

  We all stayed where we were, unmoving, for several minutes. Lash kept sleeping.

  “Grab the poker from the wood stove,” Devlin said finally. “I’ll grab him, when he strikes. Sar, move over behind me. I want you out of striking distance.”

  Titus got the poker as Devlin maneuvered his body between mine and Lash’s. Then Devlin nodded at Titus. From a safe distance, Titus gave Lash a sharp jab in the back. Utterly silent, Lash erupted, eyes shut and fangs spread wide, striking in the direction of Titus. Devlin darted forward and grabbed him gently at the neck, holding him back.

  “Lash!” Devlin said loudly.

  Lash blinked his eyes, then shoved Devlin’s arm away. He shrugged his clothes back into place, more from irritation then that he was disheveled. His forked tongue came out vibrating madly as he hissed, baring his fangs. Angrily, he turned to Devlin.

  “Fuck, Dev, couldn’t you have gone and had sex with Sar again and let me sleep?”

  I blushed, not knowing what to say. Lash continued bitching a blue streak.

  “I’ve been up all day and all last night and the day before, since we got back! Hayden’s a shitpile—”

  Dev cast a worried look at Titus.

  “There’s a lot still to do, and most of it is inside work,” he rumbled. “We have trees to clear from that massive storm that hit in early November.”

  That storm had flattened one of my trees too, causing a power outage. Theo and I had lit candles. We had...I shut down the memory, then buried it beneath a sea of images of myself and Devlin.

  Lash was still bitching. “Don’t fucking say ‘trees to clear’ like it’s a pile of twigs, Demon. We have at least three large trees blocking the back supply road. They need to be sawn up and moved out before any supplies are delivered from the lumberyard.”

  “Leave them,” Devlin said firmly, putting his hand on Lash’s shoulder. “We’ve all got more important things to do. Titus can teleport any lumber directly from the truck inside the house, if it comes to that. I need you en route as soon as possible.”

  Lash looked at him, then nodded once. Without a word, he got up, and headed for the door, Titus and Devlin following. Curious, I followed.

  Titus went out first, after a small smile of farewell. Lash stood at the door, as if waiting for something.

  Make an effort to be a good hostess. “Do you want an extra blanket?” I offered.

  Lash looked at me, his flat eyes concealing if he was amused or irritated. “Titus will keep the Hummer warm enough. At least I’m not in Europe. Russian winters are the worst.” He turned to Devlin. “Why can’t you ask me for simple shit?”

  “Thanks again for doing this, Lash,” Devlin said, clasping Lash on the arm.

  Surprisingly, Lash did the same to Devlin. “It’s about time that you’re finally doing something to regain your power, Dev,” he replied, grinning widely. “I was getting tired of being a second-class citizen.” His grin faded. “South America was nice and warm, but it’s not home.”

  He stepped back as Devlin released him, then faced me. For a moment he stared, then he moved his jaws, the lower one unhinging as he bared one fang at me in a wide lopsided smile. “Thanks for the blood.”

  “Wha
t exactly are you doing for Dev?” I asked, repressing a shiver.

  Lash’s eyes flicked to Devlin, then he turned to leave.

  I reached out and touched his back. “Wait, I—”

  He turned so fast I jumped backwards. Devlin caught me.

  “Don’t ever touch me, Sar,” Lash hissed at me. “Not ever.”

  He came toward me, moving his head and shoulders from side to side, his tongue flicking until I was backed up against Devlin’s chest and couldn’t go any farther.

  “You were anyone else, I’d backhand you,” he hissed.

  Asshole. “I gave you my blood,” I said angrily. “Answer the question. We’re on the same side.”

  “Are we?” Lash hissed menacingly.

  “Past is past,” Devlin interjected. “She is Oathing to me, Lash. That puts her on our team. Answer her.”

  I expected an apology. Instead, Lash’s flat eyes bored into mine, until I was the one who looked away. “We’re trying to protect you from those who’d like to make you little more than a brood mare,” he hissed. “That is all you need to know.” He grasped my chin. “Anything else you want to say?”

  “Good luck,” I said quietly. “Godspeed.”

  “Demon speed, you mean,” he said sarcastically. “God has no place in this.” He turned from me and walked outside.

  Devlin gently moved me aside, and went after him. I stayed in the doorway, waiting.

  Together, they walked to the SUV, then Lash got in the Hummer. A few seconds later, he handed something to Devlin through the SUV window, and then the window went back up quickly. Dev hit the side of the vehicle lightly once as it left, its headlights disappearing around the turn of the driveway.

  Relieved the visit was over, I reached up and touched the newer scar.

  “It looks as it should,” Devlin commented, coming back inside, a duffel bag slung over one shoulder. “Very nicely done, if I do say so myself.” He handed me two dozen beautifully wrapped fire and ice roses.

  I took them with a smile. “Thank you. You didn’t have to, you know.”

  “I enjoyed sending you flowers from afar, but I prefer to give them to you myself, Love,” Dev said casually, walking to the basement door. “Come below when you’ve seen to the pets.”