Knight's War: A Witch Detective Urban Fantasy (Alice Skye series Book 5)

by Taylor Aston White

Matteo shifted his attention to her, eyes narrowing. “A strega, interessante.”

  “What do you want, Matteo?”

  Matteo snapped back to D, Alice forgotten. “Salvadore wants his rightful position as head of The Ancients.”

  “Mistress would never allow it.”

  “Which is why I’m here,” he grinned. “Valentina has been in reign for too long. It’s time for someone else to rule Europe, but first her soldier must go.” He pulled the trigger.

  “ARMA!” Alice’s aura pulsed, her shield forming around them a milli-second too late. The bullet pierced Danton’s stomach, a sea of red growing from his centre. He collapsed to his knees, hand clutching his wound.

  “Wood,” he coughed, blood bubbling from his mouth.

  “Shit. Shit. Shit.” A normal bullet wouldn’t kill a vampire, not unless it shredded their heart. But wood could. Alice dropped to her knees beside him, pulling his hands away to look at the wound.

  A laugh echoed.

  “ADOLEBITQUE!” Alice flung her arm out blindly, her attention on Danton. A yelp before something smashed against the shield. But it held, her aura strong.

  “You’ll be seeing me again, Danton. Non è finite!” Matteo snarled.

  D ignored him. “Ma petite… get it out!”

  “Fuck sake.” She carefully put her fingers in the bullet hole, feeling around for the bullet. “Stay calm and still.”

  “Tu essaies de rester calme,” he replied, voice strained.

  “Ah, it’s only a little bullet hole,” Alice smiled, trying to make him feel better. “Isn’t it lucky you have no risk of infection?”

  It was one of the reasons she was removing the bullet straight away, rather than in a sterile room. Vampires were resilient, once she removed the wood, Danton would heal enough that it wouldn’t risk his life.

  Her finger squelched, Danton tensing as she touched the bullet. “Ah, there it is.”

  D moaned as she cautiously pulled the bullet out, careful to not irritate the pieces she could feel inside. The bullet had hit bone, splintering on impact.

  “You need to go to the hospital.” The wood would no longer poison his system, but he still needed the rest removed. The bullet thudded to the floor when she dropped it, surprisingly heavy. It was a metal slug surrounded in oak, a specialised bullet.

  “Hmmmm.” Danton climbed to his feet, his skin wet with both perspiration and blood. “I need..”

  Alice held out her wrist, looking away as his fangs struck. It wasn’t the first time she had given an emergency feed. She closed her eyes, trying to ignore the euphoric sensation that was rushing through her bloodstream. Vampire saliva released a pheromone, tricking their victim into believing their bite was pleasure rather than pain. The tingles felt good, great even, a feeling that many blood junkies craved. The idea that people were addicted to the sensation of a blood kiss made her uncomfortable.

  His fangs released, a warm tongue licking across the bite a second later. “Merci.”

  Alice pulled her wrist back to her chest, not needing to check that D had healed the bite completely, leaving no evidence. Convenient, really.

  “Matteo will be back, he needs to send my Mistress a message.”

  Alice checked to make sure Matteo was indeed gone when her eyes settled on the body beside her file.

  Ah, she thought. That must be Luca.

  “Killing her soldier would make a statement.”

  His lips tightened at the name. “Oui.”

  Alice stepped past the dead vampire, his body already beginning to decay as she picked up the file. She didn’t care for politics, Vamp or any other. But she couldn’t just leave him.

  “Do you need help?”

  The question caught D off guard. He bowed, a slight hiss escaping his lips as the splinters in his gut dug into flesh. “You honour me, but this is no business for a witch.”

  “Well then,” she murmured picking up the file. “I recommend you wear a bullet-proof vest next time.”

  Chapter 5

  Alice was greeted by Sam’s distinctive chuckle, his legs draped over the side of the sofa as she rested a bag of greasy fast food on her hip, the file balanced on top.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as she dropped her keys onto the side table.

  Sam let out another loud giggle, the sound ending in a gentle growl. “Hey baby girl, did you know it’s illegal to sing any profane, indecent, or obscene songs in public?”

  “What?” She kicked at Poe’s toy, the small ball flying across the living room to bounce off the wall before a black blur screeched after it. Poe slipped on the wood, colliding with the wall before he scrambled after his ball with a yowl.

  Sam ignored the cat’s clumsiness as he dropped the book to his chest, stretching his arms wide. “I’m reading about old British laws. It’s also illegal to handle a salmon in suspicious circumstances.”

  Alice couldn’t help her smirk. “What makes it suspicious?” Not that she would appreciate someone walking along with a smelly fish.

  “And,” Sam continued, wiggling his eyebrows, “it’s also against the law to shake a carpet outside before eight in the morning.” He sat further up, eyes alight with humour. “But the book doesn’t specify which type of carpet.”

  She watched his face, not understanding. “Oh for… bloody hell Sam!”

  “Oh baby girl, one would assume that since you’re receiving the magnificent dick more, you would understand the dirty jokes.”

  She stuck her tongue out at him, unable to give him her usual one fingered salute with her arms full.

  “Very mature,” he grinned, eyes flicking to the red file. “What’s that? Did you find something at Overlord’s?”

  “That must be Little War, did she bring the food?” a deep, smoky voice bellowed from the kitchen. “Ah ha! That must be better than the insufficient crap you have in that cold wall door.” Lucy strutted in, a half-eaten block of cheese in his fist.

  Alice stepped back. “Lucifer?”

  “Oh,” Sam began as he jumped over the sofa. “Lucy’s here by the way.” He rolled his eyes, taking the file from her outstretched hands while Lucy snatched the fast food, a grin creasing his cheeks.

  “I see my wards are working well,” Alice muttered, loud enough Lucy’s eyes narrowed. “Lucy, why are you here? I thought we agreed you wouldn’t turn up unannounced?”

  He bit into the cheese, chewing slowly while he opened the paper bag with a rustle. Light glinted from his chest, which made Alice immediately drop her eyes to the nipple rings that flashed through the strategically cut slits in his black t-shirt. Lucy’s skin was a healthy pink compared to his natural ashen grey, the colour part of his ‘normal’ image that he tried to portray when he was Earth Side. Except, he preferred to keep his eyes red, enjoying the alarmed looks when people got too close.

  “I’m up here looking for that skinny runt you call a brother. Bastard pinned me to a wall with my own knife,” Lucy snarled, his teeth sharp and pointy – also something he preferred to keep. “I’m going to stick the same knife up his fucking…”

  “So yeah,” Sam interrupted. “That’s why Lucy’s here.”

  “You arseholes really know how to make a guy welcome,” Lucy growled, bending himself onto the sofa.

  Alice moved into the kitchen, Sam following tightly behind.

  “Did he literally just turn up?” she asked, closing the fridge door that had been left wide open.

  “In a poof of smoke,” Sam shrugged, peering inside the file with peaked curiosity. “Now tell me about this. Anything in here that explains the weird key thing I found on the counter?”

  “I don’t know, I didn’t have time to look through it.” Not when she had to deal with Danton’s ‘friends.’ Dread was clearly up to something in the weeks before the trial, she just hoped the answer was in the box. “I’ll go through the contents and see what I can find.”

  “Have you asked her yet?” Lucy called through. “Let’s get this fucking party
on the road!” He appeared in the doorway, the cheese in one hand, and a burger in the other.

  Sam frowned. “Hey, you going to share?”

  Lucy responded by shoving the whole thing in his mouth, a challenge in his eyes.

  “Asked me what yet?” Alice asked.

  “We’re going to a concert!” Lucy muffled, meat and bun covering his teeth.

  “We are?”

  Sam placed the file on the counter. “Ash called, he’s working at an event and reserved us some tickets. There’s some indie bands playing tonight at The Pavilion and thought you would want to go?”

  “Of course we’re going!” Lucy injected, puffing his chest out.

  “I’ve told you there are only two tickets!” Sam snapped at Lucy. “Two as in Alice and I.”

  “And I’ve already said,” Lucy responded in a dark voice. “I don’t need a ticket.”

  A band was in full swing on the Pavilion stage, two guitarists and a drummer hitting out a rock number much to the excitement of the crowd. Lucy vibrated with energy beside her, his scary eyes scanning the crowd of people.

  “This is great!” he bellowed, louder than he needed to. “I’ve never seen so many humans in one room.” His tone dropped an octave.

  “Hey!” she shouted back, yanking his shirt to gain his attention. The fabric ripped further, exposing more of his chest through the strategically placed slits. A few women gasped at the sight. “Best behaviour or I’ll send you back.” She didn’t actually know the spell off by heart to send him back to Hell, but from his silent snarl the threat was enough.

  “Scouts honour.”

  “Scouts honour?” Sam parroted, his hands holding two drinks, with a third balanced. “How do you even know what a scout is?”

  Lucy ignored the question, grabbing the balanced beer and downing it in one. “I’m going to find us a table.” He stalked off, the crowd parting as if an invisible shield surrounded him.

  Sam watched after him. “Yeah… I don’t trust him.”

  Alice couldn’t exactly disagree with the statement. “Do you really think he knows what a scout is?”

  “You mean the thousand-year-old Daemon? Fuck no,” Sam snorted. “But as he magically appeared inside, even with the restrictive-magic spells, I don’t think we can really stop him.”

  A glass dome hung high from the ceiling, filled with a deep green smoke that swirled every now and then with red. It wasn’t uncommon for upscale bars, expensive restaurants and larger venues to pay for the extra protection. The glass dome absorbed spells, limiting the magic in the area.

  While magic was frequently used in concerts for arcane light shows and floating instruments, it could get out of hand if any magic-bearer in the audience decided to add their own flare to the show, especially after a drink or two.

  Sam lifted his arm in a wave.

  Alice turned, noticing Ash towards the side of the bar, a blush colouring his cheeks.

  “So, you two still a thing? He’s cute.”

  “A thing?” Sam laughed. “We get on, have some great fun and we fit in bed. I don’t see why it needs a label.”

  “I know, but does he know that?”

  Ash smiled at their approach, the blush deepening when Sam went to kiss him on the cheek. His Paramedics uniform was so white it glowed beneath the lights, a red cross with wings was stitched to his breast pocket, along with the slogan ‘Here for your Health.’

  “I’m glad you could make it,” Ash said, his hand nervously brushing the honey brown of his hair. “I wasn’t sure if this was your thing.”

  “Thank you so much for the tickets! The band’s great.” The music stopped, the crowd breaking into a raucous applause before another song started up, heavy on the drums.

  “You’re welcome. I kinda have to work right now, but after did you guys want to grab a drink or something?” Ash aimed his question at Sam.

  “We would love to,” Alice answered for him, nudging her best friend.

  “Yeah,” Sam said. “We’re going to go find a table, why don’t you meet us when you finish?”

  Ash nodded with a quiet smile, turning away just as a fight broke out between two men. “Excuse me.”

  Sam watched after Ash with a frown. “Come on.” He grabbed Alice’s arm, entwining it within his as he pulled her through the dancing crowd. It didn’t take them long to find Lucy, a harem of curious women surrounding the table as he watched them with predatory eyes. One woman was brave enough to approach, her shiver overly dramatic when he exposed his spikey teeth in greeting. She was quickly pulled away by her friend.

  The Pavilion was a large venue, with tables placed around the edge of the room and the centre kept clear. The stage was large, but crudely built with an amateur painted backdrop of the constellations amongst the stars.

  Scratches and marks blemished the tacky wood beneath their feet, evidence of furniture scraping when there were no music events on, and the place turned back into a conference centre.

  “Little War, Samion, over here!” Lucy waved when he noticed them. “Look at all these well-bred females!” He smiled again, exposing his teeth and holding the expression.

  Alice sat down opposite, wondering how long he could smile without his cheeks hurting. “What are you doing?”

  “I think he’s flirting?” Sam answered, taking the other seat.

  Lucy’s smile turned into a snarl, his eyes glowing. “How else am I supposed to gain their interest in sex?”

  “That’s not how you flirt over here.” Sam laughed, slapping his knee. “Is that what female Daemons find attractive?”

  The band continued their rock song, loud enough that both Alice and Lucy leaned forward. Sam turned away, his attention on something on the dance floor. Without a word he stood up, mumbling something to the table before he joined the throngs of dancers.

  “There are no female Daemons,” Lucy said matter of factly, curling his hand around Sam’s beer and pulling it towards himself. “We’re all male. True Daemons are druids that embrace the ancient magic. There are other creatures who have Daemon tendencies, but they were forced into their transformation and are not of true blood. They’re known as Lessers.”

  Alice sipped her drink, a cocktail. “What do you mean other creatures?”

  Lucy settled back in his seat, his legs stretched forward, long enough people had to step over them to pass. “Not many druids choose their birth right and transcend into Daemons, not since we’re bound to The Nether. Which has been several millennia now. ” His eyes narrowed. “Except your fucking brother, his ceremony was unusual.”

  “Out of everyone who tried to create their own Daemons, how many succeeded?”

  Lucy caught her eye. “One that I know of, Zelroth, or The Master as your brother likes to call him. Fucking fool, thinking he can create those abominations. Like he’s some sort of god.” Lucifer chuckled, downing Sam’s drink. “I was very happy to hear of his demise.”

  “But, why?” Alice looked down, watching her cocktail ripple from the beats of the band. “Why even bother to try?”

  “We’re a Breed of about fifty. Some of the Originals believe that if we had larger numbers, even with Lessers, we could break the chains that keep us beneath.” He leaned forward once again with a smirk. “I would be careful, Little War. There are brothers of mine who would love for the veil to fall, to allow my kind their freedom we have craved since the beginning of time.”

  “Is that a threat, Xahenort?”

  His smirk turned into a grin. “Zelroth was a fool to try and kill you. He believed he would become War if he absorbed your essence. He had plans to find the horsemen, break their seals and force them to start the prophecy.”

  “Seals?”

  Lucifer eyed the rest of her cocktail, his dark grey tongue snaking out to lick the bottom of his lip. Alice pushed the glass over, wanting him to keep speaking freely. He very rarely offered her knowledge without an exchange. She should invite him Earth Side more often.

  “Yo
ur seal is the final connection to your gift.”

  “Curse,” Alice interrupted. “It’s a curse.”

  “Maybe to you, but to others that power is a gift.”

  “I’m already a Draco, that connects me to my ancestors and their magic. I don’t need to be War too.”

  “Yet it’s because of your ancestors that you are War, and not simply another Draco.”

  She had never considered that.

  “It would be wise to embrace your powers. Because once your seal breaks, and it will break, you will become the true War, a warrior, a horseman who’s fate is to break down the veil that separates the realms. At least, that’s what the old world believed.”

  Old world? she thought. Shit. Shit. Shit.

  “What side are you on?”

  Lucy tightened his smile. “It’s amazing what people would do for their freedom.”

  Alice sat straighter, the hair on the back of her neck rising. “That didn’t answer my question.”

  “No?” he chuckled, eyes flicking behind her. “You may need to save your cat.”

  “What?” Alice turned, scanning the crowd until she noticed Sam in the corner with Ash, and Ash wasn’t happy. “Shit!”

  Alice squeezed through the crowd, fighting her way as the dancers ignored her shouts.

  “Excuse me!” She pushed a man a little too hard, who was pushed back in return. Within seconds everyone that surrounded her were pushing and laughing, the mosh pit difficult to escape.

  An arm appeared through the bodies, her scar pulsating as Lucy yanked her towards him. He carefully placed her to the side before joining in in the mosh pit.

  “YOU READY FOR ME, HUMANS?”

  Alice didn’t have time to deal with that, she just hoped he kept to his word that he wouldn’t hurt anybody, or kill.

  “Sam?” she said when she was close enough to touch his shoulder.

  “Can you not even keep it in your pants for TEN MINUTES?” Ash cried at Sam. “SERIOUSLY?”

  “It was just a kiss, I don’t know why you’re so angry!” Sam answered with a controlled anger. “It’s not like I was fucking her right on the dance floor! You know what, for a stallion you’re a real fucking prude!”