by Katie May
“He told me that his father possessed a god-blessed dagger,” Barret continues, lips pursed delicately.
“A dagger that he stabbed you with,” Mason interjects.
“Wrong.” With a sigh, Barret moves to sit on my desk chair, spinning it around so he’s straddling it. “The dagger was normal. He knew it wouldn’t kill me, as long as one of my bugs was able to crawl through the portal.”
“Okay, start from the beginning.” Vin moves so he’s standing slightly in front of me, and I can’t tell if he’s protecting me from Barret…or protecting Barret from me. My emotions are running rampant at the moment, fear, anxiety, and that bastard hope all fighting for dominance. All I want to do is leap into Barret’s arms like a heroine in a romantic movie—you know the type. When the girl discovers that her long-lost love is actually alive and well. Honestly, I made fun of those movies when I first watched them. What female would forgive her significant other for faking his death? I would sooner castrate him and feed his balls to my pigs. After I bought a bunch of pigs, of course. Now? I can see the appeal of slow-motion running into his arms, and that pisses me off.
“As I said before, Alex found me as soon as I stepped through the portal,” Barret states slowly and carefully, his brows furrowed.
“Just because you talk slower doesn’t mean we understand what the fuck you’re saying,” Vin snaps, and a flicker of hurt crosses Barret’s face.
“He told me that his dad—a real douche canoe, that guy—wanted to kill Violet. Of course, I couldn’t let that happen, so when Alex came up with a solution, I accepted.” He shrugs once more, as if that’s the end of the story. Already, his gaze is fixed on one of my leather schoolbooks, his fingers idly tracing the patterns engraved on the spine.
“Barret, what happened next?” I whisper, my throat clogged with emotion. Seeing him alive and well…it sort of makes me want to kill him for putting me through such pain to begin with.
“I ran into you and Cal.” He drops the book and gives me his full attention once more. His sooty lashes blink rapidly as he rests his chin on the back of my desk chair. “When Alex and his father came, I did what Alex told me to do—I stepped in front of the blade meant for you. I would’ve done it anyway, but it was a relief to know that I wasn’t going to actually die. It wasn’t god-blessed, despite what Alex claimed.” With a pained expression, he rubs at his chest where the blade entered. “I tried to tell you guys, but there was a shit ton of blood.”
“Yeah,” I choke out, swallowing the sob that wishes to escape. “A lot of blood.”
“Alex kept up his end of the bargain by grabbing one of my bugs and taking it with him through the portal. Unfortunately, there was a little incident that involved your dog and my beetle form, but he took me to you, so I can’t complain. And now, here I am.” He extends his arms on either side of him, a happy smile on his face.
“Barret…” A choked noise squeezes past my closed lips before I can contain it. “You motherfucking asshole!” Hands trembling, I raise them and place them on his well-defined chest. “I thought you died! Cal thought you died! How could you do this to us? How could you allow us to believe…” I trail off, dropping my hands to my sides as if he’s on fire.
“I did what I did to protect you,” Barret says slowly, that adorable crease between his eyebrows growing even more pronounced. His confused gaze flickers to the men behind me. “Did I do something wrong?”
“Nope,” Vin says simply.
“Nothing at all,” Mason adds.
“Yes, he fucking did!” I protest, resisting the urge to throw him over my knee and spank the shit out of him. “He made me think he was dead. I mourned for you, asshole!”
“But I’m still alive.” Barret sounds even more bemused as he stands slowly, stepping away from the chair. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Of course it’s a good thing, you beautiful fucker.”
With a huff, I stalk away from him, placing my balled hands on my hips.
Barret’s alive.
He’s here…and he’s alive.
He’s safe.
With a choked sob, I spin around and throw myself at the giant man. His arms immediately clasp around my waist, holding me steady. Tears prick my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. Nope. Not me. Badass vampires don’t cry.
“You motherfucking shit-eating asshole,” I sob into his neck. His arms flex as they tighten around me, his head lowering to rest on top of my own.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” he whispers, quietly enough that the others can’t hear.
“And I’m sorry I called you a motherfucking shit-eating asshole, you motherfucking shit-eating asshole,” I manage to gasp out. After what feels like hours—but I know is only a few minutes—I get myself under control enough to step away and scrub at my wet eyes. From allergies, of course. “Did you see Cal yet? He needs to know you’re okay.”
Barret shakes his head. “I went to see you first. I assumed he would’ve been with you.” His slashing eyebrows pull low over his dark eyes. “Do you think he’s okay?”
“I’m sure he’s fine,” I say, more to myself than to him. Remember that pesky little bugger, hope? Well, I need to hold onto that with two hands, or else I’ll fall apart at the seams. “We can go look for him.” Turning towards Vin and Mason, I ask, “Can you guys—?”
“Sit at the portal and wait until Hux or Jack appear?” Mason finishes for me, flashing his signature crooked grin. “I would be honored to, m’lady.”
“Whipped,” Vin murmurs to his best friend.
“Yes, in the bedroom,” Mason deadpans. He grabs Vin’s shoulder and spins him towards the door. “Besides, I’m not going to be sitting by myself on the bleachers, am I? So who’s the whipped one?”
“It appears to be both of you,” Barret points out innocently, and I swear I could hug the big guy. Especially when Vin and Mason simultaneously glare at him.
“Please, for me?” I ask, batting my lashes. I know both Jack and Hux are strong and resilient, but I won’t be able to settle down until I see with my own two eyes that they’re safe. I send a silent prayer to whoever’s listening that they have made it out of the arena in one piece.
“Because you asked nicely,” Mason teases. “But I’m expecting a reward for good behavior.”
“A sexy reward?” I lift a brow, and heat instantly enters his eyes, darkening the color.
“If it involves you on a bed with a bow on top, then yes.”
“Come on, Casanova,” Vin huffs, dragging him from the room. But not before I catch his expression—longing and lust so pronounced that I’m left breathless. Vin may not be willing to play with Mason…but he’s more than happy to play with me while Mason’s in the room.
I wonder what that will be like. Me…them…us.
Barret’s words pull me out of my wistful fantasy. “Where do you think Cal will be?”
“We’ll check the upper levels of the Academy first,” I say immediately, shaking my head to clear my muddled thoughts. “But you know Cal better than I do. Where do you think he is?”
“Normally, when he’s upset, he’d find himself a pussy to fuck,” he states matter-of-factly, and I have no doubt he’s quoting Cal verbatim. For reasons I don’t wish to decipher, the mere prospect makes me uneasy. As if sensing the direction of my thoughts, Barret glances at me out of the corner of his eyes. “But I doubt that’s what he’s doing.”
“So then where would he be?”
Barret scrubs at the whiskers on his chin absent-mindedly. “He’s part fairy, and fairies often have certain vices they partake in.” I nod once in understanding. It’s why fairies rule the drug world—their own cravings and addictions make them capable of creating the perfect substance.
“And what are Cal’s vices?” I question.
Barret makes a face. “Sex, as you probably know. And alcohol, particularly the fairy variety.”
With a sigh, I reach for Barret’s large hand and drag him out the door.
“Come o
n. I think I know where he is.”
CHAPTER 39
VIOLET
The club I went to with Frankie is even more crowded than it was previously. Every monster who attended the Roaring seems to be waiting patiently in line.
“Come on,” I say, putting Jack’s car into park.
I’m severely underdressed this time around, but I can’t be bothered to change. Not when I’m already worried about Cal.
Barret’s hot on my heels as I bypass the line and face the familiar, bald bouncer who was so smitten with Frankie.
Yeah, not at all salty about that, thank you very much.
Forgoing formalities, I step on my tiptoes and stare the man intently in the eyes. It’s taboo for a vampire to use compulsion on another monster. More than that, some would consider it an automatic death sentence.
Frankly, I don’t give a damn.
“You will allow me and my friend admittance,” I whisper, my words curling around him like a tightening leash. His eyes glaze over as his tattooed arms drop to his sides.
“I will…?”
“You will allow me and my friend admittance,” I repeat, pushing even more power into those words. I can see when they embed themselves into his mind, for he immediately steps back, sweeping his arm back to let us through.
“Hey, what the fuck?” someone from the line exclaims, but I don’t bother turning to see who’s speaking. Hopefully, he didn’t see me use my compulsion. If he did, and he reported me…
Refusing to allow those thoughts to fester, I stalk into the dimly lit club. Like before, the pungent scent of sweat and alcohol barrage me, and I wrinkle my nose. Why can’t clubs smell like…I don’t know…Febreze or some shit. Maybe that’ll be my new invention.
I scan the thrashing bodies for a familiar pair of red wings and light pink hair.
“There!” Barret points his finger across the room to where Cal is disappearing around a corner, his hand intertwined with a person I can’t see.
“I thought you said he wouldn’t have sex,” I ask, unable to contain the sudden surge of jealousy that crashes over me. I remind myself immediately that I have no right to feel jealous. He’s not my boyfriend, just a friend. Besides, I have four other men who care about me and kind of, maybe, love me, quirks and all. I don’t need to add another one.
Ignoring my outburst, Barret leads us through the crowd, one of his hands gripping mine and the other shoving bodies away at random. His profile is shadowed, but even still, I can see the determined set to his jaw and the fire burning in his eyes.
When we reach the hall Cal disappeared down, I pause, tugging on Barret’s hand until he stops as well.
“I think he went into one of these rooms.” I nod towards the various storage closets lining the perimeter. The last thing I want or need is to walk in on Cal balls deep in some skank.
“Let’s look.” Barret begins to open one door at a time. The first shows a male with fur sprouting on both of his arms as he fucks a female. I awkwardly stand in the doorframe as he pounds into her.
“What the fuck?” the man bellows, and the woman screams, attempting to cover her pert breasts.
“Sorry. Continue banging,” I whisper awkwardly, waiting until Barret closes the door.
The second door has two females kissing passionately, their tops off and ample breasts on display.
“Wanna join?” one of the girls asks as she circles the other female’s nipple with her tongue.
“Sorry. Continue banging.”
The third room is, of course, the same, but this one has three guys and four girls.
“Sorry. Continue banging.”
It’s the fourth room that sends icy dread skating down my spine.
“Cal?” I whisper as Barret stands in the threshold, frozen.
It’s definitely my pink-haired cupid, but I’ve never seen such rage on his face before. It distorts his features entirely until he’s barely recognizable. His eyes are a solid shade of red, madness lurking in their depths, as he stands over a familiar male.
Alex’s father.
His face is mottled and bloody, one of his eyes completely swollen shut. A myriad of bruises darken his skin—some fresh and light pink, while others are a hideous shade of blue and black. His bloody lips curl in a hideous sneer as Cal towers over him, radiating fury.
“Cal?” I repeat, but he doesn’t seem to hear me, too lost in his anger and rage. I desperately turn towards Barret and shove him forward, hoping he’ll be able to penetrate Cal’s…darkness. That’s the only word capable of encapsulating what I’m seeing. He’s every inch the dark and dangerous monster you read about in horror novels. When Barret remains silent, mouth agape, I say, “Cal, Barret’s alive.”
“He was going to hurt you,” Cal manages to bite out, his tone guttural and nearly unrecognizable. “He wants to kill you.”
“But he didn’t.” I take a tentative step closer, but before I can touch him, Barret wraps an arm around my waist and drags me behind him. “What the hell?”
“He’s not sane right now, Violet,” Barret whispers urgently. “He’s dark.”
“What the fuck do you mean?”
“Fairies can be either light or dark,” he continues, forcing me backwards with each step he takes. “Cal was light…and now he’s dark.”
“And?” I struggle futilely, but it’s like fighting with a brick wall. Barret is apparently hewn completely from stone.
“And a dark fairy is dangerous. It’s a curse, Violet. He’s obsessed with blood and vengeance. He’s not the Cal we once knew.” His voice breaks on those final words, but I’m already vehemently shaking my head in denial.
“No, you’re alive. Once he sees that you’re alive and well, he’ll snap out of it.”
Barret continues to move us until we’re nearly out the door.
“It doesn’t work like that, Cheese Curd.” The arm around me tightens as he walks us backwards. “Maybe if he was a normal fairy, yes, but he’s not. He’s also part incubus.”
“If he kills that man, he’ll be arrested for murder.” There’s no graver sin than a monster killing another monster. Sure, the council will look the other way if the victim is a vampire, but a man like Alex’s father? I don’t need a brain to know that he holds some sway over the ruling government. His death will warrant a manhunt and execution.
Desperate, I scream, “Cal, Barret’s alive. He’s here. Look behind you. He’s right here. With me. We’re both safe.”
A familiar dagger appears in Cal’s hand, the blade glinting in the artificial lighting. The copper handle fits perfectly in his clasped fingers as he brandishes it back and forth.
A god-blessed dagger.
“Cal!” I beg. “Cal, don’t do this. This isn’t you.”
When he spins around to face us, I don’t see the man I care about. His teeth are elongated, more beast than human, and his glowing red eyes burn like the fires of hell themselves are trapped in those tiny orbs. A snarl distorts his mouth even further as his eyes flicker from Barret to me.
“This is what they wanted!” he hisses, the noise nothing like his usual melodic voice. “I’ll do what I need to do to protect you. I’ll become an even bigger monster than the one they thought they created.”
Fear creeps down my spine and roots my feet to the ground. Not even Barret can pull me away, though he for sure tries.
Cal turns once more towards his victim and raises the dagger. And then, with one fatal swoop, he plunges it into the necromancer’s heart.
Black lines erupt from around his eyes like dark, gossamer spider webs. His lips part in a silent cry as blood forms around the corners of his mouth. Those dark, dark eyes—spinning with the secrets of the universe—fixate on me with pure hatred and venom. A sinister smile curls up his lips as more and more blood drips down his chin.
Despite dying at Cal’s hand, his words are addressed to me and me alone. “This isn’t over, vampire slut.” With that, his eyes close and his body goes limp.
Dead.
Dead.
He’s dead.
That one thought plays on repeat in my head as I stare at his fallen body and then at Cal’s crouched form. His chest heaves with each breath he takes. As I watch, horrified, black lines—similar to the ones I saw on Alex’s father’s face—clamor up and down Cal’s wings, bleeding into the enticing red.
Barret freezes, similarly stunned, as he stares at his best friend.
“What did you do?” he whispers.
Slowly, Cal unfolds himself from his crouched position and rises to his feet. With one foot on the body, he removes the dagger from the man’s chest and caresses the silver blade.
“I did what had to be done,” he whispers, those pure red eyes training on me behind Barret’s shoulder. At his attention, Barret continues to move us out the door, his body a shield against the avenging angel.
“I would never hurt her,” Cal hisses.
“But you’re scaring her,” Barret counters immediately.
Ignoring them both, I glance anxiously in both directions. At the moment, the hall appears to be empty, but I know it won’t remain as such. Especially if this is a hotspot for orgies, as the closets displayed.
“We need to go. Now.” Ignoring Barret’s cry of protest, I brush past him and grab Cal’s hand. Immediately, the red in his eyes begins to recede and his fangs shrink back into his mouth. Confusion dances in his eyes as he stares from me to Barret and then to the body we left behind. “Barret?” he whispers, sounding young and small, like a forlorn child. “You’re alive?”
“We need to go,” I repeat, extending my other hand towards Barret, which he accepts. I tug them forward until both men stand on either side of me, a protective wall of muscle that no one will be able to breach.
“What happened?” Cal whispers. “What did I do? How are you alive?” He addresses the last question at Barret. “Am I dead?”
“You’re not dead,” I huff as I storm through the crowd of sweaty dancers. Fortunately, no one gets near enough to touch me with Cupid and the Boogeyman at my sides. The monsters might not know who they are, but the power they emanate is almost palpable. No doubt, they recognize an apex predator when they see one. “At least, not yet. But we’re all going to be if we don’t get the hell out of here.”
