by Deanna Chase
Finally, Dax took a step forward, his large frame looming over mine. “Is that how you repay those who help you out?”
“You were helping yourself,” I snapped. “Who are you, and why do you have witch powers?”
He shook his head. “I don’t have witch powers. Just a charmed stone given to me by a trusted source. And unless you think you can get it away from me, none of your spells are going to be able to penetrate its protection. So now, who was I helping?”
It was debatable that none of my spells could get past the stone he wore, and if it had been any other time, I might have tested a few of my more unusual spells just to see if it truly was that powerful. But right then, I had more pressing matters to attend to. It was no secret Allcot wasn’t my favorite vampire, but an all-out war between vamps and shifters in the city of New Orleans would be mayhem. And if either Pandora or Allcot didn’t survive this, that’s exactly where we’d end up.
“Don’t know, don’t care,” I said, already moving past him. “But if you truly were helping me, then you won’t mind if I just say thanks and we call it a night.”
“Lexi,” he said, grabbing my arm. Heat radiated from his touch as I whirled on him.
“Do. Not. Touch. Me.” I yanked my arm out of his grip just as I heard voices coming from a few feet away on the path.
He turned his head in the direction of the sound. Then he reached down, grabbed Yancy, and threw him over his shoulder. Glancing back at me, he whispered, “Go!”
I didn’t hesitate. And as I disappeared into the brush, I glanced back. A group of five shifters moved along the path, each of them carrying some sort of blade. They were definitely prepared for a serious vampire fight. Guns were useless against the undead. Biting them would hurt, no doubt, but wouldn’t cause anything but momentary damage. But a sword or a battle ax could be a game changer. Stabbing a vamp in the heart rendered them helpless, and if a limb was chopped off… well, those took awhile to grow back.
Why then had Dax and his partner not been armed? And why had Dax drugged his partner if he had the protection stone? I shook my head. There was no time to worry about Dax or Yancy. If there were five heavily armed shifters scouting the waterfront, how many were guarding Allcot and waiting for Pandora?
Clutching the ruby, soaking up every last bit of strength I could, I took off at a dead run.
Chapter Four
It took no time at all to find Allcot and Pandora. The shifters had taken over Piety Wharf. If they were trying to be subtle, they’d failed miserably.
I stood in the shadows, watching as a dozen shifters circled the vampire pair. Allcot was chained to a large velvet chair that resembled something straight out of the royal household. They’d blindfolded him, but either they had wanted him to be able to talk, or they’d been too chickenshit to gag him. So his mouth was free, right along with his fangs.
And damned if Allcot hadn’t already managed to bite someone. Blood was smeared down his chin, and one of the shifters was on the ground, blood gushing from a flesh wound in his neck.
Idiot. What the hell had he done? Offered himself to the vamp? If they were all that stupid, this was going to be a piece of cake.
“For fuck’s sake, Wendell. Next time, don’t try to whisper sweet nothings to your hostages,” one of them said with a laugh.
The shifter on the ground let out a growl. “Shut the fuck up. I was trying to rattle him. None of you fuckheads seem to have any better ideas.”
“Neither of us will ever tell you anything about Cryrique,” Pandora said, her head held high, referring to Allcot’s multimillion-dollar business. “You’ll have to kill us first.”
“That’s the plan, sweetheart,” the one on the ground said with a sneer.
“Now, now, Wendell,” an average-sized shifter with silver hair said as he stepped into the middle of the circle. “Let’s not be hasty. Surely no one wants this to end in bloodshed.”
Allcot let out a snarl so loud I was certain the entire Bywater neighborhood had heard it.
“All we want,” the elder shifter continued, “is access to the information the organization has acquired while exploiting our people. In exchange for that information, we’ll let the pretty blond vamp live.” He crouched down a few feet in front of Allcot. “But for you, Eadric, we have other plans. It only seems fitting that you experience the same fate as our precious Molly did.”
Who the hell was Molly, I wondered and was instantly pissed at Allcot. I had no trouble believing he and his company had done something horrific in the name of science. Allcot had a long history of manufacturing “supplements” meant to increase or enhance a vampire’s powers. That, along with their “mind enhancers,” a.k.a. recreational drugs specifically for vampires, had proven to be big business for the vampire corporation. If they’d branched out into formulating drugs for shifters, they’d need test subjects. The chances of something going wrong were high on the probability scale.
“You will release Eadric now, or I will kill each and every one of you,” Pandora said. Every muscle in her perfect vampire body tensed. Her fangs had descended, and she was practically vibrating with hatred.
“You’re welcome to try,” the elder said, standing up. “But I think we both know that if we can capture the most powerful vampire in the city, then a scorned woman isn’t exactly going to be a challenge.”
Oh, hell no. He didn’t just say that, did he? Fucking piece of shit. Suddenly I didn’t give two fucks what Allcot had done. Besides being committed to making sure we didn’t have a supernatural war on our hands, the fact that the shifter was a misogynistic piece of shit was enough for me.
I stepped out of the shadows and strolled right onto the pier. “Well. Isn’t this interesting?”
Everyone turned in my direction.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” someone said.
Another stepped forward and asked, “Who invited the witch?”
“Someone restrain her!” yet a third voice shouted.
“You can try,” Allcot said with an air of satisfaction.
I chuckled. Allcot had seen me in action more than a few times.
“Phoebe Kilsen,” the elder shifter said, his dark eyes trained on me. “Interesting that you of all people are working for a vamp.”
“I don’t work for Allcot,” I said, reaching for the small spelled dagger tucked into the back of my jeans. My fingers wrapped around the handle, and instantly, magic tingled over my skin. I had no idea who the pack leader was, and the fact that he obviously knew me set me on edge. “I just have a vested interest in keeping my city from becoming a war zone.”
“I’m afraid it’s too late for that,” he said, waving a hand at the other shifters. “Once we take Allcot out, we expect a full-on assault. And we’re ready for it. It’s not too late to align yourself with the right side.”
“And that’s your side?” I scoffed. “Right. Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m staying neutral on this one.”
“I’d hardly call coming to Allcot’s rescue neutral,” he said reasonably.
Murmurs of agreement rose up around us from the other shifters.
“No? Ask Allcot what I’d do if you were the one sitting in this chair and a bunch of vamps were getting ready to rip your throat out.”
Pandora let out a snort, but Allcot remained completely silent.
“You think I’m going to trust anything that vampire has to say?” the shifter spat out. “There’s no honor among opportunistic drug pushers.”
I laughed. “Fair enough. His… business isn’t something I condone either. Unfortunately, the world isn’t made of just black and white. And if I let you kill his lily-white ass tonight, then Hell is going to rain fire on New Orleans, and that is just unacceptable.”
“You’re happy to live in the shades of gray then?” he asked, genuine curiosity resonating in his tone.
“When one lives among those others call monsters, it’s inevitable, don’t you think?”
He t
ook another step closer and nodded. “I suppose you have a point. But we all have our battle lines, and Allcot has crossed mine. The only question is, what are you going to do if I cross yours?”
“Kick your ass and have you thrown in jail,” I said matter-of-factly. “Your move, shifter.”
His lips curved into a slow smile. “Challenge accepted.” Then he jerked his head toward the two vampires and said, “Stake them both.”
The elder shifter stepped back as the rest of them charged forward, weapons drawn.
“Fuck!” I took two steps and leaped, landing right in front of Allcot. Magic vibrated up my arm as I produced the small dagger and stopped the first shifter from landing a blow that would’ve likely taken Allcot’s head off.
“Kill them all,” I heard the vampire say from behind me.
I ignored him, grabbed my blade with both hands, and spun. The clang of my spelled blade against the shifter’s sword reverberated through the air, followed by a ting when the sword hit the ground. The shifter in front of me stood there, stunned, staring at my blade as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Believe it, you son of a bitch. It’s not the size, but how you use it.” It was a cheesy-ass line, but I didn’t care. My words had distracted him enough that he hadn’t even seen me coming as I plunged the blade into his shoulder.
The shifter let out a low howl then crumpled to the ground. I kept a firm grip on my blade, pleased to see it had worked just as I’d planned. No blood on the blade, and no wound in the shifter. Using the blade was a drastic measure but necessary when dealing with beings trying to decapitate someone.
“What the fuck did you just do?” a younger shifter cried out, his eyes wide as he stared at his pack mate. Three others stepped up to inspect my victim. The rest were busy fighting Pandora, who’d already neutralized two of them. The elder stood back, watching the scene as if evaluating which way the wind was going to blow before making his next move.
“I stopped him from killing Allcot.” I raised the blade, now shimmering with magic. “Now who’s next?”
“You bitch!” The youngster flew at me, a battle ax raised over his head.
Dodging his blow, I pivoted and spun, my blade landing with perfect precision into this right shoulder. He let out a shout as he spasmed and then crumpled to the ground right next to his pack mate.
Just then, one of the shifters Pandora was fighting slipped past her, and before I could reach him, he threw his blade at Allcot. The knife landed with a thunk right in the left side of his chest.
“No!” Pandora cried just as Allcot sucked in a gasp and slumped to the side.
Still in motion, I slammed into the shifter, my blade nicking his bicep. He let out a howl and rolled over, clutching his arm. It healed instantly, but instead of knocking him out as usual, he writhed in pain. It was because I hadn’t gotten a clean shot. The blade had to go deep enough to spell the being into a coma. Then they’d wake up days later after the poison had worked its way out of their system. With just a flesh wound, he didn’t get the luxury of sleeping through the healing process.
A self-satisfied smile claimed my lips. The little bastard deserved it. “It’s gonna suck to be you for the next week or so.”
He didn’t hear me as he rolled around, screaming in pain.
The rest of the shifters backed off, apparently unwilling to become my next victim.
“Phoebe?” Pandora asked, her voice strained.
I glanced over at her. Blood stained her white shirt and was smeared across her cheek. To her right, there were four shifters lying motionless on the ground, each of them with blood trickling from the puncture holes in their necks. Holy Christ. She’d sucked enough blood from them to make them pass out. I fought to keep from taking a step back. “Yeah?”
“Can you do something about those chains?” She pointed to the restraints keeping Allcot lashed to the chair.
“Sure.” Eyeing the remaining shifters, I moved to her side and sliced right through them with my magical blade. Magic sparked and sizzled, but the chains broke apart, and Allcot slumped forward.
Pandora wasted no time gathering him in her arms. “I can’t take the blade out if it’s pierced his heart. I have to get him to the healer. Now. Will you be all right?”
“Go!” I said. She was right. If the blade had hit him in the right spot, the moment anyone removed it, Allcot would be toast. There was no way to tell, however, just from looking at him. And if it had pierced his heart, there were measures the healer could take to reverse the effects. “I can handle this.”
She glanced once more at the handful of shifters growling in our direction. “Be careful.”
“I will.”
Then she jumped into the air, levitated, and vanished as if she and Allcot had disappeared into thin air. I knew better. She just moved faster than the human eye could detect.
With Pandora and Allcot safely gone, I turned back to the remaining members of the pack. “Have you boys had enough?”
The four shifters shared a glance between them then raised their hands in surrender. Apparently the possibility of getting stabbed with my magical blade was more than they were willing to contend with.
I nodded to them, acknowledging their proverbial white flag. “Until next time, boys.”
“Wait,” the elder said, stepping out from behind them. “What will happen to them?” He waved at the shifters I’d stabbed.
“They’ll wake up… eventually. Keep them hydrated, and they should be fine.”
He nodded, his gaze stormy with rage, but he didn’t say anything else. Fine by me. If someone had just stabbed my friends into a coma, I wouldn’t be all smiles and sunshine either. Of course, I wouldn’t have asked them to kill someone. Not even Allcot. No, if I wanted that done, I’d do it myself.
With my blade still clutched in my hands, I eyed the shifters one last time and took off back toward the arch bridge that would take me to my car.
The city was still around me. Silence was a rare thing in New Orleans. Granted, it was the middle of the night, but in a city that never sleeps, that meant little. My skin prickled with unease, and suddenly, I had the feeling I was being followed.
I tightened my grip on my blade and quickened my steps, scanning the area for any unnatural shadows or movement.
Nothing.
Maybe it was just the leftover adrenaline from the fight. There was no question I was still wound up, not to mention worried about Allcot’s outcome. It wasn’t that I cared about the vampire. He was a powerful manipulator who was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to get what he wanted. In some ways, the city would be better off without him. But I wasn’t naïve enough to think that some other powerful vampire wouldn’t step right in to fill his shoes. And in this case, the devil you knew was definitely better than the one you didn’t.
Allcot might be a first-class bastard, but somewhere underneath his cold persona, there was a loyal man with a big heart. I’d seen him display his conscience a time or two and believed deep down, that as far as old powerful vampires went, he wasn’t the worst choice to lead the city. All too often, he let people believe the worst of him in order to protect his people and his research—research that ended up benefiting millions. That didn’t mean his ethics were anything to cheer about. Far from it. But he was a powerful man for a reason, and image was a huge part of that.
I reached the bridge and paused, glancing around one last time.
No one appeared to be around. I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding then ran across the bridge, into the Bywater neighborhood. Once I was back on the streets with the lights from the neighborhood homes illuminating the sidewalks, I started to relax—right up until I heard the pounding of footsteps behind me.
I cut down one of the side streets, and just as I passed the second house, Dax stepped right in my path, grabbed me, and pulled me between two of the shotgun houses. With deft hands and the element of surprise, he disarmed me and tossed my blade to the gro
und.
“What the he—” I started, already reaching for my weapon.
But his grip was too strong. He held me steady and clamped his hand over my mouth as he leaned in close and whispered, “Be quiet. They’re coming.”
Then he removed his hand. And before I could get any words out, he covered my mouth with his and kissed me.
Chapter Five
I planted my palms against his chest and shoved. “What are you doing?” I whispered harshly.
He didn’t budge. In fact, he moved in closer, pressing his entire body into mine. “I’m doing you a favor,” he said, his words so faint, I barely heard him. Then he scrapped his teeth down my neck, sending a shock of desire straight to my core. I swayed into him, desperate to feel his body against mine.
“That’s right, witch. Just like that,” he said, then he pressed his lips to mine once more.
Heat and pleasure darted through me, and just for the moment, I let myself get lost in the kiss. My hands clutched at his shirt as I met his passionate kiss with a fervor of my own. My blood hummed, and everything pulsed. I wanted this. Wanted every part of him.
I tilted my head to the side, deepening the kiss, and heard nothing but the rush of desire in my ears. The world around me slipped away, and suddenly, nothing mattered except the way this man felt against me.
He brought one hand up and cupped my cheek, caressing my jaw with his thumb. After a moment, he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against mine. I opened my eyes and stared into his heated gaze.
“They’re gone,” he said. “You’re welcome.”
“What?” I frowned, trying to listen for the footsteps that had been following me. I heard nothing but the hum of the porch light on the house next door.
He let me go and took a step back. “I saved you from being mauled by the pack.
“How do you figure?” I demanded, resisting the urge to press my fingertips to my still tingling lips.
“They were coming for you. You know that, otherwise you wouldn’t have darted down this street. But it wouldn’t have mattered. They had your scent, and they’d have gotten you eventually. I kissed you to mask your scent. They wouldn’t think to stop for me… not when they’re on a hunt.”
