From Jennifer Ashley, With Love

by Jennifer Ashley

  Septimus had bailed as soon as he’d delivered Adrian to the house, and the hired demons had hustled him up the stairs. Adrian had spent the journey here hooded by a foul-smelling cloth bag, but he’d known where he was even before they drew it off him. He’d passed out from loss of blood and lack of air, and now the sun was high, two long windows letting in the cheerful light.

  He heard heavy footsteps on the stairs, and the demon entered the room. He stopped in front of Adrian, looking him over him with sensual black eyes. Adrian matched the demon in height, but the demon wore a neat suit while Adrian was covered in blood and black bruises.

  The demon drew his tongue across his lower lip, making it wet and red. “Submit to me.”

  Adrian gave him his best glare. “What for?”

  The demon smiled. “Ah. I hoped you would resist.” He walked to a table and took up a leather whip. “Do you want to change your mind?”

  Adrian told him, very clearly, what to do with himself. The demon took a step back, breaking into a smile, then he whipped every inch of Adrian’s skin, reopening wounds that had begun to heal.

  Adrian knew he could free himself at any time with his magic, at least, once he’d rested and healed a little. But he stilled his power, knowing two things—Septimus held a sword over Adrian’s head in the form of his vampire lackeys watching Amber, and Septimus said Tain had sent for Adrian, not the demon. Adrian would let the damn demon carve him up, and then when Adrian found Tain, he’d free himself and make the demon pay.

  When the demon finished with the whip, he dropped it and returned to the table for a fireplace poker. Adrian clenched his jaw through the next torture session, getting through the pain by thinking of creative ways to take his vengeance.

  At last the demon tossed aside the poker, his gloved hands covered in blood and soot, smiling as though in afterglow.

  Adrian dragged in a breath. “You make a damn boring Dom.” His voice sounded like broken gravel.

  The demon regarded him thoughtfully. “Hmm. I see.”

  He walked back to the table and opened a long box, from which he withdrew a broad-bladed sword. He came back to Adrian and held the point between Adrian’s pectorals, nicking the skin.

  “Know this, Immortal,” the demon said. “If you fight back, whatever I do to you in this room will be done to your beautiful witch, only much more thoroughly. And she’ll die.”

  Adrian snarled. “If you hurt Amber, I’ll feel free to let myself go. And then you’ll understand the full meaning of the word retribution.”

  The demon didn’t appear to hear. “I always wondered what would happen if I stabbed an Immortal through the heart. Would he finally die? Would he weaken so much that his goddess would take pity on him and remove the life from his body?”

  “You want me to tell you?” Adrian rasped. “Come a little closer. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.”

  The demon’s dark-as-sin eyes gleamed, and he bent close to Adrian, putting his lips near Adrian’s.

  Adrian spat blood into his face.

  The demon stood up without changing expression. He slid a handkerchief from inside his coat to wipe off the blood and spittle before tucking it away again. Then he slammed the sword straight through Adrian’s heart.

  Adrian clenched his jaw to keep from screaming. Hoarse, choking sounds came from his throat, but he’d not give the demon the satisfaction of breaking down in front of him. He’d stand here, look the demon in the eye, and spit on him again.

  The demon pulled the sword out, very slowly. “Does it hurt?”

  “Fuck you,” Adrian gasped.

  “I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll do it with this.” He plunged the sword into Adrian’s chest again. Adrian’s head rocked back against the wall, and the room blurred to black.

  When things swum back into focus again, Adrian heard footsteps on the stairs, climbing, climbing to the room at the top. A lackey coming to help the demon with his torture session? Adrian’s vision was foggy, blood running into his eyes and drying on his face. The demon was across the room from him, holding the sword loosely.

  The footsteps came closer now. Not a lackey. Adrian knew the step; he’d never forgotten it. Joy flooded through him that overshadowed every bit of pain the demon had doled out.

  “Tain,” he said.

  His brother walked into the room. Tain was as tall, as upright and proud as Adrian remembered him. He’d pulled his thick and unruly red hair into a tail, but wisps straggled from the queue to touch the pentacle tattoo on his cheekbone—Tain had never been able to tame his hair, something women had found irresistible. Tain wore a casual suit of black cashmere and a plain white shirt with no tie, looking comfortable and relaxed as he ever did, no matter what the fashion of the time.

  Adrian started to laugh. Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes to mix with blood and sweat.

  “Tain, my brother,” he called out, just as he had a years ago when they’d trained and fought together. “Cut off this demon’s head for me, and we’ll go out for pizza. Do you like pizza? I don’t even know.” Tears slid over his lips. “I know a place in L.A. where they’ve made pizza an art form. And I met a lady. She’s so beautiful, she’ll break your heart.”

  Tain picked up the whip the demon had discarded and studied it as he approached Adrian. The demon stood by, blood-streaked sword held to his side. Adrian knew something was terribly, terribly wrong, but he couldn’t stop the wave of happiness and relief that flooded him. He’d found Tain.

  Tain’s blue eyes focused on Adrian for a long moment, taking in Adrian’s exhausted face and body the demon had sliced to the bone. His gaze slid up to the heavy-duty manacles and chains that bound Adrian to the wall, then Tain slowly raised one hand and touched Adrian’s jaw.

  “You’re really here,” he said.

  “In the flesh,” Adrian said. “This isn’t how I pictured our reunion, but I guess it’s better than nothing.”

  Tain tilted his head to one side, fingers sliding from Adrian’s face. “How did you picture it?”

  “I don’t know. Champagne maybe, or beer. Beautiful women, one for each of us. A celebration no one would ever forget.”

  Tain shook his head. “No, Adrian. I know you too well. I know what you thought. You pictured yourself rescuing me. I’d be the one in chains and imprisoned, and you’d set me free. I’d fall weeping at your feet, so grateful that you’d saved me. All would rejoice because Adrian had found his brother at last.”

  Adrian laughed. “Does it matter? I rescue you, you rescue me, I don’t care. What matters is we found each other.”

  Tain drew back and slapped Adrian across the face with the whip. Adrian’s magic stirred inside him, a fiery hot burst ready to be flung at the demon. The demon had to be doing this, playing with Tain’s mind, causing the madness flickering in Tain’s eyes.

  Tain put his hand around Adrian’s throat. “Stop.”

  Adrian let the magic dissipate. “Let me kill him,” he said in a low voice. “I’ll kill the demon, and we’ll walk out of here together.”

  “No.”

  The demon moved to Tain’s side. “I have the advantage of you, Immortal,” he said to Adrian.

  He morphed seamlessly into the sultry, dark-eyed woman Adrian had seen at Septimus’s club and also in his dream. She wore a black satin dress that hugged every curve, her nipples tight against it betraying that she wore nothing beneath.

  Tain’s grip on Adrian loosened as the woman rose on tiptoe to kiss Tain’s lips. Tain drew her up into the kiss, returning it lovingly.

  “Tain, she’s a demon,” Adrian said, fighting revulsion. “An Old One. We kill death-magic beings, remember? Our raison d’être?”

  Tain broke the kiss and looked at Adrian in sorrow. “You will understand, in time.”

  “I want to understand now.”

  Tain pressed a fingertip to Adrian’s lips. “Not yet, my brother. Not yet.”

  Adrian bit back a reply as he fought to assess the
situation. Tain was mad, and somehow the demon had done this to him. Tain had been imprisoned in that ice cave—the whole damn place had been imprinted with his aura. Why he was free now, and why he hadn’t simply fought off the demon or tried to find his brothers for help, Adrian had no idea.

  “When, then?” Adrian asked, keeping his voice steady.

  “When your pretty lady is here,” Tain said. “When she comes to rescue you, then I will tell you everything. I promise.”

  Chill filled Adrian colder than the ice floes of the Arctic. “She won’t come.”

  “She will,” Tain said. “She will come to you, and when she does, we will slowly torture her to death in front of you. Once she is dead, you will understand.” He transferred his intense blue gaze to Adrian. “You will understand my wish to die. Because then you will share it.”

  Wish to die? What the hell?

  Adrian shoved aside the horrifying vision of the demon cutting through Amber’s flesh and tried to keep his tone reasonable. “We can’t die, Tain. We’re Immortal warriors. We kick ass through the ages until the goddesses decide we’ve done enough. Or until the world ends.” He remembered the sketches in Susan’s notebooks and the words, The end of the world. “Ending the world is fine in comic books and movies, but it can’t be done. If he’s—she’s—told you it can be, he’s lying.”

  “My wise older brother,” Tain said. “Adrian, what would happen if death magic overcame life magic? It’s an event we were created to stop.” He leaned closer and gave Adrian a soft laugh. “Our raison d’être, as you say. What happens?”

  Adrian didn’t blink. “Death magic overruns the world. But that won’t last. Death magic can’t prevail, because it needs life magic to exist. Life and death must remain in balance. That’s why we’re here. To keep crazy death-magic beings from tipping the balance.”

  Tain nodded slowly. “And if death magic can’t exist, then it too drains away. What happens if there is no life magic and no death magic?” His smile was sad. “Everything is gone. And with it, the Immortals. No longer needed.” Tain’s breath smelled of almonds and spice. “And then we’ll be truly free.”

  “It can’t happen that way,” Adrian said quickly, although he had no idea whether it could or not. “Why would this demon want to help you drain the world of magic? He’d die, too.”

  “I know he will. He’s an Old One, as you say. He is as tired of life as I am.”

  “Bullshit.”

  Tain’s face darkened. “I’m disappointed in you, brother. I told myself you’d understand.”

  “I understand this demon has fed you a line, and you’ve swallowed it whole. Kill the bastard, Tain. Free yourself.”

  The demon stroked Tain’s arm. “Yes, Tain. Do what you want to do. Do what you truly wish to do.”

  Tain gazed down at her for a moment, then he smiled viciously, his expression a mirror image of the demon’s. Taking a few steps back, he uncoiled the leather whip. He drew the whip back and then beat Adrian with fierce concentration until Adrian’s blood flowed from every cut in his body to pool on the floor.

  * * *

  Kelly awakened from her nap on top of her bed late in the Los Angeles afternoon, and knew he was in her bedroom. She felt his presence in the shadows, though she couldn’t yet see him. She lay still, feigning sleep, hoping he couldn’t hear her rapid heartbeat in the silence.

  She started work on a new movie next week. She looked forward to the long days at the studio, the early calls, the bustle of cameramen and crew on the lots and the sound stages. Kelly loved the movie life. She’d be surrounded all day by friends she knew and liked, returning to her house only to snatch a few hours’ sleep, if that. No time for vampires.

  She knew Septimus would find her anyway. He would come to watch her during the shoot, perhaps take her out to dinner afterward, escort her home, spend the night. The powerful vampire would get himself admitted to the lot, and Kelly wouldn’t be able to stop it. Nor would she want to. She knew she had a weakness for vampires, a lethal fascination that would have gotten her killed if it hadn’t been for Adrian.

  Kelly heard a whisper of fabric, a coat coming off, then the bed listed behind her as he stretched out at her back. Sensual fingers stroked her hip and curve of her waist—Septimus knew Kelly was awake.

  His hand grazed the swell of her breast and moved to her throat, fingers splaying across her neck and moving her hair. His hot mouth touched her skin as he leaned down and licked the small wound he’d made on her neck last night.

  “You told them what you heard,” he said, voice silken soft. “Didn’t you, Kelly?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Kelly swallowed. She couldn’t lie to him. Septimus would know and punish her for that betrayal. That thought made her skin prickle in sudden excitement.

  Kelly hated herself for wanting it, but she couldn’t help herself. Her previous relationship with a vampire had terrified her as much as it had elated her, but in the end the terror had won, and she’d walked.

  She had the feeling that walking away from Septimus would be much, much harder, if she could make such a choice at all.

  He drew his tongue around the shell of her ear. “It doesn’t matter. I planned to tell them all about it anyway. What I did, where they can find him.”

  Kelly rolled over. The last rays of sun danced on the ceiling above them, but the bed was in deep shadow, and Septimus was safe from the light. His eyes, deep and compelling blue, held her. She was no longer afraid to look at him directly, and knew that meant he’d already made her his blood slave.

  “You know Valerian will try to kill you,” she said. “So will Amber.”

  “No, they won’t.” His voice was low, soothing, wrapping Kelly’s mind and calming her. “All believe Adrian is my enemy, but I have great admiration for him. He has helped me gain more power than I ever would have myself. Death-magic beings can be so untidy, and he has an affinity for neatness.”

  “But you gave him up to the demon,” Kelly said, puzzled.

  “I had no choice. That demon is more powerful than any being I’ve ever encountered. But I know that if anyone can survive him, it’s Adrian. Adrian has friends. The demon is alone.”

  “I don’t understand. First you betray Adrian, now you want to help him?”

  Septimus touched her face. Kelly shivered as desire flared. “The demon is so strong, he has difficulty believing other creatures are anything but weak and crawling. He assumes that me fulfilling the obligation to him would break me, or that the dragon will kill me to avenge Adrian. And so the demon is no longer paying attention to me.”

  Kelly craved his touch on her, but she made herself sit up and stave off her need. “Then we should call Amber. They’re on their way back to L.A. If they find you, I’m betting they’ll stake you before you can say a word.”

  Kelly rolled toward the phone, but Septimus had her pinned back on the mattress before she could reach it. “No, they won’t. I know where Adrian is. They’ll listen to me long enough for that information, at least.”

  His weight held Kelly down, Septimus’s taut body all kinds of good under his clothes. Septimus said, his blue eyes feral, “Today I drank the blood of an Immortal. It has made me stronger than I have ever been. I have the power to do anything I want.”

  “Then why are you here?” Kelly traced his lower lip. “I mean here, in my house? Why aren’t you out taking over Los Angeles?”

  “Because I wanted to be with you.”

  Kelly’s heart leapt. If only. But vampires were skilled seducers—he’d tell her exactly what she wanted to hear.

  “I wanted to share my power with you, Kelly,” Septimus said. “I’ve been watching you a long time. It’s not only been Adrian keeping you safe the last few years.”

  “You’ve been watching me?”

  The thought should terrify her. Kelly knew the addictive power of vampires and the danger of falling under their spells. But the thought of Septimus standing in the shadows while she was
unaware, his blue gaze hungry on her body, made her want to squirm with excitement. He eased his hand into her blouse, touching the lace of her bra.

  “For some time now, I’ve been pretending you were mine,” he said.

  “Why?”

  Septimus smiled, a sinful smile that made his eyes glow blue. “Why do you think?” He feathered kisses across her jaw and down to her neck. “Why do you think I waited until you were ready to accept me? Until you healed from what that oaf of a vampire did to you? It felt so good to kill him.”

  “I don’t know,” Kelly said, uncertain of what came out of her mouth.

  Septimus laughed softly, then came the tiny prick of teeth in her skin. “I fell in love with you, Kelly O’Byrne. My Irish rose.”

  Her body arched as his mouth close over her neck, suckling her blood into him. She wrapped her long legs around him, lifting herself to rub against him while he drank of her.

  “But I can’t love you back,” she said sadly. “I don’t love vampires; I have an addiction to them.”

  Septimus lifted his head, gently brushing his finger over the wound to close it. Kelly felt warm and slightly dizzy, hungry for sex.

  “You don’t. You walked away without help.”

  “Because I’m strong-willed and arrogant. You have to be, to survive in Hollywood.”

  Septimus traced her cheek. “You are strong, as powerful in your own way as I am in mine. You and I will take the world by storm.”

  “You’re an evil, bloodsucking, death-magic fiend,” Kelly said. Then she laughed. “Which puts you several steps above a few producers I’ve worked with.”

  Septimus didn’t smile. “I’m a patient man. I’m an Old One, and I survived by learning patience. I will move as slowly as you like.”

  Kelly clutched his shoulders. “I don’t want you to be slow. I want you to make love to me—fast and hard—right now.”

  “I feel that. We’ll go slow anyway.”