From Ashes and Embers (Ceasefire Series Book 3)

by Claire Marta

  “I need to speak to someone. Try to avoid arseholes like that and stay here. I’ll just be a minute,” Rosella informs me before winding her way through the crowd to the other end of the room in the opposite direction.

  Returning to the drink, my mind wanders. My time to roam freely is coming to an end. After my mission is complete, these memories will be all I’ll remember of the independence I’ve held. I barely recall when my life was my own.

  “This is where you’ll be sleeping.” Tall imposing, the graceful lithe red-headed woman gestures into the dimly lit grotto. Her tone lacks sympathy or kindness.

  Shivering with the chill in the air, I peer into the space. Cramped, dark, with a spindly wood frame, the mattress of my bed is lumpy and uncomfortable. Clutching my few meager possessions to my chest, tears blur my eyes. Long and narrow, my windowless chamber barely has enough room to move. I want to go home but know that’s impossible. Everything and everyone I love is gone. My parent’s dead. Murdered.

  I’ve found myself in a nightmare. A wasteland of mist and silence with strict, unfriendly strangers.

  “No more tears, Jane,” she scolds with disgust, her gossamer sheer skirts twirling round her ankles. “It’s a sign of weakness I will not tolerate. We will raise you as your great-grandfather has ordained, and you will obey our rules.”

  My stomach had lurched with the thought of the man I’d never met. The one who’s the only family I have left. “When will I meet him?”

  Arianna’s aloof expression had not shown one ounce of pity. “You won’t.”

  It had taken a very long time to make it a semblance of something liveable. The strip of carpet I’d scavenged had scarcely fit beneath the bed. My beloved books had been stacked in a corner. It’s one of the reasons I’d been so grateful to be sent out to work. Living as a nanny, I’ve always been given my own quarters. Conditions far more superior to the ones I’d been forced to grow up in from the age of eight.

  I don’t want to remember.

  Not tonight.

  Examining the length of the long, large room, I admire the simple rustic décor, pushing my melancholy aside. Furs hang as decorations. Speakers have been positioned in several corners, providing music set up from a CD player behind the bar. Some people sit drinking at the tables, while others continue to engage in sex play or dance. Spying a huge tank of clear blue water making up a wall, I watch fascinated and appalled as an immense tentacled creature inside curls around a naked woman’s legs. Shimmying, twisting, she swims like a fish from end to end, bubbles streaming from her nose. Propelling itself through the water, the monstrous octopus mimics her movements, chasing her in a strange aquatic dance. The thought of its rubbery appendages touching her bare skin has my stomach turning. If it’s there for entertainment, it’s not my thing.

  “Jane.” Hearing Rosella’s call, I tear my gaze from the disturbing scene.

  Sliding off my stool, I bump my way through the throng in the direction of the sound. I find the demoness sitting in the lap of a large dangerous looking male. One leg folded over the other, she dangles her high heels, a flirty look gracing her exotic features.

  His shrewd, unnaturally blue eyes dip over me from head to toe in a way that makes my skin itch with danger. Nose bent, it looks like it’s been broken several times. Chest a block of muscle, the shirt he’s wearing can barely contain his bulky frame.

  “She’s pretty. We’ll take her.” A bundle of notes in his beefy hand he holds it out to her.

  Blinking in confusion, I glance between them warily. “Rosella, what’s going on?”

  The façade of friendliness she’s been projecting all these weeks drops away to reveal hostility. “Sorry, Jane. I really do like you, but this is business, and frankly I’ve had all I can take of your pathetic sweetness.”

  Mouth hanging open, I watch her accept the wad of cash before sliding to her feet. Did she just sell me? Bitterness rises like bile in my throat at my naivety. I should have known better, yet a yearning for understanding and friendship left me vulnerable.

  Tossing her mane of auburn locks, she saunters confidently for the exit.

  “Not so fast, sweet thing.”

  A hand grasps my forearm, preventing me from storming after her.

  “Don’t touch me,” I hiss, wrenching free of the male’s proprietorial hold. “I don’t care how much you gave her, I’m not a commodity to be bought and sold.”

  Leering lips stretching wide, he exposes a pair of gleaming ebony fangs. “You are now. I heard Fae have extraordinary singing voices.”

  “If you think I’m doing anything for you, think again.” Fingers twitching to coil round the hilt of one of my rapier sharp hair pins, a quick look picks out more of his kind. I haven’t dealt with vampires before. I’ve heard they’re fast and strong, but that doesn’t mean they can’t die. Even so, there’s too many, even for me. Making a scene now will only have more breathing down my neck.

  Sighing mentally, I force myself to relax. I’m going to have to wait. This place must have a back door. If I can get a moment alone, I can sneak out.

  “Then we’ll have to find another use for you.” Roughly the vamp jerks my coat from my shoulders, baring the pretty modest dress I’d chosen to wear to his greedy hungry gaze. “She’s got a good body. Nice pair of tits. Stick her up front as one of the girls,” he tells the others crowding round us.

  “Touch me and you’ll be gagging on your own fist.” I want nothing more than to shove my hair pin right through his eye. Wipe the smug self-centered expression from his ugly face.

  Feathering a fingertip along my arm, he chuckles when I flinch. “She’s feisty. We paid for you, and now you’re ours. If we feel like it, we’ll have every damn male in the place fuck you for free, as it’s your first night. So, shut your pretty mouth and move your tush.”

  “You really don’t want to do this,” I warn.

  The vampire laughs, shoving me toward the rear of the room where the rest of the women are lined up and waiting. “It’s already done, sweetheart.”

  Chapter Seven

  Raziel

  Striding in past the doors, I glance around Titianna’s. It’s the best titty bar in all seven realms of Hell. Talk is fast, and the drink is cheap. And if you have enough cash, the women will do just about anything you request. I’m looking for a female to make scream, and I don’t mean in a good way. Pain is truth. I enjoy dishing it out even to the whores I fuck. Then if I have time, I’ll indulge in some gambling. A poker game or a bet on a slave in a pit fight.

  “Hey baby, you here for a lap dance tonight?” A blonde asks as she struts toward me, gorgeous big breasts bared, her only covering a tiny gold thong.

  I give her a grin. “You got that right, Bailey.”

  Let the good times roll. It’s time to forget about the fairy and have some fun. Sink my dick into a willing woman and fuck her out of my system. Blowing off some steam is just what I need.

  Pussy and sex, the smells are heavy in the air.

  Last time I’d been here, I’d picked up a white-haired Fury by the name of Breanna. She’d fucked like a pro. It had been one long satisfying night. It’s hard to forget. Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll run into her again tonight.

  Couples are having sex on tables. In another corner, there’s an orgy in full swing with females having their every hole filled by multiple partners. Behind them one of the walls is made from an immense glass tank. A new attraction. Long black hair plastered to her face, the naked girl in the water or what I can see of her is twisting in pleasure or pain, limbs jerking. It’s hard to see with the giant red Octopus in the way. I don’t even want to think about what it’s doing to her with its tentacles. Kink is something I embrace, but some things are just downright nasty. Titianna’s encompasses them all, attracting those into depravity and perversions.

  The edgy atmosphere hits me as I slip onto a stool by the bar.

  Titianna’s normal laid-back vibe is missing. Everyone is tense, from the girls to
the customers. I admit I haven’t been here for a while, but something is off.

  Tracking my gaze across the room, I see some unfamiliar faces. Vampires. I know them on sight. After so many centuries dealing with their breed, it’s easy to pick them out. More than a dozen. Big, broad the males look like trouble, even dressed up in their swanky black suits.

  I note the badly concealed guns and knives. Blades are something I like. The norm here along with other solid hand weapons. Guns. Not so much. Usually vampires don’t bring them into Hell. They stick to that shit when they’re on Earth as bullets are hard to come by here. Humans are always finding new ways to destroy themselves. Personally, I still enjoy an axe or a blade. Something more primal about slashing your opponent to pieces.

  It begs the question; why are these arseholes packing heat? Mercenaries. They look large and mean enough. The place has a steady flow of their type and more, but no one’s ever taken over. Guess these bloodsuckers are thinking big.

  Motioning to the bartender, I catch the blonde’s eye.

  “Same as always?”

  “Yeah.”

  Collecting a clean glass from beneath the bar, she snatches a bottle of Jack from the shelves behind her.

  Watching her pour the amber liquid generously, I slip a note onto the bar. “Who are these jokers?”

  She doesn’t bother to glance up, but from the tremor in her hand at my question, I know she knows who I’m talking about.

  “New management,” she murmurs with a thinly disguised hint of fear.

  “I thought Ginger was in charge.”

  “They muscled in with threats and more than a show of violence. She didn’t have any choice but to let them take over. They’ve been running the place for a few weeks now but using her as a figure head.”

  My mood sours.

  Titianna’s is my favorite place. Seeing the girls shaken up by some vampires, who think they have big balls, pisses me off. It’s not my problem though. I’m just here to get laid.

  Downing the whisky, I enjoy the burn as it pours down my throat, hitting my stomach in a blaze. Gesturing for another, I swivel to check out the half-naked females lined up at the end of the room. I’m not picky tonight. All I want is soft feminine curves and hot tight willing holes to slake my carnal needs. Whoever I choose, I’ll leave my mark. Voice hoarse from her screams after I’m done with her for a few hours, she’ll also be wearing my bruises. I’ve never been a gentle lover. It’s not my way. I work hard and fuck hard. That’s how I play.

  A few vampires are already up and stalking around the woman looking for a partner. A flash of bright color grabs my attention. As one of the males shifts to his left, I see a swath of multi-colored hair.

  Tinkerbell.

  What the hell is she doing somewhere like here?

  I don’t move a muscle as I watch things play out, knowing eyes are on me. They’re eyeing her up like a piece of meat. Correction: their next meal. Lifting my glass, I take a long slow sip. Tink doesn’t want their attention or their advances. That’s clear from her body posture. One of the vamps leans in to whisper something in her ear. Golden eyes narrowing, her hand flies up so fast to strike his face it catches him by surprise. Raising her chin, she glares back at the bloodsucker aggressively. This is a side to the Fae I haven’t seen before. It sparks interest in the change. Maybe under all that sweetness and politeness hides a spitfire.

  Throwing his friends a look, the vampire laughs. More words are exchanged, but I can’t hear them over the pounding of the music through the speakers. He takes a hold of her arm before she can escape. Tink tries to yank it free, but it’s useless. She’s no match for his kind. Observing the guy dragging her down the corridor, I don’t flinch or try to follow.

  She’s a complication I don’t want or need. If she was stupid enough to walk into this place alone, then she deserves whatever she gets. The path to getting myself laid begins with four words. Not my fucking problem. My body disagrees, cock hard as steel since I caught sight of her. An image of Tink moaning in pleasure as the male covers her body with his flashes through my head. Her gasp as he slides into her tight, wet pussy. Pain stabs through my palm as the glass I’m holding shatters in my grip. Jealousy is something I don’t feel, so why am I now experiencing it over this little two-legged piece of trouble? I don’t get attached for a reason. A memory worms its way up into my thoughts.

  Sixteen years old and I slip from the bed and the arms of a giggling female. One of the Devil’s demon whores. My first taste of a welcoming woman, and I revelled in the act. Clumsy, eager, I didn’t embarrass myself as I feared. I’m half in love with her. Not only did I give her my untried body but also a tiny piece of my heart. Gathering my clothes, I dress quickly.

  “Well?” Lucifer’s voice catches me as I move from the bedroom doorway, closing it behind me with a soft click. Perched on the edge of a desk by the window, his concentration on me intent. His quietness ominous.

  “I can finally see what all the fuss is about, and why you enjoy sex,” I reply with a smugness I can’t keep to myself. “She enjoyed it as much as I did.”

  “Good. Now take your knife and go back in there and end her life.”

  My gaze drops to the weapon on the desk beside him “What?”

  “It’s not a request boy. It’s a command.” His voice is low and vibrating with authority. “You’ve grown strong and unscrupulous. You’re shameless when it comes to torture and murder, but none of them have you had an attachment to. This female is your first. She took your virginity. You gave her a part of yourself, and now you will kill her.”

  I stand frozen in shock, the echoes of pleasure I’ve just experienced ebbing into coldness that encases my young body.

  “Cement your place at my side. Do this, and your position is assured. Refuse and you will be thrown out of my court to fend for yourself in a cold and unfriendly world.”

  A test.

  He’ll carry out his threat, if I fail. I’ve seen how merciless he is. He’d throw me to the monsters without batting an eyelid.

  Scooping the knife off the table, he holds it out to me in a steady determined hand.

  Hardening my heart, I take the hilt he offers. My loyalty to him is absolute. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. I’ve made an impression in his ranks. Proven myself through bloodshed and death. Killed those who’d have slaughtered me to impress their master. Squaring my shoulders, I embrace the hollowness that comes just before a kill. A remoteness that silences any whisper of right or wrong. My conscience hushed. Carefully I tuck the knife into my belt, its cold surface flat against my spine where it’s concealed.

  Moving toward the bedroom door, I don’t say a word. The female lays sprawled naked on the opulent bed where I left her as I enter. Red mane spread over the pillows, it reminds me of the loveliness of autumn leaves.

  “Back for more already?” she purrs, her stunning face lighting up with delight.

  I mirror her smile, although I know it doesn’t reach my eyes. Crawling onto the mattress, I cover her naked body with my own and bring my lips to hers in a gentle kiss. She’s keen for more of me. Fingers sliding up my arms to my hair, she entwines them in my locks to keep me in place. I allow myself a brief second of pleasure. Memorizing the contour of her mouth. How she feels beneath me. Silken limbs, pliant, warm, trusting. Her dark eyelashes flutter against her cheeks, her eyes closed, and that’s when I strike. Without a thought, I bring the knife up and plunge it downward. The blade cleaves easily through her chest. Warmth engulfs my hand, running down to heat my abs and trousers. Following the trail of red, I realize then it’s her blood I can feel. Crimson paints her skin as well as mine. She barely even struggles. My aim is deep and true. Straight through her demon heart, it takes less than a few seconds for it to stop beating.

  Her mouth slackens in death. Eyes open and glazed, the pretty green I’d loved so much dulls with the lack of life. Another sin on my soul. It’s already blemished with immortality. Polluted beyond repa
ir.

  A scream abruptly echoes down the hallway so high and piercing it shatters the other glasses around the room, snapping me from the recollection.

  Tink.

  How I know I’m not sure. I’m off the stool, my legs moving before I can think. Anger pulses in every single cell in my body. This is going against my better judgement, but something inside me won’t let me sit idly by. Wide eyed and innocent, Jane doesn’t stand a chance against vamps like these. They’d toy with her; fuck and feed, then leave what’s left of her in a shallow grave. Striding down the corridor where they keep the rooms you pay to use for sex, I let my senses guide me to the door at the end.

  Without bothering to knock, I barge right in. The fucker has her bent backward over the arm of a sofa. Hand raking across his shoulder, her other is stabbing a hair pin repeatedly into his side. I can see her desperation as she tries to fight him off.

  Her pretty dress is gaping open. The buttons up the front ripped open and scattered carelessly all over the floor. I scent the smell of blood. He’s fangs deep in her delicate neck, feeding.

  A whine of pain escapes Tink’s throat. My dick pulsates in response.

  “Get off her, you son of a bitch.” It’s a warning bark. As much as I’d like to remove him myself, I don’t want her damaged any more than she is.

  The fingers gripping her jaw tighten. Raising his head, he throws me a glare over his shoulder, lips stained red with the fairy’s blood.

  “Go find your own slut!”

  I’m on him so quickly not even his vampiric reflexes can save him. Unsheathing the dagger hidden at my hip, I throw him hard up against the wall. He hisses, fangs bared. Without hesitation, my hand snaps around his neck. With one forceful thrust, I send my blade straight through his heart.

  Surprise etches over his expression five seconds before he explodes into a pile of dust.