Blood Torn

by Karice Bolton

  Christy’s blonde hair was cut into a short bob, which worked perfectly for her dainty features and figure. Most people wouldn’t guess she was a cop for a living, all four-foot-ten of her if I were being generous.

  She was half-pixie and usually full of more fire than the two sprites in my back yard, but today, she just looked exhausted.

  “Thanks for that. Do you have any coffee?” She wiped away what had remained of her mascara and smiled wider.

  Glinda slowly woke up and let out a yip to belatedly announce Christy’s arrival.

  I chuckled. “No, but I can make some.”

  She followed me inside and shut the door behind us. “That’d be great. You’re such a lifesaver. I knew if I went home, I didn’t have any coffee, and the thought of stopping by the grocery store wasn’t appealing.”

  Christy had gone to school with my sister and me. We’d grown really close over the years, and once she became a cop for our area, we’d grown even closer. She’d often stop in at Grammy’s for advice and remedies, and if I were in town, we’d hang out a bit in the evenings.

  Since I worked at the Bureau of Magical Affairs, she always hoped I’d bring home a lot of gossip. Truth be told, even though the Bureau oversaw all magical realms, it was still your typical bureaucratic job.

  “Rough night?” I asked, pouring the ground coffee into the filter.

  “To say the least.” She sat down at the tiny table and rubbed her temples. “I just don’t understand some people.”

  I laughed. “You’re ahead of me. I don’t understand most people, my sister included.”

  Christy laughed and nodded. “We had another one try to lure a vampire into turning her.”

  I spun around. “Seriously? That’s awful.”

  “She almost didn’t make it. I’m not sure she’s out of the woods yet. She lost a lot of blood.”

  “Wow. That’s horrific.” I took a seat across from her. “You’ve got such a tough job. You see so much. I don’t know how you can do it and still keep a smile on your face.”

  Her smile only grew. “That’s easy. I might see the worst, but I also see the best.”

  “How could you see good in a situation like last night?”

  “The one who called me for help was Carter.”

  I smiled and shook my head. “Should that name tell me something?”

  Christy’s brows raised. “Carter Voss.”

  I shook my head again without a clue, but I liked his name.

  She smiled. “The number-two vampire in the country? Possibly the world? How in the world could you work at the Bureau and be so oblivious?”

  I shrugged. “So, you’re applauding a vampire for not eating her?”

  Christy scoffed. “They’re not cannibals. They don’t eat other humans.”

  “They wouldn’t qualify as cannibals. They’re not human. But on a side note, I think drinking blood is close enough to be considered cannibalistic.”

  Christy’s brows shot up in surprise. “Yes, they are. They’re totally humans. They just . . .”

  “Just what? Live forever? Can’t be crushed? Have powers? Drink blood to survive?”

  “You have powers,” she said flatly.

  I shrugged. “Hardly the same thing.”

  Christy pursed her lips together. “All I’m saying is that he could have let her die. He didn’t.”

  “That’s really stretching it for a silver lining. If he didn’t exist in the first place, the girl wouldn’t have tried to become one.”

  Christy scrunched her brows together. “After centuries of their living in hiding, I’m just glad we know what we’re dealing with. They’re out in the open. They stick to their code.”

  “For the most part.” I shivered. “Thinking about last night.”

  “What?”

  “Last night, my sister almost got herself killed.” I rolled my eyes. “Or turned. Or . . . I don’t even know.”

  Christy frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, she wanted to go out and dragged me to that old bar at the base of the mountain. Everything was fine until . . . it wasn’t. The vampires surrounded her.”

  “What about you?”

  I shrugged. “I only had one to deal with.”

  A few seconds of silence sat between of us before I leaned over the table. “Sometimes, I wonder if my sister is one of those, you know . . .”

  “Who wants to be changed?” she whispered.

  I nodded, feeling sadness drift through me. It wasn’t something I liked to think about, but hearing about Christy’s call last night confirmed that it was still a widespread problem. Sometimes, it seemed like my sister and I had somehow been cruelly switched in the personality department. She loved everything to do with magic, and I barely tolerated it. She wanted to work for the Bureau, and I couldn’t wait to get out.

  I stood and got a cup of coffee for Christy.

  “Were they locals?” Christy prompted.

  “The local squad was there, but I don’t think they intended any harm. There were some I didn’t recognize, and my sister was flirting with them endlessly before it took a turn.”

  Christy nodded and took a sip of coffee.

  “What made them stop?” she asked.

  “Some guy came in. I guess he was their leader or something. Who knows how it works with those things?”

  “Things?” Christy laughed. “Tell me how you really feel about vampires.”

  I grinned. “I think I just did.”

  She looked amused. “What did this leader look like?”

  I’d been trying to push him out of my head for the last fourteen hours, but he kept creeping back in and now I was supposed to describe him?

  Ugh.

  His good looks just came rushing back into mind . . . and that feeling.

  A shiver ran up my spine as I remembered the pure intensity that rolled off him, but it wasn’t because I was afraid. I was . . .

  Fascinated?

  I blanked out my expression. “He was attractive. Not much else to tell.””

  Christy chuckled. “Aren’t they all? There has to be some sort of feature that stuck out.”

  “You’re right. No, this was different. He was different. He had almost lavender eyes, not silver like all the others.”

  Christy attempted to hide a smile.

  I scowled. “What?”

  She waved her hands in the air. “Nothing. Go on.”

  “He had dark hair, chiseled features, and just this energy about him like—”

  “Like he owned the world?”

  I smiled. “Yes, only cockier.”

  “Sounds like you just met Carter Voss. The guy I was telling you about.”

  Carter Voss.

  Even his name sounded sexy.

  “You mean the vampire you were telling me about?”

  Christy smiled. “He is a man, Ivy.”

  My eyes widened. “Have you been with him?”

  Christy chuckled and rolled her eyes. “No way. He’s like a brother to me.”

  “You and I have been friends since we were kids, and I’m just now finding out about some long, lost like-a-brother vampire friend?”

  Just the thought made me get up and get some coffee too.

  “It’s complicated,” she said between sips of coffee. “He probably never came up in conversation because he didn’t live around here.”

  “So, how’d you meet him?” I asked, suddenly intrigued at how my straight and narrow cop friend was suddenly besties with a vampire.

  “An old family friend. We’d visit him in Seattle. He has a place up here.”

  “For what?” I pressed.

  “Umm . . . a vacation home, I suppose.” She grinned. “But why does it matter? You don’t like vampires anyway.”

  “You’re right. I don’t.” I pressed my lips together. “And I’m not about to daydream about some leader of the vampires just because he happens to be a little sexy.”

  She wiggled her brows. “
It’s okay if you did, though.”

  I rolled my eyes. “This conversation is so much fun, but I should probably get ready to drive my sister back to Seattle.”

  “Oh, actually. I know someone who’s headed that way. You want me to see if they can give her a ride?”

  That offer perked me right up. “Really?”

  “Absolutely.”

  I let out a happy sigh. “I have to confess that would be nice.”

  “I’m on it.” She winked at me as she tugged her cellphone out of her pocket and dialed her friend. “Hey, Carter. You still headed to Seattle?”

  Chapter Four

  Carter

  I didn’t usually spend my time chauffeuring strangers from one town to the next, but the moment Christy called and uttered the woman’s name, I couldn’t help myself. Even though I would be giving Ivy’s sister the ride, it just might give me the excuse to see Ivy again.

  And for some reason, she was the only one of the two I cared about seeing.

  I wasn’t even planning on heading to Seattle until tomorrow, but the words just tumbled out.

  “Sure, no problem,” I mumbled with the awkward ease of a high school jock picking up his prom date.

  And now I was standing in the entryway of an old, turn of the century mansion, complete with a royal blue porch swing and a doormat with a sheltie printed on it. I rocked back on my heels as I pushed the doorbell and instinctively knew I shouldn’t be here.

  The moment she swung open the door, I sucked in a deep breath even though I no longer needed air to breathe.

  Her auburn hair flowed past her shoulders over a buttoned sundress, and her pale eyes stayed on mine a beat too long before she blushed.

  Something vampires didn’t do.

  Ivy quickly touched a locket around her neck as if it would provide her some protection. Her fingers were so delicate. Everything about her was enticing.

  Ivy soured as she stared at me and eventually crossed her arms over her chest. I did my best not to look amused.

  As I studied her, I wondered why it felt like lifetimes had passed between us. If I’d seen her before, I would have remembered, and she was mortal.

  “Geez, Ivy,” Christy shouted from behind. “Aren’t you going to let the poor soul inside?”

  Ivy soured even more before turning to Christy.

  “Fine. Come in and make yourself at home. My sister should be ready in a sec.” Ivy didn’t even bother looking over her shoulder to make her point, but Christy stifled a laugh and shrugged at me.

  “And they don’t have souls.” Ivy whispered to Christy.

  “She seems pleasant enough,” I muttered to myself as I looked around Ivy’s home.

  It wasn’t quite like I’d expected, maybe a little matronly with a zeal for wallpaper.

  I noticed several shelves of plants tucked near the living room window and a couple of afghans had been draped over the bright blue sofa.

  Ivy must love blue.

  Christy and Ivy had disappeared into the kitchen as I stood alone in the living room, which was probably better for us all.

  Merely seeing Ivy again made my world spin. She still didn’t like me, which was clear as day.

  But she wasn’t afraid.

  And she should be.

  Being only feet away from her made my entire core thrum with desire, the pull only getting stronger as I stayed under the same roof.

  How long was her sister going to be?

  Christy and Ivy returned to the living room, but it only looked like one of them wanted to be here, and it wasn’t Ivy.

  “Did you get home from the storm okay?” I asked as Christy’s grin only widened while we waited for Ivy’s reply.

  She snickered. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

  Christy laughed. “Yikes.”

  I cocked my head slightly at Ivy and smiled. “Shouldn’t you be nicer to the man who’s about to drive your sister to Seattle?”

  Her brows shot up in surprise.

  “Man?” She placed both hands on her hips.

  She delighted me in ways I didn’t know possible.

  “Is that really the point of the statement you wanted to focus on?”

  Ivy’s sister thumped down the steps and landed at the base of the stairs in an instant. “Sorry for being late. I hope I’m not causing any issues for you.”

  I glanced at Violet, who looked exactly like Ivy, but she was missing everything that made Ivy . . . Ivy.

  But I recognized her type immediately.

  Far too eager to know a male vampire, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d dabbled in the Nightfall Realm.

  “No. I have nothing planned for the day other than the drive,” I assured her, but I couldn’t take my gaze off Ivy. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was having difficulty focusing.

  Her breathing turned more rapid, and I noticed one of the small buttons on her dress giving way with each breath as I looked at her.

  I knew it wasn’t fear racing through her, so what was it?

  “I see my sister has warmed up to you about as well as any other vampire.” Violet smiled and took a step toward her sister. “She’s very grateful for your giving me a ride. I can sense it.”

  I laughed and nodded. “Good to know.”

  A slight upward bend of Ivy’s lips made me feel like the luckiest man in the world. She just might be about to crack a smile.

  “I do appreciate your driving my sister down to Seattle.” She pressed her lips together and glanced at Christy. “And if it had been anyone else other than Christy who’d offered your help, I wouldn’t have accepted.”

  She might be saying those words, but I wasn’t sure that she believed them. Of course, she knew Christy would never put anyone in danger, but part of me wanted to believe that she’d wanted to see me again too.

  Ivy’s eyes connected with mine. “I have a lot of sorting and organizing ahead of me, so any hours I don’t spend on the road are valuable.”

  I glanced around the living room. “Your home is very special.”

  For the first time since seeing her, warmth spread through Ivy. “Thank you. I grew up here, and our Grammy left it for us.”

  My chest ached instantly. Just because I was a vampire didn’t mean I didn’t understand loss.

  I was once human.

  But I wasn’t sure Ivy would care to remember that fact about me.

  I shook my head. “I’m so sorry.”

  Ivy’s eyes glistened, and she quickly looked away. “No, it’s fine. I just have a lot of stuff to do.”

  “It’s not fine. It’s okay not to be fine.” I worried that I’d said too much.

  Humans never wanted to think of us as beings with emotion. They’d wall us off as some sort of monster and move on with their lives.

  Ivy’s gaze met mine and she nodded. “Well, thank you again.”

  She gave her sister a quick hug and wandered back to the kitchen, leaving Christy and Violet with me.

  Christy smiled. “She’s not usually that cold.”

  I laughed. “I thought she was warm and lovely.”

  Violet chuckled and nodded. “Honestly, she’s not always so . . .”

  I offered my two cents. “Hostile?”

  “Precisely.” Christy winked. “But I think there’s something more.”

  Violet laughed. “Like beyond the fact that my sister hates vampires and anything to do with the Nightfall Realm?”

  “Hate is a strong word.” I grinned, knowing it probably wasn’t strong enough in Ivy’s mind. “Well, should we get going?”

  Violet slapped her forehead. “Just one more thing I have to grab upstairs. Sorry.”

  “No problem.”

  As we turned toward the door and Violet ran upstairs, I heard a loud crash and worry darted through me.

  In an instant, I was in the kitchen.

  My gaze landed on blue glass shattered all over the kitchen floor as two sprites fluttered over Ivy’s head, busily assessing the situation.r />
  “If you hadn’t been so pushy about the vampire,” one of the sprites hissed at the other.

  I cleared my throat and all three brought their eyes to me. “Everything okay, Ivy?”

  The two sprites fluttered and spun in circles, colliding into one another before Ivy put her hand out to catch them.

  Both sprites turned away to give me the cold shoulder as Ivy shrugged and opened her hand to let them fly out the back door. Her sheltie ran out the door chasing the sprites, and had Ivy not been standing in the middle of broken glass, I might have laughed at the unfolding scene.

  Ivy nodded. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”

  “I see it’s not just you who hates my kind.” I licked my lips slowly and saw Ivy’s gaze follow along. My core tightened with need as I thought about kissing her.

  What was it about her?

  I was now second in command with everything I’d ever dreamed of merely a fingertip away because I ignored distractions. Yet, Ivy would have me wishing it all away for one night with her.

  “Lydia and Gary are cautious.” Ivy shrugged and bent down to pick up a large shard of blue glass.

  “Can I help?” I asked, taking a step forward.

  Ivy shook her head. “I’ve got it. I’m just so mad at myself. This was my grandma’s favorite fruit bowl. Lydia and Greg came in, and I didn’t know they were there, and the next thing I knew . . .” She looked down at the broken pieces.

  “Already on edge because I’m in your house?” I asked, never actually getting the feeling that she was scared of me, but if two sprites scared her, maybe I was wrong.

  “I’m not much for company of any kind.” Ivy stood and walked the piece of glass to the trash and tossed it in.

  The kitchen began to feel smaller and smaller as I watched Ivy pick up the glass before grabbing a broom. Her beauty and grace were mesmerizing.

  It wasn’t until Christy came in behind us that I turned away.

  And then it happened.

  Ivy hissed.

  A prick of blood.

  The scent became overwhelming, permeating every ounce of air surrounding me. I closed my eyes and absorbed the fragrance and imagined Ivy in my arms.

  I flicked my eyes open to see Ivy rushing to the sink with Christy right next to her.

  I searched the counter for paper towels and darted over to help. The moment I stood next to Ivy, my body warmed with desire. The longing wasn’t about the crimson flowing from her fingertip.