Wild Thing: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (Blueblood Vampires Book 2)

by Michelle Hercules

  “No!” The word escapes from my lips in a desperate plea.

  With his eyes now completely black again, Ashmedai throws his head back and laughs. The sound is as unpleasant as nails scratching a blackboard. It makes me want to crawl out of my skin and die. No. I won’t let these soiled, dark thoughts spread like a disease in my mind. He might have destroyed the grimoire, but he hasn’t destroyed my will to survive.

  Roaring as loud as I can, I transmute every ounce of power I have left in me into a ball of lightning. It shoots from my outstretched hand, hitting him straight in his chest. A huge burst of light follows, combined with Ashmedai’s scream. But when the light fades, he’s still standing in one piece, more enraged than before. As for me, my vision is speckled with black dots and my muscles are on the verge of giving out on me. I’m completely depleted.

  “You’ll pay for this, witch.” The demon takes a step forward, but the sharp point of Saxon’s katana pierces his thorax from behind.

  “No, you’ll pay for hurting my mate,” he snarls.

  The katana’s tip disappears, leaving a growing stain in its place. Ashmedai laughs again, staring at the wound. “Do you think you can kill me, bloodsucker? I’m a fuck—”

  He’s unable to finish his tirade. Saxon’s katana slashes through his neck as if it were made out of butter, severing his head in a precise cut.

  Holy shit!

  In the blink of an eye, Saxon is crouching next to me with his arm wrapped around my shoulder. “My love, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

  His hand is shaking when he cups my face and looks into my eyes. “I’m so sorry. I got here as fast as I could.”

  “Don’t apologize. All that matters is that you got here.”

  “I love you so much. I don’t know what I’d have done if I had been too late.”

  My heart swells with emotion, and I’d like nothing more than to bask in the feeling, but the atmosphere changes around us. The cold wind picks up in speed, bringing a foul stench with it. We both turn to the headless body just in time to see a thick, dark smoke emerge from it. Ashmedai.

  “Damn it. He’s not dead?” Saxon asks.

  “No. I don’t think demons can be killed the same way vampires can. Come on, Sax. We need to get out of here.”

  He stands, pulling me with him. But the smoke is massive and quickly coming our way. Shit. What if it possesses one of us? Shouts in the distance halt its progress. It hovers close to us like an angry storm cloud. That is, if storm clouds felt as evil as the thing in front of us.

  “This isn’t over,” the smoke says before zapping in the opposite direction of the small group approaching.

  I let out a relieved sigh, melting into Saxon’s body. I’m only standing upright because he’s holding me. The small group coming near us is not who I’d expect to see coming to the rescue. The two warlocks from Ivern, Ryker and Declan, Solomon, Miranda, Rikkon, and my mother.

  “What the hell happened?” Ryker is the first to ask, eyeballing the carnage.

  “Elena got her hands on the first grimoire and summoned a demon called Ashmedai with it.”

  Ryker and Declan curse out loud and trade a troubled look.

  Solomon walks over to the witch’s corpse and whistles. “I guess she didn’t get what she thought she would.”

  “The demon killed her soon after he possessed Calvin’s body.”

  “And who had the brilliant idea of trying to kill a demon by decapitating the host?” My mother glares at Saxon.

  “That fucker was about to kill us both. I have no regrets,” he spits back.

  “Calvin was already dead when Ashmedai took control of his body,” I add.

  “The council will never believe you’re telling the truth,” she retorts. “Not after Calvin officially complained about you and your vampire lover.”

  “The spell for the demon’s summoning is proof of that,” I argue, immediately remembering that won’t help me. Damn it.

  “And where is the grimoire?” She searches the ground, wrinkling her nose as she scans past Elena’s body.

  “Ashmedai burned it.”

  She snorts. “How convenient.”

  “With all due respect, ma’am, we have bigger problems than your personal issues with your daughter’s relationship. An archdemon is on the loose. He can possess anyone,” Declan chimes in.

  “Anyone? Not only his sacrifice?” My voice comes out a little high-pitched, but who can blame me?

  “Summoned demons only possess the corpse of the person sacrificed for a short period of time while they gain strength.”

  “Son of a bitch. How do we stop it?” Saxon asks.

  “We have to figure out what the demon wants,” Ryker replies.

  “Elena has been worshipping him for decades. She claimed to be his bride. I know it’s not much, but maybe there are clues in her apartment,” I say.

  Ryker and Declan both stare at me with interest.

  “Actually, that’s a great place to start,” Ryker replies.

  “He wants the Taluah Mirror,” Rikkon says quietly. His eyes are a little glazed, almost as if he’s in a trance.

  “How do you know that?” the worst mother of the year asks.

  “Rikkon has visions. It’s how we knew where to find Aurora,” Miranda replies.

  The guy winces, pressing a closed fist against his forehead. “It’s happening again. I see the demon now. He’s found a new host.”

  With a jerky movement, he whips his head back, staring at us wide-eyed. “It’s Niko.”

  “No,” my mother mutters.

  My stomach bottoms out while my body turns into stone. I’m caught between wanting to cry and scream.

  “Are you sure, Rik?” Miranda pulls on his sleeve, forcing him to look at her.

  “Yeah.”

  Saxon squeezes my shoulder, his silent way to say he’s got me. “We’ll find him and save Niko.”

  “You’re no match for a demon,” Declan snorts. “This is warlock business now.”

  “Hell to the fucking no,” I shout. “My sister is in danger and you’re not going to keep me, or my mate, from getting her back.”

  “Aurora is right,” my mother says, surprising me. “You’re not doing this alone. Niko’s life is on the line, and I know very well you don’t care one ounce about killing a child in order to collect your big prize.”

  “You’ll only be a hindrance,” Ryker argues.

  “Oh shut up, you pompous dickwads,” Solomon butts in. “You’ve done nothing but sit on your asses and let Aurora fend for herself. Now quit bitching and use your magic for something useful like getting us to Conservatorium Hotel right the fucking now.”

  Miranda stares at me, mouth agape and eyes a little rounder. She has never had the full Solomon experience. Our shared moment only lasts a few seconds. Declan and Ryker immediately get to work. No one escapes unscathed from the headmaster’s tongue-lashing, not even uber powerful and immortal warlocks.

  40

  Saxon

  I land in the middle of the luxurious hotel lobby alone. Aurora was right next to me before we left, but now, she’s gone. My head is buzzing like there are hundreds of bees inside my skull. I’m beginning to hate warlock magic.

  “Saxon?” she calls from somewhere down the lobby.

  I run toward her, mindful to keep my speed down to human level. She turns the corner, almost crashing into me. Things in the clearing happened so fast, I didn’t have the chance to properly look at her. There’s a cut on her left forearm that stopped bleeding a while ago, but it fills my chest with anger aimed at those responsible and at myself. I should have sensed she was in danger sooner.

  My protective instinct dials up to the max. I pull her into my arms, squeezing her tight. “Where were you?”

  “Near the elevators.” She steps back, gazing up. “We can’t let the warlocks harm Niko, Sax.”

  “They won’t. I promise.”

  “There you two are.” Mi
randa walks over with Rikkon by her side.

  Aurora and I pull apart, but while her gaze is trained on her sister, I’m scrutinizing Vivienne’s brother. He seems different. It takes me a moment to realize what’s wrong. He no longer feels like a vampire.

  “Dude, your disguise is gone.”

  “Shit. You’re right,” Aurora murmurs.

  His forehead crinkles. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it. I’ve been having one vision after another. It’s been hard to keep track of my surroundings.”

  Miranda presses a hand to his back, a move that feels intimate. Ah, fucking hell. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him to stay away from Aurora’s sister.

  “It’s okay, Rik. I didn’t notice either,” she says, looking positively infatuated with Mr. Pretty Face.

  “And I forgot my potion.” Guilt makes him look like a lost puppy in need of rescue.

  Squinting, Aurora points at the duo. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but you’d better get Rikkon off the streets. I don’t have time to worry about his cover getting blown.”

  “What about Niko?” Miranda asks.

  “We’ll bring her back, Mir. I promise.”

  Looking dejected, Miranda hooks her arm with Rikkon’s and steers him toward the hotel’s exit.

  “Don’t worry about them, Rora. When this is all over, I’ll set Rikkon straight.”

  She shakes her head. “No, it isn’t fair. If there’s something going on between them, who says they can’t be together?”

  “Uh … the law. Is your sister even legal?”

  Yeah, I’m being protective. I can’t help it. I failed Kari; I won’t fail Aurora’s sisters. They’re my family now.

  A deep V marks her forehead while she watches me with narrowed eyes. But I don’t get to ask what she’s thinking. The asshole warlocks join us and get our full attention.

  “Where the hell were you? And why didn’t you take us all the way to Elena’s apartment?” Aurora yells at them.

  “There are strong wards that prevented us from entering,” Ryker retorts.

  “Where are Solomon and the High Witch?” I peer over their shoulders, but aside from us and the curious hotel night staff, the place is empty.

  “Right behind you,” Solomon replies in his trademark grumpy voice. “Somehow, Isadora and I wound up all the way in the hotel’s pool area. Go figure.” He watches the warlocks suspiciously.

  “What’s the plan? Head to the dead witch’s lair and wait for Ashmedai to come?” I ask.

  “If what the Nightingale prince said is true, we need the Taluah Mirror to lure the demon into a trap.”

  Fuck. Rikkon’s disguise has been gone for a while if the warlocks know what he is. If he’s compromised, so is Vivienne. Lucca won’t be happy about that.

  “That’s the most moronic idea I’ve heard tonight. Just set the trap in the mirror’s current location. The demon knows it’s in Elena’s apartment. If you move it, he’ll be expecting a trap,” Solomon pipes up.

  Damn. Solomon is fun to hang out with when he’s doling out insults to other people instead of me.

  “We’re wasting time here, and I’m not convinced it wasn’t on purpose,” the High Witch snaps, watching the two warlocks like a hawk.

  Yeah, I’m beginning to believe we might not have the same end goal here. Solomon and the High Witch head for the elevator. I let the duo follow close behind them, while I hold Aurora back.

  “We need to keep an eye on those two,” I tell her.

  “Agreed. Their purpose in life is to hunt down demons. They won’t hesitate to kill Niko if it means catching Ashmedai.”

  “We need a plan in case they go rogue on us.”

  “Each warlock carries an athame powered by a special jeweled stone that grants them the ability to kill demons or send them back to hell. If they try to kill Niko to get to Ashmedai, I need that weapon.”

  I nod. “You got it, babe.” Aurora’s eyes narrow, and quickly, I realize my error. “Sorry, I forgot.”

  “Come on. They’ll leave without us.”

  “Let them. We’ll take the stairs. It’s faster.”

  “For you maybe, but—”

  “Jump on, love. I’ll get us there in the blink of an eye.”

  She grimaces but does as I ask. Even though we’re in the middle of a crisis, the feel of her body pressed against my back awakens the beast. My cock twitches in my pants, proving that it definitely operates apart from my brain.

  “Ready?” I ask in a voice tight with need.

  “Yeah. If you drop me, you’re dead.”

  “Woman, I take serious offense to what you just said.” Before I take off, I glance at the rest of our party about to enter the elevator. “See you up there.”

  I don’t run as fast as I can, afraid that Aurora might get sick. We make it to the top floor faster than any elevator could, though. I’m about to push the door to the hallway open when Aurora pinches my shoulders.

  “Sax, wait. Can’t you feel it?”

  “Feel what?”

  “This awful sensation that something terribly evil awaits us on the other side of this door.”

  I let her down, and with the loss of the contact between our bodies, it makes it easier for me to home in my senses on our surroundings. Cold dread licks the back of my neck, giving me goose bumps. At the same time, depressing thoughts sneak into my mind, bringing forth images from my past I wish to forget.

  I gasp when Kari’s mangled body appears in front of me like a scene from a horror movie.

  “What’s wrong?” Aurora steps in front of me, watching me with round eyes.

  “It’s … I do feel the wrongness in the air now. Let me go first.”

  With my katana at the ready and my body wound tight, I push the heavy metal door open, getting blasted immediately by the stench of rotten eggs. Other than the smell and the feeling of doom hanging in the air, nothing looks amiss. I step into the hallway carefully, and only when I deem it safe enough, I let Aurora through.

  “Elena’s penthouse is to the right.”

  “Okay, stay behind me.”

  The closer we get to it, the stronger the stink becomes. But confirmation that Ashmedai has beaten us to the place awaits us when we find her apartment door ajar. How in the world did the demon get here so quickly? Aurora makes a motion to enter, but I stop her.

  “We should wait for the others.”

  “But Niko…”

  “I know, my love. But we’ve confirmed my katana is useless against Ashmedai and you haven’t recovered your strength yet.”

  It pains me to wait, but my need to protect Aurora is the most important thing right now. For once, I don’t act recklessly like I normally do.

  The ping of the elevator cuts through the silence. Declan and Ryker step out first with their special weapons in their hands. They’re no bigger than daggers.

  “Are you planning to fight a demon with that?” I eyeball their tiny blades.

  “Don’t underestimate something because of its size,” Ryker sneers.

  “Ashmedai is definitely inside,” Declan redirects. “We’re going in, but you’d better stay out here.”

  “Absolutely not,” Aurora and her mother reply at the same time.

  There’s a shared, uncomfortable glance between them, but it breaks when Solomon opens his big mouth. “Quit trying to get rid of us.”

  “Fine. But let us handle Ashmedai.”

  “You may handle the demon once he’s out of my daughter’s body,” the High Witch grits out, then flicks her wrist, pushing the two asshats out of her way.

  She gives Aurora a crystal similar in size to the one she’s holding. Both are big enough that they could break someone’s skull if used as a weapon. There aren’t words exchanged, but I know the gesture was a big deal. Aurora frowns, and through the bond, I pick up her turmoil.

  Not knowing what else to do, I brush the back of her wrist with my fingers to let her know I’m here for her. I wish I could do more, but unti
l we save Niko, this is the best I can do.

  Declan and Ryker follow right behind the High Witch, and we stay glued to their tails. Since I can’t fight the demon, I’m making it my mission to ensure those two pricks behave. If they step one toe out of line, if I so much as suspect they intend to hurt Niko, I won’t hesitate to cut them in half.

  “Where is the mirror?” Declan asks Aurora in a whisper.

  “Down the hallway.”

  “Dude, just use your nose and follow the stench,” I hiss.

  He shoots me a scowl, which I sling right back at him.

  The apartment is quiet, when suddenly, I hear low chanting in a young woman’s voice coming from ahead. Fuck. That’s Niko. Aurora shows no indication that she’s heard it, though.

  “Can anyone hear that?” I ask as low as I can.

  “Hear what?” Ryker asks.

  “The chanting.”

  The warlocks trade a glance, then without ceremony, they push the High Witch out of their path and dash ahead.

  “What the hell,” Aurora retorts, immediately motioning to follow. She only takes a couple of steps forward before she halts suddenly.

  “What’s the matter?” I ask.

  “They hexed us!” the High Witch replies.

  “Of course they did. I should have known they’d pull something shady like that,” Solomon grumbles, patting the pockets of his jacket as if he’s looking for something.

  A moment later, there’s a cry that’s definitely not from Ashmedai. It’s Niko.

  “They’re going to kill my sister!” Aurora tries to use her crystal to free herself.

  They’re all frozen, but when I try to move, I discover that I can. “Son of a bitch. They forgot about me.” I take off after them, but when I enter the room where the infamous Taluah Mirror is, I find the two warlocks on the floor, unmoving. I don’t have time to check if they’re alive. I grab one of their small athames and tuck it into my pants, hiding it under my jacket. I don’t want the demon to know I have it.

  Aurora’s younger sister stands in front of the mirror, which has turned into a portal to hell if I were to guess by the towering inferno on the other side. She turns around, looking as innocent as can be, besides a couple of details: the freakish all-black eyes and the stench of death emanating from her.