Blood and Hexes: A Vampire Paranormal Romance (After Darkness Falls Book 4)

by May Sage

  Before she could ask another question, Avani cleared her throat. "If I remember well, Diana, you were saying something about being older than all of us put together, right? I suppose you wouldn't want to back that up now?" She grinned, showing all of her pearly whites.

  Diana removed her boots and walked on the mats. "Who am I fighting? You?" She tilted her chin to Greer, then turned to look at the rest of them. "All of you at once?" She held her hands out, palms up, an undisputed challenge.

  "Cocky, isn't she?" Cat said, clicking her tongue.

  A little, perhaps, but it wasn't just cockiness. She'd seen Greer's style. If she won against everyone else, Diana could smite them. So long as there was no magic involved, in any case.

  "I want to fight her," Ruby said, practically trembling with excitement.

  That woman wasn't all right in the head.

  "I know," Cat said, rolling her eyes. "But we've been given an opportunity we shouldn't waste. This is a bona fide ancient princess. Exactly the kind that wants to skin Chloe alive. I think Chloe should have the first go."

  Diana felt her heart slow for one beat, then resume its thumping at a faster rate.

  Chloe was looking at her, her eyes bright blue under her long lashes. They turned back to their deep brown. "Sure. Let's do this."

  Tricks and Traps

  Mikar frowned as he entered Skyhall. Chloe had mentioned wanting to have some renovations done in the ballroom, but he hadn't realized they'd hired contractors. Yet the racket shaking the walls and thundering in his eardrums the moment he stepped onto the lawn could only have been from building work. He entered the Eirikrson house, and stilled at the heavy doors. The expected smell of stone, wood, or paint was absent. In fact, he didn't smell any strangers at all. The house held the scents of most of the residents of the hill, as they all came up here from time to time. Chloe's smell, as well as some of her friends, was stronger, indicating they were either in the house or had left recently. And Diana's trail, the one he'd followed from the Helsing manor to Skyhall, ended here.

  "Anyone here?" he called out, not bothering to raise his voice.

  Avani was the first to answer. "Down here."

  Ah. They were in the training room. That explained why he hadn't immediately located them: vampire training was messy, noisy business. Like Levi's, Chloe's training room was warded, so that the residents of the house wouldn't have to deal with the screams and smells coming from there.

  "You need to renew your wards again," he said, walking in the underground hall.

  He came to a sudden halt, eyes bulging. Diana was sent flying from one end of the room to the other, and crashed against the opposite wall, shaking the very foundation of the house. His instinct to reach her, check that she was all right, was strong, but before he could move, she landed on her knees, and wiped blood out of her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she laughed.

  The demented woman actually laughed.

  She started to run at full speed, each leap taking her several yards, until she reached Chloe, who waited on her guard on a leather mat. Again, Mikar itched to place himself between the two. Protecting one, the other, or both. Only the realization that they were down here, voluntarily training, and not actually trying to rip each other apart kept him in place. Diana moved to kick Chloe's stomach—or so he thought. Chloe also anticipated the move and braced herself, ready to either take the impact or to evade it. She didn't have a chance. At the last possible moment, Diana's position changed: she jumped on Chloe's shoulders and with the speed and agility of a feline, flipped her over on the mat. Chloe groaned, her back pressed against the leather, Diana's knee keeping her down.

  Mikar breathed out in relief, glad that it was over. Chloe was nailed down, she had to tap out. Or so he thought. He was shocked to see her sit up as much as she could, and use the motion to shoot her legs straight up, kicking Diana right in the face. Diana only lost her balance a tiny bit, for the shortest time, but that was enough for Chloe to grab hold of her ankle and tug. Down she went, and incredibly, Chloe was on top.

  They fought. Nastily, angrily, screaming, yelling. Mikar grimaced during the entire ordeal. He half expected them to resort to biting and pulling out each other's hair, given how ruthless they were, but while vicious, their moves remained fair and clean.

  "Impressive, isn't she?" Ruby asked, watching the fight.

  He hadn't even noticed her. Now that he paid attention, he saw that Greer, Cat, Gwen, and Blair were also watching, huddled together in a corner to avoid getting in the way of the two dervishes.

  "Which one?"

  Ruby considered the question for a moment. "Both."

  He nodded his assent. Diana had impeccable technique, and yet these two were evenly matched, as Chloe's speed and imagination exceeded the older vamp's.

  Finally, after what could have very well been an hour—and Mikar wasn't sure when their fight had started—they were both panting and holding their sides when Chloe proposed, "Shall we call it a tie?"

  Diana exhaled deeply in relief. "Let's. Fuck, I need a chiropractor."

  Chloe laughed, stretching her back. "Just find me a nice, comfy coffin to lie down in for the rest of eternity, please."

  The other girls joined them on the mat.

  "You were taking things easy on me!" Greer accused Chloe, narrowing her eyes.

  Chloe shrugged. "Yeah, well, you're a bit less durable than Diana."

  The witch crossed her arms on her tummy. "I have spells to protect me. Next time, you fight me seriously."

  Mikar laughed when he saw Chloe cross her fingers behind her back. "Sure."

  There was no way Chloe could unleash all her power against Greer. Not only was she mortal, she was also an essential mortal they could not afford to lose.

  "How do you flip someone over like that?" Ruby asked Diana. "When you're on their shoulders?"

  "I make their gravity work for me. I just drop all of my weight down to take them down with me. The trick is to have enough control at the last moment to end up on top." Diana tilted her head to Ruby. "You wanna practice that?"

  The slayer giggled like a schoolgirl, joining Diana on the mat.

  The rest of the girls paired up, Cat with Chloe, Blair and Gwen together. Greer pulled on Mikar's sleeve. "As you're here, you may as well make yourself useful."

  They practiced Diana's flip in turns. After getting him on his ass five times in a row, Greer offered to let him try, but Mikar wasn't about to make her tiny shoulders bear his two hundred pounds of muscles. "I'll pass, thanks. That's not my kind of move."

  She wasn't fooled. "When is everyone going to stop treating me like a porcelain doll?"

  "When you stop being one." He was entirely unapologetic.

  Greer moved to kick his nuts, but he blocked it. Once in twenty-four hours was enough for him.

  "Want to try it on me?" Diana offered, oh-so-innocently.

  He wasn't dumb. It clearly was a trap. But he couldn't resist falling right into it.

  "Sure."

  They started a few yards apart, and he ran straight at her, like she'd instructed. He was surprised she stayed in place, letting him leap on her shoulders. But she lifted her forearms against her breast, holding her fists to her chin. When he tightened his thighs to hold her in place, she thrust her arms apart. He fell on his ass, hard. Mikar groaned as the girls laughed at him.

  Dammit, he'd known it was coming.

  "This is one of the ways you can block it. You wanna see another one?"

  Mikar got to his feet. "I'll pass." He groaned, rubbing his ass.

  "Come on. Be a good sport for the class."

  This truly felt like a class, and damn if she wasn't a good instructor, too.

  After glancing at Chloe and Greer, who should absolutely learn whatever Diana had to teach, he sighed, and launched himself at her again.

  This time, she let him flip her, but on the way down, she shot both of her legs in a straight candle, and slid them to the side under her arms, endin
g up on top.

  "You guys want to practice these two counter-moves? They take a bit of fiddling to get right."

  Mikar watched her give pointers as the girls tried to replicate her maneuver. He joined her next to Greer. "You're good at this."

  The admission sounded reluctant, but at least he'd said it.

  She didn't spare him a glance. "I’ve taught a few yoga classes, here and then. And the occasional self-defense lessons, too."

  He lifted his chin. "We could use that around here. Cat's a good teacher, but she specializes in sword fighting, more than anything else. And the rest of us…"

  "Treat the girls like delicate flowers," she finished for him.

  Not exactly, but she had a point. Levi would never fight with Chloe like she just had. Nor would Mikar, for that matter. Ruby absolutely would, but like the berserker she was, she had more of a wild animal style than actual technique.

  "I don't mind giving everyone a lesson or two while I'm here," Diana said. "I have to admit, it's been a long time since anyone made me sweat like this."

  "Oh, I would have made you sweat if we hadn't been interrupted." Mikar absolutely intended the double entendre, and he wasn't sorry.

  She finally turned to face him. Her dark, hooded eyes fixed on him. Fuck if he wasn't captivated by their depth. She cocked a brow. "I mean, I'm sure you could, but let's face it, you don't have the balls to take on a woman like me. You restrained me as soon as you could. That's not exactly fun."

  His dick shot right up, standing to attention. Oh, he'd show her fun. "If you don't think restraints are fun, it sounds like you’re the one in need of a lesson or two."

  He was flirting. Actually, honestly flirting.

  Mikar wasn't a flirt. That was Seth's department. Or Fin's. Or Alexius’s. Basically, everyone except him. He’d kept things simple for the last few hundred years. When he wanted a woman, he went straight at her and told her he was going to take her. Then, if she was amenable—they usually were—they had sex. The end. He didn't even bother with names. Hence why he took his pleasures outside of Oldcrest, with strangers he wasn't likely to see again. Mikar avoided vampires, because he sucked at relationships, and the likelihood of coming across an old lover was considerably higher when they could live forever. Regular humans were too fragile for him. He preferred shifters and witches, typically. But there was no doubt in his mind that he wanted Diana Helsing. Hell, he'd even wanted her at the border, when he'd believed her to be an enemy. His usual approach wasn't an option here. Not only was she someone he'd known in the past, she was a resident of Night Hill. Or at least, a resident's sister. Same difference. If he was going there, he needed to be cautious, and make sure they parted ways on friendly terms. Ergo, flirting. He needed to ease her into the notion he wanted her, then see if she was up for some simple, no-strings-attached fun.

  Diana rolled her eyes. "It's cute you think you could teach me anything. I've known men like you. You're all brute strength. You have more than most, I'll give you that. Spoiler: I don't know one woman who actually likes that."

  Before he could think of any retort, she stepped away to correct Blair’s posture.

  End of Time

  Maybe the Eirikrson wasn't as bad as Diana had initially thought. For one, she'd spent the last week training her for one or two hours per day with the rest of the girls, and while her brown eyes brightened when she concentrated, like any vampire, Diana had not seen her lose control once. She didn't seem to crave vampire blood at all. Her fangs occasionally shot out, but she didn't see one sign of bloodlust in her demeanor.

  Chloe seemed nice. Truly, genuinely nice. Perhaps it was because the girl was in her twenties. They all changed in time. Hardened. They became more calculating and less caring. After losing people, they were bound to lose some of their innocence.

  Diana wasn't certain why she was still here, though. Maybe she had judged Chloe unfairly, but it didn't change the fact that Juniper's warning had been warranted. They had closed Oldcrest to its rightful residents. There was a fight brewing between the Eirikrsons and the rest of the world—a fight she didn't want to get in the middle of.

  No one spoke to her about the details. In fact, everyone on the hill took great care to avoid mentioning any sensitive information about anything in her presence. Not that she could blame them. She wasn't one of them. From what she'd gathered, when some of the families on the hill heard that an Eirikrson was alive, still in her mortal shell, they'd taken steps to try to get rid of her—an impulse Diana could comprehend regardless of how nice Chloe was in person. She wasn't going to shed centuries of fear with a smile. Equally understandable was Levi's reaction: he'd closed Oldcrest to protect his mate, after a Beaufort had sided with those who stood against Chloe. She got both sides. She just didn't want to get in the middle of them.

  For all that, Diana was enjoying her time here. In her home. In her perfect room. With Alexius and Avani, who was becoming a friend. Hell, she liked just about everyone who popped by Night Hill.

  She hadn't yet ventured to the Institute or Adairford, content to remain where she was. There were too many memories she didn't want to confront downhill. Memories of friends long since buried and turned to dust. Memories of a time she'd been weak. Her home had changed enough for her to avoid thinking about those days much, but a trip into town held no appeal.

  Lounging on a chaise at the back of the house, she watched two gigantic wolves play together in the distance. She was still getting used to the fact that her brother was now a shifter. Alexius had taken to it like a fish to water. She smiled as she watched him pounce and nibble at his wife's ears.

  "Isn't it too cloudy for tanning?" Chloe asked, walking to her from the main road, Mikar at her heels.

  Diana did her best to purposely ignore the great sexy brute who could make her tingle all over with a single glance. He might be unfairly hot, but he was still an alpha male used to being in charge. Definitely not her type. With men or women, Diana liked to be on top. She'd lived so long, she was set in her ways, and no Adonis was going to change that.

  She glanced up at the gray sky. "Maybe, but it's a cute bikini, right?"

  She'd found the adorable twopiece at the back of her wardrobe. The white crocheted ensemble was also going to be packed up with her stuff when she left.

  "Extra cute," Chloe replied. "Right, Mikar?"

  The barbarian had the gall to snort. "I wouldn't call it cute."

  Diana scowled. "Good thing no one cares what you'd call it." To Chloe, she chirped, "Fancy a drink?"

  She pointed to a carafe filled with Sex On The Beach. Her bloodlust had faded over the last few days. She was back to sipping the occasional Olla every other day.

  Chloe wrinkled her nose. "I'll pass. I don't feel that hot today. I was hoping Alexius could check me over, maybe give me some of his potions or whatever."

  That snared Diana's attention. Vampires didn't get sick—not in a human way, in any case. Some viruses could have effects on them, but they were specific to vampirekind, and none of them were good news. They could also get hexed.

  Concerned, Diana focused all of her mind on Chloe, not letting anything else register. Chloe didn't feel sick to her. In fact, she felt radiant. Wonderful. Her scent had become sweeter, sharper, and more complex, though it was a subtle difference. Like she was…

  She blinked, her jaw falling open.

  "Yeah, getting Alexius to look at you is a great idea." She turned to Mikar. "You want to go get him?"

  The guard frowned, looking at Chloe.

  "Come on, you can leave her with me for two minutes,” Diana pleaded. “I'm too comfy to move."

  His jaw tightened. For a moment, Diana thought he might refuse, which said tons about how little he trusted her. But then he nodded and walked away. Diana let him reach the wolves, before she shot to her feet, grabbed Chloe's hand, and dragged her inside the house, out of earshot. It was no one's business but the girl's.

  Chloe opened her mouth to ask what was up, but
Diana cut her off, words rushing out of her mouth. They only had seconds before Mikar and the others hurried back. "You're not sick. You're pregnant."

  Chloe's jaw fell open. She said nothing, staring at her in horror. "I can't. I can't be…I'm…"

  "An Eirikrson. Born vampires from those turned directly by Ariadne can bear children."

  But that wasn't what Chloe had been about to say. "Twenty-five. I won't be twenty-six until Halloween. I can't have a child now. I'm not…ready."

  "If you don't want to share with the class, you have about five seconds to get your face back to normal, or they will nag until you spill."

  Diana was surprised to see that Chloe managed to school her features into something fairly neutral, though her eyes remained too wide. Poor kid. And at the same time…Diana didn't feel sorry for her at all. While it was no doubt a shock, she was certain that Chloe was going to rock this.

  With everyone on the hill, that baby was going to be so spoiled. It'd learn to kick ass before getting permanent teeth. And it was going to be seriously strong, thanks to the genes of the Eirikrsons mixed with the De Villiers.

  Diana found herself suddenly sad, because she wouldn't see it. She wasn't going to stick around for the six months a vampire pregnancy took to reach full term. Right?

  "What's going on?"

  Chloe looked at Diana for help. She shrugged. "We're going to my room. Chloe wants to try my bathtub."

  She leaped at the improvised idea like it was a lifeline. "Yes! A bath. That's exactly what I need. I think the blood I drank was stale or something."

  Alexius nodded. "Yeah, that'd make you feel groggy for a while. Make sure you lie down and rest."

  Diana led Chloe to her room, and ran her a bath with her favorite bubbles and lotions, before heading back downstairs. Mikar was waiting for her on the landing.

  "What, you watch her while she bathes, too?"

  He ignored the jab. "Just so you don't think you can fool me, I know you lied. You said something to Chloe. What was it?"