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

by May Sage

  "Because it's all gorgeous, and practical, too. We didn’t have seats for the outdoors, which is a shame when we live in a paradise. You're super talented." Chloe sighed wistfully, her hands smoothing the table. “And this suite is something else altogether. I want it!”

  "Well, you can't have it,” Mikar told her firmly. "It's mine."

  She wasn't used to being told no—not by him. Chloe lifted a brow. "Even though it's my birthday?"

  Mikar's jaw went lax. He hadn't known, apparently. Nor had Diana for that matter, but that was less surprising.

  No wonder Chloe had wanted to party tonight.

  "Your birthday?" Mikar echoed. "How come you didn't say anything?"

  Chloe rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm not technically aging anymore, am I?"

  True. She'd forever be stuck at the age she'd been when she was turned.

  "I still celebrate my birthday," Diana admitted. "Well, the big ones, anyway. I throw a party every decade."

  "As do I." Mikar nodded. "Every year, no exception. I'll never say no to an excuse to raid Levi's wine cellar."

  Chloe lowered her eyes. "Well, maybe, but we have other things to worry about at the moment."

  Ah, yes, their warring and issues no one was talking to Diana about. "I'll make you something. I'm sure there are other suitable trees."

  Chloe giggled. "Don't, honestly. I was just being spoiled. Levi woke me up with Champagne and gave me a parure." She winced. "I probably butchered that word. That's a box with pretty things inside. A necklace, earrings, a tiara. Where would I even wear a tiara? Anyway, I like it. Tons. It's so shiny."

  The tiara wasn't the only shiny thing: so were Chloe's eyes. Mikar frowned as he noticed it. Diana could see him trying to understand why she seemed so emotional all of a sudden. She was fairly certain that if the woman started crying, he was going to lose it.

  Diana decided to intervene. If Chloe hadn't yet told anyone she was pregnant, it was her business. "Well, I don't have any present to give you, and I like celebrating birthdays. I'll make you a chair or two. It's no bother.” To Mikar, she said, "Can you find another tree?"

  He hesitated a moment, his concern etched in his frown, but stalked away.

  "He's very protective," Diana stated, without intonation.

  Protective didn't cut it. Mikar's entire life seemed to be dedicated to being Chloe's shield. One of the reasons why it was a good thing that he and she hadn't gotten into anymore dalliances after that…

  Diana wouldn't have taken well to being relegated to second place by a man she liked. Not that she liked him. At all.

  Feeling her cheeks flush, she refocused her attention on Chloe, who nodded, wiping a tear away.

  "Too much, sometimes. I think it has to do with what happened when I was first turned. He hasn't said anything, but Levi told me he was off duty—Ruby was watching me—when a bunch of ferals and some ancients came to Oldcrest to kill me. I had to be turned in a hurry, and I almost didn't make it. I wouldn't have, if it hadn't been for Eirikr."

  Her eyes flew open. "Eirikr? Isn't he in his cave?" That was the most surprising thing out of the lot, to her.

  Chloe smiled. "Yes, on Cosnoc. I went there to hide. Something was telling me that place was…that it could be safer than anywhere else. And I was right. He protected me, gave me his blood so I could transition. He even told me my blood could cure ferals. I was able to save one of my friends that way."

  All of that was news to Diana. She took it in, fairly confused. "But isn't he…you know. Insane?"

  Chloe didn't seem offended. "A little, maybe. But so would I be, if I spent all these years in a cave. For what it's worth, Eirikr is family. He's been good to me. Better than my own father, for sure. And well…I think he's a lot more complicated than what the rumors suggest."

  Diana took a moment to think things through. "Like you," she said, finally.

  Chloe looked up at her, questioning.

  "Outside of Oldcrest, the rumors aren't exactly to your favor.” Diana remembered Juniper’s account of what was going on here. “And well, it's true. You are strong and faster than any vampire your age should be. You'll only grow in power as times goes by. You could grow to become everything they fear—a tyrant who seeks to rule over vampirekind. People aren't completely wrong to fear you." She swallowed. "But it's not that simple. You're not a monster. You're just…a woman. Protective of your friends, your family."

  Chloe would make a good mother, too, Diana thought. She didn't say so out loud, as there were several witches and vampires around them, setting candles on all the tables and around the pyre. At least half of them had a sense of hearing acute enough to distinguish everything they were saying, if they were paying attention.

  "I like you, Chloe Eirikrson," Diana stated. "I didn't think I would at all, but I do."

  "Good. I like you right back." She grinned broadly. "And I want you to know...I appreciate your discretion." Her voice dropped to a whisper that some would still catch. "I'm going to tell him. Levi. Tonight. I needed time to wrap my mind around...everything. But I'm happy."

  Diana could see that.

  Mikar soon arrived with Chloe's tree—an ash that looked sturdy. It had a slight reddish tone. Diana didn't need to think this time. A rocking chair, and a baby’s cot.

  "Where do you want it?"

  "Here, give it to me," she said. "It's almost twilight. I'd better bathe and get changed. I'll work on it tomorrow."

  She left the valley, carrying the tree to her home, smiling on her way up the hill.

  It had been too long since her last Samhain bonfire. Tonight was going to be fun.

  Volunteer

  Though Mikar's guard duty around Chloe ended at dawn, Sylvan, who knew how fond of parties he was, came to relieve him.

  "I owe you." The beat of the music, the scent of the wine, had been getting to him.

  The other slayer shook his head. "Don't sweat it, you've taken plenty of shifts for me."

  That was true. Mikar had often offered to work for Sylvan or Ruby. Part of him was uneasy when he left Chloe to someone else's care. He liked Chloe, but more than that, he believed in her. Believed that their little world here in Oldcrest was a better place with her in it.

  He rushed home to grab a Venetian mask, as everyone else had put one on, and returned as fast as he could.

  Mikar made a beeline for the wine bar, glad to see Helsing had generously contributed with a couple of barrels of decent wine. He poured himself a generous glass, and turned to the pyre, where the crowd had started to dance.

  He scanned the hundreds of people gathered near the unlit heap of wood.

  The birthday girl was in Levi's arms. Blair, hands in the air, eyes closed, swayed with the drums, her dark hair—streaked purple, at the moment—flowing behind her. She was more sensual than Mikar would have thought possible. Until now, he'd always seen the witch as a fighter, more than anything else. Tonight, she felt like a witch, giving her energy to whatever gods she celebrated. Greer and Gwen danced together in circles, turning more than a few heads. All dressed in white, the witches and wizards had lost some of their civilized demeanor as they embraced their magic without shame.

  Mikar didn't spare anyone more than a glance, searching for one pair of dark eyes, in vain. Which meant that Diana wasn't here. He would have found her immediately if she had been, given how addicted he was to her scent.

  He felt her the moment she arrived. She too had donned the color of death, as everyone used to do on Samhain in the old days, and she wore a metal eye mask ending in curved horns. No mask would have stopped him from recognizing her fragrance, her eyes, her delectable mouth.

  He watched Diana search the crowd for familiar faces. There were three to four hundred students and staff in the Institute, perhaps another hundred Adairford residents, and the few who lived on the hill. He realized that Diana knew less than two dozen people here. She spotted her brother and Avani first, her gaze stopping in their direction, but soon, she grimaced, opting
against joining them. No wonder: the couple were practically dry humping each other on one of her benches.

  Mikar saw her step toward Blair. Before she'd made it too far, a streak of lightning zapped the ground at Blair's feet, and a smirking man materialized right in front of her. Blair's eyes fluttered open, then she gaped. Before she had time to formulate a word, Seth Stormhale clasped one of her hands and wrapped his free arm around her waist, before leading her into a village reel. Surprisingly, Blair let him.

  Mikar circled the pyre, stopping only to pour himself another glass of wine, eyes never leaving Diana. He watched her join Gwen and Greer, taking their hands and following their dance intuitively. Part of him wanted to go to her, with all the shameless confidence of a Stormhale, but another part said his place was here, from a distance, where he could best watch her. Protect her.

  Only, Diana was the strongest woman here, or close to it. She didn’t need protecting. And suddenly he was tired—so very tired—of denying himself some proximity to her. His intention to let her come to him hadn’t worked out for almost two months. Time to try something else.

  He crossed to the other side of the pyre. The moment he reached her, she let go of the witches' hands, breaking their circle, and twirled on her tiptoes to face him.

  Her expression was all defiance, daring. "What?" she challenged, glaring, as though she expected a battle of wits.

  He supposed that was fair. They never talked without breaking into an argument.

  Talking was overrated.

  He wanted to encircle her waist, letting his hands take in the heat of her curves. He knew better.

  Mikar lifted his palms between them, leaving them parallel to her, in an open invitation. She could snort and go away. Or she could finally, finally give in.

  He watched in wonder as her hands rose to eye level, her soft fingers resting right against his, so lightly they almost weren’t touching.

  She’d said yes. He was too stunned to do anything but stare in wonder. Then he broke into a grin. And he danced.

  He danced with her like he would have back when she'd been mortal, so many years ago, had she not been too frail to attend any ball, keeping her at a distance, and yet so close. His feet could easily remember the old folks’ way, and so did hers. Soon, they were both laughing, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. As though they should have smiled to each other all along. Her entire face beamed, making her seem more striking than ever. So much so, she was almost painful to look at.

  He could have danced with her until the end of time, if the world had let them.

  After darkness fell, Chloe called Diana to help light the pyre.

  Mikar had never disliked Chloe quite so much. He reluctantly stepped away from Diana, feeling cold the moment the spell between them broke.

  It had been a while since he'd felt cold. Not since his last night as a mortal, probably. But the knowledge that he'd be close to her again very soon was enough to temporarily soothe him.

  He'd claim her hand later. He had to. He was done with the distance, done with the silly notion that he should wait on her. Mikar realized his decision to let her come to him had been inherently flawed. Yes, she was a strong, powerful creature, used to running the show. Yes, she was a modern woman in boots, who mostly wore jeans and had adapted to all forms of technology.

  But somewhere inside, she also was that girl from the twelfth century, who wouldn't have dreamed of approaching a man. If he wanted her—and by all the gods, he did—he couldn't just flirt. He couldn't even tease.

  He had to court her.

  Mikar chuckled under his breath. He had to court her like he would have courted a girl in his time. And damn if he wasn't looking forward to it.

  Surveying the area out of habit, Mikar was the first to see a problem.

  There was a figure standing on the other side of the lake. The sight was peculiar because it was rare that anyone ever ventured here, so far deep in the wilderness of the highlands, away from any roads. There were the occasional campers, but that was it. The opposite shore wasn't part of the Oldcrest territory. Technically, anyone could go there. They just couldn't see through or cross over to the border leading inside Oldcrest. Still, the power of their shields had made the direct surrounding areas inhospitable to regular humans.

  Even from such a distance, Mikar would have sworn that the man or woman on the cliffs was looking right at them. Which wasn’t possible. Even those who knew Oldcrest was here couldn’t see through the wards unless they’d been invited.

  Mikar squinted, focusing his vision on the far distance, stretching his senses. At long last, he distinguished the man's telltale posture, and the object in his hand.

  A bow.

  A bow without an arrow.

  His eyes caught a flash of silver, and a movement too fast for mortal eyes. Then he understood. The weapon was already flying right at them.

  First, he screamed, then Mikar moved with all the speed, all the strength of his race, his feet only hitting the ground once. Screaming at everyone to get down, move, duck, protect themselves, he hit Diana with all his weight, knocking her to the ground. As soon as she was safely out of the way, he leaped back on his feet, and tried to locate Chloe.

  Not even a second had passed. He saw her in Sylvan's arms. Her guard had taken her and turned her, so she faced away from the weapon, putting himself in the line of fire.

  Levi was calling to the water in the lake, to stop the progression of the fast flying arrow, his potent magic roaring all around them. The weapon never changed its course, spelled to resist any element.

  Sylvan moved to try to knock them both down. From his position, Mikar could see Chloe's determined expression. Her eyes weren't on Levi, or Sylvan, or even on the arrow. They were on Greer.

  Greer, who, unlike them, couldn't move at vampire speed. Greer, whose life was the only thing holding the protective wards around Oldcrest. Greer, whose heart was in the exact trajectory of the arrow. Mikar could see it now that the projectile was close.

  Mikar ran. Levi ran. Sylvan and Ruby ran.

  None of them were as fast as Chloe Eirikrson.

  She shoved Greer out of the way just as the arrow reached the intended target. The black-tipped, arm-long projectile impaled Chloe right in the middle of her chest, with such force it came out on the other side, piercing her back. Thick, iridescent purple blood oozed out of the wound.

  Mikar couldn't move. He couldn't hear or think. Nothing in the world mattered except Chloe, falling to the ground with a heart-wrenching wail. Chloe. His friend. His closest friend's mate. His charge.

  "No." He couldn't bring himself to take one step toward her.

  Blood pooled, thick and too dark. He'd seen enough vampires die to realize what it meant. The heart had been punctured. If it had been anyone else, he would have cut off their head to end their suffering.

  "No," he repeated, tuning out all the screams, all the terror.

  Levi cradled her on the ground, rocking her back and forth, crying. Mikar could only stare.

  Then, suddenly, he was shoved out of the way, and a shape in white linen moved past him, rushing to Chloe.

  Diana.

  Even in his stupor, he could recognize her.

  She knelt next to Chloe, on Levi's other side, one hand on the arrow, the other on the wound. That shocked Mikar out of his numbness. Pulling the arrow out would only kill Chloe faster.

  "Don't..." he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure any words managed to make it out of his throat.

  His hearing was starting to work again. There was chaos all around, a cacophony of screams and cries. Above all else, there was Diana, her voice authoritative, but calm, steadying.

  "...the moment I pull it out, not sooner!" she was saying to Gwen, of all people.

  What was she doing, and how did it involve the witch? Mikar couldn't make any sense of it.

  But he watched, finding that his senses were coming back to him. He was starting to let go of the despair, the h
orror. Diana chased the nightmare away.

  The witch looked terrified.

  "You can do this," Diana said gently. "You will do this, or Chloe will die. You understand?"

  Levi and Mikar both looked sharply away from Chloe long enough to take Diana in. What did she mean? Could she truly save Chloe?

  Vampires were tough, but there were a few ways to end them. And one of them was to pierce their heart.

  Horror in her dark eyes, Gwen nodded, shakily.

  "Three, two, one." Diana pulled, and Gwen, both hands extended, froze everything on and around Chloe, even Levi's hands.

  She let her power pulse through her palms, calling to all waters in the air, in the lake, to twirl around her and move as she directed them. Soon, Chloe's pale body was cocooned in a diamond-like coffin, entirely covered in ice. Levi removed his hands from it, and Gwen used the last of her energy to fill the two gaping holes in her structure.

  Numb, cold, lost, Mikar stared at the ice. Underneath, he could feel nothing. No heartbeat. No scent. No power.

  No life.

  He fell to his knees.

  Diana was the only one who seemed to have her shit together. "Carry her to one of the tables. I need to prepare." She moved toward the lake.

  "Can you do this?" The question came from Alexius, who joined his sister as she neared the cold water. "I didn't think...Our father never taught me how. I didn't think he'd passed the knowledge down to you."

  "He did." There were a thousand questions in Alexius's eyes, and Diana was doing her best to avoid his gaze. "I need several things. A circle of witches, for one."

  Blair looked around. "Where's Greer?"

  Ignoring her, Diana kept listing, "Clean water, salt, a silver dagger, and someone..." Diana cleared her throat. "A volunteer."

  Mikar started to understand what was going on.

  Diana cut off whatever questions anyone might have asked her when she leaped over the surface and plunged underwater. She wasn't taking a leisurely midnight stroll, though: moments later, she walked out of the lake, her soaked dress translucent and clinging to her lush curves. Even now, Mikar noticed them. His cock, which had no business doing anything at the moment, hardened at the sight of her.