E.V.I.E.: 13 Slayers, 13 Missions

by Lexi C. Foss

  I nipped her lower lip hard enough to bleed and smiled as she moaned, my power taking control already, bringing her to her proverbial knees.

  But I wasn’t done.

  “You’ll exhaust yourself until you pass out, and only then will you find relief in your dreams. Except you’ll dream of me fucking another woman. One who isn’t you, looks nothing like you, and doesn’t remind me of you at all. And you’ll be so hot and bothered by it that you’ll still get off and then weep at the realization that your dream is a reality.”

  She whimpered, her thighs clenching at the onslaught of pleasure my words were evoking. Yet pain glistened in her gaze, pain that made me smile.

  “A reality because I’m going to find a willing female to fuck all night, baby. Until the sun peeks over the horizon once more, I’ll be the only one you can think about while I completely forget you exist.” I ran my tongue across her wound again, delighting in her shiver.

  “You’ll be useless to everything except your hand. It’s going to hurt. You’re going to cry. And if you’re lucky, I’ll come by tomorrow morning to lick the fresh tears from your cheeks. All the while telling you about my affair. Every sordid, explicit detail. We’ll see how your heart feels after that.”

  I kissed the fresh drop just below her eye, loving that she was already breaking and I hadn’t even left yet. I knew how her imagination worked. She’d picture it all, believe it was real because of the compulsion, and hate herself for shattering inside.

  All that talk about me not being able to destroy her would fly right out the window.

  Because I still affected her. I could see it in the flaring of her pupils. That wasn’t compulsion. That was our past, peeking out at me and wondering how I could be so cruel.

  I could ask her the same question.

  “Have a good night, little killer,” I whispered against her mouth. “And don’t even think of calling anyone over to try to help you. It won’t work. The only cock that can slay you is mine.” I kissed her again, more because I couldn’t help myself, then shoved her away from me and gave her my coldest stare. “Sweet dreams.”

  I set her gun on the counter as I walked through the kitchen, then let myself out without a backward glance.

  How fucking dare she belittle what we had by claiming I compelled her into it?

  She deserved this fate and so much worse.

  Yet as I reached the stairs, I knew I wouldn’t uphold my part of the bargain. The idea of being with anyone other than her didn’t appeal to me. She was the only one I wanted to make bleed. The only one I wanted to taste. The only one I wanted to fuck.

  Which only made me hate her that much more. This spell she’d woven over me for a century had ruined my life. And now it was my turn to annihilate hers.

  With a glance up at her windows from the outside, I wished her good night once more, then went for a long walk, thinking through everything she’d said.

  Her curiosity about how to return to our realm was the one thing that kept percolating in my mind on repeat. It didn’t make sense. She obviously knew how to go back. Yet… she’d seemed almost hopeful when I’d mentioned the ability to return.

  The comments about Dimitri, or rather, her tone, also confused me.

  Why did she hate him? He’d suffered far more than she had after it all went down. Hell, he’d lost his whole damn kingdom. It was almost as if she didn’t know what really happened that night.

  I ran my palm over my face, refusing to believe it.

  How could she not know?

  But what if she doesn’t? another part of me thought. What if I’m punishing her… for the wrong reasons?

  It was a possibility I had never even considered. Because it wasn’t feasible. And yet, her words tonight had me walking in circles, contemplating what they really meant.

  When I passed by her building much later that night, it was to find her lights still on. I almost removed the compulsion. Except then her accusation came right back, and my resolve held. She needed to understand that I never compelled her before. And after tonight, she would.

  I finally returned to my residence, then punished myself as I had her—my hand working over my shaft to thoughts of her current agony, her pleasure mounting and abating, her fingers wet and sore. I wanted to replace her touch with my tongue, to lick her thoroughly while growling against her sweet little clit.

  Mmm, I missed having her splayed out beneath me, writhing and hungry.

  Fuck, I wanted to drill into her, bruise us both, and lose myself inside her.

  But I didn’t let myself go.

  I halted my orgasm seconds before it began.

  And went to bed with thoughts of a happier time—one where I knew love.

  My smiling Kseniya.

  My little killer.

  My heart.

  10

  Violet

  “You look like shit,” Alaric said by way of greeting.

  “Thanks,” I replied, too exhausted to come up with something witty to say. I’d slept like shit last night because of Cassius’s fucking compulsion. And he hadn’t returned in the morning like he’d suggested, which left me feeling even worse.

  Because he was in bed with another woman and not thinking about me at all. Just like he’d said.

  I tried and failed to not let that hurt.

  Hell, it’d been a century. He wasn’t celibate. I wasn’t celibate. So what the fuck did it matter if he took another woman to bed?

  But that was the problem.

  It did matter.

  And that made me hate everything about this situation even more.

  He’d been right about the compulsion, something I already knew before last night. I just hadn’t admitted it to myself.

  It was so much easier to believe that everything between us had been a lie, that the only reason I’d ever felt anything for him was because he’d forced me to.

  Last night had taken that hope and brutally squashed it beneath the real experience of being compelled. I’d done things to myself I never would have done, crying the whole time and loathing Cassius while simultaneously missing him.

  It’d been utter hell and had thoroughly driven home the point that everything I’d felt for him previously was all real.

  Part of me was relieved by the revelation.

  The other part of me only hated him more.

  He’d proven his point on compulsion, and he’d demolished my resolve to not let him hurt my heart in the process. I’d thought it was impossible after what he’d done to me that night. However, I’d woken this morning in tears at the realization that a part of me still cared.

  A part I very much wanted to eliminate.

  So when Alaric called to ask if we were still on for our little “date,” I’d eagerly accepted. Then he’d confirmed that the times of death for the bodies were during the fundraiser, and my heart had fractured a little more.

  Because I’d been right.

  This wasn’t Cassius.

  And if my nemesis was to be believed, then he didn’t know who it was either. Which reminded me… “Do you know anything about wolves?” I asked Alaric as we waited in line outside the club.

  “Wolves?” he repeated, arching a brown eyebrow. “Like the animal?”

  “Shifters,” I clarified.

  He gave me a look, then shook his head. “Why are you asking?”

  “Something Cassius said,” I admitted. “Something about provoking a wolf pack.”

  “You spoke to Cassius?”

  “Yeah. Briefly.” I cleared my throat, not wanting to go into that little rendezvous. “He said it’s not him and that he doesn’t know who it is, and then mentioned a wolf pack.” I held up my hand before Alaric could start. “Please don’t lecture me right now. It’s not like I hung out with him by choice, okay? Just… let me handle it. You and I can concentrate on this mission.”

  “Let you handle it,” he repeated, that brow lifting even higher. “You don’t seem to be handling it well at all, Vi.�
��

  I sighed. “I didn’t sleep well last night.” Or the night before. “But I’m fine.”

  He looked doubtful. Fortunately, we were next in line. “We’re not done with this conversation,” he warned before turning toward the bouncer and flashing his ID.

  “Do you have an invitation?” the stocky male asked, his voice void of emotion.

  Alaric pulled the business card from his pocket and handed it to the guy. The bald bouncer glanced at it, then nodded for us to enter, not bothering to ask for my ID.

  I waited until we were inside to say, “I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t carded.”

  My purple hair and eyes gave me a young appeal. I was also somewhere around twenty-one years old, give or take a few days or months, in physical appearance.

  Alaric’s nod was the only indication that he’d heard me, his attention on the dark hallway stretching deep into the nightclub. Each step brought us closer to the thudding bass inside, until we met a set of stairs that led downward.

  “Interesting aesthetics,” I muttered, noting the sharp metal decorating the walls on the way down.

  I’d worn a pair of black jeans and a black tank, something I was thankful for as we entered a room full of gothic attire. Alaric stood out in his gray shirt and jeans, his handsome face missing a handful of piercings to really fit the vibe of the room. My hair, however, suited just fine and drew several gazes.

  Alaric’s shoulders were stiff beside me, his discomfort showing.

  I went up onto my toes and grabbed his arm for balance. My just-over-five-foot height left my lips somewhere around his collarbone, so I had to shout up at him. “Want me to pierce your nose?” I had a knife that would do the trick. Or a stake. No gun, though. I only took that on missions where I could conceal it, and a nightclub made that less than ideal.

  His lips curled at the edges. “No, but thanks for the offer.” He wrapped his arm around me like we were on a proper date and guided me around the bar, his gaze scanning the crowd. “Let’s dance.”

  Dancing was the last thing I wanted to do, but it seemed to be a requirement for this rave-like scene. So I allowed him to lead me into the throng, his larger form setting a rhythm that was actually rather impressive. Especially considering he wasn’t paying attention to me at all, his blue eyes glancing sharply around the room.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked him.

  “This place doesn’t feel right,” he said against my ear. “I don’t like it here.”

  “Maybe it’s the underground theme?” I suggested, raising my voice just a little to be heard. But he didn’t seem to be having any issues understanding me, because he shook his head.

  “No, it’s something else. It doesn’t smell right.”

  I sniffed, trying to figure out what he meant. All I could scent were sweaty bodies, perfume, and a subtle whiff of cologne. I pressed my nose into Alaric’s shirt, inhaling the woodsy scent. Yeah, the latter had been him. He actually smelled kind of nice.

  With a shrug, I looked around, trying to find the source of his concern and coming up blank.

  Then I caught a pair of reddish irises in the dark.

  Vampire.

  It was a subtle glow that I wasn’t sure anyone else could see, but my slayer traits allowed me to pick up on it as a warning sign.

  Three more appeared in my peripheral vision.

  “Ric,” I whispered. “There are at least four suckers in the club.” Suckers was a term I used in place of vampires to avoid anyone overhearing me. Including the leeches waiting in the dark.

  “More,” Alaric replied, his movements changing just a hair from fluid to cautious. “At least twelve.”

  “Twelve?” I repeated, blinking. That qualified as a nest. And if one existed in this nightclub, then we were in for a world of trouble.

  Just as I thought it, I heard the change in the beat. The subtle shift of doors, closing us in on the sides.

  We’d just walked into a feeding den.

  A blood rave.

  A fucking nightmare.

  All because of the card Alaric had found in the pocket of that victim.

  Cassius, I realized. He did this.

  He’d set up a trap with the intent of watching me fail. A mortal slayer, against an army of undead.

  It was just the kind of climax he’d enjoy.

  “We need to get out of here,” I said urgently.

  But Alaric shook his head. “It’s too late, Vi. The party has already started.”

  The lights went out on his final word.

  The music grew in volume.

  And then the screaming started.

  “Fuck!” I ducked as a net fell from the ceiling. Alaric hit the ground beside me, his curse lost to the shrieks of chaos whirling around us. Humans began to trample, squirming to get away from the netting.

  Something sticky touched my face, making me flinch. Is that…blood? Oh my God. The material above wasn’t mesh but metal. Sharp metal.

  Alaric grabbed me suddenly, rolling us out of the way of a stampede. “Keep your shoulder against mine and crawl!” he shouted, leading the way. I wasn’t sure how he could see or where he was leading us, but I followed him anyway.

  People tripped over us, kicked my thigh, my side, and one even hit my head, but I didn’t let it stop me. I’d trained with Alaric long enough to know he would have my back when it counted, and he didn’t disappoint me now. He stopped when we reached a wall, his hand landing on my thigh as he pulled me close.

  “The front entrance is chained off.” He spoke the words right against my ear. “But there’s a back door being guarded by two big vamps. I can’t sense what’s beyond it, though.”

  “How can you even see?” I demanded, completely blind to the darkness and nearly deaf to the insanity unleashing through the air. Between the thudding bass and screaming patrons, I felt nearly paralyzed by my senses.

  Alaric stiffened beside me, then jumped to his feet. I tried to follow, only to have my sight blinded by the lights suddenly coming on.

  I stumbled to the side, my world spinning as the stench of pennies hit my nose. I sneezed on impulse, my stake already in my hand.

  My vision began to clear, the reddish hue painting the room in a ghastly glow that illuminated the death scene sprawling throughout the dance floor.

  Not everyone was dead.

  Actually, most were alive.

  But it was a horde of scraped limbs, tangled torsos, and frightened humans. They were pushing toward the exit, trying to get through the chains, while the vampires stood around laughing.

  It was a mob mentality gone wrong, the crowd seeking an escape and not caring whom they trampled on to get there.

  Some were standing along the walls like me and Alaric. Others weren’t moving on the floor. It all reminded me of a macabre rave, with the techno still blaring, the lights sparkling in red flashes of light, and the heavy nets reminiscent of a hunting trap.

  We had to do something. We had to stop this.

  But this was unlike anything I’d ever seen.

  Vampires lived in secret, and there was nothing “secret” about this. There had to be at least fifty humans down here. Did they intend to kill them? Well, they’d have to, or the media would catch wind of this massacre.

  Unless… was that the point?

  Had Cassius sent me here so I could see the nightlife scene that was unfolding within the vampire underworld?

  Something had shifted. A new hierarchy rising to the surface. Was it him? Did he intend to rule New York City the way his cousin ruled the Vampire Dynasty? Was this what the world had turned into without the slayers keeping the bloodsuckers in line?

  My heart skipped a beat.

  The vampires back home were essentially gods, making it entirely possible that they’d dominated the world. There were other supernaturals there, too. Wolves. Witches. Fae.

  I swallowed, picturing how easy it would have been for them to enslave humans and create something as brutal as this scene
before me.

  Only, I wasn’t in that realm anymore.

  I was in a realm where vampires died with a fluid pop.

  A stake through the heart and they crumbled into ash.

  Cassius could try to influence the supernaturals of this world, but it wouldn’t work. Because E.V.I.E. would slay them all.

  Starting tonight.

  I rolled my shoulders, taking in the scene again with a renewed priority. No more pity parties. No more worries. If Cassius wanted to watch me suffer, then I’d give him one hell of a show.

  I twirled my stake in my hand and looked at Alaric. “Let’s get to work.”

  His lips pulled back in a feral grin. “You go left. I’ll go right.”

  “See you on the other side,” I agreed, hoping like hell the red light remained. If it didn’t, well, then I’d have to get creative.

  Because no way in hell was I going to die tonight.

  All right, Cassius. You want to play? Let’s play.

  11

  Cassius

  Sapphire drew her nail along the tanzanite stone, her lips curling downward. “Who created this?”

  “Roskana,” I replied, checking my watch for the thousandth time. I’d hoped to be back in the other realm by now, but it’d taken me a while to track down Dimitri’s pet witch.

  The petite, blue-haired female had pledged her allegiance to my cousin and his cause about a decade ago, vowing to help him retrieve his throne. I suspected there was something she wanted in return, but she hadn’t voiced it yet.

  “Her magic is very different from mine,” Sapphire mused, allowing the amulet to play over her fingers. “My incantations won’t work on it.”

  “Meaning you can’t use it to traverse realms?” I asked her, needing clarification. It dawned on me when I woke up this morning that I had a way to test Kseniya’s comments from last night—by giving her amulet to Sapphire for her evaluation.

  “I suspect it holds the power, but it doesn’t feel obvious to me. Roskana didn’t make this with the intent to travel. It’s meant to protect. Which means it could have manifested the escape purely as a result of helping the owner survive.” She shrugged, handing it back to me. “You would have to ask her if it can be used to travel back, but I suspect she might not know.”