Wanted: A Blood Courtesans Novel

by Kristen Strassel

  I felt sick. “Is that why you believed me about Olivia?”

  “One of the reasons. I know what he’s capable of. In the last century or so, he’s behaved. That’s why he’s been allowed to come to auction. If I find out he’s behind this…” Nash didn’t finish his thought before leading me over to the rest of the coven.

  “Wait a minute.” I tugged on his hand. “Did you create all of these vampires?”

  Nash pressed his lips together. Once I learned to reign in the bad thoughts, I had to work on shielding the rest of them from him. It wasn’t fair that he could get in my head like this. “It was a different time. We needed a strong coven then. We were at war.”

  Tonight, we readied ourselves for another battle. Nash may not have created all of the vampires that stood before him, but he was their leader. They stopped talking and turned to him.

  “We have reason to believe that Oscar and whoever’s working with him is taking girls from auction and keeping them here as blood slaves. That’s in direct violation to the courtesan contract. Be on the lookout for any human women, and any that have been recently turned. Find a place to keep and guard them until we can bring them back to the city. Keep an eye out for a courtesan named Olivia, a blonde who was with us last week. Any questions?”

  “What are the limits?” one of the vampires in the back of the crowd asked.

  “No limits. Rip their heads clean off their bodies if you need to. Whatever you do, don’t let them bite you.” Nash squeezed my hand, probably to calm me. He’d just ordered this group of men and women to kill if needed.

  “Nash, you’ll start a war!” Sabrina stepped forward, her eyes full of something I couldn’t read. “These guys are a huge problem, but they’re our last line of defense before any challengers come to the city.”

  “If you question me, you can stay here with them.” His tone was so cold, I didn’t believe it belonged to him.

  “No!” I shouted. Everyone stared at me. “Don’t threaten her.”

  Someone in the crowd scoffed, “You can’t control your blood slut. A snarl of rabid vampires won’t listen to you.”

  Nash charged forward, confronting the vampire who dared to mouth off. He pulled a knife out of his jacket. “I’ll pierce your heart and leave you here as bait if you ever speak of her like that again.”

  Holy. Crap. The two vampires remained locked in challenge, and I jumped when Sabrina slipped her arm around me. “A stake to the heart doesn’t kill us, but it doesn’t do us any good, either,” she whispered. “Only ripping our heads off will kill us. One vampire supposedly got his head back on his body quick enough that everything healed. So we burn the heads to make sure the job is done.”

  I held onto her, wishing she didn’t give me that specific image. My imagination was bad enough without the truth.

  “He said vampires only killed if they had to.” I had no idea why we were whispering, besides the fact it took a lot less to kill me.

  “There’s a reason why Nash is our leader. He’s fair and reasonable, but he’ll stop at nothing to protect his coven.” Sabrina kissed my forehead. A kiss from a vampire could make any problem seem like it belonged to someone else. Except for one. I may be Nash’s Lady, but I wasn’t part of the coven.

  I was just a blood slut.

  Nash turned away from his challenger, satisfied with whatever transpired. He held his hand out to me, and I took it, but I didn’t let go of Sabrina. “I want her to stay with us,” I pleaded. She offered a completely different kind of protection than he did.

  “We need to stay in pairs, love.” He scanned the crowd, nodding to the person he was looking for. A vampire I wasn’t familiar with joined us, and we headed into the woods as a foursome.

  I’d played in these woods my entire life. My parents had taken me and my sister on hikes, picnics, and made it a magical place. But we never, ever came here after dark, because the magic turned to evil. The first time I’d come here at night was when I ran away from trouble. Tonight, I faced it head on. Both times, I had the same goal: to make it out alive.

  Nobody had told me what to do, besides stay with Nash. I had no weapons, no phone, nothing but these three vampires and my volatile mind to protect me. It was easier to see the paths in the dark this time, not blinded with fear. It could’ve been the effect of drinking Nash’s blood.

  After we brought Olivia, and any other courtesan who we might find, to New York safely, I’d ask him to turn me. Beg him if I had to. Whatever. There was no room for error tonight, I couldn’t prove myself to be a liability.

  We moved fast along the worn paths. It took everything I had to keep up. Everyone moved silently, and I cringed every time a leaf crunched under my boot. A howl broke the silence; it could’ve belonged to an animal, a vampire, or a human.

  Nash grabbed me, turning suddenly off the path. “Don’t panic,” he instructed, speaking against my ear. “Your heartbeat will tip them off that we’re here. They’re already reckless. They’ll want more.”

  Sabrina screamed before I had a chance to say anything. Nash let go of me, rushing to our partners. I still didn’t know the other vampire’s name, but he rolled on the ground with…something. They moved so fast I could barely tell what was happening. Nash joined the blur—blood splattered against my cheek. Everything changed to sickening slow motion once he was involved, he and the rogue vampire tangled in battle, ripping at each other’s skin, biting, clawing. Nash went for his neck. It took everything I had not to puke when it snapped.

  “Go.” The bloodied vampire pushed us away from Nash and the rogue. “Back to the parking area. If anyone you don’t know approaches, drive away.”

  “Nash told me not to leave him,” I protested, even though Sabrina was already following the order.

  “Nash trusts Pierce.” Sabrina pulled me away from the fight. “As long as we stay together, he’ll understand. He wouldn’t forgive himself if you got hurt. That fight will attract more rogues. It’s better they don’t see you here.”

  “He doesn’t know what Olivia looks like.” I could barely breathe.

  Sabrina moved in a blur. She picked me up, our feet gliding over the ground. Holy crap, we were flying! I clung to her, wishing I actually had a chance to enjoy this. The feeling of moving through the air effortlessly was surreal.

  “He’ll bring back any humans, if he gets that close.” Sabrina glanced back into the thick wood. “The rogues were never this organized before. Who knows what else they’ll find.” She guided us back down to earth. “I can’t shield us and fly at the same time. We’re far enough away I can’t smell blood anymore. They won’t be able to smell yours, either, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

  Trees surrounded us, the summer brush thick and suffocating. I’d lost all sense of place when we flew, and I couldn’t lead us back to the road. I hoped Sabrina had a better sense of direction than I did. She moved easily through the bushes, rocks, and fallen branches, while I struggled. My shins burned with scrapes; the fresh blood that rushed the surface wouldn’t do us any favors.

  I jumped every time something or someone shrieked or howled. The sounds came more frequently, like an approaching storm. There was nothing we could do but brace ourselves for impact. Barking filled the silence between cries.

  “Where’s that coming from?” I asked. Sabrina’s hand was barely visible, waving for me to be quiet.

  Light blinded me.

  Oh, shit.

  Vampires wouldn’t need flashlights to see in the forest. But police officers would.

  I ran. Nothing but adrenaline left to fuel me, I broke away from Sabrina, as far away from the light as I could. She’d put a shield around us to protect us from the vampires, but it didn’t defend us against the police.

  “Corynne!” she called after me, but I didn’t stop. The barking became frantic, and I expected Sabrina to be by my side any second, but she wasn’t. I couldn’t risk looking back in case I tripped over a rock or fallen tree. I refused to be the girl who
got captured by the monsters because I fell flat on my face in the woods.

  The path cleared, and I was almost out of the woods. With any luck, I’d come out somewhere near the cars. The road was familiar, but I wasn’t in the right spot. If no one spotted me, I could get back to the car, and hopefully find Sabrina waiting for me.

  A blood-curdling scream shattered the night. All the other noises, the howls, the barking, the cries, stopped, and an eerie silence filled the space. Headlights from an oncoming car came into view and I jumped over the fence and slid down into a ditch. Something seeped through my clothes—mud, blood, or worse. I didn’t have time to check. I stayed in the ditch until it ended, knowing that meant I reached something important. A cross street or some sign of civilization.

  Or the parking lot. Even better.

  It took everything I had left to run to Sabrina. She leaned on the car, facing the woods, waiting for me. I silently prayed she’d glamoured the police into leaving the forest for the night. The last thing they needed to cross was a vampire war.

  Though maybe they’d find Olivia and let her captor burn in the sunlight.

  “I’m sorry I ran. I freaked out.” I stopped short as Sabrina’s pretty face morphed. Nothing came out when I opened my mouth to scream. Frozen in place, I watched one of my only friends transform into a monster.

  Chapter Eleven

  Corynne

  “Who the fuck are you?” I managed, my tongue thick in my mouth. My feet rooted to the earth, and there was nowhere to run as the man approached me with the ugliest smirk on his face. His glamour wasn’t strong enough to make me believe he was handsome. He may have been at one time, but too much time in the forest ruined him. Dirt streaked his porcelain skin and leather jacket, jagged fangs poked out under his curled lip. His eyes glowed red beneath his matted hair. No effing way would I get caught in the crossfire of those.

  He chuckled as he circled me. I closed my eyes and thought of Nash. That beautiful kiss that I prayed to God wouldn’t be our last. But God had no jurisdiction over the man in front of me.

  “You don’t remember me, Andrea?” He tried to touch my face, but I slapped his hand away. “Ooh. I see your vampire has yet to tame you. He’s not very good at that. I’m a perfect example. But with all the money he’s spending on you, I assumed he’d make it a priority.”

  An image of Sabrina lying motionless on the ground flashed in front of me. No. I couldn’t let this vampire see me freak out. Instead I tried to picture what happened to this man to make him so ugly, inside and out. “How’d you know my name?” The police could’ve talked to him, since Nash had sent them in this direction.

  He morphed again, this time a much smoother, cleaner version of himself. His hair slicked back, teeth white and even, suit perfect. I recognized him now. “You told me. The night you stood on stage, on full view for anyone to buy you.”

  No way. I didn’t remember saying anything while I was on stage. If I did, he tricked it out of me. That had to be against the rules. Like this guy cared about following anything resembling a rule. He took advantage of my shock. “Your power sucked the air out of the room. We knew you had it before we were able to see you. It filled the building. We all wanted you, Andrea. That kind of power is a game changer. It can right a lot of wrongs. Or the other way around, depending on how you look at it. One thing you need to know about Nash, he doesn’t like to play fair. His power’s gone to his head. That’s his downfall. I wanted you because you’re smart enough to fear what you’re capable of.”

  “You’re the one who tried to take me from him at the reception.” And Nash wouldn’t let him. I tried to picture Nash running out of the woods, ripping this asshole to shreds, but I couldn’t make it happen. I’d never feared my power more than I did right now, because it failed me when I needed it the most.

  “My name is Oscar. And it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Oscar held out his hand to me, but I didn’t take it. “I’m disappointed Nash didn’t tell you about me. I was his first creation. He hasn’t turned you yet, and I bet you’re begging him to do it. I’d love to see you covered in blood, on your hands and knees--”

  “You never will.”

  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Andrea.” Oscar grasped my shoulder so hard I thought the bone would crumble under his grip. “You’re a strong-willed little blood slut, aren’t you? You haven’t been broken like your pretty friend. She’ll do anything I command her to do. So will you.”

  He had her. Don’t let him see you freak out. It won’t help Olivia.

  “Like hell.” Where was Nash? I wanted to watch him punt this guy’s head like a football clear off his body. The image made me smile. “You’ll starve to death after we find Olivia and whoever else you’re holding hostage here.”

  “That’s what you think.” He’d come too close, and his scent was overwhelming. Like getting hit the face with an old, dusty book. “Nash is working awfully hard to keep you. Blood sluts are a dime a dozen. No need to fork over that kind of money to get laid. Are you that self-absorbed you think you’re worth that much? In the right hands, you are. Didn’t you question his motives? That maybe he doesn’t want to help you with your power at all, but instead crush it so it can’t be used?”

  The problem was I had questioned Nash. Every step of the way. I didn’t understand the money. And as much as he talked about my power, he never seemed interested in seeing what I was actually capable of.

  Oscar took my silence as victory. “He lured you here pretty easily. He could very well plan on leaving you with me. I’ll train you, the way he never trained me.”

  “He wouldn’t do that.” My declaration was as flimsy as my faith. Thinking of the kiss didn’t work. Nash wasn’t here. Only Oscar.

  “Come with me. I know you have secrets, too. I’ll turn you, and we’ll get these damn cops out of our forest. I’ll show you how to use that power. You’ll be the woman you were meant to be. Right in your own backyard. Together we’ll create a strong coven other vampires will beg to be part of.”

  I looked into his eyes. Everything inside me went fuzzy. A landslide of vampire power crushed my free will. Nothing else existed but Oscar.

  I nodded.

  “Good girl.” His tone changed, much softer than it had been. He let go of my shoulder and reached for my hand. I took it, and he brought it up to his lips for a kiss. Just like Nash had had the night of the auction. Good, I could still think of Nash. But I was completely powerless to stop Oscar’s next kiss that landed on my lips.

  His hands were all over me now—my arms, my back, inching closer to my breasts. Something awful inside me wanted more, even though a little voice, nearly buried, screamed that this was wrong. “I’ll bring you home now, love.”

  He even knew Nash’s pet name for me. Oscar’s glamour was just enough to keep me stupid, but not to make me forget everything completely. I’d be strong enough to fight it. Later.

  Chapter Twelve

  Nash

  I was too late.

  Corynne channeled me, just as I instructed her to do if she found trouble. I should’ve never jumped into that fight, but I couldn’t lose Pierce. He was too strong and knew too much. If we had any chance against a rabid, rogue coven, I needed him. I trusted Sabrina to get Corynne back to the car. When we returned to the coven, she would be punished, especially if anything happened to Corynne that I couldn’t fix.

  That possibility looked like reality. Corynne’s thoughts faded to static. Another vampire had her under his spell. It was a matter of time before Oscar got his hands on her.

  Or he already had.

  No. I couldn’t lose her.

  I landed when I heard footsteps. The police had been searching the forest tonight for the same monstrous vampires we hoped to find. They knew vampires had powers they didn’t, and they were terrified of them. Gunshots wouldn’t kill us, only slow us down.

  But instead of human men in uniform, Oscar approached me with Corynne in his grasp. I moved
slower than usual, with Olivia’s unconscious body slung over my shoulder. I handed her over to Pierce, and rushed to my creation, the mistake I couldn’t fix.

  Corynne’s vacant eyes made me sick with rage. I lunged at Oscar, connecting with his throat. I’d squeeze it until it popped off.

  “No!” Corynne screamed, ripped back to life by violence. “Let go of him!” She beat her fists against my arm.

  The only reason I honored her request was to take ahold of her. She was glamour-drunk, still not registering anything resembling reality. She probably didn’t know who I was. I held her chin in place, and gazed into her eyes to break the spell.

  “You lied to me,” she whispered, but there was no missing the scorn that laced her tone. “You meant to bring me here all along.”

  “He’s lying to you.” I moved her, so she could see Olivia in Pierce’s arms. “We found your friend. She needs to get out of here immediately if she has any chance of surviving.”

  “Turn her,” Corynne sneered, wriggling to break free of my grasp, angry when she didn’t succeed.

  “Absolutely not. None of us know this girl.” And I had a feeling she was nothing but trouble after meeting her roommate.

  “You liar!” Corynne’s scream bounced off the trees. She tried to pry my hand away from her chin. I closed my other hand over hers, and she stilled. The life returned to her eyes, but now it held nothing but contempt. Oscar had her long enough to convince her I was the devil he believed me to be.

  I brushed my lips against hers, figuring if anything would jog her memory and make her realize he was the biggest con artist to ever roam the planet, it was that. Her lips moved, but she didn’t kiss me back.

  After six hundred years of being undead, I didn’t think it was possible for my heart to break.

  I cradled her face in my hands, and did the thing I promised I’d never do. Glamour her.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Fucking Oscar hung around, waiting for me to fail. In the four hundred years since I turned him, he had been my only failure. It was a mistake I wouldn’t make twice. “She’ll doubt you until the end of time unless you give her every single thing she wants. Your power will be undermined by a human, and she’ll be the downfall of your coven.”