Blood Trial: Supernatural Battle (Vampire Towers Book 1)

by Kelly St Clare

  Kyros’s brother fell silent—though resuming our dance. The song ended and merged into another. I glanced around for Rhys. If he’d disappeared after I’d gone to all this trouble to broker a deal, I’d be pissed.

  “I couldn’t smell anything in his blood,” Rory muttered.

  Oh.

  “So I was wrong?” Dang, maybe I shouldn’t lump everyone who licked their lips in the same basket.

  “No, I think you’re correct. His behaviour was strange, even for being in my presence. If I couldn’t smell anything, it means he’s using the purest kind of heroin.”

  The big H. “No way! That seems more serious than, like, ecstasy.”

  Rory’s amusement had fled. “Yes. Very much so. Thank you, Miss Tetley. This changes everything.”

  He glanced down, and for the first time since he arrived at my room waving around the garment bag, I didn’t feel like a human puppet to him.

  I caught sight of another camera. Reaching up, I smooshed his cheeks together, smirking at the flash. “Look at me like that more often, Mr Senrite, and I might think you’re not a vain douchebag.” I let go of him. “Anyway, the night is young, and I’ve got—”

  “Not so fast.” He snagged an arm around my waist again. “You’re forgetting something.”

  Peeking up, I sighed at his amused look. “Fine.”

  “Where have you seen me?”

  This whopper would have to be a mix of truth and lies. “Four and a half years ago, you attended an opening ceremony at Sky Glitz.”

  Rory shrugged.

  “I was seventeen at the time and attending with a friend and her mother. I saw you and was taken with your looks. You asked me to dance, and I made some comment about finding you handsome. You walked off and left me in the middle of the dance floor. My friend told everyone at school, and they laughed about it for months.”

  The vampire stared at me. Dancing couples moved around us, glancing between us.

  Rory’s eyes lit and his mouth dropped. “I remember!”

  “That was a dick move. I was seventeen.”

  “Exactly. Not exactly a great look for me. I thought you were much older, if memory serves. I must have discovered otherwise during our dance.”

  It wasn’t quite an apology, but I’d take it, considering he wasn’t the shining Adonis I’d built him to be in my teens.

  Kyros’s brother wheezed in laughter and let go of me to clutch his side.

  I smiled at the onlookers while he had his moment. Rory clamped a hand on top of my shoulder for support.

  “Glad you find my humiliation so funny,” I said between clenched teeth.

  “I didn’t have to bring you here at all,” he gasped. “I can hold that over Kyros forever.”

  Enough of fucking Kyros for one night!

  “So that’s why you were struck speechless,” Rory said, sniffing hard and straightening.

  “Yes, Rory. Utterly speechless. You’re so good-looking.”

  Still chuckling, he slipped a hand into his jacket, drawing out a string of condoms and passing them into my hands.

  The cameras flashed, and he howled, erupting into fresh laughter.

  Flushing, I shoved the condoms back in his pocket without ceremony, beaming at the cameras. “What are you doing?”

  His answer was to laugh harder.

  The vampire walked off, weaving between the couples.

  “Where are you going?” I called after him.

  The surrounding couples peered at me. Half in shock, the rest in pity.

  My jaw hung ajar. “That shithead.”

  He’d just left me alone in the middle of a dance floor. Again.

  My knight in shining armour slid into the spot the vampire had just occupied.

  “Are you free again?” Rhys asked.

  I wrapped my hands around his neck. “Sure am, handsome. How about we get out of here?”

  His eyes widened. “Really?”

  My lips trembled. “Why is that so surprising?”

  A wrinkle appeared between his brows. “I’d resigned myself to being strung along.”

  “That’s terrible,” I replied, snorting. “You can’t tell me you’d be okay with that.”

  His eyes glinted. “There are worse things in life than being teased by a fascinating woman.”

  Rhys dipped his head to mine, and I met him halfway. His warm lips melded to mine. Soft and inviting. Testing, not demanding. He wasn’t claiming me. Rhys was human, not Vissimo.

  I pressed myself against him, deepening the kiss and enjoying his moan.

  He slipped his tongue into my mouth, and I reciprocated, shivering as his fingertips trailed down my forearms.

  I pulled back. “How about it then?”

  He interlaced his fingers with mine. “My place or yours?”

  “Yours,” I said firmly. Shit, imagine taking him back to the tower.

  Ducking, he lay a quick kiss at the base of my neck before tugging me through the crowd.

  And like the twenty-one-year-old I was meant to be, I stumbled after him, gasping with laughter.

  26

  “How far?” I asked Rhys, hiccupping. These heels were getting to me—more accurately, my hip. I needed more champagne. Or meds. Or both—that worked pretty well.

  I shrieked as he swung me into his arms.

  “Just around the corner,” he announced, grunting.

  Poor guy. I wasn’t exactly a pocket-size woman. Yet he clearly felt he was strong enough to carry me, so I’d give him a minute and make an excuse to hobble again. Or wave Laurel down for a ride. I’d glimpsed a black SUV a few times that I assumed belonged to my guard.

  “So we’re clear,” he said, glancing at me, “I don’t want to assume this night is heading where I think it’s heading. If it is, we’ll need to stop for condoms.”

  That. Fucker.

  I patted Rhys, and he set me on the ground.

  “Rory, you piece of shit.” I bellowed down the empty city street.

  He searched the street. “Uh, what?”

  I stomped off in the direction we’d been taking. “Rory offered me condoms and I gave them back.” Now I knew what his shit-eating grin was about.

  “Oh… I was asking my aunty for some. Did he hear?” Rhys shook his head immediately. “You were dancing with him. He can’t have heard.”

  Oh, Kyros’s brother heard alright. What a dick. I couldn’t really be mad at him either because he’d offered condoms to me twice. “You asked your aunty for condoms?”

  Embarrassing. For me, that was.

  “She’s cool.”

  I recalled the way she handled the two older guys with her. “She does seem pretty cool. So what are we going to—”

  Rhys swore and jerked to a halt, grabbing me.

  Searching for Kyros, I wasn’t sure if I clutched the base of my throat in terror or relief when I caught sight of the three men in the shadows.

  Rhys wrapped his arm around my shoulders and directed us in a large semi-circle around the three tall men.

  His lips touched my ear. “I don’t like the look of them. Get ready to run.”

  My heels were the strap-on kind. Not ideal.

  That was the least of my worries. These guys were really tall and muscular. Maybe there were just three oversized humans on the street.

  Or maybe that wasn’t the case at all.

  The middle man pushed off the wall and sauntered toward us. “Lovely evening, isn’t it?”

  Rhys tensed, pulling me behind him.

  My heart sank at the almond shape to the man’s hazel eyes. It was a Vissimo. Where was Laurel? I didn’t want to glance left to where I’d last spotted the black SUV in case it gave her away.

  She’d save me, right? This wasn’t a middle-of-the-day real estate head-to-head.

  “It is,” I replied, ignoring the rapid beat of my heart. “And we have plans, so…”

  The vampire was as gorgeous as all Vissimo, possessing tanned skin and golden locks that curled at
the top of his neck. Danger poured off him in waves.

  It happened so quick.

  Crack. Rhys’s grip was torn away as the Vissimo’s hand slammed into his breast bone. The wet bang as his bone caved inward was like a car backfiring.

  A scream tore from my lips.

  I managed one step in his direction before two warm bodies slid either side of me. An arm clamped across my chest, another low across my hips. I struggled, kicking out my legs and clawing at the arm just below my throat.

  A man almost identical to the one who’d attacked Rhys was before me. Or was it the same one?

  He ground his hips into mine. “This is Kyros’s little human.”

  I’d come too far to die. I wasn’t saying anything that could get me into trouble. Lowering my gaze from his hazel orbs, I stared at his broad chest.

  “Who knew he’d like a woman without a spine,” said the man behind me.

  Oh, I have a spine, asshole. I just wanted to keep said spine. I inhaled as quietly as possible.

  “I’m not so sure,” said the man before me. His bright hazel eyes roamed over me. They bored into my face before lowering to my breasts. “This one might just be smart. She’s secured two houses already.”

  I sucked in another shallow breath.

  God, where was Rhys? I couldn’t see the third vampire. I couldn’t hear anything through my reaction to the two Vissimo sandwiching me.

  Should I mention Kyros to them? Tell them Rory was meeting us soon? Or assure them that Kyros would give them what they wanted?

  I wanted to live, and I needed to help Rhys. His entire chest had caved in.

  The vampires lowered their mouths and licked twin lines up the sides of my neck. My heart sputtered in cold terror, expecting the sharp pinch of fangs entering my neck at any second. The two Vissimo laughed as I thrashed to each side—the instinct to run uncontrollable in my panic.

  Was this it?

  It couldn’t be.

  I threw myself back—attempted to—as the vampire in front gripped the front of my dress. With a quick jerk, the beaded and spangled front of the dress tore down to my waist, exposing my bare chest.

  Tyres screeched behind us, the sound vague and distant through the pounding in my ears.

  “Stay away,” I whispered, trying to avoid his hazel eyes.

  Neither answered, and I fell backward on my ass as the vampire behind me stepped away. I scrambled on the hard pavement, but my body wasn’t obeying and I went sprawling a second time.

  The Vissimo who’d been behind me was identical to the other two. Triplets.

  “Not bad,” one said, crossing his muscular arms as he studied my breasts.

  The other smirked. “For a human, you mean?”

  Black masses blurred over my head. Desperate fear choked me, holding me immobile as the blurs clashed with the two Vissimo, forcing them back into a lane branching off the main street.

  Was it help?

  The vampire who’d hurt Rhys sprinted back from across the street, barrelling into the shadowed lane after the main fight.

  “Miss Tetley, we need to get out of here.”

  Mouth ajar at the barely comprehensible scene before me, I lifted my gaze.

  “Laurel,” I said hoarsely.

  She bodily picked me up. “Did they touch you?”

  I shifted to look at my bare chest. “R-Ripped my dress.”

  “And put their scent all over you.” She broke off to swear long and hard.

  Rhys.

  “Rhys!” I shouted in her face. “Where is he?”

  “One of my colleagues is taking him to the hospital.”

  She’d brought friends.

  My hands shook. “Is he alive?”

  An Indebted I didn’t know opened the door of the black SUV. He was dressed from head to toe in black like Laurel.

  “He was still alive when the car left, yes,” Laurel answered, expression grim.

  My breath hitched. Still alive?

  “How bad is it?” I clutched at the front of her Dark Angel get up. He’d only been hurt because of me. Because I’d been so fucking stupid.

  “Right now, my priority is getting you and my team to safety. We can’t possibly know more on the status of your friend yet. When you’re safe, I’ll get more information.”

  Exhaling, I let go of her leather jacket.

  “Lie in the back seat.”

  I didn’t object. My head sparking and echoing.

  I didn’t move as Laurel arrange the scraps of my dress over my chest again. I focused on breathing in and out to control my sudden urge to throw up. Was it the meds, the champagne, or fear?

  How had the night taken such a turn for the worse?

  We’d been laughing and joking five minutes ago—two young humans having a good time.

  The nausea faded. The trembling in my legs and hands ebbed. And my mind began to sharpen. Enough to realise the car was moving.

  “Sir,” Laurel said. “There has been an incident with Miss Tetley.”

  I covered my face with both hands. “Please don’t, Laurel.”

  There was another vampire in the passenger seat, so when she ignored me completely, I didn’t press the issue.

  My eyes widened at the roar audible even through her phone speaker.

  She flinched and yanked the phone away. She listened for a full minute.

  “Yes, sir. Two minutes.”

  Was that the ETA to the tower? Getting attacked wasn’t enough? Now I had to get attacked for getting attacked in the first place.

  Gingerly, I sat, holding the pieces of my dress up. I blinked over the seat at two more Vissimo in the back seat. “Kyros is in a shitty mood, I take?”

  Laurel cut me a flat look, but the male in the passenger seat grinned out the window.

  “He’s not pleased,” my bodyguard said.

  “Yeah, heard his roar. Shoot, Laurel. I’m sorry for dragging you into that.”

  Her lips pressed together. “It’s my job.”

  But she was a slave. Would any of tonight’s events come back on her? I really hoped not. “I had it handled. A few more seconds and they were going down.”

  Laurel choked on a laugh, and the male fully turned to look at her.

  “What?” Laurel flung at him. “You try being professional in her company.”

  The male glanced back at me, appearing to consider that. He nodded and faced forward.

  “Do we really have to go back to the tower?” I whispered as the tower in question came into view.

  I’d managed the better part of a week without running into him. Things were finally starting to feel normal.

  Normal, like going home with a handsome man I was into.

  Normal, like being attacked by three members of the enemy clan.

  Kyros’s enemies.

  I groaned and lowered my head into my hands, dropping the top of my dress. These people were immortal. They’d seen boobs before.

  None of this was normal. I’m not normal anymore. I just played pretend for a few hours. And now Rhys was in hospital.

  Tears stung my eyes. How could I ever get out of this?

  Laurel’s voice cut across my misery. “Are you okay, Miss Tetley?”

  I laughed, drawing my forearm across my face. “Okay? Yep, sure. Just the champers I drank. And shouldn’t I be asking you guys that?”

  The man peered at Laurel again. She met his gaze and arched a brow.

  I straightened. “Were any of you hurt? I forget you guys can be injured and—”

  “It’s fine, Miss Tetley. Stop babbling. We’re all okay. It was seven against three.”

  Three terrifying Vissimo who’d been powerful enough to send me into a panic.

  Laurel directed the SUV into the garage of Kyros Sky, and I peered ahead, swearing under my breath when I spotted a certain pacing Vissimo ahead.

  She stopped the car, and I waited for her help to get out of the car, scrambling to hold up the front of my dress again.

  I ex
pected to be yanked away by Kyros straightaway.

  Nope.

  Rounding the front of the car like some kind of sheepish nine-year-old who’d taken the car out for a spin, I fidgeted next to Laurel.

  Kyros kept his distance, scanning me. His eyes rested on my knees, on the tatters of my dress, and skimmed my face which, I imagined, was a mess.

  He strode to the nearest car, a navy blue fancy thing. Shoving his hand through the windows, he picked up the car, shifted it overhead and hurled it at the cars on the far wall. I gasped and jumped closer to Laurel, who bumped her shoulder against mine. Kyros didn’t roar.

  The vampire didn’t utter a single word as he picked up another car, and another.

  Then he got to a certain white car.

  “Not that one!” I shouted, tripping forward to stop him. As if I could even get there in time.

  His back was to me.

  “That’s my car,” I added, simultaneously remembering that wasn’t true at all. The car belonged to him.

  Damn.

  Kyros wouldn’t really want to be smashing up his garage though. He hated losing control of his temper or power or whatever the correct term was. That I’d get a scary lecture was inevitable, but I didn’t want his employees seeing him like this. That would torture him more than anything.

  Why I cared about this man’s pride was a fucking mystery.

  Kyros’s hand was resting on the bonnet, shoulders heaving with his pants.

  I edged closer, free hand outstretched. “Leave the nice car alone, Kyros.”

  A growl filled the garage.

  Seriously? That was a joke. “For the record that was sarcasm. If it makes you feel better… please.”

  Was it safe to touch him? He wasn’t mad enough to roar, but I couldn’t recall seeing him throw cars around like hay bales before.

  I rounded the car and reached out.

  He spun, catching my hand. My eyes were already fixed on his chest, and I focused on the pounding in my chest as rage rolled off him.

  “Where. The fuck. Did you take her?”

  His question was aimed over my head. I could feel him scanning me again.