Demigod Down

by Kim Schubert

  “Don't kill them,” Logan warned me.

  “You must be joking,” I groaned. “They are here for your head. They need to be put down or more will come and aside from those important facts, no one comes after me or mine.” I growled lowly.

  “She's right, beast master,” taunted one of the goons with a dragon tattoo on his neck.

  “Of course I'm right,” I said cockily. “You should leave if you value your life.”

  The leader scoffed. “Hell no. We waited this long to be sure the freak would be with them when we killed Logan. I'm done waiting. What do you see in the whore Darren? She that great a fuck?” He snarled.

  I laughed and said, “The best you will never have.” I was going to enjoy this. My first instinct was to rush into their group slicing and dicing but as Logan and Darren beat me to it, I hung back to protect Kass, After all, glass can be broken.

  I didn't expect the jump from behind or a strong arm choking off my airway. My feet flew off the ground into the body behind me. Using my momentum, I swung my feet between my attackers, launching him head over heels. That's when I saw it was a female.

  “Bitch,” she hissed at me, her eyes glowing as her nails lengthened into talons.

  “This bitch is going to kick your ass sweet cheeks,” I taunted, smiling moving in the limited space between the cars.

  “Demon whore,” she snarled. Rolling my eyes, I missed her lunge around my middle, landing on my back hard against the pavement.

  Before she could sit up, I blasted her with my elbow to the top of her head. Dazed, she tried to push back, freeing my back so I could slide my hidden dagger out and cleave off her head in one swoop.

  “Demon whore one, shifter zero,” I congratulated myself, standing back up.

  Logan’s hands had sprouted claws and Darren’s shirt and the skin underneath was sliced down the back, as I watched the wound healed itself. Shifters, they sure can take a beating.

  Breaking glass followed by Kass’s yelp had me bounding over the car’s trunk, driving my knife deep into the back of a shifter bent over reaching into the car for Kass. I twisted the blade before withdrawing it and the fool who had gone after Kass.

  Darren plucked him from my reaches, removing his head by sheer strength alone.

  “Show off,” I muttered, looking around, finding the brothers had dispatched the rest with ease. I was not going to admit to being slightly jealous or itching for another fight.

  “You need to beef up your security,” I told Darren rubbing the back of my head, picking asphalt out. “Clearly your marriage solidifies my role in the packs and there are those who don't want that.”

  Darren nodded, preoccupied as he checked on Kass.

  I sighed, checking the time listening to the sirens approach. “I suppose we have to stay for this one.” Settling my weight against the bumper of Darren’s car, Logan settled his substantial weight next to me.

  “It’s possible they just don’t want her,” Logan grumbled.

  “Watch yourself Logan.” I said, turning to him, “I will pull out of this pissing contest and let the cards fall where they may.”

  He slid closer the battle high evident in his swirling caramel eyes, “I don’t need your protection.” He sneered his breath warm on my face.

  I scoffed, “Right, just like you don’t need me to plan your wedding, or arbitrate your disagreements. Face it asshole, you need me more than I need you.”

  The sirens were getting closer as I clenched my hands around my blade. Logan pulled back, “You should probably hide that again.”

  I turned away, wiping the blood off on the fairly clean shirt of a dismembered body before re-sheathing the blade on my lower back.

  Logan was still watching me, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of acknowledging him.

  Several police officers filed out of various vehicles taking in the bloody scene before them slowly.

  “Olivia!” Mercer called my name behind me.

  Turning, I smiled, “Hi Mercer, long time.”

  Adjusting his tweed suit, he ran a hand over his short blond hair, letting out a low whistle. “Trouble following you?” he asked, pulling out a pad from his jacket.

  I shrugged. “Not me exclusively,” I answered.

  “Let’s start from the beginning,” Mercer suggested and I nodded, relaying the story.

  At some point, Mercer had stopped taking notes and was just staring intently at me.

  I sighed, leaning against the trunk of the car. “Grams has already updated you on the shifter drama,” I guessed.

  Flipping his notebook closed, he leaned next to me into the spot where Logan had vacated, watching the officers work. “Yeah, she has.”

  I sighed, rubbing my eyes. “How are things between you two?” I asked, wanting to change the subject.

  Mercer shifted uncomfortably as a smile played over his lips. “I’m glad,” I said softly.

  He turned to face me, surprised by my unexpected words.

  Punching him lightly on the shoulder, I teased, “You break her heart, I’ll break your face.”

  His color drained.

  “That was her poor attempt at humor, Mercer.” Logan said, having finished his interview.

  “Let's go Logan. I have a date tonight,” I told him, leaving Mercer watching me uncertainly.

  Once we got into the car, I looked over at him, “Don’t ruin my fun,” I warned him.

  He jeered, “I think I’ve provided plenty of entertainment tonight.”

  I sighed and said, “If it’s not the vampires, it’s the shifter. I miss when life was less complicated. I probably need to kill more people, send a strong message.”

  “You are unstable,” Logan muttered, heading back to Blake’s.

  “Not new information,” I informed him.

  …

  At Blake’s, I took the stairs two at a time wanting a hot shower to try and ease some of the kinks out from landing so hard on the pavement.

  I didn't make it to the shower but stopped dead in my tracks by what Blake had laid out on the bed for me.

  He turned, “You are home early.”

  “Got jumped by a group of shifters.” I answered absentmindedly as my eyes stayed riveted to the black silk dress with intricate beading that lay on the bed.

  “Do you like it?” he asked uncertainly.

  “It's amazing Blake,” I said smiling. “Thank you.”

  He nodded smiling, “I have a few phone calls to make before we head out.”

  I shook my head as he raised a questioning eyebrow. I approached him. “No phone calls,” I whispered, breathing in his clean scent.

  “If you insist,” he growled, throwing me over his shoulder.

  …

  This was a working dinner, but I didn’t care if Blake was watching the visiting vampire elders more than me. Work was work and I knew that better than most.

  “Need any help?” I asked as he twirled me effortlessly on the dance floor.

  He smiled, bringing his attention back to me, “Am I that transparent?” he asked, blue eyes sparkling.

  Leaning into his strong body, I shrugged. “Hopefully just to me,” I answered feeling his arms snake around me protectively, drawing a sigh from my soul.

  “How was your day?’ he asked, lips brushing my ear.

  I groaned. “Difficult, I am being dragged into the turmoil in the shifter nation and I don’t know if I should let myself or stay out of it,” I finished, pausing to take a breath before continuing. “If Kass wasn’t marrying into the mess, I would probably steer clear of it entirely.” I groaned, resting my head on his shoulder as he turned to watch the vampires again.

  They were dressed to impress, with brand names I couldn’t begin to pronounce draping their bodies in revealing contours and soft colors. The venue itself was awe-inspiring with stone floors, gold inlaid tapestries, and servers bustling about everywhere.

  “Maybe you are better at politics than you give yourself credit for,” he ans
wered sweetly, bringing a small smile to my lips.

  I heaved a sigh, “Doubtful.”

  We spun around the floor again, coming to pause again by the same group.

  “You never did tell me what the occasion was,” I asked softly, not really expecting an answer.

  He stiffened under my fingers at my question. Quickly I added, “You don’t have to either.”

  His relaxed posture was faked and I hated myself that he had to pretend with me. He had an open gauge into my emotions since we were intimate together and my shields no longer protected him. I was clueless as to what was driving him lately.

  “Family problems,” he said, pulling back as the music ended with a slight grimace on his lips.

  I nodded, not pushing for an answer terrified I had already pushed too far.

  A gently laid hand on my shoulder had me turning to one of the beautiful vampires we had been spying on. Dressed in a skintight red strapless dress, she had turned heads before her dark eyes landed on Blake. Her pale skin was accented lovely by her long dark hair pulled into a loose bun with thick tendrils floating about her face and neck.

  “If I may intrude?” she asked in accented English.

  I smiled, taking a step back and feeling inadequate in my black dress, my fading red hair falling around my shoulders.

  “It would be an honor, Angelina,” Blake answered smoothly.

  Another hand on my hip had me spinning around to the male counterpart of the female who had enticed my date. Equally dark eyes peered at me with a depth of cruelty I knew well. These vampires were from an older cast that believed all other species were far below them.

  “You have a lovely pet, Blake,” he commented and I kept my shoulder loose with my facial expression unchanged. Blake wasn’t the only one who could pretend.

  I would love to kill them both, but based on their accents I had no claim to foreign vampires, even if they did break a law. The local vampires were responsible for keeping them in check. I suppose that made more sense why Blake was here.

  I looked back at him, conveying my understanding with my blank look and slight nod that could easily be confused as reverence.

  “May I partake in a dance with her?” the stranger asked, his hand still resting on my hip.

  “Of course, Gabrielle,” Blake answered smoothly, drawing the red woman into his arms. Jealously shot up my spine and only years of hiding my emotions kept it under my skin. Blake caught it though.

  Gliding us away from Blake and Angelina, Gabrielle was silent as he peered into the green depths of my eyes with his hand on my hip firmly. I tried to play the part of pet, but I’ve never been great at downplaying my naturally bitchy nature and I felt it rising to the surface, ready to give hot pants a go.

  “You are an interesting choice in a pet,” he commented, breaking our eye contact, with a shifter that would have been a win for me. Here I doubted it. Vampires were a crafty, clever breed of supernatural.

  I shrugged smiling as I answered, “Nothing special here.”

  He scoffed, looking back down at my grin as one of his own spread to his lips, “With those looks and legendary abilities,” he paused for effect, “you could have your pick of powerful men to protect you.”

  “Who says I need to be protected?” I asked, tilting my head quizzically.

  His smiled widened, “Olivia, Executioner of the Supernatural Council, famed at making enemies and destroying them, you have collected a long list of those who wish you harm.”

  “True, but most of them are dead,” I responded, easily giving up the pretense of pet.

  “You believe that?” he asked, twirling me away before drawing me close again.

  I couldn’t help the smug smile that graced my lips, “There is a reason I’ve managed to live this long,” I informed him.

  He smiled and nodded silently for a moment as we gracefully moved around the dance floor. He was an exquisite dancer, elegant and easy to follow.

  “Do you know why we are here?” he asked, tilting his head to Angelina.

  “Family business,” I supplied with a shrug.

  He face clouded over as he looked away, “I suppose it could be called that. Tell me,” he asked, “is it true you still owe Blake a favor?”

  My eyes jerked to his, my brows drawn down. I had forgotten about that or assumed it was a moot point really given our relationship. My answer was slow as Gabrielle watched me, enjoying having thrown me a surprise. “Yes, it is,” I replied levelly.

  He nodded as the song ended. We parted, still watching each other closely, each of us seeing a challenging opponent.

  Blake interrupted our staring contest.

  “If you will excuse us, Gabrielle,” he said with a slight bow, before rushing us out of the ballroom.

  I was careful to keep silent and dampen my emotions as best I could. I was trying to let Blake ride out his family problems, but I did not like being kept in the dark.

  Chapter 7

  I woke in cold sweats, panting as another horror movie from my past played before my eyes. Pulling deep breaths, I searched the bed for Blake but came up empty.

  I was a big girl and I could handle this alone, I told myself, forcing the visions out of my head as I swung the covers off to use the bathroom.

  Splashing cold water on my face helped ease the tension in my chest, and my worry for Blake was a quick way to distract myself from my own unresolved issues. Easing out his bedroom door, I padded on soft footsteps toward the glow of light down the hall in the library. Pushing open the door, he smiled at me surrounded by ancient texts.

  “Nightmare?” he asked softly rubbing his hands over his weary face before holding them out to me.

  I nodded, going to his open arms and curling into his chest. “I’m sorry, sweetie,” he whispered, kissing my hair. “I couldn’t sleep.”

  I shrugged. “Not your job to keep the monster at bay,” I told him, wanting a quick subject change. “What are you doing in here?”

  He sighed dejectedly. “Wasting my time honestly, I am trying to find a case or a mention in vampire history of a vamp pet being set free by someone not in the clan.”

  Rubbing my eyes, I moved a few books giving myself room to work. “This isn’t English.” I held up the first book I had opened.

  He gave me a small smile, “No, here” he pointed out more modern text, “try this one.”

  “Much better.” I cracked open the first worn pages.

  I felt his eyes on me for a few long moments before I turned, head supported in my hand and raising an eyebrow in silent question.

  “This isn’t what you enjoy.”

  “If you are not going to let me kill the source of the problem, than the least I can do it help you with this stuff.” I shrugged. “Besides I don’t like sleeping alone so much anymore.” I returned to my book feeling slightly vulnerable with that confession.

  Leaning closer, he nuzzled my neck, “Olivia, the greatest Executioner ever to live, doesn’t like being alone in bed?”

  Pushing him away, I put a book in his hands. “You have shit to do.” A smile tugged at my lips.

  We worked in silence most of the night, gentle touches between us as we shifted for a more comfortable position or for the next text, but still we found nothing as the morning light flittered through the windows.

  Heaving a sigh, I stood up stretching. “I’m going to get something to eat.”

  He nodded, looking around the room dejectedly. I squeezed his shoulder. “I can make some calls and see if there are any other texts we can check.”

  Blake shook his head, “This has to stay quiet.”

  Heading toward the kitchen, my mind mulled over the pet problem. Vampire pets were essentially slaves to their masters. They lacked the strength to free themselves from the powerful predators, but time had evolved the practice. Many had places of honor within the clans as they could move easily in human society able to achieve goals that the vampires couldn’t do on their own. Especially now that the e
xistence of vampires had been revealed to the general public, their rights as citizens hadn’t been defined. Owning homes, voting, and having drivers’ licenses were all now subject to the government’s approval or disapproval.

  I was so glad that they didn’t know about us yet. Taking on the human government gave me a headache just thinking about it. The last time Hash and I had been in the same room, for business reasons, one of us was trying to kill the other. I was simply more honest about it.

  Returning back to the pet problem, I chewed thoughtfully on the cereal I had poured for myself. Only a clan member could free a pet and even then, challenges would arise for said pet with the strongest vampire winning slave rights. It was a custom I didn’t particularly approve of, but I hadn’t seen one pet in Tate’s clan. I wonder which clan had someone Blake cared deeply for and why he wasn’t letting me kill the fuckers.

  I sighed. Not all the world’s problems were mine, but his I would gladly take on.

  I needed to talk to Grams and check out our own library on the subject, Blake wanted to keep a lid on this, but I wanted it resolved and done with. Rubbing my eyes, I refilled my cereal, letting my mind wander over the pet problem.

  Finishing my third bowl of cereal, I rinsed my dish in the sink when I heard Blake lumber down the stairs on the phone.

  “I’ll be right there,” he growled into the phone, wrapping a strong arm around my waist and leaning down to gently kiss my neck. Resting my head against his shoulder, I heard his phone click off before he leaned down to nuzzle my neck.

  I debated telling him about my own plans to check out the manor’s library, but I decided against it. He would undoubtedly attempt to dissuade me. Whatever his reasons were, he was adamant on keeping me out of the picture and given Gabrielle’s comment last night about the “favor” still owed to Blake, I was bound to get dragged into this mess sooner or later and I’d rather get a handle on it sooner. Problems left to the vampires were slow to be rectified and when humans were involved, they always spelled disaster.