Aiden’s fangs descended, glinting in the light like pearl daggers. He bit into his skin, not flinching as his fangs pierced his wrist. A glint of desire burned behind his eyes as he held his arm out to me. A thin rivulet of crimson trickled down from his mouth. He was a walking, talking, macabre masterpiece. Not wasting any more time, I gripped his arm and held it firmly, closing my lips around the twin puncture wounds. The coppery sweet tang of his blood hit my tongue. It wasn’t horrid but it wasn’t delicious either. Putting the thought out of my mind, I began to suck against the wounds with greed. Aiden grunted softly, his hand balling into a tighter fist. I locked eyes with him, flashes of our times together floating through my mind. He watched me with such want I found myself absorbing his hungry emotions. The fact that he was turned on, and that I was the cause of it, sent a rush of heat cascading through my body.
Dorian cleared his throat and I broke away from Aiden’s gaze to find a pair of aviator sunglasses. Though I couldn’t see his eyes, I could guarantee they would resemble a coming thunderstorm—dark and angry.
“I think that’s enough,” Dorian said.
“I’ll say when she’s had enough,” Aiden bit back.
My eyes volleyed between the two men as I continued to drink in Aiden. His blood was like a dose of espresso, shooting through my body and awakening my tired muscles.
A handful of seconds passed before Aiden said, “Now it’s enough,” and removed his arm. I kept my eyes down; embarrassed I enjoyed it as much as I had. Running my fingertip along my upper lip, I wiped away the excess blood.
“Thank you,” I told Aiden. “I’m feeling better already.” And I was. The pain of my broken body was fading and I could tell the swelling in my cheek was receding.
Aiden bent forward and pressed a soft kiss to forehead. “My pleasure.”
“Am I interrupting?” Penny hovered by the door.
I smiled. “Not at all.” She picked the perfect moment to pop in. With her here I wouldn’t have to deal with Aiden and Dorian’s hatred for each other. She walked into the room, stepping around the mirror I broke, and stood at the end of my bed.
“You look…better,” she said with confusion.
I wasn’t sure how fast Aiden’s blood would work, but if results were being seen already, it was a good sign. My head still felt fuzzy, but the rest of my body buzzed with energy.
“Vampire blood, it’s the duct tape of the medicine world. It fixes everything.”
Penny nodded but her thoughts were somewhere else. Her brown eyes watched me with sadness and sparkled as if holding back tears.
“I’m so sorry, Gwen,” Penny blurted. “If I would have stayed…if you hadn’t been alone…” She shook her head back and forth as if trying to dislodge the mistake she thought she made.
“Penny, it’s not your fault,” I told her, sitting up and reaching out to her. She clasped my hand, walking around the bed. Aiden stepped out of the way and Penny sat on the mattress. I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed.
“Apparently this is my life now,” I told her. “It’s what happens when you piss off a villain.” I smiled and Penny gave a shaky laugh. “And I wasn’t alone. Eddie was with me and saved my life.” I hoped that hearing a ghost had saved me would help her reservations about the spiritual world.
“Speaking of, where is Eddie?” I asked Dorian. If he had materialized at Broomsticks, I hadn’t seen him. I was too focused on my attacker.
“Should we discuss this in front of the kid?” Dorian nudged his head towards Penny.
“I’m not a kid,” Penny argued.
“She has a right to know what we’re facing. She’s part of my life and that means she could also be in danger.” I gave Penny an apologetic look. I wasn’t taking any chances now that I knew how ruthless the assassins were.
“I have him searching for information on the Veil,” Dorian offered.
“What the hell is the Veil?”
“It’s an underground organization of black magic practitioners who hire themselves out to clean up people’s messes. They pride themselves on their kills and will go after just about anything or anyone.”
It was becoming clear that I didn’t know of half the evil that existed in the world. Living in a small town I had been blissfully ignorant. That ignorance was going to get me killed.
“What are they?” I asked.
“They can be anything: humans, witches, vampires, werewolves. They’re rogues who don’t like to play by society’s rules and forfeit their souls to the dark side for power,” Dorian explained.
“Does that make them immune to magic? Because mine didn’t even leave a scratch on that psycho.”
“He was possessed,” Dorian stated matter-of-factly. “Magic doesn’t harm demons, unless you’re trained in that sort of thing.”
I nodded. There were various levels of magic. Just like majoring in a special trade in school, witches majored in spells. Fiona was currently studying spell casting in Moon, while others specialized in nature, weather, animals and yes, demons. Practitioners of black magic have been around for centuries. For most, the temptation of a demon’s promise to solve all their problems was too much, and they bent to their influence. It was the job of those who studied black magic and demons to take care of a threat. Black magic practitioners were consumed by evil, and with evil there were always the risk of disaster.
“So you’re saying that members of the Veil allow demons to possess their bodies all in the name of power?” Aiden asked with disgust. “Is Holly a member?”
I hadn’t thought about that, but she would have used black magic to break the protection spell of our blood. Plus, if she was sending Veil members, it was pretty obvious she had an in with the rogues.
“I don’t know,” Dorian said, rubbing his chin.
“Yet Holly had you on speed dial to teach Gwen,” Aiden retorted. “Just for the record, I trust you even less than you trust me.”
It was Holly who set me up with the Angel of Death, and I did question it. Though now that the dust was settled and I’d gotten to know Dorian a little better, my suspicions of his involvement with Holly faded.
“You’re one to talk,” Dorian spat. “You can’t even be around her without wanting to drain her dry. As for me, I don’t have partners or subject myself to trivial matters. I’m neutral. My interest in Gwen lies solely in her Spirit Walker abilities. She is after all, mine.”
I knew Dorian meant that because I was a Spirit Walker I was under his protection and guidance, but the way he said it implied I was his in a very different sense—a romantic one.
Aiden snorted a harsh bitter sound. “Gwen will never be yours.”
“Um, hello? Let’s stop talking about Gwen like she’s not sitting in the middle of both of you,” I told them. “Besides, Gwen can make her own decisions.”
Penny stood up, adjusting her twisted sleeve to cover her hands. “I think I should head back home. I’m so happy that you’re okay.” She gave me a quick hug and cast both Aiden and Dorian an uncertain glance before disappearing through the door.
Ignoring the ever-present tension between the two men, I asked, “Can I go home now?”
“How are you feeling?” Aiden asked, resting a hand on my shoulder as he inspected my face. Dorian snorted to himself but we both ignored him. I moved this way and that way to test the pain. When my body didn’t scream in protest I smiled.
“A lot better.”
“I’ll get the doctor, he’ll want to examine you before they release you,” Aiden said and turned to leave.
I studied my hands in lap, unsure how to break the uncomfortable silence. Dorian walked over to the large window that occupied the right side of the room. The night sky was a mixture of darkness and light as the sun prepared to come up within the next hour or so. The stars were fading and the golden glow of a lamppost outside bathed the icy grass in its warmth. I studied Dorian’s reflection in the glass. His body was stoic as he looked out the window without seeing the scene
ry beyond it. Sometimes I envied mind readers. To know what was occupying his mind at this exact moment would be a godsend. Part of me wondered if he was regretting getting involved with someone like me—someone who had attracted the attention of a turncoat council member and the Veil. Was the trouble I found myself in outweighing my worth? It didn’t matter; Dorian couldn’t fight my battle for me. If he decided to walk, to leave me to fend for myself, I would make sure I was ready. I’d find someone to train me and help me become a master of handing out ass whoopings. Maybe even get business cards to verify my badassness. When I came face to face with another rogue, I would know what to do and do it well. I couldn’t afford to let another one get the drop on me. The next time could end up being my last, and I wasn’t ready to die yet.
Squeaking footsteps brought me out my thoughts. Aiden and a man in his mid-forties—the doctor if the white coat was any indication— walked into the room. Most of the medical staff was made up of supernaturals of nature: fairies, elves, and hobbits. Their expertise with living organisms—plants and animals—also transferred to beings. After all, we’re living organisms too. Their type of medicine didn’t consist of human drugs. You wouldn’t find morphine or antibiotics in this hospital. They treated their patients with herbs and other various natural products.
“I’m Doctor Fern. Mr. Blake tells me that he administered his blood to you?” The man asked.
“Yes, and I’m feeling worlds better.” I would run an obstacle course to prove it if it meant I could go home and get away from the stark, cold hospital.
“Yes, I can tell that it’s working. Already your bruises are fading and,” he lifted my injured arm up to inspect it, “the stiches are almost ready to fall out. How is your head?”
“Fine,” I said while Dr. Fern shined a penlight in my eyes.
“I suppose it’s a good sign that you have Death as a friend and not just a visitor, huh?” he smiled, tucking the penlight into his chest pocket. Dorian and I looked at each other, our silence depicting our worry that I wasn’t on his “death” radar.
“If you’ll sign here we’ll get you checked out and on your way back home,” the doctor said, handing me a clipboard I hadn’t noticed before. Without hesitation I signed at the bottom of the release page and handed it back to him.
“You’re good to go. Try to stay out of trouble; unlike other businesses we don’t like seeing repeat customers.” The doctor smiled, nodded to all three of us and turned to walk out of the room.
A nervous laugh bubbled up my throat when I slid out of bed and felt a breeze on my backside. Clasping the hospital gown closed, I turned my back away from Dorian.
“Clothes?”
Aiden walked to the other side of the room and retrieved a tan tote. “Penny didn’t have the key to your apartment so she bought you some things from Digs.” He handed the bag to me and then said, “We’ll wait outside.”
Dorian was still standing by the window but turned and without a word, he and Aiden left the room. For the first time since waking up I was alone and the tension was gone. I sucked in a deep breath, holding it for a moment and then releasing to clear the rest of the fuzz from my brain.
I set the bag on the bed and began to disrobe. Digs was owned by elves, and all of the clothes were organic. The shirt I slipped out of the bag was a beige off-white color with the words Mother Nature loves you in green print with a blooming flower beside it. So long as it covered my body I would wear a garbage bag out of the hospital. Before slipping the shirt over my head, I dug through the bag for a bra and underwear. I found the underwear, no bra. I suppose Penny didn’t know my size. Closing my eyes, I focused on creating one with my magic. When nothing happened, I squeezed my eyes tighter and tried again. Still, a bra did not appear. Damn it, it’s fading already, I thought. Or maybe it’s the stress and I can’t connect with it right now. That was the option I was going with. I’d had my magic at Broomsticks so it couldn’t be gone, not yet.
I finished dressing and looked down at my chest. My nipples poked against the thin cotton of my shirt. It was unusually cold in the hospital, and even colder outside. Penny hadn’t brought me a jacket, or shoes. I rubbed my chest, hoping the friction would ease the suckers back down.
“Gwen?”
My hands dropped and I turned to see Dorian smirking. “Don’t let me interrupt.”
Heat warmed my cheeks.
“Here.” He shrugged out of his leather coat and walked over to me. I was hyperaware of his presence behind me. With gentle hands he draped the coat around my shoulders, his hands lingering a little too long.
“Thanks,” I breathed, turning to look up at him. I don’t know what made me do it; perhaps it was the gratitude of his rescue or the soft comforting things he whispered in my ear as I lay dying. I reached out to him, my arms embracing his neck as I pressed my body to his. Dorian held himself stiff, as if touching me was torture. I ignored his discomfort and laid my head against his chest, inhaling his scent into my nostrils.
“We should get going,” he said, stepping away from me.
The embarrassment from trying to get my nipples down wasn’t nearly as bad as the humiliation I felt at this moment. I’d given in to the feelings I had for Dorian, needed to feel the comfort of his arms around me, and he rejected me. I cleared my throat and erased all emotion from my face. It was silly to expect comfort from him. Slipping the tote bag over my shoulder, I walked past Dorian and out into the hall. Aiden was leaning against the wall and looked up at me with an emotion I couldn’t put a name to. Sadness? Anger? A mixture of both? It was gone before I could analyze it further.
I walked over to him, unsure what to say. It seemed both men were acting odd around me, and I couldn’t stand it.
“The sun is coming up,” Aiden stated, standing up straighter. He looked down the hall, then back to me. “I know we’re not together anymore, but I’d like to assign one of my vampires to guard you.”
“Aiden—”
“It’ll give me peace of mind to know someone is watching your back.” Dorian stepped into the hall. “Someone that I trust,” Aiden finished.
Dorian didn’t say anything which I found out of character for him. He just hung back, looking in the opposite direction, arms crossed. When I looked back at Aiden he was almost scowling. What the hell was wrong with them?
“That’d be great,” I told him, afraid to hurt his feelings if I declined. “Thank you, and not just for that…for the blood too.”
Aiden cupped my face, his eyes pained and full of questions he wouldn’t voice. It was tempting to reach out to him and let him hold me like he had done so many other times. Before I could act on my thoughts, he dropped his hands and turned to leave. I watched him walk away while my feet itched to run after him. I stomped down the impulse, knowing that just because I was feeling vulnerable didn’t mean I should forget the reasons why we weren’t together. As painful as it was I allowed those memories replace the good ones.
“Ready?” Dorian asked holding out a pair of white slippers to me. I put them on and together we walked down the hallway and out the front doors. The icy chill of the early morning air stole my breath for a second. We headed down the brick walkway to my Jeep parked along the road. Dorian’s pace was a little faster than mine, which gave me a view of his back. When we reached the car he went around to the driver’s side, unlocked the doors and slipped inside. I didn’t expect men to open doors for me, but I knew he hadn’t intentionally, almost as if a signaling something I wasn’t getting. Swallowing my confusion and pain, I opened the door and slipped inside.
Heartless black eyes peered into my soul and left an icy chill quaking through my bones. His smirk revealed the pleasure he took from my pain. As he weaved the dagger through the air light caught the edge of the blade as if shining a spotlight on the weapon that would end my life. He was proud of the double edge knife, wielding it with efficient swift hands like some sideshow at a circus. Only I didn’t clap and cheer for his show.
; “You think you can kill me before I kill her?” His breath brushed against my cheek, warm and sour as he dug his weapon into my neck. A white-hot searing burn erupted along my throat as he toyed with my life.
My eyes popped open. I was on my side in a ball and my cheeks were wet. Heavy sobs choked me as I tried to put the pieces of reality back together. I was safe in my bedroom, not back at Broomsticks. Not in the arms of the rogue. Flashes of the broken girl I saw in the mirror flitted through my mind. Burying my face in my pillow I screamed, hating that I hadn’t let her go yet. I needed to be strong to get the upper hand on the Veil. That couldn’t happen if she was still hanging out in my subconscious.
Two soft knocks echoed behind my door. “Gwen?” Dorian’s soft voice called. I wiped my eyes and nose, clearing the evidence of my breakdown before he opened the door and stepped inside.
“I heard a scream,” he said. The light from the hallway spilled into the room, highlighting his hair while shadows played along his face.
“I’m fine,” I mumbled. The floorboards squeaked as Dorian stepped further into my room. Sitting up, I hugged my knees and watched him. He walked over to the window, bracing an arm against the wall and looking at the small side yard below.
“What aren’t you telling me?”
Dorian looked back at me, dropping his arm and turning around to lean against the wall. His hair fell forward as he lowered his head to study the floor. I sat quietly, waiting for him to spill it. It could have been five seconds or five minutes before Dorian spoke. I was so anxious to hear what he had to say that time slowed to a crawl.
“I cannot see your death.”
Well, I hadn’t been expecting that. “Since when?”
Dorian pushed off the wall and paced back and forth. His hands fisted at his side and his head was down as he stared at the floor. His brows pulled together sending creases rippling across his forehead.
“I—I don’t know. In order for me to distinguish when someone is going to die, I have to focus on his or her soul. I never checked yours when we first met. It didn’t seem important at the time.” His voice was hard with frustration.
Coveted - Book 3 in the Gwen Sparks Series Page 5