Paranormal Magic (Shades of Prey Book 1)

by Margo Bond Collins

  Unfortunately, it appeared the vampire was not cowed by the glare he was receiving, so Mercer tried to put a little more weight into it. “Have you finished or do you want to go hand to hand? ‘Cause I’m all for getting down and dirty, Athanasius. I hear that’s how you like it.”

  “I’m not going to fight you, Mercer.” The Russian gave him a wink, and Mercer would later realise it was the cause for his downfall. If the vampire hadn’t blinked, Mercer was one hundred percent positive he would have seen the reflection of the stealthy attacker behind him in that eye. He didn’t miss details like that. As it was, Mercer saw, heard, and knew nothing until he felt the pull of a garrotting wire tightening around his neck.

  “And here I thought this was far too easy,” he said, his voice stumbling as the thin wire began to choke him. He didn’t make the mistake of struggling under its tensioned grip. One wrong move and the thing would slice neatly through some major arteries, and he was all for avoiding that. Besides, if the vampire behind him had wanted him dead, he’d already have hit the floor.

  “Bring them here.” Athanasius gestured to one of his cohorts behind him, and out of the darkness came stumbling both Guillaume and Lainey. They didn’t look particularly happy, probably because Lainey had a gun pointed at the back of her head and Guillaume had a knife against his throat. Mercer decided things were looking rather unfriendly.

  “All right then, this is how this little episode is going to play out,” said Athanasius, and his green eyes burned bright with the scent of victory. Running his finger down Mercer’s cheek, the Russian breathed directly into his face, and that was his first mistake. Scoring his cheek with his sharp talon was his second but he’d already nailed the lid upon his coffin, so it was a moot point.

  Mercer’s brain was firing rapidly. They needed a distraction. He had a distraction, but two would be better. Rain. That would be perfect. It was December, they were in northern France so where was the damn rain? He’d probably have to make do with what he had, but it would be a damn risky manoeuvre for all concerned. Still, it would be worth a shot to whisper it into the witch’s ear, so he blasted a little thought into her and hoped for the best.

  Athanasius continued blithely unaware of the exchange. “We’re going to take the witch directly to Kalliope, and she has requested a desire to see you as well, Mercer. I suspect she’s bored and needs a new playmate. Just three feeds and the big bad vampire will be nothing more than a purring pussycat ready to obey her every whim—right? If she successfully managed to tame Gaius, I shouldn’t think you’ll prove too much of a problem. You can either come willingly, or we can slit every artery in Guillaume’s body and let you watch him bleed to death.” He flashed an evil smile. “If that doesn’t work, we could try slicing a finger or two. First the witch, then Guillaume, then you and we’ll figure out who can scream the loudest before we move on to bigger and better things. Face it, Mercer…it’s not really as if you have a choice.” The word choice seemed to echo in his ears forever and the sound was one that chilled Mercer’s blood.

  Athanasius began walking away towards the front of the house, confident that everyone would be following him. The minions holding Lainey and Guillaume had turned them around, and they were being marched forward. The knee pushed into his thigh directed him to do the same. He put one foot forward to show he was willing but he decided that there was no way he was being taken off of the grounds of the chateau alive. It was clear that death was in the cards and he’d prefer it be on his own terms, rather than on someone else’s. As if to support his resolve, the first spots of rain hit upon his cheek.

  The wind began to pick up, whistling through the trees, and inky black clouds quickly covered the moon. His fingers itched to act, but he bided his time. Another foot forward, a loud rumble of thunder rattled the air, and a fine mist of rain began to fall. He hoped his witch had a bit more in her than a drizzle. He needed a good downpour. No sooner had the thought left his head than the heavens opened and spilled its contents. Massive drops of ice-cold water quickly turned into a raging torrent and the resulting deluge was just what he’d ordered. Perfect. Now it was time to play.

  His right arm did nothing more than brush against the pocket of his leather trousers, but it was enough pressure to detonate the last remaining set of bombs he’d planted. Mercer had placed them near the front gates in order to prevent a mass escape but thankfully, it hadn’t been necessary to use them before. In the three-second delay it took to activate the explosives, Athanasius was a mere three feet away from them. There was a God apparently.

  “Duck,” whispered Mercer knowing Guillaume wouldn’t need any more warning than that, and then he roared the command inside Lainey’s head and gave her a little jolt of compulsion to see his order through. Thankfully, both she and Guillaume took his warning seriously and did impressive face plants into the mud. They hit safety with less than a second to spare. Then the swirl of sawdust, graphite, and exploding earth was everywhere and the bright white light of the explosion in the dark night sky was painfully blinding.

  Athanasius went flying through the air and he knew without looking that it would take a very talented jigsaw enthusiast to put the shredded pieces of his body back together. He would have smiled viciously had his throat not been under severe pressure, which he had to do something about quickly, but then many things needed to be done and he decided it was best to do them all at once. Well, almost.

  As soon as the blast had rocketed off, he reached for both knives and lunged backwards, falling on top of his attacker. He used one knife to work under the garrotte so the vampire behind him couldn’t slice his neck off, and the other knife arced over the top of his head so the velocity of the fall would help him ram it home between his captor’s eyeballs. In the next instant, two guns were in his hands and the other two vampires, who were scrambling to their feet in order to reach their captives, never made it to terra firma because they both had bullets in their brains. Of course, those wounds wouldn’t kill them but it would certainly give them pause for thought while Guillaume took care of the rest.

  Looking down at his body, now covered in all manner of disgusting debris, Mercer closed his eyes then blinked slowly, and gently rubbed his hand across his neck to find it covered in blood. The good news was that it was just a scratch, and it would heal quickly. Miraculously, he had no new holes in him. A few pieces of shrapnel had embedded in a few places, but there were no damn holes. Hoo-fucking-ray. His feeling of relief immediately retracted when the shrill sound of screaming nearly burst his eardrums.

  Fuck. Not again.

  His ears were still ringing from the damn blast so deciding that he’d had just about enough for today, he walked over to Lainey and scooped her up, cradling her to his body. Wanting to hold her at arm’s length and yet somehow tear all her clothes off at the same time, he employed suitable restraint. There’d be time for fun and games later. As for her hysterical screaming, there was a quicker way to deal with that problem.

  Pressing her neck up to his mouth, he jammed his teeth against it. The sharp points of his fangs pricked her skin, but he did nothing more than give her a warning. In response, her body jerked in his arms, and then went rigid. The resulting silence was blissful. It was as if someone had pressed the mute switch. With her mouth wide open, and her whole body trembling, she looked at him with what should have been horror, but what he saw there fascinatingly enough was fury.

  “Don’t move,” he whispered threateningly, not wanting his moment of peace disturbed. Her eyes had turned from their usually bright shade of royal blue to something darker resembling a turbulent mix of indigo and black. Was the obedient wilting violet he’d come to tolerate about to show her claws? Was it anger rearing its ugly head or was it something else? He inhaled a thick lungful of air to test his suspicions, and smelled pheromones. Strong, heady, and pungent—the scent of arousal flooded his acute senses. This couldn’t happen…it can’t happen. It would be far too dangerous.

  Life Affirmi
ng

  “You can’t bite me,” Lainey finally managed to whisper with her heart racing, and her body feeling more alive than ever before. “You know I’m a witch.”

  His grip tightened around her body and his hand might have shifted underneath her backside, but she couldn’t be sure.

  “Ah, yes. By the way, when were you thinking of telling me that little gem of information?”

  She ignored the question. “You’ve already bitten me once. You need to stay away from me.”

  Mercer smiled slowly, but his eyes reflected his mouth’s predatory intent. “I’ve bitten you twice, sweetheart, but I’m not going to make the mistake of biting you again. Fucking is definitely out of the question.”

  Her throat began moving, but no sound came out. She was vaguely aware of him carrying her up the grand staircase, but suddenly it seemed as if her world had entered The Twilight Zone. Pictures floated by in a blur while the chandeliers above her head danced and pirouetted, and the bannisters beside her appeared to move of their own accord. The old-fashioned floral wallpaper became a living, breathing entity and her whole body became limp and boneless. For the moment, the fury she had felt at having Mercer’s teeth at her throat disappeared, and she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to surrender herself to the dark god before her.

  You can’t think like that, her mind whispered. Once he knew the truth, he’d have only one goal inside his head. Whether her death would be quick and painless, or agonising and merciless, was the only question that would remain. Her heart beat a little faster, and the world spun a little bit quicker as the reality of her situation hit home.

  Stretching her fingers out to try to stop them from shaking, she looked up and saw the line of blood around Mercer’s neck. Closing her eyes, she tried to breathe. It was hard. Everything was closing in on her. She was soaked to the bone. The jeans and sweater she wore no longer provided any warmth whatsoever, and her hair clung around her face in unattractive lumps. Her body was cold and felt numb. Was that why she was shaking so badly? Opening her eyes and determined to get through this, she looked down to find her hands covered in the gory remains of war. The reality of what she’d witnessed was real and it was too much. She tore frantically at the sweater around her neck as tears streamed down her face.

  “Get it off me! Get it off,” she shrieked, struggling madly in his arms.

  Kicking the door to his bedroom open, Mercer placed her gently upon the satin-covered divan and whispered in her ear. “Breathe. Just. Breathe.” Then his hands reached for the hem of her sweater, and he slid it slowly up her body before tugging it once to pull it off over her head.

  None of what was happening seemed to register for her. All Lainey saw was blood. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew he was running a shower and helping her to undress but it was all so hazy, as if it were happening to someone else. When she once again started to fight him, screaming and tearing at her jeans, he tipped her back on the bed and in two efficient yanks, he’d ripped them off leaving her in nothing more than her scraps of lace.

  There was a loud curse, which shocked her back to silence, and she managed to focus her eyes for long enough to read the expression of hunger in his eyes as his gaze took in her nakedness covered only by the enticing bra and panties.

  “Fuck you, Guillaume.” The second curse was softer, and accompanied by a sigh of defeat. She watched as he closed his eyes and a pained expression crossed his face. It was the first time Lainey had seen Mercer anything but in total control. Her hand reached out to touch his arm but he yanked himself away from her, and then Lainey snapped completely.

  Grabbing handfuls of her own hair, she pulled at them until she began to rip the strands out. Kicking, shouting and screaming, her nails shredded the satin covers beneath her. This whole mess wasn’t a dream, and it was getting worse by the second. She didn’t want to deal with it any more.

  “Stop it.” The order rang out, but she was long past listening to anything Mercer said. It wasn’t until he picked her up and curled her legs around his waist that she realised he was naked. His hands coiled around her back, stroking, reassuring, calming her, and then the shower door swung open wide and heavy slivers of steam embraced them.

  The bright LED lights of the bathroom lit up their bodies with perfect clarity. As the hot water beat down upon them, she threw her head back and felt a little spark of life re-ignite. With her legs still around him and her back to the shower wall, he reached for a sponge and began to soap her body. He wasn’t gentle. His movements were jagged and jerky, his eyes never leaving hers. When she felt his growing erection between them, her thoughts focused suddenly, and completely—on sex.

  It was a rational life-affirming reaction to the events of the last few hours, and the adrenaline running through her system needed some means of escape. The consequences of their actions held no weight now, all she wanted was oblivion. Her fingers gently, experimentally touched the tip of his cock and it swelled to her touch. He hissed, and the frenetic pace of his washing continued. It didn’t deter her. The water ran red as he scrubbed every single inch of her, and her whole body tingled with the strength of his ministrations. It felt good. Feeling anything right now felt good, but the type of control she now had over Mercer felt extraordinary. Her fingers began to explore his body, and though he tried to push her hands away on several occasions with a guttural growl, she did not stop. She knew he wanted this too. She traced the hard, ripped lines of muscle that covered his abdomen, and explored every indentation and curve as her fingers gently skimmed over his skin.

  Lainey followed the bulge of his biceps and let her fingers gently caress the long slice in his skin that featured prominently on his neck. The blood had now washed away and the wound had stopped bleeding. She knew that in a few hours’ time, there would be barely a mark upon him. Running her fingers through his hair, she looked up into his dark amber eyes to find they were glowing brightly.

  “You’re playing with fire, my little witch. Do you really want a vampire bound to you?” The smouldering, feral glare he gave her should have had her running into next year, but her body had other ideas.

  Wrapping her fingers around the back of his neck, she slowly dragged his head forward to meet hers and whispered, “I’m not sure, how about we give you a little audition and see?”

  If possible, his eyes managed to go another shade darker and pulling her back from the shower wall, he grabbed her wrists and once again slammed her into it, pinning her hands on either side of her head. His lips were millimetres away from hers and though she strained hard to capture them, he managed to angle his head just far enough out of her reach. When he flipped the faucet off, the sudden silence was almost overwhelming. Lainey felt his fingers tighten around her small wrists and he teased her by rubbing his erection up and down against her sodden panties. She moaned in frustration.

  “This is a one-off, darling, because while my restraint might be legendary, I’m not one to take unnecessary chances. But I think we both need this, don’t you?” His hands left her wrists and began to travel back down her outstretched arms.

  Now that the water had stopped, the cool air began to prickle at her skin. She did not want the numb feeling to come back. The day had been full of enough horrors. “For the love of God, stop with the questions and kiss me, Mercer. Make me forget. Do what you promised.”

  He shook his head once clearing the water out of his eyes, and then he sucked in his bottom lip, slowly releasing it as he considered her request.

  “People don’t usually want to forget having sex with me, Lainey Hargreaves.” His lips twitched fighting a cocky grin.

  “That’s not what I meant…” The rest of her sentence disappeared as Mercer’s lips crashed into hers. They were not gentle. His tongue leapt into her mouth and she was instantly lost. Somehow, they made it out of the shower. They didn’t bother with such niceties as towelling off, for there was no time for that. Hitting the bed with the velocity of a force nine gale, h
is mouth was all over her and the heat it imparted was breath taking.

  Flipping the catch of her wet bra open, he removed it and flung it down on the floor before his teeth softly nipped their way up her ribcage. The sensation was exquisite. Then with one hand, he gathered her wrists underneath the small of her back bringing her body up to him and with the other hand, he pushed at the base of her collarbone, arching her head and shoulders away. Bent over like a bowstring, he now had unimpeded access to her breasts and he took advantage of that by pulling an eager nipple tightly into his mouth.

  Gasping, her body on fire, Lainey could do nothing but feel. His wet mouth, warm breath and sharp white teeth had their fun with her, and she was helpless to move a muscle. Her hands were pinned underneath her, supporting her body and there was no way she could move. Unable to help herself, she flapped her fingers up and down as the heat of his mouth began to unravel her.

  “Stay still.” His voice was a mere whisper inside her head as his fingers caressed her throat. His lips kissed the soft protrusion in the middle of her throat and her pulse rate exploded.

  “Don’t,” she began but even as the word left her lips, both his mouth and hands were moving. Her head fell back on the bed, but he had grasped her hips and was spreading her legs. The anticipation was electric. Her previous fumbling experiences in the bedroom had lacked intent and passion, but neither was missing here. Her body hummed in harmony with his and she ached for him to fill her. Mercer however, damn the vamp, was in no hurry to fulfil her request. He was licking a slow and torturous path up her left thigh.

  “I need…” She moaned trying to finish her sentence three times, until she finally gave up.

  “I know exactly what you need,” he purred. Descending on the wet lace panties she still wore, he ran his tongue up and down the line of her sex.

  “Yes,” shouted Lainey, feeling her thighs begin to tremble but then his mouth pulled away, and she thumped her fists upon the bed and wailed. “No!”