Sweet Ruin

by Kresley Cole

  Nix was attempting to change the rules of the game, transforming what should be a drawn-out war of attrition into a great Lorewide battle between immortal alliances.

  The Morior--a brotherhood of killers with very few weaknesses--would prevail. They always did. To their enemies, they were the Bringers of Doom.

  He headed farther inside. The aisles were marked CONTRACEPTION, GLAMOURS, CONJURINGS. . . . He raised a brow at APOCALYPSE PREPARATION. They were already planning on it? He turned down the BONDAGE aisle, then selected a pair of cuffs with a tag that read:

  Mystically reinforced and trace-proofed by The House of Witches

  Est. 937

  1st-Class Curses, Hexes, Spells, and Potions

  We Won't Be Undersold!

  info@houseofwitches.com

  Member LBBB

  Those witches were a proud bunch, considering they'd never received permission from their overlady to start this colony on Gaia--and considering they'd never paid taxes to Akelarre, their source dimension.

  Most Loreans would rather face a vengeful deity than a bureaucratic tax collector.

  In the year of 937, you lot bollixed up. Allixta arrives forthwith.

  He examined the cuffs, assessing the magick in them. Not bad. He could customize them with his own runes, magnifying and steering the power, just as he did with his arrows.

  Yes, if the little leech returned tonight, he'd capture her. Once he had her in his keeping, then maybe he could tear his thoughts from her and focus on his mission.

  At the counter, he stowed the cuffs in a back pocket, then proffered gold coins. He'd made exchanges for these newer coins in the Elserealms, but they were still old. No choice but to use them.

  As he tendered payment, his ears twitched. Something large was moving beneath the old floorboards of this shop, something . . . slithering. He despised snakes. He inwardly shuddered at the memory of the serpent shifter he'd been forced to pleasure. "Loa, do you keep a snake down there?"

  She narrowed her amber gaze. "For dark fey askin' too many questions."

  "I pass for pure-blooded fey. How'd you know?"

  "Your canines. Touch too long. Says demon blood to me."

  "Ah, but I could be half vampire."

  "Plum-colored eyes."

  He grinned down at her. "Keen observations. And here I thought you were studiously ignoring me."

  "No threats escape Loa's notice."

  She must possess a wealth of knowledge about her customers. Secrets for the taking. "How did you know about the eyes? You couldn't have met many of us."

  The few dark fey he'd encountered had each been born of a different combination of fey and demon. Rage demon/ice fey, forest fey/smoke demon, and so on . . .

  Their characteristics and level of toxicity had varied. But all of them had possessed plum-colored eyes.

  Loa's mien turned calculating. "Perhaps I've been seein' a dark fey female in this very city. Perhaps she's pretty to look upon."

  He straightened, quickly asking, "How much to buy a lead on her?" For some reason, Josephine's ethereal face flashed in his mind.

  "Why should I transact with you?" Loa asked.

  Rune rested his forearms on the counter, leaning in. Catching her gaze, he raked one of his fangs over his bottom lip. "Why shouldn't you want to do more with me, dove?"

  Her pupils dilated as she focused on his mouth, her breaths shallowing. She blinked several times, then glared. "You're a baneblood--with a healing vampire bite on his neck--who's buyin' restraints with too-old gold. What could possibly be troublin' there?" Despite this, she was definitely interested.

  "It's a funny story." Which I will never tell you. "We should have dinner."

  An arched brow. "Should we, then?"

  He lowered his voice to a murmur, "Yes, and while we're there, I'll convince you to transact with me. Over and over."

  Loa crossed her arms over her ample breasts. "I don't think--"

  "Ah-ah, dove. I know females, and I'm gazing at one who needs more than just coin. . . ." He trailed off, muscles tensing.

  Over all the other smells of this shop, he caught a scent.

  Valkyrie.

  FIFTEEN

  Maybe I don't have more pride than the nymphs, Jo thought as she gazed into the mirror at her new dress.

  A scarlet sheath. Strapless. Micromini length.

  When she'd decided to return to the Quarter to confront Rune, she'd surveyed her clothes rack of vintage threads, but she'd found nothing as sexy as what the nymphs had worn.

  Unacceptable.

  So she'd dashed to a second-hand boutique for a bit of shopping. Or more accurately, for a bit of shoplifting. Then she'd heated a mug of blood to drink while getting ready. She frowned. The mug was untouched, the blood cold. It'd smelled off anyway.

  As long as she didn't expend too much energy, she could miss a meal.

  She turned in the mirror, then back. She'd opted for a strapless pushup bra that concealed her nipple piercings and lifted her boobs almost to her chin. She'd blown her hair out into big curls and defined her eyes with smoky liner. Clear glitter nail polish made her black claws sparkle. After nibbling her lips till they were blood red, she'd slipped on strappy stilettos.

  Her bullet necklace dipped toward her cleavage. A silver bangle circled one bare arm above her elbow. She'd chosen chandelier earrings to dangle from her lobes and her customary helix rings at the tops of her ears.

  Jo had enjoyed all her piercings, even the one below the belt. Each bite of pain had proved she was of the earth, incarnated, or something. Her jewelry helped remind her of that.

  Plus, any guy she'd been with had lost his shit when he saw them. It was a given that a tongue would make contact directly.

  She smoothed her hair one last time and eked out a smile for the mirror. She didn't expect Rune to take one look at her and think, How could I have passed up that ass? Maybe I ought not to murder her? But she hoped he would have a qualm or two.

  Her gaze flitted to his bone thingy beside her bed. The one thing she knew for certain? It was anything but a trinket.

  She had no pockets to store it, but was leery of leaving it behind. If other freaks had senses like hers, they could sniff out a hiding place. With a shrug, she tucked the piece into the safest place she could think of--the snug cleavage between her pushed-up breasts.

  Because she'd never give Rune access to it.

  As ready as she'd ever be, Jo "traced" to the Quarter, heading straight for the courtyard. Did she really want to see Rune up to his eyebrows in nymph? Maybe he'd still be trying to relive her bite, and then she could laugh at him.

  Nearing the gate, she made herself invisible, but the courtyard was empty. After a survey of the surrounding area, she traced to a rooftop overlooking Bourbon. It was a busy Saturday night in the Quarter, but then, every night brought something different here: tour groups, bands, warnings to repent.

  In time, a couple strolling arm-in-arm below drew her attention. The short, black-haired woman wore only one shoe. What looked like a bat clung to the back of her peasant blouse, peeking over a shoulder. The woman's face was captivating, her golden eyes seeming to glow.

  Definitely not human. Freaks were coming out of the woodwork!

  Aside from the woman's oddness, something about her put Jo on guard. Simply because she was paranormal?

  Jo turned her attention to the tall man with her, but his cowboy hat blocked Jo's view of his face. He wore shit-kicker boots and had a rolling, confident gait.

  The female asked him, "Have you ever been bait? Well, besides jailbait. Rowr."

  "I can't say that I have, ma'am." Texan accent?

  Jo cocked her head at his voice, at the grin in his tone. The couple turned the corner onto an empty side street.

  In ghost-mode, she traced to another rooftop to get a better look at him. When she caught sight of his face, Jo's mouth went dry.

  Thaddie!

  Brother!

  He appeared older than the
last clipping she'd taped into her scrapbook, but it was him!

  All grown up. No longer the little boy who'd ridden around in the Thadpack and worshipped Spidey.

  She clutched her chest at the sharp ache.

  Why was he in New Orleans? Maybe a sports playoff had brought him to the city. Or maybe he was a tourist, visiting with his high school friends.

  So what was he doing with a nonhuman? Associating with freaks is not acceptable, Thaddeus.

  If he was going to just . . . hang out with them, then had Jo sacrificed a life with him for nothing?

  No, she'd get him away from that woman. And out of this town. An enemy might discover Jo's connection to Thad. An enemy like--

  Movement out of the corner of her eye.

  Rune. On the roof of the neighboring building.

  His towering, lean frame was crouched like a predator's, his body seeming to thrum with readiness. For what? Black forked out across his eyes.

  She glanced from Thad back to Rune. Threat. She needed to lure the dark fey away from her brother.

  She was about to trace to Rune when his hand dropped to his quiver. He fingered the flights of his arrows, as if choosing among them. With blinding speed, he slipped his bow off his back and into place, nocking a black arrow.

  Her eyes shot wide. He was aiming at Thaddie!

  She focused on a spot in the sky above Rune, tracing to it. She rotated in the air, diving headfirst for him, materializing on her way.

  She'd take the dark fey from the roof down to the goddamned basement--and bury him there.

  SIXTEEN

  About to end thousands of years of life, Rune locked on his target and drew his bowstring.

  He'd chosen his favorite arrow. Sian laughingly called it "one-and-done." Shot into the neck of a target, the arrow would sever the head cleanly.

  Rune took an even breath. He was on the verge of relaxing his string fingers when he caught Josephine's scent.

  From above him?

  A split second later, he heard her incensed scream.

  She was coming at him like a rocket, her eyes black with rage. An ally of Nix's? A protective one! Out of habit, he shifted his bow toward the new threat.

  Damn it!

  He only had time to pop his arrow off the string--

  Josephine slammed into him.

  The force was like a meteor, shoving him back. BOOM. In an explosion of shingles and wood, the roof cracked open beneath him.

  She clawed his throat, holding him in place as she pummeled his face. He took the furious hits, scrambling to secure his bow in his fist.

  They plummeted into an attic. She kept hitting. They crashed through the attic floor into an apartment below.

  Nothing could pry Rune's bow from his grip. Which left him with only one hand to defend himself, much less reach the cuffs. Yet he couldn't bring himself to coldcock her.

  As the next floor ruptured, he caught sight of a stunned family at a dinner table, forks hovering over plates.

  CRASH. Down he and Josephine plunged to a lower story. In that apartment, a guy was pile-driving a girl, the stereo blaring. Never looked up.

  Enviable. Rune was getting his ass kicked by a female he couldn't seem to hurt.

  BOOM. Another story breached. Their momentum should be slowing, but with a wild look in her eyes, she traced them, accelerating the velocity. She meant to put him into the ground?

  "Stop this, vampire! If I trace against you, you'll go flying--"

  She popped him in the mouth.

  They tore through a last story, rupturing a web of water lines. Rune's back slammed into the basement floor, cracking the foundation wide open. She landed atop him.

  The impact punched the air from his lungs. He sucked in a breath of cement dust and mist, coughing beneath her.

  She eased upright, sitting astride him, seeming to gauge how much she'd injured him.

  The building groaned and wobbled. They both froze. A second passed. Then another. It stood fast.

  "What the hells, female?" Josephine had surely spooked his target with her scream, much less when the entire building had shimmied. He strained to detect the Valkyrie's scent. Nothing. "Gods damn it!" Though Nix couldn't foresee her own destiny, she might have the ability to start clocking his future. Had she gotten a look at his face?

  If so, she could predict where he would strike every time.

  But this situation was salvageable. Josephine was in league with Nix, which meant he could use his new prisoner to get to the Valkyrie. Perhaps Nix would bargain for Josephine's release.

  Not to mention the information he could squeeze from the vampire. Yet another excuse to capture her. Those cuffs in his back pocket awaited.

  Once he'd secured her, he'd force her to return his talisman, then utilize one of his particular talents.

  Interrogation. "You're going to pay for this move, vampire."

  She drew back for another punch. With his speed, he caught her fist. As he squeezed, he registered her appearance. Mist from the water lines had dampened her porcelain skin--her short dress revealed a lot of it. The scarlet sheath barely contained her plump breasts and rode high on her thighs.

  She wore jewelry, makeup, and fuck-me heels, dressing like a man-eater. Dressing like? Josephine the vampire was the very definition of a man-eater.

  Blood rushed to his cock at the thought: She made a meal of me last night.

  When he hardened beneath her, she squirmed with outrage, and that micro hem exposed a fruitful view.

  His man-eater had left her panties at home, revealing her smooth pussy.

  Fuck. Me.

  At the sight, a haze covered his vision. Burning for her kiss, he grasped her nape, pulling her in--

  Wham! Another jab to the mouth. "Naturally you're thinking about sex!"

  "After all this foreplay? Of course I am!"

  "Foreplay? In your dreams!"

  His gaze dipped between her thighs and back up. "Only the sweetest reveries."

  "You are such a . . ." She trailed off, her shimmering eyes locked on his bottom lip.

  He daubed his tongue, tasting blood. He smirked with triumph when she dreamily licked a fang. "Does my vampire thirst for baneblood? Ah, she thinks me delicious." Her craving made his chest bow and his cock swell even more. "No need to get violent, female. All you have to do is ask me real nice to feed you. A beauty like you could coax me to do just about anything in the name of pleasure."

  She shook her head hard, but her breaths had shallowed, those creamy breasts rising and falling before his rapt gaze.

  She clearly struggled for control. Which meant he could take it. She leaned over him, gripping his shoulders, her dress slipping higher.

  The scent of her arousal swept him up, blanking his mind. His target was forgotten, his mission. Liabilities, vulnerabilities, gods, wars--none of it mattered at that moment.

  Her claws dug into his shoulders. The vampire was pinning her prey? This prey was going nowhere.

  He released his bow to slip his hand between her thighs and cup her soft pussy. He groaned when his palm met hot, giving flesh. "Female, I'm going to make you come till you can't walk."

  She blinked. "Rune?"

  Just his name on her tongue made him shudder. "Give me your lips, Josephine." Gods, he needed her kiss--

  She snatched his hand away then launched a haymaker at his face. "Don't you dare!"

  "The hells, woman!" He seized her wrists. "Dare? Because I'm a dark fey?" And damn if he wasn't leaning up to do it again, pulling on her wrists. "Any barrier between us disappeared when you drank me down."

  With her hands captured, she defended herself with her legs, squeezing her thighs around his waist, shoving her knees into his sides.

  His plan to take her mouth and slip his cock inside her wasn't happening--for now--so he snagged the cuffs. Quick as a blur, he bound one of her wrists to his own.

  She gasped with realization, attempting to teleport. She even did that slow tracing thing again,
but she wasn't going anywhere. The metal would hold her. Earlier, as he'd been running down Nix's scent, he'd hastily etched runes into those cuffs, directing the power only to one. Josephine couldn't trace--but he could.

  As she thrashed to get free, he caught a glimpse of white between her breasts. "And there's my treasure." He reached for the talisman, but couldn't resist a grope. He groaned. A perfect handful.

  She slapped at him till he reluctantly released her, collecting the talisman. Back into his pocket where it belonged.

  "Take this cuff off, Ruin!"

  He laughed at her. "Not a chance, dove." He yanked on the chain, forcing her closer. "And it's Rune."

  Still she fought him. "What are you doing?"

  "Exactly what I said last night."

  Her eyes went wide. "Imprisoning me? Until you decide to kill me?"

  He grated, "Till death us do part, Josie."

  SEVENTEEN

  Rune can trace?

  Jo wobbled when they appeared on the roof of the building. His teleporting was harder and sharper than hers, as if they'd been shot from a cannon.

  Compared to his tracing, hers was like shifting a finely-tuned Caddie into gear. But she couldn't manage it when stuck in these cuffs! Even her ghosting had failed.

  He collected his bizarre arrow from beside the crash site. As he surveyed the empty street, sirens wailed toward their location.

  He cursed under his breath. "Drawing the attention of humans?" He shook his head at her. "Reckless female." Then he traced them again.

  When she opened her eyes, they were in an echoing room with a glass floor. Beneath them was another story with a glass floor, and on and on.

  Her lips parted. Each story below was populated with all manner of creatures. Freak-show central.

  Some had wings, others four legs. She saw beings with glowing skin, scaly skin, pus-covered skin. She recognized centaurs from comic books and behorned demons from Rune's memories.

  Females were interspersed among the males. Most of them sported breasts and wore less clothing.

  Everyone seemed inebriated, with goblets in hands, pincers, or tentacles. Peculiar music and loud partying sounded.

  "What is this place?" None of her voyeurism had prepared her for scenes like these. When she saw copulation happening everywhere, her heart raced. At least, she hoped that was sex; otherwise creatures were bludgeoning each other to death.