“What’s so amusing, my love?”
“Nothing, Jacques. I just thought of something, and it struck me funny.” Jolie glanced down at Flynn, almost forgetting that he was human. After all, he’d blended so effortlessly into their lives. Jolie wondered if she would have done as well in his place.
“When you stare at me, you make me nervous,” Brogan stated, feeling her eyes on him.
Well, he was going to have to deal with it. Gawking at him was one of her favorite past times.
“How’s your wine, Flynn?” she asked, playing with the shoulder length hair. Its silky texture ran through her fingers like water, and the scent of his shampoo called to her.
“I’ve tasted sweeter things,” he admitted, right before winking salaciously at her. When Jolie returned his smile, his heart fluttered and skipped a beat. “You look more relaxed,” he stated. “I’m glad.”
“Me too.”
“Our Jolie looks as calm as a summer’s night,” Jacques said, running his fingers over the flowing black silk dress that floated around her body like a cloud. “I really like the polish on your succulent, little toes.”
Flynn had to see this. He never noticed that she’d painted her nails. That…intrigued him. Grabbing her leg, he draped it over his shoulder to get a closer look. “They do look succulent,” he teased, kissing the arch of her foot.
Jolie giggled, trying to get free.
“I forgot that you’re ticklish.”
“Flynn,” she squealed, desperately trying to sound as stern as possible. Once more, the schoolmarm had made its way to the surface.
“I believe that you promised I could tickle you anytime I wanted,” he reminded her. “Now, I know it was because I was at death’s door, but a promise is a promise.”
Jacques knew their mate was trying to keep Jolie focused on anything but the dream. He appreciated the man’s attempt.
“He’s correct, mon amour,” added Jacques. “You promised.”
“Are you both willing to bet my sexy lingerie against what will happen if you tickle me?” Jolie snorted when both men paused to weigh their options. They had the same look on their faces, and it amused her.
“On second thought…”
“Hell no! By the way, how long do you plan on using that lingerie against us? Eventually, you’ll run out of lacy things to hold over our heads.”
“Flynn, my love, we’re in France. Do you know how many lacy things come from this city?”
Brogan was about to say something perverted, but Chloe entered the room. Instead, he opted to behave. “Hey, Chloe, how’s it going?”
She looked like death warmed over, which was an interesting ruse for the Demoness of Death. While he’d come to accept what she was, something about the situation set him on edge. In his gut, he knew that the issues with Chloe were going to come to a head. That meant that bad things were brewing, and he hated they were in the middle of it.
Then again, maybe that was just the paranoia surfacing. There was always the chance that fate would side with them. Their luck had to change at some point.
Chloe managed a thin, wan smile. “There was a call for you from Jasmine not long ago.”
“What did she need?”
“There’s a charity Halloween ball coming up, and she wanted to know if you and your mates would like to go. It’s being hosted by all the societies, and they want you to attend as guest of honor. You must have impressed the council.”
Flynn laughed.
“Yeah, or scared the shit out of them.”
She knew that was more likely it. Jolie reached for both men to make a decision. When neither minded, her mind was made up.
“We’ll go. Can you call her back, Chloe?”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“Please tell her that we’ll be more than honored to attend, but that I’ll need more seats. I’m pretty sure Clariel, Trina, and Mathew would like to attend.” Jolie paused, thinking it through. “I’m going to need another donor. Ask Jasmine if she has anyone she trusts who she can spare. I want to cut you a break.”
The men agreed.
Chloe looked like shit. If she was human, Flynn would have thought she was some strung out druggie.
“I can manage, Mistress,” she said solemnly. “It’s not too much for me.”
Jolie wasn’t having it--not when it came to this.
“Chloe, you look horrible. I’m betting that you’re not sleeping, and you’re jumpy too. Let me give you some rest, please?”
“Yes, Mistress.” She bowed before looking relieved. Keeping up the façade of human was wearing on her, especially now that they were back where it all began.
“Chloe?” Jolie called to her as the woman prepared to leave the room.
“Yes, Mistress?”
“I’m sorry, but I need to inform the rest of the family as to what’s going on. They already suspect something is troubling you, and they should be made aware of why you’re so distraught,” Jolie said compassionately. “We’ve kept your secret for centuries, but the family must know. It is time.”
“That’s fine, Mistress. Mathew stayed guarding me until dawn, and then went to death at the foot of my bed. They should know what I am.” She went to escape.
“Stay, Chloe.” It wasn’t a request. “I’ve called the rest of the family to join us,” she said, sitting up on the couch. It looked like the evening’s relaxing moments were coming to an end.
Chloe merely nodded.
“Mistress, you called for us?” asked Trina, as she and Clariel came into the room holding hands. “Will you be feeding from the masters? If so, can we watch?”
They giggled uproariously even as Mathew entered, looking at them like they’d lost their minds.
Flynn rolled his eyes. “I feel so damn cheap.”
Jacques hid his laughter behind a cough.
“Ladies, behave. I did call you, but not to ogle Flynn. That’s my job.”
“Damn right it is.”
Jolie ignored him. “We need to have a family meeting. There are a few pressing issues that have come up, and they need to be addressed.” Jolie glanced around the circle of faces. “First of all, we’ve been invited to a Halloween charity ball.”
The room remained silent.
That surprised her. Normally, the two female vampyres liked playing dress up. This was the perfect opportunity to get their spook on.
“Okay, from that relatively cold response, I’ll assume that no one wants to attend with me.”
Both women sat forward on the couch. “Wait!” Clariel stated. “We can go?”
“Well, that’s why I was bringing it up.”
Trina wanted to get excited, but she’d been broken by her old mistress too many times. “We can go and wear pretty things?”
“Yes, you may. You can pick out anything you want to wear. I figured it would be fun, so your costumes are up to you.” She paused before continuing, “Except…”
They waited for it.
“Flynn is my date, not yours.”
“Damn,” Trina muttered, right before she began bouncing in her seat.
Brogan found their teasing infectious. “Yeah, I’m the cream in the dead cookie,” he said, pointing at his mates.
Jolie simply pointed at him in warning. “Well, ladies, is that is a yes?” she asked, lifting one eyebrow.
There were squeals and bouncing.
It was definitely a yes.
This was like Christmas for vampyres. It was obviously their first Halloween ball, and it would be monumental.
“Okay, then the next thing on our list to discuss is a little issue that’s come up.” Broaching this was difficult. Jolie didn't want them to be wary or not trust Chloe after hearing the truth.
“What is it, Mistress?” asked Mathew.
“I’m trying to find us an additional donor while we’re here in Paris. Chloe is having some issues, and we’re only draining her and Mina too much.”
“Where will you get one, Mistress?” asked Mathew, war
y of the idea of trusting a stranger near himself or his new family. “Will you be safe?” Then, he realized that both of her mates were watching him.
Mathew lowered his eyes.
Jolie distractedly pulled her foot away from Flynn’s wandering fingers, so she could focus. His hands were heating her blood, making it hard to think straight, and from the look on his face, he was well aware.
“Jacques’s sister, Jasmine, will assist us. She’ll give us a reliable person to help out around here. You’ve nothing to worry about.”
“Yeah, Jolie will be perfectly safe,” Flynn stated. He didn't like the vampyre worrying about their mate. After all, she was theirs to guard over, and this youngling was getting a little too attached.
Jacques agreed. “Nothing will hurt her.”
Jolie ignored their testosterone pissing match. It was normal for a mate to feel possessive, and it made her feel all warm and fuzzy.
A girl couldn’t be a killer all the time.
“The hunters are stalking the societies in France,” she offered, sharing the entire story. They had a right to know what was happening around them. “An entire family was destroyed, and the council believes that they’re tracking more vampyres as we speak. Our kind is dwindling in France, and we can’t risk losing any more to the hunters.”
They nodded.
Jolie noticed that they were afraid.
“We’ll keep you safe,” offered Flynn. He’d protect Jolie’s vampyres with his life. They were like her children.
“Dibs on Master Flynn,” teased Trina.
Unfortunately, the humor didn't reach her eyes. They all knew she was afraid. All three were too young to have run across the hunters before, so they had only heard the horror stories, passed on from older generations.
They were the boogeyman to small vampyre children.
“How can you keep us safe?” asked Mathew quietly.
Flynn spoke, “I promise that we’ll do everything we can to keep you from harm. I will make sure no one touches you.”
Yeah, or Jolie.
Jacques nodded, agreeing with his mate. “We’re working on outing the hunters to keep all the societies safe.”
“Also,” added Jolie, coming clean, “I’m having a few issues too. It seems on a few occasions, Death has been sending me messages. Twice now, I’ve seen a messenger.”
That had their attention.
“She was a little girl. It happened once when Police Detective Montclair stopped me on the street.”
The three looked worried. While they adjusted to her ‘gift’, this scared them.
“The other time was when I was at council. There was a pair of vampyres who Death felt the need to single out.”
“Who?” asked Mathew.
Jolie continued, “Mistress Belladonna and Master Morden. If they come here…”
She didn't get to finish.
There was a loud shrill sound as a wave of energy whipped through the room. It came from their donor.
All the vampyres were pinned by the oppressive blast.
It caught them all off guard as Chloe stood from the chair…
Right before all hell broke loose.
CHAPTER Eight
Everything rattled around them. It was like the epicenter of a destructive storm. The pictures vibrated, glass shattered, and wood threatened to splinter under the sheer force. Nothing was safe from the rage brewing in their rented sanctuary.
No one dare move as Chloe became the center of the storm. Dark, seething energy pumped off her in pulses, keeping the undead pinned in their place.
Everyone there was fighting for their lives. One might say it felt as if Death was in the room, ready to reap the closest body. Fangs tore into their mouths as the energy pulled the predators in them to the surface.
Finally, with much effort, Jolie was able to break free. She went to move toward Chloe, but was knocked back when she was slammed with so much energy.
The men in her life watched helplessly from their positions on the floor. Both screamed for her to stay back.
Jolie’s skin began to crackle and pop as tears in the flesh appeared across her body. The room flooded with the scent of blood as she called her own energy to protect them. Unfortunately, it did the exact opposite.
It only added to the bedlam.
Furniture shook and splintered, the flames in the fireplace extinguished, and ash popped in puffs of choking smoke. Then the floors creaked as if someone was walking toward them. Breaths were held as they tried to escape the oncoming hell.
‘Keep the family safe,’ she whispered into her mates’ minds.
It was now or never. Jolie knew she had to do something, or they were all dead.
Just then, there was a lull in energy.
Jacques was first to his feet, pulling his mate with him. Immediately, they grabbed for the two female vampyres beside them. With rough shoves, they pulled the women beneath them. Jolie had demanded they protect her vampyres, and they would obey.
More furniture continued exploding as Chloe continued sending out torrents of power.
Clariel and Trina wept in fear, holding on to their masters. “Please make it stop!” they screamed in unison.
Jacques watched the love of his life battling not only for their lives, but for her own.
Jolie stood feet from Chloe, arms outstretched, taking in as much as the energy as she could.
He began praying for a miracle.
When would it stop?
Somehow, he didn't think that the Demoness of Death would burn out.
“Jolie!” shouted Flynn, trying to push off of Trina to crawl to her. With each move of his body, he was rewarded with splintered wood embedding into his flesh, or cuts from flying glass.
Jolie heard them calling for her, but she had no choice. It was her or them. It was possible that she was going to death--and for eternity.
Her time was running out. At some point, she was going to max out with energy.
Mathew was close to her ankle. Slowly, he’d worked his way to the mistress. If he could stand, maybe he could help absorb some of the energy.
Jolie saw him moving toward her. Frantically, she shook her head, hoping he would understand. Before she could speak, warning him not to touch her, it was too late.
Mathew reached for her arm, and it did the opposite of what he’d hoped.
Jolie screamed into her mates’ minds, but it was too late. The second he touched her, the room vibrated with an explosion of power. It shattered the larger furniture, filling the swirling vortex of air with a splintering of projectiles. It spun in a funnel, surrounding them.
Then, she saw the little girl.
Her small frame stood ominously right behind Mathew, and Jolie knew that he was going to die. The effort it took to turn toward him was incredible. The second she could reach him, Jolie shoved him as hard as she possibly could, knocking him out of the way. As he tumbled, Jolie saw it coming.
She couldn’t evade it.
As Mathew flew backward and was snagged from his freefall by Jacques, Jolie braced for it.
Flynn saw it careening toward her and screamed her name.
A large shard pierced her body, tearing through her flesh. It made a loud, wet sucking sound as it embedded itself deep within her.
“Jolie!” Flynn screamed, crawling toward her.
Not much time was left. Soon, she would bleed out if she couldn’t stop Chloe. Her eyes met Flynn’s, and she used what energy was left to reach into his mind. ‘Say Vanth’s name,’ she begged.
Flynn heard her weakened plea and obeyed. “Vanth, we need you! Surface and stop! Your mistress demands it!”
The energy shifted again, and instead of Chloe’s serene eyes, there were the swirling vortexes of Vanth, and she was back in control.
The energy reversed, being pulled back into the demoness, as if everything was moving in reverse. A deafening silence filled the room as the debris fell to the floor all around them.
It was
Mathew’s voice which broke the silence. “Oh God! Mistress, please no,” he whispered from beneath Jacques’s protective frame.
Vanth looked calmly over at Jolie lying prone on the floor. “Death is calling for her. Hurry! You have to remove the shard.”
Jacques pushed off the vampyres as he and Flynn rushed to their mate. Jolie was lying on the floor in a growing puddle of her own blood. Her eyes were closed, and her chest was barely moving.
Flynn hit the floor directly beside her, pulling Jolie into his arms. “Hang in there, baby. We have you.”
When Jolie’s eyes popped open, she looked at her mates. ‘I’m losing too much blood.’ She was having difficult time breathing.
“We need to move fast,” said Jacques, staring down at his other mate. “Flynn, hold on to her.” Then, his gaze shifted toward Jolie. “Mon amour, this is going to hurt.”
‘Jacques, I can take the pain. Get it out of me, I trust you and Flynn. Just do it!’
“Can you pull it through?” asked Mathew, feeling panicked because it was his fault she was hurt. His mistress took the wood meant for him.
Flynn knew the truth. “No, we can’t. It is too close to her heart. If we try, she’s not going to make it. Unfortunately, we have to pull it out the hard way.”
‘Figures,’ she whispered into their minds, blood now running from her mouth and her nose. It was more proof that she wasn’t doing well.
“Hurry, Jacques,” Vanth said quietly. She felt Death calling for her to take another victim. “Please, do it now,”
Jacques got the message and moved into action.
“Mathew. I need you to wrap your body around the back of Jolie. Hold on to her as tight as you can,” he directed, sending Mathew pictures of what he wanted directly into his mind. There could be no mistakes.
“I have her,” he said, avoiding the shard protruding from her back.
Jolie’s eyes began to slowly drop as another red rivulet dripped down her chin.
“Flynn, you’ll have to distract and hold her down against Mathew. I’ll pull out the wood.”
“Okay.” Flynn placed his body over the top of Jolie, keeping the wood under his arm. Immediately, the men locked around her, acting as a weight against what was coming.
Dangerous Misery (The Harcourte Vampyre Society Book 3) Page 14