Wicked Soul

by Nora Ash

  But then again, the whole vampire thing would probably put a dampener on their rampant envy.

  Aleric slid into the driver seat and set the car in gear, pulling out from the curb so fast I was thrown back in the seat from sheer g-force.

  “Holy crap, some of us are still alive here!” I yelped as I grabbed for my seatbelt.

  Aleric snorted. “So driving scares you, but walking into a vampire nest teaming with Ancients? That’s fine?”

  “Your driving scares me. There’s a difference,” I snipped. “Why are you my chauffeur, anyway? Why couldn’t Roy drive me? No offense, but he’s about a thousand times nicer to be around.”

  The vampire’s lips pulled up in a small smile. “I volunteered. You see, I think it’s about time I get to know my brother’s new pet, before he shows you off to the rest of them.” He turned his head halfway, letting those disturbingly icy eyes rest on me. The predatory glean in them made a cold shiver make its way down my spine.

  I pushed the primitive note of fear down and rolled my eyes demonstratively. “Why, because you think I’m a witch? What’s the theory then, have I’ve enthralled your brother with my magic devil vagina?”

  Another amused snort. “You’re funnier than the last one, I’ll give you that.”

  I frowned, not prepared for the stab of jealousy behind my ribs from his blasé comment. “Which ‘last one’?”

  “I’ve talked to Warin about you. He’s my blood-brother, he hides nothing from me. Imagine my surprise when he told me, in complete seriousness, that he not only spends his nights with a pitiful human… but he’s also not fucking you. What I would love to know is what you do to keep his attention so thoroughly, without even so much as spreading your thighs.”

  “Why didn’t you just ask him, if he really tells you everything?” I asked, arching an eyebrow at the auburn-haired vampire’s profile.

  “See, that’s the curious part. I don’t think even he knows.”

  “Maybe that’s because there’s no mystery here,” I said. “We like spending time together, that’s it. No great conspiracy, no magic. I’m sure if you weren’t a massive prick, people might like hanging out with you too.”

  “Cute.” Aleric smiled that creepy, cold smile of his as he leveled me with a stare that had my pulse pick up speed. “But then let me leave you with this small… let’s call it warning: If I get a whiff of the faintest drop of magic from you… if I hear even a rumor that you are working with whoever is trying to cause trouble in his territory… you will wish Warin let those skinwalkers eat you alive.”

  19

  The rest of the car ride to Warin’s house was pretty damn quiet.

  Aleric seemed content now that he’d said what he wanted, and I was trying to pretend like I wasn’t struggling to keep my sandwich down. I hadn’t really worried about Warin’s rude brother before, despite his abrasive manners. As scary as was, I knew Warin would never have let him around me if he was a danger in any way… but that was before his little warning.

  I had no doubt he meant every word.

  Nor that, should he ever find out the truth about the dormant magic inside of me, not even Warin would be able to protect me from him. If he’d even want to.

  “Since Warin insists on keeping your mind free, I suppose I better explain that even though you can deny his requests tonight, you would be wise not to,” my chauffeur finally said, breaking the silence. The houses in the neighborhood we were traveling through were beginning to look mighty grand, and I guessed we were nearing Warin’s place. I hadn’t been there since that night in August, and I hadn’t exactly had the presence of mind to look out for road names then.

  “Is it frowned upon if a lowly human tells a lordly vampire ‘no,’ then?” I arched an eyebrow at Aleric’s profile, but he wasn’t looking at me.

  “It’s more than frowned upon. Let’s just say that it would be very, ah, unfortunate for both of you, should some of his guests realize what kind of lip he allows from you. So if you could be less… irritating, that would be great.”

  “Less irritating. Got it,” I snarked. “If you keep your distance, it’ll probably help.”

  Aleric turned off into a grand-looking driveway then, and I vaguely recalled the manicured hedges. A multitude of fancy cars were parked along it, and at the end Warin’s manor sprawled. Torches flamed on each side of the grand entrance, the double doors flung open in invitation. I got a glimpse of several well-dressed people making their way toward the house as Aleric parked the Porsche, and felt a stab of gratitude for the dress Warin had provided me. I sure didn’t have anything in my closet that wouldn’t have made me feel like an impoverished gatecrasher tonight.

  “It’s not a joking matter,” Aleric said, his hand shifting from the gear shift to my arm. “They cannot know you have free will. Whatever else your sordid little relationship with my brother is, for tonight, you will sit by his feet like a faithful dog, you will smile prettily and you will not utter the word ‘no.’ Have I made myself clear?”

  “Jeez, yes, calm the fuck down,” I said, trying—and failing—to shake his cool hand off my arm. In contrast to Warin’s touches, it didn’t make me feel warm in the slightest. “I’ll be a mindless doll. I just don’t get why you’re making such a big deal out of it, if Warin never bothered? Is it perchance possible that you’re being a tad overzealous?”

  “Just do what you’ve been told, Snack,” he said, voice low. Then, finally, he released his grip on my arm and turned to look over his shoulder. “Stay in the car until I come get you.”

  Realizing for the first time that we weren’t alone in the car, I jolted and twisted around so fast my neck cracked. A pretty blonde, blue-eyed girl with long false lashes and a vacant smile sat in the backseat. She didn’t so much as blink in my direction as I stared at her, mouth agape.

  “Jesus tap dancing Christ! Did not realize you were here! Sorry! Hi, I’m Liv.” I awkwardly reached a hand toward her. The girl didn’t even acknowledge my existence.

  “Don’t bother. She’s Compelled,” Aleric said as he slid out of the car.

  “Oh.” I stared at the girl, remembering what Warin had explained vampires could do to the human mind. But one thing was to hear about how his kind could mindfuck people—it was something else entirely to sit in the car with a human who looked like nothing more than a ventriloquist’s dummy.

  Goosebumps crawled down my arms and up my legs, and I hurriedly unbuckled my seatbelt and climbed out, leaving Aleric’s companion behind. Was that how most humans in contact with a vampire ended up? No wonder Roy wasn’t keen on me going to this shindig.

  I wanted to rip into Aleric for keeping the poor girl as a mindless pet, but I had his warning in fresh recollection—he expected me to behave like I’d been Compelled too, and there were more than a few vampires around us now, all making their way to the house. So instead, I quietly seethed by his side as he offered me his arm and led me into the mansion.

  The last time I’d been to Warin’s house, I’d felt like I’d been surrounded by vampires the second I stepped inside. This time, however… there had to be maybe two hundred people present.

  “How many Night Lords do you guys have?” I whispered at Aleric as he led me through the foyer.

  “Worldwide, I’m not sure anyone has an exact number. Only thirty-six are here tonight. The rest are favored human pets and court members.” He nodded at a couple pale-looking women who watched us pass with no hint of emotion in their cold eyes. “But please do keep any further questions until the end of the show. It’s time for you to be a good little pet. Not to mention quiet.”

  We walked into a large living space sparsely furnished in a hideously modern style. Toward the far end, on a white armchair in neo-modern Scandinavian design, Warin sat with a blank expression on his face, one ankle resting on his knee. He looked like a bored king on his throne, except for the ultramodern surroundings.

  Aleric marched me straight across the floor toward him.

 
“My blood,” Aleric greeted, voice formal. “I bring your pet, as requested.”

  “Thank you, brother,” Warin said flatly. They both ignored my grimace at being called “pet,” but Warin raised a hand toward me, palm up.

  Hesitating for just a beat, I awkwardly put my hand in his. “Hey. Nice party.”

  Judging from Aleric’s huff, he’d been quite serious about the “quiet” part of my role.

  Warin offered me just the briefest tilts of his lips, proving that there at least was some part of him left behind the stoic wall. With a smooth movement, he drew my hand to hand to his mouth, brushing a kiss to the back of it that sent an unexpected thrill through my arm. “A vision of beauty, as always.”

  “Thank you. You scrub up pretty well too.” I let my gaze slide over him, quietly wondering how he could look so immaculate in the dark gray suit at the same time as seeming completely casual. But then again, Warin was always well-dressed.

  “Sit with me, my dove,” he said.

  “Um…” I cleared my throat, trying not to blush at the term of endearment. From the grand total of two comments he’d spoken to me so far, I was getting the impression he had his formal hat on tonight. It wasn’t like he was normally the most chill dude, and I glanced at his lap, trying to determine if he meant he wanted me to sit on him.

  “The floor, Snack,” Aleric murmured, discreetly kneeing me in the hamstring to push me in the right direction. Only then did I spot the pillow by one of the chair legs.

  “Oh.” Oh. He’d been literal when he talked about me sitting by Warin’s feet like a dog. Grimacing at the idea of subjecting my amazing dress to the floor I stepped up next to Warin’s chair and, with the support of his grasp on my hand, sat down as gracefully as I could manage. Which wasn’t particularly graceful at all.

  Only when I’d gotten into a somewhat comfortable kneeling position on the pillow did Warin release my hand.

  Aleric, apparently happy he’d fulfilled his delivery obligations, nodded at his brother and walked off, leaving us behind.

  I glanced up at Warin, unsure of what I was supposed to do now, but he didn’t so much as spare me a glance. He just sat there, looking as bored as before as he stared out over the slowly filling room.

  Well, this looked like it was going to be a fun-filled night. I heaved a sigh and tried my best to mimic the empty doll-like expression on Aleric’s pet’s face. At least my guilt over making Warin go to Denver to visit my family with me was sharply declining.

  We sat in complete silence for a good twenty minutes before a small group of people—vampires, judging by their pale skin—approached us.

  “Lord Warin,” the woman said, inclining her head an inch while the two men behind her bowed deep.

  “Lady Lizanne,” Warin greeted. “Elliot. And… your new Son, if I’m not mistaken?” His blue eyes swept to one of the male vampires—a tall, blonde young man.

  “Yes, this is Peter, the newest addition to my bloodline.” Lizanne made a motion for Peter to step forward. She looked like a proud mother—but when he moved closer to Warin and she let a hand slide down the small of his back and over his ass, I instantly regretted the comparison. Clearly, vampire families had different moral codes than humans.

  Warin nodded. “Congratulations, Lizanne.”

  “And you, Warin? Still childless?” The female vampire let her gaze slide over me. “Or are you perhaps reconsidering, after all these years? This is the first time you have claimed a pet, if I’m not mistaken.”

  “There is a world of difference between a pet and a Child,” Warin said, his dismissive tone making me bite back a small bloom of hurt. It wasn’t like I wanted to be Warin’s creepy vampire-daughter, either. “As I’m sure you are well-aware.”

  “Of course. Nothing good ever comes from forcing a bond with a Child who isn’t worthy of the Embrace.” The woman looked back to Warin. “But to get onto more urgent matters… I have instructed my Guard to look into any irregularities with the blood supply, as well as increasing surveillance of any suspected witch activities.”

  “But nothing’s been reported to you? No increase in disappearances?” Warin asked.

  “Nothing. But I will continue my investigations. As unfortunate as the occurrences in Chicago are, I appreciate your warning and your diligence on the matter—no one wants these occurrences to spread across territories.”

  “We will see,” Warin said. “I thank you for your participation in this matter.”

  Apparently it was a dismissal, because the lady inclined her head at him again and led her two sons away without another word. And then a new, small group of vampires stepped up to Warin’s makeshift throne.

  While at first I was fascinated watching the vampires interact, it quickly became incredibly boring. A few made enquiries about my presence—enough to make it obvious that the vampire elite were surprised to see Warin with a companion—but no one ever spoke directly to me. And the line of questioning always led to the same results: no one had heard anything, no one knew anything, and everyone would do their utmost to look for similar cases in their own territories.

  By the time a black-haired man with golden eyes stepped up, the first vampire without an entourage, my knees were aching and I’d just about murder for a pee and a glass of water.

  “Lord Warin,” he said like all the others had, but something in his voice made me look up at him. There was just the faintest hint of a purr in it, like a satiated panther. He was beautiful, with his high cheekbones and sensuous lips, but that wasn’t what kept my attention—they were all beautiful. Cold, but beautiful. No, it was the sheer power radiating off him in nearly tangible waves. Every hair on my body stood on end when his gaze briefly flickered down to me. “Miss Green.”

  “H-hi,” I croaked, taken by surprise by finally being acknowledged.

  His lips curved in a devious little smile. “You should let your pet drink something. Humans require constant hydration, or they simply… wither and die. Like delicate orchids. Isn’t that right, my lovely?” Though he was speaking to Warin, he didn’t take his disturbing eyes off me.

  “I was not expecting you, Lord Zet. London is far away, and my notification was only sent out to the North American Lords and Ladies,” Warin said, ignoring his comment about me.

  The black-haired vampire’s gaze finally moved from me back to Warin. I heaved a sigh of relief. “I go by Zeth these days. It’s so much easier to conduct oneself with a modern name—you should consider it, Lord Warin. And I am here simply because I was looking after some business in the West when I got wind of your call. I figured I best stop by—you know how fast trouble travels these days. Blasted internet.”

  “I take it you are unaware of any similar occurrences in London and the rest of the islands?” Warin asked.

  “That would be correct, young Lord. But then again, nothing happens in London without my knowledge. You new continent Lords have some years to go before you will have established a similar rapport, so as long as I am here, my power is at your disposal, should you require any help with these pesky witches in your territory.” He nodded at Warin with a small smirk and then walked off, not waiting to be dismissed like the other Lords and Ladies had.

  I looked up at Warin, catching his eye for the first time during his talks with the other vampires, and mouthed “wow” at him. Lord Zeth was one cocky bastard, that was for sure. I might not have been tuned in to vampire etiquette, but it didn’t take an expert to realize he’d snubbed Warin pretty hard.

  “You may go to the kitchen for water, my dove,” he said, neither his face or voice betraying if he shared my thoughts on the golden-eyed vampire. “It’s just past the foyer and down the hall.”

  “Great, I’m a bit parched. And, um, where’s the bathroom?”

  “At the northern end of the house. Continue past the kitchen, take two lefts and a right, and it’s at the end of the hall.” Warin held out his hand again, and when I took it, helped me to stand.

  I wasn’t
exactly sure which direction was north, having not been in a house that required navigation via cardinal directions before, but I figured I’d locate the kitchen first and take it from there.

  No one paid me much mind as I made my way through the foyer and down the hall, and I noticed that the further I made it from the main room where Warin held court, the fewer vampires were around. When I finally found the kitchen, there wasn’t a single undead in sight.

  Which was probably natural enough, I mused as I walked into the large, but somewhat barren room. Vampires wouldn’t need a fridge for their dietary needs—at least not if they liked their dinner fresh. I eyeballed the large two-door fridge and wondered if it’d be filled with donor blood. Not that I was curious enough to check.

  There were a few humans in the room, all with completely blank expressions as they went about sipping water and nibbling on the spread of finger-food that’d been put out for the humans. The realization that Warin, despite having me sit at his feet like a pet while he played lord of the manor, had cared enough about the human companions to ensure they were well-fed, eased some of the discomfort I’d harbored since entering his house. Even if he was forced to act cold and uncaring like his peers, he was still the thoughtful man I’d gotten to know these past few weeks.

  “Nice spread,” I commented to the room in general as I grabbed a couple toothpicks with cheese and olives. “Who knew blood drinkers knew how to pick out a good caterer, eh?”

  Eerie silence met me. When I glanced up, the five other humans in the room weren’t even looking at me.

  “So creepy,” I muttered. It was a bit like being the only living person in a wax museum.

  Wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible, I downed a pint of water in a few gulps and brought the cheese sticks with me to snack on while I went to hunt down the bathroom.