Blood Rush

by Jenika Snow

  He scowled at her. “That was an unfortunate event, I’m afraid. I had no intentions of that happening. I hadn’t expected a horde of Bloodless to ambush me. Before I was injured, I was able to rid the world of a few more demon spawn.” He smiled. “It was a sign that you were my nurse, a sign that my plans are meant to be.”

  He’d been watching her all along, waiting for his chance to strike? All of this was like a nightmare, a horrific nightmare she wished she could wake up from.

  “I shouldn’t be surprised, not really, but I thought your intuition might have kicked in, given the fact of what you are and all.” He shrugged again. “Not that it would have really mattered anyway. When I have my mind set on something, there isn’t anything that can stop me.”

  He lifted his hands in front of him, palms up. As she had seen in movies, electricity crackled through the air. Kayla felt the hair on her arms stand on end, and she instinctively took a step back. Horror filled her as she watched in fear and shock as Emmitt’s hands became encased in blue light. Electricity bounced between his palms like living lightning jumping from one to the other.

  “You see, I have a few tricks up my sleeve, a few magic spells that have helped me out in life.” He dropped one hand, and the blue light and electricity immediately jumped to the still-outstretched one. It grew so bright that she had to shield her eyes with her arm.

  “What are you?” Although she whispered, she knew he had heard her.

  “Human. Unlike you.” He dropped his hand, and everything became still again. “I have trained since my birth in the art of magic.” He tilted his head to the side and studied her intently. “I like you, I really do, but the thing is”—he dropped his head and shook it lightly—“you shouldn’t be alive.” He looked up again, and although his words seemed sincere, his expression was anything but. “I know all about your kind. I know all about the spawns of the devil walking this world, pretending to be human when they aren’t. You kill humans, sleep with our men and women, and produce offspring. Your kind is nothing but demons sent from hell.”

  He charged after her, and the scream that fell from her lips was unstoppable. Kayla took off into the woods, running as fast as her legs would carry her and praying she made it out alive. Low-hanging branches slapped against her bare arms, but the pain wasn’t anything compared to the fear she felt.

  A glance over her shoulder verified that he was right on her heels. The feeling of his hot breath nearly down the back of her neck was enough affirmation that she needed to go faster.

  The meadow was about half a mile or so away from the park, and when she had been with Adrik, she had enjoyed the privacy. Now she wished it wasn’t so secluded.

  A hard tug on her hair brought her to a halt, and she screamed in pain and fear. Sweat coated her skin, and the cool droplets slid between her breasts. She reached out for something to steady herself, but Emmitt had a firm grasp of her hair, and she fell backward. The air left her in a whoosh as she landed on the hard ground. She reached her hands back, trying to ease from his unrelenting grasp, but got nowhere. He started to pull her, and she screamed in pain. She could feel the dirt embedding itself under her nails as she grappled with the ground beneath her. Rocks bruised her back and thighs as she struggled to escape his hold. All she cared about was escaping with her life still intact.

  She knew where he was going. He was going back to the clearing to finish what he had started. His intent could be felt in his long strides. It was clear he wanted to snuff out her life as if it were no more than a little flame on a candle.

  Kayla squeezed her eyes shut to stem the tears that threatened to escape. It seemed like ages before he finally let go of her hair. The pain immediately eased, and she didn’t waste any time moving as far away from him as she could. Before she could make it one step, though, she felt him grip her shoulder. He spun her around so they faced each other. A moan fell from her lips when he tightened his hold on her shoulder with agonizing strength.

  “Who are you?” Of course, she knew who he was, but this was not the man she knew in the hospital. He was evil, quite possibly the devil himself for all she knew.

  His responding laugh was sardonic. “I am the man that will bring my kind freedom. Once I find the map, I will be able to extinguish all Otherworld creatures as if they were no more than annoying flies. I will bring peace and order to the world, and I will be revered. It will be my greatest victory.” He ran a hand over her hair. “I am the man that will end your life as if it were nothing.”

  His gaze dipped to her cleavage. “Pity, really,” he murmured as he skimmed his fingers along the swell of one breast. “Such a pretty thing.” His eyes snapped back to hers, and he grinned. “He’ll be here soon.”

  Kayla let out her breath, not realizing she had been holding it in. She willed all of the anger, all of the frustration and fear that was bubbling inside of her to surface. She clenched her hand into a fist, and before she lost her nerve, she threw it into his face. Either he didn’t think she would fight back or she had surprised him, but either way, her fist connected with the side of his jaw. His head snapped to the side, and she stumbled back when his grip on her loosened.

  Her hand throbbed in pain, and she cradled it to her chest. Before she could make a run for it, he had an unyielding grip on her wrist. She screamed when he pulled her toward him. He spun her body around so her back was to his chest. He was strong, stronger than a human man should be. His grip on her wrist was fierce, and even though she was a Lyken, she had no strength behind her bones.

  She was at his mercy, completely and utterly.

  Everything around her was still and silent. Her heart pounded quickly and fiercely, and she could feel her pulse beat violently in her throat. When she drew her eyes from the sky that seemed so serene, she had to blink several times at the sight before her. No more than ten feet from her stood Adrik. He was like a dark and powerful savior, dressed in all black, with pure intent and fierce rage on his face. In the blink of an eye he had appeared, as if a mirage her beaten and bruised brain had conjured up. Maybe it was all an illusion, maybe he was just a figment of her mind, or maybe it was simply the last image she saw before she died?

  “Let her go, and I will make your death quick.” A lie from his lips, but Adrik would have said and done anything at that moment to save Kayla. He had no intention of letting this male die painlessly. No, he planned on drawing it out, making him suffer so that he would fully understand the repercussions for taking a Blood Breed’s Chosen.

  Adrik tried to project compulsion in the male, but a force field of energy stopped the action. He mentally cursed.

  “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.” The male smiled and brought Kayla closer to his body.

  Adrik wanted to charge after him, to rip his throat out with his very teeth. He wanted to tear his limbs from his body, but make sure he stayed alive long enough to feel the excruciating pain Adrik planned to cause.

  “Let her go, and we can deal with this like worthy males.” He inhaled the air subtly and sensed something strange about the male, something almost familiar. He was human, but there was an underlying scent of darkness.

  “She’s my ticket to my kind’s salvation.”

  Adrik bared his fangs at the male. He didn’t move, because even though the male’s posture seemed relaxed, the way his hands moved up to Kayla’s neck told of what he really had in mind. All it would take was a quick twist, and her spine would snap in half. She may be a Lyken, but she was a female, and therefore just as fragile as a human.

  “Who are you?” Adrik stared at the male and saw his hold on Kayla tighten.

  “My family has been hunting you down through the ages.”

  Adrik snapped his eyes toward him. There was no recognition, but suddenly he knew who this male was.

  “You are the descendant of Oleg Vastric. The scent is the same, and you have his eyes.”

  The male chuckled deeply and pulled Kayla closer to his body. “That I am. Emmitt at y
our service.” He grinned. “I wondered how long it would take for you to realize. You know, my family has been searching a long time for you.” He smiled again, a slash of white in the darkness.

  “Is that right?” Adrik took a small step forward. He easily could have been by the male’s side in a second, but he didn’t doubt Emmitt could snap her neck within the same time frame. The use of black magic reeked from him, and the faint glow of his aura told of death and anger that resonated within him.

  Adrik took another step forward, and Emmitt tsked. “I could kill her before you even got to me, Breed.”

  “What do you want?”

  “I want information on where the fabled dagger lies. I want you to give up its location.”

  Adrik stopped breathing. The Dagger of Life and Death was an almost-myth amongst the Otherworld, although Adrik knew the truth. He knew the dagger was, in all actuality, indubitable.

  “I have no knowledge of where this myth lies. You of all people should know it is nothing more than a tale to tell children before bed.” A lie, but then again, Adrik was sure as hell not going to tell him what his king had revealed. If what Aleksei had heard was right, the moon would reveal the location of the map that would lead to the dagger.

  “Don’t take me as a fool.” Emmitt spat the word. Spittle and blood dripped down his chin. His hand tightened on Kayla’s throat, and Adrik’s heart sped up.

  “If you do not tell me what I wish to know, my plans for your whore are a lot worse than death.”

  “You’ll regret all of this. I will tell you once more to release her.” Adrik took another step forward, and the air suddenly became thick. He could tell when black magic was in play, and it was definitely being used now. Everything became silent and still. A low hum started to penetrate the silence, and no more than ten feet in front of him, a portal opened.

  The earth beneath his feet began to quake. The ground cracked and warped, the grass, dirt, and rock splitting and revealing a bottomless oblique pit. Wind whipped around Adrik, and he turned his focus on Kayla. Her eyes were wide, and her gaze bounced from the hole, back to him.

  Without preamble, Adrik lurched toward Emmitt, but he anticipated it. Just as Adrik reached his side, Emmitt pushed Kayla toward the hole. Her scream penetrated the rage and the need to kill Emmitt burning within Adrik.

  As he turned to reach for her, Adrik’s fingers brushed her arm, and he scrambled forward to take a firmer hold of it. Using all of his strength, he yanked her back just as she would have fallen into the great black abyss. Her scream reverberated throughout the forest when he tossed her to the side, away from Emmitt. The timing couldn’t have been better, because just as he saw her hit the ground, he felt Emmitt slam into him. The power behind the human’s bones startled Adrik. He faltered on his feet and fell backward. He was aware of the ground shaking once more and the hole closing mere feet from him. He struggled for supremacy with Emmitt for a heartbeat and then tossed him to the side.

  There was definitely something that brewed within Emmitt, something that was dark and evil and went against everything. Adrik breathed heavily as he watched Emmitt struggle to stand. He might have been a sorcerer who dealt with black magic, but he was also only human. Adrik stole a glance at Kayla, saw her unconscious form curled on the ground, and roared in outrage. She was still alive, that much he could tell, but her heartbeat was soft, and the scent of her blood was strong in the air.

  Without thinking, without feeling anything more than pure, unadulterated rage, he charged forward and gripped Emmitt around the neck.

  Chapter 30

  Adrik held Emmitt’s neck in an unyielding grip. He could snap it like a fragile bone with just a flick of his wrist, but he wanted to drag out his pain, let Emmitt know that what he had done was forbidden and deserved agony. Adrik could feel the power emitting from his foe, and although it was immense, he could tell it wasn’t as strong as it had been only moments before. The only explanation Adrik could conjure up was that opening the portal had drained Emmitt’s power considerably.

  Anger and despair were driving forces inside of Adrik. He felt the air crackle around him, and although he knew what was about to happen, he didn’t move fast enough to block the attack. A ball of energy slammed into his chest, and he found himself flying through the air backward. He slammed into the thick trunk of a tree, momentarily getting the breath knocked out of him, but quickly shaking it off. The energy had been strong enough to take him off his feet, but Adrik was able to shake it off and stand, which meant Emmitt’s power still wasn’t up to par.

  “I’ve been watching you for some time now. You’re being sloppy and letting your anger fuck up your moves.” Emmitt’s voice was husky, and Adrik noticed how he absently rubbed his neck.

  Adrik didn’t respond, just shot forward with the speed of his kind. He zigzagged forward and felt the omnipotence of Emmitt’s power growing stronger by the second. An electrical charge slammed into Adrik’s shoulder, but there still wasn’t much strength behind it. He needed to move fast, or Emmitt would finish what he started and Kayla would be gone.

  He ran behind Emmitt, his form no more than a blur. Running his elongated nail across the back of Emmitt’s neck, he was satisfied when his enemy howled in pain. The smell of his blood was like acid in the air. The human was definitely corrupted. Emmitt quickly spun around. He gripped the back of his neck as anger poured off of him in waves.

  Emmitt attempted to use more magic, but his face became paler with each passing second, and his moves were becoming unsteady. Adrik used that to his advantage and swiped his hand out, cutting a little bit more out of Emmitt every time contact was made.

  Adrik felt Emmitt’s power dwindle until it was only a dull hum in the air. The smell of his blood left Adrik’s inner beast scratching to be let free. He needed to keep it in check, though, needed to keep a clear head if he wanted to get the information that would ensure Kayla’s safety.

  Emmitt suddenly shot forward, running through the woods in the opposite direction. His blood left a trail on the leaf-covered ground. Charging after Emmitt, Adrik didn’t need to keep an eye on him. He could smell the rancid odor of his blood making an irrevocable trail.

  Emmitt’s form was still in his line of vision, and Adrik surged forward. When he was no more than a foot away, Adrik slashed his arm out. Emmitt was fast, but not fast enough to outrun him. Adrik’s nail penetrated tissue and muscle, and Emmitt fell forward.

  Landing on top of him, Adrik forcefully turned him onto his back and bared his fangs. “You better fucking tell me why you targeted my Chosen.” When Emmitt just stared at him with malice, Adrik hissed in anger. “If you don’t start talking I’ll make the last minutes of your life so painful you’ll beg me for death.”

  The sound that came from Emmitt was gurgled and distorted. Blood as dark as night continued to well from the wound at his throat. Emmitt’s face became paler, and the sound of his pulse lessened considerably. He leaned in close and bared his fangs once again. Adrik was primal now, solely running on the need to ensure his female stayed safe. Emmitt might have been on the verge of death at that moment, but Adrik wasn’t naive enough to think that there weren’t others out there like him.

  “I want the dagger. I want you to tell me where it is.” Emmitt’s voice was more distant, and almost unrecognizable, as his blood continued to seep from the deep gash in his throat.

  “Even if you kill me, there will be others. We know about the dagger and what it’s capable of. Many have died trying to find its whereabouts, and I assure you, if and when I die, someone will be there to take my place.”

  Adrik shook with rage. He didn’t know where the dagger was, and although Aleksei had told him about the insider information he had acquired, that wasn’t solid evidence on where it actually was.

  “I have no doubts there will be others, but now that I know what you and your kind are capable of, and what you’re after, none of you will succeed.” With that being said, Adrik felt his claws lengthen fur
ther. He lifted his hand, and without a moment’s thought, he swiped his claws across Emmitt’s throat. The wound gaped open, and arterial blood pulsed out in great arcs. On any other occasion, Adrik would have stayed and watched his enemy draw in his last breath, but he needed to make sure Kayla was okay.

  He left Emmitt lying on the ground as he rushed toward Kayla. When he lifted her into his arms, he could tell right away that her arm was broken. A large cut marred her forehead, and her skin looked even paler under the moonlight. He couldn’t help the feelings that assaulted him. Because of him and his kind, she had been put in danger and was injured. He was supposed to protect her, but all he had done was put her in harm’s way.

  Rage and pain filled every part of his body, and he rushed back to the club, knowing that even though she would heal, the scars would still be there, mentally and physically.

  Chapter 31

  Kaleb slammed on the brakes of his truck and got out. Storming up the front steps of the Night Phlox, he had only one goal in mind, find Adrik and kick his ass. Rage burned through him, and the conversation he had just had made his blood boil. Although it was a weekday, the club was popping with activity. A kid in a valet uniform came up to him, but Kaleb pushed him out of the way and ripped open the front door.

  “Adrik!” He bellowed the Breed’s name and made his way down the hallway. Music blasted just on the other side of the walls. “Get your ass out here now, motherfucker!”

  When he had gotten the call from Adrik about what happened to Kayla, he had gone ballistic. He had put his trust in the vampire’s ability to look after and care for his twin, and this was the result for putting his trust in a leech.

  The hatred he felt wasn’t something he was accustomed to, but now, after Kayla had been injured, he thought about how maybe the Lykens were right about staying away from the Blood Breed. He had wanted to give Kayla her space, wanted to let her decide for herself what was best, but it looked as though he was going to have to take matters into his own hands and take that choice from her.