He leaned in to whisper, “I’ll give you a hint, Lusion.” Lusion flung his head back and laughed. The sound was a sadistic shout of victory.
Lusion bent to sniff her neck, as he enjoyed her honey scent. His hands drifted over her body and grabbed a breast. “For the love of Hades, you will be fun.”
He lifted her eyelids and saw the powerful shine of teal. They were so bright that he could barely make out the rest of her luscious face. He touched the tip of her hair and ran his fingers through her loose locks. Whoa, it looks like I got a live one.
The demon unzipped his pants. He lifted her shirt and reached for the buttons of her jeans, loving her soft skin. He was going to enjoy cutting her milky flesh. Distracted by her body, he didn't hear someone walk into the alley.
“I'm not sure she’s as excited as you are lad.” A man stood at the opening of the alley looking at his hand like it was a prized possession.
“Mind your own business, mate. She is my cursed object, now bug off.” Lusion didn’t turn to him, but his shoulders straightened.
“Sorry... mate, I don't think I can do that. You see, I'm not a fan of rape, and it's in my blood to stop such occurrences.” The man leaned against the alley wall like it was his regular hangout, as he grinned at the demon.
“Well then, why don't I suck all the blood out of you. Then, you wouldn’t feel so obligated,” Lusion stepped away from Cat's body and turned to him. Cat tumbled to the ground.
A wave of excitement danced up Lusion’s spine like an expert masseuse's touch at the sound of Cat’s head cracking against the ground as it hit. He looked the man up and down.
He’s big; might be fun to take down. What captivated him the most about the man was his icy blue eyes. Hatred swam in those shiny depths.
He tried to stretch to his full height, but the human body wouldn’t let him. Lusion grunted and put all his attention on the man. He needed to kill him; he’d deal with reaching his full height later.
First, kill the man. Entertain myself with the girl who kept me trapped for so long in that curse later. Then work on this wretched body.
“Valgostine!” Lusion put out his hand, and the butt of his weapon appeared in a cloud of green smoke. The long, curved sword shone in the moonlight. He loved to hear that breathtaking snap of his birth weapon when it arrived.
The beautiful silver sword was part of him. No matter where he went, he could call the attractive thing to himself. If only he could use his magic to kill the intruder, but most of his actual magic wouldn’t come back for a few hours.
Lusion grinned and traced his finger along the sharp edges. Chills crept over his body, one swipe of his blade and that man’s soul would be his.
He wished a long, painful process was possible, but he needed to hurry. The sexy matter on the ground needed his attention. If she died too quick, he wouldn’t have any fun.
Lusion stepped forward to attack his opponent. He hesitated when he saw the long sword the man pulled from a sheath on his back. Who is this guy? Unnatural, or Hunter? Lusion couldn’t sense magic in his aura.
“Tricky, Tricky.” Lusion brazenly rubbed his fingers along his chin. “I think I'm starting to like you, mate. Are you sure you are not half demon?” He wiggled his eyebrows, loving how the man recoiled at his words.
“I'm sure.” He stepped away from the wall, as he glared at Lusion.
The man grabbed the bottom of his blade and slashed his exposed palm. The thick liquid drizzled out as if with a mind of its own. Hendrick raked the thick blood over his sword. Lusion didn’t see blood drip, so he assumed it was already healed. Unnatural, it is then. No matter, he’ll still die by my sword.
“What the bloody hell? You are a weird one, mate. If you wanted to be hurt, you should have just asked.” Lusion lifted his sword, and let it swing around his body to show off his sword training before he charged forward.
Four
Hedrick was rushing to meet his next client when he heard a massive roar. Only one thing could make that kind of scream; a male demon in our dimension? He wrinkled his nose in disgust. Demons were vile creatures with no compassion whatsoever.
Something deep inside called him. The thickness weighed down his heart, as it dared him to do his job and kill the demon. He still had the mentality of a protector, but now, he used those skills as a Bounty Hunter, or assassin if the bloke deserved it.
Even though he wasn’t living with the gods and the rest of his kind, the ancestral blood flowed through his body. That blood called to him.
The fact that he was once a king, taking care of the weak was his duty. No doubt in his mind that the demon had an innocent with him. That’s kind of how they roll.
After the war, he ruled in secret over the few people that were left in his kingdom. All the others were killed in an attack by Unnaturals. His soul clenched at bitter memories. These days, he was a nobody, hunted by everybody for his blood power.
With a groan, he turned his massive body in the direction of the demon’s scream. He absently knocked the dirt from his last chase off his black shirt and leather pants.
Leather is the best thing to wear with a life like his. It was durable and moved well in a fight. He would go crazy if he had to wear jeans.
The smell of rotten demon stink hung heavy in the air. The foul sour smell drifted into his lungs and made him choke.
Bloody hell, it’s a ripe one. A punch of adrenaline slammed through him. It’s been too long. I forgot how inspired I feel when I anticipate a demon fight.
He stopped short of the alley entrance and got a whiff of heaven. Whoa, what is that? He could tell the smell was from a woman. The beautiful honey aroma was not like anything he had ever smelt before, although it was vaguely familiar.
He strode to the alley. Saving the woman was the right thing to do, and it seemed like fun. Hendrick looked down into the dark length with only a few lit candles to keep the alley from looking pitch black. This was the type of alley that no one walks down because they worry monsters lurk in the shadows.
In the middle, two people stood pressed against the wall closest to a door that he assumed was some restaurant.
The man had the woman pushed up against the wall in a way that, if someone wasn’t focused on them, they would see two lovers enjoying themselves. With squinty eyes, Hendrick looked closer and noticed the man was stood over an unconscious woman.
The man had her in a position that looked like she was standing up on her own. One foot on the floor the other lifted to his waist, and her head leaned against the wall.
A smirk crept across Hendrick’s face; he was ready for a demon attack. “I'm not sure she’s as excited as you are lad,” he said antagonizing the demon to get his attention. I wonder how long this conversation is going to last before he attacks me. The wanker.
He watched the demon lift his sword. His ugly green face was a little too big for the human’s face. Hendrick could see the demonic being under the human’s skin which was cracked and stretched. Not an attractive look.
With some of his own blood on the sword, Hendrick knew the demon didn't have a chance. He still needed to be careful, though. One swipe of the demon's sword and he'd be trapped there for all eternity.
With a loud crash, their blades collided, making massive sparks fall to the ground. Lusion clenched his teeth together and swung again, lower. Hendrick blocked the sword and went for a jab to his arm. Although he missed, the demon stepped back and moved his sword to the right which gave Hendrick an open opportunity.
When a person fights as much as Hendrick does, the movement becomes like a rehearsed dance. He knew what the demon’s body would do by watching his body language.
Hendrick jumped to the side, slashing his sword at the demon’s exposed chest. As Hendrick swung his weapon around, he saw that the demon’s movements were already getting slower.
***
“Dirty scoundrel,” Lusion tried to block Hendrick’s next blow, but the sharp edge of the silver raked at the exp
osed area on his chest again. He cried out in pain and rumbled on the ground.
His hand clung to his chest as he let his sword drop to the ground, “Why in the Hades does this burn so much?”
The edges of his vision darkened and shrunk inward.
The demon had heard stories of the ancient Dragonvires and had even killed a few—but that was a long time ago. So, he knew the effects of a Dragonvire's poison. But how? The bloody things have been dead for years. Or so he thought. He thought the blood on the sword thing was weird, but Dragonvire’s shouldn’t exist anymore.
In a fit of rage, Lusion attacked. He let his claws shoot out of the human skin. His arms swung furiously at Hendrick. Those razor-sharp nails blurred from the speed that tore into Hendrick. They were too fast to stop them all. A few more minutes of this and Hendrick would be a goner, as well.
***
Hendrick looked at the cuts on the demon’s skin, and at his wide, bugged out eyes. He had never met a demon strong enough to resist his blood poison for this long. Time to bring my beast into this.
Hendrick slammed his teeth together, as he called on his strength. The sound of his clenched teeth was loud. The power he pulled forward wasn’t enough to draw his beast out, but it was enough to make the demon’s movements slower.
Hendrick and the demon fought, each tried to get the upper hand as they slashed and punched each other. Thankfully, Lusion didn't have his sword in his hand. So, Hendrick didn’t have to worry about getting trapped in the sword.
Hendrick only had to hold him off until the poison drifted into his nervous system. Without a fight or flight instinct, people don’t fight as well.
And then he noticed a change in him. Lusion got sloppy, and he left gaps in his defenses. Hendrick took advantage of this and gained the upper hand until he had enough time to transform completely. His square teeth extended into long points and his body morphed into a more prominent, stronger being. Hendrick’s bronzed skin turned glossy as his body transformed into his gray dragon form. He needed to make this quick, so no one saw him.
It has been a long time since he’d transformed into his dragon beast. The last time he did, a Hunter found him and his family. Hunters were Naturals that use heat tracker amulets to find Dragonvires, which worked well when they shifted into their dragons.
Lusion gained his composure and struck out with his knee. The blow hit Hendrick between the legs making him howl in pain. He almost tumbled to the ground, as his breath quickened, but stopped himself. Once the black spots stopped dancing around, he could fight again. An evil growl vibrated through Hendrick’s throat.
***
As Hendrick reacted to his assault, Lusion slid for his sword. It glided effortlessly along the cement because the blood and wintry weather made everything slippery. Hope flared to life in his black heart; he was only inches away from his weapon.
“No, you don’t.” Dirt and garbage went up in the air as Hendrick flapped his large dragon wings and pushed off the ground. His scales stood on end like a cat ready to attack. With ease, his dragon body slammed into Lusion and stopped him from grabbing his sword. In defense, Lusion lifted his hand to block Hendrick’s teeth from ripping into his flesh, which wasn’t useful. Hendrick ripped off his arm and threw it aside like garbage.
“Aaa!” Lusion clenched his teeth at the blast of hot pain. He was too weak and slow to try to call on his powers. All he could do was scurry away.
***
A loud plea echoed in the shadows of the alley. Lusion laid there, winded, and tried to stop the bleeding by wrapping his shirt around the stump.
Hendrick watched how pathetic his last minutes were and let him wallow in his misery for a bit. Hades knows, he had done the same to others. Hendrick changed back into his human form, as his bones cracked and snapped back into place. The pain was like hot fire on his skin.
He rolled his shoulders as his soft human skin stretched along his form. With bitter hatred in his bright orange eyes, he grabbed his sword and drove the point into Lusion’s heart.
The demon went utterly still.
If Lusion moved, Hendrick’s sword would damage his heart, making him weaker. Both stared at each other knowing what was going to happen next. In a blur, Hendrick twisted the blade.
Doing so wouldn’t kill a demon, but the injury brings them excruciating pain and weakens them, so when he swung his sword with all his might at the demon’s neck, it was a mercy kill. Hendrick hated demons, and he wasn’t one of them.
With a nasty crunch, he hit his target. The sound of the blade slashing through flesh and breaking a bone was like biting into an ice cube. All he needed was one good crunch with teeth and the ice breaks. The sound was something Hendrick could never get used to.
He took a deep breath as he watched the bloodied head roll away as it made wallow sounds. If he didn’t have Dragonvire blood on his side, he probably would not have won the fight.
How the hell did this woman get caught up with a demon like that?
He stepped closer to the woman that laid on the ground. His heartbeat increased when he saw the blood streaming from her head. She’s hurt. She must have hit her head when she fell.
She was lucky. The cold ground had slowed the blood seeping from the wound, but she wouldn't last much longer.
Hendrick’s head went around in a circle as he commanded his vampire beast to show itself. An ice-cold wave lassoed his humanity and pulled it to his core until the vampire was settled in his skin.
His mouth tingled, and a slight growing pain lengthened his teeth. Now that he could pierce his thick skin, he bit his wrist. The popping sound caused a shiver to go down his spine. It had been a long time since he had fed with his fangs. Calm yourself.
Thanks to his dragon blood, he didn't need to feed like a regular vampire. To feed with his fangs wasn't necessary, but he still craved biting and feeding on beautiful women as he once had. Human blood made him more powerful.
Hendrick pushed her onto her back, a little bit of his blood would do the trick. He would have to be careful no one saw him doing this. By Dragonvire law, he was not supposed to heal a stranger, unless they give their consent. But he couldn’t just let her die.
Hendrick put his wrist to her mouth, “Heal,” he commanded his blood power. The best part about Dragonvire blood is that the Dragonvire has control over what their blood does unless they get murdered. Then, their blood is tainted with hate, and it releases the poison into their bloodstream. Otherwise, the blood wouldn’t be harmful.
Her eyes still shone like bright sapphire and smoke snaked out of her mouth as he forced the Crimson into it. The woman’s dark, blood-streaked hair hovered over the ground. Despite all that, Hendrick still thought she was gorgeous. Her thick body and pouty lips were attractive.
Hendrick was surprised when the woman’s power soaked into his skin, as well, and made his slashes knit back together. Her energy was like electricity that danced along his skin. He looked at his chest with his mouth opened wide.
Wow.
“Oh, I like you. I thought my kind were the only ones that could do that.” He lifted his wrist from her mouth and stood up. The last thing he needed was this woman to wake up with a man standing over her and a dead body next to her. With power like that, who knew what she can do.
To his right, he saw the edge of a wallet that stuck out of her pocket and grabbed it. As he touched her, she stirred and stretched her legs. Her power decreased, and the smoke retreated into her mouth.
Hendrick hid in the shadows of the alley. This wouldn’t be his first person he thought needed help but instead, they wanted to use him, or trap him. Last time he’d lost his best friend.
He thought he could trust a woman that needed his help, but she was the mastermind. She had a binding curse, and Mike paid the price for his stupidity. She drained him dry, and if his other friend wasn’t close by, he would have died as well.
When he saw this woman’s reaction to the dead body, he would know her intentions
. He couldn't afford for this to be another trap.
If that’s the case, she will meet the same fate.
Five
Cat’s fingers slid into a warm thick liquid that was heavy on her skin. A gut reaction made her jerk her hand away and when she looked down at her trembling hand, saw the crimson layers on her fingers. Blood. "What the…" her voice squeaked. She scooted away from the puddle and looked around.
If she hadn’t been an investigator that had to look at blood and dead bodies all the time, she'd probably have freaked out. Thankfully, this wasn't her first rodeo.
She looked around to decipher where the blood had come from because the battle she had seen hadn’t happened this close to her.
Oh, that's right. The image of her falling followed by the pain splitting her head, and the man healing her replayed in her mind.
It’s my blood. She looked around, as she noticed the splashes of blood everywhere. Well, this puddle is mine.
She didn't know whether she should relax or be worried. Cat gulped and stared at the ground. Now, the puddle didn’t seem as much in comparison.
The blood was from Bruce. As her mind slowly relayed the events that happened while she was in her vision, she saw Bruce. His disheveled headless body sprawled on the ground, the slashes in his chest steaming.
Cat tilted her head and wrinkled her forehead. Curiosity got the best of her. She walked over to the body and knelt to inspect him better. What the hell had the mystery guy used, acid?
All thoughts of the unknown weapon disappeared as grief settled in. This was her fault. Bruce is dead because of me. A flash of the vision of what happened while she laid on the floor bleeding popped into her head. Lusion said her ex-boyfriend put a curse on her.
It helped a little to know most of the blame was on him. He had used an unforgivable curse to get her back because she left him.
Cat shook her head at the stupidity of his actions. She had seen curses like that only a few times. They always came with a horrible cost. Usually, the person that cast the curse had to give up their soul.
The Smokiest Grave (The Unnatural Series Book 1) Page 3