by E.J. Stevens
A beautiful, blue-skinned faerie upended a shot glass of something dark amber onto an armful of linens and raced over to the door. The vampire scowled, but held the door for the faerie who rushed inside. The vamp followed close at her heels, the door snapping shut behind him.
I was trying to figure out how to get inside that locked door when my jaw dropped open. Forneus strode forward and tried to push a key into the lock. How the heck did the demon get a key? Was he part of this whole date rape drug thing? If he was, I had a holy water dipped crossbow bolt with his name on it.
He seemed to be having trouble with the key. I moved even closer as he focused on the lock. A tiny flame rose from Forneus’ index finger and he touched it to the lock. This time when he tried the key, the door opened. The door was at the wrong angle for me to see inside, but I figured that meant whoever was behind the door couldn’t see me either.
I leapt at the door as it swung shut, grasping the doorknob just before the lock could click. I let out a shaky breath, wondering what I should do next. Ivy would be here soon, hopefully with Torn in tow, and I should probably wait. But the thought of Forneus taking advantage of some poor, drugged girl clouded my vision.
I slipped through the doorway, pulled a stake from my bag, and used it to keep the door wedged open. Ivy would recognize the weapon, and would know I was inside. At least, that was the plan. She could just think it was a chunk of wood.
I shook my head and pressed my lips together. No, Ivy was good at finding people—it’s what she does. She’d be able to read the clues and figure out where I’d gone. I turned away from the sliver of light coming from the bar and blinked into the darkness. I slung my crossbow from my shoulder, pushed off the safety, and stepped quietly into the room.
I stubbed my toe on a metal rack and banged my shin on a wooden crate, but I stifled the urge to cry out. I was used to bumps and bruises, but I hoped like hell that none of the cuts had drawn blood. I knew of at least one vamp who had come through this way, and there could be more below. Heck, there could be a whole nest of bloodsuckers down there.
I wiped clammy hands down the front of my dress and picked my way through the darkness. I focused on getting to the stairway that I’d glimpsed when I’d first opened the door. Too bad reaching the stairs wasn’t much improvement. In fact, it was pretty freaking terrifying.
I stared down from the landing, but it was black as bat wings down there and sounds echoed up the stairway like it was a pipeline to Hell. Moans, cries, whimpers, and manic laughter mingled into a nightmarish choir that set my heart pounding in my chest.
What the heck was I doing here? I’d gotten myself into a lot of messes, but this one might just take the cake, the icing, and the whole damn serving plate.
I hesitated, one foot hovering over empty air as I considered retreating back to the storeroom. Waiting for Ivy would be the smart thing, which was probably why Fate propelled me down the stairs at the sound of Forneus speaking to someone below.
My nickname? Yeah, it was more than just a catchy moniker. Me and Lady Luck have never been close. In fact, we were fast becoming frenemies, which was the likely cause of my attraction to the demon speaking below.
I recognized Forneus’ voice, but I was too far away to make out the words. If I could just get a little closer… I teetered on one platform sandal and sighed. If I was going to go tiptoeing through the dark, I probably shouldn’t be wearing these shoes.
I slipped out of my platform sandals and grimaced as something crunched beneath my feet. But stepping on spiders and cockroaches was the least of my worries. I needed to find out what Forneus and Puck were up to, preferably without twisting my ankle or taking a tumble into the basement below.
With my bad luck, I’d break my ankle and my neck.
I grabbed the old, splintered railing and began my slow descent down the stairs. Goosebumps dotted my skin and I shivered as a heavy quiet seemed to swallow the basement. The cries and whimpers had stopped. That should have been an improvement, but the dead air was even worse than the sounds of torment.
Forneus’ voice broke the silence, followed by Puck’s laughter. I shuddered at the ghoulish images that conjured up. Were they hurting innocent people down here? I didn’t want to believe it, but Ivy had seen Puck try to dose my drink and though Forneus was smoking hot, he was still a freaking demon. And demons were evil, right?
I paused as I ran out of stairs. I’d reached the lower basement level, and though a faint light shone from the room beyond, I couldn’t make out much of the chamber I was in. I inched forward, keeping my hand on the wall. I didn’t have supernatural eyesight like Forneus or Puck. If I wanted to see what was really going on, I’d have to get closer to the light.
I started forward, but jumped as a shadow broke away from the wall. Entering the room beyond, the dark shape became a tall, blue-skinned faerie woman. Huh, that was odd. It was the same chick who’d been tending bar.
I’d wondered where the faerie and vampire had disappeared to, but I’d assumed the two had come down here together. In fact, I had some pretty icky ideas when I’d seen them sneak off into the basement. Thankfully, whatever the faerie was up to, it didn’t include getting naked with a vampire. There are some things I just didn’t need to see. If what Ivy had said about vamps being dried out corpses was true, vampire sex was definitely on my list of things to avoid at all cost. A girl can only handle so many nightmares.
I was startled from my musing as the faerie woman leapt into the room beyond. I hurried to the corner she’d vacated, hoping for a better look. The bartender charged toward Puck, yelling and laughing maniacally, arm raised above her head. There was something shiny clutched in her fist, some kind of weapon, but she never had a chance to stab anyone.
Faster than my human eyes could follow, a vampire came rushing out of an adjacent room. A door whipped open and suddenly he was there, standing between the woman and Puck—the woman’s bleeding arm held in the vampire’s fist.
I leaned against the wall, knees weak. I took a deep breath, trying to slow my racing heart, and blinked away dark spots in my vision. There was at least one killer in the next room. I could not pass out.
I placed shaky hands on my knees and gulped in air. When I finally trusted myself to stand, I lifted my crossbow to my shoulder and peered around the corner. A lot had happened while I’d struggled to stay conscious.
Puck lay bleeding on the floor, something metallic jutting from his chest, and the vampire was holding the faerie woman upright while he feasted on her jugular. It was the same vamp I’d seen earlier, though he’d lost his hat and the look of calm, southern charm.
I didn’t know what kind of mess the faerie had got herself into, but no one deserved to become some vamp’s chew toy. Heck, he’d torn off her arm and was sucking on the faerie bartender’s neck like a toddler with a god damned sippy cup.
I tuned out the slurping sounds and ran into the room. Forneus’ eyes widened, and I couldn’t help but grin. For once, I’d surprised the unflappable demon. But I couldn’t revel in the moment; it didn’t seem wise to keep the sounds of feeding at my back.
I swung the crossbow around to point at the vampire.
“Move away from the girl, douchebag,” I said.
The slurping stopped and the vamp tossed the woman aside like a crumpled up juice box. I glared at the vampire, careful to keep from looking him directly in the eye, and my finger twitched on the trigger mechanism of my bow. Who died and gave him the right to treat people as if they were disposable?
Oh, right. He did, and then he rose again. Well, the bastard should have stayed dead. One dead vamp, coming right up.
The vampire was rushing forward before I could finish pulling the trigger. That doesn’t mean I didn’t get off a shot. I hit him square in the chest. Too bad I’d loaded for demons.
A wooden bolt would have paralyzed the vampire, but the metal I shot him with didn’t even slow the guy down. I was going to die and I wasn’t even wearing shoes.
There was something tragic about facing death in your bare feet.
Thankfully, it wasn’t my day to die. One second I was about to have my heart ripped out and the next I was shoved against the wall. The vampire’s claws had been so close to my chest, I was scared to look down. I took a breath and felt the front of my dress, surprised it wasn’t covered in blood. My shoulder hurt like hell, but I was alive.
I stared across the room where Forneus stood over the vampire—the vampire who had just tried to kill me—the demon’s walking stick thrust through the vamp’s chest.
Forneus had saved my life.
I’d finally got my answer. Not all demons are evil. When it mattered, Forneus had risked his life to save my own. As I’d often fantasized, there was the trace of a good man under that bad boy exterior. The demon was no Boy Scout, but then, what would be the fun in that?
I gazed into Forneus’ worried stare and warmth spread through my body. As he came closer, my hands twitched, aching to grab hold of his powerful arms, and then run them along his chest, his back,…
“Are you alright?” he asked.
I nodded, blushing painfully, and pushed away from the wall.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said. I pointed at the faerie woman’s corpse crumpled on the ground, like a fallen ragdoll, just a few feet away. “But I can’t say the same for her. We need to get her to a hospital.”
Forneus winced and looked away.
“I’m sorry, my dear,” he said. “She’s dead.”
“Um, okay, and him?” I asked, pointing toward the vampire.
Forneus had creatively used his wooden walking stick to stake the vamp through the heart, but I was pretty sure that didn’t mean the bloodsucker was dead. It takes a lot to kill a vamp. But I suppose if paranormals were easy to kill, then Jenna and her Hunter friends would be out of a job.
“Oh, he is still very much alive…as alive as any undead creature ever really is,” he said, walking over with measured steps to stand over the vampire.
“You’ve been a very naughty boy,” he said, glaring down at the vampire. “I’m sure the Vampire Council will be interested to learn of your arrogant disregard for the law.”
The vamp’s eyes flicked to what I’d come to think of as “the torture room.” I’d only caught a glimpse of the room as I chased after the faerie woman, looking for potential threats. Forneus walked over to investigate, but I stayed put. One glimpse into that room was more than enough.
Forneus’ shoulders tightened and he pulled the door closed.
“Yes, the Council will be very interested indeed,” he said. “Too bad they won’t have a chance to punish you for your crimes.”
He spun on his heel, flame dancing along his fingers, and returned to loom over the vamp.
“Say hello to Lucifer for me,” he said to the vamp. “I’m sure the two of you will soon be well acquainted.”
He pulled the walking stick from the vamp’s heart and placed a fiery hand on his chest. Within seconds the vamp was replaced by flames and, finally, ash.
Forneus looked away, brushing vamp ash from his hands and tugging on a glove he pulled from his coat pocket. I wanted him to look at me, to give me the chance to show him how I felt. He’d saved my life and given me hope that my feelings for him were more than misdirected rebellion.
“Thank you,” I said.
I stepped into his arms, hands sliding across his chest. I licked my lips, tilted my head back, and looked him in the eye.
“For what?” he asked, voice uncertain.
“For killing that creature, for looking out for me, for saving my life,” I said.
I reached up to touch his face, letting my fingers linger as I slowly traced his lips, jaw, and neck. He was like a puzzle I’d only just started to figure out—the separate, distinct parts of him coming together for a complete picture that overwhelmed the senses.
Forneus sucked in a breath and I hesitated, pulling back slightly. Had I somehow offended him? Had I gone too far? Did he think I was only doing this out of some sense of duty, to thank him for saving my life?
“I am always at your service,” he said softly, leaning closer. “If you will have me.”
I could feel a slow smile touch my lips as my breath quickened. I pulled him closer and rose on tiptoes to meet his scorching gaze.
“Yes, Forneus, I will,” I said, letting my lips brush against his.
Forneus groaned as I slanted my mouth across his, heat flowing between us. His hands moved in slow circles down my back, pulling me closer. My lips parted and our kiss deepened.
It was a good thing Forneus was immortal, because I could kiss the man forever.
But all good things come to an end. I heard Ivy bust into the room, swearing, “Oh hell, no.” Forneus and I broke apart to see Ivy and Torn both rush into the room and take in the grisly scene. I reluctantly stepped away from Forneus.
Ivy narrowed her eyes and focused her attention on me.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
I nodded, pausing to catch my breath. That had been one amazing kiss.
“Yes, I’m fine,” I said. “Thanks to Forneus. You were right about Puck. The guy was an asshat. I didn’t catch all the details, but I’m pretty sure he was drugging and selling girls to sicko vamps who got off on torture.” I bit my lip and stole a glance at Forneus. “I saw that girl…hanging in the other room, but I appreciate what you tried to do.”
“I only wish I’d arrived sooner,” he said. He reached out and took my hand. “I would have preferred to have saved the girl and to have kept you from seeing the depths of such depravity.”
I gave his hand a squeeze and looked searchingly into his eyes. How could I have been so blind as to think this man was a monster?
I wanted to pull him close and forget about my friend’s stares and the corpses littering the floor, but something latched onto my hair. Pain seared through my scalp and I gasped. A true monster had me in his grasp and my crossbow was out of reach.
I felt the bite of a blade against my neck, and then everything went black.
DEMONIZED
The ogre glared at me from beneath his unfortunate simian brow, waiting for my response. His considerable bulk blocked the entrance to Club Nexus and one sizable hand twitched over the gun strapped to his barrel-like chest. Subtlety was not an ogre’s strong suit. Speaking of suits, this creature’s taste ran toward pimp chic. The fabric was cheap and shiny, reflecting light from the single working bulb on this street.
“Forneus, Great Marquis of Hell,” I said, focusing on the bouncer’s beady eyes and avoiding being blinded by his hideous taste in fashion.
The ogre leaned forward, sniffed at the air with a nose the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, and grimaced. Unpleasant oaf. Apparently, he didn’t care for the aroma of fresh brimstone. Of course, I could mask the sulfurous scent of Hell, but where would be the fun in that? The ogre examined me from head to impeccably dressed toe.
“Don’t get many demon lords here,” he said, furrowing his substantial brow.
“No, I daresay you wouldn’t,” I said. “Not with that witch working with the Hunters’ Guild to maintain their so-called peace over the entire city of Harborsmouth.”
The ogre spat, narrowly missing my shoes. Now it was my turn to grimace. The cretin had utterly appalling manners. Dressing an ogre in a cut-rate suit does not a gentleman make. Before the vile creature could cough up any more distressing substances, I waved toward the door and forced a smile.
“May I enter?” I asked.
A clipboard materialized from thin air, but I was unimpressed. I’d been using the same trick with clients for eons. I tapped my foot, careful to avoid the pile of phlegm that rivaled the size of most cats—perhaps it actually was a cat?—as the ogre consulted his magical guest list.
Finally, the hulking faerie stepped aside and muttered, “You may enter.”
I smoothed the front of my waistcoat, tugged at my gloves, and took up my ebony walking stick. The ogre didn�
��t check the polished wood and therefore did not discover the sword hidden within its shaft, which was for the best. Weapons were not entirely forbidden inside the club, just unauthorized bloodshed, but I preferred to keep my secrets. You never know when you’ll need a little surprise up your sleeve or, as in this case, inside your perambulatory accessory.
Plus, the hidden blade was made of cold iron. Iron was the one weakness of all fae creatures, a vulnerability that would leave any faerie who touched it powerless. If the ogre tried to handle my sword, he’d get a truly unpleasant surprise.
Hell help any faerie run through with cold iron. The Fair Folk may be immortal, but they are not immune to a painful death. I grinned and walked jauntily past the ogre, into a dark passage and onto an extravagantly wrought spiral staircase where I began my descent into the abyss of otherworldly delights.
From my aerial vantage, I took in the appalling number of fae housed beneath one cavernous roof. Though I rarely grace the establishment with my presence—my last trip below must have been years ago—not much had changed since my earlier visit to the raucous nightclub. Immortals are not fond of change.
Unnatural music wove through the air like dancing phantasms, reaching its spectral fingers into dark places better left untouched. I gritted my teeth and stifled the urge to tap my boots to the discordant rhythm. I searched the room for the woman I’d followed here, an unfamiliar sense of foreboding filling my chest.
It had been centuries since a human had piqued my interest, longer still since anyone had stirred feelings of lust and longing, but there was something unquestionably magnetic about the woman my eyes now frantically sought.
Jinx had entered Club Nexus with her friend, and business partner, Ivy Granger. Granger was a dangerous enough companion, but Jinx’s decision to enter the fae nightclub was nearly suicidal. Faeries and vampires both enjoy the diversion of a winsome human and Jinx was an absolute vision of beauty.
Lucifer’s pointy pitchfork, what is wrong with the woman?