She turned, her ponytail flying around her head.
“Keep up, necromancer.”
Unable to resist the temptation of getting the jump on her, I moved as quietly as I could, my shoes barely making a noise on the tile flooring. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I attempted to lift her off the ground.
She caught on and quickly parried. Using my momentum against me, she threw all of her weight backward, causing me to step back. In a move only a vampire could accomplish, she broke free and then moved behind me, trapping me in the same hold I’d used on her.
“Too slow.” Her fangs brushed the shell of my ear.
“Maybe I was just going easy on you.”
“If you want to learn how to fight a vampire, don’t. The best thing you can do is try to get away. We’re faster, stronger, and probably more determined than you.”
“I doubt the last part.”
“You’re young, Abel. Very young. Most vampires would consider you only a mere child when you live as long as we do. We have decades to plot revenge or plans we’ve been mulling on. Hell, even centuries. Trust me when I say vampires are more determined.”
“And what about you? Have you ever plotted something so far in advance you would do literally anything to see it succeed?” I thought about the favor she’d asked of me. The payment she demanded in return for helping me. That had to take a lot of careful planning.
“No, because it’d always been a pipe dream. No necromancer has ever been powerful enough to even enter the Other Side. Or at least, those born with the power never made it public. A smart decision on their part.”
“And why is that?”
“’Cause my sire would’ve killed them,” she whispered, her fangs still brushing against my skin.
Using a move from Rowan’s book, I wrapped one foot around her leg while I turned to stare at her.
“A shame,” I said as I tripped her. She fell, and I backed away quickly, staying on the balls of my feet. I had a feeling she’d only been warming up.
Annoyance painted over her features as she jumped fluidly back to her feet.
“You’re not going to like me if you’re going to play dirty.”
“Isn’t that the only way with your kind?” I asked, my brows arched.
“For most, I would say yes. For me while we’re practicing? That’s low for you.”
“And you know me so well?”
“I know you’re a man of honor. And begrudgingly, I would have to say that I truly admire you. Your brother as well. He’s a good man with a good heart.”
“Mind telling me exactly what’s going on between you two?” I didn’t want my brother to think I’d been anything but a gentleman to his girlfriend. If they ever became something serious, I wouldn’t want this hanging over my head.
“What do you think is happening?”
Between us or him and you? “With Ever, I never know. He can be quite private about his life.”
Acacia smiled at that.
“That’s a true statement if I’ve ever heard one. And like I said before, Ever helped me out in a tight spot, and I helped him once. We came to an agreement. Nothing more.”
Interesting. Acacia had a strong will and an even stronger sense of self. Much like many of the townspeople of Kodiak.
“I think you would enjoy my hometown.”
“Why’s that, necro?”
“You could start over.”
She gave me a sad smile. “Not as the way I am now.”
I understood that she didn’t want to be a vampire, but she also had secrets and a past I didn’t understand. Would I be willing to put the lives of my town members in danger for a woman I barely knew?
For a moment, the temptation to say yes was strong.
“All right, Mr. Savior, let’s get back to this workout. Can’t have you all flabby when we go out tonight.”
Acacia stepped forward and made a move to catch me in the gut. Backing away as quickly as I could, I parried by trying to sweep her legs out from underneath her. She jumped over my leg with a saucy wink.
“Move faster.”
Acacia didn’t hold back with her speed, though for every touch she got on me, she had to pull back her strength enough that it could bruise but wouldn’t break anything. We carried on that way as we fought, her giving me tips along the way. She moved fluidly, like a ballerina, with all the grace of water. The thought of ever actually fighting her left me worried, but the chance to study her moves and learn her techniques was an opportunity I didn’t want to miss.
****
A gruesome workout paired with sparring with a vampire who didn’t believe in losing was exactly what I’d needed. Since my stint of entering the Other Side, I felt back to my normal self. The excess power running through me dampened a little, especially when Acacia and I started to spar. It kept my mind preoccupied.
Acacia showered first, and I went in after her. Wrapping the towel around my waist, I stepped out of the bathroom to find her walking through the living room dressed in a skintight black dress. Shockingly, it wasn’t made from leather. It’d been practically the only thing I saw her wear.
“Hope you have your dress-up clothes, big boy.” She licked her full lips as she took in my naked chest.
“I’ll have to borrow some of Ever’s things. Especially considering what you’re wearing.”
Acacia smiled slyly, allowing me to pass her to go into my brother’s room. I grabbed a pair of dark jeans—they would be a little tight, but I’d deal—then headed back to my room to find a plain shirt.
Acacia sat on the couch waiting for me. She nodded in approval when I came out.
“You’ll do. Before we head out, you need to be prepared for what you may see. Everyone who walks in there is there of their own free will.”
“Okay.”
“Promise me you won’t cause a scene because I’m serious. They chose to be there.”
“I won’t do anything.” There was far too much on the line not to follow her rules. And Rowan had always been the unpredictable one between the two of us, not me.
“Good. Let’s go.”
Acacia insisted we take a cab since my truck might be easy to trace if someone followed us. I agreed with her, but my funds were limited, and I didn’t want to touch any digital money in case my family tracked it. It would be the first thing Wilson checked.
The taxi driver was a Mystic, and when he looked back at the two of us once we told him our destination, I had a moment of trepidation. The look had been a mix of horror and interest. What exactly is she getting me into? But a mix of necros and vampires seemed like the best place to start. Not only for finding out who’d killed my uncle but for anyone who might have information on the name the witch gave me.
The drive itself took about twenty minutes, and we kept quiet the whole time. Silence seemed like the best option since we didn’t know who might be listening.
The car stopped in front of a small brick building with a plain entrance, no sign above the door or outside of the building. I stepped out and around the cab, joining Acacia on the sidewalk. She wrapped her arm around mine and intertwined our fingers. I met her gaze and raised my brow questioningly.
“It’s better this way. Just trust me, and stick with me.”
Acacia led us up the stairs and opened the door. When we stepped through the doorway, wards pressed against my skin and made it difficult to enter. Inside, the darkness was split up by a soft glow of candles, and eerily quiet music echoed through the building.
Acacia snuggled close, her breasts pressing against my bicep as she licked my ear.
“Remember what I said,” she whispered low enough that I could barely hear her.
I nodded in response, and she nudged me forward.
We walked through a maze of hallways, passing some rooms with closed doors and others that didn’t even have a door. There were either groups or couples inside. Instead of looking too closely, I focused on our goal—the main area with the bar.
>
The back of the building had an open room with tables and booths, plus what looked like a space for a dance floor, though no one danced. Necromancers sat scattered around the room, along with a few other Mystics. Vampires were mixed in with them, but their numbers were smaller, and they seemed to be stalking.
Acacia walked us up to the bartender, who gave her a once-over first and then me. When she peeled her lips apart and revealed her fangs with a slow lick of her bottom lip, I realized why Acacia wanted me to mind my own business.
“Hey, handsome. If you’re interested, I don’t mind sharing.” The bartender cocked her hip in my direction and leaned forward. The shorter vampire with chopped red hair smiled again.
Acacia stepped forward, her blonde hair down in loose curls, and lifted her top lip.
“Fuck off. I don’t share.”
“Didn’t realize you two were so… committed.”
“Now you know. We’re looking for Pike. Is he here?”
The shorter vampire pressed her lips together, giving Acacia another appraising look.
“Hmm, I thought you looked familiar. He’s in the back with a client.”
“Come on.”
I didn’t give Acacia the chance to grab my hand, pressing my hand against the small of her back instead. The vampire behind the bar needed to know we were together, equally. I didn’t trust vampires, and I didn’t like the look the bartender gave me. Some vampires were tuned to our powers. She couldn’t ever know how powerful I was.
“Keep your cool,” Acacia said.
“I have been.”
“I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to myself.”
“Do you know this guy?”
“Yeah, he’s a prick.”
Acacia stopped at the door that said Office and opened it without knocking. Inside, a vampire had a young girl on his lap, his lips closed over her neck as he pulled her closer. He gradually opened his eyes as blood swelled past his lips, pouring down her shoulder and back. The scent was overwhelming.
Acacia’s eyes swirled and darkened. If I had to guess, it’d been a while since she fed.
“You can stop the show, Pike. I know you know I’m here.”
He pulled away slowly, never turning in our direction as he dragged his tongue against the wound.
“Willing participants only, Acacia. That’s the rule. I can smell the judgment on your friend there though he’s very stone-faced.”
Pike turned to face us. The black-haired vampire smiled with bloodied teeth. I remained emotionless, having perfected it over the years. The girl he’d been feeding from fell over on the couch, her chest still lifting and falling with slow, even breaths.
“What do you want, Acacia?” Pike asked, sounding bored as he walked casually behind his desk.
“Just a bit of information. After all, you owe me from when you sold me out.”
“All’s fair in love, war, and money.”
“It was more than money. It could’ve been my life,” she snarled.
“Yet, here you stand. Now out with it.”
Acacia breathed in before taking a step back and looking over at me.
“Do you know anything of the Morris Coven?” I asked.
“Not much. They’re fairly new in the vampire world. Your Master there could tell you more,” Pike said, indicating Acacia.
“She’s not my Master,” I answered before she could say anything. She draped her hand over my shoulder and pressed her body flush against mine.
“I see. There are rumors that they snagged themselves a pretty good catch,” Pike said.
“Do you know anything about a witch by the name of Sylvia Bavmorda?”
“She’s a myth. If you were smart, boy, you would keep your nose out of any business concerning that witch.”
“That’s all we need. Thanks, Pike. Next time you send people in my direction, I’ll put your head on a spike.” Acacia smiled sweetly before she stepped out of the office.
I followed her, my fists clenching. I itched to pull out my silver knuckles and start pounding on the vampire. He knew more—I knew it; Acacia knew it. Frustration tightened my muscles, and my jaw ticked.
“Relax,” Acacia told me. “We have more leads to follow up on, but I don’t trust his reaction.”
“Tell me what you know about the Morris Coven.”
“Later. Not here.”
Chapter 13
The cool air touched my heated skin, but it didn’t calm me down. My frustration built into anger as we left the building and I realized what activities took place in the club. Some vampires created short-lived bonds with necromancers, which were dangerous because there was no guarantee they would dissolve with time. The fact that necromancers willingly did it pissed me off.
What upset me more was Acacia.
“Why did we leave?” I growled.
“Because that fucker knew I was there. That biting show he put on? It was to keep us there a little longer. We need to get going. Now.”
Cracking my neck, I followed her down the road.
She slowed and cocked her head. “Fuck it all.”
“What?” I asked, checking our surroundings.
The muscles in her back went tense, and her hands twitched. I reached into my pockets and slipped on my onyx and silver knuckles. Holstered on my hip was a silver dagger I kept on my person at all times.
“I might be a wanted criminal in the vampire community, and Pike likes the reward money every time he calls me in. I’m going to fucking kill him this time, favor or no. And we have tails. Already.”
I stepped forward, and Acacia wrapped my hands around her waist, allowing me to push her back against the brick wall of a building near the club. I brushed my body against her softness, the toned muscles of her stomach and biceps twitching. Gently, I leaned my head down and touched my lips to her exposed neck.
“Where are they?”
She let out a sultry giggle and brought her hand to the back of my head, combing her fingers through my hair.
“There’s an alley to your left. One of them is there, another stationed on the roof. Idiots if they think they can take me down with just two.”
“The both of us, I think you mean.”
“Don’t get cocky, necro.”
“Don’t be foolish, vampire.” I slid my nose up the curve of her neck. For a brief second, I felt her soften under my touch. For a brief second, I wished this was more.
“Be prepared to move.”
Acacia softened even further, and I realized she was getting ready to slip underneath me to attack the vampire from the other direction. She touched my side, indicating it was time to move. Fluidly she slid under me, pulled out her dagger, and faced off with the vampire who’d dropped from the rooftop on silent, nimble feet.
I turned in time to swing out my silver-covered fists to hit the one who’d emerged from the alleyway. The vampire hissed but recovered quickly. I kicked out at his gut and tried to remember any tips Acacia gave me as we sparred earlier that day. She’d been careful to hold back her strength, but this vampire wouldn’t. Rowan had trained with kodachi blades so she wouldn’t need to get too close to her opponent. I’d trained with a multiple choice of weapons, but the closeness of the onyx knuckles kept my magic grounded for me.
I pulled out the dagger. Throwing hadn’t been a specialty of mine, but if it could simply distract the vamp for an opening, then I would do it as a last resort.
He leaped forward, fangs flashing. Throwing my left fist out again, I caught him against the jaw with my onyx knuckles. Slamming into his gut with my right, I shoved my silver knuckles in as deep as I could. The blow made the vampire back off.
Behind me, the fight had been mostly silent until I caught a final thud.
A body stood next to me. When Acacia’s silver-tipped dagger twirled in the air, I relaxed slightly.
“I got this. I don’t need your help.”
“Such a typical guy answer. Up to this point, you weren’t so arrogant.”
“Just proving my worth.”
The vampire growled between our chatter, and I snatched my dagger.
Acacia touched my arm.
“I need him somewhat alive. I got this.” She flashed her fangs and moved so fast my eyes couldn’t track them.
As I waited for her to return, I thought about the vampire’s reaction to the witch’s name. It seemed to stem more from fear than anything else. If a vampire was leery of her, then I needed to proceed with caution.
The necromancers in the club all looked too young. I would need to find an older one who would remember the name Horace Hayes. And bringing up his name after inquiring about a vampire contract in the same place would’ve been idiotic.
Acacia leaned against the wall next to me and let out a little sigh.
“He wasn’t helpful. Thanks for the assist.”
“Wasn’t a problem.”
“You know—” Acacia moved in the blink of an eye and pressed herself against me, trailing her finger up my chest—“we really need to stop doing this.”
“What are you doing, Acacia?”
“I thought I heard something out there.”
“What did you hear exactly?” My gaze dropped to her lips. Slowly and sensually, she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, enticing me more. Was her softening under my touch earlier real? Was this something she wanted too? ’Cause gods help me, she was an enchantress who had me deeply under her spell.
All other thoughts aside, and solely based on carnal desires, I wanted Acacia. But I didn’t trust her yet. So far, we’d both been keeping secrets.
When she grazed her hand up my arm to grip my bicep, I wanted to give in. To have that escape, even for just an hour or two. The heat remained in her eyes, and from the way she brought her leg between mine and rubbed me gently, she wanted this too.
“Acacia—”
“Don’t, Abel. I want this, and I’m a big fucking girl.”
Wasting no time, I cupped her hips and pulled her closer to me. A smile crossed her lips.
“No need to be tame with me, necro. I’m not a dainty flower.”
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