Shadow of Thorns

by Ripley Proserpina

  As if he could read her mind, Valen groaned. “That wasn’t a date. Me taking you to breakfast? That didn’t count. I left you with the check.”

  Sylvain burst out laughing. “Oh fuck, you didn’t!” He tried to keep it in, but the sound hissed through his teeth.

  “Dammit,” Valen said. “It wasn’t a date. It was breakfast.”

  “You ditched her. And she had to pay?” Sylvain wiped his fingers under his eyes. “Shit, man. You suck.”

  “I do,” Valen replied. “I do suck.”

  “So we take her on a new date,” Marcus said. “All of us.”

  “A first date.” Briar nodded. “With all of you.”

  “I’d love to,” Hudson said.

  Except… “It doesn’t bother you that you can’t eat? Should we do a different date? The movies?”

  Sylvain shook his head quickly, every so often a chuckle forcing its way out of him. “I can’t talk during a movie. And everything is stupid. I’d rather feed you.”

  “I agree,” Valen said. “I would be honored if you’d let us take you on a date.”

  “I’d be honored to accept,” she answered.

  It didn’t take them long to wheel the EEG back to the colleague’s lab Hudson had stolen it from and get out the door. It was early evening, but the sun had set and the streetlights were on. The sky remained clear, but dotted with stars.

  “Full moon soon,” Valen said, looking up at the sky.

  “Brings the crazies out,” Sylvain added. “We’ll stay in.”

  “What are you in the mood for?” Hudson asked, getting them back on track, yet again.

  The extent of Briar’s knowledge about Chestnut Hill was Boston College and the various on-campus dining options. None of which appealed to her at this moment.

  “I’m not sure,” she answered.

  “We could walk down Commonwealth and see if anything looks interesting,” Valen said. He pointed toward the street and cocked his head. A walk would be nice, despite the cold. She liked how it felt, actually. The air made her lungs ache and chilled her nose, but not in a painful way. It made her feel alert, like she’d dived into a pool on a hot summer day.

  Valen placed his arm around her shoulders, tugging her into the nook under his arm. “This okay?”

  It was, and when Hudson appeared on her other side, cupping her elbow, she was in heaven. Marcus and Sylvain tagged behind them, speaking in low tones. Every so often, Briar would catch a line or two. Their conversation was light. Tonight, what they’d learned about Asher had put them all at ease.

  It was a nice change.

  All of a sudden, Briar’s future stretched out in front of her. Was this what it was like to have a normal life? Date nights and conversations about the Pats?

  “Ice cream,” Sylvain announced, pointing past her face toward a building.

  “She’s not eating ice cream for dinner, Sylvain,” Valen said. His voice was long-suffering but amused. “And it’s thirty degrees.”

  “Maybe after?” Briar said. “We could split a sundae.”

  “I’d be happy to split a sundae,” Sylvain said magnanimously. “See? Valen, you ass face, she does want ice cream.”

  Briar giggled and squinted across the street. “There’s a pizza place. Could we go there?”

  “You want pizza?” Hudson asked, and she nodded. Pizza was safe. Part of her was afraid they’d get closer to Beacon Street and they’d pick some fancy restaurant where she wouldn’t recognize any of the ingredients.

  They stopped at the side of the road, watching for traffic before hurrying her across. About a block up was a crosswalk, but four vampires could probably keep her safer than the crosswalk signal—especially in Boston.

  They hustled her across the street and into the warmth of the pizzeria. Briar took a deep breath, savoring the smell of yeast and garlic. “This is perfect.” Her belly rumbled at the thought of melty cheese.

  “Five?” the hostess asked.

  Hudson nodded. “A booth near the back if you have it.” He turned to Briar. “Privacy,” he mouthed, and she smiled.

  Valen had misunderstood her excitement at going out on a date with them. This wasn’t just her first date with each of them; this was her first date ever. There weren’t a lot of teenage boys breaking down her door back in West Virginia, hoping to take the freak out for a night on the town.

  So this was a bigger deal than they realized.

  “Warm?” Valen asked as they followed the hostess to their table.

  Thinking about not dating made Briar’s face heat, and she suspected her excitement was evident on her face. “A little,” she answered, and he regarded her skeptically. Valen knew something was up with her. He cupped his hand around the inside of her arm, holding her back a little, and raised his eyebrows, waiting. “This is my first date,” she whispered.

  Valen nodded. He didn’t quite get her meaning.

  “Like, my first date. Ever.”

  Lifting his eyebrows nearly to his hairline, Valen stood stock still. “What?”

  Something about his tone set off the others. “What is it?” Sylvain asked. His gaze swept the pizzeria, obviously on the hunt for King Koopa, or whoever else might stake out an Italian restaurant with ill intentions.

  Valen shook his head, gesturing with his chin toward the booth. Sylvain slid inside, but he stared down Valen and Briar, coiled tight and ready to erupt.

  “Everything’s fine,” Valen assured them. “But this is a bigger deal than we realized.”

  Oh no. “Valen…” Briar started. She was going to sound so pathetic when this came out.

  “Briar just told me this is her first date,” Valen said and squeezed her hand.

  It actually sounded worse when he said it. Four sets of shocked eyes met hers, and she groaned. “You all…”

  “Can I get you something to drink?” The waitress interrupted Briar’s trip to humiliation town.

  “Water,” the four guys answered almost at once.

  “Yes, ma’am. Orange soda, please,” Briar answered.

  The waitress passed out the menus without writing down their drinks. Briar studied the woman when a deep flush rose into her cheeks, but she met the gaze of each guy. And at Hudson, she placed the menu in his hands and held onto it a moment longer than was necessary. Briar waited to see what she’d do, but the waitress released it, shook her head as if coming out of a fog, and left.

  “Orange soda for the lady on her first date!” Sylvain said grandly, chuckling as the waitress disappeared into the kitchen.

  “Shh!” Briar hissed, waving at him to keep his voice down. “Sylvain. Quiet, please!”

  “You embarrassed her, and she still said please, Sylvain.” Marcus leaned back against the booth. “You should pay attention. Some manners wouldn’t hurt you.”

  “Shut up, Marc-ass.” Sylvain flipped him the bird and crossed his arms.

  Hudson opened his mouth to speak, but the waitress had returned with their drinks. Briar covered her mouth. The waitress gave her a weird look, lingered a little near Hudson, but took their order and left.

  As soon as she’d gone through the kitchen doors, Marcus reached across the table to punch Sylvain in the shoulder.

  “What part of ‘her first date’ did you miss?” Hudson asked dryly. “Is this what you want her to remember?”

  “He started it,” Sylvain complained.

  “Briar,” Valen said, purposely changing the subject. “How is it you’re twenty-two and this is your first date?”

  Dropping her face in her hands, she groaned. “Can we go back to Sylvain and Marcus punching each other, please?”

  Valen kissed her temple and slid his arm over her shoulders. “I’m just surprised.”

  “Because they were stupid boys,” Sylvain interjected. “She was waiting for the right man.”

  Briar snorted on her orange soda, choking and spluttering. Valen patted her back. “You mean, me,” he teased Sylvain.

  Sylvain leaned acro
ss the table with a smile that was more teeth-clenching than grin. “I did, boy.”

  “This is better.” Briar sighed and leaned back. “Thank you, Sylvain and Valen.”

  The two stared at each other a moment longer before shrugging and sitting back. Valen kissed her again before linking his fingers with hers. “What kind of pizza did you order?” he asked.

  “Hawaiian.” Her belly grumbled. “Pineapple and ham. It’s delicious.”

  “I’ll take your word for it.” Hudson was unimpressed.

  “Will you try some?” Briar asked.

  “No,” Hudson said.

  “It’s going to look weird if she’s ordered a large pizza and she’s the only one who eats, Hud.” Marcus drummed his fingers on the table and gave Briar a quick wink.

  Hudson frowned, his nostrils flaring. “Gross.”

  Poor Hudson.

  “I’m hungry enough to finish the pizza,” Briar said. “Just put a slice on your plate and then pass it to me. A round robin of pizza eating. No need to make yourself sick over it. Or we could leave. Go somewhere else. Do you just want to go home?” She was beginning to doubt this was a good idea. They had to pretend to be human while they were out, and she didn’t want them to pretend. “Who cares what people think? Let them think I’m starving and you’re cheap. What does it matter?”

  A slow smile grew on Hudson’s lips, reaching all the way to the corners of his eyes. “If it doesn’t bother you, Briar. It doesn’t bother me.”

  “They’ll assume you’re male models and don’t eat carbs or something anyway,” she muttered, catching the interested stare of a nearby girl. When the girl saw Briar, she blushed but rolled her eyes and whispered to her friends. They all glanced over at their table and began giggling.

  Briar didn’t have to wait long for her pizza, and she didn’t wait long to dig in either. The guys talked to each other about innocuous topics, but she loved listening to them. They had a way of speaking to each other that was full of affection and teasing. Even Marcus made some jokes, thank God. A serious Marcus was unfamiliar; she didn’t know where she stood with that version of him.

  Still, there were moments when he’d get quiet and his gaze would land somewhere over her head, as if he was watching the door or caught up in his thoughts. Whatever was on his mind overwhelmed the good-humored man he was, and she couldn’t help feeling guilty.

  If it wasn’t for her, Asher wouldn’t be in his life.

  All at once, Marcus froze. The only movement Briar could make out was the expansion of his pupil, the black covering the sea-foam green. Hudson was equally unmoving, and one by one, Sylvain and Valen grew rigid and tense.

  “Room for one more?” It was a voice Briar had only heard once that she could remember, but with it came a flood of memories—pain, biting, ripping, tearing, screaming. Asher.

  Briar’s heart thudded in her chest, and her fingers grew thick and numb. The pizza she’d held fell to her plate as he gracefully slid a chair to the end of their booth and sat.

  “Hello, Briar. Good to see you again,” he said, voice smooth and deep. If she didn’t know how evil he was, she would have closed her eyes at the sound of his voice.

  None of the guys said a word, but they were ready. She could feel it in Valen’s arm when he pushed her against the wall. Sylvain turned, his shoulders blocking Valen. They reminded her of dominos, one stacked after the next.

  “I surprised you.” How could he be so relaxed? Asher propped his arms on the table and waved to the waitress. “Water, please. No lemon.” When she’d gone into the kitchen to get his drink, he met Hudson’s gaze. “You’re thinking that your training, what little you’ve done, is worthless here. It is. I have soldiers outside. Every human in here will die a bloody, painful death if you attack. So make your move carefully, Nors, and be sure which of your brothers you’ll risk. Most certainly, Briar won’t survive.” He smiled at her, teeth as white and sharp as she remembered. “Or maybe she will. A queen to my king, wasn’t that what I said?”

  At once, a flood of memories bombarded her. What she thought she’d remembered earlier was only the tip of the iceberg. The images were a waking nightmare. She was thrown into them so fast and so fully.

  “Your soldiers may attack. They may murder everyone in here.” Hudson’s voice was full of confidence. “They may murder me and my brothers. But not before I kill you. So make your move carefully, Asher, and be sure if you’re ready to risk your life.”

  The carefree smile dropped from Asher’s face, leaving the monster Briar knew was there. “You threaten me, boy?”

  Hudson dropped his head and laughed. “Make a decision, Asher.” He lifted his head and his blue eyes were dark and serious. “If you want to finish this here, then do it.”

  “Do you think I’ve survived thousands of years to lose my immortality now?” Asher asked, leaning forward. His gaze darted between each of the men, before settling on Briar. “I’ve come to make you an offer.”

  “You have nothing we want,” Valen replied immediately.

  “What about Briar?” Asher asked. “Maybe I have something Briar wants.”

  She shook her head quickly. “You don’t.” Her voice trembled when she spoke, but she forced herself to meet the ancient being’s eyes. “You don’t.”

  “Not the sunlight? Not immortality with the men you love?” He appeared for all the world earnest and upfront. “I could give you that. Annie, she didn’t want a life with my sons for eternity. But you do. I’ve been in your mind, Briar. Don’t forget. You can’t hide your desires from me. I’ve picked them apart, reveled in them. You want to be normal. You want to spend a lifetime with them. You love them. More than Annie ever did.”

  Annieannieannieannie. Annie, blue-eyed, dark-haired. Stunning. Annie’s hair going up in flames like a wildfire racing across the plains. Annie. Their wife.

  Their wife.

  Whatever Asher saw in her eyes made him smile. He sat back in his chair, one hand remaining on the table. He closed and opened his fist, fingers splaying out like an explosion. “Her life was so brief. So, so short. A breath. A blink. The clouds passing over the sun.” He turned his face away from Briar to Marcus. Marcus, who hadn’t said a word but whose eyes were as black as night, teeth bared. “Everything you feared, Marcus, is true. I showed her everything.” He shifted, turning his back to Marcus to face Sylvain. “I showed her how much you enjoyed hurting people. And Valen…” Valen reached back, searching for Briar’s hand. She gave it to him. I’m here. “Valen, I showed her every strike of your blade. She even felt the warm spray of blood across her face.”

  “It wasn’t real. But I will kill you,” Hudson growled and stood. At once, Valen, Sylvain, and Marcus stood, but Asher remained seated and only smiled.

  “I tasted her, Hudson.” Fangs, white and gleaming, descended from his mouth and distorted his voice. “Your vampire wanted to heal her. Save her. But I bit her. I sucked the life directly from her veins. And Hudson? She was everything you imagined.”

  With a roar, Hudson threw himself past Marcus. The table rocketed toward the seat where Briar was, but Valen was fast. He lifted Briar out of the way before it could pin her, and it hit him first. The flimsy table didn’t stand a chance against two vampires. It shattered, the wood splintering.

  The pizzeria was filled with yells, but it all filtered to Briar slowly as Asher held Hudson in the air, fingers wrapped around his throat. With a jerk, he brought Hudson to his face. Marcus yanked on Asher’s arm, but he was as unmoving as a statue. Near his ear, Asher whispered something, and Hudson hissed in response.

  Then it was over. Asher dropped Hudson, dusted his hands on his pants, and walked away. But for all his bluster, he didn’t give his back to the guys. “See you around, Briar.”

  Near the large window, Briar caught a flash of pale faces. Her brain struggled to interpret what she saw; the movement was so quick, almost like the flicker of fluorescent lights. But they were faces. Dead-eyed. Pale.

  So
ldiers.

  Hudson stalked after Asher, but Marcus wrapped his arms around his chest, holding him back. “Not here, Hudson. Stop.”

  But Hudson wasn’t listening. The beast he tried to keep locked inside him was in charge.

  Asher smiled. The world seemed to blur around the edges. People jumped away from them, but they moved in slow motion. Whatever instincts humans had, they were blaring like a klaxon.

  Hudson dragged Marcus behind him, causing Sylvain to join the fray. He stepped in front of Hudson, but gave him his back. He must have decided that of the two, he had a better chance of surviving Hudson than Asher.

  But it was a mistake. With one swipe of his hand, Hudson sent Sylvain flying into a table, scattering the humans who’d hidden behind them.

  What did they see when they looked at Hudson that caused the blood to drain from their face and even the biggest guy in here to cower?

  To Briar, he was Hudson. The beast was Hudson. And she loved both of them.

  But if he made it out that door, he would die. The realization hit her like a thunderbolt.

  She couldn’t lose him.

  “Hudson,” she called. Her voice was not loud, but broke as if she had screamed. “Hudson. Please. I need you. I need both of you. Come back.”

  His steps stuttered. Valen held her behind him, but she pushed on his back, a sign for him to allow her forward.

  “Don’t move, little one,” Valen whispered. “Please.”

  “Trust me, Valen.” His arm tightened, but he glanced over his shoulder at her. “Valen. Trust me.”

  Like he moved in slow motion, he dropped his arm. Hudson and Asher were almost by the door now. The lights outside appeared to flicker constantly. The soldiers moved close and then retreated. She didn’t have much time.

  Briar shoved a table out of the way, a strength she didn’t know she had overtaking her. She stepped on a chair and jumped. “Hudson.” He whirled around, hissing, but cut off and reached for her before she crashed into the floor, or worse, overshot him and hit Asher. Immediately, she wrapped her arms and legs around him. If he really wanted to, he could throw her off, but he didn’t. Instead, he embraced her, buried his face in her neck and growled.