by Raven Steele
Just then, my back pocket vibrated, silencing the Kiss. I freed my arms from Mateo’s grip and pulled out my phone. A message from Briar read:
Oona wants to meet tonight. Midnight at the Cloudy Cafe on Third Street. Don’t be a bitch and not show up.
Another message followed that one:
I miss you.
My heart fluttered at her words, and I closed my eyes, allowing Mateo’s earthy smell to take over my senses. He tilted my chin up, his gaze digging into me, into my soul, calling me forward.
“Come, tesoro mio, let us forget our troubles for a moment, and remember what it was like to be the most powerful beings in the room. The humans forget they are at the bottom of the food chain, and there is nothing like a reminder that we rule this world, not them.” His hot breath washed over my face, the smell of rum infusing into my skin. “Besides, you have avoided me for long enough. It is time you make penance for what you have done to me. For not trusting me all those years, for making me serve as Korin’s deadly sword, all while you roamed free from his influence.”
Shame flushed my skin; he was right. Nodding, I took his hand. I had a little time until I was to meet Briar.
He pulled me onto the dance floor of the club. The room throbbed with the sound of the music, sensual and inviting. Couples danced around us, writhing against each other. The sight of them, with Mateo’s hand in mine, made desire light my veins on fire, driving a heated line directly into my heart. It had been so long since I’d given in to the feeling, and tonight, I decided, I would lose myself in it.
There was a short woman dancing by herself, her blonde hair flowing around her in soft waves. Her eyes were closed, her hands raised as she moved to the beat of the music, giving herself into it fully. We surrounded her and at our presence, she opened her eyes. They widened in surprise but Mateo was in front of her, compelling her. Her hand came forward to touch Mateo’s face, a small smile on her lips. Mateo pulled me to him, placing me in front of the woman, then he moved in behind her. She was just the right height, where Mateo and I could easily reach her neck.
We began to dance, the three of us, and the strong base of the music poured through me. I let my power pulse around me, drawing us together in a sensuous twisting of bodies.
All my nerve endings became sensitive to the touch of the woman in front of me. Her hands landed on my hips, and Mateo’s handsome face peered over her shoulder, his eyes lit up with lust. Leaning forward, I tugged on the band holding his hair back. It fell to his shoulders, dark and full. With that hungry look in his eyes, he looked more beast than man. His hands slid up the side of her neck. He tipped it to the side, baring it to me, watching me intently. I leaned over, running my nose over it, and she tugged me in closer.
She smelled like cherries and dark red wine, with a hint of darkness beneath it. She was young, too young to be involved in a place like this, and so skinny. Her hips jutted out every time she raised her hands, showing the diamond in her belly button ring. My fingers could feel her ribs, stark and angry, pushing through her skin. Her pale blue eyes peered into mine, barely shining through her blown-out pupils. The smell of Scorpion’s Breath radiated through her skin.
“Tesoro mio,” Mateo forced her to lean her head back even further so that she struggled under the strength of his hands. “She is weak and willing to be taken, otherwise she wouldn’t be here. Her blood is strong and will strengthen you.”
I looked into her face. Her eyes were closed, her head leaning back on Mateo’s shoulder. Her chest had expanded as if she were holding her breath. Her hands still gripped my side, her fingers digging into my hips, clasping me close to them.
Some part of me told me I should not give in to Mateo. His regard for humans was always lesser than mine.
But the other part of me wanted to play, as we had before. To give in to the darkness I constantly struggled with. Human blood gave vampires a lot of strength, especially when it was taken from a living being. Their very essence poured into me, as if, for a moment, I could be alive again, like them. The Kiss inside me beckoned me to taste.
My fangs slid out, catching her skin high on her shoulder. A drop of the life-giving liquid pooled onto her neck and I ran my tongue over it. I hummed as the taste washed over me, rich and vibrant. I needed more.
I bit high into her shoulder and a burst of flavor filled my mouth. Sucking in a breath, her hands ran up my side to my own ribs, clinging to my shirt, dragging me closer. Her lips parted in a moan as I sucked more of the sweet, crimson liquid into my mouth. Mateo’s head came down, biting just above my own bite and we drank from her freely.
After a long moment, his hand touched my chin and forced me to unlatch my fangs from her shoulder. He pressed his mouth to mine. His lips were soft but demanding, and my body thrummed with energy at his touch. His tongue darted into my mouth, tasting me, tasting the blood, and I pressed my mouth tighter to his, sharing the euphoric moment with him.
His hand came around to clasp the back of my neck, pressing me closer despite the frail woman between us. We kissed for a long moment, and then bit into her again, drinking more, the taste of her blood igniting every sense on fire. It was warm as it slid down my throat, then burned through my chest, down to my stomach and in between my thighs.
A hand gripped my shoulder hard enough to cause pain. “Rocky said it’s time for you two to go.”
Chapter 6
I grabbed the hand and twisted, pulling it off of me. Then Mateo was in Spike’s face, his fangs out in a threatening manner. “Do not touch her.”
Spike looked down, conceding power, but he repeated himself. “Rocky said it’s time for you two to go.” He looked up into my eyes, pleading. “You’re drawing too much attention.”
I glanced around. Customers still danced, but not as energetically as before. They cast us nervous glances while some people at the bar outright stared at us, mouths open. I nodded, but Mateo leaned over the woman one more time, licking over her wound and compelling her to forget our moment together. Then, smirking, he took my hand and led me out into the hot muggy air.
My pocket vibrated again, but I ignored it. It was probably Briar again, bugging me about the meeting. I only had fifteen minutes before I had to meet her, but my mind still buzzed from the human’s blood.
Mateo’s hand burned as he pulled me down the street and around the building. The warm human blood sloshing through my veins energized me, tingling across my skin and lips. There was something about it that made me feel free, alive, and I wondered if it had to do with the Scorpion’s Breath. The Kiss emerged, swallowing up the emotions inside me. Then power, dark and deadly, filled my chest. It billowed outward, singing through my blood. Pride swelled in my chest; I could kill everyone on this street if I wanted to.
Mateo pressed me against the wall suddenly, staring into my eyes. Instead of lust, they were filled with concern. “Are you well, tesoro mio?”
He brushed my cheek with the back of his hand, and the dark power inside me flinched and began to retreat. I sucked in a great breath. His thumb brushed over my lips.
I lowered my gaze, wishing I could be with him tonight, and every night for the rest of my life. I sighed, knowing I had to go. He probably had things to do, too. Korin’s bidding.
His hand caught my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. “Tell me the truth.”
I swallowed hard, taken back by the intensity of his words. He wanted to know if I felt bad about drinking from that girl. “I’m fine.”
“Good.” He smiled, his eyes lit up with happiness. “You deserve this, Samira, deserve to be happy, at my side.”
Leaning over, his tongue flickered out to catch a drop of blood at the corner of my lips. Then his tongue dipped inside my mouth, giving me the taste. He eliminated the gap between us, his hand at my side, kissing me. I clasped my hands around his neck, pulling him closer, loving the way his firm body felt against mine. This was the man I wanted to be with for the rest of my life, the one who would do anythin
g for me, the one I would give my life for. His lips moved with urgency, and his hands gripped me close as if I might disappear should he let me go.
The air was humid, and my hair clung to my neck. He pushed it aside, then thread his fingers through my hair to the nape of my neck, squeezing it tight.
“You are my anima gemella. My one true love. I will never let you go.” He pulled back, his eyes serious as they stared into mine. “I will do whatever it takes to break free from Korin, so that I can have you at my side once more.”
My breath caught, but I nodded. “I will do the same.”
His eyebrows furrowed, and he leaned in. “Then you are in accordance? You will do whatever it takes?”
“Yes.”
He paused, studying my face. “Faithe’s death has broken your will over your heart.”
I held my breath, my hands gripping him, then choked out my answer. “Yes.”
He nodded, his face still serious. “Then we are in agreement.” His lips caught mine again in a kiss, gentle this time, with his hands cupping my face. “I love you, mi anima gemella.”
“I love you.”
He stepped back. “I must go.”
“Me too.”
He leaned in for one more kiss, then pulled away and, in the blink of the eye, was gone.
I took a moment to catch my breath, to mull over what had just happened. I felt no guilt, only remorse that I could not be with him longer. But I had to keep a hold of my emotions, or the Kiss would turn them into a deadly weapon. I reined them in, just enough to feel control over them, then returned to my car.
My phone buzzed again. Thinking it was Briar, I checked my messages. I had two. I swiped past Briar’s to look at the other one. It was from Teddy, once again asking how he could help me. He was one of the few members of my old coven who also wanted to destroy Korin. I’d been avoiding him, trying not to involve him more than he already was, but… I stared at the message. He was in a unique position to possibly get me vital information from Korin.
I texted him back, inviting him to the meeting with Oona. Whatever she wanted, maybe Teddy could help with it, or at least share information.
I drove away from Hell's Peak, ignoring the need to go back to Mateo. Just because I couldn’t be with him right now didn’t mean I couldn’t help him. I pressed the contact button on the dashboard screen, then selected Aris’s number. He wasn’t supposed to be back to Coast City until tomorrow, but maybe he’d still answer.
Luck was on my side. He answered on the third ring.
“I hear you’re trying to get a hold of me.” His deep, concerned voice was laced with the clipped tone of a leader. I’d heard it sometimes in Briar’s voice, too.
“I need your help.”
He paused. “Sounds like things in Rouen are getting bad. The Ministry is concerned.”
“Are they playing any kind of role in what’s going on here?”
“Not that I know of, but you never know what one of us is working on the side. As a group, however, we are concerned about Korin’s growing powers.”
It felt strange to hear him speak of my maker, something he probably didn’t know. I had told him so little about myself to avoid creating any bonds between us, but after fighting side by side with him, one had grown on its own.
“Nothing I’ve tried has worked so far. Will you help me?”
“Of course I’ll help. How can I say no after everything you’ve done for me and my city?”
“Thank you.” I swallowed through the tension in my throat.
“Give me a week or two to finish some business in Coast City, then I’ll come out. Oz will be available sooner than me, though. Would you like him to join you when he can?”
I thought about this. Oz, his extremely intelligent human friend who provided all kinds of security and high-tech weaponry for Aris, might come in handy. He’d helped the Ames de la Terra on one other occasion and had been instrumental in creating a new weapon to combat vampires. Even I was intimidated by them. But Oz was also immature and talked too much. I wasn’t sure if his pros outweighed his cons.
Finally, I said, “He can be useful. Will the Ministry have an issue with you coming to Rouen?”
“Not at all. In fact, they asked for a volunteer to find out how serious this threat against supernaturals is and report back.”
“What about Cassandra? She’s on the Ministry.”
He cleared his throat. “Cassandra isn’t seen as the most trustworthy. Many feel she schemed her way onto the board. She’s also a Morgan witch, which doesn’t give her the best reputation.”
Interesting. Cassandra fought hard to get on the board, and even the worst of the worst didn’t want her. She couldn’t be happy about that.
“Send Oz out when you can, and I look forward to seeing you when you get here,” I said.
“You sound different, Samira. Why?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Your voice. There’s something about it. You sound more… ominous than normal. Should I know something before I come out there?”
“No, no.” I forced the rising emotions inside me to calm down. Aris could be very perceptive—too perceptive at times. “I’m fine.”
“Whatever it is, I won’t let you battle it alone. I’ll see you soon.”
He hung up before I could say otherwise. I leaned back in my seat and inhaled a shaky breath. I was glad Aris was coming. I needed someone who could keep me in check. With a huge hero complex, Aris wouldn’t let me harm innocent humans if I lost control of the Kiss. And he wouldn’t just fight me.
He’d kill me.
Chapter 7
I reached the cafe a few minutes early, parking in a lot next to the older white building. I didn’t see Briar’s bike or any of the pack’s vehicles, but that didn’t surprise me. Briar was habitually late, but always acted like she was on time.
This part of the city was well lit and fairly decent. Clothing shops and large department stores surrounded the well-placed cafe. Its location kept it in business.
It was curious Oona wanted to meet here, outside her palace. Fae rarely left their protective cities, and it was even more rare for royalty to leave. I wondered if the King knew about this meeting.
Although I had to admit it was a relief, meeting like this outside of Black Glen. The plan to get all of the kidnapped supernaturals, including fae folk, out of White Pine had gone badly, and it had exposed the fae in a way that we’d promised it wouldn’t. Needless to say, Oona was not happy.
Sensing someone approaching my vehicle, I swirled around to see Teddy walking toward the rear of the car. I exited and gave him a nod hello. He forced a smile in return and shoved his hands into the pockets of his baggy jeans.
“Thanks for finally getting back to me,” he said, but his voice was sincere. “I couldn’t stand another minute in Winter’s Cove. The mood is so depressing. Everyone is upset that Korin killed Faithe and Kristina, but they’re too afraid to do anything about it.”
“Why aren’t you afraid? You’ve seen what Korin can do.”
He glanced past me into the darkness. Light from the streetlamp deepened the shadows beneath his eyes. “Because I don’t care anymore. I’ve lived in fear for centuries, and I’m over it. I’d rather be dead than live another year under Korin’s rule.”
“I understand the feeling.”
His eyes returned to mine. “What’s this meeting about tonight?”
“Briar will be here soon and someone else very important. Someone you must not tell a soul about.”
“Got it.”
“It’s the fae Queen of Black Glen.”
His eyebrows lifted. “A Queen? Here in this dump? Why?”
“That’s what we’re about to find out.”
He glanced down at his black t-shirt and smoothed out the wrinkles. “I wish you would’ve told me. I would’ve worn something else.”
“Like what?”
“A tux or something.” He ran his fingers throu
gh his messy short hair.
“We’re trying to keep a low profile.”
“Still. She’s royalty.”
“And you’re being ridiculous.” I began walking toward the front door.
He caught up to me just as I opened it. I chose a larger booth in the corner where we could all sit and still keep an eye on who came in and out of the cafe, which was really more of a restaurant considering its size. I only spotted two waitresses and a cook in the back along with a few other customers scattered throughout. Their combined blood smelled like salty grease. I would have liked to try some of it, if I wasn’t so full already.
I tore my gaze away to survey the rest of the large room. Posters of how the city used to look a century ago lined the walls. I spotted a few supernaturals among them, shining through in black and white, although they looked human. Just like humans, they had helped shape this city into what it was today, both the good and the bad.
At exactly midnight, the front door opened. It might as well have been the door to Buckingham Palace because Oona, try as she might, had an air of regalness to her that her faded skinny jeans and a crop top couldn’t erase. She flipped back her long wavy blond hair over her shoulder and met my gaze. A smile spread across her flawless ivory skin, and she strolled toward us. I barely saw Eddie behind her. Where she was the sun, he was barely a dust mote trapped in her beaming rays.
“Thank you for meeting me here, Samira.” Her gaze flashed to Teddy, scrutinizing every inch of him, approval shining in her eyes. “Who’s this?”
“This is Teddy Andraus. He is a member of the Buio Sangre Coven, but he’s fully with us and our cause. I brought him because I felt he could offer some insight into Korin that none of us have.”
I glanced over at Teddy, assuming he’d confirm my words, but he was staring at Oona as if she was a moonbeam fallen from the sky. Oona slid into the booth across from Teddy and me, with Eddie moving in next to her.