by Jenn Windrow
Those weren’t true vampires.
You can explain that remark after we save Reaper’s life.
After I cleared away enough of the blood to see what I was dealing with, my bucket of water looked like the punch bowl at Carrie’s prom. Only two bite marks were deep enough to be problematic and wept red drops down Reaper’s neck that settled in his collarbone. The sight and smell of his blood made Eddie twitchy. Hungry. Surly. I really was the wrong girl for this job, but it had to be done. A few cleansing breaths and the beast retreated, but not far, he still lurked just under the surface. Always under the surface.
I licked the tip of my finger, stuck it in the deepest gash, and swiped it side to side, hoping I’d hit the spot. The hole stopped filling with blood, so I repeated the process on the other. It looked like the worst was over, but I still had to stitch up the wound.
I needed a second pair of hands. “Nathan, I need some help.” The ghost hovered in the background watching me work. He floated closer. “Get close to the ground.” I had an idea, but wasn’t sure it would work.
I kicked my boot off and slipped my foot over Nathan’s. The sparks shot in the air, and he became corporal. I handed him the damp towel. “Can you hold this over the wound while I thread the needle?”
Nathan pressed the cloth to Reaper’s neck. Once I was satisfied he had it under control, I dug through the first aid kit and looked for antiseptic and bandages. I laid everything out on the couch next to Reaper’s head, and nodded to Nathan.
He took it away, and started cleaning the blood off the other cuts. The needle was threaded and I was just about to puncture Reaper’s skin when Nathan said,
“Alexis, you might want to see this.” I stopped what I was doing and turned my attention to Nathan.
The ghost’s fingers hovered over one of Reaper’s cuts. Tiny sparks flew from his finger tips, the area around the cut glowed in the same deep blue and purples as the sparks that shot between us when we touched. But that wasn’t the what-the-fuck sight. Where the skin glowed it knitted back together and the cut disappeared.
“How are you doing that?”
“No fucking clue.” Nathan seemed a little freaked out by his new power, but it made sense to me. He was a vampire when he died, he had the ability to heal through his saliva, and now through our weird connection his power was amplified.
I pulled my foot off of his and watched the sparks, glow, and healing come to a stop.
“Touch me again,” Nathan demanded.
I sat up and placed my hand on his thigh and everything started back up. My mouth gaped open in disbelief. “Holy shit.”
“I know, right? Look how cool I am.”
“Do this one.” I pointed to the worst of the bunch.
He laid his fingers over the deepest cut on his neck, lightly touching the puncture marks. We both watched in amazement as it closed up and the cut healed to nothing but the tiniest pale pink line. He continued to work on the others, while I sat with my hand on him and observed.
When Nathan moved to the last of the wounds I pulled his hand back. “Wait on that one. I want Reaper to see this for himself.”
Releasing Nathan’s leg I stood up and leaned over Reaper. Grabbing his chin, I gave him a gentle shake, just enough to rouse him. His eyes slowly opened, and he looked up at me. His hand pushed against mine, so I let him go.
“I feel like I’ve been run over by a semi.” He pushed himself up into a sitting position.
“Three vampires, but close.”
His hands flew to his neck, and throat, searching for the bite marks. The only one left was on his shoulder.
“They’re all gone,”—I pointed at the last one—”except that one. I want you to see something.” I dug through the first aid kit and pulled out a compact mirror, handed it to Reaper and tilted it so he could watch.
I looked back at Nathan. “Ready?” He stepped forward.
I grasped his shoulder, and watched him take form. When he was solid he winked at Reaper and laid his hand over the last remaining wound. Just like the others, it started healing immediately.
Reaper’s eyes widened. “What the hell?”
“It seems Nathan has the ability to heal through our shared energy.”
Reaper didn’t answer me, he just watched as Nathan worked a miracle. Once the cut disappeared, Nathan removed his hand and admired a job well done.
“Better watch it or you’re going to turn into a useful member of society, spook.” Reaper really needed to work on his thank-you’s.
“How many bites?” Reaper asked.
“Ten.”
“Fuck.” That about summed it up.
We walked into a mess tonight. Unprepared and outnumbered. Reaper paid the price of our carelessness. Thank god for Nathan and his newfound talent or my human-sidekick would be out for the next few days.
Reaper pushed off the couch with a grimace and a groan. “What the hell was that place?”
“An abomination,” Nathan interjected.
Both heads turned and looked at me. I didn’t know why, it’s not like I had anything to add. “It was a nest, but not like I’ve ever seen.”
Nathan floated close to me. “Alexis,” he paused and looked at me. His mouth downturned and his eyes filled with concern. “You lived in a nest when you were turned. I mean Xavier had one. Was it anything like that?” Now I understood the concern.
Hearing the name of the sadistic bastard who stole everyone, and everything from me, made my blood steam. And even though I counted down the moments until I could plunge a stake through his evil heart to show my gratitude for my undead life, I knew even he wouldn’t be sick enough to do anything like we encountered tonight.
“Xavier was many things.” Like a kidnapping piece of shit. “But he wasn’t a monster. When he turned Andre and I, we were given the best of everything. What we encountered tonight was perpetrated by a twisted fuck.”
Reaper began pacing the room, back and forth, back and forth, only stopping to scratch under Raja’s chin. “What was with the blood and puss?”
I beckoned Nathan closer and grabbed his arm because I didn’t want to repeat the conversation. “Nathan, you’ve been around longer than me, have you ever seen anything like that?”
“Not since my mate died of the Black Death.”
“I doubt we’re dealing with the vampire equivalent of the plaque.”
Reaper stopped walking. “But they all had the same sores. It had to be a disease.”
“Vampires can’t get sick,” Nathan reminded Reaper.
Wasn’t that the truth. And not only couldn’t we get sick, but any disease the human carried prior to their induction to the fang and heartless society disappeared. Poof, instant cure for whatever ailed you.
“So, if it isn’t a disease, what is it?” Reaper started pacing again.
Time for that chat with Eddie. What do you know?
They were vampires in the traditional sense, but also more. More power, hunger, anger, than any vampire I have ever witnessed. Once they grow older their blood lust will be out of control. Baby vampires are hungry, but never to this extreme. Someone is amping up the urge to feed. But why?
What could cause such an extreme change?
Then I remembered the needle I had snagged, rushed to my coat and pulled it out of the pocket. I held it up for Reaper and Nathan to see. “A drug?”
Reaper walked over and took the needle from my hand, examining the tiny bit of orange liquid that remained at the bottom. “You got this from the house?”
“They were scattered all over the floor.”
“What do you think it’s being used for?”
I took the needle back, giving it one last, long look before placing it on my kitchen table. “That’s what we have to find out.”
Once again we were left with more questions than answers. Things went from bad to really fucking worse, taking this case from frustrating to really irritating and impossible.
Why couldn’t some o
ther vampire assassin swoop in and save the day?
Chapter Thirteen
My first clue that something was off was the ray of sunshine trying to pry my lids apart and greet my baby blues with its cheery demeanor. I don’t do cheery, and I certainly don’t do the sun. So what the hell was up?
Even though I didn’t want to, I forced my eyes open and shielded them from the blinding white room I found myself in the middle of. White granite floors. White granite walls. White granite pillars. All gleaming like a freshly polished fang.
And leaning against a pillar in all his angelic glory—Caleb.
In his designer black suit, coal black wings, and dark hair, he was a giant smudge against the pearly landscape.
One look at his fuck-it’s-you face, and I knew we were wearing matching expressions. What a shitty way to start the day.
Caleb and I had a hate-hate relationship. He hated me, and I hated him even more. Our brief first encounter saddled me with a fifty-year prison sentence as the Higher Powers personal executioner. I didn’t have high hopes for this conversation.
“Why am I here?”
Caleb pushed off the pillar, adjusted the cuffs of his black Burberry suit, and ran a hand through his perfectly coiffed hair. He walked over to stand closer to me, and as he turned he smacked me in the face with a large black wing. “We need to have a chat.”
I picked a black feather out of my hair. “About?”
Before he answered, the sheer white curtains at the back of the room parted. A tall man in jeans, and a white button down shirt with a long sword at his waist walked in. His shoulder length blond hair framed a handsome face with coal black eyes and the royal pendant hung in the deep v of his button-down shirt. Fuck, Kadmus. That meant the queen was close.
Yep. Right behind him walked the queen of the vampire race. Our only living royalty, Divinity.
Eddie sucked in a breath and I felt an unexpected emotion ping the thread of our bond. Love. WTF?
Her red hair fell in a braid across her pale shoulder, and ended by her waist. Her gold silk and beaded gown, a dress that belonged in a royal court or at a fancy ball, swished against the tile floor. Up close she was tiny, maybe three inches shorter than me, with slight features, that made her seem more like a child playing dress-up and less like a woman who controlled the whole vampire race.
I was sure protocol dictated I kneel, but I hadn’t voted for her, so I remained standing.
Kadmus stepped forward and placed his hand on my shoulder, forcing me to my knees. “Show some respect.”
Caleb chuckled from the sideline.
“Kadmus, allow her to stand.” Divinity motioned to two empty chairs in the center of the room. I would have stood, but Kadmus’ hand still pressed down. One scathing look from his queen and he let go.
I elbowed him in the gut when I walked past, then took a seat next to her highness. She worked at spreading her long skirt around her feet. I didn’t have a long skirt, so I picked at the heel of my boot. Once she was perfectly arranged she turned her attention to me.
“We,”—she waved her hands back and forth to indicate her and Caleb— “need your help.”
“You know I kill vampires for a living?”
Caleb groaned. Kadmus’s hand tightened on the top of his sword. Eddie remained silent. Divinity laughed. Glad I amused someone.
“It’s no secret to me what you do, or why you do it.”
“That’s good because I’m all about full disclosure.” I looked at Caleb. “On that note, why are you working with the vampires?”
He fluffed his wings and took a step closer to Divinity. A sign of unity? “We have common interests and a common enemy.”
Divinity spoke up. “Have you ever heard of Delano Melazi?”
“Delano Melazi. One of the Seven Sovereign leaders, most feared vampire on the planet, and the only one to ever escape the VAU’s public executions. What vampire hasn’t?”
“Then this conversation should be brief.” Caleb said the words like that was a good thing.
“You can teleport me back home and it can be non-existent.”
Divinity cleared her throat, ignored our bantering and continued on. “Delano Melazi has made it his mission to destroy the Sovereign leaders and me.” The hand on Kadmus’ sword tightened. Making me believe the rumors that he was more than her bodyguard were true. “We need your help to take down the army he is building and save the Sovereign leaders.”
The Sovereign leaders were the vampires form of government. Seven, no six vampires, now that Delano had been impeached, far older, tougher, and stronger than me, who wrote the rules, ruled the lands, and dealt out judgment. No one crossed the leaders and lived to talk about. Almost no one, two vampires still walked the earth after defying the leaders, Kadmus, who stood in front of me, and Delano, who they wanted me to hunt.
“You want me to go after Delano Melazi?” I already knew the answer. Hell. No.
“For now we just want you to locate his general in the Chicago area. The assassins in the other cities will do their part to locate theirs—”
“Other assassins?”
“Yes.”
“Others like me?”
His words clogged my ears, and swirled their way into my brain, finally resting in my mind like a brick. Others? Like me? I wasn’t the only executioner out there? Holy shit, it felt like someone just dropped a bomb on me. All these years I thought I was the only one. How had I never known this?
“I’m not the only one?” I lasered a stare-down at all of them.
Caleb gave me his best don’t-be-stupid look. “Certainly not. Although you are the most frustrating.”
I gave him my best you’re-an-asshole face. “Are they all vampires?”
“No. We have werewolves, a couple of witches, and the rest are vampires.”
Wow, just wow. It was going to take some time to process this, but right now it made me feel a little better about my life.
Divinity stood and stepped closer, her hand now resting on my shoulder. Eddie flared at her touch. Her eyes popped wide, but then she gave a light head shake. Power radiated from the tips of her fingers and seeped into my skin. It flowed through my body. Starting from where her hand sat, an electric bolt that flowed through my shoulder, chest, into my heart, and then moved downward, until my toes tingled. “Will you help us, Alexis?”
I shook my shoulders, hoping to remove the last trace of her energy from my body. “What’s in it for me?”
“Isn’t being helpful enough of a reward?” Caleb asked, then turned to Divinity and pointed at me. “I told you she could be difficult.”
Divinity eyed me. “Not difficult. Smart. Resourceful.” She turned her gaze to Caleb. “Isn’t that why you picked her?”
Caleb’s lips tightened in a thin line. “What’s your answer, Alexis?”
“Why are you teaming up with the enemy, Caleb?” I leaned back in my chair and waited for his explanation.
He pulled at his collar, and repositioned his tie. “Delano is creating more vampires and it’s my job to remove the threat. Divinity needs him removed so there isn’t a threat against the throne. I control the resources, you and the other assassins, so she came to me for help. For once we have a common goal.” He stopped fidgeting with his clothes and let his hands fall to his side. “Now that I’ve explained, I need your answer.”
“I’ll do it.”
Caleb opened his mouth, but I held up my finger to stop the words about to rush past his lips. “But, I want time off my contract.”
“No.” Caleb practically spit the word out.
“Then have fun finding someone else.” I stood, dusted off my pants and headed to the door.
“Alexis, wait,” Divinity called to me. I stopped my exit and turned to face her. “Allow me a moment to speak with Caleb in private.”
They went behind the curtains for their little chat, and Kadmus stayed with me, but his eyes never left his queen.
“So, are the stories true?”
“Stories?” he asked, but never met my eyes. His attention stayed focus on the curtain his queen had disappeared behind.
“Poisonous barbs, vampire assassins.” I turned my fingers into ugly claws. “Creatures of unspeakable horror?”
The stories of how Kadmus rescued Divinity from an eternal slumber and brought her back to take over her father’s throne were a thing of legend in the vampire society. He risked his life to save her, fought creatures that only existed in nightmares, and lived through things that would have killed a weaker soul. All to save his queen and his race.
His lips lifted in a miniscule smile. “Every single one.”
“Was it worth it?”
Before he could answer Divinity and Caleb walked back in, but I didn’t need him to say the words. The light that lit up his eyes when she entered the room was all the proof I needed. To Kadmus, she was worth it.
“Three years off your contract,” Caleb said.
“You’re going to have to do better than that, fly boy.” Daddy always said to aim high. “Ten.”
“Five.”
“Eight.”
“Six, and that’s my final offer.”
Six years off would leave me with forty-one years, thirty-eight weeks, and ten days left on my sentence, not much in the grand scheme of things, but far less than what I had when I started out.
“Deal.”
Caleb stepped in front of my chair. He reached up and touched the center of my forehead with the tip of his finger. An electric current started at the point he touched, and shot like a guided missile just under the surface of my flesh, and whizzed around my brand.
My ass shot out of the chair like a bullet. “What the hell did you just do to me?”
“I amended your contract.” He sat back down, like his little bit of torture was nothing.
I rubbed at the flaring pain on my hip. “There wasn’t an easier way to do that?”
“There was, but I chose the fun way.”
Ugh. I hated angels. “Thanks for the warning.”
Caleb tilted his head and shrugged one shoulder. “Once you locate Delano’s right hand man in Chicago you need to find out Delano’s location of operation.”