[Kassandra Lyall Preternatural Investigator 03] - Bloody Claws

by Winter Pennington

  "Trying to banish the creature came at a price for Kassandra." Lenorre swooped in, saving me from trying to explain something I didn't fully understand myself. "Her human body struggled to serve as the vessel for the energy she was trying to take in to sever the creature's link to our world. The fey blood in her veins merely makes her a bit stronger than a human, Detective, but she is no immortal."

  It was partial truth and she told it well. I was certain the only thing that had kept me from being seriously injured or worse was the fact that I was a lycanthrope. There was no way I was going to tell Arthur that. Fey, he might've been able to handle, but finding out I could turn furry once a month, or whenever I wanted to, really would've changed his perspective more than I was willing to. Fey was the lesser of two evils when it came down to it, because although neither was evil, per se, our modern society was not exactly favorable to shape-shifters. In fact, the protection around us was finicky in and of itself. To kill a werewolf in human form was murder, but to kill a werewolf in wolf form, at worst, was animal cruelty. Nice, no? As vampires had been embraced and accepted into our modern society, so had been the fey and elves. All three had protection that lycanthropes and shape-shifters did not, despite the fact that some of the fey, like Zaphara, were capable of changing their shape at will.

  Still, a lot of people believed that the fey and elves were benign.

  Mostly, that was thanks to the rise of modern fiction. But belief doesn't change the fact that good and bad come in a lot of different guises. Humans have their inner beasts as much as any lycanthrope.

  "How much stronger than a human?" Arthur asked.

  "Strong enough that the price I paid was only a little blood."

  "Are you sure you're all right?"

  "I'm fine," I said for what seemed the fifth or sixth time.

  Arthur returned to his seat. "So how do we catch this?"

  "We've already got a plan set in place. We're merely waiting to put it into action."

  "A plan that you were going to go rogue on and leave me out of again?"

  "If you didn't happen to notice, Arthur, it's a bit dangerous for you."

  "Looked like it was a bit dangerous for you too, Kass."

  "Fair enough," I said.

  "What's your plan?"

  "We're going to summon the creature and use it to track the initial summoner to find out who's really behind the murders."

  "You're going to call that thing on purpose?"

  "Yes."

  "Kass, you know if this thing is behind the murders, there's nothing to prosecute."

  "Actually," I said, "there is. The night hag was summoned by someone at the first scene. That, I believe, is where you will find your original murder and your murderer. Did the results on the blood work come back?"

  "Inconclusive," he said. "Which is fucking weird, considering."

  "Then the blood more than likely belonged to one of the Blevins," I said. "They cross-reference the DNA?"

  "They did." He retrieved a folder from his desk and opened it. "They appeared to have a match, but there were too many doubts surrounding who or what the blood belonged to to know for sure."

  I wondered if, though humans shared a similar DNA structure with the fey and elves, if something in elvish or fey blood would throw off the test entirely.

  I asked Arthur as much. "Both of the Blevins were part human. Do you think being fey and elf would throw the test off completely?"

  "I don't know," he said. "Their team doesn't have a specialist on site that's familiar with fey and elven blood. I don't think we have one in the entire state."

  "For the sake of this case," I said. "They might want to bring one in."

  Arthur scribbled a note on a piece of paper and slid it into the file. "I'll let them know. There's a guy in Kansas they can contact. What are you going to do when you find the murderer?"

  "I think that's where you can come in. Last I checked, I can't be in two places at once. Can you put a team together?"

  "You sure you can find this thing?"

  "I'm sure a friend of mine can, yes. She's more experienced than I am."

  "I'll put a team together," he said, no arguing, no more questions. It surprised me. Arthur was trusting me. I didn't expect that. "You call and tell me when and if you've tracked the killer's location. I'll send the team out to perform the arrest."

  "May I leave?" I asked.

  "Yes."

  I stood and was almost to the door when he said, "And, Kass?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Be careful."

  "You too, Arthur."

  CHAPTER twenty-two

  e made it back to Lenorre's and had just walked in when my legs went out from under me. Rosalin was there to catch me, slipping her arm around my back and hooking her hand under my armpit.

  Lenorre touched my forehead, pushing the hair out of my face. "You're still not well," she said.

  "I'm fine." I forced myself to stand straight and my legs quivered.

  "Um, no, you're not," Rosalin grumbled, noticing the tremor of my muscles.

  I heard a noise from the kitchen as a cabinet door closed. A moment later Zaphara emerged through the dining room with Eris trailing behind her.

  "What happened?" she asked.

  I closed my eyes and shook my head, trying to clear away the little black dots that obscured my vision.

  "Kassandra was attacked again," Rosalin said.

  Zaphara came closer. Close enough that for a second, I almost growled. She bowed her body and I heard the sharp intake of her breath close to my cheek.

  "Your blood sugar and energy are low. You need to sit down."

  Rosalin helped me into the parlor set off of the foyer. The room was done in shades of white and cream. She lowered me ever so gently onto the couch. Lenorre and Eris entered the room and were speaking in hushed voices by the door. I found myself incapable of focusing on their words. My stomach felt like it was going to rebel again. The light fixture hanging from the ceiling seemed to be swaying slightly in my view. I put a hand over my face and groaned.

  "Sit her up," Zaphara said. "Kassandra, drink this. It will help some."

  Rosalin gently lifted me by my shoulders, sliding her body onto the couch behind mine. She propped me up against her almost the same way Lenorre had earlier at the police station. The glass was cold and the ice was clinking in my trembling hands. I sniffed it, its sweet and bitter smell telling me it was sweet tea.

  I took a drink and as soon as the liquid hit my tongue, it was as if I'd been walking through a desert without water for days and hadn't realized how thirsty I was. I couldn't stop.

  My focus sharpened slightly, and I was able to concentrate on Lenorre and Eris's conversation.

  "If someone doesn't lend her energy, Lenorre, she's not going to be of much aid to Zaphara in this condition," Eris said.

  Her words made me glance over to where she and Lenorre stood just inside the doorway. Eris's entire body was encased in a PVC catsuit that looked like she'd literally been dipped into the material. The glossy black material molded to her curves, bringing out every slope and arch to stark perfection. Her sable hair was pinned messily at the back of her head, leaving her neck bare with the exception of a few sprays of curls that had broken free. As if she felt me looking at her, she turned her head, revealing a dusting of obsidian eye shadow that made her sea-green depths more vibrant and alive.

  The breath caught in my throat and I mentally cursed myself. Rosalin laughed above me, letting me know she'd heard it. No doubt so had Lenorre and Eris, as Eris smiled at me seductively.

  Lenorre moved enough that she brought Eris's attention back to herself.

  "I am not so certain Kassandra will be receptive to your proposition, Eris."

  "I'm adept in this area and I've fed more than you have tonight. I've the energy to spare."

  I rolled my head back on Rosalin's shoulder. "Do you have any fucking idea what they're talking about?"

  "Eris is talking about giving
you energy."

  Zaphara returned with another glass of tea, though I couldn't remember her leaving. She gave the vampires an odd look when she entered, as if she too wondered what they were up to.

  "Here," she said, but she wasn't looking at me. Her gaze was all for Lenorre and Eris as she tried to figure out what was going on.

  "You can use me as your conduit, Eris. I am your Countess."

  "No, Lenorre. The energy is best shared one-on-one, without interruption, and you know it."

  "I give up," I said. "What are you talking about?"

  "You can offer," Lenorre said.

  It was Zaphara who answered my question. "Your energy is low, low enough that you need an outside source."

  I turned to her and must have done it faster than I thought, because the room reeled and I actually put a hand out. "Oh, that was not good."

  "And it's not going to subside until you find an energy source outside of yourself to regulate the energy you expended." Zaphara touched my forehead. "You're cool to the touch again, Kassandra, cooler than a lycanthrope should be."

  Eris moved around the arm of the couch and closer to us. The outfit she wore was completed by a pair of modestly heeled boots that ended just below her knees. I thought the shimmer of silver on the boots were buckles, but upon closer inspection realized they weren't buckles but jewelry in the shape of small handcuffs, with chains stretching from one cuff to the other.

  "I'm going to feed you energy," she said.

  Lenorre said, "Eris."

  Eris canted her head slightly. "Let me rephrase that," she said. "I'm going to feed you energy, if you consent. It will make you better."

  "And if I don't consent?" I asked.

  "You'll be useless this evening," Zaphara said. "It may take days, werewolf or no, for your energy to balance out and regulate itself after this kind of attack. Allowing Eris to feed you energy is a painless and quick solution if you can overcome your inner prude."

  My mouth hung open at the guiltless honesty of her words. "What the hell is that supposed to mean? I'm not a prude, Zaphara."

  Eris offered a smooth laugh. "By the definitions of one of the Daoine Maithe, you most certainly are. Never mind her definitions, though. Will you allow me to feed you?"

  "Let me make sure I comprehend this. You want to give me energy like I'm some kind of psychic vampire?"

  "Yes, precisely." There was an eagerness in her expression that made me suspicious of her motives.

  "Lenorre, what is Eris not telling me?"

  "The feeding will require close contact."

  "What kind of close contact, exactly?"

  Eris let out a harsh breath, as if she were becoming impatient. "My particular abilities lie in the exchange and manipulation of sexual energy. You are familiar with psychic vampires. Have you ever heard of an Eros vampire?"

  "I'm familiar with some of the mythology of the God, Eros. He's a God of sexual lust and desire."

  "Then you grasp somewhat of the meaning of an Eros vampire."

  "So what you're telling me is that you're some kind of erotic vampire?"

  "Quintessentially, yes. Why do you suppose I've chosen the profession of a pro-domme?" She smiled rather wickedly.

  "You feed energetically off their desire?"

  "Yes."

  "And in order to give me energy, you need to get all hot and bothered?" I asked.

  "I'd not put it as bluntly as that, but yes."

  "Kassandra," Lenorre said, "before you decline, I am not opposed to this offer. I simply did not think you would be comfortable with it, but if you are, by all means"-her expression softened-"take it." She walked around Eris to kneel on the floor in front of the couch, touching my arm. "You need energy and Eris is in a position more fit to give it to you than I."

  "Because she's fed more?" I asked, just to be sure. Lenorre inclined her head. "I have not fed enough to give you the energy you need." Rosalin shifted her hips, trying to get her legs out from underneath her. I groaned as my stomach lurched. "Ros, stop doing that."

  "Sorry," she murmured, "my legs went to sleep."

  "Well?" Eris asked expectantly. "Have you an answer?"

  "What happens again if I decline?"

  Zaphara answered. "We put you on bed rest and don't catch your murderer." That didn't sound like a thrilling prospect to me. I'd forgotten the glass in my hand and wasn't aware it'd slipped until Lenorre caught it and placed it on the coffee table. My hand was still trembling slightly when she enfolded it in hers. She said my name, prompting me for an answer. "How much close contact?"

  "A kiss should be sufficient to raise the energy needed," Eris said. "And you're sure, absolutely sure, you're all right with this?" Lenorre squeezed my hand. "I will be here by your side."

  "Fine."

  "That's a yes?" Eris asked. "From Kassandra," Lenorre said, "it is." I felt more than heard Rosalin's heart rate increase. "Do I get to stay?"

  "No," I said. "Why?" she asked. "I've kissed you. I've seen Lenorre kiss you."

  Zaphara said, "Come, wolf, we'll leave them to it. You can help me with the spell."

  "Kassandra?" Rosalin asked, her voice meek. "Sorry, Rosalin. I'm more comfortable without an audience." She let out a heavy sigh telegraphing her disappointment. I ignored it as Lenorre helped me to sit up so that Rosalin could get her legs and feet under her. She left the room with Zaphara, who paused in the doorway, glancing back before shaking her head and shutting the door behind her. Lenorre helped ease me down and though she did it slowly, it seemed every little movement sent my head spinning and that sick feeling rolling in my stomach.

  The room was bathed in silence. It was a strange silence, and if I'd been feeling well, I would have found it uncomfortable. Lenorre was petting me, stroking the hair at my temples. Her fingers sifted through the strands, nails tickling my scalp tenderly.

  The couch cushion dipped and I opened my eyes to find Eris crawling on top of me.

  "I'm having déjà vu," she said, smiling beautifully.

  "Keep the games to a minimum, Eris," Lenorre said, her tone cool and detached.

  Eris straddled me and it was hard to keep my eyes open, hard not to focus on her weight pinning my body to the couch, hard not to think about the body beneath the slick PVC.

  Hard not to remember her pale thighs and the line of dark lace near her groin.

  Lenorre kept playing with my hair, offering a welcomed distraction.

  "I need her to focus on me, Lenorre. She's distracted by you."

  Lenorre inclined and I felt her breath ease out across the skin behind my ear. She pressed a kiss against my pulse, whispering, "This will only work if you let yourself desire her, Kassandra."

  As soon as the words were delivered, as soon as the goose bumps broke out across my flesh, Lenorre withdrew, no longer serving as my distraction, my anchor, but leaving me alone and touched only by Eris.

  Eris slid her body up my thighs and pressed her groin to mine. I gasped at the sudden contact and sunk my teeth into my bottom lip. The first flickering breeze of power flitted across my skin like the march of tiny moth wings.

  "Don't fight me, Kassandra." Her fingers stroked the line of my brow as she held herself above me, her body solid, heavy, and real against mine. Our clothes seemed too little barrier. She asked me not to fight her. As weak as I felt, I didn't think I could. Eris kept moving over me and I remained frozen beneath her gaze. The blood rushed like tiny rivers through my veins, disturbed by the slow trickling current of power.

  Eris's lips were close enough a breath would bring our mouths together. "Don't fight me," she whispered again and pressed her mouth to mine. The energy became like a slow, lapping wave, washing swiftly over my body and caressing places that Eris wasn't physically touching.

  The touch of her lips was soft and fleshy, like some forbidden and succulent fruit that I wanted to sink my teeth into and swallow. The fullness of her bottom lip teased mine in a kiss that was almost too light to be a kiss. The wood creaked be
side my head and I knew she braced herself with a hand on the couch's arm. I sensed her struggle, her inner battle for restraint and determination to control the flow of energy between us. Her other hand found me, lifting my top as her fingers traced my skin underneath it.

  The touch of her bare skin against mine made the energy spike.

  Her fingers tickled my side, her thumb playing along the highest arch of my hip. That energy pulsed between my legs, throbbing and warm. I wanted Eris to kiss me, to finish that last push that would bring our mouths solidly together. I wanted to feel her lips open wide, to feel the first touch of her tongue as she delved into me.

  I wanted more. I wanted her.

  "So much desire," she said, sounding nearly breathless. "So much to drown in."

  The sound of her voice alone nearly sent my head back. I needed to be touched, to be stroked, to be fucked. I could feel the energy spiraling in my sacral chakra like warm honey pooling between my legs, spreading outward, suffusing my limbs with its glow.

  The sensation of it was strange and exhilarating, destroying my ability to think of anything else. I wanted to strip my clothes off and bring that power closer, to smear it, to spread her, all over my skin.

  Eris's breath mingled with mine, but she held herself at bay. I wanted to cry with the fierceness of my need, to throw her back and pin her down, to take what my body craved from her like some kind of wild beast. But I didn't. Even the wolf within did not try to test her leash. I held my breath, waiting. I was afraid to move, afraid she would stop.

  If I had thought Eris impatient, I had been wrong. Her eyes were closed, and her beauty was softened by pleasure, like an angel of love with skin as soft as dove's wings.

  Eris placed her thigh between my legs and my will to remain still broke. I rubbed myself against her thigh, trying to find the friction and contact that my body craved.

  She thrust her power into me and what had begun as too little clothing between us was suddenly too much.

  Every fiber in my being ached beyond thought. I wanted her to bury her fingers in my wet and scorching flesh, to cool the fire she set within me. It was a heat that drowned out any thoughts of shape-shifting or magic. There was nothing but need.