Acqua (Daughters of Nyx Book 1)

by Lainy Lane

“Well, he hasn’t been using his room since he’s been shacking up with you. It’s kind of been a free-for-all with the others while you've had him— preoccupied, shall we say? We may not have the best manners around here. His things were kind of a mess.” He smiled gleefully.

  “So, he’s hiding?” I could read between the lines with the excuse. Phoenix could say whatever he wanted. I knew he wouldn’t want to face me, not right now. Not until he could figure out his story full of new lies to be able to feed me.

  “Could be.” Vulcan shrugged. “I really couldn’t care less. Now, my patience is wearing thin, so would you like to handle this situation with your parents or not?”

  “And what happens afterward?” I asked.

  Ember and Ethereal stood behind me, completely on edge, and wearing every bit of it on their faces. The tension in the room was building. I was feeling uneasy, but for once, I was thinking clearly. I didn’t trust Vulcan at being a man of his word for a second; especially since he had already gotten what he wanted. I had to figure out what he would gain by giving me what I wanted. There was some sort of ulterior motive involved. I just wasn’t sure what it was yet.

  “Whatever do you mean?” Vulcan said sarcastically, his eyes not making a single attempt to hide it.

  “I’m not stupid.” I smiled, suddenly feeling a confidence that had been fleeting as of late.

  “That’s debatable.” Vulcan sat down on the couch next to me, and Ember and Ethereal growled. “I mean, you did still come here tonight. Despite knowing what Phoenix had done. More importantly, you continue to trust him despite what I told you regarding the bond.”

  “In case you’ve forgotten,” I smiled, “I’m a vampire now too, so I can’t be prey anymore.”

  “Correct,” he chuckled, “you can, however, still be used. I mean, I am quite curious what your blood can do now that you are a crossbreed. Imagine what it might mean for the war we’re in if we were to harness the power of your blood. The power of a witch and a vampire combined..." he trailed off with a dreamy look in his eyes. "We do have a full moon coming up. I’d like to do some experiments.”

  “That’s all you want?” I asked. Ember and Ethereal tensed, but I waved my hand to stop their questions. “You want to see what you can do with my blood? Take it.”

  “Right now?” His voice rose in excitement.

  “Sure, I’ll come back in a week during the full moon as well if you’d like.” I could practically hear Ember and Ethereal’s thoughts screaming at me. They didn’t know where I was going with this and they didn’t need to know. For the first time in weeks, I knew exactly what I was doing.

  “And what do you get out of this?”

  “I want to write my parents new memories, and I want you to release your hold on Phoenix. Un-sire him.” I crossed my arms.

  I used mine and Ethereal’s trick to have a conversation without words. I needed to ensure her that I hadn’t lost my mind, even though I was still somewhat debating that in my mind. I knew the two of them were literally biting their tongues to prevent themselves from undermining me. On the contrary, I felt certain I had finally found my leverage. I heard her audibly let out a sigh of relief as I assured her I had a plan, even if it wasn't a very good one.

  Phoenix and I had enough conversations about the way that Vampirism worked for me to be comfortable with the basics of it all. I knew that as long as Phoenix was sired to Vulcan, he would be under his command. No matter what Vulcan did, or how much Phoenix grew to hate him, he would remain tied to him. He would never be able to stand against Vulcan as long as he was his sire. A small part of me hoped that explained why Phoenix had done all of this. I still wasn’t sure if I could trust Phoenix. I wanted to, but I didn’t like to trust, and I really didn’t like to forgive. Both of which I’d had to do multiple times already for Phoenix. I wasn’t sure I would be able to walk down that road again. I did, however, know that I wanted to free Phoenix from the hold Vulcan had over him, regardless of what happened between us. Call it letting my heart lead, because I was pretty sure that’s what it was. I knew that releasing Phoenix from Vulcan was more important than getting revenge against my parents, even though a few weeks ago nothing would've been placed above my vengeance.

  “Little girl,” Vulcan placed his hand on my leg, and I pulled away immediately, “you speak of things you know nothing of.”

  “No, I don’t think so. I do, however, believe that you don’t want to let Phoenix go. You aren’t willing to release your hold on him. That is why you’ve fought so hard to ensure that I let him go and that he returns to you. I’ve complicated your hold on him by forming our bond.” I shot him a sly smile, gathering from his expression that I hit the nail on the head.

  “But not severed it,” he replied, confidently.

  “No, not severed completely, but substantially weakened nonetheless.” I was getting smug, and I wasn’t sure what was causing that. There was still a chance I'd be inserting my foot into my mouth before this deal settled.

  “You know how I want to take your blood.” Vulcan’s smile turned wicked.

  I took a deep breath, willing myself to take this road wherever it led. I nodded, carefully eyeing him.

  “And you’re prepared to have a bond with me as well?” His eyes were alight with wickedness.

  I hadn’t thought that one out. I should have, being that I was already under a bond with one vampire. I was caught off guard, but refused to show it to Vulcan. I couldn’t admit to weakness, not yet. I cleared my throat. “We’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”

  Vulcan laughed, which made me aware he was more pleased about this than I’d expected him to be. “You know, most people more thoroughly think things like this through before they make deals that will affect their entire lives.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not like most people. I mean, I’m the only witch-vamp in the world, so that alone should give you a clue that I don’t follow the normal mold.” I’d given away weakness by allowing the comment to leave my mind. I was already likely stepping into a pretty stupid decision, so it shouldn’t have surprised me.

  Vulcan shrugged. “True. However, I hope that, in this case, you really do know what you are doing. It would complicate your already formed bond with Phoenix, to say the very least.” He didn't have any sympathy regarding that. He was doing nothing more than trying to inch under my skin.

  “He complicated that bond when he betrayed my sisters and me.” I held my voice despite the tug I felt in my heart.

  “You’re just full of complications, aren’t you?” Vulcan smirked.

  I shrugged my shoulders and smiled. “It’s kind of my thing.”

  “Maybe you should find a new thing,” he suggested.

  “I don’t particularly care for change.” I could feel Ember and Ethereal behind me, attempting to follow the banter, and decide on their next move.

  “Yet you’re willing to make one right now by making this deal with me.” Vulcan placed his chin into his hand, seeming to be genuinely intrigued by our conversation.

  “Either you take the deal, or you don’t, Vulcan." I shrugged nonchalantly. "I don’t have to give you all my reasoning’s, and I haven’t asked you to explain all of yours.”

  “Yes, but I’m a rather transparent person, aren’t I? I’m driven by power,” he said as he relaxed into the couch.

  “Power you think my blood holds the key to.”

  He nodded.

  “So, do you want it or not?” My irritation was growing, and my nerves were heightening with every minute we spent talking about it. I wanted to just get it over with before my good senses caught up with me. He was pushing my buttons, and somehow, I had a feeling that was exactly what he wanted to do.

  “You should know by now that I won’t say no to the offer.”

  “Curiosity killed the cat,” I smirked.

  He shrugged. “Would you like to go somewhere more private or is this okay?”

  I could sense the unease in the ro
om radiating off of Ember and Ethereal. They were nowhere close to okay with this situation. I didn’t want to make them more uncomfortable than they already were. I’d thought the trip here had been tense. After this, the walk home was going to be practically unbearable. I looked up at them questioningly, hoping to get an idea of how they felt. They both looked lost. In a way, I didn’t want them to see, but I also didn’t want to be alone with Vulcan. At least, if it happened in front of Ember and Ethereal, they could try to put a stop to him if he tried to take advantage of the situation. Phoenix was in hiding so he wouldn’t be an issue. I finally decided that out of two terrible choices, I had to choose the least awful.

  “Here,” I gulped.

  It was odd, I felt like I was probably making a terrible decision, but I also felt like it was the only option. It seemed like I should be convulsing in disgust. A small part of me was, but at the same time, I was also oddly attracted to the idea. Something in me was excited about it. I felt drawn to the thought of him feeding on me. Despite that fact that I knew better than to trust him, and I knew that he was a horrid, filthy person. It was a sick and twisted feeling. Still, something in my body sensed the desire in the air and craved it. I relaxed onto the couch, laid my head to the side. I closed my eyes because I didn’t want to see the looks on Ember and Ethereal’s face as this went down.

  I could feel him approaching me. My body was in tune with his for some reason. It almost felt as if we’d already bonded, which was impossible, right? Vulcan leaned over me, his arms on either side of my body, propping his body up over mine. I could feel an icy heat radiating from him. Without willing it to do so, my neck elongated and turned toward him. I could feel the blood coursing faster through my veins. I could hear his pulsing inside of him as well. He took his time, slowly inching closer to me, the intensity rising, with each second. This was the opposite of bloodlust. Typically, when I experienced bloodlust, it was a desire for me to drink blood. Now, I had a lusting for him to drink from me.

  He placed one tense kiss on my neck before biting into me. I felt the temperature rising as my body responded to the sensation of him draining my blood from me. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him down closer to me. For some reason, I needed him nearer. I wanted to feel more of him on top of me, instead of just on my neck. I felt his emotions enter into me as the bond formed; his desire, his hatred, his need for power all coursed into me and mixed with my feelings. It seemed foreign and familiar all at the same time. I was zoned into the emotions, zoned into us. The us I never would’ve imagined existing this close together prior to that moment, and everything else faded away completely. I forgot where I was, who I was, what I was supposed to be doing, and why I even cared.

  “What the—” Phoenix’s voice boomed in and shattered the spell that had, somewhat unwillingly, overwhelmed me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Torture washed over his face, rendering me unable to look at him. His eyes were glassed over with the tears he was holding in, and suddenly I was glad he’d decided to shut me out. At the same time, I felt the joy from Vulcan at having caused the look on Phoenix’s face. The conflicting emotions were fighting against each other inside of me, and I was unsure of which I wanted to win. Vulcan was still sitting close enough to me that our bodies were touching, which I hadn’t realized until I saw Phoenix’s eyes narrowing in on us.

  “Phoenix,” Vulcan gleamed, “good news!”

  Phoenix crossed his eyes. “Really? Do tell, because this is—” he choked and couldn’t continue.

  I swallowed down the bile rising from the disgust I felt for myself.

  I wanted to stand up. I tried to move. I desired to go to Phoenix, but my body would only allow me to stay with Vulcan. I aspired to spontaneously combust so at least I didn’t have to face any of this. I felt a hand on each of my shoulders from behind me and knew Ember and Ethereal were showing me they were still behind me and with me. I wasn’t sure why they continued sticking with me any longer, not after all the drama I’d caused of late. I had a feeling that if I were in their shoes, it was likely I would’ve left me behind a long time ago.

  “I’m letting you go,” Vulcan cut into the awkward situation since he was never afraid of doing so.

  “What?” Phoenix’s voice squeaked.

  “Your girl here made me a deal. I am going to release you.” Vulcan stood and walked over to Phoenix. I relished in the slight release of tension now that he was further away from me.

  “From what? My bond with her?” Phoenix refused to look at me. I couldn't blame him, but that didn't lessen the pain I felt.

  “No, that’s still there. Should you decide to turn it back on, at least." a muffled chuckle escaped Vulcan. "It could be rather interesting to see how that all plays out. I’ve never heard of a three-way bond before. I wonder how that ends.” He chortled, obviously getting a sick pleasure out of toying with Phoenix’s emotions.

  “Vulcan,” I warned. I shouldn't push the issue, but seeing Phoenix's face contorted in anguish wouldn't allow me to keep quiet.

  My head was beginning to throb from all the pressure. I had somehow convinced myself that Phoenix would stay out of the way, and I wouldn’t have to face him about what I’d allowed Vulcan to do. At least not until I could prepare myself a bit better. Although I’m not sure I could’ve ever prepared myself for what I had found myself facing.

  “Release me from what?” Phoenix reiterated. The conversation had yet to go very far. Vulcan was enjoying running around in circles of insults to kick Phoenix while he was already down.

  “From me,” Vulcan answered without missing a beat. “I’m going to un-sire you.”

  “That’s what you did this for, Acqua?” Phoenix seemed offended, which confused me. “You let him drink from you so he’d un-sire me?”

  “Not just right now either,” Vulcan’s voice was excited which set my nerves on edge. “She’s coming back again in a few weeks to allow me to feed on her under the full moon as well.”

  “Acqua,” Phoenix walked over and knelt in front of me, he put his hands on my knees, “why?”

  I shrugged. I wasn’t sure where my emotions were at this point, I was just confused. I had my heart with Phoenix, where it had been for months now, even though I was still unsure of whether or not I should have ever put it there. Something in me was with Vulcan. I wasn’t sure what it was, but some part of me was with him in the new bond I’d just formed to try and free Phoenix. I had expected Phoenix to be happy that I’d released him, though apparently the betrayal of what I’d just done outweighed that.

  “Because I wanted you not to have to do his bidding anymore. I don’t know why you did this. Why you betrayed me, again, but I need you not to have to feel the pull that he has over you. I want you to be able to live your own life, by your own desires and instincts.” I refused to allow the tears stinging my eyelids to spill over.

  “You know if he un-sires me, I won’t be a vampire anymore?”

  “Oh.”

  Maybe I hadn’t gathered as much information as I’d thought I had as to what all of this vampire clan bonding went. One day I hoped to learn my lesson about getting more details before I decided on a course of action.

  “So,” Vulcan broke into our moment. “Do you still want me to un-sire him, or shall we see how this bond plays out now that we’ve added a third wheel in?”

  He knew. Of course he knew. I had put all my chips in and bet on this deal and I didn’t even have a high card. I was betting blindly. I’d known that going in, Vulcan had even pointed it out to me before he sealed the deal with me. I couldn’t be mad at anyone other than myself. Only fools blindly walked into that kind of a weighted decision, and apparently, I was a pretty big idiot, because that’s exactly what I’d done.

  “Phoenix?” I squeaked out, “What do you want?”

  Phoenix’s eyes darted between Vulcan and me rapidly. I could sense that Vulcan knew the decision he would make. He knew he wasn’t going to give up his Vampirism. I
knew he was right. Phoenix had gone searching for this life. He’d wanted to be a vampire, he’d asked for it. It may not have turned into the life he’d expected it to be, but it was all he had, and he wasn’t going to walk away from it. No matter how badly he wanted to be free of Vulcan. He probably thought he could somehow keep me from allowing Vulcan to take my full moon blood if he remained sired. I knew better than to think that would be true. I had no ground to stand on to even request that. I’d made this deal. Even if it had been a stupid choice, it was one I’d entered into of my own free will, and I would see it through thoroughly.

  “Release me,” Phoenix finally responded through bated breath.

  Everyone in the room had an audible response to the shock of his decision. Vulcan’s body tensed, and I felt the rage rushing through him. Once my emotions settled down, I would have to work on building a wall against this bond. Unfortunately, I’d probably have to wait until after the full moon to do so. Which meant the next week was going to be very awkward, even more so now that Phoenix would apparently no longer be a vampire.

  “Are you sure?” Vulcan asked, his mind was reeling, he had believed without a shadow of a doubt that Phoenix would stay with him just to remain a vampire. I had been sure of that much as well. That could have been because I was blinded a bit by Vulcan’s thoughts. I was supposed to know Phoenix better than I apparently did. I’d been just as blind sighted as everyone else by Phoenix’s choice.

  “Yes,” Phoenix replied. “Release me, and then let us all leave.”

  “Acqua still has a piece of a bargain to uphold,” Vulcan quickly reminded him.

  “And you know she will.” Phoenix was talking to Vulcan, yet his eyes remained on me. “She has never shown you to be anything other than trustworthy, but she isn’t staying here with you between now and then.”

  Vulcan was running through the possible consequences of allowing Phoenix this victory. For once, we had sent him the element of surprise, nothing about this was going quite the way he’d expected. I could sense his fear of the unknown we had forced upon him. He was itching to have some time to figure it all out, but he knew he had none. He was going to have to give in, and it was an option he didn’t want to take. He didn’t like the taste of defeat. It was clearly a taste he hadn’t been exposed to enough to be accustomed to its presence in his life. I could feel his frustration over the ordeal rising in my throat, and it tasted acidic.