Taste the Dark (Elwood Legacy Book 1)

by Nicola Rose

  “Oh yes, I promised to kiss you. You won’t pass out again?”

  She blushed pinker, looking even tastier. “Hey, that was just the one time, and it was because I was in shock that night!”

  I leant in and kissed her before she could say another word. Her plush lips parted eagerly, urging my tongue to enter. She tasted better each time, it was getting harder instead of easier. Her delicate hands reached for the back of my head, twining in my hair. I hoped that I’d sucked on enough mints to take away any taste or smell of blood from my mouth.

  Her heart thumped heavy in my ears with increasing speed. She swayed even though she was sitting; she really might pass out again. I slid my tongue languorously across hers once more before forcing myself to back off, with momentous effort. She looked about as pleased as I was for stopping.

  “How long do we have to go slow?” she rasped. “It’s the middle of the night. There’s no one up here except us. It’s perfect.”

  “I don’t want to have to carry you down when you lose your faculties. I don’t think you can handle any more of me yet. I’d blow your mind.” I flashed her a mischievous grin.

  That made her smile, as she nudged me playfully with a shoulder. “You know, I’d love to call you an egotistical, deluded prick, but I’m sure you’re right.”

  I caught her and laid us down, pulling her in tight against my chest and burying my nose into the waves of her fiery, red hair.

  She stroked her fingers along my arm and paused, circling at a certain spot above the crease of my elbow. Such a gentle touch. If only she knew the feral surges that tore through me, pulsating out from the touch of that finger.

  Take that fucking finger and bite it… suck the blood from it as she watches.

  “Lux?” she asked suddenly, snapping me from the hunger. “That means light, right?”

  Her finger had found a particular tattoo, amongst the many. Skirting past the Legacy mark of the sun, she had identified the scrawled words Fiat Lux. My chest tightened at the stabbing memories associated with those words.

  “You speak Latin?” I asked.

  “Not much, I remember some from school. What does it mean?”

  “Let there be light.”

  She snickered, “Is that intentionally ironic? I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen you out and about in the daytime! You’re like one of the spring-breakers, sleeping in all day. Do you have some sort of sunlight aversion?”

  She asked it innocently enough, but there it was. The beginning of the end. It would start to unravel from here.

  “It’s this place.” I faked a smile. “Well, not this place, but the island. I’ve just spent so long living on rave central that my body clock adjusted. It feels natural to me now. I’m not a morning person.”

  “You don’t ever get sick of the constant parties? Not seeing the beauty of the world in daylight, riding your motorbike away into the blue sky?”

  “It’s who I am now, I live with it.”

  You don’t have to. You could have more. Fulfil the Legacy and walk in the day, you pathetic weasel.

  “That doesn’t make any sense. Why not just go to bed at a normal time for a change and get out?” she asked.

  “I don’t live entirely by the night, Jess. I do go out in the day. I just choose not to do it very often.”

  “I still don’t understand. I mean, I like to party, but not at the expense of living in the normal world.”

  How was this ever going to work? There was no way I could have another relationship with a human. Too many questions, too many secrets to hide, too much hunger to suppress. Too much danger to not only her life, but also ours. At least, to our way of life. I should listen to my guys more.

  “I’m not a normal person.”

  “Me either,” she sighed. “I always seem to be looking for something more. When life gets too familiar I pack up and leave. I don’t even know what I’m searching for, but I usually go looking for it where trouble lives.”

  “Maybe you’ve found it now?” I asked, immediately regretting it. Encouraging her was positively wrong.

  “Maybe,” she sighed again, trailing her hand down my chest… and the darkness snapped its jaws in my ears.

  16

  Jess

  He’d taken me to Mount Washington to see the beauty of the night skyline, in his own private helicopter, which, by the way, he could fly himself. I looked to my left to check he was definitely real.

  He was riding his bike beside mine as we travelled down the island highway under a sunset glow. The blur of lights and people barely registered on the edge of my vision. Hell, the road ahead barely registered. I couldn’t draw my eyes away from him now that I’d looked.

  We’d just been on an actual date on Port Isabel. I think he wanted to make an effort with the whole daytime thing and so he’d met me a few hours before sundown. Not that we saw much sun, we spent the evening at the bowling alley.

  He’d been tense early on, but once we were inside he loosened up. And man, could he bowl. It seemed there was nothing he couldn’t do. He hit a strike almost every other go, and I had a feeling that he could have got more but was trying not to show off.

  A group of people had gathered to watch, which left me less than comfortable considering my complete lack of bowling skill. I hurried through my turns so that everyone could coo over his. Obviously most of the admiring group were female. Zac even managed to make bowling shoes look sexy, I felt like a total dork in mine.

  A group of guys on the next lane took exception to Zac’s attention-stealing and made snide comments to each other in extra loud voices. Zac’s face set harder with each one, until he ended up going over and asking if they’d like to say something to him. I don’t know what look he gave them, or if he said something else, but I’ve never seen a group of lads back down so quickly.

  A loud pop brought me back to the moment, as my bike wobbled beneath me. I hit the brakes and eased to a stop at the side of the road. “Damn, my tyre’s blown.”

  “This isn’t a good place to stop.” Zac cast anxious glances up and down the road.

  “I know, right on the highway. Luckily it’s not so busy this time of night.”

  “Climb aboard. I’ll send one of the guys over with a spare.” He patted the seat behind him impatiently.

  “Let’s just call the recovery people, it might not take them too long to get here. We might as well wait.” I didn’t want to abandon my baby on the road in carnage town.

  “I’d rather not hang around.”

  “Well, let’s just call—”

  “Jess! You’re not listening,” he cut me off loudly. “We need to move, get on the back.”

  He switched his view, staring off up the highway.

  “Fuck. Do me a favour, don’t speak. Just keep your mouth shut,” he growled, grabbing my waist and pulling me up close to him.

  He seemed to be staring at nothing, until, far in the distance a flashy, yellow sports car came onto the horizon. It was a long way off but in no time it skidded to a dramatic stop at our feet. Three men stepped out of the Chevrolet from behind tinted windows. Their attention immediately settled on me. They gave me déjà vu. So similar to Zac and his friends, all pale and dark eyed and crazily gorgeous.

  “Parker,” Zac said.

  “What’s up?” the man at the front of the group replied. He had long black dreaded hair and was dressed like a billionaire playboy. His features were sharp and pointy and his eyes quick.

  The other two men were standing slightly behind him, one with the biggest muscles I’d ever seen in real life and the other a complete contrast, scrawny and feminine looking. They looked comical standing next to each other. I might have laughed were the whole encounter not so fucking intimidating.

  “We’re not stopping,” Zac said firmly. “Someone will be back later with the spare and be gone quickly.”

  They didn’t respond. They just stood there staring at me. I shifted uncomfortably.

  “Are we go
ing to have a problem here, gentlemen?” Zac asked slowly, with a heavy edge to his voice.

  He was rigid, his hand tensing around the handlebars. The men looked just as tense, waiting for the fight. Each stood unwavering, feet planted apart and their hands gripped together in front of them. Their eyes were fierce, and they were all trained on me. Yet, over the top of all that, lay an offbeat mask of calm. Their faces expressionless, their voices even and steady. I held on to Zac’s protective arm in front of me.

  “That depends. Are you leaving this lovely damsel in distress as an offering to us?” Parker licked his lips like he was anticipating something delicious.

  “Funny. Real funny,” Zac said, pushing me backwards, so that I was now pinned tight against his Harley.

  “Who’s laughing?” Parker whispered.

  “Get on the back, Jess. We’re leaving.”

  I wasted no further time in doing as he said.

  “Awww, don’t be like that, Zac. What’s the hurry? Why don’t we wait for the recovery people together and we can get to know your little friend.”

  “I’ll be back later, we can talk then.”

  Parker raced forward and stood in front of us with a hand on the headlight. “I really think you should stay a while,” he said.

  “It wouldn’t be wise to push me right now. She’s not of interest to you,” Zac sounded like he was about to lose his shit.

  “She is now.” Parker brought a hand up and tugged his bottom lip, his glare never leaving me.

  Zac revved the engine hard. “You going to make me ride right through you?”

  Parker laughed as he moved out of the way with deliberate slowness.

  “We’ll see you around, Zac, but I doubt you’ll find anything here if you return.” He was smiling as he walked to my Ducati and swung a leg over.

  Zac wheelied away, hitting over a hundred in seconds. I tried to look back, but everything was a blur.

  He ran all the red lights and rode so fast that I don’t understand how we didn’t wipe-out on a bend, or into another vehicle. The town passed by in a flurry of light and thumping music, like some surreal dream where I knew I was moving too fast, but it felt like I was sinking, slowing and fading. Whatever just happened, it had left me surging with adrenalin, but I was already losing it, a pit forming in my stomach. I suspected the crash from this one would be severe.

  After we tore down the driveway, he led me straight into his huge, stately house in a stormy hurry. He ran through the required pleasantries like offering me a drink, which I declined. He asked if I was OK, I replied with “No.” Then we sat in silence. I tried so hard not to be the first to speak. He owed me an explanation without me having to prise it out of him, but it soon became clear that the silence may well go on forever.

  “Fine. You win, I’ll go first. Even though it’s obvious what I’m going to ask,” I said.

  Silence.

  “You’re really going to make me ask?”

  Silence, followed by a sigh.

  “You’re a jerk,” I mumbled.

  Silence.

  “Oh, come on, Zac. Why were they looking at me like that? What was that?”

  A moment more silence before he spoke with another heaved sigh. “That was Ce—”, he paused and shook his head. “Gang… rivalry, and because of me you are now bang in the middle of it.”

  “Gang?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re in a gang?”

  “You haven’t noticed all the guys I hang around with? I live with. Isn’t that odd to you?” His eyebrows knotted, mouth twisting.

  “I thought they were friends.”

  “They are.”

  “Gang friends.”

  “Yes.”

  “Gangs. On little South Padre?” No point even trying to hide the incredulity in my voice.

  “They have their end, we have ours. We have to pass through theirs to get on and off the island. Your tyre blew on their end.”

  “So, who are they? Why is this happening?”

  He shoved his hands into his pockets and stared at me with a mix of defiance and despair.

  “Well?” I asked.

  “The less you know the better.”

  “You’re unbelievable.” I stood up and grabbed my purse.

  “I can take you back.”

  “Don’t bother.” I stomped towards the door and as I opened it he called after me.

  “Actually, there is something else. You’re moving motel,” he said flatly.

  “I beg your pardon?” I spun on my heels and almost tripped over myself.

  “You’re staying on their side, and now they’re going to get interested. More so than they already were.”

  “I’ll take my chances thanks.”

  “The fuck you will. This is not a request, Jess. I can’t guarantee your safety there.”

  That made me laugh out loud. “Can you hear yourself? You think you’re some sort of mafia don?”

  He didn’t laugh.

  “I won’t be dictated to by a guy I barely know, who continues to act like a total dick and expects me to accept it. You’re crazy. In fact, that doesn’t even cut it, you’re fucking certifiable,” I bellowed.

  “I’m asking you to do this for your own protection.”

  This was South Padre for goodness sake, were these guys serious? Yes, it did appear that some lunatic tried to kill me at the bungee jump, but that was miles off the island. Totally unrelated. I shook my head before thoughts of missing girls and burning bodies could creep in.

  “I’m not scared,” I said, hoping it sounded convincing.

  “You should be.” His face seemed haunted. OK, so I was a little scared, but I’d be damned if he was going to tell me what to do.

  He was fuming. A little vision of smoke coming out his ears popped into my head and I bit my cheeks not to laugh. Laughing was a good defence mechanism in stressful situations, right?

  I continued out the door.

  “One more thing,” he called after me. “You won’t be seeing your motorcycle again.”

  “You’d better be fucking shitting me?!”

  He went back to silent mode, staring at me, eyes ablaze. Infuriating.

  “That bike cost me fifteen thousand dollars,” I screeched.

  “I’m sorry. I’ll buy you another.”

  “Bite me,” I yelled, slamming the door behind me.

  17

  Zac

  Honestly, I’d just go right on over and kill Alexander if it were that simple, but he’s incredibly strong, and he’s never alone. Plus, it would trigger a full-scale war with his Cell. My own people would suffer.

  He doesn’t even like being on this island. He stays here to torment me, or at least, that’s what he’ll have us believe. The real reason is that he’s too scared to let me out of his sight, in case he never finds me again. I hold all the cards in that regard. I’m the only one that can activate the Legacy, which would grant us both more power than any other vampires in existence, save the other Elwoods, and a few ancient ones.

  Unfortunately for him, I have no intention of doing so. Between him and the Bael, the pressure to carry out the bonding ritual is forever around my neck like an albatross. Of course I’d like the power, but it would rip away everything that I’ve worked so hard for. I would walk in the light without any pain, and yet I’d be lost to the darkness, dragged down to a blacker place than ever before.

  I quit running from the Bael once I realised they couldn’t do anything to make me conform. And hell, they tried damned hard. They tortured me, tortured Alexander, tortured those I care about, including Eva. They killed some that I cared about. Still, I wouldn’t waver. Now they let me be, biding their time, waiting in the shadows like eager vultures. They’ll pounce at the first opportunity.

  I’ve shamed them and they want me in the fold, where I belong, bowing and nodding to their commands; their lethal toy to enforce their laws. They let me live for that reason – I’m valuable to them. But the truth was,
they could take me out any time they wanted.

  Now Jess was here. I’m not ashamed to admit to being terrified. And infuriated, because of the feeling of being powerless to her pull. Needing her. I don’t want to need someone. I can’t afford that. It’s too dangerous. It gives me a weakness, one that they’ll try to use against me.

  Now should be the time to walk away. Either make her leave the island, or leave myself. Because, what if I can’t protect her? And what if the one she needs protecting from isn’t Alexander, or the Bael, what if it’s me? What if I fall backwards?

  She smells like honey-laced ecstasy, like an intoxicating dream. Her aura blinds me with its glittering shine. I want to devour her. But one little taste and I’d need to have more. I would use her, just like I did with Selena.

  She’d be the same, giving to me willingly in her foolish belief that it was OK because its love, but I would take more and more. Eventually, she’d end up a shell, a mere husk, her soul drained away and her blood too diluted, sapping her strength and vibrancy.

  Exactly. Right where she belongs. At your feet, begging for mercy.

  Maybe after this, she would leave. Perhaps I wouldn’t need to do anything else. She was so angry at me, for so many things. So many fears and doubts. She might leave. Then again, this was Jess, and I’d delved into her thoughts enough to know that she craved danger. Thrived off it.

  As soon as her footsteps were far enough away I let the mask drop and indulged myself in a rage-induced feed. It went some way to calming me, but not nearly enough as I’d hoped.

  “He’ll love this,” I growled, kicking at bits of wood that had splintered off a door when I’d torn through the house.

  “They’ll just snoop around for a few days, get bored and move on,” Leon replied.

  “No. He’s been silent since she arrived. Too quiet. Now that I’ve been seen so protective of her, his mood has shifted. I’m going to have to speak to him.”