Vengeance: The Niteclif Evolutions, Book 3

by Denise Tompkins

  “You feel no more strongly about it than I, but I understand her need take an active part in her own life.” Hellion’s voice had taken on a hard edge that usually meant his temper was creeping up on him and was about to make a break for daylight.

  Bahlin’s lip curled in a snarl. “No, Hellion, you don’t get it. This is going to get her killed.”

  “Hey,” I interjected, waving a hand. “Person under discussion in the room.” They both looked down at me, and I let go of Hellion’s waist to turn more fully toward Bahlin. “You think I don’t get that I might die, Bay?”

  “Don’t ‘Bay’ me right now, Maddy.”

  Shrugging out from under Hellion’s arm, I took a step toward the dragon. “I think your problem is that when we worked together right after my evolution, you made all the decisions—where I would live, who I would meet, what weapon I would or wouldn’t use, what I would or wouldn’t know about the original prophecy—and I fell in line like some, some simpering female.”

  I’d worked myself up to shouting and, when Bahlin answered me, he shouted right back. “Ye were so bluidy broken when ye arrived I had no choice but tae lead ye aboot! Ye couldna think on yer feet, ye did evrethin’ I asked of ye without a grumble, and ye hadna the sense whether tae sheath a gun nor fire a knife!”

  Hellion tried to step in between us, but both Bahlin and I darted around him so we were nearly toe-to-toe.

  “‘No choice’?” I spoke so softly he instinctively leaned in closer to better hear. “You had ‘no choice’? You want to talk about no choice? What choice did you leave me when you knocked down Pickledean Henge? I’m immortal now, and if I fail then I fade.” I buried my face in my hands and the sound of my rapid breathing was hollow in my palms. My next words, though spoken softly, rocked him back on his heels. “I never wanted to fade. I would have eaten a bullet before I allowed that to happen. Now? Now I’ll either have to be one hundred percent fucking perfect or I’ll end up worse than one of Agares’s wraiths. Thanks for that, Bahlin.”

  “Ye selfish wee bitch,” he seethed, his fists clenching and unclenching as the blood drained from his face.

  Hellion must have missed the dangerous glitter in my eyes because he stepped up beside me and growled, “Watch ye’re fecking mouth or I’ll weld it shut so effectively that ye have tae learn how tae blow yer mighty flames out yer arse. She may be fond o’ hearing yer pipes on occasion, but I’m noon sae attached tae them.”

  Bahlin’s eyes flicked to Hellion before settling back to me. “So ye’d joost end it all without consideration fer another’s feelin’s?” He looked at Hellion and shook his head. “Good luck to ye, man. I’m well rid o’ her.” He stalked out of the bedroom without looking back.

  Hellion grabbed me around the waist and tossed me over his shoulder as I made to sprint after Bahlin. “Ye doona need this fight tonight, Madeleine. Ye’ll set right here ’til ye’ve cooled off enough tae keep from killin’ him the next ye see him. Ye’ve since learned which end o’ the knife’s most effective, mo duine dorcha, an’ ye’re a bluidy fine shot.”

  “Put. Me. Down.”

  “No’ until ye promise tae take a deep breath an’ calm doon before headin’ after him.”

  Pure evil overtook me. I dug my fingers into his ribs and began to tickle him.

  Hellion let out a mean-ass squeal and shot forward.

  I laughed so hard I had to push off his shoulder so I could let the pressure off my diaphragm and get more air into my lungs.

  He tossed me on the bed and growled, “Like tha’ is it, ye lack?” He jumped on the bed and snagged me around the waist as I tried to roll away, pulling me close and trapping my legs with his. He bit me on the back of the neck and it was my turn to squeal.

  I arched back into him, and he hummed in clear appreciation. The reverberations from his deep voice skated down my spine. I groped behind me until I found his hip and yanked him even closer, reveling in the feel of his erection pressed into my ass as he rubbed himself against me. I sighed. Bahlin could go screw himself.

  “Sir?” called a voice from just outside the bedroom door.

  Hellion released my neck and, laying his cheek on the side of my head, said, “When this is all doon, do ye think we could ge’ away fer a few days, Maddy? If ye canna cook, we’ll either eat oot or I’ll steal from the neighbors, but me poor flute needs tae have a break from all the interruptions.”

  I grinned. “Your flute?”

  “Aye. Me flute, cock, stalk, whatever ye wish tae call it. The poor bugger’s near fashed with all the false starts.”

  I laughed out loud and he kissed the back of my neck where I imagined an imprint of his teeth might be.

  “Sir?” came the call again, this time closer.

  Hellion pushed up on an elbow and called out for Mark to come in.

  “Couldn’t it ever be Stearns?” I asked, trying to contain my laughter.

  Hellion looked down at me and quirked a brow. “An’ tha’ would make ye feel better?”

  I snorted. “Point.” Remembering how awkward it had been with Mark less than two hours earlier, I shot up and was going to head into the bathroom but the butler beat me to the doorway. Resigned, I collapsed onto the bed and Hellion snugged me back to him.

  Mark walked in and blushed beet red at finding us clearly on the bed, if not in it. He stumbled in his haste to turn around and leave, his words a hodgepodge of apologies.

  “Mark?” Hellion asked patiently. “When we start having sex with the doors open, you can either worry, man, or start calling before you come up. In the meantime, it’s fine. What’s bothering you so?”

  I was sad to hear his brogue had dissolved under the weight of responsibility.

  Mark tugged on the collar of his shirt as his gaze flew around the room looking for somewhere to land other than on us. “Sir, Bahlin just left and yelled something along the lines of Ireland is off. Is that correct or should Stearns and I leave for the airport now?”

  I struggled to get free of Hellion’s hold, scrambling off the bed as I pulled and tugged my clothes back into place. “Did you hear exactly what he said? Was it just him not going to Ireland? Or did he indicate his people weren’t going? Was it a direct order for you two not to go?” I asked, firing questions off as fast as I could. I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear someone call out a bid as if I were hosting an auction versus attempting conversation.

  “No, ma’am, er, Maddy.” Mark looked at Hellion and then glanced away.

  Curious, I looked over my shoulder just as Hellion pulled the pillow over his lap. Note to self—biting hadn’t been a win for me alone.

  “You and Stearns head for the airport now. Have Darius’s people showed up?”

  “Six of his people arrived as Bahlin tore through the foyer, but you know vampires, sir. They weren’t impressed with his foul mood.”

  “Good heavens.” I feigned surprise. “Not impressed with him? Don’t let him know that. He might do something drastic.”

  “True enough,” Hellion muttered. “Okay. You go on. I’ll check in with the vampires before we leave. Pack for several days since we don’t know how long we’ll be there.”

  “Yes, sir. Maddy.” Mark headed for the door at a crisp walk, eager as ever to impress Hellion.

  Ireland, here we come.

  Chapter Nine

  The trip to Ireland was relatively simple, but it felt as if we were suspended in between planes of existence a bit longer. Hellion stumbled when we rematerialized before letting me go with a shaky laugh. He hadn’t rested enough, though he assured me he was prepared to manage whatever came our way overnight.

  I didn’t argue but instead became more resolute. I’d not be going anywhere without my own weapons, I’d make sure we were always paired and there would always be a means of contacting others in case the shit hit the fan.

  The rest of our people were just showing up, having landed at Bantray Aerodome. The small airport had been incredibly accommodating for Hellion, arrang
ing a small fleet of vans to transport our people and luggage to the estate at the last possible minute. No questions had been asked, no flight plans filed to the best of my knowledge and no trouble given. I could only guess at the amount of money that had changed hands.

  Shrugging, I continued to unpack our luggage, which had come over with everyone else’s. Not my worry, though in a way it should be. I mean, really this was my issue. Maybe we needed to start charging for cases like this. Matters of simple justice were one thing, but this went far beyond simple.

  Hellion had asked if we could postpone our five-minute talk due to the critical need to get everyone to Ireland and situated before Agares returned. I gave him the only answer I could, agreeing so long as he promised it wasn’t too important. He’d just smiled and shrugged. When I pressed, he’d said, “Define ‘important’.” Irritating man.

  The gun tucked down the back of my pants pinched and poked when I bent over to pick up the now-empty suitcase. I shifted and pulled it free. Though heavy, the .45 caliber Colt 1911 handgun balanced well in my hand. Hellion had suggested having me measured for a concealed carry harness for both the gun and the dirk he’d loaned me, but we’d fast discovered that the best—and easiest—means of drawing the gun around my breasts involved a shoulder holster and a great deal of practice. The dirk was a bit easier—a leather belt around the waist with a thigh harness. A leather artisan was going to design me a concealed harness of some sort.

  Digging out the gun holster, I was practicing when the man himself walked in.

  He jokingly put his hands up as I pulled the gun out and aimed at the corner of the room, far from his approaching form. “You’re getting quite a bit faster.”

  “Practice has sort of suffered over the last week. I’ve got to get better with it, though. It’s one of the best weapons for me to use. I really need to practice with you and Darius about not having it taken and used against me.”

  His brows drew down as he shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it on the bed. “I think you need to wait a bit, don’t you? The healing to your side has been accelerated thanks to Stearns’s help, but you can still pull out the last of the stitches.”

  I nodded. “Sure, but the other team isn’t going to give me a time-out to learn this stuff.” I walked over and popped the clip in the gun and set it on the nightstand, chamber empty.

  Arms slipped around me and I leaned back into the embrace. “Word came from the dragons.”

  My entire body stilled.

  “They won’t be here.”

  I slumped forward a bit, my chin falling to my chest. “Crap. I really thought he’d make an effort after his whole ‘I want to make up for the henge thing’ speech.” I shook my head and turned in Hellion’s arms. “I don’t feel like I can count on him. It’s like he wants to help but can’t bring himself to follow through.”

  “Give him time before you cut him off completely. He’s had a horrible time of it the last week.” He laid three fingers over my lips. “It’s not like what you’ve been through, Maddy. Yes, you’ve had a hard go of it. But he’s had his heart broken and found out that your child is going to rise up and take over the Council by force.”

  I stumbled back and Hellion caught me. “You don’t think…I mean, I can’t… Hellion, I can’t do this, have a child because I’m supposed to, particularly knowing he’ll be born to… Oh shit.” I sank to the floor, light-headed.

  “Oh, love, I thought you understood that.”

  “The child will kill Bahlin?” My breath whooshed out of my lungs, carrying the words forward as either an omen or an oath. I wasn’t sure, in that moment, which was more terrifying.

  “Unless Bahlin stands aside, yes. I don’t think there’s another way to interpret that part of Micah’s message.”

  I looked up at Hellion and spoke through numb lips. “How many fucking prophecies can one person have, Hellion?”

  He smiled gently and pulled me back into his arms, running a hand up and down my back. “What Micah delivered this time, Maddy, was a telling of the future of sorts, but not a prophecy. He divines the path a life should take and carves the way if the way isn’t already clear. It sounds like yours is.”

  I shook my head. “Not quite.” I stepped away from him and went to the window, tapping my forehead against the old, leaded glass.

  “Care to share?”

  Turning, I leaned my ass against the window casing and crossed my arms under my breasts. I supposed this was going to be like ripping a bandage off—fast and with one, firm pull. “I guess I thought you got it when Micah said he was going to father the child.”

  Hellion’s eyes went flat, his face devoid of emotion. I found this side of him far scarier than anything he did with the powers and the pulsing or spooky-deep eyes. This disconnect scared me more than all the other stuff combined.

  I held my hand up and walked to the door, shutting it harder than necessary and locking it. Hellion hadn’t turned to face me, so when I spoke it was to his back. “He said, if you’ll recall, that he intended to father the child. He’ll try to divine the path that gets him what he wants, Hellion, but what about what I want? Why doesn’t anyone take that into consideration?”

  He didn’t move, hardly breathed. “And what is it, a muirnin, that you want, then?”

  “You, Hellion. I want you. I didn’t even know if I wanted kids, but now it’s like it’s this whole obligatory baby negotiation, and I don’t know if you want kids, and—”

  “I do.” He turned slowly. “I’ve always wanted children of my own, Maddy. And now I want them with you. He indicated that this opened up the whole field of men to you since the first prophecy was satisfied.”

  “I disagree. It’s not satisfied. Yes, I chose you, but this?” I waved my hand back and forth between us, “This hasn’t reached the grand level of ‘epic love,’ Hellion. I want more. I expect more. And I want it with you.”

  He smiled slightly but his eyes remained flat. “Be careful what you wish for, Madeleine Dylis Niteclif.”

  “Hellion, son of Markalon, I know precisely what I’m wishing for,” I sniped.

  “Fair enough, then I think we need to—”

  A firm knock sounded on the door and years of conditioning had me moving toward it to answer. I looked back at Hellion as I passed him. “What do we need to do?”

  “Later, clearly,” he muttered.

  I shrugged and unlocked the door. Darius bussed me on the cheek as he entered the room.

  “Is this the master bedroom or headquarters?” he teased. Leather creaked as he moved to unzip his jacket. His hair was pulled back tight, ready for a fight should one come to us before—

  “Oh, man. How freaking stupid do I feel?” I groaned, falling backward onto the bed. I thumped my fist against my forehead and growled, “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”

  “Matter of opinion, I’m sure.” Hellion moved to sit in the club chair in the corner leaving Darius to prop a hip up on the edge of the bed.

  Sitting up, I stared at my magus. “I just figured out what we should’ve already done.”

  “Pre-emptive strike?” Darius cocked his head to one side, considering. “I like it.”

  “You,” I pointed at him, “stay out of my head.”

  “Pre-emptive… You don’t mean summoning Agares?” Hellion paused at the name but otherwise showed no emotion. “We’re hardly prepared for that.”

  “Your coven’s strongest are here as are most of the voyyen’s best brawlers. What else do we wait for? Agares is going to show. We know that much, Hellion.”

  “Maddy, love, it’s not a matter of calling a dog to heel. Summoning a demon is bloody dangerous work.” Hellion closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “It’s not just a few words and a conversation over tea to find out how’s the weather in Hell.” He stood slowly, never taking his eyes off mine. “No.”

  “Hellion, she may be right, mate.” Darius stood to face the other man. “We either sit and wait until he chooses to come to us or we co
ordinate our efforts and bring him to us on our time table, with our own strengths in place. Consider it.”

  Hellion shook his head but looked back and forth between the vampire and me. “You’re mad, the both of you.” Snatching his coat off the edge of the bed, he stormed out.

  This time I didn’t stop him.

  “What knotted his knickers?” Darius asked, completely conversationally.

  “I—”

  Bah-boom!

  Darius grabbed his chest and fell to his knees, little wisps of hair knocked loose on impact. Eyes bulging and mouth wide, he gasped like a 10k marathon runner crossing the finish line.

  I scrambled to his side, but he shook his head and tried to get away from me. His wrist lay closest so I grabbed it, surprised at the warmth in his skin. It took only a second to recognize the problem.

  Darius was sporting a pulse.

  I yelled for Hellion to come back, but he didn’t return.

  Efien, Darius’s second-in-command, poked his head in the door. “Hellion’s gone outside, something about walking the grounds for a thin spot,” he said, quietly answering the question that wasn’t yet asked. He shrugged, the magus’s strange actions clearly no concern of his.

  I knew the exact moment he picked up the second heartbeat in the room.

  “Rahat,” he whispered.

  My eye twitched. “Did you just call me a rat?”

  Darius wheezed out a feeble laugh. “Romanian for ‘holy shit’.”

  Efien stared at me with wide eyes as he backed toward the bedroom door. His hands trembled slightly which, for a vampire, was nearly like having a seizure. Mumbling so fast under his breath that the words were nothing more than a muted hiss, he held out a hand in a stop-motion gesture.

  Was he warding me off? “Efien?” I stepped toward him.

  He turned and raced from the room.

  Darius got up off the floor slowly, his right hand clutching his heart, his left arm hanging limp. He was as flushed as a human with a low-grade fever, and I wondered what the hell was happening.