Vex: Mythical Ink Series (book 1): An Exotic Ink Novel

by LS Anders

With an armful of his find, he started towards the bloodbath only to be blocked by Sevin.

  “We've got company,” Sevin said, his eyes round as saucers.

  That was soooo not what he wanted to hear. “What kind?”

  “From what I could see, two cop cars just eased up right outside the door. I wedged a chunk of wood under the door you came in, so that should buy us some time as they figure out another way in.”

  “You need to shift your ass back. Don't let them see your face.”

  “What about you?” Sevin asked.

  “I'll text Lucian to wing his ass back here and pick me up.”

  “I'm not leaving you.” Sevin stood his ground.

  “Yes, you are. The police don't have a reason to surround the building—”

  “How can you say that with any certainty, Vex? We don't even know why they're here in the first place.” Sevin made a good argument.

  “Stay right here,” he grumbled. The building should have been good and flaming by now. And, they should have been good and gone.

  Stepping into the main part of the warehouse, he stayed in the deep shadows listening for sounds of people. The first bang on the door Sevin had jimmied closed reverberated through the cavernous space. Taking a peek out of a grime coated window, the alley beyond looked clear of any humans.

  Vex turned only to run nose-to-nose into Sevin. “I told you to stay put, puppy. Don't you ever listen?”

  “You should already know the answer to that.”

  “This way is clear for now. Shift and get the fuck out. We'll meet up at the shop.”

  Sevin opened his mouth to protest when something solid hit the door. The sound like thunder shook the walls, raining fine dust down on their heads.

  Flashing the screen of his cell in front of Sevin’s face, he demanded, “He's already on his way. You're shifting now and we’re going through that door before the humans break that one down, end of discussion.”

  Another pounding lit off, bouncing between his ear drums.

  Sevin whipped off the hoodie and handed it back to him. Shifting back into the wolf, they ran for the door. It was key locked and sealed up tight.

  Fuck!

  Racing back to the window, Vex waded the hoodie around his fist and shattered the grungy glass. The old glass broke in jagged shards, so he swept his padded hand around to clear the opening for Sevin to pass through without getting cut to pieces.

  Sevin growled, staying stubborn until Vex went out the window first. They didn't have time for a battle of wills, and he knew Sevin wouldn't leave until he saw him safely out.

  As luck would have it, the angel dropped from the sky, swooping down and scooping him up leaving his stomach on the ground. Soaring to the top of the building adjacent to them, the angel airmailed him to the flat tar roof before taking off.

  Leaning over the side, Lucian had gone back for Sevin. The canine was hauling ass right into oncoming police just about to round the corner of the building. Not a moment too soon, the angel dove down and snatched the wolf off the ground.

  Flopping back on the roof, he let the cold seep into his bones. That had been too close.

  In all the years he had lived amongst the humans, they had all managed to stay out of the spotlight, laying low and living their lives in secret. Until now. This little stint with heroism was going to turn his beard gray.

  The angel landed softly next to him, setting a shaking Sevin down on all four paws.

  Giving his hoodie a shake to remove any pieces of glass, he handed it to Sevin as he shifted back into human form.

  Pulling the hoodie over his head, the shifter didn't hold back his complaints. “I about shit myself, Lu. Don't ever do that again.”

  The angel’s brow creased down the center and he held a finger across his lips shushing him. Pointing to the side of the building, they looked over the edge to the scene below. More cop cars were moving in fast and all the meet and greet had nothing to do with a fresh donut sign, but the bodies that littered the inside of that old warehouse.

  They were only moderately safer from discovery up here. They needed to get the fuck out of this area altogether before the cops began to search past the perimeter of the warehouse.

  Lucian had the same mindset as he backed away from the edge and whispered his plan. “I'm gonna take you to the top of that building,” he said to Vex, pointing to something similar a few blocks away, “and drop Sevin back at his place first to shower all this blood off.” Looking to Sevin. “Make it quick, and hit the streets. Head for Lennox Hill Hospital and we'll meet you there. I didn't see any cameras in this area, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. This city is chocked full of them. We're gonna need to be seen miles away from this place in case anyone can ID us from this scene. I'll come back and get Vex.”

  In agreement, he paled as the angel wrapped him in his arms and extended his wings. There was no preparing for the take-off which was fast and horizontal.

  The landing happened as fast as the gut churning lift off. Remaining low was just as much about the hiding as it was the nausea.

  Throwing his arm across his face, he closed his eyes against the particles of debris pelting him as Lucian's magnificent wingspan swooshed the air around and took off to grab Sevin and carry him back to his place.

  They were a good distance away from lower Manhattan where they all lived, but for the angel, it would be nothing more than a heartbeat of time to fly from one place to the next.

  Man, they had really gotten in deep with their new manager’s troubles. Not that he would have turned his back if he were given a chance to do it over, but they had really exposed themselves.

  And what had Evana seen? How much did she know about them now?

  Before any answers came at him, he was looking into Lucian's perfect angel face. “You ready?”

  “Never, but let's get this over with,” he said, not caring if he looked like a pussy as he wrapped Lucian into a tight hold. He hated heights and this flying gig was so not for him.

  Another quick lift off and they zipped through the air. His stomach made a fist and dropped to his ass while he clung to the angel for dear life.

  Seconds that felt like days passed, then they were landing in the narrow alley behind Vex's building. Lucian had chosen the darkest corner to set them down.

  As soon as his boots made contact with the ground, he wanted to touch his lips to the asphalt in reverence for its wonderful solidity. He settled for dropping down into a crouch waiting for his stomach to catch up with the rest of him.

  “I know you hate to fly with me, Vex, but I would never drop you.” Lucian crouched in front of him.

  “I fucking hate heights. It's not you I don't trust, but the gravity that would pancake me into the ground.” He swallowed the bile that had rolled up his throat. “All the up and down queases me out.”

  The angel laid a hand on his shoulder. “We gotta ditch your boots. You've got blood on the soles. My guess is you left a few footprints behind at the scene. Go on up and ditch the clothes you have on, too. We can use the incinerator at the hospital where they burn all their biohazard shit. Go on while I get rid of your bloody boot prints.”

  Shit! He hadn't even thought of that.

  Making quick work of the laces, he stood with Lucian's help. Heading into the building through the back door, he didn't bother waiting for the elevator but hit the stairwell to the left and jogged up the three floors to his place. Once inside, he headed for the kitchen for a plastic garbage bag to stash his bloody boots.

  The treads were soaked with the sticky blood of the humans Sevin had killed. He stood in the kitchen and stripped out of the rest of his clothes. Tying a knot in the garbage bag, he set the plastic bundle next to the door and headed for the shower.

  Passing the bed with its rumpled sheets, thoughts of how he'd attacked Alea came slamming back in erotic clarity.

  Pushing the thoughts aside, he washed quickly and changed into new clothes.

  He was headed f
or the door in under five minutes.

  Kat was sitting on the edge of the new loveseat when he came through the living room. A whole lot of “what the hell” on her furry face from all the strange nocturnal behavior.

  Pausing with his hand on the knob, he glanced over at her food bowl. Unsure how long they would be gone, he took a moment to make sure his furry friend wouldn't go without.

  Kat followed him to the small kitchen on paws that made no sound and watched intently as Vex filled her bowls with food and water.

  Out the door and bundle in hand, Lucian was just emerging from the stairwell. “You ready?”

  “Yep.” Another flight was in his immediate future and he wasn't looking forward to the off-solid-ground experience.

  Back where they started in the alley, he held his breath as his feet left the ground.

  The sudden ascent was just as belly churning as the drop, and then they were behind Lennox Hill Hospital in a matter of a few nauseating seconds.

  Right on cue, Sevin stepped out of the shadows carrying his own bag with the borrowed hoodie inside.

  Now for the tricky part. Getting bags of clothes into the incinerator.

  Lucian took both bags and told them to go on in and find out the latest on Jason and Evana. Apparently, the angel already had a plan to make the drop so he and Sevin did as told, making their way through the main lobby of the hospital.

  Disinfectant and illness shot up his nose as soon as the second set of doors slid open. Goddamn, he hated hospitals. Besides the ungodly stench that blasted his nasal cavities, the reminder of mortality always gave him the creeps.

  He had no clue how long he would live. But, if he were to judge his own lifespan on that of the demons that had fallen before him, he'd have to say damn near forever. The first of the fallen had been back in the B.C.’s and last he'd heard, that fucker was still kicking around somewhere in Europe.

  Human being’s lifespans compared to demons would be like that of his cat’s compared to humans. Way too short for his liking. Then again, what the hell was he gonna do with all this time on his hands now that he'd set aside the idea of returning to Netherworld—

  Wait! Had he decided that he'd rather stay here?

  Hell yes, he had. Alea had shown him all that he would be missing if he left. For the first time since his exile, he hadn't yearned for his past. Hadn't wanted to be anywhere but right where he was.

  Walking side by side with Sevin, they made their way up to the ICU on the third floor. They found the waiting room full of strange faces which could mean only one of two things. Either Jason had kicked it or his conditioned had improved.

  He found himself doing the one thing he’d never done before…pray.

  A trip back down the elevator landed them back in the lobby and back over to an information desk. On the way, he drew up just short, taking ahold of Sevin’s arm to bring him to a halt.

  “Are you alright?” He looked into the shifter’s face, really looked at him as if trying to memorize every detail about him. “You didn't get hurt or anything while you were…you know, doing your thing on those bikers?”

  “No, I'm good. Not a scratch. Why are you looking at me all weird?”

  “Just glad nothing bad happened to you.”

  After some throat clearing and a few hard blinks, Vex slapped the kid on the back to get him moving.

  “We're looking for a couple of patients. Evana Grey and Jason Gales,” Sevin requested of the girl seated behind the slim computer monitor.

  “Ms. Grey is in the ER, but you’ll need to check with them on her status.” The girl smiled up at him after giving Vex a cursory glance. “Mr. Gales is in room 226. Just take the elevator up to the second floor and turn right.”

  “Well, thank you...Denise.” Sevin added her name after giving her a thorough once over and staring overly long at the shiny name plate attached just above her left breast.

  “Come along, Casanova.” Vex nudged him in the direction of the elevators. “We’re here to see friends, not pick up girls. You go check on Evana, and I'll head up to see Gales. Go straight there. No fucking around.”

  “How did you ever land such a cool chick like Alea, anyway? You know how to suck the fun right out everything.”

  Vex just stared him down until he moved off in the direction of the ER as he waited for the elevator. It was incredible how the male went from tearing the throats out of a warehouse full of bikers to hitting on a girl within the hour.

  Sluggish at best, he was ready to scream by the time the door eased open onto the second floor. Anxious to see Alea, he wondered if she was able to help Jason with her healing magic.

  Turning in the direction of Jason’s room, he made another left and recognized the back of Tegan’s head. His leather clad shoulder pushed into the wall that seemed to be holding him up as he stood just outside the door to a room that was spilling over with the same group that had been anxiously waiting outside the ICU.

  Alea was nowhere in sight, so she must be inside the room. He needed to clap eyes on her. Needed to hold her and make sure she was alright.

  As he neared the group, Tegan pushed himself off the wall like he’d aged two-thousand years since he’d seen him earlier that evening. His icy, blue eyes spoke of an exhaustion that Vex felt to his very bones.

  “Thought you’d taken off.” Tegan rubbed his brow.

  “Nah, just been kicking around.”

  “Evana was found. She’s in the ER,” Tegan stated. “But, you already knew that, didn’t you?”

  Vex went to open his mouth and blab out some bullshit, but Tegan stopped him with a raised hand. “I don’t know how you and your guys found her, and I have this peculiar feeling you all were involved somehow in those bikers’ deaths. I’m not gonna ask, and I don’t want to know. But, thanks,” Tegan said, sticking out his hand to shake.

  “How’s Gales doing?”

  “He hasn’t regained consciousness, but he responds to touch. After a second MRI the swelling in his brain has somehow rapidly diminished and his neck injuries are already looking better. They’re calling it a miracle recovery. But, he’s not out of the woods yet. He might still have some issues with paralysis.”

  “Jesus Christ,” he breathed. He couldn’t imagine never walking again, but to be an artist and having the use of his hands taken away as well…yeah, he didn’t even want to look at that very close. “What of Evana?”

  “Callie’s in the ER with her now until they get her assigned to a room which should happen shortly. They’re going to keep her here overnight for observation. She’s got a concussion and some pretty deep cuts on her wrist from where she was handcuffed.” Tegan coughed into his hand as if the retelling was making him sick to his stomach. “The police interviewed her. They used a fucking baseball bat on Jason.”

  Remembering the handcuffs bolted up high into the support post at that warehouse, he could just imagine that innocent woman dangling there afraid for her life.

  Sevin had been the first to arrive, and there had been the body in the doorway to where she was being held. The shifter had to have seen her hanging there, vulnerable and afraid which explained the degree of damage the wolf side of him had inflicted on those bikers.

  To hear the one human he thought of as a friend take a beating with a hunk of wood while his back was turned sent his blood pressure through the fucking roof. Those cowards deserved everything that was handed to them and then some. To die quickly, albeit from a bite to the throat, was too good a death for them.

  His inner thermostat was cranking up to the highest setting and if he didn’t excuse himself soon, he was going to go nuclear in front of all these humans.

  “I’ll be right back.” He gave Tegan a pat on the back and headed for a restroom he’d passed on the way there.

  Thankfully, it was unoccupied. Stepping inside and closing the door just in time for his eyes to burn a bright red, casting the toilet and sink setup in an eerie red glow.

  Jason and Evana had not des
erved what happened to them, but those pricks with their throats laid open in that warehouse sure as fuck did. A grotesque way to die, but they’d earned the vengeance taken against them.

  Splashing a few handfuls of cold water on his face, he willed himself to calm down.

  He exited the restroom just as Alea was stepping out into the hall from Jason’s room.

  Her eyes found him and instantly misted. She looked so damn tired. A few long strides brought him to her as she held her arms wide.

  “Sorry, I left my cell phone at the apartment,” Alea said.

  Measuring the sag of her body against his, he didn’t like how fragile she felt. “You look exhausted.”

  Pulling back, she met his eyes, whispering, “I was able to help heal him, but it took more energy than I thought.”

  “What can I do to help you feel better?”

  “Another hug for starters, and I could use something more to eat than what’s in that vending machine after we make sure Jason and Evana are settled.” She nodded towards the bank of machines lined up at the end of the hall.

  “You got it little fairy.” Hugging her tightly, he felt her relax into him, using him as a crutch in her moment of weakness made him the strongest male in the world.

  Returning to Netherworld could never hold a candle to this.

  Alea loved the feel of her demon’s arms around her. Exhaustion had seeped into the marrow of her bones, and all she wanted to do now was go home and climb into bed with Vex for an entire week solid.

  Now that Jason was recovering by leaps and impossible bounds, he was breathing on his own and had been able to leave some of the machines behind in the ICU.

  She was anxious to get the story from Vex on everything that had taken place after he’d left her at the hospital. Obviously, they’d found Evana, and there was little doubt the bikers would be exchanging their cuts for body bags compliments of her demon and his posse.

  She hadn’t been privy to the inside scoop of the two mass suicides earlier, but she suspected Vex and his males had something to do with that as well.

  Sevin rounded the corner wearing a huge grin that lit up the hallway.