by Benson, SF
I don’t like the sound of that, but I also don’t like what’s happening to Victor. “Will it stop his pain?”
“Yes. The blood lust will stop.”
“Then, I’ll do it.”
Both Victor and Cash say, “No!”
Nathan’s eyes narrow, and a sad smile crosses his face. His tone is gentle as he says, “Maybe Kelsie and I should speak in private?”
I nod and lead him into the kitchen.
The hunger is getting so bad that even the broody, incubus is starting to look good right now. I can’t believe Kelsie left me alone with him.
“Do you realize the problems you caused?” he says from across the room.
“Don’t mistake my agony for weakness, incubus. I’m not opposed to drinking your blood.”
“Haven’t had enough of putting your fangs where they don’t belong?”
I push the blanket back and summon all my strength to glide over to him. My fangs lower. “Let’s find out. Shall we?”
“Try it and it won’t just be hunger haunting your ass.” The incubus turns his back and walks away from me.
“Enough!” I snap. “Tell me what your problem is with me.”
He holds up a finger. “First off, you screwed over the best match for my sister.”
“You were okay with that match?”
He ignores my question and holds up a second finger. “Second, my mother is paying the price for your screw up. She has to service the Najex for the next two months or whenever he gets tired of her.”
I shudder. That doesn’t sound like fun, even for a Lilin. “What else you got?”
He drops his hand. “You’re a vampire.”
“Is that it?”
“My sister deserves better than you. My family is practically royalty.”
“Practically isn’t the same.”
“We are descendants of the first demons.”
I cross my arms. “Shall I applaud? My maker is one of the original vampires. Big ass deal.”
The incubus scrubs a hand across his face. “Seriously?”
“Yes. Luc is a direct descendant.” I soften my stance. “Listen, shit happens. Okay? I didn’t set out to ruin your sister’s life. Her human friend set us up.”
He shakes his head. “I’ll never understand my sister’s love for humans.”
“On behalf of the humans, since I used to be one, they aren’t so bad.”
“I’ll take your word for it. I prefer them sprawled out in my bed.”
I smirk. “Can we call a truce? I don’t think we can stop Kelsie from helping me. She’s going to need your support.”
“You sure you want the responsibility? My sister can be a handful.”
Her smoky gray eyes and beautiful smile come to mind. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to see that every day. “Yeah. I definitely want the responsibility.”
“Okay, whatever.” He picks up a leather jacket and helmet off a chair. “I’ll support her, but I’m not gonna stay here and watch you feast off her.”
“Can I tell her where you’re headed?”
“To work. I’ve got a coupla appointments today.”
Interesting. I didn’t think Lilin did anything outside of their night jobs. “Where do you work?”
The incubus looks me up and down. “Wicked Ink.”
“Is the owner supernatural?”
“Yeah, I am.”
I do a double take. “Good to know.”
“Stop by sometime. As long as you do right by Kelsie, I’ll make sure your ink is good.”
I don’t know if that’s a challenge I want to take.
I cock my head to one side and listen to the fray coming from the living room. “Do you hear those two out there?”
“It’s expected, Kelsie. They both care about you. Something tells me Cassius wouldn’t approve of any creature you date.”
“You’re probably right about that. He wasn’t one hundred percent behind the consort match with Colt. He just thought it was my best option.” I sit at the table. “So, what did you want to talk about?”
The tall reaper removes his jacket, places it on the back of the chair, and sits across from me. He loosens his tie and rolls up his sleeves. “I want to be sure you understand what you’re doing. We can’t undo it once it’s done.”
“I know.”
“Tell me why you’re willing to help Victor. You haven’t known him long.”
I play with the salt and pepper shakers in the middle of the table. “It’s hard to explain. When we first met, I felt this spark between us. You know that feeling you get when you’ve been traveling for a long time and you finally go home?”
“Explain.”
“If you’re on the road a lot, no matter how nice your hotel room is, it’s not the same as home. Then, when you finally get home, it’s like everything speaks to you, and it just feels right. You’re comfortable again. You’re grateful to be home. That’s how it is with Victor. He’s like finally coming home. He feels right.”
Nathan’s forehead puckers, and he tilts his head to the side. “I’ve never heard it put quite like that.”
“You have marks all over the world. Don’t you love it when you get the chance to go home?”
“I don’t have a home. I no longer have that privilege, but I know what you mean.” He pauses for a beat or two. “Victor and I have talked about the concept of soul mates. Are you familiar with it?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t happen with Lilin, though.”
“I want you to take the labels off the table. If you help Victor, we won’t easily define what you might become if your DNA changes. Soul mates are not something inherent in just one species. It knows no boundaries or barriers. The Fates determine who should ultimately be together. The sisters don’t pay any attention to species dictates.”
“So, this soul mate thing is possible between Victor and me?”
“Yes. He speaks of the same spark. Plus, I saw your souls reach out to each other. I have another question.”
“Go ahead.”
“You were promised to the son of the Najex. Do you care for him?”
“No. I don’t really know Colt.”
“The same can be said about Victor.”
Touché. “But with Victor it’s different. I want to know him better.”
Nathan rubs his chin. “Okay. If it weren’t for Victor, do you think you would have developed feelings for Colt?”
“No. I’ve known him for years. He’s attractive, but we move in different circles. Victor has been the only being that I felt something more than just a physical attraction for.”
Nathan nods. “Soul mates. If you believe you are ready to help Victor, then I will help you. As long as you know there are no guarantees other than his hunger will cease.”
“I understand.”
He stands. “I suggest we get started then.”
Nathan and I enter the living room. Victor is sitting on the sofa. He looks up at us with glassy eyes. The grayish hue to his skin is deathly. Dark veins, like wavy tendrils, peek out over the top of his shirt collar.
“What’s the verdict?” he asks.
“I’m going to help you.” I glance around the room. “Where’s my brother?”
“He said he had someone coming to the shop.”
I guess it’s for the best. At least I won’t have to continue listening to them fight. “How do we do this?”
Victor pats the cushion beside him. “Sit down and relax.”
I sit down with my hands in my lap, but I’m anything but relaxed. “Now what?”
“Did Nathan explain his role to you?”
“I’m here,” the reaper interjects, “to keep you from passing over.”
“Passing over?” I ask.
“Dying. I’ll watch your lifeline, and pull you back before you go over the edge.”
“What if things go wrong?”
Victor t
ouches my cheek, grabbing my attention. “It won’t.”
“But—”
And then he does the unexpected. He lowers his mouth to mine as if his lips could erase all my doubts and fears. The kiss deepens. Oh Siren, I could go on like this forever. But I feel the tremor in Victor’s muscles. We need to get this over and done for his sake. Reluctantly, I drag my lips away.
“Do you trust me?” he asks.
“Yes,” I whisper.
He runs an icy finger across my bottom lip. “Then let me do this.”
“Okay,” my voice shakes.
“Lie back.”
Victor guides my body down on the sofa before he positions himself over me.
I glance into his dark eyes. They are full of an intense, desperate hunger I’ve never seen. His ivory fangs lower. In that instant, the guy I care about disappears. A bloodthirsty monster takes his place. I’d be lying if I said this version of Victor didn’t scare the crap out of me.
“Try to relax, Kelsie. I won’t hurt you,” he mumbles.
He grazes my neck with his lips. The touch dulls the spot right before I feel the pressure. I close my eyes. His canines breach my skin.
I gasp.
The next sound I hear is Victor’s greedy gulps.
All the earlier apprehension I had slowly dissipates. A burst of intense pleasure takes its place while my blood flows freely into his mouth. It reminds me of the ecstasy derived from stealing essence. Pure passion.
Images of the happiest times in my life flash inside my mind—myself as a little girl playing with Mom, my first day of school, meeting Lena, and then Victor. Heat radiates throughout my chest. The contentment I feel is strange.
I want to bask in the moment and continue enjoying the bliss. But there’s something dark and terrifying waiting for me. Its icy fingers grasp my heart and claw at my brain. It drags me under. Whatever this thing is tears at my body, threatening to rip my spirit from my flesh. Another presence fights its way in. It’s trying to hold the two halves of myself, the corporeal and the ethereal, together. But I can’t fight the darkness. It wants to win.
Nathan taps my shoulder and pulls me off Kelsie. He passes me a paper towel, and I wipe my lips and chin. I glance over at her and notice how pale her skin has become. I touch her arm and feel the cold.
“Nathan, do something!” I yell.
“She’s not dead. I assure you.” He runs a hand through his hair. “She should be awake by now.”
“And what if she doesn’t wake up?” I can’t take the chance of losing her. I bring my wrist to my lips and bite. Drops of crimson flow down my arm.
“Wait, Victor!” he shouts and stops me. “Give it another minute. I’m looking at her lifeline. It’s still strong.”
“Then why isn’t she awake?” My hand trembles. The possibility that I might lose her grips my heart.
“Honestly, I don’t know.” He sighs. “Go ahead and do it. I just saw her tether flicker.”
There’s no time to waste. I lower my bleeding wrist to Kelsie’s mouth. My heart stops as I watch the drops slide between her lips. Seconds pass. Slowly, her skin color improves. Heat returns to her body.
More time passes before her eyes flutter open. I move my arm. Kelsie licks her lips. The moment she discovers what’s on the surface she sits up.
“Are you okay?” I ask her.
“What happened?” She wipes at her mouth. “Why am I tasting blood?”
I close my eyes and inhale. She’ll be okay, but how do I tell her?
Tell me what?
My head jerks up. Did I really just hear her thoughts?
“Victor, what’s wrong?” she asks.
I look over at Nathan. “We’ve got a bigger problem here.”
“You turned her.” He’s not asking me a question.
A wave of anger practically knocks me off the sofa. I hear Kelsie’s heart pounding like the beating of a drum signaling the start of war. She’s as mad as a maggot, and I don’t blame her for a second. I get it. That same fury had been my constant companion for years after Luc stole my life, like a thief in the night, with little regard for my wishes.
But you did it anyway. To me.
“I’m sorry, Kelsie. We were losing you.”
I would’ve been better off lost.
“If I might interject,” Nathan says. “I explained to you, Kelsie, that there were no guarantees. You accepted the risk.”
Her eyes, cold and hard, glare at the reaper. “You should have let me die.”
No words could undo the damage done to either of us. This would be our crossroads. Either she’ll forgive me, and we’ll face the aftermath together, or she’ll move on without me.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. Where would I go?” She stands and walks to the window.
I’m at a loss here. I don’t know what’s the best thing to do.
Nathan’s hand lands on my shoulder. “Give it time. Both of you need to come to terms with what’s happened. Perhaps Luc can be of some assistance?”
“I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks.”
“Anytime, my friend. I need to gather my jacket from the kitchen, and I’ll be gone.”
“Victor?”
“Yeah, Kelsie?”
She faces me, and I see her fangs. “I’m hungry.”
My heart sinks. “We need to go to the mansion. Good thing I drove.”
Kelsie doesn’t speak during the entire drive back to the mansion. Fear grips my chest. It wasn’t my intention to turn her, not yet. Adding her to the ranks of unwilling monsters in Falls Creek wasn’t needed.
“But you did,” she finally says.
“I’m going to have to remember you can read my thoughts, too.” I shake my head and glance at her. “Kelsie, I’m sorry. The alternative—”
“Would have been keeping your fangs off me.” Her voice wavers.
“Yes. What I did was selfish, irresponsible, stupid… Slap whatever word you want on it. But what’s done is done, Kelsie. You heard Nathan. We can’t undo it. I can only help you get through this.”
She looks out the window. “I can’t blame you for all of it. I should have stayed away from you. If I hadn’t been stalling with Colt, none of this would’ve happened.”
“You would’ve been happy as an incubus consort?”
“Yes. No. Maybe. Hell, I don’t know. It’s not like I’ll find out now. Do you honestly think I can be happy like this?” She waves her hand over her body. “What am I anyway? Vampire? Succubus? Something else?”
“It remains to be seen. We’ll talk to Luc. See what he has to say.” I turn my focus back to the road. We’ll be at the mansion in a few more minutes.
Beaumont is waiting in the study when we arrive. He points to the chairs in front of the fire. An opaque decanter and two glasses sit on the black oak table.
“You know what happened?” I ask him.
“I sensed it as soon as your car came through the gates. How bad is it?”
Kelsie steps out of my shadow. “I’m hungry. Does that answer your question?”
“I see.” Beaumont pours her a glass and passes it. “You chose a succubus who’s short on manners.”
She takes the glass and downs it. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she says, “Patience is what I’m short on.”
His expression tightens.
Kelsie, love, you need to stop. You’re pissing Beaumont off.
Why should I care?
“You should care, young demon, because how you spend your eternity is within my power. If you don’t want to find yourself entombed in this basement, I suggest you find an ounce of dignity and shut the hell up.” He stalks over to the bar, pours himself a couple of fingers worth of brandy, and tosses the liquid back without grimacing.
“I apologize for Kelsie, Beaumont. She doesn’t know.”
He slams the glass down, shattering it into tiny pieces. “None of us know a
nything about what she’s become. This requires patience from all of us, including the spoiled brat.”
Apologize, Kelsie, before we’re both put behind a wall.
She cuts her eyes toward me. You can’t be serious?
Deadly. Please. If you care about me at all, you’ll say you’re sorry.
Kelsie rolls her eyes. “I’m sorry for my behavior.”
“Better. You should know that I can hear all your thoughts. Victor was right about me putting you behind a wall. You’ll be fortunate if Luc doesn’t do it. He won’t be pleased about this.”
“I won’t be pleased about what?”
Speak of the devil.
Luc comes closer. He takes one look at Kelsie and stops in his tracks. His cold eyes drift over to me. “You did this?”
I sink down on one of the chairs. “Yes. I didn’t intend to turn her. I made the mistake and tasted her. Beaumont explained to me that I had to either kill her or turn her. There was the possibility of a third way. It didn’t work.”
“Obviously not,” Luc announced. “You have created quite the chaotic situation. Now, I’ll have to call a Council meeting.”
“And the Najex?” I ask.
Luc holds his head back and looks at the ceiling. “Hell! He’s going to want a meeting.”
“With who?”
“You, of course.”
Great. I get to meet the demon himself. Is this how Dorothy felt before she went to see the Wizard?
Victor has to meet with the Najex? This won’t be good. How many more times will my actions put someone in that demon’s presence?
“I could speak to the Najex,” I volunteer.
A chilly grin crosses Luc’s face. “You? Why do you think he would speak to the demon who jilted his son?”
“You seem to think that the Najex will speak with Victor. On what basis? Wouldn’t he be more upset with the vampire who tasted me?”
Luc turns to Beaumont. “Contact him. Find out which one of these dullards he’ll speak with. Doesn’t matter to me which one. I just want the matter settled.”
The older vampire leaves the room. Luc sits across from Victor. He studies me without saying another word. It’s uncomfortable to say the least. I’d rather he torture me and get it over with.