by Meg Xuemei X
A manicure on Pandemonium? Really?
I slashed my blade in an arch, bending backward as I thrust it into a vampire’s heart from the side. He screamed. I scored.
Three of my team members were down, drained, their last screams whimpering from their mouths.
Rocky and Pattern fought to reach me.
The vampires’ speed and strength were formidable, but I was a better trained warrior than any of them, and I had a lethal weapon on my side. Every slash I cut in them gave them hell. But I was still outmatched at four to one.
Laurent, the vampire who had almost dragged me to their lair when I’d first crashed on Pandemonium, sliced my shoulder with his sharp claws, blood pouring onto my slashed clothing. The vampires’ eyes turned pure crimson at the scent of my blood. Another vampire grabbed the wrist of my hand that held the angelblade. I kicked him straight and hard, but it had no effect on him. The only weapon fatal to them was my blade, and the fucking vampire wouldn’t let go of my wrist.
Suddenly, all four vampires had me in their grip.
“Kaara!” Rocky roared as he fought to me. A female vampire slammed her hand into his chest and sent the big alien man flying backwards.
Jasmine sauntered toward him, eager to drink him.
Half of my team was down.
“It’s been long overdue, Nightshades,” Laurent said. “I’ve craved your blood from the moment I smelled you.” He bared his fangs and sank them into my neck.
It was like being pierced by a burning poker.
I screamed, ramming my free fist into his eye socket, but another vampire caught it.
“Do not drain her, lover boy,” Jasmine called from a few yards away. “This one we’ll turn.”
A murderous roar thundered from afar; furious howls echoing in the ruin.
A grey wolf leapt in the air and charged at the vampires around me, over two dozen large wolves bolting behind him in rage.
Laurent released me.
Jasmine didn’t linger, zooming away in a flash, Laurent on her heels. The rest of the vampires tore into the wolves with snarls and hisses.
The wolf clan was the only group that could match up to the vampire horde outside of their Keep, but even they were careful not to enter the vampires’ territory.
Marrok tore the vampire who had grabbed me in half, still roaring in fury and more vampires swarmed on his group, slashing open two of the wolves.
My men and I regrouped and rejoined the fight.
Even though the vampires had broken my wrist, I hadn’t let go of my angelblade. I moved the blade to my right hand. The ground suddenly swayed beneath me and my knees buckled.
Before I fell, the grey wolf reached me, his body supporting me, his fur warm, velvet, and soft against my skin. He shifted in an instant and I was in his arms. Another big black wolf guarded us.
One of the vampires broke free and fled toward the jungle, but a stream of darkness and icy wind thrust toward him from afar. The Wicked Witch had arrived. The vampire struggled under the thick clutch of her darkness.
The fight was over. Only four members of my team remained standing. The wolves had killed all the vampires except the one trapped by Fia. Two wolves had perished during the fight and five had been wounded. Antonio in his white wolf form lunged at the captive, but Fia’s darkness slammed into him and sent him flying back.
Antonio collapsed to the ground, rolled to his feet and snarled, ready to charge again.
Fia tilted her head to regard him, an ice spear forming in her hand. She wouldn’t care that he was an ally. If he came near her again, she’d stab him.
“Stop, Antonio,” Marrok ordered. “We need that one alive for questioning.”
Antonio stopped his snarling, and regarded his alpha as he shifted back into his humanoid form.
Marrok’s attention returned to me. Gently, he rubbed at the vampire’s fang marks on my neck. Through the reflection in his eyes, I could see the black blood on his fingers.
“Vampire venom,” Antonio said ruefully.
Fear and rage twisted Marrok’s face.
Fia snapped her head toward us. “She won’t turn, wolf. I won’t allow it.”
“So you’ll just kill her?” Marrok snarled.
“Why would I do that?” Fia asked coldly. “She’s mine and I take care of what’s mine.”
“Kaara is mine!” Marrok grabbed me tightly against his chest. “I’ll take care of you,” he said to me gently and fiercely. “I’ll take you to the healer now.”
“You won’t take her,” Fia said. “Leave her now.”
She flicked her fingers, ready to send her magic of darkness and ice to assault Marrok.
“Fia, please don’t,” I whimpered.
“Like hell I’ll leave my mate!” Marrok growled at the same time.
Surprise flashed through Fia’s eyes. I hadn’t told her that the wolf alpha believed I was his destined mate.
The wolves circled around Fia, ready to overwhelm her with numbers.
“Leave Lady Fiammetta alone, or I’ll fight you to the death!” I shouted, not caring that the wolves had saved my ass. But my voice came out like a wail. My strength was gone.
Fia only looked amused at the pack’s attacking intention.
Darkness wheeled around her, hissing viciously. Icy light lit up the Wicked Witch. My future queen was gloriously beautiful and formidable.
I struggled up, but only slumped back down on Marrok’s lap.
“Take it easy, Kaara,” Marrok pleaded. “You need your strength to fight the venom.”
I gazed at him, unsaid words stuck in my throat. My eyes started glazing over as the vampire venom spread in me.
Before Marrok could call off his pack, Fia attacked. A few more aggressive wolves sank on their front legs, their paws scratching their throats, trying to get air into their lungs.
The Wickedest Witch laughed coldly, delightfully.
Her ice had sealed their throats. The ice hadn’t reached Marrok, only because he was holding me. Fia didn’t intend for him to drop me.
“Fia, please don’t hurt them,” I struggled to get my words out. “They saved me.”
Fia gave me a look of displeasure, but released her ice, and the wolves panted and snarled.
Marrok sliced a hand toward them and they retreated.
“Your useless healers have no magic,” Fia said, fixing her predatory grey eyes on Marrok. “None of them can purge the venom, except for me. And I do not entrust Kaara to anyone. Not even you. Bring her back to my tower and wait for me there, and be gentle with her.”
“It will take too long to wait for you,” Marrok grated.
“She’ll make it,” Fia said. Her gaze fell upon me, and there was a faint spark in her eyes—it was almost as if she was on the verge of recognizing me, then it vanished. She shook her head as if dazed. The last thread of memory still escaped her, even though in this situation, my blood vow had called to her.
The First Seer’s curse and spell were magnificently powerful, more so than any other in the universe.
And because of the princess’ potent drop of blood in me, I could still hang in here.
“What about the vampire?” Antonio gestured at the one still bound by the witch’s vengeful, relentless darkness.
“He’s mine to interrogate,” Fia said. “You can have the leftovers when I’m done with him.”
Fia never interacted with anyone outside the tower, and on the rare occasion that she did, it was either to threaten them or kill them. She never bothered with explanations, but she’d made a compromise because of me.
She’d stepped back instead of striking.
Marrok scooped me up in his arms, ready to spring toward the Witch Tower. He carried my angelblade, knowing I wouldn’t part with it.
“My mate can’t wait long, Lady Fiammetta,” Marrok said. “You need to come with us now.”
Had he just given the Wickedest Witch an order?
Fia opened her mouth, clearly astonished
. She was greatly feared on this planet, but I sensed no fear but black rage in Marrok.
“Stop, Marrok,” I said, my hand on his arm. I didn’t even have the energy to squeeze it to warn him to get off my princess’ back. “I serve Lady Fiammetta, and you’ll respect her if you want to date me.”
He gave me a dark, incredulous look.
We had a different perspective when it came to relationships. He thought we were mated, though not officially, and I thought we had merely agreed to date each other.
“He didn’t mean ill, Fia,” I said. “He’s worried.”
“The venom paralyzed Kaara,” Fia explained impatiently, “but it won’t turn her. It takes more than a few bites to turn a person. It won’t spread to her bloodstream since my magic contained it when I arrived. Your dull, mundane eyes can’t see it. Now just be quiet and let me finish interrogating my captive.”
“Fine,” Marrok hissed. “We’ll be waiting in the tower for you. Just don’t take long.”
“I’ll stay and participate in the interrogation,” I said.
Fia arched an eyebrow.
“Kaara,” Marrok said. “You need to preserve your energy!”
Luckily, the venom hadn’t frozen my vocal chords.
Fia would need me when she questioned the vampire. Her magical recording only provided her with the most crucial information, but she might miss a piece here and there.
Fia shrugged. “Stay then. It won’t take long.”
She stomped her boot on the vampire’s chest without care. Her darkness worshipped her foot like a pet, but it wasn’t kind to her captive.
“Why did you go after my general?” she asked. “Didn’t Dark Prince Rainer Desdemona warn you all to stay away from me and my subjects?”
The vampire closed his eyes, meditating instead of talking.
The witch’s darkness poured into his eyes, nostrils and ears, and the vampire screamed. His formerly crimson eyes turned all white as if he was living in his worst nightmare. The darkness had to be twisting his insides. Though vampires didn’t need air to breathe, their organs still functioned like the living and they could feel intense pain.
Fia released him, and the vampire panted. Their kind usually didn’t pant.
The wolves put more distance between the Wickedest Witch and them, as if it would matter to the witch. Some of them had tasted a small ounce of her ice magic, and they didn’t look too eager to share her cruel darkness with the bloodsucker.
“Talk,” Fia said emotionlessly, “or it’ll get worse. The night is long.”
“Nightshades made a pact with the savage dog—wolves,” the vampire said.
The wolves snarled, and Fia waved them back with irritation.
“Dark Prince Desdemona wasn’t happy about it. Princess Jasmine persuaded him to make an example of Nightshades to get your attention. My prince is losing patience that you find all sorts of excuses and loopholes in the contract to blow him off. He believes you have no intention of ever becoming his bride. Taking your general would make you go to him.”
“That will only make me bring war to his door,” Fia said, “if war is what he wants.”
“You won’t,” the vampire said with a grin, now that he wasn’t screaming. “You don’t have enough soldiers. That’s why you’d rather have the truce with Dark Prince Desdemona. The prince is confident you’ll come to his tower in person for Kaara Nightshades.”
Marrok growled, as if it offended him greatly to hear the vampire uttering my name. He couldn’t be that possessive. Or could he?
“Why did your prince assume I would take such great pain to come to his lair for her?” Fia asked. “Doesn’t he know the Wickedest Witch cares for no one? Any of his subjects is disposable, as are mine.”
I felt a stab of hurt in my chest. Marrok tugged me tighter and snarled at Fia.
The vampire laughed scathingly. “Your pretense can’t fool His Highness. You protect them because they matter to you, especially Nightshades. Somehow she’s special to you, though my master hasn’t figured out why. But by turning her into one of us, he’ll know. And he’ll know every secret she knows about you.”
A chill climbed up my spine and nearly trembled in Marrok’s arms.
“What secrets?” Fia glanced at me with her piercing, icy look.
My heart thumped painfully despite my weakened flesh.
“Everyone has secrets,” the vampire said. “And yours are unfathomable, Wicked Witch. My prince sensed a connection between you and Nightshades. For her, you once almost gave up your own life to bring her to safety. The notorious Wickedest Witch would never have done that if Nightshades didn’t mean a great deal to you. Maybe she came from the same place you were from. Maybe she’s even—”
Her darkness snapped, and her ice spear plunged toward the vampire’s chest.
“Wait!” Marrok called.
The ice spear didn’t slow down but sped up and impaled the bloodsucker’s heart.
“You shouldn’t have killed him so soon,” Marrok grunted. “I had a few questions myself.”
“Then go catch your own damned bloodsucker,” Fia said unfeelingly. “I’m under no obligation to provide you with a free informant, shifter.”
The two pure alphas would have attacked each other in less than a minute if you ever put them alone in a room.
“Fia,” I said, sending my warmth and calm toward her.
“Stop it,” Fia snapped.
So she’d known whenever I’d tried to calm her, but today she refused it. She strode toward me, and Marrok pulled me closer and covered me, as if the Wicked Witch was a predator. She was—he could sense it because he was one—but she would never prey on me. Neither would he.
Fia sneered, not slowing her pace, but she didn’t throw ice and darkness at him, and for that I was more than grateful.
A new sort of pain welled up in my heart. Had I just divided my loyalty?
I had vowed—
“Don’t be ridiculous, Marrok,” I said. “Lady Fiammetta is—”
Fia halted, waiting for me to reveal something.
“—my great mistress,” I continued. “I swore fealty to her. She won’t harm me.”
Fia was at my side the next second, checking the vampire’s biting wounds on my neck.
“Lay her down, wolf,” she told Marrok. “It’ll take too long to get back to my tower. She’s burning. I need to tend to her now.”
“Go ahead,” Marrok said. “I’ll hold her in my arms, and you can purge the venom in her.”
Fia narrowed her eyes.
“The ground is too hard and cold for my mate,” Marrok said.
“Put her down,” Fia drawled. “I won’t repeat it the third time. If it were not for Kaara, I’d have vanquished you annoying beasts for inconveniencing me. I’ve killed for less.”
“You can—” Marrok said. I knew he was going to say “You can try.”
Fia’s darkness twirled, forming a storm, but I cut in before they could get into a fatal fight.
“Thank you for arguing with Lady Fiammetta while the venom spreads to my every vein,” I told Marrok.
His face paled. That prospect seemed to scare him enough to seal his mouth. He snarled at his pack and my men, and they immediately shrugged off their jackets and laid them on the ground.
I almost rolled my eyes, but I failed.
Marrok lay me on top of the layered jackets with extreme care as if I was expensive, frail glass.
“Stand guard and don’t ever look in my direction,” Fia said.
“I’ll stay by her side,” Marrok said.
“I’m not granting you that privilege,” the witch said.
Marrok gave her a scathing look, then glanced at me—I must have looked terrible—and rose.
He shouted his instructions and ordered the wolves not to look at Fia and me, and the wolves spread on the perimeter to stand watch.
Marrok lingered a few yards away until a wave of darkness threw him further. He stumbled, cursing. I
would have laughed if I hadn’t been burning from the inside out.
A blanket of darkness warded Fia and me. Even if the wolves looked on with their superior sight, they could see nothing but the walls of flowing and swirling smoke.
Fia purged the venom in me.
Chapter 13
I didn’t feel Fia’s usual blind panic and rage as I waited on the stairs outside her suite, instead, all I sensed was sadness and loneliness.
What had changed?
Anxiety seated deep in her, and urgency pounded her mind, echoing mine.
The knob turned, the door swung open, and Fia stepped out.
Her icy gaze fell on me, and my warm one met hers.
“Lady Fiammetta,” I greeted.
There was no recognition in her eyes, but her tense shoulders relaxed.
I offered her a glass of water after I poured some of it into the spare cup and drank it.
She didn’t take the water, but regarded me, as if trying to tracing a distant memory.
“Why are you still here, Kaara?” she asked.
She’d recorded what happened yesterday. She’d thought I’d leave her at the first chance.
After she’d removed the last trace of the vampire venom in my bloodstream, she’d looked paler than ever.
“I need to take my mate to my Keep so she can rest fully,” Marrok had said.
Fia had looked colder, but I’d perceived her fright. She needed me.
“I’ll return to Lady Fiammetta’s tower,” I’d said, “where I belong.”
Marrok had ignored me as if I hadn’t spoken.
“Will you kindly release Kaara, Lady Fiammetta?” Marrok had requested. “I’ll pay any price for her freedom.”
I’d hissed at him.
“Kaara Nightshades isn’t my slave,” Fia had said. “Only she decides where she goes or stays.”
“She owes you a life debt, obviously,” Marrok had said. “I want to pay off that debt.”
“Marrok, just stop,” I’d said in a hard voice. “Never assume what’s best for me. I can think and decide for myself.”