Legacy of Blood

by J. L. McCoy

  “Rather boring, my ass,” I sniffed as I lightly swatted his chest with my hand. “That was tragic, Archer.”

  “Not many people know about my start in life,” he whispered against my forehead. “I like to keep it that way. We all have tragedies in our past, that’s not what defines us. I don’t want people feeling sorry for me. I had a good life as a human, but I’ve had an even better one as an immortal. That path ultimately led me to you.”

  “Oh, Archer,” I sighed as I rolled on top of him and kissed him. Our kiss was slow and delicate but despite that, I was getting turned on again. “Make love to me.”

  Archer growled and rolled us over, doing just that.

  Chapter Twenty

  I couldn’t have been asleep for more than two hours when light kisses on my neck awoke me. Smelling Archer, I sighed and opened my eyes.

  “Good morning, handsome,” I smiled as I squinted against the blinding light the lamp by the bed was throwing off.

  “Breakfast is on the way, baby,” Archer whispered before placing a gentle kiss on my lips. “Why don’t you get cleaned up and meet me on the first floor. Gunnar brought a bag for you and I already placed it in the bathroom.”

  I ran my hands through his wet hair and pouted playfully. “You took a shower without me.”

  Archer chuckled and sat up. “I have to save something to look forward to, don’t I?”

  “Mmm. I don’t want to get up. Can’t I just stay in bed and make love to you all day?”

  “As tempting is that is, my dear,” Archer smiled, “and it is very, very tempting, Ruarc and An Dilis will be here in an hour.”

  “Shit,” I sighed and sat up, throwing the covers off me. “Can I have a rain check for tonight?”

  “Insatiable, baby?” Archer purred sexily as he leaned over and nibbled my shoulder.

  “Only for you,” I answered with a sated grin, wrapping my arms around his neck and kissing him one last time.

  After we finally detached ourselves from one another, not without great difficulty, I headed into the bathroom and quickly showered. Gunnar had been kind enough to bring my bag and I smiled as I saw that he had packed for every occasion; he even included my favorite dagger from Archer’s extensive weapons collection. I slipped into my favorite pair of ripped jeans and paired it with a Tool concert t-shirt and my white Doc Martens. After throwing my hair in a tight bun and brushing on a quick coat of mascara, I was more than ready to eat. Last night’s bedroom Olympics had left me ravenous. Archer had taken a sip from me during sex, but I never wanted to drink his blood because I was scared of absorbing his Divine Power and spending the next few weeks battling his mind reading along with the other two powers I already had. I had more than enough on my plate at the moment.

  I put my stuff away in Archer’s closet, tucked my eight inch silver dagger into the side of my boot, and flashed down the stairs to the first floor. Archer was just showing our two female guests to a table when I arrived at his side.

  After some quick introductions and small talk, I got down to business. Archer refused the women, instead opting for bagged blood. I drank deeply from each of them, completely enjoying the experience, and I failed miserably at keeping my potent venom in check. When I was done I thanked the two women as Archer paid them and escorted them out. I closed my eyes and sat back in the booth, relaxing after the decently filling meal.

  “Well, I see you’ve already eaten,” I heard Ruarc say a few seconds after I picked up his footsteps.

  I lazily opened my eyes and saw him and seven of the most gigantic men I had ever seen in my life. “Holy shit,” I whispered as I took them all in. Oleif was the only one I had recognized out of the group.

  “Meet the elite of An Dilis,” Ruarc said, motioning with a flick of his head to the men standing behind him. “They are the strongest, fastest, and deadliest members we have. Each man has well over five hundred immortal kills under their belt. They are your team.”

  I scrambled up out of my chair and greeted them with wide eyes. “Hey,” I waved stupidly. “I’m Skye.” Each man stared at me but said nothing in reply. “Okay then. Shall we get this party started?”

  “Do you have the ring?” Ruarc asked.

  “I have it,” Archer spoke up from the back and I saw him come around the men with Dean, Zephyr and another man on his heels.

  “Hey,” I smiled and hugged Dean. “You came.”

  “Told you I would, toots,” he smirked and winked. “You know Zee and this crazy bastard to my left is Primo, my third in command.”

  “Thank you guys so much for coming,” I smiled gratefully and tried to ignore the disgust in Primo’s eyes.

  Archer handed Ruarc the small black bag that had Amun’s ring in it before Ruarc handed it to me.

  “Put it on,” Ruarc said and I watched as he and his men took a step back.

  Archer, Dean, Primo, Zephyr and I looked at them like they were crazy.

  “It’s just a piece of jewelry,” I shook my head as I took it out of the bag, “and probably just Amun’s sick idea of a wedding ring. You act like I’m going to attack you.”

  “Just put it on,” Ruarc frowned, his hand on the hilt of his dagger.

  I rolled my eyes and slipped it on my right ring finger. I instantly gasped as images flashed in my mind and I felt something pull me toward the entrance. I quickly recovered and jerked the ring off my finger. The images stopped and so did whatever was pulling me toward the door.

  “Fuck me,” I whispered as I stared down at the cold metal resting in my palm. “I know where Amun is.”

  “Explain,” Ruarc commanded and I obeyed.

  “The ring is somehow connected to Amun, drawing me to him. There’s some kind of… pull… that happens when I put it on. Also, I could see what he was seeing. He’s on a hill overlooking Archer’s house right now.”

  Movement exploded all around me and Archer pulled out his cell phone at the same time Ruarc did his. I was grabbed in all the chaos and carried outside.

  “Follow us,” I heard Oleif growl to Dean and his wolves as I was tossed into their van.

  I watched with shocked eyes as An Dilis piled in behind me and then felt the van start to move. I saw Archer run outside as the van carrying me drove past the front entrance. I quickly made a heart with my two hands and pressed it against the van window as I mouthed the words ‘I love you’ to him.

  Archer looked on helplessly as I was rocketed away from The Mausoleum.

  The drive felt like it took forever. I was so terrified now that my vampire family was in danger. The fact that Amun was so close to them made me sick to my stomach. When we got within a few miles of Archer’s house, Ruarc asked me to put the ring on again.

  I didn’t hesitate as I fished it out of my pocket and threw it on. Images washed over me and the pull I felt took my breath away.

  “S-s-s-stop! Stop the v-van,” I cried out, fighting to draw a breath.

  The driver slammed on the brakes and I crashed into the hard wall of vampires in front of me. I scrambled over them, the pull on my body incredible, as I threw the van door open and flashed past Dean’s Harley Davidson motorcycle and into the trees.

  I heard a flurry or movement behind me and knew An Dilis was following close behind. I was suddenly getting confusing flashes of trees and then of rocks before Amun settled his eyes on the water tower that was a ways off on the horizon.

  “He’s here,” I called out as I ran faster. “He’s just ahead of us… maybe half a mile due west. He’s looking at the water tower.”

  Ruarc barked out orders and I heard small groups split off and go right and left in an attempt to circle him.

  “Stay with me,” Ruarc whispered as he sped to catch up to me.

  I heard baying to my left and knew Dean and his wolves had finally joined the hunt. All too soon, the pull on my body shifted and I grabbed Ruarc’s hand and pulled him with me as I changed course, now going right.

  I saw Lake Travis briefly flicker in my mind
before the images returned to flickers of grass. “He’s trying to hide what he sees from me,” I breathed, finally starting to make sense of the confusing images. “He must know you are with me. Damn it! We’ve lost the element of surprise!”

  “He’s on the run,” Ruarc said and I looked over to see him talking into a small radio. “Change course, due south.”

  Images of being underwater flashed next and the unexpectedness of it made me fall. Ruarc never missed a step as he picked me up and continued to run. A few minutes later we came to the lake shore and he had to stop me from charging in.

  “Where is he,” Ruarc demanded as he held me back.

  “Underwater somewhere,” I gasped, the dual sight disorientating me. Amun’s pull was stronger than ever before and I knew he was very close by. My body fought to join him and I actually punched Ruarc in an attempt to get him to let me go.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” he growled as he fought to maintain his grip on me.

  “Take it off,” I screamed. “Get it off me. He’s too close. I can’t stop!”

  Ruarc reached out and yanked the ring from my finger and I immediately collapsed on the lake shore in front of him, the pull on my body suddenly gone.

  “Lake front. Be advised, target underwater. All eyes. I repeat, all eyes. Confirm,” Ruarc barked quickly into the radio. Someone answered him, calling back what he said to them before another did the same.

  I heard running behind me and turned to see Oleif and another man barreling in our direction.

  “Amun is close, Ruarc,” I warned as I stood on shaky legs and tried to focus. “He’s damn close. I’d say no more than fifty yards when you took the ring off. We need to go in after him.”

  “Nay,” Ruarc sighed as he turned to Oleif who had just joined us. He spoke quickly to him in Gaelic and I watched as they drew their daggers, now on full alert. “We wait.”

  Ruarc instructed me to slip the ring on every two minutes to see if Amun was still in the lake. For the next two hours, every time I did, I saw that he was… until one time he wasn’t.

  “What do you mean you can’t see him?” Ruarc yelled at me for the tenth time.

  “I can’t see him,” I growled back, my eyes flickering solid black in anger. I was exhausted, utterly spent, and in a foul mood. Connecting with Amun every two minutes turned out to be harder on my body and mind than I first realized. Ruarc, An Dilis, and I had been arguing for the past ten minutes; each minute that passed getting progressively worse. “He’s gone. I don’t feel him anymore. How many times do I have to tell you? And quit fucking yelling at me!”

  “How can this be?” Oleif asked, roughly jerking my arm so that I faced him.

  I pulled my arm out of his hand and slammed a hard and fast fist into his throat. Judging by the sickening crunch that followed, I knew I had crushed his windpipe again. “Touch me again motherfucker!” I dared as he fell to the ground. Scuffling sounded at my back and I flashed around to see a few of the soldiers draw their weapons.

  “Stand down!” Ruarc barked, coming to stand in front of me, shielding me from his men. He then whirled on me and got in my face. “And you,” he jabbed a hard finger to my chest, “control your fucking temper!”

  “Back. Up,” I seethed through clenched teeth as I stared at his finger, ready to rip it from his hand. I heard growling on my left and right and knew Dean, Zephyr and Primo had my back.

  Ruarc dropped his finger after a few seconds and put some serious distance between us. “Everyone just calm down,” he said after a few moments of tense silence. “Skye is going to get a handle on her temper and so are we.”

  “I’m done dealing with this shit,” I growled as I turned on my heels and started back toward the van.

  “Where do you think you are going?” Ruarc yelled after me.

  “Back to the club,” I snapped as I extended a finger in farewell. “I need a nap!” My temper was dangerously fragile at the moment and I needed to recharge before I killed someone.

  “You can’t leave now,” Ruarc called after me. “We need you to track Amun!”

  “I can’t!” I spun around and screamed it him. “Aren’t you fucking listening to me?! He’s gone! I can’t feel him, can’t see him, and thus…

  I CAN’T TRACK HIM!”

  Three wolves came to stand between me and An Dilis. They made no sound, but their haunches were raised in warning.

  I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a few moments. When I opened them, I was a fraction calmer but my eyes still betrayed my fragile state. “I’m tired, Ruarc. So tired you can’t even begin to imagine. I need to eat, sleep and recharge. I’m holding on here by a thread. I’ve done the best I can for today. You and your soldiers should stay here and continue after him. I can’t.” I looked down at the wolves and spoke to them next. “Dean, I’m riding home with you so let’s get a move on.”

  I saw the largest of the three wolves turn to me and I took that to be Dean. He was all black with a gray patch on his forehead and he looked much stronger than the other two. He stared at me a moment and cocked his head to one side.

  “Please?” I sighed, rubbing my pounding forehead.

  Dean pulled his lips back from his teeth and it oddly reminded me of his smile. I took it as such and rolled my eyes as I turned my back on Ruarc and his soldiers and flashed back the way we came.

  I waited patiently by the motorcycle and Zephyr’s car with my back turned and gave the wolves privacy so they could transform back to their human form. The sickening sound of bones popping and grinding against each other was almost too much to bear. I could only imagine how painful the transformation was for them.

  “You’ve got quite a mouth on you, toots,” Dean chuckled and I turned to look at him.

  He was completely naked and covered in a kaleidoscope of intricate tattoos. His muscular form glistened with sweat and I swallowed hard as my eyes hungrily drank him in.

  “So I’ve been told,” I whispered absentmindedly.

  Dean’s body was absolutely delicious and he was definitely all man. And how! Laughter drew my attention and I realized, rather horrifically, that I was staring.

  “Shit!” I squeaked, turning around immediately. I was unbearably embarrassed. “Sorry… uh, sorry about that. I, uh, I mean… shit.”

  They laughed harder and I quickly prayed the ground would open up and swallow me, saving me from further humiliation. I heard the sound of pants being put on and sighed in relief.

  I waited a few heartbeats longer and heard them walk towards the vehicles. Dean was the first to pass me and I kept my head down as I followed him the few feet to his bike. I waited for him to climb on and then I took the seat behind him. Next, I heard the car doors open and close and the engine behind us rumble to life.

  “You know,” Dean chuckled and I cringed, waiting for him to continue, “I always said you were cute when you were angry, but I think I’m going to have to amend that now. You were down right sexy back there. The way you hit that blood sucker when he put his hand on you made my dick hard.”

  “Jesus take the wheel,” I groaned, quoting the song, as I rested my forehead tiredly against his shoulder, not knowing how much more embarrassment I could handle today.

  “I should also tell you that I’m thinking about amending my dating policy to include vampires,” Dean said before starting up his hog. “I’m dying to have a go at you, toots.”

  I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on as he took off, thankful the conversation was over for the time being.

  Dean dropped me off at the club and told me to call him and let him know when we were going hunting again. I waved off his offer to walk me in but gave him a heartfelt and grateful hug before I turned and headed toward the club. I just wanted to get inside, crawl into Archer’s bed, and sleep the rest of the day away. As I reached the front entrance, Archer opened the door in surprise and I collapsed into his arms.

  “Skye!” Archer gasped as he caught me. “What happened? Are
you okay?”

  “Can you help me upstairs please?” I asked, relieved to be so close to him again.

  He scooped me up and carried me inside. We passed Gunnar as we entered and Archer asked him to lock the door as he flashed up the stairs toward his apartment.

  Archer gently laid me down on the bed, and sat next to me taking my hand. “Talk to me. What happened? You’re scaring me.”

  “Ruarc didn’t call you?”

  “No. I haven’t heard a thing from anyone since you left. I’ve been out of my mind with worry.”

  “Is our family safe? Trey and Seamus and-,” I asked quickly.

  “They are fine,” he shushed me. “Everyone is fine. Amun never came near the house. Hagan and Emrick have everyone on lockdown until this evening.”

  “He was right there,” I whispered, gazing up into Archer’s worried eyes. “Amun couldn’t have been more than fifty yards from me.”

  His back instantly straightened. “Tell me.”

  I didn’t have the strength to keep talking so I pulled on his arm and made him lean in front of me so that our eyes were close. “Look,” I said softly and he immediately gazed into my eyes, understanding what I was asking him to do.

  Images of the hunt flashed rapidly through my mind as Archer accessed my memories. After getting what he needed and severing the connection, he sat back and sighed.

  “This is not good,” he shook his head. “I don’t want you putting the ring on again.”

  I held my right hand up and showed him that I was still wearing it. “I never took it off after the last time I put it on to check up on Amun. Nothing is happening. I don’t feel the pull towards him and I can’t see anything. I don’t understand it… I don’t understand why everything just stopped.”

  “I don’t either, baby,” Archer sighed, leaning over and placing a quick kiss on my lips. “But I still don’t want you wearing the ring, even if the connection to him is severed. I don’t trust it.”