Witches Be Burned: A Magic & Mayhem Novel

by Stacey Kennedy

  He sighed.

  On one hand, he was so proud of her for how brave she was and how confident a fighter she’d become in six short months. On the other hand, her fiery and determined personality might be his undoing. “I—”

  “Might I remind you”—she cut him off with a hard voice—“we already discussed what I think you are about to say and came to a compromise. Unless what you say next is ‘let’s go,’ your mouth should not be moving.” She kissed Haven’s cheek and whispered something to her that notably relaxed Haven, and then she strode away with purposeful steps.

  Kyden watched Nexi as she hightailed it toward a fight he could do without her being involved in, all the while pondering the outcome of tonight. While he respected and thought highly of Thalia, Nexi was about to go deep into a vampire world that was foreign to her, a world that Kyden would’ve preferred to keep Nexi far away from, considering her blood was so tempting to vampires because of its uniqueness.

  But that was only part of his concern. Mistress Vampires were centuries old, born and raised in a time where respect went far. Knowing Nexi’s smart mouth and lack of a filter, he wondered what would get them in more trouble: her fiery attitude or their accusations against Thalia.

  Chapter 5

  The mansion was spread out like a magazine shoot against the dark night, resting on a flat landscape with spotlights beaming up, accentuating its stunning beauty. Nexi was in awe at the exterior of the home: Red brick and black accents, two balconies, stone pillars, sculptures, and arched windows filled each side of the second floor. She whistled, putting a voice to her thoughts. “Must be nice to be a Mistress Vampire and filthy rich.”

  Kyden’s eyes twinkled at her, and the warmth of his touch pressed against her back as he urged her forward to follow Zia. “They’re wealthy because they’re old.”

  “Got it.” Nexi nodded, stepping into stride with him. “They’re cryptkeepers.”

  He chuckled, the low, rich sound brushing sensually across her. “Best keep that thought to yourself, Álainn.”

  Yes. Zia’s voice slid through Nexi’s mind. Please do.

  She snorted at them both. “Oh, yes, because calling a creature that could rip my head off in one quick move old is exactly what I was thinking of doing.”

  “I, for one, wouldn’t put it past you,” Kyden muttered.

  Neither would I, Zia replied.

  “Jeez, such a good light you all put me in,” Nexi mused, not insulted. She probably would do that. Maybe not on purpose, but accidentally for sure.

  When they reached the black front door, Zia knocked and it immediately opened to a short, stubby vampire with gelled black hair and dark eyes. “Welcome. Thalia has been expecting you,” he said in a monotone voice.

  Thinking that Talon probably called Thalia, giving her a heads-up, Nexi crossed the threshold behind Kyden. Mistress Vampires likely had a certain type of protocol to be followed, though that was a fleeting thought. As Nexi took in the main foyer of the house, envy slid through her. Marble covered the floors, the pillars, and even the damn ceiling. Perhaps being a cryptkeeper wasn’t so bad after all—Thalia lived like royalty.

  “Follow me,” the butler said, striding through the foyer.

  They entered the small sitting room, and the lavish space was beyond anything Nexi had seen in reality, almost as if she’d stepped onto a movie set in the 1600s. The design appeared French-inspired, with rich colors and heavily detailed wood lining the furniture. But the prettiest—and most impressive—thing in the room was the vampire standing by the dark red velvet curtains, gazing out into the night.

  Thalia, Nexi assumed, had the same pulsating energy Zade carried, indicating her old age and high levels of power. But she was also beyond elegant in a long backless dress fitting her like a second skin. When she turned to Nexi, her soft brown hair was pulled into a loose bun and her cheeks were rosy.

  The vampire was drop-dead gorgeous, literally.

  “You’re Nexi?” Thalia asked, her voice holding a faint French accent. A gentle smile graced her face that shouldn’t belong to any vampire, especially one of the vampire leaders who Nexi assumed killed brutally to keep her minions in line. She offered her hand. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you.”

  Nexi returned the handshake, noticing that even Thalia’s touch was delicate. “Nice to meet you, too.” Somewhat perplexed, she couldn’t help but add, “I’m sorry, but I didn’t realize you would even know of me.” Perhaps part of her didn’t like that, either.

  Thalia’s eyes were dark, but kind. Trusting. “Oh, you’ve become quite the talk in the vampire community. Your defeat over Lazarus impressed me.”

  Nexi got the feeling not much impressed this vampire.

  Thalia’s smile stayed in place as her focus went to Kyden, and a flare of interest spread across her expression. “Hello, Kyden,” she practically purred.

  “Pleasure to see you again, Thalia.” His voice was flat, bored. “It’s been a long time.”

  Alarms blared in Nexi’s heart, mind, and soul. She looked from Thalia’s glowing features to Kyden’s emotions perfectly in check, and her eyes slowly narrowed. Well, well, lovers once, were they? Jealously roared into her muscles, as one thought remained heavy on her mind: Why didn’t he tell me?

  Thalia moved to approach him with a sexy smile, and those alarms now screamed Red alert. “Please don’t.” Nexi’s voice came out as intended, curt.

  Behave. Zia sent the message into Nexi’s mind.

  I’ll behave if she doesn’t touch him, Nexi silently replied, hoping her glare proved that point well enough.

  Seeming amused by Nexi, Thalia’s eyebrows rose before she took a seat on her chaise, waving out to the couch and chair in front of her. Once they all took their seats, Thalia crossed her long, annoyingly smooth legs. “Ah, so what I’ve heard is true.” She gave Kyden an even more irritating lovely smile. “You’ve found love.”

  Kyden nodded. “I have.” Then he grinned at Nexi.

  Oh, nothing about this was funny. Thalia was the undead gift to men. She was, in fact, everything that Nexi wasn’t. Graceful. Elegant. Well poised. Her eyes narrowed at Kyden’s smart-ass smile, then she glared at Thalia. “I don’t share him, either.”

  Nexi! Zia exclaimed.

  “Just being clear so there’s no misunderstanding,” Nexi said. Touch him and lose some of those pretty, sparkly fangs, she added silently in her mind.

  Zia cleared her throat. “Let’s move on, please.”

  Pissed that Kyden had kept this from her, and definitely not thrilled by the idea that Kyden’s past lover was that fancy vampire, Nexi shot him a look. “Yes, moving on is a great idea.”

  His grin grew in spades, all types of haughtiness. “Seems to me I have moved on and then some.” Apparently, not at all perturbed at this new development, he wrapped an arm around the back of the couch, dragging his fingers off Nexi’s shoulders.

  You should have told me, she hoped her glare portrayed.

  Not the time to talk about this, his arched brow countered.

  “Accept my apologies,” Thalia said, bringing Nexi’s attention back to her. Thalia smiled in what Nexi assumed to be reassuring, yet it made her sparkling eyes all the more beautiful. “Hands off, I get it.”

  “I’m glad we understand each other,” Nexi retorted through gritted teeth.

  Zia sighed. “We’ve come to talk about—”

  Thalia waved a dismissing hand and said to Nexi, “Tell me about what happened with Lazarus.”

  An unexpected turn of events, and Nexi preferred to stay out of these conversations, but she peered at Kyden, and with his smile still firmly in place, he nodded her on. Part of Nexi wanted to get the answers they needed for Trefan. The other part of her was annoyed that Thalia didn’t look like something that had crawled out of a grave.

  Refocused on her part in all this, she cleared her throat, shedding the flickers burning within. Then, in the most uninterested voice she could muster, she went throu
gh the whole incident with Lazarus that she preferred to live without remembering. It seemed like she spoke of someone else’s life. A lot had happened in a short amount of time. But now, in the end, all that mattered was both worlds were safer without Lazarus.

  By the time she finished retelling that particular horror, Thalia snickered and clapped her hands. “That is magnificent. To know Lazarus met such a terrible end is wonderful news!”

  Nexi didn’t disagree with her, but still…“And you hated him because…”

  Thalia settled the fabric of her dress over her knee and fiddled with the front buttons. Nexi glanced sideways, scowling at Kyden, declaring he would die a painful death if he looked at that leg or anywhere near her breasts where she played with those damn buttons.

  His smirk appeared along with his arrogant arching brow.

  Frustrated that he seemed to be enjoying this, she turned to Thalia as the Mistress replied, “Lazarus’s plan would’ve overthrown me and the other Mistresses. If you had failed to defeat him and he gained the power from your blood, we would’ve joined our forces to destroy him.” She hesitated, then added, “I’m glad we didn’t have to resort to such measures. My regime is my family. To lose any of them would’ve been a terrible loss for me.”

  The reminder of what Nexi had lost during Lazarus’s reign of terror clawed at her heart. She had lost so much—too much. Looking at her hands in her lap, she pulled in that sense of loss, doing what she could to survive it. Then a breeze swept across her face, fluttering her hair and lifting her head.

  Thalia was now an inch away. “Jesus,” Nexi blasted, pressing her back against the couch. “Don’t do that!”

  Thalia’s eyes literally danced. “Did I startle you?”

  “Yes!” Nexi placed her hand against her hammering heart. “You old—” She stopped herself, nearly proving Kyden and Zia right from their earlier conversation. “I cannot get past how fast you powerful vampires move. Please walk in normal speeds that my eyes can see.”

  Kyden barked a laugh.

  The soft lighting in the room drifted across the beautiful lines of Thalia’s face as her expression became perplexed. Zia explained, “Nexi is still very new to the ways of supernaturals and is adjusting.”

  The Mistress Vampire didn’t laugh or pay attention to Zia. Her sole focus remained on Nexi. “I saw your pain when I mentioned my family. I’m sorry if I upset you—that was not my intention.” Her voice became tender, and her brow drew together with her frown. “You lost someone, didn’t you?”

  Nexi swallowed back emotion. “My entire family.”

  Darkness filled Thalia’s eyes when she took Nexi’s hand, and the move was so fast that Nexi couldn’t have avoided it. It never occurred to her before how cold vampires were, probably because she didn’t go out of her way to touch them. She hadn’t had great relationships with vampires thus far, expect for Zade—simply because she knew he was a good guy. But Thalia’s hands sent shivers right through her, far from pleasant.

  “My sympathies are with you for your loss,” Thalia said softly. “It’s terrible when you lose loved ones.” She inhaled deeply as if in regret, but she stiffened almost in the same second. Her expression tightened, becoming hungry, as she leaned in closer to Nexi and drew in another deep breath.

  Nexi, alarmed by Thalia’s closeness, asked, “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Smelling you.” Thalia lifted her nose, taking another savoring deep sniff as if Nexi were the most sensual flower. “Your blood has a wonderfully sweet scent to it.” Eyes back on Nexi, her fangs poked out from beneath her lip. “Mind if I have a taste?”

  Nexi jerked her head toward Kyden and muttered, “She is seriously not suggesting I’m here for her to snack on?”

  His mouth twitched. “I believe she is asking that, yes.”

  Horrified by even the suggestion, Nexi snapped at Thalia, “I sure as hell do mind.” No beating around the bush, she was not on the menu. “There will be none of that, like, ever!”

  “Shame.” Thalia practically pouted and returned to her seat, shrugging halfheartedly. “That’s an interesting scent you carry. I suppose it must be your mixed heritage that makes your scent quite unusual.” She licked her lips. “And quite delectable.”

  Zia’s gaze, while amused, also held concern. “Zade had wondered the same thing, too. He’s also noticed the tempting aroma.”

  A shiver descended down Nexi’s spine and she shook it off with a loud snort. “Wonderful.” Not only was she the only known mixed supernatural, but now this. “Smelling appetizing to vamps is exactly what I need.”

  The worst part was no one had answers to explain any of it. If the Council didn’t know all the unknowns about Nexi’s life, how in the hell would she find out? So why encourage conversation that would eventually lead them to the same answer Nexi heard all the time: I don’t know. “Can we please talk about something else?”

  “Of course.” Thalia lowered her lip, hiding her fangs and placing her hands loosely in her lap. “Why have you come?”

  Zia hesitated and then said, “Tonight a guardian was killed.”

  “Really?” Shock sparked in Thalia’s wide eyes. “Who overpowered this guardian?”

  “Some of your vampires,” Zia replied.

  Thalia blinked once before her expression went stone cold as she focused on Nexi. “Did you say that some of my vampires killed a guardian of the Otherworld?”

  Nexi had no clue why Thalia looked to her for a response, but she nodded anyway. Given her experiences with vampires, her muscles tensed as she wondered about Thalia’s next move. The only reason Nexi sat calmly in her seat was because Kyden looked so relaxed with his arm still resting on the back of the couch—and apparently there was good reason for that: He’d done a lot more with this vampire than talk.

  Thalia slowly rose from her seat, her fangs, once again, peering out from behind her lip. “What kind of joke are you playing?”

  “I’m afraid it’s no joke,” Kyden replied, cool and collected. “Zade recognized a few of the vampires from your last summit.”

  “Lies!” Thalia roared, her power oozing off her in heavy waves, making the air thick; her fingers gripped the chaise beneath her, revealing white knuckles. “My vampires aren’t capable of such cruelty. What would be their purpose in destroying the guardian?”

  Her question had been aimed at Nexi…again.

  Regardless of the fact that she didn’t have any interest in conversing with Kyden’s ex-lover, she said, “We’re here to find that out.” Knowing—and hating—that Thalia had once had a relationship with Kyden, she thought it smart to add, “They killed Finn’s brother, Trefan.”

  Thalia’s lip slowly covered her fangs. “A close friend, then?” she asked Kyden.

  He nodded grimly. “Very close.”

  Gingerly removing her hands from their tight position on the edge of the chase, Thalia folded her arms. “How many of my vampires does Zade think he saw there?”

  “Three,” Kyden answered, crossing his ankle over his knee. “All new vampires.”

  Thalia pushed off the chase, as a predator would, slow and calculated. The change in her persona was quick, now looking more threatening, ominous.

  The Mistress Vampire continued to stare down Kyden before she shouted, “Maddox. To me. Now.”

  In vampire speed that Nexi’s eyes couldn’t process, a rugged-looking vampire with wild dirty-blond hair and a rough, unshaven face entered the room. Dressed in all black, he surveyed Nexi, Zia, and Kyden, and then he set those stormy brown eyes on Thalia. “What’s wrong?”

  “These ones”—she pointed to Nexi and looked like she wanted to use that finger to rip out Nexi’s throat—“have informed me that some of my vampires have killed a guardian.”

  Maddox shook his head, adamant. “Not possible.”

  Nexi rolled her eyes, feeling the weight of all the tension in the room on her shoulders. “It is possible, and they did do this.” Both Thalia’s and Maddox’s hea
ds snapped toward her, their fangs glistened against the dim light in the room. “Zade recognized them. This isn’t something he would make up.”

  Zia interjected, “Nexi’s right, I’m sorry to say. We found a witness who saw the murder. I managed to read into her thoughts and see the murder for myself. If you would like, I can show you the vampires.”

  Which was a blatant lie. Haven’s magic re-created the scene. But she was damn glad they kept that secret locked up tight. It kept Haven protected and not making her a target.

  Thalia’s lips thinned. “Fine. Show me.”

  Once in front of Zia, Thalia accepted Zia’s hand, then her eyes didn’t shut, but they clouded over, going distant. Seconds passed like minutes. When she finally dropped Zia’s hand, the silence grew heavy…thick.

  Thalia’s eyes glowed with a power proving this vampire had lived for centuries as she looked at Nexi like she wanted to sink her fangs into Nexi’s neck. Kyden, as totally expected, stayed remarkably lax next to her. What did he have to worry about? Thalia didn’t want to eat him.

  Many more incredibly awkward seconds passed before Thalia blinked away from her statue-like state. With a hard flop, as though she couldn’t support her own weight, she dropped down on the chaise, lowering her lip over her fangs. “Tell me what happened.” Her voice had considerably softened. “There has to be more than what I saw.”

  “There’s not much to tell.” Kyden slid his delicious fingers over Nexi’s shoulder, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was damn glad he showed her affection now. At least he was proving to Thalia who he now belonged to. As he twirled a seductive swirl on Nexi’s skin, he added, “Vampires attacked Trefan and before they killed him they spoke of revenge.”

  Maddox stepped in behind Thalia, resting a hand on her shoulder in an obvious show of comfort. Apparently, the fact that Thalia no longer objected was enough to get him to understand that the vampires belonged to her territory. “How many vampires were responsible?”

  “Twenty,” Kyden responded, then quickly added, “We’re unsure if they’re all from this territory, or if they belong to other Mistresses. There was also a black witch, Astoria, with them, too.”