Intoxicating Magic

by Deanna Chase

  Tal’s phone buzzed. He frowned as he read the message.

  “What is it?” I asked, unease inching up my spine.

  “Our cure didn’t work. Harrison and the others are getting weak again and their wounds aren’t healing. The only consolation is they haven’t slipped back into a coma… yet.”

  “How is that possible?” Frustration hit me hard. I’d known we still had to work on healing their wounds, but damn. I hadn’t expected them to relapse so soon. “We just woke them up a few hours ago.”

  “It’s the poison. We have to find an antidote as soon as possible. After we’re done here, I’ll need to consult some healer texts.” His lips thinned into a tight line. “Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

  I matched his frown. Research could take days. The guards didn’t appear to have that long. I turned to Phoebe, anxious to help her catch her vamp so we could leave. “How long’s it been since you last saw the vamp?”

  “Thirty, forty minutes. And it wasn’t just one. It was two. A male and a female. They were over there.” She pointed to the other side of the bar’s courtyard. “But by the time I got through the crowd, they’d terrorized one coed and then disappeared.”

  “Did you see anyone leave?” I was almost positive at least one of them was still around. Link was entirely too agitated.

  “Not with either one of them.” She frowned. “I just can’t figure out where they went.” Her frustration was boiling over. Nothing pissed her off more than when an innocent was attacked. “That was the third time I’d spotted them, too. I don’t know where they’re going, but they haven’t left. I’m sure of it. Being out in the open isn’t helping. It’s too easy for them to disappear into a neighboring building and reappear somewhere else.”

  Yeah, that would be a problem. I eyed the rooftops of the three buildings surrounding the bar and courtyard. They were each three stories high, but that was nothing for a vamp. They could leap to any one of the terraces and get into just about any apartment. I shuddered, imagining an empty apartment with drained humans. “What about the coed? Where is she?”

  Phoebe tilted her head toward a girl sitting at a picnic table in what appeared to be an employee area a few yards behind the bar. She’d been the one Phoebe had been talking to when I’d walked in.

  “I’ll be right back.” Leaving Tal and Phoebe, I slipped behind the bar and sat next to the girl. She was staring into a plastic cup of water. “Hey. You doing better?”

  Her eyes widened as she took in my wings. “You’re fae.”

  I smiled. Way to state the obvious. “Nice to meet you.”

  She flushed and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Cameron.”

  “Hi, Cameron. I’m Willow.” I shook her hand, pleased when her grip tightened around mine. Just my talking to her seemed to be giving her some confidence back. “Want to tell me what happened with the vamps?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “They were trying to convince me to go back to their house for an evening of fun. Like they were swingers or something.” She visibly shivered. “Only I’ve seen them before and I know a few girls who’ve gone home with them in the past.”

  “And?”

  “Let’s just say those girls don’t go clubbing anymore.”

  My blood pressure skyrocketed. That could mean anything from a nonconsensual feeding to sexual assault. I glanced at Phoebs and Tal. They both had their backs to us as they continued to scan the bar, searching for the rogue vampires.

  “And what did they say when you turned them down?” I asked her.

  She clamped her lips together and shook her head.

  Damn. She was done opening up to me. “Well,” I said carefully. “See my friends over there? You’ve already met the blonde.” I pointed to Phoebe. “We’re not leaving until we track them down. So any info you have on them would be most helpful.”

  Her expression turned wary and then skeptical as she eyed me. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like someone they might eat for breakfast.”

  I laughed at that. She wasn’t wrong. No one ever pegged me as a vamp hunter. I definitely didn’t look the part. Long auburn hair, hands better suited for baking than fighting, and I was dressed in a long, flowing skirt and ballet flats. I looked every bit the pacifist I longed to be. It just wasn’t in my cards. “Good luck to them,” I said and winked. “They aren’t likely to get past my wolf, but if they do, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

  She glanced at Link, who was still pacing in front of Phoebe, and her skeptical expression turned into a small smile. “That’s some nice protection right there.”

  “You can say that again.” I grinned and then touched her hand lightly. “If you have any other information you want to share, I’ll be right over there.” I pointed once again to the place where Phoebe and Tal were talking, heads bent.

  She nodded.

  I gave her one last long look before I thanked her for her time and headed back in the direction of my friends.

  “Willow?” she called.

  I spun. “Yes?”

  “I don’t think your wolf is going to help you now.”

  “Wh—”

  Someone slammed into me from behind. I stumbled forward, certain I was headed to the floor face first. But then a line of fire grasped me around the neck and jerked me back up and onto my feet. My entire back screamed in protest as a thousand pinpricks of pain consumed me to the point my vision blurred.

  Vampire!

  The word flashed in my mind like a neon light. Where had he come from? More importantly, why hadn’t I felt him? Just like I hadn’t felt Victoria. Was my gift broken? A vampire shouldn’t have been able to sneak up on me like that. Not unless I’d turned him into a daywalker, but then their touch couldn’t hurt me.

  I bucked, kicking my feet out, trying my damnedest to break free, but it was useless. The vamp had a viselike grip on me and my energy was draining at a rapid rate. Phoebe! Tal! I tried to call to them, but I couldn’t get enough air to get the words out.

  Blackness danced at the edge of my vision. Heat was consuming every inch of me. And the last thing I saw before I felt the whoosh of air around us was the coed’s face sneering up at me as the vampire leaped, taking me with him through one of the nearby open windows.

  Chapter 21

  “Get in!” The vampire kicked me in the back, forcing me into a souped-up electric-blue car with giant wheels.

  I gasped for breath and curled into a ball, my body shaking uncontrollably. The trauma from being touched by the vampire was too much, and my muscles twitched from his assault. Too late—I clutched at the door handle, but the car was already in motion, speeding down the streets of New Orleans.

  “Where are you taking me?” I forced out between shallow gasps of air.

  A woman vampire I’d never seen before turned around in the front seat and gazed at me intently. I was lying on my side, my head bouncing against the vinyl seat.

  “You don’t look like him,” she said, her brows pinched in concentration.

  “Who?” I squeezed my eyes shut and winced as we flew over a river of potholes.

  “Shut up, Talia,” the driver barked.

  My eyes popped open and I watched Talia hiss at him. He ignored her displeasure. Her deep blue eyes flashed with irritation as she tied her long bronze hair up into a haphazard bun. “Speak to me that way again, and I’ll rip your little toy’s throat out before you have your way with her.”

  Your little toy? Was that bitch talking about me? Now that I wasn’t blindsided, we’d see how far she got. I’d drain her life even if it killed me before I’d let either of them lay a hand on me again.

  He whipped his hand out and caught her around the throat in one quick movement. “Don’t test me.” The words came out low and controlled, but the way his muscles were flexing, he was one step away from breaking her neck. Not that it would kill her. But it would hurt like a son of a bitch.

  I pushed myself up, trying to get my bearings. I wasn’t going to be able to
do anything curled into the fetal position.

  “Sure, Vince,” Talia whispered.

  He flexed his fingers, squeezing harder for a moment, then flung her backward, causing her head to bounce against the window with a loud thunk. “Think before you speak next time.”

  She slumped in her seat, clutching her head. Then I saw her cast a look of pure hatred his way. It was there for just a moment, then disappeared when she sent him a twisted smile. “You know it turns me on when you manhandle me that way.”

  My stomach turned. Watching the disturbed way they interacted made my skin crawl. The only upside was I knew if I could get her alone, it wouldn’t be too hard to get her to talk. It was obvious to me that she hated him and was playing along for some reason. Most likely she worked for him. They weren’t professional enough to work for an organization like Cryrique. More likely they were street vamps hired by someone who didn’t want to get their hands dirty. But who?

  Asher? He made the most sense, especially since as far as anyone knew, he wasn’t in New Orleans. If he’d heard what happened in Eureka, he could’ve put a contract out on me. But why not sooner? What had changed? I needed to get a few minutes with Talia.

  Vince sent her a wolfish smile. “Later, my pet. I’ll let you bite me just the way I like it.”

  Oh, what an ass. My desire to knock the shit out of him almost got the better of me. Instead, I slid closer to the door, planning my escape. I was certain that wherever they were taking me would be infinitely harder to escape from than the back of the souped-up gangster car.

  Talia rolled her eyes at Vince, who only laughed and grabbed her upper thigh.

  I kept my eyes riveted to their exchange as I inched my hand over to the door handle. The hard metal cooled my hand as I curled my fingers around the latch and waited for my opportunity.

  Three blocks later, the light flashed red. My muscles tensed with anticipation. This was my chance. I glanced around, noting the lack of street lamps. The night was dark, filled with shadows. The houses looked deserted and no one was around. We were definitely in gang territory. Double damn. That wasn’t going to stop me, though. I had to get out of there. I glanced around once more and spotted a familiar street sign. I’d been here once before. Phoebe had a safe house not too far away. If I could just get out and disappear into the darkness, I might make it.

  The car jerked to a stop and I seized the door handle.

  Nothing.

  The male vampire whipped around, his arm lashing out, but I ducked and slammed my body against the door. It flung open, and I toppled out headfirst. The cool night air whipped around me in sweet relief just before I hit the asphalt. Hard.

  I heard the tearing of fabric but had no idea if it was my clothing or someone else’s.

  Vince swore loudly and I heard the smack of flesh on flesh. He’d hit Talia. Holy mother of fae. I’d barely gotten to my knees before he unfolded himself from the car and loomed over me.

  Shit. He was too fast. I hadn’t had time to get my ass out of there.

  The door was still half ajar, and I clutched it, intending to use it as a shield, but then Talia reared up behind Vince, her fangs extended, her dark eyes fixed on me. “Run!” she demanded, her voice hoarse from fury.

  Vince reached back and grabbed her by her hair just as her fangs sank into his neck, ripping open his carotid artery. His face contorted to rage as they both fell forward against the open door.

  I scrambled backward just out of their reach and thrust my wings, taking flight. My feet lifted off the ground, but then my wings stalled, too weak to carry my weight. The day’s events and being attacked by the vamp had finally taken their toll.

  The vampires were grappling, each of them seemingly trying to kill the other. Who knew how long it would last or who their altercation would attract? I had to hide. Fast. I took off at a dead run, my legs weighing me down like lead. The air constricted in my chest as I rounded a corner and spotted a small park.

  It wasn’t safe. Not in this neighborhood. But it did have trees. And that was what I needed more than anything at that moment. A chance to replenish some of my strength before I collapsed in the street.

  I felt the tree’s life energy surrounding me when I was only a few feet away. It calmed me and ordered my thoughts. Talisen. Phoebe. I had to get in touch with them. There was no telling if they’d seen the vampires take me or what that bitch coed had told them. The vamps had probably hired her to bait me. I groped through my pockets for my phone but came up empty. I knew I’d had it on me when we’d gotten to the bar. I’d texted Phoebe. Had I lost it in the struggle? Or in the back seat of Vince’s car? It was even possible they’d stripped it from me when I was passed out.

  Blowing out a frustrated breath, I pushed my hair back and started to climb. I needed the tree more than ever, and standing at the base of it in clear view of the entire neighborhood was asking to be shot. Or worse.

  It was slow going. Trees weren’t usually much of an issue. When I didn’t fly, I was just as skilled as the next fae in climbing into the canopies. But this time I slipped twice before I got to a limb large enough to stand on. Thank the goddess for my wings. If I hadn’t been able to fly, I would’ve ended up splattered on the ground below me.

  I was winded, breathing heavily, but safely tucked high in the tree against the trunk when I saw the three pimped-out cars circling the block. Oh no. Someone had seen me. The gang members were coming after me.

  They slowed as they reached the park, the windows down and each car armed, at least one gun barrel poking out of the windows. The hair stood up on the back of my neck. I couldn’t do anything about a gun. My only defense was my energy-stealing touch. I didn’t even have my stun gun with me.

  I held my breath and let it out when they slowly eased by.

  Then I heard the rapid fire of gunshots followed by a scream and wheels squealing as the cars sped off down the street.

  I sat there staring at the corner where the cars had disappeared. My body started to tremble with the realization that I’d never felt so utterly alone in my life. Not even when I’d been locked in a cage in the Arcane. Link had been there then. He been locked in his own cage, but he’d been there.

  I leaned back against the trunk of the tree and fingered a nearby leaf. The smooth foliage was cool and sent electric shocks of its energy straight to my magical core, giving me exactly what I needed to recharge. I pulled in as much of the tree’s replenishing energy as I could and then took a deep breath. It was time to see what I was really made of.

  Listening carefully, I made my way down the tree, trying my best to stay camouflaged in the leaves. Just because the cars were gone didn’t mean there wasn’t someone out there watching. In fact, it was likely. In a neighborhood like this one, they couldn’t count on the local police to answer a call of distress. They were pretty much on their own.

  After landing at the base of the tree, I glanced down at my bright blue shirt and grimaced. Not exactly undercover wear. Nor was my skirt. I should have been in jeans and a skintight T-shirt, sporting a leather jacket. Then I’d blend in. Of course, my wings were a dead giveaway. I tucked them close to my back and kept to the shadows of the small park.

  If I remembered correctly, Phoebe’s safe house was three blocks away. I knew getting there unnoticed would be a small miracle in and of itself. And even if I did, there was also the problem of breaking in. Phoebe had all kinds of wards protecting that place. I could only hope she’d used the same ones she used on our house. Maybe then I’d have a chance of not tripping any of them. It was unlikely. Why would she worry if I could get in? I never went there. Except for that one time I’d been with her.

  I pushed the thoughts from my head. There was nothing I could do but try. The safe house was a hell of a lot closer than any other place I might find help. And if I did manage to get in, I’d be safe.

  The deserted streets seemed to close in on me as I skirted around haphazardly parked cars and fallen garbage cans, ducking when
dogs barked, alerting their masters to intruders. My heart pounded, and I prayed if anyone did see me they wouldn’t shoot first and ask questions later. Maybe it was a good thing I was wearing a skirt. Better than an outfit that said I could kick ass.

  I’d made it two blocks when a floodlight went off, lighting up what felt like half the block. Loud voices carried from inside the house, one of them demanding to know who dared to intrude on Xavier’s territory.

  Without thinking, I flattened myself to the pavement and rolled underneath the nearest car. Who was Xavier?

  My heart pounded and then nearly beat out of my chest when I heard the double pump of a shotgun. Holy shit. He wasn’t messing around.

  “Get up, chica,” he said in a thick Spanish accent. “Or else you can wait for me to drag you out by your hair.”

  My throat went dry and sweat beaded in my palms. Maybe it was better to let him drag me out. At least then I’d be close enough to touch him, inflict some damage of my own. Or would that only piss him off more? Could I reason with him? I didn’t want any trouble, and no doubt he had a bunch of brothers who’d back him up even if I did manage to take him down.

  I sucked in a shaky breath and inched toward the street on the opposite side of where the man stood.

  But just as I was about to give up my cover, a girl huffed out, “Jesus, Daddy. We were just watching the stars. Give Miguel a break, huh?”

  “I told you,” he growled, “that I don’t want you seeing that boy.” The way he stressed the word boy indicated his true feelings for Miguel. As if he’d be happy to feed the kid to the gators before he’d let his daughter date him. “You know who his father is.”

  There was the sound of feet hitting the pavement and a cry of disgust from the girl. “You can’t control who he’s related to. God! You’d think you of all people would understand that.” Her steps echoed into the night as she stomped off. Then I heard the slam of what must’ve been a screen door.