Dark and Beautiful Nights (The Vampire Covenant Series Book 3)

by Betty Shreffler

  "Let him in, Elise."

  Cass gave Elise a wink. "I remember you. Outdoor sports magazine, right?"

  Jealousy flickered in Kayci's stomach. Really? Did I just get jealous that he remembered Elise? This man could make her brain short-circuit.

  Elise giggled. Alex seemed to be as uncomfortable as Kayci was.

  "Yes," Kayci spoke for her, pushing Elise gently out of the way. "What are you doing here?"

  "Hmm. There seems to be a disconnect between you and the fact that you're my mate. Wherever you go, I go. I'm pretty sure I may have said that once."

  Kayci shook her head at his arrogance. "Cass—"

  He didn't give her a chance to answer. He stepped through the door frame and pulled her against him, kissing her with relentless passion.

  Their lips parted and she swayed. Every part of her tingled. Her eyes transitioned as her fangs extracted.

  "I know you need to do this, but I couldn't sit around waiting for you to come back. As soon as you left, my instinct grew restless and demanded I come here."

  "You're impossible and pushy. You know that?"

  Cass winked at her. "I know."

  "Get in here," she grinned, shaking her head at him.

  She turned to see Alex and Elise watching them as if they were glued to a soap opera. She frowned at them.

  "Shows over. We have work to do."

  Cass and Elise stood nearby, watching her and Alex work. She combined the saffron, dittany, vanilla, benzoin, and sandalwood into the bowl. With one hand, she lit the herbs in the bowl. They sparked, ignited, and quickly released puffs of smoke from them. She bit into her left palm, held it above the bowl, and let several drops of blood smother the herbs. She closed her eyes and focused on the energy filling her.

  "Unum quod deest. Ducite me, et per spiritum oris. Accipe me unum petunt."

  As the last of the words escaped her lips, she felt the familiar pressure against her body. A breeze swept over her, then the images came, flashing through her mind—darkness, a cave, a black hole of nothing. The pressure faded.

  Kayci grimaced as her eyes opened. "She's put up a masking spell," she growled. "She's a skilled sorceress."

  Alex's mouth raised into a wicked half-smile. "Yeah, but together, we're stronger. Grab the mastic, mandrake, and eyebright."

  Kayci searched through the supplies in her office, finding the two herbs and the mandrake—her last one. She'd have to restock soon.

  She came back to the living room and handed them to Alex.

  "Make a paste of the eyebright. We'll need to place it on your eyes. Make sure it has a smooth texture so your vision will be clear."

  Kayci entered the kitchen. Cass and Elise remained by the archway, quietly observing her and Alex while trying to stay out of their way.

  "What should I mix it with?"

  He grew quiet—too quiet. "Alex?"

  "Uh…agrimony and caraway." She knew he was scrunching his face on that one.

  She sighed. "So, I'm going to need protection for this spell?"

  More scrunching, no doubt. "Ye…s."

  She let out a huff as she pulled the agrimony and caraway from the cabinet. She added the herbs into the mortar, crushing them with the pestle. She added oil and used the spatula to smooth the paste.

  She entered the living room to see Alex had brought out the censer and had mastic burning in it.

  "And you're adding potency and power to this spell."

  "Uh, hmm," he said, his concentration on something else. He'd carved the mandrake into a poppet and had tied straw to it.

  "You're using a lot of image and hex removal magic."

  "Uh, hmm," he said again, as he tied off the hemp string. He patted the floor next to him.

  "I'll need you to lay flat for this."

  "What's the spell?" Her brow arched as she stared at him inquisitively.

  "Mmm. It's a nasty intrusion spell. You're not going to like it. I'll be forcing you into her body so you can see through her eyes. It's going to hurt like a bitch."

  "Nothing will ever hurt as bad as werewolf venom. Let's get on with it."

  Cass gently grabbed her arm, concern filling his eyes. "You sure?"

  She nodded. "Whatever it takes. I need to do this."

  He kissed her softly on the cheek, letting her arm go. "Be careful."

  She set the mortar and paste on the floor next to her as she lay down flat.

  "Cass, I'm going to need your help for this," Alex told him. "Elise, you should go into another room. This is going to get ugly."

  Elise whimpered. "All right." She scooted off, heading up the stairs, glancing back at them with a concerned expression.

  Alex placed a comforting hand on Kayci's leg. "I'm not only sending your mind to hers, I'm also going to draw power from you. It takes a lot of magic to conduct this spell and you're the most powerful being I know. That's part of what's going to hurt. I'm going to have to cut you and keep your wound open so I can draw the energy from you."

  The nerves bunched in her gut. She grimaced from the uncomfortable anticipation. "Hurry up and get it over with."

  Cass leaned over her. "What do you need me to do?"

  "Keep the wound open. You're going to have to either bite her or cut her wrist and keep the wound open."

  Cass' eyes grew dark. His instinct burrowed its angry claws into his chest. Protect your mate. "No. There's no way in hell I'm going to hurt her repeatedly."

  Kayci sat up, taking his face into her hand. "You're not hurting me, you're helping me. Please do this."

  Cass' chest tightened. His jaw muscles twitched. A battle ensued inside of him. His mate needed something from him. He wanted to give it to satisfy her, but his instinct fought him, demanding he protect her.

  His nostrils flared as his lip curled. Damn vampire. Against his own will, he nodded. "Don't ever ask me to hurt you again. Not as long as we live."

  Kayci leaned in, kissing him, giving him what comfort she could. His tense body barely eased. She parted from their kiss. "Thank you."

  She looked away from his pained expression and sad eyes. She could sense the storm of emotions in him, no doubt from their bond. She laid back down, awaiting Alex's instruction.

  "Close your eyes."

  A gentle touch and the paste was being spread evenly over her eyes. She laid still, making it easier for him. She could smell the herbs as he lifted them into the air. A flame was lit and the scent of the herbs changed. The smell of burning herbs wafted toward her. He'd lit more of the dittany, vanilla, benzoin, and sandalwood. She jerked in surprise as the hot herbs were sprinkled over her body, scalding her skin and then melting into it as her skin healed. A lightweight object was placed on her chest—the mandrake poppet. It was just heavy enough to be a reminder it was there.

  "Kayci, we're going to cut your wrist and start the spell."

  Alex held her arm over the bowl she'd used earlier. A sting of fangs penetrated her wrist and then quickly released her. Cass' strong hand held her wrist over the bowl, his pulse beating rapidly through his fingers. She could sense his fear and anger and, beneath it, his love. Their bond was surely growing. She raised her free arm, finding his hand and taking hold of it. He rubbed his thumb along her hand, giving her instant comfort.

  Her warm blood poured over her wrist. The sound of it dripping into the bowl quickly reached her ears. Alex's hand moved near her. She smelled the blood as it came closer. The mandrake poppet moved on her chest. The scent of her own blood now covered the mandrake poppet.

  "Per sanguinem da mihi potestatum, conforta me, ut malum quod quaero."

  As the last of the words left his lips, an immense amount of pressure took hold of her chest and head.

  She moaned, squeezing Cass' hand. Another bite of his fangs and her wrist was being squeezed as more blood left her. The pressure on her head and chest grew worse, sending needles stabbing into her skull. Barely able to breath, she gulped for air.

  "Use this vase ut nulla. Ventum e
st, tolle eam, et invenitur requiram. Videamus quid viderit."

  Another spell cast and the scents and sounds of her living room evaporated.

  Cass…

  The feel of the floor beneath her back faded. Darkness swam into her mind. Dizziness seized her as she lost sense of her body and her surroundings. She could only see and feel darkness. No heat or cold, no time or distance. Nothing—just pure darkness.

  A tingling of pressure formed in her chest. It grew quickly, giving her something to cling to. She wanted to feel anything. Pain would be better than the nothing and consuming, disorienting darkness. As the pressure swelled in her chest, blurry objects filled the corners of her eyes. The objects took shape, transforming from color and shapes to objects she could identify.

  In front of her was a bar with mirrored walls and colored bottles overly stuffed onto the glass shelves. She sat in front of a dark brown counter with blue lights beneath it, a glass in her hand and a tatted bartender smiling at her—a bartender she recognized. Her eyes darted from the attractive bartender to the wall, the counter, frantically scanning her surroundings.

  Her vision blurred and then the dizziness returned as she swam through darkness, consumed by nothingness, floating through space and time.

  She gasped, sucking in air, as the scents and sounds of her living room assaulted her. She raised herself. A warm cloth was placed into her hand. She wiped the paste from her eyes.

  She opened them to Alex and Cass staring at her, fear and concern in their expressions.

  "She's at Safire. Here in Naples. She's been waiting for me to return."

  Alex nodded, leaving them to find Elise upstairs. Kayci wiped the last of the paste from her face. She turned to Cass. He pulled her right to him, held her against him, and kissed her forehead as he rubbed along her back.

  "I heard you," he said, nuzzling into her hair. "I heard you call to me just before you left your own body." He leaned back, holding her face in his hands, his possessive eyes looking down on hers. "When this is over, I'm chaining you to my bed, for days, maybe weeks. You're killing me with this mission of yours. I need you to be careful. Seeing you leave your body like that—I mean it, Kat. I can't lose you."

  She could sense his fear—his loss of control. His heart was pouring out to hers, needing the connection.

  She leaned forward, kissing him, pressing her lips against his until she heard the breathy growl escape his lips—the growl that made her own body respond with intense need.

  "I promise, when this is over, you and I will take as many days as you want, just you and me, a cabin, a bed, your bed."

  She sensed his fear and tension dissipating. She rubbed along his thick arms. "Thank you for helping Alex. I know that was hard for you, especially when I left my body. I appreciate it and I appreciate you."

  She nuzzled his cheek and grazed his lips before she kissed him again. He held the nape of her neck, holding her steady as he drove passion into their kiss, matching her tongue with his, flicking it across her fangs. His hands pulled her closer to him, wrapped around her and raised her off the floor with him. His strong muscles flexed, his arousal growing as he held her body against his.

  Footfalls on the stairs left her swaying when their swollen lips parted. Their breathy, heated bodies still clung to one another. When Alex and Elise reached the bottom of the steps, she looked up at Cass' beautiful wolf eyes.

  "Alex and I have to go. We have to act fast before she realizes what happened."

  His grip instinctively tightened. "I should go with you."

  She shook her head. "As soon as we have her, Alex and I will be taking her to the crypt where I have Adrian and Natalia's bodies."

  Alex walked into the office to gather herbs.

  "This is why I didn't want you to come. I won't see you again until after I've freed Adrian. I don't want you to be waiting here for me—worrying."

  Cass' eyes darkened. "Tell him quickly."

  The thought of the conversation lingered in her stomach, creating nausea and tension in her gut.

  Cass studied her, his wolf eyes piercing hers. "You're going to tell him once he's out, aren't you?"

  "Cass, I'm not going to slam him with the news as soon as I wake him."

  Cass' jaw tensed. Of course, she wouldn't do that to him. She cared about him and didn't want to hurt him. How long would it be before she did tell him? Would he hold her and kiss her the moment he saw her? Of course he would, because that's what he'd do. That dug into his gut, inciting the jealousy and concern that lay there.

  "Kayci."

  Her eyes left Cass' hardened expression and looked at Alex.

  "We have to go."

  She nodded, before looking back at Cass. "When Vladimir gets here, tell him our plan."

  His grip tightened on her, holding her against him as he caressed her lips with his. She could feel the passion, desire and fear just beneath his kiss. She remembered the last time he'd made her feel this way—the night they'd danced. He didn't want to let her go then either.

  She eased off their kiss, rubbing along his hand before letting go. "I love you."

  She turned away from him, the emotion in his eyes too much for her to take. She walked past Elise. "Keep him company for me."

  Chapter 19

  Kayci lowered her flame-lit hands, the fire fading. The bouncer werewolf opened the frosted glass doors for them.

  The odd aroma of blood, alcohol, pheromones, vampires, and humans slammed into her. The place had definitely become a hotspot of late and all scents lingered heavily throughout the windowless club.

  She glanced at Alex and grimaced. Fortunately, he didn't have her vampire sense of smell.

  "This place wreaks of sex, blood, and alcohol."

  Alex studied her, letting out a chuckle. "Yeah, glad I don't have to deal with that."

  Her eyes left Alex, scanning the club, peering through the dimly lit lounge and dance floor, searching for Deirdre. "I don't see her."

  "Think she's partaking in the special activities in the back?"

  Kayci searched the walls and ceiling of the club. The lights caused her to squint, making it hard for her to see clearly. She tilted her head, narrowing in on a camera.

  "There's one way to find out."

  Kayci searched for the bartender she knew—the one that had made her the cocktails she'd carelessly indulged in as well as served Deirdre.

  She stepped up to the counter. Alex took the stool next to her.

  She nodded at the bartender when he glanced her direction. He approached them, a friendly smile on his face. "Haven't seen you two lately."

  "Been pretty busy." She pulled the club's business card from her wallet and laid it on the counter. "Tell me about this." She slid the card toward him.

  Connor glanced down at it, then lifted his eyes, meeting hers, a nervous expression on his face. "Why don't I give the boss a call? I'm sure he'd like to meet the infamous Katerina Salvitto."

  Her mouth raised into a satisfied smile. "I like that idea."

  Two vampires arrived moments later. She turned on her stool to study them. Both of their navy blue shirts read, STAFF, across the front. One was tall, dirty blond and lean with fit muscles, the other was short, a bit rough around the edges with several piercings and a full, lengthy beard.

  "Katerina Salvitto?" the tall, dirty blond asked.

  She nodded.

  "If you don't mind walking with us, we'll escort you both back to meet Mr. Blane." The vampire outstretched his bent elbow for her to take. She was being given the royal treatment. She put her hand in his arm and walked with him, the other vampire, and Alex, to the corner of the club.

  They passed the restrooms, followed a narrow corridor with a door on each side and one at the end of the hall. The vampires turned to the right door and stopped, opened the door for her, and motioned for her and Alex to enter.

  She eyed them carefully as she slowly entered the office. She glanced back to see them departing the same way they'd come
. She pushed the door open wider and stepped in to a spacious room with a glass and steel desk in the center. A thin laptop sat above it and behind it, a lengthy, thin vampire with slick, black hair pulled into a ponytail, raised his hazel eyes over the top of the screen to meet hers. He stood to his full height, easily six foot. He wore a black and gray pinstriped button-down shirt tucked into black slacks with a shiny leather belt and matching shoes. His platinum watch and necklace shined brightly against his darker clothing.

  "Ah, Miss Salvitto."

  He stepped out from behind his desk—his pearly white fangs gleaming brightly under his cheeky salesman smile.

  "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Dominic Blane."

  Alex closed the door behind them as she reached out to take Dominic's hand. Dominic glanced at Alex, surely recognizing the presence of a witch.

  She motioned toward Alex, who joined her side. "This is another member of the Covenant—Alex Gavrikov."

  Dominic reached out his hand, taking Alex's. "A pleasure to meet you, as well."

  His attention returned to Kayci. "What brings you into my office today, Miss Salvitto?"

  Kayci glanced at the monitors covering the entire left wall. Four of them were blank while six others remained active, displaying the outside line, the entry where you display your supernatural identification as well as the inside of the club and its mobs of humans and supernaturals. Surely, he'd turned off the four that displayed his private activities.

  "Your club has become quite popular in a very short amount of time. It being a place where many supernaturals are congregating, you can imagine it's gained the Covenant's attention." She glanced at the monitors, ensuring his eyes followed hers. She returned her attention to him. "Not only that, but you have cameras with countless hours of video footage that could easily reveal our identity if put into the wrong hands." She narrowed her eyes at him. "That's not something we want happening."

  His salesman smile grew wide, ready to elicit charm. "Miss Salvitto, I've been running supernatural clubs for years. I can assure you, our identity is completely secure. All video footage is destroyed within 24 hours of receiving the video feed, giving me just enough time to save anything I might need for security purposes, yet offering the protection of every species in here."