by Misty Evans
My vocal cords worked, but they were in bad shape. “You okay, Maddy?”
Her head bobbed and she smiled wider. “You. Kicked. Fucking. Ass.”
Running my hands over my various body parts, I found everything whole and in the right places. My cape was still tied around my neck. Volante was on my wrist.
I was alive. Maddy was alive. Rad, Cole and Damon were okay.
Damon. Where had he come from? “What the hell are you doing here?”
He slanted his eyes at Maddy. “I came to reprimand you for breaking another Bridge law. Really, Kali. Turning Victoria into a vampire?”
His words were serious and chastising, but his tone was light. I thought he was joking, but I wasn’t sure.
“Did it work?” I asked.
“She’s alive and sleeping it off.” Maddy looked over her shoulder as if to check on Vicky, returned her gaze to me. “I gave her some of the AB neg. Hope that’s okay. I didn’t want her drinking my blood and being tied to me when the change is complete.”
Smart girl. I glanced at Cole and Rad. “The portal’s closed? Lilith’s gone?”
The two of them grabbed my arms and helped me sit up. “Looks that way,” Cole said. “The pentagram was burning with fire when you all went down. Then the flames disappeared, you and Maddy hurtled out of the hole, and the pentagram burned with some kind of white light. Maddy was fine, but you’ve been unconscious for about ten minutes.”
Vertigo hit. I was soaked and my teeth chattered. “Get me off this damn wet ground.”
They lifted me and I managed to stay on my feet, hanging onto their arms for support. The blue flickering lightning bolts continued to go off in my peripheral vision. I saw a body on the ground outside the circle. Vicky. When she came to, she was going to be one pissed off vamp.
As luck would have it, I was pretty good at handling pissed off vamps.
Cole and Rad walked me toward the church. “Wait. I have to make sure the portal won’t open again.”
“I’ll do it,” Damon said. “You go inside and clean up. The coronation is at midnight sharp, and we’re meeting with the Prince and a few of his officials beforehand, including the Master of the House. They want to go over your duties and responsibilities.”
Duty and responsibility. My calling cards. Justice, however, was still mine. “Does the Prince know about Toel?”
Damon gave me a nod. “He knows.” The disgust on Damon’s face told me Vlad knew very well what his West Coast Regional Manager was up to and didn’t really care.
“Just so we’re clear. If Vlad doesn’t reign in Toel, I will.”
Not waiting for his reply, I started walking—tottering really—toward the church. Maddy took Cole’s place next to me and he lifted Vicky and carried her. With every step, my internal organs trembled as if I were on a floating boat launch, trying to keep my balance during a storm. My ears rang. The aftereffects of the portal were a bitch, but at least I wasn’t coughing up blood.
Remembering the experience, I gritted my teeth. The white light. The whisper of angels’ wings. Heavenly intervention sounded like the weirdest of weird ass reasons for me to still be standing, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Maybe Lucifer wasn’t as crazy as I’d thought.
A few steps from the edge of the cemetery gate, a dark figure shot out from a gravestone, moving with feline-like grace. I should have smelled him before I saw him, but my senses were off.
All of us froze. Even in the darkness, his numerous spots and long tail gave him away. The cheetah stood tall and streamlined, all lanky limbs and slender body. His ears flattened when he saw me and he bared his teeth, white teeth flashing in the darkness.
I slid my whip handle into my hand. “Arman.”
His predatory stance didn’t change. His tongue flicked out and back in and he dropped his head and eyed me more intently.
“Return to your human form and I’ll feed you.”
“It’s too late,” Maddy said. “He needed to feed before the cheetah took over. Shifter blood slaves are that way. Once they go into animal form, they can’t shift back on their own.”
Damn. “My blood was supposed to stop him from shifting.”
“But he’s running on empty. Your blood was only a short-term solution.”
I’d faced a lot of predators in my time as enforcer. I knew the look on Arman’s face even if he was a cheetah. There was no getting out of this situation without taking him down. “Sorry, Arman. I have no choice.”
I flicked my wrist and Volante wrapped around his front legs, taking him off his feet. He snarled and fought against the restraint. I removed a stake and threw it at his head. The blunt end hit him solidly in the center, knocking him out.
Rad carried Arman, Cole carried Victoria, Maddy supported me. Inside, I reopened the wound on my wrist, bled into a fresh glass. I forced Arman’s cheetah lips apart and poured some down his throat. Then I left the rest in the fridge and trudged upstairs alone.
I threw myself into the shower and washed my body twice, the feel of the water and the smell of the soap washing away the last of the portal’s aftereffects. Once I’d walked out of the cemetery, I no longer saw the blue flashes of light. Now as I let hot water cascade over me, bone-deep relief mixed with a certain amount of satisfaction made me giddy. Going through the vampire coronation was small peas compared to besting Lilith. Whatever the night held, I’d handle it.
After the shower, I climbed into bed, thinking I’d take a short rest. The only sleep I’d had in the past twenty-four hours was the two-hour nap on the way home from Eden. I’d used very little magic in that time, but my physical body was worn out from the stress.
I woke a couple of hours later when someone slapped me on the butt. Hard.
“Ow,” I said, sitting up too fast. The room tilted, then righted itself as my brain caught up to the sudden movement.
Yasmin was staring at me, arms crossed over her chest. She was dressed in a long, flowing green gown that sparkled so much, I looked away. “I can’t believe you’re sleeping. You’re not dressed, your hair is…” She made a disgusted sound in the back of her throat. “Get up. Now.”
I was naked under the sheet, so I shifted around carefully, keeping my assets covered. “What are you doing here?”
“Damon insists we all go to the coronation together. Isn’t that delightful?”
Her tone was spiteful but I sort of understood it. I had no desire to go with her either. “Okay, I’m up. You can leave my bedroom now.”
Maddy swooped in wearing one of my Marchesa dresses that had been stored in a spare room. The hand-pleated pale pink silk tulle was embroidered at the neckline and hung in a cascade from her breasts, the hemline ending in a fluffy wave around mid-thigh. She looked better than I did in it. “That’s my dress.”
“I have to wear something nice. It is a formal affair, you know.” She’d piled her hair on top of her head and had cute, messy ringlets falling around her face. “I can’t go to the coronation ceremony in my jeans, but I’m much too young for—” she cut her eyes to Yasmin and back, “—ballroom dresses.”
Holding up a bone-colored flowing dress in front of Yasmin, she waved a hand over it. “How about this one for Kali?”
It was another Marchesa. One that Di had picked, as evidenced by the goddess vibe it emitted. Yasmin shook her head. “Needs to be classy and sophisticated but with an edge to it. It should say business but not office.”
“Have you seen her closets?” Maddy grabbed Yasmin’s hand, and to Yasmin’s horror, hauled her toward the door. “They’re amazing, but completely unorganized. I have no idea how to find the right dress.”
As they went out, I called after them. “Can’t I just wear my usual skirt and turtleneck?”
“No,” came their replies in unison.
While they were gone, I threw on a tank top and sweatpants. While I’d always loved getting dressed up, I hadn’t worn something fancy in a long time. The coronation was a formal a
ffair—hell, anything the vamps did was a formal affair—but dressing up held little appeal. I was going to be surrounded by the Undead, including the Master himself. I wanted my fighting clothes on.
Yasmin and Maddy returned, Yasmin carrying a midnight blue, almost black, strapless silk dress with a tasteful swatch of tulle in the front. It was stunning and suggested elegance without overdoing it. I’d bought it several years ago to wear to a Bridge party and never worn it because I’d had to work that night on short notice.
Eyeing the beautiful dress, I thought it would definitely make a statement, but I preferred making statements with actions rather than clothes. “I was thinking more leather. Less silk.”
She huffed and removed the dress from its protective bag. “This will show off your arms.”
“And I want to show off my arms because?”
“They’re your best asset.”
I’d always thought my legs were my best asset. “The only assets I plan to show the vamps are my whip and my stakes.”
Yasmin gave me a tight-lipped frown. “Really, Kali. This is a serious commitment from the Bridge Council to join with the Undead nation. It’s beneath you and the Council for you to act so immature.”
I took umbrage at her condescending tone, but in some ways she was right. Like it or not, I had to step up to the plate and act like…well, Damon. In control, serious and able to handle whatever the vamps handed me. It was time to call up my rules.
Don’t take anything personally.
Don’t get emotional.
Shutting down every ounce of emotion I felt, I snagged the dress from Yasmin’s hands. She wanted me to act mature and handle this like she would? Fine. Only I’d handle it even better than she would. “I’ll meet you downstairs in fifteen.”
Her frown eased as she saw the hardness in my eyes. She glanced at my hair. “No ponytails.”
Once she walked out, Maddy gave me a wide-eyed look. “How do you do that?”
“What?”
“You just went Terminator on her. Like you did to me in the parking lot.”
“I didn’t even touch her.”
“It’s your eyes.” She visibly shuddered. “They go black, and your face…you become a machine.”
Machine. Enforcer. Vampire queen. Bridge Council pawn. All one in the same. “Can you do something with my hair?”
Maddy’s face brightened. Then she mimicked Yasmin. “Classy and sophisticated with an edge to it. You bet.”
In the bathroom, I sat at my dressing table working on my makeup while the flatiron heated. Maddy picked out a sparkly charcoal eye shadow and showed me how to glam up my eyes. I left the rest of my makeup natural. Pale cheeks with just a hint of shimmer on the bones, nude lips tinged pink.
Maddy straightened my already fairly straight hair and grabbed one section in the center to tie at the back of my head with a crystal comb. Very mod 1960’s and definitely emphasized my bold eyes.
Because of the elegant dress, boots were out. The dress hit me mid-thigh, so I chose a pair of heels in nude with tiny crystals decorating the tops. They made my legs look longer and I liked the stiletto heel. The overall effect in my full-length bathroom mirror was impressive. I didn’t look like Kali Sweet any longer, but I still had a badass air to me. It was the eyes, I decided. Maddy was right. My eyes were hard and flat. Commanding, confident.
I wrapped Volante around my wrist, making her look like a leather cuff. There was nowhere to hide a stake inside the dress, so I strapped on a knife holder to my upper thigh and slid a stubby, flat stake in the shape of a dagger into the pocket. In a pinch, it would do.
“Wow,” Maddy said on a breath.
I tossed her a small silver, two-bladed axe. It wouldn’t take a vamp’s head off cleanly, but it would stop them cold if you embedded it in their skull. “A girl’s gotta be prepared.”
She hiked up the tulle skirt and slid the axe into a pocket I had sewn inside the fabric. “I love the way you think.”
The church didn’t have a grand staircase, just an old one running along the east wall from my upstairs loft to the main living area. Maddy went down ahead of me and gathered the troops.
As I descended, a hush fell.
Damon was dressed to the nines in a modern Armani tux. Single button front, silk lapels, fitted to perfection. A black shirt, dark gray vest and tie. With his Basque coloring, it all blended together into a dark, dangerous package.
Our eyes locked and I saw him catch his breath as he drank me up. His eyes flashed with desire. Commanding as mine had been in the bathroom mirror. If we’d been alone, he would have swept me off the stairs and kissed me again. I knew it as if the image playing out in my mind had already happened at some time in the past.
Me. Damon. Coming together, intense, carnal, needy.
His wood smoke scent filled my nostrils. For half a second, there was pressure in my head. My ears rang as if I were in a vacuum. Definite weak spot.
Get out of my head, I replied. I wasn’t in the mood to flirt. I kept my gaze level, cool and detached. He tensed ever so slightly and lost the carnal look. He hadn’t outright propositioned me, but I’d turned him down anyway and he didn’t appreciate the rejection. His ego, though, was well controlled, and he simply nodded as a boss would to an underling who had at least left the rubber band out of her hair.
To his left was Cole. His outfit was less fashion-oriented but no less strategic. A charcoal gray wool suit coat thrown emphasized his broad shoulders. Black jeans stretched over his muscled legs. White shirt, opened at the collar, showed off a patch of his collarbone. He’d pulled his brown hair back in his usual low ponytail, highlighting his face and crooked nose.
He wore a ponytail and looked classy. I wore one and looked like a pubescent teen. Life wasn’t fair.
Yasmin and Kirill stood off to the side, Yasmin’s green dress a flashy, almost mermaid-esque companion to Kirill’s matching green vest. The two looked like prom dates standing next to each other, and not exactly sophisticated, but what did I know?
In the sunken living room area near the fireplace, Arman, back in human form, and Victoria, now a vampire, sat with distant expressions as if they didn’t quite recognize me. Then something clicked, probably my blood calling to them, and Arman stood and gave me a goofy grin. Vicky narrowed her eyes and rose as well, balling her hands into fists.
Yep, she was pissed.
Couldn’t say I blamed her. I’d’ve been pissed, too, to wake up and discover I was a vamp, but I’d deal with her fallout in a minute.
My eyes scanned the rest of the lower level. The one person missing was Rad.
Cole whistled low under his breath, held a hand to me as I descended the last few stairs. “Damn, Kali, you clean up nice.”
His hand was warm and supportive in more than a physical way. The two of us had been through a lot of harrowing situations in our work together but the past few days had cemented our friendship in a deeper kind of trust and kindredship. “You’re looking pretty hot yourself, Warrior demon.”
Arman jumped the stairs from the sunken area and rushed to me, throwing his arms around my neck. “Thank you for the blood. For not killing me, and well…for everything,” he gushed. Then he whispered in my ear. “I know why you’re doing this vamp queen thing. Thank you.”
The human in him was so tangible at that moment, I wanted to hug him back. This was one of the things that made my job worthwhile. Appreciation and gratitude were no small things.
I untangled his arms from my neck and forced him back a couple of steps. “You’re welcome. Next time, as soon as you feel the blood lust rising, you need to find me. Better yet, you should keep a few bottles of my blood at your place so this doesn’t happen again. Okay?”
Arman nodded vigorously. “I’d attend the coronation tonight but you know how vamps are about shifters.”
Shifters were too territorial. Vamps too political. Put them in a room together and someone would end up dead. “Yeah, I know. Don’t worry abou
t it. Did you drink all the blood I put in the glass?”
He nodded.
“Good. Go home, be human, and I’ll have more delivered in a day or so. Until we figure out exactly how long you can go between meals, let’s stick to a glass every two to three days.”
Vicky came up behind him. Her eyes glowed bright red. She pushed Arman to the side and shook a fist at me. “How dare you turn me into a vampire! How dare you send Lilith back to hell!”
She drew the fist back to strike my face. I understood her anger and didn’t blame her for the attack—hell, I would have come up swinging, too, if I’d been turned against my will—but I couldn’t let her screw up my makeup or hair. I dodged and Cole lifted one beefy arm and clotheslined her across her throat. She went down on her back, choking and staring up at me.
“What do you want to do with her while we’re gone?” Cole asked.
Maddy stepped forward, stared down at Vicky. “She needs to be chained up until the first wave of blood lust is over. Otherwise she’ll start attacking every human in sight.”
I considered the options, discarded all but one. “She’s coming with us.”
Reaching down, I held out a hand to help her up. “Come on, Vicky. Time to meet your new family.”
She gripped my hand with newfound vamp strength and tried to jerk me down. I twisted her hand at a wrong angle and she cried out, swearing at me.
Guess it was time to set a few ground rules. Hauling her to her feet, I grabbed the front of her dress’s collar and brought her face to mine. My voice came out low and dangerous and the moment she heard it, she stopped struggling and went very still. “You’re not human anymore, Victoria, so watch your step. I didn’t want to turn you into a vamp but you gave me no choice. Suck it up and deal. Otherwise, I’ll stake your sorry ass and you can join Lilith in hell.”
She swallowed visibly, made a slight acquiescing nod.
With things squared with her, I released her and faced Damon. “Is Hone meeting us there?”
Damon shook his head. “I asked him not to come. He’s human and we don’t need any more issues with humans than we have at the moment. Taking him into an Undead coronation is asking for trouble.”