by Dannika Dark
Sort of.
He demonstrated how to channel energy and use it in a burst of motion, moving from one place to the next with impossible speed. The first time it happened, I fell to my knees and shrieked with excitement, elated that I was capable of escaping and maneuvering like any other Mage.
Flashing used up energy, like draining a battery, and maybe I had a weaker battery than others. But it was still exhilarating to know that I had unfound talents. He also reminded me that sometimes it took years for hidden gifts to surface.
When he left to shower, I guzzled down two bottles of water and rested on a thin mat, staring at one of the light fixtures on the ceiling. I couldn’t imagine a favor more valuable than this except money, and money doesn’t last as long as knowledge.
The door opened, and I listened to the sound of footsteps approaching. I turned my head and stared at Christian’s black boots.
“I followed the smell of pungent sweat and the trail led me to you.”
I dragged my gaze up to his. “I’m not sure I need you anymore.”
His brows arched. “Is that so? Because there’s something I’ve been vexed about.”
I sat up and swept my hair back. “And what’s that?”
Christian squatted in front of me, his arms resting on his knees. “You said that Vampires were easiest to kill, but the number of bodies we have on file doesn’t match up with your impressive claim. And we’ve never traced a Vampire murder to the Shadow.”
“So? You can’t do math.”
Christian stroked his chin, pinching his whiskers between his fingers. “Tell me exactly how you killed the Vampires. You’re a bright little battery using that Mage gift to pluck the light from another Mage, but that doesn’t work on Vampires.”
Was he serious? “I stake them.”
He crunched on a piece of candy he had in his mouth. “You… stake them. You don’t set them aflame or sever their heads by chance, do you?”
“Do I look deranged?”
One eyebrow arched. “You see, I’ve been giving it a lot of thought. I couldn’t imagine you committing such a gruesome and messy act, and we don’t have anything on record of Vampires burned to death in bathrooms. Most killers stick to a pattern, and if you were cutting off heads, you would have done the same with every Mage you met instead of pulling their light.”
“I’m not a killer,” I bit out.
He stood up and waved his hand. “Semantics. It’s become clear to me that you know absolutely nothing about what you are. Your ignorance is your greatest vulnerability—one that others will be quick to exploit.” He paced a few steps and turned. “You see, a Vampire doesn’t die by impalement wood alone.”
“Through the heart he does.” I stood up and anchored my hands on my hips. “If you stop the heart, that’s the end of the line.”
“One would think,” he said, raising his index finger. “Did you know that you can stake a Vampire through the brain and he can still regenerate once it’s removed? Impalement only paralyzes its victim; it doesn’t kill—regardless of where you put it.”
Sheer horror swept over me.
My God, all the Vampires I’d left behind and assumed were dead! That meant they were probably out there looking for me, and I wasn’t exactly difficult to spot.
Christian played with a long silver chain around his neck. “Looks like you better sleep with one eye open from now on. If Vampires were that easy to kill, there’d be none of us left. Many Breeds fabricated myths among humans so they wouldn’t know truth from fiction. Crucifixes, silver, holy water—all the lies saved us from certain death.”
“As much as I’m sure you’d like to demonstrate this on me, it’s not going to happen.”
He chuckled and lifted his chin. “I was curious about how you fought in hand-to-hand combat, so I slipped in when you were wrestling Niko. Feck me, it’s a wonder you’re still alive with those amateur moves.”
“I wasn’t fighting Niko as I normally would,” I said, holding out my arms. “Besides, these aren’t my usual surroundings. Normally I lure them to a confined space, and most of them aren’t skilled ninjas like Niko. Half the time, I get them when they’re drunk, so their reflexes are impaired.”
Christian folded his arms. “So how do you take a man down?”
I shrugged. “Usually I do a scissor move with my legs and asphyxiate them.”
He lowered his arms and strolled around me. “So… you can put a man’s head between your legs until he passes out?” Christian leaned in close to my ear and lowered his voice. “That’s not something I’d brag about, lass.”
“I guess now I need to cut off their heads.” My stomach churned at the idea.
Christian pinched my chin and looked me sternly in the eyes. “Are you afflicted in some way? Because I’m not here to teach you how to kill your own kind. Yes, your own kind. You may not like what you are, but you can’t deny it. You can’t pretend it isn’t there. Your fangs came out last night because your Vampire nature was reacting to his insult. Vampire blood courses through your veins; it’s the very essence of who you are.” The sharp edge in his Irish accent softened, his words becoming tender. “You can’t deny your instincts. Kiss me.”
I drew forward as if pulled by invisible strings, wanting nothing more than his lips against mine, the feel of his arms encircling my midriff and pulling me in tight, his rough whiskers against my jaw as he kissed his way down to the base of my throat.
Our lips brushed together as I stood on my tiptoes, my palms on his chest, my lips parting.
Christian drew back and shook his head.
I blinked a few times, feeling a sudden disconnect. “Did you just charm me?”
He stuttered over his words. “I-I had to test you. If I’m going to scrub your memory in a week’s time, I need to make sure it works on you.”
A Vampire had once charmed me into a back room to make out with him, which I’d done. But they can only charm you into doing something you’re willing to do, even if only a small part of you wants it. At least that was what I’d heard. Unfortunately for him, an even larger part of me wanted him dead.
I pointed my finger at him. “Don’t do that again. If you want to know what I can do, then just ask me.”
“Well, I’m not here to train you how to fight,” he reiterated. “I’m too strong, and I’d break your bones. Vampires don’t need skill to win; only proximity.” He swaggered off and glanced over his shoulder. “Well, either stand there like a marble statue, or come walk with me.”
I fell in step beside him and we began to take laps around the room.
He put his hands in his pockets. “Someone put me in that coffin because I let my guard down. Never get too comfortable, no matter how safe you think you are. It’s the one mistake we all make, time and time again. I hope someday I run into that bag of shite so I can return the favor.”
“What’s your point?”
“No one’s perfect, and that includes Niko. We all have our weaknesses, not just personally, but because of what Breed we are. We also have our strengths—our gifts—and you need to embrace those, even if they’re a part of you that you despise. Vampires have unmatched hearing, but thank the heavenly angels we can tune out all the noise. How unfortunate you didn’t acquire our ears.” Christian stopped and placed his back against the wall, hands in his pockets, one knee bent and his foot flat on the wall. “How often do you use your Vampire eyes at night to see what’s around you? Do you ever taste information from the victims you drain?”
“That’s how I knew how evil they were.”
“Have you ever charmed anyone?”
“No. And I’ve stared into many people’s eyes and told them where they can go, and not one of them got out of their chair.”
Christian tossed his head back and laughed. Small lines appeared at the corner of his eyes, and his white teeth—absent of the hidden fangs—were attractive. Laughter changed the man—made him appear almost human. When he settled down, his wild hair
fell across his forehead, a few wisps covering his left eye. “Come here, lass.”
I took a step forward and he seized my wrist, yanking me flush against him.
“Worry not,” he said, looking down at me. “You should at least try it once.”
“Charming?”
“Aye. Center your eyes on mine and reel me in.”
“I don’t know how to do that.”
“The magnetic draw is unmistakable, and it grows stronger with each passing second. You’ll know when you have it. Hold my gaze, Raven.”
I drew in a breath and disappeared into his obsidian eyes, so bottomless that I could have fallen into their depths. I focused, trying to feel a connection forming. He didn’t blink, and it made me wonder if maybe eye color had nothing to do with it. “Kiss me,” I whispered.
“Are you sure about that?”
I turned away, embarrassed I’d fallen for his joke.
Christian laughed, following behind me. “You could have asked me any question in the world. I was halfway expecting you’d order me to fall on a stake, or embrace a life of celibacy. I have to admit I’m intrigued.”
With lightning speed, I spun around and kissed him hard. Our lips clumsily bumped together, and he didn’t initially react, keeping his emotions leashed as I cupped my hands around his neck. His lips were pliant, and he tasted of something dark and decadent. My fangs involuntarily pushed out, and he suddenly embraced me in a crushing hold, kissing me back.
I craved more. I needed more.
When his tongue grazed the pointy tip of my fang, I realized he was right. My Vampire instincts were primal, and suddenly I wanted to feel his tongue across my artery.
With the grace of a panther, he broke the kiss and took a step back, eyes locked on mine like a predator. “Why did you do that?” he asked on a breath.
I touched my bottom lip, my voice unsteady. “Since we’re not going to be partners anymore, I wanted to know.”
“Know what?”
I retracted my fangs. “I think our session’s done. Niko can give me what I need from here on out.”
As I strode past him, my chin high, he reached out and ensnared my arm, turning me around and pinning me against the wall.
His mouth was on mine—his moves so raw that it startled me. I’d never felt this kind of unbridled desire, each kiss he delivered making all others pale in comparison. When his thumbs hooked over the waistband of my leggings, I thought he was going to slide them down.
I wanted him to.
“Are you sure Niko can give you everything you need?” he growled against my lips.
The open collar of his shirt exposed his chest and neck, and the compulsion to taste his skin overpowered all sense of reason. My heart skipped like a stone as he dragged his mouth away, his soft whiskers scratching along my jaw.
When the tip of his fangs grazed across the sensitive skin above my artery, every muscle in my body locked. Dark hunger flooded my veins as if my blood were alive and whispering secrets with every beat of my heart. The sharp points of his teeth pressed at my tender flesh—beckoning to go deeper. Christian Poe reduced me to a pile of ash within his molten touch.
What am I doing? Is this really happening?
Energy poured through my body, turning my hands into weapons. Vampires were unlike other Breeds in that Mage energy had no effect on them, and we could touch them without inflicting pain. Their body was able to absorb it without the destructive power.
As ignorant as I was about some of my abilities, I knew this energy was sexual. It was the kind of energy that could only be exchanged with another Mage—something I’d heard about but never done.
Christian’s mouth latched onto my neck, and he thrust his hips forward. There was no concealing his arousal as it pressed against me like granite, awakening my desire to be touched by a man.
“Your skin tastes like the Dead Sea,” he whispered against my neck.
I tried not to think about Christian’s words of seduction, but they kept repeating in my head until I erupted with laughter.
“Are you touched?” He backed up a step, wiping his mouth.
I waved my hand, regaining my composure as tears rolled down my cheeks. “I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never had a man say that to me before.” A loud snort at the end of my laugh embarrassed me enough to settle down.
“We’ll resume our lesson tomorrow,” he said.
I lifted my shoes with two fingers and strode toward him. “Is that what you’re calling it these days?”
All that passion from moments earlier dissipated from his expression. “I think I’ve figured out your problem. You just need a good shag. Perhaps that’s something you should remedy.”
“I thought that’s what I was trying to do last night at the bar until someone interrupted. Jealous?”
His eyes narrowed. “Jealousy isn’t in my vocabulary.”
“Nor is a razor. If you weren’t such a petulant Vampire, you might have a chance at pairing up with a decent woman. Maybe you should think about brushing up on your sweet talk.”
“You’re covered in sweat,” he protested. “It was like licking a pillar of salt.”
“At least I don’t have to charm someone to sleep with me.”
That silenced him, and I gathered my things and climbed the stairs.
“I don’t charm anyone,” he barked at me from behind. “Do you really think I have to do that?”
I pushed open the door and strode down the hall. “After what I saw down there, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
Christian gripped my arm and stopped me in my tracks. “Deny your attraction to me. Tell me you didn’t want that to happen back there.”
I averted my eyes.
“That’s right,” he said in a quiet voice. “You lust for a Vampire, and that scares the feck out of you. Imagine the holy mortifying shame of it.”
“Christian, this week isn’t going to be about your crusade to lure me to the dark side and prove why Vampires are superior to all other Breeds. My distaste for Vampires offends you, and that’s why you’re cursing my immortal soul one minute and putting your mouth on my vein the next. I’m not like you, no matter how you slice it. I’m only half of what you are. At the end of the day, you don’t really care what happens to me, so why should you care how I live my life? I’ll see you tomorrow, and let’s work more on knowledge. If you’re too afraid you’ll break me in a fight, then you can just answer all my questions.”
I strode away, listening to him crack his knuckles.
“You’re on,” he called out. “Tomorrow morning—bright and early—we’ll fight if that’s what you want. Don’t forget to shower, because I’ll be spending all day with my head between your legs so you can demonstrate that trademark move of yours.”
What a shame I no longer menstruated.
Chapter 22
Why did I care so much about what Christian thought about me? After all, he was just a Vampire, and you couldn’t trust a fang as far as you could throw him. They were secret-stealers by nature—most turning it into a profession of blackmail. Nevertheless, I spent that entire evening thinking about what he’d said. I wanted to hate him like I hated all the others. His banter might have rubbed most people the wrong way, but I had to admit there was a familiar comfort to it. It matched my own personality, and maybe I didn’t want to see similarities between us.
While his delivery had been boorish, Christian had a point about ignoring my Vampire nature. There was no excuse for ignorance. How humiliating to think I’d been going around staking Vampires through the heart, believing that was enough to kill them.
Contrary to human beliefs, Vampires have beating hearts, warm skin, and bleed like everyone else. So stopping the heart sounded good enough to me.
It was a wonder I wasn’t dead. Immortals held grudges for a long time, and I’d been walking right into the lion’s den—revisiting those same locations where I’d staked those men.
After leaving Keystone, I took a c
ab into the city and spent hours in Ruby’s diner, eating four servings of hot apple pie and drinking six cups of coffee before heading out. I couldn’t stop thinking about Christian’s roguish grin, the way his lips warmed against mine, the press of his hard body… it made me wonder. Was I attracted to him, or was I just curious about my Vampire nature?
Maybe I just needed to get laid.
In any case, it was a good thing Viktor hadn’t hired me. That kiss had stoked the embers of an unnatural lust for a certain Vampire—desires that went against everything I believed in. I thought kissing him would convince me that the attraction wasn’t real, but I was wrong.
Why did I have to throw myself at a man who looks at women like disposable utensils? my inner voice nagged.
Despite that little blunder, I took advantage of the opportunity to brush up on my knowledge and fighting skills.
Six days of training passed too quickly. Niko did his best to refine my techniques and help me learn the limitations of my Mage abilities. Learning to fight like him in a week—let alone a century—was impossible. So we focused on using weapons more skillfully, how to defend myself from common maneuvers, and the basics of Mage gifts, such as telling time and sensing direction. He warned me not to deprive myself of food. Even if the Vampire side of me didn’t require it, the Mage in me needed sustenance to convert into energy.
I also had to be cautious about flashing too often since it would weaken me in a fight if I relied on it too much. My energy was dimmer than most, either because it was innate or had been suppressed after years of nonuse. Probably the former since being a crossbreed meant some of my gifts were altered, but since I had more abilities than most, that made up for any shortcomings.
I’d never met anyone quite like Niko. No wonder those men had to rush him so unexpectedly. Niko was perceptive and would have sensed them had they approached at a normal pace.
As for Christian’s sessions, they involved no physical training. I didn’t want to be locked in his arms and pinned beneath him after what had happened between us. He enlightened me on Breed facts in his imperious manner, but I didn’t spend as much time with him as I did with Niko. Christian’s antagonistic remarks left no doubt that he was only there on Viktor’s orders.