Voodoo Priest (Blaire Thorne Book 2)

by N Gray

  When the whole left side of his body was marked by his own scalding power; it crept up his neck to his jawline and near his ear. His face was mapped with dark veins as his own power burned through his blood. His eyes turned yellow and bulged from their sockets. Bryan swayed and coughed, and he spat thick, dark liquid from his mouth. His grip relaxed around my arm. He fell to his knees, his hand no longer gripping mine, but I still held onto his arm. I pushed the last bit of blazing power back into him until there was only coldness, my cool white light coursing through my veins.

  Only Bryan’s arm was still on the bed. I let go of it and the rest of him slumped to the floor. I hung from the bed and dug in his pockets, pulling out a set of keys, a wallet, and a cellphone. I tried the keys on the lock that bound my ankles to the bed until I found one that clicked the locks open. Then I called Ralph. His number was the only one I remembered.

  Chapter 21

  “IS THE MONEY IN THE ULYSSES account?” I asked, spooning yoghurt into my mouth.

  “Yup,” Ralph said, setting his plastic knife and fork on the paper plate.

  “Did he shortchange us?”

  “I made Martin give us a bonus, actually. Least he could do. Twenty percent extra.”

  “Good.” I grinned.

  “How are we splitting it?”

  “Three ways,” Ralph said, and he glanced at Devan, whose smile lit the room.

  “I’ve never seen you smile so broadly, Devan. Glad to know you’re human after all,” I teased.

  “What about me?” Marcus said through gritted teeth.

  “You deserve nothing, Marcus. Haven’t you been listening to what we’ve been saying to you?” Ralph said, his boot on Marcus’s face.

  Melinda whimpered beside me. “What are you going to do with us?” she cried, avoiding eye contact.

  After I had pushed Bryan’s power into him and killed him, I had called Ralph to give him my location, and I had gone through the phone while I waited for Ralph to fetch me. I had found Marcus’s name and number saved in the contact list. Marcus and Bryan had exchanged many messages and phone calls over the past year, but nowhere near as many as during the past week.

  It transpired that Marcus had developed a gambling problem, and he loved to play cards once a week with Zachary and Ross McNielty. Courtesy of the nervous twitch in his left eye which seemed to give his game away, Marcus had soon found himself owing large sums of money to the two men. When Marcus hadn’t been able to pay what he owed two months ago, he had taken Shane with him to one of his poker games. Shane had won a few hands, lost some, but overall, he had walked out with enough money to clear Marcus’s debt and then some.

  It had been Ross McNielty who had realized that Shane had been counting cards to win, and he had followed them to Marcus’s house. Once there, McNielty had knocked Marcus unconscious, ripped Shane’s limbs from his body, and left his torso in my car, which Shane had borrowed. Marcus had driven the car to my house and had told me that Shane would meet me at the rendezvous spot. That had been the evening I was attacked. Unbeknownst to me, I had been driving my car that night with Shane’s torso in the trunk.

  When McNielty had discovered my beacon of white light, he knew he had to have me, given that I would be the perfect vessel for their broken Ophelia. That was when he and Bryan had devised a plan and started exchanging messages with Marcus, forcing him to tell them more about me, along with my whereabouts. They had known that if the cops couldn’t get enough evidence against Ross about the murders, Ulysses Assassins would be issued with the contract.

  Zachary had been very forthcoming with all this information. He would have Alex—who was visiting on Vampire Council business—on his ass if he didn’t.

  In order for Bryan to reach me at the Labyrinth infirmary, he had controlled one of Léon’s guards with one of the armbands. He had managed to wheel me out as if nothing was wrong and had brought me to his hideout. The guard was dismissed immediately. I felt bad for him, but he had been compromised so easily, and Léon wouldn’t stand for insolence.

  Fast forward to today, and Marcus had confessed to it all. He had seemed relieved to finally get it all off his chest. He cried and had begged for our forgiveness, for all that had happened because of his fuck-up.

  Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the forgiving mood. Even though he was our boss, there were just too many things that went wrong when we had to involve Marcus.

  He was a liability.

  He was a danger to all our lives.

  We had asked Léon if his lawyer could draw up some paperwork for us, transferring the Ulysses Assassins business over to myself and Ralph as joint owners, and Marcus signed without reading the new contract. Marcus was very cooperative and kept glancing at Troy, his King, for approval.

  We were at the Lion’s Den, with Troy’s blessing, to punish Marcus for all his wanton behavior.

  From what Keegan alluded to, Melinda was still tinkering with her serum, and that boy, Tommy, had passed away as a result. That was her last warning. Today was the day where both would be punished.

  Ralph and I had got what we wanted. We were the new owners of Ulysses Assassins.

  Ralph took his foot off Marcus’s face, but he stayed on the ground. “What now?” he said as he slowly pushed himself up from the ground. He dusted sand off his face when he sat.

  “What usually happens when one of your own is disobedient? What do you do?” I asked while on my haunches in front of him, my gun firmly in my hand.

  Marcus swallowed hard, and it sounded like it hurt. He squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them as he said, “We tell him to run.” He glanced in the direction of the forest.

  “And then what?”

  “Then we chase after him.”

  “Go on…”

  His eyes shone with unshed tears. “And we make sure he doesn’t make it back.”

  I rose and leered at him, aiming my gun at him and staring down the sight. I went to the place that was all mine, where it was quiet and calm. It would’ve been too easy to pull the trigger. I wanted him to suffer for what he had done to Shane and to me. He was a selfish bastard.

  “You can’t kill me, Blaire. I know too much about your past,” Marcus said quickly.

  I lowered my gun. “Excuse me?” My frown deepened.

  “I’m the only one who knows who you truly are, Blaire. Where you came from. What happened to your family. The whereabouts of your daughter. You can’t afford to kill me unless you remember.”

  My hand squeezed the gun until it hurt, and without thinking, I hit him in the face with the gun. “Why are you only saying this now, Marcus? You’re such an asshole! Tell me what you know—and tell me now.” Blood rushed through my veins, and I had to steady myself against a chair.

  Blood trickled out the cut I had made above his eye. He looked at me with dark, empty blue eyes and said, “You need me, Blaire. You kill me and you lose everything I know.”

  I screamed my frustration.

  Keegan rose and said something to Troy which I couldn’t hear. Troy nodded and then said, “Marcus, you are one slimy fucker. Blaire, has your memory returned?”

  I shook my head a little too quickly. I didn’t trust my voice to speak. The back of my throat hurt, and I blinked back tears. I refused to cry in front of him.

  “All right, we have a lock-up system downstairs—”

  “No!” Melinda yelled, interrupting Troy. “Not the lock-up, Troy!” Tears streamed down her face.

  “We should let you loose, Melinda, and hunt you down for what you did. But Marcus played a good hand and spoiled all our fun. You can’t be trusted any more than we can trust him. So, we need to keep you both locked up until we know what to do with you.”

  A fine smile played across Marcus’s face. “My eye doesn’t always twitch, Blaire. I still have some good hands left to play.”

  I hit him in the face again. Across the eye that always twitches.

  The lock-up system in the Lion’s Den basement had four cages strong
enough to hold new were-lions during their first full moons. It was to keep them safe until they could control their animal and not shred anyone who was around them when they shifted.

  They would hold Marcus and Melinda in these cages until we made a decision.

  Or until my memory came back.

  Whichever happened sooner.

  Chapter 22

  THE AIR HAD A CHILL TO it, like drops of ice slicing through your skin. I was the only one fully clothed, wearing boots, jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, my holster and gun, a jersey, and a long coat that reached my ankles to shield me from the wind.

  Most of the were-leopards wore old clothing they didn’t mind shredding when they shifted. Anne, the alpha female of the leap, wore cotton shorts and a tank top. I asked if she was cold, and all she did was smile.

  Kai and Lee wore matching blue jogging shorts and a stupid grin when they saw me. Sebastian wore old jeans he had picked up at the thrift shop. They were missing the top button, so I had a great view of his inguinal crease. He was naked from the waist up, and the light hit his body on all the right places; his broad shoulders, the smooth lines across his hips, and the fine hairs that ran down into the front of his jeans.

  “Blaire?” Sebastian said, standing closer and out of the light.

  “Yeah,” I said without blushing. Yay for me. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d caught me staring, and I doubt it would be the last.

  “Are you ready?” he said with a grin.

  “I guess.” This was to be the first time I would see him shift. I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about it, but there I was—as ready as I would ever be.

  “Remember what I told you?”

  “Uh, huh!”

  On the way to the leap, Sebastian had gone over all the things I could expect from my first full moon with the leopards. The fact that it was a Blue Moon shouldn’t change anything. I was crossing fingers that everyone behaved.

  Sebastian counted on his fingers all the points I should know.

  One: Everybody would shift, and I should stand out of the way. Apparently, some shifting could get violent, as in blood violence—all it took was one moody leopard for hell to break loose.

  Two: They would hunt, and at least two wild animals would be killed and brought back for the feast. Alternatively, they would feast where the animal was killed in the forest. I should expect blood, guts, and smells.

  Three: They would feast on Grant’s body afterward. I wasn’t looking forward to that particular part of the evening, but since I had shot him, I would watch—out of respect, it was the least I could do. When I asked why they did this, Sebastian’s answer was, “When any of us die, we all feast on that person to ensure they metaphysically stay with the leap forever.” Again, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

  Four: There may be a lot of naked bodies afterward. It was normal. It was not sexual, and I shouldn’t feel jealous. I thought I might ask Rory for the car keys at this point.

  Five: Sawyer and Rory would stay with me during the evening. I appreciated this point. At least I had company while the leopards were hunting.

  With the meeting taking place outside, there was space for all the were-leopards to attend. The leap weren’t as many in numbers as the were-wolves, but their numbers were increasing. I stood beside Sebastian when Anne stood on the low stage at the far end of the field near her house in the mountains. The murmurs died down when Anne lifted her hand. Her children, Greg and Ivy, stood beside her as she welcomed everyone to the Blue Moon Feast. She lowered her gaze to Sebastian and asked that he stand beside her. He squeezed my hand as he left. I stood closer to Sawyer and Rory, who stood near the fence surrounding the land.

  Anne said a blessing for the Blue Moon Feast and one for Grant and welcomed me to my first full moon. She warned Sawyer and Rory that what they saw that evening was Leap business and they were only there to protect me. There were no objections to us attending, so Anne continued with other business.

  My eyes scanned all the were-leopards; they were all shapes and sizes and came from different ethnic backgrounds. Lycanthropy did not discriminate, it seemed. They were all athletic, with only a handful of round tummies from fast food and beers.

  “So glad you could make it, Blaire.”

  I flinched when I heard someone’s voice and felt their breath so close to my ear; I glanced over my shoulder and saw that it was at Phillip grinning at me. I smiled back, but it wavered around the edges.

  “Hi, Phillip, how’re the sides Greg clawed you?” I said, turning my attention back to Anne.

  Hands slid around my waist and pulled me closer. I hooked my fingers into his hands and pried him off my body.

  With the full weight of my stare, I said, “Let go of me, Phillip.”

  “Is there a problem, Blaire?” Sawyer said, looming over us.

  Phillip let go of me and I stood beside Sawyer.

  “You’re a big motherfucker, aren’t ya, fella?”

  “Blaire?”

  “It’s all right, Sawyer.” I squeezed Sawyer’s forearm. “Phillip will behave himself. Won't you, Phillip?”

  “Maybe,” he said, licking his lips.

  Phillip stared at me with a burning need. He looked from my shoes, up my body, then stopped in the general area of my breasts and, eventually, my face. The implication was very sexual, and I tried not to let it affect me; he seemed the type who would enjoy my repulsion.

  “If I were Sebastian, I would look over my shoulder.”

  “Is that a threat, Phillip? Would you like Sebastian to knock you on your ass again?” I said, then smiled. It wasn’t a friendly smile. It was the smile I reserved for the monsters.

  He snorted, then grimaced, looking at something above me. I turned around and saw Sebastian stood behind me, leering at Phillip.

  In that moment, I realized how vast Sebastian’s frame really was. Despite being six foot two, he was always tender toward me, and I had always found his height to be unthreatening. But in that moment, he seemed massive and spine-chilling.

  Phillip laughed, and trickles of power exploded into the air like confetti. I shuddered and rubbed my arms as his power fell over me like acid rain drops.

  “Are you misbehaving again, Phillip?”

  Phillip lifted his hands, palms facing us, and said, “Nope, I was just welcoming Blaire. That is what you want us to do, isn’t it? Welcome her into our leap?” His eyes flicked to me when he said the last part.

  “Phillip, is there an issue?” Anne said loudly. The crowd turned to face us.

  He laughed. “Jesus! Everybody just needs to calm the fuck down. I was just saying hi to Blaire, and Prince Sebastian was turning it into an issue.” He edged closer to where Anne was standing. “Although I would like to challenge again, if I may, Anne? Are we still allowed to challenge in this fucking family?”

  Anne sighed audibly. “Yes, Phillip. This family doesn’t rule like a monarchy; you can challenge anyone at any time. Who would you like to challenge?”

  “Ivy.”

  Everyone gasped.

  Ivy lifted her gaze to her mother and said with pleading eyes, “What, me? Are you serious?”

  “Oh, I will enjoy this,” Phillip said, rubbing his hands together.

  “Fuck,” Sebastian muttered under his breath.

  “Can she fight?” I said near Sebastian’s ear.

  He shook his head.

  “Fine, let’s get this over and done with,” Ivy said.

  Ivy must have had some training because she was in defense mode, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. Phillip crouched, ready to attack. The leap crowded around them in a circle. Kai blew a whistle, and they started fighting. Phillip started the fight by punching Ivy first. The rest of the fight was a blur of speed. There were oohs and aahs from the crowd, but I couldn’t see who was winning.

  “Is it to the death?” I asked, leaning against Sebastian.

  Without looking at me, he said, “Luckily not, but it may be close.”
r />   “I can’t see the fight properly. Who's winning so far? Can you see anything?” I said, rambling on.

  He glanced at me and smiled, lowering his face to mine for a kiss. “You’re so cute.”

  I frowned.

  “So far, it’s a tie, but Phillip fights dirty. Ivy has trained a little with us, so I’m hoping she can see through his tricks.”

  “I hope so.”

  Kai blew the whistle and yelled, “Step back. Medic! Where’s Mel?”

  Even though Mel was a were-wolf and it was a full moon, she was allowed to join any of the animal groups. Luckily, this month, she had chosen to share the moon with the leopards.

  “What? What is it? I can’t see,” I said, standing on tiptoes.

  The crowd closed in on the two fighters.

  “Coming through. Out of my way,” Mel said as she pushed through the crowd. “Move, dammit!”

  Anne’s eyes glittered in the light. Greg’s mouth gaped open. Sebastian flinched, then froze like a marble statue.

  “How is Ivy?” I said, trying to see through the wave of people.

  “Sawyer!” Sebastian yelled.

  Sawyer approached us and said, “Yes, Sebastian.”

  “Keep her safe.” Then he was gone. He darted through the crowd. In a speed of light, he flew into Phillip, and the two men crashed into the far side of the fence on the other side of the field.

  “Sebastian, no!” Anne screamed at them. But they didn’t hear. The two men fought away from the crowd. I saw Phillip fly into the air as Sebastian threw him and he crashed into a large tree. He started laughing, which only angered Sebastian.

  “You can’t hurt me, Sebastian! I won fair and square,” Phillip said, yelling loudly enough for everyone to hear.

  Anne edged near them and stopped the fight. She was speaking to Sebastian, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying.

  The crowd moved toward the three, and I could see Mel kneeling beside Ivy.