Authors: Trina M Lee
“I have to do something. I can’t just sit by while those bloodsuckers kill more people as innocent as my mom.”I understood how she felt. My mother had been murdered, too, by my lover, a man who had gone to bed with both of us. I shuddered at the thought of Raoul touching my mother as a lover or a murderer. The urge to scream built quickly, and I shoved the thought from my mind.
“I promise you, I understand how it feels to lose your mother violently, but putting yourself in harm’s way is not what Lena would want. You know that.” I could see her forming another protest, so I rushed on. “I might need a locator spell done. You can help with that. But in the meantime, don’t get yourself killed. These vampires are ruthless, and if they find out you’re connected to me in any way, they will make death seem like a walk in the park.”
Brogan absorbed this, nodding slowly. I knew she was wondering now how much hell her mother had been put through before being killed. That hadn’t been my intent, but I needed to scare her off the trail. No good could come of Brogan involving herself directly in this.
“Fine. I’ll hold off for now. Let me know about the locator spell. I want to help however I can.” Her eyes widened, and she reached into the small clutch she held. “I almost forgot. I have something for you. I just started going through my mom’s things last night, and I found some stuff she had set aside for you both.”
A pained sound came from Jez. “I can’t believe Lena was planning for something like this.”
“She was a realist if she was anything.” Brogan sighed heavily. Producing a small black bag from her purse, she handed it to Jez. “There are two charms in here. The red one is for you, Jez. It’s for strength and guidance. The blue one is for Kale. It’s for serenity and inner peace. Alexa, there’s an amulet for you. I’m actually not entirely sure what it does, but it’s strong. I guess you’ll figure out what use it could be to you.”
“Thank you, Brogan. Please, if there is anything we can do for you do not hesitate to call.” On impulse, I pulled her into a quick hug, hoping it didn’t come across as awkward.
“And, she’s not just saying that,” Jez chimed in. “Lena was family. So are you.”
Tears welled up in Brogan’s eyes, and she smiled sadly. “Thanks you guys. That means a lot. I always knew something like this could happen, but I never really thought it would.”
We could say nothing to that. Jez and I faced a similar death every night. It used to seem surreal to me, too, but the cold hand of reality had bitch-slapped that out of me long ago.
Saying goodbye to Brogan was difficult. I wanted to chase after her with warnings to be careful. I was afraid she’d try to take matters into her own hands. She couldn’t take Maxwell, I was certain of that.
She made me promise to get in touch for that locator spell before rejoining the rest of her family. Jez and I slipped away, leaving them to grieve privately. We made our way through the graves, out the cemetery gates, and back to my car. Picking my way through the grass in heels proved to be more of a pain in the ass than I’d anticipated.
“I wish Kale could have been here,” Jez whispered despite us being alone. “He’s always so calming in situations like this. I turn into an anxious mess. …Or, at least he used to be.”
“I hate to say it, but I’m kind of glad he wasn’t.” I cringed. “Does that make me awful?”
“Of course not. If I were you, I’d probably feel the same. He hasn’t been the same lately. I don’t like it.”
“I’ve been asked to kill Veryl, Jez. And, I think I’m going to do it.” I blurted the words before thinking it through. I hadn’t told anyone yet, and I needed to hear myself say it out loud to somebody else.
Jez gaped at me in shock. “What? Are you serious?”
I took a deep breath and told her about my visit from Shya as well as Veryl’s attitude regarding Lena. “He’s driving me to do it, Jez. And, I can’t help but want to.”
“You can’t trust a demon though, Lex. You know that.” Jez fixed me with wide green eyes. “I’ve never met him, but I’ve heard enough to know I don’t particularly want to.”
The Charger was hot inside from the afternoon sun. I wasn’t used to being awake at this time of day, and the stuffy interior wasn’t helping me stay alert.
“I don’t trust him, but I don’t trust Veryl, either.” I put the key in the ignition but didn’t start the car. I faced Jez, seeking some kind of understanding. “I have to admit, I like the idea of taking on bigger kills, people that pose a serious threat. The challenge kind of excites me. Of course, I don’t want to make a mistake either. And, with everything else going on, it’s all pretty confusing.”
Reaching over to grab my hand, Jez gave me an encouraging smile that did nothing to hide the worry in her eyes. “Be careful, Alexa. Remember who you’re dealing with and just think things through before you agree to anything a demon says. I don’t want you to rush into anything. I don’t think I can support you on the Veryl thing. It’s just too personal for me. Do what you gotta do. I’ll still love you, but I can’t condone it.”
I gave her hand a squeeze. A swell of emotion brought tears to my eyes. It had been a trying day. “Fair enough.”
Chapter Twelve
I turned the small amulet over in my hands, feeling the pure earth energy humming through it. Warm and lively, it felt pure in a way that other forms of power were not. It called to my wolf, and I found myself comforted simply by touching it. I couldn’t be sure what Lena had intended in giving it to me. For now, I was content just to have a part of her.
Stuffing the amulet into my purse, I scanned the crowd. The blood whores seemed to be getting younger all the time. I didn’t like that. The flash of strobe lights over the dark dance floor briefly illuminated the couple against the wall. The vampiress with the ebony hair held a human male in a firm grip as she fed from him. The scent of blood mixed with sweat, a myriad of perfumes and other human smells was stomach turning.
Several couples were locked in embraces bordering on explicit. The Wicked Kiss was a living, thriving organism of its own. I was quickly accepting that I couldn’t control it, I could only survive it, which I had every intention of doing.
I hadn’t seen much of Arys in the past twenty-four hours. Every moment the sun was down, he was trying to get a lead on where Maxwell and Claire were hiding out. They’d been lying low since Lena’s death. It wouldn’t be long before they resurfaced. I fantasized about all the ways I’d break them. I couldn’t take back what they’d done to Lena, but I could share her pain with her killers. I itched with anticipation.
Shaz had taken the night off. I’d insisted. He needed more wolf time. I worried that too much time in this place was starting to affect him. Shaz was my wolf, and I needed him to stay that way. I was vampy enough for the both of us.
Neither Shaz nor Arys had wanted me at The Wicked Kiss alone. Sure it was dangerous, but they couldn’t constantly be hovering over me. If Claire tried to take a shot at me, Arys would know. I could open the telepathic door between us in a heartbeat.
When my phone vibrated in my pocket, I jumped. No, I wasn’t edgy at all. I half expected to see Veryl’s number; the guy didn’t know when to give up. So when I saw that it was Jez, I was relieved.
Until I answered.
Her words came in a rush, the hysterical shrieking made it hard to understand her. Adrenaline crashed over me, and I hurried through the noisy club to the quieter back hall.
“Jez! What’s wrong?”
“Alexa, it’s Kale. He fucking bit me! I couldn’t fight him off. I tried.” Another pained moan followed, and I ran blindly out the back exit into the parking lot.
“Where are you, Jez? Take slow, deep breaths. You have to calm down. I’m coming!” My own voice had risen to the point of hysterical. I almost choked on my panic.
“The office,” she gasped. “I’m at the office.”
I put my phone on speaker and tossed it on the passenger seat. “Stay with me, Jez. Keep talking.” With a squeal of tires I flew out of the parking lot, leaving the stink of burnt rubber behind.
I heard a noise, like her phone had fallen, seconds before the call was lost. I’d given Kale too much credit. Having been so caught up with the Claire situation, I hadn’t treated Kale like the threat he was. Unpredictable and self-starved, Kale had been well on his way to snapping. After finding the dead prostitutes in his room, I should have known better.
I feared the worst when I screeched to a halt in the office parking lot. Every precious second was slipping away too quickly. Leaving the engine running and the driver’s door open, I skidded on the loose gravel in my haste to get inside.
A bloody handprint on the wall caused my panic to surge. I flung myself beyond the entry, shouting Jez’ name. I found her unconscious on the floor in the kitchen. Blood pooled beneath her. Though her breath came in shallow bursts and her heart still beat, she was fading fast.
“Jez! Talk to me, Jez.” I slapped her face, receiving no response. I glanced around frantically, uncertain.
The rich scent of her blood was mouth-watering, but this time it held no sway over me. I saw my friend bleeding to death from a nasty throat wound, and the wolf rose up with a protective snarl to subdue the bloodlust. This was Jez, and she wasn’t food.
Vampire blood could heal her. She wasn’t conscious enough to drink it nor was there a vampire around. Kale hadn’t hung around long after his attack. My blood was still mortal. Could I heal her the way Harley had taught me? I called the energy, but my panic prevented me from focusing on it. I could feel her slipping away.
No!
“Please, God. Not Jez, too,” I sobbed, only realizing then that tears streamed down my face. “Come on, focus!”
I was mad at myself. How could I fall apart when it was the life of one of my dearest friends on the line? I could do this. I had to!
Power swirled about me like a tornado. I couldn’t bring it into focus, but the more my desperation mounted, the further it spun out of control. I had the ability to save her, but instead, I was failing her.
The icy touch of vampire power at my back had me whirling, ready to kick Kale’s ass. I gasped when I found myself staring into Lilah’s flame-colored eyes. Her pupils dilated as she reacted to the wild power encircling me.
“It was Kale,” I babbled, all but shoving her toward Jez. “I tried to heal her, and I can’t. I just can’t.” One thing was evident, I was not doing well under pressure these days. Even to me I sounded like the frantic idiot that needed to be slapped.
Lilah was all calm and cool next to my hysterical self. She knelt beside Jez but looked up at me. “I have her; find him.” A woman of few words, Lilah turned her attention to the fading leopard and a stroke of fire slammed over me as she called her power. Demon power.
That red-hot power poured forth, wiping out any trace of her usual cool, undead energy. It burned, and I shielded hard against it.
I had to find Kale before he slaughtered his way through the city. How far could he have gotten by now? If I was going to give him the beating he deserved, I needed to gain control of myself. Bad enough, I’d failed Jez. If Kale overpowered me, I might not make it out of our confrontation alive.
The Wicked Kiss. If I had to bet money on it, that’s where Kale would go. It was filled with victims he could pick off left, right and center. Leaving Jez was difficult, but I trusted Lilah. Kale wasn’t likely to stop anytime soon, which added fuel to my fire. I had to get to him.
My hands shook on the steering wheel as I rushed back through the city. I was filled with dread. I did not want to see Kale on a rampage, and I sure as hell didn’t want to be the one to have to stop him. I had no choice. The image of Jez bleeding out swam behind my eyes. How could he do this to her? A little voice whispered in my ear,
He did it to you, too.
Kale was a killer. The calm, gentle Kale that I knew was only part of him. I could too easily pretend a monster didn’t lurk behind those gorgeous eyes. I’d always known this could happen, but I’d foolishly chosen not to believe he really would snap again.
I’d seen horrors in Arys’ memory, but I was sure that Kale’s past contained worse. Kale had never been one to speak much of his past, but I knew enough to know it was bad. He had a bit of a fetish for the screams of his victims. I shuddered, recalling the night he’d told me that.
I was terror-stricken at the thought of facing him. I would never forget the crazed look in his eyes the night he attacked me.
Raindrops spattered against the windshield, and a boom of thunder shook the night. A thunderstorm was as fitting a backdrop to this night as any. With the press of a button, I closed the sunroof, cutting off the cold, wet spray that hit me in the face. The motion was so mundane and simple, a direct contrast to everything else going on around me.