Blood Cursed (12 page)

Black for wicked pleasure. Blue for ennui. My mouth watered, hungry, and I looked askance. I wasn’t addicted. I just liked it, the rush, the bright shiny laughter and the slow comedown to pleasant woolliness, the feeling that nothing could hurt me.

He pocketed the case, and we headed back to the gaming floor, where Crimson still held her twisted court. Diamond nudged me, pointing to the drinks waiter, who had one of her martinis balanced on his tray beside a Bloody Mary and a pair of glowing cosmos garnished with lime. “Go fall over that guy.”

“What?” My mind stumbled, catching up slowly. Already Diamond dimmed himself, fading at the edges, not invisible but elusive, deceptive, don’t-see-me. “Oh, I see—”

His whisper warmed my ear, and his strange glamour zinged, mixing with my own in a shower of seductive sparks. “Trip over him, make him lookify. Gimme five seconds.” A hot, shimmering kiss teased my collarbone, a shivershock of delight, and before I could pull back, he’d stolen away.

Damn. I wish he wouldn’t do that.

The waiter was already halfway to the table, sidling neatly around gamblers and hangers-on. His gold-and-white uniform gleamed, blond hair curling jagged around sharp cheekbones. He served the dark boy and his fairy their pink neon cosmos. Now the old lady and her Bloody Mary. Diamond lurked behind her in a ghostly blur of confusion.

I took a steadying breath, loosened my pinned-up hair with my claws, and shouldered through the crowd like I was late, gripping my bag tightly to my side. “Excuse me … sorry … thanks … oh, my goodness!” Casually, I stuck out my foot and hooked the waiter’s ankle.

He dodged, spinning his tray high so as not to spill, and I stumbled to hands and knees at his feet.

“Oh, silly me, I’m so clumsy.” I gazed up at him with girlywide eyes, heaving my chest more than was strictly necessary, and my hair spilled from its pins to tumble around my shoulders.

His tired blue eyes diluted with frustration, like I was just one more fuckup in a long, shitty shift, a snarky rich bitch who’d probably complain and get him fired. “Jeez, I’m sorry. You okay, miss?” He slid one hand under my arm, the other instinctively holding his tray level and out of reach, but his gaze lingered on my cleavage.

Just a few seconds, but it was enough.

Diamond wandered by, his long pinksilver hand trailing like an afterthought, and without looking back, he tipped a sparkling blueblack cascade into Crimson’s martini. It bubbled, and the drug dissolved, a tiny wisp of blacksparkling steam curling up to disappear.

Clear. Transparent. No trace.

My pulse thrummed. I glanced sideways, up, around. No one had noticed.

I gave the waiter a shy smile, leaning into him as if by accident and kicking my perfume up a notch as he helped me up. “Thank you, you’re very kind—”

“Can I get you a drink, miss? On the house, of course.” My glamour glazed his eyes and hitched his breath tight, but discomfort still wrinkled his young face, like he thought I’d scream or accuse him of feeling me up or something. Sympathy twinged. It wasn’t nice to be used.

“No, no, it’s quite all right.” I fluttered demure lashes at him and arranged my bag over my shoulder, and quite by accident slipped fifty dollars onto his tray. “My fault, I’m sure. You have a good night, sweetie.”

He stared, flushing. I patted my hair smooth and hurried off. Poor kid. He’d have glitter in his eyes all night.

Diamond took my arm, and we faded into what would have been a dim corner but for dangling fiber-optics hanging low from the ceiling. Shadows flashed blue and green, the glowing strands rippling like a inky waterfall.

I peered out beneath the cascade, static jumping in my hair. Crimson took her martini from the tray with a gushing smile.

I held my breath. The walls shuddered and threatened, accusing me, the neon glaring like cruel blue eyes. I’d poisoned her drink. Me. As bad as some scumsucking date rapist. I could get arrested.

Crimson laughed, flames dripping from her hair, her shining red lips flirting over the glass’s rim. I bit my lip, anticipation nipping under my toeclaws like ants. God, what did she order it for, if she wasn’t going to drink it this century?

Diamond flicked through phone messages, composed. Not anxious at all. Didn’t bother him, slipping that woman drugs. He and Jasper probably did shit like this all the time.

I swallowed. What the hell was I doing even talking to this guy? Never mind trusting him with my life. I shivered. Note to self: Don’t let him buy me a drink.

Pity he already had.

Surreptitiously I licked my gums, checking for numbness. Surely he had more class than to drug me. If he wanted to get laid, all he had to do was ask.

Some other girl, that is. The kind who fell for lickable muscles and attitude and sexy rainbow smiles. Not a sensible girl like me.

Crimson stirred her martini, popping the olive into her mouth. Finally, she lifted the glass to her lips and swallowed.

My chest tightened. Surely, she’d taste that faint sparkle on her tongue, feel the fire-ice rush as her blood sparked alive. Spit it out, dive aloft screeching to hunt the culprits down, flame flashing from her hair.

But she just smiled and stroked her fairy boy’s slick blue wings, and drank again, until the glass was empty.

I swallowed, dry. “How long d’ya reckon?”

Diamond coolly flipped his phone away. “Hard to sayify. Snort that all at once and you’d pop a valve … . Oop. Check it.”

Crimson put her glass down and staggered.

I gulped. Just a tiny stumble, one elegant foot weaving into the other. But compared with her superlative grace, that was a headlong dive.

I clutched Diamond’s wrist. “It’s working. What now?”

“Give it a sec. Wait till she … There ya go.”

Her pale face flushed, glamour or no. Her amber eyes glinted sickly gold. She cleared her throat, long fingers pressing her lips like she’d swallowed something unpleasant. The blue fairy touched her shoulder, murmuring something, but she brushed him off with a smile, tracing scarlet nails through his skybright hair.

And then she tucked her purse under her arm and walked off, a new and unsteady sway in her step.

I jiggled, wings rustling. “Look! She’s going!” My voice rang loud, and I clapped a hand over my mouth.

Crimson circled the roulette tables, swaying in sputtering flames, and headed for the wide lobby exit. She weaved into the ladies’ room, and the door swung shut.

My courage quivered, my thoughts racing in frightening new directions. I hadn’t considered what to do now. What if the bathroom wasn’t empty? If other girls were in there? How would I explain myself? I swallowed. “Umm … maybe we should—”

But Diamond gripped my hand like glassy steel, inescapable. “Chillify, cherrypie. It’ll be easy. C’mon.”

And he dragged me out across the floor.

My legs shook, and I plastered a smile on my face, hoping no one noticed us. Scarletfire’s boytoys lounged and mingled, waiting for her to return. They hadn’t noticed anything wrong with her, and for a moment, my sympathy warmed. Even a flamebright goddess was merely a toy, an object to be used for pleasure or status.

We all used each other. Even me.

Halfway past the roulette table, a feral screech split my ears.

My wings jerked, ready to flee. Diamond dug his phone from his pocket and flicked it bright. I sighed, nerves still tingling. “Tell me that wasn’t your ringtone.”

“I gotta take this.” He stared at the screen, his jaw tight.

What phone call could out-urgent this? I gripped his hand tighter. “No way. I’m not doing this alone!”

He shook me off, his eyes glinting hard and silver. Sweatdrops glistened on his forehead. “Just gimme a moment, okay?”

His musical voice clanged discordant, ice on steel. He was like a different person. All his charming fairy levity erased. Whoever was on the line, I didn’t like them for spoiling him.

I shot him a filthy glare. “Forget it. I’m a big girl. I don’t need you holding my hand.” And I ruffled indignant wings and headed for the shiny black bathroom door.

I yanked my hair back as I walked, my fingers itching. I didn’t get him. One moment he came on all machofae and protective; the next, he ignored me. Maybe he just did it to confuse me. Hooray for him, because it was working.

Whatever. I didn’t need him.

I flung the door open and strode in.

13

Diamond picks up, shaking. “Rosa?”

Her voice quivers. “Diamond, thank god. I didn’t know who else to call.”

“Already seen this movie, petal. I’m bored. What you want?” But shame and stupid hope clench his fingers tight.

“Ange is creeping me out. He stalks me. Watches me. It’s like a game to him. I’m hiding … . Shit, I’m scared, Di. I … I got a little drunk tonight, and I … I’ve been bad. He locks me up at night and … He’ll kill me, I swear.” Tears thicken her words, and his stubborn heart aches.

He swallows. “Whatever, okay? I know what that shiny is. You trickified me. Why the hell should I spit on your ass if you burn?”

“I’m sorry!” A sob catches her throat. “Famine said someone was hunting us down. I had to keep it safe. I didn’t know what else to do. Can’t you just—? Oh, shit.” Her voice rasps to a whisper. “Ange is here. He’ll find me. Please, Diamond, I’m begging you, you have to help me!”

Fuckfuckfuck.

Across the room, pretty Ember stalks into the ladies’ alone, tossing angry flamescarlet hair, and Diamond’s pulse thuds, both accusation and hot distraction. The disappointment in her eyes when he left her alone stabbed hot blades in his heart. He was wrong about her. She’s no bloodwhore, happy to be used. She’s gentle, innocent, not up for a scrap. Too clean and precious for this dirtysmeared world. Should do the bad stuff for her.

He slips into shadow behind a fakeplastic garden, his wings twitching. “Chillify, petal. Where you at? I’ll come get you later—”

“No! You can’t! Not tonight. He’s fucking furious, he’ll kill us both. I think Tony saw you and me … you know, in the club?” Clunks, distant voices, the soft scrape of her hand over her mouth. “I can’t please Ange when he’s like this. He hurts me.”

Diamond squeezes burning eyes shut, but vile pictures slice his mind ragged. Ange’s ugly hands on her, forcing her naked body under his. Fucking her. Fangsharp mouth on throat, breast, thigh, feeding from her …

Disgusted. Envious. Confused. He smacks his head back into the wall, pain a bright splash, but it doesn’t calm his racing pulse. “Then let me—”

“No, it’s too dangerous. Look, Friday night there’s a party. Ange’ll be doing business, we’ll be able to slip away. I can deal until then. But you have to get me out of h—Uhh!!”

Thud,
the phone drops. A scream. Flesh smacking flesh.

Diamond’s muscles snap tight. “Rosa, talkify. Jesus. Talk to me!”

“Sorry, Rosa can’t come to the phone right now.” That scaly lizard voice scars Diamond’s ears, sharp with triumph, and rage wriggles burning tentacles under his skin.

He slams his palm into the wall, and plaster crumbles in a scarletflashed halo. “What you done to her?”

Tony chuckles, dark. “Oh, she’ll live. For now. But I’ve got you cold, fairyshit. You and her, plotting against us. Ange is gonna peel your pretty pink skin off. Once he’s finished with this little traitorbitch, of course.”

“Don’t you touchify her.” Fury burns Diamond’s skin violet. Useless words. But they’re all he can do.

“Don’t worry on her account, you smart-ass fairy faggot. Ange’ll just fuck some sense into her.” A cracked giggle. “Maybe I’ll get to help. More than enough holes for two. I’ve heard she screams real nice. That true?”

“You dirty scumfuck, if you hurtify—”

But Tony’s already gone.

Click.

Diamond kicks at a potted plant. Plastic cracks open, leaves and colored pebbles flying. Impulses tumble loud and discordant, twitching at his muscles to act. Scramblicate to Ange’s place and kill them all. Tear LaFaro’s scaly skin off and eat it raw. Scrub that dirty lizard stink from Rosa’s body, make her clean again. Diamond’s seen the sick torture games the stinky lizard creepazoid likes to play. Wire. Sharpyrazors. Dirt. Even Rosa don’t deservamate that.

Fuck. Everything used to be so fresh and cleanified. His life. His conscience. His heart. Now, it’s blackstained grime, and the filth will never wash away.

But deep underneath, a helpless glimmer of compassion still burns. And tryify till he drops, he can’t put it out.

He jams his phone away, itchifying to call back, make sure she’s okay. Like there’d be any pointificality.

Friday, she said. Two nights from now. Diamond knows Ange’s parties. Colorful, rich, ostentatious, the vampire ganglord offshowing to his subjects. Lots of free booze and conspicuous gift-giving, no no, the pleasure’s all mine, I assurify. Perfect for stealing a poor bruised girl away in the crush.

Perfect for feeding a poisonrich bloodfairy to a vampire.

Ember, shitwit. Her name is Ember, and she’s brave and alone and smackdead beautiful. And you want to poison her.

He shrugs the guilt aside, but suspicion itches his wings. Something about Rosa’s story doesn’t chime true. If Ange is that crazyfied, why wait until Friday?

I’ve got you cold, fairyshit,
Tony said. But one phone call provifies nothing. Angelo, so hot and reckless over pale suggestification? No no. Ange is cold, calm, collectified. Jump-skip at shadows, nuh-uh.

He knots loose hair around his fingers, frustrated. Even if Rosa is telling untrue, he still can’t chancify. The gemstone molded to his wrist still binds his fate to hers. She dies; he dies.

Besides, if he can help her, maybe it’ll make up for all the bad things he’s done. Make him feel like a decent fairy again.

So why the fuck are you messifying here with Ember? If you care so much about Rosa, go gettify.

But the thought of Ember alone and frightened itchifies his skin with rage.

His thoughts spiral wild. Rosa playifies with his mind, twisting sweet and nasty together until he can’t tellem different. Ember is innocent. How can he betray her, when—?

His lungs squeeze tight, and for a heartbeat, he can’t breathe.

When he likes her. Cares about her. Gives a damn how she thinkifies him.

Fuck.

Glassfae calculation flashes cold warning in his heart.
Don’t go there, D. It won’t end well. You know exactamally how a decent girl like that thinkifies you. She’s way over your horizon. Let it go.

But he can’t helpify. Watching her gasp and laugh and warble with excitement over a simple joyride was astonishing. She’s like a fun-virgin, sheltered and clueless to the pleasures he could offer her. Jasper knew sex and drugs, sure. But Diamond does it better.

His wings swell tight, aroused. Besides, her wideeyed courage impresses him. He wants more than a moment’s delight with her. He wants to charmify her, make her laugh, free her from her prison of fear.

Bring her to life.

His blood heats. With a heady breath of chaos, she’d be magnificent. Helping her fly free wouldn’t just be physical pleasure. It’d be … happy.

He doesn’t remember happy. Not even with Rosa. Rosa makes him want to take, punish, possess, dark and violent needings sprinting free. With Ember, he wants to give.

His nose twitchifies. Christ. Hell of a time to crushify on some luscious angel he can’t have. What is he, fifteen?

Fact is, Ember would be safer in his bed. And hell, would it be fun. Fever swells his cock hard just thinkifying it. Kissing her chocolate skin all over. Her honeyed moan as he sucks her nipples taut. Her sweetshudder when he enters her, fiery hair tumbling over his knuckles, salty wingjoints hardening in his mouth while he drives his cock deep into her willing flesh over and over until she …

Guilt crunches bitter in his heart, and he flushes, muscles stiff and aching. Shouldn’t thinkify her like that. It’s not respectiful. Not when he’s untruthing her—

A woman’s shout pricks his earpoints tight. “That’s her! I seen her! She done it!”

No time to figure it now. His pulse flips wild, and he ducks out into the light.

Across town, in a dim ivory bedroom in Angelo’s mansion, Rosa crouches in a corner, her heart skipping feverstrong. Candleflame dances off the square panes of the French windows, shadows leaping like angry ghosts. Her bruises ache and swell, but swift virusblood’s already healing them. It’s the second best thing about being infected. No lasting bruises. Ever.

Tony LaFaro winks his second set of eyelids and hands the phone back to her, flat nose twitching. “You think he bought it?”

“I dearly hope so. Hell, I bought it. Did you have to hit me quite so hard?” Rosa sucks her swollen lip, blood flowing.

“Sorry. Keepin’ it authentic, y’know.” Tony grins, teeth black and broken, and offers her his misshapen hand.

LaFaro enjoys this too much. She can see it in his glinting yellow eyes, the way he breathes harder and licks those scaly lips when he touches her. Vicious little bastard. For a moment, their pretense seemed frighteningly real, the secrecy, the brutality, the paralyzing fear of discovery. His shadow hulks over her, echoes of ill-forgotten violence past.

Genuine tears swell Rosa’s throat, and she swallows, salty. She’s a good actress. She has to be. Gangland is a man’s world, and all she has is a hot body and lies. She’ll do what she must to get ahead.

Swim for the light. Get your head above water. Keep kicking, no matter how many others drown as you push them under. Diamond was cute, but Ange is stronger, more powerful. And power’s all that matters.

She grabs Tony’s slippery hand and hauls herself up. Her bruises flare and fade as the virus does its work. “You got what you wanted. He’ll come here Friday night, and you can do what you want with him.”

“Mmm. Can I do what I want with you, too?” Tony pulls her in for a kiss, his forked tongue sly on her lips. His body is warm, his limbs tight and lithe. The dry smell of the sand he sleeps in sickens her, but she swallows and sucks his tongue in deep.

For a deformed faeborn abomination, he’s not totally gross. And doing it in Ange’s house always makes her hot. If Ange catches her, he’ll tear her throat out. Rebellion and danger make the sordid things she does to survive fun.

It’s liberating, this razoredge fear. Some guys are so damn protective, they stifle her. Not pointing any pink fairy fingers or anything. “Mmm. Maybe you can. You have to keep up your end of the bargain, though. The gemstone’s still mine.”

Another kiss, and Tony growls in guttural satisfaction, palming her breast. “Whatever.”

“You promised.” She slips her hand into his lap—that part’s not from a lizard, that’s for sure—and at his lusty groan, her blood thrills with power and desire. Men are so weak. Diamond’s no exception, with his silly soft spot for damsels in distress. Deceiving him tonight turned her on, made her all tense and warm inside.

Famine told her about Ember, Diamond’s little bloodfairy tart who’s hunting them all down. But Diamond is Rosa’s creature now. Shouldn’t be hard to get him to turn on Ember, take the little bitch’s gemstones and hand them over to Rosa.

Tony laughs as he kisses her throat, that weird tongue doing wicked things to the place where her pulse throbs tight. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry. Fucking gemstone. Must be real sad for you, damning your soul and all.”

“Screw you.”

“Good idea. Think Ange’ll mind?”

Rosa’s breath catches as he nips at her breasts and pushes her against the wall. A mistake, getting involved with Famine and his crazyfae plan for immortality. She’d figured the demon lord, Kane, would be like any other man, his pleasure bought and sold at her whim. She’d figured very wrong.

Still, now she has her immortality, more or less. So long as she keeps eating.

And so long as some arrogant yellowface lizard doesn’t wreck everything. Tony demanded she lay a trap for Diamond, or he’d take her gemstone and give her up to Kane. She agreed. What else could she do? Ange won’t protect her from Tony. Ange and Tony go way back, and Rosa’s just a drink and a fuck.

Tony drags her skirt up, greedily stripping her panties away. He’s shorter than she, and fits perfectly between her thighs. “I guess what Ange don’t know don’t hurt him, right?”

She laughs, breathless. “You’ve got no conscience, have you?”

“Ange’s protection keeps me alive. He listens to my advice? Bonus. If he’s too dumb to know I’m fucking his girlfriend, that’s his problem.”

Danger fires her blood, making her ache for release. She helps him, searching for buttons and studs. His cock is smooth and blunt, a bit weird, and she strokes him for only a moment before he hisses and pulls her thigh around him. She gasps in delight as he pushes into her, uncomfortable but full and good.

Tony thrusts deep, hard, faster, his breath short. “Christ, you kill me, woman.”

“Careful. Not inside me. Ange’ll notice.”

“Not if I leave it somewhere he won’t look.” And he drags her from the wall, facedown on the bed with her bottom showing, and forces himself inside with a grunt. “Oh, yeah. That’s fantastic.”

Her vampire blood bubbles indignantly. She’s stronger than he. She could throw him to the floor, tear his throat open and swallow as his lukewarm lizard blood fountains.

But he groans as he thrusts, and the ragged sound of his control slipping inflames her beyond sex or rich bloodlust. He grips her hips tighter, fucking her harder. Pleasure swells inside her, sucking her breath away, and it’s nothing to do with friction.

Power is everything. These men own the world, take whatever they want, but still they’re helpless in her grip. And all it takes is a little false surrender.

“Mmm,” she purrs, “you feel so good,” and when he jerks deep and comes, she does, too.

When the spasms fade, Rosa collapses sweating to the bed and crawls away, a smile on her unbruised lips.

Diamond tricked. Ange thwarted. Tony salivating for more.

A good few minutes’ work.