Hexed (The Gwen Sparks Series Book 4) (23 page)

“She would still be dead,”
Lauren had explained.
“If she accepts the vampire virus, it would preserve her body. As I understand it, spirits can step in and out of bodies, right?”

I nodded while my gut twisted in knots. This was the reason why Lauren was here, why Aiden still pretended like he cared about Gwen. Turning Gwen hybrid was their plan all along.

“And if her body doesn’t?” I asked.

“It will,” Lauren stated, and I could tell she really believed it. “She has that something extra, I can tell.”

“I’m not even going to ask what that means,” I told her, growing tired of this conversation. “Both of you are so ready to test the hybrid theory that you’re not thinking about what it will mean if it doesn’t work.”

“It’s a risk worth taking,” Lauren said, crossing her arms.

“It’s a risk
she’ll
be taking. If the shoe was on the other foot, I doubt either of you would do the same.” I raised my voice and tried to ignore the icy tendrils of power coursing through my veins. I wanted to reach into Lauren’s chest and rip away her soul, make her feel the fear that consumed me.

“I have,” Lauren said, stepping closer to me. “I know the risks because I feared them when a vampire sunk his fangs into my throat and drained me dry.” She moved even closer so that she had to tip her head up to look at me. I could feel her breath fan across my face when she spoke next. “And I felt the fear of losing my life when he slit his wrist and made me drink his infected blood, all because he believed I could accept the virus.”

My lips parted with my shock. “
You’re
a hybrid”

She nodded and trailed a long red fingernail down my chest, still peering up at my face. Gripping her hand, I lowered her arm and took a step back.

“I know you’ve felt my influence,” she said closing the space I’d put between us. “I’ve felt the desire rolling off you because of it.” Her tongue rolled across her lips. “If I chose to, I could make you do whatever I wanted.” As if to prove her point, she reached up and curled her hand around the base of my neck. Warmth unlike anything I’d ever felt seeped into me and awakened an unrelenting desire. I wanted her, wanted to rip her clothes off and fuck her against the wall until the hunger was satisfied.

Whispering, Lauren said, “If I wanted, I could have you on your knees begging me.” Her eyes dropped to my lips. “I could make you fuck me right now, even though I know you really don’t want to.” Her gaze snapped back up to my eyes. “And while your body would love it, inside you would be hating yourself for betraying Gwen. You would know it was wrong, that you shouldn’t be between my legs, but that wouldn’t stop you from wanting to be there.”

Lauren took a couple steps back, releasing me. “Believe me now?”

I sucked in a ragged breath, fury racing to extinguish the heat she’d produced. “Don’t ever fucking do that again.”

“I had to prove to you that I am what I say I am,” Lauren explained. “You know vampires cannot influence other supernatural beings. What you were feeling was my succubus side.” She smiled wryly. “No one is immune to that sort of glamour, not even you, Death.”

My eyes fell past Lauren to the opening of the hallway, sure I would find Gwen staring at me with hurt in her eyes. If Lauren wanted to, she could have had me screw her. I’d wanted to, badly. My dick was still hard from the want she’d bestowed in me. Luckily, Gwen did not witness that little show of power.

“Who made you?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Lauren replied, her eyes glinting in the low light. “He’s dead now.”

As I tried to calm my body, I sorted through all the thoughts running through my head. Succubae and Incubi were demons that appeared in dreams and fed off sexual energy. Was Lauren able to accept the vampire virus because of the demonic genes in her body?

“So you think that because you could turn hybrid, Gwen can too?”

“She has a better chance than anyone else, and it’s worth trying.”

“For whose benefit?”

A wrinkle formed between Lauren’s eyes. “Gwen’s. Who else’s?”

I took a step forward and pointed my finger at her. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Aiden is still under Aaron’s rule, and we both know Aaron wants a hybrid of his own. So, I’ll ask again; who will benefit from Gwen turning hybrid?”

“No one,” Lauren answered. “Aiden and I are only trying to help save Gwen. Regardless of what you think, he really does love her. Aaron will not have control over her.”

I tried to gauge whether she was telling the truth or not. She wasn’t showing any signs of lying, but with vampires it’s difficult to tell. I could torture her in hopes she’d reveal her secrets, but I didn’t want to wake or worry Gwen with her screaming.

“Aaron is Aiden’s sire; he controls him. If Aiden were to sire Gwen, Aaron would then control Gwen.”

Lauren shook her head. “Aiden plans to ask for his release.”

“It’s been over six-hundred years,” I said, “why now?”

Lauren gave me an exasperated look. “So Aaron won’t have control over Gwen should she decide to become hybrid.” She didn’t need to say ‘duh’, her tone implied it.

“Or, so Aiden won’t have to share Gwen with the vampire council.”

“Look, Aiden is risking his life by asking for release from Aaron,” Lauren bit out. “Should Aaron deny him, he’s prepared to fight for his freedom. All for Gwen’s safety. At least put your hatred for Aiden aside and think about it. It may just be her only chance at surviving.”

Without another word, she headed back down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. I leaned against the wall and cursed. As much as I hated it, Lauren may be right.

I PUSHED THROUGH a curtain of ivy. Birds chirped overhead while sunlight sliced through the tree branches and cast intricate patterns against the forest floor. Bright purple, pink, and yellow flowers grew in clusters, some nearly as tall as me. Tiny little sparks of light flitted around the plants, leaving trails of light in their wake. Moving toward one, I bent at the waist and inspected the glittering bug. Only, it wasn’t a bug. The little creature had the body of a human, its features delicate. Its eyes were wide, too big for its tiny body and the greenest green I’d ever seen. It flew up and hovered near my nose, causing me to go cross-eyed for a moment. Its iridescent wings flapped, sending showers of purple and yellow dust into the wind. I stared in awe and reached a finger out to touch it.

“I wouldn’t do that,” a voice said behind me.

Spinning around, I found the woman from the mirror standing in the middle of the clearing. Her long dark hair rested against the front of her shoulders, and she was clothed in a long white gauzy dress.

“Why?”

“Pixies,” she said, taking a couple steps closer, “prefer to be admired from afar. If they dust you, you’ll be itching for days.”

I turned at the waist to look down at the fluttering little bug. Two more had joined it, zooming around the flower like hummingbirds.

“Have you thought about what we talked about?” The woman asked.

Spinning around to face her, I said, “There wasn’t much to think about. You want me to surrender my life, and I want to live.”

She nodded, her lips in a thin smile. “As most do, but immortality is not within any human’s reach. Everything fades eventually. Are the leaves not beautiful upon their death?”

I scrunched up my face. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The woman stepped closer. “It means there is a certain grace in death. Autumn is a time of dying, yet so many relish in its beauty. It is not to be feared.”

“Do you not fear dying?” I asked, hugging my arms to my chest. No matter how beautiful this place was, all the talk of death caused a foreboding chill to climb up my body. I wondered why this woman didn’t kill me herself if she wished me dead.

“Fear it?” she questioned, her voice holding a hint of surprise. “Some days I wish for it.”

My eyes widened. “Why?” Was this woman suicidal? As horrible as it sounded, I almost wished she was; at least then it would explain her odd obsession with death.

She smiled wider as though entertained with my disbelief. “I have existed for many lifetimes, always watching the world and people change, yet not changing myself. It grows tiresome.”

“You said immortality is not real.”

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes watching me with amusement. “I said immortality is not within any
human’s
reach.” She watched me for a few long seconds, waiting for me to understand what she was saying.

“But, I’m not human,” I said. “They tell me I’m some sort of witch.”

That made the woman chuckle. “Being magical does not mean you are not human, Gwen. All supernatural beings are still considered human. They’re just a different species of human.”

I understood why witches and vampires would be considered human, but what about all the others?

“So, werewolves, fairies and elves are still human?”

Amusement filled the woman’s eyes. “Yes, just a different species of human. The humans now believe they have evolved over the years, but it is the fairies, elves, werewolves, and witches that have evolved. Since regular humans outnumber the evolved, the supernatural beings hid their magic from the world.”

“Until the Great Revelation in the eighties,” I said, remembering the mini history lesson Micah gave me.

The woman nodded in approval. “Yes, until the Great Revelation.”

“So, what does that make you?” I asked. “You speak as though you’re immortal.”

“We have gotten off topic,” she said, ignoring my question. “The point of this visit is not to discuss me, but rather your predicament. Death will come to you whether you embrace it or not, Gwen. I wish for you to die peacefully.”

My stomach twisted in knots. “My friends are working on a solution. It’ll work.” Even as I said the words, I could hear the doubt in my voice.

The woman’s face relaxed as her she looked at me, but didn’t see me. Slowly, the color leached from her eyes until all that was left was white. “In two moons the sand will run out and electricity will find its home in your chest.” Her voice was monotone, so different that the sweet musical tone I’d heard before.

Moving toward me, she reached a hand out to rest against my shoulder. “They will succeed at their assignment.” Then she shoved me backwards. I gasped, my arms flailing out to my sides, as I prepared to hit the ground hard. However, I never hit the ground. I continued to fall through an abyss of darkness, my arms connecting with the breeze stirred up from my descent. My hair whipped up and around my face and what little breath I had caught in my lungs.

“Gwen, wake up.”

Someone was pinning my arms at my sides and shaking me. My eyelids snapped open, and I found Dorian leaning over me. I panted as I fought to catch my breath, my chest heavy with the effort. Releasing his grip, Dorian sat on the edge of the mattress and stared down at me. Sitting up, I pulled my knees to my chest and ran a hand through my hair.

“What’d you dream about?”

“I don’t think it was a dream,” I told him. I didn’t know why I’d been holding off on telling Dorian about the woman in the mirror, but after this last visit I knew I needed to tell him.

“Was it Aiden?” Dorian asked, moving so that he faced me. “Did he pull you into one of his dreams.”

“Aiden?” I asked in confusion. “No, it was a woman.”

“A woman? What woman?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know, she never gave me her name.” I released a heavy breath and scrubbed a hand over my face. “I think it may be who hired Ms. Willow. This is the second time she’s visited me, and both times she’s tried to convince me into surrendering my life.”

Dorian stared at me, the tightness in his jaw accentuating the angle of his face. Without the sunglasses, I could stare straight into the depths of his thundercloud eyes. The fogginess darkened so much that I half expected to see lightening flash through them.

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

I straightened my spine and lifted my chin. “Because, I thought she had a good point. The only thing that makes me special is that I’m sleeping with Death. It’s not right.
I’m
not right.”

“Not this shit again,” Dorian snarled, standing up and turning his back to me.

I scrambled out of bed, angry that he was angry with me. “Tell me I’m wrong, Dorian.” I moved around his body so I could see his face. He stood with his arms folded across his expansive chest.

“Tell me you’ve done this before, that you’ve restored a soul out of the goodness of your heart.” As I waited for him to respond, to look at me, my subconscious whispered something in his voice. I closed my eyes as it played through my head. “
You know what scares me? The idea of a world without you.”
I couldn’t remember the conversation leading up to that statement, but
I remembered an alley and my back pressed against a brick wall, Dorian kissing me even though he looked as though he wanted to kill me.