Tempt (Ava Delaney #3) (20 page)

“
We don’t own humans! We don’t get to screw around with their
lives like they’re playthings. A man died the other night because
your so-called Guardian sent a demon after me to shut me up. If
this is what your precious Council is protecting, then I want no
part of it. I’ll deal with Becca. Don’t worry. But after that, you
can all sod off!”

I felt a
million times better when I left, rattled and shaken, but better
for having said my piece. Too many lives were being treated as
pawns, and I wanted everyone to know where I stood. I wasn’t meant
to be a part of that kind of organisation. For an instant, I
considered whether Eddie’s ideas on anarchy could work, but again,
human lives would be the main sacrifice, and that wasn’t worth
it.

By the
time I made it to my apartment building, it was getting late. I
gave Peter a quick call to ask him to bring his car. If all went
well with Carl, I would need help taking him to Eddie’s place. The
bond would push his body beyond its limits, and that might be a
step too far for Carl’s weakened state. I wanted to take as few
chances as possible.

I hoped
I wasn’t making a mistake, but I couldn’t leave the country without
trying something, and it was a good distraction for whatever might
happen to me next. I had managed to piss off Guardians, shifters,
vampires, various demonic creatures, and even the Council. I wasn’t
in a good bargaining position unless I pulled something out of the
bag. And that just might be Becca. I had to tread carefully, but I
was clueing into the game, and survival meant more than just
living.

The
terror I felt as I walked up the stairwell was almost crippling,
but it was past time for me to let go of fear. I’d faced Coyle, and
he was made of my worst nightmares. The strength was there. I could
live with the occasional lapses, the times when I thirsted and
messed with numbers to ease my state of mind. But blaming everyone
else for the things that had happened to me was tiring. The more I
let that instinct slip away, the happier I felt.

The cold
presence appeared —Maeve, I reminded myself—as if she knew I needed
strength. It occurred to me that I had gotten into the habit of
relying on the spirit for silent advice, but once her visits
lapsed, I had discovered how to trust my own instincts. When I
listened to my gut feelings, things tended to work out, and I had a
gut feeling I was about to do the only thing possible for Carl,
aside from murdering all of the succubi on the planet.

I
knocked on my neighbour’s door. When Alannah opened it, I pushed
past her and headed straight for Carl. The stench of death was in
the air, and I almost lost it, until I saw his chest rise and fall.
He was alive, barely.

I knelt
beside him, ignoring the foul-mouthed succubus behind me. Alannah
pulled at my shoulders and hair, screaming insults, but I opened
Carl’s eyes and managed to make eye contact with him. I whispered
to him, and it seemed as though he knew me, but I couldn’t tell for
sure.

“
Get away from him!” Alannah screamed, the order tinged with
desperation.

I held
Carl’s hazy gaze. “He’s mine,” I said firmly, and a spark of
something appeared. Maybe recognition, maybe magic, but whatever it
was, I pushed at it with everything inside me. “You’re mine,” I
repeated under my breath, willing him to understand, willing him to
agree.

He
croaked out a sound, then in a movement so fast it frightened me,
he gripped my wrist.

“
What are you doing?” Alannah’s whisper was full of horror and
awe.

“
Taking back what’s mine. I had prior claim. Our bond’s too
strong. He’s still mine, and you can’t have him. You can’t take
what isn’t yours. You should already know that.” I touched the mark
on Carl’s chest, easing the darkness away, soothing the raised
skin. He jerked his head, showing me his neck, and relief swept
over me. The first part was done.

I stood
and faced the succubus, who still looked baffled.

“
This is what happens when you go after what’s mine,” I said,
but I was speaking to all the succubi, knowing they would hear it,
knowing they could affect my reputation. “Everyone I know is
off-limits. I understand your quota, but it doesn’t include those
close to me. None of you will feed off me again. It offends me and
the people who claim me. You’ve interfered with the beast, made
sure I couldn’t take her down. I don’t like to kill. I really
don’t. But I do what has to be done. And I’m not alone. If I find
out you’ve had a hand in the demon possession, I
will
be
back.”

She
shivered at the words “demon possession,” but she didn’t look
surprised, and I wondered how common the knowledge was among actual
demons. It might mean something huge was going on, or it might mean
nothing at all. But I was pretty sure I could find out.

“
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a minion to heal, a beast to
kill, and some house hunting to do.” I helped Carl up, carrying
some of his weight on my shoulder. The walk from the building was
slow—and noisy, what with the shrieking succubus—but I couldn’t
stop grinning until I made it to the car.

“
He okay?” Peter asked, helping Carl into the
backseat.

“
Not really. But sadly for him, he probably won’t die from
having sex.”

Peter
raised his eyebrows but didn’t respond. I was still buzzing from
freaking out the succubus.

“
It’s getting late,” he said as we got into the
car.

“
I know. I’ll make sure Carl is settled then head
off.”

“
Ava, I—”

“
Don’t. Don’t say anything. I’ll fly out, sort shit out, then
come home in a day or so and sort shit out here. I’m sure an even
bigger problem will show up for me to sort out by then.”

“
Always does.” He laughed, apparently enjoying the
excitement.

Carl was
still breathing when we made it to Eddie’s place. Peter carried him
up to the spare room, even though Carl kept struggling to get to
me. It said worrying things about his condition when he couldn’t
break free, even under the will of a vampiric thrall.

“
He’s in worse shape than I expected,” Eddie said, leading us
back downstairs.

“
Is there anything I can do?” I asked. “If I’m responsible for
him, can I keep him alive somehow?”

“
That might be beyond your skills,” Eddie said. “The bonding
went well?”

“
Yep. The succubus had a hissy fit, but I warned her off.
Hopefully, they’ll listen.”

“
They?” Peter asked.

“
All of the succubi. They’re all linked… it’s a thing. Can you
keep Carl alive until I get back?”

Eddie
shook his head. “A couple of days at the most. You’ll have to be
quick. His body can last this way. It’s his mind I’m worried about.
I’ll strengthen him as much as possible, but his chances for
survival are poor. He may never be the same again if he lives. Are
you sure you want that?”

“
That’s not up to us. I need to get moving. I can’t miss the
plane. I’ve already gotten quite a few angry voicemails from Gabe.
Don’t want him getting his angel buddies after me.”

Eddie
rolled his eyes, but Peter pulled me into a quick hug. I inhaled
deeply, committing his cinnamon scent to memory. “See you later,”
he said, letting me go.

“
Before you leave,” Eddie said. “I’d like to perform a quick
ceremony with the dagger, to give you a little more
fire-power.”

“
Nah, I’ll be okay. Not so sure the dagger will get much use
this time out.”

“
It could help,” he insisted.

“
Yeah, but I don’t particularly like where your magic comes
from,” I said, remembering the blood sacrifices and soul
power.

“
It comes from the gods,” he spat, unusually
offended.

“
Right. Exactly which god would that be?”

“
There are many sleeping gods. You know what I am. Do not talk
down to me.” His voice never raised, but the tone turned dark, and
all of the doors and windows in the building slammed
violently.

“
Always with the drama,” I scoffed to hide my fear. I hated
when he pulled out his magical tricks. “Did the gods give you your
souls, too?”

His eyes
narrowed, but I shrugged it off. I didn’t have time for
confrontations with Eddie Brogan, Keeper of Knowledge—whatever the
hell that meant.

“
Just… act normal while I’m gone, okay?” I said.

“
Maybe you should let him help,” Peter said. His eyes pleaded,
and I couldn’t say no again.

“
If it’s not too creepy,” I said.

Eddie
made a tutting sound and swiftly prepared for a ritual. I couldn’t
help shuddering when he produced the cracked black bowl again. The
room appeared to dim. Eddie lit some candles, while Peter and I
huddled close together.

Eddie
pulled on a pair of gloves. “Give me the dagger, Ava.”

I
reluctantly handed it over, disturbed by how reverently he looked
at the thing.

“
Blood. Love. Sacrifice. Accept our offerings, and protect our
souls. Connected and ready to serve. Fill us with power, and watch
over us.”

His eyes
gleaming in the candlelight, Eddie raised the dagger and sliced his
palm, letting his strangely repulsive blood drip into the bowl. He
held his hand out to Peter, who backed off noticeably. Eddie
clucked his tongue until Peter let out a weary sigh and held out
his hand, wincing as the dagger pierced his skin.

Last
again, I shivered at the blankness in Eddie’s eyes as I held out my
hand. The dagger was quick and sharp, and I tried not to yelp at
the sensation.

Like
before, Eddie’s posture changed and guttural words flung from his
mouth in a strange voice. He pressed the dagger against his lips.
Peter gasped as blisters immediately appeared, but it was as though
Eddie inhabited his own little world.

He
stirred the bowl of blood with the dagger and gave an empty smile
as the weapon flared with blue light, sparking the
fluid.

He held
the bowl out to me, urging me to drink. Although still
apprehensive, I drank the blood in one mouthful, swallowing hard as
the hot liquid tantalised my tongue. I had no idea what the dagger
did to change the blood, but it became something else. Pure energy.
Life.

Still
stunned by the warmth flooding through my body, I barely noticed
Eddie’s palm against my forehead.

“
Let the spirit exist in our sister. The Keeper of Light and
Warrior of Flame are still needed here. Keep her safe until the day
comes.”

Peter
made a strangled sound, and I followed his eyes down to my bare
arms. My skin was full of light again, and I felt something close
to me, something magnificent. I wouldn’t be alone when I faced
Becca. Hopefully, I wouldn’t need blood.

I made
it to the airport with ten minutes to spare. Finding the vampires
was another story. After going the wrong way three times, I finally
spotted one of the bodyguards waving at me.

“
Didn’t think you were going to show,” he said
gruffly.

“
Didn’t think I had a choice.”

He
nodded and gestured for me to follow. “Our terminal is this way.
We’ll need to run. Further out than the human runways, but better
than having to mix with humans we can’t snack on. Most countries
have their own airports dedicated to higher beings like us, but
Ireland has always been backwards. You’re a little late, but the
jet and staff are all still being checked. We don’t need to
participate in any of that ridiculous human security nonsense,
though. As if they could force us, anyway.”

I made a
noncommittal noise, controlling the urge to slap the chatty vampire
silly, and tried to keep up with his long-legged stride. He led me
through a door clearly marked “Staff Only,” and we raced to the
terminal. Any airport staff we passed avoided our eyes, as if they
knew what we could do.

Winston
and his sidekicks all waited together for their bodyguards to
finish checking the private jet. They didn’t say a word to me, and
that bothered me because I couldn’t get a feel for what they were
thinking. I was about to get on a plane with a group of strange
vampires. It could go badly. Their human companions were nowhere to
be seen, solidifying that possibility.

I had
never been on a plane before, never mind a private jet, so I was a
little excited in spite of myself when I boarded. The cabin was
pretty spacious, all things considered. The leather seats looked
comfortable enough, and the windows were blacked out.

“
Welcome aboard,” a perky blond hostess with wounds on her
neck said. The jet seemed to be catered solely for vampire
passengers, including the meals. She happily offered me her wrist
when I took my seat.

Startled
by the movement, I stared dumbly at her for a couple of seconds.
“Uh, no thanks.”

She
shrugged and moved on. Cass took her offer, sinking her fangs into
the woman’s skin. The woman didn’t even cry out. She just smiled
lazily. The scent of her blood flooded the cabin, and my mouth
instantly watered.