Witches Be Burned: A Magic & Mayhem Novel (13 page)

The glow in Ellery’s eyes settled with her long exhale of smoke. “To be perfectly honest, I wasn’t aware of all the circumstances that surrounded this incident.” She rested her elbow on the edge of the chaise, appearing much like a classic pinup girl. “A few days ago, I was told by my regime that ten of our sires had lost control of their fledglings and hadn’t heard from them.”

“So you keep tabs on them?”

Ellery nodded. “I run things in the Southwest in a very strict manner. Our vampires must check in monthly. When some of mine hadn’t made contact, we immediately dealt with the matter.” Her head tilted, her soft hair trailing over her bare shoulder. “I hadn’t realized they were protecting their fledglings that were responsible for killing guardians until tonight.” She dabbed her cigarette and shrugged. “I only put two and two together when I heard of the guardian death in Salt Lake City—and that we still have quite a few missing fledglings from that area.”

Fucking wonderful!
“That complicates things.”

“I suppose it does.” Ellery’s eyes lightened, twinkling almost. “That brings me to my earlier question. What would
you
give in return for information on finding the whereabouts of the vampires who killed your friends?”

Hope flickered through Nexi. “Are you telling me you know where the vampires are located?” At Ellery’s nod, Nexi studied Ellery. “Why haven’t you dealt with them, then?”

Ellery smiled. “I suspected the Otherworld would prefer to deal with these vampires.”

True enough, Nexi was sure Finn wanted these killers up close and personal. But the twinkle in Ellery’s eyes had Nexi squirming in her seat. “What exactly do you want as a trade for their location?”

Ellery stood with grace and then strode around the library. “Did you know that I’m the oldest ruling vampire at the present time?”

“No.”

A slow smile spread across Ellery’s face. “I assumed not. As I suspect, you won’t be able to truly understand when I say that life for us tends to get bland—boring, you could say.” She dragged her hand over a book on the shelf. “It’s hard to find new things to remind us of all the reasons we enjoy this vampire life. It’s also difficult to have experienced things that other Mistress Vampires have not.”

Nexi regarded Ellery. “Old vampire. Bored. I get it. But how can I change that?”

Continuing to wander around the room, Ellery ran her hands gingerly over each book. “I’ve heard of you, you know.” She looked to Nexi with a dark smile, making her look like the night creature she was. “Thalia told me you visited her.”

One second Ellery was standing on the other side of the room. The next she was right in front of Nexi. “I’ve also heard of your scent.” She inhaled deeply, licking her lips. “Ah, and yes, it does smell delicious.”

Nexi’s blood ran cold.

Not even her fear could refuse the implication of those crazed eyes focused intently on her. “You cannot possibly be suggesting…”

“Like I said, new and interesting things are rare.” Ellery resumed her pacing, passing by the bookshelves and dragging her fingers over them. “I can assure you that if you didn’t work for the Council, you would be either dead or under the protection of a Mistress.”

Nexi gulped.

Ellery didn’t seem to notice and continued. “As it is, you cannot be touched. It would create a war no one in the vampire community is after. However, when you happened to arrive on my doorstep, an interesting proposition presented itself.”

Nexi glared, not caring one bit for Ellery’s authority or her allegiance with the Council. “You are out of your goddamn mind if you think that I’m going to let you drink me.”

“This is the deal I offer you.” Ellery gave a fangy grin, returning to her seat. “You need information that I possess. I want to be the Mistress that has tasted you. The decision is yours.”

Time stopped.

Nexi dropped her head into her hands, wondering when this would fucking end. Ellery might not touch her because of the Council, but it didn’t change the fact that Nexi’s blood was like a big ol’ chocolate sundae to vampires.

Some might think Nexi’s mixed heritage was a gift and she was lucky to be so powerful, but Nexi began to think it was a damned curse. She felt the weight of her choices on her shoulders.

If Ellery didn’t give up the location of the vampires, they’d never find them. Ellery was their only lead now. And the Mistress Vampire had no obligation to provide them assistance. While Nexi could’ve refused Ellery in a second flat, she reminded herself this wasn’t about her—it was about Trefan and Radek, and most of all to help Finn and Haven find closure. She lifted her head and begrudgingly asked, “If I allow you to drink from me, you’ll give up the location of the vampires?” At Ellery’s eager nod, Nexi added, “I know what a vampire bite is capable of doing, so will you hurt me?”

“You’ll feel no pain,” Ellery replied, very matter-of-fact.

“How much will you take? Like a sip? A one-second little slurp? Or are we talking like a quart of my blood?”

Ellery smiled, her fangs glistening from the light above her. “I’ll take enough to sate me, but you won’t notice any difference within yourself.” She batted her lashes, as if she were an innocent good-girl vampire. “In fact, you’ll enjoy it.”

Nexi was ready to say
Hell, no!
But compared to what Ellery could give them, her choice was an easy one. She stood on wobbly legs. “Fine. Do it.”

In a blink of an eye, Ellery’s hands wrapped around Nexi’s face. She angled Nexi’s head to the side, sliding her tongue along the length of Nexi’s throat, zeroing in on the thick vein on her neck. When Ellery’s fangs grazed Nexi, awareness struck her and she exclaimed, “Wait!”

“What?” Ellery hissed, her eyes glowing brightly.

“Tell me their location and how many are there.”

“Quite smart of you.” Ellery’s dark eyes reflected a soul long dead. “You will find the vampires at the SkyLake Lodge in Salt Lake City—they are using it as their headquarters. My guard scoped out the area earlier tonight, and by their count, there were over forty vampires, plus the witch.”

Without a chance for Nexi to respond, Ellery’s fangs penetrated her flesh, and Nexi gasped in disbelief. Pain didn’t pierce her skin; pure pleasure soared into every molecule of her body.

This wasn’t just like sex—it was
better
than sex.

Her body throbbed as the drag of blood through her veins seemed directly linked to the area between her thighs, and she couldn’t ignore the discouragingly hot flush that pooled low in her stomach. Each deep pull intensified the sensation, sending seductive heat spiraling throughout her and slickening her sex, and before Nexi could stop herself, she moaned.

Then she couldn’t stop moaning.

Each pull felt as if it brought her closer and closer to orgasm. Ellery’s lips on her skin were a tempting offer for Nexi to simply turn her head and take all that Ellery could give her. The pleasure wasn’t only building in her body, it was building in her soul, taking her higher and higher, until she moaned louder, begging for the highest climax that Ellery could offer.

Just as she peaked, consuming her with a euphoria Nexi had never experienced in her life, Ellery released her.

Nexi gasped, a sound of pure desperation, longing for the release she’d been refused. Suffering a confusing regret, she almost parted her lips to beg Ellery to continue. She wobbled on her feet, trying to find a way back from the ride of pleasure. Now Nexi understood why humans found a vampire bite so addictive—it was like having sex without the sexy parts touching, leaving her panting and aching for more.

Ellery wiped the blood off the corner of her mouth. “I did say you would enjoy it.” She sucked the blood off her finger. “And I certainly enjoyed
that.
Your taste is oddly different: very sweet and rich with power.”

“I…” Nexi exhaled, long and deep, reminding herself that she didn’t
want
an orgasm from a Mistress Vampire. “I thought you were exaggerating.” To quit the erotic emotions flooding her, she gave her head a hard shake. “But that was so, so gross that I don’t even have words.” Ignoring the way her limbs trembled and heat burned her in places that shouldn’t burn unless she was with Kyden, she added, “I’m leaving now. I’d say it was a pleasure, but—”

“It was business,” Ellery interjected. “I know you are new to our world, but you’ll learn quickly the necessity to barter with anything you can.” She slid into her cold stare, making ice seem hot. “Which includes unusual blood that many would kill for.”

By four o’clock in the morning the Council had gathered the best of the best of the Otherworld’s Guard in response to the information Nexi gained from Ellery. Kyden scanned the hall, glancing over the fifty or so supernaturals. The werewolf tracker Alazar and five members of his squad at the police department offered assistance, since the vampires were holed up in their city. Kyden’s gaze swept over the Fire Witch Briar, who was nearly as talented with her magic as Zia was. Then he scanned the other members of the Council’s Guard.

No one was taking chances tonight, especially considering there were so many unanswered questions. What was Astoria after? Why were the vampires killing guardians? And why were they all grouping together and betraying their Mistresses? Going into this fight blind was not a position Kyden preferred.

His gut tightened as his mind kept spiraling into a place where something about all this felt wrong. Nothing made sense, and that worried him far more than anything else. He turned, glancing at Nexi. It grated on his last nerve that his thoughts always went straight to her. He had no reason to believe she was in danger, and she had proven she could fight her battles, but tonight he experienced soul-crippling concern for her that went beyond anything he’d felt before.

Nexi’s snappy voice yanked him out of his thoughts. “You better shut that little fluffy face of yours or you’ll be sleeping in the woods.” She glared at Willow, sitting by her feet. “You think I’m mistreating you now, just wait until I don’t brush you and your hair is matted.”

Willow snorted, sounding much like a hiss, and then she curled up on the ground.

Kyden studied Nexi’s aggravated mood. Her voice had been curt—short, even—since she’d left Ellery’s house. And he noticed she had trouble holding his eye contact. Her hair curtained Kyden’s view of her face, and he went to brush her locks over her shoulder, but Nexi moved away from his touch. A frown pulled at his mouth, as that one move was so unlike her. “What is the
rat’s
problem now?”

“Princess Willow is hungry,” Nexi grumbled, briefly looking at him. “The cat food I bought her is disgusting and she had to catch a rodent for dinner because I wasn’t here to feed her.”

Kyden shook his head at the cat, still having no idea why Willow had attached herself to Nexi. So far she hadn’t done anything impressive to help Nexi and, in fact, caused her more distress. The familiar better show her worth soon, or she’d be sleeping out in the woods.

Pushing his thoughts back to the matter at hand, he turned his focus to the Council as Talon said, “From what Alazar has indicated after their surveillance, the vampires are mainly on the lower floor of the lodge.”

“How many vamps?” Finn asked, with Haven next to him. Both appeared eager to fight, postures tense, at the ready.

Before Talon could reply, a soft voice behind Kyden said, “The vampires shouldn’t concern you; we will be there to help, too.”

Kyden glanced over his shoulder, finding Thalia approaching. Dressed in tight black pants, a black shirt, and leather boots, she had never looked so fierce. Beside her, Maddox looked equally lethal in clothing better suited for a SWAT officer.

Nexi leaned up and whispered to Kyden, “Why would she help us?”

He shrugged at her, having no answer to give. In fact, the shock of her appearance reflected on every face in the room.

Thalia settled in beside Nexi, giving her her typical sweet smile. “I’m here because I thought you could use an extra set of hands.”

A glint of suspicion raced over Nexi’s face before she finally said, “Thank you, we appreciate it.”

“See, all is well,” Thalia replied, waving out to Talon. “Please carry on.”

Talon watched Thalia furtively, his brow furrowed over his intense eyes. “The Council is grateful for your help, Mistress Thalia.”

She inclined her head.

Talon turned to the blueprint Alazar had provided. “Here are the entry points of the lodge.” He pointed to the right side of the large square building. “Alazar, you and your team, plus the vampires and werewolves, will enter here.” Then he motioned to the side door on the left. “The witches, Thalia and Maddox, plus Zade and Holten, will go in here. The rest of the guardians will enter through the back. I will enter through the front with Kyden, Nexi, Finn, Haven, Zia, and Briar. Are we are clear on that?”

“I’m not agreeable to such a plan,” Thalia snapped, crossing her arms. “I’m making up for my wrongdoing. I’m here to offer Nexi protection. I want
her
by my side when we invade the lodge.”

Nexi narrowed her eyes at Thalia, and Kyden even sensed something was amiss. But knowing Thalia as he did, her word meant something—she wanted to protect Nexi. Kyden decided to go with it, not minding the added protection.

Talon gave Thalia an exasperated look that spoke volumes to his annoyance. “If you and Maddox entered with us through the front, would that meet your approval?”

“Perfectly, thank you,” she replied.

Haven, who had remained quiet since learning of the fight ahead tonight, stepped out of Finn’s arms. “How can the witches help?”

Zia scanned the blueprint before turning to the crowd. “We all need to come at Astoria hard and cannot allow her to get away.” She scanned over the Otherworld witches standing near the throne chairs. “Use your magic to burn, create air, and send the earth moving. Do anything to keep her contained, so Briar and I can destroy her. If a vampire comes at any of you, do what you need to do, but if you do not need to defend yourselves, leave the vampires for the others. We will need all of the witches focused on Astoria as she is our biggest threat.”

While Zia sounded confident, and that should’ve brought comfort, it made Kyden realize Astoria’s strength. He didn’t like the thought of Nexi going up against her. Perhaps he was glad she was guardian at times. He knew she loved to fight with her sword and fists, and he hoped she’d fight the vampires instead of the black witch.

“The key to our success,” Talon said, dragging Kyden’s focus to his father, “is to act without haste and to kill effectively. Do not hesitate.”

Every head nodded.

With the looming fight hanging over Kyden, he reached for Nexi’s hand and squeezed it tight, drawing her eyes to him. Though she looked self-assured, a hint of worry wrinkled her forehead. Kyden understood—when it came to Nexi, the unknown fucking terrified him.

Talon continued, his deep voice carrying through the room. “Once you get into the lodge, fan out. Don’t stick together. If we allow the vamps to circle around us it will be more difficult to defeat them.” He scanned the crowd. “If you have concerns, state them now.”

Silence.

Talon gave a firm nod, the lack of questions a firm affirmation that everyone was ready to fight.

Kyden reached for Nexi’s other hand, tugging her toward him. He pondered his next steps, knowing she responded terribly when he
told
her what to do. For his own peace of mind, and maybe he was learning how to deal with her, he tried another approach. “Stay behind me tonight, all right?” Posing it as a question, he was hoping she would be more accepting of his direction.

He reached up to smooth the lines in her forehead, realizing she did not appreciate what he asked of her. “I’m not saying you cannot fight. I’m saying your place is behind me, so I know where you are.” A hot flare of pure possession warmed his veins, yet he tamped it down, keeping his voice soft. “I need to know that you are safe.” Her lips parted, but he clamped them shut with a pinch of his fingers. “Please, do not argue with me on this, and do me this one favor. That is all I ask.”

She watched him for a long while, until her features relaxed. “Okay, Kyden, I’ll stay behind you.”

Pleased that the new approach worked, he sighed happily. Perhaps he was getting the hang of how humans talked things over and discussed things. It was a start. “Good, that’s settled.”

“I’ll stay beside her,” Thalia said.

Kyden nodded. “Even better.”

Nexi eyed Thalia with a suspicion so rich Kyden could almost taste it. Of course she wouldn’t trust Thalia. The Mistress Vampire had lied to her, and Nexi’s history with vampires was not good. But Kyden
did
trust Thalia. She would never hurt Nexi or put her in danger—of that he was sure.

Thalia batted her lashes and said in her sweet voice, “I want you to think of me as a friend. I know earlier I broke that trust. Now I’m going to repair it.”

“I hope that’s true,” Nexi replied, sounding equally innocent, “because if you’re lying to me your head will become a wall ornament in my apartment.”

Thalia laughed.

Nexi snorted, flicking her hair over her shoulder.

Kyden almost chuckled along with Nexi’s threat, until he zeroed in on her neck and the broken skin there. Skin that she had been purposely hiding from him. Dried blood layered the side of her neck, with two clear fang marks. He lurched forward, grasping her face as fury invaded him. “Explain that.”

Nexi attempted to pull away, yet Kyden held her face firmly as Thalia snapped, “That bitch got to you first.”

Nexi blew out a loud breath, glaring. “Really? Best buddies, are we?”

“I mean to say that is awful,” Thalia muttered sheepishly, then she zeroed in on the fang marks. “I scented old blood when I entered the room, but I thought it might have been coming from Zade.”

Clearly hearing the conversation from afar, Zade was quick to approach and settled in front of Nexi, eyeing the wounds. “I wasn’t sure where the scent was coming from considering the supernaturals in attendance tonight.” The Master of Vampires frowned at the marks on Nexi’s neck. “Who did this to you?”

“Well…” Nexi hesitated and then groaned. “You see, Ellery…”

Kyden couldn’t remove his hands from her face, his muscles seemingly seized together. His mind raced in confusion—one second wondering what had transpired where Ellery drank from a member of the Council’s Guard, and the next second thinking Ellery had dug herself a grave. He was going to kill her.

Zia settled beside Zade, a frown marring her face. “Did Ellery assault you?”

“Um…” Nexi glanced from face to face and then she lifted her chin. “I allowed Ellery to drink from me.”

Kyden slowly dropped his hands from her face, cold shock bursting into him. “You
allowed
her to drink you?”

“Ah, yeah,” was Nexi’s reply.

“Why would you do that?” Zia exclaimed, alarmed.

Nexi clasped her hands in front of her, shifting unsteady on her feet. “Ellery knew where the vampires were located, so we made a deal—a drink from me for the information.”

Silence settled in, and Kyden could not wrap his head around what Nexi had agreed to. He couldn’t believe that Nexi—a supernatural who nearly died for the magic in her blood—had allowed a vampire to drink from her. Only pissing him off further, there was nothing he could do about it.

Nexi had given Ellery permission.

Under his glare, Nexi played with the scabbard resting over her shoulder. “Ellery wouldn’t tell me their location otherwise.” Silence surrounded them, and she frowned. “Would you all stop looking at me like that?”

Zade’s normally collected voice wavered, shaky. “You offered your blood for information?” His mouth twitched and then he burst out laughing. “That is classic.”

Kyden glared at Zade, his nostrils flaring. His annoyance intensified as he looked at Zia, finding her lips pinched together as she clearly fought her smile. Even Talon chuckled under his breath.

Haven asked in a cheery voice, “What was it like? I hear it’s pleasurable.”

Kyden’s glare swept to Haven.

“Yikes! Maybe tell me later.” Haven slowly stepped back into Finn’s arms.

Kyden’s entire body vibrated as Nexi asked, “Can we
please
just move on? I’d rather not relive it.” Zade ignored her request, laughing so loud that Nexi’s eyes narrowed on him. “And it’s
not
funny.”

“Oh…but…it is.” Zade grasped his middle. “You—a member of the elite Council’s Guard—allowed a vampire to feed on you for information. It’s both brilliant and completely foolish.”

She crossed her arms, planting her feet wide. “For cripes’ sake, if I have this
yummy
blood I might as well use it to my advantage.” She scowled at everyone surrounding her. “And now I know the type of thank-you I’ll get for getting important information that we never would have received without my help!”

“Of course, we thank you.” Zia gave Nexi a hug, though she was still smiling from ear to ear. “Seeing that your blood appears to have qualities vampires enjoy, I’m proud that you used the leverage you had over her.”

Talon added, “An odd exchange, but yes, nonetheless a job well done.”

Their approval didn’t satisfy Kyden. He couldn’t believe Nexi had allowed another supernatural to touch her. Ellery had put her mouth on Nexi’s body, and she had a part of Nexi now inside of her.

Kyden fisted his hands.

Zade’s laughter eventually faded, even if his smile didn’t, as he closed the distance between him and Nexi. His dark eyes twinkled, but when he looked to Kyden he firmed his expression. “Might I touch her to fix the wounds?”

Kyden knew what needed to be done, and he nodded Zade on. The Master of Vampires settled in front of Nexi, piercing his finger with his thumb, and spread his blood over Nexi’s neck.

Then in nearly that same second his finger touched Nexi’s skin, and with vampire speed, Zade rushed to the other side of the hall. He stayed far away from Nexi, since the glow in his eyes suggested that simply touching Nexi’s exposed blood tested his control. Kyden thought the move was a smart one, since his fists clenched eager to deck the Master of Vampires for considering it.

Kyden’s jaw clenched. He didn’t like the distance Zade had to keep, proving how intoxicating Nexi’s blood was. As if he needed another thing to worry about with her. His heart banged against the walls of his chest and a cold sweat covered his body.

This hell he lived in needed to
stop.

Nexi continued to avoid Kyden’s gaze and said to Zade, “Thanks for healing the wounds.”