Supernatural Seduction (Book 2 of the Coffin Girls Series) (25 page)

“Sophie, catch,” Sylvain, shouted. She saw
him twirl an axe around in a circle. With the ease of centuries’
worth of experience, he effectively cut down the vamps that
surrounded him. Then she watched as he tossed the axe to her. He’d
already pulled the sword out of the sheath that was strapped to his
back, when he called out, “take his head off. We can't be sure what
these things are.”

Sophie glanced at the vamp. It was dead, but
apparently, not dead enough for Sylvain. She shrugged and using her
vampire strength, brought the axe down and watched its head roll
away from its body.

The vampires surrounding Sylvain had caught
onto the fact that she wasn’t a helpless female easily disposed of
by one of them. She watched two leave the circle surrounding
Sylvain and head towards her. She had a moment to appreciate the
fae prince’s grace and strength as he wielded the sword and made
the vampires dance around the blade. He was as menacing as he was
beautiful.

Sophie’s vampire hearing picked up the
indistinct banging on the basement door. The other fae warriors
were trying to get in. She picked up faint traces of magick and
realized that it wasn’t just fists and legs trying to break the
door down. Ayden’s power must be immense if he could so easily foul
their fae magick.

The vampires were around her. She didn’t have
the luxury of time to doubt her or the fae’s abilities, but all it
had taken was an instant for them to get the upper-hand. Sophie
felt a blade slice her stomach. It was silver. Fortunately, the
witch-half of her genetics kept it from doing the same damage it
would have done if she were a full vampire. It still burned like a
bitch though. One came up behind her and kicked her in her chest.
Due to the regular training V put them through she was toned and
fit, but her breasts were soft targets and the bastards had known
that. Sophie flew back and her body hit the ground. She discovered
that no matter how prepared you are, there was an instant of dazed
shock when your body hit a hard surface. Fortunately, the force of
the vampire’s kick had been hard enough to project her far enough
from them that they needed to run towards her.

“You okay?” Sylvain projected into her
mind.

“Yeah,” she replied. “Are you?” The wound was
throbbing and she felt blood leak out of it making the floor
slippery beneath her boots, but Sylvain didn’t need to know that
yet. They were still fighting and needed to remain focused on
killing the bastards!.

“Getting the last one, and then I’ll come
help you,” he replied. She glanced at Sylvain. Vampire heads lay
around him like discarded Halloween décor. The remaining vampire
had a sword too and was sparring with Sylvain, matching each wield
of the weapon. Sophie had no doubt that if the vamp did not have
the sword, he would be dead by now.

When she turned away from Sylvain, the vamps
were almost on her. She quickly stood, legs crouched, and her arms
hanging down at her sides. She’d ripped the remaining knives
strapped to her and now had her weapons at the ready – just waiting
to kick some bad vampire ass! They moved like weres – fast and with
brute strength behind each step. Sophie felt suddenly overwhelmed.
They moved so quickly that the air blurred around her. It was as
though their proximity to each other strengthened them. Using her
empath powers, she reigned in her anxiety so that her mind quieted
down to focus only on them. They created a tunnel of wind around
her, nicking her with the blades as they flew past. Sophie no
longer felt the stabs. She had become the eye of the storm that
would unleash a fucking hurricane on their asses. Breathing in
deeply, she tugged harder on her empath powers so that it
completely consumed her, and then she soaked up all of the rage,
the violence, and the torment that had occurred in the room. She
grabbed a hold of the screams of the girls, the moment when torture
no longer mattered, death was prayed for, and when their human
spirits were buried deep within their souls and all that remained
were animals. She pulled in the rage from the vampires, got
glimpses into their lives, and saw Ayden and Akeldonna standing
alongside Yves. They watched as the vampires were experimented upon
until they became these killing machines and she soaked every last
bit of anger and hatred up. She pulled all of it inside of her
until it was one large mass of swirling black energy and then
flipped it.

She was a vampire, but she was also a witch
and if Arianna was correct, she was one of the most powerful
empaths to ever walk the earth. So, she took the pain inflicted by
the blades of the vampires, ignored her bleeding wounds, and turned
that ball of dark energy into the very things that caused it –
torment, hurt, and deep sorrow. Once every spec of black was gone,
she reached for it and pushed it outwards and into the
vampires.

Every one of them dropped to the ground
writhing in pain. Screams were forced from deep within their souls
and penetrated the dark room. Sophie watched them fight the energy
and held on, forcing it to remain inside of them until the screams
turned to pleading cries for death. She pushed the energy further
inside of them, into their hearts and souls, and watched with calm
determination while they began to slowly disintegrate and turn to
dust.

When all that remained standing and alive
were her and Sylvain, she made certain that no dark energy remained
within her and tightly pulled in her shields again. The physical
reality of her injuries overwhelmed her and she sagged down on the
floor. She was kneeling in a pool of her own blood when Sylvain
reached her side. He had let in the fae warriors that had stayed
behind while the others transported the witches to the hollow. She
heard him yell at them to teleport back to the hollow and fetch
Arianna. Yes, Sophie thought, Arianna would heal her. Five percent
of her mind acknowledged the thought and the rest felt her life
slip away.

“Sophie, no!” She heard Sylvain shout. He
slapped her face gently like people did in the movies to wake
someone up. “Come on Sophie,” he encouraged, “pull through for
me.”

Sophie opened her eyes to look at him one
last time. Using her remaining energy, she lifted her hand to his
face and cupped his cheek. “I love you, Sylvain. Je’taime mon
chèrie,” she whispered, and then her eyes fluttered closed.

Sylvain looked in horror at Sophie, his mind
consumed with denial. He would not allow her to die – not on his
watch; not ever. Unthinkingly, he grabbed the nearest blade and cut
deeply into his arm. He laid Sophie’s head on his lap, opened her
mouth, and allowed his blood to flow into it. He knew the moment it
hit her throat and made its way to her heart because her pulse
jumped. He had a second of relief before it stilled again. Ignorant
of his own injuries, of his blood mingling with hers like a red
satin sheet on the floor of the basement, he cut the wound on his
arm wider and deeper, willing more blood to flow into her mouth. It
wasn’t enough, he thought as dizziness assailed him. Fine. They
could both die.

“Don’t be a fool,” Vérène’s voice intercepted
the dark haze that had begun to settle in around him. He could feel
his pulse match Sophie’s – weak and growing weaker still.

He looked at his sister’s scowling face,
etched with concern. Tears twinkled on her lashes and flashes of
sorrow showed in her eyes. “I’m sorry, sister. The fae are yours
and I know you will rule them well.”

“Oh, fuck the fucking fae kingdom,” Vérène
yelled. “Must you always be so damn melodramatic?! You stupid,
stupid man. Why do you always think with your heart when I expect
you to think with your dick? Did you have to go and sacrifice
yourself for the witch-vamp?”

Vérène mimicked his earlier actions and used
the blade to cut a wound on her arm. She held her arm over his
mouth so he could drink. “This should do the trick,” she stated,
sounding happy to have a plan of action. But, Sylvain refused her
blood.

“Sophie, first,” he grasped. Some of his
sister’s precious blood trailed down his chin, but his short speech
allowed some of it into his mouth.

Vérène scowled at him. “Why do I even try?”
It was said with such irritation that he knew she didn’t mean it.
She had already moved her arm to Sophie’s mouth. Sophie’s eyes shot
open and her pulse kicked in, steady and strong.

Sophie tried to grab Vérène’s arm and hold it
to her mouth, but the Unseelie princess moved it away. “Uh-uh,” she
chided. “Don’t be greedy. Now that you’re alive, I have to see to
my brother.” Vérène saw shock register in Sophie’s face and she
nodded. Puzzled at the easy acceptance by what must be a starving
vampire, Vérène moved her arm to her brother’s mouth. Only then did
he drink. Vérène felt herself begin to weaken from the blood loss.
She motioned her guards forward. They were well-trained and
instinctively, without any instruction from her, cut their own arms
to release blood. One replaced Vérène’s position over her brother
and the other held his arm over Sophie’s mouth. Vérène nodded in
approval at their swift obedience. The look they returned was one
of acknowledgement of her power. The guards knew her wrath was
merciless, but that she rewarded obedience and sacrifices such as
this, well.

She had enough strength left to climb the
stairs. If she made it to the top, she could order one of her
guards to take her back to the Dark Palace. She’d be attended to
there. She made it as far as the kitchen when her vision began to
blur. “Fucking blood loss,” she ranted. “What a pain in the
ass!”

“Now, now, your majesty. Is that any way for
someone of your stature to speak?” Vérène looked up at the person
who'd chided her. The eyes that met her were gentle and warm, as
was the tone that delivered the scolding.

“Arianna,” Vérène acknowledged before sinking
into the welcoming arms of the fae woman.

Arianna looked at the beautiful woman in her
arms. She had watched the princess grow from a child and into
womanhood before the discord between the royal twins had ripped
Vérène from her life and had torn her heart apart. Vérène was not
her child, but having raised her, been her mentor, she couldn’t
help, but love her with a mother’s heart. Blinking back tears that
threatened to spill, she breathed in air for courage and began
organizing the fae that stood around watching them. With the
mother’s love that pulsed through her, she sent the Goddess a
silent plea to allow her to nurse them all back to health so that
the fae world could be set to rights again – and maybe her heart
would mend too.

“What is this stuff?” Vérène scrunched up her
nose at the nasty draft being offered to her.

“It will make you feel better,” Arianna
encouraged, “drink up.”

Vérène scowled, but took a sip. “Bleargh!
Sorry, I can’t. This stuff is too gross.” She saw Rose, Arianna
blanch, and a murderous look begin to settle on Miss Suzette’s
face. Ever arrogant, Vérène regarded them, “What?” She turned to
Arianna and said, “You never used to poison me like this when I was
a child.”

That Arianna remained silent should have been
a sign, but Vérène had never been a good patient and she continued
to complain. A sharp slap against the top of her arm stopped her
tantrum. “Ouch! What was that for?” She turned towards Miss Suzette
who was brandishing a large wooden spoon like a weapon.

“Don’t think that I will let you off the hook
just because you’re a princess,” Miss Suzette warned.

Vérène rubbed the spot where Miss Suzette had
hit her. Damn! That woman had strength in her arms! “I’m sick,”
Vérène grumbled. “You’re not supposed to injure the sick.”

“Then drink up,” Miss Suzette ordered.

“I’m not that sick,” Vérène murmured, under
her breath.

Miss Suzette must have heard her, because she
suddenly turned towards her again and waved the wooden instrument
of torture. Vérène grumbled as was expected of her, but she drank
the brew and inside, she started to feel warm. It had been so long
since someone had taken care of her and the forced nurturing of
Miss Suzette combined with the tentative care from Arianna was
something she lapped up. Not that they’d know that of course.

She sipped the brew quietly and watched the
large, Cajun housekeeper bustle around the kitchen while Arianna
enlightened her on the latest mishaps in the fae hollow’s kitchen.
Fae were not allowed to tell lies, even the Unseelie, but they
would play around with words to their heart’s content. Vérène was
certain that that was precisely what Arianna was doing. It also
showed her how close the Seelie had become to this household of
supernatural creatures. It made her wistful for the same.

“Vérène,” Miss Suzette’s call startled her
from her thoughts. “Are you just staring into space like a zombie
on a moonless night or are you going to drink your medicine?”

Vérène finished her drink and placed the
empty mug on the kitchen table. Rose, Miss Suzette, and Arianna
were discussing Anais’ surprise pregnancy as effusively as human
women did. Yes, thought Vérène, there was steel there but there was
also love. She felt her insides warm a bit more by the attention
that Miss Suzette gave her, even though she had no idea who Vérène
truly was or how undeserving she was of that love. But, she shook
her head at herself in self-derision; she’d take the sliver of
mothering she got now. Later, she’d distance herself. Besides, she
repeated to herself, she was scowling so hard, there was no way
they’d pick up on how she was feeling. Then she caught the wink
that Rose sent her way. Well, damn! These Coffin Girls pick up on
too fucking much.

Vérène’s scowl deepened as Rose brought her a
cup of milky coffee. “It’s okay,” Rose, whispered in her ear, “I
won’t tell anyone.”

xxx

“And the girls are being seen to? Do you need
any help?” Sylvain nodded, listening to Anais on the other side of
the phone. They were, once again, using the human form of
communication - a mobile phone, although it had been spelled to
ensure that the line could not be breached. His earlier
conversation with his warriors had confirmed that the girls were
being teleported to the Enchanted Island, Conall’s home.