The Wicked (17 page)

Her eyes were glowing so bright—it was just plain scary. “Tell me first,” I demanded. “Tell me where they are.”

“Smart of you,” she approved. “You will find them at Powderhorn Lodge in Salt Lake City.”

Then she leaned back in and when her fangs penetrated my skin, I gasped in utter disbelief. The intrusion was far from what I expected. Pain didn’t pierce my skin. What I felt was very similar to the intense pleasure that came immediately before a climax.

It was that consuming and with each pull on my neck, the sensation only grew deeper. Before I could even help it, I was moaning against her movements, enjoying the pleasure she was giving me.

When she pulled away, I made little unhappy noises, which had her laughing. I fell to the ground, panting, trying to restore myself. I felt raped—orgasm raped.

“I told you, you would enjoy it,” she purred, wiping the bit of blood off her mouth.

“I…” my breath exhaled, “I thought you were exaggerating. That was incredible.” I quickly pushed away the sense of erotic fulfillment. “But gross. Very, very gross.” I stood. “Are we done here?”

She nodded. “Quite. Your blood was just as I assumed it would be,” she licked her lips, “delicious.”

“I’d say it was a pleasure, but…”

“It was business,” she interjected. “You are new to this world, but will learn quickly to barter.”

She reached out her hand and I shook it. I didn’t hate the vampire before me. She was just all business—cold, hard business. That was clear and really I had more pressing matters.

“Until next time.” She smiled.

“Not to be rude, but I hope that is not anytime soon.”

Lickity-split, I was back outside, gasping in the fresh air. As quickly as air escaped my mouth, it drew back in when Kyden grabbed my face.

“What is that?” he bellowed, pointing at the two fangs marks clearly on my neck.

He was about two seconds away from storming into Ellery’s house and killing her. I grabbed his arm and pulled. “It’s fine. Let’s just get out of here.”

We quickly ran down the hill to meet up with the others at the bottom of the driveway. I ignored all there curious expressions and grasped Zia’s hand, sending the group to do the same.

The very instant we landed back in the foyer, Kyden growled, “Tell me now.”

The others spun back to me, obviously in interest of what was provoking him.

Zade quickly rushed forward, grasping my face to view the evidence. “Did she assault you?”

Loud gasps ruminated off the walls.

I sighed, backing away from Zade’s hold. “No. I let her.”

“You let her drink from you?” Kyden roared.

Zia took my hands. “Why would you do that?”

“It was the only way she would tell me where the vampires are. She had already killed their makers. It was the only choice I had.”

Zade burst out laughing. “You let her drink from you. Oh, that’s classic.”

Kyden glared at him.

“What was it like?” Haven asked, fully excited.

Kyden glared at her too.

“It was…well…” I bit my lip, looking nervously at Kyden.

“Pleasurable,” he added grimly.

“Really?” Haven giggled. “Like knock your socks off pleasurable?”

Kyden’s glare deepened.

Haven slowly walked back into Finn’s arms who wrapped himself around her, laughing.

“You let her drink from you?” Zia still couldn’t wrap her head around it.

“Can we just move on? I feel violated and just gross. It’s not something I want to relive.” Zade was still laughing hysterically. “And it’s not funny.”

“Oh—but—it is.” He rolled in laughter.

Then, they all joined in. Keir and Ryker were gripping their stomachs from laughing so hard.

I gave them all my best rendition of a
go shove it
look. “This is the thanks I get?” When I glanced at Kyden, he wasn’t laughing. He was furious.

“We do thank you.” Zia hugged me. “I have never heard of such a thing taking place before. You have served the Council well.”

Zade’s laughter was quieting as he approached me. When he reached me, he glanced to Kyden. “Turn your head.”

Before I could ask why, Kyden looked away and Zade had my face in his hands and sank his fangs into my neck. My eyes rolled back into my head and I groaned.

When he drew away, it was so quick it didn’t have the effect that Ellery’s feast did. “Bah,” I shouted. In vampire speed, Zade was away from me and even more than that farther away from Kyden. “What the hell was that for?” I blasted.

Zade smiled, kindly. “I took some of your blood and sealed the wounds.”

I raised my hand to my neck and my skin was smooth. “Yeah, got that much. Why?”

“So you didn’t carry her scent. When a vampire feeds, it is a sort of claim. If I left you the way you were, it would appear to other vampires that you belong to her. Now, it says you are mine—meaning the Council’s.”

“Oh,” was my response.

After a few more, shocked glances and ridiculous questions, they were all on their way. Kyden still wasn’t looking my way so I approached him.

When I met up with him, he slowly glanced down to meet my gaze. “Are you angry with me?” I asked.

“I do not like to share you. Not with anyone and knowing the pleasure…”

I stopped that thought immediately. “Kyden that ranked a zero on the scale of what you do to me.”

After ten—I counted—very deep breaths, his face became resolved. “As much as I hate to admit there was no way around it, getting the information was important.” He sighed. “Are you alright? Not hurt in anyway?”

“Just creeped out. Like, shake your body till the creepiness floats away, kinda creeped out. I never want to do that again.”

“And so you shouldn’t, Álainn.” He kissed me as possessively as he could, then murmured against my lips. “I give you pleasure. No one else.”

After I spilled the beans on the location of the vampires, Talon called in Detective Broden to meet us at Powderhorn Lodge. I could only imagine that his line of thinking ran across Broden’s knowledge of the city, which to me meant bad news. He was looking outside of our circle for help—that couldn’t have been good.

An hour later, we were staked out a mile away from the location of the vampires.

“I don’t see anything.” I held the massive binoculars in my hands searching for the damn house. There were trees, dark sky and that was about it. “Where is it?”

Detective Broden snorted something close to annoyance and grabbed the binoculars to steady them as he guided me to the right direction.

“Oh, I see it. Thank you.” A grand wooden lodge embodied with a large clock tower that sat high above the main structure was coming clear through the binoculars.

In the winter, this place would be a skiers dream come true with the large mountains resting behind the lodge. Tonight however, it was empty—all that remained was vampires, and by the looks of it, lots of them.

“I have counted close to forty vamps,” Kyden said grimly.

“How can you even tell? They all look the same,” I replied. I leaned back a little, looking through the binoculars, which were heavy enough to make my arms sore. I glanced at Broden. “Where’d you get these things?”

“I am part of the Police Force,” Broden responded. “You think things such as these wouldn’t be available to me?”

“I guess.” I shrugged. “It’s just these look like something out of the military. Who knew the Police needed surveillance equipment like this.”

Kyden glanced away from his binoculars and winked at me. “Modern technology does have its advantages.”

He was right about that. We would never have been able to see their location without being discovered. They would’ve scented us immediately.

Talon sighed. “This will be more difficult to go up against.”

“Got that right,” I said in agreement “How many Guardians do we have available to us?”

“On such short notice, I am afraid we only have ten.”

“There are five from my squad who have offered their assistance,” Broden added.

Talon shot him a grateful look. “Any help we can get is much appreciated. I only wish we had more time to gather the others. I fear if we wait, they will move on, or cause more deaths.”

“Our group is strong,” Kyden told his father. “We will manage,”

Talon responded with a firm nod.

Before we left, Thalia and Hayes had showed up. My guess was Talon had called them to assist with this. “Thalia said she and Hayes would also help. She’s not willing to sacrifice any of her regime, but still there are two more that will help,” I told them.

Kyden arched a brow. “She offered her help?”

I nodded. The three of them stared at me in shock. “Is that weird or something?”

They all nodded in unison.

Talon said, “It is odd for her to help with this matter. This does not concern her. You must have made a good impression.”

“Oh,” I said to Talon. “You didn’t ask them to help?”

Talon shook his head. “No, I did not.”

“Well, who cares why they’re helping, just be glad they are. By the looks of it we need the help.”

Talon looked back through the binoculars. “There are four entry points I see. Do you all agree?”

We all looked back.

“Shit,” I blasted. “I can’t find it again.” I searched the dark sky completely lost.

Kyden chuckled, and reached up to assist me.

“There it is—stinking building.” I searched the lodge, and saw Talon was right. There were four entrances excluding the windows of course.

“Four. I agree,” Kyden said beside me.

“They appear to all stay around the main hall there,” I stated.

“Yes. They do,” Talon said. “Broden, can you sense any of them upstairs?”

“I am unsure. There are so many of them in there it is hard to indentify where they all are.”

I focused deeply, drawing on that piece of energy that sat deep in my soul, and scanned the lodge. Moments later, I knew. “There are some upstairs too, but they feel young,” I blurted out. The air got thick around me. I glanced away from the binoculars to see their shock had returned. “What?”

“Did I hear you right?” Broden appeared more than stunned.

“Depends on what you heard. If you mean did I say that there are some upstairs, but they are young ones, then yes, you heard me right.”

The stunned look on his face deepened. “How are you able to do that?”

“I have no idea. I can just tell.”

“So, there are more upstairs then?” Talon asked.

“I am sure of it. They feel different from the ones below, which leads me to believe they are young. Don’t ask me how many, I ain’t that good.”

They all laughed.

“Nexi, your skills are beginning to overwhelm me,” Talon said, all too serious. Then, he stood. “Let us get back to the others and discuss strategy. We cannot walk into this without a plan.”

“I will gather my team and meet you in the Otherworld,” Broden stood, then took the binoculars from our hands.

Kyden leaned in and kissed my nose. “He’s not the only one amazed, Álainn.”

I closed my eyes, smiling. When I opened them again, I stood back in the foyer. We followed Talon into the Council’s Hall were the whole crew was waiting, including the ten Guardians and a handful of witches.

After Talon had filled them all in, Broden and his team arrived as the plans about our next move continued.

“These are the entry points,” Talon said, pointing to a large drawing of the lodge. “Broden, you and yours will enter from here.” Talon pointed to the side door on the left. “The Guardians will enter from this side,” he said, pointing to the right. “The Witches, Thalia, Hayes, Ryker, Zade, and Brax will go in through the back. Kyden, Finn, Haven, Nexi, Zia, and I will enter through the front. Are we are clear on that?”

“I am not in agreement,” Thalia snapped. “I am offering my help to Nexi. It is her I wish to enter with.”

I furrowed my brows at her.
Huh?

“Zia and I will enter in through the back then,” Talon responded. “Does that suit you?”

“That suits me just fine,” Thalia replied giving me a wink.

What is she up to?

“That is a very good question,”
Zia answered my thought.

I laughed. Everyone looked to me. “Sorry, please continue. Zia is just reading my mind.”

Kyden arched an equivocal brow.

I waved away his question.

“How can we witches help?” Haven asked.

Zia said, “I believe our only job is to help provide distraction. Use your magic to burn, create air, send the earth moving, anything to distract the vampires long enough so the Guardians can attack. If you see an opportunity to help, do so. Use your defensive magic to assist in the killings, but unless you know they will be destroyed, stay back. Allow the Guardians to do their work.”

“We can provide just the distraction,” one of the witches responded, sending them all laughing and giggling in excitement.

“The key to our success here,” Talon said, “is to act quickly. Kill effectively. Do not hesitate. Do what you must to see they are all destroyed.”

All heads nodded in understanding.

“Is Astoria there?” Zia asked.

I shook my head. “I didn’t see her.”

“That is a bit of good news. Her presence would make this nearly impossible.”

“When you get into the lodge fan out,” Talon said. “Do not stick together. If we allow them to group it will be harder to defeat them.”

“You know I could try to freeze them all. Wouldn’t that make it easier?” I said. The ability had shown through when I defeated Lazarus—it wouldn’t be that hard to do again. Right?

“Of course it would,” Zia said, softly, “but the truth in the matter is, you cannot do it fast enough, and in the time that you would need to focus you could be killed.”

Damn control. Damn powers.
This would be a hell of a lot easier if I did some hocus pocus thing and it was done. Nothing ever comes easily.

“We brought some things that may be of assistance,” Broden said, a hint of pride leveling his voice. He bent down and unlocked a big chest resting in front of him. He reached in and pulled out bazookas—big ones.

“Now that is a piece of beauty,” Finn purred.

Every male in the room had a face that leaned very close to arousal looking at the weaponry before us.

Broden smirked. “I believe this is how we can assist you best.”

Talon looked intrigued. “Go on.”

“Try and draw some of them out. We have advanced our weapons, and they are remarkably accurate and effective to use against vampires. If you bring them out into the front we can blast away many in a span of a few seconds.”

Kyden stepped forward to rub his hand along the barrel of the bazooka. “It’s pretty,” he hummed.

“Stop touching it like that.” I kicked him. “You’re making me jealous.”

He gave me a devilish grin in return.

“I believe Broden is right,” Talon said. “Guardians divide.” The eight male Guardians and two females split into two separate groups.

“You,” he pointed to the group on the left, “will take over Broden’s entry in the left side of the lodge. When you have caught the attention of the vampires draw them out.” Then, he glanced to the other group. “You will follow in behind us and help pull as many as you can outside. This will clear the lodge sufficiently, so we will have an easier time dealing with the others, while Broden and his team help you out front. Agreeable?” Talon asked Broden.

He nodded firmly. “This will lessen our outnumbered numbers. We will set up position in the trees facing the lodge.”

“We all set then?” Talon asked the crowd.

“One moment,” Zia said, quickly. “If any of you receive an injury that is life threatening, yell for me, and I will come heal you immediately.”

“I’d offer the same, but if I heal any of you, I’ll probably end up killing myself in the process.”

Kyden turned toward me as he gazed intently into my eyes. “Keep your thoughts on yourself only.”

“You too,” I told him just as stern. Making sure he got the point that he didn’t need to protect me, which I knew was going to be his main priority.

He grinned before he kissed my lips softly. “I will do fine, Álainn.”