30

Fangs hurt like hell .

As soon as those suckers broke the skin I imagined two hot pokers eating me away. My agony was quickly washed away by a wave of sweet, numbing euphoria. Aiden’s body greedily coiled around my slacked limbs until I couldn’t breathe. Even then, I didn’t care. Couldn’t care. Even after listening to him swallow blood. A weak sigh left my chest. My eyes fluttered closed.

Aiden popped off my neck with an unearthly snarl. My head fell from the clouds, making a harsh landing back in Club Eternal. I felt for the holes that had already begun to close. Thank gods, I’d taken energy before losing blood. Although, the drunken stupor the bite left me in had me questioning everything. Why can’t I stand straight?

Aiden held a hand over his face but I saw his widening eyes through his fingers. His shoulders quaked from harsh and choppy breaths. Was he having a bad reaction to my blood? I took a step back but vertigo sent me farther.

“Something’s wrong,” I said, “The roommmms ssspinnng…”

Aiden went still before his body gave a violent shake. His alert gaze found me through the small windows in his hand. I heard something like a grimace or growl. “It’s just the venom,” he uttered.

“ Just ?” I couldn’t even glare correctly. The muscles in my face strained. Every movement took extra effort. Sickness pooled in my stomach. I’d solved my starving problem but my demon strength slept dormant behind an annoying wall of fog. Had Aiden given me any more venom, I would’ve turned to sludge.

This venom… is like a drug?

Drugged.

I’m drugged .

“Are you sure this is—” I stumbled into someone; another vampire. They assisted in standing me back up, but they clamped too hard around my bicep. I tried shaking them off before lazily demanding they do so.

Something hard caught my wrist.

With a swift, possessive snatch, Aiden had me back in his arms. His gentle touch had been replaced with iron, making him my shield as well as my shackle. The other vampire scuttled away, uninterested in provoking Aiden further.

“Aiden?” I peered up at him for a sign of his lost sanity. Even while half-delirious, I could feel a change stirring inside him. His rejuvenated pulse was a war drum. The veins hidden in his body reached for the surface. Having me close seemed to calm him, at least slightly.

“Let’s go, Cupcake,” he said and my feet lifted off the ground.

My question came out as a jumbled slur. Where’s he taking me now? I wanted him to tell me but he didn’t. He’d changed. Something had changed.

I’m not safe.

I’m not safe…

What I thought was a blink of an eye was actually several moments. Time meant nothing. I floated with Aiden’s arms half carrying me away from the party. The ceiling became my only view as my head dropped back. Music played like a distant, haunting echo.

Everything turned red. The new room we entered was painted head to toe in it. I dropped onto something feathery. Almost as soft as clouds. Aiden’s frame cast a shadow from a yellow lamp-light nearby.

“Sorry. I had to bite harder to break your demon skin. But I didn’t realize you were such a lightweight,” he said.

I groaned, rubbing my hands over my face repeatedly. “What’s happening to me?”

He caressed the side of my face and I smacked him away with a clumsy arm. My fingers were caught in their violent attempt by his much steadier hand. Stealing his energy would’ve been the best revenge but I was too upset to think straight.

“You… drugged me,” I said.

He mumbled his next words into my knuckles before releasing them. “Don’t be such a baby. It won’t kill you.”

“No one else is this messed up. Why am I?” I hadn’t been bitten before but something about the aftermath felt intentional. The harder I fought to control my body again, the worse it got.

“During a more primitive time, venom was used to keep a vampire’s prey docile during an attack,” he said, pretty much confirming my thoughts. They sedated their food. Why hadn’t I remembered that from Jarmiel’s books?

My fingertips turned to ice. When I asked, my teeth chattered. “Are you trying to kill me or… I-I don’t want to be a vampire.”

I was able to focus on Aiden’s face again; still handsome but altered. The laid-back persona had gone. Lust danced in his dilated pupils. “Didn’t I say that’d be wasteful? It’s smarter just to keep you. And I don’t need you to be anything but what you are, demon princess.”

“Gods…” I trembled but I couldn’t differentiate the poison from fear. “You can’t keep me, Aiden.”

“Are you sure?” There was a sprinkle of his usual teasing but otherwise, his question sounded like a test. Could he actually keep me? I attempted to turn over and failed. Instead, I let out a roar mixed with a frustrated sob.

Aiden made a clicking sound with his tongue. “You’re just making it worse.”

“ Shut up .” Something possessed me too. My voice darkened and scraped at my tonsils. The lights in the room flickered in response. “This better be a joke, Aiden Blaxill.”

Aiden witnessed the scene with twinkling eyes. “It’s not a joke. I promised to keep you safe and I will. For a long time.”

Whether he’d meant it to or not, his promise sounded like a threat.

“Says the man who paralyzed me.” I had a more colorful re sponse but lost the desire to waste more of my strength. “This is kidnapping.”

“You’re surprisingly hostile after sharing such a pleasant mo ment together. I thought both parties were satisfied?” He asked with a raised brow. “If not, let me repent of my sins. I haven’t had anyone complain about my kissing before.”

Fuck this guy.

“Why sedate me? Worried I’d take off as soon as I knew how crazy you were?” I scoffed, “Well, you’re right! When this wears off, I’m leaving.”

“Where? Back to Zak?”

The icy tone in his voice revealed all I needed to know. One red eye twitched. My blood must have affected him. Of course. He’s an addict, remember? Darren warned me.

Aiden then had the audacity to pat me on the shoulder. “You already chose to leave and it was the best thing you could’ve done for yourself. It’s done.” He turned to leave with a petty huff. “I’ll have Udi get you some clothes. Maybe by then you’ll have come back to your senses.”

“You’re leaving me here?” I meant to sit up but didn’t make it far. The walls liquified and jiggled until the back of my head smacked the pillow again. “Aiden!”

But I watched him leave my side and heard a door shut. Gravity kept me pancaked to the soft surface I occupied. Horrible possibilities ran through my mind. What if Aiden’s club was a front for blood trafficking?

Oh, gods. No. I had to calm down.

The faster my blood pumped the worse my vertigo became. I wanted Naomi. For the first time since our separation, I felt my inner child grasp for the security of my lost guardian. I would’ve given anything to hear my aunt berate me over getting into my stupid situation. As long as it meant she’d be there with me. She knew how to get out of anything. What would you do, Aunty?

Not wait around for Aiden to show up, that was for damn sure.

Was the reason he made me OD really because he thought I was going to bolt? All I told him was that I wanted to find my aunt. I was a demon princess, whatever that meant to him. His usual snacks would’ve been much easier to restrain and require less venom.

That’s right. I wasn’t the most skilled creature but I had inherited power. I could handle a pretty boy and his stupid vampire friends.

There were a lot of them, though.

My depleted blood moved steadier than before, filtering out the toxins. I almost threw up once from being able to feel everything . Time passed smoother after that. I wiggled my fingers and toes to hurry the process. Eventually, I could lift myself upright. Now what?

Aiden had dumped me off in some random room. The bed I sat on could hold three people, leaving me plenty of space on either side. I had to still be in the club or near. I could hear commotion through the thin walls.

At least he hadn’t taken me to an underground dungeon.

I jumped at the sound of a door opening. A familiar face let himself in. He wore a vest and long sleeves buttoned at the wrist. The maroon tie matched his leery eyes. It was the doorman from before, Udi.

He stepped into the room with a silver tray in hand. I got to my feet but as soon as I did so, I fell over. “Whoopsie.” Udi spoke a fraction more excitable than a robot. “Might want to stay in bed. You’re a pint short.”

Feeling spiteful, I used the bed to help myself stand. “Why are you here? Where are we?”

“Aftercare,” he said, nodding at the glass sitting on his tray, “and one of the rooms upstairs. This one belongs to the boss.”

The “boss’s” room?

That meant Aiden’s room. Aiden’s bed.

I sprang from the sheets like a disgruntled cat. Gross. No doubt it was where he’d taken many of his “victims.” And I’d been lying in it in recovery for who knew how long? The image of him and the bartender canoodling on the red comforter scarred fictional memories into my brain. He better keep that thing clean!

Udi offered his cup on the tray. “You should drink this. You’ll feel better. It’s just sugar.”

“Right.” I couldn’t think of a reason why they’d poison me further but I still refused. Udi set the tray down on the bed. I spotted some clothing rolled into tubes next to a small plate of various treats.

“If you insist,” he said, “I also have these.”

“Is this how Aiden treats all his dates ?” I asked. In his defense, it was more generous than some people provided for a lot worse.

“Just you. You healed fast.” Udi’s unblinking eyes looked expectant, as if waiting for his next command. His sights dropped from my face and I cupped my neck, hiding the proof that was no longer there. The holes already sealed themselves but left behind a tender, throbbing pain.

“Where is he now?” I asked.

Udi finally smiled but it only succeeded in making him creepier. “Aiden’s dealing with a pest problem. I’m to deliver the goods and kill anyone who comes close to your room.”

The words flowed so matter-of-fact that I almost missed it. Just who would he have to kill? Why would he have to kill them? I sized him up, wondering what sort of damage he could inflict on someone. “What kind of pests?”

“Nothing you need to worry about. Just rest. If you need anything, tap on the door. I’ll leave the juice.” Udi let me dress in private but I saw the shadow from his boots beneath the door.

So creepy…

My new clothes matched perfectly with my usual wardrobe, minus the cost. The tags printed how much Aiden spent in bold ink. The thin, olive and cream sweater contrasted nicely with the dark pants. He even guessed my shoe size correctly, slapping a bow on a pair of ankle boots. I shouldn’t have accepted any of it but I had to decide between my pride or being forever indecent.

I wadded up the underwear with the club’s logo, along with Aiden’s shirt, and tossed them into a corner. If only I could burn them like he had with my hospital gown. The exertion from my strip made my legs wobble. I sat on the floor before dropping again.

Just a few minutes here… and then I could get back to escaping. I just had to dodge a club filled with Aiden’s blood- sucking friends, his spooky guard dog in the penguin suit, and Aiden himself. After that, I’d be free. On my own. Alone.

Better than getting stashed in a cellar like a bottle of wine.

My eyes shut for a whole two seconds and the air in the room changed. Heavy steps thumped and stopped next to my feet. I looked up. “ Shit. ”

A dark silhouette of The Necromancer took shape in the room.

Clay flickered in and out like he had a bad connection. Was it new magic? Gods, not a teleportation spell! I dragged myself back with my elbows. I hadn’t fallen asleep but then, how high were my chances of falling into a venom-induced coma?

He faded completely after that, like one of his many nightmares.

I waited for my heart to stop drumming before moving. Shouldn’t Zak have captured him by now? If not, then Clay could be anywhere. Even at the club.

Bringing all of EXO straight to us.

Time to go .

Udi should’ve been waiting behind the door. When I checked, however, he’d gone. Was it too late? Did Zak know where we were? Which would be worse to find at Club Eternal, Clay or EXO?

Both.

Both would definitely be worse.

I poked my head out into the hall; nothing but long covered walls in velvet. A spiral staircase kept me from the noise below, although it hadn’t sounded like a party anymore. The voices going back and forth had more bite than the vampires did.

That didn’t take long… We’d already been discovered. I suppressed my startled breathing with my hand. Quiet. I needed a quick and silent route out of there. Using the textured walls for balance I looked around, exploring my options. There had to be a fire exit. I doubted vampires were above building safety stan dards. I turned around and sure enough, extra rooms lined the hall with one exit to the rooftop.

That could work.

“Going so soon?”

I heard someone’s foot gliding over the carpeted floor just behind me. The vampire was neither Aiden nor Udi. He stalked the hall toward me with fangs at the ready. “I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.”

“Back off,” I said, trying to sound strong and not like a snack that hobbled away. So much for vampire dining etiquette. I was starting to think everything that came out of Aiden’s mouth was bullshit.

“Not with a scent like that .”

The vampire wasted no time in lunging at me. I couldn’t dodge before his body collided with mine. He pinned us to the opposite wall ready to feast with dripping fangs. Not more venom! I brought my leg to his groin and launched him back. It knocked the wind out of me as much as it had him.

“Nice kick,” he said through a struggling cough, “Thought you’d still be out of it.”

His next attempt had my head smashing into the wall. Cold fingers covered my face. My legs had no room to move against his wide stance that time. His jaws closed around my neck.

Then, he was gone.

The weight of him was ripped away. My chest deflated only to sharply inhale again. A scythe buried itself deep into my attacker’s back, hooking him like a fish. He gurgled and spat blood from his lips.

The skeletal mask of Death emerged from behind him. I felt his icy presence freezing me in place.

A reaper? Here?

Something else besides blood left the vampire’s wound; a violet colored frost. With a cruel twist, the scythe encouraged more frost to exit his body.

“N-no… wait.” He cried. “Please, no!”

“Begging?” the reaper asked and I swear I heard the gates of Hell with his chilling summons, “ Good. ”

With a grunt, he catapulted the vampire across the hall, making a wet landing against the floor. The frosty matter made a desperate retreat back into his spine. I wanted to see what happened next but Death’s messenger turned to me.

“Jess.”

I pressed myself deeper into the wall as his scythe got closer. The wispy shadows draping over him fluttered to a halt. He shook his head and the illusionary skull blew away in a puff of smoke. “Jess, it’s me.”

Guy wore a look I hardly recognized. Lights shone through the many cracks of his crystal eyes, revealing a frazzled soul. A wintery aura followed him in stride, harsh and biting.

He came to retrieve me.

Just like before…

I ran in the only direction he wasn’t blocking. Not an easy task, considering the room kept swaying under my feet. The last time Death captured me, all he had to do was tap my forehead. His touch was deadlier than mine.

A chariot of smoke blocked my path and he reappeared in front of me. When Guy came forward, I brought my hands up. “Don’t!”

He stopped in his tracks. We had a moment to assess each other’s body language; mine being that of a cornered animal and his, calm like a good shepherd. Clarity illuminated his darkened face.

“I’m not going to hurt you. Jess,” he said, “I just helped you. I thought you were in trouble.”

I heard the softness in his voice and paused. Reapers shouldn’t have biased feelings but then again, he seemed loyal to Zak. Was he acting on orders again?

I opened my mouth but then, a chipper whistle sounded from down the hall. Aiden and Udi resurfaced from below. More vampires followed, scaling the spiral stairs like giant insects until they reached us.

“I thought reapers waited around for the trash,” Aiden said, “As you can see, she’s very much alive.”

Guy ignored him and stared at me.

“Did he hurt you?”

I pressed my lips together. The fang marks were gone but I still wanted to hide. Guy breathed out his nose and finally gave Aiden his full attention. “Should I shorten your already short life, Blaxhill?”

Aiden wrinkled his nose at that. “Cool off. She’s not some feeble tree branch.”

Their tension made the room pulse. The vampire Guy sliced into earlier made his grueling recovery and got to his feet. His skin was paler than before.

He barely raised his head to meet Aiden and Ubi. “Boss…”

It sounded like the vampire was about to make a weak apology, but before he could utter a word, Udi drew a thin blade from his coat and cut his jaw clean off. I gasped but couldn’t look away from the row of teeth bathing in a puddle on the carpet.

Hells…

Udi wiped the metal clean on a handkerchief until it glis tened. Aiden watched with an apathetic gaze and kicked the bottom jaw bone away with his boot.

“I thought I’d made myself pretty clear, not to touch her,” he said, “I admit I underestimated the effects of your blood, Cupcake. Even my dogs couldn’t obey.”

Another vampire hoisted the maimed one from the ground and dragged him off. The trail of blood only lasted a few drops. I was able to lift my gaze from the mess to find Aiden. No one else bat an eye, so it had to be something they were used to.

He had his subordinate’s face cut off.

Guy’s face, however, remained hard as stone. I’d almost read it as unimpressed.

“Now you’ve seen how he treats his friends ,” he said to me, “Are you sure you want to stay here?”

I felt for Guy’s shirt and gripped it hard. No. I hadn’t wanted to come that badly in the first place. And after getting drugged with vampire juices, I most definitely wasn’t going to stay.

Aiden’s eyes flicked to my every movement around Guy. “You weren’t shy before. Go on. Tell the reaper you let me taste you.”

If the fabric of souls could cringe, mine did.

What. An. ASSHOLE.

So, that’s what I called him.

“Asshole.”

Guy spoke through gritted teeth. “You could have killed her.”

He’d glossed over how horribly awkward Aiden’s insinuation had been and went straight for death. I wanted to thank him.

Aiden’s eyebrows met. “What is it with you two? I’m keep ing her safe. Besides, I wouldn’t let rare blood go to waste.”

I scoffed. Disgust crawled all over. He saw me as a prize. I kissed that big, evil mouth of his. Too bad it hadn’t hurt him.

“Very noble of you,” I said.

“It’s not just about that, and you know it.” He lowered his head and cast his eyes forward. “We had a connection. You felt it too.”

I had. And I regretted ever noticing it.

Guy pressed into my side, as if to physically remind me that I had other options, like escaping. “Let’s go. Before I do some thing stupid.”

He left his demand sounding more like a question. It was then I knew everything was going to be different than before. Guy hadn’t come to drag me off, although I could tell part of him wanted to for the sake of leaving the vampire pit faster.

I loosened my grip on his clothes in case we needed to run or fight. Gods, not a fight. My blood couldn’t be worth that much. Our exit points were blocked by an army. Aiden’s grin stretched even wider at my concerned scan of the room.

“No, no,” his annoyingly charmed voice sang, “I promised to keep her safe from EXO. That includes you, reaper. What kind of gentleman would I be if I broke our pact?”

“What pact?” Guy asked, and his flat line caved into a frown.

“I traded him my blood for a place to hide,” I muttered, “but I’m calling a veto.”

“Jess, what has he told you? Why are you running from EXO?”

My eyes dropped to the floor. Was he acting oblivious on purpose so he could pull the same stunt Aiden had? That didn’t seem like Guy at all.

“He didn’t,” I said, “Tori told me what the angels said. She told me everything.”

He paused but not for very long. We were still surrounded after all.

“Tori had it wrong. Faris, sure, he’s shit, but Zak wasn’t in volved. He never was.”

“I know everything, Guy,” I repeated, “ All of it.”

It took him a fraction of a second for that to click. “I told you I was looking for answers, but those answers didn’t change anything for Zak. Hell, he wasn’t even shocked. So no, he wasn’t about to turn on you.”

He wasn’t?

I knew the vampires around us were getting restless but I didn’t care. Zak hadn’t been surprised or even upset? Wouldn’t an angel have a visceral reaction to the announcement of a demon lord’s offspring?

Guy also ignored our company. “I’m sorry that I didn’t get to you before someone else did.”

Aiden kept a shameless smile as I shot him an accusing stare. I couldn’t prove it, but something told me he’d known all along that Zak wasn’t a threat to me. He’d made everything work in his favor.

“Hey, it’s not like I lied about anything,” Aiden said, “Where was he when the purifiers came? Maybe the angel doesn’t want you dead, but they sure did. The reaper’s own ghost-pet told you to leave him in the dust.”

The lights in Guy’s eyes dimmed until they returned to normal again. Still, he only spoke to me. “It’s true. I wasn’t there but not for the reasons you think.”

Aiden’s barking laugh made us both flinch.

“We all know how this ends. EXO doesn’t want a demon , princess or otherwise. But I do.” His red eyes became hooded beneath his lashes. The hoard of vampires glowered intently beside him, turning the hall into a dim cavern with glowing orbs.

He stepped forward, “Cupcake—”

“Just stop.”

I finally snapped. The many red eyes shifted to the shadow that grew around me.

No-no-no.

Don’t blow up the building!

I willed the darkness back, which felt a lot like trying to shove the overflowing sock drawer closed while holding my breath. Except that my body was the drawer and my insides were the socks.

I caught Guy leaning in, but his hand didn’t quite reach my shoulder. Was he waiting for permission? I’d wanted to scare the vampires a little, but not at the expense of our lives. With a quick nod, I signaled his help.

His cool fingers descended, but since I wore a sweater, they rested where the seam met my skin. The drawer shut. My shad ow dissipated.

Aiden curled his tongue at my display.

“ Jess. It was Faris this time, it’ll be someone else tomorrow.”

He got as close as he could without being in slashing dis tance of Guy’s scythe. I could tell the temptation was strong by the way Guy’s knuckles turned bone-white around the staff.

I heard a foreign sincerity that seemed to pain Aiden to speak. “Stay with me.”

His gaze was neither menacing nor kind. I had a feeling that depending on my answer that could change. But how could I? He’d already lied to me. Comfortably , I might add. He was a vampire, and should have heard Faris coming for me well before we ran into each other. If that was true, Aiden had let it all happen. Let me get scared.

I should have listened to my gut, and now my gut wanted to follow Guy out of that hell hole.

“You blew that chance the second you drugged me,” I said.

Aiden resembled marble. He didn’t lash out but I sensed his fuming energy bubbling over. His honeyed words remained behind his tightly pressed lips. I almost felt bad but reminded myself what he did. We might’ve had a lot in common, but that didn’t mean I had to be okay with his choices.

“You know what she is, don’t you?” Aiden shifted his gaze to Guy.

Guy didn’t agree or rebuttal his accusations. Hadn’t we established the demon princess thing already?

When Guy still refrained from answering, Aiden went back to me. “They’ll destroy you.”

“That won’t happen.”

We both looked at Guy. The hand that kept my darkness in check slid down my arm and across my front.

“Chaos falls under my jurisdiction,” he said, “It doesn’t matter what the angel’s want now.”

Aiden’s face strained to remain emotionless, like he’d been torn between cursing or rolling his eyes. I held my breath until I felt my lungs collapse. Gods, how much more of this could we take? I welcomed a fight at that point just to quit suffering from anticipation.

“You’re really flighty, aren’t you? Jumping into another man’s arms so quickly.” Aiden spoke with some resolve and, to our surprise, stepped aside. “Go, then. Run back to your angels. I won’t be so quick to rescue you a second time.”

Guy took the invitation before he even finished. He gave Aiden a deadened stare as we passed. The indifference struck cold. When I slowed our pace with my baby giraffe legs, Guy swooped an arm under my knees and lifted me over his shoulder.

“Just until we get outside,” he assured me. Yup. Death’s lackey carried me through a hall of vampires. It would’ve been terrifying had I not been dying from the embarrassment.

We had to puzzle our way through the vampires. Some re fused to move at all, hissing as we bumped their shoulders. Why hadn’t Guy teleported us through? I’d seen him do it many times.

As soon as we were down the steps I looked behind us to see Aiden’s sights on the back of Guy’s head. He followed us at a much slower pace; a hunter creeping on his prey.

“I take back what I said, Cupcake,” my nickname left his lips with the pettiness of an ex lover, “I think I will see you again.”

Unlike a good predator, he let us go.