Chapter 3

Good wine and a lonely few nights had made Scarlett bold enough to ask the handsome man to dance. And with the taste of him on her lips, she was pleased to do more than move to the music. His modest clothing masked the fine musculature of his frame, downplayed the rounded curves of broad shoulders. But now, the sweeping lines of muscle across his hips drew her eyes down and down as he shed his trousers.

In the light, she saw those lovely sharp teeth. They didn't frighten her. She knew of the night creatures, had ever since she was a girl and her mother explained why she was faster and stronger than the other children. And so she welcomed him, drawing him down by his hand to lie with her on the soft, lavender-and-cedar-scented quilt.

She remembered him somehow. Though she didn't know his name, her body recognized him, invited him inside as he spread her thighs, gazing down at her like she was his personal feast for a high holy day. Warm lips blazed across the sensitive skin there, and then his tongue laved her, those sharp teeth grazing now and again as he teased and tormented with the sweetest, unrelenting pleasure.

Her giggles were still echoing from the rough-hewn walls when he buried himself in her, groaning in pleasure as their bodies met. And she knew him, knew every inch of him, had always known him. It was as if her body had been made for him. Without seeing, her fingers slid up his back to a twisted scar, tracing the edges of that familiar landmark as he plunged into her.

"Brigitte," he murmured into her ear. "I love you. Come to me. Come home. Come back to me."

"I'm right here," she whispered between gasps.

"Come home," he said again.

His head lifted suddenly, and his pretty green eyes had gone devilish, void-black. She shrieked, and the world splintered. Those lovely hands that had so gently caressed her now gripped her throat, throttling her as she begged him to let go.

A hand struck her across the face, then again. Cold air whipped around her, and she sat bolt upright to see Tante Mina standing at the end of her bed, arms outstretched. She spoke rapidly, and the room itself vibrated with the power of her voice. Searing red marks licked up the witch's thin arms and across her chest.

"Tante Mina?" she asked hesitantly. God, had she seen? Had she been moaning and panting in her sleep? Scarlett was relieved to see that she at least still had her clothes on despite the dream of?—

Julian.

Oh God. Now that she was fully awake, she realized that she'd been having quite a lovely sex dream about the man she planned to kill, the one who had left her orphaned. She might have been sick if she wasn't so worried about her aunt, who was swaying on her feet.

Scarlett rose, but Mina put out a hand and sheer force pushed her back into her bed. "Almost got the little bitch," the older woman hissed before crumpling into a heap, her breathing sharp and ragged.

The force holding Scarlett back fell away, and she scrambled out of bed. Panic swept through her as she knelt and examined her aunt's face. Her fine features were too sharp, the shadows more prominent around her dark eyes. "Tante Mina," she said quietly, gently jostling the woman's shoulder.

Her aunt stirred and smiled up at her. ""Are you all right, my sweet girl?"

"I'm fine," Scarlett breathed. "What was that?"

"The vampire witch attacked you," Mina said. She tried to sit up, then winced and fell back. There were still angry red lines on her chest, licking up her neck as if her skin had split open along the veins.

An unusual scent lingered in the air; not the usual dark smell that clung to her aunt, but the unmistakable, welcoming aroma of vanilla.She found herself looking for the source until her aunt coughed roughly.

Snapping back to reality, Scarlett scooped up her aunt, fretting at how light she felt.

"I'm all right, dear," the witch said.

But Scarlett ignored her protests and carried her outside. Deep, quiet darkness hung over their home, what her aunt called the witching hour. Wet footprints stretched across the lawn from the main house to her cottage. She followed their trail back, shouting, "Lux! Stella!"

"Don't wake them all. I'm fine," Mina scolded.

"You're sick," Scarlett said. When she reached the house, the back doors were already swinging open. But her mouth went dry at the sight of Carrigan Shea's silhouette filling the open doorway. He had healed considerably, his brawny frame far more intimidating now that he wasn't bristling with broken concrete and shards of glass. Bindings glowed on his wrists as he stood aside for Scarlett to pass, but she felt the weight of his gaze on her.

She didn't trust him. Kova was different; she'd known him her whole life. But this vampire smelled off, and he looked at her like she was prey, not a friend.

By the time she reached the stairs leading up to Mina's room, Stella was hurrying down the hall, a short bathrobe fluttering around her legs. The apprentice was maybe Scarlett's age, with a petite frame and dark hair in a messy bun. Her warm brown eyes widened in concern. "What happened?"

"The witch attacked her in her dreams," Mina said. She met Stella's eyes, nodded, then reached slowly for her bed as Scarlett eased her small frame down slowly. Scarlett stood back and stared at her aunt with fear creeping up her spine.

"Ms. Voss…do you need some water? Something to eat?" Stella asked.

Mina nodded. "Stella, dear, get me some tea with a restorative. You know the one I like. I'll be fine after I catch my breath."

"Scarlett?" Stella asked.

"Huh?"

The other woman smiled faintly. "Do you need anything?"

"No, thanks," she said, turning back to pull back Mina's blankets. She fought to quell her anxiety as she tucked a light blanket up to her aunt's waist.

"Dear, I'm fine," her aunt said.

A distinct smell wafted into the room, and Scarlett instinctively whirled, placing herself between her frail aunt and the door. A dark-haired woman stood in the doorway, and Scarlett realized two things quickly.

She did not recognize this woman, and she was a vampire.

Had the witch sent her minion to finish the job? She didn't hesitate, just went for the nightstand drawer and grabbed the sharp stake there before launching herself at the stranger.

The vampire snarled at her and dodged neatly, but Scarlett danced around her and slashed the stakes across her face. The woman hissed in pain, pressing her fingers to the deep cut.

"Erbarmen!" a woman's voice rang out.

The vampire woman's eyes went nearly black, and her limbs froze, as if she'd turned to a statue. Tumbling into her, Scarlett plunged the stake into her throat. The woman didn't protest even as sharp-smelling blood gushed from the wound.

"Scarlett, get off her," Lux snapped.

Heart pounding, Scarlett looked up to see the blonde witch holding up her hand. Threads of dark magic slithered around her fingers, reminding her of worms in decaying dirt. The smell of her magic was thick and unpleasant. "She was coming to hurt Armina," Scarlett said, holding the stake firmly. With a little twist of her wrist, she felt it grinding against the wood floor.

"She was coming to patrol the halls under my command," Lux replied. "Get off her."

"It's all right," Mina's dry, strained voice called. She looked up and saw her aunt nodding. "I appreciate your concern, my sweet girl. Your instincts are very good. But Lux has a tight hold on her."

Scarlett eased off the vampire woman, who still lay flat on her back, making no move to pull out the stake. But her oil-black eyes followed Scarlett, then drifted up to Lux. The faintest strain pulled at her brows.

As she crouched there on the floor, she realized that the woman didn't smell like just any vampire. She smelled like Carrigan Shea, as if his blood ran in her veins.Was she one of his followers?

"You can get up, Paige," Lux said. "Finish patrolling the halls and meet Adrian outside to sweep the perimeter."

The dark-haired woman rose, brushed her fingers over her torn throat, then bowed slightly before walking away. Lux stepped into Mina's room and went to her side.

Like Kova, Lux had been around for as long as Scarlett could remember. Unlike Kova, she had never liked the blonde woman. Lux had a bright smile, but it was devoid of kindness or warmth. It was as if someone had painstakingly trained her on which muscles to move, how to tilt her head, but the effort was purely mechanical. For years, Lux had tried to get Scarlett to call her Auntie Lucy—her real name—until she went off to boarding school. Then she'd given up the attempt at familial affection, which was a relief.

Regardless of their shared loyalty to Tante Mina, she did not like watching Lux fuss over her aunt, not with the hands that pulled vampire puppet strings with such casual ease.They were supposed to be hunting vampires, not employing them. Perhaps the stress of dealing with the Auberon had Mina distracted, preventing her from putting Lux in her place and reminding her of their purpose.

"What happened?" Lux asked.

"I want to talk to Scarlett alone," Mina said. "You go and tend to the perimeters. Make sure that nothing has been breached."

"But I—" Lux protested.

"Was I unclear?" Mina's voice rang sharply. "Go."

The snappy response sent a nasty thread of satisfaction through Scarlett, though she maintained a neutral expression even as Lux threw her a nasty glare and slammed the door behind her. Scarlett turned to her aunt, who had eased up to rest in acushioned nest of pillows.

For the last few months, she had been growing more and more frail. When Scarlett dared to ask, she said that the Auberon vampires had a witch who was attacking the Shieldsmen and had realized that some of their power came from Mina. After the attack at Infinity, the vampire stronghold in Atlanta, the danger had grown far worse. We made it personal, and now she's coming for me, Mina had said. The red marks on Mina's skin were fading, but they left angry pink welts like jagged lightning.

"You're a good girl, Scarlett," she said softly, reaching out to squeeze Scarlett's hand. "Thank you for protecting me."

"Tante Mina, what's going on? It was one thing to bring that man here, but now she has more vampires in the house? This is not safe. This is wrong," she said before she could control her tongue.

"They were Shea's people, and many of them were turned against their will. Like Kova, they want to be better.Lux is working on a way to undo their transformation, controlling them until then so they don't hurt anyone," Mina said.

Again with Lux's little side projects.

"We kill vampires. Why not just get rid of them?" Scarlett asked.

"I've long wondered if there was another way. A kinder way," Mina said.

"I've never heard you mention that," Scarlett said. The sharpness of her tone surprised her, and she wished she could reel it back in as she watched Mina's thoughtful expression evaporate.

A whisper of cold flicked across Scarlett's face, betraying Mina's disapproval. "There are a great many things I do not burden you with, child," she said.

"Oh," Scarlett murmured. "I'm sorry."

Mina's expression softened. "It's just a theory, and one that I'm allowing Lux to pursue as long as it isn't a distraction. Regardless, it is not for you to worry about. Tell mewhat happened. The witch attacked your dreams. I must know what she did so that I can protect you."

"But I don't feel safe with you here and those vampires roaming around freely," she said.

Her aunt's eyes suddenly went pitch black. Raising one hand, she let out a soft sigh that turned into a glacial wind. The room went so dark she was entirely blind.

A voice whispered in Scarlett's ear, like a rasping voice from the grave. I am no helpless maiden, my love, it whispered. Icy dread pooled in Scarlett's belly as she shuddered.

The lights flickered, and the unnatural darkness vanished as quickly as it had come. Mina's chest heaved, but she sat upright, still holding Scarlett's gaze. "I appreciate your concern, but please don't mistake me for a frail old woman. Now, tell me what happened."

She hesitated, staring into her aunt's tired-looking eyes. The memory of Julian's touch lingered in her mind, echoed in the gentle pulsing ache between her legs. If that was an attack, Scarlett wasn't entirely sure she minded.

"Scarlett?" Mina said firmly. "You must tell me, my love."

She drew a shaking breath. "I had a dream about Julian."

"You've dreamed of him before," Mina said.

He had plagued her nightmares, especially around her birthdays. Another year gone, another reminder that someone had stolen a family from her. In those dreams, he found her in the most mundane places: walking through a supermarket, reading in her room, watching the sunset. They would tussle. No matter how hard she fought, he would leave her battered and bruised. Then he would laugh and sink those vicious teeth into her throat.

Not this time.

"It was different. He was kind. We…we danced together," she lied. "That's never happened. He kept saying to come home to him. Over and over. And he called me…" She shook her head. "I can't remember. He called me another name."

Mina's eyes narrowed. "And that's it?"

Her cheeks heated. Could she tell? Did getting halfway to orgasm show up in her magical aura? God, she hoped not. She blurted, "No! His eyes went dark, and he started to strangle me. Just like the dreams I've had before. And then I woke up," she said. She shook her head. "Why would their witch try to attack me like that?"

"They know that we're closing in on him," Mina said. "And they know you are a threat."

"But how?"

"Twice you've tangled with the Auberon. And if Kristina Arensberg has joined their ranks, she's likely told them all about you and your colleagues," Mina reminded her. "They must know you put them at risk. You cannot trust any of it."

"I won't. What about you?" she said quietly.

Shaking her head, Mina idly wrapped a piece of fringe around her finger. "I'll be all right. Their witch has grown powerful. Probably using forbidden magic. She knows that I'm a threat too."

"Is she a danger to you?"

Her aunt's smile was an unsettling contrast to her cold stare. "Kova will deal with her. As for the rest of his court, your colleagues Jordan and Marlee will arrive soon. The three of you will burn the Blade of Auberon to the ground and leave nothing but ash."

There was a soft shuffle of footsteps as Stella walked in with a pot of tea and several cups on a tray. The younger witch regarded Scarlett with a strange look, then poured a cup of tea for Mina. "You can go back to bed. You probably need to rest," Stella said.

Scarlett wrinkled her nose and ignored the other witch, watching as her aunt sipped from her tea. "I don't know if I can sleep any time soon."

"Then go burn off some energy with training. That always calms your mind," Mina said.

"But the vampires?—"

"I have the same protective wards I've always had," Mina said. "Even if Lux lost control, they cannot cross that threshold. I promise." She held out her hands, and Scarlett instinctively bowed to let her aunt kiss the top of her head. "Thank you for being so concerned for me. Your loyalty means everything to me."

Her aunt was right. A bit of exercise would do her good. She hurriedto her cottage at the edge of the property to change into workout clothes, but the sight of her messy bed hit her like a slap.Her stomach churned at the memory of her dream.

Was Julian Alcott that beautiful in her other dreams? There was a roughness to his body, old scars and rugged muscle that painted him as a man from another time entirely. But his eyes had been warm, his touch so gentle.

It had to be her mind playing tricks on her. She knew who he was and what he had done. And if she was a witch trying to undermine her enemies from afar, making them seem gentle and loving was a good start.

So why had the dream felt so real?

A firm knock came at the door, and she nearly jumped out of her skin as she squirmed into a pair of exercise pants. After swapping her shirt and shoving her feet into sneakers, she yanked the door open to findShea standing there. She recoiled, but he didn't try to come in.

The deep crimson markings of Mina's binding crept up from the collar of his t-shirt. Short sleeves revealed his brawny arms, marked from wrist to elbow in strange arcane symbols. Just like Kova's.

He raised an eyebrow. "I heard you might need some extra training to take the edge off."

"Not with you," she snapped. "I'll go for a run."

She pointedly stepped past him, wishing that her pounding heart wouldn't betray her.

His foot scuffed over the small patio as he followed. "I'll join you. It would do me good, too. The mistress wants you at your peak, doesn't she?"

"Did she—" She stopped abruptly. Whining like a little child felt like baring her throat to the old vampire. Had Mina or Lux really sent him to challenge her? Kova was one thing, but she didn't trust Shea anywhere near her.

Turning abruptly, she sprang from her quick walk into a run for the edge of the property. He can't hurt you, she reminded herself. He was under control, like Kova.

Wasn't he?

His shadow bobbed alongside hers, and she pushed herself into a full run as they passed the tree line. Only the moonlight broke through the boughs, dropping pools of silver on the wet leaves.

Why was her aunt suddenly taking such risks? How many experiments was Lux planning to have running around the house?

And why was Julian fucking Alcott plaguing her dreams with that easy smile and those warm hands and?—

She screamed with surprise when the brawny vampire landed in her path, barely cutting away before slamming into him. In a blur, he was in front of her, blocking the path again, teeth bared. "Stop it!" she snapped. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I told you I have orders to help train you," he said with a grin.

"Go back inside. I don't want you here," she said, breaking away to a narrow path.

He leaped into her way, arms spread wide. "Funny, I guess they didn't give you the strings, did they? Isn't that interesting?"

"What?" she said.

He kicked the ground and swept his leg upward, sending a spray of leaves and dirt into her face, stinging at her eyes. A firm hand closed on her throat and shoved her back.

Before she could react, biting cold exploded from her chest. She hadn't touched him, but he hurtled across the small clearing like he'd been hit by a truck. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he backed into a tree. A thick branch protruded from his chest, dripping dark red. The powerful scent of old vampire blood filled the air, telling her to run.

He swore, stared down at the blood-soaked branch, then looked back up at her like she'd done it. Black threads tangled across his face like seaweed, then retracted slowly and faded. "How did you… You're not a witch. What did you do?"

Gripped with a strange mix of terror and exhilaration, she whirled on her heel and ran. There was a groan, another clipped curse, and then pounding feet that followed. First he was far behind, then closer. The smell of vampire blood hung thick in the air.

She wanted to shout for Kova, for someone to deal with this. It wasn't that she couldn't handle one strange vampire, but that her world was becoming shaky and unrecognizable.

But with that strange, barely restrained vampire on her heels, she could think only of Julian. Would she be ready? When they came face to face, he wasn't going to kiss her sweetly or make love to her as if she was something precious.

He was going to kill her.

And that meant she had to be ready. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself harder and faster. Still, Shea's footsteps pounded like war drums, growing closer and closer until she burst from the tree line. She whirled and put up her hands. "Stop it," she said sharply. "That's enough."

"Is the little dhampir girl tired already?" There was a cruel tilt to his smile, a sharp edge that always seemed to mark his features. "How do you expect to kill a vampire like Julian Alcott? You know he doesn't have the witch holding a leash."

Setting her jaw, she backed away a step. "That is none of your business."

His nostrils flared, and he dabbed at his lip with one bloody hand. The ripped wound in his chest didn't seem to faze him. "And what exactly has she done to you? That magic is a neat trick, isn't it?"

"What are you?—"

"Everything all right?" Kova's voice rang out, louder than necessary.

Shea's eyes snapped up, and his expression twisted into another cruel smile. "Another whipped dog. For someone who hates vampires, she surely has an impressive…well, at least an extensive collection."

"Fuck off," Kova said. His nose wrinkled as he looked at Shea's chest. "You should get that patched up."

"Your concern is appreciated," Shea said. Then he bared a toothy smile. "He's going to kill you, little hunter. But under the circumstances, I rather hope you win."

"Leave," Kova said, taking Scarlett's arm and walking her across the lawn. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, still shaken. Behind them, Shea was just standing there with blood running from his fingers and watching them go. "Just a training run. I heard you're going to Atlanta to kill the witch."

His mouth set in a grim expression. "Yes. I should be back in a few days. Just…please be careful while I'm gone."

"You too. She's very powerful," Scarlett said.

Kova nodded, then turned on his heel to walk away. She found herself wanting to go after him, give him a hug, ask him to come back safely. But instead, she held her head high, limped across the lawn, and locked herself in her little cottage.

She winced as she swiped a scratch on her cheek. Had her aunt really given orders for Shea to chase her for training? Surely her aunt's judgment wasn't that poor. Then again, the bindings had held him back.

But was that it? What happened to Shea was nothing like Kova's reactions when Mina's magic took hold. Then again, Kova had never tried to hurt her like Shea had. Still, she couldn't shake the memory of those black threads tangling over his skin, so like what she'd seen in her room earlier that evening.

After tending to her wounds with a quick shower, she lay down in bed again. But her covers were still rucked up from where she'd been tossing and turning, and she could still smell that lovely vanilla scent.

His voice echoed in her mind.

Come home. Come with me. Come find me. Come home. Come home.

She was home, but why did it feel like there was somewhere to go?

Don't trust it, Mina had said.

She let out a growl, climbed out of bed, and made the bed neatly. Then she grabbed one of the pillows and went into her tiny living room, switching on the TV for some background noise, and curled up on the couch.

And as soon as she closed her eyes, she saw him there. First he smiled, with pure warmth radiating from his ruby-red eyes. And when she opened her arms for him, he leaned in and ripped into her throat. Then he was making love to her again, her arms wrapped around him even as he drank until she went limp, still crying out in pleasure and pain as death took her.

She snapped her eyes open and glared at the ceiling. "Get out of my head!"

But when she closed her eyes again, there he was.

Soon it would be over. Soon.