Blessed by a Demon’s Mark (9 page)
He tried to jerk out of my grip, but I held firm.
“What the fuck?” he said. Blood bubbled from the wound. It might leave a scar, but he was in no danger of dying from it.
I gave him my best sultry look. It appeared my leather-loving friend was Pureblooded. I leaned forward and licked his palm. I came up with blood on my chin. “I’m so hungry,” I said, lapping at the blood like a kitten.
He hesitated, then smiled, easing into my grip. “Go ahead,” he said. His voice went husky.
I immediately latched on. He groaned as my fangs sank into his palm and I started sucking. I didn’t want to kill the kid, which was what I would have done if I’d gone straight for his neck. I’d been lucky the kid had a vampire fetish, but it wasn’t so surprising really, considering where we were.
My hunger screamed for more. I sucked as hard as I could, but the blood was already beginning to slow. The palm wasn’t exactly the best place to feed.
I moved up his palm and found the delicate flesh of his wrist. I breathed in his scent, and mingled with the blood it had an almost euphoric effect on me. I bit down much harder than I intended.
The groans of pleasure turned into a hoarse scream. He tried to push against me, but I was holding him too tight. He’d have to cut his arm off before he would ever get it away from me.
Blood filled my mouth, sent me into near ecstasy. I swallowed mouthful after mouthful, relishing the warm, sticky taste as it slid down my throat.
It had been too long. Levi’s blood bags could never take the place of a real feeding. This was as close to Heaven as I was ever likely to get.
The kid’s fighting weakened and I knew I had to stop. If I kept going, I could easily kill him. The wound in his wrist wouldn’t stop bleeding unless I let him take care of it.
I forced myself to pull away. I pushed him back the moment my face was free, and he slammed hard against the van. His hand immediately went to his wrist. His face was ashen as he stared at me with wide, bloodshot eyes.
“Go,” I said. I could still smell his blood, and despite the fact my hunger was sated, I knew if he didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from finishing him off.
I didn’t have to tell him twice. The kid spun and started running down the lot toward where he’d last seen his friends. He tripped over his own feet after only a few paces and sprawled face-first onto the pavement. He didn’t let it slow him down. He was up and running again without missing a beat.
I wiped my mouth and looked around. A woman a few cars down was watching me. As soon as my gaze fell on her, she ducked back into her vehicle and backed out as if she feared I would chase her down. Her tires squealed as she tore out of the parking lot.
I took a few deep breaths and let the euphoria of the feeding wash over me. My head had cleared and I was starting to realize how bad of an idea this really was. I’d let too many things get to me, and I was putting myself in a dangerous situation for no reason at all.
I never should have come. Coming to Polaris to attract attention was about as smart as walking into a Major vamp’s house unarmed. You just didn’t do it if you wanted to live.
I started to turn to my Honda, intent on getting out of there, when I saw the two men walking toward me. At first, I thought it was the two men by the door, drawn by the freaked-out kid, but after a second look, it was clear it wasn’t. These two were wearing long brown dusters and identical cowboy hats pulled down low to conceal their eyes. I didn’t have to see their faces to know I was their target.
I considered jumping on my motorcycle and taking off before they got too close. I really didn’t want to have Count Mephisto’s men questioning me. I didn’t have a permit to hunt in his territory, and I was sure it wouldn’t take him long to figure out who I really was.
But I was tired of running. I had to face my problems head-on if I ever wanted them to go away.
I stepped forward to face the two men. They stopped a good five feet back, legs spread like they were in some western and we were preparing to duel. I couldn’t see any weapons on them, but that meant little. They could be hiding anything under those coats.
“Lady Death?” the one on the right said. His voice was gravelly and deep. He sounded like he’d smoked for years and it had slowly started to eat away at his esophagus.
I didn’t nod, didn’t say anything. I just stared at them, waiting for one of them to either make a move or tell me what they wanted. I hated the idea that they knew who I was just by looking at me.
I guess my silence was enough, because the two men looked at each other and then nodded as if something had passed between them. As one, they removed their cowboy hats.
I cursed softly under my breath and took a step back as they both turned to face me. They were identical twins. Everything about them was the same, their clothes, their eyes, the dimples in their cheeks.
The knot of scar tissue on their foreheads.
“We are here on behalf of Packleader Adrian,” the one on the left said. He sounded just like his brother. “You are to come with us.”
And with that, they started walking my way.
9
I didn’t like the idea of drawing my weapons in the Polaris mall parking lot, especially with a couple of Mephisto’s goons standing at the door, but I had no choice. The two vamps by the door were far enough away, it was unlikely they would see what was going on until after the first blow landed. I hoped that would give me enough time to escape before they could call in help.
I drew my gun and kept it pointed low. Since it was small, it was the least likely of my weapons, outside my knives, to draw attention right away. No one would know I was packing silver bullets until I shot them.
Both men replaced their cowboy hats and walked slowly toward me, as if afraid I might bolt if they moved too fast.
“We’re not going to hurt you,” Lefty said. The way he said it, however, made it clear he wouldn’t mind roughing me up a bit. Add to that the way his eyes were already a feral yellow, and I knew he was just itching for a fight.
“Stay the fuck back,” I said, taking a step back so I couldn’t be seen from the front of the mall. “Make another move and I’ll shoot.”
Righty snarled and took a step forward.
So I shot him in the leg.
The Glock I used had been modified by Ethan and his demon so that the bullets moved slower and would stick in anything they hit. The silver would then be stuck in my target, leaving a supe paralyzed until someone dug out the bullet. And while his modifications also made the gun quieter than it otherwise would be when fired, it was still loud as hell when you didn’t want others to notice.
Righty screamed in agony as he dropped. He grabbed his knee, thrashing on the ground. The silver wouldn’t work on Adrian’s wolves, but a gunshot wound was still a gunshot wound.
I turned my gun on Lefty, who was standing with both hands in the air. A gust of wind blew the cowboy hat from his head and even though he winced at its loss, he didn’t make a move to retrieve it.
“I’d turn around and leave if I were you,” I said. “I’m in no mood to be fucked with. It’s too cold. Go back and tell Adrian I’ll deal with him when I’m damn well ready,
not
when he sends two bozos like you to collect me.”
not
when he sends two bozos like you to collect me.”
Lefty stood there, frowning. He didn’t make a move toward me, which would have earned him a bullet to the leg like his brother, but he didn’t turn to leave either.
“I’m serious,” I said. I was growing nervous. Someone had to have heard that gunshot, and even though they wouldn’t know the bullets were silver, they’d still wonder why I was shooting people up in the parking lot without Mephisto’s permission.
“I can’t leave without you,” Lefty said. It looked as though it pained him to say it.
“You’ll just have to manage.”
He looked down at his twin, who had stopped thrashing on the ground. Though his eyes were still yellow, he wasn’t screaming in pain anymore. He looked more frightened than hurt, and for some reason, that scared me.
“You don’t understand—”
He cut off as my aim firmed on him. He took a deep breath and bowed his head once before reaching down to help his brother to his feet.
And that’s when we all heard the running footsteps.
Lefty’s eyes widened as he looked behind him. “Go,” he said, shooing me as if I were some annoying fly. “Get out of here.”
I hesitated, undecided whether I should be pissed at how he dismissed me or if I should take his advice and run. The hesitation cost me my chance to get away clean.
Something roared on the other side of the van and I knew I had to move fast. Instead of leaping onto my Honda and tearing out of there, I stepped forward, closer to Adrian’s wolves. I couldn’t leave them there when I was the one who’d drawn attention to our little confrontation.
I was barely a step out from behind the van when something very large and very angry came flying over the van. It smashed into my motorcycle, and the crash of my Honda hitting the pavement as they both tipped over sent my teeth to grinding.
“Goddamn it,” I said. I raised my gun and shot the werewolf in the back of the head while he was still trying to untangle himself from the wreckage.
He dropped instantly and I turned my attention to what was approaching.
There were at least a dozen of them. The wolves were already shifted and were approaching much faster than the vampires behind them. Someone in the back was carrying a shotgun.
“In the name of Count Mephisto, lay down your weapons and surrender yourselves.” One of the vampires in the back spoke, his voice lofty and self-important. He didn’t look to be overly concerned that I’d just killed one of the wolves.
“Get out of here,” Lefty snarled to me. “You aren’t any good to Adrian in the hands of Mephisto.”
“And you’ll be no good to him dead.”
He gave me a long, hard look before he nodded once. We turned to the oncoming army.
There were five wolves in the party, as well as five vamps behind them. The other two in the back appeared to be Purebloods, but I couldn’t be sure. One was carrying the shotgun. The other looked unarmed, but with the confident way he held himself, I was pretty sure he had a weapon hidden away somewhere.
The wolves stopped a good ten feet back. The vamps held their ground behind them, waiting for us to either surrender or make the first move. They knew they had us. Even if I started firing right away, there were too many of them for me to get them all before they’d be on us.
“We’ll just be leaving,” I said, faking a smile. “We just had a little lover’s spat. It’s all cleared up now.”
One of the vampires in the back smirked. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Firing a weapon on Mephisto’s property is against regulation 436.” He looked me up and down. “We must confiscate the weapons and take you back with us so you can be properly interrogated.”
A wolf growled, causing the rest to follow suit.
“Oh, fuck this,” I said, raising my gun and firing.
I’d been aiming for the vamp who last spoke, but just as I moved my arm, all five of the wolves straightened. The one in front of the vamp I was aiming for took the bullet and he dropped, shuddering from the silver bullet lodged in his chest.
The other four wolves didn’t hesitate. They charged forward, dropping to all fours to increase their speed. They were on the twins so fast, I didn’t get a chance to fire another shot before the melee began.
The vamps held back, but spread out so I couldn’t drop them in a couple of quick shots, and the Purebloods behind them moved to hide behind cars.
I had to think fast. The twins weren’t going to hold their own against the wolves, but I knew if I left the vamps alone, they’d find a way to get to me while I was distracted by the wolves.
I growled deep in my throat, frustrated that I had to make the decision.
I drew my sword as I fired two quick shots. One took a wolf fighting Righty in the head; the other nicked Lefty’s shoulder and flew off harmlessly. He howled in pain and glared over his shoulder at me. I shrugged and mouthed an “oops” before turning my attention back to the enemy.
Righty had fallen and struggled back to his feet. His cowboy hat was somehow still on his head despite the wind and the fight. He started to say something, but before he could say much more than “Th,” a loud blast took his head clean off his neck.
I immediately fired. The Pureblood had made the mistake of watching the results of his shotgun blast and my bullet took out his eye.
The vamps, apparently having seen enough, charged. I managed one shot, which went wide, before two of them were on me. They each had wicked curved blades in hand. Even though they weren’t silver, the blades looked more than sharp enough to get the job done.
I swung my sword to meet the first attack and then just barely managed to twirl out of the way of the second. If I’d had my knife in my other hand, I might have been able to jab one of the vamps in the ribs. As it was, I managed to twist my wrist just enough to fire a shot. It hit him in the ass and he cried out as he dropped.
I managed to avoid another attack from a curved blade and turned just in time to see one of the vamps who’d held back come charging in. I raised my hand to fire, but the vamp I dodged came at me and hit the top of the gun with the hilt of his blade, knocking it from my hand.
I didn’t have time to draw another weapon. I dropped low and swung out my leg, catching in the calves the vamp who’d knocked my gun free. He tried to catch his balance but stepped on the dropped gun. The Glock shot out from under him and went flying under the van as the vamp fell hard, cracking his skull on the pavement.
The oncoming vamp howled as he leaped at me.
Rookie mistake.
I braced myself and settled my sword so the point would meet him on his downward arc. His eyes widened and he tried to twist in midair, but instead impaled himself on my sword. I jerked back in time so he wouldn’t slide all the way down, trapping the blade beneath him. He fell to the ground, shuddering.
I spun to face the vamp I’d tripped to find him lying there, eyes dazed. Blood oozed from his skull, which was oddly misshapen. It wouldn’t kill him, but it should keep him down for a good long while.
I couldn’t take the chance that he’d recover enough sense to rejoin the fight, however. I stabbed him in the chest just to make sure he stayed down, before turning to face the others.
Lefty was just barely holding his own against the remaining wolves and vamps. He’d shifted, but it was clear he wouldn’t last long if I left him, which I wasn’t about to do. I’d created this mess by firing my gun. I planned on cleaning it up, even if it meant saving one of Adrian’s men.
I took a step forward and one of the wolves noticed me. He broke away from the fight to leap at me. Before I could raise my sword, Lefty lashed out, catching the wolf in the back with a claw. The sound of snapping bone followed and the wolf crumpled to the ground, spine shattered.
Lefty grinned at me as I moved to fend off another vampire. He started to turn back to his own fight just as something small hit him square in his chest.
The wolf looked down at the tiny feather, turned to look at me, and then slumped to the ground, out like a light.
I looked up in time to see the last Pureblood duck behind a car . . . And the two dozen wolves running up the aisle.
“Shit,” I said, retreating. There was no way I was going to be able to handle all of them on my own.
I knew Lefty was still alive, knew he’d stuck around to defend me for some reason. I felt bad leaving him behind, even if he was one of Adrian’s thugs who had been sent to bring me in. The guy had at least been somewhat respectful. It was more than I could say about a lot of people.
But I couldn’t stay here. If Mephisto caught me, I’d be done for. Nothing Ethan or Jonathan or anyone else could do would save me.
I turned my back on the vamps and wolves, and ran to my bike. I felt something hit my coat, but whatever it was didn’t poke through. The dead wolf was still tangled in the wreck, and I yanked on him as hard as I could.
He was heavy, but not so heavy that I couldn’t move him. He trailed a thick stream of blood, spilled it over my seat and into the workings of my Honda. I winced, knowing it would be a bitch to clean out and the smell would probably never go away.
A wolf dove at me just as I righted the motorcycle. I still had my sword in hand and used it to knock him away, though I didn’t manage to cut him. He landed on his feet, spun my way, and charged again.
This time he wasn’t so lucky. I drew one of my knives and before he could so much as open his mouth to howl, I threw it. The knife took him in the throat and he dropped, mid-leap.
I knew the others were just behind me. I leaped on my bike, drawing my other knife, knowing chances were good I’d have to throw it, leaving me dangerously short on weapons.
But no one came. I started the motorcycle and turned so I could flee, only to find all the remaining wolves and vamps on their knees. I hesitated, wondering what was going on; then I saw him.
The vamp was tall, dressed in flowing black silk. He wore sunglasses despite the fact that it was snowing and nighttime. He was staring at me, and what I could see of his eyebrows were furrowed, as if he wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at.
Mephisto. It could be no one else.
My blood ran cold and I didn’t know if it was because of his intense stare or if it was something else, something magical. I decided I didn’t want to wait around to find out.
I gave the Honda as much gas as I dared and sped out of the parking lot. I waited for a shot to be fired, for something to leap out and tackle me, but nothing happened. I hit the road going far too fast and nearly collided with a salt truck. A horn blared, but I barely heard it over the pounding of my heart.
I was halfway down the road before I even dared to breathe. I slowed down and nearly collapsed. Why had Mephisto let me go when he had me trapped? Chances of me escaping with so many of them right behind me were slim. He could have had me.
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