Art of Death, page 13
part #1 of Curse Breakers Series
“I’m going to need to lay down some ground rules,” Indigo said with a bit of a sadistic tinge to his smile.
And I spent the rest of the day listening to the “ground rules.”
****
Indigo decided it would be best for me to stay inside for the entire day. I got to practice my “dimmer,” as I started to call it. My powers were unstable at best, and while I understood the need for it, it was taxing and, more times than not, super boring. I managed to maintain a good range to keep ghosts away, but eventually I strapped my blades on my back to ward off any ghosts I couldn’t “dim away.”
Cornelius hadn’t returned until later in the evening, and Indigo only left once to pick up some groceries. When I went digging through their fridge, it had been almost empty: a few takeout leftovers, a bottle of ketchup, and some ranch.
Once Indigo returned with groceries, I dug through the bags, looking for something to munch on. I grabbed some crackers, and Indigo put away the remaining items.
“You need to understand that the Beat is for Mystics only. People are open there but still more closed off than everyone back at home. Keep an eye out for shifters. They might be able to sniff out what you are or at least that you’re a necromancer. Cornelius hasn’t heard anything, but if the Quintano family put out a bounty for you, a shifter will attack.”
Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy, just avoid the Mystics that I can’t tell what they are, and keep their noses away from me.
“So, what exactly am I supposed to wear to this club since… you know?” I gestured to myself. I had dressed in the jeans I’d brought with me and opted to wear the shirt I stole from Indigo.
His chest rose with pride, and I snapped my fingers in annoyance. This wasn’t the time for male ego. Plus, I didn’t know why he’d been sporting it; he knew we didn’t do anything in his bedroom.
Cornelius looked over from his place on the couch. “You look fine to me.”
“I have lived with a majority of males my entire life, and yet your responses still always seem to shock me.”
“I don’t have anything else. Sorry, Ro,” Indigo said. Cornelius was already shaking his head over at the table.
“You have a washer and dryer in this place, right?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Time to give my clothes a little rinse cycle.”
It only took twenty minutes for me to clean the one shirt I had with me. At least it was better than Indigo’s, which fit me like a boxy dress. I came out of his room in my freshly washed clothes, and the boys glanced up at me.
“It’s not bad. You don’t look club ready, but the Beat is sort of a sanctuary too. I wouldn’t stress too hard about it.” Cornelius slipped past me down the hall.
I had my holsters strapped on and went to grab my blades from their kitchen counter. Indigo stepped forward and placed his hand over mine.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
“I do.”
“The Beat doesn’t like weapons inside. It invites violence.”
I raised my brows. “What about your claws? Which you can’t detach?”
“I’m special.”
“And I’m defenseless.”
“Not with Cornelius and me there.”
Yeah, that just meant I would be dependent on them.
Well, fuck.
****
Music thrummed through the concrete and up through my bones, reminding me of my magic. It almost mingled together. Thankfully it did not. I really wasn’t sure how much more I could handle. Being outside of the apartment meant running into more death, hidden and tucked away but still active in my blood.
We stood outside of the Beat, and it was strange. My magic kept creeping out of my body, trying to latch onto the undead.
“All right. We can do this. It’s all about the swagger.” I nodded to myself.
The bouncer at the door looked enormous. If I believed in trolls, I’d be convinced he was part or even full.
“Rowan.”
“Nah, I got this, Indigo. Don’t worry.” I added a little sway to my hips. Gods, it was uncomfortable. Why men found this sexy and other women could do it without a second thought, I would never know.
The bouncer raised a brow before nudging his chin at the doorway.
Indigo followed after me, laughing quietly. “That was a sight to see.”
“Shush now. We have business to attend to.” I slapped his chest with the back of my hand. Even after talking strategy, he didn’t want us to split up, but we had so much ground to cover. After I reassured Indigo that I would practically scream his name if I needed him, he finally agreed to separate.
We would work the circuit. Indigo said he’d been there enough to make contacts he could talk to. Meanwhile, I would wander and try to dig up any information about Quintano family business or the vampire coven they had allied themselves with.
Indigo disappeared from my sight, and I headed to the bar. Before I could make it there, someone snagged my hand, flesh brushing against the sensitive skin on my wrist. Glancing back, I was surprised when wine-red eyes met mine, desperately familiar, and my gut tightened. This had to be a dream.
I reached out and pinched the skin on the forearm attached to the hand that held mine. His eyes narrowed slightly. Those noble features, and that hair. He was unmistakably the vampire from the diner.
“My deehire, what are you doing?” The words were said with barely veiled annoyance. His tone implied that he meant more than me pinching him.
“Am I supposed to know you?” I asked, tugging my arm out of his hold. Without a doubt, I knew he allowed me to pull away.
The vampire gave me a very sharp-toothed smile. His fangs gleamed brightly under the club lights. Whatever the smile held, I didn’t want any part of it.
“Never mind, I remember now. We met briefly. Good to see you again, but if you’ll excuse me, I’m meeting someone.”
“You missed a very important date, my deehire.”
“I don’t know who you think I am, but you got the wrong girl.” I started to walk away, but he grabbed me around the waist before I got far. He brought his hand up to my cheek, brushing his knuckles against my skin.
“Such a fair prize. Did you think we would allow you to escape so easily?”
Blood rushed through my ears, drowning out the sounds of the bar. Thoughts raced through my head. Abel had gone missing right around the time this vampire showed up in our sleepy little town. Then Adam came and tried to kidnap me. But why hadn’t the vamp just tried at the diner? Maybe he was making sure I was the intended target. Apparently, I was.
Shit.
I couldn’t get my breathing under control long enough. Panic overwhelmed me, short-circuiting my brain. Losing control, I felt my magic burst out of me like a hurricane. Without any direction, my Death Lines latched onto the vampire in front of me. They strengthened even as he snarled, flashing those fangs at me, and backed away. Still, my magic had a mind of its own. It wanted to protect me. My Death Lines twisted, turned, and formed into small hooks, catching in the vampire’s skin. His wine-colored eyes widened for only a moment before they narrowed.
“Do not take my will, deehire. You will regret it.”
“I sincerely doubt that,” Indigo growled from behind me. His warmth settled over my shoulders like a security blanket.
“I don’t know if I can keep this up,” I admitted.
“Let’s take our business elsewhere before we draw a crowd.” Indigo indicated with his head to one of the back rooms.
I acted on instinct alone because I had never been able to control an undead person before. “Follow.” My voice deepened, grating on my vocal cords. Power radiated from that voice; it demanded and took. Indigo led the way, and I followed. My Death Lines tugged for a moment, the slack between us tightening until he had no choice but to follow.
Once we entered the room, our new unwilling companion looked positively pissed off. Part of me felt a complete satisfaction at that. If this vamp had anything to do with my twin’s disappearance, I’d make him suffer. My Death Lines tightened at the thought, and the vampire visibly flinched. But even in pain, his eyes gleamed with a hungry desire. The type of desire that rooted heavily in greed.
“Question him, Ro,” Indigo demanded.
“Where is my brother?”
“Which one do you speak of?” the vampire asked begrudgingly.
Anger filled me, hot and unsteady.
“Where is Abel?” That time my voice screamed with power, and the vampire went down on his knees.
“I do not know where your twin is. His disappearance only became apparent with yours.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, suddenly very lost and confused.
Indigo stepped forward, waiting for the vampire’s answer.
“Because, my dear deehire, I was waiting to take you to our mating ceremony after your birthday celebration.”
Shock broke my Death Lines. Suddenly, the vampire who claimed he was going to mate me, who’d just threatened that I would regret controlling him, was completely free.
Chapter 17
It took all of one second for the vampire to move. My magic failed me. I didn’t even know if I could control a vampire, but I needed it now, and I couldn’t grasp the power. He wrapped his hand around my neck, nails biting deep into my skin as he tugged me forward, my legs shaking.
“You seem surprised, deehire. Did your parents not tell you?” The vampire’s breath tickled my upper lip, and I had to keep my head level. I refused to look up at him. Indigo thrummed behind us, a dangerous current rolling out from him.
“I have no idea what you mean.”
Some stronger vampires could control the wills of other Mystics. And even though I had just stripped this vamp of his will, I wasn’t eager to have the favor returned. So my eyes would be staying right on his chin. He moved his hand from around my neck to the back of my elbow, nails digging in.
“You are my deehire. My intended. My fiancée. And we will be returning you home to complete the ceremony.” The vampire dug his nails in a little deeper and tried to force me to walk with him. That time my magic flared again.
“I don’t think so.” I refused to take another step.
“You will. Even if I have to force you.”
“Then you better find a way through me.” Indigo took a step forward, growling loudly. His nails had morphed into claws, the hair on his arm starting to sprout in earnest.
“What do you think you are doing, mongrel?”
I think both Indigo and I growled at that. I grew up with werewolves. Even if I hated what Indigo did to me, his pack was my family. I yanked on my arm, only the element of surprise and pure rage setting me free from the vampire’s ironclad grip.
“He doesn’t need to do anything. You aren’t taking me anywhere.”
“You will return with me, Rowan. I am done playing this game you have been conducting. We will take our leave. My Master is not pleased that we have taken this long. Your parents promised you to our coven twenty years ago. You will be returned to us.”
Cold rage swept through me. I would not belong to a coven. My parents would never have agreed to that.
“Lies,” I hissed, taking another step away from the vamp. Indigo moved toward me, and the vampire watched him closely.
“While my coven appreciates the protection you have given my deehire in the past, your job is done, Were.”
At least that time, he was a tad more respectful. Still, it didn’t change the fact that my parents would never have stood for essentially selling their only daughter away. No, never. I didn’t know who this vampire worked for or how he knew about me, but there was no way in hell I would allow him to take me.
Grabbing the back of Indigo’s shirt, I tugged the hem, encouraging him to act. My power teased my veins, buzzing, eager to lash out and do my bidding. Breathing in deeply, I tried to harness the power inside of me. It felt slippery and untamable. It only wanted to work when I panicked. Lovely.
Indigo reached behind him, taking my hand in his. “You will not be taking her anywhere. She doesn’t belong to your coven. She’s part of my pack,” he snarled. A warmth filled me that I couldn’t explain. Indigo promised to help me find Abel, and right then, he would be my top priority. This new interloper was trying to steal my chance away from me.
“She belongs to me,” the vampire hissed.
“Time to go, Indigo,” I told him.
The vampire’s gaze dropped to me, his fangs sharpened, dimpling his bottom lip. “You can run from me, deehire, but you will not be able to hide. Remember that. You will not like me chasing you.”
“Then don’t chase. I wasn’t proposing.”
“You are mine,” the vampire said possessively.
“You keep saying that, but it doesn’t make it any more true.”
The vampire peeled back his upper lip, his eyes flashing with his anger. My power flared in return, and his eyes widened slightly as he felt the brush of it against his skin.
“Think carefully, deehire. I have warned you once about using your powers on me. We will have centuries together. Keep that in mind.”
A shiver of fear went down my spine. His certainty of getting his claws into me squeezed my stomach with anxiety. This would have to wait though. I would deal with one problem at a time.
“My parents would never sell me,” I snapped, unable to let that go.
“No? You think your beloved werewolves managed to keep you hidden all these years? Hardly. You will return with me, Rowan.”
I didn’t know why it bothered me, but him knowing my name and me not knowing his grated on my nerves.
“Stop saying my name!” I growled, unable to stop myself from the outburst.
Indigo forced us back another step.
“Do not think I will allow you to live after touching my female, mongrel.”
“Keep calling him that, and you won’t live to see tomorrow night, bloodsucker,” I said.
Indigo snorted quietly before urging me back a few more steps. The vampire stayed where he was, and only after seeing the strain in his muscles did I realize my powers had branched out again. I’d assumed the tightness in my fingers had been residual soreness. But my Death Lines were invisible, which I had never experienced before. My family lines were always a variant of red.
I reached out, touching my lines. They were pulled taut and strong. It felt so strange, and while I wanted to study them a while longer, I had no idea how long they would last. Once the vampire broke free from my invisible lines, I’d be in a lot of trouble. Indigo might be able to match the vampire’s strength and speed, but with me as a vulnerability, he would be at a disadvantage.
“We’re leaving, Ro,” Indigo said, tugging on my hand.
Nodding, I allowed him to pull me from the room.
The vampire glared at me once more. “My name, deehire, is Balthazar. Remember it for when you plead for my forgiveness.”
“You’re in for a sad life if you think I will ever beg you for anything,” I snapped.
A smile twitched over the frozen vampire’s face.
“You sound like you have accepted your fate. Good. I will be seeing you soon, my sweet,” the vampire said with a scowl on his face.
Indigo tugged me out of the room and took off at a dead run. Our run-in with the vampire pissed me off because I’d lost any chance of trying to get more information on the Quintano family. And with Balthazar running around searching for me, I’d have to keep an even lower profile.
As we got out of the smothering club, my anger boiled over. Indigo tried to take me back to his car, but I pulled out of his reach, tugging at the roots of my hair.
“We got nothing tonight, Indigo. I need a lead. I need something. He could be…” Being tortured. Forced into servitude like I would be soon.
Balthazar’s words rang in my head. Part of me couldn’t shake the feeling that he hadn’t been lying. But it seemed too coincidental that our rivals had found me the eve before my birthday. That this vampire came out of nowhere saying my family is allied with his coven. And why wouldn’t I be given—ugh—to the Master?
Those were questions I didn’t want to think about. My problems would have to wait. I needed to find Abel first. Pushing all other thoughts aside, I walked back to Indigo’s car.
“Are you okay?” Indigo asked as he came over to my side, opening my door. He waited until I got in and leaned through the doorway.
“Fine,” I said.
“We’re going to have to contact your parents, Ro. If what he said is true…” Indigo had a heartbroken look on his face. It only lasted a second before determination took over, and his nostrils flared. “You won’t ever belong to that fucker,” he growled.
“Wasn’t planning on it. Now, we need to get back to your place and regroup. We need a new plan.” I wondered briefly if changing my outward appearance would keep my new vampire fiancé from finding me so easily again. Probably not—they relied heavily on scent, much like werewolves did.
Indigo shut my door before running around to his side. The car roared to life, and we were zooming down the road. Indigo got onto the highway, and I settled back in my seat. He would probably drive for hours to make sure we didn’t have a tail, which would give me time to think.
Growing up, my parents had always trained all of us to keep mine and Abel’s existence quiet. Our small town had been part of that. Those who lived with us knew our secrets, but my parents knew theirs as well. Secrets, favors, promises, they were all used as currency. It certainly hadn’t been uncommon practice for arranged marriages to happen in the Mystic community. I heard about them from time to time, and they littered our history books.
Alliances between vampires and necromancers were common and long lasting in our particular history books. My parents had left that life though, from what I understood. Vampires could control those they fed their blood to. It was how Masters became Masters—they sired an abundant number of strong vampires, either made or born. Becoming a vampire was more than drinking their blood, from what little I did know about the process. But to be in control over them, vampires only needed to feed a person their blood.
