The Nightshade Guild: Half-Blood Mage, page 5
She sat on the bed this time, crossed her legs, and found her center. The emotions cleared, and the way forward began with her mother’s grimoire. She summoned the knowledge with another spell.
A small breath of air washed over her face, and when Demi opened her eyes, the book hovered an inch or so above the bed in front of her. She chanted again, calling for the names of the demons she sought. The book opened, and the pages flew until they stopped on Legion.
Demi took a deep breath and read. Her mother had been tasked with this grimoire, a family heirloom. Unlike others that held spells or potions, this book contained the name of every demon, every dark hell spawn to threaten humanity and how to battle against them.
Even Demi had a page in this book, and her mother made no secret of the fact that if Demi ever displayed a penchant for evil, her mother would hunt her the way she hunted other demons.
Evil is in your core, Demi. This is why you must fight it constantly, be vigilant. Her mother’s words were a familiar echo.
Demi returned her focus to the book.
Legion was not one but hundreds of disembodied violent spirits filled with such anger they’d become their own malevolent force. Such power could be controlled, and there were annotations from her mother’s hand. They told the story of how her father, Asmodeus, had used mage and Elven magic to craft an amulet to bend Legion to his will. Destroy the amulet and free Legion. Demons were drawn to emotions—lust, desire, anger, hate and sought to enhance or consume them. Legion’s desire was tenfold a regular demon.
The stories within revealed tales of horror that Legion had unleashed upon small towns and in the middle of natural disasters. Only true love could fight Legion, along with sacrifice and honor. Yet the grimoire failed her because there wasn’t any definitive way listed to destroy Legion. Loose ideas and possibilities.
Her father, on the other hand, could be quelled with blessed water and a baptism. The problem was that her father was fire incarnate. Those who’d attempted the procedure met fiery or boiling ends. This wouldn’t be easy, and setting the trap would be even more difficult.
A knock on the door came again.
“Yeah?”
Adrian poked his head inside. “You ready to eat yet? You’ve been in here a couple of hours, and I imagine you’re hungry.”
Her stomach growled at the reference to food. A long span of time had passed like mere minutes once she’d gotten absorbed in re-reading the knowledge on her father and attempting to uncover more about Legion.
“Yeah.” She closed the book, tracing the rune signals through the air to send the grimoire back to its hiding place between dimensions. The book was only able to be summoned by the mage it was entrusted to.
She stood and walked to the closet. She needed more than this tank top at the moment, taking note of the spark in Adrian’s eyes as he perused her body.
“How’s the princess?” she asked.
“She’s fine. Full stomach, playing with a couple of the toys you had in the bag. She brought a dead twig back to life. I think the piece might be part of an oak tree, which could cause some problems if we don’t get the now-sapling away from her. Do you want to talk about it?” He motioned to the now empty air where the book had been.
“The grimoire?”
“The book, the princess, next steps… seems I’m starving for information too.”
Demi flung open the closet door and was pleasantly surprised to see a few flannel shirts and long-sleeved Henleys. The options were better than what she wore. She grabbed a black and gray checkered button-down and flung it over her shoulders. “This morning, you were after more than just information.”
He was next to her in milliseconds, using his heightened speed to close the distance. “That was unintentional, but I imagine you weren’t exactly disinterested.”
“We shared a lot over the ten years we were together. I’ve got a good case of muscle memory—nothing more.” Lies and she’d continue to tell them, even though her heart wanted her to say otherwise.
“Only ten years, when I remember promising you a lot more.”
When Demi turned, he was less than a foot away, and his eyes were truly windows into his soul. Desire burned there, and feeling anything would endanger everything.
“We can’t… this demon, Legion, he feeds off of emotion. Desire and lust are the big ones. We have to keep this under control.” She motioned between them and failed to stop from touching his neck. The coolness of his skin, the scent of cloves made her pulse race.
“Thank you.”
Demi arched a brow. “For what?”
“Being honest for once.” He trailed his fingers up her flannel-clad arm. She shivered with his barely there touch, and her skin grew hot.
“I’m serious.”
Adrian nodded. “And I’ll be a good boy until you tell me otherwise, but know this, Demi. No demon, curse, spell, or creature on this Earth is going to keep me from a second chance. I’m not letting you shut me out this time.”
She sighed as he leaned in. She was ready for a kiss, for the all-consuming meeting of lips and tongue. The moment where she could trace his fangs with her tongue. To get lost in his sheer strength and to ask for whatever she wanted. Lord, she’d missed this, even though she wasn’t supposed to chase pleasure. She wrapped her hand around the doorknob, seeking something to ground her back to reality instead of the fantasy she needed to avoid.
Instead of giving in, like she half hoped for, he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
“I don’t have to drink your blood to know where your thoughts are wandering to, but you said we had to be good.” He pulled back and let her go before giving her a little wink. “I’ll have some food ready in five minutes.”
Demi held onto the doorknob of the closet like a lifeline and clamped her lips shut to keep from calling out for him. She wanted to beg, to relent to those baser desires. Her demon nature caused her to war with herself constantly and bring danger everywhere she went.
Some Nightshade Guild member she was turning out to be.
Chapter Six
Adrian behaved himself all day. He tended to Demi and Ameria’s needs and did his best not to fall prey to hunger or the growing pain in his arm. A never-ending fire burned there. The torture stopped when he’d initially found Ameria but resumed as he withheld fulfilling the bind’s goal. He could barely feel anything through his fingertips beyond pain so thick it numbed him. Wouldn’t be long before the bind started affecting him in other ways.
Hell, it already is.
This morning, his nightmares had been about Demi being caught, tied up, and tortured. He’d gone mad to tear apart those who would dare hurt her, but somehow it had been a glamour not a dream.
He glanced down at his arm and wondered if this was a side effect of the bind. Hell, agreeing to the damn thing had been a mistake, something he would have never done under normal circumstances. When the vampire queen requested his presence, he would’ve run the other direction if he’d known she’d planned to hijack his body for her own purposes. Not to mention the meeting put him at odds with Demi.
He’d been working up to running into Demi, to kickstarting a relationship between them once more. Though, the idea of her ditching again scared him as equally to letting her down.
He was tempted to tell her the truth, to get things out of the way, but she wouldn’t look at him the same. She’d been to blame for their last split. Her mission, her determination… not him. However, if she saw him as a threat, he’d be broken all over at losing the chance to be with her again and having her look at him in disgust.
He shut his eyes briefly, breathing in deep and trying to meditate away the pain, to control the effects with his mind. The more he fought against the bind, the worse it acted against him.
“Ameria… shit! Adrian.”
Adrian’s eyes popped open, and he jumped up right as Demi ran over to grab Ameria from crawling through a little portal she’d produced all by herself.
Shit. The kid had talent, raw and unparalleled.
Demi turned on him, Ameria wrapped up in her arms. “You’re supposed to be watching her. If I hadn’t come in—"
“Sorry, Demi. I’m a little tired.”
Demi moved to put Ameria back into the makeshift holding area they’d created with the living room furniture and a variety of pillows. How the hell she’d escaped, he had no clue. Fresh toys, a bottle, and a blanket were the next things Demi made sure the little girl had. Adrian watched in fascination at this side of the woman. She was an enigma right now, this softer part of her unknown to him. She’d always been a ballbuster, the first one into a fight and the last one out. The one tying him up to have her way with him.
I miss those days.
“Again, I’m sorry—"
Demi held up one finger. “Give me two minutes here.”
She crouched next to Ameria. “Listen princess, I need a good half an hour with your friend, and we need you to behave for that long. No portals or silliness. A bottle and a nap. You should rest.”
Adrian brought his fist to his mouth to stifle the laugh threatening to emerge. The soft, sweet dulcet voice Demi deployed with her silvery persuasion spell was a good try. Adrian doubted her magic would work. After Demi finished and rose, Ameria appeared a bit more docile and good natured.
“Should have tried that sooner,” she said as she laced her fingers with his.
“Not sure your enchantment will hold long, but it’s worth a shot.” He glanced down at where they touched, her warm heat seeping into his body. Her pale skin was a sharp contrast to his darker tones.
She was perfection, and without hesitation, desire rose fresh and anew. Demi tugged on his hands and started to head toward the bedrooms, taking him with her. His cock perked up at this new development. Sure, he’d told her he’d behave until she made the first move, but he was shocked at the idea he’d worn her down already.
Demi’s self-control was infamous. She could draw something out for months. He wasn’t opposed to her changing her mind though. Once they were in his bedroom, she released him and shut the door, twisting the doorknob lock.
“Demi, I don’t think it’s wise that we get down and dirty with a child in the other room.”
She frowned at him. “That’s not why I brought you in here. You need to feed. Whatever you have going on is obviously getting worse if you’re losing concentration. I’m willing to give you enough blood to tide you over.”
“Really?” He arched a brow, skepticism blooming within him. They’d shared blood before, many times, but he hated how she volunteered for reasons other than her feelings. He wanted to feed from her because of her desire to be close to him instead of an excuse.
She bit down on her lower lip and nodded.
This would mean something because blood-taking always sparked other emotions. He could keep those in check with a random feed, but he wasn’t sure with Demi. They’d shared too much… he still loved her, no matter what she believed. To bite her, to taste her—he’d want to fuck her.
She took a step closer. “I want to help because I need you at full strength. If we’re going to stop these demons, to save Myra, I can’t risk you not being one hundred percent.”
Shit. No way would he with this bind tattoo. If he tasted her, they could easily re-establish the mind link they’d shared before, and if she saw his thoughts… the truth. He wasn’t ready to test their tentative bond yet.
“I think feeding from you is a bad idea. Instead tell me what you require, and I’ll go get whatever and partake while I’m out.”
Demi crossed her arms. “What happened to the vampire from the bedroom this morning? You were eager to get at me then, willing to say you wanted me, and now you’re standing here with a chance to have me. We both know what this will lead to, yet you’re turning me down?”
Adrian’s mind raced. He needed a reason, and he had to sell this. “I’d like you to choose me of your own free will. Not come to me with a flimsy excuse about how your blood is necessary for my strength. I can get food on my own, thank you very much. If you want me, then you can just say so. We don’t have to do any type of blood exchange to get down and dirty.”
Her eyes flashed, and the roots of her hair changed white… she was getting angry. Good... and bad.
“You have some fucking nerve.” She stomped over to him and shoved at his chest. He took a couple of steps back. Sure, he could have acted like a brick wall, but he loved her fired up and taking control.
“I’m not interested in… hell, we can’t risk the emotional piece. You’re right.” She stopped completely. Just came to a halt and the fire bled out. “Business, Ameria, those are the things that matter, and we can’t risk giving away our position.”
The infamous emotion dampener had returned. “I could have told you that. We should be focused on the end game here. So, what supplies will help?”
“A vehicle, holy water from a church, and a good stock of food stuffs. Weapons are nice, but I also need a cell phone. Something untraceable. Hell, steal one.”
Adrian gave a fake gasp. “Did you just tell me to steal?”
She rolled her eyes. “Not like you have money to pay for anything.”
“Care to tell me what the actual plan is and how to beat your father?”
Her eyes flashed. “How did you—"
“Smoke and fire demon, evil laugh, and he shares your natural eye and hair color. He’s one ugly sonuvabitch. Thank goodness you got your looks from your momma.”
She half-heartedly shoved him. “Shut up. Fine, yes… Daddy Dearest is back after all these years I spent chasing him. We have to get to somewhere we can fortify and then we’ll use Ameria to drawn them in. The other one, Legion—I don’t know how we beat them yet.”
“The book?” There were few secrets Demi kept from him. He was aware of her mother’s grimoire, and Demi was its keeper. If demons were afoot, the book would tell her who they were and how to deal with them.
“For the first time ever, the book is pretty vague. There are mentions of purity and sacrifice, but I’m not hunting down a virgin to take this one out. Our best bet is to steal my father’s amulet. The one that controls Legion and then we can demand he leave Myra.”
“Cause commanding a demon to exit a human host always goes over well.” The plan was thin. “We’re going to steal this how?”
“By getting close to my father. We relocate, ward down the next safe house, then we track him with my blood. Once we know his location, we only need to secure the amulet before he can attack us.”
“And Ameria?”
“You’ll protect her.”
Adrian frowned. “That wasn’t what we agreed to.” Because if you leave her in my hands, I might get weak.
Like this morning, Adrian had no idea what would’ve happened if their interaction had continued. Feeding might’ve slowed down the progression of the bind, but if he lost control, the likelihood of him protecting Ameria over following the will of the queen reduced dramatically.
“I have to fight Asmodeus alone. Ameria can’t come along for the ride because then she’ll been in even more danger. I have to dangle what he wants to get close enough to trick him, but I ultimately need her safe.”
He reached for Demi then, unable to help himself. Rubbing his hands up and down her arms, he absorbed her body heat, infusing the warmth to his unnatural, undead cold. “What about you?”
“What about me?” She sighed with his touch. “I’ll win this fight. I’ve been training for this for years.”
Adrian shook his head. “Yeah, I know, but training for a battle is different than being in one. You said before you were worried he could influence the demon aspects of you.”
She shrugged and trailed her fingers up his chest before clutching his shirt in her fist. “It’s a chance I have to take. When I encountered him in that parking garage, he didn’t have control over me, though he was quicker on the draw. I was off my game, but I’m ready now. Hypervigilant.”
He liked how she didn’t pull away from him or release her hold on his clothing as he wrapped his arms around her and drew her in for a hug. Fire and iron scented his nostrils, blood mixed with heat. Temptation wrapped its tendrils around him all over again, momentarily overpowering the pain in his arm. His fangs distended, and his cock grew hard.
Demi rubbed against him, and she gave a little whimper. “Damn, Adrian. I’m supposed to be staying away from you, not getting closer. You tempt me too damn much.”
He leaned back to look into her eyes. To see the yellow there, appearing fresh. This sinful, demonic side of her tended to come out to play whenever desire got the better of her.
“My body will always want you, no matter what.”
“Something to count on.” She reached up and touched the tip of his fang, though not hard enough to pierce skin. The sensation was similar to stroking his cock—all tease and no bite. She grinned and licked her lips. “When this is over.”
“When it’s done… hell, I can’t wait that long for a simple kiss.”
“Crave me that bad?” She bit down on her bottom lip and snaked her hand down, gripping him through his pants.
He groaned. “I’m a starving man.”
“Then get your taste.”
The meeting of their lips was like coming home. Adrian had abstained from this type of physical contact in the years since Demi left him. Vampires were sexual creatures by nature, but his lips and fangs, outside of feeding, were only meant for one woman to enjoy.
Of course, his attempts at deepening things were quickly overridden by Demi’s passionate nature. She was shoving her tongue into his mouth, dominating him with ease, and he rapidly fell into old habits, letting her have her way with him.
She tasted like something familiar and forbidden, and he desired her blood even more now. Adrian had to behave himself and not prick her tongue as she teased his fangs and traced around them. She was the explorer and he the mountain for her to conquer.
