I Accidentally Hooked Up with a Vampire (Accidents Happen #2)

14. Oh, hey, Likosa!

14

Oh, hey, Likosa!

I didn’t know if it was the sex, the blood, the fatigue, or a combination of all three, but I slept through the day. As Domino's eyes fluttered closed and his breathing slowed, I knew it was time to rest too. I snuggled close to him and let sleep overtake me. I had dreams of butterflies and blood and woke up when the woodsy smell pulled me back to consciousness. When I opened my eyes, Domino was already awake and watching me.

“You’re awake?” I squinted.

“Yes, the sun has set.” Domino pointed to the window. He’d opened the curtains to let the moon illuminate the space.

“Oh, I slept all day?” I groaned and stretched out next to him. “Damn.”

“How do you feel?”

“Honestly? A lot better than I did yesterday.” I sat up and climbed out of the bed. “Is that another effect of your blood?”

“Yes, it is.” He watched me pull the robe around my naked body. “Where are you going?”

“To brush my teeth!” I frowned. “I’m not about to sit here talking to you with yuck mouth.”

“Yuck mouth?” He laughed. “Whatever you say.”

“Don’t you brush your teeth?”

“Only after a feed. Sometimes, it gets a little messy, and I get flesh stuck in my teeth,” he said too honestly.

“I’m going to act like I didn’t hear that, because I spent the night with my tongue in your mouth.”

“I was joking!” he called out after me.

“Sure!” I waved him off. “I hope you know this means I’m going to monitor your oral hygiene now.”

I followed up a thorough scrub of my mouth with another shower. Part of me expected Domino to join me, but he didn’t, even though I stayed in there long enough to give him ample opportunity. Dissatisfied with the otherwise wonderful shower, I dried, dressed, and headed back out, expecting him to be sitting in bed. He wasn’t.

“Where’d he go?” I muttered before I heard dishes clinking together. I left the bedroom to find Domino standing in the kitchen with an apron around his waist and a mess on the counter. “What are you doing?”

“I—” He looked up at me. “Making you something to eat.”

“Oh?” I couldn’t help but laugh at the disaster in front of me. “What exactly are you making that requires four pans and a sink full of dirty dishes?”

“Sit.” He pointed to the small dining table.

“So, was that like a unique ability for you, or can all vampires do that?” I asked him as I adjusted my braids and headed for the table.

“What?” He looked up at me from the plate he worked on.

“The floating sex thing.” I reminisced about our activities from the night before. “That was wild.”

“Older vampires can do it, not the young ones.” He winked at me. “The older we get, the more inherent abilities we gain access to due to the magic that made us.”

“So there are things you can’t do because you’re not old enough? Like what?”

“Eventually, I won’t have to be sexually aroused to float or fly.” Domino tossed a kitchen towel over his shoulder like a proud chef.

“No shit! Really? There are vampires who can fly?”

“Only a few are old enough, but yes.”

I sat down and waited as he finished whipping up his concoction. It was hard enough to hold back my laughter as he continued his destruction, but when he put the plate in front of me fixed with runny eggs, undercooked sausage, and the scariest biscuits I think I'd ever seen, I fell out laughing.

“What?” He frowned. “You don’t like it?”

“I’m sorry, but what is this?” I looked up at him as I sucked my lips in to stop myself from laughing.

“Food,” he said proudly. “You need to eat.”

“Someone might call it food.”

“What do you call it?” He looked offended.

“Confusion.” I snickered. “As in, I’m confused why the kitchen looks the way it does when there is so little on this plate.”

“Excuse me for doing something nice for you.” Domino reached for the plate and, for a moment, I thought the man would actually start pouting.

“I’m sorry, I am.” I poked at the meat with my fork. “And I appreciate the effort, but I don’t feel safe eating this. I’m not even sure it’s done.”

“Well, I tried. Maybe we can just order out.” Just as he snatched the plate from me, my phone rang. I ran to the bedroom to grab it while he cleaned up the disaster he made.

Lena: Heads up, we’re on our way.

Jackie: Yeah, so put some clothes on. I know that vampire kept you up all night.

Me: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Jackie: I was on patrol last night….

“Oh, crap.” I stared at the message, complete with a winking emoji at the end. My mind flashed back to Domino covering my mouth. Had she really heard us?

I’d find out soon enough, because two minutes later, they were knocking on the door.

“Everyone decent in there?” Jackie called out from the other side.

“Come in!” I called as I walked back out of the bedroom and into the open area.

Jackie tiptoed through the door with her hand over her eyes.

“Whatever!” I said and picked up a pillow from the sofa to toss at her. Even though she didn’t see me toss it, she caught it and winked at me before she turned to her left and saw Domino standing in the kitchen, surrounded by his mess.

“Yo!” Jackie threw her hands up and stomped over to him. “What did you do in here?”

“I tried to cook for her.” Domino pointed at me. “She didn’t like it.”

“And you had to demolish my kitchen to do it?” She pointed at him. “You’re cleaning this up.”

“I thought hunters had better eyesight than that?” He stretched his hands out to his sides. “Can’t you see that’s what I’m doing?”

“My eyes work well enough to see that you shouldn’t be anywhere near a kitchen.”

“You want to come give me some lessons?”

“I knew it!” She looked at me. “Are you hearing this sexist bullshit?”

“I’m hearing something, but it's more like an overreaction.” Lena laughed and lifted the small brown basket she had in her hand. “I brought you something to eat, girl. I figured you’d be starving after everything that happened yesterday.”

“Thank you.” I smiled and joined her at the table.

Lena laid out the meal and joined me, and we ate the food while Jackie and Domino continued poking at each other in the kitchen.

“Do you think that will ever end?”

“Yeah right!” Lena laughed. “Jackie loves messing with vampires. It’s her favorite pastime. And now you’ve gone and given her extended access to one.”

“Great.” I chuckled and bit into the sandwich. “Mmm, what is this?”

“Roast beef. I made it in the slow cooker and used my grandmother's special seasoning.”

I stopped chewing and looked at her. “You used magic on this?”

“If magic is a mixture of spices from the grocery store and herbs from my garden, then yes.” She laughed. “Eat your food, girl, and be thankful you know at least one person who can cook.”

I glanced at Domino, who put the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. She was right. I reached over and grabbed her arm. “Thank you so much!”

We laughed until Domino and Jackie joined us at the table.

“Now that my kitchen is clean…” Jackie shot Domino another signature side-eye. “We need to go over our plan.”

“Yes.” Lena smiled. “We made a lot of progress while you were sleeping.”

“Yes, we did. I’ve already reached out to the other hunters. They are coming here to help. The first of them should arrive in a few hours.” Jackie pointed her thumb at Domino. “I told them about this guy so they won’t try to take his head off if they see him. I still suggest keeping a distance.”

“Thanks,” Domino muttered.

“We need to figure out what we can do to make Reddick stop,” Lena spoke. “So I reached out to someone who I think can help us with that. She’s the reason my magic has progressed so quickly over the last few years. Think of her as my magical mentor.”

“You have a mentor?” I grabbed her hand. “That’s so cool!”

“Thanks. I wish it could have been my grandmother, but she used to be friends with her, so it works out.” Lena smiled. “I think you will really like her. She’ll be here soon.”

“Jackie, your hunters are also watching over Whitney’s family, correct?” Domino asked.

“Yes, why?”

“I asked some of my contacts to monitor Whitney’s loved ones. It might be a good idea if you let them know about it. I don’t want there to be any issue if they cross paths.”

“You’re right.” Jackie pulled out her phone and started typing on the screen. “While I do that, is there anything we should know about your brother?”

“Like what?”

“What makes him tick?” Jackie clarified. “I found a general history on him, but it looks like no other hunters have been able to get close enough to this region’s king to find out anything substantial.”

“And you want me to hand over my brother’s secrets?”

“I want you to tell us what it will take to keep my best friend alive.”

Domino looked at me and sighed. “Right.”

“I know this has to be difficult for you,” Lena interjected with a softer approach.

“It really isn’t.” Domino raised his hand to stop her. “I hate my brother. He’s a monster who uses his power for terrible things. But when you consider what he is, it’s not too far from the expected. Reddick is selfish, and even before we were vampires, he found joy in torturing me. The only way to get him to stop is for Whitney to cease to exist. By now, he understands how much she’s come to mean to me.”

“How would he know that?” I asked.

“He sent me an ultimatum as well. Leave her alone or he would take everything away from me. Soon, he will begin dismantling everything I’ve built for myself over the last century.”

“And you’re just going to sit here and let him do that?” Jackie looked disgusted.

“I’m going to sit here and let him think he can.” Domino took a deep breath. “My brother is vain. He thinks true power comes with a title. It doesn’t. The vampire kings are nothing but pawns being moved around by a higher power.”

“Are you that higher power?” Lena leaned forward with wide eyes.

Domino laughed. “If I was, we wouldn’t be hiding out here.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense.” She deflated back into her seat.

“All I mean to say is that while he spent years playing politics, I spent my time working on things that mattered far more. My brother thinks he knows everything there is to know about me. He does not.”

The knock on the door drew all our attention to the front of the guest house. Jackie hopped up from her seat, drawing two knives from hidden pockets, and Domino grabbed my chair and pulled it to him so fast, I almost got whiplash. He put me behind him and turned back toward the door, his fangs ready for the attack.

“It’s okay!” Lena hopped up from her seat with her hands held out to Jackie and Domino. “Remember I said someone was coming? It’s her.”

“Are you sure?” Jackie asked.

“Did either of you sense her presence before she knocked on the door?” Lena asked as she walked over to it.

Jackie and Domino looked at each other and shrugged. Clearly, neither of them had noticed anyone was nearby.

“I’m so glad you could make it here today,” Lena spoke around the door, and when she pulled it open, the woman who entered looked nothing like I imagined she would.

I thought it would be someone old and wrinkled by time, but she looked maybe ten years older than us. There was a glow about her as she moved beneath the intricate headpiece. I would have thought she was royalty, and I gasped when her eyes opened to reveal irises that glowed a soft shade of pink.

“Lena…” Her voice felt like a melody she’d taken years to perfect. And then, the woman attacked.

She lifted her hand, and her lips moved, but I couldn’t hear her words. The next thing I knew, Domino went flying back across the room. His foot hit me in the shoulder as he passed me. He clawed the air, reaching for anything that would stop his momentum. The wall did the job.

“Stop!” I jumped up and ran over to Domino, who looked like he was being smashed by an iron. The sickening crack of his bones rang out around us.

“Likosa, no!” Lena stepped in the way as well, and the woman stopped her assault. “He’s on our side.”

“Oh.” Likosa dropped her hand. “My apologies. You said it was an urgent matter. I only assumed.”

“Girl, you didn’t tell her he was here?” Jackie, who hadn’t moved a muscle to help, laughed. “She could have killed him.”

“I did.” Lena looked back at Likosa. “This is Domino.”

“Well,” Likosa narrowed her gaze at me, and my stomach knotted. There was something there that didn’t sit right with me. “It must have slipped my mind. You know I’m much older than I look.”

“It’s alright.” Jackie waved off her apology. “He’s a vampire, he’ll heal.”

“Domino, are you okay?” I kneeled over him.

“No, but I’ll be fine.” He coughed, and I flinched when another one of his bones snapped back in place. “Damn it, that hurts.”

“He’s fine. See!” Jackie finally approached the newcomer. “Likosa, right? That’s such a unique name. Thank you for coming.”

“Thank you. And it’s my pleasure. Anything for Lena.” She looked at my friend with loving eyes. “Her grandmother was one of my favorite people.”

“Do you think you can help us out here?” Lena closed the door. “As you can see, we have a tricky situation.”

“The vampire and the untapped witchling.” Likosa pointed at me.

“Witchling?” I stood, rubbing my shoulder, which stung from the impact of Domino’s foot. “Me?”

“Don’t get too excited. It’s the best name I can come up with for someone with your unique situation.” She glided over to the table where we were all sitting and took a seat. “Descendant of the aliens who landed on your world. You know, oddly enough, you’re the second one I’ve met recently. I’d say your situation is a little better than hers. Nasty work dealing with demons.”

“There are others?” I asked, and something inside me perked up. If there were others, maybe they could help me understand everything.

“Yes.” Likosa paused and looked at Lena. “Remind me to talk to you about that later.”

“Me?” Lena pointed to herself.

“Yes, that’s a private matter. Nothing to do with all this.” She waved her hand as if batting away bugs.

“Okay…” Lena glanced at me, and I shrugged. If she didn’t know what the woman was talking about, there was no way I was going to decipher it.

“Now, on to the reason you’ve called me here.” Likosa turned her pink eyes back to me. “Whitney and the vampire.”

“Yes.” I looked back at Domino, who still looked out of it. I was expecting him to bounce back sooner, but his eyelids fluttered sluggishly, and the pallor of his skin made it clear he was far from healing.

“I—we—wanted to find the best way to protect Whitney from his brother, the king of this region.” Lena was the one to explain the situation. “As I suggested in my message, this is a much bigger problem than we imagined it would be. He’s vindictive and is going to come after Whitney and anyone she loves to hurt his brother.”

“So predictable.” Likosa looked downright bored, as if the threat placed on my life wasn’t entertaining enough. “It’s as if, in all those years they spent roaming the world, they couldn’t get a little more creative.”

“How do we protect her?” Jackie asked, picking up on my frustration. She looked at me and gave me the ‘this will be over soon’ look.

“You don’t, but she can.” Likosa nodded at me. “This isn’t a damsel in distress story. She is more than capable of handling this on her own.”

“I can?” I scoffed. “Not the witch, the vampire, or the hunter? The human ?”

“Human?” She slapped the table, and we all jumped. “Sorry, I just hate when people don’t know their own potential. I’m sure Lena has explained to you that you’re not a simple human. Whitney, you must tap into that bloodline of yours. Your people were powerful, and they passed on amazing talents hidden in your genetics. If you unlock it, it could potentially save you.”

“So, this isn’t a guarantee?” I asked. “What’s the point then?”

“What in life is guaranteed?” Likosa poked at the half-eaten sandwich still on Lena’s plate. “I’m sure, a few days ago, you probably had a well-thought-out plan of what you would do with your years in this world. How’s that working out?”

“So to save my life, I have to change?”

“And everyone you love, yes. It’s either that or die; it’s really up to you.” Likosa pointed at Domino. “Doesn’t look like he is all that great at protecting you.”

“I doubt his brother could do what you just did,” I defended him.

“True.” Likosa did a half-bow. “I am quite a phenomenal entity, aren’t I?”

“This isn’t right. I don’t want to change who I am.” I ignored what felt like an ego trip coming from the woman. “What would I even become?”

“You would still be the same, just enhanced by something that already exists within you,” Lena said.

“Whitney,” Jackie started, but I held my hand up.

“No. This is too much.” I sighed. “All this is happening too fast. I still haven’t wrapped my mind around how everything I thought I knew is wrong. People I thought I knew aren’t who they said they were. I don’t want that to be true about myself. I know who I am and I’m not some alien being.”

“Just—” Jackie took a step toward me, but before she could take another, a force pushed her across the room and into the wall.

BOOM !

The walls shook and the window exploded, sending glass flying through the air like projectiles. Lena screamed as a piece of wood knocked her over, and in the midst of the chaos, Likosa was calm. She stood and sighed before working magic to defend herself.

The door behind her swung open, and men all dressed in black rushed in. There were dozens of them, and even more came through the window where the explosion happened.

Everything happened in a rush. Jackie was back on her feet, fighting. Lena and Likosa worked together, using their magic to subdue as many as they could, but they just kept coming.

“They’re human!” Lena called out just as Jackie was about to take the head off a guy.

“Damnit!” she fussed and instead of beheading him, knocked him in the back of the head, and he passed out at her feet.

I froze. Domino was still down, but I could see him trying to fight through his pain. His hands balled into tight fists at his sides, and his legs and arms twitched like he was trying to get up from the ground.

BOOM !

Another explosion sounded, this time accompanied by a white-hot blinding light.

I quickly lifted my hands to shield my eyes when a solid object suddenly clasped around my waist. I looked down and saw a sharp, menacing claw. Metal teeth clamped into my flesh. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t get the thing from around me.

“Whitney!” Jackie ran for me, and I held my hands out to her.

Just before she reached me, four attack dogs piled on top of her and the damn thing pulled me out of the room.