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

17. The Agreement

17

The Agreement

R ayna stood beside me with a weird look of pride on her face. “This is the bane.”

“You—I—” I heaved. “This isn’t real. This can’t be.”

“It is. And there is so much more. Wait.” Rayna put her fingers between her lips and whistled. A moment later, a little blue monster jumped into her arms. “This is Piko. He’s my baby. Usually, he lives with us, but when we have to go to Earth for too long, we drop him off here.”

“That’s it.” I backed up from her as the wide eyes of the creature settled on me. “You might want to back up, because I think I’m going to puke again!”

Rayna hopped back and held Piko to shield it from me. “You good?”

“Yes, I think so.” I looked at her top. “I think the thing got mud on you.”

“Crap!” She dropped the pet and dusted off the dirt. When it fell away easily, she sighed in relief. “Look, I know the feeling.” She took a deep breath, checking the top once again. “I never thought hell would be so pretty. Not at all what they told us it would look like, right?”

“Clearly, you changed.” I didn’t care about hell or even the creature she had. Rayna was different from everything I knew about the woman. I needed to know why. “Right?”

“What do you mean?” She reached down to pet the dog just before he ran off to join the other creatures in battle.

“You made the change, tapped into your powers. That’s what Likosa told me I would have to do if I wanted to survive this. I would have to unlock whatever magic lingers in my blood.”

“Oh, I did. When faced with a life or death situation, I chose life.” She nodded. “It wasn’t the easiest choice, though.”

“How do you feel now?” I asked as the breeze picked up around us and moved the layers of her dress. She looked like she was about to say some profound shit.

“Sane.” She chuckled. “Strange, but I feel like it all makes sense now.”

“What do you mean? What makes sense?”

“Girl, my mind was fighting me for years.” Rayna looked me in the eye. “I didn’t publicize it, but I struggled with my mental health. I thought I was broken. Turns out, I was, just not in the way I thought. Something was missing deep inside me. And now, I feel better, stronger, and I get to do some really exciting things.”

“So it was a good change?”

“Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? I mean, you look out in the world, and everyone seems to have it all figured out, but you don’t. You check the boxes, achieve those worldly successes, and yet you still feel like it’s not enough.”

“Yeah, I do.” I thought about the career I’d worked so hard for. No matter how much I achieved, it never felt as fulfilling as everyone said it should. “Your work, oddly enough, makes me feel less like that.”

“I learned it’s because I was depicting things in my work that were tied to our history.” She looked out at the landscape in front of us. “Isn’t it funny how we both end up working in the arts, looking for more beauty in the world, hoping it will fill that void inside of us?”

“I never thought about it like that.”

“Whitney, I can’t make the decision for you, but I was also hesitant. I thought if I did it, I wouldn’t feel like myself anymore, but I feel more centered than I ever have. I also feel stronger and safer than I did before. You’ve opened a bag of bullshit you can’t close, and even if you do, that smell is still gone get your ass, so you might as well do whatever you can to protect yourself.”

“How did it change you?” I narrowed my eyes. “Are you immortal now?”

Rayna explained her circumstances with a sigh. “I am, but as far as I can tell, it’s not because of the bloodline. It’s because of my soulmate. He’s immortal. To save my life, we did the marriage of souls, which means our souls are literally one now. Because of that, I am now immortal.”

“So I won’t live forever?” That thought brought me some relief. “I don’t want to do that. That sounds exhausting.”

“No, not as far as I know.” She shook her head. “And yes, immortality sounds absolutely exhausting. I don’t know how I’ll deal with it.”

“You didn’t think about that before you agreed to do this?” I frowned at her as the two demonic beasts took flight again.

“You know, you’d be surprised at how few questions you ask when you’re clinging to life.” She narrowed her eyes, relaxing when the little blue pet took off running toward the gremlin’s body, which lay limp in the field.

“I didn’t really consider that.” And then, it was all I could think about. I’d already faced the possibility of my own death more times than I cared to count since meeting Domino. That wasn’t going to end overnight. What would I do if my life was really hanging in the balance?

“You’re going to be okay, you know, with whatever decision you make. I don’t want you to think I’m pushing you to do anything you feel isn’t right for you. Just don’t let fear make the choice for you.”

“Thank you.” I looked up at the odd sky. “For getting me out of there.”

“Of course,” Rayna turned and walked back into the cavern. “Not that I really had that much of a choice. I kinda owe Likosa for saving my life multiple times.”

“So you trust her?” I trailed behind her.

“For an ageless witch who can cross universes?” Rayna paused and shrugged. “Yeah. I guess I do. Just be aware that she tends to get a little freaky with her magic.”

“Very encouraging.” I laughed. “What do you mean by freaky?”

“The first time I met her, she may or may not have made me come and then dropped me at the feet of my man like it was nothing,” Rayna reported like it meant nothing, but there was something wistful about her expression that told me she enjoyed whatever Likosa did.

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” I picked up a jog to catch up with Rayna.

“There you two are,” Likosa’s melodic voice chimed as we reached the magical waters. “Did you two make friends?”

“Is that what you wanted?” Rayna pointed at the woman. “What kind of games are you playing here?”

“I’m not playing any games. I just figured you two are going through the same things. It would be good if you bonded.” Likosa examined Rayna’s dress. “I see you managed to keep your dress clean.”

“I had to; you know how Keri is.” Rayna looked down at the spot where the dirt was before, and I could see her shoulders relax again. Her friend must have been a real gem!

“Yes, a spitfire. Unfortunately, she didn’t invite me to the wedding.” Likosa looked hurt, and I wondered how close she was to the human to expect an invitation to her wedding. “I would love to get to know her better.”

Ah, so not close at all.

“Would you have come?” Rayna challenged the thought.

“Likely not. That world stinks.” Likosa turned her nose up. “I don’t know how they deal with it. All the pollution—you can smell the world rotting from the inside out!”

Suddenly, it felt like the cave had squeezed in on itself as the pressure changed. The surrounding air warped and shifted, and through that same rippling haze, a man stepped into view. He stood tall, with a dark complexion, a perfectly fitted black suit, and a massive pair of horns sticking out of his head.

“Oh, Metice!” Likosa sounded like she would break out into cheers. “You’re here!”

“Yeah, not for long,” he spoke with a deeply annoyed voice as he walked over to Rayna and grabbed her hand. “We need to get out of here. If not, your friend is going to hurt me. She’s already threatened my life twice. It’s almost time for you to meet up with her.”

“Oh, damn, you’re right.” Rayna looked at me. “Keep in mind, if you go to new worlds, time moves differently. You have my email, right? Hit me up when things settle down, and I can help you through more of this.”

“Um, thanks.” I couldn’t take my eyes off the man.

“Rayna, please,” he urged her.

“Did you bring the horns out for a dramatic entrance?” Rayna pointed at his head, and after a cool smirk, the horns receded into his forehead. She looked at her demon man then back at me. “See? Totally worth it.”

She winked at me and waved at Likosa, and the two vanished, hand in hand.

“Well, they have really become one of my favorite couples!” Likosa sounded downright giddy. “She brings him joy. Never thought I would see the day.”

“He’s an actual demon, right?” I pointed to the space where the couple had previously stood.

“Did the horns not give it away?” Likosa half-rolled her eyes.

“I’m sorry I’m having a hard time processing that I’m in hell!”

“Why does it take humans so long to grasp these things? It’s like you’re all sheltered little babies. Vampires are real, so are demons, and you’re in hell now. Can we move on, please?”

“You’re not as nice as you put on, are you?”

“I’m as nice as the moment warrants.” She adjusted her headpiece. “Are you ready?”

“For what?” Just then, Rayna’s warning about Likosa’s brand of magic repeated in my mind. Did she expect me to get freaky with her?

“Didn’t Rayna do her job?” Likosa sounded frustrated. “She was supposed to convince you to go through the process.”

I raised a brow. “Was she?”

“Yes,” Likosa huffed. “I swear, I asked her to do one thing.”

My suspicion bubbled to the top, and I pointed at the woman. “This is all your doing, isn’t it?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.” Likosa slapped an innocent expression over her face, complete with wide doll eyes.

“Why did you send Rayna to me instead of just coming to get me yourself? She said you would have been faster. She also made it seem like you spoke to her before any of this happened, which means you knew about me before Lena called you.”

“Lena had mentioned you in the past. I am someone who likes to be prepared.”

“Being prepared meant getting Rayna ready to convince me to do something you had no idea I would ever need to do?”

“Your best friends are a witch and a monster hunter.” Likosa threw her head back, laughing so hard, her chest heaved, and she instinctively covered her breast with her hand. “How exactly do you see that working out without you eventually being pulled into this world? I warned Lena about this the first time she mentioned you to me. It's not my fault she didn’t listen.”

“Are you behind this?” I stepped closer to her. “Did you plan this? I don’t know your powers, but I feel like you are more than just well-prepared.”

“Look, when Lena reached out to me, I knew what would have to be done. I knew you wouldn’t take my word on such short notice.” Likosa moved closer to the edge of the pool, and the waves stirred up even faster, slamming against the edge. “You don’t know me, and I understand you are paranoid about things now. Because I understand that, I realized you would need to talk to someone who’d been through it. I didn’t think you would get snatched up. Like I said, I just planned for what I saw was an inevitability.”

“You’re saying it was inevitable that all this happened?”

“Maybe not exactly as it has, but yes. Your entire life, you’ve been tiptoeing on the edge of a dangerous new world. You just didn’t know it.” Likosa bent over and ran her finger through the water. The rush of dangerous waves stilled. “I get it if you don’t trust me. Most people don’t when they first meet me. I’m a hard pill to swallow. It comes with the territory. It took a lot for Rayna to not look at me just like you are right now.”

I glanced at the water. “What will happen to me?”

“You’ll transform into someone who can protect herself.” Likosa softened. “Someone who doesn’t need a hunter, a witch, and a vampire to keep them safe. Not that any of them succeeded.”

“Rayna said I won’t be immortal, right?”

“No, you’ll be like your friend Jackie. She lives longer than most humans, but she won’t live forever.”

I thought about it. I wanted to protect myself. There were vampires, demons, and I didn’t know what else out there. Everyone was right; there was no turning back. I liked to believe what I saw, to trust the evidence in front of my eyes, and what was in front of me was a changed world, something I needed to be prepared to handle.

“Okay.” I nodded. “As much as I wish I could just act like this isn’t real, I can’t, and I don’t want to have you or anyone else running to my rescue anymore.”

Likosa stood, head high and shoulders back like a proud parent. “Great. You need to undress for the next part.”

“Why?” I looked around the cave and thought again about what Rayna said.

“I use the water as a conduit for my magic.” Likosa waved her hand, and soft spirals danced across the water behind her.

“And I have to be naked?” Yeah, freaky shit was incoming.

“Unless you want your clothing to be ruined in the process,” she said with no further explanation, only to drop the robe from her shoulders, revealing her naked body. Big breasts, fat ass, snatched waist—Likosa had the kind of body women were trying to pay for on Earth.

The brick house song played in my mind as I tried not to gawk at the perfection in front of me. “I’m no better than a man.”

“I’m sorry?” Her expression turned inquisitive.

“Oh, nothing,” I said as, without further debate, I undressed.

Likosa walked into the pool first, the water gently caressing her skin. I followed her and trembled as soon as the water touched my bare flesh. It was cold as ice, and I damn near jumped back out, but she tapped the surface with her fingers, and it quickly warmed in response.

She reached the center of the pool and waved me forward. It wasn’t too deep. My toes touched the bottom, and the surface stopped just at the top of my breasts.

“Just relax.” Likosa wrapped her hand around my waist to pull me closer to her.

Her hand moved up and down my back in slow caresses, and it felt like the same heat she used to warm the water raced through my body. I looked up at her as the combination of her touch and the lingering effect of the vampire's blood made my pulse quicken.

She gently touched my chin, lifting my lips before she leaned down and kissed me. This wasn’t my first kiss with a woman, and I didn’t plan on it being my last, but it was far more intense than any kiss I’d ever had. When her lips moved against mine, I heard whispers of a strange language in the back of my mind.

I wasn’t sure if we dropped beneath the water or if she raised the water around us, but within moments, we were floating. Our kiss quickened, and Likosa parted just for a moment to look into my eyes. Whatever she saw, it brought a smile to her face before she kissed me again. The whispers returned, now louder and in English. By the blood , it repeated, taking on the deep bass of drums each time.

I braced myself, assuming the kiss would go further, something along the lines of an orgasm-producing experience, but it didn’t. Likosa stopped and swam away from me.

“I thought…” I spoke through heavy breaths.

“What?” She looked back at me with a wink.

“Nothing.” It wasn’t like I could tell her I was expecting her to get me off.

“Wait for it,” she said as she climbed out of the water.

Then, the water took on a new life. It raged around me, flipping me in every direction before it stilled. I looked out through the barrier at Likosa, who stood at the edge of the pool. Five heartbeats later, and lightning struck. The power ripped through the cave and passed through the water, landing right in my stomach. It burned for a moment before it cooled like ice.

The water raged again as more lightning continued to pulse through the cave and hit me. Each time, it hurt less until the last. There was no burning then, only a chilled acceptance from my body to this power. And then, it stopped. The water lowered, and I floated over to Likosa.

She reached down and pulled me out of the water.

“Hmm.” Likosa looked me up and down. “Are you ready to go home now?”