Keep your enemies close
KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE
Amara
The next few weeks fly by. I don’t know why. The days seem to become shorter and the nights become endless with possibility. Something in me feels lighter, almost…excited. Maybe Callista was right. Maybe I was starting to get bored of my small-town witch lifestyle.
It’s a Tuesday night, not nearly as busy as a weekend, although I’m still surprised by how many customers we have on weeknights. Must be all of those vampires. What do vampires even do ? Do they have jobs? Celine, Renata and Lexi all seem to keep themselves pretty busy with the hotel.
I guess you could say the same about witches. Except we have bakeries instead of speakeasies.
Nova brings a tray full of empty glasses to the bar. The club is almost empty. There are only a few customers left, their limbs wrapped around each other on a couch near the back.
“You don’t need to do that, Nova,” I tell them.
“It’s no problem,” they respond. “I see you’re flying solo.”
The other bartender was sick. Again. “I don’t mind. It’s a slow night.”
Nova glances at their watch.
“You should go home,” I tell them. “I can close up.”
“Are you sure?” they shift their weight back and forth on their feet. “What if the Lazarus vamps- ”
“I’ll be fine ,” I wave a hand. “I can handle myself, trust me.”
“All right,” says Nova. “I owe you one!”
The bear shifter shoots me a big grin as they head toward the elevators. I take the glasses to the back of house and put them in the dishwasher, the door propped open, listening for any trouble from the club. But there’s only the steady pounding of the music. Even the DJ’s gone home, replaced by a playlist of repetitive club bangers.
I have to admit, I’m starting to warm up to them, even though I miss the primal drums of my witch coven. As I finish off the dishes, the music works its way into my bones, rooting in my veins, synchronizing with my pulse.
As I finish up the dishes and come back into the club, I see the final guests heading out past the security desk, giggling to each other. They’re probably heading up to a hotel room to engage in all sorts of carnal acts.
I wonder what it must be like to do such a thing with a vampire. I’ve never even come close. I’ve faced vampires in battle, and see them during political negotiations, but other than that…I’ve never even touched a vampire before.
Wait, that’s not true. Hallie grabbed my arm the other week, when we were being attacked by the Lazarus vampires.
And Celine. She took my hand and pulled me up.
Her touch was less…disturbing than I thought it would have been. It was chilling, but in an unexpectedly thrilling way. Like an early fall breeze.
I’m completely alone in the club now. My shift will be over in an hour or so, and the cleaning crew will come by to tidy everything up. There’s something intimate about being all alone here.
Intimate and exciting. The next song that comes on is one that I’ve been warming up to, the words calling out to me. I find my hips swaying to the rhythm, my arms reaching up to the sky.
Sweaty, I unbutton the first few buttons of my uniform top. Nobody is watching. It’s only me. A party of one.
I lean into the joy of the moment. I love dancing. It’s one thing I miss about my coven. The celebrations. But I suppose every night here is like a celebration.
As I move with the music, my eyes close and my thoughts disappear into the steamy, thick air of the empty club. The music builds and builds, until I can feel the bass in my feet and through the air.
Then I feel a shift in the air, a chill. There’s no noise, no motion. But the change is palpable. I open my eyes.
And she’s standing right there. Completely still, a perfect statue. The corner of one lip turns up, and her head tilts slightly to the side.
She wears a black blazer with leather sleeves, and a sheer tank top underneath, so tight I can see the contours of her chest. Her hair is loose, falling down around her shoulders, framing her face with unexpected softness.
“Don’t stop on my account.”
How long was she standing there? “I…I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was still here…”
“I wasn’t. I could hear your heartbeat from my crypt.”
I try to steady my breathing, but I can’t. The pounding music floods my senses. I can’t look away from her eyes. Could she be enchanting me? Why else would I feel this way, this unbearable pull? But the only magic working is the electricity of our bodies, almost touching.
Will she close the gap between us?
She bends her head slightly, her gaze still locked on mine. There’s something animalistic about the slow, deliberate way she moves.
I swallow thickly. This is an incredibly dangerous situation. I’m all alone with a powerful vampire boss. If she knew I was a spy, she would probably kill me on the spot. If I’m lucky.
I should run. I should get out of here immediately .
Her lips part, the tips of her sharp fangs protruding slightly.
And something inside me gives out.
I grab her by the back of the neck and pull her mouth to mine. Her lips are cold, but electric. She kisses me with an urgent hunger that I immediately match. A warm excitement explodes inside me and I press my hips up against hers, moving to the pulsing beat of the terrible club music. She puts her hands on my waist and pulls me closer to her, her grip strong and assertive. Her hands explore the curves of my body, sliding under my silk uniform top. Her touch is chilly and absolutely thrilling, sending shivers of delight up and down my spine. Her fingers move artfully across my skin, smooth and powerful.
Adrenaline courses through my veins, the danger of the situation only ramping up my desire. What am I doing ? It’s extremely taboo for witches to be with vampires. If anyone found out…
She senses my hesitation and pulls away.
“It’s all right,” she whispers. “We can stop, if you want.”
Her eyes are full of unexpected tenderness.
It’s the nail in the coffin.
She’s got me.
“I don’t want you to stop.”
With a sly smile, she bends down and sweeps me off my feet and into her arms. I shout in surprise, then throw my arms around her neck. But I don’t need to worry. She can carry me easily.
My heart beating fast, she carries me to the back of the club, to her private suite. It seems so much more intimate than it ever has before. She lays me down on the velvet couch and shuts the door.
When she turns back to me, a wonderful shiver of anticipation goes through my body. I realize that I’m trembling slightly. I’m not used to being so…vulnerable. Usually I’m the most powerful witch in the room. But as I watch Celine’s graceful, vampiric movements, I wonder if she could best me if it came down to it.
The thought makes me weak in the knees.
She crouches over me, and pulls my shirt over my head, being careful of my long braids. I’m not wearing a bra, and my nipples are erect and ready. I can feel them become sensitive at her intense gaze. Her eyes move over my body, agonizingly slow. I can feel my wetness build, aching for her touch.
Her fangs gleam bright white in the dim lighting. I have an embarrassing desire for her to sink them into me, for her to fill herself with my blood. Although the urge is powerful, I know I can’t give into it. Vampires can often tell when blood has magical properties, and I’m sure my two-hundred-year-old witch blood would immediately reveal my true purpose at her nightclub.
Gathering all of my resolve, I find my voice.
“Don’t…don’t bite me.”
She raises a perfect, dark eyebrow. “Would you like me to touch you? ”
“Yes,” I breathe, lowering myself onto the chaise. Its velvet plush is wonderfully soft on my bare skin. She takes off her blazer, revealing her toned, smooth arms.
With practiced swiftness, she undoes the button of my jeans and pulls them down over my ankles. She tosses them impatiently to the floor and bends down over me.
She starts at my neck, kissing my sensitive skin, awakening a deep, urgent need inside me that I hadn’t realized was there. I can feel her fangs graze the point of my artery and I have to suppress the desire to take back my previous request. No, I can’t…it would be much too risky.
She moves quickly down my body, her tongue finding the hardened peaks of my nipples. She sucks them gently with a moan, and my back arcs in pleasure. My head falls back against the comfortable chaise.
Her hair tickles my stomach and she kisses and licks her way farther down, getting closer and closer to my tender wetness. My panties are completely soaked. When she arrives at my crotch, she uses her sharp canines to slice through the thin material.
I shriek with delight as her mouth finds me, lapping up my fragrance. Her tongue explores my folds assertively, not holding anything back. I move my hips against her eager lips as waves of pleasure pulse through me.
My pleasure crests into a powerful orgasm, intense and liberating.
“Don’t stop,” I beg.
She moves her lips up to my ear, her voice like a crackling flame.
“I want to be inside you.”
“Yes!”
She kisses me, her fangs moving delicately over my tongue. I can taste myself on her, a sweet and lustful scent. I bury my fingers in her soft hair, wanting to be closer to her.
She straddles my thigh and puts a slender finger to me, teasing my entrance. I moan loudly, and thrust my hips up to her hand.
“So impatient,” she says silkily, her graceful fingers moving over me. “How badly do you want it?”
Her eyes glint mischievously. She finds my clit and rubs it between her fingers, amping up my desire so that the ache I have for her is almost painful.
“Mmm…I want you so much…”
“Where?”
“I want you inside me…please…”
In a smooth motion, she inserts two fingers inside me. I moan in satisfaction, my pleasure mounting again. In rhythm with my pounding pulse and the deep bass of the club music, she moves in and out of me, tapping a button of pleasure deep inside. I move with her, our bodies in perfect synchrony.
I’m still high from my last orgasm, my body buzzing with endorphins. With a soft sigh of pleasure, I come again a final time, arcing my back high in the air, then surrendering down to the soft plush of the chaise.
Although I’m usually so alert, I can’t help falling into a pleasant daze. Two strong arms wrap me in a silky blanket and lift me up.
Surely, this is an incredibly dangerous situation. But danger is the last thing on my mind.
Bright sun streams through an enormous window opposite the bed. When I realize I’m not in my apartment, I wake completely with a start. Rubbing sleep from my eyes, I take in my surroundings.
I’m in a gorgeous hotel room. The far wall is just one big window, with a lakeview. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The mid-July sky is clear, blue and expansive, disappearing into the slightly darker blue of the lake. Inside the hotel room, there’s an off-white chaise with an enormous pillow, a desk, and a huge flat screen TV.
And the bed! It’s a king-size bed, easily twice as big as any other bed I’ve ever slept in. My bare limbs slide luxuriously between the satin sheet and fluffy comforter.
I could live in this bed.
I spot my clothes, folded neatly on the desk, topped with a flat red box. Curiosity overrides comfort, and I pull myself from the bed. I take the box and open it.
Inside is a pair of black lace panties. They’re beautiful and elegant. I can’t guess what they might cost, they’re so different from what I usually wear. I’m not sure if I even want to know. There’s a small card at the bottom of the box, cream-coloured with the Thornblade rose emblem embossed on its back .
Sorry about your underwear. I hope these make up for it. Order whatever you like for breakfast and stay as long as you want. Everything has been taken care of. C
Although I’m all alone in the room, my cheeks warm as I remember last night. My body still feels tingly, a wonderful post-coital glow.
I can’t believe I spent a night with a vampire! What would Callista say? What would the other witches say? I’m sure Lavinia would be delighted that I’m getting close to the Thornblade family, but I don’t think she would approve of how . I can never tell anyone about this.
And this room …it’s completely outside of anything I’ve ever experienced. The inn in Hemlock Haven is nice, but I think three of its hotel rooms could fit just in this bedroom, and I haven’t even explored the rest of the suite yet. These lace panties probably cost more than any item of clothing I own, and I don’t even want to look at the price of the breakfast items.
But a small, guilty part of me enjoys the attention and the comfort. My job isn’t an easy one, and I haven’t been pampered much lately. Or ever, really.
Still, I can’t let myself get used to it. This was a one-time thing. Celine C?té is a dangerous, powerful vampire boss. And I’ve witnessed her many trysts. I’m sure she does this to all of her conquests. She probably has a stash of expensive underwear for exactly this purpose.
But I’m still getting the most expensive thing for breakfast , I think to myself with a grin, as I reach for the phone to call the concierge.