Chapter Seven
New Orleans
Harcourte Society
Regrouping Time
B y the time they got the detective onto the same page as they were, and explained to him what they were, he was definitely freaking out. He kept staring at them like they were going to jump out and eat him.
They weren’t.
Well, Vanth was a whole other story, but she was mostly on a leash.
Sometimes.
It took a mild sedative in the form of a compulsion to not fear that to get the detective on their side.
Flynn knew they needed to get moving, and that meant not wasting any time.
It looked as if they were breaking into teams. There was NO way he was bringing Jolie into the police station or letting her out in the cemetery.
Those options seemed really bad.
Only, Flynn wanted to check out the scene, and this was a conundrum.
“I can’t believe any of this,” Logan admitted. “Yesterday, everything was normal and today, I’ve just learned it was all a lie.”
Flynn knew how he felt.
Been there.
Done that.
He recalled the moment that he found out that Jolie was a vampyre, and it was something that changed his life.
He’d found his mate.
Everyone who crossed paths with them, if they were lucky enough to learn the truth, had to have this realization at some point. The world was big, and there were a lot of things in it that needed to be put away.
“You’ll adjust,” Flynn said. “I was a cop, and had the same epiphany. The good news is, this is as bad as it gets.”
Yeah, and that was saying a lot.
He’d seen zombies.
Well, at least he didn’t have his liver snacked on by some sirens.
There was that.
“And you guys are serious?” Logan asked. “I mean, come on. This can’t be real.”
To prove it, Flynn held out his hand. He made Pandora’s Box appear, and when it was in the room, the power and magick was unmistakable.
It vibrated around them.
Yes, let’s show every Tom, Dick, and Harry where I keep the family secrets.
Listen. He’s taking this fairly well. Wait until we have to tell him the woman that he’s staring at is a vampyre and going to be his mate for the rest of his life. He thinks she’s human.
Rinnon paused.
I can appreciate his lusty stare. Now, can you make our woman talk to us? That would be a trick I could get behind.
Yeah, no, but I know how to fix that. Give me some time.
When he opened the box, there was a light, and then more energy. It left goosebumps across everyone’s flesh.
As quickly as he made it appear, Flynn made the trinket box disappear. It was back safe where it belonged locked deep in their lair.
“Someone is playing with Rinnon’s magick,” Flynn admitted. “We have to work on this together and stop it from getting worse.”
From his peripheral, Flynn saw Vanth was moving around the detective.
The human one.
“Vanth,” he warned .
She sighed.
“Father, he smells good. Can I eat him?”
With his sense of preservation kicking in, the man backed up, and his eyes went huge. It was probably when he saw all of Vanth’s teeth in her mouth.
Without hesitating, Cerise put her body in front of his, and somehow, managed to keep her fangs in her mouth where the detective didn’t see them.
Oh, but they were there. Her instinct to protect her mate proved that Flynn hadn’t been wrong.
Yep.
They had more issues on the horizon, and they were ones that were worse than Vanth wanting to snack on a cop.
“Vanth, people teeth, please. Put the dangerous ones away.”
She made some noncommittal sound out of exasperation. It was clear she was hungry, and when a female was hangry…
He snapped and made a squirming sack of douchebagery appear.
“Eat him. He’s a pedophile. We don’t eat the police or good people, Vanth. Don’t kill the humans.”
Well, Vanth was all over that like demon on snack.
When the bedroom door opened, in came his wife, and Lucian. Jolie was doing everything in her power to ignore him. She had to feel the energy of Pandora’s Box, and needed to see what was going on.
Vanth bounced merrily.
“Bone apple teeth,” she said, dragging the bag to a corner to begin her feast.
Jolie looked confused.
“Bon appetit?” she asked.
The demoness shrugged.
“That’s what I said.”
It was when she beat the bag off of the wall a few times that the chaos continued.
“Oh, he’s really fresh. Thank you, Father. ”
Even her mate, Lucian, didn’t watch. While he loved his woman, he wasn’t going to watch her chow down on a person.
That was a bit much.
Only, Vanth had to Vanth.
As they stood there, the human detective stared at the sight going on in the corner.
“Jesus Christ! Is she eating someone?”
Everyone in the room laughed. This was absolutely normal for Vanth and not something they worried about. She was family, and it was better to have her on your side.
Flynn patiently explained.
“Yes. She’s a special demoness who happens to have a predilection for flesh. Don’t ask too many questions. She’ll tell you more than you want to know.”
Logan actually closed his eyes.
“I hit my head. That’s the only explanation. I’m in a coma in a hospital.”
“You might be if we don’t handle this,” Flynn admitted.
Logan opened his eyes, and focused.
“Can we just talk about work?” he asked. “I’ve met a God, and now a demoness. I need to think about something normal. That would be work.”
Flynn got that.
Again, been there.
Done that.
“Sure. If that’s what you’re ready to do. We’re going to head to the morgue. We have a dead human found in one of the crypts who didn’t belong there. Maybe that will lead us to the cross.”
Jolie said nothing.
In fact, she wasn’t even looking at him.
Are we going to do this, Jolie? Do we need to have this argument over something that was done out of protection?
There was no answer, but he felt her anger. That told him she still wasn’t ready.
Flynn continued to focus on the job.
What choice did he have ?
This was some serious shit, and they didn’t need to be distracted.
“Then, I want to hit the cemetery. We know that Mathew was there. He raised a Voodoo practitioner with The Vampyre’s Cross . There’s no doubt that was to slow Rinnon down. That’s the same magick. Apparently.”
Mine is older and more complex.
Let me clap.
Are you a cranky bitch today? I get it. Our girl is angry at us, but take a pill. I feed off your energy.
Yes. It’s been a rough one, and I’m trying.
To get this started, he led them down the stairs, Logan staying back as much as he possibly could. Flynn could tell he was wary, and he should be.
When they arrived in the sitting room, to finish the conversation, his parents were sitting on the couch acclimating themselves.
Flynn knew he needed them to be babysat, and it was a good thing they had plenty of family here.
It was daylight, but all of Jolie’s vamps were marked by Rinnon, so they could stay awake.
They were safe.
Or so he hoped.
If Mathew showed up with The Vampyre’s Cross , he would have control over the vampyres, and the last thing Flynn needed to do was kill a bunch of Jolie’s kind.
She was already pissy enough.
You are not marking anyone else, Flynn. I don’t think you get that a mark from me has implications. I won’t do it.
Yes, you will.
On this, Vessel, I won’t. That’s my final word. You can’t do it without me being willing, so that’s not happening.
Well, shit.
Only, he’d have to deal with that later.
“Percy, can I leave my parents in your care?” he asked. “I can’t be here and working.”
The guardian nodded.
“Absolutely, Flynn. We’ll watch over them and make sure they are safe. ”
Before Flynn could say anything back, his father was up and not happy.
“I want to come,” John Brogan admitted. “You can use my help, Son.”
Oh, hell no.
“Yeah, not happening, Dad. You and Mom are going to stay here and do what parents do. Worry and stay on that couch.”
“I think you’re mistaken, Flynn Xavier,” he said.
Flynn stopped that with a wave of his hand, and the compulsion set in.
“You will stay and listen to Percy. You will sit on that couch, and you will not be a pain in anyone’s ass.”
His mother and father blinked.
And then sat.
Well, that said it all. This gift would have been handy when he was a teenager.
Yeah, you might have gotten laid.
You’re funny for a God who was having sex with his kids. Perv.
There was sputtering, but Flynn ignored him.
As the wall tore open, a familiar figure slipped through, and it was, once more, Jacques.
Well, Death.
He didn’t mince words.
“Here’s the situation,” he said, ignoring the woman giving him death stares.
It was clear he was angry too.
Jacques, don’t be angry. We have to find a middle ground on this.
Hell.
No.
I am. How many times have we been left out in the dark over something, and we didn’t hold a grudge?
This is different. She cared about Mathew. She loved him.
Jacques wasn’t playing.
When she calms down, we’ll talk. I’m too busy to play this game, Flynn. We are on the clock .
Why the rush?
Oh, well, he shared.
“I have Fate trapped in my realm. I used blood I obtained from her without her knowledge. The spell will hold for about one day. That’s all the time I can buy for you.”
Kiera gasped.
“Oh, boy. She’s going to be hella pissed when she gets free from this. All of our asses are grass.”
He was aware.
Only, he was going to be the prime target—without a doubt.
“At this moment, she can’t help Mathew, or interfere with your hunt for the antiquities. You have to stop him, get the cross, and beat him to the sword. If he draws blood with that sword, even the slightest amount, he will have the power of the necromancer, and we are, for a lack of words, fucked.”
That said it all.
This was no joking matter.
Then, he waved his arm, and the tear in the fabric of time opened behind him.
“The clock is ticking. Call me if you need me. I’ll be babysitting Fate and hoping that buying you this time doesn’t destroy the entire universe.”
Well, that sounded ominous.
With a nod, he walked back through, sealing it behind him.
The whole time, Jolie said nothing, but Flynn could hear her heart pounding in her chest. She was scared, and so was he.
“He’s risking everything for us,” Flynn admitted. “When Fate is free, it’s going to be a free-for-all, and we’re dead ducks.”
That was an understatement.
Jolie closed her eyes, and Flynn knew she was thinking the same thing he was. Jacques would be her target first and foremost.
Then, it would be them.
“Did someone just walk through the wall?” Logan asked, getting everyone’s attention .
Everyone answered at once.
“YES.”
Flynn knew they had no time to revisit this over and over again.
“Okay, all the cops with me, Vamps guard the house, and Jolie?” he asked, saying her name.
When she looked over, he stared into her eyes.
“You can hold this ridiculous grudge, but when we’re annihilated in twenty-four hours, you will have regrets, or you can say you’re sorry and love him. The choice is yours, but be a better person than this, because frankly, I’m disappointed in you.”
She opened her mouth, but he didn’t give her time. Flynn waved his hand, and sent her to Death’s realm without either’s permission.
And that was how he planned on fixing it. The war would be there, and his mate would be safe.
Mostly.
Well, that was being bossy. I like it. It seems you are getting to know me and be more like me. Way to abscond my powers and use them too.
Not a compliment.
It is for me.
Flynn wasn’t going there.
“Detectives Grayson, Gress, and Wilder, get your asses to a car. We have a morgue to hit, and ID to get, and then a cemetery to visit. It’s about to be a long-ass day where we’re targets.”
Vanth knew she was on deck.
“Want me to wait until you call?” she asked, chewing at the same time.
He nodded, choosing to ignore the person in her teeth. You got accustomed to it.
“Mathew is cloaked, so we can’t find him, but he also won’t know we’re here. That buys us some time. Maybe, if we’re lucky, he didn’t come back with all of his memories, and he won’t think to look for us here. I wouldn’t be worried except he reanimated a voodoo practitioner that’s going to be a pain in our asses at some point. ”
“I hate Voodoo,” Percy said.
He laughed.
“Yeah, me too, Percy. Me too. Welcome back to NOLA, Family. It’s about to get Voodoo-y up in here as we get our asses whipped around the city.”
How did he know?
Call it a hunch.
* * * T u e u rA n t i q u i t i e s * * *
Death’s Domain
Time Unknown
Fight Time
When she found herself sitting in the room Jacques called his bedroom, she could feel him not far away. Using her ability to block herself, and give herself a little time to prepare, she headed for what was his closet.
And waited.
It wasn’t easy to hide from Death, but she also spent time in his head, and Rinnon’s. Right now, he was distracted, and this was the perfect time to strike.
A girl had to do what a girl had to do.
When he came into his bedroom, he was distracted, and that wasn’t normal .
In fact, it worried her.
When Brigit lowered herself from the ceiling, it took all Jolie had to stay calm.
“I wish to be alone,” he said. “Go sit on the cage and make sure that bitch stays put. Alert me if there is an issue. When she gets free, I’ll be her first target, and I need to find a way to stay in one piece. I started a war for my mates, and now, I’ll pay.”
The spider scurried across the floor, and then, and only then, did Jacques seal the doorway.
He turned.
“You can come out. She’s gone,” he said, his voice absolutely emotionless.
Shit.
Well, so much for doing this without him seeing it coming. Because there was no point in pretending, Jolie stepped from the closet.
Jacques stood there, but he was in Death mode. His eyes were bright red, and he shook out his wings so that he could brace for the onslaught.
“Well, let’s have a fight. Do your worst. I’m a horrible mate and I crossed a line to protect you. Go for it.”
Jolie didn’t want to fight with him.
She remembered what Flynn had said, and if hell was going to explode all over them in twenty-four hours, she wanted to not go down angry. Plus, she heard what he’d said to Brigit.
He was putting it on the line for them, and sometimes, she forgot his job wasn’t so cut and dry.
So, she also shook out her wings, and moved toward him. Then, she caught him off guard.
“I love you, and I’m sorry. You were right.”
He looked surprised.
How surprised?
He actually looked around like he’d crossed into the wrong realm.
Jolie continued.
“I shouldn’t have been a bitch about it, Jacques. It just…stung. I was pissed you both killed Mathew, even when I know he likely deserved it. Flynn doesn’t kill indiscriminately, so that tells me he had a reason.”
He treaded lightly here.
This was the best-case scenario.
“We did.”
Jolie wasn’t done.
“I was mildly irritated you didn’t just tell me, but I understand. You were both trying to protect my heart. That was old Jolie. New Jolie is a demon and doesn’t hold onto those things. If he was killing, and Flynn is technically the Tueur, then I get it.”
He met her halfway.
“We don’t do things to punish you, Jolie. Sometimes, you have to make a snap decision. He appeared on my list, and I let Flynn handle it. That’s what the book of Fate said needed to be done. I don’t take people or vampyres out without a reason. He gave us plenty of reason—outside of our personal feelings for him.”
Oh, she was aware.
Jolie moved closer.
“I know. I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?” she asked. “I know you had a right to be angry. The silent treatment is…not healthy.”
He held out his hand.
Yeah, he knew this was him getting damn lucky because technically, they did break the rules first.
“I will always forgive you. Will you forgive me for my temper and raising my voice to you?”
She touched his pale cheek and stared into his eyes.
“Always. You’re my mate, and I love you. We’ve been through so much, and I can’t imagine doing that with anyone but you, Flynn, and Rinnon. We’re a team.”
That they were.
When she went into his body, Jacques held her. All around them, chaos was about to explode, but he took that minute to be with her.
There was peace when he held her.
It was the tie to his past, and it allowed him to forget what he was .
Death.
“I enjoy moments like these. It’s rare I get you all to myself. I suppose this was Flynn’s doing,” he said, guessing.
“Yeah, he sent me here to be babysat.”
He laughed.
“You do tend to get into trouble.”
She was aware.
“Want to have makeup sex? Then, we can torment Rinnon later.”
They both heard him.
You think I won’t show up there, stick Flynn’s dick in both of you and let the world burn? Funny. You don’t seem to know me.
Flynn protested.
You will do no such thing, now mind your business. We’re at the police station. Let Jacques distract Jolie. I don’t need more clucking cops or the craziness that our mate comes up with to be petty.
She laughed and sent them both love.
I’m being babysat. I’m sorry, Flynn. I love you too.
No worries, my love. Enjoy your time with Death. I’ll be thinking about both of you.
Me too, Rinnon admitted.
When the connection was closed, Jolie moved back into Death’s bigger body to share his space. Without hesitation, he welcomed her with open wings.
She heard them rustle as he walked, and she knew who she would be mating with.
Death.
Jacques wasn’t in the mood to come to the party.
“He’s technically always at the party, Jolie. I just need to keep my guard up, and I’m weakest when I’m him. If she breaks free…”
She put her hand over his mouth to silence him.
“Trust me, my love. Sex with either of you is magnificent. You do what you need to do.”
She felt him smile behind her hand.
“I love you,” he admitted as soon as she moved her fingers from his lips .
“And I love you.”
That’s when she went to her toes and found his mouth with hers. The kiss was explosive, and filled with everything she felt for him.
Oh, and it was a lot.
Clearly.
When she broke the kiss, he was breathing heavily, and that was exactly what she wanted.
Now, it was time to have some fun with make-up sex.
“You’re over dressed, Death. I’m about to rock your realm. You should probably get naked,” she said, winking salaciously at him.
Well, Death wasn’t going to say no to that. With a wave of his arm, he was completely naked, and ready for his mate.
As soon as she did the same thing, Death grinned, showing her his long, ridiculously sharp fangs.
“Have at me, Mate,” he said, the lisp there.
Oh, well, okay.
She was on him so fast that he barely had time to catch her. As soon as she found his mouth, they were sealed together.
The fun was about to begin.
As her lips made contact with his, Jolie’s hands wandered to his erection.
It pulled a moan from his mouth.
“More,” he begged when she set his lips free.
Well, if that was what her mate wanted…
So.
Be.
It.
Using her body weight, she shoved him back, and as they tumbled onto the bed, Jacques caught them and floated them to the mattress.
Safely.
Her lusty little grin made his heart flutter.
His mate undid him.
“You’re lucky I’m aware of your sexual games, Mon Amour. ”
She knew what he was talking about.
“You’d never let me fall. Who are you kidding? I know you’d die for me.”
That was the truth.
There were no truer words ever spoken.
Because she wanted him, Jolie allowed her mouth to trail down his pale flesh.
There was something so alluring about his body. He was angles, and muscles that made her mouth water. Jacques was incredibly sexy.
Death…
He was even hotter.
“Should I be insulted by that?” he asked, as her fingers were tightly wrapped around his erection.
She found him amusing.
“You’re the same person. Maybe I just have a kink for bedding down with Death.”
He grinned.
“Well, carry on then, Jolie. Death needs a little fun now and again.”
Her mouth trailed lower, and she checked out his dick. He was throbbing in her hand.
Yeah, someone was ready.
Death was definitely in the mood.
Moving to go between his legs, she stared up at her mate, and couldn’t love him more.
She knew what he was willing to sacrifice for her, and Rinnon’s unborn child.
He was a good Death.
As she reached his dick, Jolie blew warm breath across it to tease him.
It responded how she wanted.
He moaned.
“Please,” he whispered. “Warm me up.”
Well, if that was what he wanted.
She swallowed him whole.
Death’s whole being reacted to the feeling. His hands knotted into her hair to control the mating.
Oh, and it was wild .
Jolie had a wicked mouth on her, and that was exactly what Death craved.
Wildness.
His claws lengthened, and he buried them in her tangled hair and the bedding as he struggled to hold on.
It wasn’t easy.
He.
Was.
Hard.
“Jolie,” whispered Jacques, as he watched her head bob furiously up and down his dick. She was showing him very little mercy.
Then again, he wanted none.
Death wanted that pleasure and pain that she was offering him.
Then, you should have what you want, Mon Amour. Let me pleasure you.
Death handed over that control, and let his mate share what she was feeling. He wanted her riding him in the worst way, but he knew that would come.
In time.
As she blew him, his body was rocked with so much need.
“Jolie,” he whispered.
She held nothing back.
To torture him further, she sent him a barrage of sexy images of them copulating. The one that made him moan was of the three of them in bed.
Jolie felt his body tense, and she stopped blowing him. When Death opened his eyes, he was breathing heavily, and the red swirls were wild.
Just like him.
“You’re teasing me, Mate. Does that seem wise?” he asked, his voice rumbling through the room.
This realm was so connected to him, that when he was riled up, there was no doubt everyone knew.
She moved up his body, and stared down into his eyes.
“Maybe, or it could be possible that I want to feel you in me. I want to ride my Death. ”
Oh, well, he wanted that too.
Who was he to say no to the woman he loved?
“Absolutely,” he whispered. “I need you, Jolie. I need you now more than ever.”
Oh, she understood.
There was nothing gentle about this ride. If anything, she was making them both work for it. The worst part about being this connected to Jolie was she knew when he was on the cusp.
And she used that to her advantage. She was in his head, drinking in the pleasure as he was feeling it.
“Jolie!” he hissed, as she ground her body down on his, making him gasp in pleasure.
“Death,” she whispered. “I love you.”
His heart skipped, and he knew why she was mating with him, and not trying to mate with Jacques.
“I love you too,” he whispered. “Forever, and no matter what happens.”
He opened his eyes, and saw the fear in hers.
That was the last thing he wanted for Jolie. She’d lived through so much, and he was indestructible.
Or so they were going to hope.
He rolled, placing her on her back, so that he could stare down at her.
“You’re scared.”
She simply nodded.
When he blinked, the swirling red was gone, and in its place were Jacques serene green eyes.
“She won’t hurt me. I’m worried about you. Listen to me, Mon Amour,” he said, letting the French out so that she had that comfort.
Jolie didn’t move. Instead, she held onto him.
“Be safe and take no chances. Promise me that you will use everything Rinnon taught you to survive. To fight. To not let Fate win.”
She nodded.
“Something bad happens, doesn’t it? ”
What he wanted to do was tell her that her unborn child, Rinnon’s baby was in The Book of the Dead. She was slotted to die.
What he could do was try to change that, and not say a word.
To help her, he slowly nodded, and then, the green was gone, and Death was back.
Jolie understood.
Telling her would destroy everything around them, and his hands were tied. This was his fate, and this was his world. She had to play by these rules.
“I will be safe.”
His mouth found hers, and he kissed her. What started as heat was now something that was needed even more.
Love.
As his mouth made love to hers, his lower body did the same, sliding in and out of her.
She moaned into the kiss, and goosebumps crisscrossed her body.
When he moved to her neck, and scraped his fangs there, she knew what was next.
“Oh, Death,” she whispered, as wave after wave of heat swamped her from just the scraping of them on her throat. “Please,” she begged.
Slowly, achingly so, he slipped them into her flesh, and Jolie’s blood exploded in his mouth. The taste of her was so familiar, it offered peace.
And he needed it.
Death hung on to the little control he had, and it wasn’t easy. He was a violent being, and this was a precious present to both of them.
Pulling his mouth from her throat, the thrusting of his hips grew.
“More,” Death ordered, not giving her any time to regain her focus. Instead, he slid into her harder and harder, burying his erection deep within her body.
Jolie gasped.
“Yes!” she shouted, as she felt so close to the edge that the orgasm was right there. “Please! ”
When he switched the angle, she moaned.
There was nothing more erotic.
Death moaned in pleasure, as his balls tightened. He was close to losing control.
“Please,” she begged. “All I want is to cum.”
Well, if that was what his mate needed, he said the words, softly. They were in a language she didn’t understand, but Death did.
It set her off, and she exploded apart.
Only, with each slide back into her body, she came again.
And again.
And again.
Death gifted and tortured her with pleasure.
If he could die, this would be how it happened. He was feeling every tremor in her body as she repetitively orgasmed. It was Heaven and Hell.
Oh, and he knew Hell.
“I’m going to make you scream my name,” he whispered in her ear as he forced her to cum again.
Jolie couldn’t bear the pleasure anymore, and how Death was in full control of her body.
Mine. Forever.
Oh, she was well aware.
As the heat built between them, even Death had a limit, and he was at it.
When she came one more time, screaming his name, the whole realm shook from the power that happened between them.
Death roared in pleasure, as that orgasm tore through both of them, and he poured hotly into her body.
Time felt like it stopped.
When she opened her eyes, nothing moved around them, but Jacques was above her.
Not death.
But her once guardian.
Bad things are coming. Stay close to Rinnon, and be safe when you can’t be with me. I’m trying to change the outcome, but know that I love you, and we have a slim chance .
Are you going to die?
No, and neither are you. I can’t give you more, Jolie. Just fight for me.
And as quickly as time stopped so he could break the rules once more, it sped back up, and Jacques was gone.
Death was the one buried in her.
He dropped to the bed beside her.
Jolie went into his body, and she felt the kiss of feathers around her as he cocooned her in them.
Neither spoke.
“It’s really important we get that sword, isn’t it?” she finally asked.
He nodded.
“Oui. It’s a matter of life and death.”
She didn’t ask any questions, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to answer her anyway.
Instead, she put her faith in Death.
“Save us,” she whispered.
“I’m trying,” he admitted. “Have faith.”
Oh, that was all kinds of ironic in this situation, and she knew it.
“Flynn will find the relics. I believe in him and his skill,” Death said. “Our mate is tenacious.”
That he was.
Only, as they basked in the afterglow, they were both thinking the same thing.
Could Flynn pull off something so damn difficult? Could he find two antiquities in under twenty-four hours so that Fate wouldn’t bone them good?
It appeared that time was going to tell.
It all rested on a man who had already sacrificed everything for them. Now, they were going to ask for more.
And they knew it wasn’t fair .
At all.