Chapter 5 #2
As soon as the door swings open, a flood of moans crashes over me, the sharp, coppery scent of blood filling the air. My stomach churns.
Oh, to be a sentient being right now.
For the love of the gods, please keep your thoughts to yourself, I beg.
A dark chuckle fills my mind.
I try not to grimace as we make our way inside, tentatively playing the part of an excited pureblood ready to experience the night of her life. I will rip their fangs out before they even get the opportunity to sink them into me.
At least a dozen naked bodies writhe against the floor in pleasure as sounds of ecstasy fall from the mouths of both vampires and humans.
My nostrils flare at the scent of sweat and copper, and bile rises to my throat.
I push it aside, reminding myself why I’m here.
I step over several stain-filled sheets strewn across the floor, the evidence of the night’s activities laid bare.
A male vampire sinks his fangs into the neck of a pureblood woman while plunging his fingers deep between her thighs, eliciting a strangled moan to rip from her throat. I look away.
“And this is where you were planning on coming alone?” I whisper to Tori.
“It’s not so bad once you give in to it.”
“Yeah, until one of them loses control to bloodlust and drains you dry.”
I watch as fear colors her expression, and I’m happy to know a little common sense has returned. The pleasure isn’t the problem—it’s the risk that comes from a vampire so blood-high it forgets its own laws.
I’m momentarily distracted when a beautiful vampire with hair as red as the blood coating her lips gives me a sultry look as she flicks a tongue across her fangs.
“You’ve got an admirer,” Tori teases.
“Apparently so.” We move further into the room, trying not to step on the sea of naked bodies as we go.
Red eyes dot every corner, and I wonder how they feel indulging in the kind of blood their makers forbid them from drinking.
The most potent blood is always reserved for the most powerful vampires; it’s never wasted on the sired.
Given the state of the room tonight, I’m not entirely surprised.
I’m pretty sure the vampires in the room are only those owned by the Blackwoods, but what if the sired of other houses get wind of these bloodrings too?
Perhaps they already have. Who knows how far that foolish human woman would go? The question you should be asking is why she is giving them the kind of blood that makes them stronger than the nobles intend.
He’s right. Amabel has many secrets, and who knows how far they stretch.
“Do they have private rooms?” I ask Tori.
She mumbles a quiet yes, but her attention is on the lifeless body of a human girl, her naked frame splayed out in the middle of the room, and her glassy eyes fixed on the ceiling. The perfect example of all the things that could go wrong tonight. We need to get out of here and fast.
“Don’t look,” I tell her.
She nods. “The rooms are in the back.”
We move forward, but a grip on my wrist brings me to a halt. I have to fight the urge to knock it away and remember where I am, but my blood bubbles within my veins.
Calm down, I warn Athriel.
I will when he takes his hand off you.
This is all a part of the plan, which you will ruin if you don’t calm down. I can’t lose control in a room full of vampires.
Fine. He huffs, and I feel my blood cool instantly.
Thank you.
I turn to face the male vampire, a wide grin sending creases through his tawny beige skin.
“I’ve not seen you here before.” His words are slurred, and I can tell he has already had way too much blood, but he is exactly the kind of vampire I need.
I cock my head and let the tip of my tongue wet my lips, watching as his eyes follow the movement.
“It’s my first time,” I say innocently, and his grip on my wrist tightens ever so slightly.
He steps closer, his breath fanning my face as he speaks, and it takes everything for me not to step back.
“I can show you the ropes.”
I let out a fake giggle and silently thank the Gods when Tori joins me. She may be stubborn, but there’s never a time when she doesn’t know how to play along with one of my plans.
“I’d like that a lot.”
The corner of his lips pulls up, and I watch as his eyes drop down my body, assessing all the things he can do to me. The vampire is under the impression that I’m his prey, and that is exactly what I want him to think. Though it doesn’t stop the bile from rising to my throat.
He tugs me forward by the wrist, but I shake my head innocently.
“She’s shy,” Tori jumps in. “Perhaps a private room would be better?”
His grin widens at her words.
“And perhaps my friend can join us.” I gesture toward Tori.
“The more the merrier,” he says. He doesn’t hesitate to drag us toward the back of the room. He stumbles along the way but still manages to know where he’s going. We almost reach the door when a plump guy with greasy hair steps in front of us, blocking the way.
“Come on, Dre, you ain’t keeping all the blood whores to yourself, are you?”
I stiffen at the term but remind myself that I’m here for something more important. Willow’s life depends on me keeping my calm.
“Fuck off, Tristan, these are mine.”
Tristan holds up his hands and laughs.
“I was just kidding, lighten up. Blood-drunk you is one angry motherfucker.” Tristan side-steps us before walking away laughing, and I’m thankful he didn’t try to make any trouble. I grab a hold of Tori’s hand to ensure she’s still there, and she squeezes back as I do.
We finally stop in front of a large red blanket hanging from the ceiling and acting as a door. Dre pushes it to one side, revealing a dark hallway on the other side.
“After you…ladies.”
I pull Tori along with me and notice that the dark hallway is lined with curved doorways on either side—some left open so we can witness everything inside, others covered with thin sheets.
Not ideal, but I’ll have to work with it.
The sound of grunts and moans assaults us from every direction as we make our way to an empty room.
“Here we go. Privacy,” Dre says as we step through the doorway of an empty room.
Inside holds nothing but a blood-stained bed that clearly hasn’t been washed ever.
My stomach bubbles as I imagine all the disgusting things that have taken place here.
The sound of the curtain being closed draws my attention, and I turn to find the doorway covered and Dre grinning.
“So, who’s up first then?”
“Me,” I say before Tori can answer. I see her give me a pointed look from the corner of my eye, but I ignore it. “I want her to watch.”
The vampire’s eyes widen in delight as he takes in my words.
Vampires respond to three things: sex, blood, and violence.
It’s what makes them so easy to kill. The vampire moves quickly to the bed, positioning himself in the center, legs sprawled out, and his red eyes darkening with pleasure.
I gesture for Tori to stay put, and frustrated, she does.
There’s no way to do this without her seeing, but if I don’t, Willow will die—and that’s not an option. Explaining myself afterward will be difficult, but I’ll deal with that when the time comes.
I move toward the bed, not taking my eyes from the lustful vampire as he bites his lower lip, keeping his eyes on my every move.
My gaze falls momentarily to the veins in his arms, taking shape as he tightens his fists in excitement.
I try to ignore the stench of the room and the stained bed that has probably seen more horrors and death than I care to think about.
I’m used to luring my victims down a dark alley or street and enticing them with blood before making the kill.
This is a little different, but I’ll work with it.
The bed creaks beneath my weight as I shuffle toward him, biting my lower lip as our eyes meet. I trail a hand over his chest as I straddle him, pushing him back until he is lying completely flat.
“Only I get to touch,” I warn.
He smiles at this, and I dream of wiping it off his face in a matter of minutes. I glance over my shoulder, half hoping Tori has grown bored and left—but she’s still there, watching with curiosity.
You don’t have a choice, Athriel reminds me.
I know, but I never intended to reveal this to her.
It’s either that or you let your sister die.
The choice is easy. I turn my attention back to the creature and disguise my disgust with a smile when I feel him harden beneath me. I offer my wrist.
“Taste me,” I whisper in a sultry voice.
He grabs my arm in a flash as though the wait was driving him crazy.
He doesn’t stop to make the bite painless, and I feel the sharp sting as his fangs sink deep into my flesh.
I wince as the burning consumes the area, and I have to force myself not to cry out.
Breathe, I remind myself.
His grip tightens on me while he gulps down my warm blood, humming in pleasure as it trickles down his throat.
Now, I tell Athriel.
How my magic works is still a mystery. All I know is that I can command my blood to become a deadly poison, capable of killing a vampire with a single drop. And my magic has a voice, and the name he chose was Athriel. Sometimes he knows things—like how to fight—and when he knows, so do I.
I feel the moment he obeys my command, the blood in my veins turning to fire beneath my skin, the heat so sudden I cry out.
Magic flows through my body like water, touching every inch of it with ease.
I let my head fall back in bliss as the feel of it consumes me, the power radiating through me like a soft caress.
I inhale deeply, forcing myself to take back the control I so easily lose in these moments, when it takes over.
My attention falls on the vampire as his sounds of pleasure turn into a soft gurgling from deep within his throat.
He pushes me away so violently that I nearly fall from the bed.
I scramble backward as he grabs at his throat, choking on my blood.
His eyes widen in an accusatory manner, as he gasps for air he won’t get.
I look down at my wrist, watching the once-red blood darken into black.
I try to hide the satisfied grin filling my face, but all I see are the dozens of humans I have watched slaughtered at their hands over the years, passed off as simple accidents.
It only takes a few seconds before his body goes still, his eyes fixed on the ceiling, just like the human girl we saw when we first walked into this gods-forsaken place.
The room is deadly silent, and I can feel Tori’s eyes on me.
I was so caught up in the entire situation that I forgot she was watching.
Suddenly, my chest tightens, and the blood in my veins heats again as I turn to look at her.
A moment of silence passes between us before she finally speaks.
“Please tell me you can teach me how to do that.”