40. Iris
Iris
“Are you going to come out and talk to me, Slayer?” I ask soothingly as Adam and I drink coffee at the kitchen table.
It’s hard not to blush when I think about how good last night was. Adam is easy going as he sips from his mug and I can’t help but to think he’s reliving last night in his head too.
However, the Slayer has been quiet and I need to make sure he’s okay after last night for multiple reasons. I want to know how he felt about everything, but more importantly, we need to talk about Jesse.
The last slayer could potentially be on to us, with the other two going missing.
We need to act fast.
“She wants to talk to you,” Adam coaxes, and I tilt my head in curiosity over their exchange.
How many times are they having private conversations I’m not privy to?
Adam sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re being so fucking dramatic. Just talk to her.”
I sit a little straighter. Worry floods me and I wonder if he’s feeling less than and if there’s any way I can assure him that isn’t the case.
I want both of them.
“Please, Slayer. I’m worried about you.”
That’s what causes the change. It’s fast and the man across from me immediately changes. His posture is more relaxed, his voided eyes blinking at me before he looks away.
I reach out for his hand on the counter and his gaze catches on the spot where we touch.
“Last night was a lot. How are you feeling?”
“About which part? Ending my brother’s life because he asked for it or watching my vessel…wreck you, was it?”
I stare at him, just blinking as his face slowly softens.
“I felt every second of it and well, it doesn’t matter.”
“Of course it matters. Tell me what you’re thinking,” I say, wondering when this murderous vampire slayer made me go so soft for him.
But Scarlett was right. Learning how to regulate your emotions and interact with people isn’t a skill that comes easy and he’s trying.
I want him to know that he can confide in me and that we’re all in this as a team.
He looks away and sighs. “I liked watching, loved how it felt, but I can not give you that and I suppose you’ll like Adam more because of it.”
My body sinks into the chair, and I hate that he feels inferior. I’m up, out of my seat, and sinking onto his lap before he can even try to stop me.
I grab his chin, forcing his dark eyes on me. He looks confused with his feelings and I need to figure out a way to navigate this all.
“I like you both equally. Just because I enjoyed last night doesn’t mean that I don’t also want your gentleness, Slayer.
I want both and I’m sure that makes me insanely greedy and I’m pretty sure there are no Reddit posts about having two boyfriends who share the same body.
We’ll just have to figure this out as we go. ”
“Mate. Not boyfriend,” he clarifies and knowing it’s what he wants to hear and that I’m no longer afraid of the word I say what he needs right now.
“Yes. Mates,” I agree, running my fingertips down his face.
His posture loosens up as he holds on to me tighter.
“You’re absolutely sure that you were fine with how he handled you?”
My cheeks heat and I clear my throat. “Yes, and there’s a good chance that maybe things might get even more intense between us. Are you going to be okay with that?”
“Yes, and I will always be there to watch and make sure that Adam does not cross any lines.”
“That’s very sweet, Slayer.”
“You hear that, Scarlett, I’m sweet.”
“I’m trying to watch my shows,” Scarlett says from the couch, even though I know she’s been eavesdropping during the whole conversation.
“Besides me and Adam, how are you doing with everything else that happened last night?”
“I am fine.”
“But your brother—”
He shakes his head. Both of his hands are on my thighs now as he speaks.
“What happened last night needed to be done. He was ready to no longer exist. It was a mercy, I know that. What we face next is my biggest concern. I can not lose you, Iris, or I’ll be just like the slayer’s life I ended last night.
Without you, there’s no longer a reason for me to be here. I’d just always be suffering.”
My heart breaks for him, for all the slayers, to some degree. Their existences are difficult ones, their whole lives are basically completely out of their hands.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I whisper, and he leans into my cupped hands. “Let’s go get ready. Violet and Silas are going to help us plan on how to deal with the last slayer.”
He grunts, giving my thigh a nice little pat before I get off his lap. Just for reassurance, I cup his face, lean down, and give him a tender kiss.
His smile is radiant as we pull apart.
“I do want you to make me a promise though.”
“Anything,” he replies.
“Once this is all over, you’ll tell me your true name.”
The Slayer blushes and gives me a tight nod.
“It is yours.”
“Alright, now, let’s go figure out how to kill this big bad slayer,” I say it confidently even though I’m absolutely still scared shitless.
Violet makes me show her two more times that I can illusion both myself and the Slayer. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, but to perform a heist in the mayor’s office, we’re going to need every advantage we can get.
“This is extraordinary magic,” the Slayer says as I flick my wrist, making us visible again.
“There’s a good chance another paranormal being might sense you, but mortals will be none the wiser,” Violet says while her husband stares at the Slayer. He looks like he’s ready to transform into his wolf, Thorin, at any moment.
“I am not your enemy,” the Slayer assures Silas, though he doesn’t seem convinced. “Ember’s mate is a different story.”
“No. We talked about this. Warin and his nest are off limits,” I scold him.
It’s hard to tell since his eyes are completely black, but I swear he just rolled them at me.
For the most part, being physical with me and giving Adam some control over the body has decreased his bloodlust, but I know it will never go away. It’s something we’ve avoided talking about. It’s just besides this pesky Slayer trying to kidnap me and kill my mate. Things are good between us.
“Yes. Yes. It is not your friend’s fault she has deplorable tastes in men.”
Silas covers his mouth with his hand, failing at not laughing.
“See, even the Alpha wolf agrees. Vampires are disgusting.”
I rub my temples and sigh. “We need to focus. Vampires are the least of our problems right now. A slayer is.”
“Of course you are right, my mate,” the Slayer says, cupping the back of my neck with a delicate squeeze.
“The pack could come for backup,” Silas suggests and I can tell at that moment the Slayer respects him even more.
“I appreciate that, but we need to get out quickly, and you’re unable to portal. With New Orleans being so close, we should be able to pop in and out,” I say.
Also, I just don’t think Slayer works with others, even though he’s trying really hard with Adam, but that’s because he’s forced to coexist with him.
I couldn’t live with myself if someone else got hurt because of my problems.
“The offer doesn’t expire. Violet and Iris are coven and that makes you all pack,” Silas says, spoken like a true Alpha wolf.
Violet smiles at her mate. All the while her cat familiar, Walter, approaches and promptly throws up on the Alpha wolf’s shoe.
“You little fu—“
The Slayer bellows a laugh, deep and gravelly.
“Appears you got a demon one. My Scarlett loves me.”
“She’s my Scarlett,” I quickly say back, and the Slayer gives me a smirk.
She better not love him more than me. Walter doesn’t like anyone, but Violet and Ember’s familiars are too lazy to give a shit about anyone else. At least my sly little fox has a love for him. If not, it could make our lives a whole lot more difficult.
“Are you sure you want to go during work hours?” Violet questions again and I nod.
“It’s when they will least expect us, not to mention he won’t want to make a scene in front of all the mortals.”
“We do our best to limit mortal fatality as much as possible,” the Slayer agrees and Violet sighs, picking up Walter and cradling him to her chest.
“If anything goes wrong, we can be there at a moment’s notice. You promise to not be stubborn and ask for help when you need it?” Violet asks, and I shake my head.
“I’m not stubborn.”
“She is. I will call for help if my sweet Iris is in any danger. She mostly showed me how to use her pocket phone device.”
Violet gives me a smirk, finding the vampire slayer charming, and I can’t deny that he is.
“You ready?” I ask the Slayer, holding out my hand as we teleport our way to New Orleans in an alleyway outside the mayor’s office.
He nods while he searches the area for any threats.
I illusion us and hope that this is enough to get the job done. Once we have the book, we’ll need to figure out a measured way to go after the slayer himself.
The bustling government employees don’t appear to sense us at all as we walk up the steps, waiting for someone to open the door. The woman seems startled by the door taking longer to close, but writes it off as she heads down the hallway.
The map is in my hand. The floor plan for the mayor’s office isn’t available online for security reasons, but I don’t doubt the glowing dot we’re seeing is going to lead us right to her office.
In silence, shielded away from anyone’s eyes but our own, we make our way through the building. A secretary sits outside the closed door of the mayor’s office and I glance over at the Slayer, wondering what exactly should we do?
The secretary’s phone rings, and she answers it with furrowed brows.
“Yes, ma’am, and I’ll reach back out to the air conditioning company about having the ducts inspected. Yes, ma’am. Of course.”
The woman sits up from her desk and opens the door, propping it open with a doorstopper. She keeps her head down, not even glancing at the mayor as she backs away, leaving us with a wide-open door.
The Slayer puts a hand on my wrist, planting me behind him as we walk into the office that’s definitely too opulent to be paid for by tax dollars.
I have to tilt to the side to look around the Slayer’s body; the mayor is an uptight looking woman.
I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a photo of her where she’s genuinely smiling.
Not living in the city, I never paid much attention to her politics or who she is, but now that I look at her, I know she’s pure evil.
She sacrificed her son, essentially killing him and letting a vampire slayer take over his body so that she could have this life.
I don’t even realize how hard I’m clenching my wand until my Slayer grabs my wrist. I relax slightly, giving him a tight nod, letting him know that I’m keeping my shit together.
That is, until the mayor picks up her phone again. “Holly, I’ve changed my mind. Shut the door please.”
Her obedient secretary doesn’t complain for a second; she just gets up and shuts the door, locking us in the office with this woman.
The Mayor suddenly leans back in her chair, steepling her fingers over her chest and I swear she’s looking right at us. She looks just like she does in all the photos, but somehow even more sinister in real life.
She laughs sardonically, shaking her head as she opens the top drawer of her desk and, to my absolute horror, she pulls out a wand.
The world seems to tilt on its axis as I realize this isn’t just a fight with the slayers, they have a witch on their side too.
We are so completely fucked.