Sunstone Sacrifice (Club Sanguine Book 2)

Chapter 1

FINN

My unity bound mate has been kidnapped—again. Our plan to take down Egan was risky, but would have been worth it if it worked.

It didn’t.

Betrayed by Adelaide, the High Priestess of the Sun Witches and Josie’s friend, everything went to shite quick. The battle became brutal—fighting against werewolves is never fun—and when the fur stopped flying, Josie was gone.

She just poofed into thin air and that can mean only one thing—magic.

It won’t take long to track her down. Our connection has grown stronger each day since the universe gave her to me and has amplified since I drank her blood. The ties binding the four of us are cinching ever tighter.

Sebastian, Rune, and I follow the tug of her energy through the swamp and muck, from the battle at the Dumont family mausoleum in the heart of Tremé to Jean Lafitte Park.

Emerging from the line of trees, I barrel towards the squat cabin hidden in the little clearing that backs onto the bayou.

What is she doing all the way out here, so far from the city? Honestly, I don’t fucking care.

Judging by the warm lights flickering in the windows, someone is home—likely the someone who stole Josephine from us.

I scan the house with my preternatural senses as I approach. Normally, I can pick up on the emotions of people around me, but I’m getting nothing. There must be a magical ward or a block on the cabin. I can’t sense Josie’s emotions or presence at all, but I trust that the pull is leading me in the right direction.

She’s in there.

I know she is.

“Finn, hold your position.” I bare my fangs at Sebastian’s command, but he ignores the insolence and pulls me to a stop. With a firm hand on my shoulder, he whirls me around to face him. “Calm the fuck down. What do you feel in the air?”

I break from my haze of fury and try again.

Moon Witches. A lot of them.

No wonder I can’t sense anything inside the walls of the cabin.

“Fucking Moon Witches,” Rune breathes.

I shrug out of Sebastian’s hold. “I don’t care if there are Moon Witches in there. I’m getting Josie and taking her home.”

Rune curses. “We need to stop and think.”

It is the utmost taboo for vampires to touch Moon Witches, and the same goes for werewolves to harm our Sun Witches.

Technically speaking, if there are Moon Witches in there, this is werewolf territory.

I get it—I do. “I understand the repercussions if shite hits the fan in there. I just don’t care.”

Sebastian shakes his head. “Don’t be stupid. No witch is worth starting an all-out war over.”

My eyes flick to scarlet as a low growl rips from my throat. “Josie is our Unity Witch. Of course she’s worth it.”

I look to my sire, Rune, for backup and find a roadblock instead of an ally. “Sebastian is right about stopping to think. We need a plan.”

How could they be so unwilling to take a risk for Josie? Sebastian, I understand. He’s been trapped in a living hell for twenty-five years because Josie’s mother rejected him and then died.

There’s no love lost between him and our girl, but Rune’s another story. He’s into Josie like I am.

“Respectfully, stopping to formulate a plan is a garbage plan,” I say. “We can’t stand out here with our thumbs up our collective arses while her captors decide to either kill her or let her go.”

I know Rune cares for her—I feel it.

His guilt bleeds through his anger as he stares at the small cottage. “Our relationship with the Algiers pack is already teetering on a razor’s edge. We know where Josie is and that she’s tough. She’s got both a werewolf kill, and a vamp kill under her belt. We have a bit of time to figure this out.”

It’s not just me he’s convincing, and when I catch his worried gaze studying Sebastian, I understand his hesitation.

Our king has already killed one Moon Witch. We don’t need him to add to that list. That doesn’t mean I’ll leave Josie to fend for herself.

Rune can stay here and babysit our Mad King if he wants. If the Moon Witches have Josephine, I don’t care about the werewolves. I don’t care about the possibility of war. I don’t care if humans discover the truth about the supernatural.

“The only thing I care about is getting my Unity Witch back and taking her home.” I pull out of Sebastian’s grasp and take off with vampire speed across the water-logged grass.

Sebastian curses behind me, but I’ve always been faster than him.

SEBASTIAN

“There’s no way this ends well for us,” Rune says.

With a sideways glance at my second-in-command, I note the tension in his stance—even in his voice. Every muscle in his Viking-built, massive body is tightly coiled.

He is as eager for this rescue mission as Fintan.

This is certainly a switch in character for them. Usually, it’s Rune who almost gets us killed with rash decisions and his penchant for a fight. Lately, however, our red-headed Celt has been attempting to take the title from him. By racing straight at the Moon Witch cabin in full attack mode, he might just overtake his impressive sire for the recklessness record.

Finn knows the risks associated with sticking our necks out and interfering with Moon Witch, and subsequently, werewolf business.

It will put the past twenty-five years of hostile peace on the line. Not that I wouldn’t immensely enjoy taking out some pent-up rage on a group of werewolves.

Now that’s my kind of therapy.

I can’t dwell on that thought for long. We’re toeing so close to the line with the Algiers pack that even wishing for an altercation could trigger another war—one that would affect every supernatural and human in the city.

Possibly even beyond.

Still, Fintan is making that decision for all of us without a second thought, kicking up swampy muck as he sprints toward guaranteed disaster.

He’s changed. The pragmatic young vampire I knew would never be so foolhardy. It’s Josephine’s influence on him. Fintan is incapable of thinking past the hold that damned unity bond has on him.

And so, we are drawn into the chase.

I’m having a hard time holding my head above water on that front, too. But I also know being bound and mated to a Dumont witch is no better than a death sentence.

As the door swings wildly inward, several things happen at once.

First, I’m both surprised and relieved to find that, by some stroke of luck, there is no werewolf ambush waiting for us on the other side.

There are no werewolves here at all.

Second, we get a glimpse of a dozen Moon Witches huddled around the impressively sized trunk of an old bald cypress that, by the count of its rings, was older than me when it was chopped down and turned into a tabletop for witches.

And third, amidst it all, we spot our Unity Witch—the never-ending source of my ire.

Josephine Dumont.

My gaze narrows as I take her in, assessing the witch with a mix of irritation and, reluctantly, relief.

She appears unharmed.

“Josie.” Rune steps forward and collides with an invisible force field that stops him short with a grunt, the air rippling in the open doorway.

He had to have known it was there, otherwise Fintan would’ve already torn through the place and whisked Josephine away to safety.

All this happens in the few seconds between Finn kicking in the door and it hitting the back wall with enough force to shake the entire cabin.

The thundering crack of wood sets time hurtling forward again as the gathering of witches spin towards the noise, seemingly moving as if connected via hive mind.

“Intruders!” a panicked female voice shouts from the cluster of women.

“Vampires!” a second warns over the first.

With impressive speed, the Moon Witches raise their palms, ready to take us on. One of them is more eager than the others, not waiting for us to make the first move.

The room crackles with energy as she hurls a roiling ball of sparking magic our way.

“No, don’t!” Josie yells.

I recoil from the incoming blast, shielding myself from the glaring light that misses its mark and explodes against the wall beside the broken door. Impact detonates the magic into a spray of light before fizzling out pathetically without causing a single scratch or burn.

I snicker at the complete ineptitude.

As if these witches could handle three vampires.

Take away the force field and Fintan, Rune, and I could tear through the whole of them in under five minutes. Less if we hadn’t just fought a grueling battle against the Algiers pack alpha and the High Priestess of the Sun Witches.

“Are you all in one piece?” Josie asks, peering over to study us.

Rune scoffs. “Did you doubt our superior strength and skills?”

“Of course not. But things looked a bit hairy when I got poofed out of there. What happened?”

“Your spell,” Finn says, choosing his words carefully. “It gave us the upper hand and put an end to things shortly after you were gone.”

“An end to Adelaide, specifically,” Rune clarifies. “Without Egan there to back her up, it was easy work for Bas to stick her with his sword?—”

Finn pegs him with a glare. “A little tact would go a long way right now.”

Rune shrugs. “Sorry, that sounded more sexual than I meant it.”

Finn shakes his head. “I meant tact in the sense that Josie cared for the woman.”

Josie’s expression falters. “Adelaide is dead?”

A murmur of shock spreads through the cabin.

“Enough!” A voice cuts through the moment and drags our reunion to a grinding halt as all attention turns toward the command.

The witch who spoke slams her palms against the stump table with a dull smack as she stands, frizzy gray hair fanning around her gaunt cheekbones. Something about her triggers an odd sense of familiarity, but even as I wrack my brain, I can’t place her.

Having lived for hundreds of years, the faces of those I’ve met blend together—just another flaw of immortal life.

“This is no place for vampires,” the leader says.

“Trust me, lady, we don’t want to be here.” Despite Rune’s casual tone, red bleeds into his hazel eyes. “We came to rescue our witch, so if we could forgo the pissing match and be on our way with Josie, that would be peachy.”

His toothy grin is more sinister than charming when paired with the dangerous red glinting in his eyes, but I’m the only one who takes notice.

The focus in the room is on Josephine, still seated at the table, elbows propped up on the wooden surface. “Stand down, boys.”

She seems unfazed by the standoff and way too cavalier for someone who has been kidnapped three separate times in a single month.

“Come to me, Josie,” Fintan pleads, his fingers rippling the surface of the magical force field as he extends a hand to Josephine. “Let’s go home.”

Her fingers twitch on top of the table, but she makes no move to get up.

Stubborn little witch.

“Josephine doesn’t have to go anywhere with you. She isn’t your prisoner anymore.” The witch who shot off the fireworks display of magic steps between me and Josephine, putting herself in the path of my reddened glare.

A brave move. Stupid…but brave.

Josephine opens her mouth to speak, but the Moon Witch leader talks over her. “Miss Dumont is a welcome guest here. You three, however, are not. You’re well out of your territory, and it’s time you leave.”

“Not without Josie.” Rune raises his palm to the open doorway over the threshold, pressing against the invisible force field keeping us out. He winces as he attempts to break through, his boots shifting in the wet dirt as he digs in to gain stronger footing.

The magic in place pulses in response, flaring to life. It forces us back a step as the barrier expands, leaving Rune breathing hard, and the three of us still stuck outside the cottage.

“I will not ask again.” The corner of the witch’s mouth turns up in a hint of a smirk, and that unshakable sense of familiarity hits me again.

Whoever this woman is, I’m certain our paths have crossed. Even her magic sparks a moment of déjà vu as she raises her hands, fingers splayed and tensed as blue lightning flicks between the digits.

I frown at the display.

That is a Beaumont family magic signature.

It can’t be.

“Auntie, wait.” A young, frail-looking witch sitting between the leader and Josephine speaks up and the lightning fades, leaving behind an electric charge in the air as the witch turns to her niece.

Half of her face is covered by a flop of pin-straight blonde hair that washes out her already pale face, her single visible eye flickering to us and away as if she can’t force herself to make eye contact. “Maybe they can help.”

The elder witch scoffs at the suggestion, her glare fixed on the three of us hovering in the doorway. “They haven’t stepped in to assist our kind once these last twenty-five years. What makes you think they would start now? The only thing vampires do is incite more chaos.”

Rune huffs, rubbing his palms against his jeans, the charred layer crumbling away to reveal fresh pink skin beneath. “Says the ones who have never?—”

“—Moon Witches,” Fintan shouts over whatever insult Rune was about to unleash on them, “are none of our business.”

He swallows, his tone is calm and placating despite his agitated stance. “But Josephine is. So, as my brother said, you will release Josie so we can take our Unity Witch home.”

I’m pleased to see Fintan’s state of fury has subsided enough for him to avoid causing more damage than we already have here.

There is a reason Fintan tackles the Sun Witch side of things while Rune sticks to minding hostilities with the werewolves. Witches require a certain amount of tact that Rune does not possess. Likewise, Fintan does not possess the throat-tearing ruthlessness it takes to deal with wolves who step out of line.

They make no move to comply, so Rune tries again. “Let us take Josephine home and we’ll leave you ladies to whatever creepy ritual you’ve got going on in the middle of a swamp. Okay? Okay.”

He motions for Josephine to join us on the other side of the doorframe, but she makes no move to get up from the table.

So damned stubborn.

“Enough of this.” My voice takes on a darker note as I access the power of my thrall. “Josephine, come here.”

She meets my gaze and stays exactly where she is, her jaw clenching as she fights my influence on her mind. Her defiance brings my anger to a boil. “Come and make me, your majesty.”

She knows full well I can’t cross the invisible barrier, otherwise I would do exactly that.

Rune’s expression hardens. “You want to stay with the people who kidnapped you?”

Josephine’s gaze loses its hostility when she looks at my brother. “I’m currently living with the last people who abducted me.”

Finn growls as his demeanor shifts from anger to hurt. “We’re past that, aren’t we?”

Josie meets his gaze and softens more. “We are, but I promised the Moon Witches I would at least hear them out. You three got here before we’ve even spoken.”

The young witch places a pale hand on the lacey sleeve of her aunt’s dress. “Josie’s vampires came for her, just like she said they would. That means they must love her. Like Perseus and Andromeda. It’s true love.”

True love?This kid’s got a lot to learn about the world. Especially if she’s comparing real life to Greek mythology.

“Don’t be na?ve, Violet,” her aunt scolds. “The vampires came after Josephine because they view her as their property. They want her to increase their own power.”

“Yer wrong,” Finn says, pressing his palms against the barrier as his flesh sizzles. “Not that our relationship is any of yer business, but yer wrong.”

The elder of the Moon Witches passes her gaze over Rune and Fintan and then zeroes in on me. “Wait outside until our discussion is complete. Josie is free to make her choice after that.” She shoos us away with a wave of her hand.

I bristle at her dismissal. “Are you even aware of who is darkening your doorstep?”

She laughs. “I know exactly who you are, Sebastian Fontenot. You may parade around masquerading as King of the French Quarter, but you are a long way from your kingdom, and you are no king of mine.”

I chuckle. “That’s easy to say while locked safely behind a shield of magic. How about you come out here and say that to my face?”

I flash my fangs for good measure, suddenly more interested in tearing out this witch’s throat than keeping the peace.

“For Gaia’s sake, Sebastian. Would you stop antagonizing people?” Josephine’s tone is the same as a parent scolding a child, and I turn my fangs her way.

“Of course you paint me as the bad guy. It seems your opinion of me hasn’t changed since finding out the truth about your parents.”

Her gaze narrows. “Old prejudices die hard, I suppose.” She turns back to the Moon Witch. “I’m sorry. The King of the Quarter has no manners.”

The woman shrugs. “He’s your burden to bear, not mine. If you wish to go with the vampires, I’ve already given you my word that you are free to leave at any point. If not, we will find you a safe place to stay.”

Something about the witch’s words nags at me, irritating like an unscratchable itch.

“I don’t trust her,” Rune breathes so softly that only Finn and I can hear.

Josephine offers the witch a soft smile. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ve been running and hiding since I was four years old. I’m tired of it.”

“Very well. Then we should move along with our discussion and let you get back to your life.” The witch retakes her seat, smoothing her dress on her lap. “Do you intend to eavesdrop?”

Josephine sighs as she looks over at the three of us crowded in the doorway. “They don’t need to eavesdrop. We are unity bound, so they will find out whatever you tell me, anyway. You might as well let them in.”

The leader’s lips purse as she considers Josephine’s words. “Do I have your word that if I remove the warding, you will not harm me or mine?”

“Does our word mean anything to you?” Rune asks.

Josie lets off a frustrated sound and shakes her head. “They really aren’t all that bad—well, Rune and Finn, anyway. Sebastian is as bad as they say, even on his good days.”

I peg her with a look that speaks of all the ways she is going to be punished for this.

“His majesty would probably prefer to stay outside anyway, so he doesn’t have to commune with us common folk.”

Something flashes in her gaze as she stares at me. Does she really think our bond protects her from my nature? “You think you’re funny, little witch, but let me assure you, you’re not.”

Though, I don’t miss the slight smirks curving the mouths of my two enforcers.

I clench my jaw, swallowing my annoyance. “You have my word that none of you will come to harm from any action from me or mine.”

The gray-haired woman glares at me for a long moment before she finally gives in. “Fine, but if you make one move against me or my coven, I will not hesitate to put you down. This is my territory.”

I can’t hold back my laughter. “I would love to see you try.”

Finn rolls his shoulders, the tension easing out of his body ever so slightly. “Everyone, relax. We just went toe-to-toe with the leaders of two supernatural factions. We’re not here to start another brawl so soon.”

She regards the Celt with disdain and a hint of disgust, but after a moment, with a mere flick of her wrist, the warding spell drops.

Rune and Fintan are immediately at Josephine’s side, fussing over her like nothing else matters.

Perhaps that’s why neither of them seems unsettled by the Moon Witches’ leader—they are blinded by the power the unity bond holds over them.

I watch from a distance, keeping my focus on the leader as she ushers her young niece to a seat farther away from the two dangerous vampires.

How I managed to get roped into witch business is beyond me. I am the Vampire King of the French Quarter, for Christ’s sake.

Stupid unity bond.

Josephine Dumont will be the end of me, I know it.