Wicked Bite, Page 2

  He reappeared on my right, fist flying. I ducked under the punch, then pain exploded in my head from a blow to my left. Damn demons and their ability to teleport.

  “You’ll pay for murdering Malfeous,” he snarled before flinging several cobras at me.

  Dick!

  I fought my urge to shake them off me. Their bites wouldn’t kill me, but he could. I kept both weapons at the ready, spinning in quick circles so he couldn’t sneak up on me again. He reappeared in front of me, swinging one of the tomb’s ancient axes. I threw myself backward, but not in time. My throat burned and blood splashed his face from the deep slice the ax made. When I hit the ground, the impact made new pain erupt in the back of my head.

  Good. More pain meant the ax hadn’t cleaved all the way through or I wouldn’t feel anything. Being dead was painless, or so all the ghosts I knew had claimed.

  The demon grinned and licked my blood. Then shock replaced his sneer at its taste. “What—?”

  I hurled my silver knife into his open mouth, pinning his head to the wall. Then I flew at him, shoving the bone bident into his eyes until I felt the tips hit the wall.

  His eyes exploded, smoke and blood pouring out. The sulfur scent choked me, but I shoved the bident in harder. Relief overtook battle exhilaration as he began to shrink into the skeletal state of true death.

  I yanked my weapons out and whirled, ready in case any other demons teleported in. After fifteen minutes, I tucked the silver knife into my belt. That wouldn’t kill demons. Only bone of their own brethren would, and now, I had plenty more to make new weapons with.

  I tore the arms off the two demons, throwing them out of the hole above me. Then, I began to explore the tomb. Time and dust had faded the paintings and hieroglyphs on the walls, but I saw the falcon-headed god Horus in one scene and the green-skinned god Osiris in another. There were more paintings showing scenes from the life of the deceased. There should have been various personal effects, statues, treasures and other ceremonial items, too, but the tomb’s inner hall had been stripped. That explained the overloaded Jeep.

  The seals on the doors of the inner chamber were broken, too. I went inside, angry but not surprised that both artfully painted coffins containing the mummy had been breached. Only the clay jars containing the mummy’s internal organs were left. Then I smelled something unexpected. Fresh blood.

  I nudged a mass of cobras aside to reveal the body of a young woman opposite the sarcophagus. Her skin was the same golden bronze as mine and she had long black hair that covered her face. When I brushed it away, I swore.

  I’d been tracking her since I’d hacked into all the recent medical records posted online using a program that a hacker friend of mine had created. I was searching for a very specific type of psychosis: people who claimed they came from another time and who had no modern records to prove otherwise.

  I winced as I looked at her body. Large gashes covered her torso, but the wounds weren’t sloppy. They were precise, avoiding vital organs or arteries in order to deny her a quick death. Beneath the blood, I saw markings inked onto her body. I rolled her over, revealing more markings hidden beneath her. As soon as I did, dark magic crawled across my skin with the unsettling sensation of dozens of spiders.

  A nearby cobra suddenly reared up and struck me in the face. Annoyed, I flung it aside, only to have another one bite my leg. Enough! I grabbed as many as I could and flew out of the tomb. Once outside, I let them go. It took several more trips before I was through, but I was glad to get rid of them. They must have been brought in to add to the poor woman’s terror. Fear was a powerful ingredient in dark magic, and someone had performed a horrific ritual on the slain woman.

  I went back to her body, using my clothes to clean her blood off the symbols. I recognized a few, but I didn’t know the others, and I knew a lot of magic. I took out my mobile and snapped pictures of them. Then, I bent down next to her, closed my eyes, and released the hold I had on my deepest senses.

  The magic used to perform the ritual hit me first, choking me with a sickeningly familiar taste. Dagon. The smell of her blood, fear, and the sulfur stink from all the demons had been too strong for me to scent my worst enemy before, but I could taste Dagon’s magic now, and it was all I could do not to vomit.

  I swallowed hard and pushed past it, searching to see if she had other magic traces within her. Death had left almost nothing behind, but then Dagon’s magic soured my senses again, though far fainter this time.

  She’d had some of Dagon’s power deep within her. I knew only one way that could have happened. She’d been telling the truth to the mental-health facility she’d escaped from. She wasn’t from this current time. She was from long before it.

  Maybe that’s why she’d been spotted running into this dismal part of the desert. It was a wasteland now, but a few millennia ago, it had been part of a prosperous city, and when people were frightened, they tended to run home.

  I sat back with a frustrated sigh. Had Dagon murdered her because she was one of the newly resurrected people who had been freed when the souls Dagon hoarded inside himself had been released? Dagon was spiteful, but there was one thing demons valued even more than payback: power.

  I traced the markings again. A lot of power had been siphoned from this woman with her gruesome death. From the look and scent of her body, I’d only missed saving her by hours. Earlier this evening, Dagon might have been right where I now knelt, weakened, unsuspecting and oh-so killable, if I’d only been a little faster getting here . . .

  But Dagon had gotten away. The other demons with him almost had, too. If I hadn’t had a birds-eye view of the Jeep while flying over the desert tonight, I never would have found her, and I’d been tasked with finding all of the newly resurrected souls . . . except the one I most wanted.

  Pain rolled through me, familiar and relentless. It burned until I looked at the slain woman with the darkest kind of envy. She was out of reach of the pain I couldn’t escape from. It made me actually glad I was now as mortal as any other vampire. It meant this awful ache would end when a lucky stab through my heart with silver finally killed me.

  But before that day came, I had a vow to fulfill.

  I hadn’t been able to save this woman, but I wouldn’t leave her where she’d been murdered. I picked her up and flew her out of the tomb. Then I dug a new grave using my hands since I’d brought weapons with me, not a shovel. Still, with the soft sand and my supernatural strength, it didn’t take long.

  Once she was properly buried, I said a prayer asking the gods to show her mercy. Then I stared at her makeshift grave, that aching part of me wondering if I’d soon be like her: dead and rotting in an unmarked grave somewhere.

  If so, I hoped my last thoughts were of Ian. I wanted to remember his cocky grin, his quick wit, his bone-deep loyalty and his ferocious courage. Most of all, I wanted to relive what I’d felt when I was in his arms. I’d never before felt so completely exposed yet wholly accepted. Cherished. Maybe even loved, if we’d had more time . . .

  With a hard swipe, I dashed away the tears that snuck down my cheeks. I couldn’t let myself dwell on Ian. If I did, I’d run back to him no matter that my presence would draw all the demons after me right to his side. I’d already gotten Ian killed once. I wouldn’t let that happen again.

  Yes, I might end up dead and in an unmarked grave before this was over, but there were benefits to being over four-and-a-half-thousand years old. If I didn’t explode the way I normally did when I was killed, I was still so old that my body would probably turn straight to dust. No rotting in a grave for me.

  As the modern saying went, I just had to look on the bright side.

  Chapter 2

  I spent the night in the desert on the off chance that Dagon might come back to the tomb. He couldn’t teleport anymore. My father, the former Warden of the Gateway to the Netherworld, had removed that ability from him, so Dagon would have to walk up or drive up like everyone else.

  He did neith
er. In the end, I drove the Jeep far away from the tomb and left an anonymous call about it to the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. They’d make sure the relics were properly cared for. Dawn ensured that no demons would be around since they couldn’t tolerate the sun, and I went back to my hotel.

  I opened my door and was immediately mobbed by a flying gray bundle. I caught Silver, hugging the Simargl to my chest. He made happy yipping sounds despite being a supernatural creation instead of a canine. Still, Silver resembled a gray Samoyed, if you didn’t look close enough to realize he was covered in downy feathers instead of fur. And, of course, there was the very un-doglike aspect of his wings.

  “I missed you, too,” I told Silver, giving him another hug before setting him on the floor. Silver looked expectantly behind me at the closed door, his wings wiggling with hope.

  “No,” I told him, fighting the new crack in my voice. Seeing Silver still waiting for Ian to come through the door was another kick to my heart.

  “No,” I said again, more firmly this time. Silver’s wings drooped as he walked away, giving the door a last glance before he resigned himself to it staying closed.

  “Hungry?” I asked to distract him.

  It worked. He followed me, wings wiggling happily again. I ordered room service as I took off my ripped, bloody clothes and wadded them into a plastic bag. I’d throw them away where they wouldn’t be found later. For now, I put on a robe and waited. Silver wasn’t the only one who was hungry.

  Twenty minutes later, Silver was devouring his plate of sautéed vegetables and I was wiping a stray drop of blood from my mouth. The room service attendant had no memory of feeding me, of course. He’d only remember that I was a good tipper.

  I was on my way to the shower when my mobile chimed, indicating a new text. I ignored it, anxious to get the stench of death, blood, and dark magic off me. My phone chimed a few more times. I continued to the bathroom. I had taken a leave of absence from my job as Law Guardian, so it couldn’t be work related, and most of my closest friends were dead. If I were looking on the bright side of being a currently-on-leave workaholic who’d outlived nearly everyone I cared about, I’d say that meant I could get back to whoever was texting me when I was damn good and ready.

  I showered, taking my time. After that, I dropped my glamour, losing the appearance of a blue-eyed, petite blonde I normally wore. When I looked into the mirror, I now saw my real image of a taller, curvaceous woman in her mid-twenties with silver eyes and long, almost-white hair streaked through with gold and blue. I dried my hair, put on a robe, and went back into the other room. I’d log in a few more hours of online research trying to find the next resurrected soul before I allowed myself to sleep. This was my life now. It might be emotionally empty, but at least it was productive.

  Silver was on the bed, his gaze following me with drowsy expectation. He was waiting for me to cuddle him before he fell asleep. Cuddling Silver would be the highlight of my day, but first, I picked up my mobile.

  Nine unread texts. My stomach clenched. Only Ian left that many in a row, though I never read them. My father assured me that all of Ian’s memories of me had been wiped from his mind, so I surmised that Ian kept calling and texting because someone had told him we were married.

  He needn’t worry. I was getting the few people who’d witnessed the ceremony to “forget” it and thus nullify it. Until then, I didn’t need to torture myself by listening to Ian’s voicemails or reading his texts, though I’d accidentally caught, “I’m warning you,” from him yesterday before I hit delete.

  He had nothing to threaten me with. Ian couldn’t hurt me more than he already had if he made it his life’s goal to try. Seeing his dead body had ripped my heart out. Weeks later, I was still trying to put myself back together.

  But these texts weren’t from Ian. Serious charges have been filed against the council because of you, read the first one, from Xun Guan, my oldest friend and a fellow Law Guardian. Come in at once. The next one was from Felix, another Law Guardian. You must appear before the council immediately to answer charges involving you.

  What? I scrolled to the next one, from Thonos, the council’s official executioner. Your presence is required. The man who claims to be your husband has refused to leave until the charges he’s brought against the council regarding you have been addressed.

  “He what?” I shrieked.

  That scared Silver so much, he flew up and hit the ceiling. I was too shocked to comfort him. I scrolled through the remaining messages, their pertinent parts burning into my brain.

  Ian is accusing the council of forced spousal abandonment . . .

  Claims the council is keeping you away from him in violation of our laws and your will . . .

  Refuses to leave until you present yourself to confirm or deny these charges . . .

  “You arrogant, reckless maniac!” I raged, hurling my mobile across the room. It shattered and I cursed myself next. Now, I had to use someone else’s phone to call and beg the council not to kill Ian before he did something to merit a death sentence, if he hadn’t already.

  “How could you go to the council?” I continued to fume as I threw my clothes on. “Bones told you our marriage was a fake! And you never cared about the law. Why would you do this?”

  I’m warning you.

  Ian’s partial text flashed across my mind. So much for thinking he had nothing to threaten me with! But how could I have guessed that he’d sue the highest ruling court of vampires? Here I was, running all over the world fulfilling the vow I’d made to bring Ian back from the dead, and he was daring the Grim Reaper to come back for seconds!

  Now, I had to go to the council, talk them out of whatever retribution they were planning, then abandon Ian all over again. It would hurt less to tear my guts out and stomp on them.

  But I had no choice. I couldn’t leave Ian at the council’s mercy. I also couldn’t ignore a direct summons from the council. If I did, I might as well resign as Law Guardian on the spot.

  I ground my teeth until my jaw crunched. Ian wanted a meeting, probably to have me formally renounce our marriage so there’d be no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was a free man?

  Fine. He’d get his meeting, and I hoped I could convince the council to let him live long enough to regret it.

  Chapter 3

  The rugged limestone peak of Mount Lycabettus jutted above Athens, Greece, like an imperious stone giant. I remember when people said that this spot was created when the goddess Athena accidentally dropped a mountain after receiving bad news. Later, it was said that this was the home of fearsome wolves, hence its play on the word lycos—Greek for wolves. Both legends had it wrong. As was often the case, the truth was much stranger.

  Mount Lycabettus was the official location for the ruling council of vampires. Oh, the council had other, lesser courts across the continents, but this was where all eleven members of the council presided when court was in session, and they only all came together when the charges were truly severe.

  Like, for instance, the entire council being sued by a vampire known more for snubbing the laws than following them.

  I began my climb up the worn stone steps that led to the modernized amphitheater at the top. The cable car wasn’t running tonight since none of Mount Lycabettus’s famed attractions were open. The surrounding city of Athens might be as boisterous as ever, but the silence on the mount was almost eerie. Normally, this was a bustling tourist attraction, with its rich history and unparalleled views of Athens. Now, it was as quiet as the grave.

  No demon should be stupid enough to attack the vampire’s highest court while it was in session. Still, I scanned my surroundings with every upward step. Had news of this lawsuit reached Dagon? It might have. Vampires were as prone to gossip as any species. If Dagon had heard of tonight’s events and decided to risk an ambush, I was without weapons to fight him since defendants could hardly arrive armed at court–

  Wait, what was that? I tensed when I heard it again.
Ian’s voice, his British accent as smooth as ever. Hearing him was its own form of assault, making me stop so I could take a moment to collect myself. You can do this. Come on!

  I resumed my climb, my pace brisk. I was almost at the top of the mount when I stopped again because I heard something even more unlikely than an approaching horde of demons. Great gods above the earth and below it, was that the council laughing?

  “. . . then I landed next to him, dropped the warlord at his feet and said, ‘Is this the sod you’re looking for?’” Ian was saying, followed by fresh bursts of laughter.

  Somehow, Ian had he gotten the normally dour council to sound like a bunch of merry drunks at a comedy club! I’d underestimated his charm, and I shouldn’t have. Even back when we first met and I was only using Ian as bait to draw out Dagon, he’d charmed me, too.

  And now, I had to act as if I cared nothing for him.

  I entered the amphitheater, my gaze drawn to Ian as if pulled by an invisible force. The last time I’d seen him, his hair had turned white from his death and his face had been more bones than features. Now, his hair was back to its lustrous, deep auburn shade and his profile showed his flawless alabaster skin, a hint of his high cheekbones, the line of his chiseled jaw, and part of his dark, winglike brow.

  As if sensing my stare, he turned toward me. I looked away so I didn’t have to meet his eyes. Still, my brief glimpse branded itself onto my brain.

  He’d dressed for the occasion, wearing an ebony suit that draped over his body so perfectly, it had to be handmade. He had a white shirt underneath it, the complicated silk knot at the neck held together with a jewel that winked crimson when he turned. Seeing him so whole, so gorgeous, so alive made my throat burn, my chest tighten, and my eyes sting.

  Horrified, I realized I was about to cry. I’d done everything I could to prepare myself, and one look had razed me.