dagger in my other sleeve.
Dimly, I was aware of Jax fighting against two Vampires behind me.
With Vampires the rules were different: don’t get too close, especially if you
were human. One blow to the head with a Vampire’s strength had the
capacity to decapitate you.
“What does Aaliyah want with me?” I asked, blocking each blow. I had
no doubt the she-bitch had sent them as she had sent Zack. He swiped the
knife - the knife I had used on him - and I deftly backed out of its offending
arc.
Balancing the copper handle of the second knife in my palm, holding it
the way one would hold a violin bow, I jabbed it into his stomach when I saw
an opening. He grunted, doubling over.
“Why are you fighting?” he hissed, slamming an elbow into my side. I
made an oomf sound, pain emitting off of me in tangible waves.
And the asshole wondered why I was fighting?
We parried, each consecutive hit causing my strength to wane. There was
always one immense problem when fighting Nightmares. They were
supernatural beings, descended from the Devil himself, and I was only
human.
A particularly hard hit sent me staggering backwards, landing on a pile of
cut glass.
His hair was blowing rapidly in a breeze I couldn’t feel, his power
manifesting itself physically. I knew I was seconds away from dying...or
whatever else was going to happen to me. This Aaliyah chick was persistent,
I would give her that.
I snapped my eyes shut, awaiting the inevitable pain, before I heard a cuss
and a gurgle. Unbidden, one eye opened as I took in the room. Almost
immediately, I saw Jax, panting heavily. Two Vampires laid dead at his feet.
He looked unscathed, thankfully, but slightly tired.
But it wasn’t him who had saved me.
My eyes flickered past the Mage, now spitting out blood as his hands
desperately grabbed at his throat. He fell to his knees, eyes blank, before
falling over.
Dead.
T smiled at me, spinning a long katana sword.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here, little sister?”
FIVE
Z
Tsmiled at me, showcasing row after row of perfectly white teeth.
He was handsome, with sandy blond hair and two dimples that
appeared when he smiled. It also didn't hurt that he looked similar to
his brother, S.
Despite the similarities, T and I had never had a romantic relationship.
Maybe, at one point, we had feelings for each other, but they never happened
at the same time. He quickly became a close friend of mine, if not a brother
figure to me.
Seeing him standing there, a singularly beautiful smile lighting up his
face and blood dripping down the knife he held, caused my own grin to
widen.
"T," I whispered, pulling myself off the ground and wrapping my arms
around him. He staggered under my weight before returning my hug
enthusiastically. His arms comforted me, warmth emanating in palpable
waves through his black shirt and skintight jeans. Just as quickly as he
grabbed me, he released me, shoving me behind him. He raised his dagger
and brandished it threateningly.
At Jax.
My Vampire mate's head was tilted curiously to the side. His wild eyes
flickered from my face to T’s and then to the body on the ground, never
staying on one area longer than a second. His perfect, cherry red lips tilted
up.
"I see there is a dead body," he mused, carefully stepping over said dead
body. Before I could scream - whether it would be directed at Jax to stop
moving or T not to hurt him, I didn’t know - T exploded. My fingers feebly
grasped at air as he charged at Jax, knocking him to the ground.
"STOP!" I screamed, running forward and grabbing T's shoulder. The
dagger paused mere centimeters from Jax's neck.
T threw me a bewildered look over his shoulder.
"Don't hurt him," I said, kneeling down. My hand, with a life of its own,
stroked Jax's hair. My eyes catalogued each and every injury on his body,
were two bruises on both of his arms and a nasty cut beneath his eye. His leg
oozed blood, but I was unable to see the extent of that injury. Other than that,
he appeared fine, if not slightly confused with the knife dangerously close to
his artery.
There were only a few ways you could kill a Vampire, but a beheading
was one of them. Most Nightmares were able to heal themselves, particularly
Shifters and Vampires who had a higher resilience against certain weapons.
But a head shot? Even a heart shot?
Fatal.
I didn't want to think of that word. And I didn't want to think of why I
didn't want to think of that word.
"Who the hell is he?" T asked, but he finally relented and removed his
knife. Jax's breaths sawed in and out, and he scrambled backwards, away
from the offending object. He began to mutter under his breath, words
inarticulate. I could've sworn I heard him whisper a name, a female's name,
and jealousy roared inside of me. I quickly smothered that emotion down,
focusing instead on T.
"His name is Jax," I said breezily, willing him to drop the topic.
Unfortunately, I had never been so lucky. T's eyes widened imperceptibly,
face tightening. It didn't take long for understanding to dawn, and his
expression turned from contemplative to murderous. I was unfamiliar seeing
such an emotion on his face...directed at me.
"Jax," he repeated snidely. "As in, the Prince of Vampires?" Without
waiting for me to respond, he advanced on me. "The one you were supposed
to fucking kill?"
Well, when he put it like that...
"It's complicated," I said, hating how much of an excuse those words
seemed to be. But what else could I say? It was complicated. This mission
went from being black and white to many shades of grey. No, not grey. The
world had suddenly turned colorful, like a brilliant rainbow obscuring my
vision. I hadn't realized how long I had been living in the darkness, seeing
things through tunnel vision. S's death had killed me, but slowly, these men -
my mates - were piecing me back together.
And I fucking hated it.
"It's complicated," T mocked. He ran a trembling hand through his hair.
With a shuddering breath, he focused back on me. "Where's Diego and
Mali?"
His words were the wakeup call I needed. Immediately, my muscles
tensed, and my hands clenched into fists. Try as I might, all I repeatedly saw
was the blade meant for me running through Diego's chest. The tears in
Mali's eyes as she realized her mate had killed one of her best friends. The
fear contaminating the air.
"Fuck," T whispered, reading my expression without me having to say a
word. "I'm so sorry, Z."
Instinctively, he reached for me.
And instinctively, Jax pounced.
The Vampire stood between me and T, eyes blazing. T staggered back a
step, and his hand gripped the hilt of his dagger.
"Don't touch her," Jax hissed. I couldn't see hi
s face, but he held his body
rigidly. The muscles in his back jumped as I placed my hand placatingly on
his shoulder.
"Jax, it's okay," I whispered soothingly, aware that T was watching our
exchange with narrowed eyes. "He's not going to hurt me."
Jax's breathing was heavy, erratic, and he still did not relax. It was
moments like that when I remembered Jax wasn't just my mate, but a
predator. A Nightmare. A Vampire. His entire species was designed to hunt
and kill prey. He was the monster that would hide in the shadows, lurk
beneath beds, sink its fangs into unsuspecting humans.
It was times like that when I remembered he wasn't human.
Stories had one fact wrong.
Vampires were able to stand in sunlight, despite contrary belief. They just
preferred the darkness. No one knew for certain, but it was rumored that their
powers became stronger at night, under the watchful eye of the moon. Not
even Mali could confirm or deny this. The rumor solely focused on the royal
family. For normal Vampires, night or day didn't make a difference.
As the sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting the golden
streaks in Jax's hair and the muscles accentuated beneath his thin shirt, I
wondered if those rumors were true. In the day, Jax was powerful. A beast of
a man just waiting to run rampant on the unsuspecting population. I couldn't
even imagine him with more power.
A hiss escaped him, even as his body leaned further against mine, seeking
my comfort. T's eyes fixed on that diminutive movement, and his brows drew
together.
T wasn't stupid. He could read between the lines easily enough. He might
not have known the extent of my relationship with Jax or any of the princes,
but he could see that something was up.
Without a word, he dropped his dagger to the ground followed by the
sword he always kept over his back. Weaponless, he held his hands up like a
prisoner approaching an officer.
"I'm not going to hurt her," T said soothingly. Despite speaking to Jax, his
eyes remained fixed on me. "I care about her."
Jax growled low in his throat, and I curled my body against his, pressing
my cheek to his back.
I didn't know why I did that. I wasn't the cuddling type, but something
about Jax called to me. It could've been how broken he was, or it could've
been the damn mate bond. Either way, I hated seeing him distressed.
"Not like that," T said, reading something in Jax's expression I couldn't
see. "Like a sister. I care about her like a sister."
"Jax," I whispered into his ear. At my voice, his body wilted against mine
like a neglected flower. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him to me
from behind. "Calm your ass down."
Not the most romantic statement, but it seemed to worked. Jax turned in
my arms, blinking down at me rapidly. I hesitantly reached to grab his wrist,
my fingers brushing bare skin. The fog receded from his eyes, and a tentative
smile touched his lips.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
I reached up to trace the cut beneath his eye, ignoring T's snort of disgust.
"I'm fine. What about you?"
Before Jax could respond, the window shattered, glass piercing the
opposite wall. I jumped, even as both Jax and T moved to stand in front of
me.
I grabbed a dagger off the dead Mage's person, facing the now opened
window. I didn't know what I expected to see, but it wasn't a creature with
dark green skin, leaves for hair, and a circular mouth showcasing large, sharp
teeth.
"What the hell is that?" T whispered, echoing my own thought. The figure
didn't walk into the room. No, it crawled, abnormally long arms and legs
supporting a small body.
The creature was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It wasn't a Mage
or a Shifter. It wasn't a Vampire, an Incubus, or a Shadow. It wasn't a Genie
or a Mermaid.
It was something else, something other, something that instilled fear deep
in my heart.
The creature lunged at us, mouth opened, and I stealthily sidestepped out
of its path. Jax was not as lucky, falling to the ground as the creature pounced
on him. T raised his sword, slamming it into the monster's side. For most
creatures, it would've been a killing blow.
However, it merely raised its head, eyes glinting like rubies in the dim
lighting, before pulling the blade from its skin. Black blood gushed out of the
hole.
"That wasn't supposed to happen," T mumbled, already reaching for his
dagger on the ground.
Jax buckled beneath the creature's weight, propelling it off and against the
wall using his Vampiric strength. The entire house shook as it slid down the
wall, blinking its red eyes wildly.
"They come from the trees," Jax whispered. His shirt was in tatters,
hideous gashes from the creature's claws taking up the majority of his chest. I
gasped at the sight, my protective instincts rearing.
Without thinking twice, I charged at the creature. It roared, those keen
teeth inches from my face. I avoided its clawed hand, rolling out of the way.
Just as it came after me a second time, I lifted my sword and jammed it
through where I assumed its heart was.
It released a roar but did not let up its assault. Blow after blow was
delivered to me, but I parried each one. It pounced on me, snapping jaw
inches from my neck. I let out a cry as its rancid breath polluted the air
around me. My nose began to bleed, but I couldn’t lift a hand to scrub it
away.
The creature froze suddenly, teeth inches from my bare skin, before its
head was ripped from its body. Black blood coated my skin, my clothes, my
hair, and I blinked rapidly.
What the hell just happened?
Lupe stood above me, eyes feral as he held the creature's head in his
clawed hands. His face was contorted, fur growing on his forehead and
cheeks.
"What the hell is that thing?" Devlin. I would recognize his voice
anywhere.
My Genie mate was kneeling beside Jax, checking him over for injuries.
Killian and Bash stood in the doorway, eyes wide and wary, while Dair had
rolled his wheelchair to T. I didn't spot Ryland, but I knew he would be in
one of the corners, a constant shadow.
"It shouldn't be possible," Jax was mumbling, sitting up.
"What shouldn't be possible?" Bash asked, voice tight with irritation. And
disgust.
Pretty boy probably didn't want to get blood on his new shoes.
"He's right." Lupe's voice was a growl, his bear still fighting for control.
He took a calming breath, reeling himself back in, and I watched in rapt
fascination as his face changed once more. Gone was the beast, and in its
place was a handsome prince.
I felt something touch my forehead, checking me for injuries, and I
smiled reassuringly at Killian, wiping the blood from my nose on my sleeve.
Bash still stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest.
"Will you stop speaking in riddles and tell us what the hell happened?" he
barked, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
I had been the one mere
inches from death, and Bash was the one
demanding answers.
"This right here is a Fae," Lupe answered dizzily. Face twisting with
disgust, he dropped the head onto the ground. It rolled, landing an inch away
from T.
"Fae?" I parroted. I had heard the word before, had read about it in history
books. Lupe must’ve been mistaken. "The Fae has been extinct for hundreds
of years."
"They're coming back," Jax muttered beneath his breath. "They're all
coming back."
Ignoring him, Lupe focused on me. The hardness in his features softened
when he took stock of me. I could see instant relief when he spotted no new
injuries.
"What are you saying?" Killian asked, wrapping an arm around my
shoulder. I shoved him away, ignoring the flash of hurt in his eyes, before
scrambling to my feet. I didn't want to look weak with the seven princes
surrounding me, regardless of them being my mates.
"What he’s saying is impossible," Bash snapped like the asshole he was.
From my history lessons, I knew that there were once hundreds of other
supernatural creatures, each descended from lesser known demons. When the
Seven Deadly Sins came to the world, they eliminated all of them,
determined to be the most powerful creatures on the planet. Besides the
humans, of course.
They needed someone to be their slaves.
"Are you saying that I was just attacked by an extinct supernatural
creature?" I asked in disbelief. I couldn't even begin to wrap my head around
it. My eyes fixed once more on the dead Fae - if it even was that. For all I
knew, it could be a Shifter or something in disguise. Anything seemed like a
more rational explanation.
Lupe's jaw clenched. "I don't know."
T's voice had us all turning towards him. I could see my mates stiffening,
muscles flexing dangerously as they surveyed the human. T, for his part,
looked more annoyed than scared, though there was still a healthy dose of
fear in his eyes. He lifted his hand as if he was in a classroom.
"Please, for the love of all things holy, tell me what is going on?" Turning
towards me, he quirked an eyebrow. "Z, my dear sister, you have a lot of
explaining to do."
SIX
Z
By the time we made it to the small, bungalow style house T had been
staying at, the sun had fallen, disappearing behind boughs of trees.