Familiar Taste of Poison
Apparently, stubbornness was a familial trait.
“I think you may have to get your hearing checked, because I just told you. I. Have. No. Magic.”
If anything, I should have been the one rolling my eyes, but instead Val took up the role, letting out an annoyed sigh. “You don’t need magic to activate your fangs. Granted, you won’t be able to trigger them by smell, but you can still do it.”
“He’s already infected with the demonic virus though. Why would biting him help?”
“It just will.”
“How do you know?”
Val collapsed into the old worn chair in the corner, rubbing his temples. “I just do.”
Well, wasn’t he just a wealth of information. “Can you trigger your fangs?”
With no more effort than opening his jaw, those elongated incisors jutted out.
“Great, then why don’t you bite him?” I countered.
A devilish grin played at his lips as Val ran his tongue over the curve of his fangs. “I’m not his mate, Doll Face. You are.”
I couldn’t bite him.
I couldn’t.
Even if I could trigger my fangs, I didn’t know the first thing about how this whole “transference” thing worked. How hard would I need to bite him? Where would I have to bite him? For how long?
“It’s really not complicated,” Val assured. “I’ll explain everything step by step.”
I looked down at Blaine, praying I’d find a little more color in his cheeks. But his skin remained ashen, his breathing more labored. “Reese…”
He was at my side instantly, but I shook my head.
“I need you to leave the room.”
***
Val’s lips peeled back in a wicked grin, stealing a peak through the curtains, presumably to watch Reese pace outside. “I think you hurt Lover Boy’s feelings.”
I just shot him a dirty look as I yanked the drapes closed and shoved him towards the mattress.
“Wanna make this a threesome, ay?”
If I didn’t require his assistance, I would have turned his face into a crater where his nose was supposed to be. “I can’t risk having Reese in here when I trigger my fangs.” Not only because I wasn’t sure if I’d turn on him, but I also couldn’t bring myself to relive the horror of having him look at me like that again.
“And how do you presume to do that exactly?”
“You have to touch my neck,” I said, pulling the hair away from my exposed collar.
That wicked delight of his only heightened. “And…?”
“And nothing. Just be ready.”
“For what?” He didn’t give me a chance to answer, all too eager to run his fingers down the length of my neck as I sat down beside Blaine on the mattress.
The moment Val hit my scars, I doubled over and gasped. He seemed to understand, because he rested his entire hand over the markings as I writhed under his hold. Without any scent to assist the transformation, the fangs only teased at the roof of my mouth, not quite breaking through the gums. The revulsion hit in full force, and I began mindlessly thrashing at Val to let go of me.
But he held firm, his voice nothing more than a whisper. “Give into it.”
I clung to the bed sheets as my fingers curled into fists. “I can’t!”
My entire body convulsed, as if at war with itself. The pain in my jaw became unbearable. It felt like someone had just jammed a couple screwdrivers into my gums!
“Your body wants it. It’s you who’s holding back. Let go, Kat.”
Val was right. All I could see was Reese’s face, the fear, the aversion… Even without my magic, this was what I was, what I had become.
“He will die if you don’t do it.” Val grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at his brother.
I wasn’t sure if it was the threat of me possibly dying, or perhaps just seeing Blaine so helpless, but instinct finally took effect. That ravenous impulse sent my fangs slicing through the roof of my mouth as red filled the corners of my vision.
“That a girl.”
Val really should have heeded my warning. With his hand still on my neck, I involuntarily whirled on him, tackling the Mage so hard, his body slammed into the wall beside the mattress. My forearm pinned against his windpipe as I watched the pulse in his neck throb, practically begging me to tear into it—to tear the artery. I wanted to kill him for touching me there.
I wasn’t sure if it was the red encasing my vision, but the lights pouring out of Val’s remaining runes glowed like a Sith Lord’s lightsaber. Without magic aiding my effort, he managed to use his own strength to ease me off of him.
“Down, girl,” he beckoned.
Shaking, I finally regained composure, seeing the red peter out of my vision. At first, I panicked, grappling at my mouth, afraid my fangs may have retracted. They were still there.
I couldn’t waste time. I climbed back onto the bed, unsure of the next step. I needed to bite Blaine, but where? His wrist, perhaps? I lifted it up, feeling the weakness in his pulse. I was running out of time!
“The neck.”
“What?”
Val tapped the exact spot on his own neck where Blaine had bitten me. “It’ll work faster there.”
Struggling to pull Blaine into a sitting position, I stood on my knees behind him. This had to be precise. “What do I have to do after…?”
“After what?”
“You know… Do I have to drink…?” The very thought tested my gag reflex.
“Drink his blood?” Val laughed at me as if I was the cutest thing in the world. “No, Doll Face. Just let your instincts guide you.”
Considering those very same instincts were telling me just a moment ago to tear into the ass-hat’s neck like he was a human hamburger, the sentiment was hardly what I’d call comforting.
Lowering myself down to the back of Blaine’s neck, I started estimating where the exact spot had to be when I suddenly found myself leaning into him, breathing in his scent. The fresh coastal fragrance lingering on his skin had me moaning as I intuitively traced a path down to the right side of his neck. All my calculations, all my questions, all my nerves; they melted away. I didn’t need Val to tell me. I knew this was the spot.
My left hand cupped the underside of Blaine’s jaw, tilting his head to the side, exposing the entire length of his neck to me. It invited me to slice my teeth into it. And I did just that. Not a thought, not a moment of hesitation. Intuition consumed me as my fangs sank into his flesh. The reaction was immediate. Blaine’s wilted body went rigid, shuddering ever so slightly under my touch.
Giving someone your energy should have left you tired, drained, weak… Wasn’t it?
I had expected to feel faint, or at least lightheaded. But the euphoric potency wrapping itself around my bones had my toes curling under. The high I’d gotten from kissing him at the Hideaway paled in comparison to the delirious warmth enveloping me, consuming every inch of my body. I didn’t want it to stop.
I never wanted it to stop.
None of my runes had ignited, and yet I could feel the energy pouring into me, bringing me to the very brink of unadulterated ecstasy. Blaine fell slackened again, his weight leaning back into me, and I looked up at Val, my fangs still buried in his brother’s neck.
The cruel smile painted across the Dark Mage’s lips was pure menace, and ice instantly filled my veins as realization dawned on me.
“Well done, Doll Face.”
This wasn’t right. I wasn’t supposed to be feeling this way. All I could think was What had I done? What had I done? What had I done?
I’d been sucking out what little energy Blaine had left in him! It was the only logical explanation for what I felt. I was supposed to be giving him a part of myself, but all I had done was devour whatever linked us. And I couldn’t bring myself to stop! Had this been Val’s plan all along? Eliminate his brother from the picture all together? If he was dead, what other option was there but to name Val Crown Prince? The wickedness seeping off him told me everything I needed to know. I’d fallen for it. I’d fallen right into whatever sadistic trap he’d constructed, all without him getting his hands the least bit dirty. I’d done everything for him.
The sweet electrical pulsation coursing through me at last subsided just enough that I managed to regain control of myself. I pried my fangs free from Blaine’s neck, collapsing back into the headboard, taking him with me. I began shouting his name, screaming it, begging him to open his eyes as I shook his unresponsive form.
I hadn’t even heard the door open over my hysterics, finding Reese suddenly at my side.
“What happened? Kat?” He kept trying to get me to answer him, but I just sat there, sobbing.
I’d killed him. Maybe not entirely, but he was going to die, and it was all my fault!
I was going to die.
Val just chuckled, scooping up a bottle of vodka he had stored inside the top shelf of his mini-fridge, and casually strolled over to the chair in the corner.
Whether it was from the drugs or my hysteria, I didn’t know, but I couldn’t even feel my legs beneath me as I launched myself at him. I got as far as falling into him, feeling my nails tearing into his cheek when everything suddenly started to dim.
No, no, no, no!
Arms secured around me, and I wanted to scream, knowing exactly who they belonged to.
I was going to die in the arms of the very man who had just tricked me into killing myself!
***
I couldn’t figure out how light was pouring back into my vision. Pinching my eyes shut, I demanded my eyes to focus. Upon reopening, the bright neon blue lights converged and sharpened into two legible words. “Motel” and “Vacancy.” I was looking out of a half drawn window, noting it was nighttime. Disjointed fragments of half-thoughts floated about my mind, but in my lethargy, I couldn’t seem to piece any of them together. I didn’t feel exhausted. I felt…drunk. How long had I been asleep? How did I get here? What happened?
Everything hit me all at once; Blaine’s body, Val smirking, me passing out. What happened? That rat bastard tricked me! But how was I still here? How was I still alive? Something was digging into my side beneath me, and I rolled over, trying to find relief. I quickly realized I was lying on the bed, because platinum blonde hair gleamed directly in front of me, the hint of black roots visible up close. If I wasn’t feeling so woozy, I would have sprung up from the mattress. Not because I was scared, but because I was so utterly taken aback.
Blaine was alive!
And not only that, but there was a healthy glow blossoming on his resting face.
How?
“Vestri 'pono super brachium meum.”
I yelped. Literally yelped at the sound of his voice.
He peeled a groggy eye open and cast me a lazy, lopsided smile.
“What—what does that mean?” I managed to ask.
“You’re laying on my arm.”
“What?” I looked down at my other side now, realizing that my discomfort was indeed thanks to the muscled appendage wedged beneath my ribcage. He only chuckled as I scrambled up. “Oh! Sorry!”
And I only wanted to keep apologizing when I realized it was the very same arm he’d been shot in, seeing dried blood staining his bicep. But wait… Dried? He…he was healing, too? And so was I! My wrists still ached, but the pain was nothing to how it had been, and the skin had lightened up to a pinkish-red, the blisters and charcoaled flesh almost completely gone.
Blaine’s fingers idly teased through the ends of my hair, and that familiar tug in my chest urged me to lie back down. I made sure not to crush his arm this time as I settled back onto the mattress and faced him. Warmth still coiled through my body, and I found my eyes sinking shut again when a soft kiss pressed to my forehead.
“Awww, how adorably nauseating.”
My eyes flew back open.
Leaning against the open doorway stood Blaine’s insufferable bastard of a brother. I tried willing my runes into action, but only a low buzz tickled the surface of my skin. At least it was something. But I really, really wanted to smash that bottle of vodka in his face. Before I could make a move for him though, Blaine was already charging at the door.
Damn, for a guy who was just knocking on Death’s door, he sure could move. But he plowed past Val, and…
Something crashed outside. Thankfully, my legs had regained enough of their strength that I didn’t collapse face-first on the carpet as I darted for the door.
Crap.
Reese’s body was nailed to the front hood of the Escalade with Blaine’s hand wrapped around his throat. I tried lunging for the two, but arms snatched me from behind, pulling me back. The runes on Reese’s arm flickered, struggling to ignite.
“Not so easy to control them when you can’t breathe, is it?” Blaine seethed, squeezing his grip even tighter.
“Blaine, stop!” I thrashed in Val’s hold, but he refused to let go of me.
“How did they find her?” Blaine demanded, letting up his grip just enough to let Reese speak.
He just shook his head, unable to muster the words.
“How the fuck did they find her?” Blaine roared. His fist hammered down at Reese, and I gasped, seeing his Wrath rune ignited.
“Blaine, don’t—”
His knuckles slammed into the hood of the car right beside the Light Mage’s head. Reese flinched, his eyes wide in unadulterated fear as he heard the metal crumple beneath Blaine’s fist like it was tinfoil.
Blaine tightened his grip ever so slightly, as if it would force the words out of him. “How did Reynolds’s men find her?”
“I don’t know,” Reese choked.
“Bullshit!” Blaine yanked him off the truck and whirled him around, throwing him into the side of the building.
Between the ongoing commotion and the ruckus from earlier, I had to wonder why none of the other guests had at least made a noise complaint to the front desk. My gaze shifted away from the guys, noticing a nearly indistinguishable ripple in the air. Wards. Val had set up magical wards around this place. It made sense now why no one else seemed to hear us, or why nobody reacted to Blaine being carried inside earlier.
Reese narrowly dodged the fist aimed at his head, sidestepping back to the open motel door. Val hauled me back inside, and with nowhere left to run as Blaine lunged for him again, Reese ducked in as well. The runes on his arm sparked back to life, but the bedside lamp suddenly hurled right at him. The energy he’d summoned managed to offset the strike, only to leave him vulnerable again as his runes died down once more. Reese didn’t even have the chance to breathe as the air pulsated, the invisible force catapulting him against the tiny vanity counter just outside the bathroom.
Blaine was on him in a second, and Reese didn’t dare move, feeling the barrel of the Dark Mage’s revolver press beneath his jaw.
“What happened, Blackburn? You finally catch a glimpse of what she really is, and you couldn’t take it?”
Reese closed his eyes, trying to regain his composure. His runes wouldn’t work like this. He needed to fully concentrate.
Blaine smacked him, the power behind it jolting Reese’s head to the side. The Dark Mage gripped the magician’s jaw, forcing him to face him again. “Look at me, you fucking coward.”
I could barely make out his eyes in the reflection of the mirror, but the murderous rage in them was unmistakable. Squirming in Val’s hold, I finally managed to snake my arm out just enough to throw my elbow into his ribs. The asshole merely chuckled at my attempt, not the least bit affected, but he loosened his grip, allowing me to break free.
Stop,
Stop,
Stop,
I kept pleading the same word to Blaine as I raced to his side, but he wouldn’t listen.
“You were the only other person who knew where she was,” he seethed, those steely eyes cracking under his own anguish.
“Why don’t you look at your friend over there?” Reese choked out.
Blaine laughed, but it was a cruel, vicious snarl. “My brother may be a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them.”
Val’s brows furrowed. “Uh, thank you… I think.”
“See, as much as he may hate me, he’s far more concerned with keeping Kat alive,” Blaine further elaborated, ignoring the remark.
“That’s funny, especially since he was trying to kill you earlier,” Reese rasped, his eyes shifting to the side of Blaine’s neck.
As if only now acknowledging the sting of pain, Blaine lowered the gun from Reese’s jaw, using his free hand to reach up and finger the abrasion just above his right shoulder. His jaw fell slackened, apparently appalled by his discovery as his head snapped over to his brother. “Did you bite me?”
Val burst out laughing. Even as Blaine shifted the aim of his gun at him, he couldn’t rein in his amusement.
Blaine cocked the trigger, but his brother just rolled his eyes, still chuckling.
I wasn’t sure why I was coming to Val’s defense, but I suddenly blurted, “He didn’t bite you… I did.”
Blaine faltered at the words, the air heaving from his lungs as if I’d hit him. He whirled around, his eyes immediately locking on mine. The feral edge in them had me stumbling backwards, and I barely managed to catch myself on the edge of the vanity sink.
“I’m… I’m sorry. You were dying, and Val said it would help…” I didn’t know what I was saying. I just kept spewing out random nonsense, hoping he’d just stop looking at me like that.
“Oh, come on, brother. Lighten up.” Val dared to approach, slinging an arm around Blaine’s shoulder. Looking like the cat who ate the canary, he brushed the puncture marks with a feather light touch.
Sure enough, Blaine recoiled, his hand slamming defensively against the wound. He looked more feral than ever. “No…”
“No?” His brother parroted back, mockingly. “Oh, I see. You wanted it to be a special occasion, did you? Maybe have a bearskin rug and some grape soda on ice ready.”
Blaine just kept shaking his head. “It couldn’t have worked, not if she didn’t mean it…”
“Trust me, it worked just fine.”
That ire in Blaine’s eyes resurfaced as he turned to face Val, but the rest of his body had gone eerily calm. His brother seemed to relax, only making the impact more satisfying. The motion was nothing but one swift blur as Blaine nailed Val square in the jaw with a devastating left hook. The impact sent the towering male falling to the floor with a sharp crack! It sounded like he’d literally broken his brother’s face.
Val still didn’t look the least bit concerned, merely vexed as he tweaked his beaten jaw from the ground. “Hey, I did you a favor. If I hadn’t, you’d both be dead.”
“What did you do?” I demanded.
Val’s grin only broadened as he climbed back up to his feet and slowly sauntered over. “Me? I didn’t do a thing. You, on the other hand, Doll Face… You were spectacular. And it’s all quite fantastic, when you think about it. He bites you to save your life, only for you to return the favor. How very kismet.”
I was nearly breathless, feeling a wave of nausea wash over me. “What did I do?”
“You, Doll Face, finally completed your half of the mating ritual.”