Chapter Eight
“That probably wasn’t locked.” Trixie didn’t move. “What about Nick?” The gargoyle was responsible for her fall, but she didn’t punish people for accidents. If she did, then she should be on the country’s most wanted list.
The gargoyle raised his eyebrows.
“The dragons will figure out what happened. They’ll follow the trail here like I did and retrieve him.”
Nick’s gray skin paled. “I wronged her. Not them. She has blood rights and should dictate my punishment.”
Viktor shook his head. “Your foolishness caused her death, but it was under their roof. She was a guest and you broke guesting law.” His hard glare softened for a second as it landed on her. “Trixie’s soul is too gentle to meet out proper punishment.” He jerked Nick to his feet. “The dragons get you.”
“I’ve had enough of you, Viktor. If anyone has—has blood law then—”
“Blood rights,” Nick corrected.
“Rights, that’s me.” Sounded like she had to learn a whole new legal system. She hadn’t done to well following human laws. After what she had witnessed in the last few hours, she’d say supernatural punishment was much more medieval. “I’ll decide what happens to Nick.”
She couldn’t believe she was defending him, but she knew what it felt like to be punished for things out of her control. Like those cat kennels.
Viktor’s eyes danced with amusement. “What do you know of gargoyles?”
She set her hands on his, the one holding the chain. The zing that traveled through her fingers must have been from that blood bond between them. It was too strong to be anything else. “Nothing, but the dragons might kill him.” She did have a soft soul and there was nothing wrong with that.
“He killed you.”
“Not on purpose.” She tugged on Viktor’s fingers, trying to pry them open with no luck.
She managed to only make him more amused. “Gargoyles are notorious thieves.”
“Not all of us,” grumbled Nick.
“What about Venice last week? Do not tell me a gargoyle was not involved in that girl’s disappearance.” Viktor’s amusement faded as he stared at the kneeling Nick. “Humans might not suspect but the rest of us know.” The vampire then raised his hand until he could kiss Trixie’s prying fingers.
She jerked away as if branded. “How could you know anything about Venice? You’ve been locked in the castle basement.”
“Dungeon,” he corrected. “Eoin keeps me apprised of world events and I am his guest. Not truly a prisoner.”
“And I don’t truly belong to you. Give me that chain. Nick owes me, not you.” She held out her hand. It trembled, but she didn’t back down. The dragons might kill the gargoyle. She wouldn’t be part of that.
Viktor glanced from her to Nick and handed over the chain. The gargoyle smirked.
That was easy. She stormed off the roof to her third-floor apartment. Footsteps dogged her heels. She glanced over her shoulder. Viktor followed behind Nick. “You’re not welcome in my home,” she stated.
Viktor traced the collar around his neck in that slow, seductive way he had. He ran his fingertips over the chain still locked to it. The same one restraining Nick. The same one she held.
Well, fuck. She’d walked straight into that one.
“It is not safe for you to be alone.” The vampire looked way too pleased.
“I’m fine.”
Her apartment door swung open and Ruby stood in the opening, hands on hips in full redheaded fury. “Where the hell have you been? Why haven’t you been answering your phone? I was about to organize a search party and…” Her gaze fell on her companions and the chain. “This is new. Got something to confess, Trix?”
Even though her sister only wore a thin T-shirt, sans bra, and a thong, Viktor’s gaze never left Trixie. Nick’s was totally absorbed by her sister.
Viktor bowed. “May I come in?”
Ruby’s mouth hung open as she backed out of the way. Her stare was locked on Nick. “What are you?”
Viktor passed between them, dragging Nick along in the process.
Trixie sighed. “He’s a gargoyle.” It seemed like inviting a winged monster and a murderous vampire into their home didn’t bother her sister.
Ruby gave her a critical eying. “You look great. What have you been doing all night? Why didn’t you call me? You know how I worry.”
She showed her the trashed cell phone. The one Trixie had no insurance on or money to replace.
Ruby grimaced. “We’ll figure it out. I know a guy who knows a guy. I’ll get you a working one.”
A stolen one. Trixie didn’t like her dealing with the guy who knew a guy. Ruby came home with bruises after those visits, though she waved them off with poor excuses.
“Don’t bother.” Trixie followed her sire’s path into the living room. “Viktor offered to replace it.”
The vampire raised an eyebrow, his gaze taking in the broken phone in her hand. “It is of no consequence.”
“No consequence at all.” Ruby tilted her head, a flirty smile on her lips. “And who might you be, Viktor?”
“Master of the city. Your roommate is in danger if you stay here without supervision.” Viktor did what appeared like a security check of the apartment.
“Ruby, meet Viktor, master of the city, and Nick, gargoyle from the dragon’s castle. Boys, this is my sister, Ruby.”
Her sister raised a well-manicured, delicate eyebrow. “Why don’t we have fun like this together? When we go out, all I meet are drunks and drug dealers.” She smelled fried chicken and gravy and it made Trixie’s mouth water.
The hunger pains grew much worse to point of her wanting to double over. “Did you bring home leftovers?”
“Yeah, it’s in the fridge.” Ruby followed their guests deeper into the apartment, her gaze tracing Viktor’s form with open admiration. She tossed Trixie a salacious wink. “Is it Christmas already?”
She fought a groan. Ruby would steal him away. No man could resist her sister’s charm once Ruby focused on her prey.
The pang of jealousy was startling. Trixie didn’t bother competing with Ruby when it came to men. None of them seemed worth the effort, but Viktor… Well, he wasn’t a man. And she’d just rejected him on the roof, so where was this green-eyed monster rising from?
The galley style kitchen was attached to their living room. Only a counter separated the space, which they used as a dining table. Trixie went to the fridge and pulled out the Styrofoam box. Inside, she was surprised to find the fish special. “Why do I smell fried chicken?”
Viktor stood behind Ruby. He pointed at her in a silent response.
Trixie blinked. Was he saying Ruby was the source of that delicious scent?
“Do not eat solid food.” He settled Nick on a stool by the counter before reaching across with his long arms and height to snatch the container from Trixie’s hand. “It will make you ill.”
“Hey.” Ruby slapped the food out of his hand. “I brought that home for her and if she wants to eat it, then she can.” She shoved the fish back into Trixie’s hands.
But all she wanted was fried chicken. “We need to talk.”
All three of them stared at her expectantly.
“I’ve talked enough to both of you to last a lifetime.” Trixie pointedly stared at both men. “I meant Ruby. Alone.” Her big sister, who always had her back no matter how terrible her ideas were. Cheerleader, roommate, and guardian angel. Also, the best shoulder to cry on.
God, Ruby was going to be so angry.
Viktor pushed Nick off the stool toward the fire escape. “We will wait outside for Eoin.”
“Careful,” Ruby called out. “The fire escape is old.”
Nick leaned close to her sister and inhaled deeply. “You don’t smell like chicken. You smell like—” He couldn’t finish as Viktor gave the chain a sharp yank.
Ruby’s eyes were round as she faced her. “What the hell is going on? And who’s Eoin?”
Once both men were on the balcony, Viktor scanned the sky. “I see him in the distance. It will not be long, Trixie. Hurry to say your goodbyes.”
Panic edged into Ruby’s expression. “What’s he talking about?” She pushed Trixie deeper into the kitchen. “Trix, talk to me.”
“I’m in trouble.” She took Ruby by the wrists, her sister’s pulse hummingbird fast against her palm.
“You’re hurting me.” Ruby jerked her arms but couldn’t break free. “Let go.” Fear tinged her voice and made her scent grow crisper.
Trixie’s fangs ached. She glanced at their hands. Ruby’s fingers were ghostly white. She had stopped the circulation to her sister’s hands. She leaned forward to sniff Ruby’s throat.
Viktor seemed to materialize between them and untangled her hold on Ruby. “Not her. You are too hungry and too young. You might hurt her.” He shrugged. “And never forgive me if I did not stop you.”
Her fangs snicked back painfully and Trixie clamped her hand over her mouth. “Ouch.”
But not before Ruby saw them. Her face paled. “Did I just really see that?”
“You can’t tell anyone.” She pushed Viktor out of the way. “No one can know.”
Ruby glanced at the container from the diner. “I think I’m hallucinating. Maybe the fish was bad?” With her thumb, she shoved Trixie’s upper lip open to examine her teeth. “Those better be fake, baby sister.”
Trixie shook her head and pressed her lips closed. Her throat ached so much. She knew if she said one word, the waterworks would turn on and she’d cry blood all over her sister. Ruby was scared enough. Trixie didn’t need to upgrade this to a horror movie.
Viktor scooped Trixie into his arms. “She is distressed. We cannot stay any longer. Once she is in more control, we will return.” He leveled an icy glare at Nick. “She should not have come here in the first place.”
Trixie turned her face against Viktor’s chest, unable to look at her sister. Not because of shame, but because she saw her as fried chicken, of all things. With gravy. She had never been the kind of girl who wished for a knight in shining armor to swoop down and rescue her. Viktor wasn’t exactly a knight but he did have a shiny chain and her best interest at heart. If she killed Ruby, she’d never forgive herself.
“Oh no you don’t. Nobody is going anywhere until I get some answers.” Ruby used her no-nonsense voice, which she didn’t do often. “You, gargoyle, sit.”
Trixie twisted around to see Ruby pointing at Nick, who was squeezing back into the apartment through the window.
He sat at Ruby’s feet.
That was her sister. Worshipped by men of all races. Besides hair color and boob size, she and Ruby looked alike, and Trixie didn’t have that female power to make a gargoyle heel at her feet on command.
“I died falling down some stairs a few hours ago.” The words came out stiffly. “Viktor…brought me back to life by making me a vampire.” He had saved her. She had to give him props for that, but she wouldn’t ever belong to him. Nobody owned her, not even Ruby.
Her sister reached out then jerked her hands back to her side. Tears swelled in her eyes. “You mean I almost lost you?” As if unable to control herself, Ruby took a step closer.
Viktor kept their distance. “Stay where you are. Trixie cannot be trusted to control her instincts yet.”
Ruby brushed away her tears. “So, vampires are real?”
Trixie fought the urge to roll her eyes. “In secret, for obvious reasons.” She gestured between them and the fact that she had been about to feed off her sister. “You can’t tell anyone, Ruby. It’s important that you don’t.”
“Because…”
“We will kill you,” Viktor answered for her and confirmed her earlier worries prior to falling down the stairs.
Wow, that seemed trivial now.
“Fine, whatever, I don’t give a shit. I’ll keep your secret.” She folded her arms. “What do we do to help Trix?”
She met Ruby’s determined glare and Trixie’s heart swelled with pride. Her sister wouldn’t abandon her. For a moment, Trixie had thought Ruby would be too afraid of the whole vampire thing. She knew she was, and she was the freaking vampire.
“We?” he asked. “We do nothing. Trixie will live with the local vampire coven. Once she is trained, she can visit.”
Ruby’s eyes narrowed, her lips tight.
Trixie knew this look. “Don’t you dare call Betty or anyone in the wolf pack.” Her best friend was on her honeymoon. “They can’t do anything to change this.”
Wind whipped outside the window, followed by a thumping beat.
“Is there a storm brewing?” Ruby shivered as a breeze blew through the open window.
Trixie cringed as she recognized the thumping noise for huge wings flapping.
Viktor nudged Nick with his barefoot. “To the fire escape.”
The gargoyle stroked her sister’s leg with a possessive hand before marching to the window, where a big green eye watched.
Ruby screamed.
The black dragon had that effect on people. He grinned, showing all his pearly white, sharp teeth. “Hello.”