15
The Witch

 

 

 

While Kaara was briefing me, Marrok came to knock my door. The Wolf King wanted to be with his mate every second of the day. It was a wonder the dominant Alpha let his queen serve me and resorted to protecting us both.

They belonged together.

If worse came to worst and I failed to get Gabriel back, I would send them through the portal first. I alone would stay behind. I wouldn’t leave without my mate, as I’d vowed.

Kaara opened the door for her mate.

Marrok gazed at her with adoration. “Hey, love.”

She smiled at him. “Hello, bad wolf.”

Marrok peeked into my room. I wasn’t sure why his eyes widened, but I took it that, other than Kaara and Gabriel, no one had ever seen my room before.

I guess it had been forbidden.

“Lady Fiammetta,” Marrok said, “we caught a bloodsucker. Would you and Kaara like to interrogate him?”

I nodded at the Wolf King with my usual icy gaze. “Yes, I’ll interrogate the vampire.”

“Please bring him to the torture chamber in the old museum, Marrok,” Kaara said.

He grinned at her and left.

Kaara briefed me further as we trekked through a withered garden toward a gray museum building ahead. The stone columns that were still standing had once witnessed a grand civilization on Pandemonium. No one knew what had happened to it.

I followed Kaara down the corridor, then into the torture chamber.

A vampire knelt in the center of the room. Marrok and another shifter guarded him. The other shifter looked like a hard-ass. He might be the wolf general.

The room was dim. There was never enough light on this planet. The lack of sunlight never bothered the vampires. The wolves could see well in the dark, too.

Icy light radiated on my skin, illuminating the room for Kaara and me.

The pale-skinned prisoner raised his head and leered at me. A vampiress’ silvery voice purred through his mouth. “Remember me, Wickedest Witch?”

The vampires had learned about my amnesia.

“Do you expect me to know every insect on Pandemonium?” I asked coldly.

“What do you want, Jasmine?” Kaara snapped.

“Oh, Nightshades, what a pleasure,” Jasmine said through the vampire. “How’s your doggie mate in bed?”

The wolves didn’t react. Didn’t take the vampiress’ bait.

“I got one here, who has magnificent wings,” Jasmine gloated. “He’s amazing in bed. His every stroke is like fire licking every inch of my skin.”

She started moaning through the vampire prisoner, “Yes, Gabriel! Yes, oh, more. Harder. Yes, my Gabriel!”

Acid flooded my stomach and pain burned my heart. But I held myself still and kept my icy mask in place. I wouldn’t allow her to rattle me. I was the Wickedest Witch for a reason.

I couldn’t hear Gabriel on the other side, but at least the vampiress had confirmed that he was alive.

He had to do what he must do to survive. Or was he really smitten with her?

My eyes fixed on the vampire prisoner emotionlessly. “You made such an effort to show up through your vassal just to entertain us. How considerate of you.”

“Who cares who you fuck,” Kaara said. “Just get off already.”

“You don’t need to listen if you’re such a prude,” Jasmine said. “But I’m going to finish this with my Angel lover. Oh, yes! Yes, Gabriel. Deeper!” she moaned breathlessly. “Yes! I’m going to cum, honey.”

“The show is getting boring.” I turned to the shifters. “The vampire you caught is useless. He isn’t going to tell us anything. Why don’t you slice off his head, end his pathetic existence, and help the vampiress get off sooner.”

“My pleasure,” the wolf general said, stalking toward the moaning vampire. 

The vampire-Jasmine instantly stopped moaning and gave us a measured look. “So, it’s information you want. What do I get in return?”

“You get to keep the Angel,” I said.

Kaara and the others tried not to look at me.

The vampire-Jasmine blinked.

Hadn’t expected that, had she?

“But I already have him,” she said.

“I doubt you truly have him,” I said.

There was a pause on the other side.

“I can spare you some pointers for free on how to really keep the Angel,” I offered. “He’s hard to tame.”

“You hexed him!” she hissed. 

I laughed, chillingly, and with delight.

“So, the Angel complained,” I said, testing her, while my heart pounded so hard.

I remembered the part where Gabriel had demanded I unhex him.

I’d played along. After the fake, ridiculous ritual, his longing for me hadn’t lessened a bit. The lust had been so thick in his stunning green eyes that my heart had fluttered.

He’d asked aggressively, “When will the spell wear off?”

“You’ll tell me when you’re no longer interested in me, or any woman,” I had said.

He’d gritted his teeth. “So, you’re making me impotent by unhexing me? That’s another hex!”

If I’d claimed him or hexed him, he’d never have come to me to whine about it. He would have been my mindless, happy slave, who would do anything to please me. And he would never be able to be rid of my imprint, either.

But I hadn’t told him that.

I’d seen the white-hot heat in the vampire princess’ eyes when her gaze had fallen upon Gabriel, so she must have made sexual advances toward him. And if he’d told her that I hexed him, which only meant somehow, he’d managed to fend her off, or was trying to.

“You’re pure evil, you Wickedest Witch!” Jasmine shouted at me through the vampire’s mouth. “You tortured him with your dark magic, and he’s still traumatized!”

Kettle. Pot.

But what game was Gabriel playing?

“Did he expect the Wickedest Witch to feed him milk and honey?” I smiled sadistically. “The Angel shouldn’t air his dirty laundry everywhere. When I have him again, he’ll have to apologize profusely.”

“You’ll never have him again,” Jasmine said, protectively and possessively. “He’s mine.”

I had to test her, though I dreaded the answer. “He can’t be yours, darling, even though your venom tainted his angelic blood. Haven’t you tried to compel him? How has that worked out for you? I sympathize with your frustration, but I’ve imprinted him. My spell doesn’t wear off easily, and your foul blood can do nothing about it. I bet you’ve tried over and over, and failed again and again, pathetically. Guess what, darling, the Wickedest Witch in the universe is way more powerful than you. And when I wiggle a pinkie, he’ll come running to me, as fast as his wings can carry him.”

“Bitch!” she said. “Unhex him! Release him from your claws, or I’ll drink you dry.”

“My witch’s blood might be too much for you.” I laughed, as the Wickedest Witch should. “Learn to threaten better, and I might consider your request.”

“Your nasty spell doesn’t have the power you believe,” she said. “I can still make him do things, things to make you blush. He’s mine, and he knows it. He’ll never harm me. He’ll spend eternity with me, gladly.”

“What an adolescent,” Kaara said, rolling her eyes.

“She never acts her age, does she?” Marrok chuckled.

Jasmine hissed.

“Be useful for once, vampire girl,” I said. “Pass the message to Desdemona: he wants a date, he’ll get one.”

Kaara and the wolves traded an alarmed look. They hadn’t expected that I’d propose to meet the vampire Dark Prince. They would protest fiercely later.

An instant later, the Dark Prince’s rich, velvet voice came through. “Hello, Lady Fiammetta. Finally, you’ve come to your senses. If you’d been so amiable before, we’d never have gone to war. The last thing I want is to upset you.”

“How touching,” I said.

“Should we set the date, so I can prepare to make my palace presentable for one such as you?” asked the Dark Prince.

“No!” Kaara and the wolves answered at the same time.

“You want a proper date with Lady Fiammetta? You come to the only bar in the City of Nine,” Marrok said. “Feel free to bring your lovely sister and her Angel lover.” He knew I hated the sound of “her Angel lover,” but he had to say it to get Gabriel to the Keep.

“They now speak for you, Wickedest Witch?” Desdemona asked mockingly. “When did that happen? You would never allow—”

“Why not?” I cut in icily. “I’ve got an agent, and he’s reputable.”

But the vampire was right. I really didn’t like the wolves speaking for me.

“Will you also bring your lawyer to our date?” Desdemona asked, chuckling. “And what do you know about a proper date, savage Wolf King? Besides, this is a private date between my future queen and me, which doesn’t involve you or anyone else. So, it’s only proper that I welcome my future bride in my palace.” He fixed his gaze on me through his vassal. “I vow to guarantee your safety, should you come to my tower. You’ll be treated as a queen.”

The wolf general spat, “It’s a trap! He strapped Bella on an operational table and pumped his venom into her veins. He’ll do the same to you, Lady Fiammetta. Don’t go to his lair.” He turned to the messenger. “My mate says hello. She’s still debating whether she should take your head or heart when the day comes.”

Desdemona laughed lightly. “Lovely. But neither my head nor my heart belongs to her. And none of you are my concern, either. Lady Fiammetta, I’ll never disrespect or violate you. Everything between us will be agreed upon and based on mutual respect.”

Kaara snorted.

“For three years, I waited for you. Didn’t I, Lady Fiammetta?” said Desdemona. “I never forced your hand. I watched you quietly and adored you from a distance. I was patient. I’d have continued to wait for you if you hadn’t shown affection for your Angel pet.”

“We’ll have the date in your palace tower, Prince Desdemona,” I said, “but on one condition.”  

“Any condition,” he said eagerly. “Which is?”

“I’ll let you know soon,” I said.

“And I’ll be waiting keenly,” he said, and he was gone.

Jasmine didn’t return, either.

Now we all regarded the vampire vassal. 

“Should we kill him now?” the wolf general asked.

“We need to show good faith to the Dark Prince,” I said. “Secure him for now.”

The wolf general howled, and several shifters moved into the chamber.

I headed toward the door and let them handle the details. Kaara accompanied me, as did Marrok and his general.

“Do we have a map for the vampire tower?” I asked, as we prowled through the black garden, returning to my tower.

“Yes,” Kaara said. “I’ve compared the map we collected, to the one Marrok has. It’s a match. The map is accurate. But we don’t know which room Gabriel is kept.”

“The vampire princess will keep him in her bedchamber,” I said.

“Fia, Gabriel and I talked about the hex,” Kaara said. “He realized you’ve never hexed him and that you’re his fated mate. But he told Jasmine that you hexed him, which means he didn’t sleep with her.”

“And even if he had,” I said, “I wouldn’t leave him behind.”

“You can’t seriously consider going to the leech’s lair, Lady Fiammetta,” Marrok said.

“That’s exactly what I’ll do,” I said. “That’s the only way to get Gabriel.”

“I’ll go with you,” Kaara said.

“No!” Marrok said. “I forbid it.”

Kaara narrowed her violet eyes at him. “You forbid it?”

“Yes!” Marrok snarled. “I’m not going to lose you.”

“If we lose Fia, we lose everything,” Kaara said. “Pandemonium will go poof in less than a month. Even if the planet doesn’t go up in flames, I’ll still go with Lady Fiammetta. I told you when you were with me in the beginning that I’d guard Fia with my life, and you accepted it.”

Marrok sighed. “I’ll accompany you to whatever tower or hell you enter.”

“Desdemona won’t allow any wolf inside his tower,” I said.

“We need to come up with a better plan,” the wolf general said. “It’s stupid to dive headfirst into the vampires’ lair.”

“What’s your better plan, Antonio?” Kaara asked.

“We besiege the vampire tower and demand Desdemona give up Gabriel,” Antonio said.

Kaara rolled her eyes. “Like he’ll gladly agree? And we don’t have enough soldiers to lay siege to his tower.”

“That’s not it. We’re the distraction,” Antonio said. “When we cause enough chaos, Gabriel will make his escape. He’s one of the best fighters I’ve met. The vampires can’t stop him.”

“If he could escape, he’d have been here now,” Kaara said. “The vampiress’ venom is in him. She bonds him to her. Haven’t you paid attention to how Lady Fiammetta interrogated Jasmine? We got the information we needed from her.”

“You know subtlety isn’t my strongest suit,” Antonio grunted.

“I’ll have to enter the vampire tower for Gabriel,” I said. “Only I can sever their link, so he can leave with me.”

Marrok sighed again. “It’s still a trap. Some of us won’t make it if we enter the tower.”

“You’ll make it,” I said. “I’ll open the portal for all of you to leave Pandemonium before my date with the Dark Prince. My condition for the date is that he and his vampires leave you alone. You will all get off this planet first. When we go into Akem’s jungle, I’ll shield you until you reach the portal. You’ll have one shot, and you’ll take it. I’ll go for Gabriel alone. He and I will follow you later.”

“No!” Kaara snapped. “We leave together, or we don’t leave at all! I’m going into that damn tower with you, and we’ll get Gabriel out.”

“Kaara—” I said icily.

“Fia, trust me,” she said. “I know things you don’t know, and my gut feeling says you’ll need me, or none of you will get out.”

“We’ll go together,” Marrok said. “We won’t leave you and Gabriel behind.”

Just then, a meteor shot across the desolate sky, its flaming tail reddening the horizon, and crashed behind the vampire tower. We watched the black tower sway for a second or two.  

Too bad it didn’t crumble down.