Red-Headed Stepchild

I took a deep breath, trying to tamp down my frustration. How many times had I heard that lecture over the years? Like I didn’t know I was different. Like I hadn’t spent my entire life trying to be the perfect vampire so everyone would overlook my mage heritage. If I had to hear one more lecture about how the standards were higher for me because of my parent’s sins, I was going to puke.



“You will apologize now.” Lavinia’s voice didn’t leave any doubt this wasn’t a request but an order.



I swallowed down the knot of resentment clogging my throat. It didn’t help, but it’s not like I had a choice about apologizing. “I’m sorry. I should have tried to defuse the situation before it got out of hand.”



Tanith and Persephone eased back in their chairs a bit, but my grandmother’s face was cold and her shoulders stiff. Her eyes held mine, communicating her disappointment and anger more than any words could have.



“In light of this development, we were tempted to suspend your duties until further notice.”



My heart dropped into my stomach. “What?”



She held up a finger. “However, after some discussion, we decided this transgression might actually work in our favor. We have another mission for you, beginning immediately.”



I so was not following her, but if it meant I wasn’t going to be suspended, I was all ears. “Okay?”



“Your target is Clovis Trakiya.”



I almost said a very naughty word. Actually, I might have said it aloud if the shocked looks on their faces were any indication. I wasn’t really paying attention because I was too busy trying not to piss myself.



“We have it on good authority he is trying to form an alliance with the Hekate Council.”



I’d recovered enough from my shock that I’d begun analyzing the situation. “But we have a truce with them. Why would the Hekate do something so foolish? Surely they’d refuse, knowing it could lead to another war.”



Mages and vampires had been enemies for centuries, resulting in several wars. The conflict boiled down to vamps believing we were the true descendants of Lilith, while mages were a bastard race spawned by the goddess Hekate. The sympathy mages have for humans didn’t help matters. However, after the War of Blood, which lasted for a couple of centuries, the two races had agreed to sign a treaty of sorts, called the Black Covenant. Among other things, the agreement banned interracial breeding, as well as requiring vamps to feed only from humans. To say the peace was tenuous would be understating things. Some felt another war was inevitable, but thus far it had been avoided. If the mages sided with the Dominae’s enemy, it would be seen as a declaration of war by many vampires.



Tanith broke into my thoughts. “At this point, we believe he is merely recruiting mancies off the street and has yet to approach their Council. However, his numbers of Lilim are rapidly growing. We want to stop him before he becomes a real threat.”



“How is he managing to recruit our own?” I asked.



Lavinia spoke up. “His church, called the Temple of the Moon, preaches unity among all of Lilith’s descendants. Some misguided vampires believe all of us—vampires, mancies, faeries, and demons—should band together.”



I remembered what Ewan said about Clovis being half-demon. If he could use his mixed heritage to unite the vampires and demons, he would have a real chance of overthrowing the Dominae. Add mancies to that mix and he’d be almost unstoppable.



“Obviously, the situation is quite troubling,” said Lavinia. “He must be stopped. And we want you to do it.”



“You want me to assassinate him.” Already, I was reviewing my knowledge about killing demons, which I hated to admit was slim.



“No, my dear, we want you to infiltrate his organization, find out his plans, root out his spies, and then kill him.”



My stomach dropped. I might be talented at killing people, but I certainly wasn’t a spy.



“How?” I asked.



“We believe Clovis has spies high up in our organization. Perhaps high-ranking members of the Undercouncil. We will take advantage of this unauthorized killing last night and suspend you—at least this will be our public position. Meanwhile, you will do everything you can to bolster the belief that you are in the midst of questioning your allegiance to us.”



“However,” Tanith cut in, “you’ll have to convince him you’re serious. You’ll be tested.”



I didn’t care about tests or even the inevitable fallout once the vampire community believed the Dominae suspended me. I suppose part of me saw killing Clovis as a way to lessen my own guilt about killing David. Another part of me hoped by disposing of the Dominae’s enemy, I’d finally prove to my grandmother that I wasn’t just some fuckup.



“I’m in,” I blurted.



“Excellent.” Lavinia smiled, an expression so rare on her pale face, I expected her skin to crack.



“Sabina, there is one small matter we must discuss before you begin this task,” said Tanith. “No one must know that you have not actually broken from us. Clovis may have several operatives planted within our ranks. No one outside this room can be trusted.”



What she wasn’t saying was that once word spread that I’d broken from the Dominae, some of their followers might decide to punish me for my disloyalty. “And what are my instructions should one of your people decide to come after me?”



Lavinia looked at Tanith and Persephone, who both nodded. “You will have total amnesty. In addition, you have our permission to do whatever it takes to succeed. As far as Clovis or anyone else is concerned, it is to appear as if you have abandoned our ways entirely.”



The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on me. They’d just ripped me a new asshole for killing someone without their permission, but now they were almost encouraging it to further their own plans. My mind started to race as I considered the ramifications. Not only would Dominae-loyal vamps come after me, I’d also have to do some unsavory things to prove I’d broken from the Dominae’s laws. Because I was raised within the confines of the Temple of Lilith with my grandmother, the sacred laws were as much a part of me as my bloodlust.



“Sabina?” The room throbbed with tension as they waited for my answer.



It occurred to me that this might be a test. Did they expect me to back down?



Screw it, I thought.



“I’ll do it.”



4



My purse hit the side table door with a thump. I dropped my motorcycle helmet on the cluttered dining room table. My blouse landed on the floor in a heap, leaving me clad in a white camisole and jeans. I discarded my black stiletto Mary Janes in the hallway on my way to the kitchen.



I grabbed a beer from the fridge and chugged it as I started the water in the bathroom. In the shower, the water scalded the stress of meeting with the Dominae from my skin. Afterwards, I wrapped myself in my favorite robe. The short silk hem tickled my thighs as I walked back into the kitchen to grab another beer.



As I closed the fridge door, the air suddenly crackled with electricity. Through the breakfast bar, I saw a flash of green light and a puff of smoke. I grabbed my gun from the kitchen counter and ran into the room with my heart palpitating. When I saw what waited for me, the bottle crashed to the floor. Broken glass and cold beer coated my stinging shins.



The demon stared down at me with a fierce scowl. His eyes had horizontal pupils, and black horns jutted from his temples. Two wicked-looking black claws rested on scaly green hips. My stomach felt like I’d swallowed frozen stones. My mind screamed for me to move, but the message got lost in translation on the way to my limbs.



“Sabina Kane.” His voice had this odd echo effect, as if it came from another dimension. A reptilian smile hovered on his black lips. This wasn’t a social call. I crouched low, ready for battle. I’d never fought a demon, but damned if I was going to stand there like some B-movie actress waiting for him to kill me.



“Get out.” I pointed the gun at his chest.



“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” he said—at least I thought it was a he. The black leather codpiece kind of hinted in that direction. A wooden stake appeared in his claw, the tip whittled down to a single spear-like point.



That didn’t bode well. “Who sent you?” I slowly stepped to the right, trying to find a way to the exit. The demon’s eyes tracked me.



He didn’t answer, just moved a couple of steps forward. I held my ground, but tightened my grip on the gun. I didn’t know if the apple bullets worked on demons, but they might slow it down. I glanced at the stake. The demon would have to get in close range to use it, whereas I had the gun. I pulled back the slide and squeezed the trigger twice.



The bullets ripped through the demon’s chest. He blinked and looked down at the two rapidly healing holes. “That wasn’t very nice.” The stake disappeared and a crossbow took its place.



Panic froze me to the floor. My brain screamed at me to move, move, move. Instead, I watched the demon lift the crossbow as if in slow motion. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. The arrow flew through the air so fast I barely saw it before it slammed into my chest. I flew back as the arrow went through my body and speared me to the wall. I registered the impact on some level, but my mind was too busy dealing with the fact I was about to die. Any second my body would burst into flames and I’d be gone. Poof. Nothing left but a pile of ash.



Hot tears rolled down my cheeks as I closed my eyes and waited. There was no pain. Just shock and a dull sense of inevitability.



“Why haven’t you exploded yet?” The demon was closer now, only a few feet away. I opened one eye to look at the arrow. Blood bloomed from the site of impact, just over my left breast.



“I—I don’t know.” Holding myself up became difficult as the seconds passed.



“Hmm. I wonder if I should stake you just to be sure.”



“I’d really prefer it if you didn’t,” I said. “I’m sure I’ll ignite any second.” I focused on the pain, which had just started to register. It didn’t feel like I was about to combust, though. It felt more like a freaking arrow had ripped through my heart. Not the best feeling in the world, but I had to imagine it paled in comparison to having my immortal soul sucked from my body in a fiery death.