I jumped. “Next time?”
“You don’t think I’ll leave him alive, do you? No, I can’t forgive a traitor.” He shifted and poured me another shot. “Let’s end this charade. You know I can’t get drunk. You’re just stalling. One last drink for the road, Maddy, and then—and then, we’ll get started.”
Chapter 5
IT WAS NOW or never. I had been hoping that Aegis would get here in time, but it was clear that I’d have to fend for myself. I slipped my hands under the table to prevent Luke from seeing what I was about to do and I stared at my drink, willing the fire to raise up.
It roiled and churned. Then, taking form quickly—no doubt due to my fear and anger—it balled into a globe that hovered just above my hand. I prayed it wouldn’t set the table on fire until I was ready to lob it his way.
“Aren’t you going to drink a final toast?” Luke gave me an icy look. All hints of the indecision and boredom I had sensed early were gone.
“Yeah. But I like to add a little warmth to my toasts.”
As he began to pour his own drink, I whipped my hand up, holding the flaming globe. I sent it directly toward his glass. The whisky streaming into the glass caught fire, sending the flame straight up into the bottle, which exploded in a magical inferno. The sudden explosion sent Luke reeling back as flaming splashes of alcohol pelted him.
At the same moment, I launched my chair backward. The whisky spattered every which way, including over my head, and—no longer chained—I rolled out of the way, scrambling to get away from the table.
“You bitch!” Luke was on his feet, slapping at the flames that had landed on his shirt. He stripped off the shirt and furiously tried to tamp out the fires that had attached to his pants.
I remembered the brochure showing that the penthouse had a balcony, and I made for the direction I thought it was in. As I scrambled through the darkened room, there was another sound behind me as the door slammed open.
“Maddy!” Aegis was there, along with Sid and Keth.
“He’s a vampire—one of the Arcānus Nocturni! Watch out.” I tripped over a low ottoman that had been hiding in the shadows, and landed hard on my hands and knees. Ignoring the pain, I scrambled behind the nearest chair. As I peeked around the edge, Sid flicked on a massive flashlight, illuminating the room. Aegis was there, in full strength, bearing down on Luke.
Luke snarled, putting out the last fire that had landed on his leg.
“Traitor! How dare you align yourself with one of our oldest enemies?” He dodged toward Aegis and landed a right hook on his chin that would have laid a normal man out flat.
Aegis countered back, throwing punches one after another, snapping Luke’s head with each blow. He didn’t say a word, didn’t respond to the taunts as the two men grappled, going down in a flurry of anger and shadow. And then, Luke was on top, holding Aegis down as he snarled at him, his fangs glistening.
Keth ran to my side and helped me up. “Are you all right?”
I nodded. “We have to stop Luke. He can walk in the sun. He won’t ever let this go.”
“Maddy, if we interfere, we’ll just get killed. Aegis—”
“Aegis can fight, but Luke’s more powerful,” I whispered, not wanting either vampire to hear me. “Find something to use as a stake. We have to take Luke out for good. Where’s Jorge?”
“He’s staying with Bubba. They’re both safe.” He snapped his fingers. “I know what we need. I’ll be back in a moment. You hid behind the chair again.” As Keth slipped away, Sid trained the light on the vamps so we could see.
I looked around, frantic. Aegis could fight till he was bloody, but Luke had the upper hand. It wasn’t that Aegis was weak, but Luke was strong. Far stronger, given he was one of the first vampires. Aegis landed a bite on Luke, digging deep with his fangs, and he hung on, sucking hard. The sound was horrible—as though he were vacuuming the blood right out of Luke. Luke shrieked and used his nails to rip at Aegis, tearing his leather jacket into shredded rags.
Luke managed to throw Aegis off, but a chunk of his shoulder went along with him. Aegis spit out the bloody flesh, crouching, his eyes full on crimson. The vampires were in total predator mode, and it would be dangerous to disturb either one.
Just then, I saw Keth reappear in the doorway. He had hold of the silver stake that Luke had used on Aegis. I raced past the vamps as they crouched, gazes locked.
“Do you want to try, or should I?” Keth asked.
I gave him a long look. “Remember who I am. Who I was...”
Silently, Keth handed the spike to me.
The silver felt heavy in my hand, but as I held the long bar, muscle memory took over. It had been centuries since I had used one of these, but the feel of it was so right and so strong that I let my body take the lead.
Focus on Luke, focus on his position. You know where to aim.
I motioned for Sid to keep the light off of me, and stepped into the shadows. As I circled the vampires, my attention narrowed to Luke. He became the only thing in the world. He was my sole goal and focus. He was my end point.
And then, I was in back of him. I stepped into the light, stake raised.
Aegis caught sight of me. “Maddy—”
Luke whirled. We locked gazes and three hundred years vanished. I was on the hill again, over the village of monsters. He had been there, waiting for me, waiting to meet me head-on. And I remembered him. I remembered seeing him skulk away in fear, as I thought that I couldn’t go after them all. That it was better to focus on the majority than a few ragtag members.
“You were there,” I whispered. “You lied to me. Why?”
He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. He held out his arms, daring me.
I didn’t give him a second chance. “Game on.”
Lunging, I swung. He closed his eyes as I plunged the point directly through his chest, deep into his heart. Aegis jumped back, the crimson in his eyes fading as he stood witness.
Luke stiffened. He closed his eyes as his body began to quiver.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “It’s over.” And then, he dissolved into a pile of ashes and soot, the stake clattering to the floor.
My stomach shifted. I looked up at Aegis, who was watching me cautiously.
“He’s right. It’s over. For now.” I shivered and looked up at the skylight, where outside, it had started to snow again.
SID AND KEITH led the way down the stairs to the room Aegis and I had been sleeping in. Aegis carried me, even though I insisted I could walk.
“Did everybody make it out of the chalet in one piece?” I couldn’t hear any signs of life, and the lights were still off.
“Almost. Two guests who went for an early morning walk were covered by the avalanche. Nobody else was killed, luckily. They escaped through the third floor windows. Bubba’s safe at home, by the way. Sandy drove out after she called me and she took him home with her. He’s making friends with her skunk now. Good job on the bilocation, by the way.”
“I think I’ll work a little more on that, though I’ve never had a great deal of lasting luck with it.” I wrapped my arms tight around his neck as we entered our room. “Aegis, have you ever heard of the Arcānus Nocturni?”
He froze, still holding me. “He was one of them?”
“That’s how he managed to attack you. He was after both of us—you for being a traitor by joining up with me. And me...for my past. That’s how he caught me during the day. He said his name was Lucifer.” I watched as the emotion on Aegis’s face went from concerned to dread.
“We’re going to have to be very careful, Maddy. The Arcānus Nocturni are a deadly force.” He lowered me to the floor. “Now that I know who he was, I want you to promise me that you’ll dust off your stake and keep yourself ready. He was a major player in the group, but there are others. He wasn’t the first, if that’s what you are thinking. There are more, older and more dangerous vamps. If Lucifer managed t
o find you, they will too. You’re too well known. You made your mark on the Vampire Nation.”
I thought of the Queen of the Pacific Northwest Vampire Nation. “I wonder if Essie’s in their pocket. Should I worry about her?”
“I’d say she’s worrisome, but I doubt if she’s interested in what they have to offer. Essie likes power for herself, not for others. She might actually be an ally. But Maddy, your days of vampire hunting aren’t over. I’ll be there, though, by your side.”
He trailed his hand down my cheek. “I love you. I know I’ve said it before, but I want to know that you know it. I want you to know it deep in your core. Maddy, I’d take a stake for you. I’d die for you, if it would save your life.”
I pressed my fingers to his lips. “Don’t say that. We’ll never, ever let it come to that.”
As I stood on my toes, kissing him in the snow-covered chalet, I hoped that I was right. But deep inside, I knew that something was stirring. I was Maddy Gallowglass, but Mad Maudlin was back, and she was going to have to go on the hunt again.
The wild and magical residents of Bedlam from my Bewitching Bedlam Series are back! Fun-loving witch Maddy Gallowglass, her smoking-hot vampire lover, and their crazed cjinn Bubba (part djinn, all cat) are causing havoc in BLOOD MUSIC, BEWITCHING BEDLAM, and MAUDLIN’S MAYHEM. You can also preorder TIGER TAILS. And more are on the way!
If you prefer a grittier series, try my post-apocalyptic romance—the Fury Unbound Series: FURY RISING, FURY’S MAGIC, FURY AWAKENED and FURY CALLING.
If you like cozies with an edge, try my Chintz ‘n China paranormal mysteries. The series is complete with: GHOST OF A CHANCE, LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON, MURDER UNDER A MYSTIC MOON, A HARVEST OF BONES, ONE HEX OF A WEDDING, and a wrap-up novella: HOLIDAY SPIRITS.
The newest Otherworld book—MOON SHIMMERS—is available now, and the next, HARVEST SONG, will be available in May 2018.
For information about all of my work, including upcoming releases, see the Bibliography at the end of this book, or check out my website at Galenorn.com and be sure and sign up for my newsletter to receive news about all my new releases.
Biography
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over fifty books, including the Otherworld Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and many more. She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine.
Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland WA with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her website at Galenorn.com.
Indie Releases Currently Available:
Bewitching Bedlam Series:
Bewitching Bedlam
Maudlin’s Mayhem
Blood Music
Blood Vengeance
Tiger Tails
Fury Unbound Series:
Fury Rising
Fury’s Magic
Fury Awakened
Fury Calling
Otherworld Series:
Moon Shimmers
Earthbound
Otherworld Tales: Volume One
Tales From Otherworld: Collection One
Men of Otherworld: Collection One
Men of Otherworld: Collection Two
Moon Swept: Otherworld Tales of First Love
For the rest of the Otherworld Series, see Website
Chintz ‘n China Series:
Ghost of a Chance
Legend of the Jade Dragon
Murder Under a Mystic Moon
A Harvest of Bones
One Hex of a Wedding
Holiday Spirits
Bath and Body Series (originally under the name India Ink):
Scent to Her Grave
A Blush With Death
Glossed and Found
Misc. Short Story Collections:
Mist and Shadows: Short Tales From Dark Haunts
Once Upon a Kiss (short story: Princess Charming)
Silver Belles (short story: The Longest Night)
Once Upon a Curse (short story: Bones)
Night Shivers (an Indigo Court novella)
Magickal Nonfiction:
Embracing the Moon
Tarot Journeys
For all other series, as well as upcoming work, see Website
Yasmine Galenorn, Blood Vengeance (Bewitching Bedlam)
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