Aaron's Kiss Series Boxed Set (Books 1 - 7) (74 page)

~CHAPTER NINETEEN~

There was a long table with several beings sitting at it. The queen and her champion, Elizabeth, Mel’s grandmother. The other seven were a varied group of magical and thought to be mythical creatures, including another centaur. In addition, there were what seemed to be several hundred people and beings scattered around the room. None of the inhabitants of the room were dressed as Tucker and Marta were, just wearing everyday street clothes, though neither would have noticed.

Mel was now Melody, Mistress of Light, Keeper of Magic, and her duty in these proceedings was to read the charges against the accused. She had never relished a job so much, as she too had seen the body of young Davey and was heartbroken by a vital life force being cut so short.

When the accused stood before her, Mel was surprised at the gaunt woman. Insanity shone from her red tinted eyes. Her fangs were darkly stained with blood and uncleanliness. Mel was sickened by her, not only for her crimes, but for what she had allowed herself to become.

“Marta Lipscomb, you were summoned to this court on charges of magical misuse. Included in these charges are using magic to murder, kidnap, usage of black or dark magic and coercion. The lesser but no less serious breaches of conduct are attempted murder, theft, and rape. The punishment for each of these charges is death to be carried out forthwith. What do you say to these charges?”

“Misuse of magic?” The look of shock might have been comical had it not been so pathetic. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve never…there isn’t anyone alive to…there has to be a mistake. You and I are going to be great friends, my lady. You’ll soon wish you hadn’t said those things to a friend. Who dares say such things? I demand to know who my accuser is.”

“Bring in the witnesses.” Mel nodded to the guard next to her.

And from across the room a large double door was opened by two royal court guards. There was silence for a few long seconds as no one moved, and then heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the door.

With guards on each side of the line of people, in walked the line of witnesses. The line split once as they came upon the rows of chairs just to the left of the long table, dividing the guards from their company. All of the witnesses sat at the same time, save one. One person remained standing, staring at the woman at the podium. Mel watched Sam’s face as she stared.

“Sam, honey you need to sit down. Sam,” Aaron, who sat next to her, demanded in a whisper.

Mel could see that Sam was in shock, but she couldn’t tell what she was in shock about. Mel could feel her emotions, but all she could get was numbness, which Mel couldn’t understand. No one else would know her feelings with the exception of the Guard and her grandmother. It was because as soon as one entered the Courts, all magical ability was blocked as a safety precaution.

Aaron reached up and yanked her down to the seat next to his, pulling her onto Thomas Reilly, the vampire doctor, who was treating Jason and had performed the autopsy on Davey. Thankfully, Thomas didn’t protest about having a woman in his lap, but shifted over to the seat that Sam should have taken. Aaron snapped his fingers in front of her face, and finally, when that didn’t work, he shook her hard rattling her head about. Mel watched carefully as Sam turned to Aaron.

~~~

Sam looked up at Aaron, her eyes filled with unshed tears, her face as pale as death. He was suddenly very afraid that something had happened to Tucker, as he knew that mates could feel when the other was gravely injured or killed. “Sam?”

Her voice was barely a whisper, and with torment in her heart, she said, “It’s her. That woman, it’s her. She killed us. She’s the last one.”

Aaron looked at the vampire in the seat across from the table. He then looked at Mel. Neither of them knew what Sam meant, but a commotion at the other end of the room brought his thoughts to a stop.

They wheeled Tucker in on a very large gurney, the size no doubt to accommodate him, wheeled because he was so weak. When he was close enough to see that Aaron still had his hands on Sam, Tucker growled, the sound low and coming from deep within him. Aaron dropped his hand immediately. He looked over at the vampire and bowed. Aaron was shocked at the way his new friend looked.

“I’m sorry, but she is distressed about something or someone, I’m not sure. She said that ‘she killed us.’ I was just trying to figure out what she meant and to offer comfort in your absence.” He might as well have been talking to the gurney itself for all the good it was doing him. The moment the two of them saw each other, everyone ceased to exist.

Tucker opened his arms for Sam and she ran to him, throwing him back against the bed. He started kissing her; every exposed bit of skin was tasted and licked. He nuzzled deep in her neck, where her shoulder met, and breathed deep, opening his mouth to take more of her in. He was about to sink his canines into her when Aaron pulled them apart. He yanked Sam from Tucker so abruptly that he nearly fell from the bed. As Tucker was reaching to bring her back, Aaron nodded toward the woman, Marta, who was screaming now.

“Get that fucking bitch away from my mate. I’ll kill you, you hear me, and I’ll kill you both for what you’ve done. Let me go. I said to let me go now.” Marta was trying to get to the young couple, but the guard held her in place. The pathetic woman dressed up in a ridiculous costume was gone. In her place was a crazed maniac.

“Guards!  Guards! Restrain her, this instant,” Mel commanded sharply. When she was subdued and order once again maintained, the queen started again.

“If there is one more outburst, I will deem this court unnecessary and make the proclamation myself. And Marta, you so don’t want to piss me off anymore than I already am. First witness, Thomas Reilly. You!  Sit and shut up. Begin.” Aaron felt Mel’s power move through the room and had to cover a quick chuckle when poor Thomas looked ready to wet himself.

“Yes, of course. Forgive me, ‘begin’ what exactly? I’ve never been…this is my first time in this court, your ladyship. And while I know it’s a great honor to be called, I’m as nervous as a whore in a room full of…well, I’m nervous,” Thomas said with a slight laugh. Aaron actually felt sorry for him.

~~~

“You may do well to have the young couple pulled away so that she may feed him. I can feel his hunger from here,” Elizabeth whispered through Mel’s mind.

“No, I can’t.” Mel wanted to, wanted to help the young vampire very badly. “I feel there is a reason he must remain weak and hungry. Something one of the Fates said before I came in here. ‘Hunger shouldn’t be fed, weakness will show great strength.’ I don’t know what is means. Whoever does with those three? But as soon as I felt his, I knew he was the one they were talking about. I just don’t understand how great power will arrive with him being so very weak.”

“Hummm, who knows, but you are probably right. Let’s see what the bitch in front of us does next.” Mel could practically see her grandmother rubbing her hands together in excitement.

“Please tell all who will listen what you found when you were called to the Brotherhood of Gray’s pack house two days ago,” Mel continued to the doctor.

“I arrived at the house because I had gotten a call from Aaron MacManus, Master Vampire of this Realm to come and aid the medical team to try and save the life of one Jason Alexander March, age fifteen.” Mel nodded when Thomas hesitated. “It was determined that without the ability to shift into his true form, a werewolf, he would die. His body had one hundred and fifty-three stab wounds covering nearly his entire frame, all approximately one to three inches deep. He had lost a great deal of his blood, as he had been turned upside down and tied to a tree like a gutted pig. He had been hanging there, oh, about two hours, I’d guess. Had he been there much longer, we’d be making two funeral arrangements instead of just the one. After he was stabilized, and beginning to heal, I was asked to determine the cause of death for another young were. David Macklin March, sixteen and cousin to the other boy, was deceased. His throat had been ripped from him and he bled to death. Prior to his death, he had been eviscerated and his face had been ripped open by a deep set of claws. His death had been slow and horrific. His suffering was great, I would imagine.”

The Courts of Magic was different from the human courts. One could get emotionally involved in here, and no one objected, well, not too much. Thomas was enjoying himself, Mel could tell. Not the story itself, but by telling a room full of people just how much he had witnessed and how it made him feel. Aaron would hear about his day in court for centuries, she was sure.

“When you say eviscerated, what do you mean precisely?” Mel knew he was sure what had happened. She had seen the young boys herself. It was a sight she would never forget. But the rest of the Court, they had not. She wanted them to have a clear picture of what had happened to him, leaving no doubt what the youth had suffered.

“Disemboweled, as in his stomach and all of the other organs, liver, intestines, had spilled from an open wound, caused by the same set of deep claws. He was still alive when this took place. He would have had to have been in deep pain and the loss of blood would have made him weaker. He didn’t die easily. Poor boy.”

“He cried for his mommy, the little cock sucker,” Marta said calmly. “That’s probably what he was going to do to the little one, get him down and suck him off. You’re all lucky I came along and put a stop to that. World does not need more of their kind breeding. Vampires are the one and true race and the rest of you are only food.” Marta was actually proud that she had killed an innocent kid, Mel realized. Proud and wondering why the others couldn’t understand what she had done was a good thing.

“Enough. You will not say another word until you are asked to. Do I make myself understood?” Mel was sickened by her and wanted her to shut the fuck up.

“If I had my magic, you’d be one sorry bitch, you understand that?” Marta said to her.

The Royal Guard moved forward as one, ready to kill the insolent vampire. But a raised hand from Mel stopped them. This was one of the main reasons the queen was to keep her magic when everyone else couldn’t. She and her champion were the only things that stood between an all-out blood bath and order, or semi-order. But Mel knew the woman had to be silenced.

“You will not speak again until I give you leave.” As soon as the words left Mel’s mouth, Marta’s mouth disappeared.

Mel was not a cruel leader, but she was inventive when it came to making people believe she was just what she was, a power like none other, someone to be reckoned with.

“Is there anything else, Dr. Reilly?” Elizabeth was nearly crying from holding back her laughter and Mel wanted to desperately to smack her to get her to stop snorting with it.

“No. No, I think that’s all. I mean…Christ, that’s scary. I mean…I believe I’ve said…I’m done, your majesty.”

Mel felt sorry for Thomas. The poor man was “freaked out,” as she’d heard Mac say once. Thomas kept stealing glances at Marta, no doubt worried she’d do the same thing to him if he misspoke.

“Next on the list is Tucker James. Tucker, would you be able to testify from there?” Mel asked him with a gentle smile. But before he could answer, Sam stood up.

“If it pleases the court, I would like to testify for him, my lady. He is my mate, contrary to some people’s opinion.” Sam glared at Marta before turning back to her. “And I would very much like to also be able to hear her comments when I’m done.”

“If Tucker has no objections, then I don’t see anything wrong with it.” At Tucker’s nod, Mel waved her hand at Sam. “You may proceed.”

Sam made her way to the table, but stopped briefly to touch Tucker. Love swelled around those closest to the couple. Mel looked sharply at her grandmother, wondering if she had felt the magic too. From the look on her face, she would say that she had. Curious.

“Marta Lipscomb murdered my mother and me when I was a child. She was with five other people when she did.” Sam looked at the council. They looked shocked and somewhat bewildered. “I mean, she murdered my mother and I was dead as well until, using the last of her magic, she healed me and saved my life.”

“You’re mother, what was her name and what was she?” Elizabeth asked.

“A very powerful Magi, mistress. Her name was Constance Hunter. She at one time was a member of these proceedings. She once served as counsel to the fairy queen.” Sam bowed low. “She spoke very highly of you, mistress. She said you were a woman to trust and one not to piss off.”

With a burst of laughter, Elizabeth answered Sam. “Yes, I remember your mother. I hadn’t heard that she had died. I’m very sorry for your loss, young lady. The others that night, I’d like to have their names, please. We will be able to locate them and bring them to justice as well if Marta is found guilty of her crimes.” Elizabeth picked up a pen and waited for Sam to tell her. Aaron leaned forward and waited.

“Of course, but justice has been served. All of them, save this one, are dead. They were Shirley Max, Simon Dale, Dan and Steven Pickett—brothers—and Robert Peterson.”

~CHAPTER TWENTY~

The room erupted in voices. Murmurs of names and deeds of the dead could be heard, more of how the girl must surely be lying. One so young could not have killed such violent creatures.

Mel and her grandmother put their heads together for a moment then conferred with the other members of the Council of Nine. After a few more minutes, one of the nine turned to Sam.

“I am Skilika. I am a white witch of old. I would like more information on the death of Shirley Max. How did she die?” Mel nodded for her to continue when Sam looked up.

“When I found her, she was in a cabin just outside of Michigan where she was abusing a little boy. He was being used a…he was…she was cutting off different areas of his skin—my lady, are the details necessary?” Sam asked suddenly.

Sam didn’t think anyone would want the details of that day. She didn’t and she’d been there. “Yes, Sam Hunter, the details if you please. I know this will be hard to be heard, but I believe it will go a long way in having justice served. Continue.”

“The woman was cutting off different areas of his skin and eating it. I believe she thought that it would make her younger. I was…I subdued her and took the little guy to the nearest hospital and left him in their care. It seemed that his parents had sold him to her for the ability to cast spells. After I…saw to his family, I then went back and peeled her skin from her body. And before you ask, yes, she was still alive.”

“You killed her, alone? That is quite unheard of, you know. She was a strong witch of the dark arts. Yet you claim to have killed her alone. How do I believe you?” Skilika asked.

Sam closed her eyes, brought up the memory of the witch Shirley, and sent the image to her, complete with the screams. Skilika staggered back as if slapped. She sat down hard in the chair that was directly behind her or she would have fallen. She turned her stricken face to the queen.

“She gave me the image, the memory, my queen. She sent it to me. I thought only you were to use magic during these proceedings.”

Sam felt the queen’s touch, her search of magic. Sam knew she wouldn’t find any because what she could do wasn’t just magic but the ability to control her mind and those of others. She’d been able to do this before that night, only now it was stronger.

“What I use isn’t magic, it’s simple mind control. I have the ability to use my mind in ways that defy anything medical doctors have ever seen. When one of the men shot me in the head, they woke up a long dormant part of the brain and activated all sorts of freaky things.” Sam bowed before the queen. “I would give it up if only I could.”

“We will discuss this at a later time. I have searched her for any usage of power, and it is as she says, she has none. Are you satisfied, Skilika?”

“Yes, my lady, but I would like to know of the body of the witch, and of the parents.” Skilika still sat down. Sam almost felt sorry for her.

“As would I,” Elizabeth said softly.

“Her body will never be found. It has become a part of the earth by now. My mother taught me the earth needs to be repaid tenfold, whether or not you use it. The parents…” Sam smirked slightly. “They met with a terrible accident not long after Ryland was found. They too have paid the earth.”

“Dan and Steven Pickett, what of them?” asked another of the nine. “They were vampires, not really old, but powerful none the less. I know that before they left my realm, they had started using the darker magic as well, sacrificing small and sometimes larger animals. And please, don’t send me anything. I promise I will believe you.” The man chuckled. “I’m Roman Stall, master in another realm. Aaron knows me. We’ve been friends longer than either of us care to count.”

Sam looked at Aaron and waited. He smiled back at her and nodded. She wasn’t sure she liked that smile, but turned back to the vampire before her.

“Steven died in his car in Chicago. I caught him draining a woman in an alley. I couldn’t stop him from killing the woman, I’m so sorry about that. But he died as she did. I wrapped him in silver, then sliced his throat and watched him bleed out. Dan was lake fishing with Simon Dale, he was a werewolf. They were in the middle of Lake Erie when fifty sticks of dynamite went off beneath the chairs they were seated on. They had two women locked in a shed about two miles from them that they had been using as food. One had been drained completely. The other woman had been sexually assaulted and abused so much that she ate her own wrist open and killed herself. I don’t know who they were. I could never find any missing reports that fit their description. If it would help, I could give you their images and the search could be widened.”

“If they were human, unfortunately I would have no way of finding any more information than you did. I do, however, thank you for your help. I am indebted to you, as is my Kiss.” With a nod of his head, he sat down.

Bradley stood up and faced Sam. She was afraid of this man’s questions. She knew him, had dealings with his pack. If he wished it, she couldn’t stay with Tucker in Aaron’s Kiss.

“If I may, mistress, Peterson’s death is of interest to me. As you are aware, he was found guilty of murdering a little girl, Becca, some years ago. I would very much like to hear only what became of him, how he died.”

“I know of Becca, as you are aware. And to finally lay to rest the information concerning the man who killed her is very dear to my heart as well.” Mel wiped at tears in her eyes. “Sam, please tell us what you know of her murderer.”

Sam looked over at Tucker. At his nod, she turned back to the council. Any and all of the murders that she had committed would easily result in her own death. Before meeting Tucker, she wouldn’t have cared at all, would have welcomed it really. But now she wondered what her answer would be if asked if she wanted to die.

“I couldn’t find him when I searched here for him. I knew of…I’d heard of the young human’s life he’d taken. He wasn’t…men like him need to be extinguished from this earth.” Sam took a deep breath before continuing. “He was...he had a harem of young children in a large house just outside of California. There were several dozen children and four ‘house mothers’ there who took care of them and when necessary, got rid of the bodies when his play got a little too rough. If you are interested, the house is still standing, but no longer in use. I saw to that. I...he was stronger than the others. I’ve never dealt with a wolf before, not like him. Simon was a smallish one, and too stupid to be afraid, but Peterson wasn’t. I was able to get him to shift by fucking…err, messing with his mind. He believed it to be a full moon, you see. Once he was in wolf form, I tranked him with enough drugs to take down a large bear. I waited until he woke several hours later to kill him. I had staked him to the ground deep in a wild area of a forest preserve. He had shifted back to human when he fell over, so I covered his body from head to toe with enough silver to keep him immobile. Then I cut him, sliced him open in several smaller veins and nicked a larger vein in his leg. He was eaten alive by the animals that roamed the grounds. They were attracted by the smell of his blood. It took them several days to finish him off, but he was dead after the third day.”

Bradley stared at Sam. She knew what she had done was cruel, heartless even, but she wouldn’t change anything if she could. He’d been a monster, a monster that preyed on children. When Bradley started toward her, Sam didn’t flinch or back away. She would take what he gave her and not give them the satisfaction of begging for mercy. But Bradley walked to her and hugged her to him. Hugged her until she returned the hug herself.

“Thank you.” Was all he said to her before he walked back to the chair.

No one spoke; not one person moved for several long, tense minutes. Mel looked at the council and they back at her. Sam knew they were both repulsed and intrigued by her. This little slip of a girl with no magical powers at all had managed to kill five very powerful beings. And in ways that seemed oddly justified to each monster. But she had done what she had felt was necessary.

“My lady? I would hear what the vampire Marta Lipscomb has to say for her part in all this,” the centaur asked.

Mel nodded. “You may speak, Marta. But you’ll keep a civil tongue in your head.”

And without any warning at all, Marta flew at Tucker.

The guards moved toward Marta, but before they could descend on them, she had Tucker’s throat exposed and her mouth moving to his vein. She froze suddenly, her fangs extended a mere half an inch from biting him. She trembled with the strain of trying to bite, to finish him off, but she couldn’t seem to do it.

“I will have him, he’s mine. Do you hear me? He’s mine.” Marta was snarling at Sam as she continued to strain against the hold.

“Everyone hears you. Hell, people outside can probably hear you. But he’s mine,” Sam said calmly. “Now, either back the fuck away from him or I will destroy you.”

Sam hadn’t moved one inch. No one had since the guard had surrounded Tucker and her with their weapons at the ready. Sam looked straight at Marta, afraid to look at Tucker, afraid if she did then she would lose her hold on the woman who could very well kill what Sam now considered hers.

“You think to harm me? Me? I’m the greatest vampire ever to live. You all should be bowing before me not this…this imposter.” Marta glanced toward Mel. “I have killed more humans than all of you combined, and I will rid the world of more. You are nothing but sheep, baaing your way through life, just waiting for someone like me to come along and end your miserable existence. I will take and take, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.” Marta pushed harder to take his throat. Sam was having a hard time not just killing the bitch. But then she backed away. Suddenly, she extended her fingers into sharp talons and stretched them toward Sam.

“Yeah, yeah, you are the greatest. Blah, Blah, Blah. No one gives a shit.” At least Sam hoped so. “You have one minute to back the fuck up, or die. I’m being nice to you because there are too many witnesses to take your skinny ass out right now. But all bets are off if you try and touch Tucker again. You hear me, bitch?”

Sam felt the touch, so light that she might have imagined it, and then she moved along her mind.

“Mistress?” The queen was just on the edges of her mind and Sam had to hold harder on Marta or lose her. “Now isn’t really a good time for me, my lady. Do you think maybe we could do this a—”

“Sam, is that you against her? Are you holding her with your mind?” Mel asked her.

“Not really.” Sam felt the tiny bit of magic touch her and wondered about it. “She just thinks I am. That’s the thought that I’ve pushed at her, that she can’t harm him, it’s impossible to harm him. Her mind isn’t weak, but I can win this.”

“I offer you my assistance,” the queen said. “Because you are not using magic so by my law, you are breaking none.”

“I…I love Tucker, my lady, and would not have my actions reflect upon him. I thought that when this day came, when I could kill those who hurt us, who took my mom away from me, that I’d willingly sacrifice myself as well, but I can’t. I can’t leave Tucker.”

“Well of course you do, love,” Mel told her with a chuckle. “You are his true mate. Now I want you to do something for me. Do you think you could trust me, and do one thing for me?”

“I…trust? I don’t have a lot of faith in people. To trust is very hard for me, no offense. But I will hope that you will do right by me. I’m sorry…very sorry, but that’s the best I can do.” Sam was getting weaker. Her mind was tired.

“Good enough. For now anyway. You and I will work on the rest. And I do appreciate your honesty. I will need you to do me a favor, later. For now, let’s you and I fry this fucking bitch.”

Sam smiled. For the first time in many, many days, she smiled. “Ah, now that’s an easy one, my lady. How do you like your bitch? Extra crispy or original?”

~~~

Marta was running the sharp talons along Tucker’s neck. She couldn’t seem to make herself tear through the tender flesh. She just kept staring at it and straining to just cut. Her mind cleared for a moment. She felt so…so…happy. Happy? No, exuberant, intoxicated, content almost, yes, that’s the way she felt. She had everything, her life was perfect. Now was the time, she thought. It cannot get any better than this, I can just go.

The blades on her fingers stopped caressing Tucker. She leaned back away from him and looked at him. If asked, Tucker would swear that she had the most beautiful look on her face. She was tranquil.

Her fingers, blades really, moved up along her hip and across her abdomen, cutting and tearing at her clothes, nicking her flesh in places as she walked several feet from Tucker. Moving up along her front across her chest, she sliced open her dress, exposing the corset beneath. The sharpness of her blades cut through the fabric and lacings to the skin and muscle underneath. She was bleeding now, from dozens of cuts and slices. She didn’t seem to notice any of this, and her eyes closed, the smile serene, her head tilted back. And still she moved upward, closer to her neck and face. When she reached her throat, her body was all but exposed to those gathered in the room, but none saw the woman there, only the destruction of madness.

“I deserve this. I’m going to be rewarded for my good deeds toward mankind. They will thank me and erect a statue in my honor for showing them the way.” She opened her eyes and looked straight into Sam’s dark, dark purple ones, and sliced her own throat open, nearly severing her head from her shoulders.