Blood Cursed (26 page)

“No.” I buried my face in his wetstained hair, sobs crippling my chest. His scent watered my mouth. His blood still stained my lips. “God, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t cry. S’okay. Moon’s nearly full, candy. Better go gemmify.” And feebly he pushed me away.

My nerves screamed, jagged. This wasn’t fair. We’d known each other for two short days, and already I was thinking about forever. I should be running away as fast as my wings would fly.

But I didn’t care. Our closeness crippled me. His reluctant honesty stripped me raw. The way our bodies sang together made me weep with loss.

And now I’d eaten him like a beast without care or conscience. Taken my pleasure from his body and left him empty, just like Jasper and Angelo and all those men I hated had done to me.

My heart howled in agony, and I clutched at him, kissing his cooling lips, wishing with every glamour-spelled cell of my body I could undo what I’d done.

But I couldn’t put the blood back in. I couldn’t relight that fading rosepink glow in his wings. I couldn’t repair that aching sore in my heart.

He kissed me back, weak and warm. “Go, angel. You’re strong now. Gettem gems from Rosa, come back for me.”

“I can’t! What if you—?” I choked on tears. I couldn’t say it.

“Without another kiss? Get real.” Laughter wheezed in his throat, and he pushed me away, coughing. “Go on. Save it. Gettin’ all tearyfied here.”

I swallowed, and caressed his face one more time, his skin so smooth and warm under my fingers. His fading ruby gaze locked on mine, and my heart lurched. So much I wanted to say. So much he deserved to hear.

But I couldn’t think of a single word.

Blindly, I stood and stumbled out.

Her footsteps fade, and at last, Diamond lets his eyelids flutter closed.

A breathless smile aches. Simply-snitch, in the end, to die for her.

It’s weird. He’s always spitfired rage at death, unwilling to let go and get what he deservamates. Done any shitty thing to stay kicking.

But with Ember sobbing in his embrace, dirtyfever burning her life away, nothing ever came more easyfied. His life did her no good. This be the next bestest thing. At least now, she’s got a chance.

Hs heartbeat stirs, sluggish. He’s bleedifying, the hot liquid spilling ever more weakly from his throat. He’s so cold. Numb. He should lift his hand, stop the leakification.

But he doesn’t. Weakwater floods his muscles. He pictures her, the fiery glory of her hair, the emerald lifelight in her eyes, and his slowing heart warms with a glimmer of pride. His lady makes a beautiful vampire.

But still his throat swells tight, and tears spill hot on his cheeks. They had such a short time.

Strange. He doesn’t cry, not him.

Sounds ghost distant, and fade to nothing. Blackness seeps thick. He breathes and chokes. No fair. He can’t smell her anymore. He wants to smell her. Taste her. Sleep in her candysweet embrace forever.

But she’s gone.

He lets go, and drifts, waiting for hell.

32

I reeled into the corridor, my feet sliding numb. Hot air swirled, rich with vile bloodstink. Heartbeats addled my newly sharp ears, mixing into a fierce drumbeat. I weaved toward the sound. My stomach lurched, sick, all that blood oozing into my virusparched body. Already, fresh hunger chewed in there, a rabid beast I couldn’t chain.

Light dazzled my eyes, the moon glaring brighter and brighter through the open clerestory. I stumbled on, dragging my robe around me. I had to find Rosa, give myself one last shot at Kane’s prize. Otherwise I’d have killed Diamond for nothing.

I couldn’t give up and die now.

Unsteady, I walked out, beneath the tiled archway into the garden. Heat tore my breath away. Moonshine blazed on my skin like silver sunburn, and conflicting tides struggled for supremacy in my blood. I wanted to dance under the moon with wings afire, curl my spine back and howl, grab the nearest boy and rub our naked bodies together until we melted. I wanted to dive on the nearest party guest and rip her pulsing throat out with my teeth.

I wobbled among jasmine hedges and wilting flower beds, sniffing the crowd with my alarming new sense of smell for Rosa’s perfume. My shadow made a small dark ring around my feet as the moon strove higher, and the hellborn ache in my bones scorched hotter than ever. Scents washed over me, a fleshstinking rainbow, blood and skin and hair, the heady ache of alcohol and rich food. A green fairy in shiny purple silk stared at me, her slanted yellow eyes rounded in shock. A sniggering brown spriggan with wirebrush black hair and a potbelly did the same, his beer glass halting halfway to his pointy-toothed mouth.

I lifted my chin high, defiant. I supposed I wasn’t exactly dressed for this occasion, in a stained white robe to midthigh and covered in glowing glassfae blood. At least my wounds had healed, a lucky side-effect of the vampire virus. Awesome.

Hot fingers wrapped my wrist and yanked me off balance.

I thudded sideways into the white concrete fountain. My wing scraped the wall, ripping, and my nose stung with that hateful dark perfume.

Rosa snarled, jabbing her long nails into my throat. Her eyes gleamed sickly, her skin clammy with evil sweat. Poisoned. At least, I’d gotten that right. “Get away, did you, slut? Too bad I found you. What did you do to me?”

My vampire hunger yowled like a fighting cat, aroused, but my belly crunched tight with stupid fairy fear. I choked and scrabbled for her wrist, knowing it was useless.

But she cursed, and in my fist her grip broke.

Fresh vampire power sizzled though my muscles, and delight burned my skin. I was stronger now. She was weak from the toxic blood she’d sucked from me. And my strength would only increase the longer my bloodfever burned.

I snarled, and shoved her in the chest. She stumbled backwards, but recovered swiftly, slashing scarlet nails for my eyes. I ducked, and instead she caught my hair, and yanked. My scalp ripped, and I tumbled to the ground on top of her.

We rolled in the crackling grass, limbs thrashing and fangs snapping for a hold. Her virus-rich bloodscent thrilled me. Her pulse tempted me, throbbing like dark wine under her pale skin, her wrists, her throat, her curving breasts. My wired-up muscles gloried in the fight, and I pinned her hips down with mine and clawed for her eyeballs. She yelled and fought me, her eyes wild, and ravenous spit filled my mouth in anticipation.

But iron hands grabbed my ribs and tore me off her.

I whirled through the air, wings flailing, and landed with a skull-sickening crunch against the wall.

Angelo’s steelgray eyes glinted dangerously a foot from mine. He grabbed my shoulders and smacked my head into the concrete again. “Hands off, b—Holy mother of Jesus!”

I scrabbled to get away, but he didn’t hit me again.

He was clean, dressed, neat, no trace of my blood. No trace of sickness, either. Ange was tough and hundreds of years old. Was the poison not strong enough?

He took in my healing bruises, the freshcut fangs, pressed the back of his hand against my cheek for fever. His face tightened. “What the fuck happened to you?”

I panted for breath, and spit dripped onto my chin. Dumbly, I flushed, the fever shocking me hot. I shouldn’t be embarrassed. But I wanted to cover my face, hide myself, deny the thing I’d become.

Rosa clambered up, yanking her dress straight. “Cheap slut bitchjumped me. Looks like she’s been whoring around. Let’s get rid of her.”

I stammered, and nothing came out. A roaring ache split my skull, and I tried to hold my head up and pull my loosened robe to cover my breasts at the same time. I didn’t want to be naked in front of Angelo again.

Not that it mattered. Surely, he’d kill me now. Can’t suffer vampire vermin on his turf, especially not a whore he’d already used and discarded.

Angelo glanced at me again and turned to Rosa with a slick-fanged snarl. “Tell me what you did.”

Rosa smiled and waved a negligent hand. “Nothing. Maybe we made a mistake. Accidents happen.”

In a vampireswift flash he loomed before her, his fingers cruel on her shoulder, and his calm, cold voice spiked fear into my veins. “This is me you’re talking to, slut. No mistakes. No accidents. Tell me what you did.”

“It wasn’t me, Ange, I swear.” Rosa trembled, her lips aquiver like a schoolgirl’s.

Admiration soured my mouth. She was good. No wonder Diamond fell for it. My heart bled for him, that he’d loved such a venomous viper. I knew what it was like.

Ange snarled, sarcastic, and turned to me, cool and courteous as any rich-ass businessman in a suit. “Don’t be afraid, love. Who infected you?”

Nervous laughter spilled out, and I swallowed it. This was surreal. I hugged my robe tight, sweat slicking the satin to my thighs. If I accused her, surely he’d chew my head off and eat it.

Rosa laughed, too, angry. “You’ll believe her over me? A snarky little bloodtart? Come off it.”

Her insults slashed my heart raw. Just another conceited tramp who thought she was better than I, assumed me good for nothing but blood and sex.

“She did it.” I pointed a shaking claw, reckless. “She tied me to a chair in the basement and injected me and left me to starve. I only got away because Diamond set me free.” Satisfaction settled, and I waited for him to laugh, hit me, tear my throat out in a hot scarlet gush and end it all.

Ange’s eyes flashed black with centuries-old wrath, and he whirled and backhanded Rosa in the face.

Bone crunched. She flew backwards, blood pouring down her chin.

He’d turned back to me before she hit the ground. “Love, I am so sorry. Did Diamond fix you up?”

“Excuse me?” I still goggled at Rosa, groaning on the grass in a scarlet stain, her blue satin gown awry. Her bag had fallen from her shoulder, and it lay a few feet away, a dark smear on the grass. It looked familiar.

Ange flicked a fat roll of cash from his pocket and folded some, counting it swiftly before offering it to me. “For your trouble. Believe me, I’ll make her regret it. You need a job, come see me.”

I stared. Green and yellow, a lot of money. More than I’d taken from Jasper. Surreal indeed. For a greedy vampire gangster with back-asswards morals, Ange Valenti was a half-decent guy.

Pity the other half was cold, mercenary, misogynist, and downright creepy. As if money could ever make up for what she’d done.

I shook my head, my voice steady. “No, thanks. Keep it. But there’s one thing I’d like.”

He flicked sardonic eyebrows and tucked the money away. “Whatever.”

I pointed next to Rosa, who was only just crawling to her feet. “That bag. It’s mine.”

Angelo shrugged and glared at Rosa. “Give it to her.”

Rosa scowled as she dusted off her bloodsoaked dress, her split lip already healing, but this time real fear shone dark in her violet eyes. “What for? She’s a useless bloodwhore.”

For the first time, impatience sparked Ange’s voice hot. “At least she’s making an honest living. You’re a lying daughter of a demon, and you will not splash virus around without my say-so. Give it to her.”

She grabbed it and held on, defiant.

Ange sighed and yanked the bag from her grip. He was cruelly strong. Too strong for her. And he dipped his dark head with that creepy old-fashioned politeness, and handed the bag to me.

Rosa screamed, and dived for it, but too late.

My hand closed over the velvet. Rosa crashed into the ground, missing me by inches, and on my finger, Jasper’s ring burned with frosted flame.

Gemstones. Mine. And not a moment too soon.

High overhead, the moon lit the sky like daylight.

33

I clutched the bag to my chest, triumph blazing fireworks in my veins. Kane’s deadline was up. And already I felt the magical pull of my thrall, dragging me to him.

I’d given him my soul when I accepted Jasper’s cursed ring. But I’d done my part. I had the gemstones. I could only hope Kane would keep his promise and set me free.

I stretched my arms, inhaling, exalting to the silvery light. My bones burned deep, the promise of hellfire alive. Moonshine spilled over me, lighting my skin with a metallic glow. My wings swelled hot and tingling. I’d won.

My only regret was I’d never told Diamond thank you.

“Ember. How lovely to see you.”

That warm velvet voice coated my spine, tainting my tongue with charcoal.

I turned, shivering. Kane stared at me, black eyes flat with my reflection. Black suit, bow tie, his golden hair spilling loose.

What had I expected? To be dragged to his lair in hell? Nothing so sordid for my elegant demon lord. He was already at Ange’s party. I wasn’t getting away.

Rosa cowered on the ground, tears swelling her eyes. Angelo just glared at me, dark. “Kane, look, if there’s an issue here I’m sorry. I didn’t know she was yours. No slight intended.”

“None taken.” Kane didn’t move his gaze from mine. “Just the little matter of a debt.”

I scrabbled in my bag. The gemstones leapt and giggled, smarting in my palm with malicious glee, and I dragged them out. Moonlight glittered on the jewels, winking red and blue and yellow like evil eyes. I thrust them out to Kane, my pulse wild. “I got them. Look. They’re all here.”

Kane’s face gleamed, and he reached for them.

“No!” Rosa screamed, and launched herself at him, clawed nails scratching.

Kane glanced at her and blinked. A wave of black hellspell shimmered the air in rich sulfur stink, and Rosa fell, her mouth and nose exploding in blood. She hit the ground at my feet, unmoving.

Ange’s brow flickered, but he didn’t protest.

Kane didn’t even look. He just scooped the gems from my hand.

A tiger’s eye for Crimson. Famine’s dark sapphire. Rosa’s violetpink on silver. All there. Except one.

He held them to the hungry moonlight, twirling them in neat fingers. “I like the blue one.”

My throat parched, but I held my voice steady. “I did everything you asked. Now give me what you promised.”

Kane smiled, scarlet. “But there’s still one left, cindergirl.”

I held out my hand, shaking. Kane gripped my finger, and in a flash of awful scarlet flame that seared my flesh, Jasper’s ring pulled free.

My bones flared hot, one last agonizing warning, and the fire inside them died.

I gasped, staggering. I felt light, clean, unburdened. Like I’d dumped some nasty baggage.

Kane stuffed the gems in his pocket and turned away.

“Wait,” I gasped. “Is that all? Am I done?”

“Yes, Ember. All done. Much obliged.” Kane grinned, playful like a wicked child. “Unless you’d care to go another round? There must be something you want. You’ve got a little virus problem, I see. I could make that go away. Or … something else?”

Memory stroked me hot, his sly touch in my mind, hunting out my desires. Before, he’d tried to tempt me with visions of me and Jasper, and it hadn’t worked. But I had a far more compelling desire now.

Wildly, I clamped my jaw shut, fighting to clear my mind, think about something else, not let my sorrow show. Not picture my roseglass fairy prince, bleeding out in glowing puddles on the floor with my teethmarks in his throat.

But Kane inhaled, sniffing me, and crafty knowledge lit his eyes blue. “Well, that’s new. And an easy one, as it turns out.” He traced a seductive finger across my lips, branding me, and his whisper sucked evil desire from my skin. “I can give him back to you, Ember. Alive and unharmed. All you need do is give me your soul.”

His compulsion dived deep inside me like an evil serpent, coiling around my resolve until it gasped and shuddered, weak. I choked. My lungs filled with Kane’s thunderstorm scent, and I sobbed. I wanted it. Wanted to say yes, beg for Diamond’s life, let my soul slip away into blackness if it meant I could have him back.

Diamond would hate it. I knew that. It’d tear him in two that I’d cursed my soul for him. But I didn’t care.

Fuck doing the right thing. I was selfish. I was reckless. I’d make Diamond’s sacrifice mean nothing. It didn’t matter. I just needed him to hold me so I could pretend I was okay. I needed the guilt to go away.

Kane stroked my hair, his lips teasing mine. “Last chance, Ember. I won’t offer again.”

Charcoal licked my bones raw, and I opened my mouth to say yes.

And beside us, Angelo doubled over with a rich groan and heaved up a gutful of blood.

I jerked back, shaking, yanked from my hellish fugue back to reality.

Kane stared, his nose wrinkling. Ange spewed again. Blood. My blood, glimmering alive with moonshine, but clogged with lumps of darker, poisoned meat.

My breath caught. Shit. The poison had worked. And I had
I did it
written all over me.

Ange gasped, blood and saliva dripping from his nose, and his hard gray glare snapped up onto me. “You dirty fucking bitch.”

Blackness shimmered like heat haze, and Kane’s wrath staggered me dizzy.

I fell to my knees, and the demon dragged my head up by the hair. His claws sprang out, slicing hot hell-wrath into my scalp, and his black eyes swirled scarlet. “Look what you’ve done!”

I fought, grass scraping my knees. “I didn’t—”

“Not that one. No no no. That one’s mine. I
need
that one
alive
.” Kane grabbed me by the throat, and my flesh scorched alight with his vengeance. “I’m disappointed in you, Ember. I gave you every chance.”

“I’m sorry!” His grip squeezed my voice to a croak. “Please. Don’t. I’ll make it up to you—”

“Oh, yes. You will.” He dropped me, ash scattering like snow, and fury sprang his hair blue. “You want your precious fairy boy so much? Go and get him.”

And the fire in my bones blazed high and triumphant.

I howled, despair hacking my heart in two. The stink of my burned flesh sickened me. Already grasping spectral hands crawled up my ankles, dragging me down. I kicked and hauled upward with my wings, panic flashing my nerves like electric shock, but they wouldn’t let go.

Hellfire scorched me, dragging my breath away. Agony flared sunbright. Already, charcoal simmered my lungs dry. The air howled and funneled inward, a dark vortex sucking me into emptiness. My limbs folded, and grass smacked into my cheek as I fell. My vision bubbled and faded, a dying film reel.

A scream pierced my lungs. I scrabbled blindly, fighting to stay. But a gritty ashen whirlwind sucked me away, and blackness stuffed my throat silent.