Eternal Flame (Guardians, Book One) by Valerie Twombly (6 page)

Jolted from her thoughts, she realized he had spoken.
God, what a complete idiot I am.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
I was busy reminiscing about our nights together.

He stared at her, his eyes shifting to a smoky gray. “I asked your name.”

“Oh…uh, it’s Cassandra, but everyone calls me Cassie.”

He tipped his head. “Nice to meet you, Cassie, my name is Marcus. May I buy you a drink?”

Holy hell, what do I say?
“Thanks, but I’ll have to pass.” She realized Jill had stepped in beside her.
Thank goodness.
She jumped from her stool so fast it spun on two legs. “My sister and I need to be going. We have another engagement to attend.” She gave Jill a pleading look. “It was nice meeting you, Marcus. Maybe we’ll run into each other again.” She turned and sped toward the door, not even giving him a chance to respond.

Once outside, she dragged in a ragged breath before Jill smacked her on the arm. “What the hell is wrong with you? It was obvious that guy was interested in you.”

“I know, but I don’t want to get tangled up with someone like him.”

Jill rolled her eyes. “Like what? Drop-dead gorgeous? My god, Cass, I have half a mind to throw myself at him.”

Oh no, you don’t. He’s mine!
She shook her head. “You know a guy that good-looking has no shortage of women.”

“Oh, for crying out loud. You need to get laid, you know that?” Jill waggled her brows. “I bet he’s one helluva fuck.”

Cassie groaned. Her sister had no idea, but she wanted a man to love her. One who would be devoted to her and their children. One who wouldn’t leave her for her best friend.

She grabbed her mental rubber band and snapped it again.
Right, one white picket fence coming up.
“I need an aspirin.”

She stormed down the sidewalk with Jill following behind her.

“Wait.” Jill grabbed her arm and swung her around to face her. “Something more is going on here.”

Cassie shook her head. “Nothing’s going on.”

Jill’s brows drew together. “I can tell you’re lying. Spill.”

She let out a deep sigh. “I’m crazy, but that man has been showing up in my dreams now for several weeks.” She looked at the ground. “Erotic dreams.”

“Where did you meet him?”

She lifted her gaze and looked back at her sister. “I’ve never seen him before in my life.”

Jill’s mouth shaped into a silent ‘Oh’. “Maybe you saw him somewhere and don’t remember.”

Again, she shook her head. “How could any woman forget that?”

“You do have a point.” Jill wrapped an arm around Cassie’s shoulder, and they continued to walk down the sidewalk. A wicked grin curled on her lips. “Is he good in bed?”

She gave her sister a sideways glance. “You’ve no idea.”

Chapter Five

Marcus had entered Roxie’s intending to do a little investigative work on Veronica. When he stepped inside, his eyes focused on the surroundings. The club was in full swing. A large u-shaped bar sat on the opposite side of the room with almost every stool occupied. The band on stage belted out classic rock while the dance floor shimmied with sweating, gyrating bodies. The scent of demons wafted from the crowd, but nothing to worry about. In fact, the owner Roxie was a Kothar demon. She’d been running this establishment for the last ten years.

“Marcus, darling!” He recognized the feminine voice before the beautiful demon appeared by his side.

“Roxie, love.” He pulled her into an embrace. Damn, she was still beautiful as ever. Golden hair piled up on her head with a few wisps cascading down her neck. Her skin was peaches and cream, with a body that men would kill to touch. In fact, many had. Roxie always held a fondness for Marcus, but he kept it strictly platonic.

“What brings you here, sweetheart?” She arched a blonde brow, her sapphire eyes glistened with danger. “You’re not here to cause me trouble, are you?”

“No, love. I’m here to investigate the missing human.”

“Oh yes, such a shame.” She patted Marcus on the arm. “I hear Odage was seen with her, is this true?”

“That’s what I hear. You know anything else?”

Her head shook. “No, afraid I’m not much help. I understand Aidyn is king now. My sympathies to you on the loss of your queen. Let me know if I can ease your pain.” She winked.

He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “Thanks, darling, but you know we’re only friends.”

She pushed out her red lips. “You can’t blame me for trying.”

He smiled then moved into the crowd, intent on finding someone who had seen Veronica when his fangs lowered into his mouth. Spiced honey assaulted his senses. No, he thought. This couldn’t be happening, not now. He prepared to turn and flee when he met her gaze.

His mate was here.

Muscles flexed, and his cock grew stiff. He took several deep breaths and tried to center himself. He still had a job to do but moved toward her.

After taking a seat, he knew at once it was her. Her aura matched his. Sweat beaded on his brow, and his jeans became uncomfortable. Desire burned him, he needed to bind their souls. He fought every instinct to pull her from this place and take her to his bed. She would never understand his kind and his desires. To her, he would be nothing more than an animal.

Her beauty took him by surprise. Silky, brunette hair flowed down the middle of her back, and her hips cried for his palms to press against them as he slid in and out of her. He didn’t doubt their bodies were a perfect match. Her emerald-green eyes spoke of a burning passion. He sensed her attraction to him, but somehow, she thought herself unworthy. This upset him.

He tried to speak to her and managed to get her name before she made her escape. He knew her scent and could follow her to the ends of the Earth. What the hell was Zarek thinking, he wondered. A human with no idea his kind walked beside them. No doubt she would break his heart.

He stood to leave when a stunning blonde sat down beside him, giving him a wink. She wore a black dress with a low-cut top and a high-cut bottom. Nothing much left for the imagination.

“Hey handsome, you here alone?” the female cooed.

He eyed her cleavage while his cock deflated. She was a tempting morsel, and he hadn’t been laid in weeks. His mood turned sour. Normally, he would have fed on her then fucked the hell out of her. But not tonight, he had no desire for her.

He dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the bar. “Sorry, honey, I have plans, but buy yourself a drink on me.”

He headed for the door, his mind a total mess.
Fuck you very much, Zarek
. His mate had ruined him, already.

When he stepped outside, he was ready to throttle someone. He couldn’t stop thinking of Cassie, wondering how she would feel beneath him. Would her flesh taste like spiced honey? He growled and shook the thoughts from his head then sauntered up to a nice-looking redhead who had given him the eye earlier.

“Come walk with me.” His voice smooth as velvet, he placed an arm around her shoulder. The woman smiled and snuggled in close to him.

He maneuvered her into the darkness, away from prying eyes. His body covered hers in an embrace, giving the impression they were lovers. “You have nothing to fear. I intend you no harm,” he purred in her ear. His voice mesmerized her.

He suckled her neck, bringing the smaller vein to the surface. Guardians never went for the jugular. It was messy, and humans bleed too fast. Once he had the vein where he wanted, he secreted a numbing fluid from the tips of his fangs. The fluid ensured no pain when he punctured the skin.

His fangs slid deep into her vein, and he drank. Warmth flowed down his throat, bringing power and strength back to his body. The burning in his belly disappeared, but a fire in his heart began. His mate was supposed to bring him life, not a stranger. Visions of him kissing every inch of Cassie’s body danced through his head.

The woman in his arms gave a low moan of pleasure, snapping him back to reality. Her body trembled; he placed a hand over her mouth to stifle her cries as her orgasm took hold. Taking blood gave humans immense pleasure. It was a shame she would never remember it.

When her cries died down, he retracted his fangs then ran his tongue along the puncture wounds, his saliva instantly sealing it.

Within seconds, there would be no sign of what he’d done. He turned her back toward the crowd and whispered in her ear, “Thank you for your sacrifice. You will remember nothing of what happened.” Then he walked away, now only half the man he was when he entered New Orleans.

* * * *

Odage dressed in dark jeans, a crisp, white button-down shirt and a black jacket. Booted feet touched the sidewalk, breaking the silence of the quiet street.

The neighborhood fit his needs. It sat on the outskirts of New Orleans. The residents spent their evenings in front of the television, absorbed in a reality show, never bothering to consider the realism in their own front yards. A few of the homeless picked through the trash, looking for food and trinkets the self-absorbed humans grew tired of and tossed like yesterday’s news.

He scanned and found a tall man rummaging through the garbage in front of a small brick home. He assessed his prey. Six foot five, medium build, around forty—he looked undernourished. Perfect.

He approached the man and spoke in a hushed tone. “Sir, may I buy you a warm meal and a cup of coffee?”

The man looked up, his blue eyes misted. “God bless you, kind sir. I’d be much obliged. I’d be happy to repay you, but I have no money.” The man threw his shoulders back and straightened his spine. “I can work, though.”

“Oh, I am sure we can arrange something, my good man.” Odage wrapped an arm around his victim’s shoulder and before the man could react, sank sharp teeth into muscle and bone. His incisors extended to pump poison into his whimpering victim. Partially shifting, he encased his prey in a black, leathery wing then waited for the poison to take effect.

The victim’s heart pumped violently while a plea for help stuck in his throat. As soon as the chaos started, it ended. The body went limp, and Odage let him fall to the ground like a sack of garbage. He closed his eyes and shifted back to human form then scanned the area again for any approaching humans. It would take several minutes for death to come.

Odage observed with a callous grin as the body spasmed in a violent fit. Spittle spewed from the man’s mouth, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. With one last brutal shake, he gasped for breath then went silent. Odage looked at his watch, still time to attend the slave auction. Pulling a syringe from his pocket, he tapped it, making sure there were no bubbles. The green liquid inside cast an eerie glow before he plunged the needle into the man’s heart. He waited.

His nerves stretched so thin they might snap as he paced back and forth on the sidewalk. He grew tired of waiting. The transformation took longer than expected. The demon who sold him the vile promised it contained the freshest blood. Had guaranteed it would bring back the dead, his own minion. Odage smiled, who knew the blood of a Kothar demon held so much power. No wonder they were prized in the slave market. Perhaps he should consider bidding on one himself.

He glanced at his watch again; ten minutes had passed. He was about to give up hope when the man gasped for air. In a blink, he came to stand over the body, hovering while the man opened his eyes. Excellent, the minion’s eyes had changed from pale blue to black, indicating his soul now resided in the depths of hell.

“Rise,” he commanded, taking a step back to survey his handiwork. The minion appeared younger and more solid. His muscle mass four times its former size.

The minion looked at Odage and responded. “How may I serve you, master?”

Odage spun around when he heard a voice behind him.

* * * *

After leaving the redhead a half hour before, Marcus’s temper hadn’t improved. So occupied with thoughts of Cassie that it slipped his mind why he’d been sent.
Fucking Christ, maybe I should go back to Roxie’s.
He scrubbed his face, no point in going back. He’d wait and see what the others had found out. One thing was certain, he’d better dampen his emotions before he scared the humans. How the hell had a slip of a woman gotten under his skin?

Once inside the coffee shop, he spotted the other two warriors waiting. It was late, so they had the place to themselves. He pulled out a chair and poured a cup of coffee from the carafe that sat on the table. He didn’t care for the stuff, but needed something to wash the unpleasant taste of the redhead from his mouth.

“So, did either of you have any luck tonight?” His voice sounded like gravel.

Seth gave him a leveled look. “Yes. I located the gentlemen who witnessed her leaving the club four nights ago.”

“And?” Shit, he hadn’t meant to sound so harsh.

“Odage. I saw a clear image of him leaving Roxie’s the night the girl disappeared.”

He turned to Garin. “What about you?”

“The demons gave me the slip, but I did find out there’s going to be a slave auction later tonight. Problem is I have no idea where.”

Marcus slammed his cup on the table, a crack split the side. “Damn it. We’ve got a dragon killing our queen and abducting human women, who knows why. Can’t the fucking demons behave themselves for once?”

Garin shook his head. “What’s wrong with this picture?”
Marcus glared at him. “What? Fucking spit it out!”

“Since when did the Draki become our enemy? They’ve never been known to pull a stunt like this. True, they’re a moody bunch but never this,” Garin replied.

Shit, he’s got a point.

“Okay. Seth, continue working on the missing girl. Find Odage’s trail. Garin, find that fucking auction. Stay in touch, I’m going back to see Aidyn and tell him what we have so far.” He shot up, sending his chair skating across the floor.

“And pick that up,” he yelled as he exited the door.

On the street, Garin came up beside him. “So who pissed in your Cheerios?”

He stopped in his tracks. “What the hell are you talking about?”