Blood Cursed (24 page)

28

Diamond walks away, hot fairy anger afire in his veins, and it’s all he can do not to whirl back to her and drag her to safety. He saw the ravenous delight in Ange’s eyes. His glassfae sight sparked like electrificated wire with the hitch in Ange’s pulse when the vampire inhaled her moonrich scent. Diamond’s palms itch to clawify the virusrotten shitsmear’s face off.

Ange fell for his Ember-trick without a blink. Too easy. Everything Diamond thought he wantified. But all he wants to do is dive back there and rip Ember away.

But he stills his shaking hands and strides through the crowd like nothing’s amiss. Just stick to the plan.

Find Rosa while Ange is distracted. And make her reverse this stupid binding thingy. Make her give him his worthless soul back.

Because it’s not Rosa’s to keep. Not anymore. And then, he can get back to Ember, where he belongs.

Dying for her would be simply-snitch. Just hand the gemstone over, let Ember go, let Rosa’s binding suck him down to hell. It can’t be crappier than this. And facify facts. Diamond’s led a rotten life. With or without Rosa’s spellings, he’ll likely end in hell one day anyway.

But he’s always done the easy tricks. Walk away. Blame someone else. Never riskify.

Not this time. He doesn’t want to die for Ember. Any useless creature can die. He wants to live for her. It’s the only way he can prove he’s worthy.

He scans the crowd for Rosa’s darkflowing hair, his glasstalent piercing hedge and creeper-stained wall. Figures move in hot translucent darkness, torchlight boxed in an eerie cube where the walls should be. He hops around the dryparched fountain, scorched blossom bobbing dead at his feet. Nothing.

His eyes swivel towards the house, and a familiar spicy whiff quivers his nose alive.

In a dark flash, he dims before he darts through the crowd. A whipsprung hop and swoop, and he’s scaled the balcony, lighting in a stucco archway’s shadow. Rosa’s sharp scent guides him, and he slashes the walls aside with faesight and searches with razoredged eyes.

There. A slim shape, huddled beside a shining steel bed frame. He yowls, fairybells echoing like sonar, and his directional sense plots a swift path of unresistificality that doesn’t involve crashifying through walls.

Through the French doors he skips, fairy-light. Up a dim corridor and around a corner and he’s in an opulent bedroom, moonlit from an open clerestory where the garden’s jasmine fragrance spills in.

Rosa’s slim body lies motionless by the bed, wrapped in a whitesatin robe, dark hair flowing free. He dives to her side, urgency silvering his veins. Finish this, get to Ember before Ange gets too far into it. “Rosa. Wake up.”

She jerks, her voice stripped tense. “Diamond? Oh, thank god. Get me out of here.” She scrambles to sit, and chain clanks, one ankle and one wrist bound to the curled iron bed frame.

Diamond’s mouth sours. Her pretty leg’s bruised, her hair all tanglified, fatigue circling dark under her eyes. Her wrists are slashed, half-healed fangmarks scabbing over, and when her robe slips off one creamy shoulder, it reveals more fresh bites.

He waits for scarlet rageflash, the cruel imperative to avenge, crush, kill.

It doesn’t come.

Because she’s not worth it. Do dealings with her and get back to Ember, where you belong.

Her hellbracelet bites into his wrist, and he swallows, tight. “Not so fast. Promise me first.”

Her violet eyes—sure, right, how’d he forgettify?—her eyes darken with impatience. “Over on the dresser. The key. Quickly.”

He stares her down. “Promise you’ll unlock the shiny and let my soul go.”

Rosa stares, broken. “What? I can’t do that, Diamond. You know I can’t! I’ll go to hell if you—”

“You’ll go there sooner if Ange deads you.” He stares her down, cold. “Promise, or I swearify, I’ll leave you to bleed.”

“Please, Diamond, I’m begging you … .”

“No, Rosa.” Tears. They used to hurt him. Now, he feels nothing but disgust. “You had your chancies to do this easy. You fucked it. Promise.”

Rosa’s mouth trembles. “Oh, god. I’ve seen that look in your eyes. You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

Diamond laughs, crystalbright. “Don’t pretendify it hurts. I know you don’t give a fuck. But yeah. Meanifying, I don’t give a fuck about you either. So promise, if you don’t want me to deadify your lying ass right now.”

She sobs and gives in. “Okay, okay. But promise you’ll let me go if I do.” For once, her gaze bears no deceit. Just empty despair. “Please. I know you’ve no reason to care. Just … don’t let me die like this. Give me a chance to fight.”

“No.”

“Please! If we ever had anything, Diamond. Don’t let me spend my last few hours chained to a bed.”

Urgency itches under his claws, but warm compassion glimmers in his heart, too. He’s too timeshort to argue. Rosa will drown in hellfire soon enough. And cruelties aren’t his style, not these days. Let her see the stars before she dies. “Okay. I promise.”

“Show me your arm.”

He holds it out to her, impassive.

She rips her bracelet from his wrist. It tears free, ruby blood splattering her fingers. The gemstone flares scarlet with angry hellfire, and ash litters the floor. The spell’s broken.

He flexes his forearm. It feels … different. Cooler. The tiny flame in his bones gone. Yes. “Now givify.”

Trembling, she hands the bracelet over. He takes it. Sparks prickle his palm, but he holds it tightly.

He plucks the key from the polishwood table and unlocks Rosa’s wrist shackle. Flesh squelches. He drops the bloody manacle, disgusted. Images flood of Ember, shuddering hot in Famine’s dungeon, the tight metal unfolding from her soft bruised wrists … .

He gnashes angry teeth and bends for Rosa’s ankle.

And swift like a serpent, Rosa dives for the empty shackle and locks it tight around his wrist.

For a dazzled moment, he’s too slow to figure it out.

She snatches for the key. He jerks back, but the chain drags him up short, and she grabs his wrist and rips the key away with a laugh. She stands, and with a wrench of vampire-strong muscles, tears her ankle chain free.

Cruel disbelief rots his blood, and for a stunned second he closes his eyes.

One day, that bleeding heart’s gonna get you killed.

Goddamn it.

She rakes him raw with a cunning smile and rips the bracelet from his grip. “Thanks. You’re so predictable. I like that about you.”

He scrabbles for the key, but she’s already tossed it out of reach. He yanks the chain and flexes his forearm hard, sweat springing, but the manacle won’t budge. “You ungratefulicious cow.”

She slips her robe back onto her shoulder, bloody marks already healing. “Hardly. It’s your little bloodfairy bitch who’s been hunting me and my friends down. With your help, I might add, and fuck you very much. So nice of you to bring her to me, and all her gemstones, too.”

Useless fury ripples his muscles aglow, and he jerks on the chain but it won’t come free. The bed’s bolted to the floorboards. “She’s worth a squillion of you, trashbitch. If you hurt her—”

“Oh, I should think Ange is doing fine with that, don’t you? What a thoughtful gift. Maybe I’ll go have a taste. But he doesn’t like to share. Hope she doesn’t get broken.” Her clever eyes narrow cruelly, her glint-white fangs mocking him.

His glassy wing panes crawl. Once, he’d thought her beautiful. “You inventified the whole thing, right. He’s not hurting you.”

“No more than I want him to, pet. And he’s so much better at it than you ever were.” Rosa leans over him, breasts swelling. “Still, you do smell good. Wonder what you taste like?” And she licks a scorching trail over his collarbone and sinks sharp teeth into his shoulder muscle.

Agony spikes. His wings jerk hard against the bedframe, but he can’t escape. She sucks, blood forcing out through muscle and skin, and he grits aching teeth. Like white-hot blades in his flesh, and his blood screams afire.

He yanks her hair, strands ripping. But no use, until she groans and drags her head back, blood splashing gembright from her smile. “Ahh. Very nice. Fairy blood makes me horny. Want a quick one, for old times’ sake?”

Diamond opens his mouth to tell her to go fuck herself.

“Enough of that.” A shadow slips from darker shadows, and that flat lizard voice slides scaly on Diamond’s skin.

Tony LaFaro caresses crusted yellow hands into Rosa’s hair, his flatnosed face twisted with triumph.

She tilts her head back for his kiss. “Mmm. Don’t be jealous, baby. He’s all yours.”

Diamond laughs, sick. “You’ve got to be shittifying me. You really will fuck anything.”

Tony grins, and Rosa snakes forward and snarls, spitting lips an inch from Diamond’s. “I do what I must to get ahead. Don’t be so damn superior.”

“Least I’m not whorifying my dignity away.” But images flash of Ember, pretty skin slashed all over, her blood dripping jewelbright over vampire lips, and heat springs ugly beneath his skin. Whatever dignificality he had left, he’s lost it now by letting Ember do this.

Rosa snaps at him, lashing his lips bright. “Like you’ve never screwed your conscience blind to get what you wanted—”

“C’mon, kids, play nice.” Tony drags her off, her dark hair flying. “Why don’t you leave the grown-ups to talk, love?”

She tugs her robe straight with a scowl. “Fine. Think I’ll go check on your fairytart girlfriend. She should be bleeding nicely by now.” And she flounces out.

Diamond snarls and thrashes, aching, but it’s tame compared to the chill in his heart. If Ember dies because of him …

Tony’s grin spreads wider. A spring flicks in his hand, and a wickedsharp blade pops out, jagged edges glinting feral in the moonlight. “So pleased you could make it.”

Not now, you sickity fuck. Not with Ember alone and bleedified.

Diamond swoops upward, wings flashing. But his chained wrist yanks tight, and he tumbles hard to the floor. His wingtips shatter, excruciating, but the pain just steels his nerves tighter. “Too scaredy-lizardfreak to fight fair? Let me free and I’ll chew your scaly-ass throat out.”

Delighted sweats glistens on Tony’s flat yellow face. He bends closer, and the hot stink of sand and reptilian skin parches Diamond’s tongue. “Think I’m stupid, fairyshit? Not likely. Anyway, I’ve got a friend who’d like to talk to you.”

And a slim hard figure slinks from the shadows. Jeans and diamond earrings, wet hair in jagged silhouette, silverflash fangs.

Vincent DiLuca grins. “Surprise.”

Diamond stares. The kid’s clothes are smeared scarlet and blue, and his eyes gleam bloodshot, a crazyfied glint that outshines even his usual psycho glare. His hands shake, his fingers bitten raw. Whatever happenated him in Famine’s dungeon, it wasn’t pretty.

Tony cackles, delighted. “Ha ha. Amazing what you find lying around in Famine’s trash. Thought you girls might like to talk. Go ahead, kill each other. I really don’t give a fuck who wins.” He slinks away, his dry lizard chuckle fading.

And Vincent licks spitslick teeth, and crouches on quivering thighs, one palm balanced on the floor. His voice scratches, ripped raw like he’s been screaming. “I’ve had a really shitty night because of you. And I’m gonna make you bleed for it before you die.”

Diamond yanks his chain harder, crushing his wrist. “Lizardboy’s using you, DiLuca. Too shit-scared of Ange to do me himself. You really gonna kill me for his funnification?”

Vincent grins, hungry. “Nope. I’m gonna do it for mine. And when I’m done, I’ll hunt down your little bloodfae bitch and eat her. If there’s anything left.”

Clarity dazzles Diamond like crystal. He’s never cared too much about dying before. Always seemed inevitmable. But he never had anything to live for until now.

She’ll never forgive him for betraying her. No matterficality. To keep her safe isn’t dying for nothing.

But this is.

He crouches tense and ready, springing his claws tight with a crystalsharp crunch. “Bring it, fairybait. I’m gonna carve your throat out. Don’t say I didn’t warnify.”

29

Ange held the door for me, and with chills jolting my spine rigid, I walked in.

Candlelight reflected on the white-framed windows, gloating over polished floorboards and smooth mahogany furniture. A bedroom, not a lounge, dark linen and cushions so the mess wouldn’t show, framed modern art I didn’t like on the creamy walls. Above, an electric chandelier hung dark. I wished it was on, even though the moon shone bright and crazy, thudding my pulse to madness. Warm perfume drifted, flowery and light, but it didn’t fool me. I could still smell the blood.

The door clicked shut.

I tried to relax, but my body knotted tight. After Jasper, I’d vowed I’d never do this again. Yet here I was, whoring my blood on a fairy boy’s say-so. I’d never learn.

I had to get out of here. I sidled backwards, gripping my bag tight in my lap. “Uh, I’m sorry. I’ve really gotta go—”

“Don’t think so, love.” Air rushed, and Ange was behind me, solid and immovable. I jumped forward, but he gripped my wrist with lightsteel fingers and tugged me back.

My pulse galloped, crazy. His casual strength made me shiver. I wasn’t getting away. I’d just have to get it over with as quickly as I could. Hopefully, he’d choke on the poison and die, sooner rather than later.

Diamond will come for you, Ember. He said he would. Trustify.

Ange’s warm fingers stroked the back of my neck, and I shivered. He didn’t waste any time. I could feel him inhaling, tasting my scent, the shadow of his lips only a fraction from my skin. “You smell fantastic,” he whispered, dark with promise.

He traced my wing’s edge, and my membranes crawled hot. I wanted to scream, leap away, run. My mind clammered as fast as my pulse. What happened now? Did he expect me to sleep with him, or did he just want to eat? Was I supposed to participate? Fake it like a prostitute? Or just stand here and let him do what he liked?

Demure but sexy.
Diamond’s advice echoed.
He likifies that.

I turned, no effort required to lower my gaze or let my lips tremble. “Do … do you really think so?”

He lifted my hand to sniff inside my wrist, the faintest of kisses breaking my skin out in bumps. “Love, I’ve lived a long time, and you are the sweetest thing I’ve met in years.”

I forced a blush, moonblood heating my cheeks. “Oh, well, I’m sure I’m n—Oh!”

A tiny sting scraped my wrist. I jerked, mortified at the heat that flooded along my arm.

He held me, fingers like iron. “Shh. Quiet now. It’ll hurt a little bit.”

Blood beaded along the scratch, luminescent in hungry moonlight. His tongue dipped, lapping, and the sting deepened to a soft ache that tingled my fingers and crept slyly up to my elbow.

Horror oiled my throat, but the greedy moon cackled rich in my ears and wouldn’t be silent.

No. I’m not listening. That didn’t just feel good.

“Oh, that’s superb.” Ange closed his eyes on a slow sigh of desire. He kissed my wrist, teasing the thin skin with tempting fangs, and I quivered rigid with disgust and strange eagerness. No one ever did this to me before. They’d all just bitten me and sucked out what they wanted.

Was he actually trying to make it good for me?

Could it be good?

Moonfever bubbled in my blood, and my pulse skipped faster, harder, Diamond’s poison tainting my wits with evil curiosity. I burned to know. I didn’t care. I wanted to flee before I embarrassed myself. I wanted to stay here and let him do whatever he wanted.

Helpless, I tugged, trying to break free. But Ange held me, capturing my other arm as I fought, and before I knew it, my aching wings were pressed tight against a wall and I couldn’t escape. His body held mine, hard and frightening.

And irresistibly, he bent my wrist back until the tendons pulled tight, and sank hot fangs into my skin.

His lips burned me, no longer cold but feverish. Softly my skin broke, a sparkling pain that deepened and spread as he forced slowly inside. My moonthick blood pulsed hot, eager, oozing fresh into his mouth. He closed his lips and sucked, not hard but tempting, his tongue caressing the blood as it spilled, and reckless compulsion stabbed me hard.

I sobbed and averted my face, loosened hair falling. The intimacy made me retch. It hurt. It felt disgusting. But with the moon lurking fat and greedy overhead, that silverneon heat throbbing deep in my pulse, my blood ruled me. And my blood didn’t care about the pain. It just wanted more. More sensation. More pleasure. More thrills. More.

Ange pulled back, licking the bright spill, and as his teeth slid out, my flesh cried. He nuzzled the bite, blood smearing on his lips. “You like that?”

“Uhh.” I didn’t trust myself to talk. The sight of my blood in his mouth flushed me rich with dirty desire, and acid sloshed in my throat.

He trailed hungry kisses up my forearm, and grazed hot teeth inside my elbow. A single blood-drop swelled, and he smeared it lightly, licking his lips. “How about we try a little more?”

I trembled. This was grotesque. And Ange had barely begun. He’d taken only a mouthful or two. If Diamond’s poison was affecting him, he wasn’t showing it. Maybe it was slow-acting. Maybe it just didn’t work.

I swallowed, ashen, and forced a nervous smile. “Look, I really should be going … .”

Ange sucked a glowing ruby droplet from his lips, his eyes alight with hunger, and with a twitch of impossibly strong fingers he flipped me around so my breasts pressed into the wall.

He crushed me, his hard weight both threat and promise. His kisses on my shoulder made me quiver. “Honey,” he whispered, his fangs a seductive graze on the back of my neck, “you’re not going anywhere. I’ve got all night. And I’m gonna taste you all over—”

“Oh, Angelo, you’re not starting without me?”

The voice slid in behind me, low and purring, female. I jerked, involuntarily pressing against Ange, and he bit my spine softly with a lustful snarl. Blood trickled down my bare back, and he licked it up, one long shivering caress up my spine. “Go away, Rosa. I’m busy.”

My pulse leapt tight, and I forced my head to look.

Pale and slender in a white satin robe, syrupy dark hair flowing as she sauntered in with one hand cocked on a shapely hip. Perfume drifted, expensive and heady. Her violet gaze sparkled over me, fangs glinting in a red-lipped pout. “Don’t be greedy. We can share. Diamond said I could have some.”

Rosa flipped shiny silver over her fingers, and I recognized Diamond’s bracelet. His blood crusted the edges, dried rosepetals. She brandished it before my eyes, and a jewel embedded in the silver flared, dancing with unholy scarlet fire.

My stomach hollowed cold. I’d always thought that flame was just a reflection from his luminous skin. But it wasn’t. That was the gemstone. She’d taken it from him. I was screwed.

Or maybe he’d given it to her.

My reason juddered and broke under a blast of rage and denial. He’d betrayed me. Given me up for her. He’d lied to me, and yet again, I’d believed it for the sake of a few scorching kisses. Fuck, I was so dumb.

I wanted to wail my anguish to the hungry moon. Stupid bloodfae whore, thinking I was worth something. Even to a cruel-hearted glassfairy gangboy with shit for a conscience.

I’d never learn.

Rosa wrapped her hand around my bag’s strap and ripped it away from me. All the gemstones, hers. Except for the one screeching frosty laughter on my finger.

My mouth trembled, treachery souring my tongue. She was beautiful. More beautiful than I. No wonder Diamond wanted her. Her eyes’ cruel glint made me shiver, even in a vampire’s embrace. They were welcome to each other.

But still my heart scorched like acid that he’d choose a rapacious bloodsucker bitch over me.

Maybe a taste of poison would do her good. If it was even real.

Or I could tell Ange the truth.

My skin tightened. Tell him I was poison. Tell him Diamond was trying to kill him. Maybe, Ange would let me go. I had nothing against him. Why not?

Sure. Because vampire gangsters were notoriously forgiving. He’d just break my neck, and then he’d kill Diamond, too.

Yeah? So? What did I care? Diamond had betrayed me.

But my veins spiked warm with denial and sparkling fear, and I realized I didn’t want him dead.

I shivered, heartsore. God help me, but I still felt something for him. Deep in my shattered soul, where for a few precious moments in his embrace, I’d gazed into the mirror and hadn’t loathed what I saw.

For that, I owed him something, however small and futile.

My determination firmed. My life had been so pointless, a tawdry scrap for affection I couldn’t win and meaning that just wasn’t there. So if I had to die with my soul trapped in a cursed gem, let it be for a purpose.

To kill this evil, toxic woman who’d crippled Diamond’s heart. To set him free.

If I can feed one sick vampire maniac, I can surely feed two. Let them both drink the poison, and good riddance.

I arched back against Ange, moonflushed desire mixing flame into my blood. “I don’t mind sharing if you don’t.”

Ange slid warm palms over my wings, sniffing my damp scent with a sigh. “Maybe when I’ve finished. Till then you can watch, Ro. You like to watch, don’t you?”

Rosa chuckled, hideous, and settled herself elegantly in a plush dark armchair. “You know I do.”

My halter neck popped open in his fingers, and he pulled me from the wall and stripped my dress down to my hips, unzipping me to let it fall to the floor. I could feel Rosa’s gaze sliding over me, calculating, and somehow it was worse than Angelo’s hungry stare. The hot moonlit air stroked my breasts, pulling my nipples tight, and I shivered with anticipation and disgust. Wetness slicked between my legs, hot and horrid. If he touched me there—god, if he bit me there—I’d scream.

But I couldn’t help wondering. What would it feel like when he finally lost his patience? Hard and fast and painful like the others? Or … something different?

Ange lifted me in his arms, light as a cloud, and when he dropped me softly on the bed and started brushing hot wet lips over my ankle, my body shuddered in confusion and delight.

Moonlight shone full and hot onto the bed, caressing me wild. My veins pulsed hard under his kiss. My legs slipped apart, honey fragrance erupting, and my spine arched on curling wings, willing him closer.

Delirium throbbed through my body, awakening vile desire. I wanted this monster to drink me. I wanted him to go down on me. I wanted to claw his eyeballs out and run shrieking, find Diamond and cling to him in warm rosescented safety and never let him go.

Or slap his arrogant roseglass face and fly away.

I didn’t know what I wanted.

I just squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the sting.