Blood Lust (The Blood Sisters Book 1) (3 page)

“Let
the underworld open its fiery gates upon the Earth, let it be a plague that
brings me what my heart most desires,” Lourdes, queen of the underworld, said
with a smile, and pressed her thumb to the parchment paper laid before her.

“Let
it bring me Amanda Blood, but may Jessica burn in hell. Make her bleed until
she utters my name.”

Lourdes
retreated back to her throne while the chant for battle echoed throughout the
underworld. The bounty was set, dead or alive, to the spoils of war.

It
was time for Lourdes to walk the earth. It was time for Amanda to do what she
was always meant to do and free Lourdes from her dark prison. Amanda’s strength
had reached new heights and she was finally ready.

Amanda
and the Bloods had faced demons before, but none like her. No, Lourdes thought
with a callous smile,
this time
would be
different. Much different.

Let
the demon clans war with each other for Amanda. Destroy each other, it didn’t
matter to Lourdes. All that mattered was she have her prize, one way or
another.

A
queen shall rise and the mighty
Bloods
shall fall.

The
car purred as Jessica left the city limits and entered the hills covered in
dense, rotting trees. The undergrowth was long dead, and moss covered tree
trunks were her only cover as she dimmed the headlights.

Leaves
rustled and through their intertwined canopy of protection, Jessica followed
the moonlight. Coming up and over a hill, Jessica’s eyes made out the bikers’
clubhouse,
Gypsy’s Curse
.

Back
at the scene of the crime. Time to make things right.

Cutting
the engine, Jessica sucked her bottom lip. Her youthful face was aged by the
worry lines around her lips. Beauty was reserved for Amanda. Stubbornness,
Jessica had that in spades.

She
slipped her leather jacket onto her narrow shoulders; it fell to just above her
low rise leather pants. Old, comfortable boots protected her feet as she kicked
the car door open. The old girl’s 1966 hinges groaned in protest, but Jessica
wouldn’t part with her dad’s old Chrysler 300.

It
was all she had left of him— of her parents and what once was normal. Her soul
still sang, and Jessica wouldn’t let the demons take that from her.

They’d
stolen enough.

Shotgun
in hand, Jessica made her way down the hill. The leaves crunched like the dead
beneath her feet even though it was
only
summer. Nearby demons would rot everything away sure as they’d steal a human’s
soul bit by bit.

It
was a breezy night and her red curls blew off her back as she surveyed the
land. The middle-of-nowhere clubhouse was a big, old rectangle with wood
siding. Smoke wafted up from the corner chimney and peering around it, Jessica
just barely caught a glimpse of a rickety set of creaky stairs leading up to
the second level.

Windows
at the front flashed an orange, neon ‘OPEN’ sign. The music was so loud, the
rhythm thumped inside Jessica’s chest. The cranked music would hopefully
provide her with cover.

She’d
rescue her sister and get away from his place. Get as far away as she could.

She
froze. Guards.

There
were two by the front entrance standing behind a row of shiny Harley
motorcycles. Decked out in leather vests and jeans, they wore leather
caps.
 

From
this distance, Jessica couldn’t tell if they were human or demon. Sure their
skin looked slightly
gray
, maybe a bit
dull, but the corrupt soul of an evil being could only be seen close up.

Muscles
popping, they didn’t exactly look like the brains of the operation. No, the
brains were further up the food chain and that was who Jessica wanted, but
going through the front?

Risky.
Jessica didn’t mind risks, but she wasn’t a fan of dead.

Squatting
down, Jessica moved through the brittle trees, keeping to cover as she moved to
check out the back.

One
demon guarded the rear stairs that led to a back porch. A gun was holstered on
his left hip, on his right hung a long curved dagger. He shifted his weight
from right to left as he smoked a cigarette, —or a joint—Jessica couldn’t tell
from her position. The amber glow from the butt was like a flare, drawing her
eye.

One
guard? Hell, yes! Those odds were better.

A
plan quickly formed in her mind. She’d attack the one out back before taking
out the ones in the front.

Then
make her grand entrance. Jessica loved nothing more than to be loud when she
killed a few demons, and these were feeding off the town, spreading their
addiction and debauchery to good people.

If
Jessica could bring them down and save Amanda in one swoop, that’d make for a
good day.

In
the dark, Jessica waited to make her move. The passage of time was only
evidenced by the moon shifting through the trees. Not even a cricket chirped in
the dark, anything near here was long dead. Her thighs burned from being in the
same position for so long and the glow of the moon her only source of solace.

Two
demons came into view through the glow; she had suspected there may be more
patrolling the perimeter. In her way, the demons had to go. Jessica rose
silently in the shadows. With careful steps, she edged up behind the demon, and
with a
two-hand
grip, lodged her shotgun
under his throat.

She
pulled it tight, hoping to strangle the life out of him. To be that close meant
smelling his decay. His pale skin shifted in front of Jessica like a hologram.
One minute his skin was whole and the next, maggots burrowed out of his skin.
The bones of his jaw were exposed and the corrupting smell of death oozed out
from his pores.

He
gasped and tossed her side to side, trying to get free. Jessica barely held on.
Even on
tiptoe
, she was barely tall
enough to strangle the demon. Gritting her teeth, she forced more power out of her
limbs. Gripping the gun so tight, it felt like her fingers might snap off,
Jessica held a shaking breath of air and pictured her sister.

Sweet,
calm, and unable to fend for herself. It didn’t matter if Amanda was ten or
twenty-two, the thought of her innocence being corrupted stirred a quiet anger
like no other.

With
a deft twist of the shotgun, the demon’s neck broke like a twig and his body
fell
backward
toward the ground. Jessica
guided him down, but he was so heavy, he thumped down hard. Grabbing him by the
wrists, she dragged him
into
the trees.
The sopping, wet leaves would be his final resting spot.

The
earth would dissolve his body by morning, as if the evil creature never
existed; almost, but demons left scars. They destroyed and killed. Jessica’s
body was a testament to the pain, and the scars they left in their wake.

That
longing, aching, fighting, would never go away.

The
sound of tires crunching on gravel broke her from her reverie and Jessica
crouched as headlights shone through the leaves. A white van approached,
parking near the back door. No
markings,
but two demons got out, as the guard standing at the top stairs moved to greet
them.

The
back slap greetings and the chortle of laughter made Jessica’s skin crawl.
Monsters acting like humans always gave her that reaction., Maybe they’d head
inside. Maybe; —Nope.

Her
hopes were dashed. Instead they moved to the rear of the van to inspect their
merchandise. Although Jessica had an obscured view, she was able to make out
wooden crates. One of the demons gripped a crowbar so he could rip the tops.
Had to be drugs. Had to be.

Silently,
Jessica cursed and returned to the safety of the trees before taking out her
phone. “Aunt Gwen? Are you almost here? Amanda’s inside and more demons just
showed up.” Anxiety, resentment, all looped together.

“I’m
trying.” she replied in a tight voice. Can you hold on a little longer?”

Longer?
The longer Amanda was surrounded by demons; the worse things could get. When
had anything ever been easy?

 
Never, not when you’re a Blood.

Jessica
glanced back at her car, hidden among the trees. Regret thickened on her
tongue. It wouldn’t be hidden much longer, not if the demons got much closer.

“Just
hurry.” Ending the call, Jessica broke cover, and headed for the car.

Amanda
was all heart, that’s what everyone always said.

Right
then, tied to a chair with no hopes of escape, Amanda would have given anything
for a little of her sister’s
brawn
.
Jessica was tough, a fighter, and a born protector. Amanda on the other hand,
was born a lover and a healer.

Someone
to be coddled and protected.

Unless
it was snowing, Amanda rarely wore shoes.
The
soil
between her toes grounded her gifts. No one told her how or why,
but maybe it had something to do with the Earth; to being connected to the
universe. The idea was romantic, and Amanda was all about romance.

Her
wide green eyes were usually innocent and trusting, despite all that she had
faced, but now they were wide with fear. The type of terror only a demon could
inflict. Being this close to them for so long, caused a strong headache behind
her eyes. Throbbing that would continue until she got out of this wretched
place.

The
demons’ clubhouse wasn’t her favorite place to be. Demon stench was vile; a
stench her soul could smell. It was like a sickness in the air she breathed,
spreading through her blood. Even though they had her locked in another room,
Amanda felt its effect.

Sitting
in a wooden chair, Amanda’s hands were tied behind her back. The small room, in
addition to demon stench, smelled musty, like an old bedroom where the carpets
and sheets desperately needed laundering. The air hung wet with mildew and dust
clung to the floor and windowsills like decay.

Her
mind spun everywhere at once, but was still nowhere at all. Amanda couldn’t
keep herself calm no matter how many deep breaths she took. Aunt Gwen’s words
echoed in her mind, a distant memory.

 
Focus, child. You must focus.

I
can’t, Aunt Gwen!
Amanda’s voice was pitched high, her breath
too rapid. She might have been sixteen at the time, but she was terrified of
the pet demon Gwen had chained to the wall.

Enough!
Eighteen-year-old Jessica’s voice was strong.
If she can’t control it, she
can’t. I’ll protect her. I always do.

And
she always had, but Amanda shouldn’t have depended on her so much. Now Amanda
wished she could control it as the walls closed in with the stench of infection
seeping into her pores. It extended outward from this place, creeping toward
the town; skulking into homes where people slept.

It
would corrupt couples causing them to do worse than just cheat. So much worse.
Drugs would destroy the town; the demons would see to it, until there was
nothing left. Amanda had seen it before and wanted to stop it. Needed to stop
it.

She
and Jessica wanted to find the source, but being kidnapped was never on
Amanda’s agenda. That didn’t keep it from
happening,
though.

The
music blaring through the walls of the clubhouse blocked the rest of Amanda’s
senses. Without her senses, well she was useless. Overburdened and far too
stimulated, pain blossomed on the side of her head and grew up the top, resting
behind her eyes.

The
door crashed open, banging into the wall. Amanda forced herself to look up. Her
head felt weighted, like a stone and her eyes blinked as someone approached.
His skin wasn’t
gray
; but was pink, like
a human. He wore a leather blazer with chains dangling around his neck. A pair
of sunglasses protected his eyes.

His
jaw was tense as he cut Amanda’s restraints and grabbed her by the arm. “You
try anything funny, and we’ll gut you like a fish. Bet you couldn’t
heal
that, could you?”

Amanda
thought maybe she could, but it was best not to brag in these situations. She
nodded, which only made her head hurt worse. Whoever this man was, there was no
doubt he was in charge, which meant he was the one the Bloods sought.

Amanda
thought to touch him, read him, but if he was a demon in any way, that’d be
bad. She might as well forfeit her life now.

He
hoisted her up and Amanda bristled at the sight of the demon guards at the door
their appearance changing as they waited for her. It was like flipping the
pages of book, for a moment they looked normal and a second later, they had
holes in their faces, with maggots burrowing into their eyes and mouth. These
creatures were death.

 
“Make them stand somewhere else.” She resisted
when he tugged her forward, but she stumbled and nearly grabbed one of the
guards to steady herself. Pain like a crash of loud cymbals assaulted her brain
and her vision flashed with bright colors.

Amanda
moaned and squeezed her eyes shut to protect herself, but as an empath, hiding
from emotion was impossible. As they guided her into the club, Amanda’s senses
were attacked on all sides by what she took in.

Rustic
brown walls and the smell of fresh pizza coming from the back came first, which
really wasn’t so bad, except for the screams coming from the walls—from the
human slave labor that had been used to build this place. A demon empire built
on the backs of humanity.

Every
brick cried in agony. If Amanda touched them, she would see them and feel their
pain. She was desperate not to touch even a single brick, yet at the same time
she was desperate to know. Her heart ached to feel what they felt.

It
was always the same. Always.

Over
by the bar, demons of all sorts grumbled over drinks and Amanda’s second sight
showed their hands dripping with the blood of their victims. It punched her in
the gut and her stomach felt torn apart from the outside in. Hunching over, the
man grabbed Amanda’s hand and then it happened, she read him.

His
name was
Branger
. A
high-level
demon, he controlled the lowly, the
ones filled with maggots and decay.
He
had existed for so
long, he’d lost his body. He
was essence
and had taken a human host. It wasn’t easy to take the
strong minded, but the weak? They were easily possessed.

Her
vision flashed; images of
Branger
rounding up women and putting them into vans. Women from all over the state,
forced to work in strip clubs, bars, anything that was undesirable. They
screamed for help, their faces twisted in terror.

As
Amanda gasped for breath, she looked up at the stage. Women dressed in black
bikinis with chains fastened to collars around their necks, were tethered to
poles like animals, undulating to the music. Their bodies slithered and bucked
like women in the throes of ecstasy. The demons were callously banging on the
stage, and whistling as if the women weren’t slaves

 
But it was the women’s eyes that terrified
Amanda more than anything else.

Green
smoke wafted out of their pupils and their eyes were glazed over from drug use.
These women weren’t even women anymore, their souls were being torn apart.

Amanda’s
insides recoiled. She wanted to help these women. Restore them. Her fingers
stretched toward them as the women’s essences moaned in torment. The taste like
bitter apple and acid.

“Come,”
Branger yanked on her shoulder dragging her away. “No one is going to miss
them, you know. They weren’t model citizens.” The look on Amanda’s face must
have given her feelings away.

“It
shouldn’t matter.” Amanda’s voice was soft, as it always was. She held her
breath as Branger pushed her into the kitchen. Behind her, guards watched the
door. Why did they bring her here? Then Amanda’s vision fell on him and her
mouth fell open.

The
man lying on a counter top was writhing in pain. His hand cupped his stomach,
but he couldn’t lay still. His legs kicked out like a man drowning at sea and
his neck strained with every other scream.

“Took
us awhile to get him here. Can you help him? This is what you do, right?”

Whatever
reason they had to save this man, it couldn’t be good. Amanda stepped closer
peering into the man’s eyes, trying to see right into his soul, but there was nothing.
Where his soul should’ve been, was a dried up pit. It was as if his spirit had
been ripped straight from his body’s cavity.

 
“I can’t.” Amanda shook her head and lowered
her arms to her side. “There’s nothing left to heal.” She
couldn’t heal someone with no
soul.

“Like
hell,
you can’t! I’ve heard about you. I
heard stories!”

Her
eyes widened and she pleaded with him. “Even I have limits.”

Branger
ripped off his sunglasses and his eyes swirled with a green mist for a fraction
of a second. To see another human
possessed
not
only saddened Amanda, but it also made her angry. The anger grew and rose up
from her gut. She grabbed
Branger’s
arm.
“Leave this man’s body before I don’t give you any choice.”

Branger
threw his head back and laughed. “You’re a healer. What are you going to do?”

Amanda
raised her hand as a bright red light crackled between her fingers. It formed a
net joined in her palm and it coalesced into a sphere. Although it was hot
against her skin, it never hurt.
Instead,
it was like warming by the fire.

“Heal.”
Amanda rested her hand right above
Branger’s
chest and the light shot out, encompassing him.

Branger’s
head reared back and he
screamed. The demon guards charged forward and grabbed Amanda by the arms.
Searing hot pain touched her soul, but she resisted the decay of swirling
death. She gritted her teeth and worked on Branger until the demon guard pinned
her arms behind her back.

Banger
collapsed. The man, whose body had been possessed, fell unconscious. The demon,
now a green mist of smoke, drifted through the room. Finding no suitable host,
it thinned then wafted to the unconscious man on the counter.

Amanda’s
jaw clenched tight. She hadn’t gotten to finish the job. She hadn’t gotten to
destroy the demon like she wanted. Demons; always getting in her way.

The
man on the floor sat up, confusion in his eyes. Panic welled high as his lip
curled. “Who are you? Where am I?”

The
demon guards grabbed Amanda’s hair and wrenched her head back. One of them held
a cold, curved dagger to her neck. “If you’re not going to be helpful….”

Amanda’s
heart pounded.
 
A sudden crash shook the
clubhouse walls, and the sound of gunfire tore through the air. The demons
released her as they charged out through door they had entered.

Relieved,
Amanda took a deep breath. She knelt next to the man on the floor with a
half-smile on her lips and a happy heart. “You’re going to want to take cover.”

+

The
rescue party had finally arrived. Jessica never let her down.