Dark Sacrifice (22 page)

“I shouldn't have told you.” His heavy eyebrows lower over his beautiful eyes. Eyes I want to scratch out. Coming here was a huge mistake. I knew it when I made the promise to apprentice with Magnolia. The woman is evil, no matter how pretty a bow she wraps around the use of our gifts. How did I let myself get sucked into her world?

“I want to go home.”

Ferdinand crosses his muscular arms. “The queen said I could take you back to the hotel.”

“No! I want to go home.” I search the dancers for Landry. He promised to stay at my side. Why hasn't he come to find me? I take a deep breath, focusing on Landry. The tip of my nose tingles as his scent—faint and acrid, like battery acid's eating away at his insides—filters into my nostrils. While still a little freaked out over becoming a human bloodhound, this new ability to hone in on Landry's scent comes in handy.

It's not how he normally smells. It's the smell of fear.

“Landry's in trouble.” I shuffle forward. “Ferdinand, help me find him.”

I shove through the crowd. The ghosts surround me, whispering in my ears. I ignore them, but they fight for my attention. The live people have no idea about the spirits. They dance and sing, unaware of the hidden realm among them.

“Where's Sophia?”

Ferdinand shrugs.

I stop and stare at him. A shiver raises goose bumps on my arms. “You're lying. She's with Landry, isn't she?”

I saw how she looked at him. How Landry couldn't tear his eyes away from her. His fear grows stronger. The stench fills the air. He needs my help.

A woman with a boa constrictor wrapped around her neck steps from the crowd and wraps her arm around Ferdinand's waist. He smiles down at her then leans forward to kiss the snake on its head.

Not needing to see how much further he plans to take his snake love, I slip away, following Landry's scent from the cemetery into the woods. Beneath the trees, I see conjoined shadows. Sophia straddles Landry prone body. He writhes beneath her. She has his hand pinned to the ground over his head and kisses him as if she's diving for his tonsils.

A sharp burst of pain settles in my chest, and I release the breath in an inarticulate yell.

Sophia doesn't even remove her mouth, but her eyes flick up to meet mine. A smug smile curves the sides of her lips. Her smile goads me into a shambling run. I bury my fingers in her long, silky hair and try to rip it out of her scalp. She falls back with a scream. Her arms flail as she tries to smack me. I hold her hair with both hands and drag her backward. The strands are long enough that I don't get within arm's reach of her fists…at first. Once she's away from Landry, I release her.

“You bitch,” she screams, scrambling across the ground.

My kick hits her in the ribs, and she falls onto her side. I don't wait to see if she recovers but run to fall beside Landry. I lift his head onto my lap, trying to protect him as he convulses.

I shake him, begging “Wake up, please. Landry!” Only the white of his eye shows, and his mouth hangs open as he sucks in huge gulps of air. He looks like he's dying. I hold him tighter. “What did you do to him, Sophia?”

Sophia rises. She runs a thumb across her lips then sucks on the tip. “I love the taste of power. He has so much built up inside. He must not have found a satisfying release in a long time. No wonder he came to me so easily.”

“Don't flatter yourself. Think I'm too stupid to tell that he's been drugged? He would never, ever, give this up”—I wave my hand down my body—“for an old hag. I see your hidden face, Sophia.”
And I do.

Whatever magical spell she cast over herself no longer works on me. She now looks like a middle-age woman with crow's feet and slightly sagging skin. I sense her frustration and anger at the loss of her youth. I can understand her wanting to be with a younger man. I even get why she would hate me for taking her place as Magnolia's heir. Sophia's probably been kissing my aunt's wrinkled ass for years in the hope of getting into the will. Logically, I understand.

Maybe if I were a better person, I could forgive her deception, if it hadn't involved attempted rape.

But I'm not, and it did.

I curl my fingers, imagining them digging through her skin. Her scream sounds like it's ripped from deep inside her. She doubles over, clenching her stomach, and I grin.

I'm gonna carve her open like a pumpkin and tear out her guts.

I
fight free.

It's the hardest thing I've ever done. The demon inside doesn't want to let me go. I sense it has its own agenda. It needs my body to accomplish its goal, but it doesn't need
me
. I'm in its way. The worst part's not having control. Now I know how Mala felt when my sister possessed her body. Except Lainey shoved her out completely.

My head starts to clear, but it's still hard to focus. My limbs shake like I've got low blood sugar. Cold sweat rolls down my forehead to sting my eye. It's hard to breathe. A tongue dives down my throat, and I gag, biting down. Blood fills my mouth.

Mala yells my name.

It only takes a second for the shock to kick me in the head.

The demon has trapped me inside my own mind. I watch as it uses Sophia, while she thinks it's the other way around and that she's violating me. I almost feel sorry for her.

But not quite.

She drugged me. I understand now that it's too late. She spiked the champagne, and Mala gave me hers. Maybe both drinks were drugged or only one. Whatever. It worked. I'm out of the way, and Mala's on her own.

I promised I'd protect her.

Instead, she's trying to protect me.

Some hero I turned out to be. This never would've happened to George. Deputy Dawg would've sniffed out the drug with his superpower cop senses. Not downed it like an alcoholic fiending for his first sip of the day.

Nausea twists my stomach. Sour champagne mixed with stomach acid burns my throat. I twist, trying to lift my arms. They're like two heavy weights attached to my shoulders. The woman sitting on my chest shifts onto my diaphragm, shoving the air from my lungs. I try to answer Mala, but multitasking is beyond my skills. I can only do one thing at a time.
Breathe.

The weight lifts from my chest. I drink in great gulps of air.

My eye cracks open. Mala stands above me. Moonlight peeks through the branches above our heads, shining across her face. She glows like an angel sent down from heaven. A force of energy crackles in the air, blowing her curls back from her face. Determination juts out her jaw as she stretches out her hand. Her fingers clench into fists. The building energy bursts forth. I can't see it, but it crackles like lightning through my whole body. I grit my teeth from the tingle in my mouth.

A woman's scream tears through the air. I push up onto my elbows and prop my back against the tree so I can see. I still can't convince my lower body to work. My legs feel numb from the hips down.

“I'm gonna kill you!” Mala yells.

Sophia screams again and falls to her knees. Her arms wrap around her stomach, and her head falls forward so her hair hangs over her face. I grab Mala's ankle. She looks down at me with wide, horrified eyes, snapping out of her killing frenzy. Her hand wavers, lowering slightly.

“Landry,” she whispers.

A chuckle comes from Sophia.

Mala's head turns toward her in slow motion.

The woman's laughter grows louder, rolling from deep inside her gut. She runs her fingers through her hair, flipping it out of her face. A smile stretches her mouth.

A cold chill runs down my spine, clearing the last bit of fog from my mind. Now I know how the hero feels in a scary movie.

Mala steps back, placing herself between me and Sophia, as if she plans to shield me from the witch woman. “Oh, crap!” she mutters.

Yep, it feels exactly like that.

“Did you really think that would work on me?” Sophia stands and brushes off her slacks. Where the hell did the woman's shirt go? Oh, there.

Sophia picks her blouse off the ground. A quick snap knocks loose the dirt and leaves clinging to the fabric. Rather than dress, she lays the shirt over her arm and stands before us, naked from the waist up. As if proud to show off her body.

A foul taste covers my tongue. I flip through the memories of when the demon was in control. “Did she kiss me?” I ask.

Mala doesn't answer. My fingers tighten around her ankle. Her leg trembles.

Ferdinand stalks into the clearing. Neither woman acknowledges his arrival, but I sigh, relieved. If anyone can stop this battle, he can. He comes to stand between the two women. “The party is over. It's time to go.”

Mala doesn't remove her gaze from Sophia. “I'm not going anywhere with her.”

“The queen has summoned Sophia.” Amusement fills his voice, making his French accent thicker. “She is not pleased.”

The woman draws in a deep breath. “No…”

Ferdinand doesn't look in her direction. “Come.”

Mala wavers, biting her lip. She glances down at me. Whatever she sees makes up her mind. “Help me with Landry. She hurt him.”

I don't feel hurt. Stoned, but no pain. Maybe after the drug wears off, I'll feel like crap. Between the two, they lift me off the ground. I'm still shaky and stumble like a drunken fool until Mala wraps her arms around my waist. The height difference makes it awkward. Finally she gives up and lets Ferdinand hoist me over his shoulder in a fireman carry. My head dangles between his shoulder blades, and I twist up to stare at Mala. A grim tension makes her steps heavy.

Silence has its own weight.

Blood rushes to my head, and I close my eye. My head bobs. I try to stay conscious, but it's a losing battle.

Warmth surrounds me.
I'm floating.

Water laps at my chin. A bare chest presses against my back. I know those breasts. I obsess over them. My head rests on Mala's shoulder, and she has her arms wrapped around my waist. The sleek length of her legs wrap around mine. She shakes as she sobs.

“Mala…” My voice cracks.

Water sloshes over the side of the tub as she shifts.

I tip back my head, and my lips brush against her jaw. “Are you okay?”

Her arms tighten. She's scaring me. It's not like her to be so quiet. I grab on to the side of the tub and pull up into a sitting position, then twist around until I face her. She keeps her head down. Her hair hangs across her face, hiding her eyes. I cup her cheeks with my hand, rubbing away the tears with my thumbs, and lift her chin.

“What happened?”

She brushes my hands aside. “Don't...”

“Stop pushing me away.”

Her scowl makes a smile flicker on my lips. So do her words. “We're naked in a tub, Landry. How exactly is that pushing you away?”

Point taken. My eyes drop from her face to her breasts bobbing in the foamy water. For the second time tonight, my head goes foggy. I swallow the lump in my throat. My voice sounds harsh from a surge of lust as I ask, “How exactly did we get into the tub?”

You'd think I'd remember. Getting Mala naked has been a goal of mine for a very long time. Many hours of fantasizing have been devoted to this very moment. Yet I have no idea what awesome, smooth lines talked her into this.

I glance around the room. We're in the Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom of the hotel suite. It's huge. Big enough to hold two comfortably, but we're only taking up a tiny corner. “How did we get here?”

“You don't remember?” Her swollen eyes study my face.

Not a damn thing!
My last memories…“We were all dressed up and in the limo heading to Magnolia's fancy party. I drank some champagne—” My head throbs, and I rub at the aching spot between my eyes. “Why can't I remember? Did we go? Did I get drunk?” I slide toward her through the bubbles. “I embarrassed you, didn't I? That's why you're mad?”

“I'm not mad, s-stupid.” She grabs my shoulders and yanks me back into her arms. Her breasts mash against my chest. “I-I'm…happy.”

“You don't seem happy.”

“Well, I am.”

“Prove it.”

“I will…” She breathes out the words, chest heaving. Her fingers slide up my neck to thread through my hair, and she tugs my head down. Lips tasting of ripe strawberries touch mine. How she managed to keep lip gloss on the whole night, I'll never know. She starts out with slow kisses, exploring my mouth. I let her take the lead, excited, but also unsure of how far she's willing to go. Her being naked's a good sign.

My hand slides across her bare back. Her skin feels slick and smooth from the bubbles and oil in the tub. Her rounded hip fits in my palm. I caress the dimple above her plump ass before sliding my hands down to squeeze rounded cheeks. Her breath catches, then releases in a moan against my mouth. Her tongue traces my bottom lip, then slides between my teeth.

She slides her leg over mine and twists. I roll with her until my back rests against the tub and she straddles my waist. With one last thrust of her tongue, she pulls back. We're both breathing hard. I take a second to stare at the woman above me, trying to brand this image into my mind. I never want to forget seeing her like this.

Bubbles slide down the crease between her breasts. I press my face between them and lick the foam away. Her nipples harden. I roll my tongue across them, grazing the areolas with my teeth. God, she tastes so good.

Mala's back arches as she shudders. Tiny moans fall from her parted lips. She rubs the soft patch between her thighs against me, and I stir. Her wide eyes shine with desire…
for me
. Heat scorches my skin wherever her gaze touches. She sets me on fire. Her hand dips beneath the water to wrap around my shaft. It grows firm in her hand. She starts with a slow caress, hand sliding down my thickening length. My hips buck, and she gives a smug smile.

I groan, fingers gripping the side of the tub so I don't go under.

Her caresses quicken, responding like she can read my mind. The sensation builds. “Mala...” I gasp, grabbing on to her hand.

A tiny frown creases her forehead. “Doesn't that feel okay?”

“
Yes
. God, yes.” The pressure builds inside me, filling me until it feels like I'll explode. If I let her keep going, I'll lose it.

I've planned this…I won't let it end with me shooting my wad into the tub and leaving her unsatisfied. “Wait…”

“No! Not this time.” Mala wraps her arms around my neck and thrusts her tongue into my mouth. The kiss almost makes me lose control. I hold on to her waist, lifting her as I climb out of the tub. Our mouths never separate. Her hands caress my chest…my back, run up my neck, and grab onto my hair as she makes low, moaning sounds. My goal is to get her onto the bed, but she won't stop kissing me long enough for me to tell her. The easiest way is to pick her up.

Her muscular legs tighten around my waist.

Damn!
She's hot and moist pressed against my stomach. I want to slide my fingers inside her until she cries my name. I grab a towel off the rack and stumble toward the bed. The back of my thighs hit the edge of the mattress, and I sit down. Mala wriggles on my lap, skin slick from the bath. She stops kissing me in favor of taking deep breaths.

“Tell me what you want,” I whisper, needing permission. I've messed up too many times to take her for granted.

The bathroom light shines across her face and reveals the confusion in her eyes. “I don't know. Whatever you want?”

I stifle a groan. “This is your first time, isn't it? Are you sure—”

“Oh, that's what you…yes, damn it! Of course I want to make love to you.” Mala brushes her fingers across my scar. “Don't you want me?”

Yeah. I do.

Only the first time should be special. Something she'll always compare with other partners. Not that she'll have other guys if I get my way. I'm gonna be her first and last. And I'll be damned if I'll let her wake up tomorrow full of regret about her choice.

It's my turn to pleasure her.