Set In Flames (Morningstars Book 1) (11 page)

“I might be a helping hand for all those lost children, but, Lex, who is ready to be my helping hand?” she asked, knowing very well that there was something he wasn’t telling her.

“I promise that I will do everything I can in order to make it right for you,” he quietly told her and still she could hear what he didn’t say: Everything but betraying my warrior-brothers. She couldn’t even say how much it hurt her to know that everyone had someone’s back … while she had a million people ready to stab hers.

Destra stared out of the window, waiting for Nox to arrive. Ty was out, having left the state on official business. Destra long had stopped caring what that meant.

It was good that he was gone, too.

Insanity followed her closer than ever because she couldn’t get any hint on where her bitch of a daughter was. She wanted to have that girl in her hands, squeeze her pretty neck until her pale color turned to blue. She wanted that girl dead before anyone could figure out her secret.

Years ago, when she had found out that her daughter actually was still alive, Destra had started a game with her. She had Nox by her side already back then and found the girl at school at the age of ten.

Back then she still had considered it the ultimate plan to actually let her daughter go crazy, make her a Hellraise sooner than anyone expected. Tymon would have seen that he couldn’t save his daughter no matter what he tried and she was sure it would give her a great amount of pleasure to actually comfort him after he had been told that his daughter had become a murderer.

Hell, Destra even had planned hanging somewhere nearby when Maya would make her first kill.

There was something beautiful, almost artistic about the way blood started to spray the ground when a Vampire got into the bloodlust. She had seen it often enough, and, had to admit, she had caused it just as many times.

Now though, with a warrior at her daughter’s side, she’d never see that day. Tymon would never be ultimately hers because he never would have to hear about his daughter being a monster.

In a surge of anger Destra brought her fist through the window glass and cut her palm. The blood dripped down onto the white windowsill and she couldn’t look away. It was a beautiful sight; the wine red drops on the innocent white, and she wanted more. Grabbing a shard she cut through the thin skin on her lower arm, seeing the small rivers run down her hand. She had to cut again and again, her healing making the show just so much more intense, when suddenly a strong, warm hand reached for hers, taking the glass from her bleeding fingers.

“Mistress,” Nox said, shaking his head as if he was talking to a small child. “You are not supposed to hurt yourself,” he went on and she pouted while he raised her cut to his lips, slowly licking over it.

They both simultaneously shivered and the magician gave her an appreciative glance.

She was glad that vampire blood didn’t work the same for all races. She knew others like her would be burning with her blood in their mouth, but with magicians it prolonged their life.

Nox would be forever twenty-five, but that was all the blood did for him. He still got sick. He still could be injured and he still was bleeding just like any human would, but he didn’t age. He hadn’t aged since he was her companion.

Not that he had asked for her blood in return for his services, but Destra liked looking at him and she definitely wanted him to keep his youth.

She enjoyed the idea of a young lover; one who would give her all the things she could never asked Tymon for.

“I waited,” she finally whispered, making it clear that she was annoyed … and too close to an edge she was not yet ready to fall over.

“So before, then,” he remarked and she only nodded. He closed his eyes, mumbling words under his breath that she didn’t even bother trying to understand. They wouldn’t do her any good anyways.

Magic words only worked if you had magic blood, and while vampires had a certain kind of magic, it wasn’t the right one.

Theirs was ancient, passive, while Nox had active magic. He could create a world while the world created vampires and their bonds. That was the strongest magic they had and yet, they couldn’t influence it even if they wanted to. The special powers some vampires had were remnants of another time and Destra was glad that she was one of the few that still owned them.

Often female vampires had special abilities, but she had heard a rumor that the warriors had their very own collection of pretty special boys.

Cold engulfed her and everyone who wasn’t familiar with Nox’s magic surely would start to panic now, but Destra knew that she was being bewitched; enchanted by dark magic.

Nox’s powers always froze her to her bones and Nox had more than once explained that it was the darkness he was using. If he’d be a good boy, she’d feel all warm and fuzzy. Instead each spell left her feeling more like an ice-statue than the one before.

She did feel much saner though, giving him a wicked smile.

“It worked, I take it,” he said, opening the shirt he was wearing button by button. She sat down on the bed and then let her blood red nails wander over his chest.

“Lie down,” he ordered.

She untied her robe, letting it fall to the floor. As always she was naked underneath.

She lay down stomach first on the dark satin sheets and then gave him an inviting grin over her shoulder.

Grabbing the ties that were secured to the headboard, she waited in anticipation until Nox sat down on her back.

Destra closed her eyes, sighing happily. She wanted,
needed
, what only Nox could give her.

He reached over to the nightstand and took a knife. It was sharper than any of the kitchen knives.

“Ready?” Nox asked, grabbing her chin and twisting her neck enough so he could kiss her deeply.

“Born ready,” she replied and he placed a first cut right on her spine. It was shallow, but deep enough to draw blood and a loud moan.

He licked over her skin and she loved the pain and pleasure that caused her.

There was nothing better than the way he took her blood and she knew that by the end of this little game she’d be bloody, satisfied and saner than ever before.

“Shouldn’t you be in your room or somethin’?”

“Or something,” Maya mumbled. She had snuck into the kitchen, being ready to get away from the confines of her room.

Three days had passed since she had the confrontation with Jaden and she knew that he hadn’t been back to the base because she purposely had walked into every room where the boys could hide.

Besides finding Matt there she hadn’t found anyone else.

Tonight though obviously someone else was left behind.

“Boring, huh?” Devon, at least Maya thought that was his name, asked and she pointed at her book. Lex had been kind enough, or feeling guilty enough, to bring her some of her favorites.

“I just couldn’t see my four walls anymore,” she replied and he grinned at her while walking over to the fridge.

Maya loved the kitchen. It was huge and had a table there that would be standing in her kitchen, too, if she ever would get to have her own apartment. She loved those tables because it meant you could get a whole family together … a family she didn’t have.

With a sad sigh she focused back on her book and Devon sat down across from her.

“I love reading, too,” he said and she looked up, giving him a doubting look.

“Fine, I doona read at all,” Devon admitted and she gave him a smile.

“Where are you from?” she wanted to know and he pushed his food away as if he suddenly didn’t feel hungry anymore. He looked sad and she reached out to touch his hand. She just couldn’t help it. After all he was nice enough to talk to her, and even though he was the one who didn’t talk much – if memory served right – she liked that he ignored the direct orders all warriors seemingly had gotten.

“Scotland. I havna been there in more than fifty years,” he explained and she nodded. He didn’t sound very Scottish to her ears.

“You miss it?”

He shrugged, but she could tell that this was not really what he meant. He probably figured that if he’d admitted to missing his home, she’d want to know why he hadn’t ever gone back. Obviously that was a story he didn’t want to share.

“I am going to watch some shows, do you want to come?” he wanted to know and she stared at him for a long moment.

“Colbin will be furious if he finds out that you hung out with the pariah,” she joked, but still watched for his reaction.

“I doona care. If you asked me you can roam all the halls and rooms freely. Seriously, that’s shite what they are doing. But…”

And that was where he looked up again, meeting her eyes.

“There’s no place safer than this for you, so you will have to stay in this house,” he added and she couldn’t help but grin. At least he didn’t try to lie to her.

“I’d happily read while you watch TV,” she agreed and he gave her a friendly smile, then got up, grabbing his plate and walking in front of her. She jumped up, simply following him; somewhat happy that for just another night she wouldn’t have to be all alone.

Jaden almost went crazy in his own room. He had his reasons to not go back to the base, but by now he really missed hanging out with the guys.

The door opened and his twin came in, being followed by Lex and Ryder. Not that Ryder was his favorite person right now, but at least he was
some
person and he could ask about Cupcake and their parents. Ryder had to know something, right?

“We brought beer and action movies.” Yeah, since Jaden loved action movies like nothing else. But he wouldn’t complain.

“You okay, J-Man?” Ryder asked and Jaden had to actually calm himself down before looking at his mate’s brother. He might not want Maya as his Origin, but he couldn’t forgive Ryder for twice having tried to get rid of her and still acting as if he was the only one allowed to care about her.

Not that he had bothered to tell Maya this part, but then again, Jaden wasn’t one to talk out loud. He couldn’t get himself to go against his vows. She simply wasn’t important enough to him to risk being kicked out of the warriors. They were his life and he simply had no idea what he’d do if he no longer were part of them.

“Peachy, and why shouldn’t I be?” he wanted to know, throwing his friend a challenging glance.

“Maybe because you are leaving my sister hanging like that? Locking her up, making sure she won’t have a good life at all? I mean, aren’t you supposed to be in love with her or something?” Ryder asked back and Jaden wanted to jump over the couch to hit him.