Blood Magic by Laken Cane
Chapter Thirty-Two
I didn’t waste time arguing with him, lying to him, or trying to get him to leave. It would have done no good and besides, I could use the backup. True, he was human, and also true, I did not want him to see my wolf, but I was pretty sure he could take care of himself, and if I ended up shifting in front of him, that was just something we were going to have to deal with. I understood that he hunted supernaturals and that he was not above shanking a wolf in a dark alley, but if he saw me for what I was and came at me, I’d handle him. It wasn’t like he would tell the world about my wolf.
He wouldn’t have my back, not like Bastien would, but if I went into a vampire club to extract a human and kill some vamps, I could do worse than Remy Simon.
I caught Remy up on the situation. “I’m here to rescue a friend and kill the county master,” I told him.
“Not if I kill him first.” His smile was downright creepy and as always when I was around him, I had to fight not to shudder.
Bastien nodded at the guards to let us in but before I slipped into the club, I took a moment to stare into the inky sky at a moon that would soon be full—my first full moon since my alpha had given me back my shift—and closed my eyes to pull in the cool night air. It didn’t calm me, but calmness wasn’t what I was after. It made me feel almost…feral.
When I opened my eyes, both Bastien and Remy were watching me, different things in their stares.
“Scared?” Remy asked.
I smiled and was gratified when he recoiled just the tiniest bit. It was nice to know he was likely as affected by my inner badass as I was his. “Just gearing up,” I said.
And then we were inside the club, and the jangled sounds and chaotic sights slammed into me and battered my brain, but I was focused on the coming vampire fight, and unlike the last time I’d been here, I was not distracted.
My heart thumped with the intense bass beats, slow and hard. I was ready. Axton knew we were coming, of course. He would have been aware the second we stepped into his club. As we walked through the room, people in suits—bouncers, vampires all—stopped whatever they were doing and began to trail us.
Bastien’s shoulder brushed mine as we walked, but I didn’t pull away. Tonight, he was my ally. Tomorrow he could go back to being the vampire who’d fed from me, who’d tied us together through the magic in our blood.
I rested my fingers on the handle of my blade, the human part of me finding comfort in it. The wolf part couldn’t have cared less about a demon knife. She was all about the teeth and claws.
Once we’d shoved our way through the throngs of people, Bastien led me down the same hallways and stairs as the first time, but before we entered the underground club, he didn’t bother to suggest a mask.
It was as though Axton had wanted to shock the visitors he had to know were coming. The club was more crowded than the last time I’d seen it, and there were many more shocking sights. Not just naked humans being fed upon or in the middle of public sex, but people hanging from ropes, bloody and injured, and in some instances, a human sprawled upon the floor as several vampires swarmed, feeding and thrusting and grinning up at us.
“It’s for show,” Bastien said, when Remy growled and filled his hands with silver blades. “Do not let him get into your head.”
Axton wanted us to see what he could do—what he did do—to and with humans. His contempt was huge. His hatred was fierce.
“That’s okay,” I told Remy. “He dies tonight.”
He nodded. “He dies tonight.”
Axton was responsible for Remy’s sister’s death. He wasn’t going to let that go. The only question was if he could get to him before I did.
The council might regret asking me to join them when Axton lost his head, either by my hand or Remy’s, but when they discovered he’d taken a human in his attempt to regain control of his human slave…well, they might be a little more understanding. If not, screw ‘em. They wanted me to be their enforcer. If they didn’t like my tactics, they could change their minds.
I pulled my cell from my pocket and showed Bastien the image of the detective and the wall. “Take me to him.”
He nodded. “Put your phone away before they try to take it from you.”
I slid it back into my pocket. Remy and I walked side by side and Bastien walked slightly in front of us, leading us across the long, wide room. I didn’t see Axton anywhere, but I had a feeling he’d be waiting for me with Rick.
A few seconds later, two annoyingly large bouncers stepped into our path. “Bastien,” one of them said, “how about we get you someone to drink and your friends take a seat at a table.”
“How about you get out of my way,” Bastien answered, calm and quiet. “This is not your business, Sean.”
Sean inclined his head. “Our master tells me different.”
“And so it begins,” Remy murmured.
He and I spread out behind Bastien, and I took note of the vampires who were edging closer. “Which door, Bastien?” I asked. At the far end of the room there were four doors, and I figured Axton had the detective behind one of them.
I was wrong.
The room quieted and the lights dimmed slightly, and everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. The two bouncers stood where they were and didn’t take their stares from Bastien.
I hoped he was strong enough for what was coming. I hoped we all were.
A screen lit up on the far wall and I had time to think these assholes sure like their movies before Axton’s hateful face appeared. Larger than life, surrounded by female vampires, his smile eager and angry at the same time. “Welcome,” he boomed. “Welcome, humans and nonhumans alike. I have a special show planned for you tonight.”
No one made a sound. Bastien, Remy, and I stood in a triangle, back-to-back, preparing for a fight—but Axton had more than a fight in mind. He really did want a show.
“Ms. Silver,” he said.
I began to shiver. I couldn’t help it. He might have been an asshole, but he was a powerful one, and he was old. There was magic inside him, and he sent that magic out to dance over my skin like electricity—from a screen on the wall. That should not have happened, even though he was live and watching me as I watched him. Which meant…
He was close.
“There will never be a time,” he said, “that a wolf will command a vampire—especially not a master. I do not care what the council decides, you are a little nothing, and I will make you suffer here tonight before I kill you.”
I could feel Remy’s stare, but I didn’t look at him.
Axton held out his hand. “Bastien. Brother. Do you align yourself with the enemy?”
“No I do not,” Bastien told him, stiffly formal. “For you are the enemy.”
“I should have killed you long ago,” Axton said, “when my father pulled you from his whore’s body and forced you upon my mother.”
“Why didn’t you?” Bastien asked, his eyes as empty as his voice. “Why did you always make sure there was a little spark in me to bring back?”
I heard his need to be loved and accepted, even though he tried to hide it. He wanted his brother to be his brother, but Axton would only ever be filled with hatred.
“Because it is more fun to torture you,” Axton said blandly. “But tonight, I will not allow you to survive. Tonight, you will go to the afterlife.”
“Axton.” I took a step closer to the screen, reflexively attempting to protect Bastien, which pissed me off a little. “Where’s Detective Moreno?”
“Oh, you want to see Detective Moreno? Of course, little wolf. Look.” He stepped to the side and the camera zoomed in on Rick, who was no longer upright against a brick wall. He lay on a table, and he was hurt, sure he was, but the worst of it was the look in his eyes.
To see that proud, strong man powerless and terrorized was something I would never forget. Neither would he. He was drugged, his eyes flickering back and forth, his lips dry and cracked, his body twitching. What did he think had happened to him? I couldn’t have said.
There were bite marks all over his body.
“So here’s the thing,” Axton told me. “I had a feeling you were going to keep my slave from me. And you cannot keep him, Kait Silver, you cannot. I love him.” He pounded his chest, and I almost believed he was that sincere, that torn up over the loss of his human slave.
Then he laughed. “No, seriously. I do want my slave returned to me. He holds Kaloni’s magic inside him, and I will need him to go into the ground with me when the fucking council sends their magic hands to collect me. But you did not bring him.” He shook his head, mournfully clicking his tongue. “You have sentenced your partner to death. I’m going to turn this sexy, tasty human, Kait.”
I closed my eyes. Better he kill him than turn him—but Rick would die either way. Then I grabbed Bastien’s arm. “Is he in this building?”
“You want him?” Axton called. “Come find him, little wolf. I’ll be waiting for you.”
Bastien slammed his fist into Sean’s face, and then the entire room went crazy. I fought at Bastien’s side as we forced our way through the room. I had to trust that he knew where he was going.
I hoped Rick would still be alive when we got there. That he would still be human. Later, if I freed him, I would worry about the fact that he was never going to forgive me for dragging him into my life.
