Page 58 of Wicked Thirst
“We don’t really know how long it’s been exactly or what they did to become fallen in the first place. But we do know they’re fighting for something bigger ,and they’re supposed to protect the humans, so if Grayson kills one, they won’t have a choice in the matter . . .” Zinnia let her words trail off as the others gathered around us and formed a tight circle.
“So, I see we’re all screwed again?” The girl with long white-blonde hair and black silky gloves up to her elbows crossed her arms.
“Nova!” Zinnia hurried across the little circle and pulled her in for a quick hug. “I didn’t think you’d be allowed back up here so soon!”
“Apparently The Fallen’s summoning trumps deals with Hades.” She sighed, then opened her mouth about to say something else when the ground opened beside her and a man popped out. He was tall and slim with inky hair to his chin and bright-purple eyes. Nova pursed her lips, and when he moved to stand next to her, she kicked him in the shin.
He gritted his teeth, and the muscle in his jaw ticked. “Is that anyway to greet the person you like?”
“I’d like to punch you next time.” She huffed.
He held his hand out toward her. “There’s always a next time for us.”
“Ew.” Yet she placed her delicate, gloved fingers in his palm.
“Zinnia, always a pleasure.” He inclined his head toward her, and the ground opened up beneath them. They both dropped into the hole, and it closed up over them just as quickly as it appeared.
My eyes widened but I didn’t say anything. That was the least crazy thing I’d seen all day. But Tabi took pity on me and explained, “That was Nova, our Witch Queen of Death. She kind of made a deal with Hades, and now she’s trapped down there until we can figure out a way to break the deal.”
“That was Hades? I thought he’d be . . . bigger.”
She shook her head. “No, that was his son, Liesin. They have some issues to work out.”
“I’ll say.” She straight-up kicked him the moment he got here. Definitely issues there.
“We must be off too.” Ophelia grabbed on to the guy standing next to her. He was all warm golden eyes with a could kill you in your sleep vibe. “Cross has things to do.”
Before I could say anything to stop her or ask how Dice was, she reached into the pouch on her hip and threw a vial on the floor at their feet. Zinnia held her hand out. “But wait, We could really use your—” Ophelia and Cross jumped into the shimmering air the potion caused, and they were gone in seconds. The portal between us closed. Zinnia sighed. “—Help.” She threw her hands up. “I just can’t with that sometimes.”
Ashryn turned and punched Kylian in the arm. He flinched back and rubbed at his shoulder. “What the hell was that for?”
“You’re supposed to be the best.” She narrowed her all-knowing sage eyes at him. “Do better.”
“Thanks,” he snapped back at her. “I am trying. The leech is fast and stronger than any of us anticipated.”
“Perhaps I could persuade him to stop? Figure out exactly what he desires and we can use it against him?” Serrina offered, and I wanted to jump at any and all ideas they had.
Logan shook his head. “No dice. My charm didn’t even make a dent on him. I might as well have tickled him, and if I’m being honest, I don’t even think he knows what he himself desires. He’s running on instinct and anger.”
Tucker held a ball of fire in his hand, and he stood there thinking, mindlessly tossing it up and down like a baseball. “I don’t think this curse has any reasoning to it. But what I can’t wrap my head around is why he would summon demons and how would he know how to do that?”
“That’s what I don’t get. There’s got to be something in his head that’s driving him. But is that how a curse would work?”
Zinnia shook her head. “Not typically. Usually, the magic just does what it’s meant to and that’s it. It doesn’t give directions on how to summon demons.”
“But how do we know that knowledge isn’t lingering in his mind? I mean, he’s an older vampire. He might know?” I ran my hands through my hair and tugged at the strands in frustration. “Or I’m trying to apply logic where there is none. And now we’re facing a crazed vamp with two lifetimes of knowledge in his head and a stupid amount of strength.”
Beckett nodded. “I could barely trap him with my power. It was difficult. He’s stronger than even I thought.”
I wanted to say I told you so, but it didn’t feel like the time or place for people who were trying to help me.
Tabi sighed and crossed her arms. “I wish there was something more I could do, but unless you want to drop him into a vat of water, or pit of vines, or fire, or bury him alive, there’s not much that I think will hold him.”
“As much as I love the sound of all of that, I think he’s already close to madness. I don’t think we want to push him any closer, and trapping him that way might do it.” I couldn’t even imagine doing any of those things to him. We might as well kill him if we were going to torture him like that. I turned toward Maze and Tilly. “What about you two? Look at your cards or dive into your visions. Tell us what to do.”
Beckett and Logan both shifted awkwardly, running their hands over the backs of their necks as they shared a look. Maze chuckled and his eyes turned milky-white as he gazed at me with a wide smirk. “Careful what you wish for, little vampire.”
“Psychics aren’t really good at giving direct answers,” Beckett interjected, “It’s more like you have to just take what they say with a grain of salt and that’s about it. Usually, however you think things will play out, it doesn’t really end up that way.”
