Page 28 of Poison Ivy
Vex’s lips quirk in a humourless smile. “Definitely. But it’s not an easy spell to cast. It requires intimate contact.”
I narrow my eyes. “What kind of intimate contact?”
Vex bares his teeth and snaps his jaw. “He’s got tobite you. Once that’s done, I can activate the spell remotely. It’ll take about 30 minutes to kick in fully.”
“Fuck,” I groan, but at least I know I’m capable of this. Actually, it’s easy, all vamps are blood thirsty. I doubt he will refuse from a willing donor, and if I have to give him some incentive, well, I’m sure Joy Reading’s abuser will confirm how good I am at that. “What do you need from me to set this up?”
“I’ll have to inject the magick into your blood. It will be undetected on the scanners, but there’s a catch.”
“Oh?” I ask dangerously.
“If it’s not deactivated within two hours,youwill burn from the inside out.”
“Are you high?” I snap. “I’m not giving you that power over me.”
“Well, Vera sent you here firstly, I’m just the helper. But secondly, I don’t want to see you burn, little shifter. We still have unfinished business.” His dark eyes bore into mine, and my insides squirm. But I smile seductively and take this opportunity to shift into Poison. Sleek pink bob, bigger tits, lither frame, blue eyes that narrow when he lets out a little pant that tells me he has forgotten all about earlier.
“What do you need?” I purr, needing to play this dirty game so he doesn’t let me die. I don’t trust him as far as I could kill him with magick, but right now, he is my only shot at getting this done quickly, and time isn’t on my side.
He reaches out, trailing a finger along my jawline.I fight the urge to flinch away. “Such a naughty little shapeshifter. I bet you have all sorts of fun tricks up your sleeve.”
“You have no idea,” I murmur.
Vex’s hand slides down to grip my hip, pulling me flush against him. “Maybe you can show me sometime.”
I place a hand on his chest, pushing him back slightly. “Business first. The spell?”
He sighs dramatically but steps away. “Always so focused. Fine, let’s get you ready to take down that vampire scum.”
Vex moves to a cabinet, pulling out various vials and ingredients. As he mixes them together, he glances at me over his shoulder. “This will hurt, you know. Injecting magick directly into your bloodstream isn’t pleasant.”
I shrug. “I can handle pain.”
“That’s my girl,” he murmurs, and I shudder.
Vex finishes mixing the concoction, utters some incantation and fires his magick into the pot. It explodes, and I wonder if perhaps I should take my chances with a good old stake. He turns to me with a wicked grin, holding up a syringe filled with glowing blue liquid. “Ready, little shifter?” he asks.
I grit my teeth and nod, holding out my arm. Vex grips my wrist tightly and positions the needle over my vein.
“Last chance to back out,” he taunts.
“Just do it,” I snap.
Without further warning, he plunges the needle into my arm. Instantly, liquid fire courses through my veins. I bite back a scream as the magick burns its way through my body. My knees buckle, and Vex catches me, pulling me against his chest.
“Shh, it’s almost over,” he murmurs in my ear, his hand stroking my hair in a mockery of comfort.
Before I can get it together enough to knee him in the balls, the burning sensation fades to a dull throb, and I push away from Vex, stumbling slightly as I regain my footing.
“Fuck,” I pant. “That was not pleasant.”
Vex smirks. “Told you. Now, remember - you have two hours. After that...” He drags a finger across his throat.
“I got it,” I growl. “How do I contact you to deactivate it?”
He grins wickedly. “Oh, I’ll do you one better, darling. I’ll come with you.”
“What? No way,” I protest. “I work alone.”
