Bittersweet Blood (The Order #1)

Tara shivered, recalling the moment Piers had killed Ella. Saw again that sensual mouth ripping out her throat. That same mouth smiling at her now as if he noted her reaction and it pleased him. It wasn’t a nice smile.

“But as I said, I promised Christian I would look after you, otherwise you wouldn’t have gotten through the doors. So come with me, keep your mouth shut, and I might tell you what’s going to happen.” His eyes took in the rest of the group. “But you can leave your bodyguards here.” He headed off down the corridor.

“No.” Carl spoke from behind her. Tara glanced at him thankfully; she didn’t want to go anywhere alone with the vampire.

“No?” Piers asked softly.

“We stay together,” Jamie said.

Piers whirled to face him. “Ah, the shifter. I’ve never met a shifter yet who would stand his ground when the going got tough.” He took a step toward Jamie. “Can you?”

Jamie looked a little green, but he stood his ground and nodded. Tara slipped her hand into his and squeezed gently.

Piers regarded them for long minutes. Finally, he lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “Whatever. Let’s get this over with.”

They followed him down the corridor. He stopped at a door, opened it, and beckoned for them to enter. He was still watching her as she stepped past, his eyes puzzled as though she hadn’t acted as he expected.

They were in some sort of unused office. Blank white walls, a bare desk, and a few chairs. Tara’s legs trembled, and she sank into one of the chairs.

Piers took off his coat and dropped it onto the desk. Underneath, he wore black leather pants and a black shirt, over which was strapped a double shoulder holster with a pistol at each side.

“So,” he said, “what do you want to know?”

Tara thought for a moment. “I’ve been able to feel Christian in my head since we—”

“Fucked?” Piers supplied. “Shared bodily fluids?”

Tara scowled at him. “Anyway, I can feel him, and then all of a sudden he was gone.” She waved a hand at Graham. “We know he can’t be dead, but I need to know where he’s gone. Is he hurt? Unconscious.”

“No, to all those things. Well at least he wasn’t when I last saw him. Of course, that could have changed by now. He’s in the Abyss.”

“The what?”

“The Abyss. Realm of darkness, home of the demons and all that sort of thing. It’s also another dimension. You can’t feel Christian because he’s not in this world anymore.”

“Why’s he gone to the Abyss?”

“You.”

“What have I got to do with it?”

“Christian’s got this idea that as long as there is someone targeting him, you’re not safe. He saw what they did to your little friend, and he can’t face the thought of the same thing happening to you. So much so, that he’s willing to die for it. He’s on a suicide mission.” His eyes were bitter. “And it’s all for you. Does that make you feel good?”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Oh, believe me.”

“Why did you let him go?”

“Because it was what he wanted. A fool in love.”

“Couldn’t you have gone with him? Can’t you go after him now?”

“Well you see, there’s a little problem with that. The demons have made this thing with Christian personal. He’s within his rights to face them. I’m not. The Order goes to the Abyss, and they’ll take it as a declaration of war.”

“Then we have to get him out of there.”

“No we don’t. Christian was very clear on what he wanted, and I’m afraid that you mounting some pointless rescue mission was not on the list.”

“So what is it that Christian wants?” she asked.

“He wants you to be happy. He’s gone to a lot of bother, probably sacrificed his life, to give you the one thing he knows you want.”

“And that is?”

“A normal life.”

She stared at Piers in amazement.

“I’m half-demon, half-fae. I was brought up by a dead woman. Just how’s that going to translate into normal?”

“It’s been arranged.”

“Well unarrange it. I don’t want normal. I want Christian.”

“Unfortunately, sweetheart, we can’t always have what we want.”

Panic rose up from some place deep inside Tara. She remembered the way Christian had made love to her earlier, so sweetly, as though it could be the last time. The look he’d given her as he walked out the door. “What has he done?”

“He’s made a deal with the fae that will keep you alive.”

“What sort of deal?”

“You’re to forget everything. Cut off all ties with our world.”

“I don’t want to forget.”

“You won’t have any choice, and it won’t be so bad. After all, you won’t even know what you’re missing.”

“I won’t let you do it. Christian will be back, I know he will.”

“He doesn’t expect to come back.” Piers’s voice was harsh and Tara realized he was more upset by this whole thing than she had thought. After all, Christian was his friend.