Bittersweet Magic (The Order #2)

“Super. But maybe I’ll pass up on the introduction. I have the Key. Obviously, not on me. But if you let us go, I’ll get it for you.”


“Of course you would. Why do I get the notion that if I let you all go, you’ll vanish without a trace?”

“I have no idea.” She tried a smile. “How about if I promise?”

“Does your word mean anything? Somehow I doubt it.” He considered her for a moment. “You care about them?” He gestured to Ryan and Maria.

She gave what she hoped was a casual shrug of her shoulder. “Of course not. They were a means to an end.”

He smiled. And it wasn’t nice. “Give her to me,” he said to the man holding Maria.

The man shoved her toward him. She stumbled, but Jack caught her in his arms. He turned her so she was held against his chest, her back flush to his body, her face staring straight at Roz. Panic and fear filled her eyes.

Roz tried to take a step forward but couldn’t move.

“I fancied a taste that night at the convent, but I didn’t have the time. If you don’t care about her, it won’t worry you to watch me drain the little nun dry.”

He clasped a hand in Maria’s short hair, tugged her head to the side. Roz saw the flash of fangs before he buried them in the sister’s throat.

Maria convulsed in his arms, but he held her too tightly against him. She gave Roz one last pleading glance and clamped her eyes tight shut.

She’d felt Piers’ bite, endured the pleasure it could bring, but it was clear there was nothing pleasurable about this embrace. And she knew he would drain her, suck her blood until the life force left her. Maria’s struggles were weaker already.

“Stop,” Roz said.

Jack didn’t pause, but his gaze lifted to hers, and she was caught in that crimson tinted stare.

“You kill her, and I swear I’ll die before I give you your fucking Key. I mean it.”

His eyes darkened, but she saw him bring himself back under control. He stroked his hands down Maria’s arms then slowly raised his head. His mouth was stained scarlet, like some parody of lipstick, and he licked his lips with obvious relish.

As he released his grip, Maria collapsed to the ground. Roz struggled to free herself. “Let me go,” she snarled.

Jack nodded, and the arms holding her released their grip. She knelt on the concrete beside Maria and felt for a pulse. It was there, but weak and thready. Roz would rather not show her powers in front of Jack, but Maria needed her help. She sent out a little pulse of power, and Maria’s eyes flickered open.

“What did you just do?” Jack asked.

“None of your goddamned business.”

“Oh, I think everything you do is my business until I get my Key. But we’ll leave it for now.”

“So how do we do this?” she asked.

“You tell me where the Key is, and I let your people go.”

“Yeah, right, of course you do. Because you’re such a nice guy.”

Once he had the Key, they were all as good as dead—or wishing they were dead.

“Okay, but your friends stay with me until I have my Key.”

She couldn’t see any way out of that. What she needed was time to devise a plan. Her mind worked furiously. While she hated to leave Ryan and Maria with the vampire and his demon friends, what choice did she have?

“We’ll be all right.” Ryan spoke in a low voice from behind her. She scrambled to her feet and turned to face him. “Go do what you have to do. We’ll be fine.” He gave her a weak smile. “At least now I know I’m not going mad and that vampires do exist.”

“Or maybe you’ve gone mad and this is all in your mind.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice? But I mean it—we can survive this.”

She somehow doubted that. She doubted there was any way they were all coming out of this alive. But there was a way she could survive; she could lie, arrange a handover, and just disappear. But even as the idea flickered through her mind, she knew it wasn’t an option. Mere survival was no longer enough for her. She wanted to live, but not at any price. How ironic that she should develop a conscience just when she really didn’t need one. But there was no going back.

She gave Ryan what she hoped was a comforting smile. “I’ll get you out.” She swung back around to face Jack. “I need twenty-four hours to get the Key, and I have to be alone,” she said. “I’ve left it with someone, but if anyone else goes near, they have instructions to destroy it.” That should give her enough time to work on her limited options. “When and where?”

Jack pursed his lips. “Give me your cell phone number—I’ll be in touch.”

She told him then did her best to give him a cold hard stare. “You hurt them again and the deal is off.”