Legacy of Blood

chapter Seventeen



Once at work, Archer brought me in through the front entrance to avoid the dancers. He said he knew my control was better than most newborns, but he didn’t want to take a chance of one of them hugging me and me deciding that would be the perfect time for a snack.

“Come spend some time with me before you start your shift,” Archer said as he grabbed my hand and led me to the stairs.

“Okay,” I smiled, “but only for a bit. I don’t want my boss catching on that I’m dating a co-worker.”

“Well, for a girl as hot as you,” Archer laughed, “I think your boss would make an exception.”

I laughed and gently shoulder bumped him as I followed him up to the second floor.

“I’m going to be moving you to the VIP bar for a while,” Archer said once we reached the top. “Aoife will be taking over the first floor bar with Hunter and I’ll be appointing Brian and Eden to supervise the dancers. I can’t have you working around humans right now and I definitely don’t want you down on the first floor where something could happen to you. Amun is hell bent on getting his hands on you and I don’t trust him not to find a way in here or send someone else to grab you. With you on the second floor, you’ll be surrounded by guards and of course I’ll be here to watch you.”

“Okay,” I nodded. “Whatever you think is best. Has Ruarc called you about the game plan yet?” I asked as we started to climb his private stairwell up to his third floor office. “I’ve got seven days to somehow find Amun and kill him before he starts killing my family and friends.”

“An Dilis are meeting us here after the club closes tonight. Ruarc has a plan he wants to run by you.”

When we reached Archer’s apartment, I flashed to the bed and plopped myself down on top of it. “I hope it’s a good one,” I sighed as I crossed my legs and laid back. “We’re going to need a freakin’ miracle to find him.”

Archer took off his jacket and came to stand in front of me. “He wants you and I refuse to lose you to that bastard.” He uncrossed my legs and gently separated my knees; the action sending a thrill through me. “We’ll find him and then we’ll kill him, Skye. I promise.” Archer leaned over me, wrapped one arm around the small of my back and lifted me, moving us to the center of the bed.

“I don’t want you anywhere near him, Archer,” I whispered, wrapping one leg around his waist and looking up into his eyes. I put my hand on his cheek and softly traced his bottom lip with the pad on my thumb. “You almost died last time. I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you again.”

“Nothing is going to happen to me, Cion,” Archer whispered against my finger but I shushed him by placing two fingers to both lips before he could say more.

“I’m not taking the chance, honey. The way I see it, I’m a hell of a lot harder to kill than you guys. An Dilis have a right to fight by my side because it’s their job; protecting Day Walkers from a*sholes like him. But you? Honey, your job is to be there for the rest of our family and to protect them. They need you safe.”

“I need you safe,” he argued, nipping at my fingers as he hitched my other leg around his waist and ran his fingers softly up my outer thigh.

I trembled at his touch and tried to stay focused on the conversation. “I’ll have the whole Army at my back, baby. I’ll be in the best hands possible for the job, don’t you think?”

He ended the discussion with a slow and devastatingly delicious kiss. I sighed at the little growl he made in the back of his throat and pulled him further down against me until our bodies were flush together. His hand kneaded my hip as the other slid up my ribs toward my breast and I moaned when he ran his thumb over my sensitive nipple.

“Do you know how many nights I dreamed about having you in this exact position?”

“Well, I’m here now.” I kissed my way down his chin, across his strong jaw to whisper in his ear, “What are you going to do with me?”

Archer groaned as I nipped and licked his neck. His scent mixed with his slow pulsing heartbeat and the sexual tension made me suddenly hungry. My fangs slid out with a snick and both Archer and I stopped moving against each other.

“Oops,” I whispered as he leaned back and I covered my mouth. “You’re making me hungry.”

Archer smiled as he gazed down at me. “You want me to call a feeder for you, baby?”

“Mmm-hm,” I moaned at the thought of a hot meal. “Would you mind? I think I should eat as soon as possible so I can finish what we started later on tonight with no interruptions.”

His eyes flashed with desire and he leaned down to give me one last kiss, being mindful of my fangs.

“I got you something,” he said as he pulled me up to sit beside him. He reached into his pants pocket and took out a small, white contact lens case. “I didn’t know if you wanted to explain your white irises to people, because they might ask, so I got you these to wear during your shifts if you wanted them.”

“Oh,” I said in surprise as I took the tiny case and unscrewed the left container. “They’re hazel.”

“Yeah. The choice is yours though, babe. Wear them if you want or don’t, it doesn’t matter to me. You could always tell other humans that you’re wearing white-out lenses. Those are popular around the club. I can almost guarantee another vampire will certainly ask about your eyes. They will be able to tell you aren’t wearing contacts.”

I replaced the lid on the contacts and handed them back to Archer. “Screw it. Let them ask,” I smiled and then quoted Lady Gaga. “I was born this way, baby. I’m not going to hide or be ashamed of who I am now.”

“That’s my girl,” Archer smiled and wrapped his arms around my neck. “I think you are sexy just the way you are.”

I winked at him and lightly kissed his lips. “You’re great, you know it? Thank you for the gift anyway.” Amun’s ring suddenly came to mind. Archer told Ruarc that he had left it here at the club in his office. “Speaking of gifts,” I started carefully, “Do you think I can see the ring Amun left for me?”

Archer’s face immediately frowned and he sighed as he stood up. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea, Skye. Maybe we should wait for Ruarc.”

“Honey,” I tsked as I stood and turned on the charm. I was really curious about it and had to see what all the fuss was about. “You act as if it’s going to bite me. Just let me see what it looks like. I won’t even touch it if you don’t want me to.”

Archer growled unhappily and led me into his office. I watched as he crouched behind his desk and punched the code to the safe. When he turned back around, he had a small black velvet pouch in his hand. He turned the bag upside down on the desk and I heard a piece of metal hit the surface.

As he moved his hand I saw a shining gold band with a dazzling big, blood red Garnet stone in the center. I bent down and looked closely at it. There were markings of some kind surrounding the band; the engraving was even done on the inside. I had never seen anything like it before. “It’s beautiful,” I whispered as my fingers inched out to touch it.

“Don’t,” Archer’s sharp bark stopped me and I blinked and looked up at him.

“It’s just a piece of jewelry,” I sighed.

“Things aren’t always what they seem,” he said quietly as he eyed the ring. “I don’t want to take a chance with your safety. I’d rather you didn’t touch it until we met with Ruarc.”

I pursed my lips, a bit unhappy, as I stood back up. “That’s silly, but alright. Whatever you say, honey.”

We heard someone open the stairwell door and start climbing the stairs. Lochlan’s head popped up onto the landing a few seconds later and he gave me a goofy smile. “Sorry ta interrupt ya’ two, bu’ I’m gonna steal ya’ girl ‘ere an’ put ‘er ta work,” he wagged his eyebrows at me, his Irish accent heavy. He knew how much I liked it and he would slather it on extra thick whenever he was feeling particularly flirtatious. Ah, at least some things haven’t changed.

“I’ll talk to you later, boss man,” I winked at Archer over my shoulder as I headed out. “Let me know when it’s time to eat; I’m hungry.”

I saw him smile as he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and hit a number on speed dial. Hopefully I wouldn’t have to wait long for a feeder to arrive.

I wasted no time getting behind the VIP bar and starting prep work. I learned quickly we not only sold liquor, but bagged blood too. So that’s what was in all those red plastic Solo cups I saw everyone drinking from up here.

Prep work was really easy for VIP/PVIP. Garnishes were only used when a human guest of a vampire ordered a drink. Day Walkers took liquor straight up 99% of the time and Dark Ones only drank blood. Lochlan showed me a hidden panel next to the cooler that housed all the ‘house blood’. Special requests and rare blood types were kept in the safe under the bar. I had seen that one before when Archer had me fix drinks the first time I met An Dilis. I also learned Gunnar stocked fresh blood daily in our refrigerator at home as well as here at the club. When I asked who Gunnar was to Archer, since he was human and not vampire like us, Lochlan shook his head and gave me a quick, “No’ my story ta tell.” I guess I’d have to ask Archer one of these days.

Lochlan also taught me some terminology the vampires used when ordering. An order for ‘House Special on the Rocks’ was unheated blood, straight out of the bag; orders for ‘House Special Straight Up’ meant blood that had been warmed in the microwave before being served. Anyone asking for the ‘House Special with a Twist’ wanted a shot of their preferred liquor poured into the blood before it was served either warm or cold, whichever they asked for. Plain liquor orders went by the same rules as they did normally.

Right before the doors opened for the night, Quinn escorted a human I had never seen before up the stairs. “Skye, why don’t you take your guest upstairs to Archer’s office?” he said with a look that clearly told me she was my feeder.

Samantha turned out to be quite tasty and Archer and I shared her together. It was a miracle I made it through the feeding without pouncing on Archer and having my wicked way with him. There’s something about sharing blood with someone that is so intimate and sexual.

I made it down just as the first group of vampires started pouring in. The first person I waited on was a Dark One. He was short and stocky and looked weak on the outside, but his emotions were strong and a bit dark. I was picking up a lot of confusing feelings from him and I tried to block them out as best I could.

“You’re new,” he said straight away.

“Not really,” I replied with a smile, “I’ve worked here since we opened,”

“Not what I meant,” he leaned in as he took a seat on the barstool and put his hands on the counter. “You’re a newborn.”

“Guilty,” I smiled tightly and changed the subject. “What can I get for you tonight?”

“Blood Rocks,” he answered as he eyed me closely and I went about filling his request.

I set the red Solo cup in front of him on a napkin and accepted his credit card to open a tab. His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist as I was picking up the card off the counter. “What are you?” he asked, confused.

“My name is Skye,” I smiled and put on my best ‘don’t f*ck with me’ face, “and I’m your bartender today.” I put my hand on his and exerted just enough pressure on his wrist to show him I was stronger and did not like to be touched. He released my hand in surprise and I gave him a wink as I started to walk to my next customer. “You just let me know if you need anything else.”

I immediately liked working the VIP more than the main floor. Tips were outrageously large and the vampires were to the point. No one grabbed my boobs or ass when I delivered bottle service and though some flirted, it wasn’t overly obnoxious flirting like some human boys tended to do.

As the night wore on, I noticed Archer had stationed Emrick at the top of the stairs and Pádraig on my end of the bar. Someone was being overly cautious I thought, but it was sweet all the same. It was kind of nice having someone who cared enough to go to such lengths to protect me. Wow, I have really changed! I would have seen it as a pain in the ass and a sign they thought I was delicate and weak when I was a human.

I was on my way back from delivering a bottle of Dom to a table when Emrick caught my attention. “Dean Cruz is with Quinn. He wants to have a word with you.”

“Well, send him up,” I smiled.

Emrick shook his head and leaned to whisper in my ear. “Werewolves are not welcome up here.”

I leaned back and felt my eyebrows rise in understanding. Werewolves and vampires did not normally get along with one another. I had heard one bite from them could pretty much kill a vampire. Oh no! I’m a vampire now. He’ll hate me!

“Is there a problem?” Archer asked Emrick, his palm on the center of my back.

“Cruz is downstairs,” Emrick nodded. “Wants to talk to Skye.”

Archer’s brow furrowed and he sighed. “Shit. Okay, five minutes Skye. Emrick will escort you down but do not leave the stairs, got me?”

I nodded as I took a deep breath and steadied myself. Will I lose him as a friend because of what I am now? I followed Emrick down and spotted Dean standing next to Quinn at the bottom of the stairs. Dean smiled when he saw me, but it quickly faded and was replaced by a look of confusion.