The Gates

13

TURNING TABLES

“Well? Did you find anything out?” I whispered, hiding behind the windmill door while Gavin snuck in, letting his hood down. The predawn Amaranthian sky was black, its sun just minutes from rising. I tossed my journal down to greet him, relieved to see him. I’d gotten to the windmill early and tried to distract myself from worrying by writing.

He shook his head, took a deep breath. “Well, Scarlet definitely had nothing to do with it.”

“You’re sure?”

“I questioned her, and yeah, I’m sure. She might be threatening us with Arianna, but no blood puts her in danger too, even if she finds a way to feed herself. She needs us to bring Samira down. The last thing she wants is for Samira to find out we have none. Scarlet knows that knowledge will give Samira power over us. If it’s anything she’s telling the truth about, it’s how much she loathes her.” He clutched me in his arms and his fiery gaze danced across my body. “Can we talk about it after?”

“What? Gav, we need to talk about it now. What are we going to do—? And after what exactly?”

“After I taste you.” He dipped his mouth down to mine, letting his tongue slip between my lips. The panic I felt passed through me and a soft moan replaced the tension. I melted in his arms and slipped my hands around his neck, pressed my body harder to his, pulling down on his cloak to peel it over his shoulders.

He spun me around and pushed me up against the door, leaning his weight against my back to pin me to it with his hips. Angling my chin to the side so he could see my mouth, his other hand clasped the side of my waist and his breath flickered hot in my hair. “You don’t know how good you taste,” he breathed, finding my elbow and gently rubbing his thumb across my thick bandage. “This feeling okay? I’ll be gentle with it, I promise.”

“Mhhmm. It’s better.” I welcomed his soft strokes over the crease of my elbow and swiveled my head farther back, to bring my lips closer to his.

He leaned in and looked at my lips with wonder before he kissed them hungrily again, his hands gliding down the sides of my hips to clutch my rear. “I can’t promise the same for this delicious backside, though.”

“No safety pin today,” I whispered against his jaw.

He snatched up my skirt, tore it straight down the middle and gathered it near my waist. “Won’t be needing it.”

“Gavin! What’ll I wear home?”

“Cloak.” His voice roughened and he ripped harder, tossing the material to the ground. I felt his smile when he kissed my neck, and shivers ran down my back at the sound of his low growl.

“I made that! This is the second one you’ve torn! I don’t have many of those, you know.”

“Cam,” he snaked one hand around my stomach and made his way north, slipping one hand into my corset top to grope my breast. “You won’t be thinking about it when I’m inside you.” His hips shifted off my back and he separated my legs with his knee, his breathing ragged against my shoulder. “Now forget the damn dress.”

Keeping my head pressed to the side of the door, I could see him pull at his shirt collar to loosen it, which instantly made my knees shake and my pulse thump with desire. Unsure if I’d be able to hold myself up as he had his way with me from behind, I knew the image of him there would be my undoing. There was nothing sexier than seeing this normally shy, composed man morph into a voracious creature with such insatiable, starved need in his rich, chocolate eyes. And the sleeves rolled to his elbows … that wasn’t helping.

I snuck a glance at his forearms. Nope, not helping at all.

He ran his fingers down my back and licked his lips, the sensations of his fingertips over my spine making my head spin. Before I had time to muster my strength, I heard his zipper and felt him jerk my slip aside. He slid into me and leaned close again, his jaw slack at the side of my face. I palmed the door with my good hand and reached back to latch onto the side of his hip with the other, his name spilling from my lips as he drove into me.

“I adore you, do you know that?” he murmured against my ear, his panting feeding my fervor and sending my desire into an irrepressible frenzy. “I’m yours always, baby.”

I gripped the door harder for support and dug my nails into his hip to return the passion, closing my eyes when his cries seeped into my ear. They were too much. “Gavin, please …” He thrust harder, a desperate urgency in each sharp charge, stirring my release, coaxing it into a ferocious delirium, spinning it out of control. He lifted a hand and trailed fingers over my lips, tilting and crushing his mouth on mine to silence my whimpering.

“Not yet,” he sighed against my lips and wrenched my hair back, forcing me to arch against his chest, tightening his grip on my waist before running his other hand down my front to cup it between my thighs. “Ask me again.”

“Please,” my voice hummed, barely audible as he skimmed his nose over my neck, his fingers kneading in front while he buried himself in me.

“Please, what? Tell me.”

“Please, Gavin. Let me go.”

I felt him slow and readjust his stance, then slide in deeper and pick up speed, pushing me farther and farther into luscious oblivion from behind, his fingers continuing to torture in front. “Mmm. I love hearing that.”

His forehead grazed my cheek and his sweat stuck to my skin, a sweet, heady aroma that sent my knees quaking. I cried out, feeling myself quicken, his strangled moan causing my body to cave against the door as I found my release.

“Cam … damn it …” He pulled his hand from my thighs and braced the door next to my face, his palm spreading over the dark, battered wood, his fingers close enough for me to taste. My eyes fluttered and found his; their scorching glow penetrated me with crazed longing. His breath hissed and he reached his climax, hauling his fingertips through my hair and over my scalp as he stilled, my name escaping his lips one last time.

I let myself slump against his shoulder while he rested his forehead on the door, one arm drawn close around my waist to hold me upright.

“Love, making it out of this place alive is the least of my worries. If you keep making me crazy like that, you’ll be the death of me.” He snickered against my neck, his lips kissing my wet skin.

“Well,” I panted, “if you ravage me like that again, there’s a very good chance you’ll take me with you.”

Still chuckling, he lifted my left hand to his mouth and kissed my ring, then turned me around to face him before bringing me to the floor on his lap. “Does your cut hurt? I tried not to touch it.”

“What cut?” I panted still, letting my head roll onto his chest.

“Oh, you know, that throbbing thing on your left arm that almost made our little group have you for dinner last night?”

“After what you just did to me … no. It most certainly does not hurt. In fact, I think it’s better.”

“Well in that case, let’s speed up the healing process, shall we?” He sent me a slow, lazy smile, then kissed my forehead and worked his way down from cheek to chin.

“Gav, this very human wife of yours can’t keep up with your vampire endurance.” I giggled under my breath and ducked my head to the side, giving him better access to my neck despite my objection.

“Superhuman strength, baby. Might as well enjoy it while we can.”

I shot him an incredulous look. His amused laughter was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

“Crap.” I scrambled out of his lap and grabbed my cloak, tossing Gavin his as I worked to cover myself. He panicked and held a finger to his lips, cuing me to stay quiet.

“Whoever it is knows we’re in here, we can’t just play dead!” I threw my hands up and gestured toward the door, my heart catching in my throat. Is it her? It’s probably her. This wasn’t happening. “What do we do, what do we do, what do we do?”

“I can hear you in there, you idiots. Open the damn door!”

“Audrey, ” Gavin and I mouthed at the same time. My heart dropped back to my chest and I exhaled loudly while Gavin lifted the heavy wooden slat over the door and let her squeeze inside. He slapped his hand to his forehead and rolled his eyes.

“Well good morning, it’s nice to see you, too.”

“What are you doing, Aud?” I crossed my arms and pulled my cloak tighter.

“Did anyone see you come up here?” Gavin’s expression had turned grim.

“I doubt it. Everyone’s much more interested in what’s going on in the street at the moment. Josh has been trying to reach you but he said you won’t let him into your head. He sent me up here.”

“He’s better off, believe me.” Gavin hurried his fingers through his hair and repressed a grin. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”

“Samira’s guards are coming for you. You’re being summoned. Didn’t you hear the horn? Come on, they’re looking for you.”

I bit my lip to hold back a smile of my own at why we hadn’t heard the horn.

“Summoning me …”

“Your guess is as good as mine, now come on. Cam, for crying out loud, fix your hair.” She cocked her eyebrow and gave me the I-know-you’ve-been-messing-around look. “And you,” she shot Gavin the same look, “zip up your fly, Don Juan.”

She rolled her eyes and turned for the door. Gavin stood there, hands on hips, and dropped his chin to follow her scrutiny, doing a double take when he spotted the zipper. Zipping up, he followed her, and I trailed behind them, all three of us pulling up our hoods to conceal our faces.

We walked down the hill, Audrey and Gavin cracking jokes about the legend of Don Juan. Their amusement faded, as did mine, when we saw the guards coming through the gates at the top of the city’s hill. People had already begun gathering in the streets below, in the village’s valley, and we could hear the commotion even though we were still some distance away.

“Well this can’t be good,” Gavin mumbled.

“You don’t think they found out …” Audrey glanced at Gavin. He wore his poker face. The one that meant he was thinking. Usually it intrigued me. This time it made me tremble.

“No, not good,” I said, my eyes glued to the threat unfolding before us.

“Just stay calm,” Gavin said. “They’re only coming for me. Come on.” At his nod, we continued our descent down the hill, making our way to the center of the street.

One of the waiting guards approached Gavin. “Are you coming or are we going to have to do this the hard way?” His sinister, hungry gaze sized up the people around us like a three-course meal.

“You don’t have to hurt anyone. Let’s go,” Gavin said under his breath, walking past the burly guard to head uphill toward the gates. He didn’t turn back, didn’t say a word to either of us. My stomach dropped and Audrey reached out to take my hand.

“He’ll be okay, Cam. Let’s get inside to Gabe and Josh. Maybe they have a better idea of what’s going on.”

I intertwined my fingers with hers and let her lead me toward the house.

* * *

“Remove the spells, or starve. The choice is yours.” The firelight flickered, sending warm shadows over Samira’s ivory skin.

“It was you. You took our blood supply.” Go easy, Gavin. Don’t want to make this worse. Camille’s depending on you.

“Perhaps you should have kept better watch when I visited the city. It doesn’t take much to distract the humans there, petty fools. You and your friends, however, were quite the disappointment, being so distracted like that. I suppose that is what happens when you pledge your loyalty to humans. You end up forgetting the needs of your own kind.”

“I should have known.”

“Oh, I believe you knew. You have your father’s instinct. But all it took was a few minor diversions, and you let your guard down. It is truly a shame. The guards were able to slip right by you, while you stood in the street, more concerned with why I was taking the humans.” She shut her eyes and waved her hands. “At any rate, you left me no choice. You were wise enough to bring your own blood with you. Allowing me to provide it to you and your friends would certainly give me an advantage. However, I am sorry to say there is a problem with that, my child.” She stood in front of the throne, her icy glare bearing down on me. “So, choose.”

I wasn’t sure whether to stall or give in. Both seemed risky. What would you have done, Dad? If we didn’t get blood soon, our entire plan could fail. Maybe I could give in for myself, but not allow the others to remove their spells, get what we need without dooming us all. “You know I can’t do that, Samira. It’s our only assurance you and your guards won’t harm us while we do our work here.”

“Starvation it is then, yes?”

“I won’t be much good to you if I’m dead.”

“Apparently you weren’t much good to me in the first place, when you made such a defiant decision to enlist help from an original conjurer to use my own magic against me. I will find another way to restore order in my city if I must, and you’d be wise to take me at my word, Mr. Devereaux.” She joined her hands behind her back and lifted her chin, maintaining her stare. “Of course, you have the choice to feed from the Amaranthians.” Her lips curled into a wicked smile.

“Your Highness, you know as well as I do that wouldn’t solve anything.”

“Ah, there’s that same common quality you share with your parents, I see. A most stubborn love for humans.”

“Why is it you want me to remove the spell? Why not come right out and say it?” I held a straight face, pushing back the nervous twitch in my shoulder, every urge to let my concern show. The restraint became more difficult when the wolves made slow strolls to her side. Hold it together, Gavin. Figure this thing out, play her at her own game.

“I am insulted by your question, Mr. Devereaux, since it is one you already know the answer to. Why remove your spells? I won’t be mocked in my own kingdom, that’s why. I have allowed you to have the upper hand for months now, and I refuse to let the spectacle continue.” Her eyes widened and her jaw set. “If you serve me in my city, you will play by my rules. I refuse to allow you to continue to use my magic against me. Remove the spells, and I will see you remain unharmed. You will need to take me at my word, and that is all there is to it. Have you forgotten how well acquainted I am with the magic? Your spells won’t last for long. And without fresh blood, you’ll soon be powerless regardless.”

“Your word?” My effort to keep the sarcasm from my tone failed. She noticed. Damn it, composure, man!

“Is there something you wish to say to me, Mr. Devereaux? Now would be the time.”

I took a deep breath and looked away, turning my attention to the wolves. “No, Your Highness. Nothing at all.” She knew we wouldn’t feed on the Amaranthians, and I knew it, too. If we even considered the thought, it meant disturbing the peace we’d worked so hard to build over the past few months. Yes. We were too close. And the last thing we needed inside the gates was more enemies. We needed an alliance, a strong one.

“I’ll turn over my protection, but my friends will not.”

“This is not a bargaining session, my pet. All or nothing. Now.”

Shit. Should our group try to hold out until the resistance arrived? The crescent moon was less than a week away. But what would happen if the resistance arrived, and we were too weak to help them? Another week without food? We’ll be too weak, too vulnerable without blood. We need it. Period.

I reached my hand inside my shirt, just under my chest, and retrieved the small red sachet that, until now, had been responsible for securing my safety. Weighing it in my palm, I gave it a last look before I chucked it toward her, swallowed hard when she caught it midair. Josh, I called him with my thoughts. Samira stole the blood. I handed over my spell to get it back. They’re coming for yours next, but there’s no way we’re turning everyone over for the slaughter. Quick—hide a few of the others in the haven, we’ll say they’ve already starved to death or something. And see if Cecile can help in some way. Maybe a different kind of spell to keep us safe after we get the blood back.

“Wise choice, my child.” Samira interrupted my train of thought, dangling the bag’s string from a long, sharp nail, examining it. “Tell me. How is Vivienne these days? Has she enlightened all of you on earth, or are you and your little friends special pets of hers?”

“The last thing she wants is for her people to share their magic with our kind. We were an exception.”

“Were you, now.” She slowly moved forward and floated down the granite steps, testing the area in front of me for any protective force. The wolves trotted next to her and I remained still, holding my breath. You idiot. This is it. You probably just handed our lives over on a silver platter. My thoughts flitted to Josh again, urging him to move fast to devise a plan. My normal hesitancy to thought-speak with my allies in Samira’s presence was thrown out the window at this point. Damn it! How could I have been so poorly prepared for something like this? My face dropped at the realization of my failure, defeat weighing my shoulders down. I steeled myself up. It’s not over yet.

When she reached me and realized she was able to touch my arm, she smiled, extending her hand to mine. “I will see to it that you and your friends receive your supply as soon as I have evidence they’re no longer under the spell. I will send my guards for them now.” She waited for me to shake her hand. “Oh come now, Mr. Devereaux. Let’s resume our arrangement and pretend this never happened, shall we? I’m quite pleased with the progress you have made in my city. I have every reason to keep my word.”

My reluctant hand accepted hers, her palm sliding over mine as she smiled kindly—too kindly.

A blast sounded from the hall just outside the tall wooden doors, and she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as she released me from our handshake.

“Dali. Akim.” At her command, the wolves stalked toward the doors, but cowered back, whimpering, when the doors creaked open. Samira’s posture changed, resuming its statuesque picture of certainty. I followed her gaze to the doorway and felt the life drain from my face.

Scarlet strutted into the room, hands at her sides, a book of some sort stuffed underneath her arm. Her snug smile widened when more of Samira’s guards appeared from the other set of doors, these near the throne. At first they marched toward Scarlet, but then slowed when they felt the bubble of protection surrounding her. She giggled when they charged toward her and smacked into it, and she watched them fly backward with delight on her face.

“A truce so soon?” she purred, looking only at Samira. “You might want to reconsider, Your Highness.” With one flick of her wrist, she tossed the book in my direction.

It dropped to the ground and slid toward me, hit the tip of my boot and landed in perfect view. Since Scarlet appeared, I’d fought to maintain an indifferent stare, but the sight of the journal—the one I’d given Camille, the one she’d just had with her in the windmill—made me shake, and I couldn’t mask my horror any longer.