Blood Twist (The Erris Coven Series)

21

DEATH





In the pitch black, Death entered his private room. The floor oozed beneath his feet as he stepped over the remains of his last meal. The dank smells of decay were a welcomed scent as he unbuttoned his shirt and laid it carefully on the bed. Reminding him of his youth, he drank it in.

The evening’s revelations were all in great fun. How he enjoyed the terror rippling off the damphyr and his pathetic human. Fear was such an aphrodisiac, he almost played his hand – killing them both on the spot, while mindless Riley stood powerless to stop him.

It was while he studied the damphyr that he had his finest idea. He didn’t need to consume him here. The boy’s blood was liquid gold, but it wasn’t Death’s style to share. Like sharks, once his lifeblood spilled, all of the vampires would dive in. That wouldn’t do. Not when the damphyr could lead him to the others of his kind.

Riley told stories for years. Although most paid no heed, he went on and on about the coven full of the two hearted damphyrs, as pure as the morning’s daybreak. The only detail continually held back was where they all lived.

Sliding down on his knees, he felt for the woman he had scavenged the night before. Pulling her closer, not much warmth remained of her corpse, but it was enough to regain self-control. Female, male, it didn’t matter no more. He preferred his partners immobile while he enjoyed them.

Trailing his tongue down her neck and past her once bouncing cleavage, he lapped at the blood that pooled in her clavicle. Having dried since his feasting, the plasma thickened to tender paste. Gripping the female’s wrist, Death bit hard into her forearm, snapping her radius with one clean bite.

As the sweet fluid from her bones mixed with the saltiness of his saliva, Death unzipped his pants, giving in to his needs.





22

LIZ





Liz had a pounding headache.

There was a quick wrap on the door. Turning her back on it, she stared at the wall. She didn’t want to answer. It could hardly be good news. It wasn’t like Braden would suddenly be freed and they could both go home. At best it would be Riley or Strix, coming to eat her so she could be put out of her misery.

How could her world spin around so quickly? It seemed like just yesterday she and Lexie were sharing a muffin in Torrington and complaining about Maxim being a shithead.

Now she knew for sure vampires existed and they were hardly the Cullens. Even crazier was that she had totally fallen for Braden. His kiss still burned perfectly on her lips. But he was locked away and her heart was breaking; she didn’t want to begin thinking about a life without him.

Garrick – he was a twisted son of a bitch. Riley was right, Braden would have been safer if she left. She was a fool. A wedding ceremony? Did he even have a brain beneath that mass of hair? She’d rather set herself on fire and jump off the Great Pyramid of Giza.

But what about Braden? If she refused, would Garrick kill him? Her own life didn’t matter as much as his. He needed to get home, back to the coven who could figure out what to do.

Poor Ruby. What will happen without the cure?

The door swung open, causing Liz to startle. Straining her eyes, she could make out Maze’s feminine form holding some kind of box in her arms. “Did you not hear my knocking?” she snapped.

Liz’s stomach tightened. She didn’t want to fight, but this chick had pushed her limits way too far. “Bother someone else.”

Two other vampires stood staring from the hallway, their black eyes curious as to what was going on. Maze turned and hissed at them until they backed up. Letting the door bang shut behind her, the creature marched into the room and tossed the box on the bed. “Your wedding dress. Just like you wanted.”

“Like I wanted? Are you so old that you’re senile now?” Liz countered back, shoving the box away.

“You had to tell Garrick what I did. You couldn’t just let it go.”

Liz looked at Maze like she had lost her mind. “I didn’t tell Garrick shit. I was out all night with Riley.”

“You lie. You just wanted my place as Garrick’s female.” With each syllable emphasized, Maze’s catlike eyes shone with anger.

“You’re wrong. I wouldn’t choose this life for myself,” Liz muttered, laying her head back down on the pillow. “I’d have to be bat shit crazy for that.”

Standing in silence, Maze just stared. After a while, she bent down and picked up the box and set it on the foot of the bed. “We didn’t wear things like this when I was alive,” she grumbled softly. Reaching in, the vampire pulled out a simple white sheath. The silk glowed silver in the moonlight. “This would have shown too much skin, been too scandalous for much more than a slip.”

Liz wanted to ignore her, but couldn’t help but be captivated by the female’s words. “When was that?”

“My parents came from England in the late seventeen hundreds by boat, wanting nothing more than a parcel of land to farm in peace.” Maze looked at the gown in her hands with a mixture of fascination and disbelief. “I had seven sisters and four brothers. As the oldest, I helped my mother with the cooking and cleaning while my brothers tended the fields.”

Setting the dress back down in the box, Maze peeked up at Liz through heavy fair lashes. “Back then, that’s what females did. We cared for the men and children; we mended socks and baked bread. If we were lucky, we got married before we were too old or too sick from disease.”

“What happened?” Liz prodded.

Maze strolled over to the window, and stared out into the darkness. “One night, a stranger came knocking. He claimed he just settled in ten miles north from where our homestead was. He was well spoken and I knew he was educated which was rare at that time. From the way he glanced at me while conversing with my father, I hoped he would ask for my hand. That night as I went to sleep, I prayed for him to pick me.” Turning to face Liz, Maze’s expression was unreadable. “And he did. While I slept, he slaughtered my family, but decided to let me live as his servant. I’ve been passed from one vampire to the next, ever since.”

Maze came back to the bedside and sat down next to Liz. Even in the darkness, Liz could see the memory wasn’t one Maze was used to sharing. The vampire’s face was streaked with tears and dirt. Without even thinking, Liz reached up and brushed the lump of hair that had fallen into Maze’s eyes. The vampire tensed, her eyes darkening.

“I’m sorry,” Liz said, surprised she meant it. “That must have sucked.”

“Maybe at the time,” Maze shrugged. “But I can’t remember now, so it doesn’t matter.”

Liz looked down at the box on her bed, dreading its content. She didn’t think Maze had forgotten how it felt to remember. She couldn’t have been much older than a teen when she went to bed dreaming about getting married, only to awaken to an eternity of hell. Like Riley’s story – there was a terrible injustice to it all.

“Why do you have to serve? Why can’t you do what you want? Go where you want to go?” It seemed simple enough. Maze wasn’t exactly a Lon Cheney double. She could probably rule her own nest of night crawlers.

“I’ve always belonged to a male. I wouldn’t know how to live differently.”

Liz knew what Maze meant. When she lived with the Captain, he made her feel like she was incapable of thinking for herself. Under his thumb, she was always second guessing her decisions. It wasn’t until she was moved in with Bev that Liz realized independence took time but one could get the hang of it.

“Times have changed. You don’t need me to tell you that. But, I think you might want to consider getting out of here and trying it alone. Garrick’s a total ass-hat. You can do much better.”

Liz wasn’t sure, but she thought she heard the vampire chuckle.

“Maybe,” Maze replied, her tone a bit lighter. “But what about you? Garrick will bleed you dry and right before your heart gives out, he’ll make you drink from him, becoming one of us.”

“I don’t know,” Liz sighed, once again feeling hopeless with dread. “If there was a way I could pass the buck, I would.”

“There might be,” Maze replied, staring at the box.