Cursed Hearts (Hearts Duology Book 1) Read online

  “Thanks for the concern.” I drop my hand. “But I can look out for myself.”

  “You’re not thinking right. That child can’t control her abilities. She can drain a man with one kiss.”

  “I know all about her issues. Picked up on them when I met her, but I’m not worried.”

  Her brow wrinkles. “Why the hell not?”

  “Have you forgotten? I’m no longer a man. She can’t harm me.” I stand up. “Thanks for the conversation, but I’ve got this.”

  “Fine. If you insist on continuing your recklessness, don’t do it here. I’d prefer not having the place torn apart because you started a riot.”

  “I don’t think it will come to that.”

  “Oh no? You haven’t heard the talk?”

  I close my eyes. I had heard whisperings earlier but paid them no attention. Now I hear them loud and clear. I also know who it’s coming from. “I can handle Edwina. Just do your job.”

  I open the office door, and the heavy beat fills the room. Amy’s mouth is poised to say something, but she swallows it. Good. I don’t need to continue this discussion when there’s a certain she-vamp I need to set straight.

  The queen of evil, Edwina Devereaux, is at the bar with her cronies gathered at her side. Edwina senses my presence and swings around. She twirls her curly dark hair around her red-tipped finger. “Victor dawlin’, what can I do ya for this ev’ning?”

  “We need to talk.” I point to an empty table in a corner.

  Edwina slides into the seat. A cynical smile twists her painted mouth. “Why da sudden interest?”

  The former daughter of a voodoo priestess is a creature who’s more witch than vamp, a secret not even known by the Coven. She runs with a group of judgmental she-vamps who are hypercritical of any female outside their coven. When I first arrived in Falls Creek, she mistakenly outed herself to me. Then, Edwina attempted to get me in her bed. She figured that nailing me would give her instant access to Luc, allowing her to do whatever she chose. Didn’t happen.

  “Who I bring to this club is my business, not yours. I appreciate you staying clear of my date.”

  She covers her ample chest with a hand, feigning surprise. “F’true? That child is ya date? Slim pickings this ev’ning?”

  I realize her words are meant to upset me. I’m not letting it happen, not tonight.

  She reaches across the table, grasps my hand, and traces my now defunct lifeline with her finger. Ironic. Years ago, it was one of her ancestors who foretold I’d have a long life based on it. It’s possible her vision saw my existence after being turned into a monster.

  “The succubus will only bore ya. What ya need is a real woman. Someone who can handle a real man.” The she-vamp’s heavily painted lips curl up. “Well, in our case, beings who used to be real.”

  I snatch my hand from hers. My eyes slide over her voluptuous body, and my upper lip curls. Edwina has never excited me. “Not interested. I’m asking you to leave her alone.”

  She places her hand on her cheek, and her eyes narrow. “Does Luc approve?”

  Not him again. “He need not know.”

  “Keeping secrets?” Edwina leans forward and gives me a full view of what the tight dress fails to cover. “Naughty, naughty. What’s it worth to ya if I don’t tell Luc?”

  “What’s it worth to you,” I yank her wrist, “if I let you keep your head?”

  Her gaze drops to my hand. “Touchy, touchy. I might have ta learn more about ya little pet. She must mean a great deal to ya.”

  “Go near her or touch her…and I. Will. End. You. Understand?”

  “Perfectly,” Edwina purrs. She jerks out of my grip. “See ya ‘round, Victor dawlin’,” she drawls and slinks away.

  I scrub a hand over my face and close my eyes. When I was a human, I wasn’t the religious type. But for Kelsie Martin’s sake, I offer up a small prayer to whoever might listen to me. Hopefully, the succubus is worth all this trouble.

  As soon as Victor disappears with Amy, my attention turns to the opaque glass on the table. Seeing the blue aura along with her pale complexion should have been enough confirmation. I just need to know what’s in the container. I may not be any good at reading auras, but when you put two and two together, it still adds up to four. In my case, it would be nice if my math is off.

  Before I can lift the glass, Amy appears at the table. What the hell is she doing here?

  Her hand swipes up the objects. “You don’t want to do that, sweetheart.”

  “How is it any of your concern?”

  Amy laughs, a harsh and brittle sound. “Seriously, love. Mind your own business. Certain things shouldn't interest you.”

  Her words have a sharp, bitter edge. She’s pissing me off. Why is she poking her nose into Victor’s life? “The way I see it, you’re the one who needs to mind her own business. Running the club, that’s what you do, right?”

  “When it comes to Victor, I make it my business. You need to get out of here and leave him alone.”

  I shake my head. The audacity. “Listen. It’s obvious we got off on the wrong foot. Let’s try being friends—”

  Her jaw clenches. “There’s a joke. No way in hell would we be friends. Just leave. You’re not welcome here.”

  Amy stands and takes the glass and bottle with her.

  I peer out through the glass wall and take in the frenetic scene below me. I force my vision to adjust to the harsh lights. The more I stare, the more I start to notice the truth. A rainbow of auras stand out over the dance floor. The predominant color, bright blue, surrounds the individuals bumping their way across the crowded space.

  And if I still have any doubts about the type of place I’m in, I get a visual confirmation. A blonde female moves her long hair off her neck, and a gaunt male sinks his fangs into her. He has his fill, and she drops at his feet. Two employees come and carry her body away. Reality sinks in. These people are appetizers for preternatural creatures. The Temptation Club is a feeding den, and I shouldn’t be here.

  I sit back on the sofa. What have I gotten myself into? Victor claims to like me. But for what? Does he plan on feasting off me tonight? Can that even happen between our species?

  Minutes pass by, and Victor is still downstairs. I’m tempted to go looking for him when he suddenly shows up.

  “Let’s go,” he announces.

  “Thought we’d never leave,” I declare and follow him back to the first floor. My eyes sweep over the array of bodies, human and vampires. The freak show between them is like watching supernaturals at an all-you-can-eat human buffet. It makes my skin crawl. A few other supernaturals are hanging out around the room. I wonder if this warped display disturbs anyone else.

  Thanks to Council, vamps and Lilin have delineated zones. Vampires are supposed to stay within the Redlight district near downtown. My kind occupies the northern half of town. Supposedly, it helps to preserve the supply of humans since we both prey on the same victims.

  All this division between our species comes from a distinct difference—vampires are made and Lilin are bred. No matter how hard we try, my kind can’t turn a human into Lilin. As Cash puts it, we’re demon lovers. No real harm. Vampires, on the other hand, feast on humans and won’t hesitate to turn them. Forget all the books and Hollywood stories. Vampires aren’t here to fall in love with humans. They’re simply a meal.

  Victor and I cut across the crowded dance floor. The curly-haired female I saw earlier steps into my path.

  “Leaving so soon, cher,” she drawls.

  “Excuse me,” I say and attempt to keep moving.

  Her hand darts out and lands on my arm. “Do we offend you?”

  “Edwina, stop it,” Victor shouts. “We’re leaving. Let her be.”

  The creepy she-vamp isn’t dismayed. She stares me down, and her canines lower. “Victor is a terrible host. My name’s Edwina Devereaux. And ya are?”

  Edwina’s voice reminds m
e of a comic book villain whose name escapes me. Lena went to a Halloween party one year dressed like her. She had this cat suit…Cat Woman. It’s a perfect description for Edwina’s raspy voice.

  Victor tells her, “You’ve had your fun for one night. Leave her alone, or you can deal with me.”

  Edwina drops her hand. “I’ll be keeping my eyes on ya, dear girl. Do ya self a favor and don’t come back here.”

  A cold sensation presses against my lower back. I turn toward it and discover Victor’s hand. Well, that answers any remaining questions I have about him. He pushes me through the crowd.

  Before we reach the edge of the dance floor, a giant with shoulder-length hair blocks our escape. The pulsing lights make his straight, blond mane appear nearly white. My heart stops when I see the black aura. Strobe lights bounce off his chartreuse eyes—a reaper, commonly known as the personal assassins for my kind. Succubi and reapers, however, like to maintain a quiet association.

  “Victor!” the guy shouts over the music.

  “Nathan.”

  The two beings fist bump and then briefly hug. Victor claims to not be a people person, but he is quite the popular vampire.

  “We need to hang out later. I won’t be in town long,” Nathan says. His odd eyes, framed by a pair of glasses, rake over me. “You remind me of someone I’ve done business with.”

  Without warning, Victor slides a cold arm around my waist and pulls me close. I wonder which is more disconcerting—the chilly sensation or Nathan’s comment?

  “I don’t think so,” I respond. Most likely, Nathan has done business with my mother. “We’ve never met.”

  Victor answers with a brief laugh. “Lay off my date. We’ll get together some other time. The lady and I have plans.”

  The behemoth’s gaze stays fixed on me as he quips, “Lucky you.”

  His hollow words grip my heart and make me feel sad. Mom has told me stories about reapers. Their existence is emptier than any vampire’s. They travel the world ending the lives of humans, and some supernaturals, never enjoying happiness or finding love. Reapers are under contract with Death because of some wrongdoing in their previous lives. Once their servitude is done, they are banished to Hell for all eternity. A few fortunate souls are given a pardon and allowed to go to Heaven instead.

  “Right. Catch you later,” Victor replies.

  We leave Nathan on the dance floor and continue to the exit. Samson still guards the door. He nods at Victor and offers me a sneer. I guess I should count myself lucky that I only had to hear a few insults and endure a smattering of frosty looks.

  The interminable pulse follows us into the crisp night air. I pull my jacket closer as we walk to the car. The best thing that can happen now is a quick goodnight and my return to Lena’s house.

  Reluctantly, I drop Kelsie’s hand and side-glance at her. I already miss the warmth.

  A pinched expression lingers on her beautiful face. Is that my fault, or did it come from one of the bigots inside the club? I suppose it doesn’t matter. Either way, I’m responsible. Bringing her to the Temptation Club was a colossal mistake. I should have anticipated the Coven’s reaction. There’s so much hatred and probably jealousy amongst them.

  Yes, jealousy. Lilin may be creatures of the night, but they are not bound by it. Vampires? We drew the short straw. Some of us have found ways—trinkets, charms, and spells—to allow us to bask in the light. Most of us, however, leave the sun behind never to see daylight again. I count myself amongst the fortunate. Luc descends from a line of vampires who possess the secret to being able to venture out during the day. We don’t linger too long in it, but we aren’t trapped by darkness either.

  Breaking the rules, keeping company with Kelsie, won’t go unnoticed. Right now, I suspect Amy is speaking with Luc. If I listen closely, I’m sure I can hear the conversation. Luc and Ma are either on their way to Falls Creek, or they are already here. It will be an interesting discussion to say the least.

  But for now, this beauty beside me is my only concern. Being with her is playing with supernatural fire. I might get burnt, but I can’t ignore whatever this is drawing me to her. It’s a force I can’t and don’t want to fight.

  “Hey, I’m sorry about that crap back there.”

  She shakes her head. “Why did you take me to the club?”

  How do I clarify my intentions without scaring her off? It was selfish on my part to subject her to that chaos. But I needed to find out how the Coven would accept her, how they would accept us.

  Yeah. Keep telling yourself that one. Eventually, you might believe it.

  “Hey, I said I’m sorry. Can we leave it at that?” I plead.

  She nods. “How do you know Nathan?”

  “We met years ago.”

  I wish I could forget about our meeting.

  We met shortly after Luc turned me. The reaper had finished his first job and was completely unglued about it…

  I sat in a booth at Club Allure, a feeding den on London’s Charterhouse Street. My attempt to write lyrics on top of a table vibrating from techno beats proved fruitless. I was about to call it a night when commotion at the bar caught my eye.

  A gangly chap demanded another drink when he was clearly wasted.

  I approached the high counter and signaled to the barkeep to pour each of us three fingers of Hicks & Healey neat.

  The tall blond noticed me. He picked up the glass, saluted, and tossed the alcohol back. I nodded and did the same. The taste of the dry apple cider and ale mingled in my mouth. Since becoming undead, I could only stomach certain brands. The Cornish single malt, fortunately, was one of them.

  The bartender brought the bottle over. The towering guy tapped his glass. I shook my head.

  “What’s your name, mate?” I choked out.

  “Nathan. Thanks for the drink by the way.”

  “Any time.” I coughed and said, “Haven’t seen you around here.”

  Nathan sat on a stool. “It’s me first time. For a lot of things tonight.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  Nathan followed me to my booth. I soon learned he was a soul reaper from Ireland. I hadn’t met a reaper before and was curious about his existence. He described how he ended the lives of numerous humans in one night. What chilled me was the recap of Nathan’s first supernatural assignment—ending the life of a human who had impregnated a succubus.

  “I don’t think I’m cut out for this type of work.” He tossed back another shot. So far, the guy had finished half a bottle by himself. After relating the gruesome accounts, he deserved every drop of the firewater.

  Eventually, the reaper got over his squeamishness about sucking souls from humans. He dubbed himself “The Soul Assassin” and was proud of the work he did.

  There’s a good chance Kelsie knows all about Nathan’s work. I hope she doesn’t.

  “You want to grab a bite to eat?”

  “No. I’m good.”

  The cold stare she delivers lets me know Kelsie has figured out my secret.

  After witnessing the disgusting public display of vampires draining humans, I don’t think I’ll ever be hungry again. Maybe it’s a good thing that this will be our last date. Sort of makes Colt’s lifestyle seem like the proverbial piece of cake humans are so fond of.

  Victor rubs the back of his neck and glances at me. “Are you mad at me?”

  “No.” My mind is struggling to figure out why he took me to the club. There’s no room for anger at the moment.

  “So, what’s on your mind?”

  He opens my car door, and I slide inside. Do I tell him the truth? Or do I drop it since it’s not that important to my future? Maybe for a sense of peace I should be honest.

  “Why did you bring me to the club? You do know that my kind isn’t welcome here?”

  His mouth opens, but nothing comes out. His eyebrows knit together for a minute. Victor falls back against the seat. “Bad deci
sion on my part.”

  “Did you hope to gain something from this? What if we had started a riot?”

  “So, you know?” He looks out the window. “Does it bother you?”

  “Not the point, Victor.” I roll my eyes. “You shouldn’t have brought me here. If someone caught me—”

  “Who’s going to catch you? Council? All they need to know is we’re two friends out for the night. Next time, I won’t bring you here. I now know my Coven won’t support us.”

  “There won’t be a next time. There can never be another date.”

  Victor taps his fingers on the steering wheel. “Why not? I don’t care that you’re a succubus. Are you as narrow minded as the rest of the beings in this town?”

  Well, that hurt. It hurt a lot. “No. I’m not.”

  “Then what’s the problem?” he barks.

  I don’t want to tell him about Colt. I want one more night not to think about my life with him. “Just take me back to Lena’s, please.”

  His tone softens. “Is that what you really want?”

  “No,” I admit.

  “Then, relax.” He removes his phone, enables the Bluetooth setting, and Within Temptation’s A Demon’s Fate, a favorite song of mine, blares through the speakers.

  I don’t want to give up on Victor. It doesn’t matter to me that he’s a vampire. We share similar interests—music, books, movies, and even the color black. And there’s this connection that I can’t ignore. It’s more than an emotion. His aura has changed since we first met. There are times when I can see a flicker of silver within it, like my aura is reaching out to him. It’s so unfair that for the sake of my family I have to give up what I’ve been wanting for the longest—a chance at love and happiness.

  “So, what do you do for fun?” Victor’s deep voice breaks through my thoughts.