Kali Sweet Series, Three Urban Fantasy Novels (Boxed Set) Read online

  Cole’s arms were crossed over his massive chest, a calculating look on his face. “Why does he want all that blood?”

  “He doesn’t want all the blood, just the right combination. Mixing other supernatural blood types with his royal Undead blood could make him the ultimate vampire. He’ll then be able to step into Vlad’s footsteps without anyone interfering, now that his father is out of the way.”

  The freaky staring continued. I set down the tablet, pointed a thumb at my chest. “Supernatural Frankensteins are possible, case in point: me. He knows this. Maria’s probably filled his already oversized head with all kinds of possibilities. He’ll want the rarest blood and the most powerful blood and he’ll find it at Chloe’s.”

  From the looks I got from my audience, they were convinced I was batshit crazy.

  Shadow Hill Asylum, here I come.

  “Toel is greedy and power hungry, but this?” Dru shook his head. “Mixing blood from different species could kill him.”

  We could only hope. But then I’d miss out on staking him, and I wanted to gleefully cross that item off my bucket list. “It didn’t kill me, and now I have a few extra handy skills, like I can get a read on him since we’re related by blood now.” I sent a death glare at Dru. “I sort of astral projected myself to where Toel was a few minutes ago. You’re right. He’s being guarded by powerful dark magic. Maria’s magic.”

  Damon, always thinking on his feet, arched a dark brow. “And does this connection between the two of you run both ways?”

  I wondered that myself. If so, I had to be ultra careful about my thoughts once the sun went down and I’d better watch my back around Damon. It was one thing for the Institute to train vamps to fight Noctifectors. Another to have an Undead king like Toel reading the enforcer’s mind and knowing everything there was to know about the Bridge Council. “No idea, but I guarantee, when he wakes up, he and a small contingent of his minions are heading to Chloe’s. Once he goes super vamp, there’ll be no stopping him.”

  Cole stroked his jawline. The simple movement sent Brianna’s lust zipping around him. She had it bad. If I tuned into it, like I had the magical spell around Toel, I could almost see the bright edges of her energy reaching out and touching Cole in various spots. He seemed oblivious, but he wasn’t. His own lust greeted hers and held it close as he locked eyes with me. “And the others? They’ll be at Carpathia and the Institute?”

  “By tomorrow night, if Toel can find the right combo of blood to increase his powers. The Carpathia vamps that turned traitor at my coronation are leading the House’s overthrow. They know the security system and how Dru thinks.”

  “Bastards.” Dru paced away from the collective group and his blood called to me. He was angry and a little nervous. After losing his father to Toel, the idea of losing Carpathia as well sent his magic spiraling in tight, angry circles that flared and surged. His blood pulsed in a furious rhythm and mine throbbed with it.

  A fine line of sweat broke out around my hairline. My lungs seemed too tight. My legs wanted to cross the room on their own accord. My arms wanted to hug him.

  Gah, vampires.

  And what I was about to say would probably put my throat in danger from his schiavona sword. “If it comes down to it, we’re going to give Carpathia to him.” I glanced at Damon. “And the Institute.”

  “What?” The question came from almost every mouth in the room.

  I raised a hand before they broke free from their shocked stupor. “Toel has fooled us at every turn so far. The plan I see may be a decoy, and if so, this time, we fool him. We’ll be ready for him and his minions, no matter what occurs. Just in case he decides to attack Carpathia and the Institute tonight, before he figures out his perfect blood formula, we’re going to pretend to put up a fight, but we’ll let his minions win. Either way, we go for the kill at Chloe’s.”

  Maddy stood on tiptoes to look over Rad’s shoulder. “And how do we do that?”

  I smiled, my demon showing through. “I have a plan.”

  “Christ on a pony,” Cole said.

  More like Toel on a pony, but a minor detail.

  For the next several minutes, I discussed aspects of my plan. Vicky was still in captivity at Carpathia. She and I were going to keep Maria busy with a summoning spell, so Dru agreed to send her to my house under guard just after sunset.

  The Master Vamp had already called on Juliana and Rafael, regional managers in the south and east. Troops from both regions were on the way and the first wave would arrive by midnight. Another wave by sunrise. If things went as planned, we wouldn’t need them.

  Things never go as planned.

  Dru knew this as well as I did and both of us felt better knowing we had backup. “My brothers and I will lie in wait for Toel at Chloe’s.”

  “Won’t work. He’ll sense you’re there.” I motioned between us with my finger. “It’s the royal blood thing. Whether you recognize it or not, your blood does.”

  “Who then?” Di asked. There was a gleam in her eye.

  “Not you.”

  The gleam turned bitchy. “I’m a goddess. I do possess a few magical powers.”

  Powers in the department of love and attraction. “You’re not a killer, Di, but you and Chloe working together will make a nice distraction.” As a Tempter demon, Chloe was also highly skilled in the art of seduction. “The thing is, Toel won’t be easily distracted, and anyone who gets in his way will be eliminated. I don’t want you and Chloe to engage him in any other way than to be submissive and helpful. Suggest various blood types to him, keep him entertained and focused on his potential super vamp status until the cavalry arrives.”

  Cole’s gaze bored into me with obvious challenge. “And who is the cavalry?”

  Forcing myself not to glance at Rad and give away that part of my plan, I met Cole’s challenging stare. “A special group I’m going to put together. As soon as I have everything in place, I’ll give you the 411.”

  Damon looked incensed. Cole glared daggers at me for bullshitting him. I was losing patience. “Look,” I told them both. “I’m not keeping you in the dark for grins and giggles. I need you to trust I know what I’m doing. Each of us has a role to play in this takedown. This is mine.”

  Grumbling and arguing ensued. I held firm. If I’d been in their shoes, I’d have been pissed, too, and demanding more information. But there wasn’t much they could do to force me to give them details I hadn’t yet acquired.

  I sent Dru back to Carpathia with his bodyguard in tow and a set of instructions to prepare for Toel’s onslaught the next night, just in case he escaped us at Chloe’s or changed his strategy. Neither Dru nor Brianna were happy about my plan, nor was Bri happy about leaving Cole, but Dru agreed to talk to his brothers and convince them to bait my trap. They had to be close to Chloe’s that night ready to take out Toel, but they couldn’t attack before he was inside and distracted.

  Cole was unhappy as well. He needed to go to the Bridge Institute and guard the archdemons while fighting Toel’s minions in a half-assed manner if necessary. Plus, his girlfriend was in the line of fire and I was throwing out battle plans like a seasoned pro without consulting him.

  A little professional jealousy and a lot of worry clouded his face and turned him into Mr. Gruff again, but I understood his concerns, so I didn’t bristle. Much. He wouldn’t agree to allow Damon, Yasmin and Kirill to stay inside the Institute if the Undead were going to take over and that sort of screwed up my trap. The Institute wasn’t the prize if the archdemons who ran it weren’t in attendance.

  We argued, Damon not taking either side, mostly because he thought my entire plan sucked. Occasionally, he tried to access my mind and speak to me mentally, but I blocked his attempts for the first time ever. That, of course, pissed him off, but pleased me to no end. I’d never been able to block him before.

  Score one for Frankenstein.

  “JR and Maddy, you guys call Arman and help him organize a shifter battalion. I want you
to position yourselves in three groups about a mile outside the Institute’s perimeter and lay low. Really low. I don’t want the minions to smell you or sense there are so many of you in the area. If we snag Toel at Chloe’s before he gives the word to attack, we won’t need your battalion, but if the plan his mind has handed me is bogus, you’ll have to invade the Institute and kick minion butt if I give you the signal.”

  Maddy nodded vigorously. JR stared at my chin. “What’s the signal?” Maddy asked.

  Good question. Maddy lived on her cellphone, but if a cell tower signal went missing, so did my message. Cole would be there, so I motioned at him. “Whatever our War demon, here, decides it will be. He’ll give you the signal, you’ll surround the Institute and cut down any Undead who get in your way.”

  “Cool,” she said.

  JR looked green.

  “And what about Maria?” Damon may have been quiet up to that point, but he wasn’t backing off. “She’s the unknown in this strategic plan of yours. How will you capture Toel if she’s protecting him?”

  Ye of little faith. “I’ll take care of Maria. The succubus and I have a score to settle and Vicky’s going down with her.”

  “You’ll need Salmad.” A statement, and not one to argue with by the powerful magic he was shedding like water. “I’ll send for him.”

  “Not until tonight.” I didn’t need a priest hanging around all day, even one I had freaky ties to. “You and the council members should go to Nudra’s house in Oak Park. It’s totally fortified with a sick security system and Toel won’t suspect you’re there. You can drop Salmad off on your way.”

  A tense silence descended. Maddy and JR left with Di in tow. Damon insisted Cole should stay with me since I was still on so many hit lists, but I refused on the basis that no one could protect me from Maria, Toel was sleeping the day off, and I had Rad for protection against the Noctifectors. Since Damon preferred to argue with facts and logic on his side, he begrudgingly admitted I was right and he and Cole left a few minutes later. On the way out, Cole gave me a knowing look. Rad or no Rad, Cole would be back before the day was over to watch my six if he could.

  My home seemed more empty than usual once everyone left. Rad and I stared at each other across the sectional sofa in silence. His lips were pale and pinched. Shadows darkened his eyes.

  “As much as I hate to admit it,” he said, lowering his head and looking at me from under his thick lashes, “I need to feed.”

  Absentmindedly, I licked my lower lip, sensing the pulse at the base of his throat and the blood pumping in the veins of his neck. I had no desire to drink his blood, but the throbbing between my legs from Dru’s presence hadn’t subsided.

  I leapt over the sofa and tackled him. “So do I,” I said, taking him to the floor.

  Chapter Thirty

  I fed Rad and he fed me. Sex was always intense between us, but that day, it was an intense marathon. He drank my blood as if this were his last meal. He worshipped my body and took me on a feast of emotions and sensations I’d never before experienced. From the tips of my toes to the top of my head, every inch of me was given due diligence…more than once…by Rad’s lips, tongue and talented fingers.

  Kama sutra, demon style.

  I gave as much as I took. Except in the blood department. His delicious scent—an ocean storm rising and falling—completely filled my senses, heightened by the royal Undead blood now cruising inside both of us. The smells of hot sun, warm sand and salty water were so intense, I felt like I was on a tropical island during a rainstorm. Hot, sweaty, freefalling off a giant cliff into the cool, welcoming water below. I could hardly catch my breath. Even my demon was in ecstasy.

  His emotions were on overload as well, as his senses amplified in a similar way to mine, thanks to the blood. I still didn’t like vamps, but this royal blood thing kicked ass.

  At one point, I was on top of Rad, riding him for all he was worth, when I heard the crash of thunder and saw a flash under my eyelashes that could only be from lightning. In the throes of passion, I managed to crack an eyelid open, and sure enough, another flash outside the tall living room windows lit the interior, throwing odd shadows over our naked bodies.

  The moment wasn’t right for discussion and I let it go. Later, body intertwined with Rad’s on the sectional—the fabric would need a professional cleaning, thanks to the blood we’d smeared everywhere—I nuzzled his chest. “What’s with all the thunderstorms we’ve been having? Doesn’t Mother Nature know it’s December?”

  He lazily stroked my back with his fingers and said in a groggy, satiated voice. “Have there been a lot?”

  “Three or four since last week, haven’t you noticed?”

  “Not really.” He lifted a finger, pointed at the storm raging outside. “Looks magical.”

  “That’s what I thought, too, but what kind of magic and why?”

  “Is Damon concerned?”

  “He hasn’t mentioned them.”

  “Then I wouldn’t worry.”

  I tried not to, snuggling closer to his warmth. His heart thudded solidly under my head, the rhythm lolling me into a dreamy stupor. One of his hands rubbed comforting circles on my back. I had enough to worry about without obsessing about the storms, but the magical component nagged at me. Was Maria causing them? Was I?

  If Maddy had heard my internal thoughts, she would have rolled her eyes and yammered at me about being conceited and self-absorbed. One of Rad’s long, callused fingers touched my temple. “You’re thinking too much like always.”

  “A serious fault that’s saved a few people over the course of my lifetime, but thanks for pointing that out.”

  He laughed at my snarky tone. “When are you going to tell me your plan?”

  “As soon as I have you in an uncompromising position where you can’t say no.”

  “You’ve already had me in at least three of those. What gives?”

  I wanted to sleep. Forget about Toel and Maria for a few hours. Enjoy my time with Rad in case this was our last meal. My senses were on overload, my body exhausted. “I’m still working on the details. After I have a nap, I’ll give you full disclosure.”

  He drew a deep breath, let it out slowly, reminding me of Damon. Rad had more patience than the archdemon. And more skill at manipulating me without seeming like it. “It involves the Noctifectors, doesn’t it?”

  He sounded disappointed. “As skilled as you are…and believe me, you have mad skills…sending you in by yourself against Toel would be reckless.”

  “You don’t think I can take him?” Less disappointed, more playful.

  “He’s a wild card. I’m always two steps behind him.” I rubbed a hand over Rad’s bare chest. “This trap has to be fail-proof or a lot of humans will end up dinner for his Undead army.”

  “The Nocts won’t go near Chloe’s though. They stay away from that strip of downtown. Too many supernaturals. Too much danger.”

  “That’s where you come in.” I pushed up onto my elbow. “You have to convince them to do this. Toel can’t sense them the way he can his brothers and me because they’re human. I’ll set it up with Chloe to keep out the worst of her supernatural customers so the Slayers can lie in wait for Toel. Once they have him surrounded and contained, either I’ll step in and dispose of him or Dru and his brothers will.”

  “I thought you were going to be distracting Maria.”

  “I am. If my plan goes right, I’ll trap her here. Then I can head to Chloe’s and clean house with Toel.”

  “The Nocts won’t agree to turn him over to you and certainly not to his vamp brothers. They’ll want to finish him off.”

  Of course they would. And if that’s what it took to get them there, I’d lie and pretend I was all for it. “Be my guest.”

  Rad studied my face, knowing I would never give up the chance to take out Toel myself. “The Noctifectors are pretty effective at their job.”

  “Which is why I’m putting this part of the plan in your hands
. No one’s more capable of pulling this off than you.”

  A trace of a grin touched his mouth. “You are such a brown noser.”

  “Oh, I’m more than that, Noct Boy.” Slithering down his naked body, I kissed a particularly nice part of it, smiling to myself when he hardened instantly. “I’m Kali Sweet and I know exactly how to wrap you Slayers around my little finger.”

  “And thank the devil for that,” he said as I kissed him again and showed him my mad skills in the sin department.

  ____________

  Hours later, he shook me awake, forced me into a sitting position and tugged his shirt over my head. “Kali, wake up. I want you to see something.”

  I shoved his hand away, dug deeper into the soft sofa. Waking a demon who hasn’t had her fill of sleep is a suicide wish, but Rad always loves a challenge. He scooped me up, lifting me with the ease he would a child, and jogged up the steps of the sunken living room. I protested and started to throw a hex at him, but he kissed me, and…

  Protest aborted.

  He carried me through the church, upstairs to the second floor and past my bedroom loft to the back stairwell. A set of metal stairs led to the roof. There, my coat and boots were waiting and he threw some jeans on me while I staggered from sleep deprivation and held onto his shoulder. Then he led me upstairs and out onto the roof.

  The storm had moved on, leaving behind a pale gray sky with peach colored ribbons. The sun was setting.

  Usually, I sat on the roof to watch the sunrise, a stamp on my life that asserted I’d lived through another night of being the Bridge enforcer and a vengeance demon. In all the years I’d lived in the church, I’d never watched the sun go down.

  Rad had shoveled the snow from my favorite spot. He’d also set two old recliners side-by-side. How he got them up the metal stairs was a mystery, but magic was a good guess. A small fire burned in a metal fire pit and blankets were draped over each chair.

  In the distance, cars swished by on the interstate, limbs cracked as snow fell from them in the wooded area behind the cemetery. Here and there, the low drone of snow plows broke through the air and birds in the distance called their good-nights to each other.