Blood Magic (Blood Books Book 2) Read online

  I sank my fangs into his neck, and his hands grasped my waist. His breath came in quick bursts as he grabbed onto the back of my head, tangling his fingers in my damp hair. He was grinding against me, hardening against my leg, and he held me tightly, pulling me closer as I drank from him. He tasted as sweet as candy, and I knew I could drink until he shriveled into nothing. I pulled myself away, a drip of blood sliding down the curve of my jaw and onto my chest. He leaned forward and began kissing the crimson trail down my chin. His tongue generously teased my skin as he made his way to my chest. Carefully, he began teasing my nipple until it hardened and lengthened in response. I moaned, grasping his head with my hands, exploring his hair with my fingers. I lightly pulled on his hair as I pushed him closer to me, and he furiously kissed my body in return. I felt him below me, hardening, lengthening. When I could no longer bear the sensation, I cried out to him. “Jasik, please.” My fangs were throbbing now, begging me to explore him further.

  In a swift motion, he was on top of me, trailing kisses down the length of my torso. When he reached my inner thigh, he looked up at me, meeting my gaze, his eyes burning a bright, neon blue, a showcase of his arousal. I bit my lower lip, dragging my teeth across the skin, knowing it would drive him mad. His hand wrapped around my frame, grasping my bottom fiercely. I inhaled sharply as he began kneading my skin, pushing me against his hardened limb. I grabbed onto his arms, running my fingers along his flexed muscles as he pushed me faster, harder against him. I felt the familiar sensation build within me, and I knew I was close. My body tensed, and he released me.

  Angrily, I leaned against my elbows, staring down at him. A mischievous grin plastered across his face before he sank his fangs into my inner thigh, and I fought to control the pleasure erupting within me. I threw my head back and collapsed against the bed; my fangs lengthened again, their need making my entire body quiver. I felt his fingers lightly tease my skin just before he ripped my panties from me, the fabric falling to pieces as he tossed them to the floor.

  Slowly, he inserted his index finger into me, and I writhed in response.

  “Stay still, love. I want you to feel everything I’m going to do to you tonight.” His words alone were enough to push me to the brink; I knew I couldn’t hold on much longer.

  He carefully inserted another finger and then pressed his palm against me, rubbing my sensitive nub as he pushed in and out, in and out. I cried out as I clenched around his fingers, unable to contain the ecstasy any longer. He waited, plunging deeper, sucking harder, as I rode the orgasmic wave, until my heavy-lidded gaze met his eyes. He withdrew from me and slowly crawled up the bed, his arms on either side of me, stopping when his mouth reached mine. My tongue lightly licked the blood that trickled at the corner of his mouth. I tasted good. The thought shocked me. I pulled him into a deep, hard kiss. He met my kiss with equal ferocity. I dipped my tongue in to meet his, grazing past, exploring. He tasted better than anything I’d ever enjoyed. God, I wanted this man, and nothing could keep us apart. Nothing.

  I pulled back, breathless. “Where have you been all my life?” The words escaped my lips before I’d even made the decision to speak them.

  “Waiting for you…” he said fervently.

  My breath caught. I had never loved anyone as much as I loved Jasik. Our love was new, inescapable. We’d fallen for each other almost as quickly as the gods had written it in our destinies. Our years of focus on the war left us inexperienced in love, but when he held me, I knew there was no place else I was meant to be. We fell fast, hard, because we were made to love each other.

  I twisted so I was on top. I pressed a quick kiss to his lips and then angled my hips so that he easily slid into me. He closed his eyes, grasping my hips and moaning in response. Thick, long, and hard as stone, he filled me completely as I moved, slowly at first, up and down, taking pleasure in watching him squirm beneath me. Giving in, I quickened my pace until I had to grab the headboard to steady my movements. In unison, we lost ourselves in each other, our bodies shaking, sleek with dew.

  I collapsed beside him and bit my lower lip. I could still feel the slickness of him within me, and the thought nearly drove me mad. I curved against him, gazing up at him with wanting eyes. I smiled wickedly and teased the skin around his navel with my fingertip.

  “You, Milady, are insatiable,” he said, staring at my taunting mouth.

  I turned so that my head rested against his shoulder and inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. He smelled of sweat and blood and his own unique musk. It was intoxicating, and I knew I could take him again. Now. And he wouldn’t stop me. We’d lose ourselves in each other if we could—if we could see past the responsibilities plaguing us.

  “I think I’m going to take a walk,” I said, sitting up, suddenly needing air—and to get my libido in check.

  He nodded. “Be careful. Sun.” He spoke sleepily and just above a whisper.

  I smiled at him as I cleaned myself and dressed. By the time I opened the bedroom door to leave, he was in a deep sleep.

  “CAN’T SLEEP, SUGAR lips?” Sebastian said as I walked into the downstairs parlor.

  “Seriously? Sugar lips?” I said, shaking my head as I took a seat beside him. “What are you doing in here?” It was nearly dawn, so the vampires of the house had long been asleep.

  “I like it here. It’s quiet during this time of day. No one to stare or ask questions. It’s almost as close to peaceful as we can get.”

  “Almost?”

  A sly grin formed. “Ready for lesson number fifteen?”

  “Fifteen? I think we skipped a couple—”

  “Nonsense,” he said, waving a hand. “I’m a fantastic mentor. You’re getting the best damn education money can buy.”

  “I’m not paying you, Sebastian,” I said.

  “Tsk. Tsk.” He wiggled his finger at me. “Details. We’ll cover those later. So?”

  “Let’s move on to lesson fifteen.” I rolled my eyes and held back my chuckle.

  His sly grin molded into a full-on cheeky smile as he stood, grabbed my arm, and yanked me out the front door. He stood behind me, covering my eyes with his hands.

  “Sebastian, what are you doing? It’s almost sunrise!”

  His lips brushed the back of my ear, sending shivers down my body, and he whispered, “Not almost.” My heartbeat increased, echoing almost painfully in my mind as I considered his words.

  As he lowered his hands, his fingertips lightly brushed against the curve of my jawline. I opened my eyes quickly, without hesitation, but was blinded. I brought my hands up instinctively, and as my eyes adjusted to the light, I removed their cover. I kept my hands before me, staring at my palms. The heat from the sun that blared down upon us was so warm, so comforting. I felt like I was back home in Wisconsin, sitting beside a fireplace as my father told me stories of the demons that walked in the night. I thought I’d never see the sun again.

  “How is this—”

  “Possible?” Sebastian said. “All things are possible now, Avah.”

  “It feels—”

  “Amazing? Like nothing you’ve ever felt before?”

  I nodded, my breath quickening. My heart was beating rapidly. I closed my eyes and listened. The creatures that embraced the night were long gone, sleeping in their beds, no doubt. The world was filled with new sounds from creatures I had forgotten. Birds chirped, squirrels ran through the forest, and deer pranced through the brush. The beauty of the world had been just out of reach for so long.

  “The beauty of the world is never out of reach, Avah,” Sebastian said, and my eyes shot open.

  “How…”

  “Look deep within you. You already know.” He stepped closer, eliminating what little space was between us. I was acutely aware of his proximity. My hair seemed to stand on end.

  “We have them all, don’t we? All the Hunters powers?” I said.

  “We do,” was all he said.

  When Sebastian arrived, his first instinct was to save my
life, while mine was to put up walls, become defensive. I was overly cautious, as I had been trained to be around vampires. After settling for a day, and after allowing myself to feel more at ease around him, I had asked him what brought him here. His answer was simple.

  “You brought me here, Avah,” he had said.

  “How?” I had asked, but he simply smiled and walked away, leaving me a confused mess. I didn’t chase him and demand for an answer, because I was too afraid of what it might be, now, his words hung over me.

  “Sebastian?” I asked.

  “Hmm?” His eyes burned with hunger.

  I swallowed the lump in my throat and asked, “What brought you here?”

  His mouth curved into a small smile. “You.”

  I shook my head. “What does that mean?”

  “One day, I woke, and all I could see was you. Your face haunted my days, my nights, my dreams… Whenever I’d glance into my future, I’d see you smiling back at me. I knew I had to find you. I had to find the girl who took my breath away every time she looked at me, every time she smiled my way, every time laughed. I was meant to find you, to be here with you.”

  My breath caught at his admission. I couldn’t deny that there was something lingering between us. I didn’t understand it, but I knew he was right: he was meant to find me, to be here with me.

  He placed a finger below my chin, raising my head so that I met his gaze, and then he leaned down and brushed his lips against mine. I pulled away.

  “What are you doing?” I said, stepping back. “I’m involved. You know that.”

  “Can’t blame me for trying, right?” he asked with a boyish grin.

  Frustrated, I moved farther away. I rested against the railing, crossing my arms over my chest as I stared at the sun. So much had happened: I learned the sun wasn’t a threat, I confirmed I had all Hunter abilities, and I discovered that I was somehow part of Sebastian’s future.

  “I can’t believe you did that,” I whispered. In actuality, it didn’t surprise me that he made a move. But did he have to choose the worst possible moment to do it? I closed my eyes, allowing myself to bask in the sun. Its warmth covered me in waves. “You took this moment from me—a moment I’ve wanted since I turned. How could you? Now every time I remember the day I re-experienced the sun—”

  “You’ll think of me.”

  I groaned and opened my eyes, pushing past him. “I’m going to bed, and don’t even think of making a surprise visit. I’ll stake you before you can even make a move,” I yelled over my shoulder.

  I retreated to the sounds of his low chuckle.

  JASIK’S FINGERS SOFTLY TRACED THE CURVE OF MY JAWLINE. HIS VELVETY TOUCH WAS SMOOTH AND SENT SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE.

  “I know you’re awake,” he said softly. He leaned in and brushed the tip of his nose against my cheek. “You can’t fool me.”

  I opened my eyes, grinning, and rested my forehead against his chest. I kissed the skin there, tracing my fingers against the curves of his muscular torso.

  “Good morning,” I said, meeting his gaze. Jasik was gorgeous in a god-like way. He was so tall—at least six-five or so—with dark brown hair and bright, icy-blue eyes. Now, they mirrored my hunger, my desperation. I yearned for him and he for me. His hair sat messily atop his head, and I reached up, running my fingers through his silky locks.

  “Good evening,” he said with a small kiss against my lips, his British accent coating his words.

  “What time is it?”

  “Time to awaken. Company arrives within the hour.”

  I jolted out of bed. An hour? But there was still so much to do.

  “Relax, Avah. I’ve handled everything. You just need to get ready and feed. Are you hungry?”

  I bit my lower lip and nodded. “For more than just food...”

  His eyes sparked to life. “You’re quite the tease,” he said, and in a blink, he was before me, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear. This vamp speed was alluring. As a witch, a mortal, it had never occurred to me to use my magic for personal gain, but now, as a vampire, all I could think about was who could rip the other’s clothes off faster.

  I smiled up at him, throwing my arms around his neck.

  “As much as I’d like to take you to bed, I mustn’t. We haven’t the time. But soon,” he promised. And with another quick kiss, he stepped back.

  I groaned in response. I knew these next—days? weeks?—were going to be difficult, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into his bed and forget about this war. The selfish part of me hoped he wanted that, too.

  “Come. They’ll be here soon.”

  As we cleaned and dressed, I remembered my unpleasant encounter with Sebastian. I felt my anger boil within me. He was unbelievably frustrating. Did he really think he had a chance with me? The only positive thing from our encounter was the sun. I closed my eyes as I pulled my hair back into a tight bun, reveling in the feeling of the heat as it burned against my skin—and it had only been dawn. What would it have felt like to watch the sun completely rise? To stand below its rays during its highest point? What would it have been like to watch it sink below the horizon and stand by as night engulfed the world?

  I opened my eyes and found Jasik watching me carefully. Should I tell him? Yes, but when? My gaze moved from Jasik to the artwork on his bedroom walls. The pictures were of various scenery: cityscapes, flatlands, hills, mountains. Their landscapes had but one common theme: the sun. How did you tell someone who could never experience the sun again that you could? How could I tell him his fondest memory from mortality would be my reality? I distracted myself with thoughts of the other Hunters. I had seen some at the masquerade ball, but few spoke to me. At that time, they didn’t know if they could trust me yet. Now that it was obvious, I wondered how different our interactions would be.

  “If only I could be a reader,” Jasik said, and I lost my train of thought. We had long suspected that I had the ability to tap into all four of the vampire powers—something only hybrids could do—the ability to read someone’s mind was one of them. Jasik was a healer. He healed more quickly than the typical vampire and didn’t require an instant refuel or rest. A few weeks ago, we had learned that I too was a healer, but when my temper got the best of me, and I showed another vampire ability, I accidentally unleashed my shield and used it against him. That was when he started to change. That was when his concern over what he’d done wrong when he changed me began to consume him.

  I smiled at him. “I was just wondering about the other Hunters. Have I met them?”

  “No. They’re from covens on the east coast.”

  Oh.

  “But they know of you and should be welcoming. They know of our task.”

  I see.

  “Don’t fret, my love,” he said with a warm smile. Even without being a reader, Jasik could still understand the furrows and frowns, the smiles and laughs. He didn’t need to be a reader to know what was playing in my head. I just wished he realized that himself.

  We walked hand in hand toward the stairs that led to the first level—and, ultimately, to the dining hall. My stomach grumbled, even though I had fed from Jasik the night before.

  “I wanted to talk to you about something,” I said, uneasy.

  He arched an eyebrow at me but didn’t speak.

  “I know you wanted to go east, but I think we should first travel south.”

  “To your old coven?”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat. Jasik was cautious of my old coven because I still had lingering feelings for them. I didn’t want him to over-think my request. “Yes. There is a powerful locater spell that we can do if we have their help. Sebastian and I can surely find her with it. It’ll save time.”

  “But will they be willing to assist you?”

  I frowned. “No, they won’t, but I’ll make them. They’re bound to their beliefs and blinded by their fear, but I am family. Or, at least, I was. What’s the worst that could happen? We’ll argue, they’ll see
my stubbornness has only gotten worse in death, and they’ll realize they have no choice.”

  He said nothing as we entered the dining hall, where the remaining members of our coven sat, thirstily drinking from jugs of blood. The floor to ceiling windows had the room bathing in moonlight, and just beyond the boulders, I heard the faint sound of waves crashing against the cliff. We walked to a corner table and sat beside Malik, Lillie, Jeremiah, and Sebastian.

  “We’ve just been watching your boy, Avah,” Lillie said, eying Sebastian.

  “He most definitely is not my boy,” I said. I refused to meet his gaze, but I could practically feel his cheeky grin form. I rolled my eyes.

  Jasik gave me a curious look, probably trying to determine if I’d finally taken his side on the whole Sebastian situation. I squeezed his hand in response and give him a small smile. I didn’t want him to know about the move Sebastian had made on me the night before. Jasik would have his head if he found out.

  A vampire kitchen worker brought us mugs of blood, and we quickly slurped it down. We drank a second round and then a third. I didn’t remember ever being this hungry. I assumed it was nerves.

  “There will be a slight change of plans,” Jasik said, and the Hunters glanced at him with curious eyes. Jasik turned to me.

  Right. “We’re going south first. Stopping by my old coven to attempt a locater spell with them and Sebastian. It won’t take long—”

  Pfft! Sebastian’s lips rolled effortlessly in a rumble. I pursed my lips at him in anger, finally meeting his eyes.