The Sweet Scent of Blood

frightened pet.’ Flattening her hand in the wet slickness on his chest, she shoved him onto his back.

Darius lay awkwardly, his legs bent under him, fingers clutching the small blue curls he’d ripped from her hair.

A ripple shivered through the cold that encased me.

Be calm. Malik’s mouth breathed ice along my neck.

And the ripple smoothed away.

Rio wiped her bloody hand over the burn mark on her chest, then took a slim mobile phone from her back pocket. Sliding the top up, she thumbed a button and held it to her ear.

‘It’s me,’ she said into the phone. ‘There’s a problem. It’s not going to work.’

She flicked Darius, grinned as he flinched.

‘Yes,’ Rio said, ‘she’s been and gone.’

She dug her nails into the tight skin of Darius’s stomach, drawing more bright red blood.

He jerked and cried out, but she silenced him with a look.

‘Yes, I did, just as you wanted,’ she said, her tone placating. ‘Only it didn’t go as we’d expected. Still, we should’ve known it wouldn’t after that little stunt in the police station.’

Malik’s arm tensed around my waist. My ears had already perked up. Now if I could just listen, and not watch ...

Phone still pressed to her ear, Rio dipped a finger in Darius’s blood, painting streaks over his quivering flesh. ‘Interesting.’ She tilted her head to admire her efforts.

Darius’s wide-eyed stare gave new meaning to rabbits and headlights.

‘You really think that’s going to make such a difference?’ Licking her fingers clean, she listened, then squealed with excitement. ‘Oh, that will be so delicious!’

Behind me, another part of Malik stiffened.

Shit. Rio wasn’t the only sucker getting worked up. Agitation swept through the calm peace inside my bubble.

‘So she could still be useful then.’ Rio smiled at the trembling Darius. ‘Yes, later. I’ve got something I want to finish first.’

Be ready, Genevieve.

Rio grinned and said, ‘Me too.’ She tapped the phone shut, sliding it onto the desk. ‘And now, my pet, you can scream all you want.’ She bowed as though praying, and sank her fangs deep into his chest and sucked. The noise was loud and painful in the quiet room.

A tear rolled down Darius’s face and dripped into the dark brown carpet beneath him.

The office disappeared.

I stood in the round stone room of my memory, the candles guttering low. The room stank of lust and terror and my legs were cold and wet from my own piss.

Sally’s blue-white hair was matted, blackened with her own blood. Her blue skin was pale and lifeless. Her eyes were staring up at me, begging.

And I watched as my prince—

Then the office returned as Darius screamed, the sound shattering the ice that held me frozen. Angry heat rolled inside me. My heart beat once. Pain spasmed through me, splintering every nerve I had.

You must not fight me, it will hurt too much. Malik’s voice was urgent in my mind.

A river of molten lava burnt its way through my body: my arms, my legs and my fingers cracked with the heat. My eyes fused shut. Then the itching started, unbearable, tormenting, and I needed to scratch my skin off, but my hands were held frozen in the ice.

‘Genevieve, can you hear me?’ Blessed cool wrapped itself round my body for an instant. I tried to hold it to me, but the pinpricks needling my body wouldn’t let me.

‘Genevieve, listen, it will stop soon; it is just your circulation returning. Nothing more.’

Somewhere I laughed. Nothing more? Who did the voice think it was kidding?

‘Drink this, it will help.’ Liquid splashed over my lips.

I opened my mouth; let it pour down my throat.

‘That is enough, else you will be sick.’

The itching was back, insects crawling all over my body, nipping me with their tiny sharp teeth.

‘What’s the matter with her, man?’ Another voice, this one heavy, rough. It didn’t feel good, not like the cool one. ‘She done a bad trip on sumfink?’ the rough voice asked.

‘Hold her wrists,’ the cool voice said. ‘Don’t let her injure herself.’

‘Sure thing, man,’ Thick, meaty fingers settled round my arms. ‘You gonna pour some more water over her?’

Firm hands cupped my cheeks. ‘Genevieve. Listen to my voice.’ The voice wrapped itself round me. It felt like slipping into a still, dark lake.

‘Open your eyes.’

The insects gave me a few last bites.

And I looked into the red glow of Malik’s eyes. ‘What the fuck did you do to me?’

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Tiny flares lit in Malik’s pupils, then winked out, leaving his expression enigmatic. ‘Good,’ he said, ‘you are well.’

‘Well?’ I shouted in disbelief. ‘It’s your fault I felt crap in the first place!’ I tried to lift my arms, but found I couldn’t. A thickset man with a lined, saggy face was gripping my wrists like his life depended on it.

I glared at him. ‘Let the fuck go of me.’

The creases in his face rearranged themselves into a lopsided grin. ‘Sure thing.’ He dropped my arms. ‘My Rocky was always mad when she came down.’ His grin disappeared. ‘She’s bin dead near three years now, ’course.’

Malik inclined his head to the man. ‘Thank you for your assistance. You may leave us.’

The man turned and ambled off.

I stifled an urge to slug Malik and looked around instead. I took a deep breath, then wished I hadn’t. Ammonia and the throat-gagging stench of pine disinfectant assaulted my nose. Even if I couldn’t see the row of stainless steel urinals, thankfully unoccupied, I’d have still known we were in a public toilet. I grimaced in disgust. The night just kept getting better and better.

Malik followed my gaze. ‘We would have been too conspicuous in the Ladies’ facilities,’ he said.

I snorted. ‘And we’re not in the Gents?’

He gave an elegant shrug.

Oh, just great—and then I remembered the office, and Darius. A queasy feeling settled in my stomach.

‘Listen, pal: next time you want to show me something, send me a DVD.’ I shoved him out the way. ‘Better yet, don’t bother.’ I headed for the exit. ‘If I wanted to watch sucker porn, I’m sure I can find something better than that nasty little effort.’

Malik fell into step next to me. ‘Where are you going, Genevieve?’

‘None of your business,’ I snapped.

‘But we will work together.’ He grasped my wrist and pulled me round to face him. ‘We agreed this, you and I,’ and then he smiled. And never mind he was male, he was beautiful, and my heart flip-flopped in my chest and lust pooled hot inside me and my magic almost leapt into life. One smile, and I was ready to jump his bones. Shit. I didn’t have enough fingers and toes to count the ways that being attracted to him was such a bad idea. And I couldn’t even blame my reaction on mesma. He wasn’t using any.

I shook him off. ‘No. You made that decision. I had nothing to say about it.’ I checked my watch. ‘Well, I really can’t say it was nice