Page 88

They left the fairground and tripped through the loose sand, her sandals sinking deeper as they moved farther inland to a nearby cropping of trees. Finally, in the shadows of the foliage, Esther pulled Ashley by the hips so she was flush against her. She looked up at Ashley through her lashes, her eyes dark and her gaze scouring Ashley’s face working its way down her neck and chest.

“Was there something you wanted, sweetheart?” Ashley pushed a lock of hair behind Esther’s earring-free ear, resting a hand against Esther’s throat before tilting her head back and exposing her beautiful neck.

Esther swallowed, the movement mesmerizing beneath Ashley’s fingertips.

“Yes.” Her answer was a whisper in the ocean breeze.

That was all the direction Ashley needed. She never was one for teasing. In the next second, Ashley had Esther’s thighs wrapped around her hips and her body pinned to the nearest tree as her hands explored Esther’s waist, her ass, the annoying way that Esther tucked that thin white tank top into her shorts. She needed more skin to touch. She slotted her fingers along Esther’s ribs and coasted upward. Exploring, she caressed the shape of Esther’s breasts before pinching her nipple through her shirt, eliciting a gasp followed by a groan that made Ashley nearly lose her footing. Esther, for her part, seemed just as intent to do damage as she latched on to Ashley’s neck, biting and licking like it was her personal mission to find out if vampires could get hickeys. Like this moment was sand in an hour glass and they would squeeze every last second out of it.

“You’re so fucking hot, sweetheart.” Ashley ground her hips into Esther’s, eliciting a gasp before she clawed down Ashley’s back. She loved when Esther went feral.

“I want you, Ashley.”

Esther’s lips took Ashley’s before she could answer, leaving Ashley’s mind spinning with lists and plans. What she would do to Esther, how much they could get away with before they required the privacy of the house, how long it would take for her to run them both back. She could be throwing Esther on their bed in seconds. Right, first she’d?—

White-hot fire lanced through Ashley’s calf, and she dropped to the ground, Esther falling on top of her. Her dark curls curtained their surroundings, and for a moment, all that existed was the confused look in Esther’s eyes.

“Ashley, what—” Esther’s startled scream ripped through the night as she was tugged from Ashley’s body into the shadows.

“Esther!” Ashley screamed and tried to stand, but the pain in her calf brought her straight to the ground, her nails digging into the sand as she fought the pain.

Impaling her calf was a wooden bolt. This wasn’t an accident.

Breathing deeply, she wrenched it free, the wood coming out dry. Finally, a convenient vampire trick. At least she didn’t have to worry about bleeding out. But the dart had torn muscle, and there wasn’t time to wait for it to heal. That could take all night, and she couldn’t hear Esther anymore. Bracing herself against the tree, she used her arms and one good leg to hoist herself up.

“Esther!” Her cry sank into the hungry forest, trapping any hint of an echo or reply. “Est…”

Shifting in the foliage knocked loose a sob in her chest. Whatever had grabbed Esther had let her free. She wiped at the tear tracks on her cheeks.

One shadowed figure emerged from the shrubs followed by another.

Neither were Esther.

Two crossbows loaded and pointed directly at Ashley. “That’s enough out of you, bloodsucker.”

Magic oozed from them, clawing its way down Ashley’s throat and making her gag.

Witches.

“This the stray you were talking about?” The first witch, a Latina woman who came to Ashley’s chest, squared her crossbow to Ashley’s heart.

Her companion, a gangly copper-haired woman with freckles so thick she looked tan, stepped into the moonlight and nodded. “That’s the one. I can feel her new blood a mile away.”

“Where’s Esther?” Ashley needed to know Esther was safe. She took a step toward them, and her leg gave out beneath her. She fell to the sand, the pain making her fangs come out.

“You’re not getting your food back, bloodsucker.”

“Don’t talk to her,” the shorter woman scolded. “Let’s just finish this up quick and get out of here. I wanted to actually enjoy the carnival.”

“Fine.” The redhead lifted her crossbow to Ashley’s heart and shot without a moment’s hesitation.

Despite her speed, her aching leg left her weighted to the spot. She could do nothing but watch as it shot straight for her heart.

The bolt ricocheted off nothing inches from her chest, sinking harmlessly into a nearby tree. The three of them stared in confusion. Was this some new vampire power she hadn’t heard of before?

“Stop!” August came tripping up the sand from the direction of the carnival, the lights casting strange shadows across the dunes.

Ashley never thought she would be happy to see a witch in her life.