Page 96 of Hot Vampire Next Door: Season Five

“Is that a question, little mouse?” Bran’s eyes are glowing amber in the dim lighting. “Or an order?”

His words are dark and husky, but there is a playful edge to them too.

“An order.”

“Good girl.”

“For fuck sake.” Arion rolls his eyes and walks into the labyrinth. “Save that shit for later.”

I smile up at Bran and he steals a quick, deep kiss. When he breaks it, he says, “We will end this enemy and when we are finished, I will tie you to my bed and have my way with you until you beg for mercy.”

“I can still hear you!” Arion says.

On my tiptoes, I whisper into Bran’s ear. “I dare you.”

His eyes flare and I know he will take that dare any day of the week.

Episode One Hundred Six

COAT OF WINTER

Arion takes the lead. He turns right, then left, then right again. We turn so many times, deeper and deeper into the labyrinth, that I quickly lose track of any sense of direction. Thank god he’s leading the way. We’d be lost immediately without him.

“Do you know how to get to the Forbidden Garden?” I ask him.

I’m sandwiched between him and Bran.

“Most of us know the general direction, but the garden will only reveal itself to those who have been invited or to those who it covets.”

We keep walking. I strain my hearing for any movement beyond the tall hedge rows. Here they must be at least seven feet high. They tower over even Bran.

“Do you hear or smell anything?” I ask him.

He gives me a nod. “We’re close.”

My heart spikes in my chest.

“Is it just her? Is she with another army?”

“She has only the one army,” Arion explains as he peeks around a corner in the hedges and as he does, a vine as thick as a jungle snake leaps out of the hedge, twinning itself around him, locking his arms at his sides.

Bran grabs Arion’s leg as the vine tries to yank him back.

“Don’t let go!” Arion says with a growl.

“I won’t if you fight your way out!” Bran plants his feet.

“That’s rather difficult when I have no use of my arms!”

“Will you two quit bickering?”

I get around Bran and hold up my arms.

“Jessie,” Bran warns, teeth gritted as he fights at the plant.

The more I do this, the easier it is to identify my magic and grab hold of it, harnessing it. It’s almost embarrassing how hard it was at one point, how I thought I would never control it.

The air immediately takes on a cold snap and the leaves of the vine circling Arion’s body first turn brown, then frost over.