Phlox
Fuck, that hurt. Leon’s fangs sank into my skin with a flash of searing pain. It was short lived. I’m not saying it felt good after, just not nearly as painful. Was this what Peaches went through at every feeding? The way he cuddled up to Lucroy and leaned into him when Lucroy passed his fingertips over the bite marks on his neck made me think not.
I stayed there, perfectly still as Leon took pull after pull of my blood. I wasn’t lightheaded. Yet. If he didn’t stop soon, I wasn’t sure how long that scenario would hold true. While I needed Leon strong, we couldn’t afford for me to be too weakened either.
I was just getting ready to say something when Leon pulled away. His tongue tenderly swiped over the area he’d damaged and his embrace gentled. Knowing it was over allowed me to finally relax.
“Forgive me,” Leon roughly whispered. “I did not take proper care. I was gluttonous.”
Considering I didn’t feel all that faint, I disagreed. “I don’t think you took too much.”
Leaning away, Leon cupped my head in his palms, his black eyes swimming in a ring of crimson. Rubbing his thumbs along my jaw, Leon continued staring, fixing me with his gaze. “That is not what I meant. I was too rough with the bite. It has been decades since I drank directly from the source.”
I mulled that over. “Bottled blood?”
“Mm-hmm. It is never as good, even when warmed, but it is safer. For all our strengths, vampires have far too many weaknesses and one of them is the need to feed. Clever humans discovered ways of weakening and even killing us by polluting their own bodies.”
I flinched. “You’re kidding.”
“Unfortunately, no. Vampire blood sources are carefully monitored. Under fairy law, it is an automatic death sentence if you’re caught tampering with vampire blood.”
I knew that but had never considered the devious reasoning behind the law.
“Do not think too harshly on humans, at least not for this. They are prey and for many centuries, fell victim to draining. Back in the day, it was common practice for a vampire to glut themselves on a single individual. Draining a whole body in a single feeding isn’t wise. Some individuals were kept against their will and slowly killed instead. It was not unlike what ogres do to pixies. The method might be different, but the results are the same.”
The shiver racking my body wasn’t from the cold. “That’s…disturbing,” I settled on.
Leon grinned and I noticed his skin didn’t look as bad. In fact, it was nearly healed. “Thankfully, vampires haven’t condoned such practices in nearly two centuries. I am pleased to say that even before fairy law, vampires policed themselves. I will not claim such incidents no longer happen, but they are few and when the culprit is found, punishment is swift.”
I figured that punishment resulted in a trip to a dust bin, followed by the garbage.
“Come on.” I jumped when Leon patted my rump. “We better get a move on if we’re going to put your plan in motion.”
Wings snapping open, I flew up, eye level with a now standing Leon. It was amazing how quickly he moved. I’d barely seen a blur. Looked like my blood really had revived Leon.
“By the way, what is the plan?”
Leon’s question snapped my attention back to the here and now. “What time of day do you completely lose consciousness?” Vampires slept throughout the daylight hours, but they could be roused during sunrise and toward sunset. The sun’s zenith was a different matter.
Leon’s slow blink let me know he’d been thrown by the question. “This time of year, 10:17 a.m. I am capable of regaining consciousness at 2:47 p.m. I cannot say I would be useful while the sun is up, only that I can be made aware.”
Well, that was more exact than I’d expected.
“Each century has shortened my unconscious time by twenty-three minutes.”
“Wow, I…that’s interesting.” And again, painfully succinct. I suppose if the sun’s movements ruled my life like it did Leon’s, I’d pay close attention too.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because you were sluggish but still up and walking when I touched Dusk’s doorknob but when we arrived here, you were out. That means—”
“We were transported to a different time zone.”
I nodded. “Exactly. Most likely east. Since we were in Virginia, that probably places us out of the US.”
Leon glanced around the room before saying, “The sun has fully set here.”
I didn’t question how he knew. It was a vamp thing.
“If I hadn’t been injured and weakened, I would have stirred prior to the setting sun.”
“Understood. That means we’re at least four hours different than Rutherford Haven. The sun’s probably still up there which means no one knows you’re missing yet. Like I said, I don’t have a way to contact the Magical Usage Council, Vander, or Byx, but I bet when they figure out we’re both gone, they won’t wait the full week to track me down. Fingers crossed on that one, otherwise we’ll need to scrounge up a phone. That might not be too difficult.” I shrugged. “I just don’t have enough intel to say one way or another.” I hated being uninformed. Knowledge wasn’t just power. It often got my pixie ass out of trouble. Brainpower almost always trumped physical strength.
I headed for the door. As far as I’d been able to see, unless you were fairy, brownie, or a juiced-up witch, there was only one way in or out of our underground prison. Maybe a mole shifter could tunnel their way out. Next time I saw Agent Griffon, I’d ask.
“I don’t think it’s locked, but just in case, I’ll probably need you to bust it down since the lock will be on the outside.” I doubted our captors had bothered. The lack of security cameras and the fact neither Oxley nor Sylvie had bothered checking on us spoke to their confidence. It was understandable. Caged pixies didn’t typically escape on their own.
“Understood.” Leon moved in front of me and lifted the door latch. Just as I’d thought, it opened with ease. Leon carefully pulled the door open. Pale light filtered in, matching the atmosphere of our small room.
Leon leaned out, his gaze running along the doorjamb and surrounding walls. “There are sigils in the wall and along the doorframe, but they are not activated. Curious. Or perhaps, overconfident.”
“Or maybe Sylvie used too much magical juice bringing us here and then charming your restraints. She was pretty wiped when she left. I was kind of hoping she’d fall on her face, but that didn’t happen, at least not that I could see.” I was hoping Sylvie’s magical burn out would work to our advantage. If we were lucky, she’d slept the day away while trying to recover.
“Should we run into the witch, we will need to inquire as to the reason,” Leon said, sounding one part indifferent and three parts anticipatory. I wasn’t sure about our chances against a fully charged up witch, especially one powerful enough to use a transportation spell. Again, I could only hope Sylvie’s magical tank was still running on empty.
Leon led the way. The tunnel was poorly lit. Shifting my eyes, I allowed my inner Pallas’s cat visual reign. Nooks and crannies I hadn’t seen before suddenly became clear, including the sigils Leon mentioned. Like him, I couldn’t feel so much as a whisper of magic against my skin.
We came to a fork in the corridor and Leon asked, “Do you know which way?”
“I know how to get back to where we first arrived. I’m not entirely certain that’s the way out or if that’s the way to where we might find more information. I can tell you that room was closed up tight. Not sure if it was completely underground, but there weren’t any windows. Gotta say, I was exceedingly grateful for that fact.” I reached out and touched Leon’s arm. The contact was probably more for my benefit than his. I didn’t want to think back on those terrifying moments when I thought Leon would crumble into a pile of ash before my very eyes.
“That was exceedingly fortunate,” Leon agreed, understating the situation like only a vampire could.
“We can start with the way we came.” I pointed to the right, and Leon and I cautiously started down that path. Although the tilt was minimal, the ground’s upward angle was unmistakable.
The corridor we traveled was eerily silent. I’d shifted my ears along with my eyes. My Pallas’s cat form could also hear a lot better than my pixie half.
Within a matter of minutes, the corridor emptied out into the room we’d arrived inside. I was dismayed to find it still stank of my earlier sick.
“Sorry,” I offered when I saw Leon’s nose twitch. “You were unconscious when we arrived, so I don’t think you felt the full effects. Let me just say, traveling by way of witch translocation isn’t recommended.” I rubbed my empty belly. With my nausea well and truly passed, hunger gnawed at me.
“Looks like Oxley and Sylvie aren’t really into cleanup.” Most likely Sylvie had a magical solution to the mess on the floor. Once she was recovered, she’d probably use her innate abilities to do the dirty work. If we were in Phil’s home, he would have already cleaned it up by now. He viewed it as inconsiderate to the house. As a home-and-hearth pixie, Phil’s bonded home was sacred.
By silent agreement, Leon and I separated and began wandering the room’s perimeter. It didn’t look much different than I remembered. There also wasn’t much there. Another door lay opposite the one through which we’d entered. I already knew what was behind us, which left only one direction to head.
“I can still feel the residual magic,” Leon said, his emotionless tone belittling the heaviness of that observation. It took a lot of magical mojo for a witch to do a transportation spell and the fact he could still feel its remnants was telling.
Nodding toward door number two, I said, “You ready to head out?”
Leon held out a sweeping arm. “After you.”
I inwardly preened. Flying so I could reach his face, I kissed Leon’s smooth cheek. “Thank you for not treating me like a fragile pixie in need of protection. Maybe old vamps really can be taught.” I’d fought all my life for recognition and to be considered capable. As the only pixie agent with the Magical Usage Council, the road hadn’t exactly been difficult, but it hadn’t been easy either.
Leon’s palm cupped my cheek and I leaned into his cool skin. “Do not mistake my belief in your abilities as a willingness not to protect you. I will always do so. To ask me otherwise would mean you seek the impossible.”
I rubbed against his hand, relishing the strength I found. A purr rumbled through my chest and Leon’s eyes widened, expanding their inky black depths as his fingers brushed against the fur lining my shifted ears.
“Interesting,” Leon said while the pad of his fingers tickled my ear. A couple of weeks ago, I would have found his comment irritating. Now I saw it for what it was. Leon cherished the interesting and unique and I happened to be a healthy combination of both.
My heart pounded and my purr deepened. Where this vampire was concerned, I was definitely in over my head. I could only imagine what Auntie Tandra would think of my heart’s latest desire.
Pushing sexy thoughts of Leon away, I focused on the job at hand. “I suppose we better get a move on.”
Leon’s hand dropped to his side, releasing my cheek. I immediately felt the absence.
Spinning midair, I flew to the door. Thankfully, it too was unlocked. While I wasn’t certain where Oxley and Sylvie were or if there were others waiting on the other side, I figured busting a door off its hinges would bring more attention than we wanted.
Stealth was our friend. Thankfully, we didn’t need Leon’s brawn and the door slid open, revealing a much different scene.
Shifting my eyes back to their pixie form, I waited for my eyesight to adjust to the improved lighting. Unlike the previous corridors and rooms Leon and I’d been through, the hall beyond was finished like a proper home. The air was dryer, the musty dankness retreating behind the door we closed behind us.
The hall was windowless, and I wasn’t certain if we were above ground yet or not. I thought I scented fresh air ahead and Leon agreed.
“I smell salt.”
Lifting my nose higher, I sniffed again and agreed. “We must be near an ocean.”
“Perhaps an island,” Leon mused.
An island could be more of a problem than I currently desired. While pixies could fly, we were sprinters, not marathon flyers. There was no way I could make it across an ocean. I wasn’t sure how well Leon could swim. Then again, it might not matter. Since vampires didn’t need to breath, maybe he’d just sink and walk along the ocean bottom. I wasn’t sure what the pressure would do to him. Maybe it depended on just how deep the ocean was.
I was about to ask when sounds caught my attention. It was barely a murmur, but I couldn’t decipher the words. Zeroing in, I turned to Leon and placed a finger over my lips, indicating the need for silence. Leon didn’t disappoint. If there was one thing vamps were experts in, it was silence.
We made our way down the hall, the sound growing. The words became increasingly distinct, as did the owner of that voice. Raspy, deep, and rattling didn’t fit with Sylvie. Oxley was near.
Holding up a closed fist, Leon stilled as I leaned against a cracked doorway. Oxley’s gruff voice drifted through the slightly open door. It sounded like he was on the phone given that, from Leon and my perspective, it was a one-way conversation.
“…fucked up. Sylvie thinks it might not be so bad though,” Oxley said with a bit of indifference. “I don’t see what the big deal is. He’s a vamp. If he gets outta hand, I’ll just toss him into the sun.”
I stiffened and my feline teeth pushed against my gums. Leon must have felt my tension and laid a hand on my shoulder.
“Yeah, I know, but they don’t even know where we are. I think Sylvie’s making a lot more of it than she should.” I could visualize Oxley’s eye roll. “Yeah, I’m just the dumb muscle. She doesn’t care what I think. If the money weren’t so good, I’d ditch the witch.” Oxley chuckled at his rhyme. “Hmm…no, I don’t think so. Yeah, she said she’s gonna contact someone.” There was a pause before Oxley huffed. “Of course she didn’t tell me who. You think Sylvie would trust me with that?” Another pause. “Yeah, you’re right. Probably not a matter of trust. More like she doesn’t think I’d have anything to contribute. Dumb troll.” If Oxley wasn’t our kidnapper and planned to profit off my eventual death, maybe I’d give more of a shit that his feelings were hurt.
“Nah, I don’t think she’s heard back yet and if she has, she wouldn’t come runnin’ to tell me. I tried askin’ earlier but Sylvie shooed me outta her room. She won’t admit it, but she sort of shot her magical load gettin’ that pixie.” Oxley chuckled again, this time louder. Yeah, the troll was fucking hilarious.
“She’s all shut up in her room. I think she’s been asleep most of the day. Maybe she’ll hear back soon. Chances are she’ll only tell me if we need to haul that vamp outta the cellar and dump his undead ass on the east side of the island.”
I swallowed hard at the confirmation that we were truly on an island. Leon’s fingers tightened on my flesh, but his grip wasn’t painful.
The one on the other end of the call must have said something Oxley found hilarious if his booming laughter was any indication. The conversation soon devolved into sexual innuendo and debates regarding the best kind of rotten meat. My stomach churned, my earlier hunger receding.
Waving my hand, Leon and I silently crept by the open door, Oxley none the wiser. At least we’d confirmed one thing—it didn’t look like anyone knew that we’d escaped our cells.
The house turned out to be a maze of corridors and tiny rooms. It was bigger than I would have imagined, but not a mansion. A set of stairs led upward, and Leon silently walked up them while I flew. A new voice caught my attention, and I instantly recognized it as Sylvie’s. It was muffled, her door closed. Leaning my ear against the solid wood surface didn’t help. I couldn’t make out what she said. Her words were sparse and if she were talking to someone, then it was sporadic. I also thought I heard the clack of computer keys, but again, I couldn’t be certain.
I looked around the small foyer, working the problem and attempting to find a way in. While I wasn’t certain of the time, I figured ours was dwindling. We were fighting against the sunrise and hopefully rescue. I couldn’t let this opportunity go to waste.
My gaze caught on an airduct. It was small and my current form wouldn’t be able to fit. Good thing I had a second form. Motioning toward a nearby, empty room, Leon and I ducked inside and quietly closed the door.
I pointed toward the nearby airduct and quietly whispered my plan. “I think I can fit.” I shimmied my body, trying to convey my idea of wiggling through the duct.
Leon did little more than raise an eyebrow and give a nod. “Be careful. If you are in danger, I will not be responsible for my response. I doubt the witch will live long enough to be useful.”
Hearing someone’s willing to kill for you shouldn’t be such an aphrodisiac. Flying up, I pecked Leon on the lips. He turned that little touch into an inferno when he deepened the kiss. I came away breathless and Leon and I were both hard.
Palming his interest, I said, “We’ll need to explore this later.” And there would be a later. We were both getting out of this mess, and we’d do it with enough information to nail this asshole to the wall.
Leon palmed my ass before releasing me. “Give me a hand up?” I asked and Leon nodded. I could sprout pixie wings in my Pallas’s cat form. I’d done it before, and Auntie Tandra had pictures as proof. Of course, I’d threatened my auntie within an inch of her life if she ever showed them to anyone. She’d gushed about how adorable I was—a cat with wings, capable of flight. I had no doubt I was as cute as she thought. I didn’t want to be cute. A plush cat with a pair of pixie wings didn’t exactly inspire trepidation.
I shrank down, becoming smaller and smaller until I was the size of a typical housecat. My dense fur made me look larger than I truly was.
Leon scooped me up, motions gentle as he lifted me into the air. I heard his joints pop as his arms elongated. He kept his talons in check, and soon I was at the level of the duct. The cover was easy enough to pry off, and Leon snagged it before the metal could tumble to the floor.
With a little shimmy and a smidge of contortion, I wiggled into the narrow duct. It was a tight squeeze, but I managed. Slinking along, I followed my ears and made my way closer to Sylvie’s voice. The first opening I came to didn’t allow me to see much. Thankfully, there was a second. Scurrying through another duct, I came out with a much better view. I was practically on top of Sylvie. More importantly, I had a direct view of her computer. And what a view it was. I grinned. It was too bad no one was around to see it. No one would see me as anything but the badass agent I was if they could see my sharp teeth and wicked grin.
Jackpot! I silently whispered.