Page 39 of The Fang Arrangement (Celestial Witches #2)

L ooking for the slayer during the daytime is fucking pointless, but I had to play along.

So here I am, sitting at my desk at the bar, covered in my UV gear, wanting to pull my dick out and jerk off to the picture my witch just sent me.

We haven’t even scratched the surface of all the things I want to do with her. Whatever fantasy she comes up with, I’m happy to play along.

I’m about to send my picture back when a nagging voice infiltrates my thoughts, killing my boner immediately.

“She’s been taken!” Betty screeches in my head.

I can tell that she’s exerted, that she’s flying hard, she struggles with daytime flight, but whatever is happening, she’s doing her best.

“What are you saying?”

“She…she was out in the garden and suddenly three figures took her. One vampire, two humans. I’m tracking their van now.” Betty pants like she’s out of breath. “They’re driving so fast, War. They’re headed west.”

“Do your best to keep up. I’m on my way.”

I pull out my phone and message Achille and Samantha together, giving a rundown of what’s happening and that I need them immediately.

Instead of waiting for a vehicle, or worrying about what might happen to me, I pull the protective hood over my face and I run like I’ve never run before.

I head to the only roads that lead west, but even my energy has bounds. After about twenty miles, I’m starting to fade and have to take a break. All I want to do is rip this mask off and scream into the fucking sun.

She can’t be gone. What was I thinking, letting her roam the house while no one is there? I thought what? That the Slayer would hold up their end of the bargain? That with Conner dead, there wasn’t a threat? She’ll never be truly safe. It’s the reason I stayed away for so long.

My sunshine, my beautiful Ember, what have I condemned her to?

I’m about to collapse on this highway, take my clothes off and give myself what I deserve when a SUV pulls up, three familiar faces inside.

“You’re so fucking dramatic. Get in. Sebastian has a tracker on Joyce. We know where they’re going,” Samantha says, annoyed, like I’m being ridiculous. “You’d know if she was dead, Warin, god. Get in!” she screams at me and I agree.

“I knew she was pissed, I didn’t think she’d go fucking rogue,” Sebastian seethes. “I’m sorry, War?—”

I don’t let him finish as I grab his jacket getting into his face.

“I will kill your entire fucking council if she’s harmed. I’ll figure out how to summon slayers and I’ll make as many as I can to kill every single last one of our kind. Then I’ll walk into the sun, hoping that maybe even for a moment I’ll be reunited with her.”

Sebastian tilts his head.

“She’s your blood mate?” he questions, not even seeming threatened by me.

Achille drives like he’s in a supervillain movie, our bodies shifting as he rushes to save Ember.

I glance over at Samantha. “You told him?” I say, my heart breaking over her betrayal.

“No, idiot. You’ve been so far up your own ass, you haven’t been paying attention. Sebastian’s mine, that’s why he knows,” she says, seemingly shy.

“What?”

Samantha shrugs. “I thought he was hot, and I don’t know that maybe fucking the head honcho might be a good thing for us, and well, one thing led to another and we tasted each other’s blood and it was like this cosmic revolutionary thing.

Why do you think he left Ember alone and sent the council away? ”

I blink at my progeny, and she lets out an irritated groan.

“You told him to?” I ask, glancing at Sebastian.

“Yeah, she asked me to, so I did. Fuck, you think I enjoy being in charge of these self-centered pricks? I’ve been longing for something else, and that thing is Samantha.

You mean something to her, so when I say I’m on your side, I mean it.

I want you to get your mate back and I’ll deal with the council,” Sebastian says.

“Joyce is mine,” I growl out.

“Fine. She’s been haunting earth long enough, anyway.”

“What of the others?” I ask.

“They’re bored to madness. If they become a threat then we’ll handle it,” Sebastian says easily.

Samantha grins. “You’re like a million times hotter when you’re not wearing business casual clothes and talking about murdering people.”

Sebastian smiles back, a stupid fucking dimple showing up on his face, and I grimace.

“Knock it off. Where are we headed?” I complain.

“It looks like they’re headed to New Orleans,” Sebastian says, holding up his phone and I swallow as we drive back to where it all began.

The sun is falling as we approach the ancient warehouse. It’s been converted to a distillery of some sort. The type of place where they make beer that tastes like raspberries and all the pretentious dicks that run it have mustaches.

They market the place for being a prohibition hot spot, not having a single clue how much bloodshed has happened here.

I stare at the building confronted with my harrowed past and the bright future that was just within reach.

Sebastian is right. I’d feel it if she’s gone, but I can’t sense her pain. I have no idea what Joyce is doing to her and I’m shaking with anger and fear. I knew Joyce was a bitch, but I didn’t think she’d take it this far, her motive makes no sense.

“Here,” Samantha says, handing me a few silver stakes. They’re easier to throw than wooden ones, easier to aim too. “She’s going to be fine, War.”

I nod sharply and look at the three vampires around me. Samantha and Achille who have been by my side through it all. Then there’s Sebastian, the wild card.

“If you betray us,” I say, pointing a stake at him.

“Yup, slayers, ripping out hearts, stepping into the sun, got it,” he says with an eye roll.

The sun is finally behind the building as we get out of the vehicle, trying to not make much noise. The only upside of the new age distillery is that it’s loud. Our cover might not be completely blown.

I take the front as the rest follow. There are muffled voices in the distance. We have stakes drawn as we walk down the steps, trying to not make much noise.

“How kind of you to finally join us,” Joyce’s voice calls out, and it feels like I’m dying as I approach the middle of the warehouse.

It looks nothing like when I was turned, but I know that it’s the exact spot where Oz made me a vampire. It’s curious she chose this spot to bring Ember. Why does she want me to be haunted by this place forever?

Ember is tied to the chair, her head lulled to the side, her pink hair covering her face.

“What the fuck, Joyce?” Sebastian says behind me.

“Oh great, I was hoping you’d be here,” Joyce says, coming to stand in front of Ember.

“Seriously? Why? Because you’re jealous?” I ask.

Joyce laughs, throwing her head back, her throat fully exposed, and all I want to do is rip it out.

“Please. You think this is all over her? Over you?” she says, looking me up and down like I’m irrelevant.

“This is about loyalty. You were always the favorite, always so pretty, the thing he couldn’t have.

But me? I’ve been loyal for over a century.

I’ve passed the tests, I’ll be rewarded,” she says, like some sort of maniac.

“What are you even talking about? Have you succumbed to madness?” I ask, my gaze going back to a passed out Ember. Her heart is still beating. I just need to keep Joyce busy enough so that I can formulate a plan. She has a few human guards, all of them with modified cross bows with stakes attached.

Joyce laughs again. “God, you didn’t even wait for his blood to dry on the pavement before trying to destroy his empire, did you?”

I tilt my head. “This is about Oz? Oz was your sire?” I’m confused as hell, I thought Joyce turned around the same time as I was, at least that’s what she’s said. Oz said none of his other progenies worked out, that’s why he usually had his henchmen change humans to vampires.

Joyce’s smile is feral as the clacking of expensive leather shoes slap against the ground. His bigger than life frame coming into the warehouse. If I could breathe, I wouldn’t be able to any longer.

Back from the fucking dead, Oz stands before me. This can’t be real, his clothes, his watch were with what was left of him.

“Yes, Joyce is my progeny. Did you miss me, Warin?” Oz says.

He comes to stand behind Ember, pushing her pink hair from her face. I want to storm across the room and rip off his hand for daring to even touch her.

“I can see the appeal. How long were you hiding her from me, anyway?”

“You’re alive?” I say, because there are no other words.

Oz rolls his eyes, his hand on top of Ember’s head. I think about how easily he could snap her neck, lean forward and drain her dry. It’s the same nightmare I had from the day she walked into my bar and let me taste her blood, it’s why I stayed away.

“You know, faking your own death is far easier as a vampire than it is as a human. I mean, sure, putting my plan into place took endless plotting, but when you have loyal vampires on your side, it makes all the difference. It’s a shame Conner isn’t here to see it, but every grand scheme needs a sacrifice. ”

“Just let her go and you can have whatever you want,” I say.

“What I want? You’ve never given a shit about anyone other than yourself. I created you. I gave you everything and you couldn’t even give me a single ounce of loyalty, could you? You were mine, you belonged to me, you still do,” Oz says, his tone manic.

He’s been on the edge of madness for so long, I wonder when the last time he rested was. It doesn’t bode well for us getting out of this situation.

“Just let her go and I’ll go back to being whoever you want me to be.”

Oz clicks his tongue. “I knew the moment you no longer loved me. When you no longer realized how much I gave to you. It was that night in Chicago, you were never the same after that. That witch filled your head with evil, but I tried to look past it. We were creating an empire. We had everything. I thought maybe if we had more, then you would be settled.”

I go to take a step closer and Oz tugs on Ember’s hair.

“Not a step closer. I couldn’t have planned this all better if I tried.

It was a convoluted process, I’ll admit.

It started with figuring out how I could fake my own death and get the attention of the vampire council.

Wouldn’t you know scaring the right humans and giving them the means to protect themselves can get a lot done in a short time?

It took some time for them to summon the Slayer and even more time to lure it into our parish, but once he did, it was the first thing I needed. ”

I glance over at Samantha and she's typing away on her phone. What the fuck? I ignore her as I look back over at Oz. He’s let go of Ember, walking away from her and puts a hand on Joyce’s back. She seems overjoyed from his touch.

“Joyce, ever the loyal progeny, she’s been my secret little weapon, telling me every little thing the council is up to.

Neither of us were happy how things were being run.

It should be me who is in charge of the council, I’m older than Sebastian and far less lenient.

What I didn’t account for was you throwing a celebration over my death and shacking up with some fucking witch when my planted remains hadn’t even been scraped off the pavement.

I’d planned for us to take over the council together.

Me and my progenies in one place, Samantha, as an extension, was going to be included in that. ”

Oz puts his hands on his hips, looking around the warehouse.

“I thought the location was fitting, don’t you think?”

“Oz, please. Whatever you want,” I beg, not that I think it’s going to work. I just need time, a moment to think of how the hell I’m going to get us out of this situation.

Oz shakes his head back and forth, pursing his lips, like he’s debating it.

“Kill Samantha, and I’ll think about it.

You'd, of course, have to share this one,” Oz says, rounding Ember again, tilting her head back and exposing her throat.

“Nothing hits like witches blood, my mouth is watering thinking about it.” He grins.

“Kill Samantha, and maybe we can work past this. I mean, Sebastian is going to have to go.” He scrunches his nose. “Achille, you can stay.”

Oz trails his fingers down Ember’s throat.

“So, Warin, what’s it going to be? Your progeny or your witch?”

I stand there, involuntary tears of blood running down my face. This place was my last human memory, and it seems like it’s going to be the last place I see anything.

Oz laughs. “Ever so soft. Where did I go wrong with you? Maybe she’ll listen better. I can’t quite decide if I want to drain her dry or make her mine.”

He leans forward, his teeth about to sink into Ember’s neck, but they can’t touch her skin.

“What the fuck?” Oz hisses, trying to bite her again.

My witch’s eyes meet mine and I look down at her glittering ring and she gives me a small nod.

“Now,” I shout, knowing that if I die, at least I went out swinging.