Tainted Blood (Blood Bound Book 7)

Chapter 3

Even in her sleep, he could feel her hunger burning… the side of her that wasn’t of Craven’s bloodline. She was keeping it deep inside her… hiding its call. The hunger was offering to speed up her natural healing abilities. This was the one thing he could not do for her… the energy she needed came from the soul, and as of yet… he didn’t have one. It was good that she slept for now, even though it was a slower way to heal.

Nighthawk traced the back of his knuckles across her soft cheek where Nile had struck her and left a dark bruise. Craven had said a lover’s caress could heal her. Did one have to have a soul to love? He supposed so since he had not felt the emotion since his true death decades before. He had to strain just to feel any emotion beyond hard numbness most of the time.

Gently lowering her back to the pillow, Nighthawk straightened to his full height and glanced over his shoulder at the soul who had been haunting him since returning to the house.

“You are hers… are you not?”

Carley jumped in surprise, not realizing the Indian had been aware of her the whole time. She narrowed her eyes on him. He’d just simply ignored her while she’d yelled and ranted at him... the jerk. Her expression softened… she’d stopped yelling after a while, becoming confused after seeing him take such tender care of Tiara.

She slowly came forward, stopping to hover next to Tiara, appearing to sit on the edge of the mattress. There was no sense in hiding from him… it wasn’t like he could hurt her even if he wanted to… which she doubted.

“Someone might assume that I was hers… but I’m not.” Carley answered honestly as she reached out and ran her hand over Tiara’s long clean hair imagining what it would feel like if she were still alive. She hadn't been dead long enough to forget the feeling of touch.

“Then why did you follow her?” he asked.

Carley looked up at him and raised her chin defiantly, “She’s my friend… I want to know she is safe.”

Nighthawk nodded, respecting the answer. “And Craven’s magic does not touch you even though you are inside his walls?”

It seemed like an important question to the Indian so Carley shook her head and gazed down at her friend, “Because of Tiara, necromancy can no longer touch or control me. I love her for that, so please don’t hurt her.”

Nighthawk felt his chest swell with hope. The emotion quickly vanished but it had been enough of a taste to make him want more. That’s all he’d ever wanted… to never be called upon by a demon again.

“We have no intention of harming her. It was her wish to come with us and we honored that request. If you do not believe me, then you are free to stay until she awakens and ask her yourself.” He spoke only the truth… the one trait that he had carried over from life.

“Then who hurt her?” Carley asked knowing it wasn’t the man standing next to her, but the rapidly healing bruises on Tiara spoke volumes of evil intentions.

“The demon she was fighting in the cemetery did this. Craven saved her from him,” Nighthawk answered as he moved to sit on the window seat where the sun could touch him. This was one of the only rooms in the house where the windows had not been painted black. Nighthawk tried to remember if he had ever enjoyed the sunlight or not… he supposed so.

Carley frowned when he turned his face toward the window as if dismissing her and the conversation. “And Craven would be the demon who was with you? Would that be the same man that has surrounded this house with so many monsters? I honestly don’t think Tiara would approve.”

She reached out and laid her hand on Tiara’s even though it went right through Tiara’s hand. “And why would she leave us… her friends, to be with a demon?”

“She and Craven are blood kin. You would call Craven her uncle. But in Craven’s mind, his brother’s child is the same as his own child. That is why he will not harm her. She is not a prisoner here and she will not be forced to stay. Once she heals… if she decides to leave, I will go with her as a protector.”

“Why would you do that?” Carley asked. It was Craven that was kin to her… not the Indian. “Did Craven order you to?”

“No, I am beyond Craven’s control now.” he answered without turning to look at her. “I am a Night Walker and she is the only one that can return my soul to me.”

Carley’s jaw dropped... a Night Walker? Now that was some powerful magic. She thought back to the myths and legends she’d studied and even those ancient writings had rarely mentioned of them.

From what she remembered, a Night Walker was created from a human who’d possessed mystical powers during their human life and was then raised from the dead like a zombie by a powerful wizard. But that was only the first step toward becoming a fully developed Night Walker.

Unlike most zombies, they could use their own power to regain their mind and heart. It was said they were soulless but she didn’t recall what powers a Night Walker possessed or if there was even a limit to what they could do.

She frowned when she couldn’t remember reading anything about a Night Walker regaining their soul. Was that even possible?

“Isn’t your soul in the afterlife?” Carley asked curiously.

“No, it is bound to my grave,” Nighthawk answered as he vanished into the spirit world.

Carley sat in stunned silence. Bound to the grave? She shivered at the thought of being bound under the dirt instead of free as she was now. Lowering her gaze to the floor, she noticed Nighthawk may have vanished but she could still feel him there within the room.

Looking back at Tiara, Carley decided not to push the subject by continuing to speak to him… granting him the privacy he had silently requested.

Chapter 2

Amidst the mayhem of Hollywood Cemetery, Michael looked down at the dead Spinnan at his feet and dusted his hands on his coat.

“That was enjoyable,” he muttered. He glanced up just in time to see Kane rip the head off of another demon and toss it over his shoulder. Michael scrambled out of the way of the flying head and glared at Kane’s back.

“Do you mind?” Michael demanded. “I’ve made it this far without getting dirty… I’d like to keep it that way.”

Kane smirked at him over his shoulder, “You’re quick enough to move if something comes flying at you.”

Tabatha sighed having seen enough gore to last her a lifetime. Now it just looked like the boys were playing in it. “If I didn’t know any better Kane, I would swear you’re having too much fun killing these things.”

“Well, I never heard…” he stopped and thought for a moment then looked around at the dead demons then back up at Tabatha. “You’re right, I am having fun,” he shrugged unsympathetically.

“Remember what you asked about us using a camera?” Tabatha asked coyly.

Kane dropped the headless demon to the ground and let his eyes rove over his mate’s body suggestively, “Yeah… I remember.”

“No camera,” Tabatha growled and started walking away.

Michael started laughing at the look of dejection on Kane’s face just before the blonde vampire ran after his mate.

“Wait,” Kane called. “I take it back… I’m not having fun at all.” He paused long enough to stick his hand through a Skitter that was running alongside him. “They’re annoying… see?”

Angelica arched an eyebrow secretly wanting to laugh. She suppressed the urge and simply looked up at Syn curiously. “Your sons are… interesting.”

“They have yet to grow out of their adolescence,” Syn stated with a straight face, “That… and they need their mother.”

Michael shot Syn an indignant look having overheard the remark. “I’ve grown out of my adolescence just fine thank you very much.” With that said, he stomped off like a child having a temper tantrum and muttering to himself. On the way, Michael kicked the head Kane had thrown at him like a football and it went airborne. It landed in a stand of trees followed by a loud exclamation.

“Who the hell’s throwing demon heads?” Jason’s voice was heard shouting.

Michael froze for a moment cringing then decided not to stick around. “I’m gonna go check on Kane,” Michael explained as he ran by Syn and Angelica, in the opposite direction of Jason.

“I rest my case,” Syn said conspiratorially, making Angelica look away to hide her amused smile.

*****

“Did you see that?” Nick’s voice shouted from behind a crypt. “I just saw a flying head wiz by here.”

About that time a Skitter stumbled into view trying to escape its death. There was something funny about seeing a boogieman having a frightened look on its face.

“Yes Nick, I saw it,” Kriss answered and walked into view.

Nick shot at the Skitter’s legs with an expression that bordered on sadistic, “Come on. Let’s see if you can dance.”

“Nick, stop playing with that damn thing,” Steven growled, then rolled his eyes realizing he was taking up for a monster.

Jewel walked up to the Skitter and blew its head off with the shotgun before smiling sweetly at Nick, “Your dancing partner just died.”

“H-hey!” Nick whined. “That was my kill.”

“Actually it was mine,” Kriss said with his arms crossed over his chest. “Who do you think it was running from?”

“Too many hunters and not enough prey anymore,” Dean said as he stepped out of the shadows of a nearby tree.

“At least Nick got rid of that arm,” Steven muttered then did the rendition of an all over body shake while adding, “Eww.”

Kriss made a face, “Don’t mention the arm… EVER again.”

“Why?” Jewel asked not getting the joke.

Nick grinned, “Well, I…”

Kriss turned on him and growled, “Say another word and I will give you a one way trip to St. Peter myself.”

Dean smirked, “Don’t test him kitty cat… he looks mad enough to do it.”

Kriss looked over at Dean and his eyebrows shot up into his hairline when he saw the underlying desire shining in Dean’s eyes. He couldn’t help it… his gaze shot down Dean’s body and a light blush dusted his cheeks making him look away.

Jewel smiled, aware of what the two men were thinking. However, Steven and Nick were completely clueless.

Dean’s eyes darkened attractively as he watched Kriss’ reaction to him. Stepping up behind the other Fallen, Dean wrapped his arm around Kriss’ waist and placed his lips near his sensitive ear, “I think you guys can handle it from here.” He smiled when Kriss gave a light shudder from where his warm breath had touched him.

The three people blinked as the two Fallen vanished into thin air.

“How do they do that?” Steven asked softly.

“I don’t know,” Nick answered trying to mentally bleach his mind of the fact that Dean had been holding Kriss so closely.

Footsteps from the side made them look over as Quinn and Kat walked into sight from behind the crypt.

“Well, that’s almost everyone,” Nick said. “I’m ready to leave the rest of this mess to PIT.”

“All that’s missing now are Envy and Devon,” Steven said.

Jewel looked around, “I wonder where they are?”

“Last time I caught sight of them, they were with Envy’s brother and our favorite gun-toting carebear. I’m sure they can catch a ride with him,” Nick stated. “So if you’re riding with me, this train is leaving now.”