vampires mage 01.5 - shadow mage by crawford c n

Author:crawford, c n [crawford, c n]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2016-06-10T20:25:57+00:00

CHAPTER 3

C aine lay on his bed, his body sapped of energy, and stared at the arched stone ceiling above him. He’d slept for hours in his tidy room within Ninlil Castle, dreaming of milky sunlight and white-blossomed trees, until the scent of burning flesh curled into his nightmares.

Exhaustion wracked his body. He’d failed today, utterly and completely. His injuries sapped his energy, and a gnawing emptiness welled in his chest. It was hard not to think of Valerie’s terrified face just before she burned to death. Would Malphus suffer an equally appalling fate at the hands of the Brotherhood?

Something else weighed him down—either his assignment with the Athertons had riled him, or he really needed a woman’s touch to heal himself. Probably both.

All he knew was that he’d spent the past five years trying to forget about Maremount, and he didn’t relish the idea of dredging up those nightmares again. Not to mention the fact that Rosalind had been a horror, even as a child—and now she was a Hunter. He couldn’t think of a worse combination. It would be hard not to slaughter her on sight.

Someone rapped on his door and he rose, his chest aching from the bullet holes and gaping chest wound. He crossed the faded rug and pulled open the door.

Erish stood before him in the dim hallway with a human woman—a tiny thing, her bones as delicate as a bird’s, but with enough feminine curves to tempt him. Her ginger hair tumbled over her bare shoulders. She wore only a black bra, panties, and fishnets. Her lips were painted ruby red. She shivered in the cold stone hall.

If his chest wound hadn’t stirred his need for a human touch, he wouldn’t be in the mood—not after what he’d seen today. But his chest thrummed with hunger, and he was already thinking about wrapping his arms around the girl.

Erish stood nearly a foot taller than her. The succubus planted her hands on her hips, eyes roaming over Caine. “I saw that you were injured. I brought you a human courtesan, trained by Arielle. She will heal you before you leave Lilinor.”

The girl’s blue eyes widened. “I was scared of coming to the vampire city, but I really wanted to meet an incubus.” Tentatively, she stepped closer, sliding her small hand up his chest. He could already feel her energy coursing through her fingertips. “I know you’ll keep me safe.”

She was a fool, then. Monsters like him didn’t keep people safe—not even his own soldiers, apparently. Moreover, he’d be a fool to accept a gift from Erish. And yet, desire burned through him, and he couldn’t take his eyes off the courtesan’s red lips. Her energy beckoned him closer. He took her hand, leading her into the room.

As Erish followed, irritation flickered through him. Why did she need to stay?

Caine pulled the girl close to him, smelling her silky hair—a beautiful scent of apples and cherry blossoms. “What’s your name?”

“Alice.”

Caine touched her chin, tilting her face up to his, and her delicate body pressed against him, eyes burning with desire.

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