First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World 1)

"I'm going to need a drink first," she said, inhaling deeply. Maybe a whole bottle. Or a concussion. Anything to numb the pain.

"Denise." Spade knelt beside her, intensity lurking in his gaze. "You made me swear a blood oath, but you can release me from it. Let me ease this for you. You don't need to feel a thing."

She was confused for a second, but then his meaning clicked. "No. I don't want you controlling my mind."

"And I don't want to hold you down while you're in agony for hours," Spade replied flatly. "If you hadn't made me swear by my blood not to mesmerize you, I wouldn't even ask."

She turned to Francine. "The other guy with the brands like mine, did he handle it on his own? Or did he have the vampire with him mind-trick him?"

Francine's expression was guarded. "He couldn't be mesmerized. The vampire tried, but it didn't work."

Because of the effect of the brands, Denise realized with a sinking feeling. The inhumanity in Nathanial had grown to a point where even a vampire's power couldn't breach it.

"The vampire with him was young, you said, and I am a Master," Spade replied. "I can do it."

He had total confidence in his voice. Denise wavered. It wasn't just the pain she feared, although the burn in her arm still throbbed enough for that fear to be very real. Even if the logical part of her realized it was for a necessary cause, being held down while she was, in essence, tortured for hours by a vampire would bring on a PTSD attack as surely she breathed. Even now, that familiar-feeling panic was rising in her. It seemed inevitable that she would lose control of her mind one way or the other, either in a flashback of that horrible night, or from the pull of Spade's eyes.

"Trust me, Denise," he said, very softly.

She took a deep breath. The idea of giving up con trol of her mind was something she fiercely hated. Already her PTSD had cost her enough of that. But...she did trust him. As odd as it was, she trusted Spade more than anyone else in her life right now. Besides, she'd wanted to show Spade her gratitude. Well, keeping him from needing to restrain her for hours while she had a severe panic attack seemed like the least she could do.

"All right."

Spade smiled, and the sight of it distracted her from everything else for a second. He was handsome even with his normal guarded expression, but when he smiled, he was breathtaking. Pity he didn't smile more often.

His eyes changed, becoming green in the next instant. Denise's first instinct was to look away, because she knew this would be different from every other time she'd seen them this way, but she didn't. She stared right into his gaze as their color flared even brighter.

"I can feel you resisting me." His voice sounded deeper. Almost vibrating. "Let me in, Denise. It's all right. You'll be safe..."

Her eyelids suddenly felt heavier. Spade was still talking, but his words became indistinct, blurring together. Her vision narrowed until it seemed like all she could see was the beautiful emerald blaze from his eyes. Their powerful glow wasn't frightening anymore. They were so lovely...

She blinked. Spade's face was still right in front of hers, his expression intense. Resignation rose in her.

"It's not working," she said, steeling herself for what was to come.

A smile eased across Spade's face. "You're finished."

Denise looked at her arms. Intricate patterns covered the brands from her wrists to her elbows, like black lace stitched into her skin. There was no pain, not even a twinge. Francine and Chad were gone, but she was in front of the fireplace with her arms stretched across the table, something like Vaseline spread on them.

"Wow, you're good," Denise breathed.

Spade's laugh held an undercurrent of wickedness. "You have no idea."

That was when she also noticed the towels were off and her hands were back to normal. Tears sprang into her eyes. Had this cured her?

"Do you think it's gone? All of it?" With her whole heart, she hoped the demon's essence inside her had been driven out.

Spade sobered. "I tasted a drop of your blood before I took you out of the trance. It's still altered."

Disappointment coursed through her, but she pushed it back. "Maybe it won't get worse now. Then when I deliver Nathanial, it'll all be gone."

And you can walk away, she silently added to Spade. They'd both be able to go back to what their lives were before this mess. Somehow, the thought wasn't as comforting as it used to be.

Chapter Sixteen

Spade opened the door to the Cherry Suite, pleased to see Denise's reaction. Her eyes widened as she walked inside, looking around at the floor-to-ceiling windows, the plush red living room with its circle of couches, the dining room with its extravagant orange bar, and the two large bedrooms. The suite was easy to see at a glance, even with its size. The four rooms were cordoned off by curtains instead of doors, and the curtains were all open.

The butler deposited their bags, leaving after Spade assured him that they didn't need their clothes put away for them.

"This is amazing," Denise said after a few minutes. Then that familiar guilty look flashed in her eyes. "It must be so expensive."

"If it wouldn't have been a betrayal of your trust, when I had you under my gaze, I would've compelled you to never again fret over my finances," Spade replied in amusement. "I'm supposed to be here looking for illicit entertainment at any price, remember? It wouldn't do for me to skimp on my accommodations."

"No one will accuse you of skimping when they see this place," Denise murmured, walking into the guest room with its oversized Jacuzzi bathtub and enormous round leather canopy bed.

In truth, Spade didn't intend to bring anyone else back to their suite, but he wouldn't tell Denise that. She'd be aghast if she knew he'd chosen this suite because he wanted her surrounded with over-the-top opulence during her first trip to Vegas, even if it was under trying circumstances.

And Denise would really be aghast if she knew the only thing he had been tempted to implant in her mind was the desire not to return to her human life after they found Nathanial. He hadn't done it, though. What he wanted from her couldn't be achieved by cheating, or he'd never know if it was real.

"What would you like from room service?" he asked, not bothering to ask if she was hungry. Of course she was.

"A hamburger, extra fries, chicken soup, crackers, and chocolate cake," Denise called out at once, heading into the master bedroom.

And I intend to have a nice long drink from whoever brings it, Spade mentally added. After the flight overseas, then the deliberate zigzagging flights across the country designed to throw off any demon trying to follow them, it had been two days since they left his house in England. They'd either been on flights, in taxis, or in airports the entire time, so he hadn't had a proper meal. He hadn't wanted to leave Denise alone long enough to find one - and airports were so heavily recorded today.