Micaela's Big Bad

He was right. One taste and she wouldn’t be sated with anyone else. This was going to be a dilemma, indeed.

She’s testing you, seeing how I react to you. Quell your beast.

What’s her name on the throne?

Quessadiline.

Quesadilla just climaxed up there.

The ripples of it left her body, but a fourth vampire joined the tasting, and as he did, he moved to crawl up her body. She leaned farther back, holding the back of his head now as he positioned himself between her legs.

“Should we give you a moment?” Kieran’s voice almost sounded bored. “Or should I take this as an insult to my visit?”

The fourth vampire thrust inside of her at his second statement, but as fast as that happened, the four vampires were thrown away from her. She pulled at her clothes to cover her and sat up. “I do apologize. I couldn’t help myself. A little fun with your new pet, Kieran.” She fluffed her hair and relaxed back. “Now…tell me how you feel she was a gift sent by myself when I insist she’s a present given from you.”

“Your vampire seduced her boyfriend.”

Wait. What?!

He kept on, “And she did this at a time when this energist would find them.”

Is this true? I asked him.

He ignored me, his jaw tightening. “And she was given persuasion by your vampire to pack her things, to leave her boyfriend, and to go and see her best friend, whom you insured was working at my nightclub tonight. On a night you knew I’d be there. So, yes, Quessadiline, I do fully believe that this energist was a gift from you.”

“Why would I send you an energist? They’re like toys to us.”

“They’re also used as weapons of distraction, and you knew I had kept two others with me centuries ago.”

My knees gave out at the reminder of how old Kieran was.

“You were hoping to distract me tonight because I know that while I took the time to travel to see you, you sent thirty vampires to attack Bass tonight.”

A hard glint appeared in her eyes, and Kieran was right.

I saw it. The satisfaction that rolled off of her was pure evil.

She smiled slowly as she preened. “Why would I do that tonight? Of all nights?”

“Because you knew four of the six masters would be above earth today, and it was your first move against taking charge of the underworld.”

Kieran was calm. I pricked at the inside of his head, and he shoved me out. Okay. Maybe he wasn’t totally calm, but he was giving that impression…at least his energy was all calm.

Quessadiline stood up from her throne, and she stepped to the edge of the podium.

A cruel smile teased over her face. “Maybe I have done all of that, but you said thirty before, Kieran.” A pause. “Try three hundred.”

A wave of smug and sick triumph flared around the entire room, and I could feel others’ emotions join in from the hallway. They were all listening to us. I didn’t know how. I didn’t know much about vampires on purpose, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if there wasn’t a telepathic connection between them all.

She threw her card down.

“No, Quessadiline. I said thirty because that’s how many I left alive.”

Kieran just swept the whole deck.11She/IA snarl erupted from Quessadiline before she attacked.

After that, it was pandemonium.

I had no idea what was going on, but it was all happening at the same time.

Kieran met Quesadilla, as vampires from around the room launched at me.

Not aggressive: me.

Them: very aggressive.

I noticed more vampires streaming in from the hallway, but I was snatched backwards and looked up. Kieran had a hold on me.

Fight!

I don’t know how. I mean, I threw a fork at the vamp bitch who seduced my ex.

Let your creature loose.

How?!

I had no clue how he was holding Quesadilla off, but she looked frozen in mid-air. It was remarkable, and he was doing the same with the other vampires. No one could get to us, but whatever hold he had on them wasn’t going to last. They were breaking through, inch by inch. That much I could feel. And everyone here was immortal…but I wasn’t.

I couldn’t stay here for the rest of my life.

Use your energy. Take theirs.

Eat them? I was revolted.

No. You don’t have to eat everything.

There was a joke there, but I was refraining.

He kept on. You can literally take their energy.

I can?

You are so severely unschooled. How are you still alive?

You have a right to be frustrated, but I didn’t choose to walk into Vampire Quesadilla’s campus. You brought me here knowing what I wasn’t capable of.

A guttural growl was coming from him.

No.

I looked down.

That wasn’t a growl, that was the floor shaking.

I glanced outside. The wall was starting to crumble, and the trees were shaking violently.

Nope. Not the floor. The earth was shaking.