No matter what

The night air was cool on my skin as I slipped outside the crowded bar, the cacophony of noise fading behind me. My blood still simmered from the charged encounter with the vampire. Nick.

Just thinking his name stirred a frustrating tempest of desire and disgust within me. He was the enemy—the same kind of monster that had delighted in tormenting me in Queen Oralia's court. I should want him dead without hesitation. And I did.

And yet … when our eyes had met over my wine glass, something inexplicable had shifted deep inside me. It was difficult to describe the dark thrill—the shock of two predators crossing paths. But was I the predator or the prey? I told myself it was just the surprise at sensing another supernatural in this haven of humans. Especially a cursed bloodsucker. They tended to lurk in the shadows, not bartend in country western bar with a bunch of humans.

Despite how wrong it was on so many levels, I couldn't deny the dangerous allure I felt to him. The way my body thrummed instinctively to the power and darkness that seemed to pulse just beneath his pale skin. He had sparked nerves I thought long numb after the trauma of my ordeal in Oralia's court.

I shook my head sharply, hair spilling like liquid fire over my shoulders with the motion. No. This was a momentary weakness, nothing more. I had a mission—to destroy the sadistic monsters who had delighted in trying to break both my body and spirit. If I had to use the cursed desires of my own body as a weapon against them, so be it.

Soon, I vowed silently, I would return to him and deliberately stoke the fiery embers between us until they raged out of control. I would make him crave me beyond reason, let him believe I was his for the taking. And once his guard was down, I would strike swifter than any viper. A fine tremor shook me with anticipation.

Would it just take one clean strike? Or should I draw out his torment first, make him truly suffer before I ended his despicable existence? My lips tipped up in anticipation. I was Celestina, a seasoned warrior spy of the Fae, survivor of the vampires' twisted games. I bowed to no one, least of all my own fears. This vampire was mine.

The night was waiting, patient and concealing. I took a deep breath and melted into the shadows, Celestina the warrior reemerging from the trauma of my captivity. Soon, there would be one less vampire monster free to prey upon the world. No matter what facing him might cost me.

Decision made, I wove through the streets toward my little sanctuary, avoiding the worst of the drunken crowds that always inundated SoCo on the weekends. Neon lights advertising bars and restaurants flashed brightly, but I kept to the darker side roads.

An enticing breeze heavy with the scents of spicy meat and the tang of tequila wafted in my direction, but I ignored the temptation of food and drink. I had no cravings except for vengeance. As I walked, my unbound hair blew across my face, and I impatiently tucked the fiery strands behind my ears. From an open window, a mariachi band played an enthusiastic birthday song, but I shut my ears to the festive music.

My thoughts roiled darkly, consumed with planning the cold destruction of the alluring vampire with the faint accent and piercing blue eyes. He would be the first to fall before me, the first offering to my wrath. How fortuitous our paths had crossed, I mused. Lucky for me. Not so much for him.

At last, I reached the vibrantly painted Victorian that contained my second-floor apartment, concealed in the heart of the quirky neighborhood. My steps were light as I bounded up the exterior stairs, betraying none of the roiling emotions within me. But as soon as I crossed the threshold, I leaned heavily against the closed door, eyes falling shut.

I heaved a deep breath of relief. It was always this way after venturing out among the crowds, wearing the facade of just another hippy dippy Austinite like an ill-fitting coat. Here, in my private haven, I could strip it away and simply be Celestina once more.

I moved silently through the space, fingers trailing over the eclectic mix of furnishings I had collected over the last few years. Plush velvet chairs in rich jewel tones, recycled wood tables carved with elaborate scrollwork designs, shelves cluttered with candles, crystals, and leather-bound books on herbs and magical lore. So different from the sleek opulence of the vampires' lairs.

My body yearned to purge itself of their lingering taint. With impatience, I twisted my hair up and secured it with an enameled pin before peeling off my clothes. I ran the water into the deep, clawfoot bathtub adding fragrant bath salts as the steam wafted into my face. Naked, I stepped into the tub, slipping slowly into the hot water.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and rested my head onto the back lip and sunk down until everything, but my chin was covered. Despite my loathing of his kind, Nick's face appeared unbidden in my mind's eye. His dark, wavy hair, his piercing blue eyes that seemed to glow with intensity, the slight woodsy scent he exuded—so unusual for an undead. Lust suddenly welled up in me, my core pulsing with need.

By the goddess! My eyes popped open, and I sat up with shock. No! No! No! Unacceptable. I was not attracted to a bloodsucker! I took up my loofah and scrubbed every inch of skin I could reach, wanting the water and soap to purge away the feeling.

The vile memories of my time as a prisoner with his people were soul-deep now, etched into my very bones. No amount of scalding water could scour them away, but maybe it could distract my traitorous body from these new, but wholly unwelcome, sensations.

Jaw clenched, my skin red from the scrubbing, I climbed dripping from the tub. Grabbing a fluffy towel, I rubbed myself down trying to refocus on the mission ahead. Everything depended on keeping Nick off-balance, subject to my manipulations. I had one chance to catch him unawares and destroy this threat before he could harm others. I would not fail. Could not fail.

I perched before the antique vanity, its scarred mirror bearing testament to the many women who had sat here just like this over the years. With harsh strokes, I worked a comb through the wet snarl of my hair, concentrating on the repetitive motion to distract myself from my dangerous thoughts.

But again and again, the vampire's visage appeared in my mind's eye. Tall and powerfully built, with a fall of dark hair and piercing sapphire eyes that seemed to see straight through to my stained soul. And that knowing smile, hinting at shadowy skills and earthly pleasures he could offer.

Heat washed through me at the fantasy, my duplicitous body betraying me again. What was this cursed obsession with a monster? I should loathe him and everything he represented. The comb clattered to the table as I pressed the heels of my palms against my eyes, as though I could grind the image away.

This weakness was intolerable, unconscionable. Better to drive a blade through my own heart than become slave to these twisted desires. I had sworn a blood oath after my ordeal, vowed never again to cede control of my body or fate.

Yet everything about the bartender screamed dangerous seduction and raw, animal magnetism. He was poison cloaked in beauty, death in a pleasing package. And despite all reason, some corrupted part of me craved to sample that poison. Even now, my blood heated as I recalled watching those strong hands and clever fingers mixing drinks and opening and closing on the bar top as his voice slithered seductively into my ears and into my very soul.

With a snarl of self-disgust, I surged up and paced before the darkened window. What was happening to me? Had my trials in Oralia's court broken something vital within, leaving me vulnerable to undesirable appetites? This could not stand. The bloodsucker had to die for both our sakes before this madness doomed us.

I stiffened my spine with determination. Soon, I would begin the hunt in truth. Seduce and destroy, as I had planned. Take back control and excise this cancerous desire by any means necessary. By the next moon, the vampire enigma would trouble my thoughts no more, even if I had to burn my softer self to ash to do it. Some sacrifices were worth making.