What Happens in Vegas…After Dark Read online

  Devi looked up as a hand settled on her shoulder. Her eyes widened with her surprise at seeing Mal up and looking only mildly disheveled. “Are you okay?” The inane question led to a torrent of words she couldn’t hold in. “Of course you aren’t okay. I saw him freeze you…or whatever. You couldn’t move. Now you’re up? What’s going on?”

  “I couldn’t move, but I could hear and see. As soon as Eli lost consciousness, any active spells he’d cast degenerated. As soon as the energy field faded, I was able to get up.” He rubbed absently at his chest. “Not easily, but I’m up.”

  She nodded, unable to speak as she struggled to suppress tears of relief. Mal’s fate had been unknown to her for too long, and she had feared the worst from seeing his lifeless form. Finally, she managed to choke back the ball of moisture in her throat. “What do we do about him?”

  Mal hesitated for a long moment, his struggle visible in every twitch of his features. After a time, he said, “I’ll bind him for now. If Father recovers, I’ll leave him to deal with Eli.”

  “If he doesn’t?” she asked softly. Perhaps it was too soft for him to hear, or maybe he didn’t know the answer, because he didn’t reply.

  Mal took her hand, helping her to her feet. He grimaced as he examined her wrist. “I think you’ll heal without a trace of the injury. Vampires rejuvenate quickly, so there shouldn’t be a scar.” He brought the burned flesh to his mouth, pressing a gentle kiss near the injury. “I’m sorry he marked you, Devi.”

  Discomfited, she tugged her hand free from his grasp. The show of concern and display of affection confused her, bringing up emotions and questions she didn’t want to sort through at the moment. “I’m fine. We should find your father, Mal.”

  He nodded. “Maybe it isn’t too late.”

  To her surprise, he took hold of her hand as he led her down the hallway. They approached tall wooden doors, carved with intricate designs and inlaid with silver replicas of the symbol she had seen Eli wearing. Once again, the celestial emblem inspired a mix of awe and terror that she had to push away forcefully.

  Mal turned a knob, cursing when he found it locked. A second later, his lips moved, and the offending silver fixture went flying down the corridor. He shoved open the heavy wooden panel, and she followed closely behind him. She had expected to find someone else guarding Saul, but the room was deserted, save for the still form lying on the massive bed.

  She couldn’t help appreciating the Victorian furniture and luxurious fabrics as Mal rushed to the bed, half dragging her behind him. As soon as she saw Saul, all thoughts of the interior decorating fled from her mind. He was pale and drawn. In the prime of health, no doubt Saul was an older version of Mal, and a more vibrant copy of Eli. At the moment, his skin was paler than the off-white sheet tucked under his arms. His gray hair, spread out on the pillowcase, only emphasized the gray tinge of his complexion. The hollows in his cheeks and bruises under his eyes revealed his exhaustion.

  “He looks like a ghost.” Mal’s voice broke, and he turned from his father, as if unable to look at him in that condition. “It’s too late. We’re too late, Devi. He can’t possibly survive the transformation.”

  Gently, she grasped his face between her hands. Her voice was firm when she said, “We already agreed to try. He’s going to die if we don’t.”

  “He will anyway.” A tear leaked down Mal’s face. “This is all my fault.”

  “No, it isn’t.” She squeezed his cheeks with enough pressure to get him to meet her gaze. “You did everything you could, Mal. If your father doesn’t make it, you have only one person to blame, and that’s Eli. But if we don’t try to save him, you will carry that burden forever. Let me try. Okay?”

  After a second, he nodded. A ragged exhalation left him, and he straightened his spine. “All right.”

  They turned simultaneously back to Saul. Mal sat on the bed beside his father, lifting his frail frame into a sitting position. Braced against Mal’s arm, his father looked like a shriveled old man, decades beyond what his actual age must be. She prayed she could help Saul, not just for Mal’s sake, but for his own, as well. Even in his current condition, traces of the man he must have been were evident. His shoulders suggested he always kept them back, head held high. There was wisdom and dignity remaining in the lines and wrinkles of his sunken face. He commanded respect, even as he was.

  “Master Shol didn’t have to bite you, Devi, because of the wound Eli gave you. You’ll have to access my father’s blood somehow.” He looked faintly queasy. “Do you think you can bite him?”

  The thought was abhorrent to her conscience, but the new, primal side of her relished the thought. Devi nodded, not wanting to talk through the process with Mal. She had no desire to tell him how much she both dreaded and anticipated feeding from his father. Now that the moment was at hand, her stomach growled, and Devi was aware of just how ravenous she was. This hunger was different from any she’d ever experienced. It tore through her, leaving her weak and frantic. Was she going to have to contend with this for the rest of her life now that she was a vampire?

  Devi knelt on the other side of Saul, leaning forward to bring her mouth against his throat. The skin sagged, and she had to feel for his carotid artery with her finger. Once she found it, beating so slowly as to be barely detectable, she immediately placed her mouth to the spot. Devi analyzed her forthcoming actions, trying to play out events in her mind. Before she got further than sinking her teeth into his flesh, she was biting him. Instinct had taken over, and she followed.

  Her fangs sank through his skin like a hot knife through butter. Hot blood spurted into her mouth, and she almost withdrew. The foreign, coppery taste made her mentally recoil, but her body responded enthusiastically. She licked at the wound as the blood flowed, until a steady amount flooded her mouth. Devi swallowed quickly, trying to keep from losing any of the precious liquid. Inevitably, it flowed down her chin anyway, and she wiped without breaking suction.

  Abruptly, her hunger eased, and she no longer wanted the blood. Devi lifted her head, slightly sickened at the sight of Saul’s neck bleeding copiously. A glance at the mirror showed her an equally repulsive sight—her own face smeared with blood. She looked away and forced the bile down. “Now what?” she asked in a thick voice.

  “Give him your blood. Master Shol dripped some of his own into your wound, so I don’t think Father has to drink your blood.”

  Devi nodded, somehow knowing he was right. Perhaps it was her vampiric senses speaking to her, or maybe it was logic. After all, she hadn’t awakened with the taste of blood in her mouth after Master Shol changed her.

  Her teeth had become conveniently sharp when she was about to feed, but they had receded once more to normal length. Devi concentrated on forcing her fangs to extend, but nothing happened. After a moment, she gave up. There was a lot to learn about her new life, once she parted ways with Mal.

  “Do you have something sharp?”

  Mal looked around, as did Devi. Before she had seen anything that would work, she heard glass shattering. A look over her shoulder revealed Mal had broken the nearest lamp. He extracted a shard of the Tiffany glass and held it out to her. Devi extended her palm. “Do it for me. I can’t.”

  His lips firmed, and he slashed her palm with the glass. It stung, but also yielded a surprising surge of desire. Devi blinked at the reaction. It was so intimate to have him cut her, though she didn’t fully grasp why. Maybe it was the measure of trust involved. She had known he was going to hurt her, but had trusted him just the same. It was eerie to feel so bonded to him, and she ruthlessly reminded herself it was foolish, too. Mal didn’t love her and never would. The sooner she accepted that, the easier their parting would be.

  Returning her focus to the process of converting Saul, she brought her palm to his neck, pressing the wound to the one her teeth had left in his skin. Their blood mingled, and she experienced a curious tingling sensation that spread throughout her body. Power surged through her, and she
was euphoric.

  Head spinning, Devi collapsed onto the bed beside Saul, unable to think clearly. Her body hummed with energy, flowing through her veins. It seemed to grow exponentially, and she had no outlet. A sense of pressure squeezed her from the inside out. She was going to explode because the energy had nowhere to go. She opened her mouth to tell Mal, and a beam of light shot from her mouth. It hit the ceiling forcefully enough to singe the mural, forever burning away the image of the classically beautiful woman that had been immortalized there.

  As quickly as it happened, it was over. Drained, she sagged into the bed, finding it impossible to keep her eyes open. Vaguely, she heard Mal say, “Dawn is coming, Devi.” She knew that was dangerous to her and Saul, if he survived, but couldn’t force herself to move from the bed. Through a slitted eye, she watched Mal close the curtains and whisk blankets from the bed. They hovered briefly in midair before flying to the windows, under the direction of Mal’s power. The room darkened significantly, and her eyes closed. Blackness claimed her, and she sank into oblivion so deep that she wondered if she would ever find her way back from the abyss. That was her last thought before the void swallowed her.

  Chapter Six

  Devi woke in unfamiliar surroundings. The room was completely dark, but her eyes saw the details of the room as clearly as if the lamp were on. It wasn’t Saul’s room, where she had fallen into unconsciousness. Sometime during the day, someone had moved her to this room. She imagined it was Mal.

  Devi knew it must have been Mal when she pushed aside the covers and realized she wore only her underwear. More out of habit than necessity, she reached for the lamp to click it on. A visual scan of the room showed no sign of her clothes, but unfamiliar garments lay over the back of a wing chair. She left the incredibly soft bed and padded to the chair. The deep fibers of the carpet cradled her bare feet, and she sighed with pleasure at the luxury.

  The garments were a flowing patchwork skirt and white peasant blouse. Devi wrinkled a nose at the style, but decided beggars couldn’t be choosy. When she lifted the blouse, the scent of its owner wafted to her nostrils, still detectable under the stronger scent of detergent. Her newly enhanced sense of smell discerned nuances she wouldn’t have noticed before. They left the impression of someone who was cheerful, giving and carefree. Deducing the clothes belonged to Mal’s sister made it much easier to slip them on. The idea of wearing something one of his previous lovers had worn was too distasteful to contemplate.

  Once dressed in the borrowed items, Devi left the guest room. She was in an unfamiliar wing of the house, but recognized the second floor when she went down the stairs. Making her way to Saul’s room, she paused at the doorway to listen. Voices spoke in low tones, but didn’t sound sorrowful or grieving when she strained to hear. With a deep breath, she knocked on the door, preparing herself for whatever she would find on the other side.

  After a moment, the door opened, and a beautiful blond woman stood in the doorway. The light from the chandelier framed her, giving her an angelic glow that perfectly matched her exquisite features. Devi grunted with surprise when the diminutive woman hugged her. It wasn’t often she came across someone shorter than herself, she thought dazedly as she absently returned the hug.

  “Thank you so much for saving Father,” said Sabine as she released Devi from the embrace, but still kept her arm to draw her into the room.

  That answered her unasked question just before she caught sight of Saul. He sat up in the bed, but looked like he didn’t need to be resting. He was the picture of health, and just as imposing as she had imagined him to be when he wasn’t gravely ill. His hair hung neatly to his shoulders, supple and as shiny as the silver pendant around his neck. He wore a fresh robe, the same sapphire shade as the one Eli had worn, and seemed to be in deep conversation with Mal. She hung back, reluctant to disturb them.

  Sabine had no such qualms. She compelled Devi forward, only releasing her to grasp Saul’s hand. “Father, this is Devi.”

  Saul stopped speaking and looked up, his gaze locking with Devi’s. She resisted the urge to tremble under his solemn assessment, reminding herself it didn’t matter if she passed whatever inspection he imposed. After tonight, she would never see any of them again. After a moment, he gave her a short nod, and his green eyes darkened slightly. “Welcome, Ms. Madigan.”

  Her smile was only a little shaky around the edges. “Thank you. You’re looking well.”

  He inclined his head. “I have recovered from the poison. I fear it will take quite a bit longer to adjust to certain changes.”

  Devi licked her lips, wondering if she was being overly sensitive. Had he really sounded chastising, or was that her imagination? Though she had done nothing that should cause her to be defensive, it was difficult to quell the urge to defend her actions. “I am still adapting, as well,” she settled for saying.

  After a moment, Saul looked away from her, returning his attention to Mal. He made no effort to lower his voice. “Where is Eli now?” No one asked Devi to leave, but she was uncomfortable remaining during the discussion of family business. Still, curiosity kept her standing near the bed, since she wanted to know what had become of Eli.

  Darkness shaded Mal’s eyes. “I have him confined to his room. Aunt Merelda reinforced my confinement spell to ensure he couldn’t escape.”

  The only visible sign of Saul’s distress was the way he bunched his fists in his lap. “I see. That should do for this evening. I’ll turn him over to the Council tomorrow, along with the Rippa scum locked in the basement.”

  Sabine shook her head. “Please, Father, isn’t there another way?”

  With a hint of reluctance, Saul said, “No. The Council must deal with all lawbreakers, Sabine. You know that. Your brother will have to face the punishment of the Council alongside those with whom he conspired. I can’t protect him.”

  “What will you do now? Who will succeed you?” Devi was surprised to hear herself ask the question, but hadn’t been able to stop herself. She couldn’t stand the thought of Saul forcing Mal into taking his brother’s place against his will.

  The Magister seemed equally surprised by her audacity. His silence indicated he wasn’t going to answer, and she flushed with embarrassment. Unexpectedly, he started speaking after studying her for several seconds. “Sabine will replace me.”

  Sabine looked stunned. “But, Father, I can’t.”

  Saul looked at her, his gaze stern. “Why not?”

  “I’m a woman. The Magister is always a man. It’s been that way forever.”

  Her father shrugged. “Just because it is tradition doesn’t mean it is right. You have the ability and the interest. I have seen it in you all along, but chose to ignore it because of tradition. Instead, I drove Eli too hard, pushing him to accept a role he was never meant to assume. His interest was always in the darker spells and augmenting his power. Forcing myself to ignore those traits caused this.” Saul’s voice broke. “Tradition and my bad judgment led to the current predicament. Both are now rectified. You will come home from Paris and begin studying to take over my position when I am ready to step down.”

  Sabine nodded meekly, but Devi saw the sparkle of excitement in her eyes. “Yes, Father, if that is your wish.”

  Saul turned his gaze on Mal. “As for you, son, well done. I won’t pretend that I like being a vampire, but it’s better than the alternative. I don’t know where you found your young lady, but I thank you.” He looked at Devi. “Both of you.”

  She nodded when their gazes locked. A flush of warmth from the new respect in his eyes spread through her. It buoyed Devi as she stepped into the background. Once the family had continued with their conversation, she backed to the door. There was no place for her among them, and she had to leave before she overstayed the welcome they had issued. The last thing Devi wanted was to make Mal feel like he had to accept her or owed her something for saving his father. Much as she wanted to be with him, she couldn’t live with their union if it was under
those circumstances.

  It was better to make a clean break and not prolong their parting. Her pride was all she had left, and she wasn’t going to sacrifice it in order to spend a little more time with Mal.

  They were strong words and made sense, but offered only cold comfort as she walked away from the Nixa mansion without looking back.

  Chapter Seven

  Devi stumbled at the sight of Mal standing outside her shop when she closed up the next night. In her surprise, she dropped the keys and bent down for them at the same time Mal reached for them. Their fingers touched, and she jerked away as if burned. In truth, his touch was hot and as dangerous to her common sense as an open flame. “Excuse me,” she mumbled as she scooped up the keys and deposited them into her bag.

  Shoulders squared, she started walking toward the parking garage of the Liege. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to say thank-you, and to explain a few things.”

  Devi didn’t reply until they were at the elevators. After pressing the button, she turned to look at him. “There’s no need to thank me. Saul already did.”

  “But you did it for me,” he said with a disgusting amount of confidence.

  Disgruntled, she glared at him as the elevator dinged before the doors opened. “Why does it matter why I helped your father? The outcome is the same.” She stepped into the cab before he could respond. It was too much to hope he wouldn’t follow her. Devi sighed when he squeezed in beside her, though there was plenty of room in the empty car. The button bore the brunt of her annoyance as she stabbed it with more force than necessary.

  “Okay, so you’re thanked. I’d still like to clear up a few things,” said Mal.

  “That isn’t necessary.” She didn’t look away from the floor indicator. “I understand everything, Mal.”