Page 21 of Bitten By Chaos

Did she just out me? And in front of the queen to whom I owe my service? Panic seized my body and my vision tunneled.

“What vampire council?” Julian asked. Was he crazy? That’s what he got from Elsa’s statement? Or was he trying to redirect? It was pointless.

“I’ve created one since SHADE is no longer in place. We must retain law and order among supes.” Elsa leaned back in her seat like royalty and smiled. “You’ve been a bit preoccupied, understandably, Julian, or I would have obviously asked for your input. And I have reserved a seat for you on the council, of course.”

“What is the point of all of this?” the queen demanded. “If you are so all powerful now, why waste my time here?”

“To aid in the doctor’s research,” Elsa answered, all politeness gone from her voice. “We must test his theory about fae blood, and who better to offer such power than the queen herself?”

“I will rip you into tiny slivers and feed you to the fires of hell,” the queen whispered, meeting Elsa’s stare with deadly promise.

“You can try. But I’ve laced your food and drink with iron. So you won’t be able to wield much for a while. And by then, our vampire who took the serum will have drained you to a useless husk.”

The queen’s face paled as she stared at her half-devoured plate and empty glass. “You said you wouldn’t dream of asking.”

Elsa stood slowly. “Oh, I’m not asking.”

Chapter 7

Enough Secrets to Sink a Ship

“You took it yourself, of course,” the Seelie Queen snapped with disgust. “You crave power as much as the demon filth.”

“The difference, my dear woman is that I have succeeded where all others have failed.”

Save me, the queen’s voice suddenly boomed in my head, and I grabbed my skull like I could make it stop even as I immediately leaped from my chair without another thought.

“Freeze!” I screamed at the table, and everyone did. “Don’t use any abilities.”

Now get me out of here, the queen ordered in my mind again.

Using my vampire speed, I tossed her over my shoulder and rushed out of the mansion and into the woods, not knowing where I was headed or able to stop myself as I practically flew through the thick foliage. Several feet to my left, a blinding flash of white mirrored my movement through the forest, but whatever it was never came toward me as I raced forward. Besides, I had bigger things to worry about. At least it had been long enough since my rebirth that the bits of sunlight breaking through the leaves above only mildly irritated me.

“Take me to the fairy circle,” the queen commanded, and I adjusted my route toward the patch of forest halfway across the island where I once visited the very circle she referred to.

All I could think about was leaving Julian behind, frozen along with the others. It all happened so fast that I hadn’t even had an opportunity to think before my body reacted to the queen’s bidding. This must have been how Julian felt with Silas. The space where my heart used to beat felt like it caved in at the thought. On top of everything, with all the exertion and stress, my appetite had resurfaced with a vengeance.

The oily black blood pumping through the queen’s veins smelled strangely like truffles and champagne, a bizarre delicacy that caused me to focus too hard on keeping my fangs retracted. Intellectually, I knew she had to have protected herself through our arrangement, but the animalistic part of me growled that I should at least try to take a sip. Without realizing I’d done it, I nuzzled my nose against her bony hip, currently near my face, and inhaled deeply.

A sudden smack to my backside startled me face forward even as my legs continued to run. “Don’t even think about it,” she said. “Not that I can blame you. I’m sure I’m delicious.”

Something large crashed through the brush ahead and the queen shouted, “Stop!”

I halted, a cloud of dust rising around my ankles.

“I smell it. It’s a demon—put me down and protect me,” she ordered.

I set the queen on her feet and stepped in front of her, readying myself for whatever was about to crash through the trees.

Flashes of blue flame erupted on either side of me, rushing around to meet, effectively trapping us in place. The only way to go was forward, and that’s exactly where the threat was coming from.

A growl rumbled low in my chest as a woman with pure black orbs for eyes appeared. Her smile showed off sharp incisors as she set her fists on the hips of her pristine white pantsuit. What was it with demon’s wearing that color?

“Well, if it isn’t the little psychic who’s caused such a ruckus,” she said, then tilted her head. “I won’t say I’m disappointed that there’s only one person to share the wealth with now. That doesn’t mean I’ll be gentle taking you back with me, though.”

She lifted her hands and blew on each in turn, causing the same blue flames to engulf each hand.

“I’ll do you no good,” I said, forcing down my animalistic urges to tear her to tiny shreds. “I’m a vampire now.”

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