Page 9 of Blood & Ice

A chill traced its way up my spine, and an instinctive fear made my guts clench into a hard knot. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but my instincts were screaming at me to run.

“Who are you?” I asked when I found my voice.

The man smiled, lips peeling back to reveal sharp fangs.I recoiled from him on instinct, trying to fling magic unsuccessfully into his face. He took another drag on his cigarette, watching me flounder with an amused smile.

“You wouldn’t be able to pronounce my name. For now, call me Knox.”

“So… what—you’re a vampire ghost or something like it?” I asked, shaking my head as I tried to understand what in the fuck had just happened to bring me here. “I’ve never seen a vampire do the incorporeality thing before. It’s a myth that vampires can turn into mist.”

“Most can’t,” Knox said, smoke curling from his lips. “But I can. So can any of the ones given my sacrament. None of you have developed that capacity yet, though. Your cousin had potential to master that level of skill, but alas, she slipped through my fingers.” He must have been talking about Wanda? “You, however,” he continued, tipping the cigarette toward me with a smile. “Are perfect. Better than I could have ever hoped for. And male. That’s always a plus.”

“You’re the first one to ever think so,” I said dryly. “And would it kill you to speak plain English? I’m not following one word of your ramble.”

Knox studied the crimson sky with an amused smile. “This bloody world isn’t a large enough clue? I tried to make it as obvious as possible.”

I thought about it, linking what he’d said about vampires with the implication that he’d designed this place. A picture came together all at once and was so hideous that I wanted to shout.

“You’re some kind of... what... vampiregod?”

Knox waved his hand in a ‘so-so’ gesture. “For the purposes of this conversation, we’ll go with that. I was the first—let’s leave it at that. And you’re only beginning to learn what I can teach you about blood magic.”

I shook my head slowly. This didn’t make any sense. He was either delusional or insane. And yet, how had he even brought me here? Maybe I was just hallucinating the whole thing. Maybe I was the delusional, insane one.

“Vampires don’t have magic.”

“Not in your lifetime, no. The bloodline was diluted with humanity. Now they can only resurrect their improved bodies. I rose from the grave with the powershegave me.”

“She?”

Knox swung his legs over the lip of my grave, lounging in the monochromatic light from above. He flicked the cigarette away with a laugh.

“I’m not surprised you don’t know. Your goddess always was a prideful sort. She wouldn’t tell the story of her biggest failure. No, that might tarnish her sterling reputation.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Your goddess made me, you fool.”

I chuckled at that because it was completely absurd. “Now that is for sure bullshit. The goddess hates vampires. Everyone knows that.”

Knox shook his head. “She subverted her own laws to reanimate her fallen lover. Now she has to pay for what she’s done.”

My legs shook as I absorbed that. If Knox was telling the truth, everything I’d ever known about the religion I’d grown up with was wrong. If the goddess had truly created vampires, that would be hypocrisy on such a grand scale, I could hardly fathom it.

“What the spell do you want from me?” I asked quietly.

“Temporary use of your body.”

“What?” I nearly barked.

“Nighttime only. You could live out your days in peace with your woman.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “You know, Imay be able to help you with that, too. I’m capable of much when I’m in full possession of a human host, and it’s been so long since I had someone worth the name.”

“I’ll pass,” I said, dusting dirt from my front. “Possession has never been my kink.”

Knox chuckled. “I assumed you’d say that… at first, anyway. But at some point, you’ll realize you need the help I can offer. I can be patient.”

“I’m still not convinced my brain didn’t just invent you. That all of this,” I looked around myself. “Isn’t just some trick of my addled mind.”

He shook his head. “When you’re ready, Charmin,” he continued, calling me by my born name. “Just think my name and we can make a deal. I’ll be listening.”

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