Page 2 of Of Mercury and Mist

Now, Ashley was here, in a zone forbidden to her, and she was risking everything. I’d wanted her for myself and now I wouldn’t be able to have her. Not if she was doing what I thought she was. But why else would she have broken in?

She didn’t hear my soft footsteps tracking behind her as I followed into the room. My heart was hammering against my ribs while I watched her creep across the expanse, dodging tables, counters, and machines.

A cell phone gripped tightly in her palm, the flashlight on and shining a beacon. It highlighted her riotous brown curls like a halo. She was an angel and I, the hornless devil stalking her.

Ashley took a left, appearing to have a specific destination in mind. Her pace increased as she recklessly threw caution to the wind in a fit of ill-fated confidence. My little angel thought she was safe.

The very moment she let her guard down, her elbow knocked into a shallow tray. It was almost as if I could feel it myself, the drop of her stomach, and then the blood rushing as panic seized her soul.

The metallic clang when it fell off the counter was akin the blare of a fire alarm. The piece of metal tumbled across the solid floor; the sound magnified in the absolute stillness of the room. She squealed and her hand shot up, covering her mouth.

Too little, too late. I grinned but remained unseen by my target.

Curiosity kept me from pouncing right away. The desire to know exactly what she thought she was doing down here was stronger than the need to immediately punish her for the transgression.

Ashley crouched and then lifted the medical grade pan, carefully placing it back on the counter. Her eyes darted back and forth, scanning for danger but missing the imminent threat. For a full minute, she held perfectly still, her heart beating a panicked rhythm while I bided my time.

My lips parted as I inhaled once again and savored her—more than justified—panic. The impulse to consume the woman slashed through me—her soul, her blood, and her tears. But I was patient.

All I could think about was holding her sleek body against my own and drinking her down. Visions of my fangs digging into her plump chest and gorging myself on her blood danced through my head.

The whispers of temptation commanded me to drag her away kicking and screaming so I could take my time plundering my treasure. How would she taste? Would she be sugary, like decadent frosting? Or perhaps spicy, like cinnamon and nutmeg. The menu potential was so mouthwatering, I had to bite the inside of my cheek to ground myself while I clenched my hands.

Instead of giving in to impulse, I pulled the black nylon mask down over my face and head, shielding my profile from inquisitive eyes.

She waved the keycard in front of one singular locked drawer. It was painful, the despair that ran through me, knowing she was crossing a line and the damage done couldn’t be reversed once she’d gone over. The personal betrayal stung deep. I could’ve stopped her, but I needed to see what she would do, observe her true self.

I’d watched her, keeping myself at a distance for months, the very picture of self-control. The things that Della and Josiah had gone through, and the issues with our governing body, the Collective, had been life-altering. Those weren’t problems I’d wanted Ashley to have to deal with until I had a plan. By breaking away from their control, we’d betrayed them on a fundamental level.

Josiah was once their high court’s enforcer and I’d been his righthand man. The esteemed positions we’d deserted in our home Realm were revered and privileged and we’d left them behind to strike out on our own, building a company in the Third Realm under the guise of service to the Collective. The Second Realm, where we were from, was unforgiving.

I’d been lost in an idyllic dream, waiting for the right moment. Imagining the possibility of a future with her smiling up at me, her soft body curled in my arms. I’d been thinking maybe she was the one I’d keep, the woman meant for me.

No one had ever fascinated me quite the way she had, though many had tried to tie me down over the years. The one who’d come closest, had severely violated my trust. I preferred not to think about her and didn’t even allow Josiah in when it came to the subject matter.

Just the thought of Anna had me seeing red. I’d trusted her, dare I say loved her, and she spat in my face.

Securing willing women had never been a problem for me but lately, finding one I could tolerate spending more than sixty minutes with was. Apparently, identifying a woman who wouldn’t break my heart was beyond my realm of capability.

By this one simple act, Ashley had shattered my illusion she was the one.

Hope for the future had been dashed and replaced by a white-hot anger that coursed through my veins. The more I thought of the destruction she racked by her actions, the more my fury grew. She’d ruined everything and burned it to ash.

Thou shalt not suffer a thief to live.

My eyes squeezed shut and I clenched my fists, taking a deep breath. When I opened them, she was carefully tucking multiple items into her pocket, including a velveteen pouch—Onychinus. It was our newest creation here at Ipomoea, and it was transformative.

The elite drug, designed with a very specific purpose, was one of a kind; no one but us had anything like the medication. It was similar to a popular club drug known as ecstasy but without the hazardous and unwanted side effects.

Imbibing the pill enhanced one’s sensations while also heightening intuition, the combination of which assisted with consensual exchanges—physically and emotionally. Not that I was worried about consent, but the general public seemed to appreciate it. They liked it so much they’d added untold sums of money to mine and Josiah’s coffers for the opportunity to ingest it.

This woman, who’d enslaved me with her beauty and sweetness, had turned out to be a common criminal. I knew she used to have a reckless propensity for excitement, I’d read her background check, but I never thought she’d go as far as to steal from me.

I’d never claimed her. I’d made no overt declarations of love or ownership, never exposed my true heart. Seeing as how it would’ve been all for naught anyway, I took my lapse as a blessing in disguise.

She’d had to have known she was special to me. It wasn’t as if she’d seen me pay any other woman the amount of attention I did, her. I didn’t bring anyone else their favorite coffee or personally oversee their work when I’d hired others to do that job for me.

By keeping myself close to her, I’d made sure nothing ever happened to her and that her performance was high. Today, I’d failed on multiple accounts.

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