She shrugged. Yes, Rune. "I know I won't sleep with a guy without a commitment first."
"Naive," he repeated. "I'll talk you out of this. Like I said, we're going to work on your jealousy issues."
"I vow to the Lore I will never have sex with you unless we're--"
He traced in an instant, putting his palm over her mouth. Exclusive? "Don't say that word. You do not mean it."
She squirmed from his grip. "You sound terrified!"
"Have you not learned your lesson? These vows are not to be played with."
"Okay, okay. You know how I feel on the matter." She fetched her combat boots and socks. "And you know how stubborn I can be."
"Demons need sex multiple times a day," he informed her, stating a fact well known by Loreans. Did he believe she was a Forbearer? Not particularly. But he believed she knew as little as they did. "I'm going on days without." Not since the four nymphs.
When he recalled that rendezvous, he felt not even a twitch below the belt. But imagining Josephine up against that courtyard wall as he pistoned between her thighs got his shaft so stiff, it pained him. "Don't you even want to try to land me through sex?"
She stomped into her boots. "Pass."
No matter. Her resistance now would make her eventual surrender all the more rewarding. He turned to the set of drawers, opening one. Inside was a backpack and a scrapbook with the edges of pictures sticking out. She'd drawn abstract designs on the cover.
She sidled in front of him, closing the drawer with her hip. "I'm ready."
"Now I know where to look when I return." So many secrets for a master to uncover.
"Better make sure your return doesn't have anything to do with the mission to kill Nix, or I'll never get to drink again."
What if he went to a nymph covey and Nix showed up? If he killed the Valkyrie there, that assassination would trigger Josephine's vow! How could he leave the vampire at all? Again, the pressure to kill Nix weighed on him. "Come, then. We need to start hunting. Besides, I'm keen to leave this pitiful place."
"Go to hell, Ruin."
His shoulders tensed. "I told you not to call me that." The vampire did not want to challenge him, not when he was still hard from watching her change and his demon half suffered from lack of sex. Not when their futures were becoming more entangled with every hour. Pressure increased from all sides. "So shut the fuck up."
Her eyes went wide. "You shut the fuck up, Ruin."
Gods, she was sexy when pissed. "I wasn't jesting about tanning your ass, little girl." Picturing that got his demon in a lather.
She gave a haughty laugh. "Try it, old man."
Her defiance . . . it called up his every primal need to pin her down and make her submit. To cover her and rut till the pressure within him relented. "You wouldn't be able to sit for days."
"I dare you, Ruin." She shoved at his chest with a flash of her fangs.
Like flipping some kind of switch.
The demon in him reacted outside of Rune's control. He lunged at her, one hand gripping the back of her head, the other palming her ass as they flew into the wall. Cinder blocks cracked. He trailed his lips down her neck. "You defy me?" She wouldn't if I marked her. She'd be too busy coming, surrendering. "When I'm so much stronger than you?" She'd respect the male who mastered her.
"Wall's still standing. Is that all you got, limp dick?"
He shoved between her legs. "I've got your fucking limp--AHHH!"
She'd sunk her sharp little fangs into his neck.
He threw back his head. Fighting not to come at once, he growled, "You can't get enough of me!"
She nodded, lapping and sucking.
"Ah, gods, that's it, baby. Drink me. I want you to swallow me down." Using his grip on her ass to hold her in place, he rocked his swollen shaft between her thighs. I need on her, in her.
She couldn't seem to get close enough to him either. Her claws dug into his back, her legs locking around his waist.
This tiny creature wants me as prey. The thought made his balls ache. "Suck me. Drain me!"
"Ummm." She met him, grinding her sex against him faster.
"Ah, I scent you! Your tight little pussy gets so wet. Sweet and slick. Can't stop thinking about your taste." He tried to hold back, to draw out their pleasure. But he could hear her swallowing as she consumed him, could imagine his hot lifeblood filling her lush body, coursing all over her. "Ah, fuck," he groaned. "Too good! You going to come for me?"
She whimpered against his neck, sucking wantonly, grinding, grinding. . . .
"Harder!" His shaft throbbed, his ballsac tightening. "You told me you'd fuck me with your fangs--do it."
She dug her claws in deep, and she bit down hard.
His mind turned over. His cock jerked in his pants. He shoved and shoved, words bursting from his lips. Pleasure racked him, whipped him, made his knees go weak. His bellow was like an explosion from his lungs.
She released her bite to throw back her head. Still writhing on him, she screamed, her pale throat working.
He rasped at her ear, "That's it. You like the way I make you come. . . ."
When she finished with a shiver, she met his gaze. Her irises were black, her lips so plump as she licked them for more of his taste.
They caught their breath, still languidly moving against each other. The moment was thick with . . . something. He felt as if he might say words he'd regret. Or she might.
But he couldn't seem to let her go--
A knock sounded, and she hissed at the door.
He reluctantly set her down, then adjusted his sensitive cock. Curious how she would interact with others--he'd only seen her with Nix--he said, "By all means."
She traced to open the door. A human male stood outside.
"You want me to flay you," she told him. "To contribute to my man quilt. Come back Sunday. That's my sewing day."
The man's face was pale, and he reeked of urine. He offered up a piece of paper. "A woman named Nix left a message earlier."
THIRTY-FOUR
Jo snatched the note from the motel owner's hands, then slammed the door in his face.
"Come on, then," Rune said. "What did the Valkyrie write?"
Good question. Jo handed over the note. "Too angry to read it."
He unfolded the paper and read aloud: " 'Catch me if you can. I'm on a boat to China for some high tea. The highest.' " He met Jo's gaze. "She wants us to chase her."
"You think she's really going there?" Would they be going there? Jo had never been out of the South, had only gone as far west as Texas and as far east as Florida. But after a fresh intake of Rune's blood--and a heart-stopping orgasm--she felt ready for anything.
"I believe so. She's too crazy to fear her enemies, and she likes games. She's worse than Loki." Whoever. "If she's leaving us messages, we can be fairly certain she's clocking our moves."
"Then won't she foresee our every attempt?"
"Probably." He crumpled the note. "Gods damn it!"
"Now what do we do?"
"We hunt her there." He cast Jo a resentful look. "This doesn't mean I simply get to quit."
"Maybe she'll make a mistake."
"I don't suppose you've visited China during the scant years of your life?"
"Nope."
He threaded his fingers through his hair. "I can't trace us there either."
"How do you know? Have you tried?"
As if speaking to a child, he said, "Because Loreans can only trace to places we've previously been or places we can see."
"I knew that. Wait . . . You're so old, but you've never been to China?"
"I lived in the Elserealms most of my life. I visit Gaia. I've only been to Australia and America."
"How are we going to travel? I don't have a passport." She couldn't take a plane. Couldn't even copy a page out of Nix's book and take a boat. Not that she could read Nix's book.
"We go via demon, finding one who's been there. For a price, he'll teleport us." Rune cros
sed to her stash of cash. "For our journey." He pocketed bills, leaving large gold coins in exchange.
"How do we find a demon?"
"They like to hang out at nymph coveys."
"Naturally, the solution to our problem involves nymphs in some manner." Rune was a one-trick pony. He reached for nymphs the way a gambling addict reached for dice. "What is the big deal with them?" At his disbelieving expression, she said, "We might value them differently where I come from."
"The nymphs are hidden everywhere. If you have a secret conversation, don't have it beside a tree, a rock, or a puddle, because a nymph could very well be within it."
"The ones watching Val Hall for you are inside the oaks there?" It sounded as if they ghosted!
He nodded. "They're Dryads, tree nymphs."
"There are different kinds?"
"Yes, based on the elements. Since immortals first kept records, the Nymphae have remained neutral during Lorewide wars, fighting only to defend themselves. Their coveys are battle-free zones and draw every species of immortal, which means you can observe your enemies without worrying about death. Or you can find a demon who can trace you to another country."
"You couldn't sound more admiring."
As if she hadn't spoken, he continued, "Due to their neutrality, they live exceptionally long lives and grow very knowledgeable--that also means there are legions of them. Some say the coveys are the glue holding the Lore together."
"Well, they certainly seem to stick to you."
He gave her a thin smile. "We can swing by the Nephele covey."
"Nephele?"
"Cloud nymphs. Their visitors are more interdimensional. But first we have to pinpoint a more precise location for Nix, namely the highest place to get tea in China. Fire up your computer and Google it." He frowned. "I can't believe I just said that sentence."
"Google?"
"I learned of it from--"
"Lemme guess. The nymphs?"
"A few of their patrons told me Google is like the Oracle of the Elserealms. If you ask the exact right question, you'll be provided a suitable answer."
Jo studied the frayed hem of her shirt. "I don't have a computer. I pretty much shun technology." She was deeply embarrassed by her illiteracy, and didn't want Rune to find out about it before he'd fallen head over heels for her and all.
Again and again, Jo had imagined what would've happened if she'd taken MizB up on her offer of adoption, living with a freaking librarian, a wrangler of books.
Jo would be able to read. She wouldn't have been shot in the face. Wouldn't have been reborn.
Yet now she was beginning to think her transformation had been inevitable. Was it inevitable for Thad? The evidence mounted.
And if he was like Jo, how would MizB handle her precious son drinking blood?
Rune said, "If you don't have a computer, then we'll go to a library."
Jo visited them often--alone. With Rune there, it would be the hardest place to disguise an inability to read. "Or we could head to an internet cafe near the local college." Still dicey.
"Lead on."
Outside the cafe, Jo watched Rune extricating himself from a throng of female admirers. Women had lined up to show him how to Google.
Jo had continually thought, I just got off with this guy. And yet he'd flashed each one his panty-melting grin.
With one girl's help, they'd learned about Mount Hua, a towering mountain in China. Rune believed Nix's note referred to the tea house on Mount Hua's soaring summit.
To reach it, one had to inch along a rickety patchwork of boards nailed to the sheer face of the mountain. The ascent was considered the world's deadliest hike. Treacherous sections of the trail had names like Thousand-Foot Precipice, Sparrow Hawk Flipping Over, and Black Dragon Ridge.
Mortals fell to their deaths all the time. Jo was amped to travel to such an exotic and exciting place; Rune had seemed far less enthusiastic.
Now all they had to do was find a demon to get them to China.
Finally, Rune emerged. "Let's get somewhere secluded so I can trace us."
If she'd been alone, she would've disappeared in front of anybody. With a shrug, she strolled alongside him. "The guy who worked in the internet cafe knew tons about computers, but you chose a random coed to help us?" Jo would bet Rune didn't play well with anyone who had a dick. She couldn't picture him having a lot of guy buddies.
"The female mortal had sexual interest in me, and so was particularly motivated to help with my queries."
"Do you always boil everything down to sex?"
He blinked at her. "When I want something from someone? Yes."
Could she really expect anything different? Rune the Insatiable had used seduction as a weapon for ages. Still did.
Jo frowned up at him. Does he have ulterior motives for seducing me?
THIRTY-FIVE
The Nephele are close," Rune said. He'd traced Jo to a meadow beneath a star-strewn sky.
With no city lights, the stars appeared so much brighter. After that memory flash during the fight with Nix, would Jo ever look at them the same way? She was growing convinced the answers to her past resided in the stars.
"Ahead is the covey." Rune pointed to a dense patch of fog. "They enjoy mating earthbound creatures, so much so they brought their clouds to the ground."
As a fog bank.
He took her elbow, and they started toward it. Here I go. Into the Lore. She could handle this.
She squinted through the mist, murmuring, "Why do you think Nix went to Mount Hua?"
"You didn't read the history?"
She gazed away. "Got distracted."
"Pilgrims used to seek immortality among the peaks of that region. Maybe there's a grain of truth to the tales, and something is drawing her in. Maybe she wants to test herself on a deadly climb. It's best not to contemplate the motives of the mad, or you'll wind up mad yourself."
Music and laughter carried through the fog. Like a stray drumbeat, groans rang out.
"Do you truly think she's insane?"
"The human who brought us that note reeked of fear. She must've demonstrated her power to him, outing herself, and for no discernible reason? That alone proves her insanity."
"It's that bad for us to demonstrate power in front of humans?" Like crushing a guy's balls one-handed while chewing gum? In front of all the folks in the neighborhood? Enough to get a supervillain name?
"You're jesting, right? It's the one law in the Lore all factions respect. The gods could rain down punishment for any infraction. At the very least, outing oneself to humans is thought to bring horrible luck."
Hunting always seemed to get her in trouble. So why couldn't she stop?
"Have you been attracting attention?" he asked. "Besides shoving me through a building?"
She shrugged. "Sometimes I punish humans a little. When I move to a place, I feel like it's my territory--and like the people within it are mine too. If pimps and drug dealers and gang bangers mess with what's mine, I hunt them. Hurt them. Disappear them."
He looked unsurprised. "Vampires are notoriously territorial."
We are? No wonder she'd been compelled to hunt! "I'm kind of a protector of prostitutes."
He stiffened beside her. "Is that meant to be funny?"
She blinked at him. "No. I really am." She'd need to plan a maintenance visit soon. "So why do the gods get mad when we out ourselves?"
"This is the mortals' world. Though Loreans like to believe it's theirs as well, it isn't. They trespassed when they colonized here. Deities look the other way as long as Loreans don't change the course of human history."
"Why do beings come here then?" The fog grew increasingly thick, the grass wetter.
Rune placed his warm palm on the small of her back to guide her. Not as good as when they'd held hands, but a promising start. "Gaia is all but a heaven plane," he said. "Life is very easy here compared to the home dimensions of many species. Immortals gather in certain Lore-rich cities--such
as New Orleans. Established communities benefit them further."
That explained why Jo had seen so many more freaks there. "How many dimensions are there?"
"Some say the number is infinite. Many remain unexplored."
Infinite. Whoa. How cool would it be to explore new worlds? Maybe with the guy at her side.
"We near the covey." He pulled up his collar to conceal his bite mark.
"You embarrassed by that?"
He turned to her, his voice going deeper. "Just the opposite. I have a beautiful vampire who can't keep her fangs out of me."
That's fair.
"But I don't want to reveal what you are. Of all the species nymphs fraternize with, vampires are among the least welcome, have been known to drink a nymph dry. You have clear eyes, and you lack a vampire's scent, so you shouldn't have any problem passing for another species. I also don't want to reveal your immunity to my baneblood, not until I figure out the other half of your hybrid."
"Got it. I'll try not to shotgun-drink a nymph while I'm here."
Giggling females traipsed through the mist nearby, wearing wispy dresses that looked like they'd been fashioned from the fog itself. Silvery fringe jewelry dangled from their ears, with more pieces in their hair.
Jo wore jeans, combat boots, and a ratty Red Flag T-shirt.
The nymphs joined a group of burly demons with curved, shell-colored horns. Those horns were seriously badass. Jo tilted her head. What would they feel like?
She sensed Rune's gaze on her. She was used to spying at her leisure. Now he was watching her watch others.
Farther along the meadow, they came upon another group. She blinked. Couldn't be seeing right.
Centaurs were mounting ecstatic nymphs. "How is that even possible?" Centaurs had been in Tortua, but seeing them midmount, or whatever, made her squeeze her legs together--the way guys did when racked.
Rune glanced away. "An immortal body is capable of unbelievable things."
"I guess you see nymphomaniac orgy scenes like this all the time." He starred in scenes like this.
"You haven't? Loreans aren't shy. And nymphs can be witnessed fucking everywhere in the Lore. Especially in a pocket realm like this."
"Pocket what?"
He exhaled. "I can't remember when I last met someone so unacquainted with the Lore. A pocket realm is a dimension that shares the same characteristics of Gaia. Same sun, moon, stars, weather, et cetera." He cocked his head. "You've obviously been sheltered, and you're only twenty-five. That makes me wonder how many lovers you've had."