Layla hit the floor hard as chaos exploded throughout the room. Glass shattered, screams rang out, blood stained the air. But all she could focus on was the beautiful, worried face staring down at her. Elise was fully on top of her, her knees planted on either side of Layla’s hips. Feet stampeded around them, but Elise was gripping her shoulders hard, shouting, “Layla, Layla, Layla—”
Layla couldn’t figure out why Elise chanted her name like a devout person crying out during worship. Her lips moved to form a word, but then the lights winked out around them.
The room was thrown into darkness and for a split second, silence suffocated them all. A small flicker of the shattered chandelier persisted and someone screamed. The cord still stretched from above and a few bulbs had sparked back to life, giving light to the mangled and bloodied body within it.
Nellie was strung up like a puppet, her mouth gaping while blood spilled over her lips, arms and legs bent into awkward angles amid the shattered crystals. Blood splashed over the iridescent gems and when the light caught the stained decor, it flashed scarlet against the floor.
“No one touch her! The remaining electricity will hurt you!” Dr. Harding warned nearby. But most people were scattering anyway, taking wide steps to avoid the shattered glass and growing pool of blood.
Something warm dripped onto Layla’s cheek. She switched her gaze back to Elise and noticed the blood dripping from her eyebrow.
“Layla—”
“Shut up, shut up,” Layla hissed and went still.
Elise’s mask was gone. It must have fallen in her rush to get Layla out of the way of the chandelier, but however she lost it didn’t matter. What mattered was how close Layla could hear Tobias Saint’s voice calling out to keep everyone calm while his daughter, who was not supposed to be there at all, straddled a reaper.
People moved quickly around them, some slowing to witness the grotesque chandelier coffin, others running to get away from the blood and destruction. The music had stopped. Elise and Layla were only a couple feet from the catastrophe. Layla felt glass beneath her body and cracks stretched across the marble floor as people continued to stampede around the chandelier. But no one offered her or Elise a hand.
“Please, everyone, exit through the front doors to safety,” Tobias Saint called out nearby. His voice sounded even closer than before.
Layla pushed her hips up to flip the two of them over. With a gasp, Elise fell onto her back. Layla tore off a part of her skirt, then pressed the fabric to Elise’s bloody face. Elise protested when Layla pulled her to her feet.
“I can’t see!” Elise snapped.
“You’re bleeding everywhere. Shut up so I can get us out of here without you being seen,” Layla murmured into her hair. If it wasn’t for the heavy scent of Elise’s blood filling her nose and mouth, she might have gotten closer to whisper in her ear. But it was too risky. Elise’s blood was already seeping through the cloth, staining Layla’s hand. Layla pushed forward hastily, steering Elise clear of any panicked people.
Elise stepped on her feet, which Layla knew was on purpose because how in the world could she be stepping backward while they were moving forward—
“Sure. Let me trust the reaper, who is triggered by blood, to guide me into an area with no one around. No one to witness a murder—”
Layla pushed Elise into an alcove just beyond the roaring ballroom and backed away. Her nose burned at the scent of blood, her chest tightening with the need to feed. Only human blood made her want to feed beyond satiety. Elise’s sweet blood, of course, was no exception.
“Keep talking and I might actually murder you,” Layla snapped.
Elise opened her mouth, but no words came out. She pursed her lips, then brought a hand up to her forehead. When she saw the amount of blood that came away on her fingers, she trembled slightly. “Father always told me eyebrows bleed a lot…” Elise locked her jaw. “Never mind that—”
“I cannot never mind the fact that your blood is spilling at a rapid rate,” Layla muttered. She tossed a scrap of her dress at Elise. “Apply pressure.”
For once, Elise listened. She took the fabric and pressed it onto her forehead. This time when she spoke, her voice was more level, calmer. But Layla could still hear the fear behind her carefully picked words. “That went badly.”
Layla laughed sharply.
“Before the chandelier fell… Didn’t Nellie seem strange to you?” Elise asked.
Layla had only focused on the untamable curiosity that had sprung in her when Nellie turned human. It was as if someone had put a mirror up to Layla’s dreams: a pained reaper turned human, who finally felt the grace of joy in her grasp once again.
Yet, there had been a moment of cruelty between them when Nellie had turned a scowl full of malice toward Layla. It had shocked her, but Layla almost did not want to acknowledge it, much less believe it.
She shook her head. “She looked human.”
Elise narrowed her eyes. “You didn’t notice a single thing off about that woman?” she asked again. “Really? I thought reapers prided themselves on having advanced senses. Even I noticed that woman was deranged—”
“Does it matter? She’s dead. Would it kill you to not be right about something for once?” Layla nearly shouted.
Elise finally fell silent. After a few moments, she spoke in a quiet voice. “The purpose of an investigation is to ask questions and search for answers. Even when you meet a dead end.”
“Emphasis on the dead.” Jamie appeared behind them, Sterling’s arm slung around his shoulders.
“Oh my God!” Elise cried. She ran for her friend, abandoning Layla’s dress fabric. Sterling had his hand pressed to his middle, where a bright spot of blood was quickly spreading across his shirtfront. “What happened?”
Sterling lifted his head and grimaced. “I don’t know if you noticed, but a giant chandelier made of glass fell and shattered all over the place.”
Jamie dropped Sterling against the wall. “Someone shot the chandelier down.”
Elise blinked. “But who—”
“Probably a gangster. They always carry,” Sterling grunted as he slid into a sitting position against the wall, blood falling more rapidly from his middle.
“By that logic, I’m sure it could have been a Saint,” Jamie snapped.
A tight smile broke across Sterling’s face. “I heard Mr. Wayne calling for the police out there. He thinks it was a scorned ex-partner of that Nellie lady. Probably still a gangster—” He coughed roughly and Elise kneeled before him, her hands pressed to her mouth.
“Enough,” Elise hissed. “You’re bleeding everywhere, for the love of God!”
Layla glared at the mess before her. Already, her body was tensing again. The new blood only further scrambled her senses. “You all know better than to bring fresh blood to a reaper,” she muttered.
Elise, whose eyes shone with panic and hands shook violently, scowled up at Layla. “Is that a threat?”
“Only if you want it to be.” Sighing, Layla kneeled by Elise and Sterling. Jamie leaned against the wall and Elise prodded uselessly at the glass shard in his stomach. “Move,” Layla demanded, slapping Elise’s hand away.
Elise let out a hot breath. “Don’t you dare touch him.”
“I can fix him. I’m the one with healing properties in my blood, remember?” Layla said. She was getting tired. Tired of fighting the natural urge to sip on the blood swarming her senses, and tired of trying to convince someone who actively fought against being convinced. If Elise told her “no” one more time, Layla was going to walk off, leaving her to deal with the mess.
Elise’s teeth chewed on her lower lip. She shared a worried look with Sterling. “I’m not sure…”
Sterling nodded. “Respectfully, Elise, You have no idea what you’re doing. You’re actually making it worse. Let her try.” He let his head fall back against the wall behind him. “Don’t tell your father about this.”
“Oh, please,” Elise laughed, but there was no effort behind her derision. “I don’t dream of being reprimanded any time soon.” The silent admission in her voice told Layla she no longer protested her offer for help, but she glanced at her once more to confirm. At Elise’s subtle nod, Layla lifted her wrist to her mouth.
Her fangs snapped out and everyone startled.
“No, no, no—”
“What the hell?”
“God, Layla!”
All three of them stared at Layla with gaping mouths. Elise looked a little ashen. Layla lowered her wrist and scowled. She pointed at Jamie first. “You have seen much worse than a reaper biting themselves; you’ve done worse yourself.” Then she pointed at Sterling. “You kill reapers, so, disrespectfully, I don’t want to hear any complaints when I am trying to save your life.” Lastly, she looked at Elise. “You. I’m not sure what you were expecting when I said my blood has healing properties. How do you think I get it to Sterling, by osmosis?” Layla knew she probably should have been gentler; fear glinted in their eyes and she was only making things worse. But her exhaustion continued to grow and the constant fight against her own urges was starting to drive her mad.
Sterling grumbled, “I think I’ll be okay.” He breathed hard and tried to sit up, but only got so far before he winced and slid back down the wall.
“I’m okay with leaving you to test your fate. I know how long it takes a human to bleed out. Trust me.” She bared her fangs and Sterling’s face paled.
Jamie clicked his tongue. “I think it’s safe to say no one here trusts you, Layla.”
“In about three seconds, I will leave all of you to deal with this on your own,” Layla threatened. She raised her fingers as if to count down, but Elise smacked her hand away.
“Do it,” she demanded. “Please, just help him.”
This time, Layla didn’t hesitate while she tore her wrist open. Blood spilled from her artery directly onto Sterling’s wound. In only a few seconds, his mangled skin began to knit itself back together. Layla couldn’t stay to watch the whole process. Already, her head was getting light and her throat was dry despite her own blood filling her mouth.
Layla looked up at Elise, a significant stream of blood still seeping from her eyebrow. “Do you want me to do you next?” Layla asked. Blood coated her lips and dripped from her mouth, but she figured it was worth an offer while her wrist still hung open between them.
“No,” Elise said, her face twisting with disgust. “I will heal just fine on my own.”
The alcove fell silent. Layla’s breath shook while her wound closed. Her blood ran hot through her veins and they pulsed, already craving and needing more blood to fill her. If she didn’t get a feeding soon, she might turn this entire room red.
Layla stumbled to her feet. “I need to go.” She barely managed to get the words out through her gritted teeth.
“Layla—” Elise’s voice followed Layla outside, but she did not stop for her. She did not stop until she was far enough down the street that the sounds of ambulances and panicked people did not muddle her thoughts. Blood still swept over all of her senses; it was so overwhelming, the saliva in her mouth started to taste like blood, feel like blood—
Layla slumped in a quiet gangway between two buildings, breathing hard. The party was so far behind her now, the nearby streets sat mostly empty. It would be a challenge to get a hunt in. Hard because there was hardly anyone around to hunt. Easy because there was no one around to witness her kill. Layla shook her head. She had taken one human down already this month; to kill another would only draw more attention to her clan.
Blood welled in her mouth, dripping over her lips. Layla hissed. Her fangs were beyond her control now. They had never sunk back into place after bleeding all over Sterling. Her lips tore beneath their pointed ends, scabbing over after a few moments, then tearing again with each breath she took.
Brisk footsteps sounded down the sidewalk nearby. Before she could even formulate a plan, Layla found herself getting into position to strike. She backed herself against the alley wall, eyes trained on the small patch of sidewalk illuminated by the streetlights. The second the pedestrian brushed into the light, Layla struck, hands grabbing the person’s dress to slam them into the alley wall, fangs bared while she hissed.
Her scent pervaded Layla’s senses before her eyes registered who she had gotten ahold of. Layla backed off immediately. “Shit, Saint, I almost killed you,” Layla snapped. “Why are you alone?”
Elise brushed her ruffled dress off while she scowled at Layla. “I made Sterling stay at the mansion to rest. I think Jamie left.” Then she pointed an accusatory finger at Layla. “I knew it. You were planning on killing a person. This is why you cannot be trusted.”
A venomous laugh spilled from Layla. “Yes, I was going to kill a person. That’s why I ran away from the perfectly positioned feast in the ballroom, where there was already a bloodbath in place. Because the hungry intend to run from their meals, right?”
“Don’t do that,” Elise said roughly. She fiddled with the front of her dress, hands shaking slightly. Layla almost felt bad. Either she was genuinely stunned from being attacked in the alley, or she was still shaken up from the ballroom crowd.
Layla studied Elise. “Maybe I just wanted to kill you,” she said coldly.
A shadow passed over Elise’s face, but she remained quiet.
“Is that how I get you to shut up now? I threaten your life?” Layla tried taking in a heavy breath, but the scent of Elise’s blood twisted her brain and split her focus. She ran a hand over her hair, sighing. “You need to go. I’m sure your father will be home soon and then he’ll wonder where you are. Also, I’m not sure if you noticed, but I’m in desperate need of a feeding—”
“That’s exactly why I cannot leave.” Elise stepped closer to Layla.
The blood in her veins heated at the proximity of the sweet-smelling Saint and her blood. Layla had to step back. “Why?” she demanded, trying not to inhale too deeply.
“I cannot risk you killing someone else tonight. My father’s reputation is on the line after this disastrous event, and another life does not need to be lost,” Elise said. She sounded sincere, but her face remained stony.
Layla’s jaw clenched. “I’m not your responsibility.” She tried to walk away, but Elise grabbed her wrist. Layla whirled on her, teeth bared and eyes burning with rage. “Do you have a death wish, Saint?”
Elise did not flinch in the face of Layla’s fury. “You are my responsibility. I’m the reason you’re here. I’m the reason you’re starving now. I don’t want to bring another burden onto my father and our family name—please.”
The slight tremor in her voice made Layla’s anger waver. She glanced into Elise’s eyes and finally saw a seed of desperation ingrained with hopelessness and defeat. Was she finally starting to blame herself for getting Layla turned? Elise’s words carried a guilt that went deeper than just the catastrophic events of tonight. The feeling of her fingers around her wrist did not burn, but instead ushered a welcome warmth into Layla’s skin. Layla pulled her arm back. This time, Elise let her go. The defeat in her expression deepened until Layla felt as if she was almost swallowed whole by it. “What do you want me to do? Wait for you to bring me a blood meal? Because I cannot promise I will—”
“Drink from me,” Elise said.
Every fiber of Layla’s being froze. She stared at Elise so hard, if looks could kill, the Saint heiress would be deep in hell now. For a moment Layla thought she was dreaming. The words could not have possibly come from the Saint heiress, successor of New York’s most notorious reaper hunter. Those words could not have come from someone who claimed to hate Layla as much as she hated any little thing being out of place in her perfect life.
Layla blinked, still not quite breathing. “What?”
“You heard me. I know you heard me, with that powerful reaper hearing and all.” Elise reached for the front of her dress and pulled it open so more of her neck was exposed. The air between them stilled. Layla’s breathing quickened, and her body ignited with heat as she imagined sinking her teeth into that perfect flesh… Elise was giving her access to her throat.
Layla’s fangs pierced her gums again, driving home that painful reminder that she needed to eat. Still, Layla shook her head. “No. Absolutely not.”
Elise’s lips twisted, unpleased. “Don’t be ridiculous. No one has to know. And you’ll be full. And there will be one less dead person tonight. It’s a win for us all.”
“I could kill you,” Layla said quietly.
Finally, a falter crossed Elise’s expression. “You’re telling me that?” Her tone came across snarkier and more confident than the worried crease in her brow made her look. She bit her lip. “I know just one bite won’t kill me, nor will it turn me. If you’re desirable enough, I’ll probably think about you for a few days after—or, at least until my blood has cycled through your venom. But I’ll ultimately be fine…” She seemed to be reciting the first known rules of reaperhood to herself to soothe her own nerves.
Layla nodded. “You’ll be fine.”
Elise let out a shaky breath. She pushed her hair behind her shoulders and lifted her chin so her throat was even more vulnerable. “Okay. I’m ready.”
“Are you sure?” Layla asked. “I mean… Are you sure you trust me?”
“Are you really asking me that when I’ve just bared my throat for you?” Elise demanded.
Layla blinked. A tiny smile pulled at her lips and she nodded to her dress. “That wasn’t necessary, by the way. I can drink from your wrist just fine.”
The color in Elise’s cheeks darkened as realization crossed her features. And while she nodded, she did not move out of position with her neck bared for Layla. “Drinking from my throat will be faster. Hurry up before your food gets cold.” She laughed nervously.
Layla’s face broke into a true smile. “Shut up.” She gently gripped the back of Elise’s head, her hand curving over her nape, fingers just brushing her curls. Elise let out a soft gasp of surprise. Normally when Layla was hungry, she dug into her food with the intensity of a half-starved beast. If it was anyone but Elise, blood would be spraying by now, drenching the alley walls and staining her clothes. The body would be half-drained in a few minutes and Layla’s stomach full, heart alight with euphoria.
But this was Elise. For that reason alone, Layla was soft. She was careful. She did not rip her fangs through her flesh. But she let her lips graze Elise’s throat first, testing the tenderness and giving her a chance to back out and understand what was happening before Layla made her final move. The kiss of Elise’s skin against her lips made Layla’s stomach flutter. Elise let out another soft sigh and Layla closed her eyes, drowning in the sound. The Saint heiress stroked her hand up the small of Layla’s back. And it was at that wordless admission that Layla let herself go.
She sank her fangs into Elise’s throat.
In all eighteen years of her life, whether living or damned, Layla had never felt this good. It suddenly made sense to her then, with Elise’s blood flowing into her mouth at a steady rate, filling her hollow parts and smoothing her jagged edges, when people claimed everything was better when done with heart. If feeding on strangers struck Layla with sublime light, then feeding on Elise struck her with divine radiance. It was as if Elise was made up of stars and the dust between the planets. In her, Layla was certain she would find the whole universe.
Though the alley was dark, night cascading around them, enveloping them in shadows, Layla felt imbued with light. The only kind of light that one found in a perilous search. The only kind of light that bloomed in the palm of a chosen being. Layla had chosen Elise and Elise bloomed for her, vulnerable light, sweet blood and all.
If it weren’t for Elise’s fingers digging into Layla’s back and scratching up her shoulder blades, Layla might have completely lost herself in her. She pulled back suddenly. Her fingers, once tangled in Elise’s hair, loosened, and she dropped her hands to Elise’s shoulder. They still stood impossibly close. So close, they shared breath. Layla saw the tired flutter of Elise’s eyelashes against her cheeks, the bright sheen covering her brown eyes that indicated a euphoria only a reaper’s venom could give. Layla’s thumb ran over Elise’s collarbone, then she traced over the base of her neck, feeling for the reassuring steady, strong beat of her pulse.
Layla exhaled. “I didn’t take too much?” she asked.
Elise blinked several times, then finally met her eyes. “No.”
“You’re okay?” Layla demanded. Her voice grew shaky, already experiencing the effects of pure human blood on her damned reaper body. A small droplet of blood beaded from the puncture wounds in Elise’s throat. Some spilled onto the pearls layered on her neck, a dash of scarlet tainting the glowing white gems. Without thinking, Layla leaned forward to lick it from her skin. The warmth of Elise beneath Layla’s tongue coupled with the sensation of her fresh blood nearly drove Layla into a new frenzy. And if she didn’t know Elise to be the daughter of the most-revered reaper hunter, she would have believed the sound she let out was one of pleasure, rather than fear.
“Yes.” Elise nodded slowly. Her gaze was locked on Layla’s lips, her eyes glowing with a fuzzy desire.
“Saint—” Layla parted her lips to speak, but Elise had already lifted her hand to cradle Layla’s jaw. A stunned gasped left Layla as Elise’s thumb pressed into her lower lip, swiping at a drop of blood. The heat of her mortal flesh nearly stung against Layla’s cool skin and she yearned for more, leaning into her touch. Unable to think of anything but Elise and her softness pressing against her, Layla opened her lips further and sucked the tip of Elise’s thumb into her mouth. Her blood, her essence, was a sweet sanctity on Layla’s tongue. She held Elise’s gaze while she lapped the last of the blood from her fingertip. And when she pulled away, she watched light flash in Elise’s eyes, her lashes fluttering. Before Layla had time to process what had just happened, the Saint heiress was rocking into her. Her gloved hand hit the wall, catching herself right as her body crashed into Layla’s. Instinctively, Layla slung her arms around Elise’s waist to steady her. No matter how good it felt to give in to that heat and feel Elise’s softness against her, Layla pushed her feelings aside for more important matters. “Dizzy?” Layla asked.
A delicate laugh broke from Elise. She pulled back just enough to look Layla in the eye. “I’m sorry.”
Layla couldn’t stop herself from grabbing Elise’s chin. Her fingers were gentle on her jaw, but she felt the Saint girl’s body tense up, her eyes tracing over Layla’s features as if collecting prized memories along her face. The way Elise looked at her… She wished she could tell the Saint heiress to return the kindness to herself. Look at you, she wanted to whisper. But her lips merely pursed and she dropped her hand.
It wasn’t until Elise stepped away from Layla did she release her. Layla hadn’t even realized she was still clutching her waist, fingers digging into her back. It felt so natural, she had barely noticed—
“I can walk you home—”
“No.” Elise adjusted her dress so she was properly covered, then she began fussing with her hair, trying to hide the bite mark. “Sterling is waiting for me at the mansion. I told him I was just debriefing with you…” She glanced at Layla, eyes still shining with ecstasy. “This stays between us.”
Biting her lip, Layla nodded. “Of course.” She watched Elise hurry to the end of the alleyway. Then, muttering under her breath, she smiled and laughed softly. “Goddamn Saint.”