The Audacity of Demons Read online

  THE AUDACITY OF DEMONS

  ASSASSINS OF MAYHEM ACADEMY 1

  TRINA M. LEE

  THE AUDACITY OF DEMONS

  Copyright 2019 by Trina M. Lee

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Published in Canada

  Editor

  B. Leigh Hogan

  Proofreader

  Denise Fortowsky

  Cover Artist

  Marvin Lee Cover Design

  Published by

  Trina M. Lee

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Epilogue

  CHAPTER ONE

  Hanging upside down from a stripper pole was a new one for me. But I liked to get creative with the hunt. Little did my victim know that death was quite literally dangling right in front of him.

  The scent of cheap cologne and poorly marketed body spray filled the air of the Sapphire Gentleman’s Club. The name was a piss poor attempt at classing up a total shithole. There was nothing either gentle or manly about the pieces of crap that frequented the strip club. I sincerely doubted it had ever been high class. That kind of thing wasn’t found in a name.

  I’d never impersonated an exotic dancer before, but if the cash being crammed into my g-string were any sign, I was doing ok for a newbie. Several patrons were dumb enough to try to break the no touching rule. A vicious snarl with just a glimpse of fangs tended to be enough to get them snatching their hands back. I wasn’t dancing in a seedy peeler bar for shits and giggles. A woman had needs.

  What I needed right then sat at a table in front of the stage. Unlike the groups of frat boys and stag parties drinking it up with their buddies, this guy sat alone. He always came alone.

  My victim currently palmed a wad of bills, leering up at me with a creepy half smile. Prancing around the edge of the stage, I winked and smiled, inviting him closer. He stayed right where he was, but I knew the look in his eyes. The lecherous stare. No sooner had I departed the stage than he approached me, money in hand.

  “I’d love a private dance,” he said, ogling my bright red locks and scantily clad body. A tiny black thong and matching bra left little to the imagination. “With a little extra.”

  As expected, the pig played right into my hands. I turned with a nod to lead him to the private dance rooms.

  The back of my neck prickled with the distinct sensation of having eyes upon me. Slowly I scanned the nightclub. I was the only vampire in the place. Not a werewolf or a witch in sight either. Humans everywhere. Finding nobody of interest, I continued to lure the man I’d chosen to feed my bloodlust tonight.

  He had a name but it wasn’t worth repeating. The guy was a scumbag who’d recently escaped all charges in a case involving the death of dancer at a different club in a different city. She’d taken a fall. Hit her head and died. No witnesses and no cameras meant that nobody could prove he’d shoved her. But I knew better.

  Now here he was creeping a new girl at a new club. Luckily this week’s new girl was me. Only I knew how it would end this time. With my fangs buried in his throat.

  I pushed through the flimsy curtain that cordoned off the private dance area. The big guy posing as security didn’t even blink despite never having seen me before. Once back there I found a tiny hallway housing half-a-dozen doors, similar to a dressing room in a department store.

  Cracking the first door open a few inches, I peered inside. An empty chair sat in the middle of a tiny room that contained pretty much nothing else. A dingy loveseat had been crammed against the wall. Knowing better than to use a blacklight in a room like this, the nightclub had installed red bulbs. The artificial glow bathed the whole room in red. My favorite color.

  I stepped aside to wave him in, closing the door as he took a seat on the couch. I got the feeling he wasn’t expecting much in the way of actual dancing. Good. I didn’t plan to do any dancing.

  My bloodlust awoke with this little itch inside me. One that would grow in intensity until it became absolutely unbearable. I craved the spilling of blood, the taste and smell of it. Hell, if it wasn’t so much damn work, I’d fill a bathtub with it and soak a while. That lust for blood came with the territory of being a vampire. The intensity of my craving, however, was amplified by my own personal magic.

  “You look like a man who knows what he wants.” Prowling toward my victim, I pasted on a fake smile, careful not to flash any fang just yet.

  Middle aged, dark haired, and well dressed, he was almost an attractive guy. He was also a creep who’d killed a woman and got away with it. I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for those types. None at all, in fact.

  “I know that I want you,” he replied with a skeevy grin, leaning back against the dirty loveseat as he watched me approach. In a real classy move, he tossed a wad of cash on the cushion beside him.

  It was all I could do not to stuff that pile of dirty money down his throat. Ignoring the cash, I stopped in front of him and gave myself a moment to enjoy the last few seconds before he realized he was about to die.

  “You want to give me a blowjob, sweetheart?” he asked, gesturing to his crotch. “Or maybe I can—?”

  My hand shot out, and I grabbed him by the throat, stopping any further nonsense from falling out of his face. I squeezed hard enough to choke off his air supply. As expected his eyes widened and he grabbed at my wrist. One human man was no match for a vampire. I easily held him as he struggled.

  I didn’t want him to pass out before we could get to the good stuff, so I loosened my grip just enough for him to suck in a rasp of air. “Remember the dancer in Toronto? This is for her.”

  Baring my fangs with a wicked cackle, I soon had my victim fighting hard. I climbed onto his lap, pinning him in place. Knowing better than to spend too much time torturing him in a public place, I jerked his head to one side and bit into his artery.

  Blood sprayed the roof of my mouth. The sickly-sweet scent of fear permeated the air, and I drank it in along with that precious nectar. Like a drug I couldn’t live without, I got the fix I needed.

  Hunting wasn’t an every night ordeal. Not for a long time now. As time passed I grew strong enough to go longer between feedings. I was an every few nights kind of vamp myself.

  Unless I used my magic. That drain caused the bloodlust to flare, and I had to hunt.

  After taking what I needed, I left him there to bleed out what remained. Stepping back from the loveseat, I watched his eyes glass over as the life faded from them. It wouldn’t undo any damage he’d done, but it was justice served. More than the human authorities cared to do.

  Although careful and pr
ecise after several decades of perfecting my technique, I gave my face a swipe and my body a quick onceover, checking for any stray splatter. Good to go.

  That sudden sensation of being watched hit me again, and my skin crawled. The air moved behind me, the slightest breeze, there and then gone.

  Demon. Right away I knew I was screwed.

  I turned around slowly, keeping both hands in sight. That didn’t mean I wasn’t ready for a fight though. Of course, a scrap with an immortal wasn’t exactly an even match. I didn’t stand a chance.

  The demon appeared behind me and blocked the door with his tall, chiseled frame. Eyes as blood red as my hair, his stare pinned me in place. Not that I had anywhere to go. I was trapped in a box with a dead man and a demon.

  Other than those red eyes he looked human, a clever disguise. I was by no means an expert in demons, though I did know they hid their wings and other immortal traits unless they wanted them to be seen. I also knew that a red eyed demon was far more powerful among their hierarchy than those with black eyes. He wore a long robe-like jacket and dark pants, some sort of warrior garb. The braids in his long black hair added to his warrior vibe.

  Who was this guy and what the hell did he want with me? Since I was more of an “act first and ask later” type, I threw an energy ball at his face.

  Ready for such a reaction, the demon caught the ball in his open palm, and it dissipated. “Don’t start a fight you can’t win.” That low, husky voice had been created to seduce. “If I’d come to kill you, you’d be ashes already.”

  Knowing the odds, I backed off, but I didn’t make the mistake of letting my guard down. “If you’re looking for a private dance, I’m afraid you’ll have to find another girl. I just quit.” The joke got me nothing. Not a crack of a smile, a twitch of his lips. Not even a blink. Ok then.

  The demon nodded toward the man on the couch. “I’m not here for a dance, but I am here for you. Maybe you can enlighten me. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”

  My gaze landed on his full lips, and I stared, mesmerized at how sensual he made the simple act of speaking. Each word so carefully crafted on his tongue, I almost envied each one. What the hell?

  “Excuse me?” Instantly wary, I braced myself, hands clenched into fists. The wheels turned fast in my brain as I tried to figure out who he was and why he had me trapped in the backroom of a strip club.

  “Tell me, why would a vampire as experienced as yourself run the risk that comes with a public kill?” He lifted a dark brow. His gaze drifted over me, a quick sweep up and down. No lingering. “Surely you know The Circle of the Veil frowns upon that kind of thing.”

  Now it made sense. There was one rule among the supernatural: Keep the secret.

  Never let the public see you as anything other than human. No public shapeshifting, magic, or kills. Never reveal yourself as anything other than human. Protect the secret always.

  It didn’t take long for newly turned vampires and werewolves to hear tales of what would happen if they broke that one rule. The Circle of the Veil sent its hunters. A secret supernatural society made up of powerful, mostly unknown members, they monitored supernatural activity for exposure risks.

  Apparently, I had been deemed a risk. After flying below the radar for so long too. Disappointing to say the least.

  “Nobody saw anything,” I said, refusing to admit guilt. “This was a justice killing. It had to be done.”

  The demon waved a hand for me to save my excuses. Even that mundane motion had a sensual charge.

  “It didn’t have to be done here.” The demon leaned casually against the doorframe, a dare to try to make it out with him blocking the way. “This isn’t your first risky kill. It’s been going on for a while.”

  His voice was smooth as a satin sheet against my naked skin. I could’ve listened to him read the phone book. That’s how I recognized him for what he was.

  Incubus.

  Erotic energy fueled his power. Sex laced everything he did, far more dangerous than it might sound. A look, a touch, those were weapons to an incubus. They could so easily sway a target into falling at their feet in a puddle of lust. A happy and willing slave, completely smitten. That trait occasionally occurred in vampires too, as it originally came from demons, along with our magical abilities.

  What I knew about incubus types, whether vampire or demon, could be summed up in one simple rule of thumb: stay the hell away from them.

  He leaned closer. “We’ve been watching you, Blaze.”

  I wanted to argue that my kills were carefully chosen, that not one led to any form of public recognition. But his words stunned me. He knew my name. How could I have not known they’d been watching me?

  “Then you would know I’m not a risk,” I said, because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut in the face of the unfair accusation. Even if a sexy as hell incubus demon was doing the accusing.

  “So you didn’t leave a dead man behind the wheel of his car at a red light?” He paused, a glimmer of amusement flitting through his scarlet eyes. “What about the body behind the biker bar? That one started a gang war between two clubs.”

  Fuck. So they’d been watching a while then.

  “They deserved it,” I said with a shrug. If I was going down, it wouldn’t be begging for mercy from a goddamn demon. “Nobody saw. Nobody cared. The human world is not breaking the news of our existence wide open because of anything I’ve done. If you came to kill me, then you haven’t been watching close enough. My victims are carefully chosen. Location too. I’m not an out of control newbie. I won’t go down without a fight.”

  I was talking too much. It shouldn’t have mattered what he thought of me, but I refused to be executed for a crime I didn’t commit without at least stating my case.

  “As enticing as that is, I’m here to offer you a rare opportunity.” He pushed away from the doorframe and took a step toward me. “Most rogues are killed on the spot. A select few, however, are spared, recruited by The Circle of the Veil. This is your chance to put that penchant for violence and blood to good use.”

  My fists tightened until my fingernails dug into my palms. I eased off before I could draw blood. Along with superhuman strength and stamina, I had enough magical ability to hold my own. No heavyweight powerhouse, I could work a little telekinetic energy and create a respectable power ball.

  But I did have one little extra ability that not all vamps had: blood magic.

  Shedding my own blood while using my magic amplified it exponentially. A dangerous, volatile power, it also drained me incredibly fast. The price to be paid for power.

  While I could put up a hell of a fight against the demon, I would ultimately lose. Decapitation, sunlight, or the destruction of my heart would ash me. Nothing too tough for an immortal demon. Especially one who could enamor with a look.

  As much as I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself, I heard myself say, “Do you plan to elaborate on that?”

  A smug smile spread across the demon’s handsome face. “I knew I could pique your interest. We’ll discuss the details after your little indiscretion here is taken care of.”

  “Indiscretion?” Something about his accusatory tone made me prickle with defensive anger. “I am not a rogue vampire acting out. Every man I’ve killed has gotten exactly what he deserved.”

  The demon took another step closer, his mere proximity enough to make my body break out in a warm flush. I stepped back, needing to escape the unwelcome sensation, hating that I struggled to stand my ground with him.

  “I’m sure they did. Regardless, it hardly matters now.” Enjoying my discomfort, the demon rocked forward on one foot, teasing another step closer. He stuck out a hand. “I’m Nova, by the way. You’ll be seeing a lot of me should you choose to join us.”

  Disappointment rose up inside me and splashed onto my face. There was no hiding it. That only seemed to make him smile wider. Seeing as the alternative was certain death, I didn’t have a choice but to go along with whatever he sa
id. For now.

  Ignoring Nova’s hand, I muttered, “Sounds just fucking fantastic.”

  His laughter touched me, like a physical hand sliding between my legs. It made me recoil with fear, disgust, and desire.

  Encouraged, mischief and intrigue gleamed in his smoldering gaze. “You and I are going to get along just fine.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  I rushed ahead of Nova as he ushered me from the tiny private dance room. I was all too happy to escape it. Closing the door, he drew a symbol in the air over the threshold. A magical ward. Witches used them too.

  “What was that for?” I asked, careful to stay just out of reach as Nova herded me along. When he wasn’t in my personal proximity, his incubus vibes weren’t as strong. Powerful types exuded their power like an aroma without even trying. I did not want to see him when he was trying.

  “A deterrent. To keep anyone from entering that room until I send someone to deal with it.” Nova frowned when I veered off toward the backstage dancer prep area. “Where are you going? I’m calling a car to come get you.”

  I flashed him an irritated grimace and motioned to my underwear clad self. “I’m not leaving in my underwear. I have to grab my things. Give me a minute.”

  We reached the flagged off area marked for dancers only. I could finally ditch him long enough to clear my head.

  Instead Nova grabbed my arm and jerked me to a halt. His fingers pressed hot on my skin. A kneejerk reaction, I threw a punch, but he caught my fist before it could land. With both my arms locked tight in his grasp, my stomach flipped.

  “Don’t even think about trying to run on me,” he warned, baring upper and lower bestial fangs inches from my face. “Because I will catch you. Unless of course, you’re into that kind of thing. Then by all means, give me a reason to chase you, Blaze.”

  I didn’t like that he knew my name. My current name anyway. It was the one I’d gone by the longest. Since the flower child sixties. I’d abandoned my birth name long ago. Nobody who’d ever known it still lived. Still, my name was given only to those I trusted, and I could count the people who fit that description on one hand and still have fingers left over.