Slade by Bianca D'Arc Page B

his clothing as if it were nothing.
    “Miranda, no!” Mag’s shout came from the archway behind Kate. The younger Redstone had entered without her realizing it and he seemed to recognize the creature inside the circle whose glistening fangs were even now bearing down on Slade’s unprotected neck.
    It was a woman.
    It was a vampire. And she was crazed from starvation and blood loss.
    Dear Goddess, no!
    “Miranda!” Mag dashed into the room, stopping only feet from the woman who held Slade immobile, bleeding from a multitude of cuts she had inflicted in less than a few seconds.
    She seemed to pause, her fangs a breath away from Slade’s skin, and look at Mag Redstone.
    Her red-rimmed, wild eyes cleared and she stopped, dropping the bone-crushing hold she’d had on Slade. He slumped away from her as she moved toward the younger Redstone.
    “Careful, Mag!” Grif spoke in a low growl, just entering the room.
    “It’s okay. This is Miranda. She’s a friend of mine. Sweetheart, what have they done to you?” Mag’s voice broke as he held out his arms and the blood-stained vampiress walked into his embrace as if finding an oasis in the desert.
    “Magnus?” Her voice was confused, weak, but still held that vampire mojo Kate had heard about. She could enslave every man in the room just by saying come hither , but she wasn’t doing it on purpose. It was part of her magic that she had to consciously tamp down.
    It was clear the woman was beyond doing that at the moment. She was weak and injured. Still bleeding and more than a little out of it.
    “I’m here, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” Mag took her in his arms, crooning to her gently, clearly familiar with the woman and willing to put himself at risk for her sake. She could still go crazy and rip his throat out in her hunger—and it was clear to Kate she had been deprived of the blood that fueled her existence for a long time.
    “She needs to feed,” Kate whispered.
    “I know.” Mag Redstone met her gaze over the vampire’s matted blond hair. He guided her lips deliberately to his throat and closed his eyes in obvious pleasure as she nuzzled him. She bit into his skin almost delicately, as if she cared for him and didn’t want to hurt him.
    Judging by the expression on Mag’s face, hurt was the farthest thing from what he was feeling at the moment. Kate looked away, turning to Slade. He watched the vampire and Mag for a moment before turning his gaze to meet Kate’s.
    “It’s probably safe inside here for you now, except for that.” Slade pointed as he spoke in a pained voice. She followed his gesture to see the chalice on the floor, still bleeding its red burden into the hardwood.
    “That’s what we came for.” S he walked toward him carefully. She didn’t like being inside the zone that had once been so disgustingly evil. “This place is going to need a thorough cleansing before it’ll be completely safe for even non-magical folk,” she observed with distaste as the oily feel of the circle rubbed up against her skin. “Are you okay?”
    Slade didn’t look okay. She bit her lip, worrying. He didn’t seem to be bleeding badly, though the slices the vamp ire had made with her sharp claws didn’t look comfortable.
    “Just hurt in my pride is all .” Slade grimaced as he tried to get up.
    Kate reached to help him and realized he was weaker than he looked. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at him.
    “You sure?”
    He shook his head just once and mouthed the words, not here . She got the message, but she didn’t like it. Not one bit. Still, she’d go along with his wishes as long as she didn’t think it would hurt him more.
    “Let’s grab the chalice and go,” Slade said through clenched lips. He was facing away from the cougars, though Grif was scowling at his younger brother, who was still caught in the surprisingly gentle grip of the vampire.
    “I don’t want to touch it,” she admitted, contemplating the chalice on the floor in front of