Seducing Death Read online

  Seducing Death

  ~~~

  Cassandra Lawson

  Copyright ©2015 Cassandra Lawson

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Image © AUFORT Jérome - Fotolia.com

  Proofreading by Kendra’s Editing and Book Services

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters and events are creations of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of a copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by federal law enforcement agencies and is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Also by Cassandra Lawson

  Psy-Vamp Series

  Vampires and Vixens (Book 1)

  Safe Hex With a Vampire (Book 2)

  Vampires Prefer Blondes (Book 3)

  The Vampire Will See You Now (Book 4)

  Moon Virus Series

  Raven’s Blood (Book 1)

  Embrace the Heat (Book 2)

  Acknowledgments

  I am always awed and humbled by the people who help me bring a book to life. Thank you Amber, Kari, Levenia, and Ria for reading the early versions of Seducing Death and helping me work through the plot issues. I also want to thank my wonderful cover design team, Daniel, Kari, and Levenia. I cannot express how grateful I am to all of my fans who encourage me every day. A special thanks to Andrea, Cindy, Pam, and Nicole for your support and help spreading the word about my books.

  Table of Contents

  Also by Cassandra Lawson

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue

  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

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Chapter Fifty

  Chapter Fifty-One

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  About The Author

  Prologue

  Ian leaned against the tree, his lips curled into a smile. That was an expression Kyleigh hadn’t seen often in the last decade. For years he’d scowled constantly, with the exception of the occasional cruel twist of his lips. Those had resembled smiles but held no joy. When she’d first started watching Ian, anger had radiated from him most days, which made sense considering the great loss he’d suffered. Still, it had taken him much longer than she’d expected to begin to move from darkness.

  Then again, what did she really know? Kyleigh’s involvement with the living was limited.

  Watching his suffering had been painful, and she’d begun to doubt he’d ever fully recover. After his numerous sins, she’d longed to break her promise rather than continue to witness the destruction of his soul. Of course, she wouldn’t do that because her word was just about the only thing she had left to give. Besides, she’d given up everything to keep this stupid promise to watch over a man who hadn’t been worth it. That all changed recently as Ian slowly began to redeem himself.

  Kyleigh sighed. Ian really was an attractive man, a thought that was often accompanied by guilt. At first, there’d been nothing attractive about him. Now, she found herself staring far too often. Then again, how could she not admire Ian’s appearance? With his longish black hair, catlike green eyes and sharp features, he was stunning, especially now with his full, sexy lips curled into a smile. As for his body? Ian was fit, with a sleek muscular frame. At least spying on him was more interesting now that she’d noticed how attractive he was.

  Kyleigh sensed the shadows moving in to claim his darkened soul. The shadows fed on unredeemed souls. Today they stalked Ian, which seemed totally unfair when he was finally changing for the better. Allowing him to die today was not an option.

  The problem she faced now was how to save him. Getting close enough to warn Ian wasn’t an option; she couldn’t allow his friend to see her, so she waited and hoped a way to intervene and keep her promise would present itself. Yes, she could technically make herself visible to his friend, but it would be another big rule she’d be breaking. Souls marked for the shadows were not her domain, and she was supposed to do everything in her power to avoid revealing her true identity to the living. Hands tied by the rules, she watched and waited.

  “Bet you can’t wait to get back to your woman and make up with her,” Ian said with a grin. “I used to feel the same way when I fought with Kate before going out on patrol. No matter how many times it happened, I was always too dumb to apologize before I left. Then I spent the entire time I was out regretting leaving her like that.”

  Kyleigh smiled when she heard him mention Kate’s name. After mourning her loss for so long, Ian was finally able to find some small amount of joy in her memory.

  His friend seemed surprised that Ian had mentioned Kate. “Mitchell seems to be doing really well.”

  “I still worry,” Ian admitted, “but he seems to do great as long as he’s getting enough blood. When he skips a meal, he gets confused. It’s a little scary, but I have alarms set so he doesn’t forget. You know what he asked me the other day?”

  “What’s that?” his friend asked.

  “He asked if he could call me Dad.” Ian’s voice was choked with emotion. “The kid was worried that I’d mind. You know, it’s like I’m getting a second chance at life. I still miss them. Not a single day goes by where I don’t miss them, but I don’t wake up wishing I’d died too. I wake up looking forward to hearing what Mitchell learned. He’s so full of curiosity. Once I taught him how to use a computer, he couldn’t stop researching. Next week he starts school, and he’s really excited about it. I’m lucky to have him.”

  His friend nodded. “You’ve changed a lot in the last few months. Not to sound all emotional, but it’s good to have you back.”

  Kyleigh had seen the change too. Ian deserved so much happiness after the pain he’d endured. If he kept moving in this direction, it would be so much easier to keep her promise. First, she had to find a way to keep him from dying today.

  “I don’t know how any of you put up with me. I was so full of hate for so long. That hate clouded my judgment
on a lot of things. I still don’t agree with some of Connor’s policies,” Ian continued. “We shouldn’t be out worrying about attacks that are nowhere near our own settlement. I get Treasure Island because they provide blood for us. Camp Parks? That’s far enough that it shouldn’t be our problem. Those humans chose to live on their own. Why should we take care of them?”

  Kyleigh stopped listening to their conversation as the cold breeze of the shadows grew nearer. Time was almost up, and she still didn’t have a plan to save Ian’s life. The smart thing to do was to walk away knowing she’d done her best, but she’d watched Ian too long. No, she would not give up when Ian’s soul was so close to redemption.

  “Maybe we should head back in. I’ll message Connor and see what he thinks,” Ian’s friend said, but it was too late. Both vampires heard the danger approaching. His friend pulled out the handheld crossbow and a knife while Ian drew two knives.

  “Well, isn’t this a stroke of luck,” called out a human as he emerged from the woods followed by six others.

  “Is there something we can help you with, human?” Ian asked casually. His hands had dropped to his sides, but he still held the knives. This came as no surprise. She’d seen him in action enough to know this vampire rarely let his guard down.

  “I think you already have,” the human said.

  Kyleigh saw the inner struggle in both vampires. They obviously suspected the humans were up to no good, but both were too noble to kill them without provocation. That was new for Ian. No longer shrouded in darkness, Ian wouldn’t kill unless he had to.

  Several other vampires stepped out of the trees, surrounding Ian and his friend. Kyleigh was all too familiar with this type of vampire. These creatures kept her busy many days. Quickly scanning the group, she found that all the innocent souls had been freed. With this newer virus, they were sometimes trapped in the undead body, which was a form of torture she wouldn’t wish on the most evil person. She had yet to figure out how that was even possible, or why one of her kind wasn’t summoned to free the poor soul.

  Ian and his friend reacted immediately. The knives in Ian’s hands found their marks in the hearts of two vampires, and Ian’s friend shot the crossbow at another vampire. Kyleigh watched the battle before her with a sense of helplessness. They were too outnumbered, and there was no way to win. Even now, the shadows moved in, hungry for death and sin. Rubbing her arms against the cold breeze that preceded the shadows, she watched in horror as Ian was surrounded.

  A scream no one would hear escaped her lips when the knife sliced through Ian’s chest. He collapsed to the ground, blood soaking the leaves. Her form wavered in and out with her rage. Despair began to settle around her, but she refused to let it control her. Ian was too close to being saved to lose him now. Whatever it took, the shadows would not claim his soul.

  “Take the blond alive!” shouted one of the humans, obviously referring to Ian’s friend. “Damaged is fine, but he has to survive with no damage to his face!”

  Determination flashed in Ian’s eyes, and his soul brightened as he worked hard to conceal his phone while sending a message. Then he buried the phone. Soon, the blond vampire was unconscious, and Ian was struggling for life.

  “Should we finish off the other one?” asked one of the humans. “Looks like he’s still alive.”

  Kyleigh held her breath, praying to a god who’d long ago abandoned her that they would just leave.

  The leader laughed. “Looks like he’s in a lot of pain,” he said with a vicious sneer.

  The urge to use violence against the human who obviously enjoyed the pain of others came as a surprise to Kyleigh. It was a relief when they left the area so she could make her way toward Ian. His weakened state meant she had only seconds to save his life. Her decision made, she emerged from the trees, becoming visible to Ian.

  Ian’s beautiful green eyes opened and focused on her as she approached him.

  “Kate.” His voice was barely a whisper.

  “Don’t worry,” she said in a soft reassuring voice, trying to hide her fear as the shadows closed in around them. “You’re going to be okay, but we need to get you out of here.”

  Wrapping them in her power, she bound Ian’s soul to his body. Thankfully, he picked that moment to lose consciousness, so she didn’t have to explain what was about to happen.

  Luckily, the portal was nearby because even with her added strength, it was difficult dragging Ian’s unconscious body along while trying to avoid injuring him further. Pulling Ian the last few steps through the portal and into the safety of her realm, Kyleigh knew she’d just sealed her own fate.

  Chapter One

  Kyleigh watched Ian sleep, worrying about the consequences of her actions. What those consequences would be were anyone’s guess, but they would probably be very bad. There wasn’t a precedent for this sort of thing, but Arawn was definitely going to be angry. The shadows were Arawn’s creatures, and she’d basically stolen from one of the most deadly Fae.

  In the past, Oriel had protected her from Arawn, but he might not be willing to in this case. Oriel didn’t tolerate people breaking the bigger rules. While he might ignore a small infraction, this infraction was pretty big. There was a very real possibility that Oriel would find any punishment Arawn suggested just.

  Hearing Ian’s soft moan, Kyleigh rushed to the bed. His green eyes opened for just a moment. “I love you so much,” he murmured, reaching out to stroke Kyleigh’s cheek. “Dear God, how I’ve missed you. You were my sunshine, and my life was plunged into darkness when I lost you.” Then he smiled. “When did I become a morbid poet?”

  “Rest,” she soothed, holding his hand against her cheek and basking in the love that wasn’t really for her. Love was something she would never experience. Once, she’d believed herself in love, but that had been many lifetimes ago. That was back when she’d been far too selfish and vain to understand what love really was. Now, she had to wonder if she’d done the right thing by stealing Ian’s chance to be reunited with Kate. Maybe there’d been another way to save him, but she hadn’t been able to come up with a better plan at the time. No, she’d been left with the choice between letting Ian’s soul be destroyed or bringing him here to a place she wasn’t sure he could leave.

  “I’m so sorry,” she murmured, hoping she was wrong about him being trapped here. To save his life, Kyleigh had bound Ian’s soul to his body, meaning her power kept him alive. At least for now, Ian would die if they were separated for too long, but that might change once his body healed. This wasn’t something she’d ever tried before. Actually, she didn’t know anyone who’d tried this.

  With a sad sigh, Kyleigh walked across the room to sit by the fire. So much had changed since her death, but she still preferred the warmth of a fire to the heating elements they’d created over the years. In truth, they’d had more advanced heating while she was alive, but they’d been too poor for more than a fireplace and a wood burning stove. Back then, she’d wanted much more and thought she was clever enough to move up in the world. Vanity had been her downfall, so much that she was surprised her soul hadn’t been food for the shadows.

  Her vanity really had been ridiculous. It’s not that she’d ever been a great beauty. Nothing about her red hair, brown eyes, and the freckles that spread across her nose was extraordinary. Of course, back then, she’d had no idea why men were drawn to her. Thankfully, her mum had been smart enough to withhold that information.

  The fire was more of a nostalgic thing now. This domain never deviated from a comfortable temperature. How could it when everything here was a product of her imagination? No, she was never cold, but the warmth of the fire brought its own measure of peace.

  With a sigh, Kyleigh shook off thoughts of the past. No need to go there. This was her life now, one of her own choosing. The solitude was also of her choosing, until now.

  “You aren’t Kate.”

  Ian’s raspy voice jerked Kyleigh from her thoughts, and she spun around to face him.
Still pale from blood loss, his eyes were a little dazed and unfocused.

  “No,” she said. “Let me get you some water.”

  “Where am I?” he asked, and Kyleigh felt his eyes on the back of her neck as she filled the glass with water.

  “In my home,” she said, handing him the glass with shaky hands. After watching Ian for so many years, having a conversation with him felt strange. This was not going to be an easy explanation. “I had to bring you back here or you would have died.”

  “I remember you coming to me.” The few sips of water had helped some with the hoarseness. “Thanks for saving me.”

  Kyleigh swallowed hard because she wasn’t quite sure she’d saved him. “How are you feeling?”

  “Surprisingly well,” he said, pausing to examine his chest. “I didn’t expect this injury to heal so fast, especially without a lot of blood. Hell, I didn’t expect this injury to heal at all.” When he looked up at her, Kyleigh saw the worry in his eyes. “I didn’t attack you and take blood, did I?”

  She shook her head. “You don’t need blood here.”

  Ian smiled, showing a hint of fang. “I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but I’m a vampire. Without blood, I’ll die. You aren’t one of those humans who’ve lived secluded from all the big bad vampires, are you?”

  “I’m not sure where to start with this explanation,” she said. “When I got to you, I had to act quickly, which is why I brought you here. This is a place between life and death.”

  Ian just stared at her like she was crazy, and she didn’t blame him. When she’d first come to one of these realms, she’d been skeptical as well. That place had been one of the Fae realms and nearly impossible to believe. It went against everything she’d ever been told about life and death, but she’d been forced to accept the reality of her circumstances. Ian would have to accept them as well.

  “This might make more sense if you understand what I am. There are many words used to describe my kind, but essentially, I help souls who are confused or trapped at the time of death. I also do my best to release souls before violent deaths so they don’t suffer.”