Free Blood Cursed by Erica Hayes Page A

landed on all fours, black limbs gleaming like burnt toast, its birdlike legs folding backwards. Shining blue hair hung past its narrow waist, its lean black muscles wrapped tight over angular bones. Dripping needle teeth, monstrous black claws sharp as razors, flat yellow eyes dripping fire.
    I hugged my knees to my chest, sweating. My pulse pounded. Already I could feel those teeth severing my tendons, feasting on me … .
    But it didn’t see me. It crouched over Jasper, saliva dripping onto the pavement in hissing steam, and growled like a pissed-off hound of hell.
    And then it changed .
    Limbs shrinking pale, teeth sliding into a rosy mouth, claws sucked back into elegant fingertips, slim hands, fingers ringed in gold. Iceblue hair shortening to a golden pageboy bob, sunflash eyes darkening to shiny black.
    Jasper choked and groaned, blood bubbling on torn mauve lips.
    The blond man adjusted his dark suit and crouched over Jasper with a sniff of distaste. Green flame leapt in his hair, threatening. “I want them all, Jasper. Not just one. All.” He rested his wrist on one elegant knee and dangled something red and glinting on a chain before Jasper’s bloodshot eyes.
    The vampire’s gemstone. The one I’d stolen.
    It squirmed on the chain’s end like a fishhooked worm, fighting blindly to escape, and that desperate squeal shrieked in my ears again. I stared, agape. What the hell was that thing?
    Jasper flopped, broken bones grating. “Time. Just give me time, Kane. I’ll get them. Promise …”
    Disbelief blotted my vision scarlet. Black-eyed monsterblond was Kane? As in Kane, the prince of hell who ruled the city? Jasper and Diamond’s ultimate boss, the guy who told even Angelo Valenti what to do? Kane, the demon lord of Melbourne, stalker of souls and master of temptation?
    I bit my lips again, quivering. Jasper, you fucking idiot. What have you done?
    Kane just looked at him, sparks crackling between his fingers. “Did you think you could betray your so-called friends to save your own soul? You’re already mine, fairydirt. All five of you. You can’t escape. Did you really imagine you could hide your souls from me with chunks of rock?” Kane gripped the wriggling gemstone and crushed his fist tight.
    Jasper howled. Scarlet smoke hissed between Kane’s fingers. The stink of charcoal rose, and he opened his fist and let bloody red chunks fall to the black pavement, mixed with mangled gold.
    Kane licked his palm and smiled, blood smearing his scarlet lips. “Oops. Did I break your feeble spell? That was the vampire boy’s, was it? Thanks so much. And now I’ll hunt down the pretty liar and the burning girl and the shadowfairy, and have myself a tasty feast. But first—” He grabbed Jasper’s bloody hair and dragged him close, his nails snapping out an inch and glowing scarlet. Cinders spat from his teeth and smoked on Jasper’s face. “—first I want yours .”
    Cold sickness swamped me like salt water. Useless anger rippled my wings, urging me to jump, scream, do anything but let this creature eat Jasper. But fear froze my limbs fast, and I couldn’t move.
    Jasper laughed, bloodshot eyes swirling crazy, and wet crimson bubbles burst on his lips. “Find it, then, hellboy. Bring it on.”
    “Give it to me. Where is it, fairyshit?” Sparks flashed from Kane’s golden lashes, and hellcraft rippled the air black.
    Ash stung my nose, and the ring on my finger burned cold.
    I looked down, my heart racing. The cursed thing was glowing, not green like the stone but a dirty red gleam like fire.
    Bile burned in my mouth. I wanted to scream. I wanted to be sick. I wanted to claw Jasper’s eyes out for tricking me.
    That fucking liar. He didn’t want me, not really. Just needed somewhere to hide, and knew I was too love-struck and scared to question him.
    I tugged at the ring, claws ripping, desperate to get the horrid thing off. But it burned colder, tighter, shrinking onto my finger with a clammy