Violet Midnight Read online

  “Girl, you fell right into me.” She tapped Ava’s skull. “You got a hard head there. Thanks a lot.” Emma let out a giggle, hopefully it sounded less fake to Ava than it did to Emma.

  “Oh, Em. Your face.”

  “I know. Does it look bad?” She rubbed her jaw.

  Of all the powers Emma had, instant healing wasn’t one of them. Sure, she healed faster than most, but still. Totally unfair, considering how often she got knocked around in the line of duty.

  “That’s nasty. It’s totally swollen.” Ava reached toward Emma’s face. “Let’s get to the room so I can put some make-up on that thing. Does it hurt?”

  “Well, duhhh.”

  Actually, it didn’t hurt too much. Astronomical pain tolerance–just one of the tools she needed to survive the Vamp attacks.

  But would she survive the party Ava insisted on dragging her to?

  TWO

  “Nothing like a nice ass-beating to welcome in the football season.” Jake Cunningham slapped Dylan’s shoulder as they made their way down the sidewalk along with the rest of the fans leaving the stadium. “But thanks for getting me out of the house tonight.”

  “Glad you came out, buddy. You’re doing way too much studying for only having been back to school a week.” Dylan smiled. “Even if you’re getting your Masters degree.”

  Jake needed time away from the books. Both psychology textbooks, and those he’d found at a local bookshop that made mention of the tattoo he woke up with two years ago. He gripped his shoulder. The thin, long-sleeved cotton shirt was the only barrier hiding the hideous mark that appeared out of nowhere.

  “Yeah, well, I lost some credits transferring in from Minnesota State this semester. Lots to make up for.” Jake moved off the path to let an approaching couple pass by. He cast an envious look at their clasped hands before returning his focus to his new friends beside him.

  Dylan had one year left in his Finance degree, but his stunning girlfriend, Cynthia, was starting her first year in the Fine Arts Masters degree program, which suited her classic beauty perfectly. Shockingly crisp amber eyes peered at him from beneath long, curved lashes, and her snug, red shirt hugged an ample chest.

  Jake could only dream of having someone like Cynthia on his arm. Could only dream of having anyone on his arm. Not with all the weird things happening to him these past two years.

  “It was a good day when we ran into you at the student center and had to share a table because it was so packed, wasn’t it?” Cynthia smiled, her straight, white teeth reflecting the nearby sidewalk lamp. “So, you’re coming to the party, right?” She nodded at Dylan.

  He frowned. “Oh. Sorry, Jake. I forgot to mention it.”

  “That’s okay. I should be getting back anyway.” Jake and parties didn’t mix. Made it difficult to hide the fact that he didn’t eat or drink. Staying up all hours of the night fit in well with the college crowd, but never sleeping—that wasn’t normal. Besides, he should get back to the books he’d gotten to see if he could find anything more about what was happening to him.

  Cynthia twined her fingers with his, then took up Dylan’s hand. “You’re coming. I insist.”

  Her confident voice didn’t falter. It held a hint of an accent. European, maybe? He hadn’t picked that up last week when they’d first met.

  “Don’t even try to say no to her, Jake. It’s useless. Trust me.” He swung his girlfriend’s hand and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I’ve tried.”

  “I’ll come for a little while.” Jake twisted his hand from hers but stayed beside her as they kept walking. The cool night breeze brushed Jake’s face. It held a faint pine scent from the distant trees hedging in the parking lot. Northern Arizona in September—still a touch of heat during the day, but cool at night. Much better than Minnesota.

  Distant shouts and cheers from the streams of fans dispersing into the parking lots filtered through the air. Yes, this move to Arizona was the right one. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but he felt in his gut that he would find answers here. He had to get out of Minnesota—where the changes happened. He’d traipsed all over the state, attending three different colleges in two years, but never once did he have a sense of peace about a campus.

  Until he arrived here.

  Hell. Even Mom and Dad had bought some property north of town and a house one block from the campus. They must have hoped it was Jake’s last move, too.

  “See how the path goes through the trees there, past the lot?” Dylan pointed ahead of them.

  Two dim lights lit a paved trail into a wooded area. “Yeah. What’s there?”

  “That’s the campus line. If you hang a sharp right on J Street, you’ll hit party central for a row of Frat houses.” Dylan jutted out his chin. “Actually, ours is only a block behind the guy’s house we’re headed to.”

  “That path leads to J Street? Nice, I’m on that street. Haven’t been out exploring the trails around campus much yet.” Good. He’d stay at the party for a quick while, then bolt at the first chance.

  “Well, it’s only been a week since you got here.” Cynthia’s auburn hair fell forward as she dipped her chin in Jake’s direction. “You’ll learn the shortcuts.”

  Within ten minutes, Jake made his way through the open door to a three-story, stucco house. Bass thumped so loud the window jams rattled.

  “See what I mean?” Dylan shook his head, shouting over the music. “Technically off campus, free reign.”

  Jake nodded, taking in the sights. Two steps from the door took them into a main room. At least seventy-five people crammed into the liquor-scented space, arms above their heads, swaying to the music. They looked so small beneath the cathedral ceiling.

  Doors lined the walls of the top two levels. People loitered outside rooms and leaned over the railings, watching the dancing crowd below.

  “Wow. Nice place.” Jake stood next to Dylan and surveyed the masses. The smell of stale beer, sweet sugar, and a hint of strawberry caressed his senses. Strawberry? He didn’t see anyone nearby holding a drink resembling a strawberry daiquiri or margarita.

  He swept his gaze to the far corner of the room and locked on a blonde beauty.

  His heart hammered as he took her in. Five-five at the most. Fit, thin like a runner, but the red tank top she wore clung to perfectly sized breasts. Champagne colored locks grazed her shoulders as she shook her head.

  A shorter blonde took hold of the girl’s hand as if to lug her onto the dance floor. A looming guy, short dark hair, coaxed them both. Jake treaded to the edge of the circle of dancing bodies, focus securely locked on the girl.

  She smiled, and that was when Jake saw them—violet eyes. They flickered beneath the rotating lights beaming off the disco ball hung three stories above them. Her smile was so bright it would part the darkest storm clouds.

  Something electric ignited deep within Jake’s chest. Thunder clapped within his mind, spiking his heart rate into record pace. Tendrils of heat vined up his spine and coiled around his heart, soothing it into a steady, but rapid pounding.

  Who was this girl? His mouth morphed into the Mohave desert, and he licked his lips, searching for a hint of moisture.

  Obviously giving in to the peer pressure from her two friends to dance, Violet Eyes closed her eyelids and started moving in time with the rest of the people surrounding them. Jake inched forward as if pulled. Drawn in by her pale, flawless skin, and full, red lips.

  Only fifteen feet separated him from this beauty.

  “Hey, who are you studying so intently there?” Dylan sided up next to Jake.

  “No one.” Jake heard himself say the words, but refused to tear his attention from Violet Eyes to face his friend.

  “Sure you’re not, buddy. Which one is it?”

  “Red tank top. Jeans. Blonde.” For someone in the last year of his Master’s degree, Jake couldn’t form complete sentences if someone had paid him a thousand dollars.

  “Oh, yes. Next to Ava.”

  “You kno
w her?”

  “Everyone knows Ava. At least every guy knows Ava, if you catch my drift.” Dylan slapped Jake’s shoulder. “Go on. Go dance with her. It’s an open floor.”

  No way. “Dancing isn’t really my thing.” Jake inched forward despite his objection. He had to meet her. Had to—

  She opened her eyes and slowed her pace. Her slender, yet toned, arms went to her side until she only slightly swayed with the rest of the crowd as she analyzed the people.

  Her gaze danced around the room and landed on Jake like a two-by-four to the gut. He stepped back at the impact of a full-on stare. Lights flickered against her violet irises and, despite the distance separating them, he felt their power. More like his soul did. The gentle sway that moved him toward her morphed into a tug, like an invisible rope had lassoed him around the waist.

  She eyed him, painstakingly slow, from head to toe.

  “Looks like she wants you to go dance with her.” Dylan nudged Jake’s arm. “Go on.”

  Once Jake regained his senses and his ability to breathe again, he ventured into the crowd. Good thing he was a hair over six feet tall; he was able to keep Violet Eyes in his sights above the bobbing heads. She hadn’t peeled her gaze from him, nor had she started dancing again. Only stood in the middle of the designated dance floor, staring.

  Five feet from her now.

  Jake’s palms went sweaty. A thick wave of strawberry-scented air wrapped around him and tickled his nostrils.

  It was her—her scent. He didn’t know how he knew it, but he did. And he wanted more.

  She flinched. Her mouth clamped shut, firing the line of muscles along her delicate jaw. Her stunning eyes disappeared beneath her lids for a split second, and her nostrils flared. She looked down, then spun on the heel of her boot and moved toward the sliding glass doors at the back of the room.

  She wove through the crowd with the grace of a ballerina. Ava shouted after Violet Eyes, but she didn’t acknowledge it, only pushed through the barrage of people as if suddenly on a mission.

  Ava shrugged and returned to her date.

  Jake navigated the crowd, but Violet Eyes disappeared through the sliding glass door and into the darkness of the night. Moving through quicksand would have been easier. He had to get to her. Talk to her. Touch her. A compulsion had settled over his brain. It defied logic, but he had to see it through.

  “Excuse me.” He pushed past the last line of people.

  Finally at the door, Jake slid it open. The girl stood on the top of the short fence hemming in the patio, peering down. He stopped, taking in the scene, and swallowed down the last bit of nerves in case he might get the courage to say something.

  But then, she jumped.

  “Wait.” Jake lunged, reaching for her.

  He grabbed only air.

  He leaned over the edge. That was a fifteen-foot drop, at least.

  And she was gone.

  THREE

  Hidden in the shadows of the patio she’d jumped from, Emma gulped for air. The guy she’d seen inside had seen her jump. Shit.

  She’d been so busy scanning the area for what triggered her wrist she hadn’t even heard him come out onto the patio.

  Didn’t matter, though, his image was etched into her memory, specifically his dark eyes. Long wisps of black hair rested across his pale forehead, almost mocking the 1980’s feathered style. Yet the hair was long enough that the ends curled up and out over his ears, making him devastatingly sexy.

  Yet older. Something about him alluded to an older soul.

  When she’d captured his dark gaze, she’d nearly melted into a puddle.

  Get it together, Emma. A little wrist glowage to deal with.

  She leaned forward and held her breath, listening. He’d called out to her when she’d jumped. She glanced behind her. Another sliding glass door that revealed only darkness of a walkout basement.

  The wrist didn’t pulse, so the Vamps weren’t in there. She peeked up and didn’t see Dark Eyes leaning over the edge so she stepped out from the shadows. The dull thud of the bass thumping leaked out the windows of the Frat house.

  She scanned the back yard. A sprawling lawn, which was weird for the desert, lay before her and ended at a waist-high concrete fence. The subtle light from the illuminated pool made for a romantic atmosphere, and she would have loved to enjoy it had her wrist not been pulsing its bright orange for the second time today.

  Tonight, of all nights, when she’d finally decided to relax and have a little fun.

  It was like she had a close, personal relationship with Murphy’s Law or something. Never let your defenses down. Gabriel had always taught her that.

  “Dagger,” she whispered. It landed in her hand, and she brought it close to her leg as she eased to the right, hidden by the shadows of the patio above.

  A giggle from behind sent her whirling. Deeper in the shadows a couple lay in an oversized chaise lounge groping each other.

  Damn purple eyes let me see more than I want to.

  Emma held out her glowing arm to the right. It remained steady. “Where are you guys?” she whispered. She hated this part. The wrist ignited when the Vamps were around, but she still had to find them.

  With several feet between her and the make-out couple, Emma slowed and drew in a breath. The prickles of her Instinct riding up the back of her neck dictated she tense, prepare for battle. Something was off. Out from beneath the shelter of the patio, Emma swept a look over the premises.

  There. The far end of the pool, near the diving board, a shadow the shape of a huge person. The glow pulsed, leaking its brilliance out from beneath her watch.

  Emma hurried forward. As she neared, she barely made out a figure against the backdrop of night, even with her amplified vision.

  “Ow. Stop,” a girl ordered in a weak voice. “That hurt.”

  “Oh, come on, you want it,” a raspy voice answered.

  Slap!

  The tall figure yanked the small person to his chest. Long white teeth caught the reflection of the nearby lights.

  “Hey!” Emma sprinted ahead, her combat boots slapping against the concrete surrounding the pool.

  The shadow froze.

  “Help,” the girl whispered, squirming within the Vamp’s grasp.

  Darkness dribbled from the corner of his mouth. He edged to the side, toward the diving board.

  “Stop. Let her go.”

  The Vamp sank his teeth into the girl’s neck again, and she yelped. Emma jetted the dagger at the monster as she rounded the last corner of the pool. If she threw hard enough, she’d get the heart from behind.

  The Vamp stood, howling, blood oozing from his mouth. The girl slumped from his grasp and stumbled to the side.

  Dust plumed.

  The girl sagged toward the water. Only the smack of her head against the board slowed her plunge.

  “No.” Emma slid across the cement, thankful she wore jeans and not the skirt Ava had recommended. Emma’s feet planted against the side of the diving board, and she reached into the water.

  A sharp twist to her hair yanked Emma back before she could grab the girl. Emma clawed at the hands fisted in her hair and found purchase. A growl ripped through the air. As much as she could with him cave-manning her, Emma looked up and met the flaming eye of a fully fanged-out Vamp.

  Oh crap. This is going to hurt.

  He snapped at her wrist and caught flesh on the medial side. “Dagger,” Emma said with a gasp. Damn Vamp jerked her at the last minute, and the weapon clanked to the concrete.

  A quick glance around showed only a few people bobbing near the second story windows. Hopefully, they wouldn’t see anything. She snagged the weapon and slashed at the hands holding her hostage.

  Blond strands of hair fell instead of fingers. So much for the new haircut she just got.

  Finally, her blade found a home in the Vamp’s forearm.

  Another roar, but he let her go. She rolled to the side and hopped to her feet, face to face w
ith a six and a half foot Vamp. Her wrist flared, seeping light out from the edges of her watch. It snared his attention, and she leapt.

  Cracking through the ribs guarding his black heart, the blade pierced the source of evil, and the demon vanished.

  Emma landed on her stomach, her head inches from the base of the diving board, coughing through the black dust motes littering the air near her face. The impact of the hard surface stole her already depleted breath, and her arms and legs morphed into lead appendages. Her mind whirled. Two more Vamps? Same night as—

  A hand clamped around her ankle. Splashing sounded, and whimpers. Emma gulped for air, seeking the energy she needed to face yet another Vamp.

  They must travel in packs of three now. Shit.

  She flipped to the side, and with her free leg, landed a solid kick to the side of his head. The Vamp snapped at her shoe.

  My shoe? Really? That hungry?

  His hold on her didn’t loosen. “Crossbow.”

  She reached out, and it landed in her hand. Before she could click off a round, the Vamp kicked the weapon to the side.

  “I like feisty,” the Vamp said through his long teeth and thin lips. “Taste better.”

  “Dream on.” Emma kicked and connected with his jaw, earning her freedom from his death grip as she pushed up to her feet.

  Emma turned to face him, filling her lungs with the air they so desperately needed. But a shoulder to the gut knocked out the fuel she’d just inhaled.

  And her back met the water.

  Shit. Can’t breathe under water.

  With a two-hundred-pound, six-foot-Vamp clinging to her body, she sank like a rock. Her butt hit the bottom with a resounding crack. Teeth pierced her shoulder. She screamed, letting out the last of her air.

  The last of her energy.

  Vamps didn’t need air to fight.

  Emma did.

  Darkness, along with stinging chlorine, ate away at her vision. Air. I need air. Normally agile fighting moves morphed into uncoordinated twitches a newborn would have executed better.

  The Vamp leaned away, watching her as if he didn’t realize water was her weakness. How could he? As far as she knew, she was the only Hunter around.