Nightbound

By Leila Bryce Sin

After the horror of the Moon Madness, Roxy Quinn leaves town to clear her head. It’s been too long for this Bright Elf since she’s recharged her magic. When she arrives in Las Vegas she is greeted by Killian, the Dark Elf whom she has desired for a very long time.

Killian, knowing Roxy needs to refuel her magic, offers her a ticket to the new show in town: an operetta performed by a vampire troupe from Europe. Little does Roxy know that audience participation is required.

A whirlwind weekend is ahead of Roxy filled with blood, lust and the possibility of something more with the mysterious Dark Elf.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shauna Granger
• Release date: Feb 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301259090

Book preview

Nightbound

Leila Bryce Sin

Copyright 2013 by Leila Bryce Sin

Smashwords Edition

Table of Contents

Title Page

Page One

The last place I wanted to be while hungover was the airport. There were windows just everywhere. Not even my oversized sunglasses did a damn thing to keep the fucking sunlight at bay.

Roxy? The barista called out my name and set my venti, triple shot Americano on the bar. Swinging my carry-on over my shoulder, I went to get it, glad I’d foregone my usual stilettos for ballet flats, even if they did make me feel as short as a pixy around so many towering humans. Once the cream and sugar station was free, I set my cup down and doctored it until it was the perfect shade of tan and sweet enough to cause cavities.

McCarran Airport was a pretty basic airport, especially considering it was an international airport, but that didn’t really matter. Most people there were all the same: either coming or going from a few days of debauchery in Las Vegas. I was on my way out, thankfully, and to be dead honest, I’m not altogether sure how I managed to survive my weekend on my own.

After the Moon Madness at the Solstice Festival, I’d had to get out of town to clear my head. If it hadn’t been for my best friend, Taryn, I would have caused more damage than I already did in the middle of that blood lust. Waking up from the haze, with Taryn wrapped around me, was horrifying. I had never blacked out before, and I’ve done my fair share of partying, trust me.

Taryn was an awesome friend. She’d never let it bother her I wasn’t a full-blooded Bright Elf like her, and that sort of thing bothered our people. I only had a drop of human blood left in me from a midnight mishap generations ago when my great-great-grandmother had a one night stand with a tall, dark stranger, but his brunette locks survived through the generations, marking me as other, as not-quite-pure in the eyes of my kin. But when I was with Taryn, I forgot that difference. With Taryn, I just happened to be a Bright Elf with brown hair, no big deal. Except, thanks to that tiny fucking drop of human blood, the Madness had taken me. So I had to bounce. I had to get away for a couple of days to clear my head and heal.

Taryn didn’t want to come with me. She didn’t do well with planes and long car rides. The confined space and too much metal bothered her more than me. At least that was one perk of having human blood. So I took off for a quick getaway to Vegas, alone.

Most places were still pretty leery of preternatural creatures, but not Vegas. Vegas welcomed us with open arms, embracing our magic and feeding our appetites unlike any other place in the world. If it wasn’t in the godforsaken desert, I would live there in a heartbeat. Of course, I might accidently kill myself if I did, if that weekend was anything to go by.

All of the casinos vied for preternatural patrons, but the one built by and for the fae was The Britannia. It was a wonderland among wonderlands, and I was lucky enough to know the general manager, Killian. When I called him, hoping for an oasis to escape to, he’d happily complied.

I expected a nice enough room, possibly a suite with a Jacuzzi tub, but when the elevator demanded I insert my room key into a thin slot to access the floor I wanted, I wasn’t sure what to think. When the elevator doors slid open, my jaw dropped. I stood there staring for so long the elevator doors started to slide shut again. I shoved my bag forward with a booted foot to stop the doors just in time, making them bounce open again so I could step out.

My heels click-clacked on the foyer’s marble floor as I walked into the sweeping apartment. Suite just wasn’t the right word for that joint. A formal dining table for ten lay just off of the gourmet kitchen where a huge welcome basket full of fruit, chocolates, and champagne sat on a high counter by a vase with two dozen roses.

The living room was sunken, taking two steps down to walk into. A plush, maroon couch covered in too many pillows faced a wall of windows that provided a perfect, unobstructed view of the neon Strip below. Presumably the television was hidden inside the bureau facing the couch. From where I stood, I could see the balcony with the outdoor Jacuzzi, bubbling away, waiting for me.

Holy Hera, Killian, I whispered when I finally found my voice. Gods know what the bedroom looks like. I walked the distance to the hallway, wondering how difficult it would be to traverse once I’d had a couple of drinks. There was a huge walk-in closet on the right side and a brightly lit vanity on the left before I made it to the bedroom. I couldn’t help but stop and check my hair and makeup after the short plane ride.

I tugged at the top of my skinny jeans before bending over and adjusting the scrunched cuffs just covering the tops of my stiletto ankle boots. I flung my hair back as I stood up again, leaning toward the mirror to check my eye makeup, wiping away a tiny smudge of mascara under my right eye. I adjusted the wide neckline of my expensive T-shirt that was made to look tattered, the black on black sequin skulls glittering in the perfectly adjusted light around the mirror. I was satisfied I’d come off the plane unscathed and moved into the bedroom to check out the rest of the digs.

The wall of windows continued on in there so I could enjoy the view from the California king-sized bed or the chaise lounge big enough for two. An impressive white and silver en-suite bathroom promised another Jacuzzi tub, almost big enough for me to swim in, which I planned to try very soon.

A doorbell rang as I walked out of the bedroom, and I managed to get to the elevator doors just as they opened, revealing a smiling Killian. The Dark Elf’s jet back hair was swept back from his pale face, his ice blue eyes twinkling as he stepped forward with both hands extended to take mine.

Roxy, he said, his northern accent hitting my name hard, as he took one of my hands in both of his and brought it to his lips. He pressed a kiss to my palm, pulling me closer. His black suit was softer than I had anticipated, and I couldn’t help but curl my fingers into the lapels as he crushed me against his chest.

Killian, I replied with a smile as I lifted my face to his. He held my hand to his chest while he brushed his other hand along my cheek, pushing a lock of hair back behind my shoulder.

It’s been far too long. His voice was as soft as velvet, his warm breath a caress along my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

Yes, I agreed. Shifting my weight moved my hips against him, making Killian arch a dark brow at me, but I wasn’t embarrassed; we’d played this game for years. Killian was the mountain I had yet to conquer but one I wouldn’t give up on. Dark Elves were more reserved than Bright Elves. While they enjoyed dancing and raising power as much as we did, they were far more selective about how many partners they took.

Unlike Bright Elves, Dark Elves often took lifelong mates, which was why they were more selective. I knew Killian enjoyed my company, and more than once I had tempted him enough to consider a casual fling with me. But he always managed to regain his composure and control himself. I liked to think of it as a game. Killian wasn’t turning me down or rejecting me; he was testing me. So far, I hadn’t found the right key to unlock the treasure to win the prize. But I would soon enough; I had promised myself a long time ago I would break through Killian’s reserved exterior and claw my way up his body. We would dance and he would scream my name into the night sky and it would be spectacular.

I knew Killian felt the magic swirling inside of me, responding to the intensity of my thoughts, but he only smiled before bending his face close to mine. He pressed his lips against the hollow under my ear, just above my thundering pulse. My fingers clutched his lapel until I could almost feel my