Insidious Whispers (The Hunter Diaries) by Serena Zane

go!”
    “Sign the treaty and we will. Don’t, and he’s dead. Young Chloe has the power to kill him from where she stands.”
    “Never, you’re bluffing.” She arched the sword above her head and brought it down. It missed Jean-Luc’s face by scant inches as he dodged out of the way.
    Chaos erupted as both armies surged forward. Beth didn’t care. Phoenix knelt on the ground, gripping his shoulder the grimace on his face testament to the pain he felt.  She knelt by him.
    “Pull it out.” The pain rasped out as he spoke.
    Beth looked at the arrow. She grasped the shirt he wore and tore it away from the spot. The skin around the arrow was turning black. Spider veins of poison snuck into his body. This had been staged well. 
    Chloe was an amazing witch, but there was no way she would be able to hold back the hundreds of forces that the Queen had backing her. Beth kept her attention on the one person she could help.  “This is going to hurt.”
    “Don’t care. Pull it out.” The darkened veins around his shoulder had begun to spread onto his chest.
    Beth gritted her teeth and grasped the arrow’s shaft. It had to be done. Bracing herself, she pulled hard.
    Phoenix yelled as the tip shoved all the way through his shoulder.
    “Sorry!” Beth winced and pulled it the rest of the way through. She reached into the satchel on her shoulder and her hand touched the Tome. Its dark power whispered to her, Beth looked directly into his eyes. “ I can fix this.” She began to pull the Tome from her bag.
    His large hand landed on top of hers. “Don’t. It’ll be fine. Just give me a minute.”
    “But –“
    “Trust me.” His eyes gleamed as they held her gaze pleading with her to wait.
    “Okay.” Beth didn’t want to wait. It appeared as though the poison spread at an alarming rate, and Phoenix began to sweat. Vampires didn’t sweat. What the hell? “Phoenix?” This was the one time she was truly tempted to use the power of the Black Tome.
    The hand holding hers gripped harder. “Just wait.” Flames flashed in his eyes and panic welled up in Beth’s chest. His skin began to smoulder and smoke rose from the wound.
    Beth gasped. As she watched the black, poisoned area receded to the initial wound and the gaping hole started to close.
    “Blood, I need blood.”
    “Of course.” Without hesitation Beth leaned forward and pulled her hair to the side. A momentary sharp pain speared her neck, immediately followed by a sense of pure pleasure. Everything around them seemed to fade as he pulled the blood from her body with a slow, sensual sucking motion.
    Phoenix moved back. His eyes burning brightly, his lips found hers in a fierce, passionate kiss that ended far too quickly. “Thank you.”
    “Sure.” Beth was still on her knees as Phoenix rose from the spot where he’d been wounded, looking like a God. She could understand why the Enforcers had the reputations of god-like strength, not to be messed with.
    Fire burned through Phoenix’s system. Power thrummed to life from the Fae blood he’d ingested from Beth. There was nothing more sustaining. The sweet ambrosia filled his body, and he surged forward. The battle raged in full force, and they were out-numbered. He grasped a sword from a fallen Enforcer, and let out a battle cry. The Fae Queen would rue the day she fucked with the vampires.
    Prince Arlen fought Alex only a few feet from where Phoenix stood. Using preternatural speed, he landed behind the prince and held his sword up to Arlen’s neck just as Alex thrust forward piercing the prince through the stomach. “Queen Genevieve!”
    She was almost upon Beth, intent on the black Tome.
    “Your Majesty! One more step and I’ll kill your son!”  Phoenix thundered above the raucous around them.
    She froze mid-step and turned, hatred written on her face. The moment she noticed the swords through her son’s middle and at his neck was obvious. Hatred fell from her face to be replaced with a look of