Burn

by Belinda McBride

  She continued to stare, fascinated to the point of being rude.

  “I hide the length and color of my hair. Other things as well.” He flushed slightly.

  “I hunt…evil demons.” She returned to his question. “I hunt those who would hunt me first.”

  “And why do they hunt you?” His gravelly voice was soft. She wondered what it had been like in that other place he’d come from. It had undoubtedly been exquisite.

  “Ahnah said that my energy is unique.”

  “Rex mentioned something about that.”

  Noemi blinked. His voice was mesmerizing. Just listening to him gave her thoughts…the sort of thoughts she shouldn’t be having. Not about a man in a relationship, anyway. Her distraction wasn’t normal. Not at all.

  “Have you been messing with my head?”

  His eyebrows went up in surprise and he gave a grin. “No, Rex has that particular skill set, I don’t. I think maybe you’re just tired and overwhelmed. You’ve had some interesting stuff thrown at you today.”

  That was certainly true, but generally she handled herself better than this. Now she was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. She was unable to withhold the truth from this man. When the angel turned his head to glance into the bedroom, his perfect profile made her heart race. When he shifted in his chair, offering a glimpse of a very nice package, Noemi’s gut clenched and her pussy gripped on nothing.

  She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had sex. That’s how insignificant it had been in her life. And now she was going all horny over a gay Adonis. One who was most likely immortal. Life was strange.

  “May I see?”

  He slowly turned his head, looking straight at Noemi. “Did you see Rex?”

  She nodded. “Butterfly wings and a tufted tail. Pointy ears.”

  He smiled, his eyes soft with love.

  “In the beginning, he tricked me into chasing him in the forest. My wingspan was too wide to follow him. He trapped me and made love to me in the trees.”

  Now why would that bring tears to her eyes? Noemi looked down at her untouched sandwich. She lifted it, took a bite and chewed, not tasting what she ate.

  She glanced up and nearly choked. Before her eyes, Rion was changing. Not so much changing, as becoming more. His skin was more alabaster, his hair grew long and dark, vivid red. Those eyes became deep as an ocean. And behind him…wings. Great feathered wings of shining white. Wings large enough to nearly cross the room.

  Noemi set down the plate and stood, walking carefully to him. His face was the same, but it glowed with an unearthly light. She reached out and ran her hand down his bare arm, feeling the muscles tighten under his fair skin.

  “My skin is so dark against yours.” She again felt that loss of lucidity. Noemi looked up into Rion’s deep eyes and for the briefest moment, knowledge washed over her. Knowledge, but still, it was a mystery.

  “They burned your voice away.”

  His muscles worked as he swallowed. In her mind, she could see a white-hot blade being forced down his throat. A woman nearby struggled…screamed…and was lost.

  “He wanted what you had…your position, your power…even your wife.”

  “My…wife?”

  She ran her palm down his arm to his forearm, feeling the corded muscle there. She then grasped his hand. Noemi looked up into the face of the angel. “I am so sorry.”

  He looked shattered.

  As quickly as it had come, the moment passed. She blinked, and without warning, nausea rolled over her. Blazing heat pierced her skull.

  “Bathroom…”

  He guided her in the right direction, and Noemi found herself collapsed on a cool tile floor, losing the meal she’d barely eaten. There was a gentle touch on her neck, and Rion was there, holding her hair as she retched. Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks.

  When it was finished, he helped her to her feet and guided her back to the couch. She huddled, shaken by the vision and the illness that followed. Next to her, Rion Hunter squatted, looking at her in concern.

  “I’ll take first watch. You sleep. I think you need it.” He gave her a smile so sweet Noemi nearly cried. He gently covered her with an old handmade quilt that smelled of lavender. “I’ll stay with Rex for now.” He stood and turned off the light. To her surprise, it was fully dark outside.

  An odd sensation blazed through her body, a partner to the lust she’d felt earlier. As she watched him leave the room, a thought blew through her mind.

  It wasn’t love at first sight. No, she’d been in his company on and off for a day and a night.

  Love at first touch. Was there such a thing?

  Noemi rolled onto her side and let her eyes drop closed.

  She was so fucked.

  Chapter Eight

  To his relief, Rex was sound asleep when Rion lay on the bed next to him. He reached over and gently stroked Rex’s skin. It was a bit cooler than it had been.

  He slipped off the tank top he wore, then his jeans, letting them drop onto the floor. With a thought, he withdrew the wings and hair.

  His arm still tingled where she’d touched his skin. He ran a hand over it, savoring the lingering memory. All these years and he’d never craved a woman. The times they’d spent with Carly were special, but their threesomes had been fun and lighthearted. Once they’d ended, he and Rex walked away, and Carly moved on to her next lover.

  But Noemi had moved him with a touch.

  He lay naked on the bed, and in the moonlight he could see the heavy length of his cock lying in the seam of his groin. He’d gone hard as stone when she touched him. Even the gripping fear that her words brought hadn’t chased away the arousal. And when he’d held her in the bathroom, the feel of her in his arms had been almost more than he could cope with.

  He’d wanted to hold her close, to touch her, to taste her full red lips.

  Rion glanced over at Rex, wondering if this was all some sort of effect caused by the demon. Maybe the doctor was a plant.

  Or maybe she was fate.

  Whatever the case, she frightened him as he’d never been frightened before. Noemi made him feel safe.

  And this time, he didn’t want to run.

  * * * *

  Sometime around midnight, he heard movement in the living room. She appeared in the doorway, an image darker than the night.

  “How’s he sleeping?”

  “Good. Whatever you gave him is helping.”

  She moved toward the bed, stepping into a beam of moonlight. Noemi sat on the edge next to Rex, reaching down to check his pulse. Her dark hair had slipped loose of the long braid, tendrils whispered around her cheeks.

  She wasn’t soft like Carly. She had an earthy vitality all of her own. Now that he knew her better, her power was perceptible.

  “It was penicillin. I didn’t think he’d have developed a resistance to it.” She glanced at her watch. “His heart rate is better, but his fever is still higher than I’d like it to be. She reached down and idly fingered a loose curl, moving it away from Rex’s flushed cheek. “You should sleep now. I’ll get you up around dawn so you can pack.”

  “Okay.” He was still naked, covered by a sheet. To his embarrassment, Rion’s cock was hard. He slid down into the bed, lying next to Rex hoping the covers hid his erection. He could feel the heat emanating from the Sidhe’s body. “Why is he sleeping so heavily?”

  “I imagine it’s his way of healing.” She stood and started from the room. “Rion, you made the right decision about him. We need to get him to his people quickly. Aside from the poison, something is testing the wards on the property.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Can you hear the wind chimes? There’s no wind out tonight.”

  Rion started to rise. “I should stay up then.”

  “No need. It can’t cross. Whatever’s going on with Rex, he’s still got enough juice to power the magic of the wards. But when we leave, his magic will go with him. You should take anything irre
placeable with you.”

  He slid back into the bed, head on the pillow next to Rex. “The only thing irreplaceable is our lives. Everything else is just stuff.”

  “All right then. Sleep. Don’t worry, if I need you, I’ll call.”

  “But hopefully, you won’t need me.”

  She gave him a cocky grin that made him want to smile back. “I think it’s highly unlikely. I’m pretty good at this.”

  He watched her leave and lay back, thinking about the strange ways that life moved. Just when they were at their most vulnerable, this extraordinary woman appeared.

  Rion stretched his arms behind his head, and to his chagrin, knew that he was a little in love.

  * * * *

  When Rex woke, he had to pee.

  Steady breathing told him that Rion was sound asleep, and he didn’t want to wake him, so he grabbed the staff they’d left at the side of the bed and hobbled to the bathroom. When he was finished, he returned to the room, looking down at the angel.

  Outside in the darkness, the wind chimes sang, and he gave a gentle nudge with his magic, sending it out to bolster the spot the unwelcome visitor was trying to breech. He hobbled to the kitchen for a glass of water and came to a stop when he saw her.

  Noemi was sitting in Rion’s big chair, legs crossed, eyes closed, clearly in a deep state of meditation. For a moment, he thought he saw an aura of red and gold.

  “Is it you who’s setting off the alarms?”

  She looked soft in the moonlight, her high cheekbones casting shadows over her face.

  “No. I’m still inside. Just watching it for now.”

  “The demon?”

  “Yes, but it’s like a baby…or a servant. Not the real deal.”

  She was doing pretty much the same thing he’d been doing, only she used a different technique.

  “Go back to bed, Rex. You need rest.”

  “Think you can boss me around, eh, lass?”

  Her full lips curved up into a soft smile. “I know I can lead you around, Sidhe. You have a handle. Actually, you have two. Lucky man.”

  He gave a soft laugh, and almost of its own volition his tail wandered, the tip stroking her cheek. While it wasn’t quite as sensitive as his fingertips, he still felt the smooth warmth of her skin.

  “You’re breaking my focus. Back to bed, Rex.”

  He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to put his lips to hers and taste her sweet mouth, to stroke her warm skin. He blinked, nearly lightheaded with the sensation. He stood there, fire racing through his veins. His cock was hard and ready, but he was unable to bend down to touch. Only his tail could move, and it stroked her neck, her throat.

  She swallowed, and even that fascinated him. He played the tip of his tail over her lips, and her eyelids.

  “Bed, Rex.” Her voice was a touch husky now and he could smell the rising heat of her body.

  “There is much I would give to bring you with me, to lay you down between the two of us, Noemi Gastineau. And I don’t know why that should be. Do you?”

  Her dark eyes opened, yet she didn’t look at him. “It isn’t unusual for patients to become infatuated with their doctors.” Her eyes dropped closed again.

  “I’ll bet you say that to all the men.”

  Her lips curled slightly, but she didn’t answer.

  * * * *

  Try as he might, Rex couldn’t sleep. His link to the wards told him their visitor had left, no doubt seeking easier prey. Rion lay quietly, deeply asleep. Noemi was awake, though in a deep trance state, monitoring their safety at the same time as she rested her body. It was a pretty nifty skill. No doubt her Inuit foster mother had trained her to do this.

  When the red vapor began to manifest, Rex grinned. Then he frowned when Anahita settled over Rion’s prone form.

  “Am I suddenly not good enough?”

  “You aren’t ready. You are weak.”

  He felt ready. His cock had responded to her presence immediately. Of course, it’d been ready since he’d had his moment with the lovely doctor in the living room.

  With his good hand, Rex reached down, palming himself. That was when he realized Rion was awake.

  “Did you ask him first?” Rex asked.

  “He agreed. He’s doing it for you.”

  Rex snorted in good-natured ire. “What a martyr he is. I’ll have to commend him for his sacrifice.”

  Next to him, Rion frowned in concentration and moaned. Shit! Rex could only watch. Even at that, he was seeing only Rion’s form writhing in pleasure. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but if he was going to be a voyeur, he’d like a bit more of a show.

  As though in answer to his wish, she appeared more real…more defined. She formed a red, vaporous body between Rion’s muscular legs.

  “Mmmm…nice…” Rex reached over and brushed his fingers over Rion’s nipples, watching them grow erect. His tail snaked over and slid between Rion’s thighs, tickling and stroking his balls.

  Rion’s lean hips bucked, his cock glistened with pre-cum.

  “Hey, we’re pretty good at double-teaming…” Rion was rapidly approaching climax, and the succubus shifted position, straddling his hips as though she were riding him. Her misty form lowered to his face for a kiss.

  At that embrace, Rion cried out softly. Through the red haze of her form, Rex watched him ejaculate. His semen glistened on his smooth belly. Rex reached out, his hand passing through her insubstantial body to touch Rion, and he smeared his partner’s seed onto his fingers, bringing it to his lips to taste.

  Rather than renewing her assault as she usually did, Anahita paused, and Rex had the sense that she was watching him.

  “No other man tastes the way Orion tastes.” He savored the salty-sweet essence of his lover.

  “He tastes of clouds and rain.” Her voice was soft and winsome. “You taste of Earth and life. You are perfect together.”

  “But we’ll never create life together.” That fact made him ache, an old, familiar grief settling on him briefly.

  “No, but you sustain life. You encourage it.” With a stroke of her phantom hand, Rion was hard again, thrusting and spilling his seed once more. It was an emotionless act, and as his energy released, it soaked into the red mist of Anahita.

  “You made love to him the first time,” Rex observed. She shifted, her form hovering over Rex, and he felt if he looked carefully enough, he’d see her eyes, her face. “You love him.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry for what happened to you, Anahita. For what happened while you were in the hands of my uncle.”

  “It was not your responsibility, Reux. He was trapped, as was I.”

  Her color suddenly shifted, going from dull and red to luminescent and glowing. Rex could see multiple colors break away and begin to shower from her body to his. It was as though he’d been trapped in a rainstorm of pure energy. His body arched in ecstasy, and the climax ripped through him faster than his brain could process. A strangled cry caught in his throat, and for that moment, Rex felt no pain.

  He lay panting, his heart racing in his chest. Next to him, Rion lay soundly asleep.

  “I’ve always loved him, Sidhe, but I came to love you as well.” She kissed him lightly on the lips and she was gone, leaving him sated, exhausted and feeling much better than he had expected.

  Anahita loved him.

  Rex fell asleep with a smile.

  Chapter Nine

  Rion winced as the SUV bumped onto the Golden Gate Bridge. The big vehicle actually traveled quite smoothly, but still, he glanced into the back seat to see Rex lying full-length on the bench seat. He was white with pain.

  “Nearly there, Rex. We’re on the bridge.”

  “We are?” He struggled upright. Rex had always had a fascination with the bridges of the Bay. He wanted to leap from the Golden Gate someday and fly down to the shore. Frankly Rion hoped he’d never try, he suspected the air currents were more suited to his style of flight than the Sidhe’s. Rex�
��s butterfly wings always appeared a bit fragile to Rion. In truth, they were tougher than boiled leather, but they still looked as though they’d tatter in high winds.

  In the driver’s seat, Noemi glanced into her mirror, meeting Rex’s eyes with a smile. “Can you give me a general idea of where we’re going?”

  “Chinatown.”

  She looked at Rion in disbelief. “Where on Earth will I find parking?”

  Rex laughed. “There’s a motel that sits at the edge of North Beach and Chinatown. From there, Rion can carry me where we need to go.”

  It was nearly dusk and a light rain was coming down. Noemi skillfully negotiated the city streets, finally arriving at the motel. She checked them in while the men waited in the car.

  “I got a room on the top level. There’s an elevator.” Somehow, being up high seemed a better idea than being on the ground. Not that a demon was unable to climb stairs. But the Chinese believed that ghosts and evil spirits had difficulty with obstacles such as raised hearths and non-direct routes to their prey. At the moment, it seemed like a good precautionary measure.

  They locked their few bits of luggage in the room. Earlier, Rion had moved his antique lute and guitars into a storage unit a few miles from their house, just in case.

  He watched as Noemi stepped out onto the balcony of their room, her hand resting over the amulet she wore. She turned back, a grim look on her face.

  “There are one or more demons fairly close by. You two will need to be careful.”

  “We will.” Rion scooped the Sidhe into his arms and moved to pass her.

  “I’ll come with you.”

  Rion hesitated.

  “You can tell me when to stop, Rex, but I can feel them, and you two are sitting ducks.”

  “She’s right, Rex.”

  The Sidhe looked at her thoughtfully. Rion knew this was one of the hardest decisions Rex had ever made. Could he trust this extraordinary woman enough to lead her right to the doorway of his people?

  “When I tell you to go no farther, you must obey. Do you agree?”