Dark Souls

by J. L. Weil

  “He attacked you?” Layla said, appalled.

  I nodded. “It was a very long time ago, but he never let me forget it.”

  Scarlett sat down beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “That’s why he is after Jensen.”

  “He managed to find my one weakness.” My voice hitched. It happened every time I thought about Mason possessing Jensen or worse … killing him and me not being able to save him in time. And even if I did get there before it was too late, another healing rune would make Jensen immortal. The situation seemed like a lose-lose.

  “Don’t they always,” Layla said.

  “If anything happens to him—”

  Layla shivered. If anyone had firsthand experience with soul possession, it was Layla. “I’ll find Talon.”

  “Thank you. I owe you, Layla Ovard. If you ever are in need, you only have to ask.”

  She rocked back on her heels, a smile on her lips. “I love when reapers are indebted to me.”

  I grinned, wiping away tears I hadn’t realized had been there. It was so hard to believe that this beautiful girl had managed to thaw the icy Talon, but on the other hand, love did work in mysterious ways. Fate was fickle.

  Chapter 9

  The portal in my house swirled, turning murky. I saw a masculine bedroom on the other side for a moment before Talon framed the entrance and walked through it. He was dressed in head-to-black. “Em, it’s been a while.”

  “It has. Thanks for coming.” Talon and I went way back. And by way back, I mean like decades. Without him, I never would have survived as a reaper. Most of us were complete a-holes. Talon was one of the good ones under his rough exterior.

  “Layla said it was important.”

  I leaned a hip on the edge of my sectional couch—basically the only piece of furniture in the room. “Your mate suits you.”

  His lips twitched, eyes sparkling. “She does.”

  I never thought I would see that particular look on Talon’s face. I was happy for him. If anyone deserved romance and happiness, it was Talon. “I need your help.”

  “Huh. Funny. I remember not that long ago—well, it might have been a decade or so ago—you told me to buzz off. I distinctly recall you saying it would be a hot day in Hell before you needed my help.”

  Blah. Blah. Blah. I’d known Talon would make me eat my words. He couldn’t have possibly forgotten our last conversation. “Times change. Circumstances have made me desperate”—meaning he was my last resort.

  He knew it too, the devil. “Love does that.”

  “Tell me about it,” I said dryly. “It’s not as glamorous as it’s made out to be.”

  Arms crossed, he stood in the middle of my family room with his feet spread apart in a battle stance. He dwarfed the large room with his presence. “I’ll help, but under one condition.”

  My eyes narrowed. “And what would that be?”

  “We do this my way.”

  “Do you promise that Jensen won’t be harmed and we’ll get Mason?”

  His eyes glinted with anticipation. “Oh, we’ll get the bloody bastard. That I promise.”

  “And Jensen?” I repeated, needing to hear from Talon that he would do everything possible to make sure Jensen didn’t get harmed.

  His silence didn’t reassure me.

  “Talon!” I growled. “I don’t want anything to happen to him. He can’t be hurt again.”

  A frown pulled down at his lips. “Just how many times have you used runes on this mortal?”

  I stood to my full height and still had to crane my neck back to look at him. “That question is better left unanswered.”

  He shook his head. “Em, Em, Em. If you want to get Mason, we’re going to need to set a trap.”

  My heart dropped. “Don’t tell me. Jensen is the bait.”

  Talon winked. “Bingo. You always were a bright pupil.”

  “Don’t stop. I could use the flattery.”

  “Just don’t do anything stupid until we send his soul to Hell.”

  I didn’t say anything. No use lying to Talon.

  If I stepped back and looked at the situation from a reaper perspective without the emotions involved, I knew Talon was right. The best way to trap Mason was to lure him out. He would be expecting me, but not Talon too. We’d have the advantage.

  Didn’t mean I liked it.

  In fact, I hated the plan.

  I would also hate it if Mason managed to get his dirty grubs on Jensen because I’d been too afraid to trust my gut, and my gut told me to go with Talon’s plan.

  A few hours had gone by since Talon had left, and I couldn’t stay in this house another second. I headed to the mirror, engaging portal runes. The mirror responded, opening a portal into Jensen’s bedroom.

  My eyes glanced around the empty room. Weird. I hadn’t seen him leave, and his car still sat in the driveway. Down the hall, I could hear water running and faint voices from the lower level of the house. He was probably in the shower—you know, doing normal human stuff.

  I stood in the middle of his room contemplating my options. The last thing I wanted to do was work. I just wasn’t in the mindset to deliver souls or be alone. Instead, I curled up on his bed and settled in. The pillow smelled crisp and clean, like winter mint with earthy hints. In seconds, I fell fast asleep, comforted by the surroundings of all things Jensen.

  Fresh out of the shower, Jensen walked through his bedroom door as I opened my eyes, tugging a plain black T-shirt on over his head. I caught a glimpse of his tantalizing abs, and had to force my eyes upward from when the stretch of skin disappeared under his shirt. Damp dark hair clung to his forehead and chiseled cheekbones. For a mortal, his features were almost too perfect.

  “What’s wrong, Em?” he asked.

  I peeked up at him from under my lashes, disappointment weaseling inside me. He stood fully dressed now. What a shame. “Nothing now,” I said, my voice thick from sleep.

  He gave me a slow perusal from his wet-lidded eyes. “I’m glad you’re here. I was thinking about you.” He swaggered to the bed and sat down beside me.

  I shivered, and it wasn’t from the cold of Hell. “Same. But then again, you seem to always consume my thoughts.”

  His hand curved behind the back of my neck, bringing our faces close. “So, you miss me?” He rubbed his cheek against mine, inhaling deeply.

  Unable help myself, I planted a kiss on his neck. “Duh. Isn’t that what I said?”

  “Just wanted to be clear.”

  My head felt anything but clear. “You smell amazing. I miss your smell,” I murmured. “I’ve dreamed about being in your arms and kissing you for two years. Every single night. Even during the day, my thoughts stray to you.”

  He ran his fingers down my arm. “Every time you’re near, a chill skates over my skin.”

  Not to mention the electric charge in the air. The combination beguiled me. “Sorry, a hazard of the job.”

  “I don’t mind,” he whispered right before his lips found mine. My mouth parted on a gasp, and he deepened the kiss, stealing my breath.

  Downright frightening sensations invaded my body. Time slowed to a crawl, his mouth never leaving mine. My muscles relaxed as I soaked up his incredible kisses. I dug my fingers into his hair, just in case he got any ideas of stopping. Jensen pressed down against me, hooking a hand behind my leg and brought it up around his hip. His hand skimmed under my shirt, sending tingles of blood rushing to my skin.

  His lips and fingers evoked feelings of the wicked kind.

  This one-sided touching wasn’t fair. I wiggled my hand down to his waist, slipping my eager fingers under his T-shirt and beginning my own exploration. His stomach was firm, dipping and rippling in all the right places.

  Jensen moaned.

  I smothered a curse against his lips. Things were getting out of my control. And for once, I didn’t care. Consequences be damned.

  Who knew what tonight would bring?

  I wanted to live in the here
and now. No regrets.

  With impatient hands, I bunched his shirt up. He broke away long enough to whip it the rest of the way over his head, and I marveled at the beauty of him. “I tried to stay away from you, but the longer we’re apart, the stronger my feelings are for you. I can’t get you out of my mind. I can’t stay away.”

  He leaned forward, his chest pressed up against me. “Don’t.” Gentle fingers brushed aside my hair and bit my ear.

  That was it.

  I lost control.

  I fused our mouths together again, basking in the glow only Jensen could produce inside me. It was the closest to Asgard I’d come to since becoming a reaper. In one heady tug, my shirt joined his on the floor, and suddenly we touched skin to skin. His arms tightened around me, crushing me to him as our ragged breaths mingled. He kissed me again and again, branding me in a scorching fire.

  I pulled back, hovering over him, our lips barely touching. “How am I ever going to live without you?”

  “Make me immortal. I want to be like you,” he whispered.

  We lay there staring at each other. The moment seemed to last forever—long enough for his admission to tempt me to have him for all eternity. “I can’t,” I murmured.

  “Yes. You can,” he insisted, persuasion gleaming in his eyes.

  We could argue this point until he was blue in the face. I was standing my ground. The best way to avoid our first fight was to change the subject. “I’m going to ask something of you. It’s a lot to ask, and it could put you in harm’s way.”

  “I would do anything for you,” he replied without hesitation, leaving me breathless and dazed.

  “Don’t you want to know what it is first?” The haze of our heavy make out session reflected in his eyes, but it was the love I saw that tugged my heart.

  “You want me to help you capture the dark soul.”

  My lips turned downward, and I ran a hand through my messy hair. “It’s the only way I can ensure he won’t ever hurt you again.”

  “Tell me what to do.”

  Chapter 10

  It scared me how much Jensen blindly trusted me. I told him what I could as we lay wrapped up in each other, and more than anything, I wanted to stay like this forever. Forget the outside world. Forget the souls. Forget the gods. But no matter how much I wished, our time was coming to end. Once we captured the soul tonight, I would have to leave again.

  Leave Sterling.

  Leave Jensen.

  For good.

  If I stayed, I would make him immortal, for I wouldn’t be able to stay near him and not make him mine—eternally.

  I dozed for an hour or so, needing the short time to shut my brain off. Waking in Jensen’s embrace was like watching the sunrise, glorious and magical, filling me with contentment.

  And then I felt the chill. A cold icicle dripped down my spine.

  Not an unusual sensation (considering my job), but I turned and looked up into Jensen’s face. A warning struck inside me. Feeling all kinds of wrong, I disentangled myself and sat up on the bed, knowing things were about to get hectic very soon. “Jensen?”

  He closed his fingers under my chin and brought my lips to his. “Hey, doll.”

  My blood froze. “Mason?”

  “The one and only, doll. Miss me?”

  I threw up in my mouth. Without saying another word, I inched closer to the edge of the bed. I didn’t get far. Jensen/Mason grabbed a handful of my tousled hair and yanked, pulling me back against him.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” he hissed near my ear. “Things were just starting to get interesting.” He pressed his body against mine, and revulsion hit me in waves.

  I had a momentary freak out. My brain had a hard time processing that I stared at Jensen (my mortal mate), but I conversed with Mason (my immortal enemy). “Let go of me!”

  The lips I loved curved into a sneer. “Not that long ago, you were begging me to touch you.”

  I shook my head, refusing to believe Mason had possessed Jensen’s body while we had been—

  Oh, I was going to be sick.

  Had I let him touch me? Kiss me?

  The harder I obsessed over it, the more convinced I became that it had been Jensen. Mason was trying to get inside my head, and I was letting him. “You’re sick, Mason. The only way you could get me to touch you would be by pretending to be someone else.”

  He backhanded me.

  Okay, it might not have been the smartest move—antagonizing him—but I had to find an opening to reach my dagger. My eyes locked onto my pants thrown on the floor. I shoved the hair out of my face, ignoring the burning sting on my cheek from being backhanded.

  If Mason weren’t already dead, I’d kill him again.

  Droplets of blood plopped onto Jensen’s bed sheets, and I dabbed a finger on my lip. The asshole had made me bleed. My heart pounded in my chest for an entirely different reason. “You’re going to pay for this. Using Jensen as a tool is low. Come out and face me, you coward.”

  He laughed, a guttural sound. It was Jensen’s voice, but with a twisted and haunting tone. “Nice try, doll, but I like it in here.”

  Every time he called me doll, I cringed inside. “Don’t get cozy, Mason. You won’t be staying long.”

  “And risk hurting your precious mortal? It disgusts me how you dote on him. You two can’t have anything but fleeting moments. I offered you eternity.”

  That should have told a sane person something: I would rather be alone than spend another second with Mason. Although the whole killing him thing had kind of backfired, considering he had more or less been stalking me for a decade. “Then you shouldn’t have tried to end my life.”

  He laughed. “Oh that. I tend to overreact when I don’t get what I want.”

  Ya think?

  With a scream stuck in my throat, I lunged for my dagger. I felt something whip through the air a heartbeat before a hand wrapped around my leg and tugged. I hit the floor hard—elbows first. That would leave one hell of a rug burn. Spinning around on my back, I kicked my leg out—careful not to use too much force—and hit Jensen/Mason in the chest, dislodging his hold on my leg. Frantic, I scrambled across the carpet, desperate to retrieve my dagger.

  Arms fumbling with my pant pockets, I tried to grab my dagger.

  He stood above me, a frown tugging on his lips. His head shook back and forth. “That was a very dumb move,” he said, stepping on the inside of my wrist, pinning it to the floor.

  Regardless of the pain, I refused to release my grip on my only weapon. Without it, I’d not be able to summon Mason and break the possession link. “Go to Hell, Mason.” My voice was choppy and my breathing ragged as I spoke through the agony.

  “You’d like that. Been trying for ten years. When are you going to realize I don’t intend to leave?”

  I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes for a moment. Mason could kill me if he wanted to. “The moment you get your head checked and the doctor confirms you’re a delusional asshat.”

  He ground his foot harder against my wrist, an amused smirk tipping his lips. “God, how I missed you. No one quite knows how to spin a phrase like you, doll.”

  Argh! I yanked on my hand, instantly regretting the action. Tears stung my eyes. I was pretty sure he’d fractured a bone or two. “How about you face me in your true form? I have all kinds of colorful words for you.”

  He angled his head to the side. Jensen’s gunmetal gray eyes shone with inklings of aggravation. “Let’s not make this difficult.”

  I stopped struggling and gave my lungs a moment to breathe. “What the hell do you want? I can’t give you your life back.” And honestly, I wouldn’t even if it was possible. Mason hadn’t been a good person, not even when he’d been alive.

  “I kind of expected after all this time, you would have figured it out.”

  The normally light dagger felt heavy in my hand. My fingers were going numb, and any second I would drop my only weapon. “You know that would never happen. It’
s not possible.”

  “Oh, but it is. We can both win. I want to live again, love again. You’ll have your mate, and I’ll finally have you.”

  “Yeah, that doesn’t work for me.” I had enough of listening to Mason run his trap, and it was pointless trying to reason with him. Time to kick ass. It would pain me to hurt Jensen, but I would try to minimize the damage.

  Bringing my legs up in a crunch, my foot connected with his most prized parts, and as expected, he doubled over, clutching his legs together. My hand was free at last. I rolled to my right and switched my dagger to my other hand, engaging my runes. “Let’s party.”

  Mason lifted his gaze. “I thought you’d never ask.” He cracked his neck, producing a gleaming blade from behind his back that had been tucked into his pants.

  Oh, my gods! He was going to kill me. I opened my mouth, but it wasn’t my voice I heard.

  “Am I interrupting a lover’s quarrel?”

  Chapter 11

  Both Mason and I froze in response to the deep familiar voice oozing authority.

  Talon.

  He stepped from the shadows. I could only see the side of his face, but he looked dramatic enough, like an avenging dark angel. The swirling mirror behind him closed the portal from his house. He was one badass reaper, and the souls knew it too. I was slightly mortified that I asked Talon to help me clean up this mess, but I also felt relieved.

  With Talon by my side, Mason didn’t stand a chance of escaping from the two of us.

  Mason’s eyes volleyed between us.

  Boom. Tag team, bitch.

  I moved first, standing to my full height, which was nothing next to Talon. Well over six-feet, his dark hair fell in slashes to one side of his face. And what a face.

  Layla was a lucky girl, if you were into the dark and dangerous type, but I didn’t envy her. I was a reaper, and I couldn’t imagine dating one of us.

  Talon favored leather and his ankle-length duster. I preferred a different wardrobe—a more comfortable one. His runes covered his body, disappearing under his sleeve.