Windstorm (Nightwraith Book 1)

by Gaja J. Kos

  “He said no?” She let out a long, disapproving breath when I let her read the answer from my eyes. “What a prick.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “He actually said no? To you?” I shot her a warning glance, but Lena just shrugged. “I know they hate our guts but, come on, when has that stopped anybody from screwing? Especially someone as smoking hot as you…”

  “Argh.” I buried my head in my hands. “It’s complicated,” I mumbled. “He’s complicated.”

  The long pause made me look up. Lena was watching me with her cunning blue-green eyes, her face suddenly serious. “You like him, don’t you?”

  It was my turn to shrug. I really, truly didn’t want to go there, but it seemed like my mouth had other ideas. “I actually do.”

  “Well, fuck.”

  I couldn’t do a damn thing but agree.

  Chapter 16

  The auction was held in the basement of an abandoned villa a few miles beyond Celje’s city limits. Cian and I, both dressed from head to toe in black, approached it from the woods and kept well away from the road and the elite guests using it. I’d known about this place ever since Nenad had been invited to one of the events due to a particularly hot amulet he had found at a human yard sale, so it wasn’t all that hard to get the details on it—in exchange for a favor I would have to grant him sometime in the future, of course. It appeared my darling werewolf had realized that boons weren’t such a bad thing to trade in.

  Although I dreaded to even think about where he would send me next, his insights had proven to be invaluable. Nenad’s photographic memory was far better than any old map I could have dug out from the city’s archives, and he was also able to provide us a feel for the security measures we’d have to overcome. Luckily, the organizers had been fairly modest when it came to that particular department, considering the money that rolled through their hands.

  But while it made our job easier, in a way, it certainly did nothing to alleviate the level of danger our little mission was putting us in. If anything, a slightly less informed thief would end up as carrion even sooner, blinded by the lack of our outer security.

  The isolated location of the villa and the fact that the guests themselves were more lethal than anyone you could hire, gave the organizers little reason to go above and beyond when it came to keeping people out. Hiding bodies was a far lesser nuisance than securing the silence of those they would otherwise have had to contract.

  But that also meant we had to be extremely vigilant about not being spotted by one of the elite.

  Although they weren’t dragons per se, they were just as vicious when it came to the treasures they were selling or buying. If anybody got the bright idea to perform a heist, the entire guest list would be on them in a second. Needless to say, the thought disturbed me on a deep, deep level.

  Somehow, I just didn’t share Cian’s confidence that we would be in and out before anyone even noticed. In fact, the Fae had seemed positively thrilled when I’d shown him the equipment Lena loaned to me once I got back from the capital—a few hours later than necessary, since I had no desire to torture myself by being in his company. But even my late arrival hadn’t soured his mood. He immersed himself into the equipment, looking it over the way I would a batch of precious antiques, and had actually jested that he wouldn’t even have to break a sweat.

  I shook my head and glanced sideways, observing the calmness with which he now prowled through the woods. A true male on a mission.

  No, I definitely didn’t share his confidence. And I kind of doubted I ever would.

  When the villa came into view, Cian crouched behind some bushes, and I squeezed into the leafy cover next to him, feeling the subtle caresses of the heat rolling off his skin. The power, as well. I shoved all non-business related thoughts from my head, then uncurled a tendril of my own magic, and sent it towards the villa to see just what had snagged the Fae’s attention.

  I felt the barrier immediately.

  It was a thick, undulating mass of energy, coded to not let any living being cross. Not even a reanimated one—which was something I had briefly considered on the drive from Ljubljana. At least if one of Lana’s zombies got caught, she could release her hold on him, and there would be nothing linking any of us to the attempted theft.

  But my gut told me that there was no way I was getting off that easily, so I’d dropped the idea as soon as it had formed.

  Besides, though I hated what was now on me to do, I was also glad I hadn’t risked losing our shot at the hallow just because I didn’t want to get my hands dirty. I frowned. If the damned thing was even in there.

  I blew out a thin breath and focused on the ward. Despite its staggering strength, I could read the many layers that held it together. In my line of work, you had to have an intimate knowledge of protection spells, and this ward wasn’t so different from what I did on a regular basis, at least not in principle. But the way it was put together… That was far more advanced than any spell I’d ever used. Alone, I would never have been able to break through it, but with Cian…

  “Problem?” I asked, suddenly all too aware of the Fae’s stoic, yet still very much unnerving, presence.

  He shook his head, a half smile cupping his lips. “Not at all. Can you sense the hallow?”

  Despite the information he’d shared, I had no idea what the Stone sounded like, exactly. But if the pin in Riordan’s rental home had been a test, I was positive I would pick up on its seductive murmurs when it came in range. As it was, I couldn’t hear anything from beyond the damned protection line.

  “We’re too far away. Besides, with the way the ward is set up, I don’t think I’ll be able to sense anything until we’re on the other side.”

  Cian arched an eyebrow, excitement dancing in his purple eyes. “Then let’s get moving.”

  The earth rumbled around us, a soft but potent sound that washed over my senses as the soil accepted us into its cool embrace. Waves of Cian’s power rushed across my skin, my own magic echoing its pulse. It was the first time in years that I allowed the light and darkness to work in unison, that I actually encouraged their merging until I possessed the full strength of both worlds I belonged to. My bond with nature and all that was linked to it sprung to life through the blood of my Koldun father, the demon side giving me the tools to shape it, to wield it like a lethal blade and give it the strength it lacked on its own.

  I might not be able to control all that is of the earth in the same capacity as my father could, but with both powers running through me, I wasn’t limited only to my empathy or spellcasting, either.

  For the first time, I saw that hint of greatness my mother had spoken about. And it terrified me.

  Those were depths I had no desire to reach, even if the merging of powers felt so damned good.

  Shielding myself from the gloom and slight contradiction of my thoughts, I focused on moving the earth. Cian carried the bulk of the weight, but I noticed his appreciative gaze falling on me when he thought I wasn’t watching.

  Which only confused me further.

  I had fully believed that this, this display of demonic strength, would be the final nail in the coffin. That final unwanted quality that would snuff out whatever inexplicable attraction the Fae felt for me. And yet here he was, purple eyes filled with silent admiration for what I was doing.

  Or perhaps it was because he knew I was doing it for him.

  A bead of sweat rolled down my temple as more and more soil shifted and stirred, carrying us on its undulating currents. Amusement fluttered through me. Cian might have thought neither of us would break a sweat. But right now, I wasn’t the only one sporting a moist sheen on my forehead. And I knew the perspiration would only get worse.

  Although the sky above us was now long gone, replaced by the compact earth, we still pushed further, guided by the solid presence of the ward. We worked in silence, communicating without words as we divided our tasks. Despite the strength exhibiting such magic took, th
e process was almost…pleasant. And I had to admit that using a skill I had neglected for years intrigued me. Or maybe it was just the fact that for once, my powers didn’t lead to being sucked into memories of a time long passed. Who knew, maybe I could switch from antiques to supernatural gardening somewhere down the road.

  Cian and I stopped as we neared the barrier, our combined magic creating a chamber wide enough to give us ample room to move. Once the soil was packed where we wished it, I dispelled the tendrils of energy flowing from my core and swung the black bag off my shoulders.

  Quickly, I fished out a device no bigger than my palm, pulled out the sharp pin, and pressed my finger against its tip. Fueled by my blood, the gadget blinked to life, emanating a small pulse of probing magic. Digits appeared in the rectangular display on the top, coupled with a radar detection screen that took up most of the device—and told me precisely where the ward lay.

  A smile tugged on my lips. Clever. Very clever.

  While I kept my eyes on the display, Cian began to peel away layer after layer of earth like an archaeologist exhuming a fragile artefact. The radar picked up his power signature, soft beeps, like those of a car sensor for driving in reverse, notifying us of the proximity to the ward. He slowed when the beeping became almost frantic, his work so precise that I was the one who couldn’t help but admire his skill. After a few excruciatingly long seconds had passed, my excitement growing with each breath, I found myself standing in front of the translucent ward.

  I couldn’t see it. But I sure as fuck could feel it.

  And it was positively repulsive.

  Not just in the I’ll-break-your-nose-and-send-you-flying-backward kind of way, but the vibe it gave off was hideous. The distance must have masked its festering essence before—and my own immersion in the task in the minutes that followed—but now, being face-to-face with the barrier like I was, the damn thing made my stomach churn.

  I took a few steadying breaths. It was just a ward. An ugly ward, true, but still nothing more than multiple compressed layers of energy.

  Even back when we had scouted it from the woods, I had already been able to make out a couple of spells that pieced the barrier together. Now I just needed to unravel the rest. And try not to puke in the meantime.

  I pulled a pentagram necklace out of a bag, then rummaged around some more until my fingers wrapped around a moon-shaped amulet. Both pendants reacted to my touch, immediately becoming warm, and started to emit soft vibrations. I hung them around my neck, letting their combined strength give me the clarity of mind, as well as the clarity of energy.

  As I readied myself, Cian watched me in absolute silence from where he lingered on my left. I met his purple gaze once I was done, and gave him a soft smile. “You remember the drill?”

  “You create a crack. I insert a barrier coded to let us pass through it.”

  “Piece of cake for a mighty High Lord such as yourself, right?”

  He rolled his eyes at me. He actually rolled his eyes.

  I snickered.

  “Just stay vigilant, okay?” I said, my thoughts already focusing on the solid wall of energy in front of me. “If the ward breaks for more than a split second, we’ll have the entire bloody elite at our throats.”

  He moved to stand beside me, the sudden presence of his heat lapping at my skin. I half turned, but Cian moved even closer, his lips barely a hair’s width away from mine.

  “Trust me,” he whispered, the raw hunger burning in his eyes tightening things low in my body, “there won’t be a single gap left unfilled.”

  I shuddered. “We so need to talk after this is over.”

  Then I melded my magic with the ward.

  Chapter 17

  The black long sleeve shirt I wore was drenched in sweat by the time we reached the basement wall. The ward had been complex, hence the soaked state of my clothes, but with our combined magic and the equipment I had borrowed from Lena, it took us just a little over half an hour to push through it.

  Right on schedule.

  I looked over at Cian. He was running his hands over the aged, but very solid concrete, feeling out for any traps that might be waiting for us on the other side, so I used the spare time to recover some of my strength. While the process had been draining—an unavoidable consequence of dealing with any kind of magic beyond the basic level—I didn’t fail to notice that dissecting the ward hadn’t wiped me out as much as I expected. As much as it would have if I had kept the demonic side locked away, which, I had to admit, came as a bit of a surprise.

  I’d always believed my spellcasting abilities came from my father’s side, since demonic wards were a different thing altogether, relying on raw energy, rather than the art form of a true magical barrier. But I guess I really should have figured out by now that nothing was as straightforward in my life as I would have liked it to be. So I crossed my arms, filed the thought away so that I could revisit it at a later time, and leaned against the wall of the cozy cavern Cian and I had created.

  With the silence we were submerged in, I could already hear the faint whispers coming from the other side of the wall. They weren’t substantial enough to tell if the hallow was among them or not, but they did let me know we were getting close. It appeared Nenad’s guess about where they kept the auctioned items had been correct. The were deserved a martini for that. Two, if I made it out alive.

  I stirred as a quiet laugh caught my attention.

  “Found something?” I asked the unusually amused Fae, a sight that was far too pleasing than was good for my sanity.

  His lips quirked up. “A lot of somethings, but nothing that will keep us out.”

  “So, what, we punch through the wall?”

  Lena had given me a mean little device that allowed you to temporarily embed a portal in any solid surface that wasn’t shielded against such an intrusion specifically. And, I had to admit, I was more than a little tempted to try it out.

  But Cian shook his head and flashed me an ominous smile. “Something much better.”

  Before I knew it, the damned Fae crushed my body against his chest, and the world around me dissolved.

  I came to in a dimly lit room, shaken by the sudden shift and still glued to Cian’s hard frame, his arms preventing me from making any sudden moves. The heat that radiated from his body washed over mine in a promise of excitement that was yet to come, and I tried hard not to think about the length of his arousal pressing against me. I shifted slightly, trying to at least put some distance between us, but my movements only made the situation worse.

  Typical.

  Just as I felt him grow even thicker and so, so deliciously ready, a masculine groan spilled from his lips. The sound buried itself into my backswept hair, the pure eroticism of it making me shiver. But Cian only tightened his grip on me.

  The tips of his strong fingers traveled gently across the arch of my lower back, before he guided his hand down to cup my ass. Flames erupted in my core, only a small part of me still remembering where we were. What we were supposed to be doing.

  I’d never met someone who could capture me so completely. And that, perhaps, was the most terrifying thought of them all.

  “Cian,” I half moaned, half whispered, but instead of breaking the contact as I wanted it to, the sound of his name only seemed to enflame him further.

  I felt the impossible hardness of him quiver to break from the confines of his pants, heard his labored breaths and the wild pounding of his heart. With incredible strength, he lifted me off the floor and ground against me as my legs wrapped around his waist, effectively dispelling every sane thought from my head.

  “Feck, you’re driving me mad, Nightwraith,” he whispered before his lips brushed against mine, and everything inside me just unraveled.

  Instinctively, my magic set up a protective barrier around us, only to find Cian’s already waiting there, as erect and firm as the Fae himself. I smiled into his kiss and drank in his taste, wanting to capture every detail, every fine nuan
ce of who Cian was.

  It didn’t matter whether his change of heart was permanent or just some temporary onslaught of lust, fueled by the wider situation. All I cared about was how good it felt to be trapped in the embrace of his arms, how every inch of his body trembled with need. And just how badly I wanted him.

  How badly I had wanted him from the moment he stepped foot inside my store.

  My energy flared to life, rubbing against his like some lethal, wild cat that had found someone worthy. And his responded in kind.

  But before the weight of those implications could anchor itself in my mind, Cian trailed a finger down the line of my formfitting pants, all the way to the molten heat that blossomed beneath the fabric. A slow, teasing stroke had me writhing with pleasure. The next brought me on that delicious verge of pain that I all but screamed for him to satisfy me. To grant me the release only he could give.

  “Later,” Cian whispered as he parted from my lips, and softly cupped the swollen, sensitive flesh between my thighs from behind. “I promise.”

  As he eased me to the ground, the world slowly came back to me. I ignored my burning cheeks, the lingering ache in my body, as well as the thousand questions that exploded in my mind, but instead willed myself to do the impossible—focus.

  Whispers curved on the air, some a sweet song of a life well lived, others angry, even vengeful. Then there was one unlike all the rest.

  It called to me, unique and beautiful, the murmurs carrying the same alluring power that corded Cian’s body, his very soul. I looked up at the Fae and nodded as his purple gaze met mine.

  “The hallow’s here.”

  His thumb brushed against my cheek. “Thank you.”

  I leaned into his touch for a brief moment, then forced myself to straighten up. “Don’t thank me just yet, High Lord. We still need to get the damned thing.”

  “But you know where it is, don’t you?” he said softly.