“Maybe he was responsible. Maybe they were wronged, in some sense. But they killed and enslaved humanity after that.”
“Did they?” he questioned, and my temper rose. “It became survival of the fittest, and humans simply weren’t. Is that really different to how humans treated other creatures not long before?”
I grit my teeth, appetite diminishing in favor of stabbing him.
“Whose side are you on?”
“Neither.” He shrugged. “I was not affected. It makes it easier to look at it without bias, and the way I see it—you both committed crimes against the other. That witch went after someone she deemed had hurt her and her own. It’s not all that different from you and your hunt for Claude. Their kind developed a hatred for humans for what was forced on them, and in your kind’s ignorance, they were hurt. But in their anger, they lashed out, and you were hurt.”
“You feel sorry for them,” I accused.
“No, not really. I simply understand them, just as I understand you. Your prejudice was born out of rational and irrational anger from childhood. It says a lot that that’s your earliest memory. It shaped you.”
I took a bite to give myself a chance to form a response. I wasn’t crazy about being psychoanalyzed like this. Nathalie was already bad enough.
As if she heard me, the static crackled in my ear. “He’s right, you know.”
The most delicious meal I’d probably ever had turned to ash in my mouth.
I set my fork down, noticing he hadn’t even touched his meal.
“You’re right. It shaped me. I’m an angry person. I’m prejudiced. Speciesist. I’m not nice—”
“You’re also loyal to a fault. You put others above yourself when you believe they are worth it. Your trust is hard earned, but once someone has it, you’d do anything for them.”
My jaw slipped, and I had to catch myself to keep from gaping. “You don’t know—”
“You’re sitting here now eating dinner with me. I didn’t need to look into your past to know that. You’re here for Bree, and that tells me all I need to know.”
I looked at my plate and took a deep breath.
“You can’t change me,” I said eventually. “Fix me. Heal me. It can’t happen. It won’t.”
I waited for him to deny that. To tell me I was wrong. But when he didn’t speak, I lifted my eyes. He was smirking.
“You’re right to an extent, but fortunately for me, I don’t have to,” he said. “At least not completely. You’ve already changed. The fact that you’re living with a witch and she’s currently listening to every word I’ve said speaks for itself. You’re changing, Piper, but you’re changing by your choice. Not mine.”
“Oh snap,” Nathalie said in my ear. “This guy really knows how to lay it on you, doesn’t he?”
I reeled back to jump to my feet, but his hand grabbed my wrist, pulling me down.
“This dinner is over,” I hissed.
“But we haven’t even had dessert.” He grinned. “I was hoping to have you, but I think that might have to wait till next time.”
My face flamed from anger and . . . embarrassment? I did not want to assess that. Nope. I wasn’t touching it with a ten-foot pole.
“Let. Me. Go.”
“But then you’d never hear about your sister.”
I froze.
“What about her?”
The grin faded from his face as a more serious look washed over his features.
“I know what’s wrong with her. I know why she never woke up.”
Those words were ringing in my ears. Salvation within my grasp, and damnation right beside it because I knew that truth wouldn’t come free. Not from a demon. Certainly not from Ronan.
Before I could ask him anything, the boards beneath my feet broke apart. A crack like bone shattering registered.
Then the dinner boat exploded.
2
Splintered wood and fire filled my vision.
At first it was just heat. Pain. My head swam, and I didn’t know up from down.
Then came the cold. My body crashed into the icy waters of Lake Michigan and I started to sink before I even thought to swim. Magic was singing in my veins as my heartbeat soared, perilously close to stopping. I clawed at the water, kicking my feet. My chest was seizing painfully as the cold pushed the air from my lungs.
I was drowning.
After everything I’d been through, it was fucking drowning that was going to get me.
No. I mentally calmed myself and relaxed my movements to look around. It was jarring. The waters were clear but shadowed from nightfall. I kicked toward the orange glow above me. It had to be fire, which meant there was air.
My body jerked to a stop.
I narrowed my eyes and peered through the darkness.
Something was pulling my jacket, and by extension, me.
I reached for the zipper with numb fingers, still kicking to keep myself from sinking any lower.
The thumping in my ears urged me on.
Come on. Come on. My fingers were slow. Sluggish. They struggled to hold on to the smooth metal. I yanked it, only for the zipper to move a few inches, then stop when I lost my grip.
Goddamnit. I was going to come back and haunt every last motherfucker that played a part in exploding that boat.
I reached for the zipper again, but my feet were failing me. My lungs were failing me. My body was too weak, and whatever was pulling down my jacket was too strong.
Darkness closed in and I made a fist, prepared to let my heart stop if it meant a chance of escape.
Strong arms grabbed me.
I tried to struggle when hands locked on either side of my jacket and shirt, then pulled. The material gave way easily.
Bare hands helped me out of it, rough calluses brushing against my skin. My head rested against something hard and warm. The sides of my vision were starting to become hazy as a burning built in my chest from the lack of oxygen.
I didn’t know we were moving until the cold wind slapped me in the face. Water spewed from my lips, and those warm hands held me tight, keeping my head above water. I took wild, gasping breaths, inhaling as much as I could while urging my heart to slow.
It was so close . . .
Too close. One wrong move and it was all ove—
“Breathe slower. You don’t want your heart to stop,” a dark voice rumbled. My eyes snapped open.
Ronan hovered, his face only inches away. His expression furious. Something cold and lethal glittered in his eyes. I knew without a doubt I wouldn’t be the only one hunting down whoever did this.
“You saved me,” I uttered, dumbfounded. It was the same thing I’d said to Nathalie, except where she shrugged it off, Ronan held me tighter. Those eyes like winter winds and steel pulled me in as we drifted in the dark waters. Overhead, a sliver of the moon cast its light upon us. Pieces of flaming debris skittered over the surface of the lake, far enough away to not be a concern, but close enough to bask us in muted light.
“Of course. You’re mine. I protect what’s mine.”
His words snapped me out of my reverie. I blinked and then kicked, trying to swim away. His arms may as well have been iron, for they didn’t budge an inch.
“You need to calm down. If your heart stops, you’re only strong for a time before the crash will consume you.”
His words were . . . right.
I hated that, but I stilled and stopped fighting as much as it killed me.
“Do you know what caused the explosion?” I asked, forcing myself to shut down all emotion and think logically. His bare hands clutching my back made that difficult.
“Magic,” he said, confirming my suspicion. “I can smell it in the air. That wasn’t a natural fire. Ships don’t explode without warning.”
Footsteps pounded against concrete about twenty yards from us. I glanced up at the pier right as Nat came to a stop at the edge where the boat had been docked. She bent at the waist, hands braced on her hips, br
eathing heavily.
“What happened? I saw the explosion and your mic cut out . . .” she said, her eyes moving to the wreckage that surrounded us before zeroing back in.
“I’m not sure, exactly. Did you see anyone up there? Anyone try to run?”
She shook her head, and I cursed. The thumb rubbing my lower back in slow, rhythmic circles made me hyper aware of how close me and Ronan were.
“Come on,” he said, cutting through the water toward the dock with a few strong kicks. “Your lips are turning blue.”
“If someone let me swim away when I tried to, maybe they wouldn’t be,” I said stiffly.
He hoisted me out of the water and halfway up the ladder without comment. My arms shook from exertion as I clutched the slippery metal bars with numb fingers. Water poured from me in a torrent as I hauled one leg up after the other onto the dock. Tiny hairs clung to my arms and my ponytail splayed over my back, sticking to my bare skin.
The cold hit me as I stood there in jeans and a bra. My brands were completely on display for anyone to see, including Ronan.
I started walking, and Nathalie met me halfway, a baggy sweatshirt in hand. She extended it silently, shrugging when I flashed her a look.
“You have a tendency of catching on fire. I figured having extra clothes on hand was smart. That said, I didn’t bring a towel because I wasn’t expecting you to go for a swim.”
I snorted, shoving my arms through the sleeves. It clung to me uncomfortably but took the edge off the cold.
“Were you the target?” I asked Ronan without turning. I sensed his eyes on my back, making me uncomfortable. He’d just saved me from drowning, though, so I had to face the fact he wouldn’t kill me. While I didn’t like magic and certainly didn’t want to bond with him, it would be stupid to constantly watch my guard, expecting him to kill me when he’d never given me any indication he would.
“Unknown. I haven’t been here long enough to make many enemies, but it’s possible . . .” He trailed off as if there were more. I turned around, crossing my arms over my chest.
“What’s possible?”
“Lucifer wasn’t the only demon to cross over through the ages. It’s possible others have heard of my arrival and thought to test my power. They might have thought I’d be weakened by the crossing and attempting their coup now before I learned of their presence was worth the risk.” He ran a hand through his slick black locks, silver eyes flashing with the promise of vengeance.
“Why would other demons want to kill you?”
“Because of what I am. Who I am.”
“Who are you?” I asked pointedly.
“It’s not important,” he said dismissively. “What’s important is finding out if it was another demon, and if so, who. If I was the target, then it’s only a matter of time until you’re in danger as well.” I narrowed my eyes, not missing the way he danced around my question. Whatever he was, he didn’t want me to know.
“I’d say she’s already in danger given the whole exploding boat,” Nathalie said.
“Yes, but it’s the difference between actively being the target and simply being here with me this time,” Ronan said without looking at her. A slow smirk spread across his wicked lips, like he knew why I was glaring.
“If they do know who she is, is it possible this attack was actually meant for her? Not you?” Nathalie asked, astute as ever. Ronan tilted his head, considering that.
“We shouldn’t rule it out. This explosion couldn’t have killed me, even if the crossing had weakened me. I wouldn’t be surprised if another demon tried it anyway, but if they knew Piper is my atma, then hurting her to get to me isn’t unlikely either.”
“Who are you?” I repeated.
He grinned openly, almost taunting.
“Does it matter?” he asked me, an echo of the question I often found myself asking him.
“Maybe. Depends.” I shrugged.
“Liar. You’d hate me either way just because I’m a demon,” he said. I couldn’t tell if that bothered him or not.
“Then why won’t you tell me?”
Ronan took a step toward me and leaned in. “Because some truths you have to earn.”
“Even if I’m your atma?”
“Especially because you’re my atma,” he uttered.
Seemingly oblivious to the tension between us, though I knew that wasn’t the case, Nathalie paced. “Not even Lucifer knew she was your atma until last week. I think it’s unlikely this is a demon. He practically owns New Chicago. Very little gets past him. And from what I know of your kind, they can be territorial—”
“We are,” Ronan said, looking at me.
“Exactly. For another demon to know where you would be and coordinate an attack, they’d have to have a lot of spies that are close to you. I don’t think that’s likely.”
“It could be Lucifer himself,” I pointed out.
“Also not likely,” Nathalie said. “He wouldn’t endanger you this way.”
I wanted to disagree, except I knew she had a point. There was also the obvious fact that I hadn’t seen or heard from him since the night in the alley.
“As much as I hate to give him this, I also find it unlikely to be my brother. Besides, I haven’t sensed him or his power in long enough I'm beginning to wonder if he died that night or simply entered stasis.”
“Stasis?”
“The crash,” he said. “All of us experience it in some form. None like you, however.”
He didn’t know me, and yet he knew all my secrets. It was an odd feeling, uncomfortable at best.
“Getting back to the point at hand,” I said, taking a step back from Ronan. “If it wasn’t Lucifer, then who? You can feel magic. Did you feel anything strong enough to be a demon nearby?”
“No,” Ronan sighed, the tension easing if not leaving entirely. “It’s possible they were working through someone, just as it’s possible that it’s not a demon at all. Although, I wouldn’t have any idea who if not a demon. As I said, I haven’t been around long enough to make enemies.”
“No,” Nathalie agreed. “But this definitely has to do with you. Piper didn’t know you were taking her there. Whoever caused it did. Either that or they’ve been tailing you and got out before any of us knew . . .” Nathalie’s lips twisted in a displeased grimace. “Honestly, that doesn’t seem all that likely either. Piper is paranoid, and I’ve been watching the perimeter.”
“I know,” he said in a way that made me confident he did. “I can sense you both. There were only four other people on the boat at the time, and none of them had the power to actually blow up a ship.”
“Well someone had to,” Nathalie said. “Someone that clearly knows how to get around all three of us.”
I looked out over the pier, knowing that I would find it empty, but still doing it all the same. “If no one saw, heard, or felt them, we’re not going to get anywhere standing here, and I’m freezing.”
“I’ll look into it. Whoever did this covered their tracks well, but if they’re really that intent on hurting you or me, it won’t be the last time. You need to stay with Nathalie until then and try not to leave the apartment.”
I opened then closed my mouth as what he said registered. “How do you know where I’ve been staying?”
“I had you tailed coming back from the cabin,” Ronan said, completely unashamed.
“But that was three days ago.”
“Yes.” He lifted a dark eyebrow.
“You’ve known where I’ve been this entire time?”
“You made it clear that chasing you wouldn’t work. So I didn’t.” But he still had someone tail me. Even in letting go of control, he was still finding ways to take it without giving me a choice. Not that I’d ever say yes.
I shook my head. I really didn’t want to go into this with him. Not now, not ever. “Look, I met you here like you wanted. Time to uphold your end of the deal. I want Bree back, and I want to know what’s wrong with her.”
�
��No.”
I stilled, anger making my magic prickle in my palms as my heart started to beat louder, the sound filling my ears. “We had a deal.”
“Did we?” he asked, cocking his head. “I don’t recall that part.”
“But you—you—” I searched for words, thinking back on the note he left.
“I never promised to give Bree back. I simply said I had her and that I wanted to meet you here. As for what’s wrong with her—I told you, some truths you have to earn. This is one of them.” He stepped back, and I recognized it from my dreams. He was leaving, and with him, all hope of finding and fixing Bree.
I stepped toward him and grabbed his forearm. He stopped, though I certainly didn’t have the strength to make him. Something primal ran through his face when he stared at me then. I felt his desire, his need, his hunger . . . and I stood against it even as my knees threatened to buckle. “How do I earn it?”
Ronan regarded me, pausing on my lips for a moment too long.
“The second blood exchange—I want it.”
I didn’t give myself time to think. To consider. To fear or to hate.
“Done.”
He blinked, his full lips parting in surprise. He didn’t think it would be that easy. That’s how much he didn’t know me, because if he did, he would have known I would give anything.
Even me.
I was willing to once, and I was again. Only this time there were no other options.
He made sure of it.
“She’s safe with me. I’ll be in touch.” His lips ghosted mine for the briefest of seconds and then he was gone. Shadows consumed his body and then faded, leaving nothing where he was standing only moments before.
I stared, feeling that prickling of anger. Nathalie fanned her face in exaggeration despite the frigid temperature.
“I can’t believe he just did that. What an—”
“Asshole?” she inserted, chuckling under her breath. “Gee, it’s almost like you were made for each other.”
I glared in her direction and she simply laughed harder. “I said yes. I gave him what he wanted. I kind of thought he’d—I don’t know—do it? Ugh.” I ran a hand through my tangled hair in frustration.
Haunted by Shadows: Magic Wars: Demons of New Chicago Book Two Page 2