Slay All Day

by Cynthia Eden

  “She put a spell on you.” The accusation erupted from Razor.

  Elise sucked in a sharp breath and would have jumped at the guy, but Harrison currently had his arms wrapped tightly around her. Too tightly. So instead of attacking, she snarled back, “I have not!” She couldn’t work spells. Did she look like some kind of freaking witch? Not likely.

  “She worked a spell, and you can’t smell her lies.”

  Yeah, she suspected someone had worked a spell like that on Harrison a long time ago, but it hadn’t been—

  “You fucked her and you went blind.”

  Razor was an asshole, obviously.

  And behind her…Harrison was seriously starting to, um, heat up. She could feel the waves of heat pouring from his skin. “Don’t kill him,” she whispered.

  Harrison gave no indication that he’d heard her.

  She twisted and heaved against him, not to get free but to turn—ah, there we go—so that she could face Harrison. Elise peered up at his savage expression. “We need to go. Let’s just get out of here.”

  “We know about the spiders.” Now Krista was talking. Jeez.

  “Spiders?” Elise had known they would come back to bite her in the ass. Dammit. The spiders had merely been trying to scare Gray. They hadn’t hurt him. They were only trying to protect me.

  Harrison didn’t look down at her. His focus remained on the hunters who seemed to be having a semi-revolt against him. And her. Definitely against her.

  “Gray told us about them.” Krista’s voice was taut with anger. “You sent them to attack—”

  “When he pulled a gun on me.” She was still looking up at Harrison. Had the blue of his gaze just flickered with a touch of flame? “Look, that whole scene happened really fast. I’m sure lots of things occurred then that no one had intended.”

  Gray cleared his throat. “Sorry I told.”

  Yes, you should be.

  Harrison was like a stone statue in front of her. His lethal stare was on the others. Elise knew something was going to have to give very, very soon.

  “If it’s a spell, it can be broken.” Krista was all confident now. Annoyingly so. “If he’s acting all obsessed because of a spell, we can fix things. It’s not too late.”

  Chill bumps rose on Elise’s arms. “Are you obsessed with me?” Elise asked Harrison. Her voice was barely a breath of sound.

  His gaze dropped to her.

  She could see flames flickering to life in his eyes. If the others saw those flames…

  They might attack him.

  No, she couldn’t have that. She grabbed the back of his neck and yanked his head down toward her. Her mouth slammed onto his and she kissed him with a wild, desperate intensity. She wanted to bank his rage. Needed to get him focused on something else besides fury.

  “Is that the way she casts a spell?” Ward’s voice was amused. Not pissed. “Because I like it.”

  She tore her mouth from Harrison’s. Her breath heaved as she peered at him. His gaze was—shit, still flickering with fire. Where were a pair of sunglasses when she needed them?

  “Pull back,” she urged him. “Pull it in, now.” She kissed him again. Only this time, she made the kiss softer. Gentle. Elise tried to soothe as best she could. She let the kiss linger. Held it tenderly and…

  A throat cleared.

  Ward.

  Harrison lifted his head. His eyes were back to normal. The beast had been soothed, for the moment. “No spell.” His words were deep and rumbling.

  “Uh, then how do you explain the spiders?” Krista wanted to know. “Now that you’ve stopped making out with the monster how about—”

  He growled.

  Elise’s chill bumps got worse.

  “Don’t call her that.”

  Elise whirled around and pointed her finger at Krista. “I saved your ass. Way to be ungrateful.”

  “Ward said you had wings. When he mentioned them, I had a flash of seeing them, too. Blue and gold, shooting from your back.” Her lips thinned. “You’re not human.”

  Razor had a knife in his hand. “She knew those were wraiths in the park, Harrison. Wraiths took Gray’s kid, and your new friend here understood what they were immediately. Wraiths aren’t thick on the ground. They don’t even belong in this world. They stay far away and only do the bidding of the wicked fey.”

  Oh, shit. He was a fountain of information. This scene was about to get very, very bad.

  She needed to get the hell out of there.

  “Wicked fey?” Harrison laughed. She felt the rumble in his body. “There’s no such thing as fey. Fairies aren’t real.”

  Yes, we are. You made love to one of us, and it was awesome.

  “Angels have wings. Demons have wings. No other creature.” Krista was adamant.

  She was also wrong. Elise could think of several other beings with wings, she just wasn’t going to share that information at the moment. Didn’t seem like the right time.

  Gray was still beside her and Harrison. She wondered how much longer that would last. Razor gripped his knife. Krista glared. And Ward just looked uncomfortable.

  Wonderful.

  “Fairies are real.” Razor nodded. “They are evil straight to their core.”

  Someone was being extra judgmental. From where she stood, he wasn’t exactly winning any nice awards, either.

  “They were banished from this realm a long time ago because they got off too much on screwing with the lives of humans.”

  You play a few tricks and certain people in power got all mad. Not that she’d name names…

  Razor’s eyes were tight, angry slits as he kept oversharing. “Because there are so few of the fey in this realm, other paranormals are drawn to them like moths to a flame. It’s her scent, her body, her essence…that’s why she’s fighting off werewolves and vampires. Not because of a curse, but because she’s fey.”

  Well, wasn’t Razor the well informed one, and she had to wonder just where he’d discovered all of his knowledge. She cast a suspicious glance his way. When she’d first met him at the speakeasy, he’d seemed harmless enough. He didn’t strike her as harmless any longer.

  “Tell him the truth,” Razor barked at her.

  The truth? Fine. “I was cursed.”

  His hold tightened on the knife. “You’re fey!”

  She hadn’t denied being fey. Just because she was fey, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t also be cursed.

  “It’s a fey trick. Fey deceive.” Disgust tightened his face. “That’s why you’re here. To cause chaos and confusion. To destroy a good hunter!”

  Fey trick. Fey deceive. He was right on both counts, and that just made her extra suspicious. “Who have you been talking to?” Elise made a tut-tut sound. “It would appear someone has been filling your head with all kinds of wicked thoughts.”

  He lunged.

  She screamed.

  Harrison went wild. A bellow broke from him, one loud and thunderous enough that she could have sworn it actually shook the street. One moment, Razor leapt at her with his knife. In the next, the knife had been tossed on the ground, where it rested right next to Razor’s unconscious body. Harrison stood over Razor, his hands fisted, shoulders heaving, and for a moment, she thought he was going to take that knife and plunge it into Razor’s heart.

  That would be it. The final line he needs to cross. Her big, bad plan finally coming to fruition. Only…

  Elise rushed toward him. Her fingers swept over one of Harrison’s clenched fists. “Harrison, stop. Take some breaths. I think someone played with Razor’s head. Don’t do something now that you will regret later.”

  Harrison lifted his gaze to her. She could see the fire in his stare. Oh, the beast was close. This should have been her moment. Instead…

  She was wimping out.

  Maybe her brother had been right. Maybe she was the weak one. If she hadn’t been weak, she would’ve been whispering in Harrison’s ear, telling him to take that knife. To plunge it int
o the heart of his friend. It was an act like that…an act like that would turn a good man into a savage beast.

  Her lower lip trembled. She glanced around. Gray stared with stunned eyes. Krista appeared both frightened and furious. As for Ward…

  “My God, man,” he gasped out as he gaped at Harrison. “What happened to your eyes?”

  The flames burned in his eyes. His true nature was being revealed to everyone.

  They would turn on him. If they learned the full truth about Harrison, they would attack him. They would try to hurt him.

  All because of her. She’d done this. She had tried to turn a good man into a beast.

  Elise tenderly trailed her fingers over his clenched hand once more. Then she leaned in close and hugged him. “I’m sorry.” Elise swept back. Moved away from him. Edged toward the motorcycle. “It’s a spell.”

  They turned toward her. Well, everyone but Razor. She doubted he’d be waking any time soon. “Harrison is under a spell.” Just not her spell. “When I’m gone, he’ll go back to normal. He’ll be a big, bad hunter again.”

  And I’ll be his prey.

  In that instant, she desperately wished that she could call up her wings. She couldn’t. The damn things had just sort of popped out when she’d been at the speakeasy. Probably because she’d been so desperate. She didn’t feel desperate as she stood there. She just felt sad.

  “Elise…” Harrison shook his head. “Don’t.”

  “I never do what I’m told.” Princesses don’t. “This was a mistake. People are getting pulled in…” Like that cute Holly kid. Elise shook her head. “Don’t kill a friend for me. I’m not worth it.” She pointed to Razor. “I think a fey got to him. He knows more than he should. Better tell him to stay away from shadows for a while.”

  “OhmyGod.” Krista had pulled out her knife, too. Wasn’t everyone blade happy that night? “It’s all true?”

  “No. It’s not all true.” What was true… Her eyes locked on Harrison. A very enraged Harrison. “You are so much more than you realize. But there’s a price for everything, and I don’t think you should pay for me.”

  “She’s a monster,” Krista breathed.

  Elise flipped her off. “I’m your guardian angel, sweetheart. You’re welcome for the fact that you’re still breathing.” She had to go. Why wasn’t she leaving? Because she wanted to look at Harrison forever.

  She’d gotten caught in her own trap. She’d wanted him to mate with her. Wanted him to get tied to her. But all she’d done…

  A fey fell for her beast. Elise climbed onto the motorcycle. She’d taken the liberty of lifting the keys from Harrison during that last hug. The fey all had nimble fingers.

  And cold, cold hearts. Turned out, though, a beast like Harrison had been able to melt the ice that surrounded her heart.

  “Get off the motorcycle, Elise.” Harrison’s order was low and hard.

  She shook her head.

  “Elise…”

  “Good-bye.” She revved the motorcycle and shot forward.

  “Elise!” His roar followed her.

  She didn’t look back. She’d always been good at doing that. Never look back. Never waste time on regrets. Pretty much her mantra. Looking back was a waste of time. There was no point in it. There was—

  Shit. She was crying.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Someone tell me what just happened.” Ward shook his head. “Yo, uh, Harrison? Enlighten me?”

  Harrison stood in the middle of the road and watched as the motorcycle raced away. “Elise stole my bike.”

  Krista coughed. “I think she did a whole lot more than that.”

  Every instinct he possessed screamed for Harrison to chase after her. And I will. He whirled away, ready to steal someone’s ride and—

  Gray blocked his path. “Let her go.”

  “Get the fuck out of my way.”

  “I saw your eyes a minute ago. They were burning.”

  “What?” Harrison shoved him to the side. He’d told the guy to move, hadn’t he? Gray deserved a shove. He deserved a whole lot more than that.

  But Gray grabbed his arm and spun Harrison back around. “Your eyes were burning. Like they were on fire. We both know that shit’s not normal. It has to be because of her. She’s a monster.”

  “Don’t.”

  “She was working some kind of magic on you.” Gray’s hold tightened. “You know it. Look at yourself! You’re freaking obsessed with her! She probably did some kind of sex mojo on you. Once you had her, you craved her even more. I don’t know what she was planning, but you need to consider yourself lucky that she ran away.”

  Lucky? He didn’t feel lucky.

  I feel like someone drove a knife into my chest. She’d lied to him? Tricked him? Used him?

  No. Hell, no. She didn’t just get to ride off into the night. She didn’t get to betray him and run away.

  “Calm down,” Gray urged him. “Take a breath and—”

  “Get your damn hand off me or I’ll cut it off.”

  Gray whipped his hand back.

  “Give me the keys to your ride.”

  Gray shook his head. “No—”

  Harrison took the keys. Fast. Maybe with a punch or two. He was seeing red. Feeling as if his whole body was about to explode, and all that kept going through his head…She betrayed me. Lied to me. Used me.

  No one used him.

  He bounded toward Gray’s truck.

  “You knew the truth, didn’t you?” Ward’s question froze him.

  Ward…he’d been standing back. Been quiet while Elise fled. His head tilted to the side as he studied Harrison. “Nothing slips past you,” Ward added, voice careful as he tried to figure things out. “You’re the best hunter I know. If a monster was in your bed, you’d know it.”

  Harrison rolled back his shoulders. “Don’t call her a monster again. The next person who calls her that…” He trailed off. But they knew. He could see it. They all stiffened.

  “You’re still defending her?” Krista was aghast. Her eyes doubled in size. “How long until this spell wears off?”

  It didn’t feel like a spell. It felt like…

  Mate. The one word slithered through his mind. His heart pounded too fast. The werewolf alpha had used that word. Had he been trying to warn Harrison? At least you haven’t fucked her. Yes, Gustave had said something like that. If Harrison hadn’t fucked her, then Gustave had been trying to say it wasn’t too late. Too late for what?

  “You knew.” Ward shook his head. “But you didn’t…what? Care? You knew and you didn’t care?”

  Harrison’s fingers tightened around the keys.

  “Don’t go after her,” Krista begged. “I’m worried. I don’t know anything about the fey. She could be more powerful than we know. She could be—”

  “She tried to trick me. She doesn’t get away with that.” Harrison’s words were lethal and cold.

  Razor roused, groaning.

  “I will track her, and I will make her pay. I will learn every secret that she has.” Each breath tasted of rage and ash. “She will not get away from me.”

  He left them. Drove away in Gray’s truck with a scream of tires and a roar of the engine.

  A monster hunter’s job was to hunt and stop paranormals. To kill them when necessary.

  And Elise…

  She is my prey.

  ***

  She’d gone back to the honeymoon suite. Maybe not the best move, but she’d been pretty much running blind. Elise hoped that the hunters wouldn’t think to look for her there. After all, they probably thought she was high-tailing it out of the area as fast as she could.

  Going right back to the luxury suite? Surely, they wouldn’t suspect that move.

  It hadn’t exactly been like she had a ton of destination options. Besides, she’d left clothes in the luxury suite. She figured she’d get the clothes and swipe a few other necessities from the suite, then be on her merry way.

  But whe
n she entered the suite…

  It smelled like Harrison.

  She wanted to sob. Instead, she kicked the door shut. She marched through the suite, straight back to the bedroom, and she crushed red rose petals beneath her feet.

  He would hunt her. She knew it. He’d been pissed and betrayed and he’d be after her in a flash.

  She had to slow down and think and figure out a way to hide—

  “Are we successful, my princess?”

  The voice came from the shadows on the other side of the bedroom. Dawn hadn’t come, not yet, so there were still plenty of dark spaces. Perfect for her kind.

  She flopped on the bed. I should be running. Not flopping. “We are definitely not successful.” She closed her eyes.

  “But he mated with you. He is yours to command.”

  If only. “Turns out, things don’t quite work that way on this side of the veil.” Elise sighed. “They don’t even kind of work that way.”

  “You have your weapon. Come back.”

  Her eyes opened, and she glared at the ceiling. “First, I don’t have my weapon. My weapon is somewhere out there hunting for me, and he’s very pissed off.”

  “But you mated him!”

  “Yes, well, I have a pissed off mate who probably wants to kill me. Joy.” Elise sucked in a deep breath. “And second, even if I wanted to come home now…” Which she absolutely did. The mortal realm sucked. Why had her kind hated their banishment from this realm? They should have celebrated leaving a place filled with so much pain. “Even if I wanted to, I can’t come home. The curse, remember? It stripped me of my powers. Took away my wings. It left my ass stranded here until the next full moon.” Elise suspected her brother had presumed she’d be dead by that point. Right before he’d kicked her ass out of their realm, he’d told her she’d be powerless until the next full moon. He’d even laughed as he told her…

  “Good luck staying alive, sweet sister.”

  This all sucked so much. “I failed. I don’t have an army. I’ve got a hunter who wants me dead.” A couple of hunters who wanted her dead. A whole team. “I can’t get back. I’m pretty much freaking helpless.” She was about to have one major pity party.