Cast Into Shadow

by Angela Colsin

  Kivsey wasn't surprised he didn't know considering how secluded the Dok'aal were as a people. So she gave a brief explanation by stating, “Basically, we'll be invisible as long as we maintain physical contact. But … won't there be too much light inside to do it, Mikail?

  “Maddox asked Foxy to turn the lights on low,” he explained. “So I'll be able to pull it off without much trouble.”

  Smiling, Kivsey gave a nod of understanding, then asked curiously, “Have you met Gyles?”

  “I have, and I believe Arias is right to suspect him. But there's no time to explain everything now.”

  Kivsey knew he was right, and found Maddox already holding her hand out along with Stephan so they could access the club unnoticed.

  The thought of traveling in mist yet again wasn't appealing, particularly when she was still a little fuzzy from her last trip. But at least they were only crossing the street, and in taking Maddox's hand, she asked Mikail, “Have you eaten recently?”

  The Warlord grumbled the word, “Barely.”

  It was a curious response, but she pushed her questions aside and merely mentioned, “That's probably a good thing. So hold onto your ass.”

  As they faded into mist, the last thing Kivsey saw was Mikail grinning at her turn of phrase—and even as a human, the expression was sexy as hell.

  Still, she hoped their current affairs would be concluded quickly if only for the chance to see his true face again as soon as possible.

  Mikail knew impulse control would be an issue the moment he saw Kivsey, and it took a great deal of discipline to simply step out into the open when she arrived instead of grabbing her for a kiss neither of them would ever forget.

  But he hadn't expected her to greet him by rushing up for a tight embrace, and if it weren't for Maddox, he would've lost himself completely. Not only had the vampiress intervened before he could say a word, on the way to Foxy's, she'd explained the precise reason Kivsey was visiting Atlanta that night—and the moment she dropped Gyles' name, he was fully on board with this investigation.

  Serving as a guard in Perosia for two weeks, Mikail had encountered the demon a number of times, and there was never an instance where he felt as if Gyles wasn't up to something. It was a strange sensation, and the only justification for it was the way the short Perosian always watched interactions from the shadows, as if gauging each situation carefully with questionable intentions.

  Still, knowing Gyles used to work for Rothario made it difficult to give him the benefit of a doubt. So, the one time Mikail had a chance to speak with Arias about the situation, he'd asked about Gyles specifically, wondering why the Ancient was allowing him to stick around after so many years spent in service to a tyrant.

  But Arias merely implied having a plan in place without expounding further, so Mikail let his grievance go for the time being.

  Now, he could see things were definitely in order, and the only problem was his trouble focusing on anything but the fact that he'd just been reunited with his mate—and gods, she was even more gorgeous than he remembered.

  Even in a pair of jeans and a plain white tank top, he couldn't stop staring. She'd pulled her long, curly hair back into a ponytail, and if he didn't know better, he'd say she'd lost a little weight. It was a facet of her appearance that actually caused concern, but his attention shifted when Maddox and Stephan undertook the task of getting them into Foxy's unnoticed.

  Thankfully, the trip didn't last long. Traveling in mist for even a short duration was disorienting, but they soon found themselves in a stock room where numerous items were stored for the club's utilization.

  Once solidified, both Mikail and Kivsey shook their heads as if to clear it of the fog they'd traveled in, and he was grateful to find the fuzziness faded quickly while directing their companions, “Walk ahead of us to open the doors so we can get inside undetected.”

  Without qualm, the vampires followed his instructions, moving ahead to open the doors as soon as they were ready.

  Mikail reached for Kivsey's hand to cloak them, only to find her slipping an arm around his back with a grin—and the look proved to be infectious as he drew the shadows around them to blot out the light.

  “Damn,” Stephan remarked as they disappeared. “That's gotta come in handy.”

  Smiling, Maddox asked, “Ready?”

  “I'm ready,” Kivsey returned.

  “Then let's do it.”

  With that said, the vampires accessed a hall that connected with the heart of the club. Already, the music could be heard pumping through stereos at the opposing end of the corridor, growing louder and louder until they'd entered the area.

  With the doors swinging open to reveal a raucous party taking place, Mikail made certain to keep Kivsey close in navigating the crowd of supernatural beings dancing and mingling. Several lights flashed in time with the rhythm of the pulsing music, but it wasn't bright enough to make Mikail's cloak entirely noticeable, and he deftly maneuvered toward a spiral staircase close to the door they'd entered which connected with the catwalk above.

  Sadly, the people moving about made it difficult to avoid contact while also maintaining his hold on Kivsey. But she knew not to let go of him, and when he knelt and motioned at his back, she didn't break contact while climbing on for a piggyback ride up the stairs.

  It was just a stroke of luck that he made it to the top before a server came walking by with a tray of drinks in hand, and as he let Kivsey down again, they both scanned the various booths lining the walls to find the demon they were looking for.

  “I don't see him,” Kivsey mentioned.

  “Nor do I. Perhaps we need a different vantage point.”

  She nodded in agreement—but then exclaimed, “Wait, there he is!”

  Mikail looked in the direction she'd just pointed to see none other than Gyles seated at a booth with another, unidentified Perosian. Just as Foxy detailed, he had blond hair and glowing, blue eyes, his expression inscrutable as he and Gyles proceeded to talk.

  Sadly, the music made it impossible to hear what they were saying. So Mikail moved toward the table, making sure to duck low during their approach just in case Gyles or the Perosian in his company knew how to detect a darkwalking Dok'aal.

  The only problem was the narrow aisle offering little room to stay out of the servers' way. But few of the workers were around just then, and the booth behind Gyles' was unoccupied, allowing them to take up a position relative to the Perosians' table where Mikail could easily hear their conversation above the music.

  He simply wondered if Kivsey could detect their words as easily, and paid close attention in case she couldn't.

  Sadly, they didn't come in on the talk at a point that made any sense, the first words out of Gyles' mouth being, “So this isn't an uprising, you're simply sending a message.”

  “Correct,” the blond confirmed, his tone rather cold in nature. “There's no personal vendetta, we simply believe the changes being instituted are not in our best interests.”

  Mikail exchanged a perplexed look with Kivsey, her expression proving she could indeed hear their statements above the music, and was just as confused by them. But there wasn't much time to question the topic of conversation before the blond added, “So The Master wishes to send a message, and the best way to do that is to make an example of what she holds dear.”

  What she holds dear? The Master? Mikail wasn't certain who she was, but after spending most of the past two weeks in Perosia, the title of Master was easily identifiable—and extremely worrisome.

  “In other words, hit her where it hurts most,” Gyles suggested.

  “Precisely, and you have the information we need to accomplish this task. So all that's left to discuss is the payment.”

  Mikail was so focused on their exchange that he all but ignored a passing server carrying a tray of food to a nearby table. Yet he wasn't oblivious to Kivsey's attempt at staying out of her way by slipping closer to him.

  But it didn't help, and wh
at happened next wasn't entirely clear. Either the server tripped over Kivsey, or had an accident by herself, but she stumbled in passing. As a result, her tray tumbled out of her hands, dishes spilling over—including a bowl of piping hot food he couldn't identify.

  And his mate bore the brunt of it.

  With a yelp of pain, she jerked as the scalding contents spattered over her upper back. In the process, she impulsively broke contact with Mikail to attempt removing it, and though the break only lasted for a moment before he grabbed her again, they both heard Gyles exclaiming, “What the fuck?”

  Realizing she'd been spotted, Mikail immediately began ushering Kivsey away from the booth. But despite being cloaked in shadow once more, bits of food were falling from her body, leaving a trail behind—and Gyles' companion was obviously intent on following it.

  Looking back to see that he'd stood from the booth to head their way, Mikail scoured his mind for some means of escape, quickly recalling the Spire Shard he'd acquired for use in case of trouble.

  And this case was definitely trouble.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  ♦

  Kivsey was so preoccupied removing a gob of scalding hot chili from her back that Mikail's use of a Spire Shard eluded her.

  One moment, he was ushering her from Gyles' booth as the unnamed demon followed, and the next? Just when she thought they were about to be discovered, she looked up to realize they were now in the Atlantan Spire's indoor arboretum, out of immediate danger and covered in fries, chili, and various dips while a stunned, elven receptionist looked on.

  But Kivsey ignored her for now, too busy informing Mikail of a scalding pain on her upper right back when he asked if she was okay.

  Allowing him to inspect the area just below her shoulder, he confirmed, “You've got a burn here.”

  Sighing, she stood with his help, and mentioned on the way to the reception desk, “Then it's a good thing you had a Spire Shard. We can get a temporary room and a healing salve from the Mystic Market here.”

  Turning her attention to the receptionist, she made the request while placing her hand upon one of the pact orbs. Mikail did the same, proving he was familiar with the process of entering a Spire while dropping the used Spire Shard on the desk.

  “Guess you were right,” he told the receptionist. “This did come in handy.”

  “Looks that way,” the elf returned plainly, then informed Kivsey, “and if you need burn ointment, go to my twin brother's shop in the Mystic Market. He sells minor remedies and beauty supplies, including skin creams. Just look for Cole's booth and tell him Claudia sent you for a free sample. It should be enough to help.”

  “Thanks, Claudia,” Kivsey returned, genuinely grateful for the information.

  Typing on her computer, the elf remarked, “No problem, and I'm assigning you to room 303, right around the corner.”

  At that, she handed over a key, which Kivsey took before accessing the corridor.

  Locating their room at the end of the hall, she unlocked the door while Mikail studied the numbers etched into the surface as if to memorize them, then directed, “Go inside and clean up, and I'll get the cream.”

  “Do you know where the Mystic Market is?”

  “Fifty-fifth floor.”

  “Okay, but can you read that number?”

  At her question, he gave a confident smile and stated plainly, “I won't be long.”

  Without giving her time to respond, he leaned in for a quick kiss, then walked away.

  Kivsey couldn't stop staring until he'd rounded the corner either—particularly at his ass in those tight pants. A part of her wanted to go with him, but her more pressing urge was to take his advice and clean up, and not simply because there was dipping sauce and chunks of meat caught in her hair.

  She also wanted to capture Mikail's attention.

  It was just a shame she hadn't known he was going to randomly show up that night, otherwise she would've worn something more attractive than a pair of jeans and a tank top. But it didn't matter now, and she quickly adjourned to the bathroom and peeled off her top to soak in the sink, then pulled her hair down and dunked her head under the faucet in the tub.

  Thankfully, it wasn't until after she'd rinsed it out with a generous amount of hand soap and wrapped it in a towel that her phone rang with Stephan's name coming up on the ID.

  Tugging the device from her pocket, she answered with, “Hey, are you still at Foxy's?”

  “Outside it, actually. As soon as those demons teleported away, we decided to get out of there, too. Are you guys okay?”

  “We're fine, I was just burned by hot chili.”

  “Yeah? What about Gyles? Was that him?”

  “Yep,” she confirmed, “but I'm not entirely sure what they were discussing. They only mentioned sending a message to someone by hitting them where it hurt, but who and why are another question.”

  “Hmm,” Stephan drew out. “Maddox knows a family of draconians with a lot of connections, and they might be able to glean some information.”

  Draconians? That was promising. Their race tended to work as mercenaries, and some families ran spy networks. So his offer could prove useful—saying the draconians didn't charge an arm and a leg.

  But Kivsey wanted to discuss things with Mikail before making a decision if only because he might know more about what they'd overheard.

  So she answered, “That might be useful, but I'd like to keep this quiet for now. Gyles saw me when I broke contact with Mikail, and I don't know if he recognized me from Satorala, but it's something to keep in mind.”

  Stephan's dejected sigh came just before he suggested, “If that's the case, it might be a good idea to stay in the Spire until we know it's safe.”

  Kivsey wasn't sure she agreed with that, but decided not to argue. Mikail had just returned from the Mystic Market with the ointment sample in hand, and she was much more interested in using it than arguing over the best course of action to take next.

  “Okay, but I gotta go. Mikail just came back with some cream for my burn.”

  As she spoke, he was already removing the lid, then pulled her bra strap down her shoulder to swipe the ointment over her skin in gentle strokes while Stephan bid her goodbye.

  Ending the call, she shoved the phone back in her pocket, and could feel the cream going to work immediately. Slowly, the sting of her burn dulled to nothing, and Mikail mentioned after only a few moments, “The redness is already fading. How does it feel?”

  “Much better,” she confirmed, wondering if he sounded so impressed by the ointment's quick work because an elf was responsible for its magic.

  But she didn't ask, too preoccupied with the way he'd taken to rubbing her shoulders once the cream was applied. His thumbs kneaded the base of her neck, then stroked downward across the creases of her shoulder blades, and if she didn't know any better, she'd think he was an expert masseuse as he applied the right amount of pressure, leaving her nearly unable to stand.

  It wasn't the first time he'd hit the right spots without asking, and she desperately tried not to recall the last time he had, taking his hands to stop him while muttering, “If you keep that up, I'm gonna fall asleep, and we need to talk.”

  “True,” he conceded, but instead of releasing her, the Warlord drew her in until her back was against his chest.

  There, he wrapped his arms around her torso and lowered his head to inquire against her ear, “But you don't really need to ask why I'm here, do you?”

  Turning her head to look into his currently brown eyes, she nodded. “Yeah, I do. Are things okay in Satorala?”

  “After Rothario's demise, yes,” he confirmed. “I've spent most of my time since you left serving a guard in Perosia, but with the new Empress crowned, I've taken leave of my duties to come here.”

  “ … Why?”

  As he'd suggested before, asking wasn't necessary. She knew fully well why he was here now, and her pulse quickened to think of it. But she wanted to hear hi
m say so aloud, and the intensity in his eyes was staggering as he gently cupped her cheek with his answer.

  “Because you're the one, Kivsey.”

  A swell of emotion nearly choked her, making it difficult to ask, “Y-you dreamed of me?”

  With that same, sensual smile, he drew in closer, his lips a breath away in whispering, “I dream of nothing but you.”

  A shiver passed over her body, and she wanted to process what his words meant, knowing the ramifications would be life changing. But in that particular moment, the only thing she could focus on was her need to kiss him growing so profound she insisted, “Take off that talisman.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want to see you, and if I kiss you now, it'll feel like kissing a stranger.”

  The intensity in his gaze redoubled as, without breaking their stare, he grasped the talisman in a fist to nullify the illusion, leaving her staring into glowing red eyes that made her heart flutter.

  Mindlessly, she reached to stroke her fingers along his cheek, her thumb brushing his lip, a touch that seemed to spur him into action.

  Quickly, he leaned to capture her mouth in a passionate kiss, emitting a low groan that melted her defenses completely.

  Turning in his arms to fully embrace him, nothing about his kiss could be described as gentle. It was desperate, aggressively demanding, even loving—and that sense of connection she'd experienced during their last night together resurfaced tenfold.

  She craved more of it, such intensity chasing away every doubt she had over her own inner workings, and despite knowing they'd resurface the moment their kiss broke, she clung to Mikail like a lifeline she couldn't do without.

  Because she wasn't certain she could do without him anymore.

  And that was the most frightening prospect of all.

  Mikail had come home.

  It was a strange sensation to have in a world such as Terra, but as soon as Kivsey was in his arms with the truth finally revealed, a weight lifted, leaving him with an important discovery.

  Wherever his mate resided was home enough for him.