I’d struck gold when it came to serious information about the brothers. I couldn’t stop digging now. “You and him...you got along well. You wanted to help him fix his eyes.”
The amused look faded from his face. “Nearly forgot about that.”
“Did you help him?”
“Can he see now?”
I twisted a finger nervously into my hair, loose around my shoulders tonight since I’d taken it down from its tight ponytail the moment I’d gotten home. “I figure him being an angel kind of fixed any previous problems.”
“You figured that, did you?” There was now a sour note in his voice.
I lowered my voice. Even though we were far from the people at the front of the bus, it still made me nervous that anyone might overhear. “I know he killed you, but it doesn’t make sense. Why would he do that? You two cared about each other.”
His jaw was tight and he stood up from his seat as the bus came to its next stop. “Anyway. This conversation’s over.”
I followed him off the bus, quickening my steps to keep up with him. I wasn’t letting him get away now. “He killed you and sent you to Hell. He told me that much. I saw his memories last night, like I was reading his mind—saw them, experienced them. Then he freaked out and left.”
He stared at me over his shoulder incredulously. His legs were long enough that if he really wanted to put distance between us and escape me, he could. “I just bet he did.”
“It was when he was only fifteen. You two worked for someone named Kara. You sold the cadavers to a medical school, but you kept the jewelry to sell to help fix his eyesight. And you...” I strained to remember what I’d seen. “You wore a gold cross around your neck. Makes me think you were religious.”
His expression was now a mirror image of how Bishop looked at me last night after the memory meld. “I’d stop talking now if I was you, gray-girl.”
Stop? But I’d just gotten started. And I was on a roll. I had to keep pressing. There was something here—some connection I knew was vital. “Bishop changed his name to show how much he wanted to forget the past. Kraven’s your last name, isn’t it?” I was guessing now, but I knew I was right. “James is your first name. Just because you go by your last name doesn’t mean that you’re forgetting who you were. You remember. Come on, tell me something. Anything.”
“Why?” There was the faint echo of pain in his voice. “So you can understand him better? Sorry, I’m not really in the mood to help pave your way to true love, sweetness.”
True love? Maybe in my wildest dreams. But I’d never been a dreamer, I’d always been a realist. Even now. “You’re kidding, right? He’s an angel who’s been around for years and years. He’s an angel of death—an assassin. How could I ever seriously think somebody like him would be interested in me beyond his...inconvenient addiction?” It hurt to say it out loud, even if it was the truth.
“Interesting choice of words.”
“I mind melded with him yesterday and heard everything. If he feels anything for me, it’s the result of his soul’s bizarre bond to the gray that attacked him.”
“He did say something like that. Nice and neat explanation, isn’t it? But if you think that’s all it is between you two crazy kids, that should be freeing, right?” He groaned. “You have bigger problems than whether or not my little brother holds a torch for you. Way bigger if you don’t find that missing soul of yours.”
I stopped walking and looked around, trying to pinpoint my location. “Where are we?”
It wasn’t as densely populated here on the east side of the city as it was closer to my house downtown. This wasn’t the stop I would have gotten off at to go to Crave. We’d gone farther than that—I hadn’t even realized I’d missed my stop until now.
However, I did see something I recognized. On the lawn of a huge house on a large lot we were walking past was a for-sale sign with my mother’s name on it.
“House for sale,” Kraven said, watching me check out the property. “Looks expensive.”
“I wonder if this is the house,” I said, staring at it through the iron gate at the end of the driveway. “My mother said she can’t sell it.”
Suddenly, I gasped as a wave of hunger crashed over me, stronger than anything I’d ever felt before. It was enough to make me drop to the ground, hard enough to bruise my knees. I couldn’t find my breath. I reached up to grasp one of the iron bars to keep me from collapsing completely.
Kraven eyed me cautiously. “What’s wrong with you?”
“I can’t...” I struggled to breathe properly, to think, but I couldn’t. I shook from head to toe. It was as if there was something inside me, a ravenous beast that wouldn’t let me think or feel anything but emptiness, hunger, stretching wide and cavernous—never full, never satisfied. What I usually felt was only a pale version of this.
If I didn’t feed soon, I was going to die.
It was the only clear thought I had.
Was this what Stephen warned me about? Was this stasis?
I was moving, but not through any choice of my own. It took a second for me to register what was happening. Kraven had picked me up, thrown me over his shoulder and was rapidly running away from the house. He didn’t put me down again until we were a couple blocks away, near a line of stores.
I stood on shaky legs next to a small Italian restaurant. Through the glass windows, a few tables with red tablecloths were clearly visible—people eating, drinking wine, enjoying themselves.
It helped to move away from the house, but not as much as I’d like it to. Some people walked by us, moving toward the entrance to the restaurant—two of them, a man and a woman. When Kraven let go of me I immediately made a move toward them, not able to control myself.
Kraven grabbed my arm and held me firm until they disappeared inside.
I think I hissed at him. Like an angry snake.
“Nice,” he said as he pulled me around to the side of the building where nobody in the front could see us. “See? This is what I expected with you being all gray. But no, you normally have to be all innocent and nonthreatening. Makes it difficult to do my job.”
“Are you going to kill me?” I gasped for breath. “You better. Because I’m so hungry right now I know I’m going to attack somebody. I can’t control this.”
“Yeah, right. I’m going to kill you for having a momentary burst of crazy. If I did that, my little brother would carve your initials into my spleen before he cut my head off.”
I pressed my hands to my temples. The pressure was intense and the hunger came in crashing waves, one after another. I could barely stay on my feet.
I whimpered. “I hate this. I hate it so much.”
“Yeah, me, too.” He didn’t sound happy. Then he grabbed hold of my arms and pulled me against his chest. “Oh, hell. This worked before, so maybe it’ll work again.”
The next moment, his mouth was on mine.
Chapter 14
Don’t ask me how it worked, but it did. Something about kissing the demon, going through the motions of feeding from him, managed to fool my inner monster. Made it believe it was getting what it wanted.
Kraven’s grip twisted into the front of my coat to hold me still. My arms were slack at my sides. He had to hunch over to make up for the difference in our heights.
I kissed him back as if I had no choice. I didn’t. This wasn’t a conscious decision, it was one of necessity. And slowly, slowly my mind began to clear.
His hands slid around to the small of my back and he pulled me up tighter against him. My eyes were squeezed shut, but I couldn’t even try to pretend that I was kissing anyone else. Kraven’s scent was unique to him—a pleasant spicy musk with undertones of smoke, like he’d been hanging out near a campfire for a few hours. He was the same height as Bishop, the same build, but they were so very different, so very—
Snap!
I was scanning the streets, looking for something.
No, wait. This wasn’t me. It was Bi
shop. I was seeing through his eyes, but it wasn’t a memory this time. It was now, and all I could do was observe, not feel what he was feeling. He flicked a glance at Connor, who was crouched on the sidewalk nearby.
“That was close,” Connor said, turning his copper-colored eyes in Bishop’s direction.
“Too close. Damn Hollow isn’t working right anymore.” Bishop looked down at the dagger he held. It chilled me to see that the blade was coated in blood. He’d just killed something. A gray that was no longer around; the Hollow must have opened up and taken it already.
Connor rose to his feet, scrubbing a hand over his shaved head. “Either it works to snatch them away, nearly taking us, too, or it doesn’t open up at all. Why?”
“Don’t know. Wish I did.” Suddenly, Bishop’s breath caught. “Go find Zach.”
Connor looked at him with alarm. “What is it?”
“I sense her. She must be close.”
“Who? Are you talking about Samantha?”
Bishop nodded. “She needs me.”
“I didn’t think that location link between you worked anymore.”
“Sometimes it does. Like now.”
Connor’s gaze grew wary. “You know what Cassandra said. You should stay away from Samantha.”
“I don’t care what Cassandra said. Go. I’ll catch up later.” He didn’t stay to argue. He took off at a run, scanning the streets, looking for something.
Looking for me.
He had this...ability...to find me—from the first moment we touched. The others didn’t. It was a trait unique to Bishop. I wondered if it had to do with his particular job in Heaven. That made sense. An assassin needed to be able to track his prey.
I knew it didn’t work so well all the time, especially when he got confused. When things got in the way of his concentration. When I was too far away.
But sometimes...it worked perfectly.
He was closer than I thought. Only around the corner from the house with the iron gate. He breezed past it, not looking twice in its direction.
Two more blocks up the street and Bishop staggered to an abrupt stop.
He saw me. And I saw myself through his eyes—it was a jarring sight. I was up against a side wall of the Italian restaurant, my arms tightly around the demon’s shoulders, clinging to him as he kissed me.
I didn’t remember grabbing hold of Kraven like that. But I guess I had.
Keeping his attention on us, Bishop quickly closed the distance, reaching forward to grab—
Snap!
Kraven staggered back from me and spun around to face the wrath of his brother. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and braced myself against the wall of the restaurant. I was dizzy and weak, barely able to stay on my feet. Barely able to process what just happened.
“What the hell are you doing?” Bishop’s words held deadly malice. His narrowed eyes glowed bright blue. But he finally shoved the dagger in his grip into the sheath on his back.
For a second there—based on the murderous look he’d given Kraven—I’d been positive he’d completely lost his mind and was about to slice it through his brother’s chest.
When I inhaled again, my hunger returned—and it was totally focused on the angel this time. I felt his warmth from where I stood, propped up against the wall. I fisted my hands at my sides to keep from automatically reaching for him. Kraven’s kiss was enough to take the edge off, but the desire was still there.
I needed more time to get my head together. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to calm myself.
“Um, what am I doing?” Kraven began, more maddeningly amused than concerned by the angel of death glaring at him. “My job, of course. Why? Whatever did it look like?”
“Your job, huh?” Poison dripped from the words. But when Bishop turned to face me, the anger slipped from his expression. “Are you all right?”
“What?” I blinked at him, stunned. It was the last thing I expected him to say after his furious arrival.
He touched my face, stroking the long, dark hair back that had fallen across my forehead. That breath-catching tingle of electricity flowed between us immediately.
“Oh, give me a break,” Kraven said drily. “I wasn’t forcing myself on her if that’s what you’re thinking.”
My cheeks began to burn as I remembered Kraven’s lips against mine.
“What happened here?” Bishop asked sharply.
“I had to kiss her. Obviously.” The demon leaned a shoulder against the wall nearby. “She was having another soul-sucker meltdown like at Crave the other night.”
I was shaking now. “Please, Bishop...”
His breath caught. “What is it?”
“I’m sorry, but...you’re too close to me right now.” My brain was growing fuzzy at the edges. My vision narrowed on his mouth.
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple jumping as he did. He slid his hands to my arms, gripping them firmly. His gaze sank into mine and he was close enough that I could feel the rapid beat of his heart. It was just like last night in my room. Dangerous.
But there was one six-foot-two difference tonight.
“Uh-oh. I think you’ve caught him in your spiderweb, gray-girl. Allow me to lend the hapless fly a hand.” Kraven grabbed the back of Bishop’s shirt and yanked him backward and out of my orbit of hunger. His warmth disappeared in an instant, and the cold rushed in on all sides.
There was still a spark of something unhinged in Bishop’s eyes—something uncontrollable. Then he swore under his breath and raked a hand through his messy mahogany hair as he looked away from both of us.
“Exactly,” Kraven said, nodding. “Best keep you two crazy kids apart.”
Bishop glared at Kraven before his expression cooled. “Want to tell me what’s going on here?”
Still weak and shaky, my legs finally gave out and I slid down the wall all the way to the ground. But at least I could think again. “You missed the part where I nearly attacked somebody a minute ago. I’m losing it, Bishop. Little by little. And it scares the hell out of me.”
His gaze, now guarded, moved back to me. “What are you doing out here tonight?”
I let out a shaky breath. “I couldn’t just stay home and wait for other people to solve my problems. I’m looking for Stephen, of course. Luckily, Kraven was keeping an eye on me when my control took a nosedive.”
An unpleasant smile cracked through his expression and he shot a withering look at the demon. “My big brother, so attentive. Especially when it comes to you, Samantha.”
Kraven spread his hands. “I’m here to help.”
“Let’s try this again.” Bishop held his hand out to me, and I eyed it wistfully and warily. “It’s okay. I’m better now.”
“Really?” I chewed my bottom lip as I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. He let go of me immediately, regretfully, and tore his gaze from mine to look at his brother again.
“Ah, that charming look of death,” Kraven said. “I know it well. But, really, you shouldn’t be jealous over a simple kiss between me and your girlfriend. You know. Another one.” He glanced at me. “What was that tonight? Strawberry lip gloss? I approve.”
“Thank you for helping me.” My cheeks burned. “Also, go to hell.”
“Been there, done that.”
Bishop fixed him with a steady look. “Why would I be jealous? It was so good of you to sweep in and save the day like the hero you are.”
Even I recognized sarcasm when it was spread on that thick.
The problem was, it was true. Kraven had helped me. He had saved the day.
Bishop knew it, too. And while he might accept that it was necessary, the dark expression on his handsome face made me think he didn’t like it at all.
I drew my coat closer to help keep out the chill. If I wasn’t touching Bishop—which was a seriously bad idea right now—the cold of the night bit right through the fabric and sank straight down to my bones. Being that it was only October 29, it couldn’t poss
ibly be as cold as it seemed.
The cold is one of the signs of stasis, I reminded myself silently. Just like the hunger, it’s getting worse.
I bleakly focused on the night sky for a moment, which was dotted with bright stars. No searchlights. No quests for new team members tonight.
“Blondie told you to patrol without her tonight—and she also told you to stay away from gray-girl,” Kraven said, crossing his arms. “Trying to impress her with your warrior prowess and angelic obedience so you can land a ticket back to Heaven and a chance to regain your brain. Right?” He glanced at me. “For the record, he’s still cutting his flawless angel skin to maintain his sanity without your magical touch. Won’t last forever, though. He knows it, too.”
“Bishop, no!” My voice broke. “You have to stop doing that.”
He hissed out a breath. “Sometimes I have no choice.”
I shivered. “What does Kraven mean, it won’t last forever?”
Bishop spoke to me, but his attention was now on the demon. “Little by little my sanity’s slipping away no matter what I do to try to stop it. This soul inside me...the more it takes hold of me, the more damage it does to my mind. And some damage can’t be fixed.”
“No.” I said it firmly, even though my stomach sank all the way to the ground at this confirmation. “That’s not going to happen to you.”
“No?” He flicked a glance at me, his blue eyes haunted. “You don’t know what it’s like when the craziness grips me.”
“You don’t think I know what it’s like to start to lose your mind and your control? We might be complete opposites in a lot of ways, Bishop, but this much we have in common. Sometimes we lose a battle. But that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the war. Only if we stop fighting is it really the end.”
His jaw tightened. “Maybe you’re right.”
“Damn right, I am.” My surge of anger over his fatalistic attitude had helped chase my own away. “No maybes about it. We’re going to fix me and we’re going to fix you. Somehow, someway.”
“FYI, I’m not kissing you, too,” Kraven said to him. “So you can just forget it.”
Wicked Kiss (Nightwatchers) Page 14