by Brenda Trim
Ayil wondered what she meant by that. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t read her expression for shit. Before she looked out of place when she apologized, but now her face was oddly blank. He could kick his own ass for shoving his foot in his mouth. If she was being abused, she wouldn’t take well to having it brought up. He needed to be more careful.
She was talking to him and that was a major improvement. Ayil could use this to gather more information about the clan’s activities. A lot of lives could be lost if they didn’t stop archdemons from crossing over. His hand crept for the dagger in the back of his waistband before he recalled in the Tehrex Realm it could start an unnecessary fight and he was strung tight enough as it was.
Ayil took a sip of his drink when Dan set it down. “If we get the chance we do. Unfortunately, we’ve been busier than ever since Lucifer was freed from his prison.”
Kennex leaned forward and her eyes brightened. “So, the rumors are true then? Did the Vampire Princess really let him out of Hell?”
Ayil shook his head at the inaccurate information. But that was how it went when stories were shared. Information was distorted as it passed from person to person. “Yes and no. Lucifer is no longer frozen in the lake in the Underworld, but he is still trapped and unable to leave Hell which is why his archdemons are striking deals with any beings they can. He wants beings like your clan to help him cross to Earth. And, the Vampire Princess was taken hostage by a malevolent archdemon and kept in Hell for days. She was rescued but was barely three years old when she was taken.”
“I’m sorry I asked,” Kennex mumbled. “That poor stripling. It seems I have been wrong about a lot of things. Can we start fresh and get to know each other?”
“I’d like that,” Ayil said honestly. Gaining her trust was a sure way to discover the truth about her clan’s demonic involvement.
* * *
Chapter 8
Ayil watched Kennex as she fidgeted with her glass of beer. Her expression remained elusive. Ayil didn’t want to push too much, but he was quickly losing patience as she stood there silent. “Alright, since we are starting over, I’d like to know why I sense infernal energy all around you.”
Ayil found himself holding his breath as he watched her mouth fall open at the same moment her eyes rapidly roamed around the room. Her hands tightened around her glass and her lower lip was caught between her teeth.
Instinct had Ayil opening his mouth to tell her it was okay, that she didn’t need to tell him anything before he slayed the demons for her. Her fear was not only written all over her face at the moment but also filled the air around them.
Kennex took a deep breath and a mask descended over her features, hiding any evidence of her shock and fear. “Are you saying I smell like sulfur? More than likely you’re smelling the grime sticking to this floor. I don’t think Bog has mopped in a decade.”
Ayil chuckled at her quick wit but didn’t miss her evasiveness. Kennex was skittish and trusted the Fae female sitting to the side of her more than she did him. Pushing her while not going too far was going to be a challenge, especially considering he knew next to nothing about her.
“There’s more than a decade’s worth of shit on the floor, for sure. But, that’s more of a cross between piss and bile. And, you smell,” he leaned into her neck and felt her form vibrate against him, “spicy and intense. No sulfur…” Ayil trailed off when he noticed the infernal signature was even stronger than it had been the other day.
Kennex pushed his shoulders and stepped to the side and bumped into the vampire on her other side. “Sorry. This oaf has no sense of personal space,” she told the vampire. The male said something to Kennex before turning back to his date.
“Didn’t you mom ever tell you it’s rude to go around smelling people? Or, are all Angels entitled jackasses?”
The venom she spewed when talking about Angels rankled. “Apparently, we aren’t starting over after all. Look, you don’t need to like me, but I’m not going away until I know what’s going on.” Ayil leaned against the bar and crossed his arms over his chest.
Kennex picked up his drink and downed the rest of the vodka and kept the glass in her hand. “I meant what I said about starting over. I don’t take well to being held accountable for something I didn’t do. There are lots of beings that come through here, and I don’t know what half of them are. This isn’t my typical scene.”
Ayil plucked his glass out of her hand and relished the heat she emanated when their flesh brushed. “You don’t strike me as the type of female that frequents bars. You’re not dressed for it.”
“You’ll never catch me in a mini-skirt and ankle-breaking heels just to make my legs look longer,” she scoffed. “I like comfort far too much.”
“Lucky for you, you were blessed with legs for days,” Ayil replied with a smile.
Kennex ran her hands down her thighs and tugged the hem of her t-shirt down. “If you hadn’t just accused me of aligning with demons, I’d be dragging you to my bed right now.”
The mere mention of sex had Ayil’s attention diverted so his gaze was roving from her knowing golden eyes down the column of her neck and landing on her generous breasts. There was a battle between her boobs and the cotton trying to contain them. If Kennex had a v-neck top on the cotton would be losing. For the first time he noticed her breasts were as big as her legs were long.
Ayil didn’t really have a type of female, but it didn’t take much from Kennex to spark his interest. You don’t like her remember? She was angry and unapproachable until this point. And, there was demonic energy coming off her that was concerning.
None of that did shit to deflate the erection he was sporting. Forcing his eyes from thighs that he bet were creamy and luscious, Ayil met her wary golden gaze. “There is no denying the infernal energy that seems to be all over you. Why should I trust that your clan isn’t involved with demons anymore?”
He expected her to glare at him and tear him a new one, so when Kennex looked away and he saw her throat work as she swallowed hard, Ayil knew he was onto something. He wasn’t going to feel guilty for using her to get to her clan.
“You don’t know me so I can understand your doubt. I can promise you that I have never made any agreement with the demons. I would never do anything that would harm innocents.”
Ayil believed the Phoenix. From the moment he’d seen her in the desert all those months ago, his gut told him she was trustworthy. Millenia of dealing with various beings and hunting demons had taught Ayil a thing or two. He relied on the sixth sense he got about people and he might doubt her clan and the mixed signals she was sending, but not on this.
“Fair enough, but I need you to tell me what you know about your council. I sensed infernal energy the other day despite being surrounded by humans. The Archangels are aware of that fact, and have ordered us to determine if Phoenixes are still involved.”
Fire flared in Kennex’s eyes and her wings sparked behind her back. Ayil preferred to see her anger over the fear. She was standing taller now with her shoulders back and her head high. The color in her cheeks was far better than when she was pale and trembling. The only reason she should tremble was because of pleasure.
“I don’t give a fuck what the Archangels say. They can shove their opinions up their arrogant asses,” she growled.
Ayil leaned closer but made sure to keep enough distance. He didn’t necessarily disagree with her. The only archAngel that wasn’t an asshole was Camael. Of course, he had the hardest job wrangling the Angels of Retribution. Ayil used to will his red wings to turn black when he was a little angel. He always thought AOR were badass, and he wanted to become one. It wasn’t until he was older that he discovered AOR were the only faction of Angels that were exclusively made from reincarnated beings.
“Like it, or not, the Archangels have the power to eliminate your entire species if they want. If my brothers and I don’t conduct an investigation and report back with absolute certainty, I cannot save you from th
em. Gabriel will not hesitate to take action. Too many lives are at stake here.”
Kennex rolled her eyes and her hands were back to tapping the side of her glass. Her anger faded as did her eyes and wings.
“Hey, Kennex. Why didn’t you tell me you were heading here? I’d have joined you,” a female voice interjected. It was the same female she was with the other night and was clearly ready for a night on the town. She wore a tight, low-cut tank top and miniskirt. Her thigh-high boots had a three-inch heel on them and made her look taller than she was. She was beautiful in the classical sense, but that wasn’t what had Ayil’s attention.
It was the faint hint of infernal energy coming off her that got his attention. “Who’s your friend? I don’t think we met the other night, I’m Lexie.” The female Phoenix introduced herself with a narrow-eyed gaze and held her hand out to him.
He gripped her palm and sent a tendril of his ethereal energy to see if he could feel a demonic energy source. If she was possessed by a demon, she would cry out and burn at the touch of his angelic energy. If she were heavily involved, he should be able to pick that up, as well. His mind started strategizing what he would do if she was a key figure. Removing her from the bar so he could kill her would be a massive challenge, but not impossible.
He had to hide a shudder as his energy was coated for a brief second by a malevolent force. Kinda like she’d catch fire if she was possessed, an Angel couldn’t be close to infernal energy without paying the price.
A thousand knives pierced his flesh for the span of one of his racing heartbeats. His wings threatened to break past his control over them and he nearly called his sword of light out of reflex. He had none of these reactions when he touched Kennex. It made him wonder why that was. Based on the energy coming off her, he expected far more pain. Perhaps God knew Kennex was his best way into the clan and shielded him from the worst.
Not that it mattered. He was glad because the last thing he needed was to cause a scene in the bar. Gabriel would have his ass if he caused more problems. Ayil avoided time in the Archangels’ cells after he broke a fundamental rule. It would piss him off if a lack of control landed him in chains for a decade.
“It’s great to meet you. I’m Ayil. You might remember me from Arizona,” he stated, bringing up demons as indirectly as possible.
After releasing Lexie’s hand, Ayil realized she carried even less infernal energy than Kennex did. If he believed Kennex wasn’t involved, then he had to assume Lexi wasn’t, either. The fact that both women had evidence of demon involvement left more questions than answers.
The shifter at his back was not similarly marked so demons didn’t hang out at Bog’s Place. This phenomenon was isolated to the Phoenixes from what he could tell so far.
“Now I remember you. You and your brothers slaughtered Sterling.” Lexi’s date took a step closer to her and put his hands on her shoulders.
“You know that was his fault,” Kennex interjected, surprising him with her defense. “The Angels should have kept their noses out of it and left it to us to manage, but Sterling never should have allowed that demon to take possession of his body.”
“Yeah. You’re right. Let’s get a drink.”
Kennex turned to Ayil and then back to Lexie, “Um, I’ll catch you next time, okay.”
“No problem. I will be over there with Pete if you need me.”
“So,” Ayil said as soon as Lexie left with her date. “You wanted to start over. Want another drink?”
Kennex picked up her empty glass. “Perhaps after we dance. I haven’t made enough of an ass out of myself, and my goal for tonight was to leave here thoroughly embarrassed.”
Ayil laughed at the surprising view of Kennex’s sarcasm. It made her approachable and almost made him forget about how unattractive her shitty attitude made her. “I can’t imagine with those legs you would look anything but sexy on a dance floor.”
Kennex shook her head and headed through the crowd. Before she shouldered past a couple, she took his hand then lead him to a crowded area of the bar that had no tables. The music was a fast beat and Ayil let his body move to the rhythm. Her body swayed and his arms lifted, but never reached their intended target of Kennex’s hips.
Ayil stopped and watched Kennex as she jerked and twitched in front of him. Laughter erupted from his chest. Others were stopping to stare so he grabbed Kennex and tugged her to the other side of the bar.
The light was dim in the hall, and it was relatively free of bodies. The floor was even grimier here if that was possible. He was tempted to use a rune to clear the area and dirt and bacteria.
Angels liked to be clean. Probably because of how pristine Heaven was, but he didn’t deal well with filth. He had a cleaning lady to keep his home on Earth dust free and picked up. He spent more of his time in Heaven where housework was done with the wave of a hand.
“Are you okay? You weren’t having a seizure, were you?” he asked as his chuckles subsided.
“What happened to these legs always looking sexy? And, why are we in this awful hallway? Gah. This is the worst spot to take a date. If you were hoping for a kiss that’s not happening here.”
Ayil’s mind went blank. She thought this was a date? He’d come here because she was looking for him. He expected her to yell at him for investigating her clan again, so he had no idea how to handle the direction things were going. “This is a date?”
Ayil wanted to take that back and say something smooth to sweep her off her feet. He hadn’t considered kissing her, but now all he could focus on were her lips. This was such a major turnaround that he didn’t trust it.
This was a far cry from the female that chewed him a new asshole for doing his job every time he’d seen her.
When Kennex smiled at him, he almost believed he was wrong. “You’re right. This isn’t a date, but I’d like to go on one with you.”
“I’d like that. What did you have in mind?”
“I honestly didn’t think that far ahead. Can I get back to you on that?”
“Sure. I’ll give you my phone number, so you don’t have to hunt me down next time.”
She pulled a cell phone from her back pocket and handed it to him. He entered his number into her phone and reminded himself he was only using her to get to her clan, that he couldn’t let himself get excited. This was going nowhere.
* * *
Chapter 9
“Do you know what Ash and the others are doing?” Kennex asked Lexie as she watched the female bustle about her kitchen. The Phoenix invited her over for dinner that morning most likely to get details about the encounter with Ayil.
The other night at Bog’s Place was the first time Lexie saw Kennex with anyone else and knowing her neighbor she wanted all the juicy details. Lexie wasn’t what Kennex would call a friend. They were clan mates and lived next door to one another, but when Lexie came to Kennex’s rescue last week it changed their relationship.
Before Kennex hadn’t opened up or gotten close to anyone. It was safer for them and easier if she needed to take off again. Now she was done running and for the first time since she was a teenager, Kennex was allowing herself to get close to someone else.
“Are you talking about their search for land we can settle on? I told him we needed to look into the high desert. My Phoenix isn’t happy here. She got used to the heat in Arizona. And, can I just ask how the hell can it be so cold here when we are closer to the equator?”
Kennex rubbed her stomach as it twisted and sent bile up her throat. “I agree with you about the weather, but that’s not what I was talking about. I ran into the council on the beach the other night.”
That got Lexie’s attention and she turned with a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce and a metal bowl with chicken wings in them. Phoenixes liked heat in everything, especially their food, and Lexie was in the process of doctoring the food she had delivered. She met Kennex’s gaze for a second before she went back to splashing sauce on the wings.
“Was i
t only the council?”
Kennex tapped her finger on the counter in front of her. “It was only the council until I stumbled upon them and Ash brought a human couple to the bonfire.” Kennex intentionally kept details to a minimum to test the waters. She didn’t want to be put in a situation where they’d go after her before she was ready to ask for help. There was shit she wanted to do before that could happen.
“Why a human couple?” Lexie asked before she set the bowl down and threw her hands in the air. “No. They can’t be that stupid. Tell me they didn’t do what I’m thinking.”
Kennex popped the tab on a Mountain Dew and took a long drink. It wasn’t strong enough, but she had her answer. Lexie wasn’t in on their plans. “It’s worse than you’re thinking. They slit their throats and called forth demons. Gina was writing the spell in the sand.”
“What the fuck do we do now? We lost enough when the Angels descended on the clan. If they catch wind of this, they will kill us all without asking questions. I’m too young to die. What do we do?”
“Tell me about it. I have no idea what to do, but I have a plan. It’s going to take some time for me to flesh it out so we are safe, so in the meantime we can’t let anyone find out what’s going on,” Kennex explained.
Lexie picked the bowl up and tossed the wings with rapid jerks. The scowl on her beautiful face should have frightened Kennex, but it was vastly reassuring. She was beginning to question if she was out of her mind for believing most of the clan members were innocent.
“Why the hell would they risk everything? What could the demons possibly be offering? I want to punch Gina in the face. She stood there and promised those warrior Angels they would ensure the clan stayed far from demons. Do you think that’s why they moved us here?” Lexie asked.