by G. K. DeRosa
“Me too. But then again, I suppose being a Fae royal has taught her a lot about keeping secrets.” I paused, considering. “You know, telling her the truth felt so right. A huge weight lifted once I confided in her, just like when I told you and the guys. Sometimes I wonder if keeping my warlock secret is worth the trouble.”
“It’s a discussion you need to have with your mother, Azara. Perhaps her reasons for keeping it a secret don’t apply anymore.”
I’d been thinking the same thing. After taking on Darkblood Prison and the Underworld, dealing with the Coven Council seemed much less intimidating. I’d have to talk to my parents about it when this was all over.
“I love you.” I slanted my lips over his, and his eager tongue snaked between my teeth. So much for a chaste good morning kiss. The soft kisses turned fiery as his hands skated down my back and pressed me against his arousal. Wrapping his fingers around my thigh, he locked my leg in its position over his hip and thrust inside me. I let out a gasp as he filled me, my insides clenching around him as if created to perfectly fit. He rolled me onto my back, dropping kisses down the column of my neck as he thrust deeper inside me. I arched toward him, my body desperate to take more and more of him in. It was never enough. It would never be enough.
Squeezing my eyes shut, the heady sensations rippled through the bond, engorging me in pleasure. My desire, his desire, it entwined in a never-ending cord consuming every inch of me. “I love you, Talon,” I repeated as another thrust sent me spiraling over the edge.
Chapter Nineteen
Ella’s mix of Fae and witch magic slithered over my skin, its essence lighter, its signature less overpowering than my own. As the three of us trudged toward Delacroix’s castle under her cloaking spell, I wished I’d been blessed with regular magic instead of my twisty demonic-warlock kind. Maybe that was what made my demon so murdery. I shoved the useless thoughts aside and tightened my hold around Talon’s hand. If it hadn’t been for my demon, I never would’ve met my dragon mate. Totally worth it.
Ella halted at the foot of the ancient drawbridge. At least a dozen soldiers lined the expanse of dark timber. A shimmer of sweat glistened along her brow. Holding a mystical invisibility bubble over all three of us since I’d portalled us into the sixth realm was taking its toll. “Okay,” she muttered. “I’ll wait for you guys here. I’ll keep the cloak over you for as long as I can, but I’m not certain of my range.”
I squeezed my cousin’s shoulder and threw her a smile. “Thank you, Ella. I’m really glad you’re here.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go in with you guys?”
“No,” Talon interjected. “We need you out here for backup in case things go bad.”
Can you hear me? I broadcasted my thoughts to my cousin.
“Yes, loud and clear.” No matter how many times we’d practiced, it still made her lips twist.
Talon’s jaw tightened as he stared at the imposing fortress and the line of guards. Dark ashy clouds loomed over the jagged spiraling towers. A shiver juddered down my spine as dark memories of the dungeon streaked across my subconscious. My unease must have trickled through the bond because he drew me closer to his body, his fingers steel bands across my palm.
“Let’s get this over with.” He tore his gaze from the castle and ticked his head at Ella. “Be careful. If you don’t hear from Azara in the next twenty minutes, go back to the Spring Court and contact Hayden.”
Ella opened her mouth, and I could feel an objection threatening to break free. I recognized it so clearly because I would’ve done the same.
“That’s an order from your team leader, agent.” Talon seared her with an official stare, and Ella snapped her jaw closed and nodded.
I half expected her to bring up the fact that she wasn’t technically an agent anymore and neither was Talon. Or at least he wouldn’t be once the SIA caught wind of him aiding and abetting a wanted fugitive. But my cousin held her tongue. Instead, she grabbed my free hand and pulled me into an unexpected hug.
“Be careful in there, Azara. And please, keep me in the loop. I’ll be going crazy out here waiting.”
I squeezed her tighter. “Will do, thanks again, Ella.”
Once she released me, Talon towed me forward despite my feet rooting themselves to the ground. Demon up, Azara. We got this. My she-demon was way too excited for my liking. I’d have to keep her in check if I didn’t want this to turn into a soul-suck fest.
I held my breath as we passed the double line of soldiers and halted in front of the towering iron gate. Now came the tricky part. Despite being invisible, the demon guards would definitely notice the door opening. Which was exactly why we needed Ella to provide a distraction.
A few yards beyond the bridge a dark figure appeared, cloaked in murky shadows. The narkins sounded the alarm and the entire troop of them plodded across the creaky timber. I couldn’t help the smile from capturing my lips. Narkins were fierce fighters but thank the gods they were dumber than rocks.
Ella’s apparition appeared and disappeared along the edge of the moat, and the guards darted after it. Suckers!
“Apertum,” I murmured at the iron gate standing between me and the answers I was desperate for.
The old metal squealed and lurched open. A whisp of fear spiked at the sharp sound, and I spun around. The narkins ran around the edge of the castle grounds chasing the specter like elephantine chickens with their heads cut off.
We darted past more guards at the main entrance, and I led the way through the dark corridors to Delacroix’s throne room. Hopefully, we’d find the demon bastard chilling on his throne before Ella’s cloak disappeared. Not that I couldn’t conjure up a new one, but I preferred to save my magic for the important stuff.
Hushed voices filled the dark passageway, and I slammed to a halt. A chill raced up my spine. I knew that voice. I motioned to Talon in the direction of the sound, and we crept toward the sliver of light through a cracked door.
My heart jackhammered against my ribcage with each step, with each unintelligible murmur from a familiar voice. Darkness seeped into the corners of my eyes, and I blinked rapidly, chasing away the impending doom. My mind spun, and I clutched onto Talon’s hand to ground me, but despite my best efforts, I was sucked into the past.
“Demonium venitae!” The raspy voice raked across my insides, clawing at my flesh. “Demonium venitae!”
I struggled against the restraints as milky white orbs stared down at me. “No!” I cried. Fire burned through my veins, the vile taste of the potion Remy had forced me to ingest coating my tongue. My demon scratched her way to the surface in spite of my protestations.
Black consumed my vision, and the familiar hunger scorched my throat.
“Come out and play, little demon. I have a treat for you.” Saccharine laced Remy’s tone, and I fought again to keep my demon at bay. He spun out of my line of sight and an unfamiliar scent tickled my nostrils.
Male. Distinctively male.
A large form materialized in front of me. Perfectly tanned skin, muscles that went on for days. My heart ached, and my resolve waned. Talon? A shock of dark hair tumbled over the male’s forehead, nearly dipping to his eyes. I focused on his face instead of his divinely sculpted body. His eyes—they weren’t silver like they were supposed to be.
“Come, have a taste.” Remy shoved the male toward me, and my demon lurched inside. Wisps of pale blue energy spiraled from my throat, floating toward the man. His dark eyes glazed over and he crept toward me, muddled gaze locked to mine.
“Talon,” I murmured as my demon inched her way to the surface. The male’s lips brushed against mine and something snapped inside me. “Talon!” I shouted. Our eyes unlocked, and my hold over the man faded. He shook his head out as I shook mine, staring at me in a daze.
“Run!” I cried, but it was too late. Remy raised a hand and a swirl of energy shot from his palm. The man writhed for a moment before hitting the floor with a ground-shaking thud. I reeled my
demon in and fought against the metal restraints until my wrists bled. “I won’t do it, you psycho seer. You can’t make me take another soul!” I raged.
Remy leaned over me, a sinister smile curling his thin lips. “It’s only a matter of time, Azara. Your demon will be mine as was foretold.”
My eyes snapped open, and my breaths hissed out in ragged spurts. Eyes wide and crazed, I scanned the dark hall. Strong arms held me together in a little nook as the dark memory evaporated. Clutching Talon’s shirt, I drew in deep breaths until the panic subsided.
“Are you okay?”
I dipped my head, nuzzling further into the warmth of his chest.
“Another memory?”
“Yes,” I murmured into the soft fabric. Once the roaring across my eardrums faded, the familiar voice swirled in the air once again. “Remy,” I spat.
“I thought so.” Talon drew me closer, his arms like iron bands holding me together. “I promise he’ll never hurt you again. I swear on my life,” he gritted out. “I’ll kill him—"
“I know.” I forced myself up and peered around the corner of the alcove. The door was still ajar. Steeling my nerves, I marched toward the soft murmurs.
My hand closed around the antique knob, and my skin crackled. I glanced back at Talon as Ella’s cloak dissipated, her magical limit having been reached. Eff it. I needed to face that bastard seer face to face anyway.
Are you sure? Talon’s wary voice slid across my mind.
Abso-freakin-lutely.
I whipped the door open and Remy spun toward me, a wicked grin twisting his wrinkled mouth. The two narkin guards beside him drew their spears, and Talon’s growl reverberated behind me.
“Finally, Azara,” Remy crooned. “I was beginning to think you’d never return.” He turned to the two narkins and murmured, “Splinterum.” A sharp crack punctured the thick silence, and the guard’s necks snapped in perfect unison. Their massive heads lolled forward before their mammoth forms crumpled to the ground.
A gasp clawed up my throat and escaped my lips before I could stop it.
Remy waved a nonchalant hand. “Delacroix has dozens of them. He’ll never miss these two.”
“I’ll snap your neck with my bare hands before you can get a word out, seer,” Talon roared as he tucked me behind him. “So don’t even think about it.”
I called on my magic, the mystically spun tendrils whipping up in a frenzy as my tattoo flared to life.
Remy clucked his teeth. “Now why would I ever do that? I don’t want Azara dead. I simply want her demon back.”
“Well, she’s on a permanent vacation,” I snarled. “If you’ve got something to say to her, I can relay the message.”
His creepy white orbs widened, and a smile slithered across his lips. “Demonium venitae.”
My she-demon flared to life, her cloying energy ripping through my insides. I clenched my fists at my side as I struggled against her, struggled to remain in control.
“Demonium venitae.” He spat the words again, and pressure wracked my ribcage as if his words were cleaving it in two.
A spine-tingling roar rent the air, and a dark shadow sped by me. I blinked, and Talon’s claws were wrapped around Remy’s neck.
“I warned you about that loose tongue, seer,” he snarled, his dragon skimming the surface. Silver scales shimmered across his arms, and flames flickered within his blazing pupils. His fingers tightened, and Remy’s face reddened. He gasped, sucking in air.
“Don’t, Talon,” I gritted out. “I need to find out why he’s here and what he knows.”
Talon’s iron hold relented, along with the unflinching set of his jaw. “Answer her questions and if she likes what you have to say, I’ll let you live.”
An eerie laugh tumbled from his lips. “Whatever you say, dragon. Your fate, much like Azara’s, has been set in stone. The pieces are all coming together now. It won’t be long.”
I swallowed hard, the serenity and complete certainty in his expression making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Talon reluctantly released the seer and returned to my side, sensing my unease. I tried to sort the jumble of thoughts that raced through my mind, but it was impossible. “What are you doing here?” I finally blurted. “Shouldn’t you be in a cell rotting away with your dark lord?” A shade of a memory flicked across my mind.
“If you mean Thax? No. You see, Azara, seeing the future is an extremely valuable tool. Especially when it comes to self-preservation. I foresaw Thax’s overthrow years ago. Despite my efforts to guide the male, it was inevitable, so I did what I had to in order to survive.”
“You were working with Delacroix all along?” The words sprang out before I even had time to process them. It had been him. That day I’d visited Thax in the dungeon—he had been the dark shadow.
He nodded, a pleased smile now permanently etched into his wrinkled skin.
“You knew Thax would fall, so you helped Delacroix? For how long?”
“My plan has been in the works for nearly a year now. Manipulating warlords is no easy matter. It takes gentle prodding so as not to insult the tender ego.” He paused, and a flicker of amusement lit up his pale irises. “Who do you think nudged Thax in your direction? Who do you think planned the debacle at the faery club?” His eerie albino gaze drilled into me. “You, my dear, are the key to everything. And now, I will do my best to serve you, the next dark lord of the sixth realm.”
Chapter Twenty
Panic constricted my chest, steel bands wrenching around my ribcage. Remy? It had been him all along? Thax and Delacroix were mere puppets… “The only thing I need you to serve is your own head on a platter,” I snarled. My demon rushed to the surface, and it wasn’t at the seer’s beckoning. No, it was the fury scorching through my veins. I lunged forward, but another solid band locked around me, this one of the flesh and bone variety.
“Relax, Azara.” Talon’s breath ghosted over my ear then his hushed words shot through my mind. We came here to find out why Delacroix wants you dead, and I’m fairly certain Remy can provide us with that answer. He probably is the answer.
Since when was my fiery dragon the levelheaded one? A second ago, he nearly ripped the seer’s head off.
Because we need answers. Talon responded to my unasked question, and I grumbled internally. He was right.
I folded my arms across my chest and leveled the smirking lunatic with my steeliest glare. “Listen here, Remy, I have no desire to become a dark lord of the Underworld so let’s get that straight right now.”
He dipped his head into a bow. “Whatever you say, my dark liege.”
I wanted to punch this guy in the throat.
“Cut the crap, Remy,” Talon growled. “Just tell us what you saw. I imagine it was one of your visions that incited all of this.”
The old seer smiled. “Precisely. For years, I saw the same thing. Despite my attempts to change the future, one thing always remained constant. Azara on the throne. Well, Azara’s demon version anyway. Which is why I tried so hard to bring her out.”
Bile rose up my throat as memories of all the souls I’d taken flashed across my mind. Remy. He was the root of all this evil.
“You must embrace your destiny, child. Let your demon loose and take your throne. You are the rightful heir after all. And not only of the sixth realm, but of the entire Underworld.”
All the air siphoned from my lungs, invisible claws squeezing my neck. No. No. No. “I don’t want it,” I shrieked. “I don’t want any of it.” Luci. Yes, I needed to talk to my grandfather right away. He could fix this. He could explain to this raving fool how wrong he was.
“I’m afraid it doesn’t matter, my dear. Fate will have its way regardless of our wishes. We are mere pawns in the games the gods play.”
“I’m no effin’ pawn.” A lilac glow caught my eye as my demon’s mark swirled to life. Magic tingled over my skin, the charred scent tingeing the air. My nostrils flared as the energy built in my core.
Another eerie chuckle tumbled from Remy’s lips as his alabaster eyes raked over me. “You are mostly correct, Azara. And once you unseal that mark and let your warlock power free, there will be few capable of opposing you. Nevertheless, your fate is sealed.”
My eyes flickered to Talon, the twin pools of silver overflowing with emotion.
I whipped my head back and forth as power surged to my fingertips. “I don’t think so, Remy.” A swirling ball of energy appeared in my palm, power pulsating across every inch of me. It may not change the future but ridding the world of this twisted seer would certainly make my day. I hurled the fiery orb at the same instant the door whipped open.
Delacroix sauntered in with a narkin guard on either side. “What the—”
Everything slowed.
One of the guards lunged forward with its shield drawn. The whirling mass of energy slammed into the metal, hurling the soldier against the wall and bounced back toward us. Talon jerked my hand and we flew across the room, avoiding the magical missile.
As I sucked in a breath, a sharp cry reverberated across the chamber. Spinning my head toward the sound, my jaw dropped in horror. Electric blue flames licked up Delacroix’s chest, creeping across his leather jerkin and racing over his hairy arms. His spine-tingling screams echoed through my eardrums. Horrified, I squeezed my eyes shut.
Grinding my teeth, I buried my face in Talon’s chest and refused to look up until the unearthly shrieks died down. An eternity later, the room went silent.
“It’s okay, Azara. You’re okay.” Talon’s voice and the strength of his arms wrapped me in a false sense of security. When I opened my eyes, I knew what I’d see.
“And it’s done.” Remy’s pleased voice sounded far away. Like he was underwater or maybe I was. I whipped my head back and forth, squeezing my lids tight. No, it couldn’t be.
Thundering footsteps down the hall signaled the approach of Delacroix’s guards, and Talon tensed around me. “Azara, you have to get up.”