Break

by Tarra Blaize

  “He needs protection from the air demons. He might need it for years.”

  “I don’t work for free.”

  She felt the vises clamp in place, felt as if her freedom, once again, was slowly being strangled from her. “So I’m back to square one. What do you want from me?” Anger bubbled and boiled.

  “You’ve got your life, so I really wouldn’t call it square one.”

  “You’re bargaining with my brother’s life,” she screamed. “How does that make you any better than Vyn?”

  Judging by his involuntary flinch she’d struck a chord.

  “Like I said, I don’t work for free. I’m going to take a shower. You’re welcome to join me when you’re ready to discuss terms.” Uncaring of his nudity, he let the sheets fall away as he strode into an adjourning room.

  She waited until she heard the water running before marching into the bathroom. She whipped the curtain aside and turned off the hot water. Instantly gratified by the very un-demon-like yelp, she announced brusquely, “In exchange for my brother’s long-term protection, I will help you find this woman, 44

  even if it takes many, many years. And when she is found, I want to leave this sordid life behind. Is that enough of a deal for you?”

  Gethin turned the hot water back on and crossed his arms over his chest, water sluicing over the body she’d had over hers the night before. “I would have settled for your companionship, be it sexual or just friendship. But since you brought it up, I’ll take your offer of assistance as well.”

  That was all he wanted? Had she hurt his feelings? Too bad. She ruthlessly squashed the ache in her heart at how lonely he’d seemed for a brief second. Like he said, being emotionally involved with any demon was just asking for trouble. “And once we find this woman we’re through.” She ignored the way her heart tightened at the thought of leaving him.

  “If we no longer wish to be together, then yes.” He tilted his face into the shower, running his hands through thick locks.

  “I’m not immortal. I can’t turn into an angel or demon either. I’m all human.”

  That seemed to amuse him. “Let’s hope so. I didn’t use a condom.”

  “But you’re not bothered…” She hesitated, eyes searching his face for any sign of discomfort or pain.

  “Haven’t you found that making friends with mortals is a bad idea because they all die?” And what if I fall for you even more than I might already have?

  “Layla, I’ve only had the pleasure of being on the surface of this planet for five years. I’ve never been close to a human before, and I rather enjoy being with you, as perplexing as that is. I also have no intentions of ending this anytime soon. Do human women not hit their prime in their thirties? You’re only at twenty-seven, after all. Wouldn’t want to miss that.”

  Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. “I’m speechless.”

  “I’ll certainly enjoy such a rare moment. Now, join me in the shower. Payback time.”

  Not fully comprehending what he meant, she let him pull her in and squealed when he pinned her against him and turned the cold water on full blast.

  “We’re one step closer now.” Blood-red wine pooled at the bottom of the glass as Gethin tilted the bottle. The restaurant they were celebrating in was small, intimate and just what they needed after a long week of work. He wore his shades, as he always did when around humans, to hide his eyes. “Good call bringing in that portrait artist. Not the best, but at least we have some kind of a face to go on instead of just hair. Far harder to disguise.”

  Layla picked up a copy of the drawing. Big haunted eyes gazed up at her pleadingly. The woman looked to be around her age, with a delicate heart-shaped face and a bundle of chocolate curls spilling over her shoulders. Her lips were parted with surprise.

  “She looks scared,” she said softly.

  45

  “Can’t blame her.” Gethin nudged the wine a bit closer to her free hand. “She’s got more hits focused on her than a network of terrorists.”

  “We need to save her.”

  Gethin made a noncommittal noise. “We’ll see what her story is.”

  “I mean it, Gethin.”

  His legs squeezed hers under the table. “Layla, I will do my best to make sure everyone who deserves to stay alive does so. We’ve been over this a hundred times. Just because she’s a fragile-looking female doesn’t mean she—oh, hell. Who’s calling me now?” Irritated, he checked the screen before shooting her an apologetic look. “I need to take this. Hold up.” Before she could protest that the dinner was supposed to be stress free, he was striding away. Well aware that the women who had been ogling him all night were now openly staring at her, she focused on toying with the gnocchi on her plate.

  Layla had been trapped before, but this was a different sort of trapped. She knew being with Gethin would cause her pain in the end, but she still kept going. She stayed with Gethin at one of his apartments and worked from there, tracking down the mysterious woman. But as she became more and more entrenched in this new world, she wished desperately to become a part of it. Each moment of happiness was bittersweet. She tried to cherish every second she spent with him, knowing well it couldn’t last.

  She’d fallen for the red-eyed demon, and she’d fallen hard.

  A pity it wouldn’t work out. It was only a matter of time before one of them had to move on.

  She was startled from her melancholy when Gethin strode back in. “Something’s up at the office. I need to go in.”

  “I’ll go home.”

  “You don’t go anywhere without me.”

  She glared at him. His protectiveness had been endearing the first week. Now she wanted to clobber him over the head to knock some sense into him. “Gethin, I cannot stay glued to your side for the next twenty years. You go to the office, I go home. I’ll hop in a cab if need be.”

  “No. You’re coming with me. Give it a few months, Layla. The air demons are still out there. No news is good news except when it comes to demons. We’re only quiet when we’re up to no good.”

  “And when you’re not quiet?” she asked dryly.

  He smirked. “That’s when we’re really up to no good.” He efficiently tucked a few bills under his plate that more than covered the dinner. Without giving her much room to protest, he whisked her outside and bundled her into a cab. “I know you don’t want to go back to the office, Layla. But just for a few minutes.”

  “I can’t face them yet.”

  He didn’t reply, but his hand closed around her, warm and strong.

  46

  Layla was quiet on the drive over and stayed behind in the lobby. She watched the elevator go up to the thirty-third floor and stay there. Nervously, she glanced around. There was no one here except for a guard at the reception desk. If he recognized her, he didn’t let on. The minutes dragged on and on, and she was just about to call Gethin to ask him to hurry up when the elevator buttons lit up and began moving down.

  The doors slid open and revealed a stranger, a tall, lean man with wraparound shades. She quelled her disappointment and looked away as the man stepped out. What was taking Gethin so long? She began to reach for her phone.

  The man approached her cautiously, sliding the glasses down. “Layla?”

  He looked vaguely familiar, and the red eyes proclaimed him a blood demon. He must have worked with her, spent time in the offices with her. Yes, she definitely knew him. Had he known any of the demons that had died? She sincerely hoped not. “May I help you?”

  “Gethin asked me to escort you home.” His face remained polite and friendly. If he hated her as much as she feared her old coworkers did, he hid it well.

  “Damnit. Is he going to take much longer? I’d rather wait for him.” She checked her phone anxiously.

  It was nearing ten.

  “A few hours.”

  She groaned. Far too long. “Oh, very well then. I’m so sorry, but I’ve forgotten your name. Rick, was it?”

  He smil
ed. “Close enough. Richard.” He stayed close to her side as they stepped out together onto the dark sidewalk. She felt something prick her arm, but there was nothing when she looked. A mosquito? As a cab pulled over near them, she felt her head spin.

  “Richard?”

  “Yes?”

  “I don’t feel well. Dizzy.”

  “Do you need help?”

  She felt an arm wrap around her waist.

  “You must have had too much wine. Here, get in.”

  Her heart was racing, her mouth cotton-dry. She felt herself start to fade as her legs sagged. Too much wine? She’d barely had a glassful, and if something had been wrong with it Gethin would be ill too.

  Gethin. She needed to get to Gethin. But as she attempted to coordinate her movement, Richard’s arms were banded around her. “You’re going to pass out now for an hour, and when you wake up we’ll be with Vyn,” he whispered in her ear. “Gethin will be dead and the air demons will be very eager to see you.”

  The realization that she was being abducted came too late. The cab hadn’t even pulled away from the curb before she was out.

  47

  When she came to, she was lying on a sofa with several demons standing guard over her. Richard leaned towards her.

  “Well, hello there, princess,” he drawled. “Guess I gave you a way bigger dose than I intended to.

  You’ve been out for almost eight hours. No matter.”

  Her heart was lodged so deeply in her throat it was a wonder she could breathe around it. She was in the nondescript, three-story brick house where she’d been taken prior to working undercover at Gethin’s company. As she was unceremoniously hauled to her feet, one of the air demons opened the door and Richard shoved her through.

  What could she do? Her skin crawled as Richard pushed her along down hallways and past rooms she remembered all too well. They were walking to the back of the house. Given what time it was, Vyn was most likely enjoying a light fast in the garden. He always had so relished simple human traditions.

  When she stepped outside, it was to see Vyn leaning back in his chair, savoring what seemed to be an English muffin with chocolate spread on top. If she didn’t know first-hand what he was capable of, she would have almost pitied him. Watching him, it was hard to ignore the truth behind Gethin’s words about each side being right. If she’d been forever sentenced to eternity in Hell, and had been given a chance to escape to a place where she would not only survive but thrive, where would she have drawn the line to stay there?

  Her heart hardened when he looked up and sneered. “Gethin can’t care for you much if he let you slip away so easily. He’s had eight hours to rescue you and still no sign of him. A pity he takes better care of your brother. We’ve been trying to kill the little brat for days now.”

  Fury took her breath away, but the burning desire for revenge gave her the strength to speak. “I cannot believe you would stoop so low as to kill an innocent child for revenge.”

  “You make it sound as if the death of a child is important in the long term.” Vyn sighed. “You humans understand nothing of death and life, of what is unimportant and what actually matters. I must say, I’ve grown rather fond of your kind and the odd habits you’ve developed, but I’m afraid amusement protects strangers only so much.

  “As for the information you obtained for us—I simply wished to warn Gethin’s victims ahead of time.

  For the right price, of course. I’m very disappointed that you only got thirty-odd names for me. They were all—how should I phrase it—dead ends by the time I tracked them. Your demon lover has been quite the efficient killing machine. Until now.”

  “I didn’t activate the emergency signal,” she admitted, ignoring the fear that tunneled through her at his last words. “Another demon broke the glasses accidentally. I had no way to tell you to call off the attack.”

  48

  Vyn’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “It was the best emergency system we could come up with on such short notice. That certainly explains a lot. But, darling, if you don’t mind—” he waved a hand in her direction, “—you’ve more than outlived your usefulness.”

  He’d barely finished speaking when she felt her lungs start to constrict. No oxygen. She tried to drag in one last breath before holding it, but there was nothing for her to breathe. She felt her vision blur and her lungs were stabbed with pain. She slowly sank to the ground as everything began to recede into nothing.

  Abruptly, her next inhalation brought with it oxygen. Dizzy, shocked, she let herself lie on the cool stones of the garden. Vyn’s voice came from somewhere above her. “Ah, don’t die quite yet. I’ve a scout coming back in a few minutes, one who swore he’d bring your brother back to me. Another traitor from Gethin’s men, actually. My, my, is he having a bad day.”

  Everything was terribly, horribly wrong. Surely the breaches in security weren’t so bad, were they? A slash of light appeared and widened enough to let a lone figure step out with no little boy in sight.

  “Gethin,” she breathed. How on earth…

  “If one person even thinks of moving, they’re dead.” Gethin’s voice was cold. “My men have surrounded this place, and it is up to you whether or not you want to die painlessly.”

  Vyn leaped from his seat, hands clutching his face, his throat, his stomach as he began to bleed.

  “Mercy!” Vyn cried out.

  “The same mercy you showed Layla and her brother? The same mercy you show any of your victims?

  I’m no angel. Such words won’t change your fate. But if you let Layla go free now, unharmed, I shall tell my men who have just circled off your entire block to kill quickly and with mercy, as you so like to call it.”

  He looked at Layla, his mask slipping. “I realized too late that phone call was a trap. Step through the air portal, and don’t mind the dead demons on the other side. It’s perfectly safe. The demons who are still alive aren’t traitors.”

  She hesitated, looking at the bleeding air demon. He’d tortured her, intended to torture her brother, but seeing him dripping blood onto his neatly set table for one, she felt sadness wash over her. She wouldn’t mourn him, not at all. Nonetheless, it was heart ing that peace negotiations of some type couldn’t be settled upon.

  “I’m not strong enough to fight in these battles,” she admitted.

  “Someone I care for told me emotions weren’t a weakness, Ms. Roads,” Gethin reminded her. “Off with you. Justice must be served with as much compassion as I suspect you feel. And when this is over, I shall do my best to replace these past weeks and months with new memories. Your role in this war has ended with Vyn’s death.”

  Tears falling, she stepped through the air portal without looking back, knowing full well that every air demon in that house would be dead in the next minute, and with them, the knowledge of her brother’s connection to her and thus Gethin.

  49

  Her part was over.

  Gethin had taken a month off, but he couldn’t spare more than that. For four long, glorious weeks, he made good on his promise to her—that whatever time they may have together, they’d make the best of it.

  But three days ago, work had come with a vengeance. He’d returned with semi-permanence to the office, and she stayed at his condo.

  “Come meet me at work,” he invited. “Lunchtime. Take a from the computer before your eyes melt. I haven’t seen you in two days.”

  She rubbed a hand over her face, even as his voice ignited a slow, warm glow inside. After so many weeks spent exclusively with him, the first few days back into the normal rhythm of things was difficult. “I can’t.” When her answer was met with silence, she sighed. “I can’t go back there and face everyone. Not after…not after how I left.”

  “They forgive you. They understand.”

  “Even Todd?”

  He hesitated. “Todd is on shift guarding Nathanial. But no, Layla, I think a part of him can’t forgive you until he forgives himself. He was close to you
and close to one of my demons who died. But if you’re not ready yet I’ll see you when I get home. I’ll bring dinner. Pick your poison.”

  “Cheeseburger.”

  He snorted.

  “There’s a gym here, thank you very much. I’m just craving a burger. I’m stressed. You’ve given me an impossible target to track down. If it weren’t for those confessions you got, I’d say this woman died at twenty and that was that.”

  “Except we all know she’s alive and kicking. I want another step made in this case by Thursday.” He hung up the phone.

  She was nuts about the damn demon, and they both knew it. He cared for her too. It was an unspoken rule that neither brought it up because the mere idea of anything permanent hurt. In the weeks they’d spent together after Vyn’s death he’d opened her eyes to a whole new world, telling her all about demon and angel lore, stories of where he came from and what it had been like. He still refused to tell her parts of it, though whether it was because he worried for her safety or because it was still too painful, she didn’t know.

  Hanging over the relationship was the knowledge that it would end for her as she grew old and he didn’t. She knew instinctively that he would be there for her as long as possible. Even so, she feared anew for his life, that a battle or accident would rip him away from her. But he must suffer doubly so—not only was she physically less strong should something happen, but there was time. Always ticking, always passing, as she grew older and older with each passing day while he stayed the same. She’d teased him about it once, but he hadn’t laughed.

  50

  She was being silly, she scolded herself. Being gloomy about something that would happen in ten, twenty years. Resolutely, she pushed the worries out of her mind and focused back on the task at hand, determined to finish it long before the deadline he’d set.