by Sharon Kay
What was he to her? ‘Boyfriend’ seemed like a ridiculous term after what they had been through. Lover? Partner? She wasn’t sure, but she knew she wasn’t going anywhere. Especially since she was somehow supposed to help save the world, a venture he was fully vested in. If they were going to fight some heinous foe, she wanted to be at his side. And when it was time to take refuge from the evils they had faced, she wanted to be in his bed. She wanted to be wrapped tightly in his arms, forgetting everything but how he made her feel.
A shiver ran through her at the rather permanent direction her thoughts seemed to be taking.
“Are you okay?” he murmured.
Unable to give voice to her emotions, she only nodded. She’d never expected to find someone who would accept her strange ability. She assumed she’d be single forever, that she would never fully open herself up to another for fear of ridicule or exploitation. But Gunnar recognized her gift immediately, and saw it for what it was: something extraordinary. He was extraordinary. She leaned up to press her lips to his sensuous mouth, needing to tell him with her body the feelings that she couldn’t speak.
His lips were so soft, his tongue enticing as it tangled with hers. She deepened the kiss, pushing against him, exploring every delicious part of his mouth. Knotting her hands in his hair, she felt the urge to rub herself against him just so he would smell like her. She pulled back a bit, wondering where the heck that had come from, when Rilan rushed into the kitchen.
“I’ve translated the old grimoire,” he said excitedly.
The other three males walked in behind the Elder. “Everyone in the great room, stat,” Kai barked.
Nicole was still wedged between Gunnar and the countertop.
“Get a room,” Rhys joked as he brushed past them.
“I was just saying good morning to my girl,” Gunnar replied, not taking his eyes off her.
Rhys snorted. “Heard you two saying ‘good morning’ the whole damn night.”
Nicole gave Gunnar a tiny smile and shrugged. He wrapped an arm around her as they walked to one of the massive couches in the great room, where he sat and pulled her onto his lap.
They all turned to Rilan. “This spellbook contains what Xarrek considered to be his masterpieces. It contains warding spells, locater spells, and spells to increase one’s power. And one of these power spells requires human blood.” Rilan looked around the room, his gaze landing on each member of the assembled group. “The interesting thing is, this spell doesn’t call for a large volume of blood from one or two humans. It requires just one drop from each of five hundred human souls. And,” he paused, “the more destitute and downtrodden the human life is, the more power will be transferred in the spell.”
“That’s why none of them have been drained.” Kai looked at the ceiling and blew out a breath.
“And that’s why they’re working the drug addicts and the gang-ridden neighborhoods,” Nicole added.
“So say he collects all of this blood. What will Maeron be able to do?” Gunnar asked.
“Almost anything he wants.” Rilan shook his head grimly. “He’ll be able to teleport virtually anywhere. He’ll be able to summon demonfire, create illusions, and even assume another form temporarily.”
“Shit. Last night that maggot we caught said Maeron was ‘almost ready,’” Kai growled.
“Why don’t you fill us in on last night, bro?” Brenin asked.
“We only found one Skell, but he didn’t know why Maeron was collecting blood. Only would say that he was ‘almost ready.’ Then we ran into an old friend–a Deserati–and she was able to show us Maeron’s hideout. Wait.” Kai held up a hand to quiet the burst of shouts to go after the Domu. “She showed us what his lair looks like. But we don’t know exactly where it is.”
“Some help,” Rhys muttered.
“She didn’t have an iPad, dude. She couldn’t zoom out and give us a fucking map.” Kai glared at the other Lash. “Her scrying bowl showed us a virtual snapshot of his location. It’s an old beat-up farmhouse. Looks like it’s about to fall down. It’s near a river. That’s what we have to work with.”
Rhys jumped over to the computer and his fingers tapped out a staccato rhythm. “Thank the gods for satellite photos.”
“So, we have no idea how close Maeron is to having all that he needs for his spell,” Nicole said.
“Man, why has this fucker been so hard to catch?” Kai snarled as he paced the room.
“He’s very smart,” Rilan replied. “And Skells are expendable and easy to come by. There will always be more of them to do his dirty work.”
“Yeah, since he can’t show his ugly mug around here.” Brenin raked a hand through his long blond hair.
“You know what he looks like?” Nicole asked.
“Well, we know what Domu demons look like, and my guess is Maeron fits the general description pretty well.” Gunnar went on to describe the physical traits of the Domu species.
Nicole made a face. Yes, a seven foot tall, charcoal skinned, yellow-eyed creature would cause quite a stir walking around Chicago. No wonder he utilized the Skells.
“We have to find him before he can alter his appearance,” she said.
“We have to find him, like, yesterday,” Rhys grumbled as he scrolled through screen after screen of images. “Hey, check this out.”
Everyone crowded behind his chair to peer at the computer screen. “If you head south of the city on I-57, after about ninety minutes or so you start getting close to the Kankakee River. It has all these little streams that feed into it, here.” He gestured to a maze of tiny blue lines on a map. “And, in that area, there are three of the shittiest looking buildings around.” He pulled up the first image.
“That’s not it,” Gunnar said right away.
Kai agreed. “The one Miranda showed us didn’t have a barn that was still standing.”
“Okay, how about this one?” Rhys closed the first image and opened another. Gunnar and Kai looked at each other and frowned.
“That could be it,” Kai said. “It’s worth checking out. Is it occupied?”
“Real estate records show that all of these are foreclosures. If anyone’s there, they’d be a squatter.” Rhys minimized the second page and opened the third one.
“Could be that one, too,” Gunnar said. “Are there more?”
“Hell, yeah.” Rhys hit a button and the gray printer on the table whirred into action. “These were just the first three I found, moving south from here.”
“I say we take a closer look,” Gunnar said. “Let’s split into two teams and check out these two houses. Surveillance only–we wait to move in until we can regroup. We know he has Skells, but he probably has other creatures around his headquarters for security.”
“I’m going with you,” Nicole told Gunnar.
“No you’re not. It’s too dangerous.”
“I’m not helpless,” she reminded him, as the other demons drifted out of the room.
“True. But you’ll be safest right here.” She opened her mouth to protest and he laid a gentle finger across her lips. “I need to focus on recon today. Maeron may have some fiendish guard dogs. We’re going to have to get in and get out quickly, without him knowing we’ve been sniffing around. I can’t be as effective if you’re there because I’ll be worried for your safety.”
She glared at him, pissed and hurt at the same time. Hadn’t she proven herself during their time on Torth? I held my own against the Vipers and the Ghazsul demons. She narrowed her eyes and started to tell him that, but he stopped her again.
“Nicole, if you use your power anywhere near him, he’ll know it. He may not know what you are, but he’ll sense your unique energy, and he’ll come after you. He’s a crazy, power-hungry bastard. He’ll want you. Who knows what kind of shit he’d try if he could use you?”
She blew out a breath. “Who knows what kind of shit I could do to him? I’m here for a reason, and I want to start fighting with you. You know that one day m
y sisters and I are supposed to battle something nastier than your worst nightmare.”
“We’ll worry about that when it happens. And you can use this time to practice. Today, you stay put.”
“You can’t keep me in a cage!”
“I won’t have you taking a foolish risk.” His tone brokered no argument.
She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. “I wasn’t foolish at Rivkin.”
“Rivkin was different. We were on friendly turf, with an army of archers. I don’t know what we’ll walk into today.”
She glared at him, her hands still balled into fists. She wanted to scream at him or punch him. Maybe fling him across the room with her mind. Her muscles trembled with rage, but also with the niggling thought that his actions and words were rooted in concern for her. Then why can’t he care enough to let me grow?
“Hey.” He took her chin in his fingers and turned her face toward his. “I can’t risk your life. You’re too important.”
“That’s right, the Solsti are here because the world needs them,” she recited numbly.
“And I need you,” he said before hauling her up to his mouth for a rough, demanding kiss that stole her breath. The anger racing through her blood turned to heat as the sweet demands of his tongue coaxed her lips apart. She planted her hands on his chest and pushed, but she may as well have pushed a brick wall. With one of his hands resting at the small of her back, and the other at her nape, her traitorous body softened against him.
She mentally cursed him and fought hard to suppress the moan rising in her throat. Right now she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how badly her body craved him.
Giving him another shove, she broke the kiss and took a step back. Still glaring at him, she drew a reluctant, ragged breath. Damn it. There was no hiding the way he affected her.
His eyes radiating blue heat, he flicked his gaze to her lips and back up to her eyes. Turning, he stalked away without a backward glance.
She blinked as she watched him go, shaking her head to clear it. A faint echo of his voice reverberated in her mind. But how could that be? One word that she not only heard, but felt deep in her heart. Mine.
CHAPTER 22
NICOLE KNEW SHE couldn’t stay in that house all day waiting for the four demons to return. She decided her first order of business was to stock up on fresh foods. The men had driven off in two black Escalades, leaving a white Tahoe and two plain looking Honda sedans behind. She eyed one of the Hondas. That was more like the car she shared with Brooke. Her gaze swept the kitchen, finding a pegboard pierced with hooks near the back door. Flipping through the dangling keys, she found the ones she needed and headed out.
A surreal feeling washed over her as she pushed her cart through the aisles. All the other shoppers bustled about their business, checking their grocery lists and selecting vegetables, having no idea that the world was full of creatures who weren’t supposed to exist. A week ago she was having the same out-of-body experience while walking around Torth; now, being back in the “regular” world seemed even stranger.
All the things she had thought were “normal” had been turned upside down. She had always secretly hoped the talent that ran in her family wasn’t a fluke, that there was a reason behind it. Now she had her reason and she was thrilled to have a purpose. She could only dream about what she, Brooke, and Gin would be able to accomplish together.
She sighed, thinking of her younger sister. Gin thought she and Brooke were crazy for doing what they did in the city at night. She preferred to forget that her ability even existed. Convincing her otherwise would be a major feat.
Nicole finished up her shopping, hurried home, and unpacked the groceries. A huge Denver omelet sounded excellent, and she went looking for Rilan to see if he wanted one, too. Not seeing him, she went upstairs to check his room. The door was closed and she gave a quick knock. No response. She shrugged and returned to the big kitchen.
Soon the spacious room was filled with the aroma of eggs, cheese, and bell peppers. She polished off her omelet and sipped her coffee, contemplating what else to do with her time. Two days until Brooke came back. Nicole’s fingers drummed a bored pattern on the smooth granite breakfast bar.
Gunnar had told her to practice, so that’s what she would do to keep from going stir crazy. She quickly washed her dishes, grabbed the car keys, and paused. Scrawling down a quick note so no one would worry, she placed it on the island and left.
It felt good to drive out of civilization, as Brooke called it. She was leaving the strip malls and gated subdivisions behind and getting out into flat fields that stretched as far as the eye could see. Heading southwest, she passed row after neat row of corn and wheat. Grain elevators occasionally punctuated the flat Illinois horizon.
After about an hour of driving, she left the interstate behind in favor of a rural highway that passed through small towns. Pulling onto a tiny dusty lane, she spotted what she wanted: a wide field of prairie grasses with clusters of oaks and other large trees scattered along one side. And most importantly, no people. She didn’t need an audience for the gales she was about to summon. Especially since I’m still working on my control.
Finding a nice clump of sycamores, she parked the car so that it couldn’t be seen from the road. She got out and stretched limbs that were stiff from sitting for so long, and walked out into the knee-high grass. Eyes closed, she inhaled the scent of sweet meadow and clean air, letting her power build and coil.
Flush with energy, she summoned a breeze to push down the grass on her right. She smiled. But she wanted to split her mental focus, as she had done with the Vipers at Rivkin. Keeping the current constant, she tried to call another breeze to sway the grass on her left.
She ended up with a face full of dust and coughed, breaking her concentration. Maybe she needed more distance between the two areas of activity.
Determined to master the dual forces, she called the wind to blow the grasses low to the ground again. Then she looked to the tops of the trees and summoned a gust to rattle the leaves in the highest branches. This time she was successful. She worked on different skills, like parting the grass in front of her to form a narrow path. She extended it as far as she could see, a thin dark line like a snake arrowing away from her to the other side of the field.
The fights with the Vipers and the Ghazsuls popped into her mind, and she tried to think strategically about what would have helped them. She practiced moving her air currents around in different ways, doubling them back on themselves and changing directions quickly. Her body hummed with so much energy that, too late, she realized she had an audience.
She froze as two hands clapped together slowly and deliberately. “Quite impressive, little fae,” a low voice rasped.
Fear rooted her feet in place, even as it turned her blood to ice. She whirled, but it seemed like moving in slow motion. No! Standing in the shade of the towering oak trees stood two Ghazsul demons.
The one who had been clapping stopped and tilted his ugly red head at her. “Although, you’re a little tall to be a fairy.”
Nicole gulped as questions shot though her mind. What were Ghazsul demons doing on Earth? Had they been looking for her? Did they want revenge for the battle in the woods on Torth? Or was this a sick coincidence?
“You’re a pretty thing, whatever you are,” the second one said. They didn’t seem wary; in fact, they looked cocky, like she couldn’t possibly hurt them. Maybe they didn’t know anything about her little adventure on Torth.
“So.” The second demon licked his lips. “Care to divulge your heritage? Your energy is rather unusual.” His black eyes roamed every inch of her body.
She gulped again. There was no way she was going to tell these creatures that she was a Solsti—they wouldn’t believe me anyway—but she wasn’t sure what she should pretend to be. She hadn’t exactly thought up a cover story for situations like this, and didn’t know enough about the different types of fairies to fake it.
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br /> I’ll dodge the question. “Who are you?” she asked.
The first demon got in her face so fast that she didn’t even see him move. “I asked you first, little fae.” He leaned in close enough that she could see a sparse coating of wiry hairs along his muscular, red, bare arms. Grabbing her upper arm, he inhaled, then frowned and turned to his friend. “You smell her.”
Nicole jumped and cringed as the other Ghazsul stood way too close on her other side. He took a deep breath, his nose brushing the shell of her ear. “I don’t recognize her scent, either.” She felt like a lab rat alone with two evil scientists.
“You get one more chance to tell us your true nature, little one. Or we’ll all take a trip to see our master. He’ll be intrigued with you. He likes unique things.” The first demon spoke with a laugh that sent chills down her spine.
She fought her rising panic. They were stronger than her. She hadn’t even brought her dagger, because she never would have anticipated needing it in an open field. On Earth. Peering at their shoulders, she tried in vain to see behind them. These Ghazsuls either didn’t have wings or they had them tucked away. If she could get them to fly, even if they were holding her, then she could get them to fall.
She turned as if to run, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to break the demon’s hold on her arm.
It chuckled eerily. “Now, now, the party’s just getting started.”
She let her body go limp, and when he relaxed his grip a little, she twisted free, spun around, and aimed a high kick at him. Her strike should have landed a blow to his jaw, but he was so tall that she didn’t make it that far. He grunted as the top of her foot snapped near his shoulder. Before she could recover he grabbed her ankle and flung her to the ground. He did it with as little effort as Gunnar had the day they sparred in the training room. The Ghazsul was much rougher, and she wheezed, trying to get back the breath that had been knocked out of her. Thank goodness the Ghazsul didn’t jump on her to keep her down.