Darkness Burning

by Delilah Devlin

  “Want to come with us?”

  Simon smiled. “I’ll be there an hour ahead of you.”

  “Should I fly?”

  Simon shook his head. “Mikaela and my kestrel are fine for now. I’ll need the time to locate the relic and prepare the spell. Be vigilant. Do you have a plan for when you get there?”

  “A brilliant plan. I’m walking through the front gates.” Alex looked for a sign of disapproval, but Simon only smiled. “Guess you already knew that.”

  Simon lifted a hand, and then winked out.

  “I fuckin’ hate it when he does that,” Rene growled.

  Alex shook his head. “He always likes having the last word.”

  Back inside the car, he sat sideways in the seat to keep an eye on the females in the backseat. Natalie’s gaze never wavered from Gabriella.

  “These are your parents?” Gabriella asked, her gaze slipping from Natalie and Rene and back to Alex. “I can see the resemblance.”

  “Surprised I have any?” he asked wryly.

  “I guess I’m just surprised you are all here in New Orleans. Inanna would be furious to know you’ve been right under her nose all along. The sabat was right to question her authority.”

  “None of those women would have known any better.”

  “Is this all you have to do battle? An old mage and your mom and dad?”

  Alex smiled. “I have the truth.”

  “And you think that makes me feel better about the fact I’m riding into Hell with you?” Gabriella asked, although she didn’t look particularly worried.

  Alex loved her confidence. “You can always claim I kidnapped you.”

  She arched an eyebrow. “If things go sour for you, don’t think I won’t. I’ll just take a walk to the other side.”

  “Gabi…”

  “Don’t give me that look. I don’t want your pity.”

  “Seems you’ve been a very busy man, son,” Rene drawled. “Gonna tell us all about it?”

  Alex turned in his seat, satisfied for now that the women wouldn’t be going for each other’s throats.

  CHAPTER 19

  Natalie, Rene, and Gabriella parked the car alongside the highway, deciding it would be safer to hump it the rest of the way to the compound, as Alex stepped in front of the closed gates and waited. While the radios buzzed the news, the trio jumped the fence at the rear of the compound. Or so that was how the scenario was supposed to work. Otherwise, they were screwed.

  “Damn, I feel like a rock star,” Alex said, pasting on a carefree smile as Pasqual and his crew surrounded him like army ants covering an elephant’s carcass.

  When Pasqual grabbed his arm to pull it back and cuff him, Alex resisted, balling his hand into a fist and holding up his arm, keeping it rigid.

  Pasqual attempted once again to pull it down, but he couldn’t budge it. His gaze narrowed with deadly intent.

  Alex leaned close and whispered, “Kill me now and you’ll have to face the wrath of the entire sabat. I’m here of my own free will, asshole. Now, do your job and escort me to them.”

  Pasqual bit out a low, filthy epithet, but he dropped Alex’s arm and signaled to the men to surround him. As though they led a prisoner to his execution, they kept their gazes straight ahead, allowing themselves only quickly darting glances to satisfy their curiosity.

  Alex made his own surreptitious assessment of the men leading him toward the house.

  All Nicolas’s men, but no doubt ones who’d been culled for their devotion to Inanna. Their loyalties would be tested in the next hour.

  Alex drew a deep breath of the humid air and glanced around. How different Ardeal appeared as compared to the previous night.

  Sure, the genteel, stately grounds surrounding the white Victorian mansion were still meticulously manicured, but lights didn’t beckon visitors to the house; the doors weren’t opened in welcome; and music and laughter didn’t spill from the windows.

  Drapes were pulled tight, and the lights inside were as muted as the noise.

  Except for the crunch of booted feet on the pebbled driveway, there were no sounds. An expectant hush lay over the party escorting him and the people watching him from the windows of the house.

  They expected blood to flow. His.

  Despite the menace permeating the air, a dead calm settled over him. For the first time in his life, Alex felt the swell of pride in his birth and a certainty that this was the moment of his destiny.

  As they neared the house, the memories from the generations that preceded him crystallized, taking away his breath as he peered into the past—beyond Inanna and her attempt to seize a kingdom in ancient Sumer, all the way back to the birth of their species.

  The stone that sat heavy at the base of his throat pulsed against his skin. Gifted by angels to protect him as a child, the carving on it held the secret of their conception: the mating of the lilum—a race of demons born to Lilith and her legion of demon lovers—and angels expelled from heaven for daring to defy God and his wish to elevate man above them.

  “Explains the wings,” he whispered, his steps slowing.

  Which made them even less demon than he’d always supposed…perhaps they possessed the same potential for good or evil as Man.

  A hand shoved between his shoulder blades to hurry him along.

  Alex stuck his hands inside his pockets, and he briefly touched the crystal key to his private cavern. He curled his fingers away from it. He wouldn’t escape. Now he didn’t even want to escape whatever The Fates and God had planned.

  Inanna would be served her punishment. Hopefully, he’d be there as witness and master strategist to recraft the Nation’s ragged bonds into a force capable of facing the coming battle.

  After he’d retrieved his woman.

  The front doors opened wide, and he crossed the black and white marble tiles, heading for the chamber where the sabat waited.

  Two files of armed guards lined up on either side of the chamber doors. Without hesitating, he stepped inside the shadowy room, his gaze sweeping the chamber, lighting briefly on Nicolas, whose face seemed set in stone, then landing on Inanna, who stared at him as though he were a creature who’d stepped out of her worst nightmare. They were seated at a black, round table with the other sabat members, men in SWAT gear standing beside every window and doorway. As though they could prevent intrusion or protect the members from his wrath.

  Alex almost smiled—until he spied Miki standing beside a rustling canvas bag with her hands bound behind her.

  Pasqual strode straight for her and took up position beside her, his hands sliding behind his back as he assumed a military stance.

  Alex held Miki’s glance for only a moment. He was unable to telegraph a message, but he hoped she knew how much he regretted bringing her into this.

  Time for the game to begin.

  Taking a fortifying breath, he glanced back at Inanna, whose beautiful face seemed to glow in the candlelight. “Grandmère,” he said with a slight inclination of his head.

  “Don’t you call me that,” she hissed, her lips lifting into a snarl as her fingers tightened around the arms of her ebony chair.

  “How kind of you to extend me this invitation.”

  Her contemptuous snort pleased him. However she might posture and pretend that she held all the power, he had her measure now. He let his gaze land on every member of the council, pausing to challenge each of them with a quick, dismissive glance.

  “Stop with the theatrics,” one of the council members spat.

  Her dark eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “The only reason you aren’t already dead is because we’re curious.”

  “About me? I’m flattered,” he drawled.

  “Cecily,” Inanna interrupted, “I’ll handle this.” Her gaze slid to Alex’s, narrowing, then raking over his body. “I remember you. From last night.”

  “We met briefly.”

  “You attended our party. How did you gain entry?”

  “I was invited
by Erika.”

  The glittering anger in her eyes didn’t dim at the mention of her murdered granddaughter. “Erika was never very selective,” she murmured.

  “Or discerning…”

  “You think you’re clever. And yet you walked right up to the gates. What did you think would happen?”

  “That you’d throw a party for your prodigal grandson?”

  A deep breath lifted her chest. “Before we decide whether to plan a feast,” she snarled, “I would know your true nature.” She settled back into her seat, her fingers twisting on the arms. “Please take off your shirt.”

  He snorted. “Now who’s practicing theatrics? You know what I am.” But he unbuttoned his shirt, stripping it down his arms. When he dropped it to the floor, he locked his gaze with Inanna and released his wings, letting them flare wide behind him, brushing away the guards who stood too close.

  Gasps escaped from several of the sabat members.

  When the din died down, Inanna asked, “Who is your mother? How have we missed her?”

  “You were careless and lost her, Inanna. Just days ago.”

  Her chin lifted, and her lips thinned. “Natalie,” she said evenly. Her gaze sliced to Nicolas, and she gave him a measuring, guarded look. To the others, she said, “Do you see why we seek Simon now? He’s at the bottom of this abomination.”

  “I am Born. Not an abomination,” Alex said, lifting his chin and pinning her with an emotionless stare. “Same as you.”

  “We must kill him,” Cecily said, playing with her necklace.

  Inanna looked her way but didn’t respond. Her gaze again slipped to Nicolas.

  “You hesitate, Inanna,” Alex said softly.

  “You sired Chessa’s child,” she said, responding to him, but still staring at Nicolas.

  Cecily’s mouth gaped. “Chessa is pregnant again? Why weren’t we informed?”

  Inanna gave the woman a dismissing wave of her hand. “It was very recent.”

  “We must destroy him,” the woman seated beside Cecily said. “He upsets the balance of things, the order we’ve maintained.”

  Inanna’s lips twisted. “Madrigal, you’re shortsighted. He might prove useful.”

  Cecily’s gaze narrowed on him. “As a stud?”

  “The rogues hunted our offspring these past four decades and killed many of our breeders. Without him, we can’t conceive enough to replenish our ranks. We can destroy him when we no longer have a use for him.”

  “Seems a little incestuous to me,” Alex drawled.

  “You fucked your father’s best friend,” Inanna bit out. “Don’t tell me you have any scruples concerning whose womb you fill.”

  Alex kept his attention on Inanna and hoped like hell Miki didn’t give away the secret she carried in her own belly. “Why should I cooperate?”

  “I believe we hold something precious to you,” she said, nodding toward Miki. “If you would see her live a little while longer, you will cooperate.”

  Alex resisted the urge to follow her gaze to Miki, hoping the women would believe she didn’t matter. All this talk of breeding made his skin crawl. He had no intentions of giving these bitches what they wanted, but he needed to stall for time. “You would share me with your council members?”

  Inanna sat perfectly still for so long that the other members glanced toward her.

  “Do you intend to keep him for yourself?” Cecily asked, her voice incredulous.

  “Cecily,” Alex said softly, “she fears what I might tell you if I were alone with you.”

  “Shut up,” Inanna said, two bright spots of color darkening her cheeks.

  Glancing at the rest of the council, he said, “Do you even know why you fear your male children?”

  “You’re stronger,” the one called Madrigal said hesitantly. “Prone to dominate and to wage war.” She looked to Cecily for approval before continuing, “We prefer rule by consensus. We’re more civilized.”

  “It’s a lie,” he said flatly.

  “Silence!” Inanna shouted. “Pasqual, take him out of here.”

  Into the quiet that followed her order came a deep masculine voice. “Perhaps,” said Nicolas, “the council would find what he says to be needful before we decide his fate.”

  “Be careful, Nico,” Inanna said, her voice rising toward the end with warning.

  “You made him a member of this council, Grandmère,” Cecily said sweetly. “Did you intend him to only second your every command?”

  Inanna glanced wildly at Nicolas, whose gaze remained pinned on Alex. Her eyes began to fill.

  Alex almost felt sorry for her, knowing she finally realized that Nicolas was no longer bonded to her. No longer hers to command.

  Alex met Nicolas’s gaze, careful to keep any emotion from revealing a relationship between them. “Male Born have unique gifts.” He turned to Madrigal and bowed slightly. “It is true that we are marginally stronger than you, but we aren’t unconquerable. We can also impregnate our partners, regardless of their species or fertility.”

  Encompassing the rest of the council with his gaze, he lifted his chin. “But the gift that makes us truly dangerous is our clear vision of the past…an innate ability that makes us more qualified to rule.”

  “Do you hear what he’s saying? He thinks he should rule us all,” Cecily exclaimed. “I told you he would upset everything we’ve worked to maintain.”

  “You’ve murdered to maintain your rank,” Alex said, beginning to choke on the rage rising inside him. “Every one of you has participated in killing male progeny to ensure your own positions. How greedy, how shortsighted. You don’t have the Nation’s best interests at heart, only your own.”

  “What is the nature of this gift that you think makes you more suitable to rule?” Cecily asked, her nose sniffing.

  “I inherited the memories of every one of my forebears. I can see into their pasts as if they were my own. My memory is longer than even Inanna’s, richer, because it does not begin and end with you; it stretches beyond our species’ birth.”

  “What advantage does that give you?” Cecily grated. “What gift is that? The ability to bore us like an old man relating tales of his youth?”

  “I know many useful things,” he said slowly, turning to pin the ancient matriarch with a glare. “Don’t I, Inanna?”

  Her chin sank toward her chest, and her glare stabbed him. “Be quiet or I will kill you myself.”

  Alex ignored her threat, instead aiming a glance that included the entire group—even the Revenants standing around the room. “Aren’t you the least bit curious about why the Grizashiat, The One Who Devours, is so intent on stalking Inanna? Here’s a demon, freed from Hell. He could go anywhere, operate in the open as anyone, but he tracks her here, torments her by leaving bodies at her door to make sure she knows he’s coming for her. Why?”

  “He’s a beast,” Inanna gritted out, her eyes flashing a warning. “He wants revenge for me imprisoning him so long.”

  “You know that’s a lie,” Alex said, impaling her with a glance. “He comes for you because you’re responsible for him being made demon in the first place—he wants revenge against you and yours because you gave him to Hell and murdered his son in order to remove any challenge to your authority.”

  Inanna’s hand went to her throat. Her eyes widened and grew moist. She opened her mouth, perhaps to deny the charge, but she slowly closed it.

  Cecily’s head swung to Inanna and she leaned away. “You are responsible for his existence?”

  Sensing that Inanna’s defenses were crumbling around her, Alex drew a deep breath and let his wings flare again, knowing that the dark, widening span made him seem sinister, larger than he already was. “Tell them all who he was when he was human, Inanna,” he said, keeping his voice toneless and even.

  “He was my husband,” she whispered.

  “Your bond-mate?” Cecily’s skin paled. “How could you have done that?”

  “Inanna never turned him d
uring her season,” Alex answered for Inanna, who trembled. “She kept him human so that he could do her bidding during the day and run her kingdom for her. She thought her own beauty and persuasion would be enough to keep him in line.”

  Inanna lifted her chin, defiance curving her lips. “This is all very interesting, I’m sure. But I still don’t see how it is useful. It’s ancient history. I made a mistake—one I’ve regretted.”

  Alex shook his head, exaggerating his surprise at the way she tried to downplay her crime. “You made a monster who hunts our kind—who murdered one of our family only last night.”

  “Your family?” she scoffed.

  “She would have been if I hadn’t been denied my birthright.”

  Silence fell like a suffocating blanket around the occupants of the room. Inanna’s gaze skittered from one sabat sister to another, only to find them turn away, their disapproval a palpable, breathing entity.

  While a deep, burning satisfaction flooded Alex’s veins with an adrenaline spike, he knew he still teetered on a sharp edge that could turn vicious and bloody in a second.

  Wishing Simon would hurry it up, he had to drag out the drama just a little longer.

  “Enough of rehashing the past,” he said smoothly. “We have time for that later. Right now we have more urgent matters to deal with.” He paused, waiting to see if anyone would resist his attempt to continue his interrogation.

  When the room stayed quiet and all eyes turned his way, he felt another rush of power. Their faces were still wooden, their expressions pale and shocked as they digested everything they’d learned, but they seemed willing to listen, to let him lead the discussion while they continued to sort through it.

  Only Nicolas seemed relaxed. He slouched back in his chair, his gaze narrowed, but one corner of his mouth lifted in a wry smile.

  Alex cleared his throat. “I possess the means of identifying your monster and destroying him once and for all.”

  Cecily sat forward, her glance darting around the table before she opened her mouth. “Tell us how you would go about doing this.” For the first time, her tone, when she addressed him, was civil.