by Trina M. Lee
“You really love her, don’t you?” Arys asked, beating me to the question I’d wanted to ask.
The two of them shared a look then. Lilah couldn’t be an easy person to love, though in all fairness, neither Arys nor I were winning any awards in that department either. Despite her tirade about twin flames being a curse, Lilah loved Salem too. I’d seen it inside her hateful rage.
“I do.” Salem nodded and reached to touch the ginger strand in his hair. “With every part of me.”
Because trouble always seemed to find the exact perfect moment to occur, the air rippled, and Falon appeared next to the table. He took one look at Salem, clearly stunned to find his other forbidden lover’s flame in my nightclub, and tried to leave. The air moved, but he wasn’t going anywhere.
Salem held a hand up, freezing Falon in place. His power was massive, like a mountain inside my head, rising up out of the ocean. Heights and depths greater than I would ever know, could ever dream. It rolled over both Arys and me, screaming through our skulls. The pain was blinding.
The two of us forgotten, Salem lunged out of his seat. He drew a dagger that seemed to have appeared from nowhere and pressed the blade against Falon’s throat.
With gold eyes flashing Lilah’s pale orange, he snarled, “I’ve been looking for you.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Well, looks like you got lucky.” Falon spoke with the careful calm of one who knew he was trapped, wary of exciting his captor. Despite the angel holding a dagger to his throat, a slow, arrogant smile crept across his face.
Unable to hold it back, I let out a small pained squeak. Remembering we were there, Salem reined in his power, allowing us to recover from the sudden, hard slap of it. I tried to push past Arys to get out of the booth, but he held me in place.
Salem’s eyes were solid orange. Lilah’s eyes. Her darkness had surfaced. This was bad. Really bad. Lilah was a demon, a powerful one. Any part of her that came through him was going to be ugly. Perhaps Arys’s darkness also came from demons, as all vampire power did, but their evil was diluted by the fact that vampires started as humans.
Salem had never been human.
“I’m going to enjoy torturing you for all eternity,” he hissed into Falon’s face. Even though the band was doing sound check, his voice resonated, clearly audible amid the rising noise. “You can go in the room right next to her so she can listen to your screams. It’s the least you both deserve.”
A room, huh? I’d been curious about the angel cage Lilah was imprisoned in. I’d pictured cold bars and a bare cot. Wishful thinking. She meant too much to Salem for him to let her suffer that way. It was more likely that she was locked in a room filled with lavish luxury while she lounged on a satin sheet-covered bed and felt sorry for herself. I definitely did not feel bad for her.
Falon shrugged, neither instigating nor surrendering. “This really isn’t about me. I’m just the guy that gave her what she wanted. What you refused to give her.”
Damn. Falon was stupider than I’d realized. Never would I have ever talked to Salem like that after screwing his twin flame. Apparently Salem knew all about that. Yikes. I’d seen it with my own eyes. Lucky me.
“I have given her everything,” Salem roared, pressing closer. “You preyed on her weakness.”
My eyes strayed to Falon’s throat as Salem’s blade bit deeper. I wanted him to bleed as bad as I prayed he wouldn’t. I had to stop this. Much as I hated it, I needed Falon. I couldn’t trap Shya without him.
“If anyone was preyed upon, it was me. Your lady knows how to get what she wants.” Falon’s smile had vanished. Challenge shone in his silver eyes. Fearless and brazen, he stood there, letting Salem decide where he wanted to take this.
A crimson drop welled up as Salem’s blade cut flesh. I groaned inwardly as the scent of Falon’s blood hit me. I hadn’t fed yet tonight, and as a new vampire, that was a bigger deal than it sounded like.
“So do I.” Salem’s grip on the dagger was precise. He dragged it over Falon’s throat, making small slices. The fingers of his free hand were alight with orange and gold sparks.
Again I tried to shove by Arys, but he refused to be budged. With a hand on my shoulder he said, “Alexa, you don’t have a dog in this fight.”
Though he was usually right, this time Arys was wrong. “I do, actually. I can’t handle Shya on my own. I need him.”
Before he could stop me, I shoved around the other side of the booth and clambered out the side Salem had just vacated. I knew the U-shaped booths would come in handy.
I kept my distance, stepping close enough to play peacemaker but staying out of reach. As blood trickled down Falon’s neck, I found myself drawn closer.
Until Salem’s sharp, fiery stare pushed me back. “Shya? What about Shya?” Salem awaited my response, holding his aggressive position.
I reminded him that keeping Shya from Lilah’s kingdom was merely a temporary setback for the demon. He’d promised me suffering for what I’d done, and along with vengeance, he still had an unhealthy interest in controlling the supernatural creatures of this city.
“He’s throwing this party,” I continued, knowing that if I couldn’t convince Salem that I needed Falon free and in one piece, Shya would get the last laugh. “It’s our best chance to bind him. We need to put him away for a while, and I can’t do that without Falon.”
The atmosphere grew suffocating. Salem leaked energy, overflowing with it. The pressure in my head grew. There was no shutting it out.
He gaped at me as if I’d just blown his mind. “You’re trusting Falon to help you? That’s a mistake, Alexa. He can’t be trusted. He’ll turn on you. Falon is a traitor. He’s always been a traitor. He will betray you.”
My gaze flicked to Falon. Our eyes met and he winked. He wasn’t making this easy for me.
“Yeah, he probably will,” I conceded with a slight nod. “That’s a chance I have to take. Between him and Shya, Falon is the lesser evil.”
Redirecting my focus back to Salem, I pleaded silently with him. His jaw was hard set, and the dagger in his hand continued to cut into Falon’s neck. I was certain that he would take his vengeance and leave me to figure out the Shya mess on my own.
To my utter shock and relief, Salem withdrew the blade and stepped back. “For you, I will wait; time is of no issue for me. Still do not underestimate this miscreant. He has a way of getting closer than you think he is, knowing more than he should. He’s dangerous.”
Falon put a hand to his neck and swiped at the blood that remained from his already healed cut. Wiggling his bloodstained fingers teasingly in my direction, he smirked. I clenched my hands into fists, digging my nails into my palms. So badly I wanted to grab his hand and suck the blood from his fingers.
“Oh, I think it’s too late for that warning,” he said, shooting a glance at Arys, then Salem. “Alexa and I have already become quite…close. I’ve gotta say, she’s much more enthusiastic than Lilah ever was. But then again, Alexa is a succubus, and a fine one at that.”
Arys was on his feet as Salem surged forward. My fist beat them both to it, connecting with Falon’s face so hard my hand hurt. He staggered back with a snicker, holding his jaw.
I hated Falon for being unable to keep his mouth shut. Briggs had only sent our video to my inner circle. That hadn’t included Salem. I cringed, afraid to look at him and see judgment. But he wasn’t looking at me. The accusation on his face was all for Falon.
“Are you purposely targeting twin flame women?” Salem appraised the fallen angel with a raised brow. “What are you hoping to gain from that?”
Now I too peered at Falon with suspicion. There was no way he had targeted both Lilah and I, was there? No. I’d made the decision. I’d wanted him. He was just a power source…but he tasted damn good.
Arys stood quiet at my side. The tightly leashed force he held ready reverberated inside me. Yet he remained surprisingly calm.
“I can see how it might look that way.” Falon shrugged. �
��I guess I just have something they want. Something they’re not getting from their other half.”
Salem didn’t even move. The power burst from him. It didn’t just hit Falon but wrapped around him before flinging him into the back wall of the building. He hit so hard that, when he fell to the floor, there was a crack in the new blood red tiles covering the concrete wall.
“I apologize,” Salem said, giving a small, respectful bow. He reached into his jacket and withdrew a silver chain. A purple stone the size of a large grape hung from the links, a deep violet amethyst. “Please, take this. If you’re ever in great danger, break it, and I’ll come.”
I accepted the stone, pleasantly surprised when it grew warm at my touch. “Thank you, Salem. It means so much to me that you came. There’s so much I still want to say.”
Salem bowed to Arys as well. “I must leave. Staying here will only test my control. Sadly, he’s just not worth it.”
I understood completely. Falon was testing my control as well, but I was itching for a taste of him.
“One last thing.” Salem’s voice dropped, and he got so close a few stray tendrils of my hair floated. His energy felt like a bomb waiting to go off, but thankfully, his eyes had returned to gold. “Willow is not as he seems. He is a creature of the dark now. Deadlier than you imagine. Shya is but an insect in comparison. Be on your guard. You are Willow’s only tie to the light now. Beware of all who try to extinguish your holy fire. Especially yourself.”
Perhaps that was the most profound advice he’d gifted me with yet. It was a reminder I needed since I was often my own worst enemy. But now so was Willow. I knew; I’d seen it.
“Thank you,” I whispered, drowned out by the band gearing up to start.
Salem heard me anyway. He nodded to both Arys and I, and then he was gone.
His visit had been too short. There was so much I didn’t get a chance to say, thanks to Falon. I slipped the long chain over my head and cast a scathing glare at the fallen angel. He picked himself up off the floor and dusted off his trendy black pants. Even as I wanted to throw a few more punches at him, I also wanted to lick the blood from his fingers and make him scream my name.
Falon held both hands out in open invitation and sidled up to Arys. “Wanna take a shot at me too? Might as well. I figure I’ve got it coming. Twin flames are so touchy, so easily threatened when it comes to their other half.”
I tensed.
Arys remained so calm and controlled despite everything that had just occurred. He didn’t look any happier to see Falon than Salem had. Violence lurked behind his cold, blue eyes, yet it was a relaxed violence, like he knew he could let Falon have it but chose not to.
Then Arys’s sharp laughter cut through the tension. “This woman made you her bitch, and you loved it. Why the hell would I be threatened by that?”
“Are you kidding? Do you have any idea what she lets me do to her?” Falon crossed his arms and inclined his head, studying Arys in a condescending manner that got my blood boiling.
“Lets you?” Arys repeated, crossing his arms as he pointedly mimicked Falon’s arrogant pose. “Or makes you? That’s all part of the illusion, my friend. Would you like me to show you?” Arys opened one hand, power darting out from him like a trapped insect flying free.
Falon made no effort to resist. He took the hit with little more than a frown. It was just a taste of all that Arys could wield, but it was still enough to make Falon visibly swoon.
Although the fallen angel could have resisted, he didn’t. He did laugh though, right in Arys’s face. “Nice touch. Almost as nice as Alexa’s. I’m not into group sex, but feel free to watch next time she rides my cock, if you like.”
Falon’s crudeness made me flinch. Since I knew he only did it to get a reaction, I suppressed the urge to break his nose.
Watching their exchange had grown tiring already. Men. I would never understand them. It didn’t matter what they were. Human. Vampire. Angel. Or other. They always had to try to one up each other.
“You know, I might just do that. But I can’t promise to look and not touch.” Playful but deadly, Arys fixed a wickedly hungry gaze on Falon.
“Ok, guys, I think that’s enough,” I broke in, stepping between them. With a hand on each man’s chest, I gave them both a shove away from each another. “Falon, what the hell do you want? Did you come here just to piss everyone off, or do you have a reason I give a shit about?”
Falon ran a hand through his silver hair and dragged his attention from Arys to me. He grabbed the hand that I’d shoved him with and clasped it tight. Our auras merged and a jolt of desire struck my groin. Unable to resist any longer, I dragged his bloodstained hand to my lips.
Both men watched me suck a blood-covered finger into my mouth. Falon’s skin was salty and clean. His blood was tangy, metallic. It made me want more of him.
“Son of a bitch,” he muttered, flooding me with the lust I sought.
A growl rumbled in my throat as I considered lunging for his neck. Falon leaned into me, a willing victim whether he wanted to admit it or not.
Arys grabbed me around the waist and dragged me back. He shuddered as my deep-rooted craving caught him up in its hold. Our power united.
Seeing it rise within us, Falon held both hands up in a show of surrender that was more of a mockery than an authentic gesture. “Settle down, blood junkies,” he said, though it lacked conviction. “Like I said, I prefer it one on one.”
“Fine with me. Let’s go grab a room.” Arys jerked his head toward the back hall.
“No offense, Arys. As ridiculously attractive as you are, I’m just not into men.” A wariness passed over Falon. He shifted his feet, moving into a defensive stance. He didn’t seem to like the way we were looking at him. Perhaps he knew that if Arys became part of the equation, his perception might change.
“Falon,” I purred, sliding out of Arys’s grasp. “Start talking before I quit listening. I haven’t fed yet tonight, and you’re looking like an all I can eat buffet.”
“All you can eat?” he questioned. “Or all you can f—”
“Get to the point.” I cut him off, wanting to end this before things really got weird.
Despite Arys’s claim to have enjoyed watching me feast on Falon, his change in demeanor suggested that he was conflicted. Now that Falon was standing in front of him, slinging crude barbs, Arys was ready to either kick his ass or victimize him. I preferred that neither happened.
“I came to talk to you about Gabriel. The little bastard keeps giving me the slip. We need to discuss the details for Shya’s party. We don’t have much time.” Falon cast a glance about the building. “Shouldn’t he be here, like a good little vampire?”
That snapped me out of hungry predator mode. I turned to Arys with a quizzical frown. “Actually, yeah. He should be. Where the hell has Gabriel been?” And why did he keep pulling this disappearing act?
“He’s been around.” Arys didn’t sound so sure. “I was with him just a few days ago.”
“We’ve both been preoccupied with other things.” I shot a glance at Falon who grinned. “We need to be keeping better tabs on him. He’s dangerous, Arys.”
Dangerous didn’t even begin to describe Gabriel. He was young, just nineteen, and he was walking around the city with the ability to twist vampiric power into spells, a level of manipulation even we couldn’t do.
Arys shook his head and swore. He knew as well as I did that we’d dropped the ball as far as Gabriel was concerned. “He is. I know. I’ll find him.”
Finding him would be simple enough. Arys and I could sense him with only a little focus. He had a room here at the Kiss, at my insistence. But had he been using it?
“Better find him pretty damn fast,” Falon quipped. “We don’t have much time to form a plan. And a back up plan. Unfortunately, chances of this succeeding without Gabriel are slim to none.” A glare stole over Falon’s face. “Next time you have Salem over for a visit, give me a heads up. I don�
�t need to deal with that shit.”
I scoffed. “It’s not my problem that you can’t keep your dick to yourself. Choose to make better choices.”
“Make better choices?” A pulse of power accompanied his snide tone. “I’ll be sure to start doing that next time you’ve got an angel fetish itch you need scratched.”
“Sure you will.” I shouldn’t have been so cocky, but Falon brought out an ugly side of me.
Much like the recent altercation between us in my victim’s motel room, Falon came at me fast, backing me up against the nearest table. It dug into the back of my thighs as I struggled to stay upright.
Arys started to move, to come to my defense. Rethinking it, he paused and opted to watch instead.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Alexa,” Falon seethed. “I have what you want, bitch. Now let’s try to play nice until we finish with Shya.”
“Oh yeah?” I fought to keep from blasting him. It would be so easy, and he was invasively close. “And then what?”
Silver eyes bore into me. They were filled with a vile hatred and a flicker of something else. Ravenous desire. Falon’s gaze slid over me. “I guess we’ll see.”
Underestimating him would be stupid. I wouldn’t make that mistake. As Salem had said, Falon probably would turn on me the first chance he got. Though, for now, he was right where I wanted him.
I smirked. With a push of unseen force, I dragged my tongue slowly over my bottom lip, pleased when his eyes followed the motion. “Yeah, I guess we will.”
As we stood there, locked in a silent struggle, I grew increasingly aware of Arys’s anticipation. He drifted closer. It snapped Falon out of the moment, and he shoved away from me. Arys grabbed his arm and held him in place. Falon’s gaze dropped to Arys’s hand, and he scowled.
“I don’t blame you for wanting her,” Arys said. “Trust me, I understand the appeal. Not only is she beautiful, her every touch is like magic. But if you are preying on twin flame women, I promise you that I will find a way to make you suffer long after I’m gone from this Earth.”