“The mission… The Echo…” He exhaled heavily.
“Yeah?” I prompted him.
“I…” He released another deep sigh and his stare bored into my eyes, almost like he feared my reaction to the truth. “I promise I’ll tell you when you return from your trip.”
What was so horrible about it? I nodded hesitantly, unsure.
“God, I miss you already.” He inhaled deeply at the curve of my neck, taking his time kissing the length of my shoulder.
“I can tell.” I teased him, taking in short quick breaths. “If Dracian responsibilities ever get boring, you should consider applying for an explorer position.” I giggled as his nose tickled my skin.
“Mmhmm…” He pulled up enough to look me in the eye and he smacked his lips together. “Why, Miss Pernell, that’s the best idea I’ve ever heard. Are you accepting applications for the position?”
I sucked in a breath. “Depends on how you perform during your mock exam, Mr. Knight.”
“I better get right on it.” He groaned and dipped his head down as his lips once again found home against mine.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Waking up right in the midst of a category-five hurricane wouldn’t have made my blood roar as much as Axel’s warm lips trailing along the side of my shoulder. I snuggled farther into his arms, enjoying the tang of the honeysuckle and clover of his scent. His lips lingered on the sensitive skin between my neck and jawline. I giggled, opening my eyes. Bright blue irises stared back with adoration.
“Good morning, sunshine.” Axel’s warm breath danced around my neck as he continued to shower me with kisses.
“Can we stay like this forever?” I asked, burrowing my face into his chest.
“When do you want to move in?” he asked, chuckling at my enthusiasm. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah, surprisingly well. I’m not used to having anyone in my bed…” I bit my bottom lip.
His mouth reached the bottom of my earlobe and he whispered, “I’m glad I’m your first. And I hope to be the only.”
I sucked in a breath and heat coursed through my body. That was a declaration of… commitment? A promise…? He wanted to be my one and only.
“I hate to say it, but if we don’t get up now, you’re going to miss your flight.”
I shot out of bed, all laziness shoved out the window. I heard a soft chuckle from Axel.
“What?” I asked.
“Remind me to keep my distance from your head next time I startle you.” He rubbed across the tiny stubbles on his jaw.
And damn that was sexy as hell. I wanted to lean over and take a quick nibble at it. But now wasn’t the time. I ran around the room like a mad woman getting ready for the trip to Chicago.
“Promise me you’ll be safe?” Axel asked, sitting at the edge of his bed, pulling a shirt over his head.
He was worried because he couldn’t come with me due to some unforeseen magical emergencies. Apparently I wasn’t supposed to worry about that stuff, yet.
“Of course. Remember boring?” I zipped up the travel bag. “Plus, it’s not like I’ll be alone. A bunch of us are going together. Including guys.”
“Hmm… now that you mention guys… I don’t know if I want you to go.” He got up and put his arms around my waist, pulling my back to his chest, swaying me gently.
“Well, you could always choose me over magic.” I teased him.
His body went ridged. “Ren, you know I’ll always choose you over everything else. But this stuff… it can’t wait.” But there was something else he wasn’t sharing with me.
I sighed, defeated. “This stuff is dangerous and I’m not supposed to worry about it?”
“Yup.” He kissed the curve my neck. “Besides, Dean and Tyler are going with you, so…”
I glanced over my shoulder with skepticism. “Tyler, I understand. But what can Dean do? Bore the crap out of the attacker talking about himself?”
He nuzzled his face into my neck and dropped a line of little kisses.
“You. Should. Stop. Doing. That,” I said, taking deep breaths between each word.
“Or what?”
“Or…” I’m going to do something that’ll make my brother hunt you down and kill you just to bring you back to life just to kill you again. “I’m gonna kiss you senseless.” I nudged him playfully with my shoulder.
I squealed when he pulled me down onto his bed, his lips over mine.
“I’m going to hold you accountable for your end of the bargain.”
And just like that, everything around us disappeared.
“Come on, Ren. It’s the night before my big day. Let’s go celebrate.”
“Stop being I’m-too-good-for-this-shit.” Ella walked to the door.
I fell flat on the makeshift sofa bed, grunting with frustration. I wanted to be alone. Too many thoughts were jumbled in my mind.
“I’m going to sit this one out.”
“What? She isn’t coming again?” Tyler snidely remarked. “For a girl that doesn’t like attention, you seek it often.”
“Yeah? How so, Tyler? Please enlighten me.”
“Enlightening you will take time, princess. Time I don’t have. A lot of lonely Chicago ladies are dying to meet me and my little friend,” he said, pointing downward and winking.
“Ew,” Pey, Ella, and I said in unison.
I wrinkled my nose. “God, how are you even related to Axel?”
“You know I often ask myself the same question. He’s so damn boring… such a stick in the mud.”
“More like stick up his ass.” Dean ridiculed, walking into the room.
I groaned. “You both are pompous asses. Leave me alone.”
“You bailing on life again, Pernell?”
“Go find someone else to annoy.”
“And what? Miss a chance to infuriate you?” Dean smirked.
“You are—”
“Mere perfection.” Dean interjected.
“You’re full of—”
“Life.” He wiggled his eyebrows, throwing himself on my bed, putting his arm around my shoulder.
I lurched back from his grasp. “Jerk wad.”
“Geek.”
“Wise ass.”
“Know-it-all.” He was clearly enjoying this little banter.
“Domeless wonderboy.”
“Really? Domeless wonderboy? What kinda insult is that?”
“Cheese fart,” I said, sorta proud of my insult.
“If you guys want to be alone, we could all leave.” Pey interrupted, looking at her watch.
“Now there’s an idea. What say you, beautiful. You, me, alone.” Dean looked into my eyes.
I scoffed. As-if.
“Yeah. Okay. Have fun.” Pey stopped right before closing the door. “Don’t do anything Joshua wouldn’t do.” She gave me a sheepish grin and closed the door behind her.
I fell back on my pillow, exhausted from the day’s travel. Flying was never my thing. Even as a child, my parents always planned vacations that could get us places by driving, so I wouldn’t freak. But I was here to support Pey.
“Looks like you have a lot of built-up frustration.” Dean turned his body toward me, leaning on his elbow. “I have a few ideas how we could get rid of it. Together.”
“Screw the party. Can I watch?” Tyler said.
I jumped out of the sofa bed with my hand up in the air.
“Oh my freaking God! You guys are disgusting. Get out!” I screamed with such force Tyler stopped mid-step and his smirk disappeared for an instant.
That was all it took for both Dean and Tyler to leave me alone. It wasn’t often I lost my temper, so when I did the point usually got across loud and clear. Once I was alone in the ginormous suite, my attempts at sleep failed miserably. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw hazy pictures behind my eyelids and heard people laughing, playing, and running around.
Counting backward, reciting all the formulas from math and chemistry, and even tracing shapes
on the sheets with my finger didn’t seem to do the trick.
Nothing worked.
I sighed, sitting up and staring out the window. I needed some fresh air to clear my mind.
Faint jazz music escaped from one of the ancient buildings nearby, drawing me toward it. I stepped inside Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley. The music was empowering and the slight vibrations thrummed against my skin, caressing it. I took a seat at the bar and ordered a virgin passion fruit daiquiri and tapped my foot to the rhythm. I even clapped and hooted at the end of each performance. I took out my phone to record video of my night ventures.
I did a double take through the camera lens. In shock, my heart skipped a beat and my grip loosened on my phone. It can’t be. A woman maneuvered through the crowd of happy patrons, leaving through the back door.
I texted Axel the video of my outing before my curiosity got the better of me.
Me: Wish you were here. XOXO
I shoved my phone in my back pocket as my legs moved urgently toward the same door the woman walked through not ten seconds ago. A gust of cold air whipped across my face, chilling me to the bone. Something I wasn’t really used to. A layer of goose bumps rose and my teeth clattered. I shoved my hands into the jacket pockets and let my legs carry me in hurried pursuit.
I followed her through the back alley.
No. It can’t be her.
Her hair looks exactly the same.
No. My mother is dead.
We buried her.
That might mean… No, she can’t be a Goarder… God, please no!
One minute I was closing in, the next moment she disappeared. Where did she go? I didn’t want to lose her. I needed to be sure it wasn’t my mom. I looked through every alley as I moved forward, determined to find her. Then I heard her voice.
The same melodic voice that drove the monsters away, eased me into sleep, and became my voice of reason.
“Mom?”
My voice came out in a whisper and I saw her turn around as something hit the ground behind her. I put one foot in front of the other cautiously. An old saying came to mind.
Curiosity killed the cat… Or was that stupidity?
My skin prickled in warning and my heart worked faster and harder. Something didn’t feel right. Mom would’ve come running to me, wouldn’t she? My gut told me to run.
Run now. Leave. Not another step forward.
The warning bells became stronger and louder. My body trembled with increased adrenaline.
Run!
I ignored my gut instinct and took another step forward, only to gasp in terror. A pair of black globes, so unlike a Goarder’s, flickered toward me and my feet lost the ability to move. She was a Proxy… like Rolium.
Shit!
It was stupidity, definitely stupidity that killed the cat.
In an instant, she was in front of me, her cold hand over my cheek and a warm smile on her face. Just like my mother.
Only, I knew better.
When I fought back, she grabbed my hair and twisted my arm, pulling it between my shoulder blades. “Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Now didn’t I ever teach you manners?” She flashed her perfect white teeth, mimicking my mother’s voice.
I withered in her grasp. She was strong. Super strong. She leaned forward, bringing her lips to my neck as I felt something cold and wet brush across it. I shivered.
“Mouthwatering.” She purred. “Too bad I just had dinner.” She inhaled my scent. “But you smell divine…”
I think I had a mental breakdown because the next moment I burst into hysterics.
Only I am capable of finding a Proxy all the way in Chicago.
She looked confused and loosened her grasp. Sweat started to form in ungodly places and my heart raced violently. The wheels in my head turned, thinking, planning my escape.
I need a distraction.
“I’m gonna have to politely decline your offer. You aren’t my type. My boyfriend can attest to that.”
Good grief, I’m chatting now? Why don’t I just invite her for a tea party and offer myself as a snack?
“Being a female and a demon is a huge turnoff in my book.”
Seriously, shut up, Ren! Just shut the hell up.
My body trembled. I knew I only had a few minutes of life left. She would kill me.
I can do this. I’m stronger.
A rush of courage and confidence formed inside me like a shield. I took a deep breath, tilted my head forward, and swung it back with full force. She stumbled back, letting go of my arm. I ran like hell was after my soul.
“You’re going to pay for that, filthy...”
I glanced back. It wasn’t my mom any longer. It was an inhumanly beautiful blond-haired woman. After my moment of shock, I noticed her jump in the air. I instantly reacted with a powerful roundhouse kick that caught her in the ribs, sending her flying.
One for Ren. Zero for the she-devil incarnate.
She was shell-shocked. Like she didn’t understand what the hell just happened. “How did you…?”
“You’re just like any other bully… overly confident.” I took a fight stance, ready for another attack.
Then, without warning, her fist flew in my direction, aimed at my jaw. I blocked her punch but missed the next few blows to the ribs, thigh, and shoulders. Then she sucker punched me in my chest and I slammed against the wall several feet away. I was too slow. I felt the wall behind me tremble with the contact.
She strutted her way toward me with a wicked smile. I winced at the throbbing along my spine.
“I’m going to enjoy draining you.” She crouched in front of me. “Do you know what I specialize in?”
I should be pissing in my pants right about now, but sarcasm won. “Queen-Talks-A-Lot?”
She lifted her eyebrows, amused. “I take your most profound desire and turn that into a nightmare while I feed off your fear through your blood.”
“I wish you’d get this over with before you talk me to death.”
Yup, I had a death wish. Apparently, I was suicidal when cornered.
Then her facial features rounded and her skin shimmied. It was like watching a train wreck. I didn’t want to look but couldn’t keep my eyes off her. In the blink of an eye, there she stood.
Mom. Her smile. Her hair. Her smell. My throat tightened and tears built up inside. I fought back a sob and closed my eyes to shut out her image.
No, this isn’t real. She isn’t Mom. She’s a demon.
“Hmm… Interesting. You’re strong, but not enough to resist,” she said in my mom’s voice, churning up bile deep in my stomach.
I closed my eyes, trying to block her, but she pushed harder and entered my thoughts. I felt my mind ripple with each forceful intrusion. I screamed, attempting to push her out. My mind felt like Jell-O, vulnerable, easy to condemn. But I wasn’t giving up. No.
Then the images flashed, like the flood gates had opened. Try as I may, I couldn’t stop them.
My mom was engulfed with snakes in her hair, over her body. They slithered their way up and down her body, wrapping themselves around her fragile frame. I heard the hissing and my heart plummeted in fear. She cried out, reaching for me, and I pulled back, unable to face my own fears.
“Help me, baby. Help…” All I saw was snakes. Snakes crawling into her open mouth, under her clothes. Biting her. Filling her with venom. I needed to help her. I had to be brave.
This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.
“NO!” I screamed.
The images stopped. My head throbbed and zinging pain tingled over my skin. Something warm trickled down my arm and neck.
“NO!” I cried. I opened my eyes and directed my hatred toward her. The Proxy. “You leave my mother alone, demon. Or so help me God, I’ll end you.”
She laughed, crimson liquid dripping down the corners of her lips. My blood.
“You think you can kill me? As long as people have desires and nightmares, you can’t kill me.”
“You also tho
ught I couldn’t resist you. You sure you want to test that theory, demon?”
My body trembled violently, ready to give up, throw in the white flag. But my mind wasn’t geared to revisit what I just experienced. In the end, my need to survive won over getting bowled over by a steamroller without so much as a fight.
My skin buzzed like cold fire licked every cell beneath. It felt like I’d been injected with tiny icicles that were finding their way around my person.
Then, from the corner of my eye, I saw a silhouette facing us at the other end of the dark alley, tracing over a spot on the wall with an outstretched finger—a metal, claw-like finger that reflected red light.
Using the wall as support, I pulled myself up on wobbly knees, feeling slightly brave but mostly scared out of my mind.
I will fight back. Mind over matter.
“Pernell.” My name echoed against the walls of the dark alley.
“Ren,” came another voice.
In the next moment, the demon screamed like a banshee. The windows within a block shattered as she disappeared.
Poof. No sound. No smoke. Just like that, she was gone.
The hell? Then I noticed the silhouette jumping onto the side of the building, pushing himself enough to reach the top of the fence. He flew over it with a clean landing. He threw one final glance toward me before disappearing into the night.
Whoa, who was that? was my last thought as I fell to the ground and blacked out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Wake up, sleeping beauty. We’re going to be late.”
I groaned in protest and winced in pain, throwing one of my pillows toward the voice. I pulled the comforter over my head, snuggling deeper into my warm cocoon. “Leave me alone.”
“No, you promised,” Pey whined.
A pillow smacked me over the head and then another.
“Hey. Ow… I’m up… I’m up…” I squinted from under the comforter.
“See you in fifteen.” Pey blew me a kiss. “Ella, can you please grab the accessories? No… Not that one… the one with red ribbons. I’ll have one of the boys come in to pick up the heavier one.”
Dracian Legacy Page 17