by Cynthia Eden
“No!” She slammed her fist into the mirror. It shattered beneath her hand and then…then it seemed to ice over. Ice spread from beneath her clenched fingers, spiraling to encompass the whole mirror. Hard, heavy icy that jumped to the wall, to the ceiling…
Lila yanked her hand back and stared, horrified, at her fingers.
What was that?
She backed away from the mirror. Her body was shaking. What did I do?
No…maybe the question she should be asking was…What am I? She breathed out slowly and a puff of fog came from her mouth. An icy breath of air.
She nearly ran from the bathroom. Lila tried to summon clothes to cover herself. She pushed for her power but…
The room chilled around her.
What am I doing?
No, no, this wasn’t right.
Then she heard a door opening…footsteps pounding on the wooden floor. And—
“Let me the fuck go!”
Lila flinched. She grabbed for a shirt that was on the floor. Was that one of Rayce’s shirts? She yanked it over her head, and it fell to mid-thigh. She hurried toward the door.
“The only place you’re going…that’s to hell.” Rayce’s voice.
Once more, she opened the door just a crack. Rayce was out there—Rayce and some man who was covered in blood. Stunned, she threw the door open all the way and ran toward them. “Rayce? What’s happening?”
He whirled toward her. He wore only a pair of jeans that hung low on his hips. His gaze swept over her. Heated.
“Uh, excuse me,” a man cleared his throat. A guy she hadn’t even noticed before. Tall, with dark hair and also just wearing jeans. “Don’t think we officially met before. My name’s Julian.”
Julian had just shoved the bleeding man into a chair. Julian’s hands—tipped by claws—were currently at that guy’s throat.
Rayce moved to stand in front of her, blocking Lila’s view of Julian—and the man currently screaming in the chair. “You should go back into the bedroom,” Rayce told her.
“Why?” All of the action was obviously right there.
“Because you don’t really want to see me slice the skin from that human’s body.”
She took a step back. Her elbow banged into the wall. “You’re…not going to do that.”
Rayce stared at her, his face hard and unyielding. “He’s the human who led those bastards to shoot you and me. He tried to kill us—”
The human yelled, “Never meant to kill her! Just your sorry ass—”
Rayce looked back. When he moved, Lila was able to see the human again—and she knew he’d stopped talking because Julian had sliced his throat.
“What?” Julian lifted his brows. “It was just a light slice. Hardly enough to do permanent damage.” A British accent gave his words a crisp edge.
“Go back into the bedroom,” Rayce said once more to Lila. “That human over there? He’s going to tell me all about the guy he works for. He’ll tell me all about—”
“Kale,” the name slipped from her.
Rayce’s eyes narrowed.
“I remember that part.” She shook her head. “I remember Kale.” He’d been there, smiling at her, saying… “He thinks I belong to him.”
Something happened in Rayce’s eyes. It was hard to describe—just…darkness. Rage. Blooming. Consuming.
“He’s fucking wrong.” Rayce’s voice was sinister. “I’ll prove that to him, right before he dies.” He turned from her. “Go back in the bedroom. You don’t want to see me torture this piece of crap—”
She grabbed his arm. “What happened to me?”
Silence. The human wasn’t even whimpering any longer.
“My wings are gone.” She bit her lip. “And…I’m different.” A few minutes ago, I was icing the whole freaking bathroom. “What happened to me?”
The human started to laugh. Even with a bleeding throat, even with blood all around him, the guy was laughing.
Rayce stalked to the man’s side. A jerk of his head and Julian backed away. “Your show, mate,” Julian muttered.
Lila didn’t go back into the bedroom. She wasn’t going to hide from what was happening. This was her life. Her world that was exploding all around her. And one of the last things that she remembered clearly?
Kale.
Rayce leaned over the human. “What’s your name?”
The guy smiled. “Wayne Madison, at your fuckin’ service.”
“You want to die, Wayne?”
Instead of answering, Wayne slid his gaze to Lila. His stare was a dark brown, almost desperate. “Everyone dies sometime.”
“Not true,” Julian piped up. “I know quite a few immortals.”
Wayne clamped his lips shut.
“Betting you know some, too,” Rayce said. His hand had curved around Wayne’s shoulder. Lila could see his claws cutting into the human, but Wayne didn’t make a sound. The faint lines near his eyes and mouth deepened.
“You shot at me,” Lila said as she took another step forward. “I remember your face…” She’d looked back and seen him in the snow. “Kale told you to fire, and you did.”
“And yet here you are,” Wayne said, a faint southern drawl slipping into his voice. “Looking good as new.”
Not as good as new. “My wings are gone.”
His eyelids flickered. “Kale said that was going to happen anyway.”
More blood poured from the guy’s shoulder as Rayce dug his claws in even deeper. “Who the hell is this Kale? And why does he want my ang—Lila?”
He’d stopped himself. A pang went through Lila. Rayce had almost said “my angel”—the way he’d done so many times. But he hadn’t called her that. Because he knew she wasn’t an angel, not anymore.
So what am I?
Wayne was staring straight at Lila. “He won’t let you go. Kale’s waited a long time for you.”
“She isn’t his,” Rayce snarled.
Wayne tilted his head toward Lila. “Isn’t she?”
Lila walked forward, putting herself right in front of him. “You shot me.”
He shrugged.
Anger was inside of her, but it wasn’t a hot rage. It was ice cold. She felt ice cold.
“You fired at me again and again even when I was begging for you to stop.” She remembered begging as she’d flown.
“Kale said the bullets wouldn’t kill you. You were changing already.”
He spoke as if her pain hadn’t mattered. “You were trying to kill Rayce. Those silver bullets could have killed him.”
Wayne started to smile.
Her hand flew out and touched his face, stopping that smile.
His skin immediately went blue beneath her touch.
“You were going to kill him…” And that cold rage grew within her even more. She saw Wayne’s pupils dilate to pin-pricks. “You were hurting me and trying to kill him. I remember that. I remember begging you to stop—”
“Uh, Lila,” Julian began, clearing his throat.
Ice coated Wayne’s lips. Frost appeared on his forehead.
His breath came out in icy puffs.
“You didn’t stop. You kept shooting.”
Wayne’s eyelashes were freezing.
“Lila?” Rayce touched her arm, and then he swore. “Sweet hell, you’re ice cold.”
I’m ice on the inside. So cold and dark…
“She’s killing him.” Julian’s voice was quiet. “Get her to stop.”
Killing…No, she’d never killed anyone. Angels didn’t kill. Angels—
She stared into Wayne’s desperate gaze. “I’m not an angel anymore,” she whispered. Her hand fell away from him. Her shoulders hunched.
And Rayce pulled her against him. Against his warm skin and strong chest. He pulled her toward the fireplace, and he held her tight as the heat seeped into her skin.
“What have I become?” Tears slid from her eyes. She could have killed that man. Worse, she’d wanted to kill that man. “My wings are gone, an
d there’s…” Her voice dropped even lower. “There’s something evil inside me.”
“No.” His denial was immediate. Rayce’s fingers curled around her chin, and he tipped her head back so that she had to stare into his eyes. “You’re the same, Lila.”
He was lying to her. She could actually hear the lie. His voice had distorted on the words. Even he didn’t believe what he was saying. But he was still holding tight to her, his warmth all around her, and his gaze never so much as flinched away from hers.
“You’re the same,” he said again.
She shook her head.
“He’s…going to have her…” Wayne’s voice was wheezing. Lila glanced at him. The color was starting to come back to his face. “He’s…waited…for her…”
“He won’t get her.” Rayce kept his stare on Lila.
But Wayne gave a guttural laugh. “He said…she’ll…choose him…”
No, that wasn’t happening. Lila wasn’t going to choose the sick bastard who’d inflicted so much pain on her. She would never—
I nearly killed a man moments ago. I never thought I’d do something like that, either.
“How are you supposed to contact your boss?” Julian demanded of the human. But then he lifted a small phone. “You had this on you…were you going to call him when we were out of the cabin? That way he could set up another ambush?”
Her gaze darted to the window. It was starting to get dark out there. She’d lost the whole day.
No, Lila knew she’d lost far more than just a day.
“Call him,” Rayce snapped. He turned, keeping Lila in his arms. Keeping her warm. “Tell the bastard that the shield is down at the cabin, and he can come and get Lila right now.”
Wayne laughed. “You…have a death wish, huh?”
“No, I’m just in the mood to slice that bastard apart.” And those words weren’t a lie. Lila could hear the truth ringing in his deep voice.
“Let’s see…” Julian murmured. “Last number dialed…” His brows lifted. “Oh, look, how convenient, Kale is in his contact list. You want to do the honors, or shall I?”
Rayce held out his hand. “Give me the damn phone.”
Julian threw it to him. Rayce caught it easily.
Lila didn’t feel as cold any longer. When Rayce was close, things seemed better. But maybe that was just another lie, too. His finger swiped over the screen and he dialed Kale. He’d put the phone on speaker, and she could hear the ring filling the cabin.
“Mistake,” Wayne huffed, “this is a—”
Julian slapped his hand over the guy’s mouth, and he put his claws to Wayne’s throat. “Make another sound, and it will be your last. I promise you that.”
The phone rang again and then… “Do you have my fallen one?” Kale’s deep voice asked almost lazily.
“She isn’t yours,” Rayce fired back.
Silence. Then… “Well, this doesn’t sound like Wayne.” A pause. “I guess he’s dead?”
Lila’s stare jerked to Wayne. His gaze was blazing, but he wasn’t making a sound. He must have believed Julian’s promise.
“Good,” Kale said in the next breath. “Saved me some trouble. Those stupid humans, always thinking I’ll make them into something more. Wayne and the others—they were dying anyway. That’s how I find such good help. If you get the ones who are sick, who are ready to trade anything for a new shot at life…they’ll follow you to the ends of the earth.”
“You’re the dead man,” Rayce told him. There was a vow in those words. “I’m coming for you—”
“Oh, wait, is this the werewolf?” Now Kale seemed amused. “I’m curious…just how much silver does it take to put you out of your misery?” His laughter was grating. “Can’t wait to find out.”
“Bring your ass here, and we’ll go head to head right now.” Rayce had his eyes on Lila. There was something about his tone… “You won’t ever be touching Lila again.”
“Of course, I will. Lila was made to be mine. She’ll understand soon. She’ll even seek me out, when the pain gets to be too much for her.” Then he sucked in a sharp breath. “Lila, are you there? You are, aren’t you? You can hear me…”
Rayce shook his head. She knew he didn’t want her to speak to Kale.
“I’m the one you need, Lila. The only one who ever has a hope of understanding you. And do you know why?”
Rayce’s gaze was so bright.
“Because we’re the same. The only two on the earth…we fell and it didn’t break us. We’re stronger.”
We fell. “You’re an angel?” The words burst from her.
Kale laughed. “See, love, you just can’t resist me. I’m the one you need. The one who can show you how to survive in this world. It’s our world, you see. Yours and mine. Ripe for the taking. Together, we can do anything.”
Lila shook her head even though he couldn’t see her. “I don’t need you.”
“Yes…you do.” And again, he laughed. “If you don’t have me at your side, you’ll be ripped apart. Broken into a thousand pieces, just like your wings. You’ll shatter.”
A shiver worked its way over her.
“Tell me you watched as the feathers fell,” he murmured. “Weren’t they beautiful as they shattered?”
She backed away from Rayce. Something crunched beneath her foot.
“One by one, breaking apart. Just as you will break unless I’m there for you. Do you feel it already? That darkness inside? Growing bigger, tempting you to do such terrible things…”
She looked down at her hands. She’d touched Wayne and wanted to kill him. If Rayce hadn’t stopped her, she would have killed the human.
“Once you go dark, darling, there is no going back.” Kale was positively gleeful. And she hated him.
Angels don’t hate.
“She’s not your fucking darling,” Rayce snarled, “You are nothing to her. You won’t see Lila. You won’t touch her. And you will never be at her side. She isn’t yours.”
“Why? Because you think she could belong to you?” There was a rush of wind on the phone, then Kale said, “You’ll never be worthy enough for her. You’re an animal, and she’s going to be a queen. Your claws can’t touch her.”
They’d already touched her plenty. And Lila had liked it when Rayce touched her.
“Your own kind didn’t want you, Rayce. What in the hell makes you think someone like Lila ever could?”
Because she did. Rayce was the man she wanted. He understood that, didn’t he?
His body was tight, his muscles bunched, and she could see the wolf in his eyes.
“You want a battle?” Rayce challenged. “Then come on…face me. Stop hiding behind your humans and get your ass over here. You know where we are. I’ll even walk out to meet you. Then we can see who’s stronger…and who is just some weak wanna be bitch who needs humans to fight his battles for him.”
“Werewolf, you are so out of your league,” Kale’s voice rumbled over the line. “You don’t know who I am, do you? You’ve been a lap dog for Luke Thorne all these centuries, and he never told you…he isn’t the big, bad threat that waits in the dark. I am. I am the one who cannot be stopped. I am the one who cannot be touched, not by Luke and not by that jackass Leo. I left them alone. They gave me peace but you…you will start a new war. You should be smart and just step aside. Give me what I want.”
What he wanted…Lila swallowed. That’s me.
“See you soon, Lila,” Kale promised. Then he hung up the phone.
Chapter Eleven
Lila stared at Rayce with wide eyes. He’d just smashed the phone to bits in his bare hands. “He’ll be coming,” he said quietly. She needed to understand what would happen. “And then I’ll kill him.”
Her gaze jerked to Julian—and to the human, Wayne. “What is he? What is Kale?”
Julian’s hand lifted from Wayne’s mouth.
Wayne released a ragged breath.
Lila swallowed, then said, “He wasn’t lying when he
said that Luke and Leo couldn’t touch him.”
“Of course, he was,” Rayce retorted immediately, not about to buy the shit that guy had been selling. “No one is beyond—”
She grabbed his arm. “He wasn’t lying. I could hear the truth.”
What in the hell did that mean? Sure, sometimes, Rayce could tell when a person was lying. He noticed the “tells” that liars gave away—the racing pulse, the flushed skin, the dilated pupils. But to hear truth? That was a new one for him. “You sure about that?” Rayce asked her carefully.
Lila’s hand dropped away from him. “It’s crazy, I know it sounds crazy…but I can hear lies.” She touched her ear. “They grate. They’re distorted. But truth rings clear to me now. Whatever happened, whatever I’ve become, I can tell when someone is lying to me.”
Rayce and Julian exchanged a long look.
“Test me!” Lila challenged. “Right now. Give me a lie or give me a truth. I’ll prove that I’m right.”
Fine… “I killed my own brother in a battle to be alpha. Ripped his throat out and didn’t hesitate.”
She backed up a step. Fear flashed in her eyes. “Truth.”
Oh, shit. He was about to be screwed. “Lila—”
“I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Julian said suddenly.
She shook her head. “Lie. Lie.”
Rayce bit back a growl. “I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
Her lips parted. “Truth.”
Yes, it was. She was perfect to him, did she realize that? And Julian—he had his own lover, one that he was tied to completely. Of course, in Julian’s mind, no one could ever compare to his Rose.
“I can hear truth, and I can hear lies.” She pointed a shaking finger at Wayne. “And you, human, you heard for yourself that Kale doesn’t care about you. He was planning to kill you, not heal you from whatever sickness you have.”
Wayne’s chin sank onto his chest. “Cancer.”
Fuck.
“What is Kale?” Lila demanded. “Tell us, right now.”
Wayne hissed out a low breath. “He told me once that he was a fallen angel. That he’d fallen to earth a long, long time ago, before Luke or his twin Leo were ever born. That he had more magic than anyone could ever dream.”