Dark Beauty

by C. M. Owens

  Thad roars, his tiger eyes wide in his face as he leaps through the air toward me. I turn just in time to feel my heart plummet to my feet. Kimber’s body is radiating a gold sheen, the ground is vibrating beneath her, and just when I start to yell at her to stop, the air starts swirling in front of her, an opening forming and growing wider and wider with each breath.

  Yelps and cries ring out, and Thad leaps in front of me, holding me in place as Kimber stupidly opens a motherfucking gate. The suction is so strong that I feel it pulling my body, but Thad’s strength against the gate proves to be useful.

  I watch in fascinated horror as the wind stirs violently swirling the numerous bodies through the air like they’re weightless. Their screams turn to distant echoes when the gate sucks them in, and they curse and gasp as they continue to be banished from the breathing plane.

  But they’ll be back, and now Kimber has been exposed.

  Why the hell did she do this?

  Thad shifts back to his human form, standing naked in the middle of this forest, and he looks over at me shaking his head while keeping a hand on my shoulder, preventing me from being sucked in as well.

  The sky rumbles with thunder as the powers of the world collide, and as soon as the last body is tossed into the opening, it seals shut. The wind dies down, and Kimber staggers, her body going limp seconds before she drops to the ground.

  I dive toward her, sliding on my knees while grabbing her cheeks in my hands. She gives me a weak smile before her eyes roll back in her head.

  “What the fuck?!”

  “We need to get her out of here. She just opened a gate in the middle of the woods. You need a lot of air, a lot of space, and a lot of time to safely open a gate. She flung it open quickly with no space, little air, and then turned on the suction. It’s amazing she’s still breathing, considering how young she is.”

  “But she’ll be okay?” I ask while lifting her up, cradling her to my body as I stand.

  Her blonde hair falls over her face, and she groans in her unconscious state. She looks so fragile right now.

  “If we get her back and let her rest, she should be fine. It either kills you or it doesn’t. It didn’t kill her.”

  That’s very little comfort.

  Thad shifts, turning into a hawk, and he screeches into the night before flying away. I kiss Kimber’s forehead before vaporizing, holding her to me as we split the planes like shadows searching for passage. It’s dangerous to keep her in this state for long, so I rematerialize the second we reach the cars.

  As her body reforms, she takes a deep breath, but her eyes remain closed. I put her in the front seat, buckle her in, and then I squeal out in the next second. My house is the safest place, so I hope Dice took Karma there.

  I still don’t understand why Kimber did that shit. We were so close to getting out of there and abandoning those stupid sons of bitches in the woods. I had already risked too much by blowing that shield off.

  I’ve never done that—risked exposure. Ever. But Kimber… Damn her. I couldn’t risk them taking her back into one of those prisons.

  I weave in and out of lanes, dodging and passing cars all the way home, lightly grazing Kimber’s hand every time she makes a sound. As soon as I reach my house, I vaporize her and me into the home.

  Dice is handing Karma an ice pack when I materialize in my living room, and Karma’s crestfallen expression shows even with her eyes lowered.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers, her eyes moving to Kimber whose head has fallen back.

  Frowning, I carry Kimber to my room and place her in the bed, stroking her hair out of her face. She looks innocent and peaceful when she’s asleep. She’s stubborn and frustrating when awake.

  I lean over to her ear and whisper, “Never again, Kimber. Never. Again.”

  She stirs just barely, but her eyes remain closed. I head back into the living room where Karma is holding the ice pack to her head.

  “Nothing for you to apologize for,” I say, cursing my own self.

  “It’s my fault. I trusted him,” she says remorsefully.

  I lean back, studying her. They really wanted her back. She’s young, new to our world, so her powers haven’t fully nested and reached their full potential yet. If she stays on our side, she’ll be a good asset.

  “I’ve been out of the game for a while. I shouldn’t have been so careless. It would have made more sense for us to stagger our positions,” I tell her, soothing the regret she feels.

  “I really thought Avery hadn’t been hardened by those places. I thought he was… like me.”

  The despair in her eyes is evident, but before I can try to say anything, Dice beats me to it.

  “So you thought he was a bit of a bitch then?”

  She narrows her eyes at him, but then a hint of a smile appears when he starts cackling like the ass he is. I don’t know if he did it on purpose or if he was just being his usual jackass self, but he seems to break through her guilty barrier.

  “Go to hell, incubus,” she says roughly, even as her smile grows.

  Dice keeps walking, waving a hand in the air. “You’re kinfolk have never been overly fond of me. I’ll stay topside if it’s all the same to you.”

  Her smile deepens as he disappears into his room. I’m not sure how the crafty incubus conned me into giving him a permanent room in my home.

  “There’s a guest room next to Dice’s. Take it,” I say to Karma as she stands. “We’ll regroup. Thad is already on his way to Alyssa to fill her in on everything.”

  “The queen?” she asks, though I think it’s more of a rhetorical question. I nod, and she settles back in her seat.

  “What will happen?” she asks after a minute.

  “We’ll find a new source of information. Alyssa will send us trustworthy help. Believe me when I tell you that I only work with people I trust. We’ll take better precautions from now on.”

  She sighs and it echoes my own disappointment. We went into the woods thinking we’d be walking out with new locations to hit, but we came out ambushed and weakened.

  “Everyone here has jaded eyes,” she says softly, so softly that I barely hear her.

  “It’s just a part of our lives,” I say mildly, curious as to why she has randomly changed the topic.

  Her eyes come up to meet mine, and she blows out a shaky breath.

  “Kimber’s eyes are jaded from what she endured. Dice has his reasons, I’m sure—mostly debauchery. But you and the changer… As a half demon, I see sins in the eyes of people—the windows to the souls. I can’t see the details, but I can see the depth of the scars. I assume you haven’t always been on this side of the line.”

  Her words strike an uneasy chord, and I narrow my eyes at her. Taking a step forward, I make sure to let the menace roll off me. “Pasts exist. Thad and I were born in much different times, and we weren’t exactly swaddled in blankets of purity. What’s your angle with this line of direction?”

  She holds her hands up. “Don’t get your panties twisted. It’s not like that. It’s obvious you’ve been reformed. Both of you. It’s just… Those looks always scare me. I spent a large piece of my life looking into very sinful eyes. It’s rare I see redemption as well.”

  My jaw tightens, but I have nothing else left to say. I’m not going to lay my past bare to some girl I don’t know, and then try to explain myself.

  Instead, I turn around and head toward my room where Kimber is, silently cursing the half demon. The second I push through to the room, all thoughts of Karma vanish.

  Kimber is shaking violently, unconscious as her body convulses.

  “Shit.”

  In one lunge, I land on the bed beside her, pulling her to me to steady her uncontrollable shakes. She’s ice cold, gurgling on her own saliva, and barely breathing.

  I lean back to jerk my shirt over my head, and then I rip hers off as well, bringing my body back to hers to warm her. Calming spells fall out of my mouth fluently and rapidly, trying to cou
nteract the waves.

  “Come on, Kimber. Breathe, baby,” I say in a soothing mantra.

  She doesn’t respond, but her violent jerks slowly start settling down. Her body is still cold to the touch, so I press her to me while casting heating spells.

  It’s not until she’s breathing evenly that I finally allow myself to relax. My grip loosens until I’m cradling her instead of holding her tightly. It’s only then that I notice the fact she’s not wearing a bra.

  Fuck me.

  Groaning, I force my eyes away, but I keep her against me, tucking her head under my chin as her body grows warmer. I’m surprised by how good it feels to have her against me.

  Despite the chill of her body, a warm feeling spreads throughout my veins. Her sigh of content sounds peaceful instead of labored, and I brush her hair from her cheek as I study her high cheekbones, delicate nose, and beautiful long lashes.

  When my eyes start growing heavy, I find myself surprised again. It usually takes me hours before I can go to sleep, and it feels perfectly right and all wrong at the same time.

  Chapter 8

  KIMBER

  A loud groan startles me awake, and I sit up in a bed to a foreign room I’ve never seen before. An arm is under my head, and a hard body is pressed up against mine, drawing my eyes over.

  Numerous tattoos litter the chest next to me. They slither down a set of rippled abs, stopping only when the waistband of a pair of jeans interrupt the view. Groggily, I lift my aching head to see the face of the magnificent body I’m against, and my breath catches in my throat.

  Gage.

  His black hair is ruffled from his sleep, his eyebrow studs have sharp points, and his lip rings look more tempting than ever, given our intimate position.

  Why am I in Gage’s bed? Why the hell am I missing my shirt?

  Gage stirs lightly when I start shifting away from him, peeling my skin away from his, even though it feels so damn good. That’s when I notice his breathing. His jaw ticks as his breaths come out harsh and heavy, and his eyes flutter underneath his closed lids.

  Deciding it’s not a good dream he’s having, I start trying to nudge him awake. I’d really like to know why my damn shirt is missing.

  “Gage,” I whisper-yell while clutching the sheet to my chest.

  Just as I put my hand on his chest to shake him awake again, everything goes blurry. In a blink, I’m on my back, a growl emanates from the dark user, and I’m gasping for air as his hand chokes my neck.

  As my eyes settle, I see Gage’s eyes alive with fire, his teeth clenched, and I know damn well he’s lost inside of whatever dream he’s having. A choked garble escapes me instead of his name, and his eyes lose their fire, slowly shading back to blue seconds before his hand falls away from my neck.

  “Kimber?” he asks weakly, and then realization and guilt spread across his face in unison, and he blurs off me, moving to the window and grabbing his head. “I’m so sorry.”

  I don’t want him to see how shaken I am, so I sit up, still clutching the sheet to my chest.

  “You honestly think that scared me?” I scoff, ignoring the way my hands are trying to tremble. “I was raised by Drackus. He has a Mr. Hyde half, remember?”

  Forcing a smile, I lean back against the headboard.

  “I should… I need a drink,” he says, but I’m not letting him out of here that easily.

  “I have questions, Gage. A lot of them. Come back to bed.”

  A hot flush crawls up my neck when I realize how that sounded. His lips barely twitch before he nods and moves back into the bed beside me—as far away as he can get.

  “It was a dream. Sorry. But advice for the future…” His voice trails off, and he clears his throat. “Not that I see us in the same bed again, but if I’m ever dreaming, don’t wake me up.”

  Inching up, I turn to face him, admiring his profile as he stares down at his hands.

  “What were you dreaming?”

  He snorts bitterly. “Nothing and everything. Just don’t wake me up.”

  Frowning, I move on to my next question. “What happened yesterday?”

  “You opened a gate in the middle of the woods, exerted too much power, and nearly got yourself killed. I’d move on to another question fast, because I’m still pissed about that one.”

  His jaw tenses, and I roll my eyes. “Where’s my shirt?”

  That has his lips lifting in a smile that he quickly banishes. “It’s beside the bed.”

  Really? No elaboration?

  Leaning over, I carefully grab it, keeping the sheet tucked against me for modesty.

  “You were convulsing last night and turning too cold for your body to heal appropriately. I assume it was the after effects of opening a fucking gate in the middle of the woods. I had to hold you to keep you still and warm.”

  When his jaw ticks again, I realize he’s seriously pissed.

  “Can you put your shirt on so I can glare at you?” he asks, and an unbidden smile comes to my lips just as a ghost of one graces his.

  When I accidentally laugh, he shakes his head, looking away because his grin is spreading. The sheet drops and pools at my waist, and I pull my shirt back on.

  “You could wear a bra,” he tells me as I pull my hair out of my shirt and lean back.

  “Bras are only for looks in our world, and I don’t see the point in adding extra garments just for the sake of sexy appeal.”

  He puffs out a breath, shaking his head again. “You sound more like Calypso than Alyssa ever did.”

  Shrugging, I stand up, stretching my sore body. That gate really was dangerous, but I had to open a vortex plane that had heavy suction. It wouldn’t have strained me so much if I’d had a vast open space instead of the crowded woods.

  “Alyssa was sheltered. Calypso took a different approach with me. Drackus got a second chance to be a father. The two of them combined kept me from getting depressed when my visions started slowing down. They distracted me with knowledge, fighting skills, and then they helped me hone my gatekeeping abilities. It’s only natural I want to emulate the two people who saved me.”

  He looks over me, a thoughtful gleam in his eyes. “Why’d you leave Kane and Alyssa?”

  I hurt them when I begged to leave with Drackus and Calypso, but it was for the best. I know without a doubt I made the best decision for everyone.

  “Kane and Alyssa wanted to give me a home, a family, and a better life to make up for what was stolen from me. But they got pregnant almost immediately, and I knew the new baby would be like them—a creature goddess. It was one of the visions I had, even though creature goddesses are so rare. I wanted her to have their sole attention, because I knew people would want her like they wanted me. I might have been a child, but I was very aware of the world I lived in. Calypso and Drackus had something I was searching for, and I had something they sought as well. It seemed destined, so I opted to live with them instead. Alyssa became my sister instead of my mother, but Ella… Ella’s really my little sister. In the end, no matter who I lived with, I had a family.”

  He leans back, crossing his arms over his chest, and I sit back down on the bed to face him. Gage has always been an unsolved mystery to me.

  “How did you break us out of that trap? Magic shouldn’t have worked against it.”

  He shrugs as if it isn’t a big deal. “I’m older and stronger than I look. It’s best if it remains a secret as to how strong. I never use all my power in front of people unless I’m left without a choice. Thad is one of the few to see it and live. You know what happened to Drackus when people learned how strong he was—is.”

  “But then came Alyssa,” I remind him. “She’s stronger than him, and since she destroyed Damon and Dragona, no one is brave enough to go against her the way they did Drackus. She’s more powerful than him, so he doesn’t seem to rank as a threat to the world so much anymore.”

  “And she’s more powerful than I am,” he says. “But that doesn’t mean I want the world to k
now I’m not the average dark user. Some of us take pride in not painting ourselves a target. With my true strength a secret, I always have the upper hand in a fight.”

  The pointed look he gives me is scolding, and I really don’t appreciate the haughtiness in his words. Since I don’t want to defend myself and end up in a stalemate argument, I shift the subject instead.

  “What’s your last name?” I ask him, blushing when I feel stupid for not already knowing.

  He looks uncomfortable with that question. “I… Well, I don’t really have one. I change it through the years based on what’s trending. It keeps me hidden better. Right now it’s Kross.”

  Tilting my head, I lean up. “What do you mean? Everyone is born with a first and last name.”

  He shifts again, still seeming uncomfortable, and my eyes ride up and down his long chest and torso. All the lines of ink seem to go well with each other, creating seamless symbols of protection, but one has my attention. It’s a script that says, breathe through the pain. It’s on his side and written sideways in a vertical line.

  If I have to wear a shirt, then he should have to wear one as well. Stupid sexy dark user.

  “I don’t like talking about my past, Kimber. It’s a long, nasty road that spans over centuries of the same repetitive bullshit. A life as long as mine doesn’t have very many new experiences after the first century.”

  He stands, and I look after him while he leans over and grabs a necklace from his dresser. His room is sort of bare—a bed, taupe walls, a few framed concert tickets, and bare windows. His bed is dressed in black satin sheets and a black duvet.

  “Wear this,” he says, handing it to me.

  I examine the silver necklace, noting the small round pendant at the bottom.

  “What is it?”

  “It’s to guard against possessions—of the demon variety. I made it for a friend who was weaker a long time ago. She was susceptible to demon possessions despite the fact she was fey. Now we know a demon who can possess any fey.”