Dark Beauty

by C. M. Owens

  I take the necklace absently while staring into his eyes. There’s real concern there.

  “You don’t trust Karma?” I ask in a whisper.

  He snorts derisively. “I have a very small list of people I trust. But this isn’t about her. It’s about others out there that can be like her. For now, she needs us. Trust will come or it won’t. Regardless, I want you to wear that.”

  I stare at the intricate markings on the necklace, idly rubbing my fingers over the metal. “What about you? Now you’re in just as much danger as I am.”

  “I’ve been wanting some new ink,” he says with a shrug.

  I have a few tattoos for protection. Most of them are in random places, but nothing like what he has.

  “Where will you get it?”

  Did I really just lick my lips?

  “Oh, I can think of a few places to put it, Kimber,” he says in a sexy drawl before winking.

  Great. I want to fucking giggle. I’m officially an idiot girl with a crush.

  Fortunately, the ridiculous giggle doesn’t get free, but I do grin like an absolute fool. Clearing my throat and rubbing a hand over my mouth, I meet his eyes that are dancing with humor. He’s proud of himself for making me blush.

  “Who did you make it for? And why doesn’t she wear it?”

  The humor in his eyes fades immediately, and a cold wall comes between us. “She ended up getting protection elsewhere. The point is you need it. Thad already has the symbol inked on him by now, so that just leaves one gatekeeper unprotected. Wear it.”

  He starts to leave, and I stand, taking in what he said. “It was for Alyssa.”

  He pauses, but shakes his head. “No. Alyssa never needed it. She was too strong to be possessed by a demon—before this new turn of events. But as I told you earlier; I’ve been around for a long time, and the present is just on repeat from a tired history. Thanks for the reminder.”

  His voice is so cold as he walks away, and I sigh while silently cursing myself. I knew better than to bring up Alyssa. Drackus has warned me before to never mention the bitter ties. But his cryptic answer has me confused.

  Did someone else also break his heart?

  When I walk out of the room, Dice is kicked back with his phone in his hands, his eyes on the screen. Karma is on a computer, her fingers moving too fast for the keys to keep up. But Gage is nowhere in sight.

  “Where’s Gage?” I ask casually.

  Dice throws a thumb over his shoulder to point toward the door. “Went to check the perimeter. At least I think that’s what he grunted on his way out.”

  Note to self; the mysterious dark user hates to speak about his past, and only alludes to his history in vague accidents.

  “Something happen between you two?” Karma asks, not bothering to look up. “You were both talking in whispers, so we didn’t get to hear what led to a storming-out exit.”

  “I just asked a question I shouldn’t have.” Looking over to Dice, I add, “Some names can cripple a person with just their mention.”

  I should have known better than to think I’d see empathy on the incubus’s face. Instead, he looks amused.

  “I’m curious as to how it feels to have your aura beaming with lust for the man who has seen your sister naked. Numerous times.” There’s the incubus response I should have seen coming.

  Karma coughs on air, looking up as though she honestly can’t believe Dice just went there. Apparently she hasn’t had very many interactions with Dice’s kind. But I have, so I know better than to let him see me blush or squirm.

  Rolling my eyes, I head around to the coffee maker. “There’re a few problems with that statement, Dice. I’ll start with the obvious; I always have my emotional aura blocked from sight. I’m not looking at Gage as more than an ally. And if I did have any interest, it wouldn’t matter who he’s been with as long as it wasn’t Ella. In case you haven’t noticed, we have a rather seductive world full of sex and blood.”

  He snorts while leaning back.

  “An incubus can see a lusty aura any time they want to if they’re old enough. And I’m old, little Devall. Very, very old.”

  He winks at me when I turn around, and I know the fucking pink is in my cheeks, probably burning just as bright as the aura I thought was hidden. Not what I need right now.

  My phone buzzes, and I snatch it up for an excuse to bury my head. But the message is from Dice, and I start groaning as he bursts out laughing.

  Dice: #sisterwives #GageandKimber #dirtylittlegatekeeper

  “What’d I miss?” Gage asks while walking back in, looking between myself and the incubus.

  “Dice is just being his usual charming self,” I say dryly.

  Karma keeps a stoic expression, going back to her laptop research, and I lift one shoulder in a shrug to answer Gage’s questioning look.

  “Well, Thad just called me,” he says while moving into the room better. “Alyssa has been updated, Drackus has been left in the dark, and we have two new sources. One is at a party held by Liza Berlow—fey or human, I don’t know. It won’t matter. We just have to find a way in, since it’s by invitation only.”

  Dice’s grin slowly crawls up a notch, and I’m not sure I particularly like the look in his eyes.

  “I’ll handle that part,” Dice says, sounding unusually helpful for a change.

  Apparently Gage is just as surprised, because he gives him an incredulous look. I’m still waiting on the punchline. The incubus is full of terrible jokes that only he finds funny. But no punchline comes. Instead, all he does is leave the room, his cheeky grin still intact.

  Gage brushes against me on his way to grab coffee, and my heartbeat speeds up loud enough for him to hear it. Cursing silently, I try to slow it down.

  Karma stands and starts to abandon me, looking behind her to meet my eyes and grinning before heading outside.

  “When do we leave?” I ask Gage with my back still turned.

  “In a few minutes. You might want to do something about your aura,” he says with a smile in his voice, and my heartbeat kicks up even higher as my eyes widen.

  “How can you—”

  “I told you I was stronger than the average dark user, Kimber.” His breath fans my cheek as he leans up close behind me, putting his head almost beside mine. “But I promise you don’t really want me. I’m just the pretty distraction girls need from the one they really want.”

  I shiver as he walks on by, and the smile I heard in his voice turns into a scowl as he heads outside. I have no idea what the hell that just meant, but I never said anything about needing a distraction.

  “We’re driving separately and following two different leads,” he says from outside. “We’ll catch up with each other later.”

  Focus, Kimber. Focus.

  ***

  GAGE

  My phone buzzes, and I glance down to see a message from Dice. I sent him with Kimber and Karma, since they were going to see a duster. I didn’t want them anywhere near the night stalker Thad and I had to question.

  Dice: We’re done playing house with a glitter farter. Where the hell are you? By the way, I won’t need to feed off lust for at least a month. Kimber’s aura reeks of it. Fuck her before I pop. #getlaidbeforeIdieofovereating

  Rolling my eyes, I put my phone back in my pocket as Thad comes out of the gas station with several bags of junk food. We’re going to be living in random places until the party. Maybe then we’ll be able to start attacking these different prisons and freeing the ones who have been stuck in the slave rings.

  “You know this isn’t going to be easy, don’t you?” he asks me as he unloads his bags into my back seat.

  “What? Taking down a bunch of blood thirsty slave ring owners?”

  He snorts while shaking his head.

  “I mean keeping it secret from the armies what we’re doing. We’ll have to collect phones the second we start leading. We’ll also have to do bug sweeps and inspect for any witches or warlocks who have the ability
to send messages without a phone. Alyssa and Kane are already working on assembling our teams. You and I are going to storm the big bitch. It’s the one this night stalker says is the biggest of the ring so far. But it’s a little odd he was so eager to help us out with information.”

  My lips twitch before I can stop them, and the damn changer notices.

  “You used some of your juice on him, didn’t you?”

  I laugh while leaning back. “He wasn’t a victim. He was one of the guards. I don’t have any qualms over it. And don’t worry about him talking. Right now he thinks he lied to us, because he heard something very different from what he was saying. And by the time the spell wears off, he’ll be dead. Zee and Deke are hitting him at nightfall. His coven of friends won’t be there, and he’ll think he’s tired and needs to rest. Which leaves him all alone.”

  Thad shakes his head, grinning as he pops open one of the bags of chips. “It’d be nice if you shared that spell. A lot of people could benefit from it in interrogations.”

  “Alyssa, Drackus, and Calypso.”

  He tilts his head as I drive us toward the new safe house.

  “What about them?”

  “I’ve shared it with them. They’re the only ones I know that are strong enough to pull it off. If it’s used wrong, it could kill the witch/warlock or the intended target. But the promise of death wouldn’t be enough to deter the weaker ones from trying it anyway. Their deaths would be in vain, and I have more than enough blood on my hands to last a life time.”

  He nods knowingly. That’s one reason I can tolerate him. Thad’s past is just as shady and dark as mine. We know both sides of the line, and in some fucked up way, it gives us a better understanding of each other. Even though neither of us know the details about each other’s dark periods.

  We ride in a comfortable silence until we get closer to the safe house, and his phone chirps. He tilts his head as he reads his text, but I barely pay him any attention.

  “Why is Dice telling me he’s going to be sick if you don’t hurry up and fuck Kimber?”

  There’s a genuine bite of confusion in his tone laced with humor.

  “It’s Dice. He stirs shit up. You know this by now,” I lie.

  I saw her aura just as clearly as he probably did. Fortunately I can mask mine from the nosy incubus, because mine was glowing just as harshly as hers. She’s driving me fucking crazy, and it doesn’t make any sense. I barely know her. Intoxicating? No. She’s just toxic. And she won’t get out of my head.

  He bursts out laughing, and I turn my head to face him. “What?”

  He covers his mouth to smother his snickers, then finally holds his phone up, gesturing to it as he says, “Hashtag—Gage is a pussy.”

  I’m going to kill that incubus.

  Thad continues laughing as we drive up to the safe house. Kimber is outside on her phone, Dice is walking out of the house, and Karma is walking in.

  “Looks like they just got here,” Thad says, grinning at me like he’s in on the dirty little secret.

  I don’t speak as I park behind Kimber’s car. Thad follows me as I get out, and I try—really, really try—to not look at her. But I fail miserably.

  Her eyes come up to meet mine the second my gaze strays, and a smile spreads over her lips before she can banish it. She turns away from me, and I groan internally.

  “Yeah. Nothing obvious going on at all,” Thad whispers, prompting me to jerk my head away from the forbidden blonde. “I swear you have a death wish.”

  I just flip him off as we start into the house, but suddenly a half-demon is charging out. “There are only two bedrooms here,” she announces.

  I start to speak, but Dice beats me to it.

  “Then you and I can take one, and the boys can fight over who shares with Kimber.”

  He gives her a wink, and I half expect her to throw some power at him. Instead, she bites back a grin while shaking her head. Does Karma seriously have interest in him?

  “You couldn’t handle me, incubus,” she says condescendingly.

  He takes a step closer to her, invading her space, and in a low tone he mastered years ago, says, “I’m an incubus, love. Don’t forget that. Your human half would be screaming my name and begging for mercy, while your demon half begged me to never stop. Sex is my strongest weapon.”

  He walks away, feeling all too confident, and Karma swallows audibly. Thad chokes on a laugh while following him in, and says, “Damn, Dice. All this time I thought you didn’t have any game.”

  I cock my eyebrow and look over to Kimber who is covering her laughter with her hand. Poor Karma looks like her legs are about to give out.

  “I’ll share with Kimber,” she says at last, still fanning herself.

  I head in and smirk while dropping my bags in the smaller bedroom. Dice walks in throwing his arms up. “What the hell?”

  “The girls are bunking up, and you aren’t sleeping in my bed. I don’t have a human half, and my warlock half really loves women. Sorry about your luck.”

  “I’ve got the couch,” Thad calls out from the living room.

  Dice groans while letting his head fall back, and I drop to the bed.

  “What’re we doing tonight?” Dice finally asks.

  “I’m going to look over some notes, eat junk food, and then I’m sleeping. There’s a bar down the road if you need a break.”

  He fist pumps the air before strolling out. “Come on, hybrid girl. We’ve got a bar to hit.”

  “Deal me in,” Thad says, and I wait with bated breath, praying with all my might that Kimber says the same.

  “Kimber, you coming?” Thad asks her.

  “I need to stay and make some calls.”

  Her voice sounds much too close for my comfort, and I debate whether or not to just go. But as my car’s engine hums to life, and I slink back on the bed and retrieve my phone, preparing to go over all my notes.

  Suddenly, there is a blonde bombshell in my room, crowding my space, and dropping down on my bed. Fucking perfect. I need a cold shower, and she’s wearing a camisole and jeans. I can’t even look at her chest without thinking of her bare tits on my skin.

  “Can I help you?” I drawl, trying not to seem the least bit interested as I redirect my attention back to my phone.

  “Let’s drink,” she says on a sigh, and there’s suddenly a bottle of whiskey shoved in front of my face.

  Looking up, I can feel my eyebrows pinch together.

  “Okay… why?”

  She twists the cap off the bottle, and climbs up the bed on her knees until she settles down beside me.

  “Because when people drink, they talk. When they talk, they get to know each other. Maybe if you get to know me, you’ll stop treating me like a porcelain doll that needs to be coddled. I noticed the fact we spoke to a harmless duster that was only taken into the prisons by mistake. While you and Thad went to question an ex-guard—a night stalker guard. I’m not as breakable as you might think, Gage. I didn’t come in and take over the Somage because I’m some girl that needs a guy to protect her.”

  So she stayed behind with all the intentions of ambushing me. Why did I tell Dice about that bar?

  Cursing the fact my plan backfired, I lean back and snag the bottle out of her hand. As I lift the bottle to my lips, I say, “Fine. Talk. Tell me why I shouldn’t protect the daughter of Drackus Devall. Why shouldn’t I protect the daughter of Calypso Devall? Tell me why I shouldn’t protect the queen’s sister. Why should I not protect Kane Ice’s sister-in-law? Because I’m not usually suicidal, and the fabulous four would team up to rip my spine from my back if anything happens to you.”

  She glares at me, and I don’t think she realizes she’s pretty fucking adorable when she scowls. It’s not the least bit intimidating.

  “Because I’m stronger than you think. I’m physically stronger than most all fey. It’s the gatekeeper in me. Don’t be deceived by my body. It’s just as misleading as my age. I’m not used to following, Gage.
I’ve been a leader for a while. And I’m loyal without hesitance. Now you answer a question. It’ll level the playing field.”

  Shrugging, I take another sip before handing her the bottle. “Fine. Ask. Maybe I’ll answer.”

  “Where’s your father?”

  What the fucking hell? “We’re not discussing my past,” I tell her coldly.

  “Why not? You had no problems asking about mine. And you expected answers. Now I’m asking about yours.”

  Taking in a breath, I jerk the bottle back from her before she even takes a sip.

  “I don’t know him. Don’t want to know him. Don’t care if he’s alive or dead. Satisfied? Now it’s my turn. Why do you have slave bands on your wrists? They weren’t there when you were younger.”

  She pulls off the leather cuffs that keep the markings hidden, and I glance down at the tribal looking patterns that wrap around her wrists.

  “They didn’t show up until I became immortal. I don’t know why. Apparently they were enchanted marks. Your turn,” she says, quickly averting her eyes from her wrists. “Why didn’t your mother give you her last name?”

  Christ. Why is she so hell bent on asking me such personal questions?

  “I need a hell of a lot more to drink to divulge that sort of information. Pick another question.”

  She grins while reclining back, and she tilts the bottle to her lips. I stare like a fool starving for a taste until she pulls it back.

  “Fine. Who did you make this charm for?”

  She holds up the necklace as though I don’t know what she’s talking about.

  “I’m not sure how these questions relate to getting to know me, nor do they help make me want to let you risk your life.”

  She leans up on her side. “They don’t convince you to let me be a grown-ass woman, but I’m trying to understand how you tick. Maybe then I can figure out what you need to hear.”

  “My past doesn’t reflect my opinions today. You need to update your questionnaire if you want to find out how I tick.”

  She just stares expectantly, and I groan while rubbing a hand over my face. “Her name was Elaine. She was my best friend when we were younger. We grew up together, I thought we’d be more, and she chose someone else. End of story.”