Dark Beauty

by C. M. Owens

  Thad hops up to sit on the counter as Ella hands me a glass of vodka. I sip it as Gage comments. “If he was trapped, he could have said something.”

  “Unless he’s bound by a blood oath,” Karma points out. “I’m telling you, he didn’t want to do what he was doing to us. He tried his damnedest to pretend as though he enjoyed it. We taunted him to rile him up, pushing him to do his worst, and he still held back.”

  No one says anything for several long minutes.

  “What happens now?” Ella asks Gage when the silence becomes too thick to take.

  “Nothing has changed. Gavin dies. I’ll do what I have to, and everyone needs to get the hell out of my way if that happens.”

  “I can take him,” Ella assures him.

  Several spurts of laughter come out, and I tilt my head. “If you take down Gavin, you’ll unleash the creature goddess and give it sole control,” Thad says. “I’d rather take my chances with a too-powerful warlock than an unleashed creature goddess we have to capture—one as strong as you.”

  Ella scowls at him, and Karma says, “I thought creature gods could see the true good or darkness in someone. She won’t hurt us.”

  “No,” Ella sighs. “He’s right. I’m not like the others. I’m a little… unpredictable. I’m too strong when I’m in the full transition and I black out. I won’t kill intentionally, but I will attack if I feel threatened. I was born from two full-blooded creature gods. It’s a rarity. Usually creature gods happen at random—an anomaly of nature. If I’m unchained and wild, it’s dangerous. But we could all combine our powers and take him down.”

  “I don’t want to kill him,” I say softly, and the hold Gage has on me stiffens.

  “Me neither,” Karma says. “And if anyone has the right to want him dead it’s us. He’s a prisoner. Just like we were.”

  Gage lets me go while walking over to take the bourbon from Chaz, who is looking at me like I’ve lost my damn mind.

  “Gavin dies. End of discussion,” Gage states with his back turned to me.

  Gritting my teeth, I decide to hold this fight until later.

  “What’s the plan?” I ask instead of going to war over life and death.

  “Sadie took on the face of a trusted man inside the enemy’s guard,” Chaz starts. “She planted the seed about informants inside our circle. They have names to ask questions about now.”

  He smirks, and Thad continues, telling the story they must have already shared with him.

  “They’ll get the false information, go to the setup location, and we’ll be waiting. All we need are some powerful allies to help us take out the troops they may bring so that we can focus on Gavin and this ring leader. If he or she comes,” Thad says.

  “The leader won’t come,” Karma interjects. “They want to stay in the shadows. They would have come to see us out of curiosity if they didn’t mind being seen. They would have shown up at the rings if they weren’t seeking hiding.”

  “But we still need some strong people,” Dice says, echoing Thad’s words. “Kimber, I think it’s time you pull out the Somage card. You’ve been neglectful.”

  I’ve probably been ousted by now. Especially since I left them out of the slave ring roundup.

  “I’ll call them. Alex would have taken over, and we’re friends. He’ll come.”

  Gage returns to me, stroking my cheek with his thumb. “You going back to the Somage?”

  I look around at all the faces of my family—and friends that have become family. “I’m pretty sure we’re better together. Alex is capable of running the Somage without me. I’ll call him in at the last minute for this. Just to be sure there aren’t any leaks.”

  Gage smiles again before bending to kiss me ever so chastely, and he tugs my waist, pulling my body closer again.

  “When does this all go down?” Karma asks.

  Gage’s smile dissolves once again. Our reality keeps interfering with our reunion.

  “Tomorrow. We got word a few minutes ago that they took the bait. We have them believing the weapons are on the move. The informant told them we were moving them with magic and shifting their locations regularly.”

  I reach up and rub my thumb over the metal hoops in his bottom lip, and he closes his eyes as though he enjoys the touch.

  “Let’s get some sleep. We’ll talk more tomorrow,” Chaz says around a yawn.

  Gage wraps his arms around me, dematerializing us from the room. I grin against his kiss the second I feel a bed hit my back. He wastes no time settling between my legs, his lips devouring mine in time with his ravenous tongue.

  “I’ve fucking missed you,” he murmurs against my lips, tugging my bottom lip between his teeth while grinding himself against me.

  “No more breaking up,” I say a little breathlessly, pushing my hips up to rub against him, feeling him already fully hard and ready for me just like I’m more than ready for him.

  He smiles against my lips, and suddenly, we’re both naked. I really like his use of magic.

  “I’m not going anywhere. I think you’re in twice as much danger without me than you are with me. But Kimber,” he says somberly, while pulling back, “if I ever lose it again, don’t fucking stay.”

  I puff out a laugh, and he brushes his lips against mine. “I’m serious.”

  Rolling my eyes, I mutter a, “Fine.” Then I clasp my hands around the back of his neck, and look into his worried eyes. “Can we please talk later? I really want your lips doing other—”

  My words are cut off when his lips actually start doing something much more productive, moving against mine in that way that always has me writhing against him. Our bare skin rubs together, creating fire everywhere we touch, and when his tip nudges my entrance, slipping in just barely, I whimper like a virgin in need for the first time.

  He smiles, enjoying his seduction, but he forgets I’m actually strong. For once, I’m the one to toss him to his back when he lets his guard down, and a low vibration of laughter rumbles from his chest as I straddle him, leaning down to kiss him and toy with the piercing in his tongue.

  I roll my hips back and sink down onto him, and we both release guttural moans.

  “I’ve really, really missed you,” he mumbles against my lips, and I grin while rocking my hips again, taking him deeper.

  I sit straight up, changing the angle, and he growls while I gyrate. It’s a powerful feeling to watch the man you love trying to unravel beneath you.

  Unable to just lie there and take it, Gage grabs my hips and starts thrusting in from underneath. The muscles in his arms and chest flex, and a thin sheen of sweat forms over our bodies as time passes us by.

  Fire shoots from my core and spreads over my body as my heart thumps in my chest to the rhythm of our colliding bodies. His hands tighten on my hips—just shy of being painful.

  When my entire body clenches around him, I feel him shudder inside me, and I drop to him, exhausted and breathing heavily as I trace the lines of his tattoos.

  He kisses my head, and I snuggle in closer, keeping him inside me for when I have the strength to go again.

  “How do you get piercings?”

  He laughs as though that’s funny. “Why? You want one?”

  Hmm. “Maybe, but I was just curious how painful it is for an immortal to get something like that, considering our regenerative properties and the fact nothing should be able to penetrate our skin. And… I was wondering if you were planning on getting more.”

  His laughter booms out this time, and he tugs me closer. “I can handle it. I’ll get them anywhere you want them.”

  That has me biting my lip. “I’ll remind you of that when all of this is over.”

  He kisses my hair, holding me tight against him. “Yeah,” he says in a reverent breath as his mind drifts off into the land of worry.

  “Don’t think so hard, Gage. We’ll be okay.”

  He turns me over, pushing me to my back, and slowly, he starts moving his body in and out again, eliciting
those moans that are reserved only for him. Apparently we’re done talking.

  ***

  KIMBER

  Gage’s naked body glides across the floor on his way to the bathroom, and I scramble to my bags to pull out something I hope I can use. I’m really glad Dice brought all my stuff back from the hotel during my time missing.

  It’s been a while since I had to consult my old gatekeeper books

  I hear the shower turn on, and then Gage calls out, “You coming?”

  “I’m actually going to get some wine,” I tell him, grabbing a robe and tucking the book in the hidden pocket just inside.

  Gage grabs me by the waist before I can escape, and his lips come down on mine, kissing me hard before he grins. “Hurry back. I’m not done with you.”

  When I shudder in anticipation, he snickers lightly, enjoying the way my body always immediately responds to him.

  “Good. Because I’m sure as hell not done with you either. You broke up with me, and I’m still not convinced you want me back.”

  I cock an eyebrow in challenge, and he tugs my bottom lip between his teeth. When he releases it, I see the excited smile on his face.

  “I’ll gladly spend all night convincing you if you’re done resting.”

  Grinning, I lean in and kiss his chest, sliding my hand down the bare skin of his abs, and not bothering to hide the fact I enjoy seeing the part of his body that is always happy to be around me.

  “Go take your shower. I’ll be right back.”

  He kisses me again, and slaps my ass on his way back to the bathroom, and I jog quietly down the stairs. Looking around, I head out onto the deck, turning on a dim outside light, and then I sit down to start rapidly flipping through the book.

  The pages are old but not fragile due to spells that have been cast, so I don’t waste time trying to be delicate. Finally, I find the page I never thought would be useful. It always made more sense to send someone to a plane where they had to figure out where they were and how to get back.

  But now…

  “What are you doing out here?” Ella’s voice startles me, and I barely hold back a squeal.

  Her arms are crossed over her chest and she’s studying me very intently.

  “Saving Gage from a mistake that could destroy him.”

  I go back to reading the page, and she sits down beside me. She reads over my shoulder, and her sharp intake of air proves she has just figured out my plan.

  “You really don’t want him to kill Gavin? Have you lost your mind? Kimber, he tortured you.”

  Rolling my eyes, I turn to face her. “If you expect me to be traumatized, then you really underestimate me. I’ve endured worse. When Hilly trained me to be a gatekeeper so young, it was far more painful than anything Gavin did to me over five days. That was a walk in the damn park by comparison. But it could have been worse. He’s strong, Ella. He could have broken me—both of us. Gavin held back, and I think it was hard for him to do because he’s under someone’s spell or a blood oath or something. He seemed to strain each time he took a shot at us, and he wasn’t straining to hurt us. He was straining against whatever force was propelling his actions because it was impossible to fully resist.”

  “You can’t know that. If this is because you’re worried about Gage losing it, then don’t. We have every base covered. Three creature gods, Kimber. We have three of the most powerful beings within our world. We can kill one warlock, and Gage won’t have to lose himself in the process.”

  Looking over at her, I say, “This isn’t about Gage losing it. That really doesn’t scare me. He wouldn’t hurt me, but he struggles to see that. Anyway, this isn’t about that. It’s about saving him from making a mistake.”

  She blows out a harsh breath as I go back to reading each word carefully. The smallest detail could make or break this plan.

  “Why risk it?” she finally asks. “He could kill you for even trying this if you fail.”

  I give her an are-you-kidding-me look. “When do I fail? I’m obsessively good at gatekeeping, remember? It was my very first fixation.”

  Her dread doesn’t waver. “You’re going on a hunch that Gavin is being ruled by someone else. He’s probably the most powerful warlock I’ve ever seen, yet you think someone stronger is controlling him. Why the hell is it so important to save a man who would love nothing more than to kill the man you love and you? Who would love to kill all of us?”

  My eyes meet hers to display my unbreakable resolve.

  “If I went dark, if I was lost inside a place so twisted that I was mercilessly evil, and you were forced to kill me, what would it do to you?”

  She takes a steadying breath before saying, “It would hurt. Actually, it would devastate me, but I could reconcile it. Gage has already thought he killed him once. And he’s okay. He made peace with it.”

  Shaking my head, I go back to the book. I’ll have to sneak out to go to the attack site before anyone else, and then get back before anyone notices I’m missing. That’s going to be hard to do with everyone watching my every move. The fright of me getting kidnapped hasn’t worn off yet.

  “He thought his brother was gone and replaced by someone as sadistic and mad as his mother.”

  I look up to meet her eyes again. “What would happen if you killed me and then learned I was trapped inside my own mind—forced to do the will of someone else—and you killed me instead of saving me?”

  Her eyes water as though the thought is painful. If just the hypothetical situation brings tears to her eyes, I can only imagine what a true instance would do to someone.

  “I’d never survive it,” she says in a hushed whisper.

  “Exactly. I won’t lose Gage. No one has ever fought for him before. It’s time someone does.”

  She gives me a nod, and then she joins me in reading the details. “What do we do?” she asks.

  “I have a succubus to call. There’re a few questions I need answered before I commit to a definite plan.”

  Chapter 27

  GAGE

  “You’re not fighting Kimber on this?” Dice asks while adjusting the sights on his crossbow.

  “What good will that do? She’ll just show up anyway, and she’ll risk her life if I’m not there to keep her safe.”

  Dice leans against the doorframe, looking at me as I finish sending the last text to set the night into motion.

  “You know, Kimber’s not resistant to my charm like Alyssa and Ella are. I could always—”

  “Use your incubus juice on her, and I’ll cut off your main feeding tube. Understand?” I interrupt, not bothering to sound threatening.

  Dice reaches down and cups his most prized possession as his jaw falls open. “That’s not cool. An honorable man never threatens another man’s jewels.”

  I laugh while walking by him and starting down the stairs, and he follows behind me. Dice can lighten even the most intense situations.

  “I lost my honor during my first century as an immortal.”

  Before he can come back with a witty remark, Thad walks up, tossing me an anointed knife. I catch it by the handle and tuck it into my boot, but I know better than to think I can get physically close enough to push it into my brother’s heart.

  I look out the door to see Kimber spiraling through the air, slinging Kane on his back hard enough to dig up the ground. She smirk victoriously, strutting over to offer him a hand as he smiles up at her.

  It doesn’t matter how good she is, I’m not willing to risk her life. This could get ugly and fast, so I hope Chaz keeps his promise to force her out if that happens. She’ll kick my ass if she finds out he and I made such an arrangement.

  If I even survive this.

  “Any word from Drackus?” I ask Thad.

  He frowns while shaking his head. “Calypso said she’s having a problem bring him down. This thing with Kimber sent him into a dark spiral. Calypso is the only one he won’t hurt when he’s like this. Kimber used to toss him into hell or somewhere else that
restrained him when he went too far.”

  Not having Drackus and Calypso is going to affect our line of defense.

  Chaz and Karma are speaking in a corner, and she laughs at whatever he says. I suppose she trusts him now that he risked his secret to save her life.

  “Alright, glitter boy,” Dice says while going to toss his arm around Karma’s shoulders. “Go find your own demon hybrid.”

  Chaz laughs while rolling his eyes, and Karma gets on her tiptoes to kiss the slightly jealous incubus. He doesn’t have to worry about her going anywhere.

  Kimber wearing her leather pants and a tight shirt is going to be pretty damn distracting. She looks over at me, noticing me when I prop up against the porch column, and she takes a deep breath. This is it.

  She comes over to me, her eyes trained on mine and unwavering, and she stops just in front of me, tilting her head back so that our eye contact doesn’t break.

  “Stay alive, dark boy. I found the perfect new piercing for you, and I want to take you to get it tomorrow.”

  My lips turn in a wry grin about the time Ella trips and stumbles off the porch, her cheeks flaming red. Kimber snickers softly, but then she pulls me down to kiss me hard.

  “Just so you know,” she says, her lips just barely breaking contact with mine, “there are a lot of experiences I haven’t had yet. And I want to have them all with you.”

  I brush her cheekbone with my thumb, slowly sliding my hand up into her blonde hair before tugging her head back a little farther. “I said I couldn’t have any more unique experiences.” I run my other hand down to her waist, taking a breath and committing everything about her to memory. “I was wrong.”

  She grins up at me, but Dice interrupts us before I can drag her back up to the bedroom.

  “Let’s get this shit going. I made us a playlist to get our adrenaline pumping. It’s called hashtag—badass.”

  ***