Allure (The Lilituria Prophecy Book 2)

by Grace White

  “Don’t scream; it’ll only make this sweeter,” a low voice whispered in my ear, causing my whole body to tense. The man continued dragging my almost lifeless body toward the side of the house to the exact spot Kai had pinned me to the wall only weeks before.

  My fingers scrambled against the paneling, splinters shredding the soft skin there. I yelped, but the gloved hand over my mouth swallowed it. And then he stopped.

  “Did you really think that was it? That we would risk everything we’ve worked for? You, Miss Cattiva, are an abomination, and you cannot be allowed to survive.” His words made my blood run cold. “It can never be allowed to transpire. A Dei Venatores and a demon will shred the lines of mortality. We will not allow it.”

  Something sharp pierced my tank top, sliding into my skin like butter. It didn’t hurt at first, just felt odd. Uncomfortable. But then the hand holding the knife twisted, and my body screamed in pain, the demon thrashing against the shackles of its human prison. Tears spilled down my face as I screamed into the hand silencing me, and warm, sticky blood spread over my skin like wildfire.

  “DAIYA!” a voice yelled, but it felt so far away.

  The hands anchoring me in place disappeared, and I began to fall. Slowly, slowly, I made the journey down. Only one thought remained.

  This was the end.

  KAI

  I wound my way through the lunch crowd. Poppy’s text had simply said ‘meet me.’ It could only be about Daiya. I found her at the edge of the bleachers, her face pale.

  “What is it?” Were the first words out of my mouth.

  “I think something happened to Daiya.”

  “What do you mean you think something happened?”

  “She called me Saturday and sounded okay. Well, I mean as okay as anyone can sound when they’ve had their heart crushed.” She shot me a “I’m talking about you, asswipe” look, but I could take it. I could take it a million times over as long as she was wrong about Daiya. “Anyway, we talked, she even laughed, so I thought I’d drive by this morning before school and see how she was, but when I got there, her sister was acting very shady and wouldn’t let me in.”

  “Shady how?”

  “I don’t know.” She scowled. “The way shady people act when they’re being shady.”

  Dragging a hand down my face, I tried not to drive my fist into the wall next to Poppy. “Okay, thanks for telling me.”

  “Okay? That’s it? That’s the best you can do. Who are you right now?”

  “Myers,” I warned. We were wasting time. I needed to see Daiya for myself.

  “Stanton.” She stepped in front of me, planting her hands on her hips.

  “We really don’t have time for this. I need to go.”

  “You’re going over there?”

  “Where else would I be going?”

  “Okay, I should come. Let me just—”

  My eyes bugged, halting her train of thought. “I’m not coming, am I?” she added.

  “No. I’ll call you as soon as they let me see her.”

  “And if they don’t?”

  “They will.” I was done listening to anyone else. Daiya was in trouble.

  My reply seemed to appease Poppy, and she stepped out of my way, mumbling something about going to save our girl. It was juvenile and undeserved, but it did something to my insides to know that Poppy still regarded me in the equation—like she still thought I was in the running.

  Head down, I walked to the parking lot, ignoring everyone’s curious stares. It wasn’t unheard of for me to blow off class, but it was usually team related. If word got around that I was skipping for personal reasons … I shut down that train of thought. All that mattered right now was Daiya, and since I could no longer feel her, I had to trust Poppy’s instincts. And from the fear in her voice, she genuinely thought something was wrong.

  And it was good enough for me.

  But when I reached my car, a familiar figure stood across the street from the school gates.

  Isaac.

  I didn’t have time for more of his bullshit. He’d done nothing but try to keep us apart. Realization hit me deep in my stomach. Mother … Before I could think rationally, I’d stormed over to him and grasped him around the throat. “What the fuck have you done?”

  He choked, his hands flying to my hand, trying to peel away my fingers. He was strong. But since spending time with him, meditating and training, I was stronger. Michael appeared out of nowhere, lingering, uncertain of what to do. He waited for Isaac to give the order, but it never came. And when his eyes started to roll back into his head, I shoved him hard, releasing my grip.

  “Tell me you had nothing to do with this. Tell me.”

  “It wasn’t me.”

  “But you know what I’m talking about?”

  “The girl, Miss Cattiva, she was hurt.”

  I inched forward, ready to beat the truth out of him if necessary. “Hurt how?”

  “Not here.” His eyes darted around, wild and unnerved. Hmm, that was new. Isaac was calm embodied. He didn’t get nervous, and he most definitely didn’t ever seem on edge.

  “Someone had better tell me what the hell is going on.” My voice rose, drawing the attention of a few students milling around in the parking lot.

  “For once, will you listen to me. Not here. Let’s go.” Isaac motioned to his car. He was right; this was a conversation we needed to have out of earshot of Decker County’s student population.

  “Fine.” I followed him to the car. Michael opened the door like the robot he was, and we climbed inside. I wasted no time demanding an answer. “You’ve been keeping things from me, haven’t you?”

  “Kai, son, I—”

  “It’s too late for that. I should have realized sooner that you’ve been driving this wedge between us ever since you arrived. You wanted me to doubt her, to doubt our connection, didn’t you? Why? Why are you so concerned with keeping us apart?”

  The driver’s door slammed, the car rocking under Michael’s weight as he slid inside and gunned the engine.

  “Why?” I barked, my fists clenched. I might have been wearing the amulet, but nothing could have soothed the fury storming through me.

  “It was never supposed to be like this.”

  “Like what?”

  “There’s so much you still don’t understand. Don’t you see? I did this for you. To protect the life you’ve built for yourself.”

  “And Daiya?” If he was so intent on protecting me, what did that mean for Daiya?

  His eyes said all I needed to know, but his words hammered the truth right through my heart. “She’s collateral in a war you’ll never understand.”

  Collateral.

  He talked about her like she was nothing. Lowly. Less than human.

  Insignificant.

  And I hated it. I hated him for it.

  “She’ll never be collateral. Not while I’m around to do something about it.”

  “You have no idea what you’re saying, son.” But the way the color drained from his face told me he knew otherwise.

  “If she’s hurt, she’ll need to feed. And I know Daiya; she won’t do it. Not if there’s a risk she’ll hurt him.” The words lodged in my throat. Just thinking it made me want to puke. Daiya with another guy, intimate and close. His hands over her pure skin. “She’d rather die than feed off some stranger.”

  “Kai.” My father’s voice turned cold. “I won’t allow it.”

  “I didn’t realize it was your choice to make?” I arched my eyebrow in a challenge. He could try to stop me, but something told me, in the end, he wouldn’t. He cared too much about preserving what shred of hope there was for our relationship.

  “She’ll kill you.”

  “Maybe, maybe not, but I won’t just stand by and do nothing. She didn’t ask for this. Neither of us did. But if I’ve learned anything from you, it’s that sometimes you have to make hard choices to protect the people you love.” My voice softened, trying to appeal to the ma
n who walked away from his family to give his son a better life. “To save the people you love.”

  Something passed over his face, transforming him for a second into the man I’d known as my father. He was in there, pushed down under his hunter, just out of reach. All I had to do was give him something to remember—remember what it felt like to be a man prepared to make the hard choice.

  I stared right at him, poised and calm. “You loved me enough to walk away, and I love her enough to stay.”

  Isaac opened his mouth to speak, but Michael spoke, surprising us both. “Isaac, we should talk with Rakesh.” My father leaned forward into the gap between the driver and passenger seats, and he whispered something. Michael nodded curtly, obediently, but I didn’t miss his eyes flicking to mine in the rearview mirror. Something blazed in them. I couldn’t place the emotion, but it had the fine hair on the back of my neck standing to attention.

  What didn’t I know? What were they keeping from me? I’d heard that name before when I’ve eavesdropped on their conversation. But who was he?

  Isaac turned to me and clasped his hands in his lap. “You love her?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  “You’re going to do this with or without my permission?”

  “I don’t need your permission; you lost that right a long time ago.” Maybe he had walked away to protect me, but it was something my child self would never forget.

  “Then let me help.” His expression didn’t match the conviction in his voice. Even now, he wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing. But I’d take what I could. “Time is against us. There are still things you don’t understand, that you need to know before you decide. You have to understand that it might be too late, the gir—” He paused with a heavy sigh. “Miss Cattiva may not make it.”

  Make it? Did he mean?

  “No.” The word tumbled out of my mouth like acid on my tongue. “I have to save her. I have to try.”

  A world without Daiya didn’t seem possible. My brain couldn’t process his words. But then, nothing about this situation was easy to swallow. Hunters. Demons. Things that went bump in the night. My life had been flipped on its axis and spun around more times than I cared to remember, but all that mattered right now, at this moment, was Daiya.

  “You have to take me there right now. I need to …” Panic gripped me, clawing up my throat and making it impossible to breathe.

  “Son, you have to calm down. Focus. Center yourself like we talked about. If you’re going to do this, you must be grounded. If she takes too much …” His voice trailed off. “It’s dangerous, for both of you.”

  Were we really having this conversation? It was like an out-of-body experience. Between the heavy thump of heart in my skull, I heard his words. He spoke with conviction. With knowledge. He spoke like a man who had experience … wait …

  “How do you know all this?”

  His eyes softened, giving me a glimpse of my father again. “That, my son, is a story for another day. But I don’t want you to live with the same regret I have. It does not make for an easy life. I have made choices I am not proud of, choices that I’ve known to be right by the laws which I uphold, but that have felt so intrinsically wrong I thought I might lose my mind. I made my peace a long time ago, but the cost was too high, and I can never undo that.”

  What the …? I didn’t have time to process as he continued, “But I can do this for you. If you’re sure it is what you want, I will do this for you. For both of you. Let’s just hope it isn’t too late.” His lip curled into the most awkward smile I’d even seen, but I was stuck on his words. Hope it isn’t too late. If something happened to Daiya; if she didn’t make it … I didn’t even want to think about it.

  As I settled back into the leather seat with my head turned to the window, only one thought remained.

  It couldn’t be too late.

  It just couldn’t.

  DAIYA

  “Mom?” Tears fill my eyes at the beautiful mirage standing before me. Because it can be only that … a mirage. An apparition.

  “Daiya, my sweet, sweet child. Gosh, how I’ve missed you.” She wraps her slender arms around me, and I sink into her warmth, the tears flowing freely down my face.

  “It’s you? It’s really you?” I croak, hugging her tighter and nestling my face against the soft white gown.

  “It’s me. I’m here, Daiya. I’ve always been here.”

  At her words, I step back and take in our surroundings. It’s a garden, not unlike the one Kai and I visited in our dreams, but there’s something more about it. It has an ethereal glow. The trees, the plants, even the clouds seem to be luminescent.

  “What is this place?”

  Mom smiles knowingly and takes my face in her hands, pressing a tender kiss to my head. “My daughter, I’ve been so worried.”

  I feel a sharp pain in my stomach and glance down, pressing a hand to my abdomen, but there’s nothing there except the beige silk covering me. “I- I think something’s wrong with me.”

  “It will heal. Love can heal even the most fatal of wounds.”

  Fatal wounds? What a strange choice of words.

  “He’s coming for you, Daiya.”

  “Who? Who is coming for me?” I feel like a baby deer stumbling around on its new legs, trying to make sense of the world around it.

  Mom smiles again, so wide I feel myself smiling back. “I always knew you were destined for great things, and now, I get to watch my daughter flourish.”

  Flourish?

  “Mom, I don’t understand. What do you mean? What’s going on?”

  “Hush, my sweet child.” Her hand links with mine. “It’s time to go now. But know I love you and I am so proud of you. For the woman you’ve become. Be brave. Be fearless. But most of all, Daiya, live.”

  “Daiya? Daiya? I think she’s waking up. Get her some water.”

  My eyes fluttered once, twice, and I lifted a heavy hand to them to stop the overwhelming sting of light.

  “Daiya?” the voice said again, and I turned, pain splintering through my whole body. “Don’t move. It’s okay; we’re here. We’re right here.” A hand encased mine.

  “D- Demi,” I croaked, my eyes closed again, the pain too much. “What happened?”

  “You don’t remember?”

  “It, it hurts. Did something happen?”

  “You were attacked, sweetie.”

  Attacked? I racked my brain for any sign, a clue, as to what had happened, but there was nothing. Just a dark pit of agony.

  “Water,” I croaked, and I immediately felt the smooth rim of a glass pressed to my lips.

  “Here.” A hand slid underneath my neck and lifted gently. “Slowly, okay.” Demi, I assumed, held the glass steady, letting me suck at the liquid. Just a couple of drops. Enough to wet my lips. I went back for more, letting the burst of cool slide down my dry throat.

  When I was satisfied I wasn’t going to throw up, I slowly opened my eyes again. Demi sat on the edge of my bed; her mouth pulled into a thin line. Devlin sat on the desk chair off to the side wearing an emotion I couldn’t quite decipher on her face.

  “Thank god, you’re okay.”

  Was I? It sure didn’t feel it. My insides felt like they had been run through a meat processor.

  “What happened?”

  “You really don’t remember?” It was Devlin who spoke this time, and I shook my head as much as it would move without falling off, or at least, that’s what it felt like.

  “You were attacked,” she added, flinching at the word. “I—”

  “Not now,” Demi interrupted. “All that matters is that she’s okay.”

  “She won’t be for long,” Devlin said, a mix of frustration and sadness in her voice. What was going on?

  “Devlin, not now, please.”

  “Sorry.”

  Sorry? Devlin never apologized.

  Demi squeezed my hand and managed a small smile. “I was so worried when I saw you fall.”

>   “You saw it?”

  She nodded. “I got off work late. When I got out of the car, I heard something and walked around the side of the house. I couldn’t move; I was so scared. And then I saw it.” The smile slipped away and was replaced with a look I never wanted to see again. “He had a knife, Daiya. Some kind of small sword.”

  That explained the fiery pain in my stomach.

  “I was stabbed, wasn’t I?” I still didn’t remember what she had described, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I remember the feel of the blade sliding into my skin like butter.

  “You didn’t take me to the hospital?”

  “I panicked. I didn’t want to risk it. I think I spooked him. I called—”

  “Someone decided to join the land of the living?” Heather appeared in the doorway carrying a tray of what looked like medical supplies.

  “Heather?”

  She came around the other side of the bed and set down the tray. “It’s good to see you awake, child. We have all been worried.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Now, now, child, don’t go getting all emotional on me. I came because your sister asked me to come.” Her thick frame perched on the edge of the bed, and she took my hand in hers. “I came because you needed me.”

  A tear slipped from my eye. “Thank you.”

  “I’m no doctor, but I think you’ll be okay.” Her eyes crinkled with something that looked a lot like relief. “You gave us quite the scare.”

  “Was it Isaac?”

  “I think you know the answer to that, child. No, I believe the others have discovered your whereabouts. It was only a matter of time.”

  Panic fluttered in my stomach, like a hundred butterfly wings sweeping through me. I gripped the old woman’s hand tight. “We have to leave. We have to get out of town.”