“That’s a very rare gift,” Ronin said.
Taeg must have noticed her tense up, because he tugged on her hand and leaned toward her. “It’s okay,” he whispered.
His reassuring words prompted the stiffness in her muscles to loosen. Wait, she was trusting him now? He was a demon, for God’s sake. But she couldn’t help herself. For some reason, he made her feel safe.
“That isn’t all,” Taeg continued. “I wasn’t able to charm her.”
“What?” Ronin asked.
Again with the surprised looks. What was the big deal?
“She’s an immune,” Reiver finally said.
“Can’t be,” Bram said. “I’ve only ever heard of one other immune in existence, and that was hundreds of years ago.”
Keegan gave her a thorough, appraising glance. “One way to test that theory.” He motioned to Ronin, who nodded and stood, starting toward her.
“What are you doing?” Maya squeaked.
She tried to stand but Taeg kept a tight grip on her hand. “It’s okay, sweetheart. He won’t hurt you.”
She kept her eyes locked on Ronin, who raised a brow at Taeg’s casual endearment. But he said nothing, just came to a stop in front of her and knelt down. She flinched when his hand slowly reached for her face. Hot fingertips seared the knot on her forehead, and she could feel Ronin’s body heat, even from a few feet away. Clearly, his temperature ran as hot as Taeg’s.
Ronin held his fingers there for a few moments before lifting his hand and examining the spot. “Huh. Nothing.”
Over the shocked murmurs, Maya turned to Taeg and asked, “What was supposed to happen?”
With his free hand he touched his palm to her cheek. The movement was soothing, erotic.
Her breath hitched in her throat when his touch ignited a sharp pang deep in her belly.
“Ronin can heal others, but he couldn’t heal you,” he said. “You’re immune to magic.”
Her words came out a near whisper. “And that’s truly rare?”
“Truly,” he whispered back, a husky undertone in his voice.
How long they stayed frozen in that position she couldn’t say, but finally someone’s throat cleared. Taeg gave a slight start and dropped his hand.
“Okay, so we know Maya is an immune.” Keegan leaned back as he scrutinized first Maya, then Taeg. “That’s interesting, but what does this have to do with you, uh—”
“Kidnapping her?” Dagan finished helpfully.
“Thanks for that, asswipe,” Taeg said. “The kidnapping was unintentional. I just wanted to talk to her. Maya doesn’t... have a good track record with demons.”
“Track record?” she echoed in disbelief. Glaring at him, she jerked her hand out of his. He had no freaking idea what she’d been through, or the horrors she’d witnessed. Demons had taken everything from her.
Taeg gave her an apologetic glance. “Let me start at the beginning. Six months ago, me and my brothers were sent here to stop our father, Mammon. He’s the pure definition of evil demon. Mammon tried to take over Earth using an ancient book, the Book of the Dead, to resurrect an army of the undead. Zombies.”
“Uh, zombies?” Maya echoed in disbelief.
Brynn let out a deep sigh. “I knew this was about Leviathos.”
Keegan leaned over to rub Brynn’s stomach, and her agitation melted away. The look she gave him was filled with love.
Love. Brynn loved a demon with all her heart. What did that mean?
“Go on,” Keegan said to Taeg.
“The Book of the Dead was created by Brynn’s ancestor. Within it was a spell allowing for the resurrection of zombies. But only Brynn, as the heir, had the power to activate the spell.”
“There’s actually a book that can create zombies?” Maya shook her head. This was crazy. Were vampires and werewolves real, too?
“We stopped Mammon and hid the Book somewhere safe,” Taeg continued. “But he had someone helping him, a demon named Leviathos. Someone who used to be my friend. He got away. The problem is, the Book is indestructible. And as long as it exists, Leviathos will be plotting to find a way to retrieve it.”
“And Brynn will never be safe,” Ronin added.
Neither Brynn, nor the child she carried, would be safe, she realized. Maya bit her lip. She began to see the dilemma here. “This thing you’re looking for, this sword, you think it can destroy the Book?”
“I think there’s a good chance.” Taeg looked over at Keegan, his red eyes shining with unspoken emotion. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “It’s Excalibur.”
Maya’s gasp was drowned out by Brynn’s.
“You mean the Excalibur from the Arthurian legend?” Brynn asked eagerly.
Keegan glanced at Brynn before asking Taeg, “Are you sure it really exists?”
“My research leads me to believe so,” Taeg replied. “But from what I’ve managed to discover, Merlin hid the sword using a powerful invisibility spell. He wanted to keep it out of the wrong hands.”
“But I can see through glamours,” Maya said. And if everything they’d said was true, she was one of very few people—if not the only one—who could find the sword. Oh, hell, she didn’t even know how to feel about this.
Taeg swiveled his head toward her and he gave her a slow nod. “Exactly. You have what I need.”
The tone of his voice, layered in double meaning, sent shivers down her spine.
“Merlin was real?” Brynn asked. She obviously hadn’t gotten over that big revelation. Not that Maya could blame her. It was a lot to take in.
“He was real,” Taeg confirmed, “though obviously many of the legends about him are inaccurate. But he was a powerful mage.”
There was another long moment of silence before Keegan said, “You’ve done a lot of research on this, haven’t you?”
Taeg nodded.
“Why didn’t you say anything? We could have helped you.”
Taeg shrugged. “I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.”
“Do you have any leads on where this sword is?” Ronin asked.
“That’s what I’ve been working on. I’ve been going to the library.” Taeg gave a fake shudder. “That place gives me the creeps.”
All those trips to the library, researching Arthurian legends. Maya let out a grunt. “I knew you weren’t the library type.”
He snorted. “So what do you think, Maya?”
Her smile faded. She knew what he was asking. He wanted to know whether she would help him find the sword. Nothing like pressure.
“I... ” Part of her wanted to say yes, for Brynn’s sake, and for that of her child. But this was so much to take in all at once. Saying yes meant she would have to face these demons again.
Saying yes means you’ll be working with Taeg. In close proximity, for who knew how long. The thought of that made her twitchy in ways she couldn’t explain.
“This is a huge decision,” Keegan said. “One she needs to think about, to examine the consequences. I don’t think we can expect her to answer that today.”
Maya gave Keegan a grateful glance. He must want her to do this more than anyone, if he truly believed it might work. After all, the purpose of the sword was to protect his wife and child. That he’d spoken up for her said a lot about what sort of man he was.
Not a man, Maya. A demon.
An honorable demon.
That feeling of uneasiness in her gut increased. She’d thought she had everything figured out, but did she really know anything? Those few demons she’d managed to kill throughout the years... had they been evil at all?
“Okay,” Taeg finally responded, somewhat grudgingly.
After a moment of awkward silence, Brynn rose and said in a cheerful voice, “Well, I know you guys have a never-ending appetite, and let’s face it, lately so do I. Let’s eat.”
Brynn and Keegan brought steaming plates of pasta out from the kitchen and everyone dug in as conversation reached a comfortable chatter. Maya picked at
her food. She was far more interested in observing the banter between these demons. They appeared so... normal. They even ate normal food. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. Human brains, maybe?
While Brynn tried to engage her in conversation, Taeg kept giving Maya little reassuring glances. Her stomach warmed in a way that it shouldn’t, and that was a problem. Everything about him was a problem.
“Some words of wisdom,” she overheard Taeg quip to one of the giants. “Never boink a haknasa demon. Dagan was clever enough to figure that one out for us.”
“Fuck you,” Dagan snapped, and Maya hid a smile behind her hand.
Given half a chance, she was afraid she might grow to like these demons. Some of them more than others.
A sudden image of her mother’s bloody remains flashed in Maya’s vision. She dropped her fork to her plate with a loud clatter.
What would her mother say if she saw her here, casually sharing a meal with demons?
Forgive me, mama. Forgive me.
§
By the time Taeg led Maya out of Keegan’s apartment, confusion was evident on her face. She absently followed him into the elevator and down to the garage, not even taking note of their surroundings. He’d challenged all of her conceptions about demons. Hell, that should make him happy. It had been his plan, after all. But instead he felt only empathy for her. She’d been through a hell of a lot in her short lifetime.
Come on, man. Don’t forget what’s important. Your family. Brynn. The baby.
He’d already failed them once. Twice if he counted letting Leviathos get away. He couldn’t fail them again.
Taeg slid into Dagan’s car while the valet opened her passenger-side door for her. He opened his mouth to press for a reply, for a promise to aid them. What came out was, “How was the food?”
Maya gave him a startled glance. “Fine.”
Once outside the parking garage, they passed a row of trees changing into fall colors. Bright reds melded with deep orange hues and shades of brown. His first fall here on Earth, and man was it beautiful. He usually never stopped to notice things like that.
After a few minutes of silence, Maya turned to him. “Are you letting me go like you promised?”
Like hell he was. He ground his teeth together, but managed to keep his voice casual. “Where do you live?”
She fidgeted and didn’t answer.
“Oh come on,” he scoffed. “What do you think I’ll do, slip in there in the middle of the night? If I haven’t done anything to you yet, do you think I’ll change my mind for no damned reason?”
After a moment’s pause, she recited her Greenwich Village address. Not too far from where he lived. They drove the rest of the way without exchanging two words. Not until he pulled up into a spot a few blocks from his apartment did she notice where they were.
“I thought you were taking me home,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Your backpack is in my apartment.”
“Oh, that’s right.” She relaxed and followed him inside. Good. That would make things easier.
Opening the door to his apartment, he nodded toward his bedroom. “I put it under the bed. Why don’t you go grab it?”
Her instincts were sharp. She frowned and gave him a nervous glance.
He kept the front door open. “I’ll wait for you here.”
Taeg waited until Maya nodded and retreated to the bedroom before closing and locking his door. Then he followed her into the room. Oh man, she was going to spit fire when she caught on, and he felt like shit about betraying the little amount of trust she’d managed to place in him. He didn’t want to do her wrong. But he couldn’t let her go. Not yet. Not until she’d agreed to help.
Don’t forget you’re doing this for Brynn and Keegan. For the baby.
He entered the room as Maya straightened, her brows furrowed. “I don’t see it under here—”
She cut off when he swung the door shut, imprisoning her inside the room.
“What are you doing?”
Something she wasn’t going to like. Not in the slightest.
Chapter Eight
Taeg stalked toward Maya with single-minded purpose.
“What are you doing?” she repeated, but he didn’t waste his time with a response.
She lunged for him just as he moved within striking distance. Her fist shot out, on a direct trajectory toward his jaw. And yeah, he couldn’t help but grin as he sidestepped it. Fighting with her was fun. Like foreplay.
Maya whipped out her leg and kicked the side of his knee, sending him tumbling to the ground. In the precious seconds it took him to get back up, she was already at the door. He caught her before she could open it, whipped her around, and imprisoned her against his body.
“I knew I couldn’t trust you,” she spat. “Demon.”
Taeg swallowed back the snicker that threatened to escape his lips. He closed his hands around hers. “Relax, sweetheart. I’m not going to hurt you.”
She struggled against his grip, but froze when he closed the gap between their bodies. She’d be smart to stop squirming. Because there was no doubt she could feel how much he liked it.
With her head against the wall, she tilted her chin up to rake him with a defiant glower. “You promised you would let me go.”
“And I will. Once I know for sure you won’t seek to harm any of my family.”
A flicker of understanding crossed her face, and some of her anger faded. “I would never hurt Brynn.”
“I believe you,” he agreed. “But I can’t say the same for my brothers. You’ve made your demon issues crystal clear. So until I know you aren’t going to rain down on us like some sort of avenging angel, you’re stuck with me.”
Her mouth tightened, her lips pursing in a way that highlighted their fullness. “You can’t just keep me. People will notice I’m missing. I’ve already missed a day of class. And my coworkers will call the cops when I don’t show up to work.”
Taeg grinned at her. “Who the hell keeps attendance in college? Nobody will notice. Also, when I charmed that lovely coworker of yours, I found out you don’t have to be at work for four more days.”
That made her blink. “You’re such an ass.”
“Guilty as charged.” He dropped his eyes to her lips. Couldn’t help it. “I also found out you don’t have anyone waiting for you at home, little slayer, so I can do whatever I want with you for the next four days.”
Much to his surprise, her eyes welled with unspoken emotion and she lowered her head.
Shit. He’d expected her to fight back when he said that, not be terrified. Releasing his grip, he stepped away from her. “Hey, I was kidding about that. I won’t hurt you, I promise.”
“It’s not that,” she whispered. She took a deep breath, visibly collecting herself.
“Well... ” Taeg moved his hand to her jaw and forced her to meet his eyes. “What is it?”
“I... it’s nothing.” Maya didn’t make any effort to move, just stood there with her back against the wall. “Why did you want to know my address if you’re not going to take me back home?” she finally asked, dropping that cool, collected mask onto her face once again.
“I planned on bringing back some of your clothes.”
“Really? And what did you plan on doing with me?” When he glanced back at the bed, and the silk ties attached to it, she let out a derisive snort. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Sorry.”
Much to his surprise, she didn’t try to hit him. Didn’t even move. What was it that had her so upset? He didn’t like this Maya, the beaten one. What could he do to make her smile again? And why did he even care? He should be focused on one thing right now.
“Will you help Brynn?” he asked bluntly. “Help us?”
“I... don’t know yet,” she answered, closing her eyes. “Give me a few days to think about it.”
“Okay.” When she didn’t say anything further, he got an idea. It might not make h
er smile but at least it was bound to elicit some sort of emotion from her. “What about my prize?”
“What are you talking about?”
He grinned at her. “Remember that bet we had earlier? Winner gets a kiss.”
She blinked once. Twice. “But I didn’t say I would help you.”
“You didn’t say no, either. In my book, that’s a win.”
Maya smiled and shook her head. “You’re impossible.”
“That’s why you like me,” he quipped. “Come on baby, pucker up.”
Taeg braced a hand on either side of Maya’s body and leaned forward with an exaggerated pout of his lips. Her eyes narrowed in on him. He saw her fist coming with enough time to prevent it, but hell, what would be the fun in that?
Her punch landed dead-center, sending sharp stabs of pain spiderwebbing across his face. He grabbed his nose and stumbled backward. “Ow.”
Maya’s glance was shrewd. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you liked it.”
“Coming from you, sweetheart, I’ll take what I can get.”
A soft blush erupted on her cheeks, lending her face a rosy glow. Yeah, that was better. Much better than her sadness.
“Come on, little slayer.” He dropped his hands and adopted a fighter’s stance, playfully angling toward her once more. “Show me what you’ve got.”
§
Ronin would never get over how peaceful it seemed up here.
He stood on the balcony of the apartment, leaning over the railing while he rolled the glass tumbler between his palms. The soft whistle of the blowing breeze muted the distant sounds of screaming traffic. This place was paradise compared to Infernum.
At least it would be, once they caught Leviathos and didn’t have to constantly look over their shoulders. The situation had become even more dire since Brynn had gotten knocked up. She was vulnerable, and it terrified all of them.
He didn’t bother to look back when the balcony door slid open. Didn’t have to. He could sense his brothers from a mile away. That was one of the benefits of being half-angel, his hypersensitivity to other demons.
Keegan now stood beside him, wearing a T-shirt and a pair of jeans. He seemed oblivious to the cold air as he stared out into the horizon. “What do you think?”
Mark of the Sylph (Demons of Infernum, #2) Page 8