Ashes

by Wright, Suzanne

  Sighing, Knox turned to Harper. “I’ll be back in just a minute.” You’ll be all right?

  “Okay.” I’ll be fine. I need to go pee anyway. Too much water.

  Mouth curving into a smile, he kissed her. “I won’t be long.”

  Her demon hissed at the sight of him leaving, feeling abandoned. Harper turned to Larkin. “Restroom?”

  The harpy gestured ahead of them. “This way.”

  Harper followed her, trying not to make eye contact with anyone for fear that they saw it as an invitation to approach. But, sadly, it wasn’t enough. Mere steps away from the restroom, a small woman with a beehive appeared in her path. Harper recognized Polly as a regular at the coffeehouse. She was nice enough, but she was also a terrible gossip.

  “Congratulations!” said Polly, beaming. “I’m just so happy for you. When is the baby due?”

  Harper had been asked that question so many times throughout the night that she found herself grinding her teeth. “I have eight weeks left to go.”

  “Eight weeks?” Polly’s eyes widened. “Really?” She assessed Harper carefully. “Your belly is quite small for someone so far along.”

  It wasn’t a compliment; it was a judgement… like Harper was deliberately depriving her child of the nutrition it needed or something. At her side, Tanner stiffened, so Harper put a hand on his arm to stay him.

  Polly smiled at her again. “I’ll bet you’re hoping it’s a little girl.”

  Um no, Harper was just hoping the baby was healthy.

  “Are you scared about… you know… the labor?”

  Of course she was, but she’d obviously rather not discuss it with someone who was essentially a stranger.

  Polly moved closer and spoke in a low voice. “I won’t lie, it’s not a walk in the park. I told myself that I wouldn’t have any pain relief and I’d do it all natural. But God, the pain! Honey, I don’t envy you at all, you poor thing.” She patted Harper’s hand. “My Aliyah – her head was huge – tore me right open until my vagina and anus was just one big hole. I had to have so many stitches, I could hardly walk afterwards. What made it worse was that I lost so much blood, I had to have a transaction.”

  “A transfusion,” Harper corrected.

  “That, too. Don’t you worry none about putting on weight. Some men… well, they like a woman with a bit more cushion.”

  Harper forced a smile. “That is a comfort. Now I don’t mean to be rude, but I need to use the restroom.”

  “Oh, of course, I apologize for keeping you.”

  “Have a good evening.” Harper raced to the door. Tanner then leaned his back against the wall, on guard, as she and Larkin headed inside. Larkin entered first, and she’d only taken three steps when she came to an abrupt halt. “Well, well, well. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  Harper peered around her, and inwardly cursed as she saw Carla leaning over the sink, chest heaving. Her demon hissed, wanting to claw the bitch. Carla stood upright, her movements stiff and awkward, eyes flaring.

  In all the times she’d come across Carla over the years, Harper hadn’t seen the woman experience any real depth of emotion. Oh, she’d seen flashes of feelings such as irritation or anxiety in Carla’s eyes, but nothing deep. Right then, however, Carla was seething. And that, Harper thought, was bad. A narcissist in a rage was an irrational creature… though perhaps not as irrational as a she-demon that had an unborn child to protect.

  Not wanting to appear as though she was cowering behind the sentinel, Harper moved to Larkin’s side. The harpy went rigid, not liking it, but she didn’t argue. Harper was their Prime; it was her right to deal with whatever came next. She was about to advise Carla to scamper when she spoke.

  “I came because I needed to know if you’d found out something about the real Horsemen – I want my son’s name cleared. Imagine my fucking surprise when I heard that you’re…” Carla cut off, as if the sentence would be too hard to finish.

  Larkin jutted out her chin. “You should leave.” It wasn’t a suggestion.

  Carla gave a mocking smile. “But I should be part of the celebrations, right? I’ll be a grandmother,” she said bitterly.

  Larkin arched a brow. “How can you be a grandmother when you’re not even a mother?”

  Carla flushed, and her gaze cut to Harper. “Nothing to say?” She huffed. “Well, that’s a first.”

  “Larkin’s right,” said Harper, tone flat. “You need to leave.” Harper might not have particularly wanted to make a public announcement, but she sure didn’t want anyone spoiling the evening.

  Fingers flexing, Carla crossed to Harper. “You took my baby from me.” Her lips trembled and then pressed into a flat line. “How is it fair that you now get to have your own?”

  Fair? The woman wanted to talk about “fair”?

  “And I was your baby once,” began Harper, “but you gave me away – you sold me… but that was only after aborting me and trapping my soul in a jar didn’t work. So, with all that in mind, how is it fair that you would think to judge me for anything?”

  Carla scowled. There was no flicker of guilt, no ounce of regret, just sheer fury. “Roan —”

  “This isn’t about him,” Harper scoffed, voice hoarse as she fought her demon from surfacing. “Oh, I’m not denying that you’re upset by his death – he was your son, you cared about him in your way. But this isn’t why you’re standing here, shaking with rage. No. You’re pissed because you wanted the lair to turn against me for killing Roan, but they didn’t.”

  Carla’s eyes flickered.

  “You want, as the grieving mother, to be the center of attention, but you’re not. For you, that’s hell in its purest form.” Because Carla needed attention like she needed to breathe – it gave her a feeling of worth that nothing else ever would. “Especially since the person getting the attention you desperately want is me – someone who sees right through your bullshit. Isn’t that right, Mother?”

  Just as the concierge had said, Malden and one of his sentinels were waiting near the boardroom where Knox had held a meeting with the Primes only weeks ago. He gave Knox and Levi a courteous nod, lines of strain marking his face. “Knox, I’m sorry if I’ve disturbed anything. I heard you were here and hoped I might have the chance to speak with you. It’s important.”

  “All right.” Knox swiped his key in the door lock and opened it, allowing all four of them to slip inside the boardroom. Closing the door, he turned to Malden. “What can I help you with?”

  Malden hesitated. “I’ve been arguing with myself for weeks about whether or not to tell you this.”

  Knox’s brows lifted. “Tell me what?”

  Again, Malden hesitated. “I know what Jonas wants from Lucifer.”

  Knox hid his surprise. “Go on.”

  Malden sighed, looking sad. “I’ve known Jonas a long time. I’ve always respected him as a person and a fellow Prime. We often have dinner together at each other’s homes. A few months ago, we had dinner and drank a little too much hard liquor. We got to talking about the Horsemen. Like Thatcher, Jonas is not convinced that they’re real. He said no one would be stupid enough to go up against you without having the kind of back-up that you could never hope to fight. I’ll admit, I thought he made a valid point.”

  “What else did he say?”

  “He said a lot of things – not all of them made sense. Like I told you, we were drunk. He talked about how tired he was of conspiracies and bullies and people always hungry for power. He said he could understand why some might be prepared to make a deal with Lucifer; said that he himself was tempted. I was shocked.”

  Impatient, Knox asked bluntly, “What does he want from Lucifer?”

  “An archdemon.”

  Everything inside Knox stilled, but he didn’t betray his shock. He and his demon studied Malden closely. Had the Prime guessed what he was? Had he come here with a bullshit story to test Knox’s response to the mention of his kind? Knox didn’t believe so, but he wasn’
t ready to dismiss the idea. “An archdemon?” he echoed flatly.

  “You can understand why, can’t you? Archdemons are cruel, brutal, pitiless. They can’t be harmed by the flames of hell because they are the flames of hell. But I remember how the rogue archdemon nearly destroyed the world. I believe in the old adage that what’s born in hell should stay in hell. I told him that. He said that I was right. Said that it would take a deal with Lucifer to have possession of an archdemon anyway, and that he had nothing that the devil could possibly want. But what if he has thought of something that Lucifer could want? After all, why else would he request a meeting with him?”

  Knox folded his arms. “Have you talked to Jonas about it?”

  “Yes. After the boardroom meeting, I went to his house. I asked him if he had something to do with what happened to Harper and her cousin. He denied any involvement in it. But he admitted that, yes, he was prepared to make a deal with the devil. However, he wouldn’t tell me what it is that he’s prepared to give Lucifer. He said that it would never happen anyway, so what did it matter?”

  Knox narrowed his eyes. “Why didn’t you come to me with this straight away?”

  “You went on vacation.” Malden sighed, admitting, “And I struggled with the idea of betraying someone who’s been a friend to me all my life. I shall be honest with you, this is not me showing my loyalty to you. This is me being concerned that my friend is going to do something very stupid that leads to his own death. You talk to Lucifer. I am hoping you will ask him to turn down whatever offer Jonas makes him.”

  “I won’t need to,” said Knox. “Lucifer has no interest in Jonas or any other Prime.”

  Malden’s shoulders relaxed a fraction. “That is good to hear. I hope it will remain that way, for all our sakes. Whatever you are, Knox, I doubt even you would be a match for an archdemon.” With that comment, he signaled for his sentinel to follow him out of the room.

  Once they were gone, Levi raised his brows. “For a minute there, I thought he suspected what you were and he was here to test his theory.”

  “So did I,” said Knox. “But I think he’s telling the truth. For some reason, Jonas wants an archdemon. I’d like to know what that reason is, and if it’s at all related to what’s been happening to and around Harper.”

  Knox, said Tanner, voice brisk. I went to check on Harper in the restrooms, since she was taking a while. It turns out that she’s having a verbal standoff with Carla.

  He swore, and his demon went ape-shit. I’ll be right there. “Carla’s here.”

  Levi’s face hardened. “Tell me the bitch is nowhere near Harper.”

  Knox wished he could. Storming out of the room, he locked it with a swipe of his key card and headed for the ballroom. He reached out to Larkin. Why am I hearing from Tanner that Carla’s confronting Harper?

  Harper’s co-Prime, Knox, replied Larkin. She has every right to put one of her lair in their place. It was a gentle, respectful reminder. If I thought she needed my protection, I’d jump in.

  “She’ll be all right, Knox,” said Levi, hot on his heels.

  “She’d better be.” Knox pushed open the ballroom door and went straight to the women’s restrooms. He shoved open the door in time to hear Harper say, “Isn’t that right, Mother?”

  Unwilling to give Carla the satisfaction of seeing just how infuriated she’d managed to make him, Knox hid his rage behind a blank mask as he stalked inside. No one said a word. Tanner and Larkin, who were stood slightly behind Harper, gave him a respectful nod as they moved aside to let him pass. Carla’s gaze skipped to his, and he was surprised by just how much anger blazed there.

  Harper didn’t react at all to his presence. She hadn’t moved an inch, and her stare remained fixed on Carla. His demon respected that. But it also wanted Harper to move very far away from the threat in front of her.

  Knox sidled up to Harper, glaring down at the she-demon who’d birthed her yet was nothing at all like her. “And just why are you here?” Even he heard the lethal note in his tone.

  Carla’s mouth tightened. “I have every right to be here.”

  “Do you?” he drawled.

  “I have three more weeks —”

  “No, you don’t. As of this moment, you are no longer part of this lair.”

  Shock flashed across her face. “What?”

  “I’m unsure why you’re so surprised. This is the second time you’ve confronted one of your Primes. That level of disrespect isn’t tolerated by this lair. As Harper’s mate, I’ll never tolerate it. Consider yourself lucky that you’re not being punished before being cast out. Not that I’m taking pity on you. No, I just refuse to waste any of my time or attention on you.” His demon surfaced, delighting in the way she paled and cowered. “Leave,” it ordered. “Never bother what’s mine again.”

  Fists clenched, Carla hurried out of the room with her head held high.

  Knox’s demon signaled for both sentinels to leave, but they lingered, clearly worried for Harper.

  “I’ll be fine,” she assured them. When the door closed behind the sentinels, she turned to the demon and held up her hand. “Don’t tell me I should have called for you and Knox. I wasn’t in physical danger, and I had Larkin with me.”

  “Not in physical danger,” it allowed. “But the child needs you relaxed, not stressed. Luckily, it is sleeping.”

  Harper tilted her head. “How do you know that?” Demons could touch each other’s minds, sure, and they could even pick up surface vibes of emotion, but that was all. Even anchor bonds weren’t invasive – it wasn’t possible to sense emotions, pick up private thoughts, or know if the other was sleeping… yet the demon before her claimed to know something it not only shouldn’t, but that she didn’t know.

  “I know plenty,” it told her. “Be more alert and cautious, little sphinx. The child will not respond well to you hurting.”

  Harper’s stomach dropped. “What does that mean?” Because it sounded like a warning.

  “It is best that you have no cause to find out.” It skimmed its thumb along her jaw. “I don’t like the smell of your fear.”

  “I don’t fear you.” But his words… yeah, they were freaking her out.

  Its black eyes softened ever so slightly. “No, you don’t.” It kissed her hard and long, hand clasping her nape possessively. Finally, it retreated. She swallowed as she looked up at Knox. “What did it mean, Knox?”

  Hearing the tremble in her voice, he pulled her close and kissed her hair. “Ssh.”

  She grabbed his arms. “What did it mean?”

  Knox’s jaw clenched. “It’s not sharing the answer with me.”

  Confused, she shook her head. “Why would it keep things from you?”

  “It thinks that we’re not ready to know.”

  Harper’s breath caught in her throat, and her demon felt the urge to slap his demon seriously hard. She put a hand to her chest. “I really don’t like the sound of that.”

  Knox couldn’t say he much liked the sound of it either. “The demon might simply have been trying to scare you into being more careful.”

  Maybe, Harper thought. But the demon claimed not to like the smell of her fear, and she couldn’t imagine it deliberately frightening her. Still, it was the answer that made the most sense, because there was literally no fucking way that the demon should have an invasive bond with the baby. “Can we go home now?”

  “Yes, we can go home.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Knox was buttoning his shirt a few days later when Harper walked into the closet, streaks of lemon paint on her face and clothes. She looked so damn cute that he had to smile. Then he noticed she was carrying a hamper. “What’s that you have there, baby?”

  “It’s a gift basket from Lou.” She held up a card that read, ‘Some stuff for Baby L.’ “I found it on the dining room table.”

  It was the third gift that Lou had sent. Knox sighed. “I’m not sure there’s any way to get him to stop.”

&nbs
p; Harper pulled out little white hats, booties, bodysuits, mittens, and sleepsuits from the basket. As she unfolded one particular bodysuit, she sighed and then turned it to face him. It read, ‘This Baby Got Back.’

  His mouth quirked in spite of his annoyance. As she put down the hamper, Knox pulled her close and breathed in her scent. “I missed you.” He kissed her, licking into her mouth, enjoying her taste. He’d been in his office most of the night while Harper enjoyed a visit from Jolene, Martina, and Beck. His demon had been an absolute pain in the ass the whole time because it didn’t like not being near her.

  Harper let out a little grunt and put a hand to the side of her rounded stomach. “This kid sure can kick.”