by Eva Chase
At Snap’s crestfallen look, I added, “It isn’t your fault. She hasn’t had the chance to see all we have to offer.”
Our mortal-realm neophyte was easily reassured. He nodded with earnest determination and popped the rest of the peach into his mouth. The pit crunched between his teeth.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him he was eating it wrong. His jaws could handle it. He was a devourer, after all.
Thorn’s determination was much grimmer. “Whether she appreciates our company or not, we must ensure she doesn’t suffer because of the immense favor she did for us.” He paused. “But we must also come to Omen’s aid as quickly as we can. The trail will have grown cold. It’s been too long already.”
The twist of his mouth showed how his opposing duties tore at him. Having a sense of loyalty was awfully troublesome, as far as I could tell. I was glad I’d never cultivated one.
I pushed myself off the counter to amble over, and a tremor ran down the back of my legs. I tensed them before I could visibly wobble. My jaw set.
Oh yes, that was a perfect reminder of why I’d agreed to join in on this operation—and why I wasn’t going to shirk the duty I’d pledged to carry out even if the job had gotten much more complicated than expected. It wasn’t loyalty; it was self-preservation.
Thorn could stick to our mandate out of higher principles, and Snap out of his desire to please or whatever exactly drove him, but for me, being able to slip between the realms was a matter of survival. Shadowkind like me relied on mortals to sustain us. I might not be capable of dying while I was in my native realm, but I wasn’t sure that wasting away into a sliver of a shadow would be any better. It might be worse.
And any of us could die on this side of the divide.
I made sure my body had steadied and then stepped toward the table as I’d planned. The scrabbling of my hunger burrowed deeper between my ribs. No piece of fruit would satisfy it.
“The answer is perfectly clear,” I said to Thorn. “The last time we went searching, our poking around got us caught. Neither of you is really prepared to navigate this realm without guidance, and I know you don’t want to listen to my advice. Our host, reluctant or not, knows this world far better than any of us, Omen included.”
“What are you suggesting, then?”
I shrugged. “She’s offered to make inquiries. She’s motivated to see us on our way. We should let her take the lead in the investigation, and we can see that no harm comes to her by following along behind. Two birds with one stone, as the mortals like to say.”
“What do the birds want with a stone?” Snap asked.
“It’s more what the stone wants with the birds.” I reached over and spun the knife Thorn had left on the table. It rattled around to point its blade at him. “So? Can you agree that my approach makes sense even though it came from me?”
Thorn gave me one of his long-suffering glowers. I’d gotten plenty of practice at ignoring those. But it seemed he couldn’t come up with any actual argument.
“Your proposal sounds reasonable,” he said after a moment. “We’ll see where her connections can take us.”
“Excellent.” I straightened up and sauntered past Snap toward the hall, alert for any new tremors in my muscles. The last thing I needed was Thorn picking up on my current weakness.
His gaze swiveled to track me. “Where are you going? She said to stay in the kitchen.”
I smiled sweetly at him. “And as you well know, I’m not very good at following orders I never agreed to in the first place. I’ll go see if I can’t spin our dropping in on her home into a more welcome visit.”
And if I could sate my vital appetites at the same time, we’d all win.
4
Sorsha
Expecting my new shadowkind entourage to follow all my instructions to the letter was obviously too much to hope for. I’d only just wolfed down my breakfast and opened my laptop to get down to business when a knock sounded on the door. Biting back a sigh, I got up to answer it. Was there the slightest chance they were stopping by just to tell me they’d reconsidered and would be taking off now?
Nope. I eased open the door to find just Ruse standing on the other side in a casual stance, his heavy-lidded eyes languid. Up close, I couldn’t help noticing that the chocolate theme extended to his scent. A bittersweet smell like pure cacao mixed with caramel filled my nose—and made my mouth water despite myself.
He wasn’t as tall as hulking Thorn, but he still had a good half a foot on me. As he gazed down at me, his lips quirked into a smile that cracked a dimple beneath one of those high cheekbones. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that grin had melted the panties off thousands of women around the world.
“I’m sorry our initial conversation went so poorly,” he said in that smooth but slightly teasing tone. “If Thorn had been named ‘Prick,’ it would have been a lot more fitting. I thought I should make an attempt at a proper introduction. I can’t believe we didn’t even get your name. So—”
He made an elaborate flourish with one hand and dipped in a playful half bow. “Ruse of the shadow realm,” he said when he’d straightened up again. “A pleasure to meet you. And you are?”
“Sorsha of the mortal realm,” I said, bemused. I couldn’t return the sentiment about it being a pleasure.
“Sorsha,” he repeated, trying out the syllables as if they were a rare delicacy. The richness he gave to them sent a tingle down my spine. “I think you’re the first with that name I’ve encountered.”
I felt abruptly awkward and annoyed by that awkwardness. “It’s from an old movie.” My parents had apparently been as obsessed with ‘80s media as Luna had been. “Is that all you wanted—to get my name?”
“Well, no, I have to admit I have an ulterior motive.” He shot me that smile again, even slyer this time, and damn it if my panties didn’t melt just a tad.
Resting his hand on the doorframe, he leaned into the room as if to indicate that this part of the conversation wasn’t meant for the ears of those down the hall. “I have a small predicament. Unfortunately, it means asking for your help when you’ve already gone above and beyond, but I can promise it’d be very enjoyable for you too.”
I crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows at him the way he had at me when I’d first encountered the trio. “Oh, yeah? And what exactly is this favor?”
“The trouble is, our former jailor didn’t offer the kind of food that can actually sustain me. I need a different sort of nourishment.”
His warm hazel eyes took on a meaningful gleam, and I connected the dots.
“You’re an incubus,” I said, mentally kicking myself for not figuring it out sooner. The guy did ooze sensuality, after all. “You need to have sex to survive.” Like a vampire needed blood. Fair enough. But why would he— Oh. “And you’re propositioning me?”
His grin stretched even wider. “You are a sharp one, aren’t you, Miss Blaze?” He reached out to gently tug a strand of my hair, which might have inspired the nickname as much as my farewell to the collection room had. “The feeding won’t hurt you. We leave our intimate companions better off than when we found them, not worse.”
His fingers nearly grazed my cheek. The closeness set off a much headier pulse of attraction than Snap’s heavenly beauty had provoked.
I’d rather a love bite than one with fangs, and to be totally honest, I had wondered from time to time just how much a supernaturally sexual being could bring to the table. But all the same… “I’m flattered, but no thanks. We did only just meet. And that might complicate things even more than you just staying in my apartment out of the blue. I’m not going to stop you from heading out on the prowl, though. By all means.” I motioned toward the apartment’s front door beyond him.
Ruse’s mouth pulled into something more like a grimace. “Given what my companions and I have already been through, I’d rather not risk taking my needs to the streets. Any potential lover I encounter out there is also a potential jailor. I kn
ow you have my best interests at heart.”
I wasn’t sure I’d put it exactly that way, but he did have a point. That didn’t mean I had to go along with it, though. “You’ve toughed it out this long. You can’t hang in there a little longer while we get this whole Omen situation sorted out?”
He shrugged, the twinkle coming back into his eyes. “I could, but I’d rather be at my full capacity, so I can properly contribute and all. Is the thought really so distasteful?”
He was definitely teasing now. I doubted he could sense much from me using his powers while I was wearing my badge, but certain parts of me were responding to his appeal. From the heat creeping up my neck, I suspected I had a flush coming on. Lord only knew how dilated my pupils might be right now, taking in that striking face.
I was only human, after all. And it’d been months since I’d last gotten it on with anything not battery-powered, let alone a master of the sensual arts.
That was exactly why I shouldn’t give in to temptation, wasn’t it? I couldn’t be completely sure Ruse had my best interests at heart, and I wasn’t sure how clear a head I’d keep in the heat of the moment.
At the very least, I should take a little time to think about it. He and his friends clearly weren’t planning on going anywhere anytime soon. Maybe someone at the Fund would have an idea of extra precautions to take with the cubi type of shadowkind.
Vivi would love to know what had provoked that line of questioning, wouldn’t she? I was definitely going to have to keep this unexpected roommate situation on the down low when it came to my best friend. If the trio had gotten themselves caught up in something dangerous, which it sounded like they had, the last thing I wanted was to drag her into the mess too. She had no idea about any of my totally illegal nighttime crusades.
I opened my mouth to tell my attempted paramour that I needed a rain check until at least tomorrow, and my gaze snagged on the hand he’d set on the door frame. The hand that wasn’t simply resting there now. A faint twitch of his fingers had caught my attention—a trembling he must have mastered by grasping the frame harder, because his hand had stilled, but his knuckles had whitened.
The second my gaze landed there, he jerked his hand away and tucked it behind his back in another flirty pose. But now that I was alert to the possibility, that stance looked a tad more rigid than fit his laissez-faire expression.
He’d talked as if he wasn’t doing that badly, but how much was he downplaying his weakness? He was aiming to win me over with charm, not pity.
A sudden flicker of concern gnawed at my hesitations. I didn’t enjoy seeing any being in pain. And it would make a hell of a lot more trouble for me if one of my new volunteer bodyguards collapsed on my watch. That was the main reason I was reconsidering: a totally practical consideration.
Oh, come on—would your resolve really be unshakeable in my position?
That didn’t mean I was going to leap straight into bed with the dude, of course. I prodded his chest—ooh, he was packing some muscle under that silky shirt. “Maybe I’d be open to, let’s say, making out a bit. Nothing too intense. I wouldn’t want you using any voodoo on me. Can you feed while I’ve got this badge on?”
He cocked his head, considering the circle of twined silver and iron. “A little energy would seep through—more a light snack than a meal, but it’d help. And I can provide plenty of satisfaction without any extra-worldly influence necessary. All I ask is that you reconsider the whole protective amulet thing once I’ve proven that. If you don’t want me affecting your emotions, I have no problem staying out.”
He could say that all he wanted, but that didn’t mean he’d stick to it. The thought of him meddling with my mind sent a cold jab of panic through me. I stifled it and the shiver that came with it. “Badge stays on. That’s the limit of my trust right now. Keep in mind that you did barge into my apartment without an invitation or even asking.”
He lowered his head in mock shame. “Point. The limits are yours to set. So…” He grinned at me again, making his face somehow twice as handsome than it’d already been. My pulse hiccupped. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all…
What the hell. I’d pretty much committed already. It’d make a great party story someday. Did I ever tell you about the time I made out with an incubus?
I stepped back from the door. “Come on in, then.”
Ruse sauntered inside and kicked the door shut behind him. His eyes shimmered with a golden cast now—a little of his mortal façade fading away to reveal the shadowkind form underneath.
He brought his hand back to my face, letting his knuckles tease across the line of my jaw in a way that left my nerves shimmering too. He set his other hand on my waist. With our bodies just a few inches apart, the heat of his washed over mine, setting off a fresh flare of desire. I swallowed hard, resisting the urge to meld right into him, and he tilted my chin up to meet his first kiss.
Holy fucking cannoli. I’d thought I’d been kissed pretty skillfully in the past, but just the brush of Ruse’s lips set all those past encounters into pale relief. My mouth tingled, more heat swelling in my chest, and he drew me closer. The perfect pressure turned the shimmer of my nerves into outright sparks.
Before I’d realized I was moving, my fingers had curled into the front of his shirt, holding him in place as if I had any reason to worry he might be going somewhere. I kissed him back, instinctively seeking even more, and he hummed encouragingly. With a small shift in angle and a stroke of his tongue, he coaxed my lips apart.
If he was feeding off the intimacy of this interlude already, I couldn’t sense it. All I could feel was the blissful heat and the delicious curl of his tongue around mine. The hand on my side trailed higher until his thumb traced the curve of my breast.
More sparks shot through me at that touch. I swayed into it automatically.
He caressed my cheek once more and then tangled his fingers in my hair in a gesture that was somehow both confidently controlled and wild. The passion stirring inside me spread further, pooling between my legs with a growing need.
How could I give up everything he could offer now that we’d started? How could I possibly ask him to stop?
A fresh flash of cold broke through the haze of pleasure that’d been consuming me. Those questions were exactly why I needed to stop it—now.
I pulled myself back with agonizing effort. My face was definitely flushed now. As I pursed my lips, my mouth tingled with the after-effects of the kissing. I gathered myself enough to say, “That’s enough. We’ll leave it there.”
The incubus didn’t make any move to persuade me otherwise. He simply studied me with an expression halfway between amusement and approval. A little more color had come into his previously pale skin—a sign that my contribution had given him enough of a “snack” to make a difference?
“For now?” he suggested, with an implied, until later?
I wet my lips without meaning to, sending a renewed quiver of bliss through my body. “We’ll see,” I said, ignoring all the parts of my body screaming, Yes, pretty please, with multiple cherries on top! And also, let’s see what you can do with those cherries…
I’d enjoyed that little make-out session—hoo boy, understatement of the year—but I’d rather be sure I didn’t come to regret the gamble before I rolled the dice again.
5
Sorsha
Monster advocacy wasn’t exactly the type of work you could openly advertise. Technically, the group where I did almost all of my socializing—along with picking up tips for new collectors to target—called themselves the Shadowkind Defense Fund. Outside of the four walls in which they held their twice-weekly meetings, we usually shortened that first word to “SK” or simply referred to the group as “the Fund.”
Those four walls were contained in a discount movie theater that showed second-run films. Tonight, the warble of a recent Marvel soundtrack filtered in from the showing beside us, all epic orchestration punctuated by the occasional exp
losion. The small popcorn machine brought in for our private party filled the air with a salty buttery smell—and something spicy that tickled my nose.
Ellen, co-owner of the theater and unofficial co-president of the Fund alongside her wife, had a thing for experimenting with new popcorn flavors. We Fund members served as her guinea pigs. As I strolled around the rows of red-velvet-padded seats to check out her current attempt, a petite figure bounded to join me with a swish of her buoyant curls.
“Sorsha!” my best friend cried, catching me in a hug I returned with a laugh. From Vivi’s enthusiasm every time I showed up, you’d have thought my attendance was a rare occurrence. The truth was, I rarely missed a meeting, since the people in the Fund were pretty much the only people I could talk to without having to lie about the vast majority of my life. And even with them, there was plenty I edited out.
When I’d first showed up at a Fund meeting as a much more hesitant and recently traumatized sixteen-year-old, Vivi had immediately swooped in and taken me under her wing. I’d even ended up living with her and her parents for a while. Two years older, she’d been the next youngest in the bunch, but she’d seemed awfully mature and worldly to me. Over the more-than-a-decade since, we’d come out on more equal footing, bonding over our unusual senses of humor and our mutual love for cheesy old movies and Thai food.
“It’s chili pepper and brown sugar tonight,” she said, nodding to the bags of popcorn already filled to the side of the machine. “It’ll roast your tongue like a rack of honey ribs and then set the barbeque on fire.”
I’d never met a lyric I couldn’t mangle; Vivi had never met a simile she couldn’t stretch to the breaking point.
I grinned back at her and swiped a Coke from the mini-fridge as well as my bag. “Thanks for the warning. I see you survived.”