Black Ops Fae

by C. N. Crawford

  I dropped the bandage.

  Adonis’s jaw had dropped, his attention completely rapt as he stared at me. His arm muscles twitched, eyes burning with pale light.

  The cool of the castle’s drafty air raised goose bumps on my arms. A low growl escaped his throat. His expression shifted—no longer remote, angelic serenity, it was now pure carnal lust. He looked like he was about to throw me on his bed right then and there.

  At the sound of his growl, at the promise of his hands on my body, heat shot through me. My chest flushed.

  Finally, I mustered the presence of mind to bend down, snatch the blanket off the floor, and hastily wrap it around myself. “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  Words seemed to have deserted him.

  Distraction. Distraction. Let’s pretend like nothing happened. I nodded at his chest wound, trying to think of something to say. “You know, it looks better already. The bleeding has stopped. Maybe it doesn’t need the bandage.”

  After a moment, Adonis broke his silence. He crossed his arms with a wicked smile. “Never apologize for appearing naked before me. And certainly don’t wear that blanket on my account. I prefer you without it.”

  Heat prickled over me, and I pulled my blanket tighter. “Can you ask your ill-tempered demon friend for those clothes now?”

  “I’ll send Drakon for her.”

  I shivered. “I don’t suppose you have a shower in here, while I’m waiting. My room had a bathroom but no shower.”

  “Bath is in there.” He pointed to an arched doorway, and I nodded, scurrying away from him with the blanket clutched tightly around me.

  As I crossed into his bathroom, Adonis purred instructions to Drakon in an ancient language. Phoenician? Sumerian? I had no idea, but the angel probably knew more languages than I could count.

  In his bathroom—a round, domed space—candles burned in iron sconces. A circular stone bathtub stood by one of the walls. Next to it, dry towels lay folded in a stony alcove, along with a few bars of soap.

  I turned on the tap, and warm water rushed from the faucet, steam rising into the air. When I dropped the blanket once again, the castle’s drafty air whispered over me. I stepped into the hot bathwater, watching it redden my legs, and slipped down into its welcoming embrace.

  I rubbed the anemone-scented soap over my skin, cleaning my neck, my chest. I couldn’t quite get Adonis’s carnal expression out of my mind, or the promise of what might have happened if I hadn’t pulled that blanket around me again.

  He was Adonis—a creature known for his beauty. Of course I reacted that way to him.

  Before the Great Nightmare had begun, Marcus and I had the perfect relationship. There were no questions, no mysteries. When he was upset, he told me, and he told me why. I knew that blood-hunger made him cranky, that sometimes his own snoring woke him up, that—despite being a vampire—clowns terrified him.

  Adonis was the opposite. All mystery. Granted, I’d been learning a little more about him—that he hurt himself to stop the curse from setting in, that he dreamt of a great rebellion against the angels who controlled him. But he kept most of his secrets buried deep. What was that strange necklace he wore around his neck? What were those intense flashes of pain I sometimes saw in his eyes? What was his whole history with the fae?

  I couldn’t deny the allure of the unknown. Maybe there was a strange sort of power in that mystery, of things unspoken and unnamed. But danger lay there too.

  A clicking sound on the floor pulled me from my thoughts, and I turned to see Drakon prancing into the room, tail slicing through the air. He clutched a bundle of clothing in his teeth. He dropped it on the floor, then cocked his head to stare at me, tail thumping expectantly.

  I glared at him. “Off you go, hellspawn.” So I might smell a bit like reptilian spit, but at least I wouldn’t have to walk around naked under a blanket.

  I stepped out of the bathtub, water dripping down my body—keenly aware that Adonis’s bathroom had no door, that he could pop his head in at any moment. Not that he’d see anything new at this point.

  I grabbed one of the towels from the alcove and quickly dried myself off. Frowning, I eyed the clothing on the floor—an extremely short black dress, some thigh-high boots. Tanit, it appeared, had enjoyed the 1960s. Not exactly my style, but I wasn’t afraid of a little dark glamor.

  Surprisingly, the boots fit well enough, and the dress hugged my body.

  I wasn’t about to ask her for underwear. Maybe one of those magic books in the library could summon some into existence.

  When I crossed out of the bathroom, I found Adonis waiting for me, leaning casually against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. A dark, fitted shirt now stretched across his broad chest. His bleeding must have stopped quickly, because his shirt looked completely dry.

  A sensual smile. “You do look amazing, though I preferred the previous outfit. When you’re ready, Drakon will show you to dinner. Kur is desperate to meet the Bringer of Light.”

  Drakon. My favorite little monster.

  Without another word, Adonis slipped into the hallway. But my mind wasn’t on this new person—my mind was on the memory of Adonis’s face when his pale gaze had roamed over my naked body.

  Chapter 15

  Through Adonis’s windows, silver moonlight washed over the horizon. Just as in my room, I had a view of the slate-gray ocean, and the waves breaking on the jagged cliffs below.

  Like its owner, the entire castle was breathtakingly beautiful. But it wasn’t the peaceful, gentle beauty of the forests. It had an edge of terror, of brutality. I didn’t belong in a place like this. I belonged in a simple cottage in the woods—just Hazel and me, and whatever the Old Gods would provide for us.

  My stomach rumbled as I crossed the room. When I opened the door, Drakon was waiting outside, his head cocked. His tail cut through the air. Then, he rose and rubbed against my legs, scales sliding along my boots. I shuddered, suppressing my bile.

  Of course Adonis couldn’t choose a cute little puppy as a pet. Or a kitten. No, he wanted a red-eyed hellbeast with scales.

  “No need to get too friendly there, Drakon. Care to show me where the others are?”

  Drakon’s claws clicked over the floor as he prowled along the balcony, until we arrived at the wide, curving stairwell that led to the lower level.

  I followed him through a vaulted hallway. Windows on my left overlooked the dark, churning sea. To my right, arches opened into the wider marble hall. Stained-glass windows in the panes were decorated with pictures of red flowers, white butterflies, and upside-down torches.

  Through the colored panes of glass, I had a view of the sea.

  Apparently, Drakon was growing frustrated with my pace, because he began to weave in between my feet, nearly tripping me as I walked.

  As I moved farther down the hall, the scent of garlic and roast meat curled into the air, and my mouth watered. If Hazel had known we were headed for more delicious food, maybe she would have come with me.

  At last, the arched corridor opened into an enormous stone hall.

  There, I found Adonis sitting at a long, oak table near two demons. Tanit stood in a dark alcove, sipping from a silver goblet. She wore a short red dress and shiny thigh-high boots.

  At the table near Adonis sat a male demon—this one in a throne-like chair, his feet resting on the tabletop. The demon’s long, black hair flowed over his broad shoulders, and a few delicate green scales lined the tawny skin of his cheekbones and the backs of his hands. His pure-black eyes locked on me.

  Light burned from iron lanterns hung high above us, bathing the room in amber. Drakon scurried over to Adonis, crawling into his lap. The Dark Lord stroked his pet’s black, scaly skin.

  Here, in his own castle, Adonis seemed a little different—no longer staging the situation to intimidate, no longer seating himself on a dais or in a spiky throne.

  Adonis’s gray eyes pierced me, and his wings draped over the sides of his chair. He lifted his chalice.
“Ruby. You’ve joined us, fully clothed.” He nodded at the male demon. “May I introduce you to Kur.”

  Kur nodded, his inky eyes on me. “You’re the one who woke everyone up last night.” His voice was gruff. “Lucky for you, Adonis informed us we’re not to kill you. Apparently he likes the way you look, and something about saving the world.”

  “Sorry. I was just looking for a book,” I muttered.

  Tanit examined me through narrowed eyes. “This one is really supposed to defeat the Heavenly Host?”

  Adonis nodded at an empty chair next to him, already pulled out. “Join us.”

  Servants had laid the table with food—a bowl of apples and herbs, roasted with leeks. Browned chicken legs, covered in a delicate sauce that smelled of garlic and lemon, bread with mint leaves and olives, and salads. It looked very different from the meat-heavy pies I’d had in Kratos’s castle.

  I plopped down in the chair, serving myself apples and chicken. “So you all know about this plan, I take it? I’m hoping you’ll fill me in.”

  Kur knocked back a long swig from his cup, then wiped the back of his sleeve across his mouth. “Ruby. I assume Adonis has told you of his plans to rule the celestial realm. But what are you hoping to get out of all this? What do you want?”

  “Right now, I want this chicken, and then to work my way through the rest of the food. Beyond that, I want things to go back to the way they were. At least, as much as they can. I just want a simple home with my sister, free from demons and angels and everything else that might try to kill us. I want my human friends to be safe.” My gaze slid to Adonis as I cut into the chicken. “I want the horsemen and dragons to leave us alone so normal people can rebuild civilization from the rubble. That’s about it.”

  “You want a normal life,” Adonis said quietly.

  I helped myself to a bit of wine. “Simple pleasures are the reason that life is worth living, aren’t they? Sunlight, good food, good company. I don’t need to rule the heavens.”

  Adonis traced his fingertips over his wineglass. “You sound like a human.”

  I shrugged. “Or like a fae. Pleasure is the purpose of our lives.”

  Adonis’s eyes flashed. “You might find that a bit empty after a while,” he said. “Or at least you would if you’d lived as long as I have.”

  Tanit slowly walked closer, swaying her hips, her dark eyes locked on me. “How much time have you spent among humans?”

  I speared another apple in the bowl. “I have more in common with humans than I do with demons or angels. Or even the fae. I just want what we all want—happiness.”

  I caught a faint glimmer of a ruby-red drop on Tanit’s lips. I was pretty sure she was drinking blood.

  “Happiness,” she hissed.

  “Now, how exactly are we going to defeat this Heavenly Host I’ve heard so much about?” I asked.

  Adonis leaned closer, his intense eyes piercing me to my marrow. “Here’s the first thing you need to understand, Ruby. You’re not ordinary. You never will be. You’ve spent your life pretending to be a human, hiding your true nature. If you want to defeat the Heavenly Host, you’ll need to stop running from yourself. If you’re divided from yourself, the power of the Old Gods could tear you apart.”

  “I don’t even know what that means.” A dark memory flickered in the back of my mind—dragons, ripping Marcus to shreds in front of me. If I’d been a hero like I was supposed to be, why couldn’t I have saved him? My stomach clenched, and I pushed the thoughts away, strangling the life out of them.

  I shook my head. “Anyway, I’ve been harnessing their magic already.”

  Kur folded his hands behind his head. “Listen, Ruby. Adonis tells me that you’re our only hope. I’ve never known him to be wrong. But if he is, and if you fail, every living creature on earth will probably end up dead, slaughtered by the Heavenly Host. They’ll just kill everything and start again. Earth will become a bone garden. Your fault.”

  My mouth went dry. “You guys really suck at pep talks, you know that?”

  Chapter 16

  “Look,” said Adonis. “Assuming you can handle the power, our task is simple. We need the Stones of Zahar.”

  I remembered what I’d seen in the book. “Blue gems by any chance? That form a shield?”

  Kur had resorted to simply drinking straight out of a wine bottle, which right now didn’t seem like the worst idea. “Exactly. Only a Bringer of Light can wield them. They’ll help you channel the power of the Old Gods. Your kind are the ancient and powerful enemies of the Heavenly Host. As long as you’re not…divided from yourself or whatever Adonis was talking about. He’s got some abstract sayings.”

  I nodded. “Garden of paradise and that kind of thing.” At last, they were filling me in. “I need some concrete specifics. What’s the power like?”

  “We don’t have a ton of specifics,” said Kur. “We know in the right hands, the stones can repel the Heavenly Host. They can create a shield of some kind. And you can use them to fight the other horsemen.”

  “Okay,” I said. “And where do we get them?”

  Tanit smirked. “You’re not the only spy, darling. While you were running around in the woods outside Hotemet Castle, I was discovering the location of the Stones of Zahar.”

  “She has yet to tell me,” said Adonis with a hint of irritation.

  Frankly, I was surprised Adonis didn’t just threaten to vaporize her or something.

  Tanit smiled. “Sadeckrav Castle. Aereus has been securely protecting them, just in case any errant Bringers of Light surfaced to find them.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “The horseman of war, right?”

  “Yes,” said Tanit. “He’s wildly paranoid. He won’t admit that he has them, and no one knows where he’s keeping them. But my sources tell me he plundered them centuries ago, and he’s always kept them close by. They terrify him.”

  Adonis tapped the edge of his glass. “He’s unhinged. But I think speaking to him is on our agenda anyway.”

  “Why?” asked Kur. “He’s a lunatic.”

  Adonis leaned forward. “True. But he’s a lunatic we’ll need on our side. If Johnny remembers what Ruby did to him, he and Kratos will be coming for us. And they could turn the horseman of war against us. We need to get to him first, to convince him that Kratos and Johnny are at risk of rebelling against the Heavenly Host. A lunatic ally is better than no ally at all.”

  “Sounds promising,” I said. “What can you tell me about him? What are his weaknesses?”

  Tanit knocked back a sip of her “wine.” “Weaknesses? Not sure that he has any.”

  “Everyone has a weakness,” Adonis replied.

  “What does he love?” I asked.

  “Himself,” said Adonis emphatically. “That’s it.”

  I nodded. “So he has an ego problem. Even more than the rest of you angels?”

  Adonis glared at me. “Yes.”

  “Where is this castle?” I asked.

  “France.” Kur was frowning at Adonis’s injured wing. “I’m not sure our angel of death will make it there just yet.”

  “It’s nearly healed,” Adonis growled.

  I practically drained my wine. “So let me get this straight. We need to get some gemstones from the horseman of war, whose only weakness is his ego. And I need to use them to destroy the other horsemen, as well as the immortal, incorporeal celestial archangels known as the Heavenly Host. If I don’t, every living being on earth will die, and it will be my fault.”

  “That about sums it up,” said Tanit. “The dirty fae catches on quickly.”

  Adonis twirled his wineglass. “I wouldn’t put it quite that way…”

  I took a deep breath. “I don’t want to come off like I have trust issues, but how do I know any of this is true? I’m supposed to put my faith in the word of one horseman and two shadow demons I’ve only just met. One of whom burned my underwear.”

  Kur nearly spit out his wine. “She did what?”

&nb
sp; Tanit’s forehead crinkled. “What’s the purpose of underwear, anyway? I’ve never understood that.”

  Adonis let out a long sigh. “Since you’re so interested in reading material, Ruby, perhaps a reference book would help. I take it you were looking for one last night.”

  “I guess it would be better than nothing.”

  Adonis stared at Tanit, who grimaced. “I’ll get the books.”

  I speared a bit of chicken on my fork. “Tell me more about the Heavenly Host.”

  “Pricks,” growled Kur. “Bodiless, ancient pricks. They’re still angry that Azazeyl gave their precious Angelic language to humans a hundred thousand years ago. And for some reason, Adonis wants to be their god.”

  Adonis folded his hands behind his head. “A hundred thousand years of torment hasn’t been enough for them. Not great at moving on, the Heavenly Host. They need someone new to lead them.”

  “How many of them are there?”

  Kur finally pulled his feet off the table. “A hundred million angels.”

  My fists tightened. “A hundred what now?”

  Adonis leaned closer. “Relax. We don’t need to kill all of them. We just need to weaken the ten archangels, and repel them from the earth. The Stones of Zahar can help us do that. Without the archangels leading them, the rest of the angels will be trapped in the celestial realm.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “And then you just swoop in and take control up there. There are ten archangels and one of you. Do you really fancy your chances?”

  “Against ten weakened, sickly archangels? I don’t have any doubt.” Adonis lifted his wineglass. “Leave this festering hole to the demons, the fae, and the humans, and I’ll rule the hordes in the heavens.”

  “Festering hole. Cheers, mate. That’s my home you’re talking about.” Kur snatched another bottle of wine off the table and uncorked it with his teeth. He spat the cork onto the floor. “You did promise us you’d come back regularly, or I’d never agree to help you in the first place.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “So you two are close, then? I hadn’t expected…” I wriggled uncomfortably in my chair. “Well, I never expected Adonis to have any friends, to be honest.”