But no pressure, she thought. “What if it doesn’t work? What then?”
“Axel will kill him,” Darcy said quietly.
Roxy felt the worry in her words. She didn’t want her mate to have to do that. They all cared about this hunter. Linc was their friend.
Carla explained further, “They made the vow that if any of them go rogue, one of the other hunters will kill him before he loses his soul.”
A phone rang, and Ailish answered it, then walked toward the front door.
Roxy didn’t know Linc, but she did know hunters had pheromones that attracted women. “When I do this, won’t Linc need sex?”
“That’s why I’m here.”
Roxy turned to see the woman with Ailish. “Dee.” Ailish’s friend who cooked, drove, and did a variety of other things. But this?
“Linc and I are friends. I want to do this.” She wore cargo pants, a loose shirt, and a concerned frown.
Roxy heard the garage door raise and a truck pull in. No more time for pondering. “Let’s try it.”
Key drove through the town to Phoenix’s house. Axel sat in the back of the truck with an unconscious Linc. The last thing they wanted was the hunter to wake inside the cab and go apeshit with the bloodlust. The bed of the truck gave Axel more room to control the situation.
His thighs were on fire, his gut churned with worry for Linc, and the dragon was shifting restlessly. What did Dyfyr want?
And where the hell was his brother? Had he been there at the storage units? Too much a coward to face Key?
He had to find and kill him.
And he had to help Roxy gain enough power to talk to Dyfyr and find out how to get that Tear out and save her life, so Wing Slayer could give them immortality. His chest tightened at the thought of failing. He couldn’t fail.
He couldn’t lose Roxy. Damn it, he thought viciously, she’d made him feel too much. He was falling for her, coming to care about her so deeply that she was vital to him.
She believed in him.
He’d never known what that felt like. Not like this. When his claws had come out and he’d nearly scored open her chest, she’d soothed him and healed his hands after he’d smashed off the claws. She refused to believe he’d hurt her. And then she’d let him touch her again. He’d had her in his bed, sliding so deep into her body, it felt like he was touching her heart.
She believed in him.
Key just didn’t know if he believed in himself.
He pulled into the circular driveway of Phoenix’s house, rolled down his window, and pressed his palm to the security plate that would open the garage. Once the door was up, he drove in.
Right now they had to do what they could to save Linc. Then once he and the dragon were calm, he’d go to Roxy and they’d work on her magic and reaching Dyfyr. He turned off the ignition, got out, and ignored the pain from the gunshots.
Axel was already on his feet with Linc slung over his shoulder. He stepped up on the side and jumped down.
Guess the hawk didn’t need help. Key didn’t say a word, seeing the grim set of Axel’s square jaw. Without a soul mirror for Linc, hope was slim.
“Knife out,” Axel said. “If he wakes and gets near one of the women …”
Key pulled out his knife without needing to hear the rest. He walked ahead.
The garage door to the kitchen opened. Sutton stood there, his eyes steel blue, his knife in his hand. “Down to the gym. Phoenix is there. We’ve set up restraints.”
When Key was even with Sutton, he said, “It’s bad.”
The big man’s chest expanded, then he gave a slow nod. “Witches have a plan.”
“We could use a miracle.” Key stalked into the kitchen, intending to hit the stairs down to the gym, but the distinct honey-almond scent stopped him.
Whipping his head to the left, he saw the four witches and Dee. They were standing by the refrigerator, probably where Sutton had pushed them back. “Roxy. What are you doing here? Damn it, how did you get here? Liam is—”
Axel came in and strode down to the gym.
Sutton stopped by Key. “I brought her and made sure she was safe.” Then he took Carla’s hand and they went down to the gym, followed by Ailish, Darcy, and Dee.
Key was peripherally aware of them all. When Roxy was near, all his senses went on high-alert protective mode. He would hear a whispered threat against her from the other side of the house. But his gaze was on her, drinking in the sight of her. She was wearing jeans and a high-neck T-shirt that covered the necklace. He was worried about Linc, and still buzzed from the adrenaline of the fight, and edgy as hell. He didn’t dare touch her. “Are you feeling okay? You were pale this morning.” How long did they have to free her from that Tear?
“I’m fine and I want to help. The plan is—” her gaze suddenly narrowed, going straight down to his thighs. “What happened?” She walked to him. “Oh, Kieran!”
Her scent was filling his chest and chasing out the cold detachment he needed to stay in control. “The bullets are out, it’ll heal.” He’d checked and bandaged the wounds to keep the blood out of his way.
Her witch shimmer began to darken. “Damn right it will. Go sit in a chair.” She gestured toward the big kitchen table and then shifted back to him.
“Not right now, I’m still on adrenaline overload and don’t want to touch you.” Shit, that came out wrong. “I mean that I don’t want to risk the dragon claws coming out.”
“You don’t have to touch me, just go sit down.” When he didn’t move fast enough to suit her, she added, “If not for me, then for Linc. I’m going to try to save him, and I need your help with my magic. But if you stay like this, all I’m going to feel is your pain.”
He took one look into her green eyes, saw her diamond-hard will, and knew he wasn’t going to win this argument. He walked over to the table, pulled out the chair, and sat down.
Roxy knelt between his thighs and started unwrapping the bloodiest bandage first. As she exposed the bloody hole with the ragged edges, surrounded by red angry skin, she blanched. “Kieran. You walked on this?”
He fisted his hands around the wood seat in case his claws sprang out. “Yeah.”
She bent her head without a word and brushed her fingers around the edges with butterfly gentleness. Her magic began swirling around his thigh, then burrowing deeper and deeper until he could feel it all the way to the back of his leg. It also quivered through his insides until it seemed that it was trying to mark his soul. He closed his eyes, fighting not to inhale the dark chocolate scent. His blood heated and, naturally, he got rock hard. Linc was downstairs, fighting for his soul, and Key got a boner. Shit. Trying to keep his mind off Roxy and the rising rush of physical need taking hold, he stared at a wine bottle on the counter.
She took her hand from the wound, shifted to his other leg, and began unwrapping that bandage.
He couldn’t take any more and looked down at her kneeling there, her hair sliding forward to cover her face. “It’s just a cut. Leave—” He noticed the skin of her bare arms—her witch-shimmer was dull and spotted with red pain holes. “Stop!” He shoved the chair back and stood up. Fought to get his breath.
Roxy blinked like he’d struck her, then she stood up. “What now?”
He wanted to use his fingers to smooth that frown from her forehead. “I’m an asshole. I didn’t mean to yell at you; I just realized you were taking my pain. And I couldn’t touch you to draw it back to me.”
She lifted a brow. “Not true. You could have touched me. The only shackles on you are your own doubts. And frankly, I have bigger problems to worry about right now. I’m going to try to save your friend if you feel like helping. And after that, I’m just selfish enough to want to save my own life.” She turned and walked down the stairs.
Damn, that hurt worse than the gunshots. But could she be right? Could it be that he had enough control to stop anything Dyfyr might do?
Roxy looked down at Linc. He was out cold on the mat,
lying on his back. Axel stood above his head with a firm hold on the chains binding Linc’s wrists. Sutton was at his feet, holding the chains around his ankles. Linc wasn’t going anywhere.
Phoenix stood next to her, his arms crossed over his bare chest, the twin tats on his biceps bulging. “You got a mean streak, Elf Witch.”
She rolled her eyes. “I should have known you all would hear us talking.” Once again, she was on an emotional roller coaster. All the blood on Kieran, and not just from his wounds, made her queasy. Darcy had told her what had happened tonight, but what if he’d had a wound she couldn’t heal? What if he’d died? Her heart’d cringed. She’d never felt this way for anyone.
“Every word,” Phoenix said cheerfully.
She looked over at him. “Got something you want to say? Spit it out.” Seriously, she was not in the mood. Yes, she got that Kieran had good reasons for not touching her, but she … damn it, it hurt. Dyfyr hadn’t hated her last night, he’d held her, stroked her with his wings.
“Nope. I’m good.”
She turned to look at the hunter.
He smiled. “Key needs you, Elf Witch. Not just short-term, but long-term. He needs someone who believes in him and doesn’t back down just because he’s a scary son of a bitch when he loses his temper.”
She … what? Phoenix liked her? She knew better than to say that to him. Key had told her Phoenix respected strength. “Maybe I’m a scarier son of a bitch when I lose my temper.”
His face blanked, and then he threw back his head and laughed. Finally, he regained his breath and said, “Doubtful. But I think you can tame the violence in Key and that freak show dragon he’s hauling around.”
“Dyfyr is not a freak show!” Her blood heated with outrage. “He’s a dragon, ancient and smart, but he doesn’t think like a man. He thinks like a dragon. When something needs to die, he kills it. Simple. He doesn’t get all twisted up in human morality. But he’s also fiercely protective, and he doesn’t like bullies. A dragon like Dyfyr is truly powerful and …” Roxy blinked, wondering where the hell all that came from. How she knew this stuff. Heat rushed to her face.
After a beat of stillness, Phoenix said, “Damn, Elf Witch, I take it back. You are scary.”
She felt strange, and a slight headache formed behind her eyes. “I don’t even know where all that came from.”
Carla put a hand on her shoulder. “Soul memory. You knew him from your past life. The bond between you and him was so strong, the memory is imprinted.”
The witch’s words grounded her, made her feel a bit more solid. “Okay, that’s a better answer then calling me crazy.”
Carla smiled. “You’re not crazy, Roxy.”
Axel cleared his throat and got their attention. “Where the hell is Key? Linc’s going to start coming around.”
“I’m here.” Key strode up to them and shoved Phoenix aside.
Roxy could see he’d washed off all the blood. The dragon watched her with his gleaming eyes, holding the lock of hair. She knew Key had heard everything she’d said, including her defense of Dyfyr—the soul memory, Carla had called it. Before she could think of anything to say, Darcy and Ailish moved behind her and next to Carla. Dee was in the room, too, but they had her back by the stairs out of harm’s way.
Carla said, “Once you summon your magic, we’ll circle our power and feed you more. Then you touch him and we’ll push in as much of the sex magic as we can.”
She nodded.
“Key,” Carla looked at him. “There’s always an exchange. Bringing up his sexual lust is going to push the bloodlust out and into Roxy. She’s going to feel the burn and craziness.”
“The hell she will. I’ll draw it off.”
He stepped behind her, so close she could feel the heat of him. But he didn’t touch her yet. Would he?
He leaned close to her ear. “I’m going to help you. We’ll do this together.”
Little sparks danced along her nerves. Her schema woke up and tendrils of desire began branching out. Her response was fast and intense; her chakras popped open quickly from her pelvis to her heart. Her magic began to spin, rushing up and down her spine and pushing at her throat. Her skin tightened, her nipples peaked, and she was overwhelmed.
“Damn, Roxy,” Key said, his voice strangled.
“Key, help her,” Phoenix ground out. “Before we all lose control.”
Oh sweet crone, her magic was rushing out and touching them all. Making them feel lust. Humiliation burned through her. She tried to stare down at Linc and focus. He was big like the others, and even in his unconscious state, she could see the cut of his muscles. He had brown hair with gold streaks. His face was elegant with an edge of brutality. He had cuts and bruises all over his chest and arms. She had to get control in order to help him.
Or Axel would have to kill him.
But her magic kept whirling and rushing. Her throat ached. She was failing. She knew it.
Two hands gripped her waist. “Come here,” Key said, his hands pulling her back to his chest. He folded his arms around her.
His warmth surrounded her, the dark spice scent, his strength. She felt the steady, strong beat of his heart. Her magic started to calm until she felt his erection press against her lower back. Oh God.
He leaned closer, “Tell me what’s happening.”
She forced herself to say, “Too much. My throat …”
“Her communication chakra,” Ailish said. “She needs it for the dragon to help her control her magic.”
He lifted one hand and drew his fingertips over her throat, then down the center of her chest, and back up. “Here?” He kept stroking softly.
Her magic paused; in the internal silence every cell waited for direction. Even her schema stilled. Then the power circled back down and rushed up through her first four chakras right to Key’s fingers.
A second later, sweet relief came as her throat chakra opened. A new, vivid awareness scuttled through her and she felt not only one heartbeat against her back, but two. The sound vibrated inside of her, and then she felt a gentle sweep of … wings? They swept up her arms, then down, and felt like buttery-soft leather. She tilted her head up. “He’s touching me.”
“Felt it.” He smiled down at her, his dimples flashing. “Your magic is focusing now.”
The wings that had been touching her skin were now inside her, resolutely sweeping her magic into a disciplined pattern going up and down her spine, growing and thickening. The brush of the wings was intimate and deeply sensual. She shivered. “He’s so powerful.”
Key’s gray eyes began to burn with a gas-flame blue. “Like your magic.”
“That was … intense,” Phoenix said. “That’s some awesome magic you got there, Elf.”
Key kept staring into her eyes. “Phoenix doesn’t know when to shut up.”
“Either I talk or I drag Ailish out of here,” he muttered.
Roxy laughed. “He’s your friend. I get Ailish.”
Key rubbed his thumb over the skin just below her throat. “Unfortunately, they are a package deal.”
She felt a touch of sadness. If she didn’t find a way to get this Tear off, she’d never have the chance—
“Roxy,” Darcy broke in, “we’re sending you more power through your communication chakra. You should feel it.”
She turned back to focus on Linc. She began to sense the internal touch of the other witches, a bright, warm feeling blending into her magic and strengthening the stream. “Okay, I feel it.”
“Good. Are you ready to try?”
“Yes.” She pushed Key’s arms off her and walked to the man.
“Focus on your fifth chakra, then funnel the power through it and down your arm.”
“Keep your hand away from his teeth,” Axel said as he pulled the chains tight. “He’s going to be vicious. Phoenix, get your knife out. Key, you be ready to pull Roxy back.”
Her nerves stretched spiderweb thin. She crouched down next to the man.
His eyes popped open, so fast that she fell back on her ass. The gold depths burned with a feral light. His muscles went rigid and a vibration rumbled in his chest. His nostrils flared.
Key caught her beneath her arms, lifted her to her feet, and swung her behind him.
Linc began to struggle. “Let go, dickheads!”
Axel wrapped the chains around his forearms and pulled tight. Sutton did the same, stretching Linc to immobility. “He’s going to rip out his joints. Now, Roxy.”
Roxy responded to the authority in Axel. She moved around Key and refocused. Drew the power up her spine, through her throat chakra, and down her arm.
Linc thrashed and bellowed. “Bitch … pricks … kill you … blood … want the blood … not her blood, goddammit.” A pause. Then Linc looked down at Sutton.
Roxy glanced down to see clarity in his gold eyes. “Kill me. By all that is holy, kill me!”
The furious desperation in the hunter’s words drove her as nothing else had. She dropped to her haunches and laid her hand on his ribs. His skin was hot and dry, as if he burned with a fever.
Linc’s body bucked up, almost throwing her hand off.
She heard the chains rattle, the men grunting as they fought for control, but she pushed it all from her mind and focused on Linc. Her magic streamed through her palm and fingers. She concentrated and kept herself open, like a conduit.
Seconds later, she felt a return of something dark and ugly. It began snaking up her fingers, burrowing into her palms, and a sweat broke out on her body. She looked down. The veins on the back of her hands swelled and distorted. It felt like acid was being injected into her. Ugly red and black welts pulsed. She suddenly felt smothered, like ashes coated in her lungs, making it impossible to get air.
Key crouched next to her, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and pulled her into his side. “Breathe,” he said softly, then put his hand over hers on Linc.
She stared at his bigger, darker hand that was strong enough to kill, yet gentle enough to draw. Then she felt the dragon wings brushing back and forth, matching the rhythm of the dual heartbeats. Her communication chakra allowed her to feel and hear the dragon so clearly. And she felt Key’s arm around her shoulder, anchoring her in the maelstrom of magic mixing with darkness. Her Kieran.
Sinful Magic: A Wing Slayer Novel Page 25