by Cassie Ryan
He walked slowly toward the far wall alert for anything that might jump out at him. It was a bit too late to wish he’d thought to ask the Djinn to bring all their gear when it had whisked them out of the truck. Not that Noah had known what to expect then anyway.
He scanned the cave for anything out of place, but other than the shimmering near the far wall, everything seemed entirely normal. The closer he got in the murky darkness, the more the area looked like oil floating on water, but in midair.
He reached out to touch it and the form suddenly brightened, becoming the Djinn.
Startled, Noah jumped back and stumbled over the uneven floor. As he lost his balance, he reached back to cushion the blow as he fell, and braced himself for the impact of landing on his ass.
When no painful impact came, he glanced back to see the trailing tail of the Djinn wrapped around his feet to cushion his fall.
“Careful, human. I promised Jezebeth no harm would come to you within my territory.”
Wary of the Djinn’s jovial mood, Noah stood. “My name’s Noah, not human. And thanks.” He gestured toward the Djinn’s tail. “What’s your name by the way?”
The Djinn pulled his tail back as if he’d touched something hot. “Why?”
Noah held up his hands palm out. “I like to be called by my name and not my species, I just thought you might like the same thing.”
The Djinn crossed large ephemeral arms over his chest and glowered down at Noah. “Anyone who knows the true name of a Djinn may command him.”
“I apologize. I wasn’t trying to gain any control over you.” He cast around for some way around this particular rule. “How about if I give you a nickname? Would that name give me power over you?”
The Djinn pursed his lips and tapped one see-through finger against his bearded chin. “No, I think it’s only my true Djinn name that has power. What did you have in mind?”
“How about Max? A nice, generic name. Easy to remember, and it would keep us from having to call you ‘Djinn’ all the time.”
“Max.” The Djinn tried out the name several times, saying it different ways until it rolled off his tongue in repetitions so fast that to Noah it sounded like a thousand voices speaking inside his head at once. Finally, the Djinn smiled, the area where his mouth would be was a large gaping hole that allowed Noah to see the wall behind the creature. “Very well. You may call me Max.”
“Great.” Noah nodded. “All right, Max. Can you tell me how long we’ve been out and how Jezebeth and I ended up on that mattress back there?”
He nodded his large head once and Noah resisted the urge to make a comment. Didn’t anyone in the supernatural community know how to nod more than once? He wasn’t sure why that one mannerism irritated him, but it really did.
“When the agreed four hours was completed, Jezebeth was asleep, so I created the mattress and laid both you and her on it. Within a few minutes she’d changed back into her current form.” He straightened to an even more impressive height. “Djinn always keep their word, and I would not violate our time agreement, even though I was reluctant to finish.”
After waking up next to Jezebeth, Noah knew exactly how Max felt. “How long has it been since you’ve had Djinn companionship?”
Max’s entire form rippled as if there were signal interference on a television. “Nearly three thousand years.” His voice was quiet and pain-filled.
“Wow. I can’t imagine being able to endure that. You’re a much stronger creature than me.”
“A Djinn warrior should use the millennium of solitude from our kind to contemplate how he can best be of service to our race.” The words tripped off Max’s tongue easily as if he were reciting something he memorized.
Noah wasn’t sure what to say to that, so he tried to find something to take them on a different conversational path. “How long ago were the four hours Jezebeth agreed to complete?”
“Eight hours, twelve minutes, and forty-four seconds.”
Noah grinned at the very specific answer. This guy would make a great character in one of his books. “Do you know what a writer is in the human realm?”
Max nodded once and Noah bit back his reaction. “When I was phased with the succubus I saw inside her mind that you write stories to strike fear into others.”
Noah grinned. That was an interesting way of describing it. He’d have to remember to turn that into an author branding statement or byline. “Something like that, yes. I think a Djinn would make a fascinating character in one of my books, but I haven’t done much in-depth research on your kind. Would you mind answering some questions?”
Max’s ghostly lips curved and he sank down toward the floor giving the appearance of sitting.
“How can I be of service, Noah?”
Jezebeth woke to the soft sounds of Noah answering the Djinn’s voice that whispered inside her mind. By the familiar way they were chatting, she imagined they’d been at it for some time.
“So what’s with all the tales of Djinn and genies stuck in bottles? What’s the real story with that?”
Booming laughter echoed inside her head, and she winced at the sudden increase in volume. “It was only a story written to poke fun at a Djinn who had angered a storyteller. Unfortunately, the story caught on and became like a myth. Now no one believes the truth.”
Noah laughed. “Seriously? Talk about the power of the written word. Would you mind if I used that in a story?”
Jezebeth sat up, the soft mattress beneath her shifting with her as she moved. Noah and the Djinn stood near the far wall talking in hushed tones, which echoed back to her inside the cave—and inside her head, thanks to the Djinn.
The Djinn laughed at Noah’s comment and reached out one diffuse hand to slap Noah on the back, nearly knocking him off his feet. “Absolutely! Perhaps between us we can make the truth known once again, hu—Noah.”
“You know, Max, you’re a very interesting being. Maybe once all this is done I can come back and we can talk some more?”
Jezebeth frowned and froze.
Max? How in the hell had Noah gotten the Djinn to reveal his true name, and more important, who had ever heard of a Djinn warrior named Max?
“I would enjoy that . . . Noah. I would just ask that you not tell anyone anything besides that I captured the two of you to entertain myself for a while. Djinn in seclusion are not allowed to fraternize for pleasure of any type.”
Jezebeth held her breath, afraid Noah would question the Djinn beliefs, which would be tantamount to an insult of epic proportions.
“No worries, Max. You did capture us, remember?” Noah patted the Djinn’s arm, laughing when his hand pressed halfway into the arm before stopping. “After all, we both have reputations to keep up, right?”
A booming laugh echoed inside her head like a rubber pinball on overdrive, and Jez winced until the sound finally died away.
“Jezebeth.”
She glanced up to find Noah watching her, his stormy gray gaze like a physical touch against her skin.
Awareness sizzled between them, tightening her nipples and sending a rush of silky moisture between her thighs until she realized she was still naked and he was fully clothed. For some reason that made the tension ratchet even higher.
She concentrated and clothed herself in jeans, a comfy cotton pullover, and a light sweater to protect against the chill of the cave that she hadn’t noticed until just now.
“I thank you for your company, Noah. And you, Jezebeth, for honoring our bargain.”
She knew the Djinn hadn’t meant to imply that succubi didn’t honor their bargains, but that in his own way he was thanking her for the comfort those four hours provided. Jezebeth smiled. His words had softened but not alleviated the tension that had sprung up between her and Noah. “I can see why Djinn would crave such a thing. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything quite so comforting.”
A knowing chuckle tickled inside her brain. “If I’m not mistaken, the comfort you and Noah shar
ed when our time was done looked no less comforting than the Djinn way of things.” His form rippled with his amusement.
A blush flowed up Noah’s neck and into his cheeks, something she could only see because of her succubus night vision.
Jezebeth didn’t remember returning to her favored form during the night, or even ending her four hours as a Djinn. Disappointment filled her that she also didn’t remember cuddling with Noah. She strongly suspected it was an experience she would’ve enjoyed.
Noah cleared his throat. “Glad you’re awake. Max can take us back to the truck whenever you’re ready.”
“I must scout the area first to ensure your safety when I return you. I’ll return soon.” The Djinn vanished leaving her and Noah alone, the tension flooding back like a tidal wave.
“How long have we been asleep?” she ventured when she couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Noah laughed, but the sound was strained, a reminder of the sudden awkwardness between them. “Don’t ask Max—he’ll give it to you down to the second—but over twelve hours since you turned into a Djinn.”
She swung her legs off the mattress and stood to walk toward Noah. “Max?”
Noah shrugged, a self-conscious grin pulling at the sides of his lips. “He said he couldn’t give me his real name because that would give me power over him, but he let me give him a nickname.”
Amusement spilled through Jezebeth. Leave it to Noah to find a way around that barrier and get himself on a first-name basis with a soon-to-be-powerful Djinn warrior. “So you named him Max? I like it.” Her gaze locked with his for a long, sizzling moment, and she dropped it deliberately, not sure what to do next other than change the subject. “I should’ve offered comfort to Max long ago. I always seemed to be too busy, and he’s right, I wouldn’t have gotten any energy out of it, and it wouldn’t help me meet my quota, so I always blew him off. It seems pretty selfish now.”
Noah placed his index finger under her chin and tipped her face up until their gazes locked again. His eyes were a dark, swirling gray with tiny blue flecks in them and Jez felt like she was falling inside them the longer she stared.
“Don’t beat yourself up, Jezebeth. He needed you now, and you were here.” Noah smiled and she couldn’t resist reaching out to brush her fingers lightly over the slight stubble that had grown on his cheeks.
He stilled as she touched him, but kept his finger under her chin as he leaned forward, slowly closing the distance between them until he hovered just a hairsbreadth away from her lips as if giving her time to pull back.
Jezebeth held her breath as heat and anticipation curled inside her.
This was the first time she’d ever craved for someone to kiss her, not because of how much energy she’d receive from the contact, but purely because she wanted to know how Noah’s lips would feel against hers and how he would taste. She wanted this connection because Noah would be the one she was kissing.
His lips were firm and warm, and she opened for him. He took his time, slowly delving inside her mouth as if she were a delicacy to be savored. He didn’t touch her beyond his index finger under her chin and their lips, but Jezebeth felt like he held her tighter than she’d ever been held before.
She gave herself up to the slow exploration of the kiss, reveling in the new and wondrous sensations swirling inside her. Her arms hung limp at her sides, and she wasn’t sure if they would even respond to her demands at this point.
What seemed like a languorous eternity later, Noah pulled back from the kiss, but remained so close she could feel his warm breath feathering against her lips.
Her eyes remained closed as she struggled to find firm footing in a suddenly shifting world. She was definitely aroused, which was nothing new to her, but there was more. Much more. Liquid warmth curled through her veins and she opened her eyes to prove to herself she hadn’t dreamed the entire episode.
Noah’s storm-cloud gray gaze searched hers and she smiled. “Wow.” The word was said on a soft sigh, and Noah huffed out what sounded like a relieved breath before he pulled her against him and captured her lips again.
“My apologies for interrupting, but there’s a problem.”
Jez gathered reality back around her as she tried to distance herself from the lingering effects of Noah’s kiss. “What’s wrong, Max?”
The Djinn scowled. “There are demons stationed around your transportation.”
“Damn. All the supplies are there too.” Noah pinched the bridge of his nose and paced away and back as if it helped him think.
Jez cocked her head to the side and studied Max. “How far away from the truck can you drop us?”
“Five hundred point six miles.”
Jezebeth shook her head as frustration spilled through her. “And we only have one more day until the location of Uriel’s house moves to Greece.”
Noah laid a comforting hand on her arm. “We’ll figure it out.”
13
Lilith stepped inside Uriel’s large brick three-story and, not bothering to close the front door, hurried up the steps to find the elusive Archangel. She rounded the corner of the hallway and stepped inside his room just as he walked out of the bathroom.
He stood gloriously naked, drying his long multicolored hair with a black towel.
She sucked in an involuntary breath as she drank in the sight of his bronzed body—his broad shoulders, the smooth hairless chest, trim hips, and muscled thighs . . . and especially the large cock that lay limp against his thigh.
“Lilith.” He froze for a long moment before he shook out the towel and wrapped it around his hips, tucking it together, which did nothing to hide his sudden erection. “I apologize. I didn’t realize you required more sustenance already. I’m usually more attuned to your needs.”
Lilith resisted the urge to snort at his blatantly false statement and instead met his gaze in challenge. “If that were true you wouldn’t have materialized out of my chambers without telling me anything at all.”
He dropped his gaze, as if unable to look at her as he spoke. “I had urgent business. I apologize for upsetting you.”
“Don’t give me that bullshit, Uriel.” When he didn’t move, she stepped forward, edging into his personal space. “Look at me, damn it.”
Uriel raised his swirling silver gaze to hers, but his eyes were shuttered, his expression a mask.
“Tell me what was in the journal.”
He studied her for such a long time, she thought he was refusing to answer her, so when he spoke, his soft words surprised her. “I ask for your trust and your discretion, Lilith.”
She stepped back and took a seat on his black leather couch, toeing off her shoes and tucking her feet beneath her. “You have both.” When he raised his brows she added, “Regardless of our disagreement over the state of our relationship, Uriel, you always have my trust. And I have always kept your secrets.”
He smiled as he pulled a black silk robe from his closet and slipped it on, dropping the towel only after he’d tied the robe. “You speak as if I’ve had many secrets.”
It was her turn to raise her brows. “You may think I don’t know any, Uriel, but you forget how my kind survives. My succubi and incubi are privy to all types of information that finds its way back to me.”
Uriel paused on his way toward the couch where she sat. “I suppose I’ve been naïve to think you’re so sheltered in your life, Lilith. I think our relationship will always be colored by how we met.” He slowly lowered himself onto the other end of the couch and draped his arm along the back.
“The journal?” she reminded him.
He nodded. “There are apparently four journals in circulation— well, three other than the one I have—that contain the prophesies for Har m∂giddô.”
A heavy lead weight settled inside Lilith’s stomach. “Is the time at hand? Or is this someone trying to jump-start the end?”
“The time is not of His choosing, according to Michael, so this is most likely someone else
trying to hasten the end.”
“Lucifer?”
He shook his head. “Lucifer has the most to lose by bringing on Armageddon, no matter what stories all the humans have concocted. If there is no world, there is no playground for the fallen ones and all their minions since they aren’t welcome in Heaven.”
Jezebeth winced as he reminded her that not only wasn’t she welcome in Heaven, she wasn’t even welcome among the rest of those who weren’t welcome either.
He reached out and laid a large, warm hand on her knee. “Lilith, I’m sorry. I always seem to say the wrong thing around you. It’s always been so.”
She thought back to how he’d treated her after he’d refused to kill her when he’d expelled her from the Garden on God’s orders. He’d been polite and gruff, and it had taken him several thousand years to even be able to look her in the eye when speaking to her. Him—an Archangel who was a warrior for God. She smiled at the memory. “Take my word for it, you’ve improved with time.”
One side of his lips quirked, but that was the only sign of amusement he showed. “You haven’t asked me why my letters to you would be included in prophesies regarding the end of the human realm.”
His words were like a punch to the solar plexus, and she caught her breath as a thousand possibilities, all more horrible than the last spilled through her mind at high speed. “Tell me,” she finally managed on a strangled whisper.
“Apparently the succubi are instrumental in these end prophesies. We aren’t sure how yet without finding the other four journals, but so far they seem to center around the four sisters who helped you cage Semiazas.”
Lilith waited for surprise or even fear, but somewhere inside her gut, she’d apparently known the incident with Semiazas would come back to haunt her. The politics of the nonhuman realm were always fraught with pitfalls and were never what they seemed for long. “I’ve sent messengers and guides to bring all four of them home, so they can petition Lucifer to re-imprison Semiazas.”