by J. L. Weil
My eyes grew heavy, the pressure that had been in my chest evaporating. It wasn’t long after I settled down, wisps of darkness me took me under into sleep.
It was seven in the morning when I woke up, still curled up on the couch with the knitted throw up to my chin. The scent of Devyn lingered everywhere, and it was because of that unique smell I remembered where I was before my lashes even fluttered open.
I was clearing the sleepy gunk from my eyes when Devyn emerged from his room. Smiling to myself, I was curious about his reaction at seeing me on his couch. Secretly, I wanted to get a rise out of him.
He walked out of his room, utterly comfortable in his skin, like it was every morning he found someone sleeping on his couch. The thought made me frown. Maybe it was normal. What would I have done last night if I had found him in bed with another girl?
Snuck back out the way I came and gone to Jesse’s. At least I knew there wouldn’t be anyone else in Jesse’s bed.
Hair ruffled from sleep, Devyn forked his fingers through it as he stared at me, leaning a shoulder on the wall. “Sleep well, Kitten?”
He was still shirtless, and my eyes traveled the length of him, wondering what he wore to bed: boxers, pajamas, or… My thought trailed off. Actually, my brain had clicked off.
OMG. He was butt-ass naked.
“Devyn!” I squealed, and hid my face under the covers, but not before I had gotten way more than I bargained for. “You’re naked.” Holy shit. I’d just seen Devyn in all his glory. My cheeks flamed under the blanket.
“And you’re in my house.” I could hear the amusement lacing his voice. He was laughing at me.
What part of this did he find funny? I was so embarrassed. “I needed a place to stay.”
“What’s wrong with your room?”
“I’m not talking to you until you put on some pants. I’ll even take boxers,” I demanded, my voice muffled from the blanket.
“I sleep in the buff,” he replied.
“Devyn,” I groaned. “I don’t need to know that. Just please put something on. It’s bad enough I’m going to forever picture you naked.”
“Why is that a bad thing?” he proposed, laughter in his voice.
He was killing me here. Stuff like this never happened with Jesse. “Don’t tell me you need help.”
He chuckled under his breath. “Now, that’s the best offer I’ve gotten since I arrived here.”
I rolled my eyes. “You love torturing me, don’t you?”
There was some shuffling and his voice got a little further away. “Most days. You can stop hiding now.”
I carefully pulled a corner of the throw from my head and peeked out, not entirely trusting Devyn. He was still without a shirt, but there was a pair of black sweats now covering the lower half of him. I pushed up into a sitting position. “I’m sorry to spring in on you.”
He moved into the kitchen, pulling out the coffee grounds. “Don’t worry about it. You’re always welcome here, Kitten. Coffee?”
“Please,” I sighed.
“I’ll even make sure I start wearing pants to bed,” he winked.
Color morphed back into my cheeks. “I’m never going to live this down, am I?”
His grin was nothing but pure sin. “Never. Assuming I can keep you alive.”
“Devyn!”
“Why don’t I make us some breakfast, and you can tell me why you’re sleeping on my couch.”
I nodded, slipping out from under the blanket, and pushed to my feet. He offered me a mug of coffee already with cream and sugar, just how I liked it. Devyn was attentive in little ways I probably didn’t notice, but when it came to coffee it was a big deal. I noticed. My fingers grazed his as he passed me the cup. Sparks danced between us.
Devyn’s eyes flared. He had felt what I had. There was something intense in the way he was staring at me, as if I was a puzzle he couldn’t figure out, but the Shaman was supposed to know everything about me, so what gives?
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked, bringing the hot coffee to my lips as I wiggled my butt onto one of the barstools.
He shook his head. “I like having you here, in my space, sleeping under the same roof, and I shouldn’t.”
Good thing there was a counter between us. Who knows what I might have done if there had been nothing standing in our way. “Why not?”
“In Thornland, we’re taught emotions make us weak and cloud our judgment. We’re supposed to be able to make split-second decisions, and when we take even a moment to consider someone else it could be a matter of life and death. My death. Your death.”
I let what he said sink in before responding. “I get the point, but a life without emotions isn’t really worth living.”
“Hmm. Remember that the next time you see a Silvermyst.” He set a plate in front of me with two strawberry-frosted donuts.
I smiled, looking down. “This is you making breakfast?”
He was so damn pleased with himself, flashing me a wicked grin. “They’re your favorite.”
That they were. The fact he had my favorite breakfast item on hand was touching. Damn him. I didn’t want him to make my heart sputter when he did something nice.
“You going to tell me what happened?” he asked, leaning his elbows on the counter.
I broke off a chuck of the soft donut. “My dad and I got into a fight. We both needed space, so I came here.” I intentionally omitted all mention of his name. Details weren’t important. “I hope that was okay.”
“Mi casa, es tu casa.”
“Thanks for letting me crash here.”
He tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear. “Anytime, Kitten. Come on, I’ll drive you to school.”
I nodded, and grabbed my donut.
What could possibly happen from here to school? There was no way my dad would find out I was with Devyn, right? Did I even care if he did?
I hadn’t bothered to check my phone since last night. I was almost afraid of what I would find. Sitting in Devyn’s car, I scrolled through the text notifications and groaned. I was going to be in deep crap when I got home. I locked my phone. Screw it. I still had eight hours before I had to deal with the blowout of my actions.
Cranking the radio I lifted my face toward the open window, letting the wind whip through my hair, and sang along with the song. Devyn’s fingers drummed on the steering wheel. We were only a few blocks from school. The air was tinted with the scent of the sea, and I drew in a deep breath of fresh air as I stared up into the perfectly white fluffy clouds, like cotton balls.
I squinted. What was that?
There was something in the sky, and it was falling straight for us. A falling star? A meteoroid? Those were my first thoughts.
Dread formed in my stomach, like a bowling ball.
It wasn’t anything from space. Nope. Not a flying monkey. It was from the Second Moon.
Crap on a biscuit.
Chapter Seven
Devyn hit the brakes, hard, throwing me forward and then back with enough force to rattle more than a few brain cells. The tires squealed, leaving a trail of dark rubber marks on the road. “Son of a bitch,” he swore.
Something dropped from the sky, landing on the hood of Devyn’s sleek car. The impact shook the vehicle, doing some major damage to Devyn’s precious baby, not to mention my ears. The piercing sound of metal crutching had me cringing.
“Dmitri,” Devyn murmured with malice.
“Am I seeing this? Does he have…” I swallowed. “…wings?”
“Yeah, and a nasty scratch,” he said tightly. “Don’t let his claws anywhere near your skin. Better yet, stay put.”
“What is he?” I asked.
He unbuckled his seatbelt with one hand. “A Karura.”
He was more or less speaking Greek to me. I had no idea what a Karura was, but they had wings. Big. Black. Beautiful. Wings. His skin was smooth like polished stone, and he was surprisingly handsome. I half expected him to be something out of
a Stephen King novel—scary and disfigured.
Dmitri folded his wings behind his broad back. I don’t know how he managed to tuck them out of sight, but that was the least of my concerns. He let out a low growl that rattled my seat.
Eyes yellow like a dragon’s, Dmitri’s pupils slanted toward me through the windshield. I sank deeper into the seat. Could he put his fist through the glass and grab me? The thought was frightening. Fury and Wrath hissed, appearing at Devyn’s back. The twin snakes were wrapped around the handles of the two blades, their forked tongues dancing and tasting the air.
“Are you okay?” Devyn asked, his hand gripping the door handle as if he was going to leave me.
“Devyn!” My hand shot out, stopping him. “What happens if he scratches you?” I didn’t want Devyn to get out of the car. Yes, the Shaman was a badass, but there was something about this particular creature that worried me. If anything happened to Devyn I would be alone, basically a sitting duck. I couldn’t save my mom without him, and the prospect of him jumping into danger sent me into a tizzy.
“Someone has to get rid of this guy.” He bolted into action before I could protest, the car door flying open as he leapt out.
My brain was slow to process what was happening, and I never got the chance to catch up. Devyn lunged at the Karura, knocking them both off the car and to the ground. I lifted up in my seat, straining to see what was going on, but at the same time afraid of what I might see. They had disappeared from my line of sight, and fear for Devyn hit me in the gut. Where is he? Has he been scratched?
I still didn’t know what happen if that thing got his claws into Devyn.
Rising off the ground Devyn had Wrath and Fury in both hands, the blades shimmering with power. I let out a long exhale of relief. The idiot was still alive. In my head, I knew Devyn was doing what he was born to do, but it was my heart that seemed opposed to him putting himself in the line of danger time and time again.
The Karura had unfolded his wings, hovering off the ground. His golden lips twisted. “Karina.” All it said was my name, but it was enough to strike me motionless with fright.
“Well, aren’t you a special little snowflake?” Devyn replied tightly, bringing Dmitri’s attention back to him.
Only Devyn could be a smartass in life-threatening situations. He was going to get us both killed.
Devyn swung a blade at Dmitri, but the Karura was quick. His wings flapped as he darted back into the air, the tip of Devyn’s sword narrowly missing his chest. “What are you doing here, Dmitri? It isn’t like Talin to let his personal guard leave his side.”
“I’m here for the Kitsune. And I’m not leaving without her.”
Devyn laughed, ice in his eyes.
Is he losing his mind?
“I hate to break it to you, but I’m not going to let that happen.” Devyn did that flipping sword trick he was so fond of, the one he did right before he went all ninja-like.
And, so, the fight began. I don’t know how Devyn was able to go up against someone with wings, but he made it seem as if it was something he did on Sundays for fun. Punches flew. Blades whizzed through the air. Blood spattered. A gruesome sight. The air in my lungs stalled as Dmitri landed a kick on Devyn’s wrist, sending Wrath sailing through the air. It was the sight of the sword clattering in front of the car that spurred me into action.
I had to do something. Help him.
I fumbled my way out of the car, and the first thing I noticed was the world around me hadn’t stopped.
How the hell was no one seeing this? I mean, for goodness’ sake, there was a man with wings flying about. A black feather floated from above my head, landing at my feet. Devyn. Why the rest of the world was oblivious to what was happening no longer mattered.
“I thought I told you to stay in the car,” Devyn growled in between the arcs of his single blade. Fury let out a hiss with Devyn’s movements, eager to get a taste of the Karura’s soul.
Scooping up the sword from the ground, Wrath twined around my arm, his cool, texture skin moving over mine. His tongue tasted my flesh, and for a moment I feared the snake might bite me, but he only blinked at me, as if to what are you waiting for. The blade was as light in my hand as I remembered, becoming a part of me. I spun around, Devyn to my left. “You looked like you could use a hand,” I replied.
Devyn arched a brow. “Did I now, Kitten? Because, the way I see things, I have everything under control.”
“Not really a silver-lining type of guy, are you?” I asked sarcastically.
Devyn whirled, eyes glowing like green plasma. Dmitri charged forward, slamming into Devyn. The pair skidded over the ground at my feet and I staggered backward, my heart sinking. I wanted to help, but I didn’t know how. Other than shifting and snapping my jaws, I didn’t have real powers. I should have listened to Devyn and stayed in the car. Now I was only in the way and distracting him.
Way to go.
I scrambled back toward the car, giving Devyn space, but I made a mistake. I turned my back to them. Air stirred around me, sweeping pieces of hair off my face. Shit. I didn’t need to look up to know what the dark shadow that had appeared over me was.
This was going to be exorbitantly bad.
Wrath hissed, and I remembered I wasn’t defenseless. I arched back my arm, swinging the sword at Dmitri’s chest. The Karura darted out of the way and then swooped down, his wings slicing through the air without making a sound. A leering grin curved on his lips as he struck at me, using his powerful wing to smack me in the hand, breaking my connection with Wrath. I lost my hold on the sword.
“Karina!” Devyn yelled.
Crap. I did what I did best. I ran. But I didn’t get far before my feet were suddenly dangling off the ground.
“Karina!” Devyn screamed my name again.
“Hang tight, wily fox. This might be a bumpy ride.” Dmitri’s wings flapped as he moved through the air, taking me with him.
I didn’t find any humor in his voice, regardless the bastard was laughing. My mind whirled with the awful possibilities of what was going to happen next. Was this winged creature going to kill me? Drop me from hundreds of feet in the air, letting my body go splat?
“Devyn!” I cried.
Oh, God. Now what? The ground was getting further and further away the longer I wrestled over my options.
Did I shift and risk plummeting to my death? Kitsunes weren’t cats. There was no guarantee I’d land on my feet or survive a fall of this magnitude. Sure, I could have up to nine tails, but I somehow doubted it also extended to lives.
“Shift!” Devyn ordered, never taking his eyes off me.
Was he going to demand I shift every time I was faced with danger?
I didn’t think about the consequences, I just shifted, knowing Devyn had a plan even if I didn’t know what. The familiar tingles radiated from within me, spreading to every point in my body as my limbs and muscles contorted, and then, poof, I was a fox.
Dmitri managed to keep his arm around me even after I’d shifted. “Nice try, little fox.”
I squirmed, refusing to give up. There had to be a way to get this man-beast to release me. I did the first thing that came to mind. I bit the bastard, and only proved to piss him off. Ugh. Had it been too much to hope he would drop me? I could taste his blood in my mouth, and it made me want to vomit.
Something whizzed in the air, past my eyes, and embedded itself in one of Dmitri’s wings. It was Wrath… or Fury. I wasn’t sure which, but Devyn had thrown one of them with scary precision. A few inches the wrong way and it would be me crying in pain. The Karura bellowed a roar of pure rage and agony, but he released his hold on me to pull out the blade.
And, just like that, I was freefalling.
Probably to my death.
I squeezed my eyes shut, locking out the blur of colors spiraling all around me. Everything was happening so fast. As I fell, I had one those snippets where your life flashes before you, reliving every important moment in my life. Th
e treehouse with Jesse. That time I let Hannah cut my hair. Dad’s reaction when he saw what Hannah had done to my hair. The girls’ nights with Mom. My first kiss with Devyn. As the last memory played in slow motion, I shifted back, the mix of sadness and terror forcing me to lose my hold.
Any second now I would hit the ground, my brains were going to splatter like a pumpkin, and my blood was going to wash the streets. If there were men with wings, surely there was a miracle waiting for me.
As it turned out, there was. My miracle was Devyn.
I might never understand the abilities he had, but I owed him my life—multiple times over. He caught me before I hit the ground, securing me in his arms. The impact would have knocked any normal human flat on their ass. Not Devyn. He didn’t even stumble but held onto me, steady and sure.
“Nice catch,” I whispered, securing my arms around Devyn’s neck. Falling had screwed with my equilibrium. The world was spinning.
He slowly set me on my feet, keeping his hands secured around my waist as I tried to find my balance. “All in a day’s work.”
“Is he gone?” I whispered, peeking up from under my hooded lashes.
Devyn’s sharp eyes scanned the sky. “For the moment, but it would be wise if we didn’t hang around in the streets.”
I nodded.
He kept an arm around me as we moved back to the car, scooping up the sword I had dropped off the ground and replaced it behind his back with the it’s perfect match. My gaze roamed over the massive dent in the hood: two giant footprints. It was hard to convince myself the last ten minutes had been real. Heck, the last month had been real.
I slipped into the seat, eager to get out of here. Hands shaking, I shoved them under my legs, telling myself to get under control. “Why didn’t anyone freak out?” Like me.
Devyn cranked the engine, scowling at the front of his car. I couldn’t tell if there was any damage to the engine, but Devyn clearly wasn’t happy about the state of his most prized possession. “He used glamour,” he answered.