by C. M. Owens
"Alyssa, I don't want to lose you. I didn't do anything with her besides what you saw. It's just a tactic to seduce information out of someone - more flies with honey and all that. I swear I only did it to get information. You know I want to be with you."
He rolls me over to see the fresh spill of tears on my face, and he wipes my cheek with his thumb as I finally stare into his eyes.
"I don't know anything anymore. I've trusted two men with something as intimate as a person can offer, and both of you have hurt me in your own ways. Maybe we should just take a step back. I don't want to be with you right now. After seeing you with her... It's not the same. You looked at her the way you look at me. I feel as played as she probably does."
He sighs out hard while pressing his forehead to mine. Before I realize what he's doing, his lips are pressed against mine. He jerks my hips to meet his center, letting me feel his arousal as he kisses me harder.
During a moment of pure weakness, I clutch him to me, reveling in the feel of his body against mine no matter how wrong it is. His tongue plays with mine, the heated metal in his mouth delighting me to my core.
At last, sanity returns and I push him back. "Stop. Just get out. I can't do this."
"Alyssa, I want-"
"I said get out!"
My door swings open, and Kane appears with glowing blue eyes, ready to fight until he sees I'm screaming at Gage.
Gage puffs, kissing me lightly on the forehead, and then he rolls out of the bed. Having both of them in my room feels so dirty. I feel dirty. I've officially had my lips on both of theirs in the same night a few times now. Are you a slut even if you've only been with two guys?
I don't want to be a slut.
Gage pushes Kane to the side as he storms out, feeling rejected. Kane shuts the door, but remains in my room.
"Don't," I mumble while holding my hand up in a stop motion. "I just want to sleep, damn it. Please go."
He smiles and walks over to me, making me shiver as he sits on the edge of my bed. He brushes my hair from my face and leans over to kiss me on the cheek - a lingering kiss.
He stands and heads back to the door, but he stops short of opening it. "I love you, Alyssa. That's all I have to say."
With that, he's out the door before my mind can process his retreat.
Fucking immortals.
Chapter 18
Loose Ends
The chilled air in my room leaves a frosty breath on my lips. The whistling wind draws my attention as my eyes try to adjust from their sleepy state. Holy crap it's cold. Why is my window up?
I start to stand, but I'm pinned in a blur of motion as a body sweeps over mine and a hand squeezes my throat. I scream out, unable to fully focus my still blurry eyes to see my attacker.
No one comes to investigate, and I see the glowing blue eyes of the night stalker straddling me, pinning me to the bed. He laughs with a familiar chime, and I shiver from more than the cold now.
Isolis. No!
"Scream all you want to, witch," he taunts. "They can't hear you. They're resting in a deep sleep. You can thank my dreamer for that. They'll die soon, but I wanted to start with you. And damn you smell good. I think I'll take my time."
With my sight finally clear, I see his dark hair lined up in a military style. His dark smile plays on his lips. The broad shoulders remind me more of a lycan than a night stalker. All I know is I want him off me.
Tears seep through the sheet under my head as the wet trails stream down. I struggle, but he subdues my power by using his dark strength. How did he get past my barrier?
If a dreamer has been here, all the dark magic has been sedated into a deep sleep. A dreamer is pointless on light magic, but what in the hell are they doing working with a night stalker? They hate night stalkers almost as much as witches.
Who am I to talk?
I cry harder, each breath riddled with unintelligible sounds as I try to escape his touch, praying to free my magic from his hold.
"Struggle, witch. I love a good fight."
"Let me go, and I'll give you the fight of your life," I growl, trying to find leverage to push against him, but it's impossible.
Physically, I'm beyond outmatched by the immortal. Without my powers, I'm just as helpless as a human girl.
"Just one taste of your blood on my lips, and you'll be mine. I'll let you love every second of it before I make you scream in pain. I told you I'd find you. You might have masked your scent and hidden your true face, but I'm no fool. There's always a way. Lucky for me, I know all the right people to ask."
I fight ineffectively beneath him, tasting bile in the back of my throat when I feel his length pressed against me. The tears only feel hotter as they drip in a continuous flow.
"Cry, witch. Scream for me. Make this fun."
As his cold hand starts climbing up my gown, the flow of my tears quickens. Before he reaches a point of no return, the door to my room bursts open, and the night stalker is launched off me by a stream of red energy.
I gasp out for fresh air, quickly facing my savior to see Dice. He launches another red stream, but Isolis dodges it, diving on top of him. An incubus is no match for a night stalker.
Now that I'm free, I don't waste time. I launch my powers, letting them roar free with a vengeance. The silver orbs fly from my hands, bringing with it the dark intoxication of my deadly power.
The orbs strike the night stalker without mercy, launching him through the railing on the second floor and sending him to the first floor before he knows what's going on. I hear his wheezed breaths singing to me with the melody of death's promise.
"What the fuck?" Dice almost whispers to himself, stunned by the show of power.
I step over him, letting my darkness sink to my core as I move down the stairs - a slow, steady, suspenseful stride in place. Isolis sputters, gargling blood, drowning in his own red stain as I stalk toward him.
His body has absorbed the ruthless power inside of me that burns stronger with each use. He's not as strong as Castine. I'll kill him with ease.
"You bitch!" he spews, coughing out more of his red demise. "I'll-"
He stops as the deadly smirk appears on my lips. "All you'll do is die."
Fear cloaks his face as he suddenly becomes ashen by the infection of it. I don't know what he sees in me right now, but I love the power of fear.
"It's you. You'll fucking kill us all!"
Before he can rant on, I strike him with one last silver orb, showing my father's power as it surges freely from my fingertips. Dice drops down from the second floor, and I almost strike him before the high subsides as quickly as it came. Just as it always does.
I stagger to the ground, my whole body shaking, and he rushes to my side.
"For a second there, I thought you were going to take me out," he murmurs while scooping me up.
"For a second there, I was. The darkness... it comes with the power. Sorry."
"You just killed a night stalker that was seconds away from killing me. How the hell does a mortal witch do that?"
I groan as I look around at the damage my poor house has suffered, and then I use the magic from my light half to tidy it up. As if it's important.
The shattered pieces of my stairway suddenly shift back to form a pristine line, and the remnants of the splintered coffee table swirl in a small cyclone until reforming the rectangular wooden piece of furniture.
"Are you going to answer me?" Dice prompts, staring at me very intensely.
I decide to go with nonchalance, dismissal, and a touch of deflection. "I come from a strong bloodline. The better question is how did they get past my barrier? More to the point, how did you get past my barrier?"
"Ah," he says with a smug grin while putting me down and letting me walk on my own again. "They never knew I had been banished to sleep outside in the cold car. I heard your screams. It's a good thing your house isn't soundproof. Once I woke up, I saw the dreamer walking out. I didn't know what he was at the time, but
I used my powers of persuasion to dig it out. Good thing he wasn't immune to my charms the way you are. He gave me this very happily-" he hands me a small black stone "-before I tore his throat out. I wish night stalkers weren't so hard to charm. They feel some of our influence, but they're too strong to control for long."
My mind flashes back to the masquerade ball. Kane did feel the seductive air, but he walked away, which was something I couldn't do at all. Gage wouldn't have fought it off if Thad hadn't walked in on us.
"What is this?" I ask while staring at the smooth stone that doesn't appear to be any more special than a common piece of gravel.
"Beats me. It worked though. I walked right in without any problem. Do you have any juice of any kind?"
I tilt my head, confused by his request. "Orange juice. Why?"
"Because I killed the dreamer, so we'll have to wake the others ourselves. I'll also need lavender, coffee beans, and your blood."
"My blood?" I ask, pulling my arms in protectively.
"Yep. You're the owner of this house - the house in which the power to subdue them was used. Ownership means a lot in magic. Or we can wait a few days for the magic to wear off."
Apparently my blood will be spilled again tonight.
"Fine. Take my blood and work a potion."
He staggers slightly, showing a point of weakness, before regaining his balance.
"You're hurt," I murmur while examining him a little closer.
"I'm fine. It takes a lot out of me to throw out enough energy to take down a night stalker. Not to mention, even though I was carrying that stone, crossing your barrier took a lot of my strength as well."
"How exactly do you feed?" I ask curiously as he slowly follows me to the kitchen.
"I usually put food in my mouth," he playfully retorts.
"Ha. Not what I meant. I was talking about how do you feed your incubus power? I know what you feed on, but I don't know how it works. Night stalkers, changers, and lycans drink blood. Dark angels and angels need to absorb energy from the air. Witches and warlocks need contact with the earth... How do you feed?"
"How do you think I feed?" he chuckles out.
"Sex?" I squeak.
"Not sex. I just draw in your sexual energy. Just like you felt back at that masquerade ball." A smile plays on his lips as he gathers all of his ingredients for his concoction.
"Oh. Then take mine. I'm sure I've got some rattling around in me somewhere." I sure as hell don't want it.
He laughs ferociously hard, and then he shakes his head. "You're glowing with sexual energy, but it's hard to draw anything at all from you. Like I mentioned earlier, you're immune. When you're pissed, or almost fucking someone, then I can draw."
As crude and blush-worthy as that comment is, I ignore it.
"What if I give it to you willingly? Before, I was resisting. Let's see what happens when I hand it over."
A new smile spreads, one of intrigue and excitement.
"Okay."
He walks over and pulls my hand in his. I feel a stir, but there's still no sexual draw. He leans over and pulls my hand to his lips, kissing the back of it, and a shiver follows. Still, there's nothing really tugging at me to do anything.
In a breath, his aura reads red - the vibrant red of an incubus. He's letting me see his magic in his aura. That's shocking.
"Did it work?" I ask curiously.
He grips the counter, struggling to find composure, and I'm starting to worry I've hurt him.
"It worked. Damn did it work. I don't know if I've ever tasted so much power course through me at once."
I smile and then poke my finger to draw blood. "Now make the potion."
He looks at me curiously while bringing my pricked finger over a glass vial. He presses the tip of my finger to the edge to let the blood slowly drip.
"That kiss should have been your undoing. You gave me what I needed, but you still denied my power over you. I wonder if you could do that to others... such as night stalkers."
"You saw what Isolis was doing to me. I couldn't use my power, so I have no ability to hold them out."
"That you know of," he says as if he's finishing my sentence that I thought was complete. "Your whole life you've been warned of a night stalker's influence over you. My kind rarely messes with witches simply because we fear the wrath. You were most likely never warned about me, so you never thought I had any power over you. I bet you're the only thing holding you back. You should study that further."
He pours in the lavender extract and then pulls the coffee beans in his hands. A small crunch in his fist turns the beans into ground powder. I watch as he mixes in the orange juice, and then a bubbling steam comes from the vial.
"What's going on?"
He smiles as he places the vial in the center of the bar, and then he leans back, seeming pleased.
"It's working."
Dray's the first one out of his first-floor bedroom. Rubbing his head as though it aches, he takes in the scene. Isolis is still collapsed on the floor, his endless flow of blood still pouring out of his gaping, charred wounds.
Before he can ask the question on the tip of his tongue, Gage materializes in the room, kneeling before the dead night stalker. Kane follows quickly with Zee on his heels.
"What the hell?" Kane gripes.
"Isolis broke in, a dreamer knocked you guys out, and then they both died, thanks to Dice."
Dice looks at me, his eyes questioning why I just held out on the whole truth.
"Yeah," he says uneasily before turning to meet the scrutinizing eyes of the guys.
"How the hell did any of them get in? And since when is an incubus strong enough to take down a night stalker as old as Isolis?" Gage grumbles, quickly coming to my side at the exact same time as Kane.
They both start inspecting me, searching for damage, but I shrug them off.
"I'm fine," I grouse while heading over to stand beside Dray. "They got in using this," I continue, holding out the black stone.
I intentionally ignored the latter question. I don't feel like telling them I killed Isolis. Too many questions will arise. Dray and Gage know where I come from, but they don't know the strength I truly hold.
"Shit," Dray growls as he stares at the stone.
"What? You know what it is?"
He looks at me, his face too serious. "Yes. I'm surprised you don't. These are Crescent stones. Not like the shape, but like the old coven. The first coven ever to form was the Crescent. They were light, but they had a tainted edge. They were killed by the council when they committed treason. Do you know what that treason was?"
Old stories and cautionary tales swirl around and stir my memories, evoking the fables I heard as a child.
"I thought the Crescent coven was more of an urban legend to remind the light to behave. Didn't they side with the dark about something?" I ask, more than likely looking like the confused girl I am.
"They didn't merely side with the dark, they helped them. During one of the wars, there was a debate about a witch - one with too much power. The light wanted to imprison her, keep her locked away until they knew how to deal with her. The dark wanted to kill her before she gained immortality - before she was too strong to take down. This girl was prophesied to make Drackus look like a rookie, though Drackus became much stronger than they ever thought possible.
"In an effort to keep the mortal witch safe, the light barricaded her with their protective shield. The problem was the Crescent coven sided with the dark. Not for the fearful reasons the dark shared, but because they didn't want to risk someone stronger than them rising to power.
"They drew ten stones from the Well of Eternity, and they blessed them with their light touch mingled with a dark glaze. No one truly understood the well's power until then, and no other coven was ever strong enough to duplicate their collective power. The stones allowed the dark users access through the barrier, and they stormed the council chambers.
"The girl was tortured first. It's a
lengthy process to send someone to purgatory, and that's where they wanted her. The light made it to them though and the dark were forced to spill her blood prematurely before they could conclude the process.
"The massacre that ensued is what prompted the truce between all councils. It was a bloodbath and it stole the lives of more light and dark users than any other battle in history. The stones were offered up as a sign of good faith from the dark. The light took them, supposedly disposed of them, but there were rumors of five being taken before they could be destroyed.
"The Crescent coven was brutally executed for their part, and their spirits were cast into purgatory for all eternity. If this stone is in the possession of someone like Isolis, it's because a member of the light gave it to him. The only person who could have taken those stones away from the light is a member of the light."
Gage once told me he suspected someone from the light was behind my mother's disappearance. His eyes catch mine as he thinks back to that same conversation.
"It would have had to be the person who was supposed to dispose of them, otherwise the light would have warned everyone," I quickly interject, looking to solve the mystery behind Isolis's alliance.
Gage lets out a derisive snort while coming to my side. "You know as well as I do that's bullshit. The light would have done all they could to conceal that secret. That's why there were only mere rumors. The person disposing of them was probably killed just for being a suspect; when in all actuality, they would have been the one to bring it to the council's attention that five were missing."
Crap. That makes sense. Why do I suddenly feel so naive for trusting my people for so long?
"So Isolis was working with someone from the light? Is it possible this is all linked to who took my mother?"
Kane grips his head as he plops down on my sofa. I walk over to sit beside him - leaving a safe gap. To make things a little awkward, Gage comes to sit down on my other side - not leaving a gap.
His arm crosses over my shoulders, but I don't brush it away. Right now, I'll take a little comfort. In fact, I want to talk to him. If they killed that witch because of how powerful they thought her to be, what would they do if they knew about me?