Demons Prefer Blondes

by Sidney Ayers

  “I suppose we do. But why not let Lucy try out her sword first.”

  Dominic nodded. “Very well.” Reaching down he picked up the katana and handed it to Lucy. “Be careful, it’s—”

  With elegance and precision, Lucy pulled out the sword. Gripping the carved jade hilt, she swung the sword in a graceful arc, the silver blade sparking.

  “—sharp.” Dominic’s eyebrows quirked up, shock and bewilderment clear on his face.

  Lucy drew her finger across the blade, a small drop of crimson pooling then instantly fading away. “Yep, it is.”

  With a sly smile, she slid the blade back in. Setting the blade against the table, she pushed a strand of hair from her brow.

  “Thank you, Rafe. For allowing me to fight.”

  Rafael nodded, casting his gaze down to the floor. He couldn’t let Dominic see him like this. He wasn’t weak. “You should thank Dominic.”

  “Of course!” She took Dominic’s hand in his, a friendly smile sweeping across her lips. “Thank you, Mr. Duvane.” Watching her fingers clasp his friend’s, he rolled his tongue against his lips. Did Nic feel the same heat? His jaw twitched and his blood boiled. For his sanity, he hoped not.

  Dominic eyes glowed a soft gold, not the molten spark he’d seen when he was with Coby. Rafael breathed a sigh of relief. “Call me Nic; everyone else does.”

  Her gaze warm, she withdrew her hand. “Thank you, Nic. The katana is perfect. I need to take that shower now.” Angling her gaze back to Rafael, her amber eyes sparked. The little temptress. The thought of Lucy naked in the shower sent all the blood in his body right down to his shaft.

  Not in front of Nic.

  With a shimmy of her hips, she turned around and sashayed down the hall, the silk robe dancing against her legs.

  “I’ll be back.” The seductive tone floated to his ears. Blasted vixen knew what she was doing. “Have fun, boys.” With that, the door snicked shut.

  Dominic rubbed his hand along his jaw, his gaze narrowing. “Tell me everything.”

  “What of my sister?”

  “Something tells me this might be a tad bit more important.” With a flourish, Dominic whipped off his coat and flung himself onto the futon. His face scrunched into a wince. “Does your succubus enjoy a little torture too?”

  “My succubus?”

  His friend threw his head back in laughter. “Don’t try and hide it. I saw the way you look at each other. That, and the scent of sex clings to the air.”

  He lifted his head and sniffed around the room. “Damn good sex, too.”

  Bloody hell. Nic and his over-sensitive nostrils. He could smell brimstone a mile away. An impressive skill to possess, when needed. And Rafael didn’t need it now. “It was only sex.”

  “Whatever you want to tell yourself,” Dominic said with a roll of his eyes. “So tell me why she’s so powerful?”

  Rubbing his temples, Rafael took a seat in Lucy’s dilapidated easy chair. This time, he’d forego reclining. But he couldn’t forego the truth. “Her father is a powerful incubus.”

  His friend’s eyes narrowed, and his brow creased. “Just how powerful?”

  Rafael couldn’t beat around the bush with Dominic. “Her father is the king.”

  His friend’s eyes widened. “Lilu?”

  “Is there anyone else?”

  His friend raked his fingers through his hair. “No wonder Lamia and her minion were lurking about.” He blew out an aggravated breath. “I should’ve known there was a reason Kalli wasn’t forthcoming.”

  “Kalli doesn’t know. Yet.” Rafael narrowed his gaze at his friend. “Spying, I see?”

  “I prefer ‘keeping tabs.’” The elder demon’s lips curved into a wry smile. “For your protection, of course.”

  “I don’t need protection.”

  Dominic clenched his fists. “I promised Coby that I’d keep you safe.”

  He winced at his friend’s strangled words. “I know you have feelings for her.”

  Dominic sucked in a breath as he adjusted his large frame on Lucy’s futon. “Is it that obvious?”

  “As obvious as a bump on a log.” Since they’d already broached the topic of his sister, Rafael was ready to hear more. “So what about my sister?”

  Drumming his fingers on the wrought iron arm of the futon, Dominic nodded. “Coby’s alive, in Belial’s palace. She seems unharmed.” An anguished breath wrenched from his mouth. “Too unharmed.”

  He leaned in, his eyes sparking. “I’ll rescue her, if I have to storm the hellhole myself.”

  Rafael steepled his fingers and nodded. He’d known Dominic long enough. He spoke the truth. “Thank you, Nic. Coby and I are lucky to have you as a friend.”

  “And I you,” he replied with a friendly pat on the back. His gaze shifted down the hall. “How long does it take your princess to shower?”

  “I haven’t any idea. How long do humans usually shower?”

  “It depends on how dirty they are,” his friend replied with a punch to his arm. “Doesn’t she know demons don’t need to shower?”

  “There are many things she needs to learn.” And he wanted to be the one who taught her. He owed it to her.

  “And you plan to instruct her, don’t you?”

  “If it will benefit the mission, and the Fore-Demons allow it, yes.”

  Dominic nodded. “They have.” He leaned in, lowering his voice a few notches. “I know you care for more than just the mission, but I won’t hold that against you. She’s quite a magnificent creature.”

  She was more than a creature. She was Lucia Gregory, sassy hairstylist that just happened to be a sex demon. She was fascinating and he wanted her more than ever.

  Blast Nic for being so astute.

  He ground his teeth into his lower lip. As insane as it seemed, he more than wanted her. He needed her. More than any other woman. Ever. The intensity should worry him, yet he felt comfortable. Alive. With a quick swipe of a wayward strand of hair, he turned his gaze to Dominic. Did he feel the same way for his sister? More than likely. Even though they both tried to deny it.

  “So you’re protective, aren’t you?”

  “I was given orders.”

  Chuckling, Dominic shook his head. “True, but your protection goes deeper, does it not? Like you’d do anything for her?”

  “How would you know?”

  His friend let out a long whoosh of air. “Because it’s how I feel for your sister, you fool.”

  Curse him. Always making a valid point. A point he couldn’t afford to agree with right now. Maybe later, after he skewered Belial and sent the chest back to Limbo.

  ***

  Flicking her hair back, Lucy allowed the cascading water to lick and caress her skin, wishing it were Rafe instead. Unfortunately, the pleasure would have to wait, thanks to the other demon who had made an unexpected visit. Did these guys have to take lessons in looking sexy? Dominic, tall and ripped, had a cocky smile, wavy sandy brown hair, and a golden tan. Sexy in his own right, but he didn’t hold a candle to Rafe. Maybe she could set him up with Serah. She had a thing for the Matthew McConaughey types.

  With a resigned sigh, she cranked the faucet off, the pipes groaning in response. Thus ended the shortest shower ever recorded. Not that she was complaining. The faint scent of Rafe and all his sexiness still clung to her.

  “Mmm,” she said, bringing her arm to her nose. A wide smile spread to her lips as the exotic spices wafted. But enough orgasms already. They had a mission. They needed to return the chest. And when that was done, she would help find Rafe’s sister. She owed it to him. Dominic Duvane be damned. He didn’t know Lucia Anne Gregory, succubus extraordinaire. Yeah, she may have only been a succubus for a few days, but she had a lifetime of powers at her disposal—and now a kick-ass katana.

  She would kick some serious ass.

  Shuffling out of the shower, she grabbed a towel and patted herself dry. What in the hell were those two talking about? Putting her ear to the wall di
dn’t help. They must have soundproofed the room.

  With a resigned sigh, she made her way through the door that adjoined the bedroom. Throwing on a pair of purple yoga pants and a sweatshirt, she swiveled to the bedroom mirror. Hair no longer wet, she gaped in silence. If she knew she’d have instant self-drying hair, she wouldn’t have bought that fancy blow-dryer last weekend.

  “Unbelievable,” she breathed out, scraping a hand through her hair. To her delight, it flipped out around her face. Screw that. It was more than surreal. It was magnificent.

  She twirled a lock of hair around her finger and made her way out of the bedroom. Tuning her ears, she strained to catch the two demons’ conversation.

  “So how do you plan to storm Belial’s castle?” Rafe’s voice, although muffled, carried down the hall.

  Now that’s what I’m talking about. She would storm right alongside them. A determined grin spread across her lips. She wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  With a flourish, she stole into the room. “Castle storming? Count me in.”

  “I think not,” Rafe said, placing his hands on his hips. “You’re lucky I’m letting you in on this mission.”

  After a quick roll of her eyes, she raised her chin defiantly. “Oh yeah. We’ll see about that.”

  The friction in the room spiked and energy crackled. She loved their little spats. Rafe’s silver eyes swirled and his jaw twitched. So predictable, but it was part of his charm.

  “Oh my, did you feel that?” With a shake of his head, Dominic gazed down at his arm. “My arm hair is standing on end. That’s some electricity between you two.” He turned to face Lucy, his smile apologetic. “Storming Belial’s castle is my mission and my mission alone. The Fore-Demons requested it.”

  “If the Fore-Demons told you to jump off a cliff, would you?”

  Dominic shrugged. “We’re immortal, you know.”

  Another demon with a strange sense of humor. It took a couple of seconds for those words to register. Immortal? Then again, Rafe, himself, was over four hundred and fifty years old. “Does that mean I am too?” She’d read enough vampire novels and spent enough time with Rafe to know that immortality wasn’t all that great.

  Noticing her nervousness, Rafe edged closer and raised her chin to meet his gaze. “We don’t know. One thing’s certain though.”

  She rolled her lip between her teeth. “What’s that?”

  “Your life energy is strong. If you’re not immortal, you will still live a very long time.” His gaze was warm and reassuring—as much as it could be in this situation.

  With a nod, she flashed a bright smile. “Hopefully not long enough that I’ll need to resort to identity theft.”

  “Identity theft?” Dominic threw back his head in a loud guffaw. “We’re demons. We make our own identities.”

  “Wow, comforting,” she mumbled. “But don’t you think storming a castle all by your lonesome a suicide mission, even for an immortal?”

  Dominic shrugged, his wavy sandy hair brushing against his brow. “It very well may be.” He turned to his friend. “Everything appears okay. The Fore-Demons will be pleased.”

  “The Fore-Demons can kiss my ass.” After all they’d put Rafe through over the centuries, they needed to do a lot of it.

  Sidling next to her, Rafe wrapped his fingers around her arm in a steely grip. “Lucy, not now,” he whispered.

  “These Fore-Demons don’t scare me.” she stood proud. When this situation with the chest was settled, she would give that council a piece of her mind. “I don’t like the way they make their decisions.” Then again, if it wasn’t for them sending him here, they would have never met.

  “It’s worked since the dawn of time, Lucy.” Dominic’s lips curved into a friendly smile. “May I call you Lucy?”

  “Yes, it’s what all my friends call me, and a friend of Rafe’s is a friend of mine.” She offered him her hand. “I suppose I’ll give this elusive Fore-Demon Council the benefit of the doubt—for now.”

  Rafe’s friend took her hand and gave it a hearty shake. “That’s all I ask. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lucy, daughter of Lilu.” He turned to Rafe, his expression serious. “I’ll let you know if I learn any more of your sister.”

  “Thanks, Nic.” With a nod, Rafe and Dominic grabbed each other’s elbows and squeezed. Oh! A secret handshake!

  “Cool,” she said, her brow arched. “I always wanted to join an organization with a special handshake.”

  Dominic chuckled. “In time, Lucy. The Fore-Demons may have good use of you.”

  Eyes flickering, Rafe drew his lips into a straight line. His nostrils flared. “Unfortunately, it’ll be Lilu’s decision on what his daughter does.”

  Her father’s decision? Not this again. “Actually, it’ll be my choice, thank you very much.” And knowing her father, he always ended up seeing the light.

  Arching a brow, Dominic let out a mirthful chuckle. “A familiar situation, is it not?”

  “Too much,” Rafe muttered. Scraping a hand through his hair, he blew out a frustrated breath and sidled a glance her way. “But I’ll deal with it.”

  With a quick roll of her eyes, she shrugged.

  Dominic glanced at Rafe and her, and then back to Rafe. “I’m sure you will.” With that, he bent down and grabbed his weapons, attaching them to his person. Adjusting the lapels of his trench coat, he smirked. “I have a council to attend. I’ll let you know if there are any new developments.” He turned to her and bowed. “Lucy, it’s been my pleasure.”

  Nodding, she offered him her hand in a not-so-secret handshake. She’d learn the secret one later. “Same here.”

  He took her hand in a firm shake. “Certainly. Well, I’ve tarried too long.” Offering Rafe a quick nod, he pulled his jacket closer and tied the trench coat. With a snap of his fingers, he vanished, fog and ice shards swirling in his place.

  “Great! More ice piles to clean up,” she said with a low chuckle.

  “One of the hazards of poofing.”

  “What’s it really called?”

  Rafe scratched his chin. “It’s called Peragrans… Traveling.”

  “I should’ve known it’d be Latin.”

  “It’s a very old language, spoken for hundreds of centuries.”

  “Still a well of information, aren’t you.” She reached down and grabbed the katana, pulling the sword from its sheath. Silver sparks flashed with each swipe of the blade. “So let’s get back to this training.”

  “This is insane, but I did promise.” Rafe flung open the closet. Procuring yet another magnificent sword, he turned to her. She could only gape in astonishment at the beautiful weapon he gripped. Was that a dragon carved down the blade? Emeralds, rubies, and sapphires flickered and flashed, sending a rainbow of light dancing on the wall.

  Did all demons’ weapons glow so bright?

  “That you did. En garde!” Lunging forward, she thrust her blade and pointed it at Rafe, beckoning him in challenge.

  Brow jutting upward, Rafe twisted his wrist, his blade circling in the air. “Nice stance.”

  “Why, thank you.” With that she swung her sword, careful to not to aim too high to mar his face and, of course, not too low, to avoid his other parts.

  Lifting his lips in a teasing grin, he brandished his sword and blocked her move, the zing of silver against silver renting the air. She spun around and swept the katana up, slicing a thin strip of his T-shirt.

  Rafe’s eyes widened and his grin returned. “I let you have that move. Let’s try again.” He raised his sword, the silver glistening in challenge.

  “If you can handle it,” she teased. She resumed her stance, the katana ready to strike.

  The jingle of Rafe’s BlackBerry reverberated from across the room. Eyes alert, he lowered his sword and re-sheathed it. “That may be Kalli with news.” Sensing her disappointment, he added, “Don’t worry. You did well. Very impressive for a beginner.”

  “That’s my daddy’s fault.”
/>
  “It probably is.” With that, he swiped the phone from the coffee table and clicked the send button. “Kalli, what is it?”

  Rafe paced back and forth in front of the table, scraping a hand through his hair. “The chest has been activated.” With a low groan, he shook his head. “We didn’t have time to tell you.” Covering the mouthpiece of the phone, he pulled it away from his ear. “Damn Nic,” he muttered under his breath.

  “What is it?” she asked, her nerves prickling.

  With a long drawn-out breath, he shook his head. “In a minute.” He returned the phone to his ear. “I’ve got her house warded and she can now protect herself.”

  Rafe nodded. Fingers gripped tightly around his BlackBerry, he paced back and forth.

  She wrung her hands. What was going on? Was it the shop? Were her friends okay? She hated being kept in the dark. She opened her mouth to speak.

  “Where is Dominic?” He growled. “Bloody hell!”

  And she promptly shut it. The call was about his sister. From the sound of it, it wasn’t good. She simply plopped onto the futon and sat back, letting Rafe to his call.

  “I can be there in five minutes, but I don’t want to leave Lucy unattended for too long.” Rafe drew out another long breath of air. “Thanks, Kalli.” With that, he ended the call.

  “What was that about?”

  Rafe’s gaze turned to stone. “Dominic tried breaching Belial’s castle. He’s MIA.” Jaw clenched, he sucked in a ragged breath. “The Fore-Demons request my presence.”

  No, this didn’t sound good at all. “How long will you be gone?”

  “An hour at the most. Just long enough to receive an update.”

  “What about your sister.”

  Rafe’s gaze grew cloudy. “I wish I could say it’s good.”

  “How do you know it isn’t?”

  He rolled his teeth over his lip. “Meetings like this never are.”

  Taking long, confident strides toward Rafe, she grabbed him by the shoulders and narrowed her gaze. “Don’t give up on her Rafe. She’s your sister.”

  “I don’t plan to.” His expression softened. With a gentle finger, he swiped a few stray strands of hair from her face and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as possible.”