“You’re overdressed.” She tugged at his shirt.
Daric shook his head. “No, no, Scion. Ladies first.”
His hands made a slow, exquisitely soft trail down between her breasts, her stomach, before moving further down to the open top of her jeans. He pushed the zipper the rest of the way down, and his hand snaked inside.
She lifted her hips to make things easier for him, helping him push the jeans down past her butt and to her knees. Cool air greeted the heat on her inner thighs and made her shiver. Or maybe it was his fingers as they explored their way down her legs in an effort to get the offending piece of cloth out of the way.
By the time he pushed the jeans down to her ankles, it was all she could do not to touch herself. She vibrated in all sorts of fun places.
He took one boot off, then the other. She heard them thump to the floor; each thud made her veins pulse. The jeans followed, inched slowly off her calves and over her foot by his determined, slightly calloused hands. She lay there, exposed, aching and more than ready for those hands to find their way back up her body.
As if he read her mind, his fingers traced a path up her calves. His lips followed, soft, warm with his breath, gently exploring inch by inch. When he reached her thighs, she groaned. This was torture. She willed his hand to stop on her crotch, to caress the mound there and relieve the pressure that he’d built. She moved one leg to the side, a clear invitation.
His hand brushed her panties exactly where she wanted him to be, but he didn’t linger. He continued on up to her breasts.
“Daric.” She grabbed his head and pulled him up for another kiss.
This time, he took command. His tongue explored every inch of hers. One hand formed a fist with her hair, while the other massaged her breast. Her lips tingled with the force of his efforts. Somewhere in the kiss, her panic left, to be replaced by intense longing for more. More kisses, more of him touching more of her…just more.
She raked her nails along his back. His muscles were tight and powerful, and for the moment she felt safe. There was no demon, there was no ritual, there was no responsibility. There was only this, and as far as she was concerned it could last forever.
Daric lifted from her and cold air rushed in. Her nipples stood at attention, excited by the sudden chill.
“Are you ready for me?” He smiled, and his hand moved slowly down her stomach to her panties. His fingers pushed them aside and slid between her lips.
She could have told him she was more than ready, but she enjoyed the rush that went with the flare of lust in his eyes when he discovered she was wet and more than willing for him to explore every inch of her body, inside and out.
He kept his eyes focused on hers, a deep connection that shook her, as his fingers worked their way inside her. He dipped into the liquid that had pooled, then moved up to stroke her at the very tip of her clit. Her back arched, and she couldn't stop the small sound that escaped her throat.
The dimple appeared on his cheek. He stroked again, and then his fingers worked at her in earnest. She pushed her hips against his hands. Her eyes closed. His breath warmed her face. His lips kissed her mouth, her nose, her eyes. The pressure of his hand on the groin and his finger inside her took her breath. She was so close to the edge…
He stopped and moved away.
She groaned and opened her eyes. What now?
The look she saw on his face should have been accompanied by devil horns. He’d stopped to tease her. Make her wait.
“Daric.”
He stood and took off his shirt, tossing it aside like a rag. The pants came off a bit slower. She could wait; she wouldn’t have missed this show for anything.
She couldn’t stop a grin when she saw he wore boxers. That convenient hole in the middle left little to her imagination.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself.”
“Not yet.” His voice, and his eyes, held promise. He pushed his boxers off without ceremony.
She couldn’t help but stare. She’d seen men naked before. Alex in particular was a fine specimen, one any woman would find worthy of excitement. Alex hadn’t been her first, either. She wasn’t innocent. But this felt different. She wanted Daric on a deep level she couldn’t even explain to herself. Maybe it was the fear and uncertainty of what lay ahead. Maybe it was the remains of her power mingle with Steffahn. Maybe it was something else all together. Whatever she told him, this felt like a commitment. More than her little stunt with Alex. More her deal with Steffahn. She licked her lips.
Daric must have noticed the shift in her mood, because concern replaced the delight and lust in his eyes. A crease formed in the middle of his forehead.
“Tarian?”
She held out her hands. When he took them, she pulled him down next to her.
“I don’t want to think. Don’t think.” She took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes. The warmth there banished all butterflies in her heart and stomach. She pulled his face to hers and kissed him softly. “I want you.”
His hand on her hip tightened, and he responded by kissing her quite thoroughly.
Daric shifted until his body was over hers. His hand gently moved her legs apart, wider, until he slipped between them and then moved so his hard-on brushed against her. Her mouth watered. No more nerves. Just longing and need.
“Don’t tease.” She moaned.
He grinned, then reached down and let his fingers play with her once more. She felt them, slick against her skin and her clit, which jumped at his every touch. She was right back on the edge of the cliff so fast she gasped.
He slipped inside her, warm, hard, demanding, possessive. She arched her back to receive him, and then wrapped her legs around him to keep him anchored there inside her. He filled her so completely.
For a moment, he didn’t move. She closed her eyes and took in every bit of him. His scent, the feel of his arms beside her shoulders holding himself above her. Her hands drifted along his biceps and then to his back. It felt so right. He felt so right. She squeezed, and he shifted his hips slowly, pushing further inside her.
She opened her eyes to look at him. He watched her, his eyes traveled over every inch of her face as if reassuring himself that she was ready and not regretting her actions.
She tightened her thighs around his hips and pulled him deeper. He didn’t hold back any longer. His hips started to move in, out, in, out. Her breath matched the rhythm and then her legs joined in, helping him move.
If she thought she’d been at the cliff’s edge before, it was nothing compared to what she felt now. He moved faster. Her heart raced to keep up.
He shifted again and his motion quickened. Her body responded, every nerve in her groin tingled. She couldn’t keep her eyes open anymore. She let go and lost herself in the moment and the rhythm of two bodies, joined as nature intended. A soft moan from Daric blended with her groans. More. More. Faster.
Take me there, dammit. Now.
When she climaxed, her magic joined in to push her out into a void of nothing but pure sensation and energy. His mixed and blended with hers. More than the raw strength of Steffahn, this time power mixed with passion, lust, trust, and a blend of fear, and sheer unvarnished need.
Her body shook with release, arms and legs trembled, head exploded. The tracer stirred in her neck. Energy from it raced along her own magic, buoyed by Daric’s, out of her body into the void.
She tried to pull it back but it was too late. The tracer established a solid link, and she couldn’t sever it. Desperate, she pulled herself back from the brink of climax and opened her eyes.
Chapter 32
Daric’s ragged breath and sweaty body hovered over her. His arms shook with the last of his own climax. His eyes opened and fixated on her. She couldn’t tell if he’d felt the demon or not.
She grasped Daric’s arms and tried to steady her breathing.
“Tarian?” He moved off her. She instantly missed the warmth of him inside her. Why did that demon have to i
ntrude now?
The blend of power had called him to her. Even here, protected by the House. She’d ignored the fundamental rule. Power called to power. With every bit of magic he stole, he solidified his link to her and his ability to sense even the slightest magic use.
Part of her slipped away, already owned by the demon.
“Talk to me. What’s going on?” Daric stood up and picked up his pants, shoving his legs in them so fast he nearly fell over.
The demon tugged at her. With the solid link, the connection felt intimate. Almost like they shared a body. He was doing…something. Whatever it was, it took a lot of energy. She wasn’t even sure he was aware she’d connected to him at last.
"It's time to trap a demon, that's what's going on." She put on her shirt and stood to get her pants. "So did you bring it or not?"
Daric let his shirt fall to the floor again. He took hold of her arms and pulled her close so that she was forced to look him in the eye. "We can't go into this with less than all the facts. What happened just now?”
She closed her eyes so she didn't have to see his expression while she explained.
"Just at the end, the tracer joined us and linked to the demon. I can still feel him, but I don't think he's aware of me." She didn’t like the way her voice quivered and cleared her throat to make it stop.
Daric squeezed her arms. "You're tracking him right now?"
She opened her eyes so she could glare at him. "Not on purpose. I don't know why it happened. But now I can feel him. I can find him. He's doing something that takes a lot of concentration and energy. If we do the ritual right now he'll be easy to find, and easy to catch."
She pulled away and finished zipping her pants. "I have the words. You have the container. Alex has the backup. Let's do this."
Daric picked up his shirt and put it on, then pulled a small box out of his pocket and handed it to her.
"This is it?" It fit neatly in the palm of her hand and looked to be made of silver.
"It's steel. It'll block just about any magic signal, and this is a case where size really doesn't matter."
"Amazing." An entire person, or demon, shoved into something this small? She couldn't picture it.
"Will the ritual work better if we're closer to him?"
"Yes. Power can only stretch so far. But I don't think we should be right next to him. You're still vulnerable."
"Yes, but I have big strong men to protect me." She smiled at him.
He snorted. “You’d be better off with women. They have more power for this kind of fight.”
“If this doesn't work. If he gets control of me anyway." Tarian swallowed. Her mouth was suddenly bone dry. “If that happens, I need you to promise that you'll end it.”
Daric crossed his arms. "Exactly what do you mean by that?"
"You know what I mean." She couldn't look at him.
"If you mean you want me to kill you, forget it. Not happening."
"I need to make sure my family is protected. You can't let that demon send me back to this house under his control. The throne will fight back. Or worse, it'll let him take over. I can't let that happen." Her pulse throbbed along the side of her neck. It all seemed overwhelming. "You can't let that happen. Promise me."
Daric shook his head. "I won't make that promise."
"If you won't, then I'll ask someone else."
"I doubt you'll find anybody who would agree."
Her instinct was to say Alex would do it. He'd do anything for her. Anything. Except that.
Daric took her in his arms. "It's not going to come to that, Tarian. This will work, and if it doesn't then we'll think of something else. I won't abandon you. You aren't alone."
"I should be." She buried her face in his chest. "I should have run the second that demon got my blood."
Daric hugged her, his hands soothed and comforted. "If the demon wants the throne, he'd find another way to get it. One thing I've learned in my job is that there's no good way to stop someone who is willing to risk their life for something, except to end them before they succeed. You didn't do this, Tarian. It's not your fault."
"It is. I was sloppy."
"Someone betrayed you. That doesn't make you sloppy."
She pulled away. “I just can’t believe someone in this House would do that.”
“Betrayal only works if it’s someone close to you. Who knew you'd be in Philly?"
Tarian thought about it. "Alex. Frankie. Daryl. That's it."
"There's your answer."
"There is no way Alex or Frankie would do something like that to me. No way." Anger at the thought rushed through her. He didn't know Alex. If he did, he'd never accuse him of something like this.
"You said another name."
"Daryl? He wasn’t the one. He’s dead.” She thought about it. He was a junior Sentinel. Not even full yet. He was nobody. She shook her head. "He was silenced. A bit player. Someone else is pulling the strings. So to speak."
"Everybody has their button. Everybody has their price. If he’s dead, it’s because he knew something he shouldn’t. And someone else was having their button pushed.”
“Maybe the demon is the one pushing the buttons?”
She noticed the slightest hesitation before he answered. His eyes shifted away from her.
“Maybe.”
"But you don't think so. You think someone inside this house is in on this…whatever this is. You think there’s more than just the demon.”
Daric nodded, looking her in the eye. "I think a plan this elaborate has a lot of hands."
“You’re hiding something, I can tell.”
“Not hiding. Just not certain of facts.”
She nodded. “Next time you think I'm holding back something, just remember you said that. Come on. Alex and Frankie are probably waiting."
She put the container Daric had given her into her pocket and opened the door.
Chapter 33
Tarian led the way to the rotunda, listening to Daric’s boots as they pounded the floor. His stride created strong, sturdy beats that echoed off the walls until it sounded like an army followed them. Funny how two people could make so much noise.
Alex and Frankie stood waiting in the Rotunda. Both wore guns, daggers, enough gear to take out a small town, and grim expressions. As she approached, she watched Alex’s eyes flick from her, to Daric, then down at the floor. A flush rose on her face. He must know by now that she’d run out of the arena and that Daric had followed her. News traveled fast in such a confined location.
“Can you track him from here?” Daric surveyed the room.
She closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel the demon as an extension of herself. It wasn’t tracking. It didn’t involve her power at all. His link to her prickled her skin as if stabbing it with a thousand tiny toothpicks. It was all over, as though the signal were confused or blocked. She couldn’t tell what direction she should go.
"Not without shouting to him that we're coming. He feels it every time I use magic, and he steals more each time I track someone. In here, he’s blocked a bit by the walls.”
Alex frowned. "I don't think we should be handing him any more weapons than he’s already got. What happened to drawing him into that warehouse?”
Tarian crossed the room toward the entry. “That’s plan B now. If he’s this distracted, we should go to him. He won’t expect it, he won’t be ready for it. He’s entirely focused on…something. Now’s the time to jump.” Tarian stopped, and looked back the men.
Daric nodded. "Agreed."
“How you gonna track him when every time you do he steals power?” Alex spoke with patience, as though pointing out the obvious to a child.
Tarian glared at him. “How else are we going to find him? None of you can track." Still, it was a problem. The last time she'd tried to find someone who couldn't be tracked, she hadn't had to use magic at all. At least, it hadn't felt like it. As a matter of fact, her tracking skills hadn’t seemed to help whats
oever.
"I'm going to try something. All of you stay close.” She glanced around. "Maybe we should hold hands, just to be sure."
She took in the perplexed looks from all of them. “If we travel the same way I did to reach Sucole, he won’t feel us coming. The last time I used it, the tracer didn't even jiggle.”
“The last time you used it, that didn't work out so well.” Daric looked at Alex and Frankie. “She disappeared right in front of me, left me standing there feeling stupid.”
Alex snorted.
Frankie held out a hand. “She’s right. If we're touching each other, we should travel together. That happens even in portals.”
Tarian took Frankie’s hand. "It's worth a try." Daric took her other hand immediately, but Alex crossed his arms instead.
"What if it don't work? What if you disappear? How we gonna find you?"
"If we don't go now, it might be too late. He has a direct line to me. Every minute we wait is a minute I no longer have. If I end up there without you, I'll portal back immediately."
Frankie held out a hand to Alex. "It should work. From everything I've read, it should work."
Alex uncrossed his arms and slowly walked around Tarian until he stood behind her. He placed both hands on her shoulders, and squeezed.
"I got your back." He whispered in her right ear.
She felt Daric squeeze her left hand, so she knew he'd heard. But he said nothing. Thankfully.
"Okay, boys, here we go."
She closed her eyes and concentrated once again on the connection with the demon. Without using magic, she tried her best to picture him. The image she came up with matched the one she saw in the alley, but she didn't want to travel to the alley. She let her mind drift. Where was he? What was he doing? What could he see right this moment?
For a heartbeat or two, all she saw was the lizard-man. His claws extended toward her as they had in the alley. Then a room solidified around him. It looked like a living room of a typical house in the suburbs. She grabbed the image and focused on it, willing it to appear around her like she'd done with Sucole. She painted every detail of the room in her mind. Curtains with ruffles around a picture window, a rug made of some sort of rags on the floor, a fireplace with a marble mantle. A smell greeted her, one of must or mold, and something metallic. Wet. Acrid.
Demons & Djinn: Nine Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy Novels Featuring Demons, Djinn, and other Bad Boys of the Underworld Page 135