“You’ve been spying on me?” Mira said, louder than she’d intended, if the curious stares they got from passersby was any indication. But he had her rattled. Of course, the fact she could feel his heat through her clothes and smell his scent—like warm sand and sunshine and leafy green woods—didn’t help either.
“It’s my duty to protect the first Seal, and the mortal who hosts it. I am—”
She slapped a hand over his mouth as more people came out of the bakery. Kagan scowled, his breath warm against her palm, sending a fresh wave of awareness shivering up her arm.
Once they were alone again, she snatched her hand away. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to discuss your divine duties in public.”
“The Scion watch their charges. It is what we do.”
Ugh. To the uninformed people passing them on the sidewalk, that probably sounded even more creepy. Her suspicions were confirmed by two women who stood nearby, casting furtive glances their way then whispering to each other in hushed tones. Mira rolled her eyes. With her luck, they probably thought she had a stalker on her hands.
Mira grabbed Kagan’s arm and hauled him into the small eatery. Thank goodness, it was quiet inside, with only a few people at the small tables placed around the room. She chose a spot away from everyone else, near the corner window, and sat Kagan down in a chair next to a small table.
“Wait here,” she said, hoping he was true to his word and obeyed.
After ordering their desserts and paying, she moved down the counter to wait and looked over toward the table again. Kagan was still sitting there, looking out of the window. If her research and what he’d said was true, then he must spend a lot of time watching the mortal world.
He shifted his shoulders, frowned, pulling out his weapon to check it. Several people nearby gasped at the sight of the gun. Mira grabbed their order and rushed back to the table, taking a seat in the chair opposite him. “Put that away before someone calls the police.”
Kagan did as she asked, looking none too happy about it. “I need to make sure I am prepared at all times. It has been a long time since I have had so much freedom and so little danger. I meant no offense.”
And now she felt bad. She passed him a chocolate cupcake with sprinkles. “None taken. I just don’t want you getting in any more trouble than you have to.”
He smiled in return, a twinkle in his blue eyes. “Thank you. I am also not used to people caring about the trouble I am in as long as it suits their purpose.”
“What’s it like?” she asked before she considered the question. “Working for God?”
His smile dimmed. “Divinity provides all that we need. What more could I ask for?”
A lot, she thought before she caught herself, not missing the loneliness in his voice.
“How did you get here?” Her natural curiosity surfaced again. “Did you fly?”
“Vortex. A sort of divine wormhole. Would you like to try one sometime?”
The thought made her stomach tighten but she nodded just the same.
“Then we shall do so.” Kagan picked up his cupcake and sniffed the white frosting before taking a tentative bite. His lips parted, and his eyes widened, his gaze locked with hers. “What sorcery is this?”
Mira grinned, tearing into her own devil’s food confection. “No magic at all. Just chocolate and sugar. We humans happen to be addicted to it.”
“Addicted?” He eyed his dessert warily then set it back on the table, shifting uncomfortably in his seat and crossing his legs, settling his hands in his lap. “I should not have any more. To distract myself from my duties would be unwise.” A small muscle ticked near his jaw and he tugged his shirt lower as if hiding something. “And I will have words with Luther and Wyck when next we meet. My brothers did not explain the effects of this chocolate well enough.”
Effects? Mira looked from his lap to his eyes, his meaning unmistakable.
Right. Chocolate affected Scion differently than humans. Good to know.
“About that.” Heat raced to her cheeks. “From everything I’ve found on the Scion, I thought you were supposed to be…well…asexual.”
He blinked before muttering what sounded like a curse. Distant thunder rolled outside. “I am not asexual.”
From the heat in his eyes and roughness in his tone, he seemed willing to prove his point with her right now in the cute little bakery, witnesses be damned. Mira nibbled on her cupcake and focused on the tips of her black boots, avoiding the smoldering gaze of the immortal warrior across from her and wanting to crawl into a hole somewhere and hide.
“I have not had a woman in many centuries, but I am in no way an impotent creature.”
Okay then. And of course he’d said those words loud enough that every eye in the shop turned in their direction. Mira sank lower into her chair, wishing one of those vortexes of his would open up and whisk her away.
“Sorry.” She winced, repeating back his words from earlier. “I meant no offense.”
He exhaled slow and nodded, the spark of passion in his eyes banked, for now.
“In the ancient texts I read, some called your kind evil.”
Kagan leaned back and sighed. “We are an avenging force with many enemies. The rumors are bound to spread.”
“True.” She straightened, looking him over again. He was sex on legs, luscious in every way imaginable. Divine warriors weren’t supposed to be so tempting, were they? “Kagan, slayer of a thousand enemies.”
He smiled, all dark and sexy. “I am bad on the battlefield, but I can be very good elsewhere.”
The double meaning in those words vibrated through her like a tuning fork. She couldn’t help imagining him, naked and entwined in her sheets. She wondered if his impressive proportions extended to all areas of his body.
“What does my mistress command?” His smile widened, and she didn’t think they were just talking about her revenge anymore.
She wanted to command, boy did she want. But she couldn’t. They barely knew each other. He was from Heaven, she was from Earth. Best to resist while her conscience was still functioning. Resist the temptation across from her and focus on her revenge.
“Like I said, I don’t want Argus dead. But I do want him to suffer. To feel jealous and hurt and unloved. Like he doesn’t matter, to me or anyone else.”
Kagan nodded approvingly, his blue gaze icy.
She finished her cupcake then stood, an idea swirling in her head, solidifying. It was crazy and would probably never work, but she had to try. “I have a plan.”
3
Later that evening, Kagan double checked the black suit he’d manifested from the image in one of the fashion magazines at Mira’s apartment while waiting for her to change, then smoothed a hand over his hair and tightened the knot of his blue tie. Mira walked beside him through the dark streets. Her plan was simple, yet likely to be effective. He glanced over, catching glimpses of her short black dress from beneath her coat. It hugged her curves and flared out from the waist. The black high heels highlighted her shapely legs. Her curls were pinned up into a messy bun atop her head and her makeup was perfection, her red lips most alluring.
If he’d thought it difficult not to look at her before, now it was impossible. Honestly, Mira had ensnared his attention from the first moment he’d seen her, and he could stare at her forever. Which played well into his cover for this mission—he was to be her doting date, an attentive, charming lover, to show this Argus she’d moved on romantically.
“He’ll be here.” Her tone sounded less than confident. Kagan wasn’t sure if the words to meant to reassure him or herself. He wondered if she was having second thoughts. In truth, her form of revenge was far gentler and more lenient than his would have been. If given his choice, Kagan would happily cast her abusive, unfaithful mate into a bottomless pit to suffer torture with Lucifer and his demented minions.
Her breath hitched, and Kagan tracked her gaze to a neon sign ahead. The Hideaway. This place was one she�
��d frequented with Argus. Kagan had yet to obtain a description of this despicable male of hers, but Mira had said promised she’d point him out once they were inside.
“I shouldn’t ask you to do this.” Mira stopped and faced him, her breath frosting in the air. “It’s not right.”
“All you’re asking me to do is pretend to be your lover. This is an easy charade, I assure you.”
Whatever she desired of him, she would have.
Sin or no sin involved.
Mira moved closer, her sweet female scent surrounding him—roses and cinnamon and soap. The light perfume teased his senses and lured him in as much as her appearance. She’d never looked this beautiful on his screen in heaven. She went to move away and Kagan caught her wrist, stopping her. Beneath his fingers, her pulse thrummed fast.
“You’re nervous.” He stroked her silky skin, wanting to run his hands over every inch of her and memorize all her supple planes and curves.
“Considering I’m about to walk into a bar with an immortal warrior, can you blame me?” She attempted a light tone, but her expression was serious.
“They don’t know what I am.” He placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face their reflection in the dark window of a shop behind them. “They see only a normal couple.”
Her eyes widened as he whispered near her ear, “Does my present appearance please you?”
“Yes.” She turned her face slightly to look at him over her shoulder, her face close to his. “Very much.”
Her honesty touched his heart. His gaze fell to her lips and he stepped back, away from the temptation they presented. “If you are satisfied, then we begin your revenge.”
He held out his hand and she slipped her fingers into his without hesitation. They walked to the nightclub while Kagan tried to remember if he’d ever held a woman’s hand before. If he had, it had been so long ago he could no longer recall, and he was certain it had never felt this good.
The guard at the door stepped aside the moment they neared. Mira gave Kagan a surprised glance, but he just shrugged. Some mortals were easier to influence than others and the bouncer had been an easy target. A message sent straight into his head saying he wanted to let the beautiful woman pass had been enough to make the guard lift the red velvet rope.
Kagan led Mira down into the dark interior of the basement club, moving her in front of him as they reached the crowded space at the foot of the stairs. They stopped and checked her coat at the booth before moving farther inside. Blue neon lit the black bar and white spotlights cast a pale glow over the bartenders and their patrons.
He scanned their surroundings, committing all the exits and escape routes to memory, more out of habit than any real sense of danger. The dance floor was small and busy with mortals bumping and grinding to the hypnotic rhythms booming from the speakers. Blue strobes and lasers made their movements seem stuttered and broken. Clusters of round black tables with stools lined the edges of the room. Most were full. The electronic music was loud and fast, the hard bass resonating in his chest and making him miss the pristine peace and quiet of the heavenly realms.
Distracted, Kagan nearly bumped into the back of Mira when she stopped abruptly in front of him. The press of her warm body stirred him almost as much as the coffee had earlier. He quickly moved away before she noticed his arousal. Mira looked back at him then gestured toward the dance floor. Her touch burned though the arm of his jacket, making him hungry for more, making him wonder what those fingers would feel like on other parts of his body.
He began to see why his fellow Scion craved mortal women.
The side of her breast brushed against him as she raised on tiptoe. She wanted to tell him something. He lowered his head, his lips grazing the top of her ear.
“That guy, with the shaggy pale hair and shirt open to his navel?” she said, her voice far too loud for his sensitive hearing. “That’s Argus.”
He searched the crowded dance floor for his target, then zeroed in. The guy reminded Kagan of the preening, drunken Satyrs depicted in ancient mosaics, all beastly manners and lustful looks. This Argus showed far too much chest, with at least his top three buttons undone, grinding his pelvis against a slender dark-haired woman in a tight dress.
“Is that the female he betrayed you with?” The woman was nothing compared with Mira, in Kagan’s opinion. He winced as the female crouched low to the ground, her bottom jiggling back and forth against the man’s legs while her skirt rode up to the top of her thighs, giving every male in the room no doubt about her feminine assets. Argus cheered her on, thrusting his crotch against her face in a parody of fellatio. The thought of Mira with such a disrespectful, disgusting idiot made Kagan desire to send the man to Hell after all.
“Want to get a drink?” Mira shouted over the thumping music.
Kagan shook his head. “Alcohol would not be wise. I’m not sure whether it is still forbidden.”
“Oh.” Mira looked past him to the bar. “Well, I need a drink.”
“Then you shall have one.” He stepped back and bowed slightly. “I’ll return momentarily.”
She gasped when he dematerialized in front of her. Seconds later another woman squeaked when he appeared in a space next to her at the bar. He accidentally knocked against her then murmured an apology.
“Looking for a date?” The battered her long lashes, her fingernails sliding along his forearm, her surprised expression soon dissolving into a come-hither smile. Kagan glanced over the heads of the crowd to where Mira still stood beside the dance floor, her expression still somewhat flummoxed from his abrupt disappearance. “No.” He removed the woman’s hand from his person. “I am here with someone.”
She snorted. “Too bad, sweetie. I’d give you the ride of your life.”
He laughed, never having heard such ridiculous flirting in his long, immortal life. Why would he leave Mira? She was kind, warm, beautiful. Their gazes locked across the space and his smile fell as realization dawned. He wanted her.
As he’d never wanted a mortal woman before.
Throat tight, Kagan hailed the bartender and ordered the best frou-frou drink on the menu. Moments later something called an Angel’s Tit slid across the bar. Having seen many a celestial being’s breasts first hand, Kagan could confidently verify this drink looked nothing like them. Still, he paid with the bills Mira had given him earlier then disappeared again and reappeared beside Mira once more.
She jumped at his sudden appearance then shook her head, taking the drink from him.
“The man tending bar said it’s called an Angel’s Tit.”
“Right.” She sipped the creamy concoction, deftly avoiding the large maraschino cherry on top, licking her lips afterward and drawing his attention to their scarlet fullness again. Her smile had changed from sunny to brittle. “Did your new friend recommend it?”
A surge of power prickled over his skin, dark and ancient. The Seal stirring inside her.
“No.” He squared his shoulders, his Scion instincts sensing her jealousy. “That female at the bar recommended something else entirely and I refused.”
“I see.” The crushing power radiating from Mira vanished and her sunny grin blossomed anew. She seemed completely unaware that anything had happened. He’d never dealt directly with a Seal host before, though he was tied inexorably to them. He wasn’t sure his Scion powers would withstand a direct assault from the Seal’s energy, and he had no intention of finding out.
A table nearby became available and he guided Mira over to it with a hand on her elbow. She slid gracefully onto a tall black stool and placed her drink on the table. Kagan took the seat opposite her, watching her sip her drink and waiting.
The pounding music overhead gradually changed to a new tune, something slower and more melodic. The dance floor cleared a bit, with many patrons heading toward the bar. Argus walked past them with his date and Kagan placed his hand over Mira’s. The man’s gaze flicked to them before moving on.
Mira leane
d across the table, her eyes wide. “Did he see?”
Kagan blinked, unable to look away from the view down her dress her position afforded him. She tempted him beyond all measure, yet she seemed completely oblivious to her charms. He forced himself to look away, tracking her cheating ex’s progress across the room. “Yes, he saw.”
The man was shorter than Kagan, and far less muscular than was warranted for the battlefield. Also, there was something about his pale complexion, his flat eyes, his sharp and slightly sinister expression, that seemed oddly familiar to Kagan’s everlasting Scion memory, though it was hard to pinpoint exactly why in the club’s dim light.
Still, there must have been some redeeming qualities to the man to have drawn Mira’s heart. Unfortunately, none of them were apparent to Kagan at the moment. All he saw when he looked at this Argus was a liar, a cheater, and a coward who preyed upon those less advantaged than himself. He deserved punishment and suffering, just as Mira desired.
Argus and his date reached the bar and the man looked back over his shoulder at them, hopefully seeing that Mira had moved on and that she and Kagan were more than friends.
Mira sipped more of her drink and Kagan held her hand, grazing his thumb lightly over skin, the delicate veins beneath. She didn’t seem to mind his touch now, or perhaps this was part of the act. His glanced at her face, the lasers from the dance floor casting her in shades of ultramarine and violet. The color made her dark curls look black and hazel eyes glittered. It was all too easy now for him to remember the unearthly power she housed within her DNA. Yet her sudden, ethereal appearance only acted as an aphrodisiac for his preternatural Scion senses. She flashed him a teasing smile, her red lips curving seductively, and Kagan was tempted to take their charade further, to see her reaction.
“What are your hobbies, outside of work?” he asked as the music changed back to thundering drums and electronic noise.
Scion's Destiny Page 3