by Deanna Chase
Kane was sitting at the desk, his head in his hands.
“Hey,” I said and placed my hand on his back. “You okay?”
He lifted his head, his brow knit in a pained expression. “Headache. It came on suddenly, as if my energy’s being leeched out of me.”
I dropped my barriers instantly and ran my fingers lightly over his forehead, leaving a whisper of my magic behind.
Kane let out a tiny moan of relief. As I was pulling my hand away, he caught it in his and kissed the tips of my fingers. “Thanks.”
I smiled down at him. “You’re welcome.”
He gazed up at me, his features smoothing out. “Did you find what you were looking for when you went out there?”
“Yes. The club is charged with your energy for some unknown reason. The people are lined up around the block because of your incubus pheromones. What we don’t know is why. Charlie said it’s been this way since last night. She thought we spelled the place to be sexually charged in order to boost business or something.”
His eyes went wide with surprise. “Damn.”
“Yeah.”
He stood up and stared at the closed door.
“There’s not really anything we can do about it right now,” I said. “Tomorrow, after everyone’s left, we’ll check into it. Maybe get the advice of the other incubi.”
“Maybe.” But the way he said it made it sound as if telling any of the Brotherhood was the last thing he wanted to do.
“We can worry about it tomorrow. For now, Charlie has it under control, and I told her to call Pyper if anything gets out of hand. She’ll be able to contact Bea or Lucien.” My solution for Charlie wasn’t the ideal plan, but it was better than nothing. Kane and I had a job to do.
He retreated from the door and walked to the middle of the office. “I’m ready when you are.”
I positioned myself beside him, slipped my hand into his, and held my breath when our world tilted. The soft glow of the office light winked out, replaced by pure darkness. Wind rushed in my ears, and then, still holding Kane’s hand, my feet slammed into the ground. I didn’t even stumble.
“We’re getting better at this,” I said to Kane as my eyes adjusted to the lack of light.
He didn’t respond and was so silent that had my fingers not been wrapped around his, I might have thought we’d been separated. Anger and hatred crawled over my skin, and my heart slammed against my ribs. “Who’s here?”
Kane shifted, tightening his hold on my hand. “Jade?” His voice was strained.
“What’s wrong? What’s going on?” I twisted, craning to look up at him, but the shadows were too dark. I couldn’t see anything except his outline.
“Everything feels… off,” he said so low I barely heard him.
“It is off. Someone or something is here.” I leaned in closer and whispered, “Whoever it is, is full of hatred.”
“Jade?” Kane said again.
“Kane?” Had he not heard me at all? Alarm took over, making my head spin. “What’s happening?”
He swayed next to me and before I could do anything to stop him, he lurched to the side and fell, landing hard on his shoulder.
“Kane!”I cried again and dropped to my knees, rolling him onto his back. Finally my vision had adjusted enough to make out his features. His eyes were closed and a trickle of what appeared to be blood ran from a small gash on his cheek. “No, no, no. Not now.”
It suddenly dawned on me that he was reacting the exact same way the angels had. Whatever the evil was that lingered here was draining all of his energy. If I didn’t get him out of here… I didn’t even want to contemplate the consequences. It was too awful.
Clutching his hand with both of mine, I closed my eyes and imagined the pair of us walking back into the club’s office. The thought should have been enough, but nothing happened. The world didn’t spin and when I opened my eyes, we were still in the desolate grayness that was the shadows.
Except this place was filled with hatred. Anger. Desperation. The air pulsed with it. And as I concentrated on the evil trying to worm its way into my consciousness, my limbs became heavy and the world started to fade. The problem was we weren’t headed back to the club. We weren’t headed anywhere.
My defensive walls shot up in a last-ditch effort to shield myself from whatever was stealing our energy. Instantly, my head cleared and the shadows came into focus. What was usually a mirror of our world, cast in shades of gray, was now a crumbling ruin. We were sprawled across a room that resembled Kane’s office, with peeling walls and rotting floors. The ceiling was caved in, and crumbled paper and garbage lay strewn across the floor.
An image of Kane and Lailah trapped in an old ruin came back to me. Purgatory? Is that where we were? Or a remote part of Hell? Kane and I had been there once. It hadn’t looked like this, but it had been full of destruction and despair.
We had to leave. One way or another, we were getting out of here. If I couldn’t walk Kane out, I’d just have to use my magic.
“Kane?” I said as I gripped his right arm. “Can you hear me?”
His eyelids fluttered, but he didn’t open them.
“I’m going to cast a spell tied to home. When I start to speak, just imagine our home and that we’re back there. I’ll do the rest.”
He didn’t make any indication that he’d heard me, and panic started to crawl through my veins.
I forced it down, focusing on the magic that pulsed just below my heart. It was fainter than it usually was, but I pushed away the doubts trying to claim my mind. I was a white witch, leader of the New Orleans coven. Nothing was going to keep me here in this hellish place.
Magic warmed my chest and spread, fortifying my weakened state. I gazed down at Kane, waiting for the magic to build. He was completely still, his chest barely rising.
A gasp caught in my throat and tears blurred my vision. “No, damn you. Don’t even think of leaving me.” Reaching down, I let the magic spark over his chest and pushed some of my own energy into him.
His body bowed as he sucked in a sharp breath. Groaning, his eyes flickered open.
“Kane?”
“Jade?” he said through cracked lips.
“We’re going home now, you understand?” My words came out in short, choked sobs. “Home. Just picture us at home, and we’ll be there in a few moments.”
“Home,” he said, his eyes closing again.
My insides were churning with raw, desperate fear, something I’d never experienced before, even after all the battles we’d suffered through. And something I never wanted to experience again.
Clasping both of Kane’s forearms, I chanted, “From one to three and three to one, carry us home, thy will be done.”
Magic sparked over me, engulfing my hands, and spread over Kane’s bare skin.
A tiny bit of relief thread its way into my heart, but then the magic retreated and started to crawl up my arms.
“No!” I steeled myself and forced the magic back onto Kane, imagined it engulfing his entire body and forming an invisible barrier so it couldn’t attach itself to me again. “Kane!”
He blinked, his eyes clear as he stared up at me.
“Imagine our home. Do it now.”
His gaze searched mine, seemingly hesitant.
“Now!”
The shock of my bark seemed to startle him into action, because he gave me a small nod and closed his eyes. A second later, his body vanished, leaving me alone in the ruins of the shadows.
Chapter 4
“Home!” I cried and imagined our living room, but my magic flickered like a dying lightbulb and winked out. Dammit! Plan B. Imagining the office in the club, I took a step and nearly sighed in relief when the world tilted.
A second later, I was sprawled on the office floor, my ability to walk through the shadows still intact even if my coordination wasn’t. Scrambling to my feet, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and hit Kane’s name. The phone rang once and went to voicemail.<
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“Double damn!” I shot through the office door and fought to block out the intense sexual energy pulsing through the club. The tension was so thick my limbs became heavy and my head swam with hazy confusion, but I kept moving. I had to find Kane.
Bursting through the front door, the warm night hit me in a wave of redemption as all the raw energy from the club faded away. Sure, the excitement from the nightlifers on the street still invaded my senses, but it was nothing like being in the club. Without looking back, I picked up the pace and ran the few blocks to our house.
“Kane?” I called as I burst through the door.
Silence.
“Kane!” Sprinting to the back of the house, I rounded the corner to the hall and smacked right into the solid form of my incubus.
“Whoa.” His arms came around my waist, steadying me. “What took you so long?”
“What are you talking about? It’s only been a few minutes.” I curled my fists and punched him lightly in the shoulders as he smiled down at me, humor lighting his eyes. “Are you laughing at me?”
He shook his head. “Never.” Then he dipped his head and covered my mouth with his. A tiny spark of magic danced between us, just enough to calm the remaining panic.
I pulled back, scanning his body from head to toe. “Are you all right?”
He was a little pale but appeared fully functional. Nodding, he walked us backward into our bedroom. “I will be.”
Stopping in the middle of the room, I cupped his cheek. “What happened?”
He chuckled. “I passed out. You were there.”
I pursed my lips. “Yes, I remember that part. Did you just black out, or did you feel something stealing your energy?”
Unbuttoning his shirt, he sat on the edge of the bed. “Come here.”
“Kane.” The fight went out of my body as I gazed at him waiting for me, his eyes lidded with fatigue.
“Kiss me,” he said, tugging me down so I was straddling him. He ran his hands up my thighs, taking his time as if savoring every inch. His firm, yet gentle touch sent shivers of anticipation up my spine.
I reached up and brushed a stray lock of his dark hair out of his eyes, reveling in the faint trace of his fresh rain scent. His hands tightened on my legs as he seemed to breathe me in. We sat there, suspended in the moment, all traces of magic and incubus allure gone. It was just the two of us, reconnecting.
“I love you, Jade,” Kane said, his voice low and full of emotion.
It was enough to bring tears to my eyes. “I love you, too.” Tilting my head, I cupped both of his cheeks and kissed him softly, barely brushing my lips over his.
“I never doubted you’d get us out of the shadows, you know,” he said against my lips. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
“No stronger than you are,” I mumbled, running my hands over his shoulders.
He pressed his forehead to mine and placed his hand over my heart. “I meant in here. The love you carry for those of us lucky enough to be in your life is greater than anything I’ve ever known.”
I chuckled. “I think you’re a little punch drunk from the energy zap you got when I transported you home.”
“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean I’m not speaking the truth.” He snaked his arms around me and slid his hands up under my shirt, caressing gently.
I closed my eyes, luxuriating in his touch. Ever since he’d turned incubus, our lovemaking had been intense. Frantic even at times. Overwhelming. But this, the pair of us sitting together, just enjoying each other, was rare. “This is lovely,” I said, brushing my lips over his cheek bone.
“You’re lovely.” He pulled my shirt up further, his warm breath tickling my neck.
I lifted my arms as he tugged the shirt over my head, leaving me in my black lace bra.
“And so are these.” He grazed the tips of his fingers over the crest of my breast while trailing kisses down my neck. Pausing at my throat, he gently pushed my bra straps over my shoulders, chasing the fabric with his lips.
The gentle sensation of his touch warmed my heart, and the love pulsing between us seemed to swell and grow, filling all the tiny cracks left by our trip into the shadows.
“Kane?”
“Yes, love,” he murmured across my tingling skin.
My fingers found the top button of his shirt. “I need to feel all of you. To know you’re real. That we’re real. That the shadows didn’t take even one tiny inch of you.”
“I’m all yours, pretty witch.”
“And don’t you forget it.”
He gave me a small smile as I pushed his shirt off his shoulders. I took a moment to caress his bare skin, the cuts of his well-defined muscles, the two-inch scar just below his collar bone, and the ridges of his abs.
He sucked in a small breath, his stomach quivering under my touch. Then, with his eyes smoldering, he stood, lifting me easily. My legs automatically went around his waist as he spun us around and then crawled onto the bed, lowering me beneath him. He hovered over me, his hungry gaze heating me all over.
I trailed my fingers over his chest. “Now what do you have planned?”
Humor flashed in his dark eyes, followed by a spark of heat. “My plans include a lot less clothing.”
In answer, I unfastened the button on my jeans.
Kane watched me for a moment and shifted down to help me shimmy out of them, removing my underwear with them. He quickly divested himself of the rest of his clothes, while I freed myself from the lace bra.
A moment later, Kane crawled back on top of me, cupping my breasts. The magic sparked deep in my belly as my nipples hardened, aching for his touch. But he didn’t oblige. Instead, he ran his hand down my side until he reached my hip. He was being deliberately slow, taking his time to torture me.
I wasn’t having it, though. I needed him. To feel him. To touch him. To have him inside me. Hooking one leg around his, I rolled us both over and straddled him. “I can’t wait,” I said, tears of emotion burning the backs of my eyes.
Kane sat up, repositioning me so my legs were wrapped around his waist. And when his lips claimed my right nipple, I let out a low moan and lifted my hips, catching the tip of his hard shaft at my center.
“Yes,” he whispered against my skin, holding himself completely still.
My breath caught and then ever so slowly, I lowered myself, taking him inside me. A deep, contented sigh escaped from my parted lips.
Kane pulled back slightly, his hands loosely gripping my hips as he filled me up, stretching me.
Then, as we watched each other, we both started to move, slowly, deliberately, savoring the moment. Love-filled magic blossomed around us, consumed our bodies, and as my power built, I felt his love touch me deep in my soul.
I let out a tiny whimper and pressed closer, trying to relish every last inch of him.
“You’re mine,” Kane said into my neck. “Now and forever.”
“Forever,” I echoed as the tension built deep in my core.
Suddenly Kane’s hands were everywhere, my neck, my breasts, the sensitive flesh where my hip and thigh met. Each stroke matched his thrust and just when I was certain I’d never get enough of him, his teeth scraped over my nipple as his thumb found that sensitive bundle of nerves at my center.
“Oh.” I moaned, my muscles tensing around him.
“That’s it, Jade. Come for me, baby.” Powerful magic burst from deep inside me, crackling around us as Kane’s strong hands gripped me and he thrust up hard. Once. Twice. And with one last stroke, we both cried out, coming undone together, powerful magic crackling around us.
Kane clutched me to him, burying his head in my neck as I held on, riding out the ripples of pleasure and tiny magical aftershocks.
“Wow,” I said a few minutes later, kissing his temple.
I felt his lips curve into a satisfied smile against my collar bone. “That was…”
“Amazing?”
He pulled back. Using one finger, he gen
tly tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I was going to say intense.”
“That, too,” I said and slipped off him, tugging him down to the bed.
Kane rolled onto his back, cradling me in his arms. “Are you okay?”
I rested my head on his chest, content to listen to his heart beating. He was asking about the magic transfer. As an incubus, Kane now attained his power from me and after being drained in the shadow world, he’d needed more than usual. “I’m fine.”
He lifted his head and gazed down at me. “Really?”
I smiled up at him. “I might need an extra vitamin supplement in the morning, but really, I’m okay.”
“Good.” He pressed his lips to the top of my head, giving me the sweetest, most tender kiss.
My heart swelled. The love between us was overwhelming. All consuming. But also deep and mature and full of meaning. It was more than I could’ve ever asked for.
Silence closed in around us, our bodies entwined. And as we lay there in the quiet of the dark, I couldn’t help the night’s events flashing through my mind: Kane almost unconscious in the shadow world, me not able to walk him out of the shadows, and then the magic used to bring him home and the fact that through our touch we were able to make each other whole again.
The reality of what we could accomplish together made my heart swell with gratitude and pride. I snuggled in closer to Kane and just hung on, grateful to be in his arms.
Kane’s breathing became deeper and regulated. I pulled the blanket from the end of the bed, tucking it around us, and then curled up, joining my incubus in the oblivion of sleep.
The dreamwalk hit me the moment I slipped under. I found myself in Pyper’s apartment above The Grind. Kane was standing next to her near the ceiling-to-floor windows, their heads bent together in confidence.
Neither noticed me, and for the first time in over a year, I felt like an intruder in Kane’s dream. I cleared my throat, not wanting to interrupt but not wanting to eavesdrop either.
Kane’s head came up and he glanced around, but he seemed to look right through me. Pyper glanced at him, cast a confused look around the room, and then continued talking, her expression intense.