“To the king,” Bjorn said.
“He hadn’t yet finished his course,” Xerxes said, “but he’s now at peace, his spirit in the Most High’s realm of the heavens. A far better place.”
They shared a moment of silence, each remembering the good the king had done them over the years.
Together, they stalked out of their suite and to the roof of the club. Thane flared his wings. A darkened sky stretched all around him, stars glittering prettily.
“And now we will finish our course.” Thane dived into the night, heading down, down, down, and angling west. Air whipped against his skin, tangled his hair, becoming warmer the closer he got to the ground, even when the snowcapped Sierra Nevada came into view. There was a wealth of pine trees, and a lake as clear as crystal. Human ski huts. Humans trudging through the snow.
And there was Maleah’s place. A cabin comprised of stone and ice, hidden in a cliff. Sent Ones liked to dwell in the elements, and the fallen female must have clung to the habit.
Thane misted through the walls and found himself inside a room lacking any sort of comfort. There were computers, TV screens, radios and all kinds of other equipment, but no couches, cushions or blankets. No photos.
A female he’d heard about but never seen manned everything with a sharp eye and a constant tapping on a keyboard. She looked like a Goth princess, with her white skin, long white hair, multiple tattoos and piercings. A thick sweep of bangs hid her forehead and framed her big blue eyes.
Bjorn and Xerxes landed beside him.
“Pretty,” Bjorn said, looking her over. “I hadn’t heard that fact.”
If she cooperated, perhaps he would take her to the Downfall for a few days of fun. If not...
He couldn’t kill her. That would be against the rules. But he could do other unpleasant things.
“I expected you sooner,” she said suddenly. Her chair swiveled around, and she pinged Thane with an unwavering stare.
She shouldn’t have been able to sense him. Just then, she was human.
And pretty failed to do her justice, he realized. Her features were bold, sensual. She had a thick fan of white lashes, and heavy-lidded eyes. A strong nose, with a piercing curling from both nostrils. Well-defined cheekbones. Lush lips, with two barbells beneath the lower. A stubborn chin.
He stepped into the natural realm. “Impossible,” he said. “You knew exactly when I would come.”
“I knew when you were scheduled to come. I thought you’d be in a bit more of a hurry.” Her gaze swept over him, taking him in. Whether or not she liked what she saw, he couldn’t be sure. Her hardened expression never changed. “William said you were a cocky one.”
She hadn’t heard of him while she’d lived in the skies. He was somewhat offended. “Are you his lover?”
She chuckled with genuine amusement—but she never confirmed or denied.
Bjorn and Xerxes joined him in the natural, and she gave the warriors the same once-over. Again, her expression remained blank, unreadable.
“Armed for war, I see,” she said. “Against me?” There was no fear in her tone. Only acceptance.
“Why did you fall?” Thane asked.
Another chuckle bubbled from her. “Yeah. Watch me as I don’t talk about that.”
Very well. He would find out later. “What do you know of the six demons—”
“Now hiding here on earth?” she asked, one brow arched.
He stepped toward her, hands fisting. “Yes.”
“I’ll show you.” She turned back to her monitors, began typing. “New York is a high crime area, right, but it ebbs and flows, and there’s very rarely a huge and sudden spike. Things usually build. Well, last night there was a spike unlike any I’ve before seen. Murders, rapes, thefts, beatings, but most happened in the privacy of human homes and have gone unreported. And it wasn’t just in a select area, but widespread.”
“That proves nothing,” he said.
She snorted. “As you know, the mere presence of a demon causes the very atmosphere and energy of a place to change.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean the spike was caused by demons.”
“Whoever killed your king would now be weak. Germanus would have fought, and fought hard. The demons would have known you guys would soon be on their heels, and so they would have wanted to rebuild their strength quickly. As they fed on evil, they would have sent their minions to do the most damage possible.”
Stunning and smart. Yes, he wanted her. “So they have spread out.”
“Definitely.” She pointed to a map of the world on a separate screen, tapping her finger against the reddened areas. “Each of these places had a similar spike.”
“There are twelve places,” Xerxes said, “yet only six demons.”
She rolled her eyes, saying, “You know as well as I that we aren’t unwise to the schemes of the enemy. They would have known we could track them this way, and they would have wanted a way to circumvent that. Hence the minions I mentioned.”
We, she’d said, as if she were still part of an army. “You think they’re commanding their forces to attack other areas, away from them, to divide our efforts.”
“Exactly.”
He, Bjorn and Xerxes shared a look. She was probably right—and they should have figured that out on their own.
So where do we start? Xerxes asked, his voice whispering through Thane’s mind. They could communicate with every member of Zacharel’s army this way—if they so chose—but they preferred to speak only with each other.
I don’t think it matters, Bjorn said. No matter where we go, we’ll be destroying part of a demon army.
True. But the six leaders will be concentrating their efforts on gaining control of the humans. The more humans they recruit, the less we can do to fight back.
So again, where do you want to start? Xerxes asked.
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that it’s rude to mind-talk in front of a girl?” Maleah muttered.
Thane ignored her. He thought for a moment. We’ll split up, each take an area. If one of the six is discovered, the finder will alert the others and we’ll go in together.
Bjorn nodded.
Xerxes stiffened. Very well.
Since their rescue from that demon dungeon, they had spent no more than a single night apart. They had always had each other’s backs. But to stay together now was to slow their search, and they owed the former king more than that.
I’ll take New York, Bjorn said.
I’ll take the Highlands, Xerxes said.
Las Vegas was the second-biggest red dot, but...
I’ll take Auckland. I have a house there. Thane protected what was his.
He clasped Bjorn’s hand and pulled him in for something the humans called a chest bump. Then, Bjorn flared his wings and was off. He did the same with Xerxes, and he, too, darted away.
“Thank you so much, Maleah,” the girl muttered with a shake of her head. “You helped us tremendously, Maleah, and we couldn’t have done this without you.”
“That has yet to be proven,” Thane told her.
She tossed him a scowl. “You better learn some manners before you approach me again. Otherwise, I won’t give you any new information.”
“A promise?”
“A threat.”
He fought a grin. He had yet to meet a female who could resist him for long. And that wasn’t pride talking, but truth. Too many ladies had a weakness for a pretty face, and he had a face prettier than most. He would have been saddened by the fact that so few cared to look beyond the surface at the man inside if he’d ever actually wanted a female to see the man inside.
“Why do you do this, anyway?” he asked Maleah. “You cannot buy your way back.” No one could. Some Sent Ones had returned to the heavens after falling, but actions had had nothing to do with it. They’d had to approach the Most High and ask.
“I know I can’t,” she said softly.
“Then why do you do this?” he asked again
.
She didn’t face him, but he could see that her smile was sad. “You’re probably intimately acquainted with my answer.”
“And that is?”
“Regret.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
NICOLA WANTED TO BE anywhere other than a fancy steak house with two men she barely knew. But she was determined to have a good time for her sister’s sake. And so far, everyone at the table believed she was.
“—and so, about two years in, I realized she’d been cheating on me with my brother for most of our relationship. And you know what? That wasn’t even the worst thing she did!” Blaine, Laila’s date, told another story about the woman who’d broken his heart, ruined his life and left him tangled in all kinds of emotional wreckage, only stopping long enough to gulp the rest of his fifth beer.
Laila placed her hand over her heart, her eyes watery as she listened raptly and tried to offer comfort.
Dex rubbed the back of his neck.
Nicola forced a smile and shifted in her seat. She’d ditched the comfortable, pretty clothes Koldo had given her in favor of the black dress she’d worn to the triple funeral for her mom, her dad and her brother. It had seemed like a good idea when she’d pulled it out of the closet. After all, it was probably better to look outdated than to wear what one man had bought her while spending the evening with another. But she’d put on a little weight, and the material was constricting, making it difficult to breathe.
Koldo had taken one look at her and scowled. “That’s how you want the human to see you?”
How could she have responded to that?
After that, he’d lectured her about safety, ending with, “Do you have your phone? You had better have your phone. Call me if he does anything you don’t like. Or if he doesn’t like something you do. And don’t forget you have the tattoos on your arm. And don’t forget you can call upon the Most High.”
“I won’t. Daddy.”
His scowl had darkened before he’d flashed her and Laila to her house. Then, he’d commanded her to stand still while he ran his burning-hot hands all over her face, her arms, even her legs—smearing every inch of exposed skin with some kind of glittery lotion. Then, without an explanation, he’d vanished. She hadn’t seen him since. But at least he hadn’t taken his warmth with him. For the first time in her life, she wasn’t wearing a sweater, wasn’t pressed up against the living furnace known as Koldo, yet her body temperature was properly regulated. She wasn’t shivering.
Dex and Blaine had arrived soon after that, and here they were, at Kodiak. They sat at a small table illuminated by candlelight, the thrum of a harp playing softly in the background.
Laila looked gorgeous in a red satin sheath dress Koldo had purchased, with her pale hair tumbling down her shoulders. Blaine wore a dark suit and tie, both of which were askew. Dex also wore a dark suit and tie, the perfect complement to his lean build. He’d been nothing but solicitous, eager to please, and had hung on her every word. Every woman needed to date a man like him at least once. But, despite all that...she still wanted Koldo. Only Koldo.
“So,” Dex said, tracing her knuckles to pull her into a private conversation probably meant to tune out Blaine.
There was no heat in their touch, no tingles. “So,” she said.
He frowned, even paled, and drew back his hand. He looked down, studying his fingers in the light.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“No. No. I just... I thought I felt a terrible... Uh, never mind.” He forced a laugh. “So you got tattoos, huh?”
“Yes.”
“I never would have guessed.”
Her, either.
“Why numbers?” he asked.
“Why not?” she said, because she had no other believable response.
He shrugged, saying, “Fair enough. So did I tell you that I haven’t been on a date in months?”
“But why?” The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake and blushed. “I’m so sorry. That was such a rude question. And I have no room to judge. I haven’t been on a date in years.”
He sipped at his wine, studying her over the rim of the glass. “That’s impossible. Every man at the office is halfway in love with you. And if you had ever shown the slightest bit of interest, they would have been fully in love with you.”
In love with her? There was just no way. “Why would they want...” Another rude question, and one she wouldn’t finish.
“Why would they want you?” Dex asked, completing the sentence for her. He gave another laugh, this one relaxed. “You’re so composed, so quiet, and you’ve been so sad lately. It’s become a compulsion to make you smile. You’re more beautiful every time I look at you, yet you have no idea. And I could go on and on.”
“Thank you,” she replied softly. If she didn’t change the subject she would burst into flames. “So...have you spent any time with Jamila and Sirena?”
He’d been in the process of swallowing another sip of wine and choked. He coughed, beat at his chest.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine, fine,” he wheezed. “Uh, what makes you ask about those two?”
“I was just wondering how they seem to be doing to the rest of the office.”
“Oh, uh, great I think. I...haven’t really cared to find out about them.”
The waiter arrived with the food, set the plates on the table, and Dex released a relieved breath. The sharp scent of the spices hit her, and her stomach twisted with hunger, a voracious appetite demanding attention. Just then, she wished she’d ordered a juicy rib eye rather than a bowl of fettuccine.
“Tell me more about your recovery process,” Laila said—and Blaine did just that.
“They’re sure getting along,” Dex said, again reaching out to pat Nicola’s hand.
The table never shook, and yet his wineglass suddenly tipped over, the dark red liquid quickly spilling over his jacket and pants. Yelping, he jumped up.
“Excuse me,” he gritted out before hurrying to the men’s room.
* * *
“YOU’RE ACTING like a child,” Axel said.
“That’s funny, coming from you,” Koldo replied through clenched teeth.
“You threw alcohol at a puny human male.”
“He’s lucky to still be alive. I could have thrown daggers.”
“Wait. Did you think I was complaining? I was actually cheering.”
They’d stood beside the foursome’s table for the past twenty minutes, watching the couples interact.
Koldo had arrived in a bad mood, and that mood had only grown worse. He’d tracked his father, and it’d been easy to do. Every flash left an imprint in the air that was vacated, and Nox had done a lot of flashing. But the trail had led to Nicola’s house and grown cold, a fact that had enraged Koldo. A rage he wouldn’t allow himself to express. He had a woman under his care now. No longer could he give his temper free rein. What if he scared Nicola? Or inadvertently hurt her?
Axel, who could find anyone, anywhere, had had no luck with the Nefas. So, they’d given up for the time being and come here.
Koldo had nearly dialed her number a thousand times. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked—so beautiful he hadn’t wanted the other male to see her. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry for snapping at her.
He wanted to tell her that her date was a liar and a sex fiend.
Dex was the one Koldo had seen having sex with Sirena right on top of Nicola’s desk, that time he’d visited her office. And now the male was pretending not to know the girl.
With every second that passed, one fact had become stunningly clear. Koldo should have gathered Nicola in his arms and staked a real claim. Another kiss. Only longer. Deeper.
She belongs to me.
And it was time he proved it.
A moment passed. He nodded. Yes, it was indeed time he proved it. Poor Nicola.
He was half-Nefas. He was dangerous. He was disgusting. He was evil. Already his past had
risen up to threaten her. He had no wings. He’d never been with a woman, wasn’t sure how to please her in that way and wasn’t sure how he would feel afterward.
She’d had so little joy in her too-short life. Everything she’d ever loved had been stolen from her. If Koldo kept her, romantically speaking, she would be no better off. His time would be divided between her, his mother, his father and ultimately his duties. And what would happen to Nicola if ever he fell from the skies?
Still, that hadn’t stopped him from spreading his essentia all over her little body today, marking her and warning all other males away.
Now there was a radiant, golden sheen to her skin.
Koldo could see it, and he knew Axel could see it. But not Dex. And yet, the human had felt the heat of it when he’d dared to reach out and touch what belonged to Koldo. An action that had nearly gotten him killed. Koldo had snarled and launched forward, determined to remove the human’s head from his body—and would have, if Axel hadn’t tackled him to the ground.
She deserved better than Dex. Better than Koldo. But...she wasn’t going to get it, and that was that. She was getting Koldo. All the other details could be worked out later.
Blood might stain his hands, but he would only ever treat her with tenderness. And she wasn’t like Cornelia and Nox; he’d already realized that. She would never treat him with hatred and cruelty.
She’d made him laugh while he was at his worst. He loved having her in his arms. He loved having her in his lap. He loved talking to her, teaching her, listening to her wit and her observations, simply breathing her in. He loved tasting her, and now wanted all of her.
Why try to find another woman, an imitation, when he had the real thing already? Nicola was the most beautiful creature he’d ever beheld, and he wanted...everything from her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to see her with her hair flowing down her back. He wanted to hear more stories about her childhood. He wanted to avenge the wrongs done to her.
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