by Celia Kyle
But I don’t love you.
She’d keep telling herself that lie. It hadn’t been twenty-four hours and already she… Nope, it was lust. It had to be lust. Uncle Luc was working overtime and shoving a deadly sin down her throat. Right.
“Caith…” Stricken eyes met hers.
A commotion in the hallway was followed by the crack of breaking wood and the door slammed against the wall. Drek charged into the room, snarl on his lips as he exposed his deadly fangs. His gaze swept the area, his attention lingering on her, then Edzard and finally settling on Sam.
His focus remained on the gel even as he spoke to her. “Caith?”
“I’m fine. It was a misunderstanding.” She swallowed the next words that rushed to her lips. Misunderstanding because Sam’s an asshole. “It’s okay, Drek. Sam’s just leaving and it’d be great if you could take Edzard.”
“What happened?”
Her stare settled on Sam. “Nothing. Sam was just confused, but I’ve explained things.” She looked to Drek. “Now we’re good and I’m still tired. So if you could drag Puppy out of here, I’ll send Sam on his way and I’ll get some sleep.”
Caith smiled, hoping to reassure Drek, but when he simply narrowed his eyes, she knew she’d failed. Yes, she’d failed, but he did as she asked nonetheless. It took moments for a few of the thelacs to carry Edzard from the room which left her and Sam alone.
“Caith, I…” Sam reached for her and she stepped away. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
“Why?” She quirked a brow.
He frowned. “What do you mean why?”
“I mean,” she spoke slowly as if he were a child. “Why do you care? Did you suddenly decide I’m worth forsaking your illustrious On High?”
“You can’t expect—”
She held up a hand, cutting him off. “You know what? You’re right. I can’t expect you to feel things that aren’t there.”
Sam snorted. “You mean to tell me they are for you? You’d leave Hell for someone you love?”
“I already have, Sam. My fathers, Jezze, Momma R… My soul calls for the fires of Hell, but I love them all and so I deny my nature and stay. For them.”
He shook his head. “It’s not the same. You can always go—”
“No,” she snapped. “If I leave the tween and go to Hell, that’s it for me. So I have to weigh my love for heat and destruction against the feelings I have.” She spun away, unwilling to look at him any longer. “Just go, Sam. I don’t expect anything from you. There’s no point.”
“It’s not the same,” he tried again.
“You’re right,” she whispered. “But you should ask yourself if you’re trying to convince me or yourself.”
He growled. “Caith.”
Caith stared at a pale pink spot on the wall and fought the emotion that pummeled her. “Please leave.”
Quiet descended and she wondered how long she’d have to remain immovable and silent before he gave up.
One second turned into two which turned into forty-seven.
He’d stared at her back for forty-seven seconds before he finally vanished in a swirl of sweetness and sulfur. Today the sweet overrode the proof of his half-fallen status.
So, his decision was pushing him toward On High’s welcoming arms. She supposed that was good. For him, at least. For her… not so much.
Chapter Nine
Caith met a sheepish Edzard outside the Necan the next morning and she imagined that if a thelac warrior could blush, he would be at that moment. She was annoyed with him, but when his dark hair fell forward and brushed his eyes, she remembered he was nothing but a three hundred-year-old puppy.
She clomped down the porch steps, her boots thumping over the worn wood, and sighed. He had those big eyes with their red irises that cried out for a hug and forgiveness. Forgiveness she could handle. The hug so wasn’t happening. She’d had enough thelac hospitality to last a lifetime.
She hit the pavement and tilted her head back to meet his gaze. Dammit, he looked so pitiful. With a sigh, she turned left, sticking her hands in her pockets as she made her way down the street. She’d made it a dozen feet—alone—before she finally turned back to him.
“You watching over me today or what?”
The corner of his lips twitched and then they slowly parted into a grin. Of course, right that second some downtown partygoer had to emerge from the alleyway and stumble right into him.
“Dude. Sorry, man.” The stranger groaned and she tensed, waiting for the thelac to rip the little human limb from limb.
Caith really hoped Edzard would give the puny kid a break. She hated the paperwork that came with disappearing tourists.
“Dude.” The boy straightened and reached for Puppy’s mouth. “Are those real? That’s fuckin’ wicked.”
And that made Edzard snarl. Thelacs weren’t big on touching unless they were doing the touching. That had the human jerking back and tripping on his own feet until he plopped into a heap at Puppy’s feet.
“No need to get your dick in a knot, man.” Instead of standing, the kid merely fell backward farther until he lay spread eagle on the sidewalk.
She hated downtown mouse-land. The morning drunks always got on her nerves. It was bad enough she had her own crap to deal with but hung over humans… She shuddered. It was why Hell’s Chapel was as far away from them as possible but still close enough to keep the tweeners in line when they decided to go dancing au naturel.
“Dude.” The human pointed at Edzard and she wondered if the kid was looking to lose a finger. Or hand. It depended on the thelac’s mood. “Are you in that new movie? With the things and the things with that thing? Dude. Gonna be the best movie ever!” The boy burped, and Caith’s eyes watered with the stench. Dayum. “Can I totally get your autograph?”
Edzard shifted his attention from the human to Caith and raised a single, questioning eyebrow. She wasn’t sure if he wanted to give the human the autograph he craved or rip the boy’s head off. Better to be safe.
“C’mon, Eddie, we gotta go.”
Edzard grunted and stepped over the kid, following in her wake. She ignored the whining human. He should be thankful, not ungrateful. Kids today…
In her time—
Caith cut that thought off at the pass. She was starting to sound like her fathers. Gah.
In no time, Edzard was padding beside her, his body between her and the empty street. Aw, someone had taught him manners after all. She had half a mind to push him in front of an oncoming car. Protect that!
She took a deep breath and sought calm. She was wearing her uber bitch hat and she didn’t have time for a ragefest. She had to get the bar going and find someone to put her car back together. Or at least haul it away and give her a few hundred bucks for it. Then she could put that toward a new hunk of metal.
She’d liked that so much…
They turned the next corner and found what she’d been hunting. A few cabbies were parked on the side of the road. The trip would cost a pretty penny, but she didn’t want to go for the alternative. Touching Edzard was so not happening.
Caith put two fingers between her lips and sucked in a breath to release a harsh whistle to get their attention. With Edzard at her side, she’d probably go for the SUV driver, but really, she just needed to get to Hell’s Chapel.
Before she made a sound, Puppy tugged her hand down. “We don’t need a ride. You know I can—”
“Oh, we’re not doing that again.” She shook her head.
“But—”
“Nope.” She stopped and whirled to face him, hands on her hips. “That little prelude to love shack we had in my room isn’t happening again. Little Eddie,” she ignored his darkening glare, “is staying in his pants.”
Not waiting for him to say anything else, she got back to her task and released that harsh sound.
The three men turned their attention to her and they all took time to t
ake her in from head to toe. And like most men, they lingered on her tits. It seemed tits were a universal occupation. Tween, gel, or dem, they all had to take a long look.
She’d dress more conservatively, but dammit, they were one of her best features. She’d say that On High gave them to her so she’d flaunt them, but she doubted On High had much to do with breasts. Well, not a half-demon’s anyway.
Of course their staring had Edzard growling and her sighing and she hoped they’d get to the bar without bloodshed. Ignoring the sound, she jogged across the street and pretended their stares didn’t bounce in time with her loping strides. She also ignored the way Puppy’s growl turned into a moan as he stared at her ass.
Males.
She slowed as she approached the SUV driver. “Know where Hell’s Chapel is?” The guy nodded. “Feel like driving out there?” Edzard finally came to a stop beside her and the cabbie looked the thelac up and down with a frown on his face. Caith dug into her back pocket and tugged out her wallet. It was nothing to slip a few bills out and make them visible to the guy. “Double for us both and take less than twenty minutes.”
“Deal.” The cabbie didn’t hesitate to reach for her cash, but she stepped back.
“I’m not that dumb. Half now, half upon delivery.” The man snorted. She hated having to deal with humans sometimes. She waved at the other two men nearby. “You want me to go to them? Because I got no problems leaving your ass here and giving them the hundred dollar fare. Your choice.”
The cabbie glared and held out his hand. “Fifty now and—”
“Yeah, no.” She shook her head. “Still not dumb. Twenty-five now and—”
“Caith, I can—” Edzard interrupted and she was sure he was trying to be all helpful and stuff.
“No, you can’t. This guy is gonna take my twenty-five and haul our happy assess across town.” She narrowed her eyes at the human, daring him to argue.
“Fine,” he snapped and held out his hand. “Twenty-five and your friend better not get that makeup shit on the seats.”
Oh. Right. She almost forgot about Puppy’s, er, makeup. “He won’t.” She grabbed Edzard’s wrist and tugged him toward the back doors. “C’mon. Get in and keep your makeup on.”
That had Edzard releasing a snort that quickly turned into a cough. “Right.”
Shaking her head, she climbed in, and the second all doors closed, they were off, the SUV racing down the streets. Soft music filled the silence. At least until the cabbie spoke.
“So, you’re Caith, right? Caith Morningstar?” The guy tried to make it sound like an innocent question, just a cabbie making conversation.
The thing about it was… no one but tweens knew her real name. Caith never changed, but the Morningstar surname belonged to the tweeners, dems, and gels only.
She shot Edzard a look, wondering if he sensed anything from the male. She didn’t detect any hint of other in him, but she hadn’t been awake long and coffee wasn’t filling her veins. She raised a single brow in question and he gave her a small shake of his head.
She wasn’t wrong. Human guy then. “Yeah, I’m Caith. Caith Murray, though.”
“Oh, ‘cause I heard it was Morningstar. You own Hell’s Chapel, right? He got that right, huh?”
Caith merely hummed, her skin itching the longer they remained in the man’s cab. Even half-asleep, she knew danger wasn’t imminent, but that didn’t make her feel better. The wolf prowled beneath the surface, its hair on end and lips curled back in a threat. Yeah, the animal wasn’t any happier than she was.
“Yup, I own HC.” She ignored Edzard’s piercing stare.
“Right, right.” The cabbie had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, and sweat beaded on his temples.
Nervous. But why? And how long would it take to discover the point to this rambling questioning.
“I went there once. To Hell’s Chapel. Good times. Some weird shit, right? You’re into that kind of stuff…”
He kept speaking and she continued to stare at his profile. No way had this man gotten over the threshold. Her bouncer was better than that, and now that she was easing more toward awake, she realized not a hint of tween, dem, or gel clung to him.
Caith focused on the passing scenery, eyes unseeing as she listened to the sounds filling the space. The wolf added its help, seeking the steady thrum that filled humans. “When was that?”
The cabbie’s heart rate increased, the muscle fluttering in his chest and sending blood flooding his veins. The stink of his sweat filled the SUV and she listened as each droplet slid over his skin.
Twined through it all was the stench of his lie.
“N-N-Not sure. A while ago, though.”
“Uh-huh.” Liar, liar, may Uncle Luc set your pants on fire and eat your soul for breakfast.
“So, is it true? The weird stuff? My cousin says—”
“Who’s your cousin?” Two could play the questioning game.
“Well, you don’t know him. He’s only been in once. He was vacationing here for a few days.”
Another lie. Even on the off chance his “cousin” was a tweener blabbing his mouth, everyone was required to stop by on their way in and out. If it was under twenty-four hours, a call did the job, but she hadn’t had a day-er in at least a year. Why come to the house of the mouse if they weren’t gonna stay a while?
“Uh-huh. You should have him stop by and see me.” She let her gaze drift from the scenery and finally meet the cabbie’s gaze in the rearview mirror. “I’ll buy him a drink.”
“He doesn’t—”
“I insist.” She smiled widely, knowing her canines were just a bit longer than a human’s, shining a hint whiter than theirs as well. If he looked close, he’d see a slight shimmer of heat rising from her skin. “I’d love to catch up with him. See what he thinks of Hell’s Chapel.”
The man swallowed hard and carefully pulled alongside the curb, popping the SUV into park the second they halted. “I’ll-I’ll do that.”
Caith nodded at Edzard to leave and the man glared at her, trying to stare her down before he finally gave up and climbed out.
Alone, save the human, she leaned forward, bills in hand. She didn’t place them in his palm, choosing to press her hand against his chest. She let a hint of hellfire flow, making her touch a smidge painful and she didn’t miss the initial stink of burning cloth.
“Double. As agreed.” He sucked in a harsh breath and she didn’t wait for him to acknowledge her before she left the vehicle. When she turned back to him, hand resting on the door, she smirked at him. “Thanks for the ride.”
She slammed the door closed, the whole vehicle shaking with the force, and walked toward her bar. On his own, the cabbie wasn’t a threat to her life. There was no reason not to present him with her back. Now. Later though, once she discovered why he was asking his questions and how he knew way too much about her business, she’d introduce him to her blades.
Secrecy or mother fucking discretion. There was nothing secret or cautious about that shit.
Edzard hadn’t gone far and the almost permanent glare was firmly in place.
“What was that?” he snarled.
“What was what?” Caith feigned ignorance as she dug in her pocket for the bar’s keys.
“You know what.” He wrapped his large hand around her forearm and jerked her to a sudden stop. “What was that? You should have let me—”
Without a word, she placed her palm on his skin, squeezing as hard as she could as she sought out the purity in her soul that came from Papa Finn. Heat wouldn’t do a damned thing against a thelac warrior, a demon born of fire that trained in volcanoes. But no dem could stand pure goodness. So a split-second passed and Edzard went from snarling warrior to pouting puppy. He dropped to his knees, her fingers still encasing his forearm, and a strangled whine came from the six-feet plus badass.
“You males keep forgetting who I am and that’s a very, very big mistak
e. I’m tolerating you because I like Drek. As much as I can like a thelac.” She squeezed tighter, pulling a moan from him. She hated being a total bitch, but sometimes it was necessary. “You’re cute, but you’re getting on my nerves, Puppy. So you’re going to hang around, pretend I need your help, and assist me when asked. Try to puff up that chest of yours one more time and you’ll lose your heart. Got it?”
At Edzard’s nod, she released him and strode away, ignoring his heavy panting. “C’mon, we got shit to do.” She pushed the key into the lock and twisted, granting herself entrance. “Dead Nettle didn’t call me back, so I’m assuming the bar is—” She let the door swing open and she pressed her lips together in a tight frown. “As fucked up as it was last night. Nice.”
She ignored Puppy’s groan as he climbed to his feet and strode into the bar. At least it wasn’t totally destroyed as it had been the night before. She’d given stern warnings to the more violent of her patrons last night. “You break it, I skin you alive and feed your flesh to the hell hounds.”
As threats went, it was pretty effective and she tucked it away for future use.
The front door squeaked as Edzard stepped in. “Where are your brownies?”
“Good question. One that isn’t going to solve today’s problem.” Caith tugged off her jacket and tossed it onto the bar.
A quick stretch of her arms and twist of her back had things popped and cracked back into place. It also had Edzard frozen and not breathing. Glancing over her shoulder, she met his gaze with a raise of her eyebrows. “What?”
He swallowed hard. “N-nothing.”
Caith sighed. “It’s an ass, Puppy. Albeit, I think it’s pretty banging, but it’s just an ass.”
Did the dem never get laid? It would explain last night’s gimme-gimme-fest.
A booming thud and then a crash came from the back of the bar, the sound immediately followed by a high-pitched yell. Dammit, what now?
She strode toward the source of the sound, trying to remember if she’d locked the back door as she went. She thought she had but…