by Cassi Carver
Gavin nodded and started making his way toward Rachel to hand off the birthday boy, as Kara scampered toward the edge of the woods. Dane hadn’t been too eager to be seen publicly on the island, but it looked like Julian had convinced him.
“Dane!” She went straight up to him and practically squeezed his guts out. She hadn’t seen him in weeks, since he was still acting weird about spending time with her and her friends.
“Hey, sis.” He ruffled her hair, and Kara covered her laugh with a growl as she tried to get the flyaway pieces back into place.
Next, she approached her black-wing and gave him a scorching kiss. “Hey, handsome. Thanks for chauffeuring Dane. I didn’t want him to have to go through the trouble of breaking through the island’s wards—again.” When Kara gave her brother the stink-eye, he laughed.
“How’s the party?” Julian asked. He held his tux jacket and dress shirt in his hand, and it was odd to see his cummerbund fitted around his bare waist. The rest of the warriors had risked wearing their formalwear for the night, so the island was a designated no-fly zone—no one wanted to ruin a perfectly good suit by tearing the back open with his wings.
“The party is huge. Now I understand why the Demiáre fertility rate is so low—these kids cost their parents an arm and a leg!”
Julian laughed heartily. “I believe Gavin would give up all four extremities for that child.”
“I think you’re right.” She turned her attention back to her brother. “So…you made it! Was Ailexon mad?”
Dane shifted his feet. “He doesn’t exactly know.”
“Still?” Kara asked.
“Yeah, well, it’s complicated.”
She tried to hide her hurt. “If you don’t want him to know that we found each other, I’ll have to respect that. I didn’t grow up with him, so I don’t know what he’s like.”
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Oh, and by the way, Aiden really wants to meet you. It’s been hard on him knowing that he was too deep in his blood addiction to remember you, but I guess you would’ve been really little at the time.”
It’d been so flippin’ creepy for Kara the day she’d discovered that her half-brother was also Aiden’s half-brother. She couldn’t mathematically convince herself that she and Aiden weren’t related now. Gavin and Jaxon were doing much better with the truth that they shared a father, especially now that Brakken was where he belonged.
“Aiden’s here tonight,” Kara continued. “You know, he hasn’t been back to visit his father since he and Ailexon had their falling out. I think it would be so therapeutic for him to talk to you and hear about your experiences growing up there.”
Dane was looking more and more agitated, and Kara couldn’t figure out how to put his mind at ease. “You don’t have to feel weird here on the island, Dane. We want you to be an honorary part of our clan. You’re family, and I never want you to feel uncomfortable or left out.”
“Uh, yeah. Thanks, Kara.”
But something was niggling at her mind. Left out. She didn’t want Dane to feel left out. “Oh sweet Cheez-Its.”
Julian’s gaze sharpened on Kara’s face, silently asking the question.
“You were left out,” she whispered. “Of my mother’s journal. It recorded every minute detail of her life for the year before her death, and you weren’t in it. Why is that, Dane?”
“Nannies,” he answered quickly. “You think most females live like your friends do on this island—all doting mothers? Not hardly.”
Kara was desperate to believe him. Desperate…but not stupid.
“She listed formulas for making herbal shampoo, what gifts she brought to her friend’s baby showers and whether or not they wrote a thank-you note; she recorded everything. But she never mentioned you.”
Dane darted a quick glance to the side at Julian, as though waiting for him to pounce. “I’m sorry, Kara. I really need to be getting back now. Ailexon will be wondering where I am.” With one last tortured look in her eyes, her “brother” flashed out of her life.
Julian snarled and his wings snapped open, like the clack of a cartridge clicking into a gun. “He’s a dead man,” he growled.
Kara caught his arm just before he flashed in furious pursuit. “Julian, no!” She staggered closer and buried her head in his chest. “Just leave him be. Don’t hurt him.”
“Are we interrupting?” said her least favorite Mercury Lord from afar.
Gavin’s and Aiden’s long strides ate up the distance quickly. “Speak for yourself,” Gavin countered. “I love interrupting these two. Sometimes, it works to my advantage: Julian gets distracted, and I can whisk Kara away and have her for an entire hour all to myself.”
But when he got closer and saw Kara’s red eyes and the way Julian clutched her tight, his smile vanished. “What has happened? Where is your brother?”
Kara blinked. “He’s gone.”
“What?” Aiden blew out a breath and ran a hand over his spiky hair. “Truly? He couldn’t even wait two minutes to meet me? What an ass—just like his pompous, self-inflated father!”
Julian leveled his gaze at Aiden, still holding Kara tight. “It runs in the family, I guess.”
“Oh, to the Abyss with it!” Aiden bit out. “There is a party happening the likes of which this clan has never seen, and I’m not going to spend it stewing with you three. See you on the dance floor.”
When he walked away, Kara simply stared at his back, watching it get smaller and smaller until it merged with all the other undulating bodies.
“Now will you tell me?” Gavin asked quietly.
“Deanna never mentioned him before she died. There’s no way Dane is my older brother. He tricked me. I fell for it hook, line and sinker.” Her fingertips dug into the hard flesh of Julian’s back, anchoring herself to the world. “Why, Gavin? Why would he do that to me?”
“Maybe he truly was a scout,” Julian said. “Maybe he became fascinated with you and wanted a place in your life.”
The thought horrified her. “Like a silver-wing stalker?”
“It’s possible,” he answered.
“Or he’s not your older brother,” Gavin said, and Kara and Julian looked at him like he’d dropped a few IQ points for stating the obvious.
“No, listen to me… The secrecy, the mottled wings, his station in Ailexon’s kingdom—so free to come and go unlike a servant would be—”
“A scout,” Julian interjected.
Gavin shook his head. “No matter what else Dane may be, he’s powerful, and I have little doubt that he’s one of the chief of the fallen angel’s prized sons. My point is that he can’t be Kara’s older brother. But much would be explained if he were the younger.”
Kara’s mind was boggled, so much so that she put aside her misery for a moment and pushed away from Julian’s chest. “Gavin…I love you with all my heart, but listen to what you’re saying. Dane can’t be my younger brother. Deanna had me—and then she died. My mother is dead.”
Julian began to laugh, and it was a slightly insane sound. He buried his face in his hands, and his shiny black hair bounced around his face as he shook his head back and forth. “That moldering pile of wing dust!” He met Gavin’s eyes and his own were glowing red. “He tricked us. That son of a bitch!”
Kara’s hands shook violently. “Who tricked you? What’s going on?”
Gavin took Kara’s hands between his own to calm her trembling. “Ailexon. We saw him kill Deanna with our own eyes. Teras lost his bloody mind, and Ailexon took advantage of that break in Teras’s psychic armor to send your father to the Abyss. But then there’s Dane…twenty years if he’s a day. Ailexon never touched his queen. Deanna lives.”
Kara couldn’t allow herself to consider it. “No. You saw her die. How is that possible?”
“Princess…” Gavin said gently. “Do you know how many times I’ve seen my mother since her death thanks to Brakken’s fiendish sense of humor? He could conjure her likeness at will. It w
as so real, I could have touched her. If it’s possible after death, it’s certainly possible before.”
“Oh my God.”
Julian met her eyes, and she saw his compassion there. “It is possible, love. Knowing what we do now, I’d even say it was likely. Ailexon wasn’t ready to let her go.”
The ground under Kara’s feet shifted. “And if that’s true, she’s been his prisoner for twenty-seven years now.”
The music changed, and there was some commotion on the dance floor, somebody making an announcement. With the hem of her gown held high, Rachel sprinted to the clearing between where they stood and the party.
With rosy cheeks and a radiant smile, Rachel waved her arm. “Come on, you three! It’s almost time for the cake!”
“We’ll be right there,” Gavin answered, forcing a smile and waving back. Seeming satisfied, Rachel grinned and hustled toward the cake table.
“I’m so sorry,” Gavin told Kara, taking her in his strong arms. “Are you going to be able to rejoin the party, or would you rather Julian escorted you home?”
Kara looked up at him like he was crazy. “I am not missing Rafael’s first birthday party. No way, no how. Don’t even suggest it.”
Julian came to stand behind Kara, trapping her between two hot, heavily muscled bodies, and he brought his hand to her hair. “No one would think less of you, love.”
Kara reached up on her tiptoes, kissing Gavin hard on the lips, then she turned her back to Gavin’s chest and did the same to Julian. When she was finished, she put her hands flat on their pecs and shoved. They stumbled back, surprised, but she offered them her hands, one on either side. “Hurry up, you guys. What if they sing without us?”
“They wouldn’t dare,” Gavin growled, taking Kara’s fingers in his. Julian grasped her other hand, falling into step beside her.
“Yeah, they wouldn’t, right?” Kara mused. “I mean, I took on Brakken. I recruited Julian and stared straight into the depths of the Abyss to save Rafael’s life. I’m sure they’ll wait for me.”
Gavin cast a sideways glance at Kara. She’d never quite put it that way before, and it got his attention. “Of course they will. You’ve earned the respect and devotion of every member of this clan—especially me.”
“I’m so glad,” Kara continued, and she tried not to smile when Julian shook beside her in a fit of quiet snickers. “That’s going to come in handy when we rescue my mom.”
Gavin’s eyes widened and then he threw his head back, laughing like nothing could get to him now. “Why not? Taking on the chief of the fallen angels? Why the hell not?”
“Exactly! Why not?” Kara was almost giddy with the turn of events. She had a mom—a live one. All she had to do was convince one little black-wing to hand her over, and now she had Dane and Aiden on her side who might be willing to help. That was what brothers were for, right?
They slowed as they approached the bright, sparkling lights of the food canopy. Rachel was placing one brilliant candle in the center of a magnificent tower of a cake, and she waved them over.
Julian gripped Kara’s hand tighter, and she could swear she felt her father’s ring grow warm against her skin. “Why not?” her black-wing said. “Be it heaven or hell, if you and Gavin are there, I won’t be far behind.”
About the Author
Cassi Carver lives in sunny Southern California with two dogs, four kids and a hubby who gives great massages. She gets to the Gaslamp Quarter for research (okay, happy hour) as often as possible. She’s never saved the world, but she keeps sexy boots on hand just in case the opportunity arises.
Website: www.cassicarver.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @CassiCarver
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Look for these titles by Cassi Carver
Now Available:
The Shadow Slayers
Slayer’s Kiss
Shadow Rising
The Silverwing’s Sorceress
Her lover is back from the dead…but now there’s hell to pay.
Shadow Rising
© 2012 Cassi Carver
The Shadow Slayers, Book 2
When Kara Reed learns her bondmate, Julian, is truly dead, and that Gavin has seemingly skipped town, she figures things have hit rock bottom. But soon, a string of bizarre accidents has her doubting those closest to her. And to make matters worse, the demon-king’s brand carved into her best friend Abbey’s stomach is deteriorating by the day.
Then a powerful coven of witches issues Kara an ultimatum. Bring them the blood of a true fallen angel—the only thing that will heal Abbey—or die. Kara would do anything to help her friend. Problem is, the only fallen angel she’s seen lately is the disoriented black-wing who attacked her scouts. One who looks suspiciously like Julian. Getting his blood might be easier if he was more interested in kissing her than killing her.
Caught between a coven of vengeful witches and a murderous dead lover, Kara must deliver the blood, heal the slow poison of Abbey’s brand, and save Julian from being consumed by the Abyss. But to do this, she may need the help of the one man she swore never to trust again…Gavin.
Warning: This book contains an angry demon returning from the dead, a clan lord hiding a terrible secret, and a hunted heroine cracking open a can of whoop-ass. Watch out for creepy kitties, exploding bad guys, and some very sudsy shower sex.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Shadow Rising:
The black-wing sat at her kitchen table and sprawled his legs apart while Kara filled a pot with hot water from the tap. She lit the stove with trembling fingers and took out three boxes of macaroni from the cupboard. “It’ll be a few minutes.”
“Hurry.”
She couldn’t believe it. She was being held captive by a nude Aniliáre who had no qualms about rubbing his bare ass on her breakfast chairs. She took out a jug of milk and some butter from the refrigerator to make the sauce.
“What’s that?” he asked.
She held up the jug. “This?”
He frowned and rose to his feet. “Yes.”
“Milk.”
He walked to the kitchen counter and extended his hand. “Give it to me.”
Without a word, Kara handed him the jug. With the claws poking from his fingertips, he shredded the top of the plastic bottle, then held it to his lips as he gulped and gulped. Milk ran down his chin, onto his chest and the floor under his feet. Shit. That was going to reek when it spoiled if she couldn’t get it out of the rug.
A tiny bubble of laughter burst from her lips. What did a ruined rug matter when she was going to be dead soon? She stuffed back her laughter, thinking of how he might take offense again, but he didn’t seem to care about anything but the white liquid he was guzzling.
Kara watched in wide-eyed shock as he drained the entire gallon of milk. When he was finished, he threw the container down and used the back of his hand to wipe his damp face. “What else do you have?”
Holy shit. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of carrots. “Do you want them peeled?”
He ripped the bag from her grip and shoved one long carrot in his mouth. He chewed quickly at first, then slowed, his ravenous expression turning into a disgusted grimace. “No. Not this.”
He flung the bag so hard, it dented the paneling on her cupboard and sent the carrots flying in all directions like little projectiles.
Kara put her hands out. “Calm down, Mr. Black-wing. I’ll find something.” She emptied the pasta into the pot, then turned to inspect the contents of the freezer.
“Julian,” he said.
“What?” She stood with a package of frozen steaks in her hand. “What did you say?”
“I want you to call me Julian.”
“Okay…Julian.” She’d call him whatever the hell he wanted if it got her out of this alive.
He stepped close to her and took the frozen package from her hands. “I’ll eat this.”
“It’s frozen. I have to defros—” The words died in her throat when his cupped palms lit up, burning the plastic cover from around the steaks. Steam rose from the meat. Juicy blood trailed down his forearms as the solid block went floppy in his hands.
He bit into the raw meat and growled. “This. Yes.”
It was half-disgusting, half-enthralling, watching him tear off thick hunks of flesh, devouring the slab of steak with his sharp fangs fully extended. While he finished the second one, Kara drained the macaroni. She didn’t have any milk left, so she just poured the noodles back in the pot and added the butter and cheese powder.
“You still want to try this?” She pointed to the stove. Her knees felt weak and even she could smell the bitter tang of fear oozing out in her sweat, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of showing anything in her expression but contempt.
He strode forward, grasped the handles of the pot and tipped the metal to his mouth. When the scorching surface hit his lips, he howled and chucked the pot against the far wall, cracking the drywall and splattering cheesy elbows from the entryway to the dishwasher. “How do you eat that?” he asked, surprised—and maybe a little impressed.
Kara would have snickered if the whole damn thing hadn’t been so bizarre. “I put it in a bowl and wait for it to cool down.”
“Ah.” He rubbed a fist over his distended stomach. “I’ve had enough.”
She wet a dishtowel and wrung out the water, then tossed it to him. “Here. For the…” She made a face and gestured to his sticky chest and bloody arms.
He frowned, seeming to ponder the merit of the towel, then he wiped it over his skin and threw it down. “I will rest now. Come.”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the master bedroom. From the other side of the room, he lifted his hand and the balcony doors slammed shut. She felt the ward springing back to life, first the blue flame, then a stronger surge of energy wafted up from the floor, covering the blue light in smoky, undulating shadows.