Revealed in Fire (Demon Days, Vampire Nights World Book 9)

by K. F. Breene

  “Wait, what?” I let him nudge me toward the battered gates. He gave an apology he didn’t mean to Romulus, which I was sure Romulus didn’t accept, and then we were walking back to our bungalow.

  “We have to part, mon ange,” Darius said. “I am not meant to go with you to the elf castle. They do not like my kind.”

  “Which is a problem, since you should have equal representation there, just like everyone else.”

  “A chat for a later day, perhaps.”

  “And two, that can’t be right. We’re a team. We do dangerous things together. And paying a visit to the elves is very dangerous. This crowd isn’t going to provide me with much backup. I’m starting to really think we shouldn’t go at all.”

  “The Seers both agreed.”

  “And you tell me this now? No way they’re right about this. The Red Prophet takes hallucinogens and terrorizes neighborhoods. She likes that better than she likes it here. She’s probably just pretending so she can stay in the Brink.”

  “Karen saw it, too, and we both know how effective she is.”

  For the first time, worry lodged in my gut. Darius and I had been through the absolute worst together. We’d overcome incredible odds and combated incredibly dangerous situations…as a team. I didn’t know how this was going to go without him. I hadn’t been entirely honest a moment ago—the fae were excellent fighters from what I’d seen, but they definitely lacked battle experience. They lacked the ability to improvise on the fly. They’d be outgunned if we faced a large force of vicious fighters, and both the elves and Lucifer had numbers. They hadn’t thrown them at us yet, but they had them. It was only a matter of time.

  “This is right, mon coeur.” He opened the door and let me into our bungalow. “I must head to the lair and drum up support. The Seers’ direction to come here first has proven fruitful. We need to trust in them. They are our best advantage.”

  I blew out a breath, planning on stopping and falling onto the couch, and was instead ushered into our bedroom.

  “Let’s give Penny a reason to bust in,” he whispered before dropping his lips to mine. His tongue urged my lips to open and then swept through as he lowered his fingers to the clasp of my pouch. It fell away and then he was moving at inhuman speed, removing my weapons and my leather pants.

  I pushed his jacket off his muscular shoulders and then undid his shirt buttons.

  You excel when you’re out of your element, he thought as he stripped off my shirt and fastened a hot mouth to my nipple. I moaned, stilling as he ran his fingers over my panties before dipping in. Yesterday, you captivated. Today, you took control of a people. Tomorrow, you will help lead them. You are a wonder, and I cannot believe I have been so lucky as to have secured your good affection.

  He dropped to his knees and peeled my panties away before pushing my knee onto his shoulder and leaning in, running his mouth along my sex. I fluttered my eyes closed, delighting in his fingers entering me, then his mouth and digits working together, winding me tighter.

  “I can’t wait.” He rose in a rush and pushed me back onto the smallish bed, perfect for cuddling. Or one person on top. He was out of his pants in a flash, his tip pressed against my opening. “You are incredible, my love. As surprising as you are powerful. I love that there is never a dull moment.”

  He thrust, pushing all the breath out of my lungs. I pulled his neck, lowering his lips to mine, and savored his taste. The feel of him.

  “I don’t want you to go,” I murmured, tightening my hold, wrapping my legs around his hips.

  “It’ll only be for a short time. I have eyes near the castle. I will get constant reports on what is happening. Have no worries—even if they capture you, they will not kill you. Not right away. If the worst should happen, just hang on until I get there.”

  Feeling my heart swell, I kissed him harder, so grateful that my journey had led me to him. Not just because I did trust that he would come for me if something happened, but because this feeling for him was so powerful that it felt like it might crack me in half. It almost couldn’t be contained within me, stretching my skin and filling me to bursting.

  “I love you,” I murmured against his lips, holding on for dear life, scared to death that something would happen to one of us, and we wouldn’t be able to live out forever. “Will you marry me?”

  He chuckled. “No. I am old-fashioned. When I propose, it will be an event.”

  I smiled, because of course he’d say something like that. But at least he knew where I stood. I’d resisted the idea, but now, on the cusp of more danger than I’d ever faced before, it seemed like a good time to embrace the things that made me the happiest. He was one of them.

  His rhythm sped up, and I lost myself to it, letting everything else go. The sensation wound me so tight that it was almost unbearable. I dug my fingers into his back, squeezing my eyes shut, and then I exploded, pleasure blistering through my body.

  I called his name. Or maybe a profanity. The bliss was so overpowering that I couldn’t be sure. He shuddered above me, moaning against my lips.

  In the aftermath, as we came down, he asked softly, “Do you want children?” I could hear the vulnerability in his voice, the slight hesitation.

  “If I wasn’t being hunted, and we knew we could keep them safe…”

  He pulled back a little, his beautiful hazel eyes opening all the way down to his soul. “We’d wondered, but what Cahal said…” He swallowed. “I’ve always wanted children. I’d thought that option was denied to me. After we visited the Underworld, I started hoping. And now…”

  I pulled him down and kissed him. “And now, if we can survive all this, we’ll figure out a future and have a really weird family.”

  He started moving again, and I knew it would be a long, pleasant night of painful goodbyes.

  Eighteen

  A knock sounded at the door. I opened my groggy eyes, heat coating my back and a muscular arm draped around me. Darius stirred before squeezing me tighter.

  “We’ve got movement.” Emery’s voice was muffled through the door.

  “Your sermon yesterday spurred them on like I thought it would,” Darius said, the low rumble of his voice vibrating through his chest.

  “Plus the way you hid among them while they discussed a very private matter. That’s a quick way to help them realize how naïve they are.” I turned around and burrowed into his warmth. “How far will you walk with us?”

  “It depends on the route they take, but likely halfway. After our paths…diverge, I’ll go to the lair.” He kissed my temple. “We won’t be separated long.”

  “Famous last words. What will you do for blood?” I squeezed my eyes shut as a blast of jealousy tore through me.

  He squeezed me a little tighter. “Given my age and the amount of blood I took last night, I’ll be good for months. Your proximity makes me crave it. That is why I take so much from you on a normal basis. It isn’t necessary when we aren’t together.”

  “I really don’t want you to be with another woman. We’re clear on that, correct?”

  He kissed me languidly. “And I don’t want you to be with anyone else, either. We’re clear on that. I will wait for you for more blood. If the very worst should happen, I will have an assistant draw blood and offer it in a glass or thermos. It’s not ideal, but it will keep me functioning.”

  “A thermos— Oh, to stay warm.” I shuddered. “I’m glad I didn’t get the vampire card.”

  “I’m glad I did. It allowed me to stay alive long enough to meet my soul mate.”

  I grinned and kissed him again. I usually wasn’t the soul mate/hearts-and-flowers kind of girl, but this guy had really burrowed down deep into my heart and taken up residence. He’d turned me into a total sap.

  “I do not want to kick down this door,” Penny yelled through the wood. “But I will.”

  “It’s a sturdier door than the one on the island,” I murmured, reaching down and wrapping my fingers around his fun factory. “She�
��ll never get through it. How about a quickie?”

  His lush lips curled into a smile, and he rolled on top of me, settling between my thighs. His kiss was hungry as he slowly slid into me.

  “I’m sure they have packing to do,” he murmured against my lips. “They’ll wait.”

  I squeezed his middle with my legs and gyrated up to meet him. Although I’d gotten very little sleep last night and was still sore, it was not dampening my fun even a little. He slammed against me, fast and glorious. My body wound up, the pleasure overbearing. It crashed over me suddenly, and I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut as the orgasm took me. He shuddered against my body.

  “I warned you!” The door blasted open, tearing off the hinges and coming right for us. I threw up a shield of air as Penny stepped in. She got a glimpse and quickly turned away. “Are you serious? Again? I warned you I was coming in!”

  “Just had to see us naked again, huh? Can’t get enough.” I laughed, wrapping my arms around Darius for one more squeeze before allowing him to roll off. “You cheated, though. Magic to bust in a door?”

  “Ew. Just get dressed.” She stomped away.

  “Where are they?” came Callie’s voice. It sounded like she was just coming into the bungalow.

  After dressing and quickly tossing all my things into my backpack, I strapped on the last of my weapons and met them out front. Darius had made it out there before me.

  “Hey.” Charity walked up to us, her expression hard and eyes bloodshot. It didn’t look like she’d gotten much sleep last night. Kairi and Hallen trailed her. “I have news.”

  “We’re leaving today,” I finished for her as Dizzy watched an orderly line of fae march past. It was the first time I’d seen that sort of theatrics. “How many are going?”

  Charity turned to follow my gaze. “Ahead of us? Two couriers. They are alerting the elves that we will present ourselves to them.”

  “And us with you?” Emery asked.

  She glanced at Emery, then me. “Yes.”

  “And going with us?” I asked.

  “A force of about two dozen, plus you guys and the shifters. That’s apparently a normal force for visiting the castle. Roger has sent Barbara to get more shifters. He’s confident she can sneak past any trouble to get to the Brink.”

  Barbara had to be the sour-faced woman. The name rang a very small and hard-to-hear bell. Even if she was awfully sneaky, it seemed like a mistake to send just one person out in this pressurized climate.

  “So…you all know that the Realm isn’t exactly normal right now, right?” I hedged, not wanting to insult her intelligence. “It’s really intense and shifters won’t get a pass?”

  “Yes.” She, thankfully, didn’t sound offended, and she didn’t linger on the issue. “As Emery probably told you, my grandmama has…stepped down from her duties as First. My father has taken over her role.”

  “I didn’t, actually,” Emery said, standing off to the side with his hands in his pockets. He didn’t fool me with that relaxed, uninterested pose. The wheels in his cranium were turning. He was preparing for a sticky situation ahead. “They were busy.”

  “Penny knows. She probably checked in a few times when we weren’t looking.” I winked at her, and she glared back, her cheeks red. “Congratulations on being the Second, though.”

  Charity shifted uncomfortably. She offered me a curt nod. “By the way, thanks for telling everyone about the way Grandmama was manipulating our people to react to strangers,” she said. “The shifters will never admit it, but they’re grateful. It isn’t fun being made to feel like an outsider.”

  “I have zero problem with it,” I replied.

  “Well…” Her brow furrowed. “Right. Except for you, I guess. Anyway, Grandmama pulled away her…influence. She stopped using her magic to control people. At least, she says she did.”

  “She will never fully stop using her magic,” Darius said. “It is ingrained in her now. You are simply forcing her to be much more discreet.”

  Charity nodded. “My dad figured as much. Which is the other thing I was going to tell you guys. The custodes are officially leaving the Flush. This will be a sanctuary for the old or wounded, or those who do not wish to fight. Everyone who wishes to fulfill their duty to restore order will leave with us. We hope to find the rest of our people who left over the years and organize our forces. Representatives will be posted throughout the Realm. The goal is to eventually enforce the rules that have long been set. For everyone. But we’ll make a plan after we meet with the elves.”

  “You mean after the big battle, right?” I lifted my eyebrows. “You must know the elves won’t just give up their advantages because a bunch of freedom fighters decided to show up to work after a long hiatus.”

  “Yes, though we’re not talking about it in those terms. Romulus wants to give the elves the benefit of the doubt.”

  “And get killed for his efforts,” Emery murmured.

  Charity studied Emery for a long moment before turning to look at the shifters gathered down the way, Roger in loose sweats with a backpack full of clothes. He probably wasn’t planning on carrying it long. At the first sign of trouble, he’d hand off his things to someone who’d stay human, and then shift.

  “Oh.” Charity put up a finger. “We’re bringing carts. You guys can put all your stuff in that. We’re assembling at the practice yard. Grab everything you need and head that way. We’ll be leaving at dusk, but Romulus figured you’d want to gather early so you can talk and ask questions.”

  I looked at Darius. “I guess you’re not going to handle everything for me this time, huh? I actually have to participate?”

  He rubbed my back. “Sadly, yes. You’ll have to pull your weight.”

  “Dang it.” I smiled at the jest and shot a glance at Emery. “Shall we?”

  “I never thought I’d go to the castle again,” Emery said, sounding uncomfortable.

  “It’ll be fine.” Penny rubbed his arm. “We’ll get it sorted out.”

  But I wasn’t so sure that was true. The elves didn’t seem to want to let his infractions go. By now they probably had a list of grievances about me too, including stirring up drama in the Realm. We likely wouldn’t get opposed on our way to the castle, but once we got there…I had a feeling we’d be staring down a butcher’s bill, and the fae and shifters wouldn’t be enough to pay the tab.

  Nineteen

  Sure enough, the journey to the castle was quiet.

  Too quiet.

  “My feet are killing me,” Callie murmured as we finished the last leg.

  Romulus hadn’t plotted a path directly there, and it wasn’t because he was worried about meeting elves. We’d seen a few, watching us from a distance. Getting out of our way. They weren’t idiots—they knew we’d kill them if they tried to apprehend us. And why bother? They knew we would be personally delivering ourselves to them. All they had to do was wait. And prepare.

  I filled my lungs, held the oxygen in, and then let it out slowly, ignoring my increased heart rate and the adrenaline soaking into my blood. This felt so wrong it was ridiculous. Charging into danger was one thing, but strolling in, asking which dish they’d like to see our heads on, and then showing up for our own slaughter? That was not the way I did things. Not at all.

  Those Seers were the only reason this was happening. They didn’t even know what would come afterward! We were blindly following them and hoping for the best.

  A fool’s hope, I was certain.

  We’d taken a long, winding journey rather than the direct route because Romulus was advertising his presence in the Realm and dropping off some of his people in various old-timey strongholds. Which would undoubtedly go over about as well as lead boots in a swimming pool with the elves. They might not have stopped him, yet, but they couldn’t be happy about the situation.

  The only good news was that people were legitimately happy to see the custodes. They smiled and waved, offering up food, drink, and lodging. One creature even off
ered her baby for a kiss. The custodes had been isolated for a long time, but they had not been forgotten.

  We’d ventured close to the vampire lair, an area mostly ignored by the elves. The vampires obviously preferred it that way, but Romulus didn’t think it was right. Changes were coming, and I was pretty sure the vampires would hinder some of them. Then again, get in line. No one seemed to deal with change exceptionally well.

  Reaching the lair had meant something else, too. I had kissed Darius goodbye, swallowed my heart, which had climbed into my throat, and tried to put on a brave face as I turned and walked away. My vampire crutch had been taken away. I sure hoped Emery was half as good at strategy.

  That had been a while ago now, though, and we didn’t have much time before the battle or the ambush or whatever was going to happen when we reached the castle.

  “Is it your bunions?” Dizzy asked Callie. They were walking behind me with the mages, while Halvor stoically kept pace with me. A circle of fae surrounded us, taking up the whole path, and for the life of me, I could not convince them to let me out. I had even offered to walk with the shifters. No dice.

  “I haven’t had bunions a day in my life,” Callie replied.

  He tried again: “Is it your secret bunions that you pretend not to have?”

  “You know very well I don’t have bunions. Old people get bunions. I’m not old.”

  “Not just old people have—”

  I threw Penny a glare to shut her up. This wasn’t a conversation she needed to get involved in.

  “I agree about the walking,” I said, watching as the landscape gradually became more floral. The trees looked too cultivated, like a kid had stuck a bunch of perfectly round green lollipops into the ground. Unlike in the Flush, there was no floral scent to accompany the rows of bright, multicolored flowers lining the gold-cobbled path. No lush feeling of foliage chilled the air.