The Death Skull: Relic Defender, Book 2

by Cassiel Knight

  With part of her attention focused on Beliel and Kat, Mari turned to Ash. “We have no choice.”

  Anger mixed with pain flushed his cheeks and narrowed his gaze. When Mikos told her how much Ash cared for Kat, Mari had scoffed at the idea that Lucifer’s Slayer could care for anyone beside himself. Yet, in this moment, she saw what Mikos had seen. Ash was experiencing agony she wouldn’t have thought he was capable of.

  At any other time, she would have teased him with merciless delight but, now, when she felt the same emotions for a human, she couldn’t. Her heart ached for her fellow Fallen.

  He seemed to recognize her expression as his lips firmed and he pulled back his shoulders. “I won’t let you do this, Mari. Do not test me in this.”

  “Mari, don’t surrender. Let him kill me. He cannot be allowed to control the skull.”

  “Kat, no.” Ash’s face paled as he stared at her. “You cannot mean that.”

  “I do.”

  “Enough,” Beliel spat. “This is all so touching, but irrelevant. Surrender or she dies.”

  Mari couldn’t bring herself to look into Ash’s grief-stricken gaze. He knew as well as she did the consequences of letting Beliel take Kat and the skull. There really was no other choice.

  Kat’s gaze showed acceptance. Understanding. Forgiveness.

  Love.

  Something inside Mari twisted.

  “Last chance. Drop your weapons and leave.” Beliel bared his teeth.

  She glanced at Kanek. The young boy, who was much more than a young boy—or at least not only a young boy—spun and slapped both palms against Ash. The Slayer’s head snapped back. He cried out then disappeared.

  “Asher!” Kat screamed.

  As Beliel stared at the spot where Ash had stood, satisfaction filled the demon’s gaze. Mari turned to Jackson. “Now!”

  Whipping back his sword and using it like a lance, he threw it at Beliel. The point struck the demon in his shoulder, knocking him away from Kat. Mari darted forward. Momentarily off balance, Kat saw her coming, straightened and lifted her chin.

  Mari stopped in front of her friend, held up her blade and swung.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The blade cut through the center of the skull like a knife through butter, splitting the crystal into two perfect halves. Outside, thunder cracked and lightning lit the sky with a brilliance Mari could see deep within the bowels of the ruins.

  A wailing shriek echoed, bouncing off the walls. The sound was so shrill she had to clasp her hands over her ears. Glancing around, she saw Kat and Jackson on their knees and hunched as if the noise physically pummeled them. Kanek, ever enigmatic, didn’t move, seemingly unaffected by the clamor.

  With an abruptness almost as painful as the sound, the shriek cut off. Mari looked around for Beliel. He stood not far from the platform, the two halves of the skull in his hands. Surprise widened his eyes as he glanced from one half to the other. Even through the ringing in her ears, satisfaction filled her at the bastard’s shock. Guess he hadn’t thought about that solution to the problem. Hadn’t realized metal forged in Heaven was the only thing that could destroy the skull. But then, it had taken her time to figure it out.

  His gaze lifted to her. Tilting his wrists, he rolled both pieces off his palms. The skull sections hit the ground with a muffled thud. His gaze narrowed and a sneer twisted his lips. “You think this changes anything? All you’ve done is delay things. Postponed the inevitable.”

  “You think so? I think this has set you back quite a bit. Enough so that you are starting from the beginning.” She smiled. “In fact, I’m pretty sure you put everything you had into this plan.”

  His face lost its arrogance and slipped into a glowering mask of rage.

  She almost flinched at the movement beside her, then relaxed when she realized it was Jackson.

  “Seems to me you hit the nail on the head with that one, darlin’,” he drawled.

  She had no idea what he meant by that but she got the idea. Obviously, Beliel did as well since his face flushed until it was nearly as red as a ruby. “It doesn’t matter,” he said in a harsh, raw tone. “I will start again and next time will be your last.”

  “Blah, blah, partner.”

  When Beliel’s human shell started to split, Mari lunged for him. Despite the taunting, she couldn’t let him get away to start again and his father was not here to protect him this time. As she moved, Beliel let out a shout of rage and burst out of his skin. Bits and pieces of human flesh and bone pelted her. An oily black cloud roiled out of the shell and sped toward the cavern roof, then disappeared into the rock.

  Mari stared at the spot then dropped her gaze to Jackson. Covered in goo—she’d learned that word from Kat—he had a sheepish look on his face. “Sorry, Mari. I guess I shouldn’t have jumped in.”

  Her gaze traveled over his face, staring into his familiar green eyes. A face and mannerism that had affected her from the first moment she’d found him sneaking around Mikos’s house. Jackson had started out as a wary ally then turned into a valuable part of the team. For her, he’d gone from annoying human to a man she’d, beyond all reason, come to care for like her brother Fallen had come to care for Lexi.

  A couple of steps took her to him. He met her halfway and their lips joined. His mouth covered hers hungrily, the caress of his lips setting her aflame. She kissed him back with all the passion and emotion welling up inside her.

  A whimper escaped her lips when he pulled away. With soft touches, he kissed the tip of her nose and both cheeks.

  “Marisol Asheni. Stubborn, infuriating, aggravating.” He grinned. “Beautiful, sexy, hot.” Trailing his thumb down her cheek, he pressed a quick kiss against her lips. “My headstrong, glorious angel.”

  Confused, she frowned. “All those words. Do they mean something?”

  With a shout of laughter, he threw back his head. When his eyes met hers again, they were warm and sparkling. “Yes, Mari, they mean I love you.”

  Love? Was that what she felt? She didn’t know for sure, but what she did know was that she wanted to be with Jackson. To work with him. To play with him. To make…

  Love with him. Lifting her hand, she pushed back a strand of hair from his forehead. “I love you too…” she smiled, “…human.”

  She heard a gasp from Kat who had gotten to her feet and stood not far from them with Kanek at her side. The floor spun away from her as Jackson lifted her and swung her around.

  He held her close, his eyes shining into hers as he let her slide down his body, but he didn’t let her go. “Took you long enough,” he murmured, then his mouth closed over hers again and she forgot everything else.

  Epilogue

  Kat sat on the sand, her legs drawn up, her arms resting on her knees as she stared out over the water. The Pacific Northwest coastline, with its cliffs, rocky shores and the tumultuous crash of the waves on the beach had quickly become her favorite place.

  The locals in the small coastal town where Mikos had a rental further helped her remember what it was like to be alive.

  These last couple of months, since Belize, had provided her with the seclusion she needed after the Death Skull had turned her world upside down.

  After Beliel had gotten away, again, they’d left the ruins at Lubaantun and spent the night in Belize City before heading back to the States. While Mari and Jackson—who’d have thought about those two pairing up?—had retreated to the confines of their hotel room, Kat had wandered around the city with Kanek at her side. The young boy, or whatever he was, seemed to have become a permanent member of their team. After his actions in the cave, a very valuable one.

  Later, when they’d returned home to Chicago, Jackson had taken Mari and Kanek to meet his mother and to arrange for her care, with Mari’s help, which Jackson accepted. On the flight back, he’d told them about his mother’s situation and the promises he’d made his dad. Kat still felt the tears well up when she thought about it.

  She sighed.
The ever-blowing breeze caught her hair, snatching at the blonde strands tucked into her ponytail at the nape of her neck. She inhaled deeply, drawing in the odors of sun, sand and salt water. Until recently, she’d forgotten what it was like to be able to smell again, since she’d spent the better part of the last twelve years as a ghost.

  Footsteps behind her caught her attention. She didn’t move, knowing who it was. Lexi collapsed next to her. “Hey.”

  “Hi, Boo.”

  “You okay?”

  “I suppose.” Kat smiled at her longtime friend. “I’ve been better, but then, I’ve been worse.”

  “Like dead and a ghost.”

  “Yeah, like that.”

  “What now?”

  Kat shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve been a ghost so long I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be human.” She swung her hand along her body. “With this stolen form, I’m even more at loss. I’m wearing my sister’s body, for God’s sake. What am I supposed to do with this?”

  Lexi moved closer and leaned her head on Kat’s shoulder. “Come on, I know it’s weird but you have a second chance. A new life. How many people get that?”

  Lexi was right but that didn’t make the knowledge, or acceptance, come easier. Then there was Asher. First, he’d killed her, then brought her back. What was the purpose in all that? She knew there was a purpose. There had to be one. And she feared that the story behind Ash’s actions was still unfolding and unfinished. They weren’t finished.

  “Hey, Kat, let’s leave the heavy stuff for another day. We are taking a well-deserved vacation along this gorgeous coast, and Jackson’s got a couple of steaks on the grill. Let’s go eat, drink some wine and relax. You’ve definitely earned this.”

  Kat nodded. Lexi leapt to her feet and held out a hand. Kat took it and let Lexi pull her up. “Sounds good. I’m hungry. Guess I need to get used to that.”

  Lexi smiled at her and hand in hand, they walked to the beach house. Even as Kat chatted with her friend, worry and concern ran through her mind. As much as she welcomed the chance to be alive again, what would it cost her?

  She was sure she’d be asked to pay something.

  Would it be a price she was willing to pay?

  About the Author

  An avid reader, Cassiel Knight’s own passion for out-of-this-world stories began with Janelle Taylor’s Moondust and Madness, a futuristic romance with a feisty earthling heroine and dashing alpha hero from the stars. Her current works combine her love for romance with an equal passion for kick-assitude, archeology, magic and things that go bump in the night.

  Cassie is a member of Romance Writers of America, the Rose City Romance Writers, Greater Seattle Romance Writers and the Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal chapters. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her own romantic-hero husband of twenty years and three very spoiled, yet adorable, female Shih Tzus, Abby, Chloe and Pixi.

  Please visit her on her site, http://cassielknight.com. Readers can find tidbits about the settings in her stories and read snippets of works in progress, as well as participate in a contest or two.

  Look for these titles by Cassiel Knight

  Now Available:

  Key of Solomon

  The Death Skull

  Trust no one…except the one who walks in the dark.

  Key of Solomon

  © 2011 Cassiel Knight

  Relic Defender, Book 1

  Anthropology PhD candidate Lexi Harrison never bares it all when she belly dances for a strip club crowd. She doesn’t have to—she’s that good. Every performance earns money toward her degree, and restores the sense of power that her painful childhood ripped away.

  Something is different about tonight. A man whose silver gaze seems to touch her skin beneath her veils. When a rowdy customer crosses the line, he comes to her rescue with the speed of a falcon—complete with wings.

  Mikos Tyomni has never seen anyone dance the raqs sharqi like Lexi. Trust his tormentor, Archangel Michael, to put him in close contact with the cause of his downfall: a mortal woman. Particularly this mortal woman. The Defender. He has only thirty days to win her trust before Hell’s deadliest demons attempt the mother of all prison breaks.

  No matter how sexy the messenger is, Lexi’s career plans don’t include some crazy idea that she’s the last line of defense against the forces of evil. Until her university mentor’s murder leaves her holding the key to Hell. And fighting a losing battle against a passion with the unholy power to bring down Heaven…

  Warning: This title contains a dark and sexy fallen angel, bad-ass demons, a heroine with kick-assitude tossed together with mythology, archeology and a shape-shifting rock with a fondness for the gangsters of the 1920s.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Key of Solomon:

  Mikos Tyomni unclenched his fingers from the back of the chair leaving behind small indentations in the scarred wood. Tiny reflections of the extreme emotions flooding his system. Beatus Deus. He lifted a hand to his face, surprised to find his fingers trembling. An array of disturbing feelings fought for control. Feelings he’d thought he’d finally been able to suppress. Covetousness. Lust. Possession.

  Possession of the exotic woman whose hips begged for his touch. Whose lithe, sensual movements offered bliss.

  The woman on the stage, Lexi he’d heard her named, radiated a vitality that drew him to her like a magnet. Her features contained an alluring blend of Egyptian and Grecian traits. Thick dark hair hung in long graceful curves over her shoulders. Loose tendrils framed a sun-kissed face with a short, straight nose and softly rounded chin.

  A diaphanous confection of emerald, garnet, gold and pearl silks whispered over full hips that tapered into long, smooth legs. The ebb and flow of the thin material offered teasing glimpses of bronzed skin and shapely calves. He had been unable to see the color of her eyes or their shape but he could imagine. Imagine the way they would darken and turn moist with desire as she moved her hips under his.

  Hell’s gate, the way she moved. Seductive, with unconscious grace and delicacy, a golden lioness stalking her prey. Over the centuries, he’d seen many beautiful women dance the raqs sharqi. But none had this Lexi’s finesse or the ability to entwine the sultry rhythms with the enchanting hip swirls and dips. Even Egypt’s most powerful seductress, Cleopatra, had never performed as evocatively as this woman had. She’d certainly never taken his breath away.

  It took all the willpower Mikos commanded to stop his traitorous body from leaping onto the stage to draw Lexi against his body. To slowly pull off each delicate piece of fabric and reveal each curve and mysterious valley of the slender form hidden under the veils. To caress warm skin and explore the sleek lines of her back, her waist, her hips. Then finally, to press her body to the hard floor as he thrust into her again and again and again. His legs quivered with the effort to remain still.

  Mikos sucked in a deep breath and willed his pulse to slow. He had to get his lust under control. He knew, far too well, what resulted in succumbing to the temptation of a lush body, plump, wet lips and soft, perfumed skin.

  Now, despite decades of fighting the seductive pull of mortal women, Archangel Michael, his tormentor, wanted him in close contact with the most important mortal female of this time. This woman. The Defender.

  Mikos growled low in his throat. Was there a better way to test the resolve of a Fallen who wanted to return to Heaven than by putting him in close contact with the motivation for his Fall? Or at least, half of his motivation for falling.

  Definitely a test. Another battle to fight with his baser instincts.

  Another chance to fail. The insidious thought crawled through his mind.

  As the rushing blood in his veins slowed and his breathing calmed, he suddenly sensed what he hadn’t been able to before. A subtle change had come over the mortals. Desire, greed and enjoyment in sensual pleasures clashed with rage and hunger. And evil.

  Mikos stiffened. As if water from the frigid north crashed over his head, the flush o
f passion dissipated. Another immortal was near. Like him, yet not like him. Malicious intent seethed around him, fueling the men’s lust, greed and anger. A sudden thin chill swept past him, and he swung around in the chair.

  The silver-touched inner eyes slid over his regular sight. Color bleached to various shades of gray, light and dark and nuances in between. Using his new sight, he scanned the room. At the same time, he inhaled, his nostrils flaring. The presence, whatever it was, leaked the sulfuric taint of the Under Realm into the stale, smoke-heavy air. If one of the dark ones were near, he or she, boasted powerful concealment skills. Skills better than his own. Damn. Only one possibility. A High Caste demon.

  His mind spun with the implication of the demon’s presence. High Caste demons did not leave the Under Realm often, but when they did, chaos and death, human death, followed. For the High demon to be present now, in close proximity, could only mean Beliel knew where to find the Defender. His jaw clenched. He’d hoped for more time to work with her before she had to deal with Beliel or one of his deadly allies.

  “She is a delicious piece of mortal flesh isn’t she, my brother”? As if a mere thought of his name commanded his attention, Beliel’s dark, hell-crusted voice slithered into Mikos’ mind.

  “Hiding behind a mortal, hell-spawn?” he snarled.

  A guttural bark of derisive laughter, then, “Better a hell-spawn than an archangel’s slave.”

  “At least I don’t have to act through another.”

  A hiss sounded, the grating sound reverberating through Mikos’ skull. A brief smile of satisfaction twitched his lips. He’d made the oily bastard angry.

  “You will lose,” Beliel snapped in a harsh, raw voice. “I will have the woman, and she will lead me to King Solomon’s Key.”

  “Are you an Oracle now?”