by Cindy Mezni
“You won,” I said languidly. “I admit it was more than ‘not so bad.’”
He forgot his ministrations on my breasts to look me in the eye.
“‘More than not so bad,’ is still not enough.”
His mouth swept down on mine and he kissed me softly then languorously when our lips parted and our tongues fought furiously against each other. One of my hands stroked his face and I felt the characteristic depth of the scars everywhere on his skin. I pushed him away without violence so that he stopped kissing me and observed attentively his marks while brushing them with my fingertips.
“I’d never noticed how they made you attractive. Exciting, even.”
“That’s proof it was worth it letting them damage my handsome face,” he said with humor.
For what seemed like the first time in years, I burst out laughing, even if I knew the story behind his scars was anything but funny. But it was typical of the Xander I’d always known, turning drama into derision. I had to admit that, in certain moments, it was an aspect of him I really liked.
“You’re really insane,” I said to him.
“I bring you pleasure and you, what are you doing? You disrespect me. I can’t tolerate that,” he warned me with feigned severity.
He took hold of my hands, put them over my head and held them firmly while his mouth wandered here and there on my skin. My look roamed over the room and I noticed all the light coming in, the sign it was getting late in the morning. His lips began to kiss my stomach, going lower and lower. In a surge of consciousness and will, I pushed him away and forced him to stop. I forced us to roll once again so that he was under me.
“Enough for today,” I announced with determination, even if my body begged me to let him continue.
He granted me a charming smile which managed to turn the embers of my desire into an inferno. He would probably make the most frigid of females wet. Devil! What could I do when he looked at me with his feverish eyes and got this alluring smirk? Mexico, Nemesis, I recalled mentally to myself. I had to resist. We had to leave very soon. I rolled off of him and got up from my bed, picking up my bathrobe from a chair. All the way, I felt the heavy gaze of Xander on my naked body.
“It was great, Xander, but playtime is over. We have to hit the road.”
He let out a long sigh before finally getting up from my bed and putting his pants back on. I’d forgotten he was like Ezekiel and thought that underwear was superfluous pieces of fabric. Right away, I focused my gaze on anything except him. Being very far from having taken advantage of all his talents, the slightest thing could make me go back between the sheets with him. And from then on, goodbye priorities.
“It was only foreplay,” he assured me while coming to stand behind me. “When we’re back from Mexico, we’ll get it on again and you’ll get the whole shebang.”
Why did he have to ruin everything? I appreciated Xander and his obvious qualities when it came to sex but he was going too far there. My desire forgotten, I turned around to shoot him a cold look. I didn’t want a new Nathanael or Ezekiel. I made the rules. And in all domains. If he thought that we would “get it on again” after our trip because he’d decided it, he was greatly mistaken. But it was useless to get things straight now. We had to travel together and it was better to avoid doing the clarification now.
“Get out, Xander,” I said through clenched teeth.
He complied, not without stealing a quick kiss which made me shiver with disgust. What was that? I hadn’t turned down Nathanael’s attempts to make me his Parinrä away to end up with his clone who thought I was already his. I dashed to take a shower to refresh myself. After a certain time under the shower’s spray to enjoy my last moments of tranquility, I left my room, clean and dressed. I took the stairs to find Edenaï and Caine, waiting for me at the ground floor. With Logan’s death, Nathanael’s departure, Venom who wasn’t a member of the Council anymore, very few Nëphyr were capable of managing the house in my absence, except Edenaï . . . and Caine. Even if to leave the residence in the hands of Xander and Caine didn’t bother me, when Caine was the sole master, I didn’t like it. A part of me couldn’t refrain from thinking Caine was maybe one of Ezekiel’s henchmen and he was going to play a dirty trick on me during my absence. But I had no other choice if I wanted to solve the supply problem and have nothing to fear when the High Instances or their Trackers came. Because they would come, it was certain given Ezekiel’s plans.
After finalizing the procedure to follow during my absence with Edenaï and Caine and specifying them what they had to do if Venom and Shane were found, I went out to meet with Xander outside. It was at this moment I realized the real mess in which I was. If, as expected, Xander and I came across Ezekiel in Mexico, we had no chance, even with Drake by our side. Damn it, Nathanael had well chosen his moment to abandon the ship.
“Too bad we can’t take Leonemä, Panthrä and Tigriä* with us,” I admitted when I reached Xander. “Reinforcements wouldn’t have been superfluous.” [* A Nëphyr lion, tiger and panther—they are Nëphräm. They’re members of the Royal Guard, composed of three animals and two Nëphyr. They were created to protect the sovereign of the Ameïan clan.]
“We would have been too visible with them. And if the humans knew of their existence, it’d cause a war.”
For my part, I mostly was sure that Ezekiel would know that they accompanied us, thanks to one of his spies, and would ensure that the humans were informed about the Nëphräm. From then on, as Xander had said, it would be the most total chaos between Nëphyr and mortals.
“I know,” I eventually said with a heavy heart.
“But you have myself and my machete after all. It isn’t so bad, is it?” he said when he noticed the gloomy mood I was in.
In spite of myself, I snorted disdainfully.
“Probably. But I’m afraid that you, your fetish weapon and I, we’re no match for Ezekiel and his clan of exiles.”
Besides, Xander thought it was only about a problem of rivalry concerning the supply. He didn’t know that Ezekiel had sworn to make me pay a hundred fold for what I’d done to him and settle the score with me. Or that he’d suggested he still had surprises in store for me. Xander would probably be as defeatist as me if he knew about all those things.
“And why do you believe that we might come across them? Drake told us they were in the city of Piedras Negras, more than three hundreds miles away from Reynosa, where we’re going. So there are few chances to meet Ezekiel on our way.”
What Xander didn’t know was that, until I found myself without Nathanael and Logan, the plan was to come across him in Mexico. At the moment, with my reduced team, I really hoped Xander was right.
“In case you haven’t noticed yet, I’m not on good terms with luck recently.”
“It’s true that seen from this viewpoint . . .”
We kept silent, the atmosphere now oppressive and heavy. We were both conscious this trip didn’t bode well.
“We need a car to go there,” I said after a moment, putting an end to the silence.
“Too lazy to run?”
I whirled around to face Caine. Why was he here instead of doing what I’d charged him to do? Even though I wanted to put him in his place, given the situation and in order to not get on the wrong side of him, diplomacy was more important. Definitively, our relations would never improve. And to say that at the origin of this resentment, there was only a fight—which he had initiated to humiliate me in front of all and had lost—that everybody had forgotten except us.
“Why don’t we go on foot?”
“It will take you more time,” Caine answered to Xander, beating me to it. “Between detours so as not to be located, the inconvenient meetings and other unforeseen, it’s better to drive to there.”
“Humans are a pain in the ass,” Xander muttered under his breath.
“How right you are,” Caine said with disdain. “Although I know other creatures which aren’t outdone on that side.”
<
br /> Caine took the liberty of sending me an unambiguous look while pronouncing these last words. Enough is enough!
“Sure, my number of Councilors has drastically reduced, but at this point, one less wouldn’t make much difference. So if you value your head, keep from making your usual inappropriate comments. I’m really not in the mood for that.”
“Which one do we choose?” Xander asked me, gesturing toward the cars around us which had been abandoned for years.
He’d probably felt he had to intervene before Caine and I went for the jugulars of one another. I observed our surroundings. There were only wrecks, carcasses of charred or partially destroyed cars. I doubted that even just one of them still worked.
“What would this clan do without me, I ask you,” Caine said as for himself, exasperated.
He went away in the opposite direction of the residence. What the Devil was he doing?
“Caine?”
He didn’t answer. I exchanged an astonished look with Xander.
“What are you doing?” I asked Caine. “Answer or, I swear it, I’m going to lose it.”
And I was anything but kidding.
“That won’t get me too far,” he said, and I was within an inch of using the Pyronnaë on him.
Fortunately, he escaped from the unenviable fate of being a living campfire when he stopped and turned around.
“I have to take you by the hand, besides having to hand you your means of transport on a silver platter?”
Even if I hated his disdainful tone, I followed him right away. Xander did the same. It killed me to admit it, but Caine knew how to make himself useful despite the fact that he was a first-class bastard. After a few minutes, we arrived in front of a huge garage door. Caine lifted it. What I saw then was incredible. Dozens of cars, any brand and any periods were stored almost everywhere in this immense warehouse.
“Where did they come from?” I asked, caught off guard.
Caine whirled around all of a sudden, looking a bit surprised.
“It’s the personal collection of Ezekiel. You’ve never seen it?”
My silence spoke for itself. I was aware of the pronounced penchant of Ezekiel for luxury, because I stole with him many different things such as vehicles, jewels, and rarities when we went hunting prey together. But we’d always eventually gotten rid of them, either by boredom or desire for change. At least, it was what I’d always believed until now.
“It would appear that even from you, he kept secrets.”
I thought again about the words which Ezekiel had told me during our ‘interview.’ ‘You believe you know me, you believe you’re capable of guessing what’s in my mind. You’re greatly mistaken.’ Despite me, irritation boiled in me when I became aware that unlike he who knew me perfectly, even today he remained partially unpredictable for me. And I hated that.
“What brand?” I said to Xander in a toneless voice, changing the subject.
“Ferrari,” he answered almost right away, a glimmer of excitation in his eyes.
He had the same expression he had a few hours ago, when I’d told him I wanted him. I shook my head, his reaction having at least the advantage to improve my mood a little. I got in the bright red Ferrari and started it. The throbbing of the motor was a pure pleasure. I drove it and went round and round in circles in the hangar. The sound of the engine running at full speed, it was like the roar of a powerful animal. It was somewhat as if the four-wheeled machine had as much strength hidden under its hood as a Nëphyr. I abruptly stopped the Ferrari. The screech of tires caused a delicious shiver of exhilaration to run along my spine. I got out of the vehicle and went around the cars, looking at the various models, while trying to remember those which I’d stolen with Ezekiel. Aston Martin, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Pagani Huayra, Porsche, Noble, Dodge Viper… All of them were there, I noticed with astonishment. All of a sudden I came upon the black racing car which I’d always wanted to try: the Maybach Exelero. Ezekiel had a particular interest for cars but this one was his favorite. He hadn’t stopped singing me its praises to make me covet it without authorizing me to touch it. It was worth several million dollars and only a few existed. It could go up to two hundred and fifteen miles per hour. Needless to say, it was a pure marvel of elegance and performance. And for me, the forbidden fruit I looked forward to finally tasting and savoring.
“Have you done with your window-shopping?” Caine inquired curtly, getting impatient.
I spun around to face him.
“What a killjoy you are, Caine. Your centuries of life start to show.”
Not appreciating the comment, he stared at me with annoyance before turning around and walking away. For once, I got on his nerves and not the opposite.
“Close the door on your way out,” he told us and disappeared.
With the Illusionaë, I changed the red color of the Ferrari to black so that it went more unnoticed during our journey. I motioned to Xander to get on board. He did so. For my part, I went past the Ferrari without stopping.
“What are you doing?” he questioned me, lost.
“You want your Ferrari. I want my Maybach,” I said to him casually while I headed toward said vehicle.
A sort of middle finger to Ezekiel, he who liked it so much. And, at least, I’d have the pleasure to see the disappearance of his arrogant expression if we came across him and he saw me inside. Small consolation if I died after that, but consolation all the same.
“We meet in Reynosa,” I declared as I opened the car door and got inside. “Oh, and don’t forget to close the warehouse when you’re out.”
I started the engine and stepped on the accelerator, causing the tires to screech before driving at full speed through the empty street in front of me. Mexico, here I come . . .
“Call Drake,” I ordered Xander.
Drake had missed our meeting in Reynosa. Yet, it was better for him to be here to finalize the negotiations he’d started with the prison. If Nathanael had been there, I wouldn’t have seen the point of it as he was the one who had always been in charge of talks with the human government. But he wasn’t there and Xander and I were anything but known for our diplomacy. Xander took his cellphone in the pocket of his pants and dialed Drake’s number. A few seconds later, he gave it to me. I put it against my ear.
“Drake?”
“What?” he mumbled on the other end of the line.
“Where are you?” I exclaimed in a loud and upset voice as my attention was focused on the prison that wasn’t far from the alley where we were.
I heard a curse on Drake’s side before he finally deigned to answer me.
“Quiet down, would you. Something is wrong.”
“Where are you, damn it?” I said, feeling more and more beside myself.
“I’m in the prison you’d indicated to Logan.”
But what the Devil was he doing there? He was supposed to be here upon our arrival.
“What’s going on?” I questioned him, controlling my feelings to obtain information as quickly as possible.
“They should have left a long time ago. Something’s wrong. They are—”
Realization dawned on me like an icy cold shower.
“Ezekiel’s clan?”
They were still there and, as Drake had said it, it wasn’t normal. Why would they have remained for so long on site? Especially almost twenty-four hours after the hour given to them by Logan. Ezekiel was too intelligent to not have understood he’d been conned. Shane, I said to myself. Maybe he’d had the opportunity to contact Ezekiel and told him that, given the last events, Logan’s information was probably fake. Unfortunately, I was afraid the truth was much more complex.
“Ezekiel is with them?” I asked in a strained voice.
“No. And the strangest thing is that I was there well before they arrived and he’d never been with them. Yet, they’re indeed members of his clan, even if the majority are missing.”
Had the Mëvia understood? Had he planned my reactions, Drake’
s plan and everything else? And, if I was right, how did he plan to respond?
“The trap didn’t work as expected,” Drake went on, as if I hadn’t already got it. “Instead of the trap snapping shut on them, it’d seem it’s snapping shut on us.”
“By Satan, leave right now and join us as soon as possible! I have a feeling we’re going to need you here!”
Not waiting for an answer, I hung up and gave back the cellphone to Xander. I turned around and punched the window of a building out of rage and contrariety. I didn’t care about my hand, but I should have suspected the noise of a broken window was going to attract somebody’s attention. An old man looked around and eventually caught a glimpse of us where we were hiding to observe the prison without being noticed. Curious, he came toward us. Shit. Not wanting him to call for help or shout when he’d see my hand covered in blood and the scarred and anything but friendly face of my companion, I used the Illusionaë to make him see a deserted alley. The human left after a few seconds, shaking his head.
“What do we do now?”
I faced Xander. He was resting against the wall and seemed relaxed even if his gaze betrayed his irritation.
“It’s better that we lay low while we wait for Drake. I suggest we get a hotel room.”
Proof that it was a critical moment, he made no salacious comment, saying I just was looking forward to see again his dream body or another idiocy of this kind. He just agreed with a nod. We found a small dingy motel near the prison. The establishment manager asked us no questions, in spite of Xander’s scars and my more than peculiar appearance—I had no shoes. Without a doubt, he had to say to himself that Xander was a member of a drug cartel and he came here to have fun with a poor girl. Not very flattering for me but today, my pride was the least of my worries.