by Nina Bangs
“I’m here with a proposition.” He seemed relaxed. Even after seeing what Spin could do, he didn’t act worried. That either made him very powerful or very stupid.
“Name?” Q moved so he was slightly behind the stranger.
“Seir. That’s S—E—I—R. I know you’ll want to Google that as soon as you get home.” His lips turned up in a mocking smile.
“Let’s hear your proposition.” Spin moved away from Ty so they had Seir semi-trapped in a half circle.
Seir’s smile widened. “I know you’re searching for the immortal who’s recruiting nonhumans. I can lead you to him. For a price.”
“Maybe we don’t have to bargain. Maybe we can make you want to tell us.”
Obviously Q thought threat-of-violence was always a good place to start negotiating.
Seir shook his head in fake sorrow. “So predictable. If I thought you could beat the hell out of me, I wouldn’t be here. What next?”
“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Ty was moving beyond options that involved violence.
“Well, let’s see. I know that the immortal you’re after has a gambling thing going that pits two nonhumans in a fight to the death. He’s getting lots of recruits that way. I also know he destroyed three werewolves at a fight last night because they were going to tell their alpha what they saw.” Seir shrugged. “That enough?”
“What’s your price?” Ty seemed to force the words from his lips.
Seir looked relaxed, almost as if he didn’t care what Ty decided, but Kelly felt a sudden tension in him she hadn’t sensed before.
He met Ty’s gaze. “I want to possess your soul for one night.”
Possess? Soul? Demon? That was the only thing she knew that possessed souls. Images of exorcism rituals and swiveling heads made her own head want to rotate a few times. No, definitely not. Seir couldn’t have Ty’s soul.
Ty’s smile was bitter. “You might find my soul more trouble than it’s worth. Why do you want it?”
Seir’s expression didn’t change. “I’ve possessed plenty of human souls and a few not-so-human ones, but I’ve never ridden the kind of raw physical power I saw tonight. It’d be the ultimate thrill. And, hey, I’m all about testing limits.”
“Why just a night? Why not forever?”
“You wouldn’t agree to forever.”
“I won’t agree to a night either.” Ty looked at the others. “Are any of you takers?”
Q and Spin just looked murderous.
Ty turned back to Seir. “I’d say that’s a no.”
Seir shrugged. “Well, if you ever change your mind, come around midnight and stand beside old Sam Houston’s statue in the middle of Hermann Circle Drive.” He nodded toward the dim outline of the statue across from the museum. “I’ll find you.”
And then he was gone. Kelly blinked. Without saying a word, she climbed into the SUV, slammed the door shut, and leaned her forehead on the steering wheel. Then she closed her eyes. What had happened to the Houston she knew? She wanted it back. Without vampires, werewolves, demons and…Ty? No, she definitely wanted Houston with Ty in it. Too bad he and the others were a package deal.
When everyone was in the car, she picked up her head and turned the key in the ignition. Kelly pulled out of the parking lot and drove toward home in silence. Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore. “I didn’t think demons existed.” Or vampires, or werewolves, or men with the souls of dinosaurs.
Q leaned forward in his seat. “Celia, she of the incredible Mexican food, is otherkin, but her soul is demon.”
That didn’t make much sense to Kelly, but she was beyond wanting to know one more freaky fact tonight. They were home, thank God. She parked, got out, and didn’t look back as she let herself into the building.
She climbed the stairs, then stopped in front of her door. There was an envelope taped to it. She pulled it off and unlocked the door. She could hear Ty coming up the steps.
No, tonight she wanted to be alone to come down from the emotional high of these last few nights. If he came in, he’d stay the night. She knew that. She slipped inside, closed the door, and locked it.
Kelly heard him stop in the hallway. She held her breath. Then she heard his door closing, and she went weak with relief. He was giving her some space tonight.
Making her way to the bedroom, she turned on her bedside lamp, stripped and climbed into bed. Only then did she open the envelope.
A single piece of paper fell out. Across the top was a simple message: your brain music.
Chapter Thirteen
Ty shut down his laptop and sat thinking. If Seir was the demon he said he was, then he was legit. That’s if you believed in demons. Ty did. A little research had turned up that Seir was a Prince of Hell with twenty-six legions of demons at his command. Not too shabby.
As demons went, Seir wasn’t one of the über evil entities. One of his major powers was finding hidden treasures. Ty tended to believe that Seir was the real deal. The description fit—unearthly beauty, blond hair, ice-blue eyes. The only thing missing was the silver winged horse he was supposed to ride. Probably had it tied to a tree somewhere.
Ty wondered why the hell Seir wanted his soul for just one night. He’d never know, because no way was he giving a demon any part of him. Then Ty dismissed Seir from his mind. He wouldn’t need a demon to get his job done. Standing, he stretched. After sleeping late, he’d gotten a few things out of the way.
One of those things had been reporting to Fin. Ty frowned as he grabbed his jacket. Fin hadn’t sounded good over the mental link. Sure, the news that he could count on the local werewolves to help fight Nine had made Fin happy, but Ty had a feeling the psychic battle with Zero was taking a lot out of him. Fin wouldn’t be able to put Zero on hold if the rest of the Eleven needed him.
Ty tried not to feel too excited as he left his apartment, locked his door, and went across to Kelly’s place. He’d wanted to go to her as soon as he’d climbed out of bed this afternoon, but he’d reined in that need. She deserved some space after all that had happened.
Besides, no matter how much he wanted to be with her, he couldn’t fool himself into thinking their relationship would end well. When Nine was gone, the Eleven would leave Houston. What woman would choose to go with them, putting herself in constant danger as the Eleven moved from city to city? The fact that he was even considering it said a lot about his feelings for Kelly.
But that didn’t stop him from ringing her doorbell. And it damn well didn’t stop him from picturing her long bare legs wrapped around his hips. He heard her on the other side of the door and carefully schooled his expression to match what she expected, a prehistoric killing machine.
Kelly was smiling when she opened the door, but her eyes were red.
Ty stepped into her apartment and slammed the door shut behind him. “You’ve been crying?”
“No.” She widened her eyes, refusing to blink.
Trying to hold back tears? He glanced at the crumpled tissue she clutched in her hand.
“Yes.” Panic settled in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t understand, didn’t know how to deal with tears. Crying was a human reaction to emotion, alien to him in every way. Emotion scared the hell out of him. “Why?”
She gave up and blinked. Tears filled her eyes. “I was just thinking.”
A dangerous activity, thinking.
“Fin sent over my brain music, and I was trying to memorize it.” She nodded to where her flute lay on the couch. “And I panicked. What if I forget the melody when I get my one shot at Nine? I mean, stress can make your mind go blank.” Kelly swiped at her eyes with her tissue. “So I made it the ring tone on my cell phone, and I put it on my iPod.” She raised her hands in a helpless gesture. “Last week I was shoveling lion poop, and now I’m responsible for saving humanity. I don’t know if I’m up to the challenge.” She waved her hand to stop him from interrupting her. “Just ignore the rant. This is my crisis-of-faith moment. I’ll be
okay.”
“Let’s sit down.” He led her to the couch, moved the flute, and sat. Then Ty drew her down beside him and pulled her close.
Kelly rested her head against his chest. “My sister, Jenna, called. Mom and she were worried because they hadn’t heard from me. She said she’s working on a story about vampires in Houston. She’s put together a few facts and built it into this big exposé. By the way, she still thinks you’re a vampire. She doesn’t have a clue how close she is to the truth, and how much danger she and everyone else in Houston are in. I’m terrified for my family and afraid I might not be able to save them.” Tears clogged her voice. “Everything depends on me and my freaking flute.”
“I’ll keep you safe.” An overwhelming surge of protectiveness shattered any illusions he might have had that he really didn’t care about this woman.
“But what if I fail? I listened to Jenna talk about a date she had with an ordinary guy she met at some club. And it was like she was talking about this whole other world, a normal world, while I’m going to war alongside vampires, werewolves, and the Eleven to defeat some cosmic menace.” She gave a hiccupping laugh. “Good God, I sound like a comic book character.”
Ty gripped her shoulders and forced her to meet his gaze. “You will not fail, and I will protect you. Always. And I won’t let Fin force you to do something you don’t want to do. If you believe nothing else, believe that.” For the first time, something that might have been a human soul stirred within him.
Kelly nodded and gave him a watery smile. “I believe you.”
He felt his tension ease. “You don’t have to go with us to night if you’re not up to it. Fin can get someone else to drive us.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine. I’ll be ready to go as soon as I put my flute away.” Kelly reached for her instrument. “Want to hear my brain music?”
Not really. He wanted to pick her up, carry her into the bedroom…No, that would take too long. He wanted to strip off the short, sexy black dress she was wearing and spend the night making love right on the couch. No walking involved. “Sure, let’s hear it.”
She picked up the flute, put her mouth to it, and played. The melody was simple and haunting, but Ty had other thoughts going on besides the music. Her mouth. On him. Playing her special tune over every inch of his bare body. And he had no doubt his mouth on her would create notes never before heard.
When she finished, he grinned and tried to keep it light. “Love it. I bet Nine will be humming it as he floats somewhere out in space.”
“Hold that thought.” She disassembled and cleaned the flute.
He watched her place it carefully in its case. “Not that I want you anywhere near Nine, but if you were, wouldn’t having to put the flute together slow you down?”
She frowned. “Well, yeah, but I don’t have a choice. This is what Fin saw in his vision, me playing a flute and maybe defeating Nine. If we’re someplace where I expect to come face-to-face with him, I’ll make sure the flute is already assembled.”
“Fin is wrong. The future isn’t set in stone. The Eleven will send Nine’s ass back where it came from with no flute playing needed.” Ty suspected he sounded vicious about that, but he would never let her put herself in danger. Screw Fin. And he didn’t care if their great leader was listening.
“How? You can’t kill him. So tell me how, Ty?” She sounded calm, reasonable.
And he hated it. “I don’t know. There must be a way.” He raked his fingers through his hair. The need to break something pounded at him.
She closed the case and walked back to him. Putting her hand on his arm, she smiled. “It might never happen. I might never even get near him. And Fin will probably come up with some brilliant alternative to my flute. After all, isn’t he your godlike leader? Maybe he needs to earn his title.”
Startled, Ty stared at her. “You sound kind of bitter. What brought that on?”
Sighing, she walked over to get her coat and purse from a chair. “I’ve got to get a new jacket. My other one is pretty much ruined.” Then she picked up her flute case. “This is going to be clunky to carry around. I wish Fin had seen me playing a harmonica instead.”
“You’re not answering me.” He kept his voice quiet even though he wanted to shout his frustration to the world.
She paused by the door. “He manipulates everyone.”
“You don’t have to play the flute. You could say no.”
“Could I? He’s made it clear what’ll happen to humanity if I don’t play the damn thing. He’s counting on my conscience to carry the day for him.” Her laughter was no laugh at all. “And he’s right.”
Sensing she had more to say, he kept quiet.
“I’m not really ticked off about what he’s done to me. I mean, he needs to do what he needs to do for humanity.” She fiddled with the strap of her purse. “It’s about you guys.” Kelly looked as if she were trying to make a decision. “Don’t you ever wonder about him? Why is he the big boss? How can you be so smart if you were only dinosaurs before? And why don’t you ever ask him questions about things?”
“I don’t know.” He frowned. “I just never do.” Why not? He tried to move past the fog that always rolled in when he thought about Fin, but he couldn’t fight his way free. “Look, maybe we can discuss this when we get back. I talked to Jude after I got up. He wants us to meet him at Eternal Pleasure. We’ll eat there, and then he’ll take us to a few clubs that cater mostly to nonhumans. Law of averages says we’ll get lucky at one of these places and find out where Nine is operating.”
She nodded, but he could sense her disappointment. “Sure.”
As she pulled the door open, he put his hand over hers. “By the way, I want you again.” Okay, he hadn’t planned on saying that, but since he had, he might as well elaborate a little. “I want you in every possible position and on every possible surface in Houston. From this time forward, I want tour guides to point out that Kelly and Ty made love here, and here, and here, and here.” He wouldn’t put any time limit on his desire for her either. The way he felt right now, this could be a never-ending thing. And that was the scariest thought he’d had since…since ever.
She closed the door softly. “How about a peek at coming attractions to raise my spirits?”
Leaning in, Ty trapped her between the door and his body. He lowered his head and paused a breath away from her mouth. “You touch my soul, woman. You touch what I am, what I once was, and what I will be.”
Ty wondered at the words, even as he recognized how right they were. They were from something half remembered. Not his words, but the perfect words for what he felt.
She had no idea how much he’d just admitted. And only he knew how close he was to the final question. Will you walk into the heart of my beast and share my soul? But he didn’t ask. It wasn’t time. Yet.
Instead he traced her soft sensual lips with the tip of his tongue, tasting the female in her, the essential “one” he’d always remember. Her scent was of all things human: vanilla soap, spearmint toothpaste, and female desire. When he deepened the kiss, she opened to him.
He lost himself in the exchange, exploring the heat of her mouth, welcoming the intense pleasure of his erection pressed against her stomach…
And fumbling for his damn cell phone as it demanded his attention. He broke the kiss and stepped back. “Let me shut this off.”
She stared at him from wide wondering eyes, her lips swollen from his kiss. “Answer it. You can’t afford to miss something important.”
Trying to still his rapid breathing, he flipped it open. “Yeah?” Ty hoped whoever was on the other end understood how close to death he was.
“Oops. Sounds like I caught you at a bad time.”
“No shit.”
“Just thought I’d let you know it’s time to go. Oh, and Neva got back this afternoon. She knocked on my door. Wants to go with us.”
Ty didn’t honor Q’s reminder with an answer. He shoved the cell phone back
into his pocket. “Q. It’s time to go.” Sliding his fingers along the side of her face, he kissed her lips one last time. “And I’ll bounce his head off a wall for interrupting.”
“Make it twice. One for me.” She smiled. “But there’ll be another time. Believe it.”
Out in the hallway, Ty knocked on Neva’s door.
“Is Neva back?”
Ty returned to Kelly’s side as they waited for the others. “Yeah, Q said she got back this afternoon. She knocked on his door and said she wanted to go with us.”
“Well, another mouth full of big teeth has to be good for our side.” She didn’t look as flip as she sounded. “Sorry, that came out pretty insensitive. I wonder how she’s coping emotionally.”
Just then Neva’s door opened, and she stepped into the hallway. She wore a short dress covered with sparkly things, and heels so high that Ty figured no woman could stand in them without keeling forward onto her face. Her hair was piled onto her head with more sparkly stuff woven through the strands.
“If looks are anything to go by, I’d say she’s handling the emotional stuff pretty well.” Ty watched Neva actually walk toward them on those shoes. Go figure.
Neva hugged him and planted an air kiss on Kelly. “Don’t want to smear my lip color.” For a newly turned werewolf, she was in a great mood. “You know, I never believed in all that soul-mate crap, but I do now. Honestly. Macario and I just fit. But before I go on about that, I want you guys to know how much I appreciate what you did. I’ll never forget it.”
Neva looped her arm through Kelly’s. “When all this first went down, I wanted to run and keep on running. But after last night, I got to thinking about how you took care of me. I owe you. Without you I’d be dead, and I never would’ve met Macario. That’s why when Fin called a while ago offering me the job of Kelly’s bodyguard, I jumped on it. Hey, I can out-bodyguard anyone. So you and I’ll be inseparable, girlfriend.”
“Bodyguard? Did I miss the part where Fin and I conferenced about this?”