by Jami Gray
“What’s with the grin, Natasha?” The question came from Xander.
Natasha almost laughed aloud. “Would you like to inform our little group who you really represent, or may I?” she asked Darius.
He cocked his head. “You think you have me figured out?”
Unable to suppress it, she let her laughter ring free. “Boys and girls, we are being honored by one of the Sarielian Order.”
For a moment no one spoke.
“The rumors are true then?” Niall’s taciturn question sounded overly loud.
Natasha finally turned her attention away from Darius. “As true as the ones surrounding the Wraith’s existence.”
“What rumors?” Xander asked.
Raine and Gavin held silent and watched.
“A group similar to ours,” Niall said. “Yet older, more powerful. They exist to give nightmares to the nightmares.”
Xander got up off her log and stretched, her fingers flexing while gold brightened her hazel gaze. “Guess we shouldn’t be shocked there would be a group to police the police.”
“Yeah, but then who watches them?” Jamie’s normally easygoing expression was now deeply grooved with a frown.
Natasha fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Did none of you consider where Ryan might have culled his idea for such a group in the first place?” Why did it feel as if she was forever asking the obvious?
Gideon was the only one who spoke up. “He worked with the Council to address a need.”
“I’m not here to give a history lesson,” Darius cut in. “Suffice it to say, I’m here to ensure you don’t forget your purpose.”
Raine stepped forward, Gavin’s restraining grip not much of a deterrent. “You may answer to the Council, but we don’t. Our job is to protect our people, regardless of where the threat comes from. And right now, our only concern is uncovering the one behind Mulcahy’s death, not playing politics.”
There were times Natasha yearned to teach the girl a lesson, but there were others, like now, where she would love to applaud Raine’s ballsiness, no matter how unwise.
But Raine wasn’t quite done. “Unless you’re here to make sure we don’t uncover a link between the Council and Mulcahy’s death?”
Darius’s amusement disappeared under the whip of accusation, a feral darkness prowling forward, providing a glimpse of his true nature. “The Order does not kowtow to politics or to the Council. The truth behind Mulcahy’s death will be revealed, regardless of who it implicates.” He held the young woman’s gaze. “My word to you.”
Oaths were not given lightly in the Kyn world, as they had a way of coming back to haunt you in some very not-so-nice ways. Raine’s aggression didn’t completely dissipate, but it noticeably lessened. Enough so for Gavin to release her.
Natasha wanted to shake her head at Raine’s naive assumption. Really, taking a demon’s oath at face value? Had the girl learned nothing from her past experiences? Still, Natasha held her tongue. For now.
“We choose our own captain tonight.” Gavin’s ability to hide his inner thoughts was not such a welcome skill at this particular point. It made him difficult to read. “With or without the Council’s or Order’s approval.”
Darius inclined his head. “Then your new captain best be prepared to prove that his—” He slid a glance her way, “—or her, intentions don’t compromise the Wraiths’ effectiveness.”
The sound of spitting gravel and a revving engine cut through the night. A heavy door slammed, the echoes barely fading before Gavin’s name, laced with fury, was called.
Everyone turned toward the summons. Fahd burst around the corner of the house, a wave of rippling energy spreading before him, an indicator his inner demon was clawing at the reins. He came to a stop inches from Gavin, his normally swarthy face pale, the glow from the red Amanusa rings bleeding over his dark eyes.
Natasha’s stomach clenched. Something was very, very wrong to upset the normally levelheaded demon to such an extent. “Fahd, what happened?”
He turned his attention to her, his other form apparent to her in the watery echo looming around him. “Sullivan is dead.” His voice reached bass levels.
The unexpected words sliced through her. Dead? What the hell had Sullivan done? “What?”
Fahd’s growl swelled and he went to move around Gavin, but two things happened simultaneously. Gavin blocked him and Darius slid in front of her. Shocked by Fahd’s unexpected aggression, she stood there, trying to process the quickly changing situation.
“Is this how you plan on leading us, Natasha?” Fahd hissed. “Eliminating those who disagree with you?”
Raine added her strength to Gavin’s in restraining Fahd.
What the hell was he talking about? “Me?”
He struggled against Gavin and Raine, clearly intending to get to Natasha. “He was killed by a demon. Then left in such a way as to expose us to the humans.”
Infuriated that he would think she would risk her people for such a fool as Sullivan, her beast surged forward unfettered. This was not the time for control. The air cooled considerably, the night taking on a hint of red and yellow.
“Let him go.” The command came out in a hiss. She could feel her human form slipping. Gavin and Raine didn’t move fast enough. “Now!” A sharp shove of magic accompanied her demand, pushing Gavin and Raine away from the other demon. “How!” She took a step forward. “Dare!” Another step. “You!” Until she was inches from Fahd.
Her human form might be small, but her beast dominated his. She was his queen, a fact he seemed to have forgotten. She released her hold a little more, the energy around her gearing up.
Fahd bared his teeth. Flashes of his other self peeked through as his control frayed. “I dare because no other would have taken him out in such a blatant way. It speaks to an untouchable arrogance. It is your handiwork.”
With clawed hands she dragged Fahd into the Side and out of the mortal realm. Startled shouts were abruptly cut off as the demon realm formed around her and her subject. The Side was a dimension only accessible to those of Amanusa blood, a place where their human skins fell away and their true forms took dominance. It was where she enforced order for her House. And order seriously needed to be enforced now.
Stretching to her full eight-and-a-half-foot height, she sank her lethal black claws into Fahd’s scaled azure chest, the sharpened points slicing deep, drawing blood. “You dare accuse me of arrogance? You have no idea of what my so-called handiwork includes, sisna.” The demon slur reverberated around them as she dragged the slightly smaller demon up until mere inches separated their faces, her ebony horns scraping thin layers off of his. “However, I’d be happy to demonstrate my work to you.”
“Natasha, stop.”
The ground-shaking roar yanked her head around. She ignored Fahd’s sharp cry as one of her horns scored a deep groove along his forehead, leaving a smear of ruby red.
Another demon stood behind her. Massive and savage, he was half a head taller than she, his bone-white horns a marked contrast to his deep obsidian coloring. Masculine beauty existed in a savage harmony with the beast. Ice-cold blue eyes stared back.
Recognition hit. Darius.
“Release him,” he growled.
Turning her back to him in an obvious dismissal, she gave Fahd a brutal shake. “Do not think to falsely accuse me again, or I will make sure it’s the last mistake you make.” She flexed her claws, driving them deeper. Fahd’s grimace gave way to a soft gasp as she scraped past muscle and tendon, touching things never meant to be touched. Savage hunger rose, clamoring for more—more blood, more pain. Snarling, she threw him away.
A shimmer flickered, as Fahd called his wings into being. Flaring them for stability, he stumbled to his feet. Like most of the more powerful Amanusa, the savage blend of beast and man created a menacingly, beautiful creature, even as his lips peeled back from sharp, jagged teeth. His lean face retained enough of its human characteristics to reveal his grimace. Strai
ghtening slowly, he kept his complete attention on her.
“It’s not a false accusation.” The lesser demon flicked his gaze at Darius then back at her. “See for yourself.” His wings settled then faded away, even as he crossed his muscles arms across his scaled chest, ignoring the dripping blood.
The conviction in his voice brought Natasha up short. Trying to work beyond the anger pulsing through her, urging her to rip him limb from limb, she considered him.
Her people fell into two categories, strong and weak. He was not one of the weak, but offering her access to his mind could be fatal—for him. Yet Fahd didn’t falter, holding her gaze, his fury burning bright. Never before had he challenged her. As a matter of fact, he would be the last one she would have expected to rush to such a judgment.
Calling on the ability granted to her by her Amanusa bloodline, she tore through Fahd’s inconsequential mental shields and delved deep. She wasn’t gentle in her quest, the need to punish riding her hard. Ignoring his pained shout and Darius’s snarl, she shifted through his mind until she found what she was looking for.
Secret desires, hidden dreams whispered to her, offering her such sustenance, but that wasn’t what she wanted right now. As delicious as it would be to indulge, she searched for one thing, a hint at his true purpose. It couldn’t hide from her. She was a scion of the Blood of Secrets. Yet, no matter how far she dug, she failed to find a driving need to take what was hers. So if he wasn’t out for her position, or to sabotage her chance with the Wraiths, why accuse her? She drew back to herself, ignoring Fahd’s pained oaths. Puzzlement edged out fury. Something wasn’t making sense here. She began to pace.
“Natasha!” Bone white claws grasped her arm, wrenching her around to face Darius, his red-ringed, blue eyes just as startling in this form as his human one. “Did you kill Sullivan?”
“Excuse me?” she snapped, her patience beyond an end. This…boot-licking, Council lackey dared to question her? Her beast rose in a wave of turbulent fury, subsuming her human intellect. Yanking free of his hold, she let her magic ripple out from her.
While Fahd dropped to a knee, grimacing under the wave of magical pressure, Darius stood unmoving, staring her down with a hair-tearing arrogance. “Did I stutter?”
Her world went red, her emotions transferring to the Side, rocking the ground under their feet. Calculated responses disappeared, even as she tried to re-establish her hold on her beast. She bared her teeth. Claws flashed and three deep gouges appeared like red ribbons along Darius’s sharp cheekbone.
He barely flinched. Instead, he captured her wrist before she could strike again, twisting it painfully and drawing her against his hard, unmoving body. His apparent self-restraint, while her own frayed, sent heat, fury, and a disturbingly animalistic need slamming together in a violent haze. He leaned his head down until his entire visage consumed her sight. “Get your ass in control, woman.”
“Fuck you,” she spit, no longer the Amanusa Queen, just one seriously, pissed off demonic female—albeit one with lethally sharp points.
Her response triggered a low, sub-sonic growl to vibrate between them. His eyes flashed from red to crystal blue, his beast obviously testing his limits. “We need to return.”
For a moment, they remained locked together in a savage battle, neither one willing to give ground. Putting her indomitable will to use, Natasha re-established her dominance, cramming her demon back into its incorporeal cage. Uncaring of the physical pain, she ripped free of his hold and spun away without a word.
Between one breath and the next, she donned her human form and stepped back into the mortal world. She paced, smoothing her hands over her hips, wishing her demon would settle as quickly as her clothes. Behind her, she felt the energy shift as Darius and Fahd returned as well.
“What the hell is going on?” Gavin strode toward her, his gaze flickering behind her then back to her.
“Fahd is convinced I killed Sullivan.”
“Did you?” The question came from Gideon.
His accusation sent her beast into another feral frenzy, clawing under her skin. The urge to strike back was so strong her surroundings disappeared under a red haze. She fought back. There would be no more lapses in control. “No.”
“Prove it,” Fahd hissed.
She chose to ignore him, instead focusing on the silent, infuriating man beside him. She lifted her chin. “I need to see the body.”
“We need to see the body,” Raine corrected.
“This is not a field trip,” Darius bit out. “I will accompany Fahd to the scene.”
“We didn’t put you in charge,” Niall said.
“You need an impartial opinion, one who can’t be accused of tainting the investigation. Therefore, I am in charge,” Darius said.
“No.” The word shot through the group. When Darius turned to face him, Gavin deliberately folded his arms across his chest and widened his stance. “You may be here at the Council’s behest, but none of us are comfortable with you investigating Natasha on your own.”
A small, cold smile broke over Darius’s face. “You don’t trust me.”
Gavin didn’t blink. “We don’t trust the Council.” The inescapable truth in his words rang through the night.
The two men held each other’s stare, neither willing to back down.
Who knew how long the standoff would have lasted, had Xander not cut in with, “I’d prefer that Gavin represent the Wraiths on this. As captain. Anyone else?”
Strong and unflinching, Raine answered the shifter, never looking away from Darius. “Seconded.”
Niall and Gideon stepped closer, coming up to stand beside Raine and Xander, directly behind Gavin.
Gideon spoke for both. “We agree.”
“Agreed.” Fahd realigned himself with the other Wraiths, leaving Jamie to stand off to the side. Alone.
The young man looked between the unmoving group, then at Darius and Gavin. Finally, he turned to Natasha, indecision clear on his face. He raised an eyebrow in a silent question. She inclined her head just enough to indicate she noted his hesitancy. Blowing out a hard breath, he moved to join the Wraiths, leaving her the sole individual between the two men. “Agreed.”
Darius’s smile sharpened as he faced the six, silent Wraiths and their newly chosen captain. “Pick one person to accompany you, Captain.” The last word held a mocking note.
“Two,” Gavin shot back. “Raine and Natasha.”
Darius’s smile faded, allowing the predator to peek out. “You tread dangerous ground.”
This time it was Gavin’s turn to smile, his expression an eerie echo of Darius’s earlier one. “I’m simply honoring my oath to protect my own.”
With a growl, Darius spun on his heel, striding away. “Fahd,” he barked. “You’ll drive me.”
Vindictive pleasure washed through Natasha when Fahd paled, but he hurried after the other man. She turned to Gavin, curious. “Why?”
His jade green eyes stayed hard. “Why what?”
“Why stand against him for me?” She considered him. “Some part of you believes I’m guilty. Why not just let him deal with me?”
“Whether you did it or not, you’re ours,” he said before walking away.
Natasha turned to Raine, only to be met with a smile filled with teeth. “If you are guilty, we get to kill you, not him.”
The feral claim made Natasha laugh in delight. “You think my death would come easy?”
A strange combination of anticipation, and something she couldn’t quiet grasp, scuttled behind the younger woman’s expression. “Oh no, easy never cut it for me.” Raine spun and followed Gavin.
Natasha trailed behind, ignoring the others as they began to leave. Her players were taking up their positions nicely. Deep inside, her demon was humming in satisfaction. Although Sullivan’s death added a small kink, things were going so much better than planned.
Chapter Ten
The ride over to Sullivan’s house was heavy with tension.
Although no one spoke, Natasha watched Raine’s profile run through a myriad of expressions. The symphony of non-verbal cues drew Natasha closer to a certainty that what existed between Raine and Gavin was much more complex and dangerous than expected. While a telepathic link between two Kyn was not unheard of, it generally evolved between mated shifters, like Xander and Vidis.
So how would one exist between Gavin, a witch-Fey, and Raine, a predominantly Fey?
It could be a by-product of their exposure to the humans’ experiments, but Natasha wondered if there was more to it than that. Although Ryan was never able to solve what existed in Raine’s paternal line, the girl’s ability to shift into a leopard was not a common one among the Kyn.
When Gavin’s gaze slid to the rearview mirror to zero in on her, Natasha decided to add the possible telepathic link to her treasure trove of knowledge about this intriguing couple. It went right next to Raine’s ability to see magic, the very same ability that made her such a prime target for the Council and truly one of her uncle’s family. An unguarded memory pushed forward…
“She believes her ability to visualize is because of Talbot’s experiments, not because of her blood.” Ryan paced between Natasha and the fireplace, his hands clasped behind his back. His worry morphing to frustration.
“Why not tell her the truth?” She sipped her wine, unwilling to uncurl from her chair.
He stopped next to the mantle and stared into the flames. “Because I’m not sure what the truth is.”
His unexpected answer curdled her stomach and soured the lingering taste of the wine. “Could the human’s science experiment recreate your gift?”
He looked at her. “He had Raine and Catriona for months. There’s no telling how much or how many of their abilities he managed to alter. If he discovered this specific skill, what would keep him from increasing it to an even more dangerous level?”
“Such as?”
“If you can see magic, you then gain insight into how it works and why. The next logical evolutionary step would be to alter those traits, adjusting things to your preferences.”