by Trina M. Lee
Dash might have won this round. Well, he could have it. But he couldn’t have Rowen. And he sure as hell couldn’t have my confidence or my pain. He would have my vengeance though.
This was far from over.
STRANGE FIRE
REBEL HEART BOOK 3
TRINA M. LEE
CHAPTER ONE
The room tilted severely to one side before righting itself so suddenly I almost stumbled. The vodka and cranberry in my glass spattered the back of my hand with cold drops. Perhaps it had been one drink more than I needed.
“Spike, get your sweet ass over here.” My best friend, Jett, waved me over with a drink in each hand. She was quickly swallowed up by the crowd dancing and jumping in front of the stage.
“I’m on it,” I mumbled to myself while fighting to keep the room level.
A touring band played The Spirit Room tonight. An up and coming group from Toronto, their latest album was in heavy rotation on my playlist, so I’d been excited to see them live. It had also seemed like the perfect girls’ night out, which I needed a lot of these days.
Since my break up with Rowen, the so-called love of my life, I’d thrown myself headlong into anything and everything I could to avoid thinking about it. My band, fight training, recovery missions, and anything else Cinder would give me. Some of it even worked to distract me for a little while.
Always that loss lurked there in the back of my mind. I just couldn’t let it go. Maybe if our breakup had been natural, I’d have been over it by now. But it wasn’t. We were head over heels for each other, torn apart by outside forces.
The need for vengeance ate at me. A cruel seed planted the day Rowen decided breaking my heart was the only way to save me from a demon’s wrath. That seed sprouted and grew, nourished by each night we remained apart.
And all I wanted was to make that demon pay.
So although it might not be the most responsible thing for a white lighter to do, I’d decided a night of drunken shenanigans with my best friend would help me unwind. Having been so very tightly wound these days, it’s a wonder I hadn’t yet snapped.
“I fucking love this song.” Jett’s celebratory cry accompanied the draining of one of her two drinks. She tossed the plastic cup, having no care for where it landed. Grabbing hold of my arm, she dragged me close, gyrating her hips like a madwoman.
Her infectious enthusiasm convinced me to throw my cares away along with her empty cup. The cry of electric guitars stole my focus. Nothing mattered but the music.
All around us the crowd moved like one massive, breathing entity. We shared a heart and a purpose. We shared the music. It erased our differences, our individual selves. It fed my every need.
Unfortunately, in a crowd of that many drunk people, someone always had to ruin it. An unwelcome caress on my ass had me spinning to find some lecherous, grinning idiot. Couldn’t we just enjoy ourselves without some hard-up perv destroying the moment?
With a glare I shook my head at him, hoping he got the message, and turned away. He went for Jett next. Big mistake. Dancing in close he tried to grind against her. He had no clue; that gal could gut him in seconds. She whirled to face him and without hesitation gave him a shove that sent him stumbling into those behind us.
He recovered quickly, coming back at us with hands raised in question. “What’s the matter, baby? I’m just trying to have a good time. Let’s have some fun.” Again he tried to press close, unwilling to accept rejection.
Jett and I shared a look. Without a word we communicated, as best friends do. She wanted to beat his ass. In most cases I would prefer to walk away and continue our night without incident. Tonight was different. I had too much liquor in my veins and a tightly wound temper.
She raised a brow. I nodded.
I threw the punch to his throat that knocked him down. In a change of pace, Jett cheered me on. Usually she was the one handing out fists to jerks, as I liked to consider myself more of a lover than a fighter. However, a girl could only take so much crap before she had to start dishing it.
Even though he struggled to breathe, the guy didn’t hesitate to throw his beer at me. The bottle smacked my elbow, cracking against the bone. The pain wrenched a shout from me.
Jett’s reaction was immediate. She shoved her drink into my hand and leaped on the guy before he knew what hit him. Protective and loyal, she unleashed the strength of the wolf all over him. Her fists pummeled his face despite his attempts to fling her off.
It didn’t take long for the fight to draw attention. Immersed in the crowd as we were, it wasn’t the bouncers who noticed but the demon always lurking much too close.
Koda inserted himself into the situation, gliding in with the otherworldly air of the immortal. He shoved between Jett and our unwelcome guest. Exuding a power so black it choked off my breath, he dragged the guy close, peering deep into his eyes. “Apologize to the ladies. Then go throw yourself off the nearest overpass.” So subtle but effective was Koda’s persuasion.
“Koda, no,” I protested, shoving Jett’s drink at her so I had a hand free to grab his arm.
That vibrant red gaze fell on me, and I jerked my hand away. His human guise fooled many, but it didn’t fool me. If I focused just right, I could see the black wings he kept hidden from human sight. If I looked even harder, I would see his true form, something I didn’t want to see, so I chose not to.
“People like him deserve what they get, Spike. Back off and let me do my job.” Koda didn’t make nice anymore, not like he once had.
Although he was my demon, the one assigned to lure me to the dark, his attempts to do so with niceties and flirtation had ceased. He still lurked, watching and waiting, but the way he played the game had changed.
“I’m not letting you send some guy to his death just because he happens to be a douchebag. That’s not quite enough for a death sentence in my opinion.” Despite how strained things had become with Koda, I wasn’t backing down. The alcohol fueled the fire of my temper.
“Well,” Koda said, giving me the slow, appraising once over he knew I detested, “I didn’t ask your opinion.”
“You wouldn’t even give a shit about him if it weren’t for me,” I tried again. “Just leave it alone, Koda. Leave me alone.”
Koda chuckled, a devious sound that chilled me. “You think everything I do is about you. But you’re only half right. Now why don’t you go back to drinking and dancing like the happy little human you’re pretending to be?”
Heat filled my face. How dare he assume to know anything about what I went through? The triad he belonged to had forced Rowen and me apart. Koda himself knew things that could help me stop Dash, the leader of their triad, but he would share nothing.
Jett eyed me, waiting to see how I wanted to handle this. We’d taken on demons together before, yet we couldn’t win a public battle with Koda. To be honest, I didn’t particularly want to try.
“What I’m pretending to be is someone who doesn’t give a damn for just one night. Can I not just have one night that isn’t about demon bullshit?” I hurled the words with the heat of my anger. Just looking at Koda reminded me that this war I fought was far from over.
The demon’s scrutinizing stare didn’t hold the weight it once had. I stood there unaffected. He snapped a finger in front of the guy’s face and said, “Leave. Now.”
In a daze of manipulated wonder, the guy wandered away, obeying Koda’s command. I made as if to stop him, but Koda blocked me.
“Get out of my way.” My hands tingled. Not a good sign. They often did before fire burst out from them. I’d gained substantial control in recent months, but having my head fogged with alcohol might compromise that.
Koda raised a dark brow and glanced at the guy’s retreating form. “Want me to stop him? Make it worth my while.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” I demanded.
In the same breath Jett snarled, “You’re a goddamn pig.”
Hands raised in mock surrender, K
oda laughed. “So touchy. I guess that’s my answer. Too bad, Spike. I thought maybe you were ready to move on. And move up.”
“With you? Not possible.” I mustered the nastiest scowl I could, trying to ignore the tingles in my palms.
Affecting the perfect pitying expression, Koda shook his head, like I was just so damn pathetic. “You can drink the pain away, but it will still be there in the morning. There are other ways to numb out. I can help. You know he’s not coming back to you, Spike. Rowen is ours now, and that means he can never be with you. This whole party til you puke thing you’ve been doing is just getting sad. It’s time to give up and get over it.”
The band on stage was forgotten. My fellow rockers faded into the background. The demon who’d spent several years learning how to get a reaction from me had succeeded.
A small cry of rage accompanied the fire that burst from my fingers as I lunged at Koda. My fist met his face in a punch that caused my hand to go numb. That would hurt later, in the sober light of day. So I might as well make it worth the pain.
I hit him again, snapping his head back. It took more physical force to truly hurt a demon than I could generate, but that didn’t stop me from trying. My fists ablaze, I pummeled Koda with drunken abandon.
Tangling with him was a stupid mistake, something that could land my ass in hot water. Yet emotion got the best of me, and I didn’t think twice about such a public display.
Of all people who might come to my rescue, Koda’s own swift reaction shut down the flames before I exposed myself. He grabbed my hands and, using the ice element he possessed, abolished the flames. It had all happened in just seconds, but even that was too long for such a blunder.
Koda jerked me away from the crowd none too gently. He steered me over to an area void of people. “Have you lost your mind? I know you’re wound up, but that behavior will come back to haunt you. You might not believe it, but I don’t want to see you punished for amateur mistakes.”
“Back the fuck off.” Jett was right there, shoving between Koda and me. “You antagonized her. This is your fault.”
I realized I’d dropped my drink in the crowd. Oh well, I didn’t need it anyway. My head swam, and I blinked a few times to focus.
“My fault?” Koda scoffed. “I may present opportunities, but I don’t force anyone to take them.”
Jett bared fangs and shoved the demon. “Just waltz off overpasses, huh? You’re a piece of shit. Stay away from Spike.”
Koda had already threatened Jett once. The way he stared at her, daring and calculating, broke through the vodka haze. A hand on her arm, I pulled her back. I didn’t like how close they were.
“Next time you lay a hand on me, wolf, you’ll lose it,” Koda promised. “You have no place in matters of the light and the dark.”
“Like hell I don’t.” Jett leaned in toward him, too much whiskey taking her brazenness to a dangerous level.
The tension between them had my heart pounding. Jett could be a bit of a loose cannon. She just didn’t give a shit, and that kind of attitude didn’t fly with demons.
“You’ve been warned, wolf. I’ll have you on a leash before you can even finish rolling your eyes at me.” Koda didn’t make empty promises. He stared down into her face, daring her to take a shot at him. “Think your pack would even notice the loss of one more?”
That was a cheap shot, and we all knew it. In recent weeks Jett’s wolf pack had dealt with the arrest of their Alpha and the death of several wolves during a raid by a human-run government organization, the Federal Para-Intelligence Agency. They tended to target vampires, werewolves, and magically enabled humans. Thanks to the angels and demons of the city, the FPA didn’t tend to look our way. But it had broken my heart to see my friend fearful and sad.
Due to the actions of the city’s most powerful vampires, the FPA’s chaos had been halted. However, no one could say for sure how long that would last. Jett’s time was now divided between our band and helping her pack put the pieces back together. So Koda’s remark needled her, and understandably so.
Needled her so much she took a swing at him with claws extended. In typical Jett fashion she went for his eyes. A claw gouged the side of his face as he caught her arm. Without so much as a word, Koda promptly snapped her wrist.
Her yelp hurt my ears. She recoiled, holding her arm. Fangs bared, a steady growl emanated from her.
I pulled her farther away before either of them could make another move. This little conflict had taken a sudden dark turn. The thought of Jett on a leash chilled me, and Koda would do it too.
The sword strapped to my back was useless. Although running him through with it would send Koda back to the other side, I couldn’t use it in such a public place. As it was, the Midnight Star was hidden from human eyes, thanks to Cinder.
“Whatever it is you want from me, I promise you’ll never get it. Not like this.” Seething with hatred, I kept stepping back, pulling Jett with me so I could keep Koda in my sights. “Go back to hell where you belong, Koda. You vile piece of shit.”
He regarded me with unabashed devilry. “Don’t test my patience, white lighter. Or I’ll find a creative way to put your filthy mouth to better use.”
“Like hell you will,” called a voice from behind me. “Lay a hand on her, and I’ll find a way to send you to hell myself.”
I knew that voice. It stabbed me right in the soul.
I turned to find Rowen standing there with hands clenched into fists. His fiery amber eyes blazed with vehemence. Fearless, he challenged Koda.
At his side stood Arrow, his brother and best friend. Arms crossed, black hair falling into his face, Arrow appraised the situation. He took in the sight of Jett holding her injured wrist and me vibrating with pent-up fury. A frown creased his brow. He stiffened, ready to back up his brother.
“Ah, Rowen. Of course you’d appear at just the right time to defend your love.” A smirk twisted Koda’s face into something ugly. “Does Dash know you’re here?”
With a toss of his floppy blue mohawk, Rowen advanced on Koda. “Don’t know, don’t care. Why don’t you run along and tell him?”
Koda seemed to consider this. The utter loathing on his face told us all exactly what he thought of Rowen. I wasn’t sure why he hated Rowen so much. As the son of the demon who’d been the third in Dash and Koda’s triad, Rowen could make their triad whole again. Something that Dash wanted very much, but something that, for some unknown reason, Koda did not seem to want at all.
“Better watch yourself, Rowen.” Red eyes met amber and the two faced off. “Just because Dash needs you doesn’t mean I won’t kick your ass all over the place.”
Rowen spread his arms in invitation. “By all means, do it.”
Faced with the choice to walk away or to face Dash’s wrath, Koda chose the former. I knew it wasn’t because Dash ruled over Koda. Neither of them possessed more power than the other. This decision, like so many others, had to have something to do with their triad.
“Keep your distance from one another,” Koda advised, scowling first at me, then Rowen. “We’re watching you.” The demon shoved through both brothers and stormed off to make someone else’s life hell for the rest of the night.
“Are you guys ok?” Rowen asked, turning those enchanting orbs on me.
The sad, drunk girl side of me wanted to throw myself in his arms. Just looking at him made me feel all warm and squishy inside. The independent, hardened woman side of me held my head high and met his gaze evenly. “He broke Jett’s wrist, but otherwise we’re ok.”
“Son of a mother fucker,” Jett swore. “Goddamn it hurts. It’ll heal fast, but I need to have the bones reset before it does. Can one of you give me a ride to my pack’s clubhouse? I can’t go to a hospital.”
Rowen’s gaze lingered on me. I found it so damn hard to look at him. It tore the scab off the wound every time, leaving me raw and bleeding inside.
“Yeah, I can take you.” He turned his attention to Jett but no
t before I saw my pain mirrored on his face. To Arrow, he said, “Can you get Spike home safe?”
I’d much rather have Rowen take me home, but as we all knew, we couldn’t safely be alone together. Not anymore. Dash had too many sets of eyes on us. If he thought for even a second that we were rekindling our romance, I’d be dead. That was why Rowen had broken it off. To save me.
I didn’t want him to have to save me. I wanted us to save each other.
“Yeah, no problem. I’ll drive Spike home.” Arrow didn’t dish up any of his usual assholery, which didn’t make me feel any better. Did he feel sorry for me? Still? Because screw that shit.
I gave Jett a quick squeeze. “So much for our girls’ night of fun. Call me tomorrow.”
With a pained nod, she headed for the exit.
Rowen turned to go after her but paused to glance back at me like he wanted to say something. After a strained moment of silence, he said, “Have a good night, Spike.”
I watched him go, feeling the weight of everything he didn’t say. My shoulders slumped. I stifled a sigh but otherwise didn’t react. Over the past several weeks, I’d gotten pretty good at masking my pain. At least, I liked to think so.
The knowing look Arrow wore made me feel as see-through as leaded glass. I told myself it was because he was close to Rowen, to the situation, and not because I was transparent as fuck.
“So… Do you want to take off?” he asked, pulling keys from the pocket of his black jeans. “I can take you home, or we can grab a drink somewhere else. Your call.”
The thought of sitting at home, alone, pondering the events of the evening sucked. “Yeah. I don’t care where we go, just get me out of here.”
CHAPTER TWO
“So where are we headed? Ready to call it a night?” Arrow slid a curious side eye my way, thinking I wouldn’t notice.
“Nope.” I shook my head, tousled black locks slapping me in the face. “I’m on a mission. Koda and Dash will rue the day they ever met me.”