As expected, Kaj stopped, turning to face her fully. “I thought you enjoyed being here?” He nodded toward the bedroom door they’d just passed. “You and Elizabeth seem to be getting along well.”
“Yes, of course we are.” She and Orianna’s mother had become fast friends, sure. “But I don’t have to live here to spend time with her.”
His head tilted to the side as though he was attempting to read her mind. Then again, he probably was.
Crap.
“Look, I’m grateful they’ve allowed me to stay here, but I think I’d be better off…” away from Oliver “…with other vampires. And with you.”
“You don’t feel welcome here?”
Bijou frowned. “I didn’t say that.” But it wasn’t like she would tell him that she would do well with more space between her and the human male who currently resided in the room adjacent to hers.
“What’s going on, Bijou?”
I unintentionally hurt Oliver. “Nothing.” She took a step back, feeling a bit defensive. “It’s just … I…” This was not how she’d hoped this conversation would go. It was, of course, exactly how she’d seen it playing out, but still.
“Bijou.”
“You know what?” She backed up another step, then one more, holding her hands up in surrender. “Never mind. It’s fine.”
Kaj stepped closer. “It’s not that I don’t want you with me. I just think you’re safer here. At least right now.”
How he could think that considering the mansion had endured a devastating attack not too long ago, Bijou wasn’t sure. However, her father was a male who always had a reason, and right now, she wasn’t interested in hearing it.
“Of course,” she told him. “You know best.”
“Bijou.”
“Forget I asked,” she said quickly. “I … uh … I’ve got something I need to do.”
Without waiting for him to say her name again in that fatherly tone that somehow made her feel like she was ten years old, Bijou spun around and hurried back to her room. She quickly closed the door and leaned against it.
Why had she thought that would be a good idea again?
Oh, right. Because she was getting tired of tiptoeing around the mansion in an effort to avoid Oliver. She knew he was doing the same, and truth was, she wanted to call him on it, but every time she started to, she chickened out.
Bijou still remembered the look on his face when he’d come to her room and found her feeding from Madok. It wasn’t like she had a choice. Her options were extremely limited when it came to a blood source. Aside from seeking out one of her father’s guards, she had only one other option. And Madok had kindly offered. The best part, she felt absolutely no connection to him. Not from a sexual standpoint, at least. As far as friends went … well, yeah, she considered him one, but not like they were spending any time together.
Truth was, she missed Oliver. She had enjoyed the time they’d shared whether it had been watching movies or playing pool, even swimming. But after what had happened between them that one night in the sauna…
Her body warmed at the memory. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the warmth of his tongue between her legs.
A chill shot down her spine and she had to push off the door to keep from melting into a puddle.
If only she could go back to that moment before she’d pleaded for him to take care of the heat that had been consuming them both, Bijou would gladly walk away from him and tend to her own needs. Had she known it would be the death of what she’d considered a great friendship, she never would’ve allowed it to happen.
Unfortunately, time travel wasn’t in her repertoire of skills.
Nor was altering the past.
Which meant she was going to have to figure out a way to move forward without Oliver in her life.
She only hoped he could one day forgive her for ruining everything.
Chapter Five
The instant the shutters began their ascent, signaling it was safe to venture out of the mansion, Reidar made a beeline for the front porch. He’d spent the entire day tossing and turning, attempting to sleep to no avail. It had taken forever, but finally, the night was upon them once again and he had something to do.
Without waiting for Malak, who was his partner for the evening, Reidar dematerialized, taking form in the empty streets of downtown Telluride.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to hide,” Malak said when he appeared at his side a few seconds later.
“Not hiding. Just needed to get some air.”
Speaking of… Reidar took a long inhale, let the cold, crisp air fill his lungs. He exhaled slowly, pivoted to get a good look at the area around them. No people strolling about, but that wasn’t surprising. He knew if they headed back to the main drag, they’d find a few wandering around, mostly tourists willing to brave the ridiculous cold, taking in the sights of the small nowhere town.
“I know the feeling,” Malak said as he began walking, forcing Reidar to fall into step with him. “Mansion seems a bit crowded these days.”
That it did, though they were understaffed with the warriors still out looking for their amsouelots.
Reidar let his senses scan their surroundings, hoping against hope that tonight would be the night they encountered some demons. Impietans, shadow beasts, one of the mesonneir, hell, Lucifer could make an appearance, he didn’t really give a shit. Right now, he was itching for a fight.
“You’re twitchy,” Malak noted.
Yes, he was. Very.
Partly because he was growing tired of this hide-and-seek game they were playing with the demons. Always seeking, never finding. Ever since Eevuhl was taken out at the hands of the Obsidian/Michael combo, the demons had been MIA. As much as he hoped they’d stricken them from Earth once and for all, Reidar knew that wasn’t the case. They weren’t that lucky.
Which meant the demons were likely building their strength, gearing up for another battle.
But where? Where the fuck were they hiding?
At least they wouldn’t be having the showdown at the mansion again. They’d made the place impenetrable having been caught with their proverbial pants down the night Eevuhl had arrived unannounced. They still had no clue how the trielair demon had found them, but it didn’t really matter, did it? Made no difference if he’d looked them up on Google or had a traitor whisper in his ear, he’d waltzed his happy, fucked-up ass right up damn near to the front door.
No longer were they merely relying on the dhira to keep them hidden. Now the demons, should they get the address, would have to work to get past their barriers, and unless they had some crazy skills, that wasn’t happening.
“You doing okay?” Malak prompted. “I mean, since Winnie left?”
Reidar exhaled heavily, kept moving forward, past one empty warehouse after another. “Yep. All good.”
The last person he wanted to talk about was Winnie. Though he’d missed her for the first couple of weeks after she left, Reidar had realized it had been her physical presence he’d grown accustomed to. Having to listen to her rip him a new one every time they attempted to have a conversation was not something he missed. And while he couldn’t interact with the female he’d once believed was his amsouelot, Reidar had checked up on her via Facebook. She’d wasted no time integrating back into the human world, even started dating someone, according to her relationship status update. Who, Reidar didn’t know. Nor did he really care. He’d simply wanted to make sure she was doing fine and it appeared she was.
“Well, if you ever want to talk about it…”
Reidar glanced over at Malak as they ventured off the beaten path and into the trees. The path grew rocky as it ventured up the mountain. “Yeah? Maybe we could share a latte, too. Better yet, you could tell me about you and Raksa while we paint our nails.”
The glare he received was the equivalent of hell no. In fact, Reidar figured Malak would be more inclined to get mani/pedis than to talk about the male who
was giving him trouble.
Reidar couldn’t help but smile to himself. Malak and Raksa thought no one realized they were … well, honestly, Reidar didn’t know what they were. In a relationship? Fucking? Whatever it was, they seemed to be at odds right now. But try as they might, the two males weren’t keeping it a secret. To their credit, they weren’t trashing one another aloud the way Winnie had done to him, so everyone was respecting their privacy. As much as they could, anyway. Hard sometimes when the males were constantly having their heated conversations in public spaces. Almost as though they were avoiding being alone together.
“So no on the latte?” he taunted, continuing his trek, ducking under a thick evergreen branch.
A grunt was all he received in return.
“It’s cool, you know,” Reidar told him. “Only thing I’d watch for is fighting alongside him. Not sure that’s the best idea.”
“There’s nothing going on between me and Raksa.”
Yeah, sure, okay. “Your biz, man.”
And that was the real problem, Reidar figured. He was stuck in the mansion watching everyone as they kept going like nothing had happened lately. Despite his best efforts to keep his nose out of everyone’s business, it was hard not to notice all the happy-happy that was going on. Obsidian and Penelope, Eclipse and Orianna, Bijou and Oliver, Kaj and Acadia, and yes, even Malak and Raksa… Everywhere he turned, there were more couples pairing up, laughing, smiling, joking. All while Reidar was trying to figure out when someone had planted a bomb in his life and who’d pressed the detonator, the explosion ripping his seemingly content universe into fragments.
Of course, the others were likely trying to move past the literal explosion that had rocked the mansion, seeking solace in an effort to comfort themselves. Reidar’s explosion was figurative, the demise of a relationship that never should’ve come to fruition in the first place.
Reidar held up a hand when he heard voices. Malak went stone still, his eyes scanning the darkness.
Their efforts to search the mountain rarely resulted in anything other than stumbling on some unsuspecting humans out for a leisurely stroll or stealing a few minutes beneath the stars. But as the saying went: there was a first time for everything.
Letting his senses expand, Reidar took in the scents on the air first. Animals, mostly small ones, had moved through recently. Humans, too. But there was no scent of evil or death like he’d been hoping for.
Shame.
They’d started searching the mountain in an attempt to see if Perfidious was hiding out there. It only made sense that he would stick around. It was exactly like the narcissistic demon to remain right under their noses and just out of sight. But one day, that demon’s luck was going to run out and they would find Asmia. And when they did, Reidar hoped he was the one who got to send Perfidious back to his maker, the bastard.
Humans, Malak said in his head.
Reidar nodded. Two males, one female. Probably sneaking off to get down and dirty where they thought no one was watching.
Unfortunately, Reidar had no choice but to move closer. Both impietans and shadow beasts were drawn to humans, which meant it was possible they were loitering nearby, gearing up to go in for the kill.
Without making a sound, Reidar moved forward, Malak on his six. They stuck to the trees, keeping out of sight while searching the night for evil.
Unfortunately for him, there was no evil lurking. Nope. Only stupid humans.
He saw the bright red tent first. As he moved around to the opposite side, he noticed the flames from what appeared to be a campfire. The humans came into view next, the three of them on a blanket near the fire, all still dressed, head to toe in winter wear, though specific parts of their bodies were unveiled. The two males were bookending the female, filling her from both ends and seemingly enjoying themselves as much as she was, if her urgent, muffled cries were anything to go by.
Reidar glanced at Malak, signaled for him to go around.
It was too late for the image of the fornicating humans not to be burned into his brain, but Reidar managed to avoid looking in their direction as he and Malak circled the pornographic campsite, moving in an outward motion until they were convinced there were no demons lingering nearby.
Though he wished no harm to the humans, he’d hoped they had attracted something. It would’ve given Reidar an outlet for this restless energy that was building inside him. At least when Winnie had been around, he’d had a way of unleashing it. At the very least, the sex between them had been good. Perhaps great, even. Not quite as kinky as Reidar preferred, but he had no complaints.
He could not say the same for the status of this night.
Perfidious descended the steps leading to the lowest level of his humble abode, admiring the smooth stone walls, the gas lanterns that had been installed. It wasn’t exactly a penthouse in the city, but he had to admit, he was growing rather fond of it. Probably had to do with the fact that it was private, no one around to annoy the shit out of him. Aside from his beautiful captive, that was. And she was not so much annoying as she was titillating.
“Good evening, gorgeous.” Perfidious grinned, stepping out of the stairwell and approaching Asmia’s cage. “Don’t you look lovely today.”
And she did, especially in the formfitting red gown that clung to every curve. He was particularly fond of the way the neckline plunged low, revealing the perfect swells of her breasts contained by nothing more than the silk. Because of the cut, he could see the hint of her nipples peeking out, beckoning him.
As he admired her form, the way she glided toward him, Perfidious unlatched the lock with his mind. Though he was still considering allowing Asmia into his bedroom, he had to admit, he did enjoy the idea of her caged down here for his enjoyment.
“You may greet me appropriately,” he declared as he stepped into her cage, leaving the door open behind him.
“Good evening, my king,” she said as she dipped into a lovely curtsy, her head lowering respectfully.
“How fare thee this evening?” he asked as she straightened.
“I am very well, my king.” Her black eyes glittered with what looked like desire. “Better now that you’re here.”
As was he, Perfidious thought. “Did you sleep well?”
Asmia glanced over at the enormous bed she spent her days in. “Very well, my king. The only way it would’ve been improved would be to have slept in your arms.”
He stepped up to her. “Kiss me, gorgeous.”
“It would be my pleasure,” she replied in a husky rasp.
Perfidious loved how sensual she was. Never hurried, never frantic. She started by lightly gliding her fingers along his cheeks, smiling back at him before her soft lips brushed his gently, reverently. Only when he parted his did she do the same, accepting him into her mouth. There was no hesitance in her as she licked at him, moving in closer, her breasts grazing his chest.
“Mmm.” He pulled her into him, let her feel the arousal that was steadily growing. What he wouldn’t give to push it into her mouth, to watch as she swallowed him down.
Yes, he was beginning to think it was time to kick things up a notch, to take her appropriately. These kisses were mere teases, something he looked forward to but knew wouldn’t sustain him for much longer.
Of course, it wasn’t some misguided sense of decency that held him back. Nor was it out of respect for the female. She belonged to him because he said so, and she agreed because he’d happily stripped her of her free will.
His restraint had to do with what was taking place outside the walls of his new kingdom. Those angels were still searching for Asmia, but they’d slowed their patrols drastically. Probably helped that they were focused on securing their compound since Eevuhl’s attack.
And yes, that fiasco had caused a delay as well.
Perfidious had been shocked to hear the male had made an attempt to steal the unborn angel baby. Not so much to learn Eevuhl had met his demise in the process. That damn archangel
wasn’t one to tangle with. After all, Michael was the one who had slain Lucifer. And now Eevuhl could be added to the notches in that great sword of his.
But with Eevuhl gone, the trielair and their mission were no longer Perfidious’s problem. Thankfully, before the male had been sent back to Hell indefinitely, Eevuhl had relayed his change of guard to Lucifer, and Perfidious was officially in the role of leader of the shadow beasts, a coveted position that required very little effort. The first thing he’d learned about those damn demon dogs was that getting them to fall in line was like herding cats in a forest.
Didn’t mean Perfidious wasn’t up to the task. To hold up his end of the deal, he had already summoned the team leaders, requesting a weekly meeting for updates. The first of which would be taking place in a few days.
Reluctantly, he pulled his mouth from Asmia’s, took a single step back, smiled. It would be nice to have this gorgeous female on his arm when they arrived.
He motioned toward the space directly in front of him. “Kneel before your king.”
She was the epitome of beauty and grace as she moved toward him. After another brief curtsy, Asmia lowered herself to her knees, keeping her head bowed.
Oh, yes, his sweet fairy was almost ready. He’d been training her for the past few weeks, observing her reactions in an effort to see whether she was pretending. Considering he still held full control of her mind, her decisions weren’t her own. However, her desires were. He could manipulate her into worshipping him, even offering up her body, but her desire to do so was still well within her control even if he did have the ability to bend her to his will. From where he stood, Asmia was almost ready to take things to the next level.
Good thing for her, so was he.
He thought about the shadow beasts’ arrival. Perhaps he should put her on an altar, claim her appropriately before those who were now under his control. After all, it was quite the feat to have acquired a creature as lovely as this one. For most, the Fae were merely a tale of tragedy in an otherwise tragic world. For centuries they’d been thought to have died out. So the notion of having caught one of his very own ratcheted up his coolness factor by a million.
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