Chosen

by Connor Ashley

  A shock of pain exploded across Dani’s jaw. Blood coated her tongue. When she blinked back the sudden burst of stars, the succubus was slipping out the back door.

  “Dammit.” Dani spit a mouthful of blood onto the polished wood floor, tucked the knife back in its sheath, and took off after the demon.

  The Ink itched against her skin, but she couldn’t release them, not in a place as crowded as Obsidian. The club was packed with humans and demons, both problematic for their own reasons. Besides, there was no way to know for sure which humans were necromancers, and Dani couldn’t afford to reveal herself as the Ink Carrier.

  Dani pushed through the crowd and followed Lana out the back door. It opened to the kitchen, and Dani caught a flash of golden curls as Lana disappeared out the fire exit. None of the chefs in the kitchen seemed to mind, or even notice, the intrusion. Dani raced down the aisle, not stopping even when she saw an alarming amount of blood-filled jars on the counter.

  She’d deal with whatever the hell that was later.

  The metal door clanged against the brick exterior as Dani burst into the frigid night. Her breath came out white before her, and something whistled through the air. She ducked at the last second, a metal pipe slamming into the brick where her head had been a second ago.

  Dani pivoted and lunged for Lana, catching the demon around the waist. The pair fell to the ground in a flurry of limbs, each trying to find purchase around the other woman’s throat. Dani grappled with the succubus and managed to clamp a hand around her throat.

  “Why did you have to take this body? Why?” Tears burned in Dani’s eyes. Cassie’s sister was already dead, and now it was up to Dani to banish the demon inside her. Dani raised her knife, ready to plunge it into Lana’s heart.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know.” The succubus lunged and bit down on Dani’s wrist.

  The shock of pain forced the blade from Dani’s hand. She screamed, releasing the creature’s neck and punching her hard across the face. On the third blow, the demon released her hold on Dani’s shredded skin and backed away.

  Her entire demeanor softened, and she folded in on herself. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Lana stared up at Dani, blood streaking down her face. “Are you all right?”

  “I . . . What?” Still on her knees, Dani gripped her wrist, desperate to stop the bleeding. If she could stem it just a little, the magic of the Ink would heal her. She stared at the woman cowering before her, at her now bright blue eyes. “Lana?”

  Pain exploded on the side of her head. Dani fell sideways, clutching her bleeding face. The succubus laughed and leapt to her feet. She moved inhumanly fast, but instead of running, she grinned wickedly at Dani, her pointed teeth dripping with red.

  Dani pulled herself up, her heart racing in her chest. Kiva, she thought. She needed Kiva.

  She started to form the word on her lips, but the back door banged open. The hot guy from the bar, Raj, stumbled out, his eyes going wide when he spotted Dani and Lana.

  “What’s going on out here?”

  Dammit. She couldn’t release the Ink in front of a necromancer, not unless she wanted to either expose her secret or kill him. And without her normal sword, just a small knife at her disposal, killing him if he attacked first wouldn’t be easy.

  “. . . Are you bleeding?” Raj approached Dani, concern in his eyes, but he barely spared a glance for the blood-soaked succubus in the alley with him.

  Big mistake.

  Lana grabbed Raj’s jacket and tossed him like he weighed nothing. He soared through the air and crashed head first into the metal dumpster. He fell to the ground and went deathly still.

  Before Dani had time to react, the succubus sprung forward and aimed a clenched fist at Dani’s face. She barely blocked the attack in time, and then a new dance began in earnest. The faint pulse of the music still threaded the air as the pair ducked and dodged and attacked.

  “Of all the crooks and demon groupies in Blackthorn, you had to pick Lana,” Dani said, pinning the succubus to the side of the club and kneeing the creature in the gut until it doubled over. “She has a kid sister.” A punch to the temple. “Someone who needs her to survive.”

  “Cassie . . . ” The succubus fell still, all the fight leaving her body. She collapsed to her knees and tears spilled down her face. “Is Cassie okay? Is she safe?”

  This demon was giving Danika whiplash. Violent one second, a whimpering mess the next.

  “Why do you care? You killed her last living relative. She’s all alone, thanks to you.” Dani backed up a few paces, not about to fall for the same stunt twice. A dozen paces to her left, her blade sat against the pavement, shiny with the blood from her aching wrist. Already the skin was stitching itself back together, an irritating and rather distracting sensation.

  “Cassie is all I care about.” Lana followed Dani’s gaze and her lower lip trembled. “Please don’t hurt me. Cassie needs me. Needs both of us.”

  Something cold trembled inside Dani. It shouldn’t be possible. “Lana? Is that you?”

  Glass shattered, the sound high and bright, and then Lana crumbled to the ground.

  9

  Raj stood before Dani, a broken beer bottle in one hand. “Are you all right?” He dropped the remains of his bottle and reached toward Dani. “Did she hurt you?”

  “I’m fine.” Dani ignored his outstretched hand and collected her knife from the ground. “What the hell were you thinking? I had things perfectly under control.” She glared at the necromancer. No matter the concern or warmth in his eyes, he had just royally screwed her. She was this close to a breakthrough with Lana. She had never seen a human’s soul come through after a possession. All of the possessions she’d seen before were demons taking over a dead body. But if Lana was able to come through, did that mean she was alive in there? Maybe there was a way to save Cassie’s sister.

  “What was I—” He let out a frustrated sigh. “I didn’t want you to get killed, but next time, I’ll let the demon eat you.” Raj brushed the dirt from his black suit, looking affronted. “Ungrateful wannabe demon hunter,” he muttered.

  “Excuse me?” Dani couldn’t hide her shock. She knew there were other demon hunters in the world, most of them misguided family members of humans who bargained away their lives for fame or fortune, but Dani never expected a necromancer to try to help one. And she sure as hell never expected to be mistaken for one of those amateurs.

  Raj raised one of his perfectly manicured brows at her. “Don’t bother denying it. Why else would you be trying to kill a succubus? Did she screw your boyfriend?”

  Dani touched the side of her head where Lana had smashed it with a rock. Her fingers came away bloody, but the wound felt sealed over. “Who says I was trying to kill her?”

  “If that’s your idea of foreplay, you two deserve each other. Have fun when she wakes up.” Raj turned to leave before Dani could explain, but he stumbled with his first step and barely managed to catch himself against the wall.

  A trail of blood trickled down his neck, staining his shirt.

  “You’re hurt.”

  “Am I?” Raj reached for his head, wincing at the touch. He leaned more heavily against the wall. “Huh, I guess I am.”

  Without thinking, Dani crossed the small alley and reached for Raj, supporting his weight when his legs gave out beneath him. She lowered him gently to the ground and checked the wound on his scalp. Poe’s energy burned hot against her skin, but even though she knew she didn’t have time for this, knew that Raj was supposed to be her enemy, her instincts shouted at her to help.

  “Is there someplace quiet I can patch you up? This needs to be cleaned before it gets infected.” Dani glanced at Lana’s still form. If Cassie’s big sister was somewhere locked inside, if those flashes of humanity were real and not a trick to lower Dani’s defenses, then she’d need a private place to question the demon and find a way to save Lana.

  Raj tried to wave her off. “I’m fine.”

  “You’r
e not fine,” Dani insisted, brushing the fallen strands of hair out of his face. His skin was hot against hers, and his closeness stirred something inside Dani. She felt herself soften toward him, even as Poe grew more irritated against her chest. “Let me help you.”

  A series of conflicting emotions flickered across Raj’s face. “What about her?” He gestured weakly toward Lana.

  “She’s my friend’s sister. Or, she was, anyway. I’m hoping there’s something I can do to save her.” Dani bit her lip, glancing at the injured necromancer. “I don’t suppose you could help with that?”

  Raj was silent a moment, reaching up to feel the wound on his head. He winced and reached out for Dani, leaning on her to get to his feet. “I don’t know if I can help, but I live a few blocks away. If you can stop the bleeding, I’ll let you use my place to deal with your friend.”

  “Really?” Dani cautiously followed Raj as he moved unsteadily down the alley.

  “Seems like a fair enough trade to me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “My car is parked around the corner.”

  “You drove here when you only live a few blocks away?”

  A teasing smile tugged at his lips. “You never know when you might get jumped by a succubus in the back alley.”

  “Fair enough.” Dani stooped and picked up Lana, half-dragging, half-carrying her down the alley and around the corner. Despite her enhanced strength, she was glad to see Raj’s car was indeed right there. He popped the trunk and helped her settle the demon inside. But when he went for the driver’s seat, Dani grabbed hold of his wrist. “I’m not letting you drive with a possible concussion. Besides, you’ve also been drinking.” She reached for the keys.

  “I’m fine.” Raj held out his arms and touched his fingers to his nose and back again, performing an impromptu field sobriety test. “See?”

  Dani swiped the keys from his palm and let them dangle in front of his face. “If you can’t hold onto your keys, you can’t drive.” She unlocked the car and led him around to the passenger side, putting one hand on her hip and staring him down until he climbed into the car.

  She slammed his door shut and let out a shaky breath as she crossed to the driver’s seat. Poe would give her the lecture of a lifetime if he found out she went anywhere near a necromancer without one of the Ink already out for backup, yet here she was, driving one home with a succubus in the trunk.

  Raj directed Dani through the downtown streets and into a swanky neighborhood, where he led her to one of the biggest houses she’d ever seen. “You seriously live here?”

  “For a couple years now. I moved out of my dad’s place when I turned eighteen.” He pressed a button above the dash and the garage door lifted soundlessly.

  The garage was bigger than Dani’s last three apartments combined. A surge of anger flickered as she pulled in. It wasn’t fair. Her sacred duty, to ‘rid the world of evil’ as Poe often put it, left her so broke she could barely keep a roof over her head, while necromancers—the bringers of said evil—had more wealth than they could ever possibly use.

  Dani shoved the jealousy down long enough to park the car and grab the still unconscious demon from the trunk. She followed Raj inside the house, where she was rendered speechless. Soaring high ceilings were finished with polished wood accents. Marble floors stretched across the main level. Sweeping double staircases led to the second floor and reminded Dani of a fairytale. Everything was so big and open and bright.

  “Can I get you a drink?” Raj asked once they’d settled Lana into a chair in the foyer.

  “You can bring me rope and a first aid kit.” She stood and rubbed her wrist, where her own skin had stitched fully shut. “And you should not be drinking with a head injury.”

  Raj held his hands in surrender and disappeared somewhere in the massive home. Dani wanted to call to him, if only to see if the sound would echo back at her. She didn’t get a chance before Raj returned with the supplies in hand. She bound Lana to the chair and tested the knots. They held firm.

  She wished she could leave one of the Ink to stand guard over Lana, but Dani didn’t want Raj to know who she truly was. Still, leaving a demon with nothing but rope to bind them wasn’t exactly ideal. “I don’t suppose you have any sort of magic that’ll keep our guest contained?”

  “I’ve never had cause to try.” But Raj raised his hands anyway and sketched sigils in the air. His arms shook—whether from effort or his injuries, Dani couldn’t tell—but the air shimmered with power.

  “That’ll work?” Dani asked, unsure if he had done enough to keep Lana in place if she managed to uncoil the knots.

  Raj shrugged. “They’re meant to be shields, and they can only take so much damage without reinforcement, but they’ll slow her down at least.”

  It would have to be good enough, at least until Dani finished with her part of the bargain. She tried not to act too impressed with his magic. Though this was the first time she’d seen this kind of power in action, she knew necromancers like Raj only gained their abilities through demonic deals. “How do you want to do this?”

  Confusion settled over Raj’s features until Dani picked up the first aid kit. “Oh. Right. The kitchen is probably the best spot.” He led Dani through the house. They passed huge works of art secured in intricate golden frames, a living room with the largest TV Dani had ever seen, and finally stepped into the kitchen.

  “Are you sure I can’t get you a drink?” Raj asked as he sat in one of the high stools at the granite island.

  “Positive.” Dani took the first aid kit and spread it out along the counter. She wet the incredibly soft paper towels in the sink and started her work by wiping away the blood on Raj’s face and neck. He winced as she got near the wound itself. “Sorry,” she muttered, lightening her touch.

  “No, it’s fine.” Raj smiled, but it was a strained thing. “I’m being a baby. You’re surprisingly gentle for someone who held their own against a demon.” Warmth spread inside Dani at his words, but she didn’t say anything. Raj considered her with open interest. “What exactly were you doing at Obsidian?”

  Dani paused, her hand poised to wipe the last of the blood from Raj’s face. She could play coy and try to dodge the question, but she was on Raj’s turf. There was no reason to guess he’d give up on asking. “My friend’s sister went missing. She had a card with Obsidian’s name and address on it. I went there to find her.”

  “And the sister is . . . ”

  “The succubus currently tied up in your house? Yup.” Dani reached for a bottle of disinfectant. “Hold still. This might sting.” She poured disinfectant over the wound, using the paper towel to catch the extra liquid as it slid down his face.

  Raj grit his teeth and fell silent while Dani continued her work, drying and dressing the wound. She secured the bandage, her fingers pressing lightly against Raj’s clean skin. When she stepped back to examine her work, Raj reached for her hand.

  “Thank you.” His skin was like fire against hers, and something stirred inside Dani’s chest.

  She forced herself to pull away from his touch. “Don’t mention it.” It was suddenly way too hot in the house. Dani slipped off her leather jacket, draping it over another stool, and washed her hands in the sink.

  “Nice tattoos.”

  Dani froze, the water still running over her hands. She glanced up at Raj, searching his face for any sign that he realized who she really was. But he smiled at her, a warm, non-threatening thing. She shut off the water and dried her hands on a fresh paper towel. “What were you doing at Obsidian tonight?” she asked, changing the subject.

  Raj shrugged. “I’m there most nights. I own the place.”

  A sick feeling settled in Dani’s gut. How had she missed it? “You’re a Dasari?” Then she realized, with sickening clarity, what his full name must be. “Rajan Dasari?” Raj wasn’t just some flirty necromancer, he was the sole heir to the Dasari empire. And if the rumors about his father’s health troubles were true,
he’d be more than an heir before the year was out.

  Poe was going to peck her eyes out for this. She should have left Raj to his injuries. His family made their fortune brokering deals with demons; she shouldn’t be tending to him like some wannabe nurse. And she sure as hell shouldn’t notice how damn attractive he was.

  But Raj only grimaced. “No one calls me Rajan except my father. Raj is fine.”

  Dani almost laughed at the absurdity of it. As if his preference for a nickname was at all the point she was trying to make.

  “My, my, aren’t you two quite the pair.” A sultry voice slipped into the room with them.

  Dani and Raj turned . . .

  And found Lana standing in the archway.

  10

  The succubus leaned against the wall and traced her finger tips up and down her exposed chest, raising little goosebumps on Lana’s skin. “I could get a contact high off the tension in this room.”

  Dani’s face burned, and she couldn’t bring herself to look at Raj. She grabbed a knife from the block on the counter. “You’ll stay right there if you value your time on earth.”

  “Oh relax, little hunter. I’m not looking for a fight.” The succubus sidled up to Raj, her hips swaying with each step, and draped one arm over his shoulders. “Playing is so much more fun,” she whispered, her lips brushing against his golden-brown skin. “And it’s been a minute since I’ve been with two lovers at once.”

  “Not interested.” Dani raised the knife. “Back off, demon.”

  “Pity.” The succubus pulled away from Raj, letting her fingers trail across his shoulders. “This body is so very alive. It would be such fun.” In a flash, the demon grabbed the back of Raj’s stool, dragged it halfway across the room, and settled herself in his lap.

  “Fucking succubi,” Dani grumbled as Lana pressed her lips against Raj’s neck and writhed in his lap.

  The necromancer shot her a worried look. He should be able to hold his own against a demon, but either this succubus was especially strong or the combination of alcohol and head trauma had lowered his usual defenses. Soon, his expression melted into a dazed hunger, and he reached for Lana, settling his hands on the small of her back.