She was clearly fishing for information. Truthfully I didn't know how to reply to that.
I shrugged. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear."
She smiled. "I never do. That's why I want to hear it all first hand. But it can wait until tonight. You will come, right?"
I glanced back to see Kane nod.
Leo made a choking sound, but said, "We wouldn't miss it."
"There you are then," I said lightly. I might tell her a bit about the attack, but if I could, I would also ply her and her friends for information about the bond. This could work in both our favours.
15
The music throbbed harder than my heart. The slip and crunch of hot sand changed to a cool squelch under my feet as I reached the waterline. A wave washed up the beach and over my bare feet.
I squealed. "It's so cold!"
"As cold as Cordelia's heart," Leo said. He scowled down at his damp pant legs.
I reached for his arm and tugged him closer to me. "Are you going to be a killjoy all night?"
"If he is, you can ditch him and dance with me," Dyson said easily.
"Me first." Kane took hold of my hand and laced his fingers in mine.
"No way, I—"
I cut Dyson off. "Don't make me throw you both in the drink so you cool down."
"You wouldn't?" Dyson asked with mock horror.
"She might not, but I would," Matt said from behind them.
"I'd help Matt," Nash remarked.
I looked back and caught his eye. He looked good back in track pants and a singlet; comfortable and with more of his muscled body on display. I loved seeing him in a suit, but this was the Nash I knew and loved. I could have torn off his singlet and licked his abs then and there, but instead I gave him a smile full of promise.
"You would?" I asked teasingly.
He shrugged. The corner of his mouth turned up in a slight smile. "Whatever it takes to break up a fight." His expression darkened and I knew what he was thinking. As long he didn't have to kill, he'd take part.
"We'll be good," Kane said in a hurry. "But if you want us to take our clothes off, you only have to ask."
"Take your clothes off." Leo grinned.
Kane blushed, bright red. "Maybe later," he muttered.
"I'll hold you to that, big boy." Leo clapped him on the back. "Oh look, alcohol."
If there was anything that might change the subject, it was that. We all stopped chatting and gathered around a huge table to grab a cup and fill it with beer.
"Here you are." Blake handed me a cup before I could get one myself.
"Thanks." I took the cup and shot him a smile.
"Do you actually dance?" he asked.
I grimaced. "Not very well. I'm more the type to sway, more or less in time with the music. You?"
He looked embarrassed. "I used to do competitive ballroom dancing. It's been years since I've done it," he added quickly.
My eyes widened. "You must have been really good. Did you win a lot of the dance-offs, or whatever they're called?"
He chuckled. "A few. It was fun, except…"
"Except what?" I prompted.
"Except the mothers at the dance school used to go on about my curly hair." He sipped and made a face. "You'd think they'd never seen a guy with curls before." He ran a hand over his head absently.
"I like your curls," I assured him. Would it be wrong of me to admit that was the first thing I noticed about him? To be fair, he was pretending to be a loyal Zeta guard at the time. I was hardly going to be looking at his ass. I had done that a lot since.
He looked pleased, but smiled ruefully. "I like your hair better, especially the green streak." He tilted his head. "Is that a permanent colour? You've had it since I've known you and it doesn't seem to be growing out."
I touched my head lightly. "Magic gone awry," I said simply. "Courtesy of Ariana." A flood of emotion filled me. I missed her. Nash still hadn't explained where she'd gone and I didn't push. I knew he would only tell me when he was ready to. While that bugged the hells out of me, arguing with him would get me exactly nowhere.
"I could probably fix that if you want?" Blake offered.
"It's okay, I kind of like it now." I lowered my hand. "I want to hear more about your dancing. Or better yet, see it."
"On sand?" He glanced toward his feet. "It's not exactly the best dance floor."
"Why not?" I tapped my bare toes on the sand. "It's a little wet, I suppose."
"Just a little," he agreed. "Maybe later. Can we sway first?"
I glanced around to see the rest of the guys, beers in hand, talking about some movie we streamed the night before. I fell asleep in the middle of it, but evidently they'd enjoyed it.
"Sure." I offered him my hand and we moved away to let others get to the drinks table.
Blake wound an arm around me and, careful not to spill our drinks, we swayed. His body pressed hard against mine and made my heart race faster than before.
"This is nice," he said near my ear. "It's hard to get you alone."
I snorted softly. "It's hard to be alone," I agreed. "Not that I'd change a thing," Truthfully, they gave me space when I really needed it, as long as it was safe enough. Which translated to not as often as I'd like, but hopefully being here would change things. I was desperate for something close to normal, maybe even boring, for a little while.
"Can I cut in?" a smooth voice asked.
"Uh." Blake stepped back before Cordelia all but shoved him out of the way. "I guess so."
I gave him a regretful look and mouthed, "Later," before Cordelia took my hand and wound an arm around me.
"If you haven't guessed before now, I like girls," she said bluntly. "I want you to know I want to kiss you, badly."
"I…" I swallowed. I wasn't sure how to respond to that. I couldn't say I hadn't kissed girls before, but not recently. Ariana and I were just friends and I wasn't close enough to anyone else to even think about it.
"It's okay if you don't feel the same way," she said lightly. "I just prefer to be honest."
"Right," I replied. "Of course. I appreciate that." I really did.
"There's no need to rush things." She twirled us around. "I'm sure you have lots of questions about demons. You want to know about the bond, right?"
While I stammered, she smiled. "I'm very astute. Besides, I know Leo. He wouldn't hang around long unless there was something in it. It's either a bond or he's running a scam." She cocked her head to the side so her hair fell over her shoulder. "I wouldn't rule out both, just between us. Keep an eye on that one."
"Right," I said slowly. "What kind of scam?" If she was trying to sew seeds of doubt, she succeeded.
She laughed, a tinkling sound which unnerved at the same time it drew me to her. "Oh the gods know with him. Gambling, blackmail… If it's illegal, he'll do it. It's funny how people like bad boys. And bad girls too, of course." She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips.
I swallowed hard. "Yeah, funny about that." I tried to clear my thoughts, but they were hazy, as if I had more than a few sips of beer. "So, you were going to tell me about the bond?" If I didn't know better, I'd think someone slipped something funny into my drink. Blake wouldn't do that and I held my drink myself ever since he handed it to me. Maybe it was just her.
"I could be persuaded to… Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale."
I blinked at her worried face, but she was a blur.
"Maybe you should sit down."
"Yeah." I took a step away, but staggered before she caught me.
"Wow, you must be a real lightweight." She laughed. "One drink and you're tripping over. Come on, I'll help you."
"I didn't…only had a sip." My speech was slurred, as if I'd downed a bottle of vodka and it just hit me.
"You what?" She wound her arm under mine and helped me off the side, out of the lights they set up for the party.
"I only had a bit." I tipped my cup and upended the rest of my beer on the sa
nd. When it hit, it sizzled slightly before it sank between the grains.
"Those fucking idiots," she growled.
"What?" I muttered. I leaned against her and closed my eyes. "Please don't tell me it's Zeta?"
"If it is, I'll tear their heads off with my bare hands. But no, it's not them."
"Hey Cordy." A new voice spoke, smooth, like honey laced with arsenic.
"Sawyer," she replied darkly. "What did you do to her?"
He laughed, deep and low. "Just having a little fun. You know how these witches are. They think they're better than us. It's time to take them down a peg or two."
"I'm not a witch," I mumbled. I felt the familiar sensation of anger burning at me. My inner phoenix itched to get out. Forget tearing heads off, I would rip the demon into ribbons so small his parents wouldn't be able to identify him.
Sawyer crouched down in front of me and crossed his arms. "You're a slut with more dicks than holes. I'm sure you're itching for one more." He grabbed his groin and sneered.
"Fuck off," I said as clearly as I could manage. I tried to draw in magic and knock the asshole off his feet, but it wouldn't come.
"That's the idea. Come on guys, grab an arm each. You can have a go when I'm done."
"No way." Cordelia shot to her feet. "I'm not going to let you do this."
"Get out of the way Cordy. You said yourself she wanted to know about the bond. Who better to show her?"
"Not like this, Sawyer," she growled. "Do you think those guys won't come looking?"
Of course they will, I thought. Any minute now.
Sawyer laughed. "Do you think I'm stupid? They all drank the beer, too."
Fuck.
I reached out to Dyson and Leo through the bond, but found only Leo's befuddled thoughts. Dyson seemed to be out cold already.
A hot tear trickled down my cheek.
Fingers dug into my skin as Sawyer's friends hauled me to my feet. I tried to shrug them off, but my body wouldn't respond with more than a twitch.
Fuck.
"Can't you just tell me about the bond?" I asked, with what spirit I had left.
"Hells no, it's much more fun if we show you." Sawyer leered into my face.
"Sawyer," Cordelia said insistently.
"You can help, or you can get out of the way."
I turned heavy, but pleading eyes to her. Yes, help. Help me!
She stood for a few moments, wide eyed and horrified, just in the edge of the light. She let out a long breath, then stepped aside.
"Good girl." Sawyer nodded. "Bring that one, too." He waved toward a figure who lay slumped on the sand a few metres away. Kane.
What the hells? What kind of twisted game were they trying to play? The idea of them hurting Kane made my fury rise like throwing fuel on a fire. I gritted my teeth and tried to shift. To hells with being nice, I would tear them all to pieces and feast on their bones. I suck their veins dry of every drop of blood. I would coat my claws in their gore. If I found brains in their heads, I would eat those too, hot and raw with their last, terrified thoughts.
I gritted my teeth, but the shift wouldn't come. All it did was burn away the last of my energy. I blinked, but keeping my eyes open was almost impossible.
"Give in," Sawyer said in my ear. "Sleep. When you wake, we'll have some fun."
Fuck you. The words wouldn't come though. I slumped and was caught up in someone's arms. The last thing I knew, I was carried into the darkness.
The last thought I had before sleep claimed me was, Not again.
16
"Wakey wakey." A hand tapped my cheek.
I jerked away, but regretted it immediately. Partly because I had the headache from hells and partly because they knew I was awake and regained some use of my body. Had I waited, I could have shifted and torn them to shreds without them knowing I was coming.
"Come on." Fingers pinched my earlobe.
"Fuck off." I lashed out with a punch and connected with a hard thigh.
Sawyer chuckled. He rose and moved away. "The witch has some bite to her, huh?"
"You have no idea," I muttered. I opened my eyes and pushed myself up to sit in the sand. A fire crackled a few metres away. Sawyer's friends sat around it, drinking beer from bottles and passing around what looked like a joint.
"What the fuck?" I squinted at them, then down at myself. I didn't seem to have been interfered with in any way.
Yet.
"You want some?" A guy with blonde hair and what looked like scales on his cheeks offered me the joint.
"Um, no thanks, I'm good." I raised a hand slightly.
"Mmmm-kay." He put it to his lips and took a drag.
Sawyer flopped down in front of me and crossed his legs. "Sorry for the subterfuge, but we can't let any old person know about the bond."
I bared my teeth at him. "The last person who put me to sleep and abducted me died a horrible death. You have exactly three seconds to tell me why I shouldn't do the same to you."
He held out his hand and opened it. On his palm lay two stones, both red and shaped like a circle. Leather necklaces dangled between his fingers.
"Because I have bonding stones."
"So what?" I asked. "If you even try to touch me, I'll rip your throat out."
He chuckled. "Trust me, you're not my type. I prefer demons."
"Bigot." I kept one eye on him and the other on the stones.
He shrugged. "Once bitten, twice shy."
I snorted. "A witch bit you?" I was tempted to do the same. "Did you drug and threaten to assault her too."
He gave me a sideways smile. "Cordy tells me I have a sick sense of humour. The drugging was necessary, so you don't know where you are. We can't have people turning up here."
I frowned. "Where is here?" To me it looked like an ordinary section of beach.
"Why would I go to all this trouble only to tell you that?"
"You still haven't given me a reason why I shouldn't shift and rip your head off, then fly away," I said sweetly. "From the air I'd find out where I am pretty fast."
For a moment his bravado slipped. "I'm starting to think I shouldn't help you at all. Maybe I should have cut your throat while you slept."
"There's that sick sense of humour again," I said. I wasn't sure he was joking until he grinned.
"Yeah, I wouldn't want to mess my clothes with witch blood. Or hybrid." He narrowed his eyes. "What are you?"
"I can't think of a single reason why I should tell you that." I sniffed. With any luck, the rest of the guys were waking up and looking for me. Although, I wasn't sure I really was in any trouble, as such. I mean, apart from the whole abduction thing.
I glanced to the side to see Kane start to twitch.
Sawyer shrugged. "So you want to know about bonding? Let me guess, you know magic is involved?"
"Do I?" I asked. When he didn't reply, I sighed. "Fine. Yes, we know that much. We also know it involves dogs and demons, or some combination of both."
"The bond originated with dog shifters. Some nosy witch managed to emulate it with magic."
I frowned at his continued bigotry, but said nothing.
He tossed the stones in his hand. "She shared the information with her demon lover. Between them, they started the story about fated mates and it went from there. That was over a hundred years ago now. The witch passed the secret to her daughters and to this day, only a handful know how to do it. The Demon Collective keeps a tight rein on them. If every witch knew, she'd have every man under her spell." He made a face as though he'd eaten something sour.
"You keep saying witches," I pointed out, my voice tight with annoyance at his attitude. "What about wizards?"
He hesitated. "As far as I know, it's only witches who can do it. The gods only know if any wizards have tried. I'm not privy to that information."
"So you don't know everything," I said dryly. "There's a shock."
He raised his eyebrows, but then grinned. "Not everything, just most things."
"He'll be fine," Sawyer said. "So do you want to try one?" He held up a bonding stone.
"I'm not bonding you." I curled my lip at him.
He snorted. "Thank the gods for that. These stones will allow us to feel the bond, but the moment we take them off, it'll be gone. Careful though, you'll bond any cock that comes inside you before the magic wears off."
"So we'd have to have sex to make the bond permanent?" I asked carefully.
"Yeah, that's what he's for." Sawyer jerked his chin toward Kane. "You're not going to believe me until that happens."
"Why do you care if I believe you or not?" I asked.
"I don't, but Cordy will get the shits with me."
"Cordy likes girls," I pointed out.
"No shit," Sawyer snorted. "She's my sister."
"Oh."
He tossed me a stone and put the other around his neck.
"If this goes badly, I will kill you," I told him. I hadn't ruled out doing that anyway. The sweat from my fear hadn't dried on my skin yet.
I took a closer look at the stone. If I didn't know it was full of magic, I would have just thought it was a cheap trinket. Hells, it might be cheap anyway. It felt warm on my palm, as though it was alive somehow. That was a disconcerting thought.
"We're here for a good time, not a long time," Sawyer pointed out.
"It's the good time I'm worried about." I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the leer on his face before the drug hit me. I trusted him about as far as I could spit.
"I told you, you're not my type. Now put the bloody stone around your neck and you'll see I'm mostly harmless."
"Mostly," I muttered.
Kane let out a loud snore and nestled deeper into the sand. He looked so comfortable I wanted to curl up beside him and sleep. I wouldn't though, not here. I didn't believe for a second the demons around the fire were just a bunch of chill stoners. They moved fast enough to do what Sawyer said the last time. They might just be lying—or sitting—in wait for the "fun" Sawyer promised them.
I suppressed a shudder, sucked in a breath and, against my better judgement, put the stone around my neck.
Logical Magic (Academy of Modern Magic Book 3) Page 10
