Kiss of Fate

by Heather Long

  Seth said something else, but Tarus tuned him out. The barest hint of Dahlia still lingered in the air. It was like the edge of the ocean after a lightning storm. The sizzle of ozone seasoning the tangled complication of ocean, sand, sun, and woman.

  “You had sex with Dahlia?”

  Well, Zhan got there first. His expression torn between fury and jealousy.

  “She’s mine and you touched her?”

  Yeah, all those comments about just stealing away with her in the cavern went by the way side as he lunged forward. Tarus barely managed to slide between them. “Zhan,” he chastised. “Think.” Tarus didn’t care for giving Seth his back, but instead of lashing out, Seth had only braced. Trusting that for the moment, he focused on calming Zhan before the flaming sword flickering in the air ended up in Justice’s hand.

  While theoretically, they might be able to kill each other, it would take everything they had, and then only if he sided with one or the other. Not an ideal outcome for anyone. But they could do vicious damage, and with Dahlia’s seeming attachment to Seth, hurting him would just damage their chances with her.

  Tarus already had one battle to wage, he didn’t want to open the war up to a second front she may not be able to forgive. Tortured eyes burning, Zhan glared at Tarus. “He touched her.”

  “Yes, I’m sure he did.” The moment he said it, he knew it for the absolute truth it was, and unfortunately, for all of Zhan’s fury, Seth didn’t deserve any punishment for it. Tarus’ beast wanted one thing, and she was its singular focus. Seth was a footnote, and it couldn’t be bothered to sniff in his direction.

  “Think,” he reminded Zhan again. Silencing their grace took so much from them, but since Dahlia walked into Sinner’s, it had suddenly become an impossible task. Tarus couldn’t be alone in the reawakening, or Zhan wouldn’t be so crazed to get to her.

  The impression of the sword vanished, and Zhan straightened. The wild-eyed look hadn’t fully abandoned him yet, so Tarus cut a look at Seth over his shoulder. “Yes, we’ve had human women. Is that the only reason you summoned us?”

  A muscle ticked in Seth’s cheek, and Tarus frowned. Then he really looked at their brother. Nothing of his human guise remained. He’d shed every part of it. His braid hung low, a little frayed with hairs pulling loose from it. His beard was damp, the smooth hair ruffled much like the hair at the top of his head. There were score marks on his shoulders.

  Those stood out, but they weren’t what threw Tarus.

  Seth’s wings. The silvery white threading the sunset of his wings. That had never been there before. It was impressive enough that he had his wings on display and he, himself, was in such a disarray.

  “It’s his aura,” Zhan said quietly, providing the answer Tarus had been searching for. Seth’s aura had shifted. Diminished wasn’t quite the right word, it was there, but instead of the radiance he normally possessed, it seemed somehow dimmer, muted.

  The energy purge could have done that.

  Twisting to face him, Tarus locked on Seth’s gaze. His blue eyes held no glow.

  None.

  Earlier on Bish’s beach—that asshole still needed a good beating for letting Dahlia stroke his feathers—Seth’s eyes had been incandescent. The purge hadn’t been enough to quell their icy flame.

  “What happened with Dahlia?” he said, cutting off whatever question Zhan had been in the process of beginning. Seth riveted his gaze to Tarus. “What happened, Seth?” He debated calling out his beast, then decided against it.

  “She won’t wake up.” It cost Seth to admit it. “The pleasure was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, but she is so deeply asleep now.”

  Uncaring for any consequences, Tarus strode across the living room to the partially open door. Seth blocked him abruptly.

  “Get out of the way,” Tarus told him, keeping his own beast carefully chained. “You said you couldn’t wake her, so I will see if I can.”

  “Has it ever happened to a human you had?” Seth demanded.

  “What? Fucked them to the point they couldn’t do anything but sleep after?” Zhan asked drily. “Let me think…yes.”

  Not helpful.

  Sighing, Tarus shook his head. Except, Zhan’s response distracted Seth, and he shifted all of his attention.

  “So, the deep sleep would be normal?” It would be funny if Seth didn’t sound so tragically concerned. But the moment he took a step toward Zhan, Tarus was around him and in the room.

  Dahlia.

  All the air he used to not need left him in a whoosh. She lay against the pristine sheets and pillows, but he didn’t notice anything else beyond her. Her scent lingered in the air, a decadent perfume, and he dragged a lungful in as he neared the bed. The midnight of her hair was a splash of darkness against her flushed, smooth, flawless skin. The tips of her nipples were still stiff, as if they waited for him to take a little bite. She had kicked off the sheet until it pooled around her feet.

  The dark curls between her legs matched the midnight shimmer of her hair. The radiance of her soul nearly blinded him. A luminescent being. Her chest rose and fell in deep, even breaths. Her lashes kissed her cheeks, even as her eyes seemed to move beneath her closed lids.

  What dreams did his Dahlia play in?

  Dropping to one knee, he didn’t resist the urge to brush his knuckles against her face. She seemed even softer than he remembered. Over the years, Tarus had marveled at the variety of women humans were capable of producing. Large. Small. Dark. Pale. Curvy. Flat. All of them beautiful in their own ways.

  Dahlia put them all to shame. Carefully, he traced his thumb next to her eyelid. “Beauty,” he whispered, testing her aura. The sizzle of connection slid right through him, and his beast unfolded within to hammer against his skin like he’d never been separated.

  Need twisted in his gut.

  “Wake up, Beauty,” he whispered. Maybe Seth’s fear was contagious, because now all Tarus wanted was to see her eyes. Just have her look at him. The image of her fiery defiance crept through him, even as the intoxicating memory of how pleasure had drenched her with such a glorious sheen flooded his mind.

  Yes, he wanted to see her. Wanted to talk to her.

  “I shouldn’t have left you,” he whispered. “Wake up for me?”

  Guilt raked through him again. All of this could be traced back to one action on his part. His and Zhan’s, but Tarus had been the one who stopped him. Zhan had wanted to go. For just one moment, he’d wanted to involve himself, and Tarus had prevented it.

  His beast butted against him, the drag of his pacing inside a physical burden. Tarus refused to be distracted, not with Dahlia close and he could touch her. Seth was all over her, even her scent had been subtly altered, but that didn’t diminish his interest at all.

  If anything, it made Tarus hungrier to right what he had wronged.

  Her time was rapidly slipping away.

  For once, his beast didn’t struggle against his refusal. They were of like-minds.

  For the first time in his memory, Tarus’ beast settled against his skin. The stark presence manifest, but not a battle.

  “Look at that, Beauty.” She’d charmed his beast. “Look what you did.”

  She shifted, and he stilled. Dragging a hand up her chest, she rolled onto her side, facing him. Then her lashes shifted.

  Movement behind him told him his brothers had arrived. Zhan’s gasp echoed Tarus’ earlier reaction, but Tarus didn’t look away. He wanted to see… “That’s it, Beauty, come back to us.”

  She wasn’t dead. Her time might be finite—guilt and his beast clawed him—but she was still with them. They could celebrate these last days, fill her with pleasure, and maybe, just maybe, earn her forgiveness.

  They could do anything.

  Including punishing the bastard who tried to snuff her out. His beast grunted at that. They hadn’t extracted punishment in a long time. They would enjoy feasting on one who so richly deserved it.

  Images of spillin
g that man’s blood evaporated as those dark eyes opened, a half-smile on her luscious, kiss-swollen lips. “Hmmm,” she said slowly before she stretched. The arch of her body drew his ravenous attention, but the moment she focused on him, she frowned.

  “You,” she whispered. “Really?”

  “Yes,” he murmured. “Hello, Beauty. Did you miss me?”

  He tracked the movement of her tongue over her lower lip as she focused on him. The weight of her regard stroked over him, and he wanted to puff out his wings for her. The desire unfolded within him, even as he pictured all the other things he’d like to do to her. That beautiful rose flush to her skin… He could imagine drawing it out with his hand against her ass, heating her up before he mounted her.

  “No,” she said. “Not really.”

  The simple answer deflated his fantasies with a sharp thrust.

  His beast growled, and Tarus agreed. They were not opposed to a challenge at all.

  “Dahlia.” Seth exhaled her name, and she looked away from Tarus. The simple radiance of her smile punched through him, even as his beast seemed as dumbfounded. That look. They wanted her to look at them like that.

  Seth entered his periphery as he closed in on the bed, and Tarus snapped up, catching Zhan in mid-rush to get to her. His brother planned to steal her. To take her away where they could be alone and not bothered.

  Zhan’s mystified look didn’t hold his attention, but Seth’s near sole focus on Dahlia did, as did her blossoming warmth. Gripping his brother, Tarus studied the interplay between the now-lovers—and wasn’t that a fucking irritation. Seth had her before Tarus had. Something he would correct swiftly. But right now, it was what happened to Seth’s aura as he caught Dahlia’s hand that interested Tarus.

  Changed didn’t begin to describe it.

  Brilliant white streaked through it, like she was recharging his aura. Had he somehow transferred more of his grace to her? No, that wasn’t something passed through sex, and even if it was, she would not have the ability to give it back.

  Tarus nudged Zhan’s foot, and when he caught his eye, he jerked his head to the couple. Not that Zhan needed someone to point out what was going on, he didn’t. But Tarus needed him to put his jealousy away and see what was happening.

  It took a few seconds for Zhan to pick up on it, and as soon as he did, he turned big eyes to Tarus, who mouthed ‘later’ back.

  Whatever was going on here, they couldn’t discuss it in front of Seth. Out of all the human women they’d taken to their bed, or to their playroom, they had never pulled power from either brother that way.

  It was possible that it had never happened because they were so cut off from their grace. But this wasn’t like anything Tarus had ever seen before.

  Dahlia was special. He wasn’t sure why, or how it was even possible, but she was.

  “Are you okay, my sweet?” Seth’s voice was more than a rumble as he drew the sheets back over her.

  She closed her eyes as a big closed lip smile took over her face. A satisfied hum filled the air as she wiggled down further in the bedsheets. The picture was almost too much to bear.

  Tarus wanted to be the one that put that look on her face. He would be. Soon.

  “I’m just fine and ready for another round of dicking.” She grinned up at Seth. “After a week of teasing, you have a lot of work to do.”

  Zhan groaned and scrubbed a hand over his face.

  And yup. There went his wings. He had no idea they even popped into existence.

  “I don’t believe your presence is needed anymore.” It took noticeable effort for Seth to tear his eyes away from Dahlia, and when he did, he glanced at the brothers for barely a fraction of a second.

  Fear prickled the back of Tarus’ neck as he thought about leaving Dahlia, this time possibly for good. “Actually, Seth, let’s chat in the other room.”

  Seth squeezed Dahlia’s hand, but didn’t get up. “That’s not necessary.”

  “Yeah, you were a clit tease, and now you’re just being a cockblocker,” Dahlia snorted.

  Tarus’ heart softened, but his resolve hardened. He would not be pushed away.

  No matter what.

  “No, Seth. This is important, and the reason you summoned us to you.”

  Dahlia’s brow puckered as she pursed her lips. “You summoned them? Why would you do that?” She glanced between the three of them and then gasped. “You locked them out, or kicked them out, or something before you dicked me. Why are they here now?”

  Fuck. This was going to lead to a conversation Seth didn’t want to have very quickly, and Tarus planned to use it to his advantage.

  “You see, Beauty, Seth thought—”

  Seth jumped off the bed and started herding Tarus and Zhan toward the door. “You two wait in the living room. Once I have Dahlia settled, I’ll come listen to what you have to say.”

  “Seth.” Dahlia’s tone wasn’t quite harsh, but definitely not happy. “What are you trying to hide?”

  A triumphant grin threatened to break free on Tarus’ face, but he held it under control. “It’s fine, Beauty, Seth was just worried—”

  A zap of energy exploded with the punch Seth landed in his gut. “Oof.”

  “That’s enough out of you. If you’d like to live to the next century, I’d watch your fucking mouth,” Seth growled, and tried pushing them through the door.

  But two brothers were more than a match for one when it came down to strength alone. Zhan and Tarus braced themselves in the doorway until Seth’s hands were tied. Short of using his grace, he wouldn’t be able to clear them from the room.

  “All right.” Dahlia sat up, and the sheet fell to her lap. Three simultaneous pained sounds filled the room. “Oops.” She plucked it back up until it covered her chest. “I want to know what’s going on right now, or I swear to God, as much as it pains me, there will be no more sex. With me.”

  Seth grunted and turned around. “You passed out as soon as we climaxed. I was worried for you.” He shot a nasty glare at Tarus before turning back to Dahlia.

  Her head canted as she processed his words. “Wow, I’ve never had sex be so explosive it knocked me out. But, why would they be able to help you?”

  He cleared his throat, the tops of his cheeks turning rosy.

  Tarus roared with laughter on the inside, and even Zhan shook with laughter beside them. Somehow, they kept their amusement under wraps for the most part.

  “They have been with many human women…” Seth trailed off.

  “And?” But the room remained silent. “Please tell me you didn’t think you broke me with sex?” Dahlia yelled as she rolled around the bed, loud guffaws and tiny snorts coming from under the covers she’d tossed over her head.

  “You…” She giggled harder. “You….” A squeal, then she finally got enough out to make sense. “You were scared your monster dick hurt me!”

  Suddenly tossing the blankets down, she blew hair out of her face and grinned. Her skin glowed and her eyes sparkled, and in her happiness, she was the single most exquisite creature Tarus had ever laid eyes on.

  Sealing his decision, he knew what he had to do.

  Glancing at Seth, he couldn’t hold in his laughter any more. The man was the epitome of sheepish mixed with sullen.

  Zhan lost it too, until the entire room was laughing except for Seth.

  “Okay, okay.” Tarus slapped Seth on the back. “We’ll be in the living room waiting for you. But you will want to hear what I have to say.”

  It was fortunate Zhan had played along, because he exploded into angry whispers as soon as they were in the farthest corner of the living room. Seth had shut the door, but it seemed wise to put as much distance between them as possible.

  “Why did you stop me? I could have taken her away from here. I could have made her happy. I might even have let you come visit a few times.” Zhan gazed back toward the hallway, probably hoping for Dahlia to appear.

  “Sure, Zhan. You would have let me visit
a few times, when? All I’ve heard you say on the topic is that she’s yours.” He rolled his eyes.

  “Okay, fine, I wouldn’t let you visit. But what’s so important that you wanted to speak to Seth?”

  The door to the bedroom opened, then closed, and a few seconds later, Seth appeared.

  The image of Seth now, dressed in only a pair of loose fitting sweatpants and nothing else hit differently, knowing that he had sex with Dahlia. Yes, Tarus’ mind was made up.

  “What is it you wish to tell me?” Again, Seth crossed his arms. Apparently now that Dahlia wasn’t dying, he was back to hating Tarus and Zhan.

  “What happened wasn’t normal, Seth. I’ve only heard of that happening one other time in our history, and the human didn’t last long.” Tarus shook his head, playing up the imaginary tragedy.

  That got a reaction from Seth. He uncrossed his arms and stepped forward. “What happened? When was this?”

  Tarus sighed. “Back before we fell, or maybe right after. Normally, a human would not be able to absorb our grace. And what is our aura, but an extension of that power? He did something that allowed her to take it inside her, but with only one lover, she had no outlet. Too much energy, and she will die. That I can tell you.”

  If there was a Hell, Tarus was heading straight there. In fact, he was probably driving the bus.

  “You’re lying. You’re pissed that Dahlia chose me. This is your twisted way of getting back at me, isn’t it?” Steam practically came out of Seth’s ears. But Tarus could see the small kernel of doubt that would be his ticket in.

  “Do you want to take that chance?” Tarus ignored the heavy stare coming from Zhan. They could hash it out later, but if this worked, it would buy them both time with Dahlia. Some of her precious short time.

  Seth spread his wings, tipping his head back as he seemed to war with himself.

  “You’re saying that one lover will kill her. Why? What is the benefit that an additional lover would bring? That’s where you’re going isn’t it? Because you want to set yourself up as the second lover?”