by Rory Miles
Feeling a bit jilted because she didn’t find me worthy enough to supply essence to, I say, “I thought she accepted me.”
A smile finds its way on his face. “She did, but pure essence from my creator is probably more than any demon can handle.”
Having never had such strong and pure essence, I don’t disagree. I guess I forgive Mother Faerie. Sending her a silent thanks feels silly, but if she can hear my thoughts, at least she knows I appreciate her providing Draven with her power so he wouldn’t die.
We’re still joined, but it’s grown uncomfortable. “We need to clean up and go warn Naomi and Dante.”
“Then we better hurry.”
Before he’s done speaking, he’s used the shadows in the room to transport us into a steaming shower. Due to the pressing nature of saving my friends, we don’t get to enjoy each other again; instead we quickly scrub our bodies clean and dry off. When we’ve dressed, Draven grabs me and plants a kiss on my lips as the shadows swirl around us, building until I can feel a shift in the air and we’re sucked into the vortex.
When we land outside of Dante’s apartment building, I sigh in relief. The clock across the street tells me it’s hardly been an hour since Draven first took me from Jasper’s house.
Heading into the tall structure, I hope we’ve beat Levia here. For once, I actually regret needing sex to recharge. The few seconds it took us in Earth time could have cost me.
“Damnit,” I say when no one answers the door. “She’s got them.”
Draven grips my arm. “We don’t know that for sure. They could be out.”
I smack the door, frustrated with myself for wasting time having sex when I could have been here warning them.
“What do you want to do?” he asks.
Turning to face him, I say, “We’ll have to find a way to get them back before she takes them to Vukan.”
“Shera?”
A small gasp escapes me when I hear Dante’s voice. My eyes snap to his. Naomi isn’t anywhere in sight.
“What are you doing here?” he asks when he stops in front of me. “Who’s your friend?” His gaze flits over Draven’s impressive body, lingering on his crotch. “My, my. What a delicious fae you have.”
“Draven, Dante. Dante, Draven.” I gesture between the two, then ask, “Where’s the succubus?”
I ignore the irrational bit of jealousy I feel over Dante leering at Draven. Succubi do not get jealous. Not when there is plenty of sex to go around for everyone. I’m not sure why the incubus’s attentions bother me, but I’ll have to ponder that another time.
Dante returns his focus to me, scrunching his eyebrows together. “She went out for food.” He slips his key in the lock and opens the door.
“Like real food, or sex food?” Draven asks.
Ignoring him, I follow Dante into his apartment. “When did she leave?”
“After we ate dinner.”
Draven grunts. “Sex then.”
Giving him a you think look, I ask Dante, “Where did she go?”
Dante sets his keys on the counter and gives me a strange look, leaning against the granite. “A club downtown. What’s going on?”
“Levia wants to sell you to a fae lord for a special blade that will deliver the final death to Lucifer.”
“Why doesn’t she just rip his heart out like Lucifer did to Shane?” He clearly isn’t taking this seriously.
I step into his space. “Dante. Which club?”
“Oh, you’re serious?”
Flinging my hands up, I shout, “Of course I’m serious. Stop fucking around and tell me where she went.”
“Devil below, stop yelling at me. She went to Club Lux.”
“Thank you,” I say, exasperated, and turn to Draven. “Can you do your shadow jump thing and take us downtown?”
He’s eyeing a smart phone that I didn’t realize he had on him. “Got the location, let’s go.” Opening his arms to me, he makes a come here gesture.
“Wait, what the hell is going on? Shera, who is this guy?” Dante sounds pissed, so I grab his hand and pull him to me.
Shadows start to wrap around us and Dante curses, trying to pull away.
“Draven is Lord of Shadows.”
He blinks at me, and shakes his head. “Why are you hanging out with an Unseelie fae lord?”
I roll my eyes while the tugging sensation rushes through my body. “I honestly haven’t figured that part out yet.”
“Levia really wants to sell us?”
I nod before the shadows thicken and I can no longer see him. My being seems to split apart with the jump, but moments later we’re standing in a dark alley.
Dante shudders. “I’ll take an Uber next time.”
Snickering, I adjust my tank top and head toward Club Lux across the street. “Keep up, boys; if Levia is here we need to be ready for a fight.”
Stretching my senses, I sift around the energy on the street and in the night club. There are a few lower demons, mostly weak except for one. When I feel the unmistakable essence of Naomi, I sigh in relief.
“She’s here.”
“Thank the devil.” Dante flashes a smile at the bouncer who nods and lets us bypass the long line of people waiting to get in.
The bass pumps loudly and we enter the main area of the dance club. Most people are either drunk or well on their way, dancing and grinding on one another with no shame. I see the appeal of this club; the dark decor and lighting makes people brave. Not to mention, copious amounts of alcohol tends to make humans frisky.
“We should split up,” Dante suggests, nodding to the left. “I’ll check the lower dance floor, you can hit the VIP booths upstairs.”
“Good idea, we’ll met back at the bar in twenty?”
He scowls at a woman who slaps his ass. “Not today, Satan.” Watching him stalk off through the crowd with an angry don’t fuck with me look on his face is almost comical. At least he can keep his lust in check when he’s worried about a friend. I on the other hand just had to have sex.
“Come on.” Draven guides me toward the metal stairs that lead to the VIP area. Dropping my glamour gets us past the security guard.
“You take the four on the right.”
We split up, and I stick my head through the dark velvet fabric covering a booth.
“Naomi?”
Four sets of surprised eyes stare back at me. Each person is in some state of undress and I smirk before blasting them with some allure to help things along. When they start back where they left off, I take in a healthy dose of essence.
“Don’t be silly, wrap your willy,” I sagely say before closing the curtain and heading to the next one.
The next two are full of drunk people in their early twenties. When I glance back before opening the fourth, I see Draven headed my way. He didn’t find her. Turning back to the last VIP booth, I flick open the curtain. My stomach sinks as I take in Levia and Naomi. Naomi’s let her glamour down and is rolling Levia, who looks all too happy about the situation.
That’s the first red flag. The second is the grumpy-looking fae male watching them. I read his essence and am not surprised to find that he’s strong; not Draven or Lady Thana strong, but strong enough to transport Levia and Naomi to the fae world.
Whipping my head around, I shout to Draven, “Get Dante out of here, now!”
My words break the spell and Levia’s eyes clear of any lust. She narrows them on Naomi.
“You stupid bitch.”
Naomi frowns. “You said you had a proposition for me. I presumed it was what most other royals want when they seek me out.”
Raising my brow, I immediately wonder if Beelzebub is one of the royals she’s referring to. An unwelcome feeling of jealousy unfurls inside of me and I kick it to the curb. Or at least I try. Instead, I stuff it into a leaking bag and let the thoughts derail my focus.
Levia stands, reaching out to me and the fae male at the same time. “Ah, Shera, you’ve got perfect timing.”
&nb
sp; When her hand connects with the fae, she lunges to grab me but I sidestep her. Her face contorts in anger before she flicks her gaze to Naomi.
“Naomi, watch out,” I yell moments too late. Levia’s hand lands on her arm and the fae male uses his power to transport them out of the club.
Fuck. Fucking fuck fuck.
Fucking fuck, fuck. She was right there. Why didn’t I just grab her and leave? Or kick Levia’s ass?
Devil below, I need to find Draven and Dante.
I rush down to the main floor and find the men standing by the bar. Neither looks happy, and they’re about to be really upset. Dante’s intense gaze picks up on my emotions and his shoulders sag.
“Levia got her, didn’t she?”
Nodding, I step closer to them. “We need to get you somewhere safe.”
He shakes his head. “I can help you find her.”
Grimacing, I say, “You won’t be any help to her if you get yourself taken as well. Levia needs both of you to make the deal. The best thing you can do now is hide.”
Dante’s eyes bulge. “I’m not fucking hiding when Naomi’s in danger!”
I raise both of my hands in a placating gesture. “We don’t know she’s in danger. Levia can’t complete the deal without you and it’s unlikely that she’ll give her up without getting what she wants in return. Naomi’s probably locked up in a holding cell or house, but she shouldn’t be in danger. You, on the other hand, are actively being hunted.”
“Unbelievable.” He turns and punches a wall.
A tall beefy security guard starts heading our way, face pulled into a scowl.
“We need to go.” Draven grabs both of us and uses the shadows to transport us back to Dante’s. “Grab what you need, I know a safe place.”
Chapter Fifteen
Sewyn’s purple hair is loose and flowing down her back today. It’s quite beautiful, but the sneer she shoots my way kills the compliment I’m about to give her.
“My Lord, two demons?”
Up until now, Draven has been kind and hasn’t shown any sort of lordly behavior toward the sylph. With her line of questioning, he straightens to full height in the foyer and lets a forceful burst of power loose. It’s like a blast of cold air to the face; sucking the breath out of you until you learn to take little ones and bear through the wind.
Shadows crawl over the walls, creeping and edging toward the two-foot-tall fae. She cowers slightly at the sight, but the defiant gleam in her eyes will be her undoing.
“Forgive me, My Lord, but you have to understand. An Unseelie lord with two demon pets is unheard of. What will the others say? Not to mention, the filthy stench of the female took me days to get out of the bedding.”
I don’t stink; I know I don’t. Still, casually lifting an arm, I take a big drag of pit air and sigh in relief when there is no foul stench. I shoot Sewyn an annoyed look when she smirks at me. Why am I letting the little fae get to me?
Draven’s been clenching his jaw, fists closing and opening in an effort to restrain whatever his feral side wants to do.
As if seeing this as permission to continue, Sewyn whispers, “What if you got her pregnant? My Lord, the children would be a disgrace.”
The walls and floors are suddenly covered in the blackest of shadows, and a vile taste fills my mouth when I take in the Tainted energy driving them. Somehow, it’s coming from Draven, but that doesn’t make any sense at all. I’ve tasted him and the amount of Taint in him was minimal. This though, this is so pungent I’m forced to withhold a shudder. Whatever this is, it’s dark, dangerous, and 100% evil. Lucifer would be shaking in his boots. Well, probably not, but the visual is the only thing that lessens my revulsion.
Feeling an assault of emotions through the bond, I pick out one that I don’t expect. Violence—uncontrollable rage.
I turn to look at Dante and am not surprised to see I’m shrouded in a cloud of darkness. As the black swirls of power spiral around me, screams rend the air. One heart-stopping cry breaks through the shadows and they pull away as though they’re being forcefully dragged back into whatever tightly sealed box they came from.
Seeing the pale green blood running down Sewyn’s almost white arms and face gives me pause. I blink once, taking in the vacant horrified expression she wears. She stands still, not a single movement. Not even for her to breathe. Draven is shaking, not in a scared sort of way. More like he’s desperately trying to regain control of something.
All I can hear is Dante’s breathing. The strength of the violent emotion has faded, but it lingers and I wonder if Draven is still wrestling for control. I hate that I can’t see his face, or the darkness within the depths of his eyes. I don’t know what he just unleashed, but whatever it is petrifies Sewyn.
Patience has never been a strong suit of mine, so I tentatively step forward. A spark of awareness jolts through the bond, and the warmth that follows shocks me. With another step forward, I feel the darkness fade. When I touch his arm, only curiosity and contentment remain. That alone is more terrifying than what just happened.
“Draven?”
He cuts his gaze from Sewyn; his eyes are dark green and rapidly lightening. Raising a brow at me, I almost hear him ask yes, dear? but he does not speak.
“Let me take Sewyn to her rooms.” Plural because I assume she has as many as I did.
Some of the dark green threads through the light green in his iris when I mention her name. Remorse flits over his face when he glances at her.
Clearing his throat, he says, “Yes, of course. I’ll have a wraith show you the way.” With a snap of his fingers, the wraith appears. Now, I have no way to confirm this is actually Betty, but I’ll pretend for the sake of comfort.
I scoop up Sewyn, cradling her in my arms like a baby and turn to the wraith. “Lead the way, Betty.”
The billowy wraith floats over the marble floor, leading me away from Draven and to a small hallway with two bedrooms. Once we are far enough away from the lord, Sewyn lets out a shuddering breath and squeezes her eyes shut. She does not have extravagant chambers like myself or Draven. Instead, the tiny fae has an eight-by-twelve-foot room.
Since she’s smaller, her bed is a twin size, but even it dwarfs her. I gently lay her on the petal pink comforter. Her purple hair splays across the pillows and her chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm.
Before I can stop myself, I reach out and smooth some of her hair away from her face. She looks like a child; so breakable and sweet when she’s not conscious. Is this how parents feel with their young? I startle when her fingers snatch my hand away and her eyes fly open.
“Do not think this changes things, demon. You know nothing of our world. All you will do is hurt him, and I’ll be here, as I always am, to pick up the pieces.”
As if that little rant sucked out the last of her energy, her eyes float closed and she flops back.
I chuckle at her valiant words and whisper, “Love you too, Sewyn.”
Dead to the fae world, she doesn’t hear my teasing proclamation. If she did, she’d probably hop up and try to kick my ass.
Betty is floating near the worn door, waiting patiently for me to finish. With one last glance around the sparsely decorated room, I snap my fingers at my shadow friend.
“Let’s go, Bets. Take me to Draven.”
She runs, erm, flies away from me so fast I’m forced to power walk to keep up with her. I refuse to actually run after the damned thing. After winding me through the castle in a dizzying path, she abruptly stops in front of the room with many fireplaces.
Dante sits in a large chair, his hand absently running over the black velvet. Covertly, I check the empty space for the man I wanted to see. When I don’t see him in any of the chairs, I sigh and plop down in the one closest to Dante. So much for Betty being my friend.
“What is he?”
In our rush to find Naomi, there hadn’t been time to explain things. I kick my feet up over the arm of the oversized seat and lean into the soft cus
hions.
“Draven is Lord of the Court of Shadows.”
He hms. “I knew he had to be important, but that’s not what I’m asking and you know it.”
A prickling unease fills me when I remember that terrible violence. I’ve only known one other with such a dark Taint, but even then, Berith’s malice doesn’t compare to what rolled off Draven in the hallway. It speaks of death, many deaths.
“I don’t know what that was,” I answer honestly. “I have fed from him and I didn’t get any of that. What you just experienced is new for me too.”
Dante pushes off the chair with his hands and starts pacing in front of the fire. “This is a waste of time. We need to hunt down Levia.”
My eyes follow him back and forth, back and forth. “We will. Time is different here.”
He makes an annoyed noise deep in his throat. “I know that, Shera. I’m not an idiot. Every second counts.”
Giving him an equally annoyed look, I say, “Don’t get snippy with me.”
Turning and placing his hands on his hips, he glares down at me. “She wanted you.”
My gaze hardens on him. “You’ve got a point, I’m sure.”
“You should go exchange yourself for Naomi.”
My mouth drops open. “You’d have me made a slave?”
He grimaces. “You’re better equipped for whatever the Lord of Fire has planned. She isn’t; Naomi isn’t as tough as you.”
“I suppose my life also means little to you then.”
“No, that isn’t what I’m saying.”
I cut him off. “Aren’t you? Sacrifice myself to save Naomi. Tell me, if it were between her or me dying, who would you choose?”
They live together, they’ve a far stronger relationship than he and I do, so I’m not surprised when his eyes answer the question. He doesn’t voice it, but I see the truth written all over his beautiful face.
“That’s what I thought.” I stand, and whirl to leave the room.
“Shera, wait.”
I spin, closing the distance between us and shove a finger into his chest. “Let me tell you something, Dante. How many times have I been killed to save the rest of you the trouble? How many times have I put my life on the line when you or Naomi failed to meet your quotas? Do all of my sacrifices mean nothing to you? Would you even care if I died the final death?”
