Embraced

by Jus Accardo

  I’d dragged the bodies—what was left of them—into the corner of the dining room and covered them with a tarp while Sam pulled down the curtains and replaced them with clean ones, but the place was still a mess.

  “Ward the house?” Sadie repeated, taking another unsteady step inside the room. “Exactly what do you mean?” She examined the stains on the floor, eyebrows rising slightly. “I assume this little mess means you were attacked?”

  “I mean magic,” I said, ignoring her question. “Some kind of protection spell. Strongest you have.”

  Sadie stepped over to one of the dark spots on the carpet and nudged it with the toe of her shoe. “Protection against what?”

  “Demons.” I pulled back the tarp covering the corpses.

  If Sadie was surprised or sickened, she didn’t show it. She studied the pile of bodies with nothing more than clinical interest, then shrugged. “Well, warding might be a problem.”

  “Problem? Why?” I snapped. Azi’s patience—and mine with it—was wearing thin.

  Sadie flicked a red-tipped finger in my direction. “Because you’re technically a demon?”

  Shit. I hadn’t thought about that.

  “Obviously it matters?” Sam asked tightly. A wave of contempt rushed through the link.

  “It does unless he plans on moving out.” Sadie pulled the tarp back over the bodies and placed both hands on her hips. She glared at Sam. “If I ward it against demons, Jax won’t be able to come in. So, unless you’d like him to move in with me…”

  “Pass.” The turbulence in her voice went right through me. She pulled her hair back into a tail, eyes following the witch wherever she went. “If you can’t ward the place, then what do we do?”

  Sadie shrugged. “Not a thing. Not here, anyway.”

  “If there’s no way to keep them out, then we can’t stay.” I turned away. The red haze bleeding into the air trailed behind Sam as she moved, like a snake waiting to strike. If Sadie wasn’t careful, she was going to pounce. Azi shifted, excited. The prospect of violence was even more alluring than her anger. “Not willing to risk it.”

  For a minute, I was sure she’d argue. She knew damn well the it I didn’t want to risk was her. Reluctantly though, she sighed and held up her wrist. The metal bracelet glinted in the light. “What about this? Can you do anything about it?”

  An expression of pure horror slipped across Sadie’s face. She grabbed Sam’s wrist and wrenched her arm closer, nearly pulling her over. “Where did you get this?”

  “Why?” I was beside them in an instant. The markings on the cuff gave a flash. “Do you know what it is?”

  “It’s a Fakori Cuff,” Sadie said. “Known in darker circles as a demon’s cuff.”

  Sam looked like she was about to deck the witch, so I stepped between them. If there was a chance she could remove the thing, then it was best not to piss her off.

  “What do you know about it?” I repeated.

  Sadie sighed. “Fakori was said to be an alchemist, having imbued a number of bracelets with powerful curses of demonic nature.”

  “Curses of demonic nature?” Sam asked. She looked a little pale. “What does that mean?”

  “Nothing good. Each cuff does something different.” Sadie’s eyes were trained on Sam, full of awe. “That thing is humming.” She took Sam’s hand again and ran her pointer finger along the underside of her wrist. Closing her eyes, her lips began to move. Chanting. Every few seconds, her brow furrowed, like she was concentrating extra hard.

  After a moment, Sam gasped and tried to pull away, but Sadie wouldn’t let go. Her grip tightened, knuckles going white as the symbols along the metal glowed bright red. A second later, the witch let out a scream and shot backward across the room.

  “What did you do?” I asked, going to help her off the floor.

  Sadie grimaced as she struggled to her feet. “Not even going to ask if I’m okay?”

  “Nope.” I didn’t have time for her dramatics. When she’d bargained for the link between us, she’d essentially forced me to do something against my will, taking advantage of our bad situation. I wasn’t about to pity her for it. “Don’t care.”

  She bristled, then shrugged it off. “Honesty. That’s sexy.”

  Sam made a fist again then flexed her fingers. “I’m guessing the unplanned display of acrobatics means you can’t take this thing off.”

  “That thing isn’t coming off unless the person who put it there takes it off.” Sadie sank onto the couch—the end not covered in blood splatter—wincing with every move. “It might help to tell me where you got it.”

  “Someone bad,” I said.

  She thought about it for a minute before flashing Sam a grin. With a waggle of her fingers in my direction, she said, “Well then, in my professional opinion, you’re well and truly fucked.”

  I was on my feet and dragging her off the couch by the front of her shirt in a half beat of her heart. “You’re going to fix this,” I snarled.

  As unflappable as ever, Sadie simply shook her head. “Sorry, baby. There’s nothing I can do. Only the one who put it on her can remove it. Dead or alive.”

  “Dead or alive?” Sam’s colors swirled, still muddied and thick.

  “There’s a rumor that if a person places a demon cuff, its power is tied to them. If you kill them, it might release Sam as well. In the meantime, I might be able to track it.”

  “Track it?” Sam was fidgeting, clenching her hands and digging her fingers into her palms. She glared at Sadie. The look made me think she was having a flash of her own. Possibly of beating the witch to a bloody pulp.

  “All magic leaves a trace—even alchemy. The bad person who put it there may not be an alchemist, but the power will leave its mark. A good witch”—she winked—“and I am good—can possibly track the source. Maybe you can use your own special brand of persuasion to get them to remove it.”

  She made a show of straightening her shirt then turned back to the tarp. With a snap of her fingers, the whole pile disappeared, along with the remaining mess in the room. The couch and carpet were spotless, and the splatters decorating the walls and the ceiling were gone. Even the glass was back in place. I did my best to hide my surprise. I hadn’t dealt with other witches, but if they were all as powerful as Sadie, they could give the demons a run for their money.

  I doubted there was anything I could do to persuade Chase to remove the cuff. Other than doing what he wanted, anyway. But having her track him down would provide a failsafe. I’d kill him if I had to. Fuck the rest of the world. Let hell come. Sam was all that mattered to me. “Do it.”

  “I’ll work my magic.” She limped toward the door and paused with her hand on the knob. “No promises though. In the meantime, you should probably lay low. Fakori cuffs, whatever their individual purposes are, are dangerous.”

  Sam insisted that Sadie ward Kelly’s house before leaving. I wouldn’t admit it, but it was a good idea. Sam had gone over, introduced her as a friend, and kept her aunt busy while Sadie did what she needed to. After that, we’d each packed a bag and gotten in Rick’s old car. It was almost nine in the morning when we pulled up outside the Inferno.

  I parked in front of the bar and killed the engine. Sam hadn’t said a word since we’d left the house. She’d spent the entire drive staring down at her wrist. The demon got frustrated when she was upset. Sometimes downright violent. I felt it welling up and clenched my fists tight to keep from smashing them against the dashboard.

  “We’ll figure this out.” I unfastened the seat belt and got out of the car as she did, hurrying to the door of the bar. When I pulled on the handle, it didn’t open. The place was dark.

  “Not a good sign.” Sam cupped her hands against the glass to peer inside. The smallest flutter of gray rose from her shoulders, sticking out against the still swirling muck of her emotions. “He’s always here.”

  “Well, he’s not right now.” No need to upset her further by telling her I’d already tried
the Inferno on the way home last night. Or that Heckle still hadn’t returned the messages I’d left, and his cell phone voicemail was now full. I tugged her away from the building. “Let’s go. I don’t want to stand out in the open.”

  “Hey there,” someone said as we started walking back to the car.

  I turned. The man was tall, with a lean but sturdy build and odd green eyes. The expression on his face bothered me. It was too warm. Eager, almost. But that wasn’t what put Azi on alert. Every human had colors. Happy, sad, horny, or pissed—they were always there, even if only as the faintest waves rising to tint the air around their shoulders. This guy? There was nothing. Not a wisp in sight. He smelled wrong, too, and I couldn’t peg it. Not a demon. Not human. A creature I’d never seen before. “Not interested,” I said, taking Sam’s hand and sidestepping him.

  “You here to see Heckle?” the guy called.

  I had every intention of getting into the car and moving on, but Sam stopped and turned. “You know where he is?”

  The guy smiled at her. Beamed like the fucking sun. It made me want to put my fist through the back of his head. “He’s tied up at the moment, but I know where he is. I can take you if you’d like.”

  Sam looked from him to me, expression hopeful, and I snorted. “No,” I said to her, teetering on the edge of anger. The sun was just cresting the buildings, and the Monday morning traffic was starting to increase.

  “We need to find him,” she said, leaning close. A surge of gray rolled off her.

  I looked from her to the guy. Still no sign of emotion. “What are you?” I asked, maneuvering myself between him and Sam. “’Cause you sure as shit ain’t human.”

  The guy laughed. Not annoyed or defensive. Amused. The fucker thought it was funny. “No, I’m definitely not a human.” He looked back toward the Inferno and laughed. “I doubt there are many humans who know Heckle personally.”

  “That didn’t answer his question,” Sam said.

  Finally she was getting the picture.

  “You truly don’t know?” he asked, taking a step toward us. Eyes on mine, he smiled.

  “Not a human.” Sam tilted her head. “You don’t look like the Easter Bunny. So, what are you?”

  “An interested party,” he replied, that same twisted smile on his face. Azi shifted, and a flash hit me like a sucker punch to the nuts—two hulking forms, their shadows looming against an unfamiliar battlefield.

  “His eyes,” Sam said with a gasp.

  Her voice pulled me from the vision. The man’s eyes were black as night. “A demon,” I whispered, stunned. I inhaled, breathing in my surroundings. Sewage. Old garbage. Car exhaust. Sam. That was all. Not right. That couldn’t be right. Demons had a scent. They had colors. It was unmistakable and impossible to hide.

  I took Sam’s hand and tugged her close. The thing’s gaze followed, staying locked on our intertwined fingers. It laughed again, but it was different. Sharp and dangerous. Predatory.

  It reminded me…of me.

  “You got me. I’m a demon.” It motioned over its shoulder to a dark SUV parked a few storefronts down. “I can take you where you need to go.”

  Was it that fucking stupid? To think we’d just get in the truck?

  It laughed. “Do you not recognize me, Azirak?” Arms folding across its chest, the demon pinned me with a pitying gaze.

  “I’m not Azirak,” I responded coolly.

  “Aren’t you?” It leaned closer, inhaling deeply. A smile split the thing’s lips. “I know you feel it. The power inside you, straining against the seams of that pathetic human body. The desire to be reunited with your clan.” It leaned back, grin widening into something close to madness. “What if I uttered the name…Malphi? Would your body not react?”

  I returned the thing’s smug grin with one of my own then flipped it off.

  Or, that’s what I wanted to do. Unfortunately, at the mention of Malphi, a jolt raced through my system, seizing every limb. My feet turned leaden and my heart thundered against my ribs. It was like I’d been dipped in ice water then dropped into boiling lava. Every nerve ending was humming and my body alive.

  “What’s wrong, Jax?” the demon drawled.

  Sam watched me, her colors swirling a chaotic black and gray. “Jax?”

  “I’m fine,” I managed. “And to answer your question, yes. My body did react—with the urge to rip Malphi apart one piece at a time.”

  The thing’s grin widened knowingly, and it bared its teeth. “You lie. You feel their connection.”

  “Whatever Malphi is to Azirak, it means nothing to me.” I shoved the demon hard in the chest. “But don’t relay the message, man. I’ll do it right before I kill the bastard.”

  I turned to walk away, but it grabbed my arm and held tight.

  “Unless you have an army waiting in the shadows, I suggest you remove your hand and step aside.” What I really wanted was to shred it limb from limb, but Harlow was starting to wake. There were people on the street, and odds were good someone would notice a bloody fight to the death. The police chief wasn’t a fan of mine. I’d bet good money he’d be thrilled to have an excuse to throw me behind bars and toss away the key.

  It let go and stepped away. “You are mistaken, Lord Azirak. I’m not here to fight. Only to see if you’ve come to a decision.” Its eyes fell to the demon cuff around Sam’s wrist. It looked different than before. Tighter.

  “Decision?” I asked.

  “About the girl.”

  Malphi.

  It gestured toward Sam. “About the Pure.”

  “Pure?” I maneuvered myself in front of her.

  Its eyes were hungry, watching Sam like she was the ultimate feast. “You don’t know the power you have control of. It is that reason alone that your betrayal of the clan will be forgiven. Come back to your family. Bring the Pure and claim her.”

  “No one has control over me,” Sam snapped. She pushed her way around me, glaring at the demon.

  It only laughed. Turning, it started to walk away, calling over its shoulder, “Your kind was born to be controlled.”

  Chapter Six

  Sam

  Your kind was born to be controlled.

  The demon’s words lingered long after he’d left the alley—which felt like a trap. He pops in, chats us up, then leaves? No. Something was definitely up. Demons weren’t known for their restraint.

  Over the last month, I’d grown increasingly nervous about the things I didn’t know. The things Heckle refused to tell me. How had I been able to create the link between Jax and me, and why was I so damn special? The cuff around my wrist gave a squeeze and my breath caught. I passed nervous and rolled right into panic.

  “We’ll figure it out,” Jax said. He didn’t sound convinced, though. He didn’t look it, either. His left eyebrow kept twitching, and every few minutes he’d knead the fingers of his right fist into his palm. I felt his unease as though it was my own.

  “My kind.” I repeated what the demon said, tearing my gaze away from the cuff. Every once in a while the symbols on the surface would pulsate, and the thing would tighten. “What kind is that?”

  “We’ll figure it out,” he said again, looking left, then right. He made a grab for my arm, but I sidestepped him, and he sighed. “We really need to get off the street.”

  “And go where?” The last few months had been a rollercoaster of surreal. I’d died, been controlled, used as leverage, and ultimately had my life turned inside out. But I’d come back from it, stronger and more determined to set things right for Jax and me so that we’d have the future we deserved. Not once during all of it did I consider the possibility of failure. Of surrender. That wasn’t me. I didn’t quit. Jax joked that my stubbornness was borderline terminal. Yet in that moment the weight of despair and worry was stronger than anything I’d ever experienced. We would fail. We had to. There was no scenario in which I came out on top—or alive. I held up my wrist. “I’m not sure there’s a way around this.”
>
  “There is,” he insisted. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince me, or himself. “We know that Malphi wants Azirak back in the fold. I can use that.”

  “Even if we find Malphi, I don’t think killing it will be as easy as your run of the mill demon. If it were that simple, then Chase would do it himself.” I shook my head. He needed to hear it. To understand and accept things. Hopeless. This was all hopeless. “I’m going to die, Jax.” And this time it would be permanent.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” He slammed his hand against the hood of Rick’s car, eyes drifting downward to the cuff. “Since when did you jump the doom and gloom train?”

  “You need to understand—”

  “Enough of this shit,” he roared. With a jab of his finger he said, “You better get your damn head straight, Sammy. Because this isn’t you.”

  As if in response, the skin beneath the cuff tingled, giving way to a spike of pain. I gritted my teeth and held my breath. There was no point in letting Jax know.

  “Even if you manage to do what he asked, there’s no guarantee Chase will hold up his end of the deal. Plus, we don’t have all the facts. He can’t be trusted. For all we know, this is a trap. Maybe killing Malphi will make things worse somehow.”

  Jax took my hand and brushed his thumb over top of the cuff. The metal warmed, sending a pulse of heat deep into my skin. “Fine,” he said with a sharp nod. “You want facts? Then let’s get them.”

  Jax had me drive while he called Sadie. The conversation lasted longer than I’d expected, and he’d been quiet since hanging up. I didn’t need the link between us to tell me something was wrong.

  “You ever gonna tell me what she said?” I moved into the right lane to let the guy behind me pass. He was driving too close, slowly crawling up our ass, and I was tempted to slam the brakes. God. I was so damn uneven all of a sudden. Not nuclear like Jax could be, but more volatile than normal. Either he was starting to rub off on me, or the stress of all this was causing me to lose my mind. One minute I felt like a time bomb, as if one spark would ignite me past the point of rationality. The next I felt as though life wasn’t worth living. It was making me dizzy.