Fox slowly turned his head to look at her. “No.” Her face betrayed her emotions. She could not believe he had just said no. “You didn’t just walk out of the lesson, you walked out on me. Your lessons are over. You can continue to have training sessions with Komi, if you want, but I am not going to waste any more of my time on you.”
He could not be serious. She was about to protest when she realised that he was putting on a necessary act. If he ended their lessons, they would have no legitimate reason to see each other, but he couldn’t be seen to agree to continue too easily. She had asked him to teach her in the first place, now he needed her to ask him again.
She took a deep breath, as though asking him was going to be difficult. “Please will you let me continue with the lessons.”
“Not good enough. If you want me to take you back, you will have to beg.”
Natasha felt her jaw drop. “You want me to what?” She stared at him and saw the laughter in his eyes. Thankfully everyone else was looking at her.
“You heard me. But I won’t make you do it in public. Come to the schoolroom.”
She watched him leave the room, unsure what she should do. She looked at the others for advice.
“I think he means it,” Bolene said. “My suggestion is go after him.”
Faking reluctance, Natasha obeyed. As soon as she reached the schoolroom’s threshold, Fox grabbed her arm, pulled her inside and shut the door. He pushed her against it and kissed her passionately.
“I know it has only been a few hours,” he said once he pulled away, “but I missed you.”
Natasha smiled, slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer so they could kiss again.
“I have to beg you?” she said once she had had enough, pushing him gently back as she spoke.
Fox shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “I thought it was a nice touch.”
Natasha leaned back against the door. “Please Fox, I beg you, take me,” she said in as pleading a voice as she could manage.
Fox raised his eyebrows. “Shouldn’t the word ‘back’ be on the end of that sentence?”
“I don’t think so, do you?”
Fox slipped his arms around her waist. “What am I going to do with you?”
“What you did last night would be a good start.”
“It will be my pleasure, but not now. Now, we have a lesson.”
“You’re not serious.”
“Perfectly.” Much to her annoyance, he opened the door so anyone who happened to walk by would be able to see them. “Now where were we? Oh yes, politics.”
————————————-∞————————————-
The weeks went by and Natasha and Fox became closer and closer. He stayed at her place a few evenings each week, truthfully telling everyone at the hotel that he was seeing his girlfriend. Only Trey knew who he was talking about and, true to his word, he said nothing to his family. Nobody gave any indication that they suspected anything.
One evening, as they were eating their meal, Komi began to ask Fox a few too many questions about his girlfriend. Trey saved him from having to tell too many lies by deflecting attention onto himself. He announced that he and Lucy were officially a couple and the conversation never returned to Fox and his young lady.
Natasha forgave Komi for his behaviour on her birthday and he soon fell back into his bad habits; watching her line dancing class and coming on to her at every opportunity, despite her repeated requests for him to stop. She didn’t tell him she had started seeing someone, just in case it aroused his suspicions, though he did comment one day that she seemed happier than he had ever seen her. She declined to tell him the reason.
Natasha continued with her lessons, somehow managing to concentrate on them instead of the person giving them to her, and stayed at the hotel each Friday night. She used her key to lock her door from the inside, instead of sliding the bolt across, so that Fox could use his key to join her. They were careful, checking the coast was clear before he entered or exited the room. They were bound to get caught one day, but thought it was worth the risk. If they slept under the same roof but in different beds, neither of them would have been able to get any sleep.
Fox and Natasha spent a lot of their alone time talking. They spoke about anything and everything, finding out about their likes, dislikes and opinions on many different subjects.
Fox spoke more of his life growing up, how his mother had died shortly after childbirth and his father had blamed him. He never seemed to do anything right, in his father’s eyes, and often ran away to Komi’s house. It was one of the reasons he and Bolene were so close; she was almost a sister to him and became his confidant a long time ago. Initially, when first getting to know them, Natasha had been jealous of Fox’s relationship with Bolene, but no longer; she now realised he could never have any romantic feelings toward her.
Fox also brought up the subject of the woman who was practically his step-mother for a while; the witch who unintentionally caused his father’s death. While he hadn’t disliked her, she had done nothing to prevent the beatings and abuse his father inflicted on him, so he had no reason to feel anything for her. She had been devastated by his father’s death but he had not been able to offer her any sympathy.
She had been married once. Her husband and newborn son disappeared shortly after the birth. She was accused of killing them, but no evidence could be found that they were really dead, so she could not be prosecuted. The authorities soon forgot about her and she carried on with her life as though she had never had a spouse or child, until meeting Fox’s father and moving in with him. Fox didn’t keep in touch with her and had no idea where she now was, nor did he care.
In turn, Natasha told Fox about her childhood, how she never got on well with either of her parents, instead turning to her older brother whenever she needed help or advice. She was close to her sister, but didn’t get to see her much anymore due to Sandra’s job.
“The fact that your parents probably aren’t your real parents might explain why you don’t get on with them,” Fox said. Natasha dug him playfully in the ribs with her elbow. “I’m serious,” he continued. “Soon we are going to have to put some thought into finding out who you are.”
“I know,” she said. “But not yet. Can we spend some time finding out who we are first?”
“Sure,” he said, taking her in his arms and slipping his hand under her blouse so he could caress her back. Soon neither of them were thinking about anything except each other.
Siren
One Friday night, a few months later, Trey was about to leave for Natasha’s place, to see Lucy, when Lukine announced that he had detected a siren in a local nightclub. Trey and Komi both looked at Bolene, who nodded. They would go on this ‘kill’. Trey took his mobile phone out of his pocket and called Lucy, explaining why he would be late. He had already told her all about himself, what he did and why, believing that honesty was needed if the relationship was going to last.
“Have you told her exactly how you kill sirens?” Natasha asked him.
“No. I haven’t gone into exact details about anything I kill. She doesn’t want me to. Besides, what would be the point? I never let things go too far and it’s usually Komi they go for.”
“I still think you should tell her.” It was advice, not an order, and it was up to Trey whether he would follow it or not.
The three siblings went to get changed. If they were going to a nightclub, they would need to dress the part. Lukine announced that he was going out; there was a friend he needed to visit and this was the ideal opportunity, seeing as his wife would be gone for a while.
Bolene walked down the corridor dressed in a short black dress with high heeled shoes. She looked good, but nothing compared to Komi. He was stunning. Dressed in skin tight black leather trousers and a black shirt, open at the neck and unbuttoned to half way down his chest, with a leather jacket over the top, he looked unbelievably good. The enchanted necklace he wore see
med to add to the effect.
“Wow,” Natasha said. “I can understand why all the sirens go for you if that is how you dress whenever you are out to kill one of them.”
“What about me?” Trey asked. She had been so caught up looking at Komi that she hadn’t noticed his brother standing just behind him.
She looked him up and down. “Not bad,” she said. “But Komi looks better.”
“Some women have no taste,” she heard Trey mutter.
Komi walked up to her and slipped his arms around her. “Now you know what you are missing out on, it’s not too late to change your mind about me.”
Reaching behind her, she took hold of his arms and moved them away from her before stepping back, out of his reach. Fox was watching, but showed no sign of a reaction to what was going on. “No thank you,” she said, firmly but not unkindly.
Trey went to the kitchen and returned with three hip flasks, each full of different varieties of alcohol. He handed one to Bolene, who slipped it into her handbag, and another to Komi, who secreted it into his jacket pocket. They were weapons, the only ones they would need on this ‘kill’.
Trey picked up his keys from the table near the front door where he usually left them, then retrieved the spare set and threw them at Komi. “You can drive. I’ll be there in a minute. I just have to fetch my jacket.” He raced up the stairs.
“Good luck,” Natasha called out to Bolene and Komi as they left the house.
Trey was wearing his jacket when he walked down the stairs. “Have fun,” he said to Natasha and Fox as he passed them. “Don’t do anything that I wouldn’t do.”
“Is there anything you wouldn’t do?” Natasha asked.
“Not much,” he replied, grinning.
He left, closing the door behind him. Fox walked up to Natasha and slipped his hand in hers. It was the first time he had been able to show her any affection in the hotel, outside of the schoolroom or her bedroom.
“Should I be worried that you thought Komi looked good?” he asked. Natasha knew he was just teasing and she decided to tease him back.
“Maybe. Perhaps you should remind me why I like you so much.”
“Your wish is my command.” He picked her up and carried her up the stairs.
He didn’t take her to her room, moving instead to his closed door. “What are you doing?” she asked as he tried to open it with one hand without putting her down.
“I thought we should do something different, seeing as we have the place to ourselves. I want to have you in my bed, for a change.”
————————————-∞————————————-
Komi parked Trey’s car in the carpark behind the nightclub and they all joined the queue to get in. It wasn’t too long, for a Friday night, as it was still relatively early, but it was longer than any of the demons wished. They wanted to get in and find their target before she had time to select a victim and leave with him or her.
The line had the usual amount of underage teenagers, hoping to sneak in, but the bouncers were asking nearly everyone for ID and were turning away anyone who could not prove their were over eighteen.
It didn’t take long for Trey to reach the front of the queue and he and Bolene were allowed in, but the bouncer stopped Komi. “We’re at capacity. You will have to wait until someone leaves.”
“But we’re together,” Bolene protested.
“Sorry luv, you will either have to wait here with your boyfriend or go in without him.”
“Actually he’s my brother.”
“Brother eh. Makes no difference. Rules are rules. Fire regulations won’t let us over fill the place.”
Komi indicated that they should go on without him, so Trey and Bolene left him outside, talking with the bouncer.
“This place is nowhere near full,” Trey said when they entered the main dance room. The music was loud so he had to shout. “I wonder why Komi wasn’t allowed in.”
Bolene laughed. “You obviously didn’t see the way the bouncer was looking at him, or the way his eyes lit up when I said he was my brother.”
Trey grinned. “I am so looking forward to teasing him about this.”
“Me too. Now let’s get to work. We can’t wait for Komi. We have no idea how long he’s going to be.”
“Or what he will have to do to get in.”
It didn’t take them long to find the siren. She was gorgeous. Long blonde hair with streaks of red in it, deep blue eyes, a shade that a lot of humans wished they had, but didn’t, and perfectly shaped lips, painted with bright red lipstick.
She was seated at the bar, her short red dress revealing a lot of her long, well-shaped legs. She was chatting to an attractive young man. He ordered them both drinks, but as soon as the barman poured what looked like whiskey, the siren said something then turned her back on the young man.
Trey and Bolene had no idea what she said, but it obviously upset the siren’s potential suitor. He grabbed her arm and made her face him once more.
“That looks like my cue,” Trey said. “Keep an eye on me.”
He strode quickly over to the bar and placed a hand on the young man’s shoulder. He leaned over and whispered in his ear. “What do you think you are doing to my wife?”
“Wife?” the man said, startled. “She never said she was married.” He slid off his chair and moved through the crowd on the dancefloor, putting as much distance between himself and Trey as he could.
Trey sat down in his seat and looked at the siren. “You looked like you needed help. Are you alright?”
The siren rubbed her arm where the man had been holding it. “Nothing serious. Thanks for that.”
“No problem,” Trey said, then turned his attention to the barman. He would allow the siren to make the first move. He ordered a club soda for himself, purposely not asking if the lady next to him wanted anything.
She tapped him on the arm to get his attention, then held out her hand when he turned her way. “I’m Elizabeth.”
“Trey,” he said and shook her hand. “Would you like a drink?”
She shook her head. “I don’t drink alcohol.”
“Me neither,” he lied. “I had a bad experience once. Very bad. It put me off for life.”
“Really? What happened?”
“I had way too much bourbon one night. Woke up the next morning next to the ugliest chick I have ever seen.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Elizabeth said.
Trey grunted. “We were in Vegas. Apparently we got married. She produced the certificate to prove it. It’s now costing me a fortune to get divorced.”
Elizabeth laughed. Even over the loud music, Trey could hear its soft and melodic tone. If he didn’t know she was a siren, he would have been attracted to this woman.
“You don’t look old enough to be married,” she said.
“I wish I wasn’t. I was celebrating my eighteenth birthday so it was all legal. Unfortunately.”
They talked for a while and he could feel the power of her voice washing over him. He was glad he was wearing his charmed necklace. Even with it, she was difficult to resist. When he asked her if she wanted to dance, she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to the dancefloor.
Bolene was watching them grind their bodies against each other when she felt a hand on her shoulder. ‘It seems my services won’t be needed tonight,” Komi shouted into her ear.
“How did you get in?” Bolene asked.
“I gave the bouncer my phone number.”
“You don’t have a phone.”
“He doesn’t know that.” He looked across the dancefloor. Trey and the siren were all over each other and the way they were dancing was almost indecent. “He looks like he’s having fun. Want a drink?”
“No thanks,” Bolene said. “And nor should you. I have a feeling we won’t be here for much longer.”
As if he had heard her, she saw Trey take the siren by the hand and lead her off the dancefloor,
heading for the exit. Bolene and Komi followed at a discrete distance, not that they needed to worry about the siren seeing them; her attention was completely on Trey.
Trey and Elizabeth collected their jackets from the cloakroom, then Trey asked her to wait for him while he nipped into the gents. Once inside, he called Komi, then put his device on mute so that it would not pick up any sound. Knowing that his siblings would be able to hear everything that was happening, Trey slipped his communicator back into his jacket pocket and returned to the siren.
She took him to her car, but before she got in he grabbed her and held her against it, kissing her deeply. He needed to give Komi and Bolene time to get out of the club and spot the car she was driving.
“I can’t wait to get you back to my place,” she said, a little breathlessly, when he finally pulled away.
“Me too,” he said. He wasn’t lying. He was looking forward to pouring alcohol down her throat and watching her die.
She drove at a steady pace, so Komi had no trouble keeping up with her. As she moved out of the city and into a more remote area, there was little traffic, so Komi dropped back, putting more distance between the two cars in case she spotted him and became suspicious.
Elizabeth pulled into a driveway and opened the garage door with her remote. Trey noted the house number and said, “Twelve. My lucky number.” Komi and Bolene now knew which house he was in, in case the garage door closed before they spotted the car.
“It will be tonight,” Elizabeth said.
As soon as they were inside the house, Trey took her in his arms once more. “You really are an intoxicating woman. I can’t wait to taste you.” He was playing the part of an enchanted man well.
“Trust me,” she said in a soft seductive voice. “The pleasure will be all mine.”
Outside, Komi was just pulling up to the kerb outside the house. He switched off the engine and the waiting game began. He and Bolene both hoped it would not last too long.
Elizabeth undid Trey’s shirt and he did nothing to stop her taking it off him and dropping it on the ground. He closed his eyes when he felt her lips on his neck. He had a job to do, but there was no harm in enjoying himself first. She slid her tongue along his collarbone until she reached his throat, then began to descend. It was all he could do to stop himself calling out Lucy’s name.
Fox Among the Demons Page 17
