Who the heck is in there with them? And why do they sound so happy?
Taking a deep breath, I peer around the corner and into the living room.
Arrow is sitting on a chair with his boot-clad feet kicked up on the coffee table; East is near the bar, filling a glass with a sparkling silver liquid; and Asher is lounging on the sofa with his arms stretched out across the back, a relaxed smile on his face.
A relaxed Asher? That actually exists?
My gaze travels to the fourth person in the room; a female-type creature standing near the kitchen. Tall, curvy, and wearing a pinstriped dress and thigh-high boots, she looks maybe a handful of years older than me, but it’s hard to tell for sure. And she’s definitely paranormal; her long hair like fire, her lips stained crimson, and her pale white eyes glow against the low lighting in the room.
What is she?
“You seem in an awfully good mood,” she says to Asher as she raises a glass to her lips. “Any particular reason?”
He flashes her a grin. “Because you’re here, of course.”
She takes a sip of her drink then struts across the room and sits down on his lap. “I’ve missed you,” she purrs, running her fingers through his hair. “We need to start seeing each other more often, especially if you’re going to be this elated to see me.”
Asher’s lips pull into a grin as he slips his arms around her waist. “Oh, I’m beyond elated to see you, baby.”
Baby? Gag me.
His gaze drops to her lips, flames blazing in his eyes. She wets her lips with her tongue and leans in, her lips nearing his …
I should look away, especially since the closer her lips get to his, the more pissed off I feel. I have no idea why and know I have no right to be upset. Asher isn’t mine, and I don’t want him to be mine. And if he ever did become mine, either him or I would end up dead. So, yeah, I definitely shouldn’t care that he’s about to kiss some fire-haired creature, but holy jealous vampires, anger is bursting through me.
And the anger only erupts when she crooks a finger at East, who eagerly complies, striding across the room and sitting down on the sofa beside Asher. His lips instantly magnetize toward her neck, and he starts sucking on her skin.
She tips her head back and lets out a moan, reaching for Asher’s hand. Then she laces her fingers with his and guides his palm toward the hem of her dress …
I look away, my face bright red, and not entirely from embarrassment.
“Come on, Arrow,” she begs. “Please join in. I want to know what it’s like to have all three of you—”
A flash of energy ripples off me and waves through the air, shaking the floor and causing all the portraits and knickknacks on the shelves to topple over. Even Arrow’s drum set topples to the side, the cymbals crashing loudly against the floor.
Whoops. I so didn’t mean to do that.
East jerks back, his wide eyes matching Asher’s and the creature’s. Arrow is the only one who doesn’t seem that surprised, but that’s typical for him.
“What in the worlds?” She glances around at the broken picture frames and glass covering the floor. When her gaze lands on me, her nostrils flare as she jumps off Asher’s lap and hisses, “Who is she?” Flames flare from her lips as scales ripple across her skin.
Fear spikes through me. While I’ve never seen one before, I think she might be a dragon-shifter, a very rare and very dangerous creature.
I slowly back away toward the hallway, a little bit scared and a bit mortified. “Um … I’m the girl who’s going to back up and let you guys finish your little … orgy.” I start to turn when she lunges at me, smoke funneling from her nostrils.
Then her lips part, and she blows fire at my face.
I barely duck out of the way in time, and the flames graze my cheek.
Breathing wildly, I reel toward her and try to will my body to send out that wave of energy again, to no avail. So, I do the only thing I can do. I make fists and hope she doesn’t have a super hard jaw.
Her lips curl in delight, and then her jaw unhinges—
East leaps to his feet and wraps his arm around the creature’s waist, pulling her back against him. “Oh no, you don’t, you evil wench.”
Asher and Arrow jump to their feet, too, rushing toward … the bar?
What the hell? They’re getting a drink? Right now?
“Let me go!” she snarls, smoke funneling from her lips as she tries to wiggle away from East. “You said you were alone, but clearly, you’re not. You lied!”
East wraps his hand around her neck. “Yes, we did lie, didn’t we?” he purrs. “I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out sooner, since we turned you down the last time you showed up on our doorstep, looking for a good fuck.”
She snaps her teeth, throwing her weight forward. “Fuck you all! You have no idea who you’re messing with.”
“Actually, we do.” Asher returns to the middle of the living room with a small glass bottle in his hand.
“It’s the only reason we let you in,” Arrow adds, positioning himself in front of her and crossing his arms.
I’ve seen them do this before—strategically placing themselves around someone so they can’t escape. That time being when they caught me trying to steal Asher’s lamp. While I was nervous when they did it to me, now it’s kind of amusing watching it from the other end. But I’m not sure why they’re trying to trap this creature or what they plan to do with her …
My mind briefly wanders back to how touchy they were getting with her on the sofa. While none of them actually did anything, except for East kissing her neck, anger still flickers through me again and the floor trembles.
“Sweetheart, could you tone that lovely magic of yours for just a minute?” East begs as he fights to keep the creature in a headlock.
“Sorry,” I mutter, beyond confused on how my anger is making the floor shake.
East offers me a tense smile then tightens his grip on the creature’s neck, her face turning as red as her hair. “Hurry up, please,” he says to Asher and Arrow. “Her hair’s burning the shit out of my chest.”
Asher twists off the cap of the bottle then moves to dump the contents inside the creature’s mouth, but she spits fire at him.
“Shit.” Asher jumps back, cursing and shaking his hand.
“This’ll be a lot easier if you just cooperate,” East grits out as he lifts the creature up until her feet are no longer touching the floor.
Her lips twist into a pained grin, and then she sinks her fingernails into his arm. East winces, his grip loosening from her just enough that she manages to wiggle away.
Her pale eyes lock on me. “You’re dead.”
“What the hell did I do?” I gripe, skittering back.
She grins then lunges at me again, but Asher sets the bottle down and grabs her. Then him and Arrow wrestle her to the ground, pinning her onto her back and holding her arms and legs to the floor.
East kneels down beside her head then pries her mouth open with his hands. “Quick. Someone pour the sleep mist down her throat,” he says as he positions his knees on her shoulders.
Asher removes his hand from her arm to reach for the bottle, but then flames immediately ignite across the creature’s flesh.
“Dammit.” Asher returns his hand to her arm. “It’s taking all our power to keep her fire contained.”
“Well, someone has to pour the mist down her throat,” East growls, his anger startling the crap out of me.
As stupid as this might sound, I thought the only emotion he knew how to show was flirty, except a couple of brief times when he appeared pained.
“I’ll do it,” I offer, surprising myself and them. “Well, I will if you tell me what the mist will do to her.”
“It’ll knock her out,” Asher explains, his features flowing with tension as he positions his knee on the writhing creature’s arm.
Tendrils of smoke wisp from her nostrils. “Na uns unna ock e ow!” she shouts while East holds her m
outh open.
Asher rolls his eyes, his gaze settling on me. “Hurry up, little thief.” He winces as her skin sizzles. “Before she ends up burning the entire place down.”
“Why do you want her knocked out?” I ask, scooping up the bottle he dropped—the sleep mist, I’m guessing.
The lid is off so some of it spilled out onto the floor, but there’s still a little bit of wispy ribbon-like liquid inside.
“Because we need something from her.” Arrow grasps the creature’s wrist tightly as she tries to take a swing at him. “And we can only get it if she’s asleep.”
“You’re not doing anything bad, are you?” I ask, rotating the bottle in my hand.
“Trust me; if we are, she deserves it.” Asher flinches as blisters sprout across the back of his hand. “She’s an energy sucker.”
My brows pull together. “I’ve never heard of those.”
“It’s the slang term.” Asher’s face bunches in pain as the creature huffs smoke into his face. “Look, I’ll explain more after you’ve knocked her out.”
I have a lurking feeling he may be avoiding telling me exactly what kind of creature she is, but I find myself stepping forward anyway. Then I move around toward her head and, gathering the bottom of my dress in one hand, kneel down beside East. I don’t feel very guilty as I pour the mist down her throat, and that makes me worry that perhaps my time away from my world is taking away some of my compassion. Then again, she did try to set me on fire, so …
“Your eyes are really freaky,” I tell her, stroking her head, mostly to fuck with her. “And your scales are super gross.”
When she snaps her teeth at me, I grin.
“You know what? I think you should look into becoming a dominatrix.” East winks at me. “In fact, I can give you some pointers.” A glint twinkles in his eyes as he shakes his head. “No, pointers won’t do. I think a demonstration is the best way to learn, don’t you?”
I roll my eyes. “In your dreams, faerie dude.”
He grins. “Is that you giving me permission to do anything to you in my dreams?”
I roll my eyes again. “Sure—”
Asher hastily covers my mouth with his hand.
“What the hell?” My voice is muffled against his hand.
Asher stares East down hard. “Did you seriously just try to get her to agree to that?”
East shrugs, a mischievous smile twitching at his lips. “Don’t pretend like you wouldn’t do the same if you could.”
I pry Asher’s hand off my mouth, relaxing a smidgeon as the energy sucker’s body goes still, her eyelids drifting shut.
“Will someone tell me what’s going on?” My gaze bounces between Asher and East. “Because, as far as I know, faeries don’t have the power to enter dreams.”
“Most don’t.” Asher’s gaze never wavers from East. “But East has a rare gift.” He glances at me. “A gift he can only use with permission.”
“So, you’re saying, because I told him he can go into my dreams, that he can now?” I gape at East.
“Relax. I’m not going to do it.” East pushes to his feet and dusts off his hands. “Well, unless you ask me to.”
I shrug. “Go ahead. I barely remember any of the dreams I have. In fact, sometimes I wonder if I dream at all.”
“Everyone dreams.” East strolls over to the bar and picks up a glass and a bottle of silvery liquid. “Even if you don’t remember them.” He pours himself a drink then takes a long swallow before turning back toward me. “My bet is, your lack of proper sleep ruins your cycle and makes your dreams hazy.”
“Maybe.” I glance at the creature to make sure she’s completely passed out then push to my feet. “So, what’s the deal with her?”
“We already told you. We need something from her.” Asher gracefully stands then strolls over to the bar to pour a glass of the silvery liquid stuff for himself.
“Yeah, I know, but you never specified what that was or what she”—I gesture at the creature—“is.”
Arrow’s gadgets hum as he straightens to his feet and comes over to stand beside me. “She’s a demon,” he says, rubbing at a charred bronzed piece on his arm.
My eyes pop wide as I skitter away from the demon sprawled out on the floor. “She’s a demon? I just leaned over a demon’s mouth?” I put my hands on my hips, glaring at them. “You guys should’ve warned me.”
Demons are probably the most dangerous creatures. At least, if you’re a human. People on the streets run for miles if they even hear rumors of one being in the area. The main reason they instill so much fear in us—well, humans—is that demons have the capability of stealing souls by drinking them from human’s mouths.
“Will you relax? You’re not human, so your soul was always safe,” Asher says then devours his drink in one, long gulp. Then he sets the glass down on the counter and steps toward me, his gaze deliberately scrolling from my boots to my thighs, along my chest, and all the way up to my face. “That’s what you’re wearing?”
I shift my weight, self-consciously adjusting the corset then fiddling with the ribbons on the front of the skirt. “Arrow said I’d blend in, in it.”
Asher glances at Arrow with his brow cocked.
Arrow lifts his hand to massage the back of his neck. “She would’ve stood out in anything I put her in. Even jeans and a T-shirt. At least, this way, she looks in style.”
Asher doesn’t reply, continuing to stare Arrow down.
The gadgets in Arrow’s arms hum louder as he grows more fidgety. “Don’t blame this on me,” he says, lowering his hand to his side. “If you want her to put on something else, then go ahead. But I think she looks … lovely.”
“Lovely?” Asher questions with his brows arched. “Since when do you use the term lovely?”
East lets out a soft, amused laugh. “Well, this is fun.” He takes another sip of his drink then leaves the glass on the counter and crosses the room. “I think everyone needs a time-out.”
Asher glances at him. “You’re telling us to take a time-out?”
East shrugs, his eyes glinting. “There’s a first for everything.”
They grow quiet, silently staring at each other, Asher sporting a grumpy face, while East sparkles with amusement, and Arrow continuously shifts his weight.
Finally, I can’t take the maddening silence anymore.
My dress swishes as I step forward, positioning myself in the center of them. “Will someone please explain why you guys needed to knock out a demon? And for how long is she going to be passed out? Because I sure as hell don’t want to be around when she wakes up.”
They stare at each other for a drumbeat of a second longer before tearing their gazes off each other and fixing their eyes on me.
“She’ll be out for at least half a day,” Asher says, stuffing his hands into his back pockets. “And she’ll be far away from here by the time she wakes up.”
“How? Are you going to drag her body into the woods or something? Because I’m betting she’ll get back here pretty quickly. And I’m sure she’ll be pissed off and wanting revenge. And while I’m not positive what demons do to get revenge, I’d rather not find out.” I move my fingers to my cheek where her flame lightly grazed my skin and wince from the soft sting.
“She won’t be getting back here anytime soon,” Asher assures me. “Because she’ll be in a prison.”
“A prison?” I glance warily at the demon. “There’s a prison for demons?”
“On this planet, there is,” Arrow answers. “She’ll probably escape eventually, but we’ll be gone by then.”
“I sure hope so,” I mumble, touching the spot on my cheek again. “Because she didn’t seem to like me, and that was before I poured sleep mist into her mouth.”
“So what if she doesn’t like you?” East says in amusement. “If she comes after you, you can just use your amazing little powers on her.”
“Yeah, I don’t think shaking the floor is going to protect me from a reven
ge-crazed demon.” I fold my arms around myself. “And I’m not even sure how I unleashed my power.”
East slowly wets his lips with his tongue. “You sure about that?”
I nod, feeling super twitchy inside. “One minute, I was standing there, watching you guys …” Fuck, did I seriously just about admit aloud that I was watching them get their orgy on? “And the next, the floor was shaking.”
A slow grin carves across East’s face. “You were watching us do what?”
“Nothing,” I stress. “I didn’t mean to say that.”
“Liar,” East says, circling me. “You were watching Asher and I touch Darla, weren’t you?” he whispers in my ear.
My shoulder involuntarily shudders upward, but my voice comes out even. “I didn’t know you touched her.”
“You lie well, sweetheart, but I can tell you’re not being truthful.” His breath is hot against the back of my neck.
In front of me, Asher watches me with fire-lit eyes, his arms crossed, his muscled tightly raveled. Arrow stands stiffly beside me, his gaze straying from me to the bar, as if he’s debating bailing from having to overhear this conversation.
That would make two of us.
“Why would I lie about this?” I turn my head and lock gazes with East. “It’s not like I give a shit if you were touching some nasty-ass demon. That’s your issue, not mine.”
“Nasty-ass demon?” He smirks, leaning over my shoulder and setting his hands on my hips. “Is that jealousy I detect?”
“Nope.” Another flawless lie. Inside, though, my pulse is quickening.
Calm down and win this argument. Don’t let the faerie win or let him discover you were jealous when he was touching that nasty-ass demon.
“Hmm …” His eyes sparkle as he moves his lips toward my ear while slipping his fingers underneath the hem of the corset and brushing them against my sides. “You don’t need to be jealous,” he whispers. “We didn’t really want Darla, and we were never going to do anything with her. We were just distracting her so we could slip some sleep mist into her drink.”
“I know that’s a lie … I heard her say you guys hooked up with her before.” As soon as the words leave my lips, I want to bitch-slap myself.
Chasing Steel: Capturing Magic Books 1-3 Page 16
