Windstorm (Nightwraith Book 1)

by Gaja J. Kos

  The male looked as if he had the blood of a thousand enemies on his hands. A ripped out organ probably wasn’t quite that shocking compared to the long line of things he must had seen on some Fae battlefield or another.

  “All right,” I exhaled and hooked my fingers around my knee, “tell me what you can about your brother’s death.”

  Cian crossed his arms. “That is your job to do, halfling.”

  Ouch. So not only was he put off by the fact that I was a demon, but it seemed that my mixed heritage was just as big of a thorn in his side. Why was it that the gorgeous ones had to be so full of themselves all the damn time?

  I sighed, fighting to keep the crankiness out of my voice. This was business, and—aside from the wine—I wanted to treat him as I would any of my clients. “You haven’t brought any of his personal items with you. I would have sensed their presence if you had, glamor or not. Now, since I can’t bond with an object like I normally would during my initial assessment, you have to provide me the needed insight. I have to know what happened so that I can evaluate whether my abilities will even be of use or not.”

  And see just how much trouble aiding him would get me into, if I were to accept the job.

  I hated myself for it, but I couldn’t deny that I sincerely wanted to help the Fae. It was what I did, what my magic yearned for, regardless of how much the process disturbed me.

  I might have been able to shut out my darker side, but that meant I couldn’t do the same to the other. I was a being of power, after all, and as one needed to look after the energy I carried within. Much like feeding your body in order to survive, I had to feed my magic. The sustenance was different, but the principle was the exact same.

  The purple in Cian’s eyes turned a shade colder as he continued with his silent assessment, but, eventually, he spoke up. “My bother left Ireland on a business venture two months ago. I had been…unable…to join him at the time, so we made arrangements to remain in regular contact. Three nights ago, Riordan failed to make the call. I arrived the next morning, found the heart in the bedroom of the temporary lodgings he had hired.”

  Even a child would know he was holding things back, but I let it slide. The Fae were known to be paranoid about their privacy, so I wasn’t exactly expecting him to open up to a demon stranger. Not yet. However, I did still need to learn as many details surrounding Riordan’s death as I could, as well as an inventory of the items that had been in the vicinity at the time.

  I took another sip of the fragrant Cabernet. “Did you remove anything besides the heart from his place?”

  “No.” Yes.

  I puckered my glossed lips. “I guess it’s safe to presume that you have tried tracking down the responsible party?”

  Cian’s nostrils flared as he gave me a hard stare. Right. Of course he had. And of course that was something he wasn’t about the share.

  A slight headache was starting to throb in my temples. The Fae wasn’t about to become any more forthcoming. I needed a different approach—cut to the chase before he decided to shut me out completely.

  “Do you believe Riordan was murdered at his place?”

  He shook his head. “But the wards had been broken in several areas.”

  I perked up at his words. Finally, something I could work with.

  “The killer was looking for something?”

  The Fae squeezed out a tight “yes.”

  We stared at each other in silence for a few moments, my fingers curled around the edges of my armchair while he kept his muscular arms crossed in front of his chest. In all regards, Cian seemed like an insurmountable mountain. A warrior, as hard and as durable as a blade—cold, too. But underneath all the disgust he harbored for me, underneath that infuriating sense of superiority, I noticed the deep love he felt for his brother. The concern of someone who had lost too much.

  Though I wasn’t sure just what would have happened to me if I had turned him down, I knew that was an option I would never get to explore. Because despite the demonic tendrils whispering of the lurking claws of danger just waiting to grab me, I was determined to help the Fae. It was my calling, but even more so, I couldn’t just to shut the door in someone’s face simply because of who they were. Wouldn’t have made me any better than him if I did.

  “Okay, Cian,” I said, muting all the filthy curses the dark presence in my core was throwing my way. “I need to see your brother’s place.”

  Chapter 5

  The late afternoon air was pleasantly cool against my heated skin as I drove my Audi A5 convertible past the city limits and towards Šmartinsko lake. Cian and I had agreed to meet at his brother’s rental home at five, which had given me enough time to put the avalanche of thoughts that had been rushing through my mind in order.

  After the Fae had left—luckily, taking the heart with him—I closed down the shop for the weekend and grabbed a beef kebab from the local vendor. My stomach still wasn’t all that great from the gritty visual, but I desperately needed the sustenance. It wouldn’t do to pass out in the middle of a merging just because I had been too big of a wuss to get past the whole torn-out interior organ thing. Besides, I was adamant to not give Cian another reason to despise me. The gods knew there were enough of those floating around as it was.

  I spent the remaining hours sunbathing on the Savinja riverbank, enjoying my wine and coffee as if the day wasn’t one of the weirdest ones I’d experienced in my life. I needed something as ordinary and simple as taking time for myself after work, and, as always, it did the job.

  Routine never failed to put me at ease, and by the time I had to go home and exchange my upscale clothes for something a bit more appropriate to hike in, I was as calm as I could get.

  Cian had told me that not all of the wards Riordan had set up on the perimeter had been broken—and that those that had been breached were now mended, shielding the place from further intrusion. Which meant I needed to be escorted inside.

  Unfortunately for me, that also meant my darling pearl-white convertible could only get me so far.

  So I’d left my pumps and dress at home and headed out of the apartment in a three-quarter sleeve pink-and-white raglan tee, faded jeans, and Converse shoes. My hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, the ends brushing against the nape of my neck caught in the embrace of the billowing wind as I sped down the country road, determined to make the most of the bends and the absence of other cars coming my way.

  It felt good to drive around, even if my destination wasn’t exactly the kind I would have chosen.

  But I’d made my peace in those hours I had to myself. It was a job, just like any other. The sole difference was that my employer was Fae.

  My demon tendrils bristled at the thought, clearly not enthusiastic about my choices. Nothing new there. I shoved them down, locking them in the do not fucking open box I had constructed in my teenage years, and instead focused on the countryside rolling past me. The trees were in full bloom, the green hills beyond them still bathed in golden sunlight. So I inhaled deeply, filling my lungs with the numerous scents of spring, and simply enjoyed the rebirth of the world around me.

  The Kolduny weren’t only children of nature; they were people of spring. While I didn’t have an ethereal bubble of warmth, filled with the essence of the season around me as any full-blooded Koldunya did, I still felt a strong connection to the blossoming time of the year.

  My entire body came alive, much like the earth after a long winter, and even my magic seemed more sated somehow—although my parents firmly believed I could maintain the power level all year round, if I only used both sides of my abilities. Right. And throw myself straight into my mother’s manipulative clutches at the same time.

  But the day was too beautiful to waste it on my twisted family, so I cranked up the volume and let the cheerful synth-pop tunes of Depeche Mode’s early songs wash over me instead.

  After another five minutes or so, just when the next track came on, I veered off the main road. Shadows greeted
me, the strong fragrance of pine potent in the humidity of the thick woods I’d entered. I knew these parts, had driven through them more times than I could count, but I’d never had any reason to use this particular service trail. Not only was it a bit too narrow for my Audi A5 with all the low-hanging, sturdy branches sticking out of the sides at random—it was a dead end, too.

  Business venture my ass. I snorted as the Audi began to climb. If Riordan went to such lengths as to hire a house in the middle of absolutely nowhere with only one access point for vehicles, he had needed more than just privacy. He’d needed something secure. Regardless of how hard I’d pressed, Cian had refused to tell me what his brother had been murdered over—I didn’t doubt for a second that the bastard knew exactly what it was. But, even if I didn’t know all the details, the fact his place had been searched afterwards pointed out that Riordan had been hiding something important.

  A part of me couldn’t help but to be intrigued by just what that particular object might reveal if it came into my hands.

  As I took another turn, I narrowed my eyes and gently eased my foot off the gas, assessing the surroundings. If I wasn’t mistaken, I was currently right in the middle of the woods stretching north of Lokrovec. There was another village smack on the other side of the forest, but there weren’t any roads leading in this direction from there, not even as much as a flimsy, dirty trail. The location was about as private as it got in the vicinity of Celje.

  And if Riordan had created a true protective circle around the house—I was willing to bet my ass that there were booby traps and probably more scattered around the forest grounds, as well—the woods would prove to be a bitch to get through. Since the Fae were linked to nature, their magic had the tendency to be absorbed by its surroundings, making the energy next to invisible to anybody but the person who had put it there.

  It was the best possible version of security one could make for themselves, and my gut was telling me that that was precisely what Cian’s brother had done. But it did make me wonder just who Riordan had gone up against if they managed to breach all those clever defenses.

  Still mulling over the thought, I pulled up on the shoulder just wide enough to accommodate my Audi and killed the engine. A private property sign loomed before me, reassuring me that I’d come to the right place.

  The smoldering hot and way too judgmental Fae, however, was nowhere to be seen.

  The familiar inky sense of unease returned to the pit of my stomach, my magic instantly swirling and twisting inside me in response. I allowed it to pool beneath my skin, lying in wait in case something decided to jump me from the shadows.

  Naturally, I realized far too late that I hadn’t packed any weapons. My antique dagger was safe at the store beneath the counter and the unregistered Walter pistol was tucked in my nightstand drawer.

  Well, fuck.

  Since Cian wasn’t a danger to me, at least not right now, I’d foolishly relied on my power to keep me safe—as I usually did. But if the person who had killed Riordan was still lurking somewhere nearby—the same person who had taken out a bloody Fae—well, I could hardly say I was out of the woods.

  I let out a bitter laugh and looked around. No, I definitely wasn’t out of the fucking woods.

  “Nervous?” A cool voice slithered from behind me.

  I yelped, magic bursting from my core like a whip.

  A low, male groan reached my panicked mind, and I twisted around, only to come face-to-face with a very pissed off Cian. I could swear I saw my own death flashing in those purple pools, the enjoyment he’d get out of it lingering in the light slant of his unnervingly inviting mouth. Without taking his eyes off me, Cian brushed away the blood that trickled down his cheek, and I winced at the deep slash my magic had made across the Fae’s light skin.

  “Impressive,” he said with such cold in his voice that I shivered. He lifted his hand to observe the crimson coating his fingers. “I have underestimated you, Miss Kasun. You have my word that it won’t happen again.”

  I stared at him, pinned to the spot.

  Was that…a compliment?

  Heat flushed my face, my heart racing with a different kind of panic altogether. I turned around to keep him from spotting the treacherous blush, and let my gaze wander across the woods—without actually seeing them. The sole thing I was aware of was his presence behind me, the power that rippled off his body in such magnetic waves that I needed to remind myself firmly that he was lethal. That he was Fae.

  And that whatever fun my body wanted to have with him was never going to happen.

  Although my sex drive was healthy, I never had any reason to believe I’d inherited the typical erotic nature demons possessed. But what other explanation was there for all these sudden onslaughts of lust, really?

  Sure, Cian was handsome, more so than anyone I’d ever laid my eyes on. And, yes, he seemed to possess the kind of raw masculinity that made me want to find myself crushed beneath all that strength as his body moved over mine…

  But he was also someone who I would never have considered sleeping with under different circumstances.

  Sighing at the mess that I’d become, I leaned against the car and finally dared to look at the Fae in question.

  The fright he’d given me kept me from noticing his attire before, and I wasn’t entirely certain if I was glad that it caught my attention now. He had exchanged the tailored suit for tight, black combat pants and a gray T-shit that molded to his torso so finely I could see every damned muscle rippling across his chest beneath.

  The whole warrior image was made even more appealing by the knives that were strapped to his waist, two more resting on his well-defined forearms.

  I did a double take. Well, Cian had most certainly made up for my lack of weapons.

  The Fae inclined his head to the side as he noticed me staring. Aided by the movement, a strand of his purple-black hair brushed against his unmarred cheek, and I couldn’t help but swoon over the chiseled line of his jawbone that made his sensuous mouth even more pronounced.

  Demon heritage.

  It was definitely the demon heritage messing with me.

  I rolled my shoulders to ease some of the not entirely unpleasant tension that had crept up my spine and neck, then pushed myself off the car. “Where to?”

  Cian nudged his head towards the woods on the other side of my car, and marched into them not a second later, leaving me to trail behind like a gods-damned enamored puppy.

  I hadn’t been wrong. Riordan had laid out a shitload of booby traps throughout the forest, and I had spent the last fifteen minutes walking as closely to Cian as I could manage, vigilant not to step astray even once. Despite the heavy concealment, I had felt the magic a couple of times as we stalked by, and from what those glimpses offered me, the traps packed a super mean punch. Something I had no desire experiencing.

  His words reached me the instant before I would have collided with his back. “Stop here.”

  As Cian muttered something into the air before him, it started to flicker and dance in an array of gleaming colors. I sucked in a breath.

  Fae ward.

  Stunning didn’t even begin to cover what I was seeing—what I was feeling, too. The ward was potent and pure, an untouched concentrate of a person’s essential magic. I curled my fingers by my sides, biting back the impulse to touch the ethereal presence that beckoned to me with its untamed beauty.

  “Liva?” Cian’s voice pulled me back into the here and now.

  Slowly, I peeled my gaze away from the shimmering magic and met his eyes. I hadn’t even noticed that he had turned around, observing me with his dark brows pulled closely together.

  “Huh?” I mumbled.

  “Something wrong?”

  My gaze flickered past him to the barrier, then fell on his face once more.

  “The ward,” I breathed. “It’s beautiful.”

  Cian looked over his shoulder, as if double-checking the wall of magic. The frown on his forehead was even d
eeper once he faced me again, but it wasn’t displeasure that cupped his features now. “You see the ward?”

  His breath brushed against my skin, and I may have leaned into it just a little, recognizing a faint imprint of the magic that had so thoroughly charmed me. “It’s yours, isn’t it?”

  Every muscle in Cian’s body tensed, the air around him gaining a lethal taste that coated my tongue and caused my chest to tighten. The sudden change slapped some clarity into my mind, and I instinctively jumped back, wondering what the fuck had just happened.

  But the Fae wrapped his hands around my arms before I managed to do anything more and crushed me against his chest. I tried to jerk away, the demonic tendrils inside me screaming, but Cian’s deep, steady voice washed over the thunder of my panic.

  “Stop. Fighting.”

  I didn’t. Not at first. But once I realized he truly wasn’t doing anything threatening, merely holding me still, I let myself relax in his arms. His breaths were wild as he kept me steady for a few moments longer, possibly to make sure I wouldn’t bolt, and I could hear the hastened thump-thump-thump of his heart echoing the rhythm of mine.

  When we established that I wasn’t going to make any sudden moves, I gradually eased back—just far enough to tilt my head up and see the tight expression resting on Cian’s handsome face.

  “There’s a rune just behind you to the left,” he said quietly. “I’m going to release you now. Don’t be an idiot.”

  I nodded, not trusting my voice. I hadn’t as much as sensed the damned thing, and would most likely had stumbled right onto it if he hadn’t intervened. I blew out a slow breath. Cian had saved my life right then.

  He had saved me. A Nightwraith.

  Sure, he still needed my expertise, but it wasn’t as if he couldn’t get someone non-demonic to do the job after the rune had its fun.

  “Thank you,” I rasped, meaning every damned word.