My eyes opened wide, and my jaw dropped. “Did you just say fuck?”
“When it comes to my dick,” he pointed to the tent in his pants, his eyes full of mirth. “I hold nothing back.” I smiled, feeling dirty from his words and way too happy about them. It seems he wasn’t the only one to hold an influence.
I laughed and stepped to my dresser, pulling out a pair of red laced undies and another ratty band t-shirt. I had to stop talking about his cock before I decided to jump on it and ride it until we both forgot about demons and all the other glorious supernatural problems looming over our heads.
I slipped my panties on, and with my back to Coal, I dropped my towel. I heard a sharp intake of breath, but I chose to ignore it.
Not now, not now.
Before I could pull my shirt over my head, warm fingers trailed down my arms to my shoulders, then light enough to tickle as they traveled down the length of my back. My skin tensed and flinched beneath his touch. My nipples instantly hardened, and my panties were no longer fresh.
Inhaling a long breath to still my erratic heart, I gave it my best attempt not to think sexual thoughts as his hands grazed my back. Touch feather-light, he traced the Goddess cloaked in shadows with her daemons, surrounded by red and black filigree that covered every inch of skin on my back and shoulders. It was gorgeous, but sadly, I had no clue of the meaning. It was something I always had.
“This must have taken days of work,” he said as he studied it. I wished I could see his eyes because the sadness in his voice was overwhelming despite the image’s beauty.
“I wouldn’t know.” I let my shirt fall over my shoulders, cutting off his view. With everything going on and my world being so open to everyone at the moment, I’d rather not dive into talking more about myself. It also helped to spurn his advances. As much as I wanted to, sex wasn’t going to happen.
I turned to face him. His beautiful face fell, and his mouth turned down, but it wasn’t out of disappointment that I shut him off. As usual, he regarded my feelings. “You were made with it.”
I nodded and turned to find my phone, needing something to take my mind from the fact that he just said I was made with it. That felt so wrong on so many levels to hear. Something flashed through his eyes, but I couldn’t pin down the emotion exactly. I shook it off.
“So, back to these slimy asshole demons.” After clearing his throat, Coal led the way into the living room and slid the balcony door shut. I pouted, as the door was rarely closed when I was home. But I appreciated his need to keep our conversation just in this room. He constantly thought about our safety. “That shit was next level. Do you think they led us into a trap, hoping the demon would take me out?”
“No, I highly doubt Lucifer would have anything to do with someone like your father. Hades had no clue that would happen. He has bigger fish to fry,” he pondered. I couldn’t help but feel like there was something more to that conversation.
“So, the demon was just pure coincidence?”
“Most likely,” he shrugged lightly.
“It knew about me, though,” I countered. Something that did not sit well with me. “It knew exactly what to do, even called me Shadow. The way it looked at me like I was its next big prize. No one has ever known of me. They all think I’m joking when I tell them who I am.” I turned the stove on and poured the contents of my cocoa packet into my mug. Then did the same for Coal. Coming to rest by my side, he stared off towards the refrigerator without actually seeing anything.
“That is slightly alarming. But your father fears that man, and if he catches wind that a demon was there, he is going to make sure someone takes you out.” A hard swallow constricted his throat, and he ran his tongue over his lips.
“But what could Lucifer want with me? That demon was powerful. It was frying my shadows. As much as it destroys my ego to say this, I ain’t shit compared to that.”
Coal snorted, and I slapped him on the shoulder.
“It's not that you aren’t powerful, but since you’ve been topside, Lucifer has been hard at work. It's why your father feels so threatened and wants you out. I truly think Lucifer could use you, or he has something on your father that he could take to the Council perhaps.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better,” I said sarcastically, as I switched off the stove and poured some water into our cups. The kitchen grew sickeningly sweet as chocolate permeated the air. The steam felt amazing over my chilled skin, and as much as I wanted to be done talking about this nonsense so I could sit on the balcony, I begrudgingly sipped my cocoa at the kitchen counter.
He grunted, which didn’t answer anything. “I don’t have those answers, but I do have an idea that might help us.”
I perked up and raised an eyebrow, looking expectantly at him. “Oh? Do tell.”
“There is a legend.” I sighed. Legends were rarely helpful, especially if they came from human online sources. “Hear me out. It is floating around the supernatural community. There is a dagger that is said to be able to end Hades.”
“What makes this dagger so special?”
“It was forged in his blood.”
“Why would he have something like that? Something that can kill him and have people know about it?”
“I don’t know, but it makes sense. Now that I know you’re not blood related to him, you can’t kill him. If he did kill his spawn, then nothing would be able to kill him. I think someone created the dagger as a failsafe, just in case.”
“Well, where is it?” Again, all I got was a grunt. Great. We were right back at square one.
“I was hoping that since it was forged in his blood, literally a part of him, that I would use your blood and a spell to find it.”
“You had this all planned out, didn’t you?” My mouth turned up slowly into a smile. He wasn’t as righteous as I thought he was. He was very accustomed to revenge. “Just how did you plan on getting my blood, sir?”
“Doesn’t matter.”
I narrowed my eyes at him, but he didn’t budge. “Party pooper.”
“You really want to know?” he asked with not nearly as much enthusiasm as I had. I knew I should have been upset that he wanted to kill me, but I had to move past that—no use in crying over the past.
“Shit yeah. Of course, I want to know your go to when planning to draw blood from someone.”
“I was going to slit your throat, then rip your head from your body. Like your father did to Onyx.” He grimaced, like that was a painful thing for him to say. A shiver skittered down my spine. Those words coming out his mouth had mine watering for him to carry me to the bedroom. Yeah, I was all kinds of wacko.
“Savage. I like it, but did you really think that would kill the spawn of Hades?” Even though his eyes remained dark and somber, as if he hated admitting how he wanted to kill me, a wicked smile spread across his lips, exposing his pearly whites.
“Not hardly, but it would incapacitate you, her, long enough so I could get away and get the dagger, then come back and use it on you.”
“Ahh, crafty.”
“You’re twisted.”
“Like father, like daughter.” I laughed, but it fell flat on him. His shoulders slumped. “Oh, come on. You didn’t kill me. I’m still alive. We are of another world, Coal. We don’t have to be good creatures and live right by humans. Their archaic ways aren’t everything. It’s okay to talk about vengeance and revenge––murder. We live by a different law.” His sexy smile soured.
“My kind lives by honor. I just seem to be the only one that blurs those lines and has a taste for violence.”
“My kind of dude.” It slipped from my lips before I could stop it. I widened my eyes as I jerked my cup to my lips. I saw the small tilt of Coal’s lips, but he didn’t say anything. “So, how do we find the dagger?”
“We need his blood.”
“You make it sound so simple.” He grunted.
A few minutes of silence passed as we both finished off our cocoa. I couldn’t he
lp a few giggles that escaped at seeing a giant statue drink from a mug that fit in the palm of his hand like a tiny puppy. I should have cut the top off the milk carton and poured his cocoa in that. It would have been much more manly than him sipping delicately from the ceramic so his massive hands didn’t break it.
“Okay, I have an idea,” I started. “When Chronos calls you to introduce you to the Brotherhood and go over the plan, you could slash Daddy dearest’s throat, then blink back here.”
“Two things with that, Hades is never there, only Chronos.”
“Coward,” I added.
He nodded in agreement, then continued, “And even though your father can’t come topside, Chronos can.”
“Yes, but he can’t kill me.” Coal gave me a look that said he was tired of my nonchalant attitude towards Chronos.
“Sure, since you’re going to continue with that, he can, however, kill me?” he said as more of a question. Like he was worried that I might be okay with that.
“Right, well, do you have any ideas?” He breathed a sigh, but I chose not to comment. I still may question his loyalty and wouldn’t know if I could truly trust him until this was all over and we were both alive and victorious, but I wouldn’t let Chronos kill him in front of me without trying to stop him. I think.
“Possibly, and it only works if your father is there when I take you to the Brotherhood.”
“Which isn’t likely, but go on,” I mused.
“We slit his throat then.” Yes. I grinned like a madwoman, liking the sounds of those words rolling off his lips. I had a whole new outlook on Coal with this slitting-of-the-throat business.
That time, I caught the smile that worked the corner of his mouth. The subtle flare of his nostrils that came with it was priceless. Murder looked good on Coal, and I couldn’t be happier, even with the sure death we were up against.
“So, somehow manage to get close to him with ten plus gargoyles, Father Time, and whoever else in the room. Acquire blood somehow, preferably by slicing the frontal neck region, then what, blink out of there?” It seemed great, but Chronos could still track us and kill him. Bring the Brotherhood and kill me as well. We were living on borrowed time and Chronos’s good faith as it was. “That's all fine and dandy, Mr. Handy, but what about Chronos?”
He wrinkled his nose and crossed his arms over his chest as I rinsed the mugs. “We go to my realm,” he muttered. My eyes snapped up to meet his. “It's the only place Chronos wouldn’t expect me to go. I haven’t been there in what, four thousand years?”
“Are you sure you can handle that?”
“Careful, Shadow, it almost sounds like you care.” Despite the weight of his decision, his eyes sparkled.
“Nope, I just wouldn’t want you to turn into a giant paperweight when it comes time to make the jump,” I said easily and shifted my weight.
He shook his head, laughing softly. “From there, we use his blood to find the dagger.”
“Solid plan if you ask me.”
Coal shrugged, not nearly as confident. “It's a plan, at least.”
“Well, then, we hunt our asses off the next few nights so we are strong and ready for anything.”
“Your father will know we are up to something if we are sending souls down the line without orders.” Coal pulled the hand towel from the handle of the oven door and dried the water droplets from the mugs. Then put them back in the cupboard.
With a sigh and a pout, I said, “Then I guess you’ll have your work cut out for you. Don’t let me kill anyone, and we will be just fine.”
He just shook his head as I opened the balcony door and slipped into my tattered chair. Moonlight poured over us, and I laid my head back with a sigh. The next few days were going to be interesting, to say the least.
14
Stepping into my converse sneakers, not bothering to tie them up, I scarfed down the last bit of my bagel and pulled on my leather jacket, then zipped it halfway. My outfit was complete from my red crop top down to my faded and thread bare black jeans. My usual attire for a night out hunting. It was a good outfit for soul snatching––sexy yet practical. It kept me warm but let me move if I needed to chase someone down. It didn’t happen often, but sometimes they got a tad slippery and managed to get away for a second. I enjoyed a good chase, though, to get my heart pumping, but that was the extent of my cardio.
Going out without Coal would get me yelled at later, but I needed some time to myself. As usual, he started talking and pissed me off, so I wasn’t in the mood for him. I needed my space. I was going to be good and wasn’t planning to kill anyone. Chronos wouldn’t be making an appearance, or so I hoped, so no need for my new bodyguard. I snickered. I had finally figured out what he was: my bodyguard. He would hate that title.
My shadows were all twitchy and ready to play, and I didn’t like it when he was there while I fed. It was more of a personal thing. I liked to get a little weird, and Coal was way too critical for my liking.
I shoved my phone in my pocket, tightened my ponytail, and zipped up my jacket the rest of the way. Cracking my door just an inch, I glanced around my tiny apartment. The big guy curled up the best he could on my full-sized couch. More like he was half on half off simply because he was too damn big. I was surprised the piece of crap could hold his weight. It was so old and worn out.
His pillow had traveled from beneath his head to fall off the side, and two of the three cushions had wiggled themselves free from being strangled by his massive body. He attempted blankets, which I’m not sure why, because they only covered his midsection. One was twisted around his left arm as if he had wrestled it, and the other one he used to cover his feet wrapped his legs like the shell of a burrito. Mmm … a big ol’ man burrito. I shook my head. It was hard not to admire him, even if he was a raging dick.
You’re just mad because he calls you out on your shit. Maybe I was. Sometimes it was nice, but other times it was just annoying.
Thankfully, he slept like a rock––ha. I was able to slip past him despite being in such tight proximity to him. If he were planning to stay with me permanently, we’d have to find a bigger place. He took up way too much room for my comfort and a one-bedroom apartment wasn’t going to cut it. We’d have to get an apartment inside an apartment, so I could have one, and his gargantuan body could have the other.
My skin prickled at the thought of it. Him staying with me permanently? When had that become a thought? Pushing it to the back of my mind, we would deal with that later, I trudged on.
I snatched my car keys off the counter, gasping when my lip balm rolled out from under them and dropped to the tile floor with a thunk. Frozen, I hid in a wisp of shadows, waiting for Coal to say something. He didn’t wake. I sighed, glancing over at him as he shifted his weight and did that weird tongue smacking thing that sleeping people did. My groaning couch had me wincing as I closed the door quietly behind me.
Phew.
The night air was brisk, as winter was rolling in with a fierce desire to cover everything in wet, white stuff. The full moon was high in the sky, lighting everything just enough but not too much that I couldn’t be out and still concealed. It was easier to float around in dark shadows when light was dim. Daylight always created a big fiasco and drew so much attention that I’d have to kill whoever saw me anyway. So, I stuck to the night.
The complex was quiet. Nothing much was going on for a Saturday night. Typically, Fridays and Saturdays had the complex booming, the lot overflowing with overpriced cars that parents bought for their undeserving college kids and stumbling drunks looking for trouble. It was the weekend of Thanksgiving break, and everyone was out of town, leaving Coal and I to ourselves, aside from the few sorry saps that didn’t have any family to go back home to.
I mashed the unlock button and crawled into Zee. Compressing the clutch, I pressed the start button, sighing as the engine roared to life. The exhaust purred like the growling little kitten it was.
Switching on the lights, I nearly shi
t myself. Coal blinked into my view, looking like a skyscraper against the night sky. I grumbled, shaking my feet and hands out like a toddler––I could feel a tantrum coming on. I so wanted the night to myself, but I should’ve known better. I could’ve smacked that smug look right off his face. He knew it too, with the grin that played across his thin lips.
Wondering just how much of his sleep he faked as I was tediously making it out of the apartment, I whipped the door open ready to give him what for when he just put up his hand, giving me a look that said don’t argue. My mouth opened, but nothing came out, just a twitch of my eye then my lip. I plopped my ass back in the seat and waited, arms folded over my chest all grumpy-like.
Twenty minutes later, when he finally got in the car, I jammed it into first, rolled down the windows, and took off like a bat out of hell. A sinister giggled rolled around in my chest when Coal’s head flung back into the seat. This ride was certainly going to be jerky, and I wouldn’t stop until his knees bruised. It's what he deserved after being a dick and tossing around his macho-ness.
The cold air felt great against my skin. My hair blew wildly in the breeze, slapping me in the face. My shadows stirred, itching to be set free. They hated it when I took the car, but they could suck it. Just like Coal, who was sitting as quietly as he could, biding his time until we had made it to where I decided I wanted to go. Which, just to spite him, was about an hour’s drive for no reason. There was plenty of downtown area around my complex. I got in a few good shin lashings and laughs while he grunted and squinted his eyes.
Being in a car, feeling the power beneath my foot, was everything, and I wasn’t going to let Coal spoil it.
I barreled down the highway, taking the exit that led to downtown, where all the action was. The college might be empty, but the bars would be full. They always were; even on the holidays, creeps needed boobs and booze. I whipped my car into a tight spot between two poles and yanked the e-brake. The car beeped when I locked it, the lights flashing to let me know the alarm was set. I dropped my keys into my pocket and checked the street for anyone passing by. A whistle rang off to my right.
Pawns Daughters of The Underworld Book 1 Page 13
