“Nope.”
They turned together and started the quickest path back to the River of Lust, the way that would lead them right to Jaxson.
Ian wasn’t holding his sword. Instead, his hands were stuffed in his white uniform pants.
“So, you didn’t call your weapon and you’re barely paying attention. Not exactly being the king’s top Defender are you?”
Ian gave a humorless laugh, sweeping his long blond hair back from his face. “I’m worried about Jaxson.”
Of course. “He’ll be okay.”
“It isn’t just about today... it’s... it’s been awhile since he Shifted last.”
Zane froze. “What’s awhile?”
That was the thing about the three of them. Zane often thought they’d become eternal-brothers not just because they died around the same time, but because they were all Shifters. But even in death, they needed to keep Shifting, or their humanity began to fade. It was like it kept them anchored to who they were before death. And in life, Shifters went crazy if they didn’t spend enough time in their animal bodies.
So Jaxson can’t be dumb enough to be forgetting to Shift. Can he?
Ian looked guilty. “I don’t want to share something private—“
“Nothing should be private between us,” Zane answered, realizing that his pace had picked up.
Finally, Ian shoved his hands back into his pockets. “I think it’s been about a month.”
“A month!” Zane looked away from his brother, shocked to his core. “Has he lost his mind? Waiting two weeks would be stupid. A month? What the hell is wrong with him?”
Ian frowned. “Calm down. I don’t think it’s like that.”
“Like what?”
His brother kicked at the ashy ground as he walked, stirring the black smoke up higher. “I think he’s just given up. He’s going through the motions, but I think that he doesn’t care if he loses his humanity. ”
That startled Zane. Jaxson was the oldest of them. He had an awful life before dying a slow and painful death. He spoke little about it. But over the years, Zane had put together the pieces.
For so long he’d admired his brother. Even in death, he seemed to always move with purpose and drive. When Zane had realized he was dead and condemned to hell, he’d been so depressed he hadn’t wanted to keep going. But Jaxson hadn’t let him give up.
And now Jaxson was the one giving up? Not happening. “So what do we do?”
Ian exhaled, Zane’s extra sensitive hearing making the sound noisy in his ears. “I approached the king with an idea. One that I think will help us all.”
Zane rolled his eyes. Ian had been some kind of master computer coder when he’d been alive. Now, even though they’d taught him to fight well enough to hold his own, Ian still seemed to rarely speak in plain English.
“What does that mean?”
Ian smiled, one of his rare soft smiles. “We might be able to return to earth.”
“What—?” They stepped around a boulder and out onto the shore of the River of Lust.
Few things could’ve distracted Zane from a conversation about returning to earth. Finding a naked woman swimming across the river with their brother was one of them.
“Jaxson?” he shouted.
His brother turned, and even from a distance, Zane could sense his embarrassment.
Closing his eyes, Zane teleported. For one second, he felt cool and light, and then he opened his eyes. He was standing on the opposite side of the shore, Ian appearing beside him.
The beautiful she-demon, if that’s what she truly was, reached the shore before their brother. Instead of hesitating when her gaze moved up and focused on them, she gripped the edge of the ground and pulled herself up, to stand before them.
Naked.
Zane’s gaze roamed from her pretty bare feet, up her long legs, pausing for a minute, and then up to her large breasts. He wet his mouth. There were so few female demons. He’d had some fun with a couple of them who stayed in town, but none of them compared to this beautiful female.
“Eyes up here,” she said, her voice husky.
He felt himself harden. And as painful as it was, he brought his eyes up to her face. Full lips, high cheekbones, and massive hazel eyes created a face that took his breath away. Clearing his throat, he struggled for the right words.
“If you don’t want men staring, might I suggest wearing clothes?”
She smirked. “My human threads melted in the lava.”
“Too bad.”
“Yeah, you seem heartbroken,” she teased.
The attraction between them hung so powerful in the air that he took a step toward her. He didn’t care if his brothers weren’t ready to mate this female, he sure as hell was. Because as much as he preferred to share their women, he couldn’t be nearly as patient as his brothers.
And then he inhaled sharply, his dragon-senses stretching out.
She smells like my brother!
Jaxson climbed out of the lava, glaring. His shirt was clutched in his hand, and without a word, he started to pull it on her. With angry movements, he buttoned it down the middle, hiding her delicious form from view.
What a time to be a gentleman...
“So, where are you headed? Perhaps we could keep you company?” Zane suggested, grinning.
A growl rolled through the back of Jaxson’s throat. “This is our intruder. Let’s just get her to the king.”
She’s the intruder? Who the hell is she?
As Jaxson started back toward the castle, his white uniform made grey by the ashy plains, the woman slowly followed after him. “Is your friend always so focused on his job?”
Usually, but apparently he took a little break to have sex with a mysterious she-demon.
Zane responded, amused. “Is that what he was doing with you, his job?”
Her gaze caught his. “Why are dragons always such know-it-alls?”
Stiffening, he increased his pace. How does she know I’m a dragon?
“I’m Zane, by the way.”
She nodded and looked to Ian. “And is your panther friend going to introduce himself?”
Ian’s eyes widened. “How did you know I’m a Shifter?”
She grinned. “This trip is going to be more fun than I imagined.”
“You don’t actually answer a lot of questions, do you?” Zane watched her, unsure.
There was just something about her. Something familiar. And there was nothing he liked better than a good puzzle.
She shrugged. “Just the good ones.”
As they entered the city, he expected her to show some interest in the City of Flames, but she didn’t. She simply followed Jaxson, her gaze straight ahead, her steps never faltering. As if she’s done this many times before.
And yet we’d have remembered her if she had.
Every demon they passed had their eyes locked on her. She was lucky to be within the city. Lower level demons had a hard time resisting women. Zane liked to think it was because the lowest scum of the Earth were men who hurt women and children, and that many of the lowest demons likely still had a weakness for females, but no one really knew.
Ian cleared his throat, drawing the woman’s gaze. “You said you only liked good questions, so here’s one: there are only a handful of people who know the location of the portal you used. And most were given the information from the demon-king himself. Even fewer people would have any desire to go from Earth, where you were clearly from, given your clothes, to here. And fewer still would do it alone. Which begs the question, who are you? And what are you doing here?”
To his surprise, her confident demeanor faltered. “As to who I am—I’m a person on a mission. And as for what I’m doing here—I’m trying to help someone.”
Curious.
“And you’re a demon?” Zane asked, his gaze going from her skin, which wasn’t nearly a dark enough red, to her two horns.
“A half-breed,” she said, her tone cold. “Actually.”
Zane raised a brow. “Are you offended to be called a demon?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “No, sorry. I just... the River of Lust got in my head a little. I got distracted, but now I need to get back to what I’m here for.”
“This person who needs your help, you must care for them deeply.”
“I do,” she said, the words strangely sad.
They reached the palace steps, moving around the servants who would forever clean the white steps. Jaxson strode ahead of them, and two guards opened the doors to the throne room at his approach.
He and Ian waited outside with their “prisoner.” Zane kept expecting her to show fear or nervousness that at any second she’d be facing the devil himself. Instead, she looked annoyed. Maybe even impatient.
After a couple minute ticked by, Jaxson opened the door and waved them inside.
Well, here goes nothing.
Chapter Six
Lily strode into the throne room, flanked by the three handsome-as-hell demons. Even though she’d fantasized about Ian, Zane, and Jaxson since she was a teenage girl, she’d been surprised that they looked better than she’d imagined. She wasn’t sure if it was the River of Lust, or Jaxson’s shocking revelation that he didn’t think she’d find him attractive, but she hadn’t been able to keep her hands off of him.
There’s something endearing about such a sexy man not knowing how incredible he is.
And Ian and Zane. Yum. Ian’s intelligent air intrigued her, and Zane’s flirtatious spirit drew her to him. After she found Kate, she’d have to have a little fun with them too...
But for now, business.
As they neared the massive white throne in the center of the huge room, their party slowed.
The demon-king was speaking to a servant beside him, his expression intense. She studied him. He didn’t look like an immortal being who had lived as long as the realms had existed. He hadn’t aged a day since she’d seen him last: dark hair, dark eyes, and the physique of a man in his late-twenties.
Adjusting the cufflinks on his white suit, he looked away from the demon at his side, his gaze briefly flickering to her, and then quickly back as his eyes widened. Gesturing the man beside him away, he stood and moved down the six steps leading up to his throne. When he was just feet in front of her, he stopped.
“It’s been a long time,” she said, straightening her shoulders.
His gaze moved from her face down to the white uniform shirt she wore, and her bare legs, then back to her face. “I can’t believe how much you’ve changed.” There was wonder in his face and... pride?
“And you haven’t changed at all.”
He smiled and held out his arms.
She hesitated and then moved closer to allow him to fold her into a tight hug.
“You look so much like your mother.”
My mother who died because of you.
She pulled back, stepping free of him as his arms slowly dropped to his sides. “Dad—”
“Dad!” Jaxson exclaimed behind her. “He’s your dad?”
Turning back to him, she grinned, even though her heart wasn’t in it. “Yup.”
The uncomfortable misery on Jaxson’s face almost made facing her father worth it. Almost.
Shrugging, she looked back at her father. “I’m actually here for a reason. Not for a family reunion.”
Was there a flicker of sadness on her father’s face, or had she imagined it? “Of course you’re not here just to visit. What do you need?”
“A blue demon capable of teleportation abducted a friend of mine from my apartment. I figured you might know who I’m looking for.”
His dark brows rose. “I’ve only given one blue demon that ability, one named Zarr. But I can’t imagine what he’d want with your friend. He spends his days prophesizing and staring into his scrying bowl.”
Interesting. “Well, he did. So can you point me in his direction?”
“I could,” her father crossed his arms over his broad chest, “but you’d be walking for the next three days to get to the top of his mountain.”
Irritation rose within her. “I can move pretty quickly when I need to.”
“I’ve got a better idea. Ian, Zane, Jaxson, you’ll escort her there.”
She sensed the three demons stiffen behind her.
“They can’t teleport from within the city to outside of it, or vice versa, nor can they teleport too near Zarr’s lair, but they can save you a great deal of time by bypassing the plains.”
I knew my father had powerful wards placed around the city to prevent teleportation, but how did the demon manage to find a witch to create them near his lair? Usually wards required a powerful witch’s magic, which was why Lily didn’t have them around her apartment. I guess we’ll finally have to figure out a way to afford them when we get back.
“So it’s agreed,” her father continued, “they’ll accompany you.”
She wanted to refuse him. It stung to accept her father’s help more than she had to, but she couldn’t let her pride overrule her need to save her friend. “Alright. Thanks.”
Her father eyed the men behind her. “You will protect her with your lives.”
She placed a hand on her hip. “Let’s get something straight. I don’t need their protection. I need their ability to teleport. That’s it.”
The demon-king shook his head. “Of course. But if anything should happen to you, it’ll be their heads.”
What is with my father killing immortal beings just to make them suffer death again?
He might as well be Caine.
She sighed. “I’ve taken care of myself just fine the last few years. No need to start caring what happens to me now.”
“Lily—”
“I wasn’t starting anything. I’m just saying.” She spun on her heel and headed back the way she’d come, her heart aching for reasons she didn’t want to think about. “If your men are coming, they had better hurry.”
They followed her out the throne room door. But stopped, blocking her exit from the palace.
Her gaze slid over the three handsome demons. It was oddly satisfying to see their expressions of disbelief, as if they were trying to connect the woman before them with the child they met so briefly many years before.
“Little Lily?” Ian finally said, sounding shocked.
Jaxson’s eyes narrowed. “She doesn’t look anything like that child.”
“That’s because I’m clearly not a child anymore,” she said, then sauntered around them.
She heard the soft sounds of them talking behind her, but she didn’t give a crap. Suddenly, she felt angry with all of them. Angry and frustrated.
Storming out of the palace, she headed back into the demon city. Even though she didn’t know what direction to go, she picked one without slowing. Knowing she needed to calm her racing heart.
She’d tried so damn hard not to think of her father over the years, and she tried equally hard to pretend that coming here meant nothing. That it wasn’t her crawling to him for help. So why did it sting? Why did she feel like she’d lost some emotional battle?
“You probably should have told him who you were.”
She stiffened and turned to face Ian. His cheeks heated, darkening his red flesh even more.
“Told who?”
He met her gaze. “Jaxson. Do you know what the king would do to us if he found out what happened?”
A spark of defiance moved through her. “I’m not a child. I can sleep with whoever the fuck I want.”
As if to prove it, she moved closer to him.
Ian froze, like a deer spotted by a predator. Sliding her hands up his chest, she slowly leaned in. She gave him every opportunity to pull away as her lips closed the distance between them. But he didn’t. Instead, the instant her lips touched his, a rumble moved through his chest, and he grabbed her waist, pulling her closer.
Her thoughts spun away as the pressure of his mouth brought arousal crackling through her. As
she pressed herself against him, she noted the hard evidence of his arousal with satisfaction.
I wonder what my panther is like in the sack. Her nipples hardened. I hope I’m about to find out.
As his tongue swept into her mouth, one of his hands moved beneath her shirt to grasp her naked ass. The feeling of his big hand grabbing her, curving her around his hard cock, made her core heat up. Unable to help herself, she rubbed against his erection, wondering if he’d let her fuck him right then.
“Ian!”
One second she was lost in a kiss, and the next Ian was yanked from her. She opened her eyes to see that Jaxson had grasped the other man by the shirt and was glaring down at him. But Ian didn’t back down, he simply met the larger man’s gaze, unblinking.
She took a deep breath and tucked a stray hair behind her ear, trying to compose herself. “What’s the problem, wolf boy?”
Jaxson’s eyes flashed yellow as he looked at her. “You’re in public! With an audience!”
For the first time, she realized that although they weren’t on the busiest road, there were at least a dozen demons watching them. Some of them were staring a little too hard.
Do they realize I’m half-human or is it just that I’m a woman?
Unwilling to let her doubts show, she shrugged. “So what?”
Jaxson released Ian and advanced on her. “I don’t know what game you’re playing, but keep us out of it.”
Then, his gaze moved to her mouth.
She bit her bottom lip in a move she knew would turn him on. “Feeling jealous?”
He scowled. “Let’s get your friend and be done with this.”
Jaxson stormed away, and Ian gave her a heated look before following the angry wolf.
A second later, Zane teleported to just a few feet away from her. “Here.” He held out a pair of pants and boots. “This might make our trip a little easier.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking the items.
It took her only a second to pull on the slightly ill-fitting black pants and to shove her feet into the boots. But when she was done, she felt a little better. A little more prepared to kick some ass.
Zane walked beside her as they followed the two demons who were now a distance in front of them. For a minute he said nothing, and she was a bit surprised by how calm he seemed. Almost like he did this every day and found it infinitely amusing.
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