Eternal Flame

by Cynthia Eden

  Pak shook his head. “You can take the fire, Jude can’t. That means he can’t take her.”

  Her.

  “I don’t think an accelerant was used on Francis Street,” Pak said, “Just like no accelerant was used three nights ago at the fire on Biltmore that took out two vampires, or at the three fires in New Orleans that occurred over the last few months…. Fires all aimed at supernaturals.”

  Okay, Pak sure had Zane’s attention. Someone was targeting supernaturals?

  “They were aimed at the Other, but it looks like humans were caught in the crossfire. Two human scientists died.”

  Hell.

  “ ‘Course, the arson investigators think an accelerant was used because those fires burned so fast and so hot.” Pak reached behind him and scooped a manila file off the top of the desk. “A woman was spotted at the crime scenes. Average height. About one-hundred-thirty pounds.”

  Zane’s gut clenched.

  “Witnesses saw a blonde, with curly hair, running from the other fires.”

  Blonde. Maybe she changed her appearance. Now he knew what Pak meant. “The woman tonight was a victim. “

  Pak stared back at him, that dark stare unblinking. “You sure about that?”

  Too much doubt was in Pak’s voice, and Zane realized that no, he wasn’t sure. In this world, you couldn’t be sure of anything or anyone. Damn. He might have been played. Jaw clenched, Zane demanded, “Just what am I dealing with here?”

  “If I’m right, the woman you’re looking for is a human with a very special gift. A gift of fire.”

  Shit. An Ignitor. A human who could create fire from nothing, who could let it burn fiery hot and so very fast. A human who could destroy too much.

  “You’ve had experience dealing with Ignitors,” Pak said.

  Zane’s head jerked in agreement. Not the best experience.

  “I want you to find this one. Find her, and bring her in.” The briefest of hesitations. “If the woman from tonight isn’t the one we need, clear her, and move on. But I expect to have the Ignitor who is making these fires contained within the next forty-eight hours.”

  Well, it would be easy enough to find the dark-haired beauty with the bedroom eyes. The EMTs had taken her in. She’d still be at the hospital now.

  Unless she ran. Unless she wasn’t the victim. Unless she screwed me.

  Zane forced his hands to unclench. “Sometimes Ignitors can be hard to contain.” He paused, because the question had to be asked. “Is this a kill mission?” With Ignitors, there wasn’t always a choice. If the fire raged too hot…

  Kill or be killed.

  “We want her alive,” Pak said. Then the cagey bastard added, “For now.”

  How long did it take to bandage a bite mark? Jeez, it wasn’t like the demon had even broken the skin. After two hours- two freaking hours-Jana managed to slip away from the nurses and the docs in their garish green uniforms. She snuck out of the hospital’s exit, making sure she stayed in the shadows, and she hurried down the street as quickly as she could.

  It took her about two minutes to realize that she was being trailed. Bad, bad mistake. She should have realized that fact in about thirty seconds.

  Must be slipping.

  Jana rolled her shoulders, trying to keep her body loose. In this town, she knew she had to be ready for anything. Sure, the majority of women would probably worry about muggers waiting in the night. She knew she was more likely to be attacked by a hungry vamp or a pissed-off demon.

  No, Jacobson’s dead. No way did he get out.

  She hoped.

  Okay. There were two ways to play this. She could attack with guns blazing or …

  Jana stepped out of the shadows. “I-I … is someone there?” She let her voice tremble. Playing weak came so naturally to her. She looked weak. Small. Fragile. All the better to lie.

  No one answered her. Her eyes narrowed. Time to hit the main street and get off this quiet lane. She could hail a cab and be back at her place in half an hour.

  The wind blew against her face, a cold, icy wind, and for an instant, she caught the smell of … ash.

  Her body stiffened. Oh, hell, no. That job was finished. She inched back, her gaze darting around the area. She couldn’t risk being taken down.

  Jana started heading for the main street. A cab would come along, it had to. And if it didn’t …

  A hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. She screamed because that was what she should do.

  “Relax, baby. It’s just me.” Zane gave her a shark’s smile, one with lots of sharp, white teeth. “Your knight in shining armor.”

  Only he didn’t look particularly knightlike then. The guy was a big, strong menace in the darkness. She knew just how dangerous he was.

  “Were you following me?” she whispered and stepped closer to him. Damn, but the guy had some broad shoulders. And a wide, muscled chest.

  He was handsome, in a rough, wild kind of way. Dark hair and brows, long, slightly twisted nose, lips a little thin, jaw perfectly square and strong. His eyes were dark shadows now, but she knew his piercing gaze was green. She’d seen his picture long before she met him at the fire. She always studied pictures of her targets. After all, a woman had to make sure she was going after the right mark.

  “Following you?” His voice was deep, rumbling, and a shiver worked over her body. From the cold because she didn’t do so well with the cold, and not because she found that rumble sexy.

  She glanced back over her shoulder. “I thought I heard …” Jana shook her head and forced her own smile as she looked back at him. “Nothing.”

  But she knew he was watching her. Weighing her. Trying to see past her skin.

  “Let me take you home,” he said.

  If you want to show me how much you appreciate my help just stick around a while.

  Her chin rose. Was sex on the demon’s mind? Or was it something more?

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Jana.” The name was safe enough. “Jana Carter.” She paused and shivered again. Damn. “I’m Zane Wynter.”

  Right. Zane Wynter, super hunter. Demon badass. Check. “You did follow me, didn’t you?”

  “No, baby, I just got here. I saw you walking….” He shrugged. “I was checking up on you. I wanted to see if you were okay.”

  Oh. Sweet. Also … lie.

  She put her hands on his chest. “I’m okay.” Good thing she knew how to play the game. “ No, bitch, you’re not.”

  Hell, she knew that voice. Jana’s head whipped around, and she locked eyes on Henry Jacobson. Crap-the jerk had made it out of the fire.

  Well, mostly, anyway. He stepped under a flickering streetlight, and she saw that deep, red blisters covered the right half of his face. Blisters that stretched and twisted down his neck. His shirt had melted, merging with the skin on his chest and the stench of burned flesh filled her nose.

  Knew I smelled ash.

  She gasped dramatically and shoved her body against Zane’s. The big hero would save her, right?

  “Jacobson.” Fury vibrated in Zane’s voice.

  Jacobson, no, Henry-'cause, yeah, he’d asked her to call him by his first name when he’d picked her up at that low-class bar-snarled. His eyes were pitch black, the perfect black of a demon’s true gaze. Most demons used the magic of glamour to hide their real eye color so the humans wouldn’t run screaming all the time. Henry wasn’t trying to pretend right then, not trying to lull her like he’d done before.

  The man wanted blood-hers. Too bad for him … she was rather fond of living.

  “Give me the bitch,” Henry growled. “And just walk the fuck away.”

  Oh, um, no, that wouldn’t work so much as a plan.

  Zane grabbed her hands, held tight, then shoved her at Jacobson. She staggered to a quick halt a few feet in front of Zane.

  What the hell? Zane was supposed to be the damn good guy.

  She blinked and shook her head. Not part of the plan.

/>   “You want her?” Zane drawled. “Then come and get her.”

  What? Asshole. Was he using her as some kind of freaking bait? She was not good bait.

  Jacobson launched right at her, running hard and fast with his hands out, with death in his eyes, and she knew if he touched her, he’d rip her apart.

  Dammit. She didn’t plan on dying. Not then, and certainly not by some low-budget demon jerk’s hand.

  Jana yanked out the scalpel she’d stolen from the hospital and screamed as Jacobson’s foul stench choked her.

  Not. Dying. Tonight.

  Chapter 2

  The woman-Jana-sliced Jacobson right across his injured arm. A hard, deep slice that had the demon howling … and Zane swearing.

  Not an Ignitor. Pak was wrong-this woman couldn’t stir fire. Shit, if she could, she’d be burning Jacobson to ash, not screaming and stabbing with-what was that?-a scalpel. Innocent.

  And he had one rule. Just one. On his watch, no innocent woman would ever be hurt while he was there.

  So when Jacobson knocked the scalpel out of her hands, and Jana stumbled back, Zane lunged forward and did what he’d been dying to do all night.

  He got ready to kick some demon ass.

  Zane caught Jacobson’s hand, squeezed hard and heard the demon’s breath whoosh out when the bones crunched. “Get behind me,” Zane ordered, and Jana rushed, nearly tripping as she hurried to obey.

  A human. Small and defenseless. And Jacobson had been ready to kill her.

  “Not your fight,” Jacobson gritted out.

  “Asshole, I’ve been looking for this fight for days.” He grinned. “And if you hadn’t been hiding like the coward you are, I would’ve already kicked the shit out of you.”

  Fear widened Jacobson’s black eyes as he struggled to break free of Zane’s hold. “I just want her.”

  “You’re not getting her.” Playtime was over. He’d run his test on Jana. Seen what he needed to see. Not my target. Time to end the game.

  Then the prick head-butted him. Well, tried to. Zane jerked back, punching out hard at the same time, and Jacobson fell to the ground.

  Footsteps thudded behind him. Jana … running away. “Wait!” His head swung toward her.

  And that asshole demon charged him, grabbing Zane around the waist, and they both went down hard, slamming into the pavement.

  Jana kept running. The thud of her footsteps echoed in Zane’s ears.

  “Don’t worry about the bitch,” Jacobson grunted, and oh, damn, but the guy’s face was wrecked. “The others will get her.”

  What? Others?

  “You think you’re so bad … hunting your own kind.” Jacobson plowed a fist into Zane’s face, and Zane took the punch because he wanted the bastard to keep talking. “Fucking traitor, want to be human, can’t—”

  This time, Zane caught the fist that came at his face. And because the demon had pissed him off, Zane broke two of the guy’s fingers.

  Jacobson howled. Zane squeezed tighter. “Who are the others?” he demanded. He couldn’t see Jana anymore. That woman sure moved fast for a human.

  “L-let…g-go…”

  Zane smiled. “No.” It was his turn to head-butt. He smashed his forehead into Jacobson’s nose.

  The demon crawled away, gagging as blood flew from his broken nose.

  “Something you should know,” Zane murmured as he rose to his feet, brushing off his hands. Jacobson was still on the ground, moaning. “I like to fight dirty.” Then he drove his booted foot into Jacobson’s side. Paused. Then did it again. The demon curled into a ball. “Next time, leave the humans alone.”

  “Bastard!”

  True. But flattery wouldn’t stop him. Where was Jana? Zane risked one moment to let his gaze rake the darkness. That was when he heard her scream.

  “You’re a naughty girl, Jana.” The angry whisper blew against her ear.

  Damn the supernaturals in the city. They were everywhere, and it sure seemed like they were all gunning for her. Why was she becoming Ms. Popular?

  “Let me go,” she said loudly, really hoping that Zane had caught her scream. And, come on, what had been up with him shoving her at the crazy demon? Hadn’t the guy ever heard of protecting the weak? Hadn’t she looked weak enough for him?

  “You’re a hard woman to track.” The jerk didn’t let her go. He just shoved her up against some smelly alley wall. She couldn’t see his face. Since she was human, she didn’t get bonus vision in the dark. Just a body that could break too easily. And had, too many times.

  “Wh-what do you want?” Come on, Zane, haul ass. She didn’t need to see in order to know the identity of the man who’d snuck up on her and now held her in his too cold and too tight grip. She hadn’t planned to meet him tonight. Hadn’t been ready. But she’d known that he was watching. He was one of those pricks who liked to watch while the world went to hell around him.

  “I want to make sure you understand the rules of the game.” Great. He’d pushed her hair to the side and now his breath was on her neck. She really didn’t want this guy’s mouth on her neck. She didn’t want him anywhere near her.

  If Zane’s not coming, then I can take care of him. I can do it.

  As long as Zane wasn’t there to see….

  Her breath came out on a long, slow rush. “I understand the rules.” He didn’t.

  “Then why the hell did you go after my man?” His claws pressed into her chest. Right above her heart.

  Jana stilled, barely daring to breathe because she’d just caught the glint of fangs in the dark. When a vamp’s fangs were that close to your throat—hell. And those claws hurt. He hadn’t shoved them too deep, not yet, but if he wanted, the guy could cut her heart out in less than two seconds’ time.

  I hate vampires.

  “How was I supposed to know he was yours?” She started talking, fast, but kept her voice quiet now. “He’s a demon, I thought—”

  A growl. “You thought wrong. You’re not supposed to attack the demons.”

  Wasn’t she? Sometimes, the jobs all ran together.

  “I let you live after you took my men—”

  Right, those two evil, sadistic, murdering bastards had been his men.

  “I tracked you, could have fucking drained you dry, but I let you live.”

  The vamp smelled like a graveyard. Jana tried real hard not to inhale too deeply.

  “You’re alive because I want you to hunt,” he snarled, “and you hunt who I say. I’m the one in charge, bitch.”

  “Jana!” Oh, finally, Zane’s voice. Talk about taking his sweet time.

  “He’s the prey. The first you’ll take down for me.” The freak licked her neck. Licked her. “And I want him to suffer.”

  What? Zane? He wanted her to attack Zane?

  “Show me just what you can do, bitch. Kill him, or die.”

  She nodded weakly. Because, really, what choice did she have?

  He released her, finally moving those claws away from her heart. The wounds he’d made ached, throbbing dully. Her head sagged forward. She inched toward the light. Toward Zane. He was running fast, racing to get to her. “Kill him.”

  She glanced back at the vampire hiding in the shadows. Jana took two more steps away from him, turning so that she had the best view of his hulking body, and then she smiled.

  “I’m not still in this town just so I can be your bitch,” she whispered and let the frightened act vanish. The vampire froze, and she knew he’d gotten a good look at her face. Her eyes. “I stayed to take you out.” He’d been her target all along, but she’d missed him that first night. Then he’d gotten the jump on her. Sometimes, a woman had to wait and find her perfect killing time.

  Now.

  And here she’d thought it would be hard to lure the vampire to her. All she’d had to do was light the right fire under his little demon minion, and she’d gotten his personal attention.

  “No!” He lunged at her.

  But she wasn’t in the moo
d to get her heart torn out right then.

  Zane raced into the alley, his legs pumping, adrenaline powering his blood.

  And he smelled flames.

  Then he saw the fire sputtering near the dumpster. He waved his hand, and the flames quieted.

  “Jana?”

  She wasn’t there. He crept forward and stared down at the charred remains on the ground. Fuck. The stench stung his nose.

  “Jana!” But she was gone, and a hot fury began to burn in his gut because Zane realized that he’d been played. For the second time, he’d been taken in by a pretty, lying face. A face that hid a real monster behind the cloak of innocence.

  He snatched out his phone. Dialed Pak. One ring and his boss picked up. “We’re gonna need a cleanup crew on Rangeline.” Dammit. Played. “And you were right.” He paused a moment, watching the smoke drift in the air. “The woman’s not a victim.” An Ignitor’s back in town.

  The demon was strapped to the table, his legs and arms secured, and the blood had dried on his face.

  “I thought I told you that Jude would be taking over the Jacobson case.”

  Zane shrugged at Pak’s words. “The bastard came after me. What did you want me to do? Let him walk away?”

  “Not you, asshole!” Jacobson tried to lunge up, but the straps held tight. “I was after her!”

  Zane pulled over a chair and got real close to the demon. Close enough to touch, to hurt. “Who is she?”

  Jacobson would be transferred out soon enough. Pak had plans for the guy, but first…

  “Where did you meet the woman?” he pressed. Jana. Was that even her real name? Jude was running a search on her. Maybe the shifter would turn up some intel on the name, but in the meantime-

  Zane was in the mood to get answers from the demon, and he would have those answers, one way or another.

  “Fuck you!” Jacobson spat at him.

  Zane blinked. “Wrong. Answer.” He drove his fist into Jacobson’s face. Payback could be a bitch.

  “Ah … Zane?” Pak’s voice was completely flat.

  Jacobson spit out a tooth. “You think … you’re so much fucking better than the rest … of us….”