Saint Or Sinner

by Cynthia Eden

  “Kylie, Kylie, Kylie…” Josephine sighed her name. “You were the only one who touched our drinks. I was watching you.”

  Then Kylie made another dumb mistake. The kind of mistake that would be fatal. “Why aren’t you dead, too?”

  She’d poisoned my drink, as well. “Because the particular poison you used doesn’t work on me.” She didn’t bother explaining why. Not Kylie’s business. Traitor that she was.

  Kylie made the sign of the cross over her body.

  Now Josephine laughed. “Right. Because you think he’s going to be on your side after you poisoned an angel? I don’t think so.”

  Kylie’s skin went chalk white. “A-angel? H-he said…said the guy with you was a-a demon.”

  Now they were getting someplace.

  Josephine stepped closer to Kylie. “I’ll need a name, Kylie.”

  “I-I…” Kylie’s wild gaze rolled to Malik. “Is he…did I kill an angel?”

  “Yes.”

  Kylie’s eyes squeezed shut. Her head tipped forward.

  “But don’t worry,” Josephine added. Total lie. Kylie should worry one hell of a lot. “I gave him the cure.” The cure that was in Josephine’s blood. He’d needed an immediate offering of fresh blood from her. “He’s coming back. I can hear his heart beating. I got to him—”

  Kylie fell to her knees before Josephine.

  “Just in time,” Josephine finished. Her nostrils flared. Blood. “Dammit, Kylie—”

  Kylie pitched forward onto the floor. Her body had gone stone still.

  “Sonofabitch!” Josephine grabbed the woman and rolled her over. Blood dripped from Kylie’s closed eyes, and her body was already icy to the touch. Humans responded differently to the poison. Took longer for it to work its sinister way through their bodies. Paranormals had a faster metabolism, so when they got hit, the reaction was almost instantaneous. That faster metabolism was the reason Malik was still alive. She’d given him her blood before his heart had stopped, and it had been able to save him.

  But with the humans…because the poison slid through them more slowly, it was able to permeate every single cell. To consume.

  To destroy.

  There was no saving Kylie, even if Josephine had been in the saving mood. Spoiler alert—she wasn’t.

  But Kylie had been about to give her good intel. Useful intel. Intel that would have led Josephine to the bastard after them. Her fingers pressed to Kylie’s throat, just to be sure. No pulse.

  She was sure. Kylie was gone.

  Malik let out a long groan.

  Immediately, Josephine bounded to his side. Her fingers swiped over his cheeks as she tried to wipe away the blood. “Malik? Malik, can you see me?”

  His lashes—crazy long and thick for a guy—fluttered a few times. Then he was staring at her with his bright gaze, his eyes narrowed. “Why do I…feel like shit?”

  The shadowy image of his wings drifted around him.

  She gave a relived, rough laugh. “You feel like shit because you were poisoned.” And she was so grateful that he was talking again that Josephine leaned forward and kissed him. “You see me, right? You’re looking at me?”

  His hand rose and curled under her jaw. “You are the only thing I see.”

  Was that sweet? Or some kind of side effect of the poison?

  A growl came from him. “I can see you, sweetheart.”

  Josephine swallowed. “Good.” Very good. She could breathe again. “Time for the next question, can you stand up?” If he couldn’t, she’d give him more of her blood. The guy needed a recharge, fast. She suspected the SOB who’d given Kylie the poison would be arriving soon. Coming to pick up what he thought was weak or dead prey.

  He was going to be in for one hell of a surprise.

  “Let’s find out,” Malik rasped. He rose, and Josephine was at his side, ready to offer help but—no, he was standing on his own. Standing with those shadowy wings sweeping out behind him. Standing and looking strong and fierce and seriously enraged.

  His gaze fell on Kylie. “You…killed her.”

  “She poisoned us both.”

  His gaze didn’t move. “She was a human.”

  “Yes, a human who should have stayed out of supernatural business.”

  His big, broad shoulders had gone all tense.

  Seriously? “Oh, for hell’s sake, I didn’t kill her.”

  His stare flew to Josephine.

  “Though I was going to drain her dry. Full disclosure.” She shrugged. “The bitch betrayed us both. Slipped poison in our glasses. You think I was just going to send the chick on her merry way after that?” Not happening. “Kylie trusted the wrong person. The same poison she dished out to us? He gave to her, too. The effects are obvious. You know, what with the bleeding eyes, the blindness, and the total draining of color in the body. Hard to mistake those symptoms for anything but what it is.”

  The shadows behind him were getting bigger and bigger. She knew his wings hadn’t been that huge the first time they’d met. The shadows had been like streaks on the wall behind him. This was different. This was massive. “Uh, Malik?”

  “What…poison?”

  Okay, now this was the part that was going to get a wee bit uncomfortable. But then, it wasn’t like everything else had been shits and giggles up to this point. “It’s called the Vampire’s Kiss.”

  His head cocked to the right. “How…do you…know—”

  “I know so much about it because I’m the one who created the poison. And I’m the only one who has the cure to the damn thing. The cure is in my blood, all right?” Her words tumbled out far too fast. “I used the poison on a gargoyle once. The guy’s body was freaking made of stone, so I had to find a way to destroy him from the inside out.” And she had. “Listen, we can talk about this later, but I’m thinking the person who gave Kylie the poison is about to make an appearance, and I for one want to be ready to kick his ass.” Her breath heaved in and out. Malik’s gaze seemed cold. Distant. Not the best sign. “Are you with me?”

  His hands fisted. “I am always with you.”

  “Wonderful. Then let’s get ready to fight because I’m thinking he’s going to come in with another trick up his sleeve. This guy—he’s good. He’s…” But her words trailed away because she hated to say the truth that was staring them both in the face. This guy is using my playbook. But he was. Each attack—it was an attack she’d used before.

  Almost as if he’d been watching her, too. Watching and learning from her kills.

  Her gaze fell to Malik’s hands. Powerful hands. “No one else was there when you watched me?” She wanted to touch him, but something was holding her back. She felt as if she was almost understanding—

  The human on the floor let out a moan. The fool she’d slugged in the jaw. She’d almost forgotten about him. Josephine huffed out a breath. “Seriously? I am so over your shit. You have got to go.” She lunged for him.

  The human rolled over, and he came up with a gun in his hand. He smiled at her. “Wooden bullets, Josephine.”

  What? He knew her name? He knew—

  The bullet exploded from the gun even as she reached for him. But the bullet didn’t hit her in the chest because Malik was already there. Malik had surged in front of her. He’d taken the hit. He took that hit, and all the others as the human fired again and again. Malik staggered back, but the shadow of his wings stretched even more. Those shadowy wings took form. Substance. Became real. They reached for the human. Surrounded him. The gunfire stopped. No more bullets. No more—human?

  I can’t let Malik kill him! If an angel killed a human, she didn’t even want to think of the repercussions that would come from that one. “Malik, stop!” She grabbed his wings. Soft as silk. Warm, so warm and—

  Malik spun toward her. His eyes weren’t bright blue any longer. They were dark. Far darker than her own. Almost black. As dark as his wings. “He was going to kill you. He…dies.”

  “Then let me kill him.” She could do i
t, no problem. She’d lost her soul long ago. But not Malik, not him. “This can’t be on you. It can’t—”

  Laughter. From the human. “We’re all dying. But at least my family will be okay.”

  His family? What in the hell? She tried to shove around Malik to get to the human, but an explosion erupted before she could reach him. A powerful, deafening explosion that sent out a blast of absolute fire. White hot, searing along her skin, and Josephine screamed because fire—fire could take her out. If she burned completely, she’d be destroyed. The forever kind of destroyed.

  She’d die. So would Malik.

  The realization hit her as the fire rolled toward her in giant flaming waves.

  Malik.

  Not enough time. They hadn’t been together long enough. Not enough—

  His wings swept around her as the whole building went up in flames.

  ***

  “Good-bye, Josephine.” He watched from across the street as the flames sent the windows of the building exploding outward. The fire roared with a fury—a fury that spoke of its paranormal power. Because that wasn’t just any bomb. No, he’d added a few special ingredients. Had Josephine realized what was happening? Right before her body had ignited, had she realized the truth?

  Ashes to ashes.

  He’d wait until the smoke cleared. Then he’d go in and make sure she was dead. When he’d started this damn hunt, he’d intended to collect the angel’s feathers. But after he’d realized how useless they were—they fucking turned to dust after they left Malik’s body—he’d changed his plan.

  Malik could just die. He was sure there’d be a market for whatever the hell was left of the angel. If anything was left.

  But his main prey had been Josephine. He’d needed to get her out of the way.

  The fire crackled. It raged. In the distance, a siren screamed. The humans would rush to the scene, but the blaze would be too hot for them. Hellfire always was. They wouldn’t be able to get inside, not for quite a while. By then, it would be too late.

  ***

  “Congratulations.”

  Josephine hurt. Every single inch of her body—

  The fire. The…bomb? “Ahhh!” She jerked upright and as she screamed, smoke flew out of her mouth. She coughed, choked, and spit out more smoke. Heat was all around her, and when her frantic gaze whipped to the left and then to the right, she realized why that heat surrounded her. She was in the middle of a circle of flames. Bright, twisting, deadly flames.

  And Luke stood a few feet from her inside the fiery circle. His hands were crossed over his chest. One sardonic brow raised as he gazed back at her.

  Oh, no. “I’m in hell.” She’d known this day would come. Eventually. Now she was in the fiery pit, and she was going to burn forever. Great.

  “Hell is what we make it.” Luke’s arms dropped to his sides as he stepped forward. “What’s hell for you?”

  “I guess it’s being trapped in a ring of fire with you.”

  His lips twitched. “Good to know. I always suspected you had a crush on me.” He reached out and grabbed her hand, hauling Josephine to her feet. “The fact that I’m saving you from the fire—will that make you want me more?”

  Did she look insane?

  “Because I’m taken,” he told her with an apologetic grin. “Look all you want, looking is free, but my heart and my soul belong to my Mina.”

  She tried to yank her hand out of his grip, but Luke was stupid strong, damn him. Where was Malik? She didn’t give two flying flips about Luke, but Malik was a different matter.

  “Consider the ledger settled. You’re done.” His gaze dropped to her wrist.

  Her left wrist. The wrist that no longer showed her final tally mark. Malik’s mark. The mark was gone.

  Her head snapped up. She tried to see past the circle of flames that surrounded her and Luke. “Malik!”

  “I did ask for him to be returned alive, but, well, I guess you did what had to be done.” He let her hand jerk from his grasp. “You’re free. I suppose this means you’ll go through the—”

  “Malik!” She surged toward the flames.

  Luke’s arms wrapped around her midriff as he caught her from behind, and he yanked her back against him. “I am only saving you once, Josephine. I don’t do favors like this out of the amazing goodness of my heart.” His breath blew over her ear. “I’m taking you out of here because I know you can’t fly on your own. Thank me later.”

  She elbowed him. “Let me go!”

  Surprisingly, he did. He had the strength to keep holding her, but Luke’s grip eased.

  She spun to face him. “I didn’t kill Malik. Put the mark back.”

  “You—”

  “He’s not dead!” Pain was ripping through her. Tearing her apart. Burning worse than the fire that crackled around them. “Put the mark back!”

  Face grim, Luke said, “I can’t do that. You did your job. It’s finished.”

  No, it wasn’t. “I didn’t kill him!”

  “It had to end this way, don’t you see?”

  She didn’t see anything. She coughed, shoving smoke out of her lungs.

  “He was originally assigned to see to your death.” Luke dropped that bombshell with a wave of his hand.

  “Tell me something I don’t know.” Like how to get out of the fire. How to find Malik.

  Because he couldn’t be dead. They’d played this game before. He got hurt, he came back. She just had to find him. Maybe give him some of her blood. He’d be okay. They’d get out of this one. She’d find him, he’d drink her blood, then he’d fly them both out of the flames.

  “Either he was going to kill you, or you were going to kill Malik. That fate was predicted long ago.”

  “Really?” Her fists went to her hips. Her fangs were out, and she was wasting time. “The same way fate decided you and your brother would have a fight to the death? Because that shit didn’t happen. And you also stopped ruling over hell.”

  “Did I?” His eyes gleamed, reflecting the flames. “You thought you were in hell a moment ago.”

  “Give me Malik!”

  He glanced around at the flames. “It’s getting hot in here, even for me. You realize, of course, this isn’t a normal fire. We really should depart.”

  She knew it wasn’t normal. Not by a longshot. “I’m not leaving without him.”

  Now Luke’s expression hardened. “You’d give up your life for an angel who has planned your death for decades?”

  “Malik hasn’t planned my death. Malik was trying to protect me. That’s what he keeps doing. That’s why I’m standing here and he’s—”

  “Dead,” Luke said flatly. “That’s why the final mark is gone. You did kill him, Josephine. Because he chose to sacrifice for you. He covered you and took the brunt of the blast. The Malik you know is dead and gone. For your safety, you need to come with me. Right now. Because I won’t be making this offer again.” He held out his hand to her. “Your choice.”

  A coughing fit racked her body. More smoke came out of her mouth. Was it supposed to work that way? That much smoke pouring out of her? She didn’t think so but who the hell knew. “I’m used to your games.” Her heart pounded frantically in her chest. “I’m not some amateur when it comes to you.”

  His open palm remained between them.

  She didn’t reach for him. “You just said…the Malik I knew was dead and gone.”

  “I did,” he gritted. The flames seemed to rage higher. Harder.

  “Word games. Freaking word games. You’ve done this stuff before. To others.” Josephine gave a frantic shake of her head. “I’m not others. I can see through your lies.”

  “Can you.” Not a question. And he sure didn’t seem convinced that she could.

  “He isn’t an angel anymore.” She was trying to figure this out. Her gaze darted around, frantic. Malik, be here! “That’s why you’re being all careful with your words. The Malik I knew was still an angel. But he’s not any more. He changed,
didn’t he? Officially became fallen or whatever the hell it is you call it—”

  Luke lunged toward her. Barely an inch separated their bodies. “I am trying to help you. I don’t help many beings in this world.”

  “I-I gave him my blood. I bit him. He’s a vampire now, right?” Had to be. Had to—

  Luke shook his head.

  Another lie?

  “The fallen are without control. They are chaos, and they are death.” The fire stared back at her from his gaze. “You won’t be able to handle him. You’re a skilled assassin, but you won’t be able to stop this threat.”

  Malik was alive. Luke was telling her that. Malik is alive!

  “You can’t stop him because you gave your heart to him.” Pity stirred in Luke’s voice. “And maybe, if you’d brought him back to me in time, you could’ve had your angel. I was trying to give you that chance. But time ran out. He died. And someone new is in his place.”

  “Get out of my way.” It was still Malik.

  “If I leave you to the flames, you will die.” A pause. “I never knew you had a death wish.”

  He’d never really known her at all. “I’ll find a way out. I’ll get Malik out—”

  “Focus on yourself. Leave him.”

  Forget this. “No more tally marks. That means we’re done. Get out of my way.”

  “Your funeral, Josephine. And it will be a fiery one.” With that, his wings shot from Luke’s back. Giant, massive, scaled wings. The wings of a dragon. Luke’s wings flapped, sending bursts of air flying through the remains of the bar. For a moment, the flames seemed to die down—

  A roar shook the building. Josephine glanced up and saw cracks sliding across the ceiling. It was going to cave in. She knew it.

  Another roar—her gaze jerked to the right. And there he was.

  The flames seemed to be alive. Burning and stretching, and she realized that the flames were alive. They were Malik. Or rather, they were his wings. He stood there, his clothing smoking, the flames stretching behind him. The silken wings she’d touched before were now completely on fire, and his eyes were burning with the same red-gold flame.

  “Malik!” Josephine screamed his name as she lunged toward him.

  But, once more, Luke’s arm looped around her midriff. He jerked her back against him. “If the flames consume you, you’ll die. You’re a vampire. Vamps don’t come back from being ash. Nothing comes back from ash. Remember that!”