by Michele Hauf
Kelyn stood, pulling her up with him. He stepped back and tilted his head to catch the moonlight on his eyelids, cheeks and mouth. He could feel la luna’s cool presence shimmer in his veins. And his sigils hummed with recognition of the immense power he gained standing there. Spreading out his arms, he took a moment to honor the moon and this forest and his home. This was the only place he’d ever existed and held in his heart.
And now his heart had made room for the witch.
As he willed his wings out, they materialized in a sparkle of dust and unfurled behind him. He extended them as if stretching his arms, and it felt so good. The air whispered across the satiny-sheer wing fabric, and the bone-like cartilage that stretched along the tops of the four sections tightened until the wings were taut and at their full spread.
Valor whispered a soft, “Wow. I like those much better when they are not black. They fit you so well. You are like a regal forest prince. Goddess, you’re my hero.”
The admiration that seemed to surprise her rippled over his skin like a warm tongue teasing up his pleasure. He held out a hand to her and she took it, but didn’t step before him. Instead, she dropped his hand and walked around behind him. He had never allowed a woman to touch his wings. Never had had the reason or chance to reveal himself so completely until now. So he was as curious and excited as Valor seemed to be.
“I wish you could see how the moonlight looks on them,” she said. “It’s like liquid stardust. I think I can even see the ichor moving through the veins. So cool!”
She hadn’t touched them yet, and Kelyn shrugged. He never felt his wings at his back, just as a man did not feel his arms on his body. They were appendages that worked without needing command and were as airy and light as his very bones.
He would allow Valor her curious fascination. He trusted her completely. With her, all his secrets were safe. And even the not-so-secret stuff he wanted to share with her. Always.
The first touch of her finger to the top of one of his uppermost wings sent a shiver through that wing and tingled at the point where it met his back. Kind of like wind brushing his nipples. She trailed her palm along the top of it, drawing it to the curved end, which was at least five or six feet long. Between both hands she pressed the end of his wing, and then he felt her lips against the sheer, delicate fabric.
Kelyn shivered. Now, that felt amazing. Almost as if she had touched her mouth to his cock. Wow! He’d never anticipated that such a simple touch could make him feel that sensation. As he felt her fingers move inward toward his spine, he curled back his wings, for he could move them much like arms, and touched the ends of them over her hair and arms and legs. His wings were so sensitive he could determine where and what on her he touched. Even a flutter of her eyelashes!
“That tickles a little,” she whispered, then blew on one of his lower wings. “How do you like that?”
“Oh, yeah.” That breath moved over all his skin and landed right at his core. And with each breath that followed, he moved closer to the edge. His toes dug into the moss. His hands, he didn’t know what to do with, so he put them at his hips, then, no—that didn’t feel right, so he... Ah, hell. He stretched out his arms, grasping nothing but air. This was awesome.
He wasn’t sure what she was doing, but now it seemed as if more of her body touched his wings. So he curled them back and wrapped them about her waist and chest, and she moaned as he knew that sensation was her nipples gliding across the sheerness.
But when she turned and pressed a palm against the base where his four wings met his body, perhaps to steady herself, Kelyn lost it. The pressure building in his cock released and he came. Just like that. Body shuddering, and muscles tensing and relaxing, he grasped at the air and hissed a sweet cry. Dust sprinkled out from his pores, falling gently to the moss.
Valor twisted under his wings and walked around before him. Her eyelids glittered with dust and some glinted on her lips. She kissed him even as he gasped in elation. Crushing his body against hers, he drew his wings forward and around his shoulders to wrap her tightly against him. She wrapped her legs about his hips. And the kiss did not end, nor did the second orgasm that swiftly followed.
And not wanting her to miss out on all the fun, he found her wet clitoris with his fingers, gently easing over the sensitive flesh. But a few dashes coaxed her to surrender.
There beneath the moonlight, the two of them had wing sex. The night air coruscated with dust. And all the creatures hidden in the shadows chirped or cawed or even bellowed in an approving chorus. And Valor and Kelyn would never again be the same.
Later, they both lay on the moss, bodies panting and skin glinting. Kelyn spied the shadow fly overhead and followed it as Matilda circled.
“See?” he asked quietly, and sensed Valor stir from what had been a reverie.
“Matilda. Oh, she dropped something—I caught it!” Valor lifted her hand, which held a leather strap, and turned to her side to show Kelyn.
It was the cipher that had bonded them. Matilda had dropped it to land specifically on Valor’s hand. Had she returned to Faery to steal it back from the demon?
“It’s yours,” she said, offering it to him.
“No, you keep it for now. She wanted you to have it. She approves of you. I want to deserve her trust. And I will. String it next to the moonstone so every time I see you I’ll know Matilda is not far away.”
Valor kissed him and tucked her head against his shoulder.
* * *
When they returned to Kelyn’s cabin, Valor suggested they drive to her place. She wanted to shower, change clothes and check on Mooshi. Twenty minutes later, he joined her in the shower at her place. Mooshi sat on the closed toilet seat waiting for them to come out.
“That cat doesn’t like me very much,” Kelyn said as he dried himself off.
“He is cautiously optimistic of you.”
Kelyn lifted a brow at that one. “Sure. Whatever you say.” He glanced at the cat, who eyed him and revealed a fang with a lift of its furry lip. So much judgment in that tiny movement. “It’s still early,” he said, leaving the bathroom as quickly as he could to avoid a possible cat attack. “Only eleven. You want to do something?”
“Like what?” Valor teased at his nipple with her fingernail. “More sex?”
“I actually don’t want to do anything that will make Mooshi uncomfortable. I was thinking...dancing.”
“Yeah?” She kissed him quickly. “Yes! Let’s do it.”
“There’s this place I want to take you to.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “It’s a faery nightclub Up North.”
“Really? Cool. But Up North? That’s like a three-or four-hour drive. The place will be closed by the time we get there.”
He waggled his brows. “Not if we fly.”
She thought about it a few seconds, then thrust a victorious fist above her head. “Let’s go dance our booties off! But I can’t wear that.” She glanced to the piled heap of clothes that she’d worn to venture into Faery.
“Find something that makes you happy. I’m good with jeans and a shirt.”
Valor sorted through her clothes rack with the glee of a girl who had gotten invited to the prom by her secret crush. Only it wasn’t a secret anymore. And the guy had told her he loved her. And he meant it. She knew that he meant it because he loved her stupid laugh and he’d showed her himself with his wings out and had allowed her to touch them. Never had she felt more like a woman in those moments when they made love on the moss beneath the moonlight.
Kelyn saw her for the woman she was. The man was her hero.
She pulled out a particularly bright blue spangled minidress that she had borrowed from Mireio years ago and hugged it to her chest. She could do the sexy when she wanted to. And her man deserved it. But would it look as good during flight?
She thought about soaring ov
er the treetops for miles, hundreds of miles, in the spangled dress. “Yeah, it’ll rock.”
Five minutes later she wobbled into the kitchen and Kelyn turned with a big smile on his face. The guy looked amazing, his hair always tousled and emphasizing his gorgeous bone structure. He wore the same T-shirt he’d worn into the forest, but it was still clean and the dark jeans hung low on his hips. Sex personified.
“You look...” His eyes dropped to her feet, and she turned out one foot in display. “Uncomfortable. Amazing. But...not right.”
“Ah, come on. I actually like this dress. Makes me feel sexy.”
“The dress is dazzling. I love it on you. Goes with the faery dust sparkling in your hair. And these are the best of both of us.” He tapped the moonstone and cipher that dangled before her breasts. “But the shoes?”
“I’m trying to do the sexy.”
“And you do it well. But five-inch heels are not my kind of sexy. I prefer the combat boots.”
“You do?” Her heart thudded in relief as she clasped her hands before her and spread her legs to manage her balance. “You’re saying that because you don’t want me to fall and break my neck in these things.”
“There is that.” He glided his hand up along her neck, sending delicious shivers over her skin. “I like the boots. Valor, you were right. You’re not a real girl.”
She wasn’t sure where he was headed with that statement, but her giddy heartbeat took pause.
“You are a strong, confident, gorgeous, real—” he kissed her “—woman. And you’re mine.”
“You mean it?”
“That you’re a woman or that you’re mine? Both. Now get rid of the stupid shoes and put on some dancing gear.”
* * *
The flight Up North was a dream. The night was warm and the sky fluffed with clouds, which they flew well below. They remained as close to the treetops as possible to avoid a late-night driver picking out the large unknown flying object in the sky.
Valor kept her arms spread out most of the journey, eyes to the moon and cheeks kissed by the brisk sky. Kelyn held her firmly against his chest, but when at one point he grasped only her hand and flew out at her side, she couldn’t believe it was actually happening. She was flying! With the man she loved.
It took less than an hour of flight to land before the secret club plopped in the center of a dense forest. Pine sap and cicada song filled the night. Kelyn said it was another thin place, but not specifically Faery—it also served Daemonia—so she would be welcome there, as were any and all. So long as they were not human.
The three-story gray brick mansion sported black-tiled turrets at two corners. Light from inside flashed out from the high turrets, turning them into neon lighthouses. Entry was gained with a fist bump from Kelyn to the slender bouncer with long pink hair, green eyes and six arms. Fortunately, she only lifted one fist so Kelyn didn’t have to figure which to meet with his knuckles.
Valor followed eagerly, taking in the bright walls, which seemed to undulate and glow in neon. The floor beneath her boots was lit in squares of pink and violet, and littered with faery dust, confetti and spills of iridescent drinks. Scents of alcohol, candy, earth and the ocean filled the gigantic ballroom. Splashed in neon and dazzled with faery dust, the people undulating, bouncing and dancing were stunning.
The faeries were an easy call for Valor. Most had violet eyes, wild hair colors and clothing that barely covered their skin. Their multishaded—and colored—skin glittered with dust. Demons sported red eyes and dressed a little darker, though not all of them. A horned woman with an undulating spotted tail had a reason to show off her steel abs and high breasts. Valor had never seen blue areolae on a woman before. Fascinating.
A few sets of eyes glowed as Kelyn led her through the melee and toward the center of the dance floor. A sniff of faery dust signaled to Valor that she’d probably get high from this experience. Awesome!
Her lover danced away from her, but not too far, finding the beat in his bones and swaying his hips in time with another dancer who Valor wasn’t sure was male, or female, or perhaps both. Chrome scales moist with perspiration grew along the dancer’s hairline, and down its neck and most of the exposed skin that was covered by a simple black sheath.
It was a different crowd from the folks the Decadent Dames served. And standing amid the crazy wildness made Valor shout in joy and end with snorting laughter.
“This rocks so hard!” she shouted over the noise.
Kelyn’s wings swayed in time with the beat as he bounced up to her and, taking her by the fingers, twirled her like a ballet dancer. He spun her up to him and grasped her tightly across the back, bowing to kiss her even as he dipped her beneath a fall of iridescent faery dust.
“I love you, witch!”
“I love you, wings and all!”
Wings, witchery...and combat boots. It would keep them together for a long and wondrous time.
* * * * *
I hope you enjoyed Kelyn and Valor’s story. I write most of my paranormal stories in a world I call Beautiful Creatures. All the stories should stand alone, and you don’t have to read one before another to understand what is happening from story to story. If you are interested in reading more about some of the secondary characters mentioned in this book, you can find their stories at your favorite online retailer.
Stryke’s story is MOONLIGHT AND DIAMONDS.
Blade and Zen’s story is THE VAMPIRE’S FALL.
Daisy Blu’s story is GHOST WOLF
(Denton Marx was also in it).
Eryss’s story is TAMING THE HUNTER.
Johnny and Kam’s story is THE DARK’S MISTRESS.
Sunday and Dean’s story is RACING THE MOON.
Tamatha’s story is CAPTIVATING THE WITCH.
CJ and Vika’s story is THIS WICKED MAGIC.
Libby and Reichardt’s story is THIS SOUL MAGIC.
Malrick pops up for a scene or two in MOONSPUN, MALAKAI and ENCHANTED BY THE WOLF.
Never has a couple scenes in
THE VAMPIRE HUNTER.
And I couldn’t resist mentioning Annja Creed, who has her own series, ROGUE ANGEL, written under the Alex Archer pseudonym. In this series, I wrote THE BONE CONJURER, which explains how she found the Skull of Sidon.
Keep reading for an excerpt from BRIMSTONE PRINCE by Barbara J. Hancock.
Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
We hope you enjoyed this Harlequin Nocturne story.
You harbor otherworldly desires... Harlequin Nocturne stories delve into dark, sensuous and often dangerous territory, where the normal and paranormal collide.
Enjoy two new stories from Harlequin Nocturne every month!
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Join Harlequin My Rewards & Instantly earn a FREE ebook of your choice.
Earn points for every Harlequin print and ebook you buy, wherever & whenever you shop.
Turn your points into FREE BOOKS.
Don’t miss out. Reward the book lover in you!
Register Today & Earn a FREE BOOK*
*New members who join before December 31st, 2017 will receive 2000 points redeemable for eligible titles.
Click here to register
Or visit us online to register at
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010001
&
nbsp; Brimstone Prince
by Barbara J. Hancock
Prologue
He was dying. The blade his former partner, Reynard, had plunged into his back had failed to kill him immediately, but the blow would be fatal all the same. Samuel Santiago could taste sulfur in the back of his parched throat. When he coughed up blood, it was tinged with black. He could feel the burn as the taint from the daemon blade Reynard had used spread its way through his veins.
Daemons weren’t damned. But just like men, they could choose evil paths.
The cab dropped him at a familiar corner in Santa Fe. He was able to walk slowly but surely to the address of the apartment building where his young daughter would be sound asleep. He had a job to do. His Latin-scribed blade was wrapped in burlap and hidden beneath his coat. It and secrecy would be the gifts he’d leave Lily and her mother, Sophia. He’d been wise to forge a deal that would protect her and her mother from Reynard’s treachery, even if he hadn’t been able to protect himself.
It took forever for the elevator to respond to the summons of the glowing button that wavered in and out of focus as he waited. The Rogue daemons Reynard had sold his soul to were blackened by the desire to rule the hell dimension and then conquer heaven. They wanted to reclaim the paradise Lucifer had rebelliously left. Hell was embroiled in revolution. Loyalists against Rogues. But the Rogues couldn’t be stopped by Lucifer’s Army alone. At one time, Samuel had hunted all daemons, but he’d learned that Loyalists had no quarrel with humans. It was the Rogues who desired to enslave and destroy. The daemon king needed help from humans to defeat the Rogues. That fact might save Lily’s life.
Rogues would hunt him down. He looked over his shoulder when a random noise from a nearby apartment made him feel as if they were already behind him preparing to pounce.
The hall was empty. Somewhere in the distance a small dog barked.
Samuel stumbled into the elevator. He jabbed at the button to close the door as if the hounds of hell snapped at his feet. In a way, they did. He didn’t sigh in relief when the door closed. He leaned against the elevator’s humming wall, tense and watchful, as it rose up to the tallest floor. It was almost midnight. They would be sleeping. He didn’t have much time. He couldn’t see them. He couldn’t say goodbye. He couldn’t risk staying longer than it would take to place the wrapped sword on the mantel.
