by S D Hegyes
She smiled at him and whispered, “Hello, Abaddon. It’s nice to meet you.”
A cheeky grin crossed the man’s face, full of dark promises better left unsaid. “He’s been trying to hide me.” He waved a hand in the air. “Stupid human. I always get what I want in the end.”
“And what is it you want?”
He shook his head. “It’s not a matter of what I want, but what I need. What we both need.” He sighed. Sorsha never thought she’d see the day a demon looked so. . . weary. “I don’t have the power I once had. I’ve been trapped in this body too long. Fought him way too long. He’s afraid of me—” He grinned again. “—as he should be. I’m something to be feared when I’m at my best.”
“But you aren’t at your best?” Sorsha assumed.
“No.” The bitterness in his voice was palpable. It nearly choked Sorsha. “Larz is much more powerful than even Kazal knew, and much less bloodthirsty.”
“Oh, so you mean he’s normal.”
“I guess. Except that he had magic. Kazal only chooses those with magic to make his children.” Abaddon grinned, and that smile was full of so many dark secrets Sorsha shuddered. “But Larz and I aren’t one of his children.”
“What do you mean?”
His eyes flickered brown and back. “Damn,” he snarled. “I don’t have much time.”
“He’s fighting you.” She watched as his eyes flickered again.
Abaddon nodded. “We both want you. He’s worried I’ll kill you though.” He pressed his forehead against hers and lowered his voice once more. “But between you and me, you’re much more interesting alive, and we need your help—even if he denies it.”
Sorsha yanked away in surprise and stared at the demon. He was still Larz, but the red eyes and elongated teeth told another story. A moment later, those were gone too as Larz gained control once more, growling under his breath and rolling his head around before he dared look at Sorsha once more.
Brown eyes. Normal teeth. Larz. All Larz.
But Abaddon had shown himself, revealed the monster underneath the facade. And they needed her help? Why? With what?
Beside her, Irene squealed. “I knew it! I just knew it! You two do have the hots for one another.”
She and Larz both winced. “Happy New Year?” Sorsha told Irene with a shrug.
The other woman waved a hand at her face. “Girl, that was H.O.T. Hot. You got me over here sweating.” She chuckled and her eyes darkened as she glanced at Abraham. “I think I’m going to steal one of your guests and bring in the new year right. Sound good?”
It didn’t surprise Sorsha that Irene hadn’t seen the way Sorsha’s magic reacted to Larz. She never had noticed her abilities in the past. Why would she now?
Sorsha held her hands up in the air. “You’re asking the wrong person. Shouldn’t you be asking the one you’re planning on stealing away?”
“She can take me away anytime she wants,” Abraham said with a wink. Then he gave Larz a pointed look. “That said, I think we need to have a chat soon, Larz. You’ve been holding out.”
Larz nodded, his eyes never leaving Sorsha. “No problem, Ham. Later though, alright?”
“I’ll hold you to that.” Abraham winked at Sorsha. “Don’t be afraid to call me if you need me, little phantom.” Sorsha stiffened, but she knew Irene would just think he was calling her by her last name, so she relaxed. “I feel like there’s a story here, and I’m curious.”
With that, he helped Irene put on her coat before he snagged his and guided the woman out of Sorsha’s apartment. Part of her wondered if it was a good idea to let Irene leave with one of Kazal’s children, but she got the feeling he had no intention of killing her.
Once the pair was gone, Ella sat down her glass and leaned against the kitchen counter. “So,” she said, a smirk on her face as she looked at Larz. “Is this the young woman from ten years ago?”
Larz sighed. “Yes,” he said, defeat clear in his voice.
Ella snapped her fingers and pointed at him. “Ha! I knew it! I knew there was someone. You always denied it, but I knew it.” She pointed at her head. “I knew.”
“Yes, I get it. Clairvoyant and all.”
“What?” Sorsha closed her eyes and held up her hand. “Wait. I need to sit. I feel like this is going to be a lot to process.”
“For who?” Ella asked, amused. “I’m the one that should be worried about whether or not you plan on killing me.”
“Why would I kill you?”
“Because you’re a phantom, and that’s what phantoms do.” She grinned and winked at Sorsha. “Supposedly. But Larz is still alive, so I think it’s safe to say you aren’t planning on killing me.”
Sorsha held out her hand to Ella. “Take my hand.”
“Why?”
“Trust her,” Larz said with a grin.
Ella narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m still mad at you. You’ve been hiding this.” She held out her hand and grasped Sorsha’s despite her words.
For a moment, nothing happened, but then Sorsha felt her ability flicker inside her. She coaxed it to life, something she’d never had to do before, and felt it whisper through her. Orange vapors drifted around the women’s conjoined hands. After a few moments, the orange turned yellow.
“What’s that mean?”
“I don’t really know, but I’m beginning to think the colors are threat levels.”
“What?”
Sorsha shrugged and released Ella’s hand. She walked to the table and sat down, patting it and suggesting the other two did the same. She frowned, sorting her thoughts while the other two complied. It was only a theory she’d recently developed after all. “I don’t really know the meanings of the colors, but I think they’re danger levels. Red means someone’s a direct threat to me. Orange and yellow are variations of safety.”
“And white is for the one you’re bonded to,” Ella said, nodding as she made the connection.
“What?”
Larz replied before Ella could, rolling his eyes and sitting beside Sorsha as he did so. “Ella is a romantic at heart. Thinks everyone has a soulmate.”
“I do,” Ella agreed with a grin. “And if I’m right, you two are soulmates.”
Sorsha shook her head. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
Ella snorted. “Great. Another non-believer.” She sighed. “Well, that clears a couple things at least, but this is a lot to process, and I get the feeling you two have just as much to discuss before you go blabbing to someone like me.” She winked and pulled Sorsha up from her chair to crush her in a hug. “Keep in touch. I like you. Phantom or no.”
Before Sorsha could respond, she’d snapped up her jacket and shot out the door, leaving the phantom blinking in confusion. “Why do I feel like I missed something?”
Larz chuckled. “Ella can see glimpses of the future. She probably knew she needed to leave.”
“Why?”
He rose from his chair and pinned her with his gaze. “Because she’s right. We have a lot to discuss.” He stalked toward her, moving slowly. Her heart sped up in her chest and she backed away from him until her back pressed against the door. “How long have you known?” His voice was low, and she could hear the vulnerability in it. She couldn’t joke around with this, she knew. Couldn’t flirt and tease as they so often did.
“Since the day you started telling me about the different types of vampires. It didn’t take me long to piece everything together. Kazal isn’t a common name, and it’s a little odd for someone to share the name with a sub-family of vampires that are actually demons.”
“And you didn’t say anything?”
That was what hurt him? It was clear he was hurt. The pain in his expression made her ache, pain she hadn’t seen before.
“I figured you had a reason to keep the information to yourself, so I didn’t mention it. What was I going to say anyway? ‘Hey, I know you’re a demon-possessed human, and I’m supposed to kill you—according to your vam
pire legends’.” She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes at him. “So, why are you helping me?”
Larz shook his head. “Damned if I know.” He planted his hands against the door on either side of her head, trapping her. The force of his kiss left her gasping in shock, but when he tried to pull away, she clutched at his shirt, pulling him back toward her. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she moaned into his mouth. He pulled away first, bending and pressing his forehead to hers.
“Wasn’t there something you wanted to talk about?” she teased.
“Later,” he said, his voice husky. Then he was kissing her again, and she was quite glad they agreed.
22
Sorsha moaned and rolled over, smacking her hand against her shrieking alarm.
Except, it wasn’t her alarm screaming at her. It was her phone. Another moan rang from her throat as she reached across the open space of bed.
Memories of the night before swam through her mind, and she smiled to herself. Her fingers found the cell phone, and she blinked at the name on the screen, not really seeing it.
“Hello?” Her voice sounded groggy even to her own ears.
“Rise and shine, sweetheart. I have arrived.”
“Tanner?” She pulled the phone from her ear and glanced at the time. It was after noon.
“The one and only. You planning on letting me in?”
“Yeah.” She sat up and ran a hand through her hair. “Yes. Give me a moment. Let me find some pants.”
“Oh? Did someone have fun last night?”
She chuckled. “You’d think that, wouldn’t you? I’ll be out in a minute,” she told Tanner and hung up. She sent Charlotte a quick text, telling her happy New Year, before she tossed her phone down and put on her pants from the night before.
The truth was, except for some serious making out, nothing had happened between her and Larz—much to both their frustration. It was as if the universe was against them. Almost as soon as they’d begun getting serious, he’d gotten called into work. She’d been hoping he’d ignore it, but he’d been on call.
Instead, she’d gone to bed alone and frustrated. Running a hand through her hair again, Sorsha yanked it up into a haphazard bun and walked toward the door.
She’d had every intention of finding Larz as soon as he returned from work and finishing what they’d started, but apparently that wasn’t going to happen. A growl rippled through her as she walked through the apartment.
There were signs of the party the night before in various places. Dirty dishes as well as empty cans and bottles in various places. She and Larz had worked together to put away the food before he left for work, but neither had wanted to tackle much else.
Larz wasn’t awake. Not surprising. He’d been just as frustrated as she’d been when he left, but still, part of her was disappointed she didn’t see him on the couch.
She yawned and opened the door.
Tanner stood in the hall with an all-too-cheerful grin on his face, holding a box. “Happy New Year. Here’s your gift.”
Sorsha chuckled. “You don’t give gifts on New Year’s.”
He shrugged and passed it toward her. “Call it a late Christmas gift then.”
She yawned again as she grabbed the box. It was heavier than she thought it might be. “Happy New Year.” The box wriggled in her hands, and she had to shift her grip on it so she wouldn’t drop it. “What is this?”
“Your present. Come on. Open it.” He grinned like a kid at Christmas and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He sat down on the couch with a sigh of relief. “Man, this is much more comfy than a car.”
“Didn’t know you’d driven. Thought you were taking a plane.” She sat the box down on the couch between them as she joined him. The box moved again even as she looked up and studied his appearance.
Tanner looked the same as she remembered him. Jeans and plain shirt. A knife sheath attached to his belt. No hair on his head. No hair on his face. Light brown eyes that were almost green and sparkled with mischief and mayhem.
She frowned. “Why don’t I trust you?”
He chuckled as the box wriggled again. “Just open the box, Sorsha.”
Shrugging, she untied the bow on the top. Before she could pull the lid off though, it popped up and fell to the side. Sorsha jumped with a startled yelp.
Standing on the edge of the box with its paws draped over the edge, its tongue lolling from its mouth, was a large coal black puppy. It licked its nose and looked at Sorsha with burning red eyes.
“What is this?” Sorsha asked, looking from the puppy to Tanner and back again. “What’s wrong with its eyes?”
“Sorsha, there’s things in this world that don’t make sense, and by that, I meant there’s things that shouldn’t exist but do.” Tanner jerked his head toward the puppy. “This little guy is one of them. Take a guess at what he is.”
“Honestly?” Sorsha asked, looking at the puppy again and watching as he licked his nose and continued panting, looking up at Sorsha. He sneezed and a small puff of smoke escaped his nostrils. She gave Tanner a sideways look. “No way.”
With a grin, she reached down to the puppy, pulling him from the box and lifting him into the air.
His paws were huge, his ears small and pointed, as if they’d been cropped. When he wagged his nub of a tail, his whole butt wiggled, making Sorsha chuckle. He sneezed again and another puff of smoke rose from his nose.
Sorsha looked at Tanner over the puppy’s head. “Let me guess.” She grinned. “A hellhound?”
He snapped his fingers and winked at her. “You got it on the first try.”
“He won’t set anything on fire, will he?” She gave the puppy a dubious look.
Tanner laughed. “No. From what I’ve heard, hellhounds don’t breathe fire until they’re adults. At least a year of age.”
“From what you’ve heard? Tanner, this is a hellhound puppy. You gave me a puppy. Not just any puppy. A hellhound puppy. I’ve never even raised a puppy before, much less a supernatural one. Who am I supposed to go to if I have questions? I certainly can’t go to the local vet. That’s a conversation that I don’t want to have.”
She shifted the puppy to her lap unconsciously. Then she deepened her voice as she pretended to be someone else. “What can you tell us about this little guy, Miss Phantom.”
“Well I can tell you he’s a hellhound puppy. Can you tell me when he’d be old enough to neuter so I can make sure I don’t have more hellhound puppies running around in the future?” She shook her head. “What were you thinking, Tanner?”
“I thought you’d like a dog. You’ve always wanted one. You’ll do fine. Hellhounds are smarter than most dogs. I doubt you’ll have much trouble with him honestly.”
“Says the person who handed me a hellhound puppy and doesn’t know when they start breathing fire. Great. How did you get your hands on a hellhound anyway?”
At that, he leaned toward her, eyes narrowed. “How did you know it was a hellhound?”
She shrugged. “Vampires exist, so why not other supernatural creatures, including those that breathe fire and eat lava?”
Tanner leaned back with a frown and put one arm across the back of the couch. “What do you know of vampires, Sorsha?” He narrowed his eyes. “What the hell has happened since the last time I saw you? You certainly hadn’t talked about vampires in the past.”
She sighed and glanced at Larz’s door. “It’s a long story.”
Tanner’s eyes darkened as his gaze followed hers. “Is your roommate a vampire?”
It was her turn to glare at him. “What do you know about vampires, Tanner?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he lurched to his feet and stalked toward Larz’s door, pulling something from the knife sheath at his waist.
“Tanner! What are you doing?” She rose, shoving the puppy from her lap with a whispered apology. “Tanner, stop!”
He reached the closed door and banged on it. “Open up, you long-
toothed freak!”
Sorsha had never heard his voice so angry. Not even when they’d served together. She grabbed his arm and spun him around.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” She shoved him back against the door. “What is that?” She stared at the object in his hand. “Is that a stake?”
His anger melted with her words, the rage and fury dissipating from his eyes. He looked down at the wooden shaft in his hands and then back at Sorsha. He gave her a sheepish smile. “What can I say? I’m a bit of a traditionalist.”
“What are you? A vampire hunter?”
He pursed his lips and tilted his head from side-to-side as he mused over her words. “To an extent. I’m a monster hunter. I kill all the things that go bump in the night.” He pointed to the hellhound puppy that had jumped off the couch and padded its way over to them, his large paws thudding against the floor. “Picked him up from someone selling them on the black market.”
One of her eyebrows rose. “And you thought giving me a hellhound was a good idea?”
He shrugged. “You’re not going to sell him for money, and I’m pretty certain you’ll figure out what you need to do in order to take care of him.”
“Me? Who’s never had a pet? Me? Who doesn’t know the first thing about dogs? Me? Who didn’t even know hellhounds existed until today? Me? Who you didn’t even know knew anything about the supernatural world until today?” Sorsha pointed at herself and frowned at him. She shook her head. “That wasn’t smart thinking, Tanner.”
He shrugged again. “Think of it as a test.”
“Test?” she asked. “For what?”
He jerked his thumb toward Larz’s door. “He a vampire?”
She hesitated, looking down at the stake in his hand. She grabbed it from him, surprised he didn’t resist. “He is, but you are not going to touch a damn hair on his head.”
“He’ll kill you, Phantom.”
“Because he’s a vampire?” She put her hands on her hips. “Funny you should say that. Turns out I’ve been working for one for two years. Owns the blood bank I work for. I’m not dead yet, Tanner. I don’t think all vampires are monsters.”
