Ayil

by Brenda Trim

  Kennex hadn’t considered that but didn’t know enough to make a judgement one way or another about that. “I never considered the move here was for better access to the demons. I don’t know anything about agreements with demons. We will protect the clan, but we have to be smart about it.”

  Lexie sighed and set the bowl between them. “Well it’s a good thing you’re dating an angel. You can convince that warrior he needs to protect us.”

  Kennex grimaced and had to hold down the bile. “I’m not dating Ayil, but I will get him to help us. I can’t tell him anything until I trust he won’t eliminate us all, so I need you to keep this quiet. Can you do that?”

  Lexie picked up a wing and waved it in the air. “I won’t tell anyone and if I hear talk, I will encourage silence, but get your freak on and get that Angel on our side.”

  “I am not going to be getting anything on with the angel,” Kennex said automatically. Realization dawned that Kennex wasn’t going to be able to skate by with Ayil without giving him something. There was no way he was going to take her to Heaven if she was a mere acquaintance.

  Bile rose in her throat for another reason. Her hatred for Angels ran soul deep, and there wasn’t much she could do to change that. Jared shattered any sense of respect for his breed or his God. None of them took action to stop the evil male. God was supposed to be omniscient, yet he allowed his Angels to cause immense pain. It wasn’t right. Doubt surfaced about her plan, and if it was going to work.

  Salt and brine scented the cold air when Kennex stepped outside after dinner to return to her house. The cloud cover obscured the stars. Stargazing was one of Kennex’s favorite things to do on a hot summer night. The sky in San Diego was an eerie backdrop, but beautiful in its own way.

  Despite being blocks away from the ocean, Kennex’s supernatural hearing picked up the waves crashing and some diehard seagulls calling out. It was still new to her, but it wasn’t entirely unpleasant.

  Okay, that was a lie. She was trying hard to focus on the positive, but water and Phoenixes didn’t mix. Having a positive outlook on life was the best way to convince Ayil she wanted to start over. If she was so focused on the negative and what she hated about her life, he was going to run for the hills.

  “Did you really think that would keep me away from you? I told you, Kennex, you belong to me. And, I am going to enjoy teaching you another lesson,” Jared rumbled in her ear.

  Kennex was wrapped up in her head and hadn’t heard or sensed him appear. Terror made her practically jump out of her skin at the same moment her heart started racing in her chest. Her mouth opened to scream for Lexie, but all that came out was a squeak. Jared’s cruel laugh was chilling. No. You will not allow him to bully you anymore. You aren’t powerless. The way her stomach cramped, and her body started to shake called her a liar.

  “No,” she croaked. She took a step away from Jared and toward Lexie’s house. “Leave me alone or you will regret it.”

  Kennex turned around quickly, expecting to dart to Kennex’s door, but encountered Jared’s broad chest instead. She must have telegraphed her decision and he cut her off. Jared took a step toward her which made her retreat. He crossed his arms over his massive chest and glared down at her.

  “There is nothing you can do to me. Haven’t you learned by now. You belong to me. I can and will do whatever I want with you,” Jared vowed.

  Kennex was forced to walk backwards or Jared would overcome her. She didn’t want him to touch her ever again. Kennex’s heel caught on an uneven piece of sidewalk. She righted herself before falling on her ass. The night air seemed to thicken and close around her, making it hard to breathe.

  “I don’t belong to you,” Kennex denied. Her eyes darted around, seeking a way out. There was an alley between buildings three feet to the right and her front door was fifteen feet in the opposite direction. Jared’s imposing body blocked Lexie’s door, so that was not an option.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Did you really think that weak ward would keep me away from you? If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re inviting me to take what I want by putting that thing around your home.”

  Kennex wasn’t surprised he knew about the ward. The Rowan Sisters promised that if he tried to teleport into her home, he would have bounced off the barrier. Kennex would have loved to see that.

  Jared grabbed her arms and pulled her to his chest. The scream finally left her throat a heartbeat before the world shifted around her. Kennex swore she heard Lexie calling her name before winds picked up and colors raced past her.

  Thrashing in Jared’s arms, Kennex fought to escape his hold. He was teleporting her somewhere and she knew it wouldn’t be good if she allowed him to take her to his intended destination.

  The steel bands of Jared’s arms tightened around her. Her ribs creaked and pain exploded at the sight. The lack of oxygen was disorienting, but not so much that it stopped her from lowering her head and sinking her teeth into his forearm.

  One of Jared’s arms lifted to her forehead and yanked, but Kennex refused to let go without biting down as hard as she was able. “Fucking, bitch,” he growled, but his arm loosened.

  It was enough to allow her to wiggle and then shove his arm away from her. She toppled through the air, the Gods only knew where. Even if she landed in the middle of the ocean it would be better than going anywhere with Jared.

  Bright white lights flashed in and out of Kennex’s vision. She threw her hands out to try and stop the spinning. Before she knew what was what, her body slammed into the dirt. The impact left a crater in the ground and shattered several bones.

  Groaning, Kennex rolled over and grimaced as pain stole her ability to breathe. Several ribs were broken, and her skull cracked along with her pelvis and one leg. As the hot wings came surging back up her throat, Kennex ignored the pain as much as possible until she was hunched over vomiting.

  “That was incredibly stupid, Kennex,” Jared warned her a second later.

  “Shit,” Kennex cursed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “How?”

  “I told you that you’re never getting away from me. You did this to yourself, but I admit I’m going to enjoy this.”

  Kennex tried to scramble away from Jared as he approached her. He fisted her hair and yanked her to her feet. A cry escaped her throat when the motion jostled every broken bone in her body. Bile burned her mouth, but Kennex refused to show any more weakness.

  Jared looked at her with a gleam in his eyes. It was one she recognized and almost had her begging him for mercy. Instead of words, blood splattered his white shirt. Disgusted, he tossed her aside. The landing was nearly as painful as her fall from the ether.

  “Where are we?” she asked from the ground. There were low shrubs that served as ground cover and trees. The shrubs almost reminded Kennex of green tumbleweeds. The cloud cover and cold temperature was similar to San Diego, but mountains were visible in the distance and there was no hint of the ocean.

  “My best guess is somewhere close to Ojai. That was a stupid move, Kennex. You’re lucky you’re alive. Soon you’ll wish you weren’t,” Jared threatened. Ojai wasn’t far from San Diego. That was something.

  Kennex got to her hands and knees and put her unbroken leg underneath her. Unable to stand quite yet, she glared at Jared through the tangles of her red hair. “What are you going to do? I’m already bloody and broken.”

  Jared clenched his jaw and lifted one leg. Without hesitation, Kennex curled into a ball, knowing what was coming and covered her head in her hands. She didn’t need to be a doctor to know her skull was fractured. The merry-go-round of bile and food in her stomach coupled with the blurry images told her that. It would take a lot longer to heal from massive trauma to her brain than it would more broken bones.

  Besides, she had no desire to lose consciousness. Gods only knew what Jared would do to her without her knowledge. A sledgehammer connected with her arm and sent her sailing through the air. The loud crack seemed
far off as Kennex was in flight.

  Unfortunately, the screaming pain radiated from her upper arm and across her shoulders. She landed with a thud and rolled several times before she stuck a hand out and stopped herself. The action jolted her left arm and made her cry out.

  “You think that hurts? This is just the beginning. You will remove the ward on your house immediately. You are mine, Kennex and I will not be kept from you,” Jared snarled in her face as he grabbed a fist full of her t-shirt and yanked her upper body off the ground.

  It was then that Kennex noticed the bruise radiating from his right temple and down his jaw. It was yellowing, so he was healing already, but his anger made sense. She got a bit of satisfaction knowing her ward kept him out and injured more than just his pride. The asshole deserved it and so much more.

  When Jared shook her in his grip, is jostled her body and sharp pain lanced through her lungs. A hot poker was wedged in her side and stealing her oxygen. She weakly slapped at his hands, trying to free herself.

  Jared slapped her hard enough to rattle her concussed brain around in her skull. Bile rose in her throat again and she gagged for a second. Her eyes slipped closed as she tried to stop the trees from spinning.

  Her mind slipped sideways and tried to go to a place where nothing could reach her. The first time this happened to her Jared wrapped his hands around her neck while they were having sex.

  She consented that time, but only because she was too dazed to say no. She had no recollection of what he did to her after that, and she preferred it that way. There were no memories to torment her if she mentally checked out.

  Jared’s wings extended at his back and he loomed above her. It was his way of showing her who held the power. Fuck that, you aren’t his punching bag anymore, remember?

  “Stop,” she whispered and kicked out. She missed his groin when her leg connected with his thigh. When pain radiated from her foot to her femur, she realized she used her broken leg.

  “Don’t hit me again. This can go easy or not. That’s all up to you. C’mon, where’s my obedient little Phoenix? I know exactly what you need.” His breath was putrid as he breathed in her ear.

  Kennex didn’t care how pissed he got. She was not allowing him to hurt her anymore. She writhed and clawed at his face. Rough hands shoved her shoulders into the ground. It was difficult to move, but she continued to kick and writhe as she tried to get away from him.

  “No. Don’t touch me,” she ordered him. Of course, he ignored her.

  One of his arms pressed down across her chest, putting pressure on her broken ribs. She couldn’t catch her breath and agony momentarily paralyzed her. It was when a rough hand tugged the button and zipper on her jeans that she really started fighting.

  Knowing what he intended, it was far easier to ignore the sharp, shooting pain in her limbs as she clawed and kicked him. He punched her in the head, sending stars ringing through her vision. When he ripped her pants open, she went still.

  “That’s better. Don’t move and I might not make it hurt,” Jared told her.

  There was no way she was going to allow him to rape her, but she was injured, and he was so much stronger than she was. What could she do to stop him? He was right, she was powerless.

  Nope. Not anymore.

  When cold air tickled her stomach and her body was jostled as he tried to remove her pants, her inner Phoenix took over. For the first time, Kennex opened herself up to the fire and welcomed it. After the first immolation, Phoenix only burned when they were dying. Fuck that. She wasn’t circling the drain this time, Jared was.

  Her flames were her. He couldn’t take those reins without her permission and she refused to give him that much.

  Flames coated her hands and Kennex nearly shouted in triumph. Jared lifted her up and slammed her back into the ground. Something snapped in her spine and the agony in her lower body abruptly disappeared. Kennex couldn’t breathe any easier, but she was able to think. Too bad the injury he’d managed to smother her flames.

  Triumphant, Jared reared back and went for his waistband. “Fuck you,” Kennex growled and with a shout called her Phoenix to the surface. Suddenly her body erupted in flames.

  Fire scorched Jared’s flesh and bones. His pretty blue feathers ignited. Kennex called the flames that would burn her to ash so she could be reborn and take the fucker with her. It turned out she didn’t need to go that far. Jared let go of her and cried out. He stood and batted at his chest. It wasn’t wishful thinking, or a daydream this time. His shirt was gone and his flesh was bubbling.

  Without a word, he turned and vanished from her sight. Kennex recalled her flames and released her wings. Naked, bruised and bloody, she smiled and took to the skies. For the first time since meeting Jared, he hadn’t won.

  No longer a victim, Kennex’s fear slid away as she flew toward her townhome. Jared would come back and be more pissed than ever, but for the first time in her life she believed she could win against him. She was going to rid the universe of an evil being.

  * * *

  Chapter 10

  “Hey there, Tiger. I’m glad you could make it. Come on in,” Kennex said when she opened her front door and greeted Ayil.

  He was surprised by the female’s warm greeting. Since the moment they met and she told him he was going to die, their relationship hadn’t been typical in any sense of the word and part of him never expected her to reach out.

  Ayil hoped she would because he needed to get close to her. Despite the fact that he disliked her and her caustic attitude, she intrigued him. This wasn’t easy for her, Ayil realized as he noticed the fine lines around her eyes and the way her knuckles turned white where she gripped the wood of her front door.

  “I didn’t think you’d call,” Ayil muttered as entered the home when Kennex waved him inside. His skin prickled painfully as he crossed the threshold.

  He glanced around and detected a ward around the space. The energy signature was distinctly from the Rowan sisters. He wondered why a Phoenix would need such a strong protective ward until he realized Kennex wasn’t used to living so close to humans. No doubt she was guarding her existence from them. Although the discomfort told him this was designed to keep beings out.

  It made more sense that she was keeping humans away from her, rather than the other way around. Kennex seemed like a closed book to him.

  “Honestly, neither did I, but I meant what I said. I wasn’t fair to you before. I can’t judge you on some other asshole’s behavior, just like you can’t judge me on what the leaders of this clan have done. Would you like a beer?” she offered.

  “Sure. Unless you have vodka,” he asked with a wink. Ayil was swamped with Kennex’s sultry spicy scent, but there was barely a hint of infernal energy. Ayil was forced to mask his surprise when he sensed ethereal energy overwhelming everything else coming off her.

  To his utter shock, she hadn’t spent time with anyone since they danced last weekend. The infernal energy signature was there underneath it all, but it wasn’t at the fore like he would have expected if she were cooperating with the demons. There was a chance what he sensed was residual from what happened in Arizona, but that was so long ago nothing should be left by this point.

  “No, sorry. I have beer and Mountain Dew. Take your pick,” she offered as she shut and locked the door.

  Ayil shifted from foot to foot suddenly uncomfortable now that he was alone with her in her home. The space was open and cozy. The kitchen and living room were one large space with an overstuffed brown couch separating the areas.

  “Beer is great. That television is as big as your wall. You must really like watching shows,” Ayil teased.

  Kennex handed him a cold bottle and popped open a soda for herself. “I like movies, but don’t watch them often. I use it for my work and my games.”

  Ayil’s mouth spread to match her smile, it was that infectious. It was the first real sign of joy he’d seen from the Phoenix and it transformed her. If he saw her this happ
y then his investigation would be so much more enjoyable, and he wouldn’t feel guilty for using her. Plus, it didn’t hurt that it made her the most beautiful female on the planet.

  “What is it that you do?” Ayil asked, suddenly wanting to know more about Kennex than merely whether or not she entered an agreement with the denizens of the Underworld.

  Kennex sat on the small sofa along the back wall of the living room and crossed her legs underneath her. A small black plastic thing with buttons and tiny sticks on it was in her hand in the next second. Ayil followed and took a seat on the larger sofa in front of him then set his beer on the coffee table.

  “I create video games. I helped create God of War. Surely, you must have wondered where they got such accurate details from for the characters,” Kennex replied. She used her arms when she spoke, her hand moving in wide sweeping gestures.

  Ayil looked around for clues as to what she was talking about. God of War sounded like an angry Ares. That God preferred to be embroiled in battle. “Honestly, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Do you work for Ares or something?”

  Kennex laughed and set down the black device before picking up her phone. “No. I don’t work for or with Ares. I will explain, but first I’m ordering dinner. Mexican food sound okay with you?”

  “Mexican sounds good. I love chicken enchiladas and tacos. I’m not picky. I would offer to cook for you, but I’m enjoying our night so far. It’d be cruel to make you sick when we’re having so much fun.”

  Kennex laughed as her fingers flew over the phone. “I thought about cooking dinner for you, as well, but really do want to start over. There are no number of videos that can make my food edible. Lexis swears all I have to do is watch and follow each step and I can cook anything. After nearly burning down my kitchen the other day I swore I’d never pick up a pan again.”

  “I have a kitchen in my home here in San Diego, but I don’t spend much of my time there. In Heaven, we don’t generally have kitchens. Some of us do, but for the most part we eat at one of the cafés or pubs.”