Ayil

by Brenda Trim

  She returned her hands above her head and gripped the arm of the sofa. The move pushed her breasts out, drawing his attention. He was so lost in her that he lost control of the camouflage of his wings. Her breath caught at the reminder of exactly who and what Ayil was. Her apprehension disappeared when he lowered his head and claimed her mouth.

  Their lips and tongues moved over each other’s and quickly became urgent. At some point during their passionate lip-lock, he eased one hand between her legs while propping himself up with the other. One of his long fingers grazed her slick slit, making her lift her hips for more. It was embarrassing how with one touch he had her in the palm of his hand.

  “You like that, Candle?” He punctuated his question by slowly tracing a circle around her quivering flesh.

  “You handle my body far better than you did the video game controller.” Her hips lifted, seeking firmer pressure. The light teasing strokes were driving her insane with need.

  A moan left her mouth as he leaned over her and licked her nipple and his finger finally delved deeper. “Oh, Gods, yesss,” she hissed. He looked up from her breast and gave her a sexy half smile that she swore made her have a small climax. Ayil’s smile alone was a deadly weapon. Despite having his wings out, the sight of him hovering above her breast and smiling was erotic as hell.

  He kept his eyes on her and gently bit down on her nipple. It was shocking and more pleasurable than she would have guessed. Her core tightened, and her nipples ached, but he didn’t let go as he sucked them into his mouth. She began to buck and twist to get away or increase the pressure. Each nibble he bestowed on her taut tips, zinged straight from her breast to her core which he hadn’t stopped teasing.

  Ayil laid his body over her and his thick arousal was hot and heavy and kicking against her leg. She shifted her hips and spread her thighs. Kennex wasn’t certain if she was inviting him to take it further, and was relieved Ayil made no move to enter her. Although, her core ached to be filled.

  “You’re driving me crazy,” she murmured.

  He chuckled. “I know what you need,” he said, pinching her clit before he ran his fingers down to her dripping opening.

  “Gods, yes. Please don’t stop. I need more,” Kennex begged and writhed.

  Ayil remained beside her and kept his lips close to her mouth, but never kissed her. His fingers played over her flesh, and she went wild when he finally inserted one finger into her core.

  Her legs shifted restlessly, brushing against his cock. His shaft leaped in a silent plea for more, and she obliged, pushing against him as her pleasure built. His fingers became rougher over her sensitive female flesh, and she knew he was just as lost in the moment as she was. She was close to climaxing and automatically began to ride his hand, taking what she needed.

  The muscles in her abdomen tightened and her body squeezed his finger before she was crying out his name with her orgasm. She pressed her leg harder into him and let her body ride the wave of her climax. Before she knew it, she felt him tense and then grunt. Hot, wet fluid hit her thigh and she looked down. She was captivated by the sight of his erection as it kicked and shot seed out in a hot rush. At some point he adjusted his shaft and it was now poking above the waist of his boxer briefs.

  Panting, Kennex kissed Ayil’s lips and pulled away to smile up at him. “Holy shit, Tiger. That was un-freaking-real.”

  Ayil grabbed a towel. “That’s never happened to me before. I’m not sure whether to be embarrassed or not. But you’re right. That was incredible.”

  Kennex sat up and snagged her own towel, needing space between them. She was using him to get to Jared, yet her emotions were stirring in her chest. She just couldn’t make sense of what she was feeling at the moment.

  * * *

  Chapter 15

  Evzen was exhausted after the evening in San Francisco. After discovering the empty Angel’s Kiss vial in the house they’d gone to the station and Bhric erased memories from several dozen human cops.

  The Vampire Prince was nearly as powerful as his older brother. Evzen had his doubts this could be handled quickly and efficiently if Zander wasn’t present to take care of the situation. He’d never been happier to see Bhric manage the task with ease while Killian handled their computer systems remotely.

  “Shite, that smells fucking awful,” Kyran exclaimed as they stepped through the portal Evzen created to take them back to Zeum. Jax and Ryker were carrying the body between them. The body was in a black plastic body bag, but preternatural sense of smell was so acute the barrier did nothing to hide the decay.

  Evzen shivered as the cold marble floor of the Zeum entryway seeped through his dress socks. As soon as they left the house Evzen took his shoes off and tossed them in a dumpster. There was no getting the grime off the bottom. “It looks even worse.”

  “Was it Angel’s Kiss?” Hayden asked as he approached Jax and Ryker. “You can put him in the van out front. Zeke will take him to the Grove. I’m getting really fucking tired of losing shifters to this drug.”

  “Och, we all are,” Kyran added as he headed into the war room, followed by his mate, Mack.

  Today, like most days, the feisty female wore a custom t-shirt from her Made With Sass clothing line. Today’s black t-shirt read Queso All Day, Tequila All Night. While Evzen preferred more formal attire, he appreciate the female’s line of snarky clothing. Her candor was refreshing, as well.

  “How the fuck did drug production start again withoot us knowing? What did you learn while you were there?” Kyran barked, snagging Evzen’s attention.

  Uncharacteristically, killing-rage filled Evzen for the second time in less than twenty-four hours. “I have no idea, but I plan to find out and make an example out of the sorcerer dumb enough to follow in Angelica’s footsteps. Jax and the others weren’t able to find any more clues as to where the deceased found the drug and we discovered nothing more except confirmation it was in fact Angel’s Kiss.” Evzen pulled the vial from his pocket and set it on the table.

  Mack picked it up and turned it in her hand. “What we need to find is the Angel providing the blood. Cut them off from their source. Without the blood, they have no drug.”

  The way Kyran looked at his mate had Evzen glancing away. The heat and desire in Kyran’s gaze were more than obvious and made Evzen uncomfortable. But it was the love the vampire had for his female was the most shocking. Evzen believed Kyran was irrevocably damaged all those centuries ago when he witnessed his mother’s death. It was yet another reminder that the Goddess hadn’t abandoned them and had a plan for them all.

  Evzen wished he could have a quick chat with her right now. He wanted to know who was responsible for making this drug and how he could find that person. The longer it took them to find out the more lives were lost, both human and supernatural.

  “We can ask Illianna’s brothers if they have any information,” Kyran suggested. “But you know they had no information before. I’m not sure we will have any more success this time than we did before.”

  Nate brought snacks and drinks, setting them in the middle of the table for everyone. The dragon-shifter that acted as the majordomo at Zeum paused before he left the room. “Nothing here is the same without Izzy. Zander, too, for that matter, but you might want to look into this Angelica a bit more. There might be clues you missed before.”

  Hayden looked at the dragon and was nodding his head. “Precisely what I was just thinking. Whoever has taken over had to be extremely close to her. No way would she give her secrets away to just anyone. And, it would be impossible to figure out what she’d done. You couldn’t unravel her magic to see the various parts.”

  “You’re right about that. She incorporated Dark magic, but nothing else. Problem is I have no idea who was that close to her,” Evzen admitted.

  Nikko shook his head as he took a seat at the table. “What do we know about her? Do we know any of her associates?”

  “That was something Angelica held close to her chest and didn’t
let out. Aside from the horde of demons and the acolytes she lost during our raid of her house, I have no idea. We should pay her castle a visit and search for information,” Evzen practically growled.

  “I will put together a team and we can head out at sunset,” Nikko replied.

  “Count me in,” Bhric added. “We should bring Tristan on this one. The danger should be minimal, so it’ll be good training for the lad.”

  Unease crawled over Evzen’s skin when Bhric said it was going to be easy. “For some reason, I don’t think finding this asshole is going to be so simple.”

  Fatigue dragged Evzen’s shoulders down. He didn’t get enough sleep the night before and the fact that he was about to create another portal in less than twelve hours wasn’t going to make the situation any better.

  “What the shite happened to you?” Bhric asked when he bounded down the stairs from the second floor.

  “You finally hang up those robes and pointy shoes, Evzen?” Mack asked as she entered the room a second after Bhric. “I’m going to have to rethink the shirt I made with this great new look. Hogwarts is no longer your home. You’re all grown up now.” The insolent female wiped at her eyes as if she had tears in them.

  Evzen’s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide while several warriors chuckled at his expense. “I went shopping. No fucking way was I going on another mission in Italian leather loafers. Are we ready?”

  “We’re just waiting for––” the door opened, cutting off Bhric. Nikko, Tristan and several other young trainees entered the house. “Och, good timing. Do your thing, Evzen,” Bhric finished.

  Evzen called his staff to his palm and a bright, white light flashed. A split second later he gripped the familiar wood of his staff, and relished the familiar hum of power radiating through his body. The owl that adorned the top of the seven-foot, weathered pole gleamed in the overhead light and filled him with pride.

  Shaking his head, he got to work and began chanting in the ancient tongue. The magic built readily beneath his skin. Evzen was the only sorcerer alive that could create a portal on his own. It came with being the Guild Master.

  A heartbeat later, green, blue and purple lights akin to the aurora borealis undulated all around the group. The power increased until Evzen thought his skin would split, telling him it was ready. A wave of his hand and he threw the magic into the two-story foyer. Instantly, a mystical doorway formed, and a living room with antique furnishings and stone walls was visible on the other side of the portal.

  “Och,” Lachlan, a Dark Warrior in Glasgow greeted. “Good to see you. Canna say I’m happy someone is creating that drug again,” the shifter added.

  “No shite. I wish we were here under better circumstances. Have you heard any news?” Bhric asked as he crossed.

  The scent of lavender filled Evzen’s nose, reminding him of his mother. They lived not far from Mallaig when he was a stripling. Of course, the world was different now and the smell of oil, gasoline, and car exhaust mingled with other industrial scents to almost overpower everything else.

  Lachlan shook Evzen and Nikko’s hands. “Nay, nothing new. We should’ve cleared oot Angelica’s castle sooner, but no one wanted to step foot on that cursed land.”

  Evzen’s head cocked to the side as he considered Lachlan’s statement while he returned his staff to its mystical pocket in space. “Isn’t the land recovering? The Rowan sisters and I discussed spells I found in the Mystik Grimoire to heal the soil from Dark magic and clear it away.”

  “I have no knowledge of how long it takes for magic to work, but that land doesna look healed to me. The SUV is parked in front of the compound. I’ll see you when you get back. I need to head oot for patrols,” Lachlan said.

  “Thank you, Lach. See you soon,” Bhric replied before he turned to their group. “Ready?”

  “Yes. I’d like to see what’s going on out there,” Evzen agreed.

  They made their way outside and climbed into the SUV. Tristan turned around and craned his neck to look over his shoulder. “Where are the weapons?”

  Bhric met the young male’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Sheathed in your holsters, I hope.”

  “I have my sgian dubhs, but that’s only two small daggers. I thought we’d get to use guns.”

  “Yeah. I’m ready to kill some demons,” another young male agreed with the rest bobbing their heads.

  Bhric shook his head and focused on the road. “We’re going to search an empty castle for clues. No’ all of our missions involve fighting. Your daggers are sufficient.”

  Tristan sighed and slumped in his seat. “Then why am I here? I’d rather be in Seattle patrolling. At least, we’d run into some skirm.”

  Evzen wanted to reach over and smack the male upside his head. The youth was brash and wanted to be entertained when countless lives hung in the balance.

  Nikko twisted in the front passenger seat and glanced back at the young males. “We’ve talked about this. You need to be prepared to do anything the alliance needs. Every ounce of your effort is needed for any task asked of you. It falls upon us to look for clues that can save thousands of lives. If we do our job right tonight, we could lead Evzen to the sorcerer responsible for creating the drug that claims lives every day, so put aside any disappointment you may feel and focus on how you can help.”

  Tristan looked up from his lap and nodded at his trainer. For the first time Evzen understood why Zander chose Nikko to train new warriors. The male was patient and able to reach the trainee when many would’ve resorted to violence or left him behind on a mission like this. Problem was if you left them behind on the easy missions, they would never be able to perform them satisfactorily and that would eventually snowball into a major weakness for the warriors.

  The car stopped, making Evzen glance around. The night was cloudy and chilled when they opened the doors and climbed out. “I doona sense anything near. Do you, Evzen?” Bhric asked as they headed east from where the SUV was parked. They were in an empty field with a small hill looming in front of them. There was no way to see what lay beyond from their vantage point.

  “There’s magic close. Is Angelica’s castle up the hill?”

  Bhric nodded his head. “Aye. About fifty feet past that patch of trees,” the warrior said and pointed.

  The group quickly crested the hill and Evzen got a look at the sight for the first time. It was clear why Lachlan and the other warriors said the land was cursed. Five yards in front of their position, the trees were blackened trunks, the grass had turned brown, and no animals roamed. Malignant energy seeped from the ground, and even though it had previously killed everything in its path, preventing new growth. The spell either didn’t work to heal the soil or new Dark magic was cast there. Evzen couldn’t tell if the energy was residue or active without further investigation.

  His attention was diverted when he saw telltale signs of active magic a few feet beyond that, closer to the tattered castle. One tower stood tall and pristine while another was rubble. The rest of the structure had missing walls and displayed evidence that the building was hit by a bomb of some kind.

  “There’s a spell surrounding what’s left of the castle. I am going to need to take it down before we can approach,” Evzen explained.

  “Does that mean someone is inside?” Bhric growled at the same time Tristan said, “Yes. I’m going to kill some motherfuckers, after all.”

  Bhric did smack Tristan upside the head this time. “Is that attitude because he’s an overeager arsehole? Or do we need to worry about Dark magic? I seem to recall a warning during our last mission here about the evil energy fucking with our emotions.”

  Evzen opened his senses but didn’t feel an overwhelming sense of irrational anger that had no direct target. “I’d say it’s his hope for some action. There are traces of Dark magic, but not enough to mess with a person’s emotions to that level. I’ll take down that spell and we can approach the castle.”

  “Will that be like ringing the bell if anyo
ne is home?” Nikko asked.

  “Not if I do this right,” Evzen said and called his staff to his hand with a bright white light. “A bhogad,” he chanted. For the second time that night, the magic built beneath his skin, but the power didn’t come to him as readily, despite being Guild Master. It was too much so soon after casting a portal and he had no time to rest and regenerate.

  A heartbeat later, yellow and orange lights undulated in the air. Evzen paused, pouring more energy he didn’t have into the spell. When his skin felt like it was going to split, Evzen added a second element to the cast. “Litrich,” he murmured and red light joined the mix.

  He waved his hand and pointed at the castle then jerked it to the left. The lights shifted and a second later exploded like fireworks. No one else in their group saw what he did. He only hoped if there was a sorcerer in the house, they weren’t looking out the windows or all the energy he expended would be pointless.

  Bhric caught his arm when Evzen faltered and kept him from falling on his ass. It had been seven centuries since he’d embarrassed himself by overextending his magic like that.

  “I’m good. Find a back or side way into the property while I rest. They shouldn’t be aware we’re here.” Evzen replaced his staff and calmed his breathing. He needed to be on the top of his game as he was certain the castle was inhabited. Perhaps Tristan would get his chance to fight, after all.

  * * *

  Chapter 16

  “You really know how to cook?” Kennex asked from her perch on the barstool. Ayil looked up and her smirk caught his breath. She was gorgeous and he wanted more from her.

  Their last encounter surprised him completely when she allowed such intimate contact, yet it left him wanting more. He wanted to taste all of her and sink his shaft in her core and ride her until she cried out his name, but instinctively he knew she wasn’t ready for so much and hadn’t pushed it further.