Ascension

by Felicity Heaton

  “Not like that. Strictly professional as far as I know. He normally works alone. Ah, speaking of jobs... would you be interested in making fifty large? I still have a contract that needs fulfilling and you would be perfect for the job.”

  His smile unnerved her. It thinly veiled the hatred she could feel in him, the dark urges that flowed across the table from him and into her. They spoke to her power, teasing it with an offer of release and destruction. Fifty thousand dollars. She could use that sort of money.

  “How about we discuss it over a drink?” The vampire was gone before she could refuse the drink and the contract.

  What in the gods names was she doing? She had never taken a contract by herself and now certainly wasn’t the time to start. Her gaze scanned the club. It was bad enough that she had come out here without Taig’s knowledge and was risking his wrath to make him jealous. What if the bastards who had shot him came to the club and found her before Taig noticed? She could fight them, but she wasn’t sure how it would end. There was a high chance that she would take the entire club with them if she unleashed her magic and that might include Taig.

  The vampire returned, lazily sliding into the seat opposite her, and placed a short glass of something down in front of her. It looked like whisky but was darker. She picked it up and sniffed it. It smelt like whisky and drowning her sorrows had a certain appeal to it right now.

  The vampire raised his glass.

  “To future relations.” He grinned.

  Lealandra raised hers, tipped her head back, and drained the glass. It burned a path down her throat and then she felt strangely hot and hazy. Her gaze met the vampire’s and his eyes were bright again, shining in the darkness. She smiled, pressed her hand to her mouth when she hiccupped, and then fought to keep her eyes open. She felt so weird. Her body seemed separate to her mind, numb and beyond her control. Her power shrank back and then exploded forwards, rushing through her. She threw her head back and then moaned when something traced a line up her neck, softly caressing her skin and setting her aflame. It felt so good.

  Firm hands clutched her upper arms, pinning her in place, and she didn’t resist. She didn’t want to.

  A mighty roar shattered the noise of the club, bringing silence in its wake, and she trembled at the dark power that trickled through her, making her blood buzz with anticipation and hunger.

  Taig.

  Incredible strength surged in her veins and through her body, pulsing over her in seductive waves that pulled her under and carried her away. She closed her eyes and licked her lips, aching to feel something stronger, rougher, something that could break her if it wanted to and could command her.

  The thing that had been caressing her throat disappeared in a collision of sounds, all of them indistinct. She fluttered her eyes open and stared blankly, not taking in what was happening, only catching snippets of it in her throbbing mind. The vampire was in trouble. She giggled and smiled, amused at the sight of him fighting for his life in the space that had opened up in front of the bar. People edged backwards, cramming the crowd into an even smaller space. Their emotions pounded in her skull, conveying their conflict. None of them could decide whether to keep well clear or stick around to watch the brawl.

  She couldn’t blame them.

  Taig was a very jealous man.

  His eyes glowed red, teeth sharp and showing a trace of his demon side. He ripped into the vampire, beating the hell out of him, and then flung him across the room. The club patrons scattered as he and the vampire wreaked havoc, destroying tables and smashing everything in sight. It was glorious.

  Lealandra laughed.

  Taig turned on her, his red eyes meeting hers. Before she could laugh again, he had her wrist and was yanking her towards the doors. She pouted and stumbled along behind him, scratching at his hand on her. She didn’t want to leave yet. Her gaze flicked back to the vampire. He was still breathing. It wasn’t right to leave when their quarry was still alive.

  With a grin, she snapped her fingers and the vampire contorted, his bloodied limbs twisting into strange shapes. She laughed and darkness pounded through her, whispering to destroy.

  “Stop that.” Taig shook her and she tilted her head back and looked down her nose at him.

  Who was he to order her around?

  She was about to snatch her arm back and teach him a lesson when his fist came out of nowhere, colliding with her cheek, and the world wavered and grew dark.

  When the light came back, Lealandra was cold and aching. Pain wracked her and her magic flared back into life, dulling her feelings but not getting rid of them completely. She squinted to focus and found Taig standing before her, a dirty alley as his backdrop. He bit his wrist, his red eyes fixed on hers, and then pressed it against her mouth.

  “Drink.”

  Lealandra didn’t. She stared into Taig’s eyes, watching the flickering flames. It felt as though they were burning into her, setting her on fire. Her skin crawled with fear and heat, tingling with a need that she couldn’t place.

  “Drink deep.” Taig pressed his wrist harder against her lips and she swept her tongue over the ragged marks. The first touch of blood on her tongue was bliss, tempering her power until it ebbed away. The heat began to abate, leaving her feeling more aware of her feelings and more in control. “I’ll take care of you, sweet cheeks.”

  Taig brushed his other hand across her cheek. “I’m sorry I hit you but you didn’t exactly leave me a choice.”

  She was aware of that and embarrassed by her behaviour. It wasn’t like her to take pleasure from someone else’s torment and pain.

  He ran his hand into her long black hair, caressing it back behind her ear, and she closed her eyes, shakily raised her hands and clutched his wrist to her mouth. She kept drinking, unsure of what she was doing but following Taig’s command because she was starting to feel more like her normal self.

  “I’ll take care of that bastard’s blood. Clean it all up and make you better.”

  Her eyes opened and she stared into the bright red pools of Taig’s, lost in them and the horror that crept over her. The vampire had given his blood to her. He had spiked her drink and drugged her to control her. She felt so stupid.

  “There. All better.” Taig took his wrist away and carefully swept his thumb over her lips to clear the blood away. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds more and then pulled her into his arms, wrapping her tight in his strong embrace. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

  Her eyes slipped shut and she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt, feeling weak. She had been such an idiot. Gods knew what danger she had placed herself in just to make Taig jealous. If he hadn’t noticed, she would’ve ended up giving the vampire exactly what he had wanted. Blood. He probably would’ve drained her dry.

  A flash of the woman crossed her mind. A reminder of why she had been drinking with the vampire to start with.

  Lealandra pressed her cheek against Taig’s chest and listened to the hard beat of his heart. Provoking him while he was on edge and ready to fight would get her nowhere but she couldn’t let it slide. She had to know. He had to know.

  “I already am hurt,” she whispered.

  Taig pushed her off him and his gaze darted over her, taking her all in and lingering longest on her neck. His eyes brightened until the fires of Hell burned in them.

  “Did he bite you? I should’ve come quicker. I knew that bastard was after something the moment he spoke to you.”

  Her blood froze. Taig had seen her with the vampire and hadn’t come to her? She pulled free of his arms and glared at him, breaking inside at the thought he would do such a thing. He had left her vulnerable. He had stayed with that woman.

  Lealandra turned away.

  Taig brushed her coat collar and hair aside and touched her neck, and she ignored the shiver that swept over her at the light caress. “No marks.”

  Idiot.

  She wrapped her arms around herself and kept her back to him.

  “Wh
o hurt you, Lea?” There was a command in his tone. She ignored that too. He didn’t let her. He grabbed her shoulder and spun her to face him. His eyes burned brighter, flickering from red to orange. “Who hurt you?”

  She cast her gaze downwards and sighed. “You.”

  “I didn’t mean to shout at you back at my place and I said I was sorry that I hit you.”

  A mirthless laugh escaped her. Had he always been so blind? Was his denial of her feelings for him the reason he always got the wrong end of the stick at times like this?

  She took a deep breath and met his gaze. “The hunter.”

  He frowned and then it slowly melted away and his eyebrows rose. A moment later, he was rolling his eyes and dragging her back into his arms.

  “Is that what this is about?” he murmured against her hair, holding her close as he stroked it. “You put yourself at risk to repay me for talking to that woman? And I thought I was insane. I never had you pegged as someone stupid enough to do that. Lea, I haven’t looked at another woman since first laying eyes on you. There’s no one but you. No one.”

  Lealandra cursed the gods and him, and leaned against his chest, seeking the comfort of his embrace. Calm washed through her, brought about by his tender tone and what he had said, and she wanted to stay in this moment with him forever.

  “Were you even a little jealous?” Hope beat in her chest.

  “I kicked the shit out of him, didn’t I?” Taig went quiet and then sighed. “I wanted to kill him the other night for just looking at you... now I want to kill him a thousand times over. No one but me gets to touch you like that. You’re mine, Lea, and I’m not the sharing type.”

  Lealandra closed her eyes, relief blossoming sweet and warm deep in her heart. It wasn’t the confession of love that she had been hoping to hear for the past six years, but it was a start. It was enough to reinforce her belief that he loved her.

  Deep in his heart, he loved her.

  Taig kissed her hair and sighed with her, his broad chest pressing against her cheek. He rubbed her arms.

  “We should get you home.”

  Lealandra stilled at those words. Did he realise what he had said? He had called his place her home. A smile snuck onto her lips and she warmed at the thought. Her home was right here in his arms. She wasn’t going to leave it again, not for anyone or anything. She wasn’t quite ready to admit it to him and to see him gloat, but she was glad that she was back and they were together again, and nothing would part them this time.

  Not even her ascension.

  “I can teleport us back.” She emerged from his arms and looked up at him.

  Taig smiled, the sort of one that always made her heart flutter and made her feel like a giddy girl. She never had been able to resist him when he turned on the charm. She stepped into him and his eyes melted from red to black. His smile faded, replaced by a serious look, and he stared deep into her eyes.

  “It’s a nice night for flying.”

  Lealandra searched his eyes to see if he really was serious and not just pretending to be. There was an edge to his ebony gaze that said not to question him so she didn’t. This was the first step towards him letting her in and talking to her, and accepting himself, and she wasn’t about to ruin it.

  Her eyes widened when he backed away from her and unbuttoned his black shirt before removing it to reveal the smooth bronzed planes of his torso. She told herself not to gawp but her heart overruled her mind and she raked her gaze over his muscles, from the compact lines of his abdomen to the strong bulge of his biceps. He radiated power and she couldn’t resist.

  “I’ve already ruined one of my favourite shirts today.” He tied the black shirt around his waist, causing his muscles to ripple.

  He stilled when she stepped forwards and ran her hands over his forearms, heading upwards across his biceps to his shoulders. His gaze followed her hands as she swept them over his broad chest, marvelling at his strength and beauty, and then met hers. He was gorgeous, his dark eyes holding hers, challenging her. She inclined her head, luring him in little by little, tempting him to kiss her.

  He didn’t.

  He bent and scooped her up into his arms, holding her around her back and under her knees.

  Lealandra gasped when huge black leathery wings erupted from his back, almost filling the small alley. His wingspan was impressive, each wing reaching over ten foot when stretched. Would it be enough to support them both though? It was one thing flying alone, a completely different one carrying a passenger. He wouldn’t notice her weight, but his wings would.

  “Don’t fret, sweet cheeks. We’re good.” With that, he beat his wings and lifted into the air with her.

  Lealandra curled up against him, threw her arms around his neck, and prayed to every god that she knew that they would make it back to his apartment in one piece and that he wouldn’t drop her.

  Because teleporting when rushing towards the ground from a dizzying height was something that she had never done before.

  And she didn’t want to see if she could perform magic under that sort of pressure.

  CHAPTER 16

  Once they were flying for a few minutes, Lealandra began to relax. It seemed Taig’s wings could easily take the extra weight and he had whispered quiet reassurances to her the whole time they had been airborne. She uncurled slightly, keeping a tight grip on Taig’s neck, and looked around at the darkness. The city was a rush of lights below her. Rivers of red and white marked the roads. Taig had flown high at the start but her nails digging in to the back of his neck seemed to have conveyed her fear enough for him to drop lower. It was warmer nearer the buildings and the view took her mind off the fact that she was still a few hundred feet above a very hard surface. If she fell, would her magic be calm enough to teleport her to safety? It had survival instincts too. Surely it would save her?

  Or Taig would.

  She smiled at that thought and pictured it happening. He would swoop like an eagle to save her, catching her in his arms and making everything better. Lealandra cleared her throat. She was being so girlish and silly since walking back into Taig’s life. Had she felt like this around him before? Usually she was strong, but around him, she felt as though she didn’t need to be. She could be the woman she was inside, without fear of him thinking that she was weak. He would protect her.

  “Almost there.” Taig’s voice was distant to her ears, barely audible over the rush of wind and the beating of his wings. It was incredible to fly with him like this.

  His gaze remained fixed straight ahead, his dark eyebrows drawn together in concentration. She could feel his discomfort and how hard he was thinking, and she didn’t push him to talk to her. He needed space and she was going to let him have it. This was enough for her right now, a sign that he would let her in one day and talk to her.

  “You’re pretty good at this.” Lealandra smiled again when he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

  Silence.

  The sense of turmoil inside him increased and she wondered if she had said something wrong. She had only wanted him to see that the wings didn’t scare her and neither had the claws that she had seen. Nothing about Taig frightened her. She loved him so much that it didn’t matter what he looked like as a demon. If he ever showed her, she was sure that she would love that side of him too. It was still him.

  Still the man she had fallen for.

  “My father taught me to fly.”

  Lealandra’s eyes shot wide and she tried to keep from tensing. This was a step that she hadn’t been expecting. She wasn’t sure how to proceed now. His unease increased, flowing through her, and she ran her fingers into his black hair, wanting to soothe him and give him support.

  “He had wings too?” She stroked his hair and kept her gaze on his profile, studying the minute changes in his expression and his feelings.

  Taig nodded, distant and focused.

  Silence.

  Was that it? It was a start, she supposed, but now she wanted more. S
he wanted to talk about this and slowly work her way past his defences and into his heart.

  A smile tugged at his lips. “My mother used to have kittens whenever we went out flying. I always came back hurt.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s not exactly easy to explain. I don’t think you’d under—what am I saying? No. You of all people would understand.” He glanced at her again. “I lacked harmony with my demon blood even back then. I’ve never found it. My father tried to teach me all sorts of things but I could never do them properly because I’d see something like a bunch of kids playing in the fields and I’d want to do that instead.”

  The sound of his wings beating filled the pause and Lealandra looked at them and then back at Taig. She hoped he wasn’t lacking harmony tonight because from what she could tell, he was talking about dropping out of the sky the moment he lost the connection to his demon side.

  Taig’s voice lowered to a whisper. “I never understood why he wouldn’t let me... why he’d make me stay in and try to teach me all that crap.”

  “He wanted to protect you.” The answer was obvious to Lealandra. Taig’s father had been trying to teach him everything he needed to survive in a human world, a place where he would be in constant danger.

  Taig’s gaze shifted to her, his expression soft and open. “I get that now... but the cold bastard never said it that way. I had to learn. I was different. I wasn’t human.”

  Perhaps Taig hadn’t done a number on himself all these years. Perhaps it all stemmed from his father and their time together when Taig was a child. If Taig’s father had told him repeatedly that he wasn’t human, had made him do things that he hadn’t wanted to, then Taig had probably rebelled against it all the moment his parents had disappeared and he had seen that everything his father had taught him meant nothing. It hadn’t saved his parents. How would it ever save him?