by Sharon Kay
“A few months. We move around the country as needed. Monitor the larger cities, keep our ears open for signs of trouble.”
“Where were you before Chicago?” She studied his profile, surprised that she’d missed how long and dark his eyelashes were. They framed his azure eyes perfectly, making even the most casual glance seem sensual.
“I was in L.A. for a couple of years.”
Great, the clubs there are full of petite, tanned, artificially curvy women who probably made a habit of throwing themselves at you. Ridiculous, unbidden jealousy burst like a firework in her mind. Were Gunnar-groupies waiting for him in every city? “Do you have a girlfriend?” she blurted.
He looked at her, eyes twinkling. “No.”
“Are you married?”
This time he chuckled. “Again, no.”
“Do demons even get married?”
“Not in the human sense of the word. Supernaturals sometimes find mates.”
She frowned at the term. “How is a mate different from a spouse?”
“Mating is more permanent. It can only be broken with the death of one partner.” He grinned. “Any more questions I can answer for you?”
“About a million, since you shifted my world off its axis last night,” she replied, and then flushed at the twinkle that lit his eyes. “Um…I mean…you know what I mean.”
His grin turned positively devilish. “Nicole, if last night shifted your world, you haven’t seen anything yet.” It was a good thing they were stopped at a traffic light, because heat rolled off his body as his blue eyes stared deeply into hers. He placed his big hand on her thigh and squeezed gently. “And there’s a lot you need to know about the supernatural world, as well.”
“Yeah,” was all she could manage, as the warmth from his hand sent fluttering waves zinging through her body. The light turned green and she took a deep breath to clear her mind. “So you’re like, on an assignment here in Chicago?”
“We’re keeping an eye on something that may or may not be a problem.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Guess you have to be vague about it. I mean, you wouldn’t want to give away secrets to the new girl.” It came out more sarcastic than she intended.
He shot her a sideways glance. “If there’s a chance you’re able to help, you’ll know more than you ever wanted to pretty soon.”
The phrase more than you ever wanted to know had taken on a whole new meaning. Her thoughts bunched in a jumble of conflicts. Was she really putting faith in the tales he told her? Although it was a little late for second thoughts, considering she was in a car with him and on her way to meet his colleagues. And her own life was proof that, if nothing else, some people were just different. Different enough to be supernatural creatures? She had a feeling she was about to get a crash course in all things weird and wild.
She glanced down to where Gunnar’s hand rested on her thigh. Her instincts told her to trust him. Focusing on the heat flowing from his body into hers, she pushed the jittery thoughts out of her head and looked out her window. Not even a mile to the east of them she caught glimpses of Lake Michigan, sparkling in the morning sun as they drove.
Soon they pulled into a private, gated lane that crossed a generous yard and led to a large two-story brick house. Tall trees and hedges shielded it from the road. Gunnar pulled around to the back of the house, where two more SUVs were parked. As they exited the car, Nicole prepared to be scrutinized within an inch of her life. Excitement and nerves ping-ponged in her belly. It’ll be worth it if I can get some answers.
They walked into a large kitchen with gleaming black granite countertops. A coffee machine ticked and hummed quietly near the sink, releasing the aroma of strong, unflavored coffee. In the great room beyond, two muscular men sat playing video games in front of a large flat screen television. Nicole caught some of their running commentary, full of trash-talking insults, as they fired at computer generated aliens. They both looked up when Gunnar and Nicole entered the room.
“Hey man.” One of them stood. He matched Gunnar’s height, but his hair was blond and his eyes sparked with watchful curiosity as he glanced at Nicole and back to Gunnar.
“Kai, this is Nicole,” Gunnar said.
Kai drew in a breath and paused. Guarded brown eyes pierced her. “Fae?”
Nicole stared at him, unsure of what he was talking about. The game console had quieted when the two set down their controllers, and the raucous guitars of Iron Maiden’s “Wasted Years” pounded from the stereo.
Gunnar stepped in without missing a beat. “No. Got any other ideas?”
Now the other guy got up and crossed over to them. “Since when do you fail to identify a female?” He spoke to Gunnar, but kept his eyes on Nicole. He had dark brown hair, cut short all over, and a relaxed attitude. But she couldn’t tell if his grin was sincere or sarcastic.
“Shut up, Rhys, unless you want to offer a helpful suggestion.”
I should say something. Too bad standing in close quarters with the three of them was a little intimidating. At five foot ten, she never felt petite. But the combined height and size of Gunnar and his friends made her feel like a tiny doll.
“I met Nicole last night. She has a unique ability.” Gunnar went on to describe her talent while the other demons stared at her.
“How ’bout you show us.” The unmistakable edge in Kai’s low voice let her know it wasn’t a request.
She hadn’t planned on stirring any winds indoors. Nicole swallowed hard and focused on the air in the room. She manipulated it into a gentle breeze, lifting their hair as she had done last night in the park with Gunnar. They paused and looked at each other.
“That’s it?” Rhys asked, eyebrows pinched.
“No, that’s not it, but that’s all I want to do inside your home,” Nicole said, finding her voice.
“You really don’t know what you are?” Kai folded his arms across his chest.
Great. Now she felt intimidated and stupid. “No. I thought I was human until last night.”
“We need to talk to Rilan,” Gunnar muttered.
Kai raked a hand through his hair . “He’s translating some old grimoires. It may be awhile before he’s out of his study. You know how he gets into that old Demonish stuff.”
“Yeah,” Gunnar frowned. He turned to Nicole. “Looks like we’ve got some time to kill. Unless you’re a fan of these Xbox role-playing games, I’ll show you the rest of the house.”
A grin tugged at her mouth. “I’ll pass on the video game.”
He flashed one of his devastating smiles and extended his arm in a sweeping motion. “This is the great room.”
She studied the large high-ceilinged space. Brown leather couches and chairs sat near the television and a central stone fireplace. One side of the room held a long farm-style dining table with distressed white chairs. The other side of the room contained an enormous L-shaped computer desk outfitted with three large flat screen monitors. One of them displayed a map of the city, with little red dots that flashed intermittently.
Tall windows flanked the fireplace and the wood floor gleamed with a lustrous dark finish. The whole room was done in neutral colors: dark browns, grays, and the pale dining chairs. There wasn’t a pop of color anywhere. Brooke would have a fit, she mused, thinking of her artistic sister.
Gunnar gestured toward the dining side of the room, which opened to reveal a hallway. “That leads to the front foyer and the staircase to the second floor. And here,” he turned her back around toward the kitchen, “is the second staircase.”
She noticed a closed door just inside the kitchen. Gunnar opened it for her, and they descended the steps to enter a long hallway with walls painted a dark gray. Reaching a glass door, Gunnar repeated his chivalrous gesture and opened it. She smiled and stepped into a giant workout room.
Besides free weights and a large treadmill, it held more weapons than she had ever seen. Short straight knives, wicked looking curved blades, and swords of all lengths
were mounted on one wall. The area next to them opened to a wide space for practicing. Beyond that, a wall with a row of windows enclosed a firing range.
“Wow,” she said as she took it all in. “You guys are well-stocked.”
“Gotta be prepared.”
Gingerly picking up a curved blade with a forked tip, she asked, “What do you use this for?”
“Carving the heart out of a Neshi demon.”
Her jaw dropped.
“Sometimes they survive our demonfire, so that’s one way to make sure they’re truly dead.”
She set the blade down and shook her head, almost sorry she asked. He sounded so casual about it. This was his world, and now it was hers as well. Am I ready?
Nicole crossed over to a table in the weapons area and touched a small silver dagger. Deeply carved lines circled the hilt, which was set with a small round sapphire. She picked it up and tested its weight in her hand, noting the intricate symbols carved on the blade. “May I?” She nodded at the far wall.
“Go for it.” Gunnar grinned.
Eyeing one of the ragged wooden beams against the wall, obviously a well-worn target, she hurled the blade end over end and watched it sink with a resounding thunk into the wood.
“Not bad.” Gunnar glanced at the rest of the weapons. “Try another.”
“I’ve never used a sword. Only small knives and switchblades.”
“You’ll need to learn. Most supernaturals can only be killed by beheading or fire.”
The thought of taking the head of a creature whose existence she probably wasn’t even aware of was so far-fetched that Nicole only nodded. Her world had gone from weird to completely crazy in less than twenty-four hours. Here she stood in a room full of weapons, in a house full of demons, one of which was hopefully going to identify her odd ability. And she hadn’t shared any of it with Brooke yet.
Gunnar broke through her musings. “Want to spar?”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Spar? With you?” She shook her head. “That didn’t go so well for me last night. I ended up with my hair full of dirt.” And with the delicious weight of his big body pressing hers to the ground. Nicole pushed the errant thought from her mind.
“Last night I didn’t want you to run away. Today I want to see what you can do. And there’s no dirt here.” He spread his arms wide, gesturing to the large practice area covered in blue padded mats.
She stared at him with narrowed eyes. Why not? “Okay. I need to change clothes, though.”
Gunnar went to get the bag she had left up in the kitchen, and when he returned she ducked into a small changing room off the main area. She emerged shoeless, in white Gi pants and a red workout tank. She walked to the center of the room where he was waiting for her.
She took a second to appreciate his sheer bulk, which made her stomach flutter in more ways than one. Last night he had pinned her so easily...but he didn’t hurt her. She had sparred with the other students in her classes over the years, and she occasionally sparred with Brooke, but she had never taken on anyone as big as Gunnar. He was probably strong enough to snap her neck, though she knew she could move fast. Faster than him?
She booted her nerves with a mental drop kick. Focused on her muscles and her breathing. He watched her, waiting, a tower of coiled strength. A muscle twitched in his jaw.
In a blur of movement, she turned and whirled, kicking out to connect just below his ribs. He took a step back and reached for her ankle, as she expected. Without setting her foot on the ground she swiftly kicked him again, right in the indent of his waist, before she danced away.
He grinned as they circled one another, his eyes taking on the blue luster she had seen last night. “Again.”
She charged forward, darting to the side as she neared him. She quickly turned and moved to bring her foot down on his knee, a move that could shatter a man’s kneecap. But Gunnar wasn’t a man, and he moved just in time, catching her ankle with his foot.
The blue mats raced toward her eyes as she lost her balance, rolling away from him as she fell. She leapt to her feet and didn’t even hesitate before running at him full speed and jumping onto his back. She brought her hand across his throat in a slicing motion.
He caught her wrist and yanked to the side, nearly pulling her over his shoulder. She went airborne. Before her brain even registered that she’d landed, he pounced, pinning her facedown to the mat.
She got the feeling he wasn’t letting his full weight rest on her, but damn, he was heavy. She tried to twist away and couldn’t. Tried to buck with her hips and couldn’t. But that little motion only brought her rear right up against his pelvis.
She froze, fighting the urge to roll her hips against his. Her mind started to melt into a haze of lust as every inch of her reveled in the warm contact of their bodies, from shoulders to knees. He couldn’t have known how much she loved lying just like this. And she wasn’t about to share that bit of information with him. Not now. She found a tiny corner of her mind that was still rational, and rasped, “Again.”
They continued until she was a sweaty mess and he, annoyingly, looked barely ruffled. Not once had she been able to bring him down. She guessed he was holding back, assessing her. And when he moved, it was faster than she could track. That’s when she’d end up on the mat. Where she was at this very minute.
He had her face down again, her arms held behind her, when he gently touched his knee to her back. “This will hurt a lot more when a pissed-off Serus demon does it.”
“Got it,” she grunted, not wanting to know what a Serus demon was. “I think I’m done for today.”
He let her up and crossed the room to retrieve two water bottles from a small fridge. Nicole gulped as she leaned against the wall, still sitting on the floor.
Gunnar sat down next to her. “You didn’t do so bad for your first time fighting a demon.”
“Yeah, right. You could’ve killed me about five times.”
“You didn’t use your power.”
“I thought you just wanted to see my fighting skills. Besides, I didn’t want to wreck your house.”
“These walls are reinforced with spells, so it would take a lot to bring this place down. But thanks anyway.” He pushed a dark lock out of his eyes. “You have a good foundation of skills for battle.”
She grimaced internally at the thought that something she had been doing her entire life was just a foundation, but on a deep level she knew he was right. Nodding, she glanced down at her tank top, now plastered to her chest. “I could use a shower.”
“There’s one over there.” He pointed to another door across the room. “Towels, soap, and stuff are inside. While you do that, I’ll see what’s going on upstairs. And don’t worry–none of the other guys will come down here.”
Relieved at the chance to clean up, she walked into the bathroom. Like the rest of the house, it was large, with a closet stocked full of linens, toiletries, and even a hair dryer. It had two sinks, a full-size shower, and a small room at the far end that housed the commode. She pulled off her sweaty clothes, cranked the faucet, and stepped under the round silver sprayer. It was one of those fancy showerheads that simulated a gentle rainfall.
Images from her morning raced through her mind as she lathered her hair with a citrus-scented shampoo. So demons aren’t immune to the finer things in life. This house had some nice features. And the nicest one was an immense dark-haired demon who had just bested her on the mats.
Gunnar climbed the steps from the lower level of the house, trying his best not to think of Nicole’s naked, svelte body in the shower. He tried not to imagine frothy suds and water droplets running down the bare skin of her long neck, between her pert breasts, and down her endless legs. He thoroughly enjoyed sparring with her. For someone raised human, she was a good opponent. No doubt her supernatural lineage boosted her fighting skills. Maybe he was a bastard, but he could feel his body fighting for every chance to press against hers, to hold her tightly, and to feel her lean curves
next to him.
He entered the great room to find Rhys asleep on the couch and Kai searching the internet. “Cute female.” Kai turned to face him. “Where’d you find her?”
Gunnar fought the urge to tell his friend to shut up. Nicole didn’t belong to him. Hell, he barely knew her. “Englewood.” He named the neighborhood where he had first seen her.
“No way she lives there.”
“No, she doesn’t live there. Would you believe she picks fights there?”
“Uh, no,” Kai said. “No, I wouldn’t.” He leaned back in his chair. “This should be good.”
Gunnar summed up the previous evening for his fellow warrior. “So she thinks you just happened to meet her at that club?” Kai asked. “Smooth, man. Hope that works for you. Because while you were chasing her tail, we found some maggots over on the west side.”
Probably in one of the crime-ridden areas that Gunnar was supposed to be searching when Nicole walked out of her condo looking like a supermodel. His group constantly watched and investigated any suspicious supernatural activity. They were a loosely organized group called Watchers, with houses in several large American cities. They answered to Arawn, the powerful leader of the Lash demons. Like a general, he moved them around the country as needed.
Gunnar knew he should have been with his comrades last night. He blew out a breath. “How many?”
“Four. We took out three, but one got away. Weird thing was, it was like they were trying to keep us occupied so the other one could escape. And even weirder was what they did before we jumped them.”
Rhys stirred and sat up. “Dude, talk about bat-shit crazy. Skells are not that smart.” Despite his laid-back surfer demeanor, Rhys was sharp as a tack and the most technologically savvy of the group.
Gunnar glanced between the two of them and waited.
“The Skells were as sloppy as ever,” Kai continued. “Cut up some crackheads so they bled a lot, but the wounds weren’t deep. Then they held up these, I don’t know, container things–right under the cuts, and collected some of the blood. But not a lot of it, because that’s when we joined their little party. When they realized they were being attacked, they all shoved the containers at the one Skell. He put them in a bag and took off while the rest stayed and fought.”
