Wicked Wind (Solsti Prophecy #1)

by Sharon Kay

  He’d searched for centuries to find something just like this. He was tired of the supposed balance of power in the world; instead, he saw a void that needed to be filled by one being. And he decided that being would be him. He combed every realm for every spell he could find. He amassed an impressive library of grimoires plucked from every remote corner of the world. And thanks to one of his ancestors, he had his plan in place.

  But unlike his ancestor, the Domu Xarrek, he moved his base of operations to Earth to avoid the inevitable scrutiny of his kin. They would recognize a power play immediately. But they couldn’t recognize one if they weren’t around, and not many of the Domu travelled to Earth. Their appearance alone would cause too much of a sensation among the humans, and then the Lash demons would get involved.

  All of his frustrations circled back to the Lash demons. They would be sorry they’d interfered. He looked forward to crushing them with a flick of his littlest finger.

  Gunnar and Nicole stood with Taszim on the bridge. The morning sun warmed their backs as they scanned the horizon, watching for Raniero. A small group emerged along the ridge far across the field. Gunnar froze, scrutinizing them, then nodded. “That’s Raniero.”

  A few moments later they all stood together, introductions complete. Raniero took Nicole’s hand, winked at her, and kissed it, partly to annoy Gunnar, she guessed. Certainly he could see the mark on her neck. Everyone could.

  “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Nicole,” he said. “I hear you were a great help to Rivkin.”

  “I’m sure you’ll be even more helpful than I was. I’m sorry that we can’t stay longer. Taszim is an excellent host.”

  “The nymphs are known for their hospitality.” Raniero’s eyes twinkled. Here was one demon who she doubted would turn down any offers of comfort from Rivkin’s females.

  They headed inside the colony for a meeting to discuss strategy. The new group of Lash demons attracted covetous stares from most of the females they passed. Yep, these demons will enjoy themselves while they guard Rivkin. It seemed like a win-win situation.

  All too soon it was time to leave. Larissa and Taszim stood with the other demons, as well as a large contingent of nymphs, to see them off. Larissa hugged Nicole, kissed her on both cheeks, and ordered her to return one day soon. Like Rosa, she also instructed Nicole to bring her sisters. If she got that request again, she’d be giving Brooke and Gin a guided tour of Torth soon. Just add “enchanted realm tour guide” to my resume.

  Gunnar held her hand in one of his, and with the other he produced the amulet that would take them home. He muttered a few words in demonish, and a shimmering giant ring appeared in the air next to them.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  She nodded and waved one last time to her new friends. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and then stepped into the portal.

  Once again she experienced the sensation of tumbling through the air. Will I ever get used to this? It was like swinging high on a swing set and then jumping off, except that it took much longer to land. She was glad to have Gunnar’s strong arms around her.

  They fell on the grass with a soft thud. She raised her head from Gunnar’s chest to see that they were lying in the back yard of the Evanston house. Gunnar had maneuvered so that he was under her, taking the brunt of the fall.

  “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “Are you kidding? You’re on top of me. There’s no way that I wouldn’t be okay.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “Rogue.”

  “Vixen.” He leaned up to steal a kiss.

  A voice carried across the yard as a short figure hurried over. “Gunnar! Nicole! I was beginning to wonder if you planned to stay on Torth for good,” Rilan chided as he reached them.

  Standing up, Gunnar towered over the Elder. So did the three other Lash demons that had emerged from the large house. Nicole remembered meeting them all, but it felt like it was months ago.

  “We made a side trip to Rivkin,” Gunnar said. “I’ll tell you all about it inside.”

  At the mention of the nymph colony, the other three warriors whistled and mumbled appreciatively. Rhys nodded and grinned. “Aw, man. Nymphs.”

  Gunnar shook his head. “Raniero and his friends are keeping them safe at the moment.”

  “Safe?” Kai asked. “From what?”

  “It’s a long story.” Gunnar rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Wait, where’s Brooke?” Nicole glanced around the yard. Was it her imagination, or did Kai scowl at the mention of her sister?

  “Not here at the moment. She said something about a business trip that she couldn’t get out of,” he muttered.

  “That’s right. Her big account in Florida.” A few times a year, Brooke had to go to South Beach for some face time with her most lucrative client. “She’ll be back Friday night.” She furrowed her brow. “It’s Wednesday, right?”

  Gunnar smiled and took her hand. “Yes. Time passes the same in both realms.”

  “Well I, for one, can’t wait to hear all about your trip.” Brenin stood with his hands on his hips. “I hope your last few days were more successful than ours.”

  Nicole opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but stopped when Gunnar cupped her cheek. “Inside.” Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he tugged her to the back door of the house. The rest of the group fell in step behind them. “We’ll sit down and go over every detail of what we found over the last few days.”

  They settled into the great room for Gunnar and Nicole’s account of their adventures on Torth. The others listened and nodded. Brenin grimaced when Gunnar described the meeting with Rosa.

  Nicole looked back and forth between the two men. “What? She was nice.”

  “Yeah, I’m sure it was.” Brenin folded his arms over his chest. “She has my respect, but shit. That witch’s power is intense.”

  Nicole shrugged. She wasn’t about to question Rosa.

  Gunnar went on to detail the attack by the winged Ghazsul demons. The men froze, eyes locked on their comrade.

  “Fucking wings?” Rhys narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck?”

  Gunnar nodded grimly. “My thoughts exactly. The good thing is,” he turned to Nicole, “Our little Solsti’s talent comes in quite handy against flying creatures.” He squeezed her hand and she smiled. He then went on to explain the surprise raid on Rivkin yesterday morning.

  The other Lash demons stared at Nicole. “You turned the tide against the Vipers.” Brenin’s blue eyes studied her intently.

  Nicole dropped her gaze to her hands. “The nymph archers were really accurate.”

  “That’s true, but the outcome would have been different without you. The nymphs fought hard, but they would’ve lost many more lives. And possibly their home.” Gunnar gave her hand another warm squeeze.

  “What the hell is headed our way?” Kai’s tone was pissed. “What fucking nightmare necessitated the return of the Solsti?”

  “And here I thought you liked me, Kai,” Nicole said, trying to lighten the mood in the room.

  “Yeah, you’re okay,” the blond demon grumbled.

  “It’s more important than ever that you and your sisters are prepared,” Rilan said. “Now that you have made an appearance on Torth, word will travel. Although not many will believe it at first, so you may have some time.” He paused. “Can’t you bring your other sister here?”

  Nicole shook her head, sighing as she said her sister’s name. “Gin. If there was a book about being stubborn, Gin would’ve already written it. She thought Brooke and I were crazy to go out and practice using our gifts the way we did. She doesn’t want anything to do with her ability.”

  “She’s the one who can conjure fire?” Brenin asked.

  “She can’t conjure it, if it isn’t there to begin with. But all she needs is a lighter, and she can build a flame into an inferno. Kind of like how Brooke only needs a few drops of water to create a deluge.”

  “Hmm.” Brenin fr
owned. “Maybe if she sees how we shape and control our demonfire, she’ll be more comfortable.”

  “I’ll talk to her, but I can’t make any promises.”

  Kai stood up, anger rolling off his tall frame. “Yeah, well, she needs to understand this isn’t all about her. We all have to make sacrifices.”

  Gunnar tensed. “Watch your fucking mou–”

  “It’s okay,” Nicole said. “I agree with you, Kai. It’s just that Gin will take some convincing.”

  Kai stalked to the window and folded his arms across his chest. He glared out at the September sunlight. “I followed one of those maggots as far as I could before it got into a fucking car. Headed south on I-57. I couldn’t run it down.”

  “We’ll keep searching the area, man,” Rhys offered. “And now, we know the bastard’s name. Maeron. Whoever the fuck that is.”

  “Yeah, and that he collects old coins,” Brenin mused. “Although, he’s not being very careful if the Skells are running off with them. Unless he’s letting them.”

  “So other demons know that they’re allied with this guy?” Rhys balled up a piece of paper and tossed it across the room. It landed with a soft swish, dead center in a small garbage can by the computers.

  “Perhaps,” Rilan said. “We’ll search the south suburbs and along the interstate. Nicole, I want you and your sisters to keep honing your skills. If you need me, just ask.” He held the old grimoire from Taszim carefully in his hands. “I’ll begin translating this as soon as we’re done here.”

  Gunnar turned to her. “I don’t want you going out at night, playing hero.” He placed a finger on her lips at her look of indignation. “It’s too dangerous, now that word is out about you. I know you want to help people, but think of everyone you’ll help if you can repeat what you did at Rivkin.”

  Remembering the vicious Vipers shifted her disgruntled mood into perspective. What will happen if they come here? She shuddered at the thought of the carnage they would cause. “Okay,” she said softly. He seemed almost surprised at her acquiescence. “What about you?”

  “Kai and I will look for Skells tonight.”

  “Rhys and I will search the areas south of the city,” Brenin said.

  “Rilan will be translating,” Gunnar continued. “You’ll be safe here. You should get some rest.”

  She nodded, and her stomach rumbled as if on cue. This was getting embarrassing. Gunnar grinned at her. “Eat first, then rest.”

  She rummaged in the kitchen’s huge freezer and found a frozen deep dish pizza from a local restaurant. Evidently even demons agreed with her that nothing could compare to Chicago style pizza. Smiling, she preheated the oven and searched the cabinets and pantry. Frozen items were fine, but if she was going to spend more time here, she would need to stock up on fresh foods. Especially with several huge and hungry demon males around. Gunnar said that they didn’t need to eat often, but the aroma of cooking food seemed to attract them like bees to honey.

  Gunnar sat with her as she ate and polished off the two thirds of the pizza that she couldn’t finish. They shared a lingering kiss after they’d cleaned up the kitchen, with Nicole insisting that he be careful and Gunnar insisting that she get sleep. Then he and Kai went to the training room to prepare for the evening, and she went upstairs alone to his bedroom.

  I could be sleeping here for a while. A smile crept across her face at that thought. Gunnar’s décor could only be described as sparse and masculine. Several pieces of dark mahogany furniture occupied the room, including a king-sized poster bed and a large armchair. A huge old-looking double-bladed sword hung on the wall. I bet there’s a story behind that. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

  Picking up her phone, she dialed Brooke’s number. She had texted her sister earlier in the day to tell her she arrived home safely, and that she’d call when she got a chance. Brooke would be busy with her client until after dinner, anyway.

  “Nic!” The relief in her sister’s voice was palpable. “Where are you?”

  “Here in Evanston, at Demon Central. And don’t worry, I’m not going out tonight. I’m going to do something unusual and get some sleep.”

  “I’m sure you need it. But first I want details of your little excursion.”

  “I think I have to tell you most of it in person. Torth is an amazing, beautiful, dangerous, wild place. It’ll take days to tell you everything. But you’ll see it for yourself one day.”

  “Oh, really? I’m going there? Did you just decide this for me?”

  “No, a very old witch did. Your presence has been requested.” Nicole couldn’t hold back a laugh at Brooke’s screech on the other end of the line. She gave in and told her all about Rosa and her fairy tale cottage. Before she knew it, an hour had slipped by. Talking to Brooke was like a balm. She hadn’t realized quite how much she had missed her sister. Finally they agreed to hang up, with the promise of much more conversation in two days’ time. Eyelids suddenly heavy, she washed up quickly in the adjoining bathroom and slipped into Gunnar’s bed. Her last thoughts were of how his sheets smelled deliciously like him: clean and woodsy, masculine and brawny, and hers.

  CHAPTER 19

  KAI ITCHED TO get out of the house and into the city’s rough neighborhoods. He needed to vent his pent-up frustration on some unfortunate creature. It had been two days since Brooke left for her business trip, and he could still smell her sweet scent in the house. Especially when he passed the guest room where she’d slept. At least it was finally dissipating enough that he didn’t get hard just walking by the door anymore.

  He did his best to avoid her for the twenty-four hours following their little confrontation in the kitchen. The house was big, but not big enough. He’d left for a few hours, only to return to find her in the back yard with Rilan, trying out some trick near the birdbath. Kai went out to watch, thinking maybe he could set things right.

  “Nice. I knew a water sprite once who could do that. Among other things.” He studied the thin stream of water that shot skyward before splitting in two graceful arcs. He didn’t see the point of that particular exercise. How could she do anything with a trickle of water?

  She looked at him like he was a bug stuck to the bottom of her boot. “Good for you.”

  “Everyone’s gotta learn sometime. You know, start with the basics...” He broke off as she narrowed her eyes and glared at him. She opened her mouth as if to say something, then closed it and turned away.

  He stalked through the back door and into the kitchen, muttering under his breath. “S’up?” he said to Rhys, who stood juggling three apples in a swirl of red flashes.

  Rhys stopped, tossed Kai an apple, and retrieved a water bottle from the fridge. “She’s been out there all afternoon with the Elder.” He rested a hip at the counter and nodded toward the window.

  Kai rolled his eyes and sank his teeth into the crisp fruit. Great, two insults in less than sixty seconds. How soon is she leaving?

  The next day he went downstairs to work out in the training room. Her lilac scent enticed him as soon as he started down the steps, caressing his skin and firing his blood. He gritted his teeth. No reason he couldn’t get through a fucking workout just because she was in the room. But when he opened the door to see her running on the treadmill, he froze.

  Every drop of blood in his body shot straight to his groin. All he could do was stare at her, transfixed by her rounded ass and full breasts bouncing as she jogged. She had earbuds in, a music player resting on the display, and she wore a black tank top and shorts. A light sheen of sweat covered her creamy skin, nearly all of which was displayed nicely thanks to her skimpy outfit. Thank the gods she didn’t see him, since he was now sporting a hard-on the size of a rocket. He silently backed out of the room and closed the door.

  He avoided her the rest of the day, knowing she had to leave to catch her plane that evening. If she walked into a room, he walked out of it. To hell with being nice. She unsettled him. He wanted to return her every gla
re and prickly comment. And he wanted to pin her sweet curves against the nearest wall, fucking her until she screamed his name.

  Now he perched silently with Gunnar on a rooftop in a gentrifying west-side neighborhood. Fast food bags and used napkins drifted down the street, past gleaming new condos mixed in with shabbier buildings. Only years of training kept Kai from fidgeting. His sexual frustration and general bad mood were turning him into a ticking time bomb, and he really needed to smoke some Skells.

  Gunnar glanced at him from his position several feet away. “What’s up with you?”

  If Kai had to be stuck with someone tonight, Gunnar would be his first pick. He’d push Kai, but he knew when to shut the hell up. “Just ready for a fight.” Enough about me. “So, you and the blonde, huh?”

  Gunnar grunted but couldn’t hold back a grin. “Yeah. Me and Nicole.”

  The bright eyes and look of pure contentment on his friend’s face was one Kai had never seen on him before. “Fuck.” Kai stared at him.

  “What?”

  “Dude, you’ve got ‘whipped’ written all over your face.”

  Gunnar didn’t say anything at first. He raised his eyebrows and his smile widened. “I have no argument with that.”

  Kai snorted. “Never saw that one coming.”

  “Neither did I.”

  “Yeah well, better you than me. Just don’t get soft out here, man.” Kai scanned the street below. Good for Gunnar. Kai didn’t do commitment.

  “I can still take your ass down–”

  “G. There.” Kai’s fight instincts jumped to life as he saw a small shape dart into an alley across the road. “Showtime.”

  Kai didn’t wait for his friend as he made the three-story drop to the ground. In a blur of movement, he sprinted to the other side of the street and into the alley. To his acute eyes, the dark space was bright as day. He quickly spotted the telltale gray skin of the Skell as it turned the corner at the other end of the block. Kai grinned as he chased it. It didn’t have a prayer of escaping him.