Demon Warden: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy (The Cursed and the Fallen 1)

by Selene Kallan

  “Derek, Stephan,” Bryce greets them. They clap hands and give each other man hugs.

  My spine tingles as I sense the charge in the air surrounding them. They are not human.

  “Bryce, you’ve been a stranger,” says the one with the tanned skin, Derek. He smiles seductively as his amber gaze roams Bryce’s six-foot-five frame.

  Bryce answers back with an equally sexy smile. “Been busy.”

  “So we’ve heard,” says Stephan as he sets his amber eyes on my face with unhidden apprehension.

  “We better get inside,” Bryce urges, eyeing the sullen-looking brunette that leads the line. “See you around, Derek.”

  Derek grins, flicking a glance towards me, I give him a small smile that he returns to my surprise.

  I let Bryce lead me with a hand on my waist.

  “Wow,” I breathe.

  The club is impressive at night. Sexy electro-goth music blasts loud enough to make conversation near impossible unless one is very close to someone, as most people are. All the party-goers seem to be wearing their best outfits. Women in impossibly high heels and men clad in expensive-looking suits. The bar is full and so is the dance floor.

  The scent of expensive liquor, perfume, fresh sweat, and mint is almost intoxicating. Bryce keeps his hand in the middle of my back and I’m grateful, it keeps me grounded as my spine tingles with renewed awareness; the place is crowded with both humans and supernaturals. I turn sharply at the sight of a tall woman with curly red-brown hair and almond skin. She’s ridiculously gorgeous and pointy ears are jutting out from her mane. I feel my jaw drop. She catches sight of me and winks.

  Bryce pushes me forward gently, guiding me through the hot bodies.

  “Yes, that was a fae,” Bryce says, lips near my ear. “Try not to ogle so much, it will give you away and your friend might think it strange.”

  “Dinah!” I hear Spence’s voice call. I spot him as he gets up from one of the plush sofas and smile, trying to ease the worry in his expression. The navy blue suit he’s wearing is impeccably cut and pressed as usual. Spence wraps me in a fierce hug, slightly lifting me off the floor. I breathe in his familiar scent and hold him tightly, fighting against my tidal wave of love and worry and fear of risking his life.

  He takes a step back, looking towards Bryce.

  “I shall leave you to it, Dinah, Spencer,” Bryce says.

  Spence furrows his brow in questioning but shakes himself off it, pulling me with him toward the sofa. He keeps an arm around my shoulders as we sit, brown eyes intense as he examines me closely. I swallow back a gasp as I become aware of his beautiful aquamarine aura. It’s dimmer than Bryce’s or Nox’s, perhaps because he’s human.

  “You look good, better than I’ve ever seen you,” he effuses, sounding surprised.

  “Well, thanks,” I tease, mock offended. “You secretly thought I looked awful before and said nothing. What kind of friend are you?”

  Spence sighs warily, his warm breath tickling my neck. “Dinah, babe, are you fine, really fine?”

  I swallow hard. Am I okay? Well, I’m alive and I still have my soul, so that’s gotta count, right?

  “I’m as fine as I can be,” I admit. “There’s a madman after me and I’ve no family, but I’m coping. I’m learning how to be stronger, I’ll be fine.”

  Spence lets out a relieved breath as he tucks back a strand of wavy hair that’s dangling in front of my eyes. “You know I love you, right? You know you’re not really alone?”

  I close my eyes and let my face fall into his shoulder. “I love you, too, I know.”

  And maybe I didn’t until he told me, but that doesn’t matter. He throws his arm around my shoulder, I can feel his warmth and honest intent inside my chest and that’s deeper than words.

  “Hands off my man, Novak,” says a deep, baritone voice.

  I open my eyes to find Xander standing before us, my smile falling off my lips as I see him with new eyes, feel him with new instincts.

  He’s not human.

  I quickly blink away my surprise, remembering Bryce’s words as I force a smile. Xander gives me a returning, rueful smile, his light blue eyes closely examining me. He’s stunning, but then Spence is too, so the thought that he isn’t human hadn’t crossed my mind. But there it is, the flawless, sharp features, the perfection of his coffee skin, the faint, musky scent that’s not any perfume humans can make, the tingle of warning running down my spine.

  Xander sits down beside me, as he has many other times. Spence and him always sandwiching me and taking care of me whenever I decide to leave my room and go out with them. I can feel tension leaking out of him as he hands us drinks and we fall into small talk.

  After what seems like a long time and no time at all, Spence excuses himself to the bathroom. As soon as he’s out of sight, I turn to Xander.

  “Aren’t you afraid to let him go alone? What if someone hurts him?” I demand.

  Xander sips his drink. “Spencer can take care of himself,” he says nonchalantly. “Not to mention that if someone dares to hurt him, I will rip their limbs off, one by one.”

  I gulp, throwing caution to the wind. “Does he know you’re not human?”

  Xander locks sky-blue eyes with mine. “Does he know you’re not?”

  I cross my arms. “I asked first.”

  Xander rolls his eyes. “I knew there was something off about you, I thought perhaps you were part fae, but no, a Nephilim.”

  I flinch, how does he know?

  “There is no need for you to fear me, Dinah,” he sighs. “I am still the same male you’ve known for over two years.”

  Guilt floods me at once, I relax my arms. “I didn’t know what I was until just a few days ago. This is all very confusing.”

  “I can imagine,” Xander admits. “Yes.”

  I frown. “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, Spence knows I am not human, and no, he doesn’t care one bit.”

  I blink. “Does he know about me?”

  Xander taps his fingers against the glass set on his knee. “No, at least I don’t think so, it’s up to you to tell him.”

  I nod. “Okay.”

  Just then Spence returns, stretching his hand towards Xander. “I want to dance.”

  Xander smiles, rises to his feet, and buttons his pristine gray suit jacket. “Your wish is my command.”

  Spence blushes a delicate pink and lets Xander lead him to the dance floor.

  “Interesting pair,” says Isir, plopping down next to me.

  I turn to her. “Do you know them?”

  She shakes her head. “Not really, we don’t all know each other, but they’ve been here before.”

  I eye the dance floor, noticing several same-sex couples kissing and dancing. No one around seems annoyed in any way, which relaxes me further. I take a deep breath, happy to see Spence smile in that dazzling way of his as Xander says something in his ear.

  “Qetesh is a place for all species,” Isir says, tone pensive. I follow her eyes, catching sight of the striking fae female and a few others with too sharp canines. “No harm is allowed, not from humans to supernaturals or vice versa. A haven.”

  “A sexy as hell haven,” I smile.

  Isir winks. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

  I smile. I’m sure she’s right

  CHAPTER 11

  NOX

  “Have I mentioned you’re a sadist?” Dinah growls.

  “Several times.”

  She lets out a small groan, hands on her knees. I debate pushing her further but remain still, a few paces away. Isir warned me to be careful, to know when to push and when to pull back, to have in mind Dinah’s been abused and probably has more psychological damage than she lets on with her sarcastic, slightly deranged personality.

  We’re currently in the gym. The soft light of morning leaks through the windows and glints in the amethyst hanging from the necklace around Dinah’s neck. The spell is holding well even after a week, which is a reminde
r of just how drained her energy core is. I can feel it grow steadily every day. It flares when she’s particularly irritated with me, which is often.

  It’s best for both of us if I keep a certain distance. Our relationship does not need to be friendly. At the end of the day, she’s one of the Nephilim, we are from opposite sides and she will be aware of this soon. I often wonder why she hasn’t mentioned it, why she seems to trust Isir and Bryce and is becoming quick friends with them. Maybe she isn’t as distrustful as I am, it would make sense, she is still very young.

  Dinah launches herself at me with renewed enthusiasm, I keep her at bay with ease despite her significant improvement; she learns uncannily fast as all Nephilim do.

  However, there are no signs of her accessing the imbued knowledge of combat that comes with having Asteri blood.

  Psycho.

  Hungry.

  Not fair.

  Sexy bastard.

  I keep my face impassive, aware that she’d be mortified if she knew I can catch some of her thoughts. Not that I’d need to read her mind to know she’s reluctantly attracted to me; her eyes betray her all the time. The feeling is unfortunately mutual. She is stunning, even flushed, scowling, and sweating. Those slightly large silver eyes, elegant features, and messy wavy hair, I find it hard not to stare sometimes. Not that I’d ever dare cross any lines. Even if she weren’t so young and lacked life experience, she’d still be a Nephilim.

  I cringe inwardly, Isir would kick my arse for thinking that way.

  I dodge her left fist and step out of her range. “Good,” I say, pleased by her rapid progress. “We’ll continue tomorrow.”

  Dinah groans. “Why can’t it be like the Matrix? I’d much rather plug myself to my PC and download kung-fu to my brain.”

  The sudden spark in her eyes says she’s thinking about how to make that possible. I remember the day Isir dragged me to the theatre to see that movie, she’d linked her arm through mine during the whole thing. We’ve never had a romantic relationship, I’m certain it’d be a disaster and Isir agrees. But there is no one else who dares to push me that far and make me face things that make me uncomfortable.

  “Now, that is a disturbing thought,” I muse.

  Dinah snaps out of her reverie. “Maybe, but it’d save time and pain.”

  “No pain, no gain.” I take a step closer.

  She purses her lips but doesn’t step back this time. “Whoever came up with that little line was a sadist, just like you.”

  I snort, unable to suppress a half-smile.

  Dinah wrinkles her nose, uncomfortable with me touching her sweaty and disgusting self as she bemoans in her mind. But I don’t mind - her scent is a mix of oranges, chamomile, lavender soap, and what I can only describe as sunlight. It is, quite frankly, mouthwatering.

  I hurry with portalling us, realizing I stood still for a second too long just holding her close.

  What’s the matter with me?

  “Gods,” Dinah complains when I release her, “I am never getting used to that.”

  “You will,” I assure her. She looks up, silver eyes searching and far too clever, her cheeks are still slightly flushed.

  I look away and portal out of her sight without bothering to say goodbye.

  I’m not sure why I did it, I could have just walked through the living room and used the door like a normal person.

  The study I’ve portalled to is awash with warm yellow light. The glass double doors are thick enough to resist a small missile and magicked to block the sight from anyone who wants to peek. A large mahogany desk sits in the middle of the room. Tall shelves lined against every wall, full of books and scrolls containing spells ranging from basic to complex enough to drive any mortal insane.

  Magdalena’s grimoires lay on top of the desk. I’ve read them several times now, but I’ve found no trace of the spell used to ward the entire town. She was clever enough not to keep it. Just as there is no trace of the liberation spell I know so well.

  There is also nothing that suggests she knew what had been done to Dinah, or at least that she was trying to set her free. Not that I think Magdalena stood a chance of doing anything about it. If Alice had such a hard time getting that cursed device out of Dinah, then the number of people who could have done it is very small.

  I’ve investigated everything there is to know about Dinah, I even know what her grades in elementary school were. The report of the hit and run that cracked her femur and had her going through major surgery is clean as a whistle; the obscene amount of money Magdalena was billed for that surgery is also on paper. But the thing that was inside Dinah is sure as hell not a platinum implant.

  There’s a knock on the door.

  Before I can say anything both Isir and Bryce enter the room. While apparently nonchalant, I can sense Bryce’s unease. We’ve known each other for a few decades, but despite being friends, he is reluctant to pester me.

  “So, have you made any progress?” Isir asks as she approaches. She takes a peek at the open books. Succubi can’t use magic per se, but Isir understands it well enough.

  I lean back in the comfortable leather chair. “Why don’t you simply spit it out?”

  Isir arches a brow. “Would it kill you to be nicer to her?”

  I shrug. “Maybe.”

  Bryce leans against one of the shelves. “You are being ridiculous.”

  “She is not dangerous, I would know if she had any dark intentions,” Isir assures me.

  A petty part of me wants to remind her that she can slip up from now and then, but I bite the words back. And the flash of pain in her eyes tells me she’s reading the tangle of emotions I don’t want to acknowledge myself.

  “Nox,” Isir says, hands on her hips, “you could simply ask her if she indeed cast the spell that protected that little town. Or if she knows anything about her father.”

  Only her mother’s name had appeared on the birth certificate. Athena Novak had died in a car accident twenty-one years ago when Dinah was almost two-years-old.

  “I could train her, you know,” Bryce offers, “if you can’t stand to be near her. I actually enjoy her company.”

  A spark of guilt hits me. Does it seem like I dislike her so much?

  It is by far not true, that’s part of the problem.

  “All right,” I agree, nodding at him. “Once her power returns, it will be best if you teach her how to wield it.”

  Bryce has a fairly good idea of what it feels like to have something akin to a nuclear reactor inside him, after all. My power works differently.

  Part of me wants to cave in and leave Isir and Bryce fully in charge of her training, but I just can’t do it. I owe Magdalena to give her granddaughter the best fighting chances she can get. And that, unfortunately, implies me having to be involved in Dinah’s training.

  Isir leans forward, her hands on the desk close to mine, her face inches away. I have no choice but to look into those chocolate eyes. “I know how hard this must be for you, turning a Nephilim into a weapon to protect her from your kind,” she says, emphasizing each word. “But so help me, if you cause that girl more pain, I will kick your arse.”

  “And I will help her,” Bryce says, azure eyes stern.

  I stand. “I’m glad we’ve had this productive little chat, but if you two traitors excuse me, I have matters to attend to.”

  Isir scoffs and turns, opens the door and leaves, chin high. Bryce gives me a lazy shrug and follows her at a more sedate pace.

  Fantastic.

  My closest friends have been lured into Dinah’s trap of too obvious thoughts in silver eyes and epic weirdness.

  It bothers me, of course.

  The fact that I’m smiling means nothing.

  I need a distraction.

  * * *

  This is the worst kind of distraction I could have come up with.

  The cave is cold, damp and so far beneath the surface, I feel close to the core of the planet. A human would be very dead with such pre
ssure. I am feeling a bit faint, but that’s mostly because I detest places like this with passion. Which is exactly why I force myself to come down here from now and then. I do my best not to consciously dive into the memories of what happened in a similar place decades ago. But the damp smell, the absolute lack of light and fresh air are too much to handle. I hurry, using my magic to burst through the kimberlite and fish out the massive pieces of diamond. The blasts of my power are soothing, the sharp smell of magic covers a bit of the earthy, humid scent and it helps me get through the extraction process. Once I’m sure I have enough, I stuff all the pieces of top quality diamond in a leather bag and portal out. The trip is slightly longer given how far into the earth I am.

  I take a deep breath once I reach the surface. Chilly wind makes my hair lift from my face and the clean smell of running water and snow cleanse my lungs.

  I’m on the top of a volcano in Colombia that erupted a few decades ago and caused a horrible catastrophe.

  After five minutes of breathing deep, and hating myself for such a weakness, I portal far away, back to the US.

  Ancient forest welcomes me, the ground, and the tall red sequoias full of life. Most of the furry animals scurry away from me and keep a healthy distance. My leather bag is strapped across my chest. I think I’ve managed to scupper about 40 kilograms.

  The wards—a mix of my power and Fae power—tingle against my skin as I make my way towards the mansion. The magical barrier envelops the entire city of Lothus, a heavily glamoured town full of supernaturals. Vampires, lycans, fae, half-bloods, and even one of my kind live there, in harmony. A hippie commune of immortals. Its existence is a myth to most, the location never accurate, but the magic is sentient, it knows how to lead supernaturals in danger who need refuge.

  Located near the edge of the city is the two-story mansion built with pine trees and crystal. It manages to be both regal and cozy with its carved wooden columns and patterned glass windows. Imposing and ethereal, just like beings who inhabit it.