And then it hits me.
“I’m naked!” I whine.
Spence laughs and releases me, taking a step back. “No, you aren’t, and you look totally hot, babe.”
“He’s right, you know,” says Isir behind me. I smile, turning and grabbing her in a bear hug.
“Ouch, seems like the sunbathing has done you good,” Isir says, I take a step back and look at myself. My bikini is black and decent enough not to make me want to hide, at least not from my friends.
“Erm, and who put this on me?” I ask, feeling blood rushing to my cheeks.
Spence takes a step back, arms up. “Don’t look at me.”
Isir smirks, chocolate eyes bright with mischief. “I kept my eyes closed, I promise.”
I narrow my eyes at her.
She rolls her eyes. “Fine, that would have been impossible, but I swear I did not stare.”
A smile breaks through my face as I try not to groan and hide behind my hands. Instead, I look around, quickly becoming transfixed. We’re on a small island with a huge white house peeking in the distance from amongst palm trees and green foliage. A soft, warm breeze hits us and I breathe deep, reveling in the fresh scent of the ocean and realizing the coconut smell is coming from my skin.
“Where in the world are we?” I ask.
“A small island near Miami and Puerto Rico,” Isir answers.
I blink, gawking at her. “You don’t mean-” her mischievous smile is enough confirmation. “We’re in the freaking Bermuda Triangle?!”
Spence chuckles, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “That’s exactly what I said!”
Isir grins. “Why do you think there’s so much mystery surrounding this place? There’s enough glamour here to have human technology malfunctioning and spark many interesting stories.”
“So, there are Fae here?” I ask.
Isir grins. “And syrens, vampires and one demon, there’s a cluster of small islands all inhabited by supernaturals.”
I shake my head. “Wow.”
“Fascinating, but irrelevant,” Spence says, quickly grabbing me and tossing me over his shoulder, caveman style. “There’s a delicious sea waiting for us and you’re getting your ass in it!”
I laugh, feeling light and free for the first time in so long. Spence takes off on a run towards the ocean and I squeal with glee when we enter the water, Isir right beside us.
* * *
We get out of the water to watch the sunrise. Isir has an arm around my waist, her chin on my shoulder. My head is on Spence’s shoulder in turn, he’s playing with a lock of my still humid hair. The feeling of protectiveness expands and coalesces into warmth inside my chest. I feel whole and safe. But there is someone I’m hopelessly missing.
“Where’s Nox?” I ask, feigning nonchalance. Truth is, that question has been in the back of my head the whole time, like a frustrating pop-up ad.
Spence yawns. I catch it immediately, despite having taken a nap for two days. According to my friends, I drained myself of all the power I had left after the fight with Kazzian when I mended Spence’s broken soul.
“He’s with Xander inside the house. None of our boyfriends enjoys copious amounts of sunlight,” Spence explains.
I jolt a bit, and there’s no way to hide it. They both look at me and I can feel blood rushing to my cheeks with their knowing little smirks. I want to run and enter the ocean again to hide and calm down the warmth.
It’s obvious those two have become friends in just two days, and I’m starting to imagine them trying to convince my couch potato self to go outside and be around people, ugh.
“Is Xander pissed off with me?” I ask after a few minutes.
“And what reason would I have to be?” comes a deep baritone voice from behind me. I jolt and peek over my shoulder. Xander is barefoot, looking at me with a mix of amusement and the usual careful consideration.
He’s dressed in white shirtsleeves and linen pants, looking casual and as ridiculously handsome as always. “I meant it when I said it wasn’t your fault, and you saved him.”
His light blue eyes flicker with pain and Spence disentangles from me and rises, wrapping his arms around Xander’s waist. Xander returns the embrace and leans to plant a kiss on the spot under Spence’s ear, where his pulse thrums. The gesture is both tender and a bit possessive. In normal circumstances, I’d be hiding away to give them privacy but I’m rooted to the spot, watching the tall demon prince emerge from between two palm trees.
“See you later,” Isir says, using my shoulder to lever herself up. I gaze dumbly at her and she winks, sauntering away with enviable grace. She squeezes Nox’s shoulder as she passes beside him and I’m glad they’re no longer fighting.
Spence leans and kisses my cheek. “Not that I think you’ll need it, but good luck, babe.”
I swallow hard. Xander leads Spence away with an arm around his waist. I lick my lips and get up too, throat dry, and very aware of all the skin I’m showing. My heart begins a mad race inside my chest; half of my mental faculties are shut down and on swooning mode. I’m hopeless.
Nox steps closer, slowly, my heart hammers harder when I notice he hasn’t hidden behind the impassive mask. His expression is neutral but not hard, and there’s doubt in his jeweled eyes.
“Hi,” I say, feeling stupid. I’m not sure what to do with my hands, well I do, cover my stomach, but he’s looking directly at my face, he knows I’m uncomfortable.
“Hello, Dinah,” Nox replies, his deep, rich voice sending a shiver down my spine.
I’m so, so, so, screwed.
He flicks his hand and in a flash of purple energy, a white dress materializes in his hand. “Isir got this for you, along with other beach-appropriate attire. I can get you something else if you want.”
His words are slightly rushed, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him nervous.
I smile, taking the offered garment and quickly putting it over my head. It’s loose on my figure and soft as silk with thin straps, and I try not to think about creepy spider silk. “Thanks.”
He nods. “You’re welcome.”
I balance on my heels. “Erm, wanna take a walk?”
“Sure,” he says with a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes.
We begin to walk slowly. The moon and stars lighting up the still orange-tinted sky, the water almost laps at my feet, still sun-warmed and inviting. Nox is wearing his usual all-black outfit and I stifle a laugh thinking about how positively goth he looks on the white beach. The humor dies out quickly as my empathy lurches for him without my permission, and I feel his nervousness and doubt.
“Right, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I have little to no patience and I need to know what’s the deal with you,” I blurt.
Amethyst eyes flick to mine and I stop, needing to face him. He sighs and stands two feet away from me, one hand casually on his jean’s pocket even if he doesn’t feel casual at all. The breeze ruffles his ink-black hair and I have to clench my hands not to reach out and put it back in place for him.
“I don’t understand why you haven’t demanded that I get as far away from you as possible,” he admits, shocking me for a second. “What you’ve been through with Kazzian, I would understand.”
I swallow hard, irritation building up as I consider snapping and saying that I’m not like him. That I would never hold who he is against him. But the genuine mix of surprise, reluctance, and something else I can’t identify in his gaze stops me.
I take a deep breath and step closer. “Nox, Kazzian was a right bastard, his presence made me sick. You have never made me feel like that.”
He nods, thoughtful. “And that’s enough for you, a gut feeling?”
I shrug, feigning nonchalance. It’s so much more than that, it’s the way he’s helped me be stronger without shoving me off a precipice I couldn’t handle. It’s that despite his distant and aloof behavior and my stubbornness, he is kind and patient. It’s the way my energy strains towards him, willing and
careless because my very essence trusts him, wants him.
“No,” I finally say, “it’s because you kept me safe even when you didn’t like me.”
It’s simplistic but doesn’t sound as hopelessly smitten as what I am really thinking.
He lets out a rueful laugh. “Oh, Dinah,” he shakes his head, eyes bright and honest. “I knew I liked you since you asked me to make you chicken soup, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself.”
I smile getting closer. His eyes widen a bit as I place my arms loosely around his neck. One of his hands falls, warm and heavy in the middle of my back; the heat of his body caresses mine. My heart hammers harder, tendrils of my energy wrapping around him, unbidden. I gasp as he responds in kind. His power is cool, almost opposite, but instead of burning or hurting, it melds with mine as if it wants to create something new.
I swallow hard, my throat tight with too many emotions: fear, doubt, desire. My eyes fall on the sensual curve of his lips, I tighten my grip and get on my tiptoes, which isn’t helpful because of the wet sand.
Nox’s eyes fall on my lips, the hunger burning in them melts away my nervousness. “I-”
“I swear to the gods, Nox, if you tell me I don’t know what I want after that, I will—”
I can’t finish the sentence, not that I have any idea what I’d have said. His warm lips claim mine with urgency. I automatically open my mouth, eyelids falling closed, and I’m rewarded with a soft touch of his tongue against mine.
The heat that was pulsing steadily inside my chest explodes. I moan and cling harder to him; he lifts me off the ground, one of his hands caressing the nape of my neck, the other on my waist. His heart hammers as fast as mine, our chests flushed together, but I still want to be closer. I shiver as tendrils of his power entwine with mine. His lips move from my mouth to my jaw, neck, shoulder. I arch my head back, sliding my hands from his shoulders to his neck, and smile in bliss as he shudders.
I open my eyes looking for his gaze and blink, not quite surprised to see the golden glow bathing me, but I can’t quite believe my eyes as I see amethyst vines wrapped around me, my orange-golden around Nox. He smiles and I smile back, his eyes bright with unhidden emotion. I do what I’ve always wanted, slide all my fingers through his silky hair.
He hums contentedly and holds me a bit closer. I kiss him again, paying special attention to that lower lip I’ve been dreaming of having between my teeth for longer than I’d like to admit. A low, guttural sound leaves his throat as he mirrors my brazenness. I suckle and lick his lower lip; he growls low and takes hold of my thighs, urging me to wrap them around his waist. I needn’t be told twice. He tastes me as I’ve tasted him, and I grow dizzy with desire. Heat begins to pool in my belly.
We eventually stop, both breathing hard and shining bright; purple and gold make a beautiful mix, I decide.
He places his forehead against mine, his breath caressing my face. “Astherinox, my name is Astherinox.”
I must look a bit like the Cheshire cat as I smile, then lean closer and claim his lips again.
* * *
It takes us a while to walk towards the house. Well, Nox walks, I cling to him as he holds me in arms.
“Facing a demon on her own, no big deal,” he says, a smirk lifting the corners of his very delicious lips. “Spiders on the other hand…”
“Hey!” I swat him lightly. “No mocking me, spiders are horrible creatures with too many eyes and legs.”
“Some high-class demons have a dark form, and some resemble-”
“Lalalalalalalala,” I chant, covering my ears.
He chuckles, expression clear of the usual prickliness. I bite my lip trying not to smile, but it’s useless, I must look like an utter idiot.
Nox leans closer and gives me a quick, soft kiss before setting me on the porch of the huge house. It’s two stories tall, with big doors and windows, no curtains that I can see. He opens the door for me and I take it all in; the hardwood floors, the white walls, and furniture, the minimalist decor that somehow manages to be warm too. And the delicious smell of food that makes me remember I’ve not eaten in two days.
“Impressive,” Nox says, looking towards my roaring stomach.
“How long can I survive without food? Can I live with just sunlight like plants? I did manage to kill Kazzian, didn’t I?” I ask all in a rush.
He lifts a dark brow. “Well, this is familiar.”
I smile, remembering the first time I bombarded him with questions.
He places his hand on my waist and leads me towards the smell of peppers, chicken, onions, tomatoes, and red wine.
“Once your full power is back, which I estimate will be in about three weeks at the current rate,” he begins to explain, “you can in theory only live on sunlight and water, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”
I snort. “I would not do that to myself, I love pizza, cake, and chocolate. No rational being can exist without chocolate.”
Nox chuckles.
We enter the industrial-like kitchen, and I’m a bit surprised at the sight of Xander cooking. Isir and Spencer sit on the stools by the island.
“I consider myself a rather rational being,” says Xander, flicking me a glance. “And I’ve not tasted chocolate in almost six centuries.”
“And I mourn for you,” I tease.
Spence chuckles. “Now darling, that’s not exactly true, is it?”
Xander’s expression softens, eyes reflecting love, and lust. “Dinah was speaking of the actual thing, not of delicious, chocolate-flavored half-faes.”
Spence turns slightly pink.
“Ugh,” Isir complains. “Could you two please stop that? There’s no one in a twenty-mile radius I can satisfy the contagious lust with, and it’s not the same if I try to do it on my own.”
I snort and then giggle like the prudish weirdo I still am. Nox smiles beside me.
Spence winks. “No promises.”
“I made enough chicken and veggies for four, do you think that will be enough, ladies? Or shall I make some more?” Xander asks.
“I think we’ll manage,” I say. Nox steers me towards the table and I pull him down to sit beside me.
“Well, thank Morrigan for that,” Isir drawls, settling glasses and a bottle of wine in the middle of the table, then sitting across me. “Though I must admit you two are much worse than them, I almost went into spontaneous combustion twenty minutes ago.”
My cheeks burn and I end up grimacing as I try to scowl and can’t help a smile.
Nox’s hand rubs between my shoulder blades. A small burst of energy leaves us at the same time. An invisible vine of power caresses me, I return the gesture.
Isir lets out a frustrated little sound that clashes with her satisfied grin.
I giggle and vow to keep my power to myself. Nox smirks.
Xander places a plate full of steaming vegetables in a thick sauce that smells faintly of coconut and something spicy. Spence sits to my other side with a plateful of coconut, banana, and papaya. Isir receives her plate with eagerness, thanking Xander as he sits beside her. Mouth watering, I load a forkful and stuff it in my mouth, it’s hot, but it doesn’t burn me.
“Oh gods,” I groan, swallowing the first mouthful quickly. “I still don’t get how you can cook so good if you don’t ever eat.”
Xander chuckles, pouring wine for all of us. “I like cooking, the smells, and sounds, transforming ingredients into something new. I’ve owned a few restaurants.”
After a couple of minutes, I see that Nox has no plate either.
I swallow and lick my lips. “I’ve only seen you eat once, now that I think about it.”
He grants me a half-smile. “I don’t need to, and I am, well, picky about what I eat. I don’t enjoy poultry or fish. Fruits are ok, and medium-rare steaks.”
“Oh,” I say, remembering all the breakfasts he’s made for me, always just sipping dark coffee and most times not finishing it.
“You know,” Isir gushes,
leaning forward. “Rumor has it the Asteri can’t even taste food.”
I gasp. “Now, that is tragic.”
Isir nods. “Agreed.”
“Right, where were we?” Nox says. I meet his eyes and smile, feeling giddy with the soft warmth I find in them.
I haven’t called him by his full name yet. Somehow I think it warrants a private setting. If using his full name summoned him, then maybe it conveys some sort of power to know it, and I won’t go around shouting it, I know he won’t like it.
“I’m not sure I remember,” I finally say.
Isir and Spence both snort.
“You don’t say,” the half-fae drawls.
Nox ignores them both. “You were out for two full days because you channeled more power than I thought possible for a challenging task. Healing a physical wound would have been much easier. You essentially used your connection to the light core of the universe to reestablish Spencer’s.”
I chew a few more bites, thinking. “I don’t understand, I thought immortal souls couldn’t be taken by force, I thought it had to be willing.”
“It is, usually,” Isir says, sitting back and swirling the red wine in her cup. “But Spencer’s soul wasn’t completely immortal, and Kazzian simply wanted to cause as much damage as possible.”
“And quite possibly ready himself for a fight with you,” Nox explains. “He must have known it wouldn’t be an easy feat.”
We all remain quiet for a bit, finishing our food and passing the bottle to serve another glass of wine.
I swallow hard and ask: “Did I kill him?”
The apprehension in their gazes gives me the answer.
“Fuck,” I grumble, feeling a pang of fear inside my chest.
Nox gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “You almost did.”
“And that is quite impressive, all things considered,” Isir says, slightly furrowing her brow. “He’s not as powerful as the Prince here, but he is without a doubt in the high hierarchies of the species.”
“What happened to him then?” I wonder.
“You nearly destroyed his physical vessel,” Nox clarifies. “His heart was singed without repair by your light power, so he slipped away. I finished destroying his vessel.”
Demon Warden: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy (The Cursed and the Fallen 1) Page 27
