by Trina M. Lee
Shaz didn’t hesitate before he retorted, “Goddamn you’re a conceited bastard. I know Lex. She may love us both, but she knows how fucked up this all is. That’s why she runs to Kale. He’s her escape. From us. From being caught in the middle of something bigger than she is.”
“Settle down, pup. She has a purpose, and you are part of it. You both need to stop seeking with others what you should be finding with each other.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“Why isn’t it?”
That was my cue to announce my wakefulness. It didn’t take much for those two to go from chatty to snarky and aggressive. Better to stop that before it started.
I made my way down the hall, making noise as I went. They both looked up expectantly as I entered the kitchen. Shaz held out a steaming cup of coffee, which I gratefully accepted.
“Did you sleep well?” He asked, gesturing to the soup and sandwiches on the table. What a lifesaver. He knew just as well as I did that Arys’s house was no place to find decent food.
“Surprisingly well, all things considered.” I sipped from the steaming cup, closing my eyes as I savored the caffeine making its way through my system. Such a simple joy.
I made short work of the coffee and sandwiches. I was ravenous and stuffed myself while ignoring the shocked look Arys wore.
“So,” he began when I had finished. “What’s the plan for tonight?”
I shrugged, glancing down at my lack of proper attire. “I don’t have much of a plan. Find something decent to wear. Go pound some information out of any vampire I can get my hands on. Somebody has to know something.”
“I washed your things. You don’t have much here. It’ll do for tonight.” Arys pointed toward the laundry room off the front porch. “I’ll come with you to hunt down some info. Shaz is going to The Wicked Kiss to see what he can find out there.”
I knew what that meant: Shaz was going to see if Bianca knew anything. I had already considered and then dismissed her as a suspect. She wasn’t behind the hit, but there was always a chance she knew who was. The thought of Shaz going right back to her didn’t sit well with me.
“I see. Well,” I fumbled for the right words, or even a good poker face, but came up short. “Ok then. I’m going to call Jez and Kale. Maybe they can help.”
I busied myself with the few clothing items I was fortunate enough to have left at Arys’s. Along with the sooty clothes I had left in the bathroom, I had a whole outfit. A pair of yoga pants, a black tank top and even a set of mismatched bra and panties would get me through until I could hit up a store for a few things.
Thankfully, I had started leaving a toothbrush at Arys’s house ages ago. As for makeup, it was meager. The black eyeliner and lip balm in my bag didn’t give me much to work with. Nothing was going to erase the stress from my features or hide the darkness in my eyes. I was hunting tonight. Pretty could wait.
When Shaz was leaving to check on Coby, I could barely bite my tongue. Knowing he was going to seek out Bianca tonight was driving my wolf into a frenzy. Or, maybe that was just me, the woman, the vampire and the wolf. Insanely jealous.
He left me with a tender kiss and the promise to touch base with me soon. I had several messages on my phone to return, including one from a panicked Kylarai. She was understandably upset about the fire. However, that made telling her about Coby go much smoother.
“I’m so glad you’re ok.” Her voice wavered. Her worry was heavy on the line. “What can I do to help?”
“Stay safe. And, maybe expect to have a few girls’ nights in the near future.”
“If you need me at your side, Lex, don’t hesitate to say so. I’m your beta. I mean it.”
I didn’t want to bring danger to Kylarai’s door by involving her. “I promise I will bring you into this if I need to. Until then, it’s safer for you to avoid catching the wrong person’s attention.”
It was hard to put Ky’s mind at ease. She was so used to looking out for us. She couldn’t protect me anymore. Not from Raoul when his deceit came back to haunt me nor from the vampires that wanted me dead now.
Arys was waiting near the door when I finished on the phone. My car keys dangled from his index finger. On the surface, he was completely composed and in control. His dilated pupils and excited energy indicated otherwise.
“How are you feeling?” He asked casually. What he really wanted to know was, if the bloodlust was rising, could I handle it?
“I’m fine.” I led the way out. A faint layer of soot covered the Charger. Otherwise, it looked fine. I went to the trunk, checking on the Dragon Claw; I kept the blade hidden in the spare tire compartment. Safe and sound.
The scent of smoke clung to the interior. It would need a good detail job. I opened the windows to let the night air circulate through. Arys was quiet in the passenger seat. I could feel him silently studying me.
I had to see Raoul’s house. The car was in motion, heading for the golf course neighborhood before I could change my mind.
I didn’t get out. I just sat there, staring at what was left. It was worse than I’d imagined.
Black. Everything was so black. The heavy aroma of fire lingered to taunt me. The walls were still standing but just barely. The entire front picture window had blown out, allowing us to see the mountain of rubble inside.
It would be an insurance nightmare. Just another thing to deal with. I couldn’t hunt and kill that problem.
“Alexa?” Arys stroked a finger down the back of my hand. “We should go. We need to find out who is behind this.”
My hands clenched the steering wheel. My gaze was riveted to the destruction. It was never really mine, but it had been my home. Or, the closest thing to it.
Chapter Eleven
I met up with Jez at The Wicked Kiss. She was a vision with a mane of golden curls tumbling over her shoulders. She made jeans and runners look like runway wear with her leggy frame.
Jez was ready to play the willing victim if it meant getting answers. She was riled up and ready to kick some vampire ass. I was happy to leave her to it.
The place was vampire central; the people there knew things. Somebody was going to talk. While Jez and I asked a few questions, Arys kept watch from a distance.
What made it eerie was that I couldn’t always feel his presence. I was certain I could force my way through whatever shielded him, yet that was just further evidence that we could use the power we shared against one another.
It was past midnight. I couldn’t help but notice Kale’s absence. I’d left a voicemail for him earlier, and he hadn’t returned my call. So, where was he?
My thoughts strayed to the dreamwalker and a strange, sickly feeling settled in my gut. He was just a kid, a teenager with his whole life ahead of him. A life that would become dark and twisted if Shya had a hand in it. Whatever Kale was up to over there, he was either running late or something had happened.
I couldn’t assume anything. I didn’t know enough. It wouldn’t hurt to take a drive by the dreamwalker’s house, right? I wrestled with the decision, wondering how much longer I could wait before I just had to go.
I watched Jez move through the crowd with a seductive gait. It didn’t take long for her to draw attention. The vamps would be falling all over themselves to get a taste of her pure Were blood.
I tried calling Kale again. This time the voicemail picked up immediately, indicating his phone was off. It was never off. I was afraid he was on another bender. Kale on a bender was dark, dangerous and more than a little terrifying.
Arys glided through the crowd, making his presence unmistakably known. Both humans and vampires in the vicinity paused to take note of him. It was impossible not to. Tall, dark and handsome, he exuded supremacy.
The atmosphere shifted as he moved through the club. Tension thrummed through the room. Apprehension and fear rolled off many of the vampires present. How many of them could I trust? The one that issued the hit could be here right now, and I wouldn’t even kno
w it.
“Have you seen Shaz yet?” Arys asked upon returning to me. He seemed pleased by the reaction of the crowd.
“No. He’s probably in the back. With her.” My tone dripped venom.
“He’s here trying to help you. Cut the boy some slack.”
“You did not just say that.”
“I did. He doesn’t love her. He loves you.”
I did my best to glare at him. He held my gaze, crossed his arms over his chest and shrugged. I clearly missed a portion of the conversation they’d had while I slept. Still, it was reassuring that Arys was so sure. Guy code and all that junk.
“I need to take off for half an hour.” Changing the subject entirely seemed like a good idea.
“Alone? Not gonna happen.”
“I just need to do a quick drive by. I want to check on the dreamwalker. I think he might be in danger.” It occurred to me that telling the total truth was not going to help my case.
“Hell no. The minute you rush off and do something reckless is when they will get the shot they need to take you out. Don’t make it easy for them.” Jaw clenched and brow furrowed, Arys was damn sexy when he was annoyed.
“It hasn’t been easy for them so far.” Arguing with Arys was useless. I knew that. Instinct told me to get my ass to the dreamwalker’s house. I had to follow that.
“Alexa.” That one word, my name on Arys’s lips, was thick with warning.
I fought back the urge to snarl at him. I didn’t have the right. He was rightfully concerned, and though I hated it when he tried to dominate me this way, I knew I’d feel the same if I were in his place.
“Come with me then,” I relented, “but I have to go.”
I fought a battle with myself the entire way there. I couldn’t shake the bad feeling that Kale’s absence instilled in me. Perhaps it was arrogant of me to think I knew Shya had less than savory plans for the kid. It sounded hard enough to be a dreamwalker. He deserved to make his own choices.
It was too easy to get sucked into this world. I couldn’t say I would have chosen it for myself. Then again, it had always been meant for me. I didn’t know what to think anymore.
I’d half expected to find Kale’s car outside. There was no sign he had been here.
The house was dark. That was the first thing I noticed. The light from the TV was absent, giving the place a vacant touch. The air was rife with negative energy. It hummed, thick and menacing. I had to go in. Something had gone on here.
Arys didn’t protest when I told him to wait in the car. It allowed him to watch the house while I went inside.
Slowly, I swung the car door open. It was late. Lights were off in most of the neighboring houses yet none of them felt tainted by the inky swell of residual energy the way the dreamwalker’s house did.
I reached out metaphysically, feeling out my surroundings. By doing so, something else could easily be feeling me as well. I couldn’t both reach out and shield myself. It was a chance I had to take.
The lingering energy burned when I openly let it in. It was a blazing hot sensation that scorched. Shya. Faded and slowly dissipating, his energy was still strong enough to hurt. Goosebumps rose up all over my body and pressure began to build in my head. I couldn’t let his power flow freely through me. I just couldn’t take it. I had to block it out. I shielded hard, unable to shake the not so subtle reminder of just how powerful the demon was.
The house itself appeared normal, except for the side door, which stood slightly ajar. My wolf was leery. I drew closer, and the scent of blood reached me. I was both horrified and intrigued.
I sensed nobody inside. Nobody living anyway. I was envisioning the absolute worst when I carefully pushed through the open doorway. My keen eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness.
There was blood everywhere. I choked on the scent, struggling not to breathe more than absolutely necessary. It was fresh and tantalizing, taunting my bloodlust. It was only apprehension that kept the hunger at bay.
I stood frozen near the doorway. I could feel the echo of death all around me. The last thing I wanted to do was touch or upset anything, but I wanted to take a quick look around. Shya had done this. Why kill the kid’s entire family? And, where were the bodies?
I crossed through the kitchen to the back hall where I could go either upstairs or into the living room at the front of the house. I did neither, pausing instead to study the framed photographs hanging in the hall.
The dreamwalker was an only child from what I could tell. With a shy smile and short, trendy, dirty blonde hair, he looked like any other teenage boy. Normal. Nobody was normal though. Not really. He should have been focused on girls, school and the future. Instead, he was plagued by a gift that doubled as a curse. It had stolen everything from him. Would he trade it all if he could? Would I?
I had never laid eyes on this kid. I didn’t even know his name. Still, I felt we were kindred. Born human but never really meant to stay that way. Nobody had tried to save me. I didn’t think I could save this kid, but I felt obligated to try.
“I knew you were stupid, but you are reaching a whole new level of idiocy.” Falon’s voice rang out, shattering the dead silence. A moment later, he materialized on the staircase.
A little shriek escaped me, and I muffled it with a hand. “You asshole! You do that again, and you’re going to get a face full of claws.”
Falon’s face was a mask of judgment. Though he glared at me with haughty self-righteousness, satisfaction glimmered in his pale eyes. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
“What happened?” I returned Falon’s glare tenfold. The angel was unpredictable and creepy, but he didn’t scare me the way Shya did. The way I saw it, Falon was the last person capable of judgment. He was the ultimate fence rider, and his opinion meant nothing.
“You need to leave, Alexa. I have things to do here. Try not to drop any tainted DNA on your way out.” He waved his hands at me as if shooing a bug.
I stood my ground, scowling back at him with all the venom I could muster. “I want to know what happened to the dreamwalker. And, where is Kale?” I was adamant, refusing to be intimidated when Falon’s massive wings flared out as wide as the staircase would allow.
“You’ll have to ask Shya. I’m sure he’ll have questions for you as well. For instance, why you’re here sticking your nose in business that is none of yours.”
With my hands on my hips, I scowled at Falon as if he were something I’d found stuck to the bottom of my shoe. “What do you do exactly, Falon? From where I’m standing it looks like you’re the help.”
Fury flashed through his eyes, and I smiled. He descended the rest of the steps in near silence. The grace of his gait gave the illusion that his feet never touched the floor. He stepped close, in my personal space without touching me, and towered over my small frame, forcing me to look up at him.
“Better watch your mouth, wolf. Don’t assume to know a damn thing about me.” Falon spoke low and soft. The underlying menace in his tone was vague, but it was there. “Did you think these situations just disappeared on their own? I’m capable of things you can’t even begin to dream of. You’d be wise to remember that.”
“You may have never been human, but you’re not better than me.” I shot back, uneasy by his close proximity but unwilling to show it. “The fact that you’re here right now proves that. You’re fallen. I think that makes you just as tainted as the rest of us.”
He grinned, flashing even white teeth. There was no humor in his silver gaze. “Oh you stupid little twit, you have no idea.”
Fear and rage gripped me simultaneously. A warning growl was my response. I was perfectly aware that demons and the like often looked down on vampires and werewolves. They had never been human, and those of us who had weren’t deemed worthy of respect. We walked in both worlds, human and other. They didn’t. I couldn’t help but feel they weren’t giving us the credit we deserved.
Before I could spit a nasty retort at Falon, the sound of sire
ns destroyed the moment. Panic slapped me breathless, and I looked frantically to the open side door.
Falon made a frustrated noise but otherwise had little reaction. With a snap of his fingers, time stopped. It literally stood still. The sirens froze, a strange high-pitched sound off in the distance that didn’t rise or fall but stayed one long, continuous ear-piercing note. The clock on the wall fell silent. I hadn’t noticed its ticking until it was gone.
“I can’t do this for long without dire consequences. Get out of here.” Falon moved fast, sweeping past me to the living room where he stared out the front window. “I can buy you thirty seconds or so. Go, now!”
I was running before he finished. Superhuman speed carried me through the yard and across the street to my car. The atmosphere felt thick and resistant, as if I ran through water. Not so much as a leaf moved. It was as if the world had really stopped. Falon’s power may have been limited, but it was immense.
It was a time warp. One moment the world was still, and the next I was speeding through traffic with Arys throwing question after question at me.
My hands shook on the steering wheel. I had to pause to catch my breath several times as I filled Arys in. He was quiet, listening intently as I spoke. His grave silence conveyed his unease.
I tried calling Kale again. Still no answer. “Dammit, Kale! Where the hell are you?” I growled to his voicemail. “You better have a damn good explanation for what I just saw.”
“You should leave it alone, Alexa.” A flash of angry energy accompanied Arys’s warning. I felt it inside, a painful slap that melted away to a pleasurable sting.
I shook my head, refusing to argue with him on this one. “Something is going on, and I want to know what it is.”
By the time we returned to The Wicked Kiss, I had called Kale six more times to no avail and heard as many snarky remarks from Arys in regards to my obsessive behavior. I parked in front of the main doors, taking no chances on getting jumped in the parking lot. Arys shadowed my every move between the car and the club.
