Alexa O'Brien 05 - Death Wish

by Trina M. Lee

  I reached deeper, allowing more power to spill over me. I wasn’t going out without a hell of a bang. Arys shot me a warning look, which I pretended not to notice. I was panicking. All I could do was be as ready as I could.

  “You pathetic, insipid, power-hungry worm.” With the grace of the undead, Lilah gravitated closer. Jabbing a finger into Shya’s chest, she grinned maliciously, revealing fangs. “You can only dream of having power like I had. Your collection of rare and wonderful creatures won’t bring you what you seek. You will always be underworld scum unworthy of even cleaning my boots. I’d spend eternity in this form before I’d consider making a deal with you.”

  There was a boom like thunder. Shya’s huge black wings flapped once, driving Lilah back. Despite her limited demon power, she was unafraid. I’d once seen her drop a demon with no more than a word. The fact that she didn’t seem able to do it to Shya indicated he was far more powerful than she would admit.

  Her gaze slid to me, and the sparkle of intrigue within had my wolf in fits. “You and I can help each other, Alexa. Neither of us needs to be bound by Shya’s manipulative deception. Help me regain my full power, and I can remove his mark from you.”

  Tempting but not good enough. Shya terrified me in all his dark glory, yet he was nothing compared to what she would be if she escaped the curse, I was certain.

  Now it was my turn to talk. I had very little to say. The wolf was fierce, ready to fight her way out of my body. It fed my growing anger.

  “Both of you can go right back to hell where you belong.” I threw the psi ball so it exploded between them. A giant crack opened up on the patio and a breeze began to stir.

  “Hey!” Shya shouted, reaching as if to grab me. “Watch it. I paid a pretty penny for this house.”

  Lilah used the small distraction to rush me. I met her attack with a shoulder to the midsection and used her momentum to throw her over my body. She hit the concrete with a heavy thud but didn’t stay down for long.

  “I really didn’t want it to come to this,” she said, swiping her bleeding elbow on the hem of her shirt, “but I won’t let a goddamned mortal stand between me and my freedom.”

  She came at me with a backhand, which I deflected, but followed up too quickly with another swing, which I missed. The physical impact was bone jarring. The mix of demon and vampire power that she slammed into me lifted me off my feet. I came down hard on the grass beside the pool. It crushed the breath from me, but she allowed me no time to recover.

  Lilah sprang, landing on top of me, knocking me back to the ground. Her ice-cold fingers wrapped around my throat and squeezed. Before I could blast her, Arys was there, dragging her off me. The two of them traded blows, and I used the brief reprieve to get to my feet.

  Shya and Falon remained unmoved, watching the scene play out before them with carefully veiled expressions. Shya tipped his head in Lilah’s direction and nodded. After his little ploy to use me for his own gain, he still expected me to work with him. I wanted nothing to do with him or his plans. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of options.

  Arys did all he could to keep Lilah’s attention from me. He carefully deflected a burning ball of energy, retaliating with one of his own. She was a blur, moving fast to avoid it while delivering a roundhouse kick with those massive boots. Arys caught her leg and shoved, knocking her off balance. She hit the ground and rolled, back on her feet just that fast.

  I was ready when she came at me again. I crooked a finger, inviting her attack. It caused her to falter, to question my motives. It was all I needed to reach out for her power. My intent was to take it, make it mine and tear it from her. The vampire energy within her easily bent to my will, but her demon power ran over me like a lake of burning hot lava.

  I screamed as the demonic force slammed through me. I couldn’t contain or control it. It tore through me quickly, leaving me dizzy and nauseous. When Lilah pounded her elbow into my head, I fell to my knees, my body contorting as the wolf tried to break free.

  “Don’t you do it, Alexa.” Shya’s voice sounded muffled and far away, like he was under water. “Finish this first.”

  With clawed fingers, I dug at the earth beneath me. It hurt to hold the wolf back. Arys was at my side, fighting Lilah off with both power and fists. A cry became a howl as I fought the wolf. I had to overcome it. If I turned wolf my power would be locked inside me. I couldn’t tap it unless I was human. No, not human. Vampire. Much as I hated to admit it, my power was all vampire.

  Lilah met each of Arys’s blows with a counter attack. She hadn’t wasted the years of her curse; she adeptly used his strength against him. Pulling him in close, she twisted her body, lifting Arys off his feet. She slammed him hard against the concrete patio, knocking him senseless.

  Her boot hit my face with enough force to make my vision go black. I tasted blood. I blinked several times until everything swam back into focus. Shya could feel free to come to my aid any time now, but if I held my breath on that one, I’d die waiting.

  I struggled to get up while fending off the attacks. I slashed a hand tipped with claws across her midsection, digging deep into her flesh. It would have been a fatal wound on a mortal, but it was enough to get her to back off. Shya may have been a disgusting liar, but he was right about one thing: Lilah wasn’t willing to risk the death of her vampire form.

  “For a demon as old as you are,” I spat blood. “You’re not very bright. You were never on my radar, Lilah. Not until you started gunning for me.”

  I drew myself up to my full height, wincing in pain. I gasped for breath while Lilah examined her wound. It was bad. With a little more force, she would have had to hold her insides together.

  “It was only a matter of time. I may not have known you’re a Hound, but everyone knows you’re a White Flame. It’s no secret. I figured I’d get a jump on you before you came after me. There’s only room in this city for one vampire queen. Since it’s all I’ve got left, I’m not about to share the title.”

  “I don’t want any goddamn title,” I snarled, my voice rough with wolf.

  Lilah took a step back, then another. She shook her head, and her long braid moved like a snake. “You don’t have a choice. It’s you or me, and every vampire in this city knows it. Hell, even those two dipshits know it.” She gestured to Falon and Shya with disdain. “Sorry, Alexa, but a twin flame union never occurs without a damned good reason. A reason that never bodes well for the underworld.”

  The perils of my life began to make sense. Shya’s interest in my power. Lilah’s desire to kill me. Falon’s utter hatred for me. They feared Arys and me.

  The realization was as numbing as it was startling. There was no time to pick apart the why and how of it all. I wasn’t feeling like something to be feared, but if there were a time to rise to that challenge, it would be now.

  “Have it your way then, Lilah.” I shrugged, “but I plan on walking out of here tonight. If I have to send you back to the cage the angels made for you, then so be it.”

  Surprise flickered over her face. She glared daggers at Shya before meeting Falon’s eyes. He dropped his gaze, refusing to acknowledge her silent plea. Falon may have enjoyed the fun times, but his loyalty lay with Shya.

  “Oh, I see how it is.” Lilah gazed around at each of us in turn. Then she sprang for me.

  I reached for Arys who was looking edgy with solid blue wolf eyes. I clutched his hand, seeking and finding that deeper connection between us. We were stronger together. With my free hand, I hit Lilah with a psi ball that exploded against her chest. It launched her backwards, into the pool with a splash.

  “Shya, feel free to step in any time,” I growled, watching the waves lap the edge of the pool.

  “Strip her power, dammit,” came his venomous reply.

  Arys pulled me close and forced me to meet his eyes. His hands were shaky and feverishly hot. He gripped me so tight it hurt. “You need to finish this. Fast. You’ve got to let the wolf out.”

  The
power spilled from him in buckets. It crashed through me so hard and fast, it felt like I’d grabbed a live wire. I fell to my knees, and Arys pulled me up, murmuring words of encouragement. I had no time to adjust to the influx of Arys’s power; a torrent of water rained down around us as Lilah rose up from the chlorinated depths.

  Her hair was plastered to her head, and her eyes were solid black. She was like something straight out of a horror movie. Her dark beauty captivated me, but she left me more than a little scared.

  Releasing Arys’s hand, I stepped forward to meet Lilah. My hands were alight with dancing, golden blue flames of power. It surged through me with enough pressure to blow the top of my head off if I didn’t channel it properly. No time to worry about that now.

  With a wild war cry, Lilah hit me with a shot of raw power that tore a yelp from me as it threw me into Shya. I crashed against one of the wings he spread to stop my flailing form. It was like hitting a brick wall, albeit one layered with the softest feathers I’d ever touched.

  I regained my balance quickly. Projecting a strong enough shield around me took my full concentration. It was difficult to hold, but it deflected the next blast she sent my way.

  The power flowed through me, growing in strength as I opened myself up to it completely. Everything around me fell away. All I saw was my prey: Lilah.

  I advanced on her slowly, finally feeling no need to rush. Now it was about who wanted it more. She may have had thousands of years of ruling the underworld as her driving factor, but I had several people who relied on me and a purpose I had yet to discover. Nobody was taking that away from me. Not tonight.

  Trading power blows wasn’t going to work. Arys said I was reckless, and what I was about to do might be just that, but I was going to do it anyway.

  When just ten feet separated us, I dropped my shield and hit her with a blast of power. I had no intent to harm her, merely to stun her. Lilah cocked her head in confusion, wondering why I didn’t really let her have it. I held up both hands and gestured for her to bring it on.

  Suspicion shone in her black eyes. Still, she took the shot. Instead of attempting to block the writhing mass of energy she threw, I grasped it and pulled it into me. Lilah’s power wasn’t so different from mine. The strange combination of demon and vampire roiled about like a small tornado as it swept through me. The vampire energy I could feel and touch as if it were my own. I grasped it tightly, bending it to my will.

  I had no command over the demon magic slamming through my core. Lord, how it burned. The limitation of her curse was all that kept me alive right then. I focused hard on the link between Lilah and me. I drew on the stream of energy, intent on maintaining the connection between us.

  I knew how to force the power into someone until they overloaded and their heart burst. Since I wasn’t able to kill Lilah, I opted to try the opposite. I decided to pull it into myself until, with any luck, she had nothing left to give, just as Shya suggested. Even a demon trapped in a physical form would need rest at some point. The tricky part was to channel it through me and back out, straight into the earth, before it killed me, something I had yet to try on such a grand scale.

  My heart thundered in my ears; everything sounded muffled and far away. I struggled to align my energy with hers so I could keep it flowing between us; it took everything I had.

  The fire began in the pit of my stomach and spread throughout my limbs. I stumbled but kept moving toward her. Closer proximity made it easier to maintain my grip on the energy. When I was almost touching her, she jerked back, realization settling in.

  “No way,” she hissed. “You won’t do it. It’s suicide.” She tried to cut the link between us, to stop the stream of power flowing from her. I held tight, refusing to let her wrench it from me.

  I could barely breathe for fear that taking a breath would break my precarious hold on her power. My voice was low, barely audible. “If I die, I’m taking you with me. I’ll be back as a vampire. And, you’ll be a prisoner of angels. I still win.”

  It became a metaphysical tug of war as we each sought to gain and keep control. When Lilah failed to tear her power back, she shoved it into me with a fierce intensity that dropped me to the ground.

  I knelt on the cool grass, gasping for air. The roiling mass of vampire and demon energy filled me to capacity. The pressure inside me grew unbearable, and I shrieked. I channeled the massive force through me, forcing it into the earth. Simultaneously, I continued to draw Lilah’s power in, cycling it through me despite the growing sensation of being on fire.

  Arys drew near and the pain dimmed. A resurgence of strength filled me. Sucking in a deep breath, I knew it was do or die. I jerked hard on the line between us, causing her to stagger. An immense wave of raw energy pounded through me, and I fought to push it into the earth beneath me. There was a rumble, and the ground seemed to move. Lilah lost her balance, falling on her ass with a dazed expression.

  The connection between us broke. It was all I could do to keep the flow moving through me until I’d driven it all into the earth. My chest ached and my vision blurred. Blood dripped steadily from my nose. The pain in my head was enormous. Maybe I had failed. Maybe it had killed me after all.

  I was vaguely aware of Shya’s dark form swooping in. Latin spewed from his lips, words and phrases unknown to me. The murky sensation of pure demon power rolled over me, and the dragon on my wrist itched. Arys reached for me, asking questions a mile a minute. I couldn’t focus on any one thing.

  Now that I was weakened and free of my vampire side, the wolf saw its opportunity and took it. I tugged at my clothing to no avail. The change took me, a split second of gut-wrenching pain, and then, bliss, I was wolf.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  I fled Shya’s backyard as if the flames of Hell licked at my heels. I cleared the perimeter of his property and continued through the neighboring farmer’s field. Shya’s rural location had likely been chosen for privacy during unsavory events, but it was my saving grace just then.

  The wolf was in charge. After fighting it off all night, it felt wonderful to let go and just run. I raised my voice to the night and cried out to the moon. The unfamiliar smells reminded me that I didn’t belong here. And, I was alone. I ached for Shaz.

  ‘Come back to me, my wolf.’ Arys’s smooth as velvet voice danced through my mind. ‘Never have I feared so much for you.’

  ‘How was that for reckless?’ I couldn’t resist goading him. I trotted along through the field until I came across a rabbit carcass left behind by the coyotes.

  ‘Reckless is putting it lightly, but it was a smart move. You did it. You weakened her so Shya could bind her.’ He couldn’t hide the swell of pride in his thoughts.

  ‘I didn’t do it alone. I would have burst into flames if you hadn’t been there.’

  ‘That’s not what I want to hear right now. Come back, Alexa. It’s not over yet.’

  No, it certainly wasn’t. I still had Shya to deal with. The evil bastard had been willing to use me for his own gain. I shouldn’t have been surprised. He was a demon. It’s what they do. Kale, the dreamwalker, and me: we were all expendable to Shya and others like him.

  I hated him with a deep-rooted passion. Clever and charismatic, he was a force to be reckoned with. Though I couldn’t see his mark in wolf form, I could feel it there, a metaphysical brand etched in my flesh.

  I turned back toward Shya’s house, my fury growing with each step. The quick change to wolf after such strenuous exertion had done wonders for me. I felt energized instead of drained, like I could take on Shya as well and win, but I wasn’t about to let my ego talk me into getting my ass kicked. Shya could be dealt with, though it would take outsmarting him rather than mere aggression.

  There was no sign of Lilah when I slunk through the yard up to the house. Shya and Arys were in one another’s face, talking in hushed, angry tones. Falon watched with a grin, finding the conflict entertaining. They all looked my way as I approached. For a fleeting moment,
I wondered how easy it would be for a demon to recover from a torn out throat.

  “Congratulations,” Shya beamed, a serpentine smile contorting his face into something I would later see in my nightmares. “You proved yourself to be the better vampire.”

  I stopped where the grass met the concrete patio. Fixing the demon with a blank stare, I pledged a silent vow to myself that I would not let him manipulate me anymore. I wasn’t meant to be part of his world, and I wouldn’t let him ruin me.

  I stared at him until he edged away from Arys. “Forgive me. Would you like a robe or something?” Shya snapped a finger, and Falon disappeared into the house with a scowl.

  My clothes had been ruined in the shift. That hardly ever happened anymore, but since I’d just bought them, it was a greater annoyance. Falon returned with a beautiful black silk kimono with an orange dragon emblazoned on the back. He shoved it into Arys’s hand before returning to his lounge chair.

  ‘What does he want for it?’ I directed to Arys. ‘My soul?’

  “She doesn’t trust you,” Arys spoke for me. “With good reason. What do you expect in return from her?”

  Shya maintained a neutral expression though amusement shone in his eyes. “For that? Nothing. Consider it a gift.”

  Arys held the kimono out like a curtain to shield me from the demon and fallen angel. I shifted back to human form, feeling naked and exposed regardless. I slipped into the robe, almost sighing as the exquisite material slid over my bare skin. When it was secured around my waist, I let Shya have it.

  “What the fuck was that? You were going to sell me out to Lilah like I’m a goddamn commodity. I knew you were skeevy, but you are a real piece of work. I’m not making the mistake of working with you again. On anything. Count me out. From now on, I don’t work for you, with you or for your so-called agenda. I’ve got my own agenda.”