Taken by the Wind

by Serenity Snow

  Voltaire got to his feet the moment Tucker entered the living room where he’d been going over dossiers of those appointed to the Joint Congress. Each demon had been handpicked for their specific skills set and he suspected the same could be said of the witches.

  The four-person team was the perfect choice to face off against the witches. They had all worked above ground in professions that had given them valuable training in dealing with people, reading and telling them what they wanted to hear.

  Each would prove useful in time.

  “We lost Morgan,” Tucker told him. “The damned game is turning into a mess and even if we get the fucking stones we might not be able to kill the goddamned aurai.”

  “What happened?” Voltaire demanded in an annoyed tone. Tucker was seething with anger, and he understood why. Women could be maddening even in the most controlled of situations.

  “I don’t know,” Tucker told him quietly. “He was burned from the inside out. He told me his killer sent you a message.”

  “What is it?” he demanded curiously.

  “Morgan said, she said to tell you Juliet is spoken for and not even evil can have her now.”

  “The same one who killed Carrel?” he asked carefully.

  Tucker shook his head. “He didn’t say. His killer also wanted you to know she’ll destroy you if you continue to trespass on her territory.”

  Voltaire’s blood quickened with anticipation. So, the aurai might have gotten wind of a threat to their precious notion of a balance of power. Good. He loved a good fight and Necron would enjoy it, too.

  “Who’s handling the investigation?”

  “Declan said he’d be handling things.”

  “I’ll tell Necron to take care of it,” Voltaire said. “Did the girl drink the potion?”

  “There’s no way to know. Morgan took her outside on the patio, but she didn’t see a thing.”

  “Perhaps she killed him,” Voltaire said. “But we won’t know until forensics is back.”

  “She didn’t have the ability,” Tucker said. “Even if she has connected partially with her powers, she’s just aurai not storm. The doc’s prelim assessment was that he was electrocuted, and Callie assured me Juliet doesn’t have the ability to create electricity magick.”

  “Assign someone to follow her. Chances are she knows something even if she doesn’t recognize the knowledge as viable,” Voltaire said. “I don’t just want the bracelet and the grimoire, I want her dead. Promise her you’ll let her live if she gives them up.

  “I’ll get on it.”

  ****

  Juliet listened to the sounds of the night as they strolled from the parking lot in her apartment complex to her apartment. An owl hooted and a soft breeze lightly stirred the flimsy limbs of the young oak tree while carrying the scent of exhaust and rose past.

  The back of her hand brushed Aria’s, and she had the sudden urge to stroke her, and reached out to do just that. Aria was hers for now, and she didn’t have to restrain herself here because there were no curious glances looking furtively over.

  Juliet stroked the silky skin and glided her hand down to slide into Aria’s. “You didn’t answer my question earlier,” Juliet said.

  “The constable came over before I could, remember, and then your friend Callie.”

  “I think it’s safe to say no one will interrupt now.” She came to a stop at her door and looked up at Aria.

  Aria looked down at her. “Commitment isn’t just agreeing to be there with an immortal, Juli,” she murmured. “It’s about fighting my fight. It’s about being aware that my past might get you hunted or killed.”

  “We’re not talking about forever, yet,” Juliet said. “We’re talking about a hot affair that leaves me breathless. Can you give me that?”

  “There is only a five percent chance I can do that without a windstorm,” she replied. “That means without becoming possessive or deadly to those who attempt to take you from me.”

  “Then there’s a chance you can catch fire for me and burn with me.” Juliet slid her hand up Aria’s chest, palm caressing a nipple. Aria gasped and her eyes flashed with lightning.

  “Juliet, I’m not a high-grade storm aurai, but I’m still just as dangerous as one.”

  “Then, you are an aurai?” she asked leaning into her as she palmed her breast.

  “Yes. I work strictly with the winds mostly,” she said breathlessly.

  “There are different kinds of aurai?”

  “A few. I was gifted with lightning when I was twenty-one because I saved the offspring of a storm goddess.”

  “So you can create storms?” Juliet asked curiously.

  “Only lightning and wind storms. I’m always careful not to allow it to get out of hand, but wind is magnificent. It can be fashioned into the deadliest weapon.”

  “I’m looking forward to honing my powers,” she said and went up on tip toe to kiss Aria’s jaw. “Do you want to come in?”

  “Yes.”

  Juliet smiled and turned to unlock the door. Once inside she reached for the light switch feeling the windy presence of Aria behind her.

  “Will I become immortal?” Juliet faced her in the middle of the living area.

  “If you fully integrate with the air, but not all marked do.”

  She glided her hands up Aria’s sides. Then brushed kisses along her jaw and across her mouth.

  Aria claimed her lips, the kiss was soft and a breeze blew over her face before stroking down her body. Aria broke the kiss and nipped Juliet’s bottom lip before kissing her hungrily.

  Juliet moaned and wrapped her arms around Aria’s waist drawing them closer together. Her blood wasn’t heating as fast as a place in her stomach. It caught flame, and heated bursts of wind issued from her.

  Aria moaned. “Your air is like a full body embrace,” she murmured. “Do it again. Focus, on the place where you feel the heat most and push the air out.”

  Juliet did as instructed and the burst of air rolled over Aria and into a lamp behind them knocking it to the carpeted floor.

  “Control is a beautiful thing, Juliet,” she said in a teasing tone and stepped back. “I’ll have to teach you air balls, too. They’re like energy balls. Yours will be just as deadly since you’re a south wind demi-aurai.”

  “I can already form air balls,” she said with a lazy smile. “My control is okay. You just get me so hot I can’t help myself.”

  “Show me.”

  She held up her right hand. “I can only form with my dominant hand,” Juliet told her. “Is that normal?”

  “For you, obviously. Now, throw me one.”

  Juliet let the blue orb form between her fingertips. A soft warm breeze formed around it to her surprise and she laughed. “That’s never happened.”

  “You’re connected to your power,” Aria mused.

  “It’s been happening gradually in the last few weeks, but it’s accelerated since I met you,” Juliet replied. “Maybe my air is reacting to you?”

  “Partially, but mostly it’s the power of the fire season.” Aria held out her hand and the ball sailed across the air to rest between her fingers. “Air shield, Juliet.” She threw the ball back at her.

  Juliet focused. Creating shields wasn’t difficult. She’d been doing them all her life. Most witches were proficient in the most basic form by age four.

  The ball slammed into her shield and fizzed out.

  “Good.” Aria smiled. “We’ll continue tomorrow morning around six? Then, we’ll have breakfast.”

  “Your place?”

  “We better do since there won’t be any worry of damaging the property,” Aria said. “I have a special training room. I’ll pick you up.”

  “I can get myself there. Besides, I have to get to work right after, and my mother will just ask questions, pushing me before I’m ready.”

  “I thought you were ready,” Aria said, a chill in her tone now. “But I guess now that the anger from whatever fight you had wit
h her has burned itself out, and you have no desire to push boundaries.”

  “You don’t know anything about my life,” she snapped. “And while we’re talking about it, did you kill Morgan to keep him from hanging around me?”

  Aria frowned. “No, and it seems a moot point because you’re not about to tell mommy about me anymore than you’re accepting that there is danger stalking you or that he could have been part of it.”

  “I’m fully aware that there is danger out there, but it’s always been there, and I got by without you driving me around!”

  “I would appreciate you not screaming, Juliet,” she said coldly. “My hearing is most acute.”

  “I was hoping your hearing was the problem not your understanding,” she said sarcastically. “You totally turned this into something about my safety when the issue is you’re mad because I don’t want to tell my mother about you.”

  Aria glared at her and Juliet felt as if all the air in the room had retreated, drawn into Aria.

  The space was suddenly dry and cool. Aria’s eyes were devoid of all lightning, just dark clouds. Then she turned and headed for the door.

  “I’ll see you at six,” she said leaving without a look back, closing the door softly behind her.

  Juliet let out a scream and threw a throw pillow at the door. “Jerk!” But she wasn’t sure she wasn’t the jerk.

  ****

  Aria exhaled roughly after closing the door. Lightning crackled on her fingertips and wind caused her hair to ripple around her face. She made her way to her car and rose two inches off the ground. The wind picked up, lightning streaked across the sky.

  “I guess she really pissed you off,” a cool voice commented. It was more a sound on the gusting wind before Simone fell into step next to her.

  “Keep an eye on her while I go home and change,” Aria said and her voice held all the chill of a northern wind.

  “That goes without saying especially after tonight. Did you kill Morgan?”

  “No, why would I? Juliet and I have connected. The incubus couldn’t have reached her emotions even with a bite. Storme must have intervened, which means something he was going to do would have tipped the balance tonight.”

  “Whichever group is behind this will really be gunning for her,” Simone said quietly. “Morgan was a valuable asset they couldn’t afford to lose. And Tucker seemed to be watching her closely at the party.”

  “They were probably going to kidnap or kill her so we couldn’t have her,” Aria murmured and the wind whipped around them as her fury increased.

  “Jasmine’s searching for a link now between Tucker, Morgan, Carrel and any demons on the surface now seeking to come to power. Dark Hollow is the likely suspect since Dark Crystal has no demons.”

  She tried to keep track of the demons in the area. Not all were a threat, but all had the potential to become so. “A war is coming and we need to know for sure so we can put a face on the target.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Necron moved through the darkness with ease as if he belonged to the night. Two men were standing guard over one of the demons chosen to be on the joint Congress. He was in the house up ahead, but the demon had to be replaced despite his skill set.

  He was an intellectual with a scientific mind who’d been sent to the human world to integrate into the education sector as a recruiter. He was to turn and bring in frustrated nerds who wanted power. The nerds were used to impregnate demon females or become carriers of demon seed.

  Their intellects begat demons who could easily fit into human society. Their jobs weren’t to kill, but to infect more with evil. The problem was each faction had their own recruiters and their own agenda. This demon belonged to a faction that didn’t support the current leadership nor would they support any leadership in charge because their leader never would be.

  “Meanto,” he called to the demon on duty.

  The demon was in his human form standing six-feet-nine inches with black hair. He came over, wearing a curious smile.

  “What are you doing here? No one is to have contact with the Congress.”

  “I know. It’s you I wanted to see.”

  “About what?” he asked with a frown.

  “This.” He drove his spiked hand into the demon’s stomach. The demon roared and began to shift. As he did so, Necron put his fist through the demon’s heart. He closed his hand around it and ripped it from his chest.

  Necron tossed the heart into the yard and strode away heading for the house. With one guard dead and the other out of position, his job had just gotten easier. Only those who would serve them, could be allowed to sit on the Joint Congress.

  ****

  Juliet jerked out of a sound sleep to the sound of a soft wind blowing over her. The whispers drifting through the room were intangible gibberish that filled every corner and grew louder with each second that passed.

  She sat up, shaking and glanced around. Seeing no sign of anyone, she climbed quickly from the bed and backed into the bathroom. She quickly went back to her nightstand to grab her phone.

  Juliet, what’s wrong?

  She gasped and trembled even harder. What was going on?

  Answer me, Juliet, Aria commanded. What is going on? You’re telepathically screaming.

  Huh? Where are you?

  I’ll be there in a second. Get dressed.

  She crept back into her bedroom, the whispering low as the voices bounced around the room.

  “She won’t be expecting it. It’s still early. Juliet won’t even be up yet.”

  Juliet shook her head wondering if she was going crazy and remembered the rare instances from her childhood when she’d heard things that weren’t there. Her grandmother had tried to soothe her, but it had never worked because she hadn’t been able to stop hearing the voices.

  Juliet jerked on a pair of lounge pants over her panties before fishing out a t-shirt to put on over her tank top.

  A loud thump from the living area made her jump just as she started to put the shirt on. A muted scream followed. She backed up against the dresser, shirt in hand.

  “Aphrodite,” she said pleadingly and closed her eyes for a second. She drew in a breath and released it before creeping from her bedroom. Her hands tingled with energy preparing for a release, and she accepted the fact she might have to kill someone.

  The door blew open and a body stumbled inside. Following in front of him, was a lean, shorter figure who leaned inward and kicked out toward the door.

  “Shit.” The cry was rough.

  Her eyes adjusted to the pale light in the dark illuminating Aria perfectly for a moment before she went down. She rolled and the man who’d entered first threw magick at her.

  Anger escaped Juliet, and she threw a spell at him that flung him into the wall. He cursed, and she threw an air ball at him. Her only intention was to ensure he didn’t harm Aria.

  If she lost Aria, it would be as if part of her soul had been cut out of her.

  He screamed and she extended both hands sending hot air rushing over him.

  The second man went flying straight into the vortex of air.

  “I’ve got it, Juliet. Soundproof this place to keep the neighbors from calling the police,” Aria ordered.

  She drew her hands back and cast a quick silencer spell and watched in rapt fascination as the men were cut up by the powerful heated winds. The blood dissolved into tiny molecules. Some splattered against the wall while others stained the carpet.

  “We need to move, Aria. They weren’t alone,” Simone murmured from outside.

  “Juliet, the grimoire,” Aria commanded. “How much time?”

  “Seconds. They’re converging on the house now. We should shift.”

  “Let’s get to the bedroom,” Aria said and Simone came in and closed the door.

  Juliet hurried to her bedroom and grabbed an overnight bag from the closet. She gathered the three most important books and some clothes throwing them in as the front door burst open.<
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  Simone went to the window and let it up before using a spell to cut the screen.

  “If you’re afraid of heights keep your eyes closed, but no one will be able to see you from the sky,” Aria told Juliet.

  “Okay,” she said nervously. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but normally she was in a plane or a tall building, not flying through the air like a kite.

  “Out,” Aria ordered Simone.

  “I better take the bag,” Simone said and Aria took it from Juliet’s fingers and hit it with a spell that shrunk it.

  Simone murmured a few words and took the form of a raven. Aria put the bag around the bird’s neck and Simone flew out of the window.

  Aria wrapped her arms around Juliet and with a lurch, they were jetting toward the window. Juliet’s stomach plunged to her feet, and she let out a startled cry as they shot through the air. They went straight up toward the midnight sky and the stars.

  They moved so fast Juliet didn’t have time to do anything more than gulp in air and squeeze her eyes closed tight. The air rushed in her ears and something cool and moist brushed against her skin and dizziness assailed her.

  She opened her eyes a few minutes later and chanced a look down. The buildings were further away than she expected. Her heart did a double-time beat and she counted ten.

  This was supposed to be her domain, too, right?

  “Juliet?”

  “C-can I fly, too?” She could learn to tolerate it, but she wasn’t going to make it a habit.

  “Not this high, but you can go intangible like the wind.” The words were more a whisper of wind against her ear, but she understood them as if they’d been spoken.

  The drop from the sky was so gradual she didn’t even notice it until they were close enough to the ground that she had to prepare for the landing. Juliet thought it would be a hard one until they were on their feet. She swayed and rose off the ground, the wind a caress around her.

  She focused on Aria to keep her queasy stomach from getting worse and noticed for the first time she’d changed into black shirt and pants.

  “The first few times are hard for some people,” Aria told her. “But you seem to be managing it fine.”

  “Managing what?”