How To Be Deadly (Rebel Heart Book 4)
Page 1
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
EPILOGUE
TRINA M. LEE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HOW TO BE DEADLY
REBEL HEART BOOK FOUR
TRINA M. LEE
HOW TO BE DEADLY
Copyright 2017 by Trina M. Lee
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Manufactured in Canada
Editor
B. Leigh Hogan
Cover Artist
Alanna Coca
Published by
Dark Mountain Books
This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
Pizza and beer, the best way to kick off a jam session with the girls. I munched happily on a slice of cheese and mushroom, my favorite. Our record label had scheduled us some studio time to record new material. We’d already started. Tonight’s jam would be focused around perfecting one of our newest songs for the album.
It had been a few days since we’d gotten together. Between the work and studies of our human band members, Jett’s wolf pack and my demon fighting obligations, we were all hard pressed to get in adequate rehearsal time. But this was our true love, and with our first big tour coming up, we had to make it work. Busy schedules be damned.
“I haven’t seen Sam in three days,” Jett grumbled around a mouthful of pepperoni pizza. “My pussy is going to forget who he is. I need to get laid.”
I washed down my pizza with a swallow of cold beer, almost choking on it as I tried not to laugh. “Oh, please. My vagina is collecting dust, it’s been so long.”
Jett tossed her crust in the pizza box on the table and leaned back on the couch beside me. “Don’t give me that shit. You can get some action any time you want. Just gotta decide which brother you want to give it to you. Either one will be more than willing. I, personally, am curious about Arrow’s sexual prowess. So get on that. Inquiring minds want to know.”
My eyes widened and I gaped at her. In the few weeks since I’d driven Dash out of town and unleashed my full power, I’d done my best to maintain amicable friendships with both Rowen and Arrow. It hadn’t been easy. Rowen and I were on time out. Our relationship had taken a hit when he’d joined the dark in an attempt to save me from Dash. I wasn’t ready to rebuild and didn’t even know if that was what I wanted. Plus I’d forged an unexpected friendship with Arrow. And then he had to go and scramble my brain by kissing me. A kiss I still found myself thinking about on occasion.
“Dude, don’t waste the crust,” Rubi admonished, snatching up Jett’s cast offs to dip in her garlic sauce. “That’s the best part. And yeah, Spike, I’d be all ears for some dirt on Arrow. The guy acts like he’s God’s gift.”
Embarrassed and annoyed, I blasted them each in turn with a scowl. “Feel free to screw him. Then you’ll know.”
A small uproar ensued as all three of them started ribbing on me. The teasing ended when Tash got a text from her boyfriend, Mr. Country, and we all turned on her instead.
“Ok, ladies, we better get to work. It’s getting late.” Stretching like a lazy cat, Jett dragged herself off the couch.
After downing the last of my beer, I set the bottle on the table and grabbed my guitar from its stand. While I ran a hand over the slick, black body, I admired the Gibson’s beauty. Slinging the strap over my shoulder, I turned on the amp and let my fingers dance over the strings.
Fuck. Yes. The electric beast roared to life, screaming through the jam space.
Rubi plopped down at the drums and twirled a stick between her fingers. Show off. Once Tash and Jett fell into place, we launched into the new song. We ran through it a few times, pausing here and there to discuss potential changes or alterations. The song was a solid piece, written by Jett and fleshed out by the rest of us. An in your face rock song, it was exactly what we wanted a new Crimson Sin song to be.
The solo was a bit tricky. I didn’t want any simple riffs, so I’d gone all out on this one, challenging myself in ways that made my fingers ache. Totally worth it.
So caught up in the music, I didn’t hear the door open. I glanced up to find Nova standing there staring at us. A small shriek slipped from Tash when she noticed him, followed by Jett’s, “What in the fuck?”
The music screeched to a halt.
Nova held up both hands as if we’d really believe he’d come in peace. “Sorry to interrupt. I knocked but clearly you couldn’t hear me. Ember, if you don’t mind, I’d like a moment of your time. It’s somewhat of an emergency.”
His human guise might fool Rubi and Tash, but it didn’t work on me. I still saw the horns, wings, and serpentine tail even though the others couldn’t. Since my powers had been fully unleashed, I could now see demons even when they sought to go unnoticed. Prior, I’d only been able to see them when they let me, usually as a taunt.
“An emergency?” I repeated.
His expression proved impossible to read.
I glanced at Jett, who shrugged. I slipped my guitar off and placed it back on the stand. “Fine. You have five minutes. No funny shit.”
“And I’m coming with.” Jett stuck hot to my heels.
We escorted Nova outside into the parking lot. I turned back to ensure the door had closed tightly. The neighboring businesses were closed for the night, leaving us alone in the dark and quiet. A few light snowflakes fell from the sky. Another month or so and spring should be showing its face. Lucky for us, werewolves could withstand the cold better than humans, and I served as my own personal fireplace.
“Keep your distance.” I waved Nova back, wary of his incubus vibes. “This better not be some ploy to get me alone or try to
manipulate me into doing shit for you.”
Watching me with grim amusement, he stepped back several feet. “Take it easy, little thief. I’m here on business.”
“What kind of business can you possibly have with me?” Willing to hear him out, I knew better than to take anything he said at more than face value.
“I’m going to tell you something that you must keep to yourself.” Nova looked from me to Jett. “Both of you.”
Jett produced a joint from her bra and sparked it up. “Let’s hear what you have to say before we go making any promises.”
Red eyes flashed with irritation. Nova stared down his nose at her with thinly veiled contempt. “Do you really have to be here?”
“Yes,” I interjected. “She does. She’s part of my crew. Deal with it.”
Nova stared hard at Jett for several drawn-out moments. Unflinching, she stared right back at him, letting the wolf peer out.
When he’d had enough Nova turned back to me. “Are you familiar with The Circle of the Veil?” he asked. Gone was the flirtatious incubus charm he tended to inject into each word. This was serious.
I’d heard the words before, but I racked my brain, coming up empty. “Can’t say I am. Sounds familiar though.”
“Your guardian possibly mentioned it. The Circle of the Veil is made up of the most powerful and highly skilled supernaturals from angels to vampires to witches. We work to protect the secret we all share: our identity, our existence. Keep it from the human world.” He paused, glancing between us, ensuring he had our full attention. “Alexa is part of The Circle. As am I.”
Alexa, the hybrid queen who injected fear into the hearts of all that was vampire or shifter. Or so her reputation claimed. She ran the vampire nightclub where our band regularly played. We didn’t talk much, but I knew we had a lot in common. And since she snarked at Nova for taking advantage of me, I liked her.
“Ok, so what does that have to do with me?” I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear, wondering where he was going with this.
“Two bodies have just been discovered by The Circle’s watchdog. Human. But this isn’t the typical vampire kill or black magic sacrifice.” Nova stuffed his hands into the pockets of the long jacket he wore. “We want to bring you in on this one.”
A chill crept through me. I’d known there were beings dedicated to hiding our existence. We all did our part to protect the whole. Those who exposed themselves or anyone else, intentionally or not, tended to go missing. As someone vulnerable, with my own secrets to hide, this had never been a problem for me. I’d readily accepted that such things had to happen.
I never expected any contact with such a group. Certainly not through Nova, of all people. “Why me?” A sudden swell of nervousness choked off my breath. “What’s really going on, Nova?”
The incubus demon studied me, his expression strangely regretful. “I’d have preferred to bring you into The Circle under different circumstances. I’m sorry, Ember. But it’s Cinder. His seal was on both bodies.”
That chill turned to ice in my veins. I too bore that seal.
Cinder’s seal was a powerful symbol of protection against demons, a warning that the person bearing it was under angelic protection. If someone murdered two people bearing his seal, it could only mean one thing: Someone was targeting Cinder.
CHAPTER TWO
My hands shook in my lap. It was a good thing Jett drove instead of me. The heat blasted in her Mustang, making it almost too hot when combined with the nerves that gripped me.
Angels had enemies. I knew that. An entire army of them to be exact. However, as far as I knew, Cinder didn’t draw a lot of demonic attention. Most knew better than to mess with him.
There was one though. One he never spoke of and I never asked about. Cinder had a scar slashed through one eyebrow. Angels, they didn’t scar on accident. Someone had done that to him. Deep in my soul I knew that someone had come back. To finish the job? To hit Cinder where it hurt most? To kill those he protected?
Mouth dry and heart racing, I read off the address Nova had given us. He’d be waiting for us there.
“Calm down, Spike,” Jett admonished. “Your heartbeat is like thunder in my head. You’re starting to smell like something I should be chasing.”
“Funny.” A nervous laugh escaped me. “Sorry, but I can’t help it. I’m kind of freaking out here.” Having a werewolf smell me ranked high on my Do Not Want list. But I was too filled with worry to snark at her about it right then.
When I didn’t, she reached over to rub my shoulder. “It’s cool. Just try to chill. No sense jumping the gun until we get there and see the situation for ourselves.”
The situation happened to be in an upper-class neighborhood filled with houses larger than I could even imagine living in. Larger even than the demon queen’s house where Dash had set up shop. How would one even keep such a monstrosity clean? Hired help, obviously.
While my thoughts scattered all over the place, Jett parked in the big circle driveway and hopped out, leaving me no time to prep myself. Not that I could. I didn’t have a lot of experience with dead bodies aside from finding one in the trunk of Arrow’s car. It wasn’t something I could simply pep talk myself through.
As we ascended the front walk, Nova stepped out from behind a massive white pillar.
I jumped and grabbed hold of Jett’s arm. “Fuck sakes, Nova. Don’t creep around like that.”
He eyed me with a faint smile. “You’re awfully jumpy. Should probably consider this your real introduction to demons. If you’re going to fight them, you’ll encounter this kind of thing far more often than you’d like.”
“This is funny to you?” I spat, unnerved by the cool ease he exuded.
“Funny, no. Interesting, yes. There are many eyes upon you right now, Ember. Don’t forget that.” Nova turned to lead the way inside.
Well, that sure made me feel better. Demons. So fucking helpful.
Next to me Jett remained pretty chill. But I had a feeling she’d seen more bodies than I had. Would this ever get easier? Did I even want it to? Becoming numb to this kind of thing couldn’t be any better.
We entered a large foyer with a high ceiling. Nova strode on ahead, disappearing down a hall that led to the open concept kitchen and living room. Everything was so white. Until it was red.
The kitchen remained pristine. So bright and clean it was almost hard on the eyes. A few steps led down to the living room.
And the carnage.
A man was sprawled in the gap between the coffee table and the long sectional couch. Facedown. I couldn’t help but be relieved that I wouldn’t have to look at his face. Already my breath came fast and short. My head felt foggy, like I needed more air than the house offered.
A strange smell hung on the air. Blood and death. Neither Nova nor Jett seemed especially perturbed by it. My stomach, however, threatened to spew up the beer and pizza.
“Ok, so what are we looking at?” Surely I looked as green as I felt. “Why did you bring me here?”
Nova shoved the coffee table aside, so we could get closer. The table had been propping up the body. As it slid away the body flopped over, putting the man’s horrified expression on display for all to see.
My pulse leaped. His mouth was open, like he’d been screaming. Or begging. But his eyes were missing. Two bloody holes left behind to haunt my nightmares forever.
I didn’t want to see but I couldn’t look away.
Nova pointed out a mark on the man’s neck, though all I saw were those gaping eye sockets. “This is a demon sigil. The mark of the one who killed this guy. Clearly it’s a message for Cinder. A message you have to pass along.”
Once I’d managed to focus, I saw three interlocking triangles in various positions carved into the man’s neck. Crusted, dried blood marred the ragged edges. As my gaze traveled lower I saw the gaping wound in his chest. Heart taken. That seemed to be a thing with demons. Possibly for ritual use.
“What’s with
the missing eyes?” Jett inquired, leaning down close to study the guy. She was completely unaffected by what she saw.
Nova shrugged. “You know what they say. Windows to the soul and all that.”
“You said there were two bodies.” The thought of having to stare at another fresh and bloody corpse left me uneasy.
“There are. The other one is in far worse shape.” One glance at me and a scowl replaced his usual seductive grin. “I won’t take you to that one. Trust me when I say I’m sparing you an image you could never unsee.” Nova too seemed unaffected by death. The massacre of humans had to have been something he’d participated in for thousands of years.
I swallowed hard, unable to take deep breaths with that cloying stench on the air. The combination of beer, adrenaline, and nausea had me feeling light headed. “So what happens now?”
Nova regarded me with a furrowed brow and a studious head tilt. His silent judgment grated on my nerves. Did he think that I couldn’t handle this? I might not be a demon or a predator, but I wouldn’t be beaten by a dead body. Inside my head I counted down from ten. Gradually I calmed. It was horrible and unsettling, but this was what demons were. I could handle this.
“Now I send in the clean-up crew, and it will be like this never happened. To the human eye. He’ll become a missing person. His family will miss him, but they’ll never learn the truth. Because that’s what we do in The Circle. We protect the truth.” Nova made it sound so secretive and spooky. “And you, little thief, will run home and tell Cinder all about it. He needs to keep this from happening again.”
“Why him?” Jett challenged. “You’re part of The Circle. Doesn’t that make it your problem?”
Nova scoffed, an arrogant sound that got Jett’s eyes flashing wolf. “That’s not how this works, sweetheart. This is Cinder’s mess. He can clean it up. We protect the truth, but we’re not glorified babysitters.”
Annoyed with the demon and the way he glowered at Jett, I shot him a dark glare of my own. “I imagine protecting the truth must include dealing with those who flaunt it like this.” Unable to look at the body on the floor any longer, I retreated to the kitchen where the few steps of additional height allowed me to look down on Nova. I had enough on my plate without him shoving his work off onto me. Like what the hell?