The Darkest Passion lotu-6

by Gena Showalter

  “Delicious,” Aeron heard Olivia murmur. “I could eat you up.”

  “You have to stop saying things like that, Olivia.” Aeron flicked her a glance—only to still, grind his teeth and curse under his breath. She wasn’t peering at him as he’d expected; she was peering at Torin as if he was a piece of meat and she was starving.

  Mine, Wrath warned.

  Aeron popped his jaw in sudden irritation—with Torin. It wasn’t that he cared who Olivia desired. It was just that she’d given up immortality for him, wanted him to provide her fun, wanted to welcome him inside her body; she shouldn’t be so fickle.

  “Uh, excuse me?” A confused Torin stopped at the bottom of the staircase.

  Aeron studied his friend, trying to see him as Olivia must. Beyond that startling contrast of white hair and black eyebrows, that smooth, naturally tanned—and uninked—skin, and okay, okay, maybe those piercing green eyes, he wasn’t that attractive. What’s more, he was an inch shorter than Aeron and not as bulky.

  “Ignore me,” Olivia beseeched, horror drifting from her. “Please. I don’t know what’s come over me.”

  Torin, it seemed, was trying not to smile. “Glad you’re not scared of me anymore.”

  Aeron wished he could say the same. “Let’s get the meeting started.” Surely that snapping, snarling tone wasn’t his.

  “Too late, I’m afraid.” Torin leaned one shoulder against the banister, the picture of domesticated male. Except for the wicked gleam in his eyes. “Everyone’s left.”

  “What!”

  “You’re not the only one with big news. Lucien flashed to Rome after Sabin and the others learned that Galen succeeded in binding Distrust to one of his soldiers. A female.”

  Aeron plowed a hand over his razored hair. Distrust, Baden’s Distrust, was now inside a Hunter? He’d known Galen hoped to do such a thing, but still the knowledge stunned him. Unacceptable!

  Punish, Wrath agreed.

  No images flashed in his mind, but Aeron wasn’t surprised. He was becoming used to his demon’s more vocal presence. “Something will have to be done about that, but we’ll have to tread carefully. Today I learned that Rhea, Cronus’s wife, is aiding the Hunters.”

  Torin absorbed the words and paled. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I wish.”

  Olivia clasped Aeron’s hand, twining their fingers. Wrath’s anger drained, leaving Aeron with a cuddly kitten. He favored the rage. “If there’s anything I can do to help, please let me know,” she said. “I won’t even make you pay for it.”

  Her attempt to comfort him was…comforting. Damn it! Now he was like Wrath. Cuddly. And he didn’t like it. But he liked her. More than he should have. He was used to bottling up his emotions, ignoring them so he could focus on what needed to be done, but she refused to accept anything but his complete capitulation.

  Maybe that was why—realization hit him hard. Shit. It was. That’s why he’d always preferred gentle women. Well, not preferred, but feared the other, stronger females. Gentle women didn’t threaten to break the bottle that contained all those churning emotions. Stronger women could smash that bottle to pieces, forcing him to feel.

  “What?” Torin asked, head tilting to the side.

  “Nothing,” he lied. No way he’d admit to such a weakness. “So look. Back to the Hunters. Rhea is hiding them from us while they’re in town.”

  Torin’s lips pulled back from his teeth. “First we learn Galen’s leading the Hunters, and now a Titan is helping them, too. If there are more surprises, I don’t want to know.”

  “Actually, Cronus—”

  “Just visited me,” Torin interjected, “but he conveniently didn’t mention any of this. He just commanded us to get our asses in gear and find Scarlet, which is where the others are. Looking for her. He threatened us with the usual death and destruction if we failed to find her. Today.”

  The god king was certainly making the rounds, first visiting Aeron, then Torin. But why would finding Scarlet be so important to him? To ensure Rhea didn’t get to her first?

  Olivia’s fingers squeezed his as she focused on Torin. “Looks like I can help, after all. Aeron wants me to show you where she’s staying, and I agreed to do so.”

  Torin studied her closely. “Yeah, Cameo mentioned something about you knowing the girl.”

  When he’d said Cameo’s name, his expression had softened. Interesting. Was it true, as some of the warriors suspected, that those two were involved? They couldn’t touch one another, so, if they were lovers, they would’ve had to find other ways to please each other.

  Aeron couldn’t imagine being unable to touch and taste Olivia. He couldn’t—focus, clearly.

  “Tell him,” he said to Olivia, forcing himself back on track.

  She squared her shoulders and spouted off the location. That quick, that easy. If only.

  “I’ll text everyone,” Torin said, relief dripping from the words. He didn’t ask how Olivia knew, nor did he accuse her of trying to trick him. Even without that ring of truth in her voice, he would have trusted Aeron’s judgment.

  “No. Don’t tell them where she is,” Aeron said. He flicked a glance to the nearest window. The curtains were drawn, but there was a tiny sliver of open space between the two panels, allowing the barest hint of sunlight to seep inside. Darkness wouldn’t fall for hours yet, which meant Scarlet was sleeping. “Tell them to come home. Olivia and I will take care of Nightmares. With Hunters in Buda and in possession of an artifact, I want as many warriors as possible here at all times.”

  “Done. Any way I can convince you to take a warrior or two with you, though? Backup’s a great thing to have.”

  “Won’t need any. She’ll be sleeping until nightfall and no trouble. Right, Olivia?”

  The angel nodded reluctantly. She clearly didn’t like sharing information with anyone but him, but was doing so. For Aeron. Perhaps he could forgive her for her earlier fickleness.

  Wrath went silent, for once not objecting to the thought of forgiveness—a concept that usually confused the demon.

  “Oh, and I know you didn’t want any more surprises tossed your way, but there’s one more thing I’ve got to tell you about your buddy Cronus,” Aeron said. “Turns out we have more in common than our mutual dislike of Galen.”

  Torin frowned. “I don’t understand.”

  Only merciful way to do this was to say it quick. “He’s possessed by the demon of Greed.”

  First, Torin’s mouth fell open. Then his eyes widened. Then he stumbled back, hit the bottom step and nearly fell. “The god king is demon-possessed? How can you—”

  “Lysander paid me a visit.” Like him, Torin now knew angels couldn’t lie. “Cronus was locked in Tartarus at the time we opened the box, so it makes sense.”

  “Wow. Just wow.”

  “Throw in an oh, shit and you’ve got my initial reaction.”

  “When did Lysander visit you?” Olivia asked. “What else did he say? Did he mention me? I know he mentioned me.” Before Aeron could respond, she added, “And do you want to have sex before we leave?” She shook her head, as if she couldn’t be sure she’d heard herself correctly. “Did I just ask you if you wanted to have sex with me?”

  She had, and his body had reacted accordingly. He nodded because he didn’t trust himself to speak.

  The horror he’d heard in her voice a little while ago now flooded her features. “But I didn’t say it. I mean, I did say it, and I want to do it, but that wasn’t me. The voice…”

  Torin’s grin was all cat and cream. “So are you talking to Aeron or to me?”

  “To me,” Aeron barked, even as she said, “To you, of course.”

  “What?” Aeron and Wrath shouted in unison.

  Mine!

  Torin laughed, the bastard. “Wish I could, angel, but I really would kill you with my pleasure.”

  Her cheeks flushed, giving her skin a luminous glow.

  Aeron’s teeth did that grinding thi
ng again. “You better tell that voice of yours to shut the hell up.” Was someone speaking through her? Lysander certainly had the power to do so, but the warrior angel wouldn’t say those kinds of things. Sabin, too, could do it, but he wasn’t here.

  Who did that leave? Cronus? Rhea? But why would it be either of them?

  Olivia’s shoulders straightened, her chin lifting in a way he now knew meant her stubborn streak had kicked in, and she glared up at him. “Maybe it wasn’t the voice that time. Maybe it was me. You’re not as fun as I thought you’d be. You don’t even know how to give me a proper orgasm.”

  Torin barked out another laugh, and it was Aeron’s turn to flush. “I could have given you one if I’d wanted.”

  “Yeah, well,” she huffed. “Prove it.”

  Yes!

  A growl sprang from deep in his throat and he stepped closer to her, leaned down and put them nose to nose. Give her an orgasm? There was nothing he wanted more. “If you aren’t careful, you’re going to—”

  “Aeron, Aeron,” a familiar voice called.

  Aeron jerked upright as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. Actually, he had. Legion was here. How could he have forgotten about her? About her safety? He should have been out there looking for her instead of responding to Olivia’s taunts.

  “I’m going to my room to summon Cronus again before the mud-wrestling starts,” Torin said. “Maybe he’ll show, maybe he won’t. If he does, I’ll ask him why he’s not listed on the scrolls and if he can block us from Hunters. I’ll let you know how it goes. See you guys later. Oh, and, Olivia. Good luck with that voice.” With a wink in her direction, he turned on his heel and popped back up the stairs.

  Touch what’s mine and pay with—

  Will you stop warning him away? Aeron snapped at his demon. He can’t hear you. But don’t stop staking that claim, he almost added. Such a fool.

  A second later, Legion plowed around the far corner, red eyes wild. She halted when she spied Aeron, hissed when she saw Olivia, then tripped forward until she was standing in front of them. She was panting, sweating.

  Instinctively, he moved in front of Olivia. “What’s wrong?” he asked, guilt consuming him. If she’d gotten hurt because of him…

  “Everything will…be…better sssoon…” The moment the last word left her mouth, her knees collapsed and she tumbled to the floor.

  Aeron reached out, catching her before she hit and easing her down. She was so tiny, her weight barely registered.

  “Aeron,” she said on a sigh of relief—just before curling into herself with a pained grunt.

  “Legion,” he said, panic sprouting. “Tell me what’s—”

  Another grunt. Every muscle she possessed began knotting and relaxing, knotting and relaxing. Her body seemed to be…growing? Not possible. Or shouldn’t have been. As he watched, her arms, legs and torso lengthened. Her scales even began to fall away like dew drops, leaving beautiful, golden skin in their wake.

  Soon, though, the grunts became never-ending screams. And with her mouth open so wide, he could see that her teeth were shrinking, her forked tongue weaving together. Next, blond hair sprouted from her scalp and large breasts plumped from her chest.

  “What the hell is happening?”

  “She’s becoming…human,” Olivia whispered. Her words, so much softer than his, still managed to rival his in shock and horror.

  Not knowing what else to do, Aeron popped to his feet and rushed around the corner. When he reached one of the living rooms, he grabbed a blanket slung over the couch. His mind churned with so many questions, he couldn’t quite process what was happening. Legion. Human. Why? How?

  At her side once more, he draped the blanket over her bare skin. She’d stopped growing, at least. Stopped spasming and screaming, too. Tears streaked her cheeks and her bottom lip trembled.

  She gazed up at him with dark, liquid eyes, no hint of demon red. “Aeron,” she said on a sigh. “I’m…so…happy to…see…you.”

  No longer did she sound like a child, all hint of her lisp gone. Though her words were hesitant, as if she didn’t quite know how to use her tongue, she sounded like an adult, voice rich and husky.

  Flabbergasted, he crouched beside her and smoothed the hair from her brow. “Tell me how this happened,” he said as gently as he was able. He didn’t want to spook her.

  She reached up with a shaky arm and traced her fingertips over his lips, his jaw. “So beautiful, my Aeron is.”

  For the first time since he’d met Legion, he wanted to pull away from her embrace. He loved her, he truly did, but the adoration on her new face—adoration he’d seen a hundred times before, had once craved—was now…wrong. Because, without the glow of red in her eyes, he saw the sensual yearning banked there.

  Dear gods.

  She was a feast for the eyes, prettier than Olivia even. Skin like honey, eyes like cinnamon and lips as red as berries. Her nose was small and pert and her eyebrows perfectly arched. There wasn’t a flaw to her. But…

  His blood didn’t heat, his fingers didn’t tingle where he’d touched her and the thought of removing the blanket to peek at her curves was truly repugnant to him. He would rather gouge out his eyes. And while Wrath liked this girl as he had liked the old Legion, the demon was quiet, not staking a claim.

  “There’s only one way this could’ve happened,” Olivia said with so much dread Aeron’s stomach clenched. “She made a deal with Lucifer.”

  A deal with the devil? For what? She already possessed everything her heart could desire. “Is that true?” And if so, what did it mean for her? For him? What could Lucifer have demanded in return?

  Wrath leapt into motion, prowling back and forth inside his head. There were no images flashing, at least, but the demon was suddenly restless, as if he didn’t like what was going on.

  Legion glared up at Olivia. “Of course it isn’t…true. I would never do…such a despicable thing.”

  “You lie,” Olivia replied. “I can hear the untruth in your voice.”

  He couldn’t, but he could hear the truth in Olivia’s. Still. He didn’t know who to believe. Legion, whom he loved. Or Olivia, whom he hungered for but couldn’t have.

  Gingerly, Legion sat up, and the blanket fell to her waist. Aeron hastily looked away, but not before he’d caught a glimpse of her pearled nipples.

  He wanted to scrub his corneas with sandpaper.

  Would this day never end?

  OLIVIA WATCHED as Legion held out one arm, looked it over, then held out the other and examined it, as well. She cupped her breasts, pinched her nipples and gasped in awe.

  “I’m gorgeous,” she said excitedly. Her words were emerging more fluidly now, smoother every time she spoke. She must be getting used to her new tongue. Her gaze lifted, smugness banked there as she met Olivia’s eyes. “I’m a thousand times prettier than you are.”

  Maybe she was. Not that Olivia cared. Much. What did Aeron think about this? He was careful not to face Legion, careful not to touch her.

  Kiss the back of his neck…lick it…and let Legion see you do it.

  Olivia stopped breathing. There it was again. The voice. The temptation. Ever since Aeron had dragged her back to this fortress, it had been tormenting her, urging her to do all manner of things—all designed to lure Aeron into bed with her. Caress his penis, strip and dance for him, even flirt with his friend to drive him insane with jealousy.

  None of which would have bothered her. Except the desires hadn’t sprung from her. Yes, she wanted to caress his penis, and yes, she wanted to strip for him. As evidenced by the fact that she’d last approached him naked. And yes, she even liked the thought of his jealousy. But when the voice produced the desires, patches of darkness were left on her soul. She could feel them.

  How was that happening? What was happening?

  Aeron cleared his throat, tugging her from her thoughts. “Let’s get you some clothes, Legion.”

  “I like being naked,” she said
with a pout.

  “Too bad.” Still keeping his gaze averted, he held out a hand. “Latch on and I’ll pull you up.”

  “No.” Watching Olivia, she drew herself up, threw her arms around Aeron’s neck and pressed herself into the hard line of his body. “I want you to carry me.”

  He grimaced, but scooped her up. “All right. Olivia, come with us. Please.” He didn’t wait for her reply, but trudged up the steps.

  No way she would have left him alone with the demon-turned-human, but she was gratified that he’d requested her company. Until, halfway to his room, she heard, Pat his ass…and actually found her fingers inches from his bottom before she even realized she’d reached out. She scowled and forced her arm to fall to her side, but it was too late. Another patch of darkness had already bloomed.

  What would happen if that darkness consumed her?

  Stop, she shouted inside her head. Whoever, whatever you are, please stop.

  Legion rested her head on Aeron’s shoulder, gaze returning to Olivia, and stroked the contours of his back. “So strong,” she purred.

  Olivia’s eyes narrowed as rage infused every atom of her being. He’s mine to stroke. Mine to praise.

  Do something. You deserve Aeron, not Legion. So prove it to him. Get in front of him, drop to your knees, open his pants and suck his cock into your mouth.

  She tripped over her own feet, rage quickly draining and leaving only despair. What would happen if the darkness consumed her? she had wondered. With this newest urging, the answer had slid into place. She would no longer be able to distinguish her own desires and emotions from those of the voice. What the voice had said, she wanted to do. Desperately.

  Resist. She couldn’t let that happen.

  “I want to talk with you…privately,” Legion continued, and that slight pause at the end had had nothing to do with her tongue and everything to do with sensual suggestion. “Send the ugly angel away.”

  “Stop that,” he barked. Then more calmly, “You have to stop.”

  Finally the smugness drained from her and she turned a now-watery gaze to Aeron. “Don’t you love me anymore?”