By the Horns

by Rachael Slate

  She wended through the empty nighttime streets, checking over her shoulder to ensure she wasn’t being followed. As she rounded a corner, her senses pricked. She paused and waited, then peeked past the corner of the building to scan behind her. The street was empty. Her instincts processed in overtime, making her jumpy.

  After how she’d dismissed him, Kassian would stay away until morning. No one else would be looking for her…except maybe Zhao.

  She tensed and listened for any clues. Her breaths panted heavily from her mouth so she switched to inhaling and exhaling through her nose. A siren echoed in the distance. Several dogs yipped at each other. She whirled around and kept trekking forward.

  A hand clamped over her mouth and smothered her cry. She reared back, launching her elbow into her assailant’s middle. He—judging from the size of the hand and the masculine grunt—cinched his arms tighter around her, drawing her into the shadows.

  Oh, hell no. She stomped her heel on top of his foot. He sharply inhaled, hopping sideways. She jabbed her elbow into his kidney. His arms loosened and she squirmed free, bolting forward.

  His arms shot out and clamped around her waist. She twisted to assess her assailant and scan for any weaknesses.

  She froze. “Kassian?”

  He used her surprise to his advantage, hauling her against him. “Fuck. Stop fighting, Nat. Be quiet.”

  She would have protested the “stop fighting” command, but she wasn’t one to make any sound when she’d been warned to be quiet. Her ears strained to catch whatever made Kassian suspicious.

  Muffled footsteps halted. The clang of metal rolling against concrete died as though someone had kicked a can into the street.

  Crap. She’d been followed, twice.

  How the hell had Kassian snuck up on her? The man was about as stealthy as an elephant stampede.

  She slid out of his arms and pointed toward the fire escape. They required a better vantage point to spot whoever had tailed her.

  If it hadn’t been Kassian, who the hell was it?

  Sneaking away in the middle of the night had become a much more complicated mission than she’d anticipated, but she’d been trained by the best.

  She’d lose this tail and, afterward, she’d lose Kassian.

  She climbed to the roof, Kassian behind her. At the top, she cloaked Snake to spring to the opposite side. Kassian did the same, but used Ox to cross the distance. They had to gain a few steps before they could trail back while their tracker played catch up.

  Using Snake, she dashed from rooftop to rooftop. Ox bounded behind her. After one final leap, she doubled back at an angle and settled behind a chimney with a good view of her path.

  Kassian tucked in behind her. His body tense, he seemed frustrated by how she’d snuck off, yet they had bigger problems.

  Her stomach dropped as the first slithery limb followed the route she’d set. Yep, much bigger problems. Problems…with friends.

  Dozens of shadowy figures played follow the leader, winding, creeping, crawling, and flying.

  “Yāoguài. Demons. Shit,” Kassian cursed under his breath.

  “A lot of them. Any idea where they came from?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. Zhao.”

  She bit her lip. Not good. “Come on.”

  “No, we should settle on a plan first.” He eyed the dark wave of creatures.

  “Who says I don’t have one?” She tugged his arm and leapt several stories down to the street. Demons were a pain, but one she’d dealt with before. Too many times.

  Tonight, she had the spirit of Snake on her side.

  Demons could only travel in straight lines—which was why many roads in Asia were curvy. If she cut a curved, diagonal path, the demons would have to follow straight lines along the city’s grid to catch up—and therefore she’d buy a few extra minutes.

  Second, they hated light and, thereby, firecrackers. Nat determined precisely where this battle would go down.

  Zhao would learn the hard way—tonight—that he couldn’t intimidate her. If he sought an encore, he should have come himself.

  Kassian followed her to a building at the port. Their visit earlier today hadn’t been a complete loss. The Matchmaker had taught her to observe her surroundings and process everything—because any small fact might present an advantage. The warehouse she’d entered to confront Mei in the restroom stored crates. Boxes filled with fireworks to be shipped out.

  “Okay.” Kassian eyed the large structure. “You going to let me in on your plans or should I stand around and make myself pretty?”

  Her traitorous gaze glided across his hot body. Pretty wasn’t going to require any effort from him.

  “I’m going to find a match. A lighter. Anything. You make torches.”

  “Plan?” He folded his arms and stared her down.

  “We’re going to light this place up.”

  “By ‘light up,’ you mean…?”

  “Oh yeah, there’ll be fireworks, babe.” She cast him a grin and set off at a jog toward the manager’s office. One of the employees must be a smoker. She cracked the lock on the door, approached the desk, and tossed out the contents of the drawer onto the top. Ha! Her hand closed around the small blue lighter and she sprinted out of the office.

  Kassian knocked together a few torches out of crate wood and greasy drop cloths. He tilted them toward her and she tipped the light to them. The dry, oil-soaked cloths burst into flames.

  “Push the crates of fireworks toward the center of the room. We’ll draw the demons into the warehouse, trap them inside, and blow everything up.”

  He cocked a thick brow. “You’re having a bit too much fun with this, aren’t you?”

  She grinned back. “This isn’t my first run-in with demons, and I hate those pricks.”

  “Well, let’s start this bonfire.” He handed her the torches and stacked the crates in the center of the warehouse. Using Snake’s talents, she climbed the wall, for once thankful Kassian had trained her on that flagpole. She’d learned how to rely on Snake for balance so she could better concentrate on her goals.

  She traipsed along the high beam stretched from one end of the warehouse to the other and perched in the center. A perfect morsel of bait.

  A chill crept down her spine. The demons were close. “Kassian. Up. Now,” she barked at him, but she’d been wrong.

  The demons weren’t coming.

  They were already here.

  Kassian was still below…right on top of the explosives.

  ***

  Kassian craned his neck to catch Nat’s words as the air in the warehouse cooled several degrees. Ox pawed inside him, sensing danger.

  Yeah, a little late with the warning, buddy.

  A low hiss echoed behind him and, again, on his right. The shadowy forms of the demons brushed past the weathered windowpanes, seeking entrance.

  One four-inch claw scraped down the glass, emitting a high-pitched screech that rang in Ox’s ears. Kassian clamped his hands over his ears to seal out the noise.

  Fuck. He swung his gaze to his left. The claw had been a distraction. Leathery-winged demons swarmed into the warehouse, fanning out to surround him. Their forms condensed in and out of corporeality as they advanced. Until they consumed enough human souls, yāoguài couldn’t assume permanent form in this realm. They belonged in Dìyù—hell—which was where Kassian intended to return them. The ones with bat-like wings had red glowing eyes. The ones prowling on four legs stalked them like panthers, their yellow cat-like stares targeted on their prey.

  Him.

  Others climbed the walls of the warehouse, swinging like monkeys. Long limber arms and legs. Minus the tails.

  He backed toward the crates and climbed to the top of the pile. He might be king of the mountain, but this mountain was about to blow. Craning his neck, he spotted Nat. She held the torches, but they were close to burning out. If she didn’t drop them soon, they’d both be dead.

  He opened his mouth and she shook
her head vehemently. “No. Don’t say it.”

  She hadn’t guessed what he was about to suggest. Not entirely.

  Nat was Snake and Snake’s tail was…fucking long. “Use Snake’s tail. Drop the torches and swing me out. You can do it.”

  She paled. Yeah, so fireworks blew upward and outward. The plan had been for them to leap out of the way. There might not be time to save them both.

  A demon growled on his right. Ox snarled back. “Time’s up. Now, Nat.”

  He probed for Snake’s tail. Nat grunted as she cloaked Snake and snagged Kassian’s waist. One torch flickered out. The other two grew dim.

  Now or never.

  The demon who’d growled leapt forward as Nat swung Kassian into the air.

  The creature sank its claws into Kassian’s calf. He howled as the razor-sharp nails sliced a line down his skin. The demon struggled to hold on. Kassian thrashed his leg, hoping to kick off the nasty beast. Like a rabid dog, it dug its claws deeper.

  Kassian grabbed the beam Nat swung him to and twisted around as she dropped the torch.

  The wooden crates caught fire. The heat built. Snake’s tail released its grip on his waist. Kassian crushed one of Ox’s hooves on top of the demon’s head, prying it off his leg. It fell limp onto the concrete floor.

  Uncloaking Ox, he sought Nat again. She uncloaked too as she sprinted the length of the beam toward him. He swung his feet to the beam and waited a beat before she caught up to him. Nudging her ahead, he followed her toward the ventilation window in the roof. He glanced over his shoulder as the first box exploded.

  Shielding his body with one arm, he used the other to shove Nat out the window. He dove after her, protecting her body from the flames as they spiraled toward the ground.

  Ox cloaked him while Snake cloaked Nat.

  Whether she’d done it consciously or not, the cloaking had happened damned fast. She was getting the hang of this Chosen gig.

  They landed hard against the packed earth, but their spirits cushioned most of the impact. Kassian rolled to his feet and swung for Nat’s hand. He lifted her and they both backed off as the roof of the warehouse blasted apart. Fireworks shot into the air. A mix of red, blue, green, and orange.

  “We certainly did that inconspicuously.” He chuckled at the thunderous crack of the fireworks.

  She chimed a laugh. “That’s how I roll.”

  Inside, the hiss and squeal of the demons screeched into the night air. They flailed against the warehouse’s walls and windows, but the light vanquished them before they could escape.

  “Fuck, yeah. Go back to Dìyù. Bloody demons.” He kicked a rock at the burning building.

  Beside him, Nat released a low hiss. “We got them, but more will come. We have to go.”

  “No argument here.”

  He followed her to the dock. “You didn’t mean back to Kek Lok Si, did you.” Not a question.

  She unhooked a small motorboat and hopped inside, dumping her duffle bag at her feet. She cranked the motor and lifted her gaze to his as the low hum filled the air between them.

  “I’m not going back. Not yet. Please understand. There’s something I have to do first.”

  He frowned. “What?”

  “I can’t tell you.” She bit her lip.

  “Well.” He glanced back as a demonic screech echoed in the distance. “You going to leave me on the shore for another round or can I come with you?” A second howl answered back. He vaulted into the boat. “Actually, I’m not giving you a choice. Let’s get the fuck out of here. Yeah?”

  She swallowed hard and stared in the direction of the screeching. “Yeah.”

  He clambered through the boat and changed seats with her to drive. She shuffled around him, her lush ass in his face for a second, and he clenched his fists to stop from hauling her onto his lap.

  That would have to wait. Right now, not becoming demon fodder was the game plan.

  He started the engine and blasted forward. The small vessel bumped through the water as he sped out of the harbor. Hopefully, the gas tank was full. He tilted his head at Nat. “Where to?”

  She pursed her lips as though recalculating her plans. “I planned to hop a plane. I guess that’s out of the question. At least until daylight. It’s about five hours to Langkawi. Let’s shoot for there.”

  Langkawi? The island was a popular tourist destination, with gorgeous white sandy beaches and tropical resorts. “Why? Working on your tan?”

  She scowled. “You have a better idea?”

  “I do.” He grinned and veered the boat east. After Sheng had blown up their hideaway island a couple of months ago, his Kongsi had bought a new one. The house wasn’t built yet, but they owned the entire island. It would be a good place to hang while he figured out what to do about Nat.

  And Snake.

  “You going to tell me where we’re going?”

  His grin widened. “Nope. This time, the plan’s all mine, sweetheart.”

  Nat glared at Kassian for a few seconds before giving up on waiting for his answer. It didn’t matter. He might be headed to a secret meet-up with the others. Or bringing her to Lucy so she could rip Snake from Nat.

  At this point, she had no other options. He’d hijacked his ticket onto her boat and she was stuck with him.

  Too exhausted to fight back, she laid her arms across her thighs, dropped her head to rest on them, and drifted off to sleep.

  The scrape of the boat’s bottom against sand jolted Nat awake. She blinked into blinding sunlight and planted her hands on the boat’s sides to keep from pitching forward. Kassian hopped out and dragged the boat a few feet onto shore, his thick, brawny muscles bunching enticingly. “Morning, sunshine.”

  Yeah, sunshine was right. “What time is it?” She craned her neck and squinted at the blinding ball high in the sky.

  “Around noon, I’d wager.” Kassian cast her a panty-wetting grin. Whoa. What was he so happy about?

  She grumbled as she lurched out of the boat and steadied her feet on the wet sand. He’d deposited them on a nice patch of white beach. Hell, if she had a good book, she’d be happy to rest here for a few hours.

  This was not part of her mission. This was wasting precious time.

  “I don’t see any planes.” She pinched the bridge of her nose.

  “Yep. No people, either. The Kongsi owns this island. She’s a beaut, eh?”

  She didn’t bother glancing around. “Yeah, sure, but I need a plane, not a vacation.”

  “I know. Follow me.” He led them down an overgrown path through the jungle.

  The swarm of vines and strewn rocks dissipated as they neared a clearing. Trees had been cut down, huge stumps left in their wake. The branches were scattered to the side, clumped into haphazard piles. She sidestepped over the debris and followed Kassian. He removed a weathered tarp from a massive object and set the cover on a wooden workbench.

  A helicopter? Her elation fizzled as she approached. The piece of crap required more than a paint job. Rusted panels, propellers bent at odd angles, and a weird, musty stench wafted from inside the cabin.

  “Yeah, no.” She clamped her hands on her hips. “Maybe you didn’t hear me correctly. When I said I needed a plane, I meant an aircraft that can get airborne.”

  “She could use a little love. Give me two days and I’ll have her in the air.”

  “Two days? Why don’t we take the boat to shore?” She waved toward the motorboat.

  “Because it ran out of gas and I’ve been paddling for three hours. Drifting out on the ocean isn’t how I’d choose to die.”

  Oh, crap. She must have slept right through when she should have been awake and helping. She groaned and jerked her chin toward the helicopter. “Can you even fly that?”

  “Yep. PPL-H Certified. That’s private pilot license for helicopters.”

  “Okay, fine. Two days. Then what?” She braced for the words. Reclaim the Snake.

  He shrugged. “We do whatever you snuck away to do.
You going to tell me what that is?”

  She pressed her lips together. She trusted him and she could use the help, but… How would he view her once he learned of her plans?

  “Okay.” He brushed off her silence, shrugging. “Well, I’ve got two days and, believe me, darling, I’m quite adept at interrogation.”

  “Oh, really?” She laughed…until he stepped closer. The sun might be blazing down on them, but the heat between her and Kassian lit up like a bonfire, permeating every inch of her skin and igniting her blood. One look from him did things to her. Naughty things.

  Worst of all, he’d kick-started her heart, jolting the organ into a pounding, frenzied beating inside her chest. He twisted emotions of yearning through her she had no business feeling.

  As he took another step toward her, any trace of reasoning abandoned her brain, but she managed to spew out, “How do you even know how to fix that thing? Or fly it?”

  His dimple popped as he leaned forward, propping one hand on the tree trunk behind her. “Let’s see. I don’t drink, I don’t party. I don’t hook up with women. Got a lot of time on my hands.”

  She swallowed hard as the heat of his large body threatened to melt her into a puddle.

  He shoved off the tree and left her dizzy. She blinked while he headed toward what appeared to be a small tool shed. He’d restated the fact he didn’t sleep with women, but all she’d registered was the pounding of her heart from his nearness.

  Damn, she was smitten with a man she could never have. Even if not for his vows, for hers.

  She sank, the rough bark of the coconut tree scraping her spine until her butt collapsed to the soft sand. Two days. She could survive two measly days on a deserted island with the world’s most tempting man, right?

  As if the universe conspired against her, Kassian shucked his black T-shirt, revealing chiseled abs, biceps the size of her waist, and shoulders her palms ached to explore. The lower half of him was no less seductive in the black shorts he wore, displaying his thick, muscled thighs. His body was one long, solid mass of honed edges. She’d love to lick those bronzed muscles from head to toe and discover if he tasted as good as he looked. He would. Oh, he definitely would.