by Opal Carew
“The ring?” Kai said absently. She blinked as the room started to spin and for a moment she worried she’d faint. Digging her fingernails into her palm, Kai struggled to keep herself together.
“Yes.” Ben spoke softly as he inched closer. “The ring removed whatever spell he was using to hide his true nature. He was sent here to kill you and take the ring back to the Underworld but you mustn’t let him have it, Kai.”
“Kai!” Aaron’s voice boomed loudly from the other side of the door as he pounded on it. “Let me in,” he shouted. “Please, let me explain.”
“What are you talking about?” she whispered. “This is crazy.”
“You need to come with me.” Ben extended his manicured hand as an insincere smile bloomed. Quicker than a snake, he grabbed her by the wrists and yanked her to him. “Or you could just give me the ring and be done with this whole mess.”
Ben’s mouth hovered dangerously close to hers and though Kai struggled to get away it was no use, his grip was iron clad. He breathed deeply along her neck and made a low growling sound.
“Let me go,” she ground out.
“Give me the ring,” he seethed as his fingers encircled her wrists to the point of pain.
“No!” Kai shouted as she struggled against him. “Ben, please stop. I can’t give it to you or anyone. It won’t come off.”
As bolts of pain whipped up her arms, somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered a self-defense class and the acronym S.I.N.G. that stood for solar plexus, instep, nose and groin. These were the sensitive places on the body to attack when being attacked.
Ben grabbed her hand and tried to pull the ring off. Pain shot up her arm and she screamed in agony, as it felt like her skin was being be torn from the bone. Then, with every survival instinct she had and her last bit of strength, Kai stomped on his instep. He grunted in surprise and leaned forward, just in time to have his balls come in contact with her knee.
As he released her, Kai stumbled backward and a thundering fireball exploded as the door of the barn shattered into splinters of burning wood and smoke. Struggling to catch her breath and with her hand feeling like it had been put through a shredder, Kai looked over to see Aaron, or Asmodeus or whoever he was, standing in the doorway.
He was quite literally wrath incarnate.
“You will not lay one hand on her, you fucking fairy.” Eyes glowing, muscles straining and with the storm raging behind him, Asmodeus stepped into the barn with his burning gaze fixed on Ben. Kai probably should have been terrified, but to her great surprise she felt nothing but relief. Without taking his eyes off Ben, Asmodeus extended his hand. “Come with me.”
“I don’t think so, demon,” Ben seethed. He raised both hands, uttered a language Kai had never heard and she watched in horror as his aura flashed and a shock wave of yellow light rippled across the room and slammed into Asmodeus.
Kai screamed and watched as Asmodeus was thrown back outside like a ragdoll. Ben ran toward Kai and grabbed her arms. Kai screamed and kicked at him as rage, confusion and outright fury filled her.
Struggling against him, she placed both hands on his chest and let out a primal scream as a gargantuan surge of power shot through her body and into Ben. The force sent him flying across the barn and slammed Ben into the wall, dropping him to the ground in a limp heap.
Shaking and crying, the ring cooling against her skin, Kai leaned against the wall for support as her body tingled with newfound power. She let out a startled cry as Asmodeus appeared suddenly next to her. Before she could say a word, he pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest as she sobbed with terror and confusion.
“I killed him.” She kept repeating the muffled words over and over against his chest. “What’s happening? Oh my God. I killed Ben.”
“He’s unconscious, Kai, he’s not dead. But we will be if we don’t get out of here now.” Asmodeus took her head in both hands and kissed her forehead, his lips hot against her skin. He pulled back to look her in the eye. “Come with me and I promise I’ll explain everything.”
“What happened?” she sputtered. “He—he had fucking laser beams shoot out of his hands. And me—I—”
“Ben is Fae... and so are you.” He lifted one shoulder. “Well, half.”
“Fae? I’m a fucking fairy?” she said with no humor in her voice. Her brow furrowed as she recalled the words written on the crate. She flicked her eyes to his, her voice was edged with urgency. “The box—the box that I found the ring in. It said Custodians of the Light.”
“I’ve never heard that expression before,” he said as a deep line formed between his eyebrows and his voice dropped low. “But I promise we’ll find out what it means.”
Kai stilled and her eyes wandered over the strange tattoos that now covered his arms. “Is it true?” she whispered in a quivering voice as she raised her eyes back to meet his. “Are- are you what he said you are?”
“Yes.” His mouth set in a tight line and the muscle in his jaw flinched with tension. “But I am not here to harm you and I won’t allow anyone else to hurt you either.”
Shivering and wet, with his strong, warm arms encircling her, Kai searched his eyes, which were once again the cool, pools of blue and all she saw was concern. She glanced at Ben, still passed out in the corner, and then back to Asmodeus. He may be a demon, or a Dark One, but in the short time she’d known him, he’d done nothing but be kind.
Ben moaned and stirred.
“We have to go.” Asmodeus’ grip on her tightened and his eyes once again glowed red, as he leveled his burning gaze in Ben’s direction. “When he wakes up he’s going to summon others.”
Kai said nothing but nodded and swiped at her teary eyes. What could she say? Her life had just gone from a little bit odd to completely insane in less than an hour.
“Of course he will.” A slightly hysterical laugh bubbled up and she shrugged. Tears stung at her eyes and she wished now, more than ever, that she could speak to her mother. The old familiar ache in her chest, the hole that was there since her parents died, opened and threatened to swallow her up.
She stepped back as Asmodeus got on the Harley. He started the bike and revved the engine, waving for her to join him. She walked over, almost in a trance, wondering if perhaps this was merely a dream and she’d wake up any minute, laughing at her subconscious but as the heat of the engine blew over her wet, bare legs she knew it was all too real. Feeling exhausted, frightened and with few options, Kai swung her leg over and settled in behind him.
“Hold on tight,” he said as he pulled out of the barn. “But do me a favor and try not to singe me with the ring. It hurts like hell.”
“Aren’t you from there?” Kai said with more than a little sarcasm.
Asmodeus smirked at her over his shoulder but said nothing as Kai wrapped her arms around his waist, careful to avoid touching his flesh with the ring. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed her cheek against the broad, muscular expanse of his back and held on for dear life as they rode down the dark, Idaho highway and into an uncertain future.
Chapter Six
Kai had never been so mentally or physically exhausted in her life. Soaked to the bone from the driving rain and dog-tired, she fought to keep her heavy eyelids from closing. The only reason she hadn’t fallen asleep was because, if she did, she’d fall right off the back of Asmodeus’ motorcycle.
Clinging to his warm, firm body also helped keep her grounded in reality. She pressed her face against his back and smothered a hysterical giggle. Reality? Demons, fairies and a magic ring all added up to a big bag of crazy.
She watched the scenery fly by in a blur. It was still dark and though she didn’t know how long they’d been riding, it felt like hours. With the damp air breezing over them and only the sound of the engine filling her head, Kai took stock of their surroundings and realized that, at some point, the terrain had transitioned to a total desert-like environment.
Kai had zero idea where he was taking he
r and there was a part of her that didn’t care, because all she wanted to do was wake up from the nightmare her life had become. Until a few hours ago, Kai thought seeing people’s auras was the weirdest thing about her.
Apparently not.
Nope. She was some kind of fairy half-breed, her grandfather’s attorney and would-be suitor was a fairy, and the gorgeous hunk of man she was plastered to, on the back of a Harley Davidson, was a demon.
Right. Seeing auras seemed downright pedestrian at the moment.
With her arms wrapped around him and their bodies pressed tightly together, Asmodeus glowed like he had in the kitchen. Even though the façade of being human had vanished, Asmodeus still absorbed Kai’s aura when they touched. As odd as it was, it actually gave her comfort because it was one thing about him that had remained the same.
The heat and vibrations from the motorcycle hummed through her weary body, making her feel as though she had become part of the machine. Kai sucked in a shuddering breath and tightened her grip around Asmodeus’ waist, careful to keep the ring from touching him.
She recalled what had happened back at the house when the ring grazed his neck. The man’s eyes had glowed red, like two hot coals, and tattoos as black as midnight appeared out of nowhere, up those thick, muscular arms. But it wasn’t only his physical appearance that changed. It was the hard, unfeeling look on his face that hit her like a punch in the gut.
She sighed and rested her cheek against his back. Asmodeus’ muscles tensed in response and he placed one large hand on her arm.
“We’re almost there,” he shouted over his shoulder above the roar of the bike. “Just hang on.”
“Almost where?” Kai asked as she tightened her hold on his waist and adjusted her butt on the seat. His stomach muscles rippled beneath her arms and she fleetingly wondered if the man had a single ounce of body fat. She probably should’ve been freezing but his body heat kept her warm in spite of how wet she was and how cool the air felt. “Where are you taking me?”
“Someplace safe.” He revved the engine and shouted over his shoulder. “Hang on. The turnoff for Isadora’s place is up ahead but the roads from here on out aren’t paved which will make for a bumpy ride.”
“Really?” Kai shouted with more than a little annoyance. “I just found out that you’re a freaking demon and for some inexplicable reason I got on a motorcycle with you in a rainstorm. I’d say that I’m capable of handling bumpy roads—literal or otherwise.”
“Fair enough,” he said with a short laugh.
After what felt like an eternity of teeth clattering bumps, Kai finally spotted a glimmer of light ahead in the seemingly endless darkness and for a minute she wondered if it was a mirage. Like a castaway adrift in the ocean for days who was finally seeing land, pure relief swamped her as she saw the faint outline of a house.
Sitting up in the seat, Kai looked past Asmodeus and squinted into the dark night, praying that this Isadora person wasn’t going to try and rip the ring off her hand too. Who was this woman, anyway? Could she be a former lover of Asmodeus?
A sudden and unexpected feeling of jealousy washed over Kai as she imagined him in the arms of another woman.
She rolled her eyes at her foolishness. Why on earth was she getting jealous? He was a demon and, according to the fairy-man, Ben, Asmodeus was only here to get the ring. Her heart squeezed in her chest as she thought about how gently Asmodeus held her hand, the seductive feel of his lips on hers. Was it all an act and part of his attempt to get the ring, or did he truly feel something for her?
Reaching their destination, he pulled the bike to a halt. Kai looked to the right and standing in front of a ridge of mountainous rock, was a tiny, ramshackle cottage. Kai almost wept with relief. It was a crooked little place that looked like it might be glued together and she had a fleeting memory of the tongue depressor houses she built once with her father.
This little house had a similar feel and in a funny way, it gave her a sense of comfort. Two lanterns hanging from wooden posts at the end of the gravel walkway swung in the dark, calling to Kai, welcoming her as if waving at her to come inside.
As Asmodeus shut off the bike and kicked the stand down, Kai removed her arms from around his waist, but flinched as her stiff muscles cried out in protest. She arched her back and stretched her arms over her head, working out the kinks from the longest motorcycle ride of her life and even though the engine was off, her body still hummed.
She let out a sound of relief as she stretched, and it took her a moment to realize that Asmodeus hadn’t moved. He was sitting stone still on the bike, his fingers wrapped tightly around the handlebars and staring straight ahead.
As Kai dropped her arms and rested her hands on her thighs, her breasts brushed his back and he flinched, almost imperceptibly. If she hadn’t been straddling him from behind, with her hips pressed tightly against his, she wouldn’t have noticed.
“Get off the bike,” he said tightly, without turning around. His voice, low and deep, was barely audible. “Now.”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Kai said with a heavy sigh.
Kai slipped off the bike quickly and watched as the glow of her aura dimmed, flickered over his form and then vanished when their bodies no longer met, leaving him lightless once again. Her eyes narrowed as she watched him dismount the bike. Asmodeus’ entire demeanor had changed. He was cold, distant and detached and, as far as she could tell, he was doing his best not to look at her.
Asmodeus stuck the key in his jeans pocket before turning around to finally face her. He couldn’t exactly avoid her at the moment but he sure as hell seemed like he was trying.
“Go inside,” Asmodeus said, jutting his chin toward the house without looking at her. “Now.”
“What’s your problem?” Kai asked with more than a little annoyance. Hands on her hips, she puffed stray hair from her face and stood in front of him in the most challenging stance she could muster. “You’re acting like I’m the one who lied to you. You were the one who pretended to be something you’re not. Talk about telling the biggest fib ever.”
“I never actually said I was human,” he said in an irritatingly calm tone.
“I’d say that’s what most people would consider semantics.”
“I call it a necessary evil.” His sharp, blue eyes flicked to hers briefly before glancing over his shoulder at the empty desert. “Now that you know what I am and why I’m here, it will make things much easier and we can cut to the chase.”
“I barely know what I am.”
“Yes, you do.” He continued scanning the surroundings. “You’re a fairy hybrid. It’s not that complicated.”
“You’re insufferable.”
Anger, frustration, and the sting of rejection burned in Kai’s chest. This man was quite literally the only person—human-demon-whatever—that she had and he was giving her the brush-off. A few short hours ago, they’d been making out hot and heavy but now he was acting like it never happened.
She wasn’t looking for him to proclaim his love to her but he could at least act like they weren’t complete strangers. Her mouth set in a tight line and the ring burned against her flesh as her emotions began to get the better of her.
“Look at me,” Kai said as she shoved at his shoulder, mindful not to use the hand with the ring. He didn’t flinch and she may as well have been shoving at a wall of steel. “Damn it. I said, look at me.”
She shoved at him again but her hand slipped, sending her face-first into his chest.
Quicker than lightning, Asmodeus grabbed her wrists and dragged her body against his. Soft met hard in one swift motion as her breasts crushed against him and all the breath rushed from her lungs. His fingers encircled her arms like handcuffs and his skin burned against hers as he began to glow with her aura in a now familiar way.
“Do not test me, woman,” he growled.
Asmodeus’ mouth hovered inches from hers and his musky scent filled her head, making her dizzy with need
. She wanted to feel something other than fear and confusion, to lose herself in the taste of him. Those icy, blue eyes stared down at her beneath a dark, furrowed brow and his body hardened against hers as the aura around them now gleamed red with desire.
“Don’t shut me out,” Kai whispered as she leaned further into him. Pressing a kiss against his throat, she murmured, “I can’t do this by myself.”
Kai leaned back to look him in the eye, his hands still linked around her wrists, she found herself staring into bright, red orbs. This time, instead of being frightened, when confronted with part of his true nature, she was intrigued. He was exotic, dangerous and... unexpected.
Her lips parted and she sucked in a shuddering breath just as his mouth covered hers. When Asmodeus groaned, the sound alone almost made her come apart. He tugged her closer as their tongues tangled, both of them clamoring for more.
This is what she needed, what they both needed, to feel something other than fear or confusion. Kai tilted her head as he deepened the kiss, drinking from her desperately. On a growl and without breaking the kiss, Asmodeus grabbed her bottom, picked her up and spun around before depositing her on the motorcycle.
Kai wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned back as he straddled the bike and swiftly pulled her into his lap. She sighed against his lips as the heat of his erection pressed against her most sensitive spot, sending electric zings of carnal pleasure through her body.
He rained kisses down her neck as one hand slipped up her shirt, flicked her bra aside and captured her breast. Kai moaned and held his head to her throat, as she linked her legs around his waist and ground against him. Streaks of need shot through her as his experienced hands and talented tongue feasted on her. She arched against him and reveled in the erotic sensation of the heat of his body mixed with the brisk breezes of cool evening air.
