Caged Magic

by Jennifer Lyon

  “I saw that,” Ram added. “We managed to get some information from one rogue. He said the spawn had to choose to be either demon or human on his thirtieth birthday.”

  Thirty. Okay, she had years to help Kendall make the right choice—if she got her back.

  Axel nodded. “Wing Slayer believes the rogues have found a safe place for the spawn to hibernate, feeding him energy from the ley lines and probably witch blood to help the transition. And when he comes out of that, he’ll be fully immortal, impossible for us to kill and too dangerous for the witches to get close enough to banish.”

  “How does Wing Slayer know all this?” Risa’s knowledge of the hunters and their god mostly came from the Internet.

  Linc answered, “Wing Slayer’s half-demon, half-god. His mother is a demon, and he grew up in the Underworld until his mother kicked him out.”

  A flash of hope bubbled in her. If their god had demon blood, then maybe they’d protect Kendall after all. She started to open her mouth.

  Axel jumped in. “Wing Slayer lived on Earth disguised as a human. That’s when Asmodeus corrupted witches and got them to banish Wing Slayer. He and Asmodeus have a long-standing feud. Asmodeus wants control of Earth, and Wing Slayer is determined to prevent that. So much so, he invoked his god powers and created Wing Slayer Hunters to help.”

  Her hope crashed and burned. Kendall’s grandfather was the god’s enemy. Her fear for the baby ramped up. She didn’t dare tell them the truth.

  “Risa.” Axel looked at her from the screen. “We need any information you have to try and track Archer. I haven’t forgotten about your baby either. Archer will have to put her somewhere before he goes into hibernation, probably with a demon witch. But we need to find out more about him to figure it out.”

  All eyes turned to her.

  The weight of her decision pressed in on her, and for a second, she wanted to blurt out the truth. But the risk to Kendall was too grave, so she launched into the story she’d come up with while in the shower. “While still living here in Vegas, Blythe dated Archer briefly over a year ago. She told me about him, and I ran a background check.”

  “Why?” Sutton asked.

  That she could answer truthfully. “Because she’s my friend, and I didn’t live close enough to check him out personally.” Blythe had been a party girl, and Risa had worried that she would get into trouble. “It only lasted a couple dates, but I know Archer is not his real name, it’s Gavin Orr. His mother is Petra Orr, the former supermodel and owner of Lustrate Publicity.”

  Sutton looked up from his computer screen. “Petra Orr. She’s the Hollywood publicist who mysteriously vanished four months ago?”

  “Yes. That’s her.”

  “Oh, damn.” Ailish leaned into the camera. “I know that name.”

  Chills went down Risa’s spine, and she sat forward, dropping her elbows on her thighs. “How?”

  The witch thinned her mouth, tension radiating from her. “She was a friend of my mother when I was little.”

  All three men around Risa tensed, which made her pulse stutter. “And?”

  “My mother was a demon witch.”

  Oh God. She shot to her feet, her heart slamming against her ribs, a low roar in her ears. “Could Archer’s mother have Kendall? How do we find her?”

  ~ 5 ~

  Risa’s distress rubbed his skin like sandpaper, and the smell of her magic fanned his bloodlust, winding him tight enough to explode.

  He had to touch her, and laid his hand on her shoulder.

  She whipped her head around, her eyes frantic. “What do I do?”

  “We’ll find her.” He turned his gaze to the screen. “Start with Petra’s house and office. See if Archer has a home in L.A. too. Rip that town apart.”

  Axel broke in. “Phoenix, Key, you two go. Find out everything you can.”

  Sutton’s fingers flew over the keyboard of his laptop. “I’m pulling the latest photos of Petra Orr from the company website and media shots. I’ll forward them to you guys.”

  Linc looked down at Risa. “What about Kendall? Can you magically produce a picture of her?”

  “Yes.” She lifted the phone Sutton had given her and concentrated on the screen.

  Her magic rolled up from her shoulder, through his hand and buzzed his veins. Damn. At the same time, a light blue shimmer danced over her skin. She was so beautiful, he couldn’t tear his gaze away.

  “Here.” She held up the phone.

  Linc eyed the image of a baby sitting on the floor with her fat little legs stretched out and arms reaching as if wanting to be picked up. She had wisps of blonde hair and light blue eyes very unlike Risa’s. “She doesn’t look like you. Must take after her father.” And didn’t that just piss him off. Who was this man who’d left Risa pregnant and alone with a kid? Who had touched her? Hot possession fueled his anger.

  Risa stepped away from him. “Does it matter who she looks like? She’s only a baby.”

  Shit. He’d screwed up by opening his big mouth. “No. Of course not. I’m surprised.” And a jealous asshole, which was pure bullshit. Linc didn’t do jealousy. Returning his attention to the picture, he honed in on the kid’s face-splitting grin with a single tooth poking through her gums. The thought of any baby in a demon’s clutches, yeah, that wasn’t happening. “I’ll forward it to the contact list so all of us have a picture of her.”

  “Risa,” Carla jumped in. “Describe what happened when you tried to magically reach Kendall.”

  Done with sending the picture, Linc listened as Risa described it again. Just the memory of that much of her magic pouring over him tightened his balls. The need for sexual release always rode him, but near Risa, it hit critical levels.

  “Sounds like demon magic.” Carla frowned and added, “It’s dangerous, as the magic can latch on to yours, and you don’t have the protection of a familiar. Whoever is using the demon magic can track you too.”

  “How do I get past it?”

  “You need your familiar and high magic to get above the block and see Kendall with your third eye. Your familiar will keep you safe.” Carla’s hazel eyes slid to Linc. “It takes time once you seal your bond to gain more magic. The sooner you do it, the better.”

  Linc stiffened. “She’s not ready.” He was. Hell, he was desperate. But he’d seen Risa’s skittishness. Something had happened to make her mistrustful.

  Carla’s gaze softened. “We’ve tried to help from here, but when the demon spawned there in Vegas, it caused a magic drain in that area.”

  “Along with knocking out all the electrical power on and close to the Strip,” Sutton said.

  Carla nodded. “I’ll come there.”

  Sutton’s head jerked up. “Carly, it’s too dangerous here.”

  The witch’s eyes blazed with yellow light. “Exactly. I need to be there in case something happens to you. And I want to help Risa find her baby. I’m coming to Vegas. If I’m there, I’m sure I can connect with Darcy, Roxy and Ailish here to combine our power and assist.”

  Sutton compressed his lips in a tight line before sighing. “I’ll come get you. I want you safe.”

  “Wait.” Axel raised his hand, getting everyone’s attention. “How about if I have Eli drive her out? He’ll stay there and help with finding Archer. Wing Slayer believes Archer needs to stay within fifty miles of where he spawned, so he’s there somewhere. You all work on that, while we tear Petra’s life apart here and see if we can find her. She’ll have or know where the baby is, and her son.”

  “Works for me.” Linc liked the idea. Risa would have another witch here to help her, make her feel safer.

  “I’ll be safe with Eli,” Carla added.

  Sutton set his computer aside, got up and walked to the screen. “Be careful. Please, Carly.”

  A smile lit up her face. “Promise.”

  “Okay, that’s the plan,” Axel said. “Once Carla’s there, Risa, she’ll help you.”

  “Back to locating the spaw
n. I’ll set up a grid search.” Ram leaned against a far post, working on his phone. “Linc, will your hunter friends here help us search?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll contact them.” He and Baron had some issues, but Baron cared about Vegas. He’d agree.

  “What else can I do to find her? I can’t just sit here.” Risa glanced up at Linc. “Unless I go out searching, and maybe I can feel her nearby?”

  “No.” The word snapped out before he could think better of it.

  “He’s right, Risa.” Sutton stopped typing. “The media has descended and are calling what happened a terrorist attack. On top of that, rogues are all over the city, and we don’t know where Archer is, or if he’s still in his original burst of energy or in hibernation.”

  Linc rubbed the clenched muscles in Risa’s shoulder, trying not to think about how smooth and warm her skin felt. How much he wanted to kiss and lick—Stop or you’re going to have a massive boner. “You have to stay safe to find Kendall. You’re our only link to her.”

  Frustration hardened her jaw. As Risa turned to the screen, rising desperation drove her to ask, “Carla, is there anything I can do?”

  Sympathy filled her gaze. “I know it’s quick, but the sooner you and Linc form the soul bond, then you can work on accessing your high magic.”

  Risa spun around, clutching his arm. “I’ll do it. The mating thing, I’ll do it.”

  Heat ripped into his belly, and his cock jumped at the idea. But the desperation in her eyes wrenched out his protectiveness. He opened his mouth, then looked around, remembering they had an audience. Grabbing her hand, he tugged her with him. “We’ll talk about this in private.”

  * * *

  Once back in the room she’d woken in, Risa’s stomach churned and flipped. The door shut softly, and she whirled.

  Linc stood there, big, imposing, and taking up way too much space. Unable to catch her breath, she backed up, then caught herself and stopped. “Uh, where do we start?”

  “We talk.” He sat on the bed and held out his hand.

  Don’t think about other men, other beds. Block it. She’d gotten to be an expert at blocking things she didn’t want to feel. But her magic remained stubbornly active, refusing to send out the blessed numbness that had saved her so many times before. Instead, her chakras quivered with low-grade excitement. She took his hand, perching uneasily on the edge of the mattress.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Linc’s voice softened. “You’re emotionally wrung out and desperate.”

  With his warm hand surrounding hers, the solid presence of him next to her didn’t seem so overwhelming. “I need my magic. Kendall’s all I have. And you want to break your curse, so we both get what we want.”

  His gaze grew concerned. “I more than want it. But I don’t want to mislead you. I’m always honest with women, Risa. This isn’t some big romance for me, and I’m not going to fall in love with you. I need this to break my curse, and I want to help you, but this thing between us isn’t a long-term relationship.”

  She looked away. “I understand that. I don’t want it either.” The image of Key holding Roxy in front of him with his hand resting protectively on her pregnant belly rose in her mind, tripping a longing. She pushed it away. Her mom had chased a romantic dream into a depraved life of helping Risa’s father commit murder. Love wasn’t only blind, but stupid and destructive. Risa lived in reality. “This is necessity, not romance.”

  He tightened his fingers around hers. “It can be more than necessity. It can be pleasure between friends. And once we both have what we want, I’ll still be your friend. If you need me to help with your magic, I’ll be there.”

  What man had ever offered to be her friend? The idea appealed to her, but it wasn’t smart to want more than she could have. The truth about Kendall would destroy any chance at friendship. Yet she was curious about Linc. “What about you? I understand that you are focused on breaking your curse, but do you ever want what the other mated hunters have?” Wait that sounded like she meant falling in love. “I mean, they have real wings and can fly, right? Do you ever want that?”

  He shrugged. “The wings are the witch’s familiar and usually come out to help her. That kind of bond is deep. I don’t see that happening for us.”

  That pinged in her chest, touching too close to a place she refused to acknowledge. The part of her that wanted love, that might be a little too like her mom. Not happening. And yet she couldn’t resist wondering what Linc would look like with real wings. His falcon tattoo was gorgeous, and she wanted to see and touch it again. What if Linc got real wings, and she could actually touch the feathers? The thought sparked thrills in her belly.

  Crap, what was she thinking? He didn’t want his wings, and once he found out she’d lied, he’d loathe her. Lifting her chin, she focused on her goal. Only her goal. “Got it. We should stop talking about this and just do it.”

  “Look at me.”

  His smooth voice drew her with a nearly magnetic power. Risa looked into his eyes.

  He moved slowly, skimming his knuckles down her cheek. “The whole point of sex is pleasure. For both of us.”

  His words and touch ignited warm tremors in her stomach. She’d never felt that before. Oh, sure, she’d heard about sexual gratification, but in her case, sex had been awful. Most of the time her magic had numbed her, kept her distant from the experience. But now her witchcraft spilled out, chasing his touch, making her skin ultrasensitive. Her nipples tightened. The new feelings robbed her of words.

  “We’re not going to rush this.” He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip.

  Goose bumps broke out on her arms, and she parted her mouth. Her magic shivered and danced, one chakra opening, then another, as power tumbled out and rose in her belly, dashing to any place Linc touched her.

  Heat flared in his eyes. “I want to kiss you, to taste your lips. Slow, Risa. Just a kiss.” He leaned a fraction closer. “Let me taste your sweet mouth and hot magic.”

  She shivered, his voice and touch pulling her closer. When had she ever just kissed?

  “Say yes. Or no. Do you want me to kiss you?”

  He was doing this for her. Taking the time, letting her feel in control. She should tell him that she didn’t deserve his gentleness. But for just a moment she wanted to feel what it was like for someone to care a tiny bit. “Yes.”

  Linc leaned in, and the scent of soap and male rushed into her. He touched his mouth to hers, light and easy, brushing her lips, creating sensation. Heat. Want.

  Another chakra opened.

  A growl rumbled in his chest. Letting go of her hand, he snapped his arm around her waist and pulled her across his hard thighs.

  “I can’t get enough of you.” Against her hip, his cock throbbed. With his hand in her hair, he tilted her head back and kissed over her jaw, his sexy mouth trailing along the sensitive skin of her throat.

  Shivers charged down her body. Magic rippled and rushed.

  Linc opened his mouth over her collarbone, licking and sucking at the tender flesh there.

  A moan slid from her, and more magic surged out of her chakras. Deep between her legs, she swelled and pulsed.

  She liked what Linc was doing. Wanted it.

  No. Oh God, no. She couldn’t like it. Her heart rate shot up, and fear drenched her.

  It was too much, too confusing. Her magic swelled fast and out of control. Concentrating, she called on her witchcraft to help her now as it always had.

  In seconds, her magic calmed and cooled, and familiar numbness spread until she felt nothing.

  * * *

  Linc lost himself in the beauty of the woman in his arms. Her warm, silky hair spilling over his fingers sent shock waves right to his cock. The lightest blue witch shimmer danced over the top layer of her skin, so pretty he couldn’t look away. When she released a breathy moan of surrender, her eyes growing heavy with desire, lust roared into his blood.

  Need her. Want her. More.

&nbs
p; He forced air into his lungs that did nothing to appease his wild hunger. Go slow. His instincts screamed that she’d been hurt and scared. But she trusted him for a kiss.

  Hot. So damned hot. Her magic rippled everywhere he touched, and when he latched on to her collarbone and sucked gently, the power filled his mouth, slipped over his tongue and spread inside him.

  The bird shivered in his tattoo.

  More. Jesus he had to have more. Lifting his head, he eyed her lush lips. Leaning into her, he took her mouth, licking and sucking until she parted her lips. Easing his tongue in, he wrapped her tighter against him. She tasted of sweet tea and savory spice. He delved farther into her warm, wet mouth.

  Wait, something was wrong. Her magic dimmed, and Risa stilled. She didn’t resist him, but she didn’t kiss him back either.

  He brushed his fingers over her face. “Risa, hey, talk to me.”

  Her gaze swung to his.

  Linc drew back. Her eyes had taken on a vague distance that bugged him. Anger that she pulled her magic back festered and heated. Linc clamped his jaw. Control it. It’s the curse screwing with you.

  “No talking. Let’s get this done.” She sat up on his thighs, reaching for the hem of her tank.

  He fisted his hand in her hair to keep from helping her get that shirt off.

  Strip her. Push her on the bed and—

  No. Steeling himself against the painful beat in his balls demanding relief—a relief that was getting harder and harder to achieve—he strove for patience. Laying his hand over hers to stop her from stripping off her shirt, he said, “You’re not ready for that.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t need you to tell me what I’m ready for.” Releasing her shirt, she glided her hand along the ridge of his dick beneath his pants.

  Holy fuck. Her touch sizzled and rocked him right to his bones. Sweat popped out on his back, and sharp claws of sexual need dug into his balls. His cock swelled and hardened to unbearable. Heat suffused him.

  Fuck. His control slipped with every stroke of her hand along his aching length. The ball-squeezing compulsion to slam inside her, bury himself deep and get relief took over.