by Cara E Holt
Kol looks at me in amusement. “You do realise you are stood here feeling yourself up. Pervert.”
I shrug. “Well technically it’s Chris Hemsworth’s body.” I pull my top back down and cover those perfect abs. I look down at my groin.
“Bad girl.” Kol tells me wagging a finger at me. “That is just wrong.”
I groan at him and roll my eyes. “You mean I can’t even take a peak. Spoil sport.”
I lift my top and take one last look at those abs of a god. “Bye bye abs, it was nice having a feel.”
I close my eyes and imagine my own form, I sigh when I open my eyes and see I am back to plain old me. “Okay this is too much fun. Next one.” I close my eyes again and imagine the next person. I clap delighted when I look down. “I did it! I need a mirror. I summon a mirror using my fae magic and twist and turn looking at my reflection. I do a royal wave which brings a laugh from Kol. “Is the queen really this small?”
Kol shrugs in response. I stand before the mirror pulling funny faces. It’s hilarious. “How long can I hold this form for?”
“Probably not long, but the more you practice the more you will be able to do it. I can hold it for around ten to twelve hours. I can always hold it longer if I have fed beforehand. “
“Okay last one.” I close my eyes and chuckle, this was the best demon power by far.
“You surprise me.” Kol tells me as he comes up behind me.”How do you even know who Ginger Rodgers is?”
I shrug as I twirl in front of the mirror, my dress flaring out around me. I tug on his hand. “Okay, so I need you to be Fred.”
He cocks a brow. “You want us to play at being Fred and Ginger?”
I hold my hands together and give him my best pleading face. “Come on please. I adored these two growing up. My gran and I would spend hours watching these two. It’s been a dream of mine since forever to dance with Fred Astaire.”
He frowns but closes his eyes and within seconds Fred fucking Astaire is stood before me.
I lean closer “Woah.” I touch his nose and cheeks. “This is so freaking amazing! Okay talk to me, in his voice. Say something from one of their films.”
Kol groans and I tug on his arms pleadingly. “Pining. Men don’t pine. Girl’s pine. Men just suffer.”
I squeal in delight. “The gay divorcee! Do another, please.”
He sweeps an arm around my waist. “How about we dance instead.” Music fills the air and I smile instantly recognising the song. He moves us, I attempt to follow his steps, looking anything but the graceful dancer that Ginger Rodgers was. Then he opens his mouth and sings in Fred’s dreamy voice “Heaven I’m in heaven.”
I can’t help but grin like a fool. “We definitely aren’t in heaven.” He twirls me and my white silk dress flares out around my feet. “Sing ‘Let’s call the whole thing off.
Smiling the music changes and he ups the tempo of the dance steps and I struggle to follow and not stand on his toes. “You say either and I say either.”
I laugh as he spins me. ”Tomato, tomato, oh let’s call the whole thing off.”
“I met them you know, Fred and Ginger.” He tells me as he moves us to the music.
“You’re pulling my tail?!” I look at him star struck. “Really? How?”
“It was some fancy party in Hollywood. I knew one of the producers. I even got to dance with her.”
“Holy freaking smoke! I am so jealous. Was she as beautiful in real life?”
He nods. “Stunning and boy could she move.”
I sigh wistfully as he spins me around. “How cool. Who else have you met?”
He looks like he doesn’t want to tell me but I give him my pleading eyes again. “Okay, let’s think. Julius Ceasar. Beethoven. Marie Antionette, she was a little vixen, a real party girl.”
I sigh in awe and shake my head. I guess when you were immortal you did come in to contact with some famous people. Kol changes back into himself and brings us to a stop. “Okay enough playing. We need to move on and teach you memory extraction.”
I put my bottom lip out, letting him know that I am reluctant to stop the fun, but he is right I need to master my demon powers. I close my eyes and say goodbye to Ginger and turn back into my boring self.
“I tell you what though. Master this lesson and we’ll do a re-enactment of Swing time.” He offers and I throw myself at him and hug him.
“With the full set. The staircase and the mirrors?”
“The full set.” He laughs, “You look so cute when you’re excited. Work now though.”
I nod giving him my serious studious face and take a seat. I wasn’t sure how I felt about memory extraction. It disturbed me somewhat that I could potentially sift through someone’s head and see their memories. Kol demonstrates in me first and he gets to see some of my treasured childhood memories. He teaches me how to clear my own mind in order to allow me to enter someone else’s. He shocks me when he reaches out his hand and lifts me, placing me on his lap.
“What are you doing??”
He grins. “Relax. You need to be close up to do this. What’s the matter flower? Scared how getting too close might make you feel?”
I scoff and fold my arms. “No, of course not.”
“Okay, hands on the side of my head.”
I reluctantly and still with some suspicion about why we need to be this close, do as he asks. “Now just do as I just showed you.”
With a nod I reach out with my demon magic into his mind and I jump when images start to pass through my mind’s eye until one particular ones draws me to it. In this memory it is dark and loud music fills the place. Before me is a large busy dance floor and I’m sat watching people dancing. Then my eyes fall on one dancer. Her long dark hair hangs like silk down her back as she dances seductively with her friends. She turns her face and her eyes meet mine across the floor. “Mine” I hear a deep voice in my mind. I gasp when I realise the girl is me, it is the night we met at the club and I come hurtling out of his mind. I snatch my hands away from his head and jump to my feet, putting distance between us.
“Did you do that on purpose?” I demand, my face marred by a deep frown. He stands and comes in front of me. “Did you make me see that on purpose?”
He shakes his head and runs a handover the back of his neck before he reaches out for me but I step to his side and away from him.
“You chose to see that memory flower, not me.”
“Mine?” I throw at him accusingly.
He holds his hands up. “What do you want me say Ebony? Can I help it that when I saw you that was how I felt. That I wanted you. Do you think I like this? Having you here with me but knowing you’re thinking about him all the damn time.”
I gulp and feel a tad guilty for the way I have reacted. I take a step towards him, but this time it is he who steps back. His face is thunderous. He rubs his forehead like he is tired. “I need to get out of here.” His huge wings unfurl from his back knocking the wind out of me and before I can breathe a word he takes off into the unending night sky. I shout after him but he doesn’t look back.
“Stupid stubborn ass demon.” I curse as I storm back into the house. I contemplate going after him but I’m not confident enough yet to fly solo, nor do I have a clue where he might have gone. My life was such a confusing mess right now. I look down at mate ring around my wrist and stroke it with my fingers. Did I have feelings for Kol? If so, how could I? I mean I loved Lorcen with every bone in my immortal body. The stars aligned for me the day I met him, he was it for me. Kol though, he called to me in a way I could not explain. I hate myself right now. I hated that I made Kol miserable. I hated that I wasn’t with my mate and my family. I was tired of having no control in my own life. God, you couldn’t write this shit. Maybe one day I would. It would make a great PNR read.
CHAPTER EIGHT.
An hour later and I have busied myself reading on my kindle and he still is not back. Part of me was pissed off that he took off like that and another
part of me was worried about him. I try to get back into my book, curled up on the sofa when the air around me chills and I jump out of my skin when Lilith appears sitting opposite me.
“Shit me! Can you not just appear so quietly.”
She gives me glare as she crosses her legs, the slit in her red silk dress showing off her perfect pins.
“Where is my son?”
I frown. “Hell if I know. He took off in a demon strop about an hour ago and hasn’t returned.”
She purses her lips and raises a perfectly arched brow. “Trouble in paradise?”
I scoff and return my gaze to my kindle. “This situation was never paradise. We had a disagreement. He took off.”
She nods and leans back in her seat and I sigh inwardly taking that gesture to mean she wasn’t leaving anytime soon. “My son cares for you.”
I sigh and put my kindle down to rub my tired face. “I know that.”
She stands then and smooths out the creases in her dress. “You are running out of time. Lucifer will force the two of you to become mates. Anyway I am here because Lucifer requires your presence in the hall.”
“Just great.” I reply, the sarcasm clear in my voice. I tilt my head and look at her. “Why does he want Kol and I to have a child? Why is it so important to him?”
Lilith shrugs and does not give me eye contact. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
She is lying. Don’t ask me how I know it but she is. She knows much more than she is letting on and that adds to my worry.
“Shall we get going?”
I look down at my jeans and t-shirt. I look every inch the human high-school girl. I pull on my fae magic and glamour on black leather pants and a red leather sleeveless top that zips up the front. “Now we can go.”
We enter the hall and Lucifer grins. “Here she is, the Morrigan.”
I glare at him, wishing I could burn the fucker right where he stands with my fae fire magic. The hall is as like the previous night full of demons of royal or high status. All ready for another night of performance and I was the main event. I’m not going to lie, as brave as I was pretending to be, I felt nervous being here without Kol.
“Let’s get on with it.” I suggest moving up to the front of the hall.
Lucifer smirks as he takes his seat. “It looks like my sons mate is eager to get started. “ He claps his hands together. “Bring in the first prisoner.”
I wait to see who will be dragged through those doors. I will show no fear tonight. I will be strong. Two hideous looking large trolls enter and between them is a prisoner chained with their arms above them to a metal bar. She was a female demon and looked to be around my age, but was likely much older. She had pink hair, cut in a cropped and edgy pixie style and had numerous ear piercings and one in her nose and eyebrows.
“Name, Demon.” Lucifer demanded.
The female demon raised her chin, a look of defiance on her face. “Amara.”
“Amara here has been a bad girl. Amara stole from the higher demon she serves.” Lucifer delightedly tells his spectators.
There are numerous gasps and shocked faces amongst the privileged demons in the room.
“I took back what was mine.” She hisses in reply. She shows no fear and I can’t help but want to give this girl a high five.
Lucifer’s eyes flare as his gaze snaps back to her. “You dare speak out without my permission to do so!”
The female demon doesn’t flinch which is a miracle because she is the only one in the room who hasn’t. Pissed of Lucifer is scary. I grin again. I couldn’t help but like this girl. As if hearing my thoughts she looks right at me and returns my grin.
“Now what shall we do with her my fellow demons?” Lucifer looks out to the crowd for answers. He loves this, the theatrics of it all.
“Chop off her hands.” Shouts one male demon and this suggestions is met by several ‘ayes’ and cheers around the room.
I feel Lucifer’s eyes on me and he smiles, that cunning, evil smile I now have seen too many times to keep count. One thing I have learned though is that smile never brings something good.
“I think a duel.” He points to me. “My son’s mate against the prisoner. The first one to draw blood wins.” He looks back at Amara. “You draw first blood and you will be pardoned and free to go. She draws first blood and you will lose a hand.”
I smile inside. This was easy. I would throw the fight and allow Amara to win, thus ensuring her freedom and of course saving her poor hand.
“If the Morrigan wins, then she gets to visit her father.” Lucifer winks at me and then turns and takes his seat. The bastard knows how much I want to see my father.
I wanted to be selfish, but the human part of me couldn’t allow me to do so. I would forfeit seeing my father and give this girl her freedom. In my heart I knew it was the right thing to do.
A fighting ring appears in the middle of the large room. It was time to see how much of that combat training I had spent hours doing with Lorcen I had remembered. Amara jumps over the ropes and lands in the middle of the ring. She uses her magic to make two small daggers appear in her hands and lowers herself into a fighting stance. The girl looks like she knows what she is doing. Taking a steadying breath I walk over to the ring and dip between the ropes and enter. I realise I need a weapon. My strength when fighting was with a sword. So quickly closing my eyes I call upon my magic to summon a sword. I feel cool metal against my upturned palms and open my eyes and look down to see a sword there. My eyes widen as I take in the sword. This was not any old sword, this was the Nuada Sword. Somehow I had summoned it again. The room goes silent and there are hushed whispers around the room. I quickly look over to Lucifer and he is stood on his feet his eyes fixated on the sword. I take it in my hands and despite being heavy it feels good. The Tuatha magic it holds calls to me. I raise the sword and ready myself for this battle.
Amara makes the first move. She charges at me with her daggers raised and I twist to the side right before she is upon me. I turn quickly and swing my sword and it is as if something takes over in me. She manages to miss my sword, by flipping backwards. She grins at me, her eyes full of challenge. It strikes me that this girl doesn’t seem to fear anything. She charges at me again. I snake to her left and duck and roll across the floor, coming up behind her. I swing my sword and almost catch her arm, but she darts to my side just in time. I smile, I was enjoying this more than I had expected. Amara tucks one dagger in her boots and pulls out a disc-like weapon. She curls her wrist inwards and then releases and I see the weapon hurtling through the air towards me. Without thought my instinct kicks in and I use my fae air element magic to change the discs path, sending it up to the ceiling, where it wedges itself. Amara does a body-flip and then kicks out and catches me on the chin. It a hard blow and causes me to stagger back slightly but I check with my hand and there doesn’t appear to be any blood. I look up at her and she grins and cracks her neck.
A rage bubbles deep within me and with a snarl, I hold out my hands and black smoke billows from them. I push my hands out and the smoke reaches out towards my opponent. All at once I cannot see in front of me, the black smokes blocks my vision. It clears then almost as quickly as it came and I yelp in shock when I see a large black wolf stood in front of me, with its back to me. The beast lowers its head and growls and looks as if it is getting ready to charge. The growl it gives out is deep and menacing. I look down at my hands in confusion. Had that creature come from me? The beast bears its teeth and looks ready to pounce.
‘No!’ I shout out in my mind. The wolf as if it hears me, falls silent. ‘This is my fight.’ I tell it firmly. The creature raises itself from its crouched position and trots over to my side and rubs its massive head against my hip. I’m not sure what possesses me but I stroke its head. Then without a second thought I raise my sword and charge at the girl. I jump and in mid-air flip and land behind her and kick her to the floor with my foot. I feel a pull deep within me that I have never before fe
lt. A red aura appears round the demon at my feet and I pull on it and a feeling of euphoria and energy fills me. I raise my sword above my head, ready to plunge it into her back.
‘Do it. Take her life. End her.’ A voice commands me from somewhere deep in my sub-conscious. I shake my head trying to shut out the creepy voice. Movement to my right catches my eye and I find myself looking into the eyes of my dark demon. Kol looks at me firmly and shakes his head. Cold reality washes over me and I look down at the girl at my feet and at the sword raised above my head and gasp and step back. Oh god. I had been about to kill her. My shock gives Amara time to jump to her feet and she twists and kicks out and her foot hits me straight and hard on the nose. I land on my back with a thud and my hand goes to my nose. Blood. She had drawn first blood and had therefore won the fight. I grin briefly, aware Lucifer’s eyes would be on me. Amara leans down and offers me her hand. I place mine in hers and as she pulls me up she whispers “Thank you”, in my ear.
“Well done.” Lucifer offers as he stands from his seat. He looks mightily pissed off that she won. The fighting ring disappears from around us and I feel two hands on my shoulders. I breathe a sigh of relief that he is here and lean back into his chest. I was so glad he had turned up when he did and stopped me from doing something that I would never have been able to come back from. I look down at the sword in my hand and quickly will it away.
“You okay?” He whispers against my ear.
I nod in response and he squeezes my shoulders, offering me comfort from his touch.
“Kol.” Amara who is still stood opposite me smiles at him and offers him a cheeky wink. She then bows before Lucifer and without a backward glance walks out of the hall, a free demon.
I jump when I feel fur against my finger and look down to find the wolf or whatever he was at my side, nuzzling his head into my hand. Now having a chance to look at him, he was magnificent. His fur is as black as night but with a slither of red in there, with a white streak that travelled the length of his spine. His ears were edged with the same white fur. His eyes were the most startling thing though. One was white, whilst the other was red. I stroke his head and I am rewarded with a growl of appreciation. “Hey big guy.”
