Death's Lover

by Marie Hall

  She frowned. Since when had he started grabbing the cat that way? She wasn’t one to judge, but she hadn’t liked that one bit. A witch must always treat their familiars with respect. That had been rough and unnecessary.

  “Thank you, Eve. I can’t begin to thank you enough.” He rubbed his cheek against the tabby’s face with a grateful smile.

  Okay, so maybe that had been a quirk. “It’s not a problem, really,” she said and turned to head back to the apartment as the first drops of rain landed on her nose.

  They walked the ten yards back to their apartment in silence. The wind was really picking up now, whipping her hair in her face. This was promising to turn into a gale. Not an uncommon thing for living so close to the coast.

  Curtis unlocked the door and held it open for her. She ran through, shaking herself once she got out of the nipping wind.

  “Getting a little frosty out there,” she said. “Well, g’night, Curtis.”

  “Wait. I’d really like to repay the kindness if I could.”

  “That’s really nice, but you don’t have to.”

  “I know I don’t.” He hugged Samhain to his face. “But I want to. How does breakfast sound tomorrow morning? My treat.”

  She grimaced. “I don’t know. I think I might actually have to work tomorrow. If I take another day off, Tamryn’s liable to have my tail.”

  He chuckled. “No problem. I’ll just bring it over before you go to work.”

  It seemed she was going to have a breakfast date whether she wanted to or not. She shrugged. “Okay, what the hey. Sounds like fun. I’ll meet you at your apartment say sevenish. Deal?”

  “All right,” he nodded. “I’ll come to you. My pad’s a little messy. Woman sensibilities and all that, you know.”

  She smiled and reached out, ready to give his forearm a squeeze with her final good-bye, but he stepped out of the way so fast it almost gave her whiplash.

  She blinked, unsure of what to say or do.

  Curtis gave her an apologetic shrug. “I’ve got a cold, don’t want you catching it.”

  She narrowed her eyes studying him. Good color to his cheeks, nice even breathing, no fatigue lining his eyes. He didn’t seem to be sick at all. As a matter of fact, he looked fit as a horse.

  “Sure, Curtis.” She nodded, beginning to rethink the whole breakfast thing. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

  He nodded and walked to his apartment, slipping inside with one final wave. She shook her head.

  A bath. That’s what she needed right now. She huffed and stomped up the stairs. Her night was totally ruined.

  Chapter 23

  Frenzy slammed his fist into the wall. Anger rolled through his veins because of the position he’d been put into. He clenched his jaw as another perfect opportunity was wasted. This was the day of her death. He should have done it. He’d had every intention of taking her. Forcing her into the street after the cat he’d conveniently lost. She should have been run over. He would have swiped the soul and all would be done.

  He’d taken off his amulet long enough to port by her window and let Cian catch a small glimpse of him. He knew the reaper would run after him, try to find him, maybe even try to pound him to within an inch of his godforsaken existence.

  He walked into the kitchen, placing his hands on the countertop, and stared at the orange tabby.

  His hands shook as the rage built inside him to a dangerous level. He should have taken Eve tonight. Cian was running around looking for him, for a ghost that had vanished. It would have been simple. Perfect. And then Cian had glanced at Eve with that wild look of determination. A look that said: Nothing will happen to you. Not while I’m around. I swear.

  Frenzy shook his head—memories (always the memories) haunted him. Of his Adrianna and that very look he’d flashed her, only to return and find her dead. The horror of that night had become his living nightmare.

  He closed his mind and hardened his heart. Eve would die, and by his hand.

  Boom. Boom. Boom. The strike of the grandfather clock snapped him from his trance-like state. He jerked up and stared at the timepiece. Witching hour.

  With a growl, he swiped his hand, opened the portal and stepped through into his queen’s chambers. She glanced up. Her multicolored hair was caught up in a knot, the tips fanned out to resemble the tail end of a bird’s feather. The red and black gleamed like fire and shadow.

  Her lips were a deep shade of crimson, her eyes painted moss green, as was the gown tapering to her body. She reminded him of spring.

  “Well?” she asked. “Are you ready?”

  He ground his jaw and nodded, though not without a sickening twist to his gut. “I am.”

  The Morrigan raised a black brow, red lips thinned into a razor-thin line. “It’s fifteen past midnight.”

  She was asking. Wondering why he hadn’t taken the mark’s life yet. “Cian hasn’t left her side. I haven’t had an opening.”

  There was not a flinch or flicker that she’d heard him, but he could feel the gentle prod of her power. She was tasting him, reaching out with her essence, searching for deceit.

  Posture relaxed, he eyed her. The force of his gaze screaming that he told the truth and not a lie, hoping that by sheer force of will she might believe him.

  After a tense minute of silence she crossed her legs and said, “Fine. I don’t care how small the window of opportunity is: you strike at the earliest possible moment. No more mistakes.” A lashing rain of power punctuated her words, like the sharp nicks of a blade—piercing his face, his flesh.

  He counted slowly to ten as the anger snapped inside him like a piston. “There will be no more mistakes.”

  The queen narrowed her eyes, a swirling red beginning to overtake the blue. “See that there aren’t.”

  There wouldn’t be. Not anymore.

  “Good. Now go, before Dagda returns and finds me scheming.”

  * * *

  Cian ran all around her block, frantic with worry, searching for Frenzy. Leaving Eve that way, that hurt look she’d flashed him, had pierced his heart. What could he tell her that wouldn’t send her into an immediate panic? Nothing. And so he’d done what he thought right.

  He’d followed her and Curtis, waiting in shadow, watching them. Knowing that if Frenzy was going to attack, it would be right then in that perfect moment. He’d expected a trap. Nerves alert and high, tense, sure that at any moment death would pounce at her.

  But they’d found the cat and walked back inside. He’d closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her heartbeat, determining that it wasn’t flying erratic, that she was safe and he’d continued searching. For nigh unto an hour and still nothing.

  It was as if Frenzy had simply vanished. He began to doubt himself. Question whether he’d really seen that flash of red. Or whether it was stress making him see what wasn’t there at all. How could stress make him feel that tug of the reaper deep in his chest? It had to be real. Maybe it was a test, or simply a reminder. Frenzy was definitely stalking and letting Cian know that with every chance he got.

  A sound like the gentle tap of wood against wood caught his attention. He paused, barely breathing.

  A quick shuffle. A shallow breath.

  He ran like a blur, following the faint noise deep inside a labyrinth of alleyways, then the sound died. The light from the moon cast crazy shadows along the brick exteriors as he stopped and watched.

  Tap, tap, tap.

  He twirled, the sound coming from behind. Disbelief almost choked the air from his lungs. A big squirrel sat on a crate tapping a rotten walnut against the wood. He sighed and the animal glanced up, went stiff for a second, and then took off, its thick tail whipping through the night like a rust-colored flag.

  “What’s wrong with me?” He shook his head. I’m chasing ghosts, looking for something that wasn’t there. He had to trust his senses. He’d made the right decision leaving earlier to find Frenzy. Now he had to trust himself again and head back to her. T
he reaper was gone, vanished into the dark embrace of night.

  He swiped his hand and opened the portal, arriving back at her apartment within seconds. He stayed out of sight, careful to keep his distance. Eve was too sensitive for him to get any closer to her than across the street. She paced back and forth in her living room for a bit, until finally retiring to her bedroom.

  He felt her as surely as a wick to flame. She buzzed through his veins, an intoxicant to his senses. He clenched his jaw as the first sprinkles of rain fell down around him. A cold wind swept through the bay area. Lightning followed a rolling clap of thunder, filling the night with electrical currents of danger.

  No one wandered the streets. Cian had only the howl of wind as company. It was a melancholy opus reflecting his torment.

  Rain fell in a drowning deluge. The chill saturated his body and he began to tremble, unable to rip his gaze from the golden drop of light behind the curtain of her window.

  Eve was encased in darkness, a lonely silhouette staring out at the world. He could picture her eyes watching the fury of the storm, entranced by the strikes of lightning, protected and safe within the warmth of her apartment.

  He felt her everywhere, in his mind, her emotions twining with his own. Her sadness became his; her loneliness bloomed as a thorny rose inside him, gouging and bleeding him dry.

  Cian closed his eyes and hunched into the wind. His hair tangled around his head like a charmed cobra, the strands lashing and tearing at his cheek with sharp slaps.

  This wasn’t fair. It shouldn’t be happening to her. She was too young. Too full of life. Out of sheer frustration, he roared, “Dagda!”

  The driving wind ripped the name from out his mouth. More lightning crashed: jagged tears through the navy-blue fabric of night.

  “What?” A deep, familiar voice punctuated his thoughts.

  He twirled, blinking away the deluge. “How can I save her? How?”

  Dagda was encased in undulating shadow. They curled around his body, spreading throughout the area. The ebony of his eyes should have remained hidden, he should be a blank face full of darkness, and yet they glowed with earth’s power as he fed off the storm. This was the earth god, and he was in his element.

  “Go to her, Cian. You haven’t much time left. Don’t look for shadows. Find her and you’ll save yourself.”

  “I don’t want to save myself!” he yelled, rain filling his mouth, nearly making him choke on it. “I don’t care about myself. I need to save her.”

  The creeping shadows surrounding the god began to fade, the substance of his body becoming ephemeral and unclear. Dagda’s voice rolled through the wind. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

  Then he was gone and Cian knew what to do. The answer became so clear. He’d enjoy these last moments with her, savor them and keep them close. Her love had saved him. And now he’d do the same for her. He’d carry this night with him and in the morning, he’d go and find The Morrigan and trade his life for hers.

  Lise had told him not to even think about it. But Dagda had confirmed it. He’d vowed to save her and he’d meant it. A great burden lifted from his shoulders. She was safe. Finally, he’d figured out a way.

  One last look at her darkened window and he let his feet lead him to where his heart had belonged all along.

  Chapter 24

  Eve heard the knock like a resounding boom through her skull. Scowling, she stalked to her door. Who the hell can it be this time? I know I’m not this popular.

  She gave serious consideration to not opening it. It was almost one in the morning and the only thing she wanted to do now was lie down. She was physically drained and even a bit on the angry side. She couldn’t understand the fluttering of the heart, twisting of the gut compulsion to open the door. She pulled it open.

  There he stood. Her fantasy. Her desire. Almost as if by thinking about him she’d conjured him up.

  He was dripping wet, his long multihued hair hanging in his face, drops of rainwater falling to a puddle at his feet. His clothes clung to his body like a second skin, highlighting the sharp grooves and flat planes of muscle.

  Deep blue eyes sparkled with pain, and she felt it. For the first time she experienced what it was like to feel another’s pain. It was a wrenching entity filling her with a choking sense of loss. Tears filled her eyes at the ferocity of it, and her heart responded.

  “I thought you weren’t coming back.”

  “I have to find out what’s happening between us.” His voice broke with need and unspoken desire.

  Her lashes fluttered and liquid heat crashed between her thighs, making her instantly hot and ready. The need was elemental and primitive, surging from some deep recess inside her. It was more than lust; it was ancient and deep, twisting inside her and forcing her to obey.

  She knew she should be mad at him for ditching her the way he had. But she couldn’t. Not now. Not seeing him like this.

  Stamp SOFTIE on her forehead and get it over with.

  She stepped into his arms and from there it was bedlam. She lost herself to the glorious madness.

  Cian picked her up, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist, and he stepped inside, kicking the door shut. A mimic of what they’d done only an hour earlier. Would they finish what they’d started this time? Goddess, she hoped so, prayed so.

  The scents of rain and salt filled her head as she licked at his exposed neck, sucking and biting. Her hands were frantic as she tried to rip the shirt from him.

  He growled, the sound animalistic, and she responded by raking her nails down his back. Hard.

  “Eve. Eve,” he whispered in a rush in her ear, running his hand down her hair and dropping to his knees on the ground.

  She exposed her neck to him, lost to the liquid heat of passion burning through her veins. He scraped long fangs down her neck, biting but not piercing the flesh.

  She hissed, her skin tingling and sensitive. Her nipples hardened and scraped against the lace of her bra, which suddenly felt too confining. Eve moaned when his hand grazed her breast and she wrapped him tighter in her embrace.

  “Feels so good,” she whispered.

  His fingers were clumsy as he tried to shuck her tank top over her head. She ran her fingers through his wet hair, scratching the scalp and wriggling her ass on his engorged cock.

  “Rip it, Cian. Tear it off, I don’t care,” she panted. Only knowing the damn thing needed to come off now!

  He fisted the shirt in his hands and tore. It came apart with a muffled ripping sound. Her body was as soaked as his; a wanton rush of adrenaline hummed through her as she yanked on his shirt.

  Meanwhile his mouth slammed down on hers, teeth colliding and tongues dueling in a kiss of fierce possession. Her head swam with fuzz; her body burned with flames.

  Still she pulled on his shirt, but it was so wet it hardly budged at all.

  “Damn it!” She exploded with frustration and pulled back to try and somehow shuck him out of the thing.

  “Forget it, Eve.” He hooked his finger behind the clasp of her bra and snapped it off, throwing it behind her head. Where it landed, she didn’t care.

  She pressed her breasts flat against the freezing wetness of his shirt. The combination of heat and cold had shivers traveling down her spine.

  He lowered his head, grabbing one breast and beginning to knead while his tongue flicked at the nipple of the other. The cold leather against the warmth of her skin had goose bumps running a race down her arms.

  She wished he’d take the things off. But it didn’t matter. Not right now. Not while he was touching her and looking at her with dark heat in his eyes. Maybe later.

  A grunt fell from her lips as pleasure tightened its hold inside her. Blood rushed through her veins. She wanted him, everything he had to give, and nothing would stop her this time.

  To ease the ache building inside of her, she rubbed herself against his leg.

  His tongue circled her nipple, the heat of his mouth making her jerk i
n response. He twisted the other between his fingers and she screamed, her mind and body exploding with sharp bursts of warm pleasure. A heaviness settled between her thighs. She needed to be filled, possessed.

  “Oh, Cian. Now,” she said as she somehow managed to unzip his jeans. The velvet steel of his shaft almost leaped out at her. Her fingers grazed the warm flesh, and she licked her lips in anticipation.

  She wrapped both hands around his cock, fingers barely meeting. He was thick and long and perfect. He hissed, tremors traveling his body. His breathing was hard and heavy.

  Cian tugged at the elastic band of her pants. She lifted herself up enough for him to shove them down and, unable to wait even another second, impaling herself on him.

  He hissed, cupping her with his palm. She felt stretched, filled almost to the point of pain. But with that pain came incredible pleasure, and she rode him hard, her cheek pressed against his. Wet hair clung to her brows.

  She closed her eyes and lost herself in the movement. Their scent. He pumped into her harder, forcing her slick heat to pound up and down on him at a furious pace.

  Their bodies slapped together and heat rushed to her core. She gasped and hugged his neck. White stars danced behind her eyes. Muscles contracted, reaching a crescendo. A spiral of pleasure traveled down her spine, filling her limbs, and had her on the brink of orgasm.

  He bit her neck, and that was her undoing. A frenzied explosion of exquisite fire. She arched back into the blossoming flames. Her breathing came in short gasps and her nails dug into his arms.

  “Eve,” he roared, his cock contracting with the tide of his own climax.

  It took a second for her to come back to herself, but when she did she smiled and nuzzled the side of his neck, feeling more whole and complete than she ever had in her life. Reluctantly she opened her eyes.

  He sighed and embraced her, holding her to him like a fragile doll. There was such strength in his hands, and yet he was gentle, his fingers idly trailing a path down her back.

  “I guess this is the part where I say, hi, Cian.”