by Trina M. Lee
“I’m sorry too.” I winced as I plucked a piece of glass from my palm. “I never intended for anything like that to happen.”
“I believe you.” Dayne regarded me thoughtfully. His wolf seemed to scrutinize me, searching for signs of weakness. “You should probably leave.”
He was kicking us out? Son of a bitch.
“And our alliance?” I asked, refusing to go without an answer.
“We don’t have one. I’m not convinced that’s in our best interest right now.” Dayne tilted his head to the side, watching me expectantly like the curious animal he was.
I searched the bar for Hanna. She had been my best chance of having Dayne take me seriously. But she was nowhere to be seen. I had no choice but to take her absence as her answer.
I wanted to argue, to beg him to take me seriously. Instead, I spun on my heel and headed for the door, fully expecting Shaz to follow. He did. So did Dayne who came to the door to ensure we left.
A rage unlike any I’d known in some time threatened my control. The wolf was pushing against my insides, seeking release. Being around so many wolves had really stirred up my beast. I wanted nothing more than to be furry on four legs, chasing Shaz through the night.
Ignoring Shaz when he called my name, I stalked across the parking lot, seething. He caught up to me, grabbing my arm and spinning me around to face him.
“Get off me.” I jerked my arm away and took a few steps back.
“Lex, I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. I just lost it.” Shaz ran a hand through his platinum hair a few times before reaching for me again.
I stepped away to avoid him and threw up a hand to ward him off. “Don’t. Just fucking don’t. I don’t know what’s gotten into you recently, but I don’t like it. You blew it in there, Shaz.”
His gorgeous green eyes were all wolf. The wolf didn’t give a damn about the fight, but I could see Shaz struggling to show remorse. It would have worked if he’d been feeling it. He wasn’t sorry.
“I know. There’s nothing I can say. I get that. But I am sorry.”
Too furious to speak, I got in the car with a loud slam of the door. My fingers shook with rage as I tried to slip the key into the ignition. Blood made my fingers slippery, and I had to fish some fast food napkins out of the glove box to wipe my hands.
Shaz got into the car looking both mad and guilty, a difficult feat I was sure. “Are you ok? I’m sorry I pushed you.”
“Fine,” I said, short and clipped. “It’s already healing.”
We sat there in silence while I struggled to take deep, calming breaths. It was too late for regrets, though I wished I’d come alone.
“I’ll fix this. We can come back, talk to Dayne after this blows over. It will work out.” Shaz didn’t sound convinced.
I wanted to slap him. Somehow I kept my hands to myself. “What you did in there, that’s something Arys would do. You used to be the calm, cool one. Remember? What happened to that?”
Shaz shrugged and slumped in his seat. “I don’t know, Lex. People change. I changed.”
“I feel like I don’t know you anymore.” The words just slipped out, a breathy whisper that might as well have been a scream. He turned sharply to look at me, but I kept staring straight ahead at the Doghead sign. Once my hands steadied, I put the car in gear.
“Welcome to my world,” he muttered, turning away to stare out the window.
When I hit the brakes at the edge of the lot, I slid a glance his way. A sinking sensation settled in my gut. I’d done such a good job of convincing myself that Shaz and I were back on track. The truth was, I wasn’t sure we ever could be.
As much as I wanted to believe we were all good, I knew that things had changed too much. They were still changing. Our private encounters were comprised of my need to feed and the desperate act of two people going through the motions, seeking but never finding the intimacy we’d once had. Maybe I was so desperate to hold onto the past that I was unwilling to accept that we had no future.
Shaz looked at me with a raised brow. Feeling like my thoughts must be written all over my face, I averted my gaze and eased the car into traffic.
* * * *
When we pulled into The Wicked Kiss parking lot, I tried to beat back the nervousness that gripped me. It had been some time since Shaz had been there. The first thing I noted was that Kale’s old Camaro was absent. That was a relief. It was early though, barely midnight. Despite the early hour, Willow sat at his usual place at the bar. More relief.
“Damn am I glad to see you,” I said, clapping him on the back before sliding onto the stool next to him.
Willow nodded and raised a tequila shot in greeting to Shaz who sat on his other side. Then he peered at me with a serious stare, reading me in a way that I still wasn’t used to. Perception was one of Willow’s talents. He could see right through the projected walls I tried to hide behind.
“Bad night already?” he inquired. “Do tell.”
“Our visit to Doghead didn’t go so well. Unfortunately. Anyway, I need to talk to you.” I wished I could be alone with him so I could vent about Shaz. “Shya was in my bedroom. He took my hair and my blood. I can’t put this off anymore. I need to know more about this scroll he’s looking for.”
“I’ll tell you anything I know. As long as you’re sure that you’re ready to hear it.” Willow’s smile was warm and friendly. He had a way of making me feel like I could tell him anything. And I had. Many times.
I gazed into his gold-flecked green eyes and saw the answers I sought within them. Everything had gone down so fast since I learned that Shya needed me as a sacrifice. Soon after, I’d taken off to Vegas. I hadn’t been able to bring myself to question Willow because deep inside I knew there was more to his sudden appearance in my life than he let on.
“You know, don’t you?” I asked. “What Shya wants, why he needs me. You know all of it.”
Willow smiled and his shoulders sagged as if a weight was lifted from him. “You’d better have a drink, Alexa. There are some things I need to tell you.”
Raising his hand to get the bartender’s attention, Willow had extra shooter glasses and a fresh bottle of tequila perched in front of us in no time. I wrinkled my nose at the shot he put in front of me.
After sliding one to Shaz, Willow raised his shot and said, “To the creatures of light who walk in dark places.”
At his insistent look, I raised my glass. There was no bracing for what was coming. Liquor was my only human vice, for now. But tequila, that was an ass kicker of a drink that would put me on my face if I wasn’t careful. I clinked my glass against each of theirs before downing the contents in one swift gulp. I slammed the shot glass down and reached for a slice of lime. “Oh God, that burns.”
Willow watched with amusement glittering in his eyes as I coughed. “Ready? Or do you want another?”
“As ready as I’m gonna get.” I motioned for him to start talking. “But pour me another one. Just in case I can’t handle whatever it is you’re going to tell me.”
The tequila burned in my stomach, but I gripped the shooter as if it was a security blanket. Willow tossed back another shot. Then he took my free hand in his.
“Before I fell, I was sent to look for the scroll. The same scroll that Shya’s seeking. I was also instructed to protect the Hound of God he was after. You.” Willow paused, letting that sink in. “I grew to care very much for you. Unfortunately, I failed you when I fell.” Willow stopped. He seemed to be searching for the right words. He opened his mouth to continue then shook his head and reached for the tequila bottle.
I looked down at our joined hands. The way I felt with Willow, safe and loved, it made sense now. “I think part of me knew that you were here for me,” I said. “I felt it.”
“I fell in love with Christina. It was wrong but it happened, and I have no excuses. Shya found me with her. After I fell, he wanted me to join him. When I refused, he threatened to kill you both. He made me decide between t
he two of you.” Willow’s voice grew husky. He stared at the liquor bottle, remembering. “So I did what I had to. I chose the one who was born to stop him. I chose you.”
My jaw dropped. A small cry slipped out. “Shya killed Christina?”
“It was his way of punishing me for refusing to join him.”
Tears pricked the back of my eyes. I hadn’t thought it was possible to loathe Shya more than I already did. Willow was the kindest soul I knew. Of all of us, he was the last person who deserved to suffer.
“I’m so sorry,” I choked out, blinking back blood tears that blurred my vision. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“It wasn’t the right time.”
Shaz cleared his throat, drawing both of our gazes his way. “Sorry to interrupt, but did you just say Alexa was born to stop Shya?”
“I did.” Willow nodded and gestured to the drink clutched between my fingers. “You might need that now.”
Without hesitation I slammed the shot. It went down a tad easier than the first had. “I don’t suppose you know exactly how I’m supposed to stop him.”
“I don’t. Those details are not known by many. Others have a role to play in the outcome though. We need to be ready.”
“Shya said he was desperate, last night, in my bedroom.” I recounted the details of Shya’s visit, careful not to leave anything out, even the parts I’d rather forget. “He said the power is killing me. It’s too much. I think he’s afraid I’ll die before he gets his chance to use me.”
Shaz scowled and poured himself another drink. He never said a word, but he didn’t have to. The look on his face was just another reminder that he didn’t belong here, plotting against demons in a vampire bar. Fighting with other wolves at Doghead, that’s where Shaz belonged.
“Shya’s running on limited time,” Willow said. “It doesn’t surprise me that he’s getting desperate. There’s no telling what he might do now. If you die before he can use you as a sacrifice, he’s screwed.”
Since I’d come close to death more than once recently, I could see why Shya was feeling limited. All I had to do was call more power than I could handle, and it was all over for me. “Are you sure about that? Every time I think I know what role either I or the scroll plays, the story changes just enough to make me second guess what I already know. I’m starting to get the feeling what I know so far isn’t entirely accurate. Does Shya really know what the hell the scroll is for and what to do with it? Does anyone?” My shrill tone gave away my desperate panic.
“Honestly, I don’t even know if what I know is the truth. It’s a demon relic. Demons aren’t exactly known for the truth. But here’s the kicker. If what I know is true, then this can only be done with you. Because of your twin flame connection.”
“Are you saying this is because Lilah is part of a twin flame union too?” I stared in surprise at Willow, my mind reeling. It made sense since Shya needed this scroll to take over Lilah’s throne and the unholy power that went with it.
“It’s got to have something to do with the twin flame connection. Someone knows what that is. But it isn’t me. I wasn’t told how the scroll came to be, just that I had to find it. Too much information can be a bad thing. Since Shya’s limited by time, he’s going to greater lengths to find it. I know he’s been summoning other demons for help. I don’t think it’s working out so well for him yet.” Willow appeared thoughtful. Then he said something I didn’t want to hear. “He’s gotten Kale involved in the search. You should talk to him about that.”
“Kale?” I scoffed. That name left a sour taste in my mouth. Or maybe that was the tequila. “He’s helping Shya? I can’t believe him!”
Willow held up a hand to silence my rant before I could really get rolling. “No, it isn’t like that. Shya’s got him running around, checking out places of worship that the demons can’t get into, in case the church is holding it. He’s not doing it for Shya. He’s doing it for you.”
My gaze met Shaz’s. He tried to keep a neutral expression. It didn’t work. Kale was a sensitive subject. “Why would a demon relic be hidden in a church?” I carefully tried to avoid the topic by focusing on the details.
“To keep the demons from reclaiming it,” Willow answered with a shrug, like it should be self-explanatory. “I don’t know who hid it or if it even is in a church. But Shya seems to think so. Like I said, talk to Kale.”
“Kale and I aren’t on the best of terms right now,” I said, unable to hide my bitterness.
Willow shoved the liquor bottle back my way. “Might I suggest you get over it? He’s your second, Alexa. You need him.”
“My second?”
“Talk to him, Alexa.”
One more shot, and I was ready to claw my own tongue. “You said Shya’s been searching churches. I suppose that’s as good a place as any to start.”
“I’m coming with you. I can help identify the places demons can’t enter.” Willow drank back a large swallow straight out of the bottle. He shoved the almost empty bottle aside and rose. “I was your guardian once. I’ll be by your side through this.”
I was at a loss for words. With a strangled sob, I threw my arms around his neck and hugged him close. “I’m so sorry Shya took her from you,” I whispered, blinking furiously. “I promise I will make him pay for that. Somehow.”
Willow’s embrace was tight and affectionate, a friendly squeeze that allowed me a glimpse into the lonely creature that he was. He was a victim of love and circumstance. He didn’t deserve to suffer like this.
Shya wouldn’t get away with what he’d done to Willow. I didn’t know how I’d make good on that promise, but I would find a way.
Chapter Six
“Son of a bitch.” I swore softly while scrolling through a web page listing every church in the city. “It’s going to take days to check them all out. Maybe weeks. We don’t have that kind of time.”
The three of us sat in my car, mapping out a game plan. With so many possibilities, it was a tad discouraging.
“It won’t be so bad,” Willow answered, leaning across from the passenger seat to get a look at the list on my phone. “What we want to find are the churches that I can’t enter. Those will be our best bet. Start with the catholic churches.”
“Right. There’s only fifty listed right here. That’s not even all of them.” I wanted to get this first search over with before Arys got home.
Willow pointed to an address on the map. “Let’s start there.”
I found myself staring at him again in solemn silence. The urge to fuss over him was strong. I wished there was something I could do to ease his pain. Insulting him with pity was not my intent so I bit back the sympathetic tirade and started the car.
“We need more manpower,” Shaz suggested. He sat in the back seat, hands folded behind his head. “If we had more people we could split up, cover more ground.”
Jez and Kale immediately came to mind. I didn’t have a lot of people I could trust with this. Unfortunately, my sister and the FPA were not among the few. Too bad. They definitely had manpower.
“We have to be careful. If Shya finds out we’re doing this, he’s going to be pissed.” I called Jez again and once again got her voicemail. After leaving yet another message, I hung up and turned to the guys. “I guess it’s just us for tonight.”
Neither of them questioned me about Kale, and I was thankful for that. My impending death and predicament with Shya had to be my priority. My scorned lover would have to be patient. He would get his turn to put me through the ringer.
We started with the address Willow had suggested. I didn’t know what I was looking for, didn’t have a clue where to start. When the fallen angel was able to cross the threshold, he declared it to be a dud.
“So what’s with that anyway?” Shaz asked when we were back in the car on our way to the next address. “Why are you able to walk into some churches and not others?”
Willow turned in his seat to face Shaz. “The churches I can’t e
nter are those with an angel standing guard. The pure divine presence of the angel guardian prevents the fallen from entering.”
I nodded in understanding. That made sense. “Am I correct in assuming that a church in need of a guardian must have something worth protecting?”
“You certainly are. It could be anything. A person, a holy object, Lilah’s scroll. Where there is an angelic guard there is something in need of guarding.” Willow took on a wistful tone. It made my heart hurt for him.
“Shya’s got to be doing the same thing,” Shaz mused. “Or maybe he already has. Would he be using humans to access the places his demons can’t go?”
“It’s possible,” Willow said, inclining his head in a half nod. “Demons are manipulative liars. They’re very good at what they do. It wouldn’t take much to convince the weak of faith to do his bidding.”
As I drove, I listened to the two of them discuss the situation. It was overwhelming, to say the least. Shya could have any number of people out there hunting for this thing. I had very few. I really did need to touch base with Kale, at least to find out where he’d already looked.
The next few places also proved to be a waste of time. Then, we pulled up in front of a building I recognized. I had been here not so long ago. The church was massive. Huge white pillars bordered the entrance. We ascended the white stairs leading up to the double doors and an uneasy sensation took hold in my gut.
Willow reached for the door and froze mid-action. “I can’t go inside. Which means you have to.”
“The priest here has the same dragon as me,” I whispered, suddenly afraid. “He said Shya was trying to force him to help find the scroll.”
Shaz raised a brow in curiosity.
A light filled Willow’s eyes, and he seemed almost relieved. “Then I’d say we’re on the right track by being here.” He gave me a gentle shove toward the door. “Go on. I’ll wait right here.”
