by Trina M. Lee
I turned to face Falon with a scowl already plastered firmly in place. He leaned in the doorway, arms crossed, a smirk adorning his too perfect face.
“This time you had to have been following me. Unless Shya sent you. Either way, get lost. I don’t have time for your crap.” My greeting was met with a broad grin. Falon was going to frustrate me right to death one of these days.
“Is that so? Pity. And here I came to help you. But if you’d rather not, then that’s fine with me. It’s a waste of my time anyway.” Falon feigned examining his fingernails before rubbing them on his long jacket.
I considered throwing a chunk of broken desk at him. “You never help me unless you’ve been ordered to. Thanks but I’d rather not have Shya’s lackeys hanging around being a constant distraction. I’m not stupid or desperate enough to fall for that. Beat it.”
Willow was quiet, watching the exchange with disinterest. Falon caught his eye and nodded, his expression veiled and hard to read. Was that a show of respect I just saw? Well, I’ll be damned. I never would have dreamed Falon had it in him. It definitely made me more curious about Willow.
Falon’s pale silver gaze landed on me again. He arched a brow and studied me with that piercing stare. It grated on my nerves.
“Do you really think it’s a good idea for you to be separated from your twin right now, Alexa?” Falon taunted. He never budged from his place on the threshold though his words gave him a sudden air of menace.
My gaze narrowed, and I pursed my lips. Crossing my arms, I mirrored him down to the cocky expression. “I know what you’re doing, Falon. Are you here to distract me? Or did you do this, and you’re returning to the scene of the crime?”
Ignoring my accusation, he continued as if I hadn’t spoken at all. “You’re both at your most powerful when together. So why would either of you be stupid enough to run the risk of being caught without the other? Seems a tad careless to me.”
That triggered my defenses. My beast came snarling up to peer out at him, making my eyes solid wolf. I bared fangs, fighting back the surge of panic that sent adrenaline slamming through my veins.
“What kind of fucking game are you playing here?” I demanded.
Willow stood stiffly, appearing unruffled. His outward calm was authentic, but he could snap in a heartbeat. I’d seen it.
“Settle down, Hound.” Falon feigned a yawn of boredom. “You can’t hurt me. And it would kill you to even really try.”
“You really enjoy the sound of your own voice, don’t you?” Willow asked with a snap of wings. His magnificent silver wings spanned most of the room. He was at my side, ready to fend off the asshole angel.
“Well, yes. I amuse myself. Take it easy, Willow.”
I did hurl a chunk of broken desk at Falon then. My clawed fingernails dug into the wood as I snatched it up and let it fly. He raised a hand, and it exploded into millions of sawdust-size pieces.
“That was rude,” he quipped. “And to think I came to tell you that Shya has your vampires. Would it really kill you to show a little gratitude?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” A sick feeling developed in the pit of my stomach.
Falon spun on a boot heel and walked away. He strode down the lengthy hall toward the door. “Shya wants Arys to turn Gabriel. Tonight. A deal is a deal after all, right?”
With a growl, I hurried after him. “Wait,” I cried. “Why are you telling me this?” I almost plowed into Falon’s back when he stopped abruptly. I jerked to a halt as he turned to me with a dark look.
“Because as little as I care about vampires, there are certain people walking this earth who should never be one. Gabriel is one of them.”
Shya had forced Arys into a deal. The demon saved my life, and in exchange Arys had promised to turn Gabriel. Shya wanted to pair the power of Arys’s bloodline with the dark magic already flowing through the kid, in essence, creating his own black magic monster.
“For the first and probably only time ever, I actually agree with you,” I confessed, having mixed feelings about agreeing with Falon on anything. “But what am I supposed to do about it?”
“I don’t know,” Falon said with a shrug. “Be a hero. Show up. Save the day. That kind of crap. Isn’t that supposed to be your thing? I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
Like so many times before this, I wanted to bitch slap the arrogant fallen angel. His snarky tone and derogatory stare really got my wolf riled up. “You could be trying to lure me there so Shya doesn’t have to drag me kicking and screaming. This could just be a ploy to have me walk into a trap willingly.” I searched him for a lie, but it was impossible to tell with him.
Rolling his eyes, Falon sighed dramatically. “What fun would that be? I’d much rather see you kicking and screaming.”
I looked from one angel to the other. “Why tell me this and risk pissing off Shya?”
Falon reached out and gave me a pat on the head, like one would a small puppy. “There, there, little wolf. Don’t strain yourself trying to figure me out. Save your energy. You’re going to need it.”
He turned away, and I grabbed for him with a desperation I hadn’t known I possessed. I clutched nothing but air as he easily avoided my grasp.
“How did you find me?” I settled for the simplest question of the many storming through my head.
“I’ve been following you since you left your nightclub to come here. I wanted to see where you were headed before I revealed myself.” A creepy chuckle accompanied his admission.
“Falon, you really suck, you know that? How do I know you’re telling the truth?” I would never trust Falon. Everything he said and did was to serve a purpose, usually his own. Even his role as Shya’s second was suspicious.
“They’re at Shya’s house. Go and see for yourself.”
Before I could grill Falon further, he opened the door and swept out of the building with supernatural grace. He vanished from one step to the next.
Closing my eyes, I reached out to Arys, opening the mental door between us. My thoughts formed a question, and I waited impatiently for a response. There was resistance. Arys didn’t want to let me in.
‘It’s not a good time, Alexa.’ Uncertainty laced Arys’s thoughts. ‘Stay with Willow. I’ll come to you as soon as I can.’
He shut me out before I could slam him with my protests. I’d done it to him as well, though that never made it any easier to have it done to me. It made me feel powerless and isolated.
I turned to Willow, feeling the color drain from my face. “I have to go to Shya’s.”
Willow nodded and gestured for me to exit first. “Let’s go.”
“How?” I shouted when we were in the car. I needed to vent out some of the built up emotion testing my limits. “How can he know that stuff? Do you think he’s lying?”
There was a loud honk from the car behind me as I slid into his lane a little closer than intended. I didn’t doubt that a middle finger had accompanied that horn. But I wasn’t paying attention to stuff like that. I needed to get to Shya’s. His house was outside the city, far enough that nobody could hear the inevitable screams. It was a sprawling modern manor with a backyard pool and way too much white décor. I hated it.
“You did say he was Lilah’s lover,” Willow pointed out, maintaining a sense of calm that I had long since abandoned. “Sure, he could be lying, though I’m not sure it’s likely. Perhaps he’s loyal to Lilah even now that she’s in lock up. Maybe his goal is to thwart Shya’s plans for greater power.”
“Why though?” I shook my head, trying to figure out Falon’s game plan. “That just doesn’t make sense. When Lilah was holding my sister and Gabriel hostage, it was Falon who double-crossed her. He was still working with Shya.”
“Was he though? Or would he have wanted it to appear that way?” Willow fiddled with the radio, stopping on the local country station. “That’s the thing about the fallen. They’re as unpredictable as demons. More so. At least with a demon you
know where they stand.”
The strains of a whiskey-swilling, ex-hating, truck-driving country song filled the car. I cast a quizzical glance at Willow. He had just spoken of fallen angels as if he was not one of them, which made me sad for him.
“Don’t look at me like that,” he said without ever meeting my eyes. “I can feel you pitying me. Believe me, that is the last emotion I want from you.”
“Sorry.” Eyes back on the road, I cringed and tightened my grip on the steering wheel. “I never meant to. I mean, you know I don’t pity you, Willow. It just saddens me, you know, everything you’ve been through.”
“Forget it. Really. It’s nothing compared to what many face.”
I wanted to argue, to tell him he was better than most. It wasn’t fair that he got the shit end of the stick. I stayed silent, listening to the sappy country song and liking it against my will. When the song ended, I switched the station back to rock with an apologetic smile. I needed the crash of electric guitars to pump me up before I faced the demon that scared me to the tips of my toes. When Guns N’ Roses came blaring out of the speakers, I sighed and tapped my fingers in time to the beat.
“Good call,” Willow said. “This is better. Good ass kicking music. But please, try to stay calm. Getting too emotional will compromise your judgment. Shya will use that against you.”
“It wouldn’t be the first time. You’d think I’d know better by now.”
The closer we got to Shya’s the clammier my hands grew. This had to be a trap. Falon couldn’t be trusted. Trying to figure him out was hurting my brain. He was right. It was a waste of energy to try.
“Don’t let him kill me,” I heard myself say as we turned into Shya’s long driveway.
A cool breeze chilled me as I felt Arys. He was definitely here. He would feel me too. I didn’t care that he pushed me away. I was done letting him make decisions for me.
“Are you sure about this?” Willow asked. “It’s not too late to leave.”
I stopped the car and killed the engine. Goosebumps broke out on my skin. “I’m never sure when it comes to Shya. But Falon’s right. Gabriel has been corrupted enough by that demon. Making him a vampire would take that to a whole new level of scary.”
I got out of the car and adjusted the dagger on my hip. A demon-forged blade wouldn’t do me a lot of good here, but I kept it on me just the same.
The breeze ruffled my hair, and I smoothed it back. Deep breath. Before I could change my mind, I marched up the front step and banged on the door. It opened before I’d finished.
Shya peered out at me, his snake-like red eyes gleaming with sadistic glee. “How nice of you to join us, Alexa. I was hoping you’d show up.”
Chapter Thirteen
I followed Shya into the house, feeling both safe and worried with Willow at my side. The demon spared an amused grin for the fallen angel. Their eyes met and something passed unspoken between them. It did not make me feel any better.
Hatred for Shya surged forth, driven by the angry wolf inside me. I had to rein in my temper so I wouldn’t give in to the wolf’s insistence that I rip his throat out. She didn’t care that he’d survive it; she just wanted to make him hurt.
“I assume you both will be on your best behavior while you’re guests in my home,” Shya said, raising a brow as he cast a serious look at us each in turn.
“You can assume whatever the hell you want to. Where’s Arys?” I stalked past the demon into the living room where I knew everyone would be.
Seated on Shya’s pricey couch across from the fireplace was Gabriel, staring at his phone like a typical teenager. His long black hair hung to hide his face. He didn’t even look up.
Jenner stood behind the couch, in the open space where the living room and kitchen joined. His tattooed arms were crossed, and he regarded Shya with open hostility. That earned him a few points toward my good graces.
I met Arys’s disappointed gaze with one of my own. He sat back in an easy chair that matched the white couch. I didn’t need him in my head to know what he was thinking. Guilt was written all over his face.
We shared a look of our own as I shook my head in solemn wonder. I knew Arys had made this deal and this was the only way to have his demon mark removed. Yet, I hadn’t accepted that he would really do it. Taking Gabriel from what mortal life he had left was wrong. It wasn’t Arys’s place to make that call.
I’d expected to see Falon there. Despite his absence, the backyard patio was occupied by several demons. It stunned me, stopping me in my tracks. Upon catching sight of me through the floor to ceiling windows, half of them abruptly vanished.
“I don’t suppose you’re ready to have your mark removed as well?” Shya drew my gaze back to him with that grossly inappropriate inquiry.
“Does it look like I have fucking dreamwalker here for you?” I snapped. Shya knew I’d come to stop this madness. He was playing with me. By getting angry I was letting him win. I took a deep breath and focused on keeping myself centered and grounded.
Shya shrugged and smiled sweetly. “Well, soon perhaps. Anyway, we were just about to get started. Can I get you anything first? Coffee? Wine? A taste of Gabriel here?”
That got Gabriel’s attention. He snapped upright, his phone forgotten. “What? No way. I don’t want her touching me.”
“The feeling is mutual,” I muttered, pinning the kid with a fierce stare. “Do you really want to do this? You don’t have to, you know.”
Gabriel glared daggers at me. Shya had to be filling his head with nonsense about me. Every time I saw the kid lately, he acted as if I were the enemy. I hoped it was because of Shya and not because of what Gabriel saw when we touched.
“It’s really none of your damn business, is it?” His snarky tone dripped venom. “Stop trying to save me, Alexa. I’m not your charity case. You have bigger problems anyway. You should be much more concerned with saving yourself.”
The urge to slap the mouthy teen upside the head was strong. I tried to tell myself he was scared and merely acting out, but I knew that wasn’t the case. Shya had offered him darkness. And he’d accepted.
I rounded on Arys, finding his expression hard and cold. “I’m not letting you do this. You know it’s not right.”
Hurst’s words of warning echoed in my head. He had told me in Vegas that Arys must not turn Gabriel. I knew if Arys did this, we would all be made to regret it.
“I don’t need your permission, Alexa. Gabriel has made his own decision, just like you did. You shouldn’t have come here.” Arys’s dark-blue eyes flashed in irritation.
Shocked didn’t begin to cover it. What the fuck was happening right now? I glanced at Willow who stood near Jenner, watching the confrontation begin. He shrugged and shook his head sadly.
I made an attempt to get inside Arys’s head, needing to have his reassurance that this was all some kind of ploy to deceive Shya. When he blocked me out and continued to stare at me with that ice-cold intensity, my heart skipped a beat.
My cheeks burned with both humiliation and anger. I wasn’t sure what he was pulling here, but doing it in front of Shya was low. What happened to the Arys who wrestled with himself nightly about my coming death in his arms?
‘You’re looking at him.’ Arys’s smooth as velvet tone echoed in my mind. He reached in as if he hadn’t just slammed that door on me. ‘Don’t forget who I am, Alexa. Not now.’
‘What does that even mean?’ I pleaded, choking back the words that threatened to burst out in a torrent of emotion.
Instead of a telepathic reply, he spoke aloud. “I made a deal, Alexa. I have to see it through.”
I was painfully aware of the watchful demons’ gazes upon us from outside. Though they all wore a human guise, I felt as if the eyes of true monsters bore into my very soul. A shudder crept over me.
“Let’s get started, shall we?” With a sly smile, Shya drew near. He gestured for Arys to take action.
Gabriel had dropped his phone on the coffee tab
le. He stared at Arys with wide eyes, pupils large with sudden fear. The scent of it was tantalizing. I wasn’t sure I could watch this.
Arys rose and motioned for Gabriel to do the same. Shya stood by, hands clasped in eager anticipation. I gathered the power coiled in my core. Who should I hit first?
“Don’t even think it, Hound,” Shya barked. “You interfere, and you won’t be walking out of here tonight. I already have a guest room ready for a wolf. And the door locks from the outside. Don’t test me.”
His threat rang with promise. Would Arys let Shya lock me up in this house of horrors? Probably. If it meant not having to look at me while he decided how badly he still wanted to kill me.
Arys turned abruptly to me, as if he’d heard that last thought. Maybe it was just me, but I thought I saw him wince.
“Have it your way,” I said, throwing my hands up in exasperation. “You’re an idiot though, Shya. You should know that once Gabriel is a vampire, Arys and I will both have power over him. You’re practically giving him to us.”
Jenner scoffed but said nothing. I shot him a dirty look.
“Don’t think I haven’t considered that,” Shya said. “I’m very good at planning ahead. Haven’t you noticed?”
Sure Shya knew I had power over vampires, but did he know I could practically enslave them? He’d been a witness when I’d inadvertently done it to Kale. I wasn’t sure if he knew I’d also done it to Jenner or that I could easily do it to Gabriel. Of course, that wasn’t what I wanted. Having Gabriel enslaved to me instead of Shya was only the lesser of two evils.
“Please, Arys. Don’t do this.” I stood awkwardly, crossing my arms then uncrossing them. I didn’t know what to do with myself.
“Ready?” Arys asked Gabriel who swallowed hard and nodded.
I lunged forward as Arys jerked Gabriel close. Raising a hand, he hit me with a shot of power that crushed the breath from me. It threw me back, slamming me against the island in the kitchen. I hit the floor with a painful thud.
Willow helped me up with soft words meant to calm. I was anything but that. If Arys wanted a fight, he would get one.
