September Moon

by Trina M. Lee

  But Willow stopped me before I could lash out at my dark lover. He grabbed the hand I raised crackling with power and extinguished the roiling psi ball in my palm. The sensation of his angelic vibe was heavy and deep but also comforting and warm.

  “You’ve got to choose your battles,” Willow said, low and smooth. “This is not one of them.”

  “Listen to your guardian,” Shya chimed in. “He knows what’s best for you.”

  Relief passed over Arys’s handsome features, piquing my curiosity. Before I could speak or act, he bared Gabriel’s neck and bit deep into his throbbing jugular.

  My breath caught, and I watched in silent fury as Arys bled the young witch. The scent of it mingled with Gabriel’s fear. It called to me, a demand that would go unanswered. I held tight to Willow, praying he wouldn’t let me go.

  Jenner shifted from foot to foot beside us. As incubi and succubi respectively, he and I were both drawn more to sensual energy than fear alone. It didn’t take long for Gabriel to respond to Arys as if he were a lover. A groan escaped Gabriel’s lips, and he held tight to Arys until his strength began to fade. Caught up in Arys’s thrall, Gabriel oozed desire. I closed my eyes, unwilling to look any longer. Every breath I took filled my lungs with blood and lust. It was suffocating.

  I wondered what, if anything, Gabriel was seeing as he and Arys touched. The two of them stood there in the center of the living room with so many sets of eyes upon them. Arys was oblivious, lost in the euphoria of such a deep feed.

  Holding my breath did little to help. All it did was force me to take a deeper breath as my lungs cried out for air. The heady aroma of Arys’s desire mingled with that of his victim. The dark touch of the right vampire could bring any man or woman to their knees.

  Gabriel slumped against Arys, his strength sapped save for what he used to cling to the vampire as if afraid to ever let go. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he mumbled something incoherent.

  My fangs sprang forth, and I took an involuntary step forward. Willow’s grip tightened until it was almost painful. I didn’t care. I wanted what Arys was having. Why should I be made to watch and not take part?

  Those were the thoughts of the bloodlust, the driving force that demanded my need be sated. It wasn’t me even though it was. Conflicted and confused, I whimpered in frustration.

  “Oh, please,” Jenner grumbled beneath his breath. “You’re going to make a terrible vampire.”

  Despite his cocky words, Jenner held himself rigid, gaze transfixed upon the scene before us. He wanted it just as bad as I did. Having centuries of experience was the only difference between us.

  Unable to trust myself to speak, I gave him the finger, satisfied at the resulting glower. For just a moment I thought perhaps Arys would merely kill Gabriel and save us from having to deal with him as a newbie vamp. Part of me hoped for it, wanting it to happen.

  ‘Do it,’ I thought, hoping he would hear me. ‘Kill him and end his misery before it can really begin.’

  As if in response to my plea, Arys’s head snapped up. Blood dripped from his mouth, and he gave Gabriel’s face a light slap. Then he bit into his own wrist and offered the bleeding fount to his victim.

  Shit.

  The only thing keeping Gabriel upright was Arys. The kid groped clumsily for Arys’s wrist, closing his mouth around the flowing crimson.

  Arys’s blood was too much. It brought a roar of power crashing through me. White noise screamed through my ears, and I broke free of Willow’s hold. The true monster lying in wait inside me saw its chance and burst forth with a cry. I hurled myself at Arys, seeking to both stop this transformation and to end my own agonizing hunger. I hit him hard, nearly knocking us both to the ground. In his attempts to fend me off, Arys lost his grip on Gabriel who slumped to the floor, smacking the coffee table on his way down.

  Blood stained Shya’s white couch and area rug. The demon raised a hand to slap me with his demonic power, but Willow was there, throwing himself between us. Everything happened fast. Arys threw me off with a shout for Jenner to grab me. Willow and Shya faced off as only old enemies could. Enemies who were once brothers.

  “You finish this, Arys,” Shya hissed, though his red gaze saw only Willow.

  Jenner dragged me off Arys before I could land the punch I’d been about to throw. Jenner was a good match for me. His physical strength was greater than mine, and our power came from the same place. But I had more of it. We grappled while Arys rushed back to Gabriel to feed him more of his dark blood.

  I flung Jenner off with a push of power that tore a cry from him. He came back at me immediately. With a hand around my throat, he slammed me to the floor and straddled me. The breath was squeezed from my lungs. I gasped and choked, cursing my mortal limitations. For the first time perhaps ever, I longed to be free of them.

  Staring up into Jenner’s hate filled eyes, I lay perfectly still. I didn’t try to speak or fight. I merely gazed into him with a single intention.

  “Don’t you fucking dare,” he murmured with a fang-revealing snarl. “I will gladly knock you senseless.”

  The sensual succubus vibe seeped from me like smoke from a chimney. It poured out, reaching to envelope Jenner in its cloud of manipulative longing. He was mine. Surely he knew better.

  “Arys, you’d better hurry,” Jenner called, unable to take his eyes from me. “I can’t hold her much longer.”

  “Jenner,” I gasped out, directing the focus of my intent. “I know you want me, Jenner. Just one kiss. Maybe even a taste.”

  “Stop it.” He shook his head as if that would break my hold on him. Leaning in close he said, “You better reconsider how much you want to show your enemies. We have an audience.”

  His grip on my throat relaxed and instead of sitting up, he buried his face in my hair and breathed in my scent. So much for Jenner’s resistance. He was all mine.

  “Just how you like it.” A wicked laugh bubbled up. I sounded like somebody else, somebody without a shred of sanity left. It reminded me of Kale.

  Having Jenner atop me on the floor of Shya’s living room had not at all been part of the plan. Still, we were here now. I might as well enjoy it. Sliding a hand up between us, I gently caressed his face. Bringing my lips to his, I kissed him. I delved into his mouth, seeking his tongue with mine. He returned my kiss with an equal fervor. Feeding off his lusty energy, I took all he was giving until the power consumed me.

  I threw him off me with the ease of a thought. Jenner hit the floor and rolled, narrowly missing the full-pane window. I was on my feet and whirling to let Arys have it, but I was too late.

  Gabriel lay on the floor beside the couch, his lips pressed to Arys’s wrist. Already his skin was pale, almost waxy. His breath came in shallow, uneven gasps. Death was already upon him.

  “Son of a bitch,” I swore, jabbing a finger in the air at Arys. “You really fucked up this time.”

  Arys pulled his wounded wrist away and lifted Gabriel’s lifeless form onto the couch. He ignored me, turning to Shya instead. He stepped back and gestured to the bloodstained piece of furniture.

  “There. I upheld my end of the deal. Now can you please remove this?” Arys peeled his shirt off to expose the big black dragon that covered his back.

  Shya crossed his arms and stood stiffly in his finely pressed suit. Ebony wings framed him as he glided over to take a closer look at Gabriel.

  “How long until he rises?” He eyed Arys with a haughty expression. For a moment I thought Shya was going to refuse to remove the mark.

  “It’s hard to say. Could be anywhere from a few hours to a few days.” Arys’s dark brows drew together, and he frowned, sharing my thought.

  “And if he doesn’t rise?”

  “He will.”

  The vampire and demon stared hard into one another. The male bullshit in the room was thick. I was sick of it. Other than one oddly androgynous demon outside staring in at us, I was the only woman present. I would’ve loved to have Jez at my
side.

  “Fine.” Shya nodded and gave a flippant wave. The dragon on Arys’s back began to fade as if it were slowly being erased. In seconds it was gone completely. Shya flashed me a cryptic grin. “See how easy that was?”

  The dragon on my armed burned. It had to be my imagination. There was no reason for me to stay another moment. Gabriel was dead. Before long he would rise. There was no telling what kind of vampire he’d be. With the black magic he possessed, I imagined it wouldn’t be pretty.

  “You can’t protect him all the time.” I nodded toward Gabriel. “Eventually I’ll get him alone. He’ll be mine, or he’ll be destroyed.”

  Trying for a dramatic exit, I strode from the room without a look back. It would have been a lot more convincing if I didn’t trip on the throw rug in the foyer. I recovered quickly, but the damage was done. Crap.

  Willow followed me out. Shya couldn’t possibly let us go without tossing one of his infamously menacing retorts after us. “The same goes for you, Alexa. Willow can’t protect you all the time. Neither can your twin. Or he wouldn’t be here. Tread carefully.”

  With one hand on the door and the other being tugged by Willow, I spun around to shout through the foyer. “Or what? You’ll kill me? Bring it on. You need me, Shya. If you want to take me out and rob yourself of the sacrifice you need, then so be it. I’m ready.”

  My voice echoed in the high ceiling of the foyer. Shya regarded me with a calm but calculating stare. When he didn’t respond, I allowed Willow to drag me out the door.

  “You shouldn’t have called him out like that,” Willow admonished when we were in the car. “He’s too unpredictable right now.”

  “I don’t care. I’m so fucking done with this. I just need it to be over.” My voice broke, and I choked back tears. I was mad goddammit; I had no reason to cry.

  “This isn’t about Shya, is it?” Willow stroked a hand through my hair and pulled me in for an awkward car hug. “It’s about Arys.”

  The accuracy of that statement only made me feel worse. “Something is happening to us. I’m afraid of where we’ll stand with each other when everything goes down. When he kills me.”

  “I can guarantee you that he’s afraid too. I think you need to give him the benefit of the doubt. Don’t assume anything. This has to be hard for him as well.”

  With a sniff and an angry swipe at the one tear that had escaped to run down my cheek, I started the car and peeled out of Shya’s driveway. The back tires spun, kicking up a chunk of his lawn.

  I drove away with the seed of sorrow taking root in my heart. Arys’s cold refusal had hurt. I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that stopping Shya was the purpose we shared as twin flames. And I knew without a doubt that, just as the old lore foretold, it would destroy us.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The bright artificial light was hard on my sensitive eyes. The twenty-four hour Tim Horton’s coffee shop was almost empty. I sat at a corner table with Willow, Jez, and Kale. Two cops sat on the other side of the building, eating a late night meal and chatting amongst themselves. I inhaled the bittersweet aroma of strong coffee before lifting the cup to my lips.

  The four of us had gathered to discuss the events of the evening. I had called Shaz to fill him in while waiting for Kale and Jez to arrive. Rather than beckon him to join us, I sent him home with the suggestion that he should go for a run with Coby. He had resisted, wanting to come to me instead. But I couldn’t allow it. Shaz was giving up too much to be with me. He was wolf, and he needed to act like it.

  “I don’t think there is anything to find at all,” Jez griped, swiping a scoop of foam from her latte with a pinky finger. “If Veryl was the last one to know its whereabouts, it could be just about anywhere. But I doubt he’d be stupid enough to leave it in this city.” Her hand shook as she licked the foam from her fingertip. She caught me staring, and I quickly averted my gaze.

  “Forget the churches,” I said. “We’re done with that. Leave them for Shya’s crew to pick through. They won’t find anything. I think someone is trying to throw us off the right path. I’m not wasting any more time that way.”

  “So what now, then?” Kale leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest. He stared across the table at me, his expression hard to read. “Where do we start? What do we do?”

  I glanced at Willow who frowned as if he knew what was coming. “Well,” I began. “I wanted to try contacting Veryl, but Willow insists it shouldn’t be done. So unless any of you have any other ideas, I think there’s no other choice but to wait it out. Either the scroll turns up or it doesn’t.”

  “Contact Veryl?” Jez repeated. “Is that even possible?”

  Every eye was on Willow. He ran a hand through his dirty-blond hair and sighed. “Yes. But like I told Alexa earlier, it’s not an option. It’s too dangerous.”

  Kale jumped in to back Willow up. “It’s definitely a bad idea. Even you can’t possibly be that reckless, Alexa.”

  “Can’t I?” I demanded, my voice rising to draw the gazes of the cops to me. I dropped my tone to a hushed, loud whisper. “Everything is being taken from me. My sister is a government tool, my pack kicked me out, and my twin flame was with Shya tonight, turning Gabriel. What do I really have to lose?”

  Jez looked back and forth between Kale and me. Her ruby red lips were pursed, and those green cat eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Is it really that dangerous? What’s the worst that can happen?”

  Willow gave an exasperated sigh and stared at the ceiling as if seeking guidance from an unseen force. “Nobody can simply talk to the dead. Ouija boards, séances, all that crap is just that. Crap. Anything that talks to you that way is not a deceased human. It’s a bad spirit masquerading as whoever you want them to be. The only way to talk to the dead is to be dead. Got it?”

  “What are you leaving out?” I searched Willow, sure he was leaving something out. The way he avoided my gaze confirmed it. I was starting to learn his tells.

  He glared at me, a dark look that I’d seen him direct at Brook but never at me. It was a little scary. I was reminded that as good and dedicated as Willow was, he no longer belonged to the light.

  “There is a ritual that can be used to access the dead and still come back. But it’s not without serious risks. They aren’t worth it. You can come back…changed. Inhuman.” Willow paused, looking at each of us in turn. “It’s not an option. I won’t be part of it.”

  His adamant refusal struck a chord within me. I trusted Willow on many things. This shouldn’t be any different.

  “Ok,” I said, patting his arm. “Let’s drop it. I won’t bring it up again.”

  Jez caught my eye and raised a finely arched brow. She wanted me to push the subject. I could see it in her eyes. However, she wasn’t making the best decisions lately. I shook my head in answer to her silent question.

  “Anyway,” I continued, “I can’t keep wasting time chasing after something that could be hidden on the other side of the planet for all we know. There are rebel vampires to deal with. I’m not letting them fuck shit up for me.”

  “And Arys?” Jez pulled a napkin from the dispenser and began to tear small pieces from it. “Sounds like he’s fucking shit up too.”

  I didn’t want to discuss that, not with Kale present. It was just too awkward. “I’ll deal with Arys.”

  “Alrighty. Let me know if you need me to hunt down some rebel vamps.” Jez barely looked up from the small mountain of napkin bits piling up in front of her. The girl was a jittery mess.

  “What I need is for you to come try on bridesmaid dresses tomorrow afternoon. Kylarai will be expecting us.”

  “That’s tomorrow?” With a crooked smile Jez pushed a golden lock out of her eyes. “No problem. I’ll be ready. I can also stay at my own place alone until then too. If you guys can possibly let me out of your sight.”

  She laughed like it was a joke, but I could tell that she was upset. Too bad. I was not going to apologize for wanting to make sur
e she was safe after how we’d found her.

  “We’re done then?” Kale asked, pulling car keys from his pocket. “I’m going to take off. I’ll drop Jez off at home.”

  “Going out to get your freak on before sunrise?” Jez snickered and elbowed him teasingly.

  “Something like that.” Kale rose with the sound of creaking leather. He seemed to be in a hurry to leave. Considering how strained things had been with us recently, I couldn’t blame him. He paused to wait for Jez to gather her napkin mess. “Alexa, don’t try anything crazy. Please.”

  A laugh burst out, and I almost spat coffee across the table. “Are you telling me not to do something crazy? Really, Kale. I don’t think you’re qualified to make that call.”

  I probably shouldn’t have said it. Immediately I regretted it. Without another word Kale stormed from the coffee shop.

  “Yikes,” Jez giggled as she stuffed the napkin bits into her empty coffee cup. “Way to go, Lex. Now I get to sit in that car while he broods. Good job.”

  I felt like an ass. It was too late to take it back. “Be ready tomorrow afternoon at three. I’ll pick you up. If you need help staying sober, call me. I mean it. Any time.”

  Jez’s smile faded, and she gave a tight nod. “Thanks. I’ll be ready.” She leaned in for a quick hug before following Kale out. The click of her heels was loud in the quiet coffee shop.

  I said to Willow, “I’m going to head home. If I’m not up and ready on time, Kylarai will have kittens.” I gathered up the garbage left on the table and carried it to the trash container on our way out.

  Willow and I stepped into the parking lot in time to see Kale’s black Camaro vanish around the corner with a squeal of tires. I listened to the roar of the engine as it faded in the distance. He was pissed and rightfully so.

  “I’m coming with you,” Willow said, heading for my car. “I’ll stay until sunrise. Don’t tell me not to because I’m the guardian and you’re the one that has to mind me. So get in the car.”