Luxure - The Cardinal Brotherhood Book One

by Sienna Parks

  “I don’t know. You’re too busy fucking her to care.”

  “You better shut your mouth, Colère. I’m trying my best here. It’s not like I have any experience with a unique being who has to learn how to be a demon. She’s the sweetest person I’ve ever met, and you want me to bring out her demonic side on purpose. It’s not that fucking easy for me.” I run my hands through my hair frustration clear in my voice. I think carefully before continuing. “I love her, and I don’t know how this is all going to turn out. Until we find some concrete facts about her lineage and what she is, this is all a guessing game, and if we’re wrong, it could kill her. I already have Abi’s death on my hands, I can’t have Sirena’s.”

  “We’re not going to let that happen, brother.” Kade puts his hand on my shoulder, a small offer of comfort. “We lost you once. We won’t let it happen again. I don’t know if you ever thought about this, but we loved Abi like a sister. We all felt her loss, and it was compounded by the loss of our brother, our leader.”

  It never once crossed my mind as to the pain my brothers must have felt when Abi was killed. “I’m sorry, Kadedus. I was selfish and consumed by my grief.”

  “I’m not telling you this to make you feel bad. I want you to know that we’re here with you because we believe in you, we believe in Sirena, and we will stand beside you both and fight whatever foe comes our way.”

  I’m overwhelmed by Kade’s genuine show of support. Cole and Selma nod in agreement, and I’m truly touched by their willingness to fight with us.

  “I think we need to be realistic. It might be time to involve the rest of our brothers.” Cole looks to me, expectantly, but I can’t give him the answer he wants.

  “No. I can’t put everyone at risk.”

  Kade agrees with me. “He’s right, Cole. We contact them now, and all eyes will be on us. It will draw too much attention. For now, we’re on our own. If and when the time comes, we will bring The Brotherhood back together, but only as a last resort.”

  “We need to stay under the radar while we train Sirena. Cole, I spoke with her earlier and asked her to agree to work with you on that.”

  “That’s fine with me. Anything you need, brother.”

  “Thank you.” I turn my attention to Kade. “Can you start researching Sirena’s heritage and all of our potential foes? We need to know who the major players are on both sides these days and find their weaknesses before we come up against them.”

  “I’m on it.”

  “Can you do it with Sirena? It’ll be good for her to do something that’s familiar. She’s spent her life researching every world religion and mythology. You might find her a valuable asset, and it will help distract her.”

  “I can do that.”

  ‘What about me?” Selma speaks up.

  “I need you to keep working with Kade and Cole to perfect your jump. You need to be able to get to somewhere safe, and if necessary, take Sirena with you if we come up against a fight we can’t win.”

  “You want me to perfect running away? Fuck you, Luxure! I’m a born warrior.”

  “That’s not what I’m saying. You have no idea what you could jump into if you don’t perfect it. It can be a great tool in battle. You can lead an enemy into your territory to give you a tactical advantage. You can lead them to an army lying in wait. We have used it many times in war so don’t disregard how useful it can be, and don’t ever think that I underestimate you.”

  This appeases her fierce temper for now. “Fine. I’ll continue to work on it. But don’t think I’m going to run away at the first sign of trouble.”

  “I would proudly stand and fight with you, Selma.” Just moments ago I thought Kade had turned a corner, but he’s still an arrogant asshole trying to posture for position with her.

  “So would I, so don’t be the asshole who makes me look like a dick. I know Sel better than anyone. I know how loyal, trustworthy, and ferocious she can be for those she loves. I am honored to call her my best friend, and I think myself lucky every fucking day that she took pity on me all those years ago.”

  Selma stands from the table and walks into my arms. “I love you, too.”

  “You know I love you, Sel. Always have and always will. I’m sorry if I haven’t told you that lately.”

  I see the anger and envy in Kade’s eyes at her declaration. He doesn’t understand true friendship between a man and a woman or a demon and one of the Masuulka. He’s careful not to speak, instead standing from the table and walking out into the cold night air.

  Cole and Selma head off to get some rest. A habit rather than a necessity, but I think we all need our space at times. It’s not easy living on top of each other in this cottage. I decide to take a walk and talk to Kade.

  “Why are you out here? Looking to put me down some more?” I just want to punch him when he acts the victim. The only person he is a victim of is himself.

  “You can stop now. No one’s listening.”

  “Fuck off, Luxure. I’m not in the mood for one of your high-and-mighty speeches.

  “Why are you here, Kadedus?”

  “I needed some fresh air.”

  “Not what I meant, and you know it. What are you doing here helping me?”

  He starts pacing the field, a mixture of anger and disbelief distorting his features. “Are you serious? I thought you were dead. For a thousand years I mourned you. We may not have been as close as you and Colère, we may have had our differences, but you are still my brother. I looked up to you. I’m fucking Envy for fuck’s sake. Do you know how hard it is to be around you?”

  “What do you mean? You have everything any man could ever desire.”

  “Except someone to share it with. I watched you for thousands of years with Abiteth. She loved you. Surely no one deserves that kind of love twice? But you, you rise from the dead and find another epic love. Sirena is the most amazing being, both supernatural and human, and she loves you.”

  “Why should you care who loves me? If you want someone to share your wealth and success with, go find someone.”

  “Don’t you see? You may have learned to control your lust, but I have never mastered my envy. It controls me, no matter how hard I fight it. It’s unbearable at times, and when it gets too much, I give in rather than suffer the pain. But this… I can’t. I am here because I want to help you, Luxure. Not only for you but also for me. I need my brother back, and I need The Brotherhood to be reunited in the future. I crave the strength, the power, and the respect we commanded together.”

  “So this is about The Brotherhood?”

  “No. This is about all of us. While you have been surviving and living your life with Selma all these years, your brothers have drifted apart. In truth, without you, it wasn’t just the Underworld that crumbled, it was your family, too. I don’t remember the last time I spoke with Paresse or Vanto. Gier and Craos are the only two who have stuck together throughout the years. The rest of us have been alone in our grief, mourning the loss of more than one brother. It wasn’t only you who died that day. A part of each one of us died with you.”

  I am disgusted with myself at his confession. I have lived all these years in selfish grief over Abiteth, and I have been given a second chance at love with Sirena. A predestined, star-crossed love that I am helpless to fight. I am completely unworthy of her love, Selma’s friendship, and my brothers’ help. And yet, here I stand with all of those things. “I’m sorry, Kade. I know it’s hard to fight against your nature, and I’m so fucking sorry for everything I’ve done. I never once stopped to think that you would miss me or be worse off without me. I was blinded by grief and guilt over Abi’s death, and I thought you would all be better off if I stayed dead.”

  “You are alive, and if Cole and I have anything to do with it, you’ll stay that way for a very long time.”

  “Thank you, brother.”

  We stand in the darkness staring up into the vastness of space, aware of just how tiny this world is in the scheme of things. I
am overcome with emotion after my brother’s revelations. Kade has never been one to wear his heart on his sleeve and hearing him tonight, I have a newfound respect for him. Each of our sins is different. Some are harder than others to control. Some are harder to fight against in our personalities. As one, we were able to find balance and become the best versions of ourselves, if only for a short time. Without that, I don’t know what has become of my brothers, but tonight, Kade gave me hope. Hope that one day we can be those better versions of ourselves again, and if we can do that, then maybe one day I will be worthy of my Siren’s love.

  For now, I need to keep her alive and in control.

  20

  SIRENA

  I can’t believe he’s the same person from that motel room so long ago. Colère Zonder has completely transformed before my eyes. Once a selfish demon happy to toy with humans for sport, he has become one of my closest and most trusted friends.

  “Time to work, little mermaid.”

  “Hey, Cole. Let me just find Lux. I’ll be there in a minute.” He gives me a nod and heads out into the fields. Luxure made me promise him that I would focus on controlling my emotions and therefore my powers. That’s where Cole comes in. Ever since the day in the field with Selma, he has been helping me in earnest working on my speed, my strength, and most importantly, my triggers. Some days he makes me so angry I want to cause a tsunami to wash him away, but I’m slowly learning how to control my ability to manipulate water. I don’t quite have it perfected, but I’m doing much better than I was.

  I still have no idea why I can siphon strength from Lux. No one knows the answer to that. I wish my dad was still alive. I have so many unanswered questions. Maybe he could have helped me deal with all of this. I’ve tried taking strength from both Cole and Kade without success, but the moment I touch Lux with both hands and channel an emotion, I can siphon his strength with ease. I don’t like doing it, because I can see the toll it takes on him, and I don’t like the overwhelming feeling I get when I harness that much power. My body is still human even if my soul has embraced the Siren inside.

  There is so much of my human life that makes sense now—my attitude to sex, men’s reactions to me. It was as if they were hypnotized—in love with me on the first date. I always found it strange, but now I see it wasn’t my human side they were attracted to. Even when dormant, I was giving off some sort of Siren call that affected every man I ever dated. It also explains why I never felt anything for any man in return… until I met Lux. My world has turned upside down since the moment I met him, but through all of the heartache and loss, I find myself sure that I couldn’t have it any other way. He is a part of my world, and I am a part of his. Nothing can change that, and deep down I know my human life has led me to this moment. I may not have believed in God or the Devil, but my knowledge of every religion in the world and every myth—or what I thought were myths—is more than most of humanity.

  I studied Sirens—the stories of fishermen lost at sea guided home by a beautiful enchantress, or men succumbing to the depths of the ocean to follow the spellbinding melodies of mermaids. I always laughed off these stories thinking that men at sea are just starved for female company, and it turns out I am the myth, or at least a part of me is.

  There’s a stream in the woods where we’ve been staying. I don’t know if the others know it’s there, but I go almost every day. I sit in the stillness of nature listening to the birds sing and submerge my legs in the water. I watch the shimmer of scales appear on my skin, and sometimes I strip down and bask in the water, swimming with the fish, deriving a seductive pleasure I’ve never experienced before. To be honest, I used to avoid swimming whenever possible, I always hated getting my hair wet. The irony of my previous existence is not lost on me making me laugh on a daily basis these days.

  Today will be the same routine—spar with Cole and work on my control, do research with Kade for a few hours, and then spend the evening with Lux. He hates that I spend a lot of time away from him, but it seems to be working, so he’s pretending to be okay with it. He forgets that I can always tell when he feels anxious or annoyed.

  I might go for a dip in the stream today before working with Kade. It’s one of my favorite things. I’ve been helping him research the Archangels, and we’ve done some research on Azazel, who I now know is the demon who killed my dad. I want his head on a spike. I enlighten Kade on all things mythology, and, generally, he confirms their existence much to my continued surprise! It grounds me to lose myself in research—in the familiar. I have a completely different outlook on my life’s work now, and I’ve decided to embrace it. I need to arm myself with knowledge, it’s what I’ve always done. But first, I have to go and kick Cole’s ass for a few hours.

  I say goodbye to Lux and head out to the fields for some unforgiving training.

  “Don’t hold back… give me your best shot.” I’ve been telling Cole for weeks that he’s going too easy on me. How will I learn to fight the toughest demons and angels that want my blood, if he won’t show me what I’m up against? “The bad guys and the good guys won’t hold back on me, you can’t either.”

  He stops, a sly, sexy grin spreading across his face. “You forget who you’re dealing with, little demon. I am Wrath, part of the deadliest brotherhood in existence. If I give you everything I’ve got… let’s just say you can’t handle me.”

  His innuendo isn’t lost on me, but I find the best way to deal with him is to ignore it. “Fight, you idiot. I can handle it.”

  In a flash, he’s on the other side of the field, a whisper traveling through the air. “You asked for it.” He comes at me, fast and fierce, his eyes glowing a deep purple I haven’t seen in Luxure’s eyes—a darkness. I anticipate his moves, my supernatural senses growing every day. I leap out of the way catching the back of his head with a jab from my elbow as he runs past me.

  “Come on, Cole. At least try!” The smile on my face and laughter in my voice doesn’t rile him, but it makes him more determined to catch me out. I follow after him sweeping his leg out from under him before he gets a chance to turn around. He smacks face first to the ground, quickly putting his hands out in front of him to break the fall. It’s all I can do not to burst into a fit of giggles at the sight of the mighty ‘Wrath.’

  With a smirk, he springs to his feet. “Low blow, little one. From behind? I didn’t think you were that kind of girl.”

  “Always with the innuendo. Even when I’m kicking your ass.”

  “Kicking my ass… really? We’ll see about that.”

  “Bring it!” I make a run for it giving myself a head start on him. Within seconds, I see him leap overhead landing in front of me, his movements too quick for me to anticipate. His fist connects with my ribs sending me flying into the air with the wind knocked out of me.

  “You didn’t even attempt to block me.” I manage to right myself mid-air aiming my bruised body back down toward him. I feel a surge of energy, not akin to what I’ve felt in the past, but enough to help me fight back. I manage to wrap my legs around his neck before I hit the ground taking him with me. At that speed, it had to hurt, even just a little. I tighten my thighs to disable him and pull his arm up behind his back to the breaking point. “Now this is quite the predicament. I want to throw you off and show you how to make that move with more precision, but I’m enjoying your legs wrapped around my head.”

  I pull his arm tighter hearing the snap as it pops from the socket. “Cut it out, Cole. I don’t know what freaky deal you and Lux had with Abi, but that shit doesn’t fly with me. Not now, not ever.” I let him go and fall onto the grass, my body aching from his punch. I stare up at the sky struggling to fill my lungs. I listen with an amused smile and a sick sense of satisfaction as Cole twists his shoulder back into the joint. I know how much that hurts. I dislocated my arm when I was twelve years old. Luckily for him, he heals almost instantaneously, an ability I have yet to gain from my supernatural side. I’m going to have very bruised and possibly broken
ribs for the foreseeable future. Maybe Selma or Luxure can supernaturally heal me. I need to find out if there is such a thing. I’ll research that today with Kade.

  “That was uncalled for. I was only playing around, little mermaid.”

  “Seriously, that’s your nickname of choice for me?” I throw my arm out and slap him in the chest as he lays in the grass a few feet from me.

  “I like it. You’re the opposite… hot girl with legs finds out she’s a mermaid. How cool is that?”

  “First of all, you don’t get to call me hot. I’m serious. Luxure is already annoyed that you’re helping me with this. If I told him about all your innuendos and failed attempts at flirting, he’d do much worse than dislocate your shoulder.”

  “And secondly?”

  “Secondly, I’m not a fucking mermaid. I’m a Siren and don’t you forget it. I will kick your ass and drown you if you don’t shape up!” His laughter is infectious. I’m not immune to his charms, and he would be a great friend if he could just get over himself and leave the innuendo to girls who want it. I have zero desire for him, but I can’t help laughing along with him. We fuel each other until I’m crying out in pain from my ribs. “Stop! Stop! It hurts to laugh. You broke my ribs, you asshole.” I try to take a deep breath to stop myself from laughing, but that only makes me hurt more.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you that badly.”

  “Sure you did. You were proving a point, and I got it loud and clear. I’m not ready to fight.”

  “No, you’re not, but seriously…” He lifts up onto his elbow, leaning over to catch my attention. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “You’re forgiven as long as you cut all the other shit out. I like you Cole, but as a friend or the big brother I never had.”

  He fakes being stabbed in the chest. “You wound me. A brother? Remember you’re a Siren. All men fall in love with you.”

  “Very funny. You’re not a man, you’re a demon, so get over it. My humanity might be questionable of late, but my loyalty to Luxure is steadfast no matter what. I want to be your friend.”