The Company of Shadows (The Company #1)

by Olsen, Lisa

  “It depends. He’s able to exist without a human host. He could live in an incorporeal state indefinitely if he chose to. But if he’s inhabited a body, then he can send just part of himself to a dream state or to the astral plane to be with you. He would still be tethered to the body if that’s the case. We wouldn’t know until I tried the binding ritual though.”

  “Isn’t that worth trying instead of going up against him like this? If I can distract him…”

  “It might not work,” Ethan said with a shake of the head. “I’m not sure the rusty dagger will hold him if he’s not completely in the host. He might sever all ties with the body and escape if he gets enough notice.”

  “Hence the distracting.” She smiled beatifically, but he wasn’t convinced.

  “We can’t take the chance that he won’t move on to another hideout. I have to take him tonight.”

  “Okay, then let’s do this tonight. I can take it.” The loopy, floating feeling hadn’t lasted long at all, and Cady felt confident she could reach Ash again if only she called. He’d said he would be waiting.

  Ethan pulled into a parking spot a block away from the safe house. “Why don’t you say what you really mean?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You want to see him again,” he said, lips settling into a grim line, his hands gripping the steering wheel until the knuckles stood out white under his skin.

  “What?”

  “I heard you.”

  “I never said I wanted to see him again.”

  “But you promised him you would.”

  “You heard that?” she blinked. Somehow she’d been under the impression that the experience took place in her head.

  “I heard the way you spoke to him, Cady. Every response, every cadence… every word.”

  Cady struggled to remember her half of the conversation, the conflicted emotions she’d felt when speaking to Ash. No, not Ash. The demon. He wasn’t a man, not her dream lover; a demon, pure and simple. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized some of that conflict must have shown in her voice. If it had been enough to convince the demon that he stood a chance with her, she could see how it had convinced Ethan as well.

  That was what had him in such a snippy mood? “You’re jealous.”

  “Why the hell shouldn’t I be?” he retorted. “It’s not every day a guy has to hear his girl make time with another guy right in front of him.”

  “I wasn’t… you said to use his feelings to get what I needed, that’s all I was doing.”

  “Is it? It sure didn’t sound that way on our end.”

  Flooded with guilt, Cady was grateful for the darkened car, the better to hide her shame. What could she say when she’d struggled with those same doubts? “Ethan…” her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. “I’m sorry if I made you feel that way. I don’t…” She let out a long breath. “I’m not going to lie to you, there is something there, some kind of connection between him and me, and I can’t help but feel a little sorry for him.”

  “Feel sorry for him?” His eyes blazed in the uncertain light and Cady recoiled from the vehemence in his voice. “Do you have any idea how many lives he’s taken?”

  “I know, I’m not saying I want to be with him, not at all. I absolutely want you to bind him away where he can’t hurt anyone ever again. That’s the only reason why I’m suggesting this two pronged attack. It’s not because I want to spend more time with him. I want to help you take him down, I swear.”

  Ethan turned away, eyes unseeing. “I just don’t understand how you can feel anything for him at all. I thought you were immune to his influence.”

  “I don’t know if it’s the blood or what, but the important distinction here is, I don’t want there to be a connection between us. The only one I want to connect with is you. Ethan, look at me.” She reached for his hand, peeling it away from the steering wheel. “Trust me, that feeling of disgust you have in the pit of your stomach when you think of the two of us together, I’m right there with you, times ten. I just want him gone.”

  His hand sat dead in hers for long seconds, until finally, his fingers curled around hers. “I won’t let him have you, I promise you that. If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll bind him away where he can never reach you again.”

  “I don’t want it to be the last thing you do, that’s the whole point.” She squeezed his hand gently. “Please, let me help.”

  “I can’t do this and be worried about you every step of the way. I have to know that you’re out of harm’s way. Come on, I’ll walk you upstairs.”

  Cady nodded, accepting the defeat if that’s what it took to give him the peace of mind he needed to get the job done. Only once they made it into the small apartment she was loathe to let him go. No amount of racking her brain could come up with a compelling reason to get him to linger though, not without sounding like she wanted to keep him from completing his task. “I guess this is it then, huh? Saying good luck seems like not enough.”

  “I don’t need luck, I’ve got right on my side. We always win in the end.” He gave her a lopsided smile that made her want to weep. Clinging to his hand, she kept him a moment longer.

  “I almost forgot, I can tell you what he looks like. At least, what he looked like when I got there.”

  “Oh right. How could I not have asked you that before?” His eyes closed in self reproach and Cady suppressed a smile.

  “You were too distracted by the green-eyed monster.”

  “I make no apologies. I’m not the type of guy to share, so whatever games you girls like to play these days, count me out.” There was a serious cast to his gaze, despite the tilt of amusement on his lips, that had Cady thinking he meant that more than most guys.

  “Ditto. And that goes double with any female demons, by the way. I don’t care what kind of influence they have, you don’t get a free pass for the demon made me do it.”

  “Fair enough,” he nodded, his smile broader. “So, what does he look like?”

  “Oh, right. Actually… he’s blonde, blue-eyed, about your height, maybe heavier around the middle, but your general size. Do you see where I’m going here?”

  “The police interest in my activities suddenly makes a lot more sense.”

  “Exactly. He could pass for your brother, so be careful if you run into anyone who looks like they could be part of your family tree.”

  “Got it, thanks. Well, I should get going, I want to get there while it’s still dark.”

  “There’s plenty of night left.”

  “Cady…” His head tilted to one side in exasperation and Cady knew she was stalling, but it was hard to let him go.

  “I know, you have to go. Be careful.”

  “I will.” Ethan cradled her cheek with the palm of his hand, bringing her close for a lingering kiss. “Promise me you’ll stay here until you hear from me. Here, take my phone, I’ll pick up another one. I’ll text you when it’s done.”

  “I promise, I won’t set one foot outside this apartment,” Cady agreed readily, trying to let go of the uneasiness that gripped her. Why did she feel like this was the last time she’d ever see him again? Ethan nodded, his hand falling away as he turned to go, and Cady caught hold of his arm. “Wait. There’s something I want to tell you.”

  Wrapping her arms around his neck, she clung to him fiercely, heart pounding. “I um…” love you, she said the words in the shelter of her mind, but her mouth wouldn’t cooperate as she chickened out. What if that declaration freaked him out? Ethan had barely gotten used to the idea of having a girlfriend, she had no business giving him a distraction like that before he marched into battle.

  “Christ, this isn’t the time for this,” she muttered, letting go of the death grip she had on his shoulders. “You know what, nevermind. I know you’ll do great. Break a leg.”

  “Alright.” Ethan gave her a puzzled look as he extracted himself from her embrace. “Lock up after I leave.”

  �
�Be safe,” she repeated his favorite caution, unable to shake the disquiet that seeped back into her bones the instant he slipped out of sight.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  There wasn’t anything good on TV. Pringles, Ding Dongs, Slim Jims, nothing sounded good to eat either. There weren’t any books to read and she couldn’t get past Ethan’s stupid password protection on the laptop. Briefly, she thought about running out to pick up a magazine at least, but she’d given her word. Not a single foot outside the apartment until she heard back from him.

  What the hell was she supposed to do until then?

  If her nerves had been jittery before he left, they were jangling like crazy now, and Cady found herself pacing around the small apartment. “This is nuts,” she muttered irritably, popping a square of chocolate into her mouth. If she didn’t do something to calm down, she was in serious danger of losing her mind.

  Her eyes settled on the bathroom door, the one avenue she hadn’t considered. Why not take a bath? The hot water might work on some of the tension building between her shoulders. Seizing upon the plan, Cady quickly stripped, brushing her teeth while she waited for the tub to fill, more for something to do than any real need. There were no bubbles or bath salts, she hadn’t thought to pick any up and it wasn’t the sort of thing one expected to find in a safe house, but the steamy water proved soothing as she lowered herself into the tub.

  Finally letting go of some of the anxiety, Cady closed her eyes, sinking low in the water. Letting her thoughts float free, she drifted, her mind spinning a dozen scenarios in which Ethan stormed in upon Asherik. It was for the best. Ethan would come home safe and sound, and Ash… Ash would find peace.

  * * *

  Anticipation.

  Asherik the demon floated, his mortal body forgotten. Water, food -- what need did he have for such things when she might call at any time? When the host wore out he would simply find another, the plans of sowing revenge against the reaper of less importance now that she’d come to him freely.

  It was too soon, he knew that on some level, but still he searched, hoping to find her, even if only to watch her while she slept. The whisper of his name brushed his senses, and ever alert, Ash sent his consciousness there, quick as lightning. The tiny bathroom mirror afforded him enough of a view to see that he’d found her, his lady love.

  Asherik sent more of himself, flowing through the mirror like an angel’s breath, so lightly did he approach her. She lay in a tub of heated water, the curtain of red hair floating as if it had a life of its own, shielding her modesty. Lovely in repose, he drank his fill of her perfection, his goddess of the sea. He could feel the magics on the wall behind him, barring him from entering the other room, but his clever love had found a safe haven for them to be together.

  His energy flowed over her supple limbs, the water no barrier to him in that form. She stirred, the water lapping at her breasts as she shifted slightly, and Asherik despaired of her waking before he could join her. No longer content to watch, he prepared to merge his mind with hers in the dreamstate, only to abandon that plan for a far better one.

  Asherik severed ties to the body dreaming back at the house, summoning all of his being into the tiny bathroom before plunging himself into her heart with a cry of exquisite pleasure.

  * * *

  Cady’s eyes flew open, sucking in a gasping breath as her body filled and expanded, so great, she thought she might burst. She’d been dreaming -- of what, she couldn’t remember -- but as she gripped the sides of the tub, she had the distinct feeling that she hadn’t returned to reality.

  Everything felt… wrong. The light too dim, the water neither hot nor cold, her limbs heavy and sluggish. Everything felt soft and subdued, as though she watched a dream sequence on TV. And something else. Something she couldn’t quite put her finger on

  “Hello, beloved.” The voice sounded in the stillness of her mind, caressing and intimate in a way she couldn’t retreat from.

  “Ash?” She splashed, drawing her knees up as her head whipped around, but there was no sign of him in the bathroom with her.

  “Of course, who else would it be?”

  “How are you here? Am I dreaming?”

  “I’ve joined you, just as you wanted.”

  “As I wanted? I never invited you here,” she protested, addressing the open air.

  “But you did, you called to me, else I wouldn’t have found you so easily.”

  Had she? Christ, has she actually called to him in her sleep? What about the protection symbols? What about the protective pendant Ethan had given her? Her eyes fell to the pile of clothing on the floor, the amulet forgotten in her haste to get into the tub.

  “They don’t shield you.”

  Cady realized she hadn’t mentioned them aloud and her fear ratcheted up another level. “Can you hear my thoughts?”

  “Of course, we are one now.”

  “One?”

  Her hands moved of their own accord, and Cady flinched from her own touch as they slid across her abdomen under the water. “I am joined with you, body and soul. Everything you feel, I feel. Everything you think, I know.”

  Cady fought with everything she had to regain control of her body, but it didn’t even slow the slick exploration of her curves. A whimper escaped as her hand cupped the fullness of her own breast, fingers rolling and pinching the nipple until it pebbled and hardened.

  “If you can hear what I’m thinking, you can tell that I don’t want you in here with me, and I don’t want you touching me like that.”

  “You’re only afraid of what you don’t understand.” Her hands delved lower, fingers seeking. “Shhh, let me love you, Cady,” his voice purred, thick with excitement as he probed deep.

  “This isn’t love, this is…” And then she had no voice as he took utter control of her body with strong, knowing fingers, stroking intimately in her most secret places. Nothing but the impotent scream inside her head as he used her for his own satisfaction. Cady heard her own voice gasp in enjoyment, lips parting on a sigh of rapture as he wrung the pleasure from her traitorous body.

  A sensual counterpoint, his velvety voice murmured a string of endearments, riding the sexual energy higher and higher as he swept her along, his moans of pleasure curiously echoing her own until they reached the pinnacle of simultaneous release, sharing one body, one mind. Heart thudding madly, ecstasy mingled with dread as her body shook from the spasms again and again.

  With instant access to what delighted her the most, he drew her to one shuddering peak after another, leaving her weak and ashamed. Because on some level, Cady knew she must crave his touch or she wouldn’t have enjoyed it.

  The water was cold now, but Cady had no control over getting out of the tub. She retreated to the far corner of her mind as fingers stroked lazily.

  “I can’t wait until I can feel you beneath me, taking you the way you deserve to be taken.” His voice was dominant now, speaking aloud, relegating her to the shadows.

  “Yes, that would be better,” she agreed. Anything had to be better if only to get him out of her. It was too intimate, too invasive. Ethan would be back soon, and then maybe… would he know that Ash was inside of her?

  “That’s a good question, my love. Best we not be here when he returns.” Her body stood, toweling off with loving care. “It’s a shame to cover up your loveliness, but I can’t have you walking around like this, no matter how beguiling a picture you make.” Donning her discarded clothes, Ash scowled briefly at the sting from her pocket, drawing out the hematite pendant and flinging it aside with a hiss when it burned her fingers like a hot coal.

  Cady caught her reflection in the small mirror over the sink, hair in a sultry tangle, eyes bright, cheeks rosy, practically glowing with satisfaction and contentment. It was the strangest feeling, looking out of her body, but not feeling present within it. If it showed even a hint of what was in her soul, she’d have the decency to weep.

  Her hand froze at the door, unable to reach
the doorknob from the spells that lay on the other side of the wall. “I’m not sure how we’ll manage this,” he admitted, testing the edges of the barrier. “I can’t easily break through this.”

  “You could let me go.” Even as she said it, she didn’t expect him to, even if that left them trapped in the bathroom until Ethan came back.

  “No, not until I know we can be together forever.”

  “I’ll come to you again.” There wasn’t a need to hide her true thoughts on the matter, she would have gladly promised him anything if only he’d release her.

  “It’s not enough, not anymore. Now that I have you, I’ll never let you go.”

  The thought chilled her, and Cady felt her heart lurch through the bond they shared. At least she still had the ability to influence something in her body, that had to mean something. “Listen to me,” she tried again. “I don’t want you inside of me, not like this. It’s… invasive, degrading.” She got the distinct impression he wasn’t listening to her, despite sharing the same headspace, too intent on finding a way out of there. “Creepy as shit!”

  “I understand, you want me to be a proper man to you.”

  “Yes, I would much rather have that.”

  “Alright, I have an idea.”

  Why did that not make her feel any better?

  “Ah, that should do nicely.” His gaze fell to the small window over the bathtub, prying it open. It wasn’t large enough for a person to crawl through, at least it wasn’t until he pulled back her hand and smashed it through the pane of glass on the other side, shattering it.

  Cady felt no pain as her fist destroyed the window, though she could clearly see the split knuckles. “Sorry, my love, it will only last a moment,” he assured her, catching up the discarded towel to press to her hand. True to his words, the wound healed after a few minutes, leaving only a trace of reddened skin. In that time, he managed to pick aside all the loose glass and brush it into the alley below. Without pausing a beat, he hoisted her up into the window, looking for the best handholds on the cracked brick façade.