When his lips lightly brushed mine, I felt a fire burn deep in my veins and felt sweat drip down my back despite the chill of the cold night air and cool rain.
When he pulled back I saw reflections of thunder and lightning in his eyes. I reached up and unconsciously touched my bottom lip, remnants of his kiss ghosting along my senses.
Abruptly Inarus stood up, pulling me with him. He quickly released me once I regained my balance and stepped away, distancing himself. I looked at him, a question evident in my expression but he refused to make eye contact with me.
I visibly shook myself and turned away, suddenly feeling awkward and embarrassed. I tucked my hands in my jacket pockets and made my way back towards the door leading to the stairwell that would take me back within the Compound, not bothering to look back. God, how could I be so stupid? So naïve.
“Aria…” I heard him call my name as my hand reached for the door handle. I stopped for a second, waiting to see if he would continue but when all I heard were the sounds of rain splashing against the concrete and thunder in the skies, I turned the handle and walked inside.
I didn’t need this. I had enough going on in my life. I didn’t know why I was feeling rejected or why suddenly the ache in my chest was more painful than it had been moments ago. I barely knew him, he was nothing to me.
So why did it hurt?
I was soaked to the bone as I made my way back downstairs, frustrated beyond reason. Stupid! That was so incredibly stupid. I was furious with myself for allowing the touch. For allowing him to get under my skin. I gave him a power over me I never gave to anyone.
Berating myself on the way down the stairs I cursed my ignorance. I stormed down the stairs leading into a winding hallway and headed to the room I’d been assigned. When I found it, I threw the door open and stomped in, coming face to face with James. I paused just inside the threshold, my hand still on the doorknob. James looked up from his position, seated on the side of the bed.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi.”
Neither of us said anything else for several moments. James ran his hands through his hair, exhaling a sigh.
“Look, I know you need to rest but, can we talk?” I nodded and made my way into the room, allowing the door to close with a snick that sounded loud to my ears. I kicked off my boots and grabbed a towel from the nearby dresser, drying my hair as I sat across from James in a wicker chair.
“What did you want to talk about?” I asked, leaning forward in my seat.
James exhaled a breath and looked around the room before meeting my gaze. “It’s about Inarus,” he began.
I eyed him warily. I wasn’t sure yet if Inarus was friend or foe though I’d prefer he were a friend, despite our awkward moment. James also didn’t know that he’d teleported his way onto the Compound roof. I felt slightly traitorous for not telling him and a small part of me wondered if I should. Perhaps the Compound’s security wasn’t as solid as they believed it to be.
I nodded for James to continue.
“I had his placed searched.”
My mouth dropped open. Part of me was upset on Inarus’ behalf, for the invasion of privacy, but the other part wondered what James had found. Whatever it was, the grim expression on his face right now meant that it wasn’t good.
“He isn’t who he says he is.” Well I knew that already.
“Care to elaborate?”
James reached inside of his pocket and pulled out an envelope. I took it and opened it, pulling out the contents. Inside were several photographs of me from the last few weeks. He’d been watching me, spying on me. My stomach dropped.
I rifled through the photographs disturbed by the invasion.
“He was following me,” I said.
James nodded his head and then handed me what looked like a small cell phone. I looked from the phone to James and lifted my brows in question.
“It’s a burner phone, one of our younger Pack members found it in his room. Check the message log.”
I did as he asked, scrolling through a series of text messages that all belonged to a single conversation.
Unknown: Status report
Inarus: Pack is blaming the Coven as planned. Phase 2 is moving into place.
I scrolled farther down the screen.
Inarus: Girl may be a possible asset. I plan to bring her in upon mission completion.
Unknown: Good
My hand began to shake, he had to be talking about me. He planned on bringing me in to someone, to them.
Unknown: Status report
Inarus: Everything is going as planned. No new updates.
Oh God, I felt sick. I looked up from the phone to James’ expression, he looked remorseful but I had no idea why. I stood up and began pacing the room.
“What now?” I asked, flexing my fingers around the phone. I took several deep breaths and pushed the fire inside of me deeper. I wasn’t going to break down. I was not giving him that kind of power over me. How could he play me like this, how could I allow it?
“The Pack is already moving into place to take him down, I just…I wanted to let you know before we took action.”
“I want to be there,” I told him.
James was shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ari.”
“Look, he’s here.”
“What? What do you mean he’s here?”
“I mean he’s here, on the Compound. Right before I ran into you, I was talking with him on the roof. He teleported in.”
James swore before heading for the door, his movements determined. I grabbed my daggers I’d placed on the bedside table earlier and sheathed them in the loops along my belt.
We found Inarus right where I left him, on the rooftop of the Compound, his back to the door. He was standing out in the middle of the rain but was still dry, a force field of some sort protecting him. Stupid telekinetic abilities, I wanted him to be soaked and cold.
At the sound of our approach he turned around. James and I were at the front of our party, four shifters whose names I didn’t know stood behind as our reinforcements.
Inarus’ gaze locked with mine, a question evident in his eyes. I glared at him, letting him see my anger.
The Pack mates behind us slowly crept forward when James and I stopped, surrounding Inarus.
“What’s this about?” Inarus asked, directing his question to me. I didn’t answer. Instead I watched as James threw the photographs at him, the images landing in a small puddle near his feet. Inarus bent to retrieve them and gave them a quick once over before turning his sharp gaze to James.
“You had my place searched,” he said aloud, more of a statement than a question. “This isn’t what you think.”
I was shaking my head before he finished. “You mean you’re not stalking me with nefarious intent?” Before he could comment I held out the burner phone for him to see. His eyes fell. He knew there was no talking his way out of this.
“That isn’t mine,” he said, the denial rolling off of his tongue easily. Guess he was going to try anyway.
“Shifters can scent a lie,” James told him, “and right now, you’re lying through your teeth.”
Inarus ignored him. “Aria, whatever you found on that phone was planted. It isn’t mine. You have to believe me. I would never—” I held my hand up, effectively cutting him off.
“No. No more lies. I want the truth. You owe me that much.” Inarus’ shoulders slumped in defeat.
“I never wanted to hurt you.”
I shook my head. None of that mattered. He was on the wrong side of things.
“Did you kill Daniel Blackmore?” I asked, ignoring his omission. He shook his head.
“I’d never hurt a child, not even a shifter.”
“And the two girls, Emma and the vampire?” Inarus looked away, refu
sing to meet my gaze. Well, that answered that question. His lack of response was enough of an admission of guilt. I didn’t need him to say it aloud to know he was the one responsible.
“Why?” I asked him, my voice laced with steel.
“Aria, you don’t understand.”
“Then explain it to me!” I shouted. The Pack took a threatening step closer to Inarus. He barely glanced their way, deciding they weren’t a threat. I wasn’t surprised. He was a telekinetic. If he wanted to, he could throw them all back with little more than a thought.
“The shifters shouldn’t be in control of this city or any other. Neither should the vampires. Humans should be in control, we aren’t the monsters here. They were the ones that ruined everything. They’re the reason we don’t have a government or a police force. We don’t have public education or public hospitals anymore. PsyShade is just trying to take back what rightfully belongs to the human population,” he said. His voice took on a menacing quality as he directed his attention to the men surrounding him.
“They’re an abomination.”
“And what about us, what are we? How are we any different?”
“We’re human, we aren’t monsters or creatures of the night, Aria. We don’t massacre cities in a fit of rage or suck blood from innocent people.”
“No you just kill innocent children and women without cause,” I said in response.
“I didn’t kill that boy!” Inarus yelled, his hands fisted at his sides.
“You may not have killed him,” I said, “but you work for the people responsible for his death and you did kill Emma and the vampire.”
“They were monsters. A freaking blood sucker and an animal, Aria.”
“They were people, Inarus! There were others who cared about them and you took them away, for what? Because you had orders to do so? That isn’t a good enough answer! They didn’t deserve to die.”
“The vampire was already dead,” he shouted. “She didn’t deserve to walk this earth any longer, none of their kind do.”
“What now?” I asked him.
“Come with me. You don’t belong here, with them.” He waved his hand at the surrounding shifters.
I shook my head. “I don’t want anything to do with PsyShade, or with you,” I told him.
He had killed Emma, he had lied to me, had played me for information and all the while he’d planned on turning me in to the very people responsible for murdering a child. What if he’d had something to do with Mike’s death? I knew he had been killed by vampires but at this point, nothing was beyond Inarus’ capabilities. On top of that he actually believed in PsyShade’s mission. I could see the unshakable faith in his eyes. Everyone had taken a hit after the Awakening but going back to the way things used to be wasn’t an option. We needed to adapt. To adjust to our current way of life. We couldn’t live in the past or go back to ignoring all things supernatural. Before I could tell him as much, James spoke up.
“You’re going to be taken into custody for crimes against the Pack. When we’re done with you, I’m sure the Coven will have more,” James said vehemently.
Inarus laughed. “You won’t be taking me anywhere.”
“You’re only going to make things harder on yourself by resisting.”
Inarus was shaking his head. “You don’t get it, do you?” he tsked.
I eyed him warily, unsure of what he was really capable of.
“I’m a telekinetic. You can’t touch me.”
James growled before lunging for Inarus. In between one second and the next, Inarus disappeared, re-appearing a few feet from where James stopped.
“Aria,” Inarus called from his new position. “Come with me. Let me explain everything, let me help you understand,” he pleaded. I shook my head in refusal.
Inarus rubbed the nape of his neck. “Aria, please…” Before he said anything else two shifters grabbed him from behind. He disappeared from their grasp, reappearing once again, this time closer, a scant two feet from my position. I pulled a dagger from my waist, a flame stretching over the blade’s surface.
Inarus locked eyes with me. “Are you really going to try and hurt me? Aria you know I’m right. You know you don’t belong here.” I shook my head. I may not have belonged here but I certainly didn’t belong with him. Inarus held his hand out to me, his eyes pleading that I take it and go with him.
I shook my head, my eyes hard. Inarus’ expression was filled with hurt but it quickly transformed into anger when a dark form sailed through the air, tackling him to the ground. The shifter that attacked rose in the air, lifted by invisible hands and Inarus stared in rage at the man. I looked around, and saw all of the shifters slowly lifted. Each growling in frustration as they struggled to reach the stone floor beneath them. Only I remained on the ground, Inarus’ power directed solely at the shifters surrounding him.
“You’re all animals,” he cursed. “Worthless.” I saw the intent in his gaze. He was going to drop them from the roof. The Pack Compound rose ten stories high. I knew shifters were resilient but I couldn’t take the risk that even one of them wouldn’t survive the fall. Without conscious thought I threw my blade directly at Inarus. With the wave of a hand he knocked it away. I drew another and threw it as well. The blade spinning in a spiral pattern as it neared its intended target.
Again he knocked the blade aside. I pulled from within, drawing my fire out. With arms together in front of me I molded a ball of fire within my hands. Inarus grinned, “Do you think that will stop me?” he asked.
Sweat dripped down my brow from the strain of containing the fire in its shape. When the ball was close to the size of a basketball I threw it with everything I had. As soon as the fireball was free, I lifted the hem of my shirt, reaching down to my hip and ripping my tattooed blade free from my flesh. The pain was excruciating. I pulled it out quicker than intended and my skin felt as though it were being flayed from my body.
I threw my final blade at Inarus while he was distracted by the fire. He deflected the flames and I saw a triumphant grin on his face right before my blade pierced his chest. I didn’t think the fire would stop him but the blade, yes, I believed it would.
The shifters surrounding us dropped to the ground, still within the roof’s perimeter. Inarus turned his shocked gaze my way. He looked down at his chest, touching the hilt of the blade in awe.
A slow stream of blood dripped from the wound. Inarus ripped the blade free and stared down at it.
“How did you…”
“Your powers don’t work on it. No magic does. It has magical properties that make it immune to others.”
He nodded, still in shock. The blade clattered to the ground as he stumbled forward and I fought to remain still. I wouldn’t run to him. I wouldn’t help him.
James saw the opportunity and lunged.
Inarus disappeared and James caught nothing but air.
We all stood still, waiting for him to pop back but when seconds became minutes, we realized he wasn’t coming back. A part of me was glad but the other part knew that this wasn’t over, that PsyShade would continue their fight for power but when they came, I’d be ready. This was my city and no one was going to take it from me, not even my mother.
Declan had given me the okay to head to my apartment and retrieve some of my belongings the following morning. I wasn’t sure how long I’d stay at the Compound but after Inarus’ departure, I realized staying with the Pack was probably for the best. A feline shifter named Hannah was accompanying me. She was silent for the most part, offering only one-word answers whenever I asked her a question. I didn’t mind her silence. It was comforting in a way. Neither of us seemed to feel the need to fill the empty space and that was all right by me.
When we finally reached my apartment I gave Melody my usual hello and trekked up the four flights of stairs. When I opened my door, Hannah swiftly sidestepped me
and entered first. I rolled my eyes but followed her in, standing just inside the doorway as she scanned the room before checking the adjoining rooms. When she gave the all-clear I headed for my bedroom. Grabbing a backpack from my closet I quickly began stuffing random articles of clothing inside.
A faint tapping sound caught my attention and I turned to the glass door in my bedroom. Melody was perched on the balcony railing. A wide grin on her face. I took a quick look around, making sure I was alone and went to open the door.
“What are you doing?” I asked her. She stepped from the railing, folding her wings in as she rose to her full height in front of me.
“Here,” she said, handing me a folded enveloped.
“What’s this?” I asked, taking it from her hand and running my finger beneath the seam.
Melody shrugged her shoulders. “A letter, duh. That hunk who lived down the hall from you asked me to delivery it and normally, I’d say no. I mean, I’m not an errand girl. But then he smiled and his eyes got all sparkly. He’s good, let me tell you that. Anyway, I said I’d give it to you so, here ya go.”
“Thank you,” I told her, hesitating to read it. Looking up. “I’m going to be MIA for a while, can you do me a favor and check in on my place from time to time?” I asked as I turned to go back into my apartment.
“Sure thing,” she said with way too much pep in her voice.
I stopped and turned back, a glint in my eyes. “Oh and Mel?” I said as she hoisted herself in the air.
“What?”
“Feel free to use and take whatever you’d like. What’s mine is yours,” I said and her smile faded.
“You just have to take all the fun out of it, don’t you?”
“Sorry. A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do, but watch the place, and your secret is safe with me. You can rest assured that Ryan will never know.”
Her eyes narrowed for a brief moment before she nodded and flew back down to the lower level of the apartment building.
Back inside I sat on my bed, eyeing the letter like it was a snake ready to strike. Chiding myself for being afraid of a piece of paper, I unfolded the letter and read what was inside.
Cursed by Fire (Blood & Magic Book 1) Page 15
