by Lexi Ostrow
Flames danced in the background. Cal could scarcely make out hideous beings on the other side. Some were made of nothing but bone, and others had claws with sagging skin covering them. All were rather obviously demons, and the creatures certainly were not present in his series.
“I am going to give you some help. See to it that you do not fail.” Demus grinned wickedly and let out an ear-piercing whistle as if calling a dog.
Three of the bone-structured demons and one of the others stepped through the doorway. Cal felt his pulse quicken in delight as the darkness swirled and grew around him. Witches often relied on energy for power, and if he was being given the use of actual demons, his power was exponentially stronger.
“These should help level the playing field between you and Alcott — at least magically. You’ll have to figure out a way to boost your strength if you want to take him on in hand-to-hand combat.” Demus scoffed, “Something I would highly recommend you do not do.”
Cal bristled at the insult, but as an image of Alcott standing amidst wrought-iron tables and chairs filled his mind, he realized Demus was right. The demons flocked around Demus in an almost comical way. Cal had always known the man fought for darkness, but he hadn’t known that he’d had access to anything like demons.
Maybe they come from another book.
“You will all go now. Time is short.” He turned to leave and then looked back at Cal once more, dark eyebrow raised. “And I do expect you to succeed this time.”
He waited only long enough for Cal to nod before flashing back to wherever it was exactly that he came from. His little demon minions flocked around Cal instantly. A small shock of energy went through the air, and Cal summoned a witch fire ball to test it out. The blue ball of fire burned brightly and formed quicker than ever before.
“Oh, yes. You will all do rather nicely.” Closing his eyes, he focused on opening a doorway between his world and the Word Speaker’s. He knew that a Guardian had a connection that essentially tied them to their Word Speaker, but Cal did not have that luxury.
The air began to shimmer and ripple for Cal, just as it had for Demus. Moments later, he found himself staring at the rather attractive form of his brother’s newest partner. She was alone, stretched out on her bed and reading what must have been book two. Though she couldn’t have been on anything that dealt with him because he heard nothing in his head. That, or perhaps it was because with his brother out, he was free to come and go as he pleased like the last time. It was almost a shame he had to kill her, she was by far more attractive than his last Word Speaker. With a shrug and a look down at the demons, he stepped through into her room.
Alcott couldn’t ignore the tension squeezing at the muscles in the nape of his neck. Kellie was reading all right — reading his book two. He could hear it in his mind as if he were still in the book and not yet released. It had happened when he and Ciara had read together as well. However, he’d specifically told Kellie that his novels were off limits. The deep breath of air he sucked in through his nose was not helping to calm him either. Blowing it out slowly, it created a small whistling sound. It was taking every ounce of will power he could command to remain seated on the couch.
You cannot start a fight. That is not how this works. He was doing his best to remind himself that, whether or not they got along, they would have nearly two years together. See, it’s just best to let it go. You can speak with her calmly when she comes out. Do not invade her space, and do not ruin what could be your perfect pairing.
A shrill shriek sliced through his thoughts, and he was up off the sofa before he even felt the tugging of the mental tie between them, a sign that something was occurring. Dashing down the small space, he was momentarily stunned at the image of her and grateful she had left the door ajar. Yet not thankful for the scene before him.
Cal stood, pinning Kellie to the wall with what could only be a strong air current. His face was mere centimeters from hers, and creatures unlike anything he’d ever seen danced around the room chaotically. Fear that was swiftly replaced by anger radiated through him at the thought of Kellie injured in any way. She was his to protect, and he would be damned if any creature in the room hurt her.
“Get. Away. From. Her.” Alcott growled low, already feeling the ball of witch fire glowing in his right palm. He released it, slamming it into two of the skin-covered creatures and lighting them on fire. Shrieks and howls emanated from the tiny beats as the witch fire consumed them.
Cal turned, nastiness seeping over every inch of his face as he did so. “Ah, so glad you could join us. It would be a shame if I wasted your Word Speaker with little to no interference from you, Brother.” The way he spat the word was similar to the way the immortal brothers did when they spoke. “Such a shame this world’s magic is no contest for what we were written to have. That flimsy protection spell of hers was like flicking away a gnat.”
With a stray thought, the floor of the condo began to shake, knocking the bony creatures down, shattering and launching bones in all directions. There were no screams, just the knocking sound as bone hit bone. Instantly, he saw Kellie drop and crash into the floor. Cal, having turned his full attention to Alcott, couldn’t focus his magic elsewhere.
He winced, wishing he could help her up but not willing to take his eyes off Cal.
“You’ve gotten stronger, Alcott. I suppose it would be time the big brother grew into his own.” With a smirk, Cal created a collision course of his own with the floor, knocking Alcott off balance but not down.
“I don’t have time for you.” He narrowed his eyes at his younger brother as every muscle in his body flexed. “I’ve never had time for you.” All at once, he launched himself across the space, turning so his shoulder slammed into Cal’s chest.
The pair stumbled, and Alcott’s head cracked against the wall, but he took great pride in knowing that Cal’s clearly had hit first. He was bending over, ready to pick Cal up by the collar, when he felt the kick to his ankle. Pain blossomed just long enough for his shock to register. In the past, Cal had never fought physically — neither of them had.
Not wasting any more time, he slammed his fist down against Cal’s face, relishing the way bone snapped and warm blood sprayed over his knuckles. A lick of fire touched his neck as Cal went back to magical fighting, trying to burn him with witch fire. Alcott dropped his body weight onto him, crushing his brother’s solar plexus with his knee. Cal gasped deeply, shock sprawling across his face.
Blow after blow, Alcott continued to slam his fist into his brother’s face, utterly uncaring at how likely it was that he’d kill Cal. He could feel his brother writhing beneath him, attempting to jam various joints into Alcott’s body and generally breaking beneath Alcott’s fists. Rearing his hand back for what had to be an eighth punishing strike, he bellowed as his knuckles cracked into the wooden floor.
With a growl, he jerked upright, not shocked to see the final remnants of a doorway closing, and locking Cal safely away. Alcott had only remained in Kellie’s world because he’d had his knees braced on the floor. It still angered him that he’d been so fixated, he’d missed his brother conjuring a doorway, let alone escaping.
“Alcott?” The touch on his shoulder was gentle, but Kellie’s voice was strong and unafraid.
He pushed off the ground and turned to face her, trying to calm the way his chest heaved with every effort to breathe. He’d been training for so long to be what a Guardian physically needed to be — he hadn’t expected the rush of blood to his brain or the pounding of his heart when he wasn’t merely fighting the brother in the trench coat.
His stare locked on hers, and the look in her dark eyes was as powerful as any aphrodisiac he’d ever heard of — magical or otherwise. There wasn’t the slightest hint of fear, despite the fact that she had been a victim mere minutes before. In fact, she was looking at him as if he were a hero, not a monster, for nearly murdering someone with his bare hands.
“Alcott, are you all right?” There wa
s fear in her voice as she took a step closer, placing her hand gently on his cheek. “Did you even realize you were bleeding?” She pulled her hand back and showed him the bloodied tips of her fingers.
“I had no idea.” His voice was gruff as he sucked in air. He hadn’t so much as felt Cal strike his face, but he’d been so lost in a haze of anger and violence that it didn’t surprise him. “I’ve never fought my brother like that. Without much magic.”
Kellie nodded, eyes staring unblinking into his. “I thought that was out of character. Something your last Word Speaker taught you?”
He jerked his head sideways. “Something the man in the trench coat taught me to make me a better Guardian.” Reaching out, he pushed a few strands of dark hair behind her ear. “Something I’m grateful I learned because it gave me the upper hand just now.”
“Are you always so . . . aggressive when you protect your Word Speakers.”
Her voice was barely a whisper as he gently traced fingers over her jawline, stepping closer as he did. He could hear both of their hearts thudding rapidly against their chests. Every part of his being was telling him to kiss her because they would both enjoy it, the bond would strengthen. The small knowledge that he might not be completely in control of the desire was the only sliver holding him back.
“I was not.” As his brow furrowed, he felt himself glower. “And I lost her because of it. Matches are seldom incorrect, and I do not intend to let this one slip from my fingers because I was ill prepared.”
Kellie didn’t speak as she leaned inward until their lips were close enough that he could feel the warmth of her breath as she spoke. “Tell me what this is, Alcott.”
He growled low in his throat, a sound he’d never heard himself make prior. All that there was between them was a Guardian-Word Speaker bond, and in that moment, all he wanted to do was see if it was all it promised to be.
“This is me breaking my rules and seeing just what you’ll taste like.”
If she wanted to argue with him, she didn’t get a chance. Threading his hands through her colored hair, he gently tugged her to him, lowering his head and slanting his lips over hers. The sensation that rushed through him was as instant as time itself. He’d never felt anything akin to nirvana until their kiss. Everything disappeared — the attack, the worry and even his personal objections to letting a predestined bond form a relationship.
Their lips remained pressed together. All he could feel was a rush of warmth and a surge of desire. She moaned softly, and he wasted no time sinking his tongue inside her mouth and exploring her. The crush of breasts against his chest was the only indication he received that his advance had been welcome until her tongue began to tangle with his.
She leaned against him, twisting and twirling her tongue along his and driving their kiss deeper than he’d ever experienced before. Blood rushed to his cock, surging a rapid path and stiffening his member in mere seconds as Kellie’s hips ground against his. He let his hands slip from her hair and trail down her body, moving effortlessly to unhook her bra through the thin shirt she wore. His head was spinning with desire, demanding he take her and claim her as his, regardless of what was spurring such feelings. Every flick of their tongues together sent shivers through him.
There was no mistaking the wetness pooling in her panties as she ground against him. Nor was there any way to pretend his cock wasn’t harder than it had ever been. The bond created something amazing, insatiable and utterly impossible to ignore.
Alcott tore his mouth from hers, hating the way the cold air felt against his lips without hers there. His eyes traveled her face, searching for anything that indicated she wasn’t interested or hadn’t enjoyed it as much as her body indicated. He found none. In fact, the lust that shone out of her eyes was enough to melt away any final resistance he had. He’d ignored the seductive siren call of the bond before and had lost. Maybe it was time to try something different.
Just as he was about to lean his head down to recapture her mouth and let things continue on as they were heading, the slam of a door caused Kellie to twitch. With a gasp, she jerked her head to look out her still open door. Footsteps sounded quickly, and Alcott’s hand went to the athame at his waist. He had no way of knowing who had entered the condo, and he could only hope it was the roommate.
Kellie’s hand shoved at her top, and she quickly reached behind her and reconnected her bra. As she ran her fingers through her hair, he suspected she was trying to comb out any knots and mess he had created in the wake of their kiss.
She looked at him one last time, desire still shining from her eyes and her lips still brilliantly puffy from his kiss, before she walked out of the room. He didn’t waste a second, nearly leaping after her. If he’d wanted to keep her safe before, the start of their bond only amplified it.
“There you are! Not spending any time with the family again?” a peppy voice asked.
Alcott calmed and saw Kellie’s shoulders relax.
“Lana, I don’t know if I’m grateful for you or ready to tell you to get better timing,” Kellie joked with a hoarse rasp.
Chapter Six
Everywhere Alcott had touched her was tingling, as if he had left a phantom caress over various parts of her body. Kellie could still feel the way her lips tingled from one soul-shattering kiss. A kiss that had changed her entire opinion of the witch standing mere steps behind her.
“You okay, Kells?” Lana asked as she walked over to the couch and sat. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”
Kellie involuntarily jerked her head to look behind her at Alcott, who seemed not only downright grumpy at the interruption, but was also sporting a large enough tent in his pants to make her squeeze her legs tight.
Dear Goddess! What was that? She’d enjoyed kissing before, but she’d never experienced anything even half the intensity of what had just happened. Her entire world had vanished, leaving only her and Alcott standing on some small fragment of a planet that somehow still existed with them.
She’d completely and utterly lost herself in their kiss, and it frightened her. She’d understood that a connection due to their roles had made her care about him in a strange way upon meeting, but she hadn’t expected it to transcend into a carnal interaction that had left her practically begging for him to fuck her.
“Earth to Kellie. Paging Kellie,” Lana practically shouted.
Blinking, Kellie shook her head and forced herself back into the moment. “Sorry. I guess I’m just not . . . focused.” Because you're too busy daydreaming about what could be the world’s best one-night stand.
Lana gave her a sympathetic smile, and she heard Alcott scoff something under his breath. Something she swore sounded like him cursing himself. Her smile slipped for a fraction of a second at the reminder that he wasn’t against feeling things for her, but he was against acting on them for no reason.
“Still upset about the job?”
Kellie nodded, even though it was a lie, and she was a fairly terrible liar. “I know I’ve still got plenty from my grandparents to use, but it feels terrible not having something to do. I mean, it’s not like I have a skill or craft like you.”
“That is entirely not true.” Alcott said indigently from behind her.
Ignoring him was difficult, but she managed not to react. “I can’t lock myself up in a room and do some crazy artist moment.” She sighed, feeling helpless despite learning a very crazy destiny about herself . . . or learning that she’s crazy and has made everything up.
“Well, I think it might call for a night out. A little Bourbon crawl to get you in the happy mood.” Lana grinned wide.
Kellie laughed, remembering the last time they had relegated themselves to do a bar crawl on Bourbon Street. It had certainly brightened her spirits, revved up her sex life and drained her bank account.
“As tempting as that offer is, I think I’m going to head out and do a little people watching. Get out in the sun and just veg out for a little.”
Lana loo
ked a little disappointed but covered it quickly. “Don’t forget to include Hayley and me if you do go party!”
“Deal.”
Turning, she walked to grab her things from the small table near the door. She nearly bumped into Alcott as he raced to get around her, his erection had finally subsided and his face impassive.
“You aren’t seriously going to go out after an attack are you? Let alone after what just happened?” There was a touch of anger lacing his words as he crossed his arms over his chest.
She hadn’t the slightest clue how to respond to him without Lana thinking she was on crack, so she ignored him and pushed the door open. It felt a little strange, holding it open longer than normal so he could pass through. Tugging it shut behind her, she remained facing forward but finally responded.
“Isn’t the point that you are supposed to protect me? That I shouldn’t have to worry about having issues living my life until this prophesied war comes about?”
His hand wrapped around her wrist, and she felt a surge of desire at the contact. A shudder rippled through her. It took all the will power she could muster to force herself to walk forward and down the stairs. She wanted to turn to him and tell him just what his touch did to her, but what it had done to her back in the bedroom was rather obvious.
“You are not going to stop are you?” Alcott practically growled.
A smile spread over her lips. There was something enjoyable about getting under his skin. “I had no intention of it, no. I don’t wish to look crazy.”
His sigh was audible and loaded with annoyance. “Put your fucking cell phone to your ear! Seriously, woman.”
She spun around so quickly at the name she knew men often used as an insult that her ankle twisted, and she tipped forward. Had Alcott not been there, or had he truly been a figment of a wildly overactive imagination, she would have been missing a few front teeth. The moment his arms wrapped over her, a sensation rushed over her — something she could only describe as safety. It was as if a being wrapped in his arms made her feel like she was free from all harm. Lifting her gaze, she stared into his blue eyes, losing herself in the crystalline depths staring back at her as if she were the only other person on the planet.
