Though Ronin’s reply was breezy, he acted as anxious and tense as she felt right now. Even though he drove confidently, his erratic weaving made Brynn suspect he’d never driven before. But more likely it was due to the tenuousness of their position. They couldn’t run from Mammon forever. Damn her ancestor and his weakness for that succubus. It was because of them that Brynn was here right now.
On the way to the hotel, Keegan explained more to Brynn about her ancestry. She’d been too overwhelmed last night to ask about it in detail, but the Council he worked for seemed to know quite a bit about the Egyptian priest who was the cause of all this mayhem.
“His name was Iyri,” Keegan said. “What you should know is that demons have been crossing over to Earth for many millennia. Humans have crossed over to Infernum, too, though few have lived to tell the tale.
“Iyri was one of very few humans who have a natural resistance to succubi, something he discovered when he was seduced by one. As you can imagine, Sitha was pretty surprised when, instead of dying, he seemed to have a limitless supply of energy she could feed from. And he was shocked to learn the beautiful young woman who’d just seduced him was, in fact, a demon.”
“Yeah, that would put a damper on any relationship,” Brynn murmured. He threw her a dry look. Too late, she realized she’d unintentionally insulted him.
Red-faced and feeling like total shit, she opened her mouth to apologize, but before she could say a word, Keegan continued. “Being a man of magic as well as faith, Iyri used a spell to trap Sitha, to bind her to him. He spent the next several months studying her while she fed off him. However, it seems, somewhere along the line they fell in love.”
“What did they do then?” Brynn asked.
“The problem was that Sitha was on the run from the Council—a fugitive—for some past crime. The Council learned of her whereabouts and ordered that Iyri return her to them for punishment.”
“But he didn’t?”
“He loved her too much to let her go. And by that time, she was already pregnant with his child. A true rarity, the child of a demon and human.”
She fought back a blush. “So humans and demons can actually, you know, mate?”
“Yes. It happens more often than you might think. Though as I said, children from those matches are rare.”
“What about... ” This time she did blush. She couldn’t help it. “I know it probably wasn’t a concern back then, but what about diseases?”
Keegan turned his intense gaze on her. There was a hint of a question in his eyes. Lord, he didn’t think she was talking about the two of them, did he? That wasn’t what she was getting at, even if her awareness of him was so acute that her heart sped up with every move of his body.
“Demons don’t carry diseases,” he finally said. “Nor can they transmit them.”
“Oh,” she replied.
“At any rate,” Keegan continued, “Iyri created the Book. It contained a spell that allowed for the resurrection of the dead, in a form that was stronger than human or demon. They would be strong enough to protect Sitha from the Council. But there’s always a price to pay for strength. The dead had to feed off living flesh in order to subsist.”
Brynn shuddered. “That’s horrible. But he did it anyway?”
“Love makes people do strange things,” Keegan said. “Because he recognized the danger of this book, he crafted the spell so that only one of his bloodline could activate it. With it, he would be able to control the army of the dead.”
“God, that’s crazy. He loved her so much he went to any length to save her.”
Keegan nodded. “Even at the expense of his own world.”
“So what happened then?” she pressed.
“The Council found out about his plan and stopped him before the spell was fully completed. The dead were in the process of reanimating, but they crumbled to the ground when Iyri was killed. They tried to destroy the book, but Iyri had made it indestructible, so they buried it with him, in a hidden, unmarked tomb. Many believe the tomb is somewhere in the Valley of the Kings, but no one knows where. Not even the current Council. The old Council members purposely didn’t keep any record of it. In fact, no one was supposed to know about it at all, but one of the men responsible for digging the grave spread the tale, and it survived to modern day.”
Brynn sighed. To be sure, her ancestor had committed an evil act, but he’d done it with only the best of intentions—for love. “What happened to Sitha?”
“They allowed her to live long enough to give birth to the child. Female offspring of succubi are born full succubi themselves, but male offspring take on most of the characteristics of their fathers. Since the child was a boy, he was given to a human family with no knowledge of his demon heritage.”
“My great-great-grandfather, many times over.”
Keegan nodded, a strand of hair dropping to cover his eyes. Right now, they blazed blue-green, but she couldn’t help but recall what they had looked like unglamoured—red, intense, and expressive. Beautiful, in an alien sort of way.
“Sitha’s gift, as well as Iyri’s magic, was passed on in various, progressively weaker incarnations,” he said. “Until you. You can drain humans of their energy and read inanimate objects, all because of Sitha and Iyri and their love for one another.”
Brynn closed her eyes for a long moment, the details of her distant past penetrating her mind. “It’s such a sad story.”
“That’s life,” he said. “Shit happens.”
As they pulled up to their hotel in the middle of the French Quarter, she couldn’t help but think about Keegan’s blunt response to the story. The events of the past few days had made it perfectly clear that he was right: shit does happen.
§
Ronin stood on the expansive balcony of their two-bedroom suite. Thankfully, it faced the street, so Brynn could see the crowds of people roaming below, even if she couldn’t partake of their revelry. She’d done nothing but pace their suite since they arrived yesterday, and he couldn’t blame her. Her life, even all of her perceptions about life, had done a one-eighty in the past few days.
Keegan was on the phone in one of the two bedrooms, debriefing with a Council liaison. Devil only knew what was going on in there.
Hurting a woman went against everything Ronin stood for. Growing up with the knowledge of what happened to his mother, he’d vowed to never abuse a woman. So far, he’d managed to hold true to that vow, even when his father’s fists had tried to sway him otherwise. But now, if the Council ordered it, he would have to stand idly by while Brynn’s life was snuffed out. Or worse, if Keegan couldn’t go forward with it, he’d have to do it himself. It was enough to drive a man to drink.
Where were Taeg and Dagan when you needed them?
As if on cue, his cell phone rang, the caller identification showing Taeg’s cell phone number. “Yeah?”
“Well, hello there, Miss Sunshine,” Taeg’s voice rang out. “You manage to keep from beating in Keegan’s face yet?”
“That’s only a concern with the two of you,” Ronin said.
“Oh yeah.” Taeg let out a dry chuckle. “I tried Keeg’s cell, but he didn’t answer. What’s our big bro up to?”
“Council debriefing.”
“Aw, fuck a duck. That shit is so annoying. Anyway, let him know I met Dagan’s skinny ass at the airport. Cresso’s flight is due to arrive in a couple of hours. I’ll touch base again once we know more.”
“Got it.”
There was a short beat of silence before Taeg spoke again. “Hey, man, I got a hunch.”
“Not another one of your hunches,” Ronin said, rolling his eyes. “What is it?”
“Our guy Iyri was a high priest, right?”
“Right.”
“And wasn’t the priest’s ceremonial office located in Memphis?”
“From what we’ve read, yes.”
“So I’m betting that’s where he was when he was captured,” Taeg said.
“Y
eah, that makes sense. You’re thinking—”
“What are the odds the Council would decide to bury him right there?”
Ronin thought about it for a minute. “Knowing the Council, pretty damn good. Shit. I bet Mammon’s got his demons searching in the wrong place.”
“That’s what I’m thinking. I’ll flash over to the site of ancient Memphis while Cresso’s making the rounds locally.”
“Sounds good. In the meantime, I’ll do some research, see if I can narrow down a location for you.”
“Ten-four. Over and out,” Taeg said before hanging up.
Ronin let out a chuckle. “What a dick.”
But an amusing one.
He headed inside for his laptop, but no, it was locked in the room with Keegan. He was stuck waiting for him to finish.
Ronin paused in front of Brynn’s room. She’d been awfully quiet the last few hours. He knocked on the closed door, and then again, a bit louder. She didn’t respond.
Shit.
There was no way she could have left without him noticing. Could she?
“Brynn?” He twisted the knob and pushed open the door. His timing couldn’t have been worse.
She chose that moment to walk out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped over her head. And not a stitch of clothing elsewhere. She let out a sharp scream, snatched the towel from her head, and used it to cover herself.
“Sorry,” Ronin choked out, slapping his hands over his face. It was too late to un-see what he’d seen, though, and the image of that would stick with him. Her curves were subtle, but they were most definitely there. If Keegan found out, he’d be a dead man.
“What do you want?” Brynn gasped.
His cheeks grew warm, and he opened his mouth to reply, but the hot air that blew along the back of his neck choked off his response.
Oh shit.
Keegan’s voice growled behind him, sounding more animal than man. “What the hell’s going on here?”
Chapter Twelve
Keegan speared Ronin with his glare, waiting for him to respond.
“Nothing,” Ronin said, though it was obvious that wasn’t true. “Nothing’s going on.”
He tried to calm the unreasonable bloodlust that rose within him at the thought of his brother seeing Brynn naked. Clearly, that had been a mistake; Ronin’s crimson face betrayed his embarrassment. Still, the beast within him wanted to fall on his brother in a mass of snarling fury.
“Why didn’t you knock?” Brynn asked Ronin irritably.
“Sorry.” Ronin opened one eye, and once he was sure she was fully covered, the other. He glanced at Keegan, and Keegan knew Ronin’s words were mostly for his benefit. “I did knock. Twice. I got a little worried when you didn’t respond. Guess you didn’t hear me.”
“Oh,” Brynn said in a soft, embarrassed voice. “What’s going on?”
Keegan stopped glaring at Ronin long enough to look at her, but then he wished he hadn’t. He couldn’t stop thinking about what was underneath that towel. “Nothing new.”
“You spoke to the Council?” Ronin asked.
“You did?” she asked eagerly. “What did they say?”
“Nothing new,” he said. Which was true. They hadn’t made any headway in locating the whereabouts of the Book.
“Oh, that’s too bad,” she said, her face falling into a little frown.
“Listen,” Ronin said to Keegan, “I heard from Taeg. He’s got a hunch on something.”
Thank the devil. Keegan honestly didn’t know how much longer he could stand just a few feet away from a barely clad Brynn. Knowing she was one tug from being naked drove him insane.
“Wait,” she cried, as Ronin started closing the door. “I want to hear this, too.”
“It, um, doesn’t really have much to do with you,” Ronin said.
She bristled at those words. “Doesn’t everything about this mess have to do with me?”
Ronin gave him a questioning frown, and Keegan shrugged. As long as what his brother had to say didn’t have anything to do with the Council’s possible death order, what did he care if she listened in? As long as she was fully clothed.
“Get dressed, then meet us in the parlor,” Keegan said. Fighting the urge to indulge in another once-over of her body, he turned and left.
Ronin followed him. “So, really? Nothing new from the Council?”
Keegan was beyond frustrated. “They’ve got their scholars searching their records, but there aren’t any clues on the tomb’s location. Mammon’s already placed a team there, under the guise of being a wealthy investor funding a major archaeological dig, and they don’t want to red-flag human leaders to a potential problem.”
Ronin sighed. “Bureaucratic bullshit.”
“Never ends,” Keegan agreed. “By the way, stay the fuck out of Brynn’s room. Got it?”
“Yeah, got it.”
He seemed appropriately embarrassed, so Keegan moved on. “What’s Taeg’s theory?”
“Oh, get this,” he said, excitement spreading across his face. “What if everyone’s searching for the book in the wrong place?”
“What do you mean?”
Ronin relayed the conversation he’d had with Taeg.
“No shit.” He had to admit that something about his brother’s hunch seemed dead-on. If a high priest was going to make a power play against a mighty council of otherworldly beings, wouldn’t he want to do it from his ceremonial headquarters?
Brynn’s voice sounded behind him. “What is it?”
Keegan watched her stride into the parlor, a curious expression on her face. “Taeg thinks we might be searching in the wrong place for the Book. There’s a good chance the tomb it’s buried in is located in Memphis.”
“Memphis?” she echoed, lifting a brow in obvious disbelief.
“The ancient Egyptian city of Memphis,” Ronin clarified.
A pink flush brightened her cheeks. “Oh, that one.”
“If we could only find out exactly where he was when he was captured... ” Ronin trailed off, his mind apparently already occupied by thoughts of the ancient city. “I’m going to go do some research.”
He left the parlor.
Keegan was struck by the uncomfortable realization that this was the first time they’d been alone since he’d almost kissed her. How foolish he’d been.
Worse, he still wanted to kiss her. Very much.
Seeking to break the tension, he walked to the window and glanced out of it. Crowds of revelers swarmed the streets. It would be so easy to get lost in a crowd this size. So very easy.
He surprised himself by turning back to Brynn. “Want to go out for a bit?”
“Really? I mean, yeah, I’d love to.” She hesitated. “I hate to ask, because I really, really would like to go, but is it safe?”
“Should be safe enough in the crowd of people. The odds of Mammon finding us here are slim. It’s not as if he has a GPS tracker on you. Your apartment and your gallery, on the other hand, won’t be safe to return to until this mess is figured out.”
“My gallery.” Her face took on a pained expression that disappeared so swiftly he thought he might have imagined it. She grabbed her long, black coat and followed him to the door. “Why do I need to stay inside at all, if Mammon can’t track me?”
“I said the odds are slim. Not impossible. He’s got demons working for him everywhere. Given the consequences if he does find you, I’d say it’s better to err on the side of caution.”
Brynn appeared lost in thought as they hopped in the elevator and he pressed the button for the opulent lobby. When she turned to him, a vulnerable look haunted her gaze. “Are you going to be able to find him, Keegan? Do you think you’ll be able to stop him?”
The quiver in her voice just about killed him. Hoping to reassure her, he lifted his hand to caress her cheek. “Yes, Brynn, I do.”
Something hot and heavy blazed in her eyes, something that made it impossible to look away. His breath caught.
T
he elevator opened and three interested pairs of eyes peered at them. For the first time he realized they’d edged closer together, until they stood mere inches apart. Clearing his throat, he hastily broke away.
Brynn hugged her coat to her as they stepped into the frigid cold. The smell of stale beer and piss stained the air around them. Drunken revelers wearing masks and beads careened past them, laughing riotously as they zoomed down the street carrying beer cups.
“I didn’t realize it was Mardis Gras until we got here,” she said.
“Mardis Gras?” He frowned, unfamiliar with the phrase. “What’s that?”
With an exasperated shake of her head, she said, “How is it that you seem so normal, yet you know nothing about popular culture?”
“We learn as much as we can before visiting other worlds, but our timelines are usually pretty short.”
“Sometimes you amaze me.”
She explained the history behind the celebration while he watched the throngs of people walking past, some barely dressed.
“I’m afraid some of these people are going to freeze to death,” he told her.
Brynn followed his gaze to a thin woman wearing nothing more than a mask, pasties, a thong, and what looked like her weight in beads. She laughed. “Most of them have probably had so much liquor they barely even notice.”
Surely, a dangerous state for beings as fragile as humans. He saw something ahead and grabbed her hand. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
Fighting to pull her through the crowd, he led her to a booth where a man sold masks and beads. Keegan picked an elaborate purple and gold full-face mask with feathers on one side. “This one suits you.”
“It’s pretty.” She put it on and he moved behind her to tie the strings in the back. “If I’m wearing one, you need one, too.”
Keegan shrugged, then chose a black and gold jester mask that he figured was masculine enough. He squatted, waiting impatiently while Brynn tied it behind his head. Her intoxicating scent closed in on him, overwhelming even the foul stench of the streets.
Too close. She stood far too close for comfort.
As soon as she finished tying the knot, he pulled away and turned to face her.
Blood of the Demon Page 9
