by J. L. Weil
“Lexi,” Angel hiss-whispered behind me.
“I’m okay,” I responded, raking a hand through my hair as I exhaled.
Her brows were drawn together in deep concern and worry. “What the hell was that?”
I stared down at my hand and answered, “A shade. It was sent to give me a message.” My fingers were bone-cold, the kind of cold I only felt in the Court of Darkness.
“What message? Who sent it?” she rattled off, a protective hand over her belly.
“Ashor. It was a warning about his mother.” I didn’t want to cause Angel any more stress, not in her condition. The impending war could wait, but I would inform Chase so he could keep an extra eye on his wife.
The tightness in her shoulders relaxed a degree. “I have to say, you really know how to pick them. A prince. But not just a prince, the freaking Prince of Darkness.”
I started walking to the car again, Angel following. “It’s not like I had a choice.” That was the thing about fate. We believe we have a choice in the matter, that our decisions are ours to make, but what was meant to be always finds a way to be.
“Don’t you, though?” she rebutted. “It is up to you how far this thing with the prince goes. Your souls are linked. That you can’t change, but that doesn’t mean you have to complete the Triplici. If you don’t want this, don’t want him, there are ways…”
My breathing became tight in my chest, an ache that grew until I couldn’t breathe, causing me to stumble. “To break our connection?” I finished. Kali had offered Ashor the same alternative, and the idea provoked the same gut-wrenching reaction—panic as I’d never experienced before.
“I just want you to know your options, but I think you already know what you want.” Her voice softened.
Did I?
My feelings toward the prince were indecisive, but I had made up my mind about one thing. I needed answers. Something was happening to me, and he was the only one who could explain. How had I conjured flames made of night itself? I might not be ready to commit myself in heart, body, and soul to the Prince of Darkness, but I also couldn’t sit by and do nothing while his mother set forth to conquer the underworld.
Nor could I let Ashor be a pawn in her quest. I was beginning to understand just how far Ashor might go to keep me safe. He would plot to kill another queen, to overthrow the Crown of Envy if my dream had any truth to it. He sent a shade to warn me that shit was about to go down.
War was coming.
And the extent of its reach would bleed into my world.
All the more reason I needed answers.
This was something I had to do on my own. I couldn’t endanger my family any further than I already had. I would warn Chase, make sure he kept Angel safe.
The guilt I’d let consume me for weeks was still there, but I shoved it deep within me, burying so I could turn my focus on Ashor and stop him from making a stupid mistake. Killing another queen of Hell wouldn’t derail Kali from coming after Angel. And it most definitely wouldn’t stop her from declaring war on the other courts. It would only give her more power, making her nearly impossible to stop. I would rip the black soul from her demon body before Kali touched my friend.
What would happen if she reigned over two courts? Three? Or all five? Kali wouldn’t stop at just one. The greed I saw in her eyes was like an infection. It would spread from one court to the next, and as Ashor predicted, her power would trickle into the mortal world, threatening us all. The Queen of Darkness controlling the underworld gave me shivers.
Angel’s phone rang, and she cursed, staring at the picture that popped up. It was Chase. I caught a glimpse of his face when she pulled out her phone. “Hey,” she answered in a cheerful tone, an attempt to sound normal.
The corner of my lips pulled up. Chase had a direct link to Angel’s emotions and undoubtedly had sensed her alarm at seeing the shade. I was actually shocked he hadn’t shown up like a bat out of hell, ready to dismantle demons. Why hadn’t he? It wasn’t like my cousin to be so slack in his protective duties. But then I remembered, he was out of town.
Angel fidgeted, drawing random designs with her foot over the gravel as she assured Chase everything was fine and we were on our way home. I could hear the skepticism in his voice. Enhanced hearing made no conversation private if I was in close proximity.
They chatted a few more minutes as we got into the car, Angel assuring him for the millionth time that nothing was wrong and she got startled by a shadow. All true.
I was quiet on the drive home, lost in my head as I contemplated just how I would get answers. What I would do with those answers remained to be seen, but I didn’t just want answers… I wanted justice. Revenge. Retribution. Put whatever name you want to it.
“You’re planning something reckless, aren’t you?” Angel asked as we drove down the long stretch of road that led to our houses.
“Does it matter? If I say yes, you’re going to tell Chase. If I say no, you’re going to tell Chase.”
She sighed, her fingers shifting over the steering wheel. “It’s only because I worry.”
Pulling my eyes from the window, a half smile curved on my lips. “I know, but you have your baby to worry about now. She comes first.”
“And she will, but I’ll never abandon you. We’re family. We stick together. Ride or die.”
Amusement tugged at my lips. “Has Chase been taking you out on his bike again?”
She rolled her eyes. “Please. That would be categorized under dangerous, and I am currently banned from doing anything in that category. Basically, anything fun.”
“Can you blame him? Look at everything that has happened. As much as it pains me to admit, you were right.”
“Me? Right?” She put a hand over her heart, batting her eyes like an innocent belle, and she might have pulled off the look if it weren’t for those glowing rings of red circling her eyes. “Who would have thought?”
Now it was my turn to roll my eyes. “I need to do something. I can’t sit around any longer feeling sorry for myself. The last month hasn’t been easy for me, but I also know that it hasn’t been a walk in the park for my family to see me like that either. I’m done feeling sorry for myself. ”
She smacked her hands on the steering wheel. “Damn straight. You’re one of the strongest females I know. I never doubted for one second that you would get through this.”
“It’s not over yet,” I reminded her. In fact, I believed the real trouble was only just starting.
“Lex, I think your story is just beginning,” she said, echoing my thoughts.
“That’s what scares me,” I admitted, rubbing the pad of my thumb over my fingers. The chill of winter still lingered under the skin. “You know how I feel about horror movies.”
She grinned. “I’m thinking it is going to be an epic love story.”
A snort breezed through my nose. “More like a tragic romance of forbidden love.”
“I’m hooked already.”
I shook my head. “You play too many fantasy games.”
“Probably,” she agreed. “But nothing beats our life.”
Truth.
She flipped on the turn signal, the beep, beep, beep, repeating as she approached the turn. “I just wish there was something I could do to help you.”
“You’ve done enough. The only thing you need to worry about is feeding my niece. Chase is going to be pissed off as it is when he finds out about the shade. It might not be the best idea for us to hang out.”
Her brows bunched together. “Hell, no. I am not letting her divide us or isolate you. Besides, who says we need to tell him?”
“You want me to lie to my cousin?” I said in mock outrage, a hand flying to my chest.
“No, of course not,” she huffed. “I would never ask you to lie. It’s not like he is going to ask if we bumped into any shades today. Just don’t say anything, unless he specifically asks.”
My lips twitched. “You know, a lie by omission is still a lie. An
d my cousin is bound to find out. The two of you have no secrets.” As it should be. Secrets caused bigger problems, and their bond made it easy for Chase to sense what Angel was feeling.
“I will tell him, just not yet. We don’t know for sure if there is any reason to be concerned. The shade wasn’t here to hurt you.”
“Fine,” I sighed, relenting. “I won’t say anything… yet, but you have to promise me to stay out of this. No more poking around. We don’t need to draw any more attention to you. The queen is currently distracted; let's keep it that way. I won’t put you or my niece in danger.”
“Agreed. I have no desire to take up my throne in Hell, but if she pushes me…”
“That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it.” This was my fault. The Queen of Darkness might have set me up, but I fell for the trap and, in doing so, endangered everyone I loved. I had to be the one to set it straight.
I ducked under a frosty tree branch, running deeper into the woods behind my house. Flecks of snow fluttered off the towering pines and bare oaks above my head. Privacy was required for what I had come out here to do, and the woods offered the perfect coverage from unwanted eyes as I darted in and around clusters of bushes, hurdled over fallen logs, and hauled ass at blinding speeds. It was Chase’s idea for me to get back into training. He claimed my skills were rusty, and although he was probably right, I’d never give him the satisfaction of saying so. He even suggested we go hunting together, thinking it would help me recover.
It wouldn’t, but his offer was a tribute to how much my cousin cared. So very opposite of the family Ashor grew up with. He was raised in the underworld by a demon queen who only gave a damn about what her sons could do for her.
Since my return from the Court of Darkness, I’d been ignoring something about myself I didn’t want to admit. My brush with the Wild Hunt and death had left a stain on my soul, a dark mark different than the one Ashor had branded me with. The demon living inside of me recognized the blemish and responded in kind. It often felt as if there was a war going on within me, my demon and my humanity going head-to-head. During those bleak first few days, I was sure my demon would win.
I’d never given myself over completely to that sinister part of myself. The fear of what I might do kept the demon in check, but after all that I’d seen and been through, that fear no longer resided in me, which left room for other emotions.
Like anger.
That particular emotion was one my demon liked very much. She purred and whispered when the stirrings of darkness fired in my blood. It didn’t take much these days to light the spark, and I didn’t know how much longer I could keep her leashed and that untapped power of flames at bay. I hadn’t been able to summon them again since that run-in with the shade, but they were still there, swimming under the surface.
The unsettling rage that festered and brewed deep in my bones was threatening to boil over. I had to do something with all this anger, and Chase’s idea of training was the outlet I hoped would suffice. At the moment, what I really wanted was a demon to hammer into. I wanted to sink my blade into its oily flesh, watch its ashes scattered in the winter wind, and burn it alive with this inferno of darkness that blazed in my blood.
Snow crunched under my boots as I panted through my nose. For miles I ran, attempting to rein in my demon. Not likely to happen anytime soon. It seemed it would take more than physical exhaustion to calm the relentless beast.
I dropped my speed down to a jog before coming to a stop. All around me the ground was blanketed in drifts of white snow, untouched and clean. The woods were silent; the only sound was my breathing and the howling of the wind. I took a moment to admire the gentle beauty of the snow and the warmth of the sun on my face as it broke through the branches.
No gleaming red eyes.
No darkness.
No moving shadows.
I might have spoken too soon.
The hairs in my arms prickled as I peered under a canopy of pine needles. Less than a few paces in front of me, hidden under a cloak of branches and snow, was a shade. It had made just the smallest of movements, a flicker that woke up my instincts, quieting the churning anger slightly.
With light footsteps and careful movements, I inched forward, my eyes never wavering from the shade. It might not have eyes of its own, but I swore the thing watched me like a hawk, waiting to see what I would do next.
Was it here with another message?
Had it followed me into the woods?
Was it here on Ashor’s bidding or the queen’s?
The shade roiled around the thorn-sharp needles of the tree, wrapping itself around the textured bark of the trunk. Hello, demon huntress, it whispered inside my head.
I stared for another heartbeat at the writhing shade. “How are you able to find me?”
“You bear the prince’s mark. You reek of his scent. And you wear his crown.”
His crown. That was how the darkness was able to track me. My eyes flickered upward to where I knew the prince’s crown sat weightlessly on my head. “Did he send you?”
“The prince wishes to be kept apprised of your whereabouts,” the shade hummed, its voice surrounding me from all sides.
I sensed an eye roll coming on. “He is keeping tabs on me. Why?”
I swore the shade snickered. “I am not privy to say. Nor do I care why.”
Prick.
Shades had the personality of a slug. “Where is he? Is he okay?”
“See for yourself, demon huntress.”
What did it mean by see for myself? I wasn’t given the opportunity to ask. The shade slunk out from under the sweeping tree and took off, flying from shadow to shadow like a raven at night. Such a dark contrast to the snow-veiled thicket.
I gave chase, half afraid it would disappear on me as the one the other day had. They didn’t seem to be creatures of many words.
The shade came upon the small frozen pond Travis, Chase, and I used to ice skate on, and as I slid to a stop, the shade lunged into the pond, vanishing under the dark depths of the ice. I dropped down to my knees at the edge, staring into the glassy surface that sparkled under the January sun.
What the hell? What was this thing up to? How did this help me? Answer any of my questions? Did the thing expect me to crack the ice and dive in after it?
Hell, no.
I didn’t have a death wish, and I wasn’t about to bring myself to the brink of death either in hopes of inducing a vision of Ashor.
I wasn’t that desperate… yet.
But as all of this was tumbling through my head and I was cursing the shade to all five courts of Hell, I noticed my reflection. Aqua eyes gleamed brightly in the icy mirror, my cheeks flushed with color, but there was something unusual about it. Something that made me look deeper.
I drew closer to the surface of the pond, my gaze focused on my own eyes and nothing else. From the center of my irises, I spotted flecks of violet, like glittering stars. Those purple dots reminded me so much of someone. It couldn’t be, could it? Then the strangest thing happened. I had a sense of falling, as if I’d tumbled into a black hole, and when I blinked, it was no longer my face reflecting back at me.
“Ashor?” I murmured.
At the sound of his name, those unforgettable eyes became clearer, as did his remarkable face. It was as if I was peering through a looking glass. My eyes drank in the sight of him, the sharp angles of his cheeks, the whorl of tattoos that climbed up the side of his neck, dipping over his shoulder and into his shirt. If I closed my eyes, I could see exactly what he looked like shirtless, exactly where each demon mark was, including the scars. He was even more breathtaking than I remembered, both in dreams and memories. His face was cast partially in shadows, but they only added to his allure. A phantom breeze wafted the scent of the sea at midnight.
Ashor was every inch a dark prince.
And he was mine.
“Did you miss me, luv?” A shiver skirted down my spine at the sound of his smooth voice, lik
e liquid starlight. It was followed by a wave of familiar coolness that settled into my blood. I missed that chill of night.
“I didn’t think I would ever see you again. How? How is this possible?” I asked the question softly inside my head, still not trusting this was real. I lifted a hand to touch the side of his cheek, but my fingers only brushed up against thick ice. The shade’s words came back to me. See for yourself, it had said.
Ashor’s eyes consumed my face, lingering over my lips before returning to my eyes. “Our reflections are a gateway to the soul, and since our souls are tied together, regardless of what world we live in, it creates a mirror between us.”
The world around me became nothing but background noise. “It’s like I’m seeing you through your eyes.”
“Precisely. I’m seeing you through your reflection, just as you see me through mine.”
Talk about a mindfuck. I wasn’t even going to begin to try and understand. “You’re okay?”
His eyes darkened. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
A knot twisted in my stomach. “I—” I stopped myself from revealing what I had seen in the dream. I wasn’t sure why, but perhaps it was because I still wasn’t convinced it was real. From the reflection in the mirror he stood in front of, I recognized the lavish furnishings. He was in his bedroom at Brimstone, not locked up in the dungeons as he’d been in my dream. “I’m still pissed at you.”
His full lips curved into a lopsided grin, drawing my eyes or his eyes. It was all confusing. “Do I even want to ask just what I’ve done to anger you now, considering we haven’t seen each other in over a month?”
I shook my head. Such an arrogant bastard, and yet the knowledge gave me comfort. He hadn’t changed. He was still the same demon, immodest and rude with questionable morals. “You had no right to kick me out. I could have fought with you, stood by your side.”
He gave me a long look. “I know it. You don’t have to tell me how fierce of a woman you are. But such a battle against my mother would have gotten us both killed. I wasn’t ready to let you die just yet.”
There it was again, that princely pride. Saving me had been a selfish act. That's what he wanted me to believe, but I wasn’t wholly convinced. I also read between the lines. He wanted more time with me. I didn’t know how I felt about that, but my heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing him in flesh and blood. “Will I ever see you again?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.
