by J. L. Weil
I crossed my arms over my chest, a sudden coldness radiating in my blood. “I’m all too familiar with the dangers.”
Her eyes searched mine, seeing the specks of fear my memory of the wraith summoned inside me. “Then we’re going to break a few rules, something I’m good at.” She winked. “Also, would you mind dousing the flames you’ve created on my ceiling? We don’t need to attract any unwanted attention.”
My eyes lifted upward, eyeing the wisp of darkness that curled and licked over my head like a funnel of clouds. “Shit,” I muttered. It was getting worse.
Storm clouds rolled in, darkening the evening sky. Thunder cracked with a jolt, rumbling long and low through the night. New Orleans was in for one hell of a storm, and my mother and I were out sleuthing through the streets. Everyone else was snuggled inside their warm and dry houses, oblivious to what lurked outside the windows.
A demon and her daughter.
My finger skirted over the top of my dagger I’d strapped onto my thigh, its weight giving me comfort as we moved along an empty alley. I was in unfamiliar territory,
The shutters on the run-down house beat against the siding in rhythm with the howling winds as we approached. Kira didn’t knock on the door of the two-story building, but turned the knob and let us in. My demon eyes were already adjusted to the dark and took in the main room. All the furniture was covered in white cloth, as if the place hadn’t been used in years. Specks of dust floated in the air, tickling my nose. I held in a sneeze, rubbing at my nose as we moved silently into the house. We were meeting my mother’s friend tonight, and I wondered just what type of demon lived in a house with no lights. Not a single one was lit, not even the fireplace.
Watching my mother move through the streets tonight was compelling. Gone were any traces of the succubus. Dressed in all black, her stunning face and eyes hidden by a hood, she had stealth about her that reminded me of the wraith I’d seen in Brimstone, a memory I wasn’t fond of reliving.
A flash of lightning illuminated the stairwell as we crept up to the second floor. I didn’t understand why we hadn’t announced our arrival or why we were sneaking in, but I knew better than to demand answers. Until the house was deemed safe, I would stay silent.
At the end of the hallway, we paused at a slightly ajar door. Kira stuck out her foot and pushed lightly, sending the door swinging open. The hinges groaned, echoing down the corridor. An eerie shiver tingled along my arms, making the hairs stick up as if I’d rubbed a balloon over them. My fingers hovered over my dagger for quick access.
Something about this place was familiar, but not in a good way. Was it the darkness?
I didn’t think so. I’d grown accustomed to the dark, craved it even. It was something else.
Kira’s eyes met mine for a brief second, conveying a series of warnings. Be on guard. Stay behind me. And don’t do anything stupid.
I rolled my eyes, promising none of the above. It wasn’t in my DNA to be a rational individual.
She shook her head and stepped into the room. I followed behind her, halting just over the threshold at the sight of a silhouette. The man’s back was to us, his gaze focused on something beyond the window. He didn’t turn around at first, not until Kira spoke, her voice carrying over the storm raging outside.
“It’s been a long time, lover,” my mother purred, a feline grin glimmering on her lips.
I tried not to spew my guts. God, was there any mortal or demon my mother hadn’t slept with? The thought made me cringe.
Swallowing a bout of nausea, I studied the shadowy figure as he pivoted on his heels with the grace of a wild panther. His movements struck me as familiar, but without seeing his face, I couldn’t be sure. If only there was a ribbon of moonlight, then maybe…
The flitting thought died, and instinct kicked in. My body rippled with unbridled anger, the amber color of my demon eyes slicing through the darkness like a knife. In the few steps it took me to reach the demon, I had my dagger out of its sheath and pressed against his throat. Dancing emerald eyes clashed with mine. “What the fuck are you doing here?” I hissed, digging the tip of my blade further into his skin.
“You missed me then?” Cayden, the Queen of Darkness’s personal punisher, smirked. He was also Ashor’s friend, a relationship I didn’t understand.
God! A part of me was relieved he was here. The other part of me wanted to shred him into such small bits, he would be nothing but dust in the wind. They were overwhelming emotions, but the anger won. “I’m going to kill you,” I ground out between my teeth.
Cayden folded his arms over his expansive chest, rocking back on his heels. Damn him and his cocky grin. “Well, that escalated hella quick.”
My damning gaze whirled to my mother. If she wasn’t already a member of Hell, I’d send her there myself. “How dare you involve him? I should have known better to trust you.” My voice dripped with disgust.
She was unfazed. “Oh, good. You know each other. Simplifies things. Now, sweets, put the dagger away before someone gets hurt.”
“That someone being him,” I said, jabbing the dagger deeper. I felt the tip break through his skin but felt no remorse. It wasn’t going to kill him… sadly. Damn demon healing abilities. But I could kill him if I rammed the blade into his heart cavity, and poof. No more Cayden.
I was tempted.
If there was ever a time to turn off my conscience, now was that moment.
Cayden chuckled, causing my knife to slip further into his flesh, but the demon didn’t seem to care or feel any pain. “I’ve really missed you. The underworld is just not the same without you. It lacks color.”
That was laughable, but I wasn’t in the mood for his antics. “Where’s Ashor?” I demanded, easing my blade away from his throat.
“He is not with me, if that is what you’re asking.”
“It’s not. I think I would know if he was with you. I am asking where he is at this moment.”
Cayden gave a half-hearted shrug. “How am I supposed to know? You’re the one with a direct connection to his soul.”
I snorted. “Don’t play with me. I saw what you did to him in the dungeons. What you continue to do to him.”
A heavy sigh left his chest, and his eyes filled with regret I didn’t want to admit was there. “Last I saw, he was still shackled to the dungeon walls.”
“Fuck.”
Cayden studied me, an unusual expression of seriousness in his handsome features. “You seem surprised by this. Why?”
“None of your business,” I snapped back, withdrawing my blade but not backing away. I was sure he had gone to Gardeness. Was the dream not real? Just a dream? What about the oath? Had that just been a dream? “How long ago was this?” I demanded.
“You know time doesn’t work the same in Hell.” Cayden angled his golden head to the side. “Kira, your daughter lacks your persuasive skills. Something you might want to work on, little huntress.”
My nostrils flared. “Don’t call me that.”
He lifted a brow. “Would you prefer luv instead?”
That was it. I lost it. My hand was sailing through the air before I thought about what I was doing. Crack. My hand hitting Cayden’s cheek rang through the near silent room.
Kira threw her head back and laughed, a sultry sound that filled the dingy room. She had been quiet, just observing the encounter between Cayden and me without interrupting.
Cayden swiped at the corner of his lip with the pad of his thumb, smearing the drops of black blood pooling from the cut. “She has one hell of a strong right hook, however.”
My fists slammed into his chest. “You hurt him.” I lashed out, letting more emotion leak into the accusation than I intended. I was so angry, I couldn’t see straight. That dark violence that I’d felt for weeks after coming home slammed into me like a destructive tsunami, tearing through me. I wasn’t sure I’d ever see Ashor again in the flesh, wasn’t sure I wanted to, but seeing Cayden, the ache to see Ashor hit me. Hard enough
that I had to avert my eyes for fear Cayden would see too much. It was as if my mind rejected the idea that Cayden could be here without Ashor. Irrational, but my mind didn’t give a shit.
A flicker of something like grief flashed through Cayden’s emerald eyes. “He forbade me to tell you.” He placed his hands over mine, fisted into his shirt.
I loosened my grip but didn’t jerk out from under his touch. “What you are? Why would that matter?” I asked, trying to make sense out of Ashor’s reasoning. I didn’t know why I even tried. Ashor was the most frustrating demon I’d ever met.
“I don’t think he wanted you to hate me, but it didn’t matter in the end, did it? I can see the disgust in your eyes, the hatred. It rolls off you in turbulent waves. As well as the desire to hurt me in turn, to make me feel the pain I inject onto others.”
I twisted my head to the side. “Are you going soft on me?”
His lips twitched, erasing some of the guilt etched into his face. “I wouldn’t dream of it. It’s not my choice, you know. Never has been, but we don’t get to pick and choose our skills. Nor do we have the luxury of saying no when our queen gives an order. Not even to a friend.”
“If you’re trying to get me to sympathize with you, it's not working. The only thing I want from you is information about Ashor.”
Kira flipped a lock of hair out of her face and walked to the other side of Cayden, so he was standing in between us. “Now that the reunion is out of the way, let’s get down to business, shall we?”
Cayden leaned his back against the window. “You reached out to me.”
I shook my head, keeping my blade clutched in my grasp for quick use. We had a long way to go before I could trust either of these two. “I still can’t believe you’re here. How do the two of you know each other? Besides sleeping together,” I added, wrinkling my nose.
“Cayden, believe it or not, helped me smuggle you out of the underworld,” Mom revealed. “It was in this house that you were born, where I hid out for months. Cayden would check on me periodically when he could, apprise me of the happenings in my own court.”
My mouth dropped. I couldn’t believe it. Of all the scenarios that had run through my head, not once did I think Cayden would be someone I should have gratitude toward. If he hadn’t helped my mother, I might have had a very different upbringing. My thoughts turned to Ashor. Would we have found each other sooner? Would I have been forced to work as my mother did?
“You,” I whispered, snapping my mouth shut as my eyes narrowed.
Cayden rubbed his neck. “Don’t be so shocked. Before you knew what I was, would you not have believed I was capable of such a selfless act?”
Perhaps, but I wasn’t about to admit that to him. Like Ashor, Cayden wasn’t who I had first thought he was. “It doesn’t matter now. I know what you’re capable of.”
“This one has it in her head to kidnap the prince,” Mom said.
Cayden didn’t miss a beat and replied without flinching. “From the Fortress?” He laughed. “It’s quite funny, isn't it? You plotting to rescue the prince when he risked everything to get you out of the underworld? He kidnapped you, and now you want to kidnap him. I don’t think I’ve ever met two half-breeds more suited.”
My arms crossed over my chest, and I glowered at him. “I’m glad you find this situation amusing.”
“If I do this. If I help you, he won’t ever forgive me,” Cayden said, stressing the risk he was taking.
“If you don’t do this, your queen is going to start a war among the courts,” I disputed.
Cayden looked to Kira. She nodded. “She means to become Supreme,” Mom confirmed.
Cayden swore under his breath. “I knew she was planning something when she went for the mortal queen, but Supreme…” He shook his head. “This will surely start a war among courts.”
“Precisely,” Mom agreed. “What better way to conquer than during chaos. It will weaken the other sectors. If she succeeds in taking Gardeness…”
“We can’t let that happen,” Cayden said vehemently. “And you believe the prince is going to help her?”
“I saw him swear a blood oath to his mother,” I admitted, letting him in on my connection to the prince. “He has no choice.”
Cayden nodded, raking a hand through his hair. “I saw the mark on his arm but didn’t question it. It isn’t my place to question what goes on between them.”
“He bargained with her, promising to give her the Crown of Envy,” I explained.
Cayden’s sharp gaze darted to my mother, and a look passed between them.
“So, will you help me?” It wasn’t entirely surprising that Cayden and Ashor had already had previous discussions regarding Kali.
An impish gleam morphed into Cayden’s eyes. “I suggest we come up with a solid plan tonight. I won’t be able to get away from the Fortress without suspicion again until we’re ready.”
In the dark, the three of us plotted. An unlikely trio coming together for their own reasons, but with one goal in mind. It was hours later that we concocted a rough scheme, one sure to get us all banished or worse. Kira and I said our goodbyes to Cayden and left the house in which I was born.
I glanced once over my shoulder, looking at the peeling paint around the windows, the sagging porch, and the weathered house with a new light.
Had Kira been afraid?
I tried to imagine myself in her situation and wondered if I would have been able to do what she had done. Sympathizing with my mother wasn’t something I was accustomed to. For so long, she had been the enemy, part of the problem. I wasn’t ready to let go of the emotional trauma or the scars from being abandoned, but I was beginning to better understand the demon who had birthed me and why she made the choices she had.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Chase asked on the other side of the line. His tone was disapproving.
“No,” I sighed, picking at my chipped nail polish. “But when does that stop us?”
“True. It goes without saying, but if you need anything, if you find yourself in danger, I’m there, no questions asked.”
He always had been. Him, my brother, Emma, Angel, Hayden, and Craig. We were a pack. When shit went down, we had each other’s backs. “Just take care of Angel. She hasn’t forgotten. If anything, us escaping only has fueled the queen’s desire to kill your wife. She won’t stop.”
“Which is why we have to kill her first,” he replied. Chase’s typical response to demon trouble. Eliminate them. Off with her head.
“That’s the end game, but right now, I just want to get to Ashor. Let’s hope she doesn’t take me as a serious threat. It would work to my advantage.” And when the time came, my family would stand with me against the Queen of Darkness. It was what we did. Stack all of us together, and we were a powerful group. The queen would be daft to write us off. Especially with Ashor as my mate. I prayed he would fight alongside us when the time came and not stand against us. But I wouldn’t put it past the prince to have his own agenda.
Through the phone, I heard Chase rummaging around in the kitchen, opening and closing drawers. “Do I need to be worried about you alone with her son?”
I turned so my back faced the mirror and glanced over my shoulder. The black wings spanning my neck glittered with the evidence of our bond. Ashor bore its twin, marking him as mine. “You need to be more worried about your wife. I’m fine. He won’t hurt me.”
He was silent on the other end for a few moments. “Not physically, but he has already hurt you, or have you forgotten the month you spent in bed?”
“Chase, I—”
“If he hurts you again, Lex, I can’t be held accountable for my actions.” A sharpness hit into his voice.
“You never are,” I sighed, my gaze darting to the door. “This time is different. I would have brought it upon myself.”
“It doesn't matter to me.”
“Duly noted,” I replied.
His tone turned serious. “I want my kid to k
now their aunt.”
“It’s Angel you need to worry about. I’ll be fine.” He didn’t need it, but I wanted him to remember all that he had to lose. His willingness to help meant the world to me, but I couldn’t put him in a position where his life would be threatened, not now.
“Lexi, don’t take this lightly.”
“Never,” I swore, meaning it. “Do you ever regret your bond with Angel? All the danger we’ve brought into her life?” Angel had been human before us. I knew my cousin had severe guilt over not being able to stay away from her.
“Every fucking day,” he admitted. “But, even without the bond, I couldn’t live without her. I’m selfish like that.”
“Have you ever thought about freeing your demon?”
“Who says I haven’t? You know I’ve been through difficult days.” Chase got quiet for a long moment.
Rolling over onto my back, I stared up at the ceiling. “I don’t believe it. Why wouldn’t you tell us?”
“It’s not something I’m proud of.”
I chewed on my lower lip as a whisper of cold went through me. “What was it like?”
“Damn, Lex, these are dark questions. What is going on?” He was about two seconds from dropping the phone and running all the way here from Spring Valley.
“Nothing,” I rushed to reply before it was too late. “I’m just curious and want to make sure I make the right choices. I can’t afford to screw up.”
“It was empowering. Frightening. All-consuming. I scared myself with what I was capable of, and I swore never again.”
For a heartbeat, I could see it, my cousin flirting with his dark side. Chase was a different breed of demon than my brother and me, and I couldn’t help wondering if my experience would be the same… or different?
9
The days went by, and I counted them down, mulling over the numerous ways I would murder the Queen of Darkness. Some girls fantasized about their wedding, the beautiful gown they were going to wear, the type of flowers on the tables, and who would be their bridesmaids. I dreamed about murder—when I wasn’t dreaming of Ashor.
