Shadow's Curse

by Jami Gray

  She curled her left hand along his jaw, the brush of his goatee against her skin sending a delicate shiver through her. “Qan üz illüziya yandirmaq edilir.” Blood shall burn the illusions away. The words fell, weighted with promise and magic, triggering the ancient ritual. Energy sang between them, finding a home in both of them. Focusing on her most pressing questions, she sank her teeth deep.

  An emotional storm rose and enveloped her, dragging her under. Black, bestial fury rose and crashed into white-hot lust, while male arrogance rode the waves, whipped along by the ravaging winds of duty and discipline. Unfazed, she sank beneath the battering waves, following his blood’s siren song. The farther she dropped from the rampaging storm above, the quieter her surroundings became, allowing the whispers to share their voices. Memories surrounded her, each one an unprecedented insight into the warrior kneeling at her feet.

  Long ago battles rose and fell. Pieces of conversations cut in and out. Friendships gained and lost left distinctive marks in their passing. Yet each spun by her as she wound her way closer to the answer she sought. The temptation to peer closer beckoned, but she ignored it. A deeply ingrained honor refused to allow her to look beyond her needs.

  What connection does Darius hold to Zayn?

  The whispers fell quiet with a startling suddenness. In front of her two men stepped out of the shadows. So close in height, it was difficult to determine which was taller, but there was no mistaking who they were—Darius and Zayn.

  Standing side by side, their coloring captured her attention. Both bore the distinctive olive tone reminiscent of desert vistas, but where Darius was the inky color of whispers, shadows, and mysteries, Zayn was the distracting play of light on sand, variations of gold and whites. Different, but somehow very much the same.

  “Two sides of the same coin.” With the sound of her own voice the connection clicked into place. “Brothers,” she breathed. In front of her both men offered her identical bows. The eerie movement triggered another realization. “Twins.”

  But siblings weren’t immune to betrayal. Her own twin left her to die in a bleak room in Turkey hundreds of years ago, simply to please a power-hungry male. How had she missed this relationship?

  Darius’s voice echoed through her. “Our tie was buried in the dust of history per Mulcahy’s advice. We felt no need to give the Council or anyone else such information.”

  Her second question drifted forward. “Where do your loyalties lie?”

  The image of Darius frowned at her, while Zayn simply watched. The scene wavered, shifted until it reformed…

  Low slung couches with jewel-toned pillows took shape. Zayn sprawled along one, Darius on the other. “The Council will see us hunted by not just the humans, but our own.” Gone was the condescending Councilman. In his place was a hard, unflinching male. “I have no intention of dying to appease the Council’s ego.”

  “Then play your part well.”

  The familiar voice, one she thought never to hear again, spun her around. Ryan Mulcahy stood in front of her, cup in hand as he leaned against a wooden table, his attention solely on the two men behind her. For a moment she forgot where she was and reached out. Her fingers passed through air and Ryan didn’t react.

  She dropped her hand, letting it curl into a fist. Determined to catch every piece of this memory, she stepped back to watch all three males.

  Zayn frowned. “Have I ever not?”

  “Well, there was that one time, with the artist in Paris,” Darius drawled.

  Zayn cursed and threw a pillow at him. “Don’t be a dick.” He turned back to Ryan. “Do we have any idea who’s on which side of the line yet?”

  Ryan shook his head. “Other than Malachi, and possibly Antonia, I’m uncertain of the others. Chances are they are waiting to see what happens.”

  “They’ll be coming for you.” Concern hovered behind Darius’s statement. “A few others in the Order have heard rumors, but can’t pin anything down.”

  Ryan’s smile was all teeth. “They’ve come for me before and been sent home with their tails between their legs.”

  “Which only makes them that much more dangerous,” Zayn said. “They’re going to be looking for cracks among your people, Mulcahy.”

  Ryan set his cup aside, hiding his face. “And they’ll find them, but it won’t give our enemies the openings they expect.”

  Darius dropped his feet to the floor, sitting forward on the edge of the couch. “What have you seen?”

  Ryan lifted his head, facing the two before him. “Nothing concrete. Things are changing to fast to follow.” He ran a hand through his collar-length hair, the shifting strands of sable catching the light. “Regardless, I know my people. The Council will find a much more difficult prey than they anticipated.”

  Darius frowned. “Only if they stand together. Yet we all know if the Council can set them against each other, they will. Not just to create an opening, but to enjoy the show.”

  “My people will stand.” Conviction rang through Ryan’s voice.

  Zayn tapped his knuckles against the back of the couch. “I’m not worried about Cheveyo and Vidis, or even your Wraiths. The one that worries me the most is Bertoi. She’s more dangerous that the others combined.”

  Some of the tension dropped from Ryan’s face and a small, private smile rose. “Something I’m counting on.”

  Darius raised his eyebrows. “What do you know that we don’t?”

  Ryan studied the two men for a moment, his thoughts well hidden. Finally he shook his head. “Not my place to share, but rest assured, Natasha will never side with the Council. She’ll do whatever it takes to keep the Northwest Kyn safe, even from their own.”

  Zayn and Darius shared a look filled with unspoken words. Zayn turned back to Ryan. “Her mother sits at the table.”

  “And she is one treacherous bitch,” Darius murmured.

  Ryan propped his hands on the table behind him. “It’s a trait both share.”

  “Yet, you still persist in trusting the daughter?” Zayn pushed.

  Ryan nodded.

  “Why?”

  “Because the daughter has something her mother lacks. Loyalty.”

  “To who?” Zayn snapped. “Herself?”

  “No.” The rejection came from Darius who was studying Ryan closely. “To her own.”

  Ryan acknowledged Darius’s answer. “She will protect those she considers hers, use whatever tool she can, regardless of the cost, so long as she can keep them safe. Even when they’re blind to her reasoning.”

  Zayn narrowed his eyes. “Have you told her about us?”

  Ryan shook his head. “There’s no reason to reveal our position yet. It wouldn’t do any good. For now, it’s best to let the Council believe its actions are going unnoticed. In the meantime, I’ll make sure to prepare me and mine for what’s coming.”

  Letting out a hefty sigh, Zayn pushed up to his feet. “We’ll meet again before the next meeting. I’ll do my best to gather what information I can.”

  Darius rose as well. “I’ll have the Order keep an ear to the ground.”

  Ryan straightened. “Be careful. If things progress how I fear, I may need you sooner rather than later.”

  The memory fractured, dissolving as Natasha processed the truths hidden in Darius’s blood. Forgotten brothers, secret alliances, and oaths bound by more than honor. She turned each over as she drew back from the blood’s whispers. Blinking, she cleared her vision until Darius’s face loomed before her. Still spinning from what she discovered, the fact she was cradled in his arms didn’t even register.

  “My turn,” his deep voice rumbled, dragging her stunned attention to him. His head lowered, and his teeth locked on to her neck, piercing deep.

  “Qan qan, iki bir olmalidir.” Blood to blood, two shall be one.

  Natasha’s blood hit Darius’s senses with the battering force of tsunami—smoke, spice and sex, rolled into one overwhelming wave. It threatened to drown both man and demon. H
er taste and the magic held within triggered his most basic instincts—to take, to dominate, to claim. His hold tightened and a hungry growl escaped.

  The animalistic sound snapped him out of the red haze of need and want. He battled against his primal nature, forcibly relaxing his clawing grip as he struggled against the rising, mindless need.

  It was like slogging through thick syrup. Finally, he managed to reestablish control. His jaw relaxed, easing his bite on the delicate neck under his teeth. Even as a husky moan filtered from the female demon in his arms, he ran his tongue over the mark. Once. Twice.

  Then he lifted his head. Natasha was cradled in his arms. A position he would bet she rarely, if ever, found herself in. Considering the softened lines of her face as she blinked at him, he gave her about thirty seconds before she pulled herself together and jerked away.

  He licked his lips and her gaze focused on his actions, darkening to a deep indigo. A deep breath, then another one. She reached up and traced one ebony nail over his mouth, the move strangely intimate. While her thoughts remained masked, he could see her reclaim her normal composure, one sure piece at a time. Her hand fell, and she pushed upright. Within moments, she put distance between them.

  He let her go. Only because he didn’t want to. And that was not something he could afford. Unlike Natasha, he couldn’t read the secrets hidden in blood, but this exchange would cement their alliance.

  However, blood, like magic, held its own power.

  With the gifts at his disposal, having Natasha’s blood leveled their playing field. As one of the Blood of Secrets, she could uncover and use the secrets she found against him. But as one of the Blood of Death, he would now be able to use his tie to manipulate her as well.

  Death and torment against illusions and nightmares. It could prove an entertaining battle. If they could work together, they would become a formable force. If not, well, then neither he nor Zayn would have to worry about their secrets, because nothing escaped Death.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “You’re telling us we’re down to DiMarcco and Westbrooke?”

  Gavin wasn’t happy, but then Natasha really didn’t give a damn. Unsettled by her encounter with Darius, her patience and concentration were shot to hell.

  Gavin gave Darius a narrow-eyed glare. “And if this is just another trap?”

  “It’s not,” she snapped, curling her fists until her nails bit into her palm.

  “Because blood doesn’t lie?” The sneer in Gavin’s question shredded her strained control.

  She stalked across the room, ignoring Carys’s gasp, as her demon surged against her skin, making its presence known. The surrounding air took on a chilling bite. Her nails thickened, the tips streaking black as she grabbed Gavin’s T-shirt and yanked hard enough to bring his face down to hers.

  Her voice deepened with promised pain. “Blood can’t lie. Not to me.” She cocked her head to the side and smiled, baring sharpened teeth. When Gavin paled, her smile stretched wider. “Shall I take yours and prove it?”

  Wary but undaunted, Gavin didn’t resist her hold. “It’s my job to question, Natasha. The situation is too treacherous not to.”

  The young fool was right. Zayn and Darius were not the only ones with secrets to protect.

  Carys kept her distance, but sidled closer to Gavin, deliberately moving into a defensive position. “Fighting among ourselves will do nothing but help those coming against us.”

  Natasha snarled then let Gavin go with a small push.

  Darius watched in silence.

  She spun on her heel to pace away, her fingers curling and uncurling. There was one way she could convince him, but—

  “You can’t tell them.” Darius’s drawl slipped in her head, pulling her up short. “Not until you unearth the one carrying stories back to the Council. I will not risk him.”

  With her back to Gavin and Carys, she slowly turned her head to look at the demon plaguing her and let out a slow hiss. Between the blood connection and her unsettled temper, keeping her thoughts masked from Darius was proving difficult.

  Unwilling to indulge in their private connection, she answered him aloud. “We uncover the rat in our midst, and he holds any connection to Zayn, I’ll kill you both myself.” With their chance at linking their traitor to Zayn scuttling away, she still might hurt Darius anyway. Purely on principle.

  Darius had the audacity to laugh. “Promises, promises.”

  From behind her, Carys said, “I’m not comfortable bringing Zayn in, Natasha. Not when we have no idea which of ours is working against us.”

  Standing before the fireplace, Natasha stared at the fire merrily gorging itself on wood. Considering how much damage the Northwest leaders had suffered, Carys’s concern was well founded. Whoever it was had to be close. While that narrowed their pool of suspects, it didn’t make it any easier to accept. “We’re not bringing Zayn into anything. What is discussed here remains between the four of us alone.”

  Realization hit even as Darius’s mental agreement left her gritting her teeth. Locking her thoughts down against his voyeuristic tendencies as she, too, had people to protect from the Council, she considered who else would know about tonight’s meeting. Raine. No doubt, Gavin had already clued his lover into this mess.

  Natasha’s agreement did little to appease Gavin. He demanded, “If you believe he isn’t behind this mess, why not?”

  She turned to face him. “Because if the traitor tells the Council he’s siding with us, Zayn’s life expectancy will dramatically decrease, and we will lose a necessary ally.”

  Darius finally spoke up. “So long as DiMarcco and Westbrooke believe Zayn is under suspicion, they’ll simply view him as a possible scapegoat, not a threat. It’ll give us time to uncover who’s working against you.”

  Gavin glared at Darius, opened his mouth, only to snap it shut when his phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and answered. “Durand.”

  The voice on the other end was too quiet to pick up, but Gavin’s gaze settled on Darius with calculating intent. Gavin turned and gave his back to the room, walking over to the windows.

  No one spoke as he took his call. Natasha watched the shift of muscles along his back as tension tightened his shoulders. She checked her watch. Ah, it must be Raine on the other end with a progress report on Axel.

  A few minutes later, Gavin pocketed his phone and came back to stand in front of the other three. “Axel’s at Vidis’s, along with Cheveyo and Cassandra. It’s not looking good.”

  Of course it wasn’t, because their luck couldn’t possibly shift for the better.

  “Who’s Axel?” Darius asked, coming to stand next to Natasha.

  “Axel Kayser.” Gavin folded his arms over his chest. “One of mine.”

  “Axel Kayser.” Darius tested the name. When it clicked, his gaze sharpened. “One of the Wraiths, a shifter?”

  Suspicion honed an edge to Gavin’s voice. “How do you know who he is?”

  “I told you, I’m your evaluator. Can’t do that if I don’t know who I’m evaluating.” As bland as Darius tried to make his voice, he didn’t really succeed.

  Gavin’s face darkened.

  Natasha raised a hand before the two bull-headed males started butting horns. “Axel was attacked after tracking down leads on Mulcahy’s death.”

  Darius looked between her and Gavin. “These leads, they were the three names?”

  She nodded.

  “And he’s still alive?” A hefty amount of disbelief weighted Darius’s question.

  The muscles in Gavin’s folded arms flexed with tension. “You sound surprised.”

  “Considering what he found, yes.” Darius turned away to pace. For a moment, they all watched him. “To get that much and escape with his life is actually quite impressive.”

  Natasha didn’t think Axel would consider it impressive. Lucky? Maybe. If he ever woke.

  On Darius’s third pass, he stopped. “Did he give you anything besides the na
mes?”

  She considered him. Was Darius looking for something specific? “Such as?”

  Darius shrugged. “What led him to find the names in the first place? Was it a person? A place?” He faced all three of them. “I need to talk to him.”

  “He’s not talking.” Carys came up Gavin and rejoined the conversation. “If he was, we wouldn’t be here.” Somehow her unspoken wasting time with you came through loud and clear.

  “Enough!” Gods above and below, how had Ryan managed these personalities without hurting someone? Egos and arrogance would be the downfall of this fledging alliance, leaving easy pickings behind for the Council. “Did we not agree to work on the same side?” Natasha waited for the round of grudging nods. “Then start acting like the adults you are, instead of squabbling children. If we continue questioning every choice and every move, we’ll do the Council’s job for them.” Facing Darius, she said, “The reason the Northwest is the force it is, can be found in the leaders Ryan choose. Don’t lessen the validity of his judgment with your insinuations.” Turning to Gavin and Carys, she continued. “As for you two, do you think Ryan would align with a fool? There is a reason he picked this man to work with against the Council. It’s in our best interests to maintain that partnership.”

  She wanted to tear her hair out in frustration. When the queen of demons became the voice of reason, it was time to worry.

  Carys was the first to back down, stepping back to give Darius some breathing room, although Natasha didn’t miss the spark of amusement in Carys’s gaze before she turned away. Gavin soon followed suit, dropping his arms as the tension in his spine dialed back. He moved to one of the chairs and leaned against it, waiting.

  Darius smiled.

  That smile tripped her temper, but she refused to let it go. Wouldn’t do a bit of good to have her slap him after her little speech to the other two.