I ran to him and there was no time for hesitation. Our mouths connected in a deep, passionate kiss that left me drenched. His hands began exploring my almost naked body, his firm lips driving the tempo, stealing my breath and sending a buzz to my sex. Zachary tasted like a wild forest and single malt whiskey. His scent went right through me, soaking me like pouring rain.
I pulled away from him just for a second, just so I could catch my breath and he smiled, holding me close.
“Oh no, miss, not this time,” he growled, sounding like a real wolf. When he picked me up, I wrapped my legs around his waist and felt his hard erection pressing over my abdomen. The wild, untamed fire began spreading everywhere. I couldn’t fight him and gave myself away to him in every way he desired.
He was kissing me, biting my neck gently as we climbed up the stairs of the basement. His hands were on my arse, digging inside my skin. The sparks showered both of us and I moaned loudly, wanting more. We barged through the basement door, until we were on the floor, tangled and lost in overwhelming sensations of lust.
Before I knew it, Zach had gotten rid of his clothes, and his T-shirt went flying across the room. I giggled running my hands over his muscular, hairy chest. I sucked in a breath as his eyes penetrated me.
“Let’s get rid of that, Flower, shall we?” he asked, but his question was rhetorical. I had nothing underneath the long blousy shirt, and his eyes almost popped open.
He kissed me, moving his skilled finger down my thigh, slowly touching my drenched sex, rolling his thumb over it. I arched my head backwards, closing my eyes and letting go of the tension that rode me for so long. My body was charged with rippling power, the spark; purple flames appeared on the surface of my skin. I tried to undo his jeans, stroking his hard erection with my fingers.
His breathing sped up as he got me naked, exploring the parts of my body that hadn’t been in use for some time. His fingers were driving me insane and I moaned, thinking that he had to be inside me now. The smart mouth, the soaring tension, then desire. Maybe I was going to regret this later on, but it didn’t matter. I had to satisfy the pulsing fire that rushed through my veins.
“Oh, don’t stop for Lucifer,” I hissed, when his fingers were rolling over my sex. He did stop, flipped me over on my knees and said, “Lucifer won’t fuck with your brain the way I will.”
I laughed, suddenly filled with anticipation. My legs began to tremble. I was on the edge, ready when he thrust himself inside me. I screamed, holding my breath for a good few seconds.
“Are you all right in there?” he asked, and I laughed.
“Just keep going and don’t dare stop.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Zach wrapped his fingers over my hips, moving inside me faster. He rocked through me, and everything intensified, bringing me to the edge of orgasm. My demonic energy connected with his humanity, and he rasped some incoherent words. He kept thrusting his erection in and out, faster, and I was coming before I realised what was happening.
This quick injection of ecstasy left me paralysed. Blood rushed into my ears as I collapsed on the floor. Zach brought me to his chest, breathing hard. For a moment we just lay on top of each other, listening to nature outside. The birds were singing and this moment felt perfect.
I didn’t want to think about the consequences. My affair with the prince was behind me. Arthur loved me, but he wouldn’t touch me again. This short intense moment between me and Zach was one off. There wasn’t going to be a repeat, not today, tomorrow or ever.
“I think we should get dressed. I’m dreading Ronan seeing us like this,” I said, breaking the silence. My future was doomed. Zach was hoping that we became an item one day, but I hated to disappoint him.
“I’m perfectly happy the way I am, Flower, and you’re hot,” he chuckled when I got up and rolled my eyes. He was a fine human, and of course, there was no doubt that I wished that we could have sex again and again. What happened between us was spur of the moment.
“We have to head to Matilda’s home. Alexis won’t be wasting any time.” I quickly changed the subject, not wanting to discuss the logistics of our relationship from here on. We jumped each other’s bones, it was great. Well, more than great, but that didn’t mean that anything would change.
Zach’s eyes were filled with heat. I had to look away when he put his T-shirt on.
“Are we going to talk about this? Or are you going to pretend that this was an impulsive, good plain fucking.”
“We will at some point, Detective, but right now I’m going to get changed,” I said, disappearing upstairs quicker than I intended. The burning guilt reminded me that I should have known better. Zachary was already disappointed. His sister wasn’t talking, she didn’t even recognise him and now, assuming everything went according to plan, he would never see me again.
I hid my knife in my boots, picked up some potions that I had on me and ran downstairs. Zachary was smoking outside, dragging the toxins into his lungs. My energy settled all around me, my demonic scent was all over him. Yeah, I wanted him; my emotions spoke louder than words. The sun was coming out, but I knew that I had to focus now.
“Give me one, I think I’m going to need it,” I asked, and he handed me the pack.
“I want to make love to you, Flower. Fucking is good, but I want to take my time with you,” he said unexpectedly, throwing me completely off guard. I started coughing, like I was suffocating.
“This isn’t the time. We need to go,” I said, when my lungs began working again. He laughed, eyeing me like we were back in the basement.
“Fine, I’ll cut the crap and stop pretending that you’re not sexy,” he said, winking at me. Was I going to get used to it? Probably not. We set off, hoping that this time around I would capture that rotten bitch and get my child back.
Chapter 21
“The next flame blazes out from Gratian’s smile. He’s loved in Paradise for having served both civil and ecclesial courts so well.” ―Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy
We left the cottage and started moving through the forest. The sun was gently caressing my cheeks, beaming through the trees. We walked in silence, but Zach’s dirty thoughts were very distracting. He kept thinking about our steamy morning together, already planning to seduce me in his house once we were back in London. Two years ago I handed Matilda the baby and went back home with a heavy burden on my shoulders. My Warlock friend owned a small pottery business, away from nosey humans. It was protected by magical wards that Alexis would have tried to break.
Guilt hit me again, and I licked my lips, imagining that I was in Broken Shoe, drinking Paul’s liquid magic. That image helped a little.
There was a strong possibility that today I would be holding my child in my arms. Alexis wouldn’t show up here without her. She wanted to remove Matilda’s spell as soon as she could.
“It seems to me that you have no idea where you’re going,” Zach pointed out, probably because we had been walking for at least forty minutes, reaching the same spot yet again. The weather was good; it was the end of summer. Last night the temperature dropped significantly, but today it was sunny and warm.
“I’m trying to connect with her wards. The cottage is protected by complicated spells. She had given me directions when I was still in contact with her,” I explained, trying to focus on the striking source of power that I had been aware since we left Ronan’s place. Sometimes my abilities connected with energy that surfaced in the soil, around the trees and in the air. I refused to believe that we were going around in a circle.
Zach didn’t say anything. Besides, he was too distracted with what happened earlier on and he was currently thinking about the shape of my arse. I continued moving between the trees, feeling slightly more relaxed than yesterday.
Half an hour later, we stopped and I created a magical fire. I used elixirs that I brought with me and threw some green powder into the flames. It was an old school spell, and after a few minutes the smoke that rose from the
fire showed me the direction I had to take. Zach folded his arms over his chest and kept staring at me in total ignorance. He didn’t think using magic and exposing ourselves like that was necessary.
We stood listening to the crackling flames. I shut my eyes for a second tapping into my source.
“What the hell is going on, Max? It’s suddenly gone dark?” his panicked voice stirred me back to being alert. The sudden raw, demonic energy began vibrating around us. My breath became shallow and I felt tingling in my hands. Zach was right: thick dark clouds covered the sun. It had suddenly gone very dark. That could mean only one thing—Alexis was close.
I stood up, sensing discomfort in my left eye. Someone else was here too. Another demon. I took a few deep breaths and nodded to Zach to start walking again. After moving around the circle for another twenty minutes, in the distance I saw a cottage built from grey brick. I smiled to myself glad that my elixirs had worked better than I expected. Morpheus was right: my abilities were pretty special.
“She lived here for years,” I said when Zach noticed the cottage. He followed me, still unsure about the magic. My throat tightened as I sensed my daughter’s scent everywhere. Alexis wasn’t going to waste anytime. She was heading here and I had to be ready.
Zach placed his palm on my arm sending a warmth instantly to every cell in my body. Yep, we were already connected.
“Are you ready to go in there? Maybe I shou—”
“No, she’s my child and I want to see if she has a good home,” I said, cutting him off. We approached the front porch. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Matilda’s magic could mislead humans, and I knew that there weren’t any demons in the village. Matilda must have left her home charmed because she didn’t care about the locks. The forest was always was relatively safe, but she had been moving around a lot in the past year. She wanted to make sure that the girl was always safe.
All the windows were shaded with shutters, the smell of rosemary and other herbs drifted around. Zach found the light switch and I relaxed a little. A moment later I saw some photographs on the fireplace.
My chest cracked open and my knees turned to jelly as I approached it. There she was, my little girl smiling at the photograph, waving and making silly faces. She had a mass of blond curly hair and large blue eyes. Matilda must have taken some pictures when Summer was only a few months old, then a year and so on. Grief numbed me and I swallowed the tears, not wanting to break apart in front of Zachary.
I sensed him behind me when I touched the photographs, running my finger over the dusty frames. I spotted her toys on the sofa, and there were small jars of baby food in the kitchen. Summer was a living soul in this home. She seemed happy with the life that Matilda had created for her. I should have been more involved. Arthur was a royal so he couldn’t make his own choices, but I had a real chance to start over somewhere else.
“She’s stunning and you will get her back today,” Zachary said. The tears came anyway, and I dropped my head on my chest, telling myself that I had to be strong for her. It was my choice to keep her a secret.
“I know that bitch is already nearby. We are somehow connected. In Gjöll, I gave her part of my memory,” I said, my voice trembling.
“Have you thought about your life after you get her back?” he asked. I sighed, and used my hands to wipe the tears away. My life ended the moment she was free. There was nothing beyond that.
“No, I haven’t thought about that. Let’s check the rest of the rooms. There is a pottery workshop at the back,” I responded, not wanting to get into this subject. Zach sighed, aware that I was avoiding eye contact. He couldn’t know that I had made a deal that pushed all my dreams and aspirations away. It was difficult to see what was beyond the afterlife.
I found the nursery upstairs and then more tears came. I was touching her things, her tiny clothes. It was surreal knowing that she’d been living here the entire time. After some time we went outside and I inhaled the fresh air. Seeing her things around was much harder than I’d anticipated.
“We have company,” I said, aware that there was a demon very close by, walking through the forest.
Zach took out his weapon and lowered it down. He ought to realise that this kind of thing wouldn’t work when there were supernatural beings involved.
“I’m going to check the pottery shed,” he announced.
“All right, just be quick. I have a feeling that we are being watched,” I said, smelling sulphur in the air, then smoke. It was getting darker and gloomier as the minutes went by. I walked with him until he disappeared inside. It was going to start raining soon. I felt the moisture in the air.
The silence was unnerving. I noticed that the birds stopped tweeting too.
“Are you all right in there?” I shouted, as goose pimples broke on the surface of my skin. There was no answer for a long time and I wondered what the hell he was doing inside the pottery for so long.
The tension broke, like a cord pulled too tight, and then Zach’s fear whipped through me. Suddenly I covered my ears, attempting to ease the draining discomfort. Breathing in and out, I barged inside the pottery and I found Zach squeezed in the corner with his gun in his hand. In the middle of the floor stood a huge hairy wolf, snarling and bearing his teeth at him. He was ready for attack. Magic was soaking the space. His fur shined with crystal powder. Someone must have injected this creature with spells.
“The bastard appeared out of nowhere,” Zachary shouted and the wolf suddenly turned to look at me. He bent his legs and then arched his back. His yellow eyes focused on me.
I needed to make a split second decision, either stay inside or save Zach. The detective could try shooting the beast, but the wolf was enormous and probably he could bite his head off before Zach could even attempt to use his gun.
I snarled and ran back outside, dropping whatever potion I had in my hands. My plan was to lure the wolf deeper into the forest. I had no idea what I was going to do after that, but it was a start. Unfortunately the wolf got to me before I reached the trees, ruining my plan.
Then I felt Alexis near the cottage, her energy hit me hard, ceasing the air in my lungs all of a sudden. I didn’t have time to react, everything else happened so fast. The wolf snarled loudly and ripped my back to shreds with his claws when I turned around trying to run in the opposite direction. I went down like a bag of potatoes, experiencing the most agonising pain in my life.
A split second later I heard the shot and released some magic. The wolf was about three meters long and it was at least twice as big as any normal animal. I doubted very much that a small bullet could change my fate. Blood poured out of my back and I wished that I could be immune to this excruciating pain. Somehow the power scattered around me shifted and the wolf was lifted several inches above the ground. The beast went flying across the yard, slamming on the ground several meters away from me.
I panted for some air, and almost immediately a fiery pain exploded along my whole body. I was lying face down, dizzy and drained of any strength. Zach was nowhere to be seen, but when I lifted my head slightly right I saw Alexis. She must have set the wolf on us; she must have known that we would be waiting for her. Matilda stood beside her, but she seemed zoned out. There was something seriously wrong with her.
The wolf growled loudly and was back on his feet. I thought that this was the end of me. I had no more strength to fight. I was losing my vision, blood dripping over me as I tried to crawl away from the danger. Lucifer was going to get my soul after all, earlier than he planned.
I closed my eyes, seeing in slow motion as the animal jumped towards me. I saw his fangs and I was ready, when the sound of another shot echoed in my head.
“Maxine, fuck. Get it together,” someone was saying to me, shaking me. The magic came back, warming my insides. I blinked rapidly not feeling any pain at all. Zach was standing next to me, still holding his gun. The wolf was on the ground, lying in a pool of blood. This was impossible, the beast had me.
; “What the hell happened?” I asked, trying to touch my back, but then I felt no pain. I didn’t understand. The wolf’s claws had ripped my skin to pieces. My clothes were smeared with thick liquid, but that blood wasn’t mine. Suddenly I could get back on my feet. Someone or something must have healed me.
“You dropped the bag and when I picked it up the contents spilled everywhere, doing some magic shit!” Zach yelled, but we didn’t have time to think about logistics. Alexis had appeared, but when I looked up, she was gone.
“Come on, let’s split. I saw Alexis by the cottage just before you fired your gun, and Matilda was with her,” I said, feeling better than I expected.
Zachary nodded and reloaded the gun, helping me up. I couldn’t blame him for wanting to use it. He saved my life.
A second later, we barged inside the pottery shed, but the space was empty. Alexis’s energy was popping out everywhere. I could feel her racing pulse and her rising magic.
“The potions, Warlock, where are they?” I heard a loud squeaking voice, somewhere. I smashed the door of the wooden shack, stepping around the back.
I saw her standing by a small pond. I didn’t even know it was there. The energy crawled down my skin and I tapped into my source of demonic power. The fire ball that I balanced on my hand should have taken care of her, but then Zach appeared from behind her. He tried to tackle her, but the fire ball hit him instead and he went flying and slammed over the nearest tree. He didn’t move again.
“No, not this time!” I roared, releasing yet another ball of energy, but then I realised what Alexis was doing. Horror went through me when I saw bubbles coming out of the water. Alexis was pushing Matilda’s head down in the water, trying to drown her.
Doomed Cases Series (1-3) Demonic Triangle Diabolical Quest Infernal Initiation Page 61
