The Audacity of Demons

by Trina M. Lee

  The curiosity in his eyes unsettled me. “Why don’t you?” he asked, his velvet voice a touch in the dark. “Let yourself lose control, I mean. Everything about you screams bad girl.”

  A brow arched, I searched his gorgeous face, wondering if his curiosity was professional or personal. My reasons for being so careful were my business. “You’re just saying that because you saw me hang from a stripper pole.”

  Seeing as he’d just admitted to tailing me, I assumed he’d seen that part. The lascivious grin that lit up his face confirmed it. “It was definitely one of the few perks of this job. Hang a right up there. We’ll park a block away and come up from behind.”

  “What exactly are we doing? A little preparation would be nice if you expect me to achieve some kind of purpose by coming along.”

  “This is just a little outing.” Nova could be as evasive as a practiced politician. Without directly avoiding my question he managed to not answer it.

  I parked the SUV down a side street just off the main avenue. Turning the engine and lights off, I waited for Nova to give me something I could work with. If The Circle expected us to be the opposition to well-trained and heavily-armed FPA agents, then surely they wouldn’t group us with a demon who couldn’t actually train us.

  The FPA proved easy enough to evade: keep a low profile and get damn good at playing human. But The Circle intended to send us right to the enemy. And try as I might to hide it, I was damn nervous.

  “The FPA got a call about vampire activity at one of the nightclubs nearby. So we’re here to check them out while they check out the club. Now that they’ve got a new head honcho, they’ve started taking in supes again. We’re here to make sure they don’t grab the vampire they came for.” Nova paused with one hand on the door. “Follow my lead. Trust your instincts. Always. And whatever you do, don’t let them get their hands on you.”

  Right. Because I could easily disappear in a flash like a demon. If they grabbed me, I’d be more fucked than I was now.

  “Don’t plan on it. Ready when you are.” A lie but I’d always been a fake it til you make it kind of gal.

  We exited the vehicle. I locked it with the key fob and stuffed the key into the pocket of my stretchy workout wear, which I’d just realized I still wore. Not exactly my preferred street attire.

  “One more thing,” Nova said as we walked toward the mouth of a dark alley. “The Feds have a few supes in their employ. There’s one in particular, a dark-haired werewolf, Juliet O’Brien. She’s the sister of the city’s vampire queen, Alexa O’Brien. If you come across her, defend yourself as needed but absolutely do not kill her. Her death means your death. That rule goes for everybody. But any other Fed is fair game.”

  Every non-human in the city and well beyond knew of Alexa. Not only did she own and operate the city’s vampire bar, she had more power than just about anybody in the city. Rumor had it that she was also among The Circle of the Veil elite who protected the vampires and werewolves of the city. As a hybrid, Alexa had the power of both.

  I’d never interacted with her personally though I’d seen her several times at The Wicked Kiss. She wore power like a living garment that clung to her like a second skin. Briefly, I wondered if it was hard for Alexa, having her sister work for the enemy. It must be. Just another example of why it was better not to have such close personal attachments.

  “Got it,” I muttered, fixing my hair. When Nova turned down the dark, gaping alley I tensed. “Down there?”

  “Can’t very well stroll in the front door. The Feds wouldn’t. Not obviously anyway. We’ll head them off at the back entrance.” Nova’s lengthy strides led him to outpace me.

  My stomach tightened and knotted. I wasn’t sure what to expect. When we got halfway down the alley, Nova grabbed my arm and pulled me behind a large dumpster.

  “They’re already here,” he whispered, pointing.

  Down the alley, just a few buildings away, three figures dressed all in black appeared. Clinging to the shadows, they moved slow and stealthy, assessing the area. I saw no sign of the vampire they hunted. Still inside the nightclub perhaps.

  “Shouldn’t we go in and see if we can find the vampire they’re looking for?” I whispered back, uneasy with Nova’s hand still on my arm. Not because it was firm and commanding, or so I told myself. Shit, why was I noticing such a thing at a time like this? I blamed the incubus heat that the demon exuded without even trying.

  “I hope you don’t completely hate me for this.” Nova tightened his grip ever so slightly. “You’re the vampire. The entire call to them was faked by our people to lure them. Check their response time, how many agents they sent, what weapons they bring. That kind of thing. You’re just the bait, cherry bomb.”

  When I winced at both his stupid attempt at another ridiculous nickname and what he’d just admitted, Nova nodded, like he’d found the one.

  All I heard was bait, and it had me fighting to break free of him.

  “Is this because I knocked you on your ass in front of everybody?” I hissed. “Your ego is pathetically fragile.”

  There was no dislodging Nova’s vice-like grip. When he tried to grab my other arm, I panicked.

  He dragged me out from behind the dumpster. “It’s because I believe you can handle it. No better chance to prove yourself than right now. I’ll see you back at the house. Don’t get killed.”

  I’d held a burning hatred for a handful of people in my time. Nova had just made the list. Not that I’d trusted him, of course, but to be treated like a run-of-the-mill rogue and then used as bait?

  Unforgivable.

  Nova never gave me a chance to respond. Using his tight hold, he flung me toward the FPA agents and whistled, drawing their attention. Then he was gone, leaving me there to face three federal agents and the weapons they leveled on me.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  NOVA

  I almost felt bad for deceiving her that way. Almost.

  Blaze had sass and attitude without being obnoxious. I admired that. However, those types rarely fell in line. She argued that she wasn’t like other rogues, and she was right. I’d known that when I brought her in.

  Still she’d broken the only rule The Circle of the Veil had. Protect the secret. Always. Leaving a half-drained corpse in a strip club flew in the face of that, even if her victims were worthless scum. The Circle had eyes everywhere. Once our watchdogs caught wind of Blaze’s activity, the order for me to bring her in had followed.

  That first moment I’d laid eyes on her, I wanted to sag in relief. Relief that I didn’t have to kill her. The fire in those ocean blues had almost stopped me in my tracks. Unlike every other rogue I’d been sent after, Blaze hadn’t quaked with fear. She hadn’t begged or bargained. The feisty vampiress had been willing to go down fighting.

  I knew right then that she’d never fit in at Mayhem House, the name I’d not so affectionately given the recruit dormitory. The Circle’s powers that be merely referred to it as The House. They’d always worked as opposition to the FPA, but in recent months The Circle’s efforts to be an especially intimidating presence had been amped up. Hence the fresh rogues.

  From the shadows I watched Blaze face down three human federal agents. Three humans were no problem for the average vampire. However, these humans were armed with weapons designed for taking down a supernatural.

  “Let’s see what you’ve got, firecracker,” I murmured to myself.

  Blaze raised both hands, and a light glowed in her palms. Demon red was a rare color for a vampire’s metaphysical power, rare for anyone this side of the veil.

  That slap of blood magic had sure set me on my ass. A bruise to my ego but, more than that, it made me curious about this strange rogue. Anyone with enough magic and know-how could work blood magic, but they usually guided the power using symbols or spells. Blaze wielded it like an inherent talent.

  I’d never encountered a vampire who could amplify their power simply by spilling their own blood. So curious.
How high could she boost her power, I wondered, before the blood burn became too much? Did she even know?

  “Don’t make a move, and we won’t have to hurt you.” One of the agents barked the platitude as he and the other two surrounded her.

  The agents had come equipped with guns that shot bullets as well as a small crossbow bolt from a rig mounted above the barrel. A small sensor fixed to the top showed body heat in infrared, making it easy for them to identify a shifter or vampire, neither of which had the same body temperature as a human. Vampires ran colder, werewolves hotter.

  Blaze turned slightly to keep them all in view. “I haven’t done anything.” She stood her ground, refusing to act like a criminal, exactly as she’d done with me. “I just got here. Whoever you’re looking for, it’s not me.”

  “Got a call about a vampire at this address and here you are.” The acting leader shrugged his broad shoulders. “So I’d say you’re exactly who we’re looking for. Now you can either let us cuff you, or we’ll take you down using whatever force required. Your choice, vampire.”

  For a split second I questioned what I would do if she went with them willingly. Let her go? No, I couldn’t lose a rogue to the Feds. Not without bringing down some form of punishment from The Circle. Nobody knew the exact identity of the very highest members, but they didn’t piss around when it came to punishment.

  Bringing in the rogue recruits and helping with their training was my punishment.

  Well, the most recent one anyway. I usually spent my time working behind the scenes. Wiping memories of witnesses to supernatural events, locating and eliminating any hard to grab rogues. In my own time I ran a successful buy and trade business, specializing in hard-to-come-by magic wares. Or at least I had. Until The Circle discovered that I’d gotten my hands on something they’d believed long destroyed. Something I’d failed to mention.

  Just a little old key to Hell. A key that could open a doorway to just about anywhere.

  Now I was babysitting a bunch of rogues, ordered to recruit a team capable of keeping The FPA on its toes. A futile cause, in my opinion. We’d already lost several similar teams who managed to do little more than harry the agents.

  As I watched Blaze face her first test, I wanted her to pass. No doubt she’d be a relentless pain in my ass, but part of me looked forward to the challenge she presented.

  “Seeing as I didn’t do shit and I’m so fucking sick of being treated like a common criminal, I’m going to choose force.” Fearless and fed up, Blaze waved a hand, beckoning them to bring it on. She waited for them to make the first move.

  How she’d survived almost a century I didn’t know. She must be able to back up her brazen defiance.

  They swarmed her, coming in from each side.

  Blaze flung a hand toward the closest agent, power leaping from her fingertips to send him sailing through the air. He hit the ground hard, the breath crushed from his lungs. With her other hand she drew up an energy wall between herself and the remaining two. While they sought a way through, she dropped the wall and threw a simultaneous attack.

  One agent took it full in the chest. Her crossbow went off, but the bolt flew wide. The other guy dodged the attack and threw himself at Blaze. Tackling her around the waist, he took her down to the ground.

  Her pretty red head bounced off the hard asphalt. I winced.

  My orders had been to bring a vampire to this test. I didn’t have to choose the one who bruised my ego. But in my defense, I’m a fucking demon. Petty revenge comes with the territory.

  Blaze struggled beneath the Fed who tried to capture her much stronger flailing arms so he could pin and cuff them. When he caught hold of one wrist, I tensed.

  The other two rose to their feet, mostly recovered.

  I wasn’t supposed to get involved. In fact, if I felt even a flicker of friendliness toward any of the rogues, I’d be replaced and likely demoted to a worse task. Getting involved with colleagues on any level was frowned upon. Still, if I were to just snap a finger from my place in the darkness—

  Blaze touched her hand to the back of her head, and it came away bloody. A strange little smile quirked her lips, her expression a tad devilish. “You think you know vampires, asshole?” With a flick of each wrist a boom of power exploded from Blaze’s fingertips.

  She didn’t need me to rescue her.

  Her attack smashed into all three agents at once. Her blood didn’t just enhance her power. It overloaded it. Not only did her telekinetic attack throw the agents about, it smashed them into the pavement like dolls.

  The man who’d tackled Blaze now didn’t stand a chance. The back of his skull hit the ground and split open like a melon. The female agent slammed against an open dumpster, the metal edge all but breaking her in half.

  Blaze faced the last man. One slow step after another, she advanced on him.

  He scrambled to get up despite the blood that dripped from his forehead. Glancing about frantically for his dropped weapon, he muttered a series of curses.

  “You came looking for a monster,” Blaze said so softly I had to strain to hear. She reached to touch the trembling man’s shoulder. “You found one.”

  With growing excitement I stood by, a silent witness as Blaze jerked the man close and bit into his carotid. Like the last time I’d seen her in her element, my cock stiffened. Of course, as an incubus, I found eroticism everywhere.

  Blaze clutched her victim like an illicit lover. With a sexy toss of her red hair, she licked blood from the edge of her mouth. Letting the guy fall, she stepped aside before the final few spurts of blood could splatter her clothing.

  The lady had rage issues, no doubt. Especially where men were concerned. She wasn’t obvious about it, but I’d had nothing but time to learn how to read people. Everything about her fed my curiosity.

  Incorporeal so she couldn’t see me, I watched her, wondering what her next move would be. Would she take the chance to run?

  If I were Blaze, I probably would have. But she cast a glance about at the fallen agents and sighed. “Not my fucking problem. Nova led me into this trap. He can clean up the mess. Jackass.”

  It took great effort to keep from bursting into laughter and revealing myself.

  As Blaze made her way back down the alley the way we’d come, she touched the bloody gash on the back of her head. Her steps faltered, and she stopped, reaching to grab hold of a dumpster to steady herself. That one massive burst of blood magic had sapped her, and the blood she’d taken hadn’t been enough. Although I didn’t blame her for not hanging around to bleed the guy dry, she didn’t have that luxury anymore. Three seconds before I would have intervened, she pushed herself into motion.

  All the way back to the vehicle, I followed her. I didn’t trust the FPA not to have a backup squad on the way. Once Blaze had gotten in the car and pounded a fist on the steering wheel in frustration, I left.

  Not for a second did I doubt that Blaze would return to Mayhem House. She’d more than proven herself. I wouldn’t forget that.

  When Blaze arrived I greeted her outside. She exited the garage to find me standing in the driveway. Without trying to hide her anger, she whipped the car keys at me. Not expecting the sudden move, I stood there blankly as they bounced off my chest.

  I rubbed the spot the keys had struck. “You did good. Are you alright?”

  Stalking toward the front door, Blaze didn’t so much as glance in my direction. “Don’t pretend you care. We don’t get attached, remember? Most of us won’t live that long anyway.” She stormed into the house. I half expected her to slam the door, but she closed it quietly, which was somehow worse.

  The sinking sensation in my gut suggested that I cared what Blaze thought about me. A most unwelcome feeling.

  So she hated me. They all did. Or would. I couldn’t afford to pay the price of caring. Better shut that shit right down.

  CHAPTER NINE

  What a complete douchebag! As I mounted the stairs to my room, I cursed Nova ben
eath my breath. That demon had pulled a downright nasty trick on me. Not a surprise. And yet it still felt like one.

  Hoping he didn’t come after me with soothing lies, I took the stairs two at a time, sprinting to the third floor. I clutched the railing as I went, my hand shaking. I threw my door open and closed it harder than intended. After securing the locks, I went to the bathroom to wash up.

  My clothes were ripped and filthy, my hair matted with dried blood. The knot in my stomach turned into a craving. Hitting three people at once with blood magic had drained me. It always did. Not that I’d had much of a choice.

  Thanks to Nova.

  Blood and rest was what I needed to feel my strongest again. I regretted throwing the Jeep keys at Nova. Maybe I should’ve taken it downtown to the blood bar. Too tired to make the trip on foot, I opted for a hot shower instead.

  I turned the water off to the sound of someone knocking loudly on the door. “Haven’t I dealt with enough for one night?”

  After wrapping a towel around my hair and securing another around my body, I approached the door with caution. Pausing, I closed my eyes and felt for the person in the hall. A werewolf stood on the other side of my door. Each creature type’s aura gave off a certain vibe. Over time, they all became familiar.

  I cracked open my door to find Rayne standing there, hands stuffed in his jeans’ pockets. “Nova said you might need blood. I’m here to donate.”

  My jaw nearly dropped. “Are you serious? He makes you do that?”

  “What? Oh, no, he doesn’t make me. I volunteered.” Rayne waggled both brows playfully. “If you’d rather not, that’s cool too. I can leave. Didn’t mean to interrupt your shower.”

  My gaze went to the pulse in his neck. If I concentrated on the blood rushing through his veins, I could hear the steady beat of his strong heart. My bloodlust flared to life, and I gripped the doorframe tightly to keep from lunging at him.

  “No, it’s fine. Come on in. But only if you’re sure about this.” I had to give him a chance to change his mind. Allowing a bite took a lot of trust. Something I hadn’t earned from him. He had no reason to volunteer himself this way. Although some people were into this, fetishizing vampires and bloodletting.