chapter Fifteen
“You did what you think is best. What matters is that you can live with it.”
Jez popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and toasted to the coming dawn. We sat in an old graveyard twenty miles outside the city. The earth was, for the most part, undisturbed. Except for Zoey, nobody had been buried here for a long time.
Justin’s directions had led us down a long country road I’d never traveled before. A few hours before sunrise, we pulled into the overgrown cemetery. We found the spot where the ground had recently been dug up. Only a small bouquet of flowers indicated the place where Zoey now rested.
We both cried, each of us grieving a personal pain that no words could express. Then we sat against two headstones, facing one another, and talked.
“I didn’t want to do it, Jez. I just knew I had to. I think I f*cked up.” I shook my head when she offered me the bottle. The only way I’d escape this pain was to finally accept Arys’s darkness, but I wasn’t going to give in until I couldn’t take the resistance anymore.
“No, Lex, you’re dealing with a lot. Needing some time to yourself is normal, healthy. Shaz is doing it, too. It’s a good thing. When you come back together, you’ll be strong enough to handle it.”
“What if this is it? What if it’s too late to come back from this?” I rolled my head back against the cold stone and stared up at the twinkling stars.
Jez sipped champagne and followed my gaze. “No time for what ifs. Don’t force yourself to live in a moment that doesn’t exist yet. Just getting through this moment, right now, that’s hard enough.”
“You’re amazing, you know that?” I was awestruck by Jez. She had lost more than I had. She sat near her lover’s grave and spoke encouraging words to me. It should have been the other way around.
“Well, yeah.” She playfully rolled her eyes and grinned. The smile lacked genuine warmth though.
“Are you ready to do this? Feel free to change your mind. I wouldn’t blame you.” I raised a brow expectantly.
“Not a chance.”
“Ready?”
Jez nodded. “Yeah. Can I just have a minute alone here?”
“No problem.”
I pushed to my feet and walked through the long overgrown trail back to the road where I’d left the Charger. The power roiling about inside me caused my hair to float lightly, much like the effects of static. It wasn’t as erratic as it had been a few hours earlier, though it was still testing the boundaries of my control.
I paused halfway to the car. If I could gain even a little control, I could use Falon’s power when Jez and I stormed Lilah’s house. I wasn’t planning on a showdown; I wanted to talk to the bitch. If she knew that I possessed Veryl’s info on her, she might be forced to back down. Of course, I had to be ready for anything.
Taking a deep breath, I released it slowly and focused on a dead tree stump. I willed it to ignite, but not so much as a spark appeared.
That was odd. I expected at least a flicker of a flame. I tried again, projecting my intent through thought as I would with my own power. I just didn’t have that kind of ability with the borrowed force. Again, I tried to no avail.
“F*ck,” I swore in sudden frustration and stomped my foot.
Immediately, the stump burst into flames. It climbed high into the sky, blindingly bright, then died down and went out. That was interesting. In The Wicked Kiss, the fire had seemed erratic. I couldn’t be sure, but Falon’s power seemed to react to my emotions. I’d have to test that further.
By the time Jez joined me at the car, I’d managed to ignite some brush on the side of the road and even float the Charger several feet off the ground. As good as my telekinetic ability to manipulate energy was, it wasn’t quite that good. The car was easily more than four thousand pounds. Being able to toss around something that big would certainly have its perks.
Less than an hour later, we rolled into the swanky neighborhood where Lilah was hiding. The houses were huge; some of them easily made mansion status. Most of the properties were fenced off, giving the impression that the occupants wanted little to do with outsiders.
“Why do I get the feeling we’re about to be very surprised?” Jez mused, her gaze passing over the millionaire homes.
“That’s not the plan,” I said with a soft laugh. “Lilah is the one about to be surprised.”
“Here’s hoping.”
We passed the house I’d seen in the vampire’s thoughts, and my stomach tightened. I circled the block and parked several houses away. I debated on whether or not to bring the Dragon Claw. I was hoping to have a discussion, not a fight. Packing a weapon like that might tip the scales toward violence. In the end, I left the dagger in the trunk of the car. If it came down to a fight, my best defenses were the ones I carried inside me.
Jez tucked her favorite ash wood stake into her boot and gave me a grim smile. “Ready when you are.”
Willow wanted to accompany us. I’d asked him to keep an eye on Arys instead, to make sure he didn’t do anything too worrisome.
The house was as massive as any other in the neighborhood. A twenty-foot concrete wall surrounded the perimeter, and an iron gate blocked the driveway. I made no attempt to hide my approach.
We scaled the wall with no trouble. Jez gave me a boost and climbed up after me, her lithe, cat-like grace making it appear effortless. I paused, reaching out metaphysically to feel the area. Vampires, I could feel their telltale aura easily. Nothing else registered, but some creatures had the ability to cloak their presence. I was one of them, and so were most demons.
“There could be just about anything in there,” I observed.
“This should be fun then.” Jez punched me lightly in the arm. “Let’s go make this bitch sorry she ever met us.”
We dropped down to the grass below and waited. It was too quiet. I knew it couldn’t be this simple, and I was right.
Two seconds later, a pack of dogs came barreling around the back corner of the house. Dogs was hardly the right term. Beasts, monsters, things, all of those were a better fit.
“Hellhounds,” gasped Jez. “I thought they were a myth.”
“Just tell me we can kill them.” I was both horrified and mystified by the beasts. If I was a Hound of God and they were Hounds of Hell, then this might just be fun. My wolf tensed, ready for the fight.
“I guess we’re about to find out.”
As the four ugly dogs came raging toward us, Jez and I stood side by side and braced for the attack. Each dog was huge, standing over waist high on all fours, easily weighing a few hundred pounds. Slobbering and snarling, they bared a mouthful of razor sharp fangs. Black with red eyes that glowed in the dark, they were dreadful things.
Though I was ready with fangs and claws, I didn’t plan to let the monsters close enough to use them. Sweeping a hand before me, I threw a psi ball that spread out in a haze of fire across the grass. It knocked three of the dogs back, but the fourth leapt over the flames and kept on coming.
Jez met it with a kick. The hound flew back but was up again immediately. I focused on launching him into the side of the house. Falon’s power ripped through me with force that left me shaking and my head pounding. The hound burst into flames. The high-pitched sound he made hurt my ears, but it was over quickly.
The fire I’d thrown at the other three had gone out, and they were on us before we could blink. I went down hard with one on top of me, fangs snapping dangerously close to my face. I got my arm between us and somehow managed to hold him off. Powerful hind legs kicked into my midsection, opening up a wound. Gritting my teeth, I shoved my power at the hound, and it flew backwards to land hard against the concrete wall. The crunch of breaking limbs was audible, and it didn’t get up.
The other two were on Jez, who was fighting hard. She slashed claws across the jugular of the hound fighting for her throat. Blood poured forth, bathing her in a crimson wave. I grabbed the other hound by the back legs and threw it. I followed up with another psi ball before it could recover.
When I was sure each hound was dead, I pulled Jez to her feet and looked her over. “Are you ok?”
“Not a scratch on me,” she replied with a grin. “Yours looks superficial. Damn, that was a rush. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more.”
I inspected the cut on my midsection. It was minor. I’d live.
We warily made our way up to the front door. Large white pillars stood off to either side. I expected something to leap out from behind them, but it never happened. I glanced at the doorbell.
“Do we ring the bell or just burst inside like some action movie?” I returned Jez’s grin. Nothing about this was funny, but it was impossible not to get off a little on the excitement.
“Hey, she only murdered people we care about for her own gain,” Jez said, heavy on the sarcasm. “No reason we can’t be civil.”
“Alrighty, then.” With a shrug, I leaned on the doorbell longer than necessary. I gathered my power close, ready to use it. The pressure built fast thanks to the taint of fallen angel, which would not be easily held.
“I swear,” I muttered. “If Falon opens this door I’m going to kick him in the damn-,”
The door cracked open, and I braced for whoever was on the other side. I wasn’t expecting a human. Thin and exceptionally pale, she stared at us with eyes the size of dinner plates. Stinking of fear and blood, she glanced nervously at someone out of sight before speaking.
“Can I help you?”
I could feel a vampire or two nearby, no problem. I was more worried about the demons that I couldn’t sense.
“Tell her we want to talk. That’s all.” For now.
I waited for a reaction, but the woman had none. I could smell the bites on her though I couldn’t see them. Lilah certainly wasn’t the first vampire to keep human cattle, but it was still sickening. For once, I didn’t feel so bad about my ties to The Wicked Kiss, as owner or patron. At least our victims were willing.
“She will see you in the library.” The frail woman turned and walked away, fully expecting us to follow.
Jez didn’t hesitate. She entered the house without batting an eye at the elaborate decor or the two vampires standing in the shadows beyond the sun’s reach. I approached more cautiously. One of the vamps I recognized right away—because the bastard worked for me.
Shawn was a wannabe tough guy who had tried to scare me into letting him taste my blood the first time we’d met. Upon learning I was Arys’s wolf, he’d backed off so fast he almost burned a hole in the carpet. Since then he’d been an acquaintance and The Wicked Kiss employee, ready and willing to provide muscle where needed.
“Sorry, Alexa,” he said, lifting one shoulder in a half-assed shrug.
“No worries,” I replied with a cold smile. “You’re fired.”
The foyer was huge, complete with the largest spiral staircase I’d ever seen. Lilah’s human led us behind it to a set of open double doors that revealed a library so magnificent I couldn’t help but gawk. Still, my survival instinct was stronger than my awe. When a pair of hellhounds appeared in front of us, I threw up an energy barrier that crackled with fire.
“Stand down, boys.” Lilah’s command was immediately obeyed. The beasts sat down and shut up but never once took their vacant red eyes from us.
Books lined the room from floor to ceiling. Right away, I could tell human eyes had never seen many of the titles. I would have loved the chance to take a peek inside any of them.
The hardwood floors were smooth and shiny. Paintings depicting various historical scenes adorned the walls. I didn’t take any time to study them; I had eyes only for Lilah.
She sat in front of an empty hearth. I did a double take; she barely looked like Lilah. With her flame-colored hair in long, loose waves that framed her face and a flowing black gown that pooled on the floor at her feet, she was almost pretty. A shiny silver crown sat upon her head. The front of it was a cobra’s flared head. The body made up the rest of the crown.
A small harem of vampires and demons fell all over themselves, fawning over her in worship. They kissed her arms, her face, touching her with lusty caresses. She sat in the middle, eating up the attention, smiling in satisfaction.
Her human pet stood awkwardly nearby, awaiting further instruction. A pair of demons flanked Lilah, each standing on either side behind her chair. One of them was Brook. He stood protectively over her, watching with a cold, steely gaze that spoke of nightmares come true.
I was willing to bet there were others, currently unseen. I wondered if Falon was among them. A dozen vampires scattered about the library watched us with intrigue.
“Look at you.” Lilah’s burnt orange gaze traveled over me appraisingly. She shoved her men away and gave me her full attention. “Sucking up power like a sponge. I bet Willow thought he was doing you a favor by sending you in here like that.”
She thought it was Willow’s power raging through me? Interesting. I saw no reason to enlighten her.
“I didn’t come for a fight, but I’m ready if you want to give me one.” In a brazen move, I reached out psychically to test her, making sure she was still powerless. Shya’s binding was still in place.
“Come on now, Alexa. Do you really think I’d resort to getting my hands dirty if I had access to any power?” Lilah asked with a small smirk. “As you can see, I don’t let things like that slow me down. So, you say you want to talk? Let’s talk then, ladies.”
Lilah gestured to the big easy chairs across from her. She was going to play the gracious hostess and milk this thing for all it was worth. I wasn’t in the mood to play games.
“Did I say talk? I meant threaten.” I let the energy wall drop.
I kept expecting to feel some kind of fear or apprehension. Though I feared what she might do to others, I didn’t fear what she had planned for me. I was ready to take her on.
She pressed the tips of her fingers together and looked at both Jez and me in turn. “That’s more like it. There’s no reason we can’t all be honest with each other. I didn’t think you came here leaking borrowed power just to talk. Go ahead, I’m listening.”
It was weird to see Lilah so dressed up. I’d never seen her in anything but army fatigues and boots. She cleaned up well. Playing the role of demon queen spoke volumes in regards to her determination. She was ready and willing to do whatever it took to reclaim her throne.
“I know who you’re hiding from,” I said, watching her reaction. “I think it’s time he finds you.”
“So, you do have Veryl’s information.” Lilah nodded knowingly. “I figured as much. That’s the problem with people like you and Veryl. You think knowledge is power. It isn’t though. Knowledge can get you killed. Or worse. So, this is blackmail then?”
“Don’t look so surprised,” Jez spat. “You gave us no choice.”
Lilah fixed Jez with a dark glare. “This was never personal, Jez. Why make it so? Besides, I did that hybrid a favor by putting her out of her misery.”
Jez lunged forward, and I stopped her before the hellhounds did. I didn’t blame her one bit for having murderous intentions. Knowing Lilah couldn’t be killed drove me nuts; I wanted to make her beg for mercy.
The demons standing guard near Lilah didn’t move, but I could sense that they held their power ready should one of us give them a reason to use it. I held tight to Jez’s arm, hoping she wouldn’t fight me. The hate-filled energy thrumming through her spilled over me, drawing my attention to the pure Were blood pumping hot through her veins.
“You didn’t kill Zoey in an act of mercy, Lilah. You think you can force my hand by killing my wolves. It’s a coward’s tactic.” I focused on staying calm when all I wanted to do was set the bitch on fire.
“Yes, well it worked, didn’t it? Here you are.” Lilah’s wan smile made it clear that blackmail wouldn’t be enough. It might buy me time, but it would never stop her.
“I won’t give my blood to you. I’m here to tell you face to face that it’s over. You have no shot at breaking the curse. Not with me.” I tried to stifle the spark burning its way quickly through my short fuse. If I lost my precarious hold on the power testing my resistance, this would get ugly fast.
“So what now then?” Lilah rose, and the demons on each side moved closer. She waved them away with a scowl. “You take over where Veryl left off blackmailing me? We can call a truce, Alexa. I can make it worth your while.”
“I don’t want anything you can offer.”
“I can change that.”
“Save it,” I snapped, and a vase filled with flowers went up in flames. Oops.
Lilah watched the fire die out with pursed lips and a raised brow. “That’s the problem with being a mortal succubus. You can soak up all the power you touch, but that doesn’t make it yours. I can help with that.”
“You’re used to dealing with power-hungry dirtbags like Shya, I get that,” I said, the condescension heavy in my tone. “I’m not one of them, so instead of wasting time trying to coerce me into a deal, you should be telling me what you’re willing to do to keep me from telling Salem where you are.”
At the mention of his name, Lilah froze. Her demon guards watched me warily, with Brook staring a little more intently than I was comfortable with. The low, steady growl of the hounds was the only sound.
“Don’t say that name.” Lilah moved with purposeful strides, stopping when I raised a hand to blast her. “You should know better than anyone why I ran. I don’t belong to any man, no matter what fancy f*cking claim he thinks he has on me. I won’t be controlled by a bond I have no say in.”
With each word, Lilah’s anger grew until it was palpable. She was suddenly furious, and in a swift motion, she threw the vase I’d scorched. It smashed all over the floor in a mess of scorched flower petals and glass. I’d never seen her anything but calm. Even when we’d fought outside Shya’s house, she hadn’t exhibited such sudden temper. Whoever this guy was, he got under Lilah’s skin in a bad way.
“You killed Veryl,” she shouted at me, pointing a finger at my face. “Now, you think you can take his place? I’ll kill you before I let you hand me over to Salem, even if it means losing my chance to break the curse with your blood. I’ll find another way.”
I grabbed Jez’s hand and formed a circle with us inside. The desperation in Lilah’s eyes was both satisfying and worrisome. She was terrified of this guy and clearly prepared to escape him at any cost.
“What’s with the sudden freak out?” Jez taunted. “This guy must be a pretty big deal to get your panties in such a knot.”
“Oh shut up, Jez. What would you know about being born to exist alongside another, whether or not you want to? There’s a reason twin flames are so rare. They are not a gift but a curse of the worst kind.” Lilah approached my circle and placed her hands on it. She flashed a grim smile at me. “Veryl’s files didn’t say that, did they?”
“A curse?” I sputtered through the shock and denial. “A twin flame union only happens for a reason. It’s meant to be. There’s something special in that.”
“Special?” She smirked. “Bound to another against your will. United through forces you cannot control. Unable to escape them no matter how far you go or how many names and faces you wear. To hate that person as much as you love them. Oh, and how you love them. So much you start to hate yourself. And, for what? To be manipulated into fulfilling some horror-filled destiny? Not a damn thing about that sounds special to me. The chosen ones, us, we’re meant to suffer. This is no gift.”
Her words struck a chord deep in me. She described so well things I had felt even when I hadn’t been willing to admit it to myself. She knew. Still, she was wrong. She had to be.
“Don’t listen to this bitch, Lex. She’s a demon, otherwise known as a deceptive liar. She’s trying to get inside your head.” Jez squeezed my hand. The fierceness in her eyes reminded me why we’d come here.
“If it wasn’t a curse, why would light and dark be joined to one another? They can never truly become one. One will always devour the other. What kind of sacred purpose would join a demon to an angel? Or, a vampire to a mortal?” Lilah looked at me pointedly, and for just a moment, I saw a flicker of the sadness I’d seen in her once before. “When love is always pain, it ceases to hold any meaning.”
“I don’t believe that.” I shook my head, unwilling to accept it even as I heard the truth in her claim.
I couldn’t let Lilah put doubts in my head. She wanted to appeal to any weakness I might have. I would not let her find one.
In a bold move that I didn’t take the time to think through, I dropped the circle and hit Lilah square in the chest with a blast that sent her tripping over a hound. She recovered quickly, glowering at the demons who stood by watching.
“This isn’t blackmail. I have nothing to gain from you. I don’t care who he is to you or what you think of it. Stay away from me. Stay away from those I care about. Otherwise, either he comes for you, or I send you back to the cage where you belong.”
Lilah adjusted the crown on her head and slapped the human girl attempting to smooth her skirt. “Incompetent idiots,” she hissed at the demons. “Grab the wolf. I need her alive.”
“No.” My shout was accompanied by a surge of energy that struck each demon, only momentarily disabling them. The force was staggering as it left me. “Just you and me, Lilah. No power. If I come out on top, you’re a prisoner. If you do, you get my blood.”
Could a demon be manipulated by a mortal? I thought of Arys as the challenge left my lips. He was so busy trying to protect me from himself, he’d forgotten about the real threat.
The hounds barked, an ear splitting sound that echoed in the vast library. I couldn’t stop the flood of angel power that oozed from me. It was uncontrollable. I was merely a vessel to be used. A blue flame engulfed both hounds and made short work of them.
One of the demon guards backed away muttering something about Shya’s mark on my wrist. The other, Brook, watched Lilah, waiting for her decision. She looked me over, lingering on my silver eyes. I saw her consider it. I think she even believed she could take me, but something held her back. She wasn’t willing to gamble with it, whatever it was.
With her long skirt sweeping out behind her, Lilah spun on a heel and uttered a loud command in Latin. I didn’t have to be fluent to get the gist of it. She returned to her throne-like seat and crossed one leg over the other, watching with red-hot intensity as her vampires and demons advanced on us.
“Kill them both.”
There was a pause, so small as to be near non-existent. Then, everyone started moving at once. In the melee, several vampires rushed me, separating me from Jez.
Most of them felt new; they hadn’t been undead long. I met the first one with a kick that threw him into another. I spun to block a blow by another with my forearm while projecting a steady stream of power at a lunging female. She burst into ash and dust, followed by the next two I hit.
I caught sight of Jez swinging with stake in hand and bared fangs. I had no doubt she’d hold her own just fine. A fist connected with my jaw, and I saw stars. It didn’t stop me from setting my attacker ablaze.
Every time I used the power, it grew more painful until I was crying out with each blast. My nose dripped blood steadily, and I regretted my choice to leave the Dragon Claw outside, a stupid decision. Yep, Arys was right; I was too reckless for my own good.
I punched a fist into the chest of a vampire who got closer to my throat than I should have allowed. Pulling his heart free, I tossed it so it slid to a bloody stop at Lilah’s feet. I didn’t have time to enjoy the glare she wore before another solid, undead fist connected with my face. Several of them piled on me, and I went down beneath them, the breath crushed from my lungs.
Though my brain felt like it might spontaneously combust, I forced my power into them, finding that undead essence within me that was all Arys and all dark. The last time I’d done this I’d inadvertently knocked down several other vampires as well, including Kale.
Despite the pain, I felt an immense sense of relief as Falon’s power exploded forth along with my own. The more I used it, the less it retained its hold on me. It was fading. I could feel the heart of every vampire fighting to tear me apart. All at once they burst, showering me in blood, bone and ash.
Though I’d hoped Lilah would also be affected, she sat smugly, protected by a shield of demon magic. She waited patiently, soaking in the chaotic energy saturating the atmosphere while I burnt myself out trying to stay alive.
I rose from the pile of ashen vampire remains and sought out Jez. Blood smears marred her face, and her eyes blazed pure wildcat, but she stood ready for more.
“Really, Lilah,” Jez said with an eye roll. “Did you honestly think that would work?”
Lilah didn’t answer. She nodded to Brook who whispered something that sounded like no language I’d ever heard. A pack of hellhounds appeared between Jez and me. The pack split in half, backing each of us against a wall. I was bracing to go down under a flurry of snapping jaws. Between the killer headache and the power, I was crashing hard now, and knew I’d never have enough left in me to take on each hound.
Jez abandoned any notion of taking them on in human form. Using her last precious seconds wisely, she shifted to leopard and faced them snarling. Being wolf meant giving up my power, no matter how fast it was draining. It also meant, if we got out of here alive, we’d be running through the city streets in a form that would draw far too much attention once the sun rose.
I could draw on power through Arys. Alerting him to where I was and what I was doing didn’t factor into this poorly thought out plan. I grasped for everything I had left in me and prepared to go down fighting.
The hounds leaped in unison, a well-oiled machine that knew how to hunt together. They came at me from each side. Jez was a blur of black and gold across the room as she battled the hellhounds. I kicked one hound in the face, satisfied with the resulting crunch. Another got a taste of my claws when I slashed its throat open.
They came too fast, and there were too many of them. Fangs sunk into my arms as I tried desperately to fend them off. I screamed, a sound that echoed inside my aching head.
The air rippled, and Shya appeared with a flourish of black wings and the stench of sulfur. Every hound snapped to attention, grovelling at his feet with ears laid back and tails tucked between their legs.
I slumped to the floor, breathing heavily. I didn’t know if he was here as friend or foe, but I was happy to be freed of the hellhounds trying to rip my throat out.
“You’ve gone too far, Lilah,” A rumble, like thunder in the distance, accompanied Shya’s words. “You have no claim here. This is my territory now. Brook, you’re dismissed. We’ll be speaking soon.”
Brook looked torn as he contemplated loyalty to his queen and obedience to the most powerful demon present. He disappeared with the sound of ruffling feathers. The other demons present were quick to follow suit.
Lilah sat stiffly in her chair. With her chin lifted in defiance, she appeared completely unafraid. She knew just as well as I did that Shya wouldn’t be the one to send her back to her prison. Damn demon politics.
“How dare you enter my house uninvited? You’re not welcome here. When you severed your ties with me, you knew what that meant.” Lilah’s voice was brittle, as if she was fighting very hard to keep her calm and cool appearance.
“You’re a powerless queen with low ranking demons that serve you out of pity, not loyalty.” Shya shook his head and tsked. “It’s sad. You just can’t accept that your time is over.”
“My time has yet to come. You would be wise to remember that. I made you, and I can and will break you. You’re everything you are because of me.” Lilah’s calm tone became a shout.
I shoved to my feet and applied pressure to the gushing punctures in my arm. It was bad. Those bites were going to hurt for a day or two.
“Perhaps.” Shya gave a slight nod. “But, I owe you nothing now.”
He turned to Jez and me, ushering us toward the door with his outstretched wings. He didn’t waste another word on Lilah. She sat there stewing, a self-appointed queen with no kingdom to rule. It would have been sad if it weren’t so downright disturbing. I knew her type; nothing would ever stop her.
“I need her blood, Shya,” she called after us. “If I can’t have her, I’ll ensure that you can’t either. You’ll regret this foolish rebellion.”
Shya paused, a strange smile on his face. “That is exactly why you don’t deserve to rule.”
Lilah didn’t respond. With nobody left to protect her, I saw my chance and decided to go for it. I reached for my power, gritting my teeth against the unbearable agony. I’d draw from Arys if need be; it would be worth it if this worked.
I set my focus on her and let go. I could feel her vampire essence, and I knew it was mine to manipulate. Excitement surged through me. This was going to work.
…Or, it would have if Shya hadn’t blocked my attack. With a sweep of his wings, he knocked me off my feet. I cleared the library, sprawling on the floor of the foyer.
“We’ve won this round, Alexa. Time to leave.” Shya came to stand over me, watching as I dragged my exhausted self to my feet.
“F*ck that. I’m putting that bitch back where she belongs.” I shot Shya a dark glare.
“Leave,” he said, shoving me along with those impressive wings.
Jez followed with a growl rumbling in her throat. I saw no sign of Shawn or anyone else. He’d probably met his end in the library along with many others. Just as well, he’d proven that he couldn’t be trusted.
The sky was still dark, but sunrise was close; I could feel it in my bones. Shya would be forced to leave with the dawn. Demons couldn’t maintain form on the physical plane during daylight. I could wait.
After ushering us out, Shya waved a hand over the front door. A barrier snapped into place, and I swore.
“Why the f*ck are you protecting her? She’s killing my wolves. She tried to kill me and Jez.” What little energy I had left, I poured into my anger. Shya was getting on my nerves.
Moving fast, he grabbed my wounded arm and pulled me dangerously close. “You’ll get your chance. She is my queen. There are things I cannot do no matter how far her kingdom has fallen. I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Good because I don’t. She’s a washed up queen with a curse. She knows she’s going down, and she wants to take as many of us with her as she can. I won’t let it happen.”
I tried to pull my arm from Shya’s grasp, but he held tight. I winced but bit back a pained noise. Jez paced beside us, her emerald eyes flitting back and forth between us. Her beast had my wolf pushing to break free from my exhausted human body.
“You have many fine qualities, Alexa. Patience, unfortunately, isn’t one of them. Work on that. Knowing when to wait it out can mean the difference between victory and death.” He let go of me abruptly. “I’ll be having a word with Falon about what he did to you tonight.”
“Don’t bother. I’m sure I had it coming. I trapped him in a circle and bullied him with silver.”
“I’m aware. You should know that what he did can have a lasting effect on people like you. He crossed a line.”
Fatigue made it hard to care enough to continue the conversation, but anger kept me going.
“If anyone has crossed a line, Shya, it’s you,” I said bitterly. “You have Arys convinced that you’re some reliable ally. You and I both know that isn’t true. You’ve got some kind of ill-conceived plan for me. Whatever that is, leave Arys out of it.”
“I said I’d protect you; I just proved good on my word.” Shya cast a glance toward the sky, gauging how much time remained. He turned back to me and said with a wink, “I’m going to unleash hell on this city, and you’re going to help me.”
With his bemused smirk firmly in place, he unfurled his wings and vanished. My lips twisted into a scowl. “That was unnecessarily dramatic.”
Jez bumped her furry face against my hand. She was right. We needed to get back to the car before the neighborhood woke up. As eccentric as these rich types tended to be, walking a leopard through the streets likely wouldn’t go over well.
“Nothing more we can do here, thanks to Shya. Let’s get going. I’m feeling the need to get furry, too.”
I wasn’t going to react visibly in case Shya lingered unseen, but his words had chilled me to the bone. It left so much open to interpretation. Lilah’s need for a little blood paled in comparison.