It hit me all at once. The sinister power that crept towards us was stifling. For a moment I couldn’t breathe. It was strong, like cold bitter coffee. Black. It was just so black. I had no better word for it.
The humans were none the wiser, but the vampires in the club quickly withdrew to the farthest corners of the building when the demon entered. Like all of the demons I’d seen, he looked human, Japanese to be precise. Average height with shining blue-black hair, he was quite attractive. I found that most demons presented a handsome façade, but it wasn’t their true face.
Even from where I stood I could make out how inhuman his intense red eyes were. That gaze landed on me, and he smiled. Adrenaline crashed through me. Oh, shit. He made his way across the room, and I watched him, my mouth as dry as cotton.
Arys stood calmly next to me. His expression revealed that he wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with this demon.
The demon stopped a few feet away. I was relieved that he stayed out of my personal space. His power was so unbearably strong that I fought to shield against it.
“Alexa O’Brien.” He greeted me with a nod. “I believe we have a mutual acquaintance, Veryl Armstrong.” His voice was like a dark, somber melody, immediately mesmerizing. He didn’t offer me a hand so much as he helped himself to mine. “My name is Shya. I’d like a few minutes of your time if that’s alright.”
We all knew the uber polite act was for show. He fully expected me to cooperate. He was one of the people Veryl had said I didn’t want to deal with. So much for that. I had no intention of pissing the guy off if I could help it.
His hand on mine was warm as his power slithered up my arm like a snake. I wanted to jerk my hand from his but resisted. “Sure. There are a few tables behind the bar where it’s a bit quieter.”
Shya shocked me by holding up a hand before Arys. “Sorry, Mr. Knight. I’m afraid this is a private matter. And, since you’ve turned down our offer, you’ll have to sit this one out.”
I held my breath and waited for Arys’ response. He never told me that demons had asked him to work with them. Why would he choose not to mention that?
Shya never gave him the opportunity to reply. He turned his back on Arys without a second glance and indicated that I should lead the way. I hesitated just long enough to see the fury flash through Arys’ midnight blue eyes. Hoping to avoid trouble, I quickly led the way to an empty table behind the bar. I almost laughed with relief when Arys stayed put. It wasn’t like him, which told me more about Shya than I wanted to know.
I sat down across from the demon, uncomfortable with the way he looked me over with those creepy red eyes. The snake-like pupils betrayed the lie that his human form projected. I met his gaze directly and concentrated on staying calm but alert. As far as eyes go, this guy had the eeriest I’d seen, including Kale’s and my own. I fought hard to keep from falling into their crimson depths.
“I apologize, Alexa. This meeting is long overdue.” Shya beamed a pearly white smile at me. “I think it’s time we get acquainted.”
“Alright.” I smiled, hoping it didn’t look as wary as it felt.
“I’m going to cut to the chase. I’d like to give you the chance to rise up in the ranks of our organization.” He spoke with authority, easily holding my attention with his charming manner. “What we do isn’t about good and evil, human or otherwise. It’s about power and maintaining an order that was established over thousands of years. I’m sure you understand why a mass public exposure of the supernatural world would be horrific. However, you must know that many beings out there dedicated to just that: full exposure.” He paused, giving me the opportunity to form a response.
My tongue felt like a useless slab of meat. He’d just thrown a lot at me. It took me a moment to put a response together. “I’m very aware of how ugly things could get. The last thing I want is to end up on the wrong end of a worldwide witch hunt. I can’t imagine why any supernaturals would willingly expose themselves.”
“Some believe that by exposing us all, we’ll in turn have more control over the human race. I don’t agree with this philosophy. We maintain influence over humans when they believe most of us to be a myth. That’s where our power lies, especially for creatures like you.”
I mulled over what he’d said. Existing in the guise of myth and folklore was necessary. Going public was a suicide mission. “I completely agree.”
“It’s all so much bigger than what you see with Veryl and his pitiful office.” Shya continued, a smile of approval on his handsome face. “We do what has to be done to ensure our freedom and protection. As for those who stand against us, their numbers are large enough to pose a problem, which is where you come in. The more people I can trust to trim their numbers, the better.”