September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)

Fearless and angry, Arrow glared viciously into my face. “You won’t kill me.”


“Oh no?” I held up my arm to show him the demon mark I bore. “Don’t think for a second that your parlor tricks impress me. I know angels and demons. You don’t come close to what they are.”

“I am not part of your world, vampire bitch. Let’s keep it that way.”

“Call me that again, and you get my knee in the groin and a fist in the face. Now I’m going to say this just once. If you supply Jez with drugs again, I will know what it feels like to hold your heart in my hands.”

He met the eyes of my wolf unflinching. His resolve was admirable. Good for him. He was also smart enough to know vacating the situation was safer than antagonizing me.

“Fine. No drugs for Jez. Got it. Now get your hands off me.”

I let him go with a shove, ready to make him keep moving if he tried anything. He didn’t. Arrow beat a hasty retreat across the room to disappear to the second floor. If I never dealt with the slimy, little wretch again, it would be too soon.

I turned to Jez, expecting her to be pissed. Instead I found her smiling.

“Wow, look at you defending my honor,” she laughed. “I feel so loved.”

I couldn’t share her enthusiasm. “If you ever feel like you’re slipping, if you’re tempted to do something self-destructive, call me. Any time. I will drop everything and come to you. Promise me.”

Jez’s smile faded. “Geez, Lex. Way to really bring down the happy vibe here. What happened to it being a night of celebration?”

“Promise me,” I repeated. In my mind I could still see her hanging limp in Kale’s arms. Seeing the way Arrow had honed in on her weakness, attempting to exploit her, it made me desperate to protect her though I knew well that nobody could be protected from themselves.

“I promise,” she said, her joyous mask replaced with one of sincere intent.

“Thank you.” I did my best to appear apologetic. “Sorry about that, Ky.”

I returned to my seat to find my phone vibrating on the table. With an eye roll and a groan, I went to hit the button to ignore the call. Until I noticed that it was FPA Agent Briggs calling. There were many people I would ignore. He was not one of them.

Holding up a finger to show Jez and Ky I’d be back in a minute, I grabbed the phone and headed outside to take the call.

“Welcome home, Briggs,” I answered. “I see you’ve made it back safe and sound. What do you want?”

He didn’t waste time with fake small talk. Briggs was a man of few words, a likeable trait. “I’m sure your sister has called already. I felt it was only proper to call you myself. I respect you enough to give you fair warning.”

“I haven’t spoken with Juliet tonight. What’s this about?” A prickle of unease traced a path up my spine.

“You haven’t?” Briggs paused, causing my concern to grow. “Look, O’Brien, I’m going to level with you. Juliet told me that you’re to be Shya’s sacrifice. I’m sure you understand that from our perspective the most important thing is to keep Shya from completing his ritual. No matter what it takes.”

I moved further away from the crowd gathered around the door, chattering and smoking. Barely aware of them, I peered into the darkened street in jaw dropped shock.

“And since you can’t find the scroll the next best plan is to get rid of his sacrifice,” I said what he did not. Betrayal settled in to make me nauseous. How could Juliet do this to me? “Are you coming to kill me, Briggs?”

“I’m sorry, O’Brien. There is logic in taking his sacrifice out of play. At least this way your death with be used to save many rather than to condemn them. It will be honorable.”

My heart raced, and a loud ringing echoed in my ears. Perhaps this should not have come as such a shock, but it did. No way in hell was I going to lie down and let the FPA kill me.

“This isn’t your fight, Briggs. I know you think it is, but it’s not. Shya will be stopped. By me. Not like this. You know I will kill anyone you send after me.”

“Shya could find the scroll at any moment. Is that what you want? To risk the lives of so many innocents?”

I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me. My breath quickened, and a shock of adrenaline made me lightheaded. “Don’t pretend to give a damn about anyone but yourself and your disgusting self-serving organization. You want me? Come get me, Briggs. But you better have the balls to face me yourself.”

His voice was void of emotion when he said, “I’m on my way to do just that.”

Chapter Sixteen