The Demon's Song

CHAPTER Three


Phenex knew something was wrong the minute Sofia disappeared into the curtained alcove where the restrooms were. Centuries of expertise in causing trouble had given him a sixth sense when it came to finding it.

Funny…she hadn’t struck him as the type to attract problems. Then again, she attracted the hell out of him.

Not really caring how it looked, Phenex cut the song short and stood. He set his guitar on the stand, ignored Luc’s glare, and leaped lightly from the stage. In a series of steps so swift they were invisible to human eyes, he was standing at the curtains. He knew he’d get an angry lecture later for using his power so openly here with so many humans around, even though he doubted any of the mortals in attendance would even notice what had happened—a blink, and he’d been gone. Still, the vamps took great pains to hide themselves. Small wonder. Vamps might not be hunted by demons, but they were hunted. Yet his rapid movement had been necessary.

He smelled blood.

The little blonde who’d taken Sofia away from him turned just as the ladies’ room door swung shut. She jumped a little when she saw him, but none of the fear in her wide eyes was for him.

“Where is she?” Phenex growled.

“She said get help. Sofia. Something’s wrong. Sara…and the noises…” Her hands fluttered nervously up to her throat, and she’d gone as pale as some of the vamps in here. Even if he’d been a creature inclined to comfort, he wouldn’t have. The smell of blood was everywhere, thick as molasses, cloying.

“I’m the help. Stay here.” Phenex slammed into the bathroom just as a high-pitched, feral scream filled the small room, echoing off the tile. He bared his teeth, fangs deadly sharp in their own right, and launched himself at Sofia just a split second after a dark shape came flying out of an open stall toward her. The instinct to protect was as overwhelming as it was unfamiliar. In that moment, all he knew was that he needed to be a shield…her shield.

The vampire’s scream stopped abruptly with a choking gurgle, but Phenex never made contact with either Sofia or her attacker. Instead, he found himself springing to his feet empty-handed on the far side of the bathroom, whirling to engage in the fight he knew was coming.

I missed her…how did I miss? I never miss…

It was a shock to see Sofia land a hard punch to the vamp’s windpipe and then slam her foot into his crotch before hunching into a fighting stance. The well-dressed vamp staggered, then crumpled, clutching his throat and collapsing to writhe on the floor. He wouldn’t be down long, but somehow, this beautiful, out-of-place human had managed to save herself, at least for the moment.

Phenex could only stare at her, torn between irritation and admiration.

“You’re going to want to finish him off before he gets up,” he finally said. If Sofia had a bloodthirsty streak, he figured, that just made less work for him. And he wouldn’t be the one getting bitched at for making a mess in here.

Sofia didn’t seem to hear him. When she drew in a shuddering breath, Phenex saw the truth—she was terrified, almost beyond reason. That was when he felt it again, that rush of instinct insisting that he protect her. The words that fell from his lips came before he could think better of them.

“Hey. It’s okay. I’ll take care of it. Hang on.”

Then she finally did look at him, those sea-glass eyes burning bright. She looked like a hunted animal. The vampire at her feet gagged again, but this time he managed a word.

“Bitch.”

“I only see one bitch in here,” Phenex said, knowing that in seconds the vamp would be back on his feet and twice as dangerous. He strode forward, letting his hidden wings unfurl. They slid through his skin like water, then snapped out to his sides, enormous black things that had carried him to Hell and back. From between them he drew the weapon he always carried, a longsword, ancient and razor sharp.

The vamp tried to spring to his feet.

Only half of him made it.

Phenex grinned, pleased with himself. It was a nice, clean stroke, dividing the bastard neatly in two. It wasn’t until he’d cut off the head and stabbed him through the heart for good measure that he realized Sofia was less than impressed with the display.

Hellfire. Apparently bloodshed wasn’t her thing after all.

She looked more than a little green, gulping air as she stumbled into the stall the vamp had come out of, slipping in the rapidly spreading pool of blood. She only barely stayed upright, clinging to the edge of the stall and then dropping to her knees beside a woman Phenex hadn’t even noticed until now. She was sprawled on the floor, deathly pale, her streaky brown hair half in her face. The ragged bite on her neck was a splash of violent red against white.

“Sara,” Sofia rasped, her warm, husky voice barely more than a whisper. “Sara, stay with me. I’m here. You’re safe.” She tried to pull Sara into her arms, but the woman was dead weight. Without even touching her, Phenex could tell that this Sara would have a feeble pulse at best. She’d been nearly drained.

Though it went against everything he knew, Phenex folded his wings back until they vanished and wedged himself into the stall, nudging Sofia out of the way so he could pick up the mostly dead human. The look Sofia gave him was as venomous as any serpent in Hell. What surprised him was how it stung.

“Don’t touch her!” Sofia hissed.

He leveled a glare at her. “I’m no bloodsucker,” he said flatly. The very idea was revolting. He didn’t keep great company these days, but no one had ever mistaken him for a vampire.

He could feel Sofia’s eyes on him as he stood, Sara’s body dangling limply. He’d been right. There was only the barest flutter of a heartbeat. She was in the perfect state to turn into a vamp herself, given a willing partner. But he’d bet money that the now-bisected vampire on the floor hadn’t had any intention of making her an immortal.

Sofia rose, too, but rather than taking a swing at him, she wrapped her arms around herself, looking incredibly vulnerable. Touchable, even. Phenex bit back a groan. This was a hell of a time to remember he had a libido. And she was human, of all things. The source of every damned problem he could think of. He didn’t like humans.

He liked Sofia.

Phenex gritted his teeth.

She seemed to collect herself then, so quickly it happened in the blink of an eye. She shoved all that thick, dark hair out of her face, inhaled deeply, and fixed her eyes on a point somewhere over his left shoulder. When her eyes returned to meet his gaze, the anger was gone. In its place was a kind of forced calm that impressed him.

This one had a spine of steel. For a human, anyway.

“I don’t care what you are or aren’t. She needs an ambulance,” Sofia said, speaking slowly and clearly. Most wouldn’t have heard the faint quaver in her voice, but he did. He heard every tiny catch in her breath. It was almost like music. She hadn’t stopped being afraid, no. Only a fool would have. But she wasn’t letting it rule her.

“No,” Phenex said. The expression on her face was priceless.

“No?”

Sofia looked like she wanted to kill him. And for some twisted reason, the heat in her eyes was one of the most erotic things he’d encountered in centuries.

The door to the bathroom thudded open, and Phenex felt relief flood him when Justin and two other vamps strode in. One was leading Sofia’s friend, who was obviously thralled. Her eyes were glazed, and she smiled vacantly at him. He had to admit, the thrall was a handy trick the vamps had. They’d needed an adaptation like mind control to survive here among the humans for so long. Unlike their kind, angels—fallen and otherwise—had never been meant to hide themselves, had always been meant to set themselves above the beings most of his dark brethren likened to talking monkeys.

So he had no thrall in his arsenal, just wings, fangs, and a big-ass sword. For now, it worked, but no one could accuse the Fallen of subtlety.

“What the hell happened?” Justin demanded, reddish eyes darting from Phenex to Sofia to the body in Phenex’s arms. “Most of the humans didn’t hear the screaming because of the music, but there isn’t a single vampire here who didn’t! If this is your idea of fun…” Then his gaze settled on the various pieces of vampire on the floor, and understanding dawned. He shoved a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. Phenex thought he looked as though he was praying for patience, and he smirked, amused.

“Oh. Great. One of these.”

“One of these? Does this happen a lot here?” Sofia’s voice fairly vibrated with outrage. Phenex looked down at her, enjoying the way she was glaring at the vampire king. Justin was far too nice, in his opinion, but he doubted many humans had looked at him this way and lived to tell the tale. Sofia didn’t seem to have any inkling of the danger she was surrounded by, though, even now. In fact, she seemed to be struggling to keep her patience with them.

“You know what? I don’t care,” she said. “I don’t know what you people are, or what this place is, but my friend is dying! The guy on the floor was…was…eating her! Sucking her blood! She needs help!”

Justin locked eyes with Phenex. “Well?”

Phenex shrugged. “Still alive. If you’re going to do something about it, better be now.”

Justin heaved a sigh, then gestured at one of the two vampires who’d come in with him. “Amir,” he said to the tall, dark-haired vamp, “if you would.”

Amir gave a short nod, then stepped forward. Phenex gladly gave Sara over into his arms. This turn of events wasn’t unexpected. Justin had too strong a sense of justice to let the human die if he had any say in it, and turning her wouldn’t take much at this point. Amir wouldn’t exactly be exerting himself. The man arranged her against him so that her bite mark didn’t show and left swiftly.

“Is she going to be okay? I want to go with her. Amy and I should go with her.”

Phenex looked down at Sofia. “Careful what you wish for.”

A flush stained her cheeks, but she didn’t look away from him.

Brave little human. You have no idea what I’m wishing for.

Justin cursed softly. “This is a mess. What happened?”

“These two came in tonight looking for their friend,” Phenex said. “They found her, plus some extra.”

One dark brow winged up. “And you showed up in here why?”

He’d be damned all over again if he answered that one truthfully. “I smelled blood. And I’m good at finding trouble.”

Justin seemed to accept that at face value, which was a relief. “True enough.” He shook his head. “I’m starting to think we have a problem.”

“You’ve got lots of problems.”

Justin laughed again, though there wasn’t much humor in it. “Add a couple more to the list. We’ll talk back at the, uh…home.” He eyed Sofia as he continued speaking to Phenex. “I’d been hoping I was being paranoid, but I should know better by now. I’ll need your help. You and the others.”

Phenex shifted his weight and hooked a thumb in one belt loop. “You usually do.”

Justin looked at the remaining vampire by his side, a sandy blond who looked as though he might have been a surfer in his mortal life.

“Trey, take Amy home. She should be able to tell you where to go.”

“As you wish,” Trey said, his formal manner completely at odds with the way he looked. He gave Justin a small bow, then led Amy from the bathroom. Sofia watched them go, her brows drawing together. Her tension was rising again. Phenex could feel it radiating into him, through him. It worried him, how aware he seemed to be of her every mood and movement.

“What about me?” Sofia asked.

“Good question,” Justin replied. “Right now, you’re the only witness to this who’s in any kind of shape to be of use. I’m just not sure how useful one frightened human can be.”

Sofia’s golden skin paled. Phenex heard her breath begin to catch again. It was all he could do not to gather her into his arms and nuzzle her.

The urge was appalling. And appealing.

He began to feel even more doomed than usual.

“This can’t be happening,” she said softly. “This is nuts. It can’t be. Wings and fangs and cutting guys in half…” It surprised Phenex when Sofia looked not to Justin, but to him.

“Please,” she said. “Whatever this is, I don’t want any part of it. I just want to know that Sara’s okay, and I want to go home. Please.”

How many poor souls had begged him for mercy over the course of his long life, Phenex wondered? And not one had pulled at him the way Sofia’s simple “please” did. He wasn’t sure what that said about him, but he was pretty positive it was nothing flattering. He would have been insulted if it had been.

His eyes moved between Justin and Sofia. Justin’s reddish eyes were steely. Sofia’s were full of her simple plea. Between the two, he knew what he had to do. It was what he had always done…and yet somehow, this time, there was little satisfaction in it. Phenex leaned down to Sofia, breathing in the sweet scent of her.

“No,” he said softly.

And with a single word, he crushed her hope.