After Dark (Between the Veils Series, Book One) (12 page)

He drew a deep breath, a sense of calm washing over him for the first time since he’d ventured out on his own. This was where he belonged. Here. With her. Forever. He didn’t need his heightened senses to see what was right in front of his face. He’d fallen in love with Temperance, and nothing short of biblical intervention could change that. He could only hope she felt the same.

Temperance sighed beneath him, and he eased back, missing the intimate contact as soon as his shaft slipped free. She mirrored his reaction, reaching her hand behind her. He wove his fingers through hers, assuring her he wasn’t leaving as he reclaimed the cloth, dipping it in the bowl of water before dabbing it along her buttocks.

“Darling? Are you all right?”

She looked at him across her shoulder, nodding her reply as her eyes drifted shut. He chuckled, cleaning himself off before tossing the cloth on the floor and moving them to the center of the bed. She molded her body against his, as he slipped his hand between her breasts, anchoring her back to his chest. Her heart thundered beneath his fingers, the steady thrum soothing any lingering fears. She was his, and he’d move Heaven and Earth to keep it that way.

“Rest. We’ll figure everything out in the morning, but until then, I’ll keep you safe.” Even if it meant a change in venue…though he had to admit he rather liked the ring of Avery Smith, demon slayer.

Chapter Eight

“Fuck! God damn son of a bitch!”

Temperance opened her eyes, blinking through the blurred images until Avery’s silhouette sharpened into view. He sat beside the bed, using the small night table to hold his laptop as he tapped on the keys, his face twisted in frustration. He’d pulled on a pair of jeans, the top button still open as he relaxed back in the chair, running a hand through his tousled hair. He hadn’t bothered with a shirt, the slightly tanned skin on his chest gleaming in the sunlight. His muscles contracted and rippled as he cursed again, slamming his hand on the table.

“Now that’s what every girl loves to hear for pillow talk the morning after she’s been ravaged.”

She smiled when he turned toward her, his brow furrowed, his lips twisted into a frown. She glanced at the window, squinting against the bright light streaming through. Damn, she’d slept late.

Avery sighed, padding over to the bed, brushing his thumb across her cheek as he settled on the edge. “Welcome back, Sleeping Beauty.”

“Is it that late?”

“Let’s just say we’ve missed breakfast…and lunch.”

“Damn. I never sleep in.” She cast him a halfhearted glare. “You do realize it’s your fault.”

“If you’re blaming me for fucking you senseless, I take full responsibility. Though it’s curious how I managed to wake up an hour ago.”

She swatted at his chest, instantly regretting the action. His skin burned beneath her touch and the hard beat of his heart vibrated her fingers.

He snagged her hand, raising it to his lips as he dropped an open-mouthed kiss on the back. “I’ll assume you slept well.”

“I slept like the dead.” She squeezed his hand. “Thanks to you.”

“Trust me when I say the pleasure was mine, though I think you faired pretty well in that department.” He stood and moved back to the chair. “You must be starving. Can I get you something to eat?”

“In a minute. What has you so frustrated?”

He glanced at the laptop, his eyebrows drawing close again. “I’ve been downloading all the readings we took at the tomb yesterday, but I can’t make sense of this one voice we recorded.” He lifted a brow. “Want to give it a try?”

“Sure.” She shifted to the edge of the bed, tossing the cover aside as she swung her feet over the edge, brushing them across the floor. Her muscles ached in protest, more than a few areas of her body feeling slightly used. She smiled at the thought. It was the nicest feeling she’d had in a long time.

She bit back a groan as she pushed to her feet. What she really needed was a massage. Maybe she could con Avery into giving her one. She smiled at the thought, looking up when he mumbled a hushed,
hell yes
. She huffed and crossed her arms on her chest, pushing one hip out to the side. Seemed her lover wasn’t about to give up spying on her thoughts, though she had to admit, she’d be all over the inside of his head if she had the ability.

He shook his head, his gaze sweeping down her body. “If you’re attempting to lecture me, darling, I suggest you put some clothes on because, dressed as you are…in nothing…anything you say just gets lost in the view.”

She chuckled. It was hard to be upset with him when he looked at her as if he was preparing to devour her in a single bite. She moved toward him. “How about I just listen to that recording?”

He held out his hand. “Seriously, Temperance. If you take one more step, you’ll find yourself pinned to the wall wearing nothing but my cock.” He grabbed his shirt off the floor. “Here.”

She gave him a wide smile as she reached for his shirt only to have him pull it back slightly. She furrowed her brow, not sure if she’d misheard him.

His gaze lingered up and down her body again before clashing with hers. “On second thought, forget the damn ghosts. You’re far more interesting than they are.” He stalked toward her, his shirt crushed in one hand.

Temperance gasped and took a step back, palming his chest when he closed in on her. “Down boy. While I’m more than flattered with your enthusiasm and completely in agreement about another round, I’d like to have a shower first. Besides, I’ve slept half the day away. Let’s figure a few things out then…” She slid her hand up his chest and across his shoulder, looping it behind his neck as she stepped into his embrace. “If you’re still enthralled with the view, I’m all yours.”

Avery’s hand trailed across her waist and over her ass, coming to rest on the firm mound. He leaned forward, nipping at her earlobe as he licked the line of her neck. “I plan on being
enthralled
with the view for the next century, so I suggest you don’t get too comfortable in my shirt. It’ll be back on the floor sooner than you think.”

His words hit home and she pulled back, unsure if he’d truly meant them only to see the validity of them etched in his expression. A sudden warm feeling filled her chest and she tiptoed up, taking his lips in hers. Perhaps he was right? The ghosts could wait.

Avery claimed her mouth, holding her tight as he took control, deepening the kiss as his hands rediscovered her body. Fingers traced her curves, leaving a promise of more in their wake. Her heart thrashed against her ribs when he finally released her, still holding her close. She nipped at his lips, wanting more, but he shook his head, planting a chaste kiss on the tip of her nose.

“While I love where your thoughts are going, darling, I also know you’d kick my ass afterward. You asked for a shower first, and I intend to see to your wishes.” He smiled at her. “But I could use some help with the recordings…before you get any wetter than you already are.”

She sighed, reluctantly leaving his embrace. “I’d kick it now if I wasn’t smitten by your sincerity, and I’m not the only one who’s wet. I bet if I stripped those jeans off, I’d find a tasty treat just for me.” She motioned to the laptop. “Okay, what have you got?”

He patted her ass, walking her over to the computer and pulling her down on his lap. A gravelly rasp feathered across her ear as she shimmed her butt across his erection, settling it against her crease. She smiled. Good, she didn’t want to be the only one feeling needy…again.

She looked at the screen, studying the different sound signatures layered across the window. On any other occasion, she’d be thrilled by the sheer amount of interaction they’d had with the various spirits, but in this case, it only served to send a cold shiver down her spine. What the hell had they walked into?

Avery clicked on one of the boxes. “A lot of this stuff is the usual…whispered voices that aren’t directly related to our situation, but this…this one seems particularly relevant.”

He played the clip, turning the volume up high. A blast of static blared from the speakers. Their footsteps echoed in the background, along with the occasional word, but then she heard it…a distinct voice mumbling in the white noise.

She reached for the mouse, dragging the cursor back slightly so she could listen to the phrase again. Though it was hushed and fragmented, a sentence emerged.
Beware. Evil is coming
.

Goose bumps cascaded down her arms at the ghostly warning, the voice strangely familiar. She glanced at Avery, but he merely nodded, clicking on another box. More static crackled to life, followed by an ungodly shout.
Run
.

“That! That’s the voice I heard in the tombs.” She pointed at the screen. “The one that echoed all around us.”

“We should have listened.” He clicked through some more layers, bringing up another sound signature. “Now this is one you captured while I was…unconscious. I can hear the first part, but then another spirit talks and all I can make out is the word ‘souls’.”

Temperance closed her eyes, listening to the short exchange between her and the demon, trying to hear the other voice murmuring in the background.

She shook her head, reaching for the mouse. “It’s too garbled. Why don’t you isolate that one voice and dim the background noise?”

He chuckled. “Did you miss the part where Blake told you he was my technical specialist? Sorry, darling, but I tend to leave all this computer shit to him…an oversight I promise I’ll correct, however…”

However, that didn’t help them right now.

She gave his cheek a kiss. “May I?”

He motioned to the computer, handing her the mouse again. “Be my guest.”

She switched programs, exporting the clip and opening it in an editing program. Then she split the various sound waves, doing her best to isolate the one they were trying to decipher.

“This won’t be perfect, but it will cut out some of the interference.” She saved the file and reopened it, playing it again.

Avery’s hold on her tightened as the voices wavered in the air. “Bloody hell. I believe that spirit just foretold the future. I clearly heard it say…
it’s taking her
.” He sighed, leaning closer when the next ghost sounded. He cursed. “I still can’t understand that. Did it say,
girl, player of souls
?”

“Not girl, gall… it said,
gall, slayer of souls
.”

Avery pursed his lips, listening again. Though the sentence was muddled, she hadn’t been wrong. He swore under his breath, lifting her up as he gained his feet. He paced across the room, looking as if he wanted to slam his fist through the wall.

“Care to share? I assume you know who or what
gall
is?”

He turned, tensing his jaw until the vein in his temple pulsed. “Remember when I told you I’d done some research after that first death? Ancient texts, disreputable people? Gall is a name that came up…a few times, but damn. I never thought someone would be foolish enough to try and summon a cursed warlock.”

She frowned. “While your bottomless knowledge impresses the hell out of me, baby, I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Perhaps you could start closer to the beginning.”

Avery sighed. “Stay here.” He darted to the door, opened it, and peeked out before disappearing into the hallway only to reappear a minute later holding a small, black book. He made his way over to the bed and sat on the edge, patting the mattress beside him.

Temperance gave him a hardened stare. “You know damn well what happens when we get close to a bed together.”

Fire raged in his eyes, but he held up his hand. “I promise to be a complete gentleman…at least until I’ve explained myself. Then all bets are off.”

“Fair enough.”

She padded over to the bed, sitting beside him. A hint of pine drifted along the air, and she wondered when he’d had time to put on cologne.

Avery just chuckled, no doubt inside her damn head again, and opened the book. “While I know it’s terribly last century, I decided to take actual notes of my research.” He flipped to a point midway through. “Though the wording is very flowery and I’m not sure how reputable the source is, the name
Gall
is definitely mentioned. It seems way back in the sixteen hundreds, some self-proclaimed sorcerer or warlock pissed off the wrong people. After a rather bloody killing spree, a local priest lured the evil warlock to the church then proceeded to curse and, so the legend goes, banish his soul using only his bible and one of these.” Avery reached out and cupped the Saint Benedict medallion hanging around her neck. “They say the evil warlock was surrounded by a circle of fire and disappeared, never to be seen again.” He flipped to another page. “Here it mentions the same evil bastard, only this time it says there were several clergy members and one, not so pure, witch in attendance. Either way, the story is basically the same. He gets erased from our plane of existence for what’s been about five hundred years.”

Temperance glanced at the medal still resting in his hands. “Oh my god! It was the medallion that repelled him that first time yesterday.”

Avery frowned. “What first time?”

“It was just before you’d fully regained consciousness…when he tried to snare me with that damn light beam that changed into the chain.” Her gaze dropped to Avery’s other hand, the white bandage a stark contrast to the tanned hue of his skin. “Anyway, the first attempt bounced back and somehow hurt him.”