Darker (32 page)

Unable to hold back, I closed my eyes and bit into his wrist. The blood flowed and I sighed. A light flashed behind my eyes, and I felt myself fall into Arys’s head. For a startling moment, my actions were exposed to him. I opened my eyes and found my victim grabbing hungrily for me. He either didn’t know what I’d just done, or he didn’t care. He was entirely under my thrall. All mine.

I knew Arys saw what I saw and felt what I felt. His presence was heavy in my head but quiet, watchful. I considered shoving him out, but the dark side of me entertained a naughty thought: What the hell, let him watch.

Dropping the john’s arm, I rose up over him and pushed his head to the side. Exposing his neck brought a groan from me. I ran a claw over the pumping artery there. He would bleed out fast if I went for the carotid. Going for the jugular might give me a bit more time. I let the question echo in my mind. Arys’s preference came in the form of a feeling rather than a clear thought. He wanted me to tear the guy apart.

The john tried to pull me in for a kiss. I teasingly shook my head and gave a coy smile. I wasn’t sure if prostitutes really had a no kiss on the lips rule, but I didn’t intend to let him touch me more than necessary. My head already spun with his lust, but that was the tip of the iceberg. I needed more. Blood and death.

The hand on my breast grew aggressive. He strained against me, demanding what he thought we’d come here for. Arys’s tension permeated my thoughts. Again, I thought about shutting him out, but it was too late for that.

“
Let’s have a look at what you’re hiding here.” The john fumbled to get my bra off.

I grabbed his arms and roughly pinned him. “I know you’re used to having your way with girls that should be home with their families. That ends here. So, try to enjoy what happens next.”

I forced him to look directly in my eyes as I pulled him deeper under with my heady vampiric influence. Having him kicking and screaming would have been the icing on this madhouse cake. As easily as I’d pulled him under, I could set him free. He would fight and shriek. A thrill of excitement rocked me at the thought. Of course, having him beg for more while I killed him sounded pretty damn good, too.

‘
Decisions, decisions.’ Arys’s voice echoed in my head.

I ignored him, refusing to allow him to sway my choice. If I acknowledged his presence, the emotion bound within me might break free. I was here to escape that emotion, to find freedom from the torment. I would find that freedom in only one way.

I unleashed the short rein I had on my control. In a violent attack, I sunk fangs deep into the john’s neck. He grunted, and his arms went around me. His blood spurted into my mouth, and I devoured it. The abyss of dark pleasure rose up to swallow me, and I leapt in head first.

I lost myself. Everything that happened next was a blur. I saw nothing but crimson, tasted nothing but ecstasy. I tore into the pervert beneath me, and he enjoyed every minute. Only when death approached did he snap out of my spell and begin to fight, far too late.

Arys’s wicked satisfaction lingered inside. It fed my vicious hunger. When I finally came back to myself, I was sitting on the floor beside the bed, wiping blood from my mouth and trying to focus on the room around me.

A euphoric cloud lifted me, and I floated along it with a lazy grin plastered on my face. Then, I pushed Arys away. I closed my mind to him so as not to let him bring me down sooner than I’d like. I was going to ride out this high for all it was worth. Tonight, I would embrace the darkness, for tomorrow I would need to be the light. Somehow.

I washed the blood from my face and hands in the dingy bathroom. The tap only produced cold water, which was fine with me. It was refreshing.

Returning to the bedroom, I got dressed and surveyed the scene. The john’s throat was a mess of punctures and tears. The bed beneath him was soaked in blood, filling the room with a sticky sweet aroma. Not so long ago, I’d gazed upon Zoey’s prone form much like this. The meaning of this moment sank in deep. With a bitter string of expletives, I grabbed my bag and turned to go.

I smacked right into Shya who suddenly stood there looking both amused and quizzical.

“
For fuck’s sake, Shya,” I cursed. “I know you like the element of surprise, but this is getting ridiculous.”

His red eyes took in the motel room. “You called. I’m merely responding to your message. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

The dragon on my arm itched and burned. He had used it to find me. The thought was unsettling.

“
Not at all. I was just leaving.”

“
Are you just going to leave him like this? For the police to find?” His tone held a note of warning, and he raised a brow, his expression disapproving.

“
Yes. I highly doubt they’ll walk in here and immediately assume a werewolf did it. You are aware of what century this is, right?” I was snarky, and I wasn’t sorry about it. The demon didn’t share his business with me. Mine was certainly no concern of his.

“
Veryl employed you to keep activity like this quiet.”

I shoved by him and let myself out of the room, assuming he would follow. “Yeah, well Veryl’s dead.”

Shya fell into step beside me. Even with his wings absent from sight, he carried himself with an intimidating air. “And, if the FPA catches wind of this?”

“
Then, it’s their job to keep it quiet. They don’t want the public to know about us anymore than you do.” I headed down the street in the direction of my car. So much for enjoying the high, Shya was a real bring down. “Did you come here to lecture me or to talk about Lilah?”

“
She didn’t just take your sister; she’s got Gabriel, too. I’ve been summoned to her sordid soirée tomorrow night. I believe she plans to force both you and me to make some hard choices.”

I looked sharply at him. An ill sensation began in the pit of my stomach. “Why would she want Gabriel? How much leverage is he over you?”

Shya clasped his hands behind his back, a grave mask replacing his usual bemused grin. “She knows I need him. Grabbing him is her way of ensuring I show.”

“
What are we walking into, Shya? How bad is this going to be?”

“
It’s hard to say.” He shrugged. “She’s been targeting my demons, as she has been doing with your wolves. We are the two biggest threats to her throne. She wants us vulnerable. There’s no telling what she will do to see us that way.”

A shout followed by gunshots several blocks away accompanied us as we walked. I quickened my pace. I couldn’t possibly get out of the crime-riddled neighborhood fast enough.

“
What are you up to that has her so keen on bringing you down?” I asked, making no effort to hide my suspicion. “Aside from the obvious play for power. Why do you need people like Gabriel and me? What are we to you?”

Shya nodded appraisingly. “I admire you, Alexa; I do. I can feel the fear I instill in you, and still you never let it keep you from speaking your mind. There are demons that have existed since the beginning of time who are not so brave.”

“
You’re not answering my question.”

Our eyes met, and I saw within Shya a glimmer of pride. He was too confident with himself. It didn’t sit well with me.

“
I plan to overthrow Lilah’s kingdom, to claim it as my own. I need something specific to do that. I need a coalition of those with exceptional skill to help me maintain a stronghold on this city and the power within it. The less you know, the better. It would be a shame if one of my foes were to torture information out of you.” He said it as if it wouldn’t be a shame at all, merely an inconvenience.

“
And, why the hell would we want to help you? What makes this city so special?” I hoped he would keep talking. Even a little info from Shya could shed light on the mysteries of his plans.

“
There’s something here… a door that must be opened, if you will. You, Hound, will help me with that.” He was being purposely vague, as if he enjoyed making me ask questions that he didn’t intend to answer directly.

I was growing impatient. With a snarl I spat out, “Let me guess. My blood will open this door.”

“
No.” He grinned, enjoying this moment. “Your death will.”

I was dumbstruck. Breathless and stunned, I struggled for the words that disappeared on the tip of my tongue. “Sorry if I don’t think that’s as fucking funny as you do.”

Shya’s look changed to one of disdain. He so easily tired of my mortal antics. “If you had any sense at all, you’d know an opportunity when you see one. Once you die your mortal death and rise as a vampire, there will be no mortal constraints on your power. No headaches. No nosebleeds. No limits.”

The bastard demon always had talked a good game. I wasn’t buying it. “When I die, the balance shifts. Arys and I won’t have the balance of light. We will just be dark. I get it. You’re a demon. You like the dark. That’s not my world.”

“
Ah, you silly mortal girl, it’s always been your world.”

Considering the scene I’d just made in the motel, it was hard to argue with him. My pulse raced, and my breath came fast. He was scaring me.

We reached the Charger, and I pulled the keys from my bag. “I won’t be controlled. Not by you, not by Lilah and not by the goddamn FPA. I’m sick of you all telling me what to do and when to do it. I’m not a sixteen-year-old newbie wolf anymore. If I have as much pull in this city as you all think I do, then you should know better than to fuck with me.”

The angry tirade spilled out. This shit had to stop. I was nobody’s puppet.

Shya’s expression grew absolutely venomous. His wings appeared with a loud snap, spread wide to intimidate. He shoved me hard against the car, closing in to trap me there.

“
Is that so?” A pulse of scorching heat emanated from him. His mark on my arm throbbed in response, burning as if flames engulfed my flesh. “You know who shouldn’t be fucked with? Someone who knows how to get inside the head of those who love you.”

Logic told me to shut up, but the heady rush of the kill drove me to be bold. I wasn’t backing down. “I know what you’re doing with Arys. Taking advantage of his fear of losing me won’t get you very far. He’s not an idiot.”

“
No, just a man with a lot to lose. Everything in fact. And, the more he worries about keeping you safe, the more likely it becomes that he himself will destroy you.” Shya leaned in dangerously close, searching me for something, weakness perhaps. “I promise you, I’ll be there when he does.”

This was not how I’d pictured our conversation. Shya knew too much. Had Gabriel also foreseen my death at Arys’s hand? Is that how Shya knew?

“
Even if you find a way to take advantage of my death, I will never help you. I won’t lead vampires and wolves for you. I will, however, lead them against you.”

Shya laughed in my face. He smelled of wine and roses. Faintly beneath that was the bitter stench of sulfur.

“
I look forward to it,” he said. “Now tell me, why did you really ask me here? I assume it wasn’t to argue about petty details.”

“
Brook is working with Lilah. He delivered an invitation to me for tomorrow night. And, a chunk of my sister’s hair. I need to know she’s safe from him. That he won’t do anything to her between now and then.” Those petty details were my life and death, but he was right, I had called him because of concern for my sister. It was a risky call, and I knew he would take advantage of it.

“
Oh I see.” He stepped back a few paces, allowing me some room to move. “So, you expect me to do something about that.”

“
I know you have power over him,” I offered lamely. I had a bad feeling I would regret this. Still, I couldn’t leave Juliet in Brook’s hands.

“
What do you want me to do?” There was intrigue in his eyes.

My stomach turned. This would lead to nothing good. “I just don’t want him to touch her in any way that would harm or violate her.”

Shya nodded thoughtfully. Pinning me with a deep red stare, he pursed his lips in consideration. “I may be able to do something about that. Falon’s recent indiscretions with Lilah have put him deeper in my debt. He’s playing double agent now. I can have him speak with Brook.”

Relief swept me.

“
That’s not going to come without a price, is it?” I was wary, afraid to hear his demands, but if it meant keeping Juliet safe, it would be worth it.

He pulled his wings in close so they hugged his back. Stroking a hand along the hood of my red Charger Daytona, Shya’s grin was vicious. He tilted his head to the side and regarded me as if I were a prize, not a person.

“
How about we negotiate on this whole leading vampires and werewolves issue? You are already Queen to Arys’s King. Why not start acting like it?”

“
I’m not going to pretend to know what you mean by that. You’re too elusive, Shya. I can’t agree to anything if you aren’t straight up with me.” I frowned when he sat on the hood of my car. I was ready for this night to end.

“
Nobody has more power among vampires and werewolves than you two. I need the kind of power and muscle those creatures can provide. All you have to do is establish and maintain a position of respected authority. You have it. You just don’t exercise it.” When I glowered at him uncertainly, he added, “It wouldn’t be so different from what you already do for me, what you did for Veryl. You’d just have more man power.”