Darker (36 page)

“
Falon, I believe you owe Alexa some retribution for trapping you in a circle.” Lilah nodded toward me.

“
Are you kidding me?” I stared at her in shock. “You’re getting Falon to beat on me for you? Why not do it yourself? I’m sure you want to.”

Lilah crossed her arms and regarded me knowingly. “Why Alexa, I’d think you of all people would certainly understand how easy it is to gain power over a man simply by fucking him. Why get my hands dirty when I have someone to do it for me?”

Falon’s wings ruffled ever so slightly. His carefully neutral expression didn’t change. Without waiting for another command, he walked a slow circle around Jez and me. He shoved her away, effectively separating us.

My heart raced. Panic caused my words to rush forth. “Fuck the circle. That bastard purposely-,”

I saw stars before I finished my sentence. Falon’s hit rocked me back on my heels. I struggled to stay upright. I looked fearfully to Shya as if he could save me. His face was a mask of cool composure, but fire burned in his red eyes.

“
Is this worth it?” Lilah asked. It took me a moment to realize she addressed Arys. “Knowing you can’t help her. That you can only watch as she suffers. Is it worth everything you share?”

Arys glared at Lilah with the power of a thousand burning suns. “You’re afraid of her,” he accused. “So afraid you don’t even want to touch her. You see the light in her, and it terrifies you. I see right through you, demon bitch. Because I am you.”

The two of them stared at each other, Arys with accusation and Lilah with uncertainty. Each of them part of the darkness, they shared something then that I would never understand. It momentarily crippled Lilah. She turned away from Arys, scoffing angrily.

“
Get me the blade,” she shouted at nobody in particular. “Let’s bleed this wolf.”

Falon pressed dangerously close. With wings flared wide, he trapped me, ensuring I didn’t try anything. I had to do something, but my options were limited, almost nonexistent.

“
Take your clothes off,” he demanded. “You have to be wolf for this.”

“
Fuck you.” I stood my ground. “This entire thing has been orchestrated for Lilah to throw her weight around, but she doesn’t have any. You and I both know that.”

“
All I know is that you better start stripping. I’m sure a few of these guys would be happy to help you.” Falon indicated the small throng of vampires watching the entertainment Lilah had promised them.

I gritted my teeth and fumed. Together Arys and I were powerful enough to wipe out every vampire present and maybe even beat back the demons, too. It wouldn’t happen though. Stripped of my power, I felt weak. I needed time to bounce back from that. Even then, I wouldn’t have access to my power in wolf form.

Lilah held up a shiny dagger with a sharp blade and a black stone pressed into the handle. She twirled it in her hands, eyeing me with a vindictive sneer.

“
Tick tock,” she said. Lilah moved between her hostages, lingering near each one of them. Stopping beside Arys, she held the dagger up for me to see. “Have you ever wanted to escape your twin, Alexa? Has anyone ever given you the opportunity to sever the tie?”

My entire body went cold. I shook my head, a vehement protest rising in my throat. “No. Don’t. I’m undressing, ok? I’ll shift, and you’ll get your friggin’ Hound blood. If you hurt anyone, that changes. I’ll go down fighting, and I promise to take you with me.”

The weight of so many eyes upon me was crushing. I kept my eyes on Arys, finding courage in his gaze. He could have fought back, could have escaped the demon’s grasp on him. Yet, he didn’t because my sister was still in danger. He was willing to hold tight and let me call the shots. If we got out of this alright, I’d make sure to show him my appreciation.

It was difficult to keep my hands moving. She wasn’t just stripping me so I could shift; she was exposing me in a way that would sap my remaining strength. She wanted me vulnerable. I couldn’t let that happen. I pulled my top off over my head and let it fall at my feet. My hands shook when I slid my pants down. They were vibrating when I reached to unhook my bra. Maybe I couldn’t do this.

“
Come on, wolf,” Falon sneered. “I’d have thought you’d be used to public nudity, being a beast with two bodies. Don’t tell me we’re making you shy.”

I was used to the nudity that came with running in a pack. It was natural, part of what we were. Being forced to strip down for the entertainment of others was not within my comfort zone.

“
Actually, you are making me a little uncomfortable.” I slid my gaze to Falon, searching him for some kind of truth. I couldn’t figure the bastard out. “I’m not sure I want you this close, seeing as you’ve already had your erection between my legs.”

He slapped me across the face, an open-handed smack that echoed in the large, open room. I tasted blood. My cheek stung, yet I couldn’t help but grin. The fallen angel was ashamed of what had occurred between us despite the fact that it had been solely power driven.

That shame fueled his anger. Falon grabbed me and viciously tore off my underwear. My attempts to struggle were useless in comparison to his strength. When he had me naked and quaking, he grabbed my hair tight and forced me to the floor on my knees.

“
Whenever you’re ready,” he said to Lilah.

I caught Juliet’s eye and mouthed the words, ‘I’m sorry.’ I didn’t know what else to do.

For the first time since I arrived, Lilah acknowledged Shya. She sidled up to him with a confident swagger. She tugged on the silver restraints holding him until she’d forced a sound of distress from him.

“
Now it’s your turn to play along, Shya.” She bent down so she could stare straight into his face. “You need both the wolf and the kid. However, you can only have one. I’ll let you leave here unharmed when this is all over. I don’t need to kill Alexa to swipe a little blood. She can be all yours. Or, you can opt for the kid instead. Your call. You choose who lives and who dies.”

“
If you succeed in breaking your curse, there will be nothing to stop you from banishing me to the pits. Why should I believe you’d spare me? I know better.” Shya showed no emotion. He was calm, possibly too calm.

“
Come now. You know I’ve had a fondness for you. At least, I did until you tried to take advantage of my curse and claim my throne for yourself.” Lilah tapped the dagger blade against the palm of her hand. She pointed it at Gabriel who glared hatefully at her. “I’m willing to spare you. After all, you have provided me with many comforts and protection over the years.”

“
Break your curse. Then I’ll choose.” Shya was so relaxed, he might as well have been in a recliner rather than a hard chair with chains. Did he truly fear nothing?

“
You think I can’t do it,” she hissed accusingly.

“
I know you won’t do it.” Shya’s calculated grin revealed even white teeth. He was fucking with her, having his Cheshire Cat moment and loving it.

Lilah backed away with the dagger clutched in her grip. She spun around to face Gabriel, and I was certain in that moment he was dead. Then, she regained her composure and pinned me with her cold stare instead.

“
Shift.”

I was almost happy to if it meant escaping the leering gaze of the vampire muscle. I slapped at Falon until he stepped well out of my personal space. The shift was fast and fluid. All I had to do was embrace the wolf, to let her spill forth and take over. There was a brief moment of exquisite pain and then freedom. I was wolf.

The strength of the beast filled me. I bared my fangs in a snarl, daring Lilah to come at me with the blade. She regarded me with wariness but not enough caution.

“
Try anything, and Falon kills your sister.”

Like a good little minion, Falon moved to stand over Juliet, his pale eyes gleaming with anticipation. A growl rumbled in my throat. I glanced around, desperately seeking a way out of this. Jez stood stiffly nearby, watching with growing horror.

I touched Arys’s mind, needing something from him. ‘If I don’t make it out of here I need you to make sure Juliet does.’

‘
You are making it out of here.’

‘
I need to know you’ll keep her safe. Promise me.’

‘
I promise.’

Lilah held the dagger ready in case I lunged. It took all of my willpower to resist.

“
Over there. By the couch.” She circled around one side of the couch, waiting while I did the same opposite her.

As I drew closer, I realized that there was a circle. An energy circle, much like the one I had used to trap Falon, encompassed a giant pentagram on the floor. The people within the circle were confined, prisoners. They carried on with each other, completely oblivious. It dawned on me that they were the sacrifice.

An ugly sensation warmed my belly. This didn’t feel right. Lilah would use my blood and their combined death to set herself free. Then what? We’d all have cookies and tea?

The tall demon shadowing Lilah stood at the edge of the circle, holding it in place. He produced a gold chalice and handed it to her. He stood between the two upper points of the inverted star. If Lilah broke the curse, we would all suffer. I was a wreck trying to see a way out.

Every other person in the room seemed to shrink back from the circle. I wished to be among them. The demon began to chant, low and Latin. My hackles rose as my fear grew.

Lilah advanced on me with a renewed ferocity. Eager, she rushed toward me, each step bringing her faster. I braced myself, unable to predict what she had in mind.

“
Hold still and this will be over in minutes. A shallow cut, that’s all I need,” she said, the gleam in her twisted gaze growing brighter.

She came only as close as she had to. Resting the dagger blade against my neck, she shuddered with excitement. I stared at Arys and Juliet. I loved them both so much, though I still hadn’t had a chance to reconnect with Juliet. If we got out of here, that would change.

The blade stung as it cut through my fur and flesh. The blood was warm as it seeped from the wound. Lilah was quick to capture it in the chalice. I tensed. This was it, the moment of truth.

Lilah lifted the chalice, sniffing its contents. I saw her consider tasting it. She resisted. Moving to stand at the bottom of the circle, near the point, she held the chalice ready, waiting. The demon continued to chant in a loud voice. Things were happening. I felt the earth tremble as dark powers in deep places began to stir.

A flash of silver drew my eye to Falon. He spread his wings wide and ruffled them, a potentially natural angel gesture. Something about it struck me as forced. He was trying to draw my attention to him. My eyes darted from Lilah to him and back. I couldn’t chance taking my eyes off her at the wrong time.

The Latin stopped, and the silence that followed was deafening. Lilah tipped the chalice and began to drip blood onto each person within the circle. That’s when Falon freed Juliet and all hell broke loose.

“
Stop her,” he shouted at me, already moving to release Shya from his bonds.

I froze, as did most of those present. After a heartbeat of confusion, everyone exploded into action. Shya was impossible to follow with the mortal eye. He went from his chair to the demon holding Arys, disabling him with ease. Arys was on his feet instantly, tossing vampires aside in his attempt to get to me.

The vampires were quick to spread out around the circle, doing their best to protect the outcast queen they had adopted. Several of them swamped Arys, trying to take him down. Pulling the blade from her golden hair, Jez leapt in to the fray, plunging the weapon into the heart of any vampire stupid enough to get in her way.

There was no time to think or plan. I lunged at Lilah, launching my full weight at her. She went down beneath me with a thump and a startled cry. The chalice fell from her hand and rolled across the floor, spilling the remainder of the blood as it went.

She still held the dagger so I sunk my fangs into her forearm, crushing bone between my jaws until she let go. Lilah fought back with the panicked desperation of one who knew her time was fast running out. With her free hand, she pounded her fist into the side of my head.

A heavy weight slammed into me. The Latin-chanting demon’s power hit me like a runaway train. I was airborne, crashing hard into the vampire fight. The throng swallowed me. Disoriented and injured, I struggled to get my bearings and get out of the flail of limbs and smacks of power.

“
Lexi!”

A familiar scent reached me as Juliet pulled me free of the chaos. Jez and Arys were back-to-back, taking on Lilah’s vampires with skill and the love of the fight. Shya and Falon targeted the demons. Gabriel sat stiffly in his chair, free now, an amulet in his hands and his lips moving as he worked a spell. That left Lilah who was hastily trying to gather the spilled blood.

She cupped her hands, scooping it and throwing it into the circle. If dousing each human sacrifice in blood was the key to completing the ritual, I had to stop her from pulling it off in her crazed desperation.

A vampire with a football player’s frame lumbered toward us with fangs bared. I left him to Juliet, confident in her ability as a wolf and a trained government agent. I wanted Lilah.

I dodged the vampire and bounded for the demoness. I leaped onto her back and bit her shoulder. With a shriek, she spun around trying to dislodge me. It worked. I hung back, judging my next attack.