Dead and Beyond (13 page)

Then there was the phone call during which I first heard the scratching sound coming from the window. I could feel a deeper meaning here, as though my sixth sense was telling me something, but no matter how hard my mind tried to put the puzzle pieces together, a connection wasn’t clear. Could Devon have anything to do with the haunting? Highly doubtful because the Shadows were shaman warriors who, according to Aidan, wielded no power over the Otherworld.

But why would a ghost have such a strong reaction to a conversation? It didn’t make any sense unless…

I took a deep breath as I tapped my pen against my lips.

Maybe it wasn’t so much the conversation as the person on the other end of the line? But why would Devon’s voice trigger such a response from the ghost?

I made a few question marks next to the letter D and then put the pen aside, ready to move on to the next part of my plan: searching the house for any signs of someone dying in the past.

Careful not to touch anything, I combed the mansion meticulously, moving from room to room, leaving the one that was always locked last. The chamber once belonged to Aidan’s ex, Rebecca. Rebecca was the one who turned him and bit me during my astral travel to the Otherworld. She fed on my soul’s power, which in effect translated into major blood loss from my physical body. It all sounded so complicated, and yet it couldn’t be more simple. At the time of my attack, she was dead, I wasn’t. My soul was still connected to my body, so by drinking my soul’s power, she inevitably took my blood, which strengthened her. And now she was looking for a way out of Hell’s only dimension reserved for paranormal beings, Distros. Already she had fed on a reaper’s blood, which allowed her to travel through the different dimensions of Hell. As much as Aidan wanted to believe Rebecca was gone forever, I knew it was only a matter of time until she twisted her way back into our lives.

A shiver ran down my spine as I rattled the door. My blood chilled, as though a dagger were being drawn up and down my spine, settling at the nape of my neck. It was wrong of me to defy Aidan’s wishes that the door be kept locked at all times, but I couldn’t help myself.

I still remembered the moment our eyes connected in the Otherworld. Her green gaze had been full of eternal hunger; her reddish brown hair had been caked to her scrawny shoulders where mud had dried to form dark patches. There had been something in her manner—preeminence, as though she had been born to rule and those around her were fated to obey her every command. Maybe it was a vampire thing to instill a sense of inferiority in others because I had felt the same way upon meeting Aidan.

Even though entering the room might activate my necromancer abilities, I needed to see her deathbed one more time because an inner voice told me I was missing something and I was ready to find out what that something was. The lock snapped open at my second pull. As I walked past, the door groaned in its hinges, as though to utter a silent warning. It was superstitious of me to believe such nonsense, yet, I took it as a sign to hurry.

The room looked just the way I remembered it: high ceiling, paneled walls, and a shiny wooden floor. To my right was a four-poster bed carved with half-moons and beautiful roses as large as my palm; to my left was a huge wardrobe, which had been once filled to the brim with marvelous silk and brocade dresses in all possible colors. Only now, after being bitten by her, could I understand Aidan’s hesitation to discard her belongings. Like him, I felt her terrible magic pulling me to her, drawing me into her world of beauty, lies, and deceit. And if the spell of her bite was so strong on me, then I didn’t even want to imagine its effect on Aidan who had been Rebecca’s slave for many years before breaking her terrible bond by killing her.

I gingerly opened the door to her wardrobe and peered at the vacant space, wondering what happened to her clothes. Did Aidan clear out her stuff? And if so, why did he do it? Something began to throb inside me. It took me a while to realize it was disbelief. I knew I should be happy. Knowing Aidan, he probably donated all of her clothes to charity, and yet, for some inexplicable reason, I wasn’t thrilled. I felt as though it wasn’t right and he had done her injustice. A spark of anger pulsed inside me, as though in agreement. Aidan was the most reasonable person I had ever met. He never initiated a step without considering possible consequences. That he threw away her belongings after keeping them for centuries had to mean something, but I couldn’t see the logic.

Why couldn’t I understand his motives? He was with me now; he didn’t want her back. Maybe Rebecca’s spell on me was stronger than I initially imagined because my feelings made no sense whatsoever.

I closed the door to Rebecca’s former chamber and returned to my room to wait for Aidan.

*

“You disposed of her belongings,” I whispered as soon as Aidan stepped into my moonlit bedroom. He didn’t reply as he slipped out of his leather coat and tossed it over the back of a chair, then sat down on the bed, keeping a few inches between us. He kept his gaze averted from me, but I could sense he knew exactly what I was talking about.

“It was time to leave that part of my life behind me,” Aidan said, sitting down on the edge of the bed. “Make a new beginning. With you.”

I inched closer and took a whiff of the unfamiliar smell on him. The tiniest hint of lavender and roses, of green valleys and ripe red grapes hit my nostrils. I took a deep breath and let the pleasant aroma wash over me, making me feel all sorts of emotions I had been trying to push to the back of my mind ever since meeting Aidan.

A strong sense of longing grabbed hold of me. I had to touch him. I had to have him this instant, wrap my thighs around him and let him introduce me to what he had been eager to show me for weeks.

He looked so handsome with his dark tousled hair and his shirt unbuttoned to reveal just a little bit of his taunt skin and burly chest. I moistened my lips and reached out to trail my fingers down his neck, stopping at the button of his shirt. With a flick of my fingers, I unfastened the first, then went on to loosen the rest of reached out to trail my fingers down his neck, stopping at the button of his shirt. With a flick of my fingers, I unfastened the first, then went on to loosen the rest of them, and slipped my hands inside his shirt to push it aside.

Aidan’s breath caught in his throat. I moved a few inches back to marvel at his sculpted chest, gaping in delight at his strong muscles and soft skin. I could feel his heartbeat quickening beneath my exploring fingers. My chin jutted up just an inch, proud of how I could make him shiver by just running my fingers up and down his torso.

“Amber.” His voice sounded hoarse, barely louder than a whisper.

Smiling, I increased the pressure as I dug my nails into his skin and watched the soft red lines forming. His tongue flicked over his lower lip, leaving a wet trail behind as his gaze bore into mine, prodding, questioning. Something pulsed within me, making me want to explore every inch of his skin. Determined to have him there and then, I rose on my knees to press my mouth against his, and spread my lips just a tiny bit to welcome his tongue. His palms wandered beneath my shirt as he pulled me onto his lap. I settled against him and wrapped my legs around his waist, my hands already fighting with his jeans.

“No.” He pulled back and turned away from me.

I stared at him in disbelief. Did he just brush me off? “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, avoiding my gaze. “You’re not really ready for this, Amber.”

“Isn’t that up to me to decide? I can assure you I feel more than ready. In fact, I want it. Now.” And boy was that true. My whole body was on fire, begging for his touch. I had never felt so much desire for anyone before. It was a sign. Aidan and I were meant to be together, so why not take our relationship to the next level?

“No, babe, you don’t understand.” He turned around and grabbed my hand only to drop it an instant later, as though he had just been burned. “This isn’t you. It’s succubus energy lingering on me that’s making you want to jump into bed with me. I don’t expect you to understand now. You will after I’ve taken a shower and washed this stench off of me. Wait here. I’ll be right back.”

My gaze remained glued to the door long after he closed it behind him as his words’ meaning slowly sank in. The strong longing began to dissipate, but it didn’t leave me completely.

When he returned a few minutes later, I had gathered my composure and straightened my disheveled clothes. Or so I thought. His hair and skin, glistening with moisture, made my heart skip a beat again. He was wrong. It wasn’t just succubus energy. My feelings were the real deal and I couldn’t get enough of him.

“Are you okay?” Aidan asked softly as he returned to his previous position at the far end of my bed. “You’re back to your old self again?”

I shrugged. Trust the guy to know how to make a girl feel special after she almost jumped his bones. “You make it sound like a bit of passion’s such a bad thing.”

“Not this kind, Amber. It’s not natural.” He took a deep breath, his gaze darkening. “I dread the moment I enter the Lore court and count the seconds until I can leave again. There’s nothing normal about wanting someone so bad you’d literally kill for that instant gratification.”

“So, when you’re there you feel that way about everyone?” I made it sound nonchalant, as though I didn’t care, but inside, my temper boiled over, waiting to find a way out like an erupting volcano.

“Pretty much.” Aidan nodded. “But they’re succubi. It’s their nature to make you feel that way.”

He meant, all horny and eager to peel off their clothes. I snorted. The guy was digging himself a big hole here. The last few weeks, Aidan had tried to get inside my knickers at every available opportunity. I thought that consuming passion he couldn’t control was something special, you know, the result of our bond.

Now I was slowly starting to think he had just been pushy like every other guy out there who couldn’t keep it in his pants.

“Is that why you’re not taking me to the Lore court? Because you think I couldn’t take the sexual heat?”

He laughed briefly and started drawing circles in my palm. “What you just experienced was barely a fragment of what you can expect in there. I don’t want to lose you. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to protect the ones you love.” I rolled my eyes inwardly and opened my mouth to protest when Aidan cut me off. I sensed a deliberate change of subject. “So, what’ve you been up to? Any progress with your new project?” He leaned back against my cover and propped his arms behind his back, signaling the conversation was over.

“Are you hiding something?” I asked.

“What makes you say that?” His surprise looked fake, planted on his beautiful face to fool me into thinking I had it all wrong. I wasn’t going to drop the topic.

“You let the succubi touch you?”

“It’s not a matter of choice, Amber. They just do that when they walk past or when you don’t move out of their way fast enough.” His superior tone enraged me.

“I want to come with you. I need to see what’s going on in there since I’m a part of that world now.”

He shook his head vehemently. Something sparkled in his blue gaze. “No. That’s out of the question.”

A stray vision rolled before my eyes, making me stop my unspoken protest.

A shed in the woods, surrounded by tall trees that filtered the sunlight. A squeaking door hanging off its hinges. Angel’s jet-black hair, now covered in mud and dry leaves; her eyes filled with fear and unshed tears; her lips quivering, as though she daren’t speak…or scream. And then I felt someone else’s presence.

Someone was guarding her, watching her every step.

That Aidan was dealing with succubi was bad enough, that he hid something else from me was far worse. I made a mental note to find out his secret, but now wasn’t the time. I had more pressing matters.

“I need to speak to you about Angel,” I said slowly. Aidan barely looked up from the sheath he untied from his ankle.

“Can it wait, babe? I’ve been busy all day, I just want to close my eyes and go to sleep.”

A nap? That was his ‘polite’ excuse for not wanting to talk. Yeah, I was learning to read him quite well. You’ve been avoiding me for days, I wanted to yell at him. But being needy wasn’t my style. Besides, Cosmo always said a girl’s got to shape a guy into fitting into the relationship just like you make room for a new wallet in your handbag, not the other way around. I was going at it the wrong way.

I grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at me. “I think something weird is happening. I can feel it.”

“I’m pretty sure everything’s fine.” His expression remained cool and composed. If it weren’t for the tiny shadow clouding his eyes for a second, I’d never have thought he was lying.

“The house is haunted, Aidan. I saw huge scratches on the floor. The window shut in my face.”

“I thought we decided it was just an animal spirit.”

“It wasn’t an animal!” My eyes threw daggers, warning him to tread carefully.

“I believe you,” Aidan said. His gaze implored me to trust him. “You know I’d never doubt a word you say. I just wish I could’ve had a look at them.”

“Well, next time I’ll make sure to snap a picture on my cell phone while I’m running for my life. Maybe I’ll throw in some factual comments, like in a documentary.” I moistened my lips as I considered my words. “Look, there’s more. I can feel someone’s presence.” My gaze bore into him, prodding his mind, which remained surprisingly blank.

which remained surprisingly blank.

“That’s part of the gift.”

“No. This isn’t your average soul in need.” I lowered my voice. “Something sinister, unnatural, is watching me. I’m telling you, it’s pure evil.”

His fingers stroked my hand. “We talked about this, Amber. It’s your gift kicking into first gear. I’m really trying to figure out how to keep the spirits at bay, but you need to give me more time. Trust me, you have nothing to fear.” His gorgeous lips curved into his usual breathtaking smile. It was a blatant lie. My heart filled with love but also something else. Fear. Dread. A premonition I couldn’t quite pinpoint.