Games of Desire (4 page)

“I’m sorry,” Chloe said stiffly. “I can’t reverse my sister’s potion because I don’t know which spell she used on it. Don’t worry, though, this one should wear off in two to three weeks. The green is only temporary.”

He thought about apologizing, but one look at her face told him to wait until she was more receptive. Sticking to his nephew, he said, “Two weeks is too long. There’s an important ceremony in six days that—”

The faintest whisper of discordant sound stopped him short. He grabbed Chloe and thrust her behind him, putting himself between her and the entry to the room. She began to protest, but before the first word was spoken the door exploded inward, sending splinters of wood flying. Standing in the opening was the angriest and greenest demon Marax had ever seen.

Chapter Five

Chloe forgot about her anger with Marax as she got a good look at the Incredible Hulk standing inside the room. It seemed as if Olivia’s confession had a huge omission in it—one that was about six foot eight, as bulked up as a ‘roid user and in a rage.

“My quarrel isn’t with you,” the demon said. His voice was deep, but flat and determined. “Stand aside, your grace.”

Your grace?
Chloe jerked her attention to Marax, but he kept his focus on the intruder.

“It isn’t with her, either,” Marax countered. “She’s an innocent.”

“The guilty one has fled.” The giant’s hands flexed and released. It made him look bigger and more dangerous. “By right of law, the closest relative can be held accountable. That’s her.”

He sounded so reasonable, but Chloe didn’t make the mistake of believing he could be negotiated with. The red fire in his eyes, the sharpness of the gesture as he pointed at her told a story that didn’t match his considered words. She figured she had
his grace
to thank for that, but the giant’s deference wouldn’t last forever. How long did she have before she’d need to fight?

“That’s demon law,” Marax said, “and she’s human. Our statutes don’t apply here.”

“She is demon. She is bound to our laws.” The demon didn’t raise his voice, but what he lacked in volume, he made up for with the savage tone.

Chloe stepped forward and said, “My sister, Olivia, has no demon blood.”

That laser-red glare bore into her. “Her bloodline matters not. Yours does.”

Marax shifted, and using his elbow, managed to nudge her behind him once more. “She’s trying to make the situation right,” he told the Hulk calmly. “You know wizards can’t undo spells if they don’t have the exact wording. There’s nothing Chloe can do without her sister.”

“Then I will hold her prisoner until her sister decides to offer herself in exchange.”

“And you’ll bring the wrath of the wizards down upon us.”

Why was Marax stalling? What did this gain them?

Time for Infinity to gather up their security team, come up with a strategy and deploy them to take care of the galghoan,
he sent.

Chloe could only assume
galghoan
referred to the demon blazing fury at her, but if Infinity was going to send in help, she’d have thought they’d have done it by now. And even if a team was coming at some point, she couldn’t believe Marax was standing around waiting for it. Maybe they’d just met tonight, but she knew him better than that.

You’re not wrong about me, but this kind of demon is extremely powerful.

So are you.
Chloe would bet her life savings on that fact.

Yes, but almost no one can outlast a galghoan and that includes me. At least he’s talking. That helps.

“Our king won’t like that,” Marax continued aloud, “not when he’s trying to form an alliance with the vampires. Angry wizards could derail his plans.”

“The king will understand.” Now the heat was in the giant’s voice as well as his eyes. “I ask you for the final time—stand aside, your grace.”

Marax adjusted his stance. Not a lot, but it sent a chill through her. He’d prepared for an attack. Then he did something else, something she couldn’t name, but she felt the energy around them alter in some way. “Chloe is my mate. I won’t allow you near her.”

On the surface, his statement seemed relatively innocuous, but it sent terror through Chloe. She knew—
knew
—that Marax would battle to the death to keep her safe. She fought off the panic at the idea of anything happening to her lover and assessed the situation. There were two of them against one, but the enemy was nearly half a foot taller than Marax and easily outweighed him by eighty pounds. She wouldn’t be much help magically since she only had a protection amulet and that was in her purse.

As for physically fighting alongside him, well, she’d do it for as long as she could, but she had basic self-defense training and not much more. Adding to her limitations were the high heels and form-fitting dress. Why hadn’t she chosen more practical clothing?

The Hulk straightened and said, “So be it.”

With a casual flick of his wrist, the other demon sent a ball of fire the size of a grapefruit hurtling toward them. Chloe’s eyes widened, but Marax brushed it aside with a wave of his arm. The fireball slammed into the wall and exploded, leaving a hole at least three feet across.

Chloe gawked at the damage, then realized she better pay attention. She turned back in time to see Marax send his own flaming orb at the giant. The galghoan leaned and the shot went past him and into the hall. As that detonated, chunks of plasterboard fell to the floor.

The two males began to volley shots and she was less than useless. Chloe scowled. She hated that. If she and Marax got out of this in one piece, things were going to change. This was the last time she’d try to bail out Olivia. Her little sister would have to learn to deal with the consequences of her actions. At twenty-one, it was past time she grew up and took responsibility for herself, anyway.

Marax took a hit and Chloe gasped, but the shot didn’t appear to hurt him.

Protective force field,
he told her.
I have it around you, too.

How long could it hold, especially when Marax had it surrounding both of them?

She glanced around the room, hoping to find something, anything that would help. There was nothing. The space was too small for them to maneuver and there was nothing to use for cover unless she counted the chair they’d had sex on earlier. Considering the size of the holes the shots were leaving in the walls, it was unlikely the chair would make a difference.

Where is everyone?

The other guests,
Marax told her mentally,
probably ran for the exits. The security team should be here soon. I hope.

He sounded tired, and did his fireballs look dimmer than they had a few minutes ago? Fear shook her, woke her up. If anything happened to Marax—

Chloe squared her shoulders. She was done standing around like a freaking damsel in distress waiting for the big strong man to save her. To hell with that. Maybe she didn’t know anything about how to use her demon powers or if she even had any, but she had her own magic, one talent that didn’t rely on amulets or potions. She could amplify others’ powers. If she could augment the Merlin, leader of her band of wizards, she could help her mate.

Opening herself, Chloe took a deep breath and wrapped her aura around Marax, sending him the energy she hoped would boost his magic. It seemed to work, at least she thought his shots were more fiery than they’d been.

Chloe, don’t empty your power helping me.

I’m fine. Just use what you can,
she told him.

I am. The security team is on its way—I can hear them and so can the galghoan. When you have an opportunity, open the window and go down the fire escape. Get away from here.

If he thought she was running away and leaving him, he better think again. She felt his amusement before another fireball struck his shield. Marax sobered quickly after that.

I plan to follow you when he’s distracted, but first I’ll need to cover your exit. You’re the one who’ll have to get that window up and we don’t know how difficult that’s going to be. Conserve some of your power for that.

She didn’t say anything; she didn’t want to distract him, but her powers couldn’t be directed that way, not without putting a spell on a strength potion and then drinking it. Or maybe charming an amulet to shatter the glass. When the time came, Chloe would have to trust her adrenaline would provide some extra oomph.

More fireballs were being hurled at the giant demon, but they were coming from the corridor. The ceiling between them and their enemy took a hit, plaster raining down on them. Closing her eyes, Chloe ducked, trying to avoid the debris.

Now, Chloe,
Marax sent.

A quick peek showed the galghoan was firing into the hallway. She turned and ran for the windows, snagging her purse off the bed as she went. Maybe it was stupid, but she wasn’t leaving it behind.

Grabbing the handle, Chloe yanked at the window. It didn’t budge. A frantic sweep and she saw the lock. With a shaking hand, she opened it and tried again to lift the sash. It wouldn’t budge. No nails, it didn’t look painted shut, but—a shot exploded at her back. The force field held, but the impact threw her off balance.

Aim your power at the window,
Marax ordered,
and get that thing open.

“Okay, okay, okay,” Chloe muttered. She’d never done this with an inanimate object, but she opened herself to the window at the same time she pulled. This time the sash went up, the wood groaning as it moved.

She hesitated and Marax growled a curse at her. “Go!” he ordered.

Swinging a leg through the window, Chloe crawled out on the metal fire escape. Her skirt rode up and she became excruciatingly aware that she was going commando. Then one of her heels slipped between the grate of the escape and she forgot all about being embarrassed.

Chloe pulled off her other shoe and then stepped out of the one that was caught. It was wedged in there tightly. She did some swearing of her own, but got it free. She looked back inside the room. Marax didn’t appear to be making any effort to follow her.

I’ll be behind you shortly. Will you please just trust me for five minutes?

I trust you,
she sent. And she did, whether she wanted to or not, but if he wasn’t right behind her, she’d come back and kick his butt.

Or whatever’s left of it,
he countered. She could hear his amusement.

“Not funny,” she said, and scrambled down the stairs. At the next landing, she looped the strap of her purse across her body. She reached the final ladder and studied it, trying to figure out how to lower it to the ground. It took a minute, but she got it to slide down its track.

One last look up—no Marax—and Chloe put her shoes back on, stepping carefully on the grating. She couldn’t climb down that ladder barefoot and who knew what kind of crap was on the asphalt below? Glass, jagged metal? Either was possible and she couldn’t see enough of the alley to take the chance, not if she needed to keep running.

She was almost to the ground when the sound of footsteps clattering on the metal sounded from above her. From her position, she didn’t know who it was and she hurried. If it was the Hulk, she didn’t want to be hanging in midair when he reached her.

As soon as her feet touched pavement, she moved, trying to get an angle to see the escape. “Please be Marax, please be Marax.”

From the mouth of the alley, she looked up. She saw the flash of bare skin. Marax hadn’t fastened his shirt. It had to be him.

But what if it wasn’t? What if she’d seen what she wanted to see?

If she had to run, she needed a plan. Her best bet would be to head to the Merlin. He had bodyguards and could summon all the wizards he needed to their aid. Except the Merlin was at some top secret meeting tonight and she didn’t know where it was being held. If she went to his home, all she’d do is endanger his family.

The man coming down the fire escape was definitely Marax, Chloe could see that clearly now, and she hoped he had a better idea of where to hide than she did. As soon as his feet touched the ground, she asked, “Is the galghoan following you?”

“Not yet.” Marax reached her. “He’ll be busy for a couple more minutes. Let’s get out of here.”

“My car’s in the parking lot,” Chloe pointed to their left, back toward Infinity.

Marax shook his head and took her hand, pulling her away from the building. “I don’t think we’ll have time to get there.”

“But we have time to walk?”

“We’re going to run—you should be demon enough to keep up with me.”

“I’m wearing heels.” And there was no way she was running through Los Angeles barefoot.

“That doesn’t matter. Come on.”

“Doesn’t matter. That’s easy for you to say,” she muttered, but thinking about facing the giant green demon again was enough to stop any more comment. Her feet would recover. Probably.

They started out at a jog, but before she realized it, the world around her had blurred. She gripped Marax’s hand tightly. Knowing demons had preternatural speed and discovering she could actually attain that velocity herself were two different things. She decided not to think about that or she’d start freaking out. “Do you want directions to my apartment?”

“We’re not going there,” Marax said. As if sensing her question, he added, “There’s a possibility the galghoan could trail us by following the wisps of personal energy we leave behind. It’s better if we don’t lead him to your home.”

“Where are we going then?” she asked.

He grinned and looked over at her. Chloe felt her cheeks heat as well as a couple of other areas. She recognized that smile and knew what it meant.

“Let’s find a hotel room, have a few rounds of adrenaline-charged sex and then figure out what our next move is,” he said.

Yep, she’d read Marax exactly right.

Chapter Six

Marax took a moment to look around the hotel suite—marble fireplace, tiled floor, grand piano, French doors opening out onto a balcony—and his lips curved. This was more like it. Not that the accommodations at Infinity had been horrible. Considering.