Rise of the Fae (30 page)

“Let her out.” His voice was gentle, yet firm.

“No, Neeman.”

“I want her. I want to see her.”

Panic overtook Selene and then, everything began to dim.

* * * *

Neeman grabbed Selene as she went limp. He could do this. He knew he could. No matter what happened.

“We need to get her out of here,” said Mason.

“I’ll get her to the car.” Neeman slipped his arm under her legs and lifted her. The touch of her supple body in his arms once more made his soul feel complete.

“You can take me wherever you want, loverboy.” It was Selene’s voice, but the husky, silky tone was someone altogether different.

The same amethyst gaze he’d seen the first time he met her stared back at him. Fangs protruded from her mouth. It was a sight that both excited and terrified him.

“So where are we going?” she asked. “Or do you just want to take me here against the wall, in front of everyone?”

“Seraphine!”

She turned and looked at Mason.

“Awww… It’s the human non-equivalent of my brother. You should let Mael out. We could have so much fun.” She giggled.

Mason took a step closer and his eyes glowed like embers. “You need to sleep now and let Selene out.”

“You can’t order me around, Mason. I’ve been caged for too long. And I have no intention of going to sleep so soon. I have a job to do. One that my lesser half is too weak to do herself.” She ran a long fingernail down Neeman’s cheek. “Besides. I want to spend some time with my loverboy.”

“Why don’t we get you to Coven House and we can spend time together there?” Neeman asked.

Her features were accentuated. Her cheekbones more prominent, her lips a darker shade of ruby. Her eyes shone like faceted jewels. She exuded sexuality in a primal way that called to him.

Her eyes narrowed and she snickered. “Oh sweetie, it’s not going to be that easy. I need to go out. Not back to the one place where you can tie me down and shove a needle in my arm till I fall asleep and my lesser half wakes up in my place.”

“Actually, I want to spend time with
you
.” He wished it wasn’t the truth, but he did. He wanted to take her anywhere he could and bend her over and—

A sly smile spread over her face, making her fangs even more prominent. She leaned in and sniffed his neck before snaking out her tongue and licking up the side. She purred.

“I see that you do. I promise you, loverboy, one night with me, and you’d never want
her
again.”

Neeman bent his head close to her, every inch of his body anticipated the pleasure that could be experienced at her hands. “Prove it.” He kissed her hard.

She licked across his teeth, then ran her tongue over the roof of his mouth. Her scent intensified and he ached to bite her. He set her on her feet and her hand cupped him between his legs, making him groan.

“Seraphine, stop behaving like that in public.” Mason rushed forward and grabbed her by the arm.

Neeman tried to control his mounting lust but the effect she had on him was too strong for him to deny. Seraphine spun and planted her palm in Mason’s chest, shoving him.

Mason sailed through the air and landed hard on the ground several feet away.

“Seraphine!” Neeman reached for her, but she rounded on him and held out her palm. The gleam in her eyes made him stop in his tracks.

“I like you, Neeman, but I’m not her and I’m not above hurting you.” Seraphine’s smile fell and the purple color to her eyes diminished. She looked around, bewildered. “Mason! Help me,” she yelled. Then she convulsed and when her eyes opened, they were purple again.

“Oh, that was new. She doesn’t like me threatening you. But it doesn’t matter. After I fully transform, she won’t be able to get out again until I say so.”

Mason was back on his feet. He advanced on Seraphine, speaking in the ancient language Neeman didn’t understand. His eyes were golden and his voice was deep as a resonating bass drum.

Mason’s fangs descended. Seraphine’s eyes widened and she backed up.

Just as Mason reached out to grab her she said,
“Obscuro.”
And disappeared.

Mason roared in anger and rushed forward, swinging wildly, but she was gone.

“What’s going on?” Danika came running around the building. Mason turned to her and his shoulders slumped. “Are there more demons?”

“No.” Neeman stepped forward. “Yes and no.”

“What does that mean?” She stepped up to Mason and he enveloped her in his arms.

“It’s Selene,” he said. “She’s lost control and her demon, Seraphine, has taken over.”

“What’s she going to do? Where did she go?” Danika looked between the two men.

“I don’t know,” said Mason. “It depends on whether Selene can regain control. If she can’t…”

“If she can’t, what?” asked Danika.

“Then the chaos that will ensue in the next twenty-four hours could be catastrophic.”

“We need to find her.”

“She disappeared,” Neeman answered. “She could be anywhere.”

“Lord Danika?” At the sound of Sherman’s voice, they all turned. “The High Council is awaiting us.”

“We’re coming.” She straightened her skirt.

Sherman turned to Neeman. “Have you seen Selene, by chance?”

“I think I saw her get in a car.” Neeman wasn’t sure why he was lying, other than to protect Selene’s identity.

Sherman nodded. “Very well. We should go as well.”

Neeman nodded and followed the group to the cars. He had no interest in going anywhere but to find Selene, but right now, he had a job to do.

“Stop!” Selene yelled.

Her demon laughed.

Selene saw everything her demon did and felt every pound of the pavement under her feet, but she wasn’t in control. She could do little more than sit back and watch as Seraphine ran through the darkened streets toward the downtown area.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“To find Lorcan.”

“Don’t be stupid. You can’t find him unless he wants to be found. You used my magick, how did you do that?”

“Oh, baby girl. While you’ve been getting your kink on, I’ve been paying attention to the changes inside us. Like right now. You can see and feel everything I do. We’re closer than ever now, you and I.”

“You used my magick. Any demon on this plane will have felt it. They’ll be looking for us.”

“Let them find us. I can take them all, just like before.”

Fear shook Selene to the core. Her lungs burned as she continued toward the lights of downtown. She reached deep inside and practiced the things Mason had tried to teach her. She located her center. The spark of magick deep inside that was her, Selene. She followed the thread that wove through her body. Her arms, her legs, every part of her. Concentrating, she pulled on the magick like pulling on the reins of a horse. Nothing happened.

“Nice try, sister, but you’ll never be more powerful than me.”

Selene cursed and tried again. She let her mind wander over every inch of her body feeling the muscles and joints in turn. The magick pumped through her veins. Again she pulled and this time her body stopped.

“What the hell?” Seraphine said.

“Like you said, we’re closer than ever. Guess you aren’t the only one who can climb back out when she wants to,” said Selene.

“Don’t bother. I’ve always been stronger.”

“I know you think I’m stupid, but you have to trust me. I know what I’m doing. If you kill Lorcan, the entire fae nation will come after us. We have to do things my way.”

“No. He dies.”

Selene let the thoughts and feelings of her demon half wash over her.

“You don’t want to kill Lorcan because of Neeman. You want to kill him because he tried to kill you.”

Seraphine chuckled. “Wow, you actually are smarter than I gave you credit for.”

“So it was all a lie? You really don’t care about Neeman?”

“He doesn’t care about me. He just wants you back.”

“That’s not true. He wants you as well.” Selene hated to admit it, but she’d seen the look in Neeman’s eye when he’d told her demon he wanted to spend time with her. He’d meant it. The curiosity in his gaze made Selene jealous beyond belief. Selene wouldn’t let anyone endanger him, even herself. Selene reached out and made her arm jerk.

“What are you doing?” Seraphine laughed.

“Taking my body back,” Selene replied. She forced herself up through her veins into her limbs.

“Stop it. You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Never. I’ll never stop. This is my body, my life, not yours.” Her inner demon never had learned to shut Selene down.

“And what about me? When you unleash me, it’s my body. I’m part of you. A part you may not like, or want, but I’m here just the same. You can’t get rid of me.”

Selene pulled on the magick inside her. She had a job to do. She couldn’t fail, if she did, Neeman would die. “Watch me.”

There was a loud crack several blocks away. Seraphine turned and sniffed the air.

Demons
.

“We better come to an agreement quick,” said Selene. “Or we’re both dead.”

Seraphine growled.

* * * *

Neeman pulled up in front of Danika’s office building and stopped the SUV. Stephos and Riley sat with him.

“Our job is to protect Lord Danika,” said Neeman. “No matter what happens in there, with me, or with anyone else, you keep her safe.”

“Are you expecting trouble?” asked Riley.

“Let’s just say, it wouldn’t surprise me.”

He tried to focus his thoughts on the issues at hand, but his mind kept straying to Selene and where she might be. Who knew what she was getting herself into?

“Are we going, boss?” asked Riley.

Neeman blew out a breath. “Yeah.” He opened his door. Riley and Stephos followed suit. They walked with Mason, Danika, and Sherman to the entrance of the office building.

Neeman scanned for signs of trouble.

A second group of trackers jogged up and met them.

“You three check the perimeter and stay by the front exit. No one comes in without my or Lord Danika’s say so. Everyone keep their phones on and call in every five minutes so I know we’re good.”

“Yes, boss,” they said. Then the three headed out.

He turned to Stephos and Riley. “You two will take the ground floor elevator. Stay there with the other guard and monitor the lobby.”

The men nodded. Together they entered the building. Neeman waited till Danika, Mason, and Sherman got into the elevator before joining them. The doors closed and the elevator pulled them up to the conference room.

“When we get in there, be polite, but give nothing away,” said Sherman. “There’s no telling what kind of mood the High Council could be in.”

The doors opened. Tension clouded the hallway.

“I’ll go first,” said Sherman.

The wooden conference room doors stood ajar. Sherman pushed them open and stepped inside. Danika took Mason’s hand and followed Sherman. Neeman brought up the rear.

Just inside, everyone stopped. Electricity charged the air.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Danika yelled.

“Easy,” said Sherman.

Neeman stepped into the room. At the other end of the conference table sat Chase, the Russians, Lord Garon, and the other two kings, Vinton and Melton.

“Good Evening, Lord Danika. Sherman, Neeman,” said Melton. “Would you be so kind as to join us?”

Neeman’s muscles twitched with the need to wring Chase’s neck for what he’d done to Danika, as well as her parents and everyone else.

“I asked what the hell he is doing here,” said Danika, pointing to Chase.

“He’s here at our behest,” said Vinton. “We’ve come to negotiate.”

Neeman’s gut tightened. Something wasn’t right. Where was the High Council?

“You lied to me,” Danika yelled at Sherman.

“I didn’t know, I swear.” He held up his hands in defense.

“Nika, if you’d just have a seat—”

Mason rushed Chase and lifted him off the floor by the throat. Danika raced to Mason’s side. Neeman reached down and undid the buckle on his holster.

“Stop,” she ordered.

“He tried to kill you. I promised I’d make him pay for it.”

“If you kill him then they have reason to go to war,” Danika pressed. “It’s what they want.”

“Let them come.” Mason’s deep voice resonated in the bass tones that belonged to his demon half, Maelstrom.

Neeman moved to Mason’s side. “She’s right. You have to let him go. If we start war with the other covens it will be like the outbreak all over again.”

Mason continued to squeeze Chase, whose color had drained completely as he stared at Mason, impassive. Up close Chase didn’t seem to be doing very well. He appeared to have aged dramatically in the past six months. His suit wasn’t as designer as Neeman was used to seeing, and his skin had a milky pallor accentuated by deep purple circles under his eyes.

Mason threw Chase to the ground.

“I think you’d better explain what’s going on here.” Sherman looked from Melton to Vinton.

“Let’s do try to be civil,” said Melton. “Have a seat.”

Chase got to his feet and then sat in his chair. Neeman, Mason, and Danika retreated to the other end of the conference table with Sherman.

“There. Now, the reason we are here”—Vinton gestured to everyone on his end—“is that we knew you weren’t exactly on board with our feelings, Sherman, about the slaves and having Lord Danika removed, so we decided to take matters into our own hands.”

“What have you done?” asked Sherman. “Aligning yourself with Garon and Chase? After what they did? They enslaved the humans, tried to kill Lord Danika. They’ll turn on you in a heartbeat.”

Melton shrugged. “She left us no choice. It’s obvious that we weren’t going to get through to her about what to do with the new humans.”

“We’re creating a scenario that will ensure Danika’s removed and someone more fitting is put in her place,” said Vinton.

“What are you talking about,” asked Danika. “Where’s the High Council?”

“Back in their palace, I’m afraid,” said Vinton. “They heard the word ‘demons’ and refused to get on a plane. But don’t worry. We’re going to give them a reason to come.”