Seduced by Chaos (11 page)

Seduced by Chaos

An Etruscan
salbinelli
, Salvatorus had the lower body of a goat, the upper body of a man, tiny black horns sprouting from his head and the broadest New York Italian accent Teo had ever heard.

He’d lived in Reading since at least the early 1800s and no one was sure where he’d come from before then. So the accent was a head-scratcher.

Not everyone in the Etruscan community knew about Sal but Sal knew everything there was to know about everyone.

“Teodoro de Feo, what the hell are you screaming about?”

“Sal, I need to know everything you know about twin
quercioli
named Cara and Lacey.”

Sal’s eyebrows rose toward the sky but he kept coming down the stairs. “What the hell are you talking about, kid? I don’t know anything about
quercioli
.”

Teo slashed his hand in front of him, the
amentia
boiling, just waiting for a chance to erupt. “Bullshit. Do you know if Cara’s in town?”

Sal stopped a few steps from the bottom so he could look Teo in the eyes. “Maybe you want to start at the beginning, because you lost me somewhere about the time you started swearing at me.”

Fuck.
He didn’t want to piss off Sal. A pissed-off Sal was someone who could turn you into a toad with one kick-ass spell. And then he’d never get the answers he wanted.

Teo took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Sal, I apologize for yelling but…I love her.

Lacey’s mine. She’s gone and if I don’t find her, I’m afraid something’s going to happen to her. Please, Sal, I’m begging you. If you know where she might be, please tell me.”

Sal’s expression never changed but his eyes softened. “Yours, huh?”

Thank the Great Goddess. Sal wasn’t going to kick him out or punch him out. And he probably even knew where Lacey might be.

“We met two days ago and I knew, even though I didn’t realize. I’ve gotta find her, Sal.”

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Stephanie Julian

“And what makes you think she’s in danger?”

A noise from the second floor caught Teo’s attention. Someone was up there. In all the years Teo had known Sal, he’d never known the guy to have a woman in his home.

Or a man, for that matter.

“Holy shit, Sal. I’m sorry. I didn’t kn—”

“You don’t
know
anything.” Sal’s voice cut through his with quiet strength. “How’d you get in anyway?”

“With my key.”

Sal nodded, his eyes narrowing. “Guess I’ll have to make sure I reinforce the lock.

You want some coffee, kid? You’re gonna need it.”

Teo followed Sal down the hall, knowing Sal would spill what he knew in his own time. That didn’t mean he had to like it.

In the kitchen, Sal headed straight for the counter. The scent of fresh-brewed coffee made Teo’s mouth water.

“Now, about your woman.” Sal filled the two mugs already sitting on the counter and waved Teo into one of the chairs at the kitchen table. Sal sat across from him. “I’ll give you an address but—”

Sal’s eyes narrowed down to slits and focused behind Teo. Feeling the air displace behind him, Teo turned his head to look over his shoulder. Someone had materialized into the room.

He saw no one.

“Sal, did you fe—”

A beautiful woman stood next to Sal, her arms around his shoulders. She was taller than Sal by only a foot. And she looked…not all there. As if she were a ghost.

Teo dropped to one knee before he realized what he was doing. Obviously some part of his brain had recognized and remembered to bow before a Goddess.

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Seduced by Chaos

“Hinthial, Lady of the Darkening Shadow. My apologies for barging in. I didn’t realize—”

The Etruscan Goddess of the Spirit smiled. “No harm, no foul, Teodoro. Please have a seat. I certainly don’t stand on ceremony at Sal’s. This is a refuge for me as well as all others.”

The hint of sadness in her voice made Teo’s schoolboy history lessons run through his mind. As an underworld goddess, Hinthial held dominion over the spirit, particularly over those spirits who got lost along the way to Aitás, the Etruscan underworld.

Teo had never been honored by her presence before. He’d met three other deities of the Etruscan pantheon, including Selvans, God of the Forest. His brother Antonin had mated the god’s half-human daughter, Fiorella.

Some deities were more social than others. Some only showed themselves on ritual days. Others had disappeared over the years. And the underworld deities, like Hinthial, rarely left Aitás.

“Lady, I need Sal’s help. I need to find my mate.”

“It’s never good to lose your mate.” Hinthial looked at Sal. “Do you know where she is, Sal?”

Sal looked up at the woman and the expression that crossed his face made Teo look away. It was filled with so much longing, so much love and so much frustration it made Teo’s heart hurt.

Well, shit. Teo had always thought of Sal as unmovable. A rock. Affected by nothing.

Teo’s world tilted on its foundation. Sal was just as susceptible to love as everyone else.

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Stephanie Julian

Sal turned his gaze back to Teo. “I can tell you where she is, kid, but you’re going to have to make some tough decisions when you get there. And it may not turn out the way you want.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sal shook his head. “Not my place to say.”

Fuck it, he didn’t need to know. “Fine, just tell me where to find her.”

Sal looked at Hinthial, who nodded. “It’s his life to live. Send him.”

“I’m gonna have to take him, Tilly.” Sal sighed. “His family’ll miss him if he gets himself killed.”

Teo’s eyebrows shot up. Tilly. He called the Goddess of the Spirit Tilly.

Sal sighed again and slid off the chair, his hooves striking against the tile floor. He lifted his hand to cup Hinthial’s face.

Teo’s mouth dropped open. He knew he should turn, give them some privacy. He couldn’t. He was mesmerized.

Sal’s face expressed a longing so frustrated Teo felt it like a blow. “Can you stay awhile?”

Hinthial smiled so sweetly, tears sprang to Teo’s eyes. Blessed Mother Goddess, these two were in love. For decades. Centuries. Maybe forever.

“I’ll try, Salvatorus. But you know—”

“I know.” He leaned forward, both hands now framing her face—

And in the blink of an eye, Sal’s body transformed into the body of a man. A naked man with muscular legs, slim hips and a raging erection.

Whoa.
What the hell was going on?

Well, from the looks of that kiss, there wasn’t much of a question. They were in love.

And Sal could become a man.

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Seduced by Chaos

He’d never known
salbinelli
could do that. Nothing in myth, legend or the oral histories even hinted at that power. Sal looked exactly the same except for the legs. And he was proportional for his now almost-six-foot height. Still had his horns though.

Which the goddess was stroking with one finger, her other hand woven through his black curls.

Now Sal had to bend to kiss her. As Teo watched, Sal wrapped his arms around her smaller body, her now-corporeal body, lifted her off the floor and flush against him.

Completely oblivious to their audience, the couple kissed with a passion that should have been embarrassing.

It wasn’t. It was heartbreaking.

Finally tearing his gaze away, Teo walked out of the kitchen, through the dining room, the TV room and into the living room at the front of the house.

What the hell was going on? And why did it make his cheeks wet with tears?

Teo sat on the couch, drew a shaky breath and waited. Less than a minute later, he heard the clip of Sal’s hooves against the wood floor. Out of the corner of his eye, Teo saw Sal moving into the room, his body returned to his
salbinelli
form.

“Sal—”

“We need to go now, Teo.” Sal didn’t look at him, just headed to the large cabinet on the wall and opened it, revealing a cache of weapons. “Your girl walked into a situation she’s not ready for. Are you prepared to fight?”

“I am, but Sal—”

“Not now.” Sal twisted to face him with a fierce expression and a razor’s edge in his tone. The two swords in his hands never wavered. “We don’t have the time. And it’s a long fucking story. With no
fucking
end.”

Teo had never seen Sal angry. Sarcastic, caustic, amused. But never angry. And never sad.

Now he was furious and distraught.

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Stephanie Julian

Teo took the sword and swallowed his apology. He didn’t know what he would have said anyway.

And Lacey was in trouble.

“I’m ready,” he said. “Let’s go.”

* * * * *

Their arms wrapped around one another, Lacey and Cara cried and laughed, tears streaming down their faces.

Joy warred with amazement as Lacey tried to form a coherent thought. It took her a few minutes, but finally she pulled back, her hands cupping her sister’s face.

“Blessed Goddess, Cara, I thought you were dead.”

Cara grimaced in pain, her eyes darkening. “I’m sorry, Lacey. I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to leave you but I couldn’t stay. I have so much to tell you.” She paused, biting her bottom lip.

Lacey knew that look. She knew she wasn’t going to like whatever Cara had to say.

Dread settled on her chest, as cold as ice. “Cara, are you okay? Are you well?”

“I’m fine.”

“Then what’s going on? How did you get away? Why—” She couldn’t finish the thought. She couldn’t ask why Cara had left her behind.

Pain flared again in Cara’s sky-blue eyes. Lacey didn’t have to ask the question out loud. Cara knew what she wasn’t saying.

“I had to get out, Lacey. It wasn’t safe for me there. If I had stayed…”

“Cara, please, just tell me what happened.”

Cara stared at her for several seconds before she sighed. “I think it’s better if I show you.”

She turned and Lacey watched her walk to a door at the rear of the room.

Unreasonable fear swamped her. What if Cara disappeared again? What if—90

Seduced by Chaos

Cara returned, a bundle of blankets in her arms. A bundle that moved.

“This is my son, Aron.”

Lacey’s mouth dropped open and her brain functions stuttered to a stop.

“He’s five months old. Apparently, we have a longer gestation period than other races.” Cara stared down at the bundle in her arms with an expression Lacey had seen on new mothers. Complete and utter adoration.

“But…but…Mom told us we would never be able to conceive.”

Cara tore her gaze from the baby and smiled at Lacey. “Apparently, Mom was wrong. Do you want to hold him?”

“Cara…I don’t understand. Did you know you were pregnant when you escaped?

Where have you been? How did you get out? When did you figure out you were pregnant? Who…”

Lacey couldn’t finish the question. But Cara knew what she was going to ask. “I’ll explain as much as I can but…you need to hold him. You need to feel him in your arms to know he’s real.” She held out the bundle again. “Hold him, Lacey.”

Lacey’s arms moved of their own volition and Cara placed the bundle in her arms.

Cradling the slight weight, she brought it close to her chest, where her heart pounded out a fierce rhythm.

She stared down into the tiny, perfect face of the baby. Dark auburn hair covered his head but left his pointed ears exposed. With his eyes closed, she couldn’t tell what color his eyes were but the rest of his features were pure
Fata
—rounded chin, button nose and high cheekbones, full mouth.

Absolute perfection. So beautiful he brought tears to her eyes.

“Blessed Goddess, Cara. He’s…” The fierce rush of emotion flooding her body made words meaningless. She had no words to express what she felt.

“I know,” Cara said. “He’s a miracle.”

But even miracles needed help. “Who’s the father, Cara? Do you know?”

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Stephanie Julian

Lacey pulled her gaze away from the baby sleeping in her arms to meet her sister’s gaze. Cara’s expression showed trepidation and not a little fear. Fear of what?

Then her sister’s gaze focused on something behind Lacey.

Lacey turned, her arms tightening defensively around the baby.

Nothing could have prepared her for who stood behind her.

“No! You bastard! Stay away. Cara—”

“It’s okay, Lacey.” Cara wrapped an arm around Lacey’s waist to hold her in place.

“I know what you’re thinking but he’s not here to harm you.”

A terror Lacey thought she’d finally left behind hit her squarely in the chest. She knew that face, knew those flat, dark eyes and hard, cruel features. She didn’t know his name. They’d never used names. He’d never been to her bed but she’d seen him at the apartment several times. She’d been terrified of him but he’d never chosen her.

“Cara, no…” She couldn’t comprehend any situation where this man played any role in her sister’s life.

With her hand on her cheek, Cara forced Lacey to look away from the fiend and focus on her. “His name is Michael. He’s Aron’s father and he helped me escape. He knew I was pregnant before I did. He knew what would happen to me and my baby if we stayed. He helped me get out, Lacey.”

Cara’s tone had become more intense as she spoke, her blue eyes so stormy, Lacey couldn’t look away.

“Michael has kept me and Aron safe for the past two years. He’s cut all ties to the bastards who took us. He went back for you but by the time he got there, you’d already escaped. We’ve been looking for you ever since.” She smiled now and Lacey saw tears gather in her sister’s eyes, “You hid yourself so well, we couldn’t find you. Until now.”

“But…he’s still
Mal
, Cara. He’s one of
them
.”

Lacey shot a look over her shoulder at the silent man looming behind them. His expression was a perfect blank but his eyes… She shivered and looked away.

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Seduced by Chaos

“Cara, you can’t—”

“Michael won’t hurt us.” Cara’s voice held a conviction Lacey just couldn’t fathom.

“I trust him. Have a little faith in me, Lacey. Please. You’re in trouble. We can get you out of here. Away from them.”