Wicked Waves: Solsti Prophecy #2 (11 page)

Kai watched them go, unable to help overhearing the rest of their conversation.

“You sassy girl!
 
You roll in with Mr. Tall, Blond, and Angry at seven–thirty in the am!
 
Dish, girlfriend!”

“He’s just a friend, Charles.”

“Hmm, well, your
friend
looked like he wanted to take me
down
when I hugged you.”

Kai let their voices fade from his ears when they boarded an elevator.
Friends
. They barely had civil conversations, but they shared a bone-melting kiss and a late-night cuddle that only one of them knew about. He didn’t think of Brooke as a friend, but if not a friend, then what was she?

He pushed the tangled thoughts of her out of his head. It was time to debrief with the others. Once he got back to the house, they would come up with a strategy for dealing with future Neshi encounters on Earth.

He scowled. There was one surefire way to subdue a Neshi, but it involved just as much danger as fighting one on a city street.

C
HAPTER
7

“
H
ELLS
BELLS
?”
SHRIEKED
B
ROOKE
AND
Nicole in unison.

The sisters sat on one of the brown leather couches in the great room at Demon Central, ready to hear whatever plan the Lash demons had concocted during the day. Brooke curled up at one end, with Nicole in the middle and Gunnar at her side. Brenin leaned against the stone fireplace, flipping a pen end-over-end, while Kai paced the room with his jaw set in a grim line.

“That’s what they’re called,” Gunnar said, twisting a lock of Nicole’s hair around his finger.

“Let me get this straight,” Brooke said. “You’re saying this little plant can incapacitate a Neshi demon?
 
Just by touching it or inhaling the scent?”
 
She had a hard time believing a little sprig of lily-of-the-valley could take down a creature like the one who attacked her last night. Well, not the Earth variety of lily-of-the-valley, since Rilan had explained that the blooms on hells bells were deep crimson.

“That’s right,” Rilan said from his position on one of the armchairs.

“Then why the heck don’t you have any on hand?” Brooke asked, shaking her head.

“Because we’ve never run into Neshis on Earth before,” Brenin said matter-of-factly. He tossed his pen toward the ceiling, caught it and resumed his flipping.

“Okay, maybe this is a silly question, but why not have some lying around just in case?” Brooke tried—she really did—to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

“Hells bells only grow in one small area of Torth. The region is inhospitable, and the plant is hard to track down. We had no need for it, so we never planned to collect any,” Rilan explained.

“But you need it now,” Brooke said.

Rilan nodded.

“So, who’s going to Torth to get it?” Brooke asked.

Kai stopped in front of the tall windows flanking the fireplace and stared out into the autumn night. “I am.”

“Oh.” Brooke glanced down, trying not to sound surprised. Had he volunteered for the job?
 
He didn’t want to talk about the other night.
Does he want to get away from me badly enough that he’d go to another realm?
 
She nibbled her lip, too curious to stay quiet. “How’d you end up drawing the short straw?”

“I grew up in the area. I can find that fucking plant faster than anyone else.”
 
His gaze remained on the dark yard.

“Are you going by yourself?” Brooke asked. Nicole had spared no details about the dangers lurking in the demon realm. Kai was tough, but a thread of concern niggled at the back of her mind.
Why do I even care?

“Nope,” he said, turning to look at her. He raked a hand through his hair.

Why is he making me drag this out of him
?
 
“So, who’s going with you?” She tilted her head, searching his face.

Brown eyes settled on her with a piercing intensity. “You are.”

“
What?”
she gasped.

“Absolutely not!” Nicole’s tone could’ve cut glass.

“Told you guys this was gonna go over like a brick,” Rhys drawled. He settled deeper into his leather armchair and folded his hands behind his head.

“Why me?” Brooke squeaked.

Gunnar held up a hand, stopping the chatter. “Why don’t we listen to what Rilan has to say?”

The Elder nodded. “As Kai mentioned, he grew up in the region. He can navigate it more skillfully than the rest of us, and that includes finding the bells as well as avoiding any pitfalls.” Rilan’s tone was firm. “And Brooke, you wanted more challenges with your power. This area of Torth is extremely dry, more so than any part of this country. You’ll have the chance to try things that you can’t do here. I have a list of tasks for you, starting with pulling water from the proverbial stone.”

Brooke opened her mouth, then closed it. A hundred thoughts fired through her mind.
Be careful what you wish for
was the most prominent one. That koi pond was looking better and better.

She figured someday she’d travel to the demon realm, but she didn’t expect the day to come so soon. Kai scowled as he resumed his pacing. He didn’t look any happier about this arrangement than she felt.

Her gaze dropped to where his black boots thudded a line in the floor. True, she had wanted to go.
Will I slow him down?
 
“How long will it…how long would we be gone?”
 
She turned to Rilan.

“It will only take a few hours, at most. You’ll go tomorrow morning and be back by lunchtime. I don’t need to remind you of Kai’s fighting skills,” Rilan said, giving her a small smile. “And if you run into unexpected danger, you can abort the trip and come right home.”

“I don’t like this,” Nicole said. “And what do you mean by ‘inhospitable?’”

“Picture the aftermath of a fire and volcanic eruption.” Kai pulled out one of the chairs from the dining table and straddled it backwards. “All you see is gray rock, gray clouds, gray ash. There are mountains with caves and dead trees. No water. Nothing green.”

“It sounds like red flowers would be easy to spot,” Nicole pointed out.

“You’d think so, but they hide in tiny crevices along the mountainsides,” Kai said.

“What about other creatures?” Nicole asked. Brooke was glad for her older sister’s persistence, as she couldn’t form a complete sentence.

“We may see a few small lizards or snakes, and some birds. Hardly anyone lives there, since food and water are scarce. We’ll have the place to ourselves.”
 
Kai’s gaze locked onto Brooke’s.

Her stomach did a little flip. They’d be alone for hours, with just a few critters to keep them company. Her gaze drifted to his sensual mouth and those soft, demanding lips that had seared her skin. She fought the urge to touch her mouth as heated memories stirred butterflies in her belly.

She also would never forget how quickly things had spun out of control. Her mad dash out of the training room sobered her thoughts, and her eyes returned to the dark luster of the oak floor. His skillful touch had driven her crazy with unexpected need, making her forget his condescending words and attitude. Thank goodness she stopped him before they went any further.

Then he showed up last night and saved her life.
And
let her win the argument over where they would spend the night. Strong enough to sling her over his shoulder and haul her anywhere he wanted, he had acquiesced and carried her to her own home. She would never forget the safe haven of his arms.

An unsettled feeling shot through her, followed by shoulder-sagging guilt. She barely knew him. He saved her life. Had she completely misjudged him?
 
But he’s so rude
…

“You should get some rest, Brooke.” Kai’s words interrupted her thoughts.

She nodded.
I can do this
. It’s not like they’d be sitting around. Rilan had specific tasks for her. Nicole huffed out an irritated breath next to her and Brooke grabbed her hand. “Come upstairs with me.”

“Why can’t they just fly you to a desert on Earth to practice in a dry area?” Nicole muttered as they climbed the steps to the second floor.

“I’ll be fine. Kai saved my life last night. You should have seen him.”

“I know.” Nicole’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m so grateful to him. But I worry about you.”

“I won’t have to stay inside the yard. Who knows what I’ll be able to try?”

Nicole smiled. “Yeah, that was one great thing about Torth. I could do things there that I never could have done here.”

“And it sounds like no one will be around us.”

“That makes me feel better,” Nicole said. “I wish we could go with you, but I know sending more than two people attracts attention.”

They reached the top step and turned down the darkly paneled hallway. Sconces along the walls gave a dim glow to the space, mostly for decoration. The demons could see just fine without them.

They stopped outside Brooke’s door and Nicole pulled her into a hug. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
 
She stepped back and searched Brooke’s face. “Don’t let Kai pull any of that rude crap with you.”

Brooke nodded. “Like I said, I can handle one grumpy, overgrown demon.”
 
His attitude, sure. But his kisses?
 
If she wasn’t careful, they’d crush her with sensual, devastating precision.

Morning dawned with ragged clouds obscuring the sun, a sharp wind chasing them across the gray sky. Brooke stood in the backyard with Nicole and the others, watching raptly as Rilan muttered some words in demonish and a giant shimmering ring appeared. Iridescent and waving in the air, it hovered a foot off the ground.

Wearing a black T-shirt, jeans, and hiking boots, she slung her backpack on. Even though this would be a short trip, she felt better having some basic provisions. Her ubiquitous water bottle, for one, as well as a few sandwiches, and a dagger that the men insisted she carry.

Kai carried weapons, as well. No firearms, because bullet holes mended so quickly among the fast-healing immortal species. She knew he had a knife in each boot, one strapped to his arm and one tucked into the thigh pocket of his black tactical pants. He completed a check of his blades, ending with the leather sheath at his arm, thick biceps straining against the short sleeves of his black T-shirt.

She turned to give her sister one final hug, and Nicole squeezed her shoulders with surprising strength.

“Now I know how you felt,” Nicole murmured.

Brooke smiled. Watching Nicole step into the portal a few weeks ago had been upsetting, even though she traveled with Gunnar.

“I’ll be fine.” Brooke nodded her head at Kai.

Nicole released her and Brooke walked over to face him. They had all told her that travel via portal felt like falling. Kai held out his hand. “It’ll be easier if you hold on to me.”

“Okay.” She placed her hand in his, caught off-guard by the heat of his skin. She forced a smile she didn’t quite feel, and looked up at him. “Now what?”

“Now we step in. Are you ready?”

She nodded and took a deep breath. He pulled her closer to his side, and together they stepped into the shining disc.

Brooke’s stomach shot up and hovered somewhere near her heart. It was like going down the first steep drop on a roller coaster. But unlike a roller coaster, the feeling of weightlessness didn’t come with a seat under her rear, or a safety bar to hang on to.
 

A small yelp escaped her mouth and she reflexively turned toward Kai, who folded her into his arms as she buried her face in his T-shirt. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused on breathing.

Dizziness and nausea closed in. Her breath came in short rasps and, finally, they landed with a thud. She gasped at the jolt and her eyes flew open, meeting Kai’s brown ones. They lay on the ground, with him beneath her, and she realized he had taken the brunt of their fall.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

He cocked an eyebrow. “It’ll take a lot more than this to hurt me, Sprite. How about you?”

“I survived,” she said, releasing her death grip on his shirt. She pushed off him and sat on the loose gray dirt, catching her breath. “I’m not looking forward to doing that again.”

“You don’t have to think about it for a few hours, at least.” He crouched beside her, scanning their surroundings.

She ventured a cautious look around, taking in the dreary landscape colored in varying shades of gray and brown. Kai hadn’t exaggerated in his description of the region. They sat at the base of a hill, which joined others to rise into nearby mountains. The grass-like substance covering the ground was gray and sparse. Boulders littered the hillside. Trees stood like spooky sentries, stripped of bark and leaves. Their surfaces were silvery-gray and smooth, with sharp spiky branches protruding from thick trunks.

Brooke shifted on the dirt beneath her. The sky was gray, with dark ashen clouds rolling across it. The wind swirled her hair, making a whistling sound though it wasn’t blowing strongly. In the distance, she heard a caw like that of a crow. ‘Inhospitable’ didn’t begin to describe this place.

She turned to Kai. “This is where you grew up?” she asked softly.

“Yep.”
 
He stood up. “Looks pretty shitty, doesn’t it?”

She hesitated, wanting to agree with him but not wanting to insult him.

“It’s okay,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “I don’t have any fondness for this place.”

“It doesn’t look welcoming.”

“It’s not.”
 
He studied a tree whose trunk had turned black. “Why don’t you work on your tasks before we start climbing?
 
I’ll take a quick look around.”

She felt her eyes widen in apprehension, and Kai must have noticed it too. “Don’t worry, I won’t go far. I’ll never leave your line of sight.”

“Okay.” She cast a glance at the ground. Since some of that gray grass grew within her reach, she grabbed a few strands. Rilan had explained that the fauna here hoarded the tiny amounts of rain that fell each year. There was water here,
somewhere
, in this dead-looking place. She cleared her mind and focused on pulling water from the straggly blades.