Witch Infernal (Infernal Hunt Book 3) (15 page)

"Your fire is fueled by emotion. Dig deep
,
and focus on something you're passionate about, be that a burning anger or something more… sensual." The growl on the last word was just sinful.
 

I tried to focus and think of something that I felt strongly about. Images of Lysander naked popped into my head; I pushed them aside. It wasn't the time. Frustration started to pool within me when I couldn't feel the fire. I'd spent so long burying my emotions that it was difficult digging through everything to latch onto something I was truly passionate about. A spark flickered on my fingertips. It quickly burnt out.
 

"I can't do it,” I snapped.

His lips were dangerously close to mine, his hands roamed over my back and lower. "Yes you can."

His breath trickled over my lips, tempting me to claim him. My breath caught in my throat; it'd never been like that with other men. I needed him.
 

"I don't see why you don't just leave the mutts as bait.
 
Kastien has clearly shown an interest in them
,
" Zair said.

The moment was shattered. My blades were in my hands and my mind was assessing his stance for weaknesses before I'd even realised the kiss wasn't going to happen.
 

"We're not psychopaths
,
that's why,” I snapped.

"Oh don't be so melodramatic,” Zair sniffed.

"You're working with that?" a deep voice snarled.
 

I muttered a prayer to the moon goddess for strength and patience.
 

"No, we are not working with that,” I said as calmly as I could muster.
 

Tiel and Ioel strolled around the corner and stood behind Zair. Three big lycan males came from behind Lysander and I. It was supposed to be a simple task. Pour some hellfire into some sigils, head out for coffee and maybe a few drinks. Who knew, maybe I'd even relax for an hour two. Instead, I was in the middle of a stand-off between lycans and celestials. In broad daylight.
 

"I was merely explaining that you're worse than pet dogs and you'd be best used as bait, to stop any further deaths,” Zair said.

The lycans all snarled and began to advance on the celestials.
 

“Evelyn
,
do control your beasts,” Zair said.

I shrugged and gave a sweet smile
.
"They're not mine."

He narrowed his eyes at me and looked at the broad heavily-muscled men that were slowly approaching him, murder written all over their faces. Any concern for what the humans might have thought clearly didn't enter into any of their heads. The lycans launched themselves at the celestials
.
They used brute force and savage attacks. I glanced at Lysander and wondered if I was supposed to interfere or take bets. A few less lycans in the city would make my life easier, as would taking out the arrogant celestials. I didn't see a downside.

That was
,
until the cubs ran down the street towards us. Their faces were full of panic as their pack was locked in a bloody fight with the celestials. Lysander leapt out in front of the two smallest ones and scooped them up in his arms. I crouched down and caught the other two
,
holding them firm while they squirmed and began crying.
 

"Sshh little ones, it'll be ok,” I tried to soothe them.

The little boy sobbed and slumped against my arm. "That's our Daddy."

"No harm will come to him,” I said

I hoped that I hadn't just lied to a small child. The little ones were both relaxed in Lysander's arms; he seemed to have a way with cubs. He'd make a good father one day.
 

"Perfect! Well done Evelyn, now if we place them somewhere more strategically sound..."

The lycan with pitch black hair punched Zair square in the jaw hard enough to make him stumble back a few steps after his head snapped around. The lycan snarled and set about pummeling the celestial. The cubs watched
,
rapt. I didn't know if I was supposed to cover their eyes or cheer their father on.
 

Ioel managed to break free from the lycans; he headed straight to the cubs I was holding onto.
 

"I'll solve this problem."

He eyed with the cubs with malicious intent. I stood and put myself between him and the cubs. His eyes flicked to the celestial
-
feather blades in my hands, some colour left his face.
 

"No one touches a hair on these cubs' heads,” I growled.

Fire erupted over my hands, the blades sang a sweet melody that encouraged me to slay the celestial that was quickly becoming a bane. Ioel remained rooted to the spot. Zair and Tiel both shouted with rage before they vanished into thin air. The pale brown-haired lycan turned his attention to Ioel
,
who was in a silent standoff with me. The lycan picked up the celestial as though he were nothing more than a bag of sugar and threw him in front of the oncoming tram.
 

The tram driver pressed his high-pitched bell in irritation
,
but the celestial vanished before the tram could collide with him.
 

"Thank you
,
" the dark-haired leader said.

"No one hurts innocents,” I said.

His mouth tugged up into a smile. "You're not so bad
,
for a hunter
,
Evelyn Hawke."

The cubs ran up to him and wrapped their arms around his legs. Lysander's two squirmed and leapt out of his arms into the open arms of the other lycans.
 

"Thank you. Hound
,
" the leaner of the two said.
 

Lysander grinned
.
"It was a pleasure."

"We should finish these protections,” I said.

The lycans each said thank you once more before they headed into the bar. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the cubs.
 

"You'll make a good mother
,
Evelyn."

I shook my head. "I couldn't raise kids, not with the life I lead."

"One day
,
Evelyn. One day."
 

I brushed him off and focused back on trying to pull up my fire. I'd managed it when that cursed celestial had been standing there like an idiot; I just needed to figure out how to do it intentionally. It was a puzzle to be solved, and I wasn't about to be beaten.
 

Thirty-One

The rest of the day passed with increasing frustration. I'd accepted that I had access to hellfire
.
I wasn't happy about it
,
but I couldn’t remove it without losing Lysander
,
and I wasn't going to allow that to happen. I couldn't pull it up on command
,
though. I watched the ease with which Lysander formed a single flickering flame or an entire inferno. When I'd focused on the cubs and protecting them
,
I managed to muster a pathetic little flame that added a touch of colour to the sigils, for a brief moment. Lysander did his best to cheer me up
,
but I'd never been good with puzzles that I couldn't solve or things I couldn't control.
 

Kadrix was very happy with the protections; he'd checked on a few of them and practically danced with glee. He was rather excitable about anything relating to hellfire or my hound. He uttered the words 'mating ritual' but didn't get any further when he saw the look on my face. He'd covered his hair protectively and changed the topic abruptly; at least the damn elf had learnt to back off. I hadn't seen or spoken to Elise since I'd walked out. I missed her
,
but her pushing still stung; she
,
of all people
,
should have known better. She was my oldest friend
.
She was supposed to understand.
 

The thoughts swirled around my mind while I looked into my Dorian Grey. We were the first and at that point only patrons of the cocktail bar. Prague was a peculiar city
,
when it came to drinking
.
They were very much in love with beer and had no problems drinking it at all times of the day. Cocktails and other bars, as opposed to pubs and cafés, didn't tend to open until eight and didn't fill up until ten. The barman kept himself busy playing on social media. The emptiness of the bar only darkened my mood. Lysander's hand slid up over my thigh.
 

I muttered, "not you, too."

His hand shot back. I instantly felt guilty.
 

"I'm sorry
,
Lysander,” I said as I stroked the nape of his neck.

"I understand
,
Evelyn,” he said quietly.
 

I ran my fingers along his jawline, the prickle of stubble adding a rugged edge to him. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to give in to the emotions; he was a hellhound, he could look after himself. I chewed on my bottom lip allowing the idea to run around my mind. Would it be such a bad thing to strip him naked and explore every inch of his toned, muscular body? To feel his hot breath on my neck while he explored my body in return? That smirk slipped across his lips, his beautiful blue eyes sparked and shone with promises. I concluded it really wouldn't be such a bad thing. If I was going to be an abomination, a creature, then I should at least enjoy the perks that came with it.
 

Lysander's eyes never left mine as he knocked back his whisky sour. I grinned at him and downed my strawberry and gin cocktail. The barman didn't seem to notice us leave. Electricity danced between us as we headed back home. I stroked his fingers that sat on my hip and stole looks at his face, drinking in the way the shadows caressed his features, highlighting his cheekbones and savouring his lips. I twisted around him and pushed him down onto a bench in a small park. The hedge behind us gave plenty of protection from prying eyes. His hands sat on my hips as I leaned over him
,
slowly kissing along his jaw, teasing him. I grazed my teeth over his bottom lip, feeling the quiver from him, the way he fought against his own restraint. I'd bent one knee to straddle him and enjoy further pleasures when I heard a deep snarl and the clicking of claws on concrete.
 

I cursed every god above and below as I turned away from Lysander to face the intruder. I swore that
,
if it was a lycan
,
after what we'd done for them earlier
,
I'd tear it limb from limb.
 

It wasn't a lycan.
 

A great white wolf stepped into the light. Its shoulder must have come halfway up my ribs, maybe higher. Its thick fur shimmered with an icy blue sheen, its eyes such a pale blue they almost look translucent. I'd never seen a beast like it before. It held its head low, blood
-
red lips pulled back to reveal sharp white teeth. Every muscle was tensed beneath its dense fur. Its movements were slow, purposeful. It took in every small detail, every little movement. It ears were pinned to its skull
.
Its hind end sank down
,
and it coiled back on itself, ready to pounce. Lysander was at my side; his fire burned within me.
 

Time slowed as the great beast pounced, its huge body flying through the air. We side-stepped
,
but not quickly enough. It caught Lysander's shoulder and took him to the ground with a deep snarl. My hound's fire was extinguished. It went out with a blink, to be replaced with fear. I kicked the beast in the ribs; it felt like kicking a concrete wall. Lysander held its face away from his neck, his fingers digging in, trying to find its eyes. I slashed at its shoulder. It was enough to distract it. Lysander kicked its stomach and knocked it off him. Its eyes flashed with a sharp blue-white light; sigils flared over its coat. The temperature of the air dropped. The air rushed from my lungs. I'd never known cold like it. The beast snapped at Lysander, who had taken on a pale blue hue.
 

I put myself between the beast and my hound, trying to defend him. My movements were slower. My blows did nothing but piss it off, but I had to keep trying. Its teeth clamped down on my arm. I screamed. The pain was unlike anything else. Ice shards flooded my system. My teeth chattered, my muscles cramped. I gulped down air and drove my blade into the beast's cheek. I managed to draw blood, enough to make it release my arm. Lysander was shivering; he didn't have the energy or the fire to shift into his hound form. The realisation that we might die there in that park dawned on me. It was toying with us. Circling around us with soft rumbling growls. We couldn't hurt it. We were becoming more sluggish, less able to do a damn thing.
 

Another white creature stormed into the area. It barreled into the great beast, its teeth sinking deep into the others shoulder. The beast howled and thrashed against the newcomer. The air temperature lifted a little; Lysander had a flicker of a flame once more. The agony of the wound in my arm was clouding my mind
,
but I wasn't one to give in that easily. The newcomer lost its grip on the beast, giving it time and room to stand once more. Lysander and I jumped on it
,
hacking at its face and throat with everything we had. My blade cut through skin and muscle; not enough, but I'd done something. It tossed us aside like rag dolls, its teeth sinking into my shoulder
,
throwing me against the bench I'd been enjoying Lysander on earlier.
 

I crumpled against the wooden slats, unable to move while I tried to gasp for air. The newcomer, leggier and leaner, with a silver shine to its pure white fur, circled around the beast. The beast had its eye on Lysander
,
who was in a wide stance ready to hack at its face that was bloodied and torn. The newcomer launched itself at the back end of the beast, its teeth savagely tearing at the beast's hindquarters. Blood coated the white fur; a chunk of muscle was torn free. The beast howled and cried out. The leaner wolf snapped at the beast enough to push it back before the aggressor lunged at Lysander. Its teeth sank deep into Lysander’s thigh. His fire extinguished. His skin turned an awful blue-grey.