When Darkness Reigns Read online

  From behind, Arys reached around and dropped a hand down between my legs. Tugging my panties aside, he found me wet and receptive. Two fingers glided inside me, and fireworks went off in my brain.

  I broke off the kiss with Willow to go for his neck. Intoxicating hybrid blood splashed my tongue. The atmosphere thickened with the rising power. After being stripped down to nothing, the sudden swell of their intoxicating vibes brought back my vitality. Several steady pumps of my hand, and he climaxed with a sexy growl. A few moments later the rush of Shaz’s release added to the buffet of sensations.

  Arys continued to thrust his fingers inside me, his mouth on my neck. I needed him to bleed for me.

  As Arys worked me closer to the edge of pleasure, I snatched at his other hand, jerked it close and bit into his wrist. His blood tasted like home. Like love and safety. He made me whole.

  My ears rang, and my entire body seemed to vibrate. I danced on clouds of euphoria. Drunk on the blood and lust of my lovers, I gave a small cry as Arys brought me to a writhing orgasm. Although I hadn’t anticipated another group encounter so soon after Lust’s theatre, I could see the appeal. Even on a smaller scale it certainly had its benefits.

  Once the afterglow had receded and I could hold myself upright, I needed to wash the blood, glass, and God knew what else from my skin and hair. As I padded to the bathroom, Willow quietly slipped away as well, which left Arys and Shaz alone in the bedroom. As I reached to turn the water on, a soft groan, muffled by the door, made me wonder what I was missing.

  Grabbing some sleep at some point today would probably be a good idea. But I still had things to do. Starting with Gabriel. I hadn’t forgotten my promise to him, and we were long overdue for a taste of one another. But while I showered, I thought up another reason to get him alone.

  Feeling more like myself again, I stepped out of the shower, toweled off, and slipped into my bathrobe. I exited the bathroom to find the bedroom quiet. Arys sat up against the headboard sketching by the light of the bedside lamp while Shaz snored softly next to him.

  “What are you working on?” Pausing beside the bed, I leaned over to get a look at the page and froze.

  A woman graced the page. Her face was downturned, her expression lost to shadows. The hunch to her shoulders suggested sadness or defeat. In her outstretched hand sat a bird with a broken wing and a beak sharp as a razor’s edge. Even though her face was turned away, I knew it was me. Arys had drawn me many times.

  “Is that how you see Falon and me?” I asked in a soft whisper so as not to rouse Shaz.

  Arys blinked a few times, like he was just seeing the image for the first time. “Actually, I think it’s how you see Falon and you.”

  Twin flame fun. The double-edged sword of having another person tapped into you all the time. His claim bothered me. I didn’t want to look any deeper into his drawing, afraid of what I might find.

  “I need to talk to Gabriel. I’ll be back to grab some sleep in a bit.” I tousled Arys’s hair and left him to the beautiful but unnerving image he’d brought to life.

  I padded down the carpeted stairs to the main floor below. Willow and Gabriel had tidied up a bit and were talking about what had gone down with Lilah.

  “She’d never have stood a chance otherwise,” Gabriel said as I entered the kitchen where they sat at the island counter. “Lilah couldn’t stand against her own Light Flame. She’ll always need some shady, power strip move against Alexa. Despite how strong she is, the light terrifies her.”

  “As it should. Even the smallest spark is enough to keep the dark from overcoming. Lilah knows that.” Willow glanced over as I drew near. “Unfortunately, she also knows there’s only one Light Flame who can touch her now.”

  “Yeah, but she needs me.” I joined them at the island, leaning forward to prop on my elbows. “Because she needs Shya.” An idea niggled the back of my brain. These two could best help me work through it. “Which means I need to get to him first.”

  Willow’s guardian radar went off, and he studied me with a wary frown. “Please tell me you’re not thinking what I know you are thinking.”

  “Shya knows Lilah almost as well as Salem does. I need to go back into the stone. You two are my best shot at getting back in there.” No part of me wanted to pay another visit to Shya. But that felt like the only way to determine Lilah’s plans.

  Willow’s head shook, and he raised a hand to stop me before I could try to convince him further. “If you go back into that stone you might not come out sane and whole. You might not come out at all. There’s no telling what Shya could do to you in there.”

  “What if he thinks I’m there to free him? To strike a deal?” My mind raced as my idea grew into certainty. I had to see Shya. “What if I can get him to agree to help us take her down? Sure he loves her, but he’s bitter. Shya would take a chance to get vengeance on her if given the opportunity, I’m sure of it.” I held Willow’s gold-flecked gaze, appealing to him with a flutter of lashes. That always worked on Arys.

  Willow, however, had no problem standing his ground in the face of flirtation. “I’m never going to think it’s a good idea.” He slid a glance at Gabriel for his reaction. “But if it’s what you feel is best, I’ll help. Just think it through. There are so many ways it could go wrong.”

  No arguing that. Shya was the shadiest motherfucker I’d ever met. But he knew Lilah, and the last time we’d spoken, he’d been feeding a mighty hatred for her. Perhaps I could nudge that along, use it to my advantage. Or maybe Shya would make me pay for stepping back into that stone of my own free will. Either way, I needed to know.

  Gabriel gave a slow, thoughtful nod as his dark gaze slid over me. While he’d stayed down here and further warded the house, he hadn’t gone unaffected by the rest of us getting frisky. He couldn’t hide the yearning in his eyes. The only one of my harem who had never tasted what he hungered for most, his control was impressive, rivaling Jenner’s. And he was still so young in his power. I could only imagine what Gabriel might become.

  “We can get you in the stone.” He paused to mull it over while drumming his fingertips on the countertop. “But what if Shya doesn’t agree to help you? We can anchor you here, but he might still prevent you from leaving.”

  Chewing my bottom lip, I thought back to my last visit with Shya. He might certainly want to dish me some pain, but he wouldn’t want me trapped there with him indefinitely.

  Would he?

  “Not to mention,” Willow added. “There’s no telling what his mental state will be by now.” Right. There was also the madness that came with extreme isolation.

  “Honestly, if I had to choose the lesser evil between Lilah and Shya, I’m not sure I could pick. But right now it feels like him.” I switched from nibbling my lip to chewing a fingernail. Of course I was nervous at the thought of seeing Shya again. But if it was bound to happen, I wanted it to be on my terms. “Right before sunset I’m going to go dig up the stone.”

  “I’ll come with you.” Willow’s readiness to have my back despite his opposition to my plan left me stunned with adoration.

  I nodded my thanks before turning to Gabriel. “Can I get you alone for a few minutes?”

  “Of course.”

  “Are Jenner and Ebyn at Arys’s house?” I asked, leading the way to the stairs. Pausing at the bottom, I grabbed my bag from beside my shoes. After a peek to confirm Willow had placed the feather inside, I continued upstairs.

  “Yeah, they’re safe there. I did the wards myself.” Gabriel followed along behind me as we passed my closed bedroom door. “Jez checked in. She’s fine. I’m pretty sure your sister is ok too, but nobody has heard from her or Briggs.”

  The bedroom at the end of the hall housed several items from Arys’s house. Lucky for Jenner and Ebyn, he’d left the bed and couch behind. The big awkward dresser he’d been carting around since the mid-1800s sat against one wall of the guest room, no less ancient and severe in its new location.

  I waite
d until we were inside with the door closed before cutting to the chase. “You’re one of the most patient vampires I’ve ever met. But did you really think I’d leave you hanging?” With a hand on his chest I backed him toward the bed.

  “You’re the queen. You can do whatever the hell you want.” Danger darted behind Gabriel’s eyes. He might be able to repress his desires, but he couldn’t hide them.

  His willingness to serve and prove his loyalty did not go unappreciated. If anyone owed anyone here though, I owed him. In the face of Hurst’s lies, I hadn’t been fair to Gabriel.

  “Alright. Well, what I want to do right now is you.” I gave him a little shove, and he dropped down onto the edge of the bed. Dangling my bag from a hand, I added, “But I just want to talk to you about one thing first.”

  I withdrew Falon’s silver feather from my bag. If this feather was being forced on me, then I would find my own way to work with it. In the soft overhead lighting it shimmered. Because just holding it made my insides twist, I set the feather on the bed.

  “Promise me that what I’m about to ask you will stay between the two of us.” In a hushed whisper I searched Gabriel expectantly. “There’s nobody else I trust to ask about this.”

  “Your secret is my secret.” Touching a fingertip to Falon’s feather, he waited for me to fill him in.

  Fidgeting with my robe tie, I paced beside the bed, two quick trips back and forth before jerking to a halt. “Ok, I’m just going to get it out there. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but is there any way to use that feather to help Falon if he goes full demon? So the darkness can’t take him and twist him like it does the rest of them. Maybe use it to tie him to me somehow, to my light.”

  Tension held me frozen in front of Gabriel, afraid of what he might say. He plucked the feather from the bed and turned it slowly. Holding it with one hand, he hovered the other over and around it, feeling the feather out. “Falon gave this to you so you could trap him like Shya, but you want to use it to bind him even tighter to you. How would Falon feel about that?” There was no judgment in Gabriel’s question. He had every right to ask, considering what I asked of him.

  “He’d probably feel like I should fuck off and let whatever happens happen. But I can’t do that because I know him, and I know that there’s a reason he’s never taken the rest of the fall. That’s not what he wants.” I faltered, worried that I might reveal too much. Could I trust Gabriel with what I was about to say? I pushed on. “He’s still light, Gabriel. I need to keep him that way.” I stood clutching my robe tie, bunching it between nervous fingers.

  A sly smile lifted the corner of Gabriel’s mouth into a rarely seen grin. “You’re really calling in the favors today, huh?”

  “Yeah, I’m sorry. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. Ever.”

  Gabriel set the feather on one of the pillows and reached to grab the end of my robe tie, using it to pull me closer to the bed. “It’s cool, Alexa. I’m happy to help any way I can. There might be something I can do.”

  Relief hit me hard. When Falon gave me the feather, it affected me far deeper than I realized. He could ask a lot of things of me, but he couldn’t ask me to cage him for all eternity.

  Aware the odds weren’t in my favor, I asked, “Have you ever seen anything when you touched me that had to do with Falon or his fall?”

  Gabriel shook his head, and long black hair fell to hide part of his face. “I haven’t. If that changes, I promise to tell you. Although I can’t control what I see, I can go deeper into a vision if I want. Such extended contact is pretty intense, so I don’t generally do it on purpose. But for you, I’d do just about anything.”

  Coiling my robe tie around his wrist, he drew me closer until I stood right against the bed, between his legs. Slowly he pulled apart the knot until it loosened and my robe opened. He slid a hand inside the soft material to skim his fingertips over my bare skin, tracing a path from my navel up between my breasts.

  “Why?” I reached to sweep that chunk of hair from his face. Gabriel’s eyes were deep and filled with wisdom far beyond his years. I suspected that’s why he so often hid behind his curtain of hair. “Why are you so willing to go all in for me? If it’s too hard, dealing with the visions, then don’t.”

  Gabriel leaned into my touch as I stroked a hand through his hair. He and I were still new to having any kind of relationship. So far he hadn’t been the type to seek affection, but he sure seemed to enjoy it. I knew he wanted a place to belong, here with us, but that couldn’t be all he needed.

  “Honestly, I don’t sleep around much. Not with victims, not with anyone. Vegas was the most action I’ve had in a while. It’s just too hard, visions of strangers.” Taking me by surprise with that admission, Gabriel pushed the robe off my shoulders, exposing more of me. “Because they all mean nothing to me. I know I said I wasn’t looking for love here, but I care about you. I want to show that any way I can.”

  I moved my arms so the robe dropped to the floor. Gabriel caught me by the waist and pulled me onto his lap. Naked I straddled him, tugging at his shirt, seeking an equal playing field. He cupped my ass and pressed his face to my cleavage. Kissing his way up to my throat, he paused to breathe me in.

  I’d already had all the foreplay I needed. The hardness of him between my legs had me impatient to feel him inside me. I succeeded in getting his shirt off and wasted no time exploring his body. Even though Gabriel was tall and lean, he was finely toned. Strong without being bulky. My hands went to his belt. The succubus hunger demanded the satisfaction the incubus vampire could give me. A little shuffling and I had him naked beneath me. I braced myself over him so his straining erection just barely brushed my entrance while his tongue plundered my mouth.

  With both hands I gripped his shoulders and, in a swift motion, shoved him down to the bed, flat on his back. Gabriel blinked drowning black eyes at me. The heat of his desire scorched me. I trailed a hand down his chest and abs to take hold of his erection. Guiding it to my wetness, I rubbed myself against his shaft, watching his face.

  In a blink he was drunk on me, entirely smitten and under my spell. His hands were on my hips, fingers digging into my skin in anticipation. I teased him until he bared fangs, and then I slowly slid myself down the length of him.

  When Gabriel was buried fully inside me, he gripped my hips tighter, keeping me locked in place. His brow furrowed into a mix of agony and pleasure.

  “Everything ok?” I whispered, feeling guilty. His craving must have been crazy bad.

  He cracked a soft smile. “I knew it would be intense, but I didn’t think I’d want to come upon entry. It’s cool. Just need a sec to talk myself off the ledge, so to speak.”

  A laugh spilled out and I clapped a hand over my mouth to stop it. “Sorry, that’s my bad. I shouldn’t have left you hanging.”

  “No, it’s all good. But if I have to watch you ride me in this state, I’m not gonna last long.” Without further warning Gabriel caught me by the waist and gently turned us so that I was beneath him.

  Burying his face in my neck, he pressed close. He rolled his hips in slow thrusts meant for savoring every sensation. My ears rang with the steady rise of lust-drenched power. I drew on his freely given desire, letting it fill me until the room spun.

  Gabriel sucked my jugular before scraping it with a fang, just enough to draw forth a small drop of blood. I moaned and clutched at his lower back, feeling him move atop me. When he pulled back to stare down at me, the darkness in his eyes scared me as much as it turned me on. It spoke to my darkness, calling it out.

  Hooking a hand under my knee, Gabriel pulled my leg up so he could hit deeper. His thrusts came harder and faster. Roughly he took me, a vampire frenzied with an addictive need. Urgency claimed us both as he gripped my jaw, kissing me hard.

  Then he grabbed my hand and pasted it against the bed. Sliding his fingers between mine, he squeezed tight. I knew he was having a vision when his aura surged like electricity had
struck him. The dark force flowed from him to me, momentarily stealing my breath.

  With a ragged groan and a thrust that knocked a cry from me, Gabriel came with an intensity that brought me right along with him. During that brief yet powerful moment, I was tapped into Gabriel, able to feel the depths of his magical well. Such a fascinating mix of witch and vampire, he was like the darkest chocolate melting in my mouth. Strong and rich with a slightly bitter aftertaste. It left me spinning.

  He hugged me close for a moment before rolling off me and putting some distance between us on the bed. Which wasn’t hard since we lay widthwise so our feet dangled over the edge. His more so than mine.

  I didn’t picture Gabriel to be much of a cuddler. Although maybe he just needed someone to bring it out in him. As if confirming my suspicion, he reached to drag his fingers through the black and blonde locks of my hair splayed against the blanket. A touch without being a touch.

  When he avoided direct eye contact by watching the strands of my hair sift through his fingers, I asked, “You saw something, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah, but this one was different, like I intended to have a vision. Except I have no idea how. I’ve never had a vision so precise before. I don’t control what I see or when.” Now his solemn dark gaze dragged to mine. “At least, I didn’t before you.”

  Something about the way he said that spooked me. Just how deeply entwined were my lovers and I? And what might that mean? “What did you see?”

  I didn’t want to know. But I did. I needed to. So I braced for it.

  “I saw you and Falon in your office at The Wicked Kiss. He was mad, Alexa. You two were arguing. He said that you had no right to make that choice for him. That you were selfish to go behind his back.” Gabriel’s brow wrinkled as he winced apologetically. “I’m sorry. That’s all I saw. There’s no way of knowing for sure what he meant.”

  Though we both had a pretty good idea. The feather that still sat on the pillow drew my attention. My ears rang from both the frequency in the room and the shock of Gabriel’s newfound control, so I sat up slowly. If I found a way to bind Falon to me before he could take that final fall, he might hate me forever.