The Audacity of Demons Read online

  “Settle down there, Romeo,” I teased, nipping at his bottom lip. “Life is earned one night at a time around here. Don’t wax poetic on me now. We’re promised nothing.”

  His low chuckle created a warmth in my chest that threatened to spread despite my resistance. “One night at a time it is then.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “There’s good news and bad news.” Visibly tense Nova started the meeting just after sunset. “The good news: we were able to obtain the date of the prison transfer. The bad news: it’s tomorrow night. So you have exactly one night to prepare to intercept the transport vehicle and get anyone inside out alive.”

  The demon separated us into various groups to work our asses off on whatever he deemed our weakest point. Despite my argument that I’d done pretty well sparring against Ghost, Nova wasn’t buying it and set to improving my weapons skills. For the next two hours he led me through a repetitive series of moves. For what felt like the thousandth time, I followed Nova through the motions as he showed me how to swing the large, curved blade he’d forced into my hand. I couldn’t decide if it was a large dagger or a small sword. Strange ritualistic symbols had been etched into the metal, and it was heavier than I’d expected.

  “Is this really necessary?” I griped, using both hands to heft the weapon.

  “You’re a vampire,” he reminded me with an eye roll. “You could lift a car if you wanted. Now stop whining and get back to work.”

  “And you’re a pain in the ass demon,” I muttered beneath my breath. “Lift a car. Let’s see you lift a damn car.”

  Using the tip of his sword, his very real steel sword, Nova prodded my booted foot. “Come on, go again.”

  The weapon he’d given me hadn’t felt this heavy when we’d started. When our blades crashed together, I felt the impact in my wrist. Dropping the dagger to the floor, I turned away fuming.

  Hands on my hips, my back to Nova, I watched Corr and Dalyn spar across the room. He was teaching her how to pop a person’s shoulder out of joint from a submission hold. Good. She should know how to defend herself when magic inevitably failed her.

  I’d never trusted it. Magic. Power. Whatever you want to call it. None of us could. Power was not something that we had but something that had us. Since the night my blood magic first spiraled out of control, I never forgot it.

  “Pick that thing up,” Nova barked from behind me. Something had his nuts in a vice.

  I turned back to face him, my temper seething. He’d tossed his sword down on the mat. In his upraised hand glowed several small fireballs. Eyes narrowed, I stiffened. “Or what?”

  Nova huffed, releasing a loud, exasperated breath. “I’m trying to help you not die. Or worse. You don’t want these assholes getting their cuffs on you.”

  Panic engulfed me. FPA-issue cuffs were able to dampen magic. No magic, no escape. “Stop with the fearmongering shit,” I snapped.

  Nova bounced his hand up and down, making the fireballs jump and leap like little bouncy balls. “It’s not fearmongering. It’s preparation. I don’t want to lose you to them.” He paused and quickly added, “I don’t want to lose anyone.”

  “Thanks for the concern.” I nudged the dagger I’d dropped with my foot before picking it up. “Please don’t tell me you plan to throw those things in my face.”

  “It’s up to you if they hit you in the face or not.” A fang-revealing grin spread across Nova’s perfectly formed features. No matter what expression he wore, he was a work of art.

  He didn’t give me a chance to enjoy that smile before whipping the fire in my direction. Gripping the dagger hilt, I swung. Blocking some fireballs and deflecting others back at him, I gave in to what felt natural and let instinct guide me.

  Not one struck me.

  “Now we’re getting somewhere.” Holding up both hands, Nova juggled three larger fireballs. “Ready or not, Blaze.”

  “Son of a bitch,” I seethed between clenched teeth.

  After deflecting several more rounds of demon magic, I was done. Exhausted and annoyed beyond all belief, I threw the dagger down, and this time I wouldn’t pick it up. “If you don’t have anything to teach me that will help control my blood magic, I’m done here. I need to pay a visit to The Wicked Kiss like a good little rogue if I’m going to be at full strength tomorrow night.” Spinning on a heel, I stalked from the gym with anger driving my steps.

  Nova had spent time with each of us, but he’d only gone hard on me. I was pissed. The guy had a problem with me, and I was sick of it. He’d said himself that he didn’t like me, despite being willing to both help and fuck me. The man was a demon. His behavior needed no further explanation.

  Once I got outside I considered calling for a cab but decided the fewer people who ventured down this street the better. So I went to the garage in search of car keys. There were three vehicles parked inside, including Rayne’s bright blue muscle car. I didn’t touch that one but checked out the other two. Both locked. Not a problem for someone with telekinetic ability. A little focus on the door locks and they popped right open. No keys though.

  Shit.

  “Looking for these?” Nova stood just inside the doorway, watching me with an amused glint in his devil eyes. From his upheld finger dangled a keyring jangling with keys.

  I slid out of the slate-gray BMW sedan parked between Rayne’s car and the black SUV. Closing the door, I leaned against the car. “Oh, you found them. Thanks. Most helpful.”

  My sarcasm coaxed a laugh from Nova, but it was a dark and sinister warning. He stalked toward me with his wings tucked in tight against his back so he could move easily between the cars. We both knew he could have simply appeared in front of me. But he wanted me to sweat every step that brought him closer.

  And I did.

  “What’s your problem, cherry bomb? Do you hate me again?”

  Nova’s shoulder length black hair was mostly loose, other than three warrior braids tied along one side of his head. He wore a dark sleeveless shirt that showed off his chiseled arms. Despite the relaxed fit of his pants, I could easily see how low they sat on his hips.

  Could there possibly be anything more deadly than an incubus?

  “Again? Who said I ever stopped?” I delivered the biting remark with a straight face. “Maybe the question is what’s your problem, Nova? Why were you going so hard on me in there? I didn’t see you giving anyone else the personal drill sergeant treatment.”

  “Maybe nobody else needed it,” he quipped without missing a beat, getting closer. “Or maybe I just wanted a reason to get close to you. But you just gave me one, didn’t you? If you run like prey, I will chase you. Never expect otherwise.”

  As he rounded the front of Rayne’s car, I considered slipping around the back of it, just to mess with him. Something about the darkness gleaming in his eyes stopped me.

  “I’m not running. I have places to be.” Tapping a hand on the hood of the BMW, I turned it palm up. “So if you could be so kind as to give me the keys, I promise to be back before dawn, like a good and proper vampire.”

  The snarky tone wouldn’t stop, try as I might to bite it back. Nerves caused the tiny hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end as Nova leaned on Rayne’s car, directly across from me. The vehicles only had about four feet of space between them.

  I rubbed my arms as goosebumps broke out in response to the sensual vibes that always emanated from him. It felt stronger tonight. Wary, I studied him for any sign he was doing it on purpose.

  “You really know how to work a guy’s nerves, you know that?” Nova twirled the keyring on his finger a few times before dropping it into a pants pocket.

  “Me? I’m still an amateur at pissing people off. Not an old pro like you, dark star.” I hadn’t planned to give him a nickname equally as ridiculous as those he gave me. It just happened.

  “Dark star?” Nova repeated, quirking a brow.

  “Well, a nova is a bright star, isn’t it? Or something like that. But you, you
’re all dark.” It was the best explanation I could muster on the spot.

  Even though it was as lame as his nickname attempts, Nova enjoyed it. “As incredibly comical as that is, it just might be the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.”

  Crap. What the hell was happening here?

  “Well it wasn’t supposed to be.” I didn’t like the way he so easily got into my head. The attraction Nova incited was so much more than physical. It reached far deeper. Because I didn’t know how to deal with what he did to me, I muttered, “I really do need to go.”

  Nova watched me squirm like a worm on a hook. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret about incubus power. It works on everyone with enough manipulation, but it works especially well on those who already want me. Do you want me, Blaze? Is that why you’re so damn skittish around me?”

  “Skittish?” I scoffed, braced to make a run for it. Alright, so I might have been a tad skittish. “I don’t trust you. I don’t trust what you can do.”

  He could’ve been lying, but if his power worked best on those who were attracted to him, well that sucked. Sure I was attracted to him, but he was a jerk. More so he was an enigma, an immortal warrior who knew an entire world, entire lifetimes that I could only read about. Those lifetimes shined through his crimson eyes, lending an ethereal beauty to his hard warrior’s frame.

  “I haven’t done anything to you. Not yet.” Slowly his gaze drifted over me. He squeezed both hands into tight fists, as if the act took restraint. “Would you like me to?”

  What I wanted to say was “fuck no.” When my mouth opened, the truth came out. “I don’t know. Do you usually ask permission?” He’d asked my permission once before. It had been so much easier to respond then. My admission of uncertainty, by saying neither yes or no, was pretty much an invitation for a demon.

  Nova saw his opening and swooped in. He took a step away from Rayne’s car, just one step closer to me, but that foot and a half left between us was killing me. “Only when the answer matters.” His sensual murmur felt like feathers on my skin.

  I gripped the side of the BMW tighter, needing something to hang onto, to ground myself. But there was no escaping Nova’s draw. He got inside my head without even trying. Pins and needles broke out all over my body, leaving a pleasurable tingle behind. And he hadn’t even touched me yet.

  Yet? Oh, hell, where was my willpower? Demand the keys. Tell him to back off. Kick him in the crotch. Anything!

  But I couldn’t and I didn’t. I wanted him to take that last step. My mouth opened even as my internal struggle intensified. The last shred of sense I had left in his presence told me to put as much space between us as possible. However it was greatly outvoted by the parts of me that wanted to know how good it would feel to give in.

  Reading surrender in my eyes, Nova’s face crumpled along with his resolve. I got the feeling that he wanted me to resist him, to fight the attraction harder. Whatever he saw on my face, it made his next decision for him. For both of us. “The Circle is going to have my head if they ever find out about this but fuck it.”

  Then he was right there kissing me. Firm but gentle, like he wanted to devour my mouth but held back. “Do you want a taste of me, Blaze, of what I can do?” he whispered, a tempting invitation against my lips. His smoky musk teased my senses.

  With him so close, just shy of pressing me against the car, I wanted more. “Yes,” I heard myself say, breathy and wanton.

  Some sensical part of me knew this was risky, but in that moment I didn’t care. And why should I? I could die tomorrow night. Or any time The Circle decided they didn’t need me anymore. If I was running on borrowed time, why not live in the moment?

  Nova took my yes and ran with it. Scooping me up, he set me on the hood of the BMW. Stepping between my legs, he kissed me again. I slid my arms around his neck, marveling at the softness of his hair.

  I didn’t know when exactly he’d slipped me some of his thrall, I just knew I was under it. It felt like a cloud of ecstasy that swirled around me, an invisible force that touched me with the intimacy of a lover. It caught me up in a storm of passion and want, making me ache for Nova’s touch.

  My eyes flew open at the sensation of his hand dipping between my thighs. Nova dragged two fingers over my already throbbing clit, and I almost came right there. A gasp escaped me, causing him to chuckle, satisfied that he had me where he wanted me.

  “Yeah, just a small taste,” he murmured against my ear. “I’m not sure you can handle all of me.”

  My attempt to form a witty response died when Nova pushed on, giving me no time to adjust to the new turn of events before he slid a hand inside my stretchy workout pants. I’d meant to change before going to Wicked but forgot in my fit of temper.

  This was just too easy for him. All of it. I should make him work for it. Instead, all I could do was cling to him and whimper as he kissed my neck and dipped a finger into my wetness, sliding it back and forth along my slit until the teasing torment became too much.

  The feeling of being high on desire grew to a dizzying level when Nova finally slid a finger inside me. I flinched and twitched, legs locked around his waist. So badly I wanted him to fuck me right there on top of the gray sedan. Somehow, I knew he wasn’t going to. That made the torment so much worse.

  Nova’s lips moved on my neck, his tongue flicking along the edge of my earlobe, sending shivers in waves down my spine. My breath came faster when a second finger joined the first. Every few strokes he’d slide them both out and rub my clit, laughing softly when my gasps became moans.

  “You’re the devil.” I bit my bottom lip to keep from crying out. Unable to resist the temptation of those black wings so close, I ran a hand over several feathers, amazed at their silky softness.

  “Not quite but I’ll take it.” With a soft groan Nova bit gently at the sensitive place where my neck swept down toward my shoulder. His beastly fangs could have done serious damage, but they didn’t so much as scratch the surface. “I want to feel you come on my fingers before someone walks in here. Because I’m not stopping until I feel your pussy spasm and hear my name on your lips. Got it, cherry bomb?”

  The picture he painted was both alarming and kind of hot, depending on who walked in. Every sensation screamed through my body and mind as Nova thrust his fingers inside me. Once his thumb found my clit I was done for. The concoction of sensations blew a fuse in my brain. At least, it felt that way.

  I came with a cry so loud Nova kissed me to smother the sound. Then he snickered against my lips, “That’s my girl.”

  Chest heaving, lips swollen from his demanding kiss, I gawked at Nova, unable to make sense of what I’d just allowed him to do to me. I was so weak. He stepped back to give me space, licking the tip of a finger. When I didn’t react or speak, he cocked his head to one side.

  “See, I knew you couldn’t handle all of me. That was just a small sample of what I can do.” As he said this he dragged his tongue over each finger he’d had inside me. Nova’s red eyes sparked with arousal as he tasted me.

  Despite the fact that I was clinging to a car so as not to slide into a puddle on the ground next to it, I said, “Try me.”

  Nova’s crimson gaze smoldered with everything he wanted to do to me. And I wanted him to do it. He shook a finger at me. “You’re a bad girl, Blaze. The kind of woman who could get a guy like me in a fuck ton of trouble.”

  “Isn’t that why we’re here?” I countered, gesturing widely to the garage and beyond. “Aren’t we already in a fuck ton of trouble?”

  He eyed me long and hard, until the foggy feeling in my head began to dissipate. Then he tugged the car keys from his pocket and set them on the hood next to me.

  “Go to Wicked. Do whatever you need to do to be ready for tomorrow night.” Then he was gone.

  I could understand why a demon would love being able to pull off a vanishing act like that whenever it suited them. Still I’d think it would get old after a while.

 
; CHAPTER TWENTY

  NOVA

  After daylight banished me to my own realm, I savored the burn of my favorite dive bar’s best whiskey, which really wasn’t saying much. Everything they had was complete shit. This wasn’t the place I came to when I wanted quality liquor. Here I could be alone with my thoughts. Or as alone as one can be while surrounded by drunken demons.

  Edmonton. It was just one of many powerful cities, yet it was the one I’d been drawn to. The one I was now assigned to. The one that she was in.

  Getting involved with Blaze was about the dumbest fucking thing I could do. Pissing off the powers that be wasn’t a personal goal. I much preferred to fly under the radar and go unnoticed. Keeping The Circle’s upper echelon off my back and out of my business was pretty much priority number one.

  I could still hear the way she’d cried out, holding tight to me as an orgasm ripped through her. The power of her pleasure fed my hunger for her desire but left me wanting. It took everything I had not to lay her down on the hood of that car and fuck her until we were both sore and exhausted.

  But I didn’t trust myself to do that. Because I didn’t trust what might come after. I’d have to face her every night and bear whatever followed. She could fall head over heels in love with me. The incubus pull ran deep as the abyss, and one taste was never enough. On the flip side, she could wind up resenting me. Despising me for making her hopelessly addicted. I didn’t form ongoing relationships with anyone because they were rarely worth the risk or the misery.

  So why the hell couldn’t I get Blaze out of my head?

  “I know that look.” The familiar, loathsome voice rang out as a silver-haired fallen angel approached my table. “Boy, are you in deep.”

  I nailed Falon with a ferocious glare. He merely snickered and pulled out the chair across from me. “What’s that shit you’re spewing?” I did my best to seem disinterested, but his knowing manner alarmed me.