Darker (Alexa O'Brien Huntress Book 6) Read online

  “So what now then?” Lilah rose, and the demons on each side moved closer. She waved them away with a scowl. “You take over where Veryl left off blackmailing me? We can call a truce, Alexa. I can make it worth your while.”

  “I don’t want anything you can offer.”

  “I can change that.”

  “Save it,” I snapped, and a vase filled with flowers went up in flames. Oops.

  Lilah watched the fire die out with pursed lips and a raised brow. “That’s the problem with being a mortal succubus. You can soak up all the power you touch, but that doesn’t make it yours. I can help with that.”

  “You’re used to dealing with power-hungry dirtbags like Shya, I get that,” I said, the condescension heavy in my tone. “I’m not one of them, so instead of wasting time trying to coerce me into a deal, you should be telling me what you’re willing to do to keep me from telling Salem where you are.”

  At the mention of his name, Lilah froze. Her demon guards watched me warily, with Brook staring a little more intently than I was comfortable with. The low, steady growl of the hounds was the only sound.

  “Don’t say that name.” Lilah moved with purposeful strides, stopping when I raised a hand to blast her. “You should know better than anyone why I ran. I don’t belong to any man, no matter what fancy fucking claim he thinks he has on me. I won’t be controlled by a bond I have no say in.”

  With each word, Lilah’s anger grew until it was palpable. She was suddenly furious, and in a swift motion, she threw the vase I’d scorched. It smashed all over the floor in a mess of scorched flower petals and glass. I’d never seen her anything but calm. Even when we’d fought outside Shya’s house, she hadn’t exhibited such sudden temper. Whoever this guy was, he got under Lilah’s skin in a bad way.

  “You killed Veryl,” she shouted at me, pointing a finger at my face. “Now, you think you can take his place? I’ll kill you before I let you hand me over to Salem, even if it means losing my chance to break the curse with your blood. I’ll find another way.”

  I grabbed Jez’s hand and formed a circle with us inside. The desperation in Lilah’s eyes was both satisfying and worrisome. She was terrified of this guy and clearly prepared to escape him at any cost.

  “What’s with the sudden freak out?” Jez taunted. “This guy must be a pretty big deal to get your panties in such a knot.”

  “Oh shut up, Jez. What would you know about being born to exist alongside another, whether or not you want to? There’s a reason twin flames are so rare. They are not a gift but a curse of the worst kind.” Lilah approached my circle and placed her hands on it. She flashed a grim smile at me. “Veryl’s files didn’t say that, did they?”

  “A curse?” I sputtered through the shock and denial. “A twin flame union only happens for a reason. It’s meant to be. There’s something special in that.”

  “Special?” She smirked. “Bound to another against your will. United through forces you cannot control. Unable to escape them no matter how far you go or how many names and faces you wear. To hate that person as much as you love them. Oh, and how you love them. So much you start to hate yourself. And, for what? To be manipulated into fulfilling some horror-filled destiny? Not a damn thing about that sounds special to me. The chosen ones, us, we’re meant to suffer. This is no gift.”

  Her words struck a chord deep in me. She described so well things I had felt even when I hadn’t been willing to admit it to myself. She knew. Still, she was wrong. She had to be.

  “Don’t listen to this bitch, Lex. She’s a demon, otherwise known as a deceptive liar. She’s trying to get inside your head.” Jez squeezed my hand. The fierceness in her eyes reminded me why we’d come here.

  “If it wasn’t a curse, why would light and dark be joined to one another? They can never truly become one. One will always devour the other. What kind of sacred purpose would join a demon to an angel? Or, a vampire to a mortal?” Lilah looked at me pointedly, and for just a moment, I saw a flicker of the sadness I’d seen in her once before. “When love is always pain, it ceases to hold any meaning.”

  “I don’t believe that.” I shook my head, unwilling to accept it even as I heard the truth in her claim.

  I couldn’t let Lilah put doubts in my head. She wanted to appeal to any weakness I might have. I would not let her find one.

  In a bold move that I didn’t take the time to think through, I dropped the circle and hit Lilah square in the chest with a blast that sent her tripping over a hound. She recovered quickly, glowering at the demons who stood by watching.

  “This isn’t blackmail. I have nothing to gain from you. I don’t care who he is to you or what you think of it. Stay away from me. Stay away from those I care about. Otherwise, either he comes for you, or I send you back to the cage where you belong.”

  Lilah adjusted the crown on her head and slapped the human girl attempting to smooth her skirt. “Incompetent idiots,” she hissed at the demons. “Grab the wolf. I need her alive.”

  “No.” My shout was accompanied by a surge of energy that struck each demon, only momentarily disabling them. The force was staggering as it left me. “Just you and me, Lilah. No power. If I come out on top, you’re a prisoner. If you do, you get my blood.”

  Could a demon be manipulated by a mortal? I thought of Arys as the challenge left my lips. He was so busy trying to protect me from himself, he’d forgotten about the real threat.

  The hounds barked, an ear splitting sound that echoed in the vast library. I couldn’t stop the flood of angel power that oozed from me. It was uncontrollable. I was merely a vessel to be used. A blue flame engulfed both hounds and made short work of them.

  One of the demon guards backed away muttering something about Shya’s mark on my wrist. The other, Brook, watched Lilah, waiting for her decision. She looked me over, lingering on my silver eyes. I saw her consider it. I think she even believed she could take me, but something held her back. She wasn’t willing to gamble with it, whatever it was.

  With her long skirt sweeping out behind her, Lilah spun on a heel and uttered a loud command in Latin. I didn’t have to be fluent to get the gist of it. She returned to her throne-like seat and crossed one leg over the other, watching with red-hot intensity as her vampires and demons advanced on us.

  “Kill them both.”

  There was a pause, so small as to be near non-existent. Then, everyone started moving at once. In the melee, several vampires rushed me, separating me from Jez.

  Most of them felt new; they hadn’t been undead long. I met the first one with a kick that threw him into another. I spun to block a blow by another with my forearm while projecting a steady stream of power at a lunging female. She burst into ash and dust, followed by the next two I hit.

  I caught sight of Jez swinging with stake in hand and bared fangs. I had no doubt she’d hold her own just fine. A fist connected with my jaw, and I saw stars. It didn’t stop me from setting my attacker ablaze.

  Every time I used the power, it grew more painful until I was crying out with each blast. My nose dripped blood steadily, and I regretted my choice to leave the Dragon Claw outside, a stupid decision. Yep, Arys was right; I was too reckless for my own good.

  I punched a fist into the chest of a vampire who got closer to my throat than I should have allowed. Pulling his heart free, I tossed it so it slid to a bloody stop at Lilah’s feet. I didn’t have time to enjoy the glare she wore before another solid, undead fist connected with my face. Several of them piled on me, and I went down beneath them, the breath crushed from my lungs.

  Though my brain felt like it might spontaneously combust, I forced my power into them, finding that undead essence within me that was all Arys and all dark. The last time I’d done this I’d inadvertently knocked down several other vampires as well, including Kale.

  Despite the pain, I felt an immense sense of relief as Falon’s power exploded forth along with my own. The more I used it, the less it retained its hold on me. It was fad
ing. I could feel the heart of every vampire fighting to tear me apart. All at once they burst, showering me in blood, bone and ash.

  Though I’d hoped Lilah would also be affected, she sat smugly, protected by a shield of demon magic. She waited patiently, soaking in the chaotic energy saturating the atmosphere while I burnt myself out trying to stay alive.

  I rose from the pile of ashen vampire remains and sought out Jez. Blood smears marred her face, and her eyes blazed pure wildcat, but she stood ready for more.

  “Really, Lilah,” Jez said with an eye roll. “Did you honestly think that would work?”

  Lilah didn’t answer. She nodded to Brook who whispered something that sounded like no language I’d ever heard. A pack of hellhounds appeared between Jez and me. The pack split in half, backing each of us against a wall. I was bracing to go down under a flurry of snapping jaws. Between the killer headache and the power, I was crashing hard now, and knew I’d never have enough left in me to take on each hound.

  Jez abandoned any notion of taking them on in human form. Using her last precious seconds wisely, she shifted to leopard and faced them snarling. Being wolf meant giving up my power, no matter how fast it was draining. It also meant, if we got out of here alive, we’d be running through the city streets in a form that would draw far too much attention once the sun rose.

  I could draw on power through Arys. Alerting him to where I was and what I was doing didn’t factor into this poorly thought out plan. I grasped for everything I had left in me and prepared to go down fighting.

  The hounds leaped in unison, a well-oiled machine that knew how to hunt together. They came at me from each side. Jez was a blur of black and gold across the room as she battled the hellhounds. I kicked one hound in the face, satisfied with the resulting crunch. Another got a taste of my claws when I slashed its throat open.

  They came too fast, and there were too many of them. Fangs sunk into my arms as I tried desperately to fend them off. I screamed, a sound that echoed inside my aching head.

  The air rippled, and Shya appeared with a flourish of black wings and the stench of sulfur. Every hound snapped to attention, grovelling at his feet with ears laid back and tails tucked between their legs.

  I slumped to the floor, breathing heavily. I didn’t know if he was here as friend or foe, but I was happy to be freed of the hellhounds trying to rip my throat out.

  “You’ve gone too far, Lilah,” A rumble, like thunder in the distance, accompanied Shya’s words. “You have no claim here. This is my territory now. Brook, you’re dismissed. We’ll be speaking soon.”

  Brook looked torn as he contemplated loyalty to his queen and obedience to the most powerful demon present. He disappeared with the sound of ruffling feathers. The other demons present were quick to follow suit.

  Lilah sat stiffly in her chair. With her chin lifted in defiance, she appeared completely unafraid. She knew just as well as I did that Shya wouldn’t be the one to send her back to her prison. Damn demon politics.

  “How dare you enter my house uninvited? You’re not welcome here. When you severed your ties with me, you knew what that meant.” Lilah’s voice was brittle, as if she was fighting very hard to keep her calm and cool appearance.

  “You’re a powerless queen with low ranking demons that serve you out of pity, not loyalty.” Shya shook his head and tsked. “It’s sad. You just can’t accept that your time is over.”

  “My time has yet to come. You would be wise to remember that. I made you, and I can and will break you. You’re everything you are because of me.” Lilah’s calm tone became a shout.

  I shoved to my feet and applied pressure to the gushing punctures in my arm. It was bad. Those bites were going to hurt for a day or two.

  “Perhaps.” Shya gave a slight nod. “But, I owe you nothing now.”

  He turned to Jez and me, ushering us toward the door with his outstretched wings. He didn’t waste another word on Lilah. She sat there stewing, a self-appointed queen with no kingdom to rule. It would have been sad if it weren’t so downright disturbing. I knew her type; nothing would ever stop her.

  “I need her blood, Shya,” she called after us. “If I can’t have her, I’ll ensure that you can’t either. You’ll regret this foolish rebellion.”

  Shya paused, a strange smile on his face. “That is exactly why you don’t deserve to rule.”

  Lilah didn’t respond. With nobody left to protect her, I saw my chance and decided to go for it. I reached for my power, gritting my teeth against the unbearable agony. I’d draw from Arys if need be; it would be worth it if this worked.

  I set my focus on her and let go. I could feel her vampire essence, and I knew it was mine to manipulate. Excitement surged through me. This was going to work.

  …Or, it would have if Shya hadn’t blocked my attack. With a sweep of his wings, he knocked me off my feet. I cleared the library, sprawling on the floor of the foyer.

  “We’ve won this round, Alexa. Time to leave.” Shya came to stand over me, watching as I dragged my exhausted self to my feet.

  “Fuck that. I’m putting that bitch back where she belongs.” I shot Shya a dark glare.

  “Leave,” he said, shoving me along with those impressive wings.

  Jez followed with a growl rumbling in her throat. I saw no sign of Shawn or anyone else. He’d probably met his end in the library along with many others. Just as well, he’d proven that he couldn’t be trusted.

  The sky was still dark, but sunrise was close; I could feel it in my bones. Shya would be forced to leave with the dawn. Demons couldn’t maintain form on the physical plane during daylight. I could wait.

  After ushering us out, Shya waved a hand over the front door. A barrier snapped into place, and I swore.

  “Why the fuck are you protecting her? She’s killing my wolves. She tried to kill me and Jez.” What little energy I had left, I poured into my anger. Shya was getting on my nerves.

  Moving fast, he grabbed my wounded arm and pulled me dangerously close. “You’ll get your chance. She is my queen. There are things I cannot do no matter how far her kingdom has fallen. I don’t expect you to understand.”

  “Good because I don’t. She’s a washed up queen with a curse. She knows she’s going down, and she wants to take as many of us with her as she can. I won’t let it happen.”

  I tried to pull my arm from Shya’s grasp, but he held tight. I winced but bit back a pained noise. Jez paced beside us, her emerald eyes flitting back and forth between us. Her beast had my wolf pushing to break free from my exhausted human body.

  “You have many fine qualities, Alexa. Patience, unfortunately, isn’t one of them. Work on that. Knowing when to wait it out can mean the difference between victory and death.” He let go of me abruptly. “I’ll be having a word with Falon about what he did to you tonight.”

  “Don’t bother. I’m sure I had it coming. I trapped him in a circle and bullied him with silver.”

  “I’m aware. You should know that what he did can have a lasting effect on people like you. He crossed a line.”

  Fatigue made it hard to care enough to continue the conversation, but anger kept me going.

  “If anyone has crossed a line, Shya, it’s you,” I said bitterly. “You have Arys convinced that you’re some reliable ally. You and I both know that isn’t true. You’ve got some kind of ill-conceived plan for me. Whatever that is, leave Arys out of it.”

  “I said I’d protect you; I just proved good on my word.” Shya cast a glance toward the sky, gauging how much time remained. He turned back to me and said with a wink, “I’m going to unleash hell on this city, and you’re going to help me.”

  With his bemused smirk firmly in place, he unfurled his wings and vanished. My lips twisted into a scowl. “That was unnecessarily dramatic.”

  Jez bumped her furry face against my hand. She was right. We needed to get back to the car before the neighborhood woke up. As eccentric as these rich types tended to be, walking a leopar
d through the streets likely wouldn’t go over well.

  “Nothing more we can do here, thanks to Shya. Let’s get going. I’m feeling the need to get furry, too.”

  I wasn’t going to react visibly in case Shya lingered unseen, but his words had chilled me to the bone. It left so much open to interpretation. Lilah’s need for a little blood paled in comparison.

  Chapter Sixteen

  For the first time in a long while, I slept a deep, uninterrupted sleep. A night of power binging was enough to grant me a dreamless slumber. It was similar to the effects of a human booze binge but intensified several times over.

  I flung my arm out at one point, searching for Arys and finding the rest of the bed empty. Disappointment crushed me. I rolled over and hugged my pillow, falling back into the depths of sleep. Then, I slipped into Arys’s mind, and the bloodstained images flooded me with an unholy hunger.

  Screams rang in my ears, accompanied by his wicked laughter. He wanted to make someone hurt the way he was hurting. He needed them to beg and cry so he could take pleasure in the torment. Only when he caused suffering did he himself cease to suffer. Arys saw nothing but the couple he had chosen to inflict his wrath upon.

  If he felt my presence, he didn’t acknowledge it. The scent of blood was so strong it choked me. I woke up with a start, sitting straight up in my bed. The screams faded, replaced with the pounding of my heart. The hunger remained.

  I sat there shaking in my bed despite the heat that had me throwing off the sheets. I was thankful Jez had returned to her apartment. After making me promise several times not to go after Lilah again without her, she had bravely gone home to face an apartment filled with memories.

  As I went through the motions of showering and brushing my teeth, I could focus only on one thing: the heady rush that came with taking blood. Ravenous and impatient, I rushed through my human activities. A solid eight-hour sleep and the meal I’d eaten before bed had helped, but it wasn’t what I needed to be at full strength. That would only come from stealing the life force from another. As much as I hated it, I wouldn’t be sated until I had.