Untouchable Darkness (The Dark Ones Saga, #2)(53)

That’s what Cassius looked like.

Only better looking.

Real flesh and blood.

A man.

Not a cartoon.

“Y-yes.” The Demon covered his eyes. “Could you at least dim the lights, Cassius?”

With a slow nod the lights lowered to a mere glow while the Demon paced in front of Cassius.

“Well?” Cassius asked. “We don’t have all day.”

“It’s Angel blood.” The Demon tilted his head in my direction his eyes moving to the back of his head. “It smells like her. Like you.”

“Dark Ones possess elements of Angelic blood, you know this.” Cassius said in a bored tone.

“The spice…” The Demon took a cautious step toward me and sniffed. “It isn’t as sweet as her scent or yours… almost like the Dark One was born out of…” He shuddered. “Fear.”

Confused, I figured I could just ask later, but Cassius must have thought I needed to know right away.

“Most Dark Ones are born out of one of the seven sins, lust, greed, envy…” He sniffed the air in front of him. “But from what you’re saying… this mating… that took place was—“

“—rape,” the Demon finished. “Which is impossible, a human raping an Angel? Or Vice versa? They’d be killed on the spot for even thinking it.”

“Unless it was no human.”

“Unless the human wasn’t fully human… immortal, maybe?” Cassius wondered aloud. “Can you track it?”

“Whatever you wish. You know my friends and family are innocent, you’ve tasted the truth in the air the minute you arrived.”

The air was clear with honestly with nothing but truth, and yes, a bit of fear. Funny, I’d never recognized fear before, always thought of it to be this weird fleeting emotion that paralyzed humans.

But fear was small.

If I closed my eyes tight enough I could see it in my mind’s eye, it was like a child or toddler, and then, all of a sudden, it was given food, growing before my very eyes until it was a giant, until it eclipsed everything in its presence.

“Fear is born small,” the Demon whispered. “We are the ones who make it big.”

Pity rushed through me; the Demon were cursed just like the Dark Ones, cursed to live out the rest of their existence knowing that in the end, they would be judged just like the humans, just like everyone else.

It was also why they weren’t allowed to create.

Creating more Demon was creating more curses.

While creating a Vampire or a Siren, wasn’t as frowned upon, they actually possessed their souls.

Demon. Did not.

Though they did still have feelings.

And that was the saddest part of all. They could feel, they could hope all they wanted… it was always in vain.

“But we still try.” The Demon locked eyes with me. “We will try every day until our penance is over. We will try to stay in the good graces of Angels and Dark Ones alike.”

“Thank you,” Cassius mumbled. The rain stopped, and the darkness returned. “Track the blood.”

“The Darkness…” The Demon whispered as Cassius grabbed my arm. “It has her, Cassius. I can feel it.”





Cassius



I BLOCKED MY THOUGHTS from her. The last thing she needed was to be aware of my concern. Bringing her to the Demon was twofold. I needed information, and next to the wolves they were the best trackers we had, besides, there was no loyalty within their ranks.

Someone would talk.

Because they were constantly fighting for dominance, control. And when that person did talk, I hoped it would be loud enough for me to hear.

I also wanted to see if the Demon could sense the dark swirling within her, I was too close to the situation. Funny, I suddenly cared too much about our joint futures, our destinies that I was also blinded from hers.

The minute we mated.

Her future was lost to me.

Every time I touched her, I heard Darkness whispering.

She wasn’t even aware that Darkness was speaking, but like a slow storm it was building, brewing, and I could do nothing but hope that in the end, I would be strong enough to bring her away from the temptation that every immortal being who possessed Angel blood was given—to be like a god.

It was a lie.

Darkness twisted its lies in such a way, that the air didn’t taste bitter, but clear for the first time, because not every lie spoken, was done outright, yet woven with tiny bits and pieces of truth.

I shuddered and returned my thoughts to the Demons.

My money was on Timber, but I refused to visit him until Stephanie had more control of her powers.

She might be stronger.

But Timber was evil, and the Darkness in her would recognize his evil, and want to unite with it. Regardless of who was standing next to her, regardless of who I was to her, she’d be tempted, because we’re always tempted when we don’t understand things.

I had never told her the road would be easy.

I wished it were.

“What does he mean?” Stephanie asked once we were in the parking lot near the water at Pike Place Market. So normal, to walk with her hand in hand as we maneuvered our way through fish throwing and people selling flowers.

The flowers leaned toward us as we walked by, sensing the lifeblood flowing through our veins.