Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(3)

I’d taken enough shit from manipulative vampires and demons. The time had come to cut the puppet strings that held me. I wasn’t like them, wasn’t one of them. As a creature of the light, I intended to hold tightly to that. Lilah thought she could play me, but she didn’t know me. She had no idea what I was capable of doing. In many ways, neither did I.

We were both going to find out.

Chapter Two

“Close the doors for the night. Don’t let anybody else in.” I gazed around at the mess.

At least half a dozen bodies littered the floor. They had all been taking a risk by coming to The Wicked Kiss. Still, not one of them deserved this. Lilah had her goons kill them for no other reason than to hurt me. Same with Zak. It had worked.

It did hurt to see that these people were dead because someone wanted to take a shot at me. Lilah needed me alive. What better way to stick it to me than to start picking off those around me?

Justin approached with anger sparkling in his eyes. Tall, dark skinned and built like a football player, he was as mean as he looked. “They never should have made that demon bitch a vampire. I’d die before I’d play lapdog for her.”

“That makes two of us.” I closed the box, unable to look at Zak’s remains. I regretted each of the casualties of the night, but Zak was special. He was my wolf. Mine to protect. I had failed him. I couldn’t let it happen again.

“What’s her deal with you? Or, is that something that will get me killed if you tell me?” Justin shook his head and bent to pick up an overturned table. “Never mind. Forget I asked.”

“She needs my blood to break her curse,” I spilled the truth. There was no sense lying. “She wanted to kill me because she felt threatened by my power. Then, she discovered that I could set her free. Now, she wants to force me into giving my blood willingly.”

Justin glanced at me with a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. “I’ve seen what you can do. Why not just kill the bitch?”

“I’m gonna have to. If only it was just that simple.”

Together we tidied up the broken glass and furniture. The place was empty other than the remaining staff. My vampires waited for me to throw cash at them to have the bodies removed. I wasn’t sure we could just dump them in the river or wherever else the vamps might have in mind; we were dealing with several bodies. If the FPA caught wind of this, they’d be all over me like shit on a blanket.

Everyone lost in the throes of wicked ecstasy in the back of the building were either clueless to what had happened here or entirely apathetic, Arys included. It didn’t sit well with me that a demon had been in here, and he’d been unaware or, worse, merely more concerned with the woman bleeding for him. Was existing night to night for the pleasures of blood and violence really so exquisite that it was worth blinding oneself to true danger?

No sooner had I finished the thought than a cold wave crashed over me. Arys swept through the door from the hall with the grace of the undead. He exuded the amped up energy of one who had just drained his victim dry. A devilish smile lit up his features in a macabre light.

He paused, taking in the disastrous surroundings. “What happened here? Did one of the self-neutered vamps finally lose it?”

I turned on him with an ice-cold glare. “Brook was here. Lilah sent him. He didn’t come alone. I guess you were too busy playing to notice.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Curiosity drew him to the box sitting atop the bar. He opened it before I could respond. There was no sense of surprise. The things that shocked me were merely shrug-worthy to Arys.

“I considered it,” I admitted, fetching a broom from behind the bar in order to sweep up the broken glass. “I figured adding you to the mix would make things worse, not better. Her goons trashed the place, killed innocent people and then left. After promising me that Zak was just the beginning. If I don’t strike a deal with her for my blood, she keeps killing my wolves.”

Arys’s grin faded. “She’s smart to start with your wolves. She knows how deep that cuts. And, she won’t quit there. The angels built a cage for her for a reason. It’s time she goes back.”

Broken glass clinked loudly as I swept the shattered remains of a vodka bottle into a pile. Shya hadn’t wanted to send Lilah back when we had the chance. He thought she’d break free of the cage the angels had made for her and come back for us with a vengeance. Apparently, she was getting an early start on that.

“And, if it doesn’t hold her?” I questioned Shya’s motives in keeping Lilah here with us, but what if he were right?

“That’s the angels’ problem.”

Justin interrupted. “I’m going to take care of those bodies. Do you want me to do something with that as well?” I followed his pained gaze to the box containing Zak’s head.

I swallowed hard. Shit. “No. That’s fine, thanks. I’ll deal with it.” Zak was mine. The least I could do was properly bury his head, seeing as I’d likely never see the rest of him again. “What will you do with them? There’s got to be six bodies here.”

“Make that seven,” Arys added, looking chagrined, but it was forced. Remorse wasn’t one of his personality traits.

“Arys, what the hell? You promised.”

“Oops.” It was as close to an apology as he was likely to get. “You shouldn’t have left. I got carried away.”