Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(43)

“Let’s confirm that theory.” With a slash of claws across his throat, Jez unleashed her vengeful need.

Blood poured forth from the gaping wound she created. Falon’s eyes widened. Grasping her leg, he shoved with a supernatural strength that sent her crashing into the opposite wall.

We all bounded to our feet, braced and ready. My hands burned with the dancing blue and gold flames of raw energy flowing through me. I ached to unleash it on Falon. Maybe I couldn’t kill him, but making him suffer would be enough for me.

Then, the scent of his blood hit me, and I swooned. Goddamn, it was heavenly; no horrible pun intended. The sweetness of Falon’s blood taunted my control.

“Alexa, how nice of you to drop by.” Shya’s voice echoed in the high ceilinged foyer.

I spun to face him, simultaneously aware of the cool vampire energy present. Shya stood there with arms crossed, his constantly amused grin perfectly in place. At his side, looking livid, was Arys.

I didn’t see him move. Just that fast he was in Falon’s face, throwing a punch the angel didn’t see coming. He followed up with another, then banged Falon’s head against the wall a few times.

Bloodlust had Arys’s pupils dilating as he too reacted to the spilled angel blood. Baring fangs, Arys snarled into the fallen angel’s face, “I don’t need to kill you to make you sorry you touched her.”

Shya watched this with glee. With his perfectly pressed suit and slick black hair in place, he looked as he always did. I was starting to see through his human façade.

Already healed from Jez’s attack, Falon’s blood ceased to flow. Angel or not, he had to have a weakness. I was determined to find it.

He stared into Arys’s angry eyes, and for just a second, I thought I saw a trace of true fear. Then, it was gone, and Falon sneered, shoving Arys away. His wings flared out behind him, massive, silver and meant to be intimidating. Arys scowled, refusing to be impressed.

“Where’s Gabriel?” I demanded. Turning my back on the ass**le angel, I let Shya feel the brunt of my anger. “You can’t expect me to believe that you need him that bad. You, oh so powerful demon, you.”

My snide tone earned me a dark glare that, truth be told, did frighten me, but I’d be damned if I’d show it. Jez sidled up to me with a deadly swagger. I was worried about her mental state. Her pain had faded to be replaced with the need to hurt something, to kill. That urge could lead her to say or do something we’d both regret.

“Gabriel is here. He’s fine. He’s also absolutely none of your concern.” Shya narrowed his eyes in warning. “Stay out of it, Alexa.”

“I want to see him.” I was insistent. It was hard to keep my focus intent on Shya when I wanted to snap at Arys. What the hell was he doing here?

Shya turned his attention to Jez, ignoring my demand. “I don’t believe we’ve officially met. Veryl always spoke so highly of you. I can see why. You’re a firecracker.”

“Save it. I don’t want to hear your manipulative drivel. Because of you someone I love is dead.” Jez appeared calm, but her fangs and claws indicated otherwise. Her energy was strong with pure, venomous hatred.

“Is that so?” Shya’s self-satisfied grin grew. “Do tell.”

“Lilah killed my girlfriend tonight. She made me watch. You failed when you bound her power. You drove her to this. If you would have let Alexa kill her—”

“She would have failed,” Shya interrupted, his tone short and clipped. “Alexa’s power has limits. Sure, she may have been able to send Lilah back to imprisonment, but it would have been unlikely. Risky. Too risky while Lilah still had some of her power. I wasn’t willing to lose Alexa over something so trivial.”

“Trivial?” Jez raged, lunging forward to hiss angrily into the demon’s face. “We’re not pawns in your game of underworld chess. You don’t get to decide who lives and who dies.”

She was yelling loud enough to hurt my ears. I stood close, ready to grab her if she went for him. As entitled as she was to what she was feeling now, I couldn’t let her do something crazy.

I was dying to address Shya’s comment about being unwilling to lose me, but that wasn’t what I was here for, not this time.

“Is that it? Are you finished?” Shya studied her, peering deep into her green eyes with his snake-like crimson ones. “Demon blood might run in your veins, but if you don’t have the power that goes with it, it doesn’t mean a thing, so watch your tongue, sweetheart. I’d hate to have to pull it out of that pretty face.”

Jez recoiled in horror. Her face fell and she backed away. Unease slid through me. Shya watched her as if she were a wounded deer. Easy pickings. I cleared my throat in an attempt to draw his gaze back to me. It didn’t work.

He stared into her with a drowning red intensity. Only when she finally dropped her gaze did he avert his. The temperature in the room seemed to rise by several degrees. Shya’s strange otherworldly vibe resonated strong and hot. It was slightly painful.

Dismissing Jez, his attention swung to Falon. With a brow raised in interest he asked, “Now, what’s this I hear about your whore? Is there something you want to tell me?”

Disappointment filled me. I was bummed out that I wasn’t the one to expose Falon’s secret. However, I was more than happy to be present for its exposure. This I wanted to see.