Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(46)

As we entered my house, I asked Jez, “Are you hungry? I can toss a frozen pizza in the oven or something.” I stopped in the front hall, feeling for anything amiss. It was clear. “Or, if you prefer, we can go for a run. Hunt something with a heartbeat.”

“Thanks but I think I’m going to suck down a few cigarettes and take a bath. If you don’t mind.” Jez let herself out onto the back deck just off the kitchen. The flick of the lighter was quickly followed by a deep sigh.

I kicked off my boots and pulled out my phone. I wasn’t sure if angels slept. I had a question for Willow that wouldn’t wait, but first I had to call Kylarai and tell her about Zoey. It wasn’t a call I wanted to make; telling her about Zak had been hard enough. She’d cried, then I’d cried. Now, I’d let her down again.

Informing the town pack that a vampire had murdered the daughter of their former Alpha wasn’t going to win me any points. They already thought associating with me was dangerous. I was about to prove them right.

Kylarai cried again. I had expected that. As I told her what happened, I moved about my bedroom, shedding the leather pants and exchanging them for fuzzy PJs. I pulled my long hair into a ponytail, trying to get as close to relaxation as possible.

“It’s just so sad,” she sniffled, her voice loud over the speakerphone. “She was no saint, that’s for sure, but she deserved better.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell her a part of me felt relieved. I doubted if I’d ever say the words aloud.

“I’m sorry it happened,” I said instead. “I can’t let Lilah hurt anyone else. I have to stop her.”

“Don’t get yourself killed, Alexa. Please.” Kylarai’s voice was thick with tears.

“I don’t plan to. I’ve got to do something though, or she’ll keep coming after you guys. And, I can’t stand to lose anyone else. Be careful, ok? I’d die if anything happened to you.”

“You know me. I won’t go down without a hell of a fight. I’ll take the bitch with me if I can.” Passive aggressive and maybe a tad bipolar, Ky’s wolf spoke through those words.

By the time we hung up, Kylarai had gone from tears to fury. She volunteered to tell the rest of the pack what was happening. Two wolves had died in just a few days, and they wouldn’t take this well. Our small town pack consisted of school teachers, car salesmen, stockbrokers, and other werewolves trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy. Vampires and demons were not part of their world, but I was changing that.

Returning to the kitchen, I found Jez leaning against the island. Her phone was in her hands, and she was scrolling through photos of her and Zoey. My chest tightened and guilt slapped me.

I didn’t want to intrude on her moment. Words didn’t exist for what she was going through. Nothing I could say would make things better, so I got busy making a pot of coffee. I was going to need it to get through Veryl’s files.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything?” I asked. “Coffee? Liquor? Something to eat? I think I have some leftover chicken breast.”

She shook her head, never taking her eyes off the phone. “No, thanks. Maybe just some juice or something.”

I dug through the fridge, finding some pineapple smoothie stuff. I hated that my friend was in pain because of me, and even more, I hated that I could do nothing to change that. She didn’t blame me, but I blamed myself.

“There are clean towels in the hall closet upstairs.” I set a glass of smoothie in front of her. “You can use the main tub if you want, but the one in my bedroom has jets. Take your pick.”

She sipped from the glass. Selecting a specific picture, she handed me the phone. “I took that photo yesterday, when she was sleeping. Isn’t she beautiful?”

I gazed down at the photo. Zoey’s jet-black hair fanned across the pillow. She appeared peaceful in sleep, sane even. Except, the curve of her jaw reminded me of Raoul. I would forever remember the night she killed him, the night I failed to stop her.

“Yeah, she’s beautiful.” Swallowing the year-old pain of losing the first man I’d ever loved, I handed the phone back and turned away, busying myself with the coffee pot.

I waited until Jez went upstairs before calling Willow. While my laptop fired up, I sipped my coffee and hoped he would answer. Just as it was about to go to voicemail, his smooth voice came on the line, and I was crushed with relief.

He listened attentively while I again told the events of the night. I finished by asking, “Tell me, is there anything that will harm a fallen angel? Anything I can use against Falon to get him to tell me where she is.”

“Silver,” he replied calmly. “Pure silver will harm him as it will demons. Do you have a plan? If you allow your emotion to drive your decisions, it could backfire.”

“My emotion is what will get me through this. I can’t let her continue this killing spree. I’d rather hand myself over to her than watch more people die.”

“Let’s not get hasty. That’s exactly what she wants. I’m sorry to say this Alexa, but if she breaks her curse, so many more will die. Starting with you, I’m sure.” The clink of bottles in the background made me wonder if he was out drinking. It seemed to be the norm for him.

“I think I might have something I can use against her. I’ll fill you in when I know for sure. Is there a way for me to summon Falon? To force him to come to me?” I could almost feel his hesitation on the other end.