Darker (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #6)(50)

I closed the door and leaned against it. “Well, my night is off to a f**king great start.”

Jez appeared at the end of the hall. “I’m not going to insult you by asking if you’re ok. I imagine it feels kind of like being picked last in gym class. Nobody wants you on their team.”

I laughed, a bitter sound that resonated through the empty corridor. “Nice try, Jez. Don’t expect me to believe you were picked last.”

“No, but I know what it’s like to walk alone.”

We stood at opposite ends of the hall, staring at one another. Jez was the only werecat I knew. I imagined that came with its share of loneliness. Cats might be solitary creatures, but they too craved love and affection.

“I feel like I’ve lost my wolf and my pack all in one day,” I said, waiting for the emotion to hit me. Instead, I was numb. A hollow sense of calm always overcame me when I needed to shut down and escape. It would help me now, but I’d pay for it later when the floodgates broke open.

I stared at Jez, noting the predatory glint in her eyes. She had lost so much more, yet there she stood, ready to fight back.

Determination gripped me. I shoved away from the door with a bounce in my step. “Let’s get ready. We have some ass to kick.”

* * * *

“Are you sure? Once you do this, he won’t ever forget it. He’ll hold a grudge.” Willow’s warning went in one ear and out the other.

“He already hates me. I might as well give him a reason.”

I watched Willow pour a salt circle on the floor of Harley’s old room. In jeans and a t-shirt, he looked so casual. With his silver wings absent from sight, there was no indication of his angelic nature.

The Wicked Kiss seemed like the safest place to summon a creature of darkness. Falon could make all the noise he wanted, and nobody would give a damn.

“Are you sure that circle will hold him?” Jez asked, a brow raised in skepticism. Makeup hid the dark circles under her eyes. With her trademark red lipstick and skinny jeans, she hid her pain well, projecting a normal outward appearance.

“As long as nobody outside the circle breaks it, it will hold.” Willow glanced my way, a mischievous glint in his gold-flecked green eyes. “You have something silver?”

“Will this work?” I pulled the silver cross Kale had given me out of my pocket and handed it to Willow.

He held up his hands in refusal, unwilling or unable to touch it, and I swore something almost wistful crossed his face. “Yeah, that works just fine.”

“Are you ready? This is your last chance to change your mind.”

“I don’t have a choice. I can’t track Lilah through the number she messaged me from, and I’ve gotta find her before she targets another person I care about.” A nervous flutter started in my stomach. I was excited, looking forward to getting tough with Falon. In the back of my mind, I almost hoped he was hard to break.

I shrugged out of the long jacket that hid my dagger; I didn’t need it or the dagger for this. In a black tank top and jeans, I was ready for a fight should one come my way.

Tossing my hair back, I stared at the cross, briefly struck with concern for Kale. Maybe I shouldn’t be worried after what he’d done to me. Still, I needed to know he made it out of the FPA basement.

“Alright, let’s do this,” I said, my mind made up.

“You’re doing it,” Willow replied. “I’ll guide you.”

We stood outside the circle, careful not to get too close. Willow spoke slowly, the Latin rolling off his tongue with ease. It was just two lines, but it took me a few tries to get right.

“There are several ways to summon a demon, but Falon is in-between so calling him by name and offering an exchange of blood is most likely to work.” Willow held up a knife with a golden hilt. “Whenever you’re ready.”

I stared at the circle. It crawled with negativity, the promise of dark things. Taking a deep breath, I spoke the summons, enunciating carefully. Then, I held my hand out to Willow. Grasping my wrist, he held my hand over the circle and sliced into my palm. The blood ran down to stain the carpet with bright red blotches. I tensed, waiting for something to happen.

At first nothing did. I thought it had failed. Then a strange, burnt metal smell filled the room, followed by a growing mist in the center of the circle. It materialized into Falon, who stood there disoriented. His pale gaze went from me to Willow. Realization struck and rage filled his eyes.

“You stupid f**king animal,” he seethed. “You’ve gotten too cocky for your own good. And you,” he directed his anger at Willow, “I should have known you’d turn up. And, with a Hound of all of things. I suppose you think by helping her you can earn your way back in.”

“We’re not here to talk about me.” Willow shrugged, unaffected.

“Falon, I want to know how to find Lilah. Where is she?” I got right to the point, refusing to respond to his insults.

His sneer was expected. “No need to worry about that. She’ll find you when she’s ready.”

“Where the hell is she? You’re not getting out of that circle until you tell us.” Jez approached with hands clenched into fists. I stopped her from getting too close, afraid she would step in the salt line.

Falon grinned. “You are a feisty one, aren’t you?”