Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(14)

“Nobody is going to hurt you. You just proved why that wouldn’t be easy.” Jez shrugged casually, but her shoulders tightened, and her body language became defensive. Wary.

Kale’s gaze dropped to my bloody hand. His pupils dilated and a memory blazed between us. “I’d like to meet the person willing to take you on after what you just did in there.”

“I don’t know.” With a shake of my head, I scanned the area. I couldn’t be too careful, not until I knew who was gunning for me. “This is just more trouble I don’t need. It seems to find me no matter what I do.”

A sudden, unnatural wind picked up, tossing my long blonde hair around in total disarray. The air rippled, and Falon appeared out of nowhere. It spooked me and I jumped. He eyed me with grim amusement dancing in his silver eyes.

The fallen angel looked over us each with scrutiny before dragging his judgmental gaze back to me. “You really aren’t the brightest crayon in the box are you, wolf?”

I bristled at his tone, and my guard went up. After what had just occurred inside, I was in no mood to take lip from the ass**le angel.

“I have a name, you son of a bitch.” I met his gaze evenly, showing no fear. What the hell was he doing here?

Tall and chiseled with fair hair, he looked like any model in a men’s fashion magazine. He was good looking, but it was a surface beauty. His wings were absent, hidden beneath some form of illusion that drove my curiosity crazy. Without them, he lost a lot of his intimidation factor.

“Alexa,” he said my name slowly, dramatically emphasizing every syllable. “Do you have any idea of how stupid you are?”

I sensed Kale’s sudden tension, but I didn’t dare take my eyes off Falon. The twenty feet or so separating the fallen angel from me became much too close for comfort. I wanted to claw his eyes out but wasn’t dumb enough to try.

“What are you doing here?”

He continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “Only an idiot would draw attention to themselves by calling power like that without good reason. Might as well walk around with a neon sign over your head that flashes the word, dumbass.”

I seethed with hatred for this infuriating creature. “I had my reasons, none of which do I owe you as an explanation. Where do you get off coming to my place of business to judge me?”

Falon’s laughter cut through the night, as malicious as it was melodic. “Your place of business is little more than a den of sin and sacrilege. Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Fuck you, you pathetic demon lapdog.” I spat the words without thinking, letting my anger guide my sharp tongue. “If Shya sent you, tell him I have nothing to say to him through you. If he didn’t send you, then you really don’t need to be here.”

I blinked, that was it. I never saw him move, but he was suddenly so close we almost touched. Glaring down into my face, Falon fixed me with ice-cold eyes.

“You attract the attention of everyone with any ties to power when you do that shit. That power may be yours to command, but it comes from a place bigger than you can imagine. Use it wisely.”

I had never felt any source of power or metaphysical wonder from him. It was there, I knew, but hidden. I didn’t feel it now either, but I saw it, there in the depths of his eyes. So cold and broken but immense, like the mountains and the sea, larger than I could dream. The promise of destruction was there, and I knew with deep-seated certainty that Falon’s power was something I never wanted to see.

“Don’t talk to me like I’m a child, you pretentious bastard.”

His cruel grin restored some of his intimidation factor, but nothing about him indicated that he’d ever been anything better than he was now. “Shya is so wrong about you.”

Dismissing me entirely, Falon swept by me to get a closer look at Jez. She perched on the edge of the car, frozen in place. She stared at him like he was scum, but the anxious vibes she gave off betrayed her.

“And, what have we here?” Ignoring her scathing expression, Falon studied her with curious intrigue. He seemed a little perplexed. “Of all the mixed bloodlines I’ve seen, never have I seen one quite like you. Fascinating. Where has Shya been hiding you?”

Jez stumbled over her words as she attempted a stuttering response. Kale came to her rescue. Laying a friendly hand on Falon’s arm, he smoothly captured the angel’s attention.

“Jez prefers to work the streets, clean up the trash. That kind of thing. Now, what brings you here?” Kale’s interest was authentic. He clearly knew how to deal with Falon.

Falon cast a last lingering glance at Jez before turning his full attention on Kale. “The dreamwalker,” he spoke in low tones. “I need you there tonight.”

I was still stuck on what he’d said about Jez being of mixed blood. How could that be? Her face was a mask of ice, carefully constructed to reveal nothing.

“Dreamwalker?” I said, only half-listening. I was watching Jez as she forced a nonchalant expression.

“Yes, dreamwalker,” Falon sneered. “As in, someone who can walk in dreams. Now there’s a power that even a botched crossbreed like you doesn’t have.”

I snarled and lunged toward him. Kale effectively placed himself in my path, stopping me with both hands on my shoulders. Falon enjoyed my fury, which only ticked me off more. It was my own fault for letting him get under my skin. Something about him just stripped my composure away. Lately everything seemed to strip my composure away.