Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(44)

The weight of his words crushed the breath from me. Emotion quickly filled me to overflowing, and I had to blink back tears. Though Arys may not know it, he had just set me free from some of the chains I’d bound myself in.

“Thank you,” I said softly, a catch in my voice. “For believing so deeply in something I still haven’t been able to process. It helps to think there might be something bigger behind all of this.”

Still, I had so many questions, and I was afraid of the answers. What was our purpose? And, would we find out before the power of our bond became too much for us?

Instead of pondering our fate, we prepared to meet the demon.

The abandoned old church wasn’t much of a surprise. Shya had shown his penchant for forsaken holy buildings previously. Some twisted part of him seemed to enjoy conducting his business in desecrated places.

I took a moment to gather myself before leaving the car. A busted iron fence surrounded both the church and what appeared to be a small graveyard in the back, but my view of the presumed cemetery was obscured from where I sat.

“Feel that?” Arys asked, his eyes locked on the crumbling stone church. “That’s some heavy duty shit.”

“That’s one way of putting it.”

The smothering sensation of dark energy made it hard to breathe. I shielded tightly against it, but still I could feel it there, seeking a way past my guard. One thing was certain; Shya wasn’t alone. It felt like he had a whole party of insanity going on.

During the drive over, I’d been a fit of nerves and fear. Now that I was here, I just felt ready. I couldn’t speak for Kale, but I had done nothing wrong, and I wasn’t walking in there acting like I had.

Out of habit, I checked my reflection in the visor mirror. Black liner around my brown eyes hid the lack of sleep and a splash of red lipstick made me feel a little bad ass. Skinny black jeans, a tight black strapless top and ankle boots with four-inch heels completed the look and boosted my confidence. I was suddenly glad I’d gone shopping. It sure beat pjs and sandals.

The beautiful old cross Kale had given me for my birthday hung around my neck. I didn’t expect it would win me any brownie points with either Shya or Arys tonight, but I didn’t care. It was the first time I’d worn it. After how close I’d come to losing it, I wanted to take the chance to appreciate it.

Arys slid a hand up the inside of my thigh. I stopped him with a look. Lust had been burning in his eyes since he’d watched me bleed a gang member on the way here.

Mastering the bloodlust on a night like this meant not giving it the chance to master me. The feed had left me with that beautiful high, the one I was afraid to get used to. I didn’t want to be bloodlust’s slave, but I didn’t want to kill indiscriminately, either. Arys would have gladly settled for any random person. I had insisted it be someone who had blood on their own hands. It wasn’t realistic to think I could feed on the criminals and street vermin forever. Just wishful thinking.

“Come on, you animal.” Giving Arys’s wandering hand another shove, I gathered my power close and shoved the car door open. “Let’s get this over with. No aggressive actions unless it’s necessary. I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“He’s a demon. Somebody is going to get hurt. From the way the atmosphere burns, someone already has.” Arys joined me in front of the Charger and took my hand. “Be careful. Don’t let anger do your talking for you. If he feels you’ve crossed a line with him, he’s going to do all he can to intimidate you, even if it means using Sinclair to do it. Be prepared for that.”

“What about you? Shya wanted you once. Maybe the both of us being here is a bad idea.” I leaned into Arys, briefly seeking strength. I didn’t dare take my eyes off the church.

He squeezed my hand reassuringly. “That is exactly where our advantage lies. You were already involved with him through Veryl before you and I met. It made sense for you to stay that way. Some alliances are worth the risk. As a pair, we intrigue him. He knows what we are. We can play that card if we have to.”

We began the short walk to the church. It was dark. Only the faintest light glowed within. As we drew closer, noise reached us from the graveyard in the rear. So, that’s where the party was.

“Why did you refuse to work with Shya? What did he offer you?” The closer we got, the quieter my voice dropped.

“He offered me everything. Protection, power, sex, an endless supply of victims. He would have given me anything I’d asked for. But, what he wanted most was my vow that you and I would stay out of his way. Since I don’t know what our true purpose is, I refused.”

“Why the hell would you not tell me this?” I hissed. “If I’d known, I would never have agreed to work with him.”

“That’s why I didn’t tell you.” Arys pulled me to a stop when we reached the perimeter of the church’s property. He spoke fast and low. “It doesn’t all have to be blood and death. You have power that puts you in a position to do a lot of good and to get as much from your arrangement with Shya as he gets from you. Hidden opportunities, Alexa. Seek them.”

We stepped onto the church grounds, and immediately I felt the unrest in the earth. It had been a long time since anyone had attended services in this building.

A cacophony of noise drew us past the church. Chants, shouts and words spoken in other tongues created an eerie mess of sound. The glow of firelight cut through the darkness ahead. Arys released my hand seconds before we stepped into the light. I was not prepared for what I saw.