Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(94)

I tried to absorb what I was hearing. Lilah was eyeing me up in a whole new way. All it took to make me feel like an ignorant young mortal was spending time with those who had outlived me by thousands of lifetimes.

“So you see,” Shya came to stand between Lilah and me. “Alexa’s blood is the key to breaking the curse that binds you. Had you succeeded in having her killed, your best chance at freedom would have died with her.”

Understanding settled in Lilah’s flame colored eyes. She nodded knowingly, her gaze darting from me to Shya. “Now you want to exploit my folly for your own gain. I bet you’re quite proud of yourself.”

“Indeed, I am.” Shya rubbed his hands together like a gleeful child. “You know my terms. They haven’t changed.”

Was this for real? I couldn’t tell who Shya was screwing over anymore. It appeared to be me. I rolled a psi ball in my hands as I considered smashing it into the back of Shya’s head.

“No.” Lilah was firm. “You ask too much.”

Shya’s rage was sudden and furious. The power rose up around him to burn with the intense heat of an open flame. The dragon on my arm pulsed in response.

“Helping you reclaim your throne entitles me to as much. Make me your second-in-command or remain forever as you are, an outcast queen with no people or kingdom to call your own, answering to a werewolf with more power than you will ever see again.” Shya was seething. So was I. The bastard was playing Lilah and me against each other. He would side with whoever could give him more.

I reached deeper, allowing more power to spill over me. I wasn’t going out without a hell of a bang. Arys shot me a warning look, which I pretended not to notice. I was panicking. All I could do was be as ready as I could.

“You pathetic, insipid, power-hungry worm.” With the grace of the undead, Lilah gravitated closer. Jabbing a finger into Shya’s chest, she grinned maliciously, revealing fangs. “You can only dream of having power like I had. Your collection of rare and wonderful creatures won’t bring you what you seek. You will always be underworld scum unworthy of even cleaning my boots. I’d spend eternity in this form before I’d consider making a deal with you.”

There was a boom like thunder. Shya’s huge black wings flapped once, driving Lilah back. Despite her limited demon power, she was unafraid. I’d once seen her drop a demon with no more than a word. The fact that she didn’t seem able to do it to Shya indicated he was far more powerful than she would admit.

Her gaze slid to me, and the sparkle of intrigue within had my wolf in fits. “You and I can help each other, Alexa. Neither of us needs to be bound by Shya’s manipulative deception. Help me regain my full power, and I can remove his mark from you.”

Tempting but not good enough. Shya terrified me in all his dark glory, yet he was nothing compared to what she would be if she escaped the curse, I was certain.

Now it was my turn to talk. I had very little to say. The wolf was fierce, ready to fight her way out of my body. It fed my growing anger.

“Both of you can go right back to hell where you belong.” I threw the psi ball so it exploded between them. A giant crack opened up on the patio and a breeze began to stir.

“Hey!” Shya shouted, reaching as if to grab me. “Watch it. I paid a pretty penny for this house.”

Lilah used the small distraction to rush me. I met her attack with a shoulder to the midsection and used her momentum to throw her over my body. She hit the concrete with a heavy thud but didn’t stay down for long.

“I really didn’t want it to come to this,” she said, swiping her bleeding elbow on the hem of her shirt, “but I won’t let a goddamned mortal stand between me and my freedom.”

She came at me with a backhand, which I deflected, but followed up too quickly with another swing, which I missed. The physical impact was bone jarring. The mix of demon and vampire power that she slammed into me lifted me off my feet. I came down hard on the grass beside the pool. It crushed the breath from me, but she allowed me no time to recover.

Lilah sprang, landing on top of me, knocking me back to the ground. Her ice-cold fingers wrapped around my throat and squeezed. Before I could blast her, Arys was there, dragging her off me. The two of them traded blows, and I used the brief reprieve to get to my feet.

Shya and Falon remained unmoved, watching the scene play out before them with carefully veiled expressions. Shya tipped his head in Lilah’s direction and nodded. After his little ploy to use me for his own gain, he still expected me to work with him. I wanted nothing to do with him or his plans. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a lot of options.

Arys did all he could to keep Lilah’s attention from me. He carefully deflected a burning ball of energy, retaliating with one of his own. She was a blur, moving fast to avoid it while delivering a roundhouse kick with those massive boots. Arys caught her leg and shoved, knocking her off balance. She hit the ground and rolled, back on her feet just that fast.

I was ready when she came at me again. I crooked a finger, inviting her attack. It caused her to falter, to question my motives. It was all I needed to reach out for her power. My intent was to take it, make it mine and tear it from her. The vampire energy within her easily bent to my will, but her demon power ran over me like a lake of burning hot lava.

I screamed as the demonic force slammed through me. I couldn’t contain or control it. It tore through me quickly, leaving me dizzy and nauseous. When Lilah pounded her elbow into my head, I fell to my knees, my body contorting as the wolf tried to break free.