Death Wish (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #5)(97)

I hated him with a deep-rooted passion. Clever and charismatic, he was a force to be reckoned with. Though I couldn’t see his mark in wolf form, I could feel it there, a metaphysical brand etched in my flesh.

I turned back toward Shya’s house, my fury growing with each step. The quick change to wolf after such strenuous exertion had done wonders for me. I felt energized instead of drained, like I could take on Shya as well and win, but I wasn’t about to let my ego talk me into getting my ass kicked. Shya could be dealt with, though it would take outsmarting him rather than mere aggression.

There was no sign of Lilah when I slunk through the yard up to the house. Shya and Arys were in one another’s face, talking in hushed, angry tones. Falon watched with a grin, finding the conflict entertaining. They all looked my way as I approached. For a fleeting moment, I wondered how easy it would be for a demon to recover from a torn out throat.

“Congratulations,” Shya beamed, a serpentine smile contorting his face into something I would later see in my nightmares. “You proved yourself to be the better vampire.”

I stopped where the grass met the concrete patio. Fixing the demon with a blank stare, I pledged a silent vow to myself that I would not let him manipulate me anymore. I wasn’t meant to be part of his world, and I wouldn’t let him ruin me.

I stared at him until he edged away from Arys. “Forgive me. Would you like a robe or something?” Shya snapped a finger, and Falon disappeared into the house with a scowl.

My clothes had been ruined in the shift. That hardly ever happened anymore, but since I’d just bought them, it was a greater annoyance. Falon returned with a beautiful black silk kimono with an orange dragon emblazoned on the back. He shoved it into Arys’s hand before returning to his lounge chair.

‘What does he want for it?’ I directed to Arys. ‘My soul?’

“She doesn’t trust you,” Arys spoke for me. “With good reason. What do you expect in return from her?”

Shya maintained a neutral expression though amusement shone in his eyes. “For that? Nothing. Consider it a gift.”

Arys held the kimono out like a curtain to shield me from the demon and fallen angel. I shifted back to human form, feeling naked and exposed regardless. I slipped into the robe, almost sighing as the exquisite material slid over my bare skin. When it was secured around my waist, I let Shya have it.

“What the f**k was that? You were going to sell me out to Lilah like I’m a goddamn commodity. I knew you were skeevy, but you are a real piece of work. I’m not making the mistake of working with you again. On anything. Count me out. From now on, I don’t work for you, with you or for your so-called agenda. I’ve got my own agenda.”

The seriousness of my proclamation was destroyed by Falon’s low chuckle. I shot him a look that oozed venom. Shya ignored our exchange.

He crossed his arms and observed me coolly. “I hope your agenda includes the dreamwalker you owe me. A deal is a deal, Alexa.”

That’s it? That’s all he had to say? Of course it was. I wasn’t going to get an apology or explanation.

“What do you need a dreamwalker for anyway? Another power play?”

Shya shrugged. “See now that’s something I can only share with those who are willing to work with me.”

“Fair enough.”

“I was just discussing that very thing with your vampire here.” Shya gestured to Arys who glowered. “We all stand to gain a lot more if we can work together. I’d advise you to play nice, Alexa. The two of you have an awful lot of power. That kind of power earns you friends and enemies. However, it’s never wise to allow it to turn friends into enemies.”

He never so much as threatened me nor did he exude any menace, yet the promise was there, Shya’s unspoken guarantee that I would be sorry for cutting the puppet strings.

“We were never friends.” I was ready to leave. Engaging in further conflict with demons tonight didn’t appeal to me.

Arys stuck to my side protectively. I stepped through the patio door to exit through the front of the house. I thought Shya might just let us go. Not without a last parting shot.

“You know you can’t save her.” Shya’s voice followed us, his words for Arys alone. “You’re running out of time.”

Arys stopped but gave me a gentle push, urging me on. He turned to Shya with a deadly calm. “So are you. Isn’t that why you’re so desperate to hang on to her? She doesn’t belong in the darkness with people like you and me. You know that. And, you know one day she may come for you.”

I stopped dead in my tracks. My skin prickled at what I was hearing.

“She’ll never remain mortal long enough to be a problem for me.” Shya nodded curtly. “You’ve seen to that. Haven’t you, vampire? Your selfish blood bond has tipped the balance. Eventually her flame will burn out, and with it, the purpose you both share.”

I tugged on Arys’s hand, needing to flee Shya’s unwelcome words. “Let’s go. We don’t need to listen to this.”

Arys hesitated, his jaw clenched. The negative charge of his anger made the temperature rise. “Don’t even think about it, you smug son of a bitch.”

Shya laughed then, a cold, foul sound that I felt in my bones. With hands spread wide in a gesture of mock innocence, he said oh so calmly, “It would be a shame if Alexa joined the world of the undead sooner rather than later.”