September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(3)

The blow never landed. The demon threw one of the student desks at me with more strength than any such creature should ever have. It hit me dead on, taking my feet out from under me. The desk landed on my chest, crushing the breath from my lungs. Jez was there, throwing it aside and dragging me to my feet. I struggled to breathe, but I had no time to recover.

The demon clamped a heavy hand around Jez’s ankle and jerked her off her feet. It pulled her close, like she weighed nothing. Smacking its lips, it wore a gruesome smile. She swung wildly with her dagger, plunging it into the demon’s arm repeatedly. Murky black blood bubbled up from the wounds she inflicted, but the demon continued as if unaware.

I moved fast, swinging the Dragon Claw. I sliced a deep gash across its chest, and this time it did react. With a loud wail, it tossed Jez aside and came at me. Smoke rose from the wound. It stunk like death and sulfur. I waited for it to get closer, and then I plunged the dagger deep into its guts. The wailing grew louder and more shrill, hurting my ears.

Pulling the blade free, I lined up my swing and let fly. The blade sliced through its thick neck, and its head flew across the room to land with a sloppy slap on the teacher’s desk. The demon’s body fell at my feet, twitching and convulsing. Then it began to slowly dissolve until all that was left was a thick, black goo staining the floor.

“What the f*ck was that?” Jez gasped, her eyes wide as she watched the goo bubble and pop. “Since when do demons do that?”

“That couldn’t have been a pure demon. Not one that was ever an angel.” I gazed down at the mess. Was Shya behind this? “Crap like this can’t just walk free among the rest of us. Not without someone powerful to call it.”

“Someone like Shya?”

“Or maybe someone like the FPA. Someone in their lockup. I don’t know.”

I couldn’t imagine why either party would want to unleash something so twisted in the city. I had a bad feeling that I was going to find out.

Jez retrieved her dagger from the black sludge, used the edge of a desk to give it a wipe, and stuck it back into her boot. “I bet you’re really missing the Vegas vampires now.”

Chapter Two

“What the f*ck was that, Shya? I don’t appreciate being sent after shit like that without more warning. I’m not sure what you’ve been up to, but I don’t want any part of it.”

I disconnected the call with the press of a silent touchscreen button, missing the days when one could slam down the phone in anger. I doubted the demon would even hear that voicemail message, but it was the only way I could reach him without going to his house or summoning him through the demon mark on my arm. Since leaving the school, I had been a jumble of mixed emotions. Mostly, I was just mad.

“No answer, huh?” Jez nodded, twirling an unlit cigarette between her fingers. “Maybe it’s better that way. Do you really want to know how that thing got here? Let’s just be glad there’s nothing left of it but goop.”

She had a point. I probably didn’t really want the answers I was going to demand, but that wasn’t going to stop me from finding out. If I was going to protect this city, I needed to be in the know about this shit.

“Shya’s really tripping red flags for me these days,” I said, watching the activity on the other side of the room. “I want to know what he’s up to.”

The Wicked Kiss was almost finished undergoing renovations. The task was so much bigger than I’d anticipated. The nightclub was still open despite the many changes taking place. We were doing our best to work on one area at a time. It was difficult, but things were starting to come together.

The new flooring looked great. Non-slip luxury vinyl was a must. It was grey and designed to look like natural wood. The dance floor and bathrooms were done in the same material with a faux stone design. Deep red walls fit the bloodletting theme of the club without being bright or garish. Various types of fantasy artwork adorned the walls. From dragons to warriors and even vampires, the artists had finely crafted each piece.

I sat back against the new booth seat, enjoying the way it squished beneath me. The hard seats we used to have had been replaced with soft leather couches in a U shape. Not only was it more comfy, it made more use of the space, allowing for more people at one table.

As cozy as the new booth seats were, they were nothing compared to the sofa sets filling the space to the right of the bar, near the back hall entrance. Several L shaped black couches surrounded a large center table. It was early yet, but they were already occupied.

“I’d like to know what he was up to.” Jez nodded toward the doorway where Kale had just emerged from the back. “Obviously it was more important than having our backs during a demon hunt.”

My gaze narrowed as I watched him swagger through the club. Kale had done a great job of avoiding me recently. He paused to watch the guys working on the new stage. The last one had been destroyed while I was away. Kale wouldn’t tell me how, though I could imagine.

“Guess he needed a fix.” I should have shielded so as not to feel the saccharine energy Kale exuded. The truth was, I wanted to feel the flutter in the pit of my stomach, the intrigue, and even the hunger for him. Despite our twisted relationship, I enjoyed all of it.

He eyed the patrons hungrily, on the prowl again already even though he most likely had just left a victim in his bed. In black dress pants, a dark shirt, and leather duster, Kale wore sex and blood like a fragrance. Alluring and unbearably gorgeous, his presence demanded my attention.