September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(52)

“Arys, you’d better hurry,” Jenner called, unable to take his eyes from me. “I can’t hold her much longer.”

“Jenner,” I gasped out, directing the focus of my intent. “I know you want me, Jenner. Just one kiss. Maybe even a taste.”

“Stop it.” He shook his head as if that would break my hold on him. Leaning in close he said, “You better reconsider how much you want to show your enemies. We have an audience.”

His grip on my throat relaxed and instead of sitting up, he buried his face in my hair and breathed in my scent. So much for Jenner’s resistance. He was all mine.

“Just how you like it.” A wicked laugh bubbled up. I sounded like somebody else, somebody without a shred of sanity left. It reminded me of Kale.

Having Jenner atop me on the floor of Shya’s living room had not at all been part of the plan. Still, we were here now. I might as well enjoy it. Sliding a hand up between us, I gently caressed his face. Bringing my lips to his, I kissed him. I delved into his mouth, seeking his tongue with mine. He returned my kiss with an equal fervor. Feeding off his lusty energy, I took all he was giving until the power consumed me.

I threw him off me with the ease of a thought. Jenner hit the floor and rolled, narrowly missing the full-pane window. I was on my feet and whirling to let Arys have it, but I was too late.

Gabriel lay on the floor beside the couch, his lips pressed to Arys’s wrist. Already his skin was pale, almost waxy. His breath came in shallow, uneven gasps. Death was already upon him.

“Son of a bitch,” I swore, jabbing a finger in the air at Arys. “You really f*cked up this time.”

Arys pulled his wounded wrist away and lifted Gabriel’s lifeless form onto the couch. He ignored me, turning to Shya instead. He stepped back and gestured to the bloodstained piece of furniture.

“There. I upheld my end of the deal. Now can you please remove this?” Arys peeled his shirt off to expose the big black dragon that covered his back.

Shya crossed his arms and stood stiffly in his finely pressed suit. Ebony wings framed him as he glided over to take a closer look at Gabriel.

“How long until he rises?” He eyed Arys with a haughty expression. For a moment I thought Shya was going to refuse to remove the mark.

“It’s hard to say. Could be anywhere from a few hours to a few days.” Arys’s dark brows drew together, and he frowned, sharing my thought.

“And if he doesn’t rise?”

“He will.”

The vampire and demon stared hard into one another. The male bullshit in the room was thick. I was sick of it. Other than one oddly androgynous demon outside staring in at us, I was the only woman present. I would’ve loved to have Jez at my side.

“Fine.” Shya nodded and gave a flippant wave. The dragon on Arys’s back began to fade as if it were slowly being erased. In seconds it was gone completely. Shya flashed me a cryptic grin. “See how easy that was?”

The dragon on my armed burned. It had to be my imagination. There was no reason for me to stay another moment. Gabriel was dead. Before long he would rise. There was no telling what kind of vampire he’d be. With the black magic he possessed, I imagined it wouldn’t be pretty.

“You can’t protect him all the time.” I nodded toward Gabriel. “Eventually I’ll get him alone. He’ll be mine, or he’ll be destroyed.”

Trying for a dramatic exit, I strode from the room without a look back. It would have been a lot more convincing if I didn’t trip on the throw rug in the foyer. I recovered quickly, but the damage was done. Crap.

Willow followed me out. Shya couldn’t possibly let us go without tossing one of his infamously menacing retorts after us. “The same goes for you, Alexa. Willow can’t protect you all the time. Neither can your twin. Or he wouldn’t be here. Tread carefully.”

With one hand on the door and the other being tugged by Willow, I spun around to shout through the foyer. “Or what? You’ll kill me? Bring it on. You need me, Shya. If you want to take me out and rob yourself of the sacrifice you need, then so be it. I’m ready.”

My voice echoed in the high ceiling of the foyer. Shya regarded me with a calm but calculating stare. When he didn’t respond, I allowed Willow to drag me out the door.

“You shouldn’t have called him out like that,” Willow admonished when we were in the car. “He’s too unpredictable right now.”

“I don’t care. I’m so f*cking done with this. I just need it to be over.” My voice broke, and I choked back tears. I was mad goddammit; I had no reason to cry.

“This isn’t about Shya, is it?” Willow stroked a hand through my hair and pulled me in for an awkward car hug. “It’s about Arys.”

The accuracy of that statement only made me feel worse. “Something is happening to us. I’m afraid of where we’ll stand with each other when everything goes down. When he kills me.”

“I can guarantee you that he’s afraid too. I think you need to give him the benefit of the doubt. Don’t assume anything. This has to be hard for him as well.”

With a sniff and an angry swipe at the one tear that had escaped to run down my cheek, I started the car and peeled out of Shya’s driveway. The back tires spun, kicking up a chunk of his lawn.

I drove away with the seed of sorrow taking root in my heart. Arys’s cold refusal had hurt. I couldn’t shake the sinking feeling that stopping Shya was the purpose we shared as twin flames. And I knew without a doubt that, just as the old lore foretold, it would destroy us.