September Moon (Alexa O'Brien, Huntress #8)(84)

“If what Saber said is true, then I will die of natural causes long before you find what’s left of the scroll.” A smile pulled at my lips. I couldn’t help but enjoy his failure.

Shya got unbearably close. Our noses were almost touching. One of his wings grazed my arm, and it was all I could do not to jerk away from the murky sensation that followed.

“Have you not been paying attention?” Shya murmured, low and sly. “Demons only tell their version of the truth. Don’t be too quick to count me out, Alexa. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” He grabbed my arm with spindly fingers that bit into my flesh. The dragon there pulsed at his touch. “You owe me. I’m calling in the debt.”

“You can’t do that,” I protested, keeping a straight face even though I wanted to shudder and grimace. His power slithered up my arm. I shielded hard against him, but still I felt it.

“I just did. You’ve had plenty of time to bring me a dreamwalker. I happen to know that the FPA has one in lockup. And I’m willing to bet that you know it too.” The satisfaction in his glare was intimidating.

My mouth went dry, and I was at a loss for words. This had been inevitable, but it still felt sudden. I wasn’t prepared to deal with my debt to Shya. I’d hoped I would find a way to get out of it. It was delusional.

It was a huge letdown to learn that he knew about the dreamwalker in FPA custody. He’d probably known before I did.

“Look, Shya, I know you’re pissed, but come on. We don’t have to do this now.” I was eager to leave and even more eager to get his hand off me.

“We do though.” His shifty gaze slid to Arys. “What do you say, Arys? Do you want to take her debt? I know you’ll actually pay up.”

“No,” I snapped, yanking my arm from Shya’s hand. “I’ll pay my own debt. Leave Arys out of this. It doesn’t concern him.”

Shya’s wicked chuckle made my skin crawl. “Suit yourself. You have one month to bring me the dreamwalker.”

“Or what?” I shouldn’t have asked. I didn’t really want to know.

“I’m not going to tell you. Whatever you imagine won’t even come close to what I’ll do to you.” Shya’s sinister calm was more worrisome than his openly psychotic amusement.

Arys pulled me away, retreating fast as if he feared Shya would change his mind. The demon watched us go with thinly veiled contempt. I kept waiting for him to stop us, to shout, “Psych!” and laugh maniacally while he dragged me back upstairs.

I was careful to avoid eye contact with anyone. The demons were all too engrossed in their vile gratification to pay us any attention. Only Falon and Gabriel watched us disappear from the yard.

I didn’t believe it until we were in Arys’s Firebird speeding down the gravel road away from Shya’s house. Even then I expected him to appear.

Chapter Twenty-One

In less than an hour, I had retrieved a very agitated Jez from The Spirit Room. Lucky for Arrow, he hadn’t arrived yet. In between questions and shows of concern, Jez apologized several times on the way to The Wicked Kiss.

“You don’t need to apologize to me, Jez. You’re a grown woman who doesn’t owe anyone an explanation. But if you know this isn’t what you want, then it’s time to deal with Zoey’s death instead of numbing out on intoxicants.”

I felt like the world’s hugest hypocrite. My drug of choice differed, but I too sought out escape in false comforts. Still, street drugs were risky, and I didn’t want to watch one of the strongest women I knew go down that treacherous road.

“I know,” she mumbled, staring around the room, squinting against the dim lights that broke up the darkness.

We sat in a comfy corner booth. Arys had brought me there to pick up my car; he’d had it towed there. I hoped to hang around long enough to see Willow. Then I was headed home for the next two days. My plan was to lay low at home and spend as much time as wolf as I could before Ky’s big day. I needed it.

While waiting for Willow to make an appearance, I checked the many messages left on my phone during my brief but serious absence. A voicemail from Dayne asked if we could meet. Another, from Juliet, I hit delete without listening to it.

I called Dayne back and told him to come by the club if he had time. It would be my last night in the city for a few days. I needed some down time.

My blood boiled as I thought of Kale locked in the back with another blood whore. He had abandoned Jez in a time of need after promising me he would take care of her. He had no excuse for that.

A waitress came by to refill our coffee. Jez didn’t need booze to make her situation harder to handle, and I was nowhere near ready to swallow a poison of any kind. I felt good, great actually, after the incident at Shya’s. Tired though. I was ready to sleep beside the pond in the shadow of the trees. My wolf was restless, needing release.

The coffee was bitter and strong. I stirred cream and two sugars into it, watching the back hall entry with a predatory scrutiny.

Arys had left Jez and me to speak in private, though he hadn’t gone far. He lingered near the main door, speaking to Justin. I think he was afraid to let me out of his sight.

“I’m really looking forward to Ky’s wedding,” Jez said with a sigh. With a hand beneath her chin, she leaned heavily on her arm and stirred her coffee so that the spoon clinked loudly against the cup.