Dark Desires After Dusk (10 page)

“I'm a demon. I'm not exactly shy about things like this.”

She was appalled. “But you shouldn't . . . you can't just . . .”

“What should I do? You're an attractive female in my car who's not wearing panties. So to make you more comfortable, I should cut off circulation in my c—”

“Don't say it! I get the picture.” Her nails dug into her palms. Not nails—claws. And for some reason they were now curling, her mind locked on that memory of his hard, tanned torso leading down to those unbuttoned jeans.

“I'm going to react,” he said. “Even if you're not my usual type.”

“Usual type? Oh, let me guess.
Swimbos
with more breasts than brains?”

He hiked his broad shoulders. “My kind prefer tarts with a little more meat on their bones so they can take a demon's lusts.”

“Tarts?” Her jaw slackened. “My God, you're the most misogynistic man I've ever met. I bet you also like your
tarts
barefoot and pregnant.”

“Nah, I like them barefoot, on birth control, and always available in my bed.”

She sputtered. And then the truth of her situation hit her.

My fate is in the hands of a chauvinist demon, who seems to be
trying
to exacerbate my condition.

She'd never needed the medication more than now—when getting it seemed impossible.

Her mind was wracked with ideas and images that shouldn't be in there. She was unable to stop seeing that golden hair leading down from his navel. The more she endeavored not to think about it, the more the picture flashed in her head.

What would it be like to nuzzle that trail? To clutch his hips as she lowered her face to it . . . ?

Her heart thundered in fear of what she might do if she lost control.

The last time had been eight years ago. She'd terrified a young man, even . . .
hurting
him.

And he hadn't been the first.

R
ydstrom isn't here. He's
always
where he says he'll be.”

They'd pulled over to the side of the gas station parking lot twenty minutes ago. Cade called Rydstrom's cell phone again, but got an out-of-area message.

“Maybe he got caught in traffic,” Holly offered.

“No way.” Cade rubbed a palm over one of his horns, then got out to pace in front of the headlights. Ten more minutes passed.
Something's definitely wrong.

His brother had told him just tonight that Omort would be dispatching everything he had to stop them. Had Rydstrom somehow fallen victim to the bastard's powers?

Cade couldn't continue this job without Rydstrom—he didn't know where the first checkpoint was and hadn't been in contact with Groot himself.
I need Rydstrom for the directions.

I need him to keep me in line with the asset.

Half an hour had dragged by when a red Bentley pulled up behind them, hopping the curb in an alignment-wrecking jounce.

“Well, if it isn't Nucking Futs Nïx,” he muttered to himself as she parked the wheezing car. Never had Cade seen such an abused Bentley.

There were dings in the body, mud all over the tires, smoke tendrils rising from the hood, and at least two bullet holes. A Garfield doll was stuck to the rear window.

Surely Rydstrom had sent her to tell Cade about a change of plans. But this was a problem. Cade couldn't let Nïx near Holly without the chance of getting caught in his lie about reversing her transition.

He hastened to the car—and found the soothsayer shutting down the engine and the blaring music. “Where the fuck is my brother?” Cade demanded as soon as she opened the door. Sand poured from the floorboard.

Nïx gracefully stood, immediately strapping a sword over her back. She wore a T-shirt that read:
Keep Me Separated.
“Rydstrom's a bit tied up at the moment.”

“What the hell does that mean?” he asked, studying Nïx's exotic eyes for lucidity. He'd seen them go blank with confusion many times and couldn't afford that now. “Nïx, did he send you to meet me?”

“No. I thought I'd drop by to see my niece.” She peered past him in Holly's direction, and he stepped in front of her.

“Nothing is more important than this to Rydstrom. If you know where he is, then you must tell me.”

Her tone casual, Nïx said, “Sabine, the Queen of Illusions, tricked him, capturing him.”

Dread settled like a brick in Cade's stomach. “She's Omort and Groot's half sister.” And rumored to be a hundred times more evil. “What does she want with Rydstrom?”

“I'm guessing she wants to be impregnated by him,” she said blithely, while Cade's jaw slackened. “The last of the holdout rebels in your kingdom would be forced to recognize Rydstrom's heir—under any circumstances.”

“But Rydstrom can't get her pregnant. Not unless she's his female.”

“I'm sure with Sabine's powers, she could work something out.”

“Is she in league with Omort? Is Rydstrom being held in Tornin?”
No one escapes the dungeons of Tornin.

“I don't know if Sabine works with Omort or if she has her own agenda. And I can't see exactly where Rydstrom is imprisoned. All I know is that it's a shadowy cell.”

“I need that sword even more now.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I don't know how to contact Groot or even where the first checkpoint is.”

“I know where it is, but I don't see any further than that.”

“What? That's all I need! Tell me.”

“You just assume I'm going to allow you to ransom my niece to an evil sorcerer?”

“You're the one who set up this deal!” he snapped.

“But I hadn't seen that the Vessel would be one of our kind.”

“You know what's at stake.”

“What's at stake
for you,
” she said. “This is my kin.”

“Then why are we even discussing this?”

She blinked at him. “Because I'm
mischievous
?”

Nïx started toward Holly, and short of violence, there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop her. Cade was a lowlife mercenary, but he drew the line at hurting females.

Immediately, he thought of that vampire's Bride he'd killed. Or rather, Cade didn't hurt them purposely.
Block it out . . . .

At the car, Nïx said, “Come, dearling.”

Holly opened the door, pulling Cade's jacket tighter as she got out. She met Nïx eye to eye, almost exactly the same height as the Valkyrie soothsayer.

“Welcome to the family.” Nïx kissed both of Holly's cheeks with loud
mwah
sounds, seeming not to notice Holly's startled expression. “I'm your aunt Nïx, the Ever-Knowing. I'm also the Proto-Valkyrie and Soothsayer without Equal.”

“You're a Valkyrie?” Holly asked, her gaze on one of Nïx's uncovered ears.

“Only the oldest and greatest,” Nïx answered.

Cade said, “She's a powerful prognosticator.”

Nïx's eyes grew silvery with emotion. “And you are the spitting image of your mother. Strawberry blond hair and violet eyes.”

“You were related to my mother?”

“Greta was my half sister.”

“Greta,”
Holly said slowly, as if stunned to finally know her mother's name.

“She was a famous warrior. She died two decades ago, a glorious death in battle.”

“Warrior? Battle? I thought Valkyrie were docile.”

Nïx laughed. “Did the demon tell you that?” She made a tsking sound. “Cadeon Woede! For shame.”

“Just having a bit of fun with that.”

“What was Greta like?” Holly asked.

“She was part Fury—”

Cade made a strangled sound but covered it with a cough. “No way.” The most fierce race of females in existence. Valkyrie were violent. Furies were . . . incomprehensible.

Hell, if Cade turned her over to Groot, Holly might off the sorcerer herself.

“Look at Holly's violet eyes, with the dark ring around the iris. A Fury's eyes.”

“Why did she give me away?” Holly asked. “I know there must have been a good reason.”

And there was Holly's signature confidence. She expressed no bitterness or self-doubt over the fact that she'd been given over.

“I've put together a welcome package with a letter that will explain more. But for now, you need to leave. It's dangerous for you here.”

“Where am I going?” Holly demanded.

Nïx nodded in answer.

“Um, that wasn't a yes-or-no question.”

“Indeed.”

“I thought we were supposed to meet Cadeon's brother here.”

“You were,” Nïx said. “But he's not here.”

Exhaling impatiently, Holly said, “Just tell me, how did I become like
this
.”

“You make it sound like it's a tragedy.”

“I . . . no, I didn't mean to, but I just want to go back to my old life. I'm a single code away from getting my doctorate, and I have classes to teach—”

“Yes, well, if I had students like your delicious football players, I'd be eager to return, too. Re-rowr.”

Cade prompted Nïx, “Again, how'd she get like this?”

Nïx looked confused as if she didn't understand the question, then finally answered, “The seed was always there but was given water and sun with the lightning bolt.” She turned to Holly. “And now you'll grow into the Valkyrie you were always meant to be.”

“Cade told me that it's reversible?” she said in a tone tinged with disbelief.

“Did he, then?”

He pinched the bridge of his nose, prepared to be busted.

“He's right,” Nïx said, shocking him, going along with his lie. “Only one man can reverse this. His name is Groot the Metallurgist. He's a powerful sorcerer. If you get to him before you become fully immortal, he can change you back,” she said, though Cade knew that
she
knew that wasn't true.

Without a word, Nïx sauntered back to her car, leaving them no choice but to follow. “Now, I took the liberty of visiting your vampire-infested building and packing a bag for you. I know you'll want to change.”

Nïx popped the trunk, displaying a large suitcase atop another pile of sand. She lifted the weighty-looking bag with a finger, setting it on the ground. “Oh, and here are your spare glasses.” She pulled a pair from her jacket pocket, handing them to Holly. “Style name
Smitten Kitten
—love it!”

Enunciating every syllable, Cade repeated, “Smitten Kitten?”

Sliding him a discomfited glance, Holly donned them.

Nïx continued, “Of course the glasses will become redundant, since your eyesight should continue to improve each day. And here are your pearls.” She handed over a strand that looked exactly like the ones Holly usually wore. Naturally, she would have backups. “These items are your talismans.”

“Talismans?”

“Do you feel stronger when you wear them?”

Holly bit her lip and nodded.

“Then, yes, talismans. Now, those pearls have been bespelled. When you wear them, you'll be protected from scrying eyes.”

Holly turned to Cade, as if for translation.

“It means, don't take them off.” He collected the necklace from Holly and turned her around by the shoulders. “Pull up your hair.”

When she piled up all those red-gold curls, he just prevented himself from kissing her slender nape . . . .

He shook himself and finished.

“You need to get dry,” Nïx told her. “You're still a vulnerable little mortal. Oops, I forgot—you want to stay that way.” She tittered behind her fingertips as if that inclination was so misguided it was
cute
.

Seeming dazed, Holly took the bag and turned toward the station bathroom.

“What do you think you're doing?” Cade snapped.