Key of Solomon: Relic Defender, Book 1 (26 page)

She could almost hear the thoughts whirling around in the mortal’s mind.

“Ah, well, another time then.” He sketched a slight bow. At the same time, keeping his eyes on her, he backed up.

Mari considered chasing him down. Instead, she merely held his glance and did nothing as the mortal turned and melted into the shadows. When she was sure he was gone, she allowed a smile to stretch across her face. The mortal was charming like a cute pet. She had no doubt he’d return.

And she’d be waiting.

“Lexi.”

The voice calling her name whispered through her mind on a soft sigh.

“Lexi, help me.”

The pain in the voice tugged at her heart. She knew that voice. Knew that soft and clear tone, the fragile edges. Devyn.

Lexi sat upright, her sleep-filled eyes searching the shadows. One of the shadows shifted and separated, forming into the petite figure of Devyn.

Was this real? The line separating real from imaginary no longer seemed solid. Its boundaries had been scuffed and broken in places, leaving Lexi adrift. She didn’t know how to act at the appearance of Devyn. So she simply stared at the apparition.

A weak smile pulled at the young girl’s lips, but didn’t reach her blue eyes. At odds with the smile, reproach filled the soft depths. Did Devyn blame Lexi for not saving her in the first place or because she hadn’t found her?

Whispers filled her head. Whispers of a place cold and dark. Of tiny sounds in the pitch-black, scrabbling against stone walls. Of unfamiliar smells. Dank smells, evil smells. Devyn never opened her mouth, yet Lexi heard it all.

She threw back the covers and hesitantly approached the young girl. “Where are you?” As she neared, the skin on Devyn’s face—moved. Shifted, a rippling movement. No, not the skin but something under the skin.

Lexi froze, feeling the clammy touch of fear tiptoe up her spine. Something was very wrong.

Without warning, Devyn raised her hands, the fingers turning into claws and lunged at Lexi.

“No!” Lexi shrieked and woke. Jerking upright, she looked wildly about the room. In the semi-darkness of dawn peeking in through the windows, only the familiar outlines of furniture had form. No Devyn.

No sylph-like girl with claws where fingernails should be.

“Freaking hell.” Raising a shaking hand, Lexi brushed back damp hair from her cheeks. A dream then. No, that’s not right. A nightmare.

Her room door flew open, crashing into the opposite wall. Another dark figure stood in the doorway. Her breath caught.

While the sensible part of her mind scoffed at the thought freaky Devyn had returned, the experienced, street-smart side reached slowly for the dagger she kept beside her bed. “Who’s there?”

“Mikos.” A pause. “I heard a cry. Are you okay?”

Lexi puffed out a breath on an exhale and slid the knife back into its resting place. “Yeah, just a bad dream.”

“I felt a disturbance.”

She reached over and flipped on the lamp by her bed. The soft glow lit up the room, its gentle light extending around the bed yet failing to penetrate the corners. Nevertheless, she felt comforted by its glow.

Speaking of disturbance, Mikos’s attire, or lack thereof, did more to disrupt her state of mind than a visit from a claw-wearing visitor.

Damn near naked in flannel-type sleep pants. The navy blue pajama bottoms hung low just enough she could see the sprinkling of dark chest hair arrow to a point below the waistband.

Even worse, his body may look alert, his languorous expression and tousled hair sent an entirely different message. One that her body, if not her mind, ached to answer.

Yikes.

Shaking off the effect of Mikos’s sleep-softened appearance, Lexi cocked her head. “A disturbance? What, like the force? Do I call you Luke now?”

As usual, she attempted to find refuge in humor. And as usual, it fell flat. How do you joke with someone who doesn’t get the references? As evidenced by Mikos’s current puzzled look.

“I don’t understand your reference.”

See what I mean? Shrugging inwardly, Lexi grinned and then shook her head. “Never mind.”

She sat up and looked over at the clock on the nightstand. Three a.m. She was up. He was up. Maybe they could get in some practice. Then she’d get him to go out to try to track down some leads on Devyn.

Real or not. Dream or not. Either was enough to remind Lexi she’d made a deal with Mikos, and it was time he started honoring it. For nearly a week, she’d practiced, studied and learned.

To her mind, her skills in close contact fighting, thanks to the intensive Krav Maga sessions, had increased significantly. Yet, sometimes, Lexi saw a lingering concern and disappointment in Mikos’s expression. Like he wanted, no needed, something more from her.

Eons ago, previous to this past week, and before her life imploded around her, she had told Mikos he couldn’t have her faith. Maybe that was what he believed she lacked. Didn’t matter. She’d warned him. The only faith she had was in herself.

So what if she had this empty feeling inside? She’d lived with it most of her life. This little hiccup in her life was just that. A hiccup. Nothing she’d seen so far had changed her mind that anything about the human race was worth saving.

Enough. She threw back the sheet and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

“So what do you say to some training? And then we need to—” Her voice trailed off, whatever she’d been about to say draining from her mind.

Mikos’s dark eyes captured hers. The smoldering flame in his eyes startled her. Okay, her mental voice dragged out the syllables. Now what?

His gaze dropped, traveling down her neck and lower. Lexi looked down and an exasperated grunt escaped her.

Ah, shit. She’d forgotten she had gone to bed in a light camisole and shorts. The points of her breasts pressed against the thin material, as if recognizing an appreciative audience.

Lexi looked back at Mikos, only to find him standing by her side, his eyes now completely silver. She started to skitter back, across the opposite side of the bed when he lunged. Grabbing her by the shoulders, his hands hot against her skin, he yanked her to her feet.

She had barely enough time to let out a squeak of protest before those sensual lips she longed to touch were on hers.

The touch of Mikos’s lips on hers sent a shock wave through her entire body. Not gentle, not soft, the press of his mouth demanded a response. Her emotions whirled and skidded, the drugging kiss sapping her desire to move. To flee.

Instead, after a final shudder, she challenged his kiss with one of her own. Savoring the hard velvet of his lips, her senses reeled as if short-circuited.

His warm hands cupped the sides of her head, gently pressing into her cheeks, yet forcefully pulling her closer. And not just her head, but her whole body until she felt every contour of his lean form.

When his lips left her mouth to trail a fire-hot path down her neck, into the hollow of her throat, Lexi felt her knees buckle. Only his arm about her waist kept her upright. Otherwise, she feared she’d have dissolved into a human version of melted caramel.

Oh my God, she thought. She couldn’t ever remember when a man’s kiss had left her in such a state. If one ever had. A moan slipped through her lips.

In the back of her mind, sensible Lexi screamed and beat against the mental barrier that this was wrong. That she didn’t want to feel.

The not-so-sensible Lexi couldn’t believe she’d denied these feelings for so long.

His warm hands left her face, to slide up her thighs, pulling her lower half closer to his. She gasped as those same hands snuck up under her sleeping boxers to reach the curve of her ass.

Almost of their own volition, her hands came up to caress the solid surface of Mikos’s back, exploring the ridges and planes of his firm skin.

He pushed his body against hers until the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed. Her knees gave away, and she fell backward onto the bed she’d recently vacated. She barely had time for a brief moment of concern before his lips reclaimed hers, more demanding this time.

His hands slipped across her belly, the rough hardness sending shivers of desire dancing across each tiny nerve ending until she felt like arching from the bed. Energy rushed through her, filling each molecule with a charge.

Her center pulsed, the space between her legs throbbing with need. A need she hadn’t fulfilled in years. A need less associated with mere release, but more completion. As if she’d been waiting for Mikos.

His hands slipped under the waistband of her shorts. She lifted her hips, freeing the material so he could slide them down. She wanted him inside her. Thrusting, filling her up until she couldn’t take anymore.

“Lucifer’s balls!”

The shout had the effect of ice cold water dumped over Mikos’s head. Christ’s wounds! He stared down into Lexi’s gaze, the pupils so large they almost engulfed the irises.

In Heaven’s name, what was he doing? If not for the shapeshifter’s opportune appearance, he’d be traveling a path that would destroy any chance he had to return home. A path that led to the final and eternal loss of his soul.

For centuries, he’d been able to ignore mortal women’s charms. Why did this hardheaded, disrespectful and cynical one affect him so strongly?

She was not the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. He’d known others who’d had men lay kingdoms at their feet. Striking, yes. Sensual, extremely. Strong of mind and soul, most assuredly.

“Mikos?”

The grating voice of the shapeshifter pulled his attention from the woman, and his perplexing attraction to her.

He glanced over his shoulder at the hovering demon. The immortal’s dark gray skin mottled into a pebbly ash. A visible acknowledgement at how shocking, and discomfiting, finding Mikos about to make love with a mortal woman. He knew this because he had the same sense of uneasiness.

“Yes?” he finally asked.

“Marisol has words.”

Mikos nodded. He looked back down at the woman lying under him. Parted lips glistened, swollen and moist from his kisses. Her chest heaved gently under his embrace.

While obviously affected, he saw the realization of what had almost happened begin to glow in her cinnamon gaze. That realization would soon be followed by anger.

“I’ll be down momentarily.”

“Uh, okay.” Rocky cleared his throat, a low rumble of sound. “I’ll tell her.”

This time he sensed what he hadn’t before. Rocky exited, his soul-light disappearing. Wrapped up in being with the woman, Mikos hadn’t felt Rocky’s presence. Another reason being with Lexi cried danger. How could he protect her when his abilities were clouded by his desires?

When he was sure they were alone, Mikos gently pushed off her. He rolled to the side then off the bed and rose to his feet. She yanked at the disheveled covers, pulling them over her body. Their gazes clashed. Humiliated fury lit her expression. He wondered what she saw in his.

“I am sorry,” he said.

For a brief moment, he didn’t think she planned to respond. He saw her throat pulse as she swallowed. She raised her chin and gave him a cool stare.

“Get out,” she whispered, her voice cool and flat.

Yes, he expected her anger. He felt it as well. She was a lost soul in need of his guidance and what did he do? He nearly dragged her into the depths of his personal hell.

And nearly destroyed his chance to go home.

“Mari has news you’ll want to hear,” he offered in a tense, clipped voice.

Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and walked out the door.

Lexi clutched the thin covers against her body, staring at the door where Mikos had just left. What the hell had just happened? She’d been so ready to give herself to him. In fact, if Rocky hadn’t popped in when he had, she would have had sex with Mikos.

With an angel.

He had this power over her. A power that made her body quiver with desire.

The bastard.

After the vampy demon left with whatever news she had, and thank God for the timely interruption, she and Mikos would need to have a discussion about what kept happening. She wanted it to stop. No, she needed it to stop, and if he continued to use his powers on her—

Well, she wasn’t sure what she’d do. She’d figure that out later. When she wasn’t still reeling from the effects of Mikos caresses and the warmth of his lips on hers. This time, she couldn’t blame it on his use of the woo-woo thing.

Turned out she’d wanted to be with him as much it seemed he wanted to be with her. It had been a long time since she’d sex. And never had she had sex with a man she felt some emotional tie to. Yet, she’d nearly done that with an angel.

Flipping the blanket back, Lexi flung herself out of the bed.

She quickly tugged on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve top and hurried out of the room. What kind of news, however fortuitous for Lexi’s state of mind, would bring Marisol here just before daybreak?

After making a brief stop in his room to put on his normal outfit of dark denim and a black shirt, Mikos entered the library. Mari faced the fire, her back to him. Her long red hair cascaded down her back in a tangle of tight braids. There was a tenseness about her shoulders he didn’t like.

“Mikos.”

Her sultry voice rippled down his spine. Once upon a time, he’d considered a relationship with the lovely Fallen. That had soon passed. First, compatriots in Lucifer’s army, now friends. Family.

Their familial relationship didn’t mean he remained unaffected by her potent presence. There were few who could. Part of her power rested in her ability to make men worship at her feet. A succubus of a sort.

Lucifer had made extensive use of that ability to snare mortal rulers into his camp. Now that she’d turned her back on Hell, she no longer worked her sensual wiles on males, immortal or mortal.

Regardless of her decision, her control over men remained unchanged. So she hunted alone. Lived alone. Worked alone. He knew he was the only male she ever visited because he’d proven over the years to be unaffected by her power.

Mikos often wondered what she did when she wasn’t hunting or sparring with him. Where did she go? He’d never asked. What she did was her business.