The Devil You Know (22 page)

“Hmmm, I must have missed that memo. Too late now.” Speaking soothingly, I slid my fingers to where her vest parted, watching her body shudder even as I touched only the dark green, velvety edges. “Care to join me?” Above me, she shook her head mutely. I reached up anyway, removing her vest. At the quick hitch in her breath, my hands stilled, and I looked up.

Heavy-lidded, Jacq’s eyes were focused with an unwavering devotion on my white bra. Its wet cotton revealed the dark outline of stiff nipples.

Jacq swallowed. “There are countless vampires about.” Her husky voice grew soft. “And you’re a temptation no man should have to suffer.”

Through our bond, I felt her thoughts slow as her blood flowed south. I bit my cheek. Jacqueline Slone was so cute when she was turned on.

“There are no vampires.” Smiling, I reached up, pushing her wet hair, its auburn now nearly black, from her eyes. I whispered, “No family, no inopportune guests.” I kissed her jaw. “There’s no one. There’s only me and you and a few pieces of clothing that have to go.”

Jacq murmured, “We shouldn’t,” even as she nodded woodenly, her breath quickening.

I stifled a laugh. Struggling to maintain her control, Jacq made only token protests as I pulled her shirt from her pants. I ran my nails up her exposed abdomen, scraping gently, and moved my lips higher, kissing right below her ear. Jacq raised her head, providing better access but made no move to touch me. I reached for her shirt. She shuddered again.

I whispered huskily, the honey-thick Southern seduction in my drawl belying my words, “If we drip bloody water all over the floor, the only people who’ll suffer will be us.” I almost lost my train of thought when I saw she wasn’t wearing a bra beneath the shirt. On autopilot, I rasped, “We’d better undress before going inside.”

Jacq nodded then shook her head, giving the impression that she was listening, though I doubted she understood a word. I slid her belt free then unbuttoned her pants, my fingers brushing smooth skin before pulling away.

“There’s a shower in the training area that connects to Mynx’s room,” I explained unnecessarily. “She won’t mind if we borrow some clothes.” I slid Jacq’s zipper down, noting her flushed skin, then ran my hands up her chest, stopping to tweak a nipple before I slid the belt behind her head, using it to draw her down for a hot kiss. Her lips opened to accept mine, even as they murmured another protest. At the same time, I used a foot to slide open the glass door behind me.

Jacq’s mouth devoured mine. Gasping a breath, I took her mouth in another kiss, the fire in me boiling my blood. Just as we broke apart, I slid the belt from Jacq’s neck and lowered my hands, pulling her shirt down halfway, pinning her arms, exposing flushed, stiff-tipped breasts. I grabbed her pants, yanking them down to her knees, revealing another interesting set of silk boxers covered in…yellow rubber ducks?

Jacq looked at me with foggy eyes, her lips plump and swollen. Panting for breath, I bit my lip and popped her smartly on the butt with the belt. My good detective jumped, her gaze focusing. She tried to rub her smarting ass but realized too late that her arms were trapped.

“It does me little good if I undress and you don’t and we drag this mess into the house,” I said in my sternest voice, eyes twinkling. “So strip…” I grinned widely and smacked the belt into my hand “…and quickly, or I’ll leave you here to drip dry.”

Jacq’s eyes shifted up, locking with mine, and the look she gave me nearly made me lose my breath.

Then I came to my senses and took off, running for the shower, laughing loudly as the struggling woman released a growling string of French that was anything but an endearment.

Jacq chased me through the training room and into the shower with such speed that I lost my breath in laughter and desire. Soon we were as clean as we were going to get. And if I had my way, we would be getting dirty again very soon. Warm water cascaded over us both. Jacq had my body bent back over one arm while her lips did decidedly wicked things to my breasts. Her hands had done little more than wash and massage my sore body, but I felt as if I would go up in flames with the barest of intimate touches. And with her other hand between us, heading south, that desperately needed touch wouldn’t be long in coming.

A knock sounded on the door that connected to Mynx’s room. From the other side, Mynx called, “Cate.” Then more loudly, “She’ll be out in just a minute, ladies.”

Above the sound of running water, my cursing, and Jacq’s quick startled breaths, we could hear my grandmothers protesting that they must see me immediately.

“Mother of all that’s holy, could they not wait five minutes?” I moaned softly. Screaming with frustration would have been my preference, but I didn’t want to bring the overprotective women running. So I held back…barely. Jacq’s hand rested low on my abdomen, her strong calloused fingers only inches from being inside me. It was definitely something worth screaming over.

Removing her lips from my nipple, Jacq reluctantly raised her head, the haze of desire in her eyes quickly fading. It was replaced by the same emotion I felt simmering within myself: The desperate need to kill someone.

“That settles it,” she whispered decisively. “After your run for Gemini, you, cher, are coming home with me. There will be no demons, no vampires, and especially no
grandmothers
there.” She stood tall and pulled me close. I sagged against her naked body, suddenly exhausted…and more than a little frustrated.

“We’ll finish this soon enough,” Jacq murmured, resting her head on mine. She reached behind us and turned off the water. The sudden quiet was deafening.

I nuzzled her wet collarbone, groaning, “I really don’t wanna wait.” Yes, it was childish, but my teasing had finally worked Jacq into such a frenzy that I’d been certain she would forget her romantic notion of courtship and finally consummate our relationship. Now all I had to show for my efforts was blue ovaries. If I didn’t love my family so much, they’d be piles of smoldering ash on Mynx’s carpet right now.

And unfortunately neither of us had thought to lock the other door, the one leading to Mynx’s room, as was clearly evident when the ill-timed cat woman popped her head in. At the sound of the door opening, I turned out of Jacq’s arms, cracked open the fogged-over shower door, and glared at the intruder.

Mynx said softly, “Cate, you might better hurry. The natives are becoming restless. A little blue-eyed, demon birdie just regained consciousness and told them you were infected with some sort of big bad bat-magic Voodoo.”

I sighed and rubbed my wet face. “He tried but didn’t succeed. I’m fine. Tell them to go to bed, and I’ll do the same.”

Jacq snorted and Mynx winced. All three of us knew I was delusional if I thought a simple brush-off would work with my family. Mynx turned and said something too low for me to hear. As expected, my answer was quickly followed by shouting. Mynx popped her head back in.

“I’d say you have five minutes before they come for you.” She gave Jacq a leer. “One or both of you might want to be covered by then.” My only response was another glare as she reached in and punched the door’s lock. With a laughed, “Nice hickey,” she closed the door with a loud
click
.

I turned to Jacq. “Think they know you’re in here, too?” I batted my eyes, expression hopeful.

Jacq leaned down and nuzzled the spot between my neck and shoulder, huffing slightly with laughter as she kissed the mark Mynx had referred to. “You speak of a demon queen, a high priestess, and a powerful guardian. What do you think?”

I groaned. I should’ve told her to lie. Jacq let me rest against her for a full fifteen seconds. I vacillated between pouting and wondering if it were possible to create an earthquake localized enough that it would crack the house’s foundation directly under the shower and swallow only me. Then a stinging hand slapped my butt, pulling me out of my pity party. Surprised, I looked up and saw Jacq’s one-dimple half grin.

“I suggest you dress and quickly, Cate…before I leave you here to
drip dry
.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Chagrined at having my words turned back on me, I tried to scowl but found myself smiling instead. “Fine. I’ll go.” I kissed her lips gently before opening the shower door. I stepped out, reached behind me to turn on the cold water, and shut the door on an outraged Jacq. “But I go alone,” I shouted through the door and laughed. “You still have soap in your hair.” Truthfully, we both could use a cold shower, but there wasn’t time for mine.

With a towel around my wet hair and another around my body, I left a very unhappy, towel-clad Jacq sitting on the toilet lid. It was one thing for my family to see my body in a towel, quite another for them to view my luscious detective’s, especially as Mynx’s towels seemed designed to be indecently short on such a tall woman. Needless to say, Jacq was staying in the bathroom until Mynx could bring her proper attire.

Without a word, I took one look at the worried faces of the waiting women, lay down on Mynx’s bed, and closed my eyes, willing myself not to battle the three magics that began to immediately invade my body, healing and checking for Ramus’s black taint. With a grandmother at each side and my aunt at my feet, the three spoke about me to each other as if I weren’t there.

Mynx had gone to fetch clothes for Jacq. Fera and Marco stood outside. At this point, who they were guarding from whom was confusing.

Thankfully, I only had a few seconds to be embarrassed. Then I fell into a deep sleep. As I descended down, I thought I felt my Nana’s hand brush my cheek in apology.

An hour later, I partially awoke with the vague memory of a healing more painful and lengthy than I’d ever experienced. I came to as my aunt and grandmothers, even Kathryn, each kissed my sleepy forehead goodnight. Then I was embraced by the smell of sage and sandalwood.

A warm strong body carried me upstairs and tucked me into bed before climbing in behind me. Cradled in Jacq’s arms, I fell back asleep with an almost childlike sense of security. Already, I felt stronger. Nothing bad could happen as long as I was in those arms. Part of me knew it was the lingering effects of my grandmothers’ spell, that they had muted my memories of the night, if only temporarily. No matter the source, I was thankful for the respite. For the first night in many, many nights, I didn’t dream a single dream. It was a true blessing from the goddess.

All the more so because, like all truly blessed things, I knew it wouldn’t last.

* * *

They might break his wings, but they would not break him. Melcus dangled over a large pond, suspended from a tree by a long cord of green magic. The strange amber-eyed woman who had captured him stood in the bow of a small wooden boat that was beached near the water’s edge. She held the end of the cord, keeping him just above the surface. Five vampires stood in a circle around the pond, waiting for him to attempt an escape. Not that he could. His wings couldn’t heal properly while bound. But still, he was not overly worried. If the worst they planned was to drown him, then they were pitiful creatures, indeed.

One of the wretched blood-drinkers approached, holding one of his brethren, the smallest, Ramus, the one who’d been relegated to the ground as his wings had never matured. Ramus was similarly tied, this time with a woven rope that ran with a green-gold magic. A woman with green eyes and dark hair followed the vampire. She kissed the amber-eyed woman and said, “What did I miss?”

“Nothing too exciting,” Fera said huskily to Mynx. “A little explosion. Some beheading. A few bat demons.” She shrugged. “It was an off night.”

Melcus’s anger grew.
How dare she belittle them so. If he and his selenocid cohorts had been prepared properly all these witches would be dead and forgotten by now.
But they hadn’t been prepared. They’d been told only a few weak witches and a lot of paltry vampires would be here. No one had said anything about this hoard of Amazons. They’d lost two good fighters to the silver-skinned woman alone. If he lived long enough, he’d take revenge on their master’s half-witted half-blood child and her misinformants, assuming he could locate the latter. The vampire who had helped them had said he would be part of the Queen’s escort and would assist them. But Melcus had never seen the foul creature’s face.

At Fera’s gesture, the Kin threw his rope over a tree and hoisted Ramus over the water. The injured demon’s head and heart had begun to re-form.

Ramus would awaken soon,
Melcus thought.
Then their ally would make his appearance.
Melcus smiled. They would make these beings pay for their insolence. Then they would finish their mission and begin the war to regain their House.

Soon the sun would set on Demon Kind’s current rulers, and the face of the moon, safe again under the shadow of his people’s black wings, would be gray. Sensing a change, he looked to see his seven captors now focused on him.

Fera’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried over the water with the force of her power. “We’re going to ask you a question. Your answer will determine how your death goes. If you’re a nice little demon boy and tell us what we want to know, we’ll make it quick. If not?” She gestured, and the vampire began to lower Ramus into the water.

Melcus’s glorious vision of breaking free and wreaking havoc on these Overworlders fizzled out as a teeming mass of red fish rose up, swirling below the dark surface. Their glowing scales lit the water as they nipped at Ramus’s heels, feeding as much on his magic as his flesh. Ramus groaned but didn’t awaken, even as the Kin lowered him until the little hungry beasts swarmed his calves.

“Boralis?” Melcus whispered, shocked. Who in their right mind would keep these monsters, ones so fierce that even his kind feared them? And not one or two, but a league of them? No one who understood the plague these could become would keep such a flock. His Lord had been well mistaken about the ilk of this place. These people were more insane, more twisted than the demons could have ever imagined.

“Yes,” Fera said, smiling. “I must admit, the witch has unusual taste in pets. Where this house found a creature believed extinct is beyond me. But here they are.” She shrugged. “And there you are.” She waved her hand carelessly, and his body jerked closer to the water. Beside him, the injured Ramus was now thigh-deep. Inarticulate, moaning screams emerged from the half-dead demon’s mouth, though his eyes never opened.