The Devil’s Kiss (17 page)

Kyden tensed beside me.

Hadley stood. “Let’s go back to FBI headquarters, gather our witch units within the FBI and we can go from there.”

Zia nodded. “Yes, come on, Haven, Nexi.”

Kyden released my hand, but as I stepped away, he pulled me into his arms while everyone headed for the door. “We will get through this,” he said firmly, grasping my face in his hands. His gaze was intent. He believed what he was saying. It was also obvious that he was seriously restraining himself. Probably for my benefit. He was trying to remain calm so I would. “I told you once, I do not share.”

“I’m yours and yours alone.”

“That you are.” He pulled me toward him and laid a kiss against my lips that spoke of love but held a possession that only he was capable of commanding.

I hoped that his strength would be strong enough to break a bond that ran soul deep.

Back at FBI headquarters, the meeting room was packed with witches. Hadley had called in reinforcements from many of the other police departments in the surrounding areas, while Zia gathered as many witches as possible to help as well.

“All right team,” Hadley said. “From Misa’s information, this is the location of the five houses containing our suspects.”

Hadley had a map pinned with the locations. Being a vampire, she wouldn’t come with us, but she was obviously used to being in control because she was taking this situation in stride.“Nexi,” Haven whispered beside me.

I leaned toward her, angled my head down, but kept my eyes focused on Hadley. “Yeah.”

She grabbed my hands with hers, and I glanced at her. “I’m scared.”

And boy did she look it. Those feelings tore right through me, and nothing about that felt good. “It will be okay,” I reassured her. “There are lots of us.”

She squeezed tighter, her hands trembling against mine. “No. I am scared for you. I can feel it in you. I can feel his hold growing. If you go to Magnus, we won’t have our bond anymore. It will be taken from us.”

I gulped deeply, knew the truth of her words. “Let’s just get through this, okay? Then, we can deal with everything else.” I said because in all honesty, I didn’t want to talk about it. Ignorance was ideal right now. If I didn’t think about it, about Magnus, then the connection would just evaporate. Right?

Hadley’s voice drew me back. “Zia, what location will you handle?”

Misa stood, and walked over to the map, pointing to a location that was in West Virginia. “We need to go here,” she said. “This is where the leaders are. They’re the strongest and will be the hardest to destroy. I think Lady Nexi’s skills will be needed here.”

Every gaze swung to me. The sight of everyone judging me sent a pang of irritation through my blood. “What?” I growled.

Zia’s brows rose at my tone. “Nexi,” she chided.

What the hell was that? That didn’t even sound like me. I gave my head a good shake and settled my emotions. “Sorry,” I said quickly. “I don’t know why it came out like that.”

Zia came over, sat next to me and took my hand in hers. Concern weighed heavy on her face as she brushed her fingers across the back of my hand. “I think you are right, Misa. It is best we deal with this house ourselves.”

Hadley began to assign the other four locations to the witches throughout the meeting room.

I sat there quietly, dealing with what had just happened. Why was I filled with so much rage? Normally having everyone look at me would annoy me. But never in my life had I growled like that. Was it happening? Was it beginning? Could it be happening this fast?

Suddenly, I craved Kyden, wished he were here. I needed his reassurance that everything was going to work out. Right now, I wasn’t so sure and was on the verge of vomiting. Sickness made the room feel three times smaller as sweat beaded my skin.

Zia sighed deeply, apparently, reading into my horror. She leaned forward and kissed my cheek. Not saying a word or trying to comfort me. She knew better. Nothing could comfort me now.

Haven was crying, her breathing hitched as she took the brunt of the wild emotions stealing my soul. “Zia. Make it better. Take it away,” she sobbed.

My heart wanted to suck back things, feelings, in order to save her from suffering this. But I couldn’t find the strength to do it. Haven had to come second. Realizing that, though, only made the sickness worse.

The other witches in the room, including Hadley just watched us with confusion. No one knew what was taking place here, and I wasn’t about to tell virtual strangers everything. This was as personal as it comes.

Zia reached out to Haven with her free hand, cupped her cheek and wiped her tears. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” With Zia’s touch, Haven immediately stopped crying. Obviously, Zia provided her a little strength through her magic. “We have to deal with this first. We need to stay strong.”

Haven nodded and wiped her remaining tears after a long, deep breath. “Okay.” Then, she glanced to me. “I love you, Nexi.”

“I love you too.” I forced a smile.

Haven’s eyes welled up again, but Zia quickly grabbed her hand in hers and held it tight. The strength she provided to her wasn’t enough, which showed just how broken Haven was.

I could only look at her with uncertainty. What was she feeling that I wasn’t? I meant what I said to her, but by the look in her eye, I had to think otherwise. Fear swept through me.

She was sensing something I wasn’t, and that told me one thing…

I was losing control of myself.

Zia quickly took control of the scene, sending the witches on their way to end this reign of terror the Black Magic Witches had begun.

While Misa, Zia, Haven and I returned to Otherworld, then went back through the portal into West Virginia, not a word was said. Maybe they were preparing themselves for the battle ahead or maybe it was heartbreak that made them silent.

Misa, of course, probably had nothing to say since her allegiance belonged to Magnus. I doubted she’d even understand what I was feeling now or that a demon could even comprehend such emotions.

After the flash from the teleport, we stood before a beautiful Victorian home which was nestled along a quiet developed street.

“We will need to get some vampires here when this is over,” Zia said to Haven. “Go on. Go tell Zade to prepare them. We will need them to provide a story to the humans once we are done here.”

Meaning, glamour them into believing that something else took place. They were likely to take notice when magic suddenly blasted through their quiet neighborhood.

She nodded, then disappeared.

Suddenly, five other witches appeared. Sabi and Zennah were among them, along with an older group, including Briar.

Briar immediately lunged at me, hugged me tightly. “I have heard the news.” She squeezed me tight. “Why the daughter of Tyrianna has been mated to such a creature as Magnus is in every way wrong.”

Something deep in my soul hated her for saying those things, but I adamantly ignored them and leaned into her. “You’ve got that right.” Why did it feel like I was lying? I felt guilty for the words I just spoke, which conflicted with everything in my heart.

When she backed away, the look in her eye made my heart tumble. Was it inevitable? Was I just counting down the hours until my bond with Magnus became too much to ignore. The look on everyone’s face told me it was.

“Let’s just get this over with,” I said to Zia, fighting tears. ‘What’s the plan?”

She sighed deeply, tears glittering in her own eyes. “Right.” After a little shake of her head she continued, “From what we know they are going to be using the purest form of Black Magic since they are taking virgins to give them greater power. Their force will come solid. Nexi, you will enter first. Keep your shield strong and we will follow in behind you. Briar and I will hit them defensively. You others block their magic. Take a witch each and concentrate on throwing off their attacks.”

Suddenly, Haven reappeared. “I have told Zade. He is gathering some vampires together. When we are finished here, we are to get them.”

Zia nodded. “Good.”

“I would like to help you here, but I can’t,” Misa said. “I can only assist you, Lady Nexi, if you are in danger.”

“You want to help us?” I asked, aghast.

“Sure,” she said with a shrug. “It feels wrong to sit back and let you all have fun without me.”

I laughed loudly. As much as laughing through this time seemed impossible, the idea of what she was implying was just entirely ridiculous. “A demon thinks something feels wrong.”

Everyone else laughed too.

“You really have to stop putting us into a box,” Misa snapped. “Not all of us are what you think we are.”

“Sure you’re not.”

“You’re hurting my feelings.” She scowled at me.

That shut me up real quick. Did that really just come out of her mouth? Did I have the wrong impression about her? Was I being harsh without really knowing her?

First appearances were usually wrong, but I just couldn’t get past the fact that she was a demon. It is her job to be evil and harsh. Oddly, I felt horrible. “I’m sorry,” I touched her arm.

She glanced down at my hand, her entire body tense. I took the moment to read into her a little just to understand her better. What I saw was not what I expected to find.

Misa was a demon that longed for normalcy. Her views ran very much along the same lines as the Otherworld. She believed that those who take innocent lives should be destroyed. She believed in order, but she also believed in the ways of their world. Her life thrived around giving souls, she took them without hesitation, but she only took those who were willing. What she said about wanting us to be friends, she truly meant. She liked me. Liked what I was all about, which was just a whole bucket full of peculiar. It instantly made me feel like a bag of shit. My words to her, the things I said. I judged her wrong.

As much as it made me feel bad, it also dug at me that I was accepting more of the Underworld. It showed me just how strong the bond between Magnus and I was growing. That didn’t mean I was still going to keep fighting against the feeling of rightness. I had to remember all the evil that lived there and why I thought it was wrong because now it was hard to find those reasons.

The visions of her memories flipped quickly through my mind, when suddenly, there was a vision of her and a white-haired Warlock in an intense conversation, but I couldn’t quite grasp what they were saying. Just as it began, it vanished as Misa pulled away from me.

“What was that?” I asked her curiously, interest piqued at what she didn’t want me to see.

She smiled, and it was in every way cold. “There is more going on in my world than you know.”

Huh?
“What?”

She shrugged away the question and flicked her hair over her shoulder. “Now is not the time to discuss it.”

What the hell did that mean? There was more going on? Before I could even think more on the matter and ask another question, Zia grabbed my hand with hers and pulled a little. “Let’s go.”

“I will protect you,” Misa whispered behind me.

I glanced back at her, a little annoyed. “I don’t need your protection.”

“Yes, I know that, but it’s my job.”

I sighed, and looked at the house as we began our approach. The house was secluded with waist-high bushes closed off by a gate.

Zia opened the gate, stepped through then glanced at me. “Ready?” Her tone was rapid and tense.

“Ready as I’ll ever,”

“Then go,” Zia shouted.

Without further request, I drew in Spirit around me. With it protecting me, I booked it toward the house, running as fast as I could. I met the porch stairs two at a time and lunged for the door.

I grabbed the door handle and threw it open. Instantly, I felt a blast of power. It was raw and thick, and stole my breath immediately. The force of it sent me flying back to land where the others stood on the front lawn spread out in formation.

“Christ,” I gasped as Zia helped me to my feet. “That was unbelievable.” My shield had just saved me from vaporization.

“They are powerful,” Briar said from beside me, readying her stance.

Immediately, twenty or more witches poured from the house, displaying everything Black Magic is. Hard cold eyes resided in their faces, as pure evil expelled from them.

“Zia,” one of them growled through clenched teeth. “You have no business here.”

“You will stop this,” Zia ordered, “or we will have no choice, but to stop you.”

She laughed evilly. “We have grown stronger than you. You will not stand a chance against us.”

“I have to say, I think I believe her.”
I whispered to Zia.

“Hrmph.”
Then, with total confidence, she nodded me forward.

“Alright then.” I drew in a deep breath. With my shield strong around me, I stepped out toward them, stopping only a few feet away. “You have the choice to come and join us. You can leave this and live.”

They all laughed, practically spat in my face, as they looked down their noses at me. “We know who you are, Nexi Jones. But even you do not have the strength to destroy us.”