Deals With Demons (7 page)

When flashes of fire lit the dark, Talia knew Devlin was attacking with magic as well as physical strength. It looked like her demon needed every advantage he had. Saleel must be stronger than he’d anticipated.

Talia watched in stunned silence as the two ancient, powerful beings tried to obliterate each other.

Grunts of pain filled the air and Talia smelled the tang of freshly spilt blood. Both demons had been wounded. Devlin attacked with blinding speed even as dark blood pumped sluggishly from his shoulder.

Baring his teeth, he lunged at Saleel. He wrestled him to the ground before the other demon blasted him off with a burst of hot fire.

Devlin rolled out of the way, patting out the flames that clung to him. It’d take more than a little fire to take down such an old demon, but Talia still winced in sympathy.

The two demons circled each other, each looking for an opening. It was excruciating watching them fight and knowing she was useless to help.

Or was she?

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Talia inched backwards until she was able to slip the car door open without alerting the demons to her plan. Slowly, she crouched and reached a single hand inside. When her questing fingers felt the cool leather of her bag she grabbed it and yanked it out.

Crouching behind the car to hide her actions, she carefully withdrew the black gun from her bag. It was her Plan B backup. Demons didn’t die from regular bullets, but if the gun was loaded with silver ammo it would slow them down. Clicking off the safety, Talia slowly stood.

She knew she’d only get one chance at this. If she fired at Saleel and missed, the demon would come after her. Worse, if she fired and hit Devlin then they were both dead.

Sliding towards the warring demons, she kept the gun hidden behind her body. She didn’t want Saleel alerted to what she was going to do before she did it.

The two demons were locked too tightly for her to get a clean shot. Talia had always been a dagger kind of girl. She knew how to fire a gun but it wasn’t her area of expertise. This time, however, she had to be perfect.

One chance
, she thought.
Make it count.

The demons grappled before her. Devlin had Saleel pinned to the ground but once again the demon fought free of Devlin’s attack, launching himself into the air.

Talia whipped her head back, trying to spot the dark demon against the black sky. As if by magic, Saleel was completely hidden from view.

Devlin paced the ground, staring intently at the sky.

How long can he stay up there
? Talia wondered, pressing her back against the car for protection in case he came after her.

Suddenly Devlin shot his hand up towards the sky. Deadly energy erupted from his palm to rip through the night like lightning.

A painful cry sounded as the attack hit home.

Caught by the fiery magic, Saleel thundered back to the ground, slamming into the pavement with brutal force. Devlin was on him in an instant. Curling his sharp claws, he lunged for Saleel’s vulnerable throat.

Even as his body twitched from the surge of electricity thrumming through him, Saleel had enough strength to roll free of Devlin’s attack. Saleel twisted like a snake and drove his own claws deep into Devlin’s uninjured shoulder.

Devlin’s cry of pain echoed through the empty parking lot. Talia flinched in sympathy, knowing how much pain her demon must be in. He never admitted to discomfort. Only something extreme would get a rise out of him.

Saleel turned his claws viciously, cutting even deeper. Devlin was forced to push back in order to free himself, losing his advantage over his foe.

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As Devlin limped back, Saleel pushed to his feet. He looked down at his weakened opponent, but instead of jumping back into the fray to press his advantage, he turned to look at Talia.

Talia retreated a step when jet black eyes locked on her. Opening her sensing powers automatically, she saw the way his thoughts turned.

If Saleel killed her quickly it would eliminate the need to fight. Surely Devlin wouldn’t continue if she was dead. There would be no point and demons were nothing if not calculating. They did only what was to their best advantage. Saleel was banking on her death ending the battle. He could kill her and escape. There was no downside in his mind. Well, except for one.

Talia flinched as she read how Saleel wanted to prolong her death. The deranged demon wanted to truly enjoy it. Without Devlin, he would have made her scream for hours. But Saleel was a pragmatic demon. Pleasure was all well and good, but when the price was his personal safety, he was willing to forego his more sadistic desires.

He took a step towards her even as Talia raised her gun.

She pulled the trigger without hesitation. Demons moved too fast to chance having second thoughts. It was him or her, and she had zero qualms about killing when her life depended on it.

The first shot caught him in the heart but, with his changed demon form, she doubted the wound was more than a scratch. Demon skin was like armour when they converted fully.

Automatically, she adjusted her aim. The second bullet took him in the throat.

Saleel faltered but didn’t stop.

Talia aimed for his forehead and fired. Again and again she pulled the trigger until she heard nothing but the useless clicks of an empty clip.

Her attack hadn’t killed Saleel but to her surprise it had slowed him down. Dropping the gun, she drew both of the daggers sheathed on her wrists. If this was her end she’d go down fighting.

However, before Saleel reached her, Devlin rose from the darkness like an avenging angel.

Her bullets had slowed Saleel enough for the other demon to catch up. Devlin raced for Saleel and thrust his clawed hand into Saleel’s back in a brutal assault.

Saleel froze, staring at her with surprise.

Talia was equally stunned, rising from her fighting stance. She watched a slow dribble of blood trail from Saleel’s lips, staining his perfect, pale skin.

Before her, the demon of her nightmares choked on his own blood. Part of her was horrified by what she saw. Bullets hadn’t pierced his flesh, yet Devlin was strong enough to drive his hand through the armour-hard skin? She shivered. Devlin had powers she hadn’t even guessed at.

“Do you know what I’m holding?” Devlin voice split the stillness. The sound that emerged from his lips was rough and guttural, far from his own voice.

“Yes,” Saleel choked out the word.

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“Good.”

Devlin jerked his hand out of Saleel and the demon dropped to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut. In Devlin’s bloody hand, Talia saw Saleel’s still heart.

Devlin squeezed the organ until it exploded in his hand, his face expressionless. He shook the mess to the ground and stepped back from his kill.

Slowly, he raised his gaze to Talia’s.

She looked at him without any mask, unable to hide her feelings. In truth, she didn’t know what she felt. For a long moment she could only stare at him until her gaze dropped to Saleel’s lifeless body.

Devlin had frightened her with his strength and brutality, it was true. But more importantly, he had killed her monster. He’d fought a deadly battle for her and won. Devlin might be terrifying but nothing changed the fact that he was still her hero.

She took a stumbling step forwards, then another, until she stood before him. Before he could speak, she carefully wrapped her arms around him.

Devlin stood frozen in her embrace, as if he were unsure whether his touch would be welcome.

Stepping back from his stiff body, Talia looked up to meet his eyes. She showed him without words that nothing he did would ever turn her away. Especially not when his actions saved her life and endangered his own.

Devlin smiled slightly, his demon-black eyes bleeding back to his natural green. He looked past her and snapped his fingers. Blue flame leaped around Saleel’s body, destroying all evidence of their fight.

Talia shielded her eyes from the brilliant glow of the unnatural flames. Instead of being frightened by the display of magic, she felt refreshed. The flames were cleansing the evil from her life. They took Saleel’s stench and banished it forever from the world.

She looked back up at her demon as the flames started to dim.

He was watching her, not the fire. Devlin’s eyes glowed as he lightly touched her face, tilting her chin up.

“I held up my side of the bargain,” he told her softly.

She sucked in a sharp breath.

Now it was time for her to hold up hers.

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Chapter Seven

Talia waited nervously in her living room, listening to the sounds of the shower running in the bathroom. Devlin was in there washing off the evidence of his battle and healing his wounds. When he was finished…

She jumped off the couch and began to pace around the room. When he was finished he’d come back into this room and expect her to fall into bed with him.

And what troubled her most was how little she was opposed to the idea.

She stalked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine for courage. She’d watched Devlin kill a man. The battle had been vicious, leaving the air littered with magic and the ground drenched in blood. It was wrong to be thinking about sex right now. It was sick and twisted and completely unnatural. And yet she was.

For the first time since she was fourteen, she felt free. In the back of her mind she’d always known Saleel was out there somewhere and one day he might come back to finish what he’d started. Even as she tried to create a new life for herself, she’d been haunted by the ghosts of her past. But now she was safe.

She was truly free from Saleel’s nightmare, and her knight stood in the shower, waiting for his reward.

Gratitude was too weak a word to cover what she felt for Devlin. So was lust.

She knew the right word to use but couldn’t bear to even think it.

Instead she focused on the present, on what she had gained. She was a free woman for the first time in her adult life, not hounded by fear or rage. She wanted the first act she committed as her new self to be making love to the one who meant everything to her, even if he was a demon.

Being with him wasn’t about their bargain, if it ever had been. Talia smiled cynically. She had waited six years to be back in his arms. Even knowing she’d disappointed him their first time, she couldn’t deny he was the best lover she would ever have. He’d bargained for one night and she was determined to make it one she’d cherish forever.

The bathroom door opened.

Heart pounding, Talia slipped back into the living room and waited. Within seconds Devlin stood before her. His hair was still slightly damp and his clothes stuck to the residual moisture on his body. He looked breathtakingly perfect. And for tonight he was hers.

Eagerly she stepped forwards.

“You kept your end of the bargain,” she said huskily.

Devlin lowered his head. She felt his breath fan her face and held still in anticipation. She waited breathlessly for his kiss, but at the last moment he stopped.

“Christ,” he swore softly, spinning away from her.

Talia flinched at the rejection. Was he remembering the last time they’d been together? Had it truly been that bad for him?

“I can’t do this,” he said, dragging a hand through his hair.

She struggled to keep her pain from showing on her face. What had she expected? After six years he’d magically decide she was the only one for him? Straightening her shoulders, Talia swore he’d never know how he’d managed to shred her again. It was her own fault for giving him the opportunity.

Devlin turned to look back at her and Talia made sure her face was emotionless.

“I can’t force you to do this,” he told her softly. “Especially not after what you’ve been through tonight.” He laughed hollowly. “Looks like I can’t be the monster you thought.”

“What?” Talia frowned in confusion.

“I release you,” Devlin said in a voice filled with dark power.

Talia shuddered as the hidden writing lifted to the top of her skin and slowly floated from her arms.

She felt the magic draining from her body. Nothing would force her to fulfill her bargain now. Her demon had let her go.

“Why did you do that?” she demanded, staring at her now bare arms.

A heartbreaking look crossed Devlin’s face. “I know you hate me, Tali,” he told her quietly. “But I was never capable of hurting you. Your nightmare is over now. You can go on with your life and forget all about me.”

Impossible.

“Are you…” Her words trailed off as she wondered how to phrase her question and what she’d do if he gave her the wrong answer. Summoning her courage, she tried again. “Are you releasing me because you don’t want to coerce me into doing something against my will? Or are you releasing me because you’ve decided you don’t want me in your bed tonight?”

He looked at her as if she’d gone mad. “I’ve wanted you every night since you left,” he said harshly.

Lies
, she thought, but it still felt good to hear. “Then why push me away when you finally have me?”

He took a step towards her. Talia held her breath as he returned to her and tilted her chin up to see her face. “Do you want me, Talia?” he asked.

“Always.” The word slipped from her lips before she could stop it. It revealed too much.

“There’s no bargain,” he said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I will not stop you from walking away.”

“Stop trying to push me away if you don’t want me to go,” she said softly. “A girl’s pride can only stand so much.”

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