Broken Heart 06 Come Hell or High Water (5 page)

"To protect you," Connor said quietly. Wow. He was good. I almost believed him.

"Yeah. 'Cause you're such a nice guy." I yanked out of his embrace and he let me. I stumbled back, feeling so vulnerable, so overwhelmed.

What have you done, silly little girl?

It was my mother 's voice, so gently chiding, and she was unable to keep the sparkle of humor from her eyes when trying to berate me. Even now she was the small, still voice in my head.
Oh, Momma. This isn't shoplifting a candy bar at the Thrifty Sip.

"I don't know what's going on, but I know this is about you. So our mating wasn't some altruistic scheme to protect poor ol' me. You're protecting yourself.
You're
the bad guy here." And I'd probably ousted the good guys. Nicor had certainly danced around the subject enough. If he'd said, "Hey, you just boffed a demon..." I heaved an internal sigh. No. I wouldn't have believed him.

I wondered if I could get back to my phone and call Damian. He was in charge of security. And I was in charge of demons. I just couldn't get my hands on this one.

Oh, you know what I mean.

Connor glared at me, but he had no right to be offended. If he didn't like the sarcasm, then too damned bad - it wasn't the worst he was gonna get from me. I pressed my hands against my cheeks. I felt hot even though I didn't have the capacity for heat to flush my skin. Usually after imbibing a pint, I could mimic responses. I felt nearly human. For a short while.

I scrubbed away the feeling. Maybe it was the flames of hell licking at me for binding myself to a demon.

What really sucked was that mates couldn't live apart - not for long. We didn't have to be in each other's presence every second of the day. However, the longer the amount of time mates were apart, the weaker they got.

"We need to go," he said.

"Um, no. You need to go." Only I knew he wouldn't. He couldn't.

I needed to get away from him for a minute, to think. To plan. In the history of vampire bindings, there had been only one known breaking - and it had taken a very rare fairy wish. The world had been losing its magical beings - just look at how giants and pixies had disappeared. It still blew my mind that humans and paranormals used to know of each other, used to live together, if not in harmony, then at least with the certain knowledge that the world belonged to more than just one dominant species.

I circled back to my original thought: How could I get a fairy wish? And what else might break a binding?

I might as well try to find Atlantis.

"The demon hunters will return." His gaze flicked away. "And others will find us. Nicor gave away our location."

"Oh, boo-hoo," I said. Then, because I couldn't help it, "You've hidden your demon-ness from them for a month. Why'd they figure out it now?"

"Don't you know?" he asked, knowing full friggin' well I didn't. He shook his head. "Family Durga vampires are trained since their Turning to fight demons. But not you, Phoebe. Why is that, I wonder?"

There was something knowing in the tone of his words, and underneath that thin veil of arrogance I sensed he knew things about me, about my undead life, that I didn't. Other than a few terse lessons from the Family founder, Durga, who betrayed Broken Heart a couple years ago and ended up banned with her cohort, the Ancient Koschei, I hadn't had any contact with other Family Durga members. I was the only one who lived in town. And though we'd gotten plenty of new residents, we hadn't gotten any new vampires from my Family line. I'd learned how to fight, though, and how to access my magic. Until this moment, it had been enough. I was angry that he was right, and curious about what else I should know. Damn it. If I'd known those secret things Connor hinted at, I would've pegged him for a demon before I'd slept with him.

"How'd he find you?" I asked again.

His lips thinned. "The transmogrification spell ended. They know my magical signature. Most demons have a unique pattern. If you know what you're doing, you can use it to track them."

I was surprised he'd actually told me, and I wasn't sure how to handle the dichotomy of truth wrapped in lies. Or lies wrapped in truth.

"What do the demon hunters want?" I asked. "Better yet, what do you want?"

He studied me, and then shook his head, as if he'd found me unworthy of the truth. "Get dressed."

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"You are," he said in a hard voice. "Willin' or not."

My belly squeezed and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to take a step back.

"You threatening me?" I asked, trying to keep a bold tone. I wouldn't turn away from his gaze, which glittered like gemstones.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked coldly. "I already lied to you." He crossed the room in the blink of an eye and clamped one of my wrists. "I already fucked you."

I slapped him, which made my hand sting and his cheek go red.
He
had blood pressure, and a heartbeat. Still, the smack had been a reaction born from shock, and there'd been no real power behind it. Certainly no vampire strength: I could've knocked his head off his shoulders.

Satisfaction glowed in his eyes, and there, too, was the shadow of that unimpeachable sorrow of his. I'd made the bastard feel better, less guilty, because he'd far prefer to deal with my anger than with my wretchedness.

"Get your clothes, lass. Or you'll go as you are."

"Where?" I said, frustrated. "Where are you taking me?"

Connor didn't get a chance to answer the question.

The entire room shook - and I thought,
Earthquakes in Oklahoma?
- and a roaring sound like thunder blasted through. I covered my ears, but it didn't help much. Jesus. That was some noise right there.

The roar turned into a loud
crack
, and light flickered like a crazed disco ball.

The silence was sudden.

In front of us stood a woman and a demon. The demon had marbled skin, which made it look as though an emo kindergartner had painted it from horns to claws. It was seven feet tall, maybe taller, and had creepy yellow eyes. Granted, all demons in their true forms had creepy eyes. Actually, they had creepy everything. This thing had wings, too, not leathery like bats', but like an angel's - huge and filled with soft black feathers.

The woman was another story.

She looked sixteen, all fresh-faced and innocent - an impression furthered by her outfit: a red T-shirt with HOT scrawled in gold across her pert breasts, a pair of faded denims, and red Converse sneakers. Her silky black hair was pulled into a sassy ponytail. She wore no makeup, but with her looks, she didn't need any. Her bone structure was pure supermodel. Only her eyes, which glowed red, gave any indication she was demon.

"Who are you?" I asked.

"I'm Lilith, sweet cheeks. Aw. You the new bride?" She smiled indulgently, but her gaze was filled with knives. She turned her cutting gaze to Connor. "Think you're clever, don't you?"

She raised her hands and two binding coils shot out and wrapped around us like crazed pythons. Mine tightened painfully, cinching my arms to my sides.

Oh, for fuck's sake! I was sick of people just popping into my house whenever they felt like it. And these were demons. Had the Devil's Shoestring stopped working? No. More than likely these two were more powerful than a crazy woman's hoodoo.

"You can't hurt her," said Connor. His voice sounded pinched, and I realized his bonds had tightened even more than mine. I also realized that Connor had been right about others coming for us. For him. It wasn't my fault he'd dragged me into this mess. Still, if I'd been a little less stubborn, I might not be making the acquaintance of more demons.

"You really think your mating with her will offer her protection?" sneered Lilith.

"You know it does."

She shrugged. "You really should stop listening to Astria Vedere. She's crazy."

"She's a prophet."

"Yeah. Like I haven't seen one of those before. Real party killers, those people." She stared at Connor. "Give me the talisman, and I'll let wifey go."

"I am the son of Asmodeus, and my mate falls under the protection of the demon lord." He sucked in a strained breath. "You can't kill Phoebe."

"
I
can't," she agreed.

Oh, crap. I did not like the sound of that, and neither did Connor. He looked warily at the demon waiting patiently behind Lilith. Its yellow eyes were on me. Its beaklike mouth clicked and a split tongue wiggled out, flicking at me.

Yech.

Had Connor really tricked me into mating to protect me from this really scary lady? Right now, I hoped so.

Connor said nothing, but his expression was pure hatred. He didn't like this woman. I'd known her for only a minute, and I didn't like her, either. He watched her carefully, the prey gauging how soon the predator would attack. Fear skittered through me.

"Didn't we have this conversation before, pumpkin?" Lilith sauntered (in jeans, but she totally pulled it off) to Connor and walked her fingers up his chest. "You. Can't. Win." She tapped his nose. I glanced at him and saw the distaste he didn't bother to hide.

"Brimstone's hell on the complexion," he drawled. "You might want stock up on some aloe. How long you got before the portal closes?"

The only indication that Connor 's words bothered her was a slight downturn of her lips. "I really don't know what Asmodeus saw in your slut of a mother."

"An' you never will," he said. "Because you don't have a heart."

"It wasn't her heart he was interested in," she snapped. She sucked in a breath, her nostrils flaring. Then she smiled. "You know what they say about marriage. Partners should be equal in all things."

"Lilith," Connor said, his voice sharp, "leave Phoebe alone."

"Shut up." She slapped him hard, and the shock of the swift violence made me go cold. Especially since I had done the same thing to him minutes ago, and I did not want anything in common with this bitch. "Don't you dare act like you give a shit about her. She's a means to an end. Like father, like son. Use, use,
use
."

Connor said nothing.

"Give me the talisman that you stole from the hunters," she said, "and I'll leave."

"You'll leave anyway once the portal closes."

"Stubborn," she said on a long sigh, "so very stubborn."

She snapped her fingers.

The demon materialized in front of me. Reached out with sharp claws to grab my shoulders. Hauled me so close I flattened my palms against its clammy, blackened flesh.

Its fetid breath made me gag.

I cast a binding spell, but the red sparks drifted onto the demon and melted like snowflakes. Big surprise. I hadn't had my pint, and I'd already expended too much energy fighting the hunters. And Lilith's coil was sapping me, too.

I felt sick.

Lilith giggled. "She is adorable."

The demon shook me until my head rattled like a bobble-head doll. Then he squeezed me so hard, I felt my ribs buckle. Agony jabbed me like thin, savage blades.

"Phoebe!"

I looked at Connor and saw Lilith lift her hand. Her nails grew long and sharp; then she raked his cheek. "Say her name again and he'll rip off her legs."

My vision went gray, but I kept my eyes open, eyes that couldn't give in to the hot ache of tears.

The demon sank its big, black teeth into my shoulder. Pain ripped through me as my flesh was savaged. The evil bastard reared back and grinned. My blood dribbled down its chin and my skin hung grotesquely from its mouth.

Oh, no, you did not.

Being pissed off made my magic surge.

Light erupted from my hands.

The twin blows propelled the demon backward. Its claws raked at my flesh as it scrambled to hold on. Pain spiked my shoulders.

Without the demon holding me, I didn't have the wherewithal to stand. I fell to my knees, swaying, watching as it staggered into the table.

It growled and stalked toward me, but Lilith held up her hand. The demon instantly halted; its hate-filled yellow stare ravaged me.

"She's a little spitfire, isn't she?" She patted Connor's wounded cheek. "You know what just happened, don't you? Just so we're clear, she'll be dead in a day, maybe two, and not by my hand." She sent a fond look to her demon pet.

"You bitch," said Connor, his voice ragged. "I willna let her die."

Agony shuddered up my spine. I couldn't work up the energy to scream. The pain was excruciating.

"I'll give you the antitoxin if you give me the talisman."

"I only have half!"

"But you'll find the other half, won't you? I bet you even know where it is."

"I willna give you the means to escape your hell-bond!"

I felt a shift in the atmosphere, and then a cold wind blew into the kitchen. Lilith's face contorted and she stamped her foot. "No! I'm not ready!"

There was a sucking sound, and she and the demon disappeared.

My bindings dissipated. I dropped forward to my hands, trying to stay on all fours. I couldn't find the energy to stand or to move. Pain throbbed in every nerve ending. Blood burbled in my throat. My vision went fuzzy.

"Phoebe," muttered Connor as he knelt beside me. "Phoebe."

I tilted to the side and fell into the strong arms of my demon husband.

Then I passed out.