Darkest Before Dawn (7 page)

“
D
on’t open
the door for anyone. Don’t go outside. Don’t worry if I’m not back by the time it gets dark. I’ve left some games out for you. Don’t stick your fingers in any sockets.” I stood at the door, car keys in hand. Dawn had nodded dutifully to everything I’d said, but to be sure, I repeated, “Don’t go outside.” As long as she stayed inside, Val or any other higher demon couldn’t get to her.

“I won’t. Promise.” She grinned. “Cross my heart, and hope to die. Bake a demon in a pie.”

Good girl. She was learning.

I left her alone at Blackstone and felt the first inkling of what it might be like to be a parent. The worry. Dawn seemed so small and the world so intent on harming her. I didn’t know a damned thing about bringing up kids. It’s not something I’d ever thought about. As far as I knew, I couldn’t have kids. Being half demon wrecked the necessary plumbing. But when I left Dawn all alone at Blackstone, the concern nearly had me turning around again and abandoning my visit to The Voodoo Lounge.

The drive back to Boston didn’t take long, despite my lane-swapping and erratic driving to check if I was being followed.

Carol-Anne’s club, The Voodoo Lounge, was closed until further notice according to the sign on the door. I left the car in the club’s parking lot and walked the block to Jerry’s veterinary clinic. The walk gave me enough time to clear my head and to think like an Enforcer. Jerry knew Carol-Anne. She’d referred to Jerry as
her
property.
He must know something of use.

A few minutes later, I sat in Jerry’s waiting room between a Siberian husky with a cone collar and a poodle with a bandaged paw. The potent odor of antiseptic tickled my nose, but it didn’t mask the scents of dogs, cats, sawdust, and urine. The floor squeaked under the assistants’ feet.

Jerry stalked through a back door behind the reception desk like death arriving at a wake. Did I imagine the animals falling silent? A cat hissed from behind me. I caught a glimmer of recognition in Jerry’s gaze when he saw me. Towering over every other person in the room, he had to duck through doorways. His obscenely taut muscles strained against his shirt, but his tattoos were his most striking feature. The all-black interwoven anti-elemental symbols covered his face, arms, and I assumed they smothered the rest of him. They reminded me of New Zealand Maori tattoos. He’d told me once the tats kept him safe from demons. Combine the daunting tattoos, his size, the deep voice he dragged up from the depths of his soul, and he could make babies cry at ten paces.

Apparently though, he was the go-to guy for pet problems.

Jerry left the room a moment later, and the animals resumed their fidgeting. A nurse handed me a note telling me to meet him around the back in twenty minutes.

Discarded couch cushions, trashcans and fast-food bags choked the alley behind the clinic. Gulls keened overhead, and the Boston traffic hummed in the background as I waited for Jerry to emerge.

“I don’t know anything,” Jerry said by way of hello as he opened the back door. His bass voice rumbled around the alley. He closed the door and folded his arms, creating a wall of stubborn masculinity.

“C’mon, Jerry. Help me out.” I gave him my most beguiling big eyes routine, but his flat expression didn’t change.

“I already told the Institute what I know. I don’t want you hanging around here, Muse. It’s bad for business.” He didn’t mean the pedigrees inside the clinic.

Okay, time to cut the crap. “Why did Carol-Anne meet with Akil?”

Jerry ran a hand over his buzz cut hair. He sported more hair from the stubble on his chin than the hair on his head. “Is this on the record?”

I didn’t answer immediately. If I pulled the Enforcer card, I could threaten to take him back to the HQ, and that was something he would avoid at all costs. Demon doctors had reputations to uphold, and it wouldn’t do for him to be seen hand in hand—or in cuffs—with the Institute. But I liked Jerry. Hell knew why. I didn’t want to lie to him.

“No, this is me asking because Akil has dumped me in the crap, and I’m trying to dig my way out of it.”

Jerry narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing me for weaknesses. “She had a visit from a prince, the one that can’t decide if he’s a guy or a gal.”

Oh hell, that was Leviathan. He liked to appear as male or female, often altering his appearance and gender from one moment to the next in a deliberate attempt to unbalance those around him. I locked my expression down. “When?”

“Three nights ago. Demon chatter spooked my clients. When the princes come out to play, the little guys run for the hills.”

“What did he want?”

Jerry’s shoulders bobbed in a shrug. “He’d come to collect something. Before you ask, no, I don’t know what it was. Carol-Anne was nervous—a good nervous. Being one of his subjects, she jumped at any chance to please him. Water finds its way to water, right?”

I only knew of Levi because he’d tried to take me back to the netherworld. To my father. As it stood, I was on borrowed time. “Did you tell the Institute this?”

“Yeah, they were fishing for something juicy, so I gave it to them. There’s nothing they can do anyway.”

“Well, no, but Carol-Anne was found dead in Akil’s apartment. They’ve been gunning for Akil for years. If they can prove he’s broken human laws, they’ll use it as an excuse to pool their resources and force him out of Boston.”

A grin creased the tattoos around his mouth. “I’d pay to see that show.”

Yeah, I worked for the Institute and doubted their abilities in a straight fight with a Prince of Hell. “Lucky for Akil, murdering another demon isn’t against the law. Yet.” Not that any prison could hold him.

“Are you sure Akil killed Carol-Anne?” One of Jerry’s dark eyebrows quirked.

“I saw the crime scene. There wasn’t any sign of a third person present, demon or otherwise, but no, I’m not sure about anything right now.”

“So what’s the crap he’s dumped you in?”

I wondered how much to tell him. I could trust Jerry about as far as I could throw him. “Did Carol-Anne spend much time in the netherworld?”

“Not as much as most. She’s like Akil. She
was like
Akil. Damn, I know you didn’t like her, but she wasn’t all bad, y’know, for a demon.” Jerry leaned back against the wall. “She kept the trouble-makers out of town and made sure those who came through were at least capable of living this side of the veil.”

“She aided the demon immigrants?”

“Yeah. You know what it’s like. They don’t just turn up on this side of the veil and walk into human lives. They need help blending in. Carol-Anne was a big part of that.”

Maybe she helped half bloods too. “Is there anyone she worked with who might have a grudge against her? Someone who might want her out the way?”

“Demons? No. They needed her. People? Maybe. Ever since Akil came out as all-demon, folks around here have started asking questions, pointing fingers. The streets aren’t safe for demons right now. I heard talk of a vigilante group—”

“Did you ever see a little girl with her? About eight or nine years old?”

Jerry didn’t move. He breathed and blinked, but otherwise, he tried exceptionally hard not to give himself away. I waited.

“Maybe. Her niece or cousin or something.”

“When we first met, you told me you’d only ever seen one half blood before, a man so ruined that even you couldn’t save him. Was that true?”

He sighed. “Carol-Anne brought him to me. Poor bastard. I did what I could...”

“Why did Carol-Anne have a half-dead half blood?”

He dragged a hand across his chin and cast his gaze skyward. “Y’know, I don’t ask questions of demons. That’s how I’ve survived this long. I just patch ‘em up and send them on their way.”

“That’s the only other half blood you’ve seen besides me?”

He met my gaze for a few beats and didn’t say anything. “I’d love to help you, Muse. I would. I like you, even though your ice-cold friend turned my place into Santa’s grotto. How is he, by the way? I saw what happened at the gardens, heard a few things on the grapevine afterward...”

“As far as I know, he’s fine. I haven’t seen him.”

“Tricky things, half bloods.” He shoved off the wall and opened the back door to his clinic. “Take care of yourself, Muse. I know one thing. If there are princes involved, you should stay out of their way.” Jerry’s smile softened his hard-as-nails persona.

“I wish I could.” I smiled my own half-hearted smile. “Maybe they should stay outta my way?”

He chuckled, the sound of his laughter soft and delicious. “Maybe.”

T
he weather turned
during the trip back to Salem. Blue October skies dulled to a dirty gray, and the wind blustered enough to sweep fallen leaves across Blackstone’s driveway. I climbed from the Mustang and took a moment to check my Pico handgun before tucking it neatly in its holster. The wind whipped my hair about my face. As soon as I lifted my gaze, an elemental touch crept around my ankle and coiled up my leg.

It wasn’t a touch I recognized, but it was demon, and that could not be a good thing. I closed the car door, kept my hands free at my sides, and walked calmly toward the house. Each step that made contact with the gravel brought with it another explorative touch. I couldn’t see elemental energy unless I summoned my demon, but I could feel it. Each elemental touch varies depending on the demon. Like a handshake. But this one was different. The element was different. It didn’t have the tingle of ice or the warmth of fire. Nor did it have the smooth sensation of water. The more it probed, the more my skin crawled. Whatever element it was, it tripped my human senses into fight or flight mode.

I reached out a hand for the door handle, and the metaphysical touch of fire skittered down my back. My skin prickled, and my chest tightened.
That
touch, I knew.

“Sister.”

I gasped and clutched at the door handle, safety so close.

“Face me while I address you.” His voice was rich with so much power he could whisper and silence a room.

Self-preservation screamed at me to dash inside, slam the door in his face and hide, but he was as fast as wildfire. He’d be on me as soon as my human body broadcast my intentions. It took every molecule of courage I possessed to turn and face my brother. He stood a few strides away, rapier pointed against Jenna’s back. The Enforcer’s wide blue eyes pleaded. She was on her knees, hands bound behind her back, mouth gagged with a strip of leather. She wasn’t escaping, and from the panic in her eyes, she knew it.

Val’s thin lips flirted with his perpetual smile that never quite made it to his molten silver eyes. He was adorned in various snug-fitting leathers—likely skinned from demons by his own hand. I counted two daggers sheathed inside his long, demon-skin coat. He’d have more concealed on him.

The wind tugged at the long braid of white hair cast over one shoulder and mussed his snow-white bangs. His eyes locked on me, rooting me to the earth. If I looked into his eyes long enough, I’d feel the touch of his element crawling inside me. Both born of fire, we shared the same blood. The same prince was our father. I’d always feared Val knew me better than I knew myself. When he looked upon me, it was always with disdain, as though he’d searched my soul and found me wanting.

I pinched my lips together and drew in air through my nose. “Alright.” My fingers twitched at my sides. “Let’s talk.”

“Call the half blood to you.”

I swallowed. “What half blood?”

Val’s fine eyebrows furrowed. “Muse...” He jabbed the tip of the sword into Jenna’s back. She grunted and arched away from the point of the blade. “I have no qualms when it comes to killing humans. This female serves a purpose. She lives because you have something I require. Hand over the half blood, and I shall release this
Enforcer.”
He spat the word
Enforcer
, disgusted that such a word should pass his lips.

I made the slightest of movements to reach for my gun when Val’s eyebrow arched. I froze my hand. He observed with detached interest: a predator looking down from the top of the food chain. None of this mattered to him. It was merely a way to pass the time. His face held no hint of emotion, and despite the hint of a smile, he wasn’t amused. Just indifferent. We were all ants to him, insignificant and fleeting.

But I had something he wanted, and as long as Dawn stayed inside, he couldn’t get to her.

He stood statuesque against a gust of wind, hair and coat flailing. “Your options are slim. I kill the Enforcer. I kill you. I wait for the half blood to come out. I have an eternity of patience at my disposal. Or you call her, she leaves with me, and you and this female walk away.”

“Why do you want her? I thought you were in the business of selling half bloods, not collecting them.” The venom in my words surprised even me. “What’s Dawn to you? Why do you even care what happens to her? You’ve never cared for anything, especially half bloods.”

“Care?” he scoffed. “Is that what you believe me here for?” He tilted his head a degree and smiled. “You are a remarkable fool.”

My heart thumped so loudly I was sure he could hear it. The pulsing pollutant inside me twisted and writhed. Gritting my teeth didn’t subdue it, but I refused to show Val how screwed up I was. I could still draw from the veil and potentially drain him the way I had Akil, but not before he ran Jenna through.

“Thinking of draining me like you did Mammon?” A single eyebrow ticked as he caught me flinching. “Yes, I am aware of your talents. Very little surprises me.”

“Must be dull.”

His fine eyes narrowed. “If you attempt to siphon my element, I will end this miserable human’s existence and savor your subsequent death. Think carefully, Muse. The half-blood girl is nothing to you.”

“But she is to you.” Why would Val want her? What was I missing? My fingers tingled with the electric dance of energy. I wanted to summon my element, pluck it right out of him and drain him of every last drop. If I could do it to a prince, surely I could do it to my brother.

“I am her custodian. She belongs to another. You are in my way.”

“Carol-Anne, her owner, is dead.”

“I will not explain my actions to the likes of you. Call her out, and I will let you live.”

He could kill me. He wanted to. My brother’s beautiful eyes sparkled with the knowledge of a hundred ways he’d end my life. He would have calculated how long it would take to run Jenna through and cross the distance between us. I could run, but he was faster. I could summon my element, but he’d be on me the second I flicked the demon switch in my mind. He already knew I was flirting with power. He’d feel the heat shifting in the earth beneath us. That sword of his would find a home in my chest before I could blink.

“Does our father, Asmodeus, know you’re doing this?”

Val tensed. His amusement fizzled away, leaving his expression stone cold. “His name upon your lips insults him. You are not worthy.”

“Why? Does it bug you, Brother, that we share the same blood?”

He threw Jenna face down on the dirt and planted a boot on her back, pinning her. She let out a muffled cry that he quickly silenced with the point of his sword against the back of her neck. A gust of wind rippled his coat and teased through his hair. He looked every part the netherworldly brother who had stalked my dreams since my childhood. He had sold me to the demons. He was the one who orchestrated my life of slavery. It all started with him. That knowledge helped steel me.

“Forget Jenna. Kill me. That’s what you want. That’s what you’ve always wanted. My life offends you. It must be even worse now that Asmodeus wants me...” A thought brightened my fear-addled mind, realization widening my eyes. “Ah, you can’t kill me, can you?
Father
wants me alive.”

Val’s pale face contorted in a manner that no human face could mimic. His cheeks hollowed, jaw lengthening, eyes sinking as his glare gathered shadows. A snarl rolled leisurely across his lips. His disgust for me was evident in that ripple of his lips. I’d always known he hated me, but the magnitude of revulsion on his face stoked my natural fear. He shoved back, away from Jenna, and lowered the sword to his side. “The very fact I must converse with you is beneath me. I would prefer to run my sword through your pitiful flesh and be done with you.”

At least I knew I was right. I snickered. “You have to share Asmodeus’s affection with a half blood. Ouch. I bet that’s dented your rep back home, huh?”

“Affection?” He spat. “Your ignorance insults me.” Val’s outline blurred. I blinked, trying to refocus, but it wasn’t my eyes fooling me. He was changing, revealing his true form. Snarling lips rippled over crescent fangs. Vast, glossy black wings burst from his back and arched either side of him, reaching out to enclose us like the night closing in. His clothes fizzled away, revealing moon white skin and hair in perfect contrast to those midnight wings.

I thrust my demon into my body and took a step forward. Watching through demon eyes, I witnessed the full glory of my demon brother. He appeared more human than most full-blood demons, more human than me in all my demon glory, a trait that should have rendered him weak among his own kind. His defined immortal body glowed from within, turning him into a terrifying yet awe-inspiring beacon of power. His power swelled in the air—not just the element we shared, but something more potent. Raw chaos energy. It pressed against my skin and slid across my tongue while I breathed it in. His presence filled a space bigger than the driveway. He was everywhere, reaching through me, around me. Jesus, he wasn’t just any demon, he was the firstborn son of Asmodeus, and I was out of my league.

He hunched low, spread his sleek wings wide, and hissed.

My breath caught. My fire spluttered. I was nothing next to him. He was immortal. Ancient. And I’d seriously pissed him off.

A gunshot shattered my trance. Val flinched and recoiled, distracted by the splash of blood burning crimson on his milk-white chest. He skewered Jenna with his blazing glare. She must have worked her restraints free, because she had a gun cupped in both hands, aimed squarely at his chest. He moved faster than I could track, morphing into a blur of black wings and tumultuous energy. He threw Jenna down against the hood of the Mustang and loomed over her. She struggled to bring the gun down between them. He let her writhe for a few seconds, a slither of delight lifting his lips, before he clamped her wrist against the hood of the car behind her and grinned into her face. She instantly stopped fighting. Her eyes widened, and her lips parted. Her whole body slumped as though the steel I’d seen in her had melted away. Her tongue darted across her lips. That wasn’t defiance in her eyes. Desire simmered there now.

I launched myself at him. He couldn’t kill me. I had the advantage. At least in theory.

Val didn’t even look up. His dark wings swept back, corralling me into their embrace. The second their duck-down softness touched the fire of my flesh, the fight drained out of me. I dropped to my knees, smothered in a warm, comforting darkness. Sleep suddenly seemed like the best idea I’d had in days. I yearned to close my eyes, curl up in the caress of his wings, and drift in an ocean of black.

The parasite on my heart pulsed. I jerked. It’s poison inside my soul leeched outward, wrapping around my limbs and bleeding strength into numb muscles. I gulped a lungful of cloying power-ridden air and summoned fire. Heat devoured my flesh, broke over me, and spilled outward in a hungry wave.

Only when Val’s wings opened and released me could I see again. He turned, swept his wings behind him, and lunged. His shoulder hit me square in the chest. I let out a grunt and tried to twist away, but he clutched my arms, and we both tumbled to the ground. He fell on me, crouching like an animal prowling up its fallen kill, wings high above him. The wind whipped his hair about his face. His eyes burned with a light so white, it almost appeared fragile. I knew I should be fighting him, but my body didn’t want to obey the mental screams to hit the bastard with everything I had.

He smiled a true smile, not the ghost-like smiles he’s favored me with before. This was real. It was wicked. Divine. Delicious.

He leaned in so that his terrible eyes were all I could see. “Sister...”

His voice plucked desire from my depths and summoned it to the surface of my flesh where it flushed across my skin. No, this wasn’t right... He lowered himself against me. Where his fevered demon skin met the lava-veins of mine, a static blast of power scattered through me. I bucked and twitched, fighting, recoiling, wanting, but not wanting. I shoved at him then sunk my fingers into his shoulders and pulled him against me. He was doing this to me. I didn’t desire him. I couldn’t stand to be within two feet of him. I was scared of him. Of everything about him. He terrified the broken little girl who cowered inside of me. Oh, but I wanted his wings around me. To feel him ease inside me and fill me up until I came crying his name.

My lips tingled. The urge to taste him, to ease my swollen lips, pushed at my denials. Need pulsed between my legs.

“Half-blood filth...” he whispered into my ear. His lips brushed my skin, feather-light. “I have you. I may not be permitted to kill you, but there are other pursuits worse than death, as you are aware. I will make you beg for more. Only when I am the air you breathe, the thoughts in your mind, the sensation embracing your skin, will I discard you.”

No-No! My eyes fluttered closed. I was drowning in him and had no hope of escaping the weight of power pushing into my pores and suffocating my thoughts. The dark inside burned through my veins, but it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t demon enough to beat my brother.

“Muse...?” Dawn.

I turned my head and saw her standing by the back door of the house. Her rabbit hung limp by her side. Her ringlets bobbed around her head. Then Val’s wing came down, and I couldn’t see anything but the embrace of darkness. It felt like home.