Howler's Night (21 page)

Turning haggard eyes rimmed in red toward me, he nodded. And on that cliff, sheltered within his arms and buffeted by winds pregnant with the scent of frost, I closed that chapter of my life.

Pandora

T
he moment I returned us to the carnival, I headed directly for Luc’s trailer, expecting to find Asher there waiting on the steps, but he wasn’t. Instead I saw Vyxyn.

She also looked different from when I’d seen her last.

Her hair fell in graceful soft-pink waves down to the base of her spine. Dressed in a sheer bubblegum-pink corset gown that flowed around her ankles, she reminded me a little bit of Glinda the good witch. Her makeup was no longer bold and glaringly bright, and her nude eye shadow sparkled, bringing out the brilliant greens of her eyes.

She was staring at me with her hands covering her mouth and as still as a statue. Only her eyes moved, and they looked me up and down over and over again as if unable to believe what she was seeing.

“Dora?” she squeaked, then glanced at Luc, who stood just to my left, as if for confirmation. “So it’s true. You’re back?”

I did not expect to see the tears glimmering on her cheeks or hear the strain in her voice. And I really did not expect her to suddenly rush me, grabbing me in her slim arms and squeezing me as she did.

I sensed Luc back away, sensed him slinking off to corners unknown, and I was fine with it. I was actually okay, and the relief of that made me bold enough to hug Vyx back.

“Vyx.” I smiled and then kissed her cheek, chuckling because for just a second I’d felt her soften under my touch, but then, as if remembering who I was and who she was, she shoved me back.

“Yeah, yeah, let’s not get all wimpy about this, whatever.” She rubbed her cheek, as if scrubbing my kiss off. “So the bitch is back, eh?”

My lips curled. “In the flesh.”

Rolling her eyes, she crossed her arms. “I didn’t miss you.”

“Me either.”

Her nostrils flared, and she slapped a palm against her eye as if wiping up tears. But I would allow her her dignity.

My, how times had changed.

When Envy stopped hating me, I’ll never really know, but it was sure nice to see things coming to a truce. Kem would have been proud of us.

Then I was yanked away from her, held tight in the strong arms of my Bubba. His country twang was thick and pronounced as he whooped and hollered, twirling me around like I was a rag doll.

“Pandora.” His voice was scratchy and full of gravel when he kissed my cheek. “I’ve missed you like holy hell. I knew you weren’t dead. Not our Dora.” He chucked my jaw, and I laughed. “Too strong to ever let them take you down.”

I wrapped my arms around his thick chest and knew that the first moment he and I had some quiet time, I’d apologize to him. I owed him that.

“I love you too, Bubba.”

Snorting, looking flushed with embarrassment and maybe even a little bit of pride, he patted my head. “You and your silly words, girl.”

He’d told me he loved me too, just in his own way.

After that I was embraced by countless arms, kissed until my skin felt chapped, and, though demons never spoke of love (except for yours truly), I felt the magnitude of that emotion envelop me as I reconnected with those I’d thought I’d never see again.

And when it was all over and everyone had gone to their assigned stations for the night, I turned to find only two men standing behind me.

Luc.

And Ash.

His gaze was hungry as he studied me, his need profound, and I felt it reach out to me. Lust responded; she would not be ignored, and she would not be denied. I kept my emotions in lock with the other demons inside me, but Lust had other ideas.

I held out my hand to Ash, and he took it.

He never asked me where I’d been with Luc, and he didn’t look hurt, or angry. He trusted me completely, as I did him.

I felt Luc’s eyes drill into me as I walked off with my Priest to Kem’s trailer. I didn’t look back, because I was right where I belonged.

Later that night, I rolled off him, nipping at his jaw. He wrapped his wings around me, and I played with their velvety softness. I chuckled. “You know...”

“What?” He dug a finger into my hip when I wouldn’t stop laughing. “Don’t you know guys don’t like to be laughed at right after sex? Makes us all freaked out.”

Snorting, I swatted his finger away. “You’re such a nerd, priest. As if I’d laugh at that thing. All big, and veiny, and with the most delicious piercing at it’s tip.” I licked my lips and then sighed when he rocked a very hard erection between my thighs. “Round three already?” I nipped his jaw again.

“Got a lot of time to make up for, little demon. Years of blue balls.”

Laughing, I rolled my eyes. “I was actually thinking this was my favorite part of sex with you.”

“What? The dessert?”

“No, the sexy wings you wrap me up in afterwards. You, priest, are such a dude.”

He shrugged. “You’re stuck with me now, woman.”

“Mm.” I sighed when he rocked against me again, and it was another twenty minutes before my priest was finally sated.

Not that I minded. Lust may have had a little something to do with keeping him so firm for so long, but there had to be perks to the job, right?

Sighing, he rolled over, dragging me on top of his chest, and this time I knew there’d be no more fooling around. He’d not slept much in months, and I worried for him. So I ran my fingers through his hair and made sure not to do anything to keep him from that much-needed sleep.

“How’d your talk go?” His voice rumbled through my chest.

Running my finger along the scars lining his chest, I sighed. “Well, Luc shocked the hell out of me. Told me he loved me.”

He didn’t say anything for a minute. “I could have told you that, Pandora. Don’t know why it would shock you.”

I sighed. “I don’t know. I guess it was just the whole sharing thing. He’s never done that with me before.”

We were silent so long after that I figured it was a hint to stop talking about it, so I laid my head on his chest and played my foot along his.

“I know you love me.” He said it slowly.

Jerking back, I gave him an incredulous look. “I hope you don’t doubt it?”

He shrugged and then gave me a slow smile. “Not anymore.”

“Good.” I nipped at the corner of his lips. “Because I distinctly remember a man telling me that there could only ever be one woman for him and that he’d do all manner of vile, wicked things for me, so long as I could do the same for him. Do you honestly think I’d risk something this good for something that toxic?”

“Demon.” His voice was a scratchy burr.

I winked, giving him my sauciest grin. “Really. Give me a little more credit than that.”

That was when he proceeded to tickle me mercilessly. Not long after that, we fell asleep together, me cradled in his wings, him in my arms. Together we slept the sleep of the dead.

The next morning found me right back at the carnival but unsure of my position in the fold now I waited underneath the chow tent with Ash sitting silently beside me, knowing everyone was due to arrive for breakfast any moment.

We had important matters to discuss.

I tapped my fingers on the table, which he quickly covered up. He hated when I fidgeted.

“If you don’t think you can tell them, I can.”

I glanced at him. “I’ll be fine. I mean, if you’re implying that I can’t, I can. I just don’t really want to have this conversation.”

He shrugged and nodded, clearly agreeing with me. We’d discussed matters this morning as the sun had risen and it’d just been us. The first entry in my journal mentioned a plan the Triad had in store for my family. I’d hesitantly broached the topic with him.

Ash hadn’t looked surprised when I’d revealed what that cryptic statement had meant; in fact, I suspected he’d known what would happen all along.

Which, again, didn’t surprise me. My priest had made it his mission to learn all he could about me and the prophecy; his knowledge of future plans would serve us well, and I was suddenly so glad the greedy bastard was on my side.

And now that he was no longer under a geas, it was so much easier to learn what needed learning.

I huffed out a breath. “They’re taking forever.”

Chuckling, he kissed my brow and scooted back on the bench, making to get up. “Give them time, little demon. Demons aren’t exactly known for being early risers.”

Showing him my fangs, I slapped his ass as he walked off. “Get me coffee.”

He didn’t acknowledge me, merely shook his head and laughed. I sighed like a lovesick fool watching him go. He was dressed in dark blue jeans and a Grateful Dead T-shirt. That finely sculpted body would have looked good in anything, but he knew I had a thing for bad boys, and he was pretty much perfection.

Catnip
... Lust’s monosyllabic voice whispered inside my head, and I chuckled.

Today he’d picked out my clothing, and while I still wasn’t totally comfortable in the tight, blood-red leather pants and white crop top with a bedazzled skull on it, I had to admit they did look good on me. The man obviously had a taste for high-class trash.

What can I say, I’d groomed him well.

At first the trickle of neph was slow. Cash and Kane came in together, heading directly for the heaping platters of fried pork fat. Vyx came a short time later, with Corriene, Greta, Claudette, and many more faces I vaguely knew, along with a few I wasn’t familiar with.

At some point Luc had beefed up our numbers again, which was good. We needed as many of us as possible if we had any hope of bringing the Triad down.

Everyone greeted me in some way, either with a soft wave, a verbal hello, or a gentle pat on the shoulder.

I spotted Ash by the coffee stand talking animatedly with Luc, who was glaring hotly at him. I wasn’t sure what they were saying and really didn’t care. If Ash wanted me to know, he’d tell me; otherwise I’d just assume it was Luc being his wonderful, prickly self.

With a roll of his eyes and shake of his head, Ash turned on his heel and headed back to me. And like the good man meat he was, he held two cups of coffee.

Sitting next to me, he slid over one of the cups. “That man is a real prick sometimes, Pandora. How the hell did you do it for so long?”

Snorting, I shrugged. “It’s called low self-esteem.”

His brows dipped at that, and I could see he was none too happy with my words. But I didn’t give him a chance to chastise me for it. “Did you tell him I want the floor?”

“Yeah.” He took a sip of his drink. “He said you get five minutes.”

I laughed. “Then I guess I’d better not waste my time.” I took two quick gulps of that hot and horribly bitter coffee—Kem had always been in charge of making the brew when he’d been alive, and no one had been better at creating the perfect cup of Joe—and then slammed the cup down on the table, got up, and walked to the center of the tent.

Bubba was the first to glance up at me. He held a pitcher of blood in his hands, and for the first time ever, it did not repulse me.

“Yo!” I cried out, holding up my hands until all eyes turned my way. “So for those of you who don’t know me, the name’s Pandora.”

A few of the faces stared around quizzically, but the majority of them chuckled, and someone from the back yelled, “So the prodigal has returned.”

“Kane!” I yelled, knowing it was him by the shivery thread of laughter in his words. “I heard that.”

That simple exchange broke the ice, and I knew I had everyone’s attention when all forks and cups had been put down.

Luc still stood by the coffee stand, arms crossed, and stared at me. But I sensed no anger from him, at least not for me anyway. Every so often I’d catch him tossing Ash the evil eye, but that was just par for the course with those two. I doubted they’d ever become friends.

“So, um.” Now that the time had arrived, I was nervous, more so than I’d let on to Asher. Rubbing my clammy hands together, I shoved out a quick breath. “I have news, and I... um...”

Good grief, my stomach was a knotted mess. Wetting my lips, I struggled to find the right words to say. But once again Asher saved me from myself. He came to stand directly beside me.

I remembered the first time we’d come
out
to my family over a year ago. The reception then had been a far cry from what it was today.  The faces looking at him were no longer full of hostility and distrust but rather curiosity, and everyone, it seemed, knew him now. And if they didn’t like him, at least they accepted that where I went, so did he. I doubted we’d be singing “Kumbaya” anytime soon though.

Clapping a hand to my shoulder, he spoke loudly. “It might help if you guys asked some questions first.”

Cash was the first to talk. His Pride probably demanded he be the first to speak his piece.

Standing, he looked directly at me. His shock of orange-reddish hair was clipped short, causing the natural golden irises of his eyes to pop electrifyingly in his rugged Irish features.

“I’m sure I speak for us all when I say that I’m glad you’re home.” He spread his arms wide, and everyone gave a nod of assent. “But what we want to know is who took you and where they are.”

His eyes glowed like molten metal when he finished.

Rubbing along Ash’s strong body, I lifted my chin. “The answer to that is complex. But you’re right, it’s time you all learned the truth of who we’ve really been working for. The short answer is that I was abducted by the Triad and taken to Creatus, a prison where they can”—I cleared my throat—“work in secret on their projects.”

“And where are they?” someone else called out. The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it as several voices all began to clamor at once, trying to gain my attention.

It took far longer than the five minutes Luc had allotted us to get through the story. There were gasps, several growls, a swear or two, and finally deep silence as those around me began to comprehend just how deep the conspiracy ran.

“So Creatus,” Bubba drawled. “It’s run by the Triad?”

“Yes,” Asher said.

Claudette, one of only two Wrath demons there, stood. “Explain this to me again, just so that it’s clear in my head. You’re telling us that the governing body of the order is actually a triad of high caste lords?”