Kissed By A Demon Spy (17 page)

What do Vipers want with Ivydale?

And where was Aden? Was this the reason he wanted to take a look around? Did he know about this?

The Viper advanced, scenting the air with its forked tongue. “A little group of pixies, trying to hide.” Its tone was mocking. “And one stupid Deserati.”

“Those will be your last words, fucker.” Leif lunged forward, faster than Garnet could have imagined. His blade sliced down the Viper’s arm.

It howled and slashed at Leif. The two males fought back and forth, swords clanging. Leif looked like he was holding his own…then the Viper managed to nick his pectorals.

Garnet yelped and the two pixies shrieked. The wound looked messy, gushing blood, though Leif only roared and swung his sword faster. With one final yell, he landed a brutal blow to the Viper’s chest. It fell to its knees.

Her sigh of relief was cut short when the Viper drew a dagger from its belt. She opened her mouth to warn Leif, but before she got the words out he slammed his foot into the other demon’s jaw. It toppled, but dragged Leif down with it. The two of them rolled, fists swinging in a lethal dance.

She edged backward cautiously. Maybe she could sneak away for help while this Viper was focused on Leif. She backed up another step.

“Stop, fae!” A second Viper roared as he ran into the yard.

Oh no.
Garnet jumped back. Dash whimpered in her arms.

“Get over here.” The demon glared at her and pointed to the ground next to the pixies.

Garnet’s eyes darted around. No one else was there to help them.

“Now!” the Viper bellowed.

Oh gods. What am I thinking? I’m not a fighter. I can’t out run this thing if it comes after me.
She forced her feet to move across the grass. It was like dragging hundred pound bags of flour. The thought of getting any closer to the Viper roiled her stomach. Dash buried his face in her neck.

She reached the two terrified pixies and pressed closely. The Viper tilted his head and stared at her. “You’re a pretty little fae. I might keep you for myself. I can think of lots of things to do to you.”

Garnet shuddered. Every muscle screamed for her to bolt.
No, no, no!
Never again. She’d never be kept as a slave again.

“The fuck you will.” Aden’s voice, low and deadly, carried across the yard. He stood in the shadow of a towering elm tree, sword in hand, every muscle tensed.

Aden!
Her heart leaped, never mind that his demeanor said he was ready to kill.

Determined protectiveness rolled off him as he stalked from the side of the house toward the Viper. “Lay a hand on her and I will skin you alive.”

“Yeah, demon? How can you protect her when you can’t see trouble coming?” The Viper turned to face Aden.

“I can kill you fast or slow. Your choice.” Aden stepped closer, eyes locked on the Viper with a calculating glare. He didn’t spare a glance to Leif, who still fought hand-to-hand with the first intruder. “Leave them alone.”

The Viper charged Aden, a weird, hissing bellow coming from its mouth. Aden raised his sword and expertly blocked the blow.

He darted to the side, but the Viper tracked him and swung his blade in a wide arc. Aden dropped and rolled, coming up behind him and slicing a tendon at the base of the Viper’s ankle.

The Viper howled and staggered forward. Aden leapt up and threw a chokehold on him, wrenching the Viper’s head back.

The demon clawed at Aden’s arms and twisted. Aden held tight.

Frightened cries wrenched from Dash’s throat and he buried his face in her neck. Garnet could only hold him tightly as she stared, wide eyed.
How does Aden know how to fight like that?
He moved with predatory skill. The ugly cut from a few weeks ago loomed in her mind, and she was certain he hadn’t gotten that from falling off the roof.

The Viper lurched to the ground, slamming his shoulders into the earth. Aden flipped over its head, landing with a thud.

Garnet gasped.

The Viper struggled to its knees, hissing, fangs dripping, sword in hand.

In a blur of movement Aden surged to his feet. He swung his sword high and brought it down, severing the beast’s head.

The pixie next to her screamed.

Dash did too, and squeezed Garnet so tightly she had to loosen his arms a fraction so she could breathe.

Aden turned, and in the light from the house windows she finally got a good look at him. His arm dripped blood from a raw, ugly wound. He was covered in dirt and breathing hard, a lethal look in his eye.

“Are you okay?” His dark eyes locked on her.

“Y-yes, but Leif…,” Garnet said, voice shaking.
Aden’s so calm.
She got the distinct feeling he’d done this before.

Aden turned to his cousin in time to see him deliver a fatal strike to his opponent’s chest. Hands on his hips, he inhaled deeply. “You need to check—” He whirled to the side.

A third Viper stalked into the yard.

It looked from Aden to Leif, to its dead friends and growled. Its arm moved up and back.

Arrows flew toward Aden. He bent sideways, barely dodging them.

Garnet shrieked. How had the Viper moved that fast? She ducked, huddling close to the pixies trying to shield Dash.

“Get to the cellar!” Leif darted toward her.

The pixies and Garnet turned and ran. Fear exploded in her mind.

Thunk. Thunk.

Two arrows lodged in the wood of the cellar door just as the first pixie reached the entrance. It sizzled and smoked.

Garnet dared a glance over her shoulder to see the Viper drawing his bow again. Poison arrows from a skilled archer. She willed Aden to be okay.

“Your fight is with me!” Aden roared. He flung a knife at the Viper, hitting it in the shoulder it used to pull the bow back.

It bellowed a string of curses and yanked the blade out. Red blood gushed down its torso. It pulled out a sword and charged Aden.

Aden moved toward it, stepping sideways out of the sword’s reach. He reached back and grabbed the Viper’s arm and yanked, throwing it off balance. It slammed to the ground on its injured shoulder and howled.

Aden kicked its ribs and planted a booted foot on its neck. He glanced to Garnet. “Look away.”

She slammed her eyes shut.
Don’t need to tell me twice
. Dash’s head was still buried in her neck.

A cry echoed from the Viper, then cut off.

Garnet opened her eyes, careful not to look down. She met Aden’s gray eyes, still lethal, but with a mix of emotion flickering across them.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No.” Garnet whispered.

His eyes landed on his cousin. “Go help Luke and the others on the main street.” He looked at Leif’s blood-covered chest. “Then get that checked out.”

“Will do.” He started to pass Aden, who laid a hand on his cousin’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

Leif nodded and darted a glance to Garnet. “It’s my honor, cousin.”

Aden released Leif and looked up at his roof, which was being drenched with a powerful arc of water. He pulled out his phone and dialed.

Garnet didn’t know where that water was coming from, but she didn’t care. She was grateful that something was happening to stop the flames. In her arms, Dash sniffled.

Muscles aching and arms numb, she sat on the grass and held him on her lap. “It’s okay now,
nihjo
. Aden’s taking care of everything.”

Dash threaded his fingers through her hair, a self-soothing habit he’d started when he was a babe. “I’m scared.”

Garnet drew a deep breath. “Those bad demons were really scary. But they’re not going to hurt us anymore. They’re gone. Aden and his friends will make sure they don’t bother us again.”

Aden was talking to someone, asking rapid-fire questions, giving short responses that Garnet didn’t understand.
All right, I’ll check, back up.

She searched his face. Questions and half-formed thoughts ping-ponged in her head, none of them settling long enough to make sense.

He ended his call and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “The town is safe.”

“How-what-what happened?” She sagged into his strength.

“Luke and the rest of my kin helped fight off the Vipers. They’re not going to hurt anyone again.” His eyes carried the rest of his meaning. All the intruders had been killed.

Garnet swallowed, relieved and grateful Aden had worded his explanation carefully in front of Dash. Her boy had seen and heard awful things, but this was a new start, and she wanted to shield him until he was old enough to understand.

“I’m sorry, Garnet,” he whispered in her ear.

“What? Why? You saved us.” Garnet pulled back to stare at him, trying to read between his words. “And…and your inn…” She glanced at the soaked building. The flames had gone out, but she’d bet the inside was uninhabitable.

“It’s just an inn. Your safety is more important.” His eyes dropped to Dash and back to her. “I need to talk to you. When you can.”

She nodded. “Okay.” She kissed Dash. “It’s all over, sweetie.”

Dash raised a cautious head, blue eyes wide. He peeked at Aden, then at Garnet.

“Land sakes! I’ve never seen such a fire in all my years. Where’s that darling boy?” Pearl’s petite, slightly hunched figure crossed the yard.

“Pearl! Are you okay?” Garnet called to her.

Aden stood to offer Pearl a hand as she navigated the dead Viper bodies.

Pearl scoffed and chuckled. “I’m fine, Aden. I’ve seen one of these things before. Dead as a doornail, and thank goodness. But that’s a story for another day.” She bent down in front of Garnet and Dash. “You two are going to stay with me tonight, and I won’t take no for an answer.” She inclined her head at the inn. “This place is going to smell like smoke for days, even if the structure is sound.”

“Thank you,” Garnet said. She hadn’t even thought that far ahead. She glanced to Aden.

“He can sleep on my couch.” Pearl chuckled.

Suppressing a grin, Garnet nuzzled Dash’s hair. “Did you hear that,
nihjo
? We’re staying with Pearl tonight.”

Dash turned to Pearl. “We’re staying at the candy shop?”

“No, child, I have a house. You’ll stay with me there.”

“You have a house?” Dash’s brows furrowed. “Don’t you live in the store?”

Pearl laughed, a warm melodic sound. “No, I don’t live in the store. But it might be fun to have a sleepover in there one night.” She paused. “I’d have to bring in a cot for these old bones, though.”

“Sleeping in the candy store? That would be so silly.” Garnet kept her tone light, thankful for the distraction of a goofy idea. “We can think about that while I tuck you into bed.” Garnet kissed him again, hugging him.

“I want you to stay with me, Mommy.” The tremble in Dash’s voice melted Garnet’s heart.

“Of course,
nihjo
.” How could she not? She kissed his hair, wishing her lips could bestow a protection spell on her sweet little boy.

The four of them walked the short distance to Pearl’s house. Garnet knew she wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight. The best she could hope for was to get Dash back to dream land. “Can you wait for me?” she whispered to Aden, and laid her cheek against Dash’s. “I may be awhile.”

“I’ll wait.” His eyes carried one more word, unspoken, but conveyed just the same.

Forever.

I must be hearing things.
She blinked and managed a weak smile, then carried Dash inside.

Aden paced the street outside Pearl’s house. In the last hour he had removed the Viper bodies from the inn’s back yard, dragging them into a pile at the edge of town. Leif had set the mass of green limbs on fire.

As soon as Garnet had gone inside, Aden called Keegan again with an update. His brother’s back up team had arrived to crisscross the town and surrounding forests, checking and double checking. No other Vipers had been found.

The town was quiet. He should be relieved that no lives were lost. But sick disappointment weighed on his limbs. He had let down and endangered the woman he loved.

Loved?

Yes, goddamn it. He realized, with the clarity that comes from almost losing something, that he loved Garnet. In the short time span since she’d arrived, she’d wound her way into his soul.

Could she ever feel the same? Especially after what he was about to tell her?

Fuck.

He stopped in the middle of the street, rested his hands on his hips, and dropped his head back. The twin moons shone low in the western sky, chased there by the impending dawn. A million stars twinkled, defiant and determined to shine until the first rays of light obscured them. Aden stared up, searching for an answer that the sky couldn’t give.

A door clicked shut softly, and lavender wafted to him on the breeze.

Garnet crossed the yard, looking weary and beautiful. She stopped in front of him and frowned at his arm. “You haven’t gotten that looked at yet?”

“It’s just a scratch. It’s not important.” He ached to pull her into his arms but hell, she might hate him.

“But their ven—”

“It’s nothing compared to almost losing you.”

She stared up at him, a startled look in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, sugar. This is my fault.” He picked up a lock of her hair, savoring the soft strands against his fingers.

She shook her head. “No, it’s not, I saw you. You saved us from those Vipers. You had a hunch that something was wrong, and your instincts were right.”

Her praise only made him feel more like shit. “I’m the reason they attacked Ivydale. The reason you were in danger.”

Her brows knitted together. “What do you mean?”

“I’m a spy.”

“Spy?” She looked at him like he’d grown a second head. “What? But the inn—”

“It’s a front.” The words felt sour in his mouth.

She blinked. “But guests stay there. And you’re always around. People work for you.”

He raked a hand through his hair. “Yeah, it’s a fully functioning inn. But it’s also my base of operations. I scry and report back to my brother, our clan leader.”

“Spy on who?”

On some level he was thankful for but couldn’t fathom, her questions seemed more curious than angry. “Lately? The Vipers. They’ve been attacking peaceful species. Unprovoked. Disrupting trade. We decided to step in and thwart them.”