Wicked Flames (Solsti Prophecy) (21 page)

The demon in front of Mathias had a tail, like the others. Leathery and brown and as long as a bullwhip, it wrapped tightly around Mathias’s ankle. Silver flashed, catching sunlight in the knife he raised.

He lunged for the tail, but the demon yanked, throwing Mathias off balance. His head bounced on the pavement. He looked over at Ria, his expression morphing from pain to anger. “Look ou—”

Ria’s opponent extended his long tail behind her and whipped it against her calf. The fabric of her pants ripped and red blood darkened her leg. She grunted and tumbled to the pavement.

The tail wound around her leg like a living vine. Wrapping fast, it tugged and lifted her.

With a sadistic chuckle, the demon flung Ria across the lot. Her body smashed like a ragdoll into the windshield of one of the resident’s cars. The hood dented. Glass shattered beneath her.

“Ri!” Mathias face contorted with fury, and he wrested free of the other demon’s tail. Fire appeared in his hand and he flung it at Ria’s opponent, who burst into flame.

Gin shrieked and covered her face. It was too much. Too much fire, too much death. Too much unreal-ness happening right in front of her. But trepidation shot up her spine, warning her. This was no time to hide. Her world was crumbling with each passing second.
Open your eyes.
She forced a peek through her fingers.

Ria wasn’t moving.
Should I check on her?
Yes, Gin was pissed. But still, it didn’t seem right to ignore her friend. She crept around the car. Maybe no one would notice.

“Gin! Stay the fuck down!” Mathias roared.

She jumped.
Oh god
. He looked so angry. He didn’t look like the man she had laughed and joked with, held hands with and lounged in bed with.

One of the demons near him turned to her, finally giving her a good look at him. He looked human, mostly. But he had pointed ears, tiny horns above them, and that tail. He charged toward her.

Gin ran. The creature was faster. He caught her in his arms, yanking her back against his chest. The sickly smell of burnt sugar wafted from him.

“No!” Terror burned through her muscles. She kicked and flailed, but his grip tightened with every move she made.

Mathias still fought his opponent, ducking and swinging, managing to avoid the swing of the demon’s knife. Or sword. Gin couldn’t tell. It was long and thin—

The demon lunged for him and nicked his shirt sleeve. Mathias cursed. Blood dripped down his arm. Panting, he backed up a step.

Oh no
. Was he tiring? What would these things do to her? To Ria?

The demon advanced on Mathias, tail snapping high in the air behind him.

“Ria!” Mathias yelled. “Now would be a good time to get up!”

Gin looked to Ria’s crumpled form lying amidst glass and twisted metal. Why was Mathias yelling like that? And why didn’t he seem worried about her?

He turned to Gin and the demon clutching her. “Let her go.” His voice held a menacing edge that promised more violence.

“Watch out!” Gin shrieked.

The other demon’s tail whipped forward.

Mathias caught it in his hand and held it, a lethal smile on his face.

Why is he holding it like that?
Her jaw dropped as realization dawned. Fire raced up the length of the tail from Mathias’s hand to the creature’s body. It yelped and pulled back, giving Mathias enough time to summon another ball of fire and hurl it at the demon. It dropped down, incinerated in seconds.

He’d burned that thing alive. And others too. Bile rose in Gin’s throat as disgust warred with terror.

Mathias stalked toward Gin and her captor. “I said let her go.”

“Never, Hunter.” Its grip tightened on Gin. “Your fire won’t work if you don’t want her hurt.”

Gin squeaked. She had no idea what to do. Her mind went blank with fear and an overload of batshit craziness.

Across the lot, Ria stirred and sat up. Gin sucked in a breath.
Thank God.

Mathias held up his knife. “This can land between your eyes before you take a breath.”

“Not if I move. Then it could be between her eyes.” The demon jostled Gin in his arms.

Ria slid off the car and collapsed on the ground next to it.

“No.” Gin whispered, her voice cracked and dry.

The demon holding her chuckled. “Looks like your partner’s down for the count, Hunter. Put these on.” His tail appeared at his side, dangling two black circles connected with a chain. They looked like metal…handcuffs?

“Your fight is with me.” Mathias growled.

“Yes, but she’s unique, this one. The mistress wants her. You too.”

A tiny movement caught Gin’s eye. Ria was still on the ground, but she wasn’t lying in a lifeless heap. On her belly, she made a methodical sliding motion with her arm.

“No.” Mathias glared. “Fucking put her down and fight like a warrior. No civilian shields.”

“I don’t think—”

Pfft.

The soft hiss punctuated the air and a whoosh of smoke shot across the parking lot. The demon cried out. He dropped to the ground, letting go of Gin. She stumbled forward into Mathias’s waiting arms.

Her body wanted to sag into his powerful embrace, but her mind burned with fury. “Get away from me!” She wrenched free and took several steps back. With those muscles, he could’ve held on to her. But he didn’t.
Good.

A moan from the pavement drew her attention and she turned, still not sure what was happening to the fallen demon. She immediately wished she hadn’t checked.

Both his ankles were covered in blood. In fact…
Oh God
. She looked away. His feet were mangled, a mess of sinew and tissue. Her throat gagged reflexively. She looked at Ria.

Ria?

Her friend strode across the parking lot carrying a thin silver tube, looking like hell. One cheek was dotted with blood, her jacket was ripped, and her blond curls dropped slivers of glass as she walked. But she moved with the same confident grace she always did.
 

“Gin.” Mathias’s voice broke through her thoughts. He stepped closer and reached for her.

“Don’t touch me.” Gin backed up a step.

“I know this is a lot to—”

Gin held up a hand. Her shaking fingers undermined the confidence she forced into her voice. “Shut. Up.”

Ria reached them, her expression one of concern tinged with guilt. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry.”

Gin glared at her. “Sorry?” Her grip tightened on her car keys. “I don’t know what the hell just happened, but I’m leaving. By myself.”

“We were attacked. And we need to get you out of here.” Mathias’s tone was commanding, but this time she couldn’t care less.

“Go to hell
.
” Rage seethed inside her. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” She looked at Ria. “You fell into a
windshield
.”

“I’m fine. Been through worse.” Ria spoke calmly, her eyes sweeping Gin up and down.

“What
are
you?” Gin whispered, though she knew the answer.

Ria and Mathias exchanged a look. Ria nibbled her lip. “We—”

Mathias turned to her. “Gin. Listen to me. You’re not safe. There might be more of these guys.” Urgency lanced through his voice.
 

She backed up another step. “They
knew
you. They called you Hunter.”

“Let’s go to the safe house.” He held out a hand.

“What? Safe house?” She swallowed. “No.”

Ria inched closer. “Gin. You need to be with one or both of us at all times. We need to get to Mansfield. It’s completely safe there. We can talk on the—”

Oh. Oh God.

Gin’s stomach caved in. She felt like she’d been punched. Facts circled in her mind, repeating on a taunting, hellish loop.

They know each other.

They’re demons.

They hid it from me.

How could I be so stupid?
She wrapped her arms around her waist, gulping air that didn’t seem to fill her lungs. Stupid. Stupid. “Get away!” Gin’s voice rose. “Both of you!” She backed up toward her car. “I don’t want any part of your world!”

Mathias took a step toward her. “I’m sor—”

“Don’t!” Gin couldn’t lower her voice. Couldn’t stop the screaming both in her head and in her heart. “Don’t ever speak to me again. Either one of you.”

“Just let us expl—” Ria’s eyes beseeched her.

“No! I don’t want to hear it. You lied! You both did.”

“We did it to protect you.” Mathias stared at her, tracking every shrug of her shoulders and movement of her hands. A mixture of fury and dark emotion flared in his eyes.
Regret?

She didn’t care. “I don’t need protection. I don’t need you. I’m not a part of…” She flung her hand out in an arc. “This. I never was, and I never will be. I was totally fine, before you two showed up.” Backing up farther, she reached her car. “I’m going to
help
people. People who have next to nothing! I’m not helping a bunch of devils fight a bunch of werewolves, or whatever things live in your crazy world!” She grabbed her purse and duffel bag from the pavement between her car and Ria’s. She unlocked her car and got in, slamming the door.

Ria and Mathias didn’t move. Thank God. She wasn’t sure what she’d do if they tried to physically stop her. After what they had done to those bad guys, she didn’t want to test them.

Throwing her little Bug into gear, she revved the engine and peeled out of her parking lot. She navigated the quiet streets, making her way to the interstate that would take her north.

Her flight to New York was still a few days off, but what the hell. She’d go now. Head straight to O’Hare Airport and switch her flight to the next available one. She needed to be anywhere but here. And she didn’t want to talk to anyone. Not even her sisters.

God, her sisters. Had they known about all of this? Gin didn’t want the answer. Either way, it would hurt too much. It would rip her heart out if they were part of this stupid little plan. But it would crush her if they hadn’t known enough to check on her. Given how they were always talking about dangers lurking, and how vicious supernatural creatures could sneak up on you.

I almost died.
Gin had always thought her sisters’ warnings were a bunch of overblown, big-sister-ish protectiveness. She rubbed her eyes, wishing she could erase the images she’d just seen. Nothing seemed overblown anymore
.

She stopped at a red light and plugged her iPod into the car’s sound system, needing her favorite pounding eighties rock. She turned up the heat and rubbed her hands together. Every muscle felt like jello from the triple punch of fear, shock, and confusion.

Her arms trembled and she flexed her hands on the steering wheel. She pictured Mathias’s warm hazel eyes that melted her with one glance, and the way he moved. Strong but light on his feet, like a panther. Her gaze dropped to the parka she wore, which suddenly seemed too hot. She didn’t have her nicer coat, since it was still at the theatre—

Shit! The show.
Voo de Dragao
. He said he’d seen the troupe in Brazil. Had he known it had a fire act? Did he know about her? Did Ria? Oh God. She breathed out an audible sigh, rocking forward in her seat.
This can’t be happening
.

A honk sounded from behind her and she looked up to see the light had changed. She gulped a deep breath and hit the gas, guiding the car toward the entrance to the interstate.

On the ramp she pressed the gas pedal down, every cell urging her to flee. I can help people. I can do good things in the world. Why can’t everyone leave me alone? In the past three months her sisters had pressured her to use her fire power, and now demons were at her door.
I don’t care. I’m not part of their world!

Flying past corn fields lying dormant in the cold, her shock morphed into anger. She and Ria had instantly bonded over their favorite books, music, and hot celebrity bad boys. Had it been an act? She had thought of Ria almost as another sister.
Wait! Does Ria know my sisters? Does she know about their talents?

Gin’s heart rate sped up as a new wave of confusion washed over her. If Ria knew about her curse, why hadn’t she said anything in all this time? The demons in Chicago were falling all over themselves to help Nicole and Brooke with their skills.

Then realization slammed into her.
Skills, or curse
. Yeah that’s why Ria hadn’t said anything.
I wouldn’t listen if she did.

A frisson of possibility sparked in her heart, attempting to soften the raw edge of her hurt. Maybe Nicole and Brooke had asked Ria and Mathias to protect her? But that would mean they had this all planned out.

And those guys with the tails…had they known they were coming?
No
. Not a chance. She clung to the knowledge that her sisters would do whatever they could to keep her safe. And that’s exactly what Ria and Mathias had done.

Mathias…Gin thumped the steering wheel with her fist. He’d come waltzing in, looking sexy as sin. Ria’d been around for months, but why him? Why now? He’d seduced her and she’d willingly fallen for it, entranced by everything about him. Anguish and rage exploded in her mind. “Asshole!” she shouted to a green sign announcing the exit to a connecting highway.

Had all his words been lies? That he had a boisterous, happy family? Not that it mattered now. She didn’t plan to see him again. And if he showed up she’d…

I’d what?
What could she do to a man who had cut down four or five demons in as many minutes? She’d known he had muscles. She’d felt them under his shirt that first night when they’d danced. And again, when he’d loved her so thoroughly in her apartment.

She gulped a deep breath, trying to regulate her breathing.
I was so stupid. He was playing me.
But why? The question plagued her.

Ministry’s “Revenge” blasted from her speakers and she turned the volume up. Al Jourgensen’s vocals echoed exactly how she felt. She didn’t have time for an ass like Mathias. And she certainly didn’t care how he felt. Maybe the why of it would stay under her skin, but she’d learn to deal with it. Preferably from far away. The other side of the world would maybe, just maybe, be far enough.

C
HAPTER
21