"This way." The butler's voice rumbled low as he gestured for us to follow him down the hall. He led us to a sitting room, one that I had waited in many times before.

  I took a seat on the couch and nodded for Talan to do the same. He sat next to me, and the small size of the sofa meant that I could almost feel the heat of him blistering my side.

  The butler left, shutting the door behind him. Talan leaned close and murmured, “You're sure this is the woman?"

  "I know it's not your normal witch's house, but, I'm sure."

  "Will she make us wait long?"

  “Generally not.”

  Two minutes later, the door creaked open, and the scent of sandalwood wafted into the room. A short woman followed it, her curvy figure wrapped in a tailored suit that looked like it was from the 1950s. It made her look like any other New York socialite. Little did the world know that she was far from normal, no matter how she dressed when she went to Whole Foods for her weekly shopping.

  She approached with a graceful stride, almost floating on the air. Her perfectly painted lips curved into a catlike smile, and she nearly purred at the sight of Talan. ”Well, hello there."

  I didn't bother saying anything. She clearly had eyes only for Talan, and since I wanted her help, I was happy to let her focus on the object of her desire. Anyway, she had no idea that I had left town. As far she was concerned, I still lived here. It wasn't a big deal that I was back.

  She propped her hip on the side table that sat next to the fireplace and smiled at Talan. "What brings such a handsome demon to my door?"

  He gave her an easy smile. "We need some help with a spell."

  Her gaze moved to me for the first time, and her lips twisted in a frown. "It's dangerous for you to be here."

  The iron fist tightened around my heart once more. "You know?"

  She nodded. "He sent one of his goons to ask if I knew where you went.”

  I felt Talan's interest pique. I shook my head subtly, hoping she would get the message. I didn't want to talk about this around him.

  "We have a big problem,” I said. “We’re only here for a little while, and we were hoping you could help." I leaned forward. "We need a spell that will reveal hidden magic that has been used in a specific spot. We’ll pay anything." Talan would pay anything. I had nothing to pay with. She knew that because I usually traded favors for the magic she gave me.

  She made a low noise in her throat and crossed her arms, tapping her fingers rhythmically against her biceps. "What's at stake?"

  "The lives of my people." Talan's voice had gone low with the severity of the situation. “I’m Talan, the demon lord of New Orleans. The portal that keeps my people on this plane is malfunctioning due to a spell. Someone is trying to destabilize what I built, and as a result, my people are disappearing.”

  "You think you know who's behind it?” she asked. “You're just looking for proof?"

  Talan nodded. "Precisely."

  She hummed again. "You'd better be careful with that. Assumptions never lead to anything good."

  "True enough." Talan stood and approached her, stopping far enough away that his great size wasn't a threat. "You're right, and we’ll keep an open mind. I wouldn't want to be swayed by my own biases."

  Ophelia leaned far to the right, so that she could see around Talan's shoulders, and met my gaze. Her eyebrows lifted. "I like this one. Men are usually so…" She waved a hand. "You know what I mean. Not very open-minded."

  "Definitely not the men we normally work with," I said.

  "All right. For old time’s sake, I'll help you. But you can never come back here again. He'll be angry if he finds out you contacted me, and I didn't tell him."

  "I understand, and I'm sorry if we put you at risk."

  She waved her hand. "I'll be fine. Now let me get what you need. Stay here."

  She left the room, and Talan turned to look at me. I could feel the interest nearly bubbling out of him. "What has she been talking about?"

  "None of your business." I rose and walked to the window to look outside.

  Immediately, my gaze landed on a man across the street. He wore dark, nondescript clothing, and his expression was flat. Yet, from the way he stared hard at Ophelia's place, it was obvious who he was—one of my old boss’s goons.

  Dammit. I had definitely triggered a spell when I’d returned to town, and it had taken no time to send this guy over here. He wouldn't be able to get into Ophelia's place, but I would have to be smart when we left.

  I felt Talan's presence at my back before he spoke. "Who's that?"

  "Just a guy, I guess."

  "You and I both know that's not true.".

  Dammit again. Talan was too smart for this, but I didn't want him to know anything about my past. If he asked too many questions, he would find out what I was.

  "Let's just say it's my business." I slipped away from him before I became lulled by the sense of security that his proximity brought. If life had taught me anything, it was that I could only count on myself. I needed to stay on my toes.

  Fortunately, Ophelia returned a moment later, carrying a small glass sphere in her hands. Within the orb, a smoky white haze swirled. She held it out to Talan, who took it. Her gaze went to the window, narrowing. "I see we already have guests. You should head out the back."

  "Will you be okay?" I asked.

  She laughed. "Of course, I will be. I'll let him in to look around, and by the time he leaves, he'll forget he was ever here."

  I smiled, grateful to know that she could take care of herself. The last thing I wanted was to arrive in town and screw her over.

  “Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate it.”

  “Good. Now go.” She waved us out, then turned and went to the front door to welcome the man in.

  Her butler led us through the house to the back alley. There might be someone waiting out there as well, but it was less likely. Anyway, I wasn't about to ask her for more help than she'd already given.

  "You have to tell me what's going on," Talan said.

  "I really don’t.”

  We slipped out into the alley, which was empty as far as I could tell. The portal wasn't far from away, but we’d have to get there without being seen.

  "Come on, this way." I turned left, heading toward the end of the alley. It looked like a dead end, with a brick wall that rose twelve feet in front of us.

  "Are you sure about this? It doesn't look like there's a way out,” Talan said.

  "I'm sure." I stopped in front of the brick wall and reached up, sinking my fingertips into two divots in the wall that had been created by missing bricks. A few feet from the ground, there was another one for my right foot. I slipped my toes in and began to climb, using the divots that weren't apparent to the eyes, but that I knew were there.

  When I reached the top, I swung my leg over and dropped down onto the other side. The smell of baked cheese and bread filled the air in the tiny courtyard behind the pizza place. If we had more time, I would've grabbed a slice. It had been my favorite when I’d lived here.

  Talan dropped down beside me. He gave the little courtyard a considering look. "While you're telling me about the guys stalking you, I'd also like to know why you're so familiar with escape routes around New York."

  "You'll be waiting a long time." I hurried into the little pizza parlor and waved to the guys behind the counter. They barely acknowledged me, not looking up from their work. It was the perfect reaction as far as I was concerned. I led Talan through the restaurant and onto a side street. We just had to cross the main road to get to the alley with the portal, and we’d be good.

  Of course, we weren’t so lucky.

  As we were hurrying across the road, I caught sight of two men about thirty yards away.

  “Shit.” I grabbed Talan’s hand and pulled him into a run. We wouldn’t make it all the way to the alley, but there was a recessed doorway that would provide some cover.

  We threw ourselves into it, and Talan forced me into the corner, making a shield of his own body.

  “Hey.” I tried to shove him out of the way, but he didn’t move. Stubborn man.

  Instead, he leaned back to look out at the street. He cursed low in his throat, then ducked back, curling his body protectively over mine. A moment later, a sonic boom hit him.

  He jerked as if he’d been shot, but anyone who was familiar with sonic booms knew that they were far worse than a measly bullet. And yet, Talan didn’t go to his knees like any normal man. Instead, he stayed standing, still shielding me.

  “They’re fast,” he grunted.

  Shit. Now that he’d been hit with a sonic boom, I knew who was after us. I hadn’t recognized them out in the street, but if I had, I might not have chosen to take cover in the doorway.

  “This is a human neighborhood. We should try not to use any obvious magic,” I said.

  He nodded curtly, then turned around to face the street. Licks of flame had begun to curl around his arms, thin tendrils of fire that wouldn’t be visible from far away. I could feel their heat, but it wasn’t painful. The fire twisted from his arms to his torso and then down his legs. It fed into the ground, and I watched, fascinated, as it streaked across the road in a thin line.

  I peered around Talan’s shoulder and spotted the two men approaching us from across the street. The mage who could throw sonic booms had his hands raised, as if he were about to deliver another one.

  Before he could, the flame stopped directly beneath him and his partner. They jerked to a halt, their faces twisting in pain. I couldn’t see what was happening to them, but whatever it was, it was bad. Real bad.

  “They’re burning from the inside,” Talan said as he grabbed my hand. “Let’s go.”

  I’d never seen such horrific—or powerful—magic before, and it left me slightly stunned. I let him drag me out of the alley, adrenaline and the movement pulling me back into the moment.

  I scouted the street as we ran toward the alley, looking for more attackers. It was a quiet road at this time of day, and I saw no one—until we entered the alley.

  Three of them appeared from the shadows, and I recognized them immediately as some of my old boss’s most powerful assassins. Gordon, with the electricity sparking around his skinny limbs. Malachai, who walked upon clouds of black smoke that would choke a person as it fed them their most awful nightmares. And Ferris, who had strength and speed that made him even more dangerous than me.

  They stood between us and the portal, a deadly wall.

  “Stay back,” Talan said to me.

  “Ha.”

  He charged toward the men, and I followed. Immediately, he clashed with Gordon and Malachai. They were the most obviously dangerous, but I wouldn’t choose to fight any of them.

  Unfortunately, that choice wasn’t mine.

  Flame burst to life around Talan, but it was the last I saw of their fight. Ferris was headed straight for me. I needed to stay out of his grip if I wanted any chance at all. I might be able to kill with a touch, but he knew that and was fast enough not to give me a chance. He was also wearing head-to-toe black leather with only his face showing. I couldn’t even see the skin of his hands or neck. Since I needed to make contact with his skin, that left me with almost no space to work with if I wanted to use my deadly power against him.

  I plunged my hand into my pocket. Withdrawing a potion bomb, I hurled it at him, but he batted it aside like a cat with a toy. It crashed against the wall, the deadly green liquid splattering the bricks.

  Damn it.

  I tried again, throwing another bomb. He knocked that one aside, too, advancing on me with determined strides. A sick kind of pleasure twisted his features, and cold fear gripped my insides.

  As a last resort, I drew my karambit, swiping it out toward him. I landed a blow to his chest that sank deep. Blood welled, staining his shirt, but he kept coming. I sliced at him again, landing another blow, but it wasn’t enough.

  He had his hand around my throat in an instant and slammed me against the brick wall so hard that I felt my ribs crack. Pain exploded inside me, and he began to tighten his grip.

  My air supply cut off immediately, but that wasn’t the worst of it. I could feel him crushing my windpipe, the pain so great that I nearly blacked out.

  Evil glee lit his eyes. Ferris had never liked me—we were too evenly matched. I’d threatened his spot on the top rung of the ladder, even though I had no interest in being there. He was delighted to have the opportunity to kill me.

  I wouldn’t give him the chance. At least, not without killing him first. I was already dead—I could feel it from the way my throat was ruined. But I had enough strength left to take him with me.

  Anger gave me extra fuel as I plunged my blade into his gut. Surprise flashed in his eyes—he hadn’t expected me to be able to do that, considering the sorry state I was in.

  I took advantage of his distraction and grabbed his wrist with a viselike grip. There was the tiniest gap between his glove and jacket, and I forced my hand inside until my flesh met his. I didn’t hesitate as I fed my deadly magic into him.

  The fear that I would normally feel at discovery was gone. I was nothing but desperation now, even though I knew I’d never come back from these wounds. My vision was already going dark from lack of air.

  But my magic worked, and Ferris dropped like a stone. Without his hand supporting me, I collapsed to the ground next to him. The last thing I saw was Talan, standing over the bodies of the other two men, staring at me with a stricken expression.

  Then everything went dark.

  10

  Talan

  * * *

  Stunned, I watched Cora collapse to the ground. I’d taken out the two most obvious threats, but it seemed I’d been mistaken about who was the most dangerous.

  He lay dead at her feet, but she didn’t look much better.

  Cold terror streaked through me. Running to her, I gathered her into my arms. She was limp, her eyelids fluttering, and the damage to her throat was readily apparent.

  She couldn’t breathe. I had minutes before she died—maybe less.

  I turned and sprinted for the portal, driven by a fear unlike any I’d ever felt. The portal sucked us through and spun us through space. I clutched her to me, stumbling out into my home and roaring for the healer.

  Liora appeared as I strode from the room.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “Send the healer to my room. Now.”

  Her gaze moved to Cora’s slack form, and her eyes widened. She spun on her heel and ran.

  I reached my chambers in record time and laid her gently on the bed. Her face was pale as she struggled to breathe. Every labored breath appeared to be intensely painful, and I couldn’t tell if she was actually getting any air into her lungs.

  The healer raced into the room a moment later, panting and wild-eyed. Her gray curls were wrapped in a towel, and the bathrobe that she wore flapped around her legs as she hurried over to the bed.

  “What are we dealing with?” she demanded, her tone as commanding as ever. Catriona was the best healer in the southeast, and part of that came from her ability to cut to the heart of a situation.

  “Crushed throat, at the minimum. She’s been without air for at least a minute. Possibly two.”

  She nodded, her gaze determined, and knelt by the bed so that she was closer to Cora. “Give me space.”

  I stepped back, but the movement was difficult. Getting even a few feet away from Cora made something roar to life inside me. It was the mate bond—I knew it had to be—but it was more than that.

  I would be devastated if I lost her. Not just as a result of the bond, but because I cared for her. I hardly knew her, and yet, I knew enough that she had become immensely important to me. I didn’t want to imagine a life without her powerful presence. Her intelligence, wit, humor, and strength were bright points in my bleak existence.

  I’d been avoiding her because she distracted me from my duties to my people, but now that she lay dying, I realized what a mistake I’d made.

  I watched, breath held, as Catriona hovered her hand over Cora’s throat. Her magic swelled on the air, smelling of herbs and spice.

  When Cora finally sucked in a ragged breath, the rush of adrenaline leaving my body made me weak. A pained sigh escaped me, surprising me. I’d had no idea that I was holding my breath until Cora could take one of her own, but apparently, I had been. Worry had hijacked my brain, further proof that I shouldn’t be involved with her because it made me lose control of myself.

  And yet, I couldn’t fight the desire to be close to her. As Catriona rose, I moved forward, drawn to Cora like a planet drawn to its sun.

  She blinked up at me, dazed.

  “She’ll be fine,” Catriona said softly. “Broken ribs and a crushed windpipe, but they’re repaired now.”

  Catriona was worth every penny I paid her. “Thank you.”

  She disappeared from my side, and I sat at the edge of the bed, my fingertips itching to touch Cora. I wanted to speak but had no idea what to say. The fear of losing her still froze my tongue.

  How the hell had she gotten away from that bastard, though? One moment she was being strangled, the next, her attacker had collapsed. And yet, there was no sign of a wound.

  That had to have something to do with her unexplained magic.

  “I didn’t expect to survive that,” Cora said, distracting me from my thoughts. I was relieved to hear that her voice was surprisingly strong. It shook with the faintest edge of fear, though. “I thought I was going to die.”

  Cora

  * * *

  I stared up at Talan, my mind spinning with everything that had just happened.

  I’d almost died.

  I would have died, except for the swiftness of Talan's actions. But it was the way Talan looked at me that really shook me.

 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17