The pale haired, blue-eyed vixen failed to tempt him in any way, even though she would have been a more appropriate choice for his mate. Though she was small, she was stronger than a human, with a greater muscle tone hidden underneath her bulky clothes. He wouldnt break her, and her health wouldnt fail.
What are you? he repeated.
Why, Im Nicola Lanes coworker. What else?
You know what I mean.
She bopped the tip of his nose with a fingernail. Do I?
Hed always resented the fact that he couldnt taste anothers lies. You do.
Maybe I do. A pause as she returned the lid to the polish. Youre Koldo, arent you? The Sent One with a will of steel and a fist as hard as iron. Ive been hoping to meet you for a very long time.
She was here for him, then, not Nicola. Sent by his father? he wondered again. To...what? Im a Sent One, yes, but Im also Nicolas protector, and Ill destroy anyone who thinks to hurt her to get to me.
Well, youre not doing a very good job with your protecting duties, she announced, and tsked. I could have killed her at any time. And I wanted to, I admit it. Resisting has proven difficult.
A flicker of rage practically burned a hole in his chest. He could feel his teeth and nails elongating. Control. Youve done something to strike at her, havent you?
She flicked her tongue over one overlong canine. I have, but before I start bragging, you should know Im the one who raised the false alarm about the demons. I knew youd return again and again to investigate. And guess what? You have.
And you wanted to see me...because?
Because were destined to be together. She leaned back and traced a finger between her breasts. As for what I did to Nicola... I stole her petty cash and doctored a few of her accounts. And she would have been arrested if your precious Jamila hadnt found out and fixed everything. But dont worry. Ill get her next time.
Destined to be together? He reached out and grabbed the girl by the neck, jerking her into the air. As she yelped, he flashed her to the cavern where hed kept his mother. Cornelia was now in the other cage hed built for her, though he hadnt yet explained things to Nicola.
Hed tried, but had stopped himself. What if she was unable to understand?
He dropped Sirena in the center of the cage and flashed out, behind the bars. She whirled around to face him, her eyes narrowing. What do you think youre doing?
Think? No. Know? Yes. Youll stay here for a few days. On your own, with nothing to do but ponder how best to appease me. Ill return and youll tell me everything I want to know and probably a thousand things I dont.
She raced toward him, trying to reach through the bars and grab him.
Grinning coldly, he flashed back to the office.
But he wasnt given a chance to speak with Nicola. Axel was there with Jamila, and the two were arguing.
Whatever youre planning to do needs to wait, the warrior said when he spotted Koldo. Ive found Nefas tracks just outside this building.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE LIGHTS IN NICOLAS OFFICE flicked offyet no one stood at the switch.
Laila stopped dancing. Power go out? she asked, her voice louder than it should have been as she listened to her iPod.
No. My computers running.
The lights flipped back on.
A momentary short in the wires, maybe?
Youre probably right. Laila started dancing again.
Nicola returned to the work piled up in front of her. Jamila and Sirena had only done half of what theyd promised, and nothing that had come in since. So utterly useless, she thought.
An instant message popped up on her screen.
Dex Turner:
What happened Sat? Who was that guy?
Her palms grew damp as she typed:
Im sorry! Koldo is a guy I met a few weeks ago. We had never dated, but we hadnever mind. Its complicated, and I know that sounds cliché, but its true nonetheless. Im sorry, though. I really am. But now Im together with him. For sure.
Even though hed acted like a jerk today, snipping and snapping at her before marching off without any explanation.
The lights flicked back off. On. Off.
Sighing, she propped her elbows on her desk and rested her head in her upraised hands.
On. Off. On. Off.
Seriously, this is annoying, Laila said with a tremble to her voice. And okay, fine, a little scary.
Nicola never moved, but her phone was suddenly thrown across the room. The device slammed into the wall and shattered, little pieces raining to the floor. Laila yelped and darted in her direction.
Demons, Nicola realized. Dread slithered through her.
Get underneath the desk, she commanded. And stay calm.
Her sister obeyed, gasping out, What about you?
The sound of hissing and giggling filled her ears. Dark shadows crept along the walls. Definitely demons. Her heart skipped a beat, the first sign of oncoming fear, but she resisted.
Im not helpless. Im protected.
Thats right. She was. She leaped up. In the corner, a shadow thickened, solidified into a hazy blob and scurried across the desk, reaching out to brush her hair. A light breeze dusted her skin, the scent of rotten eggs clinging to her nose.
On went the lights.
Off.
Onand as brightness flooded the room once again, five demons came into view, and they resembled the snakes from the park. Their scales were the same shade as blood, and their temples were flared. They had glowing green eyes, and jaws open wide, revealing fangs sharper than any knife, with a yellowed substance drip, drip, dripping onto the floor and burning, causing the carpet to sizzle and steam to rise.
Forked tongues slithered out, waving in her direction.
Im not helpless. Im really not. Im protected. I really am.
Ill enjoy having you for breakfassst, one taunted.
Your sssister will be desssert, another added.
More giggles.
She opened her mouth to shout for the Most High, but the door burst open, silencing her. Sirena raced inside, pale hair flying behind her. She brandished a long, thin sword, and the snakes jolted backward, cursing at her.
Get out of here, fiends! Now, she shouted. Metal whistled through air, and the creatures darted left and right, desperate to get out of her way.
One of the creatures disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Another soon followed.
There was a wild light in Sirenas blue eyes, one that said she was just crazy enough to fight the demons with her bare hands if necessary. Those remaining must have sensed her determination, because they tossed one last hiss in Nicolas direction and vanished.
Panting, Sirena dropped the sword on the floor. Youre safe.
Laila peeked out from underneath the desk as Nicola raced over to her. Are you all right, Sirena?
Im fine. The girl brushed her fall of pale hair over one shoulder. Promise.
How did you do that? Inside, Nicolas instincts were churning. Something wasnt right. How did you know we needed help?
She flashed a quick smile. Im like Koldo. He asked me to look after you.
Koldo! He hadnt abandoned her, after all.
Im just glad I got here in time, Sirena added a little tightly. Those things are dangerous. Theyre the foul offspring of serp demons and Nefas.
Nicola placed her hand on her stomach to ward off the oncoming ache. Thank you. Thank you for helping us.
Laila stood, swaying. Her skin had taken on a sickly cast, and her eyes had glassed over. Are you okay, Co Co?
I am. You?
F-fine.
If you both want to stay that way, we have to get out of here, Sirena announced. Koldo wants you with him. Come on. Ill take you to him.
* * *
I DONT LIKE THIS, Koldo said. It was too easy. The Nefas had never been this obvious with their tracks.
He and Axel had gone from point A to B to C and now D, without ever having to search for a clue. The breadcrumbs had just been here and there, obvious to any Sent One. A trail from the flashes. A glaze of venom on a door. A spiked footprint. A hint of sulfur-scented smoke. A scattering of serp demon scales.
Want to get a mani-pedi and discuss our options? Axel asked.
No. They were aware of the fact that this could be a trap, and so they could turn the plan against the Nefas.
Koldo darted through the back alley, Axel a few paces behind him, each hidden in the spirit realm, their swords of fire at the ready. But the further he followed the newest trail, the clearer Koldo remembered the times hed helped his father provide false tracks for others, even though theyd known the searcher would suspect it was a trap. Nox had never cared about thathad only wanted the males distracted.
Distracted, so that Nox could steal something of value without any opposition.
Koldo stopped, and Axel slammed into his back. This isnt a trap, its a distraction. He just wants us away from Estellä.
Teeth grinding, Koldo released the sword of fire and flashed to the building, into Nicolas office. He found the phone shattered on the floor. He found a discarded weaponone he recognized. Long, thin, the metal stretching from a hilt that appeared to be the wide jaw of a snake.
His fathers.
The first spark of rage hit him. Nicolas perfume created a soft sweetness in the air, but that sweetness couldnt cover the taint of sulfur. Serp demons had been here. And Nicola was...was...
No! He punched the wall. She was alive, he told himself. He wouldnt believe anything else. His father wouldnt kill his only ace.
But still the rage magnified, such dark, dark rage. His teeth elongated; his nails sharpened.
Control. He needed answers. What had happened here? Where was Jamila? How had the demons gotten Nicola out of the building?
They would have had to trick her or take her by force. With the destruction in this office, he had to go with force. So...why hadnt she asked the Most High for help? Why hadnt she peered at her tattoos?
Or had she?
Had she acted too late?
Had both force and trickery been used?
This time, the rage grew like a tree, sprouting branches, budding leaves, until he couldnt see past the thickness of the foliage. Koldo swiped the papers and files from the desk and onto the floor. The computer was next, the screen cracking. He picked up the desk and slammed it down, the wood splitting. He ripped the chair into pieces. Punched another hole in the wall. Then another and another.
Stop. You have to stop. This isnt you. Not anymore.
He paused, panting, sweatingwasting time, he realized.
He breathed in and out, forcing himself to become the calm, rational man his woman needed. Nicola couldnt have been gone longKoldo had seen her an hour ago. But then, he knew how much damage could be done in that amount of time.
Steady.
Axel landed beside him, took one look around the room and understood what had happened without having to be told. Our new plan?
The human authorities might decide to delve into Nicolas disappearance, and he didnt need their interferencethey would only slow him down. Clean this.
Uh, that would be a no. I have people for that.
Call them.
Already done. Theyll be here in five.
Koldo nodded stiffly, the only kind of thanks he could manage.
So what do you want to do? Axel asked.
He scrubbed a hand down his face. Where would Nox have taken her? His father was a braggart, a showman and big on vengeance. Every misdeed was punished. Koldos most recent crime was the killing of the messenger in the park
Yes. The park. The scene of the crime.
The park, he said, and flashed to the very spot where hed decapitated his fathers man. Too late, Koldo realized he should have demanded Axel stay behind. The warrior could find out about Koldos past, his lineage, and tell the others in their army.
No. It didnt matter. Koldo wanted Nicola safe, whatever the cost.
He cataloged the areaand when his gaze landed on a male who should have been dead, his breath caught in his chest.
Nox. His father. Alive, all this time. There was no question about that now.
Koldo stumbled backward with the force of his shock. Yes, hed suspected. But seeing the evidence was a blow hed been unprepared to take. This should have been impossible.
Nox stood in the center of a dirt pile, where a tree had once been, buffing his nails, allowing Koldo to study him. The male responsible for so many years of torment. Nox was everything Koldo remembered. Tall and strong, with dark, evil eyes.
He was tattooed from the neck down, with gruesome images that told stories of pain and suffering. They were marks of victory. Some for those against enemies. Some for his female conquests. Some for acts of revenge. Blood appeared to drip. Heads seemed to roll. He also had several piercings in his eyebrows, two in his lip, one in his chin.
Koldo stepped from the spirit realm to face his worst nightmare and save the sweetest woman hed known. Where is she?
His father looked him over, triumph twisting his features and revealing the ugliness of his core. Arent you a pretty thing? His voice was deep. Husky.
Hated.
The only reason Nox had never forcibly shaved Koldos head, pierced Koldos face or tattooed Koldos body was because the traits were considered admirable among the Nefas and Koldo hadnt yet earned the right.
You should be dead, Koldo said.
A smug smirk, one of thousands Koldo had received over the years. Oh, you mean that pathetic attempt you made to kill me all those years ago? I saw you coming and flashed away. Your rain of fire failed to singe a single part of me.