Page 33 of A Wicked Dance of Obsidian and Light (Echoes of Darkness #1)

Kaiden: I miss those perfect lips, angel. Can’t wait to taste them again .

I stare at my phone screen as a giddy feeling of anticipation sends shivers down my spine. Since that moment in his car, he hasn’t touched me. Well, there’s also the fact that we’ve barely spent time together in this past week.

“Did you manage to get any more information out of Adramelech?” Sam inquires, bringing me back to reality while adding the final touches to my makeup, sweeping blush with a fluffy brush on the apples of my cheeks. We’re both sitting on top of my bed, getting ready for a night out. We haven’t seen each other since she came back because she was swamped with work. Wedding season is crazy busy for a florist, and her taking a break for the purification rituals with her grandmother in the middle of it left her with a mountain of things to do.

“Unfortunately, no. Kaiden decided to lock him in one of the cells and leave him there for a few days.” He couldn’t ignore his Conclave responsibilities anymore, so he has been showing up only to accompany me on my shifts. Someone came by and installed the latest security system with all the bells and whistles, and he left a wolf shifter who works as security for him to guard my apartment and drive me around the rest of the time, which I found overkill. However, I couldn’t actually argue with his decision because he threatened to go to Grayson again, so I clamped my mouth shut and went with it.

He also went apeshit on my ass when I told him I was going out with my best friend tonight and I didn’t want him to come, but he calmed down when I said we were going to Sin. He simply stated that Carter, the wolf shifter, will drive us there. It felt suspicious as hell that he would back down so easily, but I counted it as a win because I really need a night out with my bestie to decompress.

“Do you think he was telling the truth about your mom?” she asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I swallow hard. “I don’t know, Sam. But it’s killing me. I’ve gone over his words a thousand times in my head. I need to take another look at that file. When I first saw it, I was fresh out of the hospital, and I was only fifteen. I didn’t even know what I was looking at…” Bringing my fingers to my temples, I massage them in an attempt to dull the headache that’s been pounding in the back of my eyes since I woke up today. “And we really need to find out what that prophecy says,” I tell her.

“Only an oracle can help us with that, but as far as I know, they’re pretty much extinct. I’ll talk to Grammie, see if maybe she knows a way to find one,” Sam says after a few beats of silence.

After finishing my makeup, Sam stands and saunters to the upholstered chair in the corner of my room. She brings the garment bag she arrived earlier with to my bed and unzips it. “Here, this one’s for you,” she says, passing me a beautiful but very short dress.

“I’m not wearing that.”

She arches a perfectly etched eyebrow in my direction and purses her lips in annoyance. “And what are you planning on wearing, Your Bitchy Highness? Sweats? Your hellseeker gear?”

Popping a shoulder, I say, “Jeans and a top.”

Sam takes a breath in like she’s gathering all the patience in the universe and looks me dead in the eye. “Iris, we’re going to an exclusivist club; you can’t wear jeans. Now put this dress on and stop acting like a toddler.”

“Fine,” I mutter, rolling my eyes as I take the dress. “But the first round is on you.”

A sly smirk lifts the corner of her lips. “Deal.”

“I don’t know, Sam. I kinda look like a hooker,” I grumble ten minutes later, doing another once-over in the mirror while rotating. The reflection staring back at me looks like a grown-up, way-too-sexy version of Iris, with midnight hair styled in voluminous waves, eyes popping out like two pale sapphires, emphasized by the perfectly blended purple smokey eyes Sam did on me. I have to give it to her; she did an amazing job dolling me up. I don’t know why I’m surprised, though. She always does.

The dress she made me wear is deep-plum, with a Chantilly lace corset on top that has a serious push-up. It makes my boobs seem even bigger, and the skirt hugs my body, emphasizing every curve, stopping in the middle of my thighs. It’s the shortest thing I have ever worn.

“Expensive hooker, you mean. That Chantilly lace cost more than my entire outfit. You’re lucky I don’t have the boobs for it. Otherwise, I would be wearing it,” she retorts while sipping from a glass of freshly poured white wine on my bed and waiting patiently for me to finish my freak-out session.

“Yeah…I’m gonna change,” I say as firmly as I can, knowing damn well I’m in for a fight. The decision has already been made in her mind.

“No, you’re not. I don’t think you understand how hot you look, you dumbass! I wish I had your body. You should show it up more. Don’t get me started again on those stripper tits. Every single guy in the club will be drooling when they see you. I am already, and I’m straight! I would totally go gay for you, and you know it.” Standing up, a playful smirk painting her face, she smacks my ass and licks her lips suggestively.

I laugh at her exuberance, not feeling awkward anymore. It’s hard to admit, but she’s right; I look hot. She winks at me, and I have to take a moment to admire how sexy and beautiful my best friend looks tonight. She always looks incredible, always dressed to the nines, but now she’s wearing a red-hot backless slinky number with a high neckline that wraps around her neck.

The hemline reaches her knees, and it would look modest compared to mine if it wasn’t for the open back and a slit that cuts a few inches below the apex of her thighs. The color brings out her mossy green eyes. Her bright copper hair is straight and pulled into a high, sleek ponytail, her makeup flawless, as always.

“All right,” I relent. “But I will be wearing my over-the-knee high-heel boots with it. I’m not comfortable showing this much skin, I need something to at least cover my legs. And hold my dagger,” I mumble, referring to the only dressy boots I own and the most impractical ones because I spent almost a fortune on them, but I never wear anything aside from my combat boots anyway. I bought them on a whim, of course, with Sam being the devil’s advocate telling me I should get them.

“Oh, the ones you bought with me last year. You definitely should; you’re going to look like a sex kitten,” she says enthusiastically as she claps loudly before taking a hearty sip of wine. “We’re going to have so much fun tonight, and I’m finally gonna get some dick! I swear to God, I haven’t gone on a dry spell this long in forever.”

The line of people outside Sin seems even longer than the one from almost two months ago, if that’s even possible. The flock of very well-dressed men and women forming the impressive queue throw us dirty looks as Sam drags me by the hand impatiently, bypassing everyone.

I almost do a double take at the tall, muscly man guarding the entrance. He’s checking people’s phone screens for their reservations. A bored tilt of his head toward the door of the sleek three-story building is the only signal he gives them before lifting the red velvet entry rope to let them in.

A brunette woman, wearing an even shorter dress than I am, screams loudly, “Hey! You can’t do that,” at us as we pass her. I shrug in response. Sam doesn’t even acknowledge her existence, a sexy smirk tugging at her lips when we reach the top of the line.

As soon as the bouncer spots Sam, his whole demeanor changes, a big smile taking over his face. “Kitten!” he exclaims loudly.

“Hey, baby!” Sam says, practically purring, while throwing herself in his arms and French kissing him so deeply it looks like she’s on a quest for his tonsils, not caring about all the people in line who are staring at the free show they’re putting out. Her designer, black strappy high-heeled sandals don’t even touch the ground anymore.

My cheeks heat at her brazenness. I pretend the entrance door of the club is the most interesting thing I have ever seen as they continue their improper hello.

The same woman that showed anger before grumbles loudly, “Unbelievable!” at our backs, but I don’t pay her any attention since my best friend and the trunk-tree of a man she is climbing like a monkey seem to ignore her as well.

After what seems like forever, Sam finally unsticks her body from the bouncer’s. Her feet touch the ground. She licks her lips with the expression of the cat that ate the canary as she whispers to him, “Meet me at the bar later. I got a new move to show you in the bathroom.” She winks and throws him a suggestive smile while drawing circles on his massive chest, which has written “Security” in bold white letters over the black T-shirt.

Sometimes, I wish my enhanced hearing would work only when hunting demons; right now, it makes me feel dirty, like an unwilling voyeur to their intimate conversation. I want to scrub my brain of the image of what they are going to do in the bathroom later.

Sam suddenly seems to remember she isn’t alone as she shuffles back at my side, gesturing from me to the bodyguard. “Iris meet Alex. Alex, this is my best friend, Iris.”

I shake Alex’s big hand, and he pulls me in a bear-like hug, surprising me. He then puts his massive hands on my shoulders, taking a step back. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Iris! I’ve heard so many things about you,” he says with a warm smile that makes his eyes crinkle.

The tattoo on his right wrist draws my attention. It’s the Sigil of Baphomet, marking him as a member of the Obsidian Conclave. His features and massive body are a clear indication of Alex being a wolf shifter.

What the fuck?

Why didn’t Sam tell me about this?

“Likewise.” I smile back at him, trying not to blush because I know all about their sexcapades in minute detail. I also try to stay calm and pretend I don’t suspect he’s a wolf shifter until I have the chance to question Sam about it.

“Have fun, ladies,” Alex tells both of us and then winks at my best friend while lifting the velvet rope for us to pass. “I’ll find you later.”

“You better,” Sam shoots back as she throws him a look over her left shoulder, biting her lip while tugging my arm through the club entrance. She drops my hand as soon as we go over the threshold and almost runs through the dark-lit hallway.

I huff in annoyance. “Sam! What the hell? Wait, we need to talk!” She’s acting like she didn’t hear a word I said as two hunky bodyguards open a massive double door at the end of the hallway. I can’t help but notice they also have the Sigil of Baphomet tattooed on their wrists, just like Alex. Where the hell did Sam bring me?

The first thing that hits me as we enter Sin is the heady smell of black cherries mixed with that of musk and fresh sweat permeating and thickening the air. The onyx stone embedded in the choker around my neck pulses faintly, making me aware of a demonic presence. I’m on high alert as I follow behind Sam, trying to catch up to her. Damn, she’s fast when she wants to be.

“Do I wanna know?” by Arctic Monkeys blasts through the massive speakers. The powerful bass makes the dark floor vibrate. I can feel the vibrations in every cell of my body as a strange feeling of arousal overtakes my senses.

The club’s interior exudes sophistication, the elegant ambiance created by the dark wood paneling and plush emerald couches in perfect synergy with the modern, almost futuristic oval-shaped bar placed right in the middle of the dance floor. Strips of LED lights are strategically placed under the bar and on its sides, making it the main point of attraction.

Because the floors aren’t separated by ceilings it creates the illusion of being inside a massive theater. Stairs and rounded booths are on each side of the grand, black-tiled dance floor. The stairs lead to the private balconies on the second and third floors, where the VIP section must be.

Gilded cages hang from the incredibly tall ceiling and hold writhing bodies of women and men, wearing nothing more than lacy lingerie and boxers. Their faces are covered by black and red carnival masks that look extremely similar to the ones me and Kaiden wore at the succubus party. They are dancing provocatively, two or three in each cage, their bodies undulating to the hypnotic beat around each other. Some are even kissing and imitating the act of fucking. If I squint my eyes against the pulsing lights that shine from the ceiling through the cages, I can see a guy with a perfectly sculpted body, his skin the color of warm toffee and silver-streaked dreadlocks reaching the middle of his back, fingering one of the other dancers.

Judging by the way her body moves in pure ecstasy with the beat of the song, she doesn’t mind being on display like that. I can’t be sure that’s what I see, though. The dimmed, mysterious light surrounding the club and the moving flashes of brightness offer only a few dizzying glimpses into their lewd show, freezing them in the act only for a second and giving way to darkness in the next.

I finally manage to reach Sam and tug on her hand furiously as she weaves her way through the throngs of people moving lasciviously to the beat in the middle of the dance floor.

“Sam, what the fuck? What is this place?” Anger drips from my tone as I shout to cover the music so she can hear me.

“Just a club, calm down. Let’s get some drinks,” she fires back at the same volume and turns her back to me again, trying to resume her route to the bar and pretend nothing is wrong.

I don’t let her. I pull on her hand again, this time with more force. “I’m not going anywhere until you answer me truthfully! Is Alex a freakin’ wolf shifter?”

Sam spins on her heel. Annoyance pinches the planes of her face. “Yes, he is.” She arches an eyebrow at me and folds her arms in front of her chest, waiting for my reaction.

I explode.

“And you didn’t think you should tell me about it? You know I can’t fraternize with dark creatures; I can get kicked out from the Order! Also, there are demons in this club. What did you think, that I wouldn’t figure it out?”

The dance floor is so crowded, we are being pushed from all directions by the sweaty, gyrating bodies, lost in their own worlds, oblivious to our conversation.

“If I told you, you would have judged me.” She purses her lips and shakes her head in disappointment. “You’re doing it right now!”

“You slept with a wolf shifter, Sam!” I exasperate.

Her eyes narrow, and her nostrils flare, vexation lacing every word that comes out of her mouth. “Oh, be for fucking real, Little Miss Shacking Up With a Demon! Can you be a bigger hypocrite? Didn’t you attend a succubus party with Kaiden fucking Black just a few days ago?”

A muscle thrums in my jaw. “You know I had no choice. Kaiden threatened to go to Grayson and tell him everything. I can’t risk being kicked out of the Order. You know that,” I scoff and match her posture, crossing my arms in front of my chest. “And I went to the party because I needed answers about the bounty on me. We were wearing masks; no one could recognize us there.”

“Pfft, yeah, sure, keep telling yourself lies. What, did you trip and fall on his tongue? You’ve enjoyed every second of Kaiden moving in with you and going to that party with him; you just don’t want to admit it.”

Her expression turns even more sour. “Stop being such a goody two shoes and start living a little! You’re living like a fucking nun, Iris. Life is slipping through your fingers, and you can’t even recognize that. And so what if Alex is a wolf shifter? He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met, and he fucks like a beast, so I don’t care! Neither should you. No one chooses how they are born or made into this world. Besides, it’s not like I am planning on marrying him. It’s just a fling; I’m having fun. I’m happy, and you should be happy for me too. I fucking support your every decision and cheer you for it. What kind of friend are you if you don’t do the same?”

Her words are a double-edged sword meant to draw blood. And they do. They spear right through my heart and settle at the bottom of my stomach like battery acid because she’s speaking the truth. Hindsight is a bitch, all right.

All the fury leaves my body bit by bit with the tongue-lashing I’m receiving from my best friend. “Shit, I’m sorry, Sam. I just…” I don’t know what else to say, I feel like I’m being trapped between a rock and a hard place. I can’t be here; if anyone finds out, I will be thrown out of the Order. But Sam is right; I’m a hypocrite with a capital H. Even if my wounded pride screams at me that she isn’t.

“You just, what? I love you, but you can be so fucking obtuse sometimes. Stop following every archaic rule from the Order like it’s your religion! Maybe you should start thinking for yourself for once,” she snaps and looks to the side like she can’t bear the sight of me in front of her eyes anymore. “I wanted to have a fun night with you, that’s all. You haven’t gone out with me in ages; I miss you…”

She shrugs and points at the door. “Go if you want; I don’t care anymore. I’ll be at the bar if you decide to stay.” With that, she turns around, slicing through the crowd, and leaves me in the middle of the dance floor. I don’t stop her this time.