Page 63 of All Your Deadly Truths (The Filthy Duet #2)

Kairhyse

“ I ’m not tired…” Her mumble is adorable, so much so, I mentally remind myself if I pinch her cheek she will likely cut my fingers off.

I hum softly, “Shhh.” She buries her face into the pillow while I trace a gentle line up and down her bare back. “Get some sleep,” I whisper. “You can torture her more tomorrow.”

After directing Xera down to the wine cellar, she tied up Miss. pregnant Shifter, and left her with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I’d say it was out of character of her, but the moment we got cleaned up, she was back down there pulling off Desiray’s toe nails.

The art of torture seems to come quite easy for my little demon, and I’m excited to see what she’ll do next.

It’s for no purpose other than her own enjoyment.

She told her the story of what Lars had done to her, and each time the Shifter said ‘no’ or ‘he would never’, pop , another nail.

After the seventh time, she closed her mouth all together.

I could tell my girl was tired; we hadn’t slept since the night before going on our date. Her eyes were constantly at half-mast, and while I could chalk it up to being bored after the final nail removal, her heart rate was slowing.

Once I convinced her to leave Desiray for the evening, she sluggishly made her way back upstairs, into another shower, and collapsed into bed.

“Wake me up before sun” —midway through her sentence she yawns— “rise, we need to get…” I think her eyes are closed, but she’s trying to fight it. “Going.”

My nails drag across her shoulder, and then to her hip, down to her thigh. As she falls into a deep sleep, her tail stops moving, her breathing becomes steady, and her heart rate begins that rhythmic beat I enjoy listening to.

Grabbing the sheet, I rest it over her before getting up to get myself cleaned up, then I’m back right beside her to get some sleep.

It’s still the dead of night, but something jerks me awake. This time, it’s not my little demon. A sound like blaring static from outside has me on my feet. Xera is still passed out, and I leave her in bed as I pull on boxers and sweats before stepping out of the room.

Moving down the hall toward the living room, Kayn steps from one of the guestrooms. I don’t need to ask if he heard it, the look on his face all-telling he did.

The moment I’m heading toward the back door, he grabs my bicep, halting me. “Stay with Xera, I’ll go look.”

“No.” I jerk from his hold. “Not you too, fucking Vayl above.”

“Not worried about you,” he says with a smug smile. “Worried about what she’ll do if something happens to you.”

I glance behind me and spot Sydni peeking around her slightly ajar door. Turning back to Kayn, I’m about to speak when a shout rings out from outside.

“Piece of shit!”

It’s Alaric.

With a groan, I gesture to my friend, nodding toward Sydni.

After the silent command, we part ways. I head for the patio door, swinging it open and stepping into the brisk night air. Alaric’s white hair nearly glows in the moonlight, just beyond the pool.

The door clicks shut behind me—soft, but enough in the silence that I know he hears it. His head tilts back, his hands clenching and unclenching as I approach.

I tuck my hands into my sweatpants, glancing from side to side. I still don’t know what that sound was, the static, but I’m assuming it came from him. There’s no sign of anyone else out here, but I’m not about to relax and let my guard down. Not yet, at least.

“You know,” he states dryly. “When I was selected to kill Xeraphine, I hadn’t known who I was going after. All I knew was that it was my job to destroy a prophecy before it could be enacted—to save this world from a future we’d never be able to recover from.”

I step over the rocky barrier that takes me from my property onto the land around.

He rolls his head back, his disgusted gaze directed right at me.

“I should have killed her, but because of morals, I couldn’t.

The tug to her was the humanity her Mundane side brought to me.

When I saw those silver eyes look up at me, blade in my hand ready to cut a child’s head straight from its shoulders, they spoke of innocence and hope. ”

Stopping a few feet from him, I watch his demeanor shift from anger to frustration.

“I’d truly thought that protecting her in that moment, may change some course of fate. It did, but not hers. Not this world’s .” His hand draws up and through his hair. “Mine. Those Divine pricks saw my action as betrayal.”

“I never asked, but—” I could care less about his tragic story. “Why didn’t they send another Divine after Xeraphine?”

He shakes his head and stays silent. So talkative when it comes to himself, but not when a question is turned on him.

I’m about to walk away when he says, “They did.” I pause my departure, wanting to hear more. “I gave them a reason to call me a traitor. I’d broken into her house and left a note telling them that the Vayl was after their daughter… Since she lived, I assumed they took the necessary precautions.”

My brows pinch, but I don’t say anything.

“You both are infuriating.” He turns fully to face me, seething through his words. “Do I have my own selfish desires with Xeraphine? Yes. But, who doesn’t in this fucking story?!”

The involuntary twitch of my nose elicits a laugh from him. “If you wouldn’t be so fucking selfish?—”

“She has made it very clear what she wants,” I cut in. “Forcing her to carry for your needs is selfish. Plus…” A thunderous laugh built out of humor rolls straight from my chest. “It seems only an Incubus can get her pregnant. You are wasting her time, and weighing on my patience.”

He shakes his head. “We are cut from the same cloth.” That gives me pause. “What, don’t you know? Belial was a God. Cast out of the Vayl for, jeez, Gods only knows for what reason it’s been so fucking long. Belial became the first Fallen. Killed Hades and overthrew the Beyond.

“He raped a mortal, creating Proserpina, and the rest is history. Demons are just consequences of the Gods’ lack of control. So, no, Kairhyse, I’m not wasting my time.”

“What is the point here, Alaric?” I ask with conviction. “You aren’t going to touch her. End of discussion.”

He growls. “You’re both infuriating!” As he bares his teeth at me, I can’t help but actually laugh at his outburst. What a bitch . “I’m here to help, so fine , if you won’t let me have her, then I’ll just wait.”

“Wait until your cock is shriveled, it’ll never happen. ”

“I—” He sucks in a sharp breath and closes his eyes. “I’m not going to try anything while you are in the picture. I’ve got some patience.”

This guy is fucking delusional.

“She’d only kill it. You and I would just fight, I’d accidently end your life, and then she’d damn me. And everything she’s gone through, will have been for naught.”

Truly delusional.

“Now… back to you and her acting like fucking children. Going out and making a godsdamn mess!” He advances on me, and I pop my neck, clenching my fists to prepare for his attack.

When his finger presses against the center of my chest, his face inches from mine, he grinds out, “Why? Why did you take her there?”

The corner of my lip pops up into a smile. “None of your fucking business, Fallen .”

His bright blue eyes shift between mine. “It is now. Belial is pissed!”

Shock slams right into me. “What?”

“Oh, now I have your attention, huh?” He leans back, but doesn’t remove himself from my space.

“He thinks me incompetent, like I can’t keep her on a leash.

She’s meant to do things the smart way. Find a way to stop the prophecy, AKA get rid of Tali!

Not go off on a rampage!” He steps back. “Now… he wants to speak with her.”

My eyes round, and for once, I’m rendered silent.

“You think surface level, you both do. You see one thing, go for it, and think there are no fucking consequences.”

“It was made to draw Tali to Sidence, hoping she’d assume the attack was Xera. Then, we would know exactly where she was and start tracking her. We’ve not been able to find her, and not knowing her location is just as terrifying as her knowing ours!”

“Right… What if she had shown up? You think a few bodyguards at the entrance could keep that Succubus from telling them to rip their throats out so she could enter?!” He raises his voice through the end of his statement.

I grind my teeth. Kayn had his informants searching for Tali for a week, nothing. I’d made damn sure I wasn’t bringing her anywhere near that woman. However, I’m not going to sit here and debate that with this Fallen.

“Then you bring back someone as bait?! Bait for who… exactly? Lars? He won’t come alone. You’d be lucky if Tali herself doesn’t come to retrieve not only the girl, but Xeraphine.”

It’s why we hadn’t acted yet, we wanted to make certain that we did things right .

“What does Belial want with Xera?” I ask, completely ignoring his tantrum. He can drown in his frustration, I’d taken the precautions. Was Desiray an added bonus to everything, but also one I hadn’t worked out the kinks in? Yes. We didn’t have time to thoroughly think through it.

Again, it’s why we are being patient.

“To remind her of her place.” He shakes his head and sighs with frustration.

“I don’t give a fuck how you feel about me, but I am trying to keep her from being used like damn cattle, tied up and bred.

We got lucky finding her. Next time, Tali will keep Xera moving—fucking Beyond, she may take her to Old Hearth!

Your kind barely survives in Demour, let alone on the diseased continent. ”

I shake my head. “She was not in any danger. I will not continue to argue this point with you.”

He simply shakes his head. “She will always be in danger as long as her mother lives in the mortal world.” His fingers run up through his hair. “If Belial doesn’t feel I can get her under control… neither of us will get what we want.”