Page 71 of All Your Deadly Truths (The Filthy Duet #2)

Kairhyse

I t feels strange now, having Mister sleep in the same bed as me.

So much about him makes sense now. Xeraphine had mentioned how he went feral at her apartment, like a wild beast, right before the bomb went off.

He would always sit at the back of the couch she sat on.

Though he never cuddled with her, he was always so close.

At the time, I’d just chalked it up to her feeding him—her being his ‘owner’. But now, knowing it was because he was watching over her, I’m rethinking every action he’s ever taken with her.

“I prefer to sleep with Xeraphine.” He outstretches his paws, kneading on the blankets as though to get comfortable. “However, she’s worried about you, so I’m going to stay here.”

“Can you feel what she does all the time?”

I’m a bit concerned. I do not want this cat feeling me fucking her.

“Whenever I tune into her I will be able to. She also needs to be receptive to my connection. Don’t think too hard about it. I won’t do it often.” He swirls into a ball, head resting onto his backside while his bright yellow eyes lock onto me.

“She’s going to be upset.” I pull the blankets over me, leaning against the wooden headboard. “Furious, if I know my little demon.”

“Suppose so…” He pauses, soft twitches occur between his nose and ears before he continues, “She will forgive me, in time.”

No part of me disagrees. Xeraphine loves Mister, just like she does Sydni.

I offer a smile then take a deep breath. “How much more time?” It isn’t like he’s keeping anything from me. His comment about not telling me what is happening in the Beyond was met with argument, but he promised it wouldn’t help knowing what she was doing.

While a big part of me wanted to disagree, the more dominant part of me knew he was right.

If he told me she was doing anything other than talking with Belial, I’d likely lose control and what I did to Sarah would look like child’s play.

Now with Kayn at my side, fuck , we could bring about chaos to Sidence.

That is where I’d go, to find her mother or that other Incubus, to get me to the Beyond. Even if I never came back. As long as I got to her before they hurt her, that would be worth it.

“I don’t believe she’ll be there much longer…”

“Good,” I say while slinking further into the bed. Sleep’s been impossible since she left, and I’m oddly not physically tired, just mentally. I know where she is, which should sedate my feeling of unease, but it doesn’t.

Mister hums, or what I’d equate to one. It’s a thick purr that lingers longer than natural. “Can I ask you a question, Kairhyse?”

I nod.

“A wise man once said that falling in love is madness, capable of bringing down an entire world. This gave rise to the phrase ‘madly in love’. But why is that? Why do mortals flirt with destruction with such a simple phrase?”

A hum vibrates from my throat as I think for a moment.

“I’m no philosopher...” I take a deep breath before releasing it slowly. “But I imagine it’s because a place without love is no place at all. What is this world without the one we can’t imagine living without?”

“Many fear Xeraphine’s kind for their power to control the world with just a flick of their tongue. Yet love wields the same force, though often overlooked in its subtlety.”

“Fear is only love spelled with different letters,” I murmur through a sigh. “It evokes both passion and despair, leaving us tangled in a web of our own making.”

“Yet you fell for its trap.” There is no condemnation in his tone, just understanding.

“I did. I wasn’t lying to Xera when I told her I feared her—not just for the power she holds, but for the hold she has on me.

” Confessing this to a cat feels strange, but as long as I don’t look at him, it’s like I’m talking to a person.

“I’ll burn down this world until nothing remains but us.

I’m possessive, destructive, and everyone should question my morals because they don’t exist outside of her.

So, to answer your question: if destruction is the consequence of loving the only person who matters, then so be it. ”

There is a moment of pause between us, but soon the silence fills with his chuckle. “Incredible how two souls can fit so perfectly together.” His eyes close as he begins to get comfortable, sinking deeper into the curl he has formed of himself. “And no wonder she’d do anything for you…”

His words trail off as we hear a twig snap outside. I’d like to chalk it up to an animal, but it’s the distinct heartbeat that betrays that hope.

Mister gets to all fours, his hackles raised as he glares out the wall-to-wall window. I can see through it, but from the outside looking in, nothing could see inside. It’s mirrored, because most Dylox’s vision allows them to see through a one-way window.

There isn’t anything out there but the forest. The impenetrable darkness feels vast, and although I can see the world as though outlined by a glow in the night, it’s eerie. Especially as the rustling of leaves halts, and a shadow shifts between the trees.

A chill runs up my spine just as Mister lets out a low yowl.

I take a long breath in through my nose, but it’s difficult with how thick the walls are to get any scents from the outside.

“Xera?” I whisper so low that it would be impossible to hear beyond this room.

Looking briefly at the cat, he shakes his head.

It’s been a few days since Mister showed up, and I’d relaxed, thinking no one had followed Ismael.

Desiray, who is still cooped up in the cellar, was given a mattress and food daily.

I don’t need her dying while Xera is gone.

She hasn’t left that space, so I know she couldn’t have called anyone for help.

A loud thump pulls me from my stillness, and I shift quickly off the bed. “Stay,” I say as I swing open the bedroom door.

Of course, just as I suspect, Mister doesn’t listen, and the soft patter of his paws echoes behind me. No one is in the darkened hall as I step from the room. As I move past Kayn’s room, I tap on his door once.

I round the corner into the living room, the faint ember of the fire burning at its lowest point casting a small glow across the space. It creates a dim shadow beyond the couch.

I don’t focus on anything other than the back door.

The one that is open.

Shit .

Kayn’s door opens slowly, and I glance back to find his face twisted with anger. He smells it, just like I do. A sharp, briny odor permeates the space, mingling with faint notes of rose and disinfectant. Two individuals. They’re inside the house.

I strain my ears, but all I can hear is Mister’s tail thumping softly against the ground, his chirping filling the silence. His heartbeat is steady, and I’m shocked at how calm he seems, almost too calm .

Then, I hear a shuffle coming from the cellar. I try not to assume it’s just Desiray moving—nightmares have kept her from sleeping fully. But this particularly sounds like she’s being dragged.

“Cellar.” I shoot my head around to Kayn and he moves quickly, but quietly. Moving beyond the couch to the open door, I slip through without touching it. I can hear the feline behind me. I’m curious as to what he thinks he’ll do with these two, no… there are more, so many more.

As soon as I step fully outside, the rustling of a dozen feet reaches my ears.

Oh, fuck .

Mister seems to grasp the gravity of our situation, because he hisses, “We need to get Sydni and leave.”

We could run, but I can smell Vampires amongst the ambush. They would catch us, and a fight would happen regardless of if it is here, or yards away.

Just as I am taking a step back, something catches at the edge of my vision—bright red is approaching quickly. I pivot, but as I’m reaching up to grab the fist flying right at my face, a sharp pain pierces right through my stomach.

“Kairhyse!” Mister shouts.

I don’t allow the inconvenience to hinder me. My elbow flies up, smacking the man and sending him stumbling back. The drag of metal back through my body makes me shiver, the scratching it does against my bones has me dropping to my knees.

Whatever blade that is, was sharp enough to pierce through my spinal cord. The sensation of my muscles and tendons beginning to repair themselves makes me groan. Just as quickly as feeling in my legs had disappeared, it’s back.

When my gaze meets my attacker, I know exactly what I’m looking at.

No, who I am looking at. This is Archer, the Incubus, it has to be.

Xera described him as having red skin, curved horns that were three times her size, and small, sharp crimson eyes. She said he smelled like a cleaning closet drenched in roses.

He raises a damn sword, as if we’re still living in the age before guns were modernized. He draws his tongue along the spark point, feasting on my blood like he too is a Vampire.

“You taste like her.” He sounds bored, but that isn’t what has my insides boiling.

One step forward, and I’m right in front of him. His eyes widen in surprise, the smile on his face immediately wiped away as my fist hits his face, causing him to go flying across the patio and slam into a tree. The loud crack of him crashing through one makes me chuckle.

“Are you okay?” Mister circles in front of me.

“Yes, go get Sydni and leave with her. Take Niyla, and bring me Brice?—”

“I’m here.” My head turns to see the Werewolf himself, in his natural form, with blood spilling from his mouth.

“You won’t cast me aside. I’m not running.” Sydni is right beside him, her nightgown all telling she had just crawled out of bed. Yet, that isn’t what has me navigating her body from head to toe.

It’s all the blood.

“Are you okay?” I ask, concerned about who she has all over her.

“I’ve got to be honest,” Brice says as he steps up beside me. “You shouldn’t be asking her that. It’s the ones she killed you should.”

My eyes widen.