Page 4

Chapter 4

M ari tried not to roll her eyes when Rio put seconds of yet another tiny bite on her tasting plate.

Willow took copious notes about every facial expression and sound, based on their furious writing. The caterer, a lovely woman with flame-red hair and a quick smile named Mica, fretted over everything from the plate positions to the consistency of the sauces as she spooned them. She had no reason to be nervous, because the food was absolutely decadent, and Mari attempted to reassure her whenever Rio wasn’t stuffing her mouth with some other delicious morsel.

Cisco watched them with a satisfied smile as he took dutiful bites of every dish. He ranked his favorites in neat rows but insisted that whatever Mari decided was gospel.

Mari chose carefully, trying to make sure there was a variety of options for different palates and dietary restrictions. She especially counted the vegetarian dishes and desserts for Dante.

By the time they were done, Mari was pleasantly full and considering the odds that she would be able to sneak away for another nap before anyone noticed.

“Do you want to look at the ballroom tonight?” Willow said, as they jotted a final note.

Mari sat up straight. “It’s done?” A flicker of worry snaked through her. What if she couldn’t make herself walk into the room? They would surely have to cancel the party then.

Rio’s hand ghosted over her exposed back in a gentle caress, but he didn’t say anything. She wondered if he was trying to comfort himself as much as he was her. They both had reason to fear that room.

“Yes, Clovis just inspected everything today and gave his stamp of approval.” Willow lifted an eyebrow. “We can do it another day, if you prefer.”

“No, let’s get it done,” Mari said with much more certainty than she felt.

Willow led the way through the hallways toward the ballroom with Rio striding next to them and chatting pleasantly.

Cisco slid a hand to the small of her back and leaned close as they walked. “You look stunning,” he murmured.

Mari smiled nervously. “I appreciate you trying to distract me.”

He made a careless shrug. “I’m just being honest.”

“Well, thank you. I do finally feel better.” Mari almost tripped when they made the final turn toward the ballroom, but Cisco caught her arm effortlessly. “Holy shit,” she said under her breath.

Even the hallway had been transformed. Gone was the blue and gold motif and the cold marble tile. The floor was highly polished wood, gleaming and alive, and the walls were textured paper, white with delicate burgundy striping.

“Bravo, Willow,” Cisco said in an appreciative tone.

This no longer felt like the place where her father had reigned at all. It was warm and welcoming—it was home.

Rio dove in to hug the sphinx. They made a squawk of indignation but then settled into the embrace.

“Thank you,” Rio whispered as he clutched them tight.

“You haven’t even seen the ballroom yet,” they chided.

“Well, go ahead and show it to us,” Mari laughed, her eyes filled with happy tears.

The room beyond the large double doors was just as awe-inspiring, with private alcoves aplenty, along with two dance floors and an expansive bar. The stage was raised slightly on one distant wall, and across the room from that, a dais rose up two stairs, separated from the rest of the open space by an ornate wooden railing. The seating in the dais area echoed the burgundy and white color scheme of the rest of the room and was equipped with one long and comfortable booth that curved in a wide arc.

It was perfect.

“What’s through there?” Cisco indicated the door to the room which had been host to her father’s private parties.

“Ahh, that’s my favorite part. Come.” Willow led the way. With a wave of their hand, the wall fell away, revealing a large conservatory with a pool in the center. “A saltwater pool, spelled and maintained by a water witch friend of mine. Bringing just a little bit of a beach party right here to your home.”

One side of the room had a sand floor, complete with lounges that would blend seamlessly into any beachside resort, while the other half was equipped with cozy chairs that looked perfect for quiet conversations.

Willow gestured. “There’s sound shielding here between the rooms, just to keep this from getting overrun with the noise of the party. I figured it was a nice touch for the folks who get overwhelmed with loud music and such.”

“Oh, Willow, it’s marvelous.” Mari leaned against Cisco’s shoulder and let the tears of relief fall. She couldn’t believe how precisely every stitch of her father had been stripped away and transformed into something that suited them. She’d been dreading the party for weeks, but now she thought she might actually enjoy it.

Cisco wrapped an arm around her and held her close. “You really earned every penny,” he said to the sphinx.

Willow preened. “I’m glad you think so. I’m very proud of the work we’ve done.” They smiled at Rio. “You deserved a new start, the same as you were giving everyone else.”

Rio smiled through his tears. “Don’t make me hug you again.”

They held up a hand. “Please don’t. One a day is plenty.”

Movement rippled across the surface of the pool before them. Mari was just about to ask what had caused the disturbance when the entire house shook as Dohal screamed.

Mari fell to her knees as the breath was driven from her body by the wave of pain that flooded her. Agony sliced across her skin. A moment later, the sensation eased as Dohal cut her off from it, though she could tell he was still in trouble. Cisco wrapped himself around her, trying to protect her from whatever threatened her.

Before she had a chance to recover, a concussive pressure wave rattled the glass above and around them.

“Out!” Cisco shouted. He scooped Mari into his arms and dashed back into the ballroom with her.

Rio was right behind them, dragging a confused Willow along with him. “What in the fuck was that?”

Astonishingly, the glass in the conservatory remained in place, though waves shimmered across the water of the pool.

Mari finally drew a shuddering breath. “Something happened to Dohal.”

“Do you know where he is?” Cisco asked.

“Outside, I think.” She pointed vaguely in the direction she felt him.

Cisco indicated that Willow should go inside and wait for them and then carried Mari to the door that opened to the front yard and driveway. They waited as Rio peeked through and checked for any threats beyond. When he confirmed it was clear, they passed out into the cool desert night.

Kima and Dasher came around the corner of the house at the same time, their patrols interrupted by whatever had happened. Without a word from Cisco, the two of them flanked the group. Mari pointed again to indicate where she felt Dohal.

They found him collapsed near a decorative pile of rocks, covered in blood. By the smell, she knew immediately that it was his, though it was much too dark to see any wounds on his black skin. Cisco gestured that the guards should scan the area, and then set her delicately on her feet.

“What’s wrong?” Mari asked urgently.

Dohal started as if he hadn’t heard them approach, though they’d taken no pains to keep their passage silent. His eyes were wide and glassy. “He tried to kill me the way he did Argento, I think.”

Gasping, Mari moved closer. She ached to hold him but imagined that whatever was going on with all the blood would only hurt more if she touched him. “Are you okay?”

“He has failed to kill me, so I think the long-term answer is yes, though right now I feel like the Hells.”

“Your luck hasn’t run out yet,” she said with a small smile, hoping to ease him by lightening the mood.

“Not quite yet, bavi,” he huffed, and struggled to get to his feet. “Truthfully, I think it was you who saved me.”

Mari blinked. “What? I didn’t do anything.”

“My connection with you was wide open,” he said, embarrassment heavy in his voice. “While I am sorry to have hurt you, I think sharing the pain with you was the only thing that allowed me to bear it.”

She stepped closer. “Open the link up again.”

He shook his head. “I would not hurt you purposefully. Unintentionally was bad enough."

“I took the initial burst. Whatever residual is left can’t be as bad.” She stood taller. “Do it, or I’ll waste my energy clawing my way through.”

Cisco grumbled next to her, “She’ll do it.”

Dohal sighed and a curiously soft expression took over his face. “You’ll make me bend every principle I have to please you, won’t you?”

She didn’t break eye contact with him for a moment. “Probably.”

He reached out and grabbed her arm. She didn’t understand why until he opened the link again, and she almost lost her footing as the agony of a thousand cuts broke over her body in an instant. Why wasn’t he healing? She drew a long, slow breath, channeling her magic into him, and the wounds knit a bit at a time.

Dohal groaned something in his native language, then seemed to remember himself. “You shouldn’t be healing me again. Your magic hasn’t even rebounded fully from last night.”

“Try and stop me,” she said with a lot more bravado than she felt, as her strength waned, and the pain throbbed inside her.

With a growled curse, he caught her when her knees finally gave out and scooped her up in his arms. “Where’s the unicorn?”

She reached out to Dante and knew he was closing the distance between them fast, and he was worried. “He’s on his way. And if it makes you feel better, I think he’s working up to a doozy of a lecture.”

The sound of hooves thumping against the dry desert soil announced him before he arrived. He skidded to a halt a few feet away, a huge equine shape shedding light from every inch of his gleaming white coat and brightening the night. Dante shifted, and his human form emerged from a flash of sparkling glitter that smelled like candy, already reaching out for her with both hands, one coming to rest on her head and one on her chest. He glowed with magic as he inhaled harshly.

“Saints, you’re beautiful,” she murmured to him.

He let out a frustrated sigh in response to her flirting. “What in the fuck happened?”

“I was attacked by the Old One, and she insisted on healing me, but she didn’t have the resources to do it,” Dohal answered, guilt heavy in his voice.

Dante swept a glance over him. “And now you’re both tapped. Sweetheart, come here.” He held his arms out, and Dohal passed her over.

“I don’t need to be carried everywhere,” she said with an indignation that seemed ridiculous, considering there was no way she was standing right now, not with the way her head was spinning.

“If you didn’t keep doing this to yourself, we wouldn’t have to,” Rio said from beside her with an irritated rumble. “Anything I can do, Dante?”

“Point out the closest place I can sit down with her.”

“Not sure if the pool house is cleared out yet.” Rio glanced toward Cisco, who set off to check with a grunt and flap of his wings. “Let’s go back to the ballroom.”

They moved at shifter speed, which made her even dizzier while they were sprinting, but she felt immediately better once Dante settled into a chair with her sprawled atop him.

He adjusted her dress so that as much of her skin was touching his as possible. She gasped at the icy rush of magic that filled her.

Dante pressed his lips to her neck. “Sorry, you’re too hurt for me to get turned on right now, so we’re doing it the less fun way.”

She didn’t mention how much she disliked the impersonal feeling of his magic when channeled into her like this, because it would only make the process more difficult, and tried her best not to squirm away from his touch.

As the pain slowly ebbed, she watched Dohal pacing back and forth in front of them, noticing for the first time that he wore a dark green flowing skirt that wrapped around his hips and draped gracefully to the ground.

“When did you get clothes?” she asked in a low voice.

He paused and looked at her, his mouth pinched. “Your house witch made it for me after she said we would never find anything to fit me ‘off the rack,’ whatever that means.”

“I like it.”

He aimed an exasperated smile her way. “I’m glad.”

Rio returned with a blanket that he tucked around her and Dante and then grumpily sat next to them.

Cisco also came back within a few minutes with news that the pool house repairs were done, and everyone was cleared out. He stood staring at her with his arms folded over his chest. He aimed his next words at Dohal, “Okay, so what happened? I know you said the Old One attacked you the same way he did to Argento. So, are we all just unprotected now? Can he just come after any of us the same way? Because we don’t have the resources to keep fighting this kind of battle.”

Dohal closed his eyes briefly before responding, “I haven’t been able to completely fortify the protections over the city yet. My own magic has been taxed today, between Mariana’s needs and helping Luis. The compound itself is protected. I shielded that first, because this is where the nexus sits.”

An embarrassed look crossed Dohal’s handsome features. “What I neglected to protect was myself. He attacked me directly, along with all the other incubi who took part in his banishment. I think you’ll find they are all dead now. I survived only because his focus was split, and Mariana grounded me.”

Cisco gave him a long, appraising look. “So, provided we don’t leave the grounds, we’ll be okay until you can get the protections up again for the whole city?”

“We will be protected from his attacks from afar, but I do not think I can keep him out physically anymore. That is what the prison was made for, and why I was tied to it.”

“And you think he’ll come himself?”

“I do, as soon as he realizes that it is an option.”

“And I don’t suppose you have any idea how long that will be?”

Dohal shook his head.

“Fantastic,” Cisco said through bared teeth.

“What’s to stop him from attacking you again right now?” Mari asked.

“That was a lot of magic to use, even for one such as him. He will need time to replenish, the same way you and I do. By the time he can collect himself for another attack, I will be protected.” He ran a hand down his face. “It was an oversight. I did not think he would target me directly that way.”

“Any idea what we can do to prepare for him coming in person?” Rio asked after a few beats of silence.

“I don’t know many specifics about him or his powers. I suppose what you might do to prepare for any powerful enemy: marshal your forces, prepare your weapons, and be ready to treat the casualties.”

“And we’re sure he’s an enemy?” Mari asked. All four of them looked at her at once with varying degrees of surprise.

“Your father certainly thought so,” Dohal responded. “He worked with nine other incubi he otherwise did not trust very much to banish him from this place.”

“That’s what I mean. Maybe they just wanted power they otherwise didn’t have access to. Maybe he’s not evil.”

Dohal shot an arch look her way. “He did just try to tear me into small bloody chunks with his power.”

“You have a point.” Mari sighed. “I’m just so tired of fighting.”

Dante smoothed one hand up her back. “I think it’s worth considering that there might be another way. Maybe we can negotiate with him?”

Rio ran a hand through his hair. “We should ask Willow what they can find out about him.”

“That’s a good idea,” Cisco said with a fond smile for the puma shifter. “We need as much information as we can get.”

“I wish the goddess had been a little less aggressive about dealing with Vincent. We could have asked him about the threat.”

Dohal hummed. “I think he might have been speaking about something else.”

“Of course, because why should only one powerful entity be trying to kill us this week?” Mari let her head hang back for a moment of unbridled frustration before she collected herself again. “Well, let’s hear it.”

Dohal considered his words before speaking. “The demon who kindled your power.”

In a blink, Cisco was face-to-face with Dohal, his clawed hand reaching up to hold Dohal’s jaw in a fierce grip. “Not. Another. Word.”

“I hate him as much as you do, and for the same reason,” Dohal bit out, but didn’t move to push Cisco away. “But that will not stop him from coming for her.”

The war in Cisco’s expression was excruciating.

“Let him talk,” Mari said softly.

Cisco slid a wounded look her way that sliced her right to the bone. He dropped his hand and moved away a single step.

Dohal looked at her, grinding his teeth for a moment before he began, “Ashdei is a Prince of the Hells. He is who your father brokered a deal with. Basilio traded you away to one of the most powerful demons in the Hells for the power he thought would keep him on this Earth.”

“You mean traded my awakening away,” Mari said very carefully.

Cisco’s growl vibrated the air around her. “Don’t say it.”

Dohal offered Cisco a sympathetic glance, but continued, “No, he traded you, body and soul. You are betrothed to one of the Princes of the Hells.”