He nodded strongly. “Good. He doesn’t let himself relax very often, and hasn’t had a girlfriend in, like, forever. I’m hoping that offering to take you shopping is just a way to spend a little time with you, get to know you better. He really is pretty cool, and you seem like you’d suit him. But even if nothing happens, I do know that he’ll move heaven and earth to find your brother. He’s just that sort of guy.” He turned and walked out the door before she could respond to that.
Tahira sighed and looked down at the book again.
It was one of the ones Giselle said had references to a power well. She was determined to learn as much about this thing inside her as possible. But the passages in the leather-bound volume were vague and steeped in talk of demons and witches. The pages were so thin she could see through them, and the faded type was hard to read. She found her place once more and tried to pull some sort of understanding from the writings of a priest during the Spanish Inquisition.
I had believed it the chief business of this august group to save from depravity the minds and hearts of man, and I was likewise humbled by the devout prayers of the accused, filled with blessings for our Creator. Might this be a spiritual gift that few possess, as he claimed? Should it be for thee or me to judge this poor, unfortunate, miserable wretch based on the claims of a few, or instead, should the spiritual truth be based on his actions, manners, and dispositions? We imparted the duty to learn the truth to the Lord High Inquisitioner, and find that the accused is damned by his own actions. His touch contains the power to steal the very soul from the weak, and to make weak the powerful. Through debauchery and lechery, or through torture and pain, rather than devotion and prayer, were the powers begun. Sensual delights corrupted those who survived, leaving them to pine away in heart-rending beggary. It leaves no doubt as to the source of this witchery over goodly men and women, and the testimony of the villagers who claimed to witness the accused take the form of a demon familiar can no longer be in doubt. The accused was sentenced to death, and may mercy be shown upon his soul when he reaches the kingdom of Heaven.
Tahira read it over and over, trying to put it in terms she could grasp, and couldn’t help but notice the resemblance to her own situation. She pulled power in times of stress and during intimate moments. What would it be like to have been discovered during the Inquisition? How many of the burned Salem
“witches” were actually shifters like her? She sat back in her chair and stared at the words, then flipped to the next marker. The very modern, yellow, sticky-tape flags seemed out of place on the old pages, but she was thankful for the guide.
“Catching up on some light reading?” She jumped when a thick, liquid baritone sounded next to her head. She looked up to see the snake councilman, resting his forearms on her chair back and looking down at her with an amused expression. She should have seen the door open, should have smelled him coming in. But perhaps it was as Antoine said. He was just that stealthy.
“Something like that.” Her words were clipped The scent of him still made her neck hairs stand on end, but she couldn’t seem to pull her gaze away from his dark eyes. She couldn’t tell where the pupils began or ended, and the fact that he didn’t ever seem to blink was unnerving.
He clucked his tongue at her tone, sending a burst of spicy disapproval to blend with the creosote scent. He was breathing just a touch rapidly, as though he had been exerting himself. “We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, Ms. Kuric. Admittedly, Antoine and I have a long-standing rivalry, but that certainly doesn’t need to include you.”
“You’re sweating,” she said curiously. “I didn’t know snakes could do that. Have you been out shoveling with the others?”
His expression changed just slightly and he smiled, softening his whole face. The citrus still smelled spicy, like potpourri on a railroad tie. “Hardly. Snow is best eliminated by sunshine in my opinion, as nature intended. I see no need to travel until the roads are clear. No, I went out for a long run. I find it relieves
...aggression during the moon cycle and keeps me more able to bear the cold.”
She furrowed her brows and closed the book. “But I thought snakes got too cold outside to stay there for long.”
“You’re apparently interacting with the wrong snakes. I’m perfectly comfortable in the cold. I don’t enjoy snow, as some do, but it’s excellent to run in, like beach sand. One can find pleasure in new experiences if one takes the time to explore the… sensations.”
His voice lowered to a husky whisper that made her shiver and stand up quickly, nearly flinging the rare book into the fireplace. A strange, tickling scent found her nose, but she couldn’t identify the emotion. She reached out to bat the book to the side before the fire touched the brittle pages, but Ahmad was faster. He grabbed the book out of the air while she was still moving, and dusted off the cover lightly.
“Charles would never forgive me if I frightened you into destroying one of his rare books.” He looked at her for a long moment. “I do frighten you, don’t I?”
She stepped away as quickly as she could while still appearing nonchalant. Her heart was beating too fast, and she had no doubt he could scent her fear. She started scanning the titles of the volumes in the farthest bookcase, hoping he would get the hint that she wanted to get back to her reading. “A bit, I suppose. But snakes and cats are natural enemies.”
He stepped up behind her, until the lines of their bodies were touching. She panicked, but there was nowhere to go. She’d placed herself in a corner. Reaching past her, Ahmad slowly returned the book to the empty slot on the shelf. She felt frozen in place as electric heat prickled her skin, even beneath the clothing. He took another book from the shelf and held it in front of her chest. She took it and started to walk away, but found that she couldn’t move. Every muscle was suddenly frozen in place. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him. She couldn’t stop him, couldn’t move, much like the guards on the ceiling last night. It was a terrifying feeling, and she suddenly felt sorry for them—and nearly as angry with Antoine as Ahmad.
“Very true. But we’re also humans, with minds of our own. There’s nothing saying we have to be enemies.” His voice lowered to a soft whisper in her ear, and she felt his tongue rapidly flick against her neck. “You’re a very exciting woman, Tahira. I saw your injuries last night, but also smelled the blood of your attackers on your lips as you passed by me. I would be very interested in getting to know you better. You’re afraid of me now, but you needn’t be. I can be quite charming if given the opportunity, and we snakes are very…flexible.”
She still had her voice, but it sounded thready and slightly panicked in comparison to his now slow and measured words against her ear. “Please let me go. Your power stings my skin. It hurts.”
He chuckled—a low, threatening sound that sent a chill up her spine. “Does it? Many women have found the sensation … intoxicating, even addictive.”
“I don’t. I know… I know I’m not powerful enough to fight your magic, Councilman, but I hope that you’ll be honorable and release me.”
Ahmad laughed lightly, but the scent wasn’t quite citrus this time. Again, it was that strange scent she couldn’t place. “Ah, yes. Appealing to my honor—the last resort of women everywhere.” He did remove his arm, for which she was grateful, but didn’t release her from his magical hold. Walking around her as though she were part of the furniture, he turned his back and scanned the titles. He selected several volumes from three shelves. “I believe that these books will give you the answers you seek, Tahira. I do hope that you will begin to call me Ahmad in appreciation for shortening your search.”
“I will if you release me and leave me to my reading.”
“Indeed?” He stared at her again, and the scent of—could it be lust?—was becoming unmistakable. What in the world had she gotten herself into?
“Hmm…” Ahmad tapped his finger on his chin and then sighed. “No, I don’t believe that trade is acceptable. I believe for what you ask, my price is a bit higher. But don’t worry,” he said as he slipped his hand around her neck and pulled her closer. His brow furrowed as his fingers skimmed her skin. He stared at her for a moment, and then seemed to change his mind about something. “Interesting… Yes, I think we might both find this quite enjoyable.”
Before she could even draw a breath to reply, his lips closed over hers in a slow kiss that burned through her entire body. Hotter than Antoine’s golden flame, his tongue seemed to seep stinging poison into her mouth as his jaw moved, nearly bringing tears to her eyes. She hated that her body was reacting to the stolen kiss as much as it was. The power inside her pulled on his energy, turning the backs of her eyelids a fiery red and causing a warm sensation in her belly. The well opened and tried to fill her with his sparkling power, just as it had with Antoine’s. She could hear his heart beating faster as power flowed away from him, and it seemed to excite him even more.
“Let her go, Ahmad!” Antoine’s voice behind her was livid, a deep rumbling bass that rolled like thunder. His scent matched the furious tone. “Release her this instant or I will tear out your heart with my bare hands.”
Ahmad pulled away from the kiss slowly with a smile. He released his hold on her so suddenly that she dropped to her knees and couldn’t breathe for a moment. He walked toward Antoine and the red thread of power moved with him, connecting her to him as though she was a fish caught on a hook—or perhaps he was the one caught, in a net. He turned around and looked at her with equal parts amazement and concern. “Hmm. Curiouser and curiouser. A fin might be the least of my worries.”
With what looked like intense effort, he broke the bond, pulling some of his power away from her through her very pores, leaving her cold and shaking on the floor. But it wasn’t all gone. There was still enough of his fiery energy flowing through her veins to make her feel insides feel flushed despite the chill on her skin. She got to her feet slowly, turning her head to see what was going to happen with them.
Antoine was only barely holding himself back from attacking Ahmad. His stance was solid, and his muscles were bunched up as though to pounce. “How dare you violate a guest in this house! I have every right to claim damages on her behalf!”
Ahmad’s voice was cold, a steel dagger that sliced through the air. His anger was a living, breathing thing that surprised her. “Hardly a violation. It was a fair trade for something I agreed to do. If you claim damages, I’ll do the same. You also violated invited guests in this house—my guards. This is supposed to be neutral territory, and we are expected to act with restraint. If you are exempt from that rule, then so am I. I did no harm, and I believe that both Tahira and I learned something important just now.” He turned to her and stared at her. “Don’t you feel you learned something that you might not have otherwise discovered?”
She realized what he meant. While he had no right to kiss her, she learned more about her powers in those few moments than in the last five book passages she’d read. “I don’t… I mean… yes. I suppose I did.”
Antoine’s hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles white and trembling from anger. His chest had puffed out from making his back ramrod straight. “The only place you and your lackeys are ever invited is to leave. No more games, Ahmad. We finish this now.”
Ahmad’s laugh was a triumphant release of dark glee and joy. He shook his arms lightly like a gunfighter before a fast draw. “Oh, yes. Please do attack me. You need only make the first move.”
Tahira could feel power ramp up in both of them. It pulsed against her hard enough to make her cry out in agony, causing them both turn sharply. “Stop it! Both of you just stop it!”
She stalked across the room, put a hand on each chest and pushed them backward. She could see her skin reddening, blistering just from their nearness. They both noticed and pulled most of the stinging power back inside themselves.
Tahira turned her fury on Antoine first, pointing a finger at his face. “Look, I appreciate you coming in and making Ahmad release me. But it’s not your battle to fight. This is as much my fault as his.”
Antoine looked startled and she could smell Ahmad’s laughter before he even chuckled. “I could have left the room when he walked in. I didn’t. I could have bitten his arm when he touched me, and I didn’t do that either. So, I’m to blame for being stupid and thinking I could handle the situation.”
Then she turned to Ahmad, still keeping the finger pointed. “And as for you—lie to me. Right here, right now.”
Both of the men cocked their heads, and their confusion was a burst of scent that made her sneeze. “I mean it,” she said, shaking her head and pushing air from her nose until she could breathe again. “Say something that’s an obvious lie. I need to see what you smell like when you do, while Antoine is here to confirm it. I’ve never dealt with snakes before now, so I don’t have anything to go by.”
Antoine crossed his arms over his chest with no small amount of satisfaction, waiting for a reply. He seemed startled when Ahmad smiled.
“Of course. I’d be happy to.” Ahmad tapped a finger on his thigh with pursed lips for a moment and then chuckled when he turned to her. “My greatest wish is that I could spend my afternoon watching football on television with my dear friend, Antoine.”
The resulting scent was a blend of spice and mold that made her think of curried take-out left too long at the back of a refrigerator. She looked at Antoine. “Is that his normal scent when he lies?”
Antoine nodded. “That’s the common scent when any snake lies. But I don’t understand why you asked.”
“I needed to see if he could do what you do and pull your scent inside. I wanted to know if he was lying to me.”
The sudden reactions in both men to her statement were startling. Ahmad’s face darkened and he hissed viciously while taking a step toward Antoine, who seemed massively uncomfortable. He looked at anything and everything except Ahmad, and she could see his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed nervously.