Tangled Sin (A Dark Realm Novel) (17 page)

Liz leaned back in her armchair, the crackling flames in the enormous fireplace the only sound breaking the heavy silence in the living room as her worry over Saia grew. After the debacle a few days ago, Saia’d left without a word to anyone. But the fact that Riley was with her gave Liz a measure of comfort.

Jemima, however, would doubtless blame Liz for this latest disaster. She hadn't been happy when Liz had turned up for the party, and in her usual manner, she’d ignored her.

Liz couldn’t blame Jemima, not after what she’d done years before.

Her hands tightened on her cup. How could she have known her decision so long ago would bring so much pain? God, she missed Jai. She remembered his easy smile, his teasing dark eyes filled with love. Her vision misted. It had been an instant connection between them from the moment they’d met. Two years older than her, he’d been her rock, her anchor, pulling her back to life.

He’d taken her out for her friend’s birthday that horrible night twelve years ago. As they’d left the club, the blood-demons had come out of nowhere and cornered them. Jai had pushed her behind him, but he was no match for those blood-crazed fiends. They’d overpowered him... Images crowded her mind—blood gushing from his torn throat as they’d fed…

God. She squeezed her eyes tight and rubbed the old scars on her throat, hidden beneath her roll-neck sweater, her reminder of what she was responsible for. The pain of losing Jai had numbed her heart. All she had left of her dead love were memories.

Jemima had never forgiven Liz for the death of her only brother.

High-heels clicking on the marble floor echoed in the quiet house. Jemima entered the living room a second later and leveled her with a cold stare. “You have a visitor. I left him in the study.”

“Thank you.” Liz rose, straightened her sweater over her jeans, and left the room.

Moments later, she walked into the study with its claret walls and mahogany furniture. Then frowned when she saw the man leaning against the desk examining his nails. He appeared utterly bored and out of place amidst the antique furniture, his scruffy jeans, faded navy tee, and a well-worn leather jacket clashing with the elegant decor.

The sunlight streaming in through the window glinted off his inch-short hair, turning it into spun gold. But the grin on his handsome face when he looked up irritated her.

His piercing hazel eyes made her feel like he could see right through the walls she’d erected around her heart, and that annoyed her more.

“Gaelin. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation for you being here?”

The demon’s gaze leisurely swept down her body and up again, his stare assessing, sensual. His smile brighter than the sun, he countered, “Miss me?”

“Like the plague.”

“One day soon you will,” he promised with a laugh. He didn’t seem fazed by her intimidating stare. Then he straightened, his expression becoming somber. The fact that he didn’t continue flirting sent dread crawling up her spine.

“Something’s come up.”

“Oh, God—Saia.”

“Elizabeth.” Gaelin grasped her arms, made her look at him. Made her aware, too, it was the first time he’d touched her in the ten years she’d known him. “She’s fine. Réomer’s with her.”

A sigh of relief escaped, only to whoosh out again at his next words. “Seems she stabbed a demon out here in the park. He hauled her back to my world—”

“What?”
Liz yelled, breaking free.

Gaelin hastily held up his hands. “All’s okay. Réomer went after them and has her now.”

Liz spun away and walked to the window, rubbing her arms. But the sensation of his touch remained, making her uneasy. The way her body reacted to him... Then she stumbled to a halt. This had to have happened the morning Saia confronted her mother.

She spun back to him. “Then why aren’t they back?”

His eyes caressed her face to linger on her lips. “I’m guessing that’s Réomer’s game plan… Eventually.”

She ignored his silent flirting. “What do you mean
eventually
?”

“His sire hasn’t seen him in over a millennium. He can’t exactly just up and leave until he’s paid his dues.”

“Dammit.” She rubbed her temples. Glared. “How long?”

He shrugged. “A week. Three. Hard to say.”

Dammit! “This can’t be happening.”

The door opened. Liz swallowed her curse as Noah entered. His eyes narrowed at Gaelin. With his psychic awareness to other-kind, he’d know what Gaelin was.

“What’s going on?”

At the thought of Noah finding out the truth of where Saia truly was, the blood drained from Liz’s head. Noah would go after Saia, and he would land in a nest of Caligos or worse, blood-demons. As dangerous as Noah was, he could still die. She’d seen firsthand what they could do. And after what had happened to him several years ago at the hands of those bloodsucking fiends, she preferred him safe and on Earth.

At least, Riley would be able to protect Saia…she prayed.

Liz settled for a version of the truth. “You know there’s a Caligo after Saia. Riley’s taken her into hiding—”

“Here? That thing followed Saia,
here
?” When most people would have been raising their voice by now, Noah’s dropped to an indiscernible, icier level. “And you didn’t see fit to inform me?”

“Noah.” Liz sighed. “You know what Riley is. Trust him to keep her safe.”

“This is my sister you’re talking about. I trust no man—let alone a bloody demon—”

“One who saved me,” Liz cut him off, ignoring Gaelin’s avid interest in their argument. “
He
took out those blood-demons who killed Jai. I trust Riley with my life.”

A tick worked furiously in Noah’s jaw at the truth of her words. He pinned his cold stare on Gaelin. “For his sake, he’d better bring Saia home without a scratch, or I’ll peel the skin off his damn hide an inch at a time, before I garrote him with his gut.” He turned to Liz. “I’ll get the other hunters in on this. We need to flush out this piece of trash after Saia and annihilate the bastard before it moves on to another body and we lose it.”

That would be disastrous. In a new host, the Caligo would still hunt Saia, and they would be tracking blind. “Okay. I have his pic. Riley sent it to me from the bar’s security cameras. I’ll download it and meet you at the offices. We can distribute it to the guys.”

Noah nodded and walked out.

At a light touch on her arm, Liz nearly jumped out of her skin. Gaelin’s eyes gleamed in amusement.

“See you soon, Elizabeth,” he murmured and sauntered for the door, but she heard the sensual promise in his words. Inhaling roughly, she shook her head, her worried mind slipping back to Saia.

No use putting this off. The devil had to be faced and blood drawn, hers probably.

Liz made her way back to the living room, not looking forward to telling her brother and sister-in-law this news.

When Liz entered the living room, Jemima didn’t look up, engrossed in the morning’s paper. Edward lifted his gaze from the finance section he’d been reading. Smiled. “You’re going out?”

“Yes, in a little while.” Liz raked back her hair and sat opposite her brother. “There’s something you both should know. Saia, she went off with Riley for a few days.”

Edward set his paper aside, his features gone grim. He thought it was because of that Caligo.

Jemima jerked to her feet, the paper spilling to the floor in a flutter of sheets. Her eyes spewed black flames. “You’re telling me this now? That Saia didn’t go back to the apartment? She took off with that-that barman for a jaunt, knowing how I feel about him?”

“Have you forgotten what drove her away?” Liz demanded, trying hard to keep calm. “Be thankful she’s gone off for a few days and not left for good.”

Jemima’s chest heaved as she fought to get herself under control. Which had to be a great feat in itself, considering that her sister-in-law rarely lost her temper…well, except, when she was around, Liz thought wryly.

“Did she call you?”

“Yes,” Liz lied. “Riley’s a decent person, Jemima. More than most I’ve met. I’ve known him a long time. Just because he tends the bar, it doesn’t make him any less than you. Besides, he cares about her.”

Edward rose and drew his upset wife to him. “Saia is safe, Jem, and that’s what matters. No more forcing her into your way of doing things.”

Her dark eyes widened in shock and she stared at Edward in dismay. “How can you say that? Look at all the trouble that’s happened recently.”

“What trouble? Most is because you’re overprotective. Let her be.”

Yeah, no way would Edward tell his neurotic wife about the Caligo after Saia. She’d probably lock Saia up.

Jemima pulled away from Edward, cutting him a dark look, one Liz couldn’t define. “If anything happens to Saia, Edward, I’ll never forgive you.” Ignoring Liz, she walked out of the room.

Edward faced her, all signs of affability disappearing. “I don’t like this at all, Liz. But with that Caligo stalking Saia, it’s good she has Riley with her.”

“And if it’s more?” Liz dared to ask.

His eyes narrowed. “Then you should have kept a better eye on her. I trusted you.”

She studied her brother’s rigid expression. “Are you still prejudiced, Edward? After all that’s happened? Riley doesn’t have to, but he kills most of the evil trolling the streets at night. Something that was once close to your heart. You headed one of the most powerful supernatural hunters’ organizations, and you gave it all up because you didn’t want to lose your family.”

Edward’s expression lost its stiffness, became pained. “You were my little sister, I didn’t do enough to protect you. Those blood-demons targeted
me
for killing their leader.”

“Edward, no…” Her eyes misted. “You loved me. Saved me. For that, I’m eternally grateful. What happened with Jai and me, it was horrific, but no one could have foreseen it.”

“I should have, Liz,
I
should have.” He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. “We are a family supposedly blessed with psychic abilities. I should have
seen
, been more insistent that you stay off the streets.”

“At seventeen, it’s doubtful I would’ve listened,” Liz said with a wry smile as she stepped back. “Now you see why it’s better that Saia’s with Riley? He’ll keep her safe. We are mortal. He’s not.”

His jaw tense briefly. A terse nod followed. “I don’t have to like it, Liz. But you’re right. Saia is what matters.”

“And there’s Noah.”

No, it wasn’t fair reminding him, but it was time her brother accepted the facts and understood one couldn’t always help whom one fell in love with. “Noah still hasn’t dealt with Amelia’s death. He’s closed himself off, and he hasn’t been the same since.”

Amelia had been born on Earth to demon parents. She died trying to save Noah after he’d been ambushed by a group of blood-demons several years ago.

Edward had been dead-set against the relationship.

Her brother pinched the bridge of his nose, a heavy sigh escaping him. “My children never settle for normal in anything, do they?”

“We just have to trust their choices and be supportive no matter what. Like we have to accept there are other species sharing this world with us, too. It’s no longer just ours.”

“Yes, I know. Let me know if Saia calls again.”

Liz watched her brother walk out of the room, worry gnawing at her gut. She’d lied to him. But it was necessary. She prayed he never found out where Saia really was.

***

Saia walked along the path leading to the courtyard at the back of the fortress, her guard following behind her.

She stopped near several ash-colored trees. It appeared as if a storm had uprooted them and landed them on their heads to grow upside down. Fat, squat branches stretched out horizontally and ended in a large knot with a mess of mossy-type strands in various shades of gray-green.

The closest color she’d seen to actual green in this place…except for Riley’s eyes. But to see the color of life, she had to see him.

The day had been endlessly long and felt like a week instead. Sighing, she dropped on a stone bench under the messy tree, picked up a fallen mossy strand, and started to shred it.

The slap of running footsteps pulled her away from her thoughts. Seconds later, Ikaria rounded the corner. “Saia, come quickly, it’s Réomer. He’s hurt.”

A chill skating over her skin, she shot up and sprinted across the pavestones and raced for the stairs at the side entrance, skirting a group of demons walking past. She ran up the stairs, only to find a tall, striking redhead obstructing her way.

“Excuse me.”

The redhead didn't move, her gaze drifting over Saia in distaste.

“Do you mind?” Saia tried to hold in her irritation, her anxiety growing.

“Not at all,” the demoness retorted. “So, he’s truly bonded with you.”

Gah! She didn't have time for this. Saia stepped around her. The demoness grabbed her by the wrist, her nails digging in to her flesh. Saia’s teeth clamped down hard as pain spread.