Demons Are Forever Page 6

  Quivering, I dug my hands into his hair, grinding my sex further into is palm. Heat suffused my skin, burning in a way I hadn’t felt in forever. It was Daniel. It was always Daniel.

  He curled his fingers deeper, hurtling me closer to the edge. Cupping one breast, he kneaded my nipple until it puckered stiff and aching for his mouth. He pinched the hard peak and I arched my back, sucking a breath through my teeth.

  “Daniel, please!”

  “Please what, Linz? He pinched my nipple harder.

  “Don’t make me fry your ass!”

  “Really.” He pulled his hand from between my legs, licking his fingers one by one. “I can play demon dominos, too. Let’s see who tips first, sending everything crashing into climax.”

  My mouth watered and my sex dripped watching his full sensual lips wrap around each finger. Gritty and graphic, the image ratcheted my ache, but the gauntlet he threw was irresistible. Watching him was hot, but I had a few tricks of my own.

  A sly smile curled on my lips. “Well, who am I to say no to your game?” Getting to my knees, I pushed him back on the bed, situating myself between his legs. “Challenge accepted.”

  His long, corded cock jutted from his body. I snaked closer, predatory and hungry. “As they say, open wide.”

  He groaned. “You have no idea how many times I envisioned you like this. Eyes dark with need, you on all fours with every luscious curve crawling toward me. And your mouth. God, Linzie…your gorgeous mouth.”

  I licked his engorged head, running my tongue around its ridged edge and then down his thick shaft and back again. I kept time with my tongue and my hand, working his swollen knob with curved strokes.

  His body tensed, and I sucked him deeper, letting the flat of my tongue work his rigid mass farther down my throat. Inch by delicious inch, I took him until he was balls deep.

  Teasing, I held him there, making him wait, until I pulled back, plunging him over and over, the pulse of my strokes, faster and faster until a low growl had me glance up.

  Daniel’s eyes were ringed with black, and his jaw so taut it might shatter. “Linz. I’m ready to burst, but I want you, not your mouth.”

  I eased him back, but kept his slick hard length in my hand as I sat on my heels. “Guess we know who won, huh?” I whistled low, mimicking dominos toppling.

  Daniel freed himself from my grip, and then got to his knees, facing me. He didn’t reply. Instead he fisted my hair, his kiss devouring anything else I could say.

  Fingers splayed over my belly, his lips trailed from my mouth to my throat and over my breasts. He teased and sucked until my head dropped between my shoulder blades.

  “Stand, Linzie,” he growled.

  My head came up. “What?”

  “Stand.” He motioned to the floor. “With your legs apart.”

  Keeping my eyes on his, I did what he asked. Standing between the bed and the dresser.

  “Legs wider.”

  A knowing smile took my lips and I complied. Daniel slid off the bed and circled around to my back. His hard bar pressed against my ass, as both hands slipped around my middle to tease my breasts. He kissed my neck to the back of my ear.

  “Touch yourself, Linzie. Now.”

  My hand slid between my legs as he pinched my nipples. The combined sensations made me gasp, and he let go, spinning me to face him. Sinking to his knees, he pushed my legs wider and dipped his face to my sex.

  He flicked my nub, circling it with his tongue until the sensitive bud swelled and hardened beneath the rough flat pressure.

  I dug my fingers into his hair, urging his mouth deeper, harder. My thighs tightened where I stood as every muscle clenched ready for release, but he pulled his mouth away.

  “Daniel!” I ground out.

  “I think this contest is an easy tie.” He licked his lips, a satisfied curl to one side of his mouth. “Which gives me a terrific idea.”

  He reached for a scarf I had on the dresser, and then walked me backwards to the bed. Tying my hands over my head, he held the end of the scarf in one hand, keeping my arms immobilized.

  “I want my inches buried as deep as your body will take. I want to watch you come wave after wave after wave.”

  Pushing my knees up and wide, he kissed my breasts and belly, teasing me until I hooked my legs around his waist. At the point of no return, I lifted my hips, pressing his swollen head against my slick softness.

  Throwing his head back, he drove his hard length deep, his hips grinding thrust after thrust. Heat spread across every inch of my skin, burning and tingling like an electric inferno. The ball of tension in my belly grew and throbbed, scalding my core down into my thighs. With a strangled cry, colors shattered behind my eyes. Release hit, radiating in volts like live current until my body floated boneless.

  Taut and thick, Daniel plunged himself harder, faster until tension stretched his body tight enough to snap. He exploded with a choked gasp, pouring himself deep and full.

  Slumping forward, he buried his head between my neck and shoulder, as aftershocks rocked us both.

  “You okay?” I asked, wiggling one hand free from the scarf to smooth his damp hair.

  His smile spread against my sweat-sheened skin before he lifted his head. “I’m great. You?”

  “Totally satisfied. Beyond satisfied. But exhausted.”

  Daniel slipped his body from mine, but only to scootch us higher on the bed. He opened his arm wide for me to snuggle between his chest and shoulder, holding me close.

  “This is the part I missed most.” He kissed the side of my hair.

  Glancing up from his chest, I only saw the curve of his cheek and what looked like the edge of a contented smile. “You sure that’s what you missed most?”

  He tightened his grip on me. “I missed everything about you…about us, most.”

  We lay together in relative quiet, and I watched the easy rise and fall of his chest, listening to him breathe.

  “You were right.”

  He craned his neck to look down at me. “About what?”

  “Featherbutte. His little birdy body would’ve exploded if he was privy to what we did…what you did.”

  “You’re no slouch yourself, kinky girl.”

  “Hey! The scarf was your idea.”

  “True, but you inspired it with your dirty innuendo.”

  “I saw something when I was linked with Featherbutte in Beastmaster mode.” I wiggled out from Daniel’s arm to lean on my elbow facing him.

  “Please tell me it was the ley line apex and not some weird shifter sex thing.”

  “Yup.”

  “Yup to which?”

  I shoved at his shoulder. “What do you think?”

  “Clever girl! You spotted it that quickly?” Daniel grinned, kissing me. “Tell me. Is the apex close?”

  Chapter Eight

  If I thought the bugs were loud during the day, the symphonic swamp at night was a cacophony of rhythmic discord and hidden danger.

  “How are we going to get across?” I whispered, following Daniel into the dark scrub. “Ugh!” I swatted at the cloud of mosquitos surrounding me. “These damn flying bloodsuckers!”

  “Demon blood repels them, Linzie. They’ll figure it out and then leave you alone.”

  “If you say so, but someone needs to tell this swarm, because they obviously didn’t get the memo.” I smacked one on my arm big enough to catch by its wings.

  “Don’t worry. It’s not much farther.” He handed me a can of industrial strength bug spray from his backpack.

  “You still didn’t answer my question. How are we going to get across the swamp to that little cemetery I saw?” I held the can out and sprayed my body and my clothes, gagging on the chemicals.

  “I had Vonny leave a small boat by the big cypress. We’ll row across.”

  “Row? I don’t think so.” I handed him back the spray can. “Couldn’t Vonny find something with an outboard motor?”

  “I don’t want the noise. Hel
l, Linz. I didn’t even want you coming with me tonight. Hux is bound to be keeping tabs on you.”

  “Let him,” I replied. “At this point I don’t care. Forewarned is forearmed, and I came loaded for bear. Hux had a guerilla advantage last time, swooping in when I was barely separated from my Kestrel connection. I know better now.”

  We got to the giant cypress where we first sensed the ley lines. As expected, a rowboat bobbed in the water, tied to one of the raised roots. Daniel moved to untie the mooring rope, but I put a hand on his arm.

  “What’s wrong? You sense something?”

  “No, but I want to cast a protection spell. It might be futile, but chicken soup doesn’t actually cure the common cold, but it certainly makes you feel better.”

  I knew my analogy made no sense, but Daniel smiled anyway. He totally got me.

  “Cast away, witchiepoo.” He stepped back, letting me take the lead.

  Tabitha and I called each other witchiepoo, and hearing Daniel say it as well comforted in an irrational way. I lifted my hand and channeled my honeymooning friend as best I could.

  Where danger lurks and hides its face,

  Grant protection in this space.

  From water’s depth and sky on high,

  To those that crawl and walk astride.

  A circle cast, a mobile nest

  Surround and protect us on our quest.

  From evil and selfish beings be,

  This spell I cast, so mote it be.

  The ley lines sparked even brighter, and I watched something cobweb-like form in the heavy air, wispy and fluid.

  Satisfied, I nodded, and Daniel untied the boat. He motioned me to its side, so I took off my boots and stepped into the muck barefoot, hoping not to step on anything with teeth before climbing over the narrow gunwale.

  He held the rope and sloshed into the water, pushing us off before hopping in himself. The boat creaked, and the sound of the oars against the hull as he maneuvered around sounded like an empty oil drum.

  If Hux had a demony GPS on me, and he was in on the island’s nefarious activities, then he’d come for me. I knew it, and I think Daniel did as well. Was I worried? Of course. I wasn’t stupid enough to think I was Beatrix Kiddo, codename Black Mamba, from Kill Bill, and could take on my father and his vampire cronies by myself. Daniel and I were outnumbered, but I came prepared.

  I tapped my pocket, checking the tracking devices Roy hid in my backpack. I had one, and I already slipped one into Daniel’s pocket, making sure it was deep enough not to fall out. At first, I considered putting it in his shoe, but thought better of it. He’d lose a hiking boot before losing his pants.

  The other two were for Hux, and for wherever he took us. The vampire wards screwed with magical GPS, but hopefully Roy could track us from his very human-world phone. Why else would he have stowed the devices away in my bag if not as a safety measure? I hadn’t told Daniel yet. Not because I didn’t trust him, but because I didn’t trust Vonny.

  I know Daniel said the demi-vampire was Team Demonitch, but I couldn’t get past the gut feeling there was more to him than that. He disappeared as soon as we arrived. He hadn’t said two words to me since then, yet he sought out Daniel at the meet and greet.

  As Tabitha liked to say, when the Spidey senses tingle, a witch needs to pay attention. I didn’t know much about my witchy side, but my Spidey senses weren’t just tingling. They were full on electric fence.

  “Hey…I need to tell you something.”

  He didn’t miss a rowing beat. “Okay. Shoot.”

  “I put a tracking device in your pocket.”

  With that, he stopped with the oars mid-rotation. “You what?”

  I explained, filling him in on Roy’s surprise package in my backpack, as well as plans A, B and C.

  “Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”

  “I only found them when I dug for my phone charger. The note attached was spelled for my eyes only. Roy wrapped the tracking devices in what looked like a blank sheet of paper, but the moment they hit my hand, his words appeared.”

  “So you didn’t think to let me in on this until now. Why? Don’t you trust me?”

  “Of course I trust you.” I scanned the shadows, and the creepy hovering cypresses, like encroaching skeletons in the half-light. “But I don’t trust anyone else.”

  He nodded, letting the oars pierce the murk again. “You mean Vonny.”

  I didn’t answer.

  “Look, I put a tracking device on myself as well.” I redirected the topic back to my point. “We’re both at risk here. If we get to where we’re going, and can keep the business end of this witch-blood-bullshit none the wiser, then fine. If not, and things go south, then we have an insurance policy.”

  Daniel didn’t reply, so I listened to the creaking oars and the shushing sound of the water as we propelled along. I knew Daniel well enough to know his silence wasn’t silence for silence’s sake. He was processing what I said, weighing my words against the odds he already worked out for himself.

  The murky water grew reedy and thick, making rowing nearly impossible. Daniel stood, using a long push pole same as Vonny did as we got closer to Bumfuck.

  “The water is getting shallow. We must be close, but who can tell through this surface mist.” He squinted into the suspended water vapor.

  The sucking sound from the push pole made me wince. I didn’t know why. And where was the scrubby islet I saw? I hadn’t imagined it, and there was no way the Kestrel would have planted the image in my mind. Not when he was under compulsion.

  “Daniel, I’m pretty sure the cemetery is spelled.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “I think it’s warded from sight.” I stood, holding one palm out, balancing myself so I didn’t capsize the rowboat. “The mist feels off. Maybe it’s a trap, or maybe I sense its deceit because I have Hellborne blood, and my father was one of the ward’s creators. Either way, we’re going to have to try and circumvent the glamor.”

  He nodded, waving me to sit. “Okay. Do you have any idea how to do that?”

  I chewed my lip, thinking. Tabitha had to do something similar last month when Michael was taken by a vengeful spirit. She had to get the source evil to reveal its true nature. Not exact, but comparable enough it might work.

  “I have something close. I think. Tabby used this spell to find her then fiancé.” I told him the story.

  “Wow.” Michael said, impressed. “That’s devotion.”

  “Tell me about it. I love them both like siblings, but they give me a cavity.” I closed my eyes, trying to remember the essence of Tabitha’s spell. Winging it was the best I could do, but the one witchy rule I did know was that spells were all about intention.

  “Here goes nothing.” Lifting my other hand, I held them both palms out.

  In this place of primal flow,

  serpent’s home and gator’s glow.

  A hidden islet sits alone,

  among scrub and thorn and blood and bone.

  Hidden now behind misty veil,

  reveal to me your every detail.

  Cloud cover separated, and behind the surface fog was the tiny islet I saw through the kestrel’s eyes. From the air it looked kidney-shaped, and barely big enough to house the mausoleums dotting the old cemetery. I wasn’t interested in the crumbling tombs or their inhabitants. The overgrown and abandoned had obviously been there since the bayou was settled. No. It was the newest addition that raised an eyebrow.

  I only caught a glimpse before I severed my connection to Featherbutte, but it was enough. Someone had gone to great lengths to camouflage the crypt dead center of well…the dead. The giveaway? How the ley lines intersected, converging under that exact point. That, and the fact the inscription carved into the limestone façade had the wrong patina and age.

  The water table was too high for the tomb to house an underground lair, but there was no telling what spellcasting had conjured beneath the vines and moss.

  “
We’ll pull in over there.” Daniel pointed to a tangle of semi-submerged roots. Together they formed a natural boat launch, and the branches gave enough cover for us to sneak onto the loamy bank.

  I hoped.

  Daniel climbed over the gunwale and used the mooring rope to pull the rowboat higher out of the water. It was still high tide at this point, and I silently prayed we’d be done and on our way before low tide grounded us.

  I dug in my back pocket for the schematic I drew. Another of my demony witch traits that came in handy lately. An eidetic memory.

  Unfolding the makeshift map, I found the curve on the kidney-shaped drawing that matched best where Daniel anchored the boat. “We’re here.” I tapped the drawing. “The crypt is a straight run at center from this point.”

  Daniel looked at the map in my hand, and then glanced at the engulfing gloom ahead. “Okay then. Stay behind me, but stay close.”

  He pulled a machete from the side of his boot, not so much for protection, but to clear the way without too much effort. Though from the glint, I knew the blade was silver dipped.

  I loved the man’s forethought almost as much as I loved his new Indiana Jones look. I secretly hoped he had a whip as well as the hat, but then he’d be so hot we might not make it past the next secluded tree.

  “Okay…to reiterate.” I purposely redirected my thoughts from the X-rated Temple of Doom fan-fic playing in my head. “Plan A… We get to the crypt, find the lair, snap pictures and grab whatever evidence we can before bolting. Plan B... We get to the crypt, find the lair, but have to bolt sans evidence. Plan C... We get to the crypt, find nothing, and have to turn it over to Carol and Roy for further investigation.”

  “And Plan D?” he asked.

  “I don’t have a Plan D.”

  “Yes, you do, or you wouldn’t have microchipped us both.”

  I rolled my eyes behind him. “I didn’t microchip anyone. The tracking devices are insurance.”

  “The tracking devices are Plan D. We get to the crypt and it’s a trap.”