08

CHAPTER 5

"How am I going to be any help when my magic is all over the place?'

Oldavai gazed stayed fixed in front, "Adrenaline."

"That seems unreliable," I said dead pan, mockery thick in my reply.

He ignored me, "We should go."

"Right now?" I asked incredulously.

"Yes. You have the warrant, and you know where to meet your colleagues."

I sighed and dislodged myself from his arm, leaning against the closest building. The brick was rough against my back as I pressed the paper against my nose. Ratha was a type of demon I had no history with and wasn't common in the area so his specific scent of incense stood out. It was the vibration that I was really after though. Ratha's signature thrumming merged with my own magic and I cast a net out to search for his location. Predictably, Michael flooded my thoughts since it was his memories that magically sustained the warrant. He was found barely alive and I never understand why Ratha didn't kill him. As grateful as I was, it didn't make sense.

I was forced back to the task at hand when the vibration moved farther away and faded. I did a quick circle of magic, acknowledging the directions and closed my eyes. It didn't take me long to figure out that this demon wasn't on American soil.

"Oldavai, Ratha is not in Texas." I furrowed my forehead as I looked at him.

He shrugged, "It doesn't matter, Dove. Ratha knew the moment that warrant was official and which hunters were on it. If you go to Texas, he will be there. He'll be there because it was always about who is around you. Ezra did you no favors."

I huffed with irritation, "And now you're always around me. I'm just a magnet for..."

He interrupted quickly, "Oh, I'm ending it, my sweet pain." He gently cupped my chin, "I told you there will be no other." He moved his face closer to mine, his scent wafting over me. I jerked my chin out of his fingers, scowling. His magic grew and pushed incessantly.

This incubus didn't know when to stop trying to make me into his blubbering idiot. I punched out with my fist into where I knew his wound was healing. He grunted, but kept up a steady stream of power, trying to make me succumb to his incubi ways.

"Fine, let's go." I grabbed him by the wrist and threw him into the shadows. Theoretically he couldn't accommodate shadow magic, but somehow I knew if he was strong enough, the magic he had access from me could. My hope was that it would pull him apart, or at the very least cause immeasurable pain. It did.

His scream inside of my mind was torturous. I had no idea where we stopped except that it was a dirty alley that smelled like a garbage dump. My grip on his wrist was solid, but the rest of him was transparent. I didn't let go, afraid that he would completely disappear without my hold on him. Guilt flooded within me. Apologies weren't enough.

'Bitch!'

Fuck apologies, 'Arrogant ass.'

I watched him slowly pull his body back into reality. When he was completely formed, he yanked his wrist out of my hand. He wasted no time smashing himself against me so that I was firmly wedged between him and the wall. He was glowing, he was incubus, and he was pissed. I bit my lip as I looked up at him, torn between horror at myself and anger at his high-handedness.

He unsuccessfully cleared his raw throat, "A little pay back," his voice came out strained and thin.

My expression turned quickly to anger, "You des..." I never got to finish.

Oldavai had my head in his hands and thrust his tongue in between my lips. I was swamped by his delicious essence and he shoved it down my throat aggressively. I remembered him telling me that he smelled like true love and I believed it. He tied me up with that scent, crammed it into my mind, and used it unforgivingly. The feelings started in my heart and unfurled like a flower until it settled deep in my sex. I would've arched into him if I couldn't already feel the painful pleasure of his pelvis driving into me.

I felt his lower half get harder as he pressed forward even more, causing the uneven bricks behind me to stab my back. I moaned into his mouth as his hand trailed a path of heat up to my breast and he kneaded the side of it through my shirt. I tried to arch again, but he stopped me. It wasn't until the liquid heat started to flow between my legs that I could feel his deep throated purr shallowly vibrate on every part of my body touching his.

He pulled away in increments, never completely relinquishing control, while his hand moved down to cup me. I pushed into his palm, and it felt as if his thumb was pressing directly on my clit despite the jeans. His voice came out hoarse, "Please, don't ever do that again."

The sound of his voice was so painful that I cringed and turned my face away, still silently fighting the effects of his magic.

He spoke my name in warning, "Dove."

I couldn't lie convincingly and I couldn't agree.

His eyes narrowed, "Very well, retaliation accepted. Just know that if I spellbound you to me there really would be no other. Now, orgasm."

And just like that I could feel him pushing into me and my nipples pebbled. I squeaked out an eek as the force of those thrusts speed up and I saw black dots in my vision. I was as taunt as a bow string, unable to move. He stood motionless in front of me, everything I felt was because of his magic and not reality. My body released in a crash and my hands went back to his arms, but he angrily shook them off. Then I could feel him pulling all that energy into himself and I fell to the concrete.

I looked up and watched him scan the alley for any threat. Who would've thought that it was the incubus that I was most afraid of. I would go willingly to my death screaming in ecstasy. The look on his face when he stared down at me told me that I closed my thoughts too late. He heard them.

He smiled smugly and leaned up on the wall across from me, arms folded across his chest. "You should be," he said.

I pulled one knee up and braced myself on the wall. With a deep breath I pushed myself to stand. My legs wavered slightly, and he was immediately in front of me again with his arms supporting my body. My hand went to that strength surrounding me and gave a weak push.

"Do you always drain your victims so completely?"

"I didn't kill you."

"I'm supposed to thank you for that?" I asked with venom.

He scoffed, "Wouldn't dream of it. What you should thank me for is not keeping you in such a state until you passed out." He crouched so his face was closer, "Don't stop fighting me though, when you're unconscious I get to do whatever I want."

I made a noise of disgust, happy for the moment that his voice still sounded shredded.

"Let's go. Show me where." He struck his way into my magic like a knife and slashed through it looking for the location I was taking us to.

My head pounded from his heavy handed intrusion and I yelled, "Stop! Here, take it!"

I felt him latch on to the location of the water garden and pulse us there. He wasn't gentle. As soon as we stepped out of the magnetic line he pushed me down and to the side, where I promptly forced my vomit to stop coming up. He placed us directly in sight of the public and I heard the reactions all around me.

He hadn't morphed, he was still a pissed off incubus that just instantly appeared with a sick person. What an entrance.

'Dick,' I made sure he heard me in his mind.

He laughed and it carried on unseen, if not unfelt, currents of magic. The hopeful moans and sighs came from all directions.

I stood up with a hand pressing on my stomach, "Are you done?"

His eyes literally threw golden sparks at me, "Are you?"

I raised my chin defiantly, "For now."

He touched the tip of my nose, "Careful." He pushed his magic through me, and I gasped from the feelings that made me want to reach for his hand and kiss him desperately. I clenched my fists to stop myself from grabbing him.

"Stop that," I forced out.

He pulled back and clenched his jaw, "If you would just acquiesce we could be in synch. I think I'll take all my frustration out on killing Ratha." He grabbed my hand, pulled me forward and I stumbled, "We need to go. I doubt Michael will appreciate my presence in his house."

"You know where he lives?!"

He changed forms gradually as he kept walking, "Don't be ridiculous, you kept that locked tight in your mind. I can feel your anxiety for your fellow demon hunters. I promise I won't mess with them."

I let him lead me along while I looked at him suspiciously, "Why would you promise that?"

He spared me a glance and spoke in my thoughts, 'You want me to mess with them?'

'No! I just want to know what would prompt you to say that.'

'Because I need to give you my full attention. Distractions are dangerous for me where you're concerned.'

I remained silent. Take advantage when he was distracted, yeah, I could totally do that. I didn't bother hiding my thoughts, he already knew them.

He grunted at my confirmation and kept propelling us to a two-story motel. When we were nearer to the front entrance, he turned to me, "Stay."

"I'm not a fucking dog!"

"If you were my dog I would have you on a muzzle. So, please, wait for me here while I procure us a room."

I crossed my arms, "You're such an ass. The warrant comes with a stipend, I can do it and it won't be here." I moved to push him away.

Oldavai sighed and put his hand out to stop me. "Yes, but I know Ratha and he is always watching. I don't want your name registered or face seen by the people at the front desk."

I didn't concede, "There are security cameras everywhere. And your dramatic entrance will be on the internet."

He raised his eyebrow, "We're doing this my way."

I scanned the seedy motel around us and grimaced in disgust, "You're being paranoid. Who cares if he knows?" I sighed and waved him away. I'd take a few minutes of breathing space away from him in any way I could, "You kill the cockroaches."

He smirked and bowed his head slightly, "As my sweet pain commands." From one step to the next he changed form again, this time into a huge, bulked up black man with a tattooed, shaved head and walked into the office. I blinked in astonishment.

When he came out with the keys, not cards, which just confirmed how unrenovated the hotel was, he towered above me. My face was scrubbed blank as I looked up at this new person. Inside he was still Oldavai, still chiming with crystal sounds of champagne glasses being tuned by a wet finger. That sound and feeling always struck me as beautiful no matter how much wickedness he showered me in.

The behemoth smiled and handed me a second key. His new deep voice cajoled, "Come on lovely lady. We have things to do." I was propelled forward to the outside stairs and to our door by his hand pushing on my back. Once inside, I continued to stare at him, my mind sort of stalled. He constantly changed his body without any thought at all.

"I believe you have some impatient killers waiting on you. I suggest you call them."

I still did nothing, finally ready to register the realities of Oldavai's abilities. This persona had more bulk than he ever was as an incubus, where did the extra come from? I would always know him because he named his magic for me, nobody else would though, just that they had a demon in their presence, not who.

Well, maybe Ezra, he told me that he felt Oldavai at a level that had nothing to do with appearances. And that was one of the reasons why everyone was weary of Ezra, because he was always outside the norms. I suppose that is what happens when you are spawned from a goddess' consort that was created to be an equal for her. I had a stuttering thought that the consort was maybe a god. And that meant Ezra could be... part deity? I questioned myself hesitantly.

Oldavai expression turned contemplative, "Who are you thinking of? You're almost in..." his eyes scanned men before he spoke, "awe. That's certainly not for me."

"Ezra."

Oldavai grunted through his closed thick lips, "I should have known."

"You have no idea who you're playing with."

He scoffed at me, "More than you do."

Doubt it, but I only moved to sit down, refusing to argue with him. My direction abruptly changed from bed to hard chair. I optimistically hoped nothing was hiding on the chair, I wasn't so sure about the mattress. My gaze snagged on dull brown stains sprayed across the wall as I called Michael.

His greeting was the same, "Yeah."

"I'm here."

His voice was gruff, "I said stay home."

"I told you I have an alternative."

"And that is what makes this even more horrible. No more phone. You remember where I live?"

"Yeah. Did you know how tech savvy he is?"

"Yes, so it is entirely possible that Ratha knows everything you already told me. Don't bring a wolf to my door."

He disconnected before I could reply. I turned to Oldavai. He was the wolf. "Maybe you shouldn't come."

"You keep thinking you have a say in what I do. It's amusing."

My smile twisted, "Please."

"In any other instance, maybe." He shook his head and pursed his lips, "No, probably not. Definitely not now."

"I can't bring you to his house."

He gave a grunting noise of annoyance and unsuccessfully tried to cross his muscular arms across his bulky chest. I chuckled when he placed them back at his sides.

"Then bring him to mine."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Seriously?"

"Shorn gave me my orders, true? He has nothing to fear from me."

"We're not that stupid."

Oldavai boomed out a laugh, "I hope not! I leave stupidity to the politicians who believed the battle-scarred demon who convinced them that binding hunters was to their advantage. Come. I will show you."

My eyes narrowed at the implications of his words, but he quickly had my attention when he showed me where we would meet. I had more important things to think about.

"Aren't you concerned your hidey-hole will be destroyed?"

"What, like Ezra did in Seattle?" He cocked his head down to look at me from the tops of his bloodshot eyes.

I started texting the directions while I spoke, "Fine. I'll make sure everyone knows." When I was done I couldn't help but mention, "It's ironic that you happen to have a lair here."

"I have a lot of homes." He emphasized 'homes'. "This was just coincidence; the botanical gardens are a treasure trove."

"Hmm." I looked down at the reply on my cell, "We'll meet them in a few hours. Feel like dinner?"

He smiled at me with an intent that had nothing to do with the same kind of food I was thinking about and I balked, "I can read your thoughts without help and no, I am not giving you more sex to feed off of." I looked around and grimaced, "Especially here."

"O.k."

My face dropped of expression, "Stop making fun of me."

"O.k."

My mouth quirked and I looked down so he couldn't see the start of my amusement. I knew he could feel it anyway.

The hours didn't take long to pass and before I knew it we had to meet Carlos and Michael. The four of us snuck into his invisible structure that was a well-stocked herbarium. Very few words were exchanged before we got inside.

Carlos stood with his arms crossed scanning the room and occupant by my side. His black hair had grown longer since last I saw him, but he still had his silver cross glinting around his neck. He and Michael both had a shadow of beard on their lower face, but Michael's had discontinuity in the coverage. Three long scars starting from his left temple trailed down his face to disappear behind his shirt collar. Mementos of his time with Ratha.

"Out with it," Carlos finally said.

"Where's Bronti?" I asked instead, directing my question to the man strapped everywhere with weapons.

Carols tried to intimidate me with his dark eyed stare since he only had a few more inches on me in height and couldn't loom over me like other men.

I smiled at his glare. It was a good glare, I just refused to deal with it right now.

He answered, "I'm not on the warrant so technically he didn't need or want to come. Your turn." He waved at the demon by my side.

I hesitantly turned and looked at the huge man who stood next to me with his hand an unwanted warmth on the small of my back. He looked back at me and slowly pulled away the layers of his illusion.

As he did, I spoke quickly, already knowing Carlos' immediate reaction, "Don't throw any knives Carlos. I'm not compelled."

After Oldavai completely stripped away everything human and stood in his incubus glory I looked at Carlos. Sure enough, he was ready to fling a dagger. Michael was still, but not in a battle stance. Instead, he asked with confusion, "What's going on?"

Oldavai smoothly answered for me, "I am here at Shorn's request to keep her alive at all costs."

"At the cost of your death?" came Carlos' tart reply.

"Definitely not mine. Maybe yours."

"What is it about her, that you all swarm her like flies around dead meat?" Carlos asked maliciously.

"Wow! Thank you!" I said with sarcastic anger at the same time Michael spoke curtly to Carlos in Spanish.

"As much as I enjoy this little tête-à-tête, I think that is time to deal with the real reason we are here." Oldavai continued, "And really Carlos, I prefer to think of Dove as a honey pot with a few bears circling. Such a better image." He looked down at me and smiled saccharine sweet.

"Very large, carnivorous bears," came Michael's quiet reply. He looked to me, "You really need to stop wearing that perfume."

I opened my mouth to reply, but I didn't have anything to say. It probably was all Ezra's fault, maybe mine, and maybe it was ultimately Shorn's who picked my name out to track Ezra. Which really if I thought about it, circled back to Ezra deciding to start his dragon path and find a way back to his family.

I couldn't regret that noble intent, except that it honored or cursed him, depending on who thought it, to be a prophet to the dragon race. I shook my head and focused on the problem at hand. I could feel Oldavai's questioning look as he stared at me. I had blocked my thoughts from him, but I couldn't block out the conflicting emotions that coursed through me.

I looked up and gave him a strained smile, then turned to the two men standing annoyed in front of me. "I'm fine. Oldavai is fine."

"Really?" came Carlos' sarcastic reply, his accent getting thicker.

Oldavai turned to the suspicious man, "I'm on a short leash."

Carlos gave a caustic laugh, "I doubt that."

I silently agreed with Carlos and wasn't afraid to let Oldavai know I thought the same. Out loud I said, "Enough. Michael, are you bait for Ratha? Am I right that he'll come after you?"

"Talk about flies and dead meat," Oldavai said tartly.

At that comment there was the swish of a knife past Oldavai's head. He responded with an explosion of gold that surrounded us. "You want to play games, chamaco?" Then he continued with a slew of Spanish at Carlos, of which I only caught the swear words on their exchange. I tried to slide away, but his hand shot out and gripped my arm, keeping me snug to him.

"Using her as a shield, cabron?" Carlos spit out.

"On the contrary, the closer she is the faster I can protect her."

I looked up at him in surprise.

"She doesn't need protection from us," Michael said, his tone demonstrating he was now the calmest one in the room. Our argument was probably a welcome distraction from Ratha for him.

Oldavai laughed loudly, "I disagree, she is persona non-grata with your kind. You know it, I know it. Too close to too many devils."

Carlos was suspiciously silent. Shit.

Ignore the elephant in the room? Yup. "We have to go."

Michael smoothly ignored it too, "We didn't want you here without Ezra. Period. But, you're here now," he waved at Oldavai, "with him, so let's go meet Te'a and Salem," he continued, telling us where we were going.