Kissed By A Demon Spy Page 5

  Encouraged that she no longer seemed cautious of him, but not wanting to push his luck, Aden grabbed a glass and walked to the water spout on the fridge. “Water?”

  “No thanks. I should get upstairs.”

  Not yet. There was so much he wanted to learn about her. He stepped closer to the island, staying on the other side. “Before you go…”

  Dark brown eyes with a sliver of gray rimming the iris, looked up at him expectantly.

  “I really do need a cook.”

  She opened her mouth, but he kept talking. “I know you just got here, but I also know you plan to stay in Ivydale. You could work here in exchange for your room.”

  She blinked. “I—”

  “You don’t have to decide tonight. Just think about it.”

  “Okay.” She tried, unsuccessfully, to cover a yawn. “Sorry.”

  “No problem. Like you said, it’s been an eventful day.” He set his glass down on the island and leaned forward, hands planted on the cool granite. This close, her scent washed over him in a cool caress and her eyes regarded him with intrigue, not hesitation. “Need anything else for your room?”

  She shook her head. “No. And thank you for the offer. Of the job, I mean.”

  No, thank you for showing up on my doorstep. “You’re welcome.”

  She slid off her stool. “Goodnight.”

  “Night.” He watched her unabashedly as she moved with light steps across the kitchen floor and into the hallway. So tiny and delicate looking, but he guessed that everything she’d shared with him was just the tip of a vast iceberg. One he intended to thaw, slowly and surely.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  ADEN SLIPPED ACROSS THE STONE bridge, leaving sleepy Ivydale behind. The two moons cast a faint light, but his enhanced vision allowed him to see just fine without it. His booted feet landed silently on the bridge, then padded along the main forest trail until he came to a dead oak.

  Turning off the path, he navigated a barely-there trail through thick brush. Sometimes climbing over downed logs, and sometimes detouring around clusters of thorn bushes, he made his way closer to his target.

  It had been too long since the Vipers had made an attack. One had to be imminent, but Aden’s scrying hadn’t revealed any activity.

  Time to do a little spying the old-fashioned way. Occasionally, he boosted his power by utilizing the same methods his kin did—acquiring an item that one of his targets had touched. Any object, from a belt buckle to a crossbow, would help.

  He covered the miles swiftly, a small disc-shaped amulet on a chain moving against his chest. It could mask his scent, allowing him to get close enough to undertake this task alone. He had to use it sparingly, as its use was limited to three times.

  Torth was dangerous at night, but he was fast and armed with three knives strapped to his body. He paused to take stock of his surroundings and spotted large feline paw prints. Panther. He chuckled. The big cats weren’t dangerous. Not to him.

  Drawing in a breath, he scented its telltale musk above and to his right. He looked up and into a pair of glowing yellow eyes.

  He glared at the creature. It studied him, nostrils flaring as it tried to catch his scent. A low growl rumbled from its throat but died down, as if the panther wasn’t sure if he was predator or prey.

  The animal blinked before Aden did. Being on higher ground, or limb, the cat was in the dominant position, but it must have decided it was better to not tangle with Aden. Huffing out a breath, it dropped to land on soundless paws and loped away.

  The cat’s eyes were striking, but it was a different pair of eyes that Aden couldn’t get out of his mind.

  Garnet’s bewitching eyes were painted on his frontal lobe. Both calm and relaxed as they’d talked earlier tonight, and haunted as she’d huddled on the kitchen floor at Stroehm. Their glittering depths spoke of loneliness, horrors endured, pain stuffed deep inside because no one cared about anyone else in that shit hole.

  And her son…the boy had been attached to Garnet at the hip every time Aden had seen him. The bond between them was obvious, shining bright and strong. Had it just been the two of them in captivity? Who in the hell was his father? And more important, why hadn’t he been helping his woman and son? Maybe he’d been killed in the chaos. Had Garnet loved another? Or been taken by force? The last thought enraged him.

  The dark pools of her eyes had held a fierce, proud love when she looked at her son. And that love told him volumes about her spirit. It told him that no matter what she’d gone through, there was a spark in her that hadn’t died, that still held onto hope. And that spark pulled him to her like a magnet.

  Aden leapt over a small stream, careful not to leave tracks in the soft earth, as questions continued to circle his mind. How long had she been at Stroehm? Would he get the chance to ask her? Would she ever reveal it? Maybe he could convince her to take the job in his kitchen. She was new in town—well, sort of—so she might need a job.

  He shook his head to clear it. All of that could come later. Against the dark sky, the twin watch towers at the front of the Viper’s hideout jutted like fangs.

  Aden paused behind a large elm tree as two Viper guards stalked back and forth. He had to admit, his enemy had picked a good spot. A natural cave that sloped back into a hill, it was easily accessed from the front. Hence, the two towers.

  He was sure there were small hidden openings at the back. Any species, predatory or peaceful, would be smart to have more than one egress. That’s what he was on the lookout for tonight.

  Navigating the brush, he circled wide around the encampment. He paused, every sense reaching for the enemy.

  An owl took flight above him, wings flapping and leaves rustling in its wake. Aden inhaled, scenting the forest’s nighttime fragrances of moonflowers, bats, and possums. And Vipers. But the scent of the snake headed demons carried on the wind, from the front of their hold. One may have passed by here hours ago, but not recently.

  And if one had passed, he may have dropped something. Aden scanned the grass in a methodical pattern, sweeping left to right, searching. He was almost at the sloping back of the rise. Come on. Snakeheads are not that careful.

  There! His focus snapped to a perfectly smooth stick that wasn’t just a stick. He bent to retrieve it and found one end jagged and the other filed smooth. Part of an arrow. Perfect.

  Sliding it into his pocket, he turned around. Three dark patches dotted the grass, spaced from the top of the hill back down. Exits, hidden by the decidedly non-magical means of shrubs, stood out to Aden’s experienced eye. Voices carried faintly on the night air, and he pinpointed their source to be the front entrance guards.

  He jogged to the nearest exit, a crude wooden door with a few bits of long weeds stuck to it. Crouching low, he paused and listened for any sign of life on the other side.

  Silence.

  He tugged on the door handle. Locked.

  Well, they weren’t as stupid as they were ugly, he’d give them that. He ran his fingers along the edge, looking for any possible latches or locks that might be breakable, when a speck of white caught his eye.

  He bit back a chuckle. A tooth. Long and pointed, it wasn’t one of the front fangs that held venom. How a creature lost a tooth out here, he didn’t know and didn’t care. With this and the broken arrow, he had enough to allow scrying on a more detailed level. Grabbing it, he straightened to leave.

  The twang of a bowstring echoed off the trees. A sharp hiss split the air and fire tore across his bicep.

  Motherfucker!

  Though the amulet masked his scent, it didn’t make him invisible. He whirled and saw four Vipers emerging from the side of the hill. As much as he liked a good brawl, his job was to spy. Keegan would want him to stay alive.

  Aden sprinted toward the tree line, clenching his teeth to hold in a yell. Though his wound was minor, his arm burned as if the skin were melting. The Vipers dipped their arrows in their venom, making wounds that hurt like a bitch and took longer than
usual to heal. Shouts echoed behind him. More arrows whizzed past his head.

  He ran in a crisscross pattern, looping around and back on his own trail to confuse them. Even with the scent amulet, he would take no chances. He wouldn’t lead them to Ivydale.

  The noise behind him faded and he paused to listen for any telltale sounds. Nothing.

  He climbed a nearby tree to watch and wait, just in case. He needed to make sure the Vipers had given up the chase.

  One by one, the nocturnal forest sounds returned. Owls hooted and large gypsy moths buzzed clumsily through the leaves of his tree. A red fox trotted by beneath him, tracking prey and seemingly oblivious to the demon high above.

  Garnet’s haunted smile popped, unbidden, into his mind. He had the sudden urge to make sure these Vipers stayed far away from Ivydale, not only to keep all its residents safe, but especially to keep Garnet safe. Whether she opened up to him or not, he knew she’d seen hardship. Stroehm was the definition of vicious. And damn him if he’d lead more of the same to her door.

  Standing in his bathroom at the inn, Aden scowled at the ugly red slash throbbing along his arm. He cleaned the wound, but nothing would stop the sting as his cells worked to force out the caustic venom. It would take twenty-four hours and that was only a minor amount of toxin. Fucking Vipers.

  He slapped a bandage over it and stalked to his office, where he pulled out the supplies he needed for his usual routine. Only this time, he’d be able to get a much more detailed picture, thanks to the objects he’d found near the Viper nest. Most Deserati needed to do this to get any kind of image related to the creature or place they wished to know about. For Aden, a personal object intensified his view a hundredfold.

  He waved a hand over the water and dropped the piece of broken arrow in first. The mist cleared to show him a group of guards meeting with what appeared to be a leader. Aden saw a similar arrow being flipped in the meaty hand of a guard, who bared his teeth at something that was said.

  Aden commanded the water to shift to the leader. Zooming in on his ugly scale-covered face, Aden read his lips. Sunday night. Cotton Creek.

  Shit. Cotton Creek was a settlement similar to Ivydale, about fifty miles to the east. The fae there specialized in harvesting cotton and spinning it into raw fiber. Like the plant pixies, they were peaceful. Motherfucking Vipers. What was the motive for these attacks?

  Aden cleared his scrying bowl and pulled out his gem phone. He dialed Keegan, who picked up on the first ring. “S’up, bro?”

  “The Vipers are going to attack Cotton Creek on Sunday night.”

  “That’s in two days. I have enough time to put a team on it. Nice work.”

  “I had enhanced help this time.” Aden went on to tell Keegan about his visit to the Viper’s home.

  Keegan let out a low whistle. “You should have brought Leif or Luke with you. You were way outnumbered.”

  “Fuck it, I was fine. I had the amulet. Still have one use left on it.”

  “Yeah, risk-taking isn’t as much fun if you end up dead. Next time, take backup. That’s an order.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Aden mumbled.

  “You get a cook yet? I heard your food tastes like shit.”

  “You wanna come over here and cook, dick? And who’s running their fucking mouth?”

  “Two guesses,” Keegan drawled.

  Aden scowled at the darkness beyond the window. His cousins. “Leif and Luke.”

  “Hey, they’re honest.” Keegan chuckled. “Anything would be better than your cooking.”

  “Damn straight. You get no argument from me.”

  “All right, Aden. I gotta go and assemble a team to block those fucking snakeheads. Keep in touch.” Keegan ended the call.

  CHAPTER SIX

  “WILL YOU COME IN WITH me?” Dash held Garnet’s hand tightly as they walked up the path to the school. The one story brick building had windows all around, and Garnet spied colorful construction paper shapes taped to the glass. The fall morning was filled with the happy shouts of children arriving early to play on the playground before the bell rang.

  “First, we’ll go to the office together. I’ll fill out some papers, then you’ll get to go to your classroom.” She knew Dash was excited about school—he’d never been to one—but also nervous. She’d worked with him at Stroehm, teaching him his alphabet and numbers when they’d had spare time at night. “I bet you’ll meet some nice friends here.”

  “Yeah.” He kicked a pebble, not sounding convinced.

  They reached the main doors and Garnet pulled open the heavy glass. Stepping inside, she marveled at how the school smelled exactly the same. Paper, glue, cleaning products, and the lunchroom. Some things never change.

  In the office, the secretary was young and cheerful, smiling when Garnet introduced herself and Dash. “Just fill this out.” She handed Garnet a clipboard with several forms.

  Garnet and Dash sat down. Dash swung his feet back and forth. Garnet stared down at the form. Address. Hmm. She’d have to list it as “Ivydale Inn,” at least for now. In a few minutes she was done.

  The secretary got up and rounded her desk. “I’ll show you to your classroom, Dash.”

  “Can my mom walk with us?”

  “Sure thing.” The woman led them past two rooms with pixie children slightly older than Dash, then stopped at the third door. “Here we are.” She motioned for the teacher to join them.

  Garnet knelt to give Dash a hug. “I love you.”

  His small arms wound around her neck. “I love you too. But I don’t want to leave you alone.”

  Garnet smiled and squeezed him tighter, her heart melting at his words and the sincerity in his voice. It had been her and Dash for six years. Together every single day.

  “I’ll be fine, sweetie.” She poured hope and reassurance into her voice. No child should have to worry over a parent. She hoped she’d shielded Dash from the worst of it, but kids were perceptive. He knew they hadn’t been in a good place. The wails and shrieks from the prison or the torture room had cemented that fact. Then there were the guards and their coarse language. And Draven himself. She suppressed a shudder. It’s in the past. “I’ll be right here in town with the other pixies all day. This is a safe place.”

  Dash pulled back a bit. “Are you sure?”

  The wary look on his face slayed her. “I’m one hundred percent sure. Everyone here is our friend. You and I will be so happy here.”

  Dash flung his arms around Garnet for one more tight hug as his teacher stepped into the hall with them. “Bye, Mom.”

  “Bye, nihjo.” She kissed his cheek. “Have fun today and listen to your teacher.” She stood and smiled at the woman, an older pixie whose hair was turning salt and pepper.

  She watched him walk into the room, her heart full. My baby’s in school. My old school, in my old hometown. A tiny spark of worry formed in her mind, wondering if any of the kids would be unkind once they learned of Dash’s background. But she pushed it aside. No sense worrying about something that might not happen, and she was sure that Dash would make friends. Safe, happy, living a quiet, peaceful life. This was what she wanted for him.

  Exiting the school she glanced up as the bell rang, pulling her from her thoughts and warming her heart even more. The pointed central tower of the roof housed an ancient brass bell. Its deep, majestic tones sounded exactly the same as when she was a child.

  A field stretched out behind the school, while the front faced a park that was close to the edge of town. The scent of earth being worked in the field pulled her, and she found herself itching to get her hands into the fertile ground of Ivydale.

  What should I do today? Maybe visit the orchards, which were closer than the far fields. Just in case she had to come back to school in a hurry. She didn’t expect Dash to have any trouble, but staying close would make her feel better. Garnet headed toward the main street, planning to pop in and say good morning to Pearl first.

  “Good morning, dear heart!”
the woman greeted her from where she stood behind her counter, refilling glass jars of licorice. “Where’s your little shadow?”

  “In school.” Garnet smiled, pride in her words.

  “Oh my goodness. You must be so proud.” Pearl beamed. “And a little emotional?”

  Garnet chuckled. “Maybe a little.”

  “He’ll do just fine. You don’t worry now, hear me?” Finished with the red licorice, Pearl moved on to the black.

  “Do any of the growers need an extra hand today?” Garnet asked.

  “Oh, well, let me think.” The older pixie set down her box of chewy, sugary ropes. “The apples are a week behind because of the drought we had. The peaches are almost all harvested. The berry fields are bursting, but I know for a fact they’re at full staff.” She tilted her head. “Why don’t you sit back and relax a bit?”

  “Okay. That doesn’t sound too bad. But you let me know if anyone needs a hand.” Garnet walked outside and rounded the corner, debating whether to peek into the school’s playground. She didn’t want to hover, but she couldn’t help it. Dash was usually at her side every second, and it felt strange not to have her little shadow, as Pearl had called him. She paused next to the store, listening to the happy yells coming from the direction of the school.

  “Garnet?”

  The deep voice startled her from her thought. She clapped a hand over her chest, turning.

  “Hey, I didn’t mean to startle you. Again.”

  Aden. She looked up into his handsome face. Steel gray eyes regarded her with a mix of concern and warmth. Her heart danced in her chest, not slowing down, but now it was due to his presence and not from being surprised. “That’s okay.” She smiled. “I was lost in my thoughts.”

  He glanced to Pearl’s shop. “Early morning sugar rush?”

  “Oh um, no. Just saying hi.” He probably wonders why I’m standing here like I’m lost. “I took Dash to school. It’s his first day.”

  “Ah.” He nodded. “He excited?”