Sweet Reckoning Read online

  No. I could not, would not, allow myself to think like that.

  Deep, quiet breathing. Silence all around.

  I pushed my supernatural hearing into Kaidan’s former house and searched around until I found him in his old room in the basement. I jumped at the sudden onslaught of ear-slamming music blaring from his sound system—his way of decompressing.

  Through the trees spilled bright headlights coming up the street. I held my breath, and my heart rate kicked into overtime as the car pulled into the long driveway. Kai must have been listening, too, because the music’s volume went down a small fraction.

  When the car’s headlights turned off, I could see nothing but the patch of trees separating me from the house. I had to rely solely on my extended hearing, which was my weakest sense, especially when I was nervous. I held the hilt in its case on my lap, ready to jump from the car and run to help Kaidan if necessary. With great concentration I kept my auditory sense surrounding Pharzuph, honing in on his footsteps.

  My heart quickened again as Pharzuph began making his way down the stairs to the basement. A blast of chords and drums hit my ears when Kaidan’s door was opened. I stretched my hearing wider to encompass both of them.

  “Shut this racket off,” Pharzuph demanded. As the music silenced, he muttered something about missing the days of wooing lovers with classical music and gentlemanly facades. I pictured him rubbing his temples like the drama king he was.

  Apparently even demon parents suffered from the generation gap.

  Kaidan’s voice sounded low and steady when he said, “Good to see you, Father. Excellent choice on your new host body.”

  “Yes, it was,” Pharzuph agreed. I heard the crinkle of a folded paper opening. “You sign the estate paperwork tomorrow?”

  “Yes, sir. In the morning.”

  “Here is my new account information. You’ll receive your own funds from the life insurance and inheritance. Everything else needs to be transferred to me. If a penny is missing, I will know it.”

  Kaidan’s voice sounded tight when he responded, “I understand.”

  “Good.” It sounded like Pharzuph took a deep, sniffing breath. “Smells like old lust in here. You were always a good worker.”

  My stomach turned.

  A surprised pause filled the air. “Thank you, Father.”

  “But things are not always as they appear, are they?” Pharzuph’s voice held a tone of challenging amusement.

  Oh, crap.

  “In what way?” Kaidan asked.

  “Something’s not right.” Pharzuph began to move in slow, but confident, steps. It sounded like he was circling Kaidan. I could imagine him prowling, trying to intimidate his grown son. “I haven’t been able to put my finger on it. Ever since that summit when the damned angels showed up, we’ve been watching the daughter of Belial.”

  Kaidan made a scoffing sound. “Her? No offense, Father, but I don’t see why an unremarkable Neph like the daughter of Belial would warrant such attention. I’ve worked with her. She’s excellent at her job, but on a personal level she’s rather . . . boring.”

  Ouch.

  “So you took no pleasure from your time with her?”

  “Oh, I took my pleasure. I also got out of there as quickly as I could. She’s got zero personality unless she’s wasted.”

  Double ouch. I knew he didn’t mean it, but the words still cut.

  Pharzuph chuckled. “I know being with her was a chore, but it was necessary. She’s somehow been able to fly under the radar. Now we know for sure that she’s a threat.”

  “A threat?” Kaidan laughed.

  “You think this is funny?” His voice seemed to get closer to Kai. “You think I have time to joke around?”

  “Of course not, but having spent a good bit of time with her, it seems preposterous. She cares about nothing except where she’ll find her next drink.”

  “Then she’s fooled you well.” Pharzuph’s voice turned deadly, making goose bumps sprout on my arms. “That boring Neph who you think’s so benign was caught being affectionate with her human mother-figure this morning. We sent five Legionnaires to get more information, and the girl took out four of the spirits! She’s a mercenary of heaven.”

  “Wha—? How is that possible?” Bravo, Kaidan—he sounded genuinely shocked and confused.

  Pharzuph seemed to hesitate, then said with reluctance, “She’s somehow able to wield a Sword of Righteousness. Only angels of light have been able to do that.”

  A beat passed before Kaidan said, “But . . . why would an angelic weapon allow her to use it? I’ve watched her lead souls astray, and I’ve banged her myself. She’s hardly angel material.”

  “I . . . we don’t know.” It was the first time I’d ever heard a Duke sound less than confident. Defeated, even.

  “Is it possible someone is trying to deceive all of you? Point you in the wrong direction? I mean, how do you know about the sword and the spirits she supposedly killed?”

  Kaidan sounded so convincing, and it seemed like his father was buying it.

  “One of them escaped.”

  “I hope that spirit isn’t misleading you.”

  “They’re too stupid to come up with something like that,” Pharzuph said. “Unless they’re being led by someone. But I haven’t seen a spirit that terrified since the Fall. We sent it down to Lord Lucifer for further questioning. He’ll get the truth out of it.”

  I shivered as Pharzuph kept talking.

  “We’ve got Legionnaires on the hunt for both her and her father. Belial’s been eluding us for a while now, so he’s definitely up to something.”

  “I see you’re keeping several whisperers with you to keep an eye out. That’s good.”

  “I’m not going to let that girl get in a sneak attack. The other Dukes and I are staying armed and ready. We’ll find her and hold an emergency summit to learn the truth and get rid of her once and for all, angels be damned.”

  “What can I do to help?” Kaidan asked.

  “Do you have her mobile number?”

  “No.”

  Pharzuph cursed. “Then search for her. If you find her, she becomes your prisoner and you’ll notify me immediately. Do whatever is necessary to keep her with you and get her to the location we choose for the summit. And most importantly, disarm her. Under no circumstances should she be allowed access to the Sword of Righteousness.”

  “Of course. I’ll begin immediately. I have a few ideas where she might be.”

  “Good.” His next words were spiked with coldness. “It’s in your best interest not to fail me in this endeavor. Do you understand?”

  I felt the chill between them from a quarter mile away.

  “I understand,” Kaidan said, his voice low and deadly.

  Finally, Pharzuph spoke again. “I’m going to Marissa’s tonight, and I leave in the morning. My new duty station will be in New York City, so it’s time for me to get settled there. Don’t waste any time getting to work on your task.”

  “Yes, sir, but . . . you’re going to Marissa’s, you say?”

  He sounded confused, and it took me a second to realize why. Marissa would have no idea who this young guy was. Her underground trade was highly secretive.

  Pharzuph chuckled. “Marissa is a special human. She knows about our kind. She’s expecting me, and can’t wait to get her claws into my new skin.”

  I nearly vomited.

  Kaidan cleared his throat. “She must be an exceptional woman if you’ve been able to trust her in such a way.”

  “Exceptional, yes. And I still expect you to be at her service if she calls on you, regardless of whether or not we live here.”

  “Of course, Father. Enjoy your evening. I’ll begin my search for the Neph straightaway.”

  “If you need to involve the son of Melchom to help you, then do that. He has a lot of resources at his disposal on the West Coast.”

  Blake. Oh, he would be involved, all right.

  “Brillian
t idea,” Kaidan said.

  Nothing else was spoken. Just the sound of footsteps as they both walked from the room, up the stairs, and out the door. Pharzuph started his car and drove away.

  I let out a silent breath, and I rolled the conversation around in my head, pondering all I’d learned and feeling proud of Kaidan.

  Mercenary of heaven. Was that really how they saw me? A dangerous demon assassin? Actually, I kind of liked that image. I was determined to find a way to secure our safe futures. If only I felt like a merciless assassin.

  Nerves zapped inside me. Kaidan couldn’t keep the demons waiting. They’d be expecting him to bring me in soon so they could “deal with me.” This was huge and it was happening so fast. I had no idea how we’d fight so many of them. Would more allies rise up at the sound of our battle cry? If not, we were throwing ourselves into the mouths of the lions with the sheer hope that we’d be able to keep their jaws from clamping shut. I’d been saved by a miracle once before, but it didn’t feel feasible to wish for that fate again. This time it had to be us. We had to fight.

  UNCORRECTED E-PROOF—NOT FOR SALE

  HarperCollins Publishers

  ..................................................................

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  STRATEGIZING

  Pharzuph had been gone ten minutes before I saw Kaidan’s headlights pull out of the darkened driveway. I followed, keeping distance between us. I wondered about Patti and Jay—where they’d gone and how they were. The image of Patti half possessed made everything churn inside me. I had made Jay swear that if he saw something like that happening again he would call me immediately. We may have been separated by states, but I would get there.

  We’d been driving for half an hour. I watched Kai’s taillights in silence, and just as I began wondering where he was taking us, he exited for Lookout Point.

  Wow. I had to shake my head. He was leading me to the very place his father had ordered him to take me two years ago to begin my “training.”

  Two cars were parked at the top of the peak with space between them. The interiors were dark, but I was willing to bet they were occupied. Kai and I parked next to each other and we both got out and stood without speaking. The stars shone bright above us. Crickets serenaded from all around. Kaidan walked to my car and opened the back door, signaling me to get in. I came around the car and stood as he held the door open, giving me a look.

  “What are we doing here?” I asked, half teasingly.

  His face was serious. “We’re going to talk strategy.”

  I bit my bottom lip and tried to look equally serious. “It’s a little snug back there for strategizing,” I warned.

  When he still didn’t smile or take the opportunity to make one of his infamous innuendoes, I ducked into the car and he followed. I turned to face him and we stared at each other for a long time. Our circumstances were dire, and his mood reflected it.

  “So,” I said quietly. “Am I your prisoner now?”

  My words did not have the desired effect. His face only tightened, so I reached up to push hair from his eyes.

  “Kai . . .”

  “We don’t have to do this.” He spoke with sudden urgency. “You can stay hidden, like Zania.”

  My heart broke to see his fear for me and hear it in his voice. As much as I wished I could ease his mind, there was no escaping the truth of our situation.

  “I can’t hide forever. And what would that mean for you? Your father will expect you to be working. Marissa will be calling you.”

  He gave a light shudder. “I’ll go into hiding with you.”

  “That’s no way to live.”

  “Are you truly not afraid?” He searched my eyes. “At all?”

  “Of course I am,” I admitted. “Mostly because I don’t know how it’ll go down. I don’t know how to face the Dukes. But the chain of events has started, and we can’t stop it.”

  “We can try.” In the moonlight his eyes shone with the passion of his words.

  I shook my head, feeling torn. I was scared, and I didn’t know if I was ready for this monumental, mysterious task, but I needed Kaidan’s support in order to come to a sense of peace about it.

  His voice was hard. Adamant. “I finally have you, Anna.”

  “And every second we’ve had together is a blessing I never thought we’d get.”

  I ran my hands across his strong shoulders and dug my fingers in a little. Nothing I said was helping. I didn’t have the words to take away his anxieties. Or mine. So instead I kissed him.

  My hands grasped the back of his neck, moving up through his hair as his mouth worked mine with a dizzying desperation.

  He groaned a masculine sound against my mouth and said, “God, Anna.” But there was so much more than lust in those words. The despairing grip of his hands on me said it all.

  I could only whimper in response, causing his arms to tighten around me.

  “What will I do?” He sounded in pain. “I can’t lose you.”

  “Stop thinking that way. I can’t fight them if you’re not on board, Kai.”

  He looked at me, his forehead creased. I knew he was feeling selfish, wanting to keep me and keep our bubble of joy as long as we could, knowing it couldn’t last. I knew he wanted to support me, and that he would when it came down to it. But right now he couldn’t own it.

  I tugged his face to mine and spoke against his lips. “You haven’t lost me, Kai. I’m right here with you. Hold me.”

  He buried his face in my neck and did just as I asked, pulling me close and not letting go.

  That night we cuddled in the backseat under a blanket—Kai leaning against the door and my back against his chest. His arms moved around my waist and I linked our fingers. The other cars eventually left. We stared out at the stars for a long time, both lost in thought.

  I whispered, “The first time I came to Lookout Point—”

  His fingers tightened around mine, almost painfully.

  “Not with a guy!” I clarified, wanting to laugh as his grip loosened. “It was the day I got the postcard from you after the summit.” Again I felt his whole body tense, maybe with guilt about how things had played out back then. I kept going. “I knew I had to let you go, and I knew there was something bigger coming.” I turned, angling myself enough to look into his haunted eyes. “I never thought we’d get this time together. We’re so lucky.”

  I unclasped one of our hands so I could reach up and stroke his face. He closed his eyes, the troubled tension never leaving his features.

  “Kaidan, if anything happens to me—”

  His eyes flew open and he yanked me closer. “Don’t. Don’t you dare finish that sentence. Nothing is going to happen to you.”

  I swallowed hard. We both knew that might not be the case.

  His eyes seemed to burn in the reflected moonlight, impassioned.

  “If we both, you know, end up down there . . .” I cleared my throat. “In hell. We can make it through together. We’ll keep each other strong until it’s time for our judgment.”

  He said nothing, and from the corner of my eye I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

  “I’ll never leave your side,” he whispered. “I swear it.”

  I sighed, and snuggled down against his chest. In his arms I felt secure and stronger as the threads of our love twined together like a sturdy rope for us to hold tight to.

  May we never let go.

  A shift of the light woke me hours later and I opened my eyes to the rays of a pink-tinged sunrise. We were scrunched in the seat, half sitting, half lying. My heart softened at the sight of Kaidan’s sweet sleeping face with long waves of hair lying against his skin. He appeared gentle and innocent. At peace.

  We must have both been exhausted last night. I couldn’t recall falling asleep, but now a spike of fear pierced me at the thought of being seen together like this. I hated to wake Kai, but when I tried to sit up he sucked in a ragged breath and jolted upwar
d, pulling me to his chest and searching around us.

  “It’s okay,” I said.

  He let out the breath and leaned back.

  “We shouldn’t have slept like that last night,” I said, reaching into my purse for a mint.

  “Yeah.” He cracked his neck, which probably had a kink from how he’d slept. “Not our best idea.”

  “They could have caught us.” What were we thinking? Whisperers were out hunting for me, and we fell asleep snuggling in public? How stupid!

  Kaidan’s face hardened and he stared out of the window, giving a shrug. I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I mimicked his shrug.

  “You’re intent on being turned in anyhow.”

  “Yes, but on our terms. And I’m the only one getting turned in, not you. They have to trust you.”

  He continued to stare out at the great expanse past the cliff’s edge. I knew he didn’t like the idea of me being in danger “alone,” and he hated pretending to be against me, but he was more valuable as an ally if Pharzuph trusted him.

  I reached for his knee, needing to comfort him and make him see the importance of his role, but he shifted and my hand landed inside his thigh. I pulled away, but it was too late. His red badge expanded then snapped back to its normal size and began to throb. His head lowered and his blazing blue eyes rose to mine.

  “Maybe we should take a break from talking,” he said in a low voice.

  The breath I’d been inhaling got stuck.

  Bad, bad, dangerous boy.

  “We can’t.” I tried to sound strong, but then he licked his bottom lip and flicked his hair aside, and a burst of citrusy pheromones filled the car. My eyes fluttered a little, and I cursed my weakness for him. “Kai, don’t. We seriously can’t be caught in any compromising . . . you know . . .”

  “Positions?” He sported a devilish half grin.

  Yeah. That.

  His hot hand reached for my hip, but I pushed the car door open and jumped out. The air was warm outside and already muggy, but when I felt him come up behind me I shivered with desire. I spun to face him, stepping back.