EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2017 Serenity Snow

ISBN: 978-1-77339-416-9

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: CA Clauson

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

TAKEN BY THE WIND

Windswept, 1

Serenity Snow

Copyright © 2017

Prologue

The curtains of a large bedroom were tied back allowing the silver glow of moon to wash over the small round stone table. There was a pentacle carved into its center and runes around its edges. Votive candles languished in the glass holders while incense smoldered in a soapstone burner.

Juliet Hart stood before the altar, a small gold heart charm between her fingers, while to her right, lay the bracelet that the charm would be placed on, and a double-edged knife glinting in the light.

“I invite love into my life and embrace it with my whole heart.”

She chanted and the words flowed into a melodious sound for the next two minutes and energy rose in a powerful wave forming a thick pink fog around her. Her aura turned rhubarb pink with green around the edges and faint black veins as her magick emerged in full force.

She put the heart charm aside and picked up the knife. Juliet pricked her finger and let a drop of blood fall into the pink candle’s wax before putting the knife aside.

She lifted the heart, her blood dampening the metal as she held it in her hand.

“I conjure my forever love by the moon’s radiant light.” She held the charm up so the moonlight washed over it.

The charm glowed as if engulfed by pink flames, but the metal didn’t scorch. The blood burned away and she held the charm for a moment feeling the power thrumming through it.

She thanked Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, and released the guardians called to protect and guard during the ritual. Then she picked up the bracelet to put the charm on it. Juliet stroked the charm feeling light inside.

With a smile, she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist next to the gold one with the gold hearts in a circle with the watermelon tourmaline center. The stone had one red tourmaline crystal on either side and had been in her family since the middle ages, a gift from a goddess of war and air.

She traced the stones and a soft wind brushed her face like a caress. That always happened when she touched the stones and it made her ache for a love so passionate it burned. She assumed it was an echo from the past and thought the woman who’d had that had been lucky. She was still looking for her princess charming.

However, the stones weren’t just the symbol of a love she aspired to. They were a portend of the power she would gain, the woman she would become once she fully connected with the stones’ energy. And then, she might find the love of her life.

Chapter One

The next day…

“I can’t do it, not one more time,” Juliet muttered as she glared and turned her gaze out the picture window of Alistair’s Deli. Her fingers clenched on the table as she thought of the injustice of the situation. And it wasn’t just this weekend.

It was her job.

She worked for her mother who owned a very lucrative wedding planning business, and Juliet got to watch so many brides-to-be flit in and out gushing about how happy they were. She’d thought she’d have her own love by now, but the fact that she didn’t was why she’d cast the spell last night.

“Calm down, Juliet,” Callie said with a thread of amusement making her tone light.

She glanced at her best-friend Callie whose normally black hair was auburn this month, the shoulder length locks straight as a poker today. She envied Callie her confidence and nonchalance. She was never ruffled by anything, especially not Beltane and the weekend events both their parents always threw.

The romance-themed fundraiser always brought in lots of money for Ivory, the women and children’s shelter Callie’s mother had opened seven years ago. Both their mothers demanded their appearance and participation from that Friday morning’s breakfast at the country club to Sunday evening’s ball.

“It’s for a good cause and it’s usually fun,” Callie said, giving her a smile. “I hear this year your mother is auctioning off a wedding dress complete with bridesmaid dresses.”

The designer was internationally famous for her wedding dresses, but no one had ever seen the designer’s face. Still, every single woman in America would probably buy a ticket to the Saturday afternoon auction. She was glad she wouldn’t be in charge of it. Her mother only assigned her to handle the Friday luncheon with its giveaways of lingerie, spa packages, and the honeymoon trip to Paris.

Most of the prizes were paid for by other witch-owned businesses.

“Along with us?” Juliet demanded darkly. Her mother always did the obligatory human auction on Saturday nights.

Callie laughed. “My mom has some hot bachelors lined up, so women aren’t on the block this year.” Callie gave her an amused look and patted her hand. “I’ll fix you up with someone,” Callie told her with a serene smile as she reached for her peaches-and-cream smoothie.

“No.” Juliet tapped her foot on the bar of the stool she was perched on. She pushed the straw around in her drink. “Maybe I’m just a romantic.”

“Or an idiot,” Callie said giving her an arch look. “I fixed you up with a man most women would kill to have look her way, and what did you do?” She winced and Callie pursed her lips. “Exactly. You screwed it up.”

“He wasn’t my type,” Juliet complained, poking her lip out. None of them were ever her type not that there was anything wrong with any of the men. They’d all have been perfect if she was straight.

“Who is? I’m tired of explaining that you’re just picky, girl. And I don’t know how many more men’s delicate egos I can put at risk for you to bruise. But I’m willing to do it all one more time.”

Juliet rolled her eyes. “How kind of you,” she drawled dryly as she met her friend’s gaze again. “But I don’t need help.”

“Yes, you do, unless you’re planning on getting a sex change,” she informed her with a grin. “All the good ones will be taken by the time you get your head on straight.”

She groaned. “You sound like my mother.” Her mother was always on her case about finding a man—no, a male witch with whom she could produce an heir.

“In this case, I’ll take that as a compliment.” Callie grinned. “Anyway, you’re an only child. Your mother expects you to produce at least one heir”

“I know this, Cal,” she muttered. “You’re just so lucky not to have all this pressure on you.”

“Then start seriously looking for someone,” Callie told her. “You don’t have to get hand-fasted right away.” She turned her attention to her phone as it vibrated and danced on the table.

Juliet blew out a frustrated sigh as her gaze fell on a patron sitting two tables away. Lounging lazily in a chair that faced the door, the light brown-skinned woman’s head was down-bent as she studied something on the round table. The short hair shone coal beneath the artificial lights and the curly strands fell to mid-ear length.

Then she looked up and her hair seemed to ripple around her face as if a light breeze were blowing it. Their eyes met, held. Juliet’s heart stopped beating and for a moment they were the only two people in the room.

No, they were outside in a wood. To their right, a brook babbled and a soft wind rustled leaves and wiggled vines. The fresh air was faintly scented by the recently cut grass and water violets.

Juliet had a crown of flowers on her head and her lover leaned back against a thick trunk of oak. The love in her eyes made her breath catch and her mouth dry up.

The wind ran a hand through the shoulder length black curls just as she ached to do and the fine strands of pale gray shimmered. Those beautiful eyes smiled at her, and Juliet’s heart beat faster even as the corners of her mouth lifted in response.

It was nice to have her lover home again, but it hurt that she couldn’t tell anyone how happy this woman made her.

Even though she wasn’t married, there was no one she could tell of this forbidden passion. A woman was meant to love a man, but no man had touched her heart with true love as this woman of the wind had done.

“But seriously, do you even want a man?”

Callie’s voice roused her from the reverie or was it a memory?

It felt like a forgotten part of her, and she ached to know that woman who’d so captured her heart so long ago.

Men, no, but romance certainly. She wanted a lover who made her hot when she said her name, set her on fire when she looked at her, and made her feel satisfied when she thought of her. “I want excitement,” she murmured as she stared at the stranger.

As if she’d heard her reply, the other patron’s lips curved into a slow smile, starting Juliet’s pulse pounding and heating her skin to a living flame. Then the woman winked at her. She tingled and her fingers went to her throat of their own volition.

“Then stop being so damned hard to get.”

Juliet dragged her gaze to Callie.

Callie wiggled her brows and leaned toward Juliet. “I’m going to find you a wizard so hot he’s going to make you see sparks.”

She grinned. Just make that a witch and they were good to go. “Not going to happen.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s gonna happen. You just need to be open to love,” Callie told her and turned her attention back to her phone’s virtual keyboard. “And you better or you know your mother isn’t going to let you take over the business. She doesn’t think you’re stable without emotional ties, and I mean that in the sense that you have no roots, no reason to not take off on a whim.”

“I’ve been showing no signs of taking off,” Juliet muttered.

“But still, you can’t change how she feels, so just date someone,” she murmured.

Juliet slowly turned her head back and the gorgeous woman was still watching her. Even from this distance she felt the flame in eyes that seemed the color of the sky in the light. Her stomach knotted and there was an ache in her chest that forced her breathing to come out uneven.

And Juliet dropped her gaze unable to bear the heat making her nipples peak. A silver tie was a safe point of focus. It was knotted beneath the collar of a cobalt blue blouse that looked expensive.

Meeting her eyes again, almost tentatively, Juliet was caught in her stare, paralyzed by it. She flushed and her skin tingled beneath her bracelets as a light breeze circled her, brushed against her cheek, and then drifted away.

Her lips parted and a puff of air escaped as her heart beat faster.

The woman’s brows flicked up before she lowered her gaze to whatever it was on the table she was studying.

Juliet stabilized her uneven breathing as she ate the other woman up with her eyes. Damn, but she’d love to be her primary focus, the need she couldn’t sate, the sight she couldn’t get enough of.

It had been more than five months since she’d last been with a woman, last been left well-enjoyed and satisfied, though wanting more.

Something had been missing from her last relationship—heat—and that was already flickering in her belly just from making eye contact.

Juliet’s phone rang, and she jumped guiltily. Glancing down at it, she saw that it was her mother and groaned inwardly. “Hello?” she answered quietly.

“Juliet, I need you back at the office now,” her mother said firmly. “We have a problem.”

“What kind of problem? Is it the lawyer?” Surely that cow hadn’t changed her mind about something again!

“I have a problem with the designer who’s doing the dress for the giveaway. She backed out.”

“What do you want me to do about it?” she asked confused.

It had been her idea to engage a famous designer to do the dress this year, but her mother had no idea thanks to her cousin, Alice. Juliet had thought it would bring in more money for the shelter and the kids programs the shelter wanted to provide to the women who came to them for help.

“Juliet, just get your butt back to the shop now,” Samantha ordered.

“I’m on my way, Mom,” she said and ended the call. “I have to go, work calls.”

Callie got to her feet. “I’ve got to get back, too. I’ll call you later, and we’ll go out.”

“I’ll likely be working or too tired,” Juliet said and barely kept from wincing from the lie. She was going to a club Callie wouldn’t be caught dead in.

The spell couldn’t work if she didn’t do something to help it along, now could it? And going to a straight bar wasn’t going to cut it.

“Okay,” Callie answered and headed for the door.

Juliet got to her feet and took her cup to the trash. There, she sneaked a glance back to the object of her hunger.

Their eyes met again, and Juliet realized she’d seen her before. They’d never met, and she didn’t know her name. However, she’d glimpsed her at the country club and always with another woman. Men speculated she was her lover since she never came with a man.

“Coming, Juliet?” Callie called, as she pushed sunglasses up on her nose.

Wouldn’t that be the icing on the cake if she were a good witch?

The woman gave her a nod and Juliet smiled faintly before following Callie from the deli. She took with her the knowledge that the chances of them doing anything other than having a brief conversation at the club were about the same as a snowball’s chance in the Christian hell.

Chapter Two

He continued to study the neatly manicured lawns of the company’s grounds from his office, hands in his pockets as he ignored the knock at his office door. He loved the afternoon when the sun was at its most potent. It reminded him of a demon at his peak, but unlike the fading sun, a demon wasn’t supposed to fade as the day came to a close.

He raked his fingers through his neatly coiffed hair and considered his own plans and the lengths he’d gone to at reinventing himself, or rather, creating this man people thought he was and the coven Whiteall.

The coven was a façade of civility and respectability that had opened the doors of the most powerful families in this state to him and his dark brood. No one knew he and his inner circle were pure demons not even the dark breeds he’d brought into the coven to serve him.

“Voltaire?”

The underworld was his to rule, but he hadn’t counted on the good witches’ contrivance of the Joint Witch’s Congress which would tie evil’s hands in the end. Tie his hands.

“Come in, Tucker,” he called. The door slid open, but he didn’t turn. “Is everything okay? Why didn’t you answer right away?”

He wanted total control of the underworld. Only when he had it could he exact the revenge on those who’d slaughtered his family and forced him to slink away like a school girl with his tail between his legs. The defeat he could overcome, but the devastation those witches had wrought was unforgivable.

“What brings you here when you should be working?”

“I was working,” Tucker told him, a chill in his tone.

Voltaire faced the half-human, half-demon then and looked him over carefully, in his tailored suit, brown eyes snapping with irritation. He despised the incubi breed, referred to as dark ones. They were at the bottom of the demon barrel and wanted control of the underworld, but if they couldn’t seize it, they wanted to be in favor with the underworld’s leader.

Behind Tucker was Necron, his second in command, a pure demon who’d taken a more human name and appearance as he had. The purpose wasn’t just to appear more human, but to hide in plain sight.

“Yes, I can see how hard you are going at it.”

Tucker sneered at him showing him the contempt went both ways, and he had no doubt Tucker had an agenda of his own. The incubus would knife him in the back the first chance he got. However, he was proving more than useful—that’s why Voltaire kept him around.

“We’ve encountered a problem,” Tucker told him coolly.

“Other than you looking shiftless?” Voltaire mocked. Tucker would knife him in the back whenever the chance arose, but he tolerated him because Tucker was just one of his pawns in this game.

Tucker strolled to the window as if to see what Voltaire had been studying. “Obviously or we wouldn’t be here,” Tucker replied, turning his head to meet Voltaire’s gaze.

“Do tell,” he invited coldly. He turned his gaze on Necron whose blue eyes held a glint of humor.

“The stones aren’t in her possession,” Necron told him. “And from what I’ve learned they’ve never been.”

“Fuck,” he muttered with a grimace. That threw his immediate plans of easily gaining control of the book and the spells inside it that he needed.

The stones had been bequeathed to humans by the aurai, as the wind nymphs were called. Gaining possession of the wind stones would give him centuries of knowledge of magick, witches, and demons that would allow him to break his enemies.

“And the bracelet that contains the stones is always on Juliet’s person,” Necron told them and then cursed as his phone rang. He tugged it from its holster at his hip. “Speak of the good witch. I’ll take this in my office, but we’ll talk later Volt.”

“Right,” he said, watching Necron leave.

That witch and her daughter had to be killed because they were part of the legacy of the aurai. The daughter would one day become a champion for balance between good and evil, and a threat to him just as her great-grandmother had been.

“Then, we’ll capture her and take the bracelet,” Voltaire replied turning his attention to Tucker. “Your influence with the girl’s closest friend should afford us information on her weaknesses, her strengths, and her dreams.”

“I’m working Callie, but pushing too hard for no reason would only create suspicion,” he said. “However, I’ve managed to win over others of her family who’ll be good allies against Silken Cord in the end.”

Silken Cord Coven was an old coven built on the blood of powerful women. They were feared and respected. Their leadership had dealt the head of the underworld a humiliating and crippling loss a hundred and ten years ago. The demonic world still hadn’t fully recovered from it in terms of manpower.

“We still have one problem you’re not factoring into all of this.”

Voltaire went cold, brows lifting contemptuously. “And what do you think I’ve left out?”

“The aurai,” Tucker replied patiently. “Some of them still exist and one of them is bound to play a part in the prophesy.”

“What are you talking about, Tucker?” he demanded, frowning. He hadn’t heard of any prophesy concerning the once powerful race he and his grandfather had helped drive into obscurity.

“The seer told me the cards portend the rising of the aurai like the phoenix from its ashes and even the Witch’s Congress is concerned about that happening. If they rise, they might seek revenge on the witches who brought about their downfall, good and evil.”

The right word in the right ear had turned the good witches and wizards against the aurai and their consorts, the Knights. The Witch’s Congress, with the help of the dark Congress, had systematically exterminated those who’d help them cripple the Dark Congress.

The factions of the underworld were still greatly divided. Not only that, their leader was believed to have been stripped of part of his power leaving him weaker than those he ruled due to the tenacity of the aurai.

“I know some of them exist, but their numbers aren’t large enough to fear.” He didn’t fear the aurai he knew hid. He was looking forward to drawing them out and killing them.

“The stones aren’t removable from Juliet. She has to willingly give them,” Tucker told him. “This has to be done during Mid-Summer as the stones’ energies are attuned to the south wind which rules fire and passion among other things.”

This was another thing he hadn’t planned on, but it this was just another reason he tolerated Tucker. Tucker was able to get close to humans which allowed him to gain information he might otherwise not be able to.

“Wind is about logic, but the holders are human still. Their trigger is partially emotional. She has to be made to believe she’s in love, to trust the man she gives the stone to.”

That was just like a good witch to connect so much to love, but they were so infantile in their belief of good winning out over dark.

“This will have to be done very carefully,” he said. “Trust and love aren’t easy to evoke.”

“True, but we aren’t just the sexual creatures who feed off the sexual energy of women,” Tucker reminded him. “We have the power to seduce and the ability to twist both emotion and the mind.”

Voltaire smiled. Those the incubi and succubae fed from and fucked, often became addicted to them and would do anything to have them in their beds again.

He coveted that kind of control over humans, but he didn’t regret not having it. He’d merely learned well how to use those who did.

“We can use a spell to nudge her in the right direction,” Tucker replied with a half-smile. “All we need is a lock of hair, blood or something that belongs to her to ensure the attraction spell is powerful enough to overcome any and all resistance on her part.”

“Blood would be best,” Voltaire murmured rubbing his hands together. Blood magick was very potent.

“I agree, so she’ll have to be attacked.”

“Have Carrel follow her and obtain what we need tonight. I want that potion ready for the first date, and alert Morgan that he’s getting the call to romance her.”

Tucker gave him a grin. “I’ve already put Carrel to work. I figure none of them would be suspicious of a woman.”

He nodded curtly. The women of Silken Cord were strong, but their defeat along with any aurai that came to their aid would be quick and humiliating.

Chapter Three

The crowd at the Sand Bar and Grill was thinner than usual, but a good number of patrons filled the tables on both levels. The old brick building with its worn dark-wood floors was rather nice with reasonable prices. The atmosphere was warm and cozy with soft light drifting around the spacious floors that opened onto a wide patio on each level.

“Have you heard about the recent deaths?” Andi Brees asked in low tones.

Aria Brees took a sip of her whiskey and savored the burn as she glanced to the woman who was a sister for all intents and purposes. Her pale blue-gray eyes were filled with concern that annoyed Aria.

“Witches are dying. It’s hard to miss, but that is the Witch’s Congress’ problem.”

The Witch’s Congress had betrayed the aurai and the Knights more than two centuries ago. The Knights had been half-human sorcerers while the aurai had been wind nymphs with telepathic abilities as well as the ability to control the winds and storms. The aurai were the human embodiment of the air and storms.

“We might not have a choice,” Andi told her with a shrug. “What’s going on is something we’ve seen before.”

“Forget it, Andi,” she ordered. They had been friends for almost two centuries. They’d come of age during the darkest times of their race when witch civil war raged quietly behind the scenes of normal human life.

Their race had been tricked and executed, but some had escaped, hidden. They’d quietly lived, regaining their strength and isolating themselves once again from humans.

Andi glared at her. “I know why you don’t want us to get involved, but we can’t continue to do nothing.”

She wouldn’t get involved in a war between good and dark witches. “Do as you will,” Aria retorted as her eyes fell on the dance floor again.

Ginger hair cascaded down delicate shoulders to curl on the ends. The bow mouth in the heart-shaped face was pulled into an enticing grin.

Gaze traveling down, Aria found a curvy little body with a short skirt swirled around her legs and hugging her hips. The cute little top was a delicate feminine-looking fabric of pink that made her skin glow.

She was the woman from the deli, who’d been coming onto her in a very non-vocal way.

Aria had seen Juliet several times at the club and been inexplicably drawn to her, but she hadn’t dared approach. She was a witch’s daughter and she had no interest in getting involved with a witch.

That minor fact aside, Aria was surprised to see Juliet here, considering the girl was either with her mother and cousin at the club or on the arm of a man. It was always a different one, so Juliet was either promiscuous, hard to please, or gay and trying to be straight to avoid the displeasure of her mother.

The only way to find out was to make a move.

The woman dancing with the intriguing hottie, was Carrel. Aria had designed a dress for her a few years ago. She smelled succubae. The breed had an enticing musk smell. The dark ones weren’t all bad, but she trusted none of them.

However, it was Carrel’s fingers stroking the gingered-haired woman’s small hip that snagged her attention. The contact, the body language, sent out the clear impression the other woman thought she was getting lucky tonight.

The air gusted fast and hard through her mind in protest, eager to lash out, but Aria soothed it with a firm reprimand. The air was like an animal, it was a part of her nature that could be vicious or kind as any creature.

“I really need to blow off some steam,” Andi murmured. “But I need to get to work on that sculpture. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Aria forced herself to look away when what she really wanted was to be alone with the red-head, getting to know her body better.

“Not unless you mean after work,” she murmured. “I’ve got to finish up my new collection.”

Andi rolled her eyes. “We’re both all about the work these days.” She sighed regretfully. “We’ll do lunch.”

“Wonderful.” Aria flashed a brief smile and Andi returned it, but she saw the anger burning in her friend’s stare before she left.

They’d been through so much at the hands of the Witch’s Congress all in the name of excising the impure—the offspring of the Knights and aurai, from their race. Aria had no plans to become a slave to a people that meant her no good no matter if they were dying at the hands of the dark breed.

The song ended and Aria found and tracked the hot little number back to a table across the room with her eyes. Carrel was nowhere in sight, and Aria hoped she’d found someone else to hold her attention because Juliet was hers.

Aria got up, deciding there was no need to waste time when hers was of a premium these days.

****

Juliet saw her prowling toward her, weaving through the crowd of dancers now heading for the bar or tables. The music had been replaced by the murmur of voices and laughter—a little too loud—filled the room.

Juliet’s throat was suddenly parched, and her bracelet warmed her skin while her body tingled. That single look across the room had had her stomach pulling taut and her heart beating fast. But Juliet didn’t move from her table where she sat, skin flushing.

That heat was there again, urging her toward it like the sun pulling her into its gravitational orbit. She almost left but averted her gaze to break the intense connection, tangling her shaking hands in the soft folds of her skirt.

“Hi.”

Juliet turned her head to meet a pair of pale blue-gray eyes flecked with green. She leaned forward, her skin warm, her clothes suddenly too confining.

Her lips parted to speak, but no sound came out as she refocused, taking her eyes from those beautiful eyes threatening to consume her to land on the royal blue splash of color beneath the black quarter length sleeve blouse. The top three buttons had been left open and a silver disc resting just below the hollow of her throat drew Juliet’s attention.

“Can I buy you a drink?” Her voice was low and intimate as if she’d known her for years and this was a night out for them.

Juliet shivered and cleared her throat as she tore her gaze from the disc with its intriguing flower and runic inscription. No, it wasn’t a flower it was a quadquetra.

She had seen it somewhere before with a pink and green center with black veins making up the symbol and its circle.

“Sure.”

“I’m Aria.” She signaled the waitress and then held out her hand.

“Juliet.” Juliet took her hand and fire sparked on her fingers to course through her hand. She was thrown back in time to a room in which she sat on a large bed with gold curtains on either side and a roaring fire just to her left.

Her eyes beheld those of a woman with russet skin and a fall of thick black hair. Her pale gray eyes glowed as if backlit.

“But my husband—”

“He will die in battle in Crecy, but I’ll see you again in ten days,” Haven told her quickly.

“What if I want to see you before then?” she asked, an ache of longing in her soul already.

“My love, I can’t return before. Even we demigods have demands on our time.” She grinned and caressed her cheek. Eliza turned her head into her touch, her chest clenching from the tenderness of it. “Here. Just think of me when you look at this.”

Eliza held out her hand and Haven placed something in it. Looking down, her gaze was ensnared by the gold flower broach with green and pink stones. They seemed like tiny blooms winking up at her.

“The stones are formed from the salt and water of tears I shed when I am away from you. Wear them close to your heart, and they will confer great power upon you. Powers of heart fire.”

“It’s so beautiful,” Eliza looked up at her. “What does that mean, heart fire?”

Haven grinned and pointed to Eliza’s bare arm. “Look.”

“Hearts in a circle?” she mused and touched the symbol drawn into the skin in black with the center being the same as the watermelon-colored stone.

“The fire of our joined hearts,” Haven murmured. “Mine protecting you forevermore to ensure you will never be seduced away from me by any.” Haven kissed her softly and Eliza sank into her, wishing for her return already. “I must go, but I will always come back to you, my love.”

Eliza watched Haven retreat from the bed of tangled sheets with love in her eyes. “I’ll await your return impatiently,” she murmured. Just as she always did.

Eliza hated this war and all the death of good witches it brought with it. On the other hand, at least it would be good for ending her loveless marriage.

Chapter Four

“Are you okay?” Aria’s voice was a sexy throb that pulled Juliet forcefully from the vision.

She blinked. Aria was in front of her stool, leaning in close, so close their lips almost touched.

How had she gotten turned this way?

Putting two fingers to her temple, Juliet shook her head, trying to shake away the confusion. “I—y-yes.” She rubbed her forehead.

“Maybe we should dance instead of having that drink,” Aria teased. “How many have you had?”

The words registered as clear as the fact that all she wanted was a taste of the curve of Aria’s mouth. Her lips were so close and looked so—

“What would you ladies like?” the waitress asked giving them each a smile.

“We’ll get back to you when we’re ready,” Aria told her.

“Okay, yeah.” She sashayed away and the music started up again.

“How about that dance?” Aria asked in that low tone of hers that was all sexiness.

The song that drifted through the speakers was one of Juliet’s favorites. “I love this song,” she said more to cover her awkwardness than anything else.

Aria’s eyes gleamed, seeming to glow in the dimness of the club. “Shall we?” She held a hand out to her and Juliet took it sliding to the floor.

Aria’s gaze slid slowly down her body, making her feel as if she was undressing her with her eyes. Carrel, the woman she’d been dancing with had been giving her that look, too, but Aria made her hot rather than leaving her cold.

Juliet led the way to the spacious dance floor and the crowd parted for them. Several pairs of eyes were drawn to Aria just the way Juliet’s were. Aria moved with easy grace and blatant sensuality.

The tune, slow and catchy, poured through the speakers. The female singer crooned out a melody about bad girls and love that never lasted. The beat snaked through Juliet’s system, heightening her senses.

Aria gave her a slow smile and wink as Juliet moved in time to the beat. A subtle heat swept over her, bending her to its will as it erased most conscious thoughts from her mind.

Juliet’s hands slid over her hips, caressing over her midthigh-length skirt she had paired with heels.

And Aria put a hand on her waist and tugged Juliet into her. Aria ran a finger down between Juliet’s breasts, the lust in her eyes making Juliet hotter. At her stomach, Aria left her hand to rest there while the fingers of her free hand curled around Juliet’s and spun her out and brought her back again.

She brushed a kiss against her lips and Aria moved provocatively toward her, her scent soft and light as it overpowered the alcohol and bar food riding on the air.

Juliet drew it in and rolled around in it even as she boldly countered Aria’s moves to create a picture of harmonic sensuality.

Juliet tingled all over, her clit starting to throb as her nipples tightened in the cups of her bra. She rested her hand on Aria’s shoulder.

Aria’s gaze was hungry on her and seared her to her core. Juliet wanted to look away, to run, but this was what she’d cast the spell for. This moment was why she’d lied to her mother about where she’d be tonight.

She just wanted one night, maybe two, of passion so hot she got wet just remembering it.

Her breathing grew fast, came out in shallow pants and Aria pressed her lips to Juliet’s in a soft kiss that sent jolts of electricity down her spine.

Aria trailed her lips along Juliet’s jaw as Juliet breathed out hard and fast.

“I can’t wait to get my fingers up your pussy and watch you coming apart,” Aria whispered in her ear.

She shouldn’t have heard it over the music, but she had and the words wrapped around her, intensified her arousal. Their eyes met. Lips parted, Juliet’s stomach tightened, and her skin heated a fraction more as anticipation sliced through her like a knife through butter.

The song came to an end melding into a faster beat that fueled the heat in her blood and the hunger rampaging through her.

Aria’s hands slid to her hips. “Do you want to get out of here?”

Her heart stopped and Juliet looked up into questioning dark blue-gray eyes filled with need that reached beyond the boundaries of the flesh into her soul.

Juliet nodded. “Yes.” She had a feeling if she said no she’d lose something important, not just a chance for the passion of a lifetime.

So, she backed out of Aria’s arms and turned, leading the way to the exit.

Chapter Five

Juliet wasn’t sure meeting a stranger in a motel was her best idea, but her body wasn’t listening. She was hot, and wet and needy.

She knew this was crazy, but the ache with the need to touch and be touched, to be pleasured and give pleasure, and to be with someone just this one time without thinking about tomorrow overrode reason.

She’d deal with reason when she woke up in the morning.

If she woke, the rational part said, trying to creep back in. The woman could be a serial killer or something, but it wasn’t like she was incapable of protecting herself from a mere mortal.

She pulled past the motel’s lighted sign announcing vacancies.

But what if she has a disease? Can you deal with that? Her rational self demanded acerbically.

“I know what I could be getting into, but Aria is everything a girl could want in a fling. She is tall, dark, and gorgeous.”

Fling? This might not last more than an hour.

She pulled past an island of flowers and leafy green miniature trees and into a parking space. Juliet watched Aria step into the small hotel’s registration office.

“Yeah, I know, but it might just be up to me if I see her again or not. And if not, I’ll have tonight. I’ll be satisfied with that.”

Aria stepped out of the office, climbed into her SUV and started it up before driving around to the back of the hotel where well-tended vibrant green trees mingled with pretty flowers to peek out of the cement planter that contained them.

Juliet parked in the space next to Aria’s vehicle as the other woman climbed out. Aria rounded the SUV with lithe grace. Aria leaned against her vehicle just watching her, waiting as Juliet unfastened the seatbelt. She peered out at Aria in the parking lot, well-lit by pale light that mingled with some shadows.

Mind made up, Juliet climbed out, but Aria didn’t straighten. She just kept watching her as if she expected her to change her mind. Juliet went to her, standing toe-to-toe with her. Aria’s gaze seemed to flash with electricity and Juliet shivered.

“Been here once or twice?” she asked in a teasing tone as her muscles quivered.

“Once,” Aria admitted with a shrug. “Change of heart?”

“No.”

Aria studied her and then averted her gaze for a moment. “I’ve been working a great deal lately, and you’re the first woman I’ve been with in four months. I am disease-free though. I test every three months.”

That was to the point, but it saved her the trouble of asking. “I’m clean, too.”

“We’re in number ten.”

Juliet locked her car door and clicked the alarm before heading to the room. Aria unlocked the door and reached in to turn on the light before allowing Juliet inside. The worn carpet looked clean and the white walls were unblemished, while the big bed was covered with a dark comforter.

Aria closed the door and leaned against it as Juliet faced her. Juliet watched her for a moment and then leaned toward her, resting one hand against the door next to Aria. The other woman’s heat flared up like a flame and beckoned to her.

Boldly, Juliet brushed her lips against Aria’s. She didn’t rush the kiss. Instead, she savored the warm soft lips beneath hers and moved closer allowing her other hand to stroke Aria’s side.

Aria’s lips parted on a moan and Juliet’s tongue darted inside to glide against Aria’s.

The lingering taste of whiskey filled her senses and the feel of Aria’s tongue was an explosion of sensation throughout Juliet’s body, heating her from the outside in.

Aria gripped Juliet’s hips and pulled her tight against her as she thrust one knee between Juliet’s legs. The hardness of her thigh pressed against the pad of Juliet’s pussy, the delicate fabric little protection against the firmness that teased her clit.

Aria rocked against her, jerking a ragged moan from her, and Juliet clutched at Aria’s shoulders as she ground against the knee shamelessly.

The flame of passion rose to bright life inside her as Aria’s fingers twined in her hair and tightened. Their tongues explored and tasted slowly as if learning each other’s mouths.

Juliet moaned as Aria tore her mouth away. “Oh God,” she panted out, and Aria’s tongue glided up the column of her throat, before her lips pressed kisses against it.

Juliet yanked Aria’s shirt free of her jeans and pushed her hands beneath in her quest for silky warmth. She caressed satiny skin, finding hard muscle that rippled with Aria’s slight movements as Aria kissed and nibbled the side of her neck.

Aria felt so damn good, so hard and strong. Juliet arched into her, needing her naked and damp against her.

As if reading her mind, Aria stepped back and quickly released the buttons of Juliet’s blouse. She shoved it open finding a black shelf bra holding the firm breasts snuggly. She brushed the straps down before dipping her head to lick over a taut peak standing at attention.

Aria’s hot tongue-tip swirled around it, sharp teeth scraping at the tender flesh before her mouth closed over the nipple.

Juliet groaned and pushed the fingers of one hand into Aria’s hair and tugged at the silky strands. She cried out softly as Aria bit her nipple sending a light arc of pain through her.

Then Aria drew back to push Juliet’s blouse down her arms. Juliet released her hold on Aria so the garment slid to the floor while Aria worked the catch of the bra open and peeled the thin barrier away.

Aria’s lips skimmed her shoulder licking over her warm skin while her fingers stroked down her back to the button of Juliet’s skirt. She didn’t release it. Instead, she lightly raked her nails back up sending pleasure running through her.

Juliet shivered and sighed roughly.

Aria kissed the side of her neck while her fingers slipped beneath Juliet’s skirt to play over the backs of her thighs.

“Aria,” she breathed. Her body was catching fire and threatening to become a maelstrom of unchecked desire.

Aria backed her away from the door as she worked the button of Juliet’s skirt free and dragged the zipper down its track. She took a step away from her and the skirt pooled around Juliet’s ankles leaving her standing there in panties and stockings.

Breathing hard, Juliet watched as Aria unbuttoned her own shirt and tossed it aside. The blue bra was a tantalizing creation with nipple cut-outs, but it was her well-defined abs that held Juliet’s gaze riveted. The woman had muscles and definition in places Juliet didn’t know existed, and she wanted to lick each plane and curve.

“Damn, you’re so beautiful and the muscles are making me wetter.”

Aria smirked as she pushed her pants down revealing boyshorts that matched her bra. “Thanks.” She kicked off her loafers and let her pants fall to the floor before stepping out of them.

Aria took Juliet in her arms and claimed her mouth hotly. Juliet melted against her, her thoughts becoming mush.

“Your skin is like satin.” Aria caressed her hand down Juliet’s chest and back up to pinch her nipples.

Aria’s touch was rough as she rolled the sensitive flesh between her fingers, and then drew her thumbs over the hard points. Juliet gasped as pleasure rushed through her. Aria flicked her tongue over one nipple and pinched the other hard before swatting them both.

The bite of pain was rich and unexpectedly heady. She caught her breath.

“More or less?”

“More,” Juliet answered breathlessly.

Aria swatted her flesh harder and pinched the sensitive point, drawing a hard groan from Juliet. Aria’s moist tongue tip lashed one rosy peak and then the other before her mouth closed over a tightly furled bud to suck it hard. Teeth scraped and Juliet pushed her fingers into Aria’s hair and pulled as pinpricks of sensation bombarded her.

Aria’s fingers plucked at the twin as her mouth milked the tender tip.

“Oh, my Goddess!” she whispered. “Aria!”

Aria groaned. “I smell your heat, baby,” she purred the words silkily. “Your cream is begging for my tongue to play in it.”

The erotic words drew a shiver from her as her juices eased a little more from her body to dampen her panties and her inner thighs. And Aria withdrew her mouth only to swirl her tongue around the twin peak which now ached and burned for the rough attention.

She sucked it hard and pinched. A cry fell from Juliet’s lips as she had the odd sensation of moving and then turning.

Juliet panted, her breath coming out hard. She was a wildfire on the verge of burning out of control, she was hot and sweat was already starting to dew on her skin. She tipped her head back as she got lost in the web of sensation.

“Juliet,” her name was a whisper and then Aria’s lips were trailing kisses unerringly to her stomach. Nips from sharp teeth brought an edge of pain that made her wetter.

Her fingers flexed in Aria’s hair as Aria drew her tongue around Juliet’s navel, while her fingers tugged the band of her panties down.

“You smell like jasmine,” Aria said as she dragged the wisp of fabric down around Juliet’s ankles. She licked her inner thigh and moaned. “Mmm. Let’s see if that cream is as sweet at its source.”

She ran her tongue up Juliet’s slit, and she gasped, knees buckling. She lost her balance and fell onto the mattress. Aria chuckled and moved closer to her before spreading her thighs with her hands and used two fingers to part Juliet’s inner lips.

Her tongue slid up her slit to curl around her clit and Juliet’s hips jerked off the bed.

Aria’s tongue was a feather stroke of pleasure as it teased the side of the erect nubbin, circled it lightly, and then flickered over it.

“Aria!” Juliet screamed.

Aria licked over Juliet’s pleasure button again and closed her lips over it to suck firmly. The bliss rippled through her encasing her in a haze. She was trembling when Aria lifted her head to give her pussy a swat. The sting set off a whole other set of vibrations that rocked her and made her womb clench as her juices eased from her.

Aria tapped her clit once and then again before running her tongue down to the opening of Juliet’s body. She thrust it into her and groaned roughly.

“So good,” Aria murmured looking up at her before running the tip of her tongue up to her clit and around it without touching it. She nipped at the edge of one lip before plunging her tongue back into Juliet’s pussy and thrusting it in and drawing it out as her thumb worked the tender bud of pleasure.

“Aria. Aria!” Juliet screamed and Aria drew her tongue out of Juliet’s hot depths to lick at her clit.

“So responsive,” Aria murmured as she pushed two fingers into Juliet’s tight pussy.

Aria drove her fingers into Juliet’s pussy and stroked hard and fast as she sucked at Juliet’s clit between flicks.

Juliet thrashed her head from side to side on the bed, mewling as Aria’s fingers and tongue whipped up a firestorm that threatened to turn her to ash.

“Oh, yes. Yes!” Fingers thrust hard into her tight heat as warm tongue lashed her tight nubbin. Juliet was so close, about to come and Aria withdrew from her.

Juliet watched her as she got to her feet and pushed down her own panties before leaning toward her. Aria lifted both of Juliet’s legs and draped them over her shoulders before lowering her body until they were clit to clit.

Wet heat kissed wet heat and Aria ground against her sending shivers of pleasure shooting through her. Hands braced on the bed, Aria rocked, their bodies sliding together in unison, fast and sweet until Juliet’s body jerked, her stomach tight as her orgasm smashed into her.

“Aria!” Juliet screamed as her lover ground against her harder and faster. Her energy pooled in the middle of her chest and she came hard on a rough cry as their juices mingled.

Breathing hard Aria looked down at her. The silver-blue glow of power encased her—no it went beyond her as if she was encased in a circle. The silver-blue was licked by red flames and a soft wind ruffled the curtains.

Juliet’s stomach knotted, she swallowed convulsively as horror started in her. Looking back at Aria, she stared into storm-gray eyes that glowed. For a moment, it was as if she’d been here before, and then the reality slammed into her. Aria’s eyes had no irises, just a blue canvas for flashing lightning, and Juliet lost her breath.

Chapter Six

Juliet blinked and warm breath washed over her before Aria turned her head and kissed the inside of one thigh. The breath was a caress against her skin and heat licked over her even as Aria stroked Juliet’s legs from her shoulders.

Juliet watched her warily, her body still thrumming with pleasure, though fear was starting to tense her muscles. She wasn’t crazy, but she knew sometimes light played tricks on the eyes.

And sometimes, what you saw was real.

Was a demon or dark one looking up at her?

Aria dropped a kiss on her forehead, and her lips curved into a cryptic smile. “Well, that was interesting for a first time.” Her gaze swept over Juliet slowly, lingering on her arm and the bracelets there. “Give me a minute to clean up.” She headed to the bathroom and Juliet stretched, in no real hurry to move.

She hadn’t felt this sated in a very long time and the lingering energy was like a cord that connected her to Aria, to the burning passion she’d been searching for almost all of her adult life.

Her body was already aching for Aria’s again. Her kiss had been intoxicating. Aria’s touch had been a brand and her eyes a hypnotic suggestion she could barely fight.

“What am I thinking?” she whispered as the water ran in the bathroom.

Dark ones could consume the powers of good ones as they died. She wouldn’t go down that easy, but she didn’t want to have to fight for her life after sex like that because she just didn’t have the energy.

Juliet swung her legs over the side of the bed and started to gather her scattered clothes. She quickly dressed, balling her panties in her fist. They were too damp to wear and too dangerous to leave behind. They could be and used to track her if the sorceress choose.

Juliet found her keys on the floor near the door. She picked them up in her other hand and hurried out as the water turned off in the bathroom. She rushed to her car breathing hard and jammed the key into the lock.

“Juliet?”

The voice was soft, carried to her on the wind. It was as if Aria was right behind her.

She struggled to turn the key, fingers shaking.

See, that voice of reason taunted her.

Cool solid energy crept down the side of her face like a spider, and she screamed slapping at it. She hated spiders, but this was no clammy spider leg. This didn’t make her skin crawl, it set off mini bombs of fear.

The thread slithered down the back of her, turning cool and rough like a thick vine before vanishing down the back of her blouse, and Juliet arched her back while curving her arm around and trying to dislodge the magick. She couldn’t work it free even as the thickness of it wrapped around her throat and closed like the fingers of a hand.

Her breath rasped out of her as her skin beaded with sweat. She tried to scream and was jerked away from the car forcefully. Then, thorns stabbed into her flesh just above her collarbone stealing the sound before it was born.

The face she couldn’t make out moved closer and her energy rushed forward, pulling away from her physical body and into her aura, the invisible egg-shaped field around the body that kept their powers contained and safe from thieves.

“Ugh!” She screamed in pain.

The woman drew harder on her and her stomach lurched, nauseated.

“Leave me alone.” She forced the words out, but they were a whisper as she pushed weakly at the other woman. Her thoughts were fractured, the only clear one to escape.

“You don’t want to fight me,” the woman murmured in a soothing tone. “You want to be with me.”

For a moment, the eyes were so clear, a beacon and Juliet wanted to fall into them.

“Your powers are useless against me,” the voice crooned.

Her core heated and hot air rushed from her hands. The other woman let out a scream of anger and closed a hand around her throat while the other slid down her arm to rest on top of her bracelet.

“I just need a little—”

A hard breeze slammed them back and the force holding her like a vice loosened. Juliet stumbled, legs wobbly.

She jerked around clumsily to face the shadow of a woman. Then, Juliet threw up her hand, a spell on the tip of her tongue, but the shadow struck Juliet across the face sending a gust of air into the side of her car.

She was punched in the back, and a gasp was ripped from her lips. The shadow was jerked backward and tossed to the ground like a sheet of balled up paper.

A hard cry broke into the silence and the shadow got quickly to its feet with the fluidity of air. She swung so fast Juliet barely caught the movement. The blow was blocked and Aria kicked the shadow in her shin before punching her in the jaw with a silver fist. The skin split and blood misted away from the wound.

The shadow grunted and threw Juliet a hard look before flicking her hand in Juliet’s direction. Dark air shaped like a thorn zipped toward her and Juliet ducked to the tune of shattering glass from a window of Aria’s truck.

A wet sound floated on the air and Juliet straightened to see the shadow wielding a black whip of air. Thorns beaded each side. Aria simply widened her stance as if unconcerned by a weapon Juliet knew would kill her.

The thorny air whip was known to do a great deal of damage and cause the victim to bleed out quickly.

Juliet hurried to her car hoping to get in before the fight ended and the victor came after her.

An angry cry curled around her ear as she climbed into her car and slammed the door. She started the engine and backed out, hands trembling like two dried old leaves on the wind. Her foot was a little heavy on the gas, tires squealing as she burned rubber getting out of dodge.

****

Aria caught the tip of the air whip this time before it could bite into her arm again. She jerked it forward while at the same time sending fiery wind rushing up it. The whip was tipped with thorns which meant Carrel had likely killed a wood nymph and tamed her powers—made them hers.

The dark one screamed and released the whip. Aria took control of it. The energy thrumming in her hand was a mix of light and dark, of earth energy.

The woman glared at her. Her eyes were black with a red inner ring. “How dare you interrupt my kill?”

“Easily enough.”

She growled through clenched teeth. “Stay out of my territory, witch. And return my weapon, now!”

Aria laughed, truly amused as the dark power thrummed in her hand. It was lively, but nothing she couldn’t tame and meld with her own power.

“I can go where I like,” Aria told her coldly, crossing her arms over her chest. The weapon had retracted into her hand easily enough which meant it was now hers. To regain it, the woman had to take it. “This is my city.”

Carrel asked derisively. “You are delusional, witch. Cross me again, and we’ll have issues.” Carrel moved slowly toward Aria.

She shrugged. She didn’t have a death wish, but she didn’t back down even in the face of overwhelming odds.

“You’ll have to do your worst then, Carrel.” She turned and headed to her truck, unconcerned with whether the woman would attack. They’d fight to the death if she did. “By the way,” Aria turned back. “That woman is under my protection. Go after her again, and you’ll pay a heavy price.” Because Juliet was hers.

She was her sweet Eliza whose husband she’d killed at Crecy, and her darling Amina, the bold witch who’d saved her at the end of the Inquisition.

Nothing would part them this time, no matter what.

Carrel snorted. “This is demon territory, aurai and your bitch is ours. Now give me my weapon, or I’ll finish you, too.”

With airy quickness Aria was in front of the other woman between the space of one breath and the next. She grabbed her around the throat and heated her hand with the air currents of the south winds.

“What are you doing—” She tried to scream as her eyes bulged in their sockets from the heat quickly.

The dark one’s face, reddened and sweat dampened her skin.

Carrel managed to gather her bearings and strike out with a vine of dark energy. She was able to command the earth, Aria thought as she released the other woman.

Aria fisted her hand and clenched her fingers. Blue airy energy projected through her skin, a hard gust of heat and fine granules of sand. The energy smashed into the shadow even as she attempted to cloak herself in more darkness.

Carrel gasped and clawed at her throat. Hard breaths escaping her as the sand burned into her skin, severing her vocal cords. Aria closed the distance between them and drew in the woman’s breath, stealing it from her lungs causing her to suffocate.

Along with the oxygen in her blood came the power, dark and light. The woman’s power felt warm and with the barest hint of northern winter cold.

The dark breed sank to her knees, face drenched with sweat. She made a harsh sound and her back bowed as the black energy left her body and settled over Aria in a shower of navy.

No. The woman’s voice was a telepathic plea for mercy and her black eyes glowed indigo.

Carrel let out a ragged cry, blood sprayed from her before she collapsed onto her stomach in a lifeless mass at Aria’s feet.

Something ran up her spine and Aria exhaled roughly and arched her back as energy ran down it.

“What’s going on ou—oh fuck!” The motel manager came out of the shadows and stood there staring at her as she levitated just inches off the ground. “Shit,” he whispered.

“Damn,” Aria said out loud.

The man backed up just as the energy soaked into her and she landed on her feet again. Aria threw out her hand, air rushing toward him. She didn’t have the charisma of the dark breed, but she did have the ability to affect a human’s thoughts. Air was thought and mind.

“Come here,” she whispered and the wind curled around him and drew him to her.

He was eye level with her, standing only five-foot-ten like her. Fear was etched on his face, eyes large in his pale skin.

“What you saw, you didn’t see. You saw a girl dead and a thief running free.” The words were softly said and she formed in her mind the image she wanted him to share with others. A non-descript person that could be male or female.

“I see,” he said, his voice sounding far-away. Then he went to attend the dead woman.

Aria hurried to her truck hearing someone else calling out in the lot. She became a shadow of dark wind making herself invisible to the new-comers. She unlocked the door before climbing in as a patron opened his motel room door.

After starting the engine, she backed out. If that shadow had friends who wanted blood, then she’d be forced to break her own oath and help the Congress track down its witch killers.

****

Voltaire paced now as the evening gave way to the wee hours of morning. His shoulders ached with the tension as the pressure to win his case settled over him. He’d become one of the best criminal defense lawyers in the country and wouldn’t see his name or his company tarnished.

On top of that, Carrel should have been home by now with their prey’s blood, but there was no sight of her, which made him concerned that she’d been found out and angry that she simply might have betrayed him.

He hated having to trust these dark breeds, but they were going to be an instrumental part of his success. Then, he’d discard them when the time was right. For now, Necron and Tucker were the ones who had the best rapport with them.

“Tucker?” He called as he headed out into the hall. “Tucker, get out here.”

Tucker appeared only seconds later in dark slacks not having been to bed yet either.

“Has Carrel returned?”

“No.” Tucker shook his head. “She hasn’t reported in either, so I was about to go out to look for her.”

“Last known location?”

“Some bar and grill,” Tucker replied. “Carrel said Juliet was having drinks, and she’d made contact.”

“Was she meeting someone there?” Voltaire demanded. Any possible suitor would have to be killed to preserve his plan.

“No. I’ll send Morgan over there and I’ll contact her lover,” Tucker told him and started for the foyer.

Mid-summer was next week. If they missed it, he would have to merely kill Juliet out right and write her power off. Though he didn’t want to do that, he would still gain pleasure from destroying part of the enemy’s stronghold.

Chapter Seven

The sun was barely up when Juliet arrived at work the next morning. She quickly bypassed the alarm and pushed the door open to step onto the thick carpet. As she watched for the alarm’s light to come on again, the murmur of a voice crept down the corridor.

One of the two cars in the lot was her mother’s, but she hadn’t recognized the other one. That didn’t stop her from making her way to her mother’s office.

“I need more information,” Samantha said softly. “I can’t inform my family without it.”

“We don’t have any yet, Sam.” The masculine voice held an edge. Dillon BlueStar was a member of the Witch’s Congress. “We aren’t sure what we’re dealing with. All we have are suppositions.”

“And you think it’s a dark coven?”

“Yes.”

“They must be on a feeding frenzy as they pass through the city,” Samantha said breathlessly.

“They may not be just passing through,” Dillon replied uneasiness in his tone. “There are indications they are rising again through the military and politics which means it’s possible they’re in the governor’s mansion, the mayor’s office and city council.”

“That would make them harder to track,” Samantha murmured. “They’ll appear as any normal citizen and are being meticulously careful in where they feed.”

Even if that was the case, they were connecting with witches somehow, Juliet mused. Because witches were dying, the dark breeds must have an agenda.

“But last night’s victim wasn’t drained of her life force. She was suffocated,” Dillon told her. “Once we’ve ascertained the meaning of the markings on the witch, maybe we’ll be able to figure out who she is, her coven association, and who might have had cause to kill her.”

“Do you have a picture of the markings?”

“Yes. I was hoping you’d be able to help. We’re asking all high priestesses in the area. We’d also like to know the minute you come across any new covens or solitaries.”

“There aren’t any new witches in this city,” she told him. “I’d know it the minute they moved in. They’re forced to register—dark or light, so we’ll be able to keep better track of them.”

Her mother was high priestess of the Silken Cord Coven, and she held a position of power in the city’s Witch Council. They were the supernatural governing body of cities and reported directly to the Witch’s Congress.

“I’ve seen part of the markings before,” Samantha mused. “They were symbols for the dark coven, Dark Crystal.”

The coven had been notorious for their work as supernatural bounty hunters and assassins but that had been centuries ago.

“The coven was executed,” Dillon remarked quietly. “Your grandmother was the one who wrote the spells that allowed us to exterminate them.”

“I remember, but this could be a symbol some of their children are using,” Samantha said. “None of them were killed.”

“The entire coven was killed. I was on scene for it. No one escaped us.”

“Maybe the children had already been evacuated. They did have seers, too,” she snapped. “Anyway, each of the thirteen families of the original half-breeds came from old lineages, older than mine and yours. Their magick was formidable and even if the Shadow coven was exterminated there were others who could have adopted the symbol or been connected with the family that took it on as their own.”

Her great-grandmother had considered the markings power symbols that had added to the half-breeds’ power base. The symbols could be drawn on, but had become part of their DNA over time.

“Well, that she was killed proves she wasn’t a descendant,” Dillon said dryly. “She wouldn’t have died without putting up a better fight. The witness accounts say the fight was brief.”

“Still, all witches will be put on alert. The dark breeds only leave death and destruction in their wake according to my grandmother’s journals. So, the Congress needs to deal with this.”

“Wrong, you do. This is your city. I’ll speak with Declan. I’m sure you can deal with this. Your grandmother did. You still have her grimoire and book of shadows, surely.”

“We could, but the fact is, this is a Congressional matter as witches have died in more than four cities here and in Mississippi. It could be a simple matter, but it could be a dark breed group seeking to gain power and favor with the dark Congress or its leader.”

The silence was taut, and she could virtually see Dillon staring her mother down expecting her to fold like a house of cards in a stiff breeze. But Samantha was an immoveable force when she felt she was in the right.

“Fine, I’ll send a team down to investigate,” he said grudgingly and Juliet’s lips tipped in an amused grin.

“Good. If that’s all, I need to talk to my daughter.”

Juliet pushed away from the wall and raced as quietly as she could to her office at the other end of the building. She had calls to make to the event planner they were working with to make sure the building was secure and up to handling a party of the size they planned.

Her mother would consider her even more incompetent if she didn’t pull this off to perfection.

She slipped into her office where she opened the shades and sat down at her desk and opened her laptop.

A rap on her door and a head poked in. “Hello, Juliet.”

“Hi, Patrick.” She gave her mother’s lover a smile. Patrick and her mother had been friends since Juliet was a child and she wasn’t surprised when they’d become more.

“How are things going?” he asked.

“Okay.”

“Has your mother spoken to you about what’s going on?” he asked.

She frowned. “What’s going on?” The confusion was rife in her voice

“Patrick?”

He shook his head. “I think Dillon has the place bugged or something,” he said. “I’ll see you later.” His blue eyes smiled and he gave her a wave before pulling the door closed and taking off.

“Juliet, I need to talk to you.” Samantha rapped on her door before bursting in a moment later, her eyes snapping with irritation as she moved gracefully to the guest chair in front of the small desk.

“I’m not slacking, Mom,” she said defensively. “I have everything under control.” Samantha gave her a curious look and waved her hand before saying, “That’s a small account. I know you can handle it. I need you to do something important this morning.”

“What?” She asked carefully.

“Brees is being a hard-ass. She’s refusing to make the dress, so I want you to go over to her office and talk to her.”

“Why?” she exclaimed. “Mom if you can’t get her to do this I certainly can’t. She’ll take one look at me and know you didn’t send your best negotiator.”

“Just go over there,” Samantha told her. “Use a little magick to get her to listen if you have to. She’s just a human for crying out loud and your softer approach is probably just what she needs.”

“Do you have an appointment?” She cringed at the words and her acquiescence.

“No, but just showing up with confidence will show initiative, and strong women can appreciate that.”

Juliet let out a sigh as she shook her head. “I don’t know, Mom.” Handling a bridezilla was one thing, but a woman that famous was another. She was likely an unapproachable bitch who’d have her thrown out on her head and that after making her feel like a one-inch tall interloper.

“You’ll be fine. The shop opens in two hours. I want you there, and be strong.” She held up a fist, as she tightened her lips.

“I—”

“You can do this. Consider this a test.”

That’s what she was afraid of. Her mother was forcing her to prove she was good enough to one day inherit the business, but as her only child, an individual who’d proven competency, she should already be the named heir without question.

****

“Good morning, boss,” Aria’s secretary, Amari, greeted her cheerfully as she entered Aria’s office after a brief knock.

“Morning,” she replied blandly. “I’m expecting Andi at some point, so just show her in when she arrives.”

“How was that breakfast meeting?” Amari asked.

“Fine.” Aria leaned back in her chair, the desk she occupied sat at an angle to prevent neck strain. “So, I’ll be working all day to put finishing touches on this collection.”

“Ms. Hart called again, this morning, and she’d like a meeting.”

“Call her back. Tell her to come over within the next hour.” She didn’t have time to do the damned fundraiser and it was time she made it painfully clear.

“Do you need me to do anything for you? Am I holding all calls?”

“I’ll take whatever’s important only.”

“Okay, then. I’m heading back to my desk. Happy designing.”

“Right,” she said with an amused smile that faded as soon as the door closed behind her secretary. The Witch’s Congress should be on the case by now.

If they weren’t, it was no skin off her nose, right?

She rubbed her forehead and got up from her chair. She wasn’t experiencing any ill effects from having absorbed the dark breed’s power. Aria was experiencing the after effects of a night of induced travel down memory lane.

Juliet’s power had tasted of the power she herself had crafted from the blood and sweat of a fire and earth god she’d killed when she’d spied him watching her Eliza. She’d fashioned his blood and sweat into the watermelon tourmaline, a stone she’d seen once and admired.

She melded those with the two gold hearts encased in a circle she’d fashioned with some of her own breath. Unfortunately, her sister hadn’t been too happy about that.

In this incarnation, she’d been born of an aurai and a venti, the male counterpart of a harpy. Her father had been half witch and half venti. His mother had been a low-level goddess of war who’d enjoyed mating with human males to produce strong warriors, hence the Knights.

Though she was clearly a witch in this life, too, Juliet had obviously freaked out at the sight of their power, a silver cord joining them once again. She’d known the moment their gazes met in the deli Juliet was her heart, her soul-consort.

She’d gotten so used to being alone that she’d stopped expecting to find her true love. Finding her like this, and possibly in a situation that would drag Aria back into the world she’d abandoned was a little annoying.

Her phone buzzed as she basked in the rays of the sun stroking her face. What would it feel like to have Juliet as her sun?

Get a grip and be glad she ran. She saved you the trouble of calling, she mused. Strolling to the table where she held meetings, she picked up the phone as it buzzed again.

“What is it?”

“A Miss Hart from Hartspun, the wedding planner, is here to see you.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’ll see her,” she said coolly. Better to deal with her now and get it over with.

Aria replaced the phone and remained standing as she waited for the door to open. The woman wouldn’t be staying longer than it took for her to give her the hard and firm brush off.

The door opened and the leggy beauty stopped like a deer in headlights. The flared green eyes just stared at her as the pink lips parted in obvious surprise.

Aria’s heart thudded hard and her pulse rushed.

“Well, come in,” Aria murmured. Wasn’t this a pleasant surprise or something?

“I—um—you’re A. Brees?”

Aria lifted her brows in mocking. “Am I that unforgettable? Oh wait—” She paused putting her fingers on her chin. “Wasn’t that you screaming my name and asking for more last night?”

Juliet’s lips tightened in irritation, and she slammed the door before marching toward her. Every sway of her hips made Aria’s pulse pound a little faster. That fiery look in Juliet’s was like honey and it made her air whistle inside her.

She wanted to shove Juliet onto her desk and make her come all over her sketches and then do it again before dragging her off to a hotel for the day.

“Well nothing puts a damper on a girl’s libido like someone trying to kill her,” she snapped.

Aria laughed. “Is that what you call it?”

“Afterwards when I left the motel,” Juliet retorted. “I heard you call my name before I was attacked. You’re lucky I didn’t tell the Congress this morning.”

The Congress was involved?

Good for them and all the witches they just might be able to save.

Aria rounded the table keeping her eyes on Juliet. “Instead of making baseless accusations, why don’t you thank me for saving your life instead of screaming like a shrew?”

Juliet’s lips flattened as Aria joined her on the other side of the desk. Her perfume was light and flirty, just like Juliet, and Aria took a step closer, crowding her. Instead of fear in Juliet’s eyes, she saw hunger.

“Thank you,” she said nervously and her gaze darted away for a second.

“My pleasure,” Aria murmured. “Pissed off ex or was that a current flame?”

Juliet shook her head. “I don’t know who it was,” she said quietly, now that the shock had worn off. “She just attacked me out of nowhere. Are you a witch or something?”

“Yes.” It wasn’t a lie, just not the whole truth.

“Then you have to tell the Council about her,” Juliet’s words came out in a rush. “They’re investigating. Did you kill her?”

“She took off.”

Juliet told her and put her handbag on the table. “The Congress won’t hold killing her against you.”

“You didn’t tell them what happened to you?” Aria asked curiously.

Juliet tucked her fine ginger hair behind her ear and shrugged, a guilty look on her face. “No.”

Aria slid her hands into the pockets of her slacks. She regarded Juliet carefully wondering how much more difficult it be would for her to claim her love in this lifetime.

Aria was willing to bet Juliet wasn’t even out to her family, let alone her friends. And they’d ask questions about last night that Juliet didn’t want to answer.

“Why not?”

“I—my mother would have wanted to know what I was doing at the hotel. She’d have demanded to meet the man I was with.” Juliet moved away from her, going to the window as she rubbed her arms.

“Your mother sent you here to convince me to design the dress?” She followed in Juliet’s wake, her gaze sliding down the other woman’s slim figure.

Aria savored the sway from gently flared hips and flex of her rounded ass in the slim gray skirt. Her delicate stiff shoulders encased in a pale yellow fabric with a white peter pan collar, and matching cuffs sagged.

“Yeah.” Juliet nodded and looked at her. “But I guess you’ll tell me to take a flying leap and get my mom to back off, or you’ll tell her, right?”

“I don’t have time for those kinds of games, Juliet,” she replied.

“What kind of games do you like to play?”

Aria’s lips tilted up faintly at the glimmer of interest in Juliet’s pretty eyes. “The kind that involve me and a woman getting naked.”

Juliet frowned. “The shelter is important to the human women of the community,” Juliet told her, closing the distance between them. “The money will go to funding an educational center as well as a new dorm for runaway teenagers that the shelter is now taking in. Most of them are pregnant with nowhere else to turn.”

“Baby, I already donate to the shelter,” she said evenly.

“But this is different,” Juliet insisted softly as she moved toward her, her doe eyes threatening to draw a promise from Aria. “You’re very successful. Surely you couldn’t object to helping the needy.”

Aria knew as she dragged the violet scent of Juliet’s perfume in, let it fill her senses, this was not a game she was going to win. Her consort had always had a way of seducing her even when she didn’t want to be.

She gripped Juliet’s arms, but didn’t draw her closer. “You’re using magick?”

“No.” She gave her head a little shake and batted her lashes.

Aria’s fingers tightened reflexively and this time she did pull Juliet closer. “If I was human, you might be on your way to breaking my resolve,” she crooned and her gaze dropped to Juliet’s mouth. “As it is, sweetness, I’m still not in your thrall, so how much harder are you going to work this thing?”

Chapter Eight

Juliet’s eyes widened and then narrowed and Aria smiled. Juliet’s beautiful eyes darkened with even more ire.

“I’m not working anything,” Juliet continued in a tart tone. “I’m stating facts, Aria. You might be a witch, but I bet there was a time in your life when you were in the same place emotionally. Confused, unsure.”

“Once.” Her hands drifted from Juliet’s arms to rest on her hips. “It was a different time, Juliet.” Literally. She’d been a victim of a decimated race, growing up in the shadows of a war winding down.

“And you could have used someplace like Ivory to guide you,” Juliet murmured putting her hands on Aria’s arms to caress her lightly.

“Juli, baby, you’re not affecting my wallet, just my libido,” she told her evenly. “So how much do you want me to do this?”

Juliet frowned, cocking her head to the right a little.

“Your spell is too weak and that’s probably due to your reticence. Your tradition is probably a light one and bending wills goes against your teachings, so you weren’t formally trained in mind control, right?”

Juliet drew in a breath and let it out. “No.”

There was no regret in her clear azure eyes nor was her scent marred by the tang of a lie. Aria could smell the subtle changes in body chemistry so easily thanks to her keen sense of smell.

“So.” She caressed Juliet’s hips. “How far are you willing to go to make this happen? And before you balk—I can see it coming because you’re too sweet, think about it.”

“I’m not that sweet,” she muttered.

Aria cocked her brows. “You didn’t defend yourself nearly as well as you should have last night and I bet you know a few spells that would have hurt the woman who would have killed you,” she said angrily.

“I was surprised.” She pulled out of Aria’s grip.

“You were temporarily paralyzed by fear.”

Juliet made a face. “I’ve never been attacked by a dark breed before, but the Congress is all over this. You have to tell them anything she might have said so they can find her.”

Aria snorted. “Not happening. I don’t bow to them or the Council. I’ll just lie if you send them to my door.”

“Why? She tried to turn me into a meal!”

Aria extended a hand and sent out a wave of blue air. The breeze snaked around Juliet, and she gasped, batting at it. Aria contracted her hand and the air rushed forward pulling a startled squeal from Juliet.

The breeze pushed her quarry right up to her and Aria gripped her hips again. There was something so familiar and right about it, like her hands belonged there. She lowered her head and Juliet’s heartbeat filled her ears.

“Again I say, what are you willing to do to get my agreement?”

“What do you want me to do?” she asked huskily.

“I want you in my bed from now until your auction.”

“I—no way!”

“No pussy, no dress.”

“You’re not that primitive,” she snapped incredulously as she tried to pull out of Aria’s hold and failed.

Aria laughed and released her. “Think it over and get back to me. Now, in the meantime, I have a collection to finish. Call the office when you’ve made up your mind. I think your mother has the number.”

Juliet stared at her in disbelief and Aria was sure she appreciated the irony of her statement.

“Out, baby. Now, before I lose control and feast off your delicious body.”

“You wouldn’t force me,” she said in a whisper.

“No, but I might seduce you.”

****

“No pussy, no dress.”

She couldn’t say that to her mother. Juliet stared up at the brick two-story building that housed Hartspun twenty minutes later.

How was she going to explain to her mother she’d failed?

And her stinking love spell had more than manifested, if not quite the way she’d expected.

Juliet swallowed tightly as she shook her head. How was she going to get out of this mess?

She could nullify the spell to start with and then go back to Aria’s, but did she have that kind of time? It would take a day or two for the spell to fizzle, but that just left her closer to the auction with no agreement.

And who said it was all the magick anyway?

Aria hadn’t seemed in the least affected by the subtle spell she’d done on site.

Juliet growled and banged her fists on the steering wheel.

She had only one choice. Get Aria’s number or just go back over to her office. She’d have to explain to her mother why she needed the number.

She climbed out of her car and headed inside going straight to her office. She had to meet with the event planner to check on the building.

“How’d it go?” Samantha was in her office within seconds after Juliet entered it.

She faced her mother as she put her purse on her desk.

“Did you get her to change her mind?”

“I went, but she wouldn’t see me,” she said evenly. “She told me to call back later for an appointment.”

“I’ll get you her number,” Samantha said quickly. “Did you get the impression she might be receptive?”

“Yes.” She smiled. More than, as long as she was willing to play bed bunny but—but why should that bother her so much?

She craved heat and passion and Aria had given her a taste last night. She’d gone home satisfied and sated. The only problem was, she woke this morning burning for more. If she did what Aria wanted, she would get more of the toe-curling sex she ached for.

“I’ll text it to you,” Samantha said with a grin. “I knew you could do it. Take her out for drinks.”

“Okay. I’ll call and set that up as soon as you get me her number.”

Samantha rushed from her office and Juliet got the text message a minute later. She made the call deciding it was better to get it over with before she lost her nerve.

“Miss Hart, I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon,” Aria said coolly.

The coolness irritated her for reasons Juliet didn’t understand, but it felt like distance, a wall she wanted to scale.

“You don’t have to do anything now except design the dress, and make it for the wedding.”

“I have a lot of work to do before quitting time today, so why don’t we meet for drinks at your place? You can give me your best pitch then. I’ll give you fifteen minutes to win me over.”

“What time?”

“Seven and if you don’t convince me, you’ll have to get what you need someplace else because I won’t be taking any more calls from you or your mother.”

“I’ll see you then.”

“Give your address to my secretary, and Juli, don’t try to use magick on me tonight.”

Juliet gave her address to the secretary and hung up.

She leaned back in her chair contemplating how she would handle things tonight. She’d thought it would be great if her one-night-stand wanted more than one night and Aria had asked for that.

She was glad, but didn’t want it to be on those terms.

“Juliet?” Samantha entered her office with a hopeful smile. “Well?”

“Drinks tonight.”

“I want you to be careful moving around at night,” Samantha told her. “There might be a dark breed coven in the city.”

“Okay,” she said debating whether to tell her mother about last night’s attack.

Samantha studied her. “Juliet, I’m really starting to worry about you. You don’t seem to show much interest in men anymore and it’s not because you’re working late or anything.”

Juliet shrugged. “I just haven’t met any man I like.” An understatement.

“It’s important that you produce an heir, and you can’t do that if you’re not dating. You’re the guardian of magick that will only get stronger. Dark men will be able to sense your power and only try to kill you for it.”

“I know the history, Mother, but nothing in it states that I have to marry a man,” she said quietly.

“I’m going to set you up with someone tomorrow night. He’s from a strong magical family and looking for a wife, so be open to him,” Samantha ordered. “You know the magick of mid-summer is perfect for beginning love.”

She wanted her consort to be a woman and someone who wouldn’t want her for her magical lineage. They could hire a surrogate later when they were ready for children.

“I don’t want to have to turn my attentions from you and groom one of your cousins, but if you don’t take a consort this year, I’ll have to consider investing in someone who wants to carry on the family’s legacy.”

She knew which of her cousins her mother would choose and it irked her. She was even more upset that her mother’s support was contingent on her being straight.

“Does that mean I’ll never have a chance to run the business?” she asked quietly.

“No, but you don’t show enough promise to say that I’m thinking about putting you in charge of anything major anytime soon.”

She nodded, anger sizzling in her stomach. “So, you’ll have Alice run the business and take over leadership of the coven when it’s time?” she demanded. Her cousin was already handling bigger accounts than she was.

“Yes.”

“I’m not surprised. I’m just not sure why you didn’t have her approach Brees. I’m sure she’d have her agreement rather than a maybe.” She got to her feet.

“I know you’re upset, it’s time you face facts, Juliet,” Samantha told her. “The witch world respects truth and confidence which you don’t exactly ooze.”

“So true, so I better ooze my butt out of here so Alice can take her place,” she spat and stormed from the room.

“Juliet, don’t be so childish,” Samantha called from behind her. “You still have work to do.”

“Let Alice handle it. I’m sure she’ll get my work and hers done in a snap.” She screamed the words and collided with Alice on her way to the front door.

Alice let out a cry as she stumbled back.

“Where’s the fire?” Alice teased.

She glared at her cousin and stalked out, shoving the door harder than she’d intended, her anger a pulsing thing that caused the glass of the door to shudder and crack.

Juliet gasped and tried to reign in her anger. Her hands burned, and she rubbed them together in hopes of breaking up the energy.

“Juliet,” Alice came out after her. “What’s wrong?”

“You know what’s wrong,” she snapped as she whipped around to glare at her. “You’ve been trying to take my place since we were kids. Did it never occur to you that I wanted my own life, my own mother?”

“Honey, I don’t know what’s got you so upset, but I never meant to do anything to hurt you. I love you.” Alice tried to touch her and Juliet jerked her hands back.

“You love making me a project and fixing me up, you love trying to change me, but you don’t love me.” She tapped a finger to her chest. “Well, it ends here and you can just stop trying so hard to impress my mother because you’ve arrived.”

“Juliet, you’re not making sense,” Alice said softly as she gently touched her arm. “I only do the things I do to help you.”

“Like when you stole my ideas and pitched them as yours? I didn’t hear you giving me the credit for suggesting someone famous design the wedding dress for this year’s giveaway either.”

“You’re not driving in this condition,” Alice told her firmly.

“That’s the one thing you can’t take over,” she muttered. “My decisions.” Juliet shoved Alice and a wall of fire rose between the two of them.

“Juliet!” Alice screamed.

Juliet gasped, stunned. She’d never done a fire wall spell before, despite Alice’s attempts to teach her. She snapped out of her surprise and raced to her car.

Juliet unlocked the door and climbed in as she fought back tears, but she couldn’t stop the anger gnawing a path through her heart.

With shaking hands, she shoved the key into the ignition not sure where she was going. One thing was for sure, she had to get away from here.

Chapter Nine

“Carrel is dead.”

“I know,” Voltaire retorted blandly from behind his desk. Carrel had been the only half-breed in his coven who had a limited control of the air element as well.

One day, he’d planned to kill her and take the powers on for his own. Too bad he wouldn’t get them now.

“I don’t understand what went wrong,” Tucker murmured. “She was more than capable of carrying out the task.” He shook his head, his face a mask of sorrow.

“The Light Congress is investigating this as a possible dark breed on dark breed killing with one coven seeking to gain favor with Kryto,” Voltaire repeated what Necron had told him earlier.

Tucker frowned. “If they suspect—why does he think it’s us?”

“I don’t know, but Necron is trying to find out what Dillon knows and why the conclusion was reached.”

“Do you want me to launch a quiet investigation?” Tucker asked.

“I just want you to find out if Juliet has a lover who could be a problem,” Voltaire told him. “Carrel was found at the No Tell so I’m assuming Juliet wasn’t there because she wanted to spend some time alone. This lover might be a rival and a threat. I want him eliminated.”

“We might be able to blackmail her into a relationship with Morgan,” Tucker said. “If she’s keeping the guy secret from Sam, he might be someone she doesn’t approve of.”

“Too big a risk of exposure,” he said. “Send a PI to the motel with a cover story. I don’t want to blow things now.” If Sam got it into her head that he was a dark breed all bets would be off.

“Is Morgan ready to begin his dance with Juliet?” Voltaire asked.

“Yes,” Tucker told him with a nod. “We’ll use him to get a sample of her hair or blood.”

“Good,” Voltaire said distracted. Juliet was going to have to die either way, but he feared what had been a simple plan was about to become a little more complicated than he’d imagined.

****

“Have you thought anymore about last night?” Andi asked leaning against the wall in Aria’s office that afternoon

Aria finished off the sandwich Andi had brought along with the fruit salad and water on the coffee table before her. “What would that be?” she asked feigning innocence.

“A woman was killed last night at the No Tell,” Andi told her. “And the Congress is investigating.”

“Let them do their job, and keep your ass alive then.”

Andi glared at her. “What if they let the killer get away?”

“I doubt you fear a dark breed,” Aria muttered.

“She was another witch victim,” she retorted. “I got a picture of her,” Andi said and walked over to hold the screen of her phone out.

“Stalking the dead in morgues now?” she mocked angrily. She didn’t want to be dragged into another human conflict.

Andi gave her a glare. “She was killed by magick.”

Aria took a quick look and pushed Andi’s hand away. “She was a dark breed.” The woman had been feeding from her consort. Any kind of attack on Juliet was unacceptable and meant death to her attacker.

“How can you tell by looking?” Andi demanded.

“She attacked the woman I was with,” Aria replied coolly.

Andi stared at her, the horror on her face filling her eyes. “What could she want with her? Power? Was she a witch?”

“She’s aurai-marked.” The fact that the woman hadn’t been trying to kill her and vowed to go after her again meant the shadow had wanted the stones in the bracelet Juliet was wearing.

The marked sometimes became nymphs by melding with the stone’s energies. Otherwise, they would meld with the stone to a degree and become mnemonic devices, knowledgeable in all things connected with the wind they were connected to.

That made them dangerous to all aurai which was why in the past they’d been educated about their roles in the supernatural world early as well as their responsibility to the sisterhood of nymphs. If they lost the stones for any reason, they put the aurai in danger.

“Who was she?” she demanded. “Which direction? She needs to be made aware of how important she is to our world.”

“I know all this,” she said angrily. Given their attraction to each other, she’d prayed Juliet would take her offer. That would allow her to learn more about Juliet and teach her what she needed to know if necessary.

“Her name is Juliet Hart.”

“Her mother’s part of the local Congress,” Andi mused. “All thirteen families are known to be strong.” She shook her head and walked back to the wall where she propped up. “We need to find out about her family, what kind of powers she has. The dark breeds might attempt to track her down, secure the stones and eliminate her.”

“A—”

“Her power is part of our power,” Andi cut in quickly. “If they gain it they’ll gain access to information about us and how to kill us.”

They were immortal, but they could be killed. They could even be made mortal. That information didn’t simply lie in the stones, but in the collective knowledge banks called the Wind Scrolls which was a limitless tableau of information accessed by a simple desire to know something contained within it.

The knowledge could also be gained from an aurai, harpy, or venti.

“I know, Andi,” she said tiredly.

“What are you going to do? You have to see her again,” Andi insisted.

“I have a plan, Andi,” she muttered.

“Part of that plan should consist in contacting the reigning storm nymph,” she suggested.

Their older sister was a storm aurai and harder to kill than other nymphs.

Storms were the elders of aurai, and they were harder to kill but fewer in number.

“If we need her help, I will,” Aria said coldly.

She’d rather not have to work with that bitch. Storme had killed her twice in past lifetimes, and she was the reason Aria wasn’t the lead aurai in this area. Storme had chosen to come to this city, Windswept, because Aria was here.

“But at this point I don’t foresee this turning into any kind of turf war with incubi and succubae as a race.”

The upper level gods and goddesses wouldn’t get involved unless they were destroying the planet.

“I know you don’t want to work with her because of the past, but you have to look beyond that.”

“Look beyond that?” she demanded icily. “She took this city from me just to rub her superiority in my face.”

“You’re wrong about that,” Andi murmured. “She doesn’t have anything against you personally. We needed the extra balance and you know it.”

“I could have handled things.”

Andi gave her a dubious look. “She could probably arrange training for Hart because no matter how much she’s had, she’ll need more,” Andi murmured.

“Maybe, but she’s mine, and I will be in charge of her training,” Aria snapped. The idea of anyone spending so much time with Juliet made her see lightning.

Andi lifted her brows. “Yours? Soul-consort?”

Aria sighed roughly and tucked a curl behind her ear. “Yeah.”

“So we’re getting in the game,” Andi said.

“No,” Aria snapped adamantly. “I’ve asked Jas to check her and her family out.” Jasmine was an aurai of the east wind, and made up their aurai quartet.

There always had to be four of them to maintain the elemental energy balance in an area. They’d only met her five years ago along with her coven sisters, Simone and Bailey who were not aurai but witches.

“What about her coven, Silken Cord?” Andi asked.

“Covered, and she’s got Simone asking around about the dark breed I killed.”

Andi nodded. “You do realize this could end in a war between us and that half-breed’s coven?”

“Yes.”

Dark breeds were always trying to collect more powers to be stronger since they didn’t get too much power from their demonic parent. It was like the demon world looked down on them and made sure they didn’t become powerful enough to be a threat.

“When do I get to meet her?” Andi asked curiously. “How long have you known her? You never let on you were seeing anyone, but I guess I should have known something was up by the way you were watching her last night.”

Aria snorted. “I saw her for the first time yesterday while I was waiting for you at McAllister’s.” She leaned back against the loveseat and gave her friend a pointed look.

“I told you why I cancelled,” Andi said defensively.

“Still, all this talk about helping the Congress makes me wonder if you weren’t doing something else,” she remarked. “Jas didn’t even seem surprised I asked for her services.”

Andi shrugged. “I can’t account for that,” she said coolly. “Anyway, we can’t just turn a blind eye to this if we can do something.”

“I can,” Aria said coldly. “I’m only going as far as need be to save and protect Juliet.” She had the feeling that once again that would be further than she wanted to go.

Andi grunted and perched on the edge of the loveseat. “There was a time when you wouldn’t mind picking up the sword and swinging it.”

She shrugged as her lips pulled into a line while her brows lifted. “Things were different.”

She wasn’t going to become a warrior again not unless the goddess demanded it.

Chapter Ten

“He is eager to meet her,” Tucker said to Callie as he caressed the back of her hand.

“Good. She’s real sweet, but she’s a little skittish, so tell him not to push too hard. She’s looking for something serious.”

“So is Morgan,” Tucker replied with a smile. “He’s not going to trample all over her heart, Callie.”

“Good.” She beamed.

“There he is now,” Tucker said, his gaze on the door of the deli they’d agreed to meet at. He knew this was an ambush tactic, but the sooner Morgan engaged Juliet the better.

“Hey man.” Tucker stuck out his hand giving Morgan a smile.

Tucker got to his feet to shake his friend’s hand. “Morgan,” he said with a grin. “This is my lady, Callie. Callie, my old friend Morgan Ladew.”

Morgan turned his smile on Callie. “Hello, Callie,” he said warmly. “I’ve heard so much about you, but I have to admit Morgan didn’t do you justice. You’re absolutely gorgeous.”

Callie laughed a little shyly. “Nice to meet you, Morgan. Tucker has told me a lot about you, too.”

Morgan grinned. “It’s very nice meeting you.”

“Callie?”

All three pairs of eyes turned and Morgan smiled, but there was something about the girl that put him off and Tucker saw Morgan’s eyes darken as they often did when faced with danger, and he took a tiny step away from Juliet.

“Oh. Hey, Juliet,” Callie said excitedly. “This was last minute, so don’t be upset.” She got to her feet and pulled her friend into a hug.

Tucker groaned inwardly, wondering if Morgan would be able to charm the girl despite whatever it was about Juliet that was so off-putting to him.

Morgan had keen senses and was one of the coven’s clairvoyants.

His empathy allowed him to not only know what people were thinking, but use their emotions against them. That’s partially why he’d been chosen for this.

“Juliet this is Tucker and his friend Morgan.” Callie made the introductions and Morgan gave her a smile.

“Hello, Juliet,” Tucker said, keeping his tone friendly. “Callie has told me so much about you I feel like I know you already.”

Juliet gave him a nervous smile. “I’m not sure that’s a good thing,” she said throwing Callie an irritated look.

“Hello, Juliet,” Morgan said warmly as he reached for her hand.

“Hi.” She allowed him to take it and the disconcertion Morgan seemed to have experienced earlier was gone, replaced now by confusion.

Morgan usually got hits off a person within seconds of meeting or seeing them, so what was happening here? They needed his insight into this girl. It would be important to gauging the potion’s effectiveness.

They all sat down at the small round table that barely accommodated the four of them. Juliet seemed nervous at first, though she appeared to warm up a bit after they ordered.

“This always officially kicks off the season,” Morgan said. “So, I’d love it if you’d be my date tomorrow night, Juliet.”

“To the Fire Hop?” she asked.

The Fire Hop was the first summer social thrown at the Seasons Country Club, a social club for witches.

“Yes.” He chuckled. “I bet you’ll be lovely in the traditional garb.”

The women wore summer-colored dresses while the men wore greens and blues.

“Oh. I have plans,” she said.

Callie laughed. “To go alone? I don’t think so,” she said in a chiding tone.

Juliet gave her a pained look that made Tucker smile. The girl was a little shy of men as far as he could tell at past events, but not socially awkward. Maybe she’d been hurt, so Morgan would have to be careful not to scare her.

“We can meet there,” Morgan murmured.

“You can come with us,” Callie said brightly giving her friend a grin. “It’ll be fun.” She looked at Morgan then and he smiled his agreement.

“No, I’ll come on my own.” Juliet acquiesced.

“We wear yellow normally, so you two dress accordingly,” Callie warned giving Tucker a look that made him chuckle.

“We’ll be the two best-looking couples there,” Morgan said and leaned toward Juliet to whisper something to her.

Tucker smiled to himself, glad Morgan wasn’t allowing his charm to lapse. Keeping the girl off balance was probably just what was needed to get her interested.

When lunch was finally over and the ladies were driving off in their separate cars, he and Morgan headed to his car. Morgan had taken a cab because his car was in the shop.

“Something’s wrong with that girl,” Morgan muttered. “She feels off and I couldn’t get any real hits off her emotions.”

Morgan glanced at him, brows drawn. “What do you mean? I thought you were doing fine.”

“At first I thought it was because Callie was so bright, she’s like a damn hundred-watt bulb, but then I realized it wasn’t all her energy I was picking up.”

“What was it then?” He climbed into his car and waited for Morgan to get in. It was hot out so he’d left the window down and quickly cranked the car and turned on the air conditioning.

Morgan sighed. “I don’t know, but when she first came up it was like a gust of cold air just washed over me.”

“She’s always wearing that bracelet which contains the stones,” Tucker told him. “According to my source she hadn’t yet tapped into their power, maybe she has now. South winds can be prickly, right?”

“How the hell do I know?” Morgan gave him an irritated stare. “Could just be it’s that time of the month which will only make her more powerful if she suspects we’re trying to spell her.”

“She won’t if you keep being your charming self,” Tucker told him. “She seemed open to you.”

Morgan snorted. “What book were you reading? She was being civil and nothing more.”

Now that could be a problem and if she was on her period, no spell could overcome her natural feminine mystique.

“I did get a hair from her blouse though, so we can use that in the potion, but I might just have to feed off her and get her addicted to me,” Morgan murmured.

“We’ll get that potion made at midnight and into her tomorrow night. It’s worth a shot considering our window is closing fast.”

Chapter Eleven

As Aria finished her preparations for dinner, she wished she could take this slow, spend time getting to know Juliet as she had in their other lifetimes together, but the fact was, if dark breeds were after the south wind stone, then Mid-Summer was the best time to take it. Unfortunately for the dark breeds, though, it was also the height of mating season for southeast and south wind aurai.

As a result, sealing her connection to Juliet wouldn’t take much. Last night the energy of the stones had connected to her energy. So, once she and Juliet emotionally connected, the stones would be out of reach of anyone. They would come to her if Juliet was killed.

“I just have to get my consort back.”

She’s pulling into the driveway now. Simone’s telepathic voice was clear in her mind.

The aurai had natural telepathic abilities, but Simone and Bailey had had to learn the skill.

Aria had asked Simone to tail Juliet so Juliet wouldn’t be unprotected on the drive over.

Aria lit the citronella candles on the deck that formed a barrier against mosquitoes and added ambient light to the dark. She went back inside in time to hear the doorbell.

With butterflies in her stomach, Aria headed for the foyer, going over in her mind just how she’d bring up Juliet’s family’s ties to the aurai.

Pulling open the door, her lips curved into a smile at the sight of Juliet in the simple pale yellow dress and sandals. Juliet’s hair was pulled back from her face in a French braid with a tendril curling at her nape.

Her sweet little bow mouth was tinted with a hint of pink though she wore no other makeup to Aria’s delight. A fresh face got her motor revved quicker than the unnatural colors that created a mask rather than allowing natural beauty to shine through. Besides that, she hated the scents of the products.

“Wow, you look like a model,” Aria murmured. “Come on in, beautiful.”

Juliet smiled and held up a small bouquet of carnations and a white box. “Thanks,” she said.

“Are those for me?” Aria asked taking the flowers.

Juliet laughed, her gaze falling briefly on the faint lines of an infinity symbol on Aria’s wrists. It looked like a tattoo. It captivated her but she shook it off.

“Doesn’t smell much like any cooking’s been going on in here?” She lifted a brow giving Aria a teasing look.

Aria chuckled. “Are you hungry? Dinner’s all ready.”

“Starving—it was a busy day and what little of lunch I did eat is long gone and the rest tasted like cardboard.”

“Where’d you go?” Aria asked curiously. “I’ll make sure not to check it out.”

Juliet laughed as Aria led her through the corridor tinted with shades of blue and silver to the kitchen, her shoes making a dull sound on the wood floor.

“The food was fine, but my best friend was trying to fix me up with some guy,” she confessed. “As it turns out, he’s the same guy my mother wanted me to meet.”

“A witch?” Aria asked putting the flowers on the counter in the kitchen before opening a cupboard door to remove a pair of wine glasses.

“From a good family, according to my mother who thinks he’d be perfect for me,” she muttered, a chill in her tone. “I can’t believe her. I think she knows I’m a lesbian, but she just can’t accept it. All she sees is no grandchildren, no legacy to carry on the family name.”

“What’s his name?” Aria asked casually.

“Morgan Ladew from the Whiteall Coven. The high priest is Voltaire Whiteall. Have you heard of them?”

She’d met members of the coven at the country club during various witch holidays, and she knew they weren’t light witches. She could smell a demon breed from ten miles away. They held a hint of sulfur in their skin that the spell they used to create the human body couldn’t hide. Only a small percentage of the group consisted of demons though, the rest was made up of the seductive half-breed succubae and incubi.

She wouldn’t say all dark breeds were evil because that would be a lie, and Whiteall coven was connected with plenty of philanthropic deeds. Still, coming on the heels of an attack by a dark breed, their attempt to form a tie with Juliet didn’t set well with her.

“Yes. And your mother wants you to hand-fast with him?” Aria asked meeting Juliet’s gaze.

“She wishes,” she muttered. “My grandmother despised them even though they’ve never been anything but nice to us.”

“Why didn’t she like them?” The grandmother had been human, but she’d probably heard enough demon stories from her mother to know most of the breed couldn’t be trusted on face value.

Juliet shrugged. “She said they were pretentious, and she forbad any of the coven to associate with them,” Juliet said softly as she stared unseeing and a frown furrowed her brow. “They tried to get close to us from the beginning, but even my father didn’t want them around.”

“Your family spends time with them?” Now, the opposition was dead. Was that coincidental or had the deaths been engineered to get close to the wind stones?

“Not really, but they are witches of power and you know how witches are. We marry for lineage more often than love.” She made a face. “Begets powerful children and protects old bloodlines.”

“You’re interested in that?”

“If it’s with a woman,” she said low and leaned just a little toward her and Aria drew in the scent of her perfume, getting drunk off it. “But my best friend is, and she’s dating one of Whiteall’s members. She screwed up her face and leaned on the center island. “So, are you feeding me anything?” Juliet grinned. “I mean besides this.” She held up the white box.

“I’m glad to hear that,” Aria said giving her a wicked grin. She wouldn’t allow the connection. “Dessert?”

Juliet laughed. “Wine is so cliché.”

Aria grinned. “And you’re anything but, baby.” She turned to open a drawer. Not even as a damsel in distress was she common.

The air in her had watched for a minute, waited and could sense Juliet’s fear, but she could see that she’d been preparing to attack. The only reason Aria had intervened was because the demon was stronger than the witch.

And she’d been smart enough to run rather than sticking around to see how things ended.

“Of course, I’m going to feed you, pretty baby,” Aria said and arranged the flowers in the goblet before facing her. “You were smart to run last night.”

“What do you mean?” Juliet frowned.

Aria smiled cryptically. She would have been wise not to even walk back into her life. Aurai weren’t given to emotional attachments so when they did form them, dislodging them from your life could be impossible.

There was never a “divorce” with them. A union was for life or the partner’s death even if that was at the hands of the aurai.

Life partners held their hearts, gained their trust and eventually learned their secrets. They could never allow some secrets to become public knowledge.

So they killed anyone who got close enough to break their hearts and leave them.

Chapter Twelve

“The dark breed would have overpowered you and killed you,” she said at last.

“I guess I owe you a thanks and an apology for just leaving you.” She looked repentant and Aria chuckled.

“No, Juliet. I had it covered.”

“I admit my response time was slow, but my head was a little not in the game if you know what I mean.” She flushed.

Aria grinned. “Come on.” She jerked her head to the kitchen door. “Let’s go out back.”

“You’re grilling?”

“Hell, no,” she muttered. “I don’t go near a grill if I can help it. All that smoke, and I almost singed my eyebrows off last time I tried to light one.”

“I know what you mean,” Juliet said. “My mother’s boyfriend loves grilling though.”

Aria’s hand glided up gracefully and sprinkles of color that looked like streamers glowed in the near darkness. “Oh, my goddess! That’s so beautiful.”

Aria smiled and put the flowers on the table. “Have a seat. Would you like some iced tea or lemonade?”

Juliet blinked at her. “Iced tea.”

“I don’t want to cloud your mind with too much alcohol,” she murmured. “Have a seat.”

Juliet sat down on one of the pillows and looked up at her. Between the streamers of color, she caught Aria’s eyes and Aria caught her breath.

Keeping any kind of distance and taking things slow wasn’t going to happen. Their souls were already joined. Resisting the tug was futile.

****

Juliet shivered and heat crept over her skin. She was looking into storm-gray eyes set in a face surrounded by long black curls. There was a scar on her cheek, but her eyes sparkled with love that made her stomach flutter.

“What happened?” she demanded and reached to touch Haven’s cheek.

“Nothing. It was just a minor incursion in Crecy. Ares was upset that I refused to allow his forces to slaughter the English. Though it doesn’t matter. The English will never defeat the French.”

“I fear for you on the battlefield,” she said. “What will I do if I lose you, my love?”

“You can’t lose me Eliza,” Haven murmured. “My love is forever. Our souls have been bound.”

“Haven.” She took her love’s left hand and kissed her knuckles, and a tiny scar next to a shard of black tourmaline caught her gaze. A nearly invisible line of black led from wrist to the ring finger.

She turned her hand over to find fine shards of watermelon tourmaline circling her finger. On each side of a black tourmaline stone was a tiny gold heart. Around them was a shimmer of green making the hearts look like shoulders embraced by a cloak.

“You see? One heart is you and the other is me. Ours were joined the moment you accepted my gift.”

“Juliet?” Aria’s voice cut into her reverie.

She shook her head as if trying to shake the vision away. Aria’s stare was filled with concern.

“Do you believe in reincarnation, Aria?”

Aria nodded slowly. “Yes,” she said softly. “Were you having a past-life memory?”

“I’m not sure. I’m not a post-cognitive, but—then there was the dream last night. I dreamed I was an Englishwoman in the middle ages.” She looked down at Aria’s hand searching for proof that the woman in the vision was her, but her skin seemed translucent brown, showing nothing, not even the normal lines marking fingers.

“Have you had these dreams and visions before?”

“I’ve had dreams, but never visions.” Those dreams had probably been the reason she was still single. She was so captivated by that woman and that love. “The dreams started when I was sixteen, and three or four times during the year, but recently I’ve been having them more often.”

“Then, perhaps your past life is trying to send you a message,” Aria murmured. “Are the dreams and visions of the same things?”

“They’re about a young woman and her lover. I think the lover controls the winds. She’s this demi-goddess of war and love,” she said and then laughed nervously. “It’s crazy though, right? Demi-goddesses are the things of myths and legend.”

Aria shrugged. “Perhaps not.” She lifted the lid on a container. “For your dining pleasure, I’ve prepared a few dishes, milady.”

Juliet laughed and turned her attention to the meal that was slowly uncovered for her inspection, but she couldn’t shake off the feeling that Aria was right. Her past was trying to tell her something and Aria had changed the subject much too quickly.

Maybe, she knew something about this past which was one they might have shared.

Her gaze drifted over Aria’s hand and a scar on her finger caught her attention. The skin was nearly a translucent brown with the faintest hint of black ink on her wrist, but it led nowhere, and her skin was devoid of the shards of crystals.

“Go ahead and taste,” Aria urged.

Juliet tore her gaze from Aria’s skin, heart beating fast, and picked up a fork from the colorful napkin. A glimmer of hope still shone inside her that this might be her dream woman, her princess charming.

“Now, you were going to give me your best pitch,” Aria said.

“Would it matter if I said you were under a spell?” Juliet asked.

“You know doing a lust spell could end up being more than you can handle.”

Juliet glared at her as she speared an asparagus. “What makes you think you’re all that?”

Aria gave her a slow smile as she piled food onto Juliet’s plate. “Couldn’t tell I had mad skills by you, could I?” she drawled. “You ran from me like a bat out of hell, yet you caught fire for me. And you smelled so damn good, baby, I could have howled at the moon.”

The heat in Aria’s eyes and low tone of her voice made Juliet cream her panties and her breath quicken. Her palms dampened as she set the fork down to survey the chicken snuggled next to a bed of veggies.

“Smell?”

“My senses are advanced enough to know you’re getting aroused just thinking about last night,” she murmured and Juliet flushed, her cheeks and neck burning.

“That’s how I want you, Juliet,” she said softly. “Burning for my touch, eager for my kiss, and wet for me.”

Juliet’s lips parted, and she looked away. She ran a hand over the back of her neck. Goddess Aphrodite, she was suddenly wearing too many clothes.

“What are you trying to hide from, Juliet? Me, yourself, or the desire you conjured up?”

Juliet’s head swung around, the wisp of hair on her forehead dancing a little. “I’m not hiding,” she muttered. “I was just wondering if you could be any more arrogant.”

Aria chuckled. “I like this side of you, too.”

Juliet cleared her throat. “Well, I don’t understand why you’re being so stubborn about the dress. Did you tell my mother you’d do it?”

“Not at any point. Two people from Hartspun contacted me, and I instructed my secretary to decline participation both times.”

“Then, where did she get the idea you’d do it?” Juliet frowned wondering about her mother. She never took leaps like that. Her mother was the kind of woman who lined her ducks up before counting them.

Alice had probably been in charge of lining up the designer since she’d pitched the idea as her own after Juliet had mentioned it to her. When she’d failed—what a shocker that must have been—Juliet had gotten stuck with the job. That had probably been Alice’s idea, too.

“You should ask her, but I’ll do this under one condition,” Aria said.

“I know and I’m willing to go along with it providing you don’t plan to just use me for sex.” She had thought about this all day and sitting next to Morgan earlier had made her think about it even more.

“You want to be my lover not just my girl toy?” Aria asked as she reached for a carafe to pour them both some drinks.

She focused on the colorful fruit for a moment as she considered the implication of Aria’s tone more than her words. She didn’t sound like a woman used to being in a relationship.

Juliet waited until Aria set the carafe down and then sought her gaze. Aria looked at her over the rim of her glass.

“Is that a problem?”

“You’re not out, are you?” Aria took a sip of her drink.

“No, but I want to change that now that it seems so pointless,” she said angrily. “I’m tired of being someone else. I want to be me.”

“Coming out could hurt your relationship with your mother,” Aria warned.

“I’m not happy pretending to be straight,” she said. “I’m not asking for forever, Aria. I just want now until the day after Mid-Summer, remember? It’s barely seven days away.”

Aria set her glass down and leaned across the low table toward her. “What if that turns out not to be enough?”

Juliet leaned toward her. “Then it’s not,” she murmured and brushed her lips against Aria’s lightly even as she looked into her eyes. The white flecks moved like currents of air and a light breeze blew over her. “Could you give me more?”

Chapter Thirteen

Voltaire headed back to his study satisfied the spell would be done right. He had spent the last twenty years learning from Necron how to create potions and do spells. He respected some of the arts of witch magick and thought he might need to employ them as he and the demons who served sought to fool not only the dark breeds he brought into the coven, but the good witches.

He feared the spell wouldn’t be as effective considering the power the girl should have inside her. Then, there was Morgan. He’d seemed reticent about winning Juliet over.

The fact that he’d said he hadn’t been able to get a true reading off her was problematic too. If Morgan was truly unable to read her, Morgan would be off his game. He operated best when his clairvoyant abilities were on.

“I was just looking for you.”

Voltaire turned in the corridor of the two-story house he’d bought to use as the covenstead, to find Kevin, the investigator strolling over to him. “What do you have for me?”

“I’ve confirmed that Carrel was at the Sand Bar and Grill last night. She danced with Hart and had drinks with her at the bar.”

“And?” Voltaire closed the distance to his study and went inside, feet moving soundlessly over the dark carpet.

“Hart left with someone, a woman who frequents the place with another. The other woman is Andi. She’s often in the company of Brees.”

“The aloof bitch from the club?” Voltaire asked, thinking of Aria Brees. She was friendly in a cool sort of way and had no problems opening her wallet for a good cause.

Kevin chuckled. “She’s never there with a man, so it’s probably safe to say that she’s gay, but I can’t put her at the motel. The motel manager gave us all he had. I’m almost certain his mind was altered, but to what end I can’t say.”

If Juliet was gay, Morgan wouldn’t have a chance in hell of affecting her feelings and no love potion would help for long. Morgan would have to addict her to him.

“Do you want me to take action against Brees? She’s obviously a witch, but according to our source inside Sam’s camp, Brees and her sister aren’t registered and lived here before Sam joined the Council and insisted on registration.”

“So, she left them alone?” he asked with a frown. He’d been forced to register after Sam’s rise to power, all covens had been. So how had this one escaped?

“There is a notation that they’re practitioners.” Kevin gave him a look indicating his doubt. “No mere practitioner could have taken out Carrel.”

Practitioners were humans who dabbled in the craft but had no real power or lineage.

“We need as much information as possible before acting. This could have been as simple as Brees having stumbled upon the confrontation and decided to render aid.” Or Brees could be

an aurai out to bring Juliet into the sisterhood. He’d have to kill her before that happened whether he got the stones or not.

“I’ll dig up as much info as I can on Brees and her sisters,” Kevin told him. “In case they’re a threat we have to deal with quickly.”

****

A ghost of a smile played over Juliet’s lips the next morning as she sat behind her desk. The building was all set for next weekend’s event and so was her date for tonight.

She was under no illusions about what might or might not happen with Aria. In fact, she was just set on one thing—having a hell of a time for a change. No hiding, no lying, and no sneaking around.

The phone on her desk rang, and she leaned forward to pick it up, expecting the lawyer with a new change.

“Hello?” she asked in as pleasant a tone as possible to keep from gritting her teeth.

“Good morning, Juliet.” The warm voice was low and sexy as it streamed into her ear.

Juliet shivered and her smile widened. “Good morning, yourself,” she said softly.

“You sound like you went to bed well pleased,” Aria murmured. “I can imagine how sexy you’re going to sound after spending the night in my bed.”

Juliet laughed. “Is sex all you ever think about?”

“Hmm,” she said as if considering the question. “Only when I’m not thinking about work, but all that thought gives me plenty of time to fantasize about all the things I haven’t done and will do to a woman.”

Juliet’s heart kicked. “Are you thinking about what you’re going to do to me?”

“I want to take you against a tree at the club tonight,” she murmured. “I want you dripping wet around my fingers with a ball gag in your mouth to keep you from screaming. Those screams are mine alone.”

“Someone might see,” she said nervously.

“Would that turn you on, someone watching?”

“No,” she said breathlessly, her nipples were already peaked and hunger was an ache in her belly. “I just want you to see me.”

“Be bold for me?”

“I—”

“Wear crotchless panties tonight,” she cut in. “I want quick and easy access to your pussy when I fuck you against that tree. I’m going to bear your nipples to the air so I can suck them while you come.”

A whimper escaped Juliet as her now hard clit throbbed and she creamed. “Aria,” she said in a pleading tone.

“I never said I was good, Juliet,” she murmured softly. “When I take the time to play, I like to fully enjoy the woman I’m with.”

And right now, she was the flavor of the moment.

“So play with me, baby,” she urged softly.

“I’ll think about it,” Juliet said breathlessly. Everything in her screamed to do something different, something hot, but was she really capable of stepping outside her safe zone?

“I called to give you an answer,” Aria said.

“An answer?” Her brows furrowed.

“I won’t design the dress until the winner is selected, and I’ll let her dictate what she wants within reason. Does that work?”

Juliet’s eyes widened. “Oh, my goddess! Are you serious?”

“As a bonus I’ll throw in bridesmaid dresses to be selected from existing designs.”

“Aria, that’s awesome,” she exclaimed. “I’ll be your love slave for this.”

Aria chuckled. “I’m glad you said that,” she murmured, a teasing note in her tone. “I can’t wait to see you against that tree with your pert little nipples exposed and hard.”

“I-I didn’t say yes to that,” she said hesitantly.

“Last night you asked if I could give you more, but the question is, can you handle it?”

The line went dead on that and Juliet replaced the phone in its cradle and leaned back to contemplate the answer.

“Juliet?”

The knock at her door had her turning her eyes on it. “Come in,” she called, but the door was already opening to admit her mother.

“We need to talk,” Samantha said. “Have you secured a promise from Brees?”

“Yes, and Alice can amend the information going out.”

“In what way?” she asked carefully as she folded herself into a chair and crossed her legs at the ankles.

“Brees agreed to design the dress to the winner’s specifications and to do the bridesmaid dresses from existing designs.”

Samantha’s eyes widened. “Are you kidding?” she demanded leaning forward.

Juliet smiled. “No, Mother, and everything is set for the spa package and the breakfast fashion show. I have the vendors lined up, the models ready to go, and the caterer. I just have to meet with the event planner and caterer to iron out a few details on menu and parking.”

“Valet parking,” Samantha told her getting to her feet. “It’s a must.”

“I know, Mother,” she said. “But it might not be possible with the budget.”

“Do what you can,” she said rubbing her hands together and then casting her gaze to Juliet’s arm where it rested on the desk. She frowned as she met her eyes. “I think you should let Morgan pick you up tonight. It’ll set a better tone for the evening even if you don’t continue to see him.”

“That won’t be necessary,” she said coolly. “I’m sticking with my plans.” Juliet wasn’t riding over with Aria, but she was taking a cab. That way, she could let her drive her home if things went well.

“Oh? What plans? Callie said you were definitely going out with him tonight.”

“No, I’d agreed to meet him there, but my plans changed,” she said. “I accepted a date with someone else, but I will be there.”

“With who?” Samantha exclaimed. “I want to know who his family is, their lineage, and their coven name.”

She laughed. “I didn’t think to ask.”

“Well I’ll find out myself tonight,” Samantha assured her. “He is coming to the club tonight?”

She grinned. “We agreed to meet there.” But would she have the courage to tell her mother Aria was her date tonight?

If she didn’t, she’d probably never come out.

Chapter Fourteen

“I’m still digging, but so far I’ve got the basic info on Carrel.” Jasmine took her cup of coffee to the circular table in the spacious conference room Aria used for their coven’s meetings rather than for work.

The sunlight slipped in through the blinds she’d opened to sit in on the meeting with the quintet. Simone sat to her right sipping tea while Andi sat at her left with a bowl of berries leaving Bailey to sit almost directly across from her with Jasmine.

“Carrel Dagers belongs to the Dark Crystal Coven which is a dark mercenary group of hitters and security. They do legit work for humans as well as not so legit work like murder for hire,” Jasmine informed them. “I’ve had a few run-ins with Carrel as well as her pal Morgan, who’s a shrink.”

“A shrink?” Andi asked skeptically.

“An actual M.D. who does legit work for humans, but he’s a clairvoyant and twister of the mind and emotions. If you want someone driven crazy, he’s your man. Morgan’s part of the Whiteall Coven, but he’s been known to do some work for Dark Crystal.”

“Has Whiteall been tied to them as coconspirators in any of their dealings?” Aria asked. She held her breath hoping this wasn’t what her gut told her it was. She didn’t want to fight another war with demons.

“Besides Tucker and Morgan, no,” Simone answered with a shake of her head.

“Carrel owned a nursery, and we traced the acquisition back three years to a wood nymph who’d been last seen talking to Carrel about doing some landscaping work at her new home.” Jasmine’s eyes darkened and a gust swirled around the room momentarily.

They all sat in silence waiting for her to calm down.

“The girl was violently killed,” Jasmine said. “And by all indications, it was as much for her power and her business. Carrel spent more time working there than she did at Dark Crystal’s business.”

“She needed to stay close to the earth power, to ensure it strengthened in her,” Aria said, knowing now why she felt stronger and more connected to the earth than before.

“The Witch’s Council wasn’t able to prove anything so the girl’s death went unpunished,” Simone muttered. “I think that’s just the kind of thing that’s sparked the witches’ desire for this Joint Congress. They’ll be able to get redress for crimes against good witches.

“Aria killed her,” Andi told them.

All eyes turned on her and Simone’s narrowed. “You took her powers? Why? Do you realize that feeding off a dark breed could infect you with their same energetic hungers? Turn you into a psychic vampire?”

“I’m aware of that, but I’m not turned,” Aria said coldly. And she wasn’t likely to. She was lightning kissed. The fire in it burned off the darkest edges of the dark breeds’ powers. “Anyway, we have more pressing concerns. Whiteall is attempting to bring Juliet into their family and we know there can be only two reasons. They want her power or they want to turn her.”

“It just shows us how vulnerable the marked are and how wrong we are to do nothing,” Bailey murmured.

“Exactly the point I’ve been trying to make,” Andi said giving Aria a pointed look. “The Congress aside, we have to get back in the game to keep the balance from shifting to evil.”

Aria glared at her, but she knew Andi was right. They had to take some kind of stance if evil was hunting marked for their powers. She’d have to contact Storme.

She got to her feet swallowing tightly. “What else do you have on her?” Aria asked going to the window, her mind drifting to Juliet. She had to protect her—and by association her sisters—from the darkness that could already be stalking them all and using Juliet as a conduit into their lives.

“If you’re asking for proof the leaders of Whiteall or Dark Crystal are in bed together or if Whiteall is hiding behind a façade of goodness and civility, we don’t know,” Jasmine muttered.

However, there are rumors in the wind that the leader of the infamous Dark Hollow is intimately connected with Whiteall,” Simone said. “There’s no proof since they’re keeping as low a profile as they have in the last five years.”

“Necron is the name most commonly associated with the group, and he’s a big blue demon. Unfortunately, we don’t know what he looks like in his human form or even if he has one or the ability to create one,” Jasmine told them.

“Which means we have no face for what we might be fighting,” Aria murmured troubled by that.

“I don’t like it,” Bailey said quietly. Demons once again living above ground. How long has Dark Hollow been in existence?”

“Twenty years best I can tell,” Jasmine answered in a contemplative tone.

“About the same time Kryto vanished,” Andi said. “I really don’t this like especially with a wind-marked having been attacked. Aria you fought him last what’s your take on this?”

“You and Storme annihilated his family on two fronts,” Jasmine commented.

“Us and the heads of six old and powerful families whose power has grown while we’ve faded completely into the woodwork.”

“What if he’s attacking marked to draw us out?” Andi asked tightly. “What if he’s on a mission to annihilate us?”

“Whiteall’s already attempting to draw Juliet into their ranks,” Aria confessed. “If he gets her then he’ll be able to drive us to extinction.”

“We’ll start looking for other marked,” Jasmine said quickly. “And Simone will continue digging into Whiteall, Dark Hollow and Dark Crystal. Because if they aren’t trying to take down Kryton and stop this Joint Congress, they’re going after us.”

****

By afternoon, Juliet was starving and ready for a trip to the deli. She got to her feet and a rap on the door drew a groan from her. She frowned, hoping her mother hadn’t brought in another trivial account she thought she should handle.

“Come in,” she called and put her purse on her desk.

“Look what just came for you,” the secretary she shared with Alice said with a grin. “Secret admirer?”

Juliet smiled. “Thanks.”

The other woman handed over the flowers in their small vase and then the box. “The flowers are gorgeous.”

She nodded. “Yeah, they’re very vibrant,” she murmured.

“I better get back to work,” she said.

Juliet waited for her to leave before setting the vase on her desk along with the box. There was no card so she unwrapped the pretty colored box and removed the lid. She pushed back the blue tissue paper and gasped as rich carnelian stared up at her.

Juliet reached for the garment and moaned at the softness of the fabric. “This must have cost a fortune,” she murmured. She held up the panties for inspection and realized after a bit of examination the tiny silver bow hid a snap released to turn the pretty panties into crotchless perfection.

Juliet laughed. “No, way, Aria,” she said as she set them aside to inspect the second item. The shelf bra was more about form than function, but it was beautiful. The shame of it was she had no idea what she was wearing to show them off.

She folded the garments and replaced them in the box with the lid just as the office door opened and Callie stuck her head inside.

“Hey. Got an hour or two?”

“Why?” She looked up at Callie.

“I thought we’d go shopping.” She grinned. “I have nothing to wear tonight, and I know you don’t either.”

“What a great idea,” Juliet exclaimed. She grabbed her purse from her desk.

“Nice flowers,” Callie said with a sly smile. “Morgan is quite the catch. I hope you don’t piss this chance off.”

It was well pissed off.

“One can only hope,” Alice said from the doorway. “Morgan is a psychiatrist and part of a decent coven, but then again, he might not be the one.”

“Shut up, Alice,” Callie mumbled. “He’s a great guy, and he’d be perfect for her.”

“He’s good-looking but not all that glitters is gold,” Alice muttered. “Cousin you can do better.”

She knew that and her name was Aria. She was gorgeous, sexy and she made her toes curl when they kissed. There was something in the way Aria looked at her, too, that made her feel walking away from her would be to miss out on something special.

“I don’t want to fight,” Juliet said holding up a hand. “I do want to shop.” She wanted to look hot tonight.

“Fine,” Alice said. “Everything is set for Saturday. I guess you’ll even have a date for the after-show party.”

“I will,” she agreed.

“And the lawyer has been quiet, but if I need you I’ll call,” Alice said. “Oh, I need the dress info.”

“I sent it to you, Alice,” she said exasperated. “Check your email.”

“Now, let’s go before she comes up with something to keep us here,” Callie muttered and grabbed Juliet’s arm and led her from the room.

Juliet couldn’t help but smile. Callie was going to be livid when she found out she was only interested in finding a dress for a woman to ogle her in, not Morgan. But she wouldn’t tell her just yet either.

Chapter Fifteen

“Don’t listen to Alice,” Callie said forty-five minutes later as they tried on dresses in Callie’s favorite boutique. “She knows your mother is thinking of pursuing a political career and she wants to run the biz by herself.”

“I didn’t know.” She turned her nose up at the pale-yellow dress and began undressing. But then her mother didn’t seem to think she needed to know what was going on in her life these days. She knew he mother loved her. Juliet just didn’t understand why her mother was treating her as if she were an outsider in their family.

“She was telling my mom all about it last night,” she replied. “She thinks a serious relationship or ties with a strong witch family will give you more protection against any enemies she incurs as a result.”

That sounded like her mother, but why did she think she needed more protection? She’d have the aurai should she need extra protection.

“I think she’s just worried about how nasty things could get if she does get an appointment to the Joint Congress. I can’t imagine any demons want that organization’s formation considering the impact it’ll have on their lives.”

“They might come after me,” she murmured.

“Exactly, but my family and the rest of the coven will be there for you, so even if this doesn’t work out with Morgan, you’re still covered.”

She smiled. “Thanks,” she said as she hung the dress and grabbed the more vibrant red-orange one that was longer.

The dress reminded her more of a Pride and Prejudice dress the character Jane had worn and she loved it. The square neckline was perfect along with the white train-like addition to the skirt in back.

This was her dress and she was certain with the buttons down the front, Aria would love it as much as she did.

“Anyway, Morgan can’t wait to see you,” Callie said. “Why don’t you ride with us or let him pick you up?”

“I don’t want to,” she said. “I might not want to leave with him.”

“Juliet,” Callie chastised. “You have to make yourself more available if you’re going to get a consort.”

It was never going to be that easy for her. She’d wanted it to be, but the attack made her realize she had to embrace her destiny and it was now or never. Even if Aria wasn’t that destiny, the life Callie was speaking of would never be.

She wasn’t ordinary and couldn’t be an ordinary witch’s consort.

“I know.”

“Good. Then, you’ll let him take you home tonight.”

****

“Everything is set for tonight,” Tucker told Voltaire, who was busy typing away on his computer in his spacious and sparsely furnished study.

“Good. I want this girl addicted inside of two days. Our window is closing fast.”

“She’s not ovulating, so she doesn’t have that extra defense against the potion.” Though the seer had told him if Juliet had been ovulating she would be an easier mark in a way with her emotions all twisted up.

“Great. Make sure nothing trips Morgan up tonight,” Voltaire said and leaned back in his chair. “Morgan expressed concern that something wasn’t right about the girl. What’s your perception?”

“She did feel different. I suspect she’s begun tapping into the power of the stones for some reason, but there is no indication she’s hooked up with an aurai.”

“We need to move before that happens or before she learns how to use them,” Voltaire said.

“I agree,” Tucker replied. “If she connects with the power we won’t be able to get the stones or the grimoire.”

“And she’s not seeing anyone is she? That could be another reason her resonance is changed. Another man might have a powerful hold on her.”

“Callie said there was no one.” But Voltaire did have a point. Juliet could be involved with someone the family wouldn’t approve of and was keeping it on the down-low for now. He might be able to turn a man.

However, if Juliet was seeing a woman, they’d have to regroup. She might have plans of her own for Juliet which she might have already put in place, and they might not be able to override her programming.

“I better get going. I want to have a few last-minute words with Morgan, make sure he’s up to this.”

“Don’t mess this up, or you’re both dead.”

Didn’t he know it, and Tucker didn’t bother dignifying that with a response as he pulled open the door. “Necron.”

The other man gave him a nod and allowed him to exit before stepping in and Tucker wondered what the two of them were really up to. He suspected he and all of the other incubi might just be a pawn in their game.

****

“What’s up?” Voltaire asked with raised brows as his gaze slide over Necron.

“Sam has been chosen to sit on the joint Congress, and she’s one of the witches chosen to do a draft of the tenets.”

“Who’s to head it?” Voltaire asked.

“Samantha carried the popular vote,” Necron told him. “We didn’t have enough demons to prevent it even with Kryto’s vote against her.”

“We need a joint dark-light head,” he murmured. “We’ll have to make sure it happens before Kryto accepts the final configuration. Without the right people in place, we’ll be heavily sanctioned any time we put a toe out of line, so we’ll need the right man to replace her in time.”

“Women are the majority here and the Silken Cord, Vestal Tradition, and Spring Skye Covens have the most pull. If we don’t infiltrate the other two, we won’t be able to track down the rest of the aurai and kill them, let alone prevent the joint Congress from coming into being,” Necron said in a tone throbbing with concern.

They had to get rid of those three covens. They held an abundance of power and magick as well as a link to the aurai. They would be able to prevent his reign of terror on the good witches and dark breeds alike.

“Warlocks? How did they vote?” They were dark human witches with a large number and if they didn’t win them over, the dark witches just might end up working against them.

“They voted against us, though the dark breed vote was split,” Necron replied grimly.

“The warlocks will have to be punished once we’ve gained control of the underworld. This was akin to allying with good witches.”

“They fear us as do some of the dark breed,” Necron said. “They don’t have half the power we have and see us as a threat to them and their way of life. They’re sure there will be no protection for them if we’re in control of the Congress and the underworld.”

“We can’t deviate from our plans now.” He perched on the edge of his desk and Necron stood only inches away looking down at him. “The joint Congress must come into being and be destroyed.”

“Then we’ll have to divide and conquer,” Necron said and moved a step closer. “You pursue the stones, and I’ll handle the warlocks and this joint Congress issue.”

“That’s doable,” Voltaire murmured as he reached out to caress the other man’s thigh. He loved the solid feel of him even more than he appreciated the softness of a woman. “But we need Dark Crystal on board.”

“I’ll get them,” Necron told him firmly and put his hand on Voltaire’s to stop its progression. “Carrel used to be one of them. They’re the ones being investigated and Declan wants to crush them to set an example for the others of their kind.”

“Good.” He drew his hand back. “Why not?”

“I don’t want to deal with your drama, Volt,” he said. “You always manage to forget that as much as I enjoy men, I enjoy women more.”

“I—”

“We can’t afford to have your petty jealousy get out of control like it did last time,” Necron reminded him softly. “Her murder will only cause me to lose my hold on Silken Cord. Besides that, whoever replaces her on the Joint Congress might not tumble into my bed as easily. Then, our plans will never come to fruition.”

Voltaire glared at him. “I just want you to spend the night with me tonight,” he murmured. He stood then rested both hands on Necron’s hips. “I need you.”

****

The air was always still here or so it seemed to Aria as she stood on the cloud-strewn floor of the communications room. Through the wide windows, the blue of the sky was a perfect canvas of beauty.

The air at her back rose and blew over her, a gale force that nearly toppled her and lightning crackled.

“You asked to see me?”

Aria turned to face the attractive woman staring at her with enigmatic eyes. She wanted to kill her, but Storme was the pure energy of storms, air, lightning, rain, and even ice and snow. She was power that Aria didn’t have and couldn’t defeat.

“Yes.”

She gritted her teeth against her lack of the upper hand here. “You’re aware of what’s going on in the city.”

She’d chosen this, their airy home, a realm outside the human one, called the Mist, in case things came to blows. A fight between two aurai could get deafening when lightning was involved.

“I’ve noticed that the marked are awakening and one in particular seems to have drawn some attention. You smell of her, the Hart girl.”

“She’s my soul-consort,” she retorted.

“Can you protect her or do you need my assistance?” Storme asked.

“I can handle things,” Aria said icily. “I just wanted to know if you were thinking of attacking the dark ones attempting to steal her stones.”

“You handle the situation,” Storme replied with a shrug. “I’ll monitor things from afar and if this turns out to be an attack on our family then we’ll defend it without causing a war if possible.”

“I’m not sure that will be possible. All we have is supposition at this point, but it seems Dark Hollow might be involved and have possibly infiltrated good witch families,” she said and Storme’s jaw tightened. She knew the other woman was remembering the blood war that had raged for centuries between good and evil.

“I’ve heard the rumors of it,” she said. “And I’m prepared to act should the Goddess wish us to. Otherwise, we’ll put them down and keep your girl safe.”

“Thank you.” Aria almost choked on the words, but the truth was Storme was the kind of woman she’d want at her back in a demon fight. She was vicious, tenacious, and fatal like all storm nymphs.

Storme assessed her, cocking her head before saying, “We’re both just doing our jobs. If we’re told to move against the demons, stop them before they become a problem, I’ll let you know.”

“In the meantime, I have work to finish.”

“Good luck on the coming collection,” Storme said. “I look forward to wearing some of it.”

Aria studied the other woman and saw no mocking or malice in her face. She still didn’t like her.

“Thank you.” She took her air form and exited the room not wanting to be near that woman any longer than she had to be.

****

“That’s really a nice dress,” Alice commented, as she pulled into a parking spot at the country club that evening.

“Thanks,” she murmured and rubbed her bare arms. She had planned to take a cab, but Alice had insisted they ride over together. She’d accepted because it was convenient and in case she decided not to leave with Aria, she didn’t want to have no reason not to accept a ride from Morgan.

Juliet didn’t want to be alone with him if she could avoid it. His flirting would annoy her and might push her into outing herself before she was ready.

“Morgan will be lucky to have you on his arm,” Alice said.

“Right, but maybe I’m planning on spending the evening with a woman instead,” she said flippantly and Alice laughed.

“Then she’ll be lucky, but I hope she’s got backbone enough to stand up to your mother because she’s going to freak.”

“But that should make you happy,” Juliet said releasing the seatbelt and reached for the door handle. “Then, you’ll really be the daughter she wants.”

“Your mother loves you,” Alice told her softly. “I admit I’m jealous that you have a mother who spent time with you, raised you rather than trained you, and still thinks of your best interest. It’s too bad you can’t see that.”

Juliet turned slowly giving her cousin a surprised stare. “If she loves me then why is she so willing to turn the business over to you?”

“I might get to run it, but it’s yours, Juliet,” she said. “You’re her heir and everything she has goes to you. Like her mother before her and hers before her, she’d die for you. She’d have to think twice about doing the same for me, but that’s better than nothing.”

“Your mother—”

“Wouldn’t give a finger for me let alone her life,” she cut in quickly and for the first time Juliet saw the pain of a child longing for her mother’s love in her cousin’s eyes.

She knew her mother loved her. Juliet had only begun questioning her mother’s care for her in the last year. Her mother had paid for her education, given her the best of everything money could buy, but Alice hadn’t had the same.

“Alice.” She put a hand on Alice’s, her chest clenching in agony for her cousin. She’d never noticed her unhappiness because Alice had always been trying to—to be a big sister to her.

“No.” She shook her head. “I just thought you should know how lucky you still are, Juliet.”

“Thanks,” she said.

“And about Morgan, don’t let Callie push you into something you don’t want,” Alice said and released her own seatbelt. “Your mother isn’t going to disown you if you don’t hand-fast anytime soon.” She climbed out and Juliet did the same.

“I know that,” she said. “I just don’t know why she thinks having a man in my life is so important.”

Alice shrugged. “I don’t know. She keeps her own council, and you’re like her in that.”

“Maybe a little,” she admitted uncomfortable. She glanced around feeling as if someone was watching them.

“Not even Patrick knows what she thinks, and he’d love to,” Alice said. “I heard him suggesting to her that she take the bracelet from you in case the dark breed was after the stones.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She knows you were attacked the other night, but Patrick told her not to press the issue. You’d obviously survived and needed to be applauded rather than berated,” Alice explained.

She groaned. No wonder her mother was even hotter for her to have a man in her life. “How did he find out?”

“He said someone saw you at some gay bar,” Alice said with a hint of amusement. “She’s was horrified, but she didn’t get to dwell on it since Patrick changed the subject to the stones.”

“And what did she say?” Juliet demanded.

“She knows she can’t get it or the bracelet from you,” Alice told her. “Gram told her when the bracelet first appeared on your wrist, there was no way to get it off and the book would be closed to her once you turned sixteen. And not even she was ever able to touch Great-Gran’s BOS.”

The book of shadows contained lore on the family trad, as well as the coven’s trad along with exercises for training skills. The grimoire only contained spells and some of them hadn’t been there before she gained exclusivity to the book.

Most of the spells were centered on air and fire magick and development of both her psychic skill and memory.

“What did she say?”

The wind picked up and swirled around them as if in warning and Alice went silent, though Juliet had the feeling she wanted to say more.

“Good evening, ladies,” Tucker said from behind them.

“Hey, guys,” Callie said warmly and took Juliet’s hand when she reached them. “That dress looks great on you!”

“You do look lovely,” Tucker said. “You both do.” He gave Alice a smile, and she returned it.

“Thank you,” she said. “You look like you’re ready for a game of polo.”

He grimaced. “Damn, I was going for cute rather than athletic.”

They all laughed.

They walked on, but Juliet turned to glance over her shoulder, still feeling as if they were being watched.

Chapter Sixteen

Once inside the ballroom, Alice separated from them, and Tucker led them straight to Morgan.

“You look beautiful,” Morgan gushed. “Wow! I can’t wait to get you on the dance floor.”

Juliet gave him a smile. “Sure.”

She spent the next two minutes listening to him and Tucker talk about the number of people in the room and the music before they joined a group of people both Morgan and Tucker knew.

Juliet danced with Morgan and then Tucker, even as she kept an eye out for Aria. When she finally saw her, Aria was conversing with a small mixed group of men and women.

“I’m a little thirsty,” Morgan said. “Why don’t I get us something to drink?”

“Sure,” she said distracted. Aria glanced her way then and a soft breeze brushed across her face, making her heart race.

“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Then, we can slip outside and talk. I’m eager to learn more about you.

She looked at him and nodded. When he left she searched the room for Aria and found her heading to the patio door.

“Juliet.”

She sighed and went to her mother. “Hello, Mother.”

“Hi,” she said and sounded as distracted as Juliet felt. “How’d you arrive?”

“I came with Alice,” she said with a frown.

“Ride home with her,” Samantha ordered. “Understood?”

“Why? I thought you wanted me to hang out with Morgan.”

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow,” she murmured and gave Juliet’s arm a squeeze. “You look beautiful, by the way, honey.” Samantha cupped her face.

“Sam, do you have a moment? Hi, sweetie, you look gorgeous.”

Juliet smiled. “Thanks, Declan.” He took her mother’s arm and led her away after returning her smile. He’d been her father’s closest friend and he’d a massive crush on her mother.

She heard someone call her name and hurried for the patio door, her curiosity about her mother dissipating. Once out in the balmy air of summer, Juliet hurried down the stone steps heading toward the grove and its delicious scent of basil which grew wild along there.

The grass was neatly cut and a stone path wove through one side leading to the gardens and forking to head out to the groves with its grottoes in hollowed out trees that looked like fairies should live inside them.

The wind kicked up the further she got away from the club buildings and turned to fog as if attempting to hide her escape. Her palms dampened nervously as she passed a gazebo and then slipped off the path following an errant breeze whispering through trees. Beyond it were creeping vines hiding an entrance. She stared at the dimly lit path ahead as the leaves rustled and the vines lifted for her.

Juliet’s heart pounded and she wiped her sweaty palms on her dress before ducking beneath the vines dotted with flowers. Leaves swirled to her left and a thin thread of fog slithered away from her.

“Aria?” she called not wanting to go much further without knowing whether it was Aria leading her here or someone else.

Faint strains of music from the ballroom hunted her, but she ignored it, listening for signs she wasn’t alone.

“I’m here.”

Juliet glanced to her right and through a tangle of leaves, she spied a golden brown face and curls that rippled as if caressed by the wind.

Juliet moved toward Aria, her heart a hard beat in her throat. She was acutely aware of the cool wind brushing over her and taking the heat from the air, the branches that scratched lightly at her arms and the twigs that tugged at her dress.

The stars glinted overhead like sunlight off water and the moon’s glow was pale as it penetrated the thick limbs.

Aria’s face faded, but Juliet followed until she was clear of the vines and standing before a knotty tree from which thin fingers of light beckoned.

“Aria?”

“Come inside, Juliet,” she urged softly and Juliet obeyed because she couldn’t do anything else. Part of her felt as if she already belonged to Aria and to refuse her would be to refuse part of herself.

It was strange to feel that way, and she didn’t really understand it, but she felt connected to Aria on a fundamental level.

Looking around she found sparkling colors that illuminated the darkness perfectly. Aria leaned against one side in a fire-orange button-down. The top three buttons had been left open revealing a peek of cleavage and hint of black bra.

“Don’t you look gorgeous,” Aria drawled. “I’ve been watching you since you arrived and wondering how in the world I was going to stay away from you.”

Breathless, Juliet stepped inside, pulling the door closed at her back. She heard a click and her eyes widened.

“The lock just engaged, but the second you attempt to leave, the doors open without hesitation.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” she said. She’d never been to this part of the club, though Callie had told her about the aeries and grottos that became havens for making out or doorways to the fairyland.

She crossed the room, the floor a smooth surface of dirt beneath her sandaled feet. Her gaze went to rest on Aria’s bare arm. She had no hair on her arm and on her wrist was a trail of black ink. Her eyes followed it toward the fingers, but it ended there. There was no connecting design and no watermelon tourmaline crystals.

Coincidence or was Aria playing some kind of trick on her mind?

Why would she? She had no idea what Juliet had seen in the visions. The black was probably some work mishap that would fade in a day or two.

“No cameras or surveillance equipment of any kind including embedded spells,” Aria said and Juliet lifted her gaze to Aria’s face.

“Good,” she said and Aria held out a hand to her as she smiled. Juliet took her hand.

“Guards do walk the grounds though to ensure no underage sex or rape is going on.” She pulled Juliet against her and slid her hands over her sides down to grip her hips.

“I’m not sure I can do this,” Juliet murmured lifting her hand to tentatively stroke Aria’s jaw before tracing her fingers over the side of her neck to rest on her shoulder.

“This?” She asked and brushed her lips against Juliet’s. Juliet sighed and her fingers flexed on Aria’s shoulder as her lips parted to allow Aria’s tongue to dart into her hot mouth.

Aria’s tongue brushed against hers, thrust deeper into her mouth.

Juliet’s hand curved around the nape of Aria’s neck as she leaned into her. She moaned softly, savoring the strength of Aria’s body against hers. Aria’s fingers pushed into Juliet’s hair holding her head as she plundered her mouth greedily.

Juliet pressed closer, arm around Aria’s neck and a hand on her hip. Heat built in her belly, fanned out to heat her entire body, building arousal so fast it almost shocked her.

Aria’s hands glided over Juliet’s arms as she lifted her head to look down at her. “Or is it this you’re not sure about?”

She kissed the side of Juliet’s neck to where shoulder and neck met. She nipped the delicate skin and the sting tightened Juliet’s nipples even more before she sucked the succulent flesh. At the same time, deft fingers undid all the buttons of Juliet’s dress.

“Or this?” Soft lips moved over her throat, tongue licked up the column and down to swirl in the hollow at its base.

“Umm—” She couldn’t think for the sparks of fiery hunger spearing through her, let alone form words.

Aria placed a kiss just below the hollow and drew her tongue between the valley of Juliet’s breasts. She palmed both and squeezed drawing a gasp of pleasure from Juliet.

“Aria,” she pleaded breathlessly.

Aria pushed the dress open to reveal pert pink nipples standing at attention. Aria’s breathing hitched and she looked up at Juliet. Her eyes had turned dark gray-green with sparks of lightning that took Juliet’s breath away.

The wonder and the beauty left her speechless. If she had any doubts about Aria being aurai, they were gone now.

“Your tits are so pretty.” She drew her thumbs over the tips before giving them a pinch that drew a moan from Juliet.

She gave one firm mound a light tap and a fresh wave of arousal flooded Juliet and her cream dampened her panties.

Aria pinched her nipples harder sending pricks of pain racing through her and her clit pulsed in response while her fingers tightened in Aria’s hair.

She’d engaged in light S&M before and found it interesting—now she found it delicious. Her body tingled for more and Aria gave her other breast a harder slap before lowering her head to flick her tongue over a rosy tip.

“Mmm!” Juliet’s head tipped back against the wall and her lids lowered. “I want you,” she murmured.

Aria drew the nipple into her mouth and sucked before releasing it. She turned her attention to the twin while her fingers pinched and plucked the abandoned turgid peak. She scraped her teeth against the delicate flesh before swirling her tongue around the areola.

“Juli, baby,” Aria growled. “You taste so good and you smell like a field of summer flowers. I could just devour you.”

She closed her lips over the tightly furled nipple and drew it into her mouth. She sucked hard, sending pin prickles of pain skittering through Juliet.

She gasped and Aria claimed her parted lips as she glided her hands over Juliet’s back and down to cup her firm ass. Juliet rubbed against her, her clit aching for contact, her skin an inferno as her juices leaked from her, preparing her for penetration she hoped would come.

“Aria.” Juliet breathed out roughly as she tipped her head back and soft lips skimmed over her throat.

Aria slipped her hand between them and glided it over Juliet’s cloth-covered mound. She tugged the little bow to release the snap to allow Aria’s fingers to glide over one bare lip, already damp with Juliet’s juices. Then, she gave the flesh a stinging swat.

“You are so sweet and hot, Juli,” Aria murmured, and then sucked Juliet’s throat as she drew her finger down the slit to the opening of her body.

Aria pushed the tip in to test the readiness of her pussy. Sliding in through the sticky juices, her finger breached the tight channel.

Juliet lightly scratched the back of Aria’s neck. “Please,” she begged. “I need more.”

Aria drew her finger out and pressed two back into the damp cavern.

Juliet moaned as long fingers stroked into her. The depth was shallow and she thrust forward to impale herself only to have Aria draw her fingers back.

“Don’t rush it, baby,” she murmured. “Savor me enjoying pleasuring you.” She thrust her fingers deeper into Juliet’s pussy and her muscles clenched around them. “I am enjoying the look on your face, the smell of your arousal, and the sexy little moans coming from your throat.”

“Your fingers feel incredible,” Juliet cried.

“Then why do you want to rush the moment?” Aria asked and withdrew her fingers to add a third. Then she rested her thumb against Juliet’s clit and stroked it easily, the pad gliding just along the side finding the right spot.

Juliet let out a low scream and heated air rustled around the room. Aria moved her finger in a circle creating a wave of wicked bliss that curled around Juliet. She gasped, rubbing her back against the wall as her hips jutted forward.

“Oh, yes,” she whispered. Sweat began to bead her brow as waves of rapture washed over her. She mewled, soft breezes filling the room with every exhale.

Juliet trembled, letting her other hand grip Aria’s shoulder.

Aria drew her fingers out and thrust them back, fucking her with rough strokes. Juliet writhed against her hand, eyes open now as she looked into Aria’s dark, lightning-rich stare.

“Oh, fuck. Oh, yes!” She screamed as Aria took her faster, slamming her fingers in, drawing them out and sliding them back, finding her sweet spots with ease.

Juliet’s body tensed as bliss started to close its hand around her. Another thrust, a press against her clit and she was crying out, body pulled tight as a violin’s string.

Warm air rushed over her, swallowing her only to wrap her in a cool embrace before moist air snaked into her through her parted lips.

Air, heavy yet fragrant with the scents of summer, pressed her hard against the wall, shoving her arms up against the rough texture. The cool moistness of the air kissed her clit as it slid inside her and Aria ground against her.

She felt full, her body expanded around a shaft of fresh air. A warm clit ground against her and Aria moaned, roughly. The sound of wet sex barely registered, but the sensation that claimed her had her full attention.

“Goddess,” she cried as she came again. Her body trembled as she strained against Aria’s hold.

Wind whistled around them and Aria released her. Juliet slumped against her, head falling to rest on her shoulder, body spent, yet satisfied.

Chapter Seventeen

“Where in the hell is she?” Tucker demanded quietly of Morgan as they stood near the bar. His gaze was on Callie, watching as she conversed with Alice. He didn’t really like her spending too much time with the other woman.

Alice hadn’t been easily swayed by their charm and still wasn’t. She put up a good front, but she wasn’t won over by any of them.

“How should I know?” he hissed. “She was talking to her mother last I saw.”

That worried him a little since Sam had arrived alone, but was spending a little too much time with Declan, who wanted Sam in his bed and Juliet under his control. The man must know what Juliet could become.

“You need to find her before the potion loses its potency. It needs to be at full strength if we are to have any hope of stealing her will,” Tucker said coldly. “You aren’t nearly as effective as you should be.”

“It’s not my fault,” he muttered. “I told you I couldn’t get into her.”

“That is your fault, and you better fix it or you’re a dead man walking, buddy,” Tucker told him.

Morgan gave him a cold glare. “Don’t threaten me,” he muttered. “I’m doing my job.”

“Not nearly as good as you’re capable of,” he retorted and he turned his head to see what had caught Callie’s attention. “Here she comes. Go to her. Make sure she drinks that.” Tucker walked away from him shaking his head and counting to ten to regain his composure.

****

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” Morgan said as he approached Juliet. “Why don’t we step out onto the terrace for a little air?”

“Oh, okay,” she said.

“Here’s your drink,” he said. “I got waylaid at the bar so I just got it.” He gave her a smile and as she returned it, he saw the distraction in her face. Her mind was on someone else.

He tried to get a feel for her, but he couldn’t. She was like looking into a lake on a moonless night.

“Thanks.” She took the drink he handed her and headed out to the terrace. She took a sip and his nerves settled a little.

“Where did you disappear to?” he asked as she pushed open the door and stepped outside.

“I didn’t,” she said. She gave him a look over her shoulder. “You’re a psychiatrist?”

“Yes,” he said feeling a little more at ease despite not being able to read her. “And you like planning weddings?”

“Most of the time,” she replied. “I meet interesting people.”

“Me, too.” He gave a little laugh.

“Really?” Juliet asked curiously.

A soft song erupted on the air and he frowned. Juliet turned her head and a light breeze blew over them. The song was irresistible. He closed his eyes and the demon half of him was drawn to it, like a moth to a flame.

When he opened his eyes again, he took the steps down to the ground following the song.

“Uh—Morgan?” Juliet called.

Her voice was faraway, distant and forgotten as he moved along the patio tracking that song. It was so seductive he had to possess the singer.

“Hello, Morgan.”

He turned in the dimly lit porch and saw her standing against the backdrop of the darkened building. She was almost ethereal, bronze-colored with curls rippling around her face. Her lips were parted and sparkled with silver.

“Morgan.”

He went to her, and she caressed his arm. “Yes?”

“Morgan what are you doing with her?”

“She means nothing,” he said softly. “She’s just a mark. My coven needs the air stones she wears, so my job is to seduce them away from her.”

She laughed softly and made him want her even more. Her eyes shone with light he wanted to touch.

“Morgan.” She waggled her finger. “It’s not nice to mess with one of Mother Nature’s daughters. It really pisses her off.” Her curls blew as a harder breeze swirled around her. “Who is ‘we’?”

“Dark Hollow.”

“Who is the leader?” she asked softly in a voice that made him hard and hungry to fuck her.

“A demon named V,” he chuckled.

“Just V?” she asked.

“I don’t know his real name,” he told her.

“And what does V want so badly with the girl?”

“He wants to take over the underworld, but he needs more power. The wind stones will give him the edge he craves.”

“Tell him she’s spoken for and not even evil can have her now. He’ll have to go to war with me if he persists in attempting to tame her powers.”

“You?”

She smiled, but her lips held a cruel edge. “Tell him this is my city, and I will destroy him if he continues to trespass on my territory.”

“Morgan?”

Her voice was an annoyance and her presence unwanted. He turned and an energy ball formed on his fingers. “I’ll get rid of her for good, and we can finish what we’ve started. Then, I’ll just cut the stones off her wrists,” he said softly. He was about to throw it when fire sliced through his gut. His eyes widened.

“That was a mistake.”

Her voice was a whisper, a cutting wind across his face. He turned back to her and her eyes flashed with lightning. Her face was a funnel cloud of dark wind. He screamed or he tried to, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the pain burning inside him like a thousand volts of electricity or from her face.

Morgan shoved her away and stumbled on legs that were jelly. Wind snaked around him and he summoned up a protection spell of darkest energy, but he couldn’t think. He couldn’t focus and his magick died before he could execute the spell.

Air was sucked from his lungs and he clutched at his throat, mouth open. Air slithered into him hot and dry as sand.

****

“Morgan!” He fell to the concrete, eyes open, and face dark blue. His eyes were filled with fear and she could smell the stink of it as he groaned.

Juliet took a step closer, sensing eyes on her. The scent of lightning, burning flesh, and rain drifted to her.

“Who’s there?” she cried out tentatively.

“H-help m-me.” He trembled though his body was rigid, arms held close to is body.

“I’ll be right back,” Juliet said, but a sudden fog caught her attention. It moved toward her and she backed up.

There was nothing malevolent in it as it whispered past her.

She turned and rushed back to the patio with every intention of telling the constable what she’d seen. She didn’t really care for Morgan, but he hadn’t deserved to be attacked like this.

“Help!” she screamed, hoping someone would hear her. She didn’t want to leave Morgan alone too long.

She climbed the patio stairs and rushed over it to burst into the ballroom.

“Help!”

Alice was running to her in a split second and Aria was by her side before she could even draw her next breath.

“What’s wrong?” Aria demanded taking her hands.

Her skin was warm, and Juliet drew in a steadying breath, heart racing. “It’s Morgan,” she said. “He’s been attacked or something. He’s on the first-floor patio.”

“We need a doctor,” Alice called.

The music slowly faded and some of the crowd turned to see what the commotion was about.

“Doctor. We need a doctor!” Alice called.

Two parted from the crowd and came running over. The female’s face was filled with concern while the male’s held a question.

“Lead the way,” the female ordered.

They made their way back to Morgan and found him barely alive.

“I’ll get Tucker, “Alice said and left them.

Aria wrapped her arm around Juliet’s waist and pulled her against her. “What happened?” she murmured.

“I don’t know. I didn’t see anything except him collapsing,” she said.

“Come on,” Aria said leading her a few steps further away. “You don’t really need to see that.”

“He just walked away from me,” she murmured. “We were talking, and I kept thinking I wish he’d finish so we could go back inside.” Juliet looked into Aria’s eyes. “I wanted to dance with you.”

Aria’s lips twitched in a faint smile. “And you were ready to take that risk of coming out?” she asked softly. “Your mother is still here and even if she wasn’t, word would still get back to her.”

“I know,” she murmured. “I just—I know.” She swallowed tightly.

“Where is he?” Tucker demanded. “What happened, Juliet?”

“One minute we were having drinks and the next he just walked away,” she said and frowned as she looked up into his brown eyes. “When I found him he just asked for help.”

Tucker went to him and Callie followed, though staying a few steps behind.

“I hope he doesn’t die,” Juliet said. “I didn’t want to go out with him, but I didn’t wish ill on him either.”

“I know, sweetie,” Aria murmured and kissed her temple.

“Morgan,” Tucker said sternly as he fell to his knees next to his friend. He leaned closer for a moment but Juliet didn’t hear him speaking only saw his lips moving. “Morgan?”

“He’s gone,” the female doctor said. “He only lasted as long as he did because he’s half incubus. Whoever attacked him wasn’t human.”

“Someone needs to call a constable,” the male doctor advised.

“Already done,” Alice said. “We need to get back inside, cousin.” She took Juliet’s hand.

Juliet gave Aria a look, but let her cousin lead her away. Aria followed and got both bottles of water.

“Thanks. That drink Morgan gave me left me a little thirsty.”

“You drank it?” Aria demanded.

“Yes, it was good. Why?”

“He may have put something in it,” Aria told her. “He was half demon for crying out loud.”

“I know. Their mothers were good witches seduced by incubi,” Juliet told her. “It’s common knowledge.”

“How do you know that makes them good? Nurture doesn’t always win out over human or demonic desire,” Aria told her coldly. “For all you know he knew that woman who attacked you and he instigated it for a reason.”

Juliet’s brows knit into a frown. “You’re not making sense, Aria,” she murmured. “It sounds like you’re saying—but why would he want to attack me?”

“The wind stones, Juliet,” she said tightly. “Do you even know what you’ll become or the power those stones would give the dark world? They could use the knowledge gained from the stones to harm other marked.”

“A—”

“The wind whispers to he or she who has connected with the stones. All you have to do is know how to listen, to understand what it says.”

“I confess I don’t know nearly enough. The information I have is slowly revealed to me in the BOS my grandmother left me. It was my great-grandmother’s.”

“They were just watchers, protectors of the information and the stones. They could never use them.”

“My mother tried to use the grimoire, but she couldn’t,” Juliet said more to herself than Aria.

“The power is yours alone to command unless you give it away willingly during Mid-Summer. After you’ve become demi-aurai, then you’ll be safe.”

“Demi-aurai?”

“You’re not true blood aurai, but you have some so you need the crystals to boost your powers.” Aria’s hand brushed hers and Juliet turned her head to look at her.

Her eyes were cool, but beneath the clouds she saw warmth just waiting to curl around her and then a light breeze brushed across her face. Juliet loved the way Aria did that.

Juliet averted her gaze then and noticed a curious pair of eyes on them. “Can you help me?” She knew the nosy older woman would be asking her mother questions before the end of the night, but she looked away finding her eyes snaring Aria’s again. That’s exactly where she wanted to be, lost in her strange eyes.

“I will train you, Juliet, but you have to be willing to learn,” she replied as she leaned toward her.

More air brushed over her, reminding her of when they were in the grotto. Heat and intimacy of the small enclosed space had only added to her willingness to let go.

Juliet shivered, her nipples hardening in remembrance and renewed desire. She started to touch Aria and clenched her hand as she forced it to stay at her side.

“I’m more attracted to you than I’ve ever been to any woman,” Juliet told her and closed her eyes wishing she’d thought before she spoke. She didn’t think Aria wanted a true loving and long-term relationship.

However, she was already falling for her and knew she was going to crash and burn.

“I feel the same way,” she murmured and Juliet felt a warm rush through her and her stomach tightened.

“Besides lore and how to use my powers, what else are you planning to teach me?” she asked and stopped breathing as she waited for the answer. She didn’t expect hearts and roses, but she wanted them.

Aria turned her head and leaned closer to whisper in her ear, “How to give yourself to me.”

Juliet angled her head to look into Aria’s eyes. The hunger in those gray depths made her pussy weep. “I already want to be yours, but do you want to be mine, Aria?”

Chapter Eighteen

Voltaire got to his feet the moment Tucker entered the living room where he’d been going over dossiers of those appointed to the Joint Congress. Each demon had been handpicked for their specific skills set and he suspected the same could be said of the witches.

The four-person team was the perfect choice to face off against the witches. They had all worked above ground in professions that had given them valuable training in dealing with people, reading and telling them what they wanted to hear.

Each would prove useful in time.

“We lost Morgan,” Tucker told him. “The damned game is turning into a mess and even if we get the fucking stones we might not be able to kill the goddamned aurai.”

“What happened?” Voltaire demanded in an annoyed tone. Tucker was seething with anger, and he understood why. Women could be maddening even in the most controlled of situations.

“I don’t know,” Tucker told him quietly. “He was burned from the inside out. He told me his killer sent you a message.”

“What is it?” he demanded curiously.

“Morgan said, she said to tell you Juliet is spoken for and not even evil can have her now.”

“The same one who killed Carrel?” he asked carefully.

Tucker shook his head. “He didn’t say. His killer also wanted you to know she’ll destroy you if you continue to trespass on her territory.”

Voltaire’s blood quickened with anticipation. So, the aurai might have gotten wind of a threat to their precious notion of a balance of power. Good. He loved a good fight and Necron would enjoy it, too.

“Who’s handling the investigation?”

“Declan said he’d be handling things.”

“I’ll tell Necron to take care of it,” Voltaire said. “Did the girl drink the potion?”

“There’s no way to know. Morgan took her outside on the patio, but she didn’t see a thing.”

“Perhaps she killed him,” Voltaire said. “But we won’t know until forensics is back.”

“She didn’t have the ability,” Tucker said. “Even if she has connected partially with her powers, she’s just aurai not storm. The doc’s prelim assessment was that he was electrocuted, and Callie assured me Juliet doesn’t have the ability to create electricity magick.”

“Assign someone to follow her. Chances are she knows something even if she doesn’t recognize the knowledge as viable,” Voltaire said. “I don’t just want the bracelet and the grimoire, I want her dead. Promise her you’ll let her live if she gives them up.

“I’ll get on it.”

****

Juliet listened to the sounds of the night as they strolled from the parking lot in her apartment complex to her apartment. An owl hooted and a soft breeze lightly stirred the flimsy limbs of the young oak tree while carrying the scent of exhaust and rose past.

The back of her hand brushed Aria’s, and she had the sudden urge to stroke her, and reached out to do just that. Aria was hers for now, and she didn’t have to restrain herself here because there were no curious glances looking furtively over.

Juliet stroked the silky skin and glided her hand down to slide into Aria’s. “You didn’t answer my question earlier,” Juliet said.

“The constable came over before I could, remember, and then your friend Callie.”

“I think it’s safe to say no one will interrupt now.” She came to a stop at her door and looked up at Aria.

Aria looked down at her. “Commitment isn’t just agreeing to be there with an immortal, Juli,” she murmured. “It’s about fighting my fight. It’s about being aware that my past might get you hunted or killed.”

“We’re not talking about forever, yet,” Juliet said. “We’re talking about a hot affair that leaves me breathless. Can you give me that?”

“There is only a five percent chance I can do that without a windstorm,” she replied. “That means without becoming possessive or deadly to those who attempt to take you from me.”

“Then there’s a chance you can catch fire for me and burn with me.” Juliet slid her hand up Aria’s chest, palm caressing a nipple. Aria gasped and her eyes flashed with lightning.

“Juliet, I’m not a high-grade storm aurai, but I’m still just as dangerous as one.”

“Then, you are an aurai?” she asked leaning into her as she palmed her breast.

“Yes. I work strictly with the winds mostly,” she said breathlessly.

“There are different kinds of aurai?”

“A few. I was gifted with lightning when I was twenty-one because I saved the offspring of a storm goddess.”

“So you can create storms?” Juliet asked curiously.

“Only lightning and wind storms. I’m always careful not to allow it to get out of hand, but wind is magnificent. It can be fashioned into the deadliest weapon.”

“I’m looking forward to honing my powers,” she said and went up on tip toe to kiss Aria’s jaw. “Do you want to come in?”

“Yes.”

Juliet smiled and turned to unlock the door. Once inside she reached for the light switch feeling the windy presence of Aria behind her.

“Will I become immortal?” Juliet faced her in the middle of the living area.

“If you fully integrate with the air, but not all marked do.”

She glided her hands up Aria’s sides. Then brushed kisses along her jaw and across her mouth.

Aria claimed her lips, the kiss was soft and a breeze blew over her face before stroking down her body. Aria broke the kiss and nipped Juliet’s bottom lip before kissing her hungrily.

Juliet moaned and wrapped her arms around Aria’s waist drawing them closer together. Her blood wasn’t heating as fast as a place in her stomach. It caught flame, and heated bursts of wind issued from her.

Aria moaned. “Your air is like a full body embrace,” she murmured. “Do it again. Focus, on the place where you feel the heat most and push the air out.”

Juliet did as instructed and the burst of air rolled over Aria and into a lamp behind them knocking it to the carpeted floor.

“Control is a beautiful thing, Juliet,” she said in a teasing tone and stepped back. “I’ll have to teach you air balls, too. They’re like energy balls. Yours will be just as deadly since you’re a south wind demi-aurai.”

“I can already form air balls,” she said with a lazy smile. “My control is okay. You just get me so hot I can’t help myself.”

“Show me.”

She held up her right hand. “I can only form with my dominant hand,” Juliet told her. “Is that normal?”

“For you, obviously. Now, throw me one.”

Juliet let the blue orb form between her fingertips. A soft warm breeze formed around it to her surprise and she laughed. “That’s never happened.”

“You’re connected to your power,” Aria mused.

“It’s been happening gradually in the last few weeks, but it’s accelerated since I met you,” Juliet replied. “Maybe my air is reacting to you?”

“Partially, but mostly it’s the power of the fire season.” Aria held out her hand and the ball sailed across the air to rest between her fingers. “Air shield, Juliet.” She threw the ball back at her.

Juliet focused. Creating shields wasn’t difficult. She’d been doing them all her life. Most witches were proficient in the most basic form by age four.

The ball slammed into her shield and fizzed out.

“Good.” Aria smiled. “We’ll continue tomorrow morning around six? Then, we’ll have breakfast.”

“Your place?”

“We better do since there won’t be any worry of damaging the property,” Aria said. “I have a special training room. I’ll pick you up.”

“I can get myself there. Besides, I have to get to work right after, and my mother will just ask questions, pushing me before I’m ready.”

“I thought you were ready,” Aria said, a chill in her tone now. “But I guess now that the anger from whatever fight you had with her has burned itself out, and you have no desire to push boundaries.”

“You don’t know anything about my life,” she snapped. “And while we’re talking about it, did you kill Morgan to keep him from hanging around me?”

Aria frowned. “No, and it seems a moot point because you’re not about to tell mommy about me anymore than you’re accepting that there is danger stalking you or that he could have been part of it.”

“I’m fully aware that there is danger out there, but it’s always been there, and I got by without you driving me around!”

“I would appreciate you not screaming, Juliet,” she said coldly. “My hearing is most acute.”

“I was hoping your hearing was the problem not your understanding,” she said sarcastically. “You totally turned this into something about my safety when the issue is you’re mad because I don’t want to tell my mother about you.”

Aria glared at her and Juliet felt as if all the air in the room had retreated, drawn into Aria.

The space was suddenly dry and cool. Aria’s eyes were devoid of all lightning, just dark clouds. Then she turned and headed for the door.

“I’ll see you at six,” she said leaving without a look back, closing the door softly behind her.

Juliet let out a scream and threw a throw pillow at the door. “Jerk!” But she wasn’t sure she wasn’t the jerk.

****

Aria exhaled roughly after closing the door. Lightning crackled on her fingertips and wind caused her hair to ripple around her face. She made her way to her car and rose two inches off the ground. The wind picked up, lightning streaked across the sky.

“I guess she really pissed you off,” a cool voice commented. It was more a sound on the gusting wind before Simone fell into step next to her.

“Keep an eye on her while I go home and change,” Aria said and her voice held all the chill of a northern wind.

“That goes without saying especially after tonight. Did you kill Morgan?”

“No, why would I? Juliet and I have connected. The incubus couldn’t have reached her emotions even with a bite. Storme must have intervened, which means something he was going to do would have tipped the balance tonight.”

“Whichever group is behind this will really be gunning for her,” Simone said quietly. “Morgan was a valuable asset they couldn’t afford to lose. And Tucker seemed to be watching her closely at the party.”

“They were probably going to kidnap or kill her so we couldn’t have her,” Aria murmured and the wind whipped around them as her fury increased.

“Jasmine’s searching for a link now between Tucker, Morgan, Carrel and any demons on the surface now seeking to come to power. Dark Hollow is the likely suspect since Dark Crystal has no demons.”

She tried to keep track of the demons in the area. Not all were a threat, but all had the potential to become so. “A war is coming and we need to know for sure so we can put a face on the target.”

Chapter Nineteen

Necron moved through the darkness with ease as if he belonged to the night. Two men were standing guard over one of the demons chosen to be on the joint Congress. He was in the house up ahead, but the demon had to be replaced despite his skill set.

He was an intellectual with a scientific mind who’d been sent to the human world to integrate into the education sector as a recruiter. He was to turn and bring in frustrated nerds who wanted power. The nerds were used to impregnate demon females or become carriers of demon seed.

Their intellects begat demons who could easily fit into human society. Their jobs weren’t to kill, but to infect more with evil. The problem was each faction had their own recruiters and their own agenda. This demon belonged to a faction that didn’t support the current leadership nor would they support any leadership in charge because their leader never would be.

“Meanto,” he called to the demon on duty.

The demon was in his human form standing six-feet-nine inches with black hair. He came over, wearing a curious smile.

“What are you doing here? No one is to have contact with the Congress.”

“I know. It’s you I wanted to see.”

“About what?” he asked with a frown.

“This.” He drove his spiked hand into the demon’s stomach. The demon roared and began to shift. As he did so, Necron put his fist through the demon’s heart. He closed his hand around it and ripped it from his chest.

Necron tossed the heart into the yard and strode away heading for the house. With one guard dead and the other out of position, his job had just gotten easier. Only those who would serve them, could be allowed to sit on the Joint Congress.

****

Juliet jerked out of a sound sleep to the sound of a soft wind blowing over her. The whispers drifting through the room were intangible gibberish that filled every corner and grew louder with each second that passed.

She sat up, shaking and glanced around. Seeing no sign of anyone, she climbed quickly from the bed and backed into the bathroom. She quickly went back to her nightstand to grab her phone.

Juliet, what’s wrong?

She gasped and trembled even harder. What was going on?

Answer me, Juliet, Aria commanded. What is going on? You’re telepathically screaming.

Huh? Where are you?

I’ll be there in a second. Get dressed.

She crept back into her bedroom, the whispering low as the voices bounced around the room.

“She won’t be expecting it. It’s still early. Juliet won’t even be up yet.”

Juliet shook her head wondering if she was going crazy and remembered the rare instances from her childhood when she’d heard things that weren’t there. Her grandmother had tried to soothe her, but it had never worked because she hadn’t been able to stop hearing the voices.

Juliet jerked on a pair of lounge pants over her panties before fishing out a t-shirt to put on over her tank top.

A loud thump from the living area made her jump just as she started to put the shirt on. A muted scream followed. She backed up against the dresser, shirt in hand.

“Aphrodite,” she said pleadingly and closed her eyes for a second. She drew in a breath and released it before creeping from her bedroom. Her hands tingled with energy preparing for a release, and she accepted the fact she might have to kill someone.

The door blew open and a body stumbled inside. Following in front of him, was a lean, shorter figure who leaned inward and kicked out toward the door.

“Shit.” The cry was rough.

Her eyes adjusted to the pale light in the dark illuminating Aria perfectly for a moment before she went down. She rolled and the man who’d entered first threw magick at her.

Anger escaped Juliet, and she threw a spell at him that flung him into the wall. He cursed, and she threw an air ball at him. Her only intention was to ensure he didn’t harm Aria.

If she lost Aria, it would be as if part of her soul had been cut out of her.

He screamed and she extended both hands sending hot air rushing over him.

The second man went flying straight into the vortex of air.

“I’ve got it, Juliet. Soundproof this place to keep the neighbors from calling the police,” Aria ordered.

She drew her hands back and cast a quick silencer spell and watched in rapt fascination as the men were cut up by the powerful heated winds. The blood dissolved into tiny molecules. Some splattered against the wall while others stained the carpet.

“We need to move, Aria. They weren’t alone,” Simone murmured from outside.

“Juliet, the grimoire,” Aria commanded. “How much time?”

“Seconds. They’re converging on the house now. We should shift.”

“Let’s get to the bedroom,” Aria said and Simone came in and closed the door.

Juliet hurried to her bedroom and grabbed an overnight bag from the closet. She gathered the three most important books and some clothes throwing them in as the front door burst open.

Simone went to the window and let it up before using a spell to cut the screen.

“If you’re afraid of heights keep your eyes closed, but no one will be able to see you from the sky,” Aria told Juliet.

“Okay,” she said nervously. She wasn’t afraid of heights, but normally she was in a plane or a tall building, not flying through the air like a kite.

“Out,” Aria ordered Simone.

“I better take the bag,” Simone said and Aria took it from Juliet’s fingers and hit it with a spell that shrunk it.

Simone murmured a few words and took the form of a raven. Aria put the bag around the bird’s neck and Simone flew out of the window.

Aria wrapped her arms around Juliet and with a lurch, they were jetting toward the window. Juliet’s stomach plunged to her feet, and she let out a startled cry as they shot through the air. They went straight up toward the midnight sky and the stars.

They moved so fast Juliet didn’t have time to do anything more than gulp in air and squeeze her eyes closed tight. The air rushed in her ears and something cool and moist brushed against her skin and dizziness assailed her.

She opened her eyes a few minutes later and chanced a look down. The buildings were further away than she expected. Her heart did a double-time beat and she counted ten.

This was supposed to be her domain, too, right?

“Juliet?”

“C-can I fly, too?” She could learn to tolerate it, but she wasn’t going to make it a habit.

“Not this high, but you can go intangible like the wind.” The words were more a whisper of wind against her ear, but she understood them as if they’d been spoken.

The drop from the sky was so gradual she didn’t even notice it until they were close enough to the ground that she had to prepare for the landing. Juliet thought it would be a hard one until they were on their feet. She swayed and rose off the ground, the wind a caress around her.

She focused on Aria to keep her queasy stomach from getting worse and noticed for the first time she’d changed into black shirt and pants.

“The first few times are hard for some people,” Aria told her. “But you seem to be managing it fine.”

“Managing what?”

“Hovering.”

Juliet looked down to find herself inches off the ground facing the back of Aria’s home. “Are you doing that?”

Aria cocked a brow at her. “No.”

The raven drew near and Simone became human, landing lightly on the ground with the bag dangling from one hand.

“She’s learning fast,” she commented. “Bailey’s watching the apartment. She says they’re tearing it apart. Maybe looking for the grimoire.”

“I brought it with me,” Juliet said as she slowly descended to the ground. “I didn’t leave anything magical behind except my supplies.” She took her bag from the other woman.

“Juliet, this is Simone,” Aria said. “Bailey is our sister who’s skilled in lifting blood from all surfaces, so she’ll do the cleanup at your place to ensure the police or the Congress aren’t called in.”

“Hi,” Juliet said to Simone. “Some of it will have dried by the time they leave. How will she get that out?”

Simone gave her a cool look. “She’s up to the task. Jas is there in case she needs back-up,” she said. “We really need to contact Storme. She’ll want to ensure she’s safe.”

“I’ve been in contact with Storme,” she muttered giving Simone a hard look. “She knows what’s going on. Thanks for tonight.”

“Goes without saying,” she commented heading away from the house.

“Let’s go inside,” Aria suggested and took her bag. “I’ll get you settled into a guestroom, and we can forego the training since you’ve already done so well today.”

“Instinct told me what to do.”

“Your reaction time needs improving,” Aria said. “What woke you?”

“How’d you get there so fast?” Juliet asked putting a hand on Aria’s arm to stop her.

“I never left,” she answered coolly. “Contrary to your belief, this situation can become explosive in the blink of an eye. You’ve assimilated. You’re one of us now. Leaving you alone wasn’t an option any more than allowing you to stay outside of the aurai structure is.”

“So you slept outside in the parking lot?”

“Simone and I took turns making rounds of your apartment block. Simone was certain Morgan’s death would spark an immediate urge in them to act. He obviously put something in your drink that was meant to have a special effect. I’m willing to bet it was a love potion.”

“What? Why?” She burst out, thinking back to the drink and Morgan’s watchful eye.

“They can’t get the bracelet unless you give it to them and the only way to convince you of that is to convince you you’re in love. But air affections aren’t easily affected by love potions, and they’re impossible once we’ve come into contact—connected with your power.”

Juliet studied her enigmatic expression. “Why are you holding back?” she asked softly. “I sense you meant to say something else.”

Aria ran her fingers through her hair. “I—don’t know what you mean.”

“What trumps a love spell?” She shook her head and her breath caught in her throat.

“If you’d fallen for someone, the potion would be void.” Her tone was bland, but her gray eyes held something she couldn’t be sure of, but it made her heart race.

“You’re afraid I’m falling too fast, too hard, and you won’t be able to shake me off when you get tired of me.”

“Are you up for breakfast? Flying always makes me hungry.”

Juliet studied her and saw no flickers of emotion in those strange eyes filled with clouds. She must have been hurt so bad once it left her feeling exposed and sliced clear to her soul.

Was that before or after Eliza?

Either way, she’d been burned once or twice, but Juliet wasn’t afraid to take a step toward the flame now that she’d experienced the fire again. She just wanted to get closer to it, to submerge herself in it.

“Sure. I just—I don’t have any work clothes. My mother will be livid if I come in wearing wrinkled pants.”

Aria smiled. “I think we can fix that,” she said and changed course.

They ended up in a spacious room that looked more like a sewing room with machines, changing screens and bolts of fabric. The hardwood floor was bright beneath her feet and splashes of art covered the walls.

Aria dropped the bag on a chair and headed to a set of double doors. She pulled them open and gestured for Juliet to go inside. She hesitated, peeking into the carpeted space with dark cabinets and bars holding clothing.

“This is my sewing room,” Aria told her. “I’ve made everything in here and washed it. Some of the models are allergic to unwashed fabrics. They come over needing a change, or wanting to keep something I’ve made because it’s novel.”

“You make more than wedding attire?” she asked curiously.

“I love to sew as much as I love designing. I have basic lingerie designs, blouses, dresses and pants. Not a lot of shoes though.”

She walked into the closet and surveyed the items. “I have lingerie, but if I see something that catches my eye…”

“Feel free to take it. The bathroom is fully equipped with shower and tub, so you can clean up.”

“I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I don’t have to be to work until eight. I have meetings most of the day, but my mom wanted to talk to me this morning. She’s always there when I get there.”

“Well, you’ve got time,” Aria told her. “I’ll drop you off and Simone will bring you your car later.”

“Great. I appreciate that,” Juliet said with a smile. “My mom will be asking enough questions as it is about us last night.”

“What are you going to tell her?” Aria asked. Her eyes held a question, but her expression was enigmatic.

“I don’t know yet,” Juliet murmured. “But what if I just told her the truth?” She reached out to stroke her fingers along Aria’s jaw. “What if I told her I was seeing you and I wanted more of you the moment I left you?”

“Things are a little complicated,” she replied softly.

“What does that mean?” Juliet demanded, letting her fingers smooth down to rest at the side of Aria’s neck. She moved in closer so Aria’s breasts brushed the tops of hers. “Are you more interested?”

Chapter Twenty

Aria pushed her fingers into Juliet’s hair and tugged her head back. She searched her gaze as her head lowered.

“Kiss me,” Juliet urged. “I am yours right now, so taste me. Taste my desire for you.”

“Your desire to own me?” Aria demanded. “Or just be mine?”

Juliet chuckled. “Pick one.” She strained forward, but Aria tightened her grip. “Don’t be a coward.” She ran her free hand up Aria’s chest, over her breasts. “Just let your hunger for me out to play.”

“That could be dangerous.”

“So what?” Juliet asked. “We’re the only ones who’ll get hurt.”

After tonight, she realized it was time to stop being the good girl all the time. Her life was changing, and she needed to change with it instead of taking tentative baby steps, or she could lose this sexy woman in front of her.

A breeze washed over them, hot and wild, leaving the scent of passion in Juliet’s nostrils. Aria claimed her mouth, the kiss rough and demanding, shot through with fire just like last night.

Juliet moaned and pushed her fingers into Aria’s hair. She tasted her hunger, felt her needs, and wanted nothing more than to satisfy her.

She tugged Aria’s shirt from her pants and tore the buttons open before pushing her hands past the soft fabric to find her breasts. The soft mounds were tipped with hard pebbles she pinched through the fabric.

Warm air showered her and the tips of her own nipples peaked, rubbing annoyingly against the cups of her bra.

Juliet strained closer as Aria’s tongue glided against hers, and stroked into the dark recesses of her mouth while Juliet reached around to release the catch of Aria’s bra.

She pushed the fabric up and cupped the full mounds before lightly pinching the nipples. She was softer than any other woman and Juliet ached to explore her body.

“Juliet,” Aria moaned, lifting her head. Their eyes met for a moment and Juliet dipped her head to lick one swollen dark bud. The taste of warm air was a hint of lemon on her tongue. The taste was fresh and a heady drug Juliet wanted more of.

Aria moaned. “Mmm. Yes.”

Juliet pushed Aria’s shirt from her shoulders and Aria tugged it off. She tossed it aside and Juliet gave her a smile as she ripped the bra away and then reached for the button of Aria’s pants.

“Aren’t you the pushy one this morning,” Aria murmured. “Let me.” She kicked off her shoes before removing her pants. Then, she ran her hands up Juliet’s arms. “Take off some of your clothes.”

Juliet pushed her lounge pants down around her ankles covering the socks she had worn to bed. She was amazed that she hadn’t remembered to put on shoes.

Aria kissed her hard and helped Juliet tug her t-shirt over her head before Juliet urged Aria back toward the loveseat on the other side of the room.

Once there, she gave her a shove and Aria dropped onto the cushion. Juliet grabbed a throw pillow and sank to her knees. She licked up Aria’s stomach to her chest and closed her lips around the neglected nipple. She sucked and pinched the other nipple before kneading her breasts.

Aria tangled her fingers in Juliet’s hair and tugged her closer. Juliet braced her free hand on the cushion next to Aria and looked up. Holding her gaze, Juliet gave the tight little point one last flick with her tongue before kissing a trail over Aria’s stomach. Her muscles were hard and defined beneath her lips.

Aria’s breathing was harsh, and warm air blew over Juliet’s face, exciting her even more. She held Aria’s stare as she licked the top of one thigh before nipping the firm flesh.

Lightning flashed in her eyes and Juliet bit her harder, drawing a gush of air from her. She grinned and rubbed her nose over the other thigh before trailing kisses toward her pussy.

Aria parted her legs and the scent of warm summer air rushed out to greet her carrying the scent of lemon. Juliet drew her tongue over one smooth lip and then the other before using two fingers to part the tender flesh revealing an erect clit to her view.

She licked up Aria’s damp slit. “Mmm.” Her tongue played around the nubbin before gliding down one side only to flick up the other without touching the little bud.

“Damn, baby,” Aria cried.

Juliet slid her fingertip into Aria’s pussy to test for wetness and found her more than ready, so she pushed her finger deeper and Aria let out a harsh cry.

“Don’t be such a tease,” she muttered as she tangled a hand in Juliet’s hair and dragged the long wavy locks to one side.

Juliet licked around her clit and pushed two fingers into Aria’s humid body and thrust in slow and easy, wanting to stoke the fire in her even as Juliet burned.

****

Aria pushed her hips forward and reveled in the sweet thrusts in and out of her. It had been so long since a woman had pleasured her this way. She closed her eyes as bliss caught her in its firm hand and squeezed.

“Oh, Juliet,” she breathed roughly. “Your tongue feels so good.”

Juliet flicked her tongue over her clit as she pumped her fingers faster into Aria’s pussy. Aria braced her free hand on the cushion to gain some traction. Her fingers touched a cool bottle, and she thrust her hips up meeting Juliet’s strokes.

Warm lips closed over her clit, sucked and she screamed from pleasure, releasing a burst of air.

“No,” Aria said. “Come here, Juliet.”

Juliet groaned, but climbed onto her lap to claim a kiss. Aria tasted herself on her lover’s lips and savored their combined flavors. “Mmm.”

Juliet moved against her, their bare clits rubbing together and Aria reached for the bottle languishing on the table and flipped the cap. She squeezed a bit of creamy baby oil onto her fingers and stroked her other hand over Juliet’s ass. Aria cupped her tight curves and pulled one cheek open before pushing her finger just inside her.

Juliet gasped and broke the kiss to look down at her.

“You wanted to play,” she said softly. “Now, let me show you something else I like.”

Juliet nodded and Aria withdrew her finger and grabbed the bottle to squeeze some liquid down the seam of Juliet’s ass.

“Cold!” Juliet exclaimed and laughed.

Aria’s lips twitched and humor danced in her eyes as her finger cruised down the part, dragging the lotion into the tightly puckered nether hole. She kissed the tip of Juliet’s nose.

“I want you to think only about how good I’m making you feel,” she murmured and sucked her neck before kissing her way to Juliet’s throat.

Juliet moaned, closing her eyes. The tension faded and Aria slid her fingers over one ass cheek before penetrating and slipping past the tight ring of muscle. Juliet’s eyes widened and uncertainty filled them, but she didn’t tense up.

“That hot stare you gave me when we first met made me want to lick you all over and fuck you in every way I could think of.” She licked over a nipple and sucked it as her finger forged deeper. “And I’m going to own your body, Juli.”

“Be careful playing with fire, Aria,” she purred. “I might own you.”

Aria withdrew her fingers and glided two of them back into tight cavern. Juliet’s eyes widened and Aria thrust her fingers in slow and drew them out again.

“Do you like that, baby?”

Juliet nodded. “Yes,” she said breathlessly.

She licked around the areola drawing a shiver from Juliet and then closed her lips on the other nipple and sucked in time to her thrusts into Juliet’s body.

Juliet moaned and began to grind against her, their clits rubbing together.

“Uh-ah! Aria, you’re driving me insane.”

The breathy words snaked through her, creating a cauldron of fire inside her, but Aria forced herself to keep the pace even. The sensations of Juliet’s body rubbing against hers, the tight clench of her ass around her fingers was amazing. She fought to keep her head, but thrust faster into Juliet as her passion mounted, taking her over.

“Oh, fuck,” Juliet cried. “Aria!”

Aria drove her fingers in and out savoring the feel of Juliet’s soft skin and the rapt expression on her face. She was gorgeous with her hair blowing back with the force of their combined airy releases, and her eyes glowing, luminous as the moon.

“Oh, yes. Yes!” Juliet screamed and bucked as her cream eased from her to mingle with Aria’s.

Her head was spinning, her body an inferno, and she thrust up against Juliet as she gripped her hip. The pleasure was a brutal force that jerked a guttural cry from Aria’s throat and they both excreted a burst of warm air that tore around the room knocking over a floor lamp and ruffling fabrics.

Damn, that had been incredible and Aria was certain if she wasn’t falling for Juliet, she was becoming addicted to her.

Chapter Twenty-One

“Oh goddess divine,” Juliet murmured a few minutes later. She sat up and looked down at Aria who drew her fingers from her ass. Juliet grimaced as a fresh wave of arousal washed over her.

“You were delicious, Juliet,” she said standing with Juliet in her arms.

Juliet slid to the floor and kissed Aria’s jaw. “Sex has never been so satisfying as it is with you, baby,” Juliet told her. “I don’t know how I’ll ever get enough of you, Aria.” She pulled out of her arms. “Bathroom?”

Aria pointed. “Might be an impossible task for me, too,” she murmured.

Juliet laughed happily. “Maybe I’ll steal your heart before you steal the rest of mine,” she said and turned, heading for the bathroom.

At the door, an arm came around her waist, halting her progress. “Is that what you dream of? Belonging irrevocably to someone?”

“I know I’ve read one shifter romance too many, but yeah. I want to be as tied to someone as that, as loved by someone as that.”

“Ties don’t guarantee love,” Aria told her softly. “You have to work up to that.”

“I know and those instalove things always irk me, but I can see why writers make it happen fast. They’re working against the clock. If they go too slow, they risk losing readers’ attention.”

“You have my attention, Juliet.”

She twisted in Aria’s arms to look up at her. “But for how long?” She rested her hand on Aria’s waist. “I want you for longer than an orgasm takes to fade.”

“What will you do with me, lover?” Aria asked. “Keep me in a closet? I don’t live a public life, but everyone who knows me knows I’m a lesbian.”

“I didn’t know A. Brees was gay and neither did my mother.”

“All my life isn’t for public consumption, Juli, but I don’t hide it, and what happens when your mother finds out? We can barely keep our hands off each other.”

“Just give me a little time,” she pleaded. “I need to ease her into this. She already has little confidence in me. Now, that I’m demi-aurai, I don’t how she’ll react.”

“Well, just be careful there, Juliet. Those not like us tend to betray us.” She kissed the tip of Juliet’s nose. “I need to change. I have a meeting and fittings, too.”

Juliet watched her go, feeling hurt, not hers, but Aria’s. She frowned wondering if this was natural now that she was a little more aurai than she’d been a few weeks ago.

****

“Albert is dead?” Voltaire asked looking up from the brief on his desk. “Kryto’s top choice for dealing with education and economic issues on the joint Congress?”

His secretary stood before his desk wearing a solemn mask, and he leaned back in his chair. “He was one of the best choices Kryto could have made for fairness and the common good of good and evil,” she told him. “He said he wanted to see you and Necron in an hour.”

“Did you alert Necron?”

“He’s not in yet,” she said. “Kryto seemed quite upset, so I don’t advise you to miss the meeting.”

He smiled. “I’ll call him.”

She nodded and backed out of his office. Necron would have a few demons in mind, but it would be hard to find someone the good witches approved of.

He grabbed his phone and tapped in Necron’s number. He’d call Tucker next to see how the early morning retrieval of Juliet went.

“What is it?”

“Albert is dead and you better have a damned good explanation for taking him out.”

“He wasn’t going to be loyal to us, so I made another choice. He’ll mesh well with Samantha and Nita, something that is extremely important. On top of that, he’ll do as he’s told. He’s a college grad who’s brought in three women this year. One of the women is working here in town as a teacher. She’ll be of great use in working with the wind stone holders.”

“This better not backfire, baby,” he said patiently.

“It won’t,” Necron assured him. “Gaining the women’s trust might be a better choice than attempting to addict them or make them fall in love.”

“And even more insidious since betrayal by a friend is a cardinal event to a woman,” he said with a smile. “We’ll meet in an hour. Kryto wants to discuss this.”

****

Aria headed to her bedroom to change and shower. As soon as she turned on the water a soft wind brushed up against her mind. It was a polite request for telepathic conversation.

Yes, Jasmine?

Bailey’s almost done with the apartment, but we had waylaid one of the men, she confessed.

Did you get him to tell you anything?

He was reluctant, but I promised him a quick death in exchange for some answers.

What did he have to say?

He confirmed that Dark Hollow was after your woman. The man leading the head hunt is Tucker Augustine who works for the law firm owned by Whiteall. He’s never dealt with anyone but Tucker.

What’s the end game?

They want her stones.

Could he give you a description in his human form?

Tucker isn’t a demon and Dark Crystal isn’t working with Tucker. They want no part of his plan—whatever that is beyond killing the marked.

We need to confirm Voltaire’s innocence or guilt.

Morgan was working with Tucker and with both being Whiteall I’m willing to say Voltaire knows something. It’s just a matter of what we can prove.

Voltaire is a demon, but I’m not accusing him of anything. I need you to try to find out if Whiteall and Dark Hollow are working together before I make any moves on him.

I’m trying but I don’t have enough to go on. So, I’m going to start looking into Juliet’s family and her connections. It’s a possibility that Dark Hollow’s leaders have turned some of Whiteall’s people and those people were working with Morgan to snag Juliet.

How’s that have anything to do with Juliet?”

Someone she knows hooked her up with Morgan—

Her mother wanted her to date him but her friend introduced them, Aria cut in.

So, I’ll start with her mother and friend and their connections to Whiteall. We’ll see where that leads us. Oh, Juliet’s mother has called three times. She left her a text. She wants her at work ASAP.

Later.

Aria showered with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. She’d enjoyed staying out of the witches’ world and their deceptions, but once again the demons were drawing them back onto the field of battle.

****

Juliet took a quick shower in the spacious bathroom finding everything she needed from soap to clean towels. Once she was dried and moisturized, Juliet headed back out to the other room. From her bag, she pulled vibrant red panties and a black bra before heading into the closet.

After going through the items, she found a simple blouse in blue-gray that smelled of Aria. She pulled it on before finding a pair of navy pants that fit perfectly and then buttoned the shirt and tucked it in.

“I need a belt,” she murmured and began looking around. The wind blew and whispers of where the belts were located. She found them easily and selected one.

“Juliet,” Aria called.

“Yes?” She headed out of the closet and Aria stood in the middle of the room dressed in navy slacks and crisp white shirt covered by a navy vest. “Wow, you are so hot.”

“I see you found some clothes,” Aria said.

She frowned. “You’re pulling back,” Juliet said.

“I’m not,” Aria assured her. “Bailey just called. She said your mother has called you three times, and she wants you at the office now.”

She frowned. “It’s barely after seven.” She scratched her head. “I—something must be wrong.”

“You never told me why you were awake,” Aria said.

“I heard voices, people talking about an attack on me,” Juliet replied. “I need shoes.”

“That’s your gift,” Aria said in amazement. “The wind didn’t just speak to you. It let you hear something important. You need to try and remember because it might be a clue to which dark faction is after you.”

“There was nothing distinct,” Juliet told her slowly. She thought back to the whispers and the fear that had gripped her tight in its hand. “I felt urgency, anger and a crushing need for my death.”

Aria frowned. “This could be a vendetta against you or your mother driven by someone who thinks gaining more power would be a plus,” she said quietly. “And with demons and dark breeds involved this could be about your mother and something she’s done.”

“She’s a Councilor,” Juliet murmured. “She’s tough on law breakers and hard on the dark Congress. She’s always riding them about keeping a rein on their people.”

“If this is more about your mother, we can take them down quick once we find out who’s behind it.”

“And if it’s demons after the aurai and I’m just a pawn to draw you out?” she asked softly, her chest clenching and her skin going cold. She hadn’t thought about that until now, but she knew the history between the demons and the aurai was nasty.

Aria studied her and her gray eyes remained enigmatic. “Most think we’re dead but that could well be true.”

“My great-grandmother told me aurai helped them twenty-two years ago when they got into a nasty fight with Kryto. Maybe he wants revenge,” Juliet said.

Aria nodded slowly and something flickered across her face Juliet couldn’t read. “It’s possible. Storme wounded him and the witches were able to steal some of his power. I took out several members of his family.”

“So, you’ve met my grandmother?”

“Yes, and she was one hell of a fighter,” Aria replied. “That battle weakened the demons and Kryto’s power base.”

“Then, maybe this is more about revenge on everyone involved including you,” Juliet said quietly. “He’s just using the wind-marked to draw the families and the aurai out.”

“That’s all the more reason you can’t be on your own,” Aria told her. “We can’t know if he’s going after all of the families, but they’ll have to be put on alert.”

“I’ll tell my mother.”

I’ll be with you when you meet with her.”

“You can’t,” Juliet protested tightly.

“I’ll be intangible. She won’t see me. I just need to make sure you’re safe after this morning.”

“Fine, but you’ll leave after,” she insisted. “I won’t have you shadowing me because of what might happen.”

“We’re not going to fight about this now,” Aria told her coldly. “Finish getting dressed so we can leave.” She turned on her heel and headed from the room.

Juliet agreed. Now was not the time to fight.

Chapter Twenty-Two

They were both quiet on the drive to the office. Juliet’s mind was abuzz with what her mother could have up her sleeve.

She wouldn’t be able to deal with another man. Not now. She was already on the fast-track to falling for the one woman who’d ever captivated her so completely that she could barely think straight.

A gentle breeze blew over her face, and it was like the softest kiss on her lips. She could get used to those light touches, but she wondered if Aria even knew she was doing it.

She reached over to stroke Aria’s arm, and Aria slanted a look at her.

“Yes?”

“Nothing,” Juliet replied. “I just felt like touching you. Is that wrong?”

“No.”

Her gaze drifted to Aria’s hands on the wheel. The nails were devoid of color unlike Juliet’s which had been painted to match her dress. Glittering on the back of the ring finger of her left hand were fine shards of the crystal in Juliet’s bracelet. The design was the same.

Her heart stopped, and the visions she’d had came to mind. Her lover had had the same color crystals embedded in the back of her finger, circling it like a ring.

She looked back and realized the crystals formed a fine line leading to Aria’s wrist where a silver infinity symbol connected to the black lines of crystal.

Confusion made her head swim. The design had been forming over the last few days?

“Are all the wind stones the same color?” Juliet asked attempting to fill her head with something other than the hope and the fear of what that tat or whatever it was meant.

“No. But all the stones are set into a bracelet.”

The magical jewelry form of air.

“Do you wear a bracelet?” Juliet asked carefully.

“Yes, but it doesn’t look like one, and it hasn’t since the day I put it on.”

“Why doesn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” Aria said. “It was never meant to.”

“The infinity symbol on your wrist, that’s the charm or is it part of the bracelet?” Juliet asked.

“It’s part of the bracelet. Most of them evolve as we age. The beginning symbol is there at birth but it changes when we reach maturity.”

Juliet wanted to ask her more, but feared Aria wouldn’t be honest with her, so she decided she’d check her book later. She hadn’t nearly explored all the topics in her BOS.

She let her hand trail down to Aria’s thigh and rest.

“I want you to stay with me until this is settled,” Aria said.

“I’ll stay with my mother, but I can spend the night with you tonight,” Juliet told her. “You can’t treat me like I’m helpless, Aria.”

“Juliet—”

“No,” she said firmly and squeezed Aria’s leg. “And don’t stand post outside.”

“Whatever you say.”

She was going to do it anyway.

Juliet sighed as they pulled into the parking lot of the office. What was she going to do with Aria?

“My mom’s and Alice’s cars are here,” she said. “I doubt there’s trouble. My mom probably wants to tell me Alice is going to take over for her while she pursues her political career.”

“What kind of political career?”

“Alice said my mother wanted to pursue a seat in Congress or something.” She released her seatbelt.

“That just makes your family even more of a target,” Aria told her. “I need you to stop being rebellious and listen to me. Demons aren’t going to stop coming until they’ve killed you as well as your mother.”

A chill ran down her spine and Juliet closed her eyes against the surge of fear that washed over her. “Are you trying to scare me?”

“Yes, but the truth is still the same, and to be honest, a bigger target is on your back because you’re demi-aurai. They wanted us dead centuries ago because as long as we’re alive, we’re a threat to them taking over this world and corrupting humans.”

She swallowed tightly, finally getting it. Aria wasn’t just trying to control her, to take her freedom. Her family had down centuries ago when they’d decided to stand against evil. Now, she was part of that fight and it terrified her to the point she was shaking inside.

“My mother will know you’re there if you aren’t careful.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Aria said as she undid her safety belt and opened her door.

Juliet climbed out. “I need to go by my place to get some more of my stuff,” she said as she moved around to Aria’s side of the car. “You can come with me later if you want.”

“Thank you,” Aria said coolly and Juliet laughed in pure delight and caught her lover’s hand.

“Aria, I can’t take being suffocated,” she said looking up at her.

“So we’re going to do this dance? You’ll tell me what I can’t do because you’re Miss Independence?”

Juliet sighed as resolution washed over her, gripped her tight. “No, I’ll give way to you until I’m capable of going up against the dark ones and the demons.”

“You’re one of us now, so you’ll still have to take orders from me sometimes.” Aria withdrew her hand from Juliet’s.

“I’ll respect your seniority,” Juliet told her softly as she searched her stormy gray gaze. “But you’ll never be my leader as long as we’re lovers. I’m your woman first.”

Aria didn’t look away and Juliet shivered at the heat that sparked in her gaze and mingled with something powerful she couldn’t put a name to. “Then, act like it. Don’t be a brat who feels she needs to challenge me at every turn.”

She shrugged. “Then, stop treating me like a child, Aria, and talk to me not at me,” she said. “This is a new world for me guide me.”

Aria gave her a little smile. “I won’t stay long, and I’ll see you later. Call me when you’re ready to head over to your place.”

“I don’t like how you pull back emotionally when we argue,” Juliet muttered. “Why do you do that? It’s like you just go all icy.”

Aria lifted her brows at her, but said nothing and Juliet shook her head and headed for the building. She felt a breeze at her back and turn to see only a vague outline of Aria.

“I can still see you.”

“There’s a reason why, Juliet,” she said patiently.

As Juliet arrived at the door, she wished they were alone so she could touch Aria, and assure her she was worth the emotional risk.

Instead, Juliet tapped in the alarm code deactivating it and unlocked the door before pulling it open. She stepped inside to silence and the smell of the rich Colombian coffee her mother loved.

“Morning, Mom, Alice.” She entered her mother’s office and her mother looked up from something on her desk and Alice smiled.

“Morning, Juliet,” Alice said.

“Juliet, I called you a half dozen times,” Samantha said angrily as she got to her feet. “Why did it take you so long to get back to me?”

“I was attacked at my apartment. A friend went to check the place out and found my phone.”

“Who attacked you?” Alice demanded leaping to her feet and rushing to her from the loveseat she’d been lounging on. “Was it the same dark breed that attacked you before?”

“No, it was some guys. I didn’t see their faces.”

Samantha’s eyes darkened in rage. “I knew this would happen,” she muttered. “I’ll get the bodies removed from your apartment. Are you okay?”

“Yes. Why did you think this would happen?” Juliet demanded. “And why didn’t you warn me?”

“I didn’t want to scare you,” she said tersely. “Damn it! I told your grandmother to end our connection with the aurai because it would only continue to put our family in danger, but she refused.

“Grandma and great-grandma fought in that last battle against Kryto?” she asked.

“Yes,” Samantha gritted out, anger glittering in her eyes. “But that could have been the end of it for us. I urged my mother to back out of the alliance, but she tied us to it irrevocably, giving me no choice but follow in her footsteps.”

“What alliance?” Alice asked.

“It’s called the Safekeeping Alliance and comprised of six families. All six were part of why Kryto went into hiding. They stripped some of his power after he was wounded by an aurai.”

“Why would you want to shirk your duty, Aunt?” Alice asked confusion in her tone. “You had to know Kryto might still come after our family to exact vengeance.”

Samantha shrugged. “I watched this tear my mother apart, and I didn’t want to do that to you Juliet. I even urged her to pass the stones off to someone else. Callie’s family was more than willing to take guardianship considering the power they’d be inheriting.” Her mother’s stare was filled with sorrow.

“Callie could be wearing my bracelet?” She loved Callie, but the very thought of anyone else wearing her bracelet and connecting with Aria set her teeth on edge.

“We’re never going to be able to escape the past or Kryto should he decide to go after us,” Alice exclaimed.

“Girls, sit down,” Samantha said gravely. “A seer foresaw two dark covens coming together in our city. They’re Dark Hollow and Dark Crystal. Dark Crystal has been here for five years, but Dark Hollow has its base in Houston. They also have covens in twenty-three states.”

“We’ll know when they arrive then,” Alice said. “They won’t be able to stop themselves from trying to take over.”

“According to the seers, we won’t see them coming, Alice, which makes me believe Declan’s suppositions are correct. We already know them, they’ve infiltrated regular society, our society,” Samantha said. “I think Kryto sent them, and he’s pretending to want the Joint Congress so he can destroy all of the powerful witch families.”

“What is the Congress going to do?” Alice asked.

“There is nothing we can do until we know who the players are,” Samantha told her with an edge to her tone. “All we can do is run our own plays and hope Kryto will tip his hand. As part of that, Declan is forming a local combat group to deal with trouble here—both dark and light—who don’t want this Congress formed.”

“Why go through with if Kryto could be using it?” Alice asked.

“We can’t let on that any of us suspect he’s playing some other game,” Samantha told her and Juliet was proud of the shrewd look in her mother’s eyes. “I’ve been selected to be on the Joint Congress, and I’ve accepted.”

She might not have wanted to be part of this world either, but Juliet knew her mother wouldn’t fall down in the role of protector.

“What about the aurai?” Juliet asked. She glanced to the doorway where Aria was leaning as she listened to the conversation.

“They won’t trust us,” Samantha replied. “But their help is going to be important in preventing the dark breeds as well as the demons from taking over our city.”

“We’ll need a liaison and since you’re becoming one of them, you’ll have to do it,” Alice said.

“Me? I’m no diplomat,” Juliet exclaimed quickly.

“That’s for damn sure,” Aria murmured and Juliet heard her voice in the soft breeze that blew around the room.

She glared in her direction.

“Alice is right,” Samantha told her. “They’ll contact you. Each city has a head which is the storm nymph and those under her are the wind nymphs. Declan thinks the storm nymph was at the party last night. She killed Morgan which means he must be a dark breed.”

“Which means the entire coven is,” Alice said. “They’ve been lying to us. Callie is dating one of them and so is her mother. How are you going to convince them to stop seeing them?”

“We’re not. Declan and Trinity believe members of Whiteall are demons, and they’ve infiltrated our world, so we’re going to allow them to stay and return the favor. Callie and her family aren’t to know anything about this conversation, Juliet. In fact, only a small number of the coven and Council are aware of what we’re about to do. Everyone will be made aware of the seer’s predictions, but that’s it.”

“Callie’s my best-friend. How am I supposed to keep this from her? They might try to kill her!” Juliet exclaimed.

“And they might try to kill you again,” Alice snapped. “It was Callie and her mother who suggested you go out with Morgan. They might already even know what they’re up to which is still a mystery to us.”

“Did you want me with Morgan to infiltrate their organization?” Juliet asked.

“I had hoped we’d get you, but I changed my mind last night after Declan confirmed something I suspected,” she said. “I couldn’t take the risk of losing you and your wind stones falling into dark hands.”

“But Callie could be killed,” she snapped.

“They might be compromised, and we can’t risk exposing our plans,” Samantha cut in. “So, you need to focus on your duties, and you’ll have to convince them to work with us again.”

“They helped twenty-two years ago,” Alice said. “Why wouldn’t they now when Kryto could be after them too?”

“They didn’t technically work with us,” Samantha replied. “They worked in defense of the wood nymphs Kryto had attacked. So it wasn’t a matter of trust.”

“I’ll try to convince them.” She glanced at Aria not sure if Aria would be willing to get past the hurt and betrayal that had kept the aurai separate from the witches for so long. But it did explain why Aria wouldn’t let her get too close.

“You also have to protect the grimoire,” Samantha told her. “It holds the secrets of making the aurai mortal.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Juliet’s jaw dropped and her hands flew to her lips. A chill slammed into her, rocking her to her core. Her gaze drifted to Aria as she sought not only support but a denial.

“I—it can’t be true,” she stammered.

“It is,” Samantha told her. “If they’re mortal, they aren’t going to have their powers,” Samantha told her.

Juliet shook her head, limbs trembling. She saw the truth on Aria’s face just before her expression closed up. No one wonder Aria was so dogmatic about her safety.

“And they won’t be of much help against the dark ones or the demons,” Alice murmured. “They could overpower us or twist us against each other.”

“Exactly, what they tried to do before,” Samantha said. “But the aurai that became known as the renegades weakened them at Crecy, though the dark ones fought on. They started the Inquisition and witch trials later in an effort to round up all renegade Knights, aurai, fire and earth nymphs who were working with witches behind the scenes to bring down the then current regime of the underworld.”

“And now?” Alice asked.

“Now, who knows where the aurai stand,” Samantha said. “But if the aurai quietly close ranks around the marked, and demons can’t get to them, they will likely go after good witches of powerful families who won’t be turned, including our family.”

Alice swallowed tightly. “I’ll make sure our union with Vesta and Spring stay strong.”

“Good, because part of this fight will be in the hands of the young—the maidens and the lords.”

“How do we fight an enemy we can’t identify?” Alice demanded.

“You’ll know them, but in the meantime, just be aware of Whiteall and all their coven members. Some among them aren’t what they seem.”

****

“We have to use a little caution here,” Necron said and lifted his cup to his lips. “The key players are all coming to the table with guns. Declan has sources that are unknown to me who have told him about the aurai rising and the plans to thwart the Joint Congress.”

“He doesn’t know our plans,” Voltaire murmured and took a sip of his own coffee. The country club dining room was mostly empty this morning with its few diners reading papers and carrying on conversations about mundane issues like work.

The head of the Congress was here meeting with Declan, the head of the Council. They were two tables away having a discussion behind a silence screen, too, a shield that prevented others from picking up their conversation.

“They look upset,” Voltaire said.

“Sam is going to New York, and one of our moles is taking her place. I’ve already ordered Declan’s death so that another of our people can be put in place.”

“We have to be careful there,” Voltaire warned. “Declan’s reach stretches into the covens we don’t want to alert. Maybe he should be left alone for now.”

“No, Volt. It’s a risk that has to be taken. We need contingencies in case we can’t get to the marked,” he said. “The coroner’s report indicates that Morgan’s murderer was an upper level aurai. So, the seer was right. They’re rising, which means we need our people in the right places. I have no doubt Storme is mobilizing her girls for the future battle against us.”

“There aren’t enough and without their knights they don’t have direction or leadership.”

“Tucker was right,” Necron said tightly. “You are underestimating them. They didn’t survive this long without being able to work independently of men.”

“With the grimoire, we’ll gain the knowledge to steal their immortality.”

“You’re as short-sighted as always, my friend,” Necron told him. “If a senior level aurai killed Morgan, they’re already closing ranks around Juliet, and a single battle won’t get us the prize. We’ll be going to war.”

“Not without witches,” he said with a shrug. “And they aren’t inclined to side with aurai. We’ll play on the old grievances to keep them from joining forces, starting with Silken Cord and those allied with them. Can you do your part there?”

“I already am and so are the others,” Necron told him. “We’ll have to use our moles to turn others against her and get Silken Cord to oust her. Alone, she won’t be a threat.”

“True, but you’re the one making miscalculations now. Samantha won’t go quietly and being ousted by her coven won’t get her kicked off the Joint Congress. Her family has always managed to pull a fucking rabbit out of the old hat.”

“Which is why we might have to consider Juliet a lost cause,” Necron told him. “She’s proving difficult to kill, and devoting more resources to her will be to take unnecessary risk of exposure.”

“Her great-grandmother annihilated my family,” Voltaire hissed. “I want her blood to spill, I want her power, and I want her family savaged the way mine was.” He clenched his hand on the table, aware that he was allowing his emotions to overrun him. However, even demons had the capacity to feel kinship, though it wasn’t love as humans knew it.

“Don’t let your need for vengeance start controlling you now,” Necron told him coldly. “There is more at stake than your petty grievances. Both of our families knew what they were doing, knew war was a risk of loss of life, even their own. So, screw your fucking head back on straight and take a look at the big picture.”

Power. With it he could control the entire underworld and send people after Juliet’s family until they were all dead. Then, he could go after the other three families.

Voltaire pushed out a rough breath. “Everything you just said sounds good in theory, but that grimoire will give us the knowledge we need to destroy all aurai for good.”

“It’s best to concentrate our efforts on another of the marked,” Necron told him. “Let them think we’ve stepped back. That will leave them off balance and guessing, trying to anticipate our next move. Then, we’ll strike.”

“We can’t just pull back even if we don’t go after the stones, Necron,” Voltaire said in an irritated tone. “We need her grimoire. The old crone was one of the four guardians of the information stole from the aurai by my great-great-grandfather. It’s what he was killed for. He said it would enable us to make the harpies, the aurai, and the venti extinct.”

“The book wasn’t in the house, so it must be on her,” Necron told him. “We’ll give retrieval one last try and then let things die down before we go after it again.”

“Very well,” Voltaire said. “I’ll bow to your advice on this. We’ll have to dump some dead weight to prevent discovery. Tucker and all those loyal to him will have to go. He’s just waiting to stab us in the back.”

“It’s already being taken care of.”

“Then, let’s talk about the vacation we’re going to take. Two days of nothing but you and me.”

****

Juliet sat at her desk after the meeting, still reeling from what she’d heard. She’d had no idea how important the books really were. Her death could leave them without a protector and the information could be accessed.

Right now, the books were in good hands, and she would leave them with Aria. Her only fear was of the future. What would happen to her mother, to Alice?

She had never dreamed the wars of the past would come back to replay over again in her lifetime. Then, she’d never realized just what a pivotal role she could play in those wars either.

Juliet got up and went to the window to stare at the cars passing on the street. Her life had taken a dramatic turn between last week and now, and she was only sure of one thing. She wanted Aria, and she wasn’t going let her go easily.

Juliet went to her desk and picked up the phone. Luckily for now she had the guise of business to conceal her true motives for contacting her.

“Brees Design, how may I help you?”

“Is Aria in?” Juliet asked.

“One moment,” the woman said congenially.

She drummed her fingers on her desk after sitting down. Aria wasn’t easy to get close to, and she might not even trust anything she said after this morning.

“Who’s calling?”

“Juliet Hart,” she said.

“Hello, Juliet,” Aria said a moment later. Her voice was heat and sex in her ear.

“Are you free? I need to see you.”

“Jasmine is on her way with your car, so she can bring you here, or we can meet someplace.”

“My apartment.”

“I’ll meet you there,” Aria replied.

“We really need to talk about what my mother said.”

“I guessed as much,” she answered. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye.” She replaced the phone and leaned back in her chair with a sigh. Just a week ago, she’d been craving more responsibility, but this wasn’t what she’d had in mind.

Chapter Twenty-Four

A rap on her door drew her attention from the upheaval that her life was about to become. Juliet didn’t expect this to be much better given her luck with clients lately. However, it was ordinary, a respite from the paranormal she’d been drenched in the last several hours.

“Come in.”

The door opened and an average-height man stood there in black. His cool blue eyes took her in and his lips pulled into a frown. He stepped in leaving the door ajar as he walked to her desk.

“Miss Hart, I’m Cordell Watts with the Witch’s Congress, investigative division.”

She studied him not sure what he expected her to say to that. “Have a seat.”

He removed a small pad from his back pants pocket and detached a pen from the leather holder. “I’d like to ask you a few more questions about last night.”

“I told the constable everything last night.”

“Now, tell me,” he ordered in an authoritative tone that made her sneer at him.

Juliet recounted what she’d seen. As she told her story, she recalled the sensual melody she’d heard. At the time, she’d thought it was part of the music playing from inside, but now that she thought about it, it was what had ensnared Morgan.

She hadn’t been affected by the tune or the enchanting scent of fresh rain.

“You didn’t see anyone running out? A woman?”

“No one came out,” she said.

“I get the feeling you’re not telling me something,” he said. “So, you need to start talking, Juliet, before I arrest you as an accessory.”

His tone was hard and his eyes even harder. The airy energy inside her wanted to suffocate him. The power whistled inside her mind, ferocious and eager to pounce. Juliet fought it, clenching her hands into fists and wishing she knew how to contain a power that was trying to pull spill from her palms to get to the investigator.

A soft breeze rustled around the room, and she knew she’d lost the battle. Her hands heated and her breath exhaled on a rough hot gust. A low howl whispered on the air.

He looked around, and her nails bit into the soft flesh of her hand.

The door of her office creaked slowly open, and he turned all the way around this time.

“Hello, Juliet.” The woman standing in the doorway was an inch taller than Aria, but she had that same haunting beauty. Her high cheekbones and wide mouth gave her a sex appeal all her own.

“Hi,” she said trying to contain her relief at the interruption.

“We should get going,” she said. “Aria is waiting for us.”

“I was just finishing up,” Juliet replied. “Investigator Watts is following up on the murder at the club last night.”

“And I’m not done with you,” he said coldly. “Your social engagement will have to wait.”

“You can’t make me stay,” Juliet said more out of nerves than anger. “I answered your questions.”

“And I have more still,” he said. “You are the only witness to a brutal crime, and I find it odd that you didn’t even scream when it could have saved your date.”

“He wasn’t my date,” she snapped. The air didn’t seem too happy with the thought of anyone but Aria being with her.

“That’s not what I was told.”

“I can’t help that,” Juliet muttered. “I don’t have any control over what other people say.”

“Let’s go, Juliet,” the woman said. “If you want to talk to her again, you’ll need to contact our attorney.” She crossed the room and held a card out to him. “Now, Juliet.”

Juliet stood up and rounded her desk. She didn’t know the woman, but she felt familiar just like the fog last night.

“This isn’t the end, Miss Hart,” he told her angrily. “We will talk again.”

“I’m sure,” she said, frowning and wondering why he was being so dogmatic. The air didn’t care and like a vicious dog it watched him, waiting for him to give it an opening to lash out.

That confused and scared her, but not quite enough she realized as she began unclenching her hand.

The woman moved then, keeping distance between Juliet and the investigator. He sneered at her, and she stared him down. Juliet felt the urge to lash out at him, wipe that look off his face but allowed the other woman to take point.

Juliet backed up and the investigator followed. At the front door, her mother waylaid him as she came in.

“You weren’t supposed to speak to Juliet without me present,” Samantha chastised him.

“I was doing my job,” he retorted.

“Badly.”

“I’m not done with her,” he said.

“I’ll bring her to the station later,” Samantha replied coldly. “In the meantime, I want a word with you.”

Juliet sighed as they headed to her car. “Jasmine?”

“Fortunately for you, I am,” she answered humor in her tone. “Aria is meeting us at your place. I called her before I came in to let her know I was here.”

“Great.” She climbed in on the passenger side while Jasmine got in on the driver’s side.

“You certainly smell like Aria’s,” she commented.

“I do?”

“Mmm-hmm,” she agreed. “Her scent has changed, though, to an annoying, delicate rose, but I guess we’ll get used to it.”

She threw Jasmine an amused look. “I rather like the way she smells.” And tastes.

Jasmine chuckled. “I imagine. “Are you going to continue working for your mother?”

“I don’t know, will that be a problem?” She supposed it could be. She was still a witch, raised with the enemy of the aurai.

“Not unless you plan to betray us,” she drawled.

Anger whistled through her. “I would never betray, Aria,” she retorted.

“The south wind is integrating into it, changing you,” Jasmine said giving her a curious look.

“How do you know? We’ve never met.”

“I’ve seen you at the club a few times and you smell different today than you did last night,” Jasmine answered. “I guess you’ve accepted your new destiny, embraced your power.”

“I’ve accepted what I have to do to survive,” she said. “I’m not shirking my responsibility. I don’t really want to.” The moment she’d realized Callie could have been in her place, could be the one getting close to Aria even as a friend, she’d rejected that notion and embraced her new destiny.

And Aria was part of it along with this world of air and danger.

“What’s the Congress doing about the witch murders?” Jasmine asked cutting into her reverie.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “My mother isn’t sharing.” Juliet turned her gaze out the window. “Are the aurai going to work with the witches to prevent the dark breeds from ruining the Joint Congress?”

“I don’t really know that much about it, but we’ll learn,” Jasmine replied. “And we’ll do what we can to prevent an imbalance of power.”

“Does that mean you’re going to ally with the witches again?” Juliet asked carefully.

“That hasn’t been decided yet, and it’s not your woman’s decision. It’s Storme’s,” Jasmine replied. “But we won’t allow the information in your great-grandmother’s grimoire or the BOS to fall into the wrong hands now that we know who has it.”

Juliet supposed that meant her book was being, or had been, sanitized of all the information that could be used to hurt the aurai.

“I didn’t know the information was there,” she said quietly.

“Your family retrieved it from, what I understand, the dark breed who managed to get it,” Jasmine told her. “He tricked an aurai, made her believe she was in love with him, but he was killed right after he gained her bracelet and one of the guardian families, as we’ve called them, took it. At the time, we believed they were keeping it to use later, but rumor circulated that the aurai had taken it.”

“That intensified the war?” She glanced at Jasmine and found her face a mask of anger.

“Yes, and it led to the slaughter of two prominent demon families later. “

“What about the other marked women? Are they part of the guardian families?” Juliet asked.

“At least two of them are,” Jasmine replied. “And we’re trying to find them now so we can bring them in and protect them before the demons find them.” Jasmine glanced into the review mirror.

Juliet looked out of her own window, but she didn’t know what she was looking for. Jasmine turned suddenly and horns blared.

****

Tucker had assembled his small team and split into groups. One of them was watching the office while he waited for Juliet to come home.

Instead of retrieval, a kill order had been put on her. The only thing Voltaire wanted was her grimoire. He knew the book had some information of value, but this was a big risk for a book of good witch’s magick.

“What if we don’t get it,” the woman seated next to him in the truck demanded sullenly.

“Necron and Voltaire are going to kill us,” he told her.

“Did you ever think why the change?” she asked.

“Enough.” He had wondered, but he assumed it was because they were regrouping, planning on securing another aurai-marked’s stones.

“I’ll tell you why,” she said. “At the end of the day, the grimoire is even more important than the stones.”

“How do you figure?” he asked carefully.

“This grimoire will give us the inside track on aurai as well as earth, fire, and water nymphs. It’ll tell us how to steal their powers as well as how to make them mortal. The stones are just a bonus.”

That knowledge would be gold—power to the person who owned it. That information could get him and the dark breeds like him from under Kryto’s thumb.

He could just keep the book. The spells in the books would bestow a whole other kind of power on him. The magick would be useful against others of his kind. It would take a little more to take down Necron, but he imagined there was something in the book on the blue berserker demon, too.

But could he use that power before Voltaire and Necron found him?

“I don’t think Voltaire has our best interest at heart,” his partner said.

“Careful what you say,” he warned. “Words might get you killed.” He’d kill her once he had Juliet. He didn’t trust her any further than he could throw her.

“The woman Juliet was with last night,” she mused and he watched Brees stride toward the complex.

Juliet didn’t strike him as the lesbian type let alone the late morning booty call type.

“They looked cozy last night,” she said. “Maybe she’s come to take the aurai home which means she’s aurai, and we won’t stand a chance of getting her now.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Juliet climbed out of the car and glanced over her shoulder to see Jasmine slamming her car door. She headed toward her apartment and her mother’s words replayed in her mind.

It was up to her to convince the aurai to work with the witches. But how could she? Aria might see any of what she said or did as subterfuge to gain the aurai’s trust.

Her apartment door opened for her the moment she reached it. She looked back for Jasmine and found she’d vanished.

“Juliet?”

She closed the door and leaned back against it. Her gaze met the gray stare filled with white clouds. The curls were tamed back in a single braid unlike this morning.

“Did you know how important my grimoire and BOS were?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “I didn’t want to scare you.”

“Were you going to tell me or just take the information?”

“I never planned to take anything,” Aria replied coolly. “I thought you’d give it too willingly once you realized how dangerous it was for that kind of knowledge to be lying around in print.”

“And if I didn’t?”

“Then, later I’d take it,” she admitted and there wasn’t a remorseful look in her eyes. “Witches betrayed us and they will no doubt do it again once they use us to clear up this current mess.”

“We aren’t all bad,” Juliet snapped. “My family—”

“Your family was part of the initial hunt against us, Juli,” she said softly. “They realized their mistake when demons began hunting them. They information can’t stay in the guardians hands.”

“Which is to say you don’t trust me!”

“We’re mates, you’d never betray me,” Aria told her matter of fact. “Not now or ever, but that information could be stolen by someone who’d betray you.”

Juliet sighed roughly and averted her gaze as happiness cycled through her. Her chest expanded in happiness, but it was constricted by her next thought. Her visions were real and Aria was that demi goddess from the past who’d stolen her heart.

But obviously, Aria didn’t want to revisit their shared past.

“When were you going to tell me this?”

“I wanted to take things slow and get to know you,” Aria answered.

“How can we? We were on a collision course with falling in love the day our eyes met in the deli. I can’t help getting aroused when I see you or wanting more of your touch or your breezes blowing over me.”

“I’m not unaffected, Juliet,” she said. “I—” Aria swallowed tightly. “I crave you and the thought of getting too close too fast scares me.”

Juliet pushed away from the door and went to her. She caught Aria’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

Aria squeezed her hand back. “Juliet.”

“Just go ahead and let go, fall because I’ll be here to catch you.” She cupped Aria’s face with her free hand and went up on tip toe to kiss her. “Let me into that place in your heart no one has ever been.”

Aria told her softly and kissed her softly. “If you’re just saying this to get me to ally with your coven, it’s working—a little bit.”

Juliet laughed and rubbed her nose against Aria’s. “I wouldn’t dare try to seduce you around to my way of thinking.”

“Not like you haven’t tried,” she murmured and curved an arm around Juliet’s waist to pull her tighter against her.

“Was it working?”

“Uh, no,” she said and chuckled. “But it might now.” Aria kissed her again and Juliet wrapped her arms around Aria’s neck.

“I love the way you feel against me,” she said against Aria’s lips. “So solid and firm, yet soft. We’re a perfect fit.”

“Maybe,” Aria murmured and kissed her top lip. “I haven’t told the others what your mother said, but I’m going to have to. They need help finding the mole, and I think we can do that, but don’t mention us to anyone.”

“I won’t,” Juliet assured her. “I’ll work with Alice. We’ll find a way to handle things without implicating aurai.”

Aria nodded. “You’ll have to be the liaison, and you can’t trust anyone outside the aurai.”

“Alice—”

“Is as far as you go once your mother is gone,” Aria said.

She backed out of Aria’s arms. “I won’t tell Callie,” she said with a frown. “My mother’s right. I have to handle things with Callie with kid gloves. If she betrayed me and caused you to be hurt, I’d kill her.”

Aria gave her a rueful look. “You don’t know how true that is, Juli,” she said. “The bond between aurai sisters is strong, but the link between aurai mates is titanium.”

“Good,” she said. “I don’t want to ever lose you.”

“You can’t,” Aria told her. “I don’t want you taking anything from here. Dark breeds are notorious for using trackers.”

“Tracker spells?”

“As it is I found one listening spell embedded in the wall in here. I didn’t need to take it out since it was easy to create enough wind interference around it to prevent the listener from hearing anything.”

Juliet studied her for a moment. “I’ll need to go shopping then.”

“Not a problem. I’ll have a controlled magical burn done here to get rid of everything.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I’ve already taken the most important things and I hadn’t gotten around to putting up all of my new pictures yet.” She looked around the room, only one wall had a picture on it. The shot was of her and Callie.

She had the same picture on her phone still.

“You’ll have to get a new phone, too. I’ve already broken the old one. There was a tracking spell attached to it that I couldn’t dislodge.”

Juliet shrugged. “I was due for an upgrade.” She’d been putting it off because she liked the old phone. “I need to get my phone more than I need to shop and then I have to get back to work. I have a few meetings this afternoon.”

“Okay, let’s get going.”

The door opened, and they both turned to it. Jasmine stepped inside. “My contact just got back to me with info on Tucker,” she said. “I did check her out, but it could still be a risk using the intel.”

“Why?” Juliet asked with a frown.

“She’s a practitioner working inside Whiteall’s law firm, as Tucker’s paralegal, and she’s buddies with Voltaire’s secretary. We know Voltaire’s a demon. He could be using her to get on good enough terms with us to infiltrate as a student of ours.”

“We’ll discuss it later,” Aria said. “For now we need to leave.”

“Aria,” Juliet chastised, giving her a dark look.

“She’s right. She’s part of this now, so she has a right to know,” Jasmine said. “We have definitive proof that he is part of Dark Hollow. I have a file of his record as a tracker and killer. He usually works with a female named Hammer. When she’s not available, he works with Malefic, a shadow demon.”

“Dark witches call on him,” Juliet said. “For murders.”

“He’s one of Kryto’s top assassins,” Jasmine told them. “So, Tucker’s working directly with the leader of the underworld or on his orders.”

“I guess my mom’s suspicions are right,” Juliet said. “Kryto never intended to go through with the Joint Congress. He’ll make it look like someone’s trying to undermine him.”

“This confusion will give him breathing room while he get his enemies off his ass.”

“His people will have time to turn good witches too,” Jasmine said. “This could end up being even worse than before.”

“How does Dark Hollow figure into this? Are they his pets, too?” Aria asked.

“Some of them like Necron and V who share leadership of the organization,” Jasmine said. “My contact agreed to try to find out if Voltaire is involved with Dark Hollow and to what extent.”

“My mother,” Juliet said, fear in her voice.

“I’ll get Storme to assign someone to protect her,” Aria said. “If he finds out she’s betrayed him, if she has betrayed him, we can’t let her die for helping us. But if she’s leading us into a trap, you’ll have the job of killing her.”

“My mother wouldn’t turn on me,” Juliet snapped.

“We’ll see. For now, we should head out.”

“I need to use the bathroom first,” Juliet murmured. “You mind if we grab a small bite after I get my phone? I’m starving.”

“No. I’m going to have a tail on you the rest of the day,” Aria said as Juliet headed to her bedroom. “Dark Hollow might attempt to get to you while you’re alone.”

“It probably won’t be that easy at the office,” Juliet said. “You heard what my mother said. I get the feeling this is something she’s been exploring for a while. She and Declan.”

“I still don’t want to take the risk,” Aria replied.

“I think my mother’s boyfriend Patrick has something to do with this somehow. He wanted her to get the stones from me.”

“What’s he do?” Aria asked.

“He’s a lawyer and he works with Voltaire, but oddly Patrick’s not a member of Whiteall.”

“Why oddly?”

“He and Voltaire are close.” She opened the bathroom door and stepped inside unbuttoning her pants and unzipping them. “Voltaire’s been to my mom’s home a few times.”

“We can check him out but it doesn’t mean we’ll find anything,” Aria said. “If he’s being that careful, even the wind might not tell you anything about him.”

“That won’t stop me from being suspicious.” Juliet rolled off toilet paper and wiped. “Patrick is always nice to me, so I could be reaching.” She got up and pulled up her panties and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

“If your instincts are screaming something, don’t let your guard down,” Aria warned.

Juliet looked around the mid-size room painted white with a simple tub shower combo. The pink and white curtain Callie had helped her hang was closed, hiding the clean tub and plastic white corner caddy.

She frowned and turned on the faucet to wash her hands and air whispered down her back sending a cold chill down her spine. Gibberish, snaked around the room, the voice low and ominous.

Juliet quickly dried her hands on a hand towel hanging on a silver bar even as she looked around the room trying to locate something that felt out of place.

She backed away from the bar as the sound of creaking and tearing started to her left near the tub. “Aria?”

Energy rippled to her right, and she smelled the stink of sulfur faint though it was. Turning her head, Juliet stared as the wallpaper peeled away leaving the wall white and a face appeared.

The eyes were soulless black and cracked dry lips peeled back in a smile that revealed pointed white teeth. The hair was golden and the face boasted a scar across the left cheek.

“I believe you have something I want.” The voice was deep, dark, and full of amusement.

Juliet screamed and bolted from the room to the tune of a loud crash. “Aria!”

“You have problems of your own.” He was there, muscular and ombre red, filling her bedroom doorway big and muscled.

Juliet let out a scream and tried to put on the brakes, but tumbled headlong into him. He pushed his fingers into her hair and jerked her head back.

“Tucker was right, you are pretty, and you feel a little strange.”

“What?” Her heart pumped harder, her palms were damp as fear traced a zigzag path through her.

“Dark Hollow wants the grimoire the witches hid the secrets of aurai in.” He said “aurai” with so much contempt it sounded like an ugly word.

“W-who are you?”

“Malefic, a good friend of Tucker’s, and if you don’t tell me where those books are, you and I are going to become very good friends, too.”

She wanted to scream, but the sound died in her throat and hot wind blew around the room. He laughed. “You’re a freshman, nothing you can do will hurt me, little girl. But I can hurt you in all kinds of ways.” He shoved her backward, and she stumbled, falling back into the side of her bed.

He was there striking her across the face, and she gasped as shards of pain burst through her cheekbone and eye.

He drew his hand down in the air and jagged nails raked through her blouse, tearing fabric to cut into soft skin.

Juliet screamed, and he picked her up and threw her across the room into the nearest wall. She groaned as she sank to the floor, pain sluicing through her shoulder and radiating down her arm.

She looked up and he towered over her with a grin and malice in his eyes. “I can do this all day.” He drew back his hand, and she shoved energy out of her.

The fiery wind blew him back. He laughed, a full-bellied laugh.

“Is that the best you got?”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Aria threw the woman toward the door and she crashed into it with a dull cry. She threw a ball of dark air at her. The center of it opened to trap the woman against the wood. When she moved, the blackness burst, becoming a waterfall of air pouring down on her.

Tucker hit Aria with a spell that bowed her back and sent a nauseating wave of pain coursing through her. Aria whipped around and he gasped. She was still in her human form, but she was nothing more than air personified. She knew her face was a spiral of twisting air and her eyes were black holes filled with lightning.

She drove her fist into Tucker’s stomach and he coughed, eyes widening. “What are you doing?” she whispered. “Do you really think you can take me on? I’m stronger than you half-breed.” She closed her fingers around his throat and his eyes darkened and a hint of sulfur came off him.

He let out a scream and shoved her back with brute force before driving his knee into her stomach. “You won’t stop me, aurai,” he gritted out. “I won’t die by your hand or Necron’s.”

She clenched her fist and the air in his lungs stilled. He charged her, knocking her off her feet, taking them to the coffee table. They rolled off and each one began shoving at the other, attempting to get the upper hand.

On the floor, Tucker drove his sharp long nails into her stomach and his eyes widened as his hand went straight through. She blew hot air across his face, and it burned away some of the skin.

He roared in pain. Then, Aria shoved him off her and drew her hand over his body in a cutting motion and sliced down his chest to his stomach.

He screamed, and she held her hand over the bleeding wound sending cold air pouring in. The chill cut his skin as it slowly began to freeze.

Shaking, Tucker threw out a hand and his spell cut her throat just missing her jugular. Air rushed out along with cold. He rolled out of the way and rose up just enough to kick. He aimed for her knee and missed when she vanished.

Tucker got up, trembling. She watched him through dispassionate eyes. Glass shattered and she turned. Turning back, he was running from the apartment having been able to work around the air killing his friend.

She ran after him, and he ran into Juliet. The initial collision sent them both sprawling to the grass and the demon on Juliet’s ass stopped. She threw out a spear of air and it slammed into the Malefic’s chest. The demon gasped and shattered into dust.

Tucker was on his feet first, dragging Juliet up against him, arm around her neck as he held her in front of him like a human shield.

“Get back,” he snarled. “Juliet, I don’t want to hurt you, but I will kill you. I just want that grimoire.”

“I don’t have it,” she gritted out.

“I’ve got it, energy-sucking coward,” Aria told him. “Come on over here and I’ll take you to it.”

He shook Juliet. “You’re lying,”

“Not even close,” she said slowly stalking toward him.

The slamming of car doors didn’t take her eyes off them. Juliet held her gaze preparing to strike.

“Let her go,” Aria ordered.

“Tucker, this isn’t going to end well for you,” Declan called from behind them.

Tucker’s grip tightened and Juliet shoved out with her power once again. The air wrapped around them, swirling as it gusted.

“No,” he cried and something thumped the back of her head just before darkness slipped over her. Tucker met Aria’s stare. “I’ll kill her.”

A shot to the back had him howling in fury and he tightened his grip on Juliet’s limp form. Aria exhaled and sent out a stream of air that burned his hands and Juliet slipped to the ground.

Aria caught her with air while the men behind Tucker converged, one throwing another spell at him that took him to his knees.

“Stay still, Tucker,” one of the men ordered. “We know this was all you.”

“And Necron,” another man said. “Where is he?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tucker snarled as he lay immobile on the ground.

“This will be easier on you if you just tell us what we need to know,” the first man said. “Who else was working with you? Voltaire?”

Tucker looked up at her as she held Juliet against her. The anger in his eyes was cutting. “You know this isn’t over,” he said to Aria. “They aren’t done with you, and I won’t be in Congressional care long.”

“Actually, Kryto has given us leave to do with you as we would,” the first speaker said.

“Declan, you can’t do this,” Tucker cried.

“There’s one in Juliet’s apartment,” Aria told them. She might even still be alive. A demon could withstand the winds a little better than humans could.

“I’ll take care of it.” The second speaker rushed off while two other men came over and hoisted Tucker to his feet.

As they started off with him the sky went eerily still as did the air around them. Aria raised an air shield out of habit and energy came flying at them. Spells hit her shield, the energy sliding right through over Juliet’s prone body.

“Son of a bitch!” Declan screamed. “Cover him!” He turned and began throwing energy back in the direction from which it came.

Aria stepped outside of her shield just as an energy ball hurdled toward Declan. She deflected it and turned.

A dark breed was flitting toward them using the currents of air to carry him forth. She extended her hand and a vine snaked out from her palm. Melded with lightning it glittered in the sun before curling around the man’s ankle.

She jerked it, and he fell backward, throwing a dark orb at her as he did. She deflected it with her free hand, and he used that moment to direct a spell at her.

It sliced into her shoulder and Aria released the vine and bounced it. Like a whip the black vine coated silver went up and came down. The dark breed caught it, and she kicked him before sweeping his leg and taking him to the ground.

Aria dropped with her knee landing in his stomach. She grabbed him around his throat with a hand that became electrically charged. He tried to cry out as she electrocuted him, but a single intake of breath stole his own.

“Aria?” Juliet’s voice was drowsy and questioning.

Aria released him and quickly went to her, retracting the shield. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

Juliet nodded. “Where’s Tucker?”

Aria glanced around finding two men retreating. In their wake, Tucker and the two Council security men lay dead.

Declan let out a frustrated howl and Juliet sat up and rested her head on Aria’s shoulder. Aria wrapped her arm around Juliet’s waist as the wind blew gently over them.

“Jasmine’s safe. She said she took out a couple of the guys, but she’s wounded.”

“We have to go to her,” Aria said.

“Declan, I have to go,” Juliet told him. “What were you doing here anyway?”

“I came to warn you,” he said. “Your mother said you’d left and Callie said you weren’t at your usual lunch spot. So, I decided to try you here.”

“Warn me about what?”

“Tucker,” he answered. “Morgan’s death took us to his place, and we found out a few things about Morgan as well as Tucker. The investigation is still on-going, but we know he was working with Dark Hollow.

They’re trying to undermine the Joint Congress. You need to be careful,” Juliet said in warning.

“I will,” he said. “Get out of here I’ve already called for back-up.”

“I need to get checked out,” Juliet said. “The demon scratched me up pretty good, and he hurt my ribs.”

“Tucker summoned a demon?” Aria asked.

“Yeah,” Juliet told her. “He was shades of variegated red.”

“A low-level chaos demon,” Aria murmured. “An errand boy to the demon Mauk.”

“Which means he’s probably working against Kryto since Kryto forced him out,” Declan said. “I guess Mauk’s supporters may be what we’re up against, but there’s no way of knowing yet. Just be careful Juliet, there’s a storm coming, and we’re going to need all hands on deck.” He gave Aria a nod.

“I will,” Juliet said and as they started to leave, Declan spoke again.

“We’ve met a few times at the club,” he said. “I expect to hear a decision from the aurai soon, Juliet. We can’t get through this fight without them.” He headed toward a man coming from Juliet’s apartment with a woman draped over his shoulder.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

After seeing a healer, Juliet was glad to stretch out on Aria’s bed. Jasmine had needed even more healing than Aria, but both women were fine now.

Juliet watched as Aria came toward the bed, a pensive expression on her face. “You should be resting,” Juliet said.

“I can’t die by such trivial means, Juliet. I can’t even be beheaded since I can go intangible.” She sat down on the bed and Juliet reached out to take her hand.

“Was it bad before?” Juliet asked, concern bright in her eyes.

“The war? Yes, but we’re more prepared for the trickery of good witches.”

“You’re wary and distrustful which will make it hard for you to do your jobs.”

Aria shrugged. “That’s why we have the marked. You’re our connection to the human world. It’s going to fall to you to ensure the lines of communication stay open unless one of us decides to take a chance and step up.”

Juliet shifted on the bed to fully face her. “You won’t?”

“I don’t think so, but Simone and Bailey are witches. They can go work for the Council or the Congress which is what Simone plans to do. Andi is going to teach.”

“So you are going to help?”

She nodded. “Call your mother and tell her a small circle of aurai will be doing their part.”

“I want you to meet Alice,” Juliet said. “You or Jasmine might like working with her.”

Aria smiled. “I’ll meet her when you’re ready to tell her you’re with me.”

“Can I use your phone?”

“On the dresser,” she said.

Juliet climbed from the bed and retrieved the phone. She dialed in her mother’s number and she leaned against the wall.

“Hello?”

‘Hi, Mom, it’s me,” Juliet said. “Are you free to talk?”

“Alice and I are just talking. I won’t leave for New York to take my place with the Joint Congress until Wednesday.”

“Oh. Great.”

“Declan said you were injured. You fought a chaos demon?”

“I barely wounded him, but I’m okay. Mom, listen, I’ve made contact with an aurai,” she said and went to the bed to caress Aria’s hair.

“And?”

“She’s willing to do her part, but she wants total disclosure and honesty,” Juliet told her. “Can we meet tonight?”

“I’ll bring Alice since she’ll be dealing directly with her rather than Declan.”

“Seven, at the Pie Shop?”

“That will be fine.”

“I’ll see you then,” Juliet said and ended the call. “You don’t have to tell her you’re an aurai. I just want you there with me.”

“Why?” Aria asked with a frown.

She shrugged. “Tell her you’re their liaison. She’ll feel better with a face on things.”

“Fine.”

“Thank you,” Juliet said and kissed Aria.

Aria pulled Juliet onto her lap deepening the kiss.

****

“I hated to see Tucker go,” Voltaire said as he got up from his desk. The window shades in his office were now closed against the encroaching evening. “But it had to be done.” He perched on the edge of his desk and studied Necron, his eyes glittering with mocking.

“You’d planned to kill him yourself.”

“How well you do know me,” Voltaire murmured. “Will she be able to handle things?”

“She’s Sam’s right hand, so she’ll maintain the appearance of goodness while doing as we ask, and she won’t be any trouble. She’s eager to step into her role and I think part of that is due to anger.”

“At Samantha?”

“The entire Hart family,” Necron said with a shrug. “They were chosen, were granted favor with the goddess. Jealousy can be a real motivator at times.”

“Samantha is going to kill her if she ever learns who betrayed her family, nearly got her only daughter killed.” Voltaire almost felt sorry for the woman, but her eventual death wasn’t his concern. “Does Samantha still trust you?”

Necron shrugged. “For now.”

“She won’t be easy if she learns otherwise before we’re ready.” Voltaire studied his lover and friend who was sprawled on the loveseat across the room.

“She’ll want revenge just as you do,” Necron said casually. “That’s partially what brought us to this place. Without your thirst for vengeance we’d have killed the marked outright before going after the aurai.”

“I will have it as I will rule the underworld with an iron fist as soon as I’ve taken out a few more of my enemies. Has the other aurai-marked been located?” This girl’s power he would take.

“Not quite, but I’m certain we’ll find her soon,” Necron said. “I’ll begin dismantling the good families one at a time once the bill of rights and punishment protocols have been created.”

“Drag the process out. I want this game played with high drama from here on out.”

If he didn’t come out the winner, there would be nothing but losers this time.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Juliet was nervous sitting next to Aria in the restaurant that evening. She knew her mother would have a dozen questions, and she was prepared to only go so far with her answers.

She reached for her glass and took a sip of her milkshake and sighed as the sweet, coolness washed over her. She drew in a slow steadying breath and let it out.

“Why are you so nervous?” Aria asked. “I won’t let this go too far.”

“I know,” Juliet said putting her other hand on Aria’s thigh. “I love touching you.”

“And I can’t wait to get you back home.”

“Home.” Juliet smiled. “I like the sound of sharing a room with you,” she said.

“I wonder how you’re going to feel in six months.”

“More in love than I am now,” Juliet told her. She’d come to terms with her growing feelings and reveled in them. She only hoped Aria felt the same way.

“You’re so argumentative, but I can’t see myself with anyone else now that I’ve started falling for you.”

Juliet leaned toward her. “You mean it?”

“More than you know,” Aria said softly. “You just keep stealing my heart every day.”

“You’ve already stolen mine.” She kissed Aria’s jaw, her heart skipping a beat as their eyes met.

Aria smiled.

“Hello, Juliet,” Samantha said in a warm tone and Juliet jumped guiltily.

“Mom.” She squeaked.

Alice and Samantha took the chairs across from them and ordered drinks when the waitress came over.

“So you’ve already met with them?” Samantha asked, her gaze going from Juliet to Aria and back.

Juliet nodded. “Yeah, but that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“It’s not?” Samantha asked with a frown. “Then, what?”

“I wanted to—this is Aria.”

“I’ve seen you at the club several times, but I think your coven is registered as practitioners, Aria,” Samantha said coolly.

“We down played our abilities.”

“Why? You may not know this, but it is against our law for any witch to live in this city without being registered.”

“I’m aware of that,” Aria said and Juliet closed her hand over Aria’s under the table.

Juliet didn’t think Aria needed support as much as she did. “Mom, I’m seeing someone.”

“Oh?” Samantha asked. “Who is it?”

“It’s Aria.” Her breath literally stopped for a moment and so did her heart. Her mother’s jaw went slack for a moment and then her gaze snapped with consternation.

“Wow,” Alice exclaimed. “You look good together.”

“Interesting is more the word,” Samantha said as their drinks arrived.

“Are you ladies ready to order?” the waitress asked.

“Not yet,” Aria said.

She smiled and moved off to another table.

“I just wanted you to know before you left,” Juliet said.

“Thanks,” Samantha said dryly. “This could have kept a while longer.”

“Actually, I’ve already waited too long, Mother,” Juliet said softly and squeezed Aria’s hand as her courage threatened to desert her. “I can’t keep pretending to be straight. Living that lie is tedious, and I’m really tired of dating men just to make you happy.”

“I just thought you were picky, but I guess I was just deceiving myself.”

“A little bit,” Juliet replied hoping her mother forgave her for ambushing her this way.

“I’m going to need time to adjust,” Samantha said. “It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. It just means I don’t know how to deal with this.” She got to her feet and hurried from the restaurant.

“She’ll come around,” Alice said and stood, too. “It was nice seeing you, Aria.”

Juliet put her head on Aria’s shoulder. “I knew she wouldn’t take it well, but it was time.” A tear slid down her cheek.

Aria’s hand went to her hair and smoothed over it. Juliet looked up at her.

“You shouldn’t have told her,” Aria said. “Not because of me.”

“I want a real life with you and hiding when my mother gets back isn’t living, Aria.” She wiped at a falling tear burning its way down her cheek. “I don’t want to hurt you just to make her happy.”

“Juli, you weren’t going to lose me,” she murmured. “I’m all yours forever.”

Juliet sniffed. “Promise?”

“With my whole heart and my entire being.”

“Because that tat on your hand means you’re mine, doesn’t it? The crystals are the same color as mine and the design is the same.”

Aria nodded. “I knew you’d notice and infer what they must mean considering the visions you’ve had,” she said. “I’m glad you’re my life partner, Juliet.”

“Ditto,” she whispered and kissed Aria softly, slipping a hand behind her head as she savored the kiss. Her fingers burned for a moment and she felt a soft breeze blow over her.

This was forever. She’d spent her last loveless evening the night she cast that spell, and Juliet was glad she’d taken the chance. Otherwise she might still be lonely.

The End

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