A Valley of Darkness

  “Not much. She’s not the first in her family to go missing. Her father was abducted, too. Thing is, she referred to those invisible creatures as ‘daemons’.” I then paused for a second, carefully analyzing the subtle changes in Emilian’s expression. “Have you heard that name before?”

  He let out a deep sigh, then nodded. “I have, yes… It’s an old name, the stuff of legends and local Iman folklore, though. We’ve never seen one. In fact, your team was the first to get a glimpse of these creatures. We don’t know what they are, what they look like, or where they come from. Up until last night, we weren’t sure of much, in general. All we knew was that people were going missing and those who went searching for them in the Valley of Screams vanished as well.”

  “Are there any depictions, anywhere?” I asked. “My team couldn’t find any references in your library.”

  “Our library doesn’t store any Iman-related materials,” Emilian replied. “I think it’s best to ask the Iman elders. There are a few families down on the fourth level. Long lines of Imen that settled here with us in the early days. Generations upon generations that have served this city well. Some of their children service our Houses today. If you’d like, I’ll have one of my assistants deliver a list of names first thing in the morning.”

  “That would be grand, thank you very much, Emilian.” I smiled, allowing him to push me back into a dip. We both laughed as my gaze found the painted ceiling above, but I stilled with my head back when Jax popped into my field of vision.

  Emilian pulled me back. Jax bowed curtly, his expression firm and unreadable.

  “Mind if I take Hansa away from you for a song or two?” Jax’s voice was low, and I could feel the tension beneath it. He wasn’t in a good mood.

  “Of course, but I hope she will be so kind as to allow me to dance with her again tonight.” Emilian nodded, then gave me a warm, downright affectionate smile, which I graciously returned. He truly was, despite the mystery still surrounding him, my favorite of the Five Lords.

  “Absolutely,” I replied.

  Jax moved in front of me as Emilian stepped away. I opened my mouth to say something, but Jax pulled me close so fast, it knocked the air out of my lungs, my chest pressed against his. I felt him hard and unyielding, his right arm snaking around my waist and bringing me even closer, while his left hand took mine, his fingers gripping firmly as he led me to the middle of the dancefloor.

  His jade eyes were dark and fixed on mine, his soft lips pressed into a thin line, and a muscle was twitching in his jaw.

  “Everything okay?” I managed. “Is Farrah enjoying herself tonight?”

  “I couldn’t care less.” His reply came fast. “I left her with another Mara to keep her entertained.”

  “Good. As long as we all fit in and make a good impression, we’ll be fine. We need these people on our side,” I said, unable to break from his stirring gaze.

  “Avril and Heron are back, I just overheard them across the dancefloor,” he said. “They’ve gathered some intel that puts both the daemons and the Five Houses at the middle of these abductions. They’ll fill you in later, but I thought you should know before you get too close to Emilian.”

  I noticed the slightly accusatory tone in his voice. I didn’t like it, and I didn’t quite understand its aim, either.

  “Do you mean you think I’m getting too close to Emilian?” I frowned.

  “It doesn’t matter.” He didn’t wish to pursue it, but it was enough to stretch my nerves.

  I looked around and noticed Avril, Heron, and Caia sitting at a table not far from where we were. They were bent forward, their faces close to one another as they talked and occasionally glanced across the ballroom. I dug my fingers into Jax’s shoulder, enough for him to follow my gaze and see them. As if having read my mind, he led our dance closer to their table. I kicked Heron’s ankle and broke him from their secretive-looking powwow.

  “Get off your asses and start dancing and blending in,” I hissed at all three, prompting them to widen their eyes like children caught in the middle of mischief. “You all look like you’re talking about and suspecting everybody of something. It’s awkward, and it’s not helping us! Blend in—look friendly and peaceful if you want these people to relax and be more forthcoming.”

  Heron nodded, then sprang to his feet and pulled Avril onto the dancefloor, while Caia stood, gave me a brief smile, then headed toward the bar for a refill. There were several handsome Maras there, waiting to be served, who lit up like the sun once they saw Caia heading their way.

  Jax then guided me back to the middle of the dancing crowd. He was a good leader, I realized, as I followed his movements effortlessly. I was even enjoying myself, maybe a little too much.

  His body was so close to mine, his musky fragrance invading my senses and his jade eyes peeking into my very soul… It all felt too good to be true. His grip was firm on my lower back, and the touch of his skin sent electric currents through my left arm, heating me up from the core.

  “You should relax now,” he said quietly. “Enjoy the rest of this evening. We have a full day and night ahead of us tomorrow.”

  “What makes you think I’m not relaxed?” I murmured.

  “I can hear your heartbeat.”

  My breath hitched. His face was close, too close for my sanity.

  “I’m fine,” I whispered. “We’re fine…”

  His gaze dropped, settling on my lips for a second finding my eyes again. My heart rumbled and my stomach tightened, and I knew he could sense it all, but I couldn’t control myself. He had this effect on me, and I loved and hated it at the same time. It was exhilarating and empowering like crazy, but it also made me feel vulnerable, bare, and defenseless in front of him. And with how unpredictable he’d been about us over the past three months, I feared emotional pain. I’d had enough of that already. I was still mourning the hundreds of sisters I’d lost in the war.

  “You are fine,” he muttered. “Yellow brings out your eyes.”

  I blinked several times, not sure I’d heard him right. But I had. He’d just complimented me.

  That’s a first…

  “Thank you,” I managed. “You’re not so bad looking either.”

  “Am I to your liking?” The corner of his mouth turned upward, but the rest of his face stayed firm, as if carved out of marble. The blood rushed to my head, and I could no longer control my succubus nature. I’d spent years perfecting my technique of reigning it all in, but Jax made me want to just let go and see what happened.

  His gaze darkened, and he took a deep breath, his chest swelling and pushing against mine, but his hold on me didn’t loosen one bit. Another millimeter and our bodies would have fused, clothes and all.

  “Do you really want me to answer that question?” I replied, my voice barely audible.

  His lips were dangerously close, his burning jade eyes searing into my being.

  “Is this what you feel like? When you let your succubus nature loose?”

  I nodded, unable to say anything else.

  “You’ve never let it out before. Not with me, anyway,” he murmured.

  The world around us disappeared, the music slipping away somewhere into the background. My hand rested on his shoulder, and I instinctively moved it upward, until my fingers sprawled on the back of his neck, his short hair brushing against my skin.

  Jax held his breath for a good minute. Neither of us spoke. I waited, quietly swaying to the rhythm of the music, a rhythm he led with his body. I waited for him to come forward. I needed him to take the first step. The magnetism between us was undeniable. There was something deep and intense burning inside us both, and it pulled us closer with each day, no matter how hard we tried to resist it.

  Who was I fooling? I needed him to kiss me. I needed to know that he wanted me as much as I wanted him. I couldn’t open myself up without that assurance.

  But then Jax looked away, and with that movement, the moment was shattered. The music grew loude
r. I could hear laughter and glasses clinking. And I could feel his hold on me loosen.

  The song had ended, and he took a step back.

  My blood sizzled.

  You don’t start a fire like this and then just walk away.

  “I’m not done with you,” I growled, and pulled him back.

  The move clearly surprised him—his forehead smoothed, and his jade eyes went wide. I kept my hand firmly on the back of his neck but tucked my succubus nature away. He didn’t seem sure of how to react, but I wasn’t going to let him slip away and leave me yearning for more without at least telling me why he was being so… difficult.

  “What’s going on, Jax?” I asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t take me for a fool,” I replied, my voice raw. “You can feel it… This… Between us. I know you can.”

  “I do,” he said, staring at my lips again.

  “So why are you constantly pushing me away? What did I ever do to you? Why… Why aren’t we… Why aren’t we doing something about this, if we both feel it?”

  “We’ve talked about this before, Hansa.” His eyes found mine, and I could see a flicker of pain in them, one I’d never seen before.

  “No, not really.” I shook my head. “I tried to talk about it, but you were evasive, and, on several occasions, even mind-bent me into not talking about it anymore. Don’t think I didn’t catch on. I’m not stupid!”

  “Hansa… please.” He sighed. “I’m… It’s not you—it’s me. You don’t want this, believe me.”

  “I don’t get it. You say no, but everything else about you says yes. Why are you so bent on driving a wedge between us, when it all points to… to this, whatever this is?”

  He confused the hell out of me, over and over, and I never learned my lesson. I always tried to dig deeper instead of simply walking away. But I couldn’t just move on from Jax.

  You don’t move on from Jaxxon Dorchadas. You burn, you disintegrate, you abandon yourself in his arms, but you don’t walk away from him. He’s the flame, and you’re the moth.

  “Hansa, I’m no good for you. If we take this any further, if I let you entertain this, I’ll end up hurting you, and you will never forgive me. I’ll never forgive myself, either. Yes, I can feel it. There’s chemistry between us, and it’s messing with my head, but… I can’t. We can’t.”

  He seemed earnest, but without a reason, a real reason behind his withdrawal, I just couldn’t let him push me away like this.

  “Jax, it’s not enough for you to tell me it’s you, not me,” I replied, my pulse racing. “I deserve a little more than what you usually tell some needy lady friend, and you know it. I—”

  “That’s enough, Hansa,” Jax shot back through gritted teeth. “Back off. I’ve been more than clear!”

  He didn’t wait for a reply. He just walked away, leaving me in the middle of the dancefloor, surrounded by pairs of Exiled Maras who hadn’t paid attention to our squabble, who were too busy laughing and following the melodious notes of the strings-and-key music echoing through the ballroom.

  My heart twisted itself into knots, and my eyes felt hot, my vision blurring as tears formed. I couldn’t stop them from rolling down my burning cheeks.

  I was angry and hurt, and I wanted to punish him for what I’d been reduced to. I moved in the opposite direction, looking for the nearest bar. I needed a drink.

  I didn’t deserve this, but I couldn’t hold myself back, either.

  Wow, you really are the moth…

  Harper

  (Daughter of Hazel & Tejus)

  Avril and Heron had already returned from the Roho mansion, so keeping Caspian busy was no longer as high on my to-do list as getting some answers out of him was. But the chances of the latter happening still felt like dim to none. I’d talked about this with the team before the Spring Ball, and yet I was still building up the courage to ask him to dance. Dammit.

  I’d done nothing but procrastinate so far—from raiding the bar twice and sampling different blood cocktails, to catching up with Scarlett and Caia through the crowd. I needed to do my job now, but my nerves were incessantly twisting and turning. My sentry abilities were useless in the ballroom, as the Exiled Maras were immune to my mind-manipulation. I couldn’t poke through the Imen’s heads either. They would’ve sensed me, and it would’ve then triggered unwanted attention. I had to do this the old-fashioned way.

  I walked along the edge of the dancefloor, moving closer to a broad staircase that spiraled up in a corner, leading to the floor above. Caspian stood at the bottom of it, watching me. His expression was stoic, giving nothing away.

  He’d seen me, so I had to keep going. I mulled over different ways of asking him to dance, but a couple of Maras bumped into me, and my lines went out the window. They giggled and apologized, then walked off to a nearby table. I looked up, and Caspian was gone.

  I cursed under my breath, then walked up the stairs, scanning the ballroom, but there was no sign of him.

  He must have gone upstairs. Do I follow?

  I shook my head, returning to the ground floor. My back was to the dancing crowd, and I kept looking up the stairs, wondering if I’d catch a glimpse of him somewhere. I took a step back and bumped into a pillar. Or at least it felt like a pillar.

  I turned around and froze. Caspian stood before me, his jade eyes scanning me quietly.

  “Were you worried about me?” His voice was low and raspy, resonating inside my ribcage.

  “What? No, no.” I gave him a weak, polite smile. “I just… I…”

  My voice trailed off, and I lost myself for half a minute, his gaze too intense. It was incredibly difficult to hold my own in front of him, mainly because I couldn’t get any kind of reading on his thoughts, and his expression was so neutral, with so many secrets hiding behind it.

  “You what?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  Okay, just let it out. What’s the worst that could happen? He’ll say no and you’ll get another drink. No big deal.

  “I was wondering if you’d like to dance with me,” I mumbled, looking at the floor.

  When no answer came from him, I gathered the courage to look up. Caspian was staring at me, appearing genuinely befuddled. A peculiar heat wave washed over me as he cocked his head to one side.

  “You want to dance. With me.” He repeated my question, as if unsure he’d heard it right.

  I exhaled sharply, then nodded, mentally preparing myself to tell him it was okay if he didn’t want to dance, and thinking about which blood cocktail I’d try next instead.

  “Why would you want to dance with me, Miss Hellswan? You’re clearly under the impression that I want to see you burning at a stake, I believe,” he said.

  This was a bad idea.

  “You know what, don’t worry about it.” I moved to the side. “It’s nothing, don’t… Never mind.”

  My ego couldn’t take the grilling, so I decided to walk away and forget this exchange had ever happened. Clearly, I wasn’t any good at asking a guy to dance. I wasn’t going to try that ever again.

  Caspian’s hand caught my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. I glanced over my shoulder and noticed a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. He pulled me back and guided me onto the dancefloor. The crowd slowly cleared around us, and I felt dozens of curious looks measuring me from head to toe. I had a feeling Caspian wasn’t often seen dancing at these events, but he didn’t seem to care.

  He wrapped his left arm around my waist, his right hand closing over mine. He kept me glued to his body and led me through a gentle ballad of strings only. People moved back, giving us room to dance. I followed his lead, unable to take my eyes off him. I mentally thanked myself for not wearing heels, as it was easier for me to keep up with him in flats—Caspian was a good dancer and didn’t hesitate in his steps.

  I could feel his heartbeat against my chest and his hot breath on my face. His natural scent was combined with a spicy fragrance, and it lit my olfactory sense on f
ire. I couldn’t get enough of it. As dangerous and as mysterious as he seemed, Caspian had a side to him that I’d never seen before—a side he was carefully giving me a glimpse of as we danced. I was quietly fascinated, and he refused to look away, his eyes piercing through my defenses.

  We didn’t say anything for several minutes, but I did notice his signature glare was gone. I could see curiosity in his gaze, as if he were trying to understand me. Not that I could blame him. My behavior had been atypical. On one hand I pushed and glared back, giving him the same attitude he gave, but then I asked him to dance, so what did that say about me?

  I saw the wary looks on people’s faces and realized they weren’t aimed at me, but at him.

  “Why are the Maras looking at you with such fear?” I asked, my voice weak.

  He glanced around, then smirked at me. I noticed the faint dimple in his right cheek, and wondered why I hadn’t seen it before.

  Have you seen him smile before?

  I couldn’t recall. I’d been too busy labeling him as suspicious and dangerous. Said labels hadn’t come off yet, of course, but the dimple was a little distracting. He was taller than me, so I craned my neck back to get a good look at his face. He was a beautiful creature, by all possible standards.

  You’re getting yourself in trouble.

  “Since you’re here investigating, Miss Hellswan,” he finally replied, his smirk unwavering, “you must have learned by now that House Kifo deals with defense and correction. People fear the iron fist of law enforcement. Hence, they fear me.”

  “That makes sense.” I pursed my lips, finding his answer quite satisfactory. I would’ve been scared of him too, had I not been who I was. “So, is it just you in House Kifo, or are there more of you charming, strapping young lads in the family?”

  I couldn’t help but grin, wondering how he’d react to humor, since all we’d exchanged so far had been various forms of aggressive rhetoric.

  He mirrored my expression and brought his face a little too close to mine, enough to cut off my breath and make my heart beat faster.