A muscle in his jaw ticked. "This one has killed you before."
"Not me specifically. It took you out, too. You saved us. Let's do something about."
She didn't know where the demon was. Drew did. And yet he didn't move.
"Drew."
"Okay."
One second they stood in the hallway, the next they were out in a field. She'd never gotten used to popping in and out of places but she had to admit, even though it screwed her with her center of gravity, she appreciated the ease with which Drew and Gabriel did it.
Drew sucked in his breath and pointed further in the distance. Standing underneath a tree was a beautiful little girl. Blond, cherub-looking, she was no one's idea of a demon. By contrast, she'd probably be cast in the part of an angel.
"Is that her?" She whispered although she needn't have bothered.
Either the demon knew she was there or she didn't. Hiding and whispering didn't work very well with the supernatural.
Drew nodded. "The creature that killed us all."
She rubbed his arm. He had a memory of something she never would.
Somehow she had to manage to keep it in her head he'd been through years of trauma while she'd had none of it. "I can see her power."
It was huge, bigger than Sebastian's, and he was the most evil creature she'd ever witnessed in her lifetime. When he'd "died" and gone incorporeal, his magical abilities had only gotten stronger. But they were nothing like the child demon in front of her.
"Can you see this?" She gripped Drew's arm to steady herself. "I've never seen…"
"One of the things I learned when I was with the others was about the classification of demons."
Marina raised her hand, letting her fingers trace the patterns in front of her. She had to manage a counterspell to block the magic. For every movement of evil, she'd counter with one of her own. If she could manage, if she didn't fuck the entire thing up big time.
And get them all killed. Again.
"The mother and father of this group are the real deal. If they were our constant nemesis we'd be all dead already. They don't make the same mistakes Sebastian does with us. But that's the point. We are, if you like, his training ground. He makes his mistakes. Or his sister does. And when they are finally deemed ready, they'll officially wipe us out of existence."
She shook her head as a surge of angry denial threatened to make her body shake. "Not. Going. To. Happen."
Marina took a step back. "Take me back inside. I've got this."
"No, Outsider." The booming voice of the mother demon shook the air around them. "You don't."
She felt the blast of heat before it hit her. Marina pushed her arm out in front of her, using every ounce of willpower to surge her own energy back toward the onslaught and even as Drew cried out his warning—it all stopped.
Marina needed a second to contemplate what happened. The demon had attacked and Marina had…stopped her.
Across the dark field, the blonde, non-cherub took a step back. Goosebumps broke out on Marina's arms. She. Had. Done. It.
And she'd not even really needed to think about it at all.
"Drew." She held what amounted to a force field in front of her stopping the demon's powers. "Can you see this?"
He nodded, answering her in her head instead of aloud. "How long can you hold it?"
"No earthly clue. I'm not tired. I don't feel strained. Stopping her is…easy."
"Good." Stay here. I'll be right back.
"Well, okay." She stared the demon down. Not only was she managing the creature's powers but, in addition, it seemed Sebastian's mother wasn't going anywhere fast either. She could move two steps in any direction and then back to where she started but not more. All of this was new. She'd been able to shield before, a little bit, and create wards but this one-on-one fighting thing? Yeah, Marina had never experienced anything close to it, ever.
She'd never thought of herself as having offensive abilities.
"You think this is going to stop us?" The demon's voice sounded wrong coming out of the small girl's body.
Marina shivered yet didn't falter. She wanted to talk?
Fine, they would chat. "I think you're stuck. I don't know if this will stop you. I don't know if it will even matter for the long run. But now? Standing here with you trapped in my web of power? I think it feels great."
Euphoric if she wanted to be honest.
Drew popped back into the field, this time next to the creature. With him stood Christophe. Her force field lit up the night, like a bright light sent down from the moon itself.
"That's because it is, my child."
Marina grinned. The chanters were full on in her head now and the moon chatted. So far, that deity had really only spoken to Kal regularly. Marina felt like a real Outsider if the moon wanted to communicate.
"You don't win and even if you do this time around we all just do it again. Over and over again, until we finally rid ourselves of you once and for all. Our children become so strong they decimate you from existence. That's how this ends, Outsider."
"Don't talk to my woman." Drew snarled as Christophe opened a jar he carried in his hands. The demon's eyes got wide before she shrieked, a loud sound of pure fury. Her form changed, going from solid, to liquid, to gas all in a matter of seconds before she finally seemed to be sucked into the jug. Christophe closed the lid on the demon, a grin on his face.
"That felt very satisfying." Christophe nodded at the jar before smiling at Drew.
"Marina." Drew called out to her. "You can let go of the energy blast. She's trapped."
Her hands shook as she called back her power. She'd had no problem holding the energy but with the surge gone, she could feel the drain using so much strength had cost her. Her muscles wobbled as she walked forward to Drew and Christophe. When she reached them, Drew pulled her against his side. He smelled like sweat and…home.
She closed her eyes.
"I don't know how you held her. I thought for sure we were dead. I've never seen you do one-on-one like that before." He kissed her head.
She lifted her lids to regard him. In addition to the white streak in his hair, fine lines showed prominently next to his eyes. "How did you get her in the jug-thing?"
Christophe held it up, drawing her attention. "This is the device our parents tried to use, and failed to, to call Sebastian and start this whole problem."
Magic doesn't make mistakes. Drew's words took on a whole new meaning in her mind.
"This was all going to happen one way or another. It does. Lifetime after lifetime. Whatever the catalyst, we should stop blaming our folks. Anyway"—she pointed at the unassuming brown holder—"where did you get it and how did it work?"
"Drew popped into our bedroom." Christophe cleared his throat and Marina wondered what exactly he'd interrupted. "Ruby and I had been discussing for some time getting to the old artifacts which were still missing. When he explained the problem, she used her powers to call for it. Then I decided I was the best person to use it."
Christophe motioned to Drew. "Could you maybe take me back to caves so I can figure out how we're going to store her—er, it—so the demon mother can't hurt anyone?"
"Good call. Let's go." Drew turned to her. "I'm so proud of you, Rina."
She grinned. Yes, she was tickled pink about her abilities as well.
* * * *
Marina would have loved nothing more than to go to bed, roll around under the covers with Drew until they both passed out from exhaustion, and woken up in the morning ready to face whatever her next adventure would be with plenty of energy. Only she had something to do before she could take that step.
Leonardo leaned against one of the cavern walls. The room where he chose to seclude himself might be called an all-purpose room although she thought of it more as a library since most of the books that Christophe and Ruby weren't plowing through could be found somewhere inside the space. Lately, it had become more and more messy with things thrown everywhere instead of neatl
y organized.
Her best friend and their once fearless leader looked up when she entered. "Hey."
"Hiya." She walked over until she reached him before sitting down next to him.
"I heard you saved the day."
Marina shook her head. "How did you hear? I've only gotten back inside two minutes ago."
"News travels fast here."
His vague non-answer made her roll her eyes. "Well, then. Yeah, I guess I did. Feels kind of good to not fuck things up for a change."
"You sound like Gabriel. Nice language."
Well, he was certainly in a mood. "Should I leave you alone for your pity party?"
"My taking myself off into this room by myself wasn't indication enough I wished to be alone?"
"Leonardo, you have a bedroom. If you don't want company, go in there. The fact you decided to hang in here tells me you were waiting for someone to come find you. Only, most everyone else is afraid to be scorched by your less than stellar temper and I'm the only one stupid enough to risk it."
Her friend stood slowly as if to do so hurt him in some way. How long had he been keeping to the floor? "How could he bring her here?"
"First off, he didn't know because you never told anyone and swore me to secrecy. If he had, perhaps Drew would have done differently. I really don't know." She shrugged. "What's done is done. Personally, I've had enough messing with the timeline to last a lifetime. Let's have what has happened remain what happened. She's here. And like it or not, she's yours. I think rather than blaming her for what she's done, for what poor decisions she made, it might be more useful to think of Alexa as a victim here. She didn't have us or Veli or any knowledge of anything at all to guide her all these years. Like it or not, we can't win this if you're not with Alexa. So, fix it or I guess we all die."
He shook his dark head. "Easy for the woman with the soul mate who moved time to save her to say."
"He did that for all of us." But yeah…Drew was pretty darn awesome.
She needed to find him. Leonardo was going to have to handle his own issues for a while. There was a hot, powerful man waiting for her who she wasn't going to keep waiting any longer.
* * * *
Drew knew the second Marina walked into their bedroom. The air moved differently around her, like she lit up every molecule in the room when she entered it. He stared up at the dark ceiling. One thing he did miss from his time with the others was their ability to live above ground in the light. They hadn't ever been afraid, not really.
Or maybe their lack of fear came from having already finished their battles.
Who knew what they were like before? "You took on that demon like she was nothing."
Marina sat down on the edge of the bed before she fitted her body to his. Her warmth made the dark, cold room in the cave feel like home. Anywhere she went would be like that. Marina made the world spin just by existing.
"You're awake." She kissed his cheek and the act sent pleasure right to his cock.
It had been years, for him, since they'd been together. He couldn't act too much like a crazed animal desperate to rut her. This was his mate and for her it had only a day apart. Drew didn't want to freak her out. They'd only been together once.
He'd remembered there joining. Over and over and over again hoping beyond reason, beyond anything in the universe he could save her, could bring her back so he could hold her one more time.
"I am." He rolled onto his side to admire her silhouette in the darkness.
Drew stroked his finger down her profile, memorizing her face with his hands. Marina took his palm and pressed her lips to it. For a second, he forgot to breathe. Her vanilla scent surrounded him and the dark room made him feel like they were almost cocooned, the rest of the world and the Outsider problems somewhere else, someone else's issues. They were simply two people who loved each other and lay in bed together in the quiet night.
"I missed you." His words didn't seem enough.
How did he explain to her what it was to live with part of his soul gone? The idea he might never see her again slowly driving him crazy minute after minute, moment after moment.
Marina burrowed close. "Kiss me, Drew."
He pressed his forehead to hers. Emotion threatened to overwhelm him. "If I kiss you, which, granted is just what I want to do, I might lose it. I'm holding onto my need for you by a very thin margin here. I might snap. I don't want to hurt you."
She shifted until she could touch the side of his face again. "We're not supposed to be separated for long periods. Not once we have officially bonded. I can see you there through my ability to see my past lives. I know how you suffered. And"—she pressed her lips to his for just a second—"I'm not afraid of your need for me."
He kissed her. Hard. Knowing he should draw back before he potentially hurt her was one thing, actually doing so was another. Marina was delicate, she had the softest lips in the universe, she didn't need him bruising her.
"Don't you dare let go."
How she had read his intentions he didn't know, but he would do as his lady wanted.
Marina wrapped her arms around his neck and he fell into her energy. His kissed her over and over, slowly letting his mouth show her how much he needed her. He pushed his tongue against her lips until they opened and he worshiped her heat.
She gasped against him, pulling back and arching her head until he had a good angle for her neck. The heat between them would have been stifling if it hadn't been so fucking perfect. Her neck was soft and he knew he wanted to mark her. Maybe it was primal. He really didn't care to analyze the reasons why. All he knew was he had to put his mark on her.
He bit down and she gasped.
"Too much?"
Marina dug her fingers into his arms. Even through his cotton shirt he could feel her sharp nails and the slight pinch made his cock harder.
"Not ever."
He didn't want to draw blood, just suck on her until he was sure she'd wear his mark for a few days at least. Of course, if she proved to be a fast healer he'd simply have to do it again and again and again…
Drew tugged at her shirt until he had it pulled over her head. He chucked it to the side. Then they were quickly a mess of arms, legs, and naked bodies as they got rid of clothes in every direction. Drew let his hands roll over her body, loving every curve, every hair, every living inch of her.
He scooted down until he could take her nipple in his mouth. Getting the tiny nub between his teeth, he nipped slightly just to hear her gasp. He loved how much Marina reacted to his touch. Hell, truth was, he adored everything about her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him better access to her breasts. His cock ached and he reminded himself to breathe so he wouldn't spill before he even got inside of her.
Marina ran her hands up and down his back, each stroke driving a moan from the depth of his soul. Before long she had him panting from her touch alone.
"Marina." He didn't have words for what he needed.
Her eyes met his in the darkness. "Come inside of me, Drew. Don't make either of us wait. I need you, too."
"Not yet. Life is too short, particularly for our kind, to rush through the good stuff."
He trailed kisses down her stomach toward the small bunch of curly hair waiting for him. As he moved downward, he pushed her legs apart placing himself where he could better reach her. His mouth watered while the heavy now pained erection begging him to move forward, to move faster reminded him that while his intentions of slowing down were good, his needs might require him to be more aggressive.
She stroked her hands down his chest. Their positions made it impossible for her to get any further down. For that, Drew felt relief. If she reached his cock, he'd explode in her hand.
"Drew."
She only said his name but all the longing he felt was contained within her one word. Okay, he'd give up on being the perfect lover in their first round that night. He'd make it up to her. Hours of foreplay. He'd make her come again an
d again.
Right now they both simply needed.
He pressed his hard length into her core, inching in slowly. Marina deserved his care. He kept his weight above her, not letting any of his much larger size push down on her too tightly. She gasped and the sound moved through him, a wave of pleasure. This was his woman, his only love. No other would ever do.
Her warmth surrounded him and for the first time since he'd come back from the other place, he felt like he was home. Tears pooled in his eyes and he forced them away. Drew never cried. Not sexy. Not ever.
Marina took his face in her hands as he finally sheathed himself entirely inside of her. She lifted her neck just enough for him to be able to kiss her lips.
He wanted to make her lips swollen. Maybe it made him sick in the head only he didn't give a shit. As he moved in and out of her, plunged his length balls deep before he pulled out again, he wanted to own her lips.
She moaned and the sound vibrated against his mouth. Marina bit down on his bottom lip and he yanked backwards, a grin plastering itself over his face.
She smiled, wrapping her legs around his waist tighter. His balls were so hard he thought they might break off.
"You bit me."
She laughed, low in her throat. "You liked it."
He did. Too much. If he wasn't so close he'd beg her to do it again. Instead, he reached between them and found her clit. She was so wet, and the more he moved the louder her moans became.
"Gods, Drew. Yes. Like. That."
He stroked her swollen clit. "Like that?"
She gasped. "Yes. More. Please."
Drew pressed harder, holding his weight off her with one arm at the same time. His body begged for release but he wouldn't let go. Marina first, Marina always.
She exploded around him. "Drew."
One more thrust. No, two. Finally he gave into the need to lose himself inside of her. Stars exploded in his vision and the world ceased to exist.
He must have managed not to crush her. When next he could think, he lay on his back with her sprawled on top of him, one leg swung over him, her head on his chest. He didn't even remember getting into their positions. Not that he'd complain. Ever.