Ashes

  Knox’s mouth kicked up into a smile. “Nobody likes me, baby. They fear me and so they’re civil toward me out of respect and a sense of self-preservation – that’s it.”

  “You’re wrong. Your sentinels like you. My family likes you.” She smiled. “I like you.”

  His cock twitched at the sensual note in her voice. “Later, when we’re alone, I’ll have you.”

  “Why later? What’s happening now?”

  “Now I go talk with the Primes. I called an emergency meeting. You can’t come, Harper,” he quickly added. “One of them can sense pregnancies, and we’re not ready for people to know yet.”

  She snorted. “You’d expect me to stay behind anyway.”

  “I would,” he admitted, unrepentant.

  She blew out a long breath. “I guess I’ll pack while you’re gone.”

  “Good girl.” He kissed her forehead. “We’ll be gone a couple of weeks, so don’t pack light.”

  “Okay. Try not to kill Thatcher or Jonas. I want to make sure the right guy dies.”

  “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll try. For you.” Sliding his fingers into her hair, he kissed her – a soft and slow exploration that still left her panting. “Shower.”

  Sensing he needed to take care of her, Harper didn’t protest as he washed, dried, and dressed her. She even let him comb her hair, knowing it calmed him. Still, when he set down the brush and she turned to face him, anxiety lingered in his dark eyes. “I’m okay.”

  Cupping her hips, he pulled her close. “Of course you are. It’s the only reason my demon isn’t destroying its surroundings.” He gave her a quick kiss. “I have to leave now, so I can’t have breakfast with you, but I won’t be long. Be good for Tanner and Keenan. Oh, be warned that Meg may fuss over you like crazy. She was scared seeing you in that much pain. Be patient with her.”

  “I will, if for no other reason than she won’t make me muffins anymore if I’m not.” She melted into him as he brushed his nose against hers before kissing her yet again. “Love you.”

  “And I love you, baby.” They were words he’d never thought he’d ever give to someone. Words he didn’t think he could give, since there was no denying that he was emotionally stunted. But they were the truth. She was everything to him. And now she was carrying his baby. A child that would probably always be in danger for the simple reason that Knox was its father, just like Harper would probably always be in danger for the simple reason that she was his mate.

  Maybe Knox should feel some regret, feel some sense of guilt, for having taken her as his mate and brought this level of danger to her life. But he couldn’t. He’d never have any regrets about Harper, even if it meant that a cloud of menace would always hang above them. It was no doubt selfish and unfair of him, but he’d never claimed to be good. Never would be “good”.

  Likewise, his demon had no regrets. But then, it wasn’t capable of remorse. It had no conscience, no pity, no sense of fair play. Demonkind had been very wise to ask that archdemons remain in hell. It was where they belonged; the only place that beings so destructive and cruel should be allowed to inhabit.

  Knox wasn’t sure if Harper truly grasped that his demon’s sanity rested on the mere fact that her heart beat in her chest. She anchored it in so many ways that it would literally be lost without her. It was exactly the same for Knox.

  The person targeting her truly had no idea just what fate they were tempting. Oh, they no doubt suspected that Knox would snap and cause a mass amount of destruction if she died, but they might also believe that it would turn demonkind against him and, as such, many would come together to take him down.

  They didn’t understand that none of them would even have a chance to take him down, let alone the ability. Really, they’d better hope to fucking God that their plans didn’t succeed, or the Earth would be nothing but wasteland by the time Knox and his demon were done with it. The remains would make hell look like a damn paradise.

  Standing at the entrance to the boardroom, Knox watched as Thatcher approached with one of his sentinels. His demon sneered, just as it had at every other person who neared it. Anger still had a tight hold on the entity, and all it wanted was to be with its mate – but not before delivering a special brand of vengeance. And since the male heading toward them could quite possibly be responsible for her pain… yeah, the demon wanted to butcher him with a boning knife.

  Unlike Knox, it didn’t care if it punished the wrong person in its quest to discover who hexed their mate – collateral damage was nothing to the entity.

  Thatcher nodded. “Good to see you, Knox.” He didn’t seem to be the least bit nervous or worried about what reason Knox could have had to call for the meeting. “I don’t suppose you’ll give me a hint of what this is about.”

  “You’ll find out soon enough,” Knox told him, just as he’d told all the others who asked.

  Thatcher’s mouth curved. “It was worth a try.”

  Knox gestured for him and his sentinel to enter, and they joined the other Primes, who were gathered around the long table. Many were leaning into each other, speaking in low voices – no doubt speculating on what Knox had to say.

  More and more people arrived, making his demon more and more restless. When it saw Jonas and Alethea with two sentinels, it unexpectedly settled. No, not settled, he quickly realized. It was putting aside its anger to study them carefully. Very, very carefully. Apparently, it suspected them more than it suspected Thatcher.

  Knox gave them a nod of greeting. “Jonas, Alethea.”

  Jonas’ smile was as cordial as always. “I must admit, you have me curious. I’m assuming this is about the Horsemen.”

  “Have the decency to wait for the meeting to start,” Alethea playfully admonished her brother. She then leaned forward as she shook Knox’s hand, and he got a whiff of her trademark rose perfume that never failed to make Harper’s nose wrinkle.

  Knox could see that she was waiting for him to kiss her cheek as he would have done long before meeting Harper, but tonight he didn’t. And it scored a hit, because she narrowed her eyes as she straightened.

  “Where is your sphinx?” asked Alethea, the words tightly spoken.

  “At home, resting.”

  “Resting?” Concern creased Jonas’ brow. “I heard about the hunters. Did more strike?”

  “I’ll explain everything once the others arrive.”

  Jonas reluctantly walked away without asking additional questions. Alethea shot Knox an unreadable look before trailing after her brother, hips swaying provocatively. Knox subtly inhaled, allowing the scents of coffee, polish, and citrus air freshener to drown out the perfume.

  Standing near the far wall, Levi exchanged an impatient look with Knox. The reaper was still fuming about the hex and seemingly had no tolerance whatsoever for Alethea’s brand of petty behavior right now.

  Turning, Knox smiled at the sight of two imps approaching. “Jolene, Beck – glad you could make it.”

  Jolene’s mouth curled. “Knox, always a pleasure.”

  “No Martina?”

  “She’s terribly upset about Harper. I couldn’t guarantee that she wouldn’t set anything in your beautiful hotel on fire.”

  Knox nodded in understanding. “I appreciate your foresight.”

  Jolene’s smile widened. “I thought you might.” I paid Harper a visit before I left for the meeting. Other than tired, she seems reasonably well, all things considered.

  The hex doesn’t seem to have caused any lasting effects.

  Which means I don’t have to blow up any more buildings. Jolene linked her arm through Beck’s. “Ah, I see dear old Malden. It will be fun to have someone to toy with.” She headed for the table, and Knox knew she’d undoubtedly tease the other Prime much like her granddaughter usually did.

  After the last three Primes arrived, and all were seated, Knox closed the door. His footsteps were silent as he stalked along the carpet toward the head of the table, passing light-gold walls tha
t were bare, aside from the media screen at the front of the room. The voices fell silent, until all Knox could hear was the steady hum of the air conditioning.

  Knox slowly sank into the seat at the head of the table, the media screen at his back. “Thank you all for coming. I appreciate you taking a break from your schedules to attend the meeting on such short notice.”

  “Did you find out something about the Horsemen?” asked Jonas.

  “Did you?” Knox returned.

  Jonas blinked. “If anyone knows anything, they’re not talking.”

  Raul grabbed the pitcher and poured himself a glass of ice water as he spoke. “There are whispers of who they could be, but they seem to be merely speculation fueled by paranoia.”

  Knox leaned back in the chair, making the leather creak slightly. “What about you, Thatcher? Heard anything interesting?”

  Thatcher adjusted his tie. “I confess, I haven’t investigated the matter much.”

  Knox lifted a brow. “And why is that?”

  There was a long pause. “I’m not convinced they are real,” Thatcher finally admitted. “I am not calling you a liar, Knox. I just don’t trust the words of a delusional, near-rogue demon.”

  Ordinarily, neither would Knox, but… “It wasn’t Laurence Crow who told me about the Horsemen. He wasn’t aware they were using him like a puppet.” Knox had learned of them from Dario and Nora, but since many back then had suspected that Dario was near-rogue, Dario had believed that to voice such a conspiracy would simply make him seem paranoid – a symptom of a rogue demon. As such, it would have then given credence to the near-rogue rumors.

  Although the Primes wouldn’t be so disinclined to believe Dario now, Knox thought it likely that they would be angry at Dario to hear that he’d warned Knox but not them. He had no interest in causing friction between the Primes or shifting their attention from the real issue – Harper’s safety was at risk. As such, Knox said, “Roan talked of the Horsemen to Harper. He was cruel, but not delusional.”

  “Are you willing to trust the word of a dying, treacherous demon?” asked Malden, though there was no judgement there – merely curiosity.

  “My mate believes he was being truthful,” said Knox. “I trust her judgement.”

  Malden inclined his head. “In any case, I personally have no information about the Horsemen.”

  Knox twisted his mouth. “Shame. But I did not call you all here to discuss the Horsemen. I’m sure most, if not all, of you heard that my mate was recently attacked by hunters.”

  “I heard,” said Dario. “Is she all right?” There was genuine concern in his voice.

  “Fine. She fought them hard. They wanted her wings. In fact, they were hired to acquire them. Since my mate’s wings have never come to her, it was a waste of their time and earned them nothing but an early and excruciating death.”

  “The Horsemen hired them?” asked Raul.

  “That was my first thought,” said Knox, tapping his fingers on the smooth glass table. “Then her cousin was almost kidnapped. The demon who attempted to take the little girl had also been hired by someone.”

  Jonas’ brow knitted. “That doesn’t mean the two events are necessarily related.”

  Jolene spoke then. “Both the hunters and the kidnapper were hired by someone who sent an anonymous, encrypted email that self-deleted shortly after being opened. That’s not a technique that’s widely used, but I know of some people who do use it.”

  Thatcher sat up straighter, looking resigned. “You might as well know that I am one of those people.”

  “Oh, I already knew that,” Knox told him. “Just as I already knew that the main collector of sphinx wings is your cousin, Francisco Alaniz.”

  Thatcher’s mouth pinched. “Francisco does not collect them for collecting’s sake.”

  Knox held up a hand before the demon could explain further. “The wings on his wall belonged to his relatives and are trophies – I know. Don’t worry; Francisco didn’t mention you. He did, however, mention Dion Boughton. I was surprised to learn from Dion that he once belonged to your lair.”

  Raul’s eyes slid from Knox to Thatcher and back again. “Are you accusing Thatcher of something?”

  Knox arched a brow. “Should I?”

  “I don’t deal on the black market,” Thatcher stated. “And I don’t hire minions.”

  A ringing made them all turn toward the sound. Flushing, Malden pulled out his cell and quickly tapped the screen, quieting the device. “I apologize. I’m curious, Knox – does Harper blame Thatcher? Is that why she’s not here?”

  “She’s not here because I insisted that she rest. Being hexed takes a toll on even the strongest of demons.”

  Raul paused with his glass halfway to his mouth, gaping. “Your mate was hexed?”

  “Just yesterday,” Knox confirmed. “She survived it, of course.”

  Mila raised her brows, looking impressed. “She’s strong.”

  “It astonishes me that people fail to see just how strong she is.” Knox steepled his fingers. “She wasn’t too weak to attend the meeting, but I want her at top strength for our trip. We’re not willing to miss our vacation for someone who stupidly assumed she wouldn’t fight off a hex.” He didn’t want anyone thinking that the hex had sent him and Harper running, so he felt it would be simpler to imply that the trip was organized prior to the magickal strike.

  Thatcher sighed, face hard. “I suppose this makes me an even likelier suspect. I’m an incantor, after all.”

  “Yes, Thatcher, it does,” said Knox.

  “Why would I harm your mate?” Thatcher’s hand clenched, and Knox half-expected him to thump the table. “Considering you’re quite adamant that the Horsemen are real, I would have thought you would be blaming them. Or are you also accusing me of being one of them?”

  “I’m not so blinded by the Horsemen situation that I believe they’re responsible for everything that happens. If I were one of them, I’d lie low.”

  “As would I,” said Jolene.

  “If you’re looking for someone who would mean your mate harm, you should be looking at the other side of the table.” Thatcher’s gaze drilled into Alethea, who gawked at him.

  “You bastard,” she hissed. “Don’t you point fingers at me.”

  Thatcher raised his hands in a helpless gesture. “I only speak the truth. Everyone here knows that you would see Harper dead, given the chance.”

  Jonas held up a calming hand. “Alethea and Harper do not get along, that is true, but —”

  Thatcher snorted. “That is a complete understatement.”

  Jonas’ jaw hardened. “My sister has nothing to do with this.”

  “You’re sure of that, are you? You would bet your position of Prime on it?” Thatcher snickered when Jonas fell silent. “Didn’t think so.”

  Nostrils flaring, Jonas said, “Just because a person dislikes someone doesn’t mean that they wish to cause them physical harm.”

  Thatcher’s gaze returned to Alethea. “But you would if you thought you could get away with it, wouldn’t you? You know, I heard that Jonas’ new girlfriend is an incantor.”

  Shock flashed across Jonas’ face, but he buried the emotion quickly.

  “Maybe, Alethea, you got her to hex Harper for you,” Thatcher suggested.

  Alethea bared her teeth. “You’re just looking to divert everyone’s attention from yourself.”

  I didn’t know Jonas was dating an incantor, Levi said to Knox. Interesting.

  It is, agreed Knox. Particularly since he seemed so shocked that outsiders would know about it. For some reason, he was hoping to keep it private.

  Thatcher pointed at Jonas. “Or maybe it was you who asked your girlfriend to hex Harper. As I understand it, you’re not too happy with Jolene right now. Maybe you wanted to punish her using her granddaughters.”

  All eyes moved to Jolene, but she was staring hard at Jonas when she spoke. “Thatcher seems to enjoy playing devil’s advocate, but he m
akes a good point. Promising me that I would regret not giving you what you wanted… well, that certainly implicates you.”

  Dario narrowed his eyes. “What did he want from you, Jolene?”

  She continued staring at Jonas. “Why don’t you tell them, Jonas?”

  After a moment, Jonas cleared his throat. “I wanted to meet with Lucifer. I asked Jolene to arrange a meeting. She refused.”

  “You want an alliance with him,” corrected Jolene calmly. “I told you that I couldn’t guarantee you an alliance with Lucifer or that he would even meet with you. The devil doesn’t ally himself with anyone. I told him that you wanted to meet him, but he has no interest in speaking with you. That’s hardly my fault. Yet, you blame me.”