Of course, she had abilities which would allow her to hurt Mona from a distance. But if she wanted to cause the harbinger real pain, she’d need to get her hands on her. Unfortunately, Mona seemingly intended to attack from afar. Harper needed to lure her close. That meant pissing her off – something which Harper was totally okay with. By nature, Harper was a reasonably collected person. But she had a temper that ran quick and hot. “You know, I can’t work out why you thought you’d get away with having your little friends attack Khloë,” sneered Harper. “Do you feel empty inside? I mean, like, in your skull?”
“Bitch,” hissed Mona. She launched one orb of hellfire after another; aiming for Harper’s head, chest, legs, and abdomen.
Harper evaded most of them, purposely allowing one to clip her shoulder and another to graze her leg. She didn’t want Mona to know how fast she was. She wanted Mona to be confident enough to come closer. “All this because Gael chose Khloë over you three years ago? Really? How pathetic.”
“He didn’t choose her. She lured him away.”
Khloë could control most minds, but she had too much self-respect to ever use the ability to get a guy who didn’t want her. “We both know that isn’t true. But even if it was, two wrongs don’t make a right. Your parents have proved that.”
Snarling, Mona conjured two orbs of hellfire and threw them simultaneously. Harper ducked, evading both. Lightning fast, she whipped a stiletto blade out of her boot, curving her hand around the ruby-red marble handle.
Mona laughed. “You think a little knife will save you?”
Ordinarily, probably not.
“It’s almost cute.”
Harper sidestepped the orb of hellfire that flew her way. Conjuring orbs was something Harper had personally never been able to master. She could create hellfire, but she couldn’t shape it into anything. She could, however, do something else.
Generating hellfire in her left hand, Harper then infused it into the knife. Like that, the blade was aflame and totally lethal. Stilling, Mona gaped. For a brief moment, the crowd fell silent. They had all obviously assumed that the reason Harper wasn’t retaliating was that she didn’t have any offensive gifts to boast of – wrong.
Wearing a patronizing smile, Harper twirled her blade on her finger. “Personally, I think this beats orbs.” Because she could infuse hellfire into any object, making them instantly deadly. A blade. A pen. A hairclip. Anything. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that was fear on your chimp-like face.”
Mona caught a dagger that one of her friends threw her and then launched herself at Harper – giving her exactly what she wanted. Harper evaded the sword, slashed Mona’s thigh, and then slammed her palm into Mona’s abdomen. Mona dropped to her knees, shuddering, with her mouth open in a silent scream of excruciating agony. It wasn’t because of the hellfire eating away at her flesh. No, it was because of something far worse.
The crowd once more turned quiet, no doubt confused as to why a mere slice and a single hit had taken Mona down.
Harper squatted in front of her. “No one fucks with my family. Go near any of them again, and this pain will seem like a fucking slap on the wrist. You got me?”
Mona fell onto her side and curled into a fetal position, sobbing, just as the umpire dashed over. “What’s happening?” he asked.
Harper returned her blade to her boot. “She’s getting what she deserved.” With that, she strode out of the combat circle. It took a few minutes to squeeze through the cheering, congratulatory crowd before she reached her cousins near the exit of the dome.
Keeping in step with her, Khloë fanned her face. “I’m so happy, I could cry.”
Ciaran looked pissed. “I can’t believe the bitch sent her friends to—” They halted as two demons suddenly planted themselves in front of them. The male was broad shouldered and dark-haired with golden eyes that made her think of a wolf. The female was tall, slender, and had a stunningly sleek braid hanging over her shoulder. Harper had seen them patrolling the Underground many times, knew exactly what they were – sentinels.
The male told Harper, “Mr. Thorne would like to talk to you.”
Fuck. “Oh yeah? I’m not really the chatty type.”
The female smiled, genuinely amused. “I’m sure you won’t mind sparing Mr. Thorne a few minutes.”
Well, actually, Harper did mind. Given everything she knew about Knox Thorne, the prospect of meeting him didn’t exactly fill her with joy – especially since there was a little something else about him that bugged their kind: no one seemed to know what breed of demon he was. Harper didn’t like blind spots. But it was vital to never show weakness to a predator, and backing away from the challenge in his sentinels’ eyes would definitely make her look weak. “Fine.”
“Just you,” the male said.
Harper inclined her head. “Wait at the Xpress bar,” she told her cousins. “I’ll be back soon.”
Without giving them a chance to object, she followed the two sentinels behind the dome and up a flight of stairs. When they finally stopped outside a door marked ‘Office’, the male rapped his knuckles on it. She could feel Knox’s power from there. It reached out, and encased the door almost protectively. When a shockingly sensual voice summoned them to enter, the male sentinel opened the door and signaled for her to enter. Then the two sentinels backed away and left her.
Inhaling deeply, Harper slipped inside…and found herself fighting the urge to stare in awe at the tall, imposing figure standing behind a glass desk. Deep-set dark eyes that matched the color of his hair locked on Harper, and the intensity there rocked her. Her body instantly responded. Molten lust licked at her, making her breasts ache, her nipples harden, and every inch of her skin suddenly feel hypersensitive. Well, shit.
All demons had natural sex appeal, and she’d heard that Knox’s effect was more potent than most, but Harper still hadn’t been prepared for the sheer impact of him. He radiated alpha energy, projected a raw sexual magnetism that would make any girl sensually starving. As she took in his bold stare, powerful stance, and air of self-possession, lots of words came to mind: Powerful. Forceful. Confident. Controlled. Dauntless. Determined.
Damn if it didn’t make him intimidating.
Refusing to buckle under the force of it all, Harper shut the door and waited. He said nothing. Didn’t greet her. Didn’t invite her to sit. Just stared at her with that dark, penetrating gaze that was sizing her up, and the atmosphere seemed to thicken with tension. But there was no chance that she would avert her eyes. This was a test of her strength, and she wasn’t prepared to fail it.
Finally, looking like he’d just stepped out of a GQ magazine, Knox slowly rounded the desk and walked towards her. No, walked wasn’t the right word. He breezed, glided – moved with an animal grace that demanded attention and could easily keep it.
Her inner demon froze, feeling threatened by this male that exuded danger. And he was dangerous – it was apparent in the way he moved, in his posture, in the tension coiled in his muscles that rippled beneath his black suit. She would bet that suit cost more than her entire wardrobe.
“I’m Knox Thorne.” He tilted his head, those dark eyes still locked on her. He was even more imposing up close. “And you are…?”
“Harper Wallis.” It worried her that he unnerved her demon, who was rarely rattled by anything. To Harper’s utter frustration, she couldn’t get a read on him, couldn’t identify what breed of demon he was. But every instinct she had told her to tread carefully; that she was in the presence of a very powerful predator.
“Harper Wallis.” He didn’t say her name, he tasted it. Tasted it with a voice that was like smoke, whiskey, and velvet. And Harper knew she’d be entertaining some seriously dirty fantasies about him later. She sure hoped he couldn’t read her thoughts – now, that would be embarrassing.
She wasn’t offended when he didn’t hold out his hand to shake hers. Demons were tactile, psychic, sexual creatures, but they were also very select
ive in who they gave permission to touch them. “Nice to meet you, I guess.” She didn’t sound at all genuine. And for some odd reason, that made his mouth curve into a crooked smile which caused her libido to do the fandango. Great.
Well now, this she-demon had surprised him yet again.
When she’d walked into the room, her eyes – glassy, reflective, much like that of a cat – had been the color of warm honey. But as Knox had moved to stand in front of her, the honey had begun to swirl like liquid, fading into an entrancing misty gray. He had the feeling it wouldn’t be long before the color changed again, and he was intrigued as to just what color that would be.
Intrigued.
A simple feeling, but not one he’d experienced for a while until he’d caught a glimpse of this she-demon in the combat circle. Her facial features were soft and feminine. Except for that mouth. Plush, glossy, and a tempting cherry shade, it was straight out of his fantasies. He could imagine sliding his cock between those lips while knotting his hands in that sleek, dark hair that was tipped with gold.
His inner demon had perked up the moment she entered the office, going from bored to alert in an instant. It liked pretty, shiny, unique things, and that was exactly what Harper was. “How are your injuries?”
Harper rotated her shoulder. “All right.” The wounds had mostly healed, but they still stung like a motherfucker. Demons were invulnerable to normal fire. Hellfire, however, could cause serious harm. The flames of hell, on the other hand, could turn someone into ashes on the spot. And it was just possible that the guy in the room with her could call on them. Fate was mostly likely laughing its ass off.
“If you’re a Wallis, you must be from the North Las Vegas lair.” At her nod, Knox added, “How closely related are you to Jolene?”
As he took a small yet prowling step closer, Harper’s demon tensed even further. “She’s my grandmother.” In addition to being the Prime of her lair, Jolene Wallis was a hard-assed bitch. She was also thirty levels of batshit crazy and had been known to reduce entire buildings to rubble when in a foul mood…though Jolene preferred the term ‘demolition expert.’
“I have a loose alliance with Jolene.” Knox had always liked imps. Why? Because you knew where you stood with an imp. You knew that they would rob you blind if you were dumb enough to not pay attention. You knew you would only get the right answers if you asked the right questions. And you knew that expecting obedience from them would be an exercise in frustration. But having Harper so close, filling every one of his senses, he realized…“You’re not an imp.” He wasn’t sure what she was. The Wallis family was pretty notorious, and he’d assumed they were all imps.
“No, I’m not,” Harper confirmed, impressed that he’d sensed it.
Knox felt an unexpected tingle of amusement at her typical imp response – vague and evasive. Apparently she was, for all intents and purposes, an imp. “Sit,” he invited, gesturing to the chair opposite his. Before taking it, her unusual eyes did a quick sweep of the room. And he knew that, in that small moment, she had assessed what was of value, the most likely places for a safe to be positioned, and every possible exit. It would be instinctive for a Wallis.
He noticed that she didn’t make a sound as she moved – another imp trait she had mastered, despite not being one of them. “What are you?”
Watching as he melted into his chair, she parried, “What are you?”
Oh, that little bit of fire made his demon chuckle. Like Knox, it didn’t have much time or respect for weak, frightened little lambs. This female clearly wasn’t easily intimidated. He could have pushed the matter, but he found that he liked the idea of watching her, studying her, and solving the mystery for himself.
Harper was surprised to see his mouth twitch in amusement, since she’d expected anger. Knox Thorne made her think of a jungle cat that was choosing to behave for now but whose mood could change at any given moment. Regardless of that, she was stupidly wondering if his short, ebony hair was as silky as it looked. Yeah, well, she’d never been all that smart.
Seeing that the huge window offered a perfect view of the combat circle, Harper guessed he’d watched her duel with his she-demon. “Look, if this is about Mona, she got what she deserved.”
“And what is it exactly that she ‘got’?” No answer. “Your touch can cause soul-deep pain,” Knox guessed. A rare ability.
“Very good.” It had always been effortless for Harper to do it. Whenever she felt angry, threatened, or frightened, a dark protective power instinctively built inside her and rushed to her fingertips, making them prickle. As a child, it hadn’t been easy to control. Now that she was an adult, she was able to push the power back down if necessary.
He drummed his fingers on the desk. “If you believe she deserved soul-deep pain, I’m assuming Mona did something I need to know about. Tell me.”
Be a tattletale who whined to people’s Primes? “No.”
“No?” Knox echoed with disbelief.
Evidently, he wasn’t denied things often. Well, Harper did like to introduce people to new experiences. It was more of a calling, really. The air chilled as his eyes very briefly bled to black, communicating his inner demon’s displeasure at being refused; hell reigned in those dark pools. A frisson of apprehension tingled down her spine.
“If one of my demons has done something they shouldn’t have, I need to deal with it.”
She shrugged. “It’s been dealt with.”
“That fight was personal. Tell me why.”
The guy was seriously tenacious. “Ask Mona.”
“I’m asking you.”
“Shame for you that I won’t answer, huh.”
His demon was impressed by her. It liked that she pushed back, and believed she would be delicious prey to hunt. Not a weak, defenseless prey – no, she would be entertaining. “So very stubborn.”
“Yes.” It was indeed one of her best qualities.
It was right then that his instincts told Knox…“You’re a sphinx.” He knew it as sure as he knew that this greedy ache to possess her wasn’t going anywhere.
Oh, points to the Prime. “I am.”
No wonder she was so obstinate, Knox mused. Like a bird, sphinxes were winged, swift, graceful, and could be challenging to pin down. Like a lion, they were strong, fierce, brave, and would single-mindedly trail, stalk, and run down their prey. In short, there wasn’t a more elusive, daring, persistent demon than a sphinx.
Rising to his feet, Knox rounded the table and came to stand in front of her. She quickly stood, meeting his stare boldly. At that moment, her eyes changed again as the misty gray swirled and became a silvery violet. It was fascinating to watch the transformation. “If you’re not going to answer my questions about Mona, you can answer another. Are you involved with the male demon that’s with you?” Knox didn’t share, and he intended to have Harper Wallis.
She frowned. The guy sure liked to throw out random questions. “Why do you want to know?” Both she and her inner demon stilled as his eyes again bled to black. The demon living inside Knox was staring back at her, and it was fucking chilling. Those eyes…they were so cold, menacing, and old. The temperature of the room seemed to drop five degrees.
The demon covered the remaining distance between them and spoke in a flat, disembodied voice as it lightly tapped her cheek with one finger. “Answer the question, little sphinx.” So much silken menace in those words. “No more evasiveness.”
The entity was admittedly a scary fucker, but Harper would be damned if she’d let it intimidate her. Nobody, nobody, got to play with her like she was prey. “My private life is exactly that – private. But I’ll share with you if you share with me. What are you?”
After a long, tense moment, that erotic mouth curved on one side. The obsidian eyes weren’t so cold now. They glinted with challenge and amusement. Then suddenly the demon retreated, and she was once again looking at Knox.
“Your demon’s not prepared to answer that one then, huh,” said
Harper. “Now who’s evasive?”
Her fire made his demon smile. “You’re free to take a guess at what I am,” said Knox.
“If I got it right, would you admit it?” Her stomach clenched at the crooked smile that curved his amazing mouth. He was so achingly hot it simply wasn’t fair.
“No.”
“Something tells me I’m best not knowing what you are.” Because whatever lived inside him was too dangerous for words.
This she-demon seemed to have a talent for surprising him. “You’re absolutely right.” At the sound of his cell phone ringing, Knox dug it out of his pocket.
Some of Harper’s tension left her as he moved away to take the call, leaving her personal space. Oddly enough, her demon had started to relax around him. It was intrigued by his supreme confidence, his dark sensuality, the power that cloaked him, and the air of the forbidden that surrounded him. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
The tension returned to Harper’s muscles as he stalked toward her, his eyes on hers as he spoke into the phone, promising the caller he’d be there quickly. Good. Because she wanted to get out of there quickly.
“I have to go,” Knox told her as he opened the office door. “It was interesting meeting you, Harper Wallis.” His demon snarled at the idea of leaving her. It wanted the pretty sphinx; wanted that hot little body beneath it – or above it, or against it as it backed her into the wall and fucked her senseless. The demon wasn’t fussed.
“Likewise.” To her shock, he held out his hand. It was an invitation to touch him, permission to break the skin-to-skin barrier. But if she touched him even once, she would be returning that invitation. He’d have the same permission to touch her as and when he wished – and not just physically, but psychically. It was no little thing. But Harper had never been a coward.
Meeting his dark eyes, Harper shook his hand, unprepared for the flare of heat that assaulted her when his touch met her skin. Her heart jumped when he brushed his thumb over her inner wrist, and he no doubt felt her pulse briefly spike. But she wasn’t going to give herself a hard time about that moment of weakness. As he released her hand, his mind stroked hers, a farewell that could have come from Knox, his demon, or both of them.