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As I stared down at the swirling mist that covered the astral plane, it struck me as absurd. Here I was, a vampire, riding on the back of my brother-in-law, a dragon, with a demon holding onto my waist, in pursuit of some whacked-out squid who slurped up people’s life energy. I broke out laughing, but then the laughter died away as I remembered Delilah, locked up in the panic room to protect her, and the growing body count from the Karsetii.
Vanzir tightened his grip, and I felt his breath on my ear as he leaned in. “Two of a kind, babe. We’re two of a kind,” he said in a gravelly voice.
I knew he was taunting me, but I didn’t answer. How could I? He was right. How could I argue over something that was so basically true?
Smoky dipped, gliding lower to the ground. Now we could see Rozurial and Camille racing across the mist-shrouded ground. They were single-minded machines, neither noticing us nor looking up. Forward they ran, keeping pace with one another. From here, I could see that Camille had a slightly crazed look on her face. The full Moon was coming up in a couple of days; she was probably already feeling the energy. Hunting prey on the astral must only increase the drive.
The touch of Vanzir’s hands around my waist began to burn, as he pressed against me from behind. I couldn’t help myself. I leaned back, leaned into his embrace as his lips sought my neck, sucking hard, biting, nipping at me.
“Oh Great Mother, this is not the time nor place,” I said, trying to break free of whatever mania was sweeping over us.
“Don’t let the energy worry you,” Smoky’s voice bellowed out. “You’re just feeling the rush of Camille and Rozurial’s hormones. They’re both running so hot and heavy, they’re leaving a trail of pheromones in the astral breeze. The only thing that anybody has to watch out for until we catch up with the Karsetii is if that incubus takes it in mind to play touchy-feely with my wife. Just ride the wave till we get there.”
Dizzy, I tried to pry myself out of Vanzir’s arms, but he gripped me tighter, his lips pressed against my neck, my shoulders, my cheeks. I twisted around, intending to push him away, but the vortex of color swirling in his eyes caught me short. I let out a short bark of surprise as he fastened his lips on mine, lifting me up and turning me around to face him.
As I straddled Smoky’s back, pressing against his sides with my knees to keep my balance, Vanzir leaned forward, backing me up till I lay flush against Smoky’s opalescent scales. Vanzir rested on top of me, his hips pressing against me between my legs, his lips kissing me so deeply that I felt myself falling. The passion built, threatening to engulf me. Suddenly worried, I felt for my fangs with the tip of my tongue, but they stayed retracted.
“They won’t come down unless you want them to,” Vanzir whispered. “When you fuck another demon—a real demon—you’ll find it easier to keep control of your nature. And I won’t automatically try to drain you like I normally would someone who isn’t of demon heritage.”
“You try to drain me, and that collar you wear beneath your neck will kill you immediately,” I said, but he brushed aside my comment as his lips met mine again, and he pressed hard against me, his fingers reaching for my zipper.
I wanted him. I wanted to strip naked and fuck right there on Smoky’s back, but we were headed into battle. We’d need all our energy, all our senses.
“No, we have to be ready for battle. We can’t do this here—now. But later, I want you.” I pushed against his chest, feeling his heartbeat. It wasn’t like a normal pulse. As I gazed into Vanzir’s eyes, his lip twitched, and he slowly extended his tongue and flicked my nose.
“I know,” he said, smirking. “Don’t you ever lie again about how you feel. We’re both demons. Leave falsehoods for those who can’t take what they want, who don’t possess the power to tear life apart at the seams. We can share this together without worrying about stealing life from our partners.”
As he eased up, I pulled away and stared into his eyes. “I thought you weren’t into women,” I said. “You know I’m with Nerissa.”
“I also know you and Rozurial have something going on. As for you and women—so what? I’m like you. I pick my partners based on who I’m attracted to, not what equipment they come with.” A veiled cloud passed over his face. “Karvanak wasn’t my choice. He reamed me repeatedly. But he’s dead now, and I hope he spiraled into oblivion. But just because he abused me, doesn’t mean I don’t fancy a pretty boy now and then.”
And then I understood what he meant. We were two of a kind, on more than one level. We’d both been tortured at the hands of sadistic assholes. I’d probably had it worse—Dredge had forever shifted my nature, but that didn’t mean that Vanzir wasn’t sporting hidden scars. True, he’d been a demon already, but he’d also been trying to sublimate his instincts. Karvanak had used that against him.
I touched his hand gently. “We are alike. And yet . . . remember this: Most of our comrades have been through hell of one sort or another. Delilah didn’t ask to be turned into a Death Maiden. Camille’s always been the anchor for everybody else and their traumas, and one of her oath lovers is missing. Rozurial watched his family get torn apart by Dredge, and then the gods ripped his marriage to shreds. Even Chase—Karvanak gave him a taste of his torturous ways. We aren’t that special, Vanzir. We just understand one another.”
“Heads up!” Smoky’s voice echoed over his shoulder. “Looks like the incubus and Camille found something!”
I swung around, once again straddling Smoky face forward. His sinuous neck bobbed to the side, giving us a bird’s-eye view of something that struck a nasty, nasty chord in my gut.
The Karsetii clones were there, yes, aimed at a black portal that had a series of runes inscribed in blue flame across it. I recognized the runes; they were demonic, and the last place I’d seen them had been on a poster on Larry’s wall.
“Shit—a demonic portal?” Who knew what else could get through that thing.
“Not just a portal,” Vanzir said, his grip around my waist tightening. But the passion of moments before had vanished. He was all business now. “That’s a Demon Gate.”
“What the fuck? Who opened it?” I stared at the runes as they flickered in the astral breeze. Camille and Roz had stopped short and were staring at the thing from a distance as the Karsetii clones headed toward it.
“I don’t know, but it wasn’t cast right,” Vanzir said. “This one . . . the runes are out of sequence. Whoever cast this is a fool. There’s no control attached to it—no method for commanding whatever comes through.”
“Then the Karsetii was summoned. But whoever did the summoning—”
“Whoever did the summoning,” Vanzir said slowly, “has no control over the creatures they’ve commanded in. And the gate’s still active and open.”
“And who knows what’s waiting for us on the other side.”
Smoky grunted as we headed in for a landing. As we touched down, Vanzir and I leapt off and raced over to Camille and Roz. Smoky shimmered, and within a brilliant flash, he was standing there in all his glory. His hair automatically began to braid as we watched the Karsetii clones, who scurried for the Demon Gate. Bright light of any form seemed to bother them.
As they scooted through the gate, I studied the runes, paying particular attention to how a couple of them had been drawn. Whoever set this up had to have drawn them in blood with a quill pen; that’s how a Demon Gate was usually set up. And usually, the canvas for the runes was dried skin from a sentient being—human if we were dealing with human wizards, Fae if we were dealing with Fae sorcerers.
