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CHAPTER ONE
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SKYLA
NO MAN’S LAND
“Fuck me,” I muttered, turning the corner. All I wanted was a cup of coffee, and now I had to wade past a group of assholes from the Blazing Legion.
Pity I hadn’t brought my car with me this morning. I kept the thing covered in a thin sheen of Belladonna dust to keep warlocks like this away. But the dust didn’t exactly do well when worn on the body. I valued my skin, my breathing, and my sanity, thank you very much.
Granted, I rarely used my car. My life was contained by invisible borders I rarely, if ever, crossed. A car only made the temptation higher. I should probably turn it on to make sure the battery wasn’t dead.
But the warlocks were here, and now that they’d seen me, I couldn’t slink away. The Blazing Legion only responded to strength, and they had the right to be in No Man’s Land just like everyone else.
The group was gathered around something I couldn’t see, a couple of them chuckling as I got closer. And, of course, he was here too.
Don’t look up. Don’t look up. Don’t look up.
Clearly, my manifestation skills were shit, because Fang looked up directly at me, eyes immediately roving all over my body. “Skyla.”
The Blazing Legion gave out their club names after their members did some kind of death-defying stunt. And Fang still bore the scars on his neck from the venomous snakes he let bite him without an antidote.
Idiot.
“Fang,” I said, keeping my voice even and neutral.Just keep walking, Skyla.
“I hoped I’d see you here today.”
My back was already turned as I rolled my eyes. “I figured you’d be seeing me later.” It was the Legion’s day to use the club, and Fang never missed it when I danced. He thought we had aconnection.
The only connection we had was from his singles to my bank account.
“Maybe,” he said, voice low. “I think today will be the day you dance only for me.”
I turned and looked back at him out of instinct, something in his voice making the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The movement showed me what was at the center of their group. I heard the small, desperate cry, and I saw red.
“What thefuck are you doing?” I shoved past Fang and nearly tripped over his bike to grab the winged kitten from one of the members, who was holding itby the winglike an insect.
I snatched the tiny creature and held it against my chest, all of them glaring at me like I’d just taken their candy and not an innocent animal.
“You enforce the laws around here now, Skyla?”
“No.” I put as much poison in my voice as I could manage. “Trust me, you wouldn’t want me to do that.”
The warlocks straightened and stared at me, evaluating me now that I’d made myself a threat. Most of these men knew me, by sight at least. I didn’t know any of them except Fang. But there were more members of the legion I could keep track of.
And sure, if I wanted to, I could kick every one of their magical asses. Only they didn’t know that, and my life depended on them continuing not to know in blissful ignorance.
Fang smirked at me. “I always like a little bite. You know where I am when you want someone to bite you back, baby.”
I rolled my eyes, this time where he could see it. “No thanks.”
He just laughed as I went to the door. “That’s what they all say, Skyla. And the next thing they know, they’re begging for more.”
There wasn’t anything to say to the asshole, so I didn’t, pushing into Sip Happens and letting the door shut on the grating sound of their laughter.
I looked down at the little ball of fluff crushed against my chest. “You okay?” Holding it out on my palms, the kitten tumbled, righting itself and flapping its small wings before sitting and looking at me. Its fur was nearly pure white, with a couple of black spots on the toes and a wave of gray like its fur had been marbled. Little green eyes looked up at me, and the kitten leaned over and rubbed its face against my thumb like it was sayingthank you.
