Chapter 7

Reaching the strip mall, Skye pushed open the front door of the magic store and stepped inside. There was no point in trying to sneak around. Lynx knew she was coming. If she tried to take them by surprise it would only put her friend in more danger.

Walking down the narrow row between the glass counter and the shelves loaded with cheap merchandise, Skye forced herself to shove aside the curtain separating the private office. As she'd expected, Clarissa was seated at the table, while Lynx and his buddy, Yugan, were standing next to the back wall, watching her enter with wary anticipation. They were both wearing jeans and matching red leather jackets, as if they were in some sort of bad ass-demon club.

What she hadn't expected was the third demon, who was poised behind Clarissa, pressing a large dagger agai nst her throat.

Unlike the other two demons, this one was short and broad with the red aura of a goblin. He also was missing the red jacket. Clearly he wasn 't in the club.

Fury blasted through Skye at the pure terror on the olde r woman's face.

"Clarissa." Skye stepped forward, intending to wrench the dagger from t he male's hand.

"Stop," Lynx commanded, his tone shar p. "Check her."

Grudgingly, Skye halted, standing in rigid silence as Yugan slowly circled her, holding a large crystal that he waved from her head to her toes. She assumed that it was sensitive to magic and created to detect any hexed weapons or potions she might have hidden. Thankfully, her charms were loaded with spells that wouldn't set off the detector. Not until she was in the process of using them.

And then it would be too late for them.

At last, the demon returned to the wall and Lynx s tepped forward.

"Happy?" Skye demanded in a tight voice.

She'd never been a violent person. Not even when she was being held captive by the demon horde. But right now, she desperately wanted to punch the smug grin o ff Lynx's face.

"You can't blame a demon for being too carefu l," he drawled.

"Release her, you bastard," Skye snarled, her hands clenched in to tight fists.

"Now, now." Lynx sent her a chiding frown. "It's not nice to call people names."

"Nice? You're holding an innocent woman hostage. You c all that nice?"

"You left me no choice." Lynx spread his arms as if she was being ridiculously unreasonable. "I preferred to use your father as leverage, but he has proven to be a failure."

"Nothin g new in that."

"True." He nodded. Everyone could agree that Harold Claremont was worthless. "Thankfully, I've been following you for a few days. I knew there must be someone yo u cared about."

"You've been following me? Ew. What a creep."

"I'm thorough."

Skye grimaced. She would chastise herself later for not realizing she was being watched.

"What do you want? " she demanded.

Lynx smiled. They both knew he had her well and truly trapped. "As I said before, I need you as my escort."

"Escort?" Skye narrowed her eyes. "You'd better clar ify that term."

"A platonic companion," he sm oothly offered.

"Why?"

"First I need your agreement to assist me."

Skye scowled in frustration. She was desperate to save Clarissa, but there was a limit to wha t she would do.

"How can I agree if I don't know what I' m agreeing to?"

"It does appear you're in between a rock and a hard place."

Lynx glanced toward the goblin standing behind Clarissa. The male grinned, grasping a chunk of the older woman's hair to tilt her head at an awkward angle. Then, holding Skye's horrified gaze, he pressed the knife hard enough to draw a line of blood.

Clarissa's eyes widened until the whites were showing. "Skye ," she pleaded.

"Stop!" Skye glared toward Lynx. "Fine. I'll be your stupid escort."

"You'll do as I say without argument or attempting to alert anyone that you're with me against your will," he insisted. "Your promise."

"You believe I'd keep a promise that I was force d to agree to?"

His gaze skimmed over her face. "Yes. Now give me your promise."

He was right, of cours e. The bastard.

"I...promise." The words were wrenched from her clenched lips.

"Wise choice," he murmured, holding out his hand. "Come with me."

Skye ignored his hand. There was no way she was letting him touch her. Instead she pointed t oward Clarissa.

"Let her go."

Lynx's smile faded, revealing the ruthless predator beneath the c harming fa?ade.

"Once you've gotten me where I need to go." He marched forward, flicking aside the curtain as if annoyed she wasn't eager to help him. "Until then, she'll stay here with my servant. Consider her inspiration for you to do a s you're told."

"You just said you trust ed my promise."

He shrugged. "Better sa fe than sorry."

Skye pinched her lips, forcing herself to follow him out of the office and through the empty shop. She was acutely aware of Clarissa's fear as she was forced to leave her behind, as well as Yugan, who was inches from her back.

Rock and a hard place, indeed.

Stepping into the parking lot, Skye frowned as they headed toward a heavy black SUV with tinted windows that was idling next to the exit. She hadn't noticed it when she'd first arrived.

With a shrug, Skye climbed into the back of the vehicle, her hands remaining clenched as she was sandwiched between the two demons. There was a brief conversation with the driver, who looked vaguely uneasy, before they took off with s quealing tires.

For the next hour, Skye ignored any attempts to draw her into a casual conversation. Did they expect her to pretend this was just another drive across the bridge into Manhattan? It wasn't until they were turning onto a street a few blocks from Central Park that she realized the ir destination.

"Valen's lair?" she rasped. "A re you insane?"

"What's life without risk?" Lynx asked, leaning to the side to peer out the window at the towering glass-and- steel building.

"Peaceful," Skye muttered, deeply regretting the fact she was no longer snuggled in her bed, surrounded by the scent of a banana blue berry smoothie.

"Dull. Average," Lynx countered. "Wor se than death."

"For you perhap s. Not for me."

"It doesn't matter." Lynx shrugged. "All I need is for you to get us through t he front door."

She made a sound of impatience. She wasn't in the mood for games.

"There's the door." She nodded toward the glass entrance as the SUV swerved toward the cur b. "Go for it."

A blast of heat swirled through the vehicle as Lynx's aura flared with str eaks of silver.

"Don't mistake my desire to remain polite for weakness, Skye Claremont," he warned in soft tones.

Skye shivered. Clearly Lynx wasn't in the mood for games either. "Why d o you need me?"

"You're the best friend of Valen's mate. A welcome guest."

Comprehension crashed into Skye. He wanted her to gain access to Valen. Or more likely to Peri.

Suddenly she remembered Micha's suggestion that the demons had lured her to the pub last night to force Peri into using her wild magic. She'd dismissed the idea. Now, she wasn't nearly so confident the vampire had been leaping to conclusions.

"What do you w ant with Peri?"

"I swear on my life I won't lay a finger on her."

Lynx leaned forward, shoving his arm over the seats that separated them from the goblin driver. There was an awkward pause before Lynx snapped his fingers and the goblin muttered something beneath his breath before he hurriedly yanked open the glove box to pull out something.

Turning, he dropped a velvet bag onto Lynx's upraised palm before whirling back around to grab the steering wheel in a death grip. As if he expected to be punished for not being prepared. Lynx, however, merely leaned back and opened the bag to withdraw a golden chain with a small amulet attached. He slid it over his head, allowing it to nestle against the hollow at the base of his throat. The smell of cloves swirled through the air, revealing the amulet was infused with a powerful spell. A second later, Skye realized exactly what it was. There was a tingle in the air as the golden medallion touched his skin, then a shimmering cobweb floated around him, altering his features and darkening his hair to black.

A d isguise amulet.

It didn't fully change his appearance, but his features were thicker and his face rounded while his body looked fifty pounds heavier. Plus, it muted his aura until it was so dim he could pass as a human. Anyone searching for a demon wouldn't recognize him.

He handed the bag to Yugan, and a second later Skye could feel the same magic coming from the male on the other side of her. Obviously money was no object, she silently acknowledged. A disguise amulet was illegal and cost thousands of dollars on th e black market.

Once the spell had taken full effect, Lynx shrugged out of his jacket, revealing a blue denim shirt. Skye's brows snapped together as she caught sight of the patch sewn on the pocket.

Witch's Brew

"Take us past the front desk, and no one gets hurt, got it?" Lynx commanded.

Biting back her demand to know where he'd gotten his shirt, Skye focused on the reason she was sitting in the SUV in t he first place.

"I'm not doing anything until you rel ease Clarissa."

His eyes flared with annoyance, but pulling out his phone, Lynx hit a number on the screen. It rang once before the sound of a male voice floated throu gh the speaker.

"Yeah?"

"Wait ten minutes and return to the safehou se," Lynx said.

"What ab out the woman?"

"Make sure she understands the cost of telling anyone about our visit and then le ave her there."

"You're sure?" There was a short pause before the servant realized that it wasn't smart to question the boss. "Right. Got it. I'll see ya at the—"

Lynx cut short the babbling and shoved the phone back into his pocke t. "Satisfied?"

"Not even a little," Skye muttered.

With a shrug, Lynx shoved open the door of the vehicle and climbed out. He motioned Skye to follow. Skye ground her teeth, grudgingly obeying as she scooted across the seat and stepped onto the sidewalk. She didn't have time to form an actual plan, which meant she was going to hav e to improvise.

Shifting through various ideas, each worse than the last, Skye barely noticed as Lynx grabbed her elbow and tugged her through the glass doors into the lobby. It wasn't until his fingers tightened and sent jolts of pain up her arm that she realized a uniformed guard had moved to bl ock their path.

"Oh, hi, Mercado," she murmured, recognizing the tall, muscular demon who studied her with a dark gaze. "I'm here to see Peri." She managed a weak smile as she waved her hand toward the males on either side of her. "Th ey're with me."

His gaze flicked over the strangers, no doubt taking note of the Witch's Brew badges sewn onto the shirts and the lack of an aura. As far as he was concerned they were mere humans who worked at t he coffee shop.

"Should I call up and let her know you're h ere?" he asked.

Skye shook her head. "She's expecting me."

With a nod he turned and led them across the elegant blue-and-silver lobby with fluted columns and a small fountain spewing water in the middle of the marble floor. He pulled out a keycard to open the elevator that was separate from those used by Valen's demon staff who filled the various offices. Once inside the carriage, the guard pressed the button for the penthouse before he stepped out and allowed the doors to slide shut.

Squeezing into the back corner to avoid the two males who consumed more than their fair share of space, Skye brushed her fingers over the charms on her bracelet. She'd done what she promised. Now it was time to fight.

Unfortunately, once they reached Valen's apartment, she would have only seconds to decide which spell to use...

Her silent plotting was disrupted when Lynx reached into the pocket of his shirt to pull out a thin plastic card and swiped it over the electronic panel next to the doors. There was a loud beep before Lynx tapped the button fo r the basement.

Skye pushed herself out of the corner as the elevator abruptly shuddered to a halt and then z oomed downward.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "Peri is in the penthouse."

Lynx sent her a mocking smile. "I'm not here for Peri."

Fear crawled through Skye, along with a blast of recrimination. It hadn't occurred to her that they might be at this building for any other reason than to stir up trouble for Valen and Peri. Which was stupid. Every Cabal member had hundreds of powerful enemies. Not to mention fellow vampires who were constantly maneuvering to gain power. It was Game of Thrones on an epic scale.

What better time to strike than when they were away from the protection of their lair?

Of course, everyone knew that Valen was a fanatic when it came to security. Not only did he have private rooms in the basement for his guests, but no one was allowed on that floor. Not Valen's staff, not the visiting vampires' staff. Only Valen, who had access to entire building, plus the four visiting vampires were permitted.

Kane. Gabriel. The ambassa dor. And Micha.

"Where did you get a key?" She spoke her conf usion out loud.

Lynx winked. "I'm not just a pretty face."

Skye shook her head. She couldn't argue about his pretty face. He was gorgeous. But the fact that he was willing to risk the fury of four of the most powerful vampires in the world made her quest ion his sanity.

"You must have a death wish, " she muttered.

"What I have is ambition and the courage to grab opportunity wi th both hands."

With his arrogance on full display, Lynx strolled out of the elevator as the doors slid open and headed down the brightly lit hallway to the door at the end. He walked with the confidence of a man who knew exactly where he was going and without fear he was going to be challenged.

Skye watched him go, debating whether to scream or shut the elevator doors and go in search of help. The decision was made for her when Yugan wrapped an arm around her waist and clamped a hand over her mouth before dragging her do wn the hallway.

She didn't bother to fight against his tight grip. The demon not only had a hundred pounds on her, but he was as strong as an ox. Her strength didn't come from muscles. Closing her eyes, Skye whispered a quick spell. She couldn't kill the fairy, but she could make him wi sh he was dead.

Releasing a burst of magic, Skye opened her eyes, expecting her captor to drop her as a crippling pain ripped through him. Instead, there was a weird popping sound in her ears as the spell fi zzled and died.

Crap. Valen had some sort of dampening shield that squashed any attempt to use her magic. Her hasty plans were now worthless. Without her spells she didn't have a chance of stopping Lynx. No wonder he hadn't been worried about ha ving her along.

She was shoved inside a vast bedroom that looked like something out of Versailles, with a fancy canopied bed, a carved wooden armoire and several matching chairs arranged around the Parisian carpet. It even had a chandelier dangling fr om the ceiling.

Lynx came to an abrupt halt in the center of the room, his confidence faltering as he glanced around.

"He has to be here," he muttered, turning in a slow circle.

"Look out!" Yugan shouted, releasing his hold on Skye as he lunged forward to deflect the blow from the vampire who appeared fr om the shadows.

The fairy grunted as a fist hit him directly in the face and he flew sideways through the air, slamming into the bed with enough force to snap one of the wooden posts. The canopy drooped, and the scent of blood filled the air.

Skye barely noticed as her gaze locked on Micha. He'd obviously used his mysterious powers to disguise his presence, along with his scent that suddenly flood ed through her.

She sucked in a deep breath, as if she'd been starving for that crisp, icy fragrance. And maybe I have , a voice whispered in the back of her mind. There were some creatures who believed in de stined mates...

With a muttered profanity, Skye sternly squashed her bizarre thoughts and rushed toward Micha, who was preparing to attack Lynx. She had to stop him before he did something impulsive. Micha might be twice as strong as the fairy, but Lynx had obviously planned this intrusion into his private rooms. He wouldn't have come in here if he didn't have a nasty surprise up his sleeve.

"Micha!"

His head jerked in her direction, as if startled by her presence. He was wearing nothing more than a pair of black running shorts that hung low on his hips, revealing his corded muscles that clenched in shock as he watched her run toward him. She grabbed his arm, intending to warn him he had to flee, but as soon as her fingers touched his bare skin, she recognized there was more t han one danger.

She had a brief moment to savor the cool satin of his skin before the magic being suppressed by the dampening spell abruptly bubbled through her. It hissed as if annoyed at being repressed, and digging her fingers into Micha's arm, she tried to battle back the surging magic.

A wasted effort, of course. This wasn't just a spell. It was a deeper, darker power that came from the very dept hs of her soul.

Skye shuddered. The impending vision was like a black hole, sucking her into the center with a gravitational force that was inescapable. She felt a layer of sweat coat her skin as a blinding light exploded in the center of her mind. The world faded, leaving her defenseless in the hands of the lethal demons. Demons who were currently on the cu sp of violence.

This was what it mean t to be a seer.

The glorious gift of the future, combined with a terrifying vulnerability.

With grudging reluctance, Skye relaxed her coiled muscles, allowing the vision to form. The sooner it happened, the sooner she could return to reality. Or at least tha t was the hope.

As expected, the image of Micha burned in the center of the light. She was touching him, so it only made sense this vision would include him. But as the light expanded, she realized that Micha was wearing the running shorts he had on now, which indicated that the future she was seeing was happening within minutes, hours, or days from now. No mo re than a week.

She'd had precog events before. Most notably when her mother died, and another when Peri first came into her powers. Not to mention a day ago, when they'd been under attack at the old theater and she'd seen Maya lying dead on the stairs. But usually the visions peered years i nto the future.

The image expanded even more and Skye's confusion deepened as she watched Micha throw up his hands to cover his face. Was he being attacked? Was it Lynx? No, not Lynx, she abruptly realized as flames suddenly surrounded him. It looked like a volcano had erupted, and she screamed in horror as lava spilled over him, searing the flesh from his body before his bones melted into a puddle of goo.

She kept screaming as the vision expanded to reveal that the fire was not just consuming Micha, it was consuming the world. Everywhere she looked the earth was drenched in fire, the ground cracking as lava poured out to create a hellscape from which there was no escape.

Her heart stuttered back into motion, beating with a sluggish dread as the vision seared through her brain. This was the future not just for Micha, but for the world.

She didn't understand the fire, or how it was going to sweep disaster across the land. It could be actual fire, or it could be a mere symbol of utter devastation, but she did know without a doubt that Micha had to be kidnapped by Lynx. And while she couldn't see herself in the vision, she sensed she had to stay with him.

Grappling to understand the images, Skye felt a stab of panic as the image became dazzlingly bright. She knew what was going to happen even as there was a blinding flash before the vision shattered, like a glass being tossed ag ainst the wall.

Pain stabbed through her mind, a pain so fierce she thought someone had stabbed a dagger in her brain. Then thankfully everything went black and she fell to the ground.