Poison's Kiss (Deadly Beauties 2)

"Morning," I mumble, intentionally leaving off the good.

"They've got some Intel to share, so let's head down."

I nod, pretending that's the first I've heard of it, and then I quickly put my feet to the ground. Gage laughs lightly as he stands up and joins me from behind, placing his hand at the small of my back.

"You're not going to speak to me? Is the walk of shame that bad?"

Walk of shame? Try walk of utter mortification. He just told me he loves me, my ex found me in bed with the guy who blatantly cheated on me, and I realized I'm a slut.

"I just woke up. I'm not much of a morning person," I offer casually with a dismissive wave of my hand.

"Well, I smell coffee, so I'll go make you a cup."

"Thanks," I mutter through tight lips while heading to my bedroom. "I need a robe."

I don't turn to see his face, but I can taste his disappointment. I quickly dart into the room and grab the white satin robe that matches the sexy gown. In an effort to stall, I decide to brush my teeth, comb my hair, and put on a touch of makeup.

With a daunting morning ahead of me, I take a deep breath, hoping to exhale some of the tension polluting me.

Kane has his back turned when I walk down the stairs, and he doesn't attempt to turn around when Zee greets me. I return the morning cordiality, and then I make my way to the kitchen.

Gage is finishing up with my cup of coffee just as I enter the room, and he places it on the bar before pulling me to him for a deep, deliciously sinful kiss.

"We're ready when you two are," Kane says from behind, making me tense up.

Gage presses his forehead to mine and smiles as he murmurs, "We're ready."

I grab the coffee, and then Gage takes my hand in his as he pulls me into the room. He's seems to have forgotten I told him one night “lost in the throes” doesn't mean we're back together.

With all but one of the seats acquired, Gage pulls me into his lap. Kane never acknowledges our closeness, keeping his eyes focused on the books that have been left open on the coffee table.

"Alyssa hasn't been filled in, so I'll start at the beginning. Gage told us his girl knew of a coven tied to black magic. They recently dismissed a member because she seemed to have really lost it. They were scared of her and what she was trying to do and all the crazy she was spouting. She kept telling them the fey world was real, and there were monsters all around.

"Apparently her mother was murdered when she was a child, and she believes it was a vampire - her words. Obviously, her coven thought she was crazy, and they became worried that the magic they were toying with had a toxic effect on her mind. They dispersed after fearing the same would happen to them.

"Dray tracked down a few members of the coven that confirmed this, but none of them were brave enough to mention the mystery girl's name. He told them about the ritualistic killing style, and they all turned pale, further proving this is the right girl. One of them admitted the blond we're seeking tried to convince them to help her with the killings she had planned. After that, they all clammed up - worried they'd fall on her hit list.

"We've spoken to some people in town that might know the name of this girl, based on her coven members, but no one has a clue. When they see girls playing with witchcraft, they write them off as outsiders they don't care to know.

"What Dray did learn was that she believes she needs the spirit to rid the world of the fey. This girl is crazy, and she's very dangerous.

"I've sorted through the books for most of the night, and I've compiled a few theories on what types of spirits can be invoked. Judging be the detailed pattern, it'll be the spirit of a witch or a warlock."

I almost sigh out in relief. "Then it should be easy enough to kill them. I'll just call Drackus. No light or dark user is more powerful than he is. Not to mention, we've got two night stalkers with us."

Kane smirks slightly, though he still doesn't look at me. Dray speaks to disprove my hopeful wishing. "Spirits are different, Alyssa. During their life, they might have been easy to kill, but in their death... Well, it's harder to kill someone a second time. We'll have to find a specific way to kill them after we learn their identity. We'll need the specifics of their death before contracting a plan. Usually, they need to exact revenge first before being corporeal enough to send back to the spirit world.

"Not to mention, when a spirit comes back, they're not the same as they were in life. They lose their morals, their sanity, and their ability to have any rationalization. They're ruthless and deceptive.

"Most likely, this spirit has spoken to the human witch during a séance, and he or she has offered the human witch the chance to find her own vengeance. Only humans are foolish enough to trust those who have crossed over. The spirit does have to keep their promise to do as the host has requested in order to earn their right to cross over, but they don't have to leave the body. That's the part the young witch doesn't understand."

Well that's just great. In all the movies, spirits are guiding lights and voices of wisdom. In reality, spirits are tricky demons looking for a body to snatch.

"So how do we find out who the spirit is? And how would a spirit rid the entire world of fey creatures? No being, dead or alive, is that strong." I murmur, feeling this conversation getting more frustrating with every breath.

Gage answers this time while pulling me a little closer to his body.

"We won't know until we face her in possession. It's doubtful the spirit offered to rid the world of all fey creatures. As Dray said, they're deceptive. They twist their words to make their offer sound like what the seeker wants; but in all actuality, it's merely a small offering with a price too grave. It's all in the wording of their presentation."