Ashes (Dark in You 3)

“We need to do this quickly,” said a gruff voice.

What the fuck? Knox! No response. A familiar, protective power rushed from her belly to her fingertips. They prickled as the power fought for release. Harper would be more than fucking happy to release it on her captive, but her hands were trapped. “Get the fuck off me!”

“Do it now.”

Someone blew into her ear, and suddenly Harper was at home. She stood in the doorway of her bedroom. It was almost eerily dim. Weirdly, the entire space was bare apart from one thing: a cradle. It would have been deathly quiet if it wasn’t for the sound of a baby crying.

For some reason, the sound made her stomach tighten. She crept forward, feeling disturbingly compelled toward the cradle and —

Abruptly back in her office, Harper hissed through her teeth. The flesh of her back felt like it was on fire. Her demon raged, freaking the fuck out. Harper writhed and struggled against her captive’s grip, scrambling to understand what the hell was happening.

“You want to release me,” she said in a compelling tone that came with the sphinx package.

A dark chuckle. “No, we don’t.”

Her surroundings shifted once again, and she found herself walking toward the cradle again. Time was slow here. There was no pain, no panic, no anger. But it wasn’t real… was it? She didn’t know, so she kept her mind focused on the vision in front of her. The crying seemed louder now and —

Finding herself bent over the office table once more, she blinked, disorientated. Her body bucked and writhed as what felt like some sort of magnetic force called to her wings. They snapped to the surface and fanned out around her – huge, gold, heavy, eagle-like, gossamer wings that were silky-soft but strong as steel.

“Look at the black and red streaks running through the gold feathers,” said the demon subduing her hands. His shock was understandable – they were the colors of the flames of hell.

A covetous hand stroked one wing. Red-hot rage whipped through her, and she writhed like crazy. “Let me go, you motherfuckers!”

“She shouldn’t be partially aware!”

“Well I know that, but she is!”

Knox! Knox! Where the hell was he? Was someone attacking him too and —?

She was back in her bedroom again, closer to the cradle now. The cries had eased a little, as if whatever lay there was calmed by her presence. A part of her wanted to retreat, but she needed to see the source of the crying. Needed to know if —

Arching like a bow, Harper screamed around her gag – gag? – as something sliced into her back. No, into the stems of her wings. The son of a bitch was trying to sever her wings! Tears stung her eyes each time the jagged blade mercilessly cut into the stems. She redoubled her efforts to be free, even as it worsened the pain that was burning her from the inside out. Her heartbeat was racing so fast that she wouldn’t have been surprised if it collapsed.

The male behind her cursed. “If sphinx wings were as flimsy as they look, this would be a lot goddamn easier.”

“I swear I will fucking kill you!” she growled around the gag.

The males just laughed. Laughed.

Her inner demon shoved its way to the surface and pulled back its lips. “You will die for this,” it told them in a flat, emotionless voice that was barely audible, but the demon’s presence still made both males pause for a moment.

“For God’s sake, put her out!”

A warm breath blew into her ear once more, and she was back in her room. Two single steps were all it would take to get her up close to the cradle. She took one step, then another. And there, eyes closed as it fussed and kicked its little legs, was a baby. It looked so tiny and sweet, sucking on its fist.

Harper’s smile was slow but real as she tentatively reached out and ran the tip of her finger over the small hand, warmed by the feel of its petal-soft skin. The baby’s eyes flipped open, and all she could see were flames.

Harper snapped back to reality, pain ripping through her as someone continued sawing into the stems of her wings. Black spots filled her vision, and the sickly tastes of blood and fear flooded her mouth until they almost choked her.

She wanted to shout. Struggle. Fight back. But she felt paralyzed with the sheer agony that came with each and every slice. Not even the adrenaline pumping through her was much help at this point.

“Now those rings sure are pretty,” said her captor, keeping her hands fisted so tightly that her nails bit hard into her palms. “I’ll bet there are people willing to pay top dollar for them – maybe even more than this guy’s paying us for the wings.”

Like hell would she let them take the rings. Knox had given them to her. One was a black diamond; something a demon only gave to their mate. It was a symbol of the ultimate commitment. They meant more to her than even her wings.

“No, don’t free her hands. She can cause soul-deep pain, idiot.”

“She’s trapped in a dream right now. She doesn’t even know we’re here or where she is.”

This was her chance, Harper thought. If nothing else, she could hurt one of the bastards who was hurting her. She didn’t move when he slowly lifted her third finger. She remained still, quiet. As she felt him try to tug off her rings, she did nothing more than poke his hand. The dark power prickling the pad of her finger forced its way inside him.

His mouth opened in a silent scream as pain scorched his nerve endings, punctured his organs, sawed through his bones, and battered his soul. He stumbled back and fell, knocking piles of paper down with him. And there were her keys. Grabbing them, she infused hellfire into them and – bracing herself for yet more pain – swung back her arm and slashed at the male behind her.

There was a cry of pain, and then his weight left her. Twisting, Harper spun to face the bastard, breaths sawing in and out of her. Stocky. Dirty blond hair. Scruffy beard. Leather jacket. He also had a saw in his hand that dripped with blood. Not good.

He was glaring at the sizzling slash across his chest as his skin blistered and peeled away, thanks to the hellfire eating at it. Her demon smiled at the sight. His gaze snapped to hers just as Harper tugged down the gag, and he lifted his saw threateningly.

Well, shit.

She thought about snatching the stiletto blade from her boot and infusing it with hellfire, but it was really no match for the saw, was it? Still, if she could touch him just once, he’d be a soul-deep wreck just like his friend. He shifted from foot to foot, and she knew he was preparing to charge at her. Her breathing quick and shallow, she braced herself. But he didn’t move.

Eyes cold, mouth set into a sneer, he spoke. “You burned me.”

Using the back of her trembling hand to wipe at the sweat beading her forehead, she snarled, “And you almost cut off my fucking wings.” She wanted to bludgeon the son of a bitch with his own weapon. But not before sawing off his arms and mangling him.

Her demon shoved its way to the surface and hissed at him. “I warned you that you would pay. You should have heeded me.” Harper forced her demon to retreat and abruptly lashed out with the blazing keys. He jerked back, but they still scored his cheek. His skin sizzled as the hellfire ate at it. Her demon grinned.

“You bitch!” He lifted his saw again, ready to attack.

KNOX!

With a battle cry, he lunged.

She sidestepped him, barely avoiding the saw. He crashed into her desk with a grunt, slashing at thin air and —

Fire thundered to life outside the office doorway. He whirled around to watch as the fire spat and crackled. The flames then faded, and there was Knox. Relief flooded Harper so fast, her legs shook.

Deep-set ebony eyes swept over her, and his perfectly sculpted face set into a mask of savage anger. Her attacker took a cautious step away as those dark eyes slammed on him with lethal intent, glittering with a fury that began to pulse around them.

Her attacker made a gurgling sound and dropped his bloody saw, clawing at an invisible hand that lifted him off his feet. Knox’s psychic hands had touched her more than once and always given her nothing but pleasure. That had made it so easy for her to forget that they could also deliver a shit load of pain.

Knox stalked to him. Slowly. Casually. Utterly composed. Yet, every step was both predatory and threatening. She shivered a little. It always spooked her when he was so unnaturally calm.