The Ravenous Dark, page 14
"I told you: I'm not interested."
The demoness's pout morphed to a sly smirk. "Don't be such a spoilsport, B. We can enjoy a game of Russian roulette or liar's dice."
"No, thanks," she said tightly. "My friends are expecting me."
"Let me guess, you're off to run and play with the Vranas?" The demoness's lackeys chuckled.
Behind her, a loud influx of voices careened down the staircase. Bailey tensed, knowing a swift getaway was no longer available.
"Something like that, yea." Bailey shifted back. Astrid slipped forward.
"That's no fun," she countered with a tsk. Bailey's body warmed despite herself at the sultry look Astrid wore. "Come and play with us instead."
Bailey swallowed, "I can't."
"You can." Astrid advanced again, stopping within arm's reach. Bailey stood her ground, knowing anything else would spell her doom. "Let's play hide-and-seek."
Heat ignited inside Bailey like an oncoming storm set to break and cast her in its gale. She lurched away. "I have plans."
"Yes, I know." Astrid cocked her head and pushed out her bottom lip further. "You were going off to run and play with the Vranas, but now… now you're going to run and play with me."
The curvy brunette sidled up to Astrid's side. She toyed with her blade between her fingertips, ignorant of the neat slices she was making in her skin or relishing in them. Bailey found it hard to tell with the psychotic grin she wore.
"Off you go." Astrid jerked her chin in the direction of the staircase. "We'll even give you a head start."
"Arh-woo," the male demon howled with menace.
Bailey stepped back until she hit the staircase banister. "You don't want to do this," she warned.
Astrid smiled. Her eyes trailed over Bailey with lecherous intent. "Oh, yes. I do."
Then Bailey did the one thing she knew she never should: run.
IX
Head starts, to Bailey's experience, lasted longer than five seconds. The demons pursuing her were under a different impression. She cursed as she hit the fifth subfloor's landing and tore down the connecting wide-mouthed hall at a sprint. The demons' footsteps thundered after her as she hung a tight right and then another.
"Move it." Bailey shouldered past a group of sorcerers dressed in jet-black robes, ignoring their indignant cries. A second volley of distress came from the sorcerers seconds later.
"Deres bheldaz!"
"Argh!"
Bailey chanced a glance behind her and ducked in time for a sizzling curse to shoot over her head. Her eyes widened in shock. The curvy demoness had been brought to her knees, even as Astrid ran on. She dug the heels of her hands against her eyes.
"Help me!" She cried out as the sorcerers happily converged on her.
Her comrades didn't stop. Neither did Bailey.
The she-wolf set her gaze ahead, a frantic pant crossing her lips as she pushed herself faster.
"You can't run forever!" Astrid called.
Oh yes, I can. Bailey's hand caught the corner of the next hallway and used it as an anchor to curve her momentum. By the grunts and curses that trailed after her, her pursuers failed to mimic the move. Bailey didn't know how much distance she put between them, but she hoped it was enough. Lungs burning and arms pumping at her side, Bailey whipped around another corner only to barrel into a body.
"Gods, watch it, will you? What the—Bailey?"
Casting a panicked look over her shoulder, Bailey shoved Ronan backward. "We have to go."
"What?"
She growled, "Now, Ronan." Her eyes alit on the half-open portrait behind Ronan. "Come on."
Ronan's eyes narrowed, but his protests died as his eyes flickered behind her in question. With a growl of his own, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the secret passage. Bailey closed the portrait behind them with a snap, her eyes adjusting to the dimly lit passage with ease.
"What the hell is going on?" Ronan seethed. Bailey slapped a hand over his mouth and pressed her ear to the portrait’s back.
"This way," she heard Astrid say, "I heard a door slam shut up ahead."
Bailey inhaled sharply as the stomp of feet raced onward. "We have to keep moving," Bailey insisted. She dropped her hand from his mouth and attempted to hurry on, but his grip only tightened on her wrist.
"What's. Going. On?"
"I'll explain as we go. Come on." Ronan released her reluctantly, his fingertips trailing over her wrist. A shiver raced up Bailey's spine at the fleeting touch before flying down the nearby stairs.
"Well?" he asked, not halfway down.
"I may have insulted a demoness earlier," Bailey admitted.
"What?" She winced at his tone, and her grip on the flimsy wooden railing constricted momentarily.
"In my defense, she was molesting me."
She looked back at him. Cast in shadows, Ronan's scowl was all the more ominous. He opened his mouth to reply, but the secret passageway's entrance opening echoed down the hall. Bailey's eyes widened.
"Go," Ronan whispered, his fingertips grazing her lower back before the she-wolf took off fast as ever. The lower passageway was lit by sconces made of crimson glass, tinting the meager light a reddish hue. "This way."
Bailey skidded to a stop as Ronan pushed at a bulging stone. The hidden door creaked open mournfully.
"Found her!"
Bailey's heart skipped a beat at the sound of the male demon's voice, but she was already halfway out the door. "Grab that podium," she barked at Ronan, gesturing to the decoration off to their right as she pushed the door shut. Ronan rushed to obey, knocking off the decorative vase from the podium before dragging it over. He dropped it in front of the door.
"Will that hold them?"
"No clue," Bailey muttered and stepped back from the door warily. "Let's not stick around to find out." Ronan nodded in agreement, and the two took off down the hall. They made it around the nearest corner when a shout of anger boomed from behind.
"This way." Ronan took the lead, veering left at the next split. "We can hide out in one of the courtier's rooms." Bailey made a noise of protest but didn't stop. "You try that side, and I'll try these."
It took seven attempts to find an unlocked door, and not a moment too soon. The demon's pursuit was dogged. They'd traced their steps with remarkable speed. Bailey closed and locked the door behind them with aching care so as not to give away their hiding spot.
She retreated with just as much caution, bumping into Ronan's chest as the sound of fists pounding on doors rattled outside and down the hall.
"Turn off the light," she whispered.
"It's too far away," he argued, glancing back to the far corner of the room where a floor lamp bathed half the room in warm light.
"Not that one," Bailey jerked her head to the light near the door. "That one."
A moment later, the room's entryway was cast into darkness. Ronan's hands wrapped around Bailey’s upper arms, steering her back as the demon's search edged closer to them.
"You can't hide from me, little wolf," Astrid sang. The hair on Bailey's nape rose. They were closer. "Come out, come out wherever you are!"
A high-pitched giggle followed her sinister announcement. Bailey shivered; her nerves were reluctant to calm even as Ronan's hands passed soothingly up and down her arms. She leaned into the touch finding solace in the safety his hands offered, even as her nerves remained on high alert.
The doorknob rattled. Bailey's breath caught.
"Are you in there, little wolf?" A fist banged against the door with excessive force, and then all was silent. Demons possessed a modicum of supernatural strength and speed. Bailey prayed they didn't possess supernatural hearing too. Her heartbeat was almost deafening.
"How long do you think they'll look?" Ronan asked quietly after the silent moment stretched on.
Bailey didn't answer until their rowdy search could be heard distantly. "I have no idea." She shrugged.
Ronan's hands fell away as he stepped deeper into the room. Bailey watched him for a moment, unmoving; then her hands rose on their own accord to clasp her arms in a poor imitation of Ronan’s comforting hold. She trailed after him silently.
The private quarters they'd invaded were a simple affair. The furniture was tidy but secondhand, with sunken cushions and an unnecessary amount of throw pillows. An obscene number of decanters filled with blood lined several shelves near the standing lamp. Below them was a stash of alcohol. Based on the empty, red-stained glasses sitting on the adjacent table for two, it was clear which one the inhabitants preferred.
Bailey ran a hand over the ivy-colored couch. The fabric was fine and lightly pilled.
"I wouldn't touch anything if I were you."
Bailey frowned and pulled her hand back. "Why not?"
"The room was unlocked, but that doesn't mean it's not warded against uninvited guests in some way. One thing out of place could set off a protection spell." He kept his arms folded behind his back as he continued his casual observation. "Tell me something, does trouble follow you everywhere?"
Bailey flushed and eyed the strict line of his spine. "Apparently. Why? Are you looking for trouble?"
Ronan scoffed and tossed a frown her way. "No. I've got enough on my plate as it is without adding your brand of mischief to it." The rosy hue on her cheeks flared at his dismissive tone. Bailey wrapped her arms around her middle, wincing slightly as she rubbed her wound.
"And what is on your plate exactly? You never actually said." Ronan stiffened but did not comment. Bailey tread closer. "It wouldn't have anything to do with why you're avoiding me, would it?"
"I haven't been avoiding you," he snapped. A crash sounded from the hall followed by a cackle. They ignored it, voices rising slowly but surely. "I've been busy, all right?"
"Busy with what?" Exasperation stained every vowel and consonant.
Ronan shot her a look of warning, and a terse silence enveloped them. Gleeful threats intermingled with the ambient noise of destruction outside, drifting farther and farther away. It barely registered as the two stood in a standoff.
Bailey's body was strung tight, ready to attack.
And by the looks of Ronan… he was wound just as tightly, if not more so. Then he sighed as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. He glanced to the door, lips pressing together minutely as his throat bobbed. Bailey didn’t know what to make of the tired concern that briefly stole over his expression. Ronan took a deep breath that seemed to settle him.
"It's… private." Bailey frowned at the weak answer. Ronan cleared his throat, averting his gaze momentarily as he stood straighter before meeting her regard. "Why was a demoness molesting you?"
Bailey flushed at the sudden infusion of condescension in his tone. She opened and closed her mouth in search of a response until finally, she hardened her gaze in challenge. "Because she found me attractive… unlike some people."
They ushered into a tense silence. A moment later, the doorknob rattled again. They stilled, muscles and joints locking into place.
"We already tried that door," the gruff voice of the male demon said.
"And now we're trying it again." Bailey shivered at the chill in Astrid's voice. "That bitch is going to pay for the way she disrespected me."
Ronan moved forward on silent feet, putting himself between Bailey and the door as it shook again. An engaged noise sounded from the other side of the door, but then the shaking stopped.
Bailey’s skin prickled with unease as she inhaled and exhaled in measured counts. Her gaze darted between Ronan and the door. A new shiver danced up her spine. There was magic afoot, but she couldn't place what it was. Maybe we set off a ward?
The lone lamp flickered.
Ronan spun slowly to face Bailey. Wariness etched itself around the lines of his eyes.
"Do you think—" Ronan shushed her.
An air of suspense built around them as the lamp's light stabilized and the noise from the hall grew eerily silent.
"Ronan?"
He stared straight through her, gaze distant. Bailey tried to read the emotions sifting behind his eyes, but they were too fast. She rested a hand on his chest.
"Something isn't right." His gray eyes grew stormy.
The unsettling comment made Bailey swallow. "It's just the full moon," she reasoned, shuffling closer unconsciously because he was right, whether she admitted it aloud or not. Something was very very wrong. Is the room getting warmer? Why is he looking at me like that? She wet her lips. "It, uh—it never fails to bring out the wild side of the court."
"And is that how you feel on the full moon?" His question tread into dangerous territory as his gaze followed the swipe of her tongue. "Wild?"
Bailey sucked in a ragged breath as his hand landed on her hip and then rode up a few inches to settle on her waist. A wave of longing sucker-punched her. It's definitely hotter in here.
"No, it…" The urge to cast her sights to the floor or off to the side clashed with the desire to keep their connection going, whatever their connection was. It made her feel oddly vulnerable. No one had ever asked her what her experience was like. "It makes me feel free. Like I can do anything or be anyone. It makes me feel powerful."
Ronan didn't say a word, but it was clear her words resonated with him. How could they not when he'd so recently admitted to feeling powerless?
His thumb coasted over her side, back and forth and back and forth, as he contemplated what she'd said. Bailey withstood his intense regard, but with each pass of his thumb he stoked a dangerous fire that urged her to act.
The light flickered again.
"What about you?"
Ronan's head cocked minutely to the side. "It makes me feel reckless."
Reckless? Him? That was a word she'd never ascribe to Ronan. He was always in command of himself. Each move he made was calculated to place him and his family in the best position possible in court. But who was she to say what the full moon could inspire in him?
Wild, reckless, powerful—each feeling was valid.
A hypnotic charge simmered between them. Bailey slipped forward another step despite herself, closing the distance between them even more. Her hand, still on his chest, inched higher toward his heart.
And his soulmark.
Bailey's mouth dried abruptly. That wasn't part of her plan.
Ronan always turned skittish when things veered too close to their cosmic connection. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as she stopped her hand short of its ultimate destination.
This was the moment where everything could change between them, but that didn't mean it was the right moment.
Patience, she reminded herself as a tremble stumbled through her body. Her hand flopped down between them, and Bailey broke their eye contact. "I have to go," she breathed.
Ronan's light caress halted, but she didn't dare meet his eyes. Her entire resolve would crumble at their feet if she did.
"Where? The demons are probably still out there."
"I'm late meeting Irina and the others for our run. She might come looking for me, and I'd rather that didn't happen." Her throat tightened as she expelled her next sentence. "And I don't think you want that either."
Bailey rocked back, intent on removing herself from his tentative hold, but Ronan had other plans. He squeezed her waist, halting her movement. Bailey shut her eyes.
"Don't go."
The charge between them surged. She didn't want to go, but she couldn't knock the little voice at the back of her head adamantly pleading with her to do just that. Remember the plan. Patience conquers; it played on repeat.
Bailey clenched her hands until the urge to stay and adopt Ronan's reckless attitude waned. She opened her eyes.
A small smile wobbled onto her lips. "We can't stay here all night." A brittle laugh followed up her weak charade of passivity. "Whoever lives here is bound to show up eventually, and then we'll be kicked out regardless."
Ronan's smolder faltered as Bailey edged out of his hold. The seconds ticked by as she waited for another protest or his acquiescence, but she received neither.
"I'll see you around." Bailey kept her words soft as she stepped around him and made her way to the door. "Maybe we can meet up soon and share what we've found to help Stella?"
Bailey paused at the closed door. There was no noticeable noise from outside, and Ronan—
"What you said before, about certain individuals finding you attractive and others not." A lump formed in Bailey's throat. Her hand stalled above the doorknob. "I'm not one of the others, Bailey. I find you… incredibly attractive."
Dizziness struck Bailey as she processed his husky admission and stilled as her superior hearing picked up his quiet approach.
"You have no idea the power you have over me," he confessed. Bailey gasped as his hand smoothed her hair over her shoulder and kissed the side of her neck.
"What are you doing?"
Hot breath bathed her sensitive skin, and a flurry of sparks ignited in her belly.
"Being reckless."
His tongue darted out to taste her. Bailey's head dropped back as she drew in a ragged breath.
She peered back at him as much as she could. Ronan met her gaze unflinchingly, his own eyes dilated and lips parted. He inhaled deeply through his nose. His focus on her was absolute.
"I can't get you out of my head. All I can think about is keeping you safe. All I can think about is…"
"Ronan?"
The breathless quality of her voice splintered the taut energy amassed around them, but not in the way she anticipated. Ronan released a growl and smashed his lips over hers. Bailey's momentary alarm was swallowed as his mouth moved over hers possessively… and then she surrendered.
She spun to face him fully, and he immediately took advantage, flattening her against the door with his body. His hands were everywhere; tangling themselves in her hair, skimming over her sides beneath her jacket; teasing the undersides of her breasts.
He was driving her absolutely mad.
Bailey's thoughts raced by her. She was unable to comprehend what was happening or why. What changed? Why now?
