Part 10 (1/2)

”All Sems have one of three different abilities, all with a primary purpose of seducing or impregnating females.” Raze's voice deepened, as if talking about s.e.x triggered his incubus instincts, and Slake's body responded, his temperature jacking up, his c.o.c.k stirring. ”Some of us can get inside a female's head and trick them into thinking something is real or not real, but that same power can be used to repair the mind. Wraith can do that. His brother Shade can use his ability to affect bodily functions. He can trigger ovulation, for example. But when used for medical purposes, he can slow or speed up the heart, increase dopamine production to alleviate pain, s.h.i.+t like that.”

Huh. Slake had an innate ability to control certain weapons with his mind, but aside from killing sc.u.mbags who deserved to die, he couldn't think of anything positive that could come of his skill. ”So what can you do?”

”Eidolon and I share the same gift,” he said, his voice still pitched low and still having a devastating effect on Slake's libido. ”Mature Sems who have gone through the s'genesis use it to ensure that their sperm fertilizes an egg, but until we reach that stage, we can use our ability to repair damaged tissue.” His mouth quirked in a s.e.xy half smile. ”Of course, we can also use it to rip tissue apart. It's a handy weapon.”

”I noticed,” Slake said wryly, remembering the werewolf in the alley. ”It was awesome.”

Raze finally came around the coffee table and planted himself in the overstuffed green chair that matched precisely nothing in the room except a painted pole near Fayle's bedroom.

For a moment, a comfortable silence fell, but gradually, tension began to thicken the air between them. Slake had shared a secret that he'd never told anyone but Gunther, but there was still the matter of Fayle to discuss.

Raze deserved the truth. But just as he opened his mouth, Raze spoke.

”So what now?” Raze asked. ”I've never . . .” He trailed off, took a deep breath, and started again. ”I've never been in this situation before.”

”What kind of situation?”

”One where I want someone.” Raze's freckles stood out as his cheeks turned adorably red, but there was nothing innocent about the promise in his steady gaze. ”For more than, you know . . . just s.e.x.”

Ah d.a.m.n. Slake had never been one to get choked up, but the emotion and vulnerability in Rake's voice touched him.

And reminded him that he was a b.a.s.t.a.r.d who was about to crush Raze's world.

”I think,” Slake said softly, ”that before we go there, we need to talk about Fayle.”

”Fayle?” Raze went instantly guarded, his eyes narrowing. ”What about her?” he ground out. ”She's gone. And if Eidolon is right, I don't need a female as long as I'm with you.”

The thought of providing Raze with everything he needed made Slake s.h.i.+ver with desire. To be the one who kept him healthy and whole . . . he wanted that. Wanted it bad.

But that was just a fantasy. Even if they could get past Slake's involvement in her leaving, there was the fact that his soul was, even now, shriveling like jerky. If he survived what was known in some demonic circles as The Darkening, he could come out of it a different person. Every last drop of decency could be wrung from him. Raze deserved better than that.

Clenching his fists so hard his knuckles cracked, he wondered why he was stalling. Dragging this out wouldn't change anything, and he'd always jumped into things headfirst.

Just spit it out.

”Fayle took off because of me,” he blurted.

Raze snorted. ”Trust me, it wasn't you. She left because-” He went as still as the gargoyle statue staring at them from the bookcase on the far wall. ”Wait. She said to ask you why she was leaving.” An icy wariness glazed Raze's green eyes, and Slake felt his heart sink to his feet. He hated that he'd put it there, that he'd just crushed Rake's hope for some kind of future. ”She said someone was after her.” He leaned back in the chair, just a subtle s.h.i.+ft of his body, but Slake sensed an emotional withdrawal, as if Raze had thrown up a wall and was waiting for Slake to attempt a breach. ”What do you know about that? What have you been keeping from me?”

”I haven't been completely honest with you.” He locked gazes with Raze, determined to not take the easy way out of this. He'd face what he'd done head-on. ”Fayle was right. Someone was after her.”

”Tell me it wasn't you,” Raze ground out. ”Tell me.”

He wanted to tell him that. G.o.ds, he would give anything to tell him that. ”I can't,” Slake whispered. ”Because it was me all along.”

Raze could not have heard that right. No way. But as he sat across from Slake, wildly searching his expression for signs that he was s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g with him, the terrible truth hit him like a sucker punch.

It lurked right there in Slake's seductively dark eyes.

He sucked in a harsh breath and stared at Slake in disbelief. First Fayle, and now . . . this. Suddenly, it felt as if his world was crumbling. It hurt. G.o.ds, it felt like his chest was cracking wide open and his heart had been struck by one of Slake's sinispheres.

”Tell me what the f.u.c.k you're talking about,” he growled. ”Right. Now.”

Slake shoved to his feet and strode to the window, where he gazed out at the roof of the deli next door. ”We didn't meet by accident,” he said, and Raze felt a painful twisting in his gut. ”I came to Thirst to find Fayle.”

The twisting grew more fierce. ”Why?”

Slake's shoulders rose and fell with each breath, and maybe it was Raze's imagination, but his breathing seemed labored. Pained. Good. ”Remember when I said my job was to acquire things?”

Anger rose up, swift and hot. ”So you're saying that when you came out to the alley that first night, and when you came to me at the hospital the next day . . . all of that was to get to Fayle? You seduced me to get to her?” When Slake said nothing, Raze snarled, ”Look at me, d.a.m.n you!”

”No.” Slake wheeled around. ”I mean, yes, but-”

”But what?” Rage turned his blood to steam as he burst to his feet. ”You figured you'd get your prize and get laid at the same time?”

Memories pelted him, of all the times Fayle had begged him to move, but he'd ignored her. She'd finally felt the need to take drastic measures to get away, and all because of Slake. Oh, sure, she'd also lied to him about whatever this crazy bond was that she'd saddled him with, but right now, he didn't care about that. It was too much to think about, too much betrayal for one day. Plus, she wasn't here. Slake was, and he was going to take the full brunt of Raze's anger.

”You son of a b.i.t.c.h. She's gone because of you. I thought she'd betrayed me, but all along, it was you.”

The next few seconds were a blur of fury and the sound of Raze's fist meeting Slake's jaw. Slake staggered backward, slamming into the Kermit-green post Fayle had painted. Actually, she'd painted them all, and wouldn't it be fitting for Slake to get his face introduced to every one of them.

Raze took another swing, but Slake dodged it and settled into a defensive stance in front of the TV.

”Raze, listen to me.” He held up his hands in a nonthreatening gesture, as if that would placate Raze, but f.u.c.k that. The only thing that would placate Raze right now would be if the b.a.s.t.a.r.d bled more. ”Yeah, I was a s.h.i.+t. But Fayle was lying to you too.”

”Really.” Raze moved closer, eager to get going on the more-bleeding thing.

”Yeah, really.” Slake touched his mouth, came away with blood, which gave Raze a huge jolt of satisfaction. It was a start. ”She's a succubus-”

”I know that,” he ground out.

”But did you know her species is parasitic?” Slake backed up, but Raze matched him, step for step. ”They attach themselves to a host to draw energy from them. I think she attached herself to you.”

The red pole was next. Raze moved closer. ”I know that already. And right now I don't give a s.h.i.+t. I thought you wanted me. I thought we had . . . something. I freaked out, thinking I'd hurt you the other night, when all along you were planning to take Fayle. Why? To where? Were you going to kill her?”

As angry as Raze was at Fayle, he didn't want her dead. She'd violated him in a way that was unforgivable, but he also understood that for a lot of demons, going against their nature was nearly impossible. Instincts were powerful things, and the more inherently evil the demon, the less likely it was that they could ignore their basest urges.

”Kill her?” Slake bared his teeth in a vicious smile. ”I'd love to wring her neck for leaving you chained up like that. But no, I was instructed to bring her in alive and unharmed.”

”And you were going to do it by seducing me and kidnapping her. Nice.” He lunged, fisting Slake's jacket, and threw him against a pole. The red one. Blue was next. ”Why?” He slammed him against the pole again, and Slake grunted. His dark eyes clouded over with pain, but Raze was too far gone with anger to question why a little roughing up would hurt Slake so much. ”Tell me!”

Raze shook Slake hard, relis.h.i.+ng the echo of Slake's body hitting metal, relis.h.i.+ng the way sweat broke out on his skin. Raze had never been one to enjoy someone else's pain, but for the first time, it was as if the demon in him was truly emerging. As if he'd let go of the humanity his parents had instilled in him and was going full monster. Shame niggled at the back of his mind, but he ruthlessly shoved it away.

”Tell me why,” he rasped in a voice so thick with anger and hate and h.e.l.l that he barely recognized it as his own.

”Because,” Slake said, his eyes going flat, as if a spark had been snuffed, ”if I didn't do it, I'd lose my soul.”