Authors: Cindi Madsen
“Good, cause you are.” She glanced at Jax, over pacing the sidelines, and figured she couldn’t delay the inevitable much longer. “I’ll catch you later. Oh, and have Danielle call me.”
She left Dean and caught up with Jax. “If you value your vital organs, you’ll save the gloating till later. Or never.”
Jax threw up his hands. “I wasn’t going to say a thing.”
“It’s your fault anyway. You got me thinking about all these other things, and my head wasn’t in the game.”
She wanted him to argue, so she could argue back. Instead he stood there and took it, which made her madder because it only made her feel crappier.
Even as they drove home, Jax sat silently. Probably because he thought the Order could actually help. There was a time when the Order of Zeus was powerful, and the name truly meant something. As time went by—the whole dark ages thing had been over six centuries ago—people tended to relax. They lost faith, forgot their heritage, and decided to call history myths. Even back in the day, there were plenty of people who didn’t believe in the gods or know of demons’ existence.
The Order of Zeus was split into six groups. The Assembly, all talkers, not much doers. Clergy, made up of Shamans and Druids who kept records, made regular sacrifices to the gods, and provided spiritual guidance. Gatekeepers found weak spots where demons emerged and guarded them. Menders worked under Asclepius, the healing god, and learned medicine. Then there were Warriors, sort of like Zeus’s special forces. They were cocky, strong, and at least one of them was drool-over handsome.
And finally, Sentries, who originally guarded royalty, then branched out to keeping sacred objects safe, and somehow got called to take the dagger and protect it. Currently, there was exactly one left.
Which was why it was too dangerous to involve anyone else, even if they were of the Order. She’d learned the hard way that even the best of men could be turned if pushed far enough.
Persephone pulled up in front of her house and shut off the car. The ticking of the cooling engine echoed through the tense silence.
She twisted to face Jax. “I shouldn’t have taken my bad mood out on you. It’s been a sucky day, and I know you think the Order could help, but they can’t.”
“You can’t know that,” Jax said. “What’s the risk of trying?”
“More than we can afford.” With her demon side exerting itself more and more, the dagger was already at more risk than she was comfortable with. She couldn’t explain that to Jax, though. “The more people who know, the higher the risk the demons find out, even if people
think they’re being careful. Plus, I don’t exactly trust the Order as it is today. It’s not the same organization it used to be, and I refuse to leave my fate to them.”
“So we do nothing? No matter how bad your nightmares get, or how many demons are out walking the streets at night?”
Persephone shook her head. “No. We keep training so when the time comes, we’ll be able to take our fate into our own hands.”
Jax leaned back in his seat and exhaled. His eyebrows drew together and his lips pressed into a tight line. She was sure he was going to put up another argument, but after a couple seconds, he set his jaw and gave one sharp nod. “Okay. The dagger’s your charge, so I’ll let you make that call.”
She wanted to feel happy she’d convinced him to see things her way. But in the back of her mind, there was a nagging doubt, whispering she couldn’t keep fighting the demon side of herself forever.
Five training sessions with Jax, and Persephone was already seeing results. Tonight she’d pushed herself harder than ever. She felt strong and energized, yet pleasantly tired at the same time. All she wanted was to go home, take a shower, then curl up on the couch and spend a couple mindless hours watching TV.
Jax flipped off the lights to the martial arts studio and smiled at her. “Ready, Tiger?”
Of course getting lost in mindless TV was going to be difficult with Jax taking up half the couch. He’d be freshly showered, have damp hair, and smell all soapy-clean. Then she’d constantly be looking at him, and whenever he’d catch her eye he’d smile, her heart would go all fluttery, and she’d start thinking about things she shouldn’t be thinking about. Then the guilt would come. The cycle was getting old. Her mind needed a serious break, and she didn’t think it would get one until she got some space from the guy who wouldn’t give her any.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Jax asked. “Was it the tiger, because that was supposed to be funny, you know, since you’re a fierce fighter and all.” He draped his arm over her shoulders. “If you prefer to be called something else, all you have to do is tell me.” He turned up the wattage on his grin. “I can think of a few other things that have less to do with your fighting abilities, and more to do with how hot you are.”
Persephone shook her head. “You’re too much. I bet you have a string of girls lined up back home, just waiting for your return. But me” —she raised an eyebrow— “I don’t fall for cocky guys’ pick-up lines.”
Jax pushed open the studio door and the cool night air hit them. “Then what do you fall for?”
Five sets of red eyes shone through the dark. “Demons!”
Jax scrunched up his nose. “Demons?”
Persephone reached for the sword on her hip, glad they’d chosen to practice forms with their metal swords tonight.
Jax’s eyes widened. “Oh, like…” In one fluid movement, he whipped his sword from his belt, thumbing the switch that shot out the blade. He stepped in front of her. “I’ll take care of them. You stay back.”
“No way in hell is that happening,” she said, but Jax was already running at them. He stuck his sword into the chest of the one in front, kicked him down, and engaged another.
Two more came at him, making it one against three. The other broke right, coming at her.
Persephone gripped her sword and lifted it, ready to strike.
She lunged at the demon, swinging her blade down. The demon blocked her blow with the metal cuff on his wrist. She swung again and nicked his side.
He jumped back, holding his wound. “What are you doing? We came to get you, not fight you.”
“To get me?” Icy cold fingers gripped her heart. They knew about the dagger. She aimed her sword at his throat. “What do you mean, ‘get me?’”
“We’ve been looking for our queen.” He bowed. “For you.”
This needed to stop. She wanted it to be a nightmare, because then she’d wake up. But it wasn’t a nightmare this time. And as she looked at the demon, gnarled head bowed, she felt…obligated to him. To be the queen he wanted. Warmth filled her. She felt strong. More powerful than ever.
“Come with us, my queen,” the demon said. “It is time you join us.”
Her arm trembled and she lowered her sword. The intoxicating power wound through her, heating her veins, making her lightheaded.
She stumbled backward.
No. I’ve got to be strong. I’ve got to fight this.
Persephone jerked up her arm, aiming the point of her blade to the demon’s throat. “Whoever told you I was your queen is wrong.”
“You will join us. You’ll help us take this world.”
Persephone glanced at Jax. He’d slain another of the demons and was fighting the other two. He hacked at them with his sword, driving them backward.
The demon took advantage of her distraction, smacking her blade aside and lunging at her. Persephone dove, rolled to her knees, and got her sword up in the nick of time. She thrust the tip into the demon’s stomach as he leapt on top of her. Dark, almost black, blood ran down her blade. The hot liquid dripped onto her hands, the demon’s rancid breath hit her face.
The red light left his eyes, leaving his face all shadows. His body slackened, and his full weight came down on her, forcing her flat on the ground.
With a grunt, she pushed him off and scrambled to her feet.
“Tell me what’s going on!” Jax demanded, blade trained on the last demon. “Why are so many of you flocking here?”
Persephone stepped over the three other bloodied and dismembered bodies and rushed over to where Jax stood. The demon across from him was injured, dark blood covering his face and arms, his breath coming out in wheezing spurts.
With a flick of his wrist, Jax sliced off the demon’s ear. The creature shrieked, throwing a hand over where his ear had been. Black blood ran between his fingers. He turned his hate-filled eyes on Jax, baring his sharp teeth.
“What’s going on?” Jax moved his sword to the other ear. “I’ve got all night.”
The creature looked up at Persephone and recognition dawned across his features. Before he could call her his queen and she felt that awful pull, she plunged her sword into his heart.
The glow in his eyes dimmed as he took his last few breaths.
Jax put his hand on her shoulder, but she didn’t turn back. She could feel the heat behind her eyes. The red that had gone out of the demon’s was still in hers, fighting to take over.
“I appreciate your enthusiasm,” Jax said, “but I was keeping him alive on purpose. I wanted to get some answers before I killed him.”
“They’re just liars anyway. You can’t believe anything they say.” Persephone put her sword back in its scabbard and slowly backed away.
“You okay? No injuries or anything?”
Keeping her back to him, she worked to keep her voice firm. “I’m fine. Just glad they’re dead.” She glanced down at her shaking hands. Hands that had killed two of her most loyal subjects.
No, they weren’t my subjects. They were my enemies.
But as she looked around the now-quiet neighborhood, the strangest thought entered her head.
All of this could be mine.
Jax woke to a bone-chilling scream. He shot off the couch, pushing the button on his sword to release the blade, and ran down the hall.
Persephone charged out of the bathroom and he almost collided into her.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Spider. Big, disgusting one. In the shower.”
He lowered his sword and stared at her. The fuzziness of sleep faded, and now that he knew there wasn’t a demon in the house, he noticed Persephone was wearing a towel, her hair piled in a bun, with several strands spilling out, framing her face.
Damn, she looks sexy.
He smiled down at her. “So let me get this straight. You don’t scream when you see demons, but a little spider that you could easily squish, scares you.”
“He’s not little, and it’s not easy to squish it when it’s on the ceiling, higher than I can reach, and I don’t have any clothes on.”
His throat went dry.
She crossed her arms. “Are you going to go in there and kill it, or do I have to go get a shoe and do some crazy balancing act to try to reach it?”
“I’m kind of interested to see how option two goes.”
“And just when I thought there might be a benefit to living with you.” She spun on her heel and started for her room.
He reached out and caught her arm—her soft, bare arm. “I’m kidding. I’ll get it.”
“It’s in the right-hand corner of the shower.” She shuddered. “And it’s one of those really disgusting, furry ones.”
He retracted his blade and set it next to the sink. He spotted the spider—it was pretty big, he’d give her that—grabbed some toilet paper, and wadded it up.
Persephone gave a little squeal as he smashed the tissue into the spider. He hovered the tissue over the trashcan.