She tugs a gleaming figure into the light. Firefairy, slim and pretty, flame dripping like sunlight off its wings. Baffled glaze in its eyes.

Indra smiles hopefully.

Akash frowns. "I've got one. Do better."

Indra slips her little hand in his, grating his broken arm, stopping him from turning away. "But he showed me. I understand now. I want to please you." Her faces shines up at him, glowing with hope.

Her lips are bruised and bitten. Her face flushed. Faint teethmarks on her throat. The smell of charcoal spoiling her honey.

Jealousy stabs harder than the pain. She's touched the thing. Kissed it. Let it touch her. Had it inside her body like a dirty human.

Rich anger spikes Akash's blood like a drug. She's ruined. Rotten. Poisoned. Just like everything else in this h.e.l.lburnt city. He knows what to do with poison. Oh, yes.

Tenderly, he fingers her wounded neck. "Thank you, Indra. Now we must find the yellow girl's mirror."

She beams up at him, and nausea slides cold in his stomach. But he knows what must be done.

He kisses her cheek, but her taste is pale, faded. Dirty. Not like home. She tries to kiss him back, but he averts his face. "It's time for you to go now."

"Home?" She brightens, pleased.

"Not home."

Her face drains. "No. Please, Akash, not that."

"Yes, Indra." He fondles her hair for a moment. She meant something once. But she's a resource. He must use her.

Her lips tremble. "Wait, Akash. Let me-"

He wraps his fingers around her throat and squeezes.

She chokes, her eyes goggling, and he slams his mouth onto hers and swallows. Rich, smooth, helpless, the candy taste of blood.

All too soon, it's done. He lets her lifeless body drop. Her energy flows inside him, sparking his muscles afresh. He flexes, and with an electric snap, his broken arm heals. His nose squelches back into shape. His split lips knit smooth. The scratches on his ink fade and sink back into smooth skin.

He sc.r.a.pes back bloodstained hair and laughs, rich with flame and warm banshee music.

The firefairy stares, its mouth dropping open. "Holy s.h.i.t. Whatever she did, it wasn't with me, okay?"

Akash eyes it, uninterested. He should just crush it. It makes no sense, and it ruined Indra. And he's already got one, already stolen its flames. But a worm of warm desire coils in his blood. It's nice to look at. Maybe he could play with it. Fight with it. Maybe it can teach him. He walks up to it. "You're very pretty."

"Well, thanks, darlin'. You're . . . umm . . . kinda interesting yourself." The thing licks its red-stained lips, a golden flicker of interest over unease in its eyes.

Intriguing. Akash lifts its chin with a speculative finger, curiosity aching his flesh. "It doesn't . . . pain you that I drank her?"

A bold black stare, encouraging. "That's your business. Look, I like your style, Akash. I saw you stirring s.h.i.t up at the club. I don't know what you're up to, but I want in."

It knows his name. Fascinating. "Why?"

"Damage. Breaking things. Cool stuff like that. What I see, you're the champion." Inviting flames finger its pretty red hair.

Smug warmth coats Akash's blood. Flattery. Pleasant. He leans closer, sniffs the thing's mouth for scent. Fire, ash, a hint of Indra's lost honey, an earthy taste, not h.e.l.lish but exciting. Delicious. His body reacts, stormlike, a careless blood rush. He shouldn't get distracted like this, but it feels good. "No. It's not possible."

It bites its lip, sultry. "You mentioned a yellow girl's mirror. I can help you, if you'll let me go."

Even more interesting. Akash licks its cheek, and sweet cherry blood pleasures his tongue. "How?"

"I know her. I can take you to it. Or bring it to you."

He brings it nearer, and its body feels tight and feverish, warming his newly healed skin. He wants to play with it, make it talk, learn its secrets. Akash grips its throat, holding it away. "Later. First, show me what you did."

22.

Blackness engulfed us. My footsteps thudded unevenly as I scrambled to keep up with Indigo's loping insect strides. He tugged me behind him as we ran in darkness, enveloped in shimmering static. "Closer," he panted. "Glamour. They can't see."

Shapes loomed out of the gloom, and I swerved, stumbling. He yanked my wrist, dragging me along. My temper flared with the breath searing my lungs, and I forced out a ragged whisper. "I can't f.u.c.king see, okay? It's pitch-black in here!"

"Shh. Metal. I can see just fine. Duck."

A broken steel girder flashed by above my head, and we were out.

Moonlight scattered on black pavement littered with broken gla.s.s. High alley walls on either side, shadows lurching. Behind us, Akash's warehouse loomed, tall and gray, broken windows glinting as clouds scudded away from the moon. Lightning split the sky, chased a second later by growling thunder. The air stank of imminent rain, humidity thick and metallic on my skin. Normally I loved storms. But now the smell recalled touching Indigo, and I felt sick.

We rounded the corner under a flickering yellow streetlight. Cars growled past, raindrops splashing dusty on their paint. Neon signs glowed in rainbows, cafes and takeaways and p.a.w.nbrokers. Civilization. Good.

"Let me go, okay?" I yanked my hand free. Awareness still p.r.i.c.kled electric along my fingers, and I propped on my knees to catch my breath and tried to ignore it. Sweat dripped down my elbows, and water trickled onto my shoulders from my stress-sodden hair. I scowled at him, and sorrow wore my voice thin. "You've got your mirror. You can go now. Off you flutter, back to your s.k.a.n.ky demon mistress. I'm sure she'll show you a good time."

But he'd already backed me up against a window.

My pulse swelled, treacherous, and my aching body sparked at his touch. I trembled, furious. "What are you doing?"

His hair flashed jagged in lightning silhouette. His eyes glowed violet. He pressed his body against mine, curving his wings to shield me, his hot fingers alive in my hair. Lightning stabbed again, closer, and static cracked alight on his dark skin in sympathy. Electricity crawled over his wings like tiny green fairylights.

He bruised my face with kisses, his lips hot and urgent on my cheeks, my forehead, my eyelids. "Lady Ice. My precious queen. You okay? He hurt you? Christ, I hope Joey kicks the living c.r.a.p outta him. And then dies a horrible spiky death. Both of them, I mean. G.o.d, I can't talk, let me just . . ." And he captured my mouth with his, and every angry, indignant, bitter word I wanted to scream at him dissolved like icicles in the sun.

His lips melted with mine like warm metal, and desire rippled down my spine, pleasure knifing deep and swift like a poisoned dagger.

I fought it; yes, I did. My common sense squirmed like a chopped rat. I didn't want him. I couldn't.

But G.o.d, his mouth felt so good on mine. So slick and warm, so perfect. And his lean body next to mine, so rich and fragrant, it sprang my every nerve alive. Tiny raindrops spattered on my face, the tinkle of rain dull in my ears beneath our twin heartbeats. I couldn't think. I couldn't resist. I just plastered wet palms against the gla.s.s and kissed him back.

No fair.

His kiss tortured me, deep, hard, desperate. I sighed into him, heat dripping down to fill my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, harden my nipples, make my belly and my s.e.x ache. He held my chin with gentle fingers and eased my mouth open farther, and I drew his long curled tongue onto mine and reveled in the dark metal taste of him, the slick tartness of his mouth, the sharp steely edges of his teeth.

He murmured darkly and obliged me, claiming my mouth with his tongue, letting my taste slide over him. A deep shiver spread inside me, filling me like steaming water. When Akash opened me like that, I wanted to spew. Now I wanted to swallow, consume him, make this beautiful fairy mine forever. Forget that he'd deceived me and lie down under him, peel his clothes away, give him everything.

But he had deceived me. My mind raced, rebelled, fought, even as my body reacted with fierce desire to his caress. My hands lost themselves on his chest, palming his curving metal shapes, sliding around to his back, the curve of his shoulder, the smooth chill of his wings. He groaned into my mouth and pushed closer. Not subtle, this time, not slow or careful but ravaging, hungry, crushing his hard thighs into mine, his trembling c.o.c.k into my hip. He slid one hand down over my breast, squeezing me, searching with hungry claws for my nipple.

I didn't want him touching my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. He'd lied to me. But he found my aching nipple and twisted, and pleasure stabbed deep. He'd used me. I didn't want this. My claws ripped into his shoulders, my hands wrenching with need. Moisture flooded me, so abrupt my muscles hurt and my skin stretched painfully. Rain and water ran down the gla.s.s to soak my back, my wings, my clothes. My s.e.x swelled too tight, too hard. My hands itched to make him feel the same. I wanted to caress those hard fae muscles, trace my claws along the ridges, slide my fingers along his c.o.c.k and make him shiver.

And I wanted to rake my claws down his face and scream at him for betraying me.

He nudged my chin upward and trailed burning kisses down my neck, his teeth lingering lovingly on my collarbone. I shivered, swallowing a desperate groan of pleasure and need. d.a.m.n it. Only he did this to me. Only he could make me want so hard when I wanted not to so much.

Anger swilled acid into my desire, and I jammed my palms against his tempting hips-oh, G.o.d, how I wanted to drop to my knees and suck those slender bones into my mouth, rip his clothes away and slide his c.o.c.k deep into my throat and swallow him-I sank fury-tense claws into his hips and shoved him away.

His mouth slipped from my skin, his gasp a soft accusation. I wanted to tear my hair, smash the gla.s.s, sc.r.a.pe my claws on the concrete. I'd never kiss him like that again, and it relieved me and terrified me at the same time.

He stared, his taut lips shining, jagged blackmetal hair falling wild in his glowing eyes. His static-bright wings quivered. His chest heaved, coppery sweat staining his black shirt, a tempting flash of skin showing where I'd torn the cloth. He blinked at me, confusion shadowing his eyes, and pressed the back of his hand to his lips, shaking his head like he was lost.

Switch. Just like at Quang's. Like he flicked over from someplace else.

Is he sparkled up, or what? Who was I just talking to? Who just kissed me like he meant the living h.e.l.l out of it? And where was that fairy now? d.a.m.n metalfae. Crazy as a snake missing its a.s.s.

He touched his lips again, caressing the wetness I'd left there. "Ice? Where are we? What just happened?"

"You're such an a.s.shole, you know that?" I yanked my top straight where our unexpected pa.s.sion had tugged it awry. The cotton glued to my damp skin, the friction an unwelcome distraction. My b.r.e.a.s.t.s still hurt, my nipples demanding his touch, his mouth. My wings strained for contact, shared flight, the rasp of silver. My s.e.x still flowed with slick moisture, glands aching under pressure. My flesh was swollen, my most tender parts pressing against each other uncomfortably. Every movement was a torture, and staring from two feet away at this beautiful copper-and-midnight fairy boy with my spit on his lips didn't help. Scrunched-up hair, wet shirt sticking to his rippled fae chest, silver wings afire with electric l.u.s.t. My pulse throbbed. G.o.d, he looked s.e.xy. Whoever the h.e.l.l he was.

He reached out to touch me, but I waved my arm to ward him off, and he clenched his fist and pulled it away, his forearm muscles tense. "Please. Humor me. I'm . . . My memory's not so good these days. What happened?"

I folded my arms, trying to tear my gaze away, but it kept bouncing back on invisible rubber bands. "Don't pull this moody trick on me again, okay? It isn't funny."

"No, it isn't. We got the mirror, right?"

"Oh, so you don't remember frightening the c.r.a.p out of me in that warehouse? Strangling that girl half to death?"

A flush tainted his dark cheeks silver. "Okay. And the shiny-?"

"It's in your back pocket! What the h.e.l.l's wrong with you?"

"Nothing. It's okay. You have to go. Now." He scrabbled the mirror from his pocket and pressed it into my hands. "Take it. Leave. Before it's too late."

"What? No! Indigo, what's going on?" I backed off along the window, frustration searing my nerves to crisps. "Why'd you kiss me, if you're just gonna push me away?"

He released his breath in a rush, his firedark gaze intent on mine. Coppery sweat slicked his cheeks. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, okay? Just get out of here before he comes back. There's not much time." He grabbed my hand and wrapped my fingers around the steel, forcing my grip tight. "Take it. Go to Kane. Get your cure and don't come back."

The metal stung cold and lonely in my palm, but it soothed compared with the empty chill in my heart. "No way. I don't buy it. What's really going on? Why'd you spend all this time hunting for this thing and half getting yourself killed about a dozen times because of me, just to hand it over? And what about the demon b.i.t.c.h? What did she promise you? Money? Power? Or just the f.u.c.king fun of it?" Cold fury ripped my voice to shreds. I shoved away from the window, resentment seething in my blood along with embarra.s.sment that I'd let him kiss me like that, responded like that when I knew he'd betrayed me. I couldn't believe I'd fallen for his sweet tricks. He'd used me, and now he pretended none of it mattered.

He sighed, exasperation sparking scarlet on his breath. "Don't be like that. You're not the only one who gets threatened around here, okay? I'll get away from her somehow."

Disbelief nailed my lungs tight. He wasn't tricking me for kicks? "She's chasing you? Like, you'll go to h.e.l.l?"

"I don't care about that. I care about you. Get out of here."

My heart juddered. The wind rose, swirling cool raindrops onto my burning face, and thunder clashed like iron. My nerves exalted, mirrortoxic excitement flooding my veins. My nose sparkled, and I slapped my wings together to stop them fluttering. "You what?"

He eyed me steadily, hair ruffling in ozone-fresh breeze. "It's yours. Take it. I don't want it anymore."

Horror chewed at my skin like hungry ants. He'd chance a demon's wrath for me. So I could be cured, of a glorious blood-burning madness that half the time I wasn't sure I didn't want anyway.

He'd go to h.e.l.l for my cowardice.

Helpless admiration washed warm currents over my heart. That was so romantic.

And so maddening, I could punch his fine-angled midnight face. I shook my head and thrust the mirror out to him, straining my arm so he'd take it. "Oh, no, you don't. I'm not sending you to h.e.l.l so I can feel good about myself. That's not fair."

"And I'm not letting you die for my bad decisions." His breath struggled, his eyes wild like he fought inside with some unseen beast, but he wouldn't drop his gaze. Wouldn't take the d.a.m.n mirror from my hand. I shook it, terror rippling my muscles, but he wouldn't move.

I wanted to roll on the ground and kick my legs and scream. I wanted to grab him and run, anywhere we could hide and pretend this wasn't happening. I stuck my hand on my hip, trying to look p.i.s.sed off and in control, but my voice trembled around a stupid lump in my throat. My eyes watered. I wiped them roughly, streaking my face. d.a.m.n it. d.a.m.n it. "Like you care what I want. You just don't want it to be your fault." "Like you care what I want. You just don't want it to be your fault."

Blue lightning arced from his wing tips to spike the wet ground, and hissing steam whipped away in the rising wind. His eyes flashed a dangerous violet, lashes sparking. "I never want it to be my fault again."

"What do you mean?"

His gaze slipped. "Doesn't matter."

I jumped up and down, frustration jerking my calves, my skirt flopping. "It does matter! You can't just lay that out there and then clam up. That is so your problem, you know that? All that strong and silent s.h.i.t really f.u.c.ks you up."

He closed his eyes and sighed, slow and weary. "Fine."

"Yeah, fine. Go ahead. Shut me out ag-"

"Wanna hear the story or not?" His jaw tensed, tendons sharp, and his teeth made a little metal shriek.

Truth at last? I swallowed, nerves tingling. "Oh. Okay. Sure. Go ahead."

He slumped against the gla.s.s beside me and rubbed his eyes with thumb and forefinger, coppery lashes springing. "I knew someone once. A human woman, Natasha. I loved her so much, it hurt my eyes to look at her. We roamed together. We thieved together, and one night she . . . We were climbing from a pit, running away, and she couldn't fly. She fell, and I didn't catch her." Silver tears slipped onto his cheeks, scattered by raindrops.

My heart squeezed tight, and tears stung my eyeb.a.l.l.s. I tried to imagine how I'd feel if Blaze or Azure died in front of me. If Sonny had shot Indigo while I stood there. "I'm sure it wasn't your f-"

"I tried, but . . . I was angry with her, you see. She'd pretended to love me so I'd help her to the treasure." He raked his wet hair flat and ruffled it again, frustrated. "The mirror, Ice, okay? We were stealing the mirror from Kane's temple in h.e.l.l, all spiketraps and burning pits and trip wires like it is, and when we got there, she . . . Well, she'd meant to trick me all along. She trapped me there for Kane to find so she could have the mirror for herself. She broke my heart and I hated her for it. I . . . I don't remember the things I hissed at her, but they were awful. If I'd just let her leave me, she'd have been safe. But I had to fight with her, didn't I, I had to scream insults at her, and Kane found us both. We . . . I broke the chains and fled, and she followed me, it was steep and rocky and without wings she couldn't climb fast enough. She begged me to help her. . . ." Indigo squeezed his eyes shut, wetness filling his lashes.

I swallowed. "It's okay-"

"No, it isn't, Ice. I was so angry with her for lying to me. I shoved her away and she . . . she fell. I tried to catch her. I really did. I held on so tight. But my fingers were b.l.o.o.d.y, and . . . and her little hand was so small. I couldn't hold her. She died because of me, Ice. I can't let you die because of me, too. They're my consequences. I won't let you suffer them."

Icy shards ripped deep into my heart. Jesus. No wonder he was so afraid of girls. Of liking a girl. Was that why he'd acted like such an ice-walled p.r.i.c.k for so long? Because he feared he might like me?

I'd finally gotten him to admit it, and now one of us had to die?

I slid timid fingers onto his arm, but gently he brushed them away.