Salt water burned my throat.

I gulped, and swallowed, searching for more. Warm ocean water streamed over my lips, soothing my face, my skin, my stinging wings. Energy tingled under my skin. Hands caressed my hair. I rolled, and sand plastered my legs. Warm waves lapped over me, the smell of salt and seaweed refreshing in my tired lungs. Distant, weary bliss.

Tender fingers peeled sodden hair from my face. "Ice, wake up."

My heart glowed, and I opened my eyes. Stars jeweled a purple velvet sky, dimming toward the horizon. A seagull wheeled overhead. Salt stung my eyelids. Waves lapped on a midnight stretch of beach, the setting moon painting a bright ribbon across the water.

I blinked, and a dark blue shadow blotted out the sky. His jagged hair dripped, blood and water streaking his chest. He cradled my head on his lap, electric blue waves splashing over his thighs, and he closed glowing red eyes in a sigh of bitter relief. "You're here."

"Yeah. So are you." Salt roughened my voice. I reached up to touch his face, and metal clunked on my wristbones. The broken handcuffs, still tight.

"Let me get that." He traced a sparking claw over the steel, and it hissed and fell apart, ends glowing white. I offered my other hand, and he did the same. His fingers brushed over my wrist, so careful, my tears swelled, and I tried to slide my hand into his, but he pulled away and eased me gently upright, his gaze averted. "Your friends are here. You should go with them."

I sat up. On the sand, Blaze crouched in a dim fiery glow, Azure's sleepy head on his shoulder. Charming little rat. Maybe one day, she'd forgive me, too. I waved, and Blaze waved back in a faint rain of sparks. Beyond the beach above a rock retaining wall, cars slipped by, their headlights sc.r.a.ping faint scrawls in the sea mist. The air swirled in lonely sea breeze, and my heart filled with sorrow. "But what about you?"

Indigo fluttered wearily to his feet on rust-spotted wings. His wet shirt was burned and torn, dark blue skin showing where the cloth plastered to his chest, hinting at curves of muscles, narrow fairy ribs, the dark edge of a nipple. And those tight, dripping jeans . . .

My skin heated. I always made him wet, rain or ocean or the fluid from my body when we loved.

It was a really good look.

But he twisted sparking fingers together, tense, and I knew what he'd say before he opened his mouth.

He sighed, sorrow glowing green in his eyes, and said it: "This can't go anywhere, Ice. You and me."

"But . . . But Ebony's gone. And I'm better. Why can't we-?" My voice strangled, weak. I'd said I loved him. He'd said the same. Would we let that wash away?

"It's just not possible."

I fluttered onto my knees in the warm wet sand, flowing water refreshing my skin, feeding my energy. Even my scorched skin felt healthy and plump with moisture. "There's no impossible. You said that yourself."

But he hadn't. Ebony had. I waited for him to correct me, to deny that anything had changed.

"Yes, I did. I also killed. I also got you hurt. I can't-"

"Oh, you are so d.a.m.n selfish, you know that?" The words flung out before my brain could reel them in. My pulse thudded, that old exhilaration flowing back. The mirrorbeast might be dead, but my courage hadn't faded.

Unwilling, a smile plastered across my lips. Maybe I'd always been brave, and just hadn't known it.

Indigo stared at me, bewilderment twitching salty drops from his wings. "What do you mean?"

All my frustration and pent-up desire came rushing in like breakers. "Did you see anyone throwing me into the air in front of that mirror? No, I bet you didn't. That was my choice. And how about when we made love, huh? See anyone holding a pistol to my poor helpless little head? Don't think so. That was my choice, too. Fairy wings don't mean I don't have a brain. You don't make me hurt myself, Indigo. I do that on my own. Sure, I understand your girlfriend died and broke your heart. Christ, it makes me want to cry and I wasn't even there. That doesn't make you responsible for her mistakes. And yeah, Ebony killed people. But you weren't there. You didn't do it. Not every f.u.c.king thing is your fault, okay?"

I sucked in a breath and held it, waiting for him to scowl scarlet at me and turn away.

But he swallowed, a salty shimmer on his coppery lashes, and shook his dripping head. "You're wrong. It doesn't work that way. Tonight proves that. I'll only ever hurt you."

Waves sloshed around my hips, the tide coming in. I splashed up and down, infuriated. Stubborn, deafhead boy. "Do I look like a child to you? Now isn't the time for your emo think-it-to-death blame-yourself-for-everything bulls.h.i.t. Snap out of it. I'm here. I'm asking. Do you want me or not?"

My stomach lurched. I felt like stuffing the words back into my mouth. A yes-or-no question had only one easy answer.

But he dropped to his knees in breaking waves and pressed my hand over his heartbeat. My palm tingled, his skin like warm velvet over iron, his pulse light and swift and mingling with mine. "Yes, Ice. I meant it."

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "Then I want in. I've been a s.h.i.t magnet all my life. If you can make it worse, I'll be surprised."

His pulse quickened under my palm, but his eyes stayed guarded. He slid his hands over my shoulders and shook me gently, like he didn't think I understood. "Ebony, he . . . it's my fault. I shut him away so tight that killing was the only way he . . . the only way I could feel alive. Connected. Just because he's gone doesn't mean I didn't-"

I stopped him with shaking fingers on his lips. "I get it, okay? You have to forgive yourself, Indigo. Everyone's got a dark half. But it's meant to be deep inside, where you can control it. Ebony was never supposed to be out on his own, without the good parts to hold him back. But he's back where he belongs now."

He swallowed. "Can you be sure?"

It sounded weird, talking about him like that. Scary to think that my crazy half was still cackling inside me somewhere, scratching to be free. But it had always been there. The mirror just dragged it screaming into the light. Ebony had always been there, too. That didn't make either of us evil.

Faith warmed my heart, and I stilled his restless hands under mine. His skin sparkled with static at the contact. "I'm sure. And so should you be."

Slowly, he pulled me up onto my knees. The water came up to my hips, playing with my skirt, bathing me in rushing salty warmth. "You know I steal things from bad people. Demons chase me. I get my a.s.s kicked a lot."

"And you d.a.m.n well better let me come along next time. No way are you keeping all the fun to yourself." Patching him up after an a.s.s-kicking sounded delicious to me. A smile crept over my lips. I wanted to fold him in my arms and kiss him senseless. But I needed him to come to me.

He took my hand, tracing my fingers with a gentle, hesitant claw. "You'd accept all that?"

"Said I would, didn't I?"

"For me?"

Sigh. "See anyone else here?"

He kissed my fingertips, one by one, and then he slid my hand onto his chest and kissed my mouth.

Salt, rust, his delicious iron flavor. His arms enfolded me, so hot and strong, drifting seawater caressing me up to my waist. My mouth sprang alive under his, his tongue on mine, his sharp teeth tingling my skin. I slid my wrists around his neck, buried my fingers in his crisp metal hair, gave myself up to the familiar yet still so unbelievable warmth of his body.

Pebbles splashed around me, and a sharp whistle sang from the beach. "Jeez, please, can we get home sometime this week?"

I giggled. Blaze's idea of a cold shower. "You're just jealous!"

"Get a room," called Azure, giggling, too. "A soundproof one. You guys are a whole box of cream pies. Nausy-ate-ing."

Indigo laughed and kissed me again, gentle, possessive. "Wanna go?"

"Yeah." I let him help me up. He shook like a dog, rusty droplets showering.

I squeezed out my hair. Water ran over my body, a sharp and salty glory. I loved it. As we waded toward the beach, I couldn't help but watch him, my delicious dark metal prince. After we'd loved, I'd been afraid to touch him again. Now, I didn't care. I knew I had nothing to fear. I slipped my wet hand in his and held it tight. "So, what now?"

He knotted k.n.o.bbly blue fingers around mine. "I was thinking, home. Shower. Bed. That kinda thing."

I sighed, content, but my heart sank. I groaned. "I can't. We still owe Sonny five grand."

"Maybe I can help with that."

Excitement sparked my spine. "You got a job on?"

He laughed. "Nope. Got a bank account, though. You should try it."

"G.o.d, you're such a human. Next you'll say get a real job."

"Get a real job, Ice."

I swatted him. "No way."

"No hope of a respectable retirement, then."

I skipped, kicking up wet sand, and giggled. "Not a chance."

He stopped me with a searching kiss, his hands fresh and needy on my body, and when he pulled back, I was gasping, my s.e.x aching and my nipples standing out in my wet clothes. Home was sounding better all the time.

He nuzzled his dripping hair on my cheek, and I felt his dark metal laugh. "Good."

Epilogue.

Where is Kane?"

Akash grins and says nothing. Chained in gold to a cold white chair, sunlight burning bright in deathless blue sky. No wind. No scent. Nothing to tell him he's alive.

Shadow leans over him, wings glittering fresh like snow. His frigid blue gaze bores into Akash's soul. "How did he smell? Who are his friends?"

Golden shackles chafe Akash's wrists, tempting. He flexes, digging the sharp edge in harder, relishing the small sting. The sun just stares blankly. Blind. Deaf. Powerless. It was all a lie.

"Where is Indra?" Lightning arcs in Shadow's golden hair. Below, thunder rumbles. He wrenches Akash's head back with a cold white hand, his eyes flashing with fury. "What have you done, minion?"

Inside, Akash drifts away, dreaming of the agonizing shatter of bone, salt's sharp sting on his tongue, the hot wet deliciousness of a kiss. If Shadow speaks, Akash doesn't hear him.

Eventually, Shadow swoops away, and the minions drag Akash to a dazzling white cell. The door slams shut. White walls, a few feet apart. White ceiling. Cold white floor. No windows. No furniture. The sickly sweet stink of honey. Silence.

Akash groans and mutters, and sinks blunt teeth into the webbing of his hand. Flesh crunches. Blood flows, tasteless, staining his pale suit sleeve. It barely hurts.

This nondescript pale body doesn't ache. It doesn't sting. It doesn't feel anything.

Akash rolls onto his back in a crunch of crisp feathers and howls in despair. Hours pa.s.s. He howls more.

Intolerable, this emptiness. Eternity is a very long time. One day, Shadow will break him. Unless . . .

A door panel clicks open, and blue eyes pierce a gap in the whiteness like sapphires. The tiny sound springs fresh tears to Akash's eyes. Sensation. He must have it back. He must get away. He can't bear this.

Back to earth. Back to Kane's city. He misses that h.e.l.lscarlet sun, the smells, the grime. Crafty claws sharpen in his famished mind. Kane bested him once. It'll not happen again. This time, he'll be ready. More drinking, more powers. A proper disguise, something he can wear forever, so Kane will never find him, and he can take all the sensation he wants.

With every ravenous cell of his body, Akash burns to live.

But first, escape this forsaken cell. Shadow has the temerity to call the earth h.e.l.l.

He crawls toward the door, and the eyes swivel to follow him. Not Shadow. Just another minion. Weak. Corruptible.

Lies tingle on Akash's tongue like a precious, faded memory, and his throat rasps, abused. "A favor. Fresh air. The garden."

The eyes follow him coldly. "It is not permitted."

Akash kneels at the door's foot like a good boy, his wings folded meekly. Tucked beneath him, out of sight under fresh white feathers, his fingers curl with defiant flame. Cruel banshee persuasion p.r.i.c.kles in his throat, and he smiles, his voice rich with magical song. "Please?"