Death's Storm (The Divinities Book 2) Read online

  More like a stalker, really, without the creepy love letters and phone calls.

  For the last month, someone had watched her and followed her every move. When the entity was near, a warm shiver rolled over her skin like a caress. The energy didn’t come from a human. Demon? Maybe. But the power was too intense to be any demonic creature she’d come in contact with. She considered one of the gods, but that didn’t make sense either. The gods wouldn’t stalk her. They would send a messenger or deliver their message in person. She and the others had also thought it could be a guardian.

  Whatever the entity was, it annoyed the hell out of her to be followed around and spied upon.

  She scanned the mall parking lot and the sidewalk that led to the various shops. Nothing remotely threatening came into view or reached out to her supernatural senses. Then again, she never saw anything when she felt the presence. It had shown up last month, right after Kalissa had been kidnapped by Kalissa’s ex and discovered their destiny to fight in the war.

  That was when she and her sister had found a note from their mother telling them about the Sinew, and had sent Kalissa on a mission to retrieve it. As Divinities, it was their duty to protect magickin from Khan, the new bastard Lord of the Underworld.

  Khloe gladly pledged to take a stand in the war. After all, it was Khan and his demonic army who’d taken her parents away from her almost two years ago. She was going to make them pay, no matter how long it took. Being long-lived, time was something she had plenty of.

  The wind picked up, bringing the scent of coming rain. She looked up, inhaled, and smiled. Dark storm clouds filled the afternoon sky. She loved storms. Being able to call upon the elements and bend them to her will was her Divine gift. So, she took every opportunity she could to enjoy them. “There’s a powerful storm headed our way.”

  “It’s a good thing we’re going straight home.” Kalissa reached out to snatch Khloe’s cell from her.

  She jerked away before Kalissa could grab it, laughed, and jogged ahead of the other two women. Kalissa’s blond curls, a shade darker than Khloe’s and without pink streaks, were pulled back in a ponytail, but it was the annoyance across her slightly oval face that made Khloe giggle with mischief. Walking backward in the direction of Kalissa’s new Beamer, Khloe scrolled through the pictures she had snapped of them shopping. Her twin hated having her picture taken and would delete the photos once she got ahold of the phone. No way. Khloe had plans for these babies, like uploading them to the magickin social network, Magical Enchantments.

  “Lo, stop.”

  Khloe froze and snapped her head up to meet Kalissa’s violet, anxious gaze. The psychic connection to her twin told her she wasn’t talking about the phone. Hairs stood up on the back of her neck, and a shiver rolled down her spine. A new demonic power touched her awareness—different, colder than their daily stalker.

  “Here.” She shoved her shopping bags at Kalissa and put the cell in the back pocket of her shorts. “You and Lydia head home. I’ll catch up to you.”

  Kalissa shook her head. “I don’t like this.”

  Neither did she, but they had gone over it. The plan was that anytime they were out and shit got critical, they’d split up. When her sister had bonded with and married the sheriff of Maxville, Ayden Daniels, the connection between Ayden and Kalissa extended through the twin bond to Khloe. All three of them could connect telepathically and emotionally now, and the three of them could use the gift to tap into other magical beings’ powers. To keep the gift from falling into Khan’s hands, they agreed they should never be caught together, because together, they were both more powerful and also more vulnerable.

  Khan would drain them of their magic, which would kill them instantly because a Divinity’s magic was tied to their life force. They couldn’t survive without it. Khan would then use that magic in his plans to merge the natural world and the Afterworld to the Underworld.

  Today, they’d taken a huge risk with Lydia. She was eight months pregnant and, according to the magickin birth cycle, was due any day.

  “Look, you said yourself that our stalker might be a guardian sent to watch over us. If that’s the case, then I’m not alone.”

  “That’s just a hunch. We’re not sure.”

  “Please, Lis. Go. I’ll be okay.”

  Kalissa let out a heavy sigh and urged Lydia in front of her to shield the other Divinity from harm as they rushed toward the car.

  The squealing of tires and the sight of a white minivan barreling toward them sent Khloe’s heart into marathon speed. She gave her sister and her new best friend a kiss on their cheeks and took off through the parking lot, hoping the demon would take the bait.

  She glanced over her shoulder to the BWM. Kalissa and Lydia were safe inside and pulling out of the parking space. Thank the gods. A pang of relief rolled through her, and she prayed Kalissa and Lydia would make it home safely.

  “Adyen, Kalissa is on her way home. Make sure she gets there. Don’t ask. I’ll be fine!” Khloe sent the telepathic message to her brother-in-law then closed the mental connection, shielding her thoughts.

  The roar of an engine drew her attention to the white box on wheels speeding toward her, much too fast for a parking lot. It was closing in. She hit the sidewalk and ran toward the road. She wanted to lead them out of the city limits without becoming the next demon delicacy. The farther away from witnesses, the better. They had enough to deal with because of the demons. They didn’t need a twenty-first century lynch mob to contend with, too.

  A quick glance at the advancing vehicle caused her heart to slam against her ribcage. The van’s side door slid open, and a demon jumped out, tucked his head, and rolled across the pavement into the grass. He jumped up and ran straight for her.

  Shit!

  She pushed her legs as fast as they could go. The racing engine of the van grew louder. She flashed a couple of miles up the road. Without a set destination, she couldn’t teleport far. Where would she go anyway?

  Outrunning that damn van wasn’t happening. She might be a powerful witch, but she didn’t know where she could go or how many demons were packed inside that van. Judging by the strength and power rolling off the ones chasing her, they were Amiddians, the middle-class citizens of the Underworld.

  She whirled and thrust an energy ball at the demon, knocking him backward a few feet. Quickly, she threw a softball size fireball at him. It hit him square in the chest. The flames covered his body and, within seconds, he disappeared into a pile of ash.

  Squealing tires followed by the crunching and scraping of metal on pavement behind her sparked her curiosity. Her nose tingled at the smell of hot brakes and burnt rubber. When she turned to look at the wreckage, she gasped. The van lay on its side in the middle of the street. A much stronger and larger male, with hair black as night and long enough to allow fingers to comb through it, stood at the front of the vehicle, his massive chest rose and fell under his black T-shirt as he took deep, calculated breaths.

  After punching through the glass, he reached inside the windshield and pulled out the driver. A force of power rolled off the newcomer unlike anything Khloe had ever felt before. He didn’t radiate demon magic like the others. Although his aura was dark, his power was almost godly. And familiar.

  Her stalker.

  His power reached out to her like the physical caress of a lover, sending tingles over her skin. His sculpted body moved in a sensual, yet deadly manner. Her hands itched to touch him, to feel his warm skin under her palms. She closed her eyes to stop the urge to go to him, shivered, and then cursed her body for responding to him. Usually, demons threw off eerie, frigid energy. But, this one, he warmed her in a way no man had ever done.

  Okay, Lo. You have officially lost your mind.

  The Amiddian, held off the ground in the death grip of her stalker, kicked his legs wildly and screamed as the larger male spoke in tones too low for her to make out the words. She caught a glimpse of huge, sharp fangs before he latched on to hi
s victim’s neck.

  For the love of the gods…

  After a few moments, Mr. Tall Dark and Scary tossed the lifeless body away like last week’s trash and turned toward her. She swallowed hard.

  His attention snapped to the left. Khloe followed his gaze to another demon running toward her. Her stalker flashed to stand in front of the other demon, and she fled in the opposite direction.

  She was so not hanging around to see what he did to that one. Cutting to her right, she ran into the woods, away from her stalker and her would-be captors.

  Several feet inside the undeveloped property, another demon materialized in front of her. She dug her heels into the ground to keep from plowing into him. White-blond hair framed his too-thin demonic face. Most demons looked human, allowing them the ability to blend into the natural world. This one didn’t blend very well. At least not to her. For one, his crimson-colored eyes were anything but human. Secondly, his dark magic rolled off him in powerful, choking waves.

  Heart hammering in her ears, she darted to the side, but he was too fast for her. His large, rough hands wrapped around her upper arm, and his sharp claws dug into her skin, making her cry out. As quickly as he’d grabbed her, an iron bracelet was snapped around her wrist. The cuff he’d put on her right arm instantly muted her magic. Fear sliced through her gut. The flow of energy within her slowed and backed away from the iron, not wanting to touch it. She tried to force it out, create a spark, but it didn’t work. Even her elemental magic receded. Damn. She was powerless against him.

  Panic gripped her, and she struggled against the large demon. Her survival instincts kicked in, and she brought her foot up and thrust it out, right into his groin. With a painful groan, he crumpled to the ground.

  It was a good thing male demons had the same weaknesses as human men. Take out the jewels, and women could rule the world.

  The warm tingle across her skin said her stalker was closing in on her, and she bolted deeper into the woods.

  Jagger tossed the Amiddian to the side, stepped away from the overturned van, and froze. Khloe stood on the shoulder of the road about fifty feet ahead, watching him. Her pink-streaked blond hair framed her oval face, making her look like a pissed off angel. He took a step forward and felt the dark presence of another demon. He jerked his gaze to the new energy to see a horned, blue-skinned demon advancing on Khloe.

  Fuck. Where were they coming from?

  Letting out a low growl, Jagger materialized in front of the demon and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. The creature snarled and snapped his teeth. Jagger released his power over the demon, showing him what true hell his death could be. As a Death Demon, Jagger could make the male die as fast or slow as Jagger wished. Today was the demon’s lucky day. Jagger didn’t have time to play. So he would die quickly.

  Holding the hell-spawn off the ground, Jagger let his fangs drop. “What do you want with her?”

  The demon narrowed his eyes and smirked, but said nothing.

  Tightening his grip, Jagger gave the demon one more chance. Using telepathy, Jagger reached into his mind and squeezed. “You can tell me, or I’ll drain the memories from your useless soul.”

  The idiot laughed and vanished.

  Fuck! No one should have been able to flash from his hold. He surrounded them with a spell for just that reason. There was only one possibility. Khan had a power source just like Jagger suspected.

  Fisting his hands at his sides, he whirled around to find Khloe gone. Great. Another complication. Scenting the air, he picked up on her chocolate-rose fragrance and rushed into the forest. He found her several feet into the trees and brush.

  She wasn’t alone. A Regal—the imperial guards of Khan and the most powerful demons in the Underworld—stood over her with his hand gripping her arm.

  Rage ran hot in Jagger’s veins, fueling his need to protect her and kill for her.

  He soon discovered his Khloe was a fireball. She kicked the Regal in the balls, taking the demon to the ground. Turning on her heels, she took off again, but not before he caught the scent of blood.

  A deep growl ripped from his throat, and he thrust his hand toward the male struggling to stand, hitting him with a ball of hellfire, compliments of Hecate. The demon puffed into a black pile of dust.

  No one harmed what belonged to him and lived.

  Chapter 3

  Khloe stopped running. She hunched over with her hands on her knees and listened. The only thing she heard was her own heavy breathing. With the coming storm, all the animals were silent, most likely safe inside their homes, right where she wanted to be.

  With a heavy sigh, she looked down at her arm where the demon had grabbed her and frowned. There were two deep gashes cut across her bicep. The demon’s claws must have torn the skin when she kicked him and yanked out of his grasp. She shifted her gaze to the cuff around her wrist, which was similar to the one they’d picked up last month from their fight with the demons in Georgia. The same kind the fiends had tried to put around her sister’s wrist to take her; a ploy of Kalissa’s psycho ex-boyfriend.

  Khloe knew from personal experience that the iron in the bracelet would keep her wound from healing since the ability to heal herself came from the magic in her blood. In fact, the scratches were starting to redden around the edges and would become infected if she didn’t get somewhere to clean them.

  A rumble across the sky brought her head up. The storm was closer. She needed to find shelter soon and then figure out how to get the damned cuff off. She walked through the brush and trees, not sure where she was or where to go.

  “How do you get into these predicaments, Khloe?” She scolded herself as she proceeded forward. “Always in trouble.” But, this time, no one knew where she was.

  She continued to walk, searching for something she could use as shelter. She froze when that warm shiver fluttered across her skin again. Her not-so-secret admirer was near. Too near. Something brushed against her aura, and she whirled around in time to see the translucent outline of a shadow. Her heart stopped briefly then kicked into overdrive. She twisted to her left and ran.

  Swatting at the low tree limbs, she ran as fast as her legs could go and went deeper into the forest. She jumped over a fallen tree trunk, ignoring the slaps from the low branches of tree saplings and brush on her legs and arms. The dark, warm, sensual energy caressing her back told her it was the large demon who had killed the ones that had chased her.

  She took a sharp right and willed her legs to run faster. They were starting to burn. She was not used to mere mortal strength.

  Fucking cuff.

  Her foot caught on something, and she went down. Twisting to the side to keep from landing face-first in the dirt, she fell on her left knee and side as she hit the ground. She hissed as pain shot through her leg up to her hip.

  Almost instantly, the demon appeared, standing over her. He was huge and gorgeous, peering down at her with a not-so-pleasant expression. His black, shoulder-length hair hung in his face as he stared down at her, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Fear churned in her belly, and she scooted backward on her bottom away from him. She picked up a handful of dirt and threw it at him. When she tried to get up again, her knee hurt so bad she cried out and fell back down on her ass. Now you’ve done it.

  He knelt down in front of her. “I will not harm you.”

  Want some candy, little girl? She cringed and began crab-crawling away from him. He stood. She took the opportunity to try to rise again. Relieved when she made it to her feet, she hobbled off in the opposite direction from where he stood. Suddenly, he appeared in front of her again. She let out a squeak and took a hop backward on her good leg.

  Trapped and injured.

  Wonderful.

  It was bad enough that her arm was still bleeding and hurt like hell. Now, her knee had started to swell. To top it off, she was powerless. How did humans do it? Right, they were born without magic.

  And, they didn’t have demons chasing th
em.

  A rustle of leaves to her left sent a wave of panic through her. Why couldn’t this be the day they took Teddy-Bear to the dog park? At least with the hellhounds, she’d have a chance against the determined demons chasing her.

  A rumble, followed by a flash of lightning in the sky made her flinch. “Shit.” She breathed out. A snap of a twig followed by a dark power gliding over her skin gave her chills. Something large was coming.

  “You’re better off with me.” The husky voice was too close for her comfort.

  “What is it?” she whispered, looking back at the sound of footsteps growing closer.

  “Demons.” She looked up at his face. He sniffed the air. “Three Regals.” He reached out and grabbed her left bicep. She groaned in pain. He frowned and roughly turned her arm over. “It’s not healing,” he stated.

  “You think?” Khloe pulled from his grip, limping around him. At least she was able to walk, although, she wasn’t sure for how long, and running was not an option with her knee the way it was. “What do we do?” She held up her wrist with the cuff around it. “No magic.” She couldn’t face Regals without her magic. She was as good as dead.

  He held out his hand, palm up. “You can trust me, Khloe.”

  She looked into his chocolate-brown eyes for several moments. Tiny rivers of red flowed and twisted around the pupils. Could she trust a demon who looked so damn good?

  Hell, no.

  She was sure it would be a mistake, but what other option did she have? If he wanted her dead, he wouldn’t be standing in front of her, waiting for her decision. Gods, she hoped she wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life. She raised her hand and placed it in his.

  The forest faded out around her. She’d never been on the receiving end of teleportation. With her own magic, it was familiar, and she was in control. With this demon doing the teleporting, it was like she was being pulled through thick air at a rapid speed.