Crave (Tainted Angels Book 1) (2 page)

“He’s there. He’s near you. Sense him, Willa. Sense him.”

I closed my eyes but panic refused to let me see him. Colours swam, my internal vision contorted and unclear. “I can’t see him.”

“You can. Concentrate.”

I swallowed, desperately trying to settle the blizzard in my head. Colours snapped together, lines linked, and darkness shifted into light.

I gasped when I saw him. His bright green eyes glared at me, his tight pink lips pulled taut into a manic grin. He blinked slowly as his tongue sneaked out and ran the length of his lips. “At last.”

He cocked his head, his eyes blazing brighter as they ran over the length of me. “You need to back off, Brendal,” I warned, in false hope that he might heed it.

He sneered at me, his head tipping back as his loud laughter shook the sand under my feet. “Ohhh, Willa.” He tutted and shook his head slowly. “Seriously?”

“Concentrate, Willa.”
Tobias cut into my thoughts.
“You can do this.”

“I can’t,” I replied. “It won’t happen.”

“It will,”
he encouraged as I started to back up.
“You just need to summon it.”

Brendal inhaled deeply, his eyes rolling before he sighed in satisfaction. “You smell that, boys? Mmm, how fucking delicious.”

I jerked when more of them materialised around me. One, two, three, four. Oh, God, they just kept coming. Too many. They were altering the air, the freeze chilling my lungs until I was completely surrounded by dredgen, their long teeth already descended in preparation for the kill.

“Willa …”
My eyes shot around when the unfamiliar voice broke the deadly silence that had fallen. However, they weren’t words spoken aloud; they had overruled Tobias in my head.
“You’re mine, Willa. Mine.”

“What?”

“You are mine.”

How was he doing it? “What? Who …?”

I shifted back farther when Brendal moved forwards slowly. It hadn’t been his voice and none of his minions would ever defy their master by talking over him.

“Tobias?” Silence greeted me. “Tobias!” Fear trickled up my spine. I was on my own. “God damn you!”

I could do this. I could. I just needed to concentrate.

“Come on, pretty girl.” Brendal slid nearer, the sand slithering under his barely there feet.

“Fight him, Willa,”
the new voice urged.
“Take him down.”

“WHO ARE YOU?” I shouted.

Brendal tipped his head to one side, his eyes narrow and curious. “I’m your worst nightmare, Willa Eden.”

I shook my head at him. “Not you, fool.” The fire burned deeper inside me, its furious ripple blazing a powerful tornado beneath my skin. Confusion brought fury, building my control. Everything slowed, time stilling with each inhalation. The world braked, allowing me time to concentrate.

“That’s it, Willa. Take them.”

“I can’t take them all!” I screamed at the stranger.

“You underestimate yourself, Angel.”

I gripped my head, the chaos inside running wild. “I …”

“TAKE THEM!”

“FUCK YOU!”

I flew backwards as something in my head exploded. A loud whoosh erupted around me as every bone in my body vibrated under an inferno raging through me. Fire licked from every grain of sand, flames and sparks roaring in a huge wall of energy around me. My body bucked in uncontrollable agony as my eyes closed and my mind shut down, allowing my natural gift to protect and shield.

“Silly, silly girl. You cleared the path for me, Seraph.”

I stood over her, the beach now empty as the small crackle of her fire shield died into bright orange embers around us. My small chuckle disturbed her and her eyes slowly opened. She frowned at me her piercing grey eyes rapidly perusing me. “Who are you?”

I smirked at her as I fisted my hand. She gasped and brought her own hand to her throat, fighting against the restriction I was forcing on her. Her eyes widened, a small choked sound gurgling from her. Her lips pressed together as she started to fight me. I screwed my fist tighter and tighter, battling with her. Damn, she was strong. I hadn’t expected her to be this strong. “Give in to me, Willa. I told you, you are mine.”

Her eyes bulged wider when she realised it was me who had penetrated her inner lock and linked with her. Her mouth opened in shock as she struggled with me. She shook her head furiously as her teeth sank into her bottom lip. Vibrations shot through my arms, a rumbling tremor as she tried to possess my actions. “Give IN!” I spat at her as she grappled me with her mind.

Her eyes narrowed as she suddenly stilled, her body relaxing as an inner calm controlled her outer storm. My skull seemed to shake as something trickled through my veins; something hot yet unbelievably cold.

“No!” someone shouted from behind me.

I turned my head. Partisans were flocking to aid a possession that wasn’t theirs to keep. She was mine. Lincoln led them. “Fuck!”

I slackened my hand, releasing my hold on her. Her body bowed with the release of our connection, her back slamming against the sand with a heavy thud.

“Willa!” Lincoln shouted. The annoying hanger-on needed to be removed from my path. But not right then. There were too many of them coming.

“I’ll be back for you. Watch for me in your dreams, Seraph.”

She scrutinised me from where she lay, her body depleted of energy now she had fought me and the dredgen off. “And I’ll be waiting … HALAM.”

“Such a clever girl.”

She laughed bitterly, surprising me with her bravery. “What? You expected me not to smell the putrid aroma you spill?”

“And you expect me not to crave the enticing scent you torment me with?” I was suddenly furious with her. I needed what she owned within her with an almost debilitating need. “You continue to taunt me and I will haunt your body, your mind, your fucking soul until it swirls in my veins.”

She leaned towards me, her face as hostile as the angry glow she emanated. “You fooled me once. Never again.”

“We’ll see. Goodbye, sweet thing.” I stiffened in preparation to step through the doorway opening on my left. “For now.”

“I’ll look forward to it. Killing you, that is.”

Her feistiness made my dick harden and my mouth water. “Ha! It won’t be my death you enjoy, Angel, but then I’ll make sure to make yours as enjoyable as possible … for both of us.” I winked and left, furious shouts from Lincoln echoing around my laughter.

T
he sun was hot, the surface of my skin peppered with sweat even though it was early morning. Spring had descended a couple of weeks ago and the heat so early in the season was unexpected, but welcome.

Holding a small rock between my thumb and finger, I flicked it out to the ocean. It hovered above the water as I made a fist. As soon as I snapped open my fingers it exploded into a thousand fragments, each one a burst of light as each smooth shard reflected a ray of sun, the effect resembling a unique firework.

“Impressive,” Lincoln said as he perched beside me on the sand. I smiled back, although it was a forced one. My best friend nudged me. “What’s up?” His bright blue eyes looked down on me, full of concern before he coughed and turned away politely.

Shaking my head, I blew out a sigh. “I dunno, Linc. I can’t put my finger on it.”

He raked his hand through his thick blond hair, each highlight catching the sun perfectly. He turned his rugged face to the ocean, the scar that ran down his cheek taunting me as it always did; a reminder that I owed him my life. “Is this about the other night?”

I turned my face slightly as my cheeks heated. The last thing I needed was Lincoln judging the way I was feeling. Truth be told, even I was unsure of my thoughts. “No, it’s …”

“His name is Rax. And he’s not a good person, Willa.”

I frowned, turning to look at him. “Sorry?”

He tipped an eyebrow at me, reading me perfectly. “The guy who got to you after all that Brendal shit. The guy who pinned you down.” He lifted his eyebrow higher. “The guy you’ve suddenly become hot for!”

“What?” I gawped at him.

“Oh, come on, Bean.” He smirked, using the nickname he had given me when he was ten and I had gotten a baked bean stuck up my nose. Don’t ask. “Ever since that night, you’ve been distant. I see the way your cheeks heat when you’re in a world of your own. The way you lick your lips. I might be your best friend and practically see you as my sister, but a guy can tell when a girl is thinking about sex.”

I smirked. “Linc, it’s a known fact that men think of sex every six seconds. You may be confusing my thoughts with your own.”

He shrugged, lifting his hands, but I shook my head when he winked at me. Picking up his own stone, he launched it out to sea, making a gun gesture with his fingers and shooting it. The stone burst into flames and the particles floated into the water.

“Not bad.”

He nodded, always proud of himself, but grimaced at me. “Your father has beckoned.”

Rolling my eyes, I groaned. “What the … why?”

“Don’t ask me.” He pursed his lips and shook his head, climbing back up and holding out his hand for me. Pulling me up, he leaned down and brushed the sand from my knees.

Lincoln and I were each other’s equals. Spirit Siblings. We were linked by blood but not in any biological way. The ritual, known as Spirit Harmonisation, was performed by our people on our first birthdays, twenty years ago. Our kind only ever birthed one child, so it had become a ritual many eons ago that we should take a brother or sister to aid us in both life and battle. Every single one of us had one of these siblings, but it was always the same sex. However, my parents always had to be different. Yet, I wouldn’t change Lincoln for the world. He loved me as much as I loved him.

Taking my hand, Lincoln led me up the rocky path to the house. I hated its air of brilliance, the high, white glossy walls too clean and happy. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t a morbid or miserable person but the way everything resembled ‘Heaven’ made me want to chuck up.

I smiled to myself, remembering my mother’s face when I had chosen to decorate my own room a couple of years ago. The deep red imposing walls and heavily dark furnishings had her heart rate spiking, the mass of black leather and steel causing her lungs to struggle against the sudden rush of oxygen she gulped at. Lincoln had berated me for weeks, months even, telling me to get a grip and grow up. However, none of them seemed to understand that this
was
me ‘growing up’.

Hitting twenty-one a couple of weeks ago had been something of a turning point in my life. I’d always struggled with the ‘good’ we did. It was considered that people, no matter what they did on this earth, should be entitled to redemption. I didn’t take that view. Some of the sick, evil, twisted fuckers out there deserved to die a slow and painful death. I didn’t share that opinion with anyone, though.

I had once tried to bring up my views with Linc. That had been fun. He’d clamped his hand over my mouth and shook his head, his piercing eyes warning me to shut the hell up. So I’d shut the hell up and left that judgement to nurture in my own head. But it was growing stronger. Something inside me needing to reach out and teach the human race a lesson.