Wicked Wind (Solsti Prophecy #1) (4 page)

Nicole leveled a stare at her. “I’m glad we were here. But be careful, okay? That bag is beautiful, but it’s not worth you getting hurt.”

After more assurances from the woman, they watched her walk across the street and into her building.

Only then did Gunnar let the man up, snarling, “I don’t want to see your ugly fucking face around here again.” The man ran down the dark sidewalk until he disappeared.

Gunnar turned to face Nicole, who stood with her arms wrapped around herself. “Wow,” she said to him. “That was really something.”

He quirked an eyebrow.

“How you helped that woman. That was incredible.”

Gunnar shrugged it off, but wondered why she pretended that she had nothing to do with the outcome of the situation. She’d used her power again. Hadn’t tried to mask it. She had to know what she was capable of. Why play coy now? And what the hell was she?

One thing he knew for sure was that he needed to talk to her somewhere else. He didn’t want her to run back to her friends if she didn’t like his questions. “Let’s walk a bit.” It wasn’t a suggestion.

As if on cue, her cell phone chimed with a text message. “They saw me leave with you and now they’re freaking out,” she murmured. “Let me just tell them we’re right out here and I’m fine.”

Message sent, she walked beside him. “Have you ever done that before?”

“Grind with a hot woman in a club? Make out with said hot woman outside on the sidewalk? Or stop a thief?”

She grinned at him. “The last one.”

“Wasn’t I good at the first two?”

She huffed out a breath of air. “Yeah,” she said softly as she looked up at him. “Real good.” Her green eyes regarded him expectantly.

He considered his response. He had stopped thieves before, but at this minute she didn’t need to know they were dangerous demons who nabbed powerful artifacts that didn’t belong in their evil hands. She also didn’t need to know that he had been a thief himself. “May have broken up a few fights,” he finally said.

She nodded. They walked in silence for a minute until they reached the end of the block. Crossing the street, they entered a small park. “How about you?” he continued. “Have you done that before?”

She flashed a mischievous smile and tilted her head to the side. “Which thing?” she whispered, reaching for his hand.

“How you helped that woman back there.”

She froze. Surprise, then fear, flickered across her eyes before she managed to school her expression into one of simple confusion. “What do you mean?”

“I didn’t do much to help her. You did.”

“I didn’t do anything. You’re the one who tackled that guy.”

“After you had already done something to knock him down.”

“How could
I
have knocked him down?”

“That’s what I want to know. I felt your power, Nicole. What did you do?”

“P-power?” she squeaked.

“Yes, power. Yours. What. Is. It?”

She stared at him, her expression wide-eyed terror. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her voice hovered between a breath and a whisper. “I have to go.”

“No, you don’t.” He gripped her hand tightly. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what you are.”

C
HAPTER
3

O
H
, G
OD
. H
E
knew
. An arctic windstorm splintered Nicole’s lungs. How could he connect a little gust to her? She had to protect her family’s secrets. Had to get away from him. Unfortunately, they were alone in the small park, observed only by trees, manicured shrubs, and a few wooden benches. She mentally kicked herself for letting him lead her away from the club.

Adrenaline surged through her body as she debated her two options: fight or flight. Her eyes calculated. Her mind focused, her body readied to shift into familiar fight patterns. This man was muscle-on-muscle, but she had to try.

She shoved her free hand against his chest while hooking a leg behind his knees. He only gripped her hand tighter, and they both went down. As they fell, she broke his hold and rolled away from him. She spotted a large stick on the ground, scooped it up with a breeze and sent it flying toward his chest. He leapt up faster than she thought possible, and he
caught it
. Had been ready for it. Heck, he’d probably goaded her on purpose.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Nicole.” He dropped the stick and stepped closer, his expression neutral. “I just want to know what you are.”

“I’m an attorney.” She moved back.

“We both know that’s not what I mean.”

She stared at him. The warm night air stuck to her skin, pressing in on her, making it hard to breathe. All their lives, she and her sisters had kept their gifts to themselves, feeling like they were freaks of nature. Were there others like them in the world? Could she trust Gunnar? She had met him barely an hour ago. He could be a lunatic. Regret and shame slammed into her.
Why did I act like that in the club?
Had he put some kind of spell on her? She certainly didn’t make a habit of public make-out sessions. She swallowed hard. “What are
you
?”

“Ah-ah, ladies first, Nicole. But I’ll give you a small hint.”

He lifted his hand. A tiny orange light popped into the air, dancing in the center of his upturned palm. The light grew bigger, until it was the size of an apple. It glowed and bobbed slightly, then went out as quickly as it had appeared.

She didn’t even care that her mouth was hanging open. “What was
that
?”

“Demonfire.”

“D-demon…fire?”

“It’s a useful weapon.”

“For who?”

“Well, it’s particularly effective on the lesser demons, but–”

“What are you talking about?” she yelled. “You just made fire appear in your hand! And you’re not hurt!”

“I created it. It won’t hurt me.”

“Okaaay. That was a very cool magic trick.” She edged backward.

He was at her side in a flash. “Uh-uh.”

“Gunnar, you’re scaring me.”

“I told you I won’t hurt you. And from what I’ve seen, you’re not entirely defenseless.”

Completely unnerved, Nicole’s legs shook. She felt like she had just fallen down the rabbit hole, and there was no climbing back up. Ever. She didn’t know if it was real or not, but Gunnar made fire appear in his hand. She instinctively knew that if he wanted to, he could truly hurt her. The rip-her-to pieces kind of hurt. She had already tried to fight him, with no success—now it was time for flight.

Whirling, she ran in the direction of the club. She managed to get all of ten feet from him when he grabbed her around the waist and twisted them both in mid-air. They hit the ground. He absorbed most of the impact himself, then rolled and pinned her beneath him.

Seconds stretched out as he studied her. He relaxed his hold on her a fraction, but she still couldn’t move under his massive bulk. “Nicole,” he said softly. “There are many things I want to do to you, but hurting you is not on the list.”

She sucked in a breath at his bold statement.
I don’t want to die here, like this, with a fire-conjuring madman.
Fighting hadn’t worked. Flight hadn’t worked. She didn’t want to end up dead in the park, so that left her with two options—distract him or start talking.

She gazed up at him with wary eyes. He was so handsome. A lock of dark hair fell over his forehead, and his lips looked way too kissable.
Dangerous
. She clenched her teeth and shoved the jumble of thoughts from her mind, disgusted with herself. He had her trapped, pinned on the ground, for heaven’s sake. She had to figure out a way to get away from him, not closer to him, like her traitorous body wanted.

His blue eyes took on a soft turquoise luster, like in the club. Back then she thought she had imagined it. But now? “Why do your eyes look like they’re glowing?”

“Certain situations cause it, like when I’m fighting someone. Or heightened emotions can cause it. Like anger.” He paused, pinning her with blue heat. “Or lust.”

She drew in a breath, feeling the lengths of their bodies pressed together on the ground. She had the sinking feeling that distraction wouldn’t work. Yeah, maybe he was attracted to her, but he also seemed extremely determined. She may be able to briefly take his mind off of her power, but then she’d end up right back where she was.

“I intend to keep you here until you answer my question,” he murmured, the sensual timbre of his voice sending little shivers down her arms. “I have all night. And I’m pretty comfortable right where I am.”

Nicole let out a shaky breath. She swallowed hard. She was really going to do this. After years of hiding her gift, years of being so careful, she was about to spill her secret to someone she barely knew. Dammit, she was trapped. Maybe she could get away with just telling him a few details. Maybe then she could get away. “I…,” she began. “I don’t know what I am.”

If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. His face revealed no reaction. Blue flames danced in his eyes, waiting, watching her.

Another shaky breath. “I just always thought I was a regular person who had a really weird talent.” The words came a bit easier. “I’ve been this way as long as I can remember. I don’t know anything about demons or supernatural beings. I just thought I was a freak. A human freak.”

More silence as he gazed down at her. Shifting, he stretched his long body next to hers, head propped on an elbow, one big hand resting solidly on her hip. “What exactly can you do?”

“This,” she said, summoning a breeze to gently lift his hair. “Or I call a stronger gust, like with the purse-snatcher tonight. I can manipulate air currents, make them stronger, change their direction, and cause them to move objects. I can affect air temperature a little bit, too.”

He raised his eyebrows.

“Just a little–I’m still working on that part.”

Blue eyes blinked and he gave a shake of his head, dark locks swishing across his forehead. “Nicole, those skills are powerful. Potentially lethal.”

“I know. That’s another reason why I always kept it secret. I was afraid I’d hurt someone. Or get myself locked up in the loony bin.”

“Did your parents ever help you figure it out?”

She shook her head. “They were killed in a car accident when I was small. I don’t know if they even knew. And my adoptive parents don’t know about this.”

“Who else knows about you?”

“Just my sisters.” She would share her secret–and only hers, at least right now. She saw no reason to put her sisters in danger, in case Gunnar turned out to be a nut job.

“So, these skills of yours–you’ve just figured them out on your own?”

She nodded. No reason to spill that she and Brooke had worked long hours together, honing their gifts.

“Nicole,” he began, and damn it, but she liked hearing him say her name. “You need to be very careful. If another being had seen you tonight, had felt your power like I did, you could be in danger.”

“But you just said I’m not defenseless.”

“No, but there are creatures out there that are worse than any nightmare. You could be kidnapped or tortured, manipulated for your power–and your sisters could be used as leverage. Not all supernaturals are honorable. Not all are above meddling for the sole reason of making someone else miserable. And some are just greedy for power.”

“What kinds of other creatures are there?” Her curiosity was piqued. If he was making all this up, he was doing a good job. She wanted to see how far he would take it.

“Lots of them. You have the ones from pop culture stories, like vampires, werewolves, and fairies. Then there are imps, nymphs, sprites, shape shifters, and demons. Many different species of demons.”

“And what are you?” she whispered. Part of her wanted to know what he was, and part of her didn’t, but the words tumbled from her lips before she could think twice.

“I’m a Lash demon.”

“You? A demon?” she sputtered, sitting up fast. She knew he let her. “But you’re not–”

“Not what?”

“Not…hideous. Deformed. Scaly.”

“My, you have a way with compliments,” he said dryly. “That’ll keep me going all week, knowing I’m not hideous.”

“Sorry.” She looked down. “I guess I had some pre-conceived notions.”

“S’okay. There are some truly hideous, deformed, and scaly creatures out there.”

“Do you have horns?”

“No.”

“Do you bite people?”

He chuckled. “Only pretty girls, and only if they ask real nice.”

A tiny smile she couldn’t suppress tugged at the corner of her mouth.
That probably happens a lot
. She studied his strong, square jaw and full lower lip. For some strange reason, she didn’t feel terrified anymore. His attitude oozed
don’t-fuck-with-me
, but if he was on her side, she could handle it.

“Have you met anyone else like me?” she asked.

“No,” he replied. “You, Nicole, are unlike anyone I have ever met.”

She glanced down.

“But,” he continued, “I know someone who may be able to help.”

“Really? Who?”

“An Elder Lash demon.”

Trepidation flared in her gut. Was she ready to meet more creatures who weren’t supposed to exist? What if he wasn’t friendly?

Gunnar seemed to sense her hesitation. “It’ll be okay. He won’t hurt you. He’s one of the wisest creatures I’ve ever met. If he can’t help you, he’ll know someone who can. In fact, I bet we can talk to him tomorrow.”

“You sound pretty sure of that.”

“He lives with me and a few others. We have a house in Evanston,” he replied.

“What do you mean, others?”

“Five of us are in Chicago right now.”

“And you have a house in Evanston?” She inwardly cringed at her repeated words as her mind struggled to process the deluge of information. The picturesque north suburb contained many old-money mansions.
And one may be full of demons?

He raised his eyebrows at the incredulity in her voice. “We don’t live in caves, Nicole.”

She rubbed her temple. “Sorry.” She had managed to say the wrong thing again. Any hope of making a good first impression on him was gone.
But does it matter?
Now that she’d shared her secret with him, what mattered most was that she could trust him.