Devil inside, p.39
Devil Inside, page 39
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Harley woke just before sunset and gathered her stuff. She found a pair of sweatpants that Castor left out for her and dressed quickly. She looked in the mirror before she left and was relieved to see that her face had mostly healed. Her bruises were faded enough that they were barely noticeable now. Her body was still sore but not enough to have any significant effect on her hunting. And she was still hungry. Feeding from Cas had been great, but she still wasn’t satisfied. When she wasn’t injured she could go weeks without feeding if she had too. But with her body still trying to heal she could feel the burning hunger for Ignis blood. Her Nocte needed—she needed—to drain the life away from an Ignis. Sharing energy with Levi and Cas was great, but wasn’t the only thing that nourished her.
Leaving the apartment Harley realized that Castor lived in Brooklyn and decided to take the train back to her apartment in Manhattan even though a cab would be quicker. There was a decent chance she would run into a Burner if she did. Sure enough, on the train she caught sight of an Ignis and followed him off the platform and was able to catch him by surprise and drag him into a doorway. The feeding left her nearly as dazed as the last feeding from Cas. She hadn’t realized how badly she needed Ignis blood until it was coursing through her veins like fire.
As she walked to her apartment from the train station she thought about the things she had learned about Castor. She knew that he had a jealous streak and she would have to be careful with that. It could make for problems later. But she didn’t want to cut things off with him unless she had to. She liked being around him—he was funny and nice and a good distraction. He also may provide a means to opening more communication with the Vigilum—and that was something they needed. And she wasn’t going to lie to herself. Some part of her enjoyed his warmth and softness.
Harley spent most of the rest of the night resting. She didn’t need to go out hunting. Not when she had just fed, and no longer searching for Cutter. She stretched out on the couch and stared at the ceiling. She still couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in less than a year. The thought of Jamie made her stomach ache. And she missed Jason and Olivia and felt guilty for never having contacted them. She could feel herself slipping into a moment of self-pity but she willed it away to avoid being sucked into a void she wouldn’t be able to crawl out of for a while. She needed to have a clear head for what she needed to do. She wasn’t sure what time Levi would arrive since he hadn’t responded to her text and the closer the sunrise got the more tired she felt so Harley climbed into bed hoping that if she slept she wouldn’t have to deal with the past. Just as she was drifting off she thought she heard her cell ping a notification but she was too far on the side of sleep to fully register the sound.
Chapter 36
When Harley woke up the first thing she realized was that someone else was in the bed with her. Her blood went cold and she nearly flew into fight mode before extra sense kicked in and she realized that it was Levi lying next to her. She had bounced up onto her knees in fright and she sat there catching her breath as Levi, who had woken up at her bouncing the bed, rolled over and watched her trying to collect herself.
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you OK?” He gave her his half smile and she had to laugh at herself.
“How long have you been here? How did I not wake up?”
“It was my amazing ninja skills,” he smirked. “I got here a little after sunup. I texted you but you must have already been asleep.”
“And I must have totally vamped out cause I didn’t hear or feel a thing.”
Levi and Harley sized each other up for a moment. He was sleeping in just his boxer briefs and the blankets had fallen to his waist. He was heavier than Castor but less defined. They were both incredibly gorgeous in their own individual ways. Levi was rough and his tattoo made him appear even harder. Castor was more lean and model-esque. Watching Levi watch her caused the heat to flare through her body and her Nocte perked up in anticipation. Levi recognized the look in her eye and nearly returned it. But just as his gaze began to grow hot it cooled off.
Harley was confused and didn’t know how to react respond to his reaction. She didn’t have a chance to figure it out before Levi reached out and tilted her head to the side examining the remains of her bruises. The look that crossed his face was startling to Harley. She had seen him mad—but this was beyond mad. His eyes blacked out but he blinked it away and forced himself to let go of her chin.
She tried to make a joke to ease his attention. “If you think that’s bad, you should get a look at the truck. I did a number on it.”
He apparently didn’t find the joke very funny. Instead, he gave her a hard look and rolled out of bed and left the room. Harley sighed and followed him. She was wearing a camisole and underwear and didn’t bother to put more clothes on and her Nocte applauded that decision. The sun had not yet fully set for the night but only a little light peaked around the edges of the blinds. Harley found Levi in the kitchen pouring a drink. She hopped onto the counter and accepted the glass Levi handed her. She continued to watch Levi as he stared off into the distance. He had put on a pair of jeans but they hung low on his hips and the top of his boxer briefs were peeking out and she couldn’t stop staring.
Finally, Levi broke the silence. “OK. So, tell me what happened.” He didn’t sound as mad but he did sound tired and frustrated.
“Where do you want me to start?”
“Since the last time I saw you, I guess.”
Harley told him the whole story. She told him about becoming friends with Castor. Leaving out the details of how good of friends they had become. There was no need to throw it in Levi’s face. She told him how Castor had found a Burner that knew how to find Cutter. She told him about her and Cas tracking Cutter down. She told him that the Vigilum had been trying to track the Rogue as well and shared the information that Castor had given her about the drugs and Cutter and the Rogue murders. Levi nodded at the right times but didn’t interrupt her.
When she got to the fight at the church it was harder to tell than she had expected. Not just because she had almost died. It was hard, mostly, because she had failed. “I was stupid. I acted without thinking. And I got lucky. I know that.”
Levi rubbed his chin and studied her carefully. Even though the bruises were mostly gone, she knew that with his vision he would be able to see them just fine. “I’m not going to lecture you like a child. I’m not going to tell you how you should have handled things. You know all of that already. I know that you have learned from your mistakes. But I have to say. I am really pissed you didn’t listen to me and take more weapons.”
“Well, I kind of did,” she tried not to laugh. Levi raised an eyebrow at her and waited. “I brought a Lux along with me didn’t I?” She half snorted before she caught herself.
Levi was visibly trying to not smile. “Stop trying to be funny.” That only made Harley laugh harder. “I’m surprised this guy—” Levi stopped and shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“What?” she asked.
“Never mind.”
Harley had a feeling she knew what he was going to say and didn’t press it. “So what do you think about Castor’s information.”
Levi thought for a moment. “I think it’s time that we get the Vigilum and the Praesidio to sit down and pool our knowledge.”
“I agree. There’s more too though.”
Levi looked wary. “What?”
“After I got hit by the truck,” Levi’s jaw clenched but he kept quiet, “I talked to my Nocte again.” Levi’s mouth fell open and he looked somewhat doubtful. “And don’t ask me if I’m sure. I am.”
“OK,” Levi slowly responded. “What did it tell you? How did it talk to you and could you see it?”
“While my body was healing I was in darkness and she was just a voice.”
“What did SHE say?”
“She told me that I needed to stop chasing Cutter.” Levi made a gesture indicating that he thought the Nocte had made a good point. “Instead, she said I need to concentrate on finding the Rogue.”
“What?”
“She said that the Rogue is a Lux.”
“We figured as much.”
“Right. But a Lux that hunts day or night? Obviously, this Lux isn’t affected by the night. I’m not affected by the sun.”
“So?” But Levi could tell where this was going—he didn’t look surprised.
“She said that every light has a dark. Levi, I’m supposed to be the one to fight this Lux. I’m pretty sure that I am the only one who can.” Levi kept his face blank as she continued. “Think about it. Who else could defeat this Lux? Who else is willing to put a stop to senseless murder and can fight during the day or night? If another Lux goes after him—he can hide during the night. If another Nocte goes after him—he can hide during the day.”
“You’re missing the obvious,” Levi interjected evenly with no real strength behind his argument. “One person doesn’t have to fight the Rogue. An entire army of Nocte or Lux can fight him. Whichever finds him first.”
“You are right. But I am sure that I am the one who can kill him. And if we can do this without an all-out war, why shouldn’t we? If we can get him to agree to a one on one fight—he and I—we can finish it with as few people as possible getting hurt.” Harley could tell that Levi was giving this consideration. This was one of the things that she appreciated the most about Levi. He didn’t treat her as if she didn’t know what was best for her. He treated her opinions as if they mattered and her ideas as if they could actually be better than his. He respected her and her ideas.
“What makes you think he will even go for it?” he asked, holding her gaze.
“He might not. Not at first anyway. I didn’t say I could do this completely alone. If the Lux and Nocte put enough pressure on him—if we can make him see that he might not get whatever it is he is after as long as he has to fight us too—then I think he will give it some serious consideration.”
Levi sighed and rubbed his face with both hands as he always did when he was thinking hard. As he refilled their glasses he seemed to give in. “We need to talk to Nya.”
“Of course.”
“And we need to meet with the Vigilum.”
“Agreed.”
“They have been really unresponsive to my attempts to speak with them before.”
Harley looked away. “I’m pretty sure I can make it happen,” she said sheepishly.
Levi met her gaze and she could see the anger in his eyes. Shit. Here it comes. Instead of saying anything, he pushed away from the counter and walked into the living room. Harley gulped down the last of her drink, hopped off the counter and followed him.
Harley hesitated before saying anything—she wasn’t sure what she should say. Before she had a chance to speak Levi turned and stalked towards her. The movement caught her off guard and took her breath away. The look in his eyes was intense and dangerous. Instead of being intimidated or afraid, Harley was turned on by it. He stepped toe to toe with her and his eyes blacked out as they burned down at her. She met his gaze and felt her whole body quiver as her eyes matched his. Her Nocte shivered gleefully. Levi stepped towards her forcing her to step back. He took another step forward and she took another back. She continued to hold his stare and tried hard to keep the gloating smirk from spreading across her face. She knew what this was. This was Levi’s instinctual reclaiming of his territory. Whether he would ever admit it or not, Castor was a threat and Levi was trying to remind Harley know who the stronger contender was.
And I’m not complaining, Harley grinned internally and her Nocte agreed. Harley always had found Levi’s strength to be a turn on. Her back bumped against the wall and she could go no further. She waited, letting Levi call the shots. His expression was molten steel and it made her mouth go dry and her body quiver. Without saying a word or breaking eye contact, Levi gripped the sides of her underwear and slowly tore them away. She could feel her heart pounding with anticipation and the slow deliberate movements Levi was making were driving her crazy. She fought the urge to reach out and touch his bare chest. She wanted to rip his pants off him as he had done her. But she resisted the urge. This was Levi’s show and she fully intended to let him run it so that she could enjoy the full affect.
Never breaking eye contact, Levi roughly pulled her tank top over her head and tossed it in the direction of her discarded underwear. He ran his hands over her breasts with the lightest of touches but when his fingers reached her nipples he pinched them roughly and it sent shocks of across her back and down her stomach. She wasn’t able to stop the slight moan that escaped her throat and that was the final catalyst for Levi. Using one hand he gripped Harley’s chin and kissed her with enough force that their teeth scraped against each other’s lips. Harley felt her fangs slid down at the same time she heard Levi unbuckling his pants with his free hand. He let go of her chin and lifted her by her hips. He pressed her against the wall with his body and caught her wrists in one hand and held them above her head. With the other hand he guided himself inside her and she gasped as she wrapped her legs around his waist. She threw her head back and moaned as Levi sank his teeth into her neck. Which each pull of his jaw her body throbbed in response. She burned with the need to take from Levi as well but she waited. She wanted to prolong the moment for as long as possible. Harley relaxed and took Levi into herself, enjoying the power and pleasure that coursed through her body. She let the sensations wash over her and Levi lost himself inside her with small gasping moans. She could tell that he felt more of her than he did himself and it made her heart beat even harder. Not able to wait any longer Harley sank her teeth into Levi’s neck and they both spiraled into a twisting vortex of ecstasy. Again, they both lost sight of where one ended and the other began. When they both finished, it was all Levi could do to slowly ease them both to the floor in a slow motion collapse where they both lay recovering. Harley could feel the power and energy pulsating throughout her body and she let herself drift in the afterglow.
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Later, after both Harley and Levi had found themselves again, they sat on the couch drinking and making plans. Harley had expected some sort of confrontation to follow the angry sex they had had. But none did. Levi seemed to have made his point and was ready to move on. She sank into the couch and enjoyed the tired, used feeling that caressed her body. She smiled to herself. It wasn’t lingering soreness from getting hit by the truck that caused her to feel raw and sensitive. Feeding from Levi had finally healed the last of that.
“Nya will be here tomorrow,” Levi was saying.
“OK. I’ll talk to Cas and see if and how soon he can arrange a sit down with the Vigilum.” She watched Levi’s face for a reaction, but there wasn’t any and her Nocte purred in self-satisfied contentment. “Do you want to wait until everyone is together before you go over everything you found out while in Italy?”
Levi rubbed his face, “Yeah. That would make things easier.”
“What? It’s pretty bad, isn’t it?”
Levi looked at her with what she could only describe as regret. “I don’t know yet.”
“Do you need to go hunt?”
Levi looked up and thought about his answer. “No. Your blood seems to have taken care of that. It’s amazing. It’s like…” he trailed off thinking. “I don’t know,” he gave up trying to describe it. “I’ve never felt anything like it. I feel like I could fly,” he chuckled.
Harley laughed at him. “I know what you mean….How weird is it that we do this?”
Levi raised an eyebrow. “Really weird. I’ve never known a Nocte to feed from anything that wasn’t an Ignis. And I certainly never have. But since that first time—I’ve wanted to do it again. And I’m amazed that it leaves us both feeling better and not worse since we are draining each other’s life force.”
Harley grinned and felt quite proud of herself even though she wasn’t sure if she should. “I think when we feed from each other that it causes us to share our forces somehow.”
Levi shrugged, shaking his head. “It makes sense.”
Harley sighed and laughed ruefully.
“What?”
“I still can’t get used to how my life has turned out. Every once in a while I have these ‘Am I actually having a conversation about this?’ moments.”
Levi gave her with a full smile while reaching out the grab the foot she had curled underneath her. Effortlessly, he pulled her across the couch so that she was flat on her back with her butt against his side and her feet in the air. She laughed and didn’t resist when he bit her foot even though it tickled and she would normally consider it entirely too cutesy. When he leaned over and bit her thigh next she stopped laughing and gasped as her stomach twitched with excitement. She laughed breathlessly, “Oh, my.”
Chapter 37
Two days later Harley, Nya, and Levi were walking into the private room of a small, Chinatown restaurant to meet with Castor and two other Lux. Since Harley had left Castor’s apartment she had only spoken to him to arrange the meeting.
Castor had seemed glad to hear from her until she explained why she was calling. Harley purposefully made the call in the living room where Levi was also sitting flipping through channels. Harley was, again, struck by Levi participating in an ordinary activity like channel surfing.
“Hello,” Castor answered the phone smoothly.
“How have you been?” Harley asked pleasantly.
“Good now.” Harley cringed internally knowing that Levi could hear every word Castor said. She peaked at him and was relieved to see that he didn’t seem affected by Castor’s tone or words. “How are you? All healed up?” he asked her.
“Yeah, perfectly fine now. So…I’m calling because we need to set up a meeting between the Vigilum and the Nocte. Can you make this happen?”
