Key of Solomon: Relic Defender, Book 1 Read online

  Before anyone could react, Mari leaped at Jackson. His wide eyes flashed alarm before she was on him. Her fingers wrapped around his throat as she shoved him against the now closed door to Mikos’s library. Jackson winced when his back slammed against the wood.

  “Way to go, doll!” Rocky cheered.

  From a safe distance atop the desk.

  Away from Jackson.

  Chicken, much?

  “Mari!” Along with her name, Mikos snapped out a command in that old language. Was it to hold back the vampy demon or encourage her to continue?

  Her fingers still tight on Jackson’s throat, Mari looked back over her shoulder. Despite seeing the demon in her fight mode before, Lexi felt a flash of primitive fear sweep through her at the raw power and rage in the demon’s expression.

  Mari hissed something back at Mikos. Not in Latin. Something that even to Lexi’s untrained and inexperienced ears sounded very old. Ancient even. Maybe even something never spoken by humans before.

  “This is the human I told you about,” Mari said, this time in English.

  Lexi stared at Jackson, noting his bluish face. “Ah, Mari, you’re killing him.”

  Mari looked back at him. Her lips were curled back from her teeth, the long fangs looking even longer. As if he were a fly and she was the little boy looking to squash him. Forget pulling off his wings. Mari wanted the crunch of Jackson’s bones under her heels.

  “Mari, let him go.”

  With one final hiss at Jackson, she released the tight hold she had on his neck, and took a few steps back. He rubbed his neck, his lips twisted into a wry grin.

  “Remind me never to make you mad,” he quipped.

  Mari snarled, but didn’t move or say anything.

  “Tell me why I stopped her from killing you,” Mikos spoke, his tone cool and impersonal. Lexi knew from past experience, this was Mikos at his angriest. He may have interceded, but he was furious.

  Jackson jerked his head at Lexi. “I have a message for her.”

  A brow arched. He had a message for her? “What,” she said, “did your, uh, employer want to make me another offer?”

  A crooked grin pulled at his lips. “I know, dumber than a box full of hammers, isn’t it?” He shook his head. “Actually, he sent me to tell you he offers you a trade.”

  “Your employer.”

  “I think you know him as Beliel.”

  Lexi sucked in a deep breath, but before she could respond, Mari hissed again. Swinging her gaze over to the demon, Lexi’s own eyes widened at the flaming red of the woman’s eyes as she glowered at Jackson. Who appeared totally unconcerned he was inches away from a rather violent death.

  “You work for Beliel?” Again Mikos’s calm tone spoke volumes for someone who knew him. Or bothered to listen.

  Satisfaction filled Lexi at the expression on Jackson’s face. The cocky cowboy had the pinched look of worry lining his face. She gave him props for being smarter than he’d recently appeared if he recognized the danger he was in. About damn time.

  He shrugged, a hitch of his shoulders that tried for unconcern but settled for stiff. “That’s the name he gave me.” Jackson cocked his head. “You know him?”

  “What a naïve human,” Mari sneered, her fangs retracted but the gleam of her teeth shone through her lips. “You have no idea who you work for. What you work for.”

  She turned her head to face Mikos, her body still pointing toward Jackson as if he so much as twitched in a bad way, she’d be all over him. And this time, Lexi didn’t think Mikos could stop her.

  “He could be linked.”

  Mikos nodded. “Show me the back of your neck.”

  Jackson choked. “The back of my neck?” he parroted, his gaze shooting between the three of them. “You want me to show you the back of my neck? What the hell for?”

  “Just do it,” Mari snarled.

  Jackson crossed his arms over his broad chest and lifted his chin. “Listen, you may be a looker, but if you take one step near my neck, I’ll…”

  “You’ll what?” Mari interrupted, curiosity gleaming in her red gaze.

  “I’ll be forced to kiss you.”

  Lexi broke out into laughter. She couldn’t help herself. Mari’s face had paled then flushed with red. Almost enough red to overshadow those scarlet eyes. Even though she hadn’t known the demon long, she’d figured not much could disconcert the lovely redhead.

  And now this. Even in this tense situation, Jackson was cocky enough to tease the vampy demon. The cowboy was either stupid or clever. She was beginning to like him. Unless he was possessed by a demon. In which case, what she liked wouldn’t matter. If Mari didn’t kill him, Mikos would. So much for angels being peaceful.

  “Enough.” Mikos snapped out. “You will show me the back of your neck. If you don’t, what Mari could do to you will be the least of your worries.”

  Glares clashed as both testosterone-laden men—one angel, one human—glared at each other. Finally, Jackson shrugged again and turned around. “Fine, don’t have a conniption. Makes no difference to me.”

  Sandy brown hair brushed the color of his shirt, he pulled it aside. Mikos jerked his head at Mari. At Jackson’s side, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked it down ignoring his exclamation of protest. But he didn’t move.

  Not stupid then.

  Smooth tanned skin beckoned their attention. Lexi had no idea what Mari and Mikos sought, but to her eyes, Jackson’s skin appeared unmarked and unbroken.

  Mari looked back at Mikos. Was that disappointment in her expression? Good Lord, the woman was ruthless. It was almost as if she wanted Jackson to be possessed by Beliel.

  “Are you done?”

  Mikos nodded, and Mari stepped back. This time, she went over to stand closer to Lexi. Great, now she had a bodyguard.

  Jackson jerked his shirt back in place. “Now that the fun and games are over with, can I give my message?”

  “Yeah, yeah, the trade.” Lexi snorted. “What does Beliel have I could possibly want? He’s already offered me a new life.”

  “I’m pretty sure he hasn’t offered you this.” Jackson’s mouth took on an unpleasant twist.

  He reached inside his shirt’s breast pocket and pulled out a picture. “He said he wanted the object you took and he’d give you,” Jackson turned the picture around to face Lexi, “her.”

  For a minute Lexi’s mind seemed to play tricks on her. The full-figured blonde, her arms wrapped around a boy and girl appeared familiar, yet not familiar.

  “Who is…?” her voice trailed off when it suddenly hit her between the eyes with the force of a hammer who the woman was.

  “Christ, that’s Sam.”

  Her knees threatening to give way, Lexi staggered back a few steps until the backs of her legs bumped into the couch. She let momentum carry her backwards until she flopped into the soft cushions. The amulet on her chest flashed hot, then chilled to ice. She hadn’t felt such a strong reaction from the necklace since she’d died.

  “Who is this Sam?” Mikos asked.

  Lexi looked up at him, wondering if her expression was a bleak as she felt. “She’s a waitress from the club where I used to work.”

  “You were friends?”

  She shook her head. “No, not really. At least I didn’t think so.”

  “Why then would Beliel take her?”

  “I don’t know.”

  As Lexi watched a pained acknowledgment flashed into his dark eyes. As if he’d made a necessary decision yet the consequences from the decision left a sour taste in his mouth.

  “Go back to Beliel and tell him no deal.”

  Lexi gasped, feeling her eyes widen. “What?” She shot to her feet and stood toe to toe with Mikos.

  Planting both hands on her hips, she leaned in until she and Mikos had mere inches between them. Even in her anger, she was too freaking conscious of his nearness. The heat of his body. The earthy scents, mixed with musk. She tried to throttle the dizzying curren
t racing through her in reaction to Mikos’s closeness.

  By the sudden flare of his nostrils and dilating pupils, she suspected he felt the same. That made it harder to remain indifferent.

  “It is a trap,” he said, his voice rough.

  “So?”

  His brows shot up. “This is a ruse designed to get you and the Key. We cannot allow that to happen for the sake of one mortal.”

  She didn’t like the way he said mortal, the way the word seemed to ooze over his tongue as if it were a thing of disgust. Something distasteful. Just like Mari used to do.

  “Not your decision. I’m the Defender.”

  “And I’m your mentor.”

  “What difference does that make? I’m not letting him use her against me.”

  “He’s already doing that.” Mikos rubbed his jaw. “Look at you, Lexi. You’re ready to go running off, to sacrifice the Key for one soul when the souls of millions are in your hands.”

  She felt a scream of frustration at the back of her throat, begging to be released. A part of her recognized Mikos was right. That she did risk so much for one person. But after Devyn how could he not see her side?

  “Mikos, I can’t leave her to die.”

  Empathy glittered behind the sparking silver of his eyes. “I understand.” His voice was soft, gentle. She saw his fingers clench into fists at his side. “You leave me with no choice.”

  He took a deep breath then in chanting undertones, spoke a series of words that had absolutely no meaning to her but obviously they did to Mari. The woman’s eyes widened and she turned her startled expression on Mikos.

  “What did you do?” Even as she asked, Lexi suspected she knew exactly what he’d done.

  “No one can leave. Not without my say so.”

  Lexi felt her mouth open and close while she sought the right words to say. She couldn’t find any. Instead, she fixed Mikos with an expression she was sure showed every betrayal she currently felt.

  Turning on her heel, she shoved through the door, ignoring Mari’s soft call.

  Mikos heard her feet pounding up the stairs. He sighed and his head dropped.

  “Mikos. What about the Key?” Mari spoke into the awkward silence left after Lexi’s departure. It was if she took energy with her, leaving him feeling lost. Lonely.

  “I’ll let her hold on to it,” he held up a hand, “for now. It will be safe behind my wards.” Mikos jerked his head at Rocky. “Stay with Lexi.”

  “Sure, boss, no problem.” Between one breath and the next, Rocky winked from sight.

  Mikos turned to Jackson. “You may go back and tell Beliel he will not have the Key. Or the Defender.”

  Jackson lifted a hand. “Uh, I can’t do that.”

  “You can’t? Why?”

  “Because I quit.” His faint smile held a touch of sadness. “I may be a thief, but I draw the line at kidnapping and torturing women.”

  “Then why did you come?” Mari asked, her tone curious.

  Mikos wondered the same thing. If the human was right, that he’d had no part in the woman’s kidnapping, then what would it gain him to be the one delivering the message? After all, he could easily have been killed as soon as he said his part.

  “I wanted to help you get her back.” He shrugged. “Looks like I’ll be doing that by myself.”

  Mikos saw incredulity sweep into Mari’s eyes. He had to admit to being shocked at the human’s comment as well. “You thought to join our team?”

  “Yeah.”

  Mikos nodded.

  “You believe him?” Mari’s voice rose in surprise.

  “Immaterial. What I believe is that if he is lying, I will kill him myself.”

  “Excuse me, but him would like to participate in the conversation where his life is decided. Besides, you decided not to trade,” Jackson’s tongue appeared to trip over the last word, “for the girl.”

  Mikos lifted a brow. “I didn’t say we would not rescue the girl. I just said we would not trade Lexi or the Key for her.”

  “Ah, I see,” Jackson said. His lips twisted into a crooked grin. “Count me in.”

  “Once I have assured Lexi is sleeping, the three of us will go to the girl.” Mikos’s lips twisted into a wry grin. “I know our stubborn Defender will not destroy the Key unless she knows the girl is safe.”

  With that, Mikos turned and left the library, leaving Jackson and Mari alone. Staring at each other. Jackson could tell from the uncertain look in the woman’s light colored eyes, she wasn’t sure how to react to his change of sides.

  Since he wasn’t sure he’d made the smartest decision, he couldn’t blame her. He knew his decision was the right one, just not whether it was a smart one.

  He resisted the urge to rub his neck again, in the places where her warm hands had squeezed until spots danced before his eyes.

  “Mikos is more easily fooled then I am.” The woman Mikos had called Mari moved around him.

  No, not moved. Stalked. Her sliding steps wove a sinuous path around him. A part of him wanted to drop to his knees and howl like a dog, the other part wanted to run like hell.

  He didn’t know what she was.

  The strength in her chokehold had been as if he’d had steel bars clenched around his throat. In fact, if she hadn’t released him when she did, he suspected his throat would have crushed, snapped like twigs.

  “Glad to hear it.” He figured the best defense was being annoying. “What does that have to do with me?”

  “Everything,” she hissed. “If at any moment I feel you are about to betray us, I will kill you.” She stopped her stalking and leaned in. “And your death will be slow and painful.”

  “Ah, honey, I didn’t know you cared so much you’d feel pain at my death.”

  Her striking, if a bit eerie, eyes widened. Obviously she wasn’t used to wordplay. For him, this got better and better. Needling her was going to provide him a great deal of entertainment.

  “You make jokes, human. Is your life worth so little?” Curiosity softened her face. “Interesting.”

  “I never joke about my life. I just don’t take it as seriously as others do.” He stared hard at her. “But that doesn’t mean I accept whatever is dealt. I’m a firm believer in running my own rodeo.”

  Mari tilted her head, not backing down from his penetrating stare. Impressive. This was one wild filly, soft and feminine with a backbone of steel. He was going to enjoy working with her.

  If he could keep her away from his neck.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “I count him braver who overcomes his desires than him who conquers his enemies; for the hardest victory is the victory over self.”

  Aristotle

  To Lexi, the deserted warehouse wasn’t quite deserted. Just like that freaking barn, the interior of the structure had an unused appearance except for the light in the far corner that said something was going on. A reminder of the last time she’d been in an old building.

  Despite the protection Mikos had apparently put on his home, she’d had no difficulty getting out. Was it her or was it the protections hadn’t been solid enough? If it was her, there was something to be said for an ability to dodge magic.

  Lexi took a step, then another and stopped. The vision of Devyn rushed into her mind. Her feet felt as if they were glued to the floor. She couldn’t move. Didn’t want to move any closer. What if she saw Samantha in the same position as Devyn? There was no way she could handle another death on her hands.

  “Doll, this is such a bad idea.” The grating voice provided some sort of comfort.

  Ah, the downside to her escape. She hadn’t wanted Rocky to come. In fact, when he’d popped into her room, catching her in the act of buckling and tying all the weapons she owned to her body, she’d wished for the ability to make him disappear for good.

  He’d threatened to go to Mikos, but when he didn’t immediately follow through, Lexi had sensed that maybe she had an ally. Or at least she would until he figured out what she
truly planned to do.

  Turning her head, she eyed Rocky who had his customary perch on her shoulder. “Yeah,” she agreed.

  “Then what are we doing here?”

  Lexi opened her mouth, then shut it, her lips pressed together for a second. Finally, she sighed. “I don’t have a freaking clue.”

  “Great. That makes me feel so much better.”

  “Glad to help.”

  In silence, both stared at the far off dim glow. She had no idea what thoughts raced through the shapeshifter’s mind. Her own took on disturbing twists, all coming back to focus on the last time she’d checked out a light in a dark building.

  “So,” Rocky was the first to break the quiet. “We go get Mikos now?”

  “No, we don’t.”

  “I don’t get it, Lexi. Mikos can take care of himself.” His tone suggested a strong hint of reproach.

  “I know.”

  “Then what is the big deal?” This time irritation echoed in the gravelly voice.

  It was time. She sucked in a deep, fortifying breath. “Rocky, it’s not about whether he can take care of himself,” she said. “It’s about him stopping what I’m about to do.”

  She barely noted Rocky’s soft grumble. Had he understood? It didn’t matter whether he did or not. He couldn’t stop her. Another person would not die because of Lexi.

  She’d lost so many. Each death chipped away at her heart. So many freaking pieces were missing, she often wondered how she managed to live. But that was the point wasn’t it? She wasn’t really living. Going through the motions of living, eating, sleeping, breathing. Not feeling. Not caring.

  Yet, every time she opened her heart to another human being, that human died. Her parents. Devyn. And now Samantha. Did that make her unlovable or cursed? Either explanation didn’t matter, didn’t lessen on inescapable truth. Their deaths were her fault. And the book she held in her hand.

  She headed to the dim glow, her steps sober but confident. Any hesitation she felt was at her betrayal of Mikos, not for what she was about to do. Or, rather, what could happen.