bedeviled & beyond 05 - bedeviled & besmirched Read online

  “Are you growing a goatee?”

  Flick blushed and turned away. He took several choppy steps toward my office window and stood there, his hands fluttering from his waist to his hips, and then crossing over his narrow chest. He was very nervous about something.

  An impossible thought took root in my beady little brain and I couldn’t stop it from sprouting into full blown realization, despite the horrendously ugly nature of the thought. “Oh good Him, Flick! You have a girlfriend!”

  Flick nearly passed out on the spot. He turned nondescript brown eyes on me and they were filled with a plea. He didn’t want me to tease him.

  Too bad I was part devil, and with my Settling roaring down on me, possibly the larger part devilish. My lips spread in a grin. “Flick, after five hundred years you’re finally having sex.”

  His knees buckled and he landed in my chair. The usually pasty color of his complexion worsened to the point where it was hard to tell where his angelic robes stopped and his skin began.

  I laughed outright. “I’m shocked, Flick, appalled actually, now that my traitorous mind is painting a picture of you doing it with some...girl. Let me guess, she’s small and mousy and pale...just like you?”

  He frowned. “I’m not going to help you extract the nest of dragons, Astra.”

  I frowned right back. “You’re my guardian angel, Flick. It’s your job to keep me safe. If you’re sitting comfortably on your cloud while I tackle those dragons all by myself and I get eaten you’re gonna get fired.”

  He shook his head, leaning back in my chair like he owned the place and dropping his size nine narrows onto the top of my desk.

  Throwing a significant glance toward the sneaker-clad feet, I cocked an eyebrow at him. It appeared Flick was stiffening a bit of spine under all those flowing robes.

  “There’s a special clause in your contract. Since you live such a dangerous life and you’re so bullheaded, your guardian isn’t strictly responsible for keeping you alive. I’m only obligated to give it my best shot.”

  “And sitting on your lily-white ass while I tackle an entire nest of dragons by myself is giving it your best shot?”

  He looked slightly uncomfortable but stuck his smallish, sparsely haired chin in the air and stood up nonetheless. “Yes. I’ve told you that you shouldn’t do it. If you do, you’re on your own.”

  He started to shimmer away.

  “I’ll just see if my aunt Myra agrees with you!” I shouted before he was completely gone.

  Flick disappeared with a pop and I threw my mug at the spot where he’d been standing. Luckily the coffee I’d been drinking was gone and I missed the window, only breaking the mug.

  “Shit.” Now what was I gonna do? Who could I call for help? I dropped into my chair and swiveled it so I could look out the window. It was my thinkin’ position. Several moments later, the only thing I was thinkin’ was that I was screwed.

  The televisual on my desk bleeped and my sister Darma’s face blinked into view.

  “Astra!” Her voice, as usual, made all the blood in my body run for cover. There was a mass exodus of fluids to the back of my body, where my internal organs and skin could protect it.

  Before I could stop myself, I rolled my eyes. Ever since she broke up with Dialle’s brother Torre, my bossy sister had been all up in my grill about everything.

  Her usual scowl deepened a couple of degrees. “I saw that.”

  I sighed. “Whatever. What do you want, Darma?”

  “There’s no need to be rude.”

  “Actually, there’s a very good need. I have a problem and I can’t find a solution. You’re interrupting me with most likely a problem of your own. I’m full up on problems and in the market for some solutions.”

  “What’s the problem?”

  I stood up to pace. “You wouldn’t be interested.”

  “Try me. You might be surprised.”

  I snorted. Like Darma would want to help me oust a bunch of squatting dragons. “Not a chance.”

  “Astra!”

  Just to get rid of her I told her what I needed.

  She thought about it for a few minutes and then nodded. “Okay. I’ll help.”

  I did my best imitation of Flick being discovered with a penis and balls and fell into my chair. “You’ll what?”

  “I’ll help you with your dragon problem.”

  “But you’ll have to use your powers.”

  “I know. I’m okay with that.”

  “Good Him,” I murmured. Now what was I gonna do?

  ~SC~

  I scanned a look down my sister’s leather-clad form, feeling the need to roll my eyes completely back into my head. The pants were skin tight and the stretchy shirt under her black leather jacket was low cut, showing significant cleavage. On her size-nine feet, which used to be firmly settled on terra firma, were a truly kickin’ pair of butter-soft, black leather boots.

  The boots kept me from scoffing outwardly. I lusted after those boots. If only her feet weren’t bigger than mine...

  “Are you sure about this, Darma?”

  She cast a clear, blue gaze filled with something that looked a lot like excitement at me. Her pretty, coral-colored lips pursed. “What’s your problem, Astra? I thought you wanted help.”

  “I do. But this is going to be dangerous and will require that you use your powers. I didn’t think you ever wanted to use your powers again.”

  She shrugged, examining a perfectly manicured and polished middle finger. I chose to believe she wasn’t flipping me a virtual bird in her mind. “Things change.”

  Scanning her pretty, blonde hair, which, in the past she’d always curled and coiffed to within an inch of its life, I knew she was right. Darma had pulled it back into a high, tight ponytail. Not a feature-softening curl in sight. Instead, wispy bangs touched her ash-blonde eyebrows, where not a single hair had previously cluttered up her unlined brow.

  A roar sounded from the building and I turned to find a massive head with beady, red eyes glaring at us from the largest window. As I met the female’s gaze, the huge maw opened and her nostrils flared. I barely had time to pull my power forward in a shield before she sent a spray of metal-melting fire in our direction.

  Darma continued to examine her fingernails. When the stream of fire stopped, Darma lifted a hand and shot a thick beam of stark-white power toward the window.

  The dragon retreated back inside with a yip of alarm.

  “Did I mention that we need to take them alive, Darma?”

  She shrugged. “Just because we aren’t killing her doesn’t mean we should allow her to disrespect us.”

  Alrighty then.

  “You girls all right?”

  I turned and waved. The owner of the building was standing a few dozen yards away, armed with a laser pistol and covered in fireproof fabric. He’d cut a hole in the center of a long piece of the stuff and had stuck his head through it, like a Martian poncho. He wore a black dome with a visor over his head. It looked like an air cycle helmet.

  Arch Magnus had made it very clear since the moment he met me that he didn’t think I could handle the job. Standing five foot and not much tall, with shoulder length auburn hair that curled prettily at the ends whether I wanted it to or not, sizeable boobs and an attractive face, I got that a lot from my male clients. If only I could kick his ass to show him I was up for the job. But kicking your clients’ asses, even when they’re complete jerks, is generally bad for business.

  “I can go in with y’all if you want. I’m armed to the teeth and very muscular under this here fireproof fabric.”

  “If muscle is spelled f-a-t,” I murmured. I took a deep breath, ignoring him. “Are you ready?”

  Darma didn’t respond, she just started walking toward the building, looking for all the world like Lara Croft, Tomb Raider from oldies night at the holographic films. I shook my head and followed.

  The stench of massive reptile thickened the air as we drew near. From my observati
ons I figured there were at least four of them in the building. The female and three babies.

  “Do you remember the plan?”

  Darma slanted me a look. “You mean we’re not going with the usual plan of kicking ass, blowing shit up and praying?”

  I shrugged. “Unfortunately not. This one calls for a bit more finesse. If we want to take them alive we’re gonna have to knock the female out without killing her. The babies will go along with whatever we do at that point.”

  “What are we doing at that point?”

  “That part of the plan is fuzzy. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

  “There’s no way you and I will be able to space shift them to Hell by ourselves.”

  I tried to ignore her but, per usual, she wouldn’t go away.

  “Astra?”

  “I’m workin’ on it.” In a huff, I reached for the door handle without thinking and felt my skin nearly sizzle from the heat. “Ouch!” I sucked the burned area on my hand to ease the pain.

  The air beside me started to shimmer and panic swamped me.

  “Oh shit!”

  Darma turned in surprise as a gorgeous male animal shimmered into view between us. Her pretty, coral-colored lips formed a perfect O of delight.

  He was a little over six feet tall and his hair was midnight black, cut very short, warrior style. The short hair enhanced a very masculine jaw and densely muscled neck. His mouth was wide, with a full, chewable lower lip, and his jaw held a familiar dark stubble. His eyes were gold with black flecks. He was dressed in his usual outfit of tight-fitting pants tucked into tall, scuffed, brown, leather boots and a pecs-snugging, short-sleeved shirt with a round neckline.

  Slayer smiled at me, showing a long, sexy dimple on each cheek. “Hello, beautiful.”

  I pulled my stinging hand from my mouth and grimaced. “What were you doing, sitting on the power wave?”

  His smile widened. “When you suck the mark that hard it’s difficult to ignore.”

  I jerked my hand downward, guiltily hiding it from my sister’s keen gaze.

  “What’s going on, Astra?”

  Bleurgh!

  I twitched my fingers toward her and turned my back on Slayer. “Nothing. I don’t need you, Slayer, it was a mistake.”

  Before I knew what he was doing, Slayer grabbed my burned hand and pulled it upward. I gasped as his tongue came out and swept across the stinging flesh. The skin stopped hurting immediately and the bright red color faded away soon after.

  The damage done elsewhere in my body was harder to repair. My Settling roared to life and swamped me with lust. Heat suffused my face and my sexual core throbbed expectantly. The nerve endings on the surface of my skin exploded into sensitivity, turning even the slightest touch of his fiery skin into the most intimate caress.

  Slayer’s nostrils flared and he stepped close, as if pulled into my embrace by my rampaging hormones. One thickly muscled arm enfolded me, tucking me into his long, hard body. His shaft pressed hopefully against my belly. His lips lowered toward mine.

  My eyes were riveted on those incredible lips. In my mind I was already tasting them. My mouth opened in expectation of his kiss and my body swayed toward his. My eyes fluttered shut and my heart pounded.

  Slayer dropped his mouth onto mine in a ravenous kiss, his pretty, white teeth capturing my bottom lip and nibbling it before sucking it into the hot cave of his mouth. I moaned under the passionate onslaught, my tongue spearing through to dance with his.

  He tasted spicy and masculine and I suddenly couldn’t get enough. My nipples tightened into hard peaks and speared his chest. My panties dampened from his scent.

  Slayer threaded his fingers through my hair and held me in the kiss, deepening it under a growl of need. He drove one well-muscled thigh between my knees, and groaned as I dry humped the sexy, invading limb.

  My mind turned to mush under my Settling. Long weeks of emotional starvation only added to the fire building in my body. My Settling made me crave sexual touch, my place on the emotional precipice made me hunger for passionate fulfillment.

  I was sexual dynamite. And Slayer was a flame looking for something to ignite.

  The only thing that could ruin the event was the wall of disapproval and disgust that had been slamming into my mind since Slayer first pulled me into his embrace. After a couple minutes, the invading force successfully bludgeoned the passion from my soul.

  I felt Darma’s repulsion before her angry screech of a voice thumped against my frontal lobe.

  Astra! Get a grip!

  I tried to ignore her. Slayer’s hand was sliding over my hip, cupping one of my buttocks in heat and sensation.

  Astra!

  I jumped and Slayer lifted his head, breaking his drug-like kiss.

  I whimpered, reaching for him with an embarrassing desperation.

  Darma reached out and touched my arm, sending a few thousand volts of electricity into the spot as discouragement.

  “Ouch! Shit!” My skin sparked and pain stabbed into me. Slayer jumped away, his gaze sliding to Darma for the first time.

  I rubbed my arm petulantly as their gazes met.

  They stared at each other for a long moment, neither of them blinking. I couldn’t tell if they liked what they saw or were just surprised to discover each other there.

  Something surged between them, Darma’s blue eyes softened slightly, and Slayer finally smiled. Neither of them spoke or moved.

  I finally waved a hand in front of Slayer’s face, feeling surprisingly unhappy with his obvious interest in my sister. “Hello!”

  Slayer finally blinked and turned. His eyes were filled with heat when they landed on me, his smile seemed genuine. It was if he’d never seen my sister.

  Weird.

  “What are you doing, Astra? Whatever it is, I can help.”

  I started to shake my head and then realized I was being stupid. He was already there, and the Big Guy knew we needed help. I bit my lip and sighed. “All right. I need to move this nest of greens out of the building.”

  He frowned. “Nest?”

  “Yeah. There are babies.”

  “Frunk me.”

  I nodded. “I think if we can manage to knock out the female the babies will go along. Then we just need to figure out how to get them back to Hell.”

  He shook his head. “You can’t send them back, Astra. The greens are leaving Hell because they’re dying in record numbers there. The fires have been growing and the resulting sulfur is killing their offspring.” He jerked his head toward the building. “That female knew what she was doing when she left. She was saving her babies.”

  I knew the fires of Hell had been building recently. I didn’t like the trend. It had happened a few times throughout millennia, just before the human realm exploded into massive war.

  Shaking my head, I set that aside. A problem for another day. “Then we’ll need to get them to Olympus. Can you help with that?”

  “I think I can.” He touched my chin with a heated fingertip and smiled. My thighs tightened at the sight.

  Swallowing hard, I turned away from that smile. “You ready?”

  Darma nodded. Her expression still looked slightly stupefied. Her lips were parted and she seemed to be breathing kind of hard. Her pretty blue eyes were locked on Slayer’s fine backside as he turned toward the building.

  I smacked her on the arm, finally drawing the dazed look from her face, and then lifted an eyebrow at her hostile glare.

  Focus, I told her.

  An unfamiliar grin spread across her face. If I didn’t know her better I’d think it was a leer. I was focusing.

  I couldn’t help it, I smiled with her. No matter where my heart was promised, there was no denying it. Slayer was about as fine a male specimen as I’d ever encountered.

  And I couldn’t fault my sister for noticing.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Slaying the Dragon

  The fires of Hell grow harsh and foul, endangering the gree
ns,

  Sending them to Earth to nest, amongst the human bein’s.

  I took a deep breath and stepped back, preparing to blast the door from its hinges. I could feel Slayer’s heat at my back and his hot breath on my neck.

  Darma was loitering behind him. I had a pretty good idea what she was doing back there.

  I glanced at him. “I’ll draw her fire and you circle around. If we split up she’ll have trouble engaging all of us.”

  Slayer made a noise that I took for agreement.

  Darma made a noise that sounded like an orgasm. She’d be worse than worthless in there.

  Rolling my eyes in disgust, I sent a focused beam of power into the door and covered my face as it blasted inward, sending splinters and sparks in all directions.

  Moving with preternatural speed, Slayer stepped around me and was through the door before I could even stir.

  He was immediately engulfed in fire.

  Slayer held his hands out in front of him and the fire roared just beyond his fingertips. His power shield was big enough to cover me as I slipped in behind him and moved along the wall, beyond the green’s fiery spew.

  As I cleared the thick flame and moved past the roiling clouds of smoke, I scanned the area for the best way to get behind the massive lizard.

  The enormous space had been trashed.

  The back third of it had been turned into a nursery for giant, flying babies. The air vehicles that had been in the building when the dragons arrived were pushed into a semi-circle at the back, each one smashed concave at the top and filled with mud, cloth and dried vegetation to create a nest. In the center of each nest sat a baby green, its bright, curious gaze following my progress along the wall with unblinking fascination.

  Mama stopped spewing at Slayer and jerked her head toward me. As she sent a thick stream of fire in my direction, Slayer gave her a painful but non-fatal shot to her massive, green chest.

  The dragon lifted its head in a roar, scoring the wall over my head and the roof with her flesh-melting fire. The ceiling over my head exploded, sending chunks of heavy wood and razor-sharp metal plummeting toward me.

  I leapt away, diving behind a large, rolling tool cart just as a beam of fire found me again. I was surprised when the cart didn’t explode or melt away in front of me.