Smolder Chapter 24

Seriously, Jade thought, why are we always in the woods? In the movies, spies were always in glamorous dresses attending society affairs while sipping cocktails and scoping out the scene. They had professionally applied makeup and super high-tech gadgets. The reality was ankle-deep in the mud. The head demon lived in another old estate on the outskirts of town and the ball was of course happening in his home rather than some glitzy downtown bar.

As a waft of skunk, or maybe animal feces, filled Jade's nose, she couldn't help but sigh in frustration. It was safe to say the wonderful smell of twenty-dollar-a-bar soap had worn off. She hoped she had time to shower before life threw another curve ball.

"Jade, come on," Aiden whispered and waved her over. She walked over, trying not to let her sneakers squelch in the mud. Yesterday, as she gazed out the hotel window to watch the rain fall into the harbor, she had thought it looked beautiful. Rain, she reminded herself now, was never beautiful at least not the next day when you were for all intents and purposes, off-trail hiking.

"Do you remember the plan?" he asked when she got closer. She rolled her eyes; they had only gone over it one hundred times.

In the woods all around them, but nowhere she could spot Hierophant. Somehow Aiden had done it. He pulled together an army, well more like a gang of loyal followers, but enough Seraphina to trap some of these demons and make them talk.

Now they were scouting ahead and waiting to give notice for them to charge. But, that wouldn't be for a while. First, the two of them had to watch the guests enter and count how many there were. They had to wait for Benjamin to go into the party and give them the signal. They had to find a way to jump through the window into the first-floor study where he was planning to lure Skye. They had to get information about her mother out of Skye. Then they had to find a way to kill her even though she was immune to Vindicator powers, then finally the other could charge in, save the day, and get the rest of the demons. Simple, right? She almost wanted to laugh. Simple just wasn't in her vocabulary anymore.

Aiden motioned to her again and she followed him to another tree a few feet closer to the house. Benjamin had assured them that these demons were too full of themselves to set out patrols. Absolute power often came with absolute arrogance and absolute idiocy, she thought.

When a white Rolls Royce pulled up, Jade stilled her inner monologue. A pale leg with red five-inch heels appeared first, followed by a long black sequined dress. Finally, the bright blonde head of a demon appeared. She couldn't make out any of her features from this distance but knew it wasn't Skye and was slightly jealous of those shoes.

The woman strolled forward, and the car pulled away, disappearing around the bend. She mounted the steps, halting right before she reached the wrap-around porch and Theron greeted her. He gently cupped her fingers and lifted them to his lips. They exchanged pleasantries and he stepped aside to let her continue when her foot crested the top step.

Immediately a wave of flames shot out of the door, encircling her. But rather than fly backward with the force, she stepped slowly across the porch and through the door, smiling the entire time. When she disappeared from sight, so did the flames.

Next to her, Aiden let out a frustrated sigh. She was sure that until that moment he'd hoped that Benjamin was wrong and that there were no captives, harsh reality slapping them in the face.

Before the two of them could talk, a red Ferrari pulled up. A male and female stepped out, he in a tuxedo and she in a chiffon ball gown that seemed to float over the sidewalk. Even from the woods, Jade was almost blinded by the gleaming diamond jewels draped on the female body. When Benjamin had said it was an elite party, he wasn't lying. These people not only had Seraphina, but they had money and lots of it.

Thirty more demons made it past the front door before Jade clenched Aiden's shoulder hard enough to make him wince.

"Hey, Incredible Hulk, lay off," he said while grabbing her fingers to make her let go.

"Sorry," she muttered, not taking her eyes from the car approaching the mansion. "It's Benjamin," she said and nudged her head in his direction, forcing Aiden to focus on the mission again.

Panther-like in his smoothness, he emerged from the car. Jade's breath caught in her throat. He looked pretty darn good in a tuxedo, even if they had found it at the last second and couldn't get it tailored. The diamond cufflinks he had bought yes bought not stolen were like stars twinkling on his wrists. Unlike the other males that had arrived, he hadn't gelled his hair back. Instead, it fell naturally over his forehead, casting shadows over his eyes.

Thinking of his eyes, Jade flashed back to memory two hours earlier. Aiden had already gone to gather the others leaving her and him with a few private moments, just enough time for him to take her blood and prepare for the ball. Kneeling, he gently cupped her wrists and looked up into her face.

"You're nervous. I can feel your pulse racing." She shrugged in response and tried to calm her furiously beating heart. "You trust me, don't you?" He asked, suddenly losing the confident bravado.

"I do," she said, smiling at him warmly. "It's just... It's a little weird," she said for lack of a better word.

"Don't I know it!" He smirked.

"It's fine though. Go ahead," she said, pulling one of her hands-free from his hold. He took the hand she left him and lifted it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on her vein.

She became instantly alert. Her entire body buzzed, making her feel even more nervous, but for what she didn't know. Maybe because it was the first time he was doing this, but it was so intimate far more intimate than the kissing and she had nothing else to compare it to. It wasn't fear because she knew that she could trust him. But, handing over the controls and putting her life in his hands was still a little nerve-wracking. It was one thing for him to swoop in and save her life, but quite another for her to offer it to him willingly.

Her heart about dropped to her stomach when he flicked his cool tongue across her skin. And then in one drawn-out second, with her breath caught in her throat, he bit down.

At first, all she felt was her body screaming as it jumped into protection mode. The sunlight gathered inside her and she forced it away, trying to convince her instincts that he was not an enemy.

She caught his eyes while the fire raged inside her and held on to them. She had seen demons aggressive and hungry before, but this was different. His irises were warm and not the icy cool she was used to seeing. His pupils had gotten smaller rather than aggressively dilated. And when she stared into their depths, she felt perfectly safe. The power inside her calmed.

And before she realized it, he was finished. He slipped his teeth from her skin and kissed her wrist. Subtly, so he wouldn't notice she used her power to heal the puncture wounds.

"Not so bad?" He asked quietly.

"No," she smiled and gently held his cheek with her hand, running her thumb along the bone. She held his gaze for a minute, letting him understand that she was fine, and they were perfect. "It wasn't what I was expecting though," she said, changing her tone to playful and standing up. She had to get him ready for the ball.

"Oh yeah? What were you expecting?" he asked while following her into a standing position.

"I don't know. To be under a spell you know like all those heroines go into a raging sack of hormones. But, you know, it didn't do anything for me," she grinned and walked over to the bed to get his tuxedo jacket.

He raised his eyebrows, accepting the challenge. "That's because I wasn't trying. If I turned it on, you would be putty in my hands." He turned around so she could slip the black coat over his shoulders.

Turning him to face her, she adjusted his bow tie before responding, "Oh really?"

"Hey, I've got moves you've never seen," he said with a smirk.

"Really? You're going with that line?"

"How about this one?" He said and took a step closer, gripping her hips. "When I hear your heart flutter or speed up like it is right now, I want to know it's because of me. Not because of what I am, but because of who I am." She opened her lips to speak, but the words caught in her mouth when he leaned his forehead against hers. "When I feel your skin heat up or hear your breath shorten," he said while moving his lips closer and closer to hers, "I love to know that I made it happen." He kissed her, making her feel all those things, before pulling away with a lopsided grin. "Better?"

"Much better," she breathlessly told him.

"Jade," Aiden said, jolting her out of her memories and back into the stink of the woods. Dang, she thought, talk about a one-eighty. She waved Aiden off to focus back on Benjamin. Bad Jade, she chastised herself. She was not allowed to think of kissing when her boyfriend was about to face a test that could kill him.

She watched him walk towards Theron, holding her breath the entire time. When Theron reached his hand out in greeting, she let the air out. The plan was going to work. Benjamin shook his hand and walked onto the porch, letting the flames engulf him. Halfway to the door, he looked out into the woods, searching for her in the darkness. But, before she had the chance to even smile at the gesture, he was through the entry and inside the ball. He had passed the test.

"Come on," Aiden said, motioning away from the house.

"Shouldn't we wait for Skye?" she asked, still eyeing the mansion.

"Something tells me she's already inside," Aiden said. The two of them watched Theron sliver through the front door and close it shut behind him. But, something felt wrong. If he had given Skye the blood, why hadn't she used it to get into the party? Why would he just let her rest inside?

Aiden grabbed her hand and pulled her deeper into the forest. Phase two, she tried to quell the surge of impatience already rising in her chest... time to wait.

They circled to the backside of the house. She looked at the third window on the left, which Benjamin had said was the study. Now, she and Aiden had to hunker down and wait for the sign. When he had Skye, he was supposed to flip on the light, open the window, and make his presence known.

When they reached the far side of the house, a spot in direct sight of the study, she stopped walking next to an uprooted tree. She could see the house from here, well enough to know if it was time to move in, so why not sit down for the wait? Skye had been evading Benjamin for weeks and Jade didn't think she would give in so easily.

Looking down at her shoes, sunk half an inch into the ground, she plopped down on the trunk. Her feet were already a disaster; she might as well let her butt get covered in mud too. The wet bark dampened her shorts almost immediately.

Aiden turned to the sound of crunching leaves and sat next to her. "What do you think is going on in there?" she asked. From the seat, she could also glimpse into the ballroom. Gorgeous chandeliers twinkled against the windows. Sweeping curtains kept most of the room from view, but she could tell it was extravagant.

"The usual I'm sure sipping on cocktails and," he leaned closer while deepening his voice, "plotting to take over the world."

"I'm serious," she nudged him.

"Hey, me too. It's like an evil mastermind convention in there."

"I bet they're dancing," she smiled wistfully, imagining some orchestra playing a waltz while couples twirled along the dance floor. The demons inside might be evil, but something told her the ball was all about fun, about remembering an older time all of the ancient ones missed. At least, she thought she would not have been able to plot anything in those outfits. Ball gowns were for spinning around, not complacently sitting, and talking.

"We could be dancing," Aiden said after a moment. She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, the sound of insects buzzing in the air sets the mood."

"It's like music to my ears, especially that obnoxiously loud croaking noise behind us," he said while turning around, "what is that? It sounds like something is dying."

She listened for the sound, cringing at the wail when she finally heard it. "So, what now?" he asked. She shrugged. Nothing except wait for Benjamin's sign, which could take who knew how long. "Well, if we're stuck here anyway," Aiden continued, "There's sort of something I've been meaning to talk to you about."