Requiem

“Here,” Bex said, pul ing a handgun from the back of his pants. “If I go in, keep this with you. The safety’s on, so—,”

“Take it off before I fire, I know.”

Bex smiled. “You’l be fine. Just don’t go in.”

The waiting was excruciating. The night was too quiet; the building too dark. I had expected immediate flashes of gun fire, and Jared and Kim to run out, with snarling, misshapen beasts in pursuit.

Bex picked at his nails, seeming bored, but patient. I checked my handgun again, making sure it was loaded and ready.

“We real y need Claire here. We have to figure out how to get the three of us in the same room with Shax and keep you protected at the same time.”

“You’re just itching to get one in on him, aren’t you?” I smirked.

“On Shax?” Bex said. “Jared’s fought a hundred of ‘em. They react to me the same way they do Kim. They won’t come near me. It’s irritating.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, but it better not be because of my age, or anything like that. I’m ready,” he sniffed.

“You are,” I said, my voice absent of sarcasm.

Bex turned to me with a smal smile, reminding me of his innocence. “Yeah?”

“Absolutely. How much time have we spent together, with Jared nowhere in sight? I’m the hardest Taleh case there is: dirty cops and demons after me day and night, and I don’t have a scratch. Maybe they stay away because they’re scared?”

Bex nodded, satisfied. “Yeah. Probably so.”

Suddenly, Jared and Kim appeared, walking slowly from the back of the building.

“No go?” Bex asked as Jared slammed his body into the driver’s seat.

“They were already gone,” he seethed, his jaw muscles flitting under his skin.

“Shax is playing games with us,” Kim said. “Otherwise he’d move it out of town…or out of the country. He wants you to doubt your judgment, and he’s using me to bait you…wear you out.”

“There has to be another way,” Jared said, slamming the shifter into gear. “We’re making the same mistakes.”

“Are they al the same?” I asked.

Jared, Kim, and Bex turned in my direction.

“The books. Are they al the same? You said there were others. Is there another one we can get to? One that belongs to a demon that doesn’t know we’re coming?”

Jared and Kim traded glances.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Kim said.

“Waste of time,” Bex replied.

“Nigh, Shax’s book is the only one that we know of that has been brought to this plane. The others…we’d have to go to Hel to get,” Kim explained.

“So that’s out,” I said.

“Unless,” Bex began.

“No,” Jared said, cutting him off.

“Unless what?” I said, touching Bex’s arm.

“We could talk someone with access in to getting one.”

Jared sighed. “No one is going to do that, Bex, it would start a war.”

“Samuel would.” A smal , amused smile touched Bex’s face.

“Enough,” Jared said, pul ing into Cynthia’s driveway.

Kim stretched, and then patted my back side. “See you in class tomorrow.”

I shook my head in disbelief. She was so unaffected by it al .

The headlight of Bex’s motorcycle shuttered as Claire pul ed into the drive. She was noticeably upset.

“What is it?” I asked, watching her place the bike on its kickstand.

She fidgeted, and then put her hands on her hips, looking down. Her long bangs fel into her eyes as she procrastinated. “I missed one.”

“Who?” Jared said.

“Kit Anderson.”

“That wil be a problem,” Jared replied.

I frowned. “Who’s Kit Anderson?”

“Ryan’s partner,” Claire said, combing her hair back with her fingers, frustrated.

“You sure?” Bex asked, surprised.

“Ryan went to his house tonight,” Claire said. “Donovan call ed while he was there. Anderson was only on the phone for a moment, but it was Donovan.”

“What are you going to do?” I asked.

They al craned their necks at me.

Claire made a face. “What do you think, Nina? I’ve got to get rid of him.”

My mouth fel open. “But it’s Ryan’s partner. He just lost his whole unit. You’re going to kil his partner?”

“Better than you,” Bex said, climbing onto his bike.

“Where are you going?” Jared said.

“Home. I need to check on Mom, make some call s.”

Jared nodded, and then looked at me. “Let’s get you inside. You’re cold.”

I looked down at my ensemble: a coat over my robe, and tennis shoes. I’d been in such a hurry to ride along, I’d barely dressed. “Okay,” I said, fol owing him inside. Jared had told me over a year ago that he could sense my feelings, but I would never get used to him noticing them before I did.

In my bedroom, I kicked off my sneakers and peeled off my coat, fal ing into the bed. Jared crawled into bed beside me, outlining my body with his. Sleep came quickly, despite the excitement of chasing after Shax.

It felt as if the moment I closed my eyes, I jerked awake, covered in sweat, screaming for my father. Jared held me, this time silent. There was nothing left to say that hadn’t been said already. Reassuring me that it was just a bad dream was pointless.

“Coffee?” he said.

“No,” I said, pul ing on his shirt. “Don’t leave me. Just…stay,” I said between breaths.

He kissed my forehead, whispering sweet comfort in French in my ear. I didn’t know what the words meant, but it was so soft and soothing, I was relaxed against his chest in moments.

I took in a deep breath, inhaling his incredible scent. A tingling traveled the length of my body, and I extended my neck to kiss the lobe of his ear.

“Nina,” he warned.

“I miss you,” I said, kissing tiny sections of his skin until I reached his lips.

“It’s not a good time for us to—,” he began, but I kissed him, cutting off yet another lecture.

“I don’t care,” I said, tears fil ing my eyes, “I need to forget. Just for a little while. Help me forget.”

Jared returned my kiss, cautiously giving in. His soft, ful lips worked against mine, but not in the way I wanted.

I pul ed his t-shirt over his head, but when I tugged at the belt of my robe, he gently held my wrist. “Sweetheart….”

The frustration and fear final y boiled over, and I fel flat against his body, face down. My tears pooled between his chest and my cheeks.

Jared sat up, bringing me with him. “Don’t cry,” he said with a frown. “Please don’t….” he trailed off, sighing at the messy sight of me. Final y he kissed me, leaning me tenderly against the bed.

I shamelessly took advantage of his moment of weakness before it passed. For the first time in months, we lost ourselves in each other. Not a single moment did I worry or regret, and neither did Jared…until it was over.

Peaceful against his skin, my head rose and fel with his deep breath. “Don’t say it,” I said with a smile.

“It’s a little late to say anything,” Jared said, kissing my hair.