LUXURE

It’s a dark and quiet drive to Phoenix—not another car in sight. The endless road is hypnotic coaxing me into a trance-like state, the revelations of the day playing on a loop in my head—over and over again. I try talking to Sirena a few times, but she feigns sleep or steers the conversation to more neutral, mundane topics. It’s a weak attempt on her part, but I roll with it for now. She hasn’t mentioned her dad. She didn’t even glance in his direction when we left the hotel. When I said his name, a physical shudder ran through her body chilling me to the core. It took all of my self-control not to listen in on their conversation, but I didn’t want to violate Sirena’s privacy or trust. She specifically asked me not to, so against my better judgment, I gave her what she wanted, and now I’m completely in the dark.

By the time we reach the coordinates that Kade sent me, she’s fast asleep, her head resting awkwardly against the window, and her fierce red hair covering her face. It’s the first time since the diner that I’ve felt any peace. Between her turmoil and my anguish, it’s been an intense day. For the first time in a long time, I’m tired and weary. I pull the car into an underground garage. It would be impossible to find if you didn’t know it was there. I have to give it to Kade—he described this place to perfection. There is nothing and no one for miles. To passing cars, this stretch of land looks like a barren desert. What lies beneath is something else entirely.

I’ve lived in a cave for a thousand years. I wasn’t worried about spending some time underground in the desert, but this… I wasn’t expecting. I park the car and gently lift Sirena into my arms careful not to wake her. Her body is limp and warm and fits perfectly against my body. There is a voice-activated door at the far end of the garage. I simply speak the words ‘Cardinal Brotherhood,’ and the computer verifies my identity. It even gives me a warm welcome. I have no idea how Kade set all of this shit up so quickly, but I’m truly grateful.

The door opens to a long hallway with doors on either side, lit with every step I take—the space behind me falling into darkness. The walls are a cold, stark white, but as I open one of the doors, my senses are assaulted with the most sumptuous colors and textures—a sitting room that wouldn’t be out of place in a country manor—warm, inviting, and yet completely underground. I carefully lay Sirena down on one of the massive couches trying not to wake her, and I cover her with a blanket before exploring the rest of the room. There’s a desk in the far corner, a computer, a huge flat screen TV on the main wall, and a shelf of DVDs with more selection than you could watch.

It shouldn’t surprise me. Kade was always very resourceful and organized, and yet I stand here in awe of our ‘hideout.’ I breathe a sigh of relief, a measure of the guilt I’ve been carrying suddenly lifting from my shoulders. I still feel bad that Sirena had to leave everything behind for me, but at least I’ve brought her to a place where she can relax and hopefully make herself at home.

My back pocket begins to beep. I fumble around for my phone trying to stop it sounding off before it wakes Sirena—she looks so peaceful. It’s a text from Kade. What the hell kind of phone did he set me up with? I have full signal underground.

Kade: Check the computer.

Me: How do you know I’m next to the computer?

Kade: Surveillance system.

Me: In every room?

Kade: Is that a problem? What are you planning? ;)

Me: Fuck off! Get rid of them.

Kade: Fine. Just check the damn computer. I’ve sent you a file of the information Cole and I found. Will keep you updated. All lines are secure. Call if needed.

Me: Will do.

Kade: Be there soon.

I quickly make my way over to the computer and pull up the file, sitting for hours, pouring over every page, memorizing names, places, ranks. I need to know every potential threat to Sirena if I’m going to keep her safe. I recognize almost every name from the Underworld. Same players, only some of the scum seem to have risen to the top in my absence. Luc never was a great judge of character, and that’s why he relied so heavily on me. My senses have always been attuned to deceit, loyalty, bravery, and treachery. I made sure the worthy rose to the top, and the untrustworthy stayed where they could do no harm. Apparently, the new second-in-command isn’t doing such a good job. I don’t know why after all this time, but I relish the knowledge that I could not be replaced so easily.

I feel her presence behind me, her warmth radiating from her smooth, soft skin. “I’m sorry if I woke you.”

“Not at all. I feel like I’ve been asleep for days.”

“A few hours in the car and a few here. You needed the rest.” I watch her smile in gratitude, but her eyes show her distress. “Do you want to talk about it now?”

“I can’t. I don’t want to think about him right now. All the lies. All the deception.” She steps toward me wrapping her arms around my neck. “I just want to be here… with you. I need to clear my head. All of this will still be here in the morning.”

“I know that. I just hate to feel you so conflicted.” I pull her down onto my lap. “I want to help you through this. I promise I’ll keep you safe.”

She struggles from my arms. “I don’t need you to protect me. I can look after myself.” The indignation in her voice is chilling. She’s headstrong and independent, but this is unlike her.

“I’m sure you can under normal circumstances, but even you must admit that our current predicament is rather unusual.”

“You don’t know the first thing about me, Lux. We’re practically strangers.”

Now she’s pissing me off. “That’s bullshit, angel.”

“Angel? Angel! You’ve just proven my point.” Pacing the room, she starts mumbling and rambling.

“What the fuck are you talking about? What did that asshole Gabriel say to you that has you so freaked out?”

Her eyes find mine—wild and filled with fear. “I’m fine.”

I grab her holding her gaze. “You can tell me anything, Sirena. We may not have known each other for long… but I know you. Your heart, your mind, your soul. I know you, and I love you.”

She stiffens in my arms, her eyes filling with tears. “You love me?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” As soon as the words leave my lips, she envelops them in a kiss opening herself to me. I feel her relax, her heart racing with anticipation rather than fear. Lifting her into my arms, I go in search of a bedroom.

“Should we stop? You know… in case we… jump somewhere by accident.”

I place a firm but chaste kiss on her lips as she’s cradled in my arms. “I’m in control now.”

* * *

Sirena is unbelievably beautiful as she lays sleeping—her cheeks flushed from our fierce endeavors. The passion I experience with her is overwhelming. The visible ties that bind us as we come together. Watching her body light up in response to me is beyond majestic. In the quiet of her slumber, I finally have the chance to admire her markings. She didn’t strike me as the type to get extensive tattoos, but fuck me… they are stunning on her. The intricate, black, winding lines that cover her breasts like lace are not dissimilar to the markings I was born with. They sweep down her sides, highlighting every line and curve of her delectable body. I can’t resist the urge to trace the ink following its path up and down and around until I reach her breasts. The tattoos almost hide them completely, like a French lace bra, cupping them to perfection. I don’t remember seeing them during our first encounter. I jumped us to Uitare because I was so wrapped up in the moment, but I’m sure I would have noticed such large and beautiful markings on her body. They must be a new reaction to the overwhelming pleasure and the inferno of desire that our union ignites.

“Lux?” Her voice is a breathy rasp, sleepy and seductive.

“I’m here, angel.” Turning into my arms, her body fits perfectly along the length of my own, a sexy little groan escaping her lips. “Sorry I woke you. I couldn’t resist touching your tattoos. They are truly stunning and breathtaking in their elegance. I would expect nothing less from you.” She looks at me quizzically as I resume tracing the black lines around her breasts. “With everything new I find out about you, Sirena Sovende, you surprise me, challenge me, overwhelm me with your goodness and beauty, both inside and out.”

She flinches before drawing away. “What are you talking about? I don’t have any tattoos.” A chill runs down my spine—a reaction to the fear in her voice.

“Sirena…” I lean over to switch on the bedside lamp illuminating her body in such a way that has me desperate to be inside her again. “Look at your chest, angel. How could you forget about tattoos as big and beautiful as those?”

I watch as it plays out in front of me in slow motion. She looks down, and sheer terror spreads across her features. She starts screaming and clawing at her skin as if she could scrape the markings off with her fingernails. “Fuck! Holy Mother of God. Get it off, Luxure. What is it? What’s wrong with me? Get them off, now!” Leaping from the bed, she rushes to the bathroom.

I quickly follow scared by the distress pulsing from her in wave after wave. Her heart is thumping harder than ever—thundering in her chest like a galloping horse. She stands in front of the mirror scratching at her skin and drawing blood. Wrapping my arms tightly around her from behind, I hold her hands in mine. “Stop. You’re hurting yourself.”

She wrestles against me agitated and angry. “What have you done to me? What the fuck is happening?”

I tighten my grip forcing her to calm down and hear my words. “I didn’t do this, Sirena. Just like I didn’t force your eyes to turn red, and you didn’t force my tattoos to glow. We affect each other in ways that we cannot yet fathom, but I promise you this, I will find out.” Her body slumps against me, all fight gone.

“I’m scared, Lux. Scared of who I am and what I’m becoming. What if I can’t stop it?”

“Stop what? Becoming more angel than human? There are worse things to be, Sirena.” Deathly silent, she turns in my arms and quietly weeps. I have so much I want to say, but now is not the time. She needs comfort, the kind that only I can give. I sit her on the countertop and start running the hot water for a shower. “Let’s wash off the day, and then I’ll go in search of the kitchen and find you some food.”

“Okay.” Her voice is barely a whisper. She stares at herself in the mirrors that surround us running trembling hands over every line with wonder and fear in her eyes.

When the water is hot enough, I cup her face in my hands forcing her to look at me. “It’s going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

A tear runs down her cheek and onto my fingers. “It’s already happening. Look at me. I’m disgusting.” She drops her head in shame.

“Sirena. You could never be disgusting. You are without a doubt, the most beautiful creature I have ever set eyes on in all of the centuries I have walked the planes of this universe.”

“But… if you knew…”

“Look at me, angel.” Slowly she lifts her eyes to mine, her arms wrapped around her body, holding it together, shielding it from my gaze. “Don’t hide who you are from me. I love you. I love everything about you, and nothing I learn about you in the years to come will ever change that.”

“I… I…” I quiet her with a gentle kiss. I know how she feels for me. I sense it in every fiber of her being, but she’s not ready to say it. Her world has been based on logic and need. Sex has always been a means of release and satisfaction for her, nothing more. She prides herself on believing only what you can see and prove with science. Since the moment we met, all of that has come crashing down. Everything that gave her a sense of belonging, a sense of accomplishment, and her place in the grand scheme of things no longer exists. I can’t even begin to understand how life altering these revelations have been for her. Her world must be spinning, and just when she thinks she’s got a handle on it, something new happens to throw her understanding into disarray all over again.

I take her hand in mine guiding her over to the shower. She’s reverted to the almost catatonic state she was in when we left the diner. I don’t know how much more she can bear, and I have no idea how to help her if she won’t talk to me. I quickly undress and join her in the shower, the hot water cascading down over our bodies, the steam creating an illusion of serenity and safety swirling around us enveloping Sirena and me in a sweet caress. Words are my enemy right now, so I do what I do best—I seduce her—coaxing her back to me in any way I can.

I tenderly wash every inch of her body kissing and fondling her alabaster skin as I go. She doesn’t speak—only moaning her satisfaction, groaning from the simple pleasure of having me wash her long red hair. As the bubbles are swept away by the water, I take in the sight of her—fierce red hair, slender frame, flawless skin, stunning tattoos. But, as my eyes drift lower, I’m shocked by what I see.

Her legs…

They glisten and shimmer with a blue-green hue like the scales of a beautiful sea creature. It’s striking and startling, and I can’t hide my reaction. She feels everything I feel.

“What’s wrong, Luxure?”

I don’t want to say it, to increase her burden when she’s in such a delicate state, but she needs to know. “Your legs.” She screams before crashing into the shower door scrambling to get out.

I grab her just as the door shatters sending shards of glass scattering all over the tile floor. With her safely in my arms, I step out, the glass cutting my feet as I walk to the closet, finding a towel to wrap around her. She quickly snaps out of it. “Blood! Luxure, you’re bleeding!”

I cover her body ensuring her legs are out of sight. “I don’t care. It’ll heal in seconds.”

“What’s happening to me, Lux? What’s wrong with my legs?”

I lay her down on the bed and open the towel. The markings are still there, but as I dry her skin, they begin to fade until they completely disappear. I don’t think either of us can believe what we’re seeing. “I don’t understand. Everything else has been a reaction between us. This… this is something different. I have never known of an angel affected by water.”

She quickly covers herself and goes in search of a robe. I grab my jeans from the bathroom, but when I return to the room, she’s gone. I search from door to door in this underground maze becoming more frustrated with every empty room finally finding her in the kitchen. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

“I just needed a minute to clear my head. I hope you don’t mind.”

I take a step toward her, but as if she anticipated it, she takes a step back. “Sirena, talk to me, please.”

“And say what? I have no idea what’s going on. Everything is changing, and I have no control over it. It would seem I don’t even have control over my own body. Can you even begin to understand how that makes me feel?”

“No! Because you won’t talk to me. Ever since you spoke with your father, you’ve completely shut down. I thought we were in this together. I thought you wanted to be here with me.”

“I do. But…”

“But? For fuck’s sake, Sirena! It’s a bit late for ‘but.’”

“Give me a break, Lux. Every second of the day, I know in my heart I need to be here with you, that my soul yearns for you. And yet… I can’t explain it. I’ve just found out that not only is everything I believed to be lore, in fact, is true, and I’m a part of it.”

“Sirena.”

“I have fucking tattoos and scales, Lux! Give me a fucking minute to wrap my head around it.”

“Luxure?” The voice I hear behind me is unfamiliar… and yet familiar.

Hearing her voice for the first time, I turn to see my best friend standing before me. “Selma. Your voice is as beautiful as your soul. How did you find me?”

She smiles at the sound of my voice. “I can always find you, Luxure. No matter what plane you’re on. You’ve managed to get yourself in quite a mess without me.” She steps toward me, running her fingertips over my lips. “Your voice suits you, my friend. Just how I imagined it to be.”

Sirena intercepts. “Lux, who is she?” Worry and uncertainty in her voice.

Selma speaks for herself. “I am Selma, a guardian of Uitare, and Luxure’s closest friend for the past millennium. So the questions should be who the hell are you?”

“Selma.” She’s a gentle soul, but a mighty guardian nonetheless, and she is fierce when it comes to me. I can hear the flare of jealousy in her voice, and the guilt I feel is crushing. She has waited so long for me to claim her. It was painful enough when there was no one else. Now, here she stands face to face with the woman I love—that I have given up my safety for—everything Selma has fought to protect for almost a thousand years. The hurt in her eyes is too much to bear.

I take her in my arms offering what little comfort I can, and truth be told, I’m happy to see her. She has always been my confidant, giving me good counsel, and I need that now more than ever. “I’ve missed you, Sel. I would have contacted you before now if I felt it was safe for you.”

“You mean safe for her.”

“Selma, this is Sirena Sovende. She is my…” I don’t know what to call her, looking to her for guidance. Girlfriend seems so trite and doesn’t even come close to what we are.

“I’m his lover.” The assurance and conviction in her voice speak to something inside of me, and I watch in awe as her eyes flash red. Selma looks on in horror, and I know my eyes are reacting, flashing the brightest purple. She’s worried and upset.

“Can I talk to you for a moment? In private.”

“Anything you need to say, you can say in front of Sirena. We’re in this together.”

She turns her attention to Sirena. “Have you told him yet?” Her face distorts in terror, and a feeling of unease washes over me. “I’ll take that as a no then.”

Sirena snaps out of her trance and steps up as the woman I know her to be. “It’s my story to tell… when I’m ready. Not yours.”

The two women are practically toe to toe, and I have no idea what they’re fighting about.

“He needs to know now. Don’t kid yourself. You’re obviously an intelligent woman, but for the life of me, I don’t understand why Lux would risk his life for you.”

Now she’s making me angry. “That’s enough, Sel.”

She whips her head around to face me. “Really, Luxure? I have defended you and kept you safe all this time.” She turns to Sirena as she continues. “I have been your only friend, your confidant, your everything for an entire millennium. Surely my protection of you, at the risk of my own life, means something to you?”

“Of course it does. You know that. But you can’t come in here and question my motives for being with Sirena without one iota of information. It’s not your place… no matter what you’ve done for me. My love is mine to give.”

The two most important people in my life stand before me. Amazingly strong women as intelligent and fierce as they are beautiful. One with a smile that lights up my world, and one with tears filling her eyes, her heart broken by my words. "Your love? You love her? You’ve known her all of a few weeks, and you don’t even know who she is.”

“I know everything I need to know. Don’t ask me how, but I feel it in my soul… she’s meant for me.”

“That’s what you thought about Abiteth.”

“A low blow for you, Selma. You’re better than that. Yes, I loved Abi, but this is different… more… fated.”

“I can’t listen to any more of your drivel, Lux. You come and speak to me when you know the truth.”

“What truth?” My gaze finds Sirena.

“I’m going to find a room and have a shower. I’ve been traveling for some time now, and I’m exhausted. I’ll fill you in on my findings tomorrow.” As she stands in the doorway, ready to leave us, she turns to me. “Sirena Sovende. Lux, you already know what she is, you’re choosing not to acknowledge it. Think my friend.” And with that, she disappears into the halls of this underground maze.

Sirena and I stand for what feels like an eternity staring at each other, feeling the weight of her secret between us. I think about Selma’s words. Why would I want to ignore something important about Sirena, about who she is? Selma knows me better than anyone, so I don’t take her words lightly. I say her name over and over in my mind—Sirena Sovende—Sirena Sovende. Sirena… and then it dawns on me… her name means Siren. Sovende is Danish for sleeping, dormant. As I slowly piece it all together, an overwhelming sense of dread settles in the pit of my stomach. Dormant Siren. Sirena is a dormant Siren. The tattoos, the eyes, her skin in the shower earlier today, even her ability to see me in my true form. She’s not half-angel. “You’re half-demon?”

Tears begin to fall down her cheeks dropping to the floor. Her body crumples, but I quickly make a move to catch her. She can’t contain her despair. “I didn’t want you to find out like this.”

“Is this the news your father told you?”

“Yes.” She sobs.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because you fell in love with an angel, not a demon. I was scared you wouldn’t look at me the same way.” She buries her face in my chest.

“Sirena. Has it escaped your attention that I’m a demon? A full, one hundred percent demon, second-in-command to Lucifer for centuries, and head of The Brotherhood. I’m as evil as it gets.”

Her eyes lift to meet mine still wet with tears. “That’s not who you are. Not now. I see you, Luxure. I see your heart, and I don’t see evil or darkness.”

“Because you don’t want to see those things. They are there, and until I met you, they ruled my every move.”

“What changed?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. You have an effect on me that no one ever has. I can’t explain it, and I can’t deny it. I love you, Sirena. Angel, demon, human, or not—I love you.”

“I love you, too.” As I stare into her eyes, the realization of what she truly is slams into my chest with the force of a stampeding herd of wildebeest. She feels my torment and wrongly assumes I’m upset. “But, are you sure you can love me the same as you did before knowing that I’m not good? That I’m not an angel.”

I take her face in my hands forcing her to hear the words I’m about to speak. “Sirena, you have no idea quite how amazing you are. You have the purest soul of anyone I’ve ever met in my very long existence. There is nothing bad or evil about you. Don’t you see? The fact that you have lived a human life is a testament to your goodness.”

“But what about everything that’s happening to me now? Am I becoming bad? Am I becoming a demon rather than human?”

“I don’t have the answer to that. All I know is that you have an unparalleled capacity for love and acceptance—truly unique in your beauty—inside and out. Whatever is happening, I think it has something to do with both of us. The effects we have on each other. Somehow, we are linked. The question is how and why?” I press a gentle kiss to her lips. “I will find out, and I will protect you from anything and everything that gets in our way. I promise you that—even if I have to lay down my life to do so.”

She kisses me with an urgency I’ve never felt from her, and I gladly reciprocate giving her the assurance she needs—my words not enough to allay her fears. It seems so obvious now that she was destined to be a Siren. A destiny that she avoided. She breaks our kiss and stands, every move she makes is a seductive dance. “Come to bed with me.”

I can’t believe the words coming out of my mouth. “I’ll be there in a minute. I just need to make a quick call.” I see the question in her eyes. Afraid that I’m rejecting her. “I promise I’ll be there as soon as I can. I can’t wait to strip you naked and kiss every inch of your body.” I give her a kiss that leaves her with no uncertainty as to my desire for her. “Now go and get ready for me. Rest for a while—it’s going to be a very… long… night.”

“Don’t be too long. I want you.”

“Have I mentioned that I’m the luckiest son of a bitch alive?”

She sashays from the room laughing with a forced façade of ease. Deep down she knows I’m feeling all of the emotions that have gone to war inside of her. I want to make it better, but at the moment, I’m struggling with my own war, and I know I have to get it under control if there is any hope for us.

When I’m finally alone, I shut off the lights and sit in the darkness. My sight is unaffected by light or dark—I can see just as well. I close my eyes and try to shut out the knowledge I now know to be true. The knowledge that scares me more than anything in this vast universe.

It has been rumored throughout time that some souls are strong enough to decide their fate… to change the course of their destiny.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t contemplated the possibility over the centuries. Why did I become the demon I am? Why was I chosen to be exiled from the creator of all things from the moment of my creation? Was my soul so blackened and so evil before I came into being, that I would never be worthy to stand in front of the Almighty and have him gaze upon me with pride? Surely, I am being punished for something that he imposed on me for all eternity?

I’ve always taken solace in the fact that no one has ever encountered one of these souls. Their mere existence would fly in the face of everything I’ve believed about myself since the beginning of time. I never had a choice… never had a chance to choose my fate… to choose to be good. Everything I do, evil as it may be, is my purpose in this world. Therefore, I am absolved of responsibility. If Sirena is what I now know her to be, then it all comes crashing down. Everything I thought I knew is a lie. She is a dormant Siren who chose to be good. She was destined to be evil, to live for eternity in the Underworld and revel in it. She is more unique in this world than even I anticipated. A sultry seductress who chose humanity above all else, giving up immortality to be pure of heart, to pave her way and have true free will. Sirena Sovende is the strongest soul this world has ever known, and with that stark truth, I am tormented.

Can she ever really be mine? I am not worthy of such a soul, of such a heart. She is in danger because of me, and now it’s my job to keep her safe. If the Underworld finds out what she truly is, they will kill her. I won’t let that happen. I will not let another woman I love be murdered by Lucifer.

I’m startled by the door swinging open behind me. “Why are you sitting in the dark, dear brother?”

“Kade? I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

He flicks the switch casting a light on my turmoil. “We have much to discuss. Grab the liquor. It’s going to be a long night…”