Darkness, Kindled (30 page)

“You need to get your hand out of my pocket unless you want to do this in a cemetery.”

“Mmm, kinky,” Ari laughed.

Jai chuckled. “You’re a nut.”

“I’m your nut.”

“This is true.” His expression grew tender as he dipped his head to kiss her again.

“Ugh, gag me. Could you two be anymore sickening?”

The unfamiliar voice was a splash of ice water that drew them apart. Ari whirled around and her shoulders slumped in annoyance at the sight of the gnarled Jinn sitting atop a nearby headstone.

Another Utukku.

“Another one?” she huffed.

“You know they sometimes travel in pairs,” Jai reminded her.

She cracked her knuckles as she gazed up at her boyfriend. “Let’s make this quick. I do intend to get lucky at some point tonight.”

Lips curled at the corners, Jai nodded and then turned to the Utukku. He took a menacing step toward the Jinn.

“I’ll do the honors this time.”

“I’ve got your back, baby,” Ari answered, following him into the fight.

Always.

THE END

Read on for some bonus content …

“I Don’t Even Know You”

Eli & Fallon’s Introduction

Bonus Scenes from Darkness, 
Kindled

“Fallon, 
sweetheart, get rid of that pinched look on your face before our guest arrives, please.” Michael Roe sighed heavily as he sat behind his desk.

Fallon did as her dad asked, smoothing her features clean of expression. Instead she let her body do the talking. She crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip, hoping it screamed a defiant “You are not welcome here!”

Michael groaned and sat back in his 
chair, his mouth curling at the corners. “Why are you upset about this?”

Really? He had to ask? Fallon widened 
her eyes in mock horror at his question and threw her hands in the air, as if asking the Sultan up high on his mountain to grant her patience. The last few months had been … well, there wasn’t even a word to describe what they’d been like, considering Fallon had been dead for a good part of it. She’d gone from being in love for the first time with an emotionally damaged sorcerer, Charlie Creagh, to floating peacefully in a cocoon of beautiful nothing, to being ripped out of it into a reality that clashed painfully with memories she had of another one. Finally, when she’d actually managed to compartmentalize all the changes in her life, including saying goodbye to Charlie, she’d only just come down from the frightening buzz of watching an apocalypse averted.

The last few weeks, she and her friends and fellow Hunters, Ari, Jai, and Trey, had jumped back into the daily business of tagging and hunting Jinn. Well, she tagged and hunted Jinn—Ari, Jai, and Trey assassinated them. It sucked that because of medieval racial reasons, Fallon wasn’t allowed to finish the job herself. She was stuck as an assistant.

Still, that was her lot in life. She’d been happy with it before and she wasn’t going to start bemoaning her limitations now. Not after everything.

After everything.

And this was why she was pissed off. The Guilds all over the continental United States and probably the world knew that her family had been through the ringer. Everyone knew that after everything that had happened to them, they were just trying to find a little normalcy. So why the hell did Eli McEttrick think it was okay to pay a visit to her father now when everything was so up in air?

“His timing sucks.”

“Fallon, one day you might be this 
Guild’s leader and you’re going to have to find new adjectives. Preferably ones that ring with maturity.”

She ignored him. “Dad, you know as well as I do that he wants to meet Ari, Jai, and Trey, and he wants to know what the hell is going on in your Guild. Whatever he finds out, he’s going to take back to the other Guilds, and I doubt they’ll be happy you have one up on the rest of them. He couldn’t give us just a few more weeks of peace and quiet before he brought this crap to us?”

Her father stared at her in that 
patient, serene way of his that she definitely did not inherit. “Eli isn’t coming here to check up on us. Yes, he’ll want to meet Ari, Jai, and Trey, just as I would want to if they belonged to another Guild. But Eli is here because his Guild leader, a man he much admired and, need I remind you, is mourning, passed away. The Guild elected Eli as leader. It’s customary for a new leader to present himself to the Guild leaders in the neighboring territories. We’re the closest Guild and this is his first visit in his new position. I’d like it if you could show him some simple courtesy, respect, and yes, even sympathy.”

Reluctantly, Fallon gave him a sharp 
nod, but she ended it with a warning. “I’m far more suspicious than you and I think this time I’m right.”

“You welcomed Ari into our fold with no such suspicion when everyone else was wary of her. Why can you not afford Eli the same courtesy?”

Fallon snorted. “If I’d known opening 
that door to Ari was going to invite the crap it did, I’d have slammed it shut in her face.”

Michael grinned. “Liar.”

She exhaled in exasperation. “Whatever.”

“Uh, merciful Sultan, save me from that dreadful word.”

Laughing, Fallon was not exactly wearing the intimidating countenance she would’ve liked when her mom walked into the office, followed by a tall, good-looking guy in his early twenties.

Michael stood as they entered but the 
guy was too busy staring curiously at Fallon.

This was Eli McEttrick?

Fallon fidgeted slightly, her eyes locked in his intense regard. He had stunning, pale blue eyes surrounded by thick black lashes, longish, messy black hair, an undeniably rugged, masculine face—chiseled jawline and all—and an attractive scruff. He wore a dark navy thermal Henley that showcased exceptionally broad shoulders and a muscular body, old, faded jeans, and scuffed motorcycle boats. He looked good but in a way that informed everyone he didn’t care about his appearance.

“Eli, I presume?” Michael held out his hand to the young Guild leader, drawing his attention.

Eli gave Michael a sharp nod and gripped his hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

“You too. I’ve heard nothing but 
excellent things.” Michael smiled and nodded to his wife. “You’ve met my wife, Caroline.” He turned, his lips twitching with secret amusement as his eyes fell on his daughter. “This is my daughter, Fallon. She’s one of our most powerful Hunters.”

Eli raised an eyebrow as he perused 
Fallon from top to bottom. Her skin felt hot under his gaze and she found herself frowning up at him in annoyance. “I’ll have to see that to believe it.”

Her eyebrows almost hit her hairline.

“And that means what, exactly?”

He grinned and Fallon felt the impact of it low in her belly. “Just that you’re such a little thing.”

Taking the comment as condescension, 
Fallon looked up at her father. Throwing a hand out in Eli’s direction, she asked belligerently,” Seriously? This guy?”

“Fallon,” Caroline warned.

“It’s fine.” Eli shrugged. “I’ve faced hostiles down before. I have a way of changing their minds.”

Michael laughed, causing Fallon to glare at him in betrayal. “I’ll be in the gym,” she huffed and brushed past them all, feeling the back of her neck prickle as she walked out of the room.

Fallon had probably been punching the 
dummy in front of her for over an hour. No probably about it if her aching hands and the mushed stuffing on the dummy’s face were anything to go by. She sighed heavily, letting her hands drop to her sides.

“Thank God.” Eli’s deep, rumbling voice caught her ear and Fallon jerked around to find him leaning against the gym’s doorframe. “I thought I was going to have to intervene to save the dummy from your wrath.”

Ignoring his grin, Fallon glowered.

“What are you doing down here? Where are my parents?”

“Upstairs.” He pushed off the jamb and stalked toward her, his eyes devouring her again. “I thought I’d come down here and clear the air.”

“Is that right?” Fallon crossed her arms defiantly.

Stopping inches from her, Fallon could feel the heat of Eli’s body against her own and she adamantly ignored the shiver of awareness that rippled through her as she craned her neck back to meet his gaze.

“Michael explained everything that’s 
happened to you. You’ve been through more than anyone should ever have to go through, Fallon, and I understand your wariness regarding my visit. But I assure you, I’m only here to introduce myself. I have no qualms with this Guild. In fact, I hope this Guild and mine can become great friends.”

Fallon snorted, disbelieving. “So you’re saying you have no ulterior motives? That you aren’t dying to meet our three assassins and either shake them out of the Guild or attempt to lure them to yours?”

She watched Eli’s eyes darken slightly at her questioning and saw a telltale ticking in the muscle of his jaw. Clearly, he didn’t like having his word questioned. “No, I don’t do ulterior motives. With me, what you see is what you get. I am, however, looking forward to meeting Jai, Ari, and Trey. I’ve heard great things.”

Fallon nodded, her expression stating 
clearly that she didn’t believe him for a second. “Right. Looking forward to meeting them. Gotcha.”

“Were you this aggravating before the 
reality shift, or is this a new addition to your personality?” Eli growled.

“I don’t think insulting the Guild 
leader’s daughter is a good way to go on this little ‘diplomatic’ trip of yours.”

“When insulted, I retaliate.”

“I didn’t insult you.”

Eli took one more intimidating step 
toward her, bringing their bodies almost flush. “Let me educate you, little girl; when you question the motives of a visiting Guild leader, you are, in fact, insulting him.”

“No, I think I’m questioning 
him.”

He made a choking sound in the back of his throat. “How old are you? Five?”

“I’m almost nineteen, actually.”

“Hmm, must be the height that’s 
confusing me.”

Anger scorched Fallon’s veins and she 
felt the talismans around her neck weigh heavy against her for want of a fight.

“I may be small, buddy, but I pack a punch. You want to take me on? Have at it.” She held her hands out.

Eli grunted and stepped back. “I’m not fighting a tiny girl.”

“Chicken?”

The muscles in his shoulders tensed at the challenge, his eyes glittering as they swept over her. After what felt like an hour of silence, he gave her a sharp nod. “You asked for it.” He pointed to the talismans hanging around her throat. “Lose some of them. Otherwise, you’re packing more power than I am.”

Fallon grimaced. “Dude, you’re like a 
whole foot taller and built like a tank. Surely, I can keep my necklaces.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So it’s that kind of fight? Fair enough.”

Now it was Fallon’s turn to be confused.

“What kind of fight?”

He answered by sweeping her feet out 
from under her.

Fallon hit the mats with a startled oof and didn’t have time to get over the disorientation of being knocked on her back before Eli’s body covered her. She gasped as he gently yanked her hands above her head and held her in place. His knees straddled either side of her hips as he brought his torso down, almost brushing hers. His rugged face hovered above her, his pale blue eyes alight with laughter.

“That was easy,” he murmured on a smile.

The shock of having his strong body 
holding hers down finally wore off and Fallon tugged uselessly against his hold. “Get off me.”

“A poor loser, are we?”

Eyes narrowing at his arrogance, 
Fallon’s hip twitched and she was just about to bring her knee up between his legs when his grip on her hands became almost painful. “Don’t,” he growled, his mouth a scant inch from hers, “even think about it.”

“You didn’t say we had to fight clean,” 
she replied petulantly, lowering her knee.

At that, Eli grinned and Fallon felt the breath leave her body. The idiot was far too attractive for his own good. “Are you saying you like to play dirty?”

She was sure the innuendo was supposed to leave her blushing and spluttering like the childish eighteen-year-old he clearly thought her to be. Instead, she relaxed against the mat and smirked up at him. “I play it the way I feel it, but I get to pick who I play with. That won’t be you.”

Surprise flashed in his eyes and he let out a deep chuckle. “Good for you.”

Fallon didn’t want to react to his 
approval but unfortunately, she did. Covering the warmth his comment had elicited, Fallon shot him a frosty look. “Now will you get off me?”

Still smiling, Eli let her go and 
gracefully got to his feet. He held a hand out for her. Fallon decided ignoring it would only reinforce his belief that she was a child, so she took it.

“You really do weigh nothing,” he 
commented softly, still grinning.

“My firepower is weightless until it 
blows your ass from here to Mount Qaf.”

“You are a cocky little thing.”

Fallon growled under her breath and 
turned to stride furiously out of the gym. “You call me a little thing one more time, I’m going to do something my father will regret.”

***

With 
no assignment looming in the near future, Fallon was bored. Ari and Jai had taken off on another hunt, Trey was working on his artwork, and the rest of the Guild was busy with assignments or their human lives. She knew some of the younger guys worked out a lot at their privately owned training center on West Broad Street. She decided to take the short walk to work out with them.

She didn’t like being inactive. Being inactive meant she had time to think about everything, and everything usually came back to falling for Charlie Creagh, dying, coming back to life, discovering Charlie was lost to her, and then, upon meeting him again, knowing for certain the Charlie she’d known was no longer. Her chest ached when she thought about him, but that ache was easing day by day. She’d loved Charlie but she reckoned that if he’d been the love of her life, moving on from him would be crippling. She wasn’t crippled, and Fallon didn’t know if she should feel guilty about that. In the end, she was just happy for the new alternate Charlie who got to live his life in peace with his little brother alive and well.