Warlock: A Nephilim's Wrath: A Shawn Moore Novel 02 Page 10

  She smiled demurely, “Katie is fine. Us cats are too independent for formalities. So Susan missed Sharon? That was kind of you to bring her out.”

  She looked me up and down and measured me, but it wasn’t in a sexual way, or at least not just that, “You’re welcome in my home warlock. How is Susan getting on?”

  “Great, but she packs a mean punch,” I grinned, and then looked over as they came back out with drinks in their hands. When they handed them over, I thanked them. I also found it easy to tell which was which even though they were identical, merely through body language. Of course, there clothes were different too. The magical signatures were different as well, I could feel Sharon’s mate connection with Darren.

  Katie raised an eyebrow at Susan, “You’ve been punching the client?”

  Susan snickered, “He asked me to help him with hand to hand fighting. He isn’t that bad actually.”

  I snorted and demurred, “Yes I am. But I’m learning.”

  Susan sat on the couch between Malina and I, it was a tight fit as I was squeezed between her and Lilliana, but I didn’t mind.

  We continued to make small talk for a while, and I was a little distracted when two of the cat shifters came back inside. They were both in human form and naked, but I did my best to not stare and looked away. I hadn’t come here for that. Oddly enough I wasn’t really attracted to any of them as much as I was with Susan. I was attracted of course, they were all gorgeous, but despite all the sex I’d had with Susan I was still very much aware of the sexy cat shifter sitting against me.

  I wondered if that meant I was starting to think about her as mine, or maybe it was about Susan focusing her nature on me where none of the others made an effort, but dismissed it as irrelevant and focused back on the conversation at hand. Either way I was fascinated with Susan, did exactly why matter?

  Katie asked tentatively, “Can I ask you a question Shawn?”

  I nodded, “Sure.”

  She studied me closely as she asked, “Darren is positive you won’t betray the treaty, like every other Moore before you. Why is that?”

  I cleared my throat, “I can’t say with who, or what I’m getting out of it, but I made a pact, and my end of the deal is not to ever betray the treaty. Which means I can’t without screwing myself over. It’s something I’ll abide by even if I do go crazy and a little power hungry.”

  She nodded, “And what do you think of our Susan?”

  I paused for a moment and answered, “She’s competent, strong, and graceful when she fights, and very alert to her surroundings. I feel safer with her around. She’s also a patient instructor, and explains moves and countermoves in a way that makes it easy to grasp, if not execute. I’m lucky she agreed to come when Darren offered me extra protection. She’s also a very good spy, I haven’t caught her passing information even once yet.”

  Everyone in the room froze.

  I laughed good naturedly with perhaps a tinge of incredulity, “Was that a secret or something? I don’t care, because I have very little to hide. Like I said, I feel safer with her around and I’m grateful. Plus, she’s helping me improve myself.”

  Katie frowned, “So you do have something to hide?”

  I nodded with an open expression, “Yes, my heirs are helpless, and hidden. I will not allow that information to be found out. Not after my line was slaughtered just two weeks ago. I might even trust my allies with that information if I could be sure it would end there, but once it leaves my house and becomes known, someone with unfriendly ears might hear. I won’t take that chance. Other than that, I don’t care what you find out. I have a treaty with every supernatural in the city, and won’t betray any of you, so what do I have to hide exactly?”

  I added slyly, “Darren is clever, but I’m fairly sure I got the better half of the deal,” and I winked at Susan. Who was red faced and embarrassed over everything I’d just said about her. I guessed she wasn’t used to genuine compliments either.

  Katie nodded, “I understand. Plus, one day Darren will be replaced, and the treaty will once again be in question. I’d not blame you for prudence.”

  Sharon asked, “Do you mind if my sister and I go on a run?”

  I shook my head, “Not at all, but tell me. Why does she need my permission?”

  Sharon replied, “She is assigned to your protection, she is always on duty except when given leave, doubly so whenever you leave your powerfully warded home.”

  “I get it now; it still seems extreme to me but I get it.”

  Katie asked, “How so?”

  I shrugged, “Everyone deserves a little space and time off. Maybe shifters don’t need that? I don’t know, it seems to me with a break people are more efficient?”

  I looked at Susan and asked curiously, “Can I see?”

  Lilliana tensed next to me when Susan nodded and stood. She just stripped right there, folded her clothes, and put them on the couch where she’d been sitting.

  Then she shifted.

  It sounded painful, and crunchy, but at least it was relatively quick. Ten seconds later an ocelot stood there. She was about two feet long, which was about six inches longer than a natural ocelot. Her coat was shiny and her tail was sticking up and waving playfully.

  Sharon gasped in surprise when Susan hopped up in my lap, and batted my face with her head. I ran my fingers through her coat and whispered to her that she was beautiful. She jumped off and headed outside. Sharon went into the other room to strip, and I wondered at that, was it because she had a mate and there was a taboo against nudity then, or because she didn’t think I could control myself?

  I also wondered what Sharon’s gasp had been about but didn’t ask.

  A moment later a male shifter walked in, and headed for the back of the house, he didn’t even give me a second glance. I guessed it was a booty call of sorts, and I was glad I wouldn’t have to witness it.

  Katie said thoughtfully, “She trusts you, Susan I mean.”

  I’d the feeling she had more to say, but she held it back.

  Katie changed the subject, “Your companions seem quiet.”

  Malina smiled politely, “We talk on occasion.”

  We chatted for a few more minutes about nothing of note, when my cell phone beeped at me. I pulled it out and checked my messages. It was from Dion, they’d found the bastard, and I couldn’t believe where he was.

  I said, “We’ve got to go, they found the warlock and sent me a meeting point. It was nice to meet you Katie, I’m sure we’ll meet again.”

  She smiled, “You’re welcome anytime.”

  I grabbed Susan’s clothes and we moved outside, she could change in the car…

  Chapter 16

  Teleporting. I knew I was obsessed about it, but really, this is where it would have come in handy. We had an hour’s drive ahead of us and I was sure the mages, vampires, and shifters were waiting for us.

  Also, I was fairly sure Darren was going to kill me. Because more than one ocelot had jumped into the car. Not to mention the bobcat and lynx. Of course, they all changed and got dressed before getting in, which took a few extra minutes. Seven was rather a tight fit even in the full sized car. Sharon and her friend Erin sat up front with Lilliana.

  Erin was a short cute woman with brunette hair and brown eyes, she was a Lynx. Barbara, the bobcat, had golden blonde hair and blue eyes, and she was in the back with me, Malina, and Susan who’d claimed my lap, which was more than distracting. I was resigned to having a boner pushing up between her butt crack for the next hour.

  I supposed Katie must have been impressed with me, because she’d asked for volunteers to support and guard their ally through the treaty. I wasn’t sure what Sharon and Susan had talked about during their run, but Sharon had an implacably determined look on her face. Which is probably why Darren was going to kill me, and soon.

  Although the cat shifter’s perceived place in the shifter’s world hadn’t been addressed or even alluded to in our discussions with the alp
ha Katie, I had the feeling that how I treated Susan, and had complimented her, was one of the reasons I was surrounded by exotically beautiful females on my way to a battle. Sharon, Erin, and Barbara were clearly just along to fight, which honestly was a relief. They were all mated females, so I wouldn’t have even considered it anyway.

  I was a lot of things, including a dealer of souls, but stealing another man’s woman was a line I wouldn’t cross. Not that they had offered, I was pretty sure when two shifters mated the magic joined them, and literally tied them together. They wouldn’t betray their mates, I just wondered if I’d started some sort of revolution merely by being there, and what their mates would think when I showed up. No doubt shifter emotions would be running high.

  I also had to be more miserly with my protective spells, I could hold twenty-five of them now theoretically, but I needed to leave a few open, at least in my primary mind, for a fight. Which left twenty or so.

  I gave myself the full ten I usually used, which left me with ten more, after releasing the spell holding Destiny to the mortal plane. It was way past the twenty-four hours, so I hoped John appreciated the few extra hours of sex with a hot succubus.

  That only left two spells each for the four shifters and Lilliana. They were all competent in physical fighting, so I chose to protect them all from general magic, and fire. Then I rethought that, and dropped protection from water spells and hit Lilliana with protection from physical as well. I appreciated the ladies helping out, but I had my priorities, even if I felt a twinge of guilt about it, she was the most important to me, even if Susan was growing on me rather quickly.

  Water wasn’t used much in battle according to Karen, and I figured just in case the other warlock did use it, I still had that personal shield that would stop just about anything if the more specific protections failed. The inherent shield cost more magic, which is why the specific protections were cast, but would be good enough in a pinch, especially with my connection to Malina to channel more magic.

  Anyway, after all of that, it left me capable of four more things in my primary mind, the only thing I held in it right now was the partition spell.

  Susan clenched her ass cheeks tightly around my cock and wiggled around a bit. She was going to get spanked later for that, it felt really good even through the clothes, but was awkward in the stuffed car. To be fair though, I imagined sitting on my hard on for an hour was teasing the hell out of her overactive libido as well.

  As for where the warlock was hiding. Navy Pier. In one of the boarded up buildings. That’s what had taken so long to find him. The place was a tourist trap most locals avoided after one trip, and was way off the beaten path. There wasn’t even a good way to get there with public transportation outside of a taxi, which is why the supernatural citizens of Chicago don’t go there very often.

  Of course, that would make the battle extremely difficult to keep out of the public eye. Most likely we’d need mages at strategic points to cast the spell that erased the last ten minutes or so from human minds, I doubted any amount of stealth would be enough…

  We pulled over about a half a mile from the entrance and I let out a curse.

  Sharon turned, “What is it?”

  “A lesser demon is watching them. I’m surprised the mages didn’t pick it up.”

  Or maybe they had? There were ten of each, mages, vampires, and shifters. Plus, the seven of us made thirty-seven. Perhaps overkill for one warlock and his summoned creatures. I was disappointed to not see Karen, but I recognized Jerrold. I also remembered the attractive blonde Christabel, who led the group of vampires, and Darren of course, who was glaring this way.

  So far at his mate, not at me. Sharon kept her head up high as she exited the car. Oh, this was going to be fun. Barbara winked at me mischievously as we all got out, apparently this was some sort of statement. I just hoped it didn’t blow up in my face. I decided to just ignore it, internal shifter stuff that wasn’t really my business anyway.

  “You know we’re being watched?”

  Christabel nodded to me, “Of course. I also have a couple of vampires watching the building, the warlock hasn’t gone anywhere.”

  Darren demanded, “What are they doing here Shawn?”

  So much for ignoring it.

  “Umm, Susan was visiting with Sharon this morning, when Katie heard we’d found our common enemy she asked for volunteers to help. It didn’t occur to me to turn down her help, is that a problem?”

  Yup, I was totally pretending ignorance to the ladies’ subtle statement of being here.

  Darren growled, but eventually got himself under control, Sharon’s hand on his arm might have had something to do with that.

  Jerrold said diffidently, “We’ve been here too long, it’s time to move in on this guy.”

  Christabel nodded in agreement and added, “We should go.”

  Darren gave out orders that the ladies were to guard me, and stay out of the thick of the fight in the front. I was pretty sure that’s what they were going to do anyway, hang back with me and the mages as a protective line. I expected them to be angry about the orders, but Sharon, Barbara and Erin all looked like they’d actually won that round.

  We walked into Navy Pier, just like any other big group of tourists. No one really took a second look at us, outside of the normal every day one’s that is. The ladies drew men’s looks from all around us. We walked pretty far along the water, and then turned in, walked across the field, and the group split as we neared a building. I picked up ten lesser demon signatures, and another that felt a lot like Malina.

  Malina spat, “Lilith, that fucking bitch,” and her eyes turned red.

  “Who’s Lilith?”

  Malina glared at me but I just looked at her steadily until her eyes softened and the red drained out of them. She still looked pissed, but not quite as murderous.

  “My sister.”

  Oh good, our opponent has a greater demon too. Everyone was staring at me and Malina now.

  Malina smiled at me, “I’m stronger, or at least I was a couple of centuries ago. That’s the last time the bitch tried to take my city and kill my warlock. She’s pathetic, and obsessed with anything I own.”

  “Language sister,” said a trilling sultry voice, and everyone froze as Lilith walked out of the building we were surrounding, as if we were there for tea.

  Lilith had dark red curly hair down to her ass, and her body was voluptuous, with the exception of her tiny little waist, giving her an exaggerated waspish figure instead of an hourglass. Her tits were beyond belief, and made Malina’s double Ds look like mosquito bites.

  It went past attractive into more of a caricature, an exaggerated sexiness that was no longer attractive, at least to me. I reminded myself that her body was probably the ideal of the warlock that summoned her, and not her at all. No more than Malina was shy and innocent, yet incredibly sexy. At least in my desires, I hadn’t made her proportions impossible.

  I considered the idea of casting banishment, but dismissed it. She’d squash me like a bug, clearly it would take Malina to face this creature, before we could kill her warlock. I imagined Lilith would protect hers as much as Malina protected me.

  Lilliana and the four shifter ladies closed ranks around me, and Malina stepped forward. No one there attacked, which was a relief. I knew the greater demonesses weren’t supposed to kill outside of the last resort, but if attacked I was sure it would be allowed.

  Lilith smirked, “That’s a nice look for you Malina, you look like a frightened virgin on prom night.”

  Malina snickered, “And you look like the whore bride of Frankenstein, what sort of sick bastard did you make a deal with? Besides, this does suit me, why do you think I’ve stuck with the Moore line so long. Their appetites aren’t so… puerile.”

  While the love of my existence bantered with her sister, the vampires closed around the building, and the mages moved to support them. The shifters were lining up to storm the place as well. So far though, n
o one had attacked from either side as the succubus show played out.

  Lilith frowned, “Enough sister, this is your one chance. Take your pitiful warlock and leave town. He’s new, and no match for mine.”

  Malina snorted, “I think you’ll be surprised, and did you forget about his allies currently surrounding your warlock? I don’t think…”

  I’d never find out what she didn’t think, because she was interrupted by a golden woman with wings landing on the ground between them. She smashed into the cement so hard it cracked, she also had a glowing white sword and a shit eating grin on her face.

  She had long raven black hair, green eyes that were glowing, and wore a pair of jean shorts and a half shirt. Her skin was Mediterranean, and her body was athletic and very fit, her breasts weren’t as big as Malina’s, but on her frame they looked slightly too big. Her wings reminded me of Malina’s as well, just golden instead of white.

  I was frozen in shock, and staring at her, until Malina yelled in a panicked voice, “Everyone run!”

  I’d seen a lot of things in Malina. Love, lust, anger, hatred, desire, vulnerability, arrogance, and the list went on. That was the first time though, that I’d ever seen her afraid, and it snapped me out of my trance. It may seem dumb, but the woman was stunning in her beauty, literally, an effect that had been multiplied by her golden wings and golden aura. She was clearly an angel of some type.

  Everyone started to back away, me included, and the new woman lunged at Lilith who seemed to create a sword of white light out of nothingness to block the blow. Malina also held a sword, and tried to take her unawares in the back, but the woman spun and parried, while kicking Lilith in the face at the same time which knocked her back.

  Malina and Lilith looked at each other and nodded, and then started to circle the woman with golden wings. Apparently, this new threat was enough for my succubus to bury the enmity with her sister. For some reason that didn’t make me feel any better.