Chapter 16 Sixteen
DANIKA
The moment Kaziel says "hunters," the air shifts. A loud whistling sound breaks the silence. Before I can blink, Kaziel shoves me down, his arm caging me against the seat just as the windshield shatters.
A burst of violet light flashes, and the scent of ozone fills the air.
My heart thuds madly against my ribs. "What was that—?"
"Runic bolts," he mutters. "Stay in the car."
He's out of the car before I can move, my ears still ringing. When he looks up, I see them. Silhouettes emerging from the shadows.
Kaziel straightens to his full height, his eyes glowing brighter.
"Why are they—"
"Stay down, dove," he utters, his gaze never leaving them.
Everything happens at once.
The first hunter lunges forward. Kaziel moves faster. He literally blurs. I hear the snap of bone and the grind of metal. One hunter goes down. Then another.
But their weapons... they shine. Every strike leaves a burn mark across his skin that doesn't heal right away.
I'm paralyzed with fear. So terrified that all I can do is hide and watch.
When the last hunter hits the ground, silence hangs heavily in the air.
Kaziel stands in the middle of it all, his chest heaving. His skin is streaked with shimmering burns that pulse faintly gold. They look like cracks in a porcelain.
Slowly, he turns to look at me, and the air freezes in my lungs.
I've never seen anything more terrifying and heartbreakingly beautiful in the same breath.
Suddenly, he's in the car with me. One blink, and he's there.
His hand finds my waist, pulling me against him.
He exhales shakily, his forehead brushing mine. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"
A lump forms in my throat. "Kaziel, what were those weapons? They hurt you."
"Celestial tech," he says through gritted teeth. "Made from the ashes of fallen seraphs. The only thing that can pierce a tribrid's skin."
I stare at him. "And they used them... on you? How bad—"
He smiles softly, his eyes closing briefly.
"I'm fine, I promise—" he lets out a weak gasp, slumping against me.
My eyes go wide as fear grips me. "Kaziel!"
"Don't panic, okay? I just... need to get something out," he rasps.
And that's when I see it, a large, sharp piece of metal stuck in his rib section. It glows faintly with a purple light. Tears burn my eyes. I don't know what to do. I'm freaking out badly.
"Breathe, Danika. Relax," he tells me, and my heart sinks.
Relax?
Letting out a shaky breath, he reaches for the metal, hissing in pain as his fingers close around it. Then he yanks it out, hard. I gasp at the sick squelching sound. My lips part in horror when I see how long the metal actually is. It's long enough to have struck an organ.
He flips the piece of metal to the backseat with a lazy flick of his wrist.
"You're bleeding," I whimper. His lips curl slowly as he lowers his head to rest his forehead on my shoulder.
"Just hold me, yeah? I'm almost done," he says, and I swallow past the lump in my throat, circling my arms around him.
Is he even listening to me?
Suddenly, the injury begins to glow, all evidence of injury fading in an instant. With a trembling hand, I reach for his side, hesitating for a moment.
"It's okay, you can touch it," he whispers, and I gulp, slowly tracing his warm skin.
"How is this possible?" I ask, flabbergasted.
He shrugs effortlessly. "Perks of being a tribrid."
Slowly, he eases off me and adjusts himself to turn on the ignition and pull the car out of the parking lot. I gape at him, wondering why he looks so calm.
He just took out a twelve-inch-looking piece of metal out of his body, and his windscreen has been shattered.
What in the world?
....
"What is this place?" I ask as Kaziel opens the car door for me. He'd insisted that I go with him. He wanted to make sure I was safe. Why would he say that? I wonder. Unless I'm the one who's being hunted, it makes no sense.
"My house," Kaziel tells me, and my jaw drops.
"What are you? Some sort of secret billionaire?" I ask, and he beams at me.
"Ever heard of Lakewood Group?"
I blink at him, bewildered. Surely, he can't mean—
"My last name is Lakewood."
My eyes bulge in their sockets. "No way."
The Lakewood group is one of the largest trillionaire empires in the country. They're old money. Rumors say they sacrificed their women for wealth. All of their wives died at a young age.
Who knew they were all supernaturals?
Kaziel unlocks the door, and I step into what looks like a cross between a museum and a sanctuary.
High ceilings. Black marble floors. Elegant home decor.
It smells faintly of cedar and the distinct smell of dark chocolate.
He shuts the door behind us, and I follow him. He unbuttons his ruined shirt and takes it off.
Then I freeze.
All I can do is stare. The pale gold light from the chandelier slides across his broad shoulders and the tattoos on his back.
The "cracks" from the hunters' weapons climb over his biceps and ribs, glowing faintly. They look both painful and impossibly beautiful.
He winces when he lifts his arm.
"Sit down," I say quickly, pointing to the couch. "You shouldn't even be standing."
"I heal fast, remember?" He murmurs, but he sits anyway.
I manage to locate the kitchen, fumbling through the cabinets until I find a glass. My hands shake as I fill it with water.
By the time I return, he's half turned away, inspecting the burn marks with a frown.
"Here." I hold out the glass. "You need to stay hydrated or something."
He huffs out a low chuckle. "Hydrated or something. Thanks, doc.”
"Don't mock me," I mutter, my cheeks burning. "You nearly died out there."
His smile fades. "It's not that easy to kill me, dove." He takes the glass, downs it in one swallow, and sets it aside. Then he pushes to his feet. "Come on."
I follow him down the hallway, trying not to stare too long at his back, his muscles flexing with every step he takes.
When he opens a door, I gasp.
The bedroom is huge. Midnight walls, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city, and a bed big enough to swallow me whole. It looks like something out of a dream.
He goes straight to a walk-in closet and comes back with a small jar.
"Ointment," he explains. "It helps the burns fade faster."
He tries to smear it across his arm, but his reach is awkward. The angle makes him hiss in pain.
"Please, sit," I sigh.
He arches a brow, but he obeys, lowering himself onto the edge of the bed. I take the jar from him and twist off the lid, my pulse thudding loud in my ears.
When I move closer, he catches my wrist gently and tugs. The next thing I know, I'm standing between his knees.
I suck in a sharp breath, feeling self-conscious.
"Easier for you to reach this way," he says softly.
"Right. Of course," I whisper, almost breathless.
He tilts his head up to look at me, amusement flashing in his blue eyes. Only a little while ago, they had been blazing red. This is my new reality, I guess.
I dip my fingers into the ointment and dab it carefully over the glowing lines on his shoulder. The cool balm makes him exhale through his teeth, but his searing gaze doesn't leave my face.
To distract myself, I mumble, "So... Lakewood Group, huh? You're, what, a supernatural CEO?"
"Something like that," he says. "The company's just a cover. The family uses it to hide old deals."
"Old deals," I repeat, forcing out a nervous laugh. "You mean like contracts?"
"Contracts sealed in blood." He grins faintly when I stiffen. "Relax. Not human blood."
"That doesn't make me feel better."
He chuckles, and I try not to melt at how warm his skin feels beneath my fingers. The ointment glows faintly as it sinks into his skin, the cracks closing one by one.
"You're good at this," he murmurs. "You've got a gentle touch."
"I'm just trying not to hurt you," I whisper.
His smile softens. "You won't."
The air between us thickens. For a moment, neither of us speaks. Then I clear my throat, and just as I'm about to move away, his hand closes around my wrist, and he pulls me down to sit on his lap.
I gasp, feeling my face heat up.
He wraps his arms around me, burying his face against my chest. "I won't hurt you," he breathes.
Hesitantly, I bring a hand to his hair, stroking the strands gently. He nuzzles into my touch, a soft sigh escaping his lips.
"You have no idea how terrible I felt knowing you had to experience that. I don't want to overwhelm you. I'm scared I'd lose you," he tells me, his voice cracking slightly.
Gently, I cup his face, and his tender gaze meets mine.
"I’m still here,” I tell him, feeling bolder. Mesmerized by his beauty, I trace my finger across his brow.
“There’s so much I need to tell you—” he starts to say, but suddenly stiffens, his eyes narrowing.
“What the fuck is she doing here?” He mutters.
I blink, confused. “Who?”
His gaze meets mine, his irises darkening. “Eve.”