Released (Eternal Balance) Read online

  “Should that matter?” It was still so strange to hear such venom in Jax’s voice. It wasn’t like I’d never seen him angry, but with Azi in control, it was more than that. There was an underlying menace, the sense of a fury that didn’t even touch on the anger issues he had.

  “Samantha,” Kelly said with a whimper. Her gaze flickered between Jax and me. “Call the police. Call them before he kills me. Do something!”

  “He’s had a little to drink,” I said, hoping it was a sellable excuse. “But he’s not going to kill—”

  “Of course I was,” Azirak said matter-of-factly. “You are mine. I’ll allow no harm to come to you.”

  “Drugs!” Kelly exclaimed. “He’s high, isn’t he?” She clutched her neck and threw her head back with a wail. “Oh, Samantha. What have you gotten yourself into?”

  “He’s just had a bit too much to drink,” I replied, eyeing the demon living in my boyfriend’s skin. “But we need to borrow your car. Unless you want us to crash here for the night…”

  Kelly propelled herself toward the end table beside the couch and fumbled with the drawer for a moment before straightening and producing the keys to her brand new Ford Explorer. She thrust them at Azi. “Take it—but Samantha stays here.”

  I groaned. “He’s not going to hurt—”

  “Out of the question,” Azi said with utmost calm. It took the keys from her. “She remains with me at all times.” The demon turned to me, the smallest hint of a grin on Jax’s face. “Her words, of course. Not mine.”

  Before I could protest—even though he was technically telling the truth that I’d said exactly those words—Azi grabbed me by the arm and dragged me out Kelly’s front door.

  Chapter Three

  Azirak/Jax

  Sam insisted on driving, which was fine with Azi. The encounter with Kelly, and having been deprived of feeding, had made the demon angry—not to mention hungry. The growing itch made me worry about the thing’s control.

  “We need to get something straight,” Sam said, changing lanes to pass the car in front of us. “That shit you pulled back at Kelly’s? That can’t happen again.”

  Irritation surged in Azi, but more than that, confusion. It genuinely didn’t understand what she was pissed about. “You chastise me for protecting you?”

  “Damn right,” she snapped. “Because no matter what you say, that’s Jax’s body you’re temporarily squatting in. He has to live with the fallout after I find a way to evict your ass. Besides, that’s not what that was all about anyway.”

  “Oh?” The demon’s irritation turned to amusement. It didn’t bother correcting her on the temporarily bit. Azi had me locked down tight and wasn’t the least bit concerned about her—or me—turning the tables. And even though I had complete faith in Sam—if there was a way to fix this, she’d find it—even I had to admit I was pretty much fucked.

  “You’re the equivalent of a demonic spoiled brat. Any time you don’t get what you want, you throw a fit. That doesn’t work in this world, buddy. You need a little more self-control if you want to pretend to be a real boy.”

  I worried the demon’s temper would flare, but instead of anger, I felt a swell of admiration from it. “You know what I am,” Azi said. It shifted around in the seat so that I was facing her. “You know what I am capable of. And yet you still speak to me as you would a lowly human?”

  “Lowly human?” She shook her head and stomped on the gas. Kelly’s Explorer surged forward. I cringed internally. I’d seen Sam drive angry. It wasn’t a pretty sight. “No, no. You’re totally misunderstanding me. I’m speaking to you as I would an asshat.”

  If Sam wasn’t careful, she’d push the demon too far. Despite knowing it wouldn’t work, I tried to take back control.

  If you hurt her…

  Azi chuckled, and Sam slowed the car just a bit. “What? What’s so funny?”

  “He’s concerned for you. Fearful that I’ll harm you for speaking to me in a tone unbefitting of my station.”

  She snorted. “Unbefitting of your station? You’ve got to be shitting me.”

  “You find that amusing?”

  “More like annoying. Newsflash, demon-boy. You don’t have a station anymore. You’ve pissed off your clan and something tells me there’s nothing you can do to repair that. Not in this lifetime, at least.” She snickered and palmed the wheel. “You’re just a neutered hell-spawn in the body of a hot guy.”

  This time the demon did react. My arm shot out, fingers wrapping firmly around Sam’s neck. I fought with all I had, but my limbs wouldn’t respond. She gasped, surprised, and stomped down hard on the brake pedal. Squealing tires and car horns filled the air, and Sam jerked the wheel to the right. The truck came to a screeching halt on the shoulder of the road.

  The pressure wasn’t enough to cause Sam discomfort, but the gray of fear bled into the air.

  “While I view your outspokenness and bravado as interesting, understand, Samantha Merrick, that I will only tolerate it for so long. Do not overstep your bounds. I don’t want to kill you, but rest assured, I will make your existence difficult.”

  Slowly she nodded, and Azi let go. Some of the fear abated, replaced by dark red—fury. The demon ignored it.

  “You have me driving aimlessly down this highway,” she said after a moment. She took a deep breath and glanced over her shoulder, and once the coast was clear, pulled the truck back onto the road. “Going to tell me what our destination is?”

  “We’re going to obtain the skill set.”

  “Skill set,” she repeated. “Is this just any particular set of skills, or do we have a specific person in mind?”

  “We seek a very particular set.”

  “I suppose the obvious question would be to ask whose skills we’re after…”

  No answer. Frustration exploded into the air around Sam.

  You should know by now that Sam is persistent. Give her something or she’s going to drive us into a ditch…

  “Oh, wait. I have an idea! Why don’t we find ourselves a witch? Maybe she could do a spell, find the rock, and poof! We can all go home.” Sam tapped the side of her head. “Oh. Hang on a sec. Dealing with a witch worked out so well for us before…”

  “Speak ill of my mate with caution, Samantha Merrick. Malphi is impulsive and headstrong, but she is mine. She will return to me long after you are nothing more than dust and bone.”

  I could tell by the quirk of Sam’s lips that she wanted to say more on the subject, but I was happy when she didn’t. Malphi was a sore subject for the demon. Every time the demoness was brought up, rage swelled. I felt it twitch in every limb, felt a bubble build in my gut.

  “So what I don’t understand about all of this is how that bi—Malphi—got hold of the stone to begin with.”

  “We knew exile awaited us,” Azi said. A swarm of images filled my mind—hundreds of demons facing off on a battlefield soaked in blood and gore. “We’d gotten word from a spy in Lucifer’s innermost circle, and we prepared.”

  “I don’t get it. How the hell do you prepare for exile?”

  “Each royal has a Brim Stone. It is not only the symbol of our status, but also an amplifier for our clan’s magic. Presented to us by Lucifer himself at the moment of our creation, the stone holds a piece of the very essence of hell.”

  “So then how did it get out of hell?”

  “As I said, we had warning. I took my stone.”

  “So how did Malphi end up with half of it?”

  “I have no way of knowing. I believed the stone to have been destroyed upon my entry to this world. I was obviously mistaken.”

  “Well, why wouldn’t she—” A loud wail filled the air. Sam glanced into the rearview mirror and cursed. Flashing lights filled the rearview window, and her foot lifted from the gas pedal. “I was barely speeding!”

  The demon was annoyed by the interruption, but said nothing as Sam slowed and pulled the truck to the side of the road. Azi turned, and I was able to se
e the officer as he emerged from his patrol car and sauntered over. Both of them.

  This doesn’t look good…

  No sooner did they get to the front of Kelly’s truck than another patrol car pull up alongside, boxing us in.

  Yep. We’re fucked.

  “I’m begging you,” Sam whispered. Thick gray smoke filled the cab, and her shoulders gave the smallest hint of a tremble. “Don’t do anything suspicious. If you can’t be him, then just be quiet.”

  Amusement settled over me. “I can be him,” the demon replied.

  Sam’s doubt was like a sledgehammer to the nuts, but she didn’t say a thing. Instead, she rolled down her window and flashed the officers a smile. “Something wrong?”

  “Please step out of the vehicle,” the one in front said. He took a step back, and it was impossible not to notice the way his gaze flickered from her to me, or how the fingers on his right hand stayed paused at his holster.

  Sam complied without question as another officer came around to the passenger’s side door. “You, too,” he demanded.

  One of the men that arrived in the second car came forward, eyes trained on me. His tag read Officer Lang—which was slightly familiar. It took a second, but I realized it was Keith Lang, a guy we’d gone to school with.

  Oh, yeah. We’re seriously fucked.

  Keith and I had never been buds. In fact, I’d kicked his ass twice for spreading rumors about my brother Chase—which was stupid in hindsight. Especially since the rumors were true.

  Keith’s lips twitched, and he didn’t try hiding his grin. “A Mrs. Kelly Merrick reported this vehicle stolen. Would you like to explain what you’re doing with it?”

  “Kelly is my aunt,” Sam said. “This is a misunderstanding. We borrowed the truck.”

  Lang lifted his eyebrows and turned to Sam. “She also said you were taken from her home against your will.”

  “Again,” Sam said. Her voice was deceptively calm, but the gray in the air, mixed with the smallest tint of red, told me otherwise. “A misunderstanding.”

  “She told us you might say that.” Lang glanced back in my direction. “Your aunt says Mr. Flynn is manipulating you.” He leaned toward her, and my muscles tightened. Azi didn’t like him being so close. Neither did I. “You’re safe now, Miss Merrick. I promise.”

  “I was safe before you showed up, too.” There was an edge to her voice. She glanced at me then sighed. To Lang, she said, “I’m guessing you’re not going to take my word for it, though, huh?”

  “I’m afraid I’ll have to take you both back to the station. I’m sorry.”

  She grumbled something about him not looking sorry and allowed Lang to show her to his patrol car. The two from the first squad car, their tags reading Mitchel and Franke, stepped up on either side of me. “Are we going to have a problem, Flynn?” Mitchel asked. Something in the tone of his voice made me think he desperately wanted me to say yes.

  What an asshole…

  Azi agreed, but thankfully stood down. It shook my head. “There’s no problem. Let’s just clear this shit up so we can get back to it.”

  …

  Frank Spencer wasn’t a fan of mine. The Harlow police chief sat on the other side of his desk, drumming his fingers against the side of his coffee cup, the sound of it echoing inside my head and giving me a migraine.

  He’d been watching me for a few minutes, silently, furiously glaring. I disliked the man, even felt threatened by him as a teenager, so naturally Azi was on the defensive.

  “Hate to burst your bubble, Spencer, but I wouldn’t get your celebratory lotion ready just yet. You know damn well I didn’t kidnap Sam.” The impression of me was spot-on. Then again, I’d never had any doubt. Azi had been my constant shadow since the moment I entered this world. It was the only one who knew me better than Sam. “You’ve got jack shit on me.”

  “I agree. There’s no way she’d tell me you forced her to leave Kelly’s with you—even if there was a fraction of truth in it—but you did steal a car.” His grin went from ear to ear, and the itch to wipe it from his face nearly compelled Azi from the chair. Spencer leaned in and planted both elbows on the desk in front of him. He was looking a little haggard lately. Life on the force was getting to him. It was a shame that in my current situation I didn’t have the ability to gloat. “Grand theft auto, motherfucker. I got you.”

  It was the opportunity he’d been waiting for since the moment I landed across from him at the age of fourteen. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be too concerned. Eventually Sam would get Kelly to drop the charges. But with Azi behind the wheel? The demon wouldn’t sit by and wait patiently while I cooled my heels in a small town jail cell waiting for this to get resolved. Plus, we had the carnivi to worry about. They didn’t have the ability to reason. They were given a task by their master and followed it through to the end —no matter what. If they caught wind of us here, a lot of good people—and Spencer—would be killed.

  We need to get out of here. Don’t do anything stupid.

  The demon matched Spencer’s movements, leaning forward. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”

  He’s a friend of Sam’s. Don’t even fucking think about it.

  “I’m not going to harm him,” the demon said out loud.

  The police chief narrowed his eyes. “Who aren’t you going to harm?”

  The demon didn’t answer.

  Fucking brilliant. Talking to yourself isn’t going to make him think you’re solid.

  Spencer stood. He made his way around the desk without taking his eyes from me. If he had any idea what was crawling around in my skin, he would have run for the hills. Instead, he was grinning like an asshole. “You’re all wrong, Flynn. I’ve been telling people for years.”

  Azi shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a special kind of sunshine.”

  The wrinkles on his forehead became more pronounced as his grin widened. “Not for long, punk. When I’m done—”

  There was a soft knock on the door, and a moment later, a small-framed blonde poked her head into the room. “Sir?”

  Spencer didn’t turn around. “In the middle of something, Sarah.”

  “That’s why I’m here, Chief.” She hesitated, shuffling from foot to foot. Her colors swirled. The haze around her shoulders shifted from concern to fear. “The charges against Mr. Flynn have been dropped.”

  Score another one for me, shithead!

  “The charges—” The color drained from Spencer’s face, and his right hand, still clutching the corner of the desk, twitched several times before clamping down on the wood hard enough to turn his knuckles white. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. He straightened, adjusted his shirt, and yanked open the door. “This isn’t over, Flynn.”

  Azi stood. The demon made a show of smoothing out my shirt and picking a speck of lint from the sleeve before slowly sauntering from the room.

  Yeah. Its impression was spot on.

  Chapter Four

  Sam

  Azi hadn’t said anything since we’d gotten back into Kelly’s truck. It didn’t ask how I’d managed to dig us out of our little predicament, or how I’d convinced Kelly to let us keep the truck. The demon had slipped behind the wheel, and we were currently cruising up the Taconic State Parkway. Normally the silence didn’t bother me. The less the demon opened Jax’s mouth, the easier it was for me to pretend things were okay. But about an hour in, I started getting antsy.

  “So Heckle mentioned a tracker? What was he talking about?”

  Azi took an exit and turned the truck onto a narrow country road. “The Tracker is akin to what humans would consider a bounty hunter. It seeks out items of power and the things associated with them.”

  I cringed as loose pebbles assaulted the underside of the truck. Kelley was a pain in my ass, but she meant well—in her own special way. She loved this stupid truck. I’d promised to keep it safe, telling her that I was taking Jax to a rehab facility and would be officially done with him when I
returned to Harlow. She wasn’t going to be happy if both things turned out to be lies. “And you think Chase summoned it?”

  “If he has half of the Brim Stone in his possession, it would be the logical move. Power attracts. Many will be looking for it. The sooner he obtains the other half, essentially making himself untouchable, the better I imagine.”

  “So we need to find the other half before this tracker does.” I nodded as the truck listed to the left. We’d pulled down another road, this one all dirt and barely large enough for a single car. Branches scraped the sides and roof and I said a silent prayer that they weren’t messing up the paint too badly. “How do we do that?”

  “We don’t.” When we couldn’t go any farther, the truck came to a stop. It hadn’t been a road, but a driveway that ended at a small log cabin situated at the mouth of a stream. The demon killed the engine and got out of the car. A moment later, it was at my door, yanking me unceremoniously from the passenger seat. “You do.”

  “Me?” I repeated, as the demon dragged me toward the cabin. It looked old, and as Azi pulled me up the steps, I worried the tiny porch wouldn’t support our weight. Each movement sent a series of groans and creaks that sounded suspiciously like a warning. “How am I supposed to find it? And where the hell are we anyway?”

  I didn’t get a response. Instead, the demon produced a key and unlocked the door, then shoved me across the threshold. I had no idea what I expected to find inside the small house, but it wasn’t neatly stacked cardboard boxes and tons of ancient looking furniture beneath what appeared to be decades of dust.

  Azi let go of me and closed the door, and I took another step inside. The boxes went from floor to ceiling and looked to be piled around the edge of the room three deep in some places. Each one had a four-digit number on the front, some barely visible through the thick accumulation of dust. “What is this place?”

  Azi thought about it for a moment. “The edge of the world. My world.”