House of Imperial Read online

  Never underestimate a woman. You’ll end up on your knees holding your balls.

  His eyes, only inches from mine now, locked on to my face and it felt like I’d been the one punched. They were even more beautiful than he was, and that was saying something. The color was an unusual light brown, cinnamon dusted with gold. These gilded circles cut through the deep amber color. They were also framed by ridiculously dark and thick lashes.

  Focus, Callie…

  I called on my years of training – this was what Mom had been preparing me for. The only reason she allowed me to fight and train was because one day I would have to deal with this other world. One day the Daelighters would come for me.

  Looked like today was that day.

  And no stunning-eyed musical-voiced angel face was going to stop me from escaping.

  I made it past him with ease, sprinting for the door he had left open. I had only the clothes on my back; my cash was still in the bottom of the grocery bags. I’d just have to figure it all out later. For now the immediate danger was far worse than having no money.

  Rushing down the stairs, I jumped the final few, landing softly and taking off. I decided that heading back to Jackson Square was my best chance. There were always people there, crowds to lose him in. More than likely he wouldn’t attack in public, which was a double advantage. These Daelighters liked to stay under the radar, or so my mom had told me. I was going to have to recall everything she’d ever said in her lectures. I wished I’d paid better attention. Most of the time I’d been internally rolling my eyes and counting dust bunnies. It all seemed so crazy and farfetched. Nothing had happened in the first eighteen years of my life.

  But she had been telling me the truth. They really did exist.

  My breathing grew harsh, and even though I was fit from all the Muay Thai cardio – I was trained in multiple martial arts disciplines – I was going to tire out quickly. Running in New Orleans’ weather was not advisable, especially with the huge storm brewing on the horizon – those thick, dark clouds were definitely adding the right sort of ominous feel to my afternoon.

  After a few minutes, I glanced back and there were no immediate signs of a scary, sex-on-legs guy behind me. Turning back, my breaths coming out in harsh puffs, I berated myself for not guessing immediately that he was one of these aliens. What human dude looked like that? My mom could have added dangerously attractive to her list of things to look out for. All she had told me was that they were taller than average, with a scary aura … but she had missed so much else.

  Mom…

  What the hell happened to her? In most cities we had a contingency plan. If one of us went missing or was hurt, we generally had a clear course of action to follow. But for some reason neither of us had worked out a strategy for New Orleans. We’d grown complacent. Stupid. So freaking stupid. I’d just have to lie low for a few days, then double back to the condo to see if she had returned. Or maybe left me a note. I hadn’t had a chance to check for anything like that, mostly because I’d been looking for a rapist with a gun, not a note stuck to the fridge.

  I almost sobbed as a large group of rowdy people came into sight dressed in full Halloween getup, even though it was still a week until the 31st of October. No doubt they were heading for a witchy tour, maybe toward Lafayette Cemetery. Wherever they were going, they looked excited as they loudly chatted.

  “Saw a ghost in my hotel room. It was hovering in the corner…”

  “Less than ten bucks to buy a voodoo doll – she swore it would work on my ex.”

  Their conversations went on and on, loud even when I was well past their group. The closer I got to Jackson Square, the more I was forced to slow down, weaving in and out of the people that filled the area. I remained on high alert, scanning the early evening crowd, and realized that while I was going to be able to hide in the throng filling the square, he would be hidden, too. I’d have to remain doubly alert.

  Café Du Monde came into sight, famous for its chicory coffee – which I’d never tried – and beignets – which I’d had just that one time. It was always open, always full, and way too obvious a place for me to hide in. Not to mention, I didn’t even have a dollar on me. My eyes fell to the line of homeless I could see just outside the square, like they’d been swept to the side in an attempt to keep them out of sight. Would I end up there with them? Right now my situation was looking pretty grim. All of my money and possessions were back at the condo.

  Joining the homeless would be better than the alternative. I didn’t fancy being an experiment or play-thing for some supernatural race of beings who secretly controlled Earth.

  Damn that stupid Daelighter. What did he want with me? All I knew was that my dad was part of some special sector of humans who knew about these beings. He had made a deal with them long ago, before I was born, and it had affected us for the rest of our lives.

  Moving cautiously, I let the street music calm me, still jazz, but unlike earlier today it was mostly upbeat numbers, more swing and less blues. A few couples nearby started to dance, and I edged in close to the crowd, watching them, hiding myself in the masses. The scary dude would be a foot taller than most of this crowd, which would help in spotting him. Since he’d also have a height advantage to spot me, I crouched down. Usually, I liked being tall; the extra reach was very useful with fighting. But right now I’d give anything to be five foot nothing.

  Pushing my way forward, I decided to head toward St. Louis Cathedral, which was next to Jackson Square, facing the river. It would be closed at this time of night, but I felt like there were quite a few places for me to hide out in its grounds. I hated this feeling of being out in the open, like prey waiting for the eagle to dive from the sky and snatch me up.

  Ducking my head even lower, I stepped away from the main group I’d been hiding in, but before I made it more than a few feet, someone grabbed my arm. The gasp slipped out first, then my instincts took over. I yanked myself free, almost overbalancing and smashing into a nearby light pole.

  “Callie?”

  The low voice shook me from my panic and I focused enough to see Jason standing before me for the second time that day. With him were four or five guys, all similar in build and clothing. They were clearly heading out for dinner or something like that, dressed nicely.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, stepping closer, concern creasing his features. “You don’t look so well.”

  I swallowed roughly, ragged breaths escaping my lips. Pull it together, I silently berated myself, because even though this was the first time in my life I’d had to face the truth of my mom’s warnings, I should be handling it better than I was. Panic attacks and scattered focus was not going to get me out of this situation.

  “Totally fine,” I said as casually as I could manage. “Just got a little spooked. You know how it is, always someone in costume jumping out at you here.”

  He crossed his arms, staring me down. Maybe it was that my mom’s suspicions had been confirmed, and I was now suspecting everyone, that I had to ask him: “Why am I always running into you, Michaels?”

  Seriously, I ran into him multiple times a week, and considering I almost never left my house, it was … odd. I hadn’t stopped to think about it until now, but everything was different today. Today, I had all but confirmed the fact that supernatural beings existed side by side with me.

  When he remained silent, I took a step back, letting my gaze run from his feet up to his surfer locks. “You’re one of them, aren’t you?” My whisper was tinged with anger and worry. It wasn’t as immediately obvious as with the inked guy – who was just so far beyond human – but the more I stared, the clearer it was to see the special touches that Michaels had.

  His expression grew serious. He flicked a look toward his friends. Without a word, they started to close in on me, moving as a unit.

  Shit. Dammit, I was in trouble. I knew his interest in me had been abnormal. From the moment he introduced himself a month ago I’d had a feeling about him. No
t good or bad, more cautious. I should have paid better attention.

  Backpedaling, I tried to keep all of them in sight. Which grew steadily harder as they fanned out to surround me. “You don’t have to run, Callie,” Michaels said. “I’m not going to hurt you. We’re the good guys in this situation.”

  I snorted but didn’t stop backing away. “I don’t believe a single word which comes out of your lying mouth. You’ve been playing me this entire time. What the hell were you waiting for…?” I broke off before a hard laugh escaped. “Of course, you were waiting for the inked Adonis from my condo.”

  No one denied it and I congratulated myself on finally putting the pieces together. Five minutes too late, as always.

  “We’re here to keep you safe,” Michaels tried again, but I was done listening.

  Spinning on my heels, I took off zipping between stalls and groups of tourists, ducking in and out wherever I could. There wasn’t much outside of white noise in my head, my body struggling to deal with the shock. I took a sharp right, but because I wasn’t paying close enough attention, I missed the horse and cart turning at the same time. Pain shot through my face as I plowed headfirst into the side of the white carriage, bouncing back and landing on the street. Stars burst before my eyes as my head slammed onto the pavement; the world went dark around the edges as my mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood.

  Everything after that was pretty blurry, the pain pounding incessantly in my head, random thoughts and voices confusing me over and over until I was finally released into blessed darkness.

  2

  Waking up to a pounding head was not something I was used to. I never drank or indulged in anything that would impair my senses; that was one of my mom’s rules I absolutely agreed with. I liked to stay in control.

  So why was I about to … I rolled across the bed and dry heaved over the side, thankful there was nothing in my stomach to come out. The pain in my head became even worse as I gagged and spluttered, eventually just hanging half off the bed. I wiped my mouth, desperate for some water, but unable to pull myself up to crawl to our tiny bathroom.

  Laying my head against the super soft throw, I tried to remember what had happened. The pounding didn’t ease, but as my head started to clear, I realized that the light wasn’t coming from the normal direction it did in my room. In fact … nothing was as it should be, including the fact I was in a massive king-size bed.

  I jerked myself upright, fighting the disorientation and nausea. Shit. The last hours before I blacked out came back to me in jerky mental scenes.

  Hot Daelighter … Michaels … on the run.

  As I scanned the bedroom I was in, which was at least the size of my entire condo, I paused at a pair of long legs stretched out in front of a chair in the corner. The owner of those legs appeared to be asleep – judging by the soft snores – his face back in the shadows, making it difficult for me to see who it was.

  I eased myself off the bed. I was still dressed in my clothes from earlier; only my shoes were missing. Thank God. Hopefully “human” wasn’t the right type to get these aliens going – sexually that was. It would be nice not to have to fear rape at their hands.

  As I took the first step toward the window, my feet sank into the carpet. It was soft and thick, cushioning my soles as I crept forward. Adrenalin pumped hard within me and I had to fight the urge to just flat-out sprint. I forced myself to take a moment to figure out my escape. The window was the older kind that had a latch which twisted to open it, and then the bottom half slid up. I would easily be able to fit out through the opening, and there looked to be a small landing on the other side, which was helpful, because I was on the second floor of wherever I was.

  It was dark outside, but the well-lit street below was familiar, one of the rich areas in the French Quarter. I was pretty sure it was Esplanade Avenue. I recognized one or two landmarks from my first days exploring here.

  The latch twisted without a sound and I moved the glass frame up slowly, letting in the billowing heat. I hadn’t noticed until that hot blast hit me how pleasantly cool it was inside. The heat increased my headache, but I shoved the pain to the side. I’d deal with it later. I needed to hurry, before the humid air woke whomever owned the legs in the corner.

  When the frame was eighty percent open, I swung my leg out, resting my weight on the ledge below. Just as I ducked my head and shifted to bring my other leg across, a voice from below had me freezing. Deep, accented, and sexy as hell, it was immediately recognizable as the tatted hot-alien.

  I stopped breathing as I waited to see if I’d been sprung.

  “We’re currently at Jason’s place near the Quarter.” Pause. “Her mom was gone by the time I got there…” There was another pause before he continued. “I’d say that Laous has her. He’s clearly going to try the same thing he did with Emma … using this girl’s family as a bargaining chip.”

  Air whooshed out of me when I realized he was on the phone, talking about my mom and this Laous asshole he thought had taken her. My heart was pounding rapidly, caught between fear and anger. I didn’t always like my mom – most days I fantasized about running away and never dealing with her shit again – but part of me loved her. She was all I had.

  I had to get her back. But how the hell was I going to do that on my own? As I sat there, one leg in and one out of the building, I realized that I needed to find out exactly what the deal was with these Daelighters who had kidnapped me. Michaels said he was protecting me, and I had to take into account the fact that he hadn’t attacked me in all the weeks he’d been around.

  Truth was, I needed more information. At the moment I only had half the story, and it wasn’t adding up. Maybe it was worth sticking around a little longer, finding out exactly what they had to say. Besides, I couldn’t exactly escape out this window with that guy below anyway.

  I was just about to slide myself back inside when he said: “I don’t know anything about her…” Pause. “No way. Fuck. She punched me in the dick. There’s no way I’m hanging around any longer than I have to.”

  I grinned at that. He shouldn’t have entered my place acting like a creepy shit. Creeps get punched in the dick.

  “I’ll tell her the deal, convince her to get her ass back to Astoria, and then we can go from there.”

  It sounded like he was about to hang up, but the person on the other end of the phone must have said something more, because the Daelighter was all of a sudden very serious.

  “The council cannot expect me to hang around here waiting for Laous to reappear,” he bit out the words. “I might not be ready to be overlo … completely in charge right now, but I have to at least check in. I mean, how long do they think I can be away?” More pauses. “I’ll let you know tomorrow.”

  I’d heard enough, so I eased myself back through the window into the bedroom. When I stood and turned, I sucked back a scream at the sight of cinnamon eyes ringed with golden circles staring down at me. Breathing rapidly, my eyes darted between the outside garden he’d just been standing in and the spot he now occupied. In the bedroom. Right by the window.

  “You better get your skinny ass back in this room,” he growled, clearly not a happy alien.

  From this angle, I had a really good view of the dark maroon tattoos on the side of his head. They were symbols, swirling and arching in thick lines, slightly tribal in design, and I’d bet all the money I did not have right now that they were words.

  He cleared his throat and my gaze returned to his eyes. Eyes which were so at odds with the rest of his bad boy look. I tried to ignore the sparks of intrigue that shot through me. I didn’t care that those cinnamon irises were depthless, seeming to hold the weight of the world within them. And I definitely didn’t care that he could actually be the most beautiful male that had ever walked this world.

  Falling back on my false bravado, I drawled, “Clearly I was coming back inside, so let’s save the macho display for another time. Okay? Okay…”

  I crossed
my arms, letting my attitude shine brightly from me. For most of my life I’d been referred to as “difficult” by my mom. She’d even tried to beat it out of me. But I’d never changed. This was who I was, and he would have to deal with it.

  “Look … Human…” He shook his head. “I’m not your enemy. I’m not here to fight with you.”

  “What do you actually want? And how did you get from that garden into the room so fast?”

  His gaze slammed into mine and I choked on my next words. Not only could he move as fast as a superhero, he could also apparently hypnotize me with one look. And don’t even get me started on that voice of his. It was a weapon.

  I was seriously at a disadvantage.

  Before I hyperventilated, he released me by turning toward the window, resting both hands against the frame as he stared out. His next words had less anger in them, that low drawl wrapping around me: “I’m here because my uncle is an evil bastard. He’s searching for the location of an object here on Earth, and unfortunately, your family is one of the secret keepers who know the location.”

  “My mom,” I gasped, my right hand clutching at my throat. “Is that why he took my mom?”

  My thoughts were in turmoil, trying to reconcile everything I thought I knew with this new information coming to light. Was this about my father and his involvement in that group?

  Footsteps distracted me as Michaels hurried over, his eyes drowsy, his hands shifting through his surfer locks. “Daniel … sorry, man, I must have crashed.”

  He noticed me standing there then, his eyes flicking across to the open window.

  “She almost escaped, didn’t she?” he said drily.

  I crossed my arms. “She’s standing right here, Michaels.”

  I got a sheepish look in return. “I was up half the night making sure you didn’t die from your concussion. Which you gave yourself because you never listen to me.”

  It was dark outside, but we must be near morning. Which meant I’d been unconscious for hours, damn them.