The Demon's Lover ✓

Lover - Nine

2011 © Sonia Bartlett ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Chapter 9

Somehow when Serlina envisioned the White One, this... Xenia, she certainly hadn't expect a lithely agile brunette with doe eyes. Standing at a mere 5'4, Xenia did have something going for her despite her unintimidating stature. Well, Serlina admitted reluctantly, a lot going for her.

Her frame was petite, but very femininely rounded at the same time. Her facial bones were softly prominent, high cheekbones narrowing down to a richly curved mouth that made to smile. Her chocolate brown hair framed her perfect face accentuating her stubborn chin and wide forehead, before falling in a slight wave beyond her shoulders to almost mid-back.

Xenia's eyes though... they were the most bewitching thing about her. Soft and beguiling they were the color of Carmel swirled with chocolate and one merely had to look at her to be transfixed.

And transfixed the men were, Serlina thought wryly. But not Christian, she reminded herself firmly. Not him. Never him.

The entire trip back to Vegas, including the several-hour-long helicopter ride, Christian was silent, his face forbidding. Simply refusing to talk when he so obviously had no desire to, the past few hours had been hell for Serlina.

Darkness had been creeping upon them as they finally touched down on the outskirts of Vegas. Ty had awaken at last when Christian roughly tossed him out of the helicopter. Frankly disoriented he'd told Serlina that Cam had been the one to suggest taking Xenia back to a smaller, less crowded hotel room to rest.

She was a shifter like them, but neither Ty nor Cam had gotten a really close look at her. Apparently, though, she turned into some sort of large cat. Serlina was skeptical. How could a shifter tire so quickly?

Ty had given the address warily to Christian who simply ignored both him and Serlina, taking off at a brisk pace in the direction of the hotel. Rolling her eyes, Serlina nudged Ty to follow Christian with her.

Barely ten minutes later they'd arrived at the hotel and Cam had met them in the lobby. Giving her a relieved smile and a bear hug, Cam had certainly been happy to see her! He was less so when confronted with Christian.

Though Cam was taller than the other man by at least a few inches, something about Christian's quiet strength refused to be overpowered by the larger man's brawn. Serlina had eyed the two narrowly. Both had been eyeing each other up, immensely tense.

Serlina didn't know why, but she assumed it had to do with the general hostility between shifters and demons. For thousands of years they had been fighting - it was just nature to want to kill each other. She ought to have known that... she had wanted to kill the dense demon several times daily since she met him!

Nodding curtly Cam had acknowledged Serlina when she attempted to break the tension by suggesting they all go see Xenia. Cam had turned his back on them in a swift movement, becoming impossibly stiffer.

Serlina had grabbed Ty's sleeve and let the other two pass. Dawdling behind them she asked, "What does Xenia know?"

"Well, when we first found her in back woods New York... erm, overtly exited I suppose you could say," he murmured.

"Ty!" Serlina scolded, "You know how important-"

"Yes, yes," he put in hurriedly, "but I rushed out with the bit about the prophecy and she got a bit, um... hysterical?" Serlina just glared. Ty swallowed nervously. "But it was all fine," he rushed on, "Cam showed up and then she sort of went with him, so it was all good!"

"I just bet it was," Serlina muttered derogatorily.

"No, really!" Ty exclaimed. "She just saw him and he calmed her down. It was the oddest thing, I swear." He shrugged. "Oh well. Anyway she just seemed to go along with it after that. Cam was real concerned about her so she felt all... reassured I guess. She took it real well."