The man was fricken' gorgeous.
The panic tearing apart her chest eased at his nearness, and her anxieties vanished. The only danger that lingered was her need to touch him.
The darkness in her retreated a tad, purring in pleasure. Caly closed the gap between them, lured by the invitation in his sable eyes. Heat enveloped her in a protective cocoon. No one would hurt her again; he'd make sure of it. When he leaned down, she tipped back her head, let her eyes drift closed, almost able to taste him.
Thunder boomed in the background, startling a yelp out of her. Bolting upright, Caly surveyed her surroundings, surprised to see the four walls of her room.
No intruders or jungle.
And no sexy statue.
She nearly whimpered.
What had she been thinking? Caly scrubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands, wishing she could brush the incident out of her mind as easily. Despite the way her body tingled, the kiss hadn't happened and never would if she had something to say about it. Searching inward, she breathed a sigh of relief to find her demon resting peacefully, awake, waiting, but content.
Shoving off the cover, she shivered, the shock of cold air harsh on her oversensitive skin. The dream faded, taking with it the last bit of warmth. Caly yawned and glanced out the window. The majestic storms she'd expected didn't appear. There wasn't even a hint of a cloud in the pale rose streaking the horizon.
The sound came again, like a car backfiring, shattering the silence. Before it faded, she shoved her legs into her jeans.
Company had arrived early.
The pounding continued to rain down on her door. She clattered down the stairs, slipping a shirt over her head. She paused with her hand on the knob, unable to prevent herself from stealing a glance over her shoulder to the parlor, her heart in her throat.
He was gone. She'd know otherwise.
A pang of regret rippled through her at the thought of not seeing him again, and she frowned at the reaction. If she ever came across him again, she'd have to kill him. It was her job.
Everything inside her protested the logic.
Sometimes her job sucked.
Distracted, she pulled open the door mid-knock, almost taking a fist to the face. Reacting instinctively, she twisted aside and yanked on the arm. Momentum sent the man sprawling across the floor. The harsh curses that followed let her know exactly who was her would be attacker.
"Good morning, David." A smile crept into her voice.
"That's a good place for you, sugar." Kelly strode forward, stepped over her disgruntled boyfriend then ruffled his hair. A smirk covered her lips as her dark eyes met Caly's gaze. "I take it you missed your morning coffee?"
Caly's lips twitched, and she shifted to look behind Kelly toward the walkway. "I believe that's coming yet."
Kelly blinked then shook her head. "I don't know how you do that."
"Part bloodhound." Caly joked and watched Jarred alight from the car carrying two sacks. Coffee and donuts. Yum.
Caly turned and watched David struggle to his feet.
"You could give me a hand, you know," he huffed under his breath and aimed a glare at both women.
"Sugar, I think you can remember how to work those things that connect your feet to your body." Kelly looped her arm through Caly's and dragged her off toward the kitchen. The men trailed after them.
"Aren't you going to ask why we came?" Kelly tossed out the question in a casual manner, her focus on the food being passed around the table.
"Let me guess. You are to be my cook, David my servant, and Jarred my butler?"
A jelly-covered smirk cross Jarred's face as he systematically devoured the last of his donut. "I told you she wouldn't fall for it." He wiped at the cherry smudge, and turned to search the cupboards and fridge without another word. She'd stocked the bare minimum, up from the normally stark kitchen, in preparation for their visit, knowing that even if they didn't move in with her, they'd spend every waking moment there anyway.
"Girl, we worry about you. It's not safe for you to stay here by yourself." Kelly flicked David a barely discernible look from the corner of her eye.
Caly knew that look. Trouble. "What happened?"
"Maybe you should sit and have your coffee first." David slid the cardboard cup across the table. Caly dutifully cradled the cup, the heat invading her chilled fingers. She inhaled the steam deep into her lungs, not sure she could handle more bad news. The fragrance of roasted black coffee had her eyes closing in bliss. Her last bit of denial before the world intruded.
"Here." The smell of chocolate reached her first. One eye cracked open to see David dangle a Swiss stir stick inches from her face, a knowing smirk on his lips.
Swiping the swizzle, she didn't care why they were here or even hear his teasing, not until she finished her coffee. As she sipped her delicious brew, she watched the ever organized Jarred jot down a list of supplies he found lacking.
"You'll never guess who came to visit." Kelly's words were muffled around the donut she devoured. Her second.
It didn't take a genius to reach an answer. "Juliet." The name soured the coffee and the last swallow left a bitter taste coating the back of her throat.
"The bitch came to visit you, too, didn't she? I bet she gave the same prepared speech she gave us on how sorry she was about our loss." Kelly rose, ready to beat the snot out of the debutant.
Caly appreciated the sentiment, but spoke to halt her friend's headlong dash to disaster. "She knows what she's doing. She knows the consequences of consorting with that type of man and doesn't care. You beating the crap out of her won't change her mind; it'll only redirect her ire onto you."
"I don't care. She needs to be taught a lesson. She can't mess with other people's lives and not expect them to react."
"And when her demon friends go after David because of you?" It was a low blow, but it halted Kelly at the door. "She'll search out your weakness and attack. All she knows is her friends get her what she wants. She doesn't know they're demons, and I want to keep it that way. The last thing we need is for her to start plotting."
Kelly steadied herself by gripping the doorway, her knuckles white, her back poker straight. Attitude marked her every move as she turned to face the group. "We can take whatever she can dish out."
"We couldn't at the temple." The reminder wasn't gentle, but Kelly didn't understand subtlety when her friends were threatened. The words were so very similar to what her late night visitor quoted to her that she winced.
Caly hated to bring it up, but it needed to be said. "They're planning something big. I'm afraid we'll be in over our heads if we don't prepare ourselves."
"You mean the plan to resurrect the Fallen." Kelly moved back to David's side and snuggled close.
When he wrapped her in his arms, Caly looked down at her empty cup, a twinge of jealousy burrowing in her chest. To have someone to support her like that, no second guesses, no doubts. She rubbed her temple, pushing the envy away. "I don't think it was a fluke. The walls were covered with glyphs, instructions on how to conduct a blood ritual. My best guess is that they were searching for someone, but I have no clue who or why."
"So what's our next move?"
Frustration made Caly antsy. With no outlet, she stood and paced. Either that or go stir crazy. "I'd hoped to avoid this step, but we have no choice." Caly stopped and raised her chin.
Jarred beat her to the punch. "You're going through with your plan to reach your demon contact."
"If I can contact my djinn, my doppelganger, I know I can find out what's happening."
"But isn't seeing your own doppelganger an omen of death?" David rubbed his chin as he studied her.
"Not always." Caly bit her lip against volunteering more information. The more she said, the less likely she'd be able to slip out of the house without them trailing her into trouble.
Kelly didn't wait to hear more. "It's too dangerous."
With a shrug, Caly met her gaze. No matter how she worked the situation, she couldn't find a way around it. "Not going would be worse."
"Tell me about this djinn." Disapproval and judgment lined Jarred's face, but he also understood necessity.
Meeting up with her djinn again gave Caly mixed feelings. At the first terrifying meeting with her double, Caly feared that if she stared too long into those dark eyes, she'd never find her way back from the abyss. Now, all these years later, the thought of seeing her again made her feel like a helpless child.
"Most people have heard of guardian angels. In order to keep the balance between good and evil, a djinn is born as well. Only djinn aren't the benevolent creatures that parents tell their children about in fairytales. No magic lamp or benign genie popping out to grant wishes. They are weaker demons and tend to be a bit overzealous when it comes to terms of their survival."
"Like an angel and devil sitting on your shoulders." Kelly shook her head. "You can't trust-"
"She's not evil." The protest sprang instantly to her lips, a sore subject she and Oscar had argued over so many times. Jarred raised a brow at her vehement denial, and she looked away when awareness sharpened in his gaze. "In order for a djinn to survive, they must remain close to their human counterpart until they grow into their powers."