The Demon Within (A PeaceKeeper Novel Book 1)(55)

It flipped end over end through the air and landed with a solid thump. A harsh squeal and an overly sweet smell clogged her nose. The dagger clattered to the floor as her eyes slowly adjusted to her surroundings.

What the hell? Her room!

Ruman!

Anxious for his safety, she swiveled and found him next to the bed with no expression on his face, hiding his thoughts from her, blasted him.

The look iced over her heart. He was too damn calm.

"How the devil did a demon get past without your dagger reacting?"

"Maybe it did work. My body was in motion before I was fully awake." To see him alive and whole eased the rapid pounding of her heart, and she desperately wanted to touch him to reassure herself, but his lack of emotions drew her up short. He closed himself off so hard she didn't feel she could touch him when just ten minutes ago she'd slept in his arms.                       
       
           



       

"Natural instinct?"

Caly winced at his caustic question, some of her self-assurance eroding under the same condemnation she faced from Oscar her whole life.

"Remind me not to wake you up in the middle of the night."

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Exasperated by his abrupt change in attitude, Caly took a step to smack him and winced when the bones crunched in her ankle. "Sonofabitch."

Ruman was at her side in seconds, arms locked around her waist. "Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?"

She sucked in a breath with the next step, trying to walk off the injury. "I'll be fine."

"Sure you will."

She gave him a dirty look at his placating tone. "We should check on the others."

"They'll come when they need you. Now let me see." He swept her up and set her on the edge of the bed before she could protest. He lifted her ankle and pulled on the laces of her boot.

The urge to check on her friends clamored in her head, but he was right. But there was one thing she could do. Reaching out with her senses, she allowed the darkness within to unfurl, drift through the house, searching but not detecting any threat. She relaxed as the darkness settled back into its cell without a qualm.

Memories of another time with Ruman on his knees tumbled through her scrambled brain, and her traitorous heart skipped a beat. But the difference in the man at her feet now was night and day.

Ruman tugged on the boot then paused when his fingers met the solid shape of metal. "Clever." He removed the boot, letting his fingers drift along her ankle in a way that sent a shiver all the way up her legs. "It doesn't appear to be broken."

He probed the bone. Fiery pain spread from the contact, and she tightened her fingers on the mattress. Not wanting to lose the closeness between them, she asked what was on her mind instead of burying it like she normally would. "What's bothering you?"

"Nothing." The hesitation as he handed over her boot did little to convince her.

"No?" Caly slipped the leather over her injured ankle and hissed when the disk settled against her bruised flesh. "Are you upset about the medallion?"

He shrugged, his eyes watching her hands as she laced up her boot. "It's a good hiding place, but we have more important matters to settle at the moment."

"Such as?"

"You really don't understand." His sad look scared the bejesus out of her.

Pissed at being forced into a confrontation when she'd tucked away her own anger at him, she lashed back, ignoring the part of her mind that screamed at her to shut her mouth. "Is this about the demon?" She laughed bitterly. "I understand well enough. My instinct just saved our lives."

"What if it had been Brie coming to warn you? What if it had been me? Would you be so cavalier?"

That shut her up.

"Get dressed. We need to warn the others."

By the time she gathered her wits to say she'd reacted to being attacked, Ruman was gone. The door clicked behind him, the noise so final she had difficulty swallowing.

Why did she have the feeling she'd just lost something precious? Could he have been right? Her throat closed. If it had been someone else, she couldn't have guaranteed instinct wouldn't have taken over.

The tendency for violence hovered in her mind every waking moment. When around humans, she'd purposely scaled back, retreated to keep them safe from her darker emotions.

It was obvious now that she let herself get too close. Once this was over, she'd have to leave or risk endangering them like this again.

Retrieving her knife, she decided Ruman was partially right. She slept with him. She made love with him. She either trusted him or she didn't.

Heat burned her cheeks. She'd allowed Oscar to brainwash her into believing all demons were evil. She needed to find Ruman and explain. To have him thinking badly of her had the darkness in her creeping closer to her soul.

She found him in the kitchen, drinking the hickory-flavored coffee he loved. To give herself time to organize her argument, she helped herself to a cup and sat across from him, desperately trying to think where to start.

"I can't help the way I was trained." Coward that she was, she hid behind her cup, unable to face him. The warmth of the brew soaked into her icy fingers but it brought her little comfort. The chill came from within.

"I'd like to think I wouldn't have reacted the same way if anyone came into my room, but I can't say if that's true or if I just want to believe it so bad."

She blew across the dark liquid, more to have something to do rather than to cool it. The surface rippled, and her image distorted. "I haven't trusted anyone, especially not myself, since the first time I met Oscar." A bitter laugh escaped. "I don't blame him. Not anymore. He did what he thought best to protect me and the group."                       
       
           



       

"Caly-"

She held up her hand, praying he would give her a chance to finish. She didn't think she'd be brave enough to try again. "I trust you with my life and more important, the lives of my friends. I-"

"Stop."

Tears pooled in her eyes, blurring the image in the coffee further. "But-"

Faster than she could form words, he stood and stretched across the table, dragged her over the surface and kissed her. The touch of his lips burned through her, breaking the fragile shell that kept her protected from the outside world.

His mouth plundered hers like he didn't intend to ever stop, and she returned the favor. When he cupped her face then slid his fingers into her hair, she shivered, her whole body aching for more.

He pulled back to study each feature, memorizing every nuance. "I'm sorry. I let my fear blind me. It should've been me protecting you, and it pissed me off that I didn't even know you were in danger until it was over. I trust everything about you, including the demon you hate so much."

He stared down at her green eyes and fell more in love with this courageous woman who braved the nightmare of her past to be with him. He was an ass for letting his doubts gain control. She cared.

It was enough for now.

He tugged at her hand, urged her off the stool until he had her settled between his legs. "When this is over, whether I'm an angel or demon, we'll work this out."

When she ducked her head, his heart plummeted. Then he saw a shy smile and shimmer of hope in her beautiful eyes. "I'll be waiting."

Unable to resist another taste, he swooped down and gave her a quick kiss.

Glass shattered. Instinct took over and he hunched forward to shield Caly from flying shards. He shoved her down, pressing her flat against the floor under his body, grateful that Caly didn't fight him. He peered cautiously over the center island but found no threat to conquer.

"What the devil is going on in here?" Still crouched over her, one arm wrapped around her waist, he hustled Caly toward the door. The need for retribution brought out the warrior instincts that demanded he defend what was his.

"Kelly said sporadic attacks have been going on for the last hour." Remembering the first attack upstairs, Caly amended her statement. "With a dash of Kamikaze warfare."

"What happened?" Kelly charged into the hall. Petite size six shoes blocked their way. "They better not have touched my kitchen." Attitude covered every word and anger carried her past them and into the room. "Damn, do you see this mess?"

"Get down. They just tried to kill us."

"With this?" Kelly hefted a large rock and tossed it out the hole in the window. "You better believe they're going to pay for that." Kelly spoke so fast she was almost unintelligible. The speech was interspersed with a smattering of languages that Caly didn't think was in any way complimentary.

Kelly opened a cupboard and sighed. "At least they didn't touch the chocolate." Popping a piece of fudge in her mouth, she swept the room with furious energy, glass tinkling with each stroke.

Caly stood in a rush, barely containing her anger. "You told me the fighting had only just started."

"I lied."

"Why didn't you wake me?" Her fingers ached to wring Kelly's throat.