forefront. She didn’t fight it. She knew which part of her was needed tonight. That part of her needed to be unconstrained in this folly, just as much as the caged monster Diel had fought back since childhood needed to have his jail bulldozed down. By the end of this night, there would be no cages for either of them. Gemini souls finally being embraced and given the respect that they deserved.
“I am a killer. It’s who I am.” Noa whispered those words to the back of Diel’s neck. She saw his skin bump where her breath had touched him. When she rounded his front, she moved back several steps. “As are you.” She shrugged. “I’m not ashamed.” Her stomach dropped as she said those words. There was a part of her that still carried guilt, such heavy guilt. But she pushed it aside. That guilt didn’t belong in this folly tonight.
In a flash, and with the crackling of the collar and a jerk of the neck, Diel’s monster rose to the surface. “I like that you kill,” he growled, pride in his tone. Noa saw his jeans begin to tent and his breathing increase in speed. “I like that you tear those fuckers down. They hurt you. They hurt us.”
Noa smiled at him, feeling the warmth of that protection, the mutual attraction that grew between them. The darkness inside her preened under his myopic attention. “My pretty monster,” she said, voice soft and true. She lifted her hand and stroked his stubbled cheek. He closed his eyes as if he had never experienced affection before. Noa realized he probably never had.
Diel’s skin was hot under her palm, yet it sent icicles down her spine. “I’m going to need you to let Diel come to the surface.” He shook his head, his hands balling into fists once more. “You’ll be free soon enough,” she promised and met his eyes. “We’ll be together soon. No more being pushed aside.”
“He’s going to try and destroy you,” the monster said, keeping Diel pushed down inside their shared body.
“I’m going to save him.” She held her head high. “I’m going to save you both.” Diel’s dark eyebrows fell in confusion. “Trust me, pretty monster,” she soothed. “Trust me.”
He closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Diel the man was staring at her once more.
Noa stepped back, then widened her stance. Crooking her finger at him, she said, “Let’s begin, shall we?” She grinned, showing her teeth. “Show me what you’ve got.”
They charged. Noa didn’t know who moved first. One second they were on opposing sides of the room; the next they were two bodies slamming together, the force as blinding as a stellar collision.
Noa’s breathing was heavy, echoing in her ears, and she twisted around as he reached out to take her in his iron hold. Noa kicked out a leg, knocking Diel back. He turned, fury in his expression, and charged at her again. Noa ducked, her hair a swirling riot of pale pink falling around her body as she did. But before she could twist away, Diel grabbed her by the arm and wrenched her to his solid chest. He wrapped his hand around her neck. Lifting her off the floor, he cut off her breathing, then slammed her into the wall of the folly like he had done in the priest’s home when they first met. His face was in her face, his minty breath ghosting across her cheeks.
“What’s this?” he snarled, his nose pressing against hers. “This is the great fucking Noa, second in command of the Coven? The fighter you boasted about in the Nave today? The one you claimed could take on me and my brothers?” He smiled mockingly, his lips grazing over her cheek, his perceived victory evident in his expression. “You’re weak. And now, I’m going to destroy you.”
Sucking in as much breath as she could through her closed-off throat, she croaked, “What makes … you think … that I didn’t … want … this … ?” Diel frowned, then pressed his chest against hers, pinning his superior weight against her, suffocating her lungs even further. Noa noted the flash of panic in his blue eyes—the monster inside him was clearly preparing to take his alter ego down.
Noa lowered her hand, reaching into her pocket to discreetly pull out the key and remote. Diel didn’t see her hand move, too locked in the internal fight with his monster.