The Overture of Fear & Passion (The Daemonica Symphony Series Book 1) Read online

  Niko swore under his breath as he rubbed his forehead and ran his hand through his hair.

  “Jules, why haven’t you said anything?” He asked, sitting back down on the end of her bed.

  Juliet shook her head in response. She hadn’t exactly known what was happening. She hadn’t forgotten her conversion with Ash, but she’d blocked it out. Deciding to focus on other things instead and hoping that she would have more time to deal with it.

  Obviously, her time was up. But she still had no idea what she was going to do to solve her little dilemma.

  Niko turned to Fiona, “Is there anything you can do? Some kind of magic, like a potion you could give her to help?” He asked.

  She shook her head, looking thoroughly miserable.

  “I don’t ‘dink so. It’s one o’ the fundamentals. A Demon must access their element. It’s like tryin’ to make a spell so that you don’t ‘ave to breath.”

  Niko let out a long breath and began tapping his foot. The three of them sat in silence for a minute, each trying to find a solution to Juliet’s problem.

  “Fi, could you give us a minute please.” Niko said to Fiona, all the while looking a Juliet.

  Fiona bit her lip again and looked at Juliet for her input. She nodded, not sure what Niko had in mind, but confident that he wouldn’t do anything sinister. Fiona stood and walked over to the door, turning back to them as she opened it.

  “I’ll be righ’ outside if you need me, Juliet.” She said. Juliet nodded again and gave her a small smile before she left.

  She looked at Niko’s hands, noticing the elegant wristwatch he wore. She’d never even noticed it before, but suddenly it was fascinating. She wondered if it would make her a complete coward if she called out to Fiona to get her to come back.

  She heard Niko laugh quietly and looked up at his amused half-smile. She questioned him with her eyes, wondering if he was reading her thoughts even though he’d promised that he wasn’t doing that anymore.

  “Relax, Juliet. I’m not prying. I can literally see your heartbeat.” He reached out a hand and lightly touched the vein in her neck that she realised was pulsating far more quickly than usual. She wasn’t sure if it was because of her earlier fainting spell or if it was because of Niko’s proximity.

  Juliet needed to break the tension and instantly said the first thing that came to her mind.

  “I haven’t had any ah... dreams, lately. Have you?”

  Niko wet his lips, still caressing the treacherous vein in her neck.

  “It’s hard to dream when you don’t sleep.” He replied quietly, his voice deep but gentle.

  “You’re still not sleeping? Fiona could give you something for that.” She gulped.

  Niko smiled, “Don’t want to sleep.” He said.

  “Why not?”

  “Don’t want to invade your privacy.” He raised an eyebrow, challenging her to get his meaning, which she did. She hadn’t understood how the dreams worked, but she knew that she wasn’t able to block him from her thoughts when she was dreaming, she didn’t want to.

  Her dream-self accepted his presence in her mind completely, betraying her conscious mind. She now understood that Niko considered it a betrayal to do things with her in their dream state that Juliet would not consent to if she were awake. Something about that show of respect touched her deeply. She sucked on her lower lip and swallowed hard. Niko took the gesture as permission and leaned forward.

  “What are you doing?” Juliet said, pressing a hand against his chest, their mouths only centimetres apart.

  “Giving you something to tide you over.” He said, his breath hot as he pushed against her and planted his mouth on hers.

  She knew his mind instantly. Fiona had been right; her shield was far weaker than before, and the surprise of the kiss was enough of a distraction to crumble her defence entirely. Niko wasn’t even attempting to penetrate her thoughts, instead he let his mind open up for her, knowing she wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation.

  He’d only intended to kiss her quickly, a brief taste to satisfy both of their hungers. He’d only been guessing that it might help restore some of her energy. It was a half-hearted excuse, but it was enough. He wanted to kiss her again and was glad to have a reason to, even if that reason was that she was suffering. But what had begun as a quick kiss to satisfy both of their needs had swiftly escalated. Having not expected her to respond so enthusiastically, he was overcome with desire. She fed from it greedily, her need in turn fed his, beginning a cycle of perpetual motion. Juliet climbed into Niko’s lap, sliding her fingers into his sun-kissed brown hair, desperately trying to pull their mouths and bodies closer together.

  She lapped at his tongue hungrily, savouring the flavour that was uniquely Niko with a hint of toothpaste and charcoal. Niko kneaded her hips with strong hands, rocking against her, his hardness thrilled her. She wanted him and she knew he wanted her too.

  Juliet picked up a stray thought from Niko, something innocent enough that probably would have come across as a compliment to most girls. But Juliet wasn’t most girls, and the thought was enough to instantly dampen her lust.

  He wanted her more than the others. There were others. Unsurprising really, considering his age and physical perfection. But until she’d heard the thought, she’d been able to pretend he had no past, that there were no others. That somehow, she was the only one.

  She knew it was ridiculous and she would never have realised such a thing was even important, but she was instantly overcome with jealous outrage. She pushed herself away from Niko and stormed from the room, not even noticing that her strength was fully restored.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Niko didn’t know what had happened. One second everything was going perfectly; the next Juliet was storming out of the room, leaving him painfully hard and punch-drunk with confusion.

  Juliet left the door wide open and Fiona peaked in, looking as surprised as he felt. She eyed him suspiciously, as if trying to decide which form of rodent she should turn him into as punishment for upsetting her friend.

  “You ‘ave ‘tirty seconds to explain to me why I shouldn’t melt your spine.” She warned.

  Niko ran his hand through his hair trying to make sense out of Juliet’s reaction, but finding no logical explanation. He’d been letting her lead; she’d climbed onto him. She had seemed into it. Until she wasn’t.

  “I honestly have no clue Fiona. She was, uh, happy one minute and then all of a sudden, she was on the run. Your guess is as good as mine.”

  His feeble explanation did little to take the venom out of Fiona’s glare. She sniffed the air strangely like a mouse sniffing for cheese and seemed to find something curious about what she smelled.

  “I don’t smell a lie, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the ‘ook.”

  She came into the room and closed the door behind her. Niko made a subtle attempt to stretch his jeans over his still-hard cock, cursing the damn thing for sticking around when it was no longer welcome and relieved at least that Fiona hadn’t seemed to notice.

  “Did you see ‘ow she looked when she left?” Fiona asked, looking a little bit less fearsome.

  Niko nodded, assuming that she was referring to the way she’d been fully recovered.

  “Seems like whatever you two were up to, did the trick.” She nodded to herself, beginning to pace.

  “But she left Fi, she probably won’t be knocking on my door any time soon for a second course.” He felt his frustration mounting again.

  He hated the idea of Juliet allowing herself to become weak out of wanting to avoid him, especially if there was some crazed murderer out there. He needed her fit and able to defend herself, even if all she could do was run.

  “I have an idea.” Fiona said, her eyes bright with what Niko suspected was mischief, he was instantly suspicious.

  “It’s not some kind of love spell is it? I’m not interested in anything that takes away her free will.” Niko was especially uneasy wh
en it came to the issue of consent.

  “No, no. Nothin’ like that.” She said, her expression doing little to alleviate Niko’s concern.

  “Did you know it’s ‘er birthday next Saturday?” Fiona asked and Niko shook his head, his eyebrow lifting in curiosity.

  “Don’t worry, she’s pretty private about it. She only told me when I begged for ‘er ‘elp wit’ me astrology practice.”

  Fiona told Niko the rest of her plan, he was sceptical that it would even work, but at this point he was willing to give anything a go. He left Juliet’s room with a lightness in his step. He hadn’t even noticed that the fatigue that had been plaguing him for weeks had completely left him. He felt fully charged and ready to see what would happen next Saturday.

  NIKO STOOD INFRONT of his bathroom mirror, trying to decide which of the two nearly identical dark green shirts he should wear. He'd taken pains to avoid Juliet since their last encounter, or rather he'd allowed Juliet to avoid him. He hadn't been able to help but take significant comfort in hearing her practicing each morning, noticing that her playing sounded perfect once again, at least to his ear anyway. And when their paths had crossed, he thought she also looked better than ever; her skin and hair glowing with radiance.

  He felt the phone in his pocket buzz and threw on the shirt he was holding, quickly rolling up the sleeves before reading the message from Scott; “All system go.”

  Niko had enlisted him to help with the arrangements since Scott had proven himself to be highly skilled when it came to hosting parties. It definitely didn’t hurt that Scott’s affinity for water extended to all liquids and an uncanny ability to manipulate the potency of alcohol. He was quickly building a reputation as the best bartender at Livingstone.

  Niko quickly replied with a thumbs up to Scott’s message and took one last look in the mirror, smoothing his hand over his uncommonly styled hair. He felt like a lovesick idiot for making such a fuss, but he wanted to make sure that everything went exactly to plan.

  HE WAS AMAZED TO find the girls’ common room full of so many people. It seemed as if Scott had managed to invite the entire population of Livingstone.

  Scott saluted him from behind a large banquet-table-turned-bar; he was surrounded by Otherworlders waiting for him to mix the next round.

  Niko scanned the crowd, looking for Juliet. He was surprised at how different the space was from his own common room; it felt more like a New York loft than a centuries old castle. The chandeliers were modern, and the peacock walls and brightly coloured velvet seating radiated luxury.

  A cheer rang out from near Scott’s direction, momentarily distracting him as a Fire Demon shot a flame across a line of shot glasses and fiery sparks rose into the air. That was when he spotted her. She was staring daggers at Fiona who seemed to be trying in vain to lift her spirits. Despite her sour expression, she looked hotter than hell; her sheer black top showed off a whole lot of skin and she’d worn her hair out. Niko was convinced it had grown at least three inches in the space of a week.

  Sean was flanking Juliet, looking amused as he sipped a beer. He spotted Niko from across the room and nodded, tilting the bottle in his direction. He returned the nod and headed over to Scott, who held out a glass of whiskey, pre-empting his need for hard liquor. He downed the drink before holding it out for a refill as he watched the tense exchange between Fiona and Juliet.

  She looked like she was trying to escape, but Fiona was standing her ground and holding her hands to lock her in place. She was pulling out all of the stops, Niko wouldn’t have been surprised if she put on waterworks to emotionally manipulate Juliet into staying. He let out a breath, glad it wasn’t him battling an angry Juliet for once.

  Scott replaced his drink and Niko eyed the clear liquid suspiciously. He raised an eyebrow, but Scott merely nodded in Juliet’s direction and smiled. Niko looked back at the crushed lime at the bottom of the glass and let out a breath as he tapped his back pocket, making sure his secret weapon was safely tucked away.

  Sean moved aside as he approached so that he could take his place, effectively leaving Juliet nowhere to turn other than in his direction.

  Fiona said something to Juliet that made her look behind her, noticing him finally. He wasn’t able to hear her over the loud music, but he was pretty sure she’d let out a one-word welcome that wasn’t hello.

  He held the drink out with a smile, hoping Fiona had made some leeway in convincing her that he wasn’t the enemy she seemed to think. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, cocking an eyebrow and sucking in her cheek as she regarded him coldly.

  He leaned forward, speaking into her ear. “Take the drink, Juliet. I promise I won’t try and kiss you again, and if I do you can throw it at me.” He practically had to yell over the music.

  She seemed to consider the offer and took the glass, sipping it carefully. They both knew that Demons weren’t susceptible to drugs like rohypnol, so her suspicion would have amused Niko, if it didn’t insult him.

  Slowly, her expression changed. she seemed surprised by whatever flavour was treating her senses and let a smile sneak across her face. He watched her take another sip, enjoying the way she sucked in her bottom lip, savouring the taste.

  Deciding that his peace offering had been accepted and noticing Fiona’s not-so-subtle head gesticulations, he dared to ask if they could talk. She responded only with a confused expression and pointed a finger at her ear. He tried again, bobbing his own head in the direction of the terrace. She looked that way but didn’t respond. He gave up, grabbed her hand and pulled her close to his side, leading her outside. She pulled against his hand, but despite regaining her strength, he was still significantly stronger and was able to keep his grip.

  As he closed the terrace door behind him, Niko couldn’t help but wonder at the irony of having Fiona plan a massive, noisy party just so Niko could get her away from it. Wouldn’t it have just been easier to go without all the fuss?

  He let Juliet pull her hand free, giving her a little bit of distance so that she didn’t feel trapped. She moved away, but only a few steps, turning to face him before returning her attention to her drink.

  “You don’t seem very pleased with your birthday party.” Niko said as he walked over to the parapet and leaned against its edge.

  “I’m not really big on birthdays.” She said as she too made her way to the edge while keeping out of Niko’s reach, and looked out over the moonlit valley below.

  Niko watched her, enjoying the way the soft breeze whispered at her hair and the moonlight made her skin glow. But the expression on her face worried him. He understood her being angry at getting cornered like this, but the protrusion of her bottom lip and the way she poked at the edge of her glass suggested she was more upset than angry.

  “It’s not every day you turn twenty-one.” He said softly, trying to lighten her mood. She stared at her drink for a moment before answering.

  “I used to love my birthday.”

  He wanted to question her, to find out what had made her fall out of love with what should be the happiest day in her life. But there was a crackle in the link between them. It warned him away from the topic. For now.

  “I got you something.” He offered, reaching into his pocket.

  She looked over and lifted her chin but made no move to come closer. He stretched out his arm, offering the gift but making it clear that he expected her to come closer to get it. She rolled her eyes, but curiosity seemed to win over and she closed the distance.

  The outer envelope was black plastic, deceptive in its simplicity. She turned it over and put down her drink, eager to inspect the contents, but Niko stopped her.

  “You might want to dry your hands first.” He said. She frowned at him, her lips pouting, but she did as he suggested, wiping each hand on her tight pants until she was satisfied that they were dry.

  She pursed her lips and eyed him suspiciously before opening the envelope carefully. Her mouth dropped open as she carefully unfolded t
he delicate paper within. She looked up at him in disbelief.

  “It’s the Opus.” She said, barely above a whisper. Niko grinned smugly as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

  “But how?” She asked, holding the paper in her hands as if it were a newborn baby.

  “Let’s just say, I know some people.” He turned away from her, trying to play coy.

  But he kept an eye on her, enjoying the way she scanned the piece. He could practically see her forming the music in her mind. She looked at him again, seeming confused.

  “Does this mean you’ve lost the bet?” She asked. “Did you smoke, or are you just calling it in?”

  “No, no, I haven’t lost. I’m just offering this as a birthday present. I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving. And the guy that had it, just left it sitting in storage. He had no idea of how important it was.”

  Juliet looked back at the pages, suspicion giving way to pleasure. Her smile lit up her face. He was surprised at what it did to him, to see her smile like that.

  “Thank you.” She said, carefully putting the pages back in their protective envelope.

  “I thought maybe we could renegotiate the terms of our bet, now that you already have your original prize.” Niko said, glad that the first part of his plan had gone better than expected.

  She nodded, “What did you have in mind? Although, I don’t know how you could offer anything better than this?”

  “Well, I thought I would just keep it simple and offer myself up as a willing slave, just for a day.” He said with a crooked smile.

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Hear me out. I’ve got plenty of money and I’m strong so you can be treated like a queen. If that’s what you desire. I’ll be entirely at your mercy to do with as you please.” He stopped her before she could cut in.

  “There is nothing I won't do.”

  She pursed her lips to one side and looked away as she considered his proposal. They hadn’t known each other long, but he’d managed to get a good understanding of how her mind worked. He knew that the Opus was practically sacred amongst rare music collectors and he knew she wasn’t the kind of person who liked to feel indebted. He hoped that the combination would compel her to feel a little more obliging than usual and maybe even overshadow any suspicion that he might have a hidden agenda.