Page 45 of Feral Possession

She sensed the heat of his scrutiny. He eyed her for a long moment as though trying to read any deceit in her expression. She forced her face to remain as serene as possible.

At last, he asked, “What did you tell him?”

“That you don’t discuss your personal affairs with me.” Like the fact he’d been engaged. Her molars ground together. She needed to remember her relationship with Marcus was a business arrangement. Nothing more. She wasn’t his type, Carina was.

He massaged his temples beneath his hood. “Damn him. I don’t have time for his games. Come.” He took her elbow, propelling her down the path. “You still have work to do.”

Right. Dove had a date with a demon.

Eleven

“Wake.”

“Huh?” Dove clung to her dream, snuggling deeper into the sofa cushions. “Jason Momoa, you tease.”

“Wake!”

She startled, popping her head off the pillow. “I didn’t touch his trident. I swear.” Her blurry eyes drew into focus. Wait, where did Jason go?

“Release me,” snarled the demanding voice. The one who’d pulled her from Jason’s arms.

She scooched to the edge of the sofa and took in her surroundings. That’s right. She was supposed to be on demon duty. After a hefty dose of Xavier’s pheromones, two glasses of wine, and a stressful stroll with the magister, it was no wonder she’d fallen asleep waiting for Shadow to make an appearance.

“I’m coming. I’m coming.” She settled her shift around her thighs and padded across the marble to Marcus’s bedroom. Well, what was left of it, anyway. When they’d warded the space, they’d removed most of the furniture and breakables. Inside, the mattress sat crooked on the box spring, the bedding shredded.

She planted her hands on her hips. “Bad demon. How are we going to explain that to housekeeping?”

“Caged me.” The demon spirit glared at her, red eyes glowing in Marcus’s damaged face. At least when Shadow was running the show, she got an unhindered view of his expression. Right now, that expression was fury. He drew back his fist and slammed it into the invisible barrier. The warding lit up like static on a television screen before turning transparent again.

Dove folded her arms, doing her best impersonation of her least favorite Havenhouse instructor. “Yes, we caged you. Until you prove you can play nice and not break things, that is where you’ll stay.”

Shadow-Steel stood braced in the doorway. His muscled chest heaved, the strange emblem in the center bright against his flesh. Black pajama pants hung from his narrow hips. The flesh beneath the cracks of his charred skin glowed with an angry light.

He canted his head, studying the etchings she’d made around the door. Next, he scented the air. Looking for a weakness? Goddess save them if he found one. Perhaps a distraction was in order.

She grabbed the deck of cards she’d left on a side table, then returned. “Since you’re stuck here with only me for entertainment, I thought we’d play a game.” This, she proposed as a suggestion, careful not to present it as a question. Marcus warned her to watch what she said. Just in case she asked about his day and the demon considered their bargain fulfilled.

He studied her a moment, then nodded, settling into a low crouch. Dove dropped to her knees, sitting back on her calves while she shuffled the cards. “I have a new game for you tonight, but first, you’ll need to keep up your end of our agreement.”

He huffed a disgruntled noise. “Asssk.”

“Where precisely are you from?” Knowing the demon’s origins could tell them a lot.

His dark brow lowered. “From the ether.”

She frowned. “What ether?” Earth, land, water, another planet, another realm, another dimension? Even with her limited experience, she knew this was vague.

“One. Not two.” The demon smirked, revealing a bit of fang.

“No.” She pointed a finger at him. “Your answer wasn’t precise. I said precisely.” She would know since Marcus made her repeat the exact phrasing to him twenty million times.

He glanced at the ceiling. “What isss word?”

“Perhaps if you say it in your language, I’ll understand.”

“Carcerem,” he said in a beautiful, rolling accent.

Nope. She had no idea what it meant. “Is it far? Could I pull it up on Google maps?”

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