Page 53 of Heir

“She’s choking,” Drak said. “What did you eat?”

I shook my head.

“You can’t breathe?” Maxar asked.

I nodded.

Black spots clouded my vision. I was running out of oxygen. I was going to pass out soon. Then, I was going to die.

“You need to relax,” Drak said calmly. Too calmly. “Demons can only be killed by beheading. Even if you black out, you’re not going to die. I think you’ve stumbled upon a spell and it’s been activated.”

A spell?

One of Delia’s spells?

Why would she cast a spell in her own home?

What did I touch that activated it?

“You’re going to pass out pretty soon. Then the spell should run its course,” Drak said.

I shook my head. Why should I believe him? I was dying. This was it.

Their faces grew fuzzy and my lungs burned.

Who knew I had this much oxygen in my lungs? Then again, I did pull in a pretty deep breath in an effort to calm down. So much for that technique. I’ll never inhale deeply again.

You’re right. You won’t, because you’re dying.

“You need to trust me, Omaera,” Drak said.

I swayed. I was going to black out now, and the ground looked very close.

“Whoa, whoa. I’ve gotcha,” Maxar said, swooping in and catching me just as my eyes closed, the world faded, and I nearly face planted on the vinyl floor.

“And you didn’t detect the spell when you checked out the kitchen?” Drak asked with a stern, accusatory voice. At least, I think it was Drak. I still preferred to call them the vampire, bear, and mage, but using their names just seemed easier. I didn’t like that it added a sense of familiarity among us though.

None of this was permanent. None of this was eternal.

My eyes were still closed, but I was breathing.

Thank god.

I was on a familiar couch with a familiar smell. Linen, lavender, and . . . cedar?

“I didn’t feel any spells in the kitchen,” Maxar protested. “I’m not that kind of a mage. I can’t intuit all spells. She was a spellcaster, way more powerful than me. She could have blocked her spell with another spell. Why she cast a spell in her kitchen that would suffocate someone? I don’t fucking know. But don’t come down on me just because I couldn’t sense it.”

A big hand stroked my hair. “You’re awake.”

I opened my eyes to find the man that smelled like cedar and honey stroking my hair and smiling down at me with concern in his chocolate-colored eyes.

“What happened?”

“Your aunt cast a spell, you triggered it, and it tried to kill you. But because you’re a demon, it didn’t. You just passed out. The spell ended because it thought you died. And now you’re fine again.”

I smiled in spite of it all because he was just so matter of fact. I knew I’d always get honesty from this man, no matter what. Even if that honesty hurt.

“Where is her body?”

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