Page 5 of Kisses at the Crossroads

“Shhh. I’m intrigued by this entire situation. I can’t destroy a soul tether outright, even with the right sacrifice. It’s complicated magic. But perhaps we can release you together.”

“How?” Trick already sounds defeated and we can’t have that.

“There are ways. He’ll know the second the tethers break, so we’ll need to move slowly and have a plan. This isn’t a weekend project, babe.” One thread shimmers. I tip my head as I exam it. “But knowledge doesn’t come for free, little Fae.”

“No, of course not! What is the price? I can’t thank you enough.”

“A kiss.” I can’t help it.

“A kiss?” He licks his lips. “I’ve never kissed anyone before.”

“Your first kiss is valuable, then.”

“To me it is.” His cheeks turn pink again. “It’s silly, I know.”

He reaches for my naked chest, but I grab his hand and press a kiss to his knuckles. The magic shimmers with another warning. “Take a breath, Trick, and let the magic take you. I’ll find you and we can negotiate a proper offering for transport back to the Fae lands at a later time.”

Trick’s eyes go wide as I unwrap my tail from around him and push him out of the circle. Drake’s magic reaches for him like a giant fist squeezing around him. In a blink, he’s gone and so am I, but his scream will haunt me until I find him again.

The water of my shower’s gone cold and I curse at the temperature change. I don’t know what it is about Trick, but I’ll do anything to see him free.

Chapter 3

Lark

My throat burns as if I swallowed fire ants. Drake’s magic wraps around me so throughly I can’t move, let alone breathe. I squeeze my eyes closed against the grit flying in the air as the magic brings me back to Flutter, where a red-faced Drake stands on stage with Ava.

Drake is annoyingly handsome in an older guy kind of way. He always wears tailored suits. His dark hair has silver at the temples and he has a sexy, strong jawline. But the best part is his expressive face. We always know what Drake is thinking. Right now, the smug look pisses me off.

As soon as I’m released, I rush to Ava’s side. One of her hands cups her mouth. Blood spills between her fingers.

“What did you do to her?” I pull Ava into my arms as I glare at Drake.

Drake throws something at me. Two of what look to be long white beads bounce off the hard floor. “The next time you ever try to escape, it won’t just be her fangs.”

My stomach twists and tumbles. Bile rises in my throat, but I push it back.

“I’m so sorry, Ava.” I hadn’t thought things through. The luck coin heats in my pocket. For days, the coin urged me to freedom. Drake must have been tired, because he had somehow forgotten to lock the basement. Then the back door was open for fucks sake. I took the opportunity and ran. I should have questioned the container of salt on the table by the back door. It was too suspicious, but the little voice in the back of my head said it was a sign. A sign I deserved freedom and to find myself a crossroads demon to get home. But it was all for nothing. I’m back in Drake’s clutches and now Ava is hurt because of me.

She squeezes me close. “Shhh. This isn’t the first time I’ve lost my fangs. Won’t be the last.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Enough of this,” Drake snarls as he grabs my hair.

“Let me go! I can walk.”

Drake drags me behind him while I try to keep up with his stride and the awkward walk. It’s still dark out, just past midnight. Call me a romantic, but summoning a demon at midnight sounded like the perfect plan.

Drake hauls me through the back hallway. We stop in front of the basement door where he unlocks it, then pushes me in. I catch myself on the banister as he locks the door behind me. At least I got a few days of sun in me because I’m sure I’ll be stuck here for who knows how long. I lean my head against the door, not ready to take the trek into the creepy dungeon like basement I’ve called home the better part of ten years. Sometimes Drake has me on display in a golden cage in his dining room at his house, but those instances have become more rare over the years.

I smooth my hand over my pocket where the luck coin stays safe and sound. How Drake hasn’t detected it yet, I still don’t know, but I’m grateful for. I swear it pulses beneath my fingers.

“I don’t know if I should be angry at you or happy. I did find a crossroads demon. But I got sucked back. On the other hand I now know that had I tried to go home I’d be dead.” I rub my throat, unable to feel the magic Drake wrapped around me.

Tears sting my eyes. Everything is fine. I’ve survived this far with Drake. All I have to do is to be better. Don’t incite his wrath for my and Ava’s sake. But do I really put my faith in an unknown demon, of all people? They’re as tricky as Fae are.

I know one thing, I can’t give up hope. It’s time to go back to planning. Hopefully, the luck coin has better ideas this time. I pull it from my pocket and grin at the words etched into its face.

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