Page 179 of Magic of the Damned

She glared. “Do you want to stay on the ‘alright, possibly decent’ list?” she snapped back. “I’ll take you off it right now.”

Emoni had no idea how little they cared about being considered likable or decent.

“I think you value honesty most of all. I’m giving it to you,” he responded.

“Your answer isn’t the right one.” The frustration and hostility drained from her tone. She appeared bewildered and tired. Shouldn’t I be, too? It was bothersome that I may have adapted to this world. I didn’t want that to happen.

“I doubt you’d continue this unwavering support and advocacy if you were aware of how you’d be treated if vampires were left to their own wishes. You’re beautiful. Vampires would keep you for food and sexual satisfaction. No rules would keep them from compelling you to behave as they wished.” Ileana was pleased by Emoni’s fearful retreat to her spot next to Anand, who appeared to have become her safe haven. “Shifters would demand that you abide by their ways, which are dogmatic at best and subjugating at worst. Witches would use their magic to make humans into puppets and servants. Be cautious about giving any of them your meritless loyalty. They aren’t a trouble for you humans because we’ve made it so.”

Emoni looked at me, her face reflecting what I felt: a desperation to leave and return to our world of blissful ignorance. Though it would be pseudo bliss because we were now aware of the machinations that existed behind it. How fragile the peace really was. Just one broken oath, rogue supernatural, or organized and well-orchestrated revolt could end it all.

Being with me and seeing it all unfold may have been some comfort to her, but I was doubtful that harsh reality was an adequate trade-off. Anand’s eyes grazed over the room and back to a dispirited Emoni beside him. His hand pressed into her back, guiding her out of the room, which she accepted meekly.

Dominic continued explaining the plan. It hinged on me allowing the bespelled knot to do its job and bring me to the Dark Casters. I was less uneasy about it than Dominic, who tensed each time he mentioned it.

The last time he brought it up, to comfort him, I directed his attention to my arm that now had a cloaked binding on it. A location spell.

“I will be with Luna, who will have the Diax.” He handed me the spherical object. I didn’t blame him for splitting everything up. It made it difficult for Areleus to get access to them all.

Areleus kept his eyes glued to the Book of Umbra, which was now in Ileana’s possession. With the wards removed from it, I wondered if it was safe—or if she was safe from Areleus. She left the room with a watchful Sabin. Something was different about him now. The playful amorphized creature had a menacing aura that screamed danger. I didn’t believe for one minute that it wasn’t without cause. And the reason he stayed at Ileana’s side.

CHAPTER 13

After leaving his office, Dominic accompanied me while I searched for Emoni. I found her in the library, curled up in one of the oversized chairs, a highball glass on the table next to her, and engrossed in a book. She looked relaxed and that was a comfort. A little less reassuring was that the day had reduced her to drunk reading. This would be over soon. I relaxed more than expected despite the ominous hum that lingered in the house and the feeling that I was always being watched, which was highly likely. I welcomed Dominic’s retreat to his suite.

Closing the door, he pressed me against the wall, his face inches from mine. Fierce eyes connected with mine.

“There is always a chance that things could go awry and you could be placed in danger. You should change your mind.”

“Make things more difficult for you? I’m not going to allow anyone to hurt me.” The bravado almost led me to believe it. Like I had dormant magic waiting to be used.

“If I manage to fail, then you’ll be a good back-up plan, right?” A teasing smile curled his lips but didn’t reach his eyes. I saw the traces of uncertainty in them. His attempt to lighten the mood didn’t work.

“You’re taking a huge risk for a group who would not do the same to save your life,” he said.

“I’m aware of that. If this will mitigate the chaos and make things easier for you, I’ll do it. And it will save Helena.” She was his sister and despite it all, he cared about her despite the warranted anger and hostility he had for her. “You’re making a bigger sacrifice than I am. Are you prepared for not having the same advantage you had before?” Seeing the royals’ reaction to this situation and how even the smallest feelings of helplessness unraveled them, how would he deal with not wielding magic as he once had? I took hold of his hand, examining his long fingers that in seconds could turn into deadly sharp weapons. “Will you have these?”

He looked down at his fingers. My reference caused him to extend his claws. Examining them, he shook his head. “Probably not. It would be different, and a challenge, if I was to actually lose my magic.”

“What?” I fumbled out. I knew damn well I just sat in the I’m-going-to-sacrifice-my magic-to-end-this-and-concede-to-my-father meeting. What the hell did I miss?

He nibbled at the bottom of my lips. Retracting his claws, deft fingers slid over my back, unfastening my bra that he quickly discarded. Returning to move under my shirt, his fingers glided over my skin until they came to the swell of my breasts. His thumb stroked and teased my nipples until they hardened. Ducking down, he took one into his mouth, his tongue laving and teasing as his magic curled around me in a sensual caress and once again tethering magic and sex together. A moan escaped as I responded, feeling him all over me. The need for satisfaction spread over me, settling between my legs. Delivering the same treatment to the other breast, he clouded my mind with thoughts of feeling him inside me.

I fought through the distraction, fisted his hair, and guided his face to meet mine. “What do you mean you’re not losing your magic?” I asked Dominic, whose eyes and fingers crawled over my body, giving me hints of all the erotic things going through his mind. “What did I miss?” Because that was a big miss.

“Nothing. Everything I told you is correct, and there will be a sacrifice of magic. It just won’t be mine. My father will be his own undoing.”

Before I could ask more questions, his mouth covered mine in a heated, hungry kiss while his hand migrated down my stomach, the graze of his nails over my skin sending a shudder through me. When he pulled away, he studied me with a smirk. My unsated curiosity had managed to peek its way through lust. His hand’s trail over my body didn’t stop, moving into my pants, between my legs. Locking his eyes with mine as his expert fingers moved over my excited nub. My short pants of breath skimmed over his lips that rested lightly against mine.

“I know you are curious, and I would like you to know more, but nothing can be given away. Nothing.” His fingers slipped into me and I moaned, arching into the touch, my head pressing against the wall. “Can you trust me, Luna?” His fingers moving inside me, I rocked my hips to meet each thrust. Each brush of his fingers over my aroused clit brought me to new heights of pleasure, a burgeoning climax I was desperate for.

“Yes.” It came out in a throaty rasp to both his question and to the explosive climax he gave me. Laced with my desire was trust. I did trust him. And I loved him. And thoroughly enjoyed sex with him.

I pressed a delicate kiss to his lips that started off as a sweet and tender connection that escalated to more. His hands roved over my body until they were at my breasts, caressing and teasing my nipples until they beaded so tightly they ached.

Threading my fingers into his hair, I pulled him to me, kissing him deeply while my other hand slipped under his shirt, his tantalizing heat warming my fingers. Coursing down his abs to the button on his pants. His pants slid down, and when he stepped out of them, I took his silky girth into my hands, stroking it until it came to its full hardness. Holding his tumultuous gaze, I lowered to my knees and ran my tongue along it, earning a throaty groan from him. He laced his fingers through my hair, his desperate pants encouraging as I took him in my mouth, my tongue running underside with a slow glide over the length of him. His deep growls of pleasure filled the room, slow thrusts meeting my movements.

Guiding me to stand, his eyes glittered with dark hunger. He lifted me; my legs curled around his waist.

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