Page 42 of Mayhem and Ember

The idea was not only preposterous, it could be detrimental to my exacting of revenge.

A snort drew my attention back to Ember’s bed. She stirred, wiping the drool from her cheek with the back of her hand and rolling to her side to face me, still fast asleep.

She had nearly vanquished me today. To be fair, I had nearly broken her neck, but the fact I’d let my guard down enough to allow her the opportunity was more than alarming. Still…when her knife had entered my chest, mere inches of muscle separating my heart from the would-be blade of my demise, I hadn’t felt fear, panic, or even the anticipation of returning home.

No, what I had felt was even more alarming than the fact she could have done it. Admiration and respect had tightened my chest along with the other sensations warming my groin and making my dick harden. She was a formidable opponent, and if her performance in the bedroom was half as skilled as the way she fought, she could be an extraordinary partner.

It was a shame I had to kill her.

I would wait, however. They had enticed me to stay with the promises of fighting fae and making Isabel’s descendants pay for her crimes, but the real prize existed in pieces in this realm and these witches had the power to find them all.

The magic of Discord’s amulet would be mine, even if I had to absorb it broken shard by broken shard. And my first dose of power lay on the nightstand next to Ember’s bed.

Her wards blocked entry to anyone with ill intent. I possessed none toward her at this moment in time, so I crossed the threshold without hesitation.

The second I stepped into her room, a blast of vibration shot into the space. She moved so quickly, had I not been a demon, I would have missed her attack. Reaching under her pillow, she retrieved a nine-inch dagger, which she hurled toward me while simultaneously shooting to her feet. I dodged the blade, and the point stuck in the doorjamb where I had stood.

She exhaled a curse and grabbed a knife from something attached to her bedside table, pointing the blade at me. “Take a step closer, and you can go to Hell.”

I raised my hands in a show of innocence. “I mean you no harm.”

“No?” She crept around the bed, putting it between us. “Then why are you in my room? And don’t you dare say you wanted a little naughty time because I am not interested.”

I had to laugh. “As much as I would enjoy ravishing you and making you beg for more, that is not why I’m here.”

Her sword hung on the wall above her bed, and she laid the knife on the mattress to retrieve her favorite weapon. “You’re the one who’d be begging, mister cocky with a capital C. I’d make you scream my name.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Nothing gives a demon more pleasure than torturing those who don’t hold up their end of a bargain.” Though I would love to watch her try, especially with her current state of undress.

Her hair, disheveled from sleep, hung in tangled waves around her face, framing her delicate features. The tightness around her dark brown eyes had returned, and she licked her lips, drawing my attention to her mouth.

My gaze dipped lower, admiring the outline of her nipples through her thin t-shirt, and then sliding down her form to the simple black panties covering the spot I had the sudden urge to lick.

Snapping out of my stupor, I gestured to the enchanted box on her nightstand. “I’m here for the amulet.”

“You can’t have it.” She leaped onto the mattress and grabbed the container before dropping to the floor in front of me. “We’re giving it to Discord, so he’ll bring our sister and parents back.”

I pulled the dagger from the wall behind me and tossed it pommel over tip, catching the handle on its descent. “You feel a sense of loyalty to your family.”

“Of course I do.” She eyed the blade, clutching her sword in both hands. “Don’t you?”

“Not the way you do.” I turned the dagger handle toward her and set it on the nightstand before raising my hands once more and backing toward the wall. “Your sister can find things with her mind. What is your special power?”

She took the blade and returned it to the bed, beneath her pillow. “Aside from controlling fire, which we all can do, I don’t have one. That’s why I learned to fight.”

“Are you not envious of Ash? Would you not give anything to possess more magic?”

She relaxed her posture, lowering her arm so the sword pointed at the ground. “I could never be jealous of her. That power belongs to her. She inherited it from our father, and it suits her just like the feeling of a weapon in my hands suits me.”

I nodded, regarding her. “Perhaps your ability in battle is your magical gift.”

She laughed. “Doubtful.”

“Are you sure?”

She opened her mouth to respond, but the words escaped her. She shook her head, her posture relaxing more. “Aside from my fire, I have to work at everything I do, and apparently, spellcasting needs to be at the top of my list.” She waved a hand at the door. “I can’t even set up a ward to keep out ill intent.”

“I had no ill intent toward you. I simply came to claim what should be mine.” I took a step toward her. When she didn’t stiffen, I took another. “I passed through your ward with no issue, yet your alarm still activated. Why?”

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