Page 31 of A Study of Blood and Ichor

The sight of her nearly took my breath away. It was that fierce recklessness I couldn’t help but admire as she stared into the face of the demon possessing me. Her pupils were dilated, but her brows were furrowed as she remained locked in Vain’s stare. That tenacity, that spark and ambition she possessed, for a brief moment I could glimpse what had emboldened her to free us in the first place.

Too bad for her, I didn’t need her saving.

“I felt how your body reacted when I held that little excuse for a blade to your throat. You liked it. I wonder…did you wear it just in the hopes that I might use it against you?”

Ava’s throat bobbed, drawing both Vain’s and my attention to the pale skin, the delicate curve of her neck, and the jumping pulse point that was screaming at me to have my teeth scrape against it.

If I were in control, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to stop myself. Even within the recesses of my mind, I was addicted to her. I wanted her touch, the very essence of her. I wanted everything just as badly as Vain did too.

“I want nothing to do with you,” Ava said and then brushed past us. She eyed the couch, appearing to note the various stains with a grimace before settling on the bed. She pressed herself against the headboard as if to get as far away from Vain as was possible. Vain ignored her rejection and stalked toward her, relishing in how she squirmed as he approached.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“You exhaust me, witch,” Vain sighed before yanking me forward to take back control.

I shook off the lingering remnants of the possession and flopped onto the bed beside her, causing Ava to yelp. After weeks of lying on that unforgiving stone floor, nothing felt better than this shitty motel mattress. It was heaven, minus Ava who was frowning down at me.

“You know there’s a perfectly good couch you can take.”

“If it’s so good, why don’t you take it?” Her scowl grew deeper, which I didn’t think was possible. I chuckled. “That’s what I thought. You’re predictably stubborn.”

Ava narrowed her eyes and said, “Don’t presume to know me. You and Vain aren’t much different after all.”

I scoffed and set my jaw. “You’re a hypocrite. You don’t know anything about me either.”

That seemed to shut her up. Ava looked away, and for a moment, I thought that she looked…sad?

I sighed. “Would it make you feel better if I gave you my word that I’ll keep Vain away tonight?”

“You can’t promise that. He’s a demon who will do whatever he wants, whenever he wants. You’d not only be lying to me, but also to yourself if you think you can control him.”

“You’d be surprised how persuasive I can be.” The look she gave me was not one of confidence. “Fine. I’ll sleep on the floor. I’ve gotten used to it.” Ava winced.

“No. Just…don’t try anything, okay?”

I reached behind my head and set a pillow in the center of the bed between us as a makeshift divider.

“No demons past this point. Promise.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “I feel so much safer now, thank you.”

I let out a short laugh, propped my hands behind my head, and shut my eyes.

You sure she’s not going to try and kill us in our sleep? I checked in with Vain before nodding off.

His amusement was palpable. I’d love to see her try.

I remained faintly aware of Ava shifting and fidgeting beside me as I faded in and out of sleep. She was probably too afraid to shut her eyes, too worried of Vain taking back control.

She won’t kill you, Vain reassured me. She cares too much.

She was smart to be afraid though. If it was any other demon, they may not have thought twice about killing a witch and would’ve savored every moment while doing so.

Every time I turned over, Ava stiffened and held her breath. Sometimes when I opened my eyes, I could have sworn her piercing amber gaze met mine between the slivers of light that scattered into the room through the thin curtain.

Somewhere in the state of dreamlessness and consciousness though, a prickling awareness shot through me. I bolted up at the sudden shift in energy, my skin prickling as magic crackled through the air.

Ava’s attention was fixed on a dark figure. They stood in front of the window, and what little light peeked through the curtains cast the stranger in a warped shadow.

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