Page 90 of Their Demon

“I’m fine. Nothing I couldn’t handle.” I tried to kiss her, but she pulled away. “I’m a big boy, princess. I can fight my own battles,” I joked.

“Wait a second,” she said like she remembered something. My body went rigid under her. “Your father said it had been handled between father and son…” She was too fucking smart. She’d fucking pieced it together just like that. “One of the nights you came home late. Your dark energy filled the flat. I was scared to come out…” Her eyes filled with tears. “Keir…” She brought one hand to her mouth, gasping. “He hurt you…” She choked on herwords. “He hurt you because of me.” She tried to stand, but I wouldn’t let her.

“Stay,” I pleaded, holding her hips, needing to be close to her, needing to feel her against me. “Please.”

Tears cascaded down her cheeks in rivers of sorrow. “This is my fault.”

“I’d gladly take it all again a hundredfold if it meant having you here with me.” I pulled her to me, hugging her naked body against my bare chest, her skin on mine having an instant effect on my anxiousness. “Especially naked,” I teased her.

She swatted my arm but then wrapped herself around me. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

I smoothed her hair down her back. “If anything, I deserved it for the way I was with you.”

“No one deserves to be treated like that, especially by their parent.” She whimpered toward the end, softly crying into my chest.

I held her tight, letting her cry, my heart breaking that her tears were for me. No one had ever criedforme. I’d caused her tears many times myself, so I definitely didn’t deserve them.

“I will kill him,” she said slowly, wriggling out of my grasp so she could hold my face. “I will fucking kill him for hurting you,” she growled through clenched teeth.

And she meant it. The look in her eyes told me she meant every last word. Our once fragile, broken, human girl was a confident, demon essence-filled woman ready to take on all of Hell if she had to. The thought of her covered in the blood of her enemies was extremely arousing.

She kissed me, a simple, innocent kiss that pulled me from my thoughts. “I’m not the only one worth saving.”

I opened my mouth, not sure what was going to come out of it, but a knock at the door grabbed our attention. The door opened, and Aiden peered in.

“Ida’s here.”

Lillian wiggled off my lap, her nakedness catching my brother’s attention. “Damn,” he whistled. “Hell really does look so fucking good on you, little one.”

She blushed and took the robe he handed her, practically running out of the room to see her visitor as she wrapped the fabric around her body.

Chapter 37

Lillian

Aiden and Keir were on my heels as I sped down the hallway, nearly knocking Ida over with a hug as I reached the living room.

I was full of energy today, the total opposite of yesterday. My skin was buzzing, my blood rushing, my body so full of life. I felt like I could’ve jumped off a building and somehow survived. The power rushing through me was intoxicating. It felt dangerous, butfuck,it felt so damn good.

“Oh, my dear girl!” Ida shouted. “I am so happy to see you so lively.” She squeezed around my ribs then pushed me back by my shoulders so she could take a look at me. “You look great. How do you feel?”

My eyes darted to the princes, who were standing together and observing us before saying, “I feelamazing.”

Ida looked between me and Keir a few times, a knowing look in her eyes, before winking at me.

She pulled me to the couch, patting the spot next to her. “I was so worried, hun. When the boys told me you weren’t conscious, I thought the dragon had gotten you. I was afraid I wouldn’t get to you fast enough.”

“I’m fine, Ida,” I assured her, squeezing her hand. “The dragon didn’t get me.” I paused, the events from yesterday flooding back, mainly the screams of the creature that had helped me escape. “Not me, anyway.”

“What does that mean?” Aiden asked quickly.

“Was someone else in there with you?” Keir followed up.

“No one went in there after her. That’s impossible,” Nicholas responded to Keir.

“There was someone… somethingin there,” I confessed.

Everyone stared at me, waiting for me to continue.

---