Page 88 of The Secret Life of a Witch

“I’m a demon,” I say quietly, my voice cracking as I speak the brutal truth aloud. “I’m actually a lot of things.”

He releases me, but only to mold his palm to my cheek. “Sweetheart, you may have some demon’s blood inside you, but there’s not a single bad bone in your body.”

“You don’t know that for sure.” I try to look away, but he gently presses against my cheek and forces me to carry his gaze.

“Yes, I do.” He sounds like he believes his words. “You also see too much good in people, which is why I can’t let you meet Max.”

“You’re not the boss of me,” I say.

His lips quirk, and I want to smack him. Well, sort of.

“Stop laughing at me.”

“I’m not.” He totally sounds like he is.

“You are, too.”

“Are not.” He skims his thumb across my cheek. “I just think you’re adorable. That’s all.”

I blast a dirty look at him. “Kittens are adorable. Strange, hybrid demons with freaky rainbow eyes aren’t.”

“Yes, they are.” He grazes his finger across my cheekbone again, and my eyes stupidly flutter. “See? Adorable.”

“I …” I shake my head, knowing he’s speaking to the succubus inside me, not me, per se. “You know what? I don’t have time for this.” I step back, and he captures ahold of my hand. “Hunter, will you stop it? I know Max won’t turn me over to the demons. He already stole me once and just took me to his lair. However, I am pretty sure he’ll kill my sister if I don’t show up.”

“You may think he was just going to leave you in his lair the last time he took you, but who knows what he would’ve done if Opal and I hadn’t shown up.” He clutches my hand as if he thinks I’m going to flee.

He’s a smart wizard, that one, because I totally would.

“I get what you’re saying—I really do—but …” I try to stay calm. “But I’m pretty sure Max might’ve been the one who killed Ryleigh to begin with. And now he’s threatening to kill her again. I can’t let him get away with this. And I can’t let him kill her … again.”

“And I can’t let you get hurt. Not only is it part of my job, but the idea of losing you scares the shit out of me.”

“That could just be because I’m part succubus. Maybe, if you give us some space, my power will wear off of you and you’ll be able to think more clearly.”

His eyes narrow to slits. “That’s not what this is about.”

I lift a brow challengingly. “Are you sure about that?”

“Yes,” he answers without missing a beat.

“Well, still … I …” I stomp my foot. Yes, like a child. But I need to leave before it’s too late. “Hunter, please, just let me do this. Ineedto.”

He shakes his head firmly. “No.”

Gah, curse his stubbornness. Seriously, I’m one step away from intentionally using my succubus powers on him.

I may have to, if I could figure out how to use them, anyway. Then Peyton interrupts as she materializes in the doorway.

“Oh, my crazy faeries, will you two stop bickering like a bunch of old wizards?” she says. “There’s a pretty easy solution to your problem.”

“Which is?” Hunter asks, protectively pulling me closer to his side.

A smile curls at her lips. “Vampire blood.”

EVALEE

Okay, I know what you’re probably thinking at this point. Is Eva really going to turn into a vampire just so she can save her fake, dead sister? If that were the case, if that was the only way I could save her, the answer would be yes. Ryleigh may have pretended to be my fake sister, but the emotional connection I felt toward her still resides inside my body.

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