Page 88 of Charming Her Monsters

I’m not sure how much he needs to be reminded of. Does he remember his death? Jade? Anything?

“What is the last thing you remember?” I ask instead.

He frowns as he struggles to collect his thoughts and perhaps his very spiritual essence. “I… I was in a witch’s body.” He lifts Jade’s arm and looks at it. “I suppose I still am linked to her. Jade, is it? And then… we went to the alley where I died. We both saw her there during my murder, but… we realized that person might not be her. Then Rob attacked and drained me. It felt like he was ripping me to pieces, trying to separate my magic from my soul. How am I still here?”

“I pulled you… well, Jade, out of his grasp. Then Rob took off, leaving all three of us in the alley to die.”

He struggles to sit up and grasps at me in desperation. “Oh, no. I didn’t know you’d died again. How bad was the regeneration? Dammit. I didn’t know it would spiral out of control like that,” Osen says, actually sounding remorseful for his actions, which is a rare thing.

“Fortunately, I was able to recover without a death.”

“Thank Goddess.” He breathes in deeply and relaxes his grip on my arm. But then he leans forward as if to kiss me.

“Osen. No.” I pull away. I know he forgets what his touch does to me. I can’t experience that right now, not when I’m on the verge of losing my mind. We haven’t had that since my last rebirth. Besides, I’m afraid he might get carried away. “Your powers… I can’t… Also, it doesn’t feel right to kiss with her body. She didn’t give you permission.”

“Fine.” He sighs, as if I’m being difficult. But I won’t use someone’s body against their will—even my enemies. “Sometimes, I forget how things are.”

“That isn’t your fault.”

“Wait. We snuck out when you all were gone,” he reasons. “So, how did you know Jade and I were in the alley?”

“My phoenix power. I sensed her potential death moment.”

Osen nods and then realizes the next issue. “But how did Rob find us?”

“Apparently, Jade’s pendant had a tracking spell. It was also slowly draining her power to keep her weak and malleable.”

The earth shakes again, and Osen glances at the ceiling. “What is that? And why are we in Maxum’s lake house in the bunker?”

“Uh, longish story. The guys rescued Jade and me. We all retreated to Maxum’s lake house, but we accidentally brought a spy disguised as a magical creature with us. The spy escaped, then returned with Rob and another witch. They attacked. Rob triggered Jade’s spell, and I got her out of there before she could be taken.”

“You?” Osen shakes their head. “I thought you didn’t like the witch. You hate all witches.”

“She’s not so bad. And the guys are sort of falling in love with her. I won’t be blamed for losing her.”

He narrows his eyes at me, detecting my deflection of my own feelings about the witch. “I’ll let that excuse slide… for now.” Osen rubs their temples, likely feeling the residual pain of Jade’s fight against the spell. “So the three of them are up there fighting while you hide away down here?”

I grit my teeth. I don’t like his implication that I’m hiding. “It’s only Flint up there. Unless Maxum and Arran have returned by now.”

“The witch seems to be regaining her wits... Her soul is fighting to push me aside and surface,” my incubus grunts out as if he is fighting her return.

“Osen?” Weakly, Jade’s voice sounds like herself.

“It’s me,witch,” Osen says back to her out loud.

“So, I’m just the witch again, huh?” she asks, sounding hurt.

Their gaze travels back to me. It’s Osen, watching for my reaction.

“Is there a reason for you to no longer call Jade by her name?” I ask, wearily.

“I… I don’t like being this way. Trapped. Weak,” Osen admits.

“I don’t think any of us are happy with you being dead,” I say. “But I’m done blaming Jade for this situation.”

A tiny, shy smile graces her face. “Thank you.” She looks around, taking in the room. Luckily, I’m still shielding her from the horror that’s right behind me. “Are we in a bunker?”

“Yeah. We’re locked in a panic room of sorts,” I say.

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