Page 125 of Married to the Devil

I almost don’t castigate myself for starting to think of the bed as belonging to me too.

Stoneheart has cleaned up the room when I return.

I shiver at the lack of her presence. I rub my chest and frown at the odd overdrawn sensation there.

“Are you okay?” Stoneheart asks. “I can make my way back myself if you need.”

I shake my head. I’m not losing a chance to claim this small part of him.

“I’m fine. Just trying to decide how Antarctica is this time of year,” I tease.

Stoneheart snorts but looks a little uneasy.

“I’m joking.” I hold out my hand. “I’ll leave that adventure for another time.”

Stoneheart’s grin is wry. “You like me around too much for that.”

He takes my hand, and I swallow, realizing how right he is.

“I’ve got to keep you on your toes.”

I pull him into the in-between, and the shadows run over our skin as I travel to the library of the penthouse.

He looks around alarmed. “You definitely do that. What is this place?”

My heart stops.

“You can see it?”

The shadows dissipate, and the empty library takes shape around us, but the details of the room don’t matter.

“Yes.” Stoneheart frowns. “Am I not supposed to?”

“Usually, the trip is instant for the people I teleport.” Surprised confusion makes my mind spin. What does this mean?

Only those who can travel between planes can see the in-between.

Or those they’re bonded to.

Shock halts that thought, and I stare at Stoneheart.Impossible.

But is it?

I rub my chest and surely as if waiting for me to take notice of them, the bonds are there. Probably growing slowly with each minute I spent with them until this gargoyle had stripped me of my reservations last night.

That memory of euphoria and bright connection.

I didn’t see the signs, didn’t look for them because I’ve never experienced something like this before.

I’ve soul bonded to two people by accident.

But that’s too messy for a master tactician.

A deeper truth clicks into place. The whole time I knew Stoneheart would have some devious plan to keep me here. Offer me something he thought I couldn’t refuse or something like that.

I’d been surprised that he hadn’t unveiled it when I mentioned leaving last night. It made me wonder if I’d been too suspicious about him. Maybe it was as simple as using my feelings for Stella as leverage.

But that hadn’t been his plan.

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