Page 89 of Kiss of Magic

He stood wearily. His body was covered in blood – his own red fluid and the thick black ichor from the demon. He kicked at the body.

“See? Different blood. Not kin.”

Then he threw back his head and bellowed his victory, his exultant roar bouncing from tree to rock until the forest reverberated with his ferocious triumph.

And in the Haven, Nat found she could breathe again.

Forty One

Somewhere over the Atlantic

Dani stared at him.

“You’re offering to break the contract?” she said at last. “What about the hunter’s code and all that crap?”

“Some things are more important, Blue. And trust me, I never thought I’d say that.”

“What? What’s more important?”

Her turquoise eyes never left his as he took a deep breath.

“As it turns out, you.Youare more important.”

“I don’t understand. I thought the contract was sacrosanct?” She deepened her voice, doing a fair impersonation of him. “Once accepted, it can’t be reneged on.” She cocked her head. “Do I need to explain what ‘renege’ means?”

“Very funny.” He looked away, suddenly uncomfortable. He’d somehow thought she’d jump at the chance to escape her fate. It seemed he’d underestimated her.Or maybe that night they’d shared didn’t mean to her what it had meant to him.

“Hey.”

She undid her seatbelt and climbed into his lap, looping her hands round his neck.

“I really appreciate the offer. And if you’d made it even twenty four hours ago, I wouldn’t have thought twice. But the demon voices… I can’t ignore them. And I keep remembering the vision Lenore showed me. All those people. Their despair. Their fear.”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

“I thought I didn’t either. But I guess when it comes down to it, I can’t turn my back on my destiny. I’m the only one who can save them.”

Blake closed his eyes and let himself breathe in her scent. Spring flowers.

“I don’t want to lose you.”

She rested her forehead against his.

“I don’t want to lose you either.”

“The timing sucks.”

“It really does. I wish there was another way, Ethan. I’m sorry.”

She kissed him softly. It was a kiss full of regret and his heart clenched.This woman, he thought.This woman is mine. I feel it in every cell of my body. Yet he was going to lose her.

He wanted to yell and break things. He wanted to argue with her. He wanted to draw his Glock and force the pilot to change course.

But it wasn’t his decision. It was Dani’s destiny. Dani’s choice.

All he could do now was support her and be with her. She deserved that, at the very least.

She leaned back in his arms and slipped a finger between the buttons of his shirt, tracing a pattern on his chest.

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