Page 23 of Cursed Shadows

Dragan stands then and positions himself between her thighs, readying himself to enter her. I wonder if I could watch him fuck her. I already know the answer; I won’t be able to look away.

But before he does, Dragan looks up and sees me lurking in the doorway. Eilish follows his gaze and turns to me in shock. She immediately closes her legs and pulls her cloak tighly around herself.

We all just stand there, staring at one another.

Just as I’m about to turn and walk out, something remarkable happens.

Giant wings suddenly sprout from her back.

Huge and full, they unfurl to take up the entire room. The fire in the corner bathes Eilish’s white, feathered wings in soft light.

I’m so shocked, I forget my jealousy and just gaze at her, open-mouthed. I notice Dragan doing the same. Neither of us says anything. Eilish glances to either side of her and seems as flabbergasted as we are.

The sheer size and suggested power of her wings astonishes me. I feel something tap my shoulder and the humming sound of Flumph’s wings stop as he lands on my shoulder, beside my ear. I’m still staring at Eilish in disbelief.

“See? What did I frickin’ tell you pricks?” the sprite asks triumphantly.

CHAPTER SEVEN

DRAGAN

Grimreap

Shadow Realm

While such an intrusion would typically provoke my anger, my fury is quelled by the extraordinary sight of Eilish’s wings. They extend past the posters of the bed on one side and on the other, nearly reach to the fire at the far end of the room.

“It’s true,” I breathe. Just then, Baron strides into the room but stops as soon as he sees her. Shock takes up residence in his eyes, the same shock that characterizes Cambion. Thoradin appears in the hallway a few seconds later.

I pull away from Eilish, stunned. She realizes what’s happening and flushes self-consciously, clutching her cloak which has fallen into the valley between her wings. As she does, her wings retract into the smooth markings on her back.

“Unbelievable,” murmurs Cambion. “The sprite was right.”

“Great that no one fuckin’ believed me!” Flumph exclaims, outraged. “I been tellin’ ya all along!”

“What does this mean?” asks Cambion, his voice still hushed in awe. I watch as his eyes travel from Eilish’s face and down the line of her neck before resting at the hollow between her breasts. Even with the cloak pulled together, her cleavage is prominent. Fire burns in me and a feeling of possessive anger begins to brew in my stomach. I don’t want Cambion looking at her like that, like he wants her. Like he would take her now, if we weren’t in the room.

She’s mine.

I force the feelings down. Then, I look at Eilish, and I regard her with new significance. My gaze not leaving hers, I respond to Cambion’s question. “It means we have to do everything in our power to protect her.” I think back to the vision of a furious andviolent Variant. Fear strikes me once more—not for myself, but for the stunning creature next to me.

Cambion nods somberly.

Eilish speaks then, her voice fuller. She rotates to face our intruders in the doorway. “Cambion,” she says, her voice weighted, “we need to tell you what we saw.”

***

FLUMPH

When you call someone a liar an’ then you find out that person ain’t no liar, YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO SAY SORRY.

But not these dickheads.

Fuckin’ typical.

Shadow Butt can open his mouth wide enough to stick his tongue down Pretty’s throat, but he can’t use it to give me no apology?

I’m ‘bout to say as much when angel-face declare she got some news an’, apparently, they’re all ready to move on. I start to call thems on they’s shit, but, ‘fore I can start layin’ into ‘em, I hear the one name that make me wanna hide in the angel’s robe again.

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