Page 41 of Demonic Division

“I just had the best idea!” I slur, my lips spreading into a wide smile as an idea forms in the back of my mind. “Let’s go make some fucking snow angels!”

Cyprien tosses the last of his drink back without missing a beat and raises his glass high in the air with a “hell yeah!”

Lir grumbles but doesn’t say anything to dissent, sothat leaves Dagny. Cyprien and I give her our best pout, and she throws her head back in a full-bellied laugh.

“Okay, okay. Let’s fucking make some angels, demons.”

Cyprien stands, scooping Dagny up in one swift motion and throwing her over his shoulder. We follow Cyprien out of the room and down to the main floor of the castle while Dagny’s laughter fills the halls.

As we step outside, the frozen air tickles my skin, but I barely feel it past the heat thrumming in my veins at the sight of Dagny’s face tipped back in ecstasy. Cyprien spins around in a circle, causing Dagny’s dark hair to spill out in all directions, covering her forehead and flying into her open mouth. Flecks of snow cling to the tips of her lashes, dusting her cheeks with each blink.

Her plump lips are colored a dark pink hue and stand out beautifully against the snowy backdrop. The beast beneath my skin rears up at the sight, desperate for a taste. A touch. A moment alone to claim her as mine.

I shake away those thoughts, blinking hard against the haze as the drugs coursing through my system spread their roots and take hold. It’s getting harder to fight against my instincts—impossible to resist the pull to her. But it’s nothing compared to what Cyprien and Lir are going through. If it’s this difficult for me, I can only imagine the amount of willpower it takes to deny a fully formed bond.

I’m brought out of my thoughts as Dagny’s squeal breaks the air. I squint into the distance, noting Cyprien sitting square on Dagny’s chest, holding her to the ground as he forces her arms to make the snow angel shape.

I laugh under my breath, following Lir to join them. The closer we get, the more the buzzing in my ears intensifies, until I’m nothing but a ball of radio static.

Dagny turns her head toward me, her mouth movingwordlessly. I can’t hear what she’s saying, but she’s smiling, and the sight sends a rush of heat through my veins.

My mouth pulls into a matching expression, and I move to join her on the ground. Lir sits up by her head while I lie next to her, turning my head and staring deep into her silver-rimmed eyes.

“I’m sorry. I missed what you said.” I blink, and the world focuses back to excruciating clarity. I’m bombarded with sensations, colors, and feelings—all tailored to the beautiful specimen lying next to me.

Dagny laughs, the sound like sunlight warming my skin. “I said, if you’re going to participate, you have to move your arms. Like this.”

“I’m helping,” Cyprien announces proudly, moving Dagny’s arms in another sweeping arc. His eyes go in and out of focus, and a drunken smile pulls at his mouth as he repeats the motion.

“You’re going to rip her arms out of their sockets,” Lir grumbles, watching Dagny’s limbs with worry pinching his brow. “Be gentler, Cyprien.”

“It’s okay, Lir.” She giggles. “Roark. Snow angel. Now.”

Never taking my eyes from her, I spread my arms to the side and mirror her movements, careful not to brush my skin against hers as our hands pass. “How long do we have to do this for?”

“I don’t know,” she says, taking her lip between her teeth. She turns her head, looking up at Cyprien. “We should check if they’re good.”

Without a word, he jumps off her, stretching out a hand to help her to her feet. Lir and I join them, stepping back a few feet to get a good look at our masterpieces.

“Where did they go?” Dagny asks, her eyes wide in awe.

Cyprien rushes forward, falling to his knees andscouring the frozen ground. “I’ll find them, bunny! Don’t worry!”

I step forward to help him look when Lir shoots his arm out, stopping me in my tracks.

“You’re all idiots,” he grumbles, gesturing to the ground. “It’s fuckingfrozen.You can’t make snow angels withoutsnow.”

Dagny looks from me to Cyprien and to Lir, her lips quivering. Heat rises up her neck, and just when I think she might pop, Dagny doubles over, full-bellied laughter exploding from her open mouth. Cyprien joins her, falling to the ground and clutching his stomach as the sounds of joy pierce the air.

Dagny wipes a tear from her eye, sucking in lungfuls of air as she tries to control herself. “Oh my… oh my gods… we didn’t…”

“We did!” Cyprien howls, his eyes closing fully as another round of laughter takes hold of him. “I fucking love Welwig sap.”

At this point, even Lir is softly chuckling under his breath, succumbing to the powerful effects of the sap. His eyes lock onto Dagny, softening with an emotion I can’t describe.

“Whoa. What’s that?”

We all snap to attention at Dagny’s question. Following the line of her finger, I’m surprised to find a violet stag standing a couple of hundred yards from us.

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