Page 50 of Demons Treasure Warlocks

Darius knew the answer. He always had. His choices were a by-product of that decision.

Now was when he had to fight the insidious magic and rediscover the magic he had been blessed with. He had to undo the damage he had done.

It wouldn’t be easy. Demonic magic never was. It was tacky and clung to everything it touched. One would never be rid of it. One, though, could get used to it and learn to live with it. Darius just had to figure the trick to living with demonic energy and how to take back his life?

He wasn’t sure how long he sat on the rock. His ass was numb from the disturbing chill. Darius’s limbs were locked into place as he blinked back to the cold reality of the winter’s night.

An overlay of green and blue mist floated in the air around the stone circle. It sparkled under the half-moon as it spread farther out across the land. It was so pretty.

Darius exhaled slowly and thought about what he had discovered. Not much for the bigger picture. No answers had been given to him. He didn’t get a grand ol’ epiphany about how to defeat Hastur. It was Darius learning how to work with the magic he had at hand.

“Dammit, Darius. You did exactly what I told you not to do.” Bale stormed down the stairs and swung Darius into his arms. The heat radiating off Bale was almost painful. It hurt his hands and legs as blood rushed back to his extremities.

“But there were answers!” Darius protested under chattering teeth. “I was almost there!”

“Yeah, well it’s kinda hard to use them when you’re frozen and frostbitten. Fuck, I am the absolute worst,” Bale berated himself as he carried Darius into the hotter-than-hell house.

“Jesus, this is painful,” Darius whined as Bale set him down gently. He stood stock-still, trying not to move as his limbs began to thaw.

“I told you. Did I tell you not to do this? Fucking hell.” Bale paced the room, glaring at Darius every chance he got. His brow furrowed as he worried. “I was a bloody fool, thinking I could trust you to time yourself. What if you—”

“Bale. Stop it. I’ll be fine. This happens. It’s Canada. It’s winter.” Darius wiggled his toes experimentally and grinned when it felt like they were independent of each other. “See? I’m already getting fixed.”

Bale ignored him as he continued to rant. Stepping in his path, Darius took the initiative and kissed Bale. He draped his arms around Bale’s neck and pressed his lips against the still moving mouth until Bale slowly submitted to Darius’s attentions.

ChapterTwenty-Two

Bale stood unmoving as Darius embraced him. He wasn’t sure what to do with his hands and rested them on Darius’s slim hips. Instinctively he understood this was Darius’s way to stop Bale from ranting, but still, to have Darius kiss him so passionately was astounding. He returned it with gentle fervour, letting Darius take the lead. Darius’s lips had been icy cold but were plump and warm now. Bale licked at the chapped flesh, tasting winter on Darius’s mouth. It was heavenly.

Bale hefted Darius into his arms and set him down on the edge of the counter as they continued to make out under the dim lights. Darius’s hands explored Bale’s wingtips, stroking the sharp points with a gentleness no one else ever thought to use, and it sparked a burning arousal within Bale.

He groaned into Darius’s mouth as Darius continued to caress. His hands were tender as they mapped out the top of Bale’s back, scratching the spot where wing met shoulder blade. His arousal sharpened as they kissed. He could pinpoint every spot that Darius lingered over. There was no rushing, no scrambling to get naked, though Bale wanted to keep Darius as warm as possible for now. Seeing the icy blue skin frightened Bale, but he couldn’t do anything while Darius was under magical influence.

Darius broke away, his breathing heavy as he gazed at Bale with wonder in his eyes. “I think…I like you.”

Bale blinked at Darius as he tried to hold back the chuckle that threatened to bust through. Darius sounded so awestruck that it was cute. “I’m glad.”

“I don’t know what to do though.” His confession was soft, and Bale strained to hear it. “I don’t want you to be hurt.”

“This is a lot better than you yelling at me and telling me to get the fuck away,” Bale teased, hoping for a smile.

Darius slid off the counter, his body dragging across Bale’s in a way that made him hot. The scowl on Darius’s face warned him not to say anything.

Darius was mercurial, and when he was in a soft mood, it was always best to play at the same tempo. And Bale forgot that quirk. “I’m sorry. That was a dumb.”

“You left me alone.” Darius stated as he threw himself on the lounger, deliberately taking up the whole seat. Bale hid a smile at the pose. It reminded him of a king demanding penance from his people.

“I thought we were going to move on.” Bale knelt in front of his Darius and rested his hands on Darius’s thighs, pretending to be romantic and penitent but mostly to see how the circulation was doing as blood went back to Darius’s limbs.

Darius caught on immediately. “I’m warm now. You don’t have to constantly check. And stop whatever you were doing.”

“What? I can’t beg for forgiveness like this?” Bale teased. Darius flushed and glanced away. His fingers clenched on the chair arms. “Let me adore you.”

“No, it’s weird.” Darius scrubbed his cheeks and rearranged the expression on his face so he was glowering once more. Banked heat darkened his eyes as he reprimanded Bale. “Stop watching.”

“But I can’t, Darius. You intrigue me.” Bale rubbed his hands on Darius’s legs and trapped Darius. The kiss he bestowed on Darius was barely there as he blew air along Darius’s sharp jawline. He held back his desires a tiny bit. He had to make sure Darius’s core was hot as it normally was. He didn’t want any lingering side effects of the cold while he seduced his paramour. “You like it when I say things about me serving you.”

“I do not. That’s absurd.” Darius shifted restlessly in his seat, refusing to meet Bale’s knowing gaze. “Why are you playing this game?”

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