Page 7 of Thorn of Sorrow

I was shocked the guy had used restraint instead of just blurting out something insensitive. How many reprimands had it taken for him to finally realize what an abrasive jerk he was to a lot of people?

The deputy glanced at me.

“Don’t even think about accusing me.” I held up my hands, palms out. “I wouldn’t know a lab sample if one jumped into my pocket.”

Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.

Harrington studied me so hard I felt guilty for a crime I hadn’t even committed. Already I could feel the cuffs clicking into place.

I should’ve stayed home.

Now that I thought about it, Malachi was going to murder me for dragging Dane out of the castle. I’d never seen him so… happy. Well, less crabby, at least.

My arms circled my stomach as Giovanni crossed my mind. Anytime I was nervous or upset, I thought of him, of the night he’d held me close, of the attempts he’d made over the years to get closer, only for me to push him away.

I glanced at Dane and wondered if he carried as many scars on his body as mine held. The only places Osiris hadn’t carved his insanity into were my face and neck, stating he liked his toys to be pretty as he broke them.

A shiver raced through me, despite the warm evening, and now all I wanted was to go home. To lock myself in my room and bury myself under my covers, forgetting a world existed outside my bedroom door.

“I’m inclined to haul the two of you in for questioning.” Harrington rested his hands on his utility belt, but one of them settled on the butt of his gun.

“You’re questioning us right now,” Dane squeaked. “What else could you possibly want to know?”

Harrington eyed us, his gaze flicking between me and Dane. “Tell me again how blood got in the backseat of your car.”

There wasn’t anything I could say. Neither Dane nor Richard had told me their cover story, and I didn’t want to open my mouth and screw up whatever they’d told the cops. I slid my gaze to Dane, who stood there, eyes wide, visibly trembling.

Shit. My heart sank. It was clear he couldn’t remember the lie he, or Richard, had told. Dane was drawing a blank as Harrington took a step toward us.

Chapter Two

Giovanni

The demon lunged, but my blade was faster, sinking deep enough to silence the next snarl. His clawed hands reached for me, but I pivoted to the side, poised for the next strike.

“I’m going to enjoy feasting on your heart.” Khaelix bared his jagged teeth, his green eyes burning with sinister heat that promised no warmth.

Only destruction.

The side of my mouth curled. “Then you’ll go hungry, parasite. No heart beats inside me.”

His smile was cold, sharp, and filled with malice. “Everyone is afraid of Malachi, but you… You’re the shadow that makes the darkness flinch.”

“That’s because even darkness knows when to fear its own monster.”

I tracked his every movement, his claws sliding against the brick building. He wanted me to hesitate, to falter. But I’d lived too many lifetimes to give him that satisfaction.

“You think you’ll find another host.” I twirled the daggers effortlessly, the steel whistling as they quickly rotated. “But I’ll turn you into a whisper not even the wind will carry.”

Faint blue light flickered to life in Khaelix’s hands, tendrils of electricity snaking up his arms like writhing serpents. The pulsating glow intensified, filling the air with the acrid smell of ozone, and the tingling sensation of static slithered against my skin.

If the demon’s hide wasn’t so hard to pierce, he would already lay bleeding at my feet. Instead, the bastard stood there, charging up for his attack, daring me to test my luck.

My gaze flicked toward the mouth of the alley, my eyes mere slits. A couple walked past, oblivious to what was taking place not twenty feet away.

“You’ve already lost. You just don’t know it yet.” His voice dripped with dark amusement. “But don’t worry. I’ll make sure you feel it long before the end.”

I swung my daggers in an arc, ready to end him, when my phone began to ring. It threw off my concentration when I heard Malachi’s ringtone. The blades missed by a mile. Khaelix grinned, his putrid green eyes taunting me.

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