Page 10 of Court of Heathens

“Oh, you have got to be kidding me. First a fucking demon, and now a god.” She drops her head back and just screams.

The demon watches her with one eyebrow arched, and we exchange a look. He nods at the worry he must see in my eyes. “She’s dramatic sometimes. Just give her a minute to let it out or she’ll be grumpy all day.”

“Interesting,” I reply as we wait.

When she stops screaming, her chest is heaving and she looks at me again as if hoping I will disappear.

“Well, fuck,” she grumbles.

“Pretty much.” The demon sighs. “Welcome to the family, I guess.”

CHAPTER 7

When I’m done screaming, I breathe through the panic. I’m such an idiot. I should have known better than to try the trapping spell, but I was desperate. I spiralled into terror when I got back because this thing between the demon and me is getting stronger. He’s getting harder to resist, and I was worried about what would happen when I finally gave in.

I realized tonight that I would, hence the trapping spell while he was gone. I thought if I could trap him, it would give me time to figure out how to escape him and undo whatever causes him to be tethered to me. I never thought it would go so wrong, and as I eye the man casually standing in the trapping spell meant for the demon sighing next to me, I can’t help but gulp.

A god.

I summoned a god, and not just any god, but a very attractive god. My eyes rove over him like I’m seeing the sun for the first time. Where I am darkness, he is light. Golden spun hair hangs down past his shoulders, some of it braided back to reveal shapely ears. His face should look stern or even feminine, but he has a square jawline devoid of any hair or stubble, a straight nose, and high cheekbones that, quite frankly,I’m jealous of. His dark eyebrows are furrowed over his vivid eyes, which are as bright as the sun before they seem to shift to an even brighter icy grey. He only wears loose trousers that look like they belong in a different century, so his chest and arms are completely bare and stacked with muscle. There isn’t an ounce of fat on him, and I count the number of indents on his abs. He could be a cover model for those dirty books Agatha writes in her spare time.

Or an angel.

The guy looks like he should have angel wings—wait, is this where all the references for angels came from? This guy? It wouldn’t surprise me. He’s all golden sunlight and godliness.

He watches me patiently, his expression showing he’s slightly worried. I almost giggle out loud at that. I mean, I would be worried as well if some crazy witch with a demon sidekick summoned and then trapped me.

Oh gods, what has my life come to?

Groaning, I cover my face as the demon chuckles. “Can’t say I expected our night to end like this, but you always keep me on my toes, little witch.” For a demon facing down a god, he doesn’t seem so worried.

“I’m sorry, okay?” I throw my hands in the air and look at the god. “Erm, to you too, nice god. Don’t smite me. I didn’t mean to summon you.”

“I do not smite people.” His head tilts, a flirty smile teasing on his plump lips. “Not ones as pretty as you anyway.”

“Nope. My witch. Back off, god,” the demon sneers.

Light and darkness.

I would look good trapped between them—shit, stop right there!They are both watching me, and I feel my cheeks heat.

My demon snickers. “What were you thinking about, little witch?”

“Nothing,” I blurt, stumbling over the word.

He appears behind me, his smoky voice filling my ear. “Pretty liar.”

I jerk away, pointing in his face. “Do not make me build you a trapping spell too,” I warn.

“Maybe I’d like to be tied up by you,” he flirts.

I glare at him, he smiles at me, and we only stop when the god clears his throat. We both whirl around to see the god with his eyebrow raised.

“Right.” I turn back to him. “I’ll just, erm, let you go, but here’s the thing—I don’t actually know how. I was never good with trapping spells,” I admit. “I can ask one of the others, but then they will know I summoned and trapped a god, and I’m already an outcast, and being stalked by a demon doesn’t help. Maybe there’s a book I can use?” He just watches me babble, his eyebrows getting higher and higher with each confession and a smile growing on his lips. “A book, yes, a book. I’ll have to break in, though, because Agatha is still mad about the troll thing.” My voice is high as I run out of air.

“Breathe, little witch,” my demon orders with a smile.

I take a deep breath and nod, bowing all the way over. “I’m sorry for summoning and trapping you. I will go steal the book and figure out how to free you, and then you cannot smite me, and everything can go back to normal. Be right back.” I almost sprint away—well, I walk fast because the only way I would be running is if something were chasing me. I’ve never understood people who run for fun.

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