Page 18 of Court of Heathens

I swallow hard around the lump in my throat.

Fear tastes like acid in my mouth, my gut churns, and my skin feels too tight, too hot, and too cold at the same time. My chest hurts, and my fingers are shaking.

No wonder humans are so weak.

“He could have killed you.”

“But he didn’t.” She grins softly. “Besides, I wouldn’t have gone out so easily.”

“Do not even joke about that.” My hiss fills the air, and she blinks, her eyes widening as I step back.

She’s okay, she’s alive, and she’s here.

She watches me carefully, looking confused, so I turn away, only for my eyes to clash with the god’s. A knowing look fills his gaze as his lips tilt down. He sees too much.

“I just can’t believe I missed all the fun,” I joke flatly, but the silence after is long. “I will go check on the blood border.” I disappear before they can say anything else.

I showed my hand.

No demon cares for another being, not in the way I do for my little witch.

The idea of her being gone . . .

No.

I would end up like the god in Phrixius’s story, our creator, searching for her soul for the rest of my immortal life. She will never know or understand why. None of them can, but that terror that took root at almost losing her chases me even as I run away from the feelings inside me.

The blood border is intact, not that it would stop the god of death. It was simply an excuse to escape, and once I calm down, I pop back into our home, but my little witch isn’t there. The god is stretched out, his eyes on the TV. He doesn’t even spare me a look. “She went to fetch some herbs of some kind. She didn’t go far.”

“I didn’t ask,” I retort as I throw myself on my seat, my head tilted back to stare at the ceiling.

“You know, I have been trying to figure out what you meant about her dying if I broke the deal. At first, I thought you meant you would kill her or the deal would. I thought you were simply here to collect on that deal or for fun, but you are not here for any deal or fun, are you, demon?”

“I don’t know what you mean, god,” I hiss. “You beings always read too much into things. Us lowly demons do shit just because we can. Don’t overthink it.”

“That act may work on Freya, but I have been around a long time, demon?—”

“No shit. You’re so ancient, your bones are practically dust. I bet you spunk cobwebs.” I smirk, lifting my head to meet his gaze.

He simply sighs. “You cannot distract me, demon. Freya is one of mine, and now I want to know.”

I don’t like him claiming her like that, but arguing that point would only prove him right. It’s a bad precedent to let a god think he’s right.

“Know what?” I sit up, knowing he is not going to stop talking. That’s the problem with these gods: they love the sound of their own voices. Nobody ever dares to tell them they are annoying, so they never learn to shut up.

“The truth, like why you two cannot be separated and what deal was made. Why will she die?”

“Oh, so not much. At least take me out to dinner before you try to fuck me.”

Rising elegantly, he steps from the circle. I fall back with a fake gasp, my hand over my mouth as I point at him. “Liar! Traitor! I’m going to tell little witch you are faking it to stay here.”

He ignores my threat and doesn’t stop until he is before me. “Now, demon, the truth. No half lies or games. What have you done to her?”

For a moment, I stare into his narrowed eyes, and I don’t know why, but some of the truth slips out—maybe because I’m worried he will try to take her from me if I don’t. “I saved her.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “From what?”

Luckily, I am saved by our little witch. He hears her too and appears back within the trapping spell just as she enters. She blinks at us before hurrying to her cauldron, talking to herself as she brews, and I can’t pull my eyes away from her.

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