Page 52 of Court of Heathens

“He will get in if he really wants to. We need to find him first,” I reply. “To do that, she will need to embrace who she is to stop him—something I don’t think she is ready for, but we might not have a choice.”

DEMON

She is easy to find. Phrixius is right, not that I would ever tell him that, but I know her well. I know everything about my little witch, since I have been with her from birth. There are no secrets between us, and as I appear at her tree just inside the barrier, I spy her curled up against its trunk, looking out at the forest beyond.

Not many of the witches come here, so it became her safe haven when she was younger. It’s where she always comes to think, and now is no different. For a moment, I just watch her, wondering how I am going to get through to her. I feared how she would react when she found out.

If you are told your entire life that necromancers are evil and should be killed, then you find out you are one? It’s a lot to handle. My little witch’s morals cannot handle this. She does everything she can to be good and helpful, but now she’s learned she is expected tobe evil. I’m lucky because I was born a demon, and being evil is what I do best. It’s who and what I am. It’s in my nature, but not hers. She’s fighting against two halves of herself—who she wants to be and who she was born to be. I really don’t know which side will win.

I walk rather than appear next to her and sit at her side. I press my leg and arm to hers, knowing she appreciates physical comfort more than most. She is turned away, but I see the tears falling down her cheeks.

“I always knew I was different,” she whispers. “I thought if I tried hard enough and fought long enough, then I could be just a witch. I tried too hard to ignore that . . . that darkness inside me. I thought if I didn’t look, it would go away.” She laughs bitterly, her gaze landing on me when she turns her head. “I’m a foolish, naive witch, aren’t I? Like a child hiding under a blanket, hoping the monster won’t notice them if they don’t look.”

“It’s not foolish, little witch. It was wishful thinking. We cannot fight what we are born to be. I was born as a demon, and you were born as a necromancer. Both are supposed to be evil, but I like to think we can choose who we are.” She snorts, and I take her hand. “I mean it. Yes, I do bad things. I like the darkness, and I make choices most would consider evil, but I don’t go around skinning children or anything. There are shades of grey within the dark, Freya. It’s not all black and white like this world would have you believe. We can still choose the type of person we want to be, even if we cannot change how that happens. You were born into great power—dark but great power. You choose how you use it.”

“And if I can’t?”

“You can. I know you can. You are the strongest witch I have ever met, and you have been fighting this your entire life.” I lift our joined hands. “You’re not alone. I am right here. If it ever becomes too much, reach for me. I will take your burdens, and I will swallow that darkness for you.”

She’s quiet for a moment, watching our hands. “Phrixius probably wants to kill me. That’s why he’s around.” She glances at me. “Andyou are here because of a deal, right?” She laughs, and the cold sound sends my heart into overdrive. “I’m evil, aren’t I?”

Gripping the back of her neck, I turn her face to me, my eyes dropping to her lips as I move closer.

“Then let’s be evil together,” I whisper against her lips.

Her eyes slide shut, and she relaxes into my kiss. The moan I swallow makes me grip the back of her neck harder.

She whimpers and climbs on top of me, straddling me, and I wrap my tail around her to keep her secure. Our tongues tangle wildly, and the kiss is filled with passion and love.

Our hands race across each other before she lifts her dress, and before I can tug my mouth away, she impales herself on my length. My grown fills the air as her cunt grips me. She groans, taking me deeper, and I look down to watch her work herself farther on my length.

Her bruised lips are parted, and I can’t resist. I yank her closer, kissing her once more. She slips deeper onto me, and I wrap my tail more securely around her, helping her ride my cock until we find a rhythm.

It’s hard and fast as my claws dig into her skin, keeping her against me. My forked tongue laps at her mouth. She grips my shoulders, drawing blood as she pulls her mouth away, moaning my name. I suck and kiss down her throat, feeling her cunt clench around me. Her head falls back on a moan as I bite down at the junction of her neck and shoulder so hard I taste her blood.

“Demon,” she begs, and I slam her down as she cries out.

Our thrusts speed up, both of us racing towards the precipice of pleasure. Her shadows wrap around me and sink into me, making me shudder. The pain is ecstasy as she flays me alive, yet I fuck her faster, needing more.

Her hips swivel with each thrust, and I know she’s close. When I slide my lips up her throat to her mouth, I can’t help but grin. “Come for me, little witch. Let go. Let me have all of you.”

Her eyes open, meeting mine, and I nip her lip. “Come.”

She cries out, splintering at my order, and comes all over my cock,taking me with her. I bellow my release to the night sky as I fill her with it.

Panting, I press my head to her chest and listen to her racing heart. I stay like this for a moment before I meet her eyes as I kiss her chest.

She smiles and slides into my lap, curling into me, and we both take in the night air, our bodies still shaking with pleasure.

She needs to know, when everything else is changing, that I’m her constant.

Holding her in my arms, I kiss the top of her head as she sighs. “You are right. I am here because of a deal. My soul is linked to yours. I know you have always wondered and asked . . . . It started as a deal, but it’s so much more now. I don’t know when I started to fall in love with you, but I did. Demons are not supposed to love, but I love you, Freya, with every dark shard of my wretched soul. That’s why I’m here. Deal or no deal, I would be right here, at your side. The deal doesn’t make me love you. It doesn’t make me need to see you smile or make me crave your happiness and pleasure. It’s just a deal to be near you. I could keep it and never see you, but I want to see you. You are the brightest part of my day, of my life, and without you, I would cease to exist.”

She looks up at me, her eyes wide. “You love me?”

“I do, with every fibre of darkness inside me. Where you go, I go, evil or not, Freya. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. If you want to burn this world, then we’ll do it together. If you want to fight every day to be good, then I’ll be right there with you, trying.”

She smiles and leans up to kiss me.

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