Page 345 of Castings & Curses

Devi wasn’t going to answer.

“Oh, come on now. Don’t be a spoil sport. You know I’ll have to make sure you come to the right decision, don’t you?”

“Leave me alone.”

“Oh, my dear. Didn’t you know? Your parents made sure our bond could never be broken.”

She held up a tiny vial of what looked like blood.

“What the fuck is that?”

“Our future.”

“Bullshit,” Devi spat the word. There was no future with a demon. Her parents had shown her that.

The hard way.

“Don’t take my word for it.” Gambian waved the vial at her, then snatched it back. “I know you can touch and tell. But break it and well…I’ll just have to fill it again, won’t I?”

“You wish.”

“Oh, I do.” Gambian placed the vial on the table between them and stood back, waiting.

Touching anything from the demon wasn’t in her wheelhouse. But if it was her blood, surely, she’d know just by being close to it.

Closing her eyes, she let her hand hover over the table, getting as close as she could without actually touching the vial.

Faint images filtered through her senses, but the one that lingered the most was her mother drawing the blood, and the pain in her arm from the incision. She still had a half moon scar there. A mark.

“Oh yes. You see it now, don’t you?”

Bile rose up Devi’s throat and she pushed away from the table, the images evaporating like they’d never been.

“Was it true?” She hadn’t meant to ask, but it tumbled out before she could stop herself. Asking a demon any question was a bad idea.

But she already knew.

It was her blood.

“I don’t hold with a contract I didn’t make.”

“Well now…that isn’t entirely true, is it? I have your blood right here to make sure you keep up with your end of the bargain.”

“No.”

“No?” Gambian laughed, her eyes twinkling with delight. “Now, that’s just what your friend here told me when he dug me out of the hole you put me in. Seven years is a long time, kitty cat.”

“I haven’t changed my mind. Not then. Not now.”

“Well, then. We’ll just have to see how long you intend to be stubborn. Witches love parties. And I have several planned for the next few hours. I do hope you can attend.”

Gambian wrapped herself around Devi, pressing herself against her. Her teeth grazed against her throat, fangs dragging across her flesh carving little rivulets of blood in their wake. Her hands caressed her, cupping her through her clothes.

“You know you want this. I know you better than anyone else ever will.”

Devi swayed, the soft curves of her breasts molding themselves to her curves as Gambian pushed her against the wall. The sour smell of rot left from her earlier carnage brought her back to herself.

“No!” She shoved her away, gasping for air, willing her body back under control.

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