Page 85 of Demon Bound

“Do you think he and Gereg could perform another summoning without Eunaios’s help?”

“They have his work to build from. The remnants of the spell are still in that room where they imprisoned me. And I have begun to wonder if the priestess was holding back some of her knowledge from us. Perhaps she never wanted to help me. Maybe she had an idea of how to dissolve the binding all along, and she hid it from us because she wanted to bind me herself.”

Raiya felt sick. “We can’t wait until after we find a way to remove the binding. We don’t have time. If he’s found a way to loose monsters all over the countryside, people are in danger right now. We have to stop him.”

Azreth nodded. “We are in agreement.”

“But what will we do when—if—we get to him? You can’t touch him while the binding still marks you.”

“I know,” he said darkly.

That meant it was up to her.

She began unbraiding her hair, only to comb it out with her fingers and braid it again. “What could he have to gain from this? He really has gone mad.”

“Maybe he is like me,” Azreth said, earning an arched eyebrow from Raiya. “Maybe he is naturally filled with anger and a desire for destruction.”

“Maybe he is filled with anger,” she replied. “But don’t ever think that you are anything alike.”

Jai appeared at her side, Madira trailing after her. “What in the name of the Goddess is going on?” the girl asked, nudging the dead demon-bird’s wing with her toe. She wrinkled her nose. “How many more of these things are there going to be?”

“This is only the beginning,” Raiya said.

“Not if we deal with it,” Azreth replied.

Chapter 27

The caravan set up camp when night fell. After they’d raised their tent at the back of the group, Azreth started to head for the center of the camp until Raiya grabbed his arm.

“Where are you going?”

“They’re setting up a watch rotation. I’m going to help.”

“It’s been too long since you’ve had a decent feeding. We’ll reach Frosthaven soon. We should make sure you have as much power as possible before then.”

He paused, then relented. “You’re… right,” he said, oddly hesitant.

She motioned to the tent. “Shall we?”

There was a tiny crease between his brows, but he nodded. Giving him a lingering look, Raiya lifted the flap of their tent and slid inside, then waited to let her eyes adjust to the dim light.

One of the shepherds had gifted the tent to them after the day with the vythian. The small space was insulated by furs and heavy cloth bedding, and a lantern filled it with amber candlelight. It was humble, but it was their own, and it was private. She had consciously set it up away from the others.

She was grateful to Jai and Madira for sharing their space, but it had grown a tad tiring living in such close proximity to a pair of bickering teenage siblings.

She pulled off her robe and her warm trousers, bare except for her underwear and a thin undershirt. Suddenly cold, the peaks of her breasts hardened against the fabric. Goosebumps formed on her exposed arms and legs.

Azreth didn’t blink during the entire process. His eyes never left her.

He bent forward, and his nose came close to her head as he inhaled her. Prickles went up her spine. “I have craved you,” he said softly.

A tiny shiver of anticipation went through her. “A minute ago, I almost thought you didn’t want to…”

“I have never wanted anything as much as I want you.”

Her heart fluttered. Watching his face, she reached up and unclasped his cloak from around his shoulders. His expression was soft, but somehow seemed tired.

Wearing nothing except his armored sarong, he was stunning. In the low light, his skin was dark and his eyes were bright, like candle flames. The swells and tucks of lean muscle binding his limbs were powerful but not bulky—his supernatural strength far surpassed whatever power they should have reasonably granted. He was perfection.

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