Page 6 of Fight Fire With Fire

I quickly scanned the bottles lining the wall and grinned when I spotted one of the brands. “I'll have a shot of Fireball and a glass of ice water, please.”

Although I turned twenty-one a few weeks ago, the drinking rules for supernatural beings weren't the same as they were for humans. In our world, I had become legal when I turned eighteen. So I’d been able to drink alcohol for a while and had been to each of the bars in Brandenton more than a few times. But sitting at the bar in The Abyss, I felt so young compared to the other supernatural beings surrounding me. Age was difficult to judge for many kinds, and some of them could easily be more than ten or twenty times my age. Maybe even more in Adan’s case.

I watched as the bartender flipped the bottle in the air, doing a quick spin and grabbing a glass just in time to snatch the cinnamon rum before it fell and pour a shot. Then he filled a taller glass with ice and water before sliding them both across the bar top toward me. “Fireball with a water chaser.”

“Thanks.”

He returned my smile. “That’ll be ten dollars.”

I could almost buy an entire bottle for that price, but I wasn’t surprised by the upcharge. It had to cost a lot to maintain The Abyss, and people were probably willing to pay a lot to relax in a luxurious environment where they didn’t run the risk of encountering any humans. They weren’t allowed on the property unless they were paired by fate with a supernatural being, and then they weren’t really considered human anymore.

I was digging in my purse for some cash when a deep male voice instructed, “There’s no charge for the drink, Thomas. It’s on the house.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind paying.” Accepting gifts from strangers while in a place like The Abyss was definitely a bad idea.

The bartender held his hands up and shook his head when I tried to give him a twenty-dollar bill. “Sorry, no can do. The boss’s word is law around here.”

I whirled around to stare at the man who’d come up behind me. I wasn't sure what I had expected the demon who owned The Abyss to look like, but it definitely wasn't drop-dead gorgeous. Adan Deville had tall, dark, and dangerous down to a T. “I must admit that I find your drink choice to be quite interesting, Miss Brandt.”

After shoving my cash back into my purse, I lifted the shot to my lips with a shrug. “It seemed appropriate.”

Thomas slid a glass in front of Adan, and he tipped it toward me before mirroring my action. “Salute.”

“Thanks for the drink.” Taking a shot of cinnamon rum with the powerful demon who owned The Abyss was surreal, but it also added to my enjoyment of the drink. The burn of the alcohol shared with a dangerous man was a heady combination. But I was as far outside my comfort zone as I was willing to go. So after I slammed my shot glass on the bar top and took a swig of my water, I reached into my purse for the envelope Blake had given me. “This is for you.”

Adan’s eyes bled to black, and flames swirled in the orbs as he stared at me. His voice was ice cold as he murmured, “You have no idea what’s inside, do you, little witch?”

Although I’d met a few demons during my time in the Aldebrand coven, I’d never been near when the soulless half took control of their human side. It felt as though the temperature dropped several degrees, and a shiver of fear raced up my spine as I shook my head. “No, Blake just told me that it needed to be delivered to you.”

His head tilted to the side. “And you didn’t ask?”

“Of course not. He’s the head of my coven. It’s not my place to question him.” My fingers trembled as I shoved the envelope closer to him.

“Interesting.” I barely held back my sigh of relief when his eyes returned to their normal deep blue as he finally took the envelope from my hand. “My demon is intrigued by your unwavering loyalty toward Blake Aldebrand. If there had been even the slightest hint of fear toward your high priest, he would have understood, but he heard nothing but affection in your tone.”

“Blake has given me every reason to trust him,” I whispered, reminding myself that he never would have sent me here to deliver that envelope if it contained something that would hurt me.

After tucking the envelope in the inside pocket of his suit jacket, he stroked his chin, his gaze turning thoughtful. “I suppose your absolute allegiance to the man makes sense, given that you developed a bond with him when you were at the lowest point in your life. It’s my understanding that he took you in when you were vulnerable and shielded you from your harsh circumstances, correct?”

The last thing I wanted was for this man or his inner demon to be curious about me, so I gave him a hasty nod and kept my mouth shut.

“Relax, Miss Brandt. Although you’re undeniably attractive, my interest isn’t sexual.”

I assumed he meant his statement to be reassuring, but it didn’t have the intended effect. I was still on edge as I muttered, “Um, thanks.”

Patting his chest, he flashed me a smile that softened his appearance. “Your high priest trusts me enough to play host when the shifter and witch councils meet. He merely sent you with this quarter’s payment for my services.”

“Oh, that’s good to know.” I wasn’t going to admit it to him, but I had been more than a little curious about what had been in that envelope. While I knew about the combined council meetings since Blake attended them, I hadn’t been aware they took place at The Abyss each time.

“You should stay and have another drink,” he suggested. “The emissary from the shifters should be here with their payment soon.”

Since I hadn’t been exposed to many shifters, I was sorely tempted to agree. I hadn’t forgotten how it had felt to have his inner demon’s appraising stare rake over me, though. And I wasn’t about to let my curiosity get the better of me. “I promised Blake that I’d be back in a jiffy, so I’d better get going.”

“As you wish.”

Adan stepped to the side with a sweep of his arm, allowing me to easily move past him. But just when I thought Blake’s concern over me coming to The Abyss had been needless, I ran into trouble. As I crossed through the lobby, an Empyreal demon stepped in my path. “Where are you running off to, my pretty? Stay and have a drink with me.”

“No, thank you.”

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