Page 15 of Hounded: Ashes to Ashes

Her head cocked, and she swept her ebony tresses over one shoulder. “What interest do you have in my pet?”

I stiffened, curling my fingers and even my toes in a battle-ready stance. “He’s not your pet,” I seethed.

Sully touched my arm. “Indy…”

Her interruption stopped me from launching into a full-blown tirade because my god I knew, I knew, I knew. This woman, this demon, put a chain around Loren’s neck that was as heavy as an anchor. She violated him. Abused him. Tried to ruin him and believed it was her right to do so. And now she was keeping him from me. I wouldn’t allow it.

Sully turned toward Moira. “We want to make a deal with you. A trade.”

The demoness’ lips pursed in a sneer. “What could you possibly have that I need?”

“Phoenix tears,” I said. “Fresh from the tap.”

She perked and, for the first time, I saw something deeper than disdain in her porcelain features. She scanned me again—barefoot, oily, mildly hungover me. I was rarely an intimidating sight, but now I wasn’t even an appealing one. I’d seen myself in Sully’s bathroom mirror. I looked like gutter trash. Mascara traced the tear streaks on my cheeks, and sweaty curls were plastered to my scalp. Eggplant. Not indigo.

None of that stalled Moira’s inspection or kept her from extending her hand in a beckoning wave. “Come closer, dear,” she crooned. “Let me have a look at you.”

Into the sigil circle. Into the cage.

I glanced at the pillar candle burning down fast. Wax spilled over its sides and pooled beneath it. We had no time to spare. None to waste.

I already stood at the edge of the salt circle and had barely taken a step forward when Sully shouted, “Indy, don’t!”

But that step was enough for Moira to catch me by one suspender and drag me close. She grabbed the other and held me nearly against her, eye to eye while she bent into the curve of my neck and inhaled a deep breath.

A few weeks ago, I’d joked about having superpowers, but it was truer than I knew. I used to have wings and fire that could incinerate anything on Earth. Or in Hell. With the demon clinging to me, sniffing at my skin, I searched inside myself for a spark. A match to strike. An ember I could coax into a flame. I cringed and squirmed and struggled to make my body obey the command to burn.

Nothing happened.

I twisted my hands helplessly around Moira’s forearm while she held me, then snaked her forked tongue up the side of my face. The wet, hot trail it left behind stretched from my jaw to my temple.

Moira hummed a savoring sound that made me want to gag, and I kicked at her. I connected with something—her shin, maybe?—and she released me with a shove.

I tumbled onto the floor, dangerously close to smearing a few chalk lines as I crab-walked out of the sigil circle.

Scrambling to my feet, I rubbed the side of my face, determined to remove the spit residue that I imagined to be there.

Sully crowded in, checking me over while the demon smirked.

She rolled her tongue around in her mouth, then across her lips before swallowing at last. “It’s you,” she said. “The phoenix.”

“I would’ve told you,” I grumbled while I smoothed the wrinkles out of my shirt and tightened my suspenders. “You didn’t have to fucking sample me.”

Moira’s mouth curved in a sharp-toothed smile. “Pretty bird,” she trilled.

Next, she’d be asking if Polly wanted a cracker.

My fists clenched again, and I stomped my foot. “Do you want my tears or not?”

“DoI?” she asked, then answered, “Not particularly.”

“Then why are you hunting me?” I asked. “Why’d you take Loren?”

The demoness crossed her arms and rolled her eyes aside with exaggerated annoyance. “Lorenzostepped out of line. He’s been doing quite a lot of that lately, and he needed to be reminded of his place.”

Did she know that I’d seen? Hundreds of times, I’d stood by and watched her berate him. Before the phone calls, it was telegrams. A few times, letters came in the mail. He couldn’t escape her—wecouldn’t. Did she realize that I’d been there for all of it?

Fury swelled inside me, so hot I could have sworn I was steaming.

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