Page 182 of A Soul to Guide

Not only was he being disturbed, but he was being disturbed from watching Raewyn. He’d been utterly fascinated with what she’d been doing, considering he’d been able to see everything.

He hadn’t expected that, and thought she’d just be standing there with little indication as to what was happening.

Instead, he’d seen the magic circles form on a ball of essence. He’d seen her weaving threads. He’d seen the tasty bead of sweat dripping down her temple, her jaw, before it finally dipped into her low-cut dress. What a tantalising drop.

Instead of watching her in awe, he was being dragged away –by someone he’d rather punch himself in the face than talk to.

Danger was lurking, and it was best to give it what it wanted before it was too late. Hopefully, if he shooed it away, it wouldn’t return.

There was no need to be cautious as he approached the long-eared, white-haired, Demon-fanged man. Merikh was completely protected within his ward, and there was absolutely nothing evenhecould do.

Except be meddlesome, which iswhyhe figured the red-eyed, horned fucker was standing there.

His grin, which highlighted a mouth of fangs eerily similar to a shark, flashed. He knew Merikh would come.

It was because he understood Merikh better than most.

At the opposite side of his ward to his cave entrance, Merikh folded his arms and raised the tip of his snout while twisting his head so he could still see him.

He was thankful they were in a place that made it difficult to peer inside his home. He didn’t want the half-Demon to see Raewyn.

“You have some nerve coming here,” Merikh warned with a snarl.

“Is that any way to greet an old friend?” Jabez chuckled as he waved his hand to the side.

“We stopped being companions when you turned on me for Katerina, and any goodwill between us was lost the moment you set your Demons on me.”

Jabez’s cheek twitched, likely due to the mention of Katerina.

“Yes, well,” Jabez nonchalantly said while overlapping his clawed fingers. “We all have our reasons.”

“You look like shit,” Merikh answered, and his jaw knot clenched in reaction.

Despite his dark-taupe complexion, which had a similar Elvish grey undertone to Raewyn’s, the soft creases under his eyes looked deeper and bruised. It was obvious he wasn’t sleeping, and he just generally looked... unhinged.

His long white hair was neatly brushed. His maroon pants were clean, as was his body. Perhaps to any other, he would look put together, handsome even, but Merikh knew better. It didn’t matter that two hundred years had passed since they’d truly been face to skull.

He knew the man. He also knew when he was up to something.

“So, Katerina got herself killed,” Merikh stated with far too much humour. Jabez bared his fangs in a warning growl, which he, of course, ignored. “By Orpheus’ new bride, no less? You can bet I got a kick out of that.”

“Cease speaking of her,” he bit. “I came here for a reason; don’t make me change my mind.”

“Come to try and steal another female from one of us?”

Perhaps taunting the man while he had his half-sister hidden away wasn’t wise, but there was no other reason why Jabez would approach him. Why now, if not because of that? If a Demon had wandered past, they may have seen her.

Hopefully, they were just too stupid to knowwhatshe was.

“Are you keeping a female here?” Jabez exclaimed while cocking his head, just as a grin curled his lips. “I was not expecting that, Orson.”

Fuck.He shouldn’t have said anything.

Merikh’s orbs flashed red. “That is no longer my name, and you know it.”

Jabez raised a claw to tap at his lips in thought, his naturally red eyes lifting to the dusky sky. “Ah yes. It’s been so long that I’d forgotten. Merikh, is it?”

“You’re the one who gave it to me!”

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