Page 89 of Gemini Hunted
“Queen of your heart, am I?” Her head tilts suspiciously. She taps one opal-painted nail against her chin. “Is that the incubus talking?”
“That dude talks with his dicks, for real.” I grin and give her a wink. “I got more rizz than that. Heart’s all mine—I mean, all yours.”
“Have a care, cousin,” Zephyr says coldly, scrambling gracefully to his feet and sheathing his swords on his back. “Thehearts this queen collects, she keeps. Mine foremost among them. Besides which, I am her royal consort, forsooth. Swear to her, and you swear to me.”
Before I can self-censor, a snort slips out. “Like that’s supposed to deter me?”
Cousin Z slips up next to his queen and cocks his head like a curious sparrow to study me. For literally no reason, my heart kicks in my chest and my pulse picks up.
Biblical language aside, here’s the truth. My sweet second cuz cut his baby teeth on my heart. By the time I was old enough to do anything about it, he was Ronin’s. Then, after he healed up from the horrific injuries Ronin gave him (body and soul), he was Ash’s.
Never mine.
I mean, he was always the Dark Fae King. I was just the awkward weirdo no one wanted.
By the time we were both old enough to know what we wanted?
We were enemies.
Maybe here, now, with Zara, I got me another chance. A chance to win both of them. My untouchable royal kinsman and his bewitching mortal queen.
Plus Babydoll.
Him—Vasili—hells, I wanted that guy from the sec he summoned me, all smoldery and hot and powerful as fuck, with insecurities a fathom deep hidden under all that pretty.
I wanted him before he even gave me his mating bite.
Even when V’s not visible cuz he’s wandered off down the tunnel, probably hunting the rest of our missing crew, that shifty snake of a warlock’s lurking in the back of my mind. His bite on my neck pulses with seductive warmth.
But Zara’s the queen, and she’s waiting.
“You were saying?” She lifts her teal brows. The psi fire in her witchy eyes has dimmed, but she still fucking slays me. “About your heart?”
“Imma be your knight in shining armor, baby queen. Your knight of hearts.” I lift my head with a grin to lock onto her wary eyes. “So you can either tap my shoulder with a sword like Queen Guinevere in the Arthur legend, or we can seal this deal with a kiss. Me, if I got a say? I vote for Option Two.”
“Hmm.” She pops one curvy hip like a runway striking a pose, which is sweet as shit. Her turquoise eyes narrow on my hopeful face. “Tell me something, Aquaman.”
“Hit me.” I lean into my trident and wait.
“Did you really go after Zephyr’s throne because you didn’t have a choice?” she says quietly. “And either way, do you still want it?”
My royal cousin hisses in a breath and glares at me over her shoulder like he’d love nothing more than to douse me in oil and toss a match. I shift my gaze from her serious face to meet his burning jade stare.
“Reason number ninety-three why being a demon sucks ass,” I tell him. “Gotta do what my summoner says, don’t I? Some of the bunch, like your Auntie Blossom, they’re real shits. That whole life, liberty, pursuit of happiness thing? They ain’t exactly constitutional rights for a demon.”
I keep my tone light and my face set in a lazy grin, because these are truths too painful to share. I don’t give a shit about anyone’s throne. I ain’t a free demon, and I never will be.
I gave up on the idea ofbelonginga long time ago. A freak like me? I’ll never belong anywhere. With anyone.
I’d settle for my freedom.
But I’ll never have that either.
Because, yo, demon.
I’ll always be at somebody’s demonical beck and call. Benevolent summoner’s the most I can hope for. One who’s strong enough to keep me. Considering some of the shits who’ve summoned me and circled me over the years? Let’s just say the monster isn’t always the guy inside the circle.
Maybe Babydoll and Cousin Z and this sweet-faced Gemini queen are the ones I’ve been waiting for.
