Page 66 of The Demon's Discovery
She grew quiet in her focus. I kept her company as she worked but tried not to distract her. I returned the dirty plates to the kitchen, brought back a pot of tea, and even had time to read some of my book before she finally let out a strong exhale.
“I think it worked.” Pride shone in her smile as she held up the flask to the light.
The liquid inside was somewhere between white and silver, glittery and iridescent, not unlike my tattoos. “What do you do with it?”
“I have to drink it.” Her smile finally slipped, concern pulling the corners of her mouth tight. She frowned, looking around the room. “Did I forget a flame?”
I checked as well. “Not that I can see. Why?”
“I smell something. Like metal burning.”
“Probably from the elixir,” I suggested. “What happens when you drink it?” My fingers gripped the arms of the sofa, apprehension at her blindly consuming a potion driving hard on my nerves.
“Any ill-intended enchantments should be nullified.” Her eyes drifted to the ring on her finger.
“Mm.” One could only hope.
“I’m supposed to take it during a new moon,” she frowned further. “But I don’t know when that will be.”
I’d lived with my brother long enough to have picked up tracking lunar cycles. “That’s only three days from now.”
She perked up again. “Really? I’m clearly not terribly observant. I would have guessed weeks. I think… I think I should take it at the conclave. I want to be close to people who could help me if… Well, I don’t know what could happen other than it acting like poison.”
The terrifying suggestion dropped between us, heavy as it landed in the quiet.
“That’s not going to happen, Greta.”
“I mean… it could.” She swallowed.
“I won’t allow it.” There was a gravity to my voice, a command. She blinked, but instead of flinching away from it, just gave a weak smile. She would be the end of me, I was more convinced every day. But I’d love every single moment of my demise at her hand. “We can pack up tomorrow and go whenever you’re ready. There’s no reason to delay, especially if it will help you.”
“Okay.” She was breathless, pink-cheeked again. Panic that something was wrong lit my nerves up, and I allowed the mist to blink me across the room. “Oh!” she exclaimed as my hands cupped her cheeks. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to that.”
“You seemed ill, Dragonfly. I didn’t want to waste precious moments getting to you if you were about to fall.”
She ducked her head. “I’m fine. Just nervous. Until very recently, I didn’t know anything about stone kin, let alone that I was one. I can’t shift or use my wings. I can’t even stone sleep. I feel terribly inadequate, like an impostor almost. I don’t know how to explain it.” She sagged, the sadness etched into her face stabbed at me.
I knew I couldn’t make her doubt vanish immediately, but I would do my best to make sure she understood that the nonsense her previous employers had no doubt spouted had never been aboutherinadequacies.
“You are anything but, Greta. Case in point, you just created a fae potion nobody else could even translate. You must never tell him I said so, but Magnus is nothing if not a good man. He’d never let anyone make you feel badly if he could help it. You are his family. That means everything to him. I have no doubt he’d defend you to his own kind, even if that left him injuredor worse.” I leaned in for a taste of her lips, heartbeat thudding in my ears. Somewhere in there, I’d stopped talking just about Magnus.
“I know.” She closed her eyes, released a breath, and settled more comfortably into my grasp. “I really am very excited to meet everyone, but I can’t help being nervous. It’s shocking to me that I’ve got so much family there after thinking I had none at all for so long. It’s just a strange place to be. My emotions are… messy.”
“I understand.” I held her loosely in my arms, reveling in the way she felt pressed up against me. She leaned her cheek into my chest, taking a deep breath and relaxing in my grip. It was a heady responsibility, to know I was providing her comfort. Her arms crossed along my back, her hands wrapped around my sides.
We stood there for an untold amount of time, neither of us willing to be the one to break the little bubble of quiet comfort we had. I think we both worried it was the last we’d have for a while, so we clung extra tight for as long as we could.
When she finally pulled back, I carefully tucked the potion as well as a vial of the elixir into a padded case before taking her by the hand and leading her upstairs. Her eyes communicated both trust in me and curiosity as I led her into my room. She perched herself on the very edge of my bed as I turned on the tap in the tub, adding shavings of a scented soap I’d found on our trip to the market that created a lovely layer of frothy bubbles to the water.
I took her by the hand again, pulled her gently to her feet, then held her with one arm around her waist. On an impulse, I waltzed her slowly toward the bath, her feet clumsy at first, but picking up the rhythm after the first turn.
I was struck with an intense curiosity then, for what she’d look like in a proper ball gown. I smiled, planning for an outingwhere I could have the honor of getting her such a dress, maybe some matching shoes. Cosmetics, hair pins—whatever she wanted. Her sister’s ball provided the perfect opportunity to adorn her beautiful form with finery, and I was absolutely going to take it.
Her heavy breath as I dipped her, the way her eyes fluttered closed, and her pulse throbbing in her throat all had my cock thickening inside my trousers. My mist embraced her, helping keep her suspended in the reclined position as I used one hand to unfasten the buttons on her shirt, then her pants. When she was free of the garments, I pulled her upright once more. Her eyes were hazy, her smile soft as she allowed me to look my fill.
It seemed blasphemous to break the potent silence, but I couldn’t help myself. I groaned as I palmed her ample ass in one hand, pressing her body flush against me. Her hands flew up to hold my face as she joined her mouth to mine, our breath mingling as she nipped and tasted, her tongue teasing along the tips of my fangs. Greta’s soft lips worked mine until I could scarcely breathe, my desire a throbbing ache that her hand grazed at least twice with purpose. There was a gleam in her eye as she reached for my pants a third time that had me struggling to remember my intentions.
Before I could change my plans, I scooped her up and set her into the tub. Her arms remained up, reaching out for me to join her as I settled her in. I shook my head as I removed my shirt. Confusion had her brows drawing together while I rubbed soap into a cloth. I ran it down each arm, over her shoulders, and across her chest. She allowed me to manipulate her limbs to my liking as I washed and rinsed her whole body. No inch was spared. Greta all but purred as I moved on to her hair, bracing her back with one hand as the other threaded through the thick locks as they floated among the bubbles.
