Page 3 of Total Eclipse of the Moon
With no say over their lives, their keeper treated them like abominations. They weren’t allowed anything meaningful—no children, no long-term lovers, and no attachments. Forced to run ragged from one hunt to the next, they’d spent decades eradicating deadly, power-hungry, or psychotic inhuman creatures. Never did they get athank youor a vacation or even a smidge of freedom to have a life outside their "purpose."
"Bitter a bit, huh?"Baku chuckled. "Let me take over. I'm not cursed. I'll kill this witch and the newly crowned king."
"Shut up."Shane massaged the tattooed curse band around his wrist, which burned. Anytime someone threatened the monarch it forced him to protect the ruler against the threat. Ironically, how was he supposed to protect the monarch from the demon within him?"Killing the monarch won't stop the curse. It means I get a new boss in whomever gets crowned next."
Facing off with so many crazy evil nonhumans had consequences. His three brothers were broken on the inside. Shane had faked his own death months ago when the accidental demon possession made him a danger to his brothers, their missions, and himself since he couldn't always control when the demon exerted its influence. His brothers and the monarch still didn’t know he lived, which he regretted. It shamed him not to join in their fights as a part of the team, but he couldn’t control the demon enough to trust that he could function in situations when one wrong choice would kill them all. Since the monarch thought him dead, he discovered he didn't have to report in when called. He did feel its pull, though.
Shane drank the entire tumbler of whiskey in three swallows. He met Madeline's unwavering gaze and wondered if the most powerful witch he’d ever met could make the demon leave. He’d tried everything. He’d consulted every magical and religious guru he could find without results. Instead of asking her, he said, "I need you to reverse the curse."
She cocked her head. "Of course, you do. But you’re here for something else, too, aren’t you? This heat between us…it was there when you found me two years ago in Monaco." She wiggled her eyebrows.
"There was no heat.Isno heat." At the Monte-Carlo Opera House she'd been decked out in a daring black gown. He'd wanted her so much that desire stole his sanity, and he assumed she had cast some sort of attraction spell. He'd grumbled a few terse words at her before she slipped away.
"Deny it all you want, mushroom, but you want me." With a sigh, she rested her elbows on the counter. "This isn’t the place to discuss a deal. Let’s go back to your place."
He blinked at her. Was she suggesting sex in exchange for a curse reversal? He’d do almost anything to be free of the curse, but this raised a few red flags. Witches were inherently sensual beings that didn’t resist indulging in pleasure. They could also be sneaky about using pleasure for their own gain or hurting those who crossed the line without permission.
"For clarification, we’re going somewhere quiet todiscussthe curse," he stated.
"Of course." She whispered to the other bartender before she pushed out from around the counter.
He threw money on the counter and followed her outside.
In a daze, he let her lead, surprised she knew where he stayed. At least the demon chose this moment to remain quiet. She paused in front of his hotel when a barely clothed boy with a runny nose begged money from her. With a paper towel that appeared as if out of thin air, she wiped his nose. Then she handed over a wad of crumpled bills, which looked like all her tips. She encouraged the child to spend the money on new shoes, but he wasn’t listening when he ran off.
"What was that?" Shane asked.
"He needs shoes, but he'll probably give it all to his alcoholic father." She shrugged. "At least he might avoid getting smacked around tonight. Poor kid."
What madness was this to have a witch who cared about someone other than herself?
She looked like she was the one who needed the money. Her gaunt appearance suggested she wasn’t eating regularly or might be stressed. Her clothes and shoes had an overly worn look.
"How did you know all that about the kid?" he asked.
"Stuff like that comes to me. Witchy skills, I guess."
He unlocked the door to the room he’d rented in the tiny hotel. Inside reeked of stale cigarette smoke and a fruity deodorizer, not that he smoked. If he could make it to his talismans, then he could negotiate safely with her.
She placed her hand on his chest, halting his drive to search for his neck amulets. As if under a power beyond his control, he couldn’t move. Was she using magic?
Something in his body shifted, something that had nothing to do with the demon. A rushing instinct thickened his blood…thickening somewhere else on him, too. When he realized he was aroused he recoiled. Sweat bloomed on his chest.
He refused to acknowledge any sort of attraction to her as real. Time to get his head straight.Get her to reverse the curse.
"Then kill her for the half century of suffering,"the demon chimed in.
"Quiet. This isn't your business."
"Shane?"
He jumped, which broke his connection with both her and the demon.
"What are you doing?" His heart beat with panic. He swallowed through a tightness in his throat and eyed the bathroom where he'd find the talismans.
"You feel this between us? It’s magnetic." Her eyes shone with eagerness in the dim light from the single overhead lightbulb.
"I don’t feel anything." Desire hot and thick made his hands shake. "If you’re weaving a spell on me, stop." The one defining goal of the past few decades had been to hate this woman for what she’d done to him and his brothers, and to make her pay.
