Page 92 of Immortal Throne

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

Ihad gone over what I planned to say to Becca at least a hundred times on my way to her place, but after knocking, every one of my so-called explanations evaporated into dust. She swung the door open, and when her blazing gaze settled on me, my mouth dried.

Oh shit. She waspissed.

She rocked back on her heels. “Oh, I’m sorry. Who are you?”

“Cut it out, Becca.” I stepped forward, but my friend didn’t budge from the doorway. “You saw me through the peephole.”

Becca folded her arms over her chest. “Maybe. I dunno. You kind of look like a friend I had once, a long time ago, but it’s hard to tell.”

I’d been gone for maybe a week, two tops. Time might flow differently between the two realms, but notthatdifferently.

I held my arms out to my sides, hands open. “I’m sorry Becca. Some things came up—”

Becca shook her head, slow at first until she vibrated with visible anger. “No. No, you do not get to go missing, you do not get to ignore my calls, you do not get to leave blood smeared all over your floor so when I finally do stomp across town and use your spare key, I get to worry that you’re fucking dead. You don’t get to do any of that and then magically grace my doorstep with a pathetic apology.”

Err. I didn’t really have a plan aside from saying sorry. My heart was still shattered from walking away from the Immortal Throne and Ryker, and I could only cry on Chupey’s shoulder for so long—if he ever forgave me and came back to live with me again.

I wouldn’t blame him for wanting to stay in the Underworld. It was his true home, after all. His absence had left me empty. I wanted and needed a friend. Even if it was a human friend. But after that speech, I wondered if I still had one. I wasn’t exactly best friend material.

“Can I come in and explain?” I asked. I’d probably scare the crap out of her, and she might try to get me committed, but at least she’d have the truth. If she didn’t want to be friends after this, then I’d have to walk away and accept her decision.

Maybe Zane would come visit me with some of that demonic brew we got wasted on. I’d give anything for one of his god-awful dad jokes right now.

She hesitated and glanced over her shoulder. “I have company.”

“The new guy? I really would like to meet him.”

Becca sighed and stepped back, opening up a space for me to enter her home. I didn’t pause or give her time to second guess her decision. I needed to make up for being an asshole bestie and I’d start with making a good impression with her latest sugar daddy.

“Babe, where did you say the—” A familiar voice cut off as a man walked into the foyer.

With long hair and a half-shaven head, broad shoulders and an impish grin, the only thing different about Slade’s appearance were the bullshit blue contacts he wore to dull the impact of his piercing gaze, and the lack of horns. They must disappear in the mortal realm, just as my hair returned to its dull brown color.

Slade froze mid-step, his mouth dropping open.

“You!” I lunged forward. Gathering my magic around me, I slammed him against the wall, holding him in place with my forearm pressed into his neck. He didn’t fight back, didn’t even try, but with the amount of power singing in my rage-filled veins, he wouldn’t have succeeded.

“Sloane,” Becca screeched somewhere behind me.

“What are you doing here?” I asked Slade.

Becca gripped my shoulders and tried to pull me away from the demon. I didn’t budge. Instead, I leaned forward and placed more pressure on his throat.

“You guys haven’t taken enough from me? You have to take my friend as well?”

Slade didn’t answer. Fury sparked in his gaze, but my power held him immobile while I slowly choked him.

Becca shook me, a hysterical sob ripping from her lips. “Let him go.”

“He’s not who you think he is,” I snapped over my shoulder. “He’s notwhatyou think he is.”

“I know, Sloane,” she said. “I know.”

“I highly doubt it.”

“He’s a demon,” she said.

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