Page 43 of Tamed By Air (The Nature Hunters Academy 4)

“No, my lord.” His voice shook right along with his diminutive form. “But there is disturbing news traveling through the realm.”

“Oh?” Osiris’s spine stiffened. “What news would that be?”

“You … there is … I mean…” Crescious stuttered.

“Spit it out, mongrel, or leave me in peace.”

“There is talk amongst the demons that you used hellfire on soulsanddemons.” As Crescious looked up at Osiris, he let out a squeak and quickly backed away, as if putting space between them would save his pathetic hide.

“What I do with my hellfire is my business. Perhaps those who are gossiping like wretched humans need to be reminded of this.” Osiris purred as he pictured himself lining up the demons and torturing them, slowly, before using his hellfire to send them to the deepest pit of hell where the suffering was unending. The pain there would make the torture they currently endured feel like a bee sting. “Pass along a message, Crescious. If they continue to question me, I will take action.”

The demon didn’t move, though his hands, tipped with lethal claws, fretted even more fervently than usual.

Osiris sighed. “What else?”

“There is talk”—Crescious paused and visibly swallowed—“of an uprising.”

Osiris threw his head back and laughed. “Again?” he finally said. “Have they so quickly forgotten the last time? Or the time before that? My power is absolute. Can’t they come up with something more original?”

Crescious frowned. “Like what?”

Throwing out his hands, Osiris said, “Anything. Attempting to free souls, attacking the human I’ve brought to hell, although that would be a particularly foolish thing to do. But riding the coattails of Do— a demon whose name doesn’t even deserve to be on my lips? Well, that’s just sad.” Osiris shouldn’t have been surprised. Demons weren’t particularly intelligent.

“I will tell them.” Crescious gave a low bow and then disappeared.

“Well, that didn’t take long.” Osiris ignored the souls stacked one over the other along the wall, writhing and wailing in agony, trying to get his attention. Already, the control he’d wielded over the underworld must have felt weaker to the demons. Losing control wasn’t something he did. That he experienced emotions thatshouldbe impossible for his black soul might as well have been a flashing neon sign on every level, declaring him flawed, weak, and unfit to be king.

Osiris would have to squelch all opposition as soon as it arose. He pushed to his feet and returned to his human form, straightening the suit jacket he wore, along with his usual attire of slacks and a dress shirt. “There really is no rest for the wicked.” He searched for the power of each demon that showed doubt in their thoughts. He ignored the annoying voice in the back of his mind that asked him if he could even still categorize himself as one of the wicked. That was a preposterous question.

“I am the king of darkness, dammit,” he growled. “And no one will take my throne.”

ChapterTen

“Longing, craving, thirsting, yearning, and a relentless ache that started deep in my gut. These are just a few of the ways to describe how I felt in Aston’s arms. Was there lust? Absolutely. But lust wasn’t what drew my body to his. It wasn’t what made me tremble beneath his touch. It wasn’t what sucked the breath from my lungs as he gave me what I needed and took what he needed. What allowed me to surrender myself into his arms, to make myself vulnerable in every way, to become one with him, was his choice to love me and share his soul with me. He didn’t have to. But instead of letting my shattered soul destroy me, Aston saved me.” ~Rory

“If you two keep that up, you’re going to give the dragons something to talk about for the rest of their existence. It will be a story passed down through generations. Remember those two humans who bared their lily-white backsides, while making noises no being should ever make in the presence of another?”

Kimba’s voice was like a bucket of ice water on Rory. She attempted to push Aston away. Though he allowed her to pull back from their kiss, he didn’t so much as budge from where he was pressed tightly against her body.

Rory turned to look at her dragon BFF and saw the creature standing just inside the portal that led to the dragon realm. Rory’s cheeks blushed as she cleared her throat. “So, uh, I found him,” she said, her voice going up an octave.

Kimba tilted her head and looked at them. “Uh huh, I see that. How’d that happen? Did you fall on his face?”

“I wish,” Aston said at the same time Rory snapped, “No. Geez.”

She looked up at Aston and frowned. When she’d first met him, he’d been hesitant and careful with her. He’d never been forward or dominant. The change was unnerving. “Are you okay?”

His hands squeezed her hips. “I’m a bit miffed at being interrupted during so pleasant a situation, but now that I have you, I’m great.”

“Wow,” Kimba said. “Your soul bonded flew out of here and grew a pair of—”

“Kimba!” Rory shouted, before the dragon could finish. The damn dragon had picked up a lot of Rory’s sayings since she had taken up residence in Kimba’s realm, and Rory wasn’t sure she appreciated the beast’s change in vocabulary.

“What?” Kimba huffed. “I’m just not used to males being so docile with their mates. Dragon males are downright possessive, not to mention growly.”

“We’re not dragons,” Rory reminded her.

“Yeah, that’s too bad for you.” Kimba nodded, her lips pursing on her muzzle. “Better luck next time.”

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