Page 124 of Soul of a Witch

“He called youdux,” I said, watching Callum curiously. “It’s Latin, isn’t it?”

“More or less,” he said. “It’s an honorific. The equivalent ofMasterorCaptain.”

“Did he know you? From before?”

Callum shook his head. “He’s young. Likely wasn’t even alive when I last lived in Hell. But certain demonic traits — wings and horns, for example — don’t manifest until we’re quite old.”

Giving him a teasing look, I said, “So what he’s really doing is calling you a senior citizen.”

He laughed, then tucked me against his side and squeezed my ass. “Mm, keep sassing me, darling, and see what happens. There are plenty of demons around who would love to see a witch getting spanked.”

Slapping his chest in mock offense, I said, “You wouldn’t dare! Is that any way to treat your Mistress?”

“It certainly is, when my Mistress misbehaves. Besides, punishing you would inspire you to do the same to me later.”

The tunnel opened, and I would have stopped in my tracks if it weren’t for Callum’s arm around me. The cavern we entered was massive, rising into a tall peaked ceiling covered in stalactites. All around were hot spring pools. Clouds of steam rose into the air, strong with the scent of minerals and the vague aroma of salt. The stones beneath my bare feet were warm, covered with a thin layer of water that made my footsteps splash as we kept walking.

All around the cavern — sprouting from the ceiling, the walls, the grounds — were gigantic crystal structures. Most of them were pale and faintly cloudy, like shards of ice, while others were tinted violet, pink, or blue. Paths had been cleared between them to lead to the various pools, but the size and thickness of the clusters allowed each hot spring to have a bit of privacy, partially sheltering them from view.

Dozens of demons bathed in the pools or lay on the rocks beside them. Sounds of laughter and ecstasy drifted through the air. Callum led me deeper into the caverns, following a winding path to the right that sloped upward and into a smaller chamber.

The crystals that grew here were clear at their base, but their sharp tips were vibrant blue. There was a subtle glow within them that lit the cave, bathing it in cool, soothing light. The pool was large, surrounded by smooth stone that practically invited one to stretch their body out and rest.

“We’ll have the cavern to ourselves,” Callum said, walking to the other side of the pool as I stood looking around in wonder. “The shared pools are enjoyable, but I’d much rather have you to myself.”

As usual, Callum wasn’t wearing much. Only loose trousers of soft silky black material, which he quickly discarded. In the faint light, he looked ethereal. Skin tinted blue by the crystals surrounding him, the hollows of his eyes shrouded in darkness. Since he’d begun showing his tattoos again and wearing his piercings, I found it impossible not to stare. He’d always been beautiful, but to see him now was like looking at a classical masterpiece encrusted with gold and jewels.

“This was always one of my favorite places in the High City,” he said. There were shelves carved into the stone wall, and he traced his fingers over the myriad of oddly shaped bottles upon them, with their brightly colored glass. “Whether I wanted company, or to be alone. I could come here and not have to think about the rest of the world for a while.”

He selected a glass jar and unscrewed the lid, a pungent aroma emerging when he broke the seal. There was a variety of stone pipes hung on little hooks beside the jar, and he selected one that he filled with the marijuana-like herb. He sat at the edge of the pool, allowing his legs to dangle into the water.

“Go on, my love,” he said. “Get rid of those clothes.”

I was happy to do so. The air was refreshing on my naked skin and I waded into the pool up to my waist, smiling at the pleasurable warmth.

“The water here is said to have healing capabilities,” he said, as I sank even deeper and allowed the water to come up to my shoulders. My feet could still touch the ground, but if I kept walking to the far end of the pool, the bottom was too deep to see. “Warriors often came here after training, to ease their sore muscles, to speed up the healing of wounds. Light?”

He held out the pipe, and I snapped my fingers to summon a little flame that I held close to the herb. He breathed in, held it a moment, then leaned back and closed his eyes as he exhaled, a little shiver going over his skin.

He slipped into the water beside me. He held the pipe to my lips so I could smoke and cradled me as I coughed on the exhale, my inexperienced lungs struggling to take it in.

My limbs floated to the surface as he carried me into deeper water. I could have slept there in his arms, perfectly safe and without fear.

That was the greatest gift he’d given me. A fearless existence. Freedom from the constant mind-numbing anxiety of my former life. It didn’t mean I was never afraid. It didn’t mean that terror never gripped me, or worry never plagued me. But those things didn’t command me anymore, they didn’tcontrolme.

His wings tread the water, keeping us buoyant. We passed the pipe back and forth, lost in the physical sensations without any need for conversation.

Then, keeping his voice low as he spoke close to my ear, he said, “I have something to ask of you.”

Turning to him, chest to chest, I looped my arms around his neck and said, “Anything you wish.”

He seemed both larger than life and suddenly so small. The blue light tinted his eyes, the water reflected in their obsidian pools.

“Yesterday, I made the choice to wear my metal again. To remember the joy of those I lost…and the pain.” His fingers traced over my cheek. “But there’s a mark missing, and I cannot go to war without it.”

My heart stopped. But as he kept speaking, it took off pounding again, a drum beat in my chest.

“I want your mark, Everly. I want it given by your hands.”

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