Page 10 of The Monster's Desire

“Is he about to make out with Kash’s corpse too?” Nadia frowns across the room. “Today went to shit so fast.”

I snort. “My mouth never touched his. Wraith is going to suck out his soul, then Malice will dive into his shell at the exact same instant in time. Would you like a better view?” I guide us closer, explaining as I go. “It really is a very delicate procedure. One second too early, and you get booted out; one second too late, and the body instantly starts to decay. Trust me when I say there’s no coming back from that.”

“Intriguing,” Nadia mutters. “By any chance, would it be fine if I just go?” She tosses her thumb toward what I believe is the exit. “It seems like you’ve got everything under control here.” She nods awkwardly, and her hand flies to her forehead. “Damn, I keep forgetting about that.”

“Did you seriously have to break his neck?” Malice asks in Kash’s voice. His head is twisted around toward his ass, and the image is rather gruesome. “It’s going to take hours for me to fix this. I have places to be. A naughty little fae to check in on.”

“Talk to Knight. He’s the one who fucked this up. We were supposed to keep his soul alive long enough for you to command us to stay,” Wraith says, pulling his hood down. He really does have an unnecessary affliction for things that help enforce that grim reaper stereotype.

“That is a valid point,” I say. “Hmm, how about you, doll? Your blood somehow overrode his part in the summoning spell. Would you like to command our vessels to your service in the Earthly realm?” I flutter my eyelashes at her for good measure. I even dig my teeth into my lower lip to seem extra enticing.

Nadia blinks, giving me an incredulous frown.

Malice chuckles darkly. “I think you might be coming on a little too strong.”

“Okay, that’s creepy. I might never recover.” Nadia takes a wobbly step back. “Heads aren’t meant to face that direction. Drugged or not, I’m sure of it.”

“Oh, come on. We’ll gladly do your bidding if you do ours,” I try. “We’ve murdered your attacker.”

“And replaced him with a nightmare,” Nadia says in an exasperated tone. “Are you stuck in there forever now?” Her eyes fly to Malice likehe’sthe one who will be truthful.

I snort. That motherfucker loves mind games.

“He’s not.” Wraith steeples his fingers in front of him. “Stuck, that is. He’ll be able to exit at will once he’s played his part. However, the council will look into a missing agent with additional fervency. He needs to fool his coworkers for long enough to fulfill his stake in this delicate game.”

“My life isn’t a game,” Nadia says as her fingers dig into my arm.

A wide smile crosses my face. There’s that backbone I’m so fond of. She rarely backs down, which I find greatly arousing. The only time she’s reasonably submissive is during our sessions. I glance down, willing my cock to cooperate. Now really isn’t the time.

“Would you prefer to take the blame for the council agent’s death?” Malice grins an unfriendly smile. It’s goddamn disturbing is what that is. His face is still in line with the warlock’s ass, and that type of unnatural angle isn’t helping shit.

“I didn’t kill him. He would have killed me. He sacrificed me to you assholes without a second thought.” Nadia slaps my arm away from her lower back, but she wobbles without my support.

Wraith immediately siphons across the room, offering her assistance.

“Calling your saviors names, love?” Wraith tilts his head. “That’s not very polite.”

Nadia goes rigid at the nickname. He called her that a few minutes ago, but I’m guessing the drugs are beginning to wear off.

He’s called her “love” while wearing a lot of different faces over the years. Perhaps it’s the familiarity in the cadence of his voice that does it, because she blinks repeatedly, like she’s desperately trying to figure out where she’s heard that before.

“Have we met?” She stares up at him, swiping a dark, wavy strand of hair behind her ear.

“Oh, this is going to be good.” Malice rubs his hands together. They’re still facing the wrong direction from his face, and it’s impossible to tell exactly how we fucked up this plan so badly.

“We’ve met many times, but never with my true appearance.” Wraith offers a timid smile. “Well, not that you would remember.”

“Christ, who nominated you to speak?” I ask incredulously.

“Oh my God.” Nadia glances between the two of us. “You’re my...Sam? Wait, how is that even possible?”

“When the two of us are called to the human realm to reap a supernatural soul, we intertwine—”

I cut Wraith off to clarify, “In a totally non-sexual way.” Not that I’m opposed to men, but Wraith is a little too much like a brother for me to ever see him in that light.

Nadia’s head swivels to face me. “You called medoll...” She looks at Wraith. “And you called melove. Holy shit.”

“Sin eaters are even rarer than reapers. If the knowledge that we can possess one body was known, it was never passed down to us. We’ve visited you many times as one.” Wraith brushes his fingers over her cheek. “But we met for the first time the night you were to turn thirteen.”

---