“What? Why?”
Paz flicked his tail in irritation.Because magic takes sacrifice, and the White Sea Witch’s magic is stronger when traded for what’s lost. Hiding a mating bond takes significant power, you know.
Kraft sighed. “Fine.” He paused. “Will it hurt Riley?” The notion of her feeling pain because of him didn’t sit right. In battle, she could get all the wounds she wanted, and he’d be fine with that. Pain earned was well-deserved. But not to spare Kraft any expense.
It has to hurt her.
“Then give me her pain, and I’ll suffer them both.”
Paz blinked.It’s going toreallyhurt.
“Just do it.”
Paz chanted words that Kraft couldn’t understand, and a whirlpool of pain surged in his heart and spread out to his limbs. The agony deepened, and he did his best to keep quiet while Paz worked the spell over his and Riley’s joined scent.
Filled with nothing but suffering, Kraft had a flashback to his youth, when his bloode-guide had led him into an intentional ambush with a rival nachzehrer clan. He’d been taken into their torture chamber to have the skin flayed off his back, buttocks, and thighs.
Kraft had survived by pushing through the pain and tapping into that rage that never left him, only sweltered, buried deep inside.
He couldn’t afford to do that here with Riley for fear of harming her when out of control. But if Paz didn’t soon stop this torment...
Kraft glanced at the cat sitting on his chest. Paz wore a heartless grin. Had the demon stolen more than a swapping of bodies for a fight? Had Kraft left out some minor detail that had cursed him into tangling with Paz for eternity?
Done. One fight of my choosing.
“What? I never said you could choose the time or place.”
You didn’t say I couldn’t.
Kraft wanted to say more, but the kitten scored a claw mark over his chest that bled. Paz licked it up, cementing the magical deal between them, a small symbol on Kraft’s chest that no doubt belonged to Pazuzu.
Sitting up, he scooped the feline before Paz could dart away. He held the thing up by its scruff and ignored the feeble hisses and swipes of its claws to be set down. “You fuck with me on this, I will end you. And I don’t care if I end myself in the doing.”
Fine, fine.Paz muttered under his breath as Kraft set him down.You are such an asshole.
Kraft grinned. “Perhaps that is why you gave me the ability to communicate with you. Because we are so much the same.”
Paz chuckled.Perhaps we are.
Riley returned and immediately froze.
She wore only a towel wrapped around her fine body. “I smell magic.”
“He was showing off.” Kraft shrugged.
She zeroed in on the mark on his chest. “Liar.”
“Just because you had wicked, dirty sex with me does not mean you know me, female.”
Instead of irritating her, Kraft made her laugh. “Ha. It sure does.”
Kraft refused to smile. “Nor do you own me.”
“That too.” She chuckled and dropped the towel.
Paz stared so hard it wasn’t funny.
“Wh-what are you doing?” Kraft asked.
