“Shit.” I closed the door, stumbled dizzily across the room, and back into the bedroom. The next door I opened led to an enormous bathroom. I darted into the bathroom just in time.
“Food,” the woman sang out, and I leaned against the door. Torture. This was torture.
“I’m going to rinse off,” I called back. “Would you mind just leaving the tray?”
“Of course, dear.”
The bathroom was bigger than my entire apartment. Along one wall, a huge tub stretched, with enough room for a group of six. A spacious, multi-headed shower occupied the opposite wall, and I cast it a longing look as the woman delivering the food bustled around the room. As soon as I heard the door click behind her, I abandoned the bathroom and marched over to the tray.
Steak. Potatoes. Green beans. It was the early hours of the morning, but demons didn’t exactly operate on a 9-5 schedule.
I breathed out a curse and cut off a little of each, stuffing it in my mouth. As much as I wanted to wolf down the food, I had no idea how long the spell would keep me invisible.
I stalked over to the bed, tucked Samael’s pillow beneath my arm, and prepared to sneak out of the demon’s lair.
Samael
“The witch has left.”
I spun, turning my back on the window and the city below. Sitri’s lips quivered and I narrowed my eyes at him.
“How did she leave?”
“We’re unsure. There’s nothing on the security footage except the door to your rooms opening and closing.”
“She doesn’t have access to enough of her power to use an invisibility spell. Even if she did, she was completely drained.”
Sitri nodded. “If she wasn’t bonded to you, the wards wouldn’t have allowed her to leave without permission.”
I tilted my head and he gazed steadily back at me.
“Do you have something you’d like to say?” My voice was soft, but the demon tensed anyway.
“Since Ag is out of action, I believe it is up to me to say what he would also be thinking.”
“And what is that?”
“Bonding the witch was a mistake.”
I raised one eyebrow. “And why would that be?”
He gave me a look. “There was no need to bond her. You could have given her a single mark and she would still have been locked into your service.”
Not enough. A demon mark was a single slash along the palm, easily hidden.
Sitri leaned against the wall, nodding knowingly. “You’re overly possessive of this witch.”
“For the next week– and likely the rest of her life— the witch is mine,” I said. “I’m possessive of everything that belongs to me, and the witch is no different.”
Sitri opened his mouth but I shook my head. “Your concerns are noted but unwarranted. The witch pushed me and I retaliated. A single mark on her palm wouldn’t have humbled her enough.”
Sitri’s expression said he didn’t believe me, but I ignored him, stalking back to my rooms. I froze as I stared at the bed where the little witch had pushed and prodded, butting up against my natural dominance.
A slow smile curved my lips. Yes, I was entertained for the first time in decades. And I’d tasted the little witch’s magic when I slipped beneath her shields. She wasn’t all witch, and if she was what I thought she was, then she had just become very interesting indeed.
* * *
Danica
