“Go away, Maureen.” August didn’t even look her way, completely unfazed by her. He observed me as if he was trying to decide which part of me to touch. My gaze moved back and forth between them, then it became obvious. Sebastian spoke like he had a lot of siblings and Maureen was a knockout. The family resemblance was obvious.
“I just want to give her a try too before Sebastian gets here,” she said, earning a smile from August. Now I was even more positive they were family.
“If you think by touching me, it can help you in some way, don’t be foolish,” I told them both. “You’ll only get hurt.”
“Just one touch and if it doesn’t work for me, I’ll let you go,” August replied with a devastatingly handsome smile.
Maureen lifted an eyebrow his way. “And if it does work?”
“Then, I’ll introduce her to the harem.” He flashed his teeth as if mentioning that he had a harem wasn’t one of the most piggish things demons did in the Underworld.
I could feel my heartbeat pulsing at my temples.Twitchy fingers. Twitchy fingers.These two were insanely powerful just like Sebastian. The darkness was stirring once again and reaching out to them.
Now I was getting pissed. I took in a deep breath and turned my palm up, letting my magic crackle for August to see. I wouldn’t be controlled by the darkness, and I wouldn’t let these two give me a problem.
“Now, now,” August said right before he faded. I twisted around to see where he had gone. He snuck up behind me, grabbing me by the waist to twist me around to face him. “Just a quick taste,” he whispered and the moment he cupped my cheek, his face paled and Ifeltit, me draining his power. The darkness gulped it in as quickly as it could and as much as I kept stealing from him, there seemed to be more waiting, an endless amount to take. Maureen separated him from me by throwing him across the room. He landed on the floor and thrashed as if he were having a seizure.
“What’s happening to him?” Maureen yelled as she ran to check on him.
Sofia dropped the plate she was holding as she entered the room and gasped. “August!” She ran to him and bent down next to him.
“What did you do to him?” Maureen looked back and asked me, but the darkness was overpowering me with everything that it had just stolen.
“I warned him not to touch me.” Sounding as if I were on auto-pilot, my feet slowly began to move toward them.
Maureen had a question in her eyes as she stood and focused on me. “What do you think you’re doing?” She materialized a weapon in her hand and aimed it at me.
Touch and take, touch, take. So much power from both of them. I want it. I want it—
“Izzie,” Sebastian’s frantic voice gave me pause. He had faded in the room a few feet in front of me. My eyes leveled on his and he took in everyone in the room after briefly meeting my eyes. “Did he touch you?” he asked me as he hurried over to his brother and bent down. “Put down the weapon, Maureen. She probably warned him not to touch her, didn’t she?” Maureen glanced at him and frowned before her weapon disappeared and she moved toward the back of the room where her brothers were.
“What did she do to him?” Sofia cried, scooting away as she watched me.
I began walking toward them again, the darkness heavy on my heart and mind.
“I think she stole some of his power.” Sebastian checked on his brother. “He’ll be okay. He’s already coming around. See?”
Maureen nodded. “I do.” She sighed. “We’re entities, we bounce back quickly, remember?”
Sebastian smirked at her, then his eyes widened as he noticed me bending down next to them, my hand stretched out for August. “Izzie, what are you doing?” he whispered.
“Don’t let her touch him again!” Maureen hissed.
“Touch, touch, take,” I mumbled.
“Whoa, hold up, witch,” Sebastian was speaking. I heard everything, and their conversation made sense, but I couldn’t stop myself. The darkness reigned over me. “I’m going to grab your hand, okay?”
“Don’t!” Maureen yelled. “What the hell is she trying to do to him?”
He clasped his hand over mine and heat bloomed in my stomach. Instead of reaching for August, I turned and sought out more of Sebastian. He slid his fingers between mine and someone made a noise. No, not someone. Me. I moaned, leaning toward him as my body drained itself of August’s power. I sagged against him, hating how turned on these encounters with him always were, but at the same time, I needed more friction between us. I just needed more of him,morethan this small amount. My free hand found his chest, and it rose and fell against my palm in big, heavy pants. I gazed up at him and saw unshielded lust.
“What in the world is going on between you two?” someone said.
“Look! Something’s passing between them!”
Sebastian grabbed a fistful of my hair and whispered, “You’re mine,” in a way that was unlike him, but I couldn’t pretend to know someone I just met. I didn’t care regardless, and neither did he. He faded, taking me with him. He parted our fingers and slid his hand down my arm, and the darkness, the darkness was at the mercy of this Reaper because the only thing it thought to do was hum in desire.
“What’s happening?” I panted and by the time the words were out of my mouth, we were back at his place.
