“Fair enough. What do you want to know?” I feel like we’re going around in circles here, but if he wants to hear it all again,I’m happy to tell him. Maybe if I say it all enough, he’ll start to believe me.
“I should have asked before I let Dahlia do her witchy thing, but what exactly does this binding entail?” he asks.
“Think of me like your little puppy,” I tease, ignoring the flare of irritation in my veins at the reminder of being leashed. “My powers are slightly dulled, and I can’t move between realms without taking you with me. On this plane, if we’re more than a few feet apart, I’ll feel a physical tug that will only get worse the more distance is between us and will slowly drain my powers until I’m completely useless or I get back within range of you.”
“Does it hurt?” A momentary flash of concern flits through his eyes before he turns his head away from me, like he’s hoping I won’t notice it.
“No, it doesn’t hurt. Not physically, anyway. It’s… humiliating for a demon to be bound though,” I admit through clenched teeth.
Valentino grunts in acknowledgment.
“Just tell me the truth,” he says, his voice strained as he meets my eyes again. “Did you track me down or somehow compel me to that club the first night so you could seduce me and get to Mac?”
I slip off the stool and take a step closer to him, leaving an inch of space still between us.
“How much do you know about demons?” I ask.
Tino’s nostrils flare. “Enough. Why?”
“Your little human pet was right earlier. We’re closer to fae than to any species that evolved in your realm. And, like the fae, we’re bound by words, deals,promises.” I shouldn’t be telling him any of this. These are closely guarded demon secrets that aren’t for dragons to know. But I can’t keep the words from tumbling past my lips. His eyes search mine curiously. “If weswear by something it can only be the truth. If we make a vow, we’re bound to it.”
“Just answer my question, Montrose,” he growls.
I take another step closer and bring my hand up to cup his cheek. He tenses but doesn’t move to push me away.
“I didn’t track you or compel you to that club. I didn’t seek you out in any way, and I didn’t intend to use you to get to Mac. Iswear.” I can feel the powerful sizzle of the word on my tongue, sealing everything I just uttered with the weight of the promise. “If any of what I uttered had been a lie, my tongue would have shriveled.” I stick my tongue out to show him that it’s perfectly intact.
Valentino stares me down for another few seconds, then nods sharply.
Silence stretches between us for a few seconds. When he doesn’t ask me another question, I decide to make a request of my own.
“If I’m going to be staying here, I’ll need some things from my apartment.”
He snorts. “Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”
“Why not? You can’t expect me to wear nothing butthis.” I gesture at my outfit. His eyes track over my body in a lingering assessment. “And, I’ll have you know, it takes special product to get my hair this soft and shiny. I can’t just use any old off-the-shelf shampoo.”
He gives me a flat look. “And for all I know, you could have traps set at your apartment to kill me and break this binding thing. Or this Maggard character could be lying in wait there. If he even exists.”
I narrow my eyes at Valentino and close the distance between us in a fraction of a second, boxing him in against the counter and letting a little more of my demon side flicker below the surface so he canjuststart to see it through my human glamour.
“He’s very real, deliciae. And I wasn’t exaggerating about what he plans to do to your brother when he gets his hands on him. He’ll pluck Mac’s scales out one by one, wait for them to grow back, and do it all over again. He’ll put an unbreakable leash around his neck to lead him around our realm and keep him for his pet. And if he finds any of you trying to protect the little thief, he’ll burn your entire clan to the ground and me along with you.”
My voice gets deeper and more demonic with every syllable I utter, and Valentino’s eyes widen little by little.
“We’re not afraid of him.” His voice rumbles from his chest, just as inhuman as mine.
I lean in a little closer, brushing my lips against his to taste the heat of the flames building on them.
“You should be.”
Chapter Eleven
VALENTINO
“If that’s the case, then explain to me again how it’s safe for me to go with you to your realm?”
Montrose sighs. “Because Maggard doesn’t know that I’ve come here to warn you yet. As far as I know, he doesn’t even know I heard anything.” With his hand on my chest and his eyes flickering between their human and demon form, his expression turns serious. “It’s far more dangerous for me. If even one demon finds out I helped you, I’m a target.”
