Not hurt, not even unconscious, but temporarily paralyzed and rooted to the earth where he stands.
Well. Mostly.
The dose I had was calibrated for a human, and there’s just… a bit more to work with here.
He shakes his head as the last of the smoke clears, and the tips of his wings jerk, fighting the invisible restraints.
“What did you do to me?”
“Nothing much,” I say lightly, taking another step. “You’ll be free in a few minutes.”
“Witch,” he growls, and this time his shoulders move in harsh, jerking motions as he powers through the spell.
Okay. Maybe less than a few minutes.
And that’s my cue to get the fuck out of here.
There are only a few yards between me and freedom, but as I turn to go, he tries one more time.
“Please. Wait.”
It’s unexpected, that tone from him. He’s been a gruff, grumpy asshole this whole time, but when I turn back to look at him like the idiot I am, there’s something new on his face.
Something that makes my gut twist and my chest ache. Something that feels undeniably wrong to walk away from.
But Iamgoing to walk away.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to stay.
There’s no way in hell I have a mate, no way any of this is happening. No way I owe him a single damn thing.
Callum seems to realize it, too.
“At least tell me your name.”
The answer is on the tip of my tongue, but I bite it back.
Why does he get to know my name?
Demons aren’t as weird about names as fae are—at least, I don’t think they are—but what’s this demon to me?
Just because he claims to be my mate doesn’t mean I ever have to see him again.
Barbaric, truly, the idea he has some kind of claim on me because he got a magickal tingle. He could be lying, for all I know.
It’s not like I feel it, too.
This… this…tingleI feel could just be remnants of the instinct that grabbed me in the tavern.
The seeking instinct, though I’ve never quite felt it like that before.
Surely, that’s where my magick was leading me. To a prize that will help me get back on my feet after all the time I’ve spent struggling outside the coven. The promise of a big score, the allure of a fae queen’s bounty, nothing more.
Goddess, I need it to be nothing more.
In that spirit, I decide to keep my name to myself. Giving it to this demon would only make it easier for him to find me later, and I have no intention of letting that happen.
Even if, as I step closer to the Veil, the strange magick between us pulses stronger, hotter, nearly painful as it twists the center of my chest. Like it’s trying to tell me I’m wrong, this is wrong, walking away from this demon.
