That was all it took. Kearan's muscles tensed as he started to slide from behind me.
"Stay," I whispered to Kearan. My hand gripped his thigh, holding him in place. Grayson's slight nod told me that Kearan had looked to him for advice.
I leaned back and whispered into Kearan's ear, my breath tickling his skin, "It's so cute when you check with Grayson that it's okay to show me affection." His cheeks flushed red, and I couldn't help but smile at his embarrassment. It suddenly dawned on me that everyone in the room had superhuman hearing and would have heard what I said, anyway. So much for trying to be discreet.
Ro made gagging noises, his patience clearly wearing thin. "Can we focus on finding Eloise's grimoire instead of flirting with rodents?" he snapped.
"Ro, you need to respect my mates," I shot back, anger flaring up inside me.
"Fine," Ro huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "You should still be able to feel both the ring and the grimoire, Parker. Witch belongings pass along the bloodline, meaning Eloise's grimoire is yours."
I denied it at first, my heart pounding against my ribs, then stopped myself. If my mother were a witch, then yes, I was part witch too, just like I was part demon because Ro was my father. The thought sent shivers down my spine. It made sense, even though I wanted to deny it.
"Alright," I murmured, focusing my energy on locating the grimoire.
A wave of determination washed over me as I tried to tap into my newly realized powers. But nothing happened. Frustration gnawed at me, and I clenched my fists. My team watched me with concern, but there was little they could do to help.
"Focus, Parker," Ro urged, his voice a mix of annoyance and curiosity. "You can do this."
But as much as I tried, I couldn't feel the grimoire or the ring. The room seemed to close in around me, the weight of my failure bearing down on my chest.
"Maybe you just need some time," Grayson suggested, his eyes soft with understanding. "This is all new to you."
"Fine," I gritted my teeth, pushing aside the whirlwind of emotions that threatened to engulf me. "One more try." I closed my eyes and tried to focus on my mother's grimoire with the demonic powers I'd grown to hate, but all I felt was emptiness. My powers were like a live wire under my skin, always there, ready to flare at any given moment. But now... nothing.
"Focus on your mother," Ro instructed, his voice laced with impatience. "Trace it from her."
I took a deep breath and attempted to do just that, but the frustration only grew as I continued to fail. Where once my powers had been a constant presence, they had vanished entirely, leaving me feeling lost and vulnerable.
A really bad feeling settled in my gut. I couldn't feel any power whatsoever. Could they be gone? There was a surefire way to test them.
"Damn it!" I muttered, grabbing the paper and crayons from the bedside table. This way of focusing my powers was beyond dumb, but it always worked. I drew the first thing that came to mind… a doughnut. The image seemed so ridiculous given the gravity of our situation, but it was all I could think of at that moment.
"This has to work," I said with false bravado, tossing the paper into the air as I concentrated on making it manifest. Instead, the paper fluttered pathetically to the ground. Grayson raised an eyebrow at me, and I could imagine the same concerned gaze mirrored on Kearan.
"Sorry," I shrugged, cheeks burning with embarrassment. "I guess I'm just... hungry."
Kearan immediately made to leave the room, no doubt to whip up something for me to eat. I held up a hand, stopping him before he could go too far. "Don't you dare leave to make me breakfast," I warned, trying to sound stern despite the butterflies that danced in my stomach whenever he was near.
Grayson chuckled, sensing the tension between us. "Don't worry, Kearan," he reassured my mate. "You can make her breakfast after we sort this out."
Kearan huffed, crossing his arms and shooting Grayson an annoyed look. But he stayed put.
"Ignore your pets, Parker," Ro snapped, narrowing his eyes at Kearan and Grayson. "We don't have time for this."
"Excuse me?" I exploded, anger surging through me as my hands balled into fists. "My demon powers are gone, Ro! Do you understand what that means?"
A chorus of curses filled the room, anxiety palpable in each exclamation. Grayson's frown deepened as he walked over to me, placing a gentle hand on my cheek. His touch was soothing, but it did little to quell the storm inside me.
"Ugh, gross," Ro gagged, rolling his eyes. "Can we not have sex right now? We have more important things to deal with."
I opened my mouth to chastise him, but Grayson beat me to it. "Grow up, Ro," he admonished, his voice calm but laced with frustration. "Parker is right. Her demon powers are mostly suppressed. I can feel a bit of them, but not even close to before."
"Really, Grayson? You think I don't know that?" Ro scoffed, making a 'duh' noise. He shifted uncomfortably under my scrutinizing gaze, clearly feeling awkward.
As I stared at Ro, a strange thought occurred to me. Instead of speaking out loud, I telepathically shared my suspicion with Grayson. You don't think Ro used the soul ring not only to track me but also to give me some control over my demonic powers, do you?
Grayson hesitated, his piercing grey eyes meeting mine. It's possible, he admitted, his thoughts cautious. But it does sound a bit crazy. Ro is a demon, after all. Could he really care about you more than he's led you to believe?
